Professional Graphic Design tool

Are there any professional graphic designers / typographers out there (you're probably in your fifties at least!) used to working with pen, drawing board and em rule? The sort of designer to be found at Pentagram? At present I do all my typography and layout work with Appleworks and most of it is hand work. Copy, line-work, photographs, line illustration - fine. But I wonder if any of you have discovered an acceptably-improved alternative. Something that allows hand-work. Something that will suggest a layout - but only if asked to do so - and then allows manual adjustment. Something that does not simply provide a box of assorted gimmicks and standard layouts. Somthing that also suits a book-designer. I've tried 'Pages' and it seems to be designed for the user who knows little or nothing of the design business. I'd love to be proved wrong by someone - and I do mean this - who is used to producing rather more than the parish mag or the odd flier.

As you tried Pages, it would be interesting to look at Numbers.
We may use it exactly as we did with the AW Draw component.
What is missing in iWork is a Paint (bitmap) tool but there are numerous free ones available which offer more power than AW Paint component.
Of course we miss also a DB component but it's an other story
Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE jeudi 9 octobre 2008 17:18:57)

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What are the ideal specs for professional graphic designer using CS5 illustrator, photoshop and indesign?g

What are the ideal Mac Pro specs for a professional graphic designer using CS5 Premium- using mostly InDesign, Illustrator and PhotoShop?

24GB RAM
SSD for boot drive
GHz, but not necessarily dual. Apple doesn't sell dual 3.33s.
A single 3.33 6-core should do fine and "sweet spot" (when looking, there is "4-core" build to order..,. and like everything else on the Store, why in heavens they didn't be more accurate and clear and say "single socket" and then have "dual processor configurations" 0 I guess the writers don't understand or know workstations or jargon? I say that 'cause some have trouble even finding the 6-core 3.33 choice ($1200 over stock 2.8 4-core).
W3680 though can be found on Buy.com for $620 (was $589 at earlier date) and people are known to then sell the stock cpu $300 making it even more attractive and save $600-900 that way rather easily. Or not.
But yes, I would send you to MPG.com site as well and read through what is on there.

Graphic Design Tools

Are there any tools that help with developing graphics in a visual way. Something that lets you draw Java2d shaps in a Visio or autocade type way and then generates code.
Even past that is there a visual tool that helps you do animations?
I would be interested in hearing about free and non-free software?
Thanks!

The ideal would be something similar to the design tools that Adobe puts out for flash :), but I would settle for a tool that lets me do any of the following. By do I mean provide me a visual GUI where I am visually working with objects and when I am done given a code output much like the swing form editor for netbeans. They are ordered by how important they are to me.
- Draw shapes in a way where I can move them around, change layers, change properties like fill, line width ect.
- Run operations on them (subtract a circle from a square ect.)
- Animate the shapes.
- Assign event listeners to the shapes.
- Pimp my ride while telling me what an attractive man I am.
Thanks again for your help!
Edited by: megasween on Dec 7, 2007 6:42 AM

What graphics design tools do you use...

For animations design, button design, splas screens and all the other GUI details that makes a game look good.

Photoshop 7, you dont really need other versions ...
I'm a web designer also and i have no problems using PS7 :)

Are the Imacs good for Graphic Design/Illustration work?

I work as a digital illustrator so I spend all day at a monitor. I'm thinking of replacing my powerbook and am leaning towards a 20" Imac.
Does anyone else here use their Imac for professional graphic design or illustration work? How does it measure up?
I've seen many posts about poor screen quality. Should I steer clear of the Imac, or are the screens adequate for design work? At the moment I use a 17" Apple studio display (the old stripey framed kind) which is fine for my needs. How does the Imac screen compare to this?
Is it easy to connect an external monitor (I'd use my Apple Studio Display as a 2nd screen) and can you set them up so they create a giant screen area - i.e. not just 'mirrored'? I already have a VGA to DVI adaptor so presumably this is all I'd need to hook up my 2nd screen?
Is the 24" Imac screen quality much better than the 20"?
Sorry, so many questions! Any advice or opinions much appreciated - Many thanks.

To answer your first question yes they are great for digital illustration. However this will depend on how color accurate your work requires. The only downside I have found with the 20" iMacs is narrow viewing angles. This will be nothing new to you since you have the older 17" studio display. The 24" iMacs are all around absolutely stunning and have much better viewing angles however I have seen a lot of them(including mine) that have some degree of uneven back lighting. If you live anywhere near an Apple store or reseller I would recommend that you go into the store and actually use both of the machines for some period of time and see for yourself how you like it. Bring some of your illustrations from home on a flash drive to see how they look. Otherwise IMO these machines are superb. I love my 24" and it runs CS3 Apps amazingly fast.
If your 17" studio display has the ADC(Apple Digital Connector) then you will have to purchase the power supply adapter to make it work. If you are unsure if it qualifies or not just look and see if your display has it's own power plug. If not then you will need this adapter for $99. IMO it's not worth it as you could put the $100 bucks toward a new display.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=7E4 EB91E&nplm=M8661LL/B
George

SUGGESTIONS NEEDED: Graphic Designer needing to organize my graphic library

Ive been wanting to find a better way of organizing my extensive library of the following (Vector & Raster art): Backgrounds, Raster/Vector Patterns, Logos, Icons, Vector Design Elements, Fonts (I use FontBook), print & web templates, Stock Photos, ALOT of vector art, anything from flourishes to multi colored complex images, Web Design stuff (icons, buttons, banners...etc.) and last but not least Adobe CS native color swatches, patterns, gradients, actions, and brushes. I am sure I left out some, but you get the idea.
I have been building my large collection over the period of 4-5 years and has grown to 40g of internal HD space to house these in loosely catergorized subfolder (i.e., Vector Art, Stock Photos, PS plugins (gradients, brushes, ETC) backgrounds/Textures, so on and so forth. I would love to store my Data externally but with the throughput speeds of USB, am not wanting to slow down Bridge anymore than it already is. But help with external storage and accessing files quickly would also help
As your probably thinking it is getting to be a pain to manage and even worse finding or searching for items, considering alot are generically names from packages Ive acquired (i.e. 132456.eps. flower00234.jpg, etc.) Bridge helps alot but I am trying to catergorize and keyword folders or images this as clean as possible hopefully thru manually doing it on a system recommended or using a 3rd party software to apply metadate like keywords that will be searchable is IDEAL!
I am starting to use Lightroom 3 to manage and catalog my StockPhotos (not to many), but love the functionality of the keyword and meta data features within LR.
So that is what I am trying to accompish:
1. organize all my art in to specific catergories
2. hopefully use metadata and keywords within the OS or a 3rd party program to make items easily searchable within the Finder or Adobe Bridge.
3. Properly manage and store art as it comes to me several times a day to keep everything current so I can do a backup of just my Design files, every month or so to keep stored off computer or on the cloud.
Any suggestions(software/procedures), links, or general help on this issue is greatly appreciated!!
Thanks Again for any help lended!!! Any anyone that is willing to help me thru this and is interested in Graphic Design tools or graphics, I can definitely share ANYTHING from my collection for helping
Drew

Dont mind one bit, if i can pass along any advice to help someone, Im happy to do so.
first off....My art catalog is mass collections of various file types, and media uses, so I started by keywording by some of these keywords; Vector, Web Graphics, Stock Photos, Patterns (Vector/Raster), Textures, Backgrounds, Shapes/Objects (vector/Raster), and after indifiying a sorting the various files, just in folders and sub-folders, under one main Artwork Directory, and that helped me organize them for transfering between my home office, to my work server. After that it was pretty much a breeze except for one issue I ran into (I will explain at the end). Since I run Bridge at Work and at home, the structure and navigation to search for files by catergory was alot easier, by mimicking the same setup on both Bridge for PC at work and Bridge for Mac at home. the last step I did to help refine things a little better, I keyworded two things within Bridge to make the search faster, and it was just these tags, Vector, Raster High Res, Raster Med-Low Res. I also use the ranking/star system to tag my most used, favorite. 1 star for frequently used, and 5 star for my favorite art packages. When I use the word "favorite", in my terms that is art that i see potential to use in future designs and good clean art that Ive never used, so I can incorporate new designs. That might not be the best way to do it in Bridge, but after bouncing around alot of approaches this eems to work just fine for my graphic/web design needs.
One more thing that I do as I acquire new art, is make a Folder with a custome icon to stand out, that is labeled Un-Catergorized art. And as I download art unless I use it right away, I drag and drop into that folder. I was advised to not do this and label and file appropriately as soon as I aquire stuff so I dont get behind, but to aleviate that, I have made automator actions that move all files that have been in the folder for more than 5 days to move into a diferent folder (Delete Me), and have put an automation on that folder to delete files that are 3 days or older (in that folder). It may sound like alot of work just to remind, but by adding another automator action in Mac OSX to email me when the first move is made, It trained my mind to process all new art every friday like clock work, and have since stop using the email action and the delete after 3 days action! With the size of my library....getting close to 60gig....and consisting of a wide array of different media, I found this to work for my workflow.
Give this a thought, because this may help you in some way, but everyones catalog is different.
The only current problem/issue that I am trying to resolve at the moment is catergorizing and tagging (somehow) all my Creative Suite Plugins for PS, and LR. Because it is getting pretty extensive, with patterns, actions, swatches, shapes, styles, etc...
The issue I ran into with processing VECTOR art in Bridge CS5, was the lack of support for previwing .EPS files, and took a good chunk of my vector art and converted to a native AI file to be able to view the preview in bridge, but there is work arounds I found.
Bridge has really been awesome for someone like me, and learn something new about this robust program everyday.
As far as PS & LR plugins, I could theroretically just add everything I get to their respective plugin system folder on my drive, but I move them around alot and found it easier to search my folder structure and COPY/PASTE plugins in the system folder as needed and clean out the system plugin folder every so often.
I just installed CS5.5 Master Collection last night, and even though Bridge isn't the same build as the changed DW 5.5, and indesign 5.5 (all the rest of the master collection for the most part NOTHING changed, even though its labeled as 5.1 instead of 5.0 or 5.5. So I will be doing some research on this to see if any new features were added in Bridge but doubt it
Hope this helps! and feel free to ask anymore questions
Later, Drew

Rate My Graphic Design Projects

If a freelance graphic designer would like to get feedback from other (hopefully knowledgeable) designers concerning their own designs, is there a website(s) that allows one to upload their works and have people comment? There are many times the people around me comment on what I create, but I know they don't actually "know why" a design is good or bad. I would like to have technical feedback on what I create and not possible biased feedback from the people I know. I can't get any negative (or should I say construtive) feedback because I'm sure no one wants to offend me or say something in which they know nothing about. I compare this to a person who doesn't know anything about cooking to be a judge about food. Sure, they can say if the food is good or bad, but I want to know the WHY of their opinions.
I taught myself everything I know about graphic/web design and I have never really been evaluated by another graphic designer. I'm certainly not looking for priase, but professional feedback. So, are there any websites/services out there for something like this?

I cringe when I hear anyone suggest uploading content to the internet. If I were you, I'd get in touch with area ad agencies or art school graphic design departments where they would be happy to critique your work one-on-one. Many questions come up when viewing a portfolio. For instance, what is the client's objective? What was the client's budget and how did you comply with it? Where are your sketches? I, for one, like to see "thought" process rather than a bunch of flash on a screen. Not that flash is bad, but I like the nuts and bolts of it all. How did you solve the client's problems? How did you go about selecting that photo? Who art directed the piece? On and on like that. Another question for you. How is anyone going to know you really did that piece? Just because you said you did it? Won't wash. Think about it. Go out and see people. Get feedback where you can defend the process and bolster up your knowledge of the tools required to "design".

Best Graphic Design Software

Hello. I recently purchased a MacBook Pro {love} and I would like to get a graphic design software to use for making custom photo birthday invitations/thank you cards (you know the ones they sell all over eBay for children's birthdays, etc.) I've been buying them for years and I'm tired of buying them when I know I could create them myself if I had the correct software. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance!

Hi there,
You do not need to buy at this first time, assuming you do not have graphic design experience you can start by using an Apple application as Pages, Keynote, iPhoto or others in your /Applications/ folder, check it out, try opening applications, read tutorials and welcome presentations or open a template file for some start edition.
After that you can try a freeware third party application, you will find many of that here: http://osx.iusethis.com/tag/graphics
Professional applications require a minimum specific knowledge that you would naturally acquire after sometime around with these others.
Before go on using third party apps would be smart to get one smart removal tool so that you'd be able to remove applications you do not like and related support files in one move, which would be better than having useless files remaining in your system. I use AppCleaner - http://www.freemacsoft.net/ - with it's SmartDelete Preference enabled, set it up if you will.
Despite most of Mac's applications only need to be copied to your HDD to be ready to run, they usually keep some support file maybe elsewhere the ~/Library and/or /Library/Application Support/ folders.
Good luck

I LOVE iWeb. Any profissional Graphic Designer that uses iWeb?

Hello to all my fellow iWeb lovers.
I am a professional freelancer graphic designer, and I used Dreamweaver + Flash like since 7 years ago.
I just discovered iWeb and I am AMAZED how the simplicity and intuitiveness of this marvelous humanized Apple software.
If you debate with any Nerd or Geek he will try to convince you that iWeb is for amateurs, not a "real" software and you need always the correct tool, bla bla bla. They are always focused on PURE technology - pure techies.
Being a graphic designer myself, I see CLEARLY I can develop websites to small/medium business owners, faster, easier, and more HAPPY that another pure techies software. At the moment I am developing a Joomla website for a client, of course on those specific situations I can't use iWeb, but for majority of websites situations I see clearly that iWeb does the job wonderfully.
I made this post to share my happiness about the discovery about this brilliant very humanized app, and to ask if there are any fellows here who are graphic designers too using iWeb. I searched a bit, and I don't see any graphic designer assuming their love to this software to conceiving websites.
I am a graphic designer that in this moment is in love with iWeb.
Thanks

Apple re-launching iWeb is very unlikely to happen. They only released iWeb in the first place because of firstly .Mac and then secondly MobileMe. Once they closed down MobileMe, they discontinued iWeb too as there was no need for it.
Apple is primarily a manufacturer of computers and mobile phones etc., and not web design software, which is probably why they ditched iWeb to let other companies who are primarily involved in web design get on with it.
Of course you can create any kind of site with iWeb - you might have to find third party workarounds for a lot of things, but as long as the app still works, then you can use it, but there will probably come a time when you can't.
I don't think that at this late stage, you will find any graphic designers who are using iWeb for the first time - using an unsupported product for the first time to create business sites is not such a good idea and there is other software out there that can be used as an iWeb replacement and is being actively developed, such as EverWeb created by Rage software as a direct replacement for iWeb. It is very similar to iWeb in look and feel and can do everything iWeb can, but from within the app, such as drop down menus, contact forms, PayPal integration etc., all without having to use any third party workarounds.
Take a look at EverWeb here and see what you think before continuing to use iWeb. There will come a time when iWeb will not longer work with future OS updates and some folks who have upgraded to Yosemite are having problems with iWeb currently.

24" iMac for Graphic Design studio workstation?

Hi there, I've been using macs since the early 90s for graphic design and have always bought their "professional" models, ie towers. These days it seems the line between iMacs and towers is getting a bit blurred... iMacs are pretty darn powerful. So I need to add a workstation to the design studio and am considering just getting a 24" iMac instead of a tower + apple display. I use Adobe CS2 apps (photoshop, indesign, illustrator, etc.) Rarely, I deal with 500meg layered photoshop images, but I don't do any sound/video stuff.
So my big question... is the iMac good enough for a full time graphic designer's workstation or should I stick with a tower? The difference is over a $grand.
G5 tower Mac OS X (10.4.8)

The 24" iMac is a perfect match for a graphic designer.
On the plus side, the large screen is actually 4 inches larger than the smallest Cinema Display (20"), meaning great value. Secondly, you have the small form factor and the conveinience of an all-in-one unit, and the RAM is extremely easy to upgrade, with a ceiling of 3GB; plenty to run Photoshop or Aperture. The Nvidia graphics card is very potent as well; a must for people working with high-res images.
On the downside, you still won't get the sheer performance that a tower such as the Mac Pro will offer. You also won't get the expandability. You can't upgrade the graphics card in the iMac. You also can't upgrade the hard drive easily, and USB and firewire card upgrades (necessary to keep up with todays latest connection methods for digital cameras) are out of the question.
The 24" iMac is superb. It will give you the horsepower to run even a small graphics design business. But if you are serious about graphic design as a career, still go for a tower. You will be glad you did. I wouldn't be surprised if you found yourself selling the iMac and upgrading your system 3 or 4 years from now. However, if you expect to upgrade in that time anyway, the iMac is a better value.
Good Luck with your decision. I know you will be happy no matter which machine you choose!

Graphic design & choice of display

Hidy,
I'm a novice graphic designer and seeking advice from designers. I would like to know what your vision is on the choice of a display for graphic design purposes. I heard a rumor that the LED-backlit displays aren't really useful for graphic design since they wouldn't represent true image, is this correct? Would you go back and use a Mac like the iMac 24" Core 2 Duo 2.16 just because its display is LCD? Or would you go with the future and buy those new iMacs with LED backlit displays? What could be the advantage or disadvantage? Any real life situation experiences? Any suggestions?
Cheerio !

I suppose the best answer, if you are a novice graphic designer, is to ask if you intend to do color matching with a calibrated measurement device. If not, you choice of display really doesn't matter.
You cannot do simple visual color matching with any LCD or LED-backlit driven panel, whether matter or glossy, as none produce sufficiently accurate color. You must instead use specialized tools like the Pantone matching system and calibrate or set your display for optimum accuracy, while clearly understanding that you must trust the software, and not your eyes.
I do a great deal of graphics work, and find glossy—as opposed to matte—screens difficult to work with. While their highly saturated color makes them good wide-screen DVD playback platforms, the reflective glare from ambient light is annoying. If you choose a glossy display, which is pretty much all you can these days, be sure to set up your environment so as to minimize reflective light sources such as lamps and windows in your workspace.
For the most part, backlighting is backlighting. Backlights driven by light emitting diodes were introduced almost solely to eliminate the undesirable component parts of cold cathode fluorescent lamps and make displays ultimately easier to recycle, lowering their adverse impact upon the environment.

IMAC + Graphic Design

Are any professional graphic designers using the new Imacs. I graduated earlier this year and have been thinking about getting a mac for a while now. My PC just crapped out about a week ago, so it is definitely time to buy a new comp. I know that getting a Mac Pro would be the best choice, but I can't really afford that option right now. I will be running Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign mostly.

I agree with some of the comments below regarding the graphic design apps. I actually have the CS3 Master collection on my iMac and it runs all of them fine although the video editing is a bit slow. For static 2d design Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash and Dreamweaver all run pretty smooth. I also have Vista installed via Bootcamp with CS3 Design suite and again they all run pretty smooth although a bit faster running on the Mac end. I Also use Spyder2 to calibrate the display and have a second 20" display as well. the 24" iMac will suit your needs just fine, and don't bother with the 2.8 GHZ you won't notice any increase in speed with any of these apps unless you do video editing, you'll just pay more. One thing I do recommend you do is buy more RAM, not through Apple because they charge to much, I have 4 gigs of Mushkin RAM installed on mine for about $200. It's very easy to install on your own. Buy your iMac with 1 gig and upgrade on your own.
--Brian

Powermac or iMac G5 for Graphic Design industry?

I was wondering what kind of computer does the Graphic Design industry uses? iMac G5 or the Powermac? What do you recommend?
I heard that the Powermac is usually used by professionals. Is this true? How does the iMac G5 compare to it?

Hi Angela...
As a design professional I can definitively say if you're working in the design industry with profesional applications such as Quark, Photoshop, etc., your only choice is a PowerMac. iMac's are consumer grade computers, and while quite elegant, and powerful, they are not up to the rigors needed in a professional work situation. Any of the newer PowerMacs will work, but IMO it's always best to buy the best you can afford. If you're working for a company, they should be able to buy top end for you, as it's a depreciable item that can be written-off as a company expense. Anything less and you're literally wasting your time, and the companies time, waiting for the computer to re-draw your screen or finish the task.
good luck...
ken

IMac G5 or Powermac for Graphic Design Industry?

I was wondering what kind of computer does the Graphic Design industry uses? iMac G5 or the Powermac? What do you recommend?
I heard that the Powermac is usually used by professionals. Is this true? How does the iMac G5 compare to it?
imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4)

Hi Angela...
As a design professional I can definitively say if you're working in the design industry with profesional applications such as Quark, Photoshop, etc., your only choice is a PowerMac. iMac's are consumer grade computers, and while quite elegant, and powerful, they are not up to the rigors needed in a professional work situation. Any of the newer PowerMacs will work, but IMO it's always best to buy the best you can afford. If you're working for a company, they should be able to buy top end for you, as it's a depreciable item that can be written-off as a company expense. Anything less and you're literally wasting your time, and the companies time, waiting for the computer to re-draw your screen or finish the task.
good luck...
ken

Laptop recommendations for a graphic designer?

I am trying to figure what laptop I'd want to upgrade to since I'll be doing Graphic Design work very soon for college online. I have never been a Mac user but I know that the Mac notebooks can come with a lot of great tools for graphic design. When I did research myself, I was set on the Macbook Air. Mostly because of the lightweight of the Air and my current laptop is very hard to handle. Since then I talked with a friend and got some advice that the Air wouldn't be a good fit for me because of the small screens. Also from what I understood the Macbook Pro W/ Retina Display (Which she recommended) had way more "designing capabilities" than the Air which is more for entertainment purposes. Well now I'm kind of unsure about which Macbook laptop out of all of them would be the best for me because apart from the weight, the other factor that made the Air so appealing was its very affordable price. The "Pro"s are a lot more expensive so I want to make sure that I know about all my options and be able to find one that really make me happy. In case it helps, when I do graphic design I mean I will be working along side a graphic tablet in Microsoft Illustrator etc. to create drawings and sketches. I know this is a lot of information so thank you in anvance to any recommendations I receive!

Jessehk wrote:Thanks for all the responses!
Hey, I'm always looking for new converts.
Although it's about $300 more, I have to say I'm leaning towards the T61. There seems to be an emphasis on the Thinkpad's cooling system, fan noise, and general build quality but in some ways I'm paying more for less.
Any tips?
My T61p runs cool (especially compared with the T43) and quiet (nice little whisper fan, sort of soothing, actually), and is solid as a rock -- no flex in the screen, and no creaky plastic noises when I pick it up, unlike my brother's top-of-the-line Dell and my teenaged daughter's entry-level Compaq-HP. In fact, I think the build quality may actually have improved under Lenovo, at least comparing the T61p with my two T43s. (The IBM-era T21 is similarly solid, I should add.)
I really don't think you'll regret going with a Thinkpad. Some people have said they're the Volvos of the portable computing world, with which I concur -- not flashy, but solid, well-engineered, durable, classy and elegant. Every few weeks I run across some feature of my Thinkpad that makes me say, "Man, somebody gave that a bit of thought."
Did you scour the Net for coupons? Also, depending on your credit card, you can sometimes shave off another 5-7 percent by purchasing through the credit card's member portal. You might find some info here (which is probably VISA-USA, but might direct you).
Last edited by dhave (2008-07-16 16:00:50)

Professional Graphic Design tool

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