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How To Use Food Clip Art Creatively
There are lots of foodies in the world and plenty of websites with a food focus. Many websites which feature recipes galore and information on food preparation and cooking techniques are run by individuals who put their heart and soul into maintaining their website, on a shoestring.
Ads can generate some income, but with so many websites about food, your competition is stiff. It's hard to distinguish yourself with so much that needs to be done. Most of your work is done for free. The appearance of your website is important, as most foodie web surfers are also into the visual experience. If you can't afford a professional food photographer, you're probably using free food clip art to add some interest. However, the problem with such free clip art is that it's so generic. A little sketch, rendered in boring colors, won't really generate a lot of interest. It can fill in some space and look cute, but that's about as far as it goes. Let's take a look at some ways of using free food clip art that makes a creative and visually appealing addition to your website.
First, you must be sure that the food clip art you're using is truly royalty free. When you go collecting your food clip art, read the terms of service and use carefully. The last thing you want is copyright infringement!
Now, go check out some of the free graphic editors and tools downloads available online. One excellent source is www.freedownloadscenter.com, but there are many others from which to choose. You'll be amazed at the number of utilities and software applications which allow you to transform a plain Jane clip art piece into a stunning graphic.
Let's say you've got some food clip art depicting a steaming pot of soup, in an inglorious rendition of a black outline and beige and brown. Not too exciting. There is free software that allows you to sketch the outline and eliminate everything else. Another utility lets you fill in the sketch with charcoal strokes in every color of the rainbow. There's yet another program which lets you layer one image over another. Take a digital photo of your clam chowder in the stockpot on the stove. Superimpose that chowder to fit your clip art sketch. Merge a background of a brilliant blue that makes that chowder what your customer wants on the dinner table tonight. Voila! You've got a graphic that stands out from the crowd.
Modifying free food clip art is easy and fun. It won't take but a few minutes to make your own graphics. Build up your portfolio over time. When you become proficient with a number of these graphics tools, new ideas will surface. Your customers will love this enhancement to your site. This means you'll edge out less innovative competitors. Good for you!
Summary
Food clip art can greatly enhance your food web site with strategic placement and interesting comments. Professional photographs cost a good deal, and clip art could be the ideal solution for web graphics to enhance your site. You can find software which will allow you to change a basic clip art into something truly unique for your site.
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