All Posts, Branding, Graphic Design, Web Design
Have you ever wondered how some websites are able to integrate images so seamlessly with the background of the page that they just blend in?
Most of those websites accomplish this by removing the original background of the image and either making it transparent (see-through) or changing it to another color or another background all-together. It’s all matched to the theme of the website.
For example, notice the pastor and elder of the First Church of the Living God website (created by Design Theory) in the image below. They blend right in with the clouds in the background.
Today, I will be showing you how to remove the background of an image easily and quickly with Adobe Photoshop.
* Before you start, make sure you have opened an image in Photoshop (File > Open) *
Step 1: Select the Magic Wand Tool
Select the Magic Wand tool, located in the left menu bar.
Step 2: Configure the Magic Wand Tool
Once you have selected the Magic Wand tool, you will need to configure it using the options located near the top menu bar. For basic background removal, tolerance is the only option you need to concern yourself with in the Magic Wand configuration options. Tolerance determines how closely to match colors, and a higher tolerance means a larger selection. For this example, I used a value of 70 for tolerance because if you use anything lower you will get an ugly jagged-edged blue border around the image.
Step 3: Select the Background with the Magic Wand Tool
Now that you have selected the Magic Wand tool and configured its tolerance level, you will need to select the background in the image. Click anywhere in the background of the image and the Magic Wand will automatically detect the colors of the image, and, if there aren’t too many different colors in the image, it will detect the background. Now you see why they call it the “Magic” Wand! In this case, the background is almost a solid blue so the Magic Wand has no trouble detecting the background, and it only takes one click. If the background is not solid, or is busier than the background in this particular example, you will have to hold the shift key while you click on each color that is part of the background (Hold shift + left click). This is a basic tutorial, however, so I won’t be diving into how to do that now.
Step 4: Delete the Background
Now that you have selected the Magic Wand tool, set its tolerance level and selected the background, you simply hit the delete key and voila, no background! You are now free to use this image with just about any background you can think of.
Here is an example of what I did with my tiger:
As you can see, I replaced the background with a solid black color and added some text of a company I made up. This is an example of how you could implement this tiger picture as a logo/header element on your website. There are a lot of other ways to use this skill to make your websites look very professional and seamless.
If you have this skill and use it for your own professional application, please share your experience. If not, was this tutorial helpful to you?
All Posts, Content & Copywriting
Charles Dickens was an Englishman, social critic and author of some of the world’s most well-known fiction stories and hailed as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Great Expectations was set in 1812 and follows the life of Pip, an orphan child who is on an amazing journey of personal growth and character development to become a proper gentleman. Uh, Yvonne…What in the world does this have to do with the business industry? Don’t give up on me yet… The original ending of the book was later revised based on another editorial critic who said that its predecessor was far too sad. So with ego slightly bruised, Dickens rewrote it (Yeah, someone asked Charles Dickens to rewrite one of the most renowned literary pieces in history!) so that Pip marries Estella instead of the original ending which had them passing each other on the street with no apparent love or future in sight. It was then hailed as one of the most brilliant stories and influential literary pieces to be held in ones hands before best-seller lists existed.
Fast forward to 2012. You’ve got this nice small/medium-sized business that’s been running pretty well for several years but with the current “recession” in full swing, you’ve hit a bit of a speed bump (or maybe several nails in 3 tires). You’re sales are down and Abe Lincoln is the reflection of your ROI. You drive to your office wondering if sooner than later your doors will look like one of many that have “Now Leasing” over the door instead of your company sign above it. So what’s a business owner to do when you feel like you can’t spare a nickel, let alone a check with more than (2) 0’s to boost your business and the bottom line? Rethink and re-strategize. Let’s learn from that earlier Dickens example.
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Dickens’ Great Expectations
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Business in Jeopardy
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| An established masterpiece of literature that already had a solid reputation & some notable success |
A well-established but slowly declining business with a seemingly solid clientele but not producing an adequate profit margin. Needing to resort to downsizing personnel, departments or “doing away with” vital parts of your business because of funding. |
| An outside critic thought he could make it better |
Believe it or not, an outside source sometimes can have the best perspective of what your business needs to survive. Sometimes when we’re too close to it, we need a lens adjustment to see outside of what we have been doing and expand our perspective outside of “what we already know”. |
| Considered another outcome. The change embraced and implemented helped the book become one of the greatest among classical literature and Dickens was hailed as a literary genius. |
Maybe it’s a website if you don’t have one. Maybe it’s
rebranding and testing the market with a new look/feel for your online and print marketing materials. Strategize as if it’s business warfare and the life of your business depends on it. Most times how we start is not always how we finish and it’s ok to embrace that. Oftentimes that is the sweetest success and thus the story of getting there! |
Rethink and re-strategize to meet the goal(s) at hand! Don’t be afraid to shift the paradigm or how you think about your business and its road to success!
I’m sure Dickens didn’t expect anyone to come along and tweak his masterpiece but surprisingly, he was open to the idea that someone may just have a better way. The Great Expectations Pip had, were constantly evolving with every ebb and flow of life and unforeseen circumstance. For the sake of the novels success, Dickens was forced to consider the revision if he wanted to see Great Expectations become all that it deserved to be and that which he desired.
What are you willing to do to achieve the Great Expectations you have for your masterpiece?
Web Development, WordPress
More and more individuals and businesses are using content management systems instead of static HTML sites. Generally, a content management system (CMS) is easier for an end user to update and maintain. However, there are a number of options when it comes to choosing a CMS. Here are some things to consider when helping a client find the content management system that is right for them.
How tech-savy is your client? One of the main reasons to use a CMS is to allow your client to update their own content easily. In order to do this, they will need to be able to use the admin panel. Consider how easy it would be for your particular client to add, modify and delete content. Some of the easier CMS options for a beginner are concrete5 and WordPress. For more advanced users, consider Joomla or Drupal.
What functionality does your client need? This is one of those where you need to find the best tool for the job. There needs to be some balance here–there obviously needs to be enough features to get the site to where the client needs it and perhaps even grow with them into the future, but at the same point it shouldn’t overwhelm them either. This dovetails with the technology level of your client-user.
Also consider also the plugins and the themes available and how they could benefit your client. I would recommend browsing both the official site of the CMS in question as well as any 3rd party sites.
What level of support is available? This is both for your benefit as well as the client’s. How often is the CMS itself updated and how well are changes documented? Is there an active community that you can ask for help if needed? What additional resources are available for you and your clients?
What is your level of comfort? Obviously your skills factor in. What technology are you proficient with? What do you enjoy working with?
Obviously there are many other content management systems available. What do you prefer to use—either on your own or with a client and why?
All Posts
About a year ago I saw this seemingly interesting film in Redbox on a solo Friday night and since I had no big plans thought why not. It listed a host of stars including Demi Moore, David Duchovny and Lauren Hutton so I thought it looked promising. After the first 20 minutes of it I quickly caught on to the main theme/plot and thought how brilliant a concept for a movie & in business! It’s about what appears to be a classic, wealthy suburban family who seems to have it all. But as the story unravels, you come to understand that “the family” is commissioned ($$$) by an international marketing company, which I’m sure is a conglomerate of several, to introduce their products into the right market niche via unconventional & REALLY smart methods. (Yes, you should totally rent it. Check out the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=achUBX71Fj0 ).
So since I’m not a movie critic (at least professionally that is…) you might be wondering why the heck I’m blogging about this. It’s because the clever concept they employ is all about having confidence when talking about the brands they are selling and consistency of their sales tactics. And that my friend is what easily translates I gotta have it now to big sales for the product or service. HOW A BRAND IS REPRESENTED TRULY AFFECTS THE SUCCESS OF WHAT’S BEING SOLD! Representation of your brand, via your website or print marketing materials, is paramount to supremacy as opposed to mediocrity in your market industry.
Do you have the vision, tenacity and marketing savvy to leverage your brand to all its potential and watch your sales and profit 
margins soar? I’m sure the answer to the latter part of that question is yes but you may not be sure about how to employ the leverage part. I’m no expert but I do give some noteworthy morsels in my last blog titled http://blog.jpdesigntheory.com/branding-to-dos-tidbits/ . So take a few maneuvers from my playbook and let me know how implementing just a few works for you, your potential or current clientele, and I look forward to hearing back on the blogs. Until then…decide if you’ll be Jonesin’ on your competition or if they’ll be Jonesin’ on you.
All Posts, Content & Copywriting
So here’s my worldwide web, no time to be camera-shy debut. I hope there are some tidbits that can enlighten & offer clarity of key points to consider from a content writer’s perspective. These include blogging, web design and branding across all forums of marketing for your business, big or small. So get some Kettle Corn (love that stuff!), get comfy and enjoy the show.
Why Website Content Is Important [Video Interview] from designtheory on Vimeo.
Interview by Jean Perpillant of Yvonne Barber, both members of Design Theory.
