Humans rely on visual cues for nearly everything. In fact, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and our brains can process images 60,000 times faster than text. That means for a bloggers and content marketers, blog graphics are an important part of the job.

And while it’s your blog text that will inform your readers, they’re more likely to stay engage if you have related blog graphics. These can be anything from photographs to illustrations, even simple graphs or charts.

Yet, while graphics are aesthetically pleasing, they can also be hard to create if you don’t have a proper understanding of design. So, to help you learn how to create better blog graphics—without being a designer or having a large budget—CoSchedule has put together the following infographic.

It offers tips on how to create better blog graphics to help your posts get the traction they need; some of the tips include what Photoshop skills you should learn, the basics of colour, and where to place text over an image. Learn more about creating blog graphics in the infographic below. And if you have any tips of your own, share them in the comments below or on social media.

The non-designer’s guide to creating better blog graphics

Why you need more visual conent

1. Engagement: Articles with relevant images get 94% more page views than those without
2. Data: Your audience only reads 20% of a web page on average
3. Shares: Pages with pictures see 50% more shares
4. Credibility: 67% of consumers consider detailed images to carry more weight than customer ratings, reviews, and product descriptions

Building blocks to creating better blog graphics

Here are some essential Photoshop skills to learn:

1. Cropping, resizing and selecting images, or parts of images
2. Layers and how they function
3. Blending modes and layer blending options
4. Creating simple shapes such as rounded rectangles, circles, etc.
5. Using the font tool
6. Importing and using patterns, brushes, and shapes
7. Using grids and guides to layout individual elements

4 steps to get going

1. Colours
2. Typefaces: Serif vs sans serif
3. Imagery: Stock images, hero images, and vector graphics
4. Adding more: Icons, brushes, patterns, and shapes

How to create better blog post graphics

Header images

[cols]
[col class=”1/2″]

Option 1:

1. Image
2. Tint
3. Text

Option 2:

1. Image
2. Tint
3. Border
4. Text

Option3:

1. Image
2. Gradient
3. Text

[/col]
[col class=”1/2 last”]

Option 4:

1. Image
2. Shape
3. Text

Option 5:

1. Solid colour
2. Icon
3. Text

[/col]
[/cols]

In-post images

1. Understand what to visualize: Charts, quotes, lists, shares
2. Figure out how to best represent it
3. Mix and match different design elements

The do’s of blog graphics:

• Copy what already works
• Use quality imagery
• Buy icons, vectors, etc.

The dont’s of blog graphics:

• Use poor quality fonts
• Create your own icons
• Use too many design elements

Tips to remember

1. Keep it simple
2. Copy what already works
3. Buy what you can’t create

For more useful tips for non-designers, click here.

Source: http://coschedule.com/blog/non-designers-blog-graphics-guide/
http://www.billiondollargraphics.com/infographics.html