dekePod Episode 015: Imagine yourself on a once-in-a-lifetime underwater adventure. Adift in a world of wonder. Watch as if in a dream as you ignore the souvenir stand, bypass the lounge chair, even avoid the swim-up bar. Your only intention is to grab the gear, strap on the fins, and plunge into the astonishing azure alure.
Or more simply put: Mix with the fish.
Such destinations have names as to make the heart sigh: Fiji. Kealakekua Bay. Ningaloo. The Red Sea. Read more…
The late (great!) sci-fi author Douglas Adams once said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Sadly, that “whooshing noise” is far too familiar, and in today’s economically stressed world deadlines are mission critical. After all, to get money in your pocket you have to get projects out the door! Unfortunately for most creatives, the sun rises each day only to illuminate a mile-long to-do list and mountains of email. Heck, it’s a wonder we’re able to get out of bed at all!
Thankfully, Photoshop’s Smart Objects make it easy for you to work smarter instead of harder, saving tons of time. In this tutorial you’ll learn what a Smart Object is, why they’re useful, and how you can use them to make some of the slickest photo templates you’ve ever seen. Then use what you’ve learned to create limitless smart effects of your own! Read more…
When you’re having trouble deciding on the best typeface or combination of typefaces for a particular project, try these sources:
* The Type Library section of the Adobe Web site lets you search for fonts by use.
* Each typeface on the Font Bureau Web site includes a list of comparable and compatible fonts.
* Independent blogs such as Typophile are populated with type-savvy folks who will give advice on font usage, identify orphaned fonts, and steer you toward little-known fonts that may have escaped your attention.
* Blogs associated with type foundries that don’t just promote their own products are great resources, as well. For example, a wonderful post on FontFeed, the blog affiliated with FontShop, explored alternatives to Helvetica with helpful background about the suggested typefaces and detailed characteristics that distinguish them from Helvetica.
When you have to place a number of images into your layout, save yourself some effort and first set up the graphic frame with particular specifications (Fit Proportionally, fit content to frame, fit frame to content, etc.). That way you won’t have to fidget as much to make the fit.
Drag out the frame to the desired size and proportion. Select Object > Fitting > Frame Fitting Options. Define the Crop Amount or the Reference Point (the point from which your sizes will emanate), and select Fitting > Fit Content Proportionally. Once you define one frame, Option/Alt-drag it to make a duplicate with the same parameters. Now when you Place (Command/Ctrl-D) an image, it will come into the frame with the predefined sizing.
