How Do You Make Your Designs?

[+SLO Trekker]

All of your proposed designs look so good. What software do you use to create these? Does it take a graphic designer's knowledge to get them to look so nice, or can the average Joe (that would be me) manage to turn out a decent design?

 

I'm not talking about a design of the quality to submit to a coin manufacturer, but just the images you post here as an idea (or even a joke!)

[+Mystery Ink]

I use Macromedia Flash MX and Photoshop CS.

And you don't need to be a graphic designer even a pencil drawing you have can turn out pretty close to what you want.

Edited January 28, 2006 by Mystery Ink

[gridlox]

I mainly use CorelDRAW.

 

But there are several other programs (expensive & not) that can do enough to let a graphic designer creating the minting art know what you want.

 

And also like Mystery Ink said, you can't beat a 10 cent pencil and a piece of typing paper to get your ideas down to let the graphic designer know what you want.

 

I do this everyday at the sign shop where I work.

 

Just to give you an example:

 

Here's something that the customer submitted to us to create a logo for his lawncare business.

 

And this is what he got for a final design!

 

 

Neat! Huh!

 

D-man

[Not So Lost Puppies]

I primarily have been using Paint Shop Pro (old version 7)

 

There are some freeware programs out there as well... OpenOffice.org has a Draw program, and I just recently heard about InkScape which is open source freeware.

 

I also look for free clip art as well, there is alot of it out there, and usually modify it quite abit to suite my idea. ( I know I haven't done nearly the number of coins as others, and no one has really seen anything but the World Travel Geocoin, and my avatar. There are two more on the way though)

[YemonYime]

All of my designs are done by a 24-year old hyper-intelligent orangutan named Boomer. Boomer has spent his entire life in captivity, and has made the most of it by becoming well-learned. Lately, he's been reading Tolstoy after his morning shower. Being conscious of the clogs he leaves after these showers, he's even learned some basic do-it-yourself plumbing.

 

I often let him borrow the car to run to the grocery store for a gallon of shampoo/conditioner, and boxes of his favorite microwaveable dinner: Michelina's Authentico Macaroni & Cheese with Ham. When I ask him why he insists on the one with Ham, he just points to his behind and makes poo-poo noises. I think it's his way of reminding me that even though he aced Calculus, he's still a primate.

 

As far as his hobbies, he loves playing Backgammon and doing graphics. He dabbles in Adobe and Macromedia. Boomer gets the biggest kick out of surfing through GC gallery pictures and photoshopping monkey heads over random cachers. He'll bust out laughing for a half an hour, but it gets old after a while.

 

Anyways, I guess I got a little off-topic there, but Boomer mainly uses Photoshop and Freehand. He's pretty good for a primate.

[+Dreamin'Eagle]

LOL Yime. . . ever think about stand up LOL

[+Cryptid]

I think I saw Boomer on TV once, Mr. Smith or something like that. He even did a surgery or two. It was the after the poo flinging incident that the show was cancelled.

 

I use Photoshop Elements 4.0 to make my coin designs. now if I can just make the coins...

 

 

 

 

 

edited after the poo flinging incident

Edited January 29, 2006 by Cruiserdude

[+nielsenc]

now if I can just make the coins...

That would take a factory of 4000 workers working 24/7/almost 365 .

Edited January 29, 2006 by nielsenc

[+Eartha]

Thanks for the laugh Yemon!