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May 23, 2025May 23, 2025

Design Consultations: Why They Matter and What You’ll Actually Get!

Design consultations shouldn’t be reserved for ‘professional’ people or seen as an extravagant waste of money! On the contrary, they can actually save you time, money, and headaches, especially if carried out at the beginning of a project.

Talking matters, ideas matter, and so does the execution of these ideas.

Design consultations matter if you wish to have an experienced designer cast their professional eye over a piece of branding, a website, a product, or any other form of media that has been ‘designed’. Their experienced opinion can offer that missed opportunity, avoid a costly mistake waiting to happen, or remedy that bit of stray design work in dire need of design attention.

A design consultation can give impetus to a shy thought or want. It can create ideas and turn these ideas into something tangible, too. A product you can sell. A service you can offer, a concept yet to be made.

Design consultations can seed an idea and help lay that ‘golden egg’. Imagine that successful product that never happened, or that service you didn’t quite know how to get off the ground? Or that project you have been itching to start, but haven’t known where to begin.

Graphic Design is all about communication, as is a design consultation.

Design Consultations: Why They Matter - golden egg vector illustration

“Let me listen… Yes, yes, I see the problem here. It is called Comic Sans on a funeral parlour sign board!”

Graphic Design Consultations: Why They Matter

A graphic design consultation can be all or part of a grand plan. An analysis or consideration before you take action. It can be light-touch or heavy-duty, depending on what is required for the project.

Design consultations can be used to ideate and communicate thoughts. They can be used to reflect upon branding, packaging, and even website design.

A design consultation can offer tremendous benefits to a business in the early or latter stages of a design project, without necessarily being expensive!

Design consultations can encourage collaboration, discussion, and even constructive debate.

Consultations should work toward a main goal … making something great! Design is a journey after all.

Design Consultations: Why They Matter - journey

Design Consultation: What you actually might get!

With a design consultation, you might uncover a branding inconsistency, ideas for stronger calls to action, or how to approach a project as a whole to get the most from your budget.

Sometimes, we design types confirm you’re on the right track.

Other times, we help you reroute completely. Either way, you gain clarity, confidence, and a plan! Sometimes, with actionable steps, which can either be carried out by you or the designer. You could see us as design doctors who only offer their skills by appointment only!

Design Consultation - Why they matter badge!

“Let me listen… Yes, yes, I see the problem here. It is called Comic Sans on a funeral parlour sign board!”

Pointing out problems is one thing, offering solutions to these problems is even better!

I have found more and more that businesses, start-ups, and individuals value the opinions of somebody who has been there, done that, and got a T-shirt.

This is why I launched this service. Because my clients, in essence, asked for it. ( In a roundabout way )

Here is a bit more on what a design consultant actually does!

What does a design consultant do? ( And no, it’s not all fluff! )

A design consultant is a seasoned creative professional who can share their knowledge, skill, and expertise either by appointment, contract, or on a ‘rolling basis’. Their time is sold in exchange for money.

A design consultant is part creative visionary, part strategic problem solver and all-round creative diamond! ( And in my case, an idea generator, who runs on sugarless tea and biscuits )

We’re brought in to evaluate, guide, and improve design-related projects with fresh, professional insight. From branding to packaging, digital experiences to print campaigns, we help businesses bridge the gap between style, substance, and function. We spot inconsistencies, suggest improvements, and propose new directions that align with your brand’s goals.

As an example, much of my experience comes from retail design, before moving ever more towards ‘web’. Believe it or not, your brand doesn’t end with a box or just a website.

To itemise further, a design consultant can do the following :

Review brand goals and styles
Investigate whether the communication and marketing tie-in together
Offer specialised industry knowledge in dedicated design fields such as branding, online, UI design, or print.
Offer sector-specific design solutions
Visual problem solving
Contrive ways of getting customers and clients to engage with your product or brand
Suggest tips and methods to the creative process
Advise on approaches to avoid and approaches to take
Offer ideas
Give opinions
Suggestion methods for saving money in design
Check semiotics, typography, layout, and styling

Design consultants can do this and much more . They can bring their design-specific skills and specialisms to the table. Share experiences, ideas…

In my case, I don’t just like to tell what I know. I like to ask the client what they need!

What does a ‘graphic’ design consultant do?

A graphic design consultant concentrates on the visual stuff: branding, logos, retail packaging, colour palettes, layouts, and much, much more.

We’re the ones who see five shades of orange ( so much orange… ) and know exactly which one says “trustworthy tech startup” versus “Board game cafe!” Our job is not just to make things look pretty, but to make them communicate clearly and effectively. We help translate your brand’s personality into design that speaks to your audience.

In my case, Graphic Design is but one faucet of my current skills. Graphic design ties in with my website experiences and board game products, too.

Fundamentally – deep down, I am a creative and enterprising spirit with a designer’s hand.

What to expect with a design consultation

Design consultations are not all just about tea and biscuits and Zoom with me.

Expect honesty (the kind that’s helpful), fresh ideas, and clear recommendations.

Design consultations can offer practical and actionable steps, visual suggestions, and perhaps even a stronger sense of your brand’s personality.

And, possibly… a few “EUREKA!” moments sprinkled in for good measure. But I will leave the Eureka badge to the client. I can’t self-appoint a eureka badge!

Areas covered by a graphic design consultant

Graphic design is such a broad, ever-growing, and ambiguous term now! In 2006, it was more straightforward.

I often see roles looking for a designer when in fact, they want a videographer, a graphic designer who is actually a website designer, a graphic designer who has many strings – I could talk more about that, but that is a conversation for another day.

For the sake of clarity and purity.

Design Consultations: why they matter and the areas they cover

Designers! We’re multi-tasking creative computer people, or… as I have been endearingly referred to – ‘Artguy’.

These are some of the areas that are covered by a design consultant :

Branding and identity
Print and digital design
Web and UI layout
Packaging design
Typography
Visual messaging
Content design
Visual storytelling

Is a graphic design consultation a waste of time and money!?

A graphic design consultation is not a waste of money. A great consultation saves you from costly mistakes, amateur design choices, and hours of second-guessing.

A graphic design consultation can streamline your branding process, align your visuals with your message, and elevate your branding presence—online and off. I don’t think a design consultation is a waste of money. It comes down to the nuanced skills and knowledge of a designer and what the client is trying to gain from the consultation.

I will say this, however, bad design – not just the finished product, but in how it is approached, can be a waste of money.

Although the design industry has changed significantly in recent years, and it is not just down to AI. I feel there has always been an itch to remove a designer from the design process, and to decentralise design as a whole.

However, this paves the way for amateurish, lacklustre, and poor design decisions in many cases. And, not to forget soulless design.

Honestly, there can be so much to Graphic Design than just “style”. Consider the marketing, packaging, product development and so much more.

Based on those points alone, graphic designers or ‘graphic design’ in general still matters. But the Earth will continue to spin without us design types if we vanished tomorrow.

It can be a waste of money if some of the fundamentals have been ignored.

Graphic design consultation | What inspired this service?

A whisper.., a murmur from a dark corner of somebody’s office! I was summoned through ritual and sacrifice, the devotees offered their newest member of staff to the design gods above. In a crack of thunder, I, their creative messenger, was sent to the mortal realm to fulfil the design need.

That was a joke and hyperbole; I feel I should put that disclaimer out there.

No, in all seriousness. It was more mundane.

It was because of my knowledge, skills, and experience across a range of sectors that people were seemingly craving that I created this service.

Is that an assumption? Somewhat, but not entirely. It was also born more out of frustration!

Clients were asking for my opinions, my guidance, and ‘how-tos’. Only, not all would value my time, as I didn’t value my time enough!

Design Consultation – how I got an idea ( brace yourself )

The case of making lemonade from lemons. As the saying goes.

Although I would like to add that not all those who sought my knowledge and skills were time-wasters. There were those who were sincere in placing value on my time. I’d like to thank those who did. But for every one of these who did value my time – there were probably 2 for every 1 who didn’t. I enabled them.

The idea for this service was born out of ‘the cheeky’ and me seeking a solution; I needed to learn.

Time-wasting video calls from those who sought my knowledge and experience and had no intention of paying for it in the first place. Emails, in-person meetings, creating plans, helping to write a brief, actually booking areas to meet in person, paying, and travelling to places for the person not to turn up or even give a reason! These were some of the painful real-life experiences.

Education on the graphic design process, reviewing briefs – or in particular offering thoughts on game projects- these all cost my time.

Imagine working for somebody for half a day or a full day and not being paid? Ouch indeed.

Or giving up half a day of your time for free with clients promising work only to vanish once they’ve got what they wanted?

Enough was enough. But, these lessons gave me an idea which was a long time coming. Gradually, I started to offer video consults ( link to brochure site ), and now I have turned into an organised boxed service.

From lemons, you can make lemonade

I wanted to share my knowledge and skills via an insightful design session that delivers value in an easy-to-digest format. This service was built to empower, teach, and help those with a genuine interest and value for my time.

Design Consultations: Why They Matter - advert graphic featuring a list of services and info. — Feel free to contact me via my portfolio website or read more about this service. Or if you want something quicker, feel free to use the contact form on this blog instead.

What do I charge for my Design Consultations?

Each project is treated on a case-by-case basis. You can read more about my services here for more information.

What next, Design Consultation maybe?

If you’re feeling curious or even a little stuck, booking a consultation could be your next best move! ( couldn’t resist ) No pressure, just an open door to design clarity. You bring the questions, I bring my buzzing design brain brimming with ideas, suggestions, and opinions! Fuelled by tea!

Design Consultations: Why They Matter ... the consultation cup.

How does my design consultation work?

Like so:

A 15 minute free telephone or discovery call – to check if I can help
I send an invoice for the booking, which covers preparation also.
I do some homework for you, where applicable – if applicable
We chat, review, critique, and ideate.

That is about it, there is more on my design consultation page on my services page if interested.

Design Consultations: Why They Matter | Credentials

With nearly 2 decades of design experience in both online and offline design, a portfolio spanning both creative, gifting, gaming, retail, and charity, and an innovation and making things, I’ve got the design stories to share.

I’ve worked with startups, brands-in-rebirth, and everything in between. From strategy to execution. Let’s see what we can make work for you!

Design Consultations: Why They Matter – Related posts

Copyright Jimmsdesign 2025 – Subject : Design Consultations: Why They Matter and What You’ll Actually Get – Illustrations – Jimmsdesign.co.uk.

May 15, 2025May 15, 2025

How to write a brief for a Graphic Designer: explained by a designer

How to write a brief for a graphic designer… let me explain.

Briefs, and not the kind of underpants, are an essential part of the design process.

A design brief enables a client to outline what is required and needed from a project. It is a guide and plan so that all parties involved know what needs to be done and carried out. A well-written and detailed brief will not only help with pricing and estimates but also with the project goals and describe what needs to be done to meet these goals.

You could also pretend that a brief is an open-ended recipe for designers to refer to. Some designers may even help you with writing the recipe in the first place. If you ask nicely.

How to write a brief for a Graphic Designer - A detailed post offering tips and ideas to creating a brief for a designer

This post has been written for a couple of reasons:-

1 ) To offer a straightforward example of how to write a brief for a graphic designer. What to include, what not to include, etc, etc.

2 ) This is also a rewrite of the previous post on writing a brief. This is an updated version of how to write a design brief for me … and potentially other designers.

Also, read on to find out about the 7 P’s

How to write a brief for a graphic designer – Short Answer

When writing a brief for a graphic designer, make sure to include what you need, what you want, format, and potential budgets as a bare minimum so that a designer can respond and fulfil your project’s needs based on these criteria. The designer, such as myself, will establish how to meet those goals based on a well-planned process.

A basic design brief enables a designer to work to a professional standard and adhere to some kind of plan, or ‘scope’. A brief acts as a set of guidelines that both parties, specifically the designer, will adhere to.

A design brief does not need to be a novel, or strictly speaking, complete. But detail and some thought is key. ( I can help with completing a brief if you are struggling.)

As a tip, it is sometimes best for both the client and the designer to follow a set of clear and concise bullet points for a design project. I am a fan of bullet points as they allow me to mark off some key stages and milestones in a project.

An experienced designer who communicates verbally or in writing will most likely ask questions about you and your project. This is to pick up on those smaller details and to potentially help you answer questions you have not yet considered.

The more detail you include in the beginning, the faster the design process can begin.

I’m a client, do I need to write a brief for a Graphic Designer?

You do, sorry. Or at least a brief needs to be written by somebody! A brief can be regarded as a boring but crucial step in the design process, whether it be my design process or somebody else’s.

I love a client who has seriously considered a brief, even if they are somewhat unsure of what may be involved. It shows some thought needs to be made, even if they are unsure of what is involved with the journey.

If you are stuck, I am more than happy to help in this stage as a consultant in a ‘pre-design’ phase of your project.

How to write a brief for a graphic designer

This is a list of key points and stages to consider when constructing a design brief for a graphic designer. Great for beginners and… seasoned brief makers!

Purpose of the project
The plan ( if you have one )
Budgeting
Timeframes
Target audience
Any brand or brand guidelines
Format for deployment
Any limitations

What is the project’s purpose?

What is the purpose of the project? This can be incredibly beneficial to share when considering how to write a brief for a graphic designer.

The what:

Is it to expand the business?
Launch a new product range?
Promote the service that you are already offering?
Is it a create a logo to do ‘X’?
Design a Kickstarter page to excite potential backers?
Create a piece of box art for a board game?
Content graphics for a blog?

Establishing a basic ‘want’ or what, rather than just spouting, you need some chaotic creativity in your day. This is important for budgets, sanity, and all else.

PLAN – Even a loose one is important for a graphic design project

You will need to have some sort of a plan and end goal in mind for the project. Otherwise, where will the project start and end, and what are the terms?

Unless it is a day rate or a fixed-term project, working on a series of smaller projects. Even still, it is likely that this too will have an end goal even if not s solid plan.

If you don’t know what it is that your business needs from a designer, that’s OK! Some designers could help. I have worked as a design manager, for bigger projects, I would never work without a plan.

Even a small one.

Without a plan or an end goal, even a loose one, you will end up going around in more circles than is necessary. Leading to frustration, costing time, money, and making a surprisingly challenging job – even more challenging.

How to ask yourself questions when creating a brief for a graphic designer

People don’t always understand designers, designers don’t always understand people for that matter!

I remember asking a former colleague questions for a project, only for that person to start accusing me of ‘asking too many questions’ in tone that suggested I was picking on them. Or to be more specific, they are accusing me of only asking them all these questions. Yes, a lose-lose scenario sadly. Strange how this stuff stays!

Designers should ask questions – that is that. Unless they are managerial or business owners or something similar, they will need to know what you are trying to achieve. Intelligent design requires questions most of the time.

There is a way of marrying project requirements with ‘how to write a brief’ for a graphic designer. Here is a pair of graphic design shoes for you to wear.

The Designer’s Shoes (Designer’s Brain )

What is the aim of this project?
Is this part of a bigger picture?
Has a budget been written, and can what needs to be done be done within budget?
What are the client’s expectations? ( Whether realistic or not )
How can I do what needs to be done?
Will they give me resources, logos, photos, fonts etc?
Can I make this look awesome?
What is the overarching tone and vibe?
Has this person worked with other designers before?
Is the person great to work with?

To name a few.

These are some of the examples I will ask myself, on how I can help a client achieve what it is they want to achieve.

To translate to the client, you may wish to consider the following when creating a brief for a graphic designer

Types of things to consider as the client – (Client’s Shoes )

What is the purpose of this project?
Does this tie in with a bigger project?
What do I need?
What do I want? ( or better still, what does my ‘customer’ want or need )
Have I considered the competition?
Have I checked any legal pitfalls or copyright issues?
Will the designer ask for things like logos, photos?
Have I done my homework?
When will…
Will my budget and expectations align with the designer’s expectations?
Have I picked the right designer for me?

Writing a brief for a graphic designer | The Dreaded Budget

Dum dum dum! The budget… the deal maker and deal breaker!

The budget is important.

The design budget will affect the amount of time, resources, and other expenses that will be allocated to your project. When considering a budget, you may hear words and phrases such as ‘fees, deposit, rates, when will payments occur’, and so on.

One of the most common questions I get asked, sometimes before I have been supplied with a brief, is…

“How much?”

Before settling and agreeing on a project with a designer, you need to talk with your designer about how much you can afford to spend and what they are willing to do. And, what is it they need to help with! The more information you can offer, the easier it may be for a designer to estimate their quotations.

Below are 2 methods of payment types and methods to further illustrate how a designer may expect to be paid.

Rolling day rates – what are they?

Charging by the day is just that. A designer bills for their time on a day-by-day basis. A client and designer may prefer this method for larger, more experimental projects. In certain circumstances, this may be more mutually beneficial for both parties.

The pay by the day is far more open-ended financially and allows more room for creative freedom and development. A drawback with this free-flowing approach is that money can keep on going into a project; regular checks on the amount of money spent on a project is wise.

It is also a good idea to see if you can get a ballpark figure in the beginning, especially with smaller businesses with tighter purse strings.

How to write a brief for a graphic designer handy tips!!

*As a tip, whatever the ball park is or was, it can be wise to allow room for plenty of financial padding, but that is a topic for another time. Especially when considering how much it costs to design a board game. Money can keep going in more and more.

Design project fixed price – what is it?

A ‘fixed price’ means pretty much what it says, the budget is ‘fixed’ – it has a spending limit! This method means there is a roof or cap on the amount of money that can be spent on a design project. A certain amount of funds may be allocated to a campaign or project which is controlled either by the company’s directors, owners, or accounts department, or by a 3rd party.

Companies that are given grants may prefer to work this way and pay in larger lump sums as opposed to smaller, more time-consuming milestones.

Fixed price budgets can be great if it suits both parties. But there are realities that come with this that may be alarming.

Questions mark graphic - why can budgets change?

Why can this happen?

It is not uncommon for contracts and prices to need to be re-evaluated mid-way through a project, however disruptive this can be.

There can be a variety of reasons for these changes, such as new ideas coming into play, not enough information being given at the start, a change of information, more decision makers getting involved, a change in project scope, and generally, more time and work needed to complete a project. Typically, it comes down to more being heaped onto the designers to play to do what needs to be done!

There are many variables.

Substantial changes to a project specification can significantly alter fees and budgets. There is most likely a term for clients who intentionally omit key information, but this evades me for this post.

I work with the term fixed ‘estimate’. And there is a valid reason why I now address it as so.

Consider the timeframe when writing a brief for a designer!

The when!

I need ‘x’ by…
How long will it take?…
Can I have it by?…
How long will this take!…

And other phrases to that effect.

Take into account when you need a project to be completed. Even seemingly smaller projects can take time to finish. This can be due to the designer working on several projects at once, and other life and work commitments coming into play. And… the process is just taking the time that it takes!

When writing the brief, consider dates and deadlines – if applicable.

Don’t leave everything to the last minute
Don’t supply key information such as text, photos, and assets at the 11th hour for the designer. ( Do it at the start! )
Don’t vanish without a trace ( designers need communication )
Don’t set unfair time goals and expect not to be disappointed

Make sure to get everything ready from the start, or at least as much as possible! If you are unsure of what you need, how long it will take!

Consult a designer.

Let the graphic designer know your target market

When writing a brief for a graphic designer, you should consider your target audience. It can also be prudent to place some of your target audience’s wants and tastes above your own.

Stipulating who your target audience is… is an important stage when considering your design brief and how to write it.

Here are some criteria based on your target audience:-

Children
Teens
Adults
Professionals
Tourists
Trade
Age
Sex
Religion

And so on.

When submitting your brief to a designer, consider who the end product is for.

Are there any existing logos or brand guidelines?

Do you already have existing brand guidelines for your company?

If you have any existing logos, style guides, fonts, dos and don’ts for your logo and branding, remember to include this in a brief or submit this as a separate document to your designer. This is especially important if you are forming a new client and graphic designer relationship.

Any relevant brand guidelines can be incredibly beneficial to the designer.

Example logos — You may find this article interesting about logos!

How do you want your design project formatted for deployment?

How do you intend to ‘deploy’ the project?

Will this be a small web banner? A flyer? Will you be using a printer? Will this be for the screen? Or will it be for print?

Having some idea of where, when, and how you intend to use your design can be important for a designer.

You may need your artwork supplied as a PDF, a JPG, or… as an AI file, or something else entirely! When considering how to write a brief for a graphic designer, consider how the artwork could be used in the future so that the designer can offer the best solution going forward.

Include any potential limitations in the brief

When establishing your brief for a graphic designer, is there anything that a designer aught to know about you, your business, or the intent of your project?

Is there anything that the designer can’t do? Or should I do?
Will it be for a certain target demographic?
Politically sensitive?
Colours that should be avoided?
Themes best avoided?

Writing a brief for a Graphic Designer | Basic Free Checklist Summary

A checklist and summary of what you may wish to include with your brief, plus any other useful details. See this as a raw recipe and ingredients of what the designer needs to include!

I can smell the tasty design dish now!

In short, consider the following when writing your brief for a designer:

1 Purpose of the project
2 The plan ( if you have one )
3 Budgeting
4 Timeframes
5 Target audience
6 Any brand or brand guidelines
7 Format for deployment
8 Any limitations

Considered adding the list above to open the discussion with a designer – such as myself, to see what needs to be done from there.

All in all, if you have made it this far, don’t overthink it too much. Write something down and see if a designer can help you somewhere.

You may find this post interesting –

How to write a brief for a graphic designer - the design process

My design process in steps.

Other subjects around graphic design and processes

There is a saying that I have heard from varying jobs – it is an army saying that I think is great. I would like you to remember it…

7 P’s – ( Even applicable when writing a brief for a graphic designer )

Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance.

And it is too true. If you can’t remember anything of what I have said about how to write a brief for a graphic designer, try to remember the saying at least.

Source : 7 P’s

Information and content copyright www.jimmsde s ign.co.uk – 2025 and property of this blog.

May 11, 2024May 11, 2024

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | FREE tutorial for complete beginners

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus… ( updated 2024 )

To those who have never drawn anything on a computer, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start.

Before investing my time and money in using a professional Wacom tablet, I first started out with a basic roller ball computer mouse and MS Paint. Yes, it was that long ago!

This method of drawing on a computer with a Wacom tablet predates how I learned how to draw commercially on a computer. Before attending design college and building a design career.

When drawing on a computer, the mouse is the first obvious tool to use. As you invest your energy and education into drawing on a computer, you will want to seek out better hardware and software to support your digital drawing journey.

The mouse should be your first step, but don’t stop there!

This post is a great introduction if you are considering using a tablet to draw on your computer.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - Title graphics - picture of purple vector Wacom tablet overlaid onto dark background

Drawing with a tablet | overview – why use one?

One of the best ways to draw on a computer is by using a Stylus & Graphics Tablet in conjunction with a powerful art creation program. Using a tablet will afford you a greater degree of artistic freedom and finesse once you have become accustomed to the nuances and sensations of using one. However, This is also assuming that you can draw to a certain degree in the first place.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus- Blue ball raster graphics — How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – blue vexel ball example

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – Quickfire answer

In terms of how to use a stylus and tablet ( or ‘drawing tablet’ ) from a technical standpoint, it is typically a case of plugging your tablet into your computer, downloading and installing the latest drivers and software, and then calibrating your drawing tablet.

Once this core set-up is completed, you can then set about installing drawing in programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

The technical setup is not that complicated when comes to how to work with a drawing tablet.

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet with regards to technique.

Treat the tablet as you would a sketchpad and pencil. Apply light strokes and heavy strokes, bold strokes, and small strokes. Get used to the pressure and sensitivity of your tablet. Learn to ‘feel’ the tablet ( cringe ). And give it time.

The video below is me drawing a blue ball using a Wacom Tablet and Photoshop.

*If you have applications installed on your computer.

This is a hyper-lapse of myself creating the blue ball above – ‘vexel’ a combination of Vexel and Pixel.

For more information on how to create digital artwork on the computer, read on!

“you will need to practice, practice and then more practice.”

Wacom tablet and stylus example — Tablet & Stylus – Wacom

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet | Managing expectations

Not wanting to lead any readers or budding designers astray, I feel one of the first things I should touch upon when learning how to draw on a computer with a drawing tablet such as a Wacom, is managing expectations.

Although knowing the technicalities of how to draw with a stylus and drawing a tablet on a computer sounds like a golden bullet. The technicalities are only the first part of the journey when it comes to drawing on a computer.

The real knack for making your own artwork comes with practice – not the tools. A piece of high-tech equipment won’t provide you with the soulless magic results like an AI generator.

That is not how it works if you want to create your ‘own’ artwork.

To get your digital artwork or design to the place you want it, you will need to practice, practice, and then more practice.

If however, you are of an arty-illustrator vein. Then ignore what I have said above. You may take to drawing or designing on a computer like a duck to water if you are already a proficient artist or illustrator! Let your flair flourish and shine!

Here are a few examples of what I have illustrated ( drawn ) on a computer with my Wacom Tablet. Followed by some simple steps.

What I have drawn ( illustrated) with a Wacom Tablet on a computer

Character illustrations I have created with my Wacom tablet — Characters illustrated for a board game.

Board artwork illustartion - How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet

Box design - packaging — Packaging design – Wallace & Gromit

Drawn a wacom - illustartion of stylues base / well

Step ‘0’ ) How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet – Be able to draw

As a pre-step, I can’t assume too much.

You will need to make sure you can draw to a certain degree with a pencil or pen before you can expect to draw on a computer with Wacom or a digital tablet. No matter what hardware you own.

If you want to create your own artwork away from AI art generators, you will need to be able to draw to some degree.

The technology and hardware, will not magic your hand and eye into creating what you want.

Even if you can only sketch, this will be a huge advantage when drawing with a stylus on a computer. This is a pre-step warning!

Step 1 ) The required equipment to draw on a computer

To draw on a computer with a tablet … you will need to own the required equipment. Or borrow. This should be a given. I have used the following bits of equipment in the past ( aside from a mouse ):

Wacom Bamboo and pen – a more entry-level drawing tablet at the time ( now legacy)
Or a Wacom Intuos Pro & Pen ( medium ), this is what I’m using at the moment.
* Or a Cintiq ( I’m jealous )
A working keyboard
A computer that is compatible with a tablet
An operating system that is compatible with your drawing tablet
*Your computer will also need to be able to run both the drivers, the tablet, and the software

Step 2 ) Understanding the type of digital art you want to create ( not genre )

When considering how to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet, you may wish to consider the type of artwork you want to create.

This can steer the type of software required to draw on your computer. I have attached an example here.

Vector Art and raster art example - How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet — style examples, Photoshop Vs Illustrator

You will notice the different styles above I have created using certain software with my drawing tablet. You can create certain types of finishes in varying programs.

Vector Illustration ( left blue ball )

Imagine drawing with cut-out shapes, knives, sprays and pieces and pieces. With the types of programs that allow you to draw and create vector artwork, you can create a range of slick illustrations.

With vector artwork, the appearance can appear clean and tidy. You can also scale the work up and down without loss of quality. Vector artwork lends itself well to commercial logos, large format graphics, icons, and UI’s.

Here is an example of some of my other vector artwork.

Token vector illustartions for board games - drawn in Adobe Illustrator

Bitmap based artwork – Raster ( right blue ball above )

You may notice the ball on the right has a more painterly feel ( refer to the illustration above). For this more textured appearance, I digitally painted this in Photoshop. Some may find this approach more akin to drawing or painting using traditional methods.

Bitmap format or digital painting in particular lends itself well to a more painterly, textured, or grainy appearance. If you have painted in acrylics for example, you may prefer this approach. But it doesn’t always lend itself so well to all circumstances in print.

Is creating digital art easy?

Yes and no, getting started with creating digital art can be very easy and low cost. Getting to a stage where you could call yourself a professional artist takes time and years of practice. The best way of getting started with creating digital art is by downloading graphics software and practicing to improve your digital drawing techniques.

I wish I could find my very first digital drawing, it was created on a Windows 3.2 in the era of the awesome floppy disk – you can read a bit about me here.

This is perhaps a topic I would like to dive into again in another post.

Digital art can be accessible with the right tools and equipment. Working with the Wacom Tablet for example can streamline the process further.

Step 3 ) What digital art software should ‘I’ use?

There are so many to pick from, but for the sake of just creating something you can call ‘digital art’, as a hobbyist begin with something you may already have, MS Paint In Windows.

Gimp Logo

There are other art programs out there that are also free such as Gimp and Krita. I have personally never used Krita but the results on the website show what it is capable of and it has also been given a recommendation from a reputable digital art magazine IFX. This magazine is dedicated to creating fantasy, digital, and traditional artwork.

Advanced digital artwork software ( what I use )

As both a designer and digital artist, I use 2 main programs to create my art and design work, these programs being: Abobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator often gives a very clean-cut appearance that you may see in books, posters, lifestyle magazines etc – this is called ‘vector art’.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a versatile piece of software that behaves like a drawing and painting tool and offers an intuitive workflow.

It should be noted that these programs can both be tricky to master and you may be more drawn to one than the other. You can get a free trial or purchase a subscription to use the software by going to Adobe Creative Cloud.

If you are just starting out on your journey to becoming a digital artist or illustrator, I would test a free program first.

Use the images above as a reference if you are just starting out or if this is part of a hobby. For me, it works like so.

Simple differences in what type of artwork Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator creates.

Clean cut, modern vector artwork = Adobe Illustrator
Grainly, textures, and painterly = Adobe Photoshop

How to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet | Deciding on software

As a budding digital artist, designer, or illustrator you will want to consider how you want to draw with a Wacom Tablet. What sort of outcomes are you looking to achieve?

If you are unsure and just trying your hand at creating digital art on a computer, you may want to consider the selection like so.

Adobe Illustrator may suit you more if you want to become a designer or a clean-cut vector artist. The way a vector drawing behaves inside a program is quite different from a raster art program such as Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop is great If you want to work as a traditionally styled illustrator, digital painter, game artist etc.

There are thousands of examples of digital artists on social media with websites and professional blogs.

Here are some examples here of my vector artwork.

This person here is a terrific vector artist and designer – Vicky Doodles

Step 4 ) Grab Your stylus, and your Wacom Tablet and start drawing

Assuming that you have now decided on the type of artwork you want to experiment with, now is the time to start using the equipment.

To continue with an overview of how to draw on the computer with a stylus & tablet. Make sure you have plugged in and installed your tablet correctly.

If you have started with Adobe Illustrator as your application of choice. I would recommend starting the tool that is in tune with the Wacom Tablet, eg the brush or pencil. My first port of call would either be the Pencil or the Brush tool.

Start making small strokes with the stylus on your Wacom and see how the stroke behaves.

Or if you prefer, start working with some of the most basic shapes first and move these around your artboard as you would with a mouse.

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Illustrator

1 ) Firstly you will want to start up Adobe Illustrator.
2 ) Create a new document of your choosing. You can start with A4 for the sake of experimentation.
3 ) Select the brush tool “B” and start making some marks and feel how the tablet responds to you and Adobe Illustrator. You can always undo it if you make a mess.
4 ) If you prefer, you can also try to create an image with shapes first if you are familiar with working with vector graphics.

Illustrations – working in Adobe Illustrator and making marks.

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Illustrator - demonstration

(M) for rectangle tool in Adobe Illustrator

If you read on, I have also created some short exercises to play with – for free! Hopefully, these will get the juices and familiarity working when using your Wacom Tablet.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - method fro drawing in adobe illustrator

Short overview of how to draw with a tablet in Adobe Photoshop

If you have decided you would prefer to create artwork in Photoshop on your computer then this is the paragraph for you.

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - using adobe photoshop for practice

) Goes without saying, but open up Adobe Photoshop – and create a new document.
) Select a brush tool and start painting/ drawing onto your blank document. Remember, this is only to get used to using your Wacom Tablet and Stylus. I used black.
) Press ‘F5’ to open your “brush settings”, select a tip you like and tick “transfer”.
) Now start painting and building a feel for your Wacom tablet. Another tip, play around with the opacity to help build your brush strokes on top of one another.

When learning how to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus, the snappy overview above will hopefully get you started. But, I have also created some exercises for you in the next step, to really give yourself some time when drawing with a Wacom Tablet.

5 ) How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | Exercises

To further develop and play with your Wacom tablet. I invite to to take part in these exercises I have created for you for free. The illustrations below should guide you on what you need to do when drawing on a computer with your Wacom.

Exercise for drawing in Adobe Illustrator with your Wacom & Stylus

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus - Exercises and practice, adobe illustrator — When practicing drawing with a Wacom Tablet, it may be easy to save and download the reference exercise above. If you want to use this for learning feel free to take it and save it to your computer. **Although it cannot be used for commercial purposes.** Feel free to credit and link back to this page – How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus

Exercise for drawing in Adobe Photoshop with your Wacom & Stylus

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | exercise, drawing in photoshop

How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus | Concludes Steps

That concludes the step and general over of how to draw on the computer with a Wacom tablet & stylus. By all means, feel free to revisit the steps and stages above. Or if you feel this was a lot to remember, why not save this page as a favourite or bookmark. ( thanks )

But hey, I am not yet finished, I have also noted some key differences when drawing on a computer.

Wacom & stylus vs drawing with a mouse

Very old computer mouse for drawing on a computer! — If you are actually drawing on a computer with these legendary relics… Kudos to you. Image Source – Wikpedia

If you are still wavering as to whether you want to draw with a Wacom. I have gone into a little bit of additional depth. A bonus section that is a supplement to the ‘how-to’.

A computer mouse in action

This example shows the end result of some digital artwork created using a mouse in Photoshop. It’s a bit trickier to use although it’s not bad for straight lines!

Drawing with a mouse! Visual example — Drawing with a mouse! (An Apple Smart Mouse)

I would advise moving on from a computer mouse at some stage if you are thinking of getting serious with drawing on a computer, be it for graphic design, illustration, or your own sanity.

If you are thinking of spending many hours drawing and creating digital artwork, using a different input will save on potential wrist aches.

The day I plugged in a Wacom graphics tablet, was the day I changed the way I created digital artwork on a computer. Using a drawing or graphics tablet can make the experience of creating artwork on a computer much more organic.

A Wacom & stylus in action

Below is an example of me sketching something in Photoshop using a stylus + tablet. It’s a quicker, smoother, and much more human way of creating a drawing.

Drawing with Stylus and Tablet example — Drawing with Stylus and Tablet. Handles, curves and waves, and is much easier to flow with

After using a Wacom Tablet for a few years now, I would struggle to return to drawing with a mouse. Outside the less control, the amount of RSI I used to get from drawing with a mouse, would be enough to put some off the profession.

Give a drawing tablet a try. I love them.

Summary | How to draw on the computer with a Wacom Tablet & Stylus

And that should conclude the basic overview in steps of how to draw on the computer with a Wacom tablet & stylus. As an overview, here is what we can do.

Buy a stylus and drawing tablet of your choice.
Install the hardware on your computer.
Check the drivers are up to date – calibrate the software to your computer
Download a graphics program such as Photoshop or one of free applications mentioned previously.
Open the software.
Start creating digital art!

Aside from the technicalities of the hardware, the real skill comes from lots of practice. Make sure to follow the short tutorial/exercises above to get you started with drawing your Wacom tablet.

Credits – All the best with your digital art journey and creating digital awesomeness on your computer

Thank you for reading, hopefully, this post has given you some insight into how to create digital artwork with a Wacom Tablet and an idea of tools you can use to draw on a computer.

If you would like any professional assistance please feel free to contact me on my website.

You may be also interested in reading this :
Handling black in print
Creating artwork for game
Reducing Banding in Photoshop
How to reduce banding on Photoshop
Editing text on your playing cards in Indesign

Case study | graphic design and making a game

Home » How to make

March 14, 2024March 14, 2024

Project Post | Creating a board game prototype

Creating a board game prototype. It was past time I shared a new project on my blog, and in this post, I wanted to share my efforts in making a board game prototype.

These are some of the processes used for creating a board game prototype for a past client – ( Conway Council ).

I would like to say that the initial brief was simple, and in truth, it was simple, on paper at least. But it was also simple to point out vague.

Nuances came up that I had never experienced in my career so far. I could tell that the people commissioning the project, were not familiar with working with board game designers, and that was fine.

I was also there to help and guide them.

From the outset, I knew I would need to roll my sleeves up to make a playable game. Like the image shows.

Board game prototype for streetwise board game

What I gleaned from the initial brief:

The board game needed to be educational
Palatable for teenagers
And teaches teens about the hard knocks of life ( and youth homelessness )

Conwy Council was going to use this game with charity organisations such as Shelter and other companies based in Wales.

“teach children about youth homelessness”

Core steps and processes used in making this prototype

Discussed the initial brief. After a basic telephone call.
Create the first brief ( the entirety of the project was actually several smaller projects ).
Created very rough rules
Creating the initial game mechanics based on the rules
Visual design, characters, rules, packaging, and general graphic design art direction
Created a mockup – in full colour
Ran first playtest
Refined game
Create a design-ready prototype for photography and further development
Worked as the middleman, project manager, and between client and ad prototype manufacturer

Creating a board game prototype ( overview )

The aim of the game was to create something that teaches children and teenagers the dangers of youth homelessness. It is the ‘gamification’ of how to better manage personal finances, and work with general property pitfalls and debt. All these situations can lead to you losing your house and home.

The message of the game was stark, but we needed to establish a way to make the game both enjoyable, educational, and palatable.

For the brief, I was initially given a spreadsheet of depressing phrases that were more akin to a sad flashcard game than a board game. I used these phrases and situations as inspiration for the game mechanics. These phrases acted as a springboard.

After all, the main purpose was to create an educational game with a root meaning: try to look after yourself and not end up homeless. That, would be my hook for how you lose the game.

“I didn’t want to make the game so hard and depressing that it completely crushed the players’ souls. The game ‘could’ be beaten.”

But even with the best-laid plans, and being careful with money, things can occur. That is another core mechanic built into the rules. It was another lesson subliminally buried in the core game play.

1 ) Crafting the basic rules

When creating a board game prototype, a viable game mechanic and rules are essential to a game that is both playable and fun.

I hate it when you buy a board game and realise that gameplay is not only flawed but utterly broken. I feel cheated.

When making the rules, I didn’t want to make the game so hard and depressing that it completely crushed the players’ souls. The game ‘could’ be beaten.

Nor did I want to make a game that could be cheated. This is why playtesting your game is important. and with strangers better still.

These rules were alpha-tested by me.

Notes were taken, the game was enhanced, and artwork was then ( Note then, after making a playable mock-up) created.

Here is more on creating a mock-up for creating a board game prototype.

2 )The first iteration of the game

In the very early form of the game, I constructed it from bits and pieces from my studio and my partner’s office. Nothing fancy.

Creating a board game prototype the initial game pieces

Photo taken from the earliest iteration of the game.

When creating the early form of the board game prototype, here is an example of those bits and pieces.

Creating a board game prototype – Alpha Scrap Components

Post-it notes
Bits of bric-a-brac as game pieces
A sheet of white A3 paper
Note paper
Scraps of paper as currency

As I said, nothing fancy at all when developing the game mechanics.

It was whatever I could fashion together to make a playable game. For this project, this was all that was required, but you can buy prototype kits also.

Once I had established some very basic rules and core game mechanics. I then set about testing what some of the different cards might work and play like.

When creating a board game prototype, this is a crucial stage! Before graphic design was even considered. They game needed to be half-decent to play.

Seeing what components you need earlier in the development process rather than later, will save time, money, and headaches. You can then move on to the graphic design stages and artwork. Which brings me to the next part.

3 ) Characters & the visual design for creating a board game prototype

Once the first iteration of a playable game was created, I stress-tested the rules. I then set about creating some initial visual design for the game – the graphic design.

I sketched out some characters, titles, the general look and feel of the game, and the cover of the box of which there were several iterations. And a segment for the game board for the client to see. I will often refer to this stage as ‘Early design, design roughs, early development or first phase of development’.

There is no use in creating an entire project only to show the client at the end something they don’t like. Make life easier on yourself, and create a sample. Speaking of which, here is a sample from this projects of some of my process and journey.

Initial artwork for a board game ( design ideas )

Creating a board game prototype early idea generation

in this part, you can see me experimenting with different card designs to present to the client. The preferred cards would be funneled and developed further in later stages.

Creating a general look and feel for the cover and some of the typographic experimentation. This is in essence part of the cover and box packaging ( including the cover art )

Creating a board game prototype early board segment

An early sample of the game board! More game board design can be seen either in this post – snakes and ladders game or The London Pub Crawl.

4 ) Graphic Design & Core Components ( Development )

Below are some of the components I designed and illustrated for the prototype. After the first stages of the visual design which was a large part of the project, the ideas that were short-listed were developed further.

These designs were readied in Adobe Illustrator before being imported into a cutter guide. These cutter guide templates and PDF’s were then sent off to a factory for a batch print. ( although I made a more basic version for further playtesting )

The same premise was similar to the cards, rules and the first designs, only polished and developed further.

Here is another post on how to import text into card artwork using Indesign.

The developed graphic components

Creating a board game prototype developed board segment for game

Creating a board game prototype full game board graphic

“Then playtest it again. And then… when you have had enough. Playtest it once or twice more. “

5 ) Playtesting

When creating a whole game, I always advise my clients to play test their games, and this project was no different.

Being the one at the helm of making a fully working game, I wanted to practice what I preach. And if money would have allowed, I would have carried out more player testing on a wider audience.

For those of you wondering how to make a board game prototype ( 3rd party link ) Never ‘ever’ skip this step, playtest your game.

Then playtest it again. And then… when you have had enough. Playtest it once or twice more.

I have a post here ( the play test of a client project ) that goes into greater detail. This is another important stage when creating a board game prototype.

Creating a board game prototype board game play test photo

6 ) Take notes from the playtest, and adjust accordingly

After watching real players play the game on 3 separate occasions, I took notes on people’s play styles.

People playing board games try to break the rules. Many players I have witnessed when creating a game will try and break or circumnavigate ( cheat ) the core rules or ‘interpret’ the rules differently. There is no right or wrong here, you need to observe and shut up as a board gamer developer and see how people may realistically play your game.

Remember this when making a board game.

For this project, I had to tweak some of the rules, re-jig the board, and amend the artwork after running the latter playtests.

Although I was by and large relieved, not much needed to be amended. Mostly re-working and some graphical aspects of the board, and rewording. This comes under “development”.

7 ) Final Stage – helping the client get a prototype made

In addition to coming up with the core design, the rules, making a playable prototype, play testing, and everything else in-between, that is involved with making this game.

I was commissioned to liaise and organise a prototype production of the game.

Basically, I helped to guide the client through the first iterations of making a viable, polished prototype. ( and the batch production ) I amended or prepared the artwork as was necessary for prototype makers.

Here are some photos of the board which I took on my bridge camera, and isolated on white in Photoshop.

Creating a board game prototype game board in action

Creating a board game prototype | The Unique Challenges

This project came with a range of different and unique challenges that I’ve never encountered before.

Initially, I wasn’t given an exact brief outside of “make a game”. The initial brief that was given to me amounted to little more than a set of unfortunate key phrases listed inside an Excel spreadsheet.

This did not amount to a full brief. I had to convert these statements listed in Excel, from a long list of misery into a playable game to educate children and teenagers about youth homelessness.

Here are some details about the projects, and lessons I may have learned!

Wordy

Fundamentally this is an educational game and not a game for fun sake.

With each card, there would be a short paragraph describing an ‘event’ and whether a point is lost or gained. In addition to this, there would also be the Welsh translation.

The cards were very busy as each card needed two statements placed in them. Saying that the space became tight was an understatement. Some cards needed to have the amount of text reduced to fit.

Instead of creating 2 different languages for the game, 2 languages were usually next to or near to each other which did offer some unique challenges for the graphic design. This was carried through not only on the cards but all visual and written components of the game. I feel I managed to make it work though – just. Please observe this card again with the double language on a single face.

Unable to read Welsh

I have nothing against the Welsh language, I just don’t know how to read or write it.

With this in mind, this is potentially one of the most unusual challenges I’ve had to work with on a project. Not being able to read or write the copy whatsoever, even at a superficial level posed a significant challenge for this project.

By and large, I technically didn’t need to know how to speak, read or write in Welsh. But, when copying and pasting the Welsh language onto the cards, even by happenstance, I couldn’t flag any issues.

You may be correct in assuming as I am not the copywriter, that I don’t need to worry about it. But in the same breath, I needed my client to complete and finish this project. I needed to be paid. And generally the more eyes on a project, the more likely you are to pick things up and share your concerns. I was unable to do this here.

Waiting and relying on their team to spot or change their mind with the wording on an already very wordy game, made this very challenging to work on in the latter stages.

Not being able to read it, even at a basic level, slowed the project down at the last hurdles as I could not make edits to the text properly from my side, it was then that I thought about this type of article, how to edit card text for your game would be very helpful for my clients.

A member of their team could amend the text on their side, For me to spot these edits was near impossible and impractical in both capability, time, and budget.

I spy with my retail eye

With my past experience in both designing and creating mostly flat 2D products and games. These past products and projects have always been with retail intention at the fore.

As a designer, I was sympathetic to the product and helping a business make a sale, not all designers think like this, especially junior designers or design generalists. Not all graphic designers, think and operate in the same way. I was taught how to design for retail, build a brand, etc.

I understood that the packaging needed areas for barcodes, addresses, strap lines, age badges, warnings etc. In addition to all of this, making games appealing to the masses and shelf-ready.

This post here shows some of my past retail packaging.

For this project, the above didn’t necessarily apply, as it was for demonstration purposes mostly in an educational setting such as a school or town hall.

I hope that Conwy Council took care of this game and that children are enjoying it, and playing today… and perhaps better off than some of the characters I created for the project as part of the vector art.

Project Post | Creating a board game prototype, Testimonial

“Jimmdesigns is the perfect partner for anyone interested in creating a board game. Jimm supports with all aspects of creation from the initial concept, design process, development, play test sessions, through to the production of the prototype and manufacture.
Jimm is able to break down the complex processes into easy to follow step-by-step actions for individuals who are new to the game making process.

Jimm has essential contacts in the industry and is able to manage all stages of the process. We highly recommend Jimm’s services, he is extremely patient and flexible with timescales and concepts” 5****
Faye Willet – Conwy Youth Service

And that concludes making ‘streetwise’

Or if you need a board game designer, please get in touch

3^rd party websites ( Dragon Bone Games )

October 7, 2022March 6, 2025

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign! This short tutorial shows you how to make some quick and easy edits to the text in your card artwork in Indesign. This post also covers some general text frame editing.

Editing your playing cards should not be difficult if you know how, and have the right tools.

It should be noted that this article focuses purely on the card editing stages, and not the whole card creation process.

This is a general help article to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign. You don’t need to be an Indesign guru or know your way around data merge to follow this.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

In addition to editing text frames in your cards, this post will also help if you cannot edit text in Indesign.

This tutorial is ideal for those that just want to jump and edit the text quickly and hit save. It’s short and sweet, quick and dirty – no fuss. Or however else you want to describe quick text edits for game cards. The same applies to editing text too.

Troubleshooting tips are at the end of this article if you are having difficulties selecting the text box for example.

Common Question | Ways of editing the card text in Adobe Indesign

It is quite common for me to hear “how do I edit text on the cards” after I have created the initial prototype for a client.

With the card artwork, it is often in my client’s interest to know how to edit the text themselves or assign somebody else to edit the text. This is especially true in the late stages of production or mass production for various reasons.

One being, I’m not a copywriter profession!

How to edit text in Indesign on your card artwork – put simply

In order to edit the text easily, open the document in Indesign ( if you’ve not done so already). Select the card face you want to edit, ( use the pages panel ) and change the text. You will then need to save your work or export it if you are intending on sending the work to print.

That is the simplified and short answer to editing the game card text in Indesign.

I cannot edit text in Indesign!

If you are finding that you cannot edit text in Indesign or you cannot edit the text on the cards. A few of the reasons could be either the text frame is locked, the layer is locked, or you need to override the master page template.

You can read more on editing your text frames in Indesign at the bottom of this post.

6 Steps to editing text in your card artwork In Adobe Indesign

1 ) Open up Indesign

Assuming that you already have Adobe Indesign installed, in order to edit the text you will need to have Adobe Indesign open.

If you don’t already have Adobe Indesign, you can download it. ( make sure to download from Adobe – DO NOT BUY OR DOWNLOAD from an unknown source )

Make sure that you have permission to install the software and that your computer has the technical requirements to run Adobe Indesign.

*Friendly Disclaimer | Adobe Indesign is not run or owned by myself. Indesign is part of the Adobe Creative Suite. I cannot take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred should you download any 3rd party software or Adobe Indesign. Please take precautions!

Please check all the requirements from their official website before downloading. ( Adobe Creative Suite ) And make sure that you download the software from a safe source. Do not use any unauthorized 3rd party platforms when downloading InDesign. ( also based on past experience )

2 ) Open up the card artwork

You can either ‘Open’ the artwork from the ‘File’ drop-down menu in Indesign ( File, Open – Select artwork ) or you can open the artwork by ‘dragging and dropping’ the artwork onto the application icon from your desktop.

Or if you have your recent items window on view when you start up Indesign, open your document this way.

Tip – Don’t overwrite your original card artwork!

As a tip, I would strongly advise that you create 2 versions of your artwork and leave the original intact. If you edit the text, change something and save over the original artwork ( ruin it by accident ) you won’t have a way of back-stepping from this mistake.

Create another version! And avoid editing the original version. A piece of advice from past experience.

3 ) Navigating the card artwork for your game

Theoretically, you now have your card document open in Adobe Indesign. It will look something like this.

If you have used a template or a file such as the one shown in this article, then you should be able to scroll up and down through the cards. As you scroll up and down, you should see the back and front of your cards.

Or, as an alternative way of finding the card you need, go to window > pages. If this tool panel is not already open.

How to open and close Window/pages panel ( Adobe )

4 ) Select the card you wish to edit

You can either scroll up and down to go through the cards, which is okay for smaller decks, but not as efficient if you have a larger deck. Or if you have your ‘pages’ window open, you can double-click on these to jump to the card you want to edit. This is a faster and more effective method of navigating through your cards.

( Handy tip! Did you know you can see which page you are on at in the bottom of InDesign interface when you are editing the card you want to edit? The illustration above has a close-up of ’19’ to show this. )

5 ) Find the text box ( interacting with an Indesign text frame )

Assuming that you have now selected the card you wish to edit. Go to the text box ( as shown below ) click on it, and edit your text!

If something has gone awry, here are some simple steps to follow.

) Make sure that you have the ‘selection tool’ active.
) Go to the box or area you wish to edit.
) Double-click the text box.
) Find the word or sentence you wish to edit.

If you are having trouble being able to edit the text or some of the text, this bit of troubleshooting may help. Cannot edit text in indesign – help!

6 ) After you have edited the text

Now that you know how to edit one text box and all has gone smoothly, you can edit any basic text box in these card files.

Once you are happy with your work and your edits just make sure to save your work. You can save your work by going to file ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’. Or by pressing CTRL+S ( Apple + S ).

7 Bonus Step ) Exporting your file for print

It should be noted that this process is a bit more nuanced and may require more experience and skill in saving your work correctly. It can be easy for somebody inexperienced ( or with experience! ) to run into difficulties when setting files up for print.

Remember, when doing this that you are shouldering the responsibility for all the print production for your cards. If you would like somebody to share the burden feel free to get in touch or read more here. Card game design.

‘Export’ your file as a PDF’
Remember to Select all pages if you wish to save/export all pages for print.
Double-check that the images are above 300 DPI when exporting ( otherwise you will get a low-res file )
Check that it is in CMYK
Hit ‘Export’ and select a location

This is a simplified version of how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign. The added end step also instructs how to save your work and export it for print.

Troubleshooting Game Card Editing in Indesign – cannot edit text in indesign!

When looking at how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign, sometimes it is not as straightforward. There can be issues such as locked layers, master pages being selected, or even limitations with hardware.

Here are some troubleshooting steps for editing the text on your cards.

Why can’t I select the text box? I can’t edit my text frame!

This could be down to a couple of reasons as to why you can’t edit the text box in your file. Here are some of the potentially straightforward and obscure reasons as to why you may not be able to edit your text :-

You don’t have enough ram/processing power on your computer

If your computer is struggling to run Indesign properly, an odd quirk that can show up is an inability to edit or select text boxes.

Possible solutions:

1 ) Turn off other programs such as Outlook, Your Web Browser, and other non-essential applications to see if this loosens up some grunt for Indesign. Remember to only close nonessential programs

2 ) Change the view to low-res draft mode. This can also make InDesign less taxing on your computer.

3 ) If you have tried all of the above. With a minimal amount of applications still running to allow more resources to go to indesign, close Indesign and re-open it to see if this does the trick.

The object is accidentally locked

There could be a couple of reasons as to why you can’t edit the text in your Indesign document. And, fortunately, the fix for this can be as simple as unlocking your text frame to get it working again.

Here are a couple of ways to check if you have a locked object. Unlocking text frame solutions in Indesign:

– The Object has been manually locked! This is a simple case of unlocking the object. To make sure the object isn’t locked go to > top menu > and check the drop-down for the Object – Unlock all on spread. Here is an image showing the menu option.

( Here is some more accurate information from Adobe on where to find this exactly – unlocking objects )

– Your text frame is on a locked layer. Alternatively, your text frame could be on a ‘Locked Layer’. On your ‘layers tab’ in the interface window, check to make sure the editable text layer ‘is not locked’. ( With a padlock on )

You want it ‘unlocked’ – you may also need to open the ‘layers’ window open.

– You are editing the wrong layer. If you cannot edit your text, it can be as easy as having the wrong layer selected. And, having the layer you want edit locked. Make sure you have your correct layer selected and that you are unlocking the correct layer!

You are trying to edit a master template

Another potential reason that you may not be able to edit the text is that you are trying edit from A, or the Master Page. A way to check is to:-

Select the card ( page )
Right click
And “Override Master Page Properties”

*Just remember not to override and edit the Actual Master template. This may otherwise change the text or design on ‘all of the cards’ or pages. ( remember what I said about keeping a backup? Always, keep a back up file!)

You may find this post helpful in problem-solving textbox woes in indesign.

Thank you for reading and editing the text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign

That is a share of my experience on how to both easily edit the text on any card artwork or card artwork template for your board game. And, how to edit the text in Indesign – when you cannot edit text in Indesign.

Hopefully, this post has saved some time, money, and headache. Feel free to share this post if you feel it is helpful.

If you would like help in designing a card game or creating some illustrations for your game please get in touch.

Final bit of advice on how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign

My final bit of advice on editing your text on your card artwork would be to hire a professional if you are doing this as a DIY thing for your business. Or at least find somebody that knows their way around Adobe Indesign, how to save it etc.

Although I appreciate that budgets can’t always make this a viable option it is still potentially the better option.

Getting somebody that is experienced can save headaches later on.

External Websites Around Creating games

Freelance Design services for cards games – Copyright Jimmsdesign.co.uk