What Goes into Making a Design?

Think about why you would rather buy designs than make them yourself. Maybe you have digitizing software. Maybe you have taken classes or bought tutorials. Maybe you have spent several frustrating days trying to create a design that works. If so, you already know part of the answer.

The design starts with an idea. Often the designer will purchase artwork just for the design, or she may be able to find free artwork or draw it herself.

An experienced designer has spent years honing her craft. Even so, it can take a couple of days to create a single design. Then she must test-stitch the design, tweak it and re-test until she is satisfied.

The design is ready, but now comes the technical stuff. The designer scans the design, straightens, crops and resizes the image for her website and for the color sheet (which also takes time to prepare). Additional images may be required for promotional purposes. The design is then converted into various formats.

Zip files are created for design delivery. The website is modified to include the new design. Announcements are made. If the designer has a newsletter, she makes a fresh issue to announce the new design.

When you add up the cost of software, training, artist fees, website hosting or mall fees, credit card or PayPal fees, then throw in a little something for the designer's time, you will see that most designs offered for sale on the Internet are a real bargain. No wonder you would rather buy than make your own!

Next issue: evaluating a design

from Mary Jane Allen of Perfect Little Stitches

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Silk Ribbon

Japanese silk ribbon is available
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In the Hoop Hankie

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