When deciding what career to pursue, you should look for something that pays you well and that you enjoy. If you like graphic design, becoming a graphic designer could be a great idea. But you should consider if you’ll be able to make a lot of money from it.

Graphic designers can make a lot of money. New designers will make less, but they can still make more than people in some professions. Designers can make more with more experience, by choosing a niche, or moving somewhere with a high cost of living. Consider how these can affect one’s career.

Whether you’re in graphic design school already or are just looking into being a graphic designer, you should learn what you can about the career. And unless you know you’ll come into a massive inheritance, money is part of that. Read on to learn about making money as a designer.

1. Get Experience

One of the simplest ways to make a lot of money as a graphic designer is to get experience. This will take time, and you may not make a ton at first. You may even have to do a few free projects, such as in school, to build your portfolio.

However, once you have experience and a portfolio that proves your skills, you may be able to get people to pay you a higher amount for a project. As you get even more experience, you can continue to update your portfolio to account for those changes. Then, you may be able to raise your rates even more.

After a few years or decades in the industry, you could make a lot of money, especially if you work for yourself. Even if you want to be an employee, having experience can help you negotiate for a higher salary. Then, you’ll earn the money you need to support yourself.

2. Take on More Work

A quick way to make a lot of money as a graphic designer is to work more. You can take on an extra client project so that you can earn money soon. Of course, this requires you to have the time and energy to complete the extra work.

It also may not be sustainable over the long term. You can burn yourself out, especially if you find yourself working from when you wake up to when you go to bed. But taking on a client or two outside of your design job or regular business can help.

When you work as a freelancer, you can continue the schedule you have or change it. That way, if you don’t need to earn as much money, you can take time off. But working more for a short period can help you add to your portfolio so that you can charge more for less work.

3. Choose a Niche

If you’re still struggling to make a lot of money, consider choosing a specific niche. A business niche is a small area of focus. For example, maybe you want to work with massive corporations because they usually have a bigger budget for graphic design.

Maybe you work with companies in a particular industry, such as beauty or education. Then, you can learn about design trends for those types of companies.

Another option is to focus on a specific type of design like logo design. You can learn how to design an effective logo, and you can only offer that service. That will help clients see you as an expert, so you can use that to help market yourself and compete against a general designer.

4. Move Somewhere Expensive

You may also want to move to a place with a high cost of living to help make a lot of money. This strategy is the best when you focus on working with local businesses. It’s also a great option if you want to work as an employee because you may get a higher salary.

Of course, you also need to account for the increase in your expenses. You’ll probably need to pay more for food, housing, and transportation. The move itself can also cost a lot of money, and those costs may not even out for a while when you start earning more.

On the flip side, you could move somewhere cheaper. If you work remotely with clients, you can still charge them what you would in a higher-cost city. But your money will go further, so you can save more of it or reach other financial goals.

5. Sell Digital Goods

If you still find it hard to make a lot of money, consider creating digital goods to sell. You can design templates and similar digital downloads. Add them to your website or a third-party marketplace so that people can download the files when they purchase them.

Then, you just have to spend time marketing the products. After a while, the products may get traction without you needing to do anything. In that case, you can make a lot of money without doing a lot of work, and you won’t have to do the design over and over.

Use a tool like Placeit.net to develop some templates for logos, social media posts, and other types of content. Then, you can promote the designs to current or potential clients.

6. Start an Agency

You can also start a graphic design agency and hire other designers to help you with your client work. Hire the designers for a flat rate or an hourly rate that’s less than what you charge clients, so you can keep the difference.

That way, you can do as much graphic design as you want. But you won’t have to turn potential clients away, and you can earn more money in the same amount of time.

Final Thoughts

Graphic designers may not get rich quickly, but they can make a lot of money over time. If you keep up with your design career, you may be able to ask for a raise. Or if you prefer to work for yourself, you can build an agency to take on more work and increase your earnings.

When you want to become a graphic designer, you have a lot to consider. You have to decide if you want to focus on logos or another type of graphic. And you have to think about whether you’ll be able to take time off from work when you need it.

Graphic designers do get vacation time. Full-time graphic designers should get access to the same benefits as other employees, including paid time off. Freelance graphic designers can take vacation time, but they won’t make money when not working. Consider how this can affect designers.

If you’re looking to become a graphic designer, congratulations. You’re choosing a creative, fulfilling career path. But before you land your first client or job, you may want to know about the benefits, like vacation time. Read on to learn more.

Paid vs. Unpaid Vacation

When considering if graphic designers get vacation time, you probably think of paid vacations. But a graphic designer may also be able to take an unpaid vacation. As long as there aren’t any vital projects, you may get extra time off.

However, if you need to make money throughout the year, you may not want to take an unpaid vacation. Be sure to consider if your vacation will come with or without pay. Then, you can make sure it’s worth the time off from work.

Graphic Design Employees

One of the best ways to get paid vacation time as a graphic designer is to become an employee for an existing business. You can work for the company full-time, and you may be able to work in the office or remotely.

Being an employee is great, but it’s not for everyone. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to getting vacation time as a graphic design employee.

Company’s Benefits

Different companies may offer more or less vacation time to employees. If you live in the United States, the country doesn’t require employers to grant vacation time. So if you work for a small enough company, they may not offer much.

Before you take a job, ask the company how much vacation time they’ll offer. You can also ask if they offer paid and unpaid vacation time. That way, you can choose to take more time off if you can afford to go without income.

Increase With Time

Regardless of how much vacation time you get at first, you may see an increase as you keep working for that company. For example, you may get one week of vacation in your first year of working there.

After one or two years, that time may increase to two weeks per year. If you work for a company for over a decade, you might work your way up to a month or more of vacation time. The specifics will depend on the company, so ask about their vacation time policies before accepting an offer.

Country Requirements

Some countries require employers to offer vacation time to employees. If you move to a country such as Austria, Brazil, or France, you may get 30 to 42 calendar days of vacation time. The country requires that, so you may get more depending on your employer.

Over 20 countries around the world require some number of vacation days. So even if you work for a company that doesn’t give extra time, you may get a guarantee of at least a week off. Unfortunately, the US doesn’t mandate vacation, so you’ll need to rely on your employer for vacation time.

Graphic Design Freelancers

If you don’t want to work full-time for a company, you can freelance as a graphic designer. This can be a great career path for students or anyone who wants to mix graphic design with writing or another creative professional.

However, the way these graphic designers get vacation time is different from employees. Consider how you can prepare for paid vacation time when you work for yourself.

Flexible Schedules

One of the advantages of freelancing is that you have control over your schedule. You can take on as few or as many clients as you want. That means you could take a vacation a month after you start working, and you don’t need to ask a boss for that time off.

However, you won’t earn any money when you take a vacation. If you know you want a lot of vacation time, you can account for that in your design rates. That way, if you work three weeks out of a month, you can earn enough cover that fourth week.

Passive Income Streams

Another excellent way for graphic design freelancers to take a paid vacation is to set up some passive income streams. These are income streams that don’t require you to be on your computer or working with a client to earn money.

You may decide to sell graphic design templates that you create with a tool like Placeit.net. The most popular way to do this is by creating t-shirt designs and selling them on Print On-Demand websites. Here’s a full tutorial on how to create and sell t-shirt designs online, generating 100% passive income. When you create digital products, you can sell one copy or one million copies without doing more work.

The Agency Model

Freelance graphic designers may also choose to start a design agency. If you get a lot of clients and can’t handle all of the work, consider hiring designers to work for you. They can help with your client projects, and you can pay them less than what you charge the client to earn money.

If you need to take a vacation, you can assign more of your projects to your team. By taking a percentage of the rates your clients pay, you will still be able to earn money. But you won’t have to work all of the time to bring in an income.

Final Thoughts

Graphic design can be an amazing career choice, but what if you know you want to take a lot of vacation time? Whether you decide to work for yourself or someone else, you can take a vacation as a designer. But you’ll need to plan for that time, either by working for a company for a while, or setting up passive income streams as a freelancer.

Ensuring your shirt designs fall within the legal limits of the law can be trickier than it might seem at first glance. If you have an idea for a shirt that includes a trademarked logo, you’ll need to know what the laws surrounding trademarks have to say. So, can you use a trademarked logo on a shirt? 

You cannot use a trademarked logo on a shirt without permission from the company that owns it. This is especially true if you plan on selling your shirts.  If a logo has been trademarked, then it can only be used without permission for informational or editorial purposes. 

If you’ve got a great idea for a shirt design, but you’re not sure if it’s legal to actually make, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below, we will break down what constitutes a trademark, as well as the law surrounding their use in shirt design. 

What is a Trademark?

Before we dive into the reasons why it’s probably not a good idea to use a trademarked logo on a shirt you plan to sell, it would be good to first get a solid understanding of what a trademark is. Especially since trademarks are often confused with copyright and vice versa.

A trademark protects intellectual property like logos, designs, phrases or symbols that represent a brand.  

What is the Difference Between Trademarks and Copyright

As we stated above, it’s not uncommon for people to confuse a trademark with copyright. If you’re making shirt designs that involve existing brands, you’ll definitely want to know the difference. 

Copyright protects original works, whereas trademarks are more about the symbols used to represent a brand. For example, if you have a popular TV show that uses a logo in its intro, the logo would be trademarked, whereas the actual episodes of the show would be copyrighted. 

Are All Logos Trademarked?

Once a logo is in use it does have some protection via trademarked law. Still, most big businesses will officially register their logo right away as a trademark, to ensure its protection. 

If a logo hasn’t been registered, the company using it may have to go through the tedious process of proving that they were using it first. That’s why it’s always best to just go ahead and register any trademark you want to use. 

What is the Difference Between a Logo and a Trademark?

If all logos in use have some degree of protection, then it’s only natural to ask what the difference is between a trademark and a logo. 

In many cases there is effectively no difference, because the logo is the trademark. Still, technically the logo is just the design and the trademark is both the design and the protection. 

Is There Any Way to Use a Trademarked Logo on a Shirt?

So far we’ve mainly gone over what you can’t do because of a trademark. Now let’s turn our attention to what you can. 

If you really want to use a trademarked logo on a shirt, you can approach the company that owns it and request permission to use it via a “permission to use logo agreement”. Oftentimes this is done through a letter or an email.

You’ll want to be sure to explain why you want to use the trademark and how it will be used. You can point out that you are essentially doing free advertising for them as well.

If your luck holds they will get back to you and allow you to use their logo in a limited way. 

Does Fair Use Allow You to Use a Trademarked Logo?

When people try to claim you can use a trademarked logo, they often point to “fair use.” However, in most cases fair use will not be enough for you to use the logo. 

Fair use only covers using the logo for informational or editorial purposes. That won’t really cut it if you’re planning to sell your shirts online. 

Where Can Make Your Own Logo? 

The best solution here, if you don’t want to approach the company that holds the logo you want, is to create your own. Still, where and how do you do that exactly?

Placeit is an excellent service that includes a logo maker, so you can create and trademark your own logo. Below we’ve listed some of the benefits of using Placeit to create your logo, so you can know if it’s right for you: 

• Designs from real artists: All of the designs on Placeit are from real working artists who know what they’re doing. 
• A variety of options: With Placeit, you are loaded with options for your new logo. You can choose from thousands of professionally designed logo templates, so that you find the one that really represents your brand best. 
• Great user interface: Not only does Plastic have top notch designs, but it’s also quite easy to use. As long as you can click the mouse, you can make a logo in Placeit. 

Placeit also has thousands of t-shirt design templates, they are all fully commercially usable, and come with free fonts and graphics.

While there are other options out there, we strongly recommend you go with Placeit, because they have a proven track record of quality. 

Do You Need to Trademark Your Own Logo

Once your logo is in use, it does have some level of protection over it. Still, you can optionally register your logo as a trademark so you get additional levels of protection.

If you live in the US, you can register your trademark through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

The process is quite simple. First you simply send in an initial application that says you intend to trademark the logo. Then you will go through a process where the government requests additional information via response forms and intent-to-use (ITU) forms. They will walk you through the process and you’ll have your trademark in no time.

If you have a really good design, and you want to protect it with a high level of protection, registering a trademark is a good idea. However, if you just plan to create logos to sell on t-shirts online, then it likely won’t make sense to pay the registration fees to register each logo.

So Really, Can You Use a Trademarked Logo on a Shirt?

The bottom line is, in the vast majority of cases you cannot use a trademarked logo on a shirt, as it violates trademark law. The only exceptions are if you get permission directly from the company that owns the trademark, or if you’re using it for informational or editorial purposes. Alternatively, you can always make your own logo and get your own trademark. 

If you’d like to make a logo of your own, the easiest and best place to do it is through the service Placeit. Placeit has an easy to use logo maker, with thousands of commercially usable templates and designs by the top artists in the field.

Designing a typographic logo can be tough. Especially if you’re trying to do it at a low cost. For this reason, many people end up turning to Google Fonts. Still, this leaves the question, can you legally use Google Fonts for logos?

Google Fonts can legally and freely be used to create logos. The fonts themselves are almost all under the open-source license SIL OFL. This means that they are open for the public to use, even in the marketplace. Still, there are some steps you might want to take to distinguish your logo. 

If you’re looking to create a typographical logo using Google fonts, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below, we will walk you through what fonts can be used commercially and how they can be used. We will even give you a brief guide on how to use Google fonts to make a logo as well as our recommendation on the best logo generating service out there. 

Can All Google Fonts Be Used Commercially?

Just because some Google fonts can be used commercially, doesn’t necessarily mean they all can. So we have to ask the question, are there any google fonts that can’t be used commercially, and if so, what are they?

Fortunately, in this case, all Google fonts can indeed be used commercially. They are all open-source–though some are licensed differently–and can therefore be used by anyone in the public for private or commercial reasons. 

How to Use Google Fonts to Make a Logo 

Making a logo in Google Fonts is actually quite easy. That’s why we’ve put together this brief guide to get you started. 

Follow the steps below to create an excellent logo in Google Fonts:

1. Open Google Fonts: You can either open it through Google itself or follow this link.
2. Change the sample text and apply the font: You just need to click on the text in the middle box and write in whatever word you want for your logo. When the word you want is typed in, click on “Apply to All Fonts.” It should be located at the bottom of the text box you’re typing in. 
3. Adjust the font: On the right side of the screen, there is a panel that controls the font you’re using and other aspects of the style like how close the letters are together. Adjust this according to your needs. It’s a good idea to do something with the style that will make your logo unique even if someone uses the same word and font. 
4. Zoom in and take a screenshot: Now you just need to full screen it by typing ctrl+ and screenshot it. 

While it may take some practice at first, creating logos on Google Fonts is a pretty straight forward process. Still, while you’re doing it you should make sure that you do something with the font to distinguish it from others. This could be by manipulating one of the characters in the word you’re using, or in the way you space the letters apart. Just something to make yours stand out.   

What is the Best Service for Creating Logos?

If you’re considering stepping up your game to a logo-making service, look no further than Placeit. 

Placeit is an excellent service that–among other things–allows you to effortlessly create professional-looking logos. These logos can be trademarked and used for both private or commercial purposes. 

What are the Advantages of Making a Logo in Placeit?

While Google Fonts makes for a great place to begin your journey of logo making, it can’t quite compete with the advantages of Placeit in the long run. Below we’ve outlined all the major advantages you can expect to receive if you use Placit to make your logo instead of Google Fonts:

• More types of logos: With Google Fonts, you’re really limited to typographical logos. Sure you can adjust the style and color and jazz up your logo a little bit, but you can’t do much more than that. With Placeit on the other hand, you can make any kind of logo you like. Be it an image, text or a combination of both. 
• Logo templates: Going along with the last point, Google Fonts is quite limited on the kind of logo you can have. With Placeit however, you get access to thousands of professionally made templates. These handcrafted templates will really make your logo stand out from others and give it that professional feel it deserves. 
• Intuitive user interface: You won’t have to go seek out complex step-by-step guides to know how to make a logo in Placeit because the user interface is so intuitive and straightforward to use. As long as you know how to type and use a mouse, you’ve got everything you need to make an outstanding logo. 
• Professional support: With Google Fonts, you do have access to some great fonts. That said, with Placeit, you not only have access to great fonts but art created by professional artists as well. 
• Full commercial usage rights: Everything you create and download from Placeit comes with full commercial usage rights, and the ability to copyright or trademark the design.

The last thing we want to do is make you feel like you have to use Placeit for a good logo. You can make a good one with Google Fonts as well. Still, for those of you out there that want to take your logo making game to the next level, Placeit is something you should really consider using. 

So Really, Can You Use Google Fonts for Logos?

Google Fonts can be used to create excellent typographic logos. The fonts that Google uses are all open source and free to use by the public for both private and commercial use. Still, it’s a good idea to mess with the style of the font–such as how close the letters are together–so that your logo is distinguished from others even if they use the same word and the same font. 

If you really want to step up your logo making game, however, it’s not a bad idea to consider upgrading to a more professional service like Placeit. With placeit you get thousands of templates–designed by professional artists–at your fingertips, along with all the fonts you’d ever need. 

Have you ever noticed that photoshop uses a ton of memory? Particularly RAM. The worst part is that it can slow down your computer or use the space you need to run another program simultaneously. Why exactly is the cause of that and is there something you can do about it?

Photoshop uses a lot of memory/RAM to boost its performance to an optimal level. Unfortunately, to perform at its optimal level, the program has to take advantage of a large amount of storage and active memory space. However, it can be used less if you adjust your preferences.

Consider using an online graphic design software because it uses minimal RAM to run smoothly. We recommend Placeit.net because it’s the leader in the online graphic design industry, and we personally use it ourselves.

If Photoshop is taking up too much space on your computer or using too much of your RAM, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In our guide below we will discuss why photoshop does this in the first place, before diving into actions you can take to reduce the amount of memory used. So come along and let’s dive right in!

Why Does Photoshop Use So Much RAM 

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is essentially the working memory of your computer and thus plays a large role in how fast it can react and run. It can even determine whether or not you can run two programs simultaneously. If one program is eating up all your RAM then running two will likely cause it to freeze, lag or sometimes even crash. 

Photoshop uses a high amount of RAM to optimize the performance of the software. It essentially makes everything run faster and smoother, so you have a better experience using the product. This isn’t always the case, however. 

A lot of people have noticed that photoshop eats up their RAM and actually slows down their computer because they didn’t have much to start with. If you don’t have a lot of RAM to begin with, you may want to limit the amount Photoshop can use. 

How Do I Stop Photoshop From Using So Much Memory?

You can actually limit the amount of RAM Photoshop can use in the system preferences. While you don’t want to go down too low, lowering the allotted amount by a little bit can make a major impact on how much memory photoshop eats up and how smoothly it runs on your particular computer. 

If all this sounds good to you, follow the steps below to change the amount of RAM Photoshop is capable of taking up:

1. Go into preferences: You can find the preferences section on the main menu. It should be the eighth option down, just below “Export.”
2. Find adjusted memory usage: Once you click “preferences” you should be greeted by several settings menus. Near the upper part of the window, you should see one box labeled “adjust memory storage.” This is the setting we will be changing. 
3. Adjust to the lowest recommended setting: Within the “adjust memory storage” box, there should be an option that says “let photoshop use,” followed by a number. Above that, you will see the ideal range. Change the number in the box to the lowest number of the ideal range. 

While you can adjust the setting even lower than the ideal amount, it could start to cause problems with how smoothly the program runs. If you find you do need it lower than the ideal amount, you may have to do a little experimentation to figure out what the perfect number is for you. 

Why Does Photoshop Take So Much Space on Hard Drive?

Perhaps your memory problems don’t come from the RAM at all. Perhaps for you, the problem is that Photoshop takes up too much space on your hard drive.

Photoshop takes up about 4GB of hard drive space, however, it also uses scratch disc space as extra RAM as well. This may not sound like a lot of space, but if your computer is already overloaded it might just be what’s tipping the scale. 

In this situation, we simply recommend that you use an external hard drive or upgrade your computer’s memory. 

What Kind of Hardware Works Best With Photoshop?

Of course, another solution to this problem is to simply upgrade your hardware so it can handle Photoshop at its optimal settings. If you’d like to take the route of upgrading your hardware, you’ll need to know what to get to completely ensure Photoshop runs smoothly. 

The following hardware will allow you to run photoshop smoothly without any memory problems:

• A minimum of 8GB RAM but preferably 16GB: At the very minimum you need 8GB of RAM for photoshop. If you plan on using other software simultaneously then you may consider even going up to 16GB
• Quad-core, 3 GHz CPU: The CPU is going to play a large role in performance as well. If you’ve been confused up to this point because your computer already does have good RAM but the program is still glitching anyway, this could easily be your problem. 
• At least 16GB of hard drive space: You can certainly use far less than this to run the program, but you’ll also need space for all the projects you do in it. This is where we recommend, at the very least, using an external hard drive. You may want to consider having a 500GB to 1TB of memory when you consider the projects as well. 
• A solid graphics card: The graphics card can also affect the performance of the software. Adobe themselves recommend that you have one with 4 GB of GPU memory and DirectX 12 support.

Don’t feel any pressure to upgrade right away. For the time being, adjusting your preferences should reduce most of the problems associated with memory. Still, it’s good to have this in mind as well, in case you really want to run the program at its optimal level. 

So Really, Why Does Photoshop Use So Much Memory?

Now let’s circle back to the original question. Why does Photoshop seem to use so much memory? Particularly RAM. 

Photoshop uses a lot of RAM to make the program run faster and smoother. If you find that it is using too much, you can go into your preferences and set a new limit. This could affect performance so you should also consider upgrading your hardware.

If you’re having issues running Photoshop, we recommend looking into newly popular web-based graphic design tools because they don’t use a lot of RAM or hard drive space. We recommend Placeit.net because it’s the most popular online graphic design tool out there, it has the largest library, and it’s fully commercially usable.

Logos are an important asset to any company or brand. It is often that the logo of your company or brand is what helps consumers remember you. Companies and brands often develop their own logos that are completely different from other companies, so consumers will only associate one company with the logo. However, is it possible to use the same logo as another company?

You can use the same logo as another company, but you must first see if the logo is trademarked. If the logo is trademarked by another company, you must have permission from that company in order to use the logo. It is best, however, to develop your own logo for your company in order to avoid confusion amongst consumers.

If you’re creating your own logo, we recommend using a logo maker with pre-made templates because it will give you a head start with design, while still giving you full commercial usage rights and avoiding any copyright or trademark issues. Our favorite tool for this is Placeit.net because their logo maker has the largest library of templates and fonts.

Continue reading to learn more about using the same logo as another company as well as how copyright can come into play. Also, continue reading to learn if different companies can have logos that are similar but not exactly the same.

Using The Same Logo As Another Company

A logo is defined as a word, symbol, or image that is used to identify a brand, company, or individual. When a consumer thinks of a company, they often may think of the products or services that are provided by that company, but they will also remember the logo of the company. Logos can help differentiate your company from others in your field and other companies around the world.

Some popular logos include:

• The McDonald’s arches
• The Target logo
• Twitter’s bird logo
• Apple’s bitten apple

Logos tend to be different from other logos that other companies use, especially companies or brands that work in the same or a similar field. It is possible, however, to use the same logo as another company, as long as you have permission from that company to use the logo. This is important because using the logo without gaining permission from the company, especially if the logo is trademarked, can result in a lawsuit.

Logos And Trademark Laws

In order to use a logo that is trademarked or owned by another company, it is vital to get permission in order to avoid trademark infringement. While the United States trademark law does allow for trademarks (or logos) to be used without permission through “fair use”, using the logo of another company as your companies logo does not fall under this “fair use” claim.

There are some ways to use another companies logo where you do not need to seek permission. These uses are:

• Using it as a descriptor
• Comparing one company with your company (as long as the trademark is correctly displayed)
• Using it as a reference

While the logo or trademark can be used in any of these instances without being given permission, it is still advised to seek out permission from the company in order to avoid possible trademark infringement.

Can Logos Of Different Companies Be Similar?

When using the exact same logo as another company, it is important to get permission before using the logo. However, different rules apply if the logos look similar.

When it comes to having a logo that looks similar to another companies logo, you must ask yourself in what ways do the logos look similar. Do the logos feature the same animal? Do the logos have the same color scheme? What makes you think your logo looks like another companies logo?

After evaluating these questions, you may come to realize that your logo does not look completely similar to the logo of another company. However, if the logos do seem to be very similar, there are some questions you may want to ask yourself before deciding whether to keep or change the logo entirely.

These questions are:

• Is my company selling the same products or services as the other company with a similar logo?
• Is my company in the same region or area as this other company?

Once you have answered both of these questions and it turns out that both answers are “yes”, then there are a few things you can do.

What To Do If Logo Is Similar To A Different Company

There are many different options you have if your logo is similar to that of a different company.

The first option is to of course change your logo. If your business or brand is newer, then this step is a little easier as you have not yet established your business enough to be associated with your logo. You can change the design itself or choose to change up the color scheme to make the logos look less similar.

Another option is to continue using your logo, but you may want to get in touch with the other company in order to avoid possible trademark infringement. If the other company believes your logos do not look similar, you are more in the clear and allowed to continue using your logo. However, if the company does think your logos look very similar, then you may want to change some aspects of your logo.

Final Thoughts

Logos are an important asset of a company that helps the company stand out from other competitors. Consumers will remember the logo of a company and associate the look of that logo with that company or brand. While it is possible to use the same logo as a different company, it is important to seek out permission before doing so in order to avoid trademark infringement.

Using the same logo as a different company can be confusing for the consumer as they will associate the logo with one company or the other company. This is not advised if the two companies are working in the same field, but there is more leeway if the two companies are not in the same field.

Have you ever noticed that when you export a PDF from Photoshop the file is huge? This can present a problem if you need to send the PDF through an email service or want to store many of them on your hard drive. So, why are Photoshop PDFs so big and what can you do about it? 

Photoshop PDFs are large because they are essentially one big image file. However, there are a few ways you can make them smaller. Two of the most common ways are to adjust the settings on how your PDF saves in Photoshop itself or use Adobe Acrobat to compress the file.

If you’ve created a PDF with Adobe Photoshop that you need to shrink, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below, we will start by explaining, in greater detail, why Photoshop files can be so large. After that, we’ll turn our attention to how you can make them smaller, presenting you with two different methods. So come along and let’s dive right in!

Why is My PDF File So Large?

A PDF created in Photoshop is essentially one large image. That image is made up of layers, text, designs, and other images. These all compound to make its file size bigger. 

That means that if you have a PDF with a background, banners, images, and text, each part will have to be rendered into the image. This can pile up and lead to a PDF that seems a lot bigger, as a file, than it should be. 

How Do I Reduce the Size of a PDF in Photoshop?

There are a couple of ways of tackling this problem. You can reduce the size by changing the settings of your PDF in Photoshop itself, or you can use Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Optimizer to compress the file after it’s exported. 

In the sections below we will explain how to do both methods–through Photosphop and Acrobat–so you can try the one that makes the most sense to you: 

Step By Step: How to Reduce the Size of a PDF in Photoshop

If you decide to take the Photoshop route, you’ll need to know which settings to adjust. That’s why below, we’ve listed out which settings to watch out for in our step by step guide:

1. Pull up your file on Photoshop: Open the file you’re working on, not an exported version. How you save it is going to determine how compressed it is. 
2. Go to “save as”: This can be found under “File” at the top of the screen. 
3. Format as a PDF: You should see two dropdown boxes in the window that opens up. One says “File Name,” while the other says “Format.” Click on “Format” and find “PhotoShop PDF”. Once you’ve done that, hit save.  
4. Uncheck “Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities”: After you hit “save,” a window should open up. Under “Options” uncheck the box next to “Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities.” This alone will cut down on the size of the file. 
5. Go into “Compression”: This will be in the same window, on the left side. Click on it and the options on the window should change. 
6. Change image quality: The image quality should be set on maximum by default. We recommend changing it to high instead, using the drop down box. If you really need to email it, you can change it to something lower but it will have noticeably less quality if you do. On high, however, you may not even notice the difference. 

This is perhaps the most direct way to reduce the size of your PDF. Still, there is another option, which we will break down in the next section. 

Step By Step: How to Reduce the Size of a PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Your other option is to use Adobe’s PDF optimizer tool. Unlike the last option, with this one you will be reducing the size of an already saved PDF. Follow the steps below to use Adobe Acrobat to reduce the size of your PDF: 

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat: Again, this will be a PDF you’ve already exported. 
2. Go into the PDF Optimizer: This can be found under tools. Just scroll down and click on it. 
3. Select “Reduce File Size” from the toolbar: This toolbar should appear right above the PDF. 

From there, Acrobat will make changes to minimize the size of the PDF. If you need the size reduced even more, you can go into “Advanced Options” and change things like layers and transparency. 

Which Approach to Compressing a PDF is Better?

While both of these methods will work to make your PDF smaller, we’d recommend just doing it through Photoshop itself. Since you’ve already got the file in Photoshop, it just makes more sense to do it there. 

Still, if the file is already saved and you don’t want to go through the hassle of saving it again, then the Acrobat method should work just fine. 

Does Compressing a PDF Lose Quality?

There is some quality lost when you compress a PDF, regardless of whether you did it through Photoshop itself or Adobe Acrobat. Still, if you selected “high quality” over “maximum” it will not really be all that noticeable.

A big part of the problem with Photoshop PDF is that they take up extra space because they are still editable within the software. 

So Really, Why are Photoshop PDFs So Big and How Do You Fix It?

Photoshop PDF’s are large because they are essentially editable image files. They are filled with layers, other images, text, banners, backgrounds, and whatever else you’ve added to them. Further, by default, Photoshop saves them at the maximum quality. At this quality, you receive a sharper image but it also takes up considerably more space. 

To fix this problem, you simply need to follow the steps we outlined above when you save the file. To review those you will want to make sure you save the format as a PDF and adjust the options appropriately. These include unchecking “Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities” as well as going into compression and changing the file quality to “high.” 

In graphic design, there are many programs used to create modern graphics. One of the original programs is Adobe InDesign, a layout-based software application first released in 1999. If you’re interested in the graphic design world, you might wonder – is InDesign still relevant for modern graphic design? Is it less vital with fewer printing needs?

Even though Adobe InDesign has been around for a long time and primarily works for printing, it’s still an industry standard. Most professional graphic designers have Adobe InDesign in their arsenal of tools.

Online template based graphic design software is becoming popular in recent years, and for good reason. Tools like Placeit.net offer over 100,000+ pre-made templates that users can customize and use commercially, with free fonts and graphics, and even copyright or trademark their designs.

If you’re interested in learning more about Adobe InDesign, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about why InDesign is still relevant, the downsides that might come with InDesign, and more. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

Why is InDesign Still Relevant?

InDesign is just as relevant today as it was ten years ago. There are many reasons why this service has stuck around as one of the strongest contenders. Let’s talk about a few of the most prominent reasons why InDesign still comes out on top as a leader for creatives.

Adobe InDesign is still relevant because of the following features:

• It has excellent quality for multiple formats: InDesign creates astonishing designs for both print and digital formats.
• It has ideal output features: InDesign makes it easy to output designs on other software, particularly other Adobe softwares.
• It makes collaboration simple: Graphic designers can collaborate on the platform for the best professional results.
• It’s trustworthy: Adobe has proven itself to be trustworthy as a reliable graphic design program for graphic designers.

There are so many benefits that come with InDesign for graphic design professionals.

InDesign is relevant because it has adapted to the times. You can always depend on Adobe to update their software to a format that works with the modern professional artist. They work hard to adapt to the changing lives of designers.

Are There Any Downsides to InDesign?

As with any program, some downsides come with using Adobe InDesign. Any professional considering this program for their work should look at the cons that come with the choice to make Adobe InDesign one of their main programs.

A few of the biggest downsides that come with Adobe InDesign include:

• It’s difficult for beginners to use and get the hang of quickly without boot camps and classes
• It has a buggy interface if you need help with the software, right in the software
• It’s more expensive than software like Affinity Designer, though this price is worth it
• It can be slow on occasion, sacrificing quality for the speed when the program is open

Other than these, it’s an ideal modern graphic design tool for any professional artist. 

There will be downsides to any graphic design program you use as a professional. That’s why it’s critical to use Adobe InDesign in conjunction with other software to get a well-rounded array of features to put to work on your creations.

Should a Beginner Use InDesign?

Although it can be tricky for a beginner to learn InDesign, there are plenty of tutorials online to provide any necessary information. One of the best things about Adobe is that there are tons of resources online for beginners to take advantage of for their lives. Any newbie can become advanced with enough practice.

For the best experience, we recommend beginners start with a template based graphic design software. Our personal recommendation is Placeit.net because they have the largest library of templates, come with full commercial usage rights, and is very user friendly. You can use Placeit for professional purposes, and can even copyright or trademark the designs made with their software.

However, if you’re inexperienced in graphic design, don’t be afraid to try Adobe InDesign for yourself. There are tons of videos and step-by-step instructions that are simple to follow. You can even sign up for boot camps and workshops to earn certifications for your knowledge.

Is InDesign or Illustrator Better for Graphic Design?

Adobe Illustrator is one of the biggest alternative programs that professionals might use instead of InDesign. Although you can use them in conjunction with each other, InDesign comes out on top as the best choice for graphic designers.

Adobe InDesign comes out on top because:

• It allows you to publish multi-page documents all in one go
• It permits efficient layouts

This service is best for layouts that are multiple pages.

If you’re working on vectors and single pages, Illustrator is the best choice. Each excels in different sections of graphic design. It’s up to you to determine which software is best for the project you’re currently working on.

Are There Other Popular Graphic Design Tools?

Although Adobe InDesign is one of the industry standards, there are other graphic design tools that professionals use. Many people use these in conjunction with Adobe InDesign to get full access to all the features on the market. Let’s take a look at a few of the other best graphic design tools.

Some of the other popular options on the market include:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Placeit (our recommendation)
• Affinity Designer
• Inkscape
• Sketch

These all work well in conjunction with Adobe InDesign, working to fill in the gaps that InDesign can’t cover in the professional world.

The best graphic design tools to use with InDesign are other Adobe tools. Programs like Photoshop and Illustrator easily operate in conjunction with Adobe InDesign, making it simple to create flawless graphic design creations right from the comfort of your computer. Adobe is easily one of the most popular programs with professionals.

Conclusion

The world of graphic design has grown and expanded exponentially since its inception. Although it has moved into the digital realm, Adobe InDesign remains one of the industry standards for professionals in this world. It’s used with other software, including Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer.

We hope this information was helpful! If you’re interested in graphic design, you can feel safe knowing that Adobe InDesign is a quality tool anyone can use to get things done. Lastly, if you’re looking for any alternative to InDesign, we highly recommend Placeit.net because it uses pre-made templates that you can customize to fit your needs, and download with full commercial usage rights.

It can be frustrating when you’re trying to work on a project in Photoshop Elements, but the program suddenly slows down and starts lagging. It can even happen when you know you have hardware that’s more than sufficient to handle the program. So why does this happen? Why is Photoshop Elements so slow and how do you fix it? 

Photoshop Elements runs slow for several reasons, including memory problems, needed updates, and problems with preferences or plugins. To know what the problem is in your specific version, you’ll have to do some troubleshooting.

Consider using a web-based graphic design software if you cannot get Photoshop to speed up. Web-based software like Placeit.net run fast on all devices because they are internet-based rather than device-based.

If you’d like to get your Photoshop Elements project back up to speed, we’ve got you covered. In our guide below, we will break down the various causes of lag and slow response time, as well as what signs to look for with each issue. Then we will provide you with a potential solution so you can sort through them and find the one that works for you.

What Causes Photoshop Elements to Run Slow? 

There are a whole host of reasons why Photoshop Elements can run slow. These range from problems with plugins to a simple accidental change in your preferences.

To know which problem is slowing down your project in Photoshop Elements, you should look at when the lag or slowness is happening. Is it only happening when you first launch the program? Is it when you run other programs simultaneously? Maybe it’s just a general slowness. Whichever of these it is will help you determine what the problem is and fix it. 

Below we’ve outlined some of the most common ways Photoshop Elements gets slowed down so you can easily find out what your problem is and fix it:

1. Photoshop Elements Launch is Slow 

When Photoshop Elements is only slow at launch, you can narrow the problem down a little bit. Still, it could be anything from an interaction with your antivirus software to a simple change in preferences. 

How to Fix Photoshop Elements Slow Launch  

There are a number of fixes that may solve this problem. Below we’ve outlined some of the most common solutions so you can use them to troubleshoot:

• Update the software: Sometimes color profiles on older versions can become corrupted. This can not only cause slowness at launch, but a complete crash as well. Simply updating the software should resolve the problem. 
• Try it with your antivirus software disabled: Temporarily disable your antivirus software and see if the problem resolves. If it does, there was an interaction between your antivirus software and the program. You may consider switching antivirus brands.
• Hold down the shift key as the program launches: This will prevent it from loading third party plugins. Those plugins could be causing your program to lag.
• Try disconnecting external drives: These could also be interfering with the launching process. To check, simply disconnect them before opening the program.   

Hopefully one of these solutions will work for you. If none of them did, you may try some of the other troubleshooting steps we’ve outlined below, as there can be a lot of overlap between these problems. 

2. Photoshop Elements Slow With Certain Tools and Features

Sometimes Photoshop Elements can get slow specifically when using certain tools or features such as saving or exporting. 

How to Fix Elements Lag With Tools and Saving

Below we’ve outlined a few fixes if Photoshop elements is only running slow with certain tools or features:  

• Change performance preferences: You can adjust the preferences like how much RAM Elements can use by going into preferences>performance. Sometimes adjusting some of these settings down can cause the slowness to abate. 
• Check the drive you’re saving to: If Photoshop Elements slows down when you’re saving, there’s a chance you’re accidentally trying to save it to a network drive. Network drives aren’t supported and may cause lag through an error.
• Try flattening layers: Your layers may be causing the program to run slow. Try flattening them. 

Most of the time problems with specific tools or features indicate that something is going wrong with the memory. Always make sure you have a good amount of hard drive space and RAM allocated to Elements.

3. Photoshop Elements is Just Slow 

If Photoshop Elements is just slow in general, there could be several causes. Many of them overlap with the problems that cause the previous issues, so be sure to also try those steps as well. 

How to Fix Photoshop Elements When It’s Just Slow

Below, we’ve broken down some more troubleshooting steps you can take if Photoshop elements is just slow in general: 

• Allocate more memory: If you go into “preferences” and then “performance,” you should see a box that allows you to change the amount of RAM Elements can use.
• Check hard drive space: If your hard drive space is filling up, it may be time to get another. Choked-up memory can definitely cause Photoshop Elements to run slow.
• Try resetting your preferences: You may have accidentally changed something in your preferences that caused the program to slow down. To reset them, press Ctrl-K on Windows and Cmd-K on Mac, then click “reset preferences on next launch.” When you restart the software your preferences should be reset.

Hopefully one of these approaches worked for you. If not, you may consider checking your hardware and making sure that it is up to the requirements Photoshop Elements needs to run smoothly.  

Will SSD Improve Photoshop Performance?

If you’d like to not only get Photoshop Elements to work right, but to work better as well, then you should consider using an SSD. It has been proven to increase the launch speed of other Photoshop programs four times.

So Why are Photoshop Elements So Slow?

There are a whole host of reasons why Photoshop Elements can run slow. It can be anything from a negative interaction with your antivirus software to not having enough memory allocated. 

Remember, when troubleshooting, start with the simplest solutions first and work your way up. Somewhere along the way you should be able to discover what the problem is and fix it.

If you’re seeking an alternative to Photoshop Elements, we highly recommend Placeit.net because it’s web based which makes it fast loading on any device.

If you’re putting a design out on Etsy, you want to make sure that it isn’t copyrighted or trademarked. Because more and more people are using the service Placit, it would therefore be worthwhile to make sure their designs are legal to use. So can you legally use Placeit on Etsy? 

You can use Placeit on Etsy because all of their designs are copyright and trademark-free. Once you’ve customized a design for yourself to use on Etsy, you can rest assured that the designs fonts and graphics are 100% commercially usable.

If you’re excited to use Placeit.net in your next Etsy project, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below we will break down why you can use Placeit designs on Etsy as well as what limitations are in place.

Are Placeit Designs Copyrighted?

Placeit is loaded with some of the best usable designs out there. Still, you may worry that there is some sort of copyright involved if you want to use them on a service like Etsy. 

Fortunately, Placeit designs are not copyrighted. They can be used freely for both private and commercial use.

Placeit actually takes things one step further in that it allows you to download and trademark or copyright designs yourself. That means you could, for example, create a logo with the Placeit logo maker, then have it trademarked so only you can use it. This is one of the biggest reasons why Placeit is such a fast-growing service.  

Can I Sell Placeit Designs on Etsy?

You absolutely can sell Placeit designs on Etsy. Since all of Placeit’s designs are copyright-free, they can be used for whatever you’re selling on Etsy. 

The only caveat here is that if someone makes a logo or design on Placeit, then copyrights or trademarks it themselves, it will no longer be available for the personal use of others. This rarely becomes a problem, however, because of the level of customizability that Placeit offers. 

Can I Use Placeit With Other E-Commerce Services?

If you decide to sell your designs on more than just Etsy, you can still use Placeit. Placeit’s copyright-free nature extends out to all other e-commerce sites, including Print On-Demand websites (like creating and selling t-shirt designs). 

Are There Any Limits to Using Placeit Designs?

There are some limits to using Placeit designs. That said, most of these limits are commonsensical and won’t be a problem for the vast majority of users.

The limits to what you can do with your Placeit designs include:

• Imply endorsement: You can’t create a design that implies an endorsement from Placeit. This would be something like putting a little Placeit logo in the corner of your image. Placeit does not necessarily endorse the content people make on their platform, they just provide the platform itself. 
• Claim Placeit’s content is your own: While you can certainly use content from Placeit, you can’t claim to have made it yourself. It’s only fair considering how much they offer you during the process of making your own designs. 
• Use Derogatory content: You can’t present a person, logo, or image that is derogatory. This really goes with Placeit’s terms of service. This likely won’t be a problem, as most people aren’t out to make that kind of content anyway. 
• Use Placeit against itself: You can’t take Placeit designs and use them to create a competitor to Placeit. Not only would that be bad form but it would also violate their rules. 

Again, most–if not all–of these limitations are pretty commonsensical. As long as you avoid making any of these moves, you’ll be free to use your designs however else you please.  

Benefits of Using Placeit on Etsy 

Not only can you use Placeit on Etsy, but there are also a lot of reasons to do so. Placeit is a fantastic service that allows you to create mockups, designs, logos, and more. You can take anything you make on it and copyright it for your own use.

Below we’ve listed some of the biggest benefits of using Placeit on Etsy so you can know it is right for you: 

• Dynamic services: On Placeit, you can do everything from creating mockups for apparel to designing the perfect Discord theme. Additionally, you can create and trademark your own logos, using professionally designed templates and art work. These dynamic services can give you the edge you need to get your brand out there.
• Rights to your project: You can take anything you make on Placeit and have it either copyrighted or trademarked, depending on what it is. This is key if you plan on using Placeit with an e-commerce site like Etsy. 
• Ability to distribute projects: Along with the rights comes the ability to distribute your projects wherever you want. Like the previous benefit, this is going to be pivotal in you selling your designs on Etsy. 
• Ability to print designs: You can actually print your designs into real merchandise like apparel. This gives you a leg up on comparable services that would only let you design them. Now you can get your needs met in one place instead of two. 

Placeit truly is a one-of-a-kind service. You can get all your needs met from printing your designs to securing their rights. Even if you choose a service other than Etsy for sales, Placeit will still work great. 

So Really, Can You Use Placeit on Etsy?

You can use Placeit on Etsy for a number of reasons. Primarily it is because they give you both the ability to copyright or trademark your designs–depending on what they are–and to distribute them as you wish. There are some limitations such as the fact that you can’t imply that Placeit is endorsing your product, but they are mostly stuff you wouldn’t probably do anyway. 

At the end of the day, Placeit provides an excellent way for you to create designs, mockups, logos, and more, without having to worry about copyright issues. As long as your designs aren’t derogatory, aren’t used against Placeit, and don’t imply endorsement, you should be ready to go. So what kind of design do you plan on selling through Etsy?

Pro Tip: Placeit also offers an additional 15% off any plan with this coupon.