Photoshop Techniques - Using Actions

As a Chicago Marketing Company, the designers at Integraphix are avid users of the Adobe Creative Suite. For print projects and web projects, our designers in Chicago often use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and InDesign on a daily basis. With so much experience using these programs, our creative agency has become very proficient working with design software.

Have you ever needed to modify a mass amount of images at one time? Take for instance you are creating an online gallery for a web design you created. To make your gallery look clean and professional you definitely want all of your images to be the same size. If you have many images this may seem like a very long process. Luckily, there is a solution for modifying multiple different images fast and efficiently. Actions are a 1 step editing process in Photoshop that allows you to preform multiple different actions with one click.  Actions can be extremely useful time-savers when you find yourself performing the same steps over and over again.

Creating Actions:

Photoshop actions are very easy to create and use. An action is simply formatting that has been recorded and can be used on any other Photoshop Document. To record you own action, open the “Actions” palette and hit the new action button. The new action button is the button second from the right side of the bottom of the actions palette.

You will need to designate a name for your action and also a function key. If you set an action with the function key: “F5” every time you are in Photoshop and click the F5 key, the action will automatically take place.

Once the action has been created you can record all of the formatting you would like to take place in the action. You can record unlimited amount of changes including size changes, text adds or edits, color changes, file saving and more! Once you have finished carrying out all of the desired steps, hit the “Stop” button in the action palette.

Installing Actions:

As a Chicago Marketing Company the Integraphix designers love to share design techniques and ideas with other designers. There are many Photoshop actions that are available to be purchased and downloaded. There are multiple ways you can install Photoshop actions. According to our expert graphic designers, the easiest way to download actions is to drag the downloaded files in the “Actions” folder contained within the “Presets” folder in your Photoshop application folder.  If this technique doesn’t work for you, you can always click on the little arrow on the right of the actions menu and click on “Load Actions”. This option will allow you to navigate to any actions on your computer and load them into Photoshop instantly.

Do you use Photoshop actions? Share your favorite Photoshop actions with our Chicago Marketing Company and leave us a comment!! We would love to hear your feedback. For more tips and tricks on Graphic Design - Visit our website: http://www.integraphix.com and Contact Us!

Choosing the Right Graphic Design Firm is Critical

Chicago Graphic Design

Most businesses start out with a business idea with the very best intentions. They have a great idea do a lot of research, they get the necessary funding but when it comes to choosing the right graphic design company they do not do their homework. This can lead to some big problems later on down the road.

We're going to use a real life example to best convey this example. Take a new law firm starting up in the city of Chicago. They chose a location, and got the best design minds working on their offices. But, when it comes to the image that they want to portray to the public, they are quite blaze about this subject and will often let their new logo design and branding be designed by either themselves, or a friend of a friend. This logo and branding will then go on their marketing materials that are seen by clients and prospective clients.

From letterheads, business cards, email footers, all the way to their website, this unprofessional branding will be implemented with no thought or understanding of the business or what the business and owners are trying to communicate.

Because people do not really undersatnd the benefits of strong graphic design and they think that creating a logo design or brand identity solution is extremely easy they are not willing to pay a good price to get this done. If they had hired an established design comapny in the first place to create a brand for their company; a brand that will last a life time, as the company grows and expands it wouldn't have to face the issue of an identity crisis and be forced to re-design their logo all over again.

So lesson being: Your branding and logo design are just as important as your office location, the chairs in your reception area and the services you provide.

Chicago Logo Design

Graphic Design Firm: 8 Ways to Name a Company

Chicago Graphic Design

There are several ways to name a company, and some of the best known companies in the world have the strangest names. Did you know where they came from though? They'd don't just pop out of nowhere (well...not all of them), and there's usually a premeditated strategy behind their origins.

That's the case with many famous branding solutions behind Google, Pepsi, Ford, Digg and many others. Their names stick not only because they're simple, but they're different. There is no ideal way to choose a company name, but choose from the following 8 styles to shape your new company's name.

Family Names
This is the most common style of naming a company, and many car and manufacturing companies follow this convention. The person is usually the owner, founder, a child or perhaps even a celebrity! For example: Getty Images, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Boeing and Dell are all named after the owner or a family member.

Made Up
A creative way of naming a company is coming up with something that nobody has ever heard before or using a nick name. One reason for this might be to make the company sound foreign or to make it sound memorable. For example: Haagen-Dazs is a made up name with no meaning, and Meebo has absolutely no documentation behind it.

Metaphors

The most trendy and often used way of branding a company is using a metaphor or analogy. It's a term that is used to imply or to bear resemblance to something else. It may have no relation to your actual business, but that could be a selling point. Example: Apple, Adobe, and Fuji. Steve Jobs isn't selling apples, you can be sure of that!

Abbreviations or Acronyms
Most convenient, but perhaps not the smartest is using an abbreviation. It should be used only in cases of longer company names. When doing this, you should brand yourself based on how you want it pronounced, individually or as a single word, example: DKNY or BeBo. Example: FCUK - French Connection United Kingdom, and BMW - Bayerische Motoren Werke. Didn't know that one didja?

Conjunctions
When you're running out of ideas, just mash two together. Microsoft? Microcomputer and Software. Skype? Sky and Peer to Peer. This naming convention is helpful when your business does more than one thing.

Mythical Origins or Derived
Many company names are formed from reading books, mythology or from a product they sell. Popular names have come from Greek, Latin and Gods and Goddesses such as Nike, Xerox and Volvo. Coca-Cola's name comes from the leaves and nuts used for flavoring.

Word Jumbles
When words aren't enough, combine numbers and letters instead. It adds a little bit more to the company name and can express a hint of techy vibes if needed. Examples are 3Com - a network technology producer, and 20th Century Fox, a film and movie studio.

Be Playful!
Sometimes company names are a mistake, or the owner having a little fun with word play. Sometimes the name comes out of the original idea being taken! Call it a twist of fate, but I call it pure genius. Some of these funny examples are (go figure) - Google, a mispelling of the word Googol, Digg.com - dig.com was already taken, Harpo Productions, Oprah's name spelled backwards.

So the next time you're coming up with a new company name, look through the dictionary, or read a good book. Perhaps you can even take a few of your favorite words and screw around with the spelling. You never know what's going to stick and take off!

Chicago Graphic Design: Is your logo design killing your business branding

Chicago Graphic Design 

Exceptional Brand Identity Solutions: Chicago Graphic Design

Most businesses have a logo, but the vast majority of businesses have not used that logo to its full potential, or have even left their logo design and branding to an amateur designer or even having one of their staff make up a logo using clip art (gasp!). This is done without any real research into how a logo effects consumer perception, and is done without thinking about the entire branding concept. This is killing your business online and in person.

When was the last time you got someones business card and saw a little clip-art dude that you can get free on Microsoft's website? Probably not too often. Then why are YOU doing it? Take a little time to read through this post to see exactly how your logo effects your business, your target market, and what a proper logo design and branding solution could do for your company for years and years and years...

Logo Design:
Logos and trademarks make up the most creative international language in the world. An excellent logo can cross barriers and provide your organization with an avenue to deliver your services and products to customers in a uniform way. Without this, you’re effectively flushing your business down the drain.

Every successful company has a distinct personality, just like humans, and a successful brand and logo design are essential to attracting multiple types of personalities and markets. If you’re business doesn’t have these things, it’s time to invest in them. When you embark on this journey into branding, company identity, and logo design, you should be aware of several points of interest:

1. Your logo and branding needs to IDENTIFY your company/product/service.

2. Your logo and branding must DIFFERENTIATE you from the masses.

3. Your logo and branding must COMMUNICATE the value of your services and products.

4. Your logo and branding should ADD VALUE to your company by creating a benchmark for quality and reputation.

5. Your logo and branding must REPRESENT your products and services as valuable things. If your logo isn’t doing these things, choose to update and seek advice from a professional graphic design firm.

Brand Identity:

Branding can be technically defined as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these things intended to identify one particular seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from others. This sounds important right? Well it most definitely is. One thing to note is that branding is NOT about getting your target market to choose you over your competition…it’s getting them to see you as the only solution to their needs and problems.

A good brand has the following:
1. The ability to deliver your message clearly
2. Give your company credibility and strength
3. An emotional connection to your target market
4. The ability to motivate buyers and consumers
5. A distinct knack for keeping your target market loyal to your services or product

To succeed in this, you need to understand your target market, your customer’s wants and needs, and the ability to project what they’ll want and need in the future. You can do this by integrating brand strategies through your company at every public contact point.

A strong brand is as valuable as gold as the battle for loyal customers gets more and more intense. It’s important to spend time investing in research, and an effective Creative Firm to help your marketing communications strategies be the best they can be. Your brand and logo are the foundation of your company.

So the next time you even think about making a Microsoft Word clip-art image your logo...STOP.

Contact a real Chicago Graphic Design Company and schedule a meeting.

/// Integraphix, a Creative Agency in Chicago, Illinois

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Building a Winning Brand

Of all brands, Starbucks takes the cake. Starbucks took the rather uneventful act of buying a cup of coffee and turned it into a user experience. By doing so, it created a memorable brand identity: a unique name and a memorable logo that made coffee more than coffee, but a welcoming place to gather and stay a while. The main point: Starbucks created a culture, not just a company. Use the following tips to create the same.

Develop and Craft your Image

Creating a perfect brand identity is almost impossible, and takes a lot of work. What you're ultimately trying to do is position yourself in front of people who don't want to change their minds. Your brand has to be unique and powerful enough to force your target market out of their consistent buying patterns.

It begins with a name. Starbucks has a great name, and with enough frequency of the message, it has become memorable. This can happen with any name. If Integraphix puts its name out there for enough people to see, it will become a memorable thing in people's minds. This method explains why many of the commonly known names like Apple or Ford are known. Who in their right mind would name a computer company after a fruit? Well, as we all know, Apple is a giant now. So there's your proof. Ford is a family name, but with ingenuity and quality craftsmanship, Ford has become well known in the automobile industry. 

Your logo is just as important as your name. Using Starbucks as an example yet again, their recent rebranding has completely removed the name from their logo. But we still know it's Starbucks right? Apple is the same way, and McDonald's can claim that as well. The logo is the first connection the consumer makes with your company brand and it triggers brand perception. What does your logo need to do? There are some practical considerations to make when having a Graphic Design Company design your logo:

1. Can it be reproduced in several sizes and media types?

2. Does it reflect your target audience?

3. Is the message clear?

4. Is it unique and easily recognizable.

Your logo should also convey an emotional and personality connection and the cleverness should definitely spark that 'Aha!' moment with your consumers. 

Become Known

I know, easy right? Branding happens within the minds of your clients. The message behind that brand is what creates appeal, but you must get the word out to bring in customers. Advertising, promotion, trade shows, direct marketing and search engine optimization are the common ways, and can cost money. Search Engine Optimization is probably the cheapest form of marketing you'll find today and investing can get your online presence bulked up so becoming known isn't as difficult and expensive and buying a billboard or doing a massive direct mailing campaign. A few things you should consider if you're starting off completely new:

1. Listen to people. Don't say everything that comes to your mind; let other people talk before joining the conversation.

2. Ask questions. For the love of design, do not force your opinion on someone. It makes you look really bad.

3. Don't be fake. Have a story and behave the way you want your brand perceived. Brand isn't all about the design - it's about how the people in the company act too. 

4. Offer up your knowledge. It adds to the conversation and makes you look like you know what you're talking about.

5. Respond to people. Consumers and business partners really love having a company respond directly to something they've asked for. It solidifies brand loyalty and company image.

6. Say thank you to your followers. Reward repeat buyers or users for their patronage - whether it's a simple shout out or an actual prize. Do what's in your company budget.

Know what your customers want

When launching a business with limited cash flow, the potential for successfully grounding a brand based on pure zeal and a unique business idea is less likely to succeed than following the market trends and going about your business structure intelligently. You need these five things to even begin to succeed:

1. Do you know how strong your brand perception is? What would make it stronger.

2. Look at other competing brands - are their consumer's satisfied?

3. Will your brand create emotional connections with consumers who are not currently using a product or service like yours?

4. What percentage of your target market is likely to switch over to your company?

5. Do you have the ability to garner brand awareness?

Answer those questions and you can determine the chances of success for your brand. You can conduct focus groups and email polls if you need target market information and to find out if your brand would be recommended over another competitor. Ultimately, to succeed, you need to know how people perceive your company and brand identity. Make sure you position yourself where you know your brand can win.

Enjoy! 

If you need Marketing, Web Design or Graphic Design assistance, give Integraphix a call. We offer a Free Marketing Analysis to all who walk through our doors.

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We Know Branding and Graphic Design

We are Integraphix. we're going to design your branding.

We are the leading Chicago graphic design company, offering an wide variety of services to our diverse clientele across the Chicago area. Recognized by our peers as outstanding and inspiring web designers, we are the graphic design company that will bring your vision to life. Whether you seek to develop a brand identity for your custom social networking site, utilize our SEO services to boost your current website, or something in-between, we offer superior one-stop services as a Chicago graphic design company, SEO company and web design company. Bored by all this reading? Speak with us personally: Call us at 847.537.0067.

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I just need a logo

"I want you to design a brand for my business - all I need is a logo." This is a common phrase uttered by some of our Integraphix clients, and it is a misconception in the minds of many business men and woman who are looking to brand their business. They misunderstand that a brand is not merely a symbol, logo or 'mark' used on a sign outside their doorstep. The reality is something more. The logo design is just one part of a larger branding process. A brand is what huge corporate giants from smaller competitors. The problem that faces most graphic designers and chicago marketing company studios these days is clients with almost no knowledge of what a brand is. Sometimes the graphic designer creates a logo design for a client that may fail to establish its presence, but this is hardly the fault of the designer. The client, perhaps, didn't want to pay for the full branding process and therefore the designer was not allowed to fully develop the brand for the client. It was not the failure of the logo, but the failure of the brand to be designed.

Think of this scenario…you have never heard of Apple or before (just assume for a moment). You are unaware of the corporation and what it has to offer to you. Now imagine… if you pass by a someone on an Apple laptop sporting the logo or drive by an Apple billboard, would you be amazed by it?… Probably not. It's just the silhouette of an apple.  Back to reality!  Famous brands like Apple have actively marketed their logo and established its connection with the company, which is why you have a strong awareness about it. That strong association created in the minds of customers is the brand that has been established and is a large part of why the company has had the success it has. Why buy a computer that costs $2000 rather than a computer you can get for $500? Granted Apple has quality on their side too, but it's also the stigma of having a Mac on your lap rather than an HP.

This is the biggest downfall of branding decisions made by many business owners and entrepreneurs. A brand is not just a mark or a symbol that you put on your company sign board. On the contrary, a brand leaves a mark on your customer that is long lasting. Another major distinction between a logo and a brand is their focus span. Logos illustrates what a company stands for, what it has to offer and what is its purpose of existence. In contrast, a brand has strategic focus. It depicts a vision of the firm as to what the brand will be and what it promises to its customers in the future.

A logo design is a visual representation of any company or business. It projects the image of the company existence in the industry. A brand goes one giant step further in PROTECTING the image of the firm. Whatever you establish through your logo design is inevitably protected by your brand.

Think of the Gap fiasco. The company unfortunately decided to redesign their logo. This attempt failed horribly at the mercy of their customers. But their longstanding BRAND power protected them from any serious damage.  

Wrapping it up, logos lay the foundation of a brand but are not sufficient to establish their presence. Brand Marketing does not end with a logo. They must be communicated through a brand in order to be recognized. Think about it next time you ask your marketing company for a logo - perhaps invest in the whole package!

Integraphix, a Chicago Marketing Company