A bit of design advise please!

mcscrub

Hi guys,

I'm working on an online shop at the minute and I am hoping to design an ad for press etc (I can't afford to outsource). I have minimal budget and I was hoping you could advise me of good design software. I've heard that some of the adobe packages are available for free - would you know of any? Are there any other free design packages?

I don't particularily want to download anything illegally....but the cheaper (free if possible!) the better!

Thanks for reading,
McScrub.

abouttobebanned

There's an old line that goes

No one knows what photoshop actually costs because no one has ever purchased a copy of it before.

You need to get a copy of Photoshop. How you do that, is up to you.

mcscrub

abouttobebanned wrote: »

There's an old line that goes



You need to get a copy of Photoshop. How you do that, is up to you.

I think I'm reading between the lines here!!

Pixelcraft

What's the advert going into? Photoshop will most likely not be the ideal tool to produce the finished artwork, once you do your bitmap artwork in photoshop you should use indesign or illustrator to produce the ad.

mcscrub

Thanks Pixelcraft - it'll end up in a magazine to start with, and then maybe one of the broadsheets - times or indo (depending on funds).

Would there be anything for beginners out there? I've never designed before, but I'm a fast learner.

Pixelcraft

You could try googling, but like anything there's a learning curve. Make sure you get specs from each publisher about what they need, also if you're providing an add to the indo they have to run it through quickcut (a program they use) which will add to your cost, it's unavoidable though.

mood

The magazine will probably design the ad for you. Just having software my not be enough. I have working in the design and print industry for years and have often had to scrap ads etc designed by people who are not graphic designers as they would not have printed well ie the text or logo would not have been legible.

Pixelcraft

yep absolutely, have seen some horrors. OP there is a serious learning curve, just make sure you're aware of that

p

Two points.

Getting the correct software is not going to actually help you design an ad, anymore than having a copy of Microsoft Word turns you into a writer.

Having said that, if you want to go ahead and risk your brand and business, there is some free software called Inkscape, that will allow you to design posters. As it's free it's powerful, but not that easy to use. It'll do the job though.

Four of a kind

I started using photoshop for designing posters. Have used photoshop for the past two years editing photo's etc...so it was'nt that difficult. But as already said...there's a learning curve to most of these products.

But for my needs...photoshop is very handy.

PatrickD32

What kind of ad, how big?

Download the photoshop trial from adobe.

Free 30day trial.

What kind of ad are you trying to achieve, Give some details and I might have a go if Ive time.