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Create Clipping Paths without Photoshop
How-Tos: Written by Robert Underwood on April 25, 2008
Here's how to cut out an image using only QuarkXPress.
Illustrator Type Tricks: A Frolic on the Far Side
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on August 27, 2007
These techniques for "enhancing" your type will have your mild-mannered fonts cowering in fear as you take them to places they dared not ever go.
dot-font: Importing Text
How-Tos: Written by John D. Berry on February 9, 2007
Learn how to import text into a page-layout program and have it come out the way you want it.
Better Type in Photoshop
How-Tos: Written by Dave Cross on January 22, 2007
Got questions about creating, committing, managing, masking, filtering, or otherwise transforming type in Photoshop? Want quick answer to those questions? I thought so!
dot-font: The Best Brochure Fonts
How-Tos: Written by John D. Berry on November 15, 2006
Learn how to choose and use the right typeface for a brochure, flyer, or small booklet.
Think Outside the Font Box
How-Tos: Written by Ilene Strizver on October 30, 2006
Some typefaces are only for text and some are only for display, right? Not necessarily. Follow these tips and you'll be able to extend your type library.
dot-font: Using Expert Characters and Expert Sets
How-Tos: Written by John D. Berry on October 23, 2006
For elegant, readable text, try the typographic refinements of expert sets and extra characters.
Quark How-To: Fill Type with Artwork in QuarkXPress
How-Tos: Written by Pariah S. Burke on August 1, 2005
How would you fill type with artwork or imagery? Would you do it in Photoshop or Illustrator? If the artwork-filled type is going to end up in a QuarkXPress layout, why worry about transparency, clipping path, or image preview issues? Instead, you can fill the type directly within XPress.
Design How-To: Choose the Right Typeface Every Time
How-Tos: Written by John McWade on July 18, 2005
Flashy typefaces are fun, but when you design something with large blocks of text, you need a font that doesn't tire your readers. We share our favorites and reveal easy tricks for identifying other suitable choices.
Web How-To: Tricks for Timeless Type
How-Tos: Written by Molly E. Holzschlag Dave Shea on May 18, 2005
Combine a less-is-more philosophy and basic CSS and what do you get? Type that elegantly conveys a mood. Learn how you can do the same.
Printing Tips: Designing for Digital Presses
How-Tos: Written by Molly W. Joss on November 18, 2004
Designers appreciate the flexibility of digital presses that let them print shorter four-color runs. But choices of paper and preparation of files require special care. Find out what you need to know.
Illustrator How-To: Using Stroke Offsets for Depth Effects
How-Tos: Written by Deke McClelland on September 17, 2004
Adding strokes to type lends definition to text, but adding offset strokes adds dimension to text. In this video tutorial, Deke McClelland shows how to use the Transform Effect feature in Illustrator CS to add depth to text.
Design How-To: Adding Photographic Texture to Type
How-Tos: Written by John McWade on May 21, 2004
Filling outline type with texture is one way to add character to display text. It's easy to make your own textures from any old photo in Photoshop. Here's how.
Design How-To: Discover the Logo in Your Name
How-Tos: Written by John McWade on February 27, 2004
Even the most mundane name has an interesting logo lurking inside it. The key to unlocking it is looking at the letter-shapes themselves. Here's how to turn letters into logos.
Printing Tips: Avoiding Prepress Bloopers
How-Tos: Written by Marcia Lerner on October 22, 2003
Want to make your prepress operator smile? Try delivering files that are error free. Here are the most-common file-preparation errors, according to printing colossus RR Donnelley.
Acrobat Tips: Fonts Can Make or Break PDFs
How-Tos: Written by Shlomo Perets on August 26, 2003
Acrobat's intelligent font substitution is a godsend for office documents, but it can be a nightmare in situations where font fidelity is important. If you're a graphic designer, then you need to know how to work with fonts in PDFs. PlanetPDF has the answers.
Font Fatigue: Pruning Excess Fonts in Mac OS X
How-Tos: Written by Chuck Weger on August 19, 2003
Managing your font libraries in Mac OS X is a multi-step process. The first of these was knowing where to look. The second, covered here, is getting rid of duplicates and stashing them in places where they can do no harm. OS X-transition consultant Chuck Weger shows you how.
Design How-To: Making a Distinctive Monogram
How-Tos: Written by John McWade on July 9, 2003
A monogram is more than a $5 option on an oxford-cloth shirt. It's an individual stamp, your own personal logo, and a mark of distinction. Making a memorable monogram for personal or business use isn't that difficult, if you keep a few design principles in mind.
InDesign How-To: Applying Character Formats
How-Tos: Written by David Blatner Olav Martin Kvern on May 28, 2003
Want to learn more about InDesign's font controls? Then take a look at the character palette. As this excerpt from "Real World InDesign 2" shows, it holds the key to unlocking InDesign's typographic power.
Photoshop How-To: Create Stunning Type Effects
How-Tos: Written by Roger Pring on May 20, 2003
If you're bored with placing plain old text in Photoshop, get ready to be stimulated. By applying Photoshop's copious imaging techniques to type elements, you can create interesting, and unusual type effects. Here are three recipes to get you started.