This guy has got to be one of the most talented, underrated photographers around. He took a couple…read moreof shots for my cousin on her big day and I was so amazed at the turnout. His work is particularly memorable to me because he managed to capture a candid shot of me sobbing when my cousin walked down the aisle. Awesome! Haha. I highly recommend him for any type of event as his rates are reasonable and he's very easy to work with. Fun fact: he also moonlights as a graphic designer so if you need anything by way of graphic design, you know who to call.

Creativity Lounge was my emergency printing shop back in my office secretary days. Whenever I had…read moregraphics emergencies, it has always been conveniently there to rescue me. They're actually a mish-mash of anything computer and internet related, having an internet café and a digital design studio all in one shop. I've brochure-hoarded (one of my guilty pleasures, sue me) one time and I found out they do web design packages, as well as designs related to company branding. They can do your logos, letterheads, IDs, whatever the hell you need to look even more pro in the business world. I haven't exactly tried (or thought about purchasing) those packages though. They can cost a lot for a starting business owner after all. But I did try printing my own digital paintings there. Sometimes, there are problems with the printer calibration, but they do allow printing a sample first so you can request adjustments. It was satisfying nonetheless, and printing my digital paintings here had gotten pretty addicting. I now send them as postcards during the hoidays to friends all over the world, hah!

I had some challenges finding good graphic designers in Manila and then I found Josef. He is a true…read moreprofessional. First and foremost, he is excellent in bringing concept to design. I gave him an elaborate description of what i was trying to accomplish and he created excellent designs. He is an excellent listener. Sometimes there was some back and forth and I might give feedback that ie "the promo sheet looked a little cluttered" and he listened closely to my critiques and modified accordingly. As a business person that seeks effiency because I don't have enough hours in a day, I really appreciated that I never had to repeat myself. He has quick response times. Anytime I had a question or requested change he was on top of in an impressively short amount of time. Lastly, his prices are very reasonable. All in all I highly recommend Josef.

One crazy afternoon a few years back I decided to open my own business, it was a very shotgun…read moredecision! I didn't really think it through but the first thing I did was to call my best friend Jo to help me make a logo (it seemed like the most logical thing to do!). After a few key words and ideas being screamed at the phone, he miraculously managed to come up with something I dreamt about! It was perfect! Jo is a graphic designer who does freelance work as a sideline. He's got an excellent track record with numerous logos created and even artwork to show off! He can do almost everything that has something to do graphic design including video edits, take photos, edit photos, layouts, illustrations, EVERYTHING. He's also really fun to work with and has pretty quick turnaround too! It's also good to note that his rates are quite reasonable and he's great to talk to, so don't be intimidated! He'll help you with what you need!

When they are not fully booked and completely busy, you can be lucky enough to work with Artillery…read moreCreative on your graphic design, collateral, and other marketing design needs. They also do some photography which can be a cool add on bundle to whatever graphic services you need. Like working with most independent designers, its important to build a relationship with the artist or designer that you are working with to ensure a good flow of work and that deadlines are met. I've worked with Ry from Artillery on several projects before and he always managed to deliver what I needed exactly how I wanted it to be. Just be professional and also know what you want. Its important to remember that graphic designers aren't magicians but they can be wizards with the right ingredients from you. Price points depend on the scale of your project but are worth it when you get your finished product. Just make sure to communicate and follow up well enough with them as sometimes there can be delays due to the bulk of clientele they have on their growing portfolio.

One of the best graphic branding / graphic design stores in Manila is Serious Studio. A lot may not…read morebe aware of this - but our favorite restaurants like 12/10, Girl and the Bull, Perfect Pint, Sprout, EDSA BDG, and Original Savory are all under the branding of Serious Studio. My very first encounter with this company is through their lettering workshop that was held in EDSA BDG. I felt that they were such a funny group of creatives because I enjoyed the workshop so much! Branding is really their forte so seeing that they give these restaurants a new life really makes me happy! They've done numerous branding work but I'm glad to say that they've never have the same design or concept for each store or client. Aside from Branding and Strategy, I love their works on Motion Graphics too! Whenever I watch their videos, I really get so inspired to be like them! So for business owners who have no creativity whatsoever, head over to Serious Studio to help you with your branding needs.

Primex is a full service printing company that can help from designing & layouting to printing and…read moreproducing the actual final copy. They made my former office's company planner, which came out really really nice. They were so easy to work with! Mariel handled the project and worked with us for several weeks as we made our own design. She merely advised how we could go about it, and which materials we could use. They had their own graphic designers who could do it for us, but since we had our own concept and our own designer, Primex just did the actual production of the pieces. I only had to provide a page plan and the final prints & layouts, and they were able to work with it to our exact specifications. They were very patient and receptive to comments during our back and forth, from type of paper, (I needed FSC quality paper and they had 'em!) type of cut, texture and finish of the cover, and the colors and hues of the final copy. Mariel was very patient and diligent with going through everything and going back and forth to our office to present samples, give other suggestions, and answer our questions. Mostly, she was very fair with the pricing and even advised on how we could save more and be more efficient with our design. It wasn't just about making money off of the project. Definitely quality service all the way through!

If you're strapped for cash, one of the most common gift options is to have a photo printed and…read moregive it away. That's well and good but the problem with it is that photos fade over time. Before long, your gift would slowly turn yellow and eventually into nothingness. An extreme exaggeration, but it holds a grain of truth behind it. One way to avoid this problem and to look like you spent at the very least some time on it is to print your photo on something other than paper so it holds up to time. Wooden Canvas over in Cubao X offers printing services on actual wood. Printing on wood has a different appeal to it. The way the beauty of the image mixes it up with the grain of the wooden canvas is simply an awesome sight to behold. Give it as a gift or keep it for yourself!

From the owner: Direct photo printing on wood.read more