What is the purpose of the post?
You should always begin by thinking about the purpose of the post and the audience of the post. Is it an advertisement so it needs to stand out? Is it sharing information so it should be clear and professional? Is it an motivational image or a memorial image? All of this information should be included when selecting colors, fonts, and pictures for the image.
What colors are you using?
Think about the colors that you are choosing. Do you want more relaxing colors (cool colors, pastels, etc.) or bold colors that stand out (warm colors, neons, etc.)? Do you want harmonizing colors, complementary colors or contrasting colors? In addition, different colors have different meanings. You should think about the meaning of the message and select colors with similar meanings.
- Blue is friendly and peaceful.
- Green is the color of life and money.
- Gray and silver can give off a feeling of nostalgia.
- White symbolizes purity and innocence.
- Red is a color of power.
- Pink shows romance and charm.
- Yellow represents freshness and happiness.
- Orange shows energy and warmth.
- Brown can show honesty.
- Gold represents richness and extravagance.
- Black is conservative, mysterious, and sophisticated.
What fonts are you going to use?
If the image is going to be viewed from mobile devices where the font would be small, a serif or sans-serif font is easy to read. If you want the contact information or heading to stand out you can use a bold font. You can also use the display fonts for a heading. However, you want to limit the number of fonts that you are using. Using too many fonts makes the image look sloppy and not put together.
Are you using pictures?
Pictures are a great way to capture the attention of the audience. You can use pictures that you have taken yourself or stock images. When using stock images there are royalty free and public domain photos or paid professional photos. Many times there is a difference in the quality of the image. Based on how the image is being used and whether or not it will be edited further, it is important to consider the quality of the photo. Also when using the free images, it is important to verify that they are not copyrighted. Many of the free photo sites have disclaimers that they do not verify the usage rights of the photos that are uploaded.
Are you using graphics?
Graphics are another way to customize the image. There are many good cartoon style graphics that can lighten the image and bring some fun to it.
Written By: Stephanie Dunaieff