Monday, October 27, 2008

Color Trends for 2008

Designers should always know what colors are popular ? and which are about to become popular.  Color permeates every aspect of a designer?s life.  Every brochure, logo, and website that a designer works on must have the right colors, used in the right ways.  Without a firm knowledge of the current trends in color, a designer can quickly be placed on the back burner of the design world.

And because color trends can change so rapidly, it is important to investigate them often.  Colors that were popular at the beginning of the year may not hold that status by July.  Here is a look at some of the colors that are gaining in popularity as we hit the half way point of 2008:

Greens
It is no coincidence that, as people become increasingly aware of human effects upon the planet, the color green also becomes more popular.  Green has long been used as a subtle color, often relegated to the background.

But greens are becoming used in bold ways more often.  Yes, green represents the growing environmental trends, but it is a very versatile color as well.  It is perfect in living spaces, due to its subtle properties and the fact that it is easy on the eyes.

Black and White
As any good designer knows, trends occur in cycles.  And so it that, after decades of being seen as ?classical? and ?old fashioned?, black and white have reemerged as popular colors.

The simplest of all color schemes, black and white designs can lend a great deal of power to any project.  This scheme exudes power and elegance.  For a sophisticated feel, black and white can be the perfect choice.

Antique Colors
Another sign of a ?retro? trend taking shape is the increasing popularity of traditional colors.  Colors that hearken back to the days before computers and digitally enhanced designs are becoming more and more in demand.

The colors that have enjoyed the greatest resurgence in this vein include deep reds, warm browns, pumpkin oranges, and deep hued blues.  Think of old fashioned tapestry, and you will have a good idea of what colors are involved here.

Mid Tone Hues
As a follow up to greens, mid tone hues have also hit a crescendo in popularity.  This makes sense, because as the other trendy colors have demonstrated, many people are searching for more classical looks in their designs.

Some mid tone hues that have regained popularity in the first half of 2008 include fern, palm, pine, and sage.  While all of these are members of the green family, I thought it would be appropriate to give them a section of their own.  Many people, including designers, do not associate these colors with their green parents.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/color-trends-for-2008-617215.html

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Affordable Graphic Design Services: Value for Money

The entrepreneurs look out for some unique and creative thing associated to their name or brand in the market. This is done in order to stand distinguished among the competitors and create an affinity in the customer?s mind. The creative excellence backing up with ingenious design solutions have a lot to do with your success. In such a scenario, indulging affordable graphic design services in your plan of action becomes inevitable.


As a matter of fact, affordable graphic design services prove value for money and enable a business to be expressive through quality graphics. Be it the business card of key professionals or the official company letter head, the graphic designing solutions play an important role. However, graphic designing has been also associated with online presence because businesses cannot do without creative logos and high resolution images.


With markets experiencing footfall of new competitors, affordable graphic design services have become crucial today. The dynamic entrepreneurs leave no stone unturned to embellish their business appearance. The creative workforce behind dexterous design solutions need to put a keen eye on the minutest of the details relate to their client. This in turn, helps them in developing and delivering creative marvels for them.


Now, why is it necessary to find affordable graphic design services? It is all due to the need of imparting identity to every aspect of your business. Be it acquiring new clientele or retaining the older ones, it is essential to approach them with an experience that pulls them to your organization again and again. Moreover, with communication technology striding advanced levels, it has become easier to work in close coordination with a graphic design company of your choice, irrespective of its geographical location. Therefore, one can now find the right creative partner, which delivers excellence within your set budget at www.thedigitaloffering.com .


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/affordable-graphic-design-services-value-for-money-614888.html

Developing Your Sales Message

No matter how good your advertising materials are, you still need to have a personal message that you can convey to customers.  There is still no better way to make a sale than with some good old fashioned conversation.  Brochures and fancy ads alone will not cut it.  Business card printing projects are a part of every business?s life, but simply handing a card to a prospect and walking away will not do you any good.  You have to be able to sell yourself, and your company, in a face to face manner.

Of course, in order for your sales pitch to work, it has to be good.  A good sales pitch is short (ideally) no more than 30 seconds, simple, but informative.  Here are some additional tips to help you perfect your personal sales message.

Remember Your Name
Obviously, the very first thing you need to tell the person to whom you are speaking is your name.  Even though you are trying to keep your message short and to the point, you still need to be polite and start with the basic elements of conversation.

Who Do You Work For?
Do you remember that scene in the first Austin Powers movie, where Austin is holding an enemy?s head in the toilet while screaming, ?Who do you work for?? over and over?  Well, that is how your customers will feel when talking to you if you don?t tell them what your company is all about.  After telling them your name, tell them what you do and what your business sells.  Get that out of the way up front.

The Need That You Can Fill
Once you have those basics out of the way, you can get to the point.  Tell your counterpart how you can help them solve a problem that you have.  Introduce the problem that you are trying to solve, and then explain how you can solve it.  If the person indicates that he does not have a need for your product at this point, then you are probably wasting your time.  Go find someone who does.

Throw in Some Urgency
If you have the customer?s attention by now, you are on your way to making a sale.  Now you have to tell them why they need to act quickly.  Make it easy for them to buy from you.  Tell them exactly how to close the deal, and tell them why it needs to be done now.  For instance, you could say that your prices will be going up in the near future.

Go over these tips and practice your sales message.  Keep practicing and refining until you have it down to less than 30 seconds, and it does all of the things that we have discussed.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/developing-your-sales-message-616621.html

Saturday, October 25, 2008

You Have to Know Your Strengths

It sounds so incredibly obvious, doesn?t it?

Of course you need to know what your strengths are if you want to have any success in the world of business. So why would I even bother to mention it if it?s so obvious to everyone?

The reason is because the obvious has a way of being overlooked some times. But I think more than just that a company decides what their strengths are without actually knowing what their customers think their strengths are.

What happens all the time is a company decides right from the beginning that they have some specific thing they?re going to be best at. This will be their strength and this will be what generates the most sales.

They push this supposed strength in their marketing over and over again each time they print brochures, but what ends up happening is their customers start to look at something else in their company they prefer.

When this happens there are two different paths two take. The first is to continue focusing on only the strength you think you have while ignoring your customers completely. You might end up keeping the people who already like your business, but you aren?t going to generate a lot of additional sales because you aren?t advertising something people care very much about.

Or, you can take a different path each time you print brochures or send out postcards and alter your message. You can look at what people actually like about your business and try to boost that up when it comes to gaining new customers.

The thing that creates this situation is when a business just starts out they don?t have a lot of history and so they can?t know yet what it is that people are going to gravitate towards. You can direct this to an extent, but you aren?t always going to be completely correct.

I think many companies are just too focused on what their core message was going to be that they don?t understand that they need to adapt to the marketplace and always be ready to evolve when evolution is needed.

You can research people all you want, and I would suggest you do a lot of research before starting out any company, but you have to also be aware that people are going to potentially surprise you. No amount of research can ever tell you exactly what?s going to happen, and let you know exactly what your greatest strengths will end up being.

Given that all of your marketing needs to be focused around these strengths if you aren?t paying attention you might be advertising the wrong thing about your company.

Before you start any major marketing push, whether it be through brochure printing, posters, or flyers, I would suggest you take the time to really look at your customers and what they like about your company. Don?t just assume you know what they like, but really look. I think you might be surprised at what you find.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/you-have-to-know-your-strengths-615811.html

Friday, October 24, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

The Basic Needs of Any Good Business Card

The increase in printing technology brings with it an increase in the number of things a person can do with their marketing material. You have so many different options open to you now than you had just twenty years ago.

Taking this and looking at business card printing, I?ve come across some very interesting looking custom business cards people have managed to create. Everything about the business card is now yours to design however you want, to make the perfect business card for you, but too often people forget about the things that a business card needs to be effective.

The first goal of a business card is still to give someone your contact information. This is what no other type of marketing natural does. Yes, you might have contact information on a postcard or flyer, but these are known in the business world as a source of contact information. The original purpose of business cards was to help people know how to get into contact with you, and people are going to take them for this very reason.

A full color business card is going to do wonders to get your card noticed out of all the cards a person is being handed, but don?t let the colors get in the way of your contact information.

I?ve seen people who are reducing the size of their phone number so much is struggle to see it. All of the best colors aren?t going to do a thing for your business cards if a person has to search in order to find out who you are or how to contact you.

This is the second thing to consider: your name and company name. This, too, I?ve found to be given a second-class treatment when someone is doing their business card printing. They?re so caught up in making sure that their business card looks as amazing as possible, that it becomes as memorable as possible, they forget to make their own name prominent.

Suddenly I start remembering the business card itself better than I do who gave it to me. How is this going to help a company when I?m not even sure who the company is?

The first thing you should be asking yourself when it comes time for designing your business card is your name and your contact information. You need to make sure that these are easy to find and easy to read.

Once you have these two primary things finished with, only then should you move on to making your card memorable. If the creative part of your card is closely tied with your business or industry you?ll also be in a better position to have people remember who you are.

Everyone wants a custom business card to call their own. Just make sure you don?t forget about what all business cards need in your quest to make yours the most unique one possible.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/the-basic-needs-of-any-good-business-card-614839.html

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Fonts - the History and Basics

Fonts are a set of glyphs or images that represent characters from some particular character set in a particular size and typeface. The fonts term comes from the Middle French fonte, from fondre (meaning to melt or cast) which referred to type produced by casting molten metal at a type foundry. Fonts in printing, sometimes called Fount, are a complete set of type of any one size, with all the usual points and accents; a font consists of about 100,000 characters. In computers, a computer font is an electronic data file which contains a set of glyphs, characters, or symbols such as wingdings. Although the term font first referred to a set of metal type sorts in one style and size, since the 1990's most fonts are digital and used for computers or computer devices.


Ascender is a leading provider of advanced font products specializing in type design, multilingual font development & licensing and software development for mobile phones. The Ascender team is renowned for its TrueType and OpenType font expertise, and can tune fonts and create custom fonts for on-screen legibility in Microsoft Windows as well as Digital TV fonts, Set Top Boxes, Mobile Phone fonts, Game Consoles fonts, Embedded Systems, Consumer Electronics and other devices.


Font History and Font Formats


There are different font formats - which one should I choose?


OpenType fonts (.OTF) - OpenType is a scalable format for computer fonts that was initially developed by MicrosoftTM, then later joined by AdobeTM Systems. OpenType fonts were first announced in 1996 and AdobeTM completed conversion of its entire font library to OpenType around the end of 2002. In 2005, there were around 10,000 fonts available in OpenType font format, with Adobe's font library making up under a third of the total. As of 2006, every major font foundry and many minor ones were developing fonts in OpenType font format.


TrueType fonts (TT or .TTF) - TrueType is a digital font technology that was designed by AppleTMComputer, and is now used by both Apple (MacTM) and Microsoft (PC) in their operating systems. Microsoft has distributed millions of quality TrueType fonts in thousands of different styles. TrueType fonts offer the highest possible quality on computer screens, printers, and include a wide range of features which make them very easy to use. PostScript Fonts(Type 1) - PostScript fonts predates TrueType by about six years. First, there were many different font formats for digital fonts, none of which were standardized. Then Apple adopted Adobe's PostScript page description language (PDL) for its Apple LaserWriter printer in 1985. This, combined with the introduction of desktop publishing software, sparked a revolution in page layout technology. ClearType Fonts(found on AscenderFonts.com) - Microsoft ClearType fonts are an unprecedented innovation in font display technology that dramatically improves font display resolution and marks a genuine breakthrough in screen readability.These Microsoft fonts were designed by Microsoft and leading type designers and font technologists to improve the reading experience in Windows VistaTMand Microsoft Office 2007TM.With ClearType font technology, the fonts on your computer screen look almost as sharp and clear as those printed on a piece of paper.


The choice of font format is mostly based on the kind of documents you create and your computer environment. Here are some general guidelines: OpenType TT OpenType TT fonts contain TrueType® outlines, and have a .TTF file extension. This is the default font format of both Macintosh and Windows systems. OpenType fonts with TrueType outlines are popular among home users and both small and large businesses or other enterprises. OpenType PS OpenType PS fonts contain PostScript® outlines, and have a .OTF file extension. OpenType PS fonts are replacing Type 1 fonts as users upgrade their systems. Type 1 PostScript Type 1 is the original font format that was part of the desktop publishing revolution that started in 1985. Type 1 fonts for PostScript and PostScript compatible printers consist of more than one file and have a limited character set. These limitations are overcome with OpenType fonts.


Font Characteristics


Font Weight


There are three basic categories of font weights: light, regular, and bold. The regular font weight for most typefaces is slightly lighter than medium. Many computer fonts for Microsoft Office, Web and common use come with a normal, regular and a bold weight. Font Weight relative order: thinultra lightextra lightlightsemi lightbookregular, (roman), plain, normalmediumdemi bold or semi boldboldextra boldheavyblackextra blackultra Font Width compressed, condensed, narrowwide, extended Font Families There are a multitude of typefaces that have been created over the centuries and they are commonly categorized into font families according to their appearance. At the highest level, one can differentiate between blackletter, serif, sans serif, and decorative fonts.


1. Blackletter Fonts Blackletter fonts were the earliest fonts used with the invention of the printing press. They resemble the artistic handwritings of cloisters in the Middle Ages and fall into three groups: Gothic fonts and Old English Text - Of all the blackletter fonts, the Gothic ones most closely resemble the Textura calligraphy used with manual copying of books. A Gothic typeface was thus also carved by Johannes Gutenberg when he printed his 42-line Bible, including a large number of ligatures and common abbreviations. While in Germany, Gothic fonts were quickly displaced, they remained in use in great variance and are frequently also referred to as Old English Text fonts.Schwabacher typefaces were predominant in Germany from about 1480 to 1530. Most importantly, all of the works of Martin Luther, leading to the Protestant Reformation, as well as the Apocalypse of Albrect Durer (1498) were printed in this typeface. It was probably initially used by Johannes Bamler, a printer from Augsburg, in 1472. The origins of the font name are unclear; some assume that the font was designed by a typeface carver from the village of Schwabach who worked externally and was thus referred to as the Schwabacher.Most commonly known among the blackletter fonts as those of the Fraktur font family, which stated when Emperor Maximilian I (1493 - 1519) established a series of books and had a new typeface created specifically for this purpose. Fraktur faces were widely used in Germany until the end of World War II.


2. Serif Fonts Serif fonts are divided into four font groups: Renaissance - this font type has a slight difference in thickness within each font. This font category includes the GaramondTMand PalatinoTMfont families.Baroque - this font type has a thickness within each font with greater variety. This font category includes the BaskervilleTMand Times New RomanTM font families.Classicist - the most variance of thickness with each font. This font category includes the BodoniTMand Century SchoolbookTM font families.Modern fonts - these fonts are designed mainly for decorative purposes. This font category includes the RockwellTMand AmasisTM font families.


3. Sans Serif Fonts Sans Serif fonts first appeared to be the "Egyptian" font released in 1816 by William Caslons' foundry in England. The Sans Serif fonts are commonly used for display applications such as signage, headings and other applications where the font is needed to stand out and continuous reading is not a requirement. Sans Serif fonts are divided into four font groups: Grotesque - This font category includes the GrotesqueTMor Royal Gothic fonts.Neo-grotesques - This font category includes the Standard, ArialTMand UniversTM fonts.Humanist - This font category includes the Gill SansTMor FrutigerTM fonts.Geometric - This font category includes the FuturaTMor SpartanTM fonts. Other common Sans Serif fonts include: LucidaTM, TahomaTMand VerdanaTMfonts.


How to Download fonts


FontMarketplace.com makes is easy for you to download the font. For every item that you purchase there will be a download link on the order confirmation page. Additionally, the receipt that is automatically emailed to you will also have the links. For more information, please view our Font Help page section on "How to Download Fonts" How to Install fonts Fontmarketplace.com provides font downloads in two forms: Automatic Installer for Windows Manual install for Windows/Macintosh/Linux/Other For more information, please view our Font Installation page under Font Help. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Please view our Trademarks page for more information.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/fonts-the-history-and-basics-611896.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html
recruitment software

Types of Large Format Printing Equipment

There are various types of printing equipments used in the industry of large format printing industry today. Here are a few of the more famous large format printers and an insight into the features of each one of them:

Lambda Digital Photo Printer

The Lambda produces the highest quality graphic print. It is the most advanced digital printing system available. It prints continuous-tone true photographic material with the very best detail and color. When people say ?near photographic,? this is what they are trying to replicate.

Because it?s digital, Lambda is capable of printing deeper blacks and brighter whites than traditional photo prints. For sharp, quality graphics ? especially for images with skin tones or food ? Lambda is your best large format printing choice.

Lambda prints on 7mil roll stock, paper, flex, or trans, up to 50? wide at any length. Paper is the same material you get from a drugstore when you get your snapshots printed. Flex is the same photo emulsion but on a polyester base instead of paper. The significance is paper tears and can delaminate, polyester doesn?t. Paper would be good for short runs of posters that go up once and stay there. Flex is good for images that you put up, taken down, roll up and ship, over and over. Trans has a similar poly base, but it is translucent to pass light and the emulsion creates twice the dye densities so that when backlit, the image will have the saturation it needs.

Jeti UV Flatbed Printer

The Jeti UV is the latest addition to the ever-increasing imaging and printing arsenal. You?ll love the great graphic value it can print. It is called bFlat printing because instead of printing to roll stock and laminating to boards, bFlat means you print directly on the board so it costs a lot less. Also, since the inks are durable outdoors, they don?t require face lamination, another cost savings. Lastly, it can print on just about any flat surface up to 2? thick.

EcoSol Indoor-Outdoor Vinyl Printer

Choose the Roland because the EcoSol Max ink set has the best color gamut of all the plotters that have been tested. Furthermore, its ink formulation was the best choice on the market to support environment-friendly printing. That means maximum color saturation and ?closer to Pantone? when you need it and yet still capable of subtle tone variations in flesh tones and high key areas. EcoSol is at its best printing directly to vinyl.

GrandFormat Solvent Printing

The bigger the image the better this technology becomes. What may not have been adequate resolution and color saturation in closer viewing circumstances becomes quite reasonable as the square area of your image increases. That?s why Benchmark Imaging & Display offers both the EcoSol and Solvent printing to span the range. Solvent-based inks on vinyl is the least expensive and most durable combination available for super sized indoor or outdoor banners and billboards. Vinyl has negative environmental impacts. New products are becoming available that breakdown in landfills, however breakdown and decompose are two different definitions. Fabrics including mesh are an alternative but the synthetics have some of the same environmental drawbacks. As always, it isn?t enough just to buy printing. You?ll need finishing services to complete the project.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/types-of-large-format-printing-equipment-610594.html

Monday, October 20, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Friday, October 17, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html
online education course

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Your Career in Creative: �the Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There is a delusion I have apparently quietly indulged since, say, age thirty, and it's this:

that I am still as cool as I was when I was seventeen."

Dan Kennedy, from his memoir 'Rock On.'

I work out most every day. I wear a bit of jewelry. I adore horror movies. The other day my wife asked me why I fight the aging process. There are many reasons, (fear of death, pride, etc.) but without much thought I replied: "So, I won't lose my job."

Growing old. It's the one thing we ad folks dare not speak of. Yet the 'circle of life' is anything but gradual in the agency jungle. So here it is: Advertising (specifically, the creative department) is a young man's game. Don't agree? Look around you. Is not every other creative employee in your firm a scruffy, white, male replete with loose jeans and ironic tee shirt? I thought so.

With so many FTEs in their twenties and so few in their fifties, it's easy to see how scary the middle 'ages' can be. For the typical employee in his thirties, the arc of his/her career had better be brilliant because at his/her price-point anything less may not be enough to save his/her job. (Though extremely important, I'm avoiding discussion of race and gender. It is enough facing the one thing we have in common: our mortality.)

And so Human Resources serve as watchdogs. Ageism is against the law. HR instructs management to be very careful when dealing with (firing) employees over 40. Lawyers know the "Age" card, they warn. Like eyes in the sky at a casino, they swoop down even when it's just rumored to have been played. Fire a fifty two-year-old writer because he hasn't made a meaningful contribution in a decade, HR assumes a lawsuit is attached. Of course the sad sack plays along. Why shouldn't he/she? A settlement is almost certainly more lucrative than a package. Yet, despite these threats, our business remains preternaturally youthful.

Assuming the above is all true what's a girl to do? Especially when she's no longer a girl.

The best advice seems brutally obvious. Aspire to management. In ad agencies the most advantageous place for an oldster is at the top. Take that elevator. Don't stop at just being a good writer or art director. That's merely the price of entry. You need to be exceptional at your craft. Always. But remember there are LOTS of guys with 5 or 6 years under their belt, making LOTS less money than you, who are damn near as good. Naturally, they want your job. You should want the job above yours. That would be MGMT.

So how does one grow successful as well as old in advertising? My advice in three not-so-easy steps:

Don't shun meetings because, "they suck." One day there will be a meeting and you'll be the topic. 'Nuff said. Sell work. First your work. Then someone else's. In that order. If you can do both you will be twice as valuable to your firm. MGMT does both. Stay relevant. Nothing is sadder than the graying copywriter who waxes nostalgic about cutting film with a knife. Dead man walking. 3a) As with meetings, do not ignore popular culture because, "it sucks." If you don't keep up with people... you won't.

 

What more can I say? Exercise regularly. Keep up with trends -all of them. Get a haircut. However you do it, you must keep your head and body in the game. I'm a big believer in being a 'player/coach.' Work on assignments as well as help others with theirs. Wear many hats. When in doubt follow the old axiom about staying young: Use it or lose it.

Rate this Article:12345Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Creative

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Print article   Send to friend   Publish this Article   Author feedback   addthis_pub = 'articlesbase'; addthis_brand = 'ArticlesBase.com';addthis_options = 'favorites, email, digg, delicious, facebook, google, live, more'; About the Author:

Chairman and CCO of Euro RSCG Worldwide Chicago, Steffan is responsible for its overall creative leadership and quality of the creative product.
He?s received several prestigious awards, including a Kelly Award, Best of Show, Gold and Silver awards at the One Show, the Addys and a Cannes Gold Lion.
Steffan just completed a novel about god and advertising and posts regularly on his blog, Gods of Advertising. You may also find articles by Steffan at TalentZoo.com.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/your-career-in-creative-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-596590.html

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Graphic Design Online

Online Graphic Design Schools offer opportunities to get Certificates, Associates degrees, Bachelor and Master's degrees in Graphic Design. Online Graphic Design courses are project-based and self-paced, permitting students to progress at this own pace.

Graphic Design, as a discipline, covers creative arts completed in several strange media, including print, digital image, animation, and motion picture. Online Graphic Design Schools teach hands-on projects overly help students craft a expert portfolio that will prove their value to future employers.

Online schools and courses of study given that feature the involvement of faculty who mentor and provide critiques, as personal feedback on each assignment is significant to the learning process. Another option for Online Graphic Design under graduates may be interaction between students in the courses. The Online Graphic Design learning encounters positives from constructive criticism and creative inspiration based on data from both their instructors and fellow students.

Online Graphic Design instruction will include work created by drawing, through digital production, within interactive media design, with 3D computer graphics, and by web design amid others. Students in training over Online Graphic Design Schools will develop skills for producing and developing Visua effects for movies, video games, websites and areas of other districts of Graphic Design.

Graphic Design is critical to the fields of advertising, fashion design, game art design, interior design, interactive media design, animation, residential planning, and web design. Graphic Designers are employed in agencies that provide commercial art or Graphic Design services for publishers, advertising agencies, and other industrial franchises. Graphic Design artists engaged in production of commercial art. However, some Graphic Designers may decide to specialize in medical art or come up with drafting services for manufacturing and architectural firms.

Rate this Article:12345Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Web Design, Graphic Design

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/graphic-design-online-600647.html

Print article   Send to friend   Publish this Article   Author feedback   addthis_pub = 'articlesbase'; addthis_brand = 'ArticlesBase.com';addthis_options = 'favorites, email, digg, delicious, facebook, google, live, more'; About the Author:

BreaKtime news
Robinson land
car service


Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/graphic-design-online-600647.html

How Can Website Design and Logo Design Enhance Your Business?

The graphic design process is crucial to any business, making it stand out head and shoulders from the competition.  
Logo Designing
Logo design is compulsory to reflect your companies? image and vision. Logo design is creating a unique symbol graphic for the success of your companies? identity. Selecting professional logo design services for the creation of your organization?s logo is a vital step every startup should take.
Through your company logo, your organization finds direction and a starting point for promotional and marketing campaigns. A well made, compelling logo is a boon for organizations as they can easily incorporate a catchy logo onto any advertising platform. Get more valuable information about logo design company logo design services at http://www.ewebcraft.com/.Many companies pay millions of dollars to purchase custom designed logos. They visit top logo websites. They employ expensive company custom logo agencies to produce a selection of custom logos, from which they select one. That is because they understand that a good logo will help their company stand out from the competition.
Website Designing
All good websites have common feature of the proper use of web design elements: logos and layout, flash animations and graphics, and easy navigation. Your site needs to have a unique style, well-organized design structure. These things give your site credibility.The website designing would make your website look unique and distant from the others. It must be understood that you must choose the perfect graphics format for your website needs. http://www.ewebcraft.com/ will help you in these perceptions.
The services offered by http://www.ewebcraft.com/ are:
*    Logos
*    logo design
*    website design company
*    web site development,
*    customized web development,
*    search engine optimization,
*    web site marketing,
*    web site design,
*    corporate identity
*    business logo design
web designers of  http://www.ewebcraft.com/ incorporate your company logo, trademark, or symbol, and reflect your company image. We also create custom graphics including animated images that will give each site a unique theme. We have a dedicated team of highly skilled and experienced professionals who can handle successfully the website design requirements of our clients.
Once your business is up and running you may think that any form of corporate identity will act to represent the company, visually creating a brand by default. Think again. If you look at the large corporations you will notice that their brand strategy stands the test of time for many years.
Article Tags: logos, logo, logo design, logo designer, website design company, web site development, customized web development, web site marketing, web site design, offshore outsourcing, Custom company logo design, web design, logo designs USA, corporate identity, business logo design

Rate this Article:12345Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Web Site Marketing, Web Site Design, Web Design, Website Design Company, Web Site Development, Offshore Outsourcing, Logo, BUS, Logo Design, Corporate Identity, Logos, Logo Designer, Customized Web Development, Custom Company Logo Design, Logo Designs Usa

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/how-can-website-design-and-logo-design-enhance-your-business-600755.html

Print article   Send to friend   Publish this Article   Author feedback   addthis_pub = 'articlesbase'; addthis_brand = 'ArticlesBase.com';addthis_options = 'favorites, email, digg, delicious, facebook, google, live, more'; About the Author:

rifat naz seo


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/how-can-website-design-and-logo-design-enhance-your-business-600755.html

Creative Business Card Ideas

Sometimes a plain white business card just won't do. If you are in a creative field, like art, you can be more adventurous with your business card design. You would expect a graphic design business card to be more creative than a lawyer business card.

You also may need to take a risk and try something different if your business cards just aren't getting people's attention. Either way, here are some great, creative ideas to get you on the right path to create your own unique business card or other type of calling-card object:

Print business cards on opaque material. That's right - a see-through card! Using a see-through design is sure to get your card noticed. Of course, you can't use the back side of these cards for anything extra, but your card will look so impressive you won't miss using the back side!

Use the card material or card holder to make a connection with your profession. For instance, a SCUBA instructor could put her business card in a clear waterproof bag to prevent it from getting wet. An editor could use a pencil as her business card by printing her info right on the side of the pencil. An architect or builder could use small, thin pieces of wood as their card's canvas. Just pick something that makes sense with your profession.

Use inexpensive objects as your card's canvas. You can use just about anything - a clothes pin for a Laundromat, playing cards with the name and contact info scribbled on them for a magician - anything related to your profession.

Place an object on your card that people can use. For instance, a hairdresser could attach bobby pins to her card so that prospects will keep it for the bobby pins. One cool design idea is using the bobby pins to simulate hair coming off a person's head that is drawn on the card.

Use a stand-up or pop-up card. You can get cards with whatever object you want perforated so that you can bend that segment of the card up, making it 3D. Or you can create your card in a triangle shape or in a hinge shape so that it stands on its own. Make sure to print your info in the direction you want the card to ultimately be standing in.

Tie in some element of your business. A gift shop business card could give off the essence of their business card being a gift in itself by tying a ribbon around the card, or could use a card holder that looks like a small gift wrapped box. This would be an easy idea to implement, since many stores already have these little boxes for their gift cards.

Hopefully some of these ideas sparked a creative, unique idea you can use for your new business cards. Be sure to check out different printing companies online and offline for rate quotes for these types of cards. They will be more expensive, but if you get a few orders from people who normally would have thrown your card away (and you will), it'll be worth it!

Rate this Article:12345Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Business Card, Print Business Cards, Graphic Design Business Cards

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/creative-business-card-ideas-601536.html

Print article   Send to friend   Publish this Article   Author feedback   addthis_pub = 'articlesbase'; addthis_brand = 'ArticlesBase.com';addthis_options = 'favorites, email, digg, delicious, facebook, google, live, more'; About the Author:

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in graphic design business cards and print business cards industry.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/creative-business-card-ideas-601536.html