The Art Blog of Emily Gonsalves

Custom Invitations for the Budget Conscious

2011-07-29T14:57:00.001-04:00

If you haven't already seen my website for special event design, you can find it at eventdesign.emilygonsalves.com

My special event design site is primarily targeted to those looking to have custom designed printed materials for weddings, and that will also be the focus of this article, but please keep in mind that many of the services I offer are suitable for other kinds of events as well. These events can range from intimate get-togethers to corporate gatherings or any other kind of event you may be holding.

The following is a display of pieces from a custom-designed suite that I created for couple (names changed for privacy) who wanted to use the colours black and silver, have a simple but elegant look, and wanted the majority of items to be printed using letterpress. Select items were not printed with letterpress, such as the seating chart and card sign (not pictured), and items that used variable data (such as the table numbers). The place cards had the names and numbers hand written by a calligrapher, the remainder was printed using letterpress. All designs were vector based for the crispest quality and flexibility. Thank you card options were also designed, but not used. The heart swirl was something I created as stock art while working on the suite, but the other swirl was pre-created stock art by Room 122.

The end result? The clients were very pleased with the way things looked in print, how the pieces were unique to them, and how the items added to their special day.

Here are some of the design services I offer for special events:

Invitations and envelopes
Informational/direction cards
Menus
Seating charts
Reply cards and envelopes
Favour tags
Table numbers and place cards
Banners and posters
Printing coordination
Event website

If you have any ideas for other items that would be suitable for your event, just let me know. I can probably help you! I have experience designing a variety of items large and small for print and I also have experience designing websites, presentations, and other items viewed on screens. Also, don't be afraid to ask about something that may fall out of my area of expertise. If I can't do it for you, I will help you find someone who can do it right and stay true to the vision of the items I create for you.

This article is primarily for those who want to have customized invitations and other collateral. Perhaps you are frustrated by the limitations of choosing from pre-created templates. Perhaps you want to know how you can get the beauty of letterpress without going over budget. Whatever the reason, I would love to help you realize your vision for your special day.

For couples getting married, the budget is often a major concern. I understand how important it is for you to keep your budget reasonable and affordable. My services will not break the bank.

My fees are generally $50 hourly for fully customized special event collateral. Communication fees are charged at $20 hourly and up; this includes email correspondence, phone calls, Skype meetings, and in-person meetings (the fee for the latter depends on my travel time to the meeting). Meetings are held on an as-needed or as practical basis.

Now you're probably wondering what it means to have the design charged at $50 hourly. Won't that get expensive? How many hours will it take?

Let's start with an example.

Suppose you have 100 guests attending your wedding. You need, at a minimum, invitations, reply cards, and addressed envelopes for both. This is a total of 400 pieces.

Now, if you go to a site providing template designs, you will be paying per invitation, per reply card, and the only envelopes included will be plain. You will have to pay extra to have printing on the envelopes, or you will have to hand write all addresses, even your own mailing address. Hand writing could be more time-consuming for you than it's worth, but let's focus on the cost of the invitations and reply cards first.

Template invitations from other suppliers can range widely in price. They can be as low as less than fifty cents a piece (if ordering in bulk) or even $6.00 or more.

Let's say the template design you like costs $5 a piece. That makes your invitations alone cost $500. Even if this includes printing, you still have to consider that there are other pieces that cost extra!

Now, say your reply cards are priced a little less, at $3 a piece. Your cost for reply cards will be $300.

In total, you have already spent $800 and you only have plain envelopes. For a smaller wedding, this may mean cutting other printed items that match the set, handwriting the envelopes, or even considering making your own invitations.

However, if you want to have memorable keepsakes, it's a good idea to go to a professional. A correctly prepared design and quality printing will result in something that you can keep for many years to come. Something you print off at home on an inkjet printer though, will be subject to fading, discolouration, and other degradation. Also, care will be given by professionals to ensure that information is accurate and meets your standards.

Now, let's look at my pricing estimate for the design of the same items. For $300, I will design the invitations, reply cards, and do the repeated addresses for the envelopes (you may need a different option for the variable addresses on the invitation envelopes, but this depends on how they will be printed). While this assumes a somewhat simple design, it's already obvious that the cost is lower and you are getting more for your money. But what about the printing costs?

Letterpress printing is traditionally more expensive and requires a setup fee by the printer. Digital printing can be more cost effective. It's also important to consider what your paper options will be. We can focus on printers willing to accept outside paper if you wish, or we can consult with the printer about their options.

Quantities will come into play more when we are choosing a printer. For the design work, not as much. Although it is very helpful for me to know quantities so that files are prepared correctly, I don't charge for custom design special event collateral based on the quantity. Rather, my fees are based on the amount of work involved for me to set things up for you. I am always happy to provide an estimate, but it is very important for me to know your budget and style preferences before starting work.

Shipping costs may also be a factor for you. I encourage you to choose a printer who is close by so that you can save on shipping fees or even have the option to pick up items yourself to eliminate a shipping fee. Of course, I will always ask the printer about any costs that may be involved for printing and proofs, on your behalf.

In comparison, if you like one of the templates available in my Zazzle shop, you can save even more there and pay less than $400 for invitations, reply cards, and printed envelopes - design and printing included, shipping extra. However, your customization options will be severely limited and the design will not be unique to you. Colour changes and font changes are not available through my Zazzle shop. If you really like one of my templates as a starting point (you can see them below), you can come to me directly for additional customization.

If you are looking for custom-designed invitations that won't break your budget, I hope this article has helped you put things in perspective. My services are quite cost-friendly and highly personalized in comparison to some studios who only offer templates and very little customization.

If you would like to receive your own quotation for the design of items for your wedding or other special event, please don't hesitate to contact me. In your message, please include: details about your event, style preferences, pieces you would need and numbers for each piece, timeline, as well as your budget. I am happy to discuss the options for you that can keep you in budget while giving you personalized, memorable keepsakes that add a finishing touch to your special day.

If you prefer discussing things over the phone, just let me know a number and a good time to reach you and I will give you a call. I ask for e-mail as the initial point of contact as I will need to e-mail you regularly throughout the process, but you will receive a message from me very quickly with my additional contact information.

If you want to know more specifically how I can help you, please get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you and letting you know how I can give you the personalized solution that is best for you.

Design Post: Safety Wallpapers

2011-06-23T18:24:00.000-04:00

I recently finished these desktop wallpaper concepts for International Safety Systems. Now they are asking for public opinion about which ones should be available for download in different resolutions. It will likely be limited to the top four with the highest number of votes.

These are all purely vector art, created in Illustrator. In number 8, I even used some 3D effects. Some readers may recognize pieces in the "Sunny Day Delivery" wallpaper (number 6). The trees are my own stock art that I have used before, the clouds are free stock, and the sun and sky are from a previous illustration of mine. I arranged things differently and made changes for the ground in this new piece. The van, by the way, is straight from the vehicle wrap design. I think that one is my favourite of all nine, but don't let that influence your choice!

If the image here isn't big enough for a preview, you can see larger versions in the Safety Wallpapers for Your Screen album, which is on their Facebook Page.

To have your say, you can vote in the survey. Pick as many as you'd like!

Art Post: Hot Red Bikini Prints

2011-06-17T12:02:00.002-04:00

Buy/preview different print options for "Hot Red Bikini" here

Have your say about which print you'd like to see added to my Bubblesite next by voting in the poll on my Facebook Page. The bikini images were taking the lead after only a few votes, so I've already added one of them.

If you've been following Green Corner for a while, you may recall that the two bikini images were part of an old April Fool's Day special I had up on the Green Corner website. I used a JavaScript rollover to allow quick switching from one image to the next. The original two pieces were Shiny Red Bikini and, on rollover, Invisible Bikini. It was a fun joke to make out of a sexy, but relatively tame pinup illustration. If you haven't seen them before, don't worry, both parts are work safe.

The poll choices are:

Shiny Red Bikini - now available with a slight variation as "Hot Red Bikini"
Invisible Bikini
Valentine Sunset
Lady with a Fan
Holiday Girls
Warm Wishes

Hope you enjoyed this one! Feel free to let me know in the comments or on my page if there are other pieces you'd like to see available as prints too.

Green Corner: Page 27

2011-06-13T19:22:00.004-04:00

Page twenty seven of Green Corner has been published! (see preview below from one of the panels)

Please visit the Green Corner website to see the update.

I'm sorry about the long hiatus. I've been focusing on a lot of other things in the past year and a bit. This meant cutting back on creating comic pages.

Working for clients always comes first for me, but I will be making more of an effort to fit in some drawing time in my off hours so that updates can be a little more regular again.

I hope readers will enjoy seeing more Green Corner art return to my blog :)

Art Post: Spring Blooms Wedding Templates

2011-06-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Please click to enlarge the above image.

This is a wedding template suite that I designed around the theme of "spring blooms." The set includes standard pieces as well as customizable buttons that can be worn at the event or used later as small keepsakes. The button design can also be used for keychains and magnets, if anyone would like to see those added. I'm also considering the addition of a custom printed tote bag to this set, for my Zazzle shop customers. Anything else you'd like to see, just let me know!

This is a more playful suite that works well for a more casual event, be it a wedding or a party. Although the invitations, reply cards, and thank you cards come with plain envelopes, designed envelopes are available separately. If you'd like to see different envelope sizes to use for regular stationery, just let me know and I'll create more envelope sizes.

For print-on-demand versions with customizable text, you can check out my Zazzle shop. Here are links to the individual items and their measurements:

Invitation (top left) - 7" x 5", most text customizable. One field each for bride's and groom's names, and a multi-line field for the details.
A7 envelope (top left, underneath) - 7.25" x 5.25", fits the invitation and postcard.
RSVP card (bottom left) - 5.5" x 4.25", all text customizable. Includes blank lines for invited guests to fill in by hand and circular checkboxes to confirm attendance.
Small envelope (front: bottom left, underneath and back: bottom right, underneath) - 6.5" x 4.7" (A6). Fits reply card and thank you card. Customizable text for both the to and from addresses.
Postcards (top centre) - all text customizable, blank back. Uses one size of white text on Zazzle, with eight lines available to allow customization for a variety of purposes. Can be used for an alternative invitation option or table numbers.
Brown buttons (top right) - available in multiple sizes from 1.25" to 6" diameter, default size is 2.25" diameter. Two lines of customizable text available. Text can be modified to use a guest name, a table number (or table name), or even a short saying.
Green buttons (top right, below the brown buttons) - available in multiple sizes from 1.25" to 6" diameter, default size is 2.25" diameter. Two lines of customizable text available. Text can be modified to use a guest name, a table number (or table name), or even a short saying.
Thank you cards (bottom right) - 5.5" x 4.25". No customizable text. Inside is blank for handwriting personal notes.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in having pieces custom designed for a wedding or other special event, you can see my special event design website for more information.

Please also get in touch if you would like me to assist you in creating items for your special day.

Art Post: Retro Bride

2011-05-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

Here's a simple drawing of a bride with a 1960's influenced wedding dress. I was trying to make the era a little vague (although I am a fan of the costuming in MadMen). This was drawn by hand with a black gel pen in my sketch book, over a pencil sketch.

I created this after a suggestion by my sister to design a retro themed wedding set, for my Zazzle Shop. Although I like the drawing, I'm not sure if I'll be able to use it for a wedding template, but maybe I just need to draw a matching groom.

Hope you enjoyed this one!

Art Post: Finish Line (Sketch)

2011-04-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a recent sketch, of Kasha from my comic series, Green Corner. Pose reference was from this image by PersephoneStock.

This sketch will be the basis of a final drawing that I'm planning to represent the three of coins tarot card, which is my contribution to The Webcomics Tarot Project.

Traditionally, the three of coins features a person chiseling a column or a similar activity. I've chosen to go with something more unique and have Kasha running through a finish line to indicate a physical accomplishment. I do still need to work on the background elements for this card, but the figure will be the focal point and I'm fairly happy with how it's looking so far.

Hope you enjoy!

By the way, the reason for my being quiet lately was a trip to Sakura Con 2011, which I was covering as a press representative for Moon Chase. Early last week was spent preparing for a panel I was hosting as well as developing interview questions for a few of the guests. I will be posting convention coverage on the Moon Chase blog, but I'm open to sharing some of my cosplay photos on here too. Recently, I've also been working on a brand new site design for Moon Chase, to be used when the site is transferred to Wordpress. Once it's re-launched, I'll share some images and info about that as well.

Art Post: Winter Wonderland Wedding Templates

2011-04-15T09:00:00.024-04:00

Please click to enlarge the above image.

This is a wedding template suite that I designed around the theme of "winter wonderland." There are a variety of pieces in this set, including a ceramic ornament that can be used as a guest favour.

For print-on-demand versions with customizable text, you can check out my Zazzle shop. Here are links to the individual items and their measurements:

Square invitation (top left) - 5.25" x 5.25", all text customizable. One customizable line of text for the names of the bride and groom, plus five additional lines of text.
Invitation envelope (top left, underneath) - 5.45" x 5.44", customizable text for both the to and from addresses.
Foldable Reply Card (bottom left shows inside view) - 5.6" x 4", editable text inside with blank lines available for invited guests to fill in by hand.
Flat Reply Card (bottom left) - 5" x 3.5", editable text with blank lines available for invited guests to fill in by hand.
Small envelope (front: bottom left, underneath and back: bottom centre, underneath) - 6.5" x 4.7" (A6). Fits foldable reply card and thank you card. Customizable text for both the to and from addresses.
Ornament favour (top, centre) - 2.87" diameter, ceramic, weighs 1.4 ounces. Editable text.
Place Card (top right) – folded size 4.875" x 1.75", not available on Zazzle.
Table number (bottom right) - 5" x 7", numeric text is customizable.
Thank you card (bottom centre) - 5.6" x 4", editable interior text for personal note or leave blank to write notes in by hand.

Art Post: Simple Landscape

2011-04-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

This drawing was created with fineliner marker, quite a while ago, as you can tell by the date in the picture. I created this as a basis for a simple background to make a change to the website for my comic series, Green Corner. I intended to create a vector version and move pieces around to create a background that could move based on browser size.

It's pretty simplified and drawn without the use of reference. Some parts of it I'm happy with, other parts don't feel quite right to me. I think it's a good starting point, but I would have to make quite a few changes in a vector variation so that it creates the effect that I want. Mostly, I dislike the way the top branches of the trees look. They don't seem natural enough.

Eventually I hope to finish a more compelling background for that site though, as it's really quite plain right now. This is fine on pages that include images, but the text-heavy pages end up looking pretty dry.

Scenery isn't something I tend to put a huge focus on a lot of the time, although I do feel it's very important to have a good setting in any image. I think it might be interesting to see some of the backgrounds from my images without the figures in front, but usually I try to direct more attention to the figures rather than the setting. Of course establishing an appropriate setting with a good level of detail helps frame the subject of the picture. I also find it adds more interesting things for a viewer to enjoy.

I hope you liked seeing this simple background sketch. Hopefully I'll find time to work on a more polished version before long.

Art Post: 2010 Winter Holiday Card

2011-04-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

This was my winter holiday card for 2010. It features Aena from my comic series, Green Corner. I sent printed copies of this with handwritten messages to clients, family, and friends. Originally I had hoped to print the final myself using letterpress, but I did not have the time nor budget to make that possible.

Every year I create a new illustration for my winter holiday cards. I think it's a nice touch to send something like this to my clients, to remind them that I appreciate their business and give them something unique that I created, rather than an off the shelf card. It also gives me a way to remind clients that I am not only a graphic designer, but an illustrator as well.

Canadian readers may notice that the cup she is holding looks like a Tim Horton's cup. That's because, for my photo reference, I posed with a Tim Horton's cup. I happened to have an unused one lying around to use as a prop and I thought it worked well for my idea to have Aena holding a cup of hot chocolate to warm her up on a cold winter's day. My reference was photographed with my webcam, so it's not the greatest quality, but it worked well enough for pose reference and for sharing online with family and friends.

Below are the progress images, in reverse chronological order. I hope you like seeing how it all came together!

Almost complete, but too much green.

Flat colours, with text and background elements started.

The initial vector lineart.

Art Post: A Sweet Kiss

2011-04-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

I drew this in early winter 2010, when I was still brainstorming holiday card ideas. I decided not to use this drawing for that, since it seemed more appropriate for Valentine's Day. This ended up looking a bit like myself and my boyfriend, only with the hair reversed. I tend to make that mistake with my hair, because I'm used to seeing myself in a mirror. It's easy enough to flip the image if I make a digital version, so I decided to be consistent after I made the first minor error with the hair. No reference for this, but I think it turned out fairly clean once I rendered it in fineliner marker.

Hope you like it!

Art Post: Red Riding Hood Sketches

2011-04-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

These sketches are from quite a while back, and were quickly drawn in a cutesy style. Drawing animals from memory is not one of my strengths, even in a simplified style. I'll have to try again at the wolf, after practicing from reference. It looks like in the sketch above that Red has been frightened by a rabid squirrel! At least it makes for a funny picture, so that's all right. Maybe I could use it for something else, some day.

Hope you enjoy!

Art Post: Ellen and Pam Caricatures

2011-04-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

These are a couple of quick, almost caricature type cartoons that I did a while back (March 18th, 2010). I scanned them in a long time ago but I only just cleaned up the linework a little. I drew these while watching an episode of Ellen, where Pamela Anderson was a guest. They had a caricaturist there drawing them live, but from what I recall, Ellen seemed to think the caricature of herself was too exaggerated. I don't think she's a big fan of caricatures in general.

My caricature style is a lot softer and more subtle. Things that I tend to focus on for likeness are the shape of the face, the shape of the nose, shape of the ears (if visible), shape of the eyebrows, size of the eyes, and of course - the hair.

I found it interesting to draw these two women who look very different from each other, and pick out little nuances to hint at their likeness. I think that the sketch of Ellen shows likeness better, but maybe that's because the sketch of Pamela reminds me a little of my character Zalanda, from my comic series, Green Corner.

I'm not sure if I'll ever do a quick, simple vector of these, I may just do a hand-drawn marker version instead for a version with cleaner lines.

The sketching was fun for me to do, as I hardly draw caricatures anymore and it's a good exercise to practice likeness of real people. When I worked at a theme park, I drew LOTS of caricatures and they ended up being one of my favourite things to draw. Portraits looks lovely, but they are a lot more challenging and time-consuming.

Hope you enjoy the sketches. I'll also look around for more pieces I've scanned in but haven't shared yet.

Why You Should Have a Vector Logo (Part 4)

2011-04-07T09:00:00.007-04:00

What Can a Vector Logo Be Used For?
If you are a small business, why would you want to have a vector logo? What can it be used for where a raster based logo would not achieve the same results?

Because a logo can change size infinitely if it is in vector format, it is ideal for applications where the logo would be displayed at a very large size. But there are also some small size applications where a vector will yield better results (particularly if colours are limited for output).

Signage is a popular application for a vector logo. This can be large format outdoor signage printed on a flat substrate such as vinyl or even a carved, three-dimensional sign. Tradeshow booths that include a logo will benefit from a vector logo as it will be crisp from any viewing distance.

above: photos of two large format items that I designed for International Safety Systems Inc. that utilize vector artwork – outdoor signage on the top, a tradeshow booth on the bottom.

Small scale applications where a vector may be preferable to a raster format include engraved badges, silk screen printing (on T-shirts or other products), and embroidery. Stickers and magnets are great promotional tools, and a vector logo could help you limit colours in printing these items.

This is only a small list of examples, a vector logo can really be used almost anywhere, and additional formats can be exported from a program that can open vector graphics (such as Adobe Illustrator), so that raster formats at fixed sizes are available for specific applications such as websites and PowerPoint presentations.

When it comes to print, you almost always want to choose a vector format for your logo, to ensure the highest possible quality. A logo with clean, crisp edges conveys professionalism, trustworthiness, and pride in the brand. If your logo has rough or jagged edges, it can have negative connotations and potentially be harmful to your branding efforts.

Conclusion
That brings us to the end of this series. I hope that readers found this series informative and that it helps at least some company representatives better understand what the benefits are to having a vector logo. Any further questions, please add a comment on any post in this series (if you'd like to be notified of a response, please make sure you have checked the box to have follow-up comments emailed to you). If there are a lot of questions, I may collect them in an extra post in addition to answering in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Previously in the "Why You Should Have a Vector Logo" series:

Why You Should Have a Vector Logo (Part 3)

2011-04-06T09:00:00.003-04:00

Preparing Logos in Vector Graphics Programs and Maximizing Compatibility
A logo is ideally created in its final form in a vector graphics program such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. This ensures that it is being created in software that is primarily intended for the creation and editing of vector based content. My expertise is with Illustrator, so I will focus on that.

above: my vector logo in "outline view" in Illustrator. Just as the name implies, every path is outlined.

When a logo is finalized in Illustrator, the designer will "outline" certain elements, such as typography. This is to ensure consistency on other computers which may need to open the logo file. Primarily this is done to eliminate any missing font issues. It can also be done to ensure that the weight of lines is consistent, as a "stroke" in Illustrator may not scale as expected based on different user settings. This could mean that a thin line or stroke, when zoomed in significantly, ends up becoming a rectangle or an outlined path to ensure consistency when the logo size changes. If it is left as a stroke, it may stay thin even when the logo is scaled up, instead of changing size proportionately.

above: the preferences pane in Adobe Illustrator. Notice the highlighted area, indicating that strokes and effects will not be scaled proportionately. This can alter the appearance of objects if scaled within Illustrator, if they are not correctly outlined or expanded.

above: although these logos look identical in preview mode (top), they look different in outline mode (bottom). The right side has all paths expanded, in addition to outlined text.

above: the image is scaled up without strokes expanded, resulting in thinner strokes and an incorrect appearance.

above: with the strokes expanded and text outlined, the image scales up more consistently. Strokes now appear correct and in proportion.

File Formats
When a logo is prepared properly, it will most likely be saved in EPS format (encapsulated postscript). This is a file format commonly used for placing or embedding images in graphic design industry standard layout programs such as Adobe InDesign and Quark XPress. The native file format for Adobe Illustrator is AI, and that can also be utilized with InDesign very easily (it may need to be set as PDF compatible). Another format that can be saved from Illustrator is PDF. This retains the vector data and the file can still be opened (and possibly edited, depending on permission settings) in Illustrator, placed in InDesign, and even viewed in Acrobat (any variation). Sometimes, I prefer to send a PDF of a final logo to a client so that they can have a vector format they can see. EPS and AI formats can only be opened in certain graphics editing software and page layout software. It is uncommon for someone to be able to open them to view if they only have the software that came with their computer. Thumbnail images do not always attach correctly to these file types either, so that is not a reliable preview method.

I have noticed that Apple's Preview is able to preview EPS files (it temporarily converts to PDF first), but since Microsoft Windows is more commonly used in the business world, this is not something that I can expect clients to have access to.

There is a freeware vector graphics program that I have heard good things about called Inkscape, but I believe it cannot open EPS files either. It can open and edit a different vector format, svg (scalable vector graphics). But this is not an industry standard format, so I cannot recommend it as a high priority file type to have. It can be useful in some cases, but it is fairly uncommon.

The most commonly used formats for vector logos would have to be EPS and PDF, and these should both be able to be opened by any graphics professional or professional printing service provider. If a printing service provider cannot open a PDF at all, there is likely a problem.

Are you missing a vector version of your logo and you think you need one?

Feel free to contact me with a low resolution version of your logo to receive an estimate on the time and cost it would require to vectorize your logo.

Come back tomorrow for part 4 in this series.
Next up: the conclusion – possible uses for a vector logo.

Previously in the "Why You Should Have a Vector Logo" series:

Why You Should Have a Vector Logo (Part 2)

2011-04-05T09:00:00.003-04:00

What About Text?
You may be thinking that when you print off text, it always looks clear. This is true, but text is actually stored in a vector format. Because it is a vector format, it is resolution independent. Its quality is always clear and crisp because the output device will automatically define the correct resolution. The resolution is only defined at output for a vector, not in the file itself. (there are exceptions for raster data that may be included in the file, but we're focusing on vector only data at this time)

What is the Difference Between Rasterized and Vector Text?
What happens when you format text in a program like Photoshop? Why does it sometimes look fuzzy or jagged around the edges? This happens when it is changed from a vector format to a raster format. The data is essentially being flattened, and the output device can no longer process it like a vector. This is why raster based image editing software is not ideal for typesetting. Typography often needs a very high resolution in comparison to images. I have even heard of type being processed at 600 dpi, while the images were 300 dpi. This is a siginifcant difference, so you can see why type at 300 dpi may start to lose quality.

above: my logo converted to a raster format, with bevel and emboss applied in Photoshop. Quality is crisp at this size.

above: Click to enlarge, and you will see what happens when I zoom in on the raster image in Photoshop. The edges are no longer crisp, at the larger size.

Although rasterized text can lose quality in print, this does not mean you should never use the type tool in Photoshop. Rather, it should be used sparingly, and the document should always utilize the maximum resolution required for output so that quality can be maintained.

For a logo, this is not as easy to accomplish in Photoshop. Although you can create vector content in Photoshop, it is really a raster-based image editor first. It is, as the name suggests, primarily intended for editing photos. It is useful for many other things as well, but vector content can be more tedious to manage in Photoshop. It is possible with features such as "smart objects" to manage vector data in Photoshop while ensuring that the item remains a vector. Photoshop is a robust program with a multitude of features and can be used to accomplish a variety of things, but it is not ideal for creating vector logos.

Are you missing a vector version of your logo and you think you need one?

Feel free to contact me with a low resolution version of your logo to receive an estimate on the time and cost it would require to vectorize your logo.

Come back tomorrow for part 3 in this series.
Next up: preparing vector logos for maximum compatibility.

Previously in the "Why You Should Have a Vector Logo" series:

part 1: the difference between vector and raster formats, an explanation of resolution

Why You Should Have a Vector Logo (Part 1)

2011-04-04T09:00:00.003-04:00

I've come across the issue a few times where a company did not have a vector logo, but it would have been very helpful if they did. In any case where it was aclient of mine who did not seem to have a vector version of their logo on file, I vectorized the logo to give them more options. Depending on the client and the complexity of the logo, this could mean tracing all elements, or it could mean tracing elements which required finesse and using a pre-existing font as a basis for the typography. It is, of course, almost standard practice that a font be modified in a logo to look more appealing. This can include anything from slight adjustments of the weights of letterforms, kerning and letter-spacing, to even completely customizing each letterform until it is totally unique.

What I would like to focus on in this series of posts is why it is important to have a vector logo in the first place. Since you may be someone unfamiliar with the term "vector," I will begin by explaining the differences between vector and raster formats.

What is a Vector Format?
A vector format will not lose any image quality when it is enlarged. The edges will always be crisp and clear. It's like stretching a rubber band, it's always smooth even when it's stretched. Vectors are actually based on equations. So if you have say, a parabola, and know the equation for it, you can replicate that parabola at any size simply because you can determine all of the coordinates. Vectors work this way too.

What is a Raster Format?
A raster, or pixel-based, image format cannot be scaled up without losing quality. It is trying to stretch the same information over a larger area, but it tries to compensate for the lack of information by guessing what should be there. This causes blocky, jagged edges (sometimes called pixelation). It's like when you photocopy a small image that was drawn by hand and try to increase the size many times over. It doesn't take long before the edges begin to look rough.

above: top logo exported from a vector format to 800 pixels wide, bottom logo stretched from a raster format up to 800 pixels wide (from an original 300 pixels wide). Click to enlarge, to more clearly see how the bottom one has become fuzzy.

Something else that may be helpful to have explained in layman's terms is the concept of resolution. What do you really need to know about it to make sure your logo and imagery always look fantastic both on screen and in print?

What is Resolution?
Resolution refers to how much data there is within a specific area. This is usually measured in ppi (pixels per inch) for the screen and dpi (dots per inch) for print. For print that is sent through a half tone process, lpi (lines per inch) is also a factor, but dpi is more commonly discussed.

Screen resolution is generally assumed to be 72 ppi. This isn't completely accurate for all screens, however. The screen resolution is really calculated based on the pixel dimensions of the screen. For simplicity's sake, we will assume 72 ppi is generally accepted as appropriate for screen resolution.

High resolution for print is most commonly defined as 300 dpi (minimum). Since dpi and ppi are considered interchangeable, this means that for every 300 pixels of data, you can have one inch in print.

Obviously, there's a big difference between 72 and 300. Images that look big on the screen will most likely look smaller in print in order to preserve quality. Otherwise, something needs to change so that the item that appears on screen is a lower resolution and the item in print has a higher resolution.

If you click on the "Lady with a Fan" image above, the dimensions are 500 pixels by 707 pixels. At a resolution of 300 dpi (high resolution), this image would print at 1.67" x 2.36". At a resolution of 150 dpi, it would be printed at 3.3" x 4.7", but the quality would start to reduce. At a resolution of 72 dpi, it would print at 6.9" x 9.8", but the quality would be noticeably reduced (lines and edges become fuzzy).

Unless the image is exported at a larger size, or printed as a vector, it cannot be printed at high quality (300 dpi) at a very large size (e.g. poster size), as the quality would reduce too much. It is worth noting that posters and other large format items tend to use a lower resolution (often 150 dpi), but that assumes a greater viewing distance to offset the lower resolution.

Are you missing a vector version of your logo and you think you need one?

Feel free to contact me with a low resolution version of your logo to receive an estimate on the time and cost it would require to vectorize your logo.

Come back tomorrow for part 2 in this series.
Next up: the difference between rasterized and vector text.

Spotlight: DM Home Remodelers (Part 2)

2010-10-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

This is a continuation of my post yesterday, focusing on work that I created for DM Home Remodelers, including some of my process work. If you missed part one, you can still read it here.

The Door Hangers
These are simple leave-behinds that can be used to canvass a neighbourhood at an affordable price. Here, we decided to tie in the look with the classifieds ads as well as the website design. Many of these projects were being worked on concurrently. Consistency in the corporate identity was also an important goal, to encourage trust and brand recognition.

(door hanger design, without diecut)

The final door hangers emphasize the corporate colours, tie in to the welcoming atmosphere of the website, and showcase a photo of a real renovation project.

The Customer Brochure
Although the brochure was finalized after the website launch, I'll discuss the brochure first as the website is a much larger project.

As I was formatting photos for the website around the same time that I was working on the brochure, I was able to choose photos from the website galleries that would also appear crisp and interesting in print. Copyediting and strategic photo placement really helped this piece come together. I also chose to use a tint of their corporate brown as the base for the page colour. Interestingly, when printed on a semi-glossy paper, this resulted in an almost golden sheen when light reflected off of it at an angle. This sheen works well with the design and the company. Again, a strong foundation as well as new creations are being emphasized, especially when this piece is seen in print.

(brochure design, exterior, with fold lines)

(brochure design, inside, without fold lines)

The Company Website
Last but certainly not least, we come to the company website. My clients had previously worked on their text and knew exactly what they wanted to say about their business and what they provide to customers. They also had an idea of how they wanted to structure the site with straightforward categories to ensure that information was easy to find.

I generally begin my website designs with a mockup in Illustrator. I am more of an expert with this program, which speeds up the process. However, the major reason I use Illustrator for the layout is that I can precisely place various elements and export pieces as needed without always needing to use slices or trim exported images. Photoshop is an excellent program as well, but I prefer to focus on photo editing in Photoshop and manipulate simpler graphics in Illustrator.

I presented three concepts (two of which were extremely similar). The chosen concept features sky, grass, and soil as a footer. It is bright and welcoming and reiterates the branding colours. Utilizing PHP, I created a number of includes to ensure that editing certain repeated elements would be very easy to accomplish and that these pieces would appear consistently whenever they were used.

The includes were primarily the side menu, the header, and the footer. There were also includes created for the gallery section previews. Some sections have multiple pages, and creating includes for these previews allows for easy expansion.

The final website has 21 pages, with plenty of room for expansion if needed at a later date. The gallery utilizes Lightbox, to simply and easily showcase photos without using popup windows or navigating to separate pages. The contact page uses a form (fully tested prior to launch, of course) for emailing queries. It also conveniently includes phone numbers and the fax number for the business. I also created a small, green, house-shaped favicon (with the house shape from the logo), which is a nice addition for bookmarking.

(screen grabs from live website)

Although I've included some screen grabs above, I encourage you to check out the live website as well. There is a lot of information included that is helpful to anyone considering a renovation project. And, of course, if you are looking for renovation services in York Region or the surrounding areas, please do not hesitate to contact Dave and Mike about your project. I'm sure they would love to help you!

Although there are other pieces I have created for DM Home Remodelers as well, I hope that the selection of work that I have shared in these posts has given you a good idea of the corporate identity I helped develop for DM Home Remodelers, as well as my approach to creating branded materials for this type of business. I plan to do more posts like this in the future, about other client work, as it's a nice way for me to share some of my rationale while also showcasing my clients. I hope you have enjoyed reading this spotlight! If you are one of my clients and would like to see some of the work I created for you showcased on this blog, please get in touch to let me know.

Spotlight: DM Home Remodelers

2010-10-26T13:03:00.036-04:00

About the Company
Serving York Region and surrounding areas, DM Home Remodelers has over 30 years of experience in renovations. Fully licensed and insured, they specialize in custom kitchens, custom baths, tiles and stone, wood floors, interior painting, trim and mouldings, finished basements, interior remodelling, and more.

Disclaimer: Although I know the owners of the company personally, the reason they came to me was that I was the best fit for providing a fully developed corporate design package including their logo, business cards, newspaper classifieds ads, promotional door hangers, promotional brochures, and their official website. They are very happy with the projects I worked on for them.

Working with DM Home Remodelers was a pleasure. I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects for them, and I hope that their customers enjoy them just as much as I enjoyed creating each piece.

Now, on to the real discussion. This will be a bit long, so I am splitting this into multiple posts to make it easier to read through. Feel free to skip ahead to the project types that most interest you.

The Beginning and the Logo
After meeting with Dave and Mike to discuss the vision for their company, I began the design process by reviewing their supplied materials and researching the identities of similar businesses (focusing on local businesses). The first part of the identity I worked on was their logo.

The logo is an extremely important part of their corporate identity. I always begin the logo design process in black and white, sketching different ideas even if I'm not sure they will work. It's important to sketch out as many thumbnails as possible to realistically evaluate what could be feasible instead of relying on assumptions. Sometimes, even if a concept doesn't work as a whole, there may be a portion that is salvageable that could lead to the final solution.

When I began working on vector concepts, I primarily focused on type based logos. While including a graphic was something I always considered, I wanted to ensure that the type was strong on its own and that any graphic only added to the effect. There was also a focus on mixing a professional, yet friendly and approachable vibe.

(logo concepts)

After consulting with the clients, they indicated the concepts they felt were most in tune with their business and I began revising. After the second round of concepts, the official logo was chosen. At this point, the black and white version of their logo was finalized. The next step was to add colour. It is always important to begin logo design in black and white to ensure that the concept is appropriately flexible. If it does not work in black and white, there are probably better options.

I worked with the clients' preference of green and brown, showing various shades of each colour and a combination option. The combination of a green house graphic with brown lettering was chosen as the final colour variation for the logo. This combination reiterates that the business is professionally grounded and emphasizes the focus of the company on improving homes with renovation services. Green is traditionally associated with growth, and that is very fitting here. The earthy brown alludes to a strong foundation and can also tie into materials they may use in their work, such as wood and bricks. This helps the logo resonate with customers, building on what customers looking for renovation services already know: strong building materials and renovations that refresh a home, helping it grow into something better.

(final logo)

The Business Cards
Following the logo, the next project to develop was the business cards. There was one round of concepts that I presented. This included various layout options as well as a variety of traditional designs versus some more unique or contemporary options. From there, the clients chose the most suitable option and it was revised. The final business card design is clean, simple, and professional.

(business card concepts)

(final card designs)

The Newspaper Ad
The first classifieds ad was up next. As this was for a large, local newspaper, the ad was designed in black and white. The first design was similar in structure to the door hangers which I worked on around the same time. The ad was eventually revised to a smaller size for continued use, as it was a more effective use of their budget. Both ads emphasize the services offered and highlight that DM Home Remodelers is a company that loves to assist with home remodelling projects. Happy to discuss projects, the ads also highlight that they offer free estimates.

(newspaper classifieds ad, revised variation)

Please return tomorrow for the continuation of this behind-the-scenes peek at materials designed for DM Home Remodelers. I hope you have enjoyed looking at the pieces shared thus far!

Warning: Acrobat 8.2.4 Causes Crashes

2010-08-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since I posted here, I apologize for the lack of updates. It's been a little difficult to encourage myself to draw after my grandmother's passing. I have some sketches scanned though, and I'll sort through those soon to share. I also have some recently completed projects that I'd like to share as I'm pretty proud of how well they turned out for my clients :)

Unfortunately, I'm resuming posts with some bad news. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen my tweets about the issue I had with an Acrobat update recently. the Acrobat Pro 8.2.4 update crashed the program within seconds of launch, even if I didn't open a PDF!

You can also see that other mac users have encountered this issue, with complaints in this thread on the Adobe forums.

Here's the error I received:

Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional cannot be launched at this time. You must launch at least one other suite component (such as Adobe Photoshop) before launching Acrobat 8 Professional

(launching Photoshop and Illustrator multiple times did not help at all)

And now, the "solutions"

Try this support article. Notice how old it is? Seems strange for it to resurface and be triggered by an update, doesn't it? (you may receive a serial number error if you use a suite, I certainly did)
In the Acrobat preferences, make sure "only use certified plug-ins" is checked.
(this was a tip from a friend on Facebook. Thanks, Kory Wenzler)
On a mac, go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility, select the relevant drive and the "first aid" tab, click "repair disk permissions."
Deactivate, uninstall, and reinstall your entire Creative Suite. It may not work to uninstall and reinstall just Acrobat (but you can try that first to see if it saves time). When you install updates, I suggest avoiding the latest one for Acrobat 8 Pro. (8.2.4). Then, you may also want to disable updates for Acrobat.

After I tried the support article and the suggestion from Kory, I spoke with an agent on the Adobe website via live chat. They couldn't help and suggested I call for support. However, when I asked if the call was free, they ignored my question and ended the conversation. In my experience, it's better customer service to say "I don't know" than to ignore your customer. But that's not really the issue here.

I was quite annoyed when I called and started speaking to an agent, explaining that I was having an issue because of an Adobe update, that he said the call was going to cost $39. I refused to pay and asked to speak to a manager, reiterating that this was an issue caused by Adobe and that there was no reason for me to pay for something that was their fault. When the agent came back on the phone after speaking with the supervisor, he said I didn't have to pay for the call. That was the closest I got to any support agents actually acknowledging that Adobe was at fault for the issue.

I ended up spending about two hours on the phone getting shuffled around to different agents, repeating myself each time to explain the issue (and re-confirm my contact information – this seemed like a waste of time. Shouldn't they pass on the info when transferring?). A couple times I was misdirected to Windows support although I always said I'm using a mac running OS X 10.4. For a while I was also misdirected to installation support because the first agent moved folders on my computer (as in the support article, although I tried that before calling and told him so) and didn't put them back when his "solution" failed.

It was very frustrating to even get someone to confirm that there was, in fact, absolutely nothing wrong with my serial number. I think at least three people checked it before one finally said "you're right, your serial number is good." Yet they didn't know the reason for the error. I can only guess it has something to do with it being a suite. When I explained that I had a similar issue with the serial number back when I first installed the suite because of trial versions, an agent misunderstood and said I had to uninstall trial versions. I had to clarify that I don't have any trial versions, I simply meant it was a similar error. And also, if I moved the folders back, that issue disappeared but the original problem returned.

The worst agent by far was the last one I spoke with. She was the one who said I had to reinstall the entire suite. She claimed there were files corrupted on my computer (though she had no reason to make this assumption). When I said I didn't want to lose my preferences, custom templates, custom swatch libraries, etc., she forgot that there is an option when you uninstall to not touch the preferences. Instead, she moved the preferences folder for my computer account, which messed up many of my user settings later and not all of them could be restored by moving things back.

Please, Adobe, do not let your support agents move things they shouldn't touch!

This woman also repeatedly forgot that I use Acrobat 8 (how do you forget the version number mid-conversation?). That was the worst customer service experience I've had in my life. She didn't want to listen to me at all, kept treating me like I didn't know anything although I explained what I had done multiple times, and then made things WORSE on my computer after lying and saying files were corrupted. The only non-destructive thing she did was tell me to repair disk permissions. Which didn't help. After I started the uninstallation, she asked to share my screen again so she could move more folders. I told her it was too late for that and I couldn't stop the uninstallation. I was very frustrated and disappointed by her behaviour and attitude.

If this is how Adobe offers support, and this is what they charge $39 for, it really discourages me from upgrading in the near future. I had been considering for a while whether or not I should upgrade to CS5 (which would also require upgrading my operating system to Snow Leopard, from Tiger). But now, I think it's best to save my money and wait until there's a CS6 suite (and possibly an Acrobat 10, since Acrobat seems to have a different release schedule).

The reason I called Adobe in the first place is that I use Acrobat a lot to create and/or edit forms, comment on PDFs, etc. I need to be able to use the program without it crashing within seconds of launch. If I'm quickly viewing a PDF, I generally use Apple's Preview because it loads much faster.

I think I'll take my chances and no longer get the updates for Acrobat Pro 8. I'd rather have a working version than a useless one.

Adobe has acknowledged that this is a bug, but it took about a day for them to release a statement and apology. They've yet to offer a real solution other than revert to an older version or reinstall. I find it very discouraging that they didn't seem to test this update before releasing it. That seems somewhat irresponsible. At the very least they should make sure that updates don't completely break a program.

I am very disappointed, as are many others who need to use Acrobat 8 Pro regularly. Hopefully this will be properly remedied soon. I think what bothers me the most is that the support agents I spoke with never seemed to want to acknowledge that this was a bug caused by Adobe (aside from agreeing to not charge me for the call). If the "solution" is to reinstall the suite, that is not a real solution and it's time to file a bug report. I wish I'd known an easier way to simply file a bug report, since the support agents didn't seem to think of that. Next time I have an issue, I think I'll head to the Adobe forums first. Adobe staff is clearly paying attention to what's written there, and it would save me from making a phone call that doesn't actually help me any.

I apologize, this probably all sounds rather scathing. I do like Adobe's software in general and I regularly use a variety of their programs quite heavily. To have a program completely stop working because of an update though, was quite inconvenient. And the customer service response I had left me very upset.

Regardless, I hope that anyone who encounters this horrible issue finds the steps above somewhat helpful, although they are not a real solution.

Next time, I promise to write a more positive post!

Logo Discussion: Regina's Infinite Horizons

2010-04-13T16:02:00.010-04:00

I heard about this a while ago, and I thought it would be fitting to discuss the corporate identity of a city in Canada, even though it's not in my province.

The city of Regina (in the province of Saskatchewan) has a new logo and branding package.

The new logo and branding were developed by Winnipeg advertising firm McKim Cringan George.

In an article from Leader-Post, they touch on what the $320,000 price tag includes for the branding package.

Some taxpayers are doubtless going to look at the $320,000 pricetag for the new branding and conclude it's an awful lot of money for a "lousy logo." But this is way more than a few words and some colourful artwork.

The process began more than 18 months ago and was directed by a committee of "community partners" that includes the Regina Regional Opportunities Corporation and Regina and District Chamber of Commerce. As well as research, telephone surveys, focus groups and a lot of creative development and graphic design, careful planning went into establishing guidelines for the consistent use of the new brand through videos, a website and a wide range of promotional material.

It's no small irony that the new brand was unveiled on the same day that the provincial government announced the executive board that will oversee development of the global transportation hub now taking shape on the "infinite horizon" west of the Regina International Airport. It promises to bring hundreds of new jobs to the city as road, rail and air freight services link up alongside warehouses and possibly light manufacturing and assembly plants -- a perfect example of Regina's growing economic strength.

With economic development all around them and low unemployment, Reginans can see opportunity right in their own backyard -- not some green pasture in another province.

Infinite horizons is now a fitting brand.

Here's the full article.

And another related article.

A branding package is always a much more involved thing than just a logo that you slap on everything. I personally specialize in corporate design, but this does not mean I focus on logos. It means I focus on branding overall, which permeates many, many parts of a visual identity for a business. In reality, most companies already have a logo when they hire me. But they need their brand to do more work for them. They need to improve their image and increase appeal with their target audience.

When a city gets rebranded, it's a huge change. Branding is closely tied to image or the "face" of the city, company, individual, etc. I think it is refreshing to see a news article that addresses the fact that branding is much more than just a logo.

Let me start my comments on the branding change for the city of Regina by saying that I think this is overall a positive change and a step forward for a city that wants to encourage its inhabitants to see the opportunities at home rather than leave for another city that sounds more exciting. The new logo is distinctive and the bright colours are optimistic and energizing.

However, I think the overlapping, translucent areas of the ribbon could be a bit problematic. The gradated colours and the translucent areas are not particularly noticeable at small sizes or, I suspect, from a distance. It is overall more colourful a logo than I was expecting, but it's not overbearing in any way and can also work in a single colour without losing its essence. I do think it could have been simplified to flat colours, but not being able to distinguish between shades of yellow (for example) and seeing that parts are translucent are likely very acceptable, minor losses when the logo changes size and/or is reproduced in various media that may not be forgiving to slight colour change.

The previous branding, with the I ♥ Regina campaign, seemed very reminiscent of New York's own successful branding that is incredibly recognizable and well known. Having branding that is so reminiscent of another city is almost like saying the city is not proud of itself and wants to be like another city. Which is quite negative and actually hurts the image of Regina because it was so obviously influenced by another design.

The update of Regina's branding package to be more modern and use the empowering slogan of "infinite horizons" is a wonderfully positive change in my opinion. I am sure the logo will be scrutinized by many as it is a significant part of the branding package as well as the fact that this is new branding for a city. Melbourne, Australia's branding change was dissected and discussed quite a lot for some time, and I think it's something that comes with the territory of developing a visual identity for something as large scale as a city.

What do you think of Regina's new logo and branding? Is it a positive change, or do you think it should be even more different from the I ♥ Regina campaign?

Art Post: Winter Girl Sketch

2010-02-20T18:45:00.002-05:00

I just drew this one yesterday. My reference is this photo by Eirian-stock on deviantART. The model is Iribel.

It was a quicker one. Sometimes it's nice to just do sketches like this and leave them in pencil. What I liked about the photo was that the model was quiet and pensive, but also somewhat peaceful. It's a simple pose, but the outfit is also different from what I usually draw, so that was nice to sketch out.

I should do more random sketches like this, I think. It's nice to do something quick once in a while, in between all the Green Corner illustrations.

Hope you like it!

Art Post: Valentine Sunset

2010-02-15T19:39:00.003-05:00

This is the final of the 2010 Valentine's Day special for Green Corner, featuring Alshina and Koru. If you look closely, you may notice a special surprise detail :)

I hope you enjoy this spot illustration. It will also be available in prints on RedBubble soon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Previously:
Valentine Background Progress (Part 2)
Background Progress (Part 1)
Shading
Flat Colour
Vector Line Work
Pencil Sketch

Art Post: Valentine Background Progress (Part 2)

2010-02-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

More progress on the background for the upcoming Green Corner special this time. The changes to the sky, grass, and lake as well as the addition of the trees in the background really helped the mood become more romantic. I am quite happy with the sunset, in particular. You may recognize the trees in the background from my Lady with a Fan illustration as well as Alice and the Garden. I just changed the colour scheme for them.

The final is temporarily up as a TWC incentive and will be shared here soon.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the work in progress for this illustration.

Previously:
Background Progress (Part 1)
Shading
Flat Colour
Vector Line Work
Pencil Sketch

Art Post: Valentine Background Progress (Part 1)

2010-02-08T20:48:00.003-05:00

This was the very beginning of the background being added. It was pretty rough, aside from the cherry tree. I used this photo as reference for the tree, but I obviously simplified it a fair bit. The rest of the background was mostly blocking in basic shapes and colours.

I decided I wanted to have a sunset in the background at this point, but it didn't really come together until the next step. I also fixed the colours for the grass, sky, and lake in the next step to make them more natural. I found it helpful to take a quick look at some photos of sunsets to plan how I would include the sun and how to better use a gradient for the coloured sky. But in this step, the sky wasn't quite working. I had been experimenting with both linear and radial gradients, but I decided it was best to step away for a bit after I got to this point as it's always helpful to look at a real sky when trying to emulate it in an illustration.

I hope you're enjoying the progress posts on this piece. I'm still deciding how to finish up, but I think the next step is very close. You can expect to see the end result soon :)

Previously:
Shading
Flat Colour
Vector Line Work
Pencil Sketch