Getting Images tell you about the latest image trends for 2015

Here's a webcast from iStock Getty Images that I want to share with you.  It's good to be mindful of what's new out there, not because you need to get rid of 'old' styles, but more on knowing what the new trends are to engage your audience better moving forward.  As our society changes and demographic elements evolving, designers might need new focus to communicate their messages to be effective.

Make a Rotator Banner

See my previous post on Bannersnack.com.

Tool to Create a Banner

This tool is quite wonderful to use for creating simple banners of different sizes, and interactive banners to engage your audience. once you have made your banner,  you can download it or copy the embed code to use it wherever you like.

Bannersnack.com is a company that allows you to make a banner in a few steps for free. To be able to use all the premium options available, including embed (Flash & HTML5), download PNG, JPG, GIF and Flash/SWF, you need to choose a membership plan.

The tool is very easy to use, and you have so much flexibility with creating banners, rotators, and animated banners, I am sure you are going to love it just as much as I do!  The plans are very affordable too if you want to go premium, but I bet your campaign will definitely pay off for the extra you spend! The team also offers to help with advertising campaign, so that's the service you can look into too if you have a business to promote in mind. Try this out!

Do you want a QR code?

Have you ever wondered what those little squares mean when you see them in coffee shop, magazines, supermarkets, and chips packages?  Do you know that you can interact with them? I did not have a clue what they are until later.  People tell me that all I need is to scan it, and it will give me more information.

Alright- here I am finally making one for this blog!

1. Go to http://www.qreasy.com
2. Choose URL to generate one that takes your audience to a website.
3. Enter your website URL in the blank field
4. Enter a Title for this QR code
5. Then click the Download button to get a copy of the QR code, or Copy the code inside the 'Get the Code' window to embed it in other places you like.

It's that easy!

To scan codes, you first need to download a QR Reader app from your mobile device, and you are off to scan these codes you see next time you are shopping. Simply open up your app, and put your mobile device over the QR code, it will automatically scan and take you to a website for more information.

Free Icon Generator

If you want to make an icon, all you need to do is to upload your image, choose a style and voila! Your icon is created and ready for you to download! Try out!

http://www.iconj.com/iphone_style_icon_generator.php

What happen to Single Edition Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) ?

How sad that Adobe does not support the Single Edition DPS anymore.  Users can still use the Enterprise Edition DPS though.  It's just more budget you will need to negotiate with your department.

The rationale behind it:
http://indesignsecrets.com/adobe-drops-dps-se-support-creative-cloud.php

A Tip from InDesign Secrets - Bleeds in PDF configure

This is a wonderful resource if you have not heard about InDesign Secrets!  They have tutorials and tips for beginners as well as advanced users.   Below is an article I happen to dawn on today on bleeds on PDF.

http://indesignsecrets.com/right-bleed-print-pdfs.php

Excellent tutorial on ID CC DPS Workflow

If you are new to DPS, you must see this!  Martin Perhiniak is so clear and thorough in his demonstrating the complex process of developing a folio. He covers how to separate articles in dual orientation, and then build the folio using the Folio Builder panel, and proceed to the Folio Producer.

Adobe Form Central allows Attachments to your Form

While Google Forms has added the features to add image, video, progress bar and data validation to forms, I am still hoping for is file attachment capability.  I recently found another option is to use Adobe FormsCentral, an online form builder service for designing, distributing, collecting and storing of files and data all in one central place. It also has a payment processing feature. Being able to attach one or more different types of files makes tasks like RFP, interviews, research and collaboration works much easier.

There are three types of pricing:  Free (one online form up to 50 responses), Basic( five online forms up to 500 responses), and Plus (unlimited forms up to 5000 responses).

Watch this video: How to add attachments to a FormsCentral Form (Adobe TV by Donna Baker)

Additional resource: http://blogs.adobe.com/acrobat/formscentral-features/

Create More Styles in InDesign

Are you an InDesign user"  Well, here 's such a great video on creating super styles and nested styles by Jeff Witchel, certified Adobe Trainer.

InDesign's Super Styles from Jeff Witchel on Vimeo.

Google Forms data are stored in forms now - a new option

Announcement from Google - Features launching on June 11th, 2013

"Google Forms: Users now have access to a new version of Google Forms. Just as with Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can now collaborate with others in real-time. Multiple users can work on the same form simultaneously. Unlike the previous version, forms are no longer tied to a specific spreadsheet. Responses are collected and stored only in the form. If owners prefer to see the data in a spreadsheet, they can specify a destination spreadsheet for the data at any time."

Check it out further from their blog.

Google's Gmail has a new Inbox feature- check it out here

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in.html

Great blog to follow!

Oh No! Picasa Web Album is going away...

I just got redirected to the Google+ Photos when I tried to upload my new photo album of my trip to Picasa Web. Ah!! Google has a plan to retire Picasa and is auto syncing my past photo albums to Google+. Another change... some concerns have been expressed with people wanting to have an album for an organized group, which will not be possible anymore. Are you in that category? Read the two links below for more info: 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57572553-93/google-now-redirects-picasa-web-albums-to-google-photos/ 

http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/05/picasa-web-albums-are-officially-dead-now-redirect-to-google-photos/

WuFoo Online form with Payment Features

Here's a site I want to share with you to create an online interactive form - www.Wufoo.com. The interface allows you to design a form with text fields, paragraph fields, checkboxes, multiple choices, drop list, conditionals and even incorporating online payments. Free accounts are available for users with minimal needs for users, fields, and entries. You can always upgrade your subscription to get more storage, more users, unlimited forms, unlimited reports and entries.

iBooks Author update

If you have not been interested in the early version of iBooks Author, the latest version might lure you to take a second look at it.

There are newly-added Apple templates in the categories of crafts, cooking, photography and biographies. The new portrait-only templates, which are fixed width, allow navigation, table of content, and interaction as should be available to a landscape book in landscape orientation.

On top of the existing widgets where users can include photo galleries, interactive quizzes, 3D objects, keynote presentations, and movies, there are two new widgets for improved interactivity - Scrolling Sidebar and Pop-Over. Besides those, users can embed custom fonts and have better support for mathematical expressions using LaTeX and MathML notation now. Media are automatically optimized when embedded, and iBooks Author now supports all media and audio formats supported by Quicktime.

One can always preview your book on your iPad anytime, or submit published work to Apple Bookstore after an improved workflow of automatic sample book creation and pre-publish checking.

Adobe InDesign Tutorial on 'Liquid Layout'

Here is a very nice video on InDesign CS6 by Anne-Marie Concepcion on 'Working with Liquid Layout'. Enjoy!



Resource: Adobe TV

PS Clipping Mask basics

Here's a great tutorial by Eric Renno who has his own blog TipSquirrel.com.  He was a finalist in The Next Adobe Photoshop Evangelist and Deke’s Techniques Photoshop Challenge. 

How to OCR a PDF to Editable Text on Mac

Mac users needing to edit text from a scanned PDF, you will need to use a OCR converter.  Here's a suggested one for free download. (Source from www.alifesoft.com)

Free Mac PDF Converter Pro:
How to OCR a PDF to Editable Text on Mac

Great Video Intro to InDesign CS6 Liquid Layout

Here's a great video on InDesign CS6 Liquid layout from Adobe TV.  It's such a learning place for tutorials and resources.  Check out the subsequent set of videos on the same topic.



Link to this episode: http://adobe.ly/Jo3aGi

InDesign CS 6 new features from the expert

Here's another great tutorial on InDesign CS6 new features by Terry White, Engineer from Adobe.  He's specialized in Photoshop and InDesign.