When creating type in Photoshop, and you are looking for just the right display face, it helps to use the key commands to get things just how you want them. If you double click your text icon next to the layer, it will highlight your text. Then, simply go up to the...
I was playing around with some of the new stuff inside of Photoshop CS5 and came across one of the new tools that they have included called the mixer brush. This is a great new tool that allows you to take a photo and use different settings to create a painting from...
The other day, I was talking to some friends and colleagues and overheard someone in the background talking about Photoshop. They claimed that they were an incredible graphic designer, because they are incredible with Photoshop. After overhearing this, I asked for a...
X-RITE With this site, you take a color test to see if you are as good with color as you think you are. This site goes off the notion that a large number of people have color deficiencies. RECAVE This is a cool blog about all types of interesting artworks, including...
The masks panel is a big help, because you can easily edit and refine your masks via a handy panel. From the masks panel, you can define the density of your mask, which is very handy. Instead of having a black and white mask, the density setting lessens the affect, as...
I really like to create my own image galleries, but let's face it, in the real world, we can't always have things how we want them. Sometimes we need to get the job done in the best possible manner, as quickly and effectively as possible. When I need a quick image...
Opacity has a lot of uses for different types of effects. We like to see certain things bleed through in some areas, while in others we want a shape or text to be a certain color. Recently, I was playing around with opacity in the appearance panel in Illustrator, and...
Appearance Panel in Illustrator This is extremely handy when working in Illustrator. This effect can be placed on objects and text, and on clipping paths. You can arrange the stacking order and the size, as well as the colors. One great advantage is that you can add...
When creating your web site, it is important to create a site that flows in a way that helps to get your message across to your viewer. You have to create something eye-catching, but well designed. Having a solid structure is key. To me CSS is the only way to go for a...
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There is certainly a lot to consider when laying out your site design. There are so many tools to help you out, and so many methods to get the job done. You really have to consider what your needs are, and which method will help you accomplish them. When I design a...
This is a neat trick that is easy and creates a subtle painterly effect with just two filters. First, find an image and open it inside of Photoshop. Then, hit Command +J (Ctrl + J on the PC) to duplicate your background layer. Do this twice, because we are going to...
This tutorial will definitely come in handy for someone that has to create dozens, hundreds, or more of names badges, ID cards, business cards, or anything else that would have the same graphics, but different information on each one. I had a project where a company...
I wanted to open the floor to fellow designers to request tutorials and how-to's. I post my own articles each day, but if any designers have any burning questions or would like to know how to do something in particular, how to approach a design, how to create a...
A reader adamantly requested that I create this tutorial, so I am going to run through the basics of creating your own business card. First, you need to gather all of the information that you need for your card. You will need your company logo, your name, your...
X-height refers to the height of a lowercase letter in a typeface or the top of the midpoint of lowercase letter such as d, p, q and so on. Some typefaces have a tall x-height, some medium, and some have a short x-height. This drastically changes the look of the text...
Social networking sites are everywhere now. You can't escape them, and when used properly, they can be excellent tools to bring in business and exposure. There are many networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Design Related, Design Bump, Twitter, and many...
This is a really quick and easy way to sharpen an image. Take an image and open it in Photoshop. Hit command +J (control+J on PC) to duplicate the layer. Then, change this layer's blend mode to overlay in the layers panel. Then go to Filter>Other>High Pass and a...
In the first portion of this mini series, I discussed finding and choosing a domain name, as well as hosting and things to consider. Today, I am going to build on what I discussed in part 1. I realized that I had left some important information out regarding domains...
I love to read articles about design and art and how to be a better designer. I am knowledgeable, but I always think that there is something new or new insight that I can gain. With that being said, I began to notice a trend on multiple blogs and different sources...