Why custom work costs so much, Part 1. http://ping.fm/4YRen
Why Does Custom Work Cost So Much? Part 1
I want to share a brief story about a recent conversation I had with a fellow consultant. One of the topics we discussed was the labor of logo creation. It was pointed out to me that you could purchase a custom logo for as little as $6 online. Basically, what happens is that an overseas company will produce a logo somewhat to your specs using their basic formulae. The very thought struck fear into my heart–we are trusting our American branding to overseas agents. The very thought made me both ill and disturbed. Does anyone else see anything wrong with that? In America, you should expect to pay between $65 to as much as $1000+ for a logo to be created and honed to perfection in a format that can be used across all print and web media. Why? Basically, it boils down to time, quality, service, and the way you want your company to be perceived.
A logo should be looked at as an investment in the quality, sanctity, and integrity of your brand. To purchase a brand for $6 or for any ridiculously low price commodifies an art and finely honed craft. Even with a fair logo, it cheapens the overall product. Perception is reality, and most times you will get what you pay for, and it will show. I encourage anyone to shop–competition is healthy. However, consider what you get–you should demand high quality, support, and expertise when getting graphics… none of which, I assure you, you will get with the thrift stores and sweatshops in overseas design mills. They churn out quantity instead of quality, and typically don’t spend the time to get to know you, nor to they spend the time to have you know, like, and trust them.
I liken this to much of what you find at the larger hobby and craft stores today–shoddily-made art reproductions from overseas. The quality control is virtually non-existent. You may find in testing high concentrations of lead, or you may find that the employees work in hazardous (but cheap to maintain) conditions. Moreover, there are imperfections, fragile and sub-par materials, and sometimes even fungi and dirt on these imports.
With your logo, you’ll find that, lead content aside, the products you find in overseas design mills are done with little quality control. While you may not find rot or fungus, you can be sure that (having learned from personal experience) oftentimes what you receive may be at some point contaminated with a virus. You may spend more money sending something you purchased for $6 when a pre-press or design professional has to recreate the logo to make it cut or RIP properly, or when the colors used are not separated properly or using print-ready swatches.
In the States, you certainly will find people who will do “cheap” work as well–sometimes even free design if you utilize a college intern, for instance. Keep in mind, however, that there has been a tremendous investment made in the Swoosh and the Golden Arches–unmistakable icons in today’s commercial environment. If you want to stand out, brand yourself on the minds of your clients and customers, consider looking to your domestic design professionals for assistance. Moreover, when shopping for your strategic partner in creating your corporate identity, don’t be afraid to ask how they create the logo. Be wary of anyone who subcontracts their logo design to overseas design houses–it’s, as Ben Franklin state, being “a penny wise and a dollar foolish.”
Symbols and the Great Power They Yield. http://is.gd/aTbJS
Symbols and the Great Power They Wield
While at a seminar recently in a school library, I just happened to glance around the room and noticed a poster on the wall entitled, “The Symbols of Illinois.”
Of course, there was a cardinal, Abraham Lincoln, the Capitol building, a Monarch butterfly, and a violet. It so happened that the topic of discussion was some of the symbolism used by the Catholic Church regarding the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I began to think of the other ways in which symbols were used:
* In religion
* In fraternal organizations
* In everyday life
Why are symbols so powerful?
Well, folks, we all know this: people think in pictures. This is the great gift of our mind - the gift of abstract thought. We can imagine and picture even the intangible through pictures in our minds. When you can create an image that people can glom onto and make their own in their mind, they are more apt to remember that which the symbol represents. Moreover, if you can take that symbol and pair it with an extreme emotion, that symbol takes on an even greater power.
For instance, we know that a red octagon, whether stating the words or not, means “STOP.” We know the implications of not stopping from a young age. The shape itself becomes a symbol that is instantly recognizable and serves as a powerful remind as to what to do in its presence.
I guess that’s one of the reasons why I love the sign industry… as designers we were always trying to find a way to say what we meant with as few words as possible, and as stylized as possible while being instantly recognizable.
When creating a logo, always strive for the same. With colors, shapes, and graphic elements, try to not only create something that translates across a variety of different media, but also make something that instantly creates an image which with the onlooker can identify–not only by sight, but within the core of that person’s psyche.
In closing this brief article, consider carefully the perception your brand creates. Remember, as we’ve stated before in prior posts, “Perception is reality.” Make your logo an extension of your overall brand. Choose your symbols wisely.
For more insight on symbolism in signs, graphics and logos, please visit http://ping.fm/Uk1N3
Check our newest blog post: Getting a Great Picture, Part 2: Photography Tips. Wow family & friends with your creativity! http://is.gd/9eWiV
Getting a Great Picture, Part 2: Photography Tips
Okay, now you have the tools you need to take a great photo. You’ve picked out a great digital camera that is over 6 megapixels (likely even over 10 with the new cameras released in 2010) with a nice visual zoom. Whether it’s a point-and-click or a fancy digital SLR, you’re ready to start snapping shots, picking through them, and deciding which one you are going to order as a canvas print over your mantle or on your wall.
You went on a nice outing to the zoo, but there was not ONE picture that turned out nicely. What’s wrong?
Likely, my friend, its not necessarily the camera’s fault. Oftentimes it is simple human ignorance that botched the pic. Here are just a few tips to take a better photo:
Read the manual
So many people take the camera out of the box. and stant snapping photos with blatant disregard for the proper use of the camera as intended by the manufacturer. Take the time to familiarize yourself with your camera. Many packages have quick-start guides that walk you through the set-up and picture-taking process. This alone can help you to tweak things so that your photos are taken right the first time and every time.
Choose the right settings
Some cameras are set up right away for the best-possible photo quality. However, you’ll never know until you check things out. I once had a digital camera that took thousands of pictures. We were SO excited. However, the resolution of these photos was absolutely terrible, and they were only fit to be viewed on the web and very small.
Choose the right mode
Whether your still-camera is a point-and-click or an SLR, you likely have several options for modes including an automatic, a portrait, a landscape, a still-life, and an action mode. Again, read your manual to learn more about these modes, but you will find a WORLD of difference when you take, for instance, a portrait of your favorite pet on Auto, than if you were to take it with, say, the portrait mode. Advanced users, of course, can learn how to further tweak and hone their photos to perfection.
Further resources
Check out these resources as well to help you make your art glorious:
Wikihow article
Great eHow post-simple and to the point
PC Magazine article
A wealth of information from HP
Keep us in mind when you take that “perfect” picture. We’ll make it look absolutely amazing on stretched canvas so you have that showpiece and conversation starter you’ve been wanting for your home or office. Remember, these prints also make great gifts—show off to your friends, families, and even clients what you can do and how much you love and appreciate them with a gift of your own eye and mind!
For more information, please visit http://ping.fm/Cw5JR
The perfect picture starts with the best camera for the job! Get tips for choosing your camera.
http://ping.fm/jwD4Q
Getting A Great Picture, Part 1: Choosing Your Camera
Getting a picture-perfect photo for your canvas print starts with the very thing with which you take the picture… a digital camera. Today, you will be hard-pressed to find someone without a digital camera. In addition to cameras being installed in some of our favorite everyday devices such as our cell phones, MP3 players, and laptops, pro-quality pictures are being taken by everyday people with “consumer-level” cameras.
Your cell phone camera likely will not take that masterpiece you want to share. Most web-cams and cell-phones take photos which are intended to be shared electronically and, therefore, do not need high resolution. What you need for suitable wall art on canvas, paper, vinyl, or even t-shirts is a camera which is dedicated to taking great photos.
Some considerations when purchasing a digital camera
Most people are interested solely in megapixels. However, I’ve seen some absolutely stunning photos taken with a 6 megapixel camera. The most important factor in digital photography (arguably) is the size and quality of the sensor. Consumer Reports put out a rather nice article on how to best choose your digital camera. Check out their article here:
* Digital Camera Buying Guide
Best Digital Cameras
Okay, now you’ve learned the difference between a point-and-shoot camera and a digital SLR, what brand, make, and model should I look at. Here are a few resources for what cameras are hot in 2010:
* CNET Best Cameras Review
* Digital Camera Review
* DPhoto Journal Review
* PC Magazine Review
Remember, when you send us a file to be placed on canvas, the bigger the better. Oftentimes, it’s best to just send us your “raw” file directly from the camera. Your images should be as large as possible with high resolutions (300 dpi and better is preferred). Your canvas prints will look absolutely wonderful, we promise!
For more information, please visit http://ping.fm/FoEG3
The power of prayer and iconography: http://ping.fm/zG1uu
The Power of Prayer and Iconography
As I help my son prepare for receiving the Catholic Sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession) and Eucharist (Communion), I am taken back to my own experiences, questions, and awe during my faith formation. One of the major aspects that worries my son (as it has worried me and many a young persons during this time of self discovery) is learning the prayers. To help him, we printed “The Lord’s Prayer” and “The Hail Mary” and hung them on his wall.
Why on earth is a guy who owns a printing business talking about prayer? Answer: first, prayer is changing my life for the better each day. Secondly, we’ve recently discovered a way to keep prayer in our hearts and in our minds each day through that most sacred and traditional method of remembering who we are and who He is—through art!
The Power of Prayer
What is prayer? To many it’s a personal conversation with God. With others it’s a communal shared experience where the divine gift of our humanity and divinity are celebrated. Still others, frankly, hold it as a way to gripe.
To me, prayer means many things. Now that I’ve rediscovered it, I consider it a way to speak with my best friend, my Father, and my partner. More than that, though, when I do it correctly… focusing on God in praise and worship, prayer is that positive energy that I put out there in the world and makes things happen for others and myself whatever the intention.
Recently, I was introduced to the book “The Secret” and it’s companion DVD. At length, the mindset of positivity as it relates to the Law of Attraction was described as being the absolute secret to success—we must think it and believe it to achieve it! Prayer is a way to, through God’s will, positively focus and channel our thoughts to attract that which we need and desire while being humble and remembering where we come from.
It’s striking really that, even with the scandal and the crap that has happened in recent past—atrocities that shook my personal faith in the Church and Christianity altogether, I have found solace in the forgiveness process. I have personally found through this process that prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have to thrive and survive in today’s society.
Iconography
One of the things I love about the Catholic Church is its nature of being rooted in tradition and, through that tradition, its ability to unequivocally use icons and art to illustrate deep faith, hope, and love and its history and traditions. There are unmistakable symbols and artistic representations that make a piece stand out as being wholly Catholic.
However, this art does more than just brand the Church. This art inspires prayerfulness in the beholder. It moves us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically to again reaffirm our relationship with God.
Going through this rediscovery of prayer, while taking the journey of faith with my eldest child, has truly inspired me to do something artistic and helpful to my fellow Christians. We are offering in our line of decor and apparel the opportunity for you to receive and give the gift of prayer and inspiration.
At no additional cost, we will place your favorite prayer, Psalm, Bible passage, or blessing on your inspirational canvas print. Your prayer can either be traditional, or it can be what the Holy Spirit moves your heart to say.
Keep Moving Forward, and God bless you!
