DTG News and Else
DT&G: Vol. 13, Number 10, October, 2003 ~ The eZine for Design, Typography, & Graphics   (since 1990)  

Fall Fonts Festival

A very full October

We have a very full agenda this month folks -- entirely too much to list here. I believe this is the most amount of actual content we've ever had in a single issue of DTG. At last count, including all the new additions to the Jumpstation and the Publishers Warehouse, we're close to 200 files. If you poke around, I think you'll have a great time...
  • Free Fonts CDs from the Fonteam
  • Deep discounts on commercial fonts CDs
  • The fabulous new "Indie Fonts 2" book & fonts collection
  • A whole new collection of "Legacy" fonts in the Warehouse
  • The opening of "Legacy Art" in the Warehouse
  • 300 new fonts links in the DTG Jumpstation
  • Photoshop Tutorials
  • and much, much more...
the Festival will continue through November with a "typographical" theme... we'll discover design techniques using type, new fonts and special visits from the people who make the fonts.

October: The Black Plague

Follow along with us as we return to some of the darkest days of civilization -- the Medieval period... death took its toll. But from the funeral pyres a new movement emerged bringing us typography as we know it today... it all starts about 1,500 years ago

Humor: Mishandling the Handel

A lesson in Kerning and choosing the right fonts teaches that the wrong kerning can have hilarious results! See: Mishandling the Handel

Let me send you a free Fonts CD...

I've made arrangements with the Fonteam to send out a free CD including their entire collection of fonts each week during the Fonts Festival! I expect something in return however -- just jot down a few words about your own likes, dislikes or experiences with typography. If you can share a link to a particular shareware/freeware downloadable font, that would be fantastic! Register Here

Or, if you don't win...

I've also arranged the lowest possible price on purchasing the CD. But, shhhhhhh, don't spread it around. There's only so many CDs available. Check it out...

October: Revival Of Antiquity

As presented in our feature this month, the typestyles of the Medieval period set the stage for the Renaissance with three distinctive styles. The Publishers' Warehouse team has been busy all during September building a nice collection of the fonts that set typography in motion. As you read the article, we'll show you the fonts. All in the Publishers' Warehouse. You know the way.

A Legacy of Clip Art

I discovered more than 600 disks, both 400K and 800K, wouldn't work on our new computers. We're in the process of upgrading to the latest Macs and OSX -- but decided to keep two trusty old G3s with floppy drives in the studios until we can finish going through all those disks. I've estimated there could be as many as 15,000 image files, all downloaded as Public Domain from GEnie, Delphi, Compuserve, and the pre-1990 AOL. Some of these are fantastic, and we've discovered some real jewels from well-known artists.
      Five new "Legacy" art libraries are now in the Publishers' Warehouse, with lots more to come. You know the way.

Photoshop 911 Highlights

During September we were busy preparing the Fonts Festival, but we didn't neglect a number of readers writing in for help with Adobe Photoshop and Elements.

The most interesting of our support calls was one requesting help Knocking out multiple backgrounds. The writer was producing a 3D photo in which 36 photos have to combine all on the same background. We also helped out with Airbrushing a Photograph, and making a Selective Image Contact Sheet. Others included Overprint Preview in Illustrator 9/10; Curing Halo caused by Blurring; Batch generating Watermarks on Photos; Bringing the color back to pale photos. ... in the Photoshop FAQ

Photoshop tutorials

Most people don't know about our tutorial reviews page. Here we've gathered actual first-hand reports from readers on the better Photoshop tutorials on the web. As part of this ongoing project, we'd like to ask that you pass along links to your favorite "proofed" tutorials, so everyone can share. Photoshop tutorials

October WebDesign Critiques

This month, frequent reviewer Bennie Taylor takes on a Real Estate site -- Fred says "Scrap It" - here's an extensive look at marketing beachfront properties through a web site. Bennie even provides a sample prototype page... Oceanfront Properties.
      See these and more at WebDesign Critiques

Web Reviews for October

We have two return visits this month, of sites that have been previously critiqued. Airshows America (Pastimes) and the Abbeymoore Manor B&B Inn. Both have returned for a new critique.
      We also have a number of specific requests for critique. Montana Outdoors magazine, and "The Gryphon Pages" (about the unique mythical creature, the gryphon) have both asked for help.
      Other sites for review include everything from Artistic Mountain Bike Photography to the Black Butterfly poetry and art gallery site -- Sci-Fi Art, Theatres, Investment Bankers, Travel Guides, radio shows, car clubs, and more than 60 in all. Web Reviews

Image Styles Plug-in Debuts

Mike Dunn has passed along this info for everyone: Image Styles Plug-in Pack includes two programs: Image Styles and Image Styles Plug-in -- with it you can make unlimited photo realistic graphic images in a minimal amount of time. Ready-to-use effects include generators, deformers, filters, colors adjustment, special fx and buffer operations -- modify, mix etc. to get started. It works with Adobe Photoshop Plug-in compatible programs. Check it out...

Advanced Fonts Viewer 1.9

Alexander Styopkin has rolled out his latest version of Fonts Viewer. What's New? Uninstall of fonts, multi-selection in the font browser, tab management and other improvements Fonts Viewer 1.9

Cheap Digital Camera Guide

I don't know if it's a "cheap" digital camera you want, but if it is, Dan Farrell wants you to know he's set up a free guide to digital camera technology -- what to buy, and where to buy it. It may be worth a look if you're in the market for a digital camera.

Photo/Graphic Edges for Photoshop

Enhancing images to add an artistic appearance has always required a great deal of skill and experience with techniques and a certain amount of creative talent. The newest release of Photo/Graphic Edges enables anyone, not just artists, to achieve beautiful works of art with their photographs.
      Photo/Graphic Edges 6.0 is a suite of 14 visual effects that are a delight to use as they truly empower anyone to be creative and achieve results formerly reserved for artists and professionals.
      This release includes 14 new effects, powerful features such as SmartLayers, masking, unlimited undo, visual presets, and offers a higher degree of user interaction with the visuals.
      Visit this "interactive" gallery -- wait a while -- get coffee -- it's very slow loading, but then have a good time with the graphics there. Autofx.com

SoBig fix for Mac users

We may have mentioned this before, but it deems mentioning again. This new utility sweeps the PC email virus files into trash for you. The latest incarnation of the SoBig virus is running rampant and looks very much like an "official" email from Microsoft. It's not. Mac OS X users whose email programs automatically download email virus attachments can download this free AppleScript solution that watches a user's download folder for files whose extension is ".pif" or ".scr", and moves such files to the trash. Pandaware.com

PhotoShow for online albums

Blue Line Studios rolled out the public beta release of their new application PhotoShow last week. PhotoShow is a tool to create digital photo albums. Among the many features and built-in tools are QuickTime exporting, sorting, and the collecting of pictures. Download it for free, and let us know if you like it. Blueline is a shareware studio from Daniel C. Kueng based in Switzerland PhotoShow

Preferences Overload

For a long time Mac users relied on Prefs Overload to help keep that burgoning Preferences file from getting out of hand. Now they're back with an all new PrefsOverload 5.3.1, now for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X. This new version is a full-featured tool for managing the Preferences Folder, which contains your various "Preference Files". PrefsOverload was designed to resolve many problems associated with the preferences files. It can browse the system, allowing you to detect unnecessary preferences files, thanks to the information it gives you. Or it can display a list of probably unnecessary or damaged Preference Files, allowing you to delete them or to put them into the trash. Preferences Overload

iClip makes clipping a pleasure

You've got a clipboard -- it's where the system stores information you've copied or "cut" via the edit menu. This new version of iClip is a multiple clipboard/scrapbook application designed to improve user efficiency and productivity for many computing tasks. It's a small window that floats above all other applications, allowing easy access to multiple bins that store clippings that users place into them. Clippings can be text, pictures, URLS, sounds, etc. iClip helps eliminate redundant typing, especially in tasks like filling out online forms. iClip allows users to arrange clippings into groups to stay organized. It works on Mac OS X, but there's also an OS/9 version. I think once you've use it, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. iClip

PopChar is back for "Panther"

PopChar was always a favorite utility ever since there were fonts and laser printers for the Mac. It shows you the hidden characters in any font and lets you know where they are when you need them. Version X 2.1.1 brings you up to date with the Mac OS including the soon-to-come Mac OS X 10.3 ("Panther"). PopChar

October... better than September

Our well wishes go out to all our readers in the mid-Atlantic states recently ravaged by Isabel. I got in my truck at 5am to come to the office -- and in the headlights I discovered just 20 feet away, a huge (40-inch diameter) oak tree crushing my garage and blocking my driveway from exit. What a shock. During the storm over night, it had fallen squarely through the center of the garage smashing the roof completely through to the floor. It's still like that. So, we know, first hand, that for some, September will be remembered for many years to come. I know October will be a great month! Enjoy.

Thanks for reading

Fred Showker
Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine

Parting words: on the subject of performance

"Resolve to perform what you ought.
    Perform without fail what you resolve."
        Benjamin Franklin

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