Design a Graphic...In a Pinch

Ever have a hard time getting the right image for your email marketing campaigns? Ever thought about creating it yourself but you were too afraid to do it? I know, I struggle sometimes too but I've got a workaround that might help you out. All you need for this is Powerpoint or Google Docs (which is free) and your computer!

Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer

The first trick is to make an image from anything you see on your screen. Here's how you do it.

Mac: "Shift + Command + 4" gets you cross hairs, then just click and ›drag over the area you want to take a picture of and it makes a camera clicking sound. It's saved as a PNG called "Picture 1" or "2" or how ever many you already have. Click on the icon on your desktop and it will open up, then click "Save As" in your "File" menu and save it with the format of JPEG. You've just created your own image without any expensive software!

PC: This seems a bit trickier, but it's probably because I'm a PC moron.

Press "alt + print screen" which copies the active window to your clipboard. Go to "start>all programs>accessories>paint" and paste contents into a new paint window (control + v). In paint you can select the portion of the image and crop it, then save it as a jpg. Thanks to Paul our Customer Service Manager for that one...whew!

Want to take it further?

Drag your new image into PPT if you have it or insert your image into FREE Google Docs under Presentation and create something even further. Got a great picture from the web but need copy to go with it? Type copy in a text box in either of these programs then take another picture and repeat step 1. You've just become a graphic designer. (Ok not totally).

Here's an example...

I was creating fake logos and graphics for our all new pre-designed layouts in our Email Canvas tool. That's right, if you use one of these, chances are it's designed by myself or Carol, our Direct Marketing Manager. I needed a "No Sushi" graphic for the sushi haters and a "Downtown Sushi" logo.

I simply used the fancy "NO" symbol already available in PPT (you can find these images free on the web I'm sure), made it red, typed in "No Sushi" into a text box, then moved the text box over the symbol. Then I took a picture and saved it as a jpg. Voila.

For my Downtown Sushi logo I typed the words "Downtown Sushi" and found an image of a single piece of sushi. I took a picture of the sushi then positioned it right below the copy. I duplicated and arranged it 7 times then I matched the words with the color of the sushi.

Then I took a picture of the final outcome. Pro-fessional!

Check this out, I needed a graphic about Josh for a blog post. I dragged his image onto PPT, used the "balloon" graphic from PPT (again I'm sure you can find these images free on the web) and typed copy into a text box, then snapped a picture and saved it.

Cheesy? Maybe, but I got what I needed without having to bug our designers. Got a workaround that lends itself to marketing? Bring it on!

Comments

[Paul]

I guess it depends on the impression you are trying to create. If you want a cheap and tacky look and feel then go for the cheap and tacky option. If you want a more luxurious experience, then be prepared to shell out a few bucks and get a graphic designer to do a little work for you. You only get what you pay for and first impressions count.

Here are some other resources you might find useful:

http://www.sxc.hu/
Free images - not just royalty free but ACTUALLY free. And they are pretty good too. Double check their T's & C's but 99% of images can be used without restriction as they have been donated by the photographer.

http://irfanview.com/
Its like "paint" for the PC as mentioned in your post but with a lot more bells and whistles. Plus its free too.

Innovative use of PPT btw ;)

[Colin White]

I have been designing my own logos lately using a free online font effects tool called Cool Text (www.cooltext.com). Cool Text lets you select from many different fonts, effects, color options, etc. to build nifty character-based logos and headlines, without having to beg the local Photoshop prima donna.

[Anna Billstrom]

It's important to note attribution- who uploaded/created the art- and note that in your copy, as well as getting permission. Or, make sure the art is usable and free by the person who created it. There's been a rash of stolen photos and art on the web. Flickr does a good job of informing the viewer of the creative rights for each photo. Especially nefarious are screen shots, where artists can't protect their work unless they use a big ugly watermark.