Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tip of the Week - Resize Multiple Photos at One Time with Photosop

Someone called recently and asked how to take a large number of photos and resize them without having to open each individual photo. Here's how:

1.    Once you have Photoshop opened, click on File > Scripts > Image Processor.
2.    In the Image Processor window, select the folder your images are in by clicking Select Folder
3.    You can save in the current folder, or choose a different folder. If you save in the current folder, it will create a new folder inside it called JPEG and put the processed images there. It will not overwrite your original images.
4.    File Type – If you are saving for the web,  JPEG is your best bet with a quality of 10. Your photos will be reduced in file size but the quality will remain good. You may want to create two different folders with two different file types (i.e. Tiff for print and JPEG for web). 
5.    If you want to resize your images, which I recommend for posting them online, select Resize to Fit and enter the dimensions you want. Note: you need to keep the aspect ratio of your images. Make sure your original images are the same dimensions (they should be if they’re from the same camera) and divide the height and width separately by the same number to keep the ratio. For example, a 2400px by 1200px image would be resized to 1200px by 600px to keep the aspect ratio. 
6.    Click Run and Photoshop will start processing your images. Wait for it to finish, then you can close it.


Try it out. You will love how it does the work for you!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Really Cool Eclipse Effect in Photoshop

Learn how to create a really cool eclipse effect with Photoshop from the Abduzeedo blog recommended by Adobe Photoshop on Facebook.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Graphic Fetish

Here's a great site I found while reading a Facebook post from UNH Printing and Mail Services. It's called Graphic Fetish and it's a great site for ideas on design, illustration ideas, tutorials, photography and more. Check it out and let me know what you think. If you are a Facebook user, you may want to "like" UNH Printing and Mail Services. They are a great resource.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Tip of the Week - Bert Monroy's Podcasts

Many of you have heard me talk about digital artist and Photoshop guru Bert Monroy. Some of you also had a chance to see him with me in Boston a few years ago. Whether you had that pleasure or not, you should check out Bert's podcast site, Pixel Perfect with Bert Monroy. It's a great way to enhance your Photoshop skills.

Here's the latest, Create a Photo Drawing in Photoshop:



You should also take a look at Bert's artwork created entirely in Photoshop using filters, shapes, etc. They are truly magical.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

An Insider's Look at InDesign!

For all you InDesign fans there is an upcoming seminar in Boston, November 4th that you shouldn't miss. I've already registered ($129). Unlike most Boston seminars, you can park right at the facility in student parking spots or take the MBTA right to the school. Here's the write-up:

Have you unlocked the full potential of Adobe InDesign? In one power-packed day, we will show you the tips, tricks and techniques you need to take on those tight deadlines. Boost your productivity with a whole new skill set that will have you working at lightning fast speeds. CS3, CS4 and CS5 users welcome.  

For more information and to register: 
http://www.mogo-media.com/seminars/the-indesign-seminar-series/2011/boston/  

Location: Bunker Hill Community College Charlestown Campus - Lecture Hall C202 250 New Rutherford Ave. Boston, Massachusetts 02129

Monday, May 9, 2011

Tip of the Week - New Website You Should Check Out

I found a new website for you Photoshop/InDesign buffs. The site is graphicdriver.   This site is unlike most sites I recommend. Most of the cool stuff comes at a cost. They do have freebies. The image to the left is one of them. You do not pay anything to become a member and the form to get started is quick and easy to fill out. What it does have is a list of templates, etc. that come at a very small price. For example, you are trying to create a brochure, but have no idea where to start. You can buy an InDesign template for around $6. Now, you are buying the template for one time only, but for that price, I consider it a great deal. The templates are complex and vary widely by design. You can also buy a vector image for a presentation - again it is a one time only deal, but a high quality vector image for $3 is still a steal. Check out their site and let me know what you think.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Scott Fegette, Senior Product Manager at Adobe Speaks

From Building 43: Listen to Scott Fegette, Senior Product Manager at Adobe (a very funny, brilliant guy I was lucky enough to hear speak while at Adobe headquarters in San Jose and at an Event Apart conference) speak about the way desktop publishing has changed since it's inception: 

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

How to Isolate and Save Vocals Using Audacity

Mike Toepfer sent me this link about removing music from vocals that I think you will find interesting. The same rules apply for removing the vocals (karaoke) and saving the music, just done in reverse. Thanks Mike!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Tip of the Week - How to Create Custom Patterns in Photoshop

I found a great site - photoshopstar I'd like to share with you. It has lots of free tutorials. I've added a link to one I think you will enjoy here, How to Create Custom Patterns in Photoshop. It takes a little work, but once you get the hang of it, you will see how you can create lots of different designs using the custom shapes in Photoshop and more. So, take a little time and see how creative you can get. Show us your results!