{"id":62456,"date":"2022-10-12T16:30:02","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T20:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/?p=62456"},"modified":"2026-04-01T04:16:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:16:35","slug":"graphic-design-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Actionable Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Design Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header-730x411.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Ever designed a document that didn&#8217;t look quite as polished as you hoped?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve been there. But the more tweaks I made, the more &#8220;off&#8221; my design looked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I asked the pros for some easy graphic design tips to solve my woes. By &#8220;pros&#8221;, I&#8217;m referring to the designers here at Venngage!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on for their top tips to make any design professional and thoughtful \u2014 whether you&#8217;re a beginner like me or have some design savvy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc\"><strong><strong>Click to jump ahead:<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#tips\">11 graphic design tips for beginners [infographic]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#typo\">Typography<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#color\">Color<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#image\">Imagery and icons<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#align\">Alignment and white space<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cheat\">Graphic design checklist for beginners<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tips\">11 graphic design tips for beginners [infographic]<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how can you take a template from underwhelming to over-the-top impressive? Here&#8217;s an infographic featuring 11 actionable graphic design tips&#8230;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/graphic-design-tips-for-beginners-infographic-27264a18-8b3d-4081-becc-f9baaed56fe4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-infographic.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62523\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-infographic.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-infographic-768x8419.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-infographic-140x1536.png 140w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-infographic-730x8002.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/graphic-design-tips-for-beginners-infographic-27264a18-8b3d-4081-becc-f9baaed56fe4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"typo\"><strong>Typography<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Back when I first learned <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/how-to-make-an-infographic-in-5-steps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to make an infographic<\/a>, whenever I&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/how-to-summarize\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">summarized<\/a>&nbsp;a document like this&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62474\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips.png 1200w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1024x663.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-730x473.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8230;I always ended up keeping too much text on my infographic. The end result? Well, there wasn\u2019t much difference between my infographic and the original text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wanted to know how to make my infographic look like this one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/fact-sheet-9314b149-f55a-4232-89ae-2d37b18e6b5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62458\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-107x300.png 107w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-366x1024.png 366w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-768x2146.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-550x1536.png 550w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-733x2048.png 733w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Fact-Sheet-Infographic-Template-730x2040.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/fact-sheet-9314b149-f55a-4232-89ae-2d37b18e6b5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>So, I came to our trusted designers for advice. One of their tips was to provide the audience with pauses and breaks as they digest the information. How? By using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Bulleted lists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pull quotes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subheads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Charts\/graphs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another piece of advice was to add white space to a design. But how much white space should you add? This depends on the format of your project, how you\u2019re presenting it and how long your audience should interact with it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/social-media\/graphic-design-tips-quote-facebook-post-ab84d16e-7d81-454c-a5d8-e93f264ce182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62475\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1-730x382.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/social-media\/graphic-design-tips-quote-facebook-post-ab84d16e-7d81-454c-a5d8-e93f264ce182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a report or white paper is informative in nature, so you can include more copy to give your audience the right amount of context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, you should still break up the text using the technique above. Which brings us to our first tip of the day&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #1: Use an appropriate amount of text on your design. Make sure to leave white space.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-2.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62476\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-2.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-2-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-2-768x588.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-2-730x559.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides having too much text in a design, another design mistake is not using text hierarchy \u2014 or using it&nbsp;<em>incorrectly<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is text hierarchy? Simply put, it shows the reader which information to focus on. You can do this by varying your font faces, font sizes, font colors etc. You should also position your text strategically:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62477\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3.png 1200w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-3-730x382.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Most often, you can see a clear hierarchy in title vs. body text. Title\/heading text is often large, bolded and may be a different typeface from body text. Here&#8217;s an example of clear text hierarchy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62478\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4.png 1638w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4-1024x649.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4-768x487.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4-1536x973.png 1536w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-4-730x463.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1638px) 100vw, 1638px\" \/><figcaption> Notice how the heading text is bolded and larger than the body text. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In sum, our second tip is&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #2: Define a clear text hierarchy in your design.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-5.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62479\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-5.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-5-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-5-768x565.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-5-730x537.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The number of fonts you use can also affect text hierarchy. Remember, less is more. Graphic designers suggest using two to three fonts max&nbsp;in a design:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62480\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6.png 1200w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-6-730x382.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Plus, you should make sure to apply fonts in a consistent and cohesive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can use a &#8220;display type&#8221; font face (i.e. bold, handwritten, decorative, etc.) to emphasize your large headers. For body text, the aim is legibility. Since there\u2019s more body text and it&#8217;s often smaller in size, you should use a simple typeface (i.e. sans serif) instead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-7.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62481\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-7.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-7-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-7-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-7-730x365.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s an example that pairs two different typefaces to serve distinct purposes \u2014 the heading is decorative while the body text is simple and easy to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, too many typefaces can get messy and overwhelming. Viewers need visual consistency to understand a design, and the number of fonts you choose will impact that. So our third tip is&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #3: Use up to 3 font faces on a design. Make sure they\u2019re consistent and cohesive.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-8.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62482\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-8.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-8-300x239.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-8-768x612.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-8-730x581.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re not sure how to pair fonts, here are some resources to help: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/brand-fonts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Everything You Need to Know About Picking Brand Fonts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/best-google-font-pairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">20+ Best Google Font Pairs for 2021 [FREE DOWNLOAD]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/best-free-fonts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">40+ Best Free Fonts for 2021 [Free Download]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/infographic-fonts\/\">Choosing the Right Infographic Fonts for Business Communications<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, you should always keep&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/accessible-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accessible design<\/a> in mind. Your text won\u2019t pass as accessible if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s too small<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There isn\u2019t enough contrast between the text color and the background<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple example:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/banners\/map-infographics-blog-header-9c35fa94-4f7f-47e1-acbd-3d16581d678c\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-01.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips bad text contrast example 01\" class=\"wp-image-62525\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-01.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-01-730x411.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/banners\/map-infographics-blog-header-9c35fa94-4f7f-47e1-acbd-3d16581d678c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS BANNER TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, there isn\u2019t enough contrast between the text and the background. That means, if you were looking at this design from a distance, you probably wouldn\u2019t be able to read it. And it would be especially challenging to read for someone with a visual impairment, like <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/color-blind-friendly-palette\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">color blindness<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A simple way to check if your design is legible? Set the view on your design to 100% and try to mimic how it would be seen in the wild: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>If it\u2019s a poster, stand back and look at it from a distance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If it\u2019s an image for a blog or social media, view it on your desktop vs. your mobile device, and test it in normal vs. dark mode.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at another example. What do you think about the text vs. background contrast on this image?<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/banners\/change-over-time-blog-header-4c7eec69-4ebf-4c90-950a-e6f4a621d7e3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-02.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips bad text contrast example 02\" class=\"wp-image-62526\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-02.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-bad-contrast-02-730x411.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/banners\/change-over-time-blog-header-4c7eec69-4ebf-4c90-950a-e6f4a621d7e3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS BANNER TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;<em>seems<\/em>&nbsp;legible at first glance, but I\u2019m not 100% sure there\u2019s enough contrast.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you need a way to guarantee your design has the right contrast\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use an accessibility checker \u2014 coupled with accessibility guidelines.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/webaim.org\/resources\/contrastchecker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebAIM<\/a>, WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.0 level AA requires a contrast ratio of&nbsp;<strong>at least 4.5:1 for normal text&nbsp;<\/strong>and&nbsp;<strong>3:1 for large text<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll soon be able to check your ratios right in the Venngage editor using our new accessibility tool! In the meantime, you can use&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/webaim.org\/resources\/contrastchecker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebAIM\u2019s checker<\/a>. I used this tool to check the contrast between the title text and the background in the template above. This was the result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62483\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9.png 1530w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9-1024x739.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9-768x554.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-9-730x527.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1530px) 100vw, 1530px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the contrast ratio here is 2.01:1 \u2014&nbsp;<strong>failing the requirement of 3:1 for large text<\/strong>. So, even though it seemed like this design had enough contrast, for someone with a visual impairment, it would likely be hard to read. In other words, it pays to double check your text. Cue tip number four&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #4: Make sure your text is accessible: it\u2019s not too small, and there\u2019s enough contrast between the text color and the background.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-10.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62484\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-10.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-10-300x294.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-10-768x753.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-10-730x716.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#toc\"><strong>Return to Table of Contents<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"color\"><strong>Color<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s kick things off with a simple tip for color&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #5: Use the right amount of colors to create a harmonious design.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-11.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62485\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-11.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-11-280x300.png 280w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-11-768x824.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-11-730x783.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use harmony color palettes like the ones mentioned above. For more information on each palette, check out this post:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/how-to-pick-colors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Pick Colors to Captivate Readers and Communicate Effectively<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you don\u2019t have time to come up with a new palette from scratch, a quick trick is to use the color palette in a pre-designed template. You can also sample the colors from the visuals in your design, like images and icons, and apply it to other elements, like title text.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re designing in Venngage, you can use the <strong>color picker tool<\/strong> to facilitate both of these approaches. Let me demonstrate&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you like the colors in this template and want to replicate them in your design:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/diversity-and-inclusion-terminology-infographic-dbc47165-dee4-478f-a0b9-313a54a5338a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62461\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic-791x1024.png 791w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Diversity-infographic-730x945.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/diversity-and-inclusion-terminology-infographic-dbc47165-dee4-478f-a0b9-313a54a5338a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS BANNER TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>First, click the template to edit it. Once you\u2019re in the editor, click on any element of the template \u2014 it could be the background color or the text \u2014 and click on its color in the top menu:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62487\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13.png 1442w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13-300x233.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13-1024x794.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13-768x595.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-13-730x566.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1442px) 100vw, 1442px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can then see the color swatches used in this template. If you click on each color, you\u2019ll find the HEX code (i.e. #20556F for the dark blue above). You can use these HEX codes to apply the exact colors from this template to another design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And remember how I said you could sample colors from the visuals in your design? The designer did just that in this infographic. Notice how the colors in the icon at the top repeat throughout the design (i.e. dark blue and green for the heading text background; yellow and brown for the icon color):<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62488\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14.png 1626w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14-300x263.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14-1024x897.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14-768x673.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14-1536x1345.png 1536w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-14-730x639.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1626px) 100vw, 1626px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In Venngage, you can use the eye-dropper tool to discover the color of icons and more. Then, you can use those colors in your palette to create a cohesive look and feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, this advice is most useful when you don\u2019t already have a set color palette. But if you\u2019re designing for your company, chances are you\u2019ll need to stick to your <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/brand-style-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brand style guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have two brand color palettes, here\u2019s a tip to ensure all of your visual assets look consistent across your design portfolio and your branding is easily recognizable:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62489\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15.png 1200w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-15-730x382.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>When designing in Venngage, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/my-brand-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Brand Kit<\/a> to apply your brand colors to a design in one click:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/brand-kit-gif-2.gif\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62462\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Note, My Brand Kit is available on a <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/plans\/business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Venngage for Business plan<\/a>. <meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, with some visual assets like pictures, it&#8217;s a little more difficult to keep colors consistent and on-brand. So, our next piece of advice is to&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #6: Use visuals that complement your brand colors.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-16.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62490\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-16.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-16-300x239.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-16-768x612.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-16-730x581.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>How you apply these colors might depend on your branding guidelines, but here are a few more quick tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Apply color to text sparingly.<\/strong>&nbsp;You can reserve your brand colors for titles, headings, decorative text and pull quotes \u2014 and sometimes, subheadings. Body text should be left in black as much as possible for maximum legibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ensure you have a good contrast ratio<\/strong>&nbsp;if you\u2019re layering colored type on top of a colored background.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/webaim.org\/resources\/contrastchecker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebAIM<\/a>&nbsp;has a contrast checker available on their website, but you\u2019ll soon be able to check your ratios right in the Venngage editor using the accessibility tool, too!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Applying color to a background<\/strong>&nbsp;can be great in promotional and marketing pieces, but should be used sparingly in long-form documents. This can work well to highlight key pieces of information, but for optimal legibility, you\u2019ll want most of your body copy on a white background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#toc\"><strong>Return to Table of Contents<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"image\"><strong>Imagery and icons<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>They say a picture is worth a thousand words&#8230; but if you use a low-quality image, it may not be worth one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what qualifies as a high-quality image? Simply put, a <a href=\"https:\/\/picsart.com\/ai-image-enhancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">high-quality photo<\/a> doesn\u2019t appear blurry or pixelated \u2014 it\u2019s sharp and clear both online and in print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technically speaking, high quality usually refers to high resolution. A photo&#8217;s resolution is determined by the number of pixels per square inch (PSI; also referred to as DPI, or dots per square inch). The industry standard for online photos is 72dpi, and <meta charset=\"utf-8\">300dpi for printed photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enlarging photos too much can make them pixelated or low-quality. So if you need to enlarge an image, this next tip is for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #7: Always use high-quality\/high-resolution photo(s) appropriate to your design.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-17.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62492\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-17.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-17-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-17-768x588.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-17-730x559.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><p>On the other hand, if your image is too high in resolution and the file size is too large, you can use websites like compressor.io to compress your files without compromising the image quality too much.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, if you\u2019ve chosen a high-quality photo, you can use it as is or change it a bit to fit your content. For example, you could add an image frame:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.venngage.com\/en\/articles\/3260630-edit-images\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips.gif\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62494\" width=\"700\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Or you could add some special effects, like a sepia filter or color overlay. Venngage makes this simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.venngage.com\/en\/articles\/6122532-image-effects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-1.gif\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62495\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides images, icons are an excellent way to visualize your ideas creatively and to create&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/visual-hierarchy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visual hierarchy<\/a>. How? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #8: Create visual hierarchy by using different icon styles strategically (e.g. primary vs. secondary).<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-18.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62496\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-18.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-18-289x300.png 289w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-18-768x797.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-18-730x758.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>An icon style refers to a cohesive look and feel that ensures a set of icons match. Style factors include color (e.g. color, duo-tone, mono-tone), detailed vs. simplified and specific visual traits (e.g. outlines, gradients, shadows, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to pair different icon styles together, that\u2019s fine too! But similar to fonts, you should use different icon styles sparingly and pair them strategically to create a hierarchy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you could use a detailed, illustrative icon style as your primary focus \u2014 for your header \u2014 and pair it with simplified mono style icons for your secondary focus, like in this <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/what-is-an-infographic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">infographic<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/workday-talent-acquisition-infographic-05aac6dd-ad23-4e5b-9183-35328f5e91b7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62463\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-94x300.png 94w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-320x1024.png 320w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-768x2455.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-481x1536.png 481w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-641x2048.png 641w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Workday-Talent-Acquisition-Infographic-730x2333.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/workday-talent-acquisition-infographic-05aac6dd-ad23-4e5b-9183-35328f5e91b7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS BANNER TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>Besides using individual icons as visual aids, you can combine multiple icons to create \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">icon stories<\/a>\u201d that illustrate simple scenes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62497\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19.png 1024w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19-677x1024.png 677w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19-768x1163.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19-1015x1536.png 1015w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-19-730x1105.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on icon stories and how you can apply them effectively, check out our post:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Use an Icon Story to Take Your Infographic to the Next Level<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#toc\"><strong>Return to Table of Contents<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"align\"><strong>Alignment and white space<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alignment and white space are two of the 13&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">design principles<\/a>. Alignment is about how elements on a page relate to each other, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/white-space-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">white space<\/a>&nbsp;refers to any blank or empty space surrounding other elements in a design.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I used to make the mistake of not aligning my design elements \u2014 the icons and the headers weren\u2019t centered or the image and the body text weren\u2019t left-aligned (even when they should have been).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure you&#8217;re using proper alignment, here are some guidelines from our design pros:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For text<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Left alignment: in Western cultures, you&#8217;ll want to left-align body text. Since the majority of people read from left to right, it makes sense to left align text. This ensures each line starts in the same position and the text flows naturally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Center alignment: you can center-align titles, headers, and in certain instances, body text. Only apply this type of alignment to body text if there isn&#8217;t a lot of it (around 4 sentences max). Otherwise, this type of alignment will make it hard to read your text. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right alignment: use this type of alignment in diagrams, charts and other assets where your text placement needs to show a direct relationship with the content (e.g. chart labels).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For images and graphic<\/strong>s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Left\/right alignment: if the image\/graphic supports the main content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Center alignment: if the image\/graphic is the main focus of the page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example. Notice how the text and the supporting photos are all left aligned:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/reports\/professional-healthcare-annual-report-ebe1f8b7-3b21-439a-8620-17f4bee3c24d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62464\" width=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template.png 960w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template-77x300.png 77w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template-768x3006.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template-392x1536.png 392w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template-523x2048.png 523w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Professional-Healthcare-Annual-Report-Template-730x2858.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/reports\/professional-healthcare-annual-report-ebe1f8b7-3b21-439a-8620-17f4bee3c24d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS REPORT TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>To sum things up&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #9: Make sure your design elements are aligned with each other. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-20.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62498\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-20.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-20-300x276.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-20-768x706.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-20-730x671.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Note, the focus here is text, but these tips apply to visuals like images and icons too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s talk white space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, white space is the space between text, images, buttons and other elements that a user can see on a page or a screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, all the areas without any text or images are considered white space:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/white-papers\/editorial-i-b5e3eb96-f1f4-4cc3-afb0-87f45f072a9f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Editorial.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62465\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Editorial.png 700w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Editorial-232x300.png 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/white-papers\/editorial-i-b5e3eb96-f1f4-4cc3-afb0-87f45f072a9f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>So for any of your designs, make sure there\u2019s enough white space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To determine the amount of white space to use, here are some quick rules of thumb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>If the design is too crowded and it\u2019s hard to locate key information,&nbsp;<strong>then there isn\u2019t enough white space<\/strong>&nbsp;to help separate your content or create a clear flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your design looks too empty and the visual hierarchy isn\u2019t clear,&nbsp;<strong>then there\u2019s too much white space.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day, it&#8217;s all about making sure your content legible&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #10: Use the right amount of white space so your content is legible and easily accessible.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-21.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62499\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-21.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-21-300x248.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-21-768x635.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-21-730x604.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#toc\"><strong>Return to Table of Contents<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat\"><strong>Graphic design checklist for beginners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To make it easier for you, we\u2019ve created a Graphic Design Checklist for Beginners. Make yourself a copy and double check if you\u2019ve followed all these guidelines every time you complete a design:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/checklist\/graphic-design-tips-checklist-for-beginners-42a5ffa6-d6af-46dd-923c-413baccea945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62502\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22-791x1024.png 791w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-22-730x945.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/checklist\/graphic-design-tips-checklist-for-beginners-42a5ffa6-d6af-46dd-923c-413baccea945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>CREATE THIS CHECKLIST TEMPLATE<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p>Now for a bit of a cheat&#8230;&nbsp;<strong>to create a good design, you can always use a template.&nbsp;<\/strong>With a template, professional designers have already done the heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is customize the content for your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, our final (actually, extra!) design tip: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graphic design tip #11: If it\u2019s hard to create a design from scratch, just use a template!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-24.png\" alt=\"graphic design tips\" class=\"wp-image-62507\" width=\"700\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-24.png 816w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-24-300x289.png 300w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-24-768x741.png 768w, https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-24-730x704.png 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep today&#8217;s graphic design tips in mind, even when using a template!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, it can still be difficult to customize complicated templates. So make sure you keep all the tips we covered today in mind, and double check your design with the checklist we shared when you&#8217;re finished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this blog will help you achieve the look and feel you want in your designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in more beginner design guides, check out our series on the principles of design and how to apply them to your business communications: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What Are the Principles of Design? A Complete Breakdown<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-unity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Unity \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-balance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Balance \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-contrast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Contrast \u2013 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-emphasis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Emphasis \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-proximity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Proximity \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-repetition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Repetition \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-variety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Variety \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/design-principle-alignment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Brief Guide to Alignment \u2014 A Design Principle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/visual-hierarchy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What Is Visual Hierarchy &amp; Why It\u2019s Important in Business Communication<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/white-space-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Using White Space in Design: A Complete Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever designed a document that didn&#8217;t look quite as polished as you hoped?&nbsp; I&#8217;ve been there. But the more tweaks I made, the more &#8220;off&#8221; my design looked.&nbsp; So I asked the pros for some easy graphic design tips to solve my woes. By &#8220;pros&#8221;, I&#8217;m referring to the designers here at Venngage!&nbsp; Read on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":62473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[187],"tags":[215,238,243],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"11 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Experts - Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-12T20:30:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-01T08:16:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@venngage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@venngage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chau Nguyen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"20 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Venngage\",\"description\":\"Learn to Communicate with Data\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":576,\"caption\":\"graphic design tips\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/\",\"name\":\"11 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Experts - Venngage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-12T20:30:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-01T08:16:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9188768f02ac7f6ae887c67af57a8b\"},\"description\":\"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Graphic Design\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/category\/inspiration\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"11 Actionable Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Design Experts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9188768f02ac7f6ae887c67af57a8b\",\"name\":\"Chau Nguyen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/90c7820092428977033a50070707a1bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/90c7820092428977033a50070707a1bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chau Nguyen\"},\"description\":\"Chau Nguyen is the Copywriter at Venngage. She loves writing and nerding about content, consumer behavior, conversion optimization, or cats. In her free time Chau watches (mostly) horror movies, writes (occasionally) horror poems, tortures herself with heart-wrenching books, and journals her (surprisingly normal) dreams.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/venngage.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/author\/chau-nguyen\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"description":"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"11 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Experts - Venngage","og_description":"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.","og_url":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/","og_site_name":"Venngage","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Venngage","article_published_time":"2022-10-12T20:30:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-01T08:16:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png","twitter_creator":"@venngage","twitter_site":"@venngage","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chau Nguyen","Est. reading time":"20 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/","name":"Venngage","description":"Learn to Communicate with Data","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/10\/graphic-design-tips-blog-header.png","width":1024,"height":576,"caption":"graphic design tips"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/","name":"11 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Experts - Venngage","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2022-10-12T20:30:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-01T08:16:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9188768f02ac7f6ae887c67af57a8b"},"description":"Create a design that makes you look good with 11 simple and actionable graphic design tips, according to design pros. Examples included.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/graphic-design-tips\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Graphic Design","item":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/category\/inspiration\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"11 Actionable Graphic Design Tips for Beginners, According to Design Experts"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9188768f02ac7f6ae887c67af57a8b","name":"Chau Nguyen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/90c7820092428977033a50070707a1bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/90c7820092428977033a50070707a1bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Chau Nguyen"},"description":"Chau Nguyen is the Copywriter at Venngage. She loves writing and nerding about content, consumer behavior, conversion optimization, or cats. In her free time Chau watches (mostly) horror movies, writes (occasionally) horror poems, tortures herself with heart-wrenching books, and journals her (surprisingly normal) dreams.","sameAs":["http:\/\/venngage.com"],"url":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/author\/chau-nguyen\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62456"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62456"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111378,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62456\/revisions\/111378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}