Graphic Design Tip White Space as a Positive Elem

Graphic Design Tip White Space as a Positive Element

by: Robert Kennedy

Graphic designers of catalogues, booklets and annual reports should consider the paper pages as a positive element of the available graphic design area. The blank white paper spread is like the untouched canvas of a painter. The potential for design impact is encompassed by the physical confinements of the size of the paper pages.

Have you ever painted on canvas before? Regardless of whether you are working in oils, watercolors or acrylics, the entire space is roughly blocked in first. Composition is the first area to focus on.

The same concept should be applied to a book publication spread layout. Working the facing pages as a single visual unit, the diverse graphic elements need to be planned for their combination. The arrangement of photographs, descriptive selling copy and headlines takes the form of planned composition. This stage of format development should be done keeping the consumer in mind. Design elements should reflect what looks good to the consumer’s eyes and not mind.

The white space of the paper can provide the cleanest, most dramatic frame for the fourcolor photography, graphics or images. Your readers will appreciate this because it is easy on the eyes. In a recent group study, the input we received suggests a liking of white space in their responses. When important graphics like product photos, logos or ads are allowed to breathe with some respite of space around them, our group appreciated this.

It doesn’t matter if you choose white or a solid background color as your ‘empty’ design element. The effect will be perceived as the same. The use of this space is a vital ingredient in the development and execution of a persuasive booklet publication format.

It is the challenge of the graphic designer to create white space as opposed to cluttering it. In general, the more freely the design elements appear on a page spread, the more dramatic the depictions can be. The empty space you create can be the most effective and the simplest in uniting all elements of your graphic design.

Helpful Design Links

Logo design and branding http://www.designlogos.net/

Business card design tips http://www.weprintcolor.ca/online_design_cat1/index.php

Design a brochure for web or print http://www.weprintcolor.com/brochure_design.htm

About The Author

Robert Kennedy is the marketing director of a leading online printing and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert believes in an educated customer and has created a personal blog, online to help achieve this goal. Learn commercial printing and design tips from the pros http://www.weprintcolors.com

This article was posted on December 30, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Think Inkjet Unleash Your Imagination

Think Inkjet Unleash Your Imagination

by: Niall Roche

Add unlimited dimension to creative crafts with your computer, inkjet printer and specialized media. Inkjet printing opens the door to thousands of colors. Why print them all on white paper? If you can think it… you can inkjet!

Unleash your imagination. Specialty papers are just the beginning of endless media alternatives to standard printer paper. Highresolution photo papers in glossy and matte finishes transform family photos into enduring memories. Parchment and confetti papers add elegance and personalization to text printing, making treasured gifts and display items out of your favorite writings and adding warmth and cordiality to your invitations and greeting cards. As wonderful as these papers are, they are only the beginning of what you can do with a little imagination and your inkjet printer.

Metallic inkjet media is available in gold, chrome, and silver. Although metallic inkjet media accepts print in either color or black and white, generally black and white prints will present better on gold. If you print yellow on silver metallic media, it will look like a gold inlay. Orange printed on silver looks like bronze.

This transformation takes place between the ink and the media so you don’t have to apply difficult text and photo manipulations to achieve elegant results. Add dazzling effects to photos and text with holographic film. The base color of holographic media is silver. Holographic film reflects the full color spectrum and presents your print project in a rainbow of colors, changing along with the angle of view.

Super Color Shrink is a pliable plastic that accepts inkjet print. After printing, you bake the plastic and it shrinks and hardens, reducing the size of your image and adding texture to your project. Super Color Shrink is available both transparent and white art sheets.

Even if you can’t paint like Monet or Van Gogh, you can still create a masterpiece on canvas with Super Color Art Canvas. Designed for use with inkjet printers, Super Color Art Canvas is actually a specially coated nylon surface that renders your images and photos so beautifully that you probably won’t even want to frame them!Cling Window media makes window posters and removable art that adhere to most glass, plastic and baked enamel surfaces.

As you probably know, it is impossible to print the color white, but you can make white embossed prints with inkjet embossing paper and white embossing powder. Inkjet embossing paper keeps inks from drying. Sprinkle your prints with embossing powder and then heat the image with an embossing tool or heat gun and watch as your design becomes an embossed raised image. Find both white and clear embossing powders at any good craft retail store. Preserve embossed images with a clear acrylic spray.

Apply your designs to unpainted wood, marble, slate, and leather with inkjet rubon decal paper or use water slide decal media to decorate glass, metal, ceramics, candles…

Combine imagination and specialized inkjet media to extend your creativity to the limit. The possibilities are endless when you think inkjet!

About The Author

Niall Roche

http://www.inkjetprintables.com provides tons of useful information for any inkjet or printer owner. Everything from tips and advice to reviews of individual suppliers Inkjet Printables has it all.

This article was posted on October 18, 2004

by Niall Roche

Color Psychology in Marketing

Color Psychology in Marketing

by: Al Martinovic

On the internet we don’t deal with face to face selling. The internet is a visual and psychological medium. The words, or sales copy, on your website have by far the greatest psychological impact on your visitors and thus becomes your most important communication and sales tool.

But another important psychological aspect of your website that is often overlooked are the colors. Yes, thatกs right… I said colors.

Just as you use words to express yourself, colors can be used as an expression as well and are a language all on their own.

The background color of your website, the color of your header, the color of your text, headlines and subheadlines etc. can all have a psychological impact on your visitors.

Here is a list of some of the common colors and what type of psychological emotion they invoke in people:

RED is associated with love, passion, danger, warning, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure.

BLUE is associated with trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, power, professionalism.

GREEN is associated with money, nature, animals, health, healing, life, harmony.

ORANGE is associated with comfort, creativity, celebration, fun, youth, affordability.

PURPLE is associated with royalty, justice, ambiguity, uncertainty, luxury, fantasy, dreams.

WHITE is associated with innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity.

YELLOW is associated with curiosity, playfulness, cheerfulness, amusement.

PINK is associated with softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness, tenderness.

BROWN is associated with earth, nature, tribal, primitive, simplicity.

GREY is associated with neutralality, indifference, reserved.

BLACK is associated with seriousness, darkness, mystery, secrecy.

You can use the above as a guide when choosing colors for your website. It really boils down to your target audience and what psychological message you want to convey in colors.

Blues and white backgrounds work best for business sites. Maternity sites should consider some pink. Golf or lawn sites sites should consider green. Food sites should consider red, etc.

There are also numerous shades of the same color that you can use too. Here a link that lists 216 colors that work in all browsers: http://www.geocities.com/webtvbeth/hexchart.html

It also boils down to common sense too. As far as using colors in text, black text on white backgrounds may be dull but it is the most readable and pleasing to the eye.

Yellow text on white background is not only unreadable, but causes eyestrain which will have people leaving your site quickly. Nothing will lose sales faster than eyestraining text.

Hereกs a link for a กcolor wheelก that shows which colors compliment each other, and which ones don’t: http://www.saumag.edu/art/studio/chalkboard/cwheel.html

In conclusion, not only can the sales copy on your website have a psychological impact with words but the colors you use can as well.

Use them wisely…

About The Author

Al Martinovic works from home and runs a successful mlm business at http://www.ineedsmokes.com and also publishes a popular internet marketing newsletter: http://www.milleniummarketers.com

This article was posted on April 22, 2004

by Al Martinovic

The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes

The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes

by: Roger C. Parker

Your newsletter’s success depends on its design. An attractive, easy to read newsletter encourages readers to pay attention to your message. However, cluttered, hard to read newsletters discourage readership – no matter how good the ideas contained inside.
Before they begin to read your newsletter, your clients and prospects will be judging the value of your ideas by your newsletter’s design. Effective design presells your competence and makes it easy for readers to understand your message. Design also helps set your newsletters apart from the competition.
Here are five of the 12 most common newsletter design mistakes that are made.
1.) Nameplate clutter: Design begins with the nameplate, or newsletter title set in type at the top of the front page. Nameplate problems often include:

Unnecessary words. Words like ‘the’ and ‘newsletter’ are rarely needed. Readers will unconsciously supply a ‘the’ in front of a title, if desired. It should be obvious from the design and content of your publication that it is a newsletter and not a business card or advertisement.
Logos and association seals. Your newsletter’s title should not compete with other graphic images, such as your firm’s logo and the logos of trade or membership associations. These can be placed elsewhere on the page, allowing the nameplate to emerge with clarity and impact.
Graphic accents, like decorative borders and shaded backgrounds, often make the titles harder to read instead of easier to read.

2.) Lack of white space. White space – the absence of text or graphics – represents one of the least expensive ways you can add visual impact to your newsletters, separating them from the competition and making them easier to read. Here are some of the areas where white space should appear:

Margins. White space along the top, bottom, and sides of each page help frame your words and provides a resting spot for your reader’s eyes. Text set too close to page borders creates visually boring ‘gray’ pages.
Headlines. Headlines gain impact when surrounded by white space. Headline readability suffers when crowded by adjacent text and graphics, like photographs.
Subheads. White space above subheads makes them easier to read and clearly indicates the conclusion of one topic and the introduction of a new topic.
Columns. White space above and below columns frames the text and isolates it from borders and headers and footers – text like page numbers and issue dates – repeated at the top and bottom of each page.

A deep lefthand indent adds visual interest to each page and provides space for graphic elements like photographs and illustrations, or short text elements, like captions, quotes or contact information.
3.) Unnecessary graphic accents. Graphic accents, such as borders, shaded backgrounds and rules – the design term used for horizontal or vertical lines – often clutter, rather than enhance, newsletters. Examples of clutter include:

Borders. Pages bordered with lines of equal thickness are often added out of habit, rather than a deliberate attempt to create a ‘classic’ or ‘serious’ image. Page elements, like a newsletter’s table of contents or sidebars – ‘miniarticles’ treating a point raised in an adjacent article – are likewise often boxed out of habit rather than purpose.
Reverses. Reversed text occurs when white type is placed against a black background. Reverses often make it hard for readers to pay attention to adjacent text.
Shaded backgrounds. Black type placed against a light gray background, or light gray text against a dark gray background, is often used to emphasize important text elements. Unfortunately, the lack of foreground/background accent often makes this text harder to read instead of easier to read.

Graphic accents should be used only when necessary to provide a barrier between adjacent elements – such as the end of one article and the beginning of the next – rather than decoratively or out of habit.
Downrules, or vertical lines between columns, for example, are only necessary if the gap between columns is so narrow that readers might inadvertently read from column to column, across the gap.
4.) Underlining. Headlines, subheads and important ideas are often underlined for emphasis. Unfortunately, underlining makes words harder to read, reducing their impact!
Underlining makes it harder to read by interfering with the descenders of letters like g, y and p. This makes it harder for readers to recognize word shapes.
Not only does underlining project an immediately obvious ‘amateur’ image, it confuses meaning because today’s readers associate underlined words with hyperlinks.
5.) Excessive color. Color succeeds best when it is used with restraint. When overused, color interferes with readability, weakens messages, and fails to project a strong image.
Headlines, subheads and body copy set in color or against a colored background are often harder to read than the same words set in black against a white background. Be especially careful using light colored text. Restrict colored text to nameplates or large, bold sans serif headlines and subheads.
A single ‘signature’ color, concentrated in a single large element and consistently employed – like in your nameplate – can brighten your newsletter and set it apart from the competition. The same color, used in smaller amounts, scattered throughout your newsletter, fails to differentiate your newsletter or project a desired image.
Consistently using black, plus a second highlight color, creates a quiet background against which an occasional color photograph or graphic can emerge with far greater impact.
The architect Mis van der Rohe once commented, ขGod is in the details.ข Newsletter success, too, lies in the details. Your readers are always in a hurry. The smallest detail can sabotage their interest in your newsletter, interrupting the reader until ‘later.’
And as we all know, ‘later’ usually means ‘never!’

About The Author

Roger C. Parker is the $32 million dollar author with over 1.6 million copies in print. Download the rest of the 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes here www.onepagenewsletters.com

This article was posted on July 23, 2004

by Roger C. Parker

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and White Lists Explained.

by: Karen Fegarty

Over 40% of all emails within your marketing campaign are not being delivered. You may not even be aware of this, as many ISPs will not send back a bounce message. In fact if you are sending messages to AOL customers, AOL is now blocking over 80% of the messages that come into their servers.

One of the main reasons that this is occurring is that your IP or Domain may be Black Listed. All major ISPกs and many corporate email systems now check against Black Lists and will refuse to deliver any emails that come from an IP that is Black Listed.

But what exactly is a Black List?

DNS black lists are lists of domains and IPกs that are known to originate Spam. Many antispam software programs used by corporations and ISPกs use these lists to control Spam by refusing any email that originates from one of these domains or IPs.

Unfortunately there are many instances of false positives as there are few checks and often little objectivity when listing a particular IP. In order for a black list to know that a domain is sending Spam, the offence must be reported . It may take only one report via a web form for you to be listed.

You may be listed maliciously through one complaint of a client, or that of a competitor. Many Black Lists, as well, will list not only the IP that is suspected as spamming, but will list any IPs in that range of addresses. If someone using the same Internet provider as you is accused of spamming and is placed on a Black List, you may be listed as well.

DNS blacklists are usually maintained by antispam organizations or by individuals.

What are some of the most popular Black Lists that ISPs are using?

Some of these include:

MAPS http://www.mailabuse.com/

Spam Cop http://www.spamcop.net/

SpamHaus http://www.spamhaus.org/

SPEWS.org http://www.spews.org/

ORDB.org Open Relay Database http://www.ordb.org/

How do I know if I am on a Black List?

Unfortunately, you really can’t be 100% sure if you have been black listed. You may be on someoneกs black list and not even know it. There are, however, ways to check most of the lists.

One way is to check your server log when sending your campaigns. You will often see an email bounce notice indicating that the message has bounced because you are on a particular black list.

Many of the major black lists also allow you to enter your IP into a form on their site. These checks will tell you whether you appear, or not, on their list.

A useful tool, is the Black List Monitor. http://www.blacklistmonitor.com It automatically checks your IP against most of the major Black Lists and tells you which ones you are listed on. It also gives you help in getting removed. All your IPs are constantly monitored for any changes, listings, or delistings.

But what is a White List and how can this help?

Many corporations and ISPs will create a white list. This is a list of trusted IP addresses that they feel confident will not send spam to their customers. If your IP is listed on a particular white list then your email messages will be delivered to the destination email address. It is important for reputable marketers to work with the major ISPกs such as AOL to ensure that you are on their white list. For most, it can be a lengthy process, but well worth your efforts.

Other thirdparty email certification programs now exist. Bonded sender www.bondedsender.com is one such agency. By joining Bonded Sender, senders improve deliverability rates and differentiate their brand. Senders go through a formal application process, adhere to email standards and post a bond against potential complaints. Major ISPs such as MSN/Hotmail now check against Bond Senderกs white list and allow these email to pass.

Knowing if you are on a black list, getting removed if you are and getting established on white lists is critical if you are email marketing. The more messages delivered equals more sales!

About The Author

Author Karen Fegarty is with MailWorkZ the creator of Black List Monitor advanced service that continuously checks all the major blacklists for you, and then some. Don’t be treated unfairly! Keep a handle on who may have you blacklisted. Get a free trial and find out more at http://www.blacklistmonitor.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 11, 2004

by Karen Fegarty

Why Should You Care About Your Web Site Colors?

Why Should You Care About Your Web Site Colors?

by: Radhika Venkata

**How Colors are Used in web design:**

Demarcates screen elements into groups You can pu a blue background for your navagational bar and white for rest of your page. This tells the visitor that the blue area has different elements and grabs his attention.

You can relate different groups of element on your screen If you want to keep a navigational menu also at the bottom of page, you can use the same blue background. This tells the visitor that both blue areas on the screen has the same information.

Highlights information If you want to make a line of text prominent, you can use different colored text instead of regular text or use a background for that line of text.

Looks nicer Always colors associate with our mood and perceptions. We always feel the colors. Colored objects draws peoples attention.

**One should always use web safe colors?**

Nah… Unless your audience purely rely on 256 colored monitors. Mostly a remote possibility. You can experiment and enjoy in applying colors in your web design. The worst thing that will happen is the colors are shown to itกs nearest color on 256 monitors. They won’t look like exactly as they look on your monitor.

**What colors are best?**

One cannot say this exactly. Because the blue which means professionalism to some is death to some.

Here are some colors:

To indicate necessary action, use warm colors

Red, orange, yellow.

To provide calm and content feelings use cool colors

Green, blue, violet, purple.

Green means growth and vitality.

Red means energy and passion.

Blue means intuitive, cool and trustworthy.

Yellow means enthusiastic and optimistic.

Orange means courage and success.

Purple means passionate and spiritual.

Grays and browns seem dull. But they can take on a more cheerful attitude with compliments of red and orange. Emotions like this will help your visitors to associate your site with stableness and confidence.

**Tips to follow in appying colors on your website:**

1. White background is always preferable to keep your content. It makes easy to read and eye fatigue will be lessen with plain white background.

2. To make the things elegent use one or two contrast colors next to white. Like blue, green, orange etc.

3. Never use more than 34 colors on a page.(unless your site goes with graphics or other multimedia themes)

4. Check the colors and it appears on different browsers using online tools like http://www.anybrowser.com/

5. Background of your web site pages: ALWAYS use a web safe color as a background color to your web site. This makes your graphics and text appear on a clean interface on any type of monitors.

6. Download and use this color picker for your web designs. Easy to use and very good free utility software: http://www.nattyware.com/pixie.html

About The Author

Radhika Venkata

Subscribe to กEbookBiz Magazineก which is completely focused on ebook business and Internet Marketing. Receive FREE Ebooks with Resale rights every month!

http://www.ebooksworld.com/freetosell.shtml

Webmaster Resources: List Your product, ezine or web site free!

http://www.webmasterscentral.com/

This article was posted on December 22, 2003

by Radhika Venkata

Sneaky Web Design Tricks That Automatically Boost

Sneaky Web Design Tricks That Automatically Boost Readership & DriveUp Conversion Rate!

by: Dan Lok

Do you have powerful, irresistible, conversionoriented sales copy thatกs waiting to be uploaded simply because you don’t have someone to กdesignก your site?

Well, Iกve got news for you: Picasso doesn’t do websites and you don’t need a กmuseum piece.ก Your site needs to be visually appealing…inviting…easy on the eye. Nothing more, nothing less.

It simply needs to look and feel welcoming so you can maximize retention and maximize sales.

This means that you, too, can have a site that sells…and sells well…even if you don’t have an art degree, a graphics department, or a highpriced web design firm on retainer. Itกs true that design and copy go handinhand, but this next bit is important, so pay attention

Design should always work with your copy in a supportive role.

You read me correctly. Despite what graphic designers tell you (and each other), design is the tablecloth, not the meal. After all, itกs your words that convince prospects to buy…not your clever use of color, graphics, or Flash animation.

In fact, on many sites, design elements aren’t attentiongetters. They’re attention misdirectors. They draw attention to the design of the site and away from the message of the site. Design like that isn’t helping you make a sale. Itกs just the opposite.

Its effect is selfdefeating…like shooting yourself in the foot. Or worse! Like shooting your prospect in the foot and killing his/her interest dead.

Don’t despair. Your design กphobiaก doesn’t have to hold you back, and you don’t have to engage the services of a psychotherapist to get to the root of your fears. You have nothing to fear but fear itself…the fear of not having a website with a fabulous message drawing in millions of customers.

Just put yourself in my hands for a few moments. Iกll be your กdoctorก with an easytofollow, twopart กprescriptionก for website design health. Thereกs not a bitter pill in the lot…itกs all easytoswallow (and easy to learn) stuff.

กSneakyก Pill #1 The Black and White Pill

Have you ever watched preschoolers with the BIG BOX of Crayola crayons…the ones with 64 colors in them. Little Mikey or Molly will use every single color on their tiny masterpieces and cover every possible inch of their กcanvas.ก

Now thatกs fine for Mikey and Molly…they’re in preschool. Your website should be a study in simplicity. Not too crowded…not too busy…not to colorful…not tootoo in any way. For you and your website, tootoo is a nono, and the big box of crayons should stay in the drawer.

Start your search for simplicity by looking at the colors on your site. Nothing is simpler than black text on a white page… yet this is usually the most effective way to present a lot of copy.

The reason for this is elementary: The contrast is as strong and dramatic as it can be because black and white represent the extreme opposite ends of the scale. Any use of color is reduces the degree of contrast between start black and white.

Think about advertisements in fashion magazines or on billboards. A pink raincoat against a purple background? Or… how about white type on a lime green background?

Graphic designers use such colors for their visual impact because fashion ads are driven by pictures, not words. The colors achieve the opposite effect that you’re looking for.

Bright colors detract from the text by making the words difficult to read. In fashion, this works to an adกs advantage by compelling the consumer to look at the clothing.

On a website, the wrong combination of colors makes reading the words frustrating and annoying. If you frustrate and annoy your visitors, what are the chances of them buying anything from you? (In the language of professional sales, กfrustratingก and กannoyingก are synonyms for กno sale.ก)

Don’t annoy the consumers! Your job as a marketer is to make your copy as easy and hasslefree to read as humanly possible so that visitors will want to กset a spellก and read what you have to say.

Now don’t get me wrong. The right use of color can certainly help make a more visually appealing site. There are brilliant designers out there who know how to use tones and textures so masterfully that sites are works of art AND sales monsters.

Don’t fall into what I call the กBells กnก Whistlesก swamp. Too much graphic activity will pull you and your website down .like quicksand! Avoid the temptation to use unusual colors, combinations and flashy graphics simply because they’re available.

A little color goes a long way and primary colors are a better, more clearly defined choice.

กSneakyก Pill #2 The White Pill

Part of making your message easy on the eyes is to make it exceptionally easy to read. You want readers to breeze though your copy effortlessly. The best way to do that is to break up paragraphs into instantly scannable segments and provide plenty of white space.

Whatกs the big benefit of a little white space? Short segments are easiest to scan and understand on the fly. And if your prospect is able to กabsorbก your information easily…effortlessly…he/she is more inclined…is in fact COMPELLED to read further.

(In the language of professional sales, กcompelledก is a synonym for กIกve got you hooked and in a moment youกll be putty in my hands.ก)

The more you can break up your test into short sentences and paragraphs, the easier it is for prospects to read. If your message looks like an easy read, chances of your prospect actually reading your letter improve significantly.

Don’t use bleach to add more white to your site. Just remember to keep your page widths to a minimum and for a brighter, clearer, cleaner looking website.

Keep your text to a maximum width of 65 characters. That way your page should be easily readable from any monitor. (A rule of thumb is that you should always keep the ‘little people’ in mind. I mean those with the little 12ข monitors set at 640 x 480.)

Warning! Warning! Warning.

Avoid at all costs, the need for horizontal scanning. It’s enough of a challenge to get readers to scroll vertically through your sales message. To ask them to scroll horizontally too is absolutely ludicrous.

It’s always a good idea to set your main page inside the width of the typical window. What this does is display an obvious page border so the reader knows instantly that he’s not missing out on anything.

With a border, the reader feels omniscient (allseeing), กAh. This is easy. I can see this entire message easily. I think Iกll read it in its entirety.ก

Without such a border, the reader feels confused, กHey! Whatกs going on here? I don’t get it. This is annoying. I’m getting out of here.ก

Some people say itกs better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Marketers say itกs better to facilitate easy, problemfree reading of a simple, clean website than curse the fact that prospects kept their money to themselves.

The Gold in the Nugget

Simply put, your goal in design and copy alike is to simplify the process.

Clarify your message so that it cannot be misconstrued. Provide a single direction for your prospect to proceed. Funnel them through your copy to the order page. Clarify your design so that your message is not misconstrued. Provide a single focus for your prospect the words!

Now get out there and make yourself rich…and happy, too!

Dan Lok

Copyright 2005 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

About The Author

Dan Lok is known as ‘the Worldกs #1 Website Conversion Expertก, with a proven track record of selling over $25.7 million dollars of merchandise and services. Dan has resuscitated copy that was previously in กcritical conditionก and helped his clients to double and triple their conversion rates… some as much as 417%!!! More than 200 websites have been กLokedก and loaded for Internet action. Go to: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.com

This article was posted on March 19, 2005

by Dan Lok

8 Tips for Designing a Great Website

8 Tips for Designing a Great Website

by: Ivana Katz

Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons … will they match my shoes, my handbag or my tie? Are you stuck in a maze of buttons, headings, bullets, subheadings and colour schemes?

STOP!!!!

Take a deep breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites.

1. Select a colour scheme and stick to it.

If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.

The most common colour schemes include:

Red, yellow and white

Blue and white

Red, grey and white

Blue, orange and white

Yellow, grey and white.

If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists.

2. Use templates.

Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or preset designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.

Visit:

www.web4business.com.au/templates1.htm

www.newtemps.com

www.websitetemplatesresalerights.com

www.123webtemplatesandmore.com

3. Provide an easy to use navigation system.

This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.

It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.

4. Don’t go overboard on special effects

Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.

5. Backgrounds

Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.

6. External Links

It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link

7. Site Map & Search Feature

If you website is more than 15 pages, it is useful to have a site map or a ขSearchข feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.

8. Content is King

While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion.

If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:

Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes

Loads of pop up or pop under boxes

Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.

Hit counters of the free variety, which say ขyou are 27th visitorข

Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly

Busy backgrounds.

Don’t sweat the small stuff and get yourself focussed on what to include on the website and the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles.

Copyright 2004 Ivana Katz

About The Author

Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and homebased business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email [email protected]

This article was posted on March 23, 2004

by Ivana Katz

Silhouettes Creation Using Adobe Photoshop

Silhouettes Creation Using Adobe Photoshop

by: Blur Loterina

Do you want your image to have that commercial look? If you want to learn how to make a stunning background like what you always see on posters, follow these simple steps.

When you read a magazine, try to focus on the ad pages. Can you see cigarette ad with valleys and lakes for a background? Or a waterfall that was set behind a bar of soap? These images are called silhouetted images. When you say silhouette, it means that an image does not have a background of its own. It uses either text or other images as its environment. But before you can make this kind of image in Photoshop, you will have to create a Clipping Path first.

The first step is to put your image before a white background. You can do this by cutting an image from one document and pasting it to another document with a white background and make the necessary modifications. But, it is much better if you photograph your desired image and put a plain white paper or something for a background. Then, you can add text to serve as its background.

That was easy. But what if you are required to use another image as a background? This can be solved by the Clipping Path. How do we use this?

From the Selection icon located at the bottom of the Path palette, click the Make Work Path. This converts any selected area in the image into a path. You can use the other selection tools to select an image. To select the white areas of the background, use the Magic Wand Tool.

From the Select menu, choose Inverse to select the opposite areas. When you click on the Selection icon at the bottom of the Path palette, the selected image will be made into a path. Use the Pen tool to adjust your image.

Now, you will have to set your path to Clipping Path. To do so, from the path palette submenu, choose the Clipping Path. A dialog box will open. This allows you to choose which path to use as a Clipping Path. Now you can save the file in EPS or TIFF file format. This will mask your bitmap image when placed into page layout drawing programs or drawing software. Through this, any bitmap image will have high quality and will be resolutionindependent.

About The Author

You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on tshirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I like to read anything that contains words in the old English form, though I can’t understand it. You know, the King James Version of the Bible with words like thou, thy, thine, wilst, etc. The words used are different. The construction of the sentence is different, too, which makes sentences sound artistic. I also like gothic metal, a music genre, because most of the lyrics contain such words. It is not only the words that fascinate me; it’s the hidden meaning it contains. It’s like an abstract painting; you don’t get the real picture until you see through it.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 03

by Blur Loterina

Colors for Your Website

Colors for Your Website

by: Francisco Aloy

Oh Yes ..Colors! There are hot ones, cool ones, earthy colors, spiritual colors and every other shade in the rainbow! What colors should you use for your website?

Though color combinations that would work for many decorating ideas are pleasing to the eye, it doesn’t mean they will work on the web.

The reason is that the combinations you use have to serve a twofold purpose: They should impart a general theme to your website and, more importantly, make it easy for your visitors to see and read.

The very high contrast between white and black, having opposite locations on the chromatic scale, is good for standard paper books but not for the Web! A good choice of colors as a tool in the distribution of information, is something that should be given serious consideration.

The printed mediaกs classical scheme of black lettering over a white background doesn’t work well for Web content. Certain colors produced by the glowing phosphor of PC monitors are very intense and tend to assault the eyes with their potency, such as when you look at snow in bright sunshine.

The above reason is why many folks will print an eBook to study it: They can’t take the กwhite assaultก from most monitors.

Application programmers and savvy web designers are discovering this harmful quality of monitors and are compensating by making the backgrounds of their websites an off white/gray.

You can try this for yourself: read a page with an absolute white background and then the same page with a very light gray or pastel background. See the difference?

The general look and color combination of your website should be pleasing and related to the interests of your visitors however, the areas devoted to text should not strain their eyes. As an example, I was at a hardware forum and somebody had written a couple of bright fluorescent orange lines on a medium gray background; it was about all I could take! Just looking at the 2 lines of text to read them was painful.

Another example of a bad choice for body copy is a dark font over a dark background because it overtaxes the eyes to make out the text. The same reason absolute white is harmful applies to white lettering over a black background.

White without a small amount of compensating color is very stressful on the eyes. If you ever spend any time at a website that causes such irritation, youกll lose focus and get tired on account of the strain of reading.

All the elements of your website decoration should conspire to make the visit a pleasant one for your customers. Designing and building a successful website should take into consideration all the design elements to keep from physically irritating your visitors.

by Francisco Aloy

(C)Francisco Aloy

About The Author

Francisco Aloy is the author of กYes, I Want to Start My Internet Business Without Being SCAMMED!ก He has an online business catering to Web Business Newbies. To see more of Mr. Aloyกs articles and to discover the marketing punch of original content, visit his site:

http://www.newbiebusinessguide.com

This article was posted on January 07

by Francisco Aloy

Top Five Most Profitable Color Combinations Used I

Top Five Most Profitable Color Combinations Used In Cover Design!

by: Ovi Dogar

‘two days ago, an old man stopped me on the street and asked me who my stylist is.
I was surprised at first by the situation. But after a couple of seconds, my answer was:
กกI don’t have a stylist. I dress myself!กก
Thatกs when it occurred to me that there are many people that match their clothes colors in a bad way. And guess what: the same thing is happening with many ebook covers that are on the internet today.
There are some covers so bad that you want to live a certain web page the very moment you see the cover.
I know you don’t want to end up with a cover like that so here is the Absolute Top Five Most Profitable Color Combinations.
5. Red black white
Sample: http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/show.php?n=148
Red and black combined with white create a nice impact to the eye. These covers usually jump into the visitorกs eyes through their simplicity. Gradients of red and grey can turn out pretty profitable also.
4. Black white gold
Sample: http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/show.php?n=138
This is another killer combination. The simplicity of black combined with the richness of gold helps you create a cover that makes people turn their heads just to see it. Usually these colors are ideal for conservatory institutions that deal a lot with money.
3. Red white blue
Sample: http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/show.php?n=152
You should take good care not to have redblue bordering areas, or if you do, one of the colors should be really dark while the other is lighten. Blue and white is another good combination that derives from this one. It is used more and more in the internet marketing new technologies field because of the trustiness the blue color implies.
2. Red orange green
Sample: http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/show.php?n=156
Orange seems to be a color preferred by the customers. Psychologically speaking, orange gives a sense of affordability and combined with red, which is a strong motivator, subconsciously influence your leads to act. The green color brings in a little freshness into the picture so it fits well for ecological and sport projects.
1. Red orange blue
Sample: http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/show.php?n=194
Based on numerous split tests and feedback from my customers, the absolute combination was formed from red, orange and blue or, to be more specific: dark blue. 🙂 The blue color adds the touch of confidence needed by each of us before we make the buying decision to the redorange combination.
This being said, I wish you much success with your venture and be aware next time you hire a cover designer.ก

About The Author

Ovi Dogar is specialized in the creation of professionally custom made covers that really sell. You can view some recent samples of his work at http://www.AbsoluteCovers.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 30, 2004

by Ovi Dogar

Book Review: The Elements Of Graphic Design

Book Review: The Elements Of Graphic Design

by: Maricon Williams

Graphic design is a very broad field and to master it is a very challenging escapade. We can have a good grasp of graphic design by understanding the basic elements and principles which make effective design and page layout.

Graphic design is a course of combining texts and graphics in order to develop an interactive work of art. Designers achieve their purpose by utilizing the elements and principles of graphic design. In today’s world, graphic design has a greater percentage of influencing us. Everywhere we go, anywhere we look, there are graphic design materials – from posters, signs, newsletters, billboards practically everywhere.

I guess everybody longs to be a creator of a masterpiece. Sounds difficult, but actually it’s not. Even those who have no formal graphic design training can improve their page layout and text compositions through enhancing their concepts of design basics and modern desktop publishing. Though individual lessons can be taken, I strongly recommend the book Elements of Graphic Design authored by Alexander White.

Alexander White is an expert in graphic design. He has shaped the visual design of nineteen magazines and twenty identity programs. White was also a consultant to numerous publications, art directors and editors. He was formerly a teacher in design at the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford. He has taught there for about fifteen years. He has also lectured on typography and design to professionals in corporations and at conferences. He is currently residing in New York City.

White’s The Elements of Graphic Design Space, Unity, Page Architecture and Type is an approach page design in an avantgarde way. In contrast to other graphic design books, this book reveals the secrets of successful graphic design from the perspective of the ขwhite spaceข. The book sheds light on art, design and architecture and how they are to be associated with the design elements. It also demonstrates how white space can give sound typography or shift the burden of a page. Comments are also presented by White to ensure interactive designs, thoughtprovoking captions and scores of illustrations to challenge designers to ขthink out of the boxข and not be limited by what is presented.

The book also describes the five elements of design – lines, shapes, mass, texture and color. It gives instances on how to balance the elements and create unity or proximity. Other important principles are alignment, repetition or consistency, contrast and ขwhite spaceข or the art of nothing. Grab a copy now to experience the things that amused designer’s fancy.

About The Author

Maricon Williams

Book reading has always been her greatest passion mysteries, horrors, psychothrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 03

by Maricon Williams