First off, my name is Anthony Proulx and I am a web designer here at Plastic Printers. Now I know there are times for all of us when we get into a slump or have a brain fart and the idea of my post is to put together a few resources for you to help you get past your slump, or let an idea or two loose.

1.) Use Google Images to its Potential:
When designing a card (or anything) Use key search terms that relate closely to your project. Use multiple keywords and then make sure you switch these keywords around, because different terms and orders bring up different results. Being precise with keywords can also narrow your searches and make them more accurate to your desires.

There is also an advanced search option that can really come in handy. It gives you choices to what kind of subject medium you want such as: faces, news, drawings, line art, or photos. Another thing I find extremely useful is the ability to choose what size of image you are looking for. Often times too many we get stuck trying to use lower res pictures (more for web) but with this size option you can choose to have as small as you want or extra large resolution. Finally, another helpful option is the ability to choose your file format. Keep in mind .jpg's and .gif's are a format that every time you save them, they lower your quality or color spectrum, which is also known as lossy. By using the formats of .PNG and .BMP you are going to have a much more stable construction and minimal data loss (also known as lossless).
http://images.google.com/


2.) Wikipedia:
One of the most well know free legit websites out there. They actually rivaled The Encyclopedia Britannica in acurate and useful information, and all with out a cost. This resource is a must for anyone that wants to know general and tech information about nearly every topic there is. Use this site as research tool for any project and ideas will follow the knowledge surge.
http://www.wikipedia.com


3.) Brands of the World:
Another excellent resource, this one gets you high resolution logos for when a company gives you crappy low res ones. I personally use this site to make mock up business cards when I need to. Or generally see what kinds of businesses that are related to my project are doing with their logos. If a company wants you to put affiliates logos on cards or designs, this is a much better spot to get those logos rather then trying to get them from just anywhere you can.
http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/

As always you can check out our websites for tons of example cards. A great inspirational one with over 50 samples is www.clearplasticcards.com or check out some of our latest videos here.

Hopefully you are now able to break the slump, release that brain fart (in someone else's general direction I hope), and move on with your projects. Check back often because we are going to be giving out tips and tricks to help you keep your inspiration fueled to the max. Thanks for reading and until next time...

Get to Business.

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