Save Time with Templates

Do you ever find yourself starting a new illustration, then spending 10 minutes changing the document size, color mode, the styles, the swatches et al? Ad nauseam? And by the time you get it all set up, your creative juice is about to run dry. Am I right?

If that is the case, Templates are for you. Spend some time creating a template for yourself, and then when you’re ready to roll, all you need to think about is your idea and the blank canvas in front of you.

Templates not only save you time, but they help maintain consistency in your work. With templates you can create a personal color palette and have it at the ready every time you begin to work. But that’s not all. Templates can store swatches, styles, brushes, actions, graphs — just about anything you use over and over.

Let Global Color Rock Your World

Global Color is a very handy feature in Illustrator that makes quick work out of editing color in an illustration. It also helps you keep your file organized, and makes it easier for the buyer to use and edit.

There are two main advantages to Global Colors: The ability to create tints, and the ability to change the color and update the illustration automatically.

Be a PowerPoint pro

In business, presentations are a big deal. But who said they have to be boring? Add iStock to your PowerPoint.

In business, presentations are a big deal. But who said they have to be boring? You're already a fan of iStock's affordable, royalty-free collection for your design tasks, so you should give us a whirl in the boardroom. Adding iStock's images, video and audio to your Microsoft Office PowerPoint® slideshows can help you tell your story, share your plans and strategies, tell a joke or even close the deal.

Sure, presentations can be nerve-wracking but part of feeling confident is knowing that you're prepared. Here are a few easy pointers to help the next time you have to stand in front of an audience:

Web-based Favicon Generators and Favicon Resources

Your website’s favicon is a key trademark to its look. It shows up in the navigation bar as well as on browser tabs (for most browsers at least), helping users quickly pick out your website out of the crowd.

Creating favicons is simple, and with these online favicon generators, you’ll have your own favicons in no time! 

Six things to keep in mind when designing a logo

Here's a set of considerations for any illustrators ready to plunge into Logos.

Logo design needs to begin with a great idea or concept, backed up with some jedi-like vector skills to bring it to life. In this article you'll find some design and technical tips to get you started and keep you on the right track. I've included some important things for you to think about as you are creating, as well as some reminders on how to keep your files technically sound for submission to avoid the dreaded "Subpar" rejection.

Thought and planning are a huge part of Logo design: preparation is key. We've prepared a set of considerations here for any illustrators ready to plunge into Logos. Keep the following in mind during your planning and throughout the process.

How to Make a Stylish Glowing Box in Photoshop

In this Adobe Photoshop graphic design tutorial, we are going to create a magical glow effect coming from a box in Photoshop. This is a pretty simple effect that looks great and can easily be adapted for use in other ways.