Graphic design tools for 2022 with our Senior Designer, Tony

We caught up with Tony, our Senior Designer to talk about his favourite graphic design tools and tips for 2022.

Wondering what the difference is between RGB and CMYK? Looking for typography inspiration? Struggling to find the best way to design 3D renders? Don’t worry, Tony is here to help you out.

Hi Tony! Tell us a bit about your role as Senior Designer at Printed.com

As Senior Designer, I provide creative assets for the Marketing Team. I love being involved in the larger creative projects, whether that’s designing an exhibition stand for a trade show or editing videos to showcase our customers stories. I’m also heavily involved in the social media output – you’ve probably seen my animation work on Facebook or Instagram!

Meet Tony!

What got you into graphic design in the first place?

When I was younger, I did a lot of experimenting with painting apps (shoutout to the OG, Deluxe Paint!). This inspired me to peruse a career in digital art and design. I really found my feet with design at college, and shortly after I managed to get my first job at a local multi-media company.

What creative tools could you not live without and why?

The main platform for me is Adobe Creative Cloud. It offers industry standard apps for just about every aspect of design. Outside of that, I really enjoy using Cinema 4D for 3D work. When it comes to inspiration, Pinterest and Behance are my go-to’s. Typography wise, Typewolf and Type01 are great and Coolors is brilliant for colour schemes.

What emerging graphic design tools should creative small businesses be aware of?

Adobe Creative Cloud Apps

In this day and age, the design scene is constantly evolving. There are apps for all skill levels and budgets. Canva is popular with beginners and has made graphic design more accessible by offering a library of assets that can be dragged-and-dropped into a variety of templates. More recently, Adobe Creative Cloud Express has caught my eye and is sure to help businesses get off the ground without paying expensive subscriptions.

What are some of your top do’s and don’ts when it comes to designing for print?

I think most non-designers struggle a little when it comes to designing for print. The three main considerations are bleed, resolution and colour:

Bleed

The design needs to be set up slightly larger than the final document. When printing, the extra area around the design (the bleed) is trimmed down to the final document size. This process prevents the final product from having unsightly white lines around the border.

Image Resolution

You generally need high-quality images (usually 300 dpi) when designing for print. Images that are took from the internet are generally low-quality (72 dpi), and can print poorly as a result.

Colour

When it comes to colour, it’s important to understand the difference between designing for screen and designing for print. Computers, tablets and phones use RGB (red, green and blue) light to display colour, while print uses CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) ink to print colours. This is why corresponding colours look slightly different on paper versus the bright colour of a computer or mobile.

You work on a lot of animation for Printed.com, how do you think graphic design for social will evolve in 2022?

For me, the number one way to cut through the clutter and stop the never-ending social media scroll is to introduce motion (stop motion is a personal favourite). TikTok is a a phenomenon at the moment with its low-fi user generated content achieving huge viewing figures. It’s a great opportunity for companies big and small to get creative.

And lastly, what do you love most about what you do?

The thing I like most being a Designer is the variety. Every day is different. Every day is an opportunity to try something new. The design industry is constantly changing, and I love learning new skills and techniques to help the team achieve its goals!

Now it’s over to you! Ready to put your design game-face on with these inspiring graphic design tools and tips?

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