#4 Use the same image file on your web site and on your printed materials.

That was tricky to word, because using the same image on your different materials can be fine, especially if it’s a strong image. Using that 72 dpi RGB JPEG file for your brochure or catalog, though, will net you a blurry and pixelated mess.

There are different technical specifications for the screen and the printed page. Almost every time, a printed image needs to be high resolution (at least 300 dpi, or dots per inch) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). “No problem,” you say, “I have Photoshop. I’ll just increase the resolution of my lovely 72 dpi picture there.” “Sorry,” I’ll answer, “you can’t do that. Photoshop can’t create detail in a picture that’s not there to start with.”

Conversely, when you post a print ready image on your web site, and size it down in the HTML, you’re wasting tons of bandwidth and your readers’ valuable time as they wait (and wait and wait) for it to download. Save the headache — size your images down before you post them on your web page.

This is really more of a technical issue than a strict design one, but since I run into this at least once a week, I thought it would be useful to list it here.

#3 Jazz up your layout with cool Photoshop effects. Photoshop is a wonderful program. And those of us who’ve been designing for a while know that quite a few versions back, Adobe added the ability to apply effects to editable type, and the type could still be edited. What an achievement! What a cool new world! What an invitation to design disaster.

Here is some perfectly fine type, set in Georgia:

Here is the same type, given the Photoshop treatment:

I cringed making that.

There is no reason in the world, except for illustrating this point, that type should be corrupted like that. It’s not better or cooler — it’s just ugly.

There is no shortcut to good design. If your page is looking flat or boring, adding an effect won’t save it for you. It’s a mistaken idea that the computer does the design, and the designer is the one who knows how to push the right keys. Here’s a story:

My husband is an incredible artist and engineer. He does some really amazing work in Illustrator. One day his friend called asking for help with his own Illustrator artwork.

“What’s the problem?” my husband, J, asked.

“It doesn’t look as good as yours,” friend A answered.

“Here’s what you can do…” J started explaining about vector images, gradients, and transparencies.

“I don’t want to do all that. Isn’t there a shortcut?” said A.

“You mean you want to know where to find the ‘make it cool’ button?” J asked.

“Yes.”

“There’s no make it cool button! That was a joke!”

“Oh. Then this isn’t very fun.”

There’s no make it cool button. Not even the Photoshop filters.

What?

#2 Set script in all caps!

Need I say more?

Actually, I’m on the fence about using script at all. But if you must, check out Novia from Font Bureau. Now that’s a beautiful script. Martha Stewart even rules the typographic world.

If you are not a professional designer, but enjoy doing layout and design, here are five things that designers everywhere ask, no beg, you not to do:

#1 Stretch your type. Have a lot to say, but not enough room to say it in? No problem — just squish your type until it fits in the space. Problem solved. Aaaahhhhh!
This is a cardinal typography sin. When you stretch or compress letters, you change their proportions. This is the font Agenda Light, at 37 points:

This is what it looks like stretched — at 25% of it’s actual width:

Notice how the tops and bottoms of the letters (the horizontal strokes) are now very thick — much thicker in proportion to the vertical strokes. This looks terrible!

If you need to take up more vertical space on the page, or you have a long headline, try a true condensed or compressed face. Many typefaces have them included as part of the font family. Here’s Agenda Light Extra Condensed:

See how the proportions are maintained? If you want to find font families that include condensed versions, myfonts.com is a great resource.

Stay tuned for sins 2-5!

people know that you’re either a designer or design aficionado (well, charitable people know that. Other people may wonder about you.) When you’re me, and you love typography, think letterpress is the best printing process out there, and appreciate found art, then you head over to Athenaeum Press immediately and buy one of the limited edition fine art letterpress prints from the Urban Typography Project for sale there. Boy, I love these. My dream is to have a set of 9, beautifully framed, hanging in my office. So far, I have one, but I’m working on it. Not only do I love the photos, but the print is deliciously tactile.

Add to this that the web site is cool, easily navigated and lovely to look at, and during my purchase I had the opportunity to deal directly with the artist, who is a really nice guy. Score, any way you look at it.