Monthly Archives: April 2012

Your image is all about the associations your clients make with your products, so why not make each piece a work of art? This collection of six 16×20 vector mats with image-ready layer are perfect for wall art, album covers and cards. Best of all, these patterned mats are fully layered, so instead of a flat graphic you can customize elements and colors of these lovely designs until your hearts content.

PERFECT FOR:
• Large canvases
• Albums or image box covers
• Marketing and advertising
• Special events
• Newborn decor
• Save the date cards
• Framed collages and canvases

Special thanks to White Linen Photography, Sheryll Lynne Photographers and Leesia Teh Photography for providing the amazing images!

Click here to see them in the shop!

These templates are simple, fun, and so easy to use!  First, let’s take a look at what came in your download folder.

JPEG_PREVIEWS – This folder contains a preview of each of the templates

PHOTOSHOP_FILES – This folder contains the templates you will be using in Photoshop.

read_me_pretty_please_template_copyright.pdf – This file contains a quick word on copyright.

tutorial – This file contains a link to what you’re reading now.

GETTING STARTED

These templates were limited to approximately 16×20 @ 300 dpi to speed up  the download time.

If you would like to up-size the the collage please do so before running the action and inserting your images.  This will yield a much better quality print.

Simply go to Image–>Image Size–> in Photoshop and make sure that “Constrain Proportions” is checked.

While these files are delivered ready to be made as 16×20 prints, you can feel free to get creative and customize the templates to make folded cards, canvases, photo album covers, etc. as we show in our examples.

SOFTWARE YOU WILL NEED

These templates are designed for Adobe Photoshop 7 or newer. This is not to say that they don’t work with previous versions – they very well may. The files are layered, fully editable PSDs that offer literally limitless opportunity for customization and creativity.

In order to take full advantage of these templates, you should be relatively proficient in Photoshop. Not an expert, mind you. But you should have a general knowledge of layers, shapes, text and image manipulation such as using the transform tool, layer masks, etc.

If you are less familiar with Photoshop, don’t fear. We will try to be as thorough as possible with the tutorial – and hey, you might just learn something new!

WILL THESE TEMPLATES WORK WITH PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS?

We have included a link to a complimentary ungrouping action within your receipt email so that you can edit this template in Photoshop Elements. We recommend having a strong knowledge in Elements before attempting to add the action and edit the template.

For our samples we used the following fonts:

League Script Thin
Sverige Script Demo
ClementePDaa
Ostrich Sans
KG Strawberry Limeade
Peach Sundress

The fonts we use in our designs are usually freeware or shareware fonts available on the internet.  We cannot include the fonts in your download because they are protected under copyright.  However you can download them directly from their creators.   We find that if you type in the name of the font into your favorite search engine you will come up with several download sources. However, you can also easily substitute these with any font you have already.

INSERTING IMAGES

It’s easy. Simply do the following:

1. Open the template (.psd file) you would like to insert your images into with Photoshop.

2. Select the layer you would like to place your image into in your LAYERS palette, it will be called “IMAGE LAYER”.

3. Open the image you would like to place here into Photoshop. FILE ->OPEN from the top menu in Photoshop.

4. Select the MOVE tool (Keyboard shortcut “V”) from your TOOLS palette.

5. Drag the image onto the collage template. It should now appear directly above “IMAGE LAYER 1″ in your LAYERS palette.

6. Now, choose LAYER -> MAKE CLIPPING MASK from the top menu in Photoshop. This will insure that your image will only appear in the frame which you intended.

7. If your image does not completely fill the frame, or is too large in the frame, you will need to resize it. To do this, choose EDIT->FREE TRANSFORM->SCALE from the top menu in Photoshop (Keyboard shortcut “Control+T” or “Apple+T” on a Mac).

8. Hold down the Shift key while dragging out (or in) the handles that appear on the edges of your photograph.

9. When you are happy with your photo’s position, press “Enter”.

Repeat this step for any subsequent image layers.

5)) Go back to your Larger Than Life Template, and choose EDIT->PASTE INTO (or COMMAND+SHIFT+V).

Yes, you can remove, rearrange, or change the elements in these templates because of the fact that they are delivered in layered PSD format. You can also change the color or remove the backgrounds, which is great for matching the color of a particular image.

Simply click on the layer you would like to rearrange, select the “Move” tool, and drag it.  If you want to move both the image and the frame, you’ll need to select one in the layers palette, then COMMAND+click any additional layers before moving them around.

CHANGING THE COLOR OF A DESIGN ELEMENT

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So there you have it, you are well on your way to creating fabulous new materials for your studio.  These templates are great for framed prints, canvases, marketing materials, book designs, cards… the possibilities are endless!  Keep creating!

Today we have a great example of how to use the Photo Overlays in creative ways. This wedding tree was made using the Engagement Photo Overlays: Haute Romance and printed through ProDPI. Instead of a guestbook (or in addition to), guests simply add their fingerprint and name to create a lovely piece of art to hang on the newlyweds’ wall.

Have you made something fantastic using our templates? Want to be featured on the Design Aglow blog in all of your creative glory? Well we want to feature you and love to see what you are creating with our products!

Please send your 8h x 12w @ 72 dpi images of finished products to us here. If you have more than one image, we would like you to put it in a zipped folder before you upload. The best part? If we use your images on the blog, you will receive a $75 credit.

Here are some great tips for successful product photos:
• use good, natural light, a simple background and avoid glares
• prop up flat pieces, like cards, instead of laying them flat on a table
• use a variety of angles and crops
• sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. oh – did we say sharp?
• avoid using too many props; some props can add a nice pop of color, but products can get lost very fast with tons of props

We can’t wait to see what you have to show us. Get sharing!

Today we have a fun share from Becky of B2 Photography. She writes, “I really wanted to create an online pricing guide that clients could flip through rather than sending them files through email or a paper copy. I used the Sweet Child of Mine Brochure to create a bright and colorful guide for my potential clients and customized the patterns in the guide to match the patterns and colors used in my blog and branding. I host the PDF file on my site and send clients the link to view the document.

It was so easy to alter the product to have it match my brand that it looks like it was made just for me! I love how it makes my job so easy and quick when referring my clients to all the information they need before booking a session, I even customized one for newborn sessions too!”

Thanks for the great share, Becky! Enjoy your $75 gift certificate on us~

Today’s share comes to us from Jennifer of Jennifer Halen Photography. She writes, “Creating my custom Size Sample Wall was a piece of cake. I simply added my brand and photos and voila! I not only have a wonderful display of some of my favorite photos, but I also have a fabulous selling tool. The Size Sample wall cling has been so effective in helping my clients visualize the size of their prints. Many think twice about ordering that 8×10 print especially when they see how dinky it is compared to a 24×30 print. I am confident that the cost of my investment will be pennies compared to the increased profit in my print and product sales as a result of this great tool!

I also purchased the Essential Studio Workflow Assistant. With the whiteboard, I customized the descriptions of the workflow steps to fit my needs. I also added my brand and changed the colors a bit. I love all things vintage so I decided to make this a photographic print and placed it behind glass in a vintage frame. Now it functions as a dry erase board and keeps me organized and on my toes with all of my photography projects. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with my purchases!”

Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Enjoy your $75 gift certificate in the shop~

Struggling for the right words when writing to everyone, from future brides to disgruntled clients, vivacious vendors and hopeful assistants? Design Aglow has partnered with professional photographer and wordsmith extraordinaire Heather Rivlin to create this extensive collection of 20 professionally crafted letters to deliver the perfect prose for any situation while establishing your studio’s solid business policies. Whether you draw from this complete catalog of correspondence for emails, phone scripts or mailed content, you’re sure to appreciate these time savers while your clients and contacts appreciate your customer service and attention.

1. Email response to price shoppers.This welcome email aids you with responding to price shoppers/hagglers and provides a strong education in the value of wedding/portrait photography.

2. Style and Session. This email explains the photographer’s shooting style, the session, the ordering process and payment.

3. Pre-session email. This email sets the rules for the shoot and reminds customers via key bullet points what’s included in the session fee.

4. Second Photo Shoot Rescheduling. This email sets forth studio policy regarding rescheduling for a second time.

5. Second Order Appointment Rescheduling. This email sets forth studio policy when rescheduling for a second time.

6. Photographer as client. This email shares how to approach a local photographer who wants a shoot with you.

7. Addressing post session digital files and sticker shock. This email shares how to handle a miscommunication regarding digital file inclusion, or when a client experiences cost concerns after the session.

8. Economic concerns post session. This email covers how to address reticence in ordering after a session when a client asks to postpone ordering.

9. Unauthorized internet use of an image. This email addresses how to approach a client who has scanned/copied your images to or from the internet without permission.

10. Mentor request. This email shares how to address a request from a local photographer wishes to be mentored by you or wants to assist you

11. Client order session preparation. This email prepares clients for the upcoming order session.

12. Client session clothing choices. This email outlines practical suggestions regarding clothing choices for the upcoming photography session.

13. Difficult client returns. This email shares how to respectfully handle a difficult former client who wishes to hire you again.

14. Vendor barter request. This email addresses a vendor who has requested a free shoot in return for future referrals/word-of-mouth in lieu of payment.

15. Money past due. This registered letter shares correspondence for money owed on a session or order when the client is unresponsive.

16. Creating potential bride interest. This email illustrates how to respond to potential brides in order to compel them to continue the conversation.

17. Pleasing anxious clients. This email outlines how to reassure excited clients whose continued queries regarding the status of their order are drawing your attention away from processing orders and handling other business in your studio.

18. Session Follow-up Email. This email shares gratitude to a client for a wonderful session and shares an incentive program for referrals.

19. Client Questionnaire. This email shares a sample questionnaire to send to clients to get to know them and their needs before the session begins.

20.  Client Reshoot Request. This email shows what to say when a client requests a reshoot for reasons that are not due to studio negligence (clothing choice, hair not brushed, child not cooperating, etc.).

Click here to check it out in the shop!