Do you want to save time creating blog graphics and make your pictures look amazing?
If you said yes in your head (or outloud 😀 ), then yay! I’m so glad you found this post today.
Here’s the deal. You can save a ton of time by using Photoshop for blog graphics. What? You’ve heard Photoshop is really complicated and a major deal to use? It can be if you want it to be, but the secret is: Photoshop doesn’t have to be that complicated.
What? You’ve heard Photoshop is really complicated and a major deal to use? It can be if you want it to be, but the secret is: Photoshop doesn’t have to be that complicated.
I’ll show you how, and you’ll be really surprised it was so easy. You’ll also kick yourself for wasting all that time making blog graphics over and over again with PicMonkey.
I like to have 3 different sizes of graphics for each blog post. That way, if I ever need a quick blog graphic in, say, a square shape for a link party, it’s already created and ready to go.
I’m even going to beef up this post with keyboard shortcuts to make your life even easier and help your blogging work go that much faster. I can literally save 6 different photos in less than 5 minutes after I have my words decided on and my images selected.
First an overview, and then the step-by-step instructions for making blog graphics in Photoshop.
Overview on how to create blog graphics
- Create a new file (or use the one you create with this tutorial as a template).
- Set the dimensions to Pinterest size.
- Save the file with a keyword-rich name (this will save time uploading the file later on).
- Add text and your photo you want to use in your blog graphic.
- Save the file as a .psd.
- Save the file as a .jpg.
- Resize your canvas to square size.
- Save as .psd and then .jpg.
- And finally, resize down to Facebook cover photo size and resave again.
You’ll end up with .psds and .jpgs of 3 different files (Pinterest, Square, Facebook Cover) that you can use as blog graphics or manipulate later on as a template for another blog post.
Step by step
Create your main (Pinterest) blog graphic
- Open Photoshop.
- File > New (Ctrl+N)
- Set width to 1000 pixels and height to 1500 pixels. (OK)
- Save (Ctrl+S) your file with a keyword-rich title
- (T) to make a text box by clicking and dragging a text box window
- Type your text and change it’s font/size/color with the menu at the top
- Press Enter (not Return) to exit the text window
- Leave Photoshop and navigate to your photo in Windows Explorer
- Drag the photo into Photoshop
- Use the corners to resize the photo. (Hold shift to keep it the same proportions.)
- Press enter to place the photo.
- Adjust the text and photo using the move tool (V) and the transform tool (Ctrl+T)
- Save again (Ctrl+S)
Save multiple sizes & formats
- Save as (Ctrl+Shift+S) a .jpg with the same name
- Save as (Ctrl+Shift+S) a .psd with the “file name square.psd”
- Go to Edit > Canvas Size and change it to 1200 wide x 1200 tall
- Adjust photo and text as needed.
- Save (Ctrl+S)
- Save as (Ctrl+Shift+S) a .psd with the “file name cover.psd”
- Go to Edit > Canvas Size and change it to 1200 wide x 627 tall
- Save (Ctrl+S)
- Save as (Ctrl+Shift+S) a .jpg with the same name
How easy was that?! You just created an entire suite of photos for your blog post. You will inevitably need multiple sizes of the of the same blog graphic for different aspects of blogging, and this is a crazy fast way to create blog graphics. Not only that but the next time you need to create a blog graphic, you just need to open your original file, change the words and photo then go through the steps to “save multiple sizes” again. Easy as pie.
After you’ve used this system a few times, you’ll breeze right through creating blog graphics in Photoshop and you’ll be a pro, too.
Are you getting stuck somewhere along the way? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see if I can help. 🙂
Was this helpful? You should probably pin this so you can find it later. 🙂
