Free small business design software

Amba_Gambla

I've been looking at getting business cards, but most places the files you send need to be a certain format (they don't accept jpg etc).

I need to master some kind of design software because I want to save money and do my own design (I'll be doing brochures later). Can anyone recommend a good software package (preferably free!) that I can download?

Cheers

Ambla

(PS - I'm on a mac......)

luke2008

I was going to suggest some stuff, then i realised you are on a mac.

Ermmm, why dont they accept jpg, most sites i used do. It just needs to be high res

fguk

Design/Printing companies always accept PDF`s.

There is lots of free software out there to convert any file (jpg, tiff, doc etc) to a PDF, just google free pdf and mac, lots of entries come up. It might even be part of OSX itself.

Then you can design in whatever you want, convert to pdf, and send it in.

HelzBelz

As FGUK says you should be able to create a pdf from most things, but if not, Vistaprint accept jpegs and they're pretty much as cheap as you'll get business cards.

What software have you got?

Amba_Gambla

I think I've just got standard software that comes with the mac (I'm a pc'er that's just shifted across)
I think I can create pdfs, but doesn't this reduce image quality?

fguk

Not if you use the highest level of detail settings it wont. However I am at a loss to explain how to do that on a Mac. Sorry.

(although you should probably look for dpi settings, the higher the better)

gingerdad

but please remember depending on who you are selling to, you could be doing yourself out of business if you don't get it right........

some one hands me a vista print card, it goes in the bin and they go out the door.

have a look at this forum

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=84069

GD

Horace

gingerdad wrote: »

some one hands me a vista print card, it goes in the bin and they go out the door.

What's wrong with vistaprint cards? I have some and people always tell me what lovely cards I have. Unfortunately I cannot afford to have any others printed but when my business starts to pay then I will go to a local printer and get all my stationery from him. In the meantime vistaprint it will have to be (I admit that I paid a bit extra for heavyweight cards)

HelzBelz

To alter the quality/dpi when you go to print and select a pdf it should give you options of presets, there'll probably be one named "print qualty" or similar, if not there will be settings and as long as on colour and greyscale images you don't have it downsampling to below 300dpi and the monochrome image no less than 600dpi you should be fine.

As for throwing away vistaprint cards that's rediculous if you're uploading your own artwork they are only a printers and as the saying goes "!!!! in, !!!! out" so the cards will only ever be asgood a the uploaded artwork file.

Amba_Gambla - if you need any help with pdfs PM me and I'll probably be able to email you a preset that will give you a print quality.

Amba_Gambla

gingerdad wrote: »

but please remember depending on who you are selling to, you could be doing yourself out of business if you don't get it right........

some one hands me a vista print card, it goes in the bin and they go out the door.

have a look at this forum

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=84069

GD

Thanks for that - I've actually been pretty active on that forum recently (and in that thread!)
I've heard many bad things about vistaprint, so am avoiding them. I think I may go for a smaller printer, and explain exactly how much I know, and see if they can help me at all. A smaller printer may be more likely to offer advice for free in order to get my business!

Thanks for all your help. I've just got my new logo designed. Next step, business cards!

gingerdad

any printer worth their salt would give you advice free, i bounce things of the two i use all the time.

GD