How To Use The Blog Icons Kit Of Shutterstock

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You can easily communicate your business offerings to customers with simple iconography. Learn how to attach industry-specific icons to your marketing materials for a sleek, professionally designed look.

Cover image via Portrait Images Asia By Nonwarit.

An icon is a small vector graphic that symbolizes a meaning – much like emojis in a text message. An icon goes a long way, whether it's incorporated into a logo or used to communicate quickly in a promotional piece. These universal graphics help to establish your brand's message, summing up your products or services with simple, easy-to-decode imagery.

If you're looking for some icons to get started with, check out our Business Icons Bundle image pack. It features professionally curated icons that can apply to every industry.

In this step-by-step tutorial, I'll show you how to use Shutterstock Editor's tools to successfully incorporate icons into a flyer advertisement for a sleek, professional look.

Step 1: Set Document Size

Shutterstock Editor typically defaults to pixel dimensions, which are reserved for digital designs. You can easily change to inches by heading over to theCanvas Sizepanel and clicking the dropdown arrow to selectInches.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Set Document Size

Enter your own custom size by typing in values in theWidthandHeightboxes. For this tutorial, I'm designing a flyer advertisement at8.5 x11 inches. HitSave as Presetto name your custom size and use these dimensions in the future.

Step 2: Add Background

In this tutorial, I'll make a flyer for an independent financial services business. I chose an image from the Finance & Legal image pack, which has perfect, industry-specific images and cuts down on search time. Browse the Finance & Legal Bundle image pack here.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Choose Imagery

Head over to theSearch (S)tool and use keywords to browse Shutterstock for the images you need in your own flyer. You can also upload your own images with theMy Content (M)tool.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Set Opacity

I'm going to add a rectangle overlay on top of the image. This will make it easier to read any text that we place over the image and also help tone down the colors of the image to better fit our color scheme. Head to theShapes (H)tool and select a square; add color using theFill Colorpanel, like a dark violet. Reduce theOpacityto50%.

Step 3: Add Icon Elements

Icons help communicate your message while also adding interesting visual elements to your marketing materials. I'm going to add an icon to this flyer to enhance the business's message of "smart savings."

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Business Vector Icons

To promote the idea of smart savings, I'm using an icon from this set of business icons. Icon sets like this are super valuable – you can license this entire sheet of icons at one price and use each icon separately across all of your designs.

HitAdd to Canvasto bring on top of other design elements. I cropped away the icon I needed with theCropcommand located under theLayerpanel. ClickApply Cropwhen finished cropping; if you need to restart, hit theResetbutton to revert back to the original image.

Matching the banner with your icon is essential for a seamless design. Select the rectangle and go over toFill Color, then click onCustomand activate theeyedropper. Sample the background color in the icon for a smooth appearance.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Add Headline

A professional typeface, likeMaven Pro, has the appropriate tone for a financial firm. Attach text by clicking theText (A)button and selectingAdd Headline. Insert a subheadline underneath your headline to educate customers on the services you offer.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Group Items

Be mindful with your color application; contrasting light and dark colors ensures legibility in your designs. A darker background calls for text that is white or light in value, like a pale yellow. After applying the finishing touches on your icon, group the elements together by holding down theShift keywhen clicking each item. Click theGroupcommand underneath theLayerpanel and then align the elements to the canvas with theAlignmenttool.

Step 4: Insert Copy and CTA

Flyers leave lots of room for copy, so you can create additional messaging. Attach a slogan to summarize how your business can help potential customers. A short phrase, like "Make your financial goals a reality" exemplifies that your business puts customers first.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Add Headline

Tie your slogan to your business logo by sampling the same hue with theeyedropperin theFill Colortab.

Enter a CTA, or call to action, when promoting your products or services. This encourages your customers to learn more about what your business offers.

Step 5: Download Flyer

When you're finished, select the redDownloadbutton to license the imagery and export your design. You can select to also download the image files that you license to use in any of your marketing collateral down the road.

Give Your Marketing a Pro Look with Easy-to-Use Vector Icons – Download Flyer

Save your design as aPDFat300 DPIto prepare your document for print.

Searching for more visual guidelines to help boost your business presence? Check out these informative articles:

How to Design a Spring Sale Promotion
Organize Design Elements with the Alignment Tool in Editor
How to Create Realistic Screen Replacements to Promote Your Business
How to Design a Facebook Post for Your Real Estate Business