FREE TOOLS
DESIGN SOFTWARE IS COMPLICATED , BUT THESE DAYS WHEN A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IS ESSENTIAL TO TAP INTO ALL OF YOUR MARKETS , THIS FREE SOFTWARE MAKES EVERYONE LOOK LIKE A PRO .
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As a graphic designer , I know there are a lot of different areas you need to cover to build your brand . This adds up to a lot of projects , and when you need to recruit a professional each time , the costs can add up . Sometimes you need to enlist the help of a professional , but sometimes you can take on the basics of designing content for your print and online publications yourself . These are my favorite tools for non-designers that will help your next independent branding project shine .
# 1 - PIXABAY ( PIXABAY . COM )
Have you ever searched for hours for the perfect photo only to find it has a stock watermark ? With Pixabay , you ’ ll never have this problem . In fact , Pixabay is my absolute favorite tool for non-designers for this reason . This royalty-free stock site is an amazing platform with over 2.2 million images , videos , and audio files that can take your project to the next level . It ’ s database is constantly growing , and new photos are added every day . With such a vast pool of resources , you are sure to find the perfect photo and more without the watermark .
# 2 - COOLORS ( COOLORS . CO )
Developing a color scheme for your project is tricky at the best of times . When you don ’ t have the help of a professional , matching tones can be downright frustrating . That ’ s where Coolors comes in . This program takes the guesswork out of finding the magic color scheme that will give your project the oomph it needs .
Whether you ’ re looking for a bold mixing and matching of colours , a monotone scheme , or dark jewel tones , Coolors is here to help . It ’ s so easy . All you need to do is load the website , hit the spacebar , and scroll through all of the various options for color schemes until you find the one that works for your brand .
If you have an image with colours you like , you can upload it to the plugin to have it quickly generate a color scheme from the colors in the image . This is really helpful if you are building content around a collection of photos . The application also has a plugin for Adobe Photoshop .
# 3 - CANVA ( CANVA . COM )
Design software is complicated , but these days when a social media presence is essential to tap into all of your markets , this free software makes everyone look like a pro . Canva can help you even the playing field when it comes to the clean and enhanced corporate designs you see as you ’ re scrolling through your news feed . It has hundreds of design templates for you to choose from and direct links to Pixabay . You can choose from endless images , colors , layouts , and more . It gives you room to experiment with single and multiple-page stories , and it is compatible with all of your different social media platforms like Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn .
Once you get your template set up the way you like , Canva even offers you one-touch movements for your banners . There are millions of options to choose from , and it really is as easy as the click of a button .
GIVE IT A TRY !
The next time that you have to — or feel like you want to — take your project to the next level without the help of a professional , try using these tools and see if you can wow your coworkers with what you come up with . I ’ m confident that you will .
If you decide the graphic design process is still too overwhelming , you can always contact the team at Tulip Media Group for help . Not only can we help you design a print magazine or newsletter but our team of graphic designers specializes in online content like advertisements and infographics for your website and social media platforms . Visit TulipMediaGroup . com to start planning your next big marketing project .
Heather Crossman is the Lead Designer at Tulip Media Group . She has over two decades of graphic design experience and got her start at a local print shop learning all the ins and outs of the print world . She is focusing all of her experience and design talents to creating high-end visuals for our Client-Partners and is a firm believer that their success is our success .
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