texts: What are some techniques for designing realistic-looking planets and moons?

texts:
I have had this problem for years now. I know what I want for my fictional planet or moon, and yet when it comes to creating an image of it, I continue to fail.

How can I break down the task of creating a realistic-looking planet or moon?

Assume I don't have any kind of artistic talent at all, so I need this task to be broken down into steps.

What I'm looking for in an answer:

Break the task down into steps.
Provide tips and strategies for executing its design
Answers should demonstrate some experience designing planets or moon or other environmental or astronomical art
Please be detailed

The problems I continue to have:

Sometimes I think it's too colorful, but then I reference real-life moons with even more color, so I know that color is not my problem
Sometimes I have a pretty good map for my world, but it looks flat because I haven't added surface detail
I have problems making realistic-looking craters, valleys, mountains, and just topology in general
I've tried using different filters in Photoshop and GIMP; I've tried using lighting and shadow effects to make realistic-looking gashes or scratches in a moon's surface; I've tried using the blur tool or smudge tool to make a realistic-looking gas giant; I've tried using layers upon layers to make the features look like they have history; etc. Nothing I do seems to get the job done right, though.

For example, below I have a map for my moon (click to enlarge):

And here is a bump map that shows the detail of the moon (click to enlarge):

But here is the final appearance (click to enlarge):


texts: How to recreate typography in Old Bollywood posters?

texts: Can someone help me to create text in Photoshop that is similar to the sort of text that is in this old Bollywood movie's poster. It looks like text in the gap between the arcs of a hyperbola. Also how to achieve the gradient in the text?


texts: learning how to create a label for a bottle of vodka

texts: What would be the best dimensions and I guess overall way to go about my task? Currently using gimp. Do you recommend any websites I should check out. By the way I am very new at this but learning quick.


texts: Performing an action on many multi-page pdf files on Photoshop

texts: I need to to perform an action on many multi-page pdf files in Photoshop. However, using the image processor in the scripts submenu performs that action on only the first pages of the pdf files. Is there an easy way to do it? Or do I have to convert all the multi-page pdf files to jpg images then perform the action on them? Thanks.


texts:
A client has approached me with a PDF and would like me to find him a price on the print, to beat his previous printers cost.

Can I legally do this? Just forward another PDF on?

I'm a bit anxious and wouldn't want to upset anyone!


texts: I want to create the following transform by transforming the BLACK layer of the attached gif. I know how to transform the white part (that's how I created the gif). Is this possible? In my production version, the white part is actually an image of the moon which I want to progressively hide, simulating the phases of the moon. The reason I can't transform the white part is that it distorts the image of the moon. The other 3/4ths of the cycle I have figured out, but this one has me stumped.


texts: How to create an alpha mask from an image?

texts:
I want to create an image which I can use as a texture in OpenGL. The image is a jpg that comes in red.

In my OpenGL I want to be able to change the red color to any other color the user selects, for this i thought the best solution was just to discard the rgb channels from the original image and only use the alpha channel of the texture, and the rgb the user selected.

The problem is that even thought I have tried for quite some time, this only seems to work for the edges of the image, not the inner part of the image.

This is the example image:

As it can be seen, there are parts that are in pure red, others that are mixed with white, and complete white parts. I need to have "a png alpha image" in where white represents transparent. This means that complete red will have an alpha of 1.0, complete white an alpha of 0.0 and anything in between an alpha between 0.0-1.0.

In OpenGL I have access to the r,g,b,a channels of the texture. So if anyone has another solution that doesn't use alpha that would help too.

Thanks


texts: Illustrator shape doesn't fill along path

texts: When looking very closely at my shapes, the fill is not following the paths I have defined. I have attached a screen shot where you see the blue does not go all the way to the red path. I have never seen this issue before.


texts: Print a document with three pages per spread

texts:
I am trying to configure a fairly complex document in InDesign. A document would need to have 3 pages per spread, should start from a first single page, and spine should be attached to its left edge.

Then, it should have following three pages 2, 3, and 4 in one spread. The spine should be between 2nd and 3rd page, whereas pages 3 and 4 should be folded. It is like one side from a spine should have two pages folded.

This is what I am thinking about:

      ║ 1
    2 ║ 3 | 4
5 | 6 ║ 7
    8 ║ 9 | 10

The character ║ means a spine between pages whereas | means two pages are folded.

I have managed to set three pages per spread:

but whenever I export the document or print it, I always get a standard 2 face structure. The pages are printed in a normal configuration:

   ║ 1
 2 ║ 3
 4 ║ 5
 6 ║ 8
 8 ║ 9
10 ║ 11

How to achieve it?

Thanks


texts: Adobe Fireworks CS6 maximum image dimension

texts:
I am using Adobe Fireworks CS6, and the maximum width I can set of my image is 5900 pixels.

Attempting to resize it larger than this results in no action.

The PC I am on is high-spec.

Does Fireworks have a built-in maximum image size?

I think I will try Illustrator to get the image up to the required 10000px width.


texts:
I am delivering design specifications for an iOS iPhone app, and experience lots of measurement inconsistencies between my project PSD file (which is specified in pixels) and the conversion of it to iOS points. My PSD file is 640x960px @72 ppi. What would be the equivalent size in iOS pt for a 26px text paragraph?

Thanks,
Alex


texts: What is the difference between brushes and "MyPaint brushes" windows?

texts:
Why are there two brushes windows, one called "My paint brushes" and the other "brushes".

I'm wondering, how one effect the other when I'm using the brush tool?

Thanks


texts: Professional approach to design billing block in Photoshop

texts:
In this video, Adobe expert Deke McClelland talks about designing Billing Blocks for film posters with the use of Warichu settings in Adobe Illustrator. It works well but sometimes there are issues like this:

Do professional movie poster designers follow this method?
How to design billing block in Adobe Photoshop without copying from Illustrator?


texts: Illustrator: wrap a rounded rectangle around a point

texts:
I am wondering how to achieve this effect:

Basically what I'm trying to do is create rounded rectangles and wrap them around a center point.

I have tried to create rounded rectangles and apply a warp effect, but I had no success.

Is there a corresponding distort effect?


texts: Convert end anchor point to a two beizer handle point

texts:
In Illustrator it's easy to convert a 2 bezier handle anchor point into a end point (containing no handles) with the anchor point tool - as I did in my attached image:

Is it possible to convert that end point (containing no beizer handles) back to a 2 beizer handle point (like it was to start with)?


texts: What's the name of the random geometric avatars some blogs use?

texts:
We usually see this kind of avatars in math forums! But I don't know what they are called.

What is the name of such art?

Also, is there any tool for generating these random shapes?


texts: Saving a file made in PS with .ico extension makes it useless

texts: I tried designing a small 32px x 32px pixel file in Photoshop CS6 to make a favicon for my website. But saving it as an .ico file makes it an unprocessable image and could not be used. But when I designed the same using paint and saved it as an .ico file there in paint, the image worked. Can I know why? Thanks in advance.


texts: Why is the media query pixel half the spec pixel value?

texts:
I have an iphone 6 which has a pixel width of 750px according to:

https://support.apple.com/kb/sp705?locale=en_US

However when working with media queries in an RWD debugger the width is 375px which is half the spec.

Can I assume for some reason that the browser uses 2px to make 1px.  Why is this so?


texts: What is the usage of an underline, an overline, or both, around small word such as "the" and "and" called?

texts:
You see this often in a store sign, headings in menus, and so on, but small words such as "the" or "and" in a all-caps heading sometimes appear with an underline, an overline, or both, with the affected words set with a smaller font, and the lines filling the space otherwise taken by those words.

What are these called?  What are the design principles that give rise to such a design?

(I know I should provide an image, but I was unable to come up with effective search words.)


texts:
Can I use a font available in Microsoft packages for my company logo?

Do I need to additionally pay for it or is it just free to use?


texts: Where is the Live Trace function in Adobe Illustrator CC?

texts:
I want to change the color of this MailChimp logo (png file) in Adobe Illustrator CC. I've looked in Adobe Forums and Youtube, all mentioned Live Trace, but I don't have that option in Object on the nav bar. So I have two questions...

Is Live Trace removed in Adobe Illustrator CC?
How can I change the colors of this logo?

Please help! Thank you.


texts:
Does anyone know the DPI for the stochastic screening?

We got a new Heidelberg CTP Suprasetter and we're just testing... and the results are amazing... but the resolution that we're working on are not good enough for that quality. We're using 300 DPI for smaller sizes (40x40cm-20x20cm) and 220 DPI for (60x40cm - 50x70cm).

Testing 300 DPI seems acceptable but we believe that we can use more resolution to get better results.

Does anyone know the correct DPI resolution for it?


texts: How do I work with an image in Illustrator and save it back as an image?

texts:
A workflow I frequently encounter is this: I need to take a JPG or PNG image, annotate it with some line art, and save it back as an image.

Photoshop is obviously ideal for this, all things being equal, since PS relates to the object as an image.

However, what I want to annotate is very Illustrator-y. I want to use Illustrator in all the ways I'm already familiar with, such as spline curves, assets already in Illustrator, etc.  But then, I want to save it back out as a JPG or PNG (PNG is fine), with all the art rasterized at native image resolution.  So if I come in with a 3000x4000 PNG@ 300DPI, I want it to save as a 3000x4000 PNG @ 300 DPI.

So, I want to either open or place an image in Illustrator, add my Illustrator bits and then save or export an image with the same parameters as the placed image, but with the Illustrator art rasterized onto it.


texts:
Can anyone please point me in the direction of a good mockup PSD of an A5 double gatefold mockup please?

But one where the gatefolds are half the width of an A5 page or at least a mockup where I could adjust the size of the gatefold perhaps?

I am struggling to find anything for my requirements. I have a number of mockups but my gatefolds are smaller in width than the ones I have downloaded. Similar to how hardback book covers have gatefolds to wrap the cover around the book and they tend to be smaller in width by about half than a normal gatefold. Hope this make sense.

Edit*****************

I have been doing a piece of coursework where I have created a cover sleeve for a brochure that has gatefolds so it wraps around the A5 booklet.

The problem is I created the gatefolds of a smaller width than I think most templates come like from perhaps a printers for example. I did create this in Indesign and not Photoshop.

I just wanted to use one of the Free PSD Mockups you can find of an A5 brochure and display a mockup in my presentation. But I have struggle to find a A5 double gatefold mockup and the one I have found has gatefolds that are only slightly smaller than the width of A5 (which is the norm). So, that they obviously fold in the book when it shuts. They do not demonstrate my book that well.

In future, I would have researched this better when creating my design.

I wondered if such a mockup exists that I could adjust the gatefold width. As I have no experience in creating my own PSD mockups and I am running out of time.


texts: How to transform an image into an "Emmys" type of logo?

texts:
I'm trying to create a logo for our medical students NGO in Sofia, Bulgaria, so I want to transform this image of Saint Sofia

into an Emmys-Award-type of logo, like this (either gold as well, or light-blue)

Can I do this in Photoshop? I have Photoshop CC 2015, or do I need Illustrator?

Thanks in advance!

Btw, if you're interested my idea for the final logo is to have the statue-logo and the caduceus (medical symbol) next to her, in the same style:

On one side of the caduceus to say "EMSA-Sofia" (how our NGO is known in Europe) and on the other "AMSB-Sofia" (how it's known in the international federation).
Any feedback would be appreciated!


texts: Charging an Intellectual Property transfer fee for design work

texts:
So, you've finished a design job (eg. a logo design) and the client asks for your IP surrounding the logo, eg copyright, original artwork files, notes, sketches, all of that stuff that went into creating the finished piece. Do you charge for this transfer? If so, how do you calculate your fee (eg. XX% of the value of the project, or perhaps a flat fee of $XXX)

Do you also hand over just the work that went into creating that finished concept, or do you hand over all of your alternate concept designs and ideas as well?

Edit: IP = Intellectual Property as defined here: http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/understanding-intellectual-property/ip-for-designers/


texts: Printing Google Fonts on Paper for clients to view / choose

texts:
I would like to print out 100-150 assorted fonts from Google Fonts on nice paper for clients to be able choose from, for website builds.

Is there a recommended way to do this?
I'm wondering if there's already a PDF or if it's easier to print all of them, that's fine too. I just have not found a good example of all (or many) of the Google Fonts in a printable layout that I can show to clients.


texts: I'm using GIMP2 to crop product photos, then I have to resize them to 690x690, then export them in .png and .jpg to PNG and JPG folders. It's so repetetive, I  tried BATCH but every image is diferent so it doesn't help.


texts:
I'm trying to make the images on my website smaller in their px dimensions, but I'm having issues with quality loss when I resize them in Photoshop (I first tried “Bicubic Sharper,” then all other resampling options, but they all came out blurry).
When I let the browser do the scaling (by stating the smaller width in my CSS), they come out perfectly sharp. How can that happen? I would like to reduce my original images though. How can I make them smaller without quality loss? (I have Photoshop and Illustrator, both CC 2015)
EDIT I:
The image has transparency in it, so I can't save it as a JPEG.
The Bicubic Sharpener didn't help.
Here are the pictures:
This one is a screenshot of the original image scaled by the browser/CSS:

This one is a screenshot of the smaller image (showing at 100% in the browser):

This is the original image (not a screenshot):

Here is the image resized in Photoshop with Bicubic Sharpener (as shown in the second screenshot):

Edit II:
Thanks for your replies! I'm looking at it from my laptop, which has a touchscreen, but I don't think it compares to iPhone displays... (The specs say 16:9 IPS FHD (1920x1080) if that helps.) However, I would like it to look good on iPhones since I'm trying to make the website responsive.
That's what lead me to the problem in the first place. I'm using Bootstrap, and responsive images are automatically displayed at 100% for the largest possible screen size, but I want them to be smaller than that (63%). I thought making them smaller would be a good idea anyway as a smaller file size seems like a good idea as well.
I'm sorry if my picture explanations were confusing, that's probably because I am confused... I'll try to explain it better:
Both the 2nd and the 4th picture show the same smaller picture, with the 2nd one showing it on the website.
The 4th (which also looks bad to me) is shown at 100% width in the browser.
The 1st picture shows the 3rd picture (original size) scaled to 63% in the browser. At least that was what I intended.
@AndrewH Your explanation sounds right to me except that I wasn't trying to scale it larger (at least not on purpose). The 2nd image (screenshot) is just shown on top of the website background, so it has a different width that includes that background. Or what am I missing?


texts: Photoshop doesn't save composite previews

texts:
First: I have Photoshop CS3 running on Mac OS 10.7.2. (This also occurred in 10.6.8.)

In Photoshop preferences, I have every preview-saving option enables in File Handling, yet Quick Looking a file it saves always gives me a "This layered Photoshop file was not saved with a composite image."

Why isn't this working, and what can I do to fix it?


texts:
I have a folder full of SVG files that represent each character of the keyboard. They were created using Processing.

I want to create a TTF font from these Svg's. Here is the repo hosting the SVG.
https://github.com/aswinmohanme/Plexta-FreeFont/tree/master/svg

The SVG's are directly rendered from inside processing. But I cannot important them into FontForge or BirdFont.

FontForge hangs and BirdFont rendered a black Box.

Could someone show how to import them correctly , into either of the given programs. I also have inkscape installed.

Cheers

P.S Comment if you need any more information.


texts: Correcting colors for logos on Business cards

texts:
I am designing business cards in Illustrator, however my printers use Corel Draw and some of the logos do not show up on their side. They mention 'overprinting', but I do not know what that means.

They also say that the cards have a combination of RGB, CMYK and Pantone, how do I change all the colors to CMYK?

From the printer.....


texts: Creating Black & White Transparent PNG's

texts: I'm trying to strip all background colour (white in my instance) from an image in order to save out as a transparent PNG so we can upload the images to a webpage with a changing background colour. The desired effect can be seen here - http://thegentlewoman.co.uk/library, if you save image to desktop / open in PS you can see there is no background colour. Any ideas?


texts: Does a gaussian blur applied in illustrator stay vector?

texts: Curious if this is appropriate for resizing, alpha transparency, etc.


texts: Can I have the equivalent of a Ps 'smart object' in Ai which I can keep updating in Ps?

texts:
I've scanned in some maps, and I'm regularly adding little touches here and there to each map in Photoshop. Each map has a few Ps layers and is not vector.

For all the annotations, I'm using Illustrator, because it's better for the job with its typography tools.

In Ps, I can drag some graphics/layers in from Ai and it becomes a single 'vector smart object' so whenever I want to edit that graphic, it opens in Ai and updates in Ps when I save.

How do I have the equivalent of this in Illustrator? I have a multilayered graphic which I want to keep opening and editing in Ps but still keep at the exact same size and position in the Ai document (to keep the annotations accurate)?


texts:
I made a booklet in InDesign with a couple of illustrator images. When I do Print Booklet and use Press Quality I get odd borders around the images:

I think it has to do with transparency flattening but how do I get rid of it?


texts: how to change the chapter number in InDesign CS6

texts:
I have purchased an InDesign template, complete with text, headings, and chapter numbers.

I have deleted chapters 2 - 8, and now I want to rename the text Chapter IX to Chapter II, but the text is not editable - it looks like it is a predefined section. I cannot select it using the 2 cursor tools either.

How do I change the chapter number? Thanks.


texts: How can I replicate GTA V "Los Santos" Font/Text in Photoshop?

texts:
Click image for full size

I think it has a little gradient, gray line inside, and white outside, main color is light gray, font is SignPainter. Please help me out, I've been trying to figure it out how to make it exactly how it is.


texts: What do you call this image effect and how is it achieved?

texts:
I've been trying to describe this effect on google and got no useful results. Seems like its a mix between a tint via the overlay and the offset?

Here is another example, but the effect seems less pronounced.


texts: Any automated system to compute the linear length of a letter(s) in a word or phrase?

texts: I may be way out of league asking this question but is there a way to get the linear length of a letter or words.  That is,  if you were to take the word "super" and measured the outside border of the letters you'd get a measurement.  Is there something out there that would tell me this measurement if I give the font and the font size?  I'm a rookie here so be gentle.  thanks in advance.


texts: How do I get rid of this pointy corner in Illustrator?

texts: I'm trying to join three an eclipse and two lines together to make this text bubble, but I don't know how to turn the over-extended corner into a perfect corner, if that makes sense. I know that if I lower my limit, it will get rid of the point, but it won't then auto-connect the corner into a perfect corner. The bottom right corner joined perfectly, but the bottom left one didn't. Any suggestions?


texts: Automate lines creation inside rectangles

texts:
I am using Illustrator in order to create rectangle shapes. I am willing to insert rows inside each rectangle. Each rectangle suppose to have different number of rows. What would be the best approach to attack it?
(I am creating seating charts and want to draw the rows)


texts: How to horizontally centre align image frame with of text frame in Adobe Muse for responsive design

texts:
I currently have an image and text both horizontally centre aligned, and I have set both to be responsive.
When I change the width of the browser the text pushes down, but the image is still top aligned. Is there a way to horizontal centre pin the image to the text so that the image moves as the text pushes down?

Original:

Shrink width:

Ideal:


texts: Work and Clipping Paths in Photoshop to InDesign

texts: I am trying to export a clean mask of an image I created in photoshop to indesign. Whenever I utilize the work path, the wp does not adhere to the selections I've made, but rather creates jagged nasty looking edges instead. Is there a way to change the work path specifications (tolerance set at 0.5), or some other way to transfer the masked out of photoshop?


texts:
I'm working on a project where I'd like to be able to move an layer on a canvas, but have that layer wrap around to the other side if it goes off the edge of the canvas.

So if I had this originally:

Then moved the circle to the right, it would end up like this:

Is there an easy way for me to do this in gimp, or will I have to split it and rearrange it manually?


texts: Automatically joining multiple line segments in Illustrator

texts:
I have pst-solides3d generated an ellipse. For some reason, the ellipse does not appear to be a single path in Illustrator, but rather multiple disjoint line segments. See below. I have exaggerated the stroke to show the disjointedness.

However, these line segments are perfectly aligned. If I choose two vertices I am able to join them. But considering the huge number of line segments, manually joining all segments is definitely not a good idea.

I'm wondering: is there a way to automatically join multiple line segments one by one?


texts: What is Registration in swatches and what's the use of it?

texts:
I tried to understand it on this article but couldn't understand it. I'm observing this for couple of years but never really thought about it much.
Also, sometimes when I'm working on something using gradient, colors for gradient stops turns black and white no matter which color I choose. So one day, I accidently clicked on this Registration mark, it filled black to my shape (why?) and again filled gradient colors and it was no more black and white. I really don't understand what trick it did.

So what is it and where can we use it? I have never intended to use it or felt the need. How useful/common is it among designers?

For me, the question claiming to be duplicate, isn't. The question answers there don't specifically focus on explaining what the registration mark is. Also, there's another doubt which I've already added in my details. I'm not familiar with InDesign, that may also be reason I'm not able to perceive those answers properly.


texts: I'd like to separate this raster image into 4 individual pieces. Any tips on how to do this?


texts:
I have two pictures of irregular shape with transparent background and a background image.

How can I join these two pictures to make them fade with each other, but not with the background image?


texts: How do I transform images to specific image dimensions without distortion?

texts: I need to resize images to given width/length, but when I do this in photoshop my images come out warped looking. What should I do?


texts: How to make Indesign tables of contents interactive, with clickable jump links in the exported PDF

texts: I couldn't find any simple resource saying how to make Adobe Indesign tables of contents interactive, so that each item in the electronic version of the exported PDF is a live hyperlink / cross reference that jumps straight to the appropriate page.


texts: How can I remove an existing Gradient Mesh from an object in Adobe Illustrator?

texts:
I just messed up using the Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator.

I want to start a brand new Gradient Mesh on the object I messed up on and don't want to delete the original shape.

How can I remove the existing Gradient Mesh so that I can start a new one from scratch?


texts: Can you subtract a fill shape from a path?

texts:
There are plenty of questions about subtracting a path from a shape with a fill, but I want to know if the opposite is possible. Here is an example:

This is the object I'm working with, and I want to subtract the red shape from the three strokes so that the anchor points are along the edge of the inner circle:

And this is what I want the paths to look like afterwards:

Is this possible? How would it be done?


texts: Generate thumbnails from a folder of images

texts:
I have a folder on my computer with some images inside it.

For each image I would like to create a smaller thumbnail of the image with a specific width and height.

I recently downloaded Microsoft expression design. Is it possible to use expression design to generate thumbnails for a folder of images, if so how, or must I use a different program, if so which one and how?


texts: Best way to email huge .ai file (2GB) for printing?

texts:
I have 2 large artwork files about 2GB each that I need to email to a factory for professional production & printing. Each file was created in Adobe Illustrator with a mix of photos and vector images layered into the art.

I have saved as PDF which is just as heavy. It was recommended by my local printer to export as a jpeg but I am concerned that this will greatly reduce the quality.

The final product will be poster size. And I can not do multiple samples with the overseas factory for quality testing as each sample fee is $200. Thoughts?

Thank you!


texts: Critique: What UI colors to use in an image-based design?

texts:
I'm working on an app who's UI is mainly driven by images. The only non-image UI element is the navigation bar at the top and I'm struggling to find a good color palette for this. As you can see in the image below I've currently settled on a light salmon color for the navbar background, with a contrasting dark blue for the buttons.

It still feels a bit bland to me. Since the navbar background is going to be the main color users will recognize the app by, it want it to be memorable, but of course it shouldn't distract from the content. Also the contrast between the active and inactive buttons is a bit vague, as is the contrast between the inactive buttons and the navbar background. I've tried a light grey color for the inactive buttons, but that clashes with both the salmon color and the dark blue of the active button.

In general I feel the color palette could use a revision, but I can't seem to find a good base color for the navbar background. Does anyone have any suggestions for this? Or advice on how to best approach this?

Thanks


texts: Any books on actual how-to of logo design?

texts:
I have been stacking up on books for logo design and scouting dribbble fairly intensely.

I read (and loved) David Airey's book Logo Design Love, but what I am really looking for at this stage is a book that in lays down the principles for minimal logo design covered in this mini course.

Any recommendations?

edit: I have been studying illustration and creative drawing, but in the course, you can see that shapes are used to create space/negative space, and learning the mechanics of that technique is what I'm looking for from a book.

edit 2: Reading some of the comments/reviews from this thread as well as of the Mini course's review thread, what I'm looking for insight specifically on is logo gridding. Apologies for not being clearer sooner.


texts: Optimal background for an emblem mobile wallpaper?

texts:
I am trying to find the ideal background for this personal emblem that I made to use as a mobile lock screen wallpaper. However, I am spending too much time trying to achieve the ideal background for this. Do you guys have any suggestions on what background and background color(s) would be ideal for this to seamlessly blend into? The current one just doesn't feel right enough. It'll be used for a white iPhone 5's lockscreen. I used adobe illustrator for this. I am leaning towards some gradient look, but open to suggestions. I have a weakness in picking background colors. I would appreciate feedback on the current background and how it is or isn't a good fit for the emblem.

On a side note, if this emblem looks familiar to something else, I would like to know because I would hate to unintentionally be using someone else's as my own.

Edit: So my goal is to make the emblem the center of attention. I don't want strong and dark colors as the background as it tends to take away the attention from the emblem. Light gradient scheme seems to be the best approach, but I don't know which colors to include in the gradient for this 4 color combo to fit seamlessly.


texts:
Can anyone please help me with the following? I am a low-level dabbler, but these things have been nagging at me for years. I know I've been doing everything the hard way, and my hope is that knowing these answers will help me to continue enjoying playing with graphics.

What are the effects of doing the following?

creating a high resolution image to use on a low resolution display
the opposite of number one
doing fine editing of a graphic at high magnification
starting with a finished graphic at a low but unknown resolution then making changes and saving it at a higher resolution
making a mash-up of several different graphics, each at different resolutions and saving the result as a high resolution image
converting graphics between file formats that aren't yet completed


texts: Why are brand guidelines kept confidential?

texts: I understand not every company does this and I get that companies want to keep their brand integrity in check, however it seems to backfire when they make it so difficult to access said guidelines designers tend to make up designs and thus fall out of brand, especially in rush jobs.  I also understand that a designer can request access, but they seem take so long to respond – if at all.  It just seems so pointless to keep everything under wraps.


texts:
Is it the thin strokes in a letter like "O"?

Or is it the thin strokes in a letter like "M"?


texts: Getting a vector shape from an EPS file into Photoshop CS4

texts:
I have an EPS file with some shape. A good example would be the Twitter EPS files: https://twitter.com/about/resources/logos

How can I import an EPS vector shape into my Photoshop CS4, without rasterizing it? I want to get the vector shape into a shape layer.


texts: Add vectors to Gimp, like brushes and fonts?

texts:
I downloaded many folders with decorative elements within them, mainly with files ending with .ems. I want to add them into my GIMP software but where do I add them?

There is a folder for adding fonts for instance, and also one for brushes, but I do not have a clue where I'd add these new folders.

Is there a folder within my Gimp directory where I can add vector or raster art, such as decorative elements, so I have easy access to them just like with fonts and brushes?


texts: How would you create these Photoshop clipping masks in Fireworks?

texts:
Fireworks and Photoshop are both great.

I'd would like to know how to achieve similar results to Photoshop's clipping masks in Fireworks (I don't have as much experience using Fireworks as I do using Photoshop). There's two examples below. What's the best way to create them in Fireworks, preferably while maintaining edibility and ability to losslessly scale (so no bitmap conversion)?

Example 1

In Photoshop CS6, this could also be constructed using a group clipping mask (it's a bit more awkward, but there's reasons why you may want to do that).

Example 2

A big advantage to using a clipping mask is being able to apply layer styles to the entire group of layers, while maintaing a great render order and antialiasing.

I don't know what the best approach for this would be in Fireworks.

Please shower me with your shape layer masking tips for Fireworks!


texts: How do I get started with Adobe Illustrator?

texts:
I would like to learn to use Adobe Illustrator. I want to go from start i.e learn using each tool first and then move on.

Where can I find tutorials for this (Youtube is a good source).

I cant afford video tutorials from Lynda.


texts:
Japanese Websites are strange entities that live a digital world far away from the one we are used to. They probably have their standards, that are still obscure to me - and it's not a matter of language.

The Japanese Web Designers seem to be stuck in a space-time continuum where the good of the user is not contemplated: they produces websites full of images that in most of the cases include buttons and large blocks of text. This structure can lead to a potentially huge usability issue and critically increase the page loading time. It is only an example, but it is emblematic.

I really don't understand Japanese Web Design. So please, help me to understand it.


texts: What is this long shadow used mostly in icons called?

texts:
In this photo:

Behind the bird bit there is a 'modern' type of shadow used in advertising.

What is it called?


texts:
I have been trying to create a logo design, and I've come across an issue that seems very simple but has so far been very puzzling.

Basically the logo that I am designing has intersecting squares; where every second square is 100% opaque and the rest are 65% opaque. My issue is that I want the borders of each square to intersect the square after it in such way that the intersection becomes 100% transparent.

Sorry if that sounds confusing, I couldn't find a better way to describe it. The screenshot should give a better idea of what I am trying to do.

This screenshot shows what I ultimately want to achieve, however for that screenshot I 'faked' the intersection transparency by having 2 objects for each square; 1 object with only stroke without fill and another with only the fill and no stroke.

That solution works if I have a pre-set background color but it would not work for a logo as it needs to have a transparent background.

This second screenshot shows what it looks like with a transparent background

How could I solve this?

Thanks in advance


texts: What programs can be used to make animations?

texts:
I am specifically interested in software that can be used to combine existing sets of images (frames in the animation) into an animation. Having the ability to add transitions/effects between the frames would be a plus. The output format should be something suitable for the web, e.g. GIF, Flash.

Please comment on ease-of-use, number of features, personal user experience, cost of software (free/paid) and which OS it runs on when you mention the programs.


texts: How to add text in center of a rectangle Sketch

texts: I am new to sketch and I really want to know there is anything like Button. In order to draw a button, I first draw a rectangle shape then I draw text on rectangle layer but I find it's very difficult to align text center in the rectangle.


texts: How to justify a text with Adobe Illustrator

texts:
I use Adobe Illustrator 2019 for Windows. Sometimes I would like to justify a long text (left and right alignment) in the same way as Windows Office.

Currently I work as follows. I write the text in Office Word and paste it directly into the file I'm working on. But I can't modify the text because Adobe Illustrator identifies me every single letter as if it were an image. A little animated guide to understand even better the procedure for me is important and easier to understand.


texts: GREP: Change spaces for tabs in specific conditions

texts: I want to know the way in InDesign with GREPs, if possible, to any paragraph that starts with numbers followed by a period and a space ("00" + [.] + [space]"), and replace the space for a comma.


texts: How to avoid export pixelation with vector graphics?

texts:
Whenever I export a vector to an image, and the image is not a multiple of the original vector canvas size, it is pixelated and over-anti-aliased in certain areas of the image.

An example: I started out drawing the Brackets icon as a vector on a 30x30 px canvas, and exported to 128px. You will notice that the 120px version is much sharper than the 128px version, because 120px is a multiple of 30 (the start dimension).

Why does this happen, and how can I avoid it?


texts: Why grouped layers of Gimp are becoming single layer in Adobe Photoshop after conversion?

texts:
Recently I was creating a layout of a webpage using GIMP and as it contained many layers, so I grouped them into sections as per the page so that I could manage the layers properly, but when I converted the file into PSD format(as per the requirement of the developer), each group of my design turned into a single layer.

I tried to find out why this happened but could not find a relevant answer for this so I am sharing it here. I hope I will get the solution. I also want to know that, is there any way to convert GIMP files(especially with grouped layers) to psd without losing the groups. Or is there any other file extension which work fine on both GIMP and Adobe Photoshop without any loss.


texts:
I'm trying to blend two objects that I created a personalized gradient with mesh tool but I can't apply the blend tool on them.

I've already tried the Object > Path > Offset Path but I wasn't able to find this option.

I also tried to rasterize the square and it doesn't work too.


texts: Why can colors that don't follow color theory look harmonious?

texts:
I'm a little confused about color theory, I did some studying and research, I understand the concept of color harmony, analogous, complementary etc...should match, but then, some color schemes that don't meet the criteria look good, why is that?

The colors from image below for instance, the red and the blue seem to match but they are NOT analogous, and NOT complementary, they aren't triadic either...

Can anybody shed some light on this?


texts: How make a single object without layers?

texts:
I was googling to find my answer but No luck!

In illustrator, I have an object that has different layers itself (each part of that object is in a different sub layer)
for example: I have a cat in one layer, But each part of that cat is in a separate layer within the main layer.
How can I have that cat without layers?
PS: I need to have that cat as a vector But I don't need to have each part of that cat in a sub layer.
I have tried the "Place" option,which will link that object. that was good But the problem is without that original link file, that wont work. & I don't want to send the layers file for print. It's important for me to send the full object as one single layer without any sub layer.

I really appreciate if someone can help


texts: In gimp how can I get the edges of a filled rectangle selection to look like a painted area?

texts:
How can I get a paint colorblock effect on the edges similar to what is on the edges of the red portion of Saul Bass's One Two Three poster?
I have two layers, one is a background that is white. The second layer (above the background layer) has a rectangle selection that is filled with color. I would like the edges of color filled square to resemble the red edges here:

(source: wellmedicated.com)


texts: How can I improve my audios using After Effects?

texts:
How can I improve my audios using after effects?

Is there any external application that can make the audio more professional and clearer for the listener?


texts: File created in Photoshop looks different in Illustrator

texts: I need to design a letterhead and I have this watercolour effect which I created in Photoshop (RGB file). I want to take this to Illustrator and work with this as part of my design for the letterhead. When I place it in Illustrator, the colours seem to vary quite a bit. I suppose this is because its in CMYK and the original is in RGB. Should I be re-working the original watercolour arwork in CMYK in Photoshop? Would the colours match when I take it to Illustrator?


texts: Can anyone help me identify these Japanese fonts of FLCL? I have tried several font identification services, but they don't seem to recognize Japanese symbols.


texts: What can I do to make the screen look more realistic in a mockup photo?

texts:
The first photo is without photoshop. Pure Green Screen.
The second is a rough attempt at adding shadows.

Both of these images look photoshopped. How can I make them look realistic?

Edit: So something like this?


texts:
I combined two stock photos I purchased from Fotolia into one graphic (I presume this would be considered a derivative), and on my (non-commercial) website I carefully attributed both of the pics I used to the best of my ability.

My understanding is that I cannot give anyone else permission to post the resulting graphic on their own website, even though I "created" it by combining those two pics, because I can in no way "transfer" any type of copyright to them. Is this correct?


texts: How to make retro 80's chrome text in GIMP?

texts:
I want to make images with the cool retro chrome text, like the image below.

How do I go about doing this in GIMP 2.8?


texts: Why there is a difference in preview and the design?

texts:
I am trying to use the predefined gradient styles where i found one design and applied it.
Look at the below image.

Could anyone suggest me why there is a difference between the preview and the real image?
(The black border internally)

The question is simple. Why there's a difference between the preview and the actual image that's being rendered.


texts: I have an image which has a lot of transparency around it and I need the canvas to automatically fit the image. Currently I am doing this by hand with the crop tool. Is there any fit canvas to image function in Krita?


texts: Color differences after recieving a poster from printing

texts:
I have designed an A0 poster with Adobe InDesign. It contained a collage of different pictures. Since there was a specific part of the scene I wanted to cover for this version, I put a rectangle using the "Eye Dropper" tool to copy the background color.

At first sight, the area looked completely homogeneous. Moreover, after exporting the file in PDF format, I check the color again using Inkscape, not detecting any difference in CMYK values. Nevertheless, when I received the poster from the printing workshop, I realized that the rectangle was not integrated in the design, being of a slightly different color than the background.

What could have went wrong? How could I prevent this kind of issues in future works? I have checked the PDF with Adobe Acrobat Pro "Print Production Preview" option, but the CMYK value is the same either in the rectangle or in its surroundings.

Thank you very much in advance.


texts: Best image size for responsive css background image

texts:
I am looking for a particular px size (WxH) image that would be the best dimensions to use if you wanted to call a single image that could be called as the background image for a mobile device using either portrait or landscape.

Anyone have any thoughts on the best way to display a background image under these circumstances?


texts: What are some tips for getting hired without a formal education?

texts:
I don't really want to go into too much detail, but my life took an unexpected turn and I haven't been able to transfer into a 4 year college.  I only have an AA degree but I've taken loads of random classes and also have a couple of certificates. I've been working at a completely unrelated job for the last 6 years but have been doing quite a bit of freelance work on the side and even more personal art/illustrations.  I think over the years I've built up a pretty good and diverse portfolio, even though a lot of it is from personal projects. I spend just about all of my free time working on some kind of design project.

Anyway, I want to start looking for an actual design job and was hoping to get some tips on getting an interview.  Also, I'm not sure what to do about my resume since I've never actually worked as a full-time designer.  Like I said, all the paid design work I've done has been random freelance stuff whenever I could find it.  I feel like my portfolio is pretty good at least, but I did spend a lot of time and effort on it.  I figured it should be top-notch if I didn't have a degree so I'm really hoping that's the important thing.  Anyway, I would really appreciate any tips.
Thanks.


texts: I was wondering how to make illustrator workflow time lapse ? (e.g. Something like this). Right now I just take screen shot after each step and then stitch together. It is very time consuming and distraction for workflow. Is there any other efficient way?


texts: How to select a font color to go on a very busy background?

texts:
I'm a developer and don't have much design experience. I'm creating a landing page for a project I'm working on. I want to use the below image as the background for my landing page.

As you can see the text on it is not visible. I have tried using a few colors and none of them look good on that image because some part of the text gets joined with the image.

Can you please advise me on what color I should use?

Thank you


texts: Is there a term for roman-type Arabic numerals?

texts:
There are Roman numerals and Arabic numerals (perhaps more accurately Indo-Arabic numerals) and there also are three main branches of typefaces for the Latin alphabet: roman type, blackletter and Gaelic type. Now the latter styles can are sometimes applied to Arabic numerals, creating a distinction between blackletter (Arabic) numerals, Gaelic (Arabic) numerals and … – well, that’s my question.

Roman-type numerals are too easily confused with roman numerals.
Roman-type Arabic numerals is probably accurate but somewhat clumsy and would probably still confuse many readers.
Default numerals or default Arabic numerals requires some context as to what the default is contrasting with. From the reader’s point of view, I might as well refer to uppercase numerals to contrast them with lowercase numerals.

Is there any technical term for these numerals?


texts:
I have an huge color difference between Ai and all my others apps.
Ai looks desaturated. Here are Ai next to Ps.

To solve the problem i checked "proof color" in the "Display" menu and choose "RVB Monitor" as proof format.

But all the img files I export still have the same color problem as Ai.

I think it might be a color profile mistake...

Thanks for any advice


texts: Create ripple effect with Adobe Illustrator

texts: What technique can I use in AI to create the look of the squiggly background?


texts:
i came across a photo where the gradient looks like it s smeared from cream. It is hard to explained by saying so here is the
Let say i create 2 similar shapes with the gradient pattern then adjust the opacity but the edges will still remain. But in the example the edges are appeared to be soft and hard randomly. Thanks in advance !


texts: How to make a donut chart/segmented ring graph

texts:
I am looking for help in making a segmented ring effect in Photoshop.

Any idea would be highly appreciated.


texts: Is there a way to position anchors handles length precisely by text input?

texts:
I thought there was a way to edit anchors handles precisely in Illustrator a bit like in Cinema 4D (pictured below) but I can't find it.

And when I browse Adobe's help, it seems to be something that I've dreamt of.

In fact I'm just trying to get some symmetry in a circular part of a hand made path. I've drawn a black line on my shape below that highlights the handles length difference between two anchors.

Is the only way of achieving this is by using the ellipse tool ?

Thanks for the help.


texts: Choice of tool / software to show workflows diagram?

texts:
I want to give a workflow presentation, to my boss at my office, I don't wanna do old ppt style preso, I was thinking (since I'm out of making ppt) for a long time, are there any cloud services or web 2.0 technologies that I can use to put my idea across more effectively and fast.

Earlier I worked in visio, but the style is not dynamic and user responsive like with other forms of presentations, and website you see on internet. I want my workflow to have dynamic feel to it. What are my options?

Thanks.


texts: Sketch 3 doesn't show artboards in the export window

texts: When I click export, it only shows me 1 file that I can export instead of showing the 3 artboards that I have. How can I fix this? How do I go about exporting my artboards?


texts: How to create a fade to transparent gradient effect in Illustrator?

texts: The black gradient effect that is placed in front of the pattern but behind the text is what I'm looking to achieve.  I've tried creating a black to transparent gradient but can't the nice blur/fade effect the arrow points to.  Thanks in advance!


texts: Why my transformation panel doesn't show align to objects to pixel grid option in Illustrator 2020?

texts:
As shown in the picture, there is no such option

it will show in the right corner, but it's not clickable.


texts:
I was asked to create a poster about posters for a conference poster session. The poster topic is about "unpublished" posters created by Soviet artists during 1985-1991s. I'm completely new to this job. My part is only to arrange text blocks and figures.
So, a few questions arise:

Can I scan/make photos of these posters and paste them?
Can I paste only fragments of them? Should I?
What is the suitable balance between text and pictures?

Any help is highly appreciated.


texts: Drawing an ellipse and changing its orientation

texts:
I'm new to Photoshop, and currently using Photoshop CC. I'm trying to do the following:

Draw an ellipse
Making the ellipse diagonal

How can I do that?


texts: How to create an inline horizontal navigation with mixed text and icon links that's easy to adjust, tweak and improve?

texts:
I'm cutting CSS and facing a problem, if I try to change the line-height, padding, margin of any of the last 2 items of the menu, other items will be affected. Here is the screenshot of my current menu:

And this is what I wish my menu to look like.

You can have a look at the code I wrote on JsFiddle.

How can I make the icons align properly, and easy to adjust?


texts: How to achieve this melty glitch effect?

texts: The main glitch effect in the following is easy enough to recreate but I am stumped on how you might achieve this melty effect without simply drawing it on. It looks like its using some kind of dust texture but the way it's distorting the edges makes it seem like it hasn't been simply placed over it.


texts: I'm trying to get similar effect as illustrator. How can I get inside border vector in Sketch App?


texts: Same looking gradient on different heights in photoshop

texts:
I have this site Site Link where I use gradients on the background. When you for example
switch between site "Leistungen" & "Referenzen" you will see that the background darkness from the gradients on the top is getting darker or brighter (when switching between the two pages) because of the different heights of the two pages. Now my question is how I can use such gradients in photoshop to have the same look on different heights because actually the gradient is stretching when having smaller or bigger heights?


texts: When highlighting text in a PDF exported from InDesign, the highlight doesn't select the text in the right order. How can I fix this?


texts:
I would like to color something in photoshop, but I need very specific RGB values. Unfortunately, the values I enter are not the ones that are being painted.

For example, I enter the values 84 (red), 6 (green), 1 (blue). I use the paint bucket tool. I now use the eyedropper tool to check the color of what I have just painted. It is 85 (red), 7 (green), 1 (blue).

I've noticed that this problem occurs most often when I use even numbered values.

Is there a setting I am missing somewhere? I want the RGB values of what I've painted to be the same ones as the ones that I'm supposedly painting in.

Here's a quick example. Notice the RGB values on the right side of the pictures.


texts: I have a inline image aligned to the right in a master with one column. How to keep the image to the right with 2 cols master_

texts:
I have a master with only one column (A) and the picture it-s into the text frame. Now I need 2 columns but how to make the logo to stay on the right?

We found 2 solutions but are not very good:

create an another text-frame with the width of the page and the height of the image. Then the 2 columns will start when the image's text-frame ends (the problems is that the image might have different heights. Also it implies the creation of another master page)
put the image outside the text-frame and let it to push the text in the right col. (This is not good because the left column will start before the right column)


texts: Distorting text in Illustrator only scales the middle instead of the whole letter

texts:
I recently came across a Behance project showcasing a text effect I really like. Here is an example:

However, when I try to drag my own text in Illustrator, it ends up like this:

Click here for full scale

Does anyone know why this happens and how I can make sure the whole letters get scaled instead of just the middle?


texts: How to export InDesign file to PDF with attachments as hidden pages that pop-up in new tabs

texts: I need to export an InDesign file to PDF with hidden pages. I know how to insert attachments into Acrobat and have new windows pop-up; and I'm wondering if there is a way to do this from InDesign directly.


texts: How to overwrite brush "texture" with single color in Illustrator CS6?

texts:
I'm creating symbols using custom brush packs that I downloaded. Most of these brushes have many different colors in them ("textures"), not just a single one. My question is how to dismiss these colors and, using the outlines of the brush strokes, fill that brush stroke/shape with a single color instead.

I know this can be done with Expand Appearance and then changing the fill color, but that doesn't seem to work for me:

This is a close-up of one of the brush strokes for one of the symbols I'm making:

Here's what it looks like after using Expand Appearance:

If I then change the fill color, I get this:

"No biggie" I thought, "I'll just add a slight stroke to cover that up". Except then I instead get these spikes of doom everywhere along the brush strokes (and it'd take way too long for me to manually clean it all up):

Thankful for all the help I can get!


texts:
i made the following image:

lowest layer: solid black
middle layer: some white brush painting
highest layer: solid red with Overlay mode

this gives me a nice glowing effect, which i would like to export to transparent PNG.
but when i set the black layer to invisble the glow is gone.


texts: What's the difference between 72ppi and 300ppi?

texts:
I created two documents with same pixel dimensions (1280x768).

Document 1: 72ppi
Document 2: 300ppi

When I saved both in .png, they have the same size on the hard disk. Why do I need PPI? Why can't I just use pixels?


texts: Who needs more computational power, a designer or a programmer?

texts:
I’ve worked in many companies in my career and I always got a hard time when I asked for an upgrade or better computer. It seems to me that programmers have more computational power available than designers. Yet I would have thought a computer handling graphics needs more computational power than one that handles code?

Can someone please enlighten me?


texts: How to have a table of contents include an entry for itself?

texts: Apparently, just setting the title format of the TOC to a format that is included in the TOC is not enough, so how can I have the TOC refer to itself?


texts: Inkscape: How to write text on anchor path

texts: I have some circles. I want to write text inside them but the text path needs to be circle also not straight. How can I do this in inkscape?


texts: Remember brush size when switching between brushes in Krita

texts:
Usually when I draw, I frequently switch between two or three tools and/or brushes. By default in Krita (I've tried versions 2.8.5 and 2.9.10), brush size is reset to default when selecting a brush. So, if I use a tool A, set it's size, when switch to a tool B and then back to A, A's size is reset to default. It's very annoying to adjust the size each time, especially when working on smaller scale for long periods of time.

Is there a way to fix that? I set two keys on my tablet to increase/decrease the size, but still I waste a lot of time pressing them for no good reason. Shift+drag is also inconvenient, because I set my keyboard pretty far back on the desk.

If that's not possible, what is the common way to deal with brush sizes? I know I can use presets, but creating a preset just to use a different size seems like an overkill.


texts:
I've tried to cut the outline of a circle, by using the knife tool, the shaper tool, all of the pathfinder tools(for example: minus back), and I couldn't find a way, to cut those lines correctly.

And this is the result whenever I try to cut this shape:

When I'm using the clipping mark tool, its making the background to be much bigger then it should:


texts: How do I resize my album cover image for a print template?

texts:
I'm having my bands new album printed physically and I've got a template from a printing company. The template dictates the album cover will be roughly 141mm wide, 125.5mm high, and must be at least 300dpi. Currently, the album cover photoshop document I've been working on is around 10x that size and at 72 dpi.

I've tried using the "image size" tool to bring it to the right dimensions and dpi, but the image seems a little more faded and lesser in quality (mostly around the text) compared to when I simply duplicate the merged layers (way oversized as they are) into the template document and then resize it via the transform tool.

What is the difference between doing these methods? and which will give me better results when printing the album?


texts:
Working with Indesign Creative Cloud 2017, I've run into an issue.  I was delivered files and the supplied IDML file has about 150 Index entries that I need to relink in the content.  When I export the content to HTML, I see what appears as _idIndexMarker and on a particular page set where it appears the index was linked still shows the linking portion from Story Editor:

export results in HTML:

foobar

Looking at how an index works I ran across Create an index but I wasn't able to find anything on the re-linking process.

Researching for a relink solution I came across "Work with markers" which discusses how to show them, I already know that and there is no information on the re-linking process.

I looked into examining if there were any other panels, which led to the Cross-references Panel but the documentation I found, Cross-references doesn't help.

If I search for InDesign re-link index I ran across Indesign CS5 relink all links when moving to a different computer so I tried File -> Package but I received the same results.

When I search the tag [tag:indesign] index I don't see any questions asked regarding re-linking.

When I look into a possible scripting solution it appears it's mostly read-only but that is for CS6 and I'm using CC17 as there is no mention of any index changes in What’s New with InDesign CC 2017

How can I re-link an Indesign document's index entries without having to re-create them?  Is there a way I can isolate this in the backend so I could make a script out of it?


texts: How to copy layers template in Adobe Illustrator

texts: I've created a layers template with 5 layers which I will be using on 160 different lease plans. How do I copy the template onto each LP to avoid recreating each layer from scratch?


texts:
I am trying to participate in a contest of novels on a website.
They asked me to provide a picture:

a pdf file for my information
another pdf file for my novel

but when I do it does not go through and it says instead: "PDF not generated, no SVG pages found" as it is shown in the picture right bellow the inscription bar
I have no idea what to do, I need help please, before the deadline.


texts: Creating a version of a monospaced font where bold is the same as regular

texts:
I am using the Fixedsys Excelsior font as a custom font in several programs, and every now and then, the interface requests the text to be bold. I am assuming that in this case, a bold version of the font is somehow generated automatically by "thickening" the letters, and I don't like it. The following is an example from the Python interpreter in Ghidra:

I am wondering if it is possible to add a bold variant of this font which is in fact the same font, i.e. whenever a program displays Fixedsys Excelsior as bold, it will display Fixedsys Excelsior regular.

My naive impression was that this could potentially be achieved using fonttools and the corresponding ttx data type/format, but naturally this may be the entirely wrong tool. One way or the other, I have no idea how to achieve my goal and would be very grateful for any ideas how to do it. Thanks a lot in advance!


texts:
I'm trying to paint a smooth dot with the 50% smooth brush.

However, GIMP draws it sharp instead of smooth.

What am I doing wrong here?

"View->Snap to Grid" is turned off.

Thank you.


texts: Components not getting saved in Sketchup

texts:
I use Sketchup Pro version 19 and a problem I have is that my components are not saved between sessions.

In other words, if I define several components then they appear in the component list. But if I then close and open the model again the components are gone.

Do I need to explicitly save components?

-------------Update

I tried re-adding my component, and when I tried to add one with the same name, it gave an error and the components in the model suddenly appeared in the list. Maybe its just a bug, that you need to create a component before you see the existing components?


texts: Identify font in Windows 7 shutdown with updates screen

texts:
I'm designing a Windows 7 shutdown with updates screen which resembles the stock Windows 7 screen as close as possible.
The stock screen shows a message: "Installing updates. Do not turn off your computer.", see this (in German):

Which font is this?

From Identifont I'm assuming it's Verdana, 21 pt.
Can somebody please verify this?


texts: How do I create a mockup of an app on desktop and iphone?

texts:
I don't know how to describe exactly what I'm looking for, but I've seen a service which allows me to take a mockup or illustration and put it realistically in pre-made images of a Mac and iPhone.

But I can't recall where I saw it or how to do it.  I don't want to take, for example, a flat image and then figure out how to fit it and rotate it into a stock Mac laptop image.

I am pretty sure I saw an app which did this, but I can't remember it, or perhaps there's an easier way to do this.


texts: Are there any common system fonts that maintain decent legibility at small sizes?

texts:
Are any of the common Windows fonts more legible than others at small sizes, such as 6pt?

I know that there are some free fonts (such as PT Sans) that have decent caption styles, but I'm looking specifically for common system fonts.

Edit:

Related question: Are there ways to make a font more legible at smaller sizes?


texts: What is this woodcut / engraving like / illustrative design style called? (as seen on the US dollar sign)

texts:
Where can I find books / references / inspirations to learn the principles behind these graphic patterns?

It's often seen in luxury or heritage style products, as well as the us dollar sign. What is the art or graphic design style called? I understand that this may be a mix of various styles, but is there an overlapping or overall name for this art style?

Specific examples include Simon Frouw's work as they all seem to fall under this category:

https://www.behance.net/simonfrouws

http://cargocollective.com/simonfrouws/Spier-Sparkling-Wine

More examples:

Looking at them they just look elegant and old-school luxurious with all the intricate details that looks hand crafted. From looking at the various examples I gathered there seems to be elements or art deco geometric patterns, halftone engravings styles, monograms, and heritage crests

I'm probably the most interested in the beautiful decorative geometric & illustrative or graphic design patterns as seen in the background.

What's the principle behind these designs? What's it called and where can I learn to make them?


texts: Photoshop artboards navigation without zoom out?

texts:
When I navigate to another artboard, the document zooms out to fit the window.  I have to zoom in to 100% again, then scroll to the top every time.

Is there a way not to zoom out when doing so?

What I do to navigate between artboards is hold on Opt/Alt, then Click on the artboard in the layers panel


texts: Reduce line thickness in B&W line drawing using Photoshop

texts:
I'm a photographer and have Photoshop CC but don't know enough about using it for drawing to answer a question my wife asked me. I only subscribe to the photographer plan so have no Creative Suite apps other than Photoshop and Lightroom.

She used an app on her iPad to create some mandala-like drawings but used quite thick lines. She asked me if it was possible to thin down the lines in the images that have now been transferred to her computer.

I tried using color range selection to select the lines and then modify the selection, contracting it by several pixels. The results were not very satisfactory.

I wondered if there might be some other technique that could be used to create modified images that are neat and appear to have been drawn with thinner lines.

Here is an example of one of those images.

And here is an example of one of my attempts. While the lines do become thin there are thick areas where lines intersect. On this image the result isn't too bad but on others it's worse. My wife would prefer to see the thin lines meet at a corner as if drawn thus. I don't know if this is possible at all.


texts: Relevance of pixel per inch for a specific LCD say 640 x 480

texts:
I am having an LCD with a resolution of 640x480.
What is the relevance of pixel per inch for an image to be used for developing a GUI in this LCD?
This image is not going to be used in any other LCD's with different resolution.
According to me , this option is irrelevant as actual pixels per inch is constant in the LCD .

But I found that in GIMP we need to give this option to create an image. What value should I give for my image ?


texts: Im designing a logo and need some symbols to represent twins or 2. Thank you


texts: I need a good italic font to pair with Impressum

texts:
I'm looking for an elegant and not-too-busy italic font to pair with Impressum bold headline. See options I've tried already. Most seem to be too light, or too busy. All ideas welcome!
Thanks!


texts: InDesign: is trapping applied when exporting a PDF

texts: I just read in the Adobe manual that trapping presets in InDesign take effect when the document is printed, not before. But it is not clear to me. For example: I create a document and want to prepare it for the printhouse, and i need to export it as composite PDF, so the printhouse can do its job. Are the trapping presets applied to this exported composite PDF? Or does it only take effect when I actually use the Print command in InDesign?


texts: Photoshop plugin for drawing flow charts

texts:
I'm looking to add diagram functionality to Photoshop - specifically, the "sticky" functionality where if you draw two boxes and then connect them with a line, when you move a box, the line redraws itself to still connect the two boxes.

I know there are plenty of existing tools to create diagrams, from Visio to Gliffy - I'm not looking for a separate program. I already have a number of diagrams in Photoshop, and it's my preferred workspace for certain projects. My question is basically if I can make re-organizing a flow chart easier by adding the functionality of automatic line redrawing.

Does anyone know of such a plugin?


texts: Photoshop: using the Pen tool for straight lines

texts:
When I use my pen tool I can add a curve lines, but I am unable to get a straight line after that.
In illustrator I just click the anchor point after the curve to then go straight, but on my windows computer I can not figure out how to do that in photoshop.


texts: What is the best blending mode or opacity to use for printing?

texts:
What is the best blending mode to use for a pattern to give a transparent look in a packaging products? This product will be printed in CMYK colors, I attached samples of Black and cream colors.. For black example, I used rich black 60,40,40,100 / Cream 0,5, 25, 12
In the attached file, I used white on the top part and changed the mode to screen 25% But I am not sure if this is correct?
[The design look like the attached photo


texts: How does Amazon compress its images so well?

texts:
I'm working on reducing the size of my dom content,

As an example, Amazon's current home page graphic is 1500x600px, while remaining only 88.8K (link) and shows very little jpg artifacting. How are they able to compress it so well? The best our team has been able to achieve in photoshop for a similarly sized graphic is ~200K.


texts: Sketch: combined shape different colors in each shape

texts:
I am having a little problem. Trying to make a progress bar in Sketch. The combined shape functionality works great for this - but it seems like i can't apply different colors onto the different shapes inside the combined shape?

Check out this image:

If i apply the brown color to this circle only, it applies to all the other shapes inside the combined shape. It acts like a global color. Can i disable this somehow?

My goal is to get the first 3 dots and 2 lines to have the brown color, and the rest gray.


texts: Data merge exports to multiple PDFs all uniquely named from data

texts:
I’m looking to automate data merge to create multiple PDFs per row of data (each PDF would have 10 pages) and with each PDF being named uniquely based on a column in the data.

Specs:

InDesign document with multiple pages (10 pages).
CSV with 100 people.
I want to have a PDF for each person (100 pdfs).
Each PDF will be a 10 page document for that person.
Filename for each PDF should contain a single person’s name; to know
which PDF to send to which person (report_john_doe.pdf).

Roadblocks I’m hitting:

Data Merge that generates multiple InDesign docs; great but how do I
automate them to then export to PDF + uniquely name the file based on
a row/columns from the CSV?
Data Merge to Export PDF; this creates one PDF with every person in
it.

Software:

InDesign CS6
Acrobat Pro

I’ve searched around on the forums but it has been a bear to figure it out. Old scripts, 404 pages, certain functionality missing, and no step by step walkthrough to figure out how to use said script.

Found this script but not sure how to set it up + use it.... ?
http://forums.adobe.com/message/5551746#5551746

What’s the best path to automate this via a combination of Data Merge, Scripts, Actions as necessary?

Thanks for any help!

E


texts: Photoshop - Extracting a transparent shadow from an image

texts:
I have a layer that contains a brushed metal texture. The layer has an inner shadow effect.

I'd like to extract just that shadow with transparency, so I can later superpose the pure background and that shadow to insert some elements between them into a software.

I tried that method : How to create alpha mask from an image in Photoshop CS/8
without success, I still have a phantom visual of the texture.


texts:
Hi I am looking for a way to separate a text layer into multiple text layers per line.
I have a (long) list that i can paste into photoshop, but now i'm looking to split that list up into separate text layers.
I did find a script here that splits them up per word (and works), but i have no idea how to edit it to split per line.
// enable double clicking from the Macintosh Finder or the Windows Explorer
#target photoshop

// in case we double clicked the file
app.bringToFront();

// debug level: 0-2 (0:disable, 1:break on error, 2:break at beginning)
// $.level = 0;
// debugger; // launch debugger on next line

var strtRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
var strtTypeUnits = app.preferences.typeUnits;

app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
app.preferences.typeUnits = TypeUnits.POINTS;

var thisDocument = app.activeDocument;

// USE THIS LINE TO GRAB TEXT FROM EXISTING LAYER
var theOriginalTextLayer = thisDocument.activeLayer;
var theTextToSplit = theOriginalTextLayer.textItem.contents;

// OR USE THIS LINE TO DEFINE YOUR OWN
// var theTextToSplit = "Hello";

// suppress all dialogs
app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;

//  the color of the text as a numerical rgb value
var textColor = new SolidColor;
textColor.rgb.red = 0;
textColor.rgb.green = 0;
textColor.rgb.blue = 0;

var fontSize = 120;         // font size in points
var textBaseline = 480;     // the vertical distance in pixels between the top-left corner of the document and the bottom-left corner of the text-box

var words = theTextToSplit.split(" ");

for(a=0; a < words.length; a++){
// this loop will go through each character

    var newTextLayer = thisDocument.artLayers.add();    // create new photoshop layer
        newTextLayer.kind = LayerKind.TEXT;             // set the layer kind to be text

    var theTextBox = newTextLayer.textItem;             // edit the text
        theTextBox.font = "Arial";                      // set font
        theTextBox.contents = words[a];                 // Put each character in the text
        theTextBox.size = fontSize;                     // set font size
    var textPosition = a*(fontSize*0.7);

        theTextBox.position = Array(textPosition, textBaseline);    // apply the bottom-left corner position for each character
        theTextBox.color = textColor;

};

/* Reset */

app.preferences.rulerUnits = strtRulerUnits;
app.preferences.typeUnits = strtTypeUnits;
docRef = null;
textColor = null;
newTextLayer = null;


texts: Communication issue between functions into JS and JSX files

texts:
I have made this function into a JS file...

function getColors(isPick, isForecolor)
{
    var chosenFunction = 'getColor(' + isPick + ', ' + isForecolor + ')';
    csInterface.evalScript(chosenFunction, function(result)
    {
        if(result !== 'undefined')
        {
            if (isForecolor == true){
                foregroundHexColor = result;
                // etc...
            }
            else
            {
                backgroundHexColor = result;
                //etc..
            };
        };
    });
};

which get a hexadecimal color value from this function from a JSX file.

function getColor(isPick, isForecolor)
{
    var color_PickerCase;
    var decimal_Color;
    var hexadecimal_Color;

    if (isForecolor == true)
    {
        color_PickerCase = app.foregroundColor.rgb.hexValue;
    }
    else
    {
        color_PickerCase = app.backgroundColor.rgb.hexValue;
    };

    if (isPick == true)
    {
        if (app.showColorPicker(isForecolor)){
            decimal_Color = color_PickerCase;
            hexadecimal_Color = decimal_Color.toString(16);
        }
        else
        {
            return;
        };
    }
    else
    {
        decimal_Color = color_PickerCase;
        hexadecimal_Color = decimal_Color.toString(16);
    };

    return hexadecimal_Color;
};

In some way it works, but for some reason I have to do the same thing two times so to get the value!!! Any idea why is this happening?

Thank you for your time!!!

UPDATE: A correction, it works only at first click. Then needs to clicked two times so to get the value!!!


texts: Inkscape: Organically filling an odd shape with set objects

texts:
I have been searching for this answer for a while, but haven't understood how to master exactly what I want.

Currently, I am working on a project on Inkscape where I have created an odd shape by connecting the top nodes of two circles together and repeating the process to the bottom nodes (to form a container shape.) I have also created an arrangement of objects that I would like to organically scatter throughout the shape, without overlapping, creating a grid look and filling the curved ends as well.
I have read that using the "randomizing centres..." button in the "Align and Distribute" tab, will sprinkle my objects, and finishing it off with the "Unclump" button will prevent the overlapping. However, I cannot seem to spread it within my chosen shape.

Is there a way to perform this task so the assortment of objects will actually fill the shape itself?


texts: How to export as a vector file with Illustrator?

texts: I designed a logo, exported as JPG, but it becomes blurry and cluttered when shrunk. I have seen the suggestion that I should export it as as a vector file. So, I exported as AI, but it only opens in Illustrator. What am I doing wrong?


texts: GIMP toolbox seems totally different between windows and linux

texts:
I recently started using GIMP in linux more often and more thoroughly. In the past months I used to use GIMP in windows.

My question is why the buttons in the toolbox are so different between those two versions? And by different I don't mean the appearance of button but rather the icon representing the various actions.

For example I was looking for the crop button in my toolbox and I couldn't find it. (it's the last tool in the second row if your are not familiar with that).

For example the crop tool from GIMP docs is totally different (it's the selected tool this time):

So, is there any explanation for that choice? And I would like to know if I could choose somehow which toolbox to use. I personally felt that the windows toolbox (if it's not window specific the one shown in the GIMP documentation anyway) is more straight forward to infer (and to use of course).


texts: How to batch whiten photos of text files (using Bimp or other method)

texts:
When I take photos of text pages with my phone, all the white space are quite grey. I can whiten the page using Gimp by going to menu item "Colors", selecting "Levels" to go to the "Adjust Color Levels" and adjusting the input level pointer for white.
How can this be done in a batch mode for multiple files?
I installed the Bimp plugin. I searched through all the "Other GIMP procedures" in the Bimp dialog box but could not find anything that appears to do what is possible with the "Adjust Color Levels" dialog box.
Is this possible to be done using the Bimp plugin?
If not, is this possible using Gimp batch mode and can someone point me to batch code that I could use to get started with doing this?


texts: Specific Items to add logo/brand image to

texts: How do I create the actual items for my clients brand? For example  - food service client I want to present to go boxes, bags, cups with their logo - Do I need to create the blank item if its an actual item that exists? I have adobe suite - so basically packaging items for clients.


texts: How can I merge two compositions from different projects?

texts: I worked on two compositions in After Effects files (a 6 second and a minute composition). How can I merge the compositions in a new composition so that the minute long composition will follow immediately after the 6 second composition?


texts:
Does Photoshop have "file layers" like Krita does, i.e. layers whose content automatically updates from a file when that file changes?
If not natively, maybe a Photoshop script can get immediately triggered upon file changes somehow?


texts:
I am designing some UI animations for desktop program. I read some articles about animation (as I never did this before) and I have an idea on what and how. But one thing is I can not figure it out. How to calculate the right duration for an element that has size and position on screen? Is there any equation for this or formula or is all just a rule of thumb that if there are big movements across the screen they take more time and for small movements less time (and time is all up to 500ms). Is that it or is there any better approach? I came across this generator and I like it, but I just can not see how they are calculating. Does anyone know?
https://ibm.github.io/motion/
And another thing, how to set the right easing (i know, cubic-bezier). Is there any guide or thesis or even better any studies on what curve is the best for certain element/scenario? Or is this more like trial and error thing to play with handles of easing and just watch and feel?
Or where can I see how Apple did it? Are there any studies about that?
In general, I am looking for any studies, thesis that goes into detail about easings, the duration for UI animation. I want to learn/read more about this so I can create good animations that feel right and natural and learn something. Can anyone help, please?


texts: Not sure what happened but Photoshop no longer opens the normal color picker but instead opens the OSX color picker/wheel. I've tried restarting and install the most recent version of Photoshop with no success.


texts: I need to create a JPEG file with 2953*4132 pixels and 150 DPI as its requirements. When I convert my AI file to JPEG, the dimensions change to 6152*8612 pixels. I'm using CS6


texts:
I'm using the following layer structure to create an arc shape in Sketch:

I'm going to create several lengths of arc that are an arbitrary length around the circle (e.g. one at 45º, one at 90º, one at 135º, and so on).

What I'd like to do is reliably and accurately round the corners of each arc shape that I create -- like this, but an actual perfect half circle, not poorly hand-drawn path arcs.

How would I go about doing that?


texts: Table of contents page numbers not aligned to titles - InDesign CS6

texts:
I have created a table of contents with the

Chapter title
Page title and its corresponding number.

The numbers dont align however with the page number and I am not sure why. 3 should be aligned with "rational" and 7 should be aligned with "moodboard".

I have checked the leading of paragraph styles for the page title and the character style for the numbers and they are both on Auto.Neither are aligned to baseline grid as well. This is how I have set it up in the table of contents dialogue box.


texts:
How do I apply anti-aliasing to the edges of a layer?

I have a layer that has rough edges. I want to apply anti-aliasing to it so it blends well against the background. What is the best way to do that in CS5?


texts:
I'm attempting to place the end of a line segment at the intersection of a circle and a guide in Adobe Illustrator:

I'm expecting the end of the line to snap into place at the intersection, but with no luck. Smart Guides and Snap to Point are turned on.

Here is a short video of the problem: http://cl.ly/K3tr

I'm using this guide/tutorial in order to "...connect a tangent line to a curved segment in order to create a smooth geometrically correct transition from a curve to a straight line..." - Tangent Lines to Curved Segments

Is anyone familiar with this method that could shed some light on why it's not snapping?

Thank you!


texts: How to make an acrylic blur using gaussian blur in Affinity Designer

texts:
I am using Affinity Designer and it lacks an acrylic blur feature. Is there any way to create an acrylic blur using a gaussian blur?

In simple, the first one is a background blur and the second is an object blur but this is same for acrylic and gaussian blur in Affinity. Background blur is available but in the brush tool. Adobe XD has one click to switch between background blur to object blur. Is there way to make the first effect in Affinity?


texts: Photoshop: Different workspaces in photoshop like Firefox workspaces

texts:
Is there a way to organize your open files in different workspaces? I want to have the same setup, but different files like Firefox workspaces.

For example, choose "sign in" workspace and have 3 tabs for sign in pages, choose "create account" workspace and have 5 tabs for create account pages etc.

Thanks!


texts: What is a "visual library" and how to work on it?

texts:
Reading through concept art forums, Ive met an opinion, that one of the most important things for a concept artist is to have a vast visual library. Out of the context of that opinion I take that this is about a "library" in your head, not on your hard drive.

I would like to know what is a visual library, why is it so important and how to work on it.


texts: Copyright, Outright Copying and Client Requirements

texts:
I've been asked to recreate some vector artwork based on an image supplied by my client "from the internet". I told them I cannot copy it exactly but can create something of a similar nature.  "Oh if we just change it 10% it's fine", was the response. Mmmhmm.

I've investigated further and found the image was created by an artist craftsman who does some amazing work, so obviously I'm not prepared to recreate it but what are my options here?  She's hell bent on the supplied design. Do I suggest something completely different?  Do I leave it completely alone?

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks


texts: How to make pattern-dithered bitmap (halftone) style pictures?

texts:
I was recently looking at the Watchdogs 2 pictures (Specifically The center of the one below). I was under the impression that it was just fancy text art, but that turned out to be false. I was wondering, How can I take a black and white image in Photoshop, and create a similar, "Filter", for lack of a better term?

Reference image (Look in the center)


texts: How to export a sequence of layers in illustrator?

texts:
I often have to modify pdf files and show them in stages. Like this:

First:

Second:

Third:

I'm currently doing it by separating each part of the plot into layers and then hiding some of them, and exporting them to as image files. Is there a more convenient way to do this? I don't want to duplicate objects into different layers because if further along I want to make changes, I'd have to them on every layer.


texts: Centering Text Across Multiple Columns in Circular Design

texts:
I'm trying to make an old-school cipher disk using InDesign:

At first glance, this seems like you would just place text on two circular paths.  The problem with this is that it's impossible to keep the kerning in sync.  The workaround I've come up with is to create a single box and then step-and-repeat each character in the wheel.  However, adjusting this design is a huge PITA and basically requires recreating the entire thing.

Any suggestions?


texts: Is there a way to preview SVG files in Adobe Bridge?

texts:
I am not able to preview SVG files in Adobe Bridge since CS2 version.

Has Adobe removed this feature or am I missing something? I'm using both Windows and Mac, version CC and CS6.


texts:
This is a problem I have been searching for a solution on for some time now. The company I am working for, name not needed, has images prior to my hiring that are being used in lesson formats. Their request to me is to take these old images, that have new files names, and determine the license agreement. I find that to be more of a contract thing but before I think so wisely in my new job I wanted to pick everyone's brains first.

How can I take an old image and figure out the legalities for current use? Is there a website I can upload the image and it tells me the copyrights of the image? I could really use the help everyone, thank you for your time.


texts: What are the best mac applications for developing pixel art?

texts: I would like to create pixel art graphics for an iPhone game on my mac, and I'm wondering what are some good programs I should look into.


texts:
I'm looking to snag some open source image from this collection on Flickr and print them on a 3in x 5in sheet in notebooks like this:

I know the resolution is much lower than it needs to be (72dpi vs 300?) but are there any strategies I can use to lessen the pixelation effect? One thing I was thinking about was making the images 50% transparent. They're just background images so I don't need them to be crystal clear.


texts: Workflow and tools recommendation for detailed large print and web project

texts:
I've seen lot of question on the topic of DPI size when doing large print jobs and some about the actual workflow. The problem is that I can't decide how to proceed in my situation:

I have to design a large map/panorama of a ski resort - very similar to this one. Maximum print size will be 2.5m x 1.25m, but it will be used on smaller posters as well (probably down to A4 format).

The problem is that the client also wants to use the work on a website where you will be able to zoom in and he want it to be more detailed than on the picture from the first link. He imagine something like this

To make it even more interesting the map/panorama should be in 2 versions - winter and summer one. Now what is the best workflow in this situation and what tool should I use (Photoshop/Illustrator available for me) to do this in a smart way?

My current approach is that I decided to design only one map (one level of details) in Illustrator in smaller scale using trees as symbols so I can easily modify them all at once (for winter/summer version). The rocks will be the same and changing the color of snow to grass won't be a problem either.

The problem is that the resort is quite large (approx same as on the first linked image) and there are many large forest areas which means I will have possibly few hundreds if not thousands of trees. You can also imagine that there will be quite a lot of other objects. Can Illustrator handle so many vector objects? Also designing such detailed picture in Illustrator is quite slow and would be probably much easier in Photoshop, but is this reasonable in my situation? - the panorama will be viewed from close distance (as seen on example in second link) but also on printed materials of large size.

I'm also thinking that I would do one version for print in Photoshop with fewer details and one detailed one for the website? Or should I do the same with Illustrator? I'm afraid I would do a double work here because in the end I have to do the detailed version no matter what.

Is there any better approach? This is the first time I'm doing on such a large project so thank you very much for your help.


texts:
I want to type Arabic text in Photoshop, but the text appears disjointed and the letters do not connect at all. For example محمد appears as م ح م د.

I'm using Photoshop CS6 on OSX Mountain Lion.


texts: Photoshop duplicate selection marquee, not pixels

texts:
Before the advent of rounded corners tools in Photoshop, I distinctly remember using a key combo to be able to duplicate the selection, not the pixels in the layer, and drag it to another portion of the art board. Much like using the Move tool when something is selected and using the (PC) Alt key.

Is this still possible? Been trying various key combos but cant seem to get it.


texts: What icons would be better to distinguish between knowing an answer or not?

texts:
I know the headline might not be that explanatory, so let me elaborate. I have a website with some different questions, for which you can get the answer revealed if you click on a button.
So that looks something like this:

Now, for each question I have I would like to know if the person reading it knows the answer to this question or not, by placing two icon above or below the box (have no decided yet). However, I am having a hard time to decide what icons are actually the best way of "asking" this. I've tried with thumbs up and down, but in some way, that seems more like a question about whether I like this question or not - not if I know the answer. The same goes for a checkmark and a cross. So which to icons would you recommend in a situation like this?


texts: Illustrator: Edit text in multiple text boxes at the same time

texts: I have two text boxes that I need to have identical text, but in different fonts. Is there any way I can edit only the text content of both at the same time (keeping the fonts different).


texts: Why is this type of look common for Japanese websites?

texts:
I've noticed that a lot of Japanese websites, ranging from a lot of different topics use the same layout and style. The last website I've found is: http://dolittle.eplang.jp/

So why is it common? Is there a certain design aspect that I'm not seeing? (Which could very well be the case since I'm a back-end developer) I haven't seen any English website which uses this kind of look.

EDIT: I'm talking about the dotted border underneath the post title, the abundant usage of lists and the 2001 layout.


texts: How can I make a pattern transparent in Illustrator, when the elements in the pattern are overlaid and should not show through?

texts: I have made a seamless pattern from these elements. The elements rely on solid white fill in order that they overlay without showing through. However, I need to make a transparent PNG file of the pattern for use in a website. So far I have not figured out a way to do this. Any help gratefully received (p.s. I'm fairly new to Illustrator).


texts: How to drag and drop an image from Explorer as a NEW file in Photoshop CC

texts:
I had a very old version of Photoshop and always used drag-and-drop to open an image file from Explorer (Win). Now I have bought Photoshop CC and have regretted it already, several times—it's working differently.

The problem now is when I try to drag-and-drop it tries to create a new layer in the existing open document instead of create a new window as the older version does. Please help me to gain this behavior—I only need to open as a new file.


texts:
My goal is a rectangular vector mask that I can freely resize without resizing the masked layer, but I'm confused about the interplay between shapes and vector masks:

I can't figure out how to convert a dedicated shape layer to a vector mask. Ctrl + drag automatically rasterizes the shape, leading to the second problem:
If I draw a rectangle on a vector mask, I can't figure out how to treat that rectangle like a regular shape layer; I don't know how to resize it (or even move any of the anchor points) without also resizing the masked layer.


texts: Sustainable revision workflow for print/digital documents with non-designers

texts:
It's my first time posting here so if this topic has been addressed please let me know.

I'm the only in-house designer in my company. The company I work in has a lot of non-designers who work on designing editable templates since they don't want to rely on me doing the revisions to save time (aka, my design workflow is too slow for them because it can take a few days -.-). I mainly work on marketing automation, designing posters, web design and major print projects like books. Anything that involves major projects will always have follow-up revisions on it's content so there's always a need to enable editing. So lots of the proposals we create are now editable via powerpoint. What I'm having problems with is the revision workflow of hybrid (print and digital) documents created via indesign.

Indesign is the best platform to cater for prints like books. I've created so many guidelines to make editing more seamless (the big editing via word document before doing design or sending the PDF) but they insist on directly editing the content and add images wherever they want. I can implement a separate platform for them to add content and text but at the end of the day, if they want the print version, it still needs to be updated on Indesign. The last option i have now is to just make them buy the indesign cc app and do their editing on the program, which may mess with the design but if it helps them edit it, so be it. But hoping to look for a more sustainable way to balance creating better designs for print/digital documents but still make it editable. OR, if there's a way to totally leave indesign for a more efficient software, even better.

I have read this: Best way to send layouts with editable text to writers/editors who don't have design software
But unfortunately it doesn't solve the problem of adding new images.