Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a green font that uses up to 20% less ink. Free to download, free to use.
I am always brushing up on my technical knowledge of the printing process and color management, so I obviously have found this little field guide to be most helpful. Alex Cornell and Scott Hansen of ISO50 have put together an impressive and definitive Field Guide to Color Management.
Though there are literally thousands of guides on the web like this, ISO50’s is not only replete covering everything from lighting to print settings but also comes from a trusted resource plenty experienced with color management and printing.
Consider this advice for workspace color management:
An additional step you can take to ensure ideal lighting conditions in your workspace is to paint the walls with Munsell 8 Gray. This paint is specially formulated to have a flat spectral response with no color bias. Unlike other hues, this type of gray will not affect your perception of other colors in the spectrum. It creates a “pure” and neutral viewing environment. You may have noticed this color on the wall of photo studios and print shops.
Common misperceptions about RGB and CMYK are cleared up:
Illogical as it may sound, when working at home, you want to send your printer (which is a CMYK device) RGB images to print. The conversion occurs within the printer and the software addresses the printer as an RGB device. This is where — at least amongst the student population — much confusion is generated. Given the fact that the printer is technically producing CMYK output, it sounds like the logical mode to use is CMYK. This is not the case. Not only is the printer designed to receive RGB output from the software, but you would also be shortchanging yourself of certain colors that both RGB and the device can address that are outside the gamut of the CMYK color mode (within the software).
Calibration, color space, and color profile management are also covered. The guide concludes with specific instructions for printing Photoshop artwork on a local printer.
Hats off to Alex and Scott for covering the topic extensively and authoritatively.
I have always loved and respected artists that can excel in more than one creative field. To me it seems to prove that one’s creativity has no bounds, and that it is more than just learned mechanical processes (contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity). Scott Hansen is an artist and musician that I have followed for years (although only recently on twitter), and his distinct style has always been an amazing mix of the old and new. And now, in honor of the release of his newest album Tycho / Coastal Break, he has created some truly breathtaking pieces. Below are some samples of his work, including some glimpses into the new album, but if you really want the full experience, you should check out his site. Check them out on iTunes for some perfect design music.
» ISO50
» Scott Hansen Portfolio
» Tycho
Here are some desktop wallpapers for your computer or iPhone.
2K Limited Poster Wallpaper
This wallpaper for your desktop or iphone is a high resolution graphic based on the limited edition 2K Strong poster. Download it, share it, or if you are really adventurous, make your own and send it to us. Maybe we will feature it on the site.
» Download Widescreen
» Download Fullscreen
» Download iPhone
2000 Strong Abstract Ripples
This wallpaper for the 2K Strong campaign is here because I just wanted to have some fun. Again, this is a high resolution graphic for your visual pleasure. Spread the word and check out The 2K Strong Online, or follow them on Twitter. You can change lives right now.
» Download Widescreen
» Download Fullscreen
» Download iPhone
We found this awesome spot dealing with the proposed Household Product Labeling Act. Instead of the usual, “call your senator” approach, Droga5 and method took a more humorous (and I dare say effective) direction.
Here’s the post from fastcompany.
And enjoy!
Another Free font for you all. Chunk is an ultra-bold slab serif typeface that is reminiscent of old American Western woodcuts, broadsides, and newspaper headlines. Used mainly for display, the fat block lettering is unreserved yet refined for contemporary use. It is featured by the League of Movable Type.
The free font Coldi is a personal project by Alessio Avventuroso, a young designer from Italy. COLDI is a modular typeface applicable for print, brand identity, posters, invites, t-shirt, motion-graphic and perfect for title in the book and magazine.
Yeah…so we see a lot of 3D reels. Mostly, they suck. There are only so many times you can watch the disproportionate model of a sci-fi character with ridiculously long limbs, executing a slow 360 degree spin. Usually we don’t even make it through to the end.
And then there’s this guy…incredible models, exciting camera angles, a storyline and humor.
Nice work Pantural!
I especially like this comment I just spotted on his Youtube channel:
filipepatcheco (1 hour ago)
I’m from Disney pixar and I want to give you a job! Interest??
I dunno if that’s real, but nuff said.
There’s a common theme that seems to apply to more than one conversation we’re having around the office of late: community funded projects. You’ll be hearing quite a bit about this from us in the coming weeks.*
Right now though, I thought I’d share a recent discovery, Kickstarter.
I love the way they introduce themselves:
We believe that…
* A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide.
* A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.
Simply put, Kickstarter is a way for creatives to receive (online) community funding to execute their ideas.
It’s quite clever: a filmmaker, artist, musician, inventor, etc submits an idea along with a request for the amount of money they need to make their concept a reality. The online community is able to review these ideas and if so inclined can pledge money to help make them happen.
The creator is able to propose any type of reward system they’d like as a “thank you”. This could be as simple as access to ongoing project updates or something fancier like a T-shirt or an invitation to a party. Regardless, the creators retain full ownership of their ideas. No politics. No big investor demanding final sign-off on production.
But here’s the part that I really love. No-one’s credit card is charged up-front. ONLY if the total amount requested has been pledged within the specified time frame, is the money actually collected. Once the mark is hit all the cards are charged at once. This way a filmmaker is not obligated to make a $6000 independent short for $2000 if that’s all he was pledged. It’s an all or nothing scenario.
If you’ve got a brilliant idea and need a cash to give it wings, perhaps Kickstarter might be the place to go. They charge 5% of the pledge goal, so you’ll need to factor that into your budget.
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*Just a final note: we (Paragon) believe that many people doing a little can often have a much greater impact than a only a few people doing a lot. We’re putting this theory to the test with a new project, 2K Strong. We’re currently working on the site, but you can sign up for project updates now at www.2kstrong.org
During our panel discussion this past Geekend we promised a list of sources of inspiration for the parched designer running out of creative juice. A complete list is impossible but here are a few of the places the team here uses for a bit of brain caffeine, categorized by our different interests for your browsing comfort:
Web Related
Package Design-related
Brand-related
Motion Graphics- related
Typography-related
Just Plain Design-related
Creatives
——————————————————————-
Writers & Communication Consultants
1. @AllenaT
3. @BobSchaller
4. @copyblogger
5. @EdGandia
6. @JennyCromie
7. @jewelsann
9. @kristenking
10. @menwithpens
11. @michellerafter
12. @milehighfool
13. @problogger
14. @quipsandtips
15. @stephauteri
16. @TraceyDooley
17. @WantToFreelance
Designers & Developers
18. @andrewyee
19. @azwebdesign
20. @BazDeas
21. @bdsexton
22. @benbrunt
23. @cgw3
24. @chrisspooner
25. @Cmonalready
26. @justcreative
27. @gracesmith
28. @HuddyDesign
29. @notoriouslb3
30. @Othella
31. @RibbonsofRed
32. @SBWebDesigner
33. @webfreelancer
34. @wFreelance
Other Freelancers (translators, photographers, videographers, stylists, etc.)
35. @BillCammack
36. @darkmotion
38. @languagenews
39. @louisechrystal
40. @nicholaspatten
41. @nj_linguist
42. @sarahdillon
43. @vincentvalle
Freelance Resources
44. @freelanceadvice
45. @freelance_jobs
46. @FreelancePulse
47. @FreelanceSw
48. @ProgrammerScoop
49. @theredstapler
50. @weblittlepieces
Hopefully this’ll get you started.
