For a while not i have used  Spreadshirt and recently I decided having a couple of shirts printed with my designs so I gave Spreadshirt a go. Having previously tried iron on designs and left extremely disappointed with the results i was a bit wary but having read reviews i put my trust in them and was left a very happy customer.

Spreadshirt is fairly simple to use. With three easy steps you will go from nothing to pressing the checkout button;

1. Choose your product (i.e. Shirt, Hoodie, Shorts, etc),
2. Upload and place your design and or text where you would like to have it printed.
3. Checkout.

It really is that easy. The other great bit? If you don’t have a design of your own there are so many options in the marketplace, there’s something you’re bound to like.

Why not give it a go yourself –  Design you own hoodie here  

This was my successful print, what do you think?

Smashing Theme – Responsive HTML5 Theme

Keres Fullscreen Photography Theme

Identify – Retina Ready Portfolio, Resume, Blog.

 SwagMag – WordPress Magazine/Review Theme

PokeRoost – Retina Ready Responsive Poker Theme

SmartStart WP – Responsive HTML5 Theme

 London Creative + (Portfolio & Blog WP Theme)

Supreme – Retina Responsive Magazine/Blog WP Theme

Dandelion – Powerful Elegant WordPress Theme

King Size – fullscreen background WordPress theme

 OriginMag – WordPress Magazine Theme

Reaction WP : Responsive, Rugged, Bold

There are many different photo capturing apps and devices around and I have selected a few which will help your Instagram experience. 

Snapspeed

Snapseed Mobile is a fun and powerful app designed to enhance and share your photos, developed by the same people that create some of the most widely used professional tools for digital photography. Snapseed puts the power of photographic enhancements at your fingertips and makes it possible for anyone to enhance, transform, and share photos.

Statigram

Gramgrab

Lovestagram

Followgram

Now how many of you will recognise some of the comments below?

How do we create that perfect banner though? What magic formula do we need to make your ordinary image stand out from every other loud messy picture and link on the internet?

The 8 Key Elements

Interactivity

Including sound, animation or other forms of interactivity will boost awareness of your banner by distinguishing it from other adverts.

Good Use of Space

Like every good advert, space is a requirement many seem to forget. Overloading your adverts with imagery and text will have a negative effect and confuse the viewer as they will not know where to look, what message to follow or what to do. Avoid overloading with information.

Compelling Imagery

The quirkier the better! Avoid boring everyday photos, we’ve all seen them, we know what certain things look like, constantly portrayed from the same angle, shake it up a but and use something that will make them stop and think… “WOW”

Creative Message

Your message should attract them to continue looking at your banner. What are you trying to do? Whatever it is, think of doing it through a creative and fun perspective.

Call to Action

What should people do with your banner? Why should they click? Entice them with a cheeky phrase or an unavoidable question, Give them no alternative but to say, “Yeah, i’ll click this”.

Brand Incorporation

Don’t forget your brand values. Be sensitive to the brand and incorporate their look and values. Avoiding this step will confuse your target audience.

Strong Text

FREE! BUY NOW! LIMITED TIME! … When space is limited strong text is all you can rely on so make it powerful and unavoidable.

Appropriate Humour

Be fun and funny, adding a bit of humour to your adverts will make it harder to forget and keep you interesting.

NOTE: Make sure that you bookmark all the links in this article.

1.Write Blogs

Begin by writing your own blogs and writing for others. Creating your own website and displaying adverts on them is definitely one way of beginning your task for online riches. You wont hit the big time straight away but with a lot of patience and perseverance you’ll soon be up there with those top bloggers living off the advertising revenue from their website, solely through the traffic they create by writing.

2. Logo Design

New brands and business are constantly popping up around the world, beginning by designing logos for people close to you and offering your services online. display your work and attract people to it. Sticking to one trade and perfecting it will surely get you noticed, there are many out there that make a living by designing only logos.

3. Selling Templates & Themes

If you are blessed with the glorious and ever popular skill of web design and programming then this is surely the most obvious way to make some money. Design a theme that others can use on wordpress, joomla or any other content manager and upload them to Themeforest.net. you can make heaps of cash in no time.

4. Selling Stock Photos

HELLO PHOTOGRAPHERS! Do you enjoy taking photos? Have a computer FULL of photos of every kind then upload your photos to stock website and have them sell your photos for a share of the profit. Snap!

If you have any other suggestions share them below, would love to you know you think.

Unfortunately us designers will have to hold on to that dream just a little bit longer because as I read the other day on the train (Causing me to miss my stop… long story) iPads are just not strong enough. I hear rumours that iPad versions will be appearing on the market and other times I am told these are lies.

I would love to buy an iMac, would make commuting A LOT more comfortable but let’s try and justify such a large expense.

I have seen an iPad version of photoshop on the iTunes store whilst i searched for my answer but to be honest I am unsure as to whether or not it’s “professional” enough or just a simple photo editing version.

So I ask… What is your opinion? Is there an alternative solution? Do you know something I don’t?

Many start-ups not planning for future expansion when developing branding

Two thirds of small businesses not trademarking their design assets

More than half (56%) of start-up businesses in the UK are emphasising value for money above all other brand values, according to new research by printed.com, in partnership with Creativepool.

The research, which polled almost 1,000 creative professionals in the UK, quizzed respondents on their work with start-ups and existing small businesses. The findings also reveal that ‘trust’ and ‘reliability’ rank highly in the pecking order of desired brand values. On the flipside, the research suggests that brand values such as being ‘premium’ or ‘exclusive’ are less important, further emphasising the shift towards value for money in the on-going turbulent economic climate.

Common Branding Pitfalls

The study also establishes the common branding mistakes start-ups tend to make, with more than half (54%) of respondents stating that new businesses fail to consider their target customer when developing brand values. An additional 45 per cent of respondents feel start-ups do not choose brand values which are aligned with their business proposition, whilst more than half (52%) believe that new businesses fail to create a brand altogether.

Trademarks and Future Expansion

The research also indicates that many small businesses are putting their brand identity at risk, with two thirds (64%) of respondents stating that small businesses are not trade marking design assets such as company logos. Additionally, nearly three quarters (71%) do not feel that start-up businesses consider future expansion into foreign markets when developing and finalising their logo design and other branding elements.

Quality of Briefs

The study also examines how effectively creative professionals are being briefed, with more than a third (38%) saying they do not feel that new businesses put together quality briefs, limiting their creativity. The same number (38%) believe that start-ups do not allow enough time for briefs to be fulfilled.

Nicholas Green, founder of printed.com, comments: “The research highlights the values and priorities of start-up businesses and exposes the key areas these small businesses are missing which could consequently jeopardise the success of their company. It’s interesting to see that, despite so many technological innovations and social developments over recent years, good old value for money is top of the priority list for start-ups when defining their own brand. However, it’s shocking that so many small businesses are failing to trademark their design assets, as this will inevitably cause issues for them down the line.”

To check out the impressive range of print products and services available for SMEs, including printers and designers, please visit: printed.com.

For more information about Creativepool, please visit: Creativepool.co.uk.

The programme, which has been in development over the last six months to ensure the best possible proposition is in place, tiers customers according to how much they spend, with higher tiers earning more points on their purchases:

• Bronze: earn four points for every £1 spent
• Silver: earn seven points for every £1 spent
• Pink: earn 10 points for every £1 spent

Additionally, points can be earned from other activity on the printed.com website such as posting on the blog, entering competitions and recommending friends.

Points earned through the Reward Programme can then be redeemed either with printed.com for printing discounts, or with any one of three partners: Bigstock – for stock imagery; TheOfficeSuppliesSupermarket – on a range of office supplies; and Inspire + for more consumer focused rewards such as electronics, days out to top attractions and high street vouchers.

Nicholas Green, founder of printed.com, comments:

“Here at printed.com we are constantly developing new ways to help our customers, and we hope our Reward Programme is something they will be excited about. Cash flow can often be tight for many businesses so programmes such as this can make a huge difference in the long run and give more back to loyal customers.”

To check out the impressive new printed.com Reward Programme, please visit: http://www.printed.com/about-us/loyalty-reward-programme

Start your Sopping with a special, sneaky £5 discount, just for you!
Simply instruct readers to use the following code before August 20^th: AUG12PACK

Timing is everything!

The invitation process will take a considerable amount of time and it’s worth being extra-generous when allocating a time-scale – if you think it’ll take you one month, allow yourself two.   You’ll need to factor in drafting your designs, sourcing materials, editing, printing and postage.  It’s custom to send out invitations 10-12 weeks in advance, with an RSVP deadline to be set 4-6 weeks prior to the event.  Aim to allocate about 4 weeks for design, 1-2 weeks for printing and an additional 1-2 weeks for postage.

Say it Simple…

The old adage, less is more, could not ring more true when it comes to invitation design.  Keep the motifs, logo and wording simple.  Stick to one, at most two fonts – you can find an array of unique, free, downloadable fonts on sites like dafont.com.  The greatest invitations have two elements, good design and good paper – get these right and your invitation is sure to set the right tone on arrival.

Start with the envelope!

You may have a plethora of design ideas for the invitation itself but it’s important to put those on hold until you’ve sourced the right envelope.  You’ll have a great deal of creative license in terms of paper sizing, but this is not reflected in envelopes and the last thing you’ll want is to have designed and printed your invites to find that there is not an envelope that matches the chosen paper and size.

The Paper

When designing your own invitations, it’s almost certain that you’ll find a newfound appreciation for paper!  The right texture and density paper can speak volumes to your wedding aesthetic or style.  If you’re at a loss, go to a stationer or designer and ask for a sample pack, so that you can get a real feel for the type of paper you’re interested in.   Keep the form of your invite in mind when making your selection. If you need to fold pieces, for example, you’ll need to choose a paper that’s not too thick and fairly flexible.  It’s worth keeping in mind that colours print best on white paper – any paper that is not white will affect the colour of ink printed on it, for example a cream paper will make all colours slightly warmer.

The Budget…

Invitations can become unnecessarily expensive, so it’s important to keep an eye on your budget whilst making design decisions.  Elaborate conventions like letterpress, foiling and bespoke die-cut shapes can really push up the cost.  There is also an opportunity to save on delivery cost and receive a discount if you place an order for all your printed material at the same time.  Although it’s custom to include all the details of your wedding in a booklet with the invitation, you can save on postage and printing by directing your guests to a personalised wedding website like gettingmarried.co.uk

printed.com provide a great online platform for printing your wedding invitations and they’ve recently launched an offering of luxury papers in a variety of finishes and sizes.  This, coupled with their easy-to-navigate site, will put you in good stead to transform your invitation dreams into reality.

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• For being such supportive readers you can get £10 off your next order of Letterheads, Postcards, Greeting Cards and Stationary using our new voucher code WEDDING612 valid until July 13th 2012
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