holiday cards due Nov.23
Step 1: Intro
For this assignment, we will be designing professional holiday cards. These cards will be printed and handed out to a teacher/faculty member of your choice here on campus. The first thing you need to do is look through all of the examples that I have gathered for you, and really assess the different techniques that you are seeing. When you look at the examples, ask yourself… “how did they make that?” A great way to understand what you are capable of doing in Illustrator, is by looking at stuff that others have done, and try to figure out how they made it. Also, it helps me to understand what you need help with so that I can show each person specifically.
Next, look through the resources that I have made available to you. I’ve put together a list of read-through tutorials for Adobe Illustrator that I feel would really help the overall look of your holiday cards, as well as give you some inspiration. Look at these tutorials first, and see if something inspires you.
After you have looked at all of the examples and tutorials made available to you, start the sketch process. We have some very specific parameters for this project, so make sure you follow each step accordingly… not doing so will result in a loss of points and/or not having your card printed.
Step 2: Sketching
When you start to sketch, you have to first decide which way you want your card to be formatted. Do you want it to be a portrait or landscape format? For example, the demo that I did for you is a portrait landscape, meaning its dimensions were 5 inches in width, and 7 inches in height vs. a landscape dimension of 7 inches in width, and 5 inches in height.
Step 3: Designing the front of your holiday card
After you have shown me your sketch and I have approved it… you can get started on the following steps.
1. Open up a new document in Illustrator. This will be the front of your card.
2. Name it “Your last name_holiday card front.”
3. Set the dimensions to the choice made above pertaining to the layout. Either 5 X 7.5 for a portrait layout, or 7.5 X 5 for landscape. Make sure it is 300 dpi, and a RGB color profile.
4. Get started!
Step 4: Setting up the Inside
1. Once you are completely done with the front of your card, open up a new file and name it “your last name_holiday card inside.”
2. Again, set up the dimensions according to the front of your card.
3. You have four choices of greetings. These choices are:
Happy Holidays
Season’s Greetings
Have a wonderful holiday season
Enjoy the holidays
4. Now, think back to all of the options available to you when it comes to text.
5. Look back at my demo to observe the proper proportions for the text.
6. Keep in mind, there will not be any other text written in this card. Once printed, you can hand write a message to your chosen TCHS staff member.
Step 5: Assembling your card with the template
1. I will be passing out a flash drive with the holiday card templates on it, as well as the Titan by Design logo that you will be placing on the back of the card. There will be one template for a portrait layout, and a separate one for a landscape layout. Choose the appropriate template for your layout, and everyone copies the Titan by Design logo to your account or flash drive.
2. Once you have opened up the template, go to FILE> PLACE> and find your holiday card front. Fit it inside the blue guides in the appropriate place. Think about the function when you fold and close the card. Ask me if you are confused about what this placement would be.
3. Save this file as “your last name_finished holiday card front”
DO NOT SAVE OVER THE TEMPLATE!!! YOU STILL NEED THE ORIGINAL TEMPLATE FILE.
4. Open up the template again. Once again go to FILE> PLACE> and find the holiday card inside file, and click PLACE. Arrange the file into the appropriate place (again, visualize the folded card).
5. Next, place the logo on the opposite side of the card template, and center it as well as you can. Again, refer back to my demo to see the finished product.
For this assignment, we will be designing professional holiday cards. These cards will be printed and handed out to a teacher/faculty member of your choice here on campus. The first thing you need to do is look through all of the examples that I have gathered for you, and really assess the different techniques that you are seeing. When you look at the examples, ask yourself… “how did they make that?” A great way to understand what you are capable of doing in Illustrator, is by looking at stuff that others have done, and try to figure out how they made it. Also, it helps me to understand what you need help with so that I can show each person specifically.
Next, look through the resources that I have made available to you. I’ve put together a list of read-through tutorials for Adobe Illustrator that I feel would really help the overall look of your holiday cards, as well as give you some inspiration. Look at these tutorials first, and see if something inspires you.
After you have looked at all of the examples and tutorials made available to you, start the sketch process. We have some very specific parameters for this project, so make sure you follow each step accordingly… not doing so will result in a loss of points and/or not having your card printed.
Step 2: Sketching
When you start to sketch, you have to first decide which way you want your card to be formatted. Do you want it to be a portrait or landscape format? For example, the demo that I did for you is a portrait landscape, meaning its dimensions were 5 inches in width, and 7 inches in height vs. a landscape dimension of 7 inches in width, and 5 inches in height.
Step 3: Designing the front of your holiday card
After you have shown me your sketch and I have approved it… you can get started on the following steps.
1. Open up a new document in Illustrator. This will be the front of your card.
2. Name it “Your last name_holiday card front.”
3. Set the dimensions to the choice made above pertaining to the layout. Either 5 X 7.5 for a portrait layout, or 7.5 X 5 for landscape. Make sure it is 300 dpi, and a RGB color profile.
4. Get started!
Step 4: Setting up the Inside
1. Once you are completely done with the front of your card, open up a new file and name it “your last name_holiday card inside.”
2. Again, set up the dimensions according to the front of your card.
3. You have four choices of greetings. These choices are:
Happy Holidays
Season’s Greetings
Have a wonderful holiday season
Enjoy the holidays
4. Now, think back to all of the options available to you when it comes to text.
5. Look back at my demo to observe the proper proportions for the text.
6. Keep in mind, there will not be any other text written in this card. Once printed, you can hand write a message to your chosen TCHS staff member.
Step 5: Assembling your card with the template
1. I will be passing out a flash drive with the holiday card templates on it, as well as the Titan by Design logo that you will be placing on the back of the card. There will be one template for a portrait layout, and a separate one for a landscape layout. Choose the appropriate template for your layout, and everyone copies the Titan by Design logo to your account or flash drive.
2. Once you have opened up the template, go to FILE> PLACE> and find your holiday card front. Fit it inside the blue guides in the appropriate place. Think about the function when you fold and close the card. Ask me if you are confused about what this placement would be.
3. Save this file as “your last name_finished holiday card front”
DO NOT SAVE OVER THE TEMPLATE!!! YOU STILL NEED THE ORIGINAL TEMPLATE FILE.
4. Open up the template again. Once again go to FILE> PLACE> and find the holiday card inside file, and click PLACE. Arrange the file into the appropriate place (again, visualize the folded card).
5. Next, place the logo on the opposite side of the card template, and center it as well as you can. Again, refer back to my demo to see the finished product.