Vector graphics vs. Pixels

Pixel images contain a fixed number of pixels. Scaling up a pixel image can cause jagged edges, because pixels are enlarged to fit the new size, or blurry details, because new pixels are added to fit the larger image.

When creating logos, for example, designers should use vector programs. Vector graphics can be scaled up to any size without any loss of image quality.

How to find objects using a specific color in InDesign

To find objects using a specific color in your InDesign layout, for example an RGB color, follow the steps below. This works with InDesign CS and CS2.

1. Open your Swatches palette.
2. Select the color that you want to search for and convert it into any spot color.
3. In the Window menu select Output Preview > Separations Preview.
4. In the Separations Preview palette turn ON Separations.
5. Turn OFF the CMYK inks, leaving ON the spot color.
6. The objects using the spot color will remain visible in the layout, while the rest of your objects, text, etc, will be invisible.

That's it.

What Is a Graphic Designer?

A graphic designer is not a color professional, a photographer, a printer, a web developer, or an artist who creates his or her art following a particular style. It may be said that all these disciplines should be familiar to a designer; yet while this is very true, it may also confuse the definition of a designer as a visual communication specialist.
I had a very interesting online chat with a few colleagues from different countries, and most of them paid special attention to one specific problem, that unfortunately is more important than the time that is spent in its solution. We were discussing how clients see and understand what a graphic designer is and does.
Very often, a designer is asked to make something "prettier" or to "work his magic"; unfortunately, this approach does not make it easy for the designer to create an effective design. The client would benefit from a deeper understanding of the designer's capabilities, going beyond just the aesthetic value of his work.
A designer is the visual communication specialist who will give shape and visual translation to a message, following an extensive process of research and analysis of information. A designer should be able to offer a solution to a visual communication problem and not just organize text and images in a layout.
An Example of Problem Solving
The problem: A client needs to promote college programs for high school students. The message is targeting students from a Latino community.
The solution: A brochure communicating the study opportunities in a way that makes it interesting for the students and their parents.
The efficacy of the message goes beyond simple aesthetics. While the primary audience is the students, a secondary and equally important audience is their parents. They can greatly influence the student's decision of which programs to choose. The development of the project includes the research of symbols, colors, and phrases used or recognized within the culture and history of several Latin-American communities. The resulting look and feel is "cool" enough for students, and at the same time it provides the parents with useful information about the different programs.
To maximize the potential and success of any message, a designer, in-house or freelance, should be part of the team of specialists involved in the project from the very beginning. There should be clear communication about the objectives of the project and the different factors that define the message. The designer should participate by suggesting strategies and an effective use of the different media and capital available.
There could be many different approaches to this process, depending on the project, the client and the message to be conveyed, but the ultimate goal is to implement a general strategy that would make use of the whole potential of talent, knowledge and creativity of a graphic designer in the success of any project.

A Logo is an Investment

You know that you need a logo, but you have just started your company, and of course you are trying to save as much money as possible. Unfortunately, paying a designer to design your logo was not included in your business plan. You see it as money that you will be spending without an immediate benefit.
I invite you to investigate how much a company pays every time they use their logo, when they publish a brochure, a flyer, a poster; when they use it in their website, their business cards, their product packaging or labels. I will give you the answer to save you time: nothing, not one cent. What do they get instead? Every time they use their logo, they are creating a presence; they are planting a seed in the minds of every person that sees their logo. They are making money without even thinking about it. So, if it is so important to have a logo, and you have already understood that a logo does not cost even a small fraction of how much you can gain by using it; the next step is: how do you get one?
Have a Designer Do It
So you go online and search for logo designers. There is a myriad of designers, artists, students and computer savvy people that offer design services online, and most of them offer a logo for the price of a lollypop. Do not be fooled by the cheap prices. A logo is not a dress that you can change in the afternoon. You have invested not only money, but also effort and heart in your business. It is a very important part of your life, and you would do whatever is in your hands to make it succeed. Why then give it a cheap logo?
Why Not My Cousin Joe
Here are a few points that could help you choose who will design your company's logo:
1. Choose a professional with experience and a good portfolio to design your logo. Think about it: Would you prefer to go to an amateur doctor to cure you? Would you let your cousin Joe do it, if he's not a doctor, just because it's free?
2. A logo should be unique. Many cheap designers use free imagery from clipart to create a logo in five minutes. That's why there are so many look-alike logos on the market. It contradicts the first reason for a logo's existence: to uniquely identify a company or a product among its competitors.
3. A logo should be simple. People don't have time to translate complex messages. Look at successful companies: their logos are simple and memorable. There is no room in a logo to show all you have to say about your company. Work with an experienced designer on what concept will best identify and differentiate your company.
4. A logo should be designed to work well on a building facade as well as on a pen. If there are lines that are not visible, or letters that can't be read, it is not a good logo. You shouldn't need to change your logo every time it is used.
5. A logo is not just a drawing or a photo that you could take from a website, and it should not be your favorite pet (unless your business is about pets). Your logo should represent your company’s ideals, personality and values. If it works well, your customers will be proud to buy your products, even if they are not the cheapest in the market.
These aren't the only considerations to have in mind when deciding why and who should design your logo. Search and read more about this. Look at the prospective designers' portfolios. Give your business the value it deserves.

Some Colors and Meanings

How can we choose a color for a company's identity among so many colors available? Here is a short list of colors and their associated meanings:
Red: This is the hottest of the colors. It is energetic, full of life, vibrant and active. It is also one of the most visible colors. It is associated with passion, life, masculinity, energy, danger, anger, blood, fire and power.
Blue: This is a cold color. Dark blue has been associated with intelligence, stability, trust, depth and intellect. It is also the most calming and relaxing of the colors.
Green: This is also a cold color. It symbolizes health, nature, freshness, harmony and balance. It has been associated with money, spring and stability.
Orange: This is a warm color and very stimulating. It is associated with joy, vitality, creativity and energy. It is used to symbolize construction and is a great action trigger. It has been said to increases the craving for food.
Purple: This color can be cold or warm, depending on the amount of blue or red used in the mix. It is symbol of spirituality, luxury, royalty and power. In some cultures is also associated with disease.
Yellow: This is a warm color associated with energy, light, happiness, energy, creativity and the sun.
Black: This can be warm or cold, depending on the colors with which it is combined. It symbolizes elegancy, sophistication and mystery. In some cultures it is also a symbol of death.
White: White can also be warm or cold, depending on the colors with which it is combined. It symbolizes innocence, purity and light. In some cultures this color is associated with mourning.
With colors, however, there are not strict rules. Sometimes blue can make a BIG difference when red is abundant. Take for example the case of the two most popular soft drinks on the soda market. And one very popular brand of chocolate uses purple, a color far, far away from the traditional colors associated with chocolate.

Three Reasons to Have a Logo

First reason: A logo helps you to stand out. I invite you to do a very quick FREE experiment. Close your eyes and think of a company. Do not over-think it, just the first one that comes to your mind. Now, what's the first thing that came to your mind? The name. That's because as adults we have a line of thought where words are predominant. The second element to appear in your mind was probably an image: the company's logo. That's what makes that company stand out among the other companies that sell the same products or services. And that, my friend, is also the case for your company.
Second reason: A logo makes you look professional. Now, let's do a second quick and FREE experiment. Imagine yourself talking with a company's representative. You meet this person at a party, so you can't judge him or his company by the color of the walls in his office, or the sound of the doorbell when he opens the door. All you have is the conversation at the party and a business card. The next day you look in your pocket, and there is the card. It has the name and contact information of the person that you met the night before and a professional looking logo, clearly representing what the company does. Would you have the same impression if the card did not have a logo on it? If there is no opportunity for a long explanation of what your company does, there is still the presence of a professional looking logo. It is the first impression, and, as many first impressions, it could be the only opportunity you have to attract someone’s attention.
Third reason: A logo gives you loyalty from your clients and employees. We are all loyal to some brands. We may buy a specific brand of clothes, soda, food, or computers. What will make your clients choose your products or services once, and then again and again? You might say good service and good quality, and you are right! We all want to get impeccable service and excellent quality, and in fact, we get them from almost every company with which we deal. They wouldn’t survive otherwise. Your company will have to offer something different than what your competitors are offering. You must offer an experience, and that experience will be certified by the presence of your professional looking logo. Every time your customers visit the market, or sit in front of their computers to buy online, they will be able to identify your products, and your logo will become part of their lives. They will wear it on their clothes, they will show it to their friends and family, and it will make them feel proud, because your logo will represent more than just good service or quality, it will become a way to make them feel important.

Image Sells

Years ago one of my dearest professors at college did a very interesting experiment.
At the time of this story, the Cuban revolution was happening at all levels, and one of the questions that arose was: Do we need advertising?
My professor, one of the best advertising professionals on the Island, was part of a high commission created to analyze the matter. He brought two groups of beer bottles to a very important meeting. One group of bottles was labeled. The other group included only plain bottles: no labels, logos, or specific design identifying the content. He then asked the audience to taste the content of each group, and to decide which beer tasted better. They did so, and the unanimous answer confirmed that the labeled bottles contained the better beer.
To everyone's surprise, my professor explained that he had put the same exact content in all the bottles.

My Wife's Favorite Color

When deciding what color will best represent your business in a logo, brochure, or website there are more issues than just personal preferences. A color can be warm, cold, serious, professional, humorous, energizing, vibrant, powerful, solemn, easy, refreshing, active or another number of adjectives. Your audience, meaning the people who will buy your products or services, can be attracted, or repelled, by the color your business wears.
Two years ago I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by a well-known international graphic designer about current trends in the field. The lecturer's first words made us all smile. He told us, with a very serious face: "The most frequently used color in graphic design nowadays is my wife's favorite color." Laughter spread through the room, and finally the lecturer smiled, convincing us that we didn't have to meet someone's wife to be up-to-date on our profession.
The fact of the matter is that he was talking about an experience that all designers have to face one day, when they are playing their best professional role at the first meeting with the client, or during a well planned presentation. Suddenly, the client turns to us and says: "I want it green, and don't ask me why, but that's my wife's favorite color..."