Printing & Print Design (Topic) - Blog Posts

As a print designer, you probably don't think about social media much. It's just there in the background, providing an endless stream of photos, memes, and game requests from your crazy Aunt Gladys. Even if you also work in digital design, social media still probably isn't your purview since it tends to focus on interaction more than design aesthetics. You've probably been sitting pretty thinking that you can completely ignore social media, given that the digital and print worlds are … [Read more...]

You're finally done with your design project, you go to save your file, and suddenly you're bombarded with over a dozen possible image file types to choose from. It can be a bewildering experience if you're not sure what you're doing or the difference between them, but we're here to demystify the process for you by helping you understand the cold, hard truth: There are only a handful of image formats that really matter. Now, before you die of shock and outrage, we'll fully admit—there wouldn't … [Read more...]

A 14-year old boy recently made headlines when he claimed the government could save millions of dollars every year if they switched to using the font Garamond in all of their printed materials. While his claim was not exactly accurate, it did bring attention to an often neglected issue—the fact that some fonts require more ink than other fonts, which is bad news for the environment. If you're concerned about creating unnecessary waste and utilizing green business practices, then you should know … [Read more...]

So you've got a talent for print graphic design and an interest in the print industry—you may be asking yourself, "where do I go from here?" It can be intimidating breaking into a new field or looking for a new job opportunity, especially if you're not aware of the types of career options you might have. Before you settle for making print design something you do "on the side," take a look at some of this exciting graphic design career info within the print industry. Each one of them can help … [Read more...]

Back when the Internet was still fairly new, the JPEG reigned as king of all image formats. Thanks to its ability to compress complex images into a low file size, JPEGS were the perfect format to use with dial-up modems and floppy disks. But nobody has used those ancient relics in years-so why does the JPEG still have such a stranglehold over us? It's not that JPEGs are necessarily bad or obsolete; it's just that they're not always the best format for the job. And these days, they're rarely … [Read more...]

If four-color process printing is like mixing together flour, sugar and baking powder from scratch, PMS color printing is a little like using pre-made cake mix. You don't have quite as much flexibility with your recipe, but it's a great choice if you're looking for a consistent taste because you always know exactly what you're getting. This guide will walk you through the definition of PMS color and its pros and cons, as well as tips and tools for finding, matching, identifying and converting … [Read more...]

Your life is controlled by color schemes. That might sound dramatic, but think about it for just a second-would you go to an important job interview wearing a mismatched suit? Or a violently clashing hair or makeup color? Chances are that your living room, your wedding theme and even your high school colors have consisted of tones based on some sort of conventional color scheme. Human beings prefer living in a world where colors go together, which is why our brains turn to mush whenever we see … [Read more...]