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Before & After magazine has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.


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The best tips, tricks, and shortcuts . . .

In collaboration with lynda.com, we’re pleased to announce our first graphic design video, Design Essentials (that every graphic designer should know). Design theory is great, but often what you need is just an idea, a tip, a quick fix to turn your project from blah into bravo. Design Essentials gives you some of the best, most repeatable, time-saving techniques that we know in a convenient, 12-segment DVD. Order your copy today! | Runtime: 1:04:19


Free videos and articles

Issue 52


0705 | Design Ideas 22
Simple Card, Dramatic Gallery, Get Tight, Image Hierarchy. 17 pages, 8.1MB | Subscribers | Learn more


0704 | Design a CD/DVD package
Type, color, layout: How to get five pages looking and working alike. 35 pages, 21.6MB | Subscribers | Learn moreExcerpt


0703 | Gestalt theory: Proximity
One way the brain organizes visual patterns is by grouping elements on the basis of proximity, or nearness. 14 pages, 4.6MB | Subscribers | Learn moreExcerpt


0702 | Gestalt theory: Similarity
Our eyes can easily pick out and group similar objects regardless of their proximity. 14 pages, 3.9MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 51 | Learn more


0701 | The typeface of 9/11
At the National September 11 Memorial, the typeface Optima dignifies the names of the dead. 14 pages, 4.6MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0700 | Gestalt theory: Isomorphism
We interpret visual objects based on our own experience and memories. 21 pages, 6.6MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0699 | Design Ideas 21
Natural Lines, Space After, Double Duty, Big Type, Type Blend. 15 pages, 6.8MB | Subscribers | Learn more


0698 | Gestalt theory: Continuation
. . . leads the eye along a path. 11 pages, 3MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0697 | Design a brochure of squares
Modular construction makes a brochure that’s great for many topics. 32 pages, 27.7MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0696 | How to design motion
Here are more than a dozen ways to create a sense of movement an a static page. 37 pages, 10.3MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0695 | Design a mini portfolio card
A grid organizes photos into a mini portfolio that doubles as a business card. 28 pages, 10.6MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt


0694 | Make desktop holiday cards
A small, easy-to-draw icon is the centerpiece of this simple design. 16 pages, 2.3MB | Subscribers | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 50 | Learn more

0693 | Spa brochure makeover
Ten carefully selected stock images and crystal-clear type help a small facial spa present its story beautifully and inexpensively. 28 pages, 8.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0692 | Design Ideas 20
Big Ticket, Text-Only Business Card, Visual Ingredients, Graphical Similarities, Photo Layout. 16 pages, 3.6MB | Learn more


0691 | Simplify a card in three steps
Sometimes good design is only a few small changes away. 18 pages, 4.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0690 | Design Talk 19: Five Design Ideas
Clever Glyph, Simplified Chart, Updatable Signage, Story-Telling Image, Picture Chart. 15 pages, 1.8MB | Learn more


0689 | How to design big signs
The key to designing big is to think small. 25 pages, 5.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0688 | Design a photo magazine cover
How do you show off a great photo? Easy. Clear everything else off the page. 21 pages, 2.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0687 | Beauty in 3 panels
You won’t believe what you can do with a strip of images until you visit Factor Design. 31 pages, 6.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0686 | Design Talk 18: Five Design Ideas
Repeating Shape, Single-Object Card, Web Stickies, Photo Sequence, Beautiful Book Cover 13 pages, 2.6MB | Learn more

Issue 49 | Learn more


0685 | Create a series of cards
Stretch your art budget colorfully! A spin around the color wheel turns one graphic into a dozen. 43 pages, 12MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0684 | Design Talk 17: Five Design Ideas
Realistic Store, Dual Mailer, Budget Menu, Mirrored Card, Simplified Chart. 13 pages, 2MB | Learn more


0683 | Design a zig-zag brochure
Legal-size sheet with an angled edge makes a catchy, fun format. 21 pages, 9.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0682 | Design a card the easy way
A photo and one block of type are all it takes to make a beautiful card. 21 pages, 2.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0681 | Design a flier that sells
The key to an advertisement that sells is simple: Keep all eyes on the product. 24 pages, 3.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0680 | Design from a creative brief
Designer and client must work toward the same goal. Here’s how to do that. 24 pages, 1.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0679 | Draw great visual instructions
Have something to demonstrate or explain? Don’t say it; show it! 19 pages, 1.7MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0678 | Design a chalkboard Web banner
Handwriting on the board makes a powerful, simple statement. 19 pages, 4.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 48 | Learn more


0677 | How to use that typeface
That font you love won’t work just anywhere; it has a style that needs to be complemented. Here’s how to work its strengths. 21 pages, 4.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0676 | Gestalt theory: Equilibrium
Our sense of balance affects everything we see. 12 pages, 1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0675 | Design Talk 16: Five Design Ideas
Coin Cover, Many From One, Outie Innie, Accordion Program, Inside Action. 15 pages, 4.8MB | Learn more


0674 | Pix Trix 4: Focal points
Complex or ambiguous photo? Eight simple ways to put the reader’s eye where you want it. 18 pages, 3.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0673 | Design Talk 15: Four Design Ideas
Label Envelope; Tall Image, Wide Page; No-Bleed Design; Warp Tool. 18 pages, 2.7MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0672 | Fun with words and pictures
Wired magazine’s table of contents is a toy box of visual techniques. 18 pages, 3.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0671 | Design like a lazy person
Design is easier if you put your image here and your type there. 19 pages, 1.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0670 | Design Talk 14: Five Design Ideas
Visual Oxymoron, Functional Beauty, Portfolio Card, Sneak Peak, Background Selection. 13 pages, 1.4MB | Learn more

Issue 47 | Learn more


0669 | Callout ideas
Short quotes pulled from the text are fundamental storytelling tools. 26 pages, 7.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0668 | Picture your presentation
Photographs give your audience an emotional connection to your words. 21 pages, 4.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0667 | Lessons from a beautiful site
The University of Miami College of Arts & Sciences shows that beauty really is in the details. 19 pages, 3.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0666 | Design a showroom-style presentation
Automobile magazine’s clever layout streams 10 cars across 18 pages. 12 pages, 1.7MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0665 | Design a pocket-size brochure
Eight small pages unfold into an informative, letter-size sheet. 13 pages, 2.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0664 | Design without rulers
Put away your ruler. Here’s how to design the way you see. 33 pages, 6.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0663 | Picture your group
Have a dozen or more mug shots? A grid of squares gets that gang of yours looking good together. 15 pages, 4.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0662 | Design Talk 13: Five Design Ideas
Separate Fields, Organized Card, Massive Typeface, Sleeve-Style Cover, Home Page Greeting. 16 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more

Issue 46 | Learn more


0661 | Design a catalog of rectangles
Segway’s catalog motif is simple, handsome and versatile. 19 pages, 3.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0660 | How to set a text-only logotype
Key is to work with the natural pattern of your letters. Here’s how. 36 pages, 2.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0659 | Design Talk 12: Five Design Ideas
Graph, Horizontal Scroll, Square Cover, Minimal Poster, Staggered Layout. 13 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more


0658 | Focus your presentation
Apple knows that a perfect presentation is made with the audience in mind. Here’s what we can learn from its brilliant iPhone site. 18 pages, 1.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0657 | Big, bold, beautiful
Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine shows how to design short, engaging stories. 24 pages, 3.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0656 | Design Talk 11: Five Design Ideas
Shadow Logo, Photo Callout, Color Contrast, One-Line Title, Mannequin Model. 15 pages, 3.2MB | Learn more


0655 | Design Talk 10: Five Postcard Ideas
Fresh Shapes; Big Image, Small Type; Front, Back; Centered, Design; Big Type, Small Image. 16 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more


0654 | Pix Trix 3: Scrapbook-style photos
Here are six easy ways to add depth and realism to your digital photos. 18 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 45 | Learn more


0653 | A site of unusual clarity
A portfolio site shows that pure design is beautiful design. 12 pages, 1.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0652 | Design a panoramic booklet
A cross between a book and a magazine, this landscape format is unusually easy to lay out and great to read. 18 pages, 3.8MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0651 | Design a story-style brochure
Fold and unfold a single sheet into an appealing, narrative-like presentation. 16 pages, 3.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0650 | Design Talk 9: Five Design Ideas
A Site of Squares, Photo Name, Fun Lines, High-Style Multi-Caption, Picture-Frame Cover. 15 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0649 | How to design a small poster
To make a big impression at close range, use bold images and high contrasts. 15 pages, 2.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0648 | Small site, great format
This simple beauty is ideal for professionals and small enterprises. 15 pages, 1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0647 | Design Talk 8: Five Design Ideas
Self Rollovers; Old Tabs, Modern Sheen; Optical Alignment; Baby Card; Empty Space. 13 pages, 2MB | Learn more


0646 | Our color wheel
Part science, part art, the color wheel is our tool for understanding which colors go with what. 19 pages, 3.7MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 44 | Learn more


0645 | Design a beautiful Web header
Design an effective header the easy way. Just think in sections. 16 pages, 2.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0644 | Tiny budget, evocative card
Turn a one-color business card into a visual statement. 18 pages, 3.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0643 | Design Talk 7: Five Design Ideas
Outside Inside, Product Callouts, Price Guide, Signature Logo, One-Photo Cover. 16 pages, 4.3MB | Learn more


0642 | Design a wrap-around brochure
Its narrow flap creates a point of interaction with the reader. 13 pages, 2.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0641 | Pix Trix 2: Web graphics
How to design great-looking ads in tiny spaces. 15 pages, 2.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0640 | Picture it twice
Use the same image twice differently to fill your space beautifully. 15 pages, 1.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0639 | Design a dual-purpose letterhead
This pre-perforated, legal-size sheet is part image, part function. 15 pages, 1.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0638 | Design Talk 6: Four Design Ideas
Quarter-Pie CD Format, Two List Ideas, Multi-Caption Photo, Modular Grid. 15 pages, 3.4MB | Learn more

Issue 43 | Learn more


0637 | Create Web page photo backgrounds
Make pages so real it’s like being there. 13 pages, 3.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0636 | Design below the line
Create a report that looks open and inviting. 15 pages, 2.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0635 | Make a theme
Butterfly graphic brightens a gray brochure. 21 pages, 2.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0634 | Design Talk 5: Five Design Ideas
Low-Budget Layout, Photo Grid, Visual Hierarchy, Storytelling Object, Revealing Cover. 15 pages, 2.5MB | Learn more


0633 | Pix Trix 1: Cropping basics
How to crop photos for function and meaning. 16 pages, 2.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0632 | Design teeny-tiny brochures
As small as a business card, they’re classy and irresistibly cute. 18 pages, 2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0631 | Design simple presentations
Visual brevity will help a great talk. 15 pages, 1.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0630 | Design a multi-purpose flier
The single-sheet flier is a low-cost workhorse. This versatile model has many uses. 16 pages, 2.0MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 42 | Learn more


0629 | Design Talk 4: Five Web Ideas
Two Media, One Look; Designed Space; Simple Mouse-Over; Color Hierarchy; Easy-to-Read Slide Show. 13 pages, 1.9MB | Learn more


0628 | A small newsletter that reads big
Half-size page is easy to design and creates a strong impression. 22 pages, 3.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0627 | Design your own Christmas cards
Desktop printers and an inexpensive photo library have made it easy to send beautiful, personal greetings! 16 pages, 2.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0626 | Design a step-up brochure
A compact brochure of loose cards is easy to customize. 16 pages, 3.8MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0625 | Build a picture path
A single row of photos carries your reader from here to there. 12 pages, 1.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0624 | Design first things first
Snap-together modules make this format easy but get the sequence right! 15 pages, 2.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0623 | Design Talk 3: Five Design Ideas
Graph; Modern Layout; Small Size, Big Impact; Focused Design; Personal Brochure. 15 pages, 3MB | Learn more


0622 | Unleash the action!
A still photo is real life on pause. Here’s how to restart the action. 16 pages, 5.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 41 | Learn more


0621 | One-Line Design
Make expressive designs easily and quickly with just a line. 15 pages, 2.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0620 | Design Talk 2: Five Design Ideas
Photo Identity, Powerful Cover, Simple Home Page, CD Calendar, Extended Image. 15 pages, 2.5MB | Learn more


0619 | Design Talk: Six Design Ideas
Storytelling Logo, Beautiful Card, Quick Flier, Great Note Pad, Expressive Typography, Simple Brochure. 15 pages, 2.3MB | Learn more


0618 | Design a flier that comes back
On a budget? Need a response? Design a flier tha’s its own return envelope! 16 pages, 2.1MB | Learn more | Excerptt


0617 | How to look real
How to transform a made-up design into an energetic expression of the real event. 18 pages, 2.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0616 | Design on a Centerline
An image, a typeface and one line are all you need to set a classy scene. 23 pages, 2.2MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0615 | Design a small chart
Visual simplicity transforms a kitchen gimmick into a useful tool. 19 pages, 2.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 40 | Learn more


0614 | Distinctively Oriental
Menu captures the flavor of the Far East in a unique Oriental format. 31 pages, 7.7MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0613 | What typeface goes with that?
How to pick a typeface that complements a graphic. 21 pages, 5.1MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0612 | Open space
Your design should express who you are! Here's how an audio retailer changed his card to look like his high-end store. 22 pages, 3.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0611 | Design a $10 clock
Pop off the hands, pop in your design, and snap it together. 18 pages, 2.5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0610 | How to design small calendars
Eye-catching calendar designs for wallet and desktop. 28 pages, 4.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0609 | Simply borderless
How to design pages for desktop printers that can't print to the edge. 18 pages, 3.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0608 | Three documents, one look
How to turn letterhead, envelope and business card into a single visual presence. 16 pages, 800kb | Learn more | Excerpt


0607 | How to design a second page
You've designed a beautiful outside. How do you follow it up inside? Simply. 16 pages, 4.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt

Issue 39 | Learn more


0606 | Design easy cover patterns
Using this step-and-repeat technique, you can make artistic covers in no time! 18 pages, 3.9MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0605 | Swipe it!
Artistically erase part of an image, shaping it to fit a space. 15 pages, 3.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0604 | Simple, uniform, repetitive
We borrow a page from UPS to illustrate that consistency is key to a successful look. 10 pages, 2.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0603 | Many from one
Big photos have small photos inside! Here’s how to get several images from one original. 18 pages, 5MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0602 | Design a peekaboo brochure
Transform a plain sheet of paper into an engaging brochure by offsetting the folds. 16 pages, 4.4MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0601 | Squeeze play
How to fit a photo into a very skinny space. 13 pages, 3.3MB | Learn more | Excerpt


0600 | Design a label-style title
Words in a shape convey a pleasing blend of informality and permanence. 16 pages, 3.6MB | Learn more | Excerpt

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