Making Graphics The Simple Way

Making Graphics The Simple Way

by | Little things, Webhelp

I am leaving this post online as a legacy post. In the years intervening since 2015 and now, I had to make a decision between using Picmonkey and Canva.

Canva won, and I have not looked back. Canva grew into a very powerful program for making all sorts of graphics. I no longer use Picmonkey.

Making My Graphics

Since making my own graphics became really important to blogging, I used to spend large blocks of time with photoshop or paint shop pro trying to get something that looked professional.

I didn’t always succeed.

Today there are so many fabulous apps for turning your photos and graphics into something spectacular in almost no time at all.

Picmonkey Graphics

The one I have been using lately is PicMonkey and I upgraded to their premium “Royale” membership, although it is very economical and gives good results to use their site for free, too. Especially good if you want to test it out before investing your money.

I signed up for $33.00 a year, which I think is a great value. They have so many elements, fonts, and papers that it saves loads of time look or trying to make them for your pictures.

I have only made a few so far, but I think the Picmonkey graphics are really an asset to my pages. View one here, my Urban Gardening page. It is grungy, and has a cool font for the text that is one of many in the editing program. The overlay makes it look like those vintage, upscale photo effects that professional photographers sometimes use.

The Learning Curve

All graphics editors have a learning curve, but this program makes it fun and easy, and there are plenty of tutorial on their blog and from users on youtube.

While I’ve used other programs, this one is something I will be spending time mastering so I can quickly create updated feature photos for my blog (one of the things that most needs improvement on my garden blog. Blurry enlarged pictures just won’t do!

That reminds me of another feature I like in the Picmonkey program: the three easy sizing options. I used the smallest file size, resolution option for my web use. Next I plant to try out bigger files saved for printing purposes and see how that works. That means I can make a printable or my own Christmas cards. (Without having to open a whole new program).

 

How To Use Picmonkey

That is the latest and greatest from my experimentations… view the video to see how easy this is to use.

http://youtu.be/FDM-E1kWZrQ

Try it out and come back to tell me how you have been making graphics, or if this is your first effort.

Was it easy for you? did you get the result you were hoping for? How do you use this program… to make a card? for twitter or facebook? On your own blog? Let me know.

Gimp Tips

by | Notes

Since I use my Mac laptop for most of my work, I switched from my old Photoshop program to Gimp. Needing to make a graphic for one of my posts, here, I wanted some free brushes to use for the illustration. But how to insert Photoshop brushes into the Gimp program? It was simple once I learned how. Here is the link Basically you find the brushes folder inside of Gimp through ‘Finder’, then drop them in and restart Gimp. I did it, but needed the walkthrough with illustrations. Found some tips for using the program, too. Inside the Gimp.org site, of all places. Enrich My Gimp Have fun learning.  

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