Thanks go out to Tjaard Du Plessis for this Photoshop tutorial. See more of his work at
www.behance.net/tdp1
See Part 1 here.
Logo Application
Step 09: Business Card Document
It is fairly easy to change the colour of objects when they are still in shapes and have not yet been rasterised. Select the shapes from the Layers panel – you can hold Cmd/Ctrl to select multiple shapes. Select the Rectangle tool (U) then move to the top bar and select Fill. You will then be able to select a new or recently eyedropped colour for the shapes.
Step 10: Setting the Bleed
You should always set a bleed to cover up any shifts of plates or paper in the printing process. Setting up a bleed in Photoshop is slightly different to other platforms. Once the document dimensions have been created, place ruler guides (Cmd/Ctrl+R) on the edges. Create a bleed of 5mm by extending the canvas and go to Image>Canvas Size, then tick the relative box and extend the canvas width and height by 5mm.
Step 11: Design Elements
It is important to carefully consider how many elements are to be placed upon a business card. In this scenario, less is more, as the logo is illustrated and is in itself not simple. Design is about contrast and balance. As the logo is not simple, it needs to be balanced out by simplicity. Therefore, the front side of the business card will have a flat background colour with the logo centre-aligned above it.
Step 12: Typography Selection
Typography selection has a big impact on the brand’s design aesthetic. When an illustrated or detailed logo is used, it is usually better to make use of a simple or sans serif font. A font with various weights is usually the best option. Differing weights create visual hierarchy. In the case of this tutorial, Helvetica Neue was used in order to create contrast between the logo and the text.
Step 13: Type Rules
When arranging the type, set it to points instead of pixels by going to Photoshop>Preferences>Units and Rulers>Set type to points. It is a rule of thumb not to go smaller than 6pt, but also not to go bigger than 9/10pt. The heading should not be wide enough for another line to fit in-between the lines. Visual hierarchy is achieved by using differing font weights.
Step 14: Mug Design Application
The application of a logo on branding elements has to be carefully considered and thoughtfully designed. It is not as simple as slapping a logo onto an element. The colour usage has to be considered depending on the colour of the mug and how contrast can be created. In a new document at 50mm x 80mm, a logo was placed with relevant information about the brand. It is important to keep the design simple.
iPad Screen
Step 15: Place Sketch
The iPad screen will be a card motif. In a new document, go to File>Place in order to position the card motif sketch. After the sketch has been placed, go to the Layers panel and select the blending mode. The blending mode should be switched to Multiply. This will allow any other layers below to appear through the sketch’s negative space.
Step 16: Add Colour
Start by adding a background colour to the document to replace the white background. In new layers underneath the sketch layer set to Multiply, select a hard brush and start filling in colour. Go to Window>Brush and select a suitable brush. Use a new layer for each section or colour of the sketch. It is important to group all relevant layers.
Step 17: Add Final Details
After adding colour, darker colour or shadows may be added to contour the illustration. Be sure to use a clipping mask in order to contain the shadow to a specific layer. The top half of the illustration should then be duplicated and transformed. Go to Layer>Duplicate Group then Edit>Free Transform to rotate the layer. Final details such as the logos and small patterns with a hard brush can be added in order to complete the illustration. It is important to make sure that both the top and bottom part of the illustration are aligned correctly.
Step 18: Document Setup
When designing for a digital platform, certain specifications need to be taken into account in comparison to print media when setting up the document. Set up a new document by going to File>New. The colour mode should be set to RGB with a resolution 132 ppi. The dimensions for a standard iPad are 1024px by 768px. The card motif illustration should then be placed within the iPad document.
