PVM Garage » Freebies

MOJO Themes Review and Giveaway

Max — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:10:53 +0000

I have been contacted by MOJO Themes about a cool new giveaway! Just for signing up for an account they they are offering five random readers of this blog prizes from the marketplace. Here are the details of the prize package:

1. Their #1 selling Wordpress theme, Apollo Wordpress Theme. This is a very professional looking theme that should give any business an online presence in no time.

2. A tumblr theme called Theme for Themers. This is a nice clean theme. At $10, it’s also a pretty inexpensive way to have a tumblr page that stands out.

3. The Neoteric HTML template. Of the three, this is my favorite. I am not sure what type of site can best take advantage of it, but I imagine there are many businesses for whom this would work.

To enter the giveaway, just complete these three easy steps:

Step 1: Retweet this post.

Step 2: Follow @mojo_themes on twitter.

Step 3: Comment on this post with your MOJO Themes username, so they know where to deposit the prizes.

My review of MOJO Themes:

The first thing I thought after being contacted by MOJO was how slick their site looks. Maybe I am just partial to cartoon pirate dragons, but I think their site looks great. There is a lot information to present with a site like this. You want visitors to know immediately that they are looking at a theme/skin marketplace. You need to highlight user account login/signup/account info and the popular designs that visitors will most likely be interested in. MOJO has managed to do a pretty good job with this. Hovering your mouse over any of the templates or themes will produce a good sized popup to preview the design.

I also think their site is very easy to use. I found it very easy to move from the main marketplace site to a demo of the product and back. One feature I would recommend adding is the ability to remain on the demo page and cycle through a whole category of products instead of going back and forth. Also as the site grows, some more features related to filtering results would be nice too. I didn’t see any option to sort by color for example. A lot of themes come in multiple colors, so maybe that’s the reason.

I did go through the checkout process to purchase the Apollo theme and it was very easy. There is a downloads area in the user account section where all of your purchases are shown.

Just click the link, and you’ll be ready to install the theme quickly.

Overall I think the emergence of marketplaces like MOJO are great for designers. While custom work will continue to be the bread and butter for most designers, the ability to design a theme once, upload it, and then sit back and collect payments is great. Even if you don’t make as many sales as you hope, extra exposure is always a good thing. Plus I bet that customization requests come in quite often for themes in the marketplace since everyone will want something a little bit different for their site.

NextDayFlyers.com Giveaway!

Max — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:45:02 +0000

NextDayFlyers.com would like to announce a $50 giveaway for use in their online print shop. Just like their name says, NextDayFlyers specializes in the speedy delivery of custom full color printed business cards, brochures, postcards, as well as specialty die cuts and other marketing materials. They are committed to printing their customer’s orders by the next business day.

Entering the giveaway is easy. Just leave a comment below and retweet this contest. Your comment should let us know what you would use the NextDayFlyer prize to print.

Entries are welcome until September 30th, so you have 10 days to enter. At that time, NextDayFlyers will randomly choose a winner and let you know how to claim your $50 in printed materials by email.

25 Great Stock Images Plus with $100 Subscription Giveaway

Steve — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:20:05 +0000

Depositphotos is offering a free $100 account to the website with access to over 1,800,000 photos from 25,000 photographers! Enter the contest today!

Depositphotos offers designers royalty free stock photos and illustrations from only $0.10!

How to enter the contest:
1. Retweet & Facebook Share this contest using the social networking outlets
2. Visit Deposit Photos
3. View the images in the post
4. Your entry

What to post in the comment section:
1. I’ve re tweeted and shared this contest on facebook!
2. I visited DepositPhotos website and rate it (1 to 5) (5 being the best)
3. Your favorite image from our post
4. Please enter me into the Depositphoto Stock Photo Subscription Contest with access to 1.8Million photos!

This contest will be running until August 18th, 2010, a random winner will be chosen.

Grand Canal

Author: sailorr

Business Team

Author: zeffss

Red hot chili pepper with smoke

Author: nrey_ad

Young Couple Piggybacking

Author: get4net

The boy observes cultivation

Author: cookelma

Defocused light

Author: haveseen

House

Author: cookelma

Sprout

Author: cookelma

Five women team

Author: chaoss

Redhead sensuality

Author: nikascorpionka

People dancing at club

Author: nejron

Jumping girl

Author: deltaoff

Road in desert

Author: muha04

African nature concept

Author: muha04

Nature

Author: scyther5

Lines of CMYK paint

Author: masterOK

Paint tubes vintage look

Author: wime77

Female robot with computer mouse

Author: nejron

Landscape behind the open door

Author: ISergey

Wine barrel grapes and grapevine

Author: Miiisha

Polar bear underwater attack

Author: Mirage3

Goldfish

Author: imaginative

Progress

Author: olly18

Happy young woman

Author: Yuri_Arcurs

Customer service

Author: Yuri_Arcurs

Vectorious.net stock images and illustrations 6 month subscription contest

Steve — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:24:07 +0000

Vectorious is offering a free 6 month subscription to the website with access to over 3,600 downloads! Enter the contest today!

We came across Vectorious.net and we were very impressed. Here you can find over 11,800 quality stock vector images at the right price. We’ve included a sample of their work below, however we strongly recommend visiting Vectorious for your own viewing pleasure

How to enter the contest:
1. Retweet & Share this contest using the social networking links below
2. Visit Stock Vector Images
3. View the images in the post
4. Your entry

What to post in the comment section:
1. I’ve re tweeted and shared this contest!
2. I visited Vectorious website and rate it (1 to 5) (5 being the best)
3. Your favorite image from our post
4. Please enter me into the Vectorious Stock Photo Subscription Contest with access to 3600+ downloads!

This contest will be running until August 6th, 2010, a random winner will be chosen.

star vector illustration – retro background

vector vintage floral background with roses

wallpaper vector art – paisley seamless illustration

vector vintage hibiscus illustration

wings vector t-shirt design with skulls

vector colorful abstract illustration

vector colorful abstract background

funny monsters background

damask seamless pattern vector background

background vector – concert poster

natural vector – summer background

cityscape vector art – abstract background

leaf vector colorful floral illustration with geisha

man vector illustration – warrior emblem

$2500 FREE Custom Website and Programming Contest from Capsis Media

Steve — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:14:33 +0000

Our friends at Capsis Media are offering one of our readers a free, completely custom website design and programming project through a comment contest on pvmgarage. Capsis Media is a Toronto based company which offers website design, development, and custom programming with focus on producing 100% custom web designs and coding. Capsis stands out from the competition by offering 100% truly custom designs and always include unlimited revisions during the drafting stage.

How to enter the contest:

Post a comment: ” Enter me into the Custom Website Design by Capsis Media ” and anything else you wish to add!

The $2500 Value prize:

Capsis Media will construct a custom website design including all inner pages required for the script you want constructed. You will receive all the design files, fully coded with master PSD file (apx $500 value) and will custom code any type of php script you require for your website up to $2,000 value in programming. The application/script will be coded from scratch (no open sources) and you will have complete ownership of the new application/script. With Capsis Media, $2,000 in programming goes a very long way!

Entries will be accepted up until August 2, 2010, a winner will be announced the August 4, 2010.

Extending an Exclusive Discount to PVM readers:

Capsis is also offering our readers an exclusive discount on any custom website design, programming, website banner design, script development project. Simply visit the Capsis Media online quotation form, enter your project details, use discount code PVM40 and you will automatically receive a discount between 20 to 40% off any project. Offer is value for the term of this contest and is not valid with any other promo.

Contest! Win a Free Inkd Membership and Business Cards

Steve — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:25:53 +0000

Our friends at Inkd love pvmgarage.com and offered our visitors the opportunity to win either a free 3 month membership to Inkd (value $199) or 500 free premium business cards (value $150).

It is extremely easy to enter the content, just follow these instructions to enter:

Post a comment containing…

1. After visiting Inkd.com, rate their overall website between 1 to 5 (5 being the best)

2. Select the top entry from the designs listed in this post

3. Which prize you prefer to win

A random winner will be chosen. The winners will be announced late next week. No duplicate posting please.

Logo Design – Antiq NY

Logo Design – Timber Architects

Logo Design – Brick House Bookstore

Logo Design – Fleur Chiropractic

Logo Design – The Beigel Company

Business Card Design – Urbn Lofts

Envelope Design – Damaskville

Letterhead Design – High Restaurants

Brochure Design – Finance Direct

Brochure Design – Business

Business Card Design – Default

Flyer Design – Farmers Market

Brochure Design – Greens Hardware

Logo Design – Melvins

Logo Design – Befresh

Brochure Design – The Paperie

Logo Design – Posh Nosh

Postcard Design – Retro Craft

Business Card Design – Rock Festival

Letterhead Design – Snowboard Apparel

About Inkd

Inkd is a real marketplace that brings designers and businesses together providing more professional graphic design templates available from independent designers than anywhere else on the web. Anything from easy to use brochure templates, business card templates, newsletter templates – and everything in between. Custom Logo Design, online printing, and even PowerPoint presentation templates – if you need a quick creative solution – Inkd has you
covered.

How to Create a Battery Icon in Photoshop

Mohammad Jeprie — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:38:52 +0000

In this tutorial we will draw a battery icon in Photoshop. The key here is layer style Gradient Overlay. Using this layer style we can add lighting into the battery and give it a 3D look.

Preview

First, let’s take a look at icon we will be creating.

Step 1

Create a new file with size 2.300 x 3.000 pixel. You may say this is too big for an icon, this is just how I work in Photoshop. I prefer to start with big image and then resize the final result to smaller size. This way, I can focus more on the details. Let’s start by adding guides to help us placing the battery.

Step 2

Activate rectangle tool and draw a rectangle shape. Make sure to select shape icon in the option bar. Use the guide to make it snap into place.

Step 3

Activate ellipse tool. This time select path and add path in option bar. Create an ellipse shape on top an bottom of the rectangle.

Step 4

Create new layer and fill it with #e0c400. Hit Ctrl + Alt + G to insert the color into the battery shape.

Step 5

Select one of the ellipse path we created in step 3 and hit Ctrl + C. Open Paths Panel, click new panel icon and paste the path (Ctrl + V). Move the path and place in lower part of the battery (1). Convert path to selection by pressing Ctrl + Enter (2). hold Shift and select upper part of the battery using rectangular marquee tool (3). Press Delete (4).

Step 5

Once again, create new layer. Fill it with color, place the ellipse (1). Convert path to selection (2). Hold Shift and select lower part of the battery (3). Press Delete (4).

Step 6

Create new layer. Using elliptical marquee tool select top part of the battery. Fill it with white. Remove selection by clicking Select > Deselect. Reduce opacity to 45%.

Step 7

Draw an ellipse smaller than top of the battery. Add Inner Shadow and Gradient Overlay. Use settings shown below.

Step 8

Let’s draw the battery’s brass cap. Draw a rectangle shape. and add an ellipse path underneath it. Add layer mask. Activate soft brush tool and paint indicated areas below with black. Add Gradient Overlay

Step 9

Create new layer and paint some shadow. See image below for reference.

Step 10

Create an ellipse shape on top. Add layer styles Inner Shadow and Gradient Overlay.

Step 11

Add layer mask. Activate brush tool. Set foreground color to black. Paint its edge to soften it.

Step 12

Select the battery’s front side. Create new layer and fill it with any color. In Layers Panel change Opacity to 20% and Fill to 0%. Add Layer Style Gradient Overlay.

Step 13

Let’s create the battery’s name. I use a simple text here.

Step 14

On lower part of the battery, draw a red circle shape. On top of it create a white rectangle.

Step 15

Repeat the same process, this time to create positive sign.

Step 16

Create a rectangular selection. Create new layer and fill it with any color. Change Opacity to 50%. We only need this shape to help us warp the name and signs.

Step 17

In Layers panel, select battery’s name, both signs, and rectangle shape layers. Right click and choose Convert to Smart Object. Press Ctrl + T to do transformation.

Step 18

Click warp icon on option bar. Select Warp: Arch and change the blend value until selected layers warps into the battery’s side.

Step 19

After finish with the warp process, we can just remove the rectangle shape. Double click the Smart Object layer to edit it. If you find this dialog box, just click OK.

Step 20

The smart object will be opened in a new window. Delete the rectangle shape layer. Save file and close.

Step 21

The content of smart object layer will automatically updated and you will have this.

Step 22

Let’s make the gold parts more shiny. To do this, first select them then create a new layer. Fill the layer with any color. Fill it with any color. Change Opacity to 20% and Fill to 0%. Add Gradient Overlay.

Step 23

Now, we need to create the shadow. Place ellipse path we have from previous step. Convert it to selection by pressing Ctrl + Enter.

Step 24

Fill the selection with black. Click Select > Deselect. Click Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Step 25

We need to add another bigger shadow. Duplicate previous shadow and fill it with black.

Step 26

We’re done with the base shadow. Let’s add another shadow. Create new layer. Use polygon lasso tool and create a shadow shape behind the battery. Fill it with black. Add Gaussian Blur to soften the shadow. Reduce layer’s opacity to 30%. Add layer mask and paint the farthest shadow with black to hide it.

Step 27

And congratulations! We just made ourself a battery icon. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and learn few techniques. If you have any questions, feel free to write it in the comment form below.

DesignSchool, Free PSD Template

Piervincenzo Madeo — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:50:30 +0000

Here the second PSD template distributed by PV.M Garage under Creative Common License. This time the theme revolves around a hypothetical design school with a blog layout (min width resolution 1024px). The sidebar is positioned to the left and below the header there is a container for any announcements or advertisements. The footer, which is very simple, follow the design of the header.

I hope this template can be useful for your web projects.

10 Free Icon Sets For Web Developers

Piervincenzo Madeo — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:55:28 +0000

The use of icon is very frequent in modern web design to highlight button, box or menu content. To help the common user to find a particular section of the web-page you can integrate icons in your websites. In fact with a nice and expressive icon set the web designer have a powerful instrument to emphasize his ideas.

We have many examples of the icon sets use and in this collection we can see to work the telling power of great icons, and then a list of 10 absolutely free icon sets.

Web Design with a good use of icons

Idea Foundry

Panic, Coda Web Development

Take the Walk

Coffeenatic

Free Icons Set

Below we present 10 beautiful free icon sets you can use for your web designs to make an expressive and useful web applications.

Unique Handwritten Free Fonts For Your Next Designs

Piervincenzo Madeo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:44:07 +0000

Are you Looking for awesome handwritten fonts? You’ve come to the right place, buddy. We’ve spent hours searching the web for the best handwritten fonts available and what’s more, they’re all absolutely free! Handwritten fonts are really useful to give your personal touch to your designs. They are informal and they create a relaxed atmosphere for communicating with simplicity and fantasy.

Every day highly skilled designers release free fonts, in this collection you will find 40+ high-quality handwritten and hand-draw fonts to create unique and original compositions. So, make your designs unique with one of these fantastic fonts!

Don’t forget, you are free to suggest additional resources in the comments to this post.