Tip#1

Don’t “blend” a render into a sig. If you start out with a render and create effect layers above it, it will look eventually just blend itself. Remember, you have to use common sense with photoshop. To get rid of something on top of a stock or render use the “erase tool” <– I know I know, I amaze myself as well

Tip#2

Don’t use those damn brushes you find at deviantart. If you wh0re them your sigs will always be the same. I used to use them myself and it got me no where. If you take a stock and use different filters (try distorts) you will a better result. The only time I ever use brushes in when I smudge or use the o-so-fudging-beautiful clonestamp.

Tip#3

Use gradient maps, but don’t over do it. Too much color always ends in an ugly brown. Also try the other color effects ps has to offer. Curves, Levels, Select color etc.

Tip#4

Don’t smack a huge font on a tiny sig. Just don’t b/c it bugs me, and it looks like crap

Tip#5

Don’t be random. Sigs take thought. Think about the flow, depth, color, and the idea that you want people to get from the sig. I always use motion in my sigs.

Tip#6

Few more things to think about. Shading, break up of space, sex, LIGHTING.

Tip#7

Your never to good to read tutorials. Read them and then read them again. Tutorials teach the unteachable.

Tip#8

DONT EVER use pixel stretch as your sig background…it’ll look like shit 100% of the time

Tip#9

Dont BRUSH your sig backgrounds…like said above all your sigs will look the same

Sometimes, when making a sig, you will forget something very important. You probably won’t realize until you are finished. Then you may have to go back and start from an earlier state. For this reason I have made a list of important things to think of when making a sig.

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Learning to make a sig from no experience can be hard. Most people will start by making sigs at clan websites and other gaming related sites. A lot of the time the other designers at these sites have very little experience. This means that trying to learn there is virtually impossible. Always surround yourself with people who are better than you, and you will improve. I suggest start learning without even opening up photoshop. Get to know what makes the difference between a good sig and a bad sig.  Read tutorials and talk to other designers.  Don’t waste time making sigs with downloaded brushes and a out of color halo render.  Always shoot for professional right out of the gate.  If you understand the basics of sigs you will become a better designer ten times as fast.

Back in the day, not having a border on a sig was a major no-no.  With the development of sig designing, this theory has left.  Most modern designers prefer no borders at all or a more complex, thick border. 1px black borders are no more. They kill the flow of a sig and are very distracting. Click more for examples.

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