Does Image Size Affect Page Load Speed?

When you put stuff on a web page, it will slow down the page, the more you add on. You can't help it, you have to have text on a page and you have to put images on the page.

However, how can you make sure to have images on a page but still have a web page that loads in an efficient time frame? Does that matter if it loads slowly or not? While this post is inspired by our Chicago SEO squad, it matters for us professional graphic designers, such as our Chicago graphic design team, because we make images for websites-- images, graphics, logos, etc. So we need to know this stuff too!

Well, to start, it does matter for two reasons. Humans hate slow web pages. When you have a web page that loads slowly, a person will wait only a couple seconds before they bail. This will increase your bounce rate for search engine optimization rankings. Also, search engine crawlers hate slow web pages because that makes them do their job slower. A slow page will get penalized by search engines.

So what can you do to keep a page optimized with images, graphics, and such while keeping the page quick? Keep you images to a smaller file size, while keeping them at a good resolution. Images consume the most download bytes on a web page and take up the most amount of visual space. 

Optimizing images is both a delicate science and an intricate art.

Do you have questions about the information here or would like to hire a graphic designer? Then contact Integraphix, a Chicago marketing firm.  

5 Cliché Logo Designs to Avoid

We've said it before and we'll say it again, your logo is the 24/7 visual representative of your brand. Thus, having a logo that is not unique and uninspiring not only means poor top of mind awareness for your brand but also poor reach. As a professional graphic designer, this is a major thing to remember when designing a logo for a brand.

Your logo is the face of your company and should speak about who your brand is. A sure-fire way to get your brand to be lost in the crowd is to fall to one of these cliché design trends.

1. Putting an arc on top. This is a wildly over-used trend. Sure, putting an arc over the top of the company name for a logo looked cool but not so much anymore. 
2. Use helvetica in the logo. We get it, it can be a simple, nice font and sometimes when you type a company name in Helvetica, it can look appealing. However, just because something looks appealing doesn't mean it makes for a great logo. It is a great font for certain things, just not a logo. 
3. Using comic-sans or papyrus font in a logo. These fonts can not only be cliché in a logo but also scream "amateur!" 
4. Random shapes. The most popular option for this is to have random dots around the brand name but other shapes have happened too. 
5. Having two letters overlap. This is especially common when the company is someone's name and both parts start with the same letter. 

There are some designs that people use in logos and they can be really cool, don't get us wrong. However, when you have a logo that is easily replicable and forgettable, then so is your company. Hire a graphic designer that can make a you a custom logo that speaks truth about your brand; hire Integraphix, we are a Chicago graphic design firm that specializes in logo design. 

How to Use Fonts Correctly

Believe it or not, using fonts is a big, big deal in the world of professional graphic design. It can be intimidating to the max. You have all sorts of fonts, sizes, weights, etc. A good font can make or break your design and help your message.

Getting a master grasp on how to use fonts can be a huge help in you becoming better a graphic design. As a Chicago graphic design firm, we have compiled a list of 5 ways to use fonts to your benefit.

1. Use fonts for hierarchy. You can organize font to establish a hierarchy that will encourage people to read certain things first. The human eye will move towards the dominating elements of something such as the largest text and/or color. 
2. Using fonts for contrast. Making titles and subtitles stand out can be done when you use fonts with great contrast to the rest of the image or graphic. You can do this with different colors (dark/light) as well as styles of fonts (uppercase/lowercase and types). Also, having different weights with your fonts helps, too. 
3. Using fonts for sake of readability. When you use the wrong font, it can make your text very heard to read, which defeats the purpose of having the text there in the first place. Try to stay away from elaborate fonts and go for contrast such as white text on black backgrounds, etc. 
4. Be imaginative and creative with your text. You can do things like putting your text into a shape; for example, write a body of text and then when you look at it, you see it is a dog, or something. 
5. Use fonts that match the message and style of what you want to say. Using a papyrus font will not work when you are creating a graphic for your medieval era event. It just won't. A childish font won't work for you networking event for lawyers. 

Make sure you use fonts in an effective way. When you get careless is when your graphics suffer. As a graphic designer in Chicago, I have learned many ways to utilize fonts to be effective and creative. 

Does your business need design work done to help it stand out and grow? Then don't deny your business the help it needs. Contact Integraphix and see how we can help you! 

9 Ways to Make a Graphic Designer Cringe

There are lots of reasons to hire a professional graphic designer. For one thing, it means getting quality work that cannot be replicated, or at least easily. Why is this the case? Well, as a Chicago graphic designer, I can tell you that designers make sure to know the best trends and designs; graphic designers look at how things look on a grand scale as well as the smallest detail.

When something is "off" artistically, it can really get under the skin of a professional graphic designer. Here are some examples.

1. Bad Spacing (kerning). Yeah, it's not what you think it says!

(The Best Feature Flicks (F-L-I-C-K-S) On DVD)

2. Bad typesetting. 

3. Stretching text. Notice how blurry that is?

4. Multiple Typefaces. Choose 1 or 2 and stick to it.

5. Big red text on posters. This is just overdone.

6. Looks like you just learned how to use Illustrator or other graphic programs

7. Was it designed by a Tween? We get it, animals and other cartoon/artsy things are cute. But less is more. 

8. Generic, cliché posters. Hey man! Come to this party! It'll be the best St. Patrick's Day bash ever! 

9. Saying something needs more pizzaz.

Do you need to hire a graphic designer in Chicago? Then contact Integraphix!

7 Fonts That Brands Need to Avoid

When creating a logo, the font choice is one of the hardest things to figure out. Why? Well, there are lots of rules when it comes to using fonts; you can't use certain fonts and others are out of style. On top of that, you have to choose a font that matches your style, brand, and reflects the type of company you are.

As a Chicago graphic designer, some of the fonts on this list make my skin crawl *shivers*.

1. Helvetica. See what I did there? This is often ranked as one of the best fonts around and don't get me wrong, it's a very nice font. It is clean, precise, evenly weighted, and popular. However, the fact that it is so popular is why brands should try to move on. It has worked for so many companies that choosing this font will only make you another small fish in a densely populated pond. Major brands can get away with switching to this font if they don't use it already because they're a major brand. Until you become a Walmart, Coca-Cola, Nike, etc. then you have to abide by the rules of design. 
2. Papyrus font. Unfortunately, Papyrus is not available in Blogger, which might be a good thing. This font is often considered one of the worst to be created, ever. Brands do not love this font, and they shouldn't. 
3. Futura. It is indeed a nice looking font that speaks of progress. It has good weight that varies among the letters but is still easy to read. However, much like Helvetica, it is used by A TON of brands and using it will not allow you to stand out. As a graphic designer in Chicago, I like this font (and Helvetica) but I also like to allow brands to stand out from the crowd. 
4. Arial. I did it again! Mwuahaha. Ok, so yes, this font can look clean but in the graphic designer world, it is somewhat of a joke. Remember the days when you'd type a document in Microsoft and it'd be in Arial unless you changed it? I do too. The problem with this font is that it has no attraction. 
5. Jenna Sue. This is one of those fonts that makes me want to run away. It is just way too playful and not in a good/fun way. It has long, stick-like letters and it is often not modified to fit the brand. Yes, it is friendly but it is not a font to use if you want to be seen as professional, it is very forgettable. Very few brands use it that get away with it. 
6. Gill Sans. This one always makes me think of Gill from The Simpsons because of the name "Gill" being in it. It is a nice font for presentations because it encourages relaxation instead of tension; however, it is forgettable and way, way too easy to get your hands on (this is a problem for unique branding). 
7. Comic sans. Ahhhh this one is the worst of the worst. I once went to a company and they had their manuals printed in Comic sans. This is definitely a font that we all love to hate. No professional graphic designer will use this font unless you paid them a lot of money. In fact, there is a movement to get it banned from use. 

Because you were a good audience, we also say you should avoid the Lobster font. You'll see that at as "fonts" in our graphic up there. 

It sounds trivial to hate fonts but that is how design is. Just like in fashion, certain designs and styles are hated, it is no different here. If you are designing a logo and need help then contact Integraphix. 

5 Tips for Fantastic Graphic Design

There are a lot of things about graphic design that make it great. What makes a great graphic designer truly great is their ability to see designs and concepts that others have not seen. You have to be able to think about great, artistic ideas that flow and stand out.

There are lots of things you can do to improve your stylish eye, here are 5 tips.

1. Believe in contrast. Contrast is a simple yet aesthetically appealing concept. A simple use of contrast in your design is a great way to help it stand out. Using contrasting colors with background and graphics or font can make it pop; use a light background and a dark font or vice versa. From this platform, you can make it your own by adding in your creativity. 
2. Make good choices with fonts. One of the worst things a designer can do is make a bad font choice. Do a Google search for "logo fails" (after reading this post) and some of the logo fails you'll see are because of poor font choices. You need to have a font that looks good, that furthers the message you're conveying, and is consistent. Have you ever looked at the font choices some companies use for things? It's pretty off-putting when they have a bad one, right? Have a good one for headings, then a subtler, complimentary one for body and subtitles. 
3. Choose good colors. The color scheme is a large. large part of any design. Ask any Chicago graphic designer, New York graphic designer, or Los Angeles graphic designer and they will tell you that color schemes are major; they make or break a design. You can choose to go with color schemes that are popular or you can go with what speaks to you. 
4. Don't let images go naked. A great tip for images is to add in some sort of frame or put them in a grid with other images. Using a single image with no sort of border can look amateurish. 
5. Simple is always good. If you are not confident about using intricate designs or you prefer something simpler, then go with simple. No one will look at a good, simple design and think, "I wish this was busier." However, how many times do we look at busy designs and think, "Calm down!"In light of the Apple event, look at the difference between iOS 6 and previous with iOS7 and now 8; Apple went with simple, matte/flat designs over the previous designs that used lots of depth, bubbles, and busyness. 

If you are in need of great graphic design work, then contact Integraphix. We are a quality graphic design firm in Chicago and have offices in LA, NYC, North Carolina, and Phoenix. 

5 Graphic Design Tips for Getting Business

Being a Chicago graphic designer or a graphic designer in any other city means having to work hard to get clients; especially in an economy like this one where you have people cutting costs and often step one to that is postponing creative expenses.

You might have design skills that are to die for but getting a solid stream of work in tougher times hits designers of all skill levels. So what can you do to get clients to be willing to keep using your services?

1. Join sites. There are sites out there that you can join to get your name out there and win projects. Sites like Sitepoint Forum are great for this. If you want to join freelance marketplace sites, you can but they sometimes charge a commission on jobs won; they can also have ridiculously low paying jobs, like a brochure for $5. The more you get your name out there and build up a client list, the more willing are other clients to sign you; when you are in-demand, people will notice and want you to do work for them as well. 
2. Network yourself. Network with people and get to know other graphic designers, go to networking events. Not only will you meet fellow graphic designers but you will also meet people who need graphic design clients who will be willing to see your work. In addition to this, you can create a blog and give helpful articles and showcase your work there as well. The more helpful your posts more people see them, the bigger your follower list becomes. You will have your choice of free blogging sites like Blogger, Wordpress, and a couple others. 
3. Get on social media. Having a business page on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and maybe other platforms like Tumblr, you can really get your work and tips out there for people to appreciate and share. Show the world what you can do in a fun and easy way like social media. 
4. Be organized. Be organized, have a filing system, have reminders and calendars. Do what you have to so you know when jobs are due and how much time you have with all your other jobs. If you start to fall behind, then your reputation can take a hit and orders can start to decline. 
5. Be dedicated. Know that your clients expect a great result and that you have to deliver it to them. It's great to deliver but it's even better to over deliver to clients. Also, keep in touch with them. 

Being a top graphic designer is hard and demanding. If you are looking for a great graphic designer, then contact Integraphix.