Today's bookmark as seen to the left cannot be downloaded easily as it's actually a double-sided promotional piece that I created for a client. Regardless of whether or not your client is an author, they may still be able to reach an interesting crowd with a bookmark that doubles as a promotional item. In terms of size it offers roughly double that of a traditional business card, giving you  more room to explain your services and options. If you go double-sided, you have actually created 4 times the space! But how do you design a promotional bookmark effectively for your client? The answer is easier than you think! Much like traditional business card design, don't limit yourself to the boundaries! Think outside the box and create something that will be remembered but don't forget to include all the necessary contact information!

If you've enjoyed our posts related to marketing yourself via Social Media then be sure to head on over to the Kindle store and pick up your copy of "Market Yourself: A Beginner's Guide to Social Media" No kindle? No problem. Market Yourself is also available as an PDF eBook or in paperback format on MarketYourselfTheBook.com.

As a designer, you should ALWAYS have several staples in your design arsenal. Among these is definitely a nice assortment of textures.  Don't despair! You can find some really NICE and FREE high quality textures such as the one I've used for tonight's "Going Green" bookmark on a variety of sites. Download Today's bookmark here.

I'll share some of my favorite finds with you here:

Texturez
Smashing Magazine
Texture Lovers
Image After
Free Textures.org

As designer's, particularly in the print world, we all know that often our job hinges on our ability to think outside the box.  To stay inspired, I'm constantly looking for creative ideas. . . . ABOUT ANYTHING!

My most recent find is a company that prides themselves on their environmental contribution. Have you ever wondered what happens to a vinyl billboard once it's taken down? Well, if your a customer of Vy and Elle (say it fast=vinyl), a Tuscon, AZ company, that prides themselves on their recycling.

I've got a confession to make. Of all the pieces that make up an identity package, my favorite by FAR is the business card. Why? The sheer flexibility it offers. There are NO limitations to what you can DESIGN with a business card. Any style, any shape, any color, and outlandish thing you can imagine can actually WORK as a business card. There is no other single design piece I've found that offer's so much flexibility. We've talked before about fake finishes design tricks and cheap ways to make a big difference, but let's look at some ideas that you can use to display your text. Text. We know that a business card HAS to contain information, and more often than not, it has to contain LOTS of information. Information that is ESSENTIAL to a strong business card. This alone, may sound like an overwhelming task, but what it REALLY is, is an overwhelming opportunity to do something great. Let's look at some inspiration for just such an occasion:

This bookmark features a free brush I found at my FAVORITE brush site, Brusheezy.com. The brush set contains approximately 12 brushes with different paisley patterns. They are great for nice layering effects!  Download tonight's bookmark here.

Smashing Magazine issued a challenge to designers for the new year, and I’m on board! I tried to decide what type of design I’d want to do and could stretch my boundaries as a designer. So in answer to this Challenge, I will be designing and posting a new Bookmark design each day on this blog. The Designs will link to a downloadable PDF that you can feel free to download, print out and share as desired.

A remarkable print process has been released. The 75th anniversary of Esquire magazine boasts a printing first: E-ink.

What is this new phenomenon? It's literally a digital display that is battery powered and snuggled in the front of the magazine cover. The cover, barely heavier stock than a normal cover is not even noticeably different. That is until the image changes in front of your eyes.

Recently, I observed a friendly debate between colleagues discussing the pros and cons of creating a business card that relied on die cuts, embossing or spot UV coatings. Is a business card really a good investment? Will it make the difference between being thrown away and being treasured?

My opinion? It’s up to the designer and the client. While there are definitely budget constraints that should be taken into effect I do believe that money spent on designing a dynamic business card is well invested.

Alright, so let's say your new client is an author. And they want you to design . . . .  a bookmark! In an earlier post we touched on designing a bookmark as a promotional piece, but let's take it a step farther tonight. In the book industry these days there is REALLY stiff competition. Do you have what it takes to stand out amid the chaos? You better.

Usually, on this blog I showcase others work, but today I thought I'd share some recent business cards I had the opportunity to design. As always feedback is more than welcome! Enjoy! [caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Splinters"]