As a designer, I'm always learning, new, faster and better ways to do something! One of my most recent discoveries: creating a 5 second contact sheet using Adobe Bridge and InDesign.  The functionality may have been around for a while, but it wasn't until reading "Adobe Master Apprentice" that I suddenly stumbled acrross this incredible feature.

Here's how it works:

1. Instead of having to place the images you wish to sample in InDesign in order to print them, simply collect the images into a folder on your machine.
2. Open that folder in Bridge.
3. If you're using CS3 go to the "Tools" menu and select "InDesign".
4. Select the option for "contact sheet"
5. Choose the number of rows and columns you want (this will adjust the size of the images)
6. Watch InDesign do the work for you, automated!

I hope this tip will save you tons of time! Enjoy!

In an interesting article today in Before and After magazine. The discussion was of the price constraints and budget limitations of adding a bleed to your piece.

Just to make sure everyone is up to speed, adding a "bleed" to a page means the ink will run off the edge of the page. This normally means you include anywhere from an 1/8" to 1/4" larger than the actual page. Now, unfortunately this means for most printers that your work will be trimmed down to the crop marks.

Now, let's suppose you are on a tight budget. How can you achieve a "bleed" feel without a bleed budget?

Before and After had a great alternative. Pull your background in to create a nice white margin. Once this is done, you can arrange one of your elements to expand beyond the image, this not only creates a classic feel to your piece, but also gives you a nice "popping" element.

Try this out on your next budget piece! I think you'll be pleased with the results.

We all want to be faster. We look for the shortest check out lane, the quickest restaurant and the fastest cars. Unfortunately, when it comes to our design work, there are few areas we can "fly" through.

Thankfully, thanks to automation, masks, and layer comps we can save a lot of time, by simply thinking "speed" when we design.

One of my goals as a designer is to offer good quality at an affordable price. The way I do this best is by working quickly and allowing the computer to "work for me".  You will often finding me in my office "using" two machines!

How? I set one up on an automated task and do manual work on the other and vice-versa.

Automation. What is it and how can it work for you?  You may not realize how many things you can easily automate in photoshop, but before I discuss that, let's talk briefly about what it is and how you use it. Automation in Photoshop is done efficiently by creating "Actions". An action is a sequence of events that you "record" and play back to apply to an image or graphic. This sequence can be something as easy as changing the color mode, to a detailed series of color mode, sizing, saving and closing.

In case you're not familiar with actions, here's the palette you're looking for in Photoshop:

There are any number of tutorials on creating an action out there, so rather than re-iterate that information, here are some links:

http://blog.paranoidferret.com/?p=18
http://www.dpandi.com/actions/
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/actions/actions.htm
http://www.tutorialsroom.com/tutorials/graphics/photoshop_actions.html

Now that you know HOW to create an action, let's discuss some great uses for them. I recently was asked to create a series of Flag icons for a Ministry with a large international reach. Needing over 65 countries I found it difficult to find an icon set that had all the flags I needed. Rather than purchasing an incomplete set, I decided to create my own.

Once the initial flags had been created, I opened all the files in Photoshop and set up actions to save them into a variety of sizes and file formats. By the time I had finished I had over 2000 different icons. Guess how long it took to convert and save them? About 2 hours of hands-free work. Photoshop did it all for me.

Learn to work smarter, not harder.

Ever wished for a visual "cheat sheet" of blending options and their effects in Photoshop?

Wanna save the time of having to click through all the effects to find the right combination? Look no further! At the end of this post, you can download a handy PDF of these images that will show you an at-a-glance reference of blending options and their effects.

Enjoy!

For the sake of this example we'll be using to different images to clearly illustrate the blending options!

Image 1: A simple tree!

Image 2: A Hot Air Balloon.

One by one, we will go through each blending option. Without moving the images or changing the placement. Some results may be hideous, but the purpose of this exercise is to provide you with a visual example of each of the blending options located in this palette.

Darken: Darkens the areas that overlap.

Multiply: Combines the hues of the overlapping images.

Color Burn: Accentuates the brighter areas of the photos.

Linear Burn: Accentuates and darkens the lighter areas.

Darker Color: Shows the darkest common color in both images.

Lighten: Overlaying parts of the images are lightened and washed-out.

Screen: Similar to the "Lighten" mode, but creates a brighter sheen.

Color Dodge: Still brighter than the "Screen" mode.

Lindear Dodge: Washed out further.

Lighter Color: Removes the darker images within the composition.

Overlay: The top image is lightly displayed over the image.

Soft Light: Similar to the "Overlay" mode except lighter.

Hard Light: Shows the drastic difference between the top layer images.

Vivid LIght: Colors are show in their brightest hues.

Linear Light: Brighter lights colors on the top layer.

Pin Light: Removes and combines similiar colors between the layers.

Hard Mix: Colors are combined and then exagerated.

Difference: Great for creating mystifying night scenes.

Exclusion: The inverse of the difference mode.

Hue: Breaks the composition down into basic colors.

Saturation: Determines the vividness of the composition's colors.

Color: Changes color below the top image to reflect the image's hues.

Luminosity: Creates a dark, yet vibrant color layer on the bottom image.

If you want a downloadable copy of this cheat sheet, click here.

So how realistic are these blending options? Well, here's a recent project I did for an upcoming book that will be released in January. You may notice the iStockWatermarks on this copy as I haven't yet converted this to finished product with the purchased images. However, in this piece alone, I have 10 images and I have utilized a variety of blending options in the piece.

As a designer chances are one of your weaknesses is the "details". As artists we tend to look at the big picture. The details get lost somewhere in our need to be expressive and let "it all out"! Unfortunately, not paying attention to the details is one of the fastest way to lose a client. It only takes one print job that gets cut off, or messed up for you to lose good business. So how can we avoid this? 1. Use templates. Hang on now. When I say templates I do not mean for the design but rather for the document setup. For each printer I use I have a folder on my machine filled with Photoshop, indesign and illustrator documents that include the bleed settings and trim sizes. By doing this, not only do I insure that my designs will be the right size but additionally it saves me the time of gathering specs for every basic job. 2. Use master files. I've said it before but it bears repeating. When working with a file that contains multiple pages take advantage of the master file feature in InDesign. By using those master pages you can easily set up running heads ( the chapter titles that appear on the top of each page) that will be uniform, consistent and best of all quick!! Again keep in mind that paying attention to the details DOES not mean that your design time will be increased. 3. Know your color space. One of the biggest issues I see with student designers work is print files that are built as RGB files and web files built in CMYK. When this occurs they are often upset with the quality of the end result when the price is finalized. Pay close attention to your colorspace. If you need to use a filter that is only available in RGB you can convert using the option " do not merge", add your filter and then convert back to CMYK. As you do this you may realize that the RGB version appears more vibrant. You're right. It does BECAUSE YOU ARE VIEWING IT ON A SCREEN. Avoid the temptation to assume that those colors will print properly.


What is a picture worth nowadays? Does it still hold as much value as it once did? If we are talking about online marketing, the answer is yes! Tabloid photos are a different story.

A good photo can make up for thousands of words, and we know from studying Web user's habits, that if your pages are too wordy, they won't be read anyway. So save your breath and take photos. 

Photos of what?

Everything. Depending on your market, your needs may be different. To get your product/name or service out there, it's imperative that you have photos your target audience can easily access. Here are some ideas to get you started:



1. Intinerary Photos: Have you spoken at a conference? Attended a Seminar or class? Take a few pictures and document your trip or speaking experience. Not only will these photos help to establish you as an expert, they also show your audience that you are still learning or active in the field. 



2. Product Photos: Do you offer a tangible product? Take pictures of it. If the product is something that moves or is "used" take photos of it in action. Make sure the pictures are clear and crisp though. It's better to have NO photo that one that is sub-quality. A poor photos simply harms your product's crediblity and makes you look like an amateur. Digital photos are fairly cheap these days and basic photo composition is easy to master, we'll talk about that a little later. 



3. Portfolio Photos: If you are a designer/writer or other professional that requires a portfolio, upload your best work in snapshot form. Be sure to create "sets" to organize your work i.e., logos, Web sites, manuscripts, etc.



4. Awards and Trophies: If your business or firm has won awards in it's field, be sure to post some "humble" photos of those as well. Remember the golden rule, that photos are more believable than type. (In today's society that is an oxymoron due to the wonders of Photoshop, but nevertheless we have a innate human desire to believe what our eyes tell us).



5. Staff Photos: Regardless of your size, I'd suggest uploading some staff photos with a short "bio" of each employee, their talents and specialties. This will also allow your customers to feel a connection with your business.

As a designer a great portfolio can be the difference between landing a job and just  being interviewed. The good news is, having a great portfolio isn't rocket science. You must also be ready to talk about it, and remember your presentation goes a long way.

1. Keep it Fresh. If you portfolio is the same as it was last month, then you're letting it get stagnate. Keep in mind as a designer, you should always be growing. Rarely do I look at a piece that I designed last year without seeing a million ways it could be done better if I was doing it today.  That's what it's all about!

2. Go Digital AND Paper. We are living in a digital society but that doesn't mean you should "force" your prospective boss or clients to go digital as well. In the busy grasp for time, many may rely on a paper they can easily look at on the go rather than a digital CD or Web version of your work. My suggestion? Show your versatility and do both.

3. Include Awards and Recommendations. Any prospective employer will be impressed by the number of awards and recommendations you have collected. Allow your work to speak for itself through these commendations. Don't have any awards? There's no excuse! Look online for design competitions. Yes, the entry fee my be a little pricey but the results and prestige are well worth it!

4. Focus on the Details. If you include a cover letter be sure it's addressed to the right company. When looking over applicant's for a new designer at the ministry, I received a resume and cover letter addressed to another company in town. What did this tell me? The designer didn't have much of an eye for detail, meaning, they weren't somebody I even interviewed. Don't let a careless mistake make you look bad!

5. Include a Memorable Resume. An integral part of any solid portfolio is an up-to-date resume. Your resume should include a brief summary of your most recent positions and your overall skills. Limit this item to 1 page, front only. You may want to consider printing it on speciality paper or something noticeable, like a metallic card stock.

6. Show Variety, but Start with Your Greatest Strength. If you specialize in Logo development don't start your portfolio out with a Web design. Start with your strengths to "wow" your prospect, then follow up with your other work to show your versatility.

7. Be Ready to Answer Questions. One of the first questions I ask a prospective designer that wants to work for me is to tell me what their favorite piece in their portfolio is. This is always very insightful for me to see what the designer truly deems their most important piece.

8. Include "Real" Samples. If you do book typesets and business cards, don't just "show" the printed pages in sleeves, include real books, cards or brochures. Allow the employer or client to "touch" and "feel" the pieces. This will brand the images into their mind, and cause your name to be remembered.

9. Have Professional Contact Information. One of the biggest turn-offs for someone looking to hire a freelancer or new staff member is contacting them via an email address like [email protected] Don't do this. Make sure you have an email address that is fed through your web site and sounds professional. If you leave your cell phone number make sure your voicemail message is also professional. Change it if you need to. Remember, the first key to selling yourself is presentation!

10. Use Your Creativity. It's cliche, but you must think outside the box. Don't go overboard and in so doing, overwhelm your client. Professionalism will get you a lot farther than flamboyance, but be impressive. Show them you mean business and can think creatively.

Recently a friend of the family approached my mom with a photo he had saved from his childhood. He was hoping to have the photo restored so to present a copy to his sister for her upcoming birthday.

When I received the original photo, taken in the 60s, it had definitely seen it's better day. The photo itself was literally torn in 2 pieces and curled around the edges.

After some careful taping, flattening and some significant time in Photoshop the results are in! Check out the before and afters!

Thank God for the Clone Tool!

Before:

After:

Recently, where I work, we went through a major server upgrade, which meant for a large window of time, we were having to save duplicates of our work. One copy would be on the server, another on our hard-drive, etc. If you're a designer, I'm sure you already know where this is going, with multiple versions, multiple revisions and multiple files, I did the unthinkable. Yep. I sent the wrong file to the printer.

To make matters worse, the printer changed his postcard template and had me make adjustments to match. So I did. With all the confusion on that end, we never received a proof of the final piece, which hopefully, would have meant that myself of the project manager would have see and noticed that the version was incorrect. In all likelihood, I probably wouldn't have noticed, since it was my files that I had sent.

The good news is the client was very understanding and we're getting a reprint done immediately. Other than that the postcards turned out great!

It just all goes to show that DETAILS matter for a designer. Unless we are careful, organized and consistent, we can find ourselves with egg on our face. On the other hand, it happens. As long as we own up to our mistakes, correct the situation as much as possible and never leave the client holding the bag, we'll be successful.

One of the most exciting discoveries I've made recently is the availability of LIVE PREFLIGHT in InDesign CS4. That in itself is well worth the fee to purchase an upgrade. Now, whether or not I will upgrade BEFORE the end of the year for tax purposes, well, that will depend.

I recently read an article that outlining some of the new features of Adobe's InDesign re-vamp and compared them to features of the new Quark 8. As a die-hard InDesign fan, I wouldn't be caught dead voluntarily using Quark. In fact, I've purchased Marksware's Quark to InDesign converter for the sole purpose of avoiding the product.

Interestingly enough, reading up on this list of "features" released in Quark 8 it was apparent that many of the "new additions" have been in InDesign for several years! Go Figure!

Back to Live Preflight, in InDesign CS4 with the "Live Preflight" option selected, you have the opportunity to have errors flagged in real time as they occur. Import a RGB photo? Live preflight will tell you. Is the font you're using missing a stroke? Live preflight will tell you.

Since I don't have my hands on it yet, I'm anxious to use this in a real production environment. Shoot me your feedback, I'd love to hear your experiences with InDesign CS4 vs. CS3.