JRN 302: Introduction to Graphics &Visual Communication - Social Media Graphics Assignments - Lots of demos Monday, 7/13/15

Class Objectives Lecture Social media graphics assignment Freeimages.com demo PS demos Homework: Social Media Graphics assignment due Thursday 10/15/15 by the end of class

Assignment For our class, you are going to do a collage for both Twitter’s header and Facebook’s cover image facebook-twitter-google-header-image/ We are only designing this large image We are NOT designing a profile picture

What NOT to do Repeat: For our class, you have to do a collage Can be one design or two designs that are very similar looking But each collage has to have at least 3 different images in it along with your logo What is a collage? Each image has to have some visual connection with other images (do not simply place them in the design)  Maybe there is a theme (postcards)  Maybe there is a similar effect/filter/look  If layered on top of each other, how are they blended Great chance to use size contrast! (Big and small) 16.7 million colors but use your logo colors!

What NOT to do Do NOT create a 1-image photo only amp^serp|twgr^author amp^serp|twgr^author Do NOT use anything pixelated Do NOT assume your profile picture is your logo DO pay attention to where the profile picture would be (see Usher from above for good, for not so good)

Collage examples Blurs, masks, hue shifts But do NOT use a pixelated image (meaning you stretched something) or blur something that shouldn’t be blurred/out of focus Work with lots of layers!!

Off center balance, rotation, borders/strokes

Again, do not create a profile photo but be mindful of approximately where it is placed This collage has more of a central balance, rotation, borders/strokes, size contrast

Facebook’s rules for Cover photo All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can't be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else's copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Can’t include price or purchase information, such as "40% off" or "Download it on socialmusic.com"

Facebook’s rules for Cover photo Do not include: contact information such as a website address, , mailing address, or information that should go in your Page's "About" section But you can have company name, slogan, names of people in pictures references to Facebook features or actions, such as "Like" or "Share“ calls to action, such as "Get it now" or "Tell your friends."

But.. Can include this text… Text that showcases company products Company tagline or short phrase that explains what your business does An impactful word that embodies your brand Inspiring quote Names of people in your photo Photographer credits Image copyrights

Suggestions for Images… Candid photos of customers enjoying your products (be sure to get permission to use their likeness) Your most popular products Icons of awards won Employees in action Company founders Store interior or exterior Just make sure they are in focus when viewed on the screen

Twitter issues for header photo If you are interested in more about Twitter, look here 67/twitter-header-size-dimension /twitter-header-size-dimension-2014 Other good sites to show comparisons are image-sizes/ image-sizes/ media/1380/social-media-image-dimensions media/1380/social-media-image-dimensions

More Examples

items/facebook-timeline-cover-graphics/ But be aware of FB’s no-no’s

Things you will use in this assignment = Photographs You are not required to take your own photos for this class If you do, great Otherwise, go to this site Hi res, legally free images Yes, there are other sites, but you may want to use these images in your newsletter assignment later on and other sites are lo res Download the largest one you can so you can use it later for your newsletter Need to log-in to properly download the hi res image You will make the raster image smaller in your social media graphic assignment, but keep original hi res download Assignment sheet on website will walk you through downloading properly (remember to open in PS)

Once you get some photos… Set up your Twitter graphic file according to assignment sheet Copy and paste images into this file They should come in as separate layers You will be adjusting their sizes <Edit <Transform <Scale with Shift key held! <Edit <Transform <Rotate Effects like a drop shadow, stroke Repeat, repeat, repeat

Photoshop Demo: Blurs, Masks, Blends, Feathering You have to create a collage so you’ll use more than just your logo NOTE: Do the following while at 100% in Photoshop!! You may want to softly blend images into each other Blurs, smudge (on same layer) Feathering (on different layers) Masks + Gradient (on different layers)

Photoshop Demo: Hue and color shifts, filters NOTE: Do the following while at 100% in Photoshop!! You may want to adjust the hue/color saturation of each image (put on separate layers) In layers palette, click on the layer you want to change Click on the FX Select Color Overlay If you want to run a filter, you can do so on each layer

Things you might use in this assignment = Filters Work best on a photograph Go through filter gallery However you get effect is fine Mistakes often produce awesome-looking effects Some good ones Brush Strokes: Crosshatch Sketch: Graphic Pen (be aware of foreground color) Texture: Grain (or do <Filter <Noise)

Things you might use in this assignment = Brushes More free and awesome stuff = custom brushes Choose the paintbrush tool Normally, use the brackets on your keyboard and options bar to change Don’t forget foreground color! <Window <Brush Presets Load brush file (.abr) Brushes come in as pixels (not shapes) Some have transparencies within them Suggestion is to do this on a new layer (you have to create!)  Change brush size, transparency, color Combine with new layer <Edit <Fill with foreground color May want to change preferences of your cursors to be precise or brush shape In Mac, Preferences under Photoshop In PC, Preferences under Edit

Good looking brushes (helpful terms to Google) Swirls brushes-for-photoshop-free-to-download/ brushes-for-photoshop-free-to-download/ Brushes Brushes Floral or foliage Splatter Grunge Use alone or repeat for a pattern Again, put on a separate layer and play with size, color, opacity

Bonus points If you use either a custom brush file, and you use it well, and you drop your.abr file Or If you use a custom font, and you use it well, and you drop your font file You may be able to get up to 5 bonus points for this assignment!

These collage skills can be used for photo illustrations in news stories Recent one heroin-points-to-surge-in-grim-trade.html?hp