I just can’t understand why people use FREE web services such as Vistaprint who send you 250 ‘free’ cards printed on shit paper with artwork that consists of selecting elements such as text, colours and images from a drop-down menu on-screen (no offence VP). Why would you want to hand these out to prospective customers with ‘Printed FREE at Vistaprint’ plastered on the back? What’s wrong with you?

Then there’s them cheap cardboard cards available to purchase from a big red machine in shopping centres. These should be illegal as the laughable fonts, 90s’ clip-arts and ‘border-designs’ can really cause damage to your business rep(!)

My new ones arrived this morning printed on 400gsm matt-laminated paper. I think I deserve a bucketload of gold nuggets for cramming the most info onto a business card CREATIVELY, but even then it’s only one-half of one side used. I went for a landscape design on one side and a portrait design with my ‘face’ logo on the other, just to keep things spicy(!)

Front and back

Did I leave anything out?

Quality business cards can get costly, but keeping everything in mind, I recommend 400gsm matt/gloss-laminated. Quality feel, finish and functionality at an affordable price. That’s it, you won’t have to contemplate a re-mortgage and/or bank robbery(!) Matt lamination is a thin film added to the card which protects the card from wear and tear, spillages and lasts a lot longer. Gloss-lamination achieves the same purpose but has a shinier ‘sheen’ to the finish.

In my opinion, the ONLY way to go is get your cards designed full-colour, professionally. Either do it yourself or get someone with sick skills like me to do it, and printed on a thick card with a smooth finish. OK, the actual cost of the artwork/print is higher initially, but the image you will portray for yourself is surely priceless, right? Your new business cards should last you months, even years, so you’ll have to live with your shit design if you choose that road(!)

Prices are as follows:

400gsm Matt/Gloss-Laminated Business Cards

Quantity	250	500	1,000	2,000	5,000	10,000
	150	165	190	250	370	520

PS: Facebook fans who have ‘liked’ my page get a further discount, enough to buy you a drink on me, or a sandwich on me, whatever tickles yer pickle. Click ‘Like’ in the right side-bar >>.

PPS: More portfolio updates soon.

As Delboy Trotter would say, ‘Bonjour!’.

Related posts:

1. Digital and Litho Printing – My Version Of A Paper Size Chart
2. Design and Print: How To ‘Christmasize’ a Takeaway Menu
3. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service

A friend had a recent clear-out at a call-centre and I went along to help. Noticing a bunch of six aluminium A2-sized poster frames sat in a heap, I decided to salvage them from an ‘otherwise shit’ set of circumstances and bring them back with me to ‘my lab’ (amongst other great ‘finds’!!). I instantly had a visual concept of a design that could addorn a little hallway in my place that was otherwise blank with white walls. Here goes..

The design was such that four of the frames would be used and painted the four CMYK colours, namely cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). The design of the posters inside would reflect this. I thought it would ‘brighten-up’ my hall-way whilst ‘keeping it kreative’.

Paint-Mask, Please

Each frame was dismantled and the surfaces roughened-up with three grades of sand-paper. They then got three coats each of gloss-spray paint. The magenta was a bugger to get hold of, but in the end I opted for ‘Belton Molotow Premium’ from an online retailer. Good job, too.

Frames Painted (this ugly pink was not the end magenta I found)

Posters - ready and waiting..

Poster Design

I went for an abstract vector graphic design which would be informative yet colourful. Check it out in the pictures below. My web -address at the bottom with a small logo in the middle completed it. The posters were A2 sized and printed full colour at 1200dpi, sharper than my tongue(!)

The poster design.

Voila-hoo-ha! The end-result, you know it's 'the shit'.

It’s brightened up my hallway and kinda reflects my personality sometimes.

Saving lost causes from ‘the chop’.
Salute.

Related posts:

1. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service
2. Portfolio Update: December 2010
3. Ten Highly Creative and Detailed Vector Artworks

190gsm Digital Poster Printing

Digital printing, in general, is cheaper than lithographic. However, it’s limited quantity-wise, so it’s suited for short-run printing only. I thought I’d write an individual post about our digital poster service. The difference is that it’s ideal for a quick turnaround (up to 150 max) and the quality is the same compared to lithographic printing.

Posters are ideal for advertising your business, product or service. Get the word out, get your contact details out and get it all presented in a way that makes your customers want to contact you. It’s not rocket-science(!)

Paper – Weight, Thickness and Finish

We use 190gsm ‘gloss’. This will take you ‘one-level up’ from 90% of posters and flyers out there, which use the standard 130gsm-160gsm ‘silk’ paper-weights. Gloss is a shinier finish which ‘captures light’ as opposed to ‘silk’ which is flatter and not as absorbing. We think 190gsm is a great balance between strength and quality.

Print Quality

Full-colour digital printing at 1200dpi will ensure crispy-sharp images with vivid colours and high-res detailing. We always use eco-friendly inks where possible, the planet isn’t a car, that you can trade-in or replace(!)

Lamination

Laminating posters with plastic envelopes will preserve the life of the poster by making it tear-proof, water-proof, crease-proof, age-proof and easier to handle (a lot of ‘proofs’ there..).

Print Prices

190gsm Digital Posters

	1-50	50-100	100-150
	£2(5)	£1.80 (£4.50)	£1.50 (£4.00)
	£6(10)	£5.50 (£9.50)	£5.00 (£9.00)
	£15(24)	£14.50 (£23.00)	£14.00 (£23.00)
	£20(40)	£19.00 (£38.00)	£19.00 (£38.00)

Turnaround

This is the biggest advantage digital printing has over lithographic. Quicker turnaround times means less waiting about twiddling your thumbs for you(!) Around the ‘neighbourhood’ (Nelson, Burnley, Colne etc etc), we can deliver next-day, or within one-working day if they are posted first-class within mainland UK.

Poster Artwork Service

Our artwork service is £70 per poster. For this fee, you receive a complete professional experience. This includes original creative design and conceptual advice, efficient communication, great people, unlimited edits, and high-resolution pdf artwork. What more do you need?

Recent Samples

Below are a few recent examples of our beloved clients’ work. All have been designed, printed, delivered and installed (of course) by Herbie Hysteria and Friends. All the following examples are laminated, for that great finish and enhancement!

Stylz Hairdressing A2 Posters

Muscle Factory A3 Poster (modelled by Mojo the Menace)

Tulip Takeaway Re-branding and A2 Posters

Get In Touch!

Every poster design is an individual concept, so I love creating them. Get in touch today, there’s many ways to do it, so we can start on your masterpiece!

Related posts:

1. Bespoke Framed Posters – Something For ‘The Lab’
2. Digital and Litho Printing – My Version Of A Paper Size Chart
3. Poster Design: Movie Themed Poster Design For Senior Citizen’s RailCard

A few months ago, I designed and printed the folded-A4 menus for a local takeaway in my neighbourhood. Back then, it was a completely fresh design and branding for the new owners of the business, who loved it and gave me a cart-load of ‘pats on the back’ as a result (I still have a sore back!). Anyways, during the run-up to Christmas 2010, they re-approached me to update the menu, this time making it ‘Christmassy’ (if that’s a word).

The basic design (fonts, imagery, positioning, colours etc) was to remain the same, whilst the design-concept required a re-fresh to bring it up-to-date. Also, a few other little changes were done at the same time such as additional menu items and minor-tweaks here and there.

The Original Design

The design was originally a totally new design for the business, which served traditional Asian food as well as fast-food such as burgers and pizzas. The design was kept ‘light-hearted’ and ‘informal’ and their new logo consisted of a cartoon mascot on a branded-moped travelling at speed (to convey the idea of a quick delivery service).

Al-Taj Original Menu - Front and Back

Al-Taj Original Menu - Middle

The name itself, ‘Al-Taj’ sends sub-conscious depictions of the sub-continent and ethnic culture. So, in making the design more ‘cartoonish’ and informal, it was definately a thought ‘outside-of-the-box’ for me(!)

The Christmas Re-Design

Their 2010 christmas re-design also gave me an opportunity to position things more efficiently and better-fit elements such as opening times and the map of the premises. Alterations included included:

Al-Taj Christmas Menu - Front and Back

Al-Taj Christmas Menu - Middle

The vector ribbons and christmas-tree bobbles I added were positioned so they crossed the entire width of the menus, so they had to go over the ‘bleed area’ of the document at design-stage. However, it wasn’t just a case of stretching the vector shapes and being done with it, each and every ribbon and bobble/element is strategically positioned so that they do not interfere with the menu items and the prices. Design is everything, yes, but it’s not everything when it’s covering the prices of your food items on your menu! So, you’ll notice the paths the ribbons take are very specific, sometimes even BETWEEN letters and words!

I also took this opportunity to increase the size of the ‘Just-Eat’ logo, at the request of the management. Apparently, more and more people are ordering their food from the online service.

A few other things got moved around and the menu’s ‘Free Chicken Burger’ voucher was re-designed so that customers could tear it off from the corner whilst not destroying the menu(!) As usual, the customers and the management loved the results and at the moment, it is THE best Christmas menu doing the rounds in my neighbourhood. Yee-ha!

Anyways, there’s a seat with my name on it for a big feast today (Christmas Day), better not let that seat get stolen!

Christmas Mubarak everyone!

Related posts:

1. Portfolio Update: December 2010
2. Business Cards: My new business cards just arrived!
3. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service

Graphic Design

A few logo concepts have been worked on for a couple of larger projects. Logos – forever the starting point of massive organisations. You’ll hear more about them in due time. Meanwhile, I’ve added five new original logos I have designed and used this month.

Logo design for PAST Parents Group

Logo design for Heavenly Perfumes.

Design and Print

Getting a full cafe/takeaway menu onto two sides of A5 isn’t easy, but I’ve had to do it three times this month, of which two are included in this update. A couple of great poster jobs got dealt with too, amongst varied other stuff.

A5 Menu for Spice Of Asia

Signs and Vinyls

I also completed a digitally-printed UV sign for Madni Channel, the Islamic TV Channel on SKY 838 (tune in!). A new Islamic bookshop funded by them opened locally. The sign-board was designed, printed and installed in November. Also, a banner for a school-fayre kept me busy.

UV Design and Print Sign for 'Madina Bookshop'

Custom Requests

One custom request was a set of ID cards for a school parents’ group. These came out great and the ladies loved ‘em. Other stuff included a family portrait printed and laminated to A1 size.

People and Places

I met a brother who is the owner of a new busines called Heavenly Perfumes. Heavenly Perfumes, a new retailer based in my hometown approached me for logo and poster design. The job was completed on time, within budget and the results were definately the design-highlight of the month!

A very clever poster-design concept to bring the name ‘Heavenly’ into some associated imagery. However, you’re going to have to go to my Facebook page to see it because I have included it in the portfolio there under ‘Graphic Design’ and ‘Design and Print’. Also, more design-work for the ever-presents such as Stylz Hairdressing!

Site Tweaks

Beyond this, you will have noticed a few subtle changes around the site. I’m a tweaker, I just can’t help it and a major addition has been a little widget in the right-sidebar called ‘Latest Thoughts’. Think of it as a ‘status update’, it’s just somewhere I can quickly add my thoughts at a particular time, usually updated daily!

Also, you’ll notice some changes to the header links up ^^ there! I’ve added the ‘Latest Articles’ in chronological order as ‘The Blog’. Yes, ‘The Shop’ is there too and I’ve started incorporating it (nothing exciting to be viewed just yet) into the site, so hang on to your hats.

Anyways, view the complete additions to the portfolio here. The snowfall this month has left me and my homies quite numb, so I’m off to sit on a radiator(!) Don’t forget to leave your feedback!

Anyways, it’s been a good year, 2011 better be ready for me. To you and your family, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you all.

Related posts:

1. Portfolio Update: July 2011 – Vehicle Graphics
2. Portfolio Update: June 2011 – Custom Clothing
3. Bespoke Framed Posters – Something For ‘The Lab’

Banner Design

Just recently, a client who’s branding I had done earlier in the year returned to order some printed PVC banners measuring 4ft x 2ft. The branding was such that the imagery and fonts were always backed-up by a black background, to give that ‘dark and sophisticated’ look (get what I mean?). Not much of my large-format artwork consists of flat black backgrounds, but I still thought it was straightforward, to my surprise.

The banners were for an overseas charity project, for which my client is a supporter. The graphic design for the banner simply consisted of the black background, the logo and one line of white text reading ‘Supported and funded by’.

Large Format UV-LED Printing

CMYK cartridges on a Mimaki

The Problem – When ‘Black’ Isn’t Really ‘Black’(!)

I exported the design as a pdf at 300dpi resolution, and viewed it in Adobe Reader 9.3, it looked fine and the black background seemed really err…black? It looked good. PDF documents are an industry standard type of print-ready file because they hold their resolution and also use the CMYK colour model, which is a popular commercial printing colour model. CMYK is what most printers and commercial-printing set-ups use, which consists of four inks, cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), which are used in various techniques, to generate millions of other colours and print the artwork.

When the artwork was printed onto the PVC banner material, the print came out such that the flat black background didn’t look black, but more of a ‘dark grey’ or ‘anthracite’ colour. I initially thought it was the printer that fucked up, but these things rarely go wrong so i suspected it was an artwork issue. Photos don’t differentiate in much detail, view the photo below to get my shizzle(!)

Black or Dark Grey? (FYI this is the first 'nearly black' effort)

The Solution – CMYK vs HSV/RGB

I researched around some online forums and blogs, and found the solution to my problem. The problem existed because different colour models interpret flat colours in varying ways. Let me explain. When designing using my vector graphics software, all colours on the screen are viewed and represented using the HSV colour model, which allocates a six-digit code to each colour/shade such as #FF80FE (a glorious shade of pink!). This colour model uses light to generate the different colours on your monitor’s screen, and so are great for web-design and web-graphics.

However, the standard black in the HSV model is represented by #000000, but it’s CMYK equivalent is the ‘dark grey’ black. Yes, it looks fine on the screen, but when converted to CMYK for printing, the various ink mixtures result in the ‘not-so-black’ black(!) #000000 actually converts to C-0% M-0% Y-0% K-100%, which is also referred to as ’100% black’ because it is 100% of the ‘Key’ black ink which is used.

I was advised to increase the percentages a little on the other three inks. The reasoning behind this is far too complex for a short-ish post on my blog, but it’s related to the way the inks are mixed to generate other colours. I increased the percentages of the other three inks, to create a ‘new colour’ in my graphics software. I opted for C-25% M-25% Y-25% K-100% and used this black instead of the standard black. It still looked the same on my screen, but when printed it was a beautiful, rich ‘darker-than-dark’ black. A huge improvement, and a lesson learned for me. (I don’t have a photo of the improved print because I had to post it out same-day, but it was blacker than black and made the text and font stand out even better). Whooppee!

If you’re a designer, printer or related professional, let me know of any similar problems you’ve had and how you rectified them. If you’re a potential customer, don’t worry, not all my jobs are fuck-ups, this was just a little ‘grey area’ in my skills-set(!)

Related posts:

1. Digital and Litho Printing – My Version Of A Paper Size Chart
2. Bespoke Framed Posters – Something For ‘The Lab’
3. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service

Having a handy paper-size chart is..err..’handy’ when you offer a design and print service. It’s a good reference tool and you can quickly answer your client’s questions about size and dimensions by glancing at it. From the standard 55mm x 88mm business card size, to the largest A0 sized poster, all the widths and heights vary and are also proportionate to each other (eg. A4 is twice the size of A5 and so on).

I would normally ‘make do’ with a standard size chart sourced online or from one of my suppliers. However, one lazy weekend, I ‘accidentally’ went into ‘design-mode’ whilst sitting at my PC and ended up creating my own version of a printing paper size-chart. That weekend’s social activities kinda incorporated themselves into the design..

I had visited a friend the day before, who had just purchased a two-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy – excitable little animal that it was. He had also been having trouble with his laptop and was clearly at the end of his tether with it, which had stopped charging from it’s DC charger plug. So, I kinda used these two ‘highlights of the weekend’ as inspirations for my paper size-chart design.

Voila!

The design had to be ‘to-scale’ so all the paper sizes and elements are correctly sized against each-other.

Paper size chart for design and printers, by Herbie Hysteria.

Free Downloads

You’re welcome to save the image above and use it how you like. There’s also a few full colour high-res downloadable jpegs (with 3mm bleeds and 300dpi resolutions) in A4, A3 and A2 size, in case you REALLY love it and just can’t bear NOT having it stuck to your wall(!) The download links can be found below:

'Paper-Size Chart by HH' - A4 / 300dpi (112)
'Paper-Size Chart by HH' - A3 / 300dpi (95)
'Paper-Size Chart by HH' - A2 / 300dpi (85)

Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service
2. Large Format Printing – The CMYK Black Problem
3. Business Cards: My new business cards just arrived!

What made me stop, and what made this poster design achieve a worthy post on my blog, was the innovative design concept of using famous Hollywood movie titles. ‘My Fair Lady’ was a musical released in the 1950s by producer Gabriel Pascal. Using related imagery and editing the title to read ‘My Fare Savings’ keeps the relevancy of the original movie-title, yet also sells the product it is advertisng – rail cards.

My Fare Savings

I had noticed these a few weeks ago, and I’m kicking myself for not posting earlier because there was actually another one called ‘Honey I Shrunk The Fares’. This was in the style of the famous Rick Moranis movie ‘Honey I Shrunk The Kids’, but I didn’t get a picture of it, unfortunately.

I think this design works because people are already familiar with movie posters and the titles used. Being innovative with the title and keeping it related to the original can really grab people’s attention because it may even be a favourite movie of theirs! If you’re thinking of creating a similar design, here’s some tips to get the best effect:

1. Use ‘Portrait’ Layout Instead Of ‘Landscape’

The majority of movie posters from the past and present are in portrait layout. Most movie posters are synonymous with this layout, so stick with this to get the same effect.

2. Use The Same (or slightly edited) Image From The Original

To really catch someone’s attention, use the same image from the original movie or poster and edit it if need be. This way, the design is still related to the original poster.

3. Change/Edit The Title Only Slightly By Adding/Editing Certain Words

To be really creative, edit the title so that it fits in well with what your poster is advertising. For best results, keep most of the original movie’s name but change one or two words to make it relevant to your product or service.

4. Get The Fonts Right!

Make sure you use the correct fonts where applicable. For example, the ‘Terminator’ movies title is so easy to spot because of the typeface used. The title font should be the same as the original. Another ‘movie poster type’ font which can be used at the bottom of your designs to add further information is called SteelTongs. This type of font is usually used for movie credits such as ‘Directed by..’ and ‘Starring..’.

5. Add ‘Star’ Reviews

To finish the look, add two (at most) imaginary magazine reviews. You can get as creative as you want here and make up some imaginary magazine names relevant to your product or service. Create five stars, underneath which you can add the one word review relevant to you. Underneath the review word, add your imaginary magazine’s name.

What Do You Think?

Are you a graphic designer too? What’s your take on this design idea? Also, if you do decide to use this style, don’t forget to let me have a peak when you’re done!

Related posts:

1. Digital Posters – My Design and Print Service
2. Bespoke Framed Posters – Something For ‘The Lab’
3. Portfolio Update: December 2010