BIG PDFs Are a BIG Deal

Ok, PDFs are a great format created by Adobe Systems. Without a doubt, Adobe has dominated the online document world we live in. PDFs are preferred by so many people out there. They can be made secure, they can be used as a sales tool brochure, you can now add an animation imbedded them, giving you an automated sales tool, how cool is that? The one thing a lot of web designers especially dislike are BIG PDFs, you know those ones that are 5, 6, 8 mbs, they really bog down the loading of a website.

So how do we fix or solve this huge problem?

Number one, you need to own Acrobat. "Why, the Reader is free?", you ask. Well very true but you need to have the ability of adjusting the compression ratios, you can also do this in say, Photoshop or Illustrator also but Acrobat gives you so many more options for your Portable Document Files.

Anyway, Acrobat lets you try different sizes, tweaking the file size and getting the correct visual quality so when you upload it, it only takes seconds instead of literally minutes to load. A slow loading pdf can turn customers away, don't let it happen. Think this part out of your site, or your client's site. It's a simple thing to do to make customers happy not annoyed. If you are new to PDFs, this is an easy overlook that just can't be made.

Take the extra time and test your PDFs to make sure they load in a short amount of time.

Basic Design Principles - Problem Solving 101

Great design, what is it? ...ok, it's a combination of the right colors or a bold look? Perhaps some white space? Could it be a particular style of art, a trend, funk, cool, grunge stuff, contemporary business? In reality, it can be any of these factors, none of these factors, or even a variety of other factors going a totally different direction.

Basic graphic design, unlike art, generally should not be a subjective thing. Graphic design has a business purpose which of course means that it should accomplish a particular goal. That might be ideas driving sales, politics, education, influencing whoever or whatever applies to your unique business model. 

I apply it to business which the only logical place to be, right? Generally we need to make money and you need to look good to accomplish this.

On your glorified yellow pages ad also known as a website which is what I mainly do, in the first sentence and first paragraph the customer better know what you sell and if you can be of service to them PDQ. At least that is my SOP (standard operating procedure). Nobody wants you to waste their time, it's precious.

The graphic design industry is all about solving visual communication problems, from logos on one end of the spectrum and presentations, diagrams, and interactive sales tools on the other end. And we try to do it in the most economic way because that is precious too.

Have a design or illustration problem or question? Feel free to shoot me a response or email.

Scott