StockLayouts Graphic Design Templates
Company: StockLayouts LLC
www.stocklayouts.com
Price: $29 to $99
If you are a savvy designer one of the things you probably do is build yourself a solid collection of templates. A good series of blank or partially designed files, formatted in layouts that you typically use can reduce your production time tremendously. So, if I have a client that has me produce several direct mail pieces every month, I will build a stable of direct mail templates with preset margins, bleeds, and empty text/picture boxes. This way the next time a new project comes in I’ve already got a number of layouts already started that I can just pickup and customize very quickly.
I’ve been a designer/art director for over 20 years. Having worked in more then a few advertising agencies and publishing companies, I think I know my way around the design world a bit. That said I was rather surprised at the quality of the graphic design templates offered at StockLayouts.com.
StockLayouts offers several “agency quality†finished template designs all for under $100. Templates can be purchased as a stand alone item or as a collection. All of the templates are available for Mac and PC and are supported by nearly every page layout application I can think of. The templates are press-ready and include high resolution graphic files and royalty-free images.
I’ve found the StockLayout templates to be a quick and handy way to bang out some quick layouts for clients. Recently, I’ve found myself getting a bit lazy and using their templates more then I’d like to admit. The process is rather easy. Once you have surfed through their collection, purchased and downloaded your selection, simply open the template in the application of your choice and you are ready to start customizing.
The only downside I’ve found using some of these templates isn’t the templates themselves but with the some of the supplied images. Not that images are of poor quality or construction, but I would much rather have a layered Photoshop image rather then a flattened JPEG. It’s just faster to edit layered files.
You can download some free samples here.
Pros: Ready, out of the box complete designs. Fast way to build a stable of quality layouts.
Cons: Lack of layered Photoshop images slow down customization.
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