<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>PSD2HTML.com Blog</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:49:59 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>How to Promote Your Design Business with Social Media</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/promote-business-with-social-media.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/promote-business-with-social-media.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:49:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[promotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=519</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Social Media is an exceptionally useful marketing tool for business of all shapes and sizes. It has a far reach, its relatively easy to use, and most importantly, it&#8217;s FREE. However, though social media is useful for a huge variety of businesses, not all types of businesses should use it in the same way. If [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Social Media is an exceptionally useful marketing tool for business of all shapes and  sizes.  It has a far reach, its relatively easy to use, and most importantly, it&#8217;s FREE.  </p>
<p>However, though social media is useful for a huge variety of businesses, not all types of businesses should use it in the same way.  If you&#8217;re just getting started with social media, or if you feel like your previous efforts have not worked, here are some tips for using social media to promote your small design business.<br />
<span id="more-519"></span></p>
<h3>Visuals are key </h3>
<p>Yes, you&#8217;re a designer.  That means people want to SEE what you&#8217;re designing, not just hear what you&#8217;re saying.  Twitpic and Tumblr are great tools for sharing photos with your social network.  They also allow for you to include captions or explanations if necessary.  You can also post links to images on your personal  website or blog.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10271567@N05/3363872519/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3612/3363872519_c27ff5b9aa_z.jpg"></a></p>
<h3>But don&#8217;t post TOO many links</h3>
<p>The great part about social media is that you get to connect with so many people.  So it&#8217;s important that you remember to do just that: CONNECT.  Though your whole  Facebook and Twitter feeds shouldn&#8217;t be filled with ramblings about your breakfast, your dog, and your broken refrigerator, it doesn&#8217;t hurt to share some details about your life every once in awhile.  Most people want to connect with you, not just your work.  Just remember that everyone is a potential client, so don&#8217;t say anything you wouldn&#8217;t say during a new client meeting.</p>
<h3>Promote other designers</h3>
<p>There are so many other designers using social networking to do the exact same thing you&#8217;re trying to do.  Sure, you don&#8217;t want to show your potential clients that someone else can do the exact same thing you&#8217;re doing only better or for a cheaper price, but you can show them someone who is doing some other type of design work.  When you promote another designer on your blog or retweet one of their posts, they tend to notice.  And in my experience they usually try to return the favor.</p>
<h3>Collaborate</h3>
<p>Again, there are lots of designers and other people in your field using  social media.  The internet presents so many opportunities for collaboration. Take advantage of them.  When you promote your collaborative project, you&#8217;ll be able to reach not just your social network, but the networks of all the people with whom  you collaborated.  And a whole new audience will have the opportunity to see your  work.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that no one knows more about your design business than you do.  You can take these tips and mold them into a social media strategy that works best  for you.  There is no one-size-fits-all answer, so do what you think will work best  with your own business.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=519" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/promote-business-with-social-media.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dealing With Problem Clients Without Burning The Whole Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/dealing-with-problem-clients.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/dealing-with-problem-clients.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:35:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic designer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=512</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You’re having a good, productive day. Your clients are going to be happy with the work you’re getting done and there doesn’t seem to be a care in the world. You check your email and are suddenly hit with the weight of the world. A true feeling of dread. That problem client of yours has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You’re having a good, productive day. Your clients are going to be happy with the work you’re getting done and there doesn’t seem to be a care in the world. You check your email and are suddenly hit with the weight of the world. A true feeling of dread. That problem client of yours has sent you an email requesting more changes to a project that’s been finished and paid for for weeks now. This is the fourth time since completion. This pained feeling in the pit of your stomach is not what you imagined when you began freelancing, and you know you’d be infinitely happier if you didn’t have to deal with this person again in the future. But they’re a good contact and have introduced you to several of your current clients. How do you go about giving them the hint without burning the bridge?<br />
<span id="more-512"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hb2/288721287/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/288721287_6e731430a6_z.jpg"></a></p>
<p>If the above situation doesn’t hit home for you, congratulations! However, for most freelancers, this is a sad truth of the job. You’re going to begin working with someone with vigor only to have the business relationship turn out to be more taxing than it’s worth. The reasons aren’t just limited to feeling like your time is being taking for granted, mind you. There’s an entire myriad of issues that may arise, and there are a few simple ways to deal with them. Allow me to explain.</p>
<h3>Examples of Problems</h3>
<p>So as I’ve described above, I have experience with clients that are simply too demanding after an entire agreement has been fulfilled. Avoiding these potential problems is a whole other blog post, but for now, I can’t stress enough: Use a contract every single time. Have them sign <i>something</i> at the minimum. Sometimes though, even after that contract is signed and the job is completed, you end up being asked to “quick edit this” on the project you’ve completed and sometimes even to edit something that wasn’t part of the project. This is a serious problem, as your time is obviously not being valued.</p>
<p>In other cases, sometimes the scope of a project will change and now the client is asking for the project you’ve agreed upon to be combined with something that isn’t your specialty. Maybe you’re a graphic designer and now they want your design work to be made into a website, for example. In these cases, it’s a better idea to hand those aspects of the project to one of your contacts who really knows what they’re doing, instead of attempting the work yourself. This can be hard, especially when you know the client can pay good money for the work, but it’s for the best. Don’t overstep your boundaries and put your name on something that you’re not completely comfortable with. Back to this in a bit.</p>
<p>In yet another case, the client has shown that they’re bad at making payments. Worse yet, maybe you thought this would be a quick job so you didn’t have them sign a contract. Now the project is becoming more involved and not taking the quote into account that you provided earlier. Maybe you feel like you’re being taken advantage of because of this. This can be a terrible situation, as you may feel like that quote no longer applies due to changes in the size of the project. But maybe you feel that you can’t adjust that now that you’ve been taken for the ride for a while. Again I have to say, <i>have them sign a contract!</i></p>
<p>But contracts aside, let’s talk about how to deal with some of these problems without being the “bad guy.”</p>
<p><img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/client_knockout.jpg" alt="" title="client_knockout" width="640" height="418" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-514" /></p>
<h3>Putting Them Back In Line&#8230;Softly</h3>
<p>The main rule when dealing with these instances is to be <i>friendly and professional</i>. The tact you use to diffuse these situations can go a long way in keeping these people as contacts.</p>
<p>In the first instance, I find it best to begin micromanaging projects. A simple “I can’t afford to edit these things further without additional payment” will do the trick. If the client wants you to edit a business card or change something around on a project that has already been completed, do exactly that, making them fully aware that an invoice will be sent to them. If they decline to pay, let them know that you’ll be available and willing to help if they reconsider. If they accept, you’ll have a good precedent for billing for every little thing since it takes up your valuable time.</p>
<p>The second case is a good chance for you to involve one of your contacts to get your client in touch with who they need to work with. You can act as a liaison between the client and your contact in a situation where you can’t provide all that they need. Just make sure to keep the work you’re doing for the client separate so you receive payment and your contact gets the assets they need. The client should be very grateful for being directed to who they need to talk to.</p>
<p>In the last possibility, you can use a similar approach as in the first instance. Let them know that your time is valuable and that the change in scope has become costly. In the past, I’ve already stated that I can send them the work I’ve done, and if they’d like to find someone else to continue on the project, that’s fine. They’ll often times end up sticking with me, now with an adjusted invoice. If they don’t, problem solved. Also make it clear that until the previous payment is received, you won’t be working on the next part of the project. You need to get paid for the work you complete!</p>
<p>Make sure to follow up with ex-clients with a friendly email or any marketing bits you put out to your base. You want them to know that you certainly want their projects to be completed, even if it’s not in the cards to work together. Your handling of these situations can lead to them referring you as a professional in the future. Just remember: <i>Friendly and professional!</i></p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=512" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/dealing-with-problem-clients.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Set Prices for Your Freelance Business</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-set-prices-for-your-freelance-business.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-set-prices-for-your-freelance-business.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:54:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance pricing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design pricing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=497</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You have decided to go into business for yourself or with a partner. You know which services you want to offer.  So how do you know how much to charge for your services? You want to maximize your sales opportunities and at the same time you do not want to sell yourself short. Before creating [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You have decided to go into business for yourself or with a partner. You know which services you want to offer.  So how do you know how much to charge for your services?</p>
<p>You want to maximize your sales opportunities and at the same time you do not want to sell yourself short. Before creating your prices do your research and examine similar successful companies. After determining your prices make sure they will work for you. How many sales will you need to break even? What is your target weekly revenue? Will that be easily achievable? We will take a look at some ways to find the best prices to offer your clients and make sure they help you achieve your goals. Also remember: if your are not going to be setting up a physical location you will have less pressure on your prices; if you will be working out of your home using a website and phone line you will have less overhead and you can therefore charge less. Charging less will almost always bring in new customers.<span id="more-497"></span></p>
<h3>Finding  your competition</h3>
<p>Do you know of other companies offering the same services that you offer?  Do you know of companies like this that are local?  If you said yes to either of the two questions above you have a great place to start. If you said no to either or both questions than you have some searching to do before you can start comparing.  But if you do have local competitors, Google for your services and your location. Compile a list of companies and research each one.</p>
<p>Run down your list and make sure each of these companies is similar to yours or at least similar to what you want your company to resemble. For example if my computer company whose name is XYZ Computing is looking to open a business that will perform computer repairs in Brooklyn New York I would search for “Computer repair brooklyn ny.&#8221;  See the example below for my results.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-499" title="freelance-pricing-1" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/freelance-pricing-1.jpg" alt="A google search for competitors in your area - use this to help you determine their pricing" width="620" height="505" /></p>
<h3>Find out what services your competitors offer for how much</h3>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve got your list of competitors, browse over to each of their websites and look at pricing. You can also call locations and request pricing if it&#8217;s not listed on the website &#8211; just behave as if you were a potential client.  (Trust me, they would do the same to you!)  Compile a list of prices for each business. Take note of their location as well. Businesses in more expensive areas have more expensive rent and other overhead. Take this into account.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-500" title="freelance-pricing-2" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/freelance-pricing-2.jpg" alt="Use a spreadsheet to track competitor pricing in order to set prices for your freelance business." width="472" height="93" /></p>
<p>With this information spelled out, you will have a clearer picture of what is being offered and how much other people are charging. For example, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn the going rate for virus removal is $100 flat rate.  In some more expensive locations people are charging $75-$100 per hour for the same repairs.</p>
<p>If you would need to compete with John’s Computer Repair shop and several others that are all charging similar prices you would need to charge a little bit less to compete.  By offering an$80 introductory flat rate offer you&#8217;d be likely to bring in new business.</p>
<h3>Rate your expertise and quality of work</h3>
<p>Do you have more experience than your competitors? If you have 20 years of experience and your competitors only have five then you have every right to charge more than them. If your turn around time for a repair is five hours and the shop across the street is advertising a one week turnaround, again, you have every right to charge more than them.</p>
<p>After all, if you are the best person for the job, you will want to advertise that. Include your experience and turnaround times on your flyers or other advertisements.  Personally, I would rather go to someone that will guarantee they will finish the work successfully in a shorter amount of time for slightly more money.</p>
<p>Do not double your competitors&#8217; prices solely based on your experience, though, as you will find  yourself short on customers. People want quality work quickly but they also want to pay the best price. If you want to grow your business quickly and attract repeat customers be sure to offer competitive pricing.</p>
<h3>Offer discounts but do not cut your prices</h3>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-498" title="freelance-pricing-3" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/freelance-pricing-3.jpg" alt="Consider promotions or discounts instead of lowering your freelance prices" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p><em>Image from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2186149267/http:/www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2186149267/">Quinnanya’s Flickr Stream</a>.</em></p>
<p>One thing I have learned that I will share with you is that it is much better to offer coupons or discounts than to cut your hourly or flat rates. By cutting your hourly or flat rates you are telling your customer or potential customer that you are worth less than you are charging. Instead by offering coupons or a 20% first time customer discount you are giving your customers a discount but still letting them know that you are actually worth the rates that you are charging.</p>
<p>Build value in yourself; show the customers that you do great work with them in mind. Have quick turnaround times and offer amazing customer service. For example, if you&#8217;re a computer repair shop, throw in free home delivery if your client cannot make it to your shop in time to pick up their computer. Little things like this go a long way. Customers that you go out of your way to help will recommend you to others, and recommendations from customers to their friends and family are the best advertising you can ask for.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>When you are in the process of deciding what you should charge your potential customers, you need to start by doing your due diligence.  Research any other local establishments that have similar products or services as you will offer. Compile a list of services that your both offer and the prices associated with them. Use this baseline to create your own prices.</p>
<p>You will need to take in to account your own expertise when compared to the other companies. If you are bringing more years of experience to the table you can charge somewhat more for your services. On the flipside, if you are new to the game your prices should be brought down accordingly.</p>
<p>Never slash your prices for a customer. This will take value away from you and your services. Instead offer coupons or discounts on your products or services. This will let you still give better pricing without jeopardizing your actual prices.</p>
<p>In the long run use your great people skills and customer service to build a loyal following. This will bring you new clientele and praise from the people you go out of your way to help.</p>
<p>How do you determine prices for a new business? Do you have any techniques that have worked for you in the past? We would love to hear from you in the comments.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=497" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-set-prices-for-your-freelance-business.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Ideas For Effective Website Navigation</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-ideas-for-effective-website-navigation.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-ideas-for-effective-website-navigation.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:17:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breadrcumbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal search]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[site map]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website navigation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=489</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who hasn’t stumbled upon web sites that are so confusing you can barely figure them out?  Web design of course involves creativity; however, creative does not mean confusing your website visitors and wasting their valuable time deciphering mysterious icons and pithy phrases. If potential clients drop by your office, would you welcome them with a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Who hasn’t stumbled upon web sites that are so confusing you can barely figure them out?  Web design of course involves creativity; however, creative does not mean confusing your website visitors and wasting their valuable time deciphering mysterious icons and pithy phrases.</p>
<p>If potential clients drop by your office, would you welcome them with a Halloween mask and make them walk through some kind of mysterious labyrinth?  Of course not &#8211; you would welcome them in a pleasant manner, communicating with them in an effective and professional way, in order to convince them to buy your products or services.</p>
<p>Similarly, your website should convey a professional image, be pleasant to the eye and most importantly be easy to navigate. After all, its whole purpose is to increase conversion rate of your visitors and convince them to buy your products or services.<span id="more-489"></span></p>
<p>While there are many factors to take into consideration when designing your website, like the type of your business, your target market and the message and image you want to convey to your target market, there are some standard  criteria to keep in mind when designing any type of website. <strong></strong></p>
<h3><strong>Consistency</strong></h3>
<p>Search engines might index any page of your site at any time &#8211; therefore your site visitors may not access your home page to start. That’s why you should have a consistent top/horizontal navigation bar throughout the whole site that helps your visitors quickly answer the following questions: Where am I? And where can I go?</p>
<p>You can also a vertical navigation bar consistent in all your web pages.  Regardless of your design, make sure to create navigation bars which are instantly recognizable elements of your website.</p>
<p>Using breadcrumb trails are also a good idea. Breadcrumb trails are links usually found directly below the page header that show your site visitors where they are in relation to the homepage.  Yoast has a very popular <a title="Yoast breadcrumb plugin for WordPress" href="http://yoast.com/wordpress-breadcrumbs/" target="_blank">breadcrumb plugin for WordPress</a> and there are many tutorials out there for <a title="HTML breadcrumbs tutorial" href="http://www.ehow.com/way_5255707_html-breadcrumbs-tutorial.html" target="_blank">creating breadcrumbs in HTML</a>, Javascript, CSS and other platforms &#8211; just search &#8220;breadcrumbs tutorial&#8221; + the platform of your choice.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevharb/3901002542/"><img class="alignnone" title="Sextant tool used for maritime navigation" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3901002542_c40f804bcf_z.jpg" alt="Consistent navigation is the key to effective website design" width="640" height="512" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>Eliminate dead ends</strong></h3>
<p>Nothing is more annoying to visitors than to reach a dead end at the bottom of the page and see that they have to scroll all the way to the top to navigate to other pages on your site. So you might want to consider having links at the bottoms of your website as well.</p>
<h3><strong>1, 2, Eureka! </strong></h3>
<p>Studies show that web surfers are impatient individuals! To make sure they don’t look elsewhere, make sure to make any information accessible in <a title="three-click rule in website navigation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-click_rule" target="_blank">3 clicks or less</a>.</p>
<h3><strong>Site map</strong></h3>
<p>It is undoubtedly a great idea to include a site map for websites of more than 8 or 10 sections. Site surfers should be able to access the site map from any page of your website.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/b0xman/4472627015/"><img class="alignnone" title="Sitemap for effective web navigation" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4472627015_5c76f6011a_z.jpg" alt="A sitemap is a key element in effective website navigation" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>Internal search tool</strong></h3>
<p>An internal search box eliminates the hassle involved in finding specific pieces of information. Your site visitors will enter their query in the search box and within seconds will receive back all relevant matching results.   Google Site Search is one of the most common <a title="Google internal search tool" href="http://www.google.com/sitesearch/" target="_blank">internal search tools</a>.</p>
<p>These 5 tips are functional ideas that are proven to greatly improve the navigation in any website. Do you have any other ideas to add on this list? It would be great if you share them below. Thanks!</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=489" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-ideas-for-effective-website-navigation.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Attracting New Clients For Your Graphic Design Business</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/attracting-new-clients.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/attracting-new-clients.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:16:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO for designers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=469</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s no doubt that clients are the most important capital of any business. Indeed, no business can survive without a satisfactory influx of new clients which result in profit in accounting statements at the end of the year. This is not an exception for graphic designers. We need good promotion strategies that help attract new [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s no doubt that clients are the most important capital of any business. Indeed, no business can survive without a satisfactory influx of new clients which result in profit in accounting statements at the end of the year.</p>
<p>This is not an exception for graphic designers. We need good promotion strategies that help attract new customers to our business.   As you’ll see here, there are lots of ways we designers can attract new clients; some might deliver faster results than others. The best way to know is to test and measure the results each time to evaluate which tactics are having the biggest impact on your growth.<span id="more-469"></span></p>
<h3><strong>Market your Unique Selling Proposition</strong></h3>
<p>You need to find ONE specific thing that you do and all other graphic designers don’t. It could be delivering your final work product in just 3 days, doing minor corrections free of charge, or giving away a free business card design with a website design project.  Whatever you use, consider how it will appeal to new customers and make you stand out from the competition.</p>
<p><strong>Polish your marketing materials</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mondriankilroy/2926813534/"><img class="alignnone" title="marketing brochures" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2926813534_f2be857432_z.jpg?zz=1" alt="polish your marketing materials to attract new clients to your graphic design business" width="640" height="480" /></a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>BENEFIT is the most important aspect you need to focus at when writing your website, flyers, brochures or sales letter. Your materials shouldn&#8217;t be about how great you are but more about what the client will get from working with you.</p>
<p>So all your marketing materials should answer the one question that all potential clients might ask while reading them, which is: What’s in it for me?</p>
<h3><strong>Leverage connections to promote your business<br />
</strong></h3>
<p>You can use other people as your own sales force by rewarding referrals from your clients or having an attractive affiliate program. If you want to invest more, you can try a pay-per-click marketing campaign for instance with an attractive and irresistible offer in your sales page.</p>
<p>You can also increase your networking reach by joining activities in your local community, giving your services to charity or connecting and networking with old acquaintances. Consider increasing your online presence by joining online business communities through LinkedIn and linking your profile to your portfolio.</p>
<h3><strong>Improve your SEO</strong></h3>
<p>Having your site and content <a title="SEO 101 basics" href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/jim-hedger/seo-101-basic.php" target="_blank">appear high in search engine results lists</a> is undoubtedly a great way to attract new customers to your website or sales page. This can be accomplished by having extensive backlinks to your website or a strong online presence through social media, by posting valuable comments in relevant graphic design forums, and writing online articles pertinent to graphic design trends. By doing so, not only you’ll improve your search engine optimization but also you’ll position yourself as an expert and leader in your field.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katemonkey/180732731/"><img class="alignnone" title="SEO results page" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/72/180732731_51c38d18df_z.jpg" alt="Improve your SEO to attract new clients to your graphic design business" width="502" height="640" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>Keep moving…</strong></h3>
<p>You should always try new ways to attract new customers. If you haven’t tried cold calling, go for it and measure the results you get from it. Leave flyers at your local library. Send your  portfolio links and well-written sales letter to relevant target  markets like  book publishers or printing businesses, for example. Just make sure to market your irresistible offer and your unique selling proposition in all of your promotional activities.</p>
<p>There are undoubtedly 1001 other ways to attract new clients to your business. Have you tried different strategies? I’d love to hear what worked for you, please leave your ideas in the comments.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=469" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/attracting-new-clients.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Be an Effective Graphic Design Freelancer</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-be-an-effective-graphic-design-freelancer.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-be-an-effective-graphic-design-freelancer.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:40:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[designers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portfolio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-promotion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether you’re a newly graduated graphic designer or someone with many years of experience, you can  succeed as a design freelancer. By following some basic guidelines you can position yourself as an expert in your field, which will grow your clientele and may ultimately drive your earnings. Here are a few ideas of where to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Whether you’re a newly graduated graphic designer or someone with many years of experience, you can  succeed as a design freelancer. By following some basic guidelines you can position yourself as an expert in your field, which will grow your clientele and may ultimately drive your earnings.</p>
<p>Here are a few ideas of where to begin, including what works and what doesn’t. These are proven and tested ways that other graphic designers have applied themselves and succeeded as freelance designers.<span id="more-463"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephmcg/1592886907/in/photostream/"><img class="alignnone" title="Student graphic design portfolio" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/1592886907_7c09829399_z.jpg" alt="Student graphic design portfolio" width="640" height="427" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>ALWAYS sign a contract</strong></h3>
<p>First and foremost, if you’re a freelancer you need to make sure you get paid for your work. For that reason, always make sure to sign a contract, which is an agreement with your client specifying every little detail you agreed about: required work, delivery date and payment terms, among others.</p>
<p>Additionally, I always write an email to my clients following our meetings or phone conversations to confirm that we are on the same page and to avoid any future misunderstandings.</p>
<h3><strong>Create a profile on freelancing sites</strong></h3>
<p>You can open a profile with freelancing sites like Odesk or Elance and start applying for vacancies pertinent to graphic design. The upside of freelancing sites is that they guarantee payment, provided you select hourly paid jobs. This isn’t the case of fixed price jobs though. In other words, the client may not pay you or may pay you less than the agreed-on amount if he/she didn’t like your work.  So be very clear what the expectations are and be sure to meet them.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<h3><strong>Have an online presence</strong></h3>
<p>The internet has become a necessity in our daily life. Being an effective graphic designer requires that you promote your business both offline and online. Strive to have a website or a blog where you <a title="P2H.com - How to Create Your Web Portfolio" href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-create-your-web-portfolio.html" target="_blank">expose your portfolio</a> and knowledge, write graphic design articles on ezine sites, and participate effectively in graphic design forums.</p>
<p>Furthermore, with social media, it has become quite easy to promote yourself provided you respect basic guidelines of social media. One important concept, of course, is to not spam your Facebook friends or Twitter followers with business-related offers or unrequested newsletter subscriptions. Use social media to promote yourself subtly, position yourself as an expert in your field and build a strong online presence.</p>
<h3><strong>Promote yourself constantly</strong></h3>
<p>As a freelancer, you need to promote yourself on a daily basis. Have your <a title="P2H.com - 10 Cool Business Cards" href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/10-cool-business-cards-examples.html" target="_blank">business cards</a> in your pocket wherever you go and hand them out to people you meet. Apply to graphic design contests, as winning awards will help in promoting your business and will give you enhanced credentials. Furthermore, send greetings to your customers on holidays and special occasions. Let them know that you value their business so that they keep you in mind for any upcoming graphic design projects they have.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/troyturner/2085647582/"><img class="alignnone" title="Box of business cards" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2255/2085647582_7f7e1348f3_z.jpg" alt="Box of business cards" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>Keep your customers happy<br />
</strong></h3>
<p>Fact: it cost you less to sell to a repeat customer than to get a new one. That’s why you should always strive to meet your clients’ expectations. A customer who wanted a business card design might ask you for a website design or bigger project if he or she is satisfied with your business card work. Besides, happy customers will likely recommend you to their friends. There’s no substitute for word-of-mouth marketing: it is the least expensive and most effective way to promote your business!</p>
<h3><strong>Stay up to date with new trends</strong></h3>
<p>Educate yourself on a regular basis to stay up to date with new graphic design trends and technology. Impress your potential customers with recent developments in graphic design and apply your knowledge to provide better results.</p>
<p>These are some of the tested and proven methods that have helped freelance graphic designers that I know build a successful business. What are yours? Do you know of any other effective ways to promote yourself as a graphic designer? We’d love for you to share them here.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=463" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/how-to-be-an-effective-graphic-design-freelancer.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>10 Cool Business Cards Examples</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/10-cool-business-cards-examples.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/10-cool-business-cards-examples.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic identity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=439</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s no substitute for business cards to promote your business at any time and on any occasion, whenever and wherever you are. Indeed, you can hand out your business cards to potential customers during a business meeting, at the grocery store, while catching up a plane and even when partying with your friends. Moreover, business [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s no substitute for business cards to promote your business at any time and on any occasion, whenever and wherever you are. Indeed, you can hand out your business cards to potential customers during a business meeting, at the grocery store, while catching up a plane and even when partying with your friends.</p>
<p>Moreover, business cards are your most important marketing materials as they are the first impression people will get about your business. And often it’s the first impression that matters &#8211; especially for graphic designers or anyone who works in a visual profession.</p>
<p>That’s why you should really take your time when creating or choosing your business card design. You definitely want a business card that make your business stand out from your competition and that evoke positive feelings of trust and professionalism. Furthermore, you want a business card that makes potential customers want to call you or pay you a visit.<span id="more-439"></span></p>
<p>Ideally, you business card should reflect your company’s image and therefore be relevant to your field so that at a glance the recipient will understand the type of business you’re in, in addition to getting important information like your full name, title, company name and logo, address, phone, fax and email in addition to your website. If you use them, you may also want to add your Twitter handle or Skype name.  Adding your company’s slogan or a few words about your unique selling proposition is highly advised as it makes your business card really stand out.</p>
<p>It is worth mentioning that your business card design should be consistent with your other marketing materials such as letterhead, flyers, brochures and even your website design. If you&#8217;d like to add your photo to your business card, do so, as photos reinforce trust and credibility.</p>
<p>The more sophistication you add to your business card the more you can expect it to cost you.  Nevertheless, because business cards have great impact on your potential customers, a cool business card is worth every effort and cost you’re investing in them.</p>
<p>There’s no limit to creativity when it comes to designing a business card as we’ll see in the next 10 examples of cool business cards.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-1.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-1-11.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-459" title="cool-business-cards-1" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-1-11.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-1" width="648" height="208" /></a></p>
<p>This chocolatier&#8217;s strong branding message in addition to great color combination and design has a mouthwatering effect!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-21.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-476" title="cool-business-cards-2" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-21.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-2" width="648" height="204" /></a></p>
<p>A business card from which a plant grows! How creative and innovative!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-3.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-31.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-477" title="cool-business-cards-3" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-31.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-3" width="648" height="329" /></a></p>
<p>A great way of being visually memorable. Although it&#8217;s clear that this person is a casual guy, so this card may not evoke professionalism.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-4.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-41.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-478" title="cool-business-cards-4" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-41.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-4" width="648" height="329" /></a></p>
<p>A dentist’s business card that includes dental floss!  What a powerful branded reminder and also great evocative design.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-5.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-51.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-460" title="cool-business-cards-5" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-51.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-5" width="648" height="208" /></a></p>
<p>This card perfectly reflects the business in question and provides an ideal workout for hands muscles as well!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-6.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-61.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-471" title="cool-business-cards-6" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-61.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-6" width="648" height="283" /></a></p>
<p>This is a scarily impressive business card that sends a strong message to debtors: “I’ll break your bones if you don’t pay like I did with the previous debtor I was dealing with.”  Uh-huh!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-7.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-71.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-461" title="cool-business-cards-7" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-71.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-7" width="648" height="313" /></a></p>
<p>Nice and simple. It benefits the health of the patient. Anyone would want to try it even for mere curiosity, right?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-8.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-81.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-472" title="cool-business-cards-8" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-81.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-8" width="648" height="231" /></a></p>
<p>Funny and cool way to promote your product in your business card. I am not buying it though, as it doesn’t look very professional.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-91.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-91.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-479" title="cool-business-cards-9" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-91.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-9" width="648" height="329" /></a></p>
<p>This business card speaks for itself.  Tasty!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-10.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-101.jpg"><img class="img alignnone size-full wp-image-473" title="cool-business-cards-10" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cool-business-cards-101.jpg" alt="cool-business-cards-10" width="648" height="231" /></a></p>
<p>Simpler than most the examples above, yet fresh and memorable at the same time.<br />
Do you have a cool business card?  Or a favorite that you&#8217;ve gotten from someone else? Link us to a photo in the comments below, we&#8217;d love to see it.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=439" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/10-cool-business-cards-examples.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When Should You Retouch Your Photos?</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/when-should-you-retouch-your-photos.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/when-should-you-retouch-your-photos.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:50:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retouching photos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=426</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People are not as beautiful as they are made out to be in magazines. The truth is all published pictures are retouched. Some have small modifications like red eye removal or cropping out the background. Other photos are manipulated much more &#8211; editors retouch blemishes, skin tone, or even whiten teeth.Although I do not like [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People are not as beautiful as they are made out to be in magazines. The truth is all published pictures are retouched. Some have small modifications like red eye removal or cropping out the background. Other photos are manipulated much more &#8211; editors retouch blemishes, skin tone, or even whiten teeth.Although I do not like my images to appear fake, I do like to make subtle changes that do not take away from the picture’s reality. If there is redness in a subjects&#8217; eye I will remove it;  if their teeth appear yellow I will also fix it.  But if someone’s nose is a little pointy I will not fix it &#8211; although digital nose jobs are easy I believe they are going too far.</p>
<p>So when should you retouch your photos?<span id="more-426"></span></p>
<h3>Look at your photo</h3>
<p>Print out the photograph in question and look it over &#8211; printing it helps you take a critical look at it. Does anything initially jump out at you? Are there any people in the background that distract from the subject? Are there a few stray hairs on your subject’s face? Did you take a picture of your significant other sans make up? Survey your picture and see if you can spot anything that needs to be retouched. If you are a Photoshop wizard you know how easy these changes are.</p>
<p>Looking at the picture below you can instantly tell that the subject’s face was a little too shinny and obvious blemishes stood out. The picture has been taken from pumpkincat210&#8242;s Flickr page located <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkincat210/3926622628/">here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-1.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-428" title="photo-retouching-1" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-1.png" alt="photo-retouching-1" width="322" height="382" /></a></p>
<p>After identifying the issue you will need to come up with a solution. That solution can be anything from Photoshop to a specialty application. The photographer went on to retouch the image and remove the blemishes and shiny skin. Take a look at the retouched product below:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-2.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-429" title="photo-retouching-2" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-2.png" alt="photo-retouching-2" width="317" height="382" /></a></p>
<p>That is a much better picture. The subject could have probably this same look with a proper make-up artist and better lighting. The finished product that was created above does not look “fake.”  This is a very important aspect of photo retouching.</p>
<h3>Determining what to do with your photo</h3>
<p>After you determine what is wrong with your image you will need to decide how, you want to handle the issue. In the case of an image being too dark or too bright, you can play with auto-levels, brightness or contrast. I recommend saving a copy of your image and working on that.</p>
<p>If your subject has a few stray hairs on her forehead you can fix it by simply using the clone tool in Photoshop. The clone tool is a photo re-toucher’s dream. You can effectively use the clone tool to copy a region of your image to another region. In essence you will be copying another piece of the subjects forehead and pasting it over the troubled spot.</p>
<p>Removing a cluttered or ugly background can do wonders for your image. Take a look at the before and after photos from <a href="http://www.labnol.org/internet/pictures/remove-photo-background-image-erase-people/2433/">Labnol.com</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-430" title="photo-retouching-3" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-3.jpg" alt="photo-retouching-3" width="460" height="276" /></a></p>
<p>You can remove a background in Photoshop by using the magic lasso tool to trace around your image. You can then use the menu item select –&gt; inverse. This will highlight everything you did not select. You can then hit the delete key and you should have only the subject you traced using the magic lasso left. A blank background makes an image look more professional.</p>
<p>If you have other people in the background of your favorite beach shot you can always use the Photoshop blur tool to blur them out. This will force the human eye to see your subject at first glance and not its background. An expensive camera might have the ability to blur your background when taken from the proper angle. We cannot all afford expensive cameras or photography lessons so sometimes Photoshop has to help us compensate. By following the tutorial at <a href="http://junsphoto.wordpress.com/tutorials/blur/">JunsPhoto.wordpress.com</a> you can replicate the blurred effect rather easily.</p>
<p>You can see an example of a before and after shot that JunsPhoto blurred the background on.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-4.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-431" title="photo-retouching-4" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-4.png" alt="" width="620" height="205" /></a></p>
<h3>Where can I find retouching tutorials online?</h3>
<p>You have figured out what your images need. The question is, how do you find out what needs to be done to retouch your image(s)?  I have found an invaluable resource for retouching tutorials at <a href="http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Photoshop/Photo-Retouch/1">Tutorialized.com</a>. Using Tutorialized’s website you can find tutorials for pretty much anything you are looking to do in Photoshop. When you first arrive at the site, you will see a list of recent tutorials that look something like this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-5.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-432" title="photo-retouching-5" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-5.png" alt="photo-retouching-5" width="394" height="654" /></a></p>
<p>Clicking on any of the tutorials will bring you to a page telling you about the tutorial. Then by clicking on view tutorial you will be taken to the website that the tutorial is hosted on. A Tutorialized header will follow you around. You will then see a detailed step by step tutorial. These tutorials are normally very easy to follow and are accompanied by images to guide you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-6.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-427" title="photo-retouching-6" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/photo-retouching-6.png" alt="photo-retouching-6" width="620" height="490" /></a></p>
<p>If you cannot find a tutorial on exactly what you are looking for then you should hit up Google. Google is your friend. Simply type in your search query and start looking. If you are clever with your search terms you can almost always find what you need.</p>
<p>Always remember, the more natural the  picture looks the better. That is unless you are looking for the sci-fi  or cyborg look. Then by all means go for it!</p>
<p>If you have any interesting methods for retouching images or you have a good tutorial website please leave them in the comments below.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=426" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/when-should-you-retouch-your-photos.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Good and Bad Logo Redesigns</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-good-and-bad-logo-redesigns.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-good-and-bad-logo-redesigns.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:27:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[identity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logo redesign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many reasons that explain why a company would redesign its logo. Some reasons are compulsory, such as when there’s a corporate merger or when a company expands its business activities. In such cases, a new logo is a must to reflect that change.  On the other hand, a logo redesign may be voluntary, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are many reasons that explain why a company would redesign its logo. Some reasons are compulsory, such as when there’s a corporate merger or when a company expands its business activities. In such cases, a new logo is a must to reflect that change.  On the other hand, a logo redesign may be voluntary, like when a company feels the need to refresh, rebrand or reposition its image; or maybe if they seek to appeal to new kinds of customers.</p>
<p>A logo has a mission –  an important one &#8211; which is to help a company build their business identity, image and brand.  Therefore, a good logo should communicate. Indeed, it has to “tell” the target market at a glance what the company wants them to know or feel.</p>
<p>For these reasons, redesigning a logo isn’t as easy as it may seem.  As we’ll see, newer isn’t always better!<span id="more-408"></span></p>
<h3><strong>5 Good Logo Redesigns</strong></h3>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-kfc.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-412" title="logos-kfc" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-kfc.jpg" alt="logoredesign-kfc" width="600" height="199" /></a></strong></p>
<p>This is undoubtedly an example of an excellent logo redesign. The face of late Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders is more rejuvenated, welcoming and friendly than in the old logo. Moreover, showing him wearing an apron communicates the readiness to serve and cook. This readiness, action and energy are reinforced with the asymmetric frame border.</p>
<p>Additionally, the colors are updated and more emphasis is put on KFC name, bolder and bigger in the new logo.</p>
<p><a href="http://designreviver.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/att.png"> </a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-att.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-409" title="logos-att" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-att.jpg" alt="logoredesign-att" width="600" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>AT&amp;T launched their new logo this April under its rebranding “Rethink Possible” campaign. Their new logo has created lots of controversy. While some designers are very fond of it, others seem to prefer the old logo, particularly its capital font letters.</p>
<p>I personally favor the new logo! It is lively, futuristic and has movement. The old one is more static and the typeface is too prominent in comparison to the circle shape on the left. In the new logo the size of the sphere and the font size seem in better proportion.</p>
<p><a href="http://designreviver.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ups.png"> </a><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-ups1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-418" title="logos-ups" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-ups1.jpg" alt="logoredesign-ups" width="597" height="220" /></a></p>
<p>UPS&#8217; new logo, launched in 2003, is without any doubt far better than their old logo. It is bolder and more contemporary and the colors emphasize their tagline, which is &#8220;What can Brown do for you?&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-yellowpages.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-417" title="logos-yellowpages" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-yellowpages.jpg" alt="logoredesign-yellowpages" width="598" height="136" /></a></p>
<p>The new Yellow Pages logo launched this year is fresher and more relevant than the previous one. The walking fingers are in a memorable yellow oval shape and the word yellow is in bold. It is a great design to reinforce the image and identity of an already powerful brand.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-caribou.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-411" title="logos-caribou" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-caribou.jpg" alt="logoredesign-caribou" width="599" height="221" /></a></p>
<p>Caribou’s new logo is a great change. The name of the brand is bigger, more legible and the logo overall is much more contemporary.  The addition of the subtle coffee bean in the new graphic is far more significant than the deer in the old one.</p>
<h3><strong>5 Bad Logo Redesigns</strong></h3>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-bestbuy.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-410" title="logos-bestbuy" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-bestbuy.jpg" alt="logoredesign-bestbuy" width="600" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Best Buy&#8217;s old logo was instantly recognizable for it&#8217;s price tag shape and bold color.  The logo was more exciting and was an enticement to buy. The new logo is dull in both colors and shape.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-kraft.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-413" title="logos-kraft" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-kraft.jpg" alt="logoredesign-kraft" width="598" height="150" /></a></p>
<p>The Kraft redesign is a disaster.  The old logo might be old fashioned, however it is far more powerful as compared with the new one. And I still can’t figure out what on earth the flower is doing here in the new logo!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-mastercard.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-414" title="logos-mastercard" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-mastercard.jpg" alt="logoredesign-mastercard" width="598" height="156" /></a></p>
<p>While the new MasterCard logo seems that it has more movement, I still can’t find a meaningful explanation for its branding purpose. The old logo, like the Kraft logo above, is iconic in a good way. Any thoughts from any of you on why they might have gone in this direction will be most welcomed, because I&#8217;m really confused!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-walmart.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-416" title="logos-walmart" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-walmart.jpg" alt="logoredesign-walmart" width="600" height="134" /></a></p>
<p>While the new Walmart logo has fresher colors and a more contemporary look, the old logo is undoubtedly more recognizable and emphatic than the new one.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-animalplanet.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-422" title="logos-animalplanet" src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logos-animalplanet.jpg" alt="logoredesign-animalplanet" width="600" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>The Animal Planet logo is another example of bad logo redesign. While the former logo was communicative and meaningful, the new logo is nearly illegible and inexpressive of what the brand stands for.</p>
<p>Do you have favorite logo redesigns in mind &#8211; the good, bad and ugly? Who has totally hit the mark and who&#8217;s missed? Please leave us your thoughts in the comments.</p>
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=408" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/5-good-and-bad-logo-redesigns.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Basic Package Giveaway &#8211; Follow Us and Retweet to Win</title>
		<link>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/psd-to-html-giveaway.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/psd-to-html-giveaway.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:30:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[basic package]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.psd2html.com/blog/?p=402</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve had a great response to our new $99 Basic Package special but we want to spread the love even further, so we&#8217;re holding a Twitter contest! We&#8217;re giving away one 3-page markup package &#8211; a $200 value at our Basic Package prices.  Now&#8217;s your chance to freshen up an old website or design a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve had a great response to our new $99 Basic Package special but we want to spread the love even further, so we&#8217;re holding a Twitter contest!</p>
<p>We&#8217;re giving away one 3-page markup package &#8211; a $200 value at our Basic Package prices.  Now&#8217;s your chance to freshen up an old website or design a new one, or to create the blog you&#8217;ve always wanted to write.</p>
<h3>How to Enter</h3>
<p>1. Follow @P2H <a title="Twitter.com - P2H" href="http://twitter.com/P2H" target="_blank">on Twitter</a></p>
<p>2. Tweet out the following (from the account you&#8217;re using to follow P2H):</p>
<blockquote><p><em><strong>Get PSD2HTML services for $99 through 8/31 &#8211; follow us &amp; retweet for a chance to win. @p2H #99basic http://ow.ly/2pSGd</strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p>Entries will only be counted if they follow the above format. Winner will be chosen at random on August 18  at 10:00 pm EST. Only one entry per person.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ll direct message (DM) the winner on August 19, so be sure to check your Twitter inbox to see if you&#8217;ve won.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" />
<input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" />
<input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" />
 <img src="http://www.psd2html.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/feed-statistics.php?view=1&post_id=402" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.psd2html.com/blog/psd-to-html-giveaway.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
