Photoshop or Similar app Advice for Noob Project

[asphaltgambler]

Hey guys, I want create a logo / signage for my online business. I know what I want it to look like. Currently I have the text and the main foreground subject using the Sniping tool onto a Word document - but want to use existing online illustration of old garage building front to then use an outline of that pic in the background ( layered )

Will photoshop app do this or do I need something else? I am somewhat artistically inclined, can draw use MS /PP fairly well but that's about it.

Advice please.....

[varmint]

how big? you may need to go vector.

if just online photoshop will work. photoshop will do anything.

or try procreate. it's the 90% of photoshop pepople actually use for $40.

[stomachmonkey]

GIMP

https://www.gimp.org

[911 Rod]

https://www.fiverr.com

[asphaltgambler]

For now the image fits on 1/2 page of 8 x11 paper..

[ADDvanced]

My advice based on being a professional designer for 20+ years. Don't do any type of image behind your words. Tweak the kerning and text, keep the logo AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, not multi colored, no gradients. This will allow you to scale it and keep it readable no matter what it's put on, or how it's put on. It a monocolor logo without gradients or colors can easily be done with silk screening (t shirts), vinyl (trucks/vans/windows), signs, pad printing swag like pens.

#1 mistake I see people make for their own logos is making it too complicated which reads like **** once it's shrunken down small. Case in point, look how small these are, and see how easy they are to read:

[Eric Hahl]

Try using inkscape. A free vector format illustrator program. Vector images can be scaled to any size without losing resolution. Also, the above advice about keeping it simple is spot on.

[asphaltgambler]

Thanks guys, really good information. But what is Vector / format? Y'all be learning me something real good here...

[Alan A]

Shapes are made from instructions to draw the lines not from pixels.
means it scales correctly.

[GH85Carrera]

Yea, a vector file is first of all very small in size. Think of it as a point that mathematically ties to the next point, with information on a curve or straight line, to another mathematically derived point. For a shape to be filled with a color or shading, it has to complete as full 360 shape, like a circle or triangle or any shape at all. but it has no real start or end point.

A photograph or raster image is made up of individual squares, of one solid color, with a value of 0 (black) to 255, (white) and when you add in colors the vales are "limited" to 16.7 million colors. To make a print, it has to be converted to CMYK, to allow the print head to lay down cyan, magenta, yellow or black inks. I am not going into a full tutorial on CMYK vs RGB color palette. Look it up as that is irrelevant to the difference from vector to raster.

The real difference is a raster image is made of of individual pixels, or "dots" on a printing press. So when you hear the typical 300 DPI print output, is is really 300 pixels per inch. If you are using the image at the size it was designed for, great. So a image made at 300 PPI as a 3x3 inch image will drop to 150 PPI at 6x6 inches. There is not magic resolution upscale like every TV show does with a video file to see the license tag. That is pure TV make believe.

A vector file is just math and can be scaled up as much as you want, and the resolution is the same. You can take a 3x3 inch file and print it 3x3 feet and it will be fine. You have to use raster in a photograph, as that is how your camera works. You can't make a drawing into a photo unless you hire a super talented artists to make a photo realistic drawing.

A vector file may well be way under one MB and look wonderful. We work with photograph images of the ground, and we often have files that are just so big Photoshop can't handle them at all. We make files 25 Gigabytes and bigger.

[asphaltgambler]

Thanks all, great info - I'll look into the Vector/ related apps to learn & use

[asphaltgambler]

GH85CARRERA- I need help please, I Sent you a PM