Do you often use an image from free stock image libraries that have been posted in over more than hundreds of blog posts?
You can stop doing so right away.
This guide will show you how to create custom and original images for your blog posts, Ebooks, Featured blog banners and so on…
We’ve discussed earlier in this post that images play a crucial role in SEO and they help reducing bounce rate dramatically.
If you focus on social networking sites for extra substantial traffic, you know how important it is to create engaging and most importantly original images for sharing.
Benefits of creating original images:-
- More credibility
- More engagement
- No Copyright Issues
- Higher Customization possibilities
- High visitor Attention And Interaction
- More Shares On Social Media
- Better Audience Response To your Blog Posts
- More traffic from Google image search
A glossary of the best tool we can use for creating custom images:-
Stencil (GetStencil)
The Stencil App is an amazing online image and design tool. Both easy to use and extremely powerful, this is a web-based image designing tool is made for professionals keeping amateurs in mind.
With Stencil, you can create any kind of visual content such as Facebook covers, Blog banners, E-book templates and covers, Pinterest pins, Infographics and many more are kind of designs you can think of.
Some features of the Stencil app:-
1,500,000+ background photos
Collection of More royalty-free “CC0” general license images. Thousands of new photos added every week and made available to you.
650+ Amazing Templates
Create beautiful images faster than ever with their premium templates, all of which are ready to be edited and customized.
Upload & Store Multiple Logos
you can upload & store every variation of your logo or different logos if you’re creating visuals for different brands for endorsements.
list of 100,000+ Quotes
Make inspiring quote images for your blog posts or Instagram stories in seconds by searching through the collection of quotes right from and in the Stencil.
2,300+ Google Web Fonts
Find the perfect font for your image by using any of Google’s thousands of web fonts with maximum customization available.
Upload your own fonts
Match your brand perfectly by uploading your own fonts directly to Stencil and use them in all your visuals.
1,000,000+ Icons & Graphics
Use the beautiful icons from the noun project and Icons8 that are royalty-free and safe to use however you want (personal or commercial). It’s all yours once saved.
41+ custom sizes for all your needs
Experts have pre-loaded the optimal sizes for social networks, ads, blog posts and more. Needless to say, you can create your own.
Easy-to-use Chrome Extension
Create images ‘on-the-go’ while browsing the web using their lightweight Chrome Extension that works all day long for you.
I use stencil every time I publish a new post. Every featured image including this post’s featured image has been created with Stencil.
It is fast, simple and powerful. The Stencil has everything you need to make your visual content more interactive and engaging.
We will now proceed to create an original and custom image step by step that we can use in our blog posts and social media posts.
How To Make Custom Images Using Stencil
To start using the image creation & editing tool, go ahead and sign up on GetStencil App.
Once you are done, confirm your email address and log in to your stencil account.
The stencil tool will guide you through each and every step, however, you can follow this guide for an elaborated tutorial.
Step 1: Selecting the image size
For creating a new image, head on to Stencil.
The first time you start login, you need to select the image size for your new project. Since we are going to create a blog post mage, I will select blog featured image.
The whole process remains the same regardless of what image size you choose.
Step 2: Adding the background Image
The screen will open the image designing and creation tool as soon as you log in to your account.
Now, on the left side of your screen, you can see a lot of free images ready to use. Above the image panel, there is a search bar. Use the search bar to enter a keyword or a phrase and stencil will find the most suitable and relevant image for you.
Once you have found a suitable image for your new project, simply drag and drop it on the blank sheet located on the right side of your screen. This will be your base or background image.
For instance, I have picked the first image from the panel. Look at the customization levels of this image. With Stencil, I can blur or darken this image as much as I want.
This tool also helps me to manage the transparency and contrast level of the image I have chosen.
There is a collection of more than 10 filters available that are ready to take effect. Simply select the one by clicking on the image and select filters, the first option from the slide-in menu.
Step 3: Adding Text To The Image
We have successfully selected and customized our background image on the canvas. Now, we will add the appropriate text for better comprehension of what this image is all about.
For adding text on the custom image background, simply click on the text icon at the right marked corner of the screen. This will add a default size text element in your image.
Edit this with the words, icons and phrases such as I have used a combination of words and icons.
Don’t forget, we can use quotes from the stencil library to make inspirational custom images.
For this tutorial, I have edited this image with my statement and I have changed the default black color to white. You can do so by clicking on the text element. This will open the customization window. The image above shows you the same.
There are many different types of fonts available. In the image above, I have used Fredoka One font that adds a classic “cool” look to my image.
You can resize the text element and the stencil app will guide you with appropriate scale parameters which will make sure you a perfect balance between the text and other elements on the image.
To customize the text, we can add a bit of drop shadow too, this will add a little bit of depth to it.
Now that we have successfully edited our background image and we have also added appropriate text to it, we can furthermore customize it with Icons. Let me show you how
Adding Icons To Images
To add an icon to your new image, select the icon section from the left blue marked menu.
Here, you will find an extremely large library of icons that are categorized for easy access.
In the above search bar, enter a keyword, phrase, or name (brand, etc.). The stencil icon library will show you the most relevant results.
For this tutorial, I have entered the keyword “tutorial” in the icon search bar and the library shows me some of the best icons I could just drag and drop into my image.
The icon was black in color so, I selected the icons and customized it with the lime blue color by picking it from the color palette.
Every icon you select is resizable and can be painted in any color.
Preview The Image
The Stencil allows you to preview the image you have created. Simply click on the save button below the image and click on the preview and share button.
You can share this image on social media from stencil as well. Preview the image, make sure everything is correct.
If there happens to be an error, you can simply click on the undo option located above the image. You can also read down the history of the changes you made to the image by clicking on the clock icon above the image.
Download the image
Once you have saved the image, the download option will become available. Click on the download button and your image will automatically start downloading.
All done!
You are free to use this image wherever you want, how you want, and when you want. It’s all yours.
Conclusion
Helpful Tips To Create Better Images
1. Add Words More Than Icons And Logos. Although there are plenty of icons available to choose from, you should always try to add small phrases and words that give a clear message or indication about the post or situation the image is being used for.
2. Create color variants. For instance, if you are writing the heading with white color, you should use the orange, red, or green color for the body text. All of which gives a high contrast touch to the images will gain you more shares on social media.
3. Use Bold And Clean fonts. For better clarity, use clear and visually striking fonts. I use Fredoka one along with Georgia and sans in most of the images I create. This will help the readers to read the phrases faster.
You can check out other posts on this blog for inspiration because I create several images in a day and use it on BforBloggers.
Use the tips and create some absolutely amazing images with Stencil. If you choose to upgrade, use coupon code BFOR10 to save 10% on all Stencil plans.
Let me know your experience?
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