40 Top-Notch Print Based Tutorials
There don’t seem to be enough print related tutorials online, so in this round up I wanted to cover as many print specific articles as possible. I also wanted to mix in some that weren’t directly print related, but that help create print related products like movie posters, ads, cd covers, etc.
The tutorials in this post cover the use of Photoshop, InDesign, and even Illustrator. I think when learning about print it is important to understand how to use the programs that are designed for print such as InDesign, and not just using Photoshop as a default application for everything. That’s why I tried to round up as many good InDesign tutorials as possible.
Print Related Tutorials
Create a Five-color Magazine Cover using a Spot Metallic
This is a great tutorial that shows you how to create a professional looking magazine cover and not one of those lame fake magazine cover that doesn’t even look like a real magazine. You know what I am talking about.
Create a Vibrant Drink Ad
This is some text describing the image if needed, and why it was chosen. Usually 2-3 sentences in length.
Planet Terror Style Movie Poster
Create a grungy movie poster that mimics that of the popular movie, Planet Terror.
Design a 6 Panel CD Package Tutorial
In depth tutorial on how to create a full 6 page cd booklet and not just the cd case cover.
From Dull Digital Photo to Sweet Old School Album Cover
Simple tutorial that shows that you can take even the most boring picture and turn it into a cool retro cd cover.
Design a Cool Outlaw Flyer with InDesign Tutorial
A InDesign tutorial that walks you trough the process of creating a flyer using stock graphics, InDesign, and other elements.
Prepare your InDesign files for print production
An older article by Adobe, but still provides a number of timeless tips for getting your files ready for print production.
Create and Print a Brochure with Photoshop, Indesign and UPrinting.com – Part 1
A multipart tutoiral that shows you how to use Photoshop and InDesign together to create a print brochure.
Your Own Crazy Movie Poster
In this tutorial you learn how to create a mock movie poster of the popular movie Pirates of the Caribbean.
Rich black versus plain black
A nice article/tutorial that covers the difference rich blacks and plain blacks. If you don’t know the difference, you should check out this post.
Printing in Photoshop CS4
This is a really good video tutorial about how to properly print files from within the new version of Photoshop CS4.
Design a Ready to Print Brochure in Photoshop
This is another tutorial that teaches you how to create a print ready brochure using nothing more than Photoshop.
Political Poster Art in Photoshop
This tutorial shows you how to create an artistic and political poster with Photoshop.
Design Business Cards in Adobe InDesign
A simple tutorial that shows you how to use InDesign to create your business card layouts and designs.
Creative Uses for Paragraph Rules in InDesign, Pt 1
This is a really neat article that shows you some clever tricks for using paragraph styles in InDesign.
Creative Uses for Paragraph Rules in InDesign, Pt 2
Part Two of the really cool article from above! More cool ideas for paragraph styles.
ACE InDesign and a Few Tips I Picked Up Along the Way
A great article that has some basic tips and advice to make you a star at InDesign and create amazing print media.
Design a Professional Laptop Advert
A popular tutorial that shows you how to create a magazine style laptop ad with a pretty cool end result.
InDesign Project — Bleed and Layering Master Pages
This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.
InDesign Project — Lists, Tabs and Final Details
This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.
InDesign Project — Working with Text and Images
This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.
InDesign Project — Setting Up Master Pages and Styles
This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.
How to use Photoshop to create Product Box?
In this tutorail you learn how to create the infamous product box that you see all over the web. This seems to be one of the better ones out there.
CD Cover Design
Here is another cd cover tutorial that uses Photoshop to help you create a graphically powerful cd cover.
Sleek Phone Advertisement Flyer>
Im not sure when cell phones ads starting looking like this, but here is a good tutorial that shows you how to mimic this style.
Linkin Park Album Cover
Here is a cd cover tutorial that shows you how to create a cd cover simialr to one of the Linkin Park cds.
Gig Poster Design
Here is a high quality tutorial with an awesome end product. Leanr how to create a retro look concert poster.
Cardboard And Torn Paper Business Card
With this tutorial you learn how to create a professional business card with a rough paper texture look to it.
Making a grungy business card
Who says grunge can’t look professional? This business card tutorial shows you how to create a slick grunge business card.
Designing a Cover Using Spectrograms>
The name says it all. this photoshop tutorial shows youhow to create a cool album cover using spectograms.
Stencil Poster Effects
Here is another high quality tutorial that shows you how to create a really cool effect. The end product is an awesome looking poster.
How to Create a Hannibal Style Movie Poster
A simple movie poster tutorial that shoes you how to create a Hannible like movie poster in just a few steps.
Design a Print Ready Business Card for Designers
Chris shows you how he created his very own business card, front and back. A neat tutorial witha coolfinished result.
Business Card Design Project Walkthrough
Another interesting tutorial by Chris that covers the business card design process from start to finish.
B Movie Post Art
One of my favorite tutorials on this list; this tutorial shows you how to make a really cool vinatge b-movie style poster.
Abstract Poster Effects
This is a cool poster tutorail that shows you how to make some cool abstract effects.
Create an Inspirational Vector Political Poster
Here is a popular poster tutorial that shares with you the secret to recreating to popular Obama poster.
Create New Business Card
Tutorial master Abduzeedo shows us how to create a web 2.0 style business card that is super slick.
Design a Sleek Nature Themed Phone Advert
Lastly, we have another cell phone ad that uses a nature theme and abstract elements.
Be sure to check out some of our own Photoshop Tutorials for more print based articles.
70 Comments
useful stuff! thanks – simon at Pixmac
Flag as inappropriatehi I am from Iran
Flag as inappropriateI used
your site is beautiful
thanks
Thanks for the great post, very useful!
Flag as inappropriateAmazing tutorial lot of useful content, grate for beginers who starts to learn print desing.
Flag as inappropriateAwesome post, it will take time for me to complete all the tutorials anyway thanks for sharing these tutorials.
Flag as inappropriateLooks great. I like this collection very much.
Flag as inappropriateYikes, great collection!
Flag as inappropriateI like this list!
I often having a project to design CD Cover, my solution when using Photoshop is by increase the resolution up to 300 dpi which resulting really big file size. Hoping one of the list let me walk out from that trouble.
Many thanks :D
Flag as inappropriateHi! Great post, but the link to “Prepare your InDesign files for print production” seems to be broken. Thanx!
Flag as inappropriateThanks for this great list. I am a webdeveloper and I should learn the print stuff. Sometimes I have to do some print ads in the agency but it’s hard work for me, so thank you :-)
Flag as inappropriateThanks for that. Should help a lot!
Flag as inappropriatethanks for sharing. So mush123
Flag as inappropriatethanks for sharing. So mush116
Flag as inappropriatethanks for sharing. So mush111
Flag as inappropriategreat i never seen before.
Flag as inappropriateI admire your ability! very comprehensive.
Flag as inappropriatenice. here is a good one about Object Layer Options: http://www.nineteenfortyone.com/2009/11/object-layer-options-in-indesign/
Flag as inappropriateGreat to see some print related stuff online – plenty of web tuts around but print seems to get forgotten :-( and some of us are still doing a lot of print – 90% of my workload is print). So a BIG thank you for sharing!
Flag as inappropriatewow pretty awesome .. thanks
Flag as inappropriateStunning collection. I have some learning to do – thanks!
Flag as inappropriategreat blog thank you for sharing
Flag as inappropriateYou could probably trim the list to 30, or even 20 tutoriales and will be just as great.
I’m a sucker for anything indesign, and those tutorials don’t dissapoint :D
Flag as inappropriateSome great examples of brilliant Print tutorials here guys. Thanks.,
Flag as inappropriateWow. Those are great. I really like the red brochure with the yellow tassel and I like the laptop one. Great collection here!
Flag as inappropriateWhat a brilliant collection. The Planet Terror style poster is a real killer! I love posters and find long hours collecting them, viewing them (wherever I can) and talking about them. I have often wished if I knew how they were created. Your post answers many of my queries.
Flag as inappropriateThis is one of the most complete tutorial list I’ve seen anywhere on the web. Have just bookmarked it and will definitely find time to go through them all.
Thanks for sharing :)
Flag as inappropriateJust to let you know, there are a few typos in this entry.
Other than that, this was extremely awesome! Very useful. I need as many reminders about print as I can get.
Flag as inappropriateGreat inspiration. I like this post very much
Flag as inappropriateGreat list! However you forgot to change the description for the second one on the list (Vibrant Drink Ad) ;)
An inside look at your styleguide! muhahahaha! :D
Flag as inappropriateDanny, many thanks for including so many Creative Curio articles! I’m honored! I wish there were more print tuts online and I’m glad you’ve done such an excellent round up of what is out there.
Flag as inappropriateWow these are amazing thanks for the post
Flag as inappropriatelooking through them now
Great…. nothing like being sick and having a long weekend ahead of me. Looks like i’ll be busy restin & readin. Cool!
Flag as inappropriateHello =)
Flag as inappropriateI’d like to know how to make such beautyfull color buckets with that tint splashes like the one’s on the post “40 top notch print tutorials”
Retro designs and fonts seem to be quite popular these days. I am a fan.
Flag as inappropriatePrint… Whats that? ;-)
Flag as inappropriateThanks for these tutorials, they’re awesome.
Flag as inappropriateGreat roundup, thanks so much for including 3 tutorials from PSDFAN. Just a heads up – you need to fix the description on the second tutorial (my refreshing drinks ad).
Flag as inappropriategreat article, I enjoy print-based tutorials the most, because in my opinion, that’s one of the hardest parts, to get printed everything just a way you want.
Flag as inappropriateI equal your opinion… you’re totally right!
Flag as inappropriate*haven’t forgot about print* …oops
Flag as inappropriateThis is the post i’ve been waiting for! Thank you so much. Its nice to hear people having forgot about print.
Flag as inappropriateI’m just about to finish my first large print project, a 50-page book, so these tuts will make for great reading!
Wow. Great Post :) Thanks. Tweeted.
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