This works really well. Also discovered re-saving a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Professional 8 as a .doc does a similar job too!
http://www.pdfonline.com/pdf-to-word-converter/
Convert PDFs to Word in an instant
Posted: July 12, 2011 in Adobe InDesignTags: convert PDFs to Word, pdf-to-word converter
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Ten items every designer should have
Posted: April 15, 2011 in DesignTags: creative space, inspiring good design, items for graphic design
1. An over-size sketchbook and a set of good pencils
For drawing out designs, for mapping out a problem, for inspiring creativity
2. An ergonomic mouse or graphics tablet
All those clicks. Enough said.
3. A Pantone swatch book
For choosing colour schemes, for checking colour trueness
4. A cutting mat, various scalpel blades and a steel ruler
For mocking up printed projects
5. A paper weight swatch book
Learn to know the feel of different weight papers
6. A giant poster expressing all the A sizes
Invaluable if you are a commercial print designer
7. A shredder
Don’t let your draft designs end up in the wrong hands
8. A giant monitor
Be kind to yourself and get as big a monitor as possible. After all, you know the hours you will spend in front of it
9. A comfortable chair
As above. Good design does not come out of poor posture
10. A creative cupboard
Fill it with your work, other people’s work you admire, print samples, books, manuals, magazines, papers, crayons, art and craft materials, whatever. Keeps it all off your desk and a source of inspiration
What items make your life as a graphic designer easier?
I am absolutely loving Ten free fonts used by The Oatmeal – the first two especially, and with links to download this is a little gem! Thanks TO for sharing. http://theoatmeal.com/blog/free_fonts
Good pre-press tips here at The Printed Image
Posted: March 23, 2011 in DesignTags: pre-press best practice
Stumbled across this and thought it was a handy one for designers who are preparing art straight to print http://www.tpi.ie/customer-service/artwork-specifications/
Kim Tasso – Practical Marketing Consultancy
Posted: March 23, 2011 in MiscTags: creativity, innovation, Kim Tasso, problem-solving techniques, training for designers
I had the fortune of attending a fantastic course yesterday, on Problem-solving, Creativity and Innovation – led by a lady by the name of Kim Tasso and organised by the Professional Marketing (PM) Forum.
The course was just a half-day session but it was so very worthwhile. Kim Tasso was an excellent trainer and she brought us through popular techniques for initially, problem-solving, then creativity and idea generation. I found it so good because it had never occurred to me that there were even such things as actual techniques for these dilemmas! Check out Kim’s website for more information and if you ever get a chance to attend one of her courses, it is well worth it.
“Design should never say, ‘Look at me.’ It should always say, ‘Look at this.’ “
David Craib
I’m getting married next year! And through my wedding planning I have found a beautiful Irish blog called OneFabDay. When I found it a number of months ago it really inspired me to design my own freelance wedding stationery website, for which I did some preliminary work. There are some really beautiful blogs in the online wedding scene – they have opened up a whole new world of inspiration to me and I hope they will for you too. Get started at OneFabDay, link above, and before you know it you will find yourself surrounded by inspirational design.
I just KNOW one day I will need this article and won’t know where I found it! An excellent note from the Adobe Creative Newsletter.
Should I work for free?
Posted: March 1, 2011 in DesignTags: flow chart, graphic design, work for free
Ah. THAT formidable question every graphic designer asks themselves from time to time. A quirky flow chart is available at http://www.shouldiworkforfree.com, designed by New York designer, illustrator and typographer Jessica Hische to help you discover the right answer.
Thumbs up! Absolutely love the beauty salon work done by Charlotte: http://chacrebleu.tumblr.com/
Stumbled upon this pretty cool website – Hello Lucky – and thought it most definitely worth noting. Love the option of letterpress printing!
At first I wasn’t sure what I felt about this… designers putting their work out there in an environment where it could be copied or undervalued, but now I think I’m coming around to the idea. Check it out – iwantadesign.com launches today at 3pm and will host ‘contests’ for designers to submit pitches to buyers, winning pitch wins the work or ‘prize’. It will be great for freelancers, or even for design students wanting to practice their skills til the real work starts rolling in.
12 Common Photoshop Mistakes and Malpractice
Posted: February 10, 2010 in Adobe PhotoshopTags: common photoshop mistakes
A really excellent article here from The Design Cubicle. I have been guilty of a few of these in my time! Good to have them all here for a bit of perspective. Thanks Ania for sending me the link!
http://www.thedesigncubicle.com/2009/01/12-common-photoshop-mistakes-misuses-and-abuses/
Creating and using Snippets
Posted: October 16, 2009 in Adobe InDesignTags: Adobe InDesign, Snippets
An Adobe InDesign Snippet is a file that can hold various page elements in position, ready to drop into another document. There are three ways of creating Snippets:
1. Select the objects you wish to place in a Snippet and drag them to your desktop.
2. Select the objects from the Structure View and drag them to your desktop.
3. Select the objects and File > Export as an InDesign Snippet.
To place a Snippet, you can do File > Place or drag the snippet from your desktop into your document.
To make sure your Snippet positions itself exactly as was in its original document, go to Preferences > File Handling and choose Position at Original Location. If you need to override this then, hold alt/option when you click to place the Snippet.
InDesign tutorials
Posted: March 18, 2009 in Adobe InDesignTags: Adobe InDesign CS3 tutorials, good graphic design
Some really good InDesign tutorials here from Layers Magazine.
Stumbled across this article over on You The Designer and thought it was worth sharing.
