6 Resources I Keep Going Back To
As a designer for web and print, I tend to use the same handful of resources over and over again – because they’re easy to use, and they work. Here are six of my favorites:
- Google Fonts. Google fonts is winning. They have more font choices than ever. There’s a good chance you can dupe an elusive Adobe font with a Google font. Their simple interface lets you type in your sample type to see how it looks before you download. And, free download!
- istockphoto. There are cheaper stock photo sites, but for my money, istockphoto wins hands down. They make it super easy to search, create boards (lightboxes) and purchase. They’ll do a custom search for you if you get stuck. They’ve streamlined their file size offerings to one size option, which will work for either print or web — a godsend for clients who don’t understand resolution!
- Fonts in Use. Ever wonder what font a certain website is using? Need inspiration for what font to use for what topic? I do, all the time. I could guess, but why would I? Fontsinuse.com is a rich, “searchable archive of typographic design, indexed by typeface, format and topic.”
- Picular. Visiting this site is one of my first steps when designing a logo. Picular “analyzes the top Google image search results to suggest colors that relate to any topic you search for.” Good branding takes into account popular industry colors, which can become recognizable as a stand-in for that industry.
- Dropbox. This cloud storage app has an intuitive format that makes storing and sharing files so easy. Bonus: I’m still using the free version since I regularly clear out files from old projects.
- What the Font. Upload an image of a font you need to identify and voila! What the Font will send search results. Why go down the search rabbit-hole when What the Font can give you a quick ID? Lately I’ve been using the widget Fount – no need to save an image, just highlight the font text you want to identify and Fount immediately shows the font within your browser.
Notice three out of these six are font sources? Fonts are at the center of any designer’s world. Their power to communicate a feeling is underestimated.
