Bright Ideas Blog » Design http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas Inspiration to help you create fresh, effective, and attractive publications. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:12:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Picture Perfect http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/2009/08/06/picture-perfect/ http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/2009/08/06/picture-perfect/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:17:21 +0000 Charlie Woller http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/?p=197 I’d like to share three tips with you for creating a picture perfect publication.

Tip #1:

When resizing a picture, always grab one of the corner handles and drag diagonally with your mouse. By doing so, you will preserve the original ratio between width and height. (Note: some programs require that you hold down the SHIFT key while [...]]]> I’d like to share three tips with you for creating a picture perfect publication.

Tip #1:

When resizing a picture, always grab one of the corner handles and drag diagonally with your mouse. By doing so, you will preserve the original ratio between width and height. (Note: some programs require that you hold down the SHIFT key while you drag. Always release the mouse button before you release the SHIFT key.)

Tip #2:

pointingWhen positioning a picture to the left or right of a block of text, flip the picture, if necessary, so that it directs the reader’s eye into the text. Watch out, however. If you flip a picture which incorporates words, numbers or a clock, for example, it will be obvious to your readers.

Tip #3:

When centering a picture above a block of text, avoid the temptation to stretch the picture so that it fills the column horizontally. Leave a little white space to the left and right sides of the picture. You’ll be surprised by how much more appealing to the eye it looks.

Please consult the manual for your specific program for detailed instructions.

]]> http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/2009/08/06/picture-perfect/feed/ 0 Adding Hot Sauce to Mild Articles http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/2009/07/16/adding-hot-sauce/ http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/2009/07/16/adding-hot-sauce/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:06:31 +0000 Tracie Peters http://blogs.4lpi.com/brightideas/?p=161 I enjoy cooking and baking, and of course eating what I just made. I am taking raw food such as vegetables, meat, spices, and oils, and making really great meals out of it all. It sounds like what so many of you do every week or every month when you create your publications out of [...]]]> I enjoy cooking and baking, and of course eating what I just made. I am taking raw food such as vegetables, meat, spices, and oils, and making really great meals out of it all. It sounds like what so many of you do every week or every month when you create your publications out of the emails, notes and verbal messages you receive.

Of course, I can’t make new recipes every week and invariably there are also a few articles in every publication that must be shown regularly (sometimes every week). They are the reminders of the council meetings on Wednesday nights, the requests for food pantry donations, and the advertiser of the week (written June 9, 2009).

These articles are important! You can breathe new life into these blurbs and get them noticed almost every time they print. How? Here are some tips for making sure they get the proper attention:

  • Use or change the border around the article/blurb.
  • If you have the ability to add color, make the heading, shading, border or a few specific words pop!
  • Shade the text box black (or the darkest shade of color) and make the text color white.
  • Write 2 or 3 different versions of the same information and swap them out occasionally.
  • Put a lot of white or blank space around it. Sometimes the absence of printing gets just as much notice.
  • Add some vibrant clip art once in a while. There are a lot of great choices in LPi’s Art & Media Portal.

A really good idea is to look to other publications, even magazines including Bright Ideas, for creativity and inspiration. And if you are wondering how I make those standby meals interesting for my family? That’s easy. I just set the hot sauce on the table.

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