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Photoshop Jargon: Palette Well
The “Palette Well” was introduced in Photoshop 6 remains to this day. It is the dark area on the right side of the Options bar and can store palettes out of the way.
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Xara Xtreme: Xtreme Versatility and Xtreme Value are a Winning Combination
The little software that could: with a new version and a new name, Xara Xtreme is better than ever. Watch out, big fellas!
Xara’s newest incarnation of their vector software, Xara Xtreme, is hot. It’s fast. It has some great features and is easy to learn, and it is a joy to use. With clever use of clones, interactive transparency and fills, photo realistic compositions are possible as well as any other drawing task for which you would normally use vector software.
Read more on Xara Xtreme: Xtreme Versatility and Xtreme Value are a Winning Combination…
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QuarkXPress 6.5, the Review
A look at the enhancements, the good and the bad of Quark’s layout application
Some people hate it, some people love it, think what you want of it, QuarkXPress is still one of the top layout applications in the market. One of QuarkXPress’ strong points is the ability to deliver files which rarely create problems when printed, though it has a weak point in the same area–its built-in PDF export tool. I found it to create unexpected results in several occasions, sometimes even when creating PDFs through Distiller.
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Corel Essentials 3: A Taste of Painter
Geared toward hobbyists, Corel Painter Essentials 3 has a few things full Painter doesn’t, like Auto Painting, and cloning a painting has never been easier. But is that enough to justify the price tag?
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Apple’s Front Row – A Review
The future is tantalizingly close and Apple’s iMac G5 is weaving its way into your life as your primary device for work, study, and entertainment — a lifestyle appliance. And nothing about this product says mainstream more than the Remote Control and Front Row application.
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Serif PagePlus 11, the Review
Take it from a designer who has started off using QuarkXPress and can use InDesign just as well, since the first moment I opened Serif PagePlus 11, I was impressed. The interface is clean and smooth, menus are clear and functions are cleverly grouped, giving a very intuitive and streamlined user interface.
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Photoshop TV Reviewed: Good But Not Great
The mix of two parts goofy humor to one part Photoshop bothered me a bit
I just got through watching the first two episodes of NAPP’s Photoshop TV (click here for the main Web site or click here to subscribe via iTunes). The comments on the Photoshop TV Web site are all exceedingly positive, but I have to say that I was underwhelmed. Each episode is 30 minutes long and in that time you’d think they would have at least five or six good tutorials and a chunk of news, but there’s usually only three tips and some news (not necessarily in-depth) and the rest of the time is spent joshing around, telling goofy jokes, forgetting lines or spying on the slightly annoyed NAPP staff with Dave Cross’ Dave Cam. Now I know that goofy humor is part of what makes Scott Kelby, his books and NAPP popular, but there can be such a thing as too much.
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Adobe Illustrator CS2 @ Work
If you want to learn Illustrator, this is not your book. If you want to improve your knowledge of Illustrator with tips, tricks and real-world projects, keep reading. This book is just what you need!
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Duffy Shows the Importance of Design in Branding
Branding legend, Joe Duffy, examines the process of design to create a lasting and memorable brand in his latest book Brand Apart.
Brand Apart, written by Joe Duffy and published by The One Club, provides a series of case studies and direct interviews with some of today’s most recognizable brands: Harley Davidson, The Bahamas, Citibank, MINI, Starbucks, Tazo Tea, and the agencies who launched them: Wieden & Kennedy, Fallon Worldwide, Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Pentagram, BBH and of course, Duffy & Partners. The book attempts to answer the increasingly popular question asked by marketing, advertising and design professionals–”how do we penetrate today’s visual melange and engage our audiences?” Duffy explores the design behind these brands to prove that their successes are not mere coincidences, but rather, the hard work and dedication to excellence by some of the creative world’s most promising professionals.
Read more on Duffy Shows the Importance of Design in Branding…
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Dan Margulis’ Photoshop LAB Color
Dan Margulis’ new book focuses on Photoshop’s nuclear color space. But who is it written for—the novice or the expert?
A few weeks ago I wrote a very favorable review for Ben Willmore’e Up To Speed: Photoshop CS2, and one thing I really liked about the book was its specialized focus and in-depth coverage. Too many Photoshop books cover every teensy-weensy feature of the application and each with only a passing comment or paragraph. Now Dan Margulis, whose “Professional Photoshop” book has been the bible of color-correction for many years, has put out “Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace”. It sounds like a doctoral dissertation, but it’s actually a substantial book devoted to a single obscure menu item that almost no one understands or even pronounces correctly. However, as Dan spends much of the book trying to prove, LAB is a valuable “nuclear option” for the arsenal of any Photoshop professional.
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FontExplorer X VS Extenis Suitcase X1
You often hear about the comparison between Quark and InDesign. Here is a like for like comparison between two excellent font management applications.
Being a Suitcase X1 user, it was imperative for me to compare it to Linotype’s new release FontExplorer X. Both applications are excellent and are definitely tools for pros. If you are looking at a font management application for Macs and you are not sure which one you should use, this feature comparison might help you make a decision. This comparison was done using Mac OS X 10.4.2 (Tiger), with Classic environment version 9.2.
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This small volume is excellent for power users wanting to get 100% familiar with CS2
In the introduction to Ben Willmore’s “Up To Speed: Photoshop CS2″, Ben lists the three main classifications of Photoshop books today:
Read more on Ben Willmore’s “Up To Speed” Book A Great Resource…
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Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 – The review
Viewed by many as the world’s best Web editor, Macromedia’s Dreamweaver just got an upgrade. Part of Macromedia Studio 8.0, Dreamweaver 8.0 brings in some improvements over the last version, but is it worth paying for the upgrade?
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Illustrator CS2 Killer Tips
By Dave Cross and Matt Kloskowski
Illustrator CS2 Killer Tips is full of tips and tricks for Illustrator users no matter what your level of skill with the software.
The latest entry into the Killer Tips series of books, Illustrator CS2 Killer Tips, comes from Dave Cross, author of Illustrator CS Killer Tips, and Matt Kloskowski. Full of color illustrations and quick, meaty tips, this book will increase your Illustrator productivity, whether you are a new user of Illustrator or have been using the software for years. As with previous Killer Tips books, you can start reading anywhere. Scan the contents or index for the tips that relate to a specific problem, or, if you want to know all the tips, read it cover to cover.
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Photoshop CS2 – A Quick Look at New Features
A glance at Photoshop CS2′s new goodies
Adobe’s release of Creative Suite 2 sparkled a lot of interest, but also a lot of questions, due to its close release to it predecessor — Adobe Creative Suite. Many designers have probably asked themselves this very legitimate question: “Is this upgrade worth its money?” This article by guest writer Katherine Huck will take you through some of the new features of Photoshop CS, one of the programs part of Adobe’s Creative Suite 2.
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InDesign Reviews
Do you want to purchase a layout application, but you are not sure which one you want to go for? If you are looking at InDesign these reviews below might help you make a judgment.
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QuarkXPress Reviews
Do you want to purchase a layout application, but you are not sure which one you want to go for? If you are looking at QuarkXPress the reviews below might help you make a judgment.
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Robin Williams will tell you how CRAP design can actually be made into a good one.
The Non-Designer’s Design Book cover
(enlarged version)When CRAP means Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity. These are 4 very important elements of design. Without them, a layed out page will look amateurish and might not deliver the message you want it to deliver.
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InDesign CS2: Improved Productivity Features
The jump from InDesign 2.0 to the CS version was a no-brainer. The move from CS to CS2, however, required a lot more thought on my part. Is it worth it? Is it a justified expense? Is there anything new that I really need, or is it all luxury?
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