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Graphic Design is a field that is getting quite a bit of traction in recent years due to the rise of digital media and the need to format and make it pretty. It’s a field that is so broad with so many things the designer can be specialized in that there are often misconceptions about how they actually run their business. Something like a template seems like it might be beneath a professional Graphic Designer but that can’t be further from the truth.
Graphic Designers often use a template to improve work efficiency on projects that would produce similar results anyway. It also helps them give an easy mockup for clients to know exactly what they are going to be getting. However, for more specialized projects, a template might not be viable, and the project will have to be done completely from scratch.
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For some reason in the modern world, people have a stigma against using templates or tricks to make production more streamlined, especially in artistically inclined professions. It’s seen as lazy and amateur, when in reality it helps with efficiency and quality control in many fields. Keep reading to learn more about how a Graphic Designer might use a template.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
There’s a common phrase amongst many groups, but definitely within the Graphic Design circles. That is “work smarter, not harder.” While it is possible to make absolutely everything from scratch all of the time, it would be a lot smarter and more efficient to design a template for things that are going to be basically the same anyway.
Templates help a Graphic Designer to work more efficiently by having it so that things just need to be plugged in to a format that already exists. Most have templates that either they or their company utilizes in order to give clients a working mockup of what they are going to be getting. These templates can have been obtained from a site allowing commercial use or they have made their own.
What are Some Projects that Could Use a Template?
Not every project could have a template made for it, such as illustrations, logos, or other highly customized orders. However, there are quite a few projects that would benefit from a template being made or purchased in order to streamline the process.
Such projects include:
- Page Layouts
- Business Cards
- Letterheads
- Fliers
- Invitations
- Forms
- Calendars
- Address Labels
For more intensive designs such as logos or illustrations, it would be best to just do the whole thing from scratch. However, for simple projects, a template can really be an efficient lifesaver. Not to mention, it will in turn pull down the price for the customer as the designer isn’t going to have to spend as much time on the project to be paid for.
Where are Some Places to Find Graphic Design Templates?
There are numerous places out there that offer templates for Graphic Designers or their clients. They are typically easy to use, sometimes utilizing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or a dynamic tool on a website. Sometimes these are made specifically by the designer, while others can be just used by whoever whenever.
Here are some websites to find Graphic Design templates:
When looking for premade templates, be sure that they are available for commercial use if the design is going to be sold. Otherwise, the company or original designer is able to enact serious legal repercussions. However, it can be useful to take a look when designing custom templates to get an idea of what works and what is already out there in order to find something that is going to actually be worthwhile to use.
Conclusion
Graphic Designers often utilize templates in order to increase the workflow and efficiency of their work. Only certain projects can benefit from having a template, however. These such projects are ones where the final outcome is pretty much going to be the same no matter what, such as with business cards. They can be simple to complex, made by the designer themselves or obtained from a variety of different websites.
Just because a Graphic Designer is a professional doesn’t mean they don’t try to work smarter rather than harder. They’re people too and templates really help!
