CreativePro.Com News

Jade 2.0 for Aperture Shipping

Editor in Chief — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:10:01 -0700

Press release

DataMind Srl is proud to announce Jade Plug-in 2.0, their digital image processing plug-in for Apple Aperture. Jade Plug-in includes the same algorithms as DataMind's highly acclaimed digital image processing applications, Jade and Beryl. Implementing state-of-the-art algorithms to enhance color, contrast and dynamic range and remove red-eye effect, Jade Plug-in is an easy-to-use image enhancement tool that will automatically improve digital images directly in Aperture.

Them's the Breaks

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:20:15 -0700

Typography is mainly concerned with conditions: how things look, how they're arranged, how they relate to each other. But this time we'll look a typographic event: the line ending. Though it leaves its trace, whether created automatically by your program or manually by your own hand, as an entity on the page it's a bit amorphous. But the appearance of nearly every line of type you set is contingent on how it ends, and you have more control over this than you might guess.

Quark's BOGO Offer

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:35:58 -0700

Press release

Purchase a new single full product of QuarkXPress 8 before December 31st and we'll give you another license worth $799 ABSOLUTELY FREE*.

QuarkXPress 8 delivers an intuitive new interface, easy Flash® authoring, stunning new typographic features, native Illustrator® and Photoshop® file import and global publishing.

Step 1: Purchase your new QuarkXPress 8 full product from any Authorized Reseller or directly from Quark. Simply click on the purchase option below:

NetMediaMAX Makes Imaging Workflows Faster & Cheaper

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:21:26 -0700

Press release

Extensis, a division of Celartem Inc., announced the immediate availability of Portfolio NetMediaMAX, an add-on for Portfolio Server 9. This media-processing software lets digital imaging professionals automate their media workflows for increased productivity and faster turn-around times.

Make Cut-Paper Portraits with Photoshop & Old-School Tools

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:00:16 -0700

Paul Overton of the blog Dude Craft has filmed a thorough video tutorial that makes it easy to take a photo and turn it into a cut-paper portrait that looks like you drew it all painstakingly by hand.

Photoshop is the key, but fans of old-school tools need not fear -- an X-Acto and Spray Mount are necessary, too.

You can watch the entire video (a little over 10 minutes, but worth it), below.

Photoshop Mobile Comes to Android Phones Everywhere

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:01:33 -0700

Photoshop Mobile for Android phones, which was released in the United States and Canada on November 9, 2009, is now available globally.

The app lets you edit photos from your phone (crop, straighten, rotate, apply effects, and so on). You can also upload those photos to a free Photoshop.com account.

Free InDesign Plug-In

Editor in Chief — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:57:57 -0700

Rorohiko's new FrameReporter plug-in gives you all the info you need, right at your fingertips. One click shows you image paths, names, and effective resolution; number of words in a frame or story; and which items are overridden from master pages. It even lets you jump to certain stories and frames. Never waste time digging through InDesign palettes again!

Phantasm CS Publisher for Adobe Illustrator

Editor in Chief — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:49:21 -0700

Press release

Building on the release in 2008 of Phantasm CS Studio, Astute Graphics is reaching out further to the high-end design and pre-press markets with the latest in its award-winning and acclaimed Adobe Illustrator plug-in range; Phantasm CS Publisher. Unique in its combination of fantastic value for money and critical features to enhance workflow and boost creativity, Phantasm CS Publisher has been developed and tested by professionals for professionals.

The key additions to Phantasm CS Studio’s features are:

RIT Launches New Graphic Design Archive

Editor in Chief — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:45:59 -0700

Press release

Acrobat.com Gains New Productivity and Collaboration Capabilities

Editor in Chief — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:16:36 -0700

Press release

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the next release of Acrobat.com, which includes several major updates designed to make working together across organizations even easier than before. Incorporating over 35 customer-suggested features, this release simplifies the way people work when communicating and collaborating over the Web. In addition, Acrobat.com has added smartphone access, enabling people to get their work done from anywhere.

Give the iPhone Camera a Burst Mode

Editor in Chief — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:09:43 -0700

Press release

Burst gives your iPhone camera the Burst Mode (also called Bulb Mode) available on professional cameras. In Burst Mode, the camera will automatically take consecutive shots after you trip the shutter. It is particularly useful in action photography, where perfect shot only happens in split second.

Features
- Continuous shooting in burst of 2, 4 or 8 shots.
- Buffer memory of 8 shots.
- Automatic saving to Photo Library.

CreativePro.com—Design Tools Weekly Podcast

Editor in Chief — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:35:33 -0600

Our weekly podcast is hosted by Jeff Gamet and Jay Nelson of Design Tools Weekly. To hear any episode, click on the dated links below (for example, "February 23, 2009"). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Click a date to listen to that week's podcast.

November 23, 2009:
Thermal Pad Keeps Your Laptop Cool
LittleSnapper has Big Features
An Excellent Noise Reducer
Output Raster Images of QuarkXPress Pages
Tricks for Working with Office 2008 files
Tips:
• Where's the Rounded Rectangle Tool?
• Keep Commenting Tools Selected
• Reposition a Frame as You Draw It
• Save Multiple Clone Sources

November 16, 2009:
Snow Leopard now safe -- mostly
20 years of Creative Business
Eye-Fi Pro now supports Raw files
TypeStyler comes to Mac OS X

Tips:
QuarkXPress
llustrator
InDesign
Photoshop

November 9, 2009:
Apple Updates Mac mini
Apple Intros Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server
New iMacs Have 21.5 and 27-inch Displays
Magic Mouse: Apple's New Multitouch Mouse
How Those Advanced OpenType Font Features Work
The Best Online Backup Service
Tips:
• Preview Separations in InDesign
• Match Color in Two Images
• Dress Up Your Desktop for Free

November 2, 2009:
Windows 7 Arrives
"Is Snow Leopard Ready for Prime Time for InDesign Users?"
New AirPort Base Station Extends Range
New Time Capsule Improves Snow Leopard Support
CreativeTechs: "OpenType Font Secrets" free live seminar and weekly email newsletter
PitStop Pro 09

Tips:
- Hide Edges in Illustrator and Photoshop
- Protect Transparent Pixels in Photoshop
- Painting "Behind"
- Peruse the Best of the Web

October 26, 2009:
Hold Off on Snow Leopard
Ikea and Verdana vs. Designers
Font Problems in Snow Leopard
When "Adobe PDF" Printer Stops Working
Affordable Photoshop
FontExplorer X Pro Server Now $999

Tips:
• See Document History in InDesign
• Email Long URLs
• Reset Misbehaving Photoshop Tools
• Larger Comments in Acrobat

October 19, 2009:
Fax for Free Online
Recover Photos from Memory Cards
Simple Online Billing
Map Resources Now in Any Format
FontGenius Identifies Fonts in Photos
Print Font Catalogs from InDesign

Tips:
• Background Eraser Tip
• Hide the Non-printing Items in InDesign
• Stop Text from Jumping When Wrapping

October 12, 2009:
Test Windows Browsers on Your Mac
Easy Web File Sharing with Dropbox Pro
Skype 2.8 Adds Screen Sharing
RealVue3D for 3D Print Simulation
< a href="http://www.markzware.com" target="_blank">Convert Microsoft Publisher Files to InDesign

Tips:
• CSS Troubleshooting Help
• Font Replacement Tips
• Edge Feather Preview
• Check Your Website's Colors for Contrast

September 28, 2009:
GridIron Flow
Epson Stylus Pro 3880
Threading InDesign Text Frames
Your Logo Makes Me Barf

Tip:
Share Color Management Settings in Adobe's Creative Suite

September 21, 2009:
Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) bug reports and fixes
Adobe Ends PowerPC Support
Halloween fonts from Chad Savage and CreativePro.com

Tips:
• Replace Pages in Acrobat 9
• Select Though Stacked Objects
• 50% Off at lynda.com. Use code BTS909 at checkout.

August 31, 2009:
Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) ships:
* Runs on Intel-based Macs only
* Adobe CS3 not fully tested on Snow Leopard
* Font manager compatibility with Snow Leopard
* Printer and scanner driver compatibility with Snow Leopard
* Other utilities' compatibility with Snow Leopard

August 24, 2009:
$300 Blu-ray Writer, with Toast!
Mobify Your Websites
SeeFile 4.7
Illustrator CS4 WOW! Book
PercepTool 1.5.5
Ideas from I.D.E.A.S.

Tips:
•Where Was That Tip?

August 17, 2009
Amazing new Panasonic digital camera/camcorder, Lumix FZ35
Nikon's Pocket Camera/Projector
Google's Advanced Image Search
Report on Logo Trends
Quark Releases Version 8.1 of Quark Dynamic Publishing, etc.
SWF Protector Blocks Flash Theft
Convert SWF to FLA

Tips:
• Patching in Photoshop
• Remove Permanent Ink

August 10, 2009:
Test Web Site Designs with Adobe BrowserLab
Vivozoom Guarantees Legal Images
QuarkXPress 8.1 adds several improvements and new features
Learn Every Feature in QuarkXPress with Jay's new training video
QuarkXPress 8 & Instant PDF package: $299
HVC Color Composer Now for InDesign CS4
Smasher 1.7 for CS4 & Quark 8

Tips:
• Change Text Case of Panel Titles in InDesign CS4

August 3, 2009:
Google Now Shows "Usage Rights" for Images
Google Developing Chrome OS
QuicKeys 4 Adds Text Expanding
Single User Edition of Cumulus Returns
SnapFlow: Extract Great Still Images from Video
High Quality Hubble Images
iPhone Tutorials

Tips:
• Find Your Fonts with Smart Folders
• Create and Update Table of Contents in InDesign and QuarkXPress
• Change UI Font Size in Photoshop

July 27, 2009
Snow Leopard: $29 in September
Acrobat.com: The Free Ride is Over
Adobe Profitable, but Smaller
Retrospect 8.1 Adds PowerPC Support
Universal Type Server 2 from Extensis
New Pricing for FontExplorer X Server
Creative Business

Tips:
• Select Text Columns in PDFs
• Move Objects Within a Group
• Safer Healing

July 6, 2009:
New Windows 7 Coming this Fall
Wacom Intuos4 Tablet
iTimeZone
Eltima Software's Flash Optimizer 2.3
FreelanceSwitch.com portable hard drive

Tips:
• Get Back in Acrobat
• Editing Non-PDF Files in a PDF Portfolio
• Editing Common Attributes in Illustrator

June 29, 2009
New MacBook Pro models
iPhone 3GS
Mac OS X 10.6 coming in September
Canto Cumulus 8
OWC Mercury On-The-Go Triple Interface portable hard drive
Map Resources

Tips:
• Design Interactively in Dreamweaver CS4
• Setting Exact Line Lengths in Illustrator
• Finding a Scanner's "Sweet Spot"

June 22, 2009
Google’s New Similar Image Search
USB 3 Doesn't Support USB 1
90 Minutes on Social Media Marketing
PDF Security Rendered Useless
Complete Blu-ray Mastering Solution
Book: From Design Into Print

Tips:
• New Spring-Loaded Tools in Photoshop CS4
• How to Save Illustrator CS4 Files for Earlier Versions
• See Substituted Glyphs in InDesign
• Better EPS Previews in QuarkXPress

June 15, 2009
Upcoming Events
Free Courses: Illustrator, Flash, and InDesign
Personalized Obama Time Capsule
The Art Directors Club Announces Winners
Free PhotoTools Lite
FontAgent Pro + 750 OpenType Fonts: $150
The Twitter Book

Tips:
Scissors Cuts Paper — and Paths
Drag-and-Drop PDF
Use DNG Converter for Newer Cameras

June 8, 2009
Glance Is Fast, Reliable Screen Sharing
WordPress for Creative Pros
Tutorial: Flash from QuarkXPress 8
Website of All Ads from 1930–1969
Find and Relink Pictures in QuarkXPress or InDesign
Custom Fabric for $18/yard

Tips:
* Reorder or Copy Pages in Acrobat
* Enable Commenting in Any Document
* Live Paint Colors Overlaps
* Photoshop Portrait Popper

June 1, 2009:
New LaCie Display Calibrator
Some Advice on Buying a Display
Free ‘Plain English’ Videos on Social Marketing
Take Control of Fonts in Leopard
InPreflight: Simple Preflight for InDesign
TeXTractor: Intelligently Export Text from QuarkXPress
A Beautiful Paper Site

Tips:
• Round Corners Your Way
• Easily See What's Changed in CS4
• Solid Black Crop Shield

May 25, 2009
Adobe introduces a Marketplace for Photoshop and AIR apps
Lightscoop is a cool accessory for your on-camera flash
Use FontShaker to explore fonts in a whole new way
Caliper is a free onscreen measuring device with some unusual features
CMYK 2.0 is a book that every photographer and designer should own
Badia PrintPreview: Free!

Tips:
• Overcome Email Limitations
• Scale Frame and Content in InDesign
• Preview Changes in QuarkXPress
• Don't Switch Tools to Move Text

May 18, 2009
Spec Work and Crowdsourcing: Gambles that Don't Pay Off
$5 Blu-ray Discs
Book: Scanning Negatives and Slides
Inkd: Royalty-Free Design Templates
Gluon Cropster: Auto-Dimensioning, Multi-page Cropping, and more
PopChar X 4.2

Tips
• Combine All Kinds of Files in Acrobat
• Get Back to the Welcome Screen
• Instant Centered Guide in Photoshop
• Blend Mode Tricks

May 11, 2009
Freeway Pro Discounts for GoLive & Dreamweaver Users
Quark XML Author 3.0
Free Cable Identification Guide
Optimize Images in InDesign or QuarkXPress

Tips:
• Always Use the Latest Versions of Software
• Add a Scan to a PDF
• Feather a Mask — Anytime
• Redefine Styles in InDesign
• Use "Line Check" to Find Widows, Orphans, and Overflows
• Name Your Flash Drive with Your Phone Number

May 2, 2009
Free 10-week InDesign Training
Full-day InDesign workshop (includes free subscription to InDesign Magazine)
Free Flash Workshop
Full-day Flash workshop
40% off Peachpit ebooks and videos
“Copyright Basics” Video
CreativePro.com Job Board
Pantone Color Cue Sale: $249
FontExplorer X Pro 2.0 review

Tips
* Expand Selection Without Rounding in Photoshop
* Delete All Guides in InDesign and QuarkXPress

April 27, 2009
Ghent's PDF Output Testing System
Reports: Adobe and Quark Focus on Efficiency
Book Production Pack for InDesign
VTools Adds Features to QuarkXPress
Free Acronym Converter for QuarkXPress
Web Site: Add Your Own Text to Signs
InDesign Secrets podcast

Tips:
• Batch-Convert Illustrator to PDF
• InDesign: Dude, Where's My File?
• Three Photoshop Tips from Lesa Snider:
- Digging Through Tools
- Sharpening a Multi-Layer Document
- Quick Eye Enhancement

April 20, 2009:
"The Copyright Registry"?
Retrospect 8: Faster, Easier to Use
VideoFlash Converter: Convert Video to Flash
Bokeh Your Photos! Example tutorial / Imaging Insider interview
Video Tutorials from Quark
Video: Photoshop CS4 for Photographers -- Desktop Printing Techniques
InDesign Secrets podcast

Tips:
• A PDF Version of InDesign Help
• Three Photoshop Tips from Lesa Snider

April 13, 2009:
Skills Assessment
Adobe and Quark Integration Guides
Upcoming Events
Free PDF-to-Word Converter
The Newest Camera Features
InDesign Secrets podcast

Tips:
• Three Photoshop Tips from Lesa Snider:
  - Quick black-and-white with color tint
  - Partial color effect
  - Portrait popper (vignettes)
• Lesa's Web site and book

April 6, 2009:
U.S. Senate May Allow Newspapers to Operate as Non-profits
New Postage Rates
Macworld Expo Moves to February
Jay Nelson at HOW Design Conference
13th Annual Webby Awards
Upgrade to Adobe CS4 from Any Version
$299 Upgrade to QuarkXPress 8 -- from version 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7!
QuarkXPress Table of Features by Version Number
Suitcase Fusion 2 Now Supports Tiger
InDesign Secrets podcast

April 6 Tips:
• See Spot Colored Items in Acrobat
• Force Hyphenation in InDesign and QuarkXPress
• Crop a Layered Document

March 30, 2009:
Google Quick Search: Search Everywhere At Once
QuarkXPress 8 Video Training
Adobe Videos: Everyday Timesavers
Quick Look Plug-in for Illustrator, InDesign, FreeHand, and EPS Files
Quick Look Plug-in for QuarkXPress
Track Text Changes in InDesign and QuarkXPress with CtrlChanges and Blacklining
Badia Duplica XT 4: an Über Eyedropper for QuarkXPress
Business Card Design Inspiration

Tips:
• Find First in QuarkXPress
• Flip Across Pages in InDesign
• Quickly Crop to Edges in Photoshop

March 23, 2009
Facebook's Shameful Ownership Policy
Dangerous Acrobat Security Flaw
Fall '09 Fashion Color Report
WhatTheFont Now on iPhone
iTunes for Audiophiles
Suitcase Fusion 2 Reviewed
AreMySitesUp.com

Tips:
• Try OCR in Acrobat
• Better Importing from MS Word
• Bring Photoshop CS3 Features Back to CS4

March 16, 2009
Free Photoshop Webinars
Much Easier File Sharing with MobileMe (video)
Professional Portfolios
How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer
Buyer's Guide: When To Buy a Mac
Report: Flash in InDesign vs. QuarkXPress
Motionographer
Forbidden Color Combinations

Tips:
• Much Easier Commenting in Acrobat
• How to Collaborate Live in Acrobat
• Using .,/&X in InDesign

March 9, 2009
Pantone Mugs
Gluon's ProPack 8 & StudioPack
Web Style Guide: Timeless Wisdom
Design for Special Events
New MyFonts Website Rocks!
Incredible Census Maps

Tips:
• Use Acrobat to Generate Hyperlinks
• Tricks to Control New Document Sizes in Photoshop
• Better PDF Names from QuarkXPress
• Use Help Menu to Find Menu Items

March 2, 2009
HOW Design Conference
FileMaker Pro 10
Suitcase Fusion 2 review by Jay Nelson
Freeway 5 Makes iPhone Website Content
Voyager Q: A Unique Hard Drive "Enclosure"
Auto-Flow for InDesign
Nametag: Quick Labels for Pictures in QuarkXPress
Top 10 Advertisements Worldwide

Tips:
• Find Ornaments in Fonts
• List Fonts in PDFs
• Space the Dots in Dotted Leaders
• Optimize Multiple Exposures in Photoshop

February 23, 2009
Web Design: An Event Apart: Discount code is AEADTM
Vista + PostScript Fonts = Bad News
17-inch MacBook Pro Gets 8-hour Battery: watch the video
PDF2ID 2.0 Improves PDF-to-InDesign Conversions
StudioPack: Four Powerful Plug-ins for InDesign
Eye Candy 5: Textures
Best Practices for Managing Fonts, 5th Edition
Newseum: Front Pages Around the World
InDesign Secrets podcast

Tips:
• How to Link an Excel Spreadsheet to a Table
• Click-drag Lightness, Hue and Saturation

February 16, 2009
Seagate Fixes Hard Drive Problem, But...
Avoid Barracudas
Trojan Horses in Pirated Software
Mac OS X 10.5.6 Update Fixes InDesign Problems
Updated MacBook Has FireWire, Faster Graphics
iPhoto '09 and iMovie '09
Mac Box Set = $149 for Mac OS X 10.5, iLife '09 & iWeb '09
Photo Calculator for Your iPhone

Tips:
• Create Your Own Blog Avatar at Gravatar
• Click the Text, Not the Checkbox
• Add a Background to a PDF
• Quick Color Boost in Photoshop CS4

February 9, 2009:
Answers to Professional Font Questions
Shadow Mirrors Your Data
Graphic Authority Design Elements
Tiffen: 2,000 Professional Photographic Filters
The Web Designer's Idea Book
Preview Web Designs in 85 Browsers
Veer: Explore Your Model
PhotoshopUser TV

Tips:
• Optical Kerning & Numbers Don't Mix
• Create Another iPhoto Library
• Magic Setting for Dodge & Burn Tools in CS4

February 2, 2009:
QuarkXPress 8.02 Updater
QuarkXPress 8.02 List of fixes
Buy FlightCheck, Get Q2ID, ID2Q or PUB2ID Free
Q2ID & ID2Q Updated for QuarkXPress 8 and InDesign CS4
iTornado
Mpix
Lynda.com: Advanced InDesign and Basic Final Cut Express
Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual
The Graphic Reporter website

Tips:
• Acrobat's Object Inspector
• Diagonal Guides in Illustrator
• Click-and-Drag Graphics in InDesign

January 26, 2009:
Two Solutions for Glossy Displays: Photodon & TechRestore
MagneCote: Magnetic Paper
Photofont WebReady: Searchable Web Headlines in Any Font
Convert PDFs to InDesign docs: PDF2ID 2.0
Ben Willmore's Photoshop CS4: Up To Speed
Website: Convert RGB Colors to Paint Tints

Tips:
• Zooming Tip
• Compare Documents in Acrobat
• Drag-Select Entire Paragraphs in InDesign
• Blend Artwork Into an Image in Photoshop

January 19, 2009:
Macworld Expo roundup
Softpress Freeway
Suitcase Fusion 2
FontAgent Pro 5
TypeDNA
Future of Macworld Expo
Layoffs at Adobe & Quark
The Modbook for Designers
Free Guide to Integrating QuarkXPress with Adobe Creative Suite
Website: The Best Flash & CSS Designs

Tips:
• Share Your Screen in Acrobat
• Illustrator Smart Objects in Photoshop
• Rotate Spread View in InDesign

January 12, 2009:
• Bert Monroy retrospective
• Why and How to Buy a UPS: UPS Buyers Guide
• Migrate to the Mac with Belkin Cable
• Download popular logos

Tips:
• Manage Third-Party Photoshop Plug-ins
• Exact Text Links in Acrobat
• Replace a Graphic in InDesign

January 5, 2009:
• LogoLounge.com: Logo Trends in 2008
• Excellent Masking Tools:
- Vertus' Fluid Mask
- onOne's Mask Pro
- Digital Film Tools' EZ Mask
• Download Adobe's Guide to Acrobat 9
• Affordable, Professional Film Clips from Thought Equity and iStockphoto

Tips:
• External Hard Drive Advice
• Use InDesign & QuarkXPress Style Sheets in Word
• Spotlight Searches Photoshop Files!

December 29, 2008:
ReadyImages: New Image Service for Corporate Presentations
iStockphoto for corporate presentations
Artbeats: HD Stock Video & Textures
Color Oracle previews color blindness
Bracketeer combines bracketed photos
50 Sets of Free Photoshop Brushes
Cumulus: mega-asset manager
Studio Lettering Collection from House Industries
Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
Photoshop Lady: Photoshop tutorials

Tips:
• The Key to Successfully Open Files Downsaved from QuarkXPress and InDesign

December 22, 2008:
CS4 Trial Versions Now Available
Pantone GOE Libraries for Creative Suite 4
QuarkXPress 8.01 Update
10 Million Photos from Life Magazine
Verbatim's Movie-Reel DVD-Rs & 45-RPM CD-Rs
Verbatim's Archival DVDs Join AIGA
Pantone's 2009 Color of the Year

Tips:
• Preview Sharpening in Camera Raw
• Better Grayscale Photos in CMYK
• Save All Open Documents in InDesign
• QuarkXPress 8 Tip: The "Local Formatting" ToolTip

December 15, 2008:
RAM: Cheap Speed Booster
CreativeTechs: Free Information & Inspiration
Free On-Demand Webinars: Color for Creatives
DropCopy
Mister Retro's Permanent Press
Nik Silver Efex Pro
Pentawards: Packaging Award Winners

Tips:
• Always Read the Fine Print
• Redefine Symbols in Illustrator
• Quickly Change View Percentage
• Zoomify Your Photos

December 8, 2008:
Selected Ways to Learn Adobe Creative Suite 4

Video
Total Training
Lynda.com

Books
Ben Willmore's Adobe Photoshop CS4: Up to Speed
Deke McClelland's Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-on-One
Adobe InDesign CS4 One-on-One, by Deke McClelland and David Futato
Lesa Snider King's Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book
Amazon's CS4 Books page

Reviews
CreativePro.com
Macworld
Ars Technica
Design Tools Monthly's CS4 New Features overview

Web Sites
James Dempsey's list at Macworld.com
Free CS4 Superguide

Other Topics
Book: QuarkXPress 8: Production Tricks and Experts' Tips
Inside Digital Design show
ImageFramer: Realistic Mats and Frames
Phantasm
Suitcase Fusion 2
64 Years of Presidential Commercials

Tips
• View First Page Separate from Spreads in Acrobat
• Make Multiple Frames the Same Height or Width in InDesign
• Helpful Adjustment Presets in Photoshop

December 1, 2008

• $25 Gift Subscriptions to lynda.com
• Canvastic for Young People
• Pando Sends Up To 1 GB Files for Free
• Blow Up 2
• Genuine Fractals 6
• StuffIt Expander 13
• Quick Look Filter for QuarkXPress Documents
• Navigate the Image Grid in BrightQube

Tips:
• Make a PDF Form in InDesign or QuarkXPress
• Select and Distribute Guides in InDesign
• Reselect in Photoshop

November 24, 2008

• 6x Blu-ray drive
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1
• Freeway Discount for Adobe CS4 Owners
• 2-for-1: Q2ID & ID2Q
• Exporting from QuarkXPress 7 to 6 & InDesign CS4 to CS3
• Quark Posts "New Features" videos for download and on YouTube
• Is It Safe to Upgrade to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard?

Tips:
• Option/Alt Key Resets Dialog Boxes
• Skip the Confirmation Prompts
• Control InDesign's Frame Fitting
• Instantly Name PDF Bookmarks

November 17, 2008

• Apple Updates MacBook & MacBook Pro; Switches to DisplayPort Video. MacBooks Can Use 6GB of RAM.
• 25 Years of Cell Phones
• FCC Approves Unlicensed Use of White Space
• Flash Player 10 Includes 3D Tools
• Acrobat 9 Pro, Bookmarks and Hyperlinks

Tips:
• Add Several Layer Styles
• Save Your Guides as Snippets
• Quickly Change Fonts in QuarkXPress

November 10, 2008

MetalFX: Single-pass Metallic Inks
Galaxy Gauge: An Exceptional Graphic Arts Ruler
Graphic Inspector 1.5
ITC Franklin vs. ITC Franklin Gothic
Switching from Windows to Mac
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual

Tips:
• OpenType Pro "Opticals" Explained
• InDesign's Slug Area
• QuarkXPress and Text in Legacy Files
• Two-Step File Sharing with .Mac

November 3, 2008

* USB 3.0 in 2010 -- substantial speed improvements to come soon
* Drobo: Now with FireWire!
* See Your Favorite Font Designers at Fontshop
* Text Exporters for InDesign
* TeXTractor: Intelligently Export Text from QuarkXPress

Tips:
* Use Command-Tab to Switch Applications
* Force Text to a New Column
* InDesign: Force Paragraphs to Start at Top of Page or Column
* QuarkXPress: Show & Hide Tools in the Toolbar

October 27, 2008

* Quark Publishing System (QPS) now supports InDesign?!
* StuffIt Deluxe 2009 Why you need it
* Casio EX-FH20: The latest mind-blowing high-speed camera features
* MenuMeters shows your network activity

Tips:
* Sample Colors from Anywhere
* Color Expert for iPhone
* Drag to Insert Pages into PDFs
* Bigger Previews from InDesign
* Space/Align Tricks in QuarkXPress 7

October 20, 2008

* Orphan Works Act "Hotlined" by U.S. Senate
* Adobe Creative Suite 4 New Features List
* Apple's New MacBook Pro
* SilverFast Eliminates Shadow Noise in Scans
* Beautiful, Affordable Photoshop Actions from PanosFX
* Better Vertical Justification for InDesign and QuarkXPress
* Adorama's 100 Photography Tips in 100 Days

Tips:
* Save Every Page as EPS in QuarkXPress
* Change Phone Number Formats in InDesign
* Use iChat for Text Messages
* Renumber PDF Pages
* Copy Photoshop Layers, Maintain Position

October 13, 2008

* Pantone speaks: What's In For Spring 2009
* Low, low price for big hard drives
* Booklets on printing that are very useful and free
* Newsletter and books with advice on running your creative business
* FontAgent Pro is now cross-platform
* PopChar type-character finder is also cross-platform

Tips:
* Photoshop
* InDesign
* Acrobat
* QuarkXPress

October 6, 2008:

* Adobe Design Achievement Award Winners
* Flashforward Winners
* Pantone ColorMunki Create
* Pantone Color Cue 2.1
* The The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book
* An Awesome Map of Web Trends

Tips:
* Faster Digital Camera Transfers
* Refine Edge of Selections
* Power Nudge
* Small Caps vs. All Small Caps

Explore Online Images with Google Image Swirl

Editor in Chief — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:35:20 -0700

You've no doubt explored Google's Image Search. And you may have tried its "find similar images" option. But now there's a new twist on that -- or rather, a new swirl.

Stop InDesign Drudgery

Editor in Chief — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:46:09 -0700

InDesign expert and CreativePro.com author Michael Murphy recently recorded the course "InDesign CS4: Learning GREP" for lynda.com.

GREP may sound like a noise you'd make after eating a large meal, but it's actually one of your most powerful weapons against repetitive InDesign tasks.

Shoot a Video, Win $100,000

Editor in Chief — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:07:59 -0700

Press release

Nikon's new contest is "Your Day in 140 Seconds or Less."

The Brief
To celebrate HD video within the Nikon D5000 we’d like you to show us “A Day through your Lens.”

So what’s it like to be you? Capture the essence of your day in a video of 140 seconds or less. It can be funny, touching or profound. It can be about everything you did, everything you didn’t do, the day’s biggest dilemma or its most telling detail.