Starting a graphic design company?

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patlang12

patlang12

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On the way home from school today I was thinking about ways to make some money. I am pretty good at using photoshop and I have designed a few cd covers so I thought maybe I could start my own graphic design company. I don't know much about it and I don't have a degree or anything so I thought I would make the company for musicians on a tight budget and do my work for less than half of what bigger companies charge. What do I need to know about this. Do I need a business permit? How hard would a thing like this be to get off the ground. I am only 17, but I think this would be a good fun way to make some money. I know I will need to make a website which I know how to do and I was thinking of doing a few free covers for hr.com members before I started charging. What do you think the best way to get my company out their would be. I was thinking about the fact that there are tons of people on hr.com who are on tight budgets and I might be able to get some business from here. I would talk to bands at my school except that the school I go to is a technology school so everybody already knows how to do stuff in photoshop. Any tips or suggestions or anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!
 
It's always a good idea to do a few freebes to get some good word of mouth and build up a portfolio. The practice will do you well. However if you charge the demand for quality will be higher and clients will be more picky.

Like music the competetion is tough. Not only are you out there with a lot of professionals but a lot of amatures with Photoshop or other software. Plus a lot of artist take the DYI approach when it comes to CD covers, posters etc....

What you need to work on to stand apart is orignality & creativity. (pretty much the same in music) Give people a reason to use your mind, not just your computer. The difference between a sale and an artist using someone else is going to be your ideas and how you work with your clients.

Good Luck....
 
Thanks for your reply. Your thoughts are not very different from my own. I know it will be tough, but I am going to try to appeal to people by doing this very cheaply. I am not too worried about competition becuase by no means am I trying to support myself from this. What other ways besides word of mouth are good ways to get people to know about you?
 
You need to build a portfolio of samples to showcase your talent. Good luck making some money...this is an already crowded market. I have found that most of the paying clients that I have had, are those who have already used a cheap designer and we unhappy with the results. Which is usually very good for me, otherwise nobody would want to pay for good design. I would reccommend that you do some research on the fundamentals of design, because that is what will set you apart from the next person who knows how to use Photoshop.
 
I think my results will be close to pro. I will charge a lot less than the competiton because I don't have a degree or anything, although I have taken two classes that deal with photoshop. One of the classes is a college class. Even though I am only a high school junior I was allowed to take it. I am one of the best at photoshop in the class. I also have learned about elements of design too, so I think I might do all right with that. Any other tips in the ways of the business area. i.e. payment and all that stuff.
 
to compete in a market that it very competitive you need to stand out. The question is why would someone want your business over a pro or another amature. I've seen some amazime things done with photoshop. I've seen some art that looks like a painting done with photoshop. You have to create art as aposed to cutting and pasting and using existing art. If you want to get notice here.post some of your art work. I'd like to see some of your work cause I'm kind of crafty with photoshop too. I'm not an expert though.
 
This is something I made for my friends band. I did it pretty quickly so It could be better. I made the fire backround completly in photoshop. The only picture used in this is the picture of the band. (which I removed the backround of) You can see it here: http://tinypic.com/2lxrpd
 
its good start... i dont however think that that "style" is something that is going to set you apart. it looks like something that any kid with a computer could do... you have to be creative. one of my friends went outside one day and collected tons of shit from the ground... moss, bugs, twigs, little flowers, nails, little pebbles... anything he could find. then came in and placed everything on his scanner, really packed it on... that image was really cool! he did it at a super high resolution and then took that into photo shop and totally just messed with it until he got something that was so original... it was cool just to sit back and look at it...

i mean, we were stoned... but still...

even when we werent it was still cool. that was something that i had never seen before, and i have seen TONS of stuff... just as i am sure ALL of your clients will have.

you need to use your imagination... and some common sense. look around at all the "indie" bands right now... there is some really cool cover art circulating in this genre... and its all relatively simple to make with the right computer programs and the right knowledge... and TONS of creativity...

it would be a great way to make money no doubt... but honestly, not to be harsh, i dont think anyone would pay for what you showed... it really needs to stand out... try again and post something here... im sure youre capable of something more than the generic "dudes with sunglasses on standing in front of flames..."

good luck... AND DONT FORGET TO BE CREATIVE!!!! :)
 
^^ i agree, you have a little ways to go before you can i think make some money off of doing this, but its a good start. Keep working at it and learning. There are alot of people with photoshop skills that charge little to nothing to do this kind of work, so its very competitive. Like others have said, its a combination of creativity and Skill with the softwares. The better you get, the better you will do for yourself, but keep doing it man.
 
Hm.. ..

Anyways, it's nice to see such tenderness but it takes all kind of ppl to make a world.

You need to find some other way to make money I would say. Some ppl have it, and alot of others don't. I don't. You neither.

Sorry to be so harsh, it's just to balance things out. There is such thing as beeing too good with someone. Just look at American Idol, some people make fools of themselves infront of a couple million viewers because all their friends tell them they are good.
 
some of that 3d stuff is cool, but a lot of it looks out of place for a cd cover to me. So what do you guys think of that inside cd cover I made?
 
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heres this one. i used poser. brice. photo shop. and illistrator
 
i used simple texture maps. you can use photo quality textures to make things look real like rust on object. What you need is to have your own backgroungs cause you can be sued for using someone elses work.
It can widen your creativity and help you create texture maps to use on photo shop. look up some old photoshop 6 tutorial books on amazon. they are cheaper that current photoshop CS books. learn to use the advance tools.
 
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