iCLIPART.com - Tell Mom you love her with an iCLIPART.com Mother's Day card. ~ May 2013

May 2013 Tell Mom you love her with an iCLIPART.com Mother's Day card. Remember those Mother's Day cards we used to create in elementary school? A piece of paper with a sweet little picture on the front and space for a cute verse that the teacher wrote on the blackboard for us to copy. Or cutting out bits and pieces of lace and tissue paper, that you pasted on the card to create an original design. No matter what our artistic ability Mom always loved them. So, with Mother's Day looming, why not create an adult version of this homemade project using some of iCLIPART.com's wonderful images. For our purposes here we used Photoshop. The first step is to create a new document 11" wide by 15" long. Having selected the image for the front (#527202) and opening it in Photoshop, you'll want to copy and paste it onto the document. It's unlikely the image is going to fit so select 'Edit'>'Transform'>'Scale' then hold down the shift button and drag in the corners of the image. Make sure you keep the shift button down, otherwise the picture will distort. When you have it where you want it, hit return, then move the picture to the bottom right corner. To include a greeting, use the Text tool. Playing with the font size and colour is part of the fun. In order to work with and move the picture and text together on the page you will want to group them. Highlight the Layers you want to group, then by clicking the three small lines at the top right corner of the Layers information box under the x, you will see the options to make a New Group From Layers. You can then rename it. Follow all of these steps for the left bottom (card back). The image used as a company logo on this example was #403640. Now it's time to move on to what will be the inside of the card. In the top right corner of your document, using the text tool, type in a selected poem or prose. Then choose 'Edit'>'Transform'>'Rotate 180°'. Repeat the same steps on the left side. You may also want to add a visual element to the inside of the card. In this example, a portion of the front picture was cropped and the background erased as a decoration between the text. The layers were then grouped as above. Download the Final Card Each of the groups may take some adjusting, to get them centred properly and to fit on the page. Print on nice card stock, then all that remains is to sign your name. What Folks Are Saying About Us I just have to tell you that I LOVE ICLIPART! I have used it for so many things. I do craft projects and publishing projects and you always have just what I'm looking for! It has saved me so much money doing it myself. I had a baby shower and I was able to use it for party favours and the invitations. At Christmas, I used it to design cards and emails. I think I will always be a member! W. Toddy, Richland, WA A Featured Collection: Our feathered friends have returned and we welcome them back with this collection of beautiful bird illustrations: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=87489999. © 2013 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - Choosing the right font is important for your project. ~ March 2013

Mar 26, 2013 Choosing the right font is important for your project. I'm sure you've all received one of those beautiful handwritten invitations the words flowing across them, the stylized letters full of artistic flair, adding just the right touch of formality to the occasion. The art form some crafty person used to achieve this effect is calligraphy, which has been described as "a type of visual art related to writing." That quote, for me, exemplifies how important text can be to a finished product. When you're shopping for images on iCLIPART.com, finding the perfect illustration or photo to take your project from boring to inspired is only one part of the task. Choosing the right font completes it. And with the veritable smorgasbord of style available on iCLIPART.com it's always fun to sample the unfamiliar too. There's no need to stick to your tried and true. One cautionary comment, however don't overdo. Too much is like a room full of different personalities fun at first, but it wears thin after a while. While most of this commentary has been about how the proper text will improve the appearance of your project there are practical considerations as well. It's not just about style. For instance the sans-serif fonts are considered more readable and are generally used for the body of an article. With these considerations in mind, trying to sort through the hundreds of options may seem formidable. This interesting website from Smashing Magazine offers some guiding principles for choosing and using typefaces that should help you sort through the profusion of options: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/12/14/what-font-should-i-use-five-principles-for-choosing-and-using-typefaces/. What Folks Are Saying About Us I would be lost without iCLIPART.com. I use it to set the tone of the article I am editing---sometimes I have been known to go through 30-40 pages of iCLIPART.com to find just the right image. I love the new images (really modern) and have been inspired by them, particularly for flyers that are targeted toward the young modern woman. I also do all of my Christmas cards with iCLIPART.com images and have friends just waiting to see what I am going to do next. B.C., Sacramento, CA A Featured Collection: Hopefully, by the time everyone receives this newsletter the snow has melted, the temperature has warmed and the buds are blooming. Just in case winter is lingering where you are here's a collection of delightful spring illustrations: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=60361599. © 2013 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - Illustrate your story with iCLIPART.com. ~ February 2013

Jan 23, 2013 Illustrate your story with iCLIPART.com. Among the many projects in which people use illustrations from iCLIPART.com are books. Where once upon a time only a select few writers were fortunate enough to see their work in print, modern publishing has made it possible for most would-be novelists and poets to share their stories, whether real or imagined. However, having the talent to tell the story is one thing, the artistic ability to create the images for the front cover or inside quite another. And hiring an artist can be quite costly. The affordable option, therefore, is using images from iCLIPART.com, provided they are not intended as the focus of the book, but used solely to decorate it. With the purchase of a subscription or images, authors are welcome to use our images in printed books up to 100,000 copies, after which they then need a Professional subscription. This means that if 10 images are used in one publication, then 10,000 copies of the book can be printed. For commercial purposes the images need to be significantly edited using a combination of at least two of the following: adding text, combining two or more images together, removing parts of an image, changing colours etc. One of the most popular ways to publish these days, of course, is an eBook, which is permitted with the Professional subscription. Our terms of use describe an eBook as a verbatim digital version of a print book, delivered in a digital rights managed pdf, ePub, Mobipocket etc. file format for viewing on an electronic device. Below are a number of sites where you can publish your iCLIPART.com illustrated eBook. http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords http://www.lulu.com/publish https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A37Z49E2DDQPP3 http://www.kobobooks.com/kobowritinglife http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-publish-ebooks What Folks Are Saying About Us I love adding a touch of "iCLIPART.com" to some of my work!! I would be lost without it! LOVE IT!! D. McLeod (DM Photography), Stratford, ON A Featured Collection: Spring is on the horizon and Easter arrives right behind it. With all the excitement that comes with bunny ears and decorated eggs we hope you enjoy this collection of Easter photos: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=38605018. © 2013 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - Creating your logo with iCLIPART.com. ~ January 2013

Jan 23, 2013 Creating your logo with iCLIPART.com. Your logo - it's a brand for your business, a definition of your style, your corporate identity. Coming up with the right design, therefore, is very important in this competitive world. You want something that will be recognizable while implying quality. It should stand out from others, impressing potential clients. It needs to say exactly who you are. Professional basketball player LeBron James said, "There are teams and logos you see, no matter where you are in the world, and you know exactly who they are and what they mean." That is what a logo needs to be, a symbol or design that tells the world this is you. Having a polished design is imperative, but need not be complex. The simple Apple logo is often used as an example of how important a logo can be to a company's identity. On its own, an apple really isn't that big a deal; with a bite out of the side, however, it becomes something else entirely. While simplicity is fine, as Apple has shown, style is everything. No one wants an amateurish logo representing their business. Then again, of course, everyone doesn't have the resources to hire someone to create a stylishly unique logo for them. Especially small-business owners, or those just starting out. What they need is a resource to provide them with some affordable options. Fortunately, there are many illustrations available on iCLIPART.com that have been created by our talented artists for use as logos. Just using 'logo' in the keyword search will result in more than 4,000 examples. The only stipulation for using iCLIPART illustrations in your logo design is that the images can't be trademarked, in whole in or in part. The reason for this is that the image could already be in circulation. Once you find the image you like, it may be all you need for a professional-looking logo. However, if you choose instead to use it as a starting point here's a link to a site that can offer some advice on creating your perfect corporate identity: http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/awesome-rules-designing-perfect-logo/. What Folks Are Saying About Us I've been a subscriber for a while. I especially like your customer service. Love your website and I use it a lot! Ginny B. Upland, CA A Featured Collection: Valentine's Day is just around the corner and love is in the air. Here's a collection of heart-inspired backgrounds just in time for your special projects: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=91693772. © 2013 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - What to do when words aren't needed. ~ December 2012

December 13, 2012 What to do when words aren't needed. Not everyone looking for images is experienced in the world of graphic design and image editing software. Not everyone has the artistic ability or the creative tools to see a visual concept and bring it to reality. That said, more and more people are interested in images and what can be done with them. They use them in personal projects such as cards and scrapbooking, as well as to make their business cards and other commercial endeavours. Most of these projects will, of course, require the addition of text. Visualizing how a finished product complete with words will look, and where those words will be most attractive, is not something the untutored may intuitively see. For these people specs showing how text would affect the aesthetic of an image are of great value. Many of the wonderful artists with iCLIPART.com have included examples of this in their collections. However, while the visual aid is helpful, it can raise another issue. The question then becomes how to remove the "Sample Text" or "Your Words Here" from the image. The only answer is with image editing software. For our purposes here we are working with the less complex web-ready graphics (PNG, JPG and GIF) familiar to most novices. The first thing to know is that you will want to select an image with a plain background. Anything with a pattern or gradient will be, if not impossible, then so labour intensive you'll have lost interest before you even get started on the actual project. To begin we chose a PNG of image #430229, which has a white background.. We opened the image in Adobe Photoshop, then selected white as the foreground colour. We used the lasso tool to draw around the words we want to remove and completed the process with 'Edit' > 'Fill'. Alternatively you could just paint over the text using the 'Pen' tool. Ultimately, the simplest way of removing text is with the vector files, which allow you to work with the paths and simply delete, or hide, what you don't want. Here is an example of how it's done using an EPS (image #445190) and Adobe Illustrator. You will notice that the 'eye' icons are missing from the paths containing the text making them invisible. What's really exciting is that you don't need to be a professional nor must you purchase expensive software. All that's required is a desire to jump in and try. Searching online will turn up many free programs some of which will work with vectors. Here's a good starting point: http://tinyurl.com/67mg5tk. Or check out this board on our Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/iclipart/image-editing-software/. What Folks Are Saying About Us I just renewed my subscription to iCLIPART... LOVE your service and really enjoy your newsletters. I have learnt a lot from them. Vivian B., Milford, NH A Featured Collection: Oh, it's cold... so here's a cheery collection to warm you and it may even inspire you to get away: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=90180180. © 2012 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - Fun Ways to 'Tag' the Folks on Your Christmas List ~ November 2012

November 15, 2012 Fun Ways to 'Tag' the Folks on Your Christmas List At least as far as one of us here at Vital Imagery Ltd. is concerned, it's never too early to start thinking about your Christmas projects. After all, if your schedule is as tight as most people's today, getting a jump on the season can certainly go a long way to easing the stress. With so much going on, the idea of tackling DIY tasks may seem an unnecessary evil. Yet, while no one would argue that ready-made isn't time saving, it's a fact too that adding your personal touch to even the simplest of things is gratifying. It will also offer something fresh and unique, as well as more meaningful, to your holiday festivities. To that end, we think you can't get much more personal than the simple project we outline here. As family and gift giving are synonymous with the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to create personalized gift tags. The idea was to use images from iCLIPART.com to represent the recipients rather than write his or her name on the tag. Then Christmas morning, everyone can guess who each gift is for. Be assured that with such a diverse collection of images on the site, finding ones to reflect the personalities and tastes of your loved ones, in a style you prefer, won't just be entertaining but quite easy too. To begin, there was no one better to start this project with than the patriarch of one of our company's families, an avid car buff. As taking one's self too seriously doesn't get anyone too far in this group, the search was in the 'Cartoon' category. Finding the perfect image, #164927, literally took seconds. After collecting enough images to match every personality on your Christmas list, you're ready to create. First, open a new canvas in Photoshop by selecting 'File' > 'New', then set the dimensions to 11" wide by 8.5" long. Next, open the image ('File' > 'Open') and drag it onto the document. Under 'Edit', choose 'Transform' > 'Scale', and holding the 'Shift' key move the corner in to adjust the size. Hit 'Return'. Sizing them is a bit of trial and error, but the ultimate goal is to have three rows of tags in each direction, with space for trimming. To add your message, and/or name switch to the 'Text' tool, then type. If it's not in a position you like, you can move it to one that suits you better. And that's it. If you want several of the same images, move the cursor to the box with the 'Layers', 'Channels' and 'Paths', and holding the 'Ctrl' key (Windows) or 'Command' key (Mac), highlight each of the layers. Click on the top right corner to select 'Make New Group From Layers', then 'Duplicate Group'. Complete this process as many times as you need. If you're not sure which one you've copied, hide the others in the 'Group' box. What Folks Are Saying About Us Nice newsletter about your daughter and her wedding. You have a wonderful service - it's the best subscription money I spend. - R. Sands, Smiths Falls, ON A Featured Collection: In keeping with the Christmas is a comin' theme here's a wonderful collection of timely images for you to enjoy: http://www.iclipart.com/viewbasket.php?lbox=31450465 © 2012 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398

iCLIPART.com - Some Halloween fun for little ones ~ October 2012

October 19, 2012 Some Halloween fun for little ones with iCLIPART.com A tour around iCLIPART.com easily reveals the diverse collection of images, photos, fonts and animations available. However, as images are generally what people are looking for when they stop by our site, they may not always be aware of the many features available, designed to offer more efficiency, as well as valuable tips and tricks. The Advanced Search, as an example, will help busy businesspeople sift through the collection with more ease. Yet, while we do our best to make the site as user friendly as possible, not just for busy professionals, but for our mom and pop users as well, there is one feature, the sole purpose of which, it might be said, is more about having fun. Many people, particularly parents and educators, might be aware of all the wonderful black and white images on iCLIPART.com, that are perfect for tiny hands to colour or paint. What they may not have discovered is an option that allows budding artists to do this online. Adults will love that there's no mess and children will be entertained for hours. It's an excellent way, too, to learn more about using a computer. So, with the frivolity of Halloween just around the corner, and a covey of cute black-and-white ghosts, goblins and ghouls, on our site, it seemed a worthy event to highlight this feature. For this playful exercise we chose item #410101. Make sure first that you have pop-ups enabled on your browser. You will find the option for this in your browser Preferences. Subscribers should see a Color Image button below the preview. Simply click on this to get started. Select a colour from the palette and choose a tool. The paint bucket will fill in large spaces, or you can use the paintbrush to spend a little more time. There is also an eraser to repair those boo-boos. When you have completed your work, click the Save option at the bottom right on the palette. While the results may not be as professional as what one can accomplish with image editing software, this method can also be an option for those who need to edit an image, but aren't familiar with these types of programs. What Folks Are Saying About Us Love your website and I use it a lot. I love your newsletters, I learn something new each time. - Noelene J.M. Nevada FAQ Can I edit/change the images I download? Editing the images is fine. If you wish to use the images in a commercial project, you are required to edit them first. Changing (editing) the image should be a combination of the following: adding text, combining two or more images together, removing parts of an image, changing colours etc. © 2012 Vital Imagery Ltd. 61 Dunedin Drive, Brussels, Ontario, Canada. N0G 1H0 - Phone: 1-800-713-0398