Making graphics

[DanielWong]

Hey can either someone help make a graphic for my next pedal, or show me a good programs to use for making layouts and graphics?

[Hanglow]

I used GIMP on my last effort (also my first effort), it's free and you can do a few cool things with it. Maybe try that

[zjokka]

+1 for Gimp

it's free

http://www.gimp.org/

[jlullo]

nice!  and it's for mac as well!

[mdh]

I would recommend Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/). Inkscape is a vector graphics editor (like Adobe Illustrator), which has definite advantages over The GIMP (or Adobe Photoshop) for producing original graphics. The main advantage is that you can resize and transform objects in a vector graphics program without pixelation and anti-aliasing. I have used Inkscape to draw PCB layouts and box graphics. The learning curve can be pretty steep, but there are tutorials out there to get you started.

[Pushtone]

+1 for vector graphics over bitmap graphic apps.

Although you tend to need both. Photoshop to prepare bitmap elements and Illustrator to layout it all out with text labels.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

When it comes to graphics, there are a million ways. True, today most work is done on the computer. And, if you want an 'ordinary' design, that's probably easiest.
But, nothing to stop you doing it on paper, using pens, collage, glueing down bits that you have printed etc etc, then scanning it, and using some simple free image manipulation prog to polish it up for the final image (however you are going to put it on the box).
I've tried drawing with a mouse - I've tried drawing with a graphics tablet - I draw with a pen!

[mdh]

Although you tend to need both. Photoshop to prepare bitmap elements and Illustrator to layout it all out with text labels.

Not to thread hijack, but what sorts of bitmap elements do you mean? I guess if you want to include elements from photographs you need to use a raster editor such as Photoshop or The GIMP, but I certainly wouldn't limit the utility of a vector app to layout and text. It seems to me that vector graphics are way more powerful for anything that's not a photograph.

[mattpocket]

I make my graphics in Microsoft Word! haha

I suppose it does class as a vector drawing program! haha

And you can use photographs in most vector programs, in fact, in some programs like adobe illustrator you can turn a photograph into vectors!

Matt

[zarathustra]

I've been getting good results recently with Paint.net. It's basically a cross between MS Paint and Photoshop -- free, easy to use, and capable of surprisingly nice graphics. Seems to be a good choice for people like me who don't have the time (or desire) to tackle the learning curve of a program like Photoshop.

[darron]

i'm using flash and then taking it into illustrator or photoshop... only because i'm better at drawing in vectors in flash and i like being able to have multiple frames to work with as well as layers. i don't suggest people do this but i wanted to give my input in hope that someone does the same (: