DTG News and Else
DT&G:   Vol. 19, Number 6,   June, 2009   ~   The eZine for Design, Typography, & Graphics   (since 1988)  

DT&G Newsletter for JUNE, 2009

JUNE 2009

Yes, here we are again -- already into June! I was a little slow getting back to the grid after a wonderful two weeks in East Africa. Take my advice: everyone should go and discover Africa at least once in their lifetime! Getting back to DTG, this month's topics are design learning, design mistakes, designing logos and cool summer reading and resources ...

June Table of Contents

SURVEY: Why did you come here?

WIN some of our valuable prizes by telling us
WHY? Why did you come to the Design Center?
WHY? What were you looking for?
WHY? Are you a regular reader? Or is this your first time?
WHY? What features do you like best?
WHY? What would you LIKE to see here that is missing?
... prizes will be awarded at random -- some responses may be published.
What do you like or not like about the Design & Publishing Center
If you do not wish to be chosen for a prize, or you wish to be anonymous, then you can tell us what's on your mind here

Design Projects: Easier? Profitable?ideas plus free book

Chuck Green The idea is simple. Modifying a well-designed template is far easier and more profitable than starting from scratch. With the professionally designed templates, you tap the talents of designer and author Chuck Green. He has researched, designed, and meticulously formatted over 300 extraordinary layouts in a clean, simple style that it easy to build on. Instead of spending 15 minutes to create a simple layout, you'll spend 15 seconds. For complex projects -- books, newsletters, catalogs, reports -- you'll save HOURS.

Design Disasters

We've all had them. We all hate them. We all try very hard to avoid them. But design disasters do happen. Steven Heller writes: "Embrace failures as endemic to the design process, learn from them and enjoy them"... and that's exactly what we do in this look at Design Disasters: Great Designers, Fabulous Failures, and Lessons Learned

Ten Characteristics of a Logo That Endures

Following our Design series, we visit noted logo designer, Jack Gernsheimer, and share some essential lessons from his latest book Designing Logos: The Process of Creating Symbols That Endure and learn the check list that designers should follow -- Ten Characteristics of a Logo That Endure

June Photoshop Madness... Common Problems, Skin retouching and more

Photoshop Madness In this issue we open the Photoshop 911 mail bag to answer some reader's questions, solving problems like ... high-tone photography * sepia toning * fixing some common digital photography problems * retouching and smoothing skin. We'll also show you how to Get a FREE PHOTOSHOP BOOK just for sharing your own Photoshop Madness discoveries... join us for Photoshop Madness

60-Seconds: Anonymity vs. Accountability

I read a rather disturbing article in one of my favorite magazines, Technology Review, and I just had to write this rebuttal. David Talbot's article "Dessent Made Safer" seems to ignore the fact that freedom of speech carries some grave responsibilities that cannot be ignored. 60-Seconds: Anonymity vs. Accountability

Photoshop Field Guide

Stephen Laskevitch Photoshop CS4 Photographer's Handbook a clear and effective workflow for editing photographs in Photoshop CS4. You'll get the help of Stephen Laskevitch, an expert on Photoshop and Adobe Certified Instructor ... Photoshop CS4 Photographer's Handbook

Get Framed for iPhone and iPod Touch

I know many in the graphic arts fields have embraced Apple's iPhone. So, here's a great app for iPhone and iPod Touch where you crop, scale, enhance, and frame any photo in your Photo Gallery. You get 96 themed frames in twelve categories designed specifically to spice up your iPhone experience -- so Get Framed

Mailbag: Design training for Desktop publishing?

Patrick from Siaya-kisumu, Kenya writes with this question:
> Does one need Graphic design training
> to do Desktop publishing?

Pat, the answer is no, you really don't. As long as you know how to use the software, you can do desktop publishing. HOWEVER, to do it effectively, and to deliver the message of the publishing to the reader in a clear, compelling and understandable way, then YES, design training will serve you well. Pat uses both Mac, and PCs in his work. Thanks for writing

Site of Month: Digital Artist Claudia

Those of you wishing to become digital realism artists should take a look at the works of digital artist Claudia. Her works are impressive and she had a wide range of styles. She practices her trade in Argentina, and has provided us with a 'steps' animation which shows the phases of creating one of her works: Step by step art

Ron & Joe's Art Parts Freebie of the Month

As you may have read in previous issues, Ron and Joe are those two wild and crazy guys who produce some pretty cool clip art. Well, they've uploaded their freebies for the month which includes some summer images. Check it out at : www.ronandjoe.com

Creative Bus Stop Ads you'd love to see

The folks at Toxel.com obviously have a lot of time on their hands. But it's a cool diversion for you -- the daily design, inspiration and technology blog. We found these to be amazing examples of truly creative designs for bus stops! Enjoy

&ELSE... freebies and cool stuff

This month's &Else includes: * 9,000 USBs left at the Dry Cleaners * Photoshop CS4 Photographer's Handbook * PDF into Web Site * DATAform for InDesign CS4 * Contact grabber Mac OS X * Voice-To-Text * End Boring Presentations * PopChar * Hip Effects for Final Cut Pro * Auto-serialization for InDesign * New Themes for iWeb, RapidWeaver and Keynote ... along with nearly a dozen in News, Reviews and &Else

June comes once a year ...

Guess what? This June newsletter page may be the last. The new reincarnation of the Design & Publishing web site may eliminate the newsletter page, and bring all the 'news' items to the front page.

There are some dramatic changes in progress, and that's why it is so important for you to register your likes and dislikes about the Design & Publishing Center. We want to incorporate the features you want into the new design. But time is running out. So share your likes and dislikes about the Design & Publishing Center NOW

SUMMER is here, and once again we're opening the ranks of the design center gallery and the Photo-Folio site to welcome your photos -- show your good stuff to the DTG Readership! Sign up and send content and/photos : by clicking here.

Have a really great JUNE and SUMMER!

thanks for reading...

Fred Showker
Fred Showker

Fred Showker, Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine

Thoughts for June:

  The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds;
      the pessimist fears this is true!
          James Branch Cabell

  If you know your history,
      the future will not trouble you.
          African proverb

PS: if you've made it this far, excellent! The Publishers Warehouse have not been very successful switching all the hundreds of new clip art images to new directory structure. During the month of March they cataloged and re-linked 3,400 files! We'll be lucky if they get this project done by Christmas -- but June is the "vacation" month, right? ?

You can contribute and get your voice heard: When you make your contribution to the Design Center, you not only help us continue the mission... and you get lots and lots of traffic and visitors to your web site! Google metrics evidence 611,387 pairs of eyes saw our Partner's buttons last month. Need we say more? Take a look for yourself

Participate in your Design Center

Lots of fun and information for all... don't forget, any community is only as good as the participation of its members. We invite your tips, tricks, comments, suggestions and camaraderie.