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Safely Export Pictures from QuarkXPress

How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on November 5, 2009

This process is ideal when you want to give a Web developer pictures that you cropped, rotated, or altered in QuarkXPress. It's also useful for converting a picture from one file format or color space to another.

One Good Kern Deserves Another

How-Tos: Written by James Felici on October 12, 2009

Evening out the spaces between characters is a matter of finding the right rhythm, then going with the flow.

Combine Illustrator Patterns with Photoshop Masks for Instant Visual Appeal

How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on September 28, 2009

With this technique, you can create eye-catching imagery without fancy plug-ins or big stock photo budgets.

Illustrator How-to: Distribute Art Around a Path

How-Tos: Written by Mordy Golding on September 24, 2009

When you want to align objects to something other than a straight path -- for example, 12 stars in a circular pattern -- you have to go back to Illustrator's beginning.

To Boldly Go . . . Or Is It Italically?

How-Tos: Written by James Felici on September 21, 2009

In any family, you can always spot the role of certain members. Typeface families are no different.

Punc Rocks: The Typographer's Guide to Punctuation

How-Tos: Written by James Felici on September 9, 2009

When it comes to understanding what we read, periods, commas, and their dotty allies are proof that it's the little things that count. Here's how to use them correctly.

Acrobat How-to: Add Text to PDFs

How-Tos: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on August 20, 2009

There are a couple of ways to add text to a PDF, but with this method, you can style the text and the box it's in. A bonus tip explains how to ensure that the added text always prints.

Create an Image Sandwich in Photoshop

How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on July 6, 2009

Here's how to weave a photo behind and in front of text using Photoshop. It's a great technique for brochures, newsletters, magazines, and anywhere you want to grab attention with something a little out of the ordinary.

Make an Image Sandwich in InDesign

How-Tos: Written by David Blatner on July 3, 2009

Place an image above and below text and vector graphics for a tasty visual meal.

Clipping Drop Shadows in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign

How-Tos: Written by Mordy Golding on June 22, 2009

Learn how to create an object with both a transparent fill and a drop shadow in three major software programs.

Recipes for Applying -- and Ignoring -- Text Wrap

How-Tos: Written by Diane Burns on June 11, 2009

Whip up a few tasty treats using InDesign’s text wrap features.

But Will It Print?

How-Tos: Written by Steve Werner on June 11, 2009

Ten tips for creating an InDesign file that prints perfectly.

QuarkXPress Tips: Word Import, Printing Fix, Preview Prescience

How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on June 11, 2009

In this collection of quick and handy tips, learn how to improve importing from Microsoft Word, troubleshoot QuarkXPress printer problems, cut paths, and more.

InDesign Tutorial: Preflight Files in CS4

How-Tos: Written by Russell Viers on June 10, 2009

InDesign CS4 introduced a new fusion between design capability and the laws of printing that will blow your socks off. Here's how to create and implement a basic preflight profile and read an error report.

Get the Nesting Instinct: InDesign's Nested Styles Auto-Format Multiple Paragraphs

How-Tos: Written by Michael Murphy on June 8, 2009

Before InDesign CS, no page layout program allowed character styles to work within paragraph styles. The two styles were completely independent of one another. But now you can prebuild one or more character styles into a paragraph style and trigger those character styles with specific conditions; e.g., bold the beginning text in a paragraph until an em dash appears. What character styles are nested in the paragraph, in what order, and what triggers the switch between them, is entirely up to you!

How to Cure Typochondria

How-Tos: Written by Pamela Pfiffner on May 11, 2009

"Typochondria" is the fear that you've selected the wrong typeface. If you've ever suffered from that font affliction, rest easy: This article is good for what ails you.

Top QuarkXPress Tips

How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on March 23, 2009

Adjust dot leaders, link spreadsheets to tables, and learn the logic behind spaces before and after paragraphs.

InDesign's Anchored Objects: More Than Meets the Eye

How-Tos: Written by Diane Burns on February 23, 2009

We all know that InDesign’s Anchored Object feature can be useful. But you may think of this feature only in its classic application, where images that need to run in a margin alongside text are anchored to the appropriate word. However, there are other, less obvious situations where the feature can come in handy, including decorative treatments for titles, tables, and column toppers.

Get Creative with Vector Speech and Thought Bubbles

How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on January 26, 2009

It doesn't take long to create speech or thought bubbles in Adobe Illustrator. Bonus: As you have fun, you'll learn more about the Pathfinder palette, Shape tools, Warp tools, and the Pen tool.

Create Dynamic Cast Shadows in InDesign

How-Tos: Written by Pariah Burke on January 14, 2009

Follow the lead of a hard-boiled private design investigator as he solves the mystery of InDesign’s missing cast shadow.

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