Category: Tutorials

Looking for an Affinity Designer template tutorial? Then look no further! In this Affinity Designer tutorial, we’ll be creating a greeting card template and then using that template to create a Lunar New Year card.

What You’ll Need

To create the template, all you need is Affinity Designer. If you want to follow along to create the Lunar New Year card template, you’ll need the following resources:

• 20 Bonfire and Fireworks Icons
• Chinese Lunar New Year
• Beauty Salon Modern Fonts

You can also follow along with the tutorial and create your own assets as you go! Affinity Designer is a powerful tool for creating vector graphics.

1. How Do I Create an Affinity Designer Template?

Step 1

First, let’s open up Affinity Designer and create a new document. Go to File > New.

Step 2

We’re going to create a greeting card template at a 5 x 7 inch size. (127 x 178 mm)

Tip: You can change the document units with the dropdown under the DPI unit if you wish.

We need to create a canvas that will accommodate both sides of our greeting card. This means that we need to make the size of this document twice the width of the card, which would be 10 x 7 inches. (254 mm x 178 mm)

Insert a page width of 10 inches and a page height of 7 inches.

Step 3

Keep the DPI at 300 so that this is suitable for print. Anything lower than 300 and your prints may turn out to be of low quality.

Step 4

The rest of the default settings should be fine, but just in case yours are different, make sure you have these settings:

• DPI: 300 (or higher)
• Create artboard: Unchecked
• Color format: CMYK/8
• Color profile: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2
• Transparent Background: Unchecked
• Margins: Not included
• Bleed: All 3in

After reviewing your settings, go ahead and click Create to start your new document.

Step 5

Now you should have a document with landscape proportions. We need to add some guides so we can tell where each side of the card is.

Go to View > Guides Manager.

Step 6

This will bring up the guides manager dialog window. Go ahead and click the new guide button. You can find this under the right column. Click it to create a vertical guide.

Step 7

Notice that by default the guide has been placed in the middle of the document. This is perfect for our needs as this splits the document in two. Now click close!

Step 8

You will now be presented with a document like this: a canvas which is split down the middle. The right of the canvas will be the front of our card, and the left of the canvas will be the back of our card.

Step 9

Now our document is ready to start designing. But first, let’s turn this document into a greeting card template. This way, we can use this template every time we want to create a greeting card with these specifications.

Go to File > Export as Template…

Step 10

Now find a suitable folder on your desktop and save your Affinity Designer greeting card template.

That’s all there is to it! You just created an Affinity Designer greeting card template. We can now use this file any time we want to create a 5 x 7 greeting card.

Want to learn how to create a Lunar New Year card with this template? Then keep on reading!

2. How Do I Design a Card From an Affinity Designer Template?

Step 1

Now let’s begin our design by concentrating on the front cover first!

We’ll be creating a Lunar New Year card. The concept is a dark night sky along with some fireworks. Let’s create a simple background color for the front of our card.

Go ahead and select the Rectangle Tool from the toolbar.

Step 2

Now click and drag to create the shape.

Using the Move Tool and transform anchors on the rectangle, move the shape to the right side of your document and fill the area up to the guide.

Step 3

This will be the base of our background! Now let’s change the colors here so it is suitable for our night sky.

In the top left of the screen, select the fill area.

Step 4

Use the color selector to pick a dark blue. You can choose any color you want here—try and experiment with different shades. Perhaps a dark purple could also work!

Step 5

Now we have the background base finished!

Make sure there is no border around your shape. You can check this by looking at the stroke area and ensuring that it’s set to none.

Step 6

Next, let’s add some fireworks to our night sky to set the mood. We could do this by creating the shapes ourselves. However, we’re going to use some vector fireworks from Envato Elements:

• 20 Bonfire and Fireworks Icons

To add these fireworks to our project, first download them and unzip the files to your desktop. Then go to File > Place.

Step 7

Navigate your way to the folder where you unzipped these. Then select one of the SVG firework files and then click Open.

Step 8

You will now see your cursor change into a new icon. Click anywhere on the canvas to place the firework element.

Step 9

This has now been placed in our canvas as an embedded document. The cool thing about this is that it’s all grouped onto one layer for us. It’s also a vector type image, so we can move and scale it any way we please.

Go ahead and move and scale it!

Step 10

Now repeat that process, selecting different fireworks and placing them randomly around the canvas. To add new fireworks, again go to File > Place.

Step 11

Experiment and move around your fireworks until it feels balanced. Make sure to leave some space to add the greeting text! Don’t stress too much, though—you can easily remove any fireworks that get in the way.

Eventually, you should have something that looks similar to this!

Step 12

Looking good so far! But it’s not much of a greeting card without a greeting, is it?

Now we’re going to add some text to our document. Click the Text Tool in the toolbar.

Step 13

Next, click somewhere on the canvas and type out your desired text. In our case, we are going with “happy new year”—simple enough, right?

Step 14

Next, we’ll format our text. With the text box selected, use the options in the top bar to change the font settings.

We’re using the Beauty Salon Script font at 64 pt with a white color.

Tip: You can install fonts when Affinity Designer is running, but if they don’t show up, save your work and restart the program.

Step 15

Now select the Move Tool and rotate the text to align with the movement of the image. To rotate text, use the corners of the transform box.

Step 16

Great! Now, let’s add a little extra flair to the front of our design. It’s the year of the ox, so let’s put something here to emphasize that.

We’ll be using the Chinese Lunar New Year graphic object from Envato Elements. It comes in both EPS and SVG file format, which is perfect for this project.

After you’ve downloaded and unzipped the file, you can insert it into Affinity Designer.

Open the SVG by going to File > Place.

Step 17

Locate the SVG in your files and open it up. Now, using the same process as for the fireworks, let’s place it in the bottom right!

You may need to scale it depending on your canvas size. We want this to add a little bit of extra flair to our design.

Step 18

We don’t want there to be too much emphasis on this element, so that it takes away from the greeting itself. We need a way to make its presence a little more subdued.

Let’s add an effect to it! With the object selected within the Layers panel, click the layer effect dropdown.

Step 19

Now select Negation from the dropdown. This will give it a dark tone and make it blend into the background.

Step 20

There, that’s the main part of our greeting card finished. The front cover of our lunar greeting card is done! You may want to tweak and adjust this to suit your tastes.

Step 21

I want to leave the back mostly blank, but it feels a little bare with nothing there. Let’s add a little something to the back of the card to make it feel more complete.

Right-click the ox object layer and Duplicate it.

Step 22

Select your duplicated ox graphic. Now let’s place this on the left area of canvas. This will be the back of the card when it’s folded.

Place it near the bottom and scale it as needed, as we have done with previous graphics.

Step 23

We don’t need the negation effect for this one, so let’s set the layer type to normal.

Step 24

Now it stands out just a little too much!

Now let’s set the Opacity to 50%. This adds a little bit of a flair to the back of our card, while still being nice and subtle.

Step 25

I think we could do a little more to make it feel more official! To round it off, let’s add a little text under our emblem.

Select the Text Tool and place some text under the ox graphic. You may need to move and adjust both the ox and the text layer until it feels just right.

Step 26

For the font, let’s use the same one we used on the cover again. This will add a nice bit of consistency between the front and back of the greeting card.

We’re using the Beauty Salon Script font at 24 pt with a black color.

There you have it! This Lunar New Year card is ready for print. When you print it, you simply cut any excess from around the card and fold the middle. If you’re sending your work into a print shop, they will likely ask for either an EPS or a PDF file. To export in these formats, you can go to File > Export and select the PDF or EPS tabs as needed.

More Affinity Designer Template Resources

We hope you enjoyed this Affinity Designer tutorial! Looking for ideas or inspiration for Affinity Designer greeting cards? Then check out these greeting cards and vector art packages from Envato Elements! You can use any template with Affinity Designer if it’s saved in the EPS format.

1. Christmas Colorful Greeting Cards (AI, EPS, JPG, PDF)

Check out these Christmas templates for a greeting card! The sleek blues and dark background give this a really classy but chilly feeling. It comes in the EPS format, so you can open it up in Affinity Designer right away!

2. Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards and Elements (AI, EPS, SVG, and More)

This robust set comes with many different Valentine’s Day greeting cards and tons of graphics. These are provided in a large variety of formats, which will surely meet your project needs! The EPS and SVG file formats work especially well with Affinity Designer!

3. Halloween Greeting Cards (JPG, EPS)

Check out these spooky Halloween-inspired greeting cards. They come in several different color variants! All of the cards are included as EPS files, so you can open them up in Affinity Designer and start adding your own customizations to these spooky designs.

4. Mother’s Day Greeting Quotes and Cards (AI, EPS, SVG, PNG)

This collection of graphic elements and greeting cards gives you everything you need to create custom Mother’s Day greeting cards. It comes with handwritten type, decorative elements, and of course greeting card templates. The EPS file format makes it perfect for opening up in Affinity Designer.

5. Space Birthday Card Greeting and Invitation (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG)

Check out these cute birthday greeting cards! Pop them open by using the EPS file format in Affinity Designer. These cute graphics are perfect for creating personalized birthday wishes.

Looking to learn more about Affinity Designer and vector art? Check out these amazing tutorials from Envato Tuts+!

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When you’re creating larger-than-life art or advertising prints, it’s always helpful to use a mockup to see how your design translates in real life. 

If you are looking for top-quality billboard mockups, here are 42 of the best you’ll find on the web from Placeit.net.

Unlimited Access to the Best Billboard Mockups on the Internet

Placeit is an affordable online design generator with the largest selection of premium Billboard Advertising Mockups available on the internet. What’s more, it offers an enormous collection of other high-quality designs, logos, videos, and mockups that you can customise online and download in a matter of seconds, without the need for complicated software. Let’s take a look at some of the awesome billboard mockups you can find at Placeit.

42 Best Billboard Mockups 

Street Billboard Mockups

This billboard mockup template is a great way to see what your latest large-scale ad design would look like when displayed in a real-life scenario like a city street. 

Billboard Street Mockup for Bus Stop

Imagine how cool your message would look in this awesome billboard template. Use the double mockup to duplicate your message or extend your artwork across both mockups. 

Advertising Billboard Mockup for Mall 

What better way to see how your latest ad campaign would look in a real-life scenario than to use the Placeit mockup generator to upload your design to this terrific billboard mockup set in a mall. 

Billboard Mockup Template Over an Escalator

Wow your clients when you use this billboard mockup template to show them just how amazing their ad would look displayed over an escalator where it’s sure to catch everyone’s eye.  

Billboard Advertising Mockup in a Cityscape

How many times have you wished you could see your own ad on one of those larger-than-life billboards? Well, wish no more. Here’s your opportunity to see exactly how your work would look when you use this template. 

Outdoor Billboard Mockup on a Building

The billboard mockups at Placeit come in every dimension to suit your unique message. So whatever the aspect ratio of your ad, you’ll find a mockup template that’s right for you. 

Advertise Billboard Mockup for Bus

Buses are a great vehicle to get your message seen because they’re always on the move. If your design is destined for a bus, then see how it would look on this mockup.

Billboard Mockup Template for a Bus Stop

And, of course, the next logical step from a bus billboard mockup is a bus stop billboard mockup. This one gives a great angled view of your work.

Bus Stop Ad Mockup

This billboard advertising mockup is a great alternative to the option above. So if you’re looking for a head-on view of your billboard rather than an angled view, this is the mockup for you. 

Night Billboard Mockup

For those times when you need a night billboard mockup, there is this terrific mockup, which shows a brightly illuminated billboard against a city scene and the night sky. 

Vertical Night Billboard Mockup for City Street

Of course, you may be looking for a vertical night billboard mockup rather than a horizontal one. In that case, how about his digital billboard mockup set on a city street?

Wall Billboard Mockup for Indoors

And, of course, if you’re thinking of a billboard that allows you to deliver your message indoors at night, this digital billboard mockup is a great option for you.

Billboard Advertising Mockup Inside a Mall

Malls see a lot of traffic, so it makes them great locations for billboards. That’s why we’ve included this billboard advertising mockup located inside a mall. You can see just how terrific your image would look.

Outdoor Billboard Mockup Placed Over a Highway

Highways and billboards go hand in hand, because when you’re zipping along listening to your favourite podcast or stuck in traffic, you can’t help noticing those giant signs hanging overhead or on the side of the road.

Roadside Billboard Mockup at a Busy Highway

If you like the highway billboard idea above but the dimensions of that mockup template don’t work for you, then how about this template? It’s less dramatically wide than the template above and adds great glimpses of a modern city to the sense of speed and dynamism of the highway.  

Advertising Billboard Mockup Placed on a Roof

Rooftops are another great place for billboards. See how your message would look standing out on the gritty urban rooftop of this mockup. 

Billboard Advertising Mockup Placed on a Roof

If you’re looking for an outdoor billboard mockup with a bit more elegance than the one above offers, how about this one? It’ll keep your design front and centre of the screen. 

Roadside Billboard Mockups

If your message requires two or more billboards, Placeit’s got you covered. This duo roadside billboard mockup allows you to see your work side by side and discover if it works as well in a real-life scenario as you hope. 

Outdoor Billboard Mockup in Business District

Another great location for billboards is in the city centre. Can you imagine how many pass this billboard every day? This mockup will allow you to get a clear idea of how your work will look to their eyes. 

Two Square Billboard Mockups Placed on a Metal Structure

Most of the billboards here are rectangular and horizontal, but there are times when you need a perfect square billboard mockup. For those times, you’ll need this template. Use it to compare and contrast two versions of one idea or two completely different ideas. 

Roadside Billboard Mockup on a Highway

Looking for a change of angles? This mockup takes you high so you’re looking down on your design. It’s an unexpected point of view for a billboard, which may be just what you need to see your work with fresh eyes. 

Subway Billboard Mockup

With its plain background, this subway billboard mockup focuses all the attention on your message. Use the Placeit mockup generator to upload your design in a matter of seconds.

Subway Billboard Mockup Featuring Underground Stairs

If you like the image above but want an alternative angle, this template may interest you. It offers the same muted and non-distracting background as the mockup above, but it has the advantage of a wider angle of view and includes a stairway with natural light, which makes the image feel airier.

Brick Wall Billboard Mockup

Here’s another mockup that focuses attention on the message. This time, the street mockup uses a brick wall as the background. 

Horizontal Outdoor Billboard Mockup With People Passing By

With crowds of pedestrians caught in motion blur, this street billboard mockup provides a great slice-of-life context for showing off your message. 

Vertical Wall Billboard Mockup on a Gray Modern Building

Though most of the billboard mockups here are horizontal, we’ve included a few vertical ones because we recognise that ads come in all shapes and sizes. So if you’ve been on the lookout for a vertical wall billboard mockup, this one’s for you. 

Street Billboard Mockup Against Blue Skies

This may be one of the simpler billboard mockups featured here, but it has the advantage of keeping all eyes focused on your message.

Square Billboard Mockup Placed on a Tall Building

Imagine your ad or artwork filling the entire side of a building. Better yet, you don’t have to imagine it. You can see it for yourself when you upload your work to this impressive billboard mockup template. 

Billboard Street Mockup on a Glass Building

With its backdrop of an ageing glass building in a cityscape, this billboard is probably best suited for works that focus on artistic, cultural, or socio-political messages. This doesn’t mean you can’t use it for some other purpose altogether. 

Square Billboard Mockup on a Concrete Building

This billboard looks huge, and that’s just what you want! You can make your advertisement really stand out by using this mockup, and the square dimensions give it a different look and feel from the usual rectangular billboard.

Advertising Billboard Mockup Against Customizable Background

This billboard mockup would work really well if you’re looking for a simple, plain background that allows your message to stand out. A great advantage of this template is that you can change the background colour to any you prefer or make it transparent to blend the billboard into the background of your choice. 

Billboard Mockup Template Featuring a Sunset Sky

What could be better than a flaming dramatic sky as a frame for your design? Use the Placeit mockup generator to upload your image in seconds, and just like that, you’ll have a great mockup ready to use as you please.

Three Wall Billboard Mockups

Sometimes three is better than one… well, at least when you’re looking for a billboard mockup template like this one that offers three spaces. Great for campaigns involving a series of images that need to be shown together for greatest impact. 

Billboard Template Featuring a Modern Structure Over a River

Show your image off in a gorgeous expansive cityscape with a river running through it. This template keeps all the attention on your design while leaving the viewer with a warm and refreshed feeling created by the billboard’s context. 

34. Vertical Advertising Billboard Mockup on Front of Building

The impact of vertical billboards can be jaw-dropping. Upload your vertical ad to this street billboard mockup and see what your work looks like in this real-life urban street scene.

Video Featuring a Billboard in Mall

 

With video’s growing dominance, we would be remiss if we didn’t include a few video billboard templates. First up is this fabulous mockup showing a man walking past a giant billboard. A great slice of life to bring even more realism to your billboard design. 

Video of Digital Billboard Mockup Outdoors

 

Next up, here’s a template you can use either as a print or a digital billboard mockup. The short video clip shows your billboard next to decorative grasses blowing gently in the wind. 

Free Billboard Templates

Placeit offers a number of free billboard templates for those times when you just don’t have the cash but need a quality template ASAP. The featured items in this section are free at the time of writing, but free offers change from time to time, so if the mockups below are no longer free when you visit Placeit, there will be other equally awesome free items to take their place. 

Video of a Digital Billboard Mockup (Free)

 

Promoting a luxury brand? Why not use this free billboard template featuring an elegant building in the background? A great choice whether you need a video or still image as you can always extract a still from the video. 

Video of Horizontal Billboard Mockup (Free)

 

Here’s a terrific billboard mockup for those targeting travellers who want to display their image in an airport setting. What’s great about this image is that it can be used either for traditional print billboards or as a digital billboard mockup.

Video of a Square Billboard Mockup (Free)

 

Square billboard mockups aren’t as common as rectangular ones, but we’ve featured a few here and wanted to include one in the free section as well. If you’ve looking for a still rather than a video, no problem. Once you download your video, you can always extract a still photograph from it. 

Video of Poster and Digital Billboard Mockup (Free)

 

Here’s a great combo for those working in beauty and fashion. With this free template, you get both a poster mockup and a digital billboard mockup. Loads of creative possibilities await. 

Video of a Billboard Against Blue Sky (Free)

 

See your work framed by the sky with this terrific billboard mockup. It’s free to customise, download, and use.

Choose Your Favourite Billboard Template Today 

Placeit is an excellent resource for premium billboard mockups. Why not head on over and create your very own great mockup today?

And if you want more information on other terrific mockups and designs, check out these awesome resources: 

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