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Graphic Design Services
For many individuals and businesses, a good graphic designer can be a great asset - our purpose is to bring order and clarity to a myriad of information and images using graphic design to help your business succeed, be it through print, web or the moving image.
- Graphic Design & Illustration
- eBooks and Book Design
- Web Graphics & Web Banners
- Advertisements
- Newsletters - eNewsletters and print versions
- Magazines & Booklets
- Logos
- Branding
- Corporate Identity
- Business & Personal Stationery
- Greeting & Postcards
- Invitations
- Certificates
- Menus
- Posters
- Brochures
- Programmes
- Flyers
- Digital Screen & Slide Advertising
- Book Cover Design and Book Production
- Calendars
- Promotional Booklets
- CD/DVD Covers
- Map Drawings and Diagrams
- Vouchers Editing and Press Release Copy
- Electronic conversion of files to PDF for print and internet, eg eBook
eBook | Book Design
Writing a book?
Unicorn Graphics can help with either or all of the following:
We also have a great team of complementary businesses we can refer you to who can provide:
Ensure your book cover lives up to your words.
We specialise in designing great covers for great books including eBooks.
There's so much to know when publishing a book - let someone who knows how help you. Unicorn Graphics can create your book or eBook from cover to internal pages typography and layout and much more and prepare your book for both commercial print and also convert it to eBook format.
We design and convert the files we create for you to make searchable eBooks with bookmarks for easy reference.
Are you confused about eBooks?
Are you thinking of publishing either a book or eBook?
There is a myriad of ways to do this.
Things to consider:
Do you want to read your book in a PDF reader?
Do you want to read your book in Kindle or a similar device?
or on an iPhone? or on an iPad?
or on many of the other devices now available including web pages that have flipping page type books ...
Fig.1: Traditional book design and creative layout
Your choices ...
If your book is basically text, then it's not going to look too much different on different readers; but if your book involves nice page layout with call-out paragraphs and photos or illustrations like the example above then it will require two entirely different processes, the second one with all formatting and layout stripped bare if it is to be read in plain readers such as Kindle and others on the market which are like a simple html format without any formatting. The person viewing can change the font and size, so you lose complete control of all style and design layout.
It all depends on what you want to do with your book and which format will suit both you and your readers.
Fig.2: Example of what happens to the design page from Fig.1 when formatting is removed for the plain readers)
Alternatively, readers that use PDF and new formats including the iPhone and iPad, or the flipping book format (popular with magazines and newspapers) will display the book and pages exactly the way it was designed.
Fig.3: Mockup of same book in an Apple iPad or iPhone or any pdf enabled mobile phone
Help is at hand ... Unicorn Graphics can advise and create your book or eBook to suit the various formats you require and create a great promotional 3D type graphic to go with your book or eBook like the ones below.
Unicorn Graphics can also create your book or eBook entirely from cover to internal pages with typography and layout and much more; plus prepare your book for both commercial print and also convert it to eBook format.
Whatever part of the design process that you require.
DISCLAIMER: Technology is changing all the time and we endeavour to inform you of the best options available at the time. This page does not pretend to have all the information and will be updated from time to time.
Unicorn Graphics can help with either or all of the following:
- Book Cover Design
- Book Layout, Typography and Design
- Proof-reading
- Short Run Printing
We also have a great team of complementary businesses we can refer you to who can provide:
- Copy writing including headliners
- Ghost writing
- Editing
Ensure your book cover lives up to your words.
We specialise in designing great covers for great books including eBooks.
There's so much to know when publishing a book - let someone who knows how help you. Unicorn Graphics can create your book or eBook from cover to internal pages typography and layout and much more and prepare your book for both commercial print and also convert it to eBook format.
We design and convert the files we create for you to make searchable eBooks with bookmarks for easy reference.
Are you confused about eBooks?
Are you thinking of publishing either a book or eBook?
There is a myriad of ways to do this.
Things to consider:
Do you want to read your book in a PDF reader?
Do you want to read your book in Kindle or a similar device?
or on an iPhone? or on an iPad?
or on many of the other devices now available including web pages that have flipping page type books ...
Fig.1: Traditional book design and creative layout
Your choices ...
If your book is basically text, then it's not going to look too much different on different readers; but if your book involves nice page layout with call-out paragraphs and photos or illustrations like the example above then it will require two entirely different processes, the second one with all formatting and layout stripped bare if it is to be read in plain readers such as Kindle and others on the market which are like a simple html format without any formatting. The person viewing can change the font and size, so you lose complete control of all style and design layout.
It all depends on what you want to do with your book and which format will suit both you and your readers.
Fig.2: Example of what happens to the design page from Fig.1 when formatting is removed for the plain readers)
Alternatively, readers that use PDF and new formats including the iPhone and iPad, or the flipping book format (popular with magazines and newspapers) will display the book and pages exactly the way it was designed.
Fig.3: Mockup of same book in an Apple iPad or iPhone or any pdf enabled mobile phone
Help is at hand ... Unicorn Graphics can advise and create your book or eBook to suit the various formats you require and create a great promotional 3D type graphic to go with your book or eBook like the ones below.
Unicorn Graphics can also create your book or eBook entirely from cover to internal pages with typography and layout and much more; plus prepare your book for both commercial print and also convert it to eBook format.
Whatever part of the design process that you require.
DISCLAIMER: Technology is changing all the time and we endeavour to inform you of the best options available at the time. This page does not pretend to have all the information and will be updated from time to time.
Cards | Invitations | Certificates
Unicorn Graphics designs and produces:
If you need something special, contact us here.
See portfolio here.
Are you looking for that special card for a birthday or special occasion?
We also produce our own range of cards and invitations for sale at our other website eShop Unicorn Art and Design, click here.
- Corporate Cards & Invitations
- Personal Cards & Invitations
- Commemorative Wedding Certificates
- Commemorative Baby Certificates
If you need something special, contact us here.
See portfolio here.
Are you looking for that special card for a birthday or special occasion?
We also produce our own range of cards and invitations for sale at our other website eShop Unicorn Art and Design, click here.
Logos | Branding
Are you interested in getting a logo developed or pursuing a branding theme?
See Portfolio here
The Logo Process
The most successful logos are ones that are appropriate for the business or usage and are as simple and strong as possible.
They need to be scaled from as small as 10mm in height and large enough to scale a building without losing clarity. They also need to be unique and not a general copy or use of clipart.
Typography is an important choice and the wrong choice of font can ruin a logo.
A distinctive logo is one that can be easily separated from its competitors. It must be unique and made especially for you. The various programs turning out clipart logos cannot create something that is unique.
The difference between a logo and a logotype
In the examples above, the Nike swash is a graphic logo and the Coca-Cola is a logotype.
A logo is a graphic image.
A logotype is a typographical treatment of the name of your product or business.
Although nowadays we print mostly in full colour, the simplicity of one or two colours works the most dynamically in logo composition. In the examples above you can see both of them work equally well in positive mono (black), negative and in colour. This is highly significant.
The Design Process
The design process involves research, thumbnails, working mockups and final execution of the chosen design. This is not a 30 minute job. Nor should something that is so important for positioning your company be taken lightly.
Discussion
You may be anxious about the process of a logo or branding identity, but it’s important to spend time in discussion with your designer and allow them to make their own decisions to suggest in design.
The questions your designer asks you should include discussion about what your aims and outcomes for the business are; who you target market/s is/are; any particular likes or dislikes (with examples of logos you do and don’t like); any particular likes or dislikes about colours and why (different cultures have different responses to various colours); who your main competitors are; you you most admire (either in your own genre or another); and whether you wish to have a graphic logo or a logotype.
Concept Development
The designer takes all this into account and then does their own research and begins to make thumbnails. Thumbnails are pencil or handdrawn sketches whilst ruminating on all the information they have absorbed. Then the designer will start developing one or two of them into something substantial to show you, the client. It is best that you see the logo not only in colour, but in black and white. If you like your logo in black and white, it will translate virtually to any colours you finally decide on. Colour psychology is very important with logos – blue is used often to denote confidence – but blues can be either warm blues or cold blues. A Pantone colour swatch for each colour is often suggested as a way to keep the colour consistent. It is preferable to keep logos to a minimum of colours, preferably one or two, or at the most three. Pantone colours are converted to CMYK for full colour process printing, but can be used solely in single print jobs such as the logo in colour on a black cap for example.
Relevance
A logo and branding needs to be simple and relevant. It also needs to incorporate traditional values and not be trendy because trends come and go. A logo should set a trend, not be part of one. Most likely your design should be memorable and capable of scaling great heights to super small in size without loss of clarity and focus on just one main element. Everything else is incidental.
Action
If you are ready to begin the design process for a new logo for you, or update or makeover your existing one, please contact us now.
If you would like to try our free eBook Branding Audit Tool to assess your business, please click here.
- A logo is only a small part of branding - a logo can be for a product or a business.
- Branding encompasses the whole image and can also encompass an emotional response.
- Personal Branding is about branding the person.
See Portfolio here
The Logo Process
The most successful logos are ones that are appropriate for the business or usage and are as simple and strong as possible.
They need to be scaled from as small as 10mm in height and large enough to scale a building without losing clarity. They also need to be unique and not a general copy or use of clipart.
Typography is an important choice and the wrong choice of font can ruin a logo.
A distinctive logo is one that can be easily separated from its competitors. It must be unique and made especially for you. The various programs turning out clipart logos cannot create something that is unique.
The difference between a logo and a logotype
In the examples above, the Nike swash is a graphic logo and the Coca-Cola is a logotype.
A logo is a graphic image.
A logotype is a typographical treatment of the name of your product or business.
Although nowadays we print mostly in full colour, the simplicity of one or two colours works the most dynamically in logo composition. In the examples above you can see both of them work equally well in positive mono (black), negative and in colour. This is highly significant.
The Design Process
The design process involves research, thumbnails, working mockups and final execution of the chosen design. This is not a 30 minute job. Nor should something that is so important for positioning your company be taken lightly.
Discussion
You may be anxious about the process of a logo or branding identity, but it’s important to spend time in discussion with your designer and allow them to make their own decisions to suggest in design.
The questions your designer asks you should include discussion about what your aims and outcomes for the business are; who you target market/s is/are; any particular likes or dislikes (with examples of logos you do and don’t like); any particular likes or dislikes about colours and why (different cultures have different responses to various colours); who your main competitors are; you you most admire (either in your own genre or another); and whether you wish to have a graphic logo or a logotype.
Concept Development
The designer takes all this into account and then does their own research and begins to make thumbnails. Thumbnails are pencil or handdrawn sketches whilst ruminating on all the information they have absorbed. Then the designer will start developing one or two of them into something substantial to show you, the client. It is best that you see the logo not only in colour, but in black and white. If you like your logo in black and white, it will translate virtually to any colours you finally decide on. Colour psychology is very important with logos – blue is used often to denote confidence – but blues can be either warm blues or cold blues. A Pantone colour swatch for each colour is often suggested as a way to keep the colour consistent. It is preferable to keep logos to a minimum of colours, preferably one or two, or at the most three. Pantone colours are converted to CMYK for full colour process printing, but can be used solely in single print jobs such as the logo in colour on a black cap for example.
Relevance
A logo and branding needs to be simple and relevant. It also needs to incorporate traditional values and not be trendy because trends come and go. A logo should set a trend, not be part of one. Most likely your design should be memorable and capable of scaling great heights to super small in size without loss of clarity and focus on just one main element. Everything else is incidental.
Action
If you are ready to begin the design process for a new logo for you, or update or makeover your existing one, please contact us now.
If you would like to try our free eBook Branding Audit Tool to assess your business, please click here.
Illustration | Diagrams | Maps
Illustration of various kinds created by Karen Curran, Australia.
This includes illustration for all kinds of applications from brochures to invitations, book design, illustrative logos and more; as well as diagrams and location maps.
Corporate illustration and design for invitations and Christmas cards a specialty.
See illustration portfolio here.
See invitations & cards portfolio here.
This includes illustration for all kinds of applications from brochures to invitations, book design, illustrative logos and more; as well as diagrams and location maps.
Corporate illustration and design for invitations and Christmas cards a specialty.
See illustration portfolio here.
See invitations & cards portfolio here.
Portraits from Photos
Karen now creates digital illustration portraits from photos.
Bookings are now being accepted for commissioning illustrations from a special photo.
The photo is for reference only - the photo is NOT converted to a painting but is treated as if the actual subject was there to be sketched first and is used as reference.
Karen loves the technique of drawing directly onto paper, but also draws directly onto a Wacom Cintiq drawing screen monitor. This mimics the process of pencil on paper, but allows for various layers and different effects. Karen has found this new technique just as important as traditional process.
Read more and order your digital portrait here.
See digital portrait portfolio here.
Bookings are now being accepted for commissioning illustrations from a special photo.
The photo is for reference only - the photo is NOT converted to a painting but is treated as if the actual subject was there to be sketched first and is used as reference.
Karen loves the technique of drawing directly onto paper, but also draws directly onto a Wacom Cintiq drawing screen monitor. This mimics the process of pencil on paper, but allows for various layers and different effects. Karen has found this new technique just as important as traditional process.
Read more and order your digital portrait here.
See digital portrait portfolio here.
Digital Screen Presentations
Do you need a digital screen presentation for your conference or presentation or special occasion?
Do you need a digital presentation for your website?
We can help you.
For cinemas we can create original high resolution high definition (HD) digital files in AVI or MPG or Quicktime for advertising in cinemas or on screens in foyers to suit your particular digital media projector. Traditional 35mm slides or Powerpoint or Keynote (Mac) can also be produced if required.
When enquiring please state screen size/proportion.
Cinemas and eCinema and d-Cinema
NOTE TO CINEMAS: Existing eCinema digital files will also work in the new d-Cinema projectors for preshows.
A frame from a moving screen advert for a concert by Pekka Kuusisto
Still image frames
If you are interested in Unicorn Graphics creating digital advertising for you, please complete form below and submit.
For information about Screen Advertising at Glenbrook Cinema, please click here.
Do you need a digital presentation for your website?
We can help you.
- Powerpoint
- Keynote
- AVI or Mpg or Quicktime files
- 35mm slides
For cinemas we can create original high resolution high definition (HD) digital files in AVI or MPG or Quicktime for advertising in cinemas or on screens in foyers to suit your particular digital media projector. Traditional 35mm slides or Powerpoint or Keynote (Mac) can also be produced if required.
When enquiring please state screen size/proportion.
Cinemas and eCinema and d-Cinema
NOTE TO CINEMAS: Existing eCinema digital files will also work in the new d-Cinema projectors for preshows.
A frame from a moving screen advert for a concert by Pekka Kuusisto
Still image frames
If you are interested in Unicorn Graphics creating digital advertising for you, please complete form below and submit.
For information about Screen Advertising at Glenbrook Cinema, please click here.
FAQs
At Unicorn Graphics you will enjoy good design and balance, typography, correct resolution of images, adherence to copyright and fresh ideas.
Why is design important?
Good design encompasses considered layout of elements, correct choice of fonts, typography (the relationship of type to elements and the correct spacing between letters), image manipulation, prepared print and web files to correct specifications.
Good design can make the difference between being memorable, readability and retention.
Who uses a graphic designer?
There are all kinds of customers, both business and individual people. They include interstate businesses, government departments, marketing companies, design studios, editors, printers and individuals.
Apart from design what services do you provide?
What do you guarantee?
I guarantee that you will have excellent quality in design; that you are kept informed throughout the whole design process; that I will work with you until you are happy with the final product; that you will get something designed especially for you that is not template driven. You will get agency service but with a smaller price tag.
Do you have other employees?
No, I work solely (although my husband and cat get ideas bounced off them) - however, I have an extensive network of similarly dedicated business owners who provide complementary services.
And, if on the rare occasion I feel that a different designer would be more suitable to what you need, I would have no hesitation in referring you to that person.
Do you supply marketing services?
Although Unicorn Graphics produces the marketing materials for you, we don't actually do the marketing.
However, we can put you in touch with some people who specialise in marketing.
Who supplies photos?
All photography and images must be either owned by you, or royalty free. You can purchase royalty-free images from photo stock houses such as istockphoto.com and similar sites. There are various licences according to the quantity of uses. If you think you will be over their limit, then you can purchase an unlimited license to use the purchased image/s. Royalty free images cannot be onsold and are for your own project use only.
What files are provided?
Final print files PDFs, vector PDF and EPS (if required) for logos, or web files are provided as jpg, gif, png, psd.
Do you do editing and copywriting?
We prefer to leave the editing and promotional copywriting to those who specialise in it.
Spelling and Grammar
We proof-read all documents for errors and grammar as part of our service to you and spell-check as well.
Why is design important?
Good design encompasses considered layout of elements, correct choice of fonts, typography (the relationship of type to elements and the correct spacing between letters), image manipulation, prepared print and web files to correct specifications.
Good design can make the difference between being memorable, readability and retention.
Who uses a graphic designer?
There are all kinds of customers, both business and individual people. They include interstate businesses, government departments, marketing companies, design studios, editors, printers and individuals.
Apart from design what services do you provide?
- PDF Preparation and conversion to CMYK
- We also preflight, convert files to CMYK and prepare print PDFs for you to go to the printer of your choice.
- Logos converted to Vector
- We are experienced at redrawing existing logos as commercial vector files EPS and PDF. A vector file is a file that can be scaled to virtually any size without loss of clarity.
- Spelling & Grammar
- We check all spelling and grammar to the best of our ability, to make sure your product is the best it can be.
- For example, did you know that the plural of logo is logos, not logo's? There is no apostrophe in plurals unless there is ownership indicated.
- We have more notes about the correct use of the apostrophe in our Design Blog under Grammar & Spelling.
What do you guarantee?
I guarantee that you will have excellent quality in design; that you are kept informed throughout the whole design process; that I will work with you until you are happy with the final product; that you will get something designed especially for you that is not template driven. You will get agency service but with a smaller price tag.
Do you have other employees?
No, I work solely (although my husband and cat get ideas bounced off them) - however, I have an extensive network of similarly dedicated business owners who provide complementary services.
And, if on the rare occasion I feel that a different designer would be more suitable to what you need, I would have no hesitation in referring you to that person.
Do you supply marketing services?
Although Unicorn Graphics produces the marketing materials for you, we don't actually do the marketing.
However, we can put you in touch with some people who specialise in marketing.
Who supplies photos?
All photography and images must be either owned by you, or royalty free. You can purchase royalty-free images from photo stock houses such as istockphoto.com and similar sites. There are various licences according to the quantity of uses. If you think you will be over their limit, then you can purchase an unlimited license to use the purchased image/s. Royalty free images cannot be onsold and are for your own project use only.
What files are provided?
Final print files PDFs, vector PDF and EPS (if required) for logos, or web files are provided as jpg, gif, png, psd.
Do you do editing and copywriting?
We prefer to leave the editing and promotional copywriting to those who specialise in it.
Spelling and Grammar
We proof-read all documents for errors and grammar as part of our service to you and spell-check as well.
Software We Use
Artwork and layout is normally begun from a pencil rough sketch.
Then we go to the computer and use the Adobe Suites for graphic design.
Currently artwork is created using a combination of Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat.
Illustration is a combination of Corel Painter 11 for Mac and Photoshop CS5.
Web design is a combination of RapidWeaver and Dreamweaver CS5.
Adobe CS5 Suites
Other:
For word processing and accessing text files we use:
Screen presentations:
Then we go to the computer and use the Adobe Suites for graphic design.
Currently artwork is created using a combination of Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat.
Illustration is a combination of Corel Painter 11 for Mac and Photoshop CS5.
Web design is a combination of RapidWeaver and Dreamweaver CS5.
Adobe CS5 Suites
- Indesign v7 CS5
- Illustrator v15 CS5
- Photoshop v12 Extended CS5
- Acrobat Professional 9 CS5
- Dreamweaver 11 CS5
- Premiere Pro CS4
Other:
- Corel Painter 11 (for Mac)
- RapidWeaver (Mac only)
For word processing and accessing text files we use:
- Pages (Mac)
- Word Mac 2008
Screen presentations:
- Premiere CS4
- Keynote (Mac only)
- Powerpoint
Our Portfolio section shows examples.
