FAQs

Popular questions I received from clients & students and my answers to them.

Why are Illustrator and Photoshop perfect for learning the basics of digital image making?

Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop provide an excellent foundation for beginners in digital image creation, each serving distinct but complementary purposes. Illustrator excels at vector graphics—creating logos, illustrations, and designs using mathematically defined lines and shapes that can be scaled without losing quality. This makes it ideal for learning fundamental design principles like composition, color theory, and typography. Photoshop, meanwhile, specializes in raster (pixel-based) image editing, teaching essential skills in photo manipulation, digital painting, and texture work. Both programs offer intuitive interfaces with advanced tools. While initially challenging, these apps have established industry-standard workflows and techniques used across the design world. Learning them gives you transferable skills that apply to nearly any design software you might use later.

What does my designer mean when they ask for the high res vector logo?

When your designer asks for a "high res vector logo," they need the original, scalable version of your logo that won't lose quality at any size. Vector files (usually .AI, .EPS, or .SVG formats) are built with mathematical formulas rather than pixels, allowing them to be enlarged infinitely without becoming blurry or pixelated like JPEGs and PNGs do. Vectors are lines and shapes that can be enlarged, reduced, or manipulated based on exact mathematical X,Y coordinates, ensuring they remain perfectly crisp at any size. If you don't have this file, check with whoever originally created your logo, as recreating it may require additional design work.

Where do you get good fonts?

I have a ton to say about fonts and the evolving subscription versus buying individual fonts, but I will keep it short for now. If you have an Adobe Creative Suite license, you have a sound font library you can use for personal and professional use. However, some premium fonts (like Frutiger and Palatino) are still not included in that library, and you must purchase them separately. I use Myfonts.com; they continue to host the entire Monotype library (including Linotype and other great foundries). While font subscription options have expanded in 2025, "renting" fonts remains challenging when designing material you'll use repeatedly. Therefore, I still believe buying fonts in perpetuity is the best approach for most designers. Always read all end-user licensing agreements carefully no matter where you source your fonts. For quality free fonts, Google Fonts remains an excellent resource with an expanded library of open-source options suitable for both web and print projects. Other noteworthy sources include Font Squirrel, which curates commercial-quality free fonts with clear licensing; Adobe Fonts' free selections (accessible without a Creative Cloud subscription); and The League of Moveable Type, which offers thoughtfully crafted open-source typefaces. Additionally, several new independent type foundries have emerged with high-quality offerings worth exploring, and the variable font ecosystem has matured significantly since 2021, offering greater versatility with fewer font files.

What does my web developer mean about wire framing?

What does my web developer mean about wireframing? This is a foundational phase of the web design process. Before a site can be developed with code, it's essential to create a blueprint showing what content will go where. Think of it as the architectural plans for your website – a visual representation that outlines the structure, layout, and functionality without the distraction of colors, fonts, or finished graphics. While Figma has emerged as the industry standard for professional designers due to its collaborative features and design capabilities, you don't need specialized software to begin wireframing. You can create effective wireframes using familiar tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or even physical post-it notes arranged on a board! An agreed-upon wireframe of the site architecture and its pages is critical for the success of your web project. Web designers typically create these after gathering input from their clients; however, I encourage stakeholders to begin thinking about their content organization and user journeys before they sit down with the developer. In 2025, wireframing has evolved to include more interactive elements and user flow mapping, but its core purpose remains unchanged: establishing a clear structural foundation that ensures everyone shares the same vision before the more resource-intensive development work begins. Starting with a solid wireframe saves time, reduces costly revisions later, and ultimately leads to a more effective website.

We have only been using RGB colors for our company logo and website; how do we choose the best color match for printing?

This is something I encounter more frequently, especially from smaller organizations. Often, businesses have logos provided by outside designers and only possess RGB versions in jpeg or png format. The first step is determining if you can access the original design files. If so, there's likely a CMYK (process color for print) or Pantone (color matching system) version already available. If not, you can request the original designer to provide these color specifications. When that's not possible, you'll need to establish these color matches yourself. In 2025, there are several improved tools to help with this process. The Pantone Connect platform offers digital-to-physical color matching capabilities, while Adobe's Creative Cloud apps can help you match your RGB colors to appropriate print values. You can also manually match colors using graphics applications like Adobe Illustrator by sampling your RGB colors and finding their closest CMYK or Pantone equivalents. Remember that some vibrant RGB colors simply cannot be reproduced exactly in print, so sometimes a slight adjustment must be made to maintain your brand's visual integrity across all mediums.