Free Web Design Tutorials with Envato Tuts+

Envato is well-known as a hub for all things web design. Whether you’re looking for a theme, a plugin, the perfect stock image or even web hosting, you’re sure to find it in one of Envato’s many branches. In fact, there are over 9,000,000 web design elements available on Envato Market so it’s no surprise that it’s the first port of call for many designers.

However, digital products aren’t all that Envato has to offer web designers. The brand recently started offering WordPress hosting and today we’re going to talk about another resource Envato offers designers: their Envato Tuts+ web design tutorials.

How-To Tutorials

With over 23,300 free tutorials that cover every imaginable element of web design and development, you’re guaranteed to find something to help you learn new skills or brush up on underused techniques. Over 5,000,000 designers log on every single month to take advantage of this huge library of resources and Envato promises their tutorials will always remain free.

So, what sort of tutorials can you expect? We’ve handpicked five of our favourites to give you a taste:

1. What is Light? – A photographer’s introduction to lighting fundamentals

Course Summary: Without light, there is no photography. But what is light, exactly?

Visible light is only a portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum and is a rather complex subject. Despite this complexity, there are some fundamentals that you should know. 

In this video tutorial from my course, A Photographer’s Guide to Light, you will learn some of the basics of light. 

2. How to Create a Set of Emoticons in Adobe Illustrator

Course Summary: In this tutorial we are going to draw a set of Emoticons or Smileys by using gradients and basics shapes that, combined with the Pathfinder panel, will give the emoticons life. So let’s begin.

3. How to Combine Photography & Type for a Dramatic Effect

 

Course Summary: In this tutorial we look at how you can integrate typography with photos to create an impressive 3D effect. You’ll see this sort of effect on advertising and poster art, but it’s not as complicated to achieve as it first appears. 

4. Five Typography Secrets to Transform Your Designs

Course Summary: At the heart of any great print design is beautiful, well-executed typography. The difference between ho-hum text and type that knocks your socks off is often surprisingly subtle. A small tweak to kerning or sticking to a tried-and-tested rule of combination (read on to find out more) can make a world of difference, taking your designs from mediocre to marvellous in an instant!

Here we look at the five secrets that pro designers always turn to when they need to refine their typography.

5. The Beginner’s Guide to Packaging Design

Course Summary: Designing your first item of packaging can seem like a daunting endeavour, but taking your 2D designs into 3D territory needn’t be scary. This is your ultimate quick-start guide to packaging design, from which software to use to knowing about different packaging shapes and styles. You’ll also learn how to prepare your 2D artwork for printing, and we’ll look at some of the different print finishes you can apply to your designs. 

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Free tutorials aren’t the only thing on offer at Envato Tuts+ but they’re certainly the biggest attraction. However, for those looking for longer, more in-depth courses or ebooks there is a paid service available that includes access to these resources, starting at $15/month for a basic package. You can enjoy a ten day free trial to give the paid services a whirl before you fully commit and those who opt for the $360 Yearly Pro package can enjoy even more benefits, including advertisement-free tutorials, access to 170 eBooks, a $25 credit on Envato Market and a $25 credit on Envato Studio.

For more information about the subscription packages available, head over to the Envato Tuts+ Subscription Plans page.