tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post5382461990538197227..comments2023-10-30T08:00:54.059-04:00Comments on Laurel's Leaves: Make marketing graphics on a shoestringLaurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-63701809509626263632016-09-23T16:59:28.659-04:002016-09-23T16:59:28.659-04:00If you have a comfort level with a software, that&...If you have a comfort level with a software, that's key. I use Photoshop too, but it honestly has too many bells and whistles for my most pressing needs--quickie web-quality graphics to jazz up blog and Twitter posts. Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-10872524210184258312016-09-14T10:26:56.158-04:002016-09-14T10:26:56.158-04:00My hubby uses Photoshop and I use Jasc Paintshop P...My hubby uses Photoshop and I use Jasc Paintshop Pro. I wonder how that compares to these? I like my program though--I know how to do everything I want to.Crystal Collierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03912469552483168148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-75745250449582378792016-09-12T18:13:02.502-04:002016-09-12T18:13:02.502-04:00It's lots of fun, and pretty easy to create co...It's lots of fun, and pretty easy to create cool graphics for your blog and elsewhere.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-27459153751719468682016-09-12T13:36:16.204-04:002016-09-12T13:36:16.204-04:00I've played around with Canva some... I'll...I've played around with Canva some... I'll have to play harder now. :)Bish Denhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-60635064866525028232016-09-12T13:36:11.716-04:002016-09-12T13:36:11.716-04:00I've played around with Canva some... I'll...I've played around with Canva some... I'll have to play harder now. :)Bish Denhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-47719843069422435082016-09-10T08:00:32.115-04:002016-09-10T08:00:32.115-04:00Even if you work with a designer for your covers, ...Even if you work with a designer for your covers, it helps to know some basics so you can communicate well. The Non-Designers Design Book is a helpful resource there.<br /><br />Canva can be used to create e-book covers. I'd attended a webinar on the topic. I think the files it generates are too low-resolution for print, however. <br /><br />I've used Canva just for incidental graphics, especially Twitter ads and cute thank-you graphics. I expect I'll be using it more for blog graphics now that I'm getting the hang of it. Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-87302062373722840052016-09-10T07:56:07.661-04:002016-09-10T07:56:07.661-04:00I read instructions on how to make 3D covers in Ph...I read instructions on how to make 3D covers in Photoshop and thought it sounded like a huge time suck, so I went hunting and thought Adazing gave good results--and variety too. I have a "spare" e-mail account where I get nothing but advertising (like when stores want your addy, it's the one I give), so their daily book marketing promos haven't bogged me down. Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-14051287853069137502016-09-10T07:51:20.810-04:002016-09-10T07:51:20.810-04:00I've taken numerous day-long Photoshop classes...I've taken numerous day-long Photoshop classes and still have to go running to youtube a lot to remind me how to do things I thought I'd mastered. That lack of intuitiveness is definitely an issue. Canva is far easier to use, though I believe it doesn't yet have some of the advanced features I've used designing my own book covers--especially the text effects like drop shadows, embossing and the like. Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-49316993192212464962016-09-10T07:48:10.773-04:002016-09-10T07:48:10.773-04:00I learned how to do basic cover design using Paint...I learned how to do basic cover design using Paint in Word. It's so easy (well kind of for a newbie), but the more I used it the more proficient I became. I graduated to Gimp, but all the little gadgets and playthings threw me off the learning curve. So I gave up on that. <br /><br />However, I do think as writers we should learn the basics of how a cover or design element is put together so we know how the process works. <br /><br />Thanks for another great post, Laurel.Anne Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12299643638346680038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-13985186824446193042016-09-10T07:47:18.301-04:002016-09-10T07:47:18.301-04:00Really knowing HTML would be a huge help--definite...Really knowing HTML would be a huge help--definitely a skill set I wish I had. I've only learned enough from my hubby to do some very basic tweaks to this blog. He customized the template I picked. But one of these day it would be cool to make a more mobile-friendly design. <br /><br />Canva has become my new addiction. I could noodle around on there for hours. I'm realizing that when I left the design-heavy editing job for one that was editing and production, I lost something that gave me a lot of professional joy.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-89247726536052330132016-09-10T07:40:34.295-04:002016-09-10T07:40:34.295-04:00Look at _The Non-Designers Design Book_ to get you...Look at _The Non-Designers Design Book_ to get your feet wet--it covers the most important aspects you need to know about using type and images together. Then totally play around with Canva. It is so easy to use compared to Photoshop. What's especially cool for beginners is all the pre-mades it offers that you can customize--things a professional designer created, and you can tell. One can learn a lot by examining those designs, frankly.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-46259010173074663332016-09-09T20:11:24.191-04:002016-09-09T20:11:24.191-04:00The Adazing 3D covers are great. I tried to do thi...The Adazing 3D covers are great. I tried to do this effect myself with Photoshop, skewing the image then pasting it over another book cover. Major fail. The email ads would be worth it!VR Barkowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927993233682731113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-1013117400211297602016-09-09T19:50:52.431-04:002016-09-09T19:50:52.431-04:00My daughter bought photoshop and she can do it - b...My daughter bought photoshop and she can do it - but I don't find it intuitive at all! These sound like great and fun programs to try. Thanks!!! Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-36413210291842840402016-09-09T18:20:37.900-04:002016-09-09T18:20:37.900-04:00You never know what skills are going to pay off, d...You never know what skills are going to pay off, do you? I had to build a website (no one else was stupid enough to say yes) for a program I was involved in. But now I use all that I learned every day. I love being able to tweak the html when it doesn't work and to update my own website without getting into too much trouble. I love Canva. What a discovery that was! cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-67509470910873406552016-09-09T18:03:48.492-04:002016-09-09T18:03:48.492-04:00Okay, I need to learn to do all this, but I am SO ...Okay, I need to learn to do all this, but I am SO not a graphics person. What's a good one to start with for someone very hesitant about her own abilities?Faith E. Houghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03823750019164801104noreply@blogger.com