NEWSLETTER ....................
................... Vol. 18, #12 - December,
2008 ........................
This Month:
01 Designing the Holidays
02 Feature: Cover Design critique, tips and tricks
03 Creating a Logo Using Serif's PagePlus X3
04 Photoshop Madness... holiday madness
05 Photo Books make Great Gifts
06 Photographic Greeting Cards
07 Using Cheap Media?
08 12 Creative Photography Ideas
09 Photographers using Photoshop
10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
11 Gerald Gallo Art Nouveau Ornaments
12 Mail Bag: Icon for the Holidays?
13 Mail Bag: How do you spell holiday?
14 Mail Bag: Pure essence of the Holiday
15 Best of 2008? You could be a winner ...
16 Deke is back... and even better
17 GPU-Powered Photoshop Alternative
18 60-Seconds: Change is coming
19 Site of the Month: Crumpler ABC
20 &ELSE... freebies and cool stuff
21 Here's to YOU ...
* LIVE AT: http://www.graphic-design.com/news/
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The holidays are here -- Even though the dooms-sayers are shedding
darkness
all around, pay no attention. Look on the bright side, and make a
positive
effort to raise people's spirits! Now is the time for graphic designers
to be at their very best!
Don't forget the Publisher's Warehouse "Gifts" gallery is open, so come
on down and get yourself a gift -- our way of saying "thank you" for
being on board all year long! But more about that later.
Enjoy this month's offerings
-- and please stay in touch
* http://www.graphic-design.com/contact.html
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02. Feature: Cover Design critique, tips and tricks
The recent Wiley Design Challenge saw a great collection of cover
designs
for Al Ward's upcoming Photoshop for Right Brainers book. We see some
outstanding Photoshop work -- but are they good book cover designs?
This is a critique and a tutorial to teach and illustrate
Book Cover Design Tips & Tricks
* http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Design/book_covers/index.html
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03. Creating a Logo Using Serif's PagePlus X3
Combining text and graphic capabilities, the PagePlus X3 Logo Studio
makes it easy to produce logos and taglines either from scratch,
from imported artwork, or by using one of the more than 400
template designs. Dale Cook shows how easy it is to
use Logo Studio to create a logo using PagePlus
* http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Design/serif_page_plus/logo.html
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04. Photoshop Madness... holiday madness
Photoshop CS4 Tricks with Alex Walker
* Content Aware Image Resizing
* Sue's Assorted Patterns
* FREE Photoshop Christmas Frame Templates
* Photo Actions
* Camxso Christmas Shapes
* Photoshop Brushes
* Photoshop Phabric
* Putting a face on ... M&M'S
* 220 Amazing Free Photoshop Layer Styles
* Free Styles and Patterns
* Adobe Creative Suite 4 prices and more.
If you see a big box over on the right or left for Adobe,
click on it!
Enjoy this month's edition of Photoshop (Holiday) Madness
* http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/photoshop_madness.html
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05. Photo Books make Great Gifts
Now is the time to start thinking about gifts
-- particularly if you want very thoughtful yet fairly inexpensive
gifts.
Planning is important, and as you shoot -- keep your photo book
concepts in mind and shoot for the purpose.
Here, MJ Johnston shares some
tips on photo books
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/photo_books.html
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06. Photographic Greeting Cards
You probably have a great treasury of photos that could be put to
real use!
Here, noted photographer John Huegel shares tips and guides you to
create some truly great, high-quality cards you will be proud
to send -- and your recipients will by happy to save...
Photographic Greeting Cards
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/photo_cards.html
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07. Using Cheap Media?
Are you ready to risk your images just to save a few bucks? Is it
Ok to Use Cheaper Media in Your Digital Camera? Andrew Malek
provides some advice why you should purchase memory media
for your digital camera with caution and try to
avoid buying or Using Cheap Media
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/Malek_cheap_media.html
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08. 12 Creative Photography Ideas
You'll be taking a lot of photos in the weeks to come. Here,
photographer John Huegel says "Keep these ideas in mind, to get
your creative juices flowing and increase your skills and
value as a photographer" Just try some of these
12 Creative Photography Ideas
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/photo_ideas.html
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09. Photographers using Photoshop
The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers, spotlights only the
critical tools you'll need most often in one compact reference
-- Derrick Story teaches you how to quickly and efficiently
organize and edit your photos without compromising the originals.
Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/cs4_companion.html
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10. Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
Just starting out in business? Launching a freelance career?
Here are killer mistakes to avoid when starting a business excerpted
from
"So, You Want to Start a Business?" by Ed Hess and Charles Goetz
8 Killer Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/business_mistakes.html
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11. Gerald Gallo Art Nouveau Ornaments
Jerry has added more than 141 new fonts to the Gallo collection
since we first met him way back in the Fonts Festival of 1998.
Just in time for the holidays he brings yet another great
picture font -- a collection of Art Nouveau ornaments
culled from historic sources, built into an
Art Nouveau Open Type font
* http://www.graphic-design.com/Type/gallo/2008.html
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12. Mail Bag: Icon for the Holidays?
L.M., a design professional from Anacortes, WA (USA)
picks our brains whith this twister...
> I wonder how impossible it might be to come up with some
> new iconography for the holidays. For every other event, product,
> service, whatever, the idea of re-using the same graphic
> depiction every year (beyond a branded logo) would be sniffed at.
> But holidays... we go into auto-pilot rerun mode, rendered
> creatively impotent by tradition. Even if we can't design a
> new icon for worldwide or nationwide acceptance all at once,
> what about our individual projects for smaller groups or
companies?
> (Step away from the clip art...)
Now, that's an excellent question. Ideas anyone?
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13. Mail Bag: How do you spell holiday?
Dasha, a design professional from State Center, IA, sent this one in,
We liked it, and we fully enjoyed her web site!
Dasha says:
Design for the holidays? It's easy!
*H - HUMOR and HAPPINESS will appear in every design project
*O - OPENNESS for everything new should be in your mind
*L - LETTERS and LINES will help you to express your ideas clearly
*I - INSPIRATION may come from everywhere: Holiday sounds, smells
and textures
*D - DYNAMIC DESIGN will make your holiday posters and cards so
unforgettable
*A - ANNUAL design competitions can be a good chance to share
your ideas
*Y - YES! You will say it looking at your new design which you can
be proud of
You can meet Dasha at her web site -- enjoy her work, particularly
the "experimental" gallery:
* http://www.dm-design-collection.com
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14. Mail Bag: Pure essence of the Holiday
R.H. a photographer from Las Vegas, NV, USA wrote in to say:
> I look for the pure essence of the holiday in a simple
> form or composition. Using light or the lack there of to
> focus the attention of the viewer. I really enjoy finding
> a new view or angle of something that is well recognized.
> I think it should in the final say make people think about
> the intent of the holiday.
> Such an invite like "May Peace be with You", causes one
> to think with in themselves what peace means to them.
> I like think that such greetings and images desire
> to make the world a better place.
Bravo, R.H., we couldn't agree more!
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15. Best of 2008? You could be a winner ...
Our top three entries this month will receive a nice gift from
DTG just for sharing their thoughts with you.
(Guys, we need your addresses!)
If you too would like to share with DTG readers, and are selected
to be published here, we'll send you out a 'thank you' gift as well.
For our next issue we're looking for your favorite discovery in 2008 ...
best download, best web site, best promotion, best what ever so
long as it relates to the graphic design field.
Just tell us what it is and why it's your best discovery of 2008.
Here's where to send in your posts
* http://www.graphic-design.com/registration.html
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16. Deke is back... and even better
The One-To-One series is the best in the market for learning any of
Adobe's Creative Suite.
Read the lesson. Watch the video. Do the exercises, and you'll
learn Adobe InDesign CS4 from expert and Adobe guru
Deke McClelland.
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/deke_indesign_cs4.html
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17. GPU-Powered Photoshop Alternative
Pixelmator is the revolutionary GPU-powered image editing tool that
provides everything needed to create, edit, and enhance still images
- Magic Wand, Paint Bucket, and Magic Eraser tools; improved Hue
and Saturation, Replace Color, and Colorize tools; Smart
Palette Hide; and more. The upgrade is free.
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/Pixelmator_13.html
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18. 60-Seconds: Change is coming
Although attempting to stay out of politics all together during
November,
I had to post this 60-Second Window because it does relate directly
to the internet, internet users, and your security and safety.
The change is coming, folks
... the question is will it be good change or bad change
* http://www.60-seconds.com/2008/11/change_is_coming.html
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19. Site of the Month: Crumpler ABC
Very cool letters and more -- Someone sent this in and we did not catch
the name or address, but it's really cool enough to pass along.
This web site created by the Crumpler bag maker presents a stunning
array of letters built of mostly unusual and creative pictures.
The twist is, you can pick the letters you like most, then spell
a word and click to have it output to a file! It's probably the
most exciting and creative typesetting available on the web!
(Albeit slow and tedious.) You can get there at
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20. &ELSE... freebies and cool stuff
This month's &Else includes:
* Gift ideas: Photo Books, Photographic Greeting Cards
* Using Cheap Media
* 12 Creative Photography Ideas
* Adopt an Author
* Nikon D300
* Canon EOS Digital Rebel
* Photoshop CS4
* Make a Splash on YouTube
* Cook some Adobe Air
* Be a Geek Goddess
* VectorDesigner
* Pixelmator
* Resizing Images Online
... and a dozen others!
* http://www.graphic-design.com/news/2008/index.html
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21. Here's to YOU ...
In the words of the famous Jimmy Buffett song ...
"I really do appreciate the fact
you're sitting here,
your voice sounds so wonderful"
... and while Jimmy wasn't talking about quite the same thing,
I quote him to invite you to continue sending those comments,
suggestions and thoughts to share with all DTG readers.
Your voice will be heard and appreciated!
While clicks are down, and our Amazon and Google revenues are dwindling
to reflect this 'adjustment' in the economy, I'm happy to report that
visits are up, and the readership of DTG is still expanding. As I
said before, now is the time for all graphic artists, designers
and visual communicators to be at their very best.
It is the communications community who does the most
good during economic hard times!
And, if you do happen to fall prey to the main stream media's
dooms-day rhetoric, stop for a moment and think about those who
are much less fortunate than you are. Give them a hand, and
you'll see your world turn much brighter. You don't realize
how well off you are until you touch the l
ives of those who aren't.
From all of us at your Design Center and DTG Magazine,
to all of you who help us spread the wealth of information
-- we wish you
a wonderful holiday season, and a better-than-ever new year!
Fred
Fred Showker, Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine
A Thought for December is about doing the right thing...
The things that will destroy us are:
politics without principle;
pleasure without conscience;
wealth without work;
knowledge without character;
business without morality;
science without humanity; and
worship without sacrifice.
-- Thomas Jefferson
PS: if you've made it this far, excellent! The Publishers Warehouse
have been very busy getting ready for the holidays.
They've posted the loading dock, saying 'ho-ho-ho'
..................................................................
Thank you for joining the DT&G monthly newsletter.
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THANKS FOR READING, we'll leave the modem on for'ya.
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