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Using a Template to Design Your Website

May 12, 2011 By

Designing a website for your business is a very important task. In many instances it is the first point of reference a potential customer has with your company. A website needs to be appealing and user friendly. It also needs to provide any potential customers with all the information they need to make a choice about using you and your company’s services.

A lot of businesses spend a lot of money hiring website developers to design a fancy looking website. This is all well and good if your business has the kind of money it requires to hire such services. If you are designing your business website on a budget, then perhaps a website template design may be of use to you.

A website template is a pre-designed skeleton website. A template can be very basic or they can incorporate many different design elements of a website including flash. Many companies provide economical choices for templates, and also offer a wide range of styles. After purchasing a template you then tweak it to your businesses customizations and within a few hours of purchase your website can be up and running.

A website template has many benefits. As the designing is already done, a lot of the stress is taken out of the process for you. You don’t have to spend hours with a designer agonizing over minute design details. Templates are also more economical than custom website designs, and in these tough economic times that is a big bonus. The downside is that it is fairly fixed. You probably won’t be able to customize it if you change your mind in the future.

 

 

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Graphic Artist With Muscular Dystrophy Does Well in Oklahoma

February 8, 2011 By
Oklahoma City

Image via Wikipedia

At the tender age of 21, when most people are looking into their futures, Oklahoma artist Tammy Brummell was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy; a muscle deteriorating disease that will someday stop her. But, luckily, she has a form of the disease that develops slowly, and she’s used the time she has well.
The graphic designer’s passion for art hasn’t diminished in the slightest way, in fact, she’s joining other celebrated artists for a showing at the well-regarded Istvan Gallery in Oklahoma City. She shares the showing with other esteemed artists; Nathan Lee, Clint Stone, Carlos Tello and Enrique Cordova. The gallery will open the show Friday, February 11 and continue showing the works until March 30.
Owner of Istvan Gallery, Stephen Kovash, says that viewing her work, nobody would ever guess that she suffers from such a debilitating disease. Each piece she produces is not just a labor of love, but one of pain, too.
Deconstruction of Photographs Helps Graphic Artist

Brummell takes pictures all the time, and then combines the photography with graphic design elements that create layered works. She loves vintage designs, vibrant colors and often employs fabrics and wallpapers in her art. She reconstructs photos, and then deconstructs them until she gets something that makes her happy.
Brummell stays positive, even while tied to her wheelchair for the last seven years. The visual arts community around her has given her recognition as an artist and the more she does, the more she wants to do. It gives her a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep working. She finds others’ comments on her work moving and it encourages her along the way.
Brummell has participated and won awards by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition in their annual “12×12” art show and another show called, “Girlie Show,” that showcases female artists, and also the OK City-based American Choral Directors Association. They send her articles and she researches the information to create a design especially for them, and she’s created posters for several local bands. She’ll continue to work as long as her health allows her.
Filed Under: Computers, Design Tagged With: , ,

Award-Winning Graphic Design Program Turns out Pros

February 3, 2011 By
Graphic design has been a popular occupation for decades, and some colleges have unique, talent-driven courses to set students on their career path. One such college is Fort Hays University in Hays, Kansas.
Student Cory Befort dreamed of working for Nike when he was a kid. He knew he wanted to support athletes, but he didn’t know how, until high school, when he decided that graphic design was one avenue to get him there. After graduation from Hays High School he entered the graphic design program at the University and his dreams began coming to fruition.
Professors Chaiwat Thumsujarit and Karrie Simpson Voth run the department, which has won many awards and scholarships. Achievements from portfolio review awards to job offers and internships have been business as usual for the department.  Many of the University’s students are snatched up by Chicago design firm, Leo Burnett.
Award-Winning Graphic Design Program Turns Out Specialists

Thumsujarit feels it’s important for the students to work their way through the program, making their investment in education worthwhile. He also feels it’s his responsibility to make each student employable when they leave.
Befort has already been approached by several firms, including offers from the Houston Astros, who want him to do video production work, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have asked him to complete his internship with them. He doesn’t graduate until May of this year, so he’s getting pretty well set for his future.
Thumsujarit has been teaching at the University for 26 years, and Simpson Voth adds another 12 years to their experience. They believe their program has the best in up-to-date tools and teaching, and their studio goes around the clock. Students can be found there any time of day or night, and any day of the week.
Serge Grigoryan started at a local community college, but when he learned about the award-winning program at the University, he transferred. He says what sets this department apart from other colleges is the dedication of the staff and students.
For students like Befort and Grigoryan, this major is a lifestyle, not just a class.
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Corel DRAW Premium Suite: Overview and features

January 29, 2011 By

Corel DRAW Premium Suite is a powerful and versatile graphic design package that features tools for website creation, video and photo editing, flash animation, vector illustration, page layout, web graphics, and tracing.

The Corel DRAW Premium Suite contains:

  • Corel DRAW X5 – an intuitive software application for vector illustration and page layout
  • Corel PowerTRACE X5 – converts bitmap images into high-quality vector objects with tools for precision and smoothness.
  • Corel PHOTO-PAINT X5 – a professional photo editing application designed to give great artistic control and flexibility
  • Corel CAPTURE X5 – has utilities to capture screen details with one-click
  • Corel CONNECT – helps you locate files, templates, and images on your computer or websites with a built in content finder
  • Corel Website Creator X5 – software that allows DIY website creation with the use of templates and SiteStyles.
  • Corel VideoStudio Pro X3 – software with high speed video editing tools for web and disc
  • SWiSH Max3 – software with powerful flash animation and built-in multimedia effects
  • WinZip 14.5 Pro – software utility that compresses, encrypts, and backups files
  • CorelDRAW® ConceptShare – includes tools for online interactive collaboration

The features of this suite include:

Content connection

  • Built in content finder makes finding the perfect content for any design quick and easy
  • File compatibility and PDF support
  • Customizable workspace
  • New and enhanced digital content

Design and Illustration

  • Conversion of bitmap images into high quality vector images
  • Enhanced artistic media and drawing tools
  • Photo editing tools with photo effects

Color

  • Color profile maintenance
  • Color management engine
  • Hex color support

Create & Edit

  • Website creation application and tools
  • Web graphics and design support
  • Flash animation application and tools
  • Studio quality effects and professionally designed templates for video creation

File Management

  • File protection
  • Data backup
  • File compression
  • Data encryption
  • Simplistic file add and extract features
Filed Under: Design Tagged With: ,

Adobe Creative Suite 5: Web premium features and overview

January 27, 2011 By

Adobe Creative Suite 5 Web Premium is a comprehensive software solution package for producing and designing standard-based websites and digital experiences.

The web premium package contains:

Adobe PhotoShop Extended

Photoshop is the ultimate solution for advanced digital imaging by delivering editing and compositing capabilities. It is ideal for designing websites and web elements, retouching photos, and editing of images.

Features include:

  • 3D editing and innovation
  • Workflow productivity boost
  • Precision tools for design and image analysis
  • Editing, drawing, animation, and other design tools for maximized creative impacts

Adobe Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver software allows users to test browser compatibility, build standards-based websites, develop pages using content management systems, and design visually or directly in code.

Features include:

  • CMS support integration
  • Industry-leading web authoring tools
  • Creative Suite application integration
  • Comprehensive CSS support
  • FLV content integration
  • Support for web technologies including HTML

    • 

Adobe Flash

Flash is the industry standard for delivery of immersive experiences and interactive authoring. The application provides the platform to create and deliver compelling content, video, and applications across computers and other mobile devices.

Features include:

  • Creative Suite application integration
  • ActionScript editor
  • Object-based animation tools
  • Advanced drawing tools
  • Text layout framework
  • Source control systems
  • Prebuilt code injection
  • Advanced and improved motion, effects, and video capabilities

    • 

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator allows professions to create distinctive vector artwork with precise and powerful applications that provide superior drawing tools, expressive natural brushes, time-savers, and integration with Adobe CS Live. It is ideal for the design of logos, brochures, and posters.

Features include:

  • Superior vector drawing tools
  • Advanced character styles
  • Gradient and transparency tools
  • Control and scale brush stroke options
  • Appearance editing
  • Perspective draw and draw enhancement

The latest version of Adobe CS builds upon previous advances and threw in even more features. The reviews show that there is nothing else on the market like Adobe Creative Suite and comes highly recommended for designers.

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: ,

Design Software: Information, providers, and features

January 22, 2011 By

Graphic design software applications require certain tools in order to create, edit, layout, and manage 2 dimensional computer graphics such as clip art, logos, digital photos, and other types of digital imagery. The graphics industry sets the standards for protocols and acceptable formats which software applications must provide. These tools include retouching, photo editing, vector illustration, and page layout.

Graphic Types

Modern software design has two main graphic types; bitmap and vector. Bitmap is a basic image fabricated of a string of pixels in a grid which are confined in a space by the pixel resolution. Vectors are created using points and lines that are infinitely resolved with no loss of quality.

The most cutting edge and widely known illustration software suites blend the functional elements of bitmap and vectors together. They are designed for painting, drawing, creating, and coloring original graphic designs with tools that mimic artistic media including watercolors, oils, pencils, and acrylics.

The leading software applications on the market include:

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Corel PaintShop
  • Print Artist Platinum
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Serif DrawPlus Graphics
  • SmartDraw

When looking for a graphic design software application, consider these features:

  • Use and compatibility

The design software should be easy to use, adaptable, and work with other applications and file types.

  • Features

The design software features should include tools that allow the user to design, create, and experiment on design illustrations.  They will also include a mixture of bitmap and vector capabilities, drawing and command capabilities, feathering, and shading elements.

  • Editing

Photo editing software components enables the user to import image files to manipulate in a variety of ways including retouching, filtering, mixing, layering, scaling, and much more.

  • Layout

Page layout is the design process of placing, arranging, and styling content elements such as text and graphics on a page. A good design software will have these elements and more.

  • Illustration

Design software should include vector illustrations which are drawing features such as brushes, text effects, graphing, pen tools, 3D effects, and tracing.

  • Support

Design software applications are multi-faceted and complex to use which require developer support during setup, times of emergency, and during the application learning process. An excellent design application will have 24/7 help and customer support access for its users.

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: ,

Fun with Internet Odds-Making

January 21, 2011 By

Sometimes people think gambling is always a losing proposition, but in reality, it’s often a much closer match than it initially appears. And while some games stack the deck in favor of the house, others can be learned with such depth and comprehension that the odds turn dramatically in your favor.

One case in point would be playing blackjack, where there are many instances of people upping their odds so substantially by being able to predict whether a high or low card is coming out next, that they win most of the time. And that’s as good as it gets in the online casino games world, where the ratio of winning to losing can be much closer to 1:1. You win some, you lose some. Gaining the upper hand by using a system is challenging and forbidden, so leave your efforts to come up with 21 behind and scoot over to the virtual poker games table.

By trying to match up anything from a pair to a royal flush–five cards in a row of the same suit–you can do pretty well in Texas Hold ‘em style poker. That’s because unlike other games, you’re given 7 total cards, which ups your probability of getting some reasonable hand or other. The rest is up to your betting skill to pull off, by either pretending you’ve got more or less than you’ve actually got! Skill in this arena can lead to some pretty sizable winning hands.

For those less interested in trying to craftily beat the odds, try some good old fashioned luck. Play some roulette, but play it smart. Here is a game where selection of the wheel is important. Two wheel types exist, and one removes a “neutral” (or more correctly, “house wins”) color tab from the two colored wheel, leaving only one space above fifty-fifty in the house’s favor. By betting on colors rather than numbers, odds increase, even if the payout decreases.

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