Free Inspiration
I wasn't too excited about Google Book Search (which lets you look inside all the books Google has scanned) until last month, when the company added magazines to this specialized search database.

So far, you can browse issues of the following:

* Popular Science back to the 1870s
* Popular Mechanics back to the 1900s
* Baseball Digest since 1945
* Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists back to 1945
* Jet from 1951
* Ebony starting with 1962
* New York Magazine beginning in 1968
* Maximum PC from 1998

The list of magazine titles will grow, but even now, you can find a lot of inspiration by paging through old issues.

The cover and ad below are from a 1950 issue of Popular Science.


This feature opener is from New York Magazine in the 1980s.


Terri Stone - Editor in Chief

10 Illustrator Resolutions You'll Want to Keep
You may dread some New Year's resolutions, but Mordy Golding's Adobe Illustrator resolutions are a cinch to keep. Pick just one of them -- for example, "Explore Illustrator's Free Content." You'll be a happier Illustrator user for it.

Related Reading: This panel has been around since Illustrator CS, but many people still don't know how great it is.

Scanning Around with Gene: Who’s that Behind those Foster Grants?
There’s nothing that says “cool” like the right pair of sunglasses. Gene Gable had been saving this topic for the summer months, but the president-elect’s recent vacation on Oahu reminded Gene that in some states, the sun shines even in winter.

Related Reading: Here's a Gene article on a facial accessory that's no longer considered cool.

TypeTalk: Hyphens at Your Discretion
It's much better to use discretionary hyphens than to manually enter the hyphen character. Not only do discretionary hyphens disappear when text reflows and they're no longer needed, but they can even prevent character strings -- like URLs -- from breaking. Ilene Strizver explains how to use them.

Related Reading: A reader comment provides an alternative for InDesign users.

QuarkXPress Tips: Graphically Speaking
Good design does not live by text alone. To master QuarkXPress, add Jay Nelson's image-oriented tricks to your workflow. You'll quickly master controlling Photoshop layers in Quark, adding curves to a box, and anchoring a picture box that hangs outside a text box, yet follows along when the text flow changes.

Related Reading: CreativePro has a wealth of QuarkXPress info.

Plan to Scan
You may think of scanners only when you want to capture something like a photo or illustration. David Blatner did, until he discovered that an automatic document feeder could clean up his life -- or at least his office. It can work for you, too!

Related Reading: But speaking of scanning artwork, check out these tips for getting the best results.

Insider Software Unveils TypeTrax

FontExplorer X Client and Server Now Available

HDR Photo Contest

2008's Unpredictable Logo Trends

Recession Tips For Web Designers

A Pow! of a Podcast: Learn about masking tools, Acrobat, easy Photoshop searching, and more

CreativePro.com Poll: Which typefaces best typified 2008?

Syrian hamsters are the best breed to run a rodent-powered night light. Click below to find out why, and how to build it yourself.

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