Business How-Tos

Create a Marketing Poster from Postcards

A few simple modifications can turn a personal birthday-greeting project into a professional marketing campaign. You'll intrigue the recipient, stand out from the competition, and show off your work (or a client's services or product) for a low cost.

Get Your Portfolio on the iPad

The iPad's crisp, vivid screen is wonderful for showing off a creative pro's portfolio. Here's how to move the portfolio's contents from your main computer to the tablet.

Where to Place Critical Marketing Messages on Folded Print Pieces

There are many ways to fold projects such as brochures, and we instinctively open each of those fold styles in a certain order. Here's how to make sure your most-important message is seen by the recipient.

Create a PDF Portfolio Using Illustrator

There's no need to use a page-layout program when you're creating a multi-page PDF portfolio (though of course you can). Here are the steps to make that portfolio in Illustrator and then generate a PDF you can send to prospective employers.

Dynamite Business Card Design

Here's how to make the right impression with your next business card design.

Put Your Portfolio on the Web Without Touching Code

With free WordPress software and a powerful but easy to use portfolio or photo-blog theme, even designers and photographers who aren't Web experts can get a portfolio online in less than an hour.

Create a Gift-Worthy Calendar in Photoshop

Are you looking for a personal yet low-cost gift for clients, friends, or family? Download this free calendar template, insert your own photos or illustrations, et voila!

Design a Unique Twitter Background

Make your Twitter page stand out (in a good way!) with these four simple tips.

12 Tips for Creative Pros on Facebook

Facebook offers a slew of communication tools that can help your creativity reach a wider audience. How wide? Try 200 million active users! To make the most of this opportunity without alienating that potential audience or putting your copyrighted creations at risk, follow this expert advice.

11 Tips To Get More Out Of Your Freelancing

Wise words on increasing your creativity, dealing with clients, balancing work and the rest of life, and more.

How to Break into T-Shirt Design

T-shirt design is huge, and thanks to online stores like Threadless, you don't have to open a brick-and-mortar storefront or even build your own Web site to see success.

HerGeekness Says: Convert Custom Letterhead to Microsoft Word Templates

Is your client insisting on a Word version of your letterhead design? Follow these conversion guidelines to cut down on your pain and maximize your profit.

Design Tips: Logo Inspiration

Design legend Malcom Grear reveals how to create memorable logos. The many examples are sure to spark your own creativity.

Design Tips: No Mailing Surcharges, No Way

It might look hip and stylish to use black envelopes, fluorescent inks and ornate type when you design bulk-mailing projects, but your client will pay the price in more ways than one.

Tips for In-House Design Teams

If you feel like your in-house team gets the short end of almost every stick, try these tips to turn it around.

Design How-To: Impossible Deadline and Budget? Time to Go Back to the Basics.

See how one expert successfully meets the challenge. Along the way, you'll pick up tips on ideal images; page layouts and color palettes that simplify the job; and making the most of one type family.

Putting Your Best Blog Forward

Blogs and podcasts aren't just for blowhards who like to hear themselves talk. Done properly, they can bring potential customers to Web sites -- including your own. Here's how to create them.

Design How-To: Make Eye-catching Small Calendars

Electronic organizers are a great way to manage your calendars when what interests you is data. But to tell a story, present a product or stir a memory, you'll want a good, old-fashioned paper calendar. Here's how to design a small calendar.

Creative Fuel: Design Your Own Postage Stamps

Whether it's for work or play, your correspondence can get a boost from personalized postage. Molly Joss tells you how to make your own -- legally, easily, and for not too much money.

Keep Editorial Fingers Out of Your Layouts

Widows, orphans, bad breaks. Just the sound of them is enough to make you cry. And in your carefully designed layout, they look even worse. While today's page-layout software automates many things, beautifully set type doesn't just happen. Charles Purdy shows you what to look for and how to fix it.