As a graphic designer, it is important to know how to use Adobe Cloud apps such as Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and many more. Although these applications are not free, you could still practice using them.Â
If you think you are ready to delve into the world of Adobe creative suite, you can do the free trial before you are ready to commit. Although it says that the free trial is only 14 days, sometimes they have special offers. For instance, Adobe currently has a sale where you could get over 30% off a subscription. You can find these offers here. Personally, I had to get Adobe for my graphic design classes at the beginning of the semester where I got one month for free because of a deal they were offering. It is best to get these deals when they happen so keep an eye out for them!
Something I strongly suggest is watching Youtube videos that can teach you how to use certain software. Trust me, these are helpful and will help the software not look as scary.
Here are some videos that are helpful:
These videos are helpful to help familiarize yourself with the tools and the workspace.
After you familiarize yourself with Adobe Creative Cloud apps, you can be confident in using the applications and begin to create!
Sometimes, I find myself not knowing how to achieve something specific in an application. Let’s say I want to make text fit a certain shape. This could be difficult to figure out for beginners and you could feel stuck in the process. Whenever I get stuck on something, I try looking it up on the internet. Most of the time a youtube video showing you how to fix your issue should come up. This is helpful and has saved me so many times!
Another helpful tip is to use the help panel and the top of your menu. Oftentimes, this has helped me find a specific tool I needed. For example, once I wanted to add an effect to an object and all I had to do was go to the help panel and type in effect and it showed me where it was.
It is also important to take breaks whenever you are working on a project. Oftentimes we find ourselves over working and getting stressed out. Take a deep breath and take some time off. In the meantime, you can go take a walk or watch some TV. Anything that will help keep your mind from becoming overwhelmed. When making art, your eyes tend to get strained and it is highly suggested that you take a break from your work to come back to it with a fresh set of eyes.
One last tip I have is to have fun with it! Once you understand the basic tools you will be able to create whatever comes to mind.
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