DTG News and Else
DT&G:   Vol. 18, Number 8,   August, 2008   ~   The eZine for Design, Typography, & Graphics   (since 1990)  

DTG AUGUST : BACK to DESIGN SCHOOL

FONTS FESTIVAL WIN prizes for sharing your favorite FONTS

Yes, it's happened each year for the past 13 years, and it happens again for the 14th in September and October! Here is your opportunity to share your favorite fonts, or fonts treatment with DTG and Design Center readers -- and at the same time, get in line for some pretty cool prizes
      In September, we'll be showing your favorites! If you love fonts, hate fonts, make fonts or abuse fonts, we want to hear from you. Pour your thoughts into the creative mill and we'll all have a great time!... Got fonts? Get Famous.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Back to (Design) School
  2. Cool training resources -- online and at home
  3. Newsletters: Graphic Design for Hard Times
  4. Learning: 7 Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3
  5. Fractals Part 2 : Infinite Art Equals Infinite Possibilities
  6. Luba Lukova: Social Justice 2008
  7. Worldwide Identity, Inspired Design from Forty Countries
  8. Photoshop Madness... it's a jungle out there
  9. New Poster from Peter Max
  10. Peter Max: Living Legend
  11. Newsletter Critique & Makeover Clinic
  12. &ELSE... freebies and cool stuff
  13. What's in your portfolio?
  14. Photoshop 911 Celebrities
  15. Site of the month: Poster of the Day
  16. 2008 Creative Transitions Conference
  17. Mailbag: Ship books abroad
  18. Mailbag: Mr. Lyman's Padding Press?
  19. RE: Evils of Spec Work
  20. NEXT MONTH: Fall Fonts Festival

Back to (Design) School

It's August, and many people are turning their focus back to school! So take off, designers -- we're going back to design school with: Best online Video sources * Graphic Design & Layout learning * Type Layout, Typography, and design with letters * A Roadmap to Successful Online Learning * A Tour of Museums and Galleries for learning * and some musings about online learning -- follow along

Cool training resources -- online and at home

Do you really have to go to school to learn more about design? Yes, it's best... but the next best thing is self-learning -- and here, Fred recommends the best online video training, training/learning books and even a visual extravaganza to help sharpen your creative edges. Free video tutorials, chapters, advice for those who want to go Back to (Design) School with these topics:
Graphic design, graphics and layout
Typography, and typographic lettering skills
A Roadmap to Successful Online Learning with Jim Norrena
so, lets get Back to (Design) School

Our friends are your friends:

Our cup runneth over! This month we welcome new friend, smiletemplates.com along with major sponsors Media Lab, and a long time supporter of the Design Center Stock Layouts. These folks don't mind writing a check so all our readers can get all this stuff for free. We certainly appreciate it! You can look in the side bars, and when you see their buttons, just click away. You'll be helping bring more great content to the DTG Magazine and the Design Center's family of web site. We couldn't get along without our friends and partners!

Newsletters: Graphic Design for Hard Times

or... let design and layout save you from the slump! You may have forgotten -- during economic down-turns, the newsletter is one of the best vehicles for pumping up identity and loyalty in both commercial business and organizations. Here, we look at enhancing the design of a nonprofit newsletter for real impact and results -- first in a series Designing your newsletter

Learning: 7 Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3

This month, George takes a look at Scott Kelby's 7-point system for working with digital photos. He says: "I would classify it in the Intermediate to Professional user level... a typical Scott Kelby Photoshop book: Great graphics; Extremely well put together; Comprehensive and well thought out. 7 Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3

Fractals Part 2 : Infinite Art Equals Infinite Possibilities

Fractals can be the graphic designers' best friend! In part 2 of the series, creative digital artist Pam Blackstone discusses the real design possibilities of using fractals to describe tone, mood, and even image. She also points out why this is such a versatile file format for Infinite Possibilities

Luba Lukova: Social Justice 2008

Somewhere between Picasso's wood-cut years and German Expressionism, Luba Lukova has carved a deep niche in social graphic design -- one that will not be erased for decades and generations to come. The messages are stark, undeniable, and slam you right between the eyes. If you cannot own it, at least see Social Justice 2008 with Luba Lukova

Worldwide Identity, Inspired Design from Forty Countries

There is more to being a designer than using tools to re-form and regurgitate our thoughts. There is more to design than balancing concept with execution. Maggie Macnab reviews a blockbuster book by Robert L. Peters that examins the very intent of design with regards to Worldwide Identity

Photoshop Madness... it's a jungle out there

It's been quite a while since our last edition of Photoshop Madness because the Photoshop 911 folks were deeply involved in getting the forums up and running. * Photoshop Scalped and Hijacked * The Art & Times of Rodny Mella * Bert Monroy on Creating Photorealistic Reflections and Shadows * Creating Realistic Water in Photoshop * Real World Image Sharpening Tips * Art (bling) is where you find it . . . What Photoshop Madness have you encountered? Let us know about it ... Enjoy this month's edition of Photoshop Madness

New Poster from Peter Max

An innovative team of vendors came together to produce a limited edition Peter Max poster, using one of the greenest workflows available -- created by Max to celebrate The Green Media Show - the poster is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished with a zero carbon footprint. And, you can get one free ... The Green Media Show

Peter Max: Living Legend

When I learned about the latest Peter Max poster, I couldn't resist chasing down the source of this living legend. Even if you weren't around during the '60s and '70s, the lively vibrance of his art transcends all ages and backgrounds. It's just fresh and invigorating! I think you'll like it! Peter Max

Newsletter Critique & Makeover Clinic

It's been several years since I came in off the road doing my national "Newsletter Makeover Clinics." I had thought that by now, everyone already knows how. Well, today there's a new need for it, so we've opened the clinic again, and can help you take your newsletter or publication to the next level. I guarantee you'll like what you learn at our Newsletter Critique & Makeover Clinic

&ELSE... freebies and cool stuff

This month's &Else includes: Call for Speakers * GraphicConverter update * Batch Resize Photos * Tiled image of images * Draw on your iPhone * Print Perfect Pictures * Silver Efex Pro photographic plug-in * Flashforward * Color Efex Pro 3.0 ... and a dozen others! News, Reviews &Else!

What's in your portfolio?

Everyone loved the visits to reader sites during June and July. This month's visit to the art of Luba Lukova is fabulous!

So, rather than taking photos and graphics from readers only during our summer snapshot editions, we've decided to let DTG and Design Center readers submit their photography, graphic design, illustration or image editing experience samples year-around!

Send in your three or four best pieces of digital photography, image editing, or photo-illustration, and we'll enjoy a field trip to your digital digs...

Photoshop 911 Celebrities

You just never know who is going to show up in the Photoshop 911 forums. Interestingly enough, the REAL gurus do frequent the forum -- but they seldom post. They're snooping for content ideas! Well, one shining star showed up the other day, and we're thrilled to see Tim Shelbourne actually posting! (You've read Tim's masterful Photoshop articles in DTG in the past, and he's authored a whole pile of books on image editing and Photoshop!)

So, If you're not a member yet, you may be missing some valuable help from all the pros in the Photoshop 911 Forum

Site of the month: Poster of the Day

Frosti Gnarr Gunnarsson a 22 year old graphic designer from Iceland wrote in to say:
      I am involved in some youth programs in Iceland, both drug prevention and vandalism prevention as well as being a musician and part of the band Jezebel which has toured in the United States and in Iceland. Take the time out to look at my "poster of the day" project -- you wont regret it ;)
Frosti, you're right! We did NOT regret it... lots of cool concepts and imagery at the "poster of the day" project

2008 Creative Transitions Conference

The upcoming 2008 Creative Transitions Conference Milwaukee, will probably be well spent time! Evangelists from Adobe and innovators from around the country come to Milwaukee on August 13-15 for three knowledge-packed days... InDesign, Acrobat, Flex, Photoshop, video hands-on training. see: c2-events.com

Mailbag: Ship books abroad

We got a lot of inquiries from readers wanting us to ship Chuck Green's "Ideas" template book/CDs outside the U.S. It's posted on the promo page, and in the PayPal -- No, we cannot do that. We can only ship to U.S. destinations. Sorry. They are a huge resource, but we've cut the price so low, we just cannot afford the extra requirements of preparing international packages. Amazon will ship world-wide. In the U.S. go for it!

Mailbag: Mr. Lyman's Padding Press?

We get regular inquiries trying to chase down the padding press written about in last year's Holiday edition. Well, seems they are no longer available at the eBay links we posted. If you want to get in touch, we don't publish his email address, but we'll certainly pass along your inquiry to him.

RE: Evils of Spec Work

More than a few readers complained about our "rationalization" for mentioning spec work -- while we still believe there's a place for it in the world -- we MUST caution all graphic artists and others to be careful and make sure it's right for you! This letter to the editor spells out one of the pitfalls that lurk in speck work: reader from Virginia writes:
      As a new digital designer, I learned a lot about Spec work just recently THE HARD WAY!! I foolishly gave a "quick quote" of work for what the clients assured me was a program. I agreed without seeing the product and filled out paperwork based on my quick quote. It turned out it was "friggin" MAGAZINE with TOTAL FULL COLOR AND LOADS OF PHOTOS AND I LOST MY A___ on the job. I have now joined others in the NO SPEC movement. NEVER AGAIN!!!
Maybe take a look at: www.no-spec.com

NEXT MONTH: Fall Fonts Festival

September and October are our annual Fall Fonts Fest, this year number 14! If you've got favorite fonts, type, typography, or even sites that are good for type and typography, you should get in touch! We'll also be giving away lots of goodies for the best reader input, so get yours in today! http://www.graphic-design.com/registration.html

The Publishers' Warehouse is open and they've added several hundred new clip art images, fonts, and other stuff for your downloading pleasure. Stop in. If you don't know the directions, you can just ask

For now, have a great time in the August DTG

Don't forget to stay in touch, and we hope to see you on Bimini

thanks for reading...

Fred Showker

Fred Showker, Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine

A Thought for August is about education...

"Native ability without education
      is like a tree without fruit."
          Aristippus

PS: if you've made it this far, excellent! The folks at the Publishers Warehouse are telling us that they have sailed away to Bimini! We're on our way there for the opening of Lobster week! So we'll chase them down at "bimini".

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