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Eco-Friendly Inks

Features: Written by Sabine Lenz on July 25, 2008

Are "green" inks as good as traditional inks?

Photo Murals Make You Think Big. Really Big.

Features: Written by Brian P. Lawler on July 21, 2008

For this children's museum in California, one intrepid creative pro produced an 18-gigabyte HDR Photoshop file, a 19-foot-long printout, and a 9-foot-high neon sign.

HerGeekness Says: Convert a File, Any File

Features: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on July 9, 2008

When clients hand you files so ancient or obscure that they're unreadable, don't despair. Part 1 of my file conversion survival kit will have you repurposing those files lickety split -- without asking the client to lift a finger, and without forcing you to buy every application under the sun just to open the occasional weirdo document.

First Look: QuarkXPress 8.0

Features: Written by Gene Gable on May 29, 2008

Finally, the makeover designers have been waiting for.

Going with the Flow

Features: Written by Charles Purdy on March 12, 2008

A Visual Designer Transitions from the Silver Screen to Your Computer Screen

HerGeekness Says: Screen-Share with Your Clients

Features: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on March 2, 2008

Letting far-flung clients see your screen makes online proofing as good as in-person proofs and online collaboration a cinch. Recent technology improvements free you from worrying about routers, firewalls, computer platforms, or browser compatibility.

Pantone 2.0: After 45 Years, the Sequel to PMS

Features: Written by Gene Gable on September 5, 2007

The new Pantone Goe spot-color matching system has a lot going for it compared to the venerable Pantone Matching System: It nearly doubles the number of unique colors, adopts a logical naming scheme, and comes with innovative color-palette software. But will Goe replace your current PMS swatch book? Only your wallet knows for sure.

The Colorful Identification System

Features: Written by Brian P. Lawler on March 23, 2007

How a 19th-century man developed a system used in very modern software.

Out of Gamut: Color-Correct Vocabulary

Features: Written by Bruce Fraser on August 16, 2005

For some time now I've been explicating the finer points of color management in this column, and while I've strived to define terminology when needed, the conviction that a permanent, at-your-ready glossary would help tremendously has grown each and every month.

Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and InDesign Get a Little Help From Their Friends

Features: Written by Jay J. Nelson on July 15, 2005

We've got the scoop on the latest plug-ins for your favorite applications. Whether you want to quickly replace colors or reduce noise in photos, script anything in a publication, or typeset equations directly in your page-layout program, you'll find the info you need here.

Plug-Ins and XTensions: What's New for Photoshop, QuarkXPress, InDesign, and Acrobat

Features: Written by Jay J. Nelson on May 13, 2005

Do you have the wrong colors? Too smooth a bevel, or too noisy an image? Inconsistent tables? Is your printing out of control? We've got the software solutions for you.

The 2004 Creativepro.com Gift Guide

Features: Written by Sandee Cohen Bruce Fraser Sharon Steuer Ben Long Brian P. Lawler Eric J. Adams Pamela Pfiffner John D. Berry Molly W. Joss Susan Glinert Stevens on December 8, 2004

Here it is: our third gift guide for creative people. We asked our regular contributors what they'd like to give -- or receive -- for the holidays this year. Their answers may surprise you.

Heavy Metal Madness: Printing and the Interior Designer

Features: Written by Gene Gable on June 3, 2004

When embarking on an interior-design project, the first place you turn is to magazine spreads, color samples, and furniture advertising. During a recent remodel of his home, Gene Gable saw firsthand how printing technologies influence color choices. In this installment: Gene ponders the relationship of print to paint, or how Harvest Gold and Avocado Green appliances came to be.

Plug-Ins and XTensions: Photoshop Frames, Illustrator Mockups, QuarkXPress Audits, Acrobat Images

Features: Written by Jay J. Nelson on May 5, 2004

This month's round-up of plug-ins and XTensions includes tools for exporting images from Acrobat, fashioning packages in Illustrator, changing colors in Photoshop, importing RTFs into QuarkXPress, and updating style sheets at the push of a button.

Bit by Bit: Learning to Love Letters -- and Leading

Features: Written by Brian P. Lawler on April 20, 2004

Determined to reconnect students with typographic tradition, Brian P. Lawler developed both old and new exercises for his pupils: setting type by hand on a 19th century press and capturing spontaneous alphabets with digital cameras. They'll never think of leading the same away again.

dot-font: Faux Fonts

Features: Written by John D. Berry on February 16, 2004

If the fonts are missing when you output text, the result is faux type -- and it's a disservice to both author and reader.

Plug-Ins and XTensions: GoLive Flashers, InDesign Stitchers, Photoshop Adjusters, QuarkXPress Fixers

Features: Written by Jay J. Nelson on February 4, 2004

This month's round-up of plug-ins and XTensions includes tools for automatically fixing images in QuarkXPress 6, making color corrections in Photoshop, enabling Flash files in GoLive, and stitching booklets in InDesign. Pllus, a nifty way to export XPress layouts as TIFF or JPEG files.

Under the Desktop: R.I.P. CRT

Features: Written by David Morgenstern on December 4, 2003

Compared to clunky CRTs, LCD monitors are sleek, stylish, and portable. But LCDs fall short in one department: color fidelity. If you care about color, you may want to stockpile CRT monitors. They'll soon be extinct.

The Art of Business: Prescription for Prepress

Features: Written by Eric J. Adams on October 27, 2003

Prepress expert and consultant Sam Smith says there's a reason why prepress shops are dying -- they're making themselves extinct.

Graph Expo Report: Spots, Dots, and What's Hot

Features: Written by Brian P. Lawler on October 20, 2003

GraphExpo, held annually in Chicago, showcases the latest developments in printing presses and binding equipment. This year was no exception. As Brian P. Lawler reports, the latest developments were at extremes -- from tiny halftone dots to extra-large presses.