The Blog

Vector vs. Raster? How To Choose The Right File Format
Bethany Howell

Vector vs. Raster? How To Choose The Right File Format

You’ve seen it before. “Fuzzy” looking edges, logos that have been distorted and stretched in a Word document or PowerPoint, blurry images. These are telltale signs of a problem we encounter often . . .  vector vs. raster confusion. As an art director and designer, one of the most common problems that I run into when working with other people’s files (especially logos) is that the files are not optimized for their specific use. And, yes, it can be confusing!  So we wanted to use this blog post as an opportunity to help educate readers on the differences between the most used file formats and when to use them. Using the right type of image file, you can make sure your audience views crisp, clean and beautiful looking materials.

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Insight180: Coming Full Circle
Wendy Baird

Insight180: Coming Full Circle

On that Saturday night, I had been in downtown Ellicott City to show a guest from Slovenia, Karin, our quaint little town. My long-time friend Carol would be leading a Sierra Club trip in the fall to Slovenia, so I invited her along for an opportunity to talk to a native. It had been a beautiful summer day, with a slight chance of rain in the forecast. As we drove around Ellicott City, it started pouring; and as we looked for parking, it became torrential. Though we decided not to stay, I did swing by the office to put out the sandbags in front of the office door and that of our business neighbor — as I had done so many times for so many storms in the past 16 years. By the time I dragged out the sandbags and got back to the car, my feet were covered with water. As we tried to get to higher ground, many side roads were already closed.  

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Breaking Patterns to Create a Meaningful Brand Name
Wendy Baird

Breaking Patterns to Create a Meaningful Brand Name

Ah, naming!

One of our favorite tasks here at insight180 . . . . most of the time. Naming and rebranding in the wrong hands, however, can be detrimental, even disastrous. How can you be sure not to undermine the process and come up with a successful name for your advisory service business, nonprofit business or brand extension?

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Creating a Strong Brand Presence with Social Media Graphics
Tara Urso

Creating a Strong Brand Presence with Social Media Graphics

When establishing a digital marketing plan for your business, creating visual elements beyond your logo alone is simply essential. With your competition working to grab the attention of your audience, text posts alone won’t cut it. Sure, you could use some pre-existing images from Pinterest, but that won’t help build YOUR brand among your audience like your very own branded social media graphics will.

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