Banners - how does everyone get theirs to look to good?

[Former_Member]

My banner is ok, I guess, but it doesn't reflect what I sell. Just my business name.

I want to order business cards but don't know whether to order some with beads pictured on them or clouds like on my banner...

Any advice?

[Former_Member]

I meant how does everyone get their banners to look So good...

[TheDarkFen]

practice :D

[TheDarkFen]

when in doubt just use all text haha. ditch the clouds and the beads just use an interesting font with possibly a shadow or bevel.

[Former_Member]

I recently made mine. (First attempt.) The website I used that I found super helpful is this:

http://www.everythingetsy.com/2012/05/how-to-make-a-blog-button-or-etsy-banner-using-picmonkey/

It teaches you how to make a banner using picmonkey. From there, it was simple.

My banner is really simple and there isn't much to it, but for now I like it.

[Former_Member]

I hire a pro. Seriously. You want something crocheted - I am your gal. You want graphics to look fantabulous - I am NOT your girl!

This is who does my banner, promo material graphics, etc. She is great and sends me complete files so I can then use them for business cards, promo cards, whatever I need.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WinchesterLambourne

and this is the shop who is also wonderful who helped with my previous banners and helped me design my logo

www.morbidmaterials.etsy.com


Here is the thing - some people will say, why spend money to do what I can do myself? I just need to learn how or get better at it.

To me, that school of thought is very good for some things, but not good for all. I think I can spend 6 hours maybe reading, trying and learning how to do a graphic and then IF it comes out right work on sizing for various applications and such. Well, how much is that time worth! I can make a LOT of hats in 6 hours!

So it is cost effective in the big picture to get someone who can do that for me and I can use that time working on what I do best.

Both shops I mention I had excellent experience with and found right here on etsy!

Good luck!!!!

[thevicagirl]

I've taken design class after design class. So, I guess 8 years and $30,000 in debt (not including the none debt I paid.)

[ForgedMettleJewelry]

I couldn't afford to have someone make a banner for my shop, still can't actually. And what if they made it and I didn't like it?

My first banner is much like yours now, a scenic photo that would work with my jewelry (a road and some power lines) I'd shot YEARS ago and pasted my shop name on top of it.

The one that I'm using now though, I sat down and played with the photo editing software on my computer for a while until I figured out just enough to get it to do what I envisioned. Other than that I still have to clue half the things it can do. But I LOVE the shop banner I'm using right now, and it only took a couple hours of my time and a can of Pepsi...

[MorganRalstonArt]

lol @kelsey.

Your banner is beautiful but that link is cut-and-pasty and pop-up latent ;)

You must be a master to have made your banner so nice with tidbits from that page ;)

[Former_Member]

<--- agrees with Morgan
@Kelsey - just fantastic!!

[Former_Member]

Ah, I'm so sorry! I didn't see any pop-ups. Must have a good ad-blocker or something? Sorry lol I didn't mean to make your computers freak out by posting a bad page or by making you look at something completely unreadable. Just trying to be helpful. ;)

And thanks for the compliment!

[Former_Member]

i also hired a professional. Technically, he is my ex and he has done a bunch of stuff for me in exchange for lunch, but he is a professional graphic designer. I love accessing the hidden (or not so hidden) talents of friends and family members.

[PennyBirchWilliams]

I made mine using Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program) downloaded online...cropped & resized a photo of one of my paintings, added a layer of the text. Gimp is free to use but not the easiest thing to figure out, even with tutorials. It took me a few hours. Now I like to use PicMonkey for photo cropping & resizing but I don't think text can be added with it. I think it'll get easier each time I make a new banner. I'd go with a professional if I didn't have the time or interest in doing it myself.

[Anthropologeek]

If you don't mind a little watermark and you want it free, here are my two cents. Go to http://www.mybannermaker.com/interstitial.php and make your own. I made mine and for now I like it. I wanted to hire or buy a premade one, but this one fits for now. I hope this helps.

[Former_Member]

I created mine in picmonkey.com and used my product photo's as a collage. It's cohesive with what i sell.

[Former_Member]

I recently changed the banner in my shop. I used to have a plain green banner that really didn't go with anything. I can't afford a professional to make my banner, so I took a picture of several of my necklaces twisted together, and used the photo editing software that came with my camera to add text. It took me a couple of tries and about an hour to get it right, but I'm very happy with the result. I used a similar picture for my facebook page too.

[Former_Member]

I hired a professional. It was actually pretty fun!

Phanie Marie is the best one I know of - she did my business cards too. She's very kind, clever with words, and the price of her work is extremely affordable for the quality you get.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhanieMarie

Previously I made my banner with Picnik. But they're gone now.

I LOVED picniks stamps, it's something that ipiccy doesn't have.

Oh well.

[Former_Member]

Whatever happened to etsync.com or something like that.

They had my favorite banner generator :P.

[ArtifactsEtCetera]

I made mine on Picnik.com (or you could use picmonkey.com now). I just found a photo from one of the thousands of product photos I've taken that would crop nicely to the right size and added the text. However, I'm in the process of having a logo designed by someone here on Etsy (SUPER excited about that!) so it may change once that's done!

[Former_Member]

I was stuck, and searched designers here for ideas and eventually asked one to design for me. Love it! Would never go back to using my own. Mine was made by: Jane & Charlotte

[Former_Member]

Mine was made by Amber, she's hugely talented!

www.etsy.com/shop/amber84

[ThekawaiiOD]

I taught myself Photoshop and used the tutorial here on etsy, it helped a ton.
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2009/seller-how-to-banner-tips/ Mine still needs some work, but I am glad they had that link here.

[Former_Member]

Not that I can help, but I just made a new banner - using powerpoint, I can't remember where I got the instructions for it from, but it works for basic banners if you don't have any editing programmes.

If anyone has the time, could you take a look and let me know what you think? It is VERY simple, but an improvement on my last I think as the photos were all stretched!

[Arthlin]

My logo, banner and business cards were made by this graphic designers team: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quantum-VideoFilmPhotographie/119785968078846?ref=ts

After changing my logo / banner multiple times ( not so good for branding..) I decided it was time to invest in a quality product that I would keep for years. I'm really glad I chose to do this, it was quite an investment ($325) but now my image is consistent everywhere: etsy, facebook, twitter, blog and on my packages.

[Arthlin]

@Natalie, I like your banner design and your photos are looking good (not stretched :) ). The lettering does appear blurry on my screen though (especially on the right), maybe there would be a way to save it in a higher resolution?