Step up your cards with easy design tips
One of the subjects I used to teach in my previous life as a business and management lecturer, was desktop publishing using (in those days) Adobe Pagemaker. It was a long time ago!
One of the most important things the students had to learn in order to present their documents in the best possible way, was design principles and, after all these years, design is just as important. The following eight basic graphic design principles have been sourced from www.adobe.com. I have adapted them to relate to cardmaking. Apply them to your card projects for professional and eye-catching results.
1. Focus on alignment
The most common alignment is centred, left-aligned or right-aligned. In cardmaking, not everything has to be centred all the time! Sometimes, putting your main object on the left or the right, or top or bottom of the card base provides for a much more effective and pleasing outcome.
2. Use hierarchy
When you have more than one visual element on your card front you need to ensure that you are giving priority to the most important image. You want the recipient of the card to immediately be drawn to that point.
3. Use contrast
Contrast is important because it allows you to draw out selected elements of your card design for emphasis. For example, think black and white (or other highly contrasting colours), thick and thin, modern and traditional.
4. Use repetition
Repeating colours, fonts, words, shapes or other images can help tie the elements of your card together.
5. Consider proximity
Proximity helps the overall organisation of your card. Place related elements together. This gives order and helps to declutter the design.
6. Ensure your design is balanced
Balance gives your card its stability. This doesn’t mean that elements need to be the same size or that everything has to be symmetrical. It’s more about leading the card recipient through the card’s elements in a way that enables meaning.
7. Use colour to support the design
The use of colour is a powerful design principle because it helps you to set a mood for your card and to communicate on an emotional level. Understanding the basics of colour theory can help you use colour in your cardmaking to your advantage.
8. Don’t’ be afraid of white (or negative) space.
Never underestimate the power of a simple card. The parts of your card you choose to leave blank are just as important as the parts you fill with colour, images, shapes, text.
So now that we’ve gone through these eight graphic design principles, let’s look as some examples. Check out my YouTube video.