Online. This is among the most popular forms of portfolio design. It’s easy to access by anyone with the Internet, and it shows that in addition to creating all the lovely projects in your portfolio, you can also create a user-friendly, attractive website. One tip is to let your work shine through – don’t go too crazy with the bells and whistles on the website at the risk of crowding your portfolio pieces.

Brochure. This is old school. A brochure is something you can physically hand to potential clients. It’s a shiny, classy way to be sure your work detail shows up. A brochure is a good choice – in addition to an online portfolio – for more artsy pieces, as creativity can sometimes get lost when it’s pixilated.

Booklet. A cheaper alternative to a brochure is a booklet. Freelance illustrator Steve Harpster recently ordered a batch of booklet portfolios after marketing attempts with postcards and directory listings. The booklets contain 30 of his images as well as his variety of styles. They’re much less expensive to ship to prospects than brochures.

PDF. Less expensive to produce than a website is a PDF. Despite the grumblings in the past, most potential clients will have a PDF reader on their computer, and they can easily open up your work and see it intact. A layered PDF allows the viewer to flip through multiple pieces of your work, and you can create buttons and links.

Business card. For a bonus way to market yourself, use up that real estate on your business card. Create fold-out business cards and include thumbnails of your best portfolio work. Be sure to include how to get access to the rest of your portfolio.

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One of the most frightening aspects of being laid off is wondering how you’ll stack up against other people looking for a job. Times have changed, and a lot of positions require more technical skills than you might be used to.

When PsPrint Facebook fan Lori lost her job as an editor, she cathartically took her pen to paper to create a comic strip whose name expresses her disdain for her situation (warning: adult language, to put it mildly). The latest in the series shows her frustration over being interviewed by a publishing company that expects her to know PowerPoint. Lori has been proactive, though. She has years of writing and editing experience, so she needs a job more than she needs another degree. That quest led Lori to lynda.com, which provides online software training for a monthly subscription charge. To make her $25 per month worthwhile, Lori takes as many classes as possible for programs such as Dreamweaver and Photoshop. Her continuing education is evident in the technical progression of her cartoons.

In my opinion, when it comes to graphic design and so many other creative careers, your portfolio should matter more than your education. Designer and blogger David Airey recently compiled a list of complaints about graphic design schools, such as, “What we lacked was web design teaching. It’s a big part of the demand would have been a major plus.”

If you’re past the traditional college age of early 20s, now might be the time to fill in the holes in your technical expertise, and online classes are an affordable option for people who are pressed for time. Check out PsPrint blogger Valerie’s list of individualized design courses.

How have you kept yourself relevant in today’s job market?

©2010 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Photoshop alternatives. Graphic designers have been depending on Adobe’s Photoshop for almost 20 years, and while it’s a great product, let’s face it: It’s expensive, it takes up a lot of RAM and it can sometimes just be more than what you need. Often I just want to resize a photo, and that’s where programs such as GIMP and IrfanView come in. They take just a second to open up and do your thing, and they’re often free downloads. Photoshop isn’t going anywhere, but it’s good to have alternatives to Adobe products.

Mousepads. I use a trackball, yet I still love my Lady of Guadalupe mousepad.

Free resources. There was a time just a few years ago when entrepreneurs, telecommuters and freelancers were mostly on their own. If they had questions or wanted to bounce ideas of off others, there weren’t many options. But with the explosion of Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, you can amass a following of people to exchange referrals, thoughts and banter. Sites such as Business.gov and PsPrint.com offer a bunch of resources for small businesses – everything from how to start one to how to market it. No more consulting fees or flying by the seat of your pants!

Travel mugs. Could there be a better invention? It keeps your coffee hot, and it keeps you from buying paper cup after paper cup, only to throw them away.

Aeron chairs. These are downright luxurious. Manufactured by Herman Miller, Aeron chairs are ergonomic and adjustable and provide the perfect lower lumbar support that you didn’t know you craved. The mesh also provides circulation. And the chairs are 94 percent recyclable! I’ve been known to steal these from other cubicles – that’s how much I love ’em.

Newly sharpened pencils. They smell good, there’s a satisfaction to the sharpening process and it means the difference between a fine line and a smudged stroke.

IM. Remember when you used to have to get up to communicate with your co-workers, and they’d be away from their desk, so you’d have to sit down, only to get up and return again? Instant messaging has been slammed for eliminating face-to-face communication, but I love it because I can ask a question of a co-worker without feeling like I’m interrupting, and in fact, I can check in to see if the person is available for some one-on-one time.

Snail mail. An actual, physical thank you card beats a hastily typed e-mail any day.

Mix CDs. They’re faster to make than mix tapes and easier to distribute than MP3 playlists. Plus you can design CD cover art. They make cheap gifts and marketing tools!

Coffee. Or tea or energy shake. The morning ritual is comforting.

Keyboard shortcuts. I’ve been addicted to using the Apple key since I started on computers. There are times I don’t even know how to execute certain commands without them. While designing, it’s often faster than scrolling all over the place, especially as monitors get bigger and bigger.

Cute websites. Surfing for puppies on Cute Overload and lolcats on I Can Has Cheezburger has been my equivalent of counting to 10 many times.

Your turn – what do you love this Valentine’s Day?

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The beauty of a custom blank card is you can showcase a favorite photo you took or a collage of images Photoshopped together. I have a number of friends who fancy themselves as photographers, yet they just post their photos on Flickr, never printing and framing them. Any number of their shots of Half Dome at Yosemite would make a fine greeting card, or their beloved golden retriever, or that whimsical design they created in Illustrator.

Once you have your image, it’s easy to create your card with PsPrint’s free templates, which provide dimensions, layout, bleed, safety zone and folding guidelines. These templates allow you to build a PsPrint-ready file using programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Pagemaker and QuarkXpress.

After you’ve built your card, it’s time to choose your paper stock: 14-point glossy or 13-point matte, the latter being 100 percent recycled paper. The glossy makes photos and details really pop out, while the matte provides a more classic look. You can also choose to have a UV coating on your cards or accent them with foil stamping.

A custom blank greeting card is perfect for those last-minute events in which you don’t have the time to go out and buy a card. You can have them stocked away for whenever necessary, and the recipient will likely hold onto yours longer than an impersonal, store-bought card. Hmmm … sounds like that’d make a good marketing tool for your business, too.

©2010 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Here are resources to get you started.

Naldz Graphics has 45 Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop tutorials, including how to design a Christmas-themed website and greeting card; how to create a Christmas tree, ornaments and a Santa Claus hat; and how to make entire wintry scenes with snowflakes, falling snow and snowmen. There’s even a tutorial for how to create text with snow effects and a pretty girl in a Santa suit.

Have a photograph in which you want to make the holiday lights really pop? The MCP Actions Blog has a tutorial for how to enhance those lights using Photoshop. An image like this would look great on your company’s holiday card!

Phases Design Studio has 25 Photoshop and Illustrator brush sets to create snowflakes, pine trees, ornaments, glitter, ribbons, cookies, a Nativity scene, wreaths and penguins. Yes, penguins = winter.

GraphicRiver has holiday vector illustrations by Kai Loon that include candy canes, bells, a Star of David, snowmen, elves, presents and holly.

The Graphic Design Blog reminds you to dress up your own blog and desktop, so it has 25 Christmas icon sets, including mistletoe, stars, reindeer, a gingerbread man, gift tags, stockings, snow globes and a sleigh.

Kaboose has Kwanzaa clip art, and BillyBear4Kids.com has Kwanzaa icons.

Finally, I wasn’t a fan of any of the Festivus tutorials I came across. If anyone wants to clue us in on how to design a Festivus pole, please do!

Still in a “Bah, humbug” mood? Make yourself a holiday mix to boost your spirits!

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There’s also one from a little movie called “Twilight.”

You can literally Photoshop your family.

Warm up with grape 520 C, mustard 130 C, paprika 179 C and turquoise 3272 C.

Also available in numbers and uppercase letters.

Choose memorable photos for each month and hand them out to all your family members!

He’s from the small town of San Serif.

400-page hardcover by Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit.

Start a debate with your attire!

“The Very Secret Order of Creatives Understanding exists to encourage and celebrate creativity at every opportunity.”

By the power of the Photoshop eraser tool ...

Choose your own keys for a custom, environmentally friendly gift!

Got an idea? There’s a page for that.

Available as a zip-up hoodie for $30, too.

One side for your cards and another for the ones you receive.

Select a theme and color and add your contact info.

That says it all.

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