For designing brochure - many questions and asks by client. Pls help me!!

[pixelagraphics]

Hello all,

I have got a new project from online marketplace (freelancer), that's my first time brochures designer and am not very good creative.

After designed 2 unique concepts design (front cover) then my client pick first my designed concept and after that I started designing inner (2 to 7 pages) as well as back page and already submitted to client in Print ready PDF file... I was waiting for his approval but the client asked me:

"Do you not have access to backdrop images to spruce it up?" I was confusing about backdrop images, What is meant that?

And other asked me: "As you cant provide water mark pics" I think "Why client want provide me some watermark pics on brochures? Because he didn't mentioned in his job detail that he need watermark pictures, but in his explained clearly he will provides images for winning bidder." I was waiting to get the images provided by client so why he asked me like this?

I felt watermark pics mean copyrighted pictures like shuttershock and other royalty-free stock photos website....right? I usually quote the design job (which does not included extra images) and when we get a better understanding of the quality and number images required for the job, I do a separate quote for images, illustrations or photography.

Please help me for high expert Graphics Designer

[Gamerprinter]

A backdrop image is a photo behind the text, which means depending on the lightness or darkness of the photo as to what color text you need so it can still be easily read. Sometimes I place a halo shadow in the opposite color as the text so it stands out against a backdrop image.

A watermark image is simply a graphic with transparency applied placed on top or below the text so that it is more subtle than a backdrop image. A watermark image is not a copyrighted stock photo. Watermarks are sometimes placed on top of a photo by stock photo companies to protect the image for free usage. The watermark is the transparent logo used by stock photo companies. So the client wants a graphic placed on top or behind the text that is partially transparent - this is what he means.

Edit: I don't know how to say this without sounding insulting (and I don't mean to be), but if you don't consider yourself very creative, and you don't know simple graphics concepts like background images and watermarks, what business do you have doing brochure design? You have to be creative and know graphics concepts to do so professionally and getting paid for it. You are doing your customer a disservice if you're not creative and don't know your job.

[mwenz]

You really need to get the customer to define what it is they are asking.

Mike