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We have another Psd Premium tutorial exclusively available to Premium members today. If you want to take your Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign integration skills to the next level, then we have an exciting promotional mailer for you. It’s also focused on making a creative print project come to life on a budget. Learn more at the jump!
This Premium Tutorial is Filled with Creative Tips
Working within a limited budget is a discipline that every designer must master – especially in the current economic climate. Knowing how to squeeze every last drop from a tight budget and still produce something eye catching requires some understanding of different printing techniques.
In this tutorial, we’ll forget about expensive four-color printing and limit ourselves to just one spot color – black! Working in black-and-white is more challenging and also imposes limits on the design process – done right, its simplicity and stark contrast will capture and engage the viewer.
As well as rediscovering the beauty of monochrome, you’ll also add a clear, gloss spot UV varnish to selective areas; this will have the effect of highlighting and drawing attention to parts of the design when the printed piece is moved under different light conditions. So, as a perfect example to showcase these techniques, I briefed myself to design an A5, double-sided, self-promotional mailer.
As far a techniques go, you’ll learn how to use an additional Alpha channel to create the spot varnish artwork; then create your own geometric pattern library with Illustrator. Next we’ll show you how to bring everything together with InDesign. Finally, you’ll get to grips with preflighting your artwork with InDesign and Acrobat Professional – ensuring it’s error-free and printer-friendly.
Premium members can Log in and Download! If you’re not a member, you can of course join today! Below is the final image we’ll be creating in this tutorial.
Professional and Detailed Instructions Inside
Premium members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from this tutorial.
PSD Premium Membership
As you know, we run a premium membership system here called ‘Premium’ that costs $19 a month which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! You’ll also get access to Net Premium and Vector Premium, too. If you’re a Premium member, you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!
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By Mark Mayers
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outcome looks ok, no wows, i’m sure the techniques covered inside are worth seeing
Sounds gud!!!!
Sweet!
hey please check out my tutorial site i need suggestions!
hazystudio.com
looks intresting…
need to try that ;D
so is “less is more” an intentionally ironic headline on this cluster F*K collage?
I like the vomiting Zebra :)
Oh hey Jaznot, I really like the tutorials that you have done. It’s also really cool that you are so committed to improving the internet that you created your own Gravatar and you link to your own website so when you flame someone else’s tutorial they can look at your astounding work and see that, clearly, you are an authoritative voice on design. Thanks for all you do.
Laugh #1 for the day, thanks Matt – that was awesome :)
it’s his opinion, what’s with the livid words on your end?
i do agree with you on the no link, no effort approach of this guy though, but still, if someone doesn’t like something you have no right to attack them.
and i know how we have a rough history on this site (hopefully we’re becoming more amicable), but I’ve actually written a tutorial now, so I know how you feel. It’s on photoshoptutorials.ws (twister in the city) if you care to see it.
Aevion is right, I need to loosen up. It just makes me so angry when people are rude. I’ve offered constructive critiques, but I don’t just post “Crap. Hate it. Artist sucks” haha
Maybe I need to just start ignoring that stuff and focus on contributing to the conversation myself.
I’ll check your tut out Aevion, congrats on being published! It’s a very accomplished feeling (at least it was for me).
I thought that comment was funny. not sure if offense was meant.
I too agree the headline is ironic but the overall outcome does have a nice structure. I wouldn’t go as far as cluster-f.
another that inspiring me!!
Great Tut. Keep them coming!
What is the name of that bold font?
I’d like to know that too. :P. Someone help?
I think it’s MOD.
http://fontfabric.com/?p=396
I like the vomiting zebra, too.
Though I do wish that a tut like this was available for free…
The plus tutorial you say……..doh!
How is that “Less if more” ? It’s like the complete opposite.
I believe he is referring to the fact that less color in this case is more and probably not the elements it took to create. However, it really isn’t using a ton of different elements as one might expect in a typical collage. But that’s just my opinion.
it is looking to be very interesting
i need to try it soon,
So simple, yet so cool. Inspires me for sure! Thanks for posting this thing (even when I’m a bit late discovering it).
Love to see more of this stuff!
I think this is the font, it’s called MOD, you can get it for free from here
http://fontfabric.com/?p=396
This tutorial is looking so great. I really hope that I can squeeze some time in my day, today to do some damage on it.
Thanks for all the comments, although some of the negative ones may have missed the whole point of the tutorial (read the introduction); using a single spot colour is much more involved than using CMYK inks; and how to make a Spot UV Varnish printing plate is a subject not really covered elsewhere as far as I know.
Mark