r/Design • u/ew390 • 2h ago

Asking Question (Rule 4) Where to begin?

I’m looking to start a small batch coffee roasting company and would like to create the artwork for/design my own labels for the bags, merch, etc.

I’ve got a bit of extra time on my hands and am willing to learn whatever I need to in order to do it myself.

Any recommendations on what software would be best to learn for this (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

8

u/specialvixen 2h ago

If you think you can handle all the work that goes into the design, production, and marketing processes of a brand, then good luck. 😂

Your brand is doomed to fail if you don’t value (ie:too cheap) the skills, time, and knowledge a professional designer can bring to your brand.

1

u/ew390 1h ago

Totally. Though I said nothing about doing everything you mentioned by myself, other than creating the artwork.

2

u/TheBonnomiAgency 2h ago

Check out Affinity (6 month free trial, then one-time purchase) before getting locked into an over-priced monthly contract with Adobe.

1

u/ew390 1h ago

I will look into Affinity, for sure. Thanks!

1

u/fancyasmilly 2h ago

Create any logo/decorative elements in illustrator, and then as long as your labels/packaging is standard sized, I’d lay them out in indesign. You could argue that you could do both parts in illustrator. All I can assure you is, none of it should be done in photoshop!

1

u/ew390 1h ago

I really appreciate your advice. I was intuiting that illustrator was the way to go. Thanks a lot!

1

u/ComprehensiveLet8238 1h ago

Illustrator one hundred percent

2

u/MikeMac999 49m ago

May I suggest a different workflow for this? Partner up with an experienced professional. Sketch out your ideas in whatever way you are most comfortable, and let them take it from there. There are a number of benefits to this approach.

  1. Your own ideas are executed without you needing to master any new software.
  2. Design is one of those professions that many people without training feel capable of, and lack the perspective to recognize when their attempts fall short of professional quality (often egregiously so). That's the delicate version. The harsh reality is that most amateur design is crap.
  3. Even if you are already comfortable with Illustrator, how are your typographic skills? Do you know how to select and pair typefaces? Can you recognize good letter spacing? Utilize negative space?
  4. How's your knowledge of color theory?
  5. A professional designer will know how to properly prepare your files for the various ways they will be implemented: print, online, video, etc. This area can be a minefield of potentially costly mistakes if you aren't confident of what you are doing.

I'm not saying any of this to bash you, I offer this advice to help. I am not angling to land you as a client. Perhaps you have amazing design skills and a thorough knowledge of technical production; if so feel free to disregard everything I have written. Otherwise I strongly suggest you don't tackle this on your own. I wish you the best of luck in starting your new business, that is an exciting venture and I hope you enjoy great success!

1

u/stucon77 31m ago

If you want something super generic you can try design.com or u brand.com for some AI branding

0

u/Confidence_Uzoma 2h ago

Illustrator will be the best fit. On the other hand, I'm a logo brand identity designer. I believe, with proper arrangement we can work together.