14 Freebies Experts Think Designers Should Have

A lot of new designers always fumble with basic designing questions. And one such popular question is ‘How much should I charge?’ There isn’t a fixed rate to be honest, designers charge as per their skills and experience. But one thing to keep in mind is, charge as per the value you provide instead of quoting what other designers do or how much hours you put in. And while we attempt to provide as many tips as we can, we also scour the web regularly to provide you with the best resources designers have needed.

Here are 14 such freebies that experts recommend for designers:

15 Seamless Icon Patterns & Seamless Wood Patterns

Patterns immediately add zing to your web work. Whether you need one for his backdrop of your web page, or you want to include this in a post, these icon and wood patterns would take your work several notches higher.

Use them for a quirky element on your posters and invites or just enhance the look of an image by putting a wood pattern in the background. The rustic feel complements a lot of country-specific wedding invites and website backgrounds too.

Including them in headers and footers too is a good way to put in something extra without a lot of efforts.

10 Colorful Grunge Textures

Grunge elements instantly elevate the complete look of any design but if you want to do it from scratch, be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort. Or you can go down the smarter route and choose grunge textures that do the work beautifully well, and in a jiffy.

From giving a realistic grungy feel to your work to providing depth and texture, this set of 10 grunge textures is a great resource to own. Use these varied colored textures for a diffused look or play around with soft light. Don’t like certain elements of the texture? Mask it to make it work the way you want it to.

A bundle of Photoshop actions to give that WOW effect to your pictures

Pictures speak a thousand words. Not only do they give that personalized feel on the web pages and blogs, but they also provoke the user to do some action. It might be as good as “clicking the BUY” button or a simple share.

It is simple. Pictures make it easier to understand what the web page is trying to convey. So for example a picture with a child using a laptop shows how easy it is to use the device rather than a huge paragraph of text trying to convey the simplicity of the device.

So why not use pictures! But make sure that you add those special effects with this set of free Photoshop actions.

iPad Air Mockups

Mockups are crucial for your success as it gives a realistic insight into what the final product would look like. Your client’s mental picture might differ from your work, and which in turn leads to a difference in understanding. Avoid the complications by showing responsive website designs, interface and a lot more on a mockup.

The iPad Air mockup can be scaled without any loss in pixel quality as it comes in Photoshop shapes. You get the black and white cover version with this freebie that you can download instantly.

Special Effects for your photos

One can distinctly stand out by adding some special effects to your website like vintage or black and white effects.

Vintage never goes out of style. One can add vintage photos (Yes, you can give special vintage effects to your stock photos with this set of free Presets) or use some special vintage fonts or even get some great vintage badges to show off your products on the page. And believe me, a clean and impressive vintage can just do wonders for you. Try it out and leave a comment on the page.

Elegant Print Templates!

The print isn’t dead and never will be. A printed business card will always have an upper hand over a LinkedIn profile. It’s the personalization aspect that wins over every time, and also the fact that the majority has turned to everything virtual, print has now found a superior distinctive status.

So the next time you’re throwing a party and need to get a flyer done or need a corporate flyer, you don’t need to hire someone to create them for you. Just use these elegant print templates and that’s half the work done. The set also comprises of some great business card template with a refined touch to it.

The template is licensed for both personal and commercial usage.

Custom photos for your website

Stock photos are good… but custom photos are better.

It is a fact that photos help to popularize your product or blog. But you may not always find the best photos that you are looking for. Additionally, they may not convey the personalization that a custom photo can convey. So if you have ever visited Neil’s website (www.quicksprout.com), Neil is all over the place. Be it his advertisement banners, or his personal appeal to buy his products. And it works.

Try it out… it is not as complex as you think. You needn’t hire a photographer and spend oodles of money. Here is a free guide on photography to help you create compelling photographs for your web pages.

201 Vectors & 30 Patterns

The monotone of a website can be seriously putting-off. While you can unleash your designing prowess and revamp a site to make it steer ahead of the stereotyped competition, you can also add smaller elements that might seem like an imperceptible change but can change the face of your web page.

One such way to do that is through vectors and patterns. For instance, the assorted silhouette variety you get in this freebie would find its place in a dance-based design or one that revolves around exercise postures, and even sports. Use these self-explanatory vector silhouettes and icons not just on websites but also posters and invites and spruce up your page while conveying a message.

Heraldry Vector Images

If you were a designer in the medieval times, you’d have needed these vector images a lot to keep up with the changing face of the medieval war back then. But it’s 2016 and we’d content ourselves with using these for websites centered on A Song of Ice and Fire (GoT you guys! Read a book!).

From crests, shields, armors, crowns, swords to even dragons, this set of freebie would be the Iron Throne to your GoT website. But don’t single this one out yet, since we are GoT obsessed we relate everything to it. These vectors are also applicable for a myriad of other projects. Include them on posters and invites, on web pages, headers and footers, and even for printing them on t-shirts!

48 free social media icons

Social media is the backbone of every business today. You need to have a good presence to attract more prospects, and one way to do that is increasing content sharing options through social media icons.

These icons can be directly placed on the page and linked, or you can use these as explanatory icons on web pages and in presentations. Comprising icons of all major social media platforms, the kit would be a valuable addition to your toolbox.
Source: http://dealfuel.com/seller/sunday-freebie-48-free-social-media-icons/?utm_source=webappers&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=freebie-roundup&utm_campaign=webappers-mar16

3D App Mockup

We see so many app designers lose out on both investors and customers because they cannot explain the workings of the app properly.

If you’ve created a stellar app that has huge potential, use this simple and clean 3D App Mockup to provide a realistic view of your app and what to expect from it. The resolution of the mockup is 1136X640 and is powerfully built to offer a sleek, clutter-free look.

Passion Portfolio WordPress Theme

What’s more important than building a portfolio for an artist? Showcasing them. Whether you are a photographer, fashion designer, web designer or anyone engaged in the creative field, a portfolio is a fulcrum on which your success depends.

Just building a website isn’t enough, you need to choose the right theme to complement the objective of your website. And in this case, the Passion Portfolio theme is perfect to both add mojo to your website and put your best work in the limelight.

Built with power-packed features like dragging and dropping photos, slider portfolio option, unlimited galleries and more, the theme is an absolute must-have.

100 high-resolution Vector Icons

You’d need icons by the bulk, and in every project, we guarantee that. This is why we always suggest designers to stock up on as many sets of icons as they can.

This freebie is an eclectic mix of icons that would help communicate, break monotone, increase click-through rate and overall breathe in some life to boring textual pages. From houses, emoticons, logos to knick-knacks, you’d find a variety of icons in this freebie.

Hope you found these resources useful. We always encourage designers to have each other’s backs, so if you have tips for other designers, share with them in the comments below.

Create your own videos to promote your blog

Did you know that video marketing improves click rates?

Yes, it does. In fact it creates 50% more buzz than a normal photo. But creating videos is not everyone’s cup of tea. Or is it? Once you get your hands on this guide to creating videos, it sure will be a cakewalk for you to create your own videos.

About the Author

Swati is a nature-freak, loves traveling and capturing unforgettable memories along the way. She loves singing and driving – often, both at the same time. Her favorite passtime is to hangout with her family and friends. She believes in work hard and party harder. Swati is responsible for updating DealFuel blogs – a daily deals site for web designers and developers with some really good deals and freebies.