Some days, I just don’t want to mess with Photoshop. But what’s an author to do if (a) she’s too lazy to use Photoshop; or (b) she’s too poor to procure Photoshop and/or doesn’t have a programmer husband to procure Photoshop for her?
That’s right. She cheats. She uses a web-based banner designer like this one. Of course, then she has to put up with the FREE AD mess in the corner, but it’s a small price to pay, especially compared to the arm and leg you’ll have to give up in order to buy Photoshop.
Other banner generators:
http://www.bannergenerator.org/
http://www.mybannermaker.com
Reader Bryn adds:
There’s a free competitor to Photoshop called GIMP. (It’s a little less user friendly but it gets the job done.) There are also online photo editors now like SplashUp, and Photoshop now has an online version. If you are wanting Photoshop, start with Photoshop Elements. It’s about 1/8th the cost of Photoshop.
Reader Marty points out:
Gickr.com will allow you to create those flash avatars, banners, etc. by uploading your own images (they need to be yours or public domain) and selecting one of the standard sizes.
And, of course, you could pay someone to design ads for you.
Have any other web-based ad banner creators you like? Any other freebie/cheapie ways to make ‘em? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add your ideas here.
