How To Create Branded Visuals In Photoshop For Effective Marketing – Branding and visual identity are all around us. If you look closely, you will find them on websites, product packaging and various types of advertisements. Even personal items, such as documents and business cards, have some form of identification.
Simply put, a brand is what others think: about you, your company, your product or your service. Visual identity is what that brand looks like, from your logo to your color scheme and much more.
How To Create Branded Visuals In Photoshop For Effective Marketing
Strong images can be very convincing. Think about your own experience as a consumer. Have you ever chosen a product because it looked nice to you? Understanding visual identity can help you make more informed design decisions, regardless of your role, medium or skill level.
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A visual identity is like a preview of your brand. Each part of your design is a clue that tells the viewer what to expect. Your aesthetic can be traditional, modern or slightly different: every brand is different. No matter what, all your design elements work together to show exactly what your brand stands for.
Of course, it’s not all business. You can apply the concept of identity to almost any project, including personal design. Whether you’re updating your resume or improving your blog, there are many benefits to having a consistent visual style.
Some companies use an actual style guide to keep their branding consistent. If you’re just starting out with design, it’s okay to take a more relaxed approach.
A logo is what identifies your brand using a specific logo, font, or both. The most effective logos are usually quite simple: something your audience will recognize and remember.
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Every element of your logo contributes to your brand identity, including your font choices, colors and other imagery. Change even one of these factors and it can have a huge impact on how your brand is perceived.
In practice, logos are everywhere. You will find them in business environments, but also beyond, and represent small companies, freelancers and other entrepreneurs. A logo is a lot like a literal brand: it’s the way people recognize you and identify your product or service.
Therefore, it is important to use it wisely. A logo that is pixelated, distorted, or too small to read can give viewers the wrong impression. Below are some examples of low quality files.
To combat this, it is best to keep a digital master copy that is sharp, high quality, and large enough for any project. That way, you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way, whether it’s a small print job or something much, much larger.
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Color helps define your brand in a very powerful way. It not only has a strong impact on the viewer, but also creates a sense of unity when used on multiple projects or platforms.
Most brands get their primary colors directly from the company logo. Additional colors allow you to expand your primary color palette and further define your brand’s personality and style.
There are many ways to use brand colors. Be careful not to go overboard or ignore generally accepted design standards. Good use of color is all about moderation.
Avoid common pitfalls, such as colors that vibrate or distract viewers from your work. For example, in the image below, the text clashes with the background, making it difficult to read.
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Make sure to include neutral elements in your color scheme, such as black, gray, white, or off-white. That way, when you use your brand colors, they really stand out.
Text is one of the simpler aspects of identity, but it can be surprisingly expressive. All it takes is a different font and you can subtly (or not so subtly) change the look of your brand.
Most brands choose two to three fonts – often inspired by the logo – for simple, everyday use. Creative fonts should also be chosen carefully and reflect your unique visual identity.
There are certain fonts that professionals know to avoid: fonts that were once popular but are now considered outdated and excessive. The fonts below are infamous examples.
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When in doubt, a timeless, understated font is less likely to detract from your message. Your font choice should complement your brand, yet be current and professional.
Photos play a big role in building a unique identity. Every image, image, icon and button is an opportunity to showcase your brand and shape the way it is perceived.
In professional environments, images are usually created specifically for the brand; for example, images in a catalog or images in an app. If you don’t have the luxury of this, you can achieve similar results by choosing images with a subtle continuous line; for example, a signature color or a similar style.
Most importantly, avoid photos that feel generic or clearly staged. This is difficult if you rely on third-party stock, but there are ways to differentiate your brand.
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Avoid images that lack context or are common in other brands’ designs. Take the photo below. Some viewers may find it disturbing due to the forced poses and artificial backgrounds.
Instead, choose photos that look authentic and feature real people, places and things. The best photos are an embodiment of your unique perspective. They represent how you want to be perceived when people think of your brand.
Visual identity is not just a marketing tool. It’s a way of looking at design that takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. With a clear vision of your brand, you know exactly which colors, fonts and images to use. You can create consistent pieces that your audience will remember. Your logo is the first impression of your brand as a whole and the commitment you have to quality and brand. A brand is based more on images than words, just as an image says more about an object than its description.
Adobe Photoshop is a graphic design tool. Consider this blog a handy step-by-step guide to any logo design process.
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Our Photoshop logo design tutorial is for a fully updated, purchased Adobe product, but the instructions may also work on other free options with a similar toolset and user interface. Other versions of Photoshop have the same set of tools, but may be in a different location.
Learning how to create logos in Photoshop with an expensive Adobe subscription isn’t all it takes for a small business logo project. Always consider cost-effective options.
Once you’re happy with your decision, go to the Adobe website and select a subscription to purchase Photoshop (or get a seven-day free trial). We recommend the Photoshop plan starting at $20.99/month.
You can also buy the full Adobe Creative Cloud bundle for $54.99/month, with discounts on more than 20 apps and 100 GB of cloud storage.
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Adobe Creative Cloud includes Adobe Illustrator, one of the best tools for vector graphics and print design, and Adobe Lightroom – a useful photo editing tool.
“The most important thing to consider when you start designing a logo is who your audience is.” It is important that your logo resonates with your target group, but it must also tell who you are as a brand!
Another thing to remember: keep it simple, but unique! Your logo should give your audience a good idea of who you are, but you don’t want it to tell your entire brand story. Your logo should also contain a unique element so that people can easily recognize your company.
This Photoshop logo tutorial walks you through the menu bar, options bar, dashboard, and editing windows, to keep things simple.
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Before you create a new document, you’ll see a set of editing tools on the left side of your Photoshop workspace. From top to bottom, the dividing lines separate their functions:
These tools are similar in most digital graphics software programs. Familiarize yourself with the Move Tool, Pen Tool, Shape Tool, and Text Tool as these are the main elements used for any logo idea.
Open Photoshop, go to the main menu – File > New and create a new Photoshop document. To create custom dimensions, name the project and select a custom document from the drop-down menu.
Then choose your canvas size. We use the default size of 500 x 500 pixels, but you can increase the size of your logo. Click OK and you should see a new white box: that’s your canvas. Change your canvas size at any time if you think you need more space.
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To make your life easier, go to the main menu bar – Window > Workspace and select Essentials or Reset Essentials to the original Photoshop workspace.
Then go to View > Show and enable Grid & Smart Guides. Finally, go to View > Click and select Grid. You should now see a square grid on your new canvas, allowing you to create a measured logo shape.
Next you need a new separate layer. Keep the background layer (the original canvas) intact to maintain a uniform white background for your drawings.
At the bottom right of the Layers view, click the Create New Layer button (a page icon with a collapsed corner) and select the new layer by clicking its name in the Layers window.
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To learn how to create a transparent logo in Photoshop, simply remove the background layer when you’re done and export your file without