NateCreates.com

The most invaluable Adobe Illustrator shortcut I never learned in school was how to kern type using the keyboard.

By using the left, right arrow, and Ctrl keys you can quickly and precisely move down line of text. With this shortcut there’s no excuse for not being precise about kerning.
There’s a complete list of great Adobe Illustrator CS2 shortcuts for both PC and Mac at http://www.nobledesktop.com/shortcuts-illustratorcs2-pc.html

If you must use Papyrus, you should use it right. While designers despise this font, this tutorial isn’t for designers. Not everyone wants to be a graphic designer. And some just want a font that looks handdrawn, earthy, organic, and natural, without spending $50. If you’re that person, then this tutorial is for you.

The purpose of this tutorial is to change the dialogue about this typeface and the users who perpetrate its overuse. 

If you have any questions about this tutorial, feel free to email me at natecreates@gmail.com. 

Just had a chance to take the new Adobe CS3 product for a spin, and I got caught up in the new Live Color feature in Adode Illustrator CS3. A short Adobe Labs video covers the basics. And I haven’t even started to uncover the potential for Live Color in the short time I’ve spent. However for those color challenged designers like myself, this is a dream. (If you haven’t purchased the Adobe CS3 Design suite but want to test Live Color, visit kuler.adobe.com.)

Just to highlight a few of the features of Live Color:

• Quickly create and use color groups to color (and recolor) artwork
• Create color groups in an intuitive, visual interface
• Use preset relationships based on complex color theory (great for those who prefer monochrome, and forgot the differences between complementary and analogous shortly after Color 101.)
• Quickly adjust the entire range of colors in an artwork with a simple mouse click (recolor)
• Reduce the color in an artwork to 2, 3, 4 or more inks - a great tool for planning spot color printing

I’ve only touched on a few of the basics. There’s lots more I’m sure. However I thought I just give Adobe a bit of praise. CS2 never impressed me. CS3 - I can’t wait to learn more.

The Poynter Institute will reveal the results of their EyeTrack findings throughout 2007 (watch video). They will verify the power of headlines, color photos of real people, listed sidebards, and infobits. The report will confirm what avid on-line readers already know - we click scan click.

You can reserve a copy of the report today (price?).

The findings of the EyeTracker Report will not shake the web design world. What the report will do is offer evidence. On-line writers must write effective. Effective writing starts with an effective headline. 80% of the work in creating ad copy is writing the headline. As the video points out, it’s not easy to write engaging headlines.

In screenwriting the term logline describes a short one to two sentence idea pitch. These two sentences capture the concept of a 90 minute film. On-line writers should be able to do even better; we only have to fill a single post.

One way to start - kill the adjectives.

(Note: This is a self-directed post. My writing is weighted with 10 words what could be said in 5. Look for a new style to this site coming during the summer of 2007. The writing should get better - I promise.)