CreativePro.Com Business Practices

Best of the Blogs: August 1, 2011

Editor in Chief — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:31:01 -0600

Don't have time to read scores of blogs every day? Don't worry, I've done it for you, and picked out the best posts you shouldn't miss.

Typography

How to Price Your Work

Editor in Chief — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:17:27 -0700

Jason Blumer is no fly-by-night guy; he's the chief innovation officer of an accounting firm that caters to creative pros. So when he recommends that you price your work higher than you do now, it pays (literally) to listen.

How to Use QR Codes

Editor in Chief — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:44:35 -0700

If you have questions about QR codes, "QR Codes for Publishing and Marketing" may be just the ticket. While the $86 price is high for an impulse purchase, it's not much to keep you from marketing missteps. This 36-page eBook is actually several articles previously published in the venerable Seybold Report.

Like Etsy for the Digital Set

Editor in Chief — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:07:33 -0700

I have a question for all of you who've ever made a Photoshop brush, or designed a repeating pattern, or crafted a typeface: Have you ever thought about selling that work? Because maybe you should.

Sharpen Your Photo Business Skills

Editor in Chief — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:10:03 -0700

PhotoShelter's Photo Business Boot Camp is billed as a five-week course in business advice from and for photographers. The stock photo agency has enlisted the help of the following pros (with credentials in photography and in related fields, such as marketing) to fill your email in-box with tips:

Rachel Been
Ilise Benun
Steve Boyle
Kendrick Brinson
David Burnett
Darren Carroll
Shawn Corrigan
Kata Dalager
Carli Davidson
Blake Discher
John Harrington
Craig Holmes
Ben Jesson & Dr. Karl Blanks

Find Logo Thieves with Google's Image Search

Editor in Chief — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:57:21 -0600

You may have heard about LogoGarden.com, a site that lets its users combine their company names with pre-fab images to form a logo. In the summer of 2011, graphic designer Jeff Fisher learned from a sharp-eyed friend that LogoGarden was illegally selling elements of more than two dozen logos Fisher had created.

Webinar Series Tackles Business Concerns of Creative Pros

Editor in Chief — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:56:49 -0600

You may have seen a book called Graphic Artists Guild’s Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. You may even own it--and if not, you probably should. The book answers thorny questions about the business aspects so many creative pros struggle with.

But have you ever thought about the organization behind the book? The Graphic Artists Guild is a national organization that serves "graphics creatives" (print and Web designers, illustrators, production artists, and so on) across the United States.

Best of the Blogs: September 21, 2011

Editor in Chief — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:44:04 -0600

There are a lot of provocative questions in design and photography blogs: Are there rules for creativity? Can designers embrace fear? What's the difference between looking at and seeing typography? But there's less cerebral stuff, too, like upgrading your camera, understanding image compositing, observing the day of a graphic designer, and filling your layouts with hipster lingo. Which do you feel like?

Typography

Print Reseller Certification Series

Editor in Chief — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:31:39 -0600

You may be a print reseller and not even know it--graphic designers often are. If you handle commercial printing for a client, you're technically a print reseller. But are you making the most of this opportunity to increase both your profit margins and your clients' satisfaction levels? PrintingForLess.com, the parent company of CreativePro.com, has created a Print Education Series that's meant to do just that.

Best of the Blogs: August 15, 2011

Editor in Chief — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:05:04 -0600

Photoshop
Are you taking full advantage of Photoshop's integration with the rest of the Creative Suite? Its connection to Acrobat is often overlooked. Photoshop PDF files are as versatile and universal as "regular" PDF files and they can be edited, too.

Download Free Facebook Security Guide

Editor in Chief — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:03:19 -0600

Facebook can be confusing, and no aspect of it is more challenging than account security. Whether it's your personal or business account or your clients', failure to protect those accounts can have serious consequences.

Facebook recently published a guide that addresses this concern. Although the 14-page PDF is aimed at "young adults, parents, and educators", the advice applies to anyone.

You'll learn how to choose passwords, evade scammers, employ advanced security settings, recover an account that's been hacked, and stop people posing as you.

Stock Photo Site Helps You Stop Image Theft

Editor in Chief — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:32:35 -0600

It's very easy for someone to take images that are on the Internet and use them without paying for them. Sometimes it's deliberate theft; sometimes it's honest ignorance. But whatever the motivation behind the misuse, it's been difficult for content owners to take advantage of the protection afforded by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Design Salary Survey Reflects Steady Volume But Narrow Margins

Editor in Chief — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:18:19 -0600

The Survey of Design Salaries, conducted by AIGA and Aquent, is eleven years old, a history that gives us a handy way to track designer compensation trends over time. But this year, the organizations decided to temporarily lessen that historical value by revising the survey's position titles and descriptions, making it more difficult to compare apples to apples.

How to Build Your Business on Facebook

Editor in Chief — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:54:25 -0600

Facebook is giving away a 20-page PDF called "Building Your Business with Facebook Pages." If you're new to using Facebook to connect with existing and potential customers, the free guide has some useful pointers. If your social-media marketing is more advanced, you may still want to give the guide to clients who are just starting out on Facebook.

The PDF is divided into three sections:
1. Start the conversation
2. Expand your fan base
3. Analyze and optimize

Practical Business Tips for Creative Pros

Editor in Chief — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:27:22 -0600

The Graphic Artists Guild is an advocacy organization working to uphold and improve standards and protect the rights of creatives. It publishes the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, the benchmark for Pricing and Ethical Guidelines for the art and design industry. Now some of the content of the Handbook is available as a free, downloadable PDF.