Thoughts on freelancing and being a business owner

Design Speak: Hi Res and Low Res

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I realize that sometimes it seems like graphic designers (and printers) have their own language. I’ve started the Design Speak series here on my blog so I can help clarify some of these terms you may hear, but not totally understand. 

The terms hi res and low res are used to describe photos, but admittedly they can be confusing. So let’s break it down.

Hi res is short for high resolution. Low res is low resolution. Each and every photo you see, if you zoom in really closely, is made of tiny squares (pixels). High resolution images are 300 or more pixels per inch. That is the size preferred for printing. Low resolution images less than that, often 72 pixels per inch, and are better suited to be viewed online.

Here’s where it gets a little tricky. I was working with a client recently and the photos they sent to me were 300 pixels per inch, but they were still small, so I asked for bigger images. They were understandably confused because they were just looking and saw its 300 pixels per inch, and so figured it would be suitable for printing. The problem was, the overall number of pixels was low. If the entire image is only 450 pixels by 600 pixels, that’s only 1.5 inches by 2 inches at 300 pixels per inch. So while it is a high resolution photo, it can still be small image.

So make sure that when you are looking for high resolution images, you also check the total number of pixels. That is a really important piece of information when determining if a photo is fit to print.

 

Design Speak: Kerning and Leading

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I realize that sometimes it seems like graphic designers (and printers) have their own language. I’ve started the Design Speak series here on my blog so I can help clarify some of these terms you may hear, but not totally understand. 

Today we are talking about: Kerning and Leading.

Kerning is the space between individual characters in a single word.

What is Kerning?

 

Leading is the space between the lines of words.

Leading is the space between lines.

For whatever reason, when I was in school I used to mix these terms up. The way I got myself to remember is that leading is lines, and both of those words start with an L. Kerning, meanwhile, is characters. And while kerning and characters they don’t start with the same letter, they sound like the do, so it still works.

 

Design Speak - Type As Outlines

Design Speak: Type as Outlines

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I realize that sometimes it seems like graphic designers (and printers) have their own language. I’ve started the Design Speak series here on my blog so I can help clarify some of these terms you may hear, but not totally understand. 

Today we’re talking about a phrase designers and printers might say from time to time. Drumroll please…. type as outlines! (I guess I spoiled that in the headline.) You may also hear people say fonts as outlines. This is the same thing.

If you convert your type (or fonts) to outlines, it basically takes all the text and makes it a graphic instead. So rather than being a font, each character is now an individual shape.

The great thing about this is that if you use a font not available on all computers, and then send the file to a printer or another computer that doesn’t have that font, the recipient will still see the graphic as it looked for you and be able to print it. (Worth noting that some file types and software programs embed fonts, so it won’t matter. But some design and printing software does not, which is why designers and printers run into this issue.)

So why don’t designers just save every document with type as outlines? The downside is that since the text is converted to outlines, it is not a font anymore, and it is very difficult to make changes to the text.

 

Design Speak - Type As Outlines

Vector vs. Raster: What is the difference?

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Not too long ago I had a client ask me how to tell the difference between vector and raster files. She’d heard the terms plenty of times, but didn’t actually know what it meant. So in case you’ve been wondering too, here is the scoop:

A raster file is made up of pixels – hopefully hundreds or thousands of them. Each pixel is a different color.

A vector file, on the other hand, is made of lines and curves.

So why does it matter? It matters when you try to print or view your file at a larger size. A raster file has a finite number of pixels, so if you try to print that file at a significantly larger size, you are going to start to see those individual pixels (aka, the image will be pixelated). A vector file, meanwhile, can scale up without any issues. It actually uses mathematical formulas (yuck!) to retain a sharp and crisp appearance at any size.

How do you know if your file is vector or raster? Here’s a handy list to help you out.

Vector vs. Raster

JTT isn’t dead. And neither is print.

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The other day, I saw a story about how Jonathan Taylor Thomas is over 30. I saw his name and thought to myself, oh yeah, I remember that guy. So, he isn’t dead…. but no one is talking about him anymore.

jonathantaylorthomas

You’ve probably heard someone say print is dead. But guys, it isn’t. Print is like Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Its just that no one talks about it anymore.

I think people say (and possibly think) that print is dead because they are so excited by new technology and the rapid changes in digital design and marketing. But just because there are new and exciting opportunities to market your brand doesn’t mean that some of the old tried and true techniques are no longer effective. In fact, I’d argue the opposite – in a marketing landscape with so many new and exciting ideas, its important to have a good foundation for your brand, which includes some print. Customers know that anyone can throw up a website in an afternoon or sign up for a Twitter account. But, a brochure or catalog, or even a business card, requires more commitment and more effort. It shows that your business isn’t fleeting.

So when building a multichannel marketing plan, don’t forget about print! It isn’t dead. And neither is our favorite 90s hearthrob, Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

If you could use some help getting some print (or digital) marketing materials created for your brand, send me an email at anna@annakeith.com. I’d love to help you out!

Print Isn't Dead

Yes, Design Matters.

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Yes, design matters.

To start, well-designed branding communicates professionalism and credibility before you even say ANYTHING. Why put yourself behind the gun before you even open your mouth?

Once you’ve got the attention of your audience, design can keep your customer engaged for longer. If your company brochure or sales presentation is just lots of text, I can pretty much guarantee that less people will read it all the way through, if anyone. A well-designed piece engages your audience and makes them stick around to see what you are trying to tell them.

Over time, consistent branding makes your business stand out. By establishing a clear visual language for your brand and implementing it across all your marketing channels, your customer will know that brochure comes from you, just like that mailer they got last week and that infographic from twitter they saw yesterday. If each of those pieces look different, it will be harder for your customer to connect that they all came from you. And of course, you want them to remember your company, as opposed to confusing you with your competition.

Once you’ve made a sale, good design is a part of good customer service. A great welcome packet to onboard new clients, as an example, gives them clear understanding of what’s next and helps them feeling well taken care of. Or it might even be something as simple making sure your website makes it clear how to contact someone if your client has more questions.

So did I convince you, blog reader, that design matters? I hope so. Consistent branding shows professionalism and credibility, engages your audience, helps your business stand out from the competition and helps your customer feel cared for. And why wouldn’t you want that?

DesignMatters

Why I don’t like to hear that you’ll “write to fit” my design.

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From time to time, I’ll have a client request that I create them a template and then they will “write to fit” whatever I design. You might think a designer would be excited to hear this, but I’m not. Designing first and then writing to fit feels backwards to me.

The way I see it, design is a tool to help communicate to an audience. Yes, design will make content more visually appealing, but it should also do more – it should help make the content easier to understand. The content drives the entire design. That is why starting with the design feels backward. If I don’t know exactly what is being said, how can I best help communicate it?

Read more

Yes, your data can be an infographic.

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In the past couple years, infographics have exploded all over the web.

But they’ve been around long before that. Infographics are simply visual representations of data. That includes everything from maps to graphs to the weather icons you see in the newspaper.

So can your data be an infographic? Yes, the answer is always going to be yes. If you’ve got information to share, you can represent it visually. Here are just a few of the possibilities:

Infographics-01

 

  • Pie graphs or line graphs are great for when you’ve got numbers, like percentage breakdowns or other growth.
  • A flowchart is often used to answer a question by giving the reader choices.
  • A timeline is used to display chronological data.
  • A map shows locations.
  • A venn diagram or charts shows a comparison.
  • A list can be used for tips or a step-by-step.

Even if your data doesn’t seem to perfectly fit into one of the examples above, you can still present it visually. It’s called a visualized article, and you use combinations of icons, illustrations or images to break and article into easily understood information. Since the brain processes images faster than text, getting your point across ASAP is ideal.

Here are a few infographics I’ve created for clients. If you’d like to work together on an infographic project, send me an email to learn more at anna@annakeith.com.

 

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2015 Q2 in Review: Fun stuff that happened recently

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We’re a few days into 3rd quarter now, and its full on summer here in St. Louis. Looking back, here are a few awesome things about the 2nd quarter of 2015:

  • Kicking off projects with Washington University in St. Louis. I’m teaming up with their University College staff to help them update their branding, and our first couple projects – some print ads at the Muny and online ads on Pandora – are now in market. And lots more to come!
  • Other fun design projects with clients ZeaVision, Pi Beta Phi, Xtra Lease, Doe Run, Sensient, Painting for Peace book, The OASIS Institute, Blank Page Consulting and more.
  • My New York trip! I got to spend time with family and hang out in a city I love. I lived in New York for a couple semesters in college, so it is fun to go back, even if only for a long weekend. There are a few pics over on my Instagram.
  • The discovery of Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. I loving tubing mascara. And until recently I was paying twice as much, so its nice to find a drugstore brand.

It’s been a great couple months, but I’m looking forward to what is to come, starting with a lovely 4th of July weekend! Once we’ve all enjoyed some BBQ and fireworks and are back to work, don’t hesitate to let me know if you need a graphic designer to help you out.

 

A few things that made winter awesome.

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Spring officially begins this evening at 5:45PM (Central Time). In honor of the last few hours of winter, here are a few things that made it pretty awesome.

  • Great projects with great clients like evolve24, Xtra Lease, Doe Run, DuPont, ZeaVision and Pi Beta Phi.
  • My nephew was born! And he’s cute. You can see him over on Instagram.
  • This potato soup. The best part is that you start with frozen potatoes, so no cutting and peeling. Perfect winter comfort food.
  • Celebrating 2 years since I adopted my goofy cat, Punx. He’s over on Instagram, too.
  • I turned 30! I’m choosing to be excited about a new decade, and not totally freak out about it… although I’d be lying to say I wasn’t a bit freaked out.
  • Celebrating 1 year since I left my full-time job. I’m so happy to be freelancing now. Get in touch if you need a designer to help you out!

Winter has been pretty fab, but I love spring and so I’m excited for its arrival! Walks to Starbucks, windows open in my house and car, getting out of boots and into sandals… I can’t wait. Happy Spring everyone!