Practical Guide: Adapting Everyday Photos for Professional Web Banners
Have you ever found yourself with a client's photo, taken on something as simple as an iPhone, and tasked with making it the centrepiece of their website banner?
It's a common scenario in our world of web design. Let's discuss a practical, no-fuss way to make those everyday photos work beautifully as ultra-wide banners.
The Reality of Fitting Standard Photos into Wide Spaces
We’ve all been there: a client loves a certain photo and wants it as their website's banner. But it's not wide enough for that ultra-wide space we’ve designed. Stretching it the usual way? That can lead to all sorts of issues, like distortion or cropping out important parts.
From Experience: Making Do with What We Have
In my 20 years of working in web design, mainly with smaller businesses, I’ve often had to get creative with less-than-ideal images. It's about making the best of what's available, and honestly, that's part of the charm and challenge of our job.
The Tool for the Job: Adobe Photoshop's AI
Here’s where Adobe Photoshop’s AI content-aware tool, a feature since 2023, comes into play. This tool can be a real game-changer for extending standard images into the wide-format banners needed for modern web designs.
A Practical Example: Enhancing a Regular Photo
Let's walk through a real-life scenario. We had a regular photo that needed to be a wide banner. Using Photoshop, I employed the crop tool and the content-aware feature to extend the image's sides. It’s almost like giving the photo a gentle stretch, making it wider without losing its essence.
Integrating into the Website Design
After choosing the best version, I fine-tuned it to fit seamlessly into the website. The aim was to maintain the image's integrity while ensuring it complements the overall design, especially if text overlays are involved. The final product was a natural-looking, wide banner that started as a simple photo.
Embracing Practical Solutions
And that's how you can transform a regular photo into a professional-looking web banner. For those keen on learning more, our course "AI for Web Designers" on Udemy and Pixelate Academy delves deeper into such practical solutions. It’s all about using available resources effectively to achieve professional results.
