All Questions
80
votes
11answers
3k views
Tips and sources for beginning designers
Thanks to the internet, graphic design and programming are becoming increasingly overlapping fields.
As a programmer, I constantly find myself needing basic knowledge of Graphic Design, but have ...
12
votes
8answers
39k views
What resolution should a large format artwork for print be?
For wall sized graphics and large banners (e.g 3m x 5m), what is an acceptable PPI for print.
As i understand it 300 PPI is the typical for 'small' artworks (esp. for clean text resolution), however ...
27
votes
8answers
972 views
Is there a good resource or tool to help build a palette/color scheme around colors I select?
No matter how nice the composition, flow, and lines of my design are, if I am not copying directly from nature, I have a very difficult time picking a decent color scheme. It either looks too drab, ...
29
votes
8answers
1k views
Where are some good places to find free stock images? [closed]
I'm always on the hunt for free stock images to use while I design, what are some good resources?
17
votes
11answers
7k views
What DPI should be used for what situations?
I've been seeing the word 'DPI' pop up quite a lot when I export my work out in Photoshop and Illustrator. While I know that DPI stands for 'dots per inch', and that if you have too low of a DPI on an ...
21
votes
5answers
12k views
How can I automatically determine fonts used in an image or PDF?
How is it possible to determine the fonts used by text in PDF and TIFF files?
12
votes
1answer
6k views
What price should I charge for design services?
I was hoping I would find some people in the industry that could help me decide what's the best price to charge to design business cards.
What are standard prices for professional business card ...
5
votes
2answers
8k views
Making the background of an image transparent
I have some jpg images and I need for each of them to have a transparent background.
I have GIMP as a graphic tool.
I need to put them in a web page and I need to see just the main element and have a ...
37
votes
14answers
1k views
What is the single most influential book every designer should read?
What is the single most influential book every designer should read?
13
votes
5answers
2k views
What does the size of the font translate to exactly?
I have a 40 pixel font that I'm trying to translate into custom images. I'm trying to match the size of the image exactly, but I'm having some problems getting exactly the right size. Basically, what ...
8
votes
1answer
218 views
How to hire a graphic designer?
I am developing the backend for a website. I always had the trouble of making an attractive design for my websites and have never hired any graphic designer yet. I have no logo nor web template.
What ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
What's the difference between vector graphics and raster graphics?
Also, when would you use one vs the other?
3
votes
2answers
356 views
What is a spot/Pantone colour?
When should I use them, and how do I pick one?
(NB: I know the answer, but think this question fills an important gap.)
23
votes
8answers
5k views
What is the difference between CMYK and RGB? Are there other color spaces I should know?
I'm a photographer, who dabbles in graphic design from time to time as well. What are the differences between the various color spaces?
11
votes
5answers
629 views
Developer to Designer path: How To
Being a developer wanting to be a designer, I'm really interested in learning how to create top notch UI for websites, mobile apps, etc. However, I know nothing about PhotoShop or anything related to ...
5
votes
7answers
6k views
Designing A Website from Scratch – Illustrator or Photoshop?
If I'm designing a website from scratch and I intend to slice it and code it up in Adobe Dreamweaver later, should I create the design of the website in Illustrator or Photoshop? Why?
3
votes
6answers
1k views
How do I get started with Adobe Illustrator
I would like to learn using Adobe Illustrator. I want to go from start i.e learn using each tool first and then move on.
Where can I get tutorials for this (Youtube is a good source)
I cant afford ...
8
votes
5answers
8k views
Font (anti)aliasing in Photoshop
I'm using Photoshop for designing websites and whenever I compare a photoshop design with the live browser preview the fonts appear to be rendered differently.
Basically any anti-aliasing method I ...
30
votes
6answers
1k views
What are best practices for choosing and pairing fonts?
I've always found font selection to be a little bit of a mystery. What factors should be considered when choosing a font? How does one successfully incorporate two fonts into a design?
I realize that ...
27
votes
5answers
2k views
How often is the Golden Ratio actually used in modern design?
The Golden Ratio is the stuff of legend (and I believe some derision if Pepsi's latest logo change is of any indication) and is purported to have been used in many famous projects. My question is ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
Photoshop curved Shadow
How to create the shadow effect as per the url/image below? Specifically, the rounded/curved shadow at the bottom:
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Charging an Intellectual Property transfer fee for design work
So, you've finished a design job (eg. a logo design) and the client asks for your IP surrounding the logo, eg copyright, original artwork files, notes, sketches, all of that stuff that went into ...
7
votes
3answers
473 views
How to make a logo where a letter is made of particles of varying sizes?
How can I make a logo in Adobe Illustrator like the AntiParticle logo below, from http://www.graphicdesigninspiration.net/2012/08/15/70-awesome-logo-designs-for-your-inspiration/?
It is a large ...
4
votes
5answers
6k views
What is the difference between DPI (dots per inch) and PPI (pixels per inch)?
There are lots of other questions on Graphic Design which partly cover this, e.g. What DPI should be used for what situations?.
However, I have become frustrated at the number of questions and ...
5
votes
5answers
327 views
How to create fake reflections?
How can I create fake reflections easily like the one here:
Any online or easy open source tools out there?
4
votes
4answers
10k views
How can I resize this object without distorting it ?
How can I resize such item without changing the curvature at edges ? You know, I don't want the half-circles at the extremes to become half-elipses.
thanks
3
votes
3answers
2k views
How to resize icon sets in Photoshop?
When looking online for icons to use on my websites, I often find very well designed free icon sets.
However, often these icon sets are only available on a single size - for instance the icon set ...
6
votes
13answers
659 views
Why do people keep telling me my site looks awful?
I've developed a website, and recently was looking for a job. Practically all interviewers, after taking a quick glimpse at it, told me my site was designed awfully (but liked the concept). I should ...
4
votes
2answers
6k views
How to design sleek magnifying glass effects like these?
I'm wondering how I can create the magnifying glass effect I've seen a lot lately on pages that sell software (either desktop or web-applications).
Here are two examples. I really like the first one ...
-1
votes
2answers
148 views
Need an Image Manipulation Program [closed]
I need an image manipulation software with certain features, the cost doesn't matter to me.
I am looking for the following features:
A program which enables me to: Make logos and other vector works ...
2
votes
3answers
446 views
Which tools for digital art & paintings
i like digital art and paintings. I want to create my own. Which software/tools i need to accomplish?
Below are the examples:
...
1
vote
1answer
290 views
Grid-based design in Illustrator — need help setting up a grid!
I'm trying to explore grid-based layout design in Illustrator to help me create mockups for prototypes. I was wondering if anybody here could help me set up a grid based layout easily in Illustrator ...
0
votes
2answers
611 views
How to create a speckled/pixelated background?
How would I replicate this speckled/pixelated background effect?
You might need to zoom in to see the effect fully.
52
votes
10answers
5k views
How do I learn to be creative?
I've been a programmer my whole life, and now I've found that I really need to start designing my own stuff. I know how to use Photoshop in and out, but I just can't create anything nice. I often ...
22
votes
6answers
950 views
Sources for Color Theory or Psychology of Color
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good book/blog/forum that focuses on design principles such as psychology of color, specifically where it relates to picking a color palette for a communication ...
31
votes
8answers
5k views
What kind of black should I use when designing for CMYK print?
my question is what kind of black should I use when printing.
At the moment I use this black (split into CMYK) :
C:0%
M:0%
Y:0%
K:100%
It looks fine in InDesign or Illustrator but if I save a PDF ...
16
votes
5answers
496 views
What are some good resource for programmers to design icons?
I'm a computer programmer, and find myself needing to draw icons frequency. Does anyone out there have any good resources for both the tools and how to design icons?
19
votes
3answers
46k views
Export photoshop layers to individual PNG files - batch process?
I am a web dev and competent in Fireworks but not so much in Photoshop.
I have just received a layered PSD file to turn into a web page. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to export all layers to ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Best workflow for icon design: Start big, or start small?
When designing icons that need to be delivered at several sizes, do you start at the smaller size, then scale up to the bigger sizes? Or do you start big and scale down?
There's several advantages to ...
16
votes
6answers
14k views
What font types are good for a technical document?
What are some good fonts to use for a highly technical document? Is there any specific type that should be used/avoided?
12
votes
1answer
2k views
Is it possible to use a fully open source workflow for print design?
Is it possible to use only open-source tools in order to produce professional level artwork? Has anyone actually done it? If not, where are the current gaps?
Assume I'm producing a small multi-page ...
15
votes
3answers
948 views
How do I make screenshots look good when printed in CMYK?
Whn printing screenshots alongside black text, black areas of the screenshot look a washed out muddy dark grey - what causes this and can I improve matters?
8
votes
3answers
4k views
How to draw “rays” photoshop?
How do I draw "Rays" emmiting from an object in an image in Photoshop?
Example from http://www.pxleyes.com
12
votes
4answers
5k views
Exporting individual layers in Photoshop, keeping their sizes
Well I was trying to look this up through Google but didn't find anything, but then I just got the invite for this beta, so I might as well ask here :) I'm trying to export individual layers in ...
7
votes
5answers
6k views
Is it really impossible to have gradient without banding?
I am struggling to create a gradient without banding. I have watched all the videos on YT and tried: Bluring all kinds, Noise, Dither,bit depth, Brush and doing the gradient in Illustrator.
...
6
votes
4answers
23k views
Facebook: Ways to preserve image quality of uploaded images?
After uploading an image, Facebook converts it to a new image. Their conversion process introduces artifacts and mottling to the magenta-ish parts of the image.
Original image:
Facebook's ...
2
votes
2answers
121 views
Good Resources for Colour Schemes? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Picking colors that don't clash.
What are some good resources for getting colour schemes/palettes for your designs? I usually mix/make them myself but sometimes I ...
6
votes
9answers
1k views
What programs can be used to make animations?
I am specifically interested in software that can be used to combine existing sets of images (frames in the animation) into an animation. Having the ability to add transitions/effects between the ...
1
vote
1answer
146 views
Any good websites that offers free icons or icons to purchase? [closed]
Hi i have the following queries:
Are there any websites that offers free icons for mobile design? As in totally free for commercial use and does not need to link back to website?
Alternatively, are ...
12
votes
2answers
678 views
Clearly distinguishable colours for scientific figures
I am looking for pointers on how to pick a set of colours (or a colour gradient) that are clearly distinguishable, for use in scientific figures. Was there any systematic research on this? If yes, ...
