DTG News and Else
DT&G:   Vol. 17, Number 2,   February, 2007   ~   The eZine for Design, Typography, & Graphics   (since 1990)  

February is for lovers

Valentine's Day Happy Valentine's Day on the 14th!...
I'm happy to send the newsletter directly to your email, if you'd like. Some 50-thousand other people actually prefer it in email! Just ask!
Note: the email newsletter will be mailed on or around February 3rd, 2007.

Best books for February
[ Photoshop  |  Digital Photography  |  Web Design  |  3D Graphics  ]

February is for Lovers

DTG ForumsLast month we announced the opening of the DTG Discussion Forums, and while they've been somewhat slow in catching on, those who are taking advantage of them are having a great time.

The Photoshop 911 forum has been particularly helpful for everyone, getting questions answered and problems solved. But what else can you do?
* Introduce yourself in the Design Caf� Introductions
* Get your web site reviewed or critiqued in the Website Review Forum
* Introduce your friends and readers to Cool Stuff you've found
* And get Photoshop help or help others with your knowledge

Type: Hearts (Font) for your Valentine

Outline them, shade them, texturize them, or just use them to decorate your lover... just in time for Valentine's Day, check out this groovy retro-style font containing 70 heart illustrations. from... Kapitza image-based typefaces

Photoshop question of the year: Removing Backgrounds

At least once a month, someone comes along and asks "How can I remove the white background around my logo?" It happened three times in the forum. So here's a new tutorial that simplifies the process... Remove the White Background from Graphics

Website Critiques

This month we took a look at the Black Home Owner News and Creditor Web.com web sites, and came out with some happy web owners! Check'em out and get your own site reviewed in Web Site Critiques

Photoshop: Text Mask to Embossed Watermark for Photos

A reader in the Photoshop 911 Emergency Forum wanted help making a watermark. This tutorial shows you how; plus shows you how to make a custom shape, and put it to work as a powerful custom shape tool to watermark all your photos

Photoshop: Place a picture into text

A reader in the Photoshop 911 forum asks "how can i turn a picture of a dog into text" ... and since we all love dogs, we decided to demonstrate the easy way to use all versions of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to Put an image into type

Photoshop: Painting into a Layer Mask to Reveal Image

Photoshop 911 reader L.W. restoring color to a black and white image. This basic tutorial shows you how in all image editors that use layers and layer masks for Painting into a Layer Mask to Reveal Image.

Printing: Supplying artwork to printers

Following his last entry, "Preparing your artwork", Rob Cubbon, graphic designer and printing expert in the UK now turns his sights to the next step in making sure your print job goes as planned -- supplying artwork to printers

Printing: Going on Press, 24/7

Design Mentor Sessions interview with Laura Schwamb, by Thom McKenna talking about the critical stage of any print design job where a designer works with a printer before going to press -- The Press Check

Editor's Choice Books for February...

This month in Photoshop: Photoshop Elements 5 For Dummies * Preventive Photoshop * Color Management in Digital Photography * Digital Restoration From Start to Finish... For Digital Camera Users: Color Correction For Digital Photographers Only * Advanced Photoshop Elements 5.0 for Digital Photographers * Nikon Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide * Digital Scrapbooking For Dummies... For Web Designers: * Dreamweaver 8 Accelerated * Web Sites All-in-One Desk Reference... and in the Graphics Department, the AutoCAD: Secrets and 3ds Max 9 Bible www.design-bookshelf.com

Mailbag: We've become Visual Critters

Lee writes from L.A. With this sentiment:
"Just wanted to take a moment to say 'thanks' for realizing that we've become visual critters. Thanks for the tutorials that now come our way that SHOW us, step by step, the same durn things that are IN the books that many buy and don't read... preferring to DO rather than to peruse.
      Using hands and mouse as follow-alongs on those tutorials is a major step forward to defeat that common 20/80 rule (20% of th info is used 80% of the time) to which all things fall prey.
Kudos for the way you do things here."

Thank you Lee! And, by the way, we really enjoyed the superb imagery at www.brubakerphotography.com

Mailbag: Design Test Quiz Scores

We've had numerous inquiries about the results of the design quiz in December's newsletter. Unfortunately too many people took the quiz -- which is not automated -- we're still computing the results. Remind me never to post a quiz again unless we can find an online quizzing source that's automated. Eventually we'll get scores published. Hang in there.

Site of the Month: Singer Studio

Design Cafe Junior Member "mSinger" posted her site designed in photoshop, implemented with dreamweaver, and we enjoyed it quite a bit -- you will too. Nice photos! Check it out at www.singerstudio.net

If you want to get some feedback on your web site, or just share the experience with others, log in and post in the Design Cafe Web Review forum

New Friends:

A big thanks goes out to everyone who help support the Design Center through our "friends" program. We remind everyone to stop in and visit them on the friends page. You can also say "Thank You" by visiting any of the sponsors you see in the ads in either left or right outside columns. And we thank you. This month, featured friend is Daniel Rosenstein presents www.ravell.com for some real culinary treats.

Become a friend and support the Design Center by visiting: www.graphic-design.com

Not friends: The audacity of some people

Recently we've been hit with a rash of inquiries from web site owners wanting to "exchange" links with their site. Aside from having nothing to do with design or publishing, they make a convincing pitch. Most recently we're getting them from such sources as "get mortgages dot com" -- thinking I'll know nothing about spam. Don't bother. These go in the bit bucket.

Cool Tool: What's its color?

What's its color is an image-color processing utility that will evaluate an image and give you the image's primary and complementary dominant colors including visually unique colors and top ten visually unique colors. We tested it and it's really pretty cool... Whats Its Color

Designing Women:

Don't forget, in March we begin preparations for our annual "Designing Women" series, so if you're a designing woman, you should get in touch to perhaps show some of your talents and successes in the Design Center. Use the contact link, found anywhere on the site. Visit past designing women in the Gallery

Graphics of the Americas

Advanced registration is rolling along for the Graphics of the Americas / Xplor International exhibition and conference taking place February 28-March 4, 2007 (conference) and March 2-4, 2007 (exhibition) at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This might be a show you'd like to attend if you're in the Florida area during those dates. I have a couple of press passes if you'd like to cover the event contact me. www.graphicsoftheamericas.com

& ELSE... news and views from around the industry...

This month's &Else includes: lots of new clip art for Valentine's in the Publishers Warehouse. (Readers know where to find the link!) PLUS: FBBEdit: it doesn't suck * QuarkXPress Gold * Stimulus is Back * Site Monitoring for web developers * Web-based creative collaboration * Dynamic HTML * Automatic PDF * Automatic Repair of Font Problems * Screen Sharing for Mac * 2D/3D design * Anti-Spyware for Mac... and more &Else!

Publishers' Warehouse

In this month's Loading Dock download section, you'll find 75 new brush download sites, a ton of new clip art samples, and a Valentine's surf you'll enjoy. You know where to look!

Now, you can take the rest of the day off! As we head toward spring, remember we're looking for Designing Women to feature in our April and May issues. Now's the time to sign up so you can show your portfolio in the Design Center sites! Most people won't read this far, but if you do, you'll see our New Year Books Yard Sale in the Design Bookshelf. C'mon down and get yourself a book! Some more than 70% off.

And, once again you've already wasted a perfectly good hour reading the DTG newsletter. Hopefully all is not wasted and you've gained at least one helpful tidbit of info.

Thanks for reading...

Thanks for reading...

Fred Showker
Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine

Parting words for February...

  "Quitters never win...
    winners never quit!"
        - Dr. John.

PS: if you've made it this far, the Loading Dock address for February will be changed to "love". Just add the word "love" after the last slash in www.graphic-design.com/

WHO IS Fred Showker?

Advertising in the Design Center: When you advertise, your small contribution to the Design Center helps us continue the mission... and get's you lots and lots of traffic and visitors to your web site! Just ask us how.

Participate in your Design Center

Lots of fun and information for all... don't forget, any community is only as good as the participation of its members. We invite your tips, tricks, comments, suggestions and camaraderie.