[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]You could post the meaning of life, but if it doesn’t include a pretty picture or a dancing puppy – no one will pay attention!
~ Trent Blizzard[/mk_blockquote]
Oh The Possibilities…
Learn to tap into your creative genius WITHOUT creative genes! These days the online world intrigues visitors and potential clients through stunning graphics and visuals. So what can you do if you have absolutely no idea how to unlock the key to Adobe Creative Cloud? It’s easy folks, use the online graphics tools that were made just for you! They will make you look like a rockstar, I promise.
DIY Graphics Tools
This is Trent’s go-to list for making awesome DIY graphics. If you like it, thank him with a comment below! Or, if you have something to add to the list – do the same!
Utility Programs are high-utility programs Trent uses every week:
- Page Ruler measures dimensions on a webscreen. A handy tool to see how big an image or a spot on a website is. How wide is that column? use Page Ruler to find out.
- Colorzilla will tell you what the HEX codes are for any colors you see on a website. The easiest way to sample and match a color.
- Awesome Screenshot takes screenshots and allows you to edit, crop, annotate and save them.
Sometimes we need to find photos or graphics to use on the blog. Stock Photography. Always obey the “attribution” rules of the photos and graphics you find using these tools:
- Creative Commons Search
- Pixabay
- Compfight
- www.dollarphotoclub.com (These cost $1)
- Canva too, cost $1, below
- iStockPhoto ($30+), Shutterstock ($10) and Fotolia ($5) have high-end photos but can be expensive.
Need to make an original graphic for a blog post, or perhaps take an existing graphic and customize it? These favorites have got you covered!
- Canva – Create Graphics (and have stock photography for $1)
- Infogr.am makes infographics
- Wordle word clouds
- PlaceIt for screenshot in mobile devices
- Balsamiq makes wireframes (free trial available)
- Pablo makes quotes for social media posts
- Google Drawings is a free-form drawing tool
- Picmonkey and Photoscape are image editing tools
Hubspot has two sets of handy “templates” that work really well (if you have powerpoint). Check them out:
These don’t fit anywhere else, but they are useful so check ’em out anyway:
- Kuler Color Palate / Theme tool
- Tineye to find image use and misuse
- Google Fonts has hundreds of fonts I can download or use on my website
Making your business shine online doesn’t have to be rocket science, it just takes a little time and effort on your part. So set aside an hour to comb through this list and get started now. Go. Now. Just do it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]