Search Results For: textures

Graphics / 1 Oct 2018

Design Trend: Using Watercolor Patterns in Web Design

Add a little art to your web design with the watercolor trend. Watercolor techniques are a popular design option because they are fun, easy to use and work with a variety of different types of content.

Watercolor styles can be used in a number of ways to emphasize your content. Whether you are considering a watercolor look for your website framework or just want to experiment with the style, we have a collection of ideas, examples, and resources to help you get started.

Trends / 6 Aug 2018

3D Typography: An Inspiring Design Trend

An injection of realism can take a design project to the next level. With so many VR and realistic style effects gaining popularity, it is no surprise that 3D typography is part of this design trend.

Three-dimensional typography has extra depth and can be a great display option. While 3D type isn’t necessarily made for readability, it is a fun design trend that is worth a try. Here’s a look at how to get started with 3D typography (with some pretty cool examples for inspiration).

Poster Design / 31 May 2018

27 Inspiring Letterpress Style Posters

Are you planning on designing a poster with a retro or a vintage vibe? Not sure where to start? Then browse our hand-picked collection of letterpress posters and letterpress templates to find inspiration.

Letterpress is one of the oldest printing techniques that date back to the early 1440s. Back in the day, this technique was used to easily print many copies of a poster, flyer, and other designs with photo and letter-etched plates.

Even though it’s no longer widely used by printers and publishers, the technique and the unique design style is still celebrated by artists and designers. It’s especially popular among poster designers. In this collection, we’re featuring elegant and modern letterpress poster designs.

Typography / 30 Apr 2018

10 Tips for Using Text Effects That Don’t Suck

Adding effects to typography can be a source of heartache for designers. Clients demand a drop shadow or embossing, and you’re stuck with text effects that threaten to ruin a project. What you need is an arsenal of text effects that don’t suck so you can help the client pivot to something a little more classy.

The trick to all of these effects is using them with purpose. Good typography doesn’t need “help.” If a font isn’t working alone, it’s not going to work with a bunch of techniques added either. (You’ll only make something bad even worse.)

The best text effects are nearly invisible to non-designers. Or text effects are used to add meaning to typography or lettering. Here are a few tips for using text effects that don’t suck with some pretty cool examples.

Brochure Templates / 14 Mar 2018

10 Tips for Perfect Brochure Design

Designing a brochure can be a rewarding project. There’s nothing like creating something that you can hold, touch, and read. Plus, the design is more than just an arrangement of parts—it includes texture and feel in a way that digital projects can’t convey.

Designing the perfect brochure can be intimidating. In addition to all the design considerations you normally think about, there are some things that are specific to printed projects.

Today we’re taking a look at ten useful tips for improving your next brochure design!

Graphics / 31 Jan 2018

How (& Why) SVG Is Going to Take Over in 2018

2018 will be the year of SVG. The image file format has been growing in popularity and usage steadily over the last few years, but 2018 is when it will really break through.

You have the combination of users with high-resolution displays and the need for a lightning fast load time to thank. And while the switch to SVG might sound like a big deal; it’s not.

SVG is easy to use and implement, and you don’t really have to change existing files; just add new images as SVG. Here’s everything you need to be in the know when it comes to SVG.

Graphics / 14 Jun 2017

Flat Design: An Evolving Trend

Is the flat design trend finished? We don’t think so. It’s not dead yet. But the trend has evolved to be less stark and more engaging for users.

The early days of flat design were marked by a complete lack of design elements such as shadows, gradients, or realistic elements with texture. Many of those design elements are back, but are being paired with the overall idea of flat design to create a website user experience that’s both simple and easy to engage with. Depending on what side you are on, it might be a better version of flat design.

Here’s a look at the flat design trend evolution, and where we are today.

Typography / 31 May 2017

Color Fonts: A Beginner’s Guide

So what in the heck is a color font? It’s a term that keeps popping up and is starting to gain traction, although use in large design projects is still in its infancy.

Vendors such as Adobe’s Typekit have started to release some color font options with browser support, so there’s some movement toward wider use. Some have even called color fonts “the next big thing in web design.”

Here, we’ll look at the trend and let you decide how big – or not – this concept will be.

Photoshop Brushes / 3 May 2017

20+ Brushes and Images for Creating Grungy Edges

Creating complex edges manually in Photoshop can be an arduous task. Fortunately, there are tons of free brushes and images online that will make this process a breeze.

Giving your design a unique edge can go a long way towards framing the rest of the graphic, and creating an effect that stands out.

If you’re going “grungy”, try to make sure that this effect extends across every part of your image.

Keep reading to see our collection of 20 brushes and images with torn, burned and grungy edges!

Reviews / 5 Dec 2016

Never Run Out of Images Again With StockUnlimited

Worried about running out of stock image downloads before the month ends? You can eliminate that feeling forever with StockUnlimited.

StockUnlimited is a stock image service that allows subscribers to download an unlimited number of images and vectors each month. That’s what makes it different from many of the other stock image options available. Here’s a look at StockUnlimited and how you can use it for your design projects.

Photoshop Actions / 11 Oct 2016

20+ Action-Packed Photoshop Actions & Effects

Actions are one of the most overlooked features in Photoshop that most designers don’t often pay attention to. Yet, they are also one of the features that could help save you hours of your time.

Another great thing about Photoshop actions is that you don’t even have to spend time creating and perfecting them. You can simply grab one of the thousands of Photoshop actions already made by professional graphic designers and start applying them to your photos to create instant effects.

So, whether you’re a pro looking to save time or just want to quickly experiment with several advanced effects, here are a few of the coolest Photoshop Actions you can use to add magical effects to your designs and supercharge your workflow.

Inspiration / 20 Sep 2016

20+ Stunning Hero Images for a Creative Website

What do Salesforce, TaskRabbit, Tesla, and Pocket websites have in common? They all rock hero images.

Make no mistake, the hero image web design trend is still very much alive. What is a hero image? Well, it’s basically a giant banner-style image that takes over the top half of the page. The main goal of this design strategy is to quickly grab the user’s attention while showcasing some of the features of a product or a service at the same time.

According to research, colored visuals increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by 80%. It’s one of the reasons why placing a hero image above the fold has been found to be quite effective in increasing website engagement.