• 🆘 Need Help? We’re Here for You!

    Have a question or need assistance? You’re in the right place! Whether you're new to GingerScraps or just need a little guidance, feel free to ask here. Our amazing admins and helpful community members are always happy to lend a hand. 💖

    Be sure to check out these helpful areas too:

    🔧 If you’re having trouble with an order or product download, please visit our Support Desk - we’re happy to help!

Becoming A Designer

MSPeeler

MSPeeler

New member
It has been a dream of mine for a few years to become a digital scrapbooking designer, I've already started creating templates for my own use, however I am interested in creating kits… But I'm not sure how to get started with that. For those of you designers who are willing to answer a few questions for me, how did you get started? Do you draw your own elements? Do you purchase clipart or other products to use in kits or edit them in Photoshop or another program? I'm very curious how to start. Thanks for your help !
 
Hi Michelle! I am so happy for you :)
how to start? I would suggest to choose your style... you can look around... there are many places with CU stuff... you can use your own photography... you can create from scratch... you can combine... some designers scan their paintings... or drawings... some just edit commercial use stuff...
about the program to use... almost everyone use photoshop... I use Paint Shop Pro by Corel... but it is a little more difficult to achieve things with this than with PS.... I just found Inkscape... free graphic editor program but not sure yet how to use it... I installed it but haven't found the time to open it...
hope this can help you a bit.,. I don't think there is a magical formula... but if someone has it please share!!!
best of luck!!
 
Hey Michelle -

This was my journey - if it helps!

When I first started designing, I didn't even know about commercial use items. So I would search up themed items on Google, and hand-trace the shapes to make my own elements. Most of my stuff looked too digitized and I definitely OVER-used textures, bevels, etc. (just because I wanted to make the most of my program - LOL).

As I got better, my style "calmed down." I am a paper-scrapper at heart, so I wanted my digital layouts and kits to look like a paper layout as much as possible. I discovered CU items for ribbons, clips, etc. I still google themed images and see if I can re-create them myself.

I started at a very small store. Then moved to a store that was a teensy-bit bigger, and I kept refining and working to get to Gingerscraps (which was my "holy grail" of places to be). Honestly, I was told NO by GS twice before I was ready to be here! And I'm still flying high over getting accepted here! :D I was told NO a lot - but I never gave up. If this is something you want to do, DON'T GIVE UP!

I personally like "themed" kits vs. vague ones - like I'll design a basketball-themed kit before I'll try one just called "Calm & Tranquility" or something. Then I know I can make things like a basketball, scoreboard, jersey, whistle, water bottle, etc. And add the filler items (ribbons, frames, clips, word art, word tags, flowers, greenery, etc.).

This is a full-time job for me -but it doesn't not make "Full-time" money. That's something you need to know. I work on my business 6-10 hours a day and often on weekends. Designing is just a small part - because there is also previewing, packaging, advertising, blogging, newsletters, Facebook promotions, and more.

I started with Paint Shop Pro as my design program because that was the one I knew really well. Just in the last year, I've been doing half of the work in PSP, and then moving into Photoshop/CS2 to use styles. I toggle between the two programs regularly. Whatever program you choose, know them well. :)

I hope that helps!
:) Mags / MagsGraphics
 
First thought - if you are designing to make big money, just skip it now unless you have the most amazing design sense of what the public wants and are able to completely stay on top of trends and are expert with your photoshop. I'd say most of us supplement the family income and stick with this because we are passionate about designing. I think this summer will mark 12 years of designing for me and trust me - I have grown and continue to all the time. I could certainly earn quite a bit more but I no longer strive to put out a kit every week.

Like MAGS said, it is about more than the design, it is about social marketing and lots of time spent uploading, etc, and you need to fit time to create for kits that are in a sense part of your contract in the stores where you sell.

Now that I've done my best to discourage you - ha ha ha....

For me, I need themes because I draw a great many of my own characters etc in my kits. I feel like if they aren't there then I'm just selling someone else's prettified CU. I'm useless if handed a kit to do about 'feelings'. That said, unless you are great at photography and extraction techniques you will need to invest in CU for things like ribbons, flowers, textures, strings, staples, and such. You then need to understand how to make each of those things your own and comply with cu tou. CU gives you time to work on what you do best in a kit. Be prepared to buy extra when big sales happen as having a CU stash is really helpful - prepare also to buy extra portable hardrives to house it all. Ideally your kits will definitely say your name when people see the previews. Indeed do think about style but don't be shocked when you decide to change it up a while into designing - it's kind of like feeling out who you want to be design wise.

Like most I use Photoshop. I actually still just use PS4 because I don't have to pay a monthly subscription though I may be about to upgrade to CC now that I've just purchased a new laptop.

To start, pick a theme and design a kit. Have a designer go through and pick it apart for you. You'll be amazed what you can learn and likely won't make the same mistakes again. I've done that for a number of designers - 2 of whom now sell at SSD. Design elements the size you envision them being used on a page and stay consistent in sizing within the kit. Also decide your shadow angle for interior shadows - or how you plan to approach that and stay consistent. Check each piece of your work as you go for stray pixels or slightly see through areas. Think about your end users as you design. You can even scrap a page with your kit to see how it feels - is it easy to use or do you find it touch. Papers - at texture, make sure you have a mix of big, small, and medium patterns as well as plain papers with a bit of texture. Add an alpha. Sadly, most customers will not purchase the kit without the alpha these days and the alphas on their own really don't sell well. When you apply to stores think about how much pressure to produce you can handle - and think about the style typically sold in the store - also see if you can spot how many typical users are in the store at any one time - very few people usually means very few sales. Don't bother trying to sell a cutesy kit in an artsy store - you will only get disappointed. Ask designers at the store about the atmosphere there. Unless you are a brilliant designer from the beginning - and some indeed are - be prepared for the fact that you may have to work your way up in stores. Design for several months ahead and it will be easier. Be organized. Think out the organization before you begin and before you start at a store a get into xcart or whichever system they have - again ask the designers at the stores tips to make it easier. Usually it takes time to build up a following.

Best of luck to you. It's hard. It's easy. Be passionate about it.
Tracey
 
Did NOT mean to hit dislike!!!!!

Thank You all so much for the help and advice! I very much appreciate it all. I have a very good DSLR camera and have been extracting items with photoshop for years, who knew I could use those as elements potentially?! Lol.

Lots to think on!
 
So apparently elements are hard to make, LOL. I am not as creative as I thought I once was... I made my papers, and have flowers, and leaves and a couple ribbon, but nothing distinct... original or themed like I want... this is gonna take time to adapt I see.

:clap: to all you hard working designers out there!!!!
 
This is an interesting thread...thank you to the designers for sharing your outlook. I, too, thought I would love to supplement my income being a designer...but after much thought...I don't want my beloved hobby to turn into a "job". I love sitting down and creating pages...but I'm afraid if I started designing kits I would never scrap again.

Maybe someday... Until then, I'll look forward to all the new releases and support all the wonderful, talented, creative designers already out there :)
 
Well Ladies, I made my first scrap kit. I took a suggestion from the Suggestion Box and rolled with it. Here's a link if y'all want to see where I'm starting from! I took pictures myself of things and extracted them, google searched commercial free for reuse items and found a few commercial use items from designers I really like, then tweaked them with my own colors, brushes and textures.
and yes, your right, lots of time goes into it, but boy is it fun (to me!)

https://forums.gingerscraps.net/sho...anada-turns-150-years-old&p=449348#post449348
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top