You: Voice Your Opinion

What type of things relating to graphic design or design in general annoys you? Certain fonts? Certain styles? The dreaded drop shadow?

Feel free to voice your opinion on the bottom!

Posting and reading other posts will probably make you more aware of bad design, too!

…And keep it clean. 🙂

Graphic Design Lesson: Final Output Setups

There are people out there who have created a Photoshop, Illustrator, and JPEG files and print them, thinking that they’re going to get a perfect picture…but they don’t. It’s a low resolution printout and it looks hideous. Well, did you set up your documents DPI/PPI correctly?

When you open up a new file, the one thing that gets overlooked in MANY cases out there is the Pixels Per Inch or Dots Per Inch setting. This number is usually defaulted to either 72, 240, or 300 and each of those numbers are for different output sources.

If you’re strictly viewing the artwork on a television, computer monitor, cellphone, or any video (RGB) device, your out put should be 72 DPI. As for the pixel dimensions, you should always consider monitor size. Most people out there will have a computer monitor and the resolution of 1440×900. Creating an image larger than that would be pointless because of image file size and just how much of the image will run off the screen. So a pixel dimension within 1440×900 would be suitable for any monitor.

Now we get to print. If your artwork is going to be printed on something, whether it is a letterhead, #10 envelope, billboard, business card, etc., you should ALWAYS set it to 300. It’s because 300 will print perfectly. But you’ll sometimes get artwork that will be at 200-240 PPI, that’s perfectly acceptable, but you’re just getting close to what won’t print well.

The size of what you’re going to print will relate to the pixel dimensions too. For example, let’s say I wanted to use a photograph taken at 300DPI and has a pixel dimension of 1050 x 600, and have the photo printed on both a 3.5″x2″ business card and across an 8.5″x11″ brochure. So it’s going to look perfect on a business card, because a business card measures 3.5″ x 2″ which is the equivalent of 300DPI at 1050 x 600. But if I were to stretch that same photograph across a 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper, it’s going to look horrible. So make sure you know what your pixel dimensions are!

There you go. I’m sad the Vikings lost. 😦

Please Brett Favre, come back for another season.

Also, get your printed envelopes and commercial print produced at PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com. We print tons of stuff, like 6×9 catalog envelopes, 9×12 booklet envelopes, 8.5×11 letterheads, bank drive-up envelopes, business cards, postcards, and much more. So print with us today!

Vun Run

Catalog and Booklet Envelopes: What You Need To Know!

So what is the main difference between the two? Well, there is a huge difference.

You can find both catalog and booklet styles on a 9×12 envelope, as they would be perfect for mailing out larger style of documents. But booklets are perfect for general mailing. If you’re shipping booklets, this is the perfect mailer for you. Also, booklet style envelopes have a distinct flap as it is on the the long side.

For 9×12 catalog envelopes, their flap is on the short side. These are used for very thick and heavy style catalogs.

That’s about it. All of these envelopes can be printed with full bleed and flat convert here at PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com and we can also print all of your other envelopes and sheetfed prints.

So come on down to PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com and start printing today.

Graphic Design Resource: 2 Pocket and 1 Pocket Presentation Folders

Presentation Folders, I believe, often go overlooked by many businesses out there for their stationery designs. Even though your customers will enjoy that they’re getting professionally printed letterheads and business cards in your professionally printed envelopes, but for your catalogs, brochures, sales packets, etc. What do you present those in?

Well, that’s why they call them presentation folders and that is their purpose. It’s always nice to hand a collaboration of all of your business materials right in one folder to a client/employee. That’s really it.

Presentation folders are apart of a visual identity. But most people don’t really know where to start on designing one because they don’t have the proper template. You could probably make your own and specify the die cuts, but I will supply the templates you need to get the ball rolling:

Presentation Folder 2 Pocket 9″x12″ Template
Presentation Folder 1 Pocket 9″x12″ Template

Remember, that this is one aspect in a visual identity that get’s overlooked when people are hired to create one. So take these templates, and create something stellar.

Then when you’re done, you can submit your artwork and have it printed online at www.PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com. We’ll also print whole identities on your custom envelopes, bleeding letterhead, and business card. Do it to it.

Your friend,
LorLor

PS. Vikings vs. Saints this weekend. Go Vikes!

Let’s Settle This: Mac VS PC

I see this debate everywhere. Gaming threads, Engadget, the awesome 4chan forums, your neighbor and even you have probably thought of it.

Now, I’ve been using both PC and Mac for many years now so I find myself to be an unbiased and credible source when it comes to this debate. To prove it, let’s list the computer’s I’ve owned in chronological order:

Macintosh 6200CD
Windows ME Pentium 2 Compaq Presario
Windows XP Pentium 4 Self Built
Apple iBook
Mac G3
Windows Vista Core 2 Duo Self Built
Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo
Windows 7 Q9550 Quad Self Built

So let the comparisons begin.

Today, I use Snow Leopard and Windows 7 at work and home every single day. I work at a printing/graphic design firm, and because of this, I will prefer a Mac in this setting any day. Why?

For one, using a Mac in any Adobe program is awesome. I do use Adobe Products on both but prefer it on a Mac for the sheer simplicity that the Mac OS does for you. One of the biggest reasons why this is is because of the Spotlight Help feature. If you need to find a tool quickly, type it in there, and it’ll point you right to it. Easy peasy.

But the biggest reason why we use Macs is because of a lesser chance of getting a virus. Viruses in the workplace is a big downer and has potential of bringing down all your files with it. When you’re working with thousands of artwork files and a virus corrupts all of them, your going to have to spend a lot of time and money to recover them all. Yes, it CAN happen on a Mac, but the chances are slimmer.

As for the PC:

I use it for gaming and customizing. Sheer powerhouse computers.

Windows is the gamer’s computer, by far. I love gaming and that’s what I use it for. But I have a design story to go along with this…

I had Adobe CS installed on my old Pentium 4 and working for a client, I was required to produce a logo for him, a visual identity package including #10 envelopes, custom letterhead, matching business cards for each worker, several tri-fold brochures and a 9″ x 12″ envelope were in queue to be produced. A very elaborate project. I was excited. As I started working on this, I didn’t realize that I had a virus on my computer and it was embedding themselves into my save files for .AI, .PSD, .PDF, as well as a host of other types. I’m not sure what happened but the artwork infected some computers at the business when I sent them over, and I had to reformat because the anti-virus didn’t know what to do with it and I was also left with one disgruntled customer.

After that, I work on Mac’s and play on PC’s.

And for those of you who think Mac’s are overpriced, the OS Experience is worth it to many people. You might be clever enough to setup a home network through Windows Vista, but Joe Plumber might not know how to do it and the extra few bones he has to spend might be worth it to him to save the headache.

Remember, not everyone is super x-core computer gamer system builder like we are. Companies cater to their audience.

So who wants to game some WoW?

Or who wants to print all of their custom envelopes. We do everything from custom envelopes to commercial printing which does make us your one-stop shop for all of you online printing needs. PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com. Use us.

From the Deathecus Realm PvP Server,
LorLor

Off Topic: Conan O’Brien

We here at PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com will miss him dearly. Tonight will be the last episode they will be airing on NBC. We’ll be anticipating the expensive skits (The Bugatti Veyron Mouse: Awesome).

Digital vs. Offset Printing

What’s the difference? Well, that’s what I’m obviously here to tell you.

First we’ll start off with the tried-and-true offset printing.

With offset printing, you get the best image quality which would be perfect if image quality will be an issue. Why this is true is because a lot of today’s presses uses a computer-to-plate system which is better than the earlier computer-to-film system. Film was bad because it had a good chance of getting scratched, and that scratch will show up on the final piece of artwork. Also, offset printing works with a wider range of printing mediums: Paper, Clothing, Wood, and much more.

You also get the ability to have your choice of 1 color, 2 color, 3 color, and 4 color printing (and sometimes 6 color). Digital presses can only do CMYK (4 color).

The biggest factor advantage with offset (to me, at least) is that as you request more units to print, the price of each individual unit goes down. For example, if you order 1000 #10 Envelopes, each envelope will individually cost $.28 while order 5000 units will only cast $.10 each!

On to the digital presses…

With digital, they only have an ability to print in CMYK 4-color process only (as I have stated before). Also, color accuracy does suffer a bit with this and are only able to print on paper.

Print layout accuracy and efficiency is much better on a digital press because ink and water doesn’t need to be balanced.

But the biggest thing is the price of digital presses. 4 Color press jobs on a digital press will rival those prices of a 2 color job on an offset press.

If you need something in a moments notice, the offset printing might take a long time because they have to make the plate, set the inks, load the paper, then you to get your prints. But with a digital press, the turn around time is much much quicker than that because there is less work to do to set it up.

Well, you made it through the article.

Have any questions?

Post ’em below.

/b/

Free Stock Image! Every week!

iStockPhoto’s Free Image of the Week

As a graphic designer, it’s very important that you have an arsenal of stock photography/graphics. Even though you might have the equipment to take your own photo, or the ability to create your own graphic, it’s always nice to have something to fall back on in case you don’t have time.

Now, I read a GDUSA magazine that said over 95% of graphic designers out there use stock images. I was wondering how that number isn’t 100%. To me, stock imagery is important for every designer to have because you never know what your next project is and what kind of imagery you’ll need for it.

So if you’re a new graphic designer, start collecting all the stock images you can (REMEMBER! Read the copyright on all the imagery. Some people who hold the rights to the image won’t allow resale without being paid royalties). Start off by collecting iStockphoto’s free images every week.

Don’t be afraid to use stock imagery. All designers do it, and you should too!

Some of my favorite sites to go to for imagery:

iStockPhoto
Stock Exchange

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Jot it below.

Run Run

Graphic Design Lesson: Tips for File Organization

Quit laughing.

“File organization? Really?”

“Yes, really.”

You would be surprised on how many times I see designers have files in multiple places. They’ll have the InDesign document on the desktop, all the artwork from Illustrator and Photoshop are in their Documents folders and such…this happens to be a horrible way to work.

First things first. You should always work from one directory. Then organize things from there. What I usually do is create a new folder on the desktop, and then I’ll place the indesign file in the folder, then place all the artwork for it in another folder inside the directory. This way, you won’t lose files in case you just need that one file.

Now one might think that just keeping your files organized is good enough, but they’re wrong! Regardless of which Adobe program you’re using…

…always organize your layers!!!

Name each layer for whatever piece of art is on that layer. This way, if you need to make changes, you’ll know exactly where they are. Also, instead of deleting objects on your artwork, keep it on a different layer. There will be a time when you might resort to that artwork you had just deleted.

Then if you’re strictly working in InDesign, package your artwork when you’re done and make a backup of where all the artwork originally is. To do this, go to File->Package. What this does is that it grabs all the artwork and organizes it for you in a single folder. BUT be warned. I have seen many cases where this feature doesn’t grab all the artwork. So double check to see if it did. It might take a long time do it, but that’s what you need to do for perfection. 😉

That does it,
Blog Blog

SALE @ PurpleMonkeyPrinting.com

$299.99 for 1000 Full Bleed, Four Color Envelopes and Letterheads.

This sale runs until February 30th, 2010.

What a great deal! You’ll get 1000 Full-Bleed Envelopes and 1000 Full-Bleed Letterheads (which are all in 4-color, as well) for only $299.99 which is a savings of $132.06. It’s a phenomenal deal if you’re trying to print a visual identity for a client or even if you just need a replenishment of business stationery products.

So come check out PurpleMonkeyPrinting.comand start saving today!