texts: How do I create an outline around a raster image?

texts:
Let's say I have a PNG image (with transparent background) like the below simplified example.

What is the quickest way with either Illustrator or Photoshop to create a vector path/image (i.e., ideally using straight lines, bezier curves, etc. as opposed to raster pixels) that traces around the outline of this object, without manually hand-tracing the outline?


texts: As a puzzle author, I often write puzzles with red ink and then test-solve them with pencil. What would be the most efficient way to remove the pencil and blue gridlines from the paper to leave only the red puzzle clues behind?


texts: How to edit an .EPS Book cover in illustrator

texts: I just purchased this .EPS blank book cover, I thought I'd get it in .psd format, but I got it as a .EPS format, and I have no idea how to integrate the cover of a book in it.


texts: How to move one bezier anchor point while keeping the direction locked?

texts:
In below image I'd like to move the position of the green anchor point along the green dotted line (I freehanded in there, image it's a straight extension of the anchor point handle's line). I'd like to do so while keeping the cyan anchor point in place as well as the direction of the green line locked. Note that this is not a snapping angle (90, 45, etc) nor do I have any lines I could snap to.

Is this possible somehow?

The only way I can think of is to draw a line the direction of the green line and snap to it, but this seems very backward.


texts: Should I design business cards in InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop?

texts:
Basically what the question says, what are the pro's and cons to using InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop for business cards?

Or is there something else you prefer to use?


texts: What's the quickest way to assemble in Photoshop printed pages of reference clipped from the screen?

texts:
I don't always have my laptop with me so I'd like to have several reference pages of textures stuck in my sketchbook.

What's the quickest way in Photoshop to assemble pages of reference  that I've clipped from the screen?  Pasting the pages into Photoshop for now takes a lot of tedious resizing and dragging.  It would be great to have some sort of template so that I could practically drag and drop.

This is Windows 10, so we're in Ctrl-C Ctrl-V territory.  And I'm a cheapskate so it's Photoshop CS 4 Extended.


texts: How to get solid shadow of text in gimp?

texts:
I would like to take an object and give it a shadow similar to the one below (in gimp). How would I go about doing something like this (note, I'm not asking about how to make the object, I'm just wondering about the shadow)? Is there a specific tool, or a set of steps I need to follow?

Thanks in advance!


texts: How to draw a "circle grid" with editable colours and background colours?

texts: Could advise on how I would create the image shown? I am not a graphic designer but really need to create something like this. I have no idea even what package to use! Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
I want to preface this by stating that I am in no way an expert in design or colors and their meanings.

I am looking for three colors, each of which have a different meaning and goal associated with them. I am developing an task-based application where I'd like the colors to indicate a task's importance.

A color that signifies something MUST be done
A color that signifies something SHOULD be done (but not necessary)
A color that signifies something you'd LIKE to do.

I know red is a color that can be used for the MUST task, but I want a color that represents passion for the tasks relating to things you'd LIKE to do (AKA also red), but I feel like red is more universally used for things of greater importance, so it might make more sense to use that for tasks that MUST be done.

Is there a good color scheme out there that would convey these different feelings without seeming disjointed on one screen?


texts: How to show that an image is also a link?

texts:
I'm creating a PDF and it should contain a hyperlink to google maps. The link must be represented by the Google Maps logo. What is the right way to indicate to the reader that the logo is a clickable link?

I thought about underlining the logo with a dashed line or adding an external link icon in front of the logo.

My customer suggested to add an arrow under the logo, pointing to the right, but I considered it confusing for the reader.


texts: is there any program I can use to draw in a 3D environment?

texts:
I recently tried out Tilt Brush (on Vive), and I'd like to draw something like that.

I found that Blender's Grease Pencil tool can somewhat emulate the feeling, but since it wasn't made for 3D drawing, the drawing is a bit complicated and difficult to properly draw. (see photo below)

Is there any program out there that can allow me to draw in 3D?


texts: How do I change the order of pie chart slices?

texts:
I was wondering if it's possible to change the order of pie chart slices in Adobe Illustrator?

I would like the gray slice to be above the red one.

Changing the order in Graph Data doesn't work and changing it manually (direct selection tool) makes it then impossible to update data and keep the layout.

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Are Photoshop skills needed for a Graphic Illustrator?

texts: I am a student who is going for internship soon. However, I am not sure what I would want to do. I'm slightly better at Photoshop than Illustrator. However, there are only 2 jobs available for me. They are Graphic illustrator and Photography. I want to become a Advertiser when I am older however I am confused on which one to take.


texts: how to change the color of existing text present in jpg image?

texts: I had tried using photoshop eye dropper tool and methods in GIMP but could not succeed.i have an jpeg image which has text in gray shade . i want  to change the gray shade colored text to red colored text . how to do it? in GIMP?


texts: How can I blend together non-tileable images?

texts: I have a section of a continuous image copy and pasted, but it is not tileable.  How can I blend the segments together so that it looks like one piece?  I have tried using the auto-blend layers feature, but that just makes things worse.  (Each segment is on its own layer.)


texts:
I'm 22 years old guy, from european country. I'm software engineer according to my diploma. I'm coding for 2 years now, i know few programming languages (ruby, objective-c, javascript, python), but last few months i started to do small tests with composing different vids (e.g. placing 3d animated objects into real world). I'm familiar with 3d modelling software such as 3dsmax and maya.

After looking through different vfx studios, the problem is experience. they all want me to have 10+ years of exp in everything, which is impossible at the moment. What should i do in this case? Should i keep doing what am i doing with software coding stuff, or should i more focus on vfx, and start maybe freelancing?

Any advice is welcome.

P.S. this might be wrong hub for this kind of questions


texts: How to create "sequin" texture on a shape in Affinity?

texts:
I would like to mock up a texture so it looks like the design is made out of shiny sequins. It is trivial to get a photo of sequins and use a font or shape to clip them; but then you are left with the hard edges of the font/shape. What I'm looking for is a way to "scatter" one symbol or small image over another, the way you can with particle systems in 3D software, so that it appears the font/shape is formed from sequins. (The result will be tacky, I know, but it's what I need to do.)
Is there any way to accomplish this in either Affinity Designer or Affinity Photo?
PS: I needed to tag this with "affinity-photo"--but that tag does not yet exist. Could someone with a high enough reputation please create it?


texts: How large are the HSL/HSV colour spaces with respect to Lab?

texts:
I could find numerous resources that specify how colour spaces such as RGB, sRGB and CMYK cover a part of the CIE XYZ Lab colour space.

I could find numerous graphics displaying the RGB and CMYK gamuts as an overlay to CIE XYZ (such as this). My suspicion is that HSV/HSL can be used to indicate the same colours as RGB, but is there any authoritative resource that says whether or not HSL/HSV can cover less colours than CIE XYZ, preferrably with an analogous graphic as the RGB ones I found?

I am not convinced this is the right SE for this question. Photography SE might be more appropriate, but not quite; maybe Math SE or MathOverflow? If you think I am wrong here, please move the question to the appropriate site, if possible.


texts: What are 6 colors which are also well-distinguishable in grayscale?

texts:
I am currently writing my masters thesis and I created the following graphic:

While it looks ok in color, the areas are not so easy to distinguish if this was printed on a non-color printer:

Do you know any 6 colors which are suitable for this type of image and which can be distinguished if printed with a non-color printer?

(Other ideas how to make sure the reader knows where the numbers come from are also welcome, but I guess colors are the easiest way to do this.)


texts: Why won't a font allow embedding in a .pdf? Will it print right anyway?

texts:
When I export to PDF from InDesign I keep getting this error message:

"This font could not be embedded due to licensing...The PDF will not be created if the glyphs cannot be represented."

Yet the PDF still get created and nothing looks different. Is this because I have the fonts installed on my machine? I don't wanna send this over to the client and they see it differently.


texts: I am looking to purchase a printer that can print scratch off material, but am having trouble finding any companies that manufacture this type of printer.  Are there any consumer printers available that can print scratch off material onto a standard gloss or matte substrate?


texts: Why does the screen fill with the foreground color of a deleted shape in Photoshop?

texts:
When I delete a shape, I am left with a colored background, and this background has the color of the foreground color.  And this colored background covers everything else that is in the other layers below.

Also when I delete the shape, it asks me if I want to delete the vector mask. Is a shape the same as a vector mask then? Why is that?


texts: Should I send my client the original file of a job?

texts:
I have recently accepted a free-lance job to typeset a book in LaTeX for a publisher. I'm not a professional graphic designer, but I have been working with this tool for a long time now. Now I even realize I charged a fraction of the market price for such a job (why should I earn less than someone who just uses a different tool?), but that's not really the main issue.

The client has asked me over and over for changes, not only design but also copy-editing work, some of which I declined to do.

Now the job is practically done (all that is left is to include the ISBN number), and after serious delays to receive my pay, they still want me to send not only the .pdf (whose final version I had already sent) but also the source file.

I'm afraid they'll either mess up with my job (which took me quite some time to accomplish in detail) or take my design/programming and send to someone else who'll do the easy job of "adding stuff" (or even make it a template for future books).

Should I really send them this source file? If yes, should I charge more for this?


texts: What does a small arrow next to a cursor mean?

texts: I'm wondering what this cursor means. The left arrow appears when you hold CTRL/CMD + Left Click on any fill.


texts: Is there a "Fit to Canvas" option in Photoshop like there is in Fireworks?

texts:
I am a Fireworks user new to Photoshop. In FW there is the very handy "fit to canvas" button in the properties panel at the bottom which when clicked snaps the image to the canvas by adjusting the canvas's size to be no larger than the image.

Is there such a tool in PS?


texts: How can I select transparent parts of a raster image I placed in Illustrator?

texts: I have an image. it is an object with a transparent background. how can I make the selection around the object itself and not the square with the object and transparency. I exported this image from gimp and opened it in illustrator. I have tried everything I can think of but I am not very good with adobe illsutrator. I'm currently using the CC version.


texts:
I hope this is the right place. Tried Area52 for "printing" but that site is not launched yet.

I have a "non sticky" situation where I need to be able to stick a model number down of a product to farming equipment but that must come off relatively easily when that product is upgraded.

At the moment they are using vinyl decals which withstands the conditions of farming but is incredibly difficult to remove when they need to update the model number.

I have spoken to multiple printers in our area and there has been no ideal solution to sort this out.

The stickers are applied to panels of 1.5m by 250mm. We have tried a PVC glove but these get stolen (the same as magnetic decals). Another solution would be to mount it on a separate panel and "this" panel is then mounted onto the main panel but we're also trying to keep costs down.

If someone knows of a sticker that will stick in farming conditions but that will come off relatively easily I would appreciate it.


texts:
I'm trying to setup a Photoshop droplet that will:

Resize to fit 2500x2500px
Save for Web (or Save as JPG) in a specific folder
Resize to fit 600x600px
Save for Web (or Save as JPG) in the same folder, but with prefix of "T_"
Close image

Is that possible? I can't seem to find a way to add the prefix at stage 4.

Thanks, Frank


texts:
A client wants us to use this specific Uncle Sam logo:

The Uncle Sam logo was used by the US Government starting ~75 years ago. This one may or may not be a re-creation, but out of general curiosity:

If someone re-creates an old public domain icon today, do they own it, or is that piece also public domain?


texts: How to create matte black paper on Photoshop?

texts:
I want to mock up the paper texture seen here, but I can't find any proper tutorial or link on it. Would anybody know how to get this done?

I tried this… As well as this… and a few others on youtube about Matte effect on Photos But the first one just gave me a roughish texture, and the second one made it a little Instagramish. I'm new to PS and am probably doing it wrong.

Samples in comments. My reputation doesn't allow me to post more than one link


texts: Step and repeat for offset path - Illustrator

texts:
In Adobe Illustrator, is there a workaround to easily repeat the process of offsetting a path? Just as you can input the number of desired steps using the blend tool, is there a similar option for the offset path command? I am also wondering why it isn’t possible to constrain proportions when using the blend tool with irregular shapes…

A similar thread on Adobe Forums can be found here


texts: Illustrator: how to merge multiple gradients

texts:
Is it possible to merge multiple gradients into one object?

For example: a rectangle with two radial gradients in two corners. How can I implement that?


texts: What script font is is used for the Villa Rheinblick logo?

texts:
a friend needs a relaunch of his website, gave me all the data he has including a 2kb .gif of the logo which is just a pain in the eye!
He doesn't know which font this is, directed me to the whattjhefont-page… smh

I thought it could be the Snell Roundhead by Adobe, but i'm not sure.

Anyone there who recognize it?
Thanks!


texts:
Somehow I've messed up my default (Auto) line-height (leadning) in Photoshop.
It does more than double line spacing instead of the regular 1.5 or whatever it is. It's definitely not double by default thought. There are no new lines between the text and the paragraph tab is also zeroed out. The only way I can get around this is to copy text layers from older photoshop files.  Reset Character or Paragraph didn't fix it. Does it for all fonts and sizes.
Couldn't find anything on that topic online. Any clue what it might be? I hope it's not something stupid :)
Download .PSD
PS CC (21.1.3)


texts: What is the easiest way to export just the selected objects in Illustrator?

texts:
The title says it all, I want to know what the simplest way to export the selected objects.  In Inkscape, there is a menu option called export selected which does just this.

The aforementioned option lets you export the selection as a composite image or as a batch of individual images.  Both would be nice, but in this scenario I want to export the selected objects as a single image.

I can already create a new document, and paste in the selected items.  I am looking for a way that is easier than this.

How can I save / output / export only the objects I currently have selected, to an image file, in Adobe Illustrator CS5?


texts: What is a logo called when it consists of a symbol, title and slogan?

texts: Do logos that are constructed using a symbol, title and slogan have a specific name?


texts: Print out PNG image on transparent sheet

texts:
I have created two PNG images with 0.4 opacity, which I want to print out on transparent plastic paper, purpose is to see lower sheet text and images show little bit clear from the above printed sheet.

So my question is that if it is possible to print out PNG transparent(0.4 opacity) image on transparent plastic sheet, which looks as transparent to see both the upper and lower image design on it ? And if yes, what printer required to complete this on plastic sheet ?

Something like this

Photo source google

I wasn't able to find out any particular answer on this, so please let me know if this is duplicate of any question or this is not a suitable question for this site.


texts: Hey does anyone know how you can get this increasingly popular door shade technique that helps objects look 3d. (Im talking about the way the object with arrows pointed to it is made of of 2 shades of grey on the pixel scale to look rough)


texts: How to add a DOUBLE outline to a text or a shape in Adobe Illustrator ?

texts: I am creating a logo and I would like to put a double outline on it, do you know any clever way to do it ?


texts:
I have an SVG vector object that consists of a few paths, some of which need to be masked.

For this I've made 5 SVG masks. All of them seem to be working (i.e. masking their respective object), except for one! I'm probably missing something obvious, but I'm not seeing it.

In short: how do I get the visible element within the circle to be properly masked? Any pointers would be hugely appreciated.

The object is up at this pen: http://codepen.io/anon/pen/LNYOya


texts: How to delete a selection with straight edges in Photoshop

texts:
I have an issue deleting selected area in Photoshop.

I use pen tool -> make a selection -> set 0px feather, +anti-alias ->
And I have a result like below:

Am I missing something to get straight and accurate edges ?
Maybe that's relative to some sort of pixels snaping?

UPD. Without anti-alias:


texts: How can I animate images with a paper workflow instead of digital tablet?

texts:
Not everyone has the possibility to use graphics tablets. I myself have one, but is in no way comparable to the precision that I have when drawing on paper (and even fewer are those who can afford professional graphic tablets like the Cintiq).

The question: how is it possible to illustrate and animate on paper without having to spend too much?


texts: Is it possible to add a field/button to a pdf that allows a user to insert an image using Reader?

texts:
A client of mine wants to be able to edit text and add images to a PDF. I've set the text fields but struggling with adding images. I've created a button that runs JavaScript to add a PDF but can this be changed to add JPEGs.

Is anyone any else having this problem?


texts: Simple way to give this image a more 3-D effect?

texts:
Newbie to photoshop.
Any ideas on how to give this image a more 3-D effect? The purpose of the diamond is for art for a game.


texts: Is there a way to make a rectangular frame auto resize in Photoshop CC?

texts:
I realize it's a bit of a strange question, but I didn't want to make the title too long. In InDesign CC, you can edit a text box so that it auto resizes based on the amount of text contained within it.

Is there a way to do something similar in Photoshop? If you want to make a variety of buttons for a brand, they of course have to be consistent, so it would be nice if there was a way to set a text frame with the style, color, and amount of padding you want so that whenever you type in your text you don't have to sit there making sure it's consistent with the rest.

I want to be able to make a file like this, then save it in the CC library so that it can be dragged out and used as a template of sorts-- or have we not gotten that far with Photoshop yet?

Thanks for any help!


texts: Does anyone know the name of this typography/design style?

texts: Does anyone know of a label that could be applied to the style of typography/design above?


texts:
I've been tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to get gimp to do a scale in the way I want. I think what I'm after is either a non-linear scale, or a trapezoid distort. I'm not sure I'm using the right terms (which makes it hard to google potential solutions), so to demonstrate I've knocked up a couple of images. If this is my source image:

Then this is what I want (I produced this manually to demonstrate):

I've tried the resize tools, but that only allows for square resizing, rather than a distorted scale like I want. The shear tool doesn't do scaling. Cage transform bends the image so that doesn't work either. Perspective distort is close, but affects the x position of the vertical lines which I don't want:

I've also tried some of the filters but again couldn't get any of them to produce the effect I'm after (the curve bend filter seems like it might work, but I can't get it to produce the correct result).
I'm a fair programmer so if it needs a custom filter writing I can probably manage it if somebody could provide some tips as to what I need to do (some kind of matrix transform perhaps?)


texts: Automatically reduce (remove some) nodes to smooth an SVG

texts:
I have an SVG image that consists of thousands of nodes. How can I use Inkscape to automatically reduce the number of nodes while keeping the overall shape?

An example image is Fist.svg, with a small number of high-resolution paths. The whole document consists of tens of thousands of nodes.

This looks great at high resolution, but at lower resolution the overall image can be represented with far fewer nodes.

What can I do in Inkscape to say “Reduce this path to about 10% of the existing nodes, removing only those which are fine-detail deviations from the overall path” without me needing to choose any of those nodes manually? Can Inkscape discriminate based on that criterion?

If not Inkscape, is there another simple tool I can use to specify a reduction in vector resolution by reducing the number of nodes?


texts: Is it normal practice to screen share with a client?

texts:
I have a client who has asked if it's possible to screen share so that he can watch/dictate changes in real time.

The issue is, I've already made several requested revisions per his direction. However, once he changes one thing, another is affected therefore, requiring additional revisions.

I've never been asked to screen share with previous jobs, so I was unsure if this is normal? I'm worried that if it isn't and I do it once that it will be expected by the client in the future.

I want the client to be happy with the result, but how do I approach this?


texts:
What are the rules concerning incorporating stock image elements into a website branding or logo?

From what I understand, IStockPhoto.com doesn't allow it.  Are there any stock images sites that do?  Is there a specific licensing option required?

Please note- I'm not talking about adopting a stock image as a logo straight up- just using it as an element in a larger logo or brand design.  What I want to know is if there's any leeway there, or if logos must always be original art from the ground up.

Thanks-


texts: How to optimize my pictograms for Retina screens?

texts:
Surprise when I saved my pictograms for the Web (from Illustrator):
They are strictly not as clean as expected => totally blurred.

Here's an example from my Retina smartphone:

And the initial .ai file:

The difference is obvious...

Reading over the web, I read that Retina screens expect each element to be built at a specific resolution.

Assuming that my elements are made using vectors (thanks to Illustrator), what would be an efficient way to fit my Retina display? For instance, an iPhone 6.

I read so many distinct solutions from the web that I don't know what are the most usual steps that graphic design experts deal with.


texts: How can I add an overlay clipping mask to a multi color map in Illustrator?

texts: I have a large area city map where every neighborhood is a different color. I want a textured overlay on top. When I use the texture as a clipping mask the bottom neighborhoods disappear and only the texture is left. Is there a way to put the texture as an overlay on top of the color shapes without changing the colors?


texts: Scribus can't import my MATLAB eps figure and has issues too if it's converted to SVG in Inkscape

texts:
I have a MATLAB script that produces figures in eps format. I attempted to import into Scribus but got a fatal error. Instead I imported into InkScape first to convert to SVG (no problem there), but then when I import that SVG into Scribus, the axis numbers get jumbled and the dashed lines get crazy (it tells me "File contains some unsupported features"). What am I doing wrong/what should I do to keep things looking right? Here's how they look:

MATLAB eps imported into Inkscape:

After importing SVG to Scribus:

(I'm running Scribus 1.4.7; should I be using 1.5.x or no?)


texts: How do I convert an image to 5 grades of gray in photoshop?

texts:
I want to do some shading exercises and I have a 5 values scale from white to black with 3 shades of gray.

How can I convert a picture to have only 5 colors in photoshop?

I know how to convert it to gray scale but I don't know how to take it further to only 5 colors.

Thanks


texts:
I have a mobile app interface with a list of dates and notes:

Sep 5 - No longer contagious
Sep 6 - Can return to school
...
Sep 9 - Back to normal

Right now I am using an ellipsis to indicate a gap in days, or time passing between notes. The problem I'm seeing is that this is commonly used to indicate that the user can tap for "more" info, and users are trying to do this. I see problems with other icons as well:

Clock: indicates time itself, not a span of time
Hourglass: indicates waiting

What can I use to illustrate the passage of a few days time?


texts: What is the "unambiguously correct" pictogram for database storage?

texts: I want to draw a mockup design of a set of microservices forming a web application. I need to represent a database storage in it. I would like to know if there is  consensus on which pictogram is accepted as representing the storage of the data in the database (not the database application itself).


texts: Display zero-width strokes in Illustrator?

texts:
I'm working on some die-cutting designs in Illustrator.

I have made a symbol out of a 200px-wide rectangular shape. The stroke around the shape's perimeter has a thickness of 1px. As a result, the symbol has a width of 201px.

I would like the symbol to not include the stroke thickness in the dimensions of the symbol.

Things I have tried:

Converting the strokes to guides. While they show up light-blue in symbol isolation mode, they are invisible otherwise.
Giving the shape a fill. This works, but I do not want the shape to have a fill.
Giving the stroke a thickness of 0. They turn invisible and I cannot see them.

Thank you for any suggestions!

Edit: Further complicating things: the path is open. That is, one edge of the rectangle has no stroke—so I can't change the stroke alignment.


texts: Union & Intersect two shapes in Sketch produces odd result. Bug?

texts:
Please focus on the right side of the result shape.

Results of union & intersect are unexpected. Is this a bug?


texts: Need To Do a Contour Design in Illustrator

texts:
I need to find a tutorial (or just be pointed in the right direction) into learning how to make a design in Illustrator that is contoured. I'm basically trying to make a design for a cup. Here's the template I've been given:

I've got images and text that I want to put on it but it would appear that I need to curve the images to make it work on this template. What is it that I need to learn? I'm not very familiar with this kind of design and just need to read up on it. Thanks.


texts: Why is Inkscape creating a diamond-shaped hole when I fill in my path?

texts:
I created the outline of the bee shape below using the arc tool for the head and body, and the Bezier curve Spiro path tool for the side wings. I then connected these 4 paths using Combine paths (CTRL-K).

Now when I try to fill in this path I get this empty diamond in the middle where it won't fill in, shown below the bee shape.

Why is this happening and how can I avoid it?


texts: Adobe Illustrator - Blend Inner and outer line

texts:
I am using Adobe Illustrator; I have these two shapes: outer and inner, and I want to repeat them in between.

I tried offset path with miter and they didn't matc;, the corners were starting to get round.

Also I tried blending them but got an undesirable effect.

Any idea how I can solve this?


texts: Screen printing a glowing effect on a black garment

texts:
My goal is to screen print a "glowing sign" on a black garment, such as the one below:

There's a main color and a brighter, accent color. The main color also has the fading background effect.
The idea is get something like this onto the garment:

I created halftones like below:

As shown the purple base layer also extends a shadow using halftones. For the solid parts I made a white underbase and choked it, but I'm not sure whether I should also put a white underbase on the halftoned sections.
How can I best achieve this glow effect on a black garment?
Should I put an underbase for the halftones even if it's too fine to choke it?
Also, I'm planning to print this on a 230 mesh screen for the purple and 156 mesh for the underbase. How do I know if my halftone dots are too small for the mesh?
The film positive for this came out like so:

I haven't tried burning a screen with this film yet, but I'm worried that I've already done something wrong!
Any additional tips and advise for this design welcome.


texts: Is there a way (without dragging) to move layer into specific group in Photoshop?

texts:
Is there a way (without dragging) to move a layer into specific group in Photoshop? Because I have large PSD file (greater than 100 layers), moving a layer into a group by just dragging is too hard to find the specific group. Maybe some plugin can let me just right click on the layer, and select "send to..." to specific group?

I know some people would suggest that we can close groups first and then drag, but I still want to know if there is a more effective way?

Thanks.


texts: How to draw a text frame on document page

texts: This seems to be a stupid question. How do I draw a text frame on the actual document page in inDesign 5.5 -- NOT on a master page?


texts: automatically duplicate and scatter a shape

texts:
A graphic' worth a million words :

The red-circled wave (and associated layer) is Illustrator-made.
The other waves were made in Photoshop just to support my problem : this is what I try to achieve in Illustrator.
How can I automatically generate a certain number of copies from one layer (e.g. the wave) and again automatically and randomly place them around one position or in another layer (e.g. the ocean) ?


texts: Linking multiple layers to the same smart object

texts:
I have a sketch with hundreds of identical squares in separate layers. Now, I want to edit every square in the same way - let's say I want to give them a funny hat - without having to edit them one at a time. Is it possible to do this in Photoshop? Could smart objects provide a solution?
I understand the squares can be turned into separate smart objects, which can then be edited one at a time. Or you can put them all together in a single smart object. But is it possible to link them all to a smart object with just one single square in it, so that you can edit them all at once?
Alternatively, if you know a different way to achieve the same result I would be interested in that as well.
I use Photoshop CS4.


texts: How to crop a vector graphic in Adobe Illustrator to paste into InDesign?

texts:
I tried cropping a vector image in Adobe Illustrator by following this link:

How can I crop everything outside of an art board in Illustrator?

I was able to do it once.

I repeated the steps and it just won't crop.

I found out the 'secret' steps.

Follow the same steps in the link up to:
Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Double click on the object.
Double click again on the object.
Double click again on the object.
It will turn into a white rectangle.
Press Delete.
The subject graphic shows up slightly faded.
Double click on this.
It becomes unfaded.
Select a bounding box around it and copy.

In Adobe InDesign, create a rectangle frame.
Paste Into.
Fit frame to contents.

Repeated again and it doesn't work anymore. There is a lot of white space around the graphic. I've tried a dozen times.

Anybody had this problem and is able to solve it?


texts: Scriptable Image Editing Desktop Applications

texts:
PhotoShop and (IIRC) FireWorks both allow for batch processing of images following a recorded script. Are there other desktop image editing applications I could look at that also have that same capability? Open source or pay. MacOS or Windows (Or Ubuntu, for that matter).

I am primarily looking for an easy way to batch resize collections of images. Ideally, I could auto-crop as well (crop canvas to maximum image size).


texts: InDesign: display delta x/y values (instead of document coordinates) when moving an object

texts:
I know that Illustrator and Photoshop both do a great job of showing you how far you have moved an object, in relation to its original position.  As it is, InDesign displays the object's coordinates and that is all.  Is there a way to display the delta values?  I'm sick of doing this mentally, especially because ID can often go to 4 decimal spaces.

Photoshop:

Illustrator:

InDesign:

You can see how much easier it is to determine how far you have moved an object in the first two programs, versus InDesign.  How do I get InDesign to play nice?


texts: How to convert a monochrome map into mosaic squares?

texts:
How can I change this monochrome map of Europe...

...into mosaic squares, with the pixels offset by a fixed width?

I asked this question but I couldn't find a suitable answer. I hope that you can help me with this.


texts: Please help, how to do off registration in Illustrator CS6?

texts: I am trying to do an assignment and I need to do off registration. I cannot figure out how to get into the channels so I can move the colors to be off register. I can only figure out how to get into the separations, but it is not helping me. How can I make something off register? Thank you so much in advance! There aren't a lot of clear answers on Google.


texts: Animated gif in PS only shows first frame

texts:
So I have a series of images that I am trying to make into an animated gif. I have an animation time line and all that basic jazz, and I have saved for the web as a gif.

When I reach the final save menu, I only get the option for html and images. The html setting shows the animation in sequence but cannot be uploaded to my webpage with out only being the first image of the animation with no action at all. The image setting just shows all the images in separate documents.

What is up with this thing?


texts: How to make a smooth PMS gradient transition in Illustrator

texts:
I'm currently working on versions of a logo that has some gradients. CMYK looks fine but I'm getting poor results with PMS. I would normally fix this by building a mixed ink in Indesign but it doesn't seem possible in Illustrator. I also tried putting the lightest color solid on the bottom layer and putting the gradient on a top layer in overprint fill but I'm afraid that's not the best way to submit my file.

Any ideas? Here is a screenshot of the gradient in CMYK (left) and PMS (right); I want to make the zone where colors are transitioning smoother and have a printer-friendly file.


texts: When opacity for a group is reduced the groups behind it is being visible in sketchapp. Is there a way to make it opaque?

texts: When opacity for a group is reduced the groups behind it is being visible in sketchapp. Is there a way to make reduce the opacity of a foreground layer without making the layers behind it  Inkscape seems to not have this problem.


texts: Is it possible to automatically remove the same object from every page in InDesign?

texts: I have a pre-made document and I want to remove a line (same length, same stroke, same color) from every page. Is there a quick way to do this aside from deleting manually?


texts: Adobe Illustrator PDF displays incorrectly in Apple's Preview application

texts:
I tried to export my AI file from Illustrator (Save As..) as a PDF, but for some reason, the logo come out very badly.

Editable PDF

The exported file ends ups like this : http://d.pr/i/SySs

( I looked at the pdf on dropbox, and it looks fine. But for some strange reasons, in Preview it looks like the image above. It's pretty strange. )


texts: How to use clipping mask and difference together in Inkscape

texts:
Basically I used a clipping mask to cut out some letters in my gradient, then followed the steps in this thread but can't get the same result

Here is my lettering after clipping with a path on a raster image:

Then I apply all the steps from the thread I mentioned above. But instead of getting the desired result of making the holes in the letters transparent, my full gradient PNG is restored and the holes become transparent AND I lose my lettering outline, so basically, I just have holes in my gradient PNG and not letter shapes... Like this result:

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?


texts: How to indicate or extract wrinkles, based on photo, with Adobe Photoshop?

texts:
I want to take out all the wrinkles and folds from shirt image and save in new file.

I mean is it possible to remove all other colors from shirt and leave only wrinkles in it? So we can paste those wrinkles on some other shirt image?

For Example I have this shirt

You can see that there are wrinkles and folds in shirt's arm etc. I want to remove everything and just leave those wrinkles. So I can paste those wrinkles on my other shirt photos.

My target is that I have been given plan fabric pictures and now I have to make those pictures like they have wrinkles as in the above picture. But I don't know how to do it. And wrinkles are to be copied from other pictures my client provide me along with fabric pictures. Take an example as I have this fabric picture

and now I have to paste those wrinkles in it. Thanking you in advance.


texts:
I've used Photoshop extensively, but the fact of the matter is that it's a photo editing tool. It has some complicated effects built in, such as the drop shadow and inner and outer glows etc., but it just isn't enough when designing a graphical interface. You can't add multiple editable gradients, for example. And you have to trick the tools into pulling off the effect you want, when they weren't designed for that.

I've also started using Fireworks, and there's a few things I like, such as being able to keep changing the curves on a rounded rectangle, but the color picker in that program just isn't usable. When you go into the mac color picker, it says the color is something different to what it is, due to Fireworks not handling color profiles correctly. This makes adjusting colors a very difficult process. And the software as a whole feels like a pre-release version (and maybe it should be).

So, I'm wondering what software everyone would recommend for creating a GUI? There must be some software out there which allows you to have a range of editable effects which you can change, change the order of, move around at any time, along with all the other tools required to create great graphics.


texts:
A friend asked me to develop a logo for his wife's hair salon. Originally I worked with just text, but she said she definitely wanted scissors as part of the logo, so I built in the the H + D (hair daun) in to the scissors but originally mirrored so that when the girls has the logo on their uniforms, the logo would then appear correctly. So we went for the normal look.

Today, however, a local business in their hometown has told them that I have stolen the logo from his site, made a few minor adjustments to make it appear as if it is a custom logo.

I had no idea the company existed until an hour ago, and I am really confused as to where the comparison has come from.

My Logo

Supposed Stolen Logo


texts: Tool for creating animated timeline Infographic?

texts:
I'm looking for a tool to create an Infographic-like timeline (historical, like in the picture below), but I need it also to be animated by auto-scrolling from beginning to end of timeline either horizontally or vertically. The tool should be able to extract the project as movie or gif.

visme
I checked https://www.visme.co/ and I saw the option to download the project as MP4, but I wasn't sure if this is what I need because I need to pay to enable it. I'm OK with paying but after I know for fact it will help me accomplish the timeline as required. Would appreciate if someone can confirm.


texts: How do you tell where your cursor is when using a Wacom tablet?

texts: I'm considering purchasing a tablet with no screen that connects to your monitor. Questions like this explained that this is no problem because after all, you don't need to look at your mousepad to draw with a mouse. But a mouse stops drawing when you stop clicking. How do you keep your pen from drawing a pencil mark when you touch it to the pad to find out where the cursor is?


texts:
I've made an animation using Sketch + Principle + Photoshop. I exported the video as high quality 1080p MOV or MP4. But when I upload the video to Instagram, result is very bad. Here you can see the results: https://www.instagram.com/uxiconix/

How can I upload to Instagram without losing quality?


texts:
I'm looking to create an effect similar to this one in Photoshop:

I.e. with a normal background but then with a shape which has properties that make it transparent but with some distortions like the shape distortions and the colour distortions.

Would somebody be able to point me in the right direction of how to recreate this effect?


texts: SVGs export adding pixels in preview and browser

texts:
Hopefully some simple solution to this, but basically when I export an icon create in sketch it basically adds a pixel. Is this an export problem or a rendering issue in chrome for example? (or both).

Here's a screenshot of what's being exported:

As you can see it all aligns to the pixel grid etc.

Here is what I see in preview:

As you can see it's distinctly broken. I guess perhaps the arrow head is broken because the tip falls on a half pixel? But I can't explain the issue with the horizontal line at the top doubling in height! Please help!


texts: Joining transparent objects without overlap in InDesign

texts:
I'd like to join a transparent line and a transparent filled circle together without creating an overlap region with a different transparency. How can I do this in InDesign? None of the path or pathfinder tools seem to accomplish this.

To ilustrate the problem:

Note the small overlap region (between the yellow circle and the line) which is darker colored because two transparent objects overlap. I want to avoid this type of overlap.

EDIT: from an answer below (thanks) I realize my illustration was unclear. I am talking about the overlap between two yellow objects, pointed out by the red arrow:

I would like to get rid of the darker area where the two shapes overlap (that is, not delete, but just have it be the same color as the rest). Using Pathfinder > Add, however, causes some unexpected behavior: the circle inherits the fill and stroke properties of the line, and the line disappears (it's not that it has stroke width zero, it's just gone):

How can I avoid this ugly overlap area?


texts: How do I save a layer without the transparent background?

texts:
I have a layer, which I would like to save as an image. See

(the image is the complete button)
When I choose the layer and choose file->save for web.. it save the image with the transparent background. I would like save the image without the background - just the image itself (which is way smaller than the full one)

How can I do it?

I am using PhotoShop CS5


texts: Critique: How to display competitors options alongside your own without confusion?

texts:
I am designing a flyer and need to compare competitors against the product the flyer is promoting. There are three options, the product and the 2 competitors.

I will have my product in in the middle with the price beneath it with a competitor to either side.

Without having the words BEST CHOICE beneath my product, what are some good design ideas to highlight that my product vs the competitors. So far I have an idea to make my product in color and the other 2 in grayscale and also make my product option a little bit larger.

Are there better ways to accomplish my goal?

Edit: Here is a link to the aspect of the design in question. Drug 2 is the product I am trying to sell. Drug 1 is similar to Drug 2 but more expensive.  Hope this helps with the clarification.

We did some testing with some doctors and they were still confused about Drug 2 being the main selling point.  How can we make this more clear and simpler to see?  Thanks for your assistance.


texts:
For a design I'm making I need to use a character similar to the "greater than" sign (>), only less wide. Like this:

However, I'm having difficulties finding such a symbol. Would I have to use a .png image for this or can I use a real text character?


texts: Remove hidden parts of strokes in illustrator

texts:
I am trying to optimize a file to draw it with a plotter.
If I use the file "as-is" a lot of strokes will be drawn by the plotter that are actually not visible parts of the drawing.
So I would like to remove all the parts of strokes that are not visible.
In this screenshot, I highlighted the kind of strokes I want to remove on the jogger woman, while I already removed all the invisible strokes for the man (a long process!).

The only way I can think of right now would be to rasterize the image and then image trace it, but ideally there would be a less destructive way of doing that?


texts: Every time I open [document properties] the dialogue window opens far left or right and I have to drag it into view. Is there a setting so when I open the dialogue it will open in the center of the screen and not some random place?


texts: Books/Rescources for Composition and Layout for Print?

texts:
I'm starting my education in Graphic Design soon (once I finish my current degree) and I'm pretty much immersed myself information in preparation including textbooks that I will be using and websites (like this one) to improve my knowlege base.

I also work at a retail store where I do graphic design on a daily basis in the print shop. Which has helped me in figuing out what I can and can't do and how long it takes me to complete a task.

The one hurdle that I'm facing right now is the ability for me to come up with layouts for designs and to be able to visualize compositions. I know that most of this will come with practice, my friends who have completed thier degrees have said that layout and composition are pretty straight forward and there are plenty of resources to learn or get inspired on how to layout graphics.

What are some of these resources? There are no books that I can find at my local library or Barney Nobo as thier graphic arts/design sections are very limiting.

I have purchased the Layout Index, but I find the book really....dated. I can kind of see what they are trying to do with the book, but all of the layouts that are in the book don't really inspire me.

Are there better places that explain layout? Perhaps mathematically? I do really well with math.

I also ask for print media specifically because there's already a good question asked about web layout.


texts: How to paste / edit text in a PNG file using Gimp?

texts: I have brought a PNG file off the Etsy website, and I want to add text on top of it, but once I added text it all distorts and it is very bad quality, but in another instance it did not and the image was fine. Any ideas as to why?


texts: How to transform a pixel image in vector logo in Inkscape?

texts:
I don't know if I'm in the right place, but I would like to know how to transform a pixel image I've made into a vector logo ?

I use this picture for my favicon of my personal web site.
And if you have any software recommendations, I work on mac. I prefer use an open source one.


texts:
Working with photoshop cs4 and given the image below, I need to measure the angle marked by the red line and turn the other figure. The objective is to have 5 similar figures in perfect circle, this means at the exact same distance each other. The final result should look like a round.

What would be the most efficient, correct method of doing this?


texts: Picking only black-white and grayscale images for batch-processing

texts:
Is it possible to pick only black-white and grayscale images for photoshop (or another graphical program) batch-processing, even if they are have colored mode (24 or 32 bit). Thus, all pixels bypass is required.

I need in it for conversion of every image to same image with adjust alpha channel. See my another question for detail.


texts:
I want to automatically generate a palette from an image.

Something like this, where the output is an image a single pixel tall, and 256 pixels wide, from all the colors of an input image.

I've tried Photoshop, where you can generate the palette, but it only supports exporting in .act and .pal files, which don't work for me.

The palette should be 256 colors, which the source image already is in.

I could do it manually, but it would take forever. Googling isn't helping me, but I thought there's bound to be someone that knows of a script or a way to do this.

I looked at this question, but the command doesn't work for me (Windows) and even if it did, I would still need a way to generate the actual png file from the text file it outputs.

Thanks in advance!

Also, I wasn't sure where to put this, so I hope this is the correct site. Feel free to delete it if it's not.

Edit: A way to convert an .act or .pal file to an actual image works as well. I couldn't find any way to do this either.


texts: Make vignette only affect one layer (Photoshop)

texts:
So, I'm pretty new to photoshop and I need some help.

I have a .png logo with a transparent background. On a new layer, I'm trying to put a vignette over the image (to give it a shaded look out the outer parts of the image), but the vignette ruins the transparency.

Is there a way to make the vignette only show up on the image and not anywhere that's transparent?

Thanks!


texts: Is there a way to convert a gradient made in Photoshop into a vector mesh?

texts:
I am not good at using a gradient mesh in illustrator or core draw (any vector program), it makes sense to create a non linear complex gradient in Photoshop. However when using tools like live trace I get a banding problem where each part of the gradient is split up into individual parts.

How would I convert the bitmap into a one piece gradient vector mesh, I use Corel Draw and Illustrator. Would not be opposed to using a standalone tool.


texts: Implying the ability to move a slider in my app's menu

texts:
Firstly I don't think I'm asking this in the right place, but Graphic design is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.  So my question should apply here. If it doesn't, please suggest where I should be asking about this.

How can I effectively and cleanly suggest the ability to move a set of 3 sliders in my menu.  A lot of the users using my chrome extension (Screen Shader) don't even realize that they can move the 3 black nubs on the top, left, and bottom sides of the menu with the orange gradient to change the amount of "shade" the extension produces on web pages throughout the day.

Does anyone know any good ways to point first-time installers in the right direction?  Can you figure out how it works on your first opening of the menu?  What could be improved?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Here are the 'nubs' i was talking about:


texts: InDesign: How to prevent darkened anti-aliased edges on placed .ai file?

texts:
I have an Illustrator file with some paths on a transparent background, one of which is a mesh inside a clipping path.
When I place this file inside a InDesign document and export as a PDF, the anti-aliased edges look darkened (similar to this problem). How can I prevent this?
When I "Save for Web" in Illustrator, I can choose PNG with "Art optimized" and this darkening does not happen. But I can't seem to find this option in InDesign (either on PDF export or during Place/import). Or is there some way to set in the Illustrator file how the clipping group should be anti-aliased?
Any suggestions?
I'm using CS6 btw.
EDIT:
So it seems to have to do with the clipping. (The other paths don't have this darkening of the anti-aliased edges.)
Also, the darkening seems to happen apart from InDesign.
Below are some screenshots of:

the view in Illustrator (zoomed-in version of the screenshot)
the "Safe for Web" as PNG preview window (Art optimized)
the "Safe for Web" as PNG preview window (Type optimized)

Of course, I could export as PNG (Art optimized) and use that inside InDesign. But the resulting export gives a fuzzy image (even when using a high resolution PNG).


texts: How many pages should I do as mockups in web design?

texts: Let's say we've mapped out the sitemap and there are about 10 pages. How many of those pages should I create as mockups? Of course, it's a given that there should be the landing page. But aside from the landing page, what other pages should I create (keeping in mind that none of the mockups I give will be final)?


texts:
I am attempting to recombine the two halves of a large photograph from a flatbed scanner without leaving an obvious seam.

Each image is 7206 x 9450 (and is a separate layer below).  There is about a 150 pixel overlap.

I can move each layer, confirming the position by toggling visibility.  However, the rotation is a bit off.  Rotating messes up the alignment of course and does not undo quickly.

Then, I got the idea of matching the alignment of the grey lines from the photograph being in the frame for so many years (see image).  I hope that if I get the grey lines perfectly horizontal, then the layers will be rotated correctly.  I would then be able to simply move one layer over the other and all features would match.

Questions:

Does GIMP have a feature in which I could select two points, then rotate the layer so a line between the points would be a straight line?
Would this approach likely remove the visible seam between the scanned images?


texts: How do I recreate the outer effect in this image in Illustrator

texts: I'm hoping someone can explain how I would recreate the outer effect in the attached image in Illustrator. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


texts: Setup GREP Style to move numbers to next line InDesign

texts:
I'm working on typesetting a book in InDesign that has verses. Each verse starts with a number. The numbers can't be at the end of the line as it is the beginning of the text on the next line. I learned here that GREP styles would be able to do this. I just don't know how to set up the grep style to find the numbers and move them to the next line.

Here's a sample block of text with the numbers in question highlighted:

Also, a side question - would it be possible to apply a character style to a specific type of text in InDesign using GREP? I'm currently applying character style manually to each number :|

Thanks guys!


texts: Identify sans-serif font in printed business card

texts:
I want to update the design on a business card, but I don't know the font used in the brand name (UN/CUARTO DESIGN). See the business card below.

I tried using different websites for this purpose but did not succeed. Following is the text used with and without filtering.


texts: Text background stands out when printing. What you see on screen is not what you get from the printer

texts:
Please can you advise me ? I made posters in Inkscape, being equations on coloured backgrounds. I blurred the equations because I think it looks "artistic" :) I then saved the Inkscape .svg files to pdf files, and had a copy shop print them out. On printing, the text has acquired a rectangular background of a colour which contrasts with the rest of the page:

How can I avoid this ? On screen there was no such rectangle.

EDIT

Opening the svg in internet explorer, it looks fine, i.e. there is no contrasting rectangle.

The Inkscape settings I used to save as pdf are:
Restrict to PDF version 1.5.
Convert text to paths: UNCHECKED
PDF and Latex: Omit text in pdf, and create LaTeX file: unchecked.
Rasterize Filter effects: checked. (Otherwise the text will not be blurred in the pdf file.)
Resolution for rasterization: 300 dpi
Output page size: Use document's page size
Bleed / margin (mm)  0.0

I don't know how to work with Layers.

The svg code is here:

the code of the svg file


texts:
Embarrassed to ask this question, I am not an expert at any software packages, just taught myself InDesign to do my CV and portfolio for a job vacancy.
Anyway I have completed adding photos to my portfolio.
Now I am trying to understand the Pixels Per Inch (PPI) of the images so when I email it across as a PDF the recipient can see it clearly.
The PPI of my photos all vary as I have increased and decreased their sizes. What do I do?


texts:
How can I create a slice-like area within a shape in Photoshop and apply a gradient to it. Here is an example - the black area:

I've tried to create one light grey shape and one black shape on a layer below and then subtracting a rectangular area from the top layer. However if I then apply a gradient to the black shape it starts at A and goes to C (in the background). I'd like the gradient to start at A and finish at B.


texts: How can I ensure consistency in web design?

texts:
I had a lot of trouble formulating this question, hopefully the title is representative to the question asked.

Currently I'm assisting / managing an intern with his first big 'web design' project. All the way from concept to creation. It started great, the intern is super motivated.

However I noticed that when we went from wire-frame to design, there was a lack of consistency in the way the elements were made. The same element was different nearly every time.

Let me give you an example, the intern could not 'see' the difference between a font-size of 12px and 16px. The intern could not notice the difference between Ariel and Roboto. So, say you have a 'news' element the same element was repeated 3 times on the page but every time the element was shown it was different (color / font-size / spacing etc.)

I keep finding consistency errors in every feedback moment we have. It is troubling me because I'm running out of suggestions to tackle the core problem. I already said: Make sure you group the element and copy it instead of re-creating the element.

Other suggestions include, create a linked element so if you change it in one location it changes everywhere.

When he creates a heading (H2) he might use #333333 for one and then use #707070 for the next H2 heading.

Do you have any system you use so you can keep consistency or do you have a similar experience?

Additional information

There seems to be a discussion going regarding CSS vs Image based built-outs. The intern does know some CSS, enough to create a simple layout. However not enough to be free from any restraints of designing the webpage. So for this specific intern the design happens in a tool, after that it will be made by a front-end developer.

Different interns have different aspirations, I / We try to motivate them to show there is no limitation for their creativity. I only require the top 3 designs made that fulfill the users needs as researched in an earlier process. We then discuss these designs and in most cases merge different elements together to create the best design.

I rather spend the time discussing why he picked a certain element instead of explaining how he can make a certain element. So if that means using a tool like Sketch / Affinity Designer etc. its fine.

Regarding the experience of the intern 3 years of school education.

Question title was originally:
Can you / how do you teach consistency in webdesign?


texts: adobe Illustrator: Join two paths WITHOUT merging layers

texts:
I want to join two paths so that their intersection is smooth. However, I want to keep each of the two paths as it’s own later so I can animate the individual paths after in After Effects.
My question: can I join two paths (like miter join etc) while keeping each path layer separate. If not, how might I join two paths but animate each path separately (ie each has its own rotation property, it’s own anchor point in After Effects, etc).


texts: How can I optimize the color changes to resemble how objects look in the far distance?

texts:
I want to resemble how objects look in the far distance, so I need to shift the colors in the objects to some bluish tone where the farther the object the closer the color is to the one in the sky. At the moment I just copy the objects in the foreground, change the scale, remove a bit of saturation in HSB color space, and then change some values in RGB or CMYK color space moving the values closer to blue in the sky. This procedure is error prone and require multiple interactions, so I was wondering whether there is a plugin or a third party tool or something I can use to speed up the process.

For instance, in this case I change the blue component in RGB color space to the bluish side.

Some times it's no clear what direction to move the handles in RGB color space so I need to change to CMYK color space.


texts: Best Practice : Adobe Illustrator Layer Setup

texts:
I've worked in Illustrator for years... not professionally. I'm starting to charge for my services, and started wondering. I've taken an Illustrator class at my local college, and designed hundreds of things in Illustrator and other vector illustration software packages. But I've never seen, nor heard of, a best practices for creating layers within a vector illustration.

I recently asked an artist friend of mine for a high res image of one of his sketches so I can vectorize it. One of the things I would like to do once I am done is play with brush types on the image... however, if I do the digital inking like I usually do, then the image will be one huge vector image rather than pieces that I can edit and tweak.

Other than 'common sense' is there a guide for creating and using layers in a vector image program? Is there a book that would list out the types of pieces of an image that should be layered versus just one huge vector piece at the end?


texts: Photoshop: How am I supposed to change the keyboard shortcut for "Select Next/Previous Layer"?

texts:
According to Photoshop keyboard shortcuts page, the shortcut for "Select next layer down/up" is ALT+[ or ALT+] meaning it hasn't even been set up yet since the [ or ] defines the user changing it themselves manually. But when going to the actual keyboard shortcuts dialog menu in Photoshop, nowhere is the "Select next layer down/up" to be found. So how am I supposed to manually change it?

Regardless, does anyone know how I can manually change the shortcut for the Select Next/Previous Layer?


texts: Photoshop CC keeps adding blank layers to my GIf images

texts: Photoshop CC is adding blank frames in to the gif that I am creating from a video.  Even if I delete the blank layers or put something on them it still exports with blanks that cause the image to flicker. (Export via save for web (legacy) GIF option that Ive seen in a few tutorials.  There are 144 frames (layers), I did try with less but the speed got too fast. Any ideas on why this might be?


texts: How do I map Illustrator artwork on a sphere?

texts:
I am looking for help with creating spherical map similar to provided in picture: the 6 parts spherical map image setup (bent):

I want to put together a promotional balloon vinyl,and I want to print on advertising material and thus put together a balloon, when put together to be whole advertisement.

My problem is, write logo like this in the figure that, when cut dlove and merge into the sphere of painting merge and be whole


texts: Where can I find backgrounds for my poster?

texts:
I'm designing a 3'x2' flex poster for my startup. I'm a long time GIMP user but this is the first time I'm designing poster for printing (Vector graphics).

Coming to the design. It's pretty simple. Just my Logo, Company Name, Phone No on a white background. It pretty much looks like Microsoft Word 2010 splash screen without the Golden yellow colored background design. But its just this background that makes it looks beautiful.

I'm looking for similar (exactly same would be ideal :) vector graphic art to add it to my poster. Just this one addition would change the look & feel of it. Can any one tell me where can I get designs like these?


texts: Prevent artboard size from doubling if DPI is increased - Illustrator

texts:
I want to put a footer in an email. The footer will be 650px wide, and in PNG format.

I am designing the footer in Adobe Illustrator CC. When i go to export if i export at 72DPI the outputted file is 650px wide. But the artwork is not crisp.

If i output at 150DPI the artwork is crisp, but the outputted file is 1313px wide.

Is there a way i can set the art-board to export at 650px width, but 150DPI ?


texts: Why does 'Giclee Print' not have 'Digital' included?

texts:
I am in the process of putting together various 'Digital Prints' and 'Giclee Prints', which will be available for sale in the future.

Done correctly, a Giclee Print should be of better quality than its Digital counterpart.  As such, Giclee Prints typically being more expensive.

With this in mind, I was thinking of branding my future Digital Prints as 'Standard Prints' with the Giclee Prints being referred to as the 'Premium Prints'.  For me, this makes logical sense.

The problem I am having, however, is that most Artists and Customers refer to the standard prints as 'Digital Prints' with the Giclee Prints as, well, 'Giclee Prints'.  In other words, excluding 'Digital' from the 'Giclee Prints', despite a Giclee also being a Digital Print.

What is bothering me here, is that both print variants are Digital, yet only the cheaper of the two is actually referred to as a 'Digital Print'.

Is there a right and wrong way to refer to these variants?  Maybe they are referred to as 'Digital Prints' and 'Digital Giclee Prints', with 'Digital' simply being dropped from the latter or maybe Giclee was introduced at a time when Digital Printing was not around, where it has simply embraced Digital Printing, whilst maintaining its original name?


texts:
I have a document that I'm currently working on in InDesign which has white text on a dark background. Graphic styles (boxes with outlines) are also light on dark. This is well and good for when I want to show this document on-screen, but if I have to print the document out that would be a lot of black. I'd like to have a way to quickly switch between dark-on-light and light-on-dark themes so I can print out my document with black ink for type, etc. on white paper.

In Keynote I can create two separate themes — one for light-on-dark and one for dark-on-light — and if I want to change between the two I just switch which template the document uses. Is there a way to do this in InDesign?


texts: Syntax highlighting in InDesign with presets for HTML, CSS and Javascript?

texts:
I want to use code in an inDesign document, and for that to be easily readable and pretty, I am looking for a way to get a syntax highlighting as in texteditors like notepad++, Sublime Text and Atom.

Since I need real syntax highlighting (so that, for example, different data types are depicted with different colors), it is not sufficient to assign colors to certain characters (like the brackets). Also it would be nice if I could manually change in which color certain elements are depicted, but that's not absolutely necessary. Since I want to use different code types (mostly HTML, CSS and Javascript), it would be too much work to manually assign parameters on when to highlight what, so I need something that has presets for at least the three languages mentioned above.

Of course, I could use screenshots, but I don't want that since the code should be copyable (is this even a word? LOL) ...

So, is there a way to either get the syntax highlighting from the texteditors mentioned above into inDesign or achieve a similar effect in inDesign itself?


texts: Image resizing, maintaing image size - beginner question

texts:
I am attempting to resize an image from 480x800 to 320x240. Below are the results. The original image has an oval shaped circle whereas the re-sized image has a more spherical shape. Is it possible to re-size the original image so that the circle and rectangle are in their original proportions but smaller?

Is there (hopefully free) software that can achieve this ?


texts:
I'm a UX developer and have 1000s of icons, ui designs and ui parts and the like and would like to better organize them. Currently I have them in well marked folders such as:

icons-currency
icons-globes
ui-forms
ui-navigation-tabs
ui-scrollbars

I'm not happy with this method and am leaning more towards tagging individual graphics as opposed to putting into different directories. I think tagging will allow me to more easily "cross-pollinate" different ideas (meaning that I things won't be so rigidly separated).

In case it matters I work with Windows (as I suppose you got from my use of directories instead of folders).

I've looked at Adobe Bridge and it seems close to what I'm thinking about. Ideally I would like to be able to work on an icon or idea and keep it in the project working directory and tag it so I can find it easily later.

How do you keep your 1000s of icons, completed projects and ideas organized?

EDIT:

I have no problem finding things when I'm looking for something I know. Example: looking for scrollbars I go to UX-Scrollbars. (no problem)

But there are many times I'm looking for something less clear than a specific UX attribute, something that (1) I can barely picture in my mind; or (2)something that was part of a screenshot and saved elsewhere.

I will look more at Windows tagging. When I tried it a while back the "tag" wasn't automatically part of the search box.

EDIT 2:

WOW - I played with tags a while ago and didn't find as useful as I wanted. This seems to work well in addition to folders. It's not as user friendly as I would want ... but too bad. It works. The one last thing I will have to check is to see if the tags stay with the file as I move them to another computer.

The tags do stay with the file. It works! Ugly, but works.

EDIT 3:

As a follow-up tagging does not work on .gifs or .pngs.

  You cannot store tags to .GIF files because metadata was not included in the standard for the CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format. You could theoretically store tags to .PNG files because a lot of versatility was written into the Portable Network Graphics format, but to date no single standard for storing metadata to PNGs has arisen.   http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-pictures/tagging-png-and-gif-files/67f74612-3ea0-4d59-a0b8-dfbc648805fd


texts: How to select a single anchor point on a frame in InDesign?

texts:
I'm having trouble selecting single anchor points in InDesign. When I click a frame's anchor point with the direct selection tool (white arrow), it selects all of the frame's points. To get a single point selected, I have gotten used to click-drag selecting a single point and then clicking the point I want.

That doesn't work in documents with lots of overlapping objects, for I need to start click-dragging in 'empty' space. If I don't, InDesign will assume I want to drag the contents of the object I start click-dragging on. I could, of course, lock all those objects and then click-drag select. Sounds like a hassle, though.

Is there an easier, more direct way to just select a single anchor point in InDesign? I'm using CS6 if that is of any importance.


texts: Cut a freeform shape and create border in Gimp?

texts:
I've got an image of several irregular shapes on white background.

(.=white)
......................
......................
.....11.....22222.....
....111.......22222...
...111................
.....1................
......................

I want to create several other files, each containing one shape from the original image, placed on the transparent background.

(.=transparent)
......
...11.
..111.
.111..
...1..
......

So far the solution is easy: use Free Select Tool on each shape, Copy, create a new file, in Advanced Options select "Fill with Transparency", Paste, Image -> Autocrop Image.

Here's where my complications arises.  These output shapes will be placed on another picture, quite colorful, and if these files are created like this, they are visible very poorly due to colors meshing.  I'd like to create a border around each shape that is exact shape of my freeform selection.  How can I do that?

A simple answer - use a paintbrush and trace the line again - isn't satisfying because my hand won't repeat exact same shapes, so the border will be jaggy.

A border tool isn't adequate because it creates a simple-minded rectangular border, while I want a free-form shape one.  Various Edge-Detect filters seem to make out the shapes, but then they mangle the colors on them.

Thanks for your help!


texts: Can anyone suggest a program I can use to make a simple animation?

texts:
Apologies if this question has been asked before. But can anyone suggest a program I can use to make a simple animation?

I’m trying to make an animation similar to the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cLzRHpjodU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r40dZLjBBNQ

My animation will be simple and short. Around 1 minute using just text and vector based images (I.e. no photographs). I haven’t played with animation for a while, so I don’t really know where to start.

I was thinking of using either Adobe Animate or After Effects. (Animate looks more suitable though.)

Or I could make the images in Illustrator then upload into Animate? Apparently Photoshop CC also does animation?

I’ve never used Adobe Animate before, but I have plenty of experience with Adobe products+design, so I’m hoping to pick it up as I go.

Any suggestions?

The start is always the hardest!

Many thanks as always.

Tim


texts:
Anybody know how to create this background effect (light in the top coner & small grids overs the background) or at least the link about the article about creating this background.

Thank you


texts: Gimp Add Layer Mask + radial gradient tool; Max transparency over a larger area

texts: I am a new GIMP user with a quick question. I am using "Add Layer Mask" and the radial gradient tool to create a transparent hole in a png layer. The radial gradient tool only applies maximum transparency at the cursor vector center fading to opacity at the end of the cursor vector. Is there a way set complete transparency over a circular region fading from complete transparency at the circle edge to the end of the cursor vector?


texts: Wrapping a vector image around a compound path

texts:
I'm pretty newbish to vector art, so please bare with me.

I made a heart shape using compound paths. I also have vector image in a flame pattern. I want to wrap/distort/whatever the flame pattern to the heart. The idea is pretty straightforward - a heart wreathed in flames.

Here's a rough idea of what I'm trying to do.

Source: Vectorstock

Here's where I am so far. Using flame vector art I found online, I made an art brush and applied it to the compound path of the heart.
I like it, but I want the flames to originate on the center bottom of the heart, crawling up the outside edges of the heart.
my flaming heart

Thanks for any and all help!


texts: Looking for SERIF font with slanted lower-case "e" and lower-case "w" with spur

texts:
Looking to find the font that matches this image:

The quickest (but not accurate) match I have is a font called Elephant (not the sans-serif version), and both Poster and Bodoni also come close to a match. Some distinguishing marks:

Serif font
Lower-case "e" with slanted crossbar
Lower-case "w" with spur
Lower-case "a" with double-story

Plz let me know if you can help!


texts: Why does the lower case 'r' in Google Sans font change size depending on the next letter?

texts:
I recently switched to the GMail redesign where Google Sans is used for the subject text when displaying emails.

I noticed that where a lower case 'r' is followed by a 't' - as in 'Start' - the 'r' is taller than the 'a' before it. However where it is followed by an 'a' - as in 'preparations' - the two letters are the same height.

When trying to select the word with the mouse, the 'r' and 't' could not be selected separately, so presumably there is a ligature. Why would the size of the 'r' increase next to a 't' but not other letters?


texts: Blob on path (precise), how did they do it?

texts:
I just saw this animation:
http://www.panic.lv/
(Load) and here's the animation, disected:
http://www.panic.lv/assets/public/images/logo_400.png

And I just couldn't wrap my head around how they did it. It's so precise, I couldn't find anything on this besides "blob following path", but then how do they do the transition to these beautiful shapes(letters)?


texts: How could I improve the shading on this chain link illustration?

texts:
I'm trying to make a stylized chain (the hardware kind, not a bike chain or jewellery) in Inkscape. Initially I gave it a flat effect, and this was easy to achieve. For the O-shaped links, I used rectangles with the corner radius set to half the width (on the right in the image below), and for the ones you see side-on, just a single stroke with rounded caps, the same length as the rectangle.

But after trying out this design, I've found the chain links need a bit of depth to show their shape. The side-on ones are easy to do with a linear gradient, lighter at the top and darker at the bottom, and you can see below I've done one this way. The O-shaped ones are more of a problem, because a single gradient isn't enough. There needs to be a gradient on the two long edges similar to the one I already have, but there also needs to be a radial gradient going around the bends, so that the top edges of the bend are lighter and the underneath edges are darker. I can't work out how to fit all those requirements together and get a smooth result.

How can I achieve this effect in Inkscape? I'm not expecting it to be photorealistic, but I'd prefer a smooth gradient (to match the style of the rest of the image) rather than two-tone or something similar.


texts:
I have a sprite that add a couple of images added. I'm not sure if it is the case of the positioning of the actually images in the sprite or just a case of inexperience on my part.

If you go to the jsfiddle you will see how the hover jitters a bit: http://jsfiddle.net/willtx/j7RM3/

I would like it to hover like the others do. Thanks so much!


texts: How can I make this pattern seamless in illustator?

texts:
Is there a way to make this pattern seamless? I can't seem to fill the negative space.

I'm trying to use the object-> pattern-> make, but might not be the best way. I'm more of a Photoshop user than Illustrator.


texts: Can I make a logo based on a known symbol?

texts:
I want to create a logo based on norse symbols, probably something from here:

but I'm not sure about licence. I want to make minor changes to the symbol and use it as a logo for an event, will it be considered plagiarism?


texts: How can I Curve my premade logo vector, around a circle in illustrator cs5?

texts:
Hi i want to curve my logo-text vector around A circle, like this:

With this (my logo):

But my logo is a premade vector, not text file, so each letter is its own SHAPE/Path or whatever you call it. So i want to arrange it around a circle perfectly like the powerhouse logo

how could i do this? thanks in advance


texts: In an Illustrator file, Even though I used the default black(100% K), my printer said the pdf is not 100% black. What do you think is the problem?


texts: How can I easily create a shape with a specific pixel width and height in Photoshop?

texts:
So this may sound like an easy question, but it is not.

In webdesign we often use rectangular or square shapes to represent backgrounds for sidebars etc. These need to be pixel perfect so that when it goes into HTML cut up the correct dimensions are preserved.

When drawing a rectangular shape it will often snap/move one or two pixels when the mouse is let go. I can see in the inspector pane that the dimensions are correct when I let go of the mouse, but I then witness Photoshop redistribute the dimensions as it sees fit.

Is there a way I can just enter a pixel height and width as numbers for shapes like with the rectangular marquee tool? Alternatively is there some way to stop this movement occurring?


texts: Rowspan in the last row of the table with CSS and without CSS

texts:
I am trying to draw the below image

I am not able to get the image by using table in html. I have tried using rowspan but it just distorts the table and doesnot create the required result. How can I get the table without using CSS and with using CSS.

Further can we apply rowspan to the last row of the table ? if we can then how ? can someone give an example for the usage also.


texts: Acrobat / Illustrator: Grayscale images lose contrast on import

texts:
The original image I imported into Gimp, then converted it to grayscale by switching to grayscale mode. I exported it as Lenna-gray.jpg. After switching back to RGB mode, I exported again, as Lenna-rgb.jpg. When viewed in the Windows file browser, as expected, both JPEG images look identical.

In Acrobat Pro DC, I imported the images into a PDF document. Now, they look different. The grayscale JPEG has less contrast:

Why the difference in contrast?

In Illustrator there's the same issue: The grayscale image imported using File / Place… shows loss of contrast, whereas with the identical RGB image, contrast is as in the original file.

I am preparing a document for digital print (laser).


texts: How to appropriately charge a client for past resources?

texts:
Freelance based question.....

Scenario: A piece was designed two years ago. In the piece there are several client-supplied photographs. When the original piece was designed, the only image alterations which were made to these client-supplied photos was to extract them and remove the background. This was all built into the original design fee for the piece.

Today, the client requests just the photos.

They are client supplied images so I automatically do not
associate any fee with sending the images back. Client is merely lucky if I still have them years later.
Work was done to facilitate the photos in the original piece.
Returning the edited photos would constitute additional use of the
work beyond the original scope.
There's no real way to know what the original amount of time
the extractions took. It's been years, skills have improved and if time were to be calculated today it may be inaccurate and rates may be
different.
If these were designer-supplied photos, original artwork, or even original constructon images based upon client supplied photos I would automatically associate
additional usage fees with this request Original construction: i.e. a client sends 5 separate photos and all must be extracted then combined to create a "global product shot" and client is requesting this global shot.

Is it appropriate to charge the client anything for return of these edited client-supplied photos?

I do realize this is somewhat subjective and opinion-based. I am merely seeking "best practices" or "common procedures" used by professionals in the field.

I'm leaning towards "no" based upon the quantity of photos in this instance (only 2). However, if there were a great many photos I'd be far more uncertain as to whether or not I should charge.


texts: Using Adobe Bridge as a Digital Asset Manager for a team - how to sync keywords?

texts:
I just joined a new company that only uses File Explorer to organize their source art files, just typing in as many keywords as they can into the filename and searching off that. I'd like to move to using Adobe Bridge for this and utilize Keywords instead, but I'm having trouble with sharing these keywords with the rest of the team (other users can filter on keywords that are already applied, I'm trying to share the list of applicable keywords from the Keywords panel). Details:

All the files are on a server location
We are using Adobe Bridge CC 2019 on an Adobe Teams CC subscription.

What I've tried:

Creating a soft symlink from the AppData folder to a server location - Bridge just removes it and replaces it with a new XML file when it starts.
Creating a hard symlink from the AppData folder to a synced OneDrive folder - Bridge also removes this and replaces it with a new XML file either when it starts or when you add a new keyword within Bridge.
Creating a shared Bridge cache - keywords do not import on other PCs when browsing the folders I've created a cache for.

Is there any way to sync the keywords file that is in the Bridge local cache between other users on a network?


texts: How to "explode" a drop shadow into a shape in Flash?

texts:
I need to explode/break apart a drop shadow filter into the shape it forms. I mean, I need to be able to have a shape (shape object, or another kind of object) that its generated when I apply a drop shadow.

If I break apart the object, the drop shadow disappears.

Is there a way to accomplish this?


texts: Photoshop "could not fill because the current canvas size does not match that of the history state"

texts:
I have selected an area of a photo using the Select > Color Range and Magic Wand tools. I then pressed CTRL-J to copy the selection to a new layer. Now I am trying to fill the layer with a solid color. I can't do this either with ALT-SHIFT-BACKSPACE or Edit > Fill because I get this error:

  Could not fill because the current canvas size does not match that of
  the history state

I've come across this before (although not so often with ancient versions of Photoshop) but have no idea how to get past this obstacle to finish my work.


texts: Cannot make transparent background anymore Photoshop CC

texts:
This is a weird problem. Trying to create a new document with a transparent background, but transparent background is not showing up in the menu any longer.

Was it in a parallel universe I used to have an option to create a document with a transparent background? In my parallel universe transparent background worked yesterday.


texts: Why does the 3DS Max symmetry modifier affect the length of my object?

texts:
I am having an issue with the 3DS Max symmetry modifier, where it is truncating part of my geometry.

I am trying to use the it to mirror a corner, but when the modifier is turned on, the length of the section it is mirroring is reduced.

The length of the mirrored segment is shortened the more rotated the mirror is, up to a 45 degree angle. How can I avoid this happening?


texts:
I am looking for a way to export all layers (nested too if possible) of a PSD file to png. But just the layer, with it's current size, not in the document size, with background or other layers.

I tried the script in this answer: Batch export Photoshop layers to individual PNG files

but it generates the png with background and the size of the document.

I need that if my file has buttons or small things, they export with the current layer size and name to png.

Thanks!


texts: Can I turn this clipping mask object into a regular shape?

texts:
I am working in Illustrator with this clipart, and part of the hand is a clipping mask I cannot seem to turn into a "normal" shape:

When I release the Clipping Mask, I get:

This is what the Layers Panel looks like, the Clipping Mask gives the shape its form and then cuts through a skin-toned square":

I tried following this answer, but it didn't work. None of the Pathfinder or Expand actions produce the desired result.
The file is here.
How do I turn this element into a "normal" shape?


texts: data merge not generating multiple records.

texts:
I need to know what i'm doing wrong.

i'm making a catalog that needs 4 images per page. as so.

i know i can't do that with facing pages so i separated the two pages and created individual file for each page.

i'm running in to a problem when trying to generate mulitple records per page, from the tutorials and other forum posts i've read i SHOULD be setting it up right... but its not working.

here is the set up that i THINK i'm doing right.

data merge options.

as you can see, its only generating 1 record per page... i need 4. since i have over 500 records that i don't want to do by hand.


texts: How create rounded corners for a layer or selection in Photoshop

texts:
I have a white screen area 142x113 px in Photoshop.

I select half of this area and tried Select ⇒ Modify ⇒ Smooth but it does not work the way I expected.  I tried decreasing the selection's width and now the Smooth command works, but not very well.

I have 3 questions:

Why smooth does not work in the first condition?
What are the best ways for creating smooth edges (rounded corners) of a selection?
What are the best ways for creating smooth edges (rounded corners) of a Layer?


texts: Photoshop How to achieve "Fight Club" style photo editing?

texts:
Here is a style that is close to what I want to go for (just don't want the paint/sketch effect):

Question

It comes down to two interrelated things I don't understand.

How to create the teal/blue green filter effect with the right
amounts of saturation and light/dark balance
How to make the background nice and faint like that while the
subject(s) pop so well.

Assume a normal photograph/selfie of me taken in my living room.


texts: Should I generate report graphics as PDF or SVG for 70% web, 30% print users? Or PNG?

texts:
As a database guy, I hope my design-n00B question isn't noise!

I have some moderately complex data for which I want to generate (2-D) graphic representations on demand and also at intervals.  I expect to use color but not subtle gradations.

I have generated GraphViz(.DOT) and I think I could generate SVG as well.  I don't know what sort of libraries are available for generating graphs - I will be using Mac OS X or Linux.  So I'm interested in suggestions for libraries or utilities as well.

I expect the primary consumption to be via Web.  However, part of my audience is going to be printout-printout.  Also, some of that audience will need PDF soft copy with these graphs embedded that can be printed remotely.

I'm prejudiced towards scalable formats, so I resist the ubiquitous PNG and JPEG.  I'm also skeptical of using PDF which feels too cluttered and clunky.  It seems that PDF also imposes a page size that I don't want constraining my graphics - but I could be wrong, of course!

So I'm strongly leaning towards generating SVG.  Designers, I'm really ignorant of all the issues here, which is why I'm dropping in.  Can you help me decide the format?


texts: Are there specific considerations when sending a design to a newspaper?

texts:
I need to send a design to be published in a newspaper. I assume this must be restricted to several factors, size, color space, halftoning, etc.

Are there any specific requirements?


texts: Sketch: How to use pattern fill to color

texts: I want this to be red lines, can I do this with pattern fill?


texts: What is alternative way to do `Ctrl + 0` and `Ctrl + 9` in Inkscape?

texts:
I watched some Inkscape tutorials, and came across a wonderful feature in Inkscape to quickly change thickness of a path or an object by hitting CTRL + 0 and CTRL + 9. But I've searched all over the internet, searched in Preferences -> Interface -> Keyboard Shortcuts and I haven't found anything regarding this feature.

From my understanding, these shortcuts make the object bolder or thinner by approximately 1 pixel. But in some cases, I'd really love to change the step value of this operation, so instead of making object 1 pixel bolder, I make it 0.5 pixel bolder.

So my question is, how is this feature called, and how do I adjust the value which used to perform the transformation.


texts: Is there anyway to mirror paths as you draw them in GIMP? (for symmetric shapes)

texts:
To draw symmetric shapes, is there anyway to mirror shapes just like the mirror modifier in Blender (i.e creating a completely symmetric half by just drawing one half of the path)?

It is very difficult to create a path which is totally symmetrical manually. I found a similar question for Photoshop, but the answer there is not applicable for GIMP.


texts: I have multiple text file linked to InDesign document. Now when I am updating outside files, entire formatting inside InDesign is vanishing. I am unable to keep formatting while updating in external files. I have tried setting link options (see below), but no luck. I am still loosing formatting after update. Any idea what is happening ? Only other options seems like having formatted excel cell and import it. However is there way to achieve this with ".txt" files?


texts: What fonts are ideal for E-ink displays?

texts:
I am specially preparing some PDFs for use on E-ink devices. I have noticed that the appearance of the text on these screens is not exactly the same as the appearance on a book, or the appearance on a computer screen. Are there any strategies for selecting fonts which will appear good and improve readability on these devices?

If I must select a font from a specific collection, what features should I look for in that font that indicates that it will be most suitable for use on E-ink?
Are there any special fonts specifically designed for use on such displays? Is there any research showing that any particular font provides the best or improved readability on E-ink?


texts: Can Sketch display a list of fonts and weights in use by the current document?

texts:
I have Sketch v51.3.

Can Sketch display a list of the fonts and respective weights in use by the current document?

I know when I open a Sketch document, it will prompt me to resolve missing fonts.  I have also noticed when I create a text path, the font selector drop down appears to offer the fonts already used by other paths in the document at the top of the total available font list.

However, I cannot find a display, toolbox, window, preference, info box, etc. which simply lists all the fonts, with respective weights, in use.  Must I click on every path and manually note the font and weight?

I want the information which is more or less exactly the "missing fonts" dialog.

This seems obvious, I must be overlooking something but Sketch help reveals nothing, I've searched all the menus, and the Sketch document on "text". Must I click on every path and manually note the font and weight?


texts: A very strange favicon file (atleast for me) where one single file contains 3 different sized images

texts:
I have this favicon file.

Dowload favicon file

I can not upload the image file since its does not have the proper format.

When you view this file in windows 7, you get the following.

This single file contains the same image but at different sizes. The above shows page 1 of 3.

The following is page 2 of 3 which shows the same image but at a smaller size.

And than page 3 of 3 yet again at a more smaller size.

But it is one single file. My question is how is this possible and more importantly how can I make it such? A single file containing the same image with 3 diferrent sizes.

It shows 48px X 48px dimensions.

Since Adobe Photoshop does not support the ico format natively but if one use this ICO format plugin, install it and opens the file in PS, it will ask you which size image to import. The sizes are 16px X 16px, 32px X 32px and 48px X 48px.


texts: What is it called when you place text over an image?

texts:
For example, in this album cover:

Is the text "imposed" over the image?  What is the right word for placing one layer of design on top of another?


texts: Converting Word 2013 to CMYK print-ready file?

texts:
Is there a way to convert a sign designed in Word 2013 to a CMYK print-ready file?

It is for a 3' x 6' vinyl sign.

We are trying to retain two gold accent symbols, the gold line, shadowing, etc. of the original Word design.

We seem to lose those elements if we convert the Word file to a pdf and then use a ghostscript converter like pdf2cmyk.com...  The accents symbols don't show up in Adobe Reader.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!


texts: How to fully change a border colour in GIMP?

texts:
I did the whole select colour -> fill colour thing but all the edges are frayed, how to fix this.

Also tried the colour exchange mapping, didn't work so well.