As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Photoshop] Help me make a flyer!

SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
edited March 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
I'm used to using the corel suite to do graphic design. and I have no idea where to start with photoshop.

I just need to make a simple 81/2 x 11 flyer. but how do i start with a canvas that big?

ack!

help?

"we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
SmallLady on

Posts

  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    or, if somebody could point me in the right direction on finding free flyer templates.

    SmallLady on
    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • rfaliasrfalias Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    It depends on the flyer really.
    The default resolution for photoshop comes out around 72Pixels/Inch which is pretty low for print. I'd increase the resolution to start off with. It also depends on where its going to be printed up, color or b/w, type of paper etc...

    Other than that, your request is fairly ambiguous so I'm not sure how to help past basic resolution suggestions.

    Don't focus on the canvas size, just focus on getting the flyer content inside of that. Also, give your self some edge room (avoid making images/text touch the far edges of the 8.5x11 paper. Most printers won't print that close to the edge, and/or they can also bleed over in some cases.

    Get as specific as you can, photoshop is a broad tool so anything specific will help us help you!

    rfalias on
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    After opening Photoshop, go to File>New. You'll find some preset paper sizes and resolutions, but their arrangement varies a bit from version to version. Look through the presets untill you find "Letter" size, or simply write 8.5 inches in the width area and 11 inches in the height area.

    Set your resolution to 300dpi.

    Good luck!

    MagicToaster on
  • TaximesTaximes Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    When you open it up and create a new document, a little box should pop up asking you to set the different properties of the new document, including size.

    By default, the units of document size are probably set to pixels, but you should be able to click on the drop-down menu and change that to inches, then enter 8.5 x 11.

    However, note that the actual size of this on paper is going to depend on the DPI setting used when printing. In that same "New Document" Photoshop box, there's a place where you can enter the DPI. You can try to be accurate here, but I usually just use something large like 300 so that I have a huge document pixel-wise, and then I just scale the image down when printing by selecting "scale to fit page" when going to print.

    Taximes on
  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    the only resolution options are pixels/cm or pixels/inc

    Edit: nm. dots and pixels are the same :(

    i feel so dumb today

    SmallLady on
    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Taximes wrote: »
    However, note that the actual size of this on paper is going to depend on the DPI setting used when printing.

    Actually, resolution has nothing to do with the physical size of the document. It's still the same size, just at a lower/higher resolution.

    MagicToaster on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Not to sound like a dick, but both these were on the first page of google after typing "photoshop flyer templates."

    A tutorial: http://www.webdesign.org/web/photoshop/web-layout/creating-a-flyer-in-photoshop.7804.html

    A template PSD : http://domdesign.deviantart.com/art/Flyer-Template-PSD-76367517

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • IronSunriseIronSunrise Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Don't forget - you're now using software designed for photo - not layout - editing. Depending on how text heavy your work will be, its often better to use dedicated layout software. Scribus is open source.

    IronSunrise on
    Georg Dreyman, I have no sympathy for you.
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Yeah, you may want to look into Ms Publisher (may be included with your Office) or Adobe InDesign, which I believe is their app more suited for publishing.

    MichaelLC on
  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Damn.

    i wish i can comeback to look at this before making the flyer.

    now I can't get my PSD file to convert to PDF.

    any ideas before i start over?

    SmallLady on
    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • rfaliasrfalias Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    SmallLady wrote: »
    Damn.

    i wish i can comeback to look at this before making the flyer.

    now I can't get my PSD file to convert to PDF.

    any ideas before i start over?

    Any reason you want to convert to pdf? Aren't you printing it?

    rfalias on
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    SmallLady wrote: »
    any ideas before i start over?

    Plan ahead.

    MagicToaster on
  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I need to print it and I need to be able to email it to people.

    SmallLady on
    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • IronSunriseIronSunrise Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    There are a bunch of free print to PDF programs, also Photoshop CS will let you "Save as..." PDF I thought...

    IronSunrise on
    Georg Dreyman, I have no sympathy for you.
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    SmallLady wrote: »
    I need to print it and I need to be able to email it to people.

    I wouldn't send it as PDF. A JPG will have faster download time and a smaller file size. When you save the email version, remember that you're working on a different media from print. Save it so that people can see it on a monitor, don't focus so much on size this time, but rather the width of the document in pixels. 800px/1024px should be enough.

    If you save it using the Save for Web feature, you can control the image compression and the file size in ways you wouldn't be able to do it if you just use "save as"

    MagicToaster on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    You can easily save it to PDF. Go download PrimoPDF.

    When you print, choose "PrimoPDF" as the "printer" and it will create a pdf.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • embrikembrik Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    SmallLady wrote: »
    Damn.

    i wish i can comeback to look at this before making the flyer.

    now I can't get my PSD file to convert to PDF.

    any ideas before i start over?

    Make sure your document is flattened. (Layers Menu --> Flatten Image). Then try saving it in a format of your choice.

    embrik on
    "Damn you and your Daily Doubles, you brigand!"

    I don't believe it - I'm on my THIRD PS3, and my FIRST XBOX360. What the heck?
  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    edited March 2009
    embrik wrote: »
    Make sure your document is flattened. (Layers Menu --> Flatten Image). Then try saving it in a format of your choice.

    Don't flatten. Never flatten. You will accidentally hit save and then lose all that work.

    File -> Export -> whatever format you want, and it'll deal with flattening layers automagically.

    Echo on
  • LurkLurk Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Echo wrote: »
    embrik wrote: »
    Make sure your document is flattened. (Layers Menu --> Flatten Image). Then try saving it in a format of your choice.

    Don't flatten. Never flatten. You will accidentally hit save and then lose all that work.

    File -> Export -> whatever format you want, and it'll deal with flattening layers automagically.

    I ragequited in photoshop because of this.

    Lurk on
    415429-1.png?1281464977
  • embrikembrik Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Echo wrote: »
    embrik wrote: »
    Make sure your document is flattened. (Layers Menu --> Flatten Image). Then try saving it in a format of your choice.

    Don't flatten. Never flatten. You will accidentally hit save and then lose all that work.

    File -> Export -> whatever format you want, and it'll deal with flattening layers automagically.

    Good to remember. I've been very lucky, for all the years I've worked with Photoshop, I've not done that. I do generally work off of a copy of a copy, so that probably helps though :)

    Regardless, that's the reason the OP doesn't see the save options she's looking for. Photoshop can't save layered images in PDF, JPEG, etc. The export option is definitely the way to go here though.

    embrik on
    "Damn you and your Daily Doubles, you brigand!"

    I don't believe it - I'm on my THIRD PS3, and my FIRST XBOX360. What the heck?
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    What are you guys talking about? Photoshop automatically flattens the image when you choose JPG or anything else layer-less.

    Also, Echo, is that a typo? Because I am now going to use the word automagically all the time.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    edited March 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    Also, Echo, is that a typo? Because I am now going to use the word automagically all the time.

    I would have you know that this is a perfectly valid technical term in wide use!

    Echo on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    What are you guys talking about? Photoshop automatically flattens the image when you choose JPG or anything else layer-less.

    Also, Echo, is that a typo? Because I am now going to use the word automagically all the time.

    But when you export as a .pdf, it creates a new file leaving the one you are editing untouched.

    Improvolone on
    Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    What are you guys talking about? Photoshop automatically flattens the image when you choose JPG or anything else layer-less.

    Also, Echo, is that a typo? Because I am now going to use the word automagically all the time.

    But when you export as a .pdf, it creates a new file leaving the one you are editing untouched.

    Well yeah, just avoiding the step of saving your PSD before you save to PDF, I guess.

    Still, I was referring to people telling this guy that you need to flatten layers and shit to save JPG/PDF files.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    Yeah, you may want to look into Ms Publisher (may be included with your Office) or Adobe InDesign, which I believe is their app more suited for publishing.

    Publisher is a horrible horrible monstrosity of a program that lets people all around the office think they are designers. When I get an e-mail attachment that says "I know I'm not a designer, but I just threw this together in Publisher." I cringe, scream and pull my hair.

    Never. Use. Publisher.

    Also.

    I normally use Corel X3 for my quick flyers/banner/form work. If I am doing a full color image based project I will do it in photoshop. Make sure that you keep your working file as a .psd. And for my own purposes I always make my .pdfs in Corel X3. When your project is done, save it as a .psd, then go to Save As and save the file again as a .tif and make sure you click off "Layers" and click on "Save as Copy" the image will flatten itself when it saves as a .tif and it will be significantly smaller sized.

    Then just make your blank page in Corel, import, and publish as a .pdf.

    Also, here are some rule of thumb resolutions.

    Web/Screen based = 72
    Newspaper = 150
    Laser Printer = 200
    High Quality Print (for press) = 300

    Also, if you are doing the job in a vector format (no raster images) then resolution really doesn't matter. But it's a bitch to do vector art in photoshop, Especially when there is Corel and Illustrator out there.

    I am slowly migrating over to using Adobe InDesign CS4 for my work, its a great program that gives you a lot of control. However, I still like Corel X3 more than Illustrator for vector editing.
    SmallLady wrote: »
    I need to print it and I need to be able to email it to people.

    I wouldn't send it as PDF. A JPG will have faster download time and a smaller file size. When you save the email version, remember that you're working on a different media from print. Save it so that people can see it on a monitor, don't focus so much on size this time, but rather the width of the document in pixels. 800px/1024px should be enough.

    If you save it using the Save for Web feature, you can control the image compression and the file size in ways you wouldn't be able to do it if you just use "save as"

    She'd be better off with the .pdf - it's image compression is more than capable of handling this without bloated file sizes.
    Lurk wrote: »
    Echo wrote: »
    embrik wrote: »
    Make sure your document is flattened. (Layers Menu --> Flatten Image). Then try saving it in a format of your choice.

    Don't flatten. Never flatten. You will accidentally hit save and then lose all that work.

    File -> Export -> whatever format you want, and it'll deal with flattening layers automagically.

    I ragequited in photoshop because of this.

    You do realize that if you accidentally flatten and save you can still Ctrl+Alt+Z back to before you flattened. Right?

    MagicPrime on
    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    Yeah, you may want to look into Ms Publisher (may be included with your Office) or Adobe InDesign, which I believe is their app more suited for publishing.

    Publisher is a horrible horrible monstrosity of a program that lets people all around the office think they are designers. When I get an e-mail attachment that says "I know I'm not a designer, but I just threw this together in Publisher." I cringe, scream and pull my hair.

    Never. Use. Publisher.

    8-) Oh, I know. Even better, we have a woman here who does a monthly newsletter. She somehow layered each edition on top of each other in PDF - the file was like 25MB for each month.

    I was just suggesting one (possible) free option and one (better) spendy option.

    MichaelLC on
Sign In or Register to comment.