Custom stationery: choose your own surprise
One sweet husband recently requested a custom stationery design for his wife, Liz. The catch: he knows her well enough to know better than to choose a design for her. The solution: LLB Designs developed two brightly colored designs with unique florals and clean edges. Each was mocked-up on a magazine-style spread complete with font, size, shape and envelope options, to be printed out and presented on the lucky gal’s birthday. Option one: Option one, with its fresh, blue-hued color palette, was inspired by their utopia of a neighborhood in...
read moreBranding: chic and sleek
Is your company young and stylish? Buttoned up and professional? So trendy it hurts? So classic that it’s got its collar popped and a sweater tied around its neck? Personality is such an important part of any brand, and this is particularly true for young companies that need to get a lot of mileage from everything they do. The logo, fonts and colors should all be created to portray the company’s voice, and then used consistently throughout collateral to establish a firm and professional identity around the company name. This...
read moreTry it on for size (a guide to envelopes)
Without a doubt, the number one rule when designing an invitation or a direct mail piece is to start with the envelope size and shape. Many a sad first-time designer has designed and printed a gorgeous piece only to find out that it’s a non-standard size and that matching envelopes just don’t exist. And as having custom envelopes made is crazy expensive, this is a problem to avoid at all costs! Fortunately it’s a lesson quickly learned and an easy fix: choose on an envelope size first, and go from there. There is a pretty wide range of...
read moreScore! (a guide to paper folds and scoring)
Scoring is another paper-centric word that pops up pretty often. Scoring is simply the process of adding a crease to a sheet of paper or cardstock so that it folds more easily. There are simple, inexpensive hand-held tools made for scoring and then there are also machines (around the size of a paper cutter) that take on larger jobs with less elbow grease. Adding the crease helps to keep the paper and ink from cracking, giving the piece a smooth, professional finish. Scoring is a big help with all types of projects from a simple bi-fold to the...
read moreDo you want bleeds with that?
Often one of the first questions a designer will ask when discussing a new project is “Do you want the piece to bleed?†Huh? Paper can bleed? Should it bleed? The answer is yes! And maybe. Bleeds simply refer to the ink or printing running (aka bleeding) all the way to the edge, rather than leaving a thin white border. Most printing machines can’t print all the way to the edge of a sheet of paper (although the technology is getting close!). So to create say, a flyer with a bleed, you print it on a bigger sheet of paper, and then trim it...
read moreThe latest, the greatest, and a few old favorites
Here at LLB Designs we really do work hard to provide the knowledge and advice of an expert, with the attitude and consideration of a friend. Starting a new business? Need some help creating a cohesive look for your existing business? Planning a party or a special event? Check out our portfolio and contact us if you think we might be a good match for you and your project.
read moreKick-off the party with a custom invitation!
Seriously, so fun to design. When you are quite certain that your friend is THE cutest bride ever and has the personality to match, why not do something fun and unique to celebrate her last days as a single gal? These custom invitations incorporated a sketch of the bride and an instruction manual-style checklist with cheeky phrases like “Required: throw away all old t-shirt “pyjamas†and “Suggested: display new bling for out-of-town friends to admire.” Matching insert cards with hotel and travel information added an...
read moreFirst up, brand that biz!
Creating collateral that has a cohesive and consistent look is harder than it sounds! Colors, fonts, logos and other design elements are the building blocks for a visual identity and marketing campaign that gets you a lot fo bang for your budget-friendly buck. Check out some of the graphc design and marketing work that LLB Designs has done for bay area client Cubes & Crayons.
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