Each year, Heritage Makers chooses a small team of talented designers to be part of the HM Creative Team. This month, we asked a few of the current Creative Team to pass along their favorite tips and tricks. Here are their favorite ones.
Jill Means: Balancing Complexity
Jill's Tip: When creating photo books, if your layouts include a lot of elements, busy patterns or photography like the layout shown above, make sure you include some simple layouts with less going on. Something with "white space" or structured geometry like the layout below will give the eyes a place to rest, provide balance and make your book more visually appealing.
Step 1 Step 2
Step 3 Step 4Michelle Wolfley: Cropping Shortcuts
Step 1: Add background papers to your page
Step 2: Select a paper and hold down the Shift key to unlock the square proportions. With Shift key still pressed, stretch the paper into the desired shape and size. NOTE: This will distort your paper.
Step 3: To UN-distort your paper, lock paper and then swap it out with the same paper. (Swap paper more easily by holding down the Ctrl/Command key while placing your cursor directly on the item you would like to swap.)
Step 4: Add embellishments to complete the page
Step 2: Select a paper and hold down the Shift key to unlock the square proportions. With Shift key still pressed, stretch the paper into the desired shape and size. NOTE: This will distort your paper.
Step 3: To UN-distort your paper, lock paper and then swap it out with the same paper. (Swap paper more easily by holding down the Ctrl/Command key while placing your cursor directly on the item you would like to swap.)
Step 4: Add embellishments to complete the page
Kari Pieratt: Using Text Tools
By putting letters or phrases in different text boxes, you can use your text as art and add more interest to your page. Here are some of the things you can do.
1. Make some of your letters transparent.
2. Vary your fonts, putting different phrases in a different font and color.
3. Set off focal point text with other text of a different size,
4. Raise and lower separate letters in a single word for a more casual, playful look.
5. Copy a text box containing a single letter several times and change each letter to form a word of letters in different colors.
One of the joys of digital art and text is that you can play around and experiment without ruining anything costly. The more you experiment, the more you’ll find fun ways of using your text tools.
Michelle Bedard: Your Best Photos Ever
Photography is all about light. Try to shoot your photos when the sun is low in the sky, either early in the morning or before dusk. The colour (yep, she’s a Canadian) of the light will be warmer which will add saturated colours to your photos and make them more appealing. Try to use natural light whenever possible and avoid using your flash, but if you are struggling with shadows, a reflective light disk (or, in a pinch) even a large piece of shiny white plastic or poster board is an invaluable tool to help you reflect light where you need it.
Our thanks to Jill, Michelle W, Kari and Michelle B for these tips and tricks. Watch for their work in the Template Gallery.
