We have nominations for Inkd.com and StockLayouts.com in our Reader's Choice category for Best Source of Templates. If you prefer one over the other, let's hear about it by nominating the one you think is most deserving. Not one of those two? Then make sure your favorite templates source gets on the roster by making a nomination (please use the nomination form).
Had a brief moment of confusion looking at the two sites. Similar style (with tabs across the top) and color (blue, though different shades). Each one offers up a big collection of templates for a subscription. StockLayouts costs more than inkd but you may get more downloads per month. Would love to hear from anyone who has subscriptions to either one or both to hear how it's working out for you.
Inkd subscriptions are the better value. Cheaper and more downloads when you compare dollars to dollars. Both have a monthly limit which varies depending on your subscription level, but stocklayouts has an overall limit too.
Inkd also has a couple lower priced options, and logos.
I needed some help with brochures for my business. I called inkd.com and lo and behold, a REAL PERSON picked up the phone. They helped me choose a brochure template, helped me customize it and even had it printed for me. I was expecting a hassle and they made it easy for me. I ended up with marketing brochures that look like a million bucks. I will definitely go back to Inkd.
I have dealt with both companies, and to be perfectly frank, inkd, in my opinion, is a better choice. It is true that Stocklayouts may offer more downloads per month, but let’s not forget that their subscription plan costs more than double and that their templates often look amateurish. It all boils down to quality vs quantity: stocklayouts has obviously been around for much longer than inkd and provides a huge database of templates, but as a graphic designer, I would be choosing stocklayouts templates very carefully, as most of them
don’t appear professional enough.
I agree that these two have been there for quite some time though personally i like Inkd more. Of late there seems to be a new site which offers print design templates with upto 12 designed pages. I have not dealt with them yet, so really can’t comment
I’m quite astonished to hear that stocklayout’s templates “often look amateurish”.
Oh, really! Of the 2 they are actually not only the most slick and marketable, they are ready to print and contain all necessary files including professional hi-res photography.
inkd’s quality is restricted by the miniscule payments that actually are paid to their creators who have tried to minimise expensive content. inkd’s model of exploitation of, I imagine young and desperate, designers means they have very little new content and are perpetually discounting what they have.
stocklayout’s templates are US size only which means it is basically restricted to the USA, some Canadian and possibly Mexican clients. They are also created as far as I can tell in Quark Xpress and all other formats are bitsy and do not take advantage of things like placeholder objects and text.
inkd has some ISO sizes but not a lot. Their templates seem a little more ready to modify.
Both suffer from the same problem that to modify them is a lot of work, work that is largely beyond the skills of the people it is targeted at. A bit like you need to knit a jumper, but can’t actually knit, so, here take this finished one and if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, unravel it and start over.
Still people are mesmerised by the chance of get something for cheap so then spendi a fortune in time, effort or misprinted product trying to turn it into something useful.
My preference would be inkd.com over the two. The style of the templates are better in design. However, I just located another template site called MyDesignLayouts.com and their template designs are jaw dropping. Not to mention their prices are ten times less than inkd.com or stocklayouts.com.
I checked out mydesignlayouts and they do have some great designs. I have a friend who uses their designs for his client projects. Their prices are pretty low and I can’t believe they offer free stock images as well.