First impression of Adobe illustrator - A Musical Brochure Try

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Task Analysis

Prerequisite

So, I got the job and started learning how to design a brochure. There are a few aspects I need to consider.

Selection of Design Software

I'm proficient in Photoshop and Adobe Effect, so I prefer Adobe products.

The abundance of nice templates available online, though I don't use them at the end, indicates the popularity of the design software.

Ultimately, I chose Adobe Illustrator. It's a vector design software that's convenient for designing print products. It includes features like drawing board arrangement and bleed design. During the design process, I discovered a vast collection of icons and Illustration SVG files on Freepik.com's library. Additionally, I found some fantastic effects like shadow and filter plugins. I'm quite satisfied with this software.

Another option was Adobe InDesign, but I didn't delve into it.

Design Theme and Style

I aim to design a modern brochure, not an outdated one. So, I plan to research and find some exceptional masterpieces online.

Searching both in English and Japanese is a good idea, as Japanese designers are known for their modern designs that align well with Asian aesthetics.

For a beginner, learning and drawing inspiration from master designs is an excellent way to develop a good aesthetic and design instinct. I have seen significant improvement in my work by doing this.

Ultimately, I plan to design in a modern style, similar to that of a music festival, with a touch of nostalgia by using Chinese traditional Font and incorporating an aged texture.

Paper Size

Common sizes for brochures include A4 and A3. These sizes are budget-friendly but may not be the best fit for a music brochure, as the rectangular shape is more suited to a poster.

A more advanced option is a square format. This size gives a luxury feel, is easy to hold, and can contain more content. However, it's more expensive to print due to the need for cutting - no paper comes in a square size. It's also more challenging to print because it's not a common size. The square format is similar to a CD package, which is why I am persevering with it.

I decided on a balanced approach - a tri-fold square brochure. It's easy to read, convenient to print, and efficient in terms of paper usage, as we can fit two brochures on one A3 or A4 sheet.

Cover illustration and main Color selection

Thanks to AI(ChatGPT and DALL-E) .

Font selection

Thank to AI(ChatGPT) .

Background illustration Design

Thank to AI(Stable diffusion) . But this workload is huge than the previous process ever. I am using Pic2Pic in Stable diffusion. I desire a cartoon style and it's crucial that the shape and line should closely resemble the original.

Dulwich Zhuhai Front view (Erase the background on Photoshop)

I've tried for several hours but haven't found a satisfactory result. I've experimented with different models, including Lora and VAE. While Prompt and Lora produce stable style outputs, they don't closely resemble the original building.

There were results that were better than this one, but they have all been deleted.

If the output doesn't resemble the original building, it's pointless.

What I'm missing is ControlNet, which can transfer the original picture's characteristic to the output. Different algorithms are used for different purposes. I think I used the line algorithm, but I can't recall clearly because I worked on it late at night.

After a bit of trying, I finally achieved a perfect result.

Although it's not 100% identical, it's good enough for a background picture.

Finished product

Conclusion:

(The color of the printed product is significantly lighter; the rectangle behind the title and the background of the Dulwich Zhuhai illustration are nearly invisible.) — (The color of the printed product is significantly **lighter**; the rectangle behind the title and the background of the Dulwich Zhuhai illustration are nearly invisible.)

Resource:

Freepik.com for free pictures, templates and illustrations download.

https://www.iconfont.cn for icon resources.

Choose A proper Paper Size

You must balance the budget, content, and printing convenience.

Stable Diffusion (for generate AI illustrations):

Big model is base, use the latest one

Lora is styling control

ControlNet is for Controlling the diffusion process. Make a more stable Construction shape and human gesture.

Printing color is difference to Computer viewing:

Purchasing a CMYK color book. Use the book as a reference to ensure correct color usage.

Printing an Example first. Printers can vary, especially as some print shops can be quite informal. Therefore, adjustments may need to be made for each printer shop's specific printer.

😢My hard work illustrations are nearly invisible in the final printed Brochure.