Welcome back to another week of Blogging Basics with Lindsay and I. We have touched on some great topics already but today’s topic is one that I truly enjoy doing. Creating blog graphics, for me, is fun and a great way to let my creativity shine (what creativity I have, mind you). Each blogger has their own way of going about creating graphics so once you find what works best for you go with it! Today I am going to show you the process I use to create my main graphic and my Pinterest graphic.
A couple of things before I start. First, you know I am a fan of styled stock photography, in fact this photo (free!) above came from the monthly newsletter of Shaye Cochrane. If you lack photography skills (as I do) feel free to grab a photo from any of these sites I talked about last week in my stock photo resources post. Second, my go to sites for designing my graphics are Pic Monkey and Canva. Feel free to use any site that you are comfortable with though. Let’s get started!
Pic Monkey
Pic Monkey is amazing in my opinion. The main thing I love about it is the option to use your own fonts which to me is huge. You can stick with the free version or upgrade to get more design options.
Let’s start by clicking on Edit.
Choose Your Photo
Locate the photo you want to use for your graphic and upload it.
Add Overlays
Click on the butterfly icon and you will see a variety of overlays. This is where you can get really creative if you’d like. You can choose different shapes, arrows, bubbles, or even add some of your own from your own files.
For my graphics I tend to keep it simple. I opted to use the rectangle shape.
By dragging the corner soft the shape you can adjust it to the size you prefer. You also have the option to change the color three different ways; choosing one of theirs, entering a hex code of a color, or using the eyedropper tool. If you opt to use the eyedropper, click on it and drag it to a color on your photo and it will match that color. Once you find your color, you can adjust the opacity by dragging the fade button to the right.
Add Text
Click on the “T” and you can now add text. Not a font hoarder like me? That’s ok. Pic Monkey has lots of great options to choose from. If you do have some fonts loaded into your computer, click on “Yours” and locate your font(s) of choice. Type out your graphic title and adjust size, spacing, and placement. You also can change the color of the text as well (using the same 3 methods listed above).
Once you are satisfied with your design, feel free to add your own watermark to your photo. Don’t have one? Simply type out your blog name/address and place it somewhere on your photo.
There you have it….my intro blog graphic is complete.
Canva
Pinterest graphics are next. You want to have a Pinterest graphic that will show better in the Pinterest feed. Canva makes it simple for you to create these by having presized templates specifically designed for Pinterest. If you’re new to Canva be sure to check out my post on how to design with Canva.
Upload Photo
I keep my main graphic and Pinterest graphic similar; the cropping may differ but I tend to use the same photo. Use the corners to position your photo.
Add Text or Change Layout/Color
As a creature of habit (and hoping to create a brand) I often stick with the same layout and text formats.
As you can see, they have a great selection of free text options. See something you like but don’t like their font choice? Not a problem; Canva gives you a choice of other fonts to use.
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer my own fonts so I delete theirs.
Like Pic Monkey, you have the option to change the color (using their selection or entering a hex code).
When you are happy with how it looks and have added text (if you like theirs), save your graphic by clicking on “Make Public”. Name your graphic and then click on download.
Head Back to Pic Monkey
Open your Canva graphic.
Repeat the steps used above for Pic Monkey and you will have your Pinterest graphic designed in no time flat.
Creating your own blog graphics lets your creativity shine...and it's easy to do! Click To Tweet
Completed!
What looks like quite a few steps can actually be done rather quickly once you get the hang of it. Limiting yourself to a few options and trying to stick with a cohesive look for your blog definitely helps you save time.
How do you create graphics for your blog? Any tips to share? Be sure to check out Lindsay’s tips for creating blog graphics.
Looking for more info on Pic Monkey? Be sure to check out my Pinterest board dedicated to Pic Monkey!
Follow Anne DuRoss / Love the Here & Now’s board Pic Monkey on Pinterest.
