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	<title>Buy Appeal Marketing</title>
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	<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog</link>
	<description>Turn &#34;eye appeal&#34; into &#34;buy appeal&#34; with your marketing materials</description>
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		<title>For Book Publishers Wading through the Alphabet Soup: Decoding the ISBN, LCCN, Bar Code and More</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/08/31/for-publishers-wading-through-the-alphabet-soup-decoding-the-isbn-lccn-bar-code-and-more/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/08/31/for-publishers-wading-through-the-alphabet-soup-decoding-the-isbn-lccn-bar-code-and-more/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=244</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[



September 2010
As a book cover and interior designer I often receive manuscripts from clients and prospects missing portions of or the entire content of the copyright page. This is the most important page in your book. It contains language that protects your intellectual property; has your copyright date, publishing company contact information, ISBN number and [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></a></p>
<p>September 2010</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">As a book cover and interior designer I often receive manuscripts from clients and prospects missing portions of or the entire content of the copyright page. This is the most important page in your book. It contains language that protects your intellectual property; has your copyright date, publishing company contact information, ISBN number and LCCN number.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>ISBN</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Some of this information must be obtained in a specific order. The first item on the list to get is your ISBN number (International Standard Book Number). This number is part of a book identification system (sort of like the social security number is for people). Merchants, wholesalers, distributors, libraries, and search engines use this number to locate you, (the publisher) and your book. The ISBN number consists of 13 digits, and you may apply for a single number or set of 10 through <a href="http://www.Bowker.com">www.Bowker.com</a>. Each edition and format (i.e. hard cover, soft cover, e-book, audio book) of your book must have a different number, so if you think you’ll be publishing more books or products, it is wise to buy a set of 10. Packages start at $125. When ordering your ISBN online, once you submit your payment, the number(s) are immediately available to you.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>LCCN</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Next up is the LCCN number (Library of Congress Control Number aka Library of Congress Card Number). This is a number assigned to the Library Of Congress bibliographic record of your book. The LCCN number differs from the ISBN number in that an ISBN is assigned to each edition or format of your book while the Library of Congress number is assigned to the work itself.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This is a two-step process and can take anywhere from one to two weeks to complete. To start the LCCN application process, go to <a href="http://pcn.loc.gov/" target="_blank">http://pcn.loc.gov/</a> The Pre-assigned Control Number program assigns the LCCN number. This is a free service, but you must later mail a published copy of your book to the Library of Congress. Audio books and e-Books are not eligible for LCCN assignment. The LCCN does not copyright your book.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Copyright</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your copyright is secured automatically when your manuscript is created, and your work is “created” when it is on paper – in book format or not. In general, copyright registration is a legal formality intended to make a public record of the basic facts of a particular copyright. But, registration is not a condition of copyright protection. You may register your work with the US Copyright office online at <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/">http://www.copyright.gov/</a> for $35.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Bar Code</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The next item on your list is the bar code. This is the little black and white box with vertical lines that is printed on the back cover of your book. If you plan to sell your book in bookstores or online, you’ll need the barcode so merchants can scan the book for pricing and other information. The ISBN number is imprinted in the graphic, and the price can be embedded or printed above it. Your cover designer may order this for you for $10-$20. Within a few hours, the bar code is emailed as an eps file that the designer inserts into the back cover layout.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Other Content on Copyright Page</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your copyright page should have a simple notation to the copyright date and your name. It can be done with the copyright symbol © or the word “copyright.” It is printed like this:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Copyright 2010, author’s name or publishing company</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>© 2010, author’s name or publishing company</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You should also include a statement regarding copyright infringement. Here is a typical statement:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.</p>
<p>Include your publishing company contact information and your website address. You may also add credits to the cover designer, interior page layout designer and editor.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Contact your editor to help you pull together a complete copyright page for a polished professional book.</p>
<p>—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of  <strong><em>Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!</em></strong> Learn more about her book and get free instant access to her eCourse: <strong>5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them</strong>, and audio class: <strong>Put the Bling Into Your Brand</strong>&#8220; at <a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/freestuff.php">www.macgraphics.net/</a></p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/08/31/for-publishers-wading-through-the-alphabet-soup-decoding-the-isbn-lccn-bar-code-and-more/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Branding, Website and Book Covers: Tying It All Together</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/07/28/branding-website-and-book-covers-tying-it-all-together/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/07/28/branding-website-and-book-covers-tying-it-all-together/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:15:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=192</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[


August 2010
My team has just completed a series of projects for our new client, author and speaker Bill Young. The posted portfolio samples and case study information show you how we created a new brand and worked together to keep the graphics consistent throughout his website, book covers, CD label and stationery items.
An accomplished business [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BoardMemFundraisersCover.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/NonProfit-Front-cover2.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">August 2010</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">My team has just completed a series of projects for our new client, author and speaker Bill Young. The posted portfolio samples and case study information show you how we created a new brand and worked together to keep the graphics consistent throughout his website, book covers, CD label and stationery items.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">An accomplished business and community leader, Bill Young has created and sold businesses, is spearheading efforts to raise millions of dollars to fund a healthcare start-up company, and has led teams of volunteers to raise millions for Denver-based charities.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Given his expertise in raising funds for non-profit organizations and start-up businesses, Bill decided to create a consulting and speaking business to share his fundraising expertise and generate revenue. To launch his new business venture, he turned to our team for help. Here&#8217;s how we did it:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">First, Patrice Rhoades-Baum teamed with Bill to clarify his new company&#8217;s services, target audience, their challenges and needs, and Bill&#8217;s top benefit message. They selected a new domain name:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;"><a href="http://www.billyounginspires.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;">BillYoungInspires.com</span></a></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Next Patrice wrote his taglines and website copy. His tagline reflects both the value he provides and the benefits his clients receive:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Inspiring you to raise more funds &amp; achieve your vision</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition, she created a longer &#8220;descriptive tagline,&#8221; which also serves as Bill&#8217;s elevator pitch:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Inspiring entrepreneurs and not-for-profit leaders to create relationships, raise more funds, and build a great organization.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">After creating this brand foundation, our team tackled multiple projects simultaneously. Lauren Klopfenstein designed his logo and website. Kerrie Lian also created his CD label, two book covers and interiors. I designed the business cards, letterhead and envelopes. Please note, the images below are not actual size.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><!--StartFragment-->Bill is ecstatic about the results. This marketing and collateral package creates a solid foundation – truly a launchpad – for his new business. <em>“Your team was fantastic,”</em> Bill says. <em>“Your process made it easy for me to connect my new brand, content, and service options, keeping all assets consistent. More important, this will help me create revenue.”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Logo with Tagline:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Logo_horz_color.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-209" title="Logo_horz_color" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Logo_horz_color.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="86" /></a><br />
</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Business Card Front:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BYBCardFRONT.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-210" title="BYBCardFRONT" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BYBCardFRONT.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="169" /></a><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BYBCardBACK.jpg"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Business Card Back:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BYBCardBACK.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-211" title="BYBCardBACK" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BYBCardBACK.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="169" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Website Home Page</strong>:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.billyounginspires.com" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" title="website" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/website-1024x730.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="320" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>First Book Cover:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BoardMemFundraisersCover2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-214" title="Cover Spread.4" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BoardMemFundraisersCover2.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="360" /></a><br />
</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Second Book Cover:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/NonProfit-Front-cover2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-215" title="Cover Spread.1A" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/NonProfit-Front-cover2.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="360" /></a><br />
</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>CD Label:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/CD-label.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-229" title="CD label" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/CD-label-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><br />
</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Letterhead:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BY-Letterhead.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217" title="BY Letterhead" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BY-Letterhead.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="360" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Envelope:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Envelope3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-218" title="Envelope3" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Envelope3-300x136.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="136" /></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of  <em><strong>Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </strong></em>Learn more about her book and get free instant access to her eCourse: 5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them, and audio class: Put the Bling Into Your Brand&#8221; at <a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/freestuff.php">www.macgraphics.net/</a></p>
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		<title>How to Improve Your  Proofreading Skills</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/06/28/how-to-improve-your-proofreading-skills/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/06/28/how-to-improve-your-proofreading-skills/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:13:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=180</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

The first impression a business often makes with prospective clients or customers comes from the written word. Your company can lose credibility by having just one typo in the volumes of words it sends out.
Therefore, to minimize mistakes, be sure to proofread everything that gets written in your office—and this includes email. Use a guide [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The first impression a business often makes with prospective clients or customers comes from the written word. Your company can lose credibility by having just one typo in the volumes of words it sends out.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Therefore, to minimize mistakes, be sure to proofread everything that gets written in your office—and this includes email. Use a guide to help you methodically check for errors. Avoid proofing your own copy in the final stages because it’s easy to become too familiar with it. If it isn’t feasible to delegate proofreading, leave the copy alone for a while—a day preferably—before searching for errors. Read it backwards, too. It’s a good way to trick your mind into seeing common mistakes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Read Copy Four Times</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I recommend rereading your copy four times:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The first time, check for deviations in text, e.g., words typed twice in a row (the the), typographical errors, and incorrect word breaks. For example, consider an erroneous word break that’s made with the word “therapist.” If this word is hyphenated in the wrong place, it becomes the “the-rapist.” That doesn’t leave a good impression!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The second time, read for fact or format inconsistency, poor word usage, weak sentence structure, subject/verb disagreements, repetition of thoughts or phrases, and incorrect math.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">On the third read, check for language mechanics such as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The fourth read includes checking overall format—type size, margins, alignment, spacing, positioning (headlines, subheads, copy, footnotes, indentations), pagination, and general appearance.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Spelling and the Brain:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Can you read the following paragraph?</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><strong>Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Txes M&amp;A Uinervtisy, it doesn’t Mttaer in what order the ltteers in a word are, the only iprmoetnt thing is taht the first and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe.</strong></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong></p>
<div><strong><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/proofreaders-marks1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-182 alignnone" title="proofreaders marks" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/proofreaders-marks1.jpg" alt="" width="403" height="739" /></a><br />
</strong></div>
<p></strong></p>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of  <strong><em>Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </em></strong>Learn more about her book and get free instant access to her eCourse: <strong>5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them</strong>, and audio class: <strong>Put the Bling Into Your Brand&#8221;</strong> at <a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/freestuff.php">www.macgraphics.net/</a></p>
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		<title>Use the Proper File Formats for Internet and Print</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/05/31/use-the-proper-file-formats-for-internet-and-print/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/05/31/use-the-proper-file-formats-for-internet-and-print/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2010 19:09:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Using the proper file format and resolution for the job can mean the difference between a professional-looking document and one that looks blurry or is missing graphics. Graphic file formats for the Internet and offset printing are totally different animals. Do not interchange them!
Graphics for the Internet
Low-resolution raster graphics are used on the Internet. These [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Using the proper file format and resolution for the job can mean the difference between a professional-looking document and one that looks blurry or is missing graphics. Graphic file formats for the Internet and offset printing are totally different animals. Do not interchange them!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Graphics for the Internet</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Low-resolution raster graphics are used on the Internet. These graphics are made up of thousands of pixels (squares of color). Internet browsers will read JPG and GIF graphics, which are best scanned or sized at 72 PPI (pixels per inch). Because of the limits of screen resolution, anything greater will result in larger file sizes and longer download times than necessary. All Internet graphics are limited to a special palette of 256 colors.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Scan your photos using RGB colors to the JPG file format. JPG file sizes are very small and compatible with nearly every graphical browser. This format is best suited for photographs and any image that contains a complex mixture of colors.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The GIF format is best suited for images with a limited number of distinct colors and graphics that have sharp, distinct edges (most logos, menus and buttons). A special GIF89a file format gives you the option to make the background transparent so you don’t get a white rectangle behind the graphic.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter" style="text-align: left;">
<dl id="attachment_161" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 161px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/tulipsWeb.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-161 " title="tulipsWeb" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/tulipsWeb-151x300.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">An image for the Internet is scanned at 72 DPI. Notice the large pixels.</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter" style="text-align: left;">
<dl id="attachment_160" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 161px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/tulipsPress.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-160 " title="tulipsPress" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/tulipsPress-151x300.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">An image scanned at 300 DPI for printing is sharper with smaller pixels.</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Graphics for Offset Printing</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Graphics for offset printing require much higher resolution than for websites. If you use a low-resolution graphic (i.e., a logo copied from a website) on an offset printed job, a fuzzy “bitmapped” image—or no image—will result.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Offset printed graphics can be one of two types: Vector-based or high-resolution raster. Raster images (which are color or grayscale digital photos and scans) must be at least 300 PPI (pixels per inch) and in the TIF (Tagged Image File) or EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file format. Your scans of black and white line art (images that do not contain any shades of gray) must be at least 1200 PPI. Be careful not to enlarge your raster graphics, because the pixels will also enlarge and become more noticeable.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Vector-based graphics are made of mathematically defined lines and curves. Because they are not made of pixels, these unique files can be scaled to any size without losing their crisp, smooth edges. Use professional drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, or Corel Draw to create these types of graphics for printing, saving them in the EPS format.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter" style="text-align: left;">
<dl id="attachment_159" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 217px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/rose.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-159" title="rose" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/rose-207x300.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">A vector image does not have any pixels.</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Color Ink Systems for Printing</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Color files for offset printing must be specified with PMS or CMYK inks. Do not use RGB colors unless you are planning to print <em>only </em>to a low-end color desktop printer. For more information on RGB color uses, buy my book: <strong><em>Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </em></strong>available at <a href="http://www.buyappealmarketing.com">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a><a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com "> </a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of  <em><strong>T</strong>urn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!</em> Learn more about her book and get free instant access to her eCourse: <strong>&#8220;</strong><strong>5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them&#8221;</strong>, and audio class: <strong>&#8220;Put the Bling Into Your Brand&#8221;</strong> at <a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/freestuff.php">www.macgraphics.net/</a></p>
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		<title>Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level: Tips on Graphic Design and Page Layout Part 2</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/04/27/take-your-newsletter-to-the-next-level-tips-on-graphic-design-and-page-layout-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/04/27/take-your-newsletter-to-the-next-level-tips-on-graphic-design-and-page-layout-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:53:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
May 2010 Issue
Last month I outlined a few simple techniques used by graphics designers to improve the look and feel of your newsletter. This month I’ll explain how to work with your photos and images to bump the quality of your marketing pieces to the next level.
Working With Images in Your Page Layout
 
There is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-121" title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">May 2010 Issue</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Last month I outlined a few simple techniques used by graphics designers to improve the look and feel of your newsletter. This month I’ll explain how to work with your photos and images to bump the quality of your marketing pieces to the next level.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Working With Images in Your Page Layout</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">There is just so-o-o much truth in “A picture is worth a thousand words.” You’ll want to marry your written words to pictures that heighten the message for your customer. When placing photos into your marketing pieces, remember these rules of thumb:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><strong>Top half gets best visibility. </strong>Place your strongest photo in the top half of the piece for greatest visibility, particularly in full-page ads or newsletters. “Above the fold” is how newspapers describe it.</li>
<li><strong>One versus many?</strong> One large picture packs more punch than several smaller ones.</li>
<li><strong>Group the small ones.</strong> If you gather your smaller pictures into one group, it forms a single, compact element.</li>
<li><strong>Try the asymmetrical look.</strong> This arrangement is livelier and balances opposite corners of a page.</li>
<li><strong>Juxtaposition.</strong> Position a very large and a small image together for contrast.</li>
<li><strong>Stand close by.</strong> Keep your subtitle and subheads close to the relative text.</li>
<li><strong>Rulers and grids.</strong> Use your ruler lines and grid lines to keep the images lined up. This being said, an occasional step outside the grid also draws the eye and add interest.</li>
<li><strong>Headshots.</strong> Try to keep multiple headshots on a page aligned and sized the same.</li>
<li><strong>Magic Eraser.</strong> Airbrush out unnecessary background clutter – focus the attention on the important stuff.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><strong>Cropping.</strong> Zoom in on the important parts in a photo and get rid of what’s extraneous.
<div id="attachment_143" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Jack-RedCar-Large.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-143" title="Jack RedCar Large" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Jack-RedCar-Large-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Full image shows extraneous elements in the background</p></div>
<p><div id="attachment_142" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Jack-cropped.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-142" title="Jack cropped" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Jack-cropped-300x232.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="232" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Cropped image shows only what is important</p></div></li>
<li><strong>Silhouettes.</strong> You can cut out the most important piece in a photo and get rid of the entire background.
<p><div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 230px"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Judy-Photo-not-Cut-out.jpg"><img class=" " title="Judy Photo not Cut out" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Judy-Photo-not-Cut-out.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="315" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">This figure has a busy background</p></div></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter" style="text-align: left;">
<dl id="attachment_145" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 219px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Judy-trimmed-out.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-145  " title="Judy trimmed out" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Judy-trimmed-out-209x300.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">With the background removed, the figure now stands out</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p><strong>Working With Photos</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To maintain the highest possible quality when handling and scanning photos, follow these tips:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: left;">Don’t write on the back of the photo. It could bleed through while being scanned.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Don’t use paperclips or staples on a photo. The emulsion could get scratched and would require touch-up.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Use a Post-It<sup>®</sup> Note to write the picture’s information and then put it on the back of the photo, in order not to disturb the emulsion on the face of the snapshot.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Don’t use scissors to trim away the edges of the photo. Scan it in as-is, then use the software to crop away the edges.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">To shoot a publication-quality picture with your digital camera, set it to its highest megapixel setting.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Remember, most images downloaded from websites are low-resolution and may look blurry when printed.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Save photos to CMYK color and in .tif or .eps format, not RGB in .jpg, .png or .gif format. CMYK is the standard for the printing industry.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">All these tips on page layout, images, photos, grids, templates and style sheets, are just the beginning – trust me, there’s a lot more. But hopefully these procedural tools will provide valuable help, whether you do the work yourself or wind up talking it over with a professional. Either way, you win.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What if YOU could know more secrets from an award-winning graphic designer that would help you create amazing marketing materials in a few hours, would you want to know how? Find out now at <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn about this indispensable book, click here:<a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
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		<title>Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level:  Tips on Graphic Design and Page Layout Part 1</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/03/26/take-your-newsletter-to-the-next-level-tips-on-graphic-design-and-page-layout-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/03/26/take-your-newsletter-to-the-next-level-tips-on-graphic-design-and-page-layout-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:27:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=120</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Newsflash: MacGraphics Services helps two more clients publish award winning books.
At Saturday night&#8217;s CIPA EVVY Awards Banquet it was announced that Elaine Dumler won 2nd Place for her 3rd Book The Road Home: Smoothing the Transition Back from Deployment in the Political/Social category. Reggie Rivers won a 3rd Place award for his 5th book, The Colony: [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Newsflash: MacGraphics Services helps two more clients publish award winning books.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">At Saturday night&#8217;s CIPA EVVY Awards Banquet it was announced that Elaine Dumler won 2nd Place for her 3rd Book <em><strong>The Road Home: Smoothing the Transition Back from Deployment </strong></em>in the Political/Social category. Reggie Rivers won a 3rd Place award for his 5th book, <strong><em>The Colony: A Political Tale</em></strong> in the Fiction category.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">MacGraphics team graphic designer Kerrie Lian created the cover of Elaine&#8217;s book with our team photographer Joy Jay&#8217;s photo.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/The-Road-Home.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-135" title="The Road Home" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/The-Road-Home.jpg" alt="" width="395" height="612" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">MacGraphics team illustrator Marty Petersen designed and illustrated the cover of Reggie&#8217;s book, and team graphic designer Lindsey Hurwitz designed the interior.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/The-Colony-Low-rez.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-134" title="The Colony Low rez" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/The-Colony-Low-rez.jpg" alt="" width="446" height="648" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We all enjoyed working with Elaine and Reggie on their books, and I personally thank everyone for their outstanding contribution to the effort of producing the award winning books.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="size-full wp-image-121  alignleft" title="gibmasthead.0" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gibmasthead.0.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="75" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>April 1, 2010 Issue</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level:  Tips on Graphic Design and Page Layout Part 1</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you’re one of those brave entrepreneurs who’s tried to embrace desktop publishing amid the already myriad requirements of sole proprietorship, you’ve no doubt discovered that the study of page layouts and the proper handling of images for your newsletter or company flyer entails challenges far greater than you’d originally thought.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Corporations have an undeniable edge over home-based businesses because they generally have an in-house department filled with skilled marketing experts and graphic designers. In your smaller business, that task usually falls to you or your administrative assistant, whose training in the graphic arts may be haphazard.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A discerning eye can easily spot the difference between a professionally-designed newsletter over an amateur desktop publisher design. The quality of a publication’s nameplate, headlines, kicker (secondary headline), overall composition, writing, photos, and artwork is what turns a reader into a customer. Experienced professional designers know and use many page layout techniques that amateurs just may not be aware of. Your newsletter is the face of your company and represents your brand, so of course you want it to be as professional as possible. Now, how do you bridge this gap?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If your budget is limited and you plan on doing most of the work yourself, I recommend hiring a designer to create your nameplate and template file. The nameplate is the identifying front page banner on a newsletter, displaying its name with some graphics or a logo, plus sometimes a subtitle, motto, or other information. A designer who specializes in logo design would be able to help you with this.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition, a professional designer can create a newsletter template for you that will have non-printing column guide lines in place, along with style sheets for all your written content. Style sheets are predefined characteristics (fonts, size, color, etc.) of your heads, subheads, text, captions, and pull quotes. They help you to maintain a consistent design and make quick changes to text throughout all pages in your newsletter.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Elements of Effective Design</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong> </strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><strong>Choosing the Right Font.</strong> When you have a lot of text, it’s wisest to choose a serif font (like Times or New Century Schoolbook) for its greater readability. Use a bold sans serif font (like Arial or Trade Gothic) as a contrasting headline.</li>
<li><strong>Use Professional Illustrations. </strong>You can use professional-quality clip art or stock photo libraries. There are many free and fee sites on the Internet. It’s important to match the style of the photos or clip art with the overall style of your graphics, for design consistency.</li>
<li><strong>Employ Contrast. </strong>But within that consistency, dynamic contrast. Let there be clear differences among all the design elements you utilize. Include contrasting colors, shapes, fonts, and sizes of both text and graphics. Using white space effectively: don’t fill up every available inch of the page with text or graphics – space adds contrast.</li>
<li><strong>Repeat Key Elements.</strong> Recurring elements thread your newsletter together, for a feeling of wholeness. Headlines should look the same on every page. Bullets should be the same throughout the piece. It’s important in final review to check for consistency of all key elements.</li>
<li><strong>Magic When Using Grids. </strong>Non-printing grid lines will help you to position text, graphics, photos. This will give your newsletter or flyer a visual sense of order. “Sort-of aligning things” looks sloppy, lacking in professionalism.</li>
<li><strong>Spatial Relationships</strong>. Proximity, or spatial relationships, is another tool to draw positive attention to your marketing pieces: newsletters, flyers, brochures or direct mail pieces, like postcards. For example, you’d want to keep the caption of a photo close to it.</li>
<li><strong>Sprinkle Pull Quotes Throughout</strong>. A pull-quote<strong> </strong>is a small selection of text pulled out of the text and quoted in a larger typeface. These breakout items are used to focus attention, especially in long articles.</li>
<li><strong>NEVER Ever Use All Caps</strong> for body text in your newsletter — it is extremely difficult to read. In all but the shortest headlines, avoid using all caps.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">Naturally you may have many creative ideas for your newletters, flyers and other marketing materials. Sketch them out. But then, let a master craftsperson take your ideas and give them the sparkle and snap that only professional skills can deliver. Your customers will be able to spot the difference immediately. If you don’t necessarily want them to know that you’re a home-based business, you’ve got to employ the talent the big corporations do.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">—————————-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What if YOU could know more secrets from an award-winning graphic designer that would help you create amazing marketing materials in a few hours, would you want to know how? Find out now at <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Karen Saunders is the author of <strong>Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </strong>Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn about this indispensable book, click here:<a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
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		<title>The Yellow Brick Roadmap to Develop Your Brand, Website and Marketing Materials</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/02/24/branding-logo-website/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/02/24/branding-logo-website/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:07:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/?p=84</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

March 1, 2010
This month I have something very special for you.
You are invited to hear my presentation at the Virtual Women&#8217;s Economic Summit. It is entitled: “Branding, Logo, and Website, Oh My!” The Yellow Brick Roadmap to Develop Your Brand, Website and Marketing Materials.


 
























This is a FREE 60-minute audio recording in Q&#38;A format.
First I will describe [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><br />
<img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/400/gibmasthead.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>March 1, 2010</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This month I have something very special for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You are invited to hear my presentation at the Virtual Women&#8217;s Economic Summit. It is entitled: <strong><em>“Branding, Logo, and Website, Oh My!” </em>The Yellow Brick Roadmap to Develop Your Brand, Website and Marketing Materials.</strong></p>
<p><strong><em><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/HiRes.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-93 alignleft" title="Yellow Brick Roadmap Illustration" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/HiRes-1024x575.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="252" /></a><br />
</em></strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">This is a FREE 60-minute audio recording in Q&amp;A format.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">First I will describe how a branding assessment clarifies the fundamentals of your business. Then I’ll show you the most important key elements and why you <em>definitely</em> need a brand. Finally, I’ll explain how to leverage your time, effort and dollars by creating a solid brand foundation for your “brand volcano.” Sound intriguing? You’ll also receive a 16-page color handout with lots of graphic samples. How cool is that?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>But you’ll have to hurry, the Virtual Women&#8217;s Economic Summit 2010 will take place next week! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>That&#8217;s March 1-5, 2010. Here’s the link to register:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3548045" target="_blank">http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3548045</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Do you every wonder why a competitor’s business get more attention than yours? Why do they sell more than you do? Convert more traffic?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The answer may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is, defining your target market, and clarifying the key benefits your clients receive. And that has to do with branding.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But exactly what is branding, anyway? And how do you take your business through the branding process? What comes first, the brand, logo or your website? Do you need really need a logo? Are you totally confused and don’t know where to turn or invest your marketing dollars? Are you about ready to say . . .</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>“Branding, Logo, and Website, Oh My!?”</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Here’s my presentation outline:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A. Definitions</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>What is a Brand?</li>
<li>What is a Logo?</li>
<li>What is a Branding Assessment?</li>
<li>What is a Business/Corporate Identity Package?</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">B. What are the Key Elements of Your Brand?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">C. Why Do You Need a Brand? What are the Benefits?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">D. The Yellow Brick Roadmap</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">E. The Brand Volcano: A visual image of the process</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">F. Why Use a Team?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You really owe it to yourself to register for this event.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Although the content is directed to businesswomen, they tell me no one will be checking ID&#8217;s at the (virtual) door, so the men out there can listen in on the strategies that will be shared.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3548045" target="_blank">http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3548045</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Here is a partial list of the other fantastic speakers and their topics:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Patricia Drain: &#8220;Monetize Your Gifts!&#8221; . . . and begin creating multiple streams of income today!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Margie Zable Fisher: &#8220;Get National Publicity - Quickly and Easily&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Katie Gutierrez: &#8220;Secrets to Increasing Your Productivity &amp; Income&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Denise Hedges: &#8220;Market Like a Pro&#8221; . . . The Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Janet Macdaniel: &#8220;Keeping You on the Right Path&#8221; . . . Avoiding 7 Deadly Mistakes in Internet Marketing</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/MySignature.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-94 alignnone" title="MySignature" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/MySignature.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="60" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">MacGraphics Services</p>
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		<title>Key Elements of Professional Book Cover Design for Self-Published Authors</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/01/29/key-elements-of-professional-book-cover-design-for-self-published-authors/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2010/01/29/key-elements-of-professional-book-cover-design-for-self-published-authors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:10:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Saunders</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/wp/?p=4</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
February 2010 Issue
It takes just a few vital seconds for an editor or reader to decide about whether your self-published book is worth reading or not, so the design of the book cover is incredibly important. If the key opportunity for selling your book exists in one tiny glance, that glance had better be optimized [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/1600/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/400/gibmasthead.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<strong>February 2010 Issue</strong></p>
<p>It takes just a few vital seconds for an editor or reader to decide about whether your self-published book is worth reading or not, so the design of the book cover is incredibly important. If the key opportunity for selling your book exists in one tiny glance, that glance had better be optimized by excellent design elements, wouldn’t you agree?</p>
<p>Publishers want their books to appear unique so that the book is hard to forget. An excellent cover helps to make that happen. An excellent book cover is like the striking pose of a model – stunning and creative. Shown below are 3 sample covers designed by our award-winning teammate and graphic designer, Kerrie Lian.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/RoadHome-763580.jpg"><img class="alignnone" title="The Road Home" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/RoadHome-763548.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="206" height="320" /></a></div>
<p><strong>Finding the Right Graphic Designer</strong></p>
<p>Professionalism and experience as well as expertise are the main qualities you should look for when finding the right graphic designer to do an important task like the one-glimpse-and-it-sells-or-not test cover of your book. You don’t want your self-published book to appear amateurish or homemade. Your graphic designer should have a high level of creativity, skills, the right software, access to stock photography and be knowledgeable about the book printing process to make your book stand out from all the rest.</p>
<p><a href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/Marie-757919.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: hand; width: 216px; height: 325px;" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/Marie-757882.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<strong>What Are the Key Elements in Cover Design?</strong></p>
<p>The cover of a book must include all the elements in our list that are applicable. Not all book covers will have flaps.</p>
<p>• Front cover<br />
• Spine<br />
• Back Cover<br />
• Inside Flaps<br />
• ISBN and Bar Code</p>
<p>At a minimum, your front cover should contain the name of the book, its subtitle, and your name. Testimonials and endorsements can also be tastefully used on the front cover. Your front cover should be legible and easily read from a short distance. Use bold, contrasting lettering to make this element work right. On the spine, your name, title and publishing company name or logo should be listed and legible from a distance. On the back cover, you will want the book’s category in the upper left corner to help bookstores shelve it properly. The back cover should have a compelling headline directed to your target book buying audience, a brief description and a few bulleted benefits. Listing a few testimonials from recognized leaders in your field is very helpful. Your picture and bio may appear on the back cover, and these technical points need to appear as well:</p>
<p>• 13 digit ISBN number (buy from R. R. Bowker Co.)<br />
• Price<br />
• Bar code<br />
• Credits for the cover designer and/or illustrator</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ClassroomNEW2-718986.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-87" title="Book cover design" src="http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ClassroomNEW2-718986.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="302" /></a><br />
<strong>What Other Important Elements Play a Role in Producing Excellent Book Covers?</strong></p>
<p>Because your self-published book cover is critical for your marketing and branding, it will get you noticed either positively or negatively. Following are more elements that will help you catch the attention of your audience. A knowledgeable graphic designer knows all about these key elements and their proper usage.</p>
<p>• Chose the right font for the book and its audience<br />
• Don’t use ALL CAPS for headings, subheadings or Table of Contents. They are too difficult to read.<br />
• Eliminate ‘rivers of white’ with proper word spacing<br />
• Be aware of ‘leading’ – the space between the lines. Font, type size, word spacing and length of line all come into play here.<br />
• Line length should not exceed 65 characters for ease of reading<br />
• Paper samples for your book cover are available from the printer. 10 point C1S is the standard for soft covers. Ask your book printer for house stock, as it is more affordable.</p>
<p>There is a precise science behind the creation of a successful book cover, as I’m confident you are now aware. Since the cover is such an important tool, being penny wise and pound foolish should be saved for other elements of your successful book publishing and marketing. Let an experienced, skillful graphic designer help you design your self-published book cover. You can use the key points in this article to check for his or her skill level. To your success!</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p>What if YOU could know more secrets from an award-winning graphic designer that would help you create amazing marketing materials in a few hours, would you want to know how? Find out now at <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>Karen Saunders is the author of <strong><span style="font-style: italic;"> Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </span></strong> Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn about this indispensable book, click here: <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.</p>
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		<title>Designing the Inside Pages of a Professional Looking Self-Published Book</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2009/12/30/designing-the-inside-pages-of-a-professional-looking-self-published-book/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2009/12/30/designing-the-inside-pages-of-a-professional-looking-self-published-book/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Saunders</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/wp/?p=5</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
January 2010 Issue
Once you’ve done all the hard work of writing your book manuscript, you’ll need expert assistance in getting the right cover designed, and then, making sure the design of the pages inside the book marries well with the book’s purpose. I am a book lover in my heart and I have been since [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/1600/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; cursor: hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/400/gibmasthead.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<strong>January 2010 Issue</strong></p>
<p>Once you’ve done all the hard work of writing your book manuscript, you’ll need expert assistance in getting the right cover designed, and then, making sure the design of the pages inside the book marries well with the book’s purpose. I am a book lover in my heart and I have been since I was just learning how to read. I love to go into a book store. I love the first smell of the paper and glue that fills their air space. I love to see the variations of design on the sales tables, and then I love to go into my special places where the things I’m most interested in live and see all the new and wonderful inside pages designs that have been published since my last trip. I a continuously delighted with the cleverness used in book design, an area where you might think there’s not a lot of room for innovation.</p>
<p>In this post, I am going to address the inner appeal your self-published book should have. These technological elements and inner appeal go hand in hand. Next month I&#8217;ll address the key elements of book cover design for self-published authors. In that post, you will find the technological pieces that make your book work well and get sold.</p>
<p><strong>Feelings<br />
</strong><br />
The artwork on the cover should induce a particular feeling that will match the message of the book. You wouldn’t use intense jewel tones, for example, on the cover of a book about meditation. You’d use subtle coloring. Once the cover is completed, you need to ask yourself what feeling you want to sustain on the inner pages as well. If your self-published book is more of a classical masterpiece around some deeply spiritual ideas, the inside pages might have higher quality paper stock.</p>
<p>It would be wise to go to a bookstore in the category your book will eventually appear and look at your competition solely for the purpose of how the book makes you feel. Hold it in your hands. See what kind of paper evokes the feeling you want your book to have. When you’ve chosen a printer, he/she can provide samples of the papers available.</p>
<p><strong>Book Size<br />
</strong><br />
Sometimes a mighty message is contained in a very small, tastefully printed book. James Allen’s <em>As a Man Thinketh</em> and Don Miguel Ruiz’ <em>The Four Agreements</em> are two examples. These books have fairly wide margins; an extra blank page preceding each chapter and plenty of white space. Their fonts say “classical elegance” and their message is a classically spiritual message. Both books are in the general 5 x 7 size category.</p>
<p>You would be well served to think through the main impact you want to have on your readership. All of the key elements – cover, inside, color, paper, font, size – should portray that main message to your readers.</p>
<p><strong>Readability<br />
</strong><br />
Who will be reading your self-published book? Choosing the right font style for your target audience is important for appearance, readability and for the requirements of your printer. Certain ages may have different requirements. If your book will appeal mainly to senior citizens, a larger font would be advisable. If it’s a children’s book, Oldstyle fonts are generally used. A slab serif font has very clean, easy to read lines and can help the eye move along the line easily. Again, a trip to your local bookstore to assess the competition for the ease of readability will help you make the right choice.</p>
<p>Consider a second font for your headers and book chapter titles. It should compliment the main font. Your graphic designer can assist you with these choices, but it’s always wise to have some idea in mind before engaging her.</p>
<p>Your self-published masterpiece deserves to have all the key elements lined up appropriately as do the books published by the big publishing houses so that your message comes across. The appropriate inside page design is one of the elements toward that end. Although you may never have considered it before you wrote your book, the design inside the book is equally as important as its cover.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p>What if YOU could know more secrets from an award-winning graphic designer that would help you create amazing marketing materials in a few hours, would you want to know how? Find out now at <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>Karen Saunders is the author of <strong><span style="font-style: italic;"> Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </span></strong> Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn about this indispensable book, click here: <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.</p>
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		<title>Hot Tips for Logo Design Excellence</title>
		<link>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2009/11/29/hot-tips-for-logo-design-excellence/</link>
		<comments>http://www.macgraphics.net/blog/2009/11/29/hot-tips-for-logo-design-excellence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:16:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Saunders</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.macgraphics.net/wp/?p=6</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
December 2009 Issue
Hot Tips for Logo Design Excellence
In our marketplace today, we spend hours and hours on a computer surfing the internet. According to research, it is estimated that many of us are exposed to over 200 logo designs or branding marks per hour. Your logo will be used on your business cards, your website, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/1600/gibmasthead.0.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; cursor: hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5316/1827/400/gibmasthead.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<strong>December 2009 Issue</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hot Tips for Logo Design Excellence</strong></p>
<p>In our marketplace today, we spend hours and hours on a computer surfing the internet. According to research, it is estimated that many of us are exposed to over 200 logo designs or branding marks per hour. Your logo will be used on your business cards, your website, outdoor designs, various spots on the Internet, and on promotional items like T-shirts, mugs, key chains, etc. At that rate, in order to be memorable to our clients, that logo had better pop out and stick in someone’s memory, wouldn’t you say? Sprinkled below are several sample logo designs from our team portfolio.</p>
<p><a href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/Flair-for-Genius-763550.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: hand; width: 242px; height: 122px;" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/Flair-for-Genius-763542.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">What Makes A Good Logo<br />
</span><br />
Big business knows how important it is to have success in all the elements of their business, so they attach a high value to branding and logo design. Strive to achieve the following characteristics:</p>
<p>• Consistent with all the other elements of your marketing<br />
• Graphically enticing and memorable<br />
• Represent your company and products meaningfully<br />
• Be as unique as possible<br />
• Appear professional drafted<br />
• Function beyond the limits of time<br />
• Not melt into the background of your marketing pieces</p>
<p>When you employ a graphic designer to craft your logo, you want it to:</p>
<p>• Last for a long time<br />
• Be distinctive from your competition<br />
• Appealing to your target market<br />
• Communicate the right image.<br />
• Be legible and easily understood</p>
<p>Paul Rand was a superb innovator in the arena of logo design. IBM’s logo is attributed to him. Without it even being shown here, you can visualize those three letters in horizontal blue stripes, can’t you? That’s a logo with all the key elements listed above. Rand united letters and found unique graphical ways of utilizing the letters of a word or a persons name through typography or engravers design and he frequently wove modern art styles into his logo designs.</p>
<p><a href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/InnerChangesLogo-744929.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: hand; width: 242px; height: 122px;" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/InnerChangesLogo-744921.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Eye Catching Design<br />
</span><br />
It’s not an easy thing to make a simple graphical symbol to represent the entirety of a company’s Mission Statement, and yet a good graphic designer can do just that. The very best logos are quite sophisticated in their simplicity, because they combine and refine symbols, colors, and typography as well as space into one tight, concise unit.</p>
<p>A good logo has a strong, balanced image without clutter surrounding it that might distract one’s attention from the logo message. Bold graphics are easier to see at a glance and they work better than logos with thin, delicate lines. Your logo should avoid trendiness in order to achieve the element of timelessness. Trendy fonts or images will distract from your message.</p>
<p><a href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/CLP-Logo-727074.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: hand; width: 281px; height: 123px;" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/CLP-Logo-727058.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Color and Black &amp; White<br />
</span><br />
Your logo will mainly be used in it’s colorized version, but it’s wise to check its appearance in black and white as well. Faxes, in particular, communicate mainly in black and white and you’ll want your logo to be easily recognized without color.</p>
<p>You should record somewhere you can easily retrieve the PMS ink formula of the spot color(s) in your logo. If you ever have to use a four color printing process, you’ll need this information. You can check a spot-color-to-process-color conversion swatch book for this information, and you’ll be glad you have it recorded.</p>
<p>Full color logos are wonderful to look at, but expensive to print on your marketing pieces. It’s much more economical to print your letterhead, envelopes, business cards and brochures in one, two or three colors.<br />
<a href="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/TheDestinyTribe-716379.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: hand; width: 216px; height: 151px;" src="http://macgraphics.net/blog/uploaded_images/TheDestinyTribe-716363.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Graphics for the Internet<br />
</span><br />
Here is a check list for what you’ll need from your graphic artist so that you can use your logo on the internet:</p>
<p>• A jpg or gif file format<br />
• Resolution at 72 pixels per inch<br />
• In the RGB color space</p>
<p>Your successful logo design can make or break your business. I’d recommend having your graphic artist provide several samples. Let your friends see them and place a strong value on their input. Then, let several people see them who don’t know you or your business and listen attentively to their feedback. And then, for this key element in your business branding, the final choice is yours.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p>What if YOU could know more secrets from an award-winning graphic designer that would help you create amazing marketing materials in a few hours, would you want to know how? Find out now at <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>Karen Saunders is the author of <strong><span style="font-style: italic;"> Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! </span></strong> Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn about this indispensable book, click here: <a href="http://www.BuyAppealMarketing.com/">www.BuyAppealMarketing.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.</p>
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