30 Amazing graphic design tips you should know

1. Use a limited number of fonts

‍An important graphic design tip for beginners is never overdo the number of designs on one project. Use limited fonts to make your designs come across as professional and sophisticated. It is recommended to use three fonts or fewer in a single project.

Bombarding your canvas with several fonts gives of amateur vibe. Your designs will lack consistency and show people that not a lot of thought has gone into the planning process. Pre-determined fonts are vital for branding and it's always best to deciding on your fonts before diving into the design process.

2. Adjust the size and height of the text

Text size and height should never be ignored. Take some time to play around with the text that is overlaid on an image by increasing or decreasing the line height and letter size. This helps create a “box effect” to give your images a neat look.

By neglecting this tip, you're missing out on a useful element. Correctly formatted text can draw attention to certain words or phrases that you want to highlight.

3. Use contrasting fonts

‍The main goal of every design is to capture attention. Pairing two contrasting fonts like bold sans serif and cursive will instantly make your image stand out.

That's not all. Displaying a single consistent font throughout the design makes it difficult to decide which parts of the text are most important and need to be highlighted.

4. Don’t be afraid to add large objects

‍Bold, in-your-face objects tend to attract more attention than smaller, less noticeable ones. In case your design has numerous objects, try to make the principal object larger than the others and scale all elements such as the text, elements, and buttons.

Small objects and shapes may go unnoticed or get overshadowed by other elements of the design.

5. Space out letters

In design, something as small as the space between letters can affect the way viewers respond to your image. Make sure letters are well spaced out to make the design easy on the eyes.

When letters are placed too close together, it can affect readability. Potential customers aren't going to spend time trying to decipher a text that is cluttered and hard to read. They will simply move on and you will lose your chance of creating a conversion.

6. Use contrasting colors

As with contrasting fonts, contrasting colors can make quite an impact. You don't need proof to say that they make your design eye-catching, impressive, and helps make a statement. If you have established brand colors, choosing to contrasting ones from your brand kit will work. Otherwise, you can experiment with whatever colors you like and decide what's best for your design.

Colors that blend may look aesthetically calm, but they will take the oomph factor away from your image.

7. Optimize empty spaces

Believe it or not, having empty spaces can work in your favor sometimes. Blank spaces draw attention to the small area of text or design on the image. They make the design cleaner and more focused.

This tip is especially useful for images with one definite message. A cluttered image that has a lot going on at the same time will distract viewers from the main message.

8. Be consistent

‍Staying consistent helps to tie the design together and is vital in conveying the theme and vibe of the whole image. Before you get started, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your image to look like. Be it the typography size, spacing, color shades or elements - be consistent!

Ignoring this rule of design can make your work look unprofessional and amateur. Messy images are not easy on the eyes and viewers will definitely move on to something more aesthetic.

9. Take advantage of flat designs

3D elements are great! But don't underestimate the power of flat designs. These 2D images have made a comeback in recent years and are an excellent choice for beginners just finding their way around the design space.

Creating 3D images and incorporating them into your design can take a lot of time, especially if you don't know how to use them right.

10. Structure your text

‍Any text that appears on your design must be correctly structured using the alignment tools to make it visually pleasing.

Neglecting this design tips gives your design a messy, unpolished look that will surely fail to impress customers. It also affects readability which will result in less conversions.

11. Use project-specific icons

‍Using icons unique to your brand can give your images an authentic, professional look. If the message of your design permits, you can use world famous logos such as Netflix and Twitter to make it more relatable. You can also use any icons that suit your brand. Icons can be colored or black and white, in a flat design or 3D.

While adding icons is not compulsory, they do wonders for establishing brand voice and recognition.

12. Make the most of lines

‍Other than icons, graphic designers can use lines as a useful element. Lines can compartmentalize your design and make it more organized to create interest in customers. They can also be used in product photos to point out features of items.

There is no hard and fast rule to use lines in design. However, they can add a different touch to your images.

13. Maintain a consistent color palette

‍This rule is a must for any company or agency with an established brand strategy. Having a consistent color palette makes the design process quicker and easier and gives your designs a sense of professionalism. It also makes your brand recognizable to customers. If your design strategy does not include contrasting colors, deciding on a color palette for that set of designs is a good idea.

Picking random colors makes your designs look tacky and tasteless. To add to that, inconsistency in campaigns and promotional pieces will affect the success of company goals.

14. Create a visual hierarchy

Sometimes, images say it all - no text needed! Creating specific types of images that depend on visual clarity like comparison images can deliver your message in an instant.

Humans have a very short attentions span of just a few seconds. Reading text might put them off. They may not want to take the time and effort to read what you have to offer. However, if you can convey your message in an instant, they will most likely stick around.

15. Adjust background transparency to make the text stand out

Text and images don't always work well together.  If you want to add an image as the background, it may overshadow the text. To avoid this, you can adjust the transparency of the background to make it less conspicuous.

Neglecting to follow this top may result in a messy image that drives viewers away. The text will be illegible and will fail to deliver the required message.

16. Keep your target audience in mind

Besides branding, there is something else you need to keep in mind when creating designs - your target audience. Make sure your designs speak to the relevant audience and are appropriate for them. If you are designing a promotional ad for a kid's workshop, the overall look will be colorful, fun and educational. However, if you want to create an ad for a university degree, the tone should cater more towards collage students.

If you do not address your target audience clearly through your designs, you will lose existing customers as well as fail to bring in new ones. The messaging will be unclear and your design will not resonate with the desired audience.

17. Simplicity is the best

As much as you feel the need to go all out with your designs, sometimes a minimalistic look is the best way to go. A simple image highlights the core message of your design and may prove to be more effective than a flashy one.

An image with a lot going on may not always have the effect you want. If there are many elements involved they may distract viewers from the features that really matter.

18. Identify the theme or vibe before you start

Before you get started make sure you are aware of the theme or vibe of the design. This will keep your workflow more organized and efficient. Whether you're going for a retro look or maybe a monochromatic theme, pre-determining the layout, element and color scheme will definitely help.

Diving into the process without being fully aware of the theme results in an amateur design that portrays no specific theme. This can be seriously damaging to your company, especially it is expected to have a strong brand voice.

19. Stick font families together

‍To spice up the text on your design, take font families into consideration. Take the effort to find fonts that work together brilliantly.  For example, Helvetica bold and Italic make a great pair. This will help you create variants in the font family that can even be saved for future projects.

Using complementary fonts makes your image more interesting and shows your viewers you have good taste in design.

20. Analyze competitors

‍All your design efforts will go to waste if your competitors' images are more captivating than yours. To fully understand what your image requires, conduct sufficient research by looking at published content of your competitors.

If you are not aware of the required standard of your designs, you will most likely fail to meet them. This will result in a waste of time and energy and an image that does not convert.

21. Be bold

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Opt for bold typography, out-of-the-box ideas and creative designs. Going bold can be as simple as using contrasting colors for dramatic effect, uniquely placed texts or whatever you choose to make your designs speak loudly.

Sticking to the same style of design makes viewers lose interest in your designs after some time. Visuals are a way a company connects with their audience. This means that their style and images need to evolve or go through rebranding phases in order to keep their audience engaged.

22. It’s good to be different

‍You don’t follow trends? That’s completely ok. The best graphic design tip anyone can ever give you is to be yourself. Be original in your designs. You can set a new trend by becoming the one who is followed and not the one following. Find a loophole that helps you stand out and have recognizable content published each day.

While there is nothing wrong with following design trends that are popular at the moment, it is always advisable to make your content unique and stand out in the industry.

23. Be aesthetic while you can

‍Aesthetics are everything in design. Having an aesthetically balanced design means ensuring alignment between the images, background, text and other elements. This makes your design pleasing to the eye.

No one likes to look at poorly designed images. Following this tip in all your graphic designs is a no-brainer.

24. Transparency

‍Using transparent fonts can change the opacity levels of the text for better aesthetic appeal. It's a simple effect but boosts creativity tenfold if used right.

25. Be messy, be creative

‍Creativity in graphic design requires getting out of your comfort zone. A creative tip for graphic designers would be to experiment! Use multiple fonts, try out rotation, fading text and other effects to figure out what works best for you!

26. Create a list of your best ideas

Not only will this save you time and energy, but it also guarantees a variety of content for your channel. Carry a doodle notebook wherever you go or even use your phone to jot down notes.

Not following this tip will result in you losing a lot of valuable ideas. It also makes you less organized which sets back your entire workflow.

27. Keep on top of your game with daily practice

Just like everything in life, there are good design days and there are bad ones. It’s a continuous learning process which takes time and practice. Each design you create contributes to your experience and makes you better at what you do.

Irregular practice slows down your learning process. Having long spells between designs can make you lose touch with the designer in you.

28. Take short breaks

‍Every once in a while you may reach your limit and run out of even the simplest ideas. That's ok. If you ever feel burnt out, try taking a walk even if it's for 5 mins. Get a glass of water or a coffee and give yourself time to mentally recharge.

Hard work is impressive. Overwork is damaging. Don't push yourself too hard because we all need a break to get back stronger.

29. Have your own rules, be your own boss

‍You might just want to plaster this tip all over your workspace. There can be multiple graphic design tips and ticks but there are no rules for design. Each designer deserves to be authentically themselves. It is ok to keep the trends in mind, but twisting them for your own good helps you stay original and unique.

30. Be you ‍

Surpassing all 29 points mentioned above, this graphic design tip should always be on your mind! Be authentic. Don’t lose your creativity and unique ways for the sake of trying to imitate everyone else. There is only one you. Stand out. Be you!

How to use Glorify for graphic design

You've read a whole lot of tips on how to create amazing graphic designs. Now it's time to try them out for yourself. There are countless design tools on the market but choosing the best graphic designing software can be a challenge.

Glorify is an easy-to-use design tool with advanced features for professionals and simple features for beginners. With a focus on ECommerce, we offer countless features that make the design process efficient and easy for entrepreneurs, marketers, designers or any creative individual. Take a look at some of the features you can use to create designs:

1. Background remover tool - This AI powered tool automatically removes backgrounds from images in a few seconds. You can also manually select the areas you want to get rid of.

2. Template libraries - Glorify's template libraries are stocked with thousands of pre-designed, customizable templates ready for use. Templates are categorized according to their niche or theme. Libraries are consistently growing with new designs added every week. You can also create your own designs from scratch.

3. Icons and stock images - You can choose between thousands of icons and stock images to use in your designs.

4. Mockups and mockup scenes - These hyper realistic 3D objects are designed by experts to bring any design to life. They are fully customizable, allowing you to add your own branding, logo and designs with ease. Mockups by Glorify caters to a range of industries to target different ECommerce enthusiasts.

5. Brand Kits - This allows you to center all your branding assets in one place to make the design process easy and efficient.

6. Logo maker - You can choose from thousands of logo templates based on your industry and key words. These templates are fully customizable allowing you to create logo variations for different branding purposes.

These are just a few of the features that Glorify has to offer with many more to come. If you are curious about what's in store for you, check out our ambitious roadmap.

To Conclude

Graphic designing requires a lot of work and patience. But with the right mindset, creativity and practice, you can ace it! We hope that these amazing graphic design tips compiled by professionals will help you step up your design game.

Ready to begin your design journey? Then let's get started!

Top 30 Amazing Graphic Design Tips You Should Know: FAQs

1. What qualities should a graphic designer have?

Here are the top 6 qualities a graphic designer must have:

1. Creative and imaginative

2. Consistent in design color palette, size and spacing

3. Problem solving abilities

4. Ready to learn and accept changes

5. Views feedback as constructive criticism

6. Have patience to learn

2. How much do professional graphic designers charge?

The cost of a graphic designer depends on the type of work. Generally, the hourly rate stands at about $85–$100 USD.

3. How can I make my graphics look professional?

Pair contrasting fonts , match colors with the designs, use grids for images, add transparent icons and texts, illustrate information with shapes and icons, maintain spacing, etc. Read the article above for more tips and advice.

4. What techniques do graphic designers use?

There are several techniques used depending on the designer. The most commonly used techniques are contrast, gradients, image-based story telling, animations and more technical aspects such as kerning, symmetry, negative space and padding.

5. What are the 5 most important skills for graphic designers?

Graphic designers need to be multi-talented individuals with a variety of skills. However, 5 of the absolute essential skills are design principles, creativity, typography, branding and color theory.

6. What are the 7 elements of graphic design?

The 7 basic elements of graphic design are shape, color, line , form, texture, value and space.

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