I had a hard time nailing down a good service to use for this during the process of creating a new web page for a client. I wanted to create a basic brochure site that had an area on the home page for user-editable content and I didn't want to use Wordpress or some other service like that.
What I found is a great service called WebRSS here's the URL: http://www.webrss.com/ basically, you have the blog address, go to their site and then post one of four different technologies to the page. I tried using the PHP, iFrame and Javascript and finally ended up using that. It works really great and is highly customizeable. The feed refreshes every hour and looks great. Give it a try!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Color separations for printing.
So, yesterday I had another "professional designer" (for questions about why the quotes are here, view my first post below) submit a file for printing. I placed the file into InDesign to set up the press sheet and viewed the Separations preview to verify that all colors were correctly called out and the file was good to print. Sadly, that's a no on this file. This happens all too often... almost daily... sometimes hourly : (
As a designer, setting up a file to print on a desktop printer or being posted to the web is really easy. It's similarly easy to set things up for printing, but it's important to keep in mind the process when doing this. When a file is created using, say, three colors that will be going on a traditional offset press, it's critical to be sure that those three colors are appropriately color-coded in the original document. This may seem like an easy thing to do, but it's regularly not done.
I think it's important to understand where a graphic design element or project will be used prior to creation. For instance, I regularly see logos that are created in Photoshop, then the customer sends me a 21K JPEG that they want placed on their 6' x 3' outdoor sign. Remember, VECTOR, VECTOR, VECTOR when it comes to logos. With today's modern vector graphics programs there isn't too much that you can't do in a vector drawing program.
So, with the project yesterday, the artwork was vector, all colors were appropriately set up, were this project to be going on our full-color press, but that isn't the case. They have specific Pantone colors they want to use and unfortunately, some colors don't match exactly in a CMYK printer versus a custom-mixed Pantone color. There's an excellent color theory article that explains these terms in more detail - here's a bit of it:
As you might suspect, there are different types of color. Now is when you can throw the color wheel out the window.
RGB Color: This is color based upon light. Your computer monitor and television use RGB. The name "RGB" stands for Red, Green, Blue, which are the 3 primaries (with green replacing yellow). By combining these 3 colors, any other color can be produced. Remember, this color method is only used with light sources; it does not apply to printing.
CMYK Color: This is the color method based upon pigments. "CMYK" stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (its what the K stands for). Using these 4 colors, most other colors can be achieved. Unfortunately, CMYK cannot reproduce the same amount of colors as RGB can, which is why yellow-greens sometimes look a bit muddy when printed.
This is the method used by printers the world over, and is also a clever way of mixing paints.
Pantone (PMS) Color: This is yet another printing color method. PMS stands for "Pantone Matching System," and is a large list of specially mixed colors made by the Pantone Corporation. Instead of using CMYK to create colors, the pigments are created individually for purity.
For example, if I wanted to use a Red-Violet color, I'd pick PMS 233M. The color would be made exclusively for my project and would always print exactly how I want.
The only drawback to using PMS colors is that they're only useful for projects with few colors. They're also expensive.
Ford, Ryan. "Color Theory: A Brief Tutorial." Color Theory: a Brief Tutorial. 2007. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. <http://colortheory.liquisoft.com/>.
As a designer, setting up a file to print on a desktop printer or being posted to the web is really easy. It's similarly easy to set things up for printing, but it's important to keep in mind the process when doing this. When a file is created using, say, three colors that will be going on a traditional offset press, it's critical to be sure that those three colors are appropriately color-coded in the original document. This may seem like an easy thing to do, but it's regularly not done.
I think it's important to understand where a graphic design element or project will be used prior to creation. For instance, I regularly see logos that are created in Photoshop, then the customer sends me a 21K JPEG that they want placed on their 6' x 3' outdoor sign. Remember, VECTOR, VECTOR, VECTOR when it comes to logos. With today's modern vector graphics programs there isn't too much that you can't do in a vector drawing program.
So, with the project yesterday, the artwork was vector, all colors were appropriately set up, were this project to be going on our full-color press, but that isn't the case. They have specific Pantone colors they want to use and unfortunately, some colors don't match exactly in a CMYK printer versus a custom-mixed Pantone color. There's an excellent color theory article that explains these terms in more detail - here's a bit of it:
As you might suspect, there are different types of color. Now is when you can throw the color wheel out the window.
RGB Color: This is color based upon light. Your computer monitor and television use RGB. The name "RGB" stands for Red, Green, Blue, which are the 3 primaries (with green replacing yellow). By combining these 3 colors, any other color can be produced. Remember, this color method is only used with light sources; it does not apply to printing.
CMYK Color: This is the color method based upon pigments. "CMYK" stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (its what the K stands for). Using these 4 colors, most other colors can be achieved. Unfortunately, CMYK cannot reproduce the same amount of colors as RGB can, which is why yellow-greens sometimes look a bit muddy when printed.
This is the method used by printers the world over, and is also a clever way of mixing paints.
Pantone (PMS) Color: This is yet another printing color method. PMS stands for "Pantone Matching System," and is a large list of specially mixed colors made by the Pantone Corporation. Instead of using CMYK to create colors, the pigments are created individually for purity.
For example, if I wanted to use a Red-Violet color, I'd pick PMS 233M. The color would be made exclusively for my project and would always print exactly how I want.
The only drawback to using PMS colors is that they're only useful for projects with few colors. They're also expensive.
Ford, Ryan. "Color Theory: A Brief Tutorial." Color Theory: a Brief Tutorial. 2007. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. <http://colortheory.liquisoft.com/>.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Airsoft or Paintball video game?
There's a big problem with today's video games in general. What are the benefits of a game system like XBox 360 or PS3? Over say a nice middle-of-the-line PC? You can use your TV instead of a monitor.... You can use an easy to use controller instead of a keyboard/mouse. You can play with a friend at the same time cooperatively or competitively. Here's the fundamental problem with today's games!
How many games are released today that actually support multiple-player activity? Not many sadly. Particularly on systems like the PS3 and XBox 360, where many of the games are made for single-player use or via multiplayer online only. Really? How many people out there like to sit down by yourself and play a game four hours on end? Not me! I do like the rare RPG game and will play those solo, but for the most part, when it comes to action games, particularly shooters, I like to play with a friend.
This brings me to the next question.... is it possible that people will not be playing these games because they don't like to see people exploding and the other people in the game swearing up a storm? How many shooters are rated E10? The answer? Two. One is Greg Hastings Paintball 2, which has some decent reviews, but as a shooter game it favors more the aspects of paintball than the military simulation shooters that are popular. I've been reading reviews all over the net and a popular comment is "Why would anyone want to play a simulation of a simulation?" Well, my comment to those people is why would anyone want to experience real war? The truth is that most of those people who are playing these games have never experienced real war, death or watched a buddy get dismembered by a string of hostile fire. Truthfully neither have I, but really, why would people come enmasse to watch and participate in such brutality for fun's sake?
I'll tell you.... it's because games like this are addicting, it's fun to hunt the most sophisticated and strategic animal out there... the human race. It's fun to see if you can do it better than the other guy. So from the point of view of myself, I wonder why you can't take a traditional shooter game and turn off the heavy violence? Why can't you turn off the swearing by the NPC / bots? Why doesn't someone make an airsoft variant - where you start the game with a small amount of in-game cash, a basic rifle or pistol and as you proceed through the game, you acquire more in-game cash and upgrade weapons, get better equipment, unlock new locations. All of the overall mechanics are still in the game, but instead of watching an opponent's head explode and see the bystanders screaming in terror, the guy simply puts his rifle up and walks off the course.
The other advantage to a game such as this is that the game companies would draw in a much younger audience. I know there are a lot of kids playing COD4 and Black Ops, but should they be? NO WAY! They want to play the game to do the hunt, but exposing young children to this level of violence is not healthy in any way, shape, or form. In addition, you're introducing them to a whole level of violent opponents that are mostly older men. I'm not sure that's safe from a parent's point of view.
Will someone over at Ubi please develop a Rainbow Six-type game with Airsoft as the basis, using current Airsoft guns, upgrades and courses? I guarantee there would be a big audience. Rate it E or E10 and see where the wide audience comes from. Perhaps market it to Christian organizations and those who would otherwise stay well-away from your types of products. This could be something fun for everyone.
How many games are released today that actually support multiple-player activity? Not many sadly. Particularly on systems like the PS3 and XBox 360, where many of the games are made for single-player use or via multiplayer online only. Really? How many people out there like to sit down by yourself and play a game four hours on end? Not me! I do like the rare RPG game and will play those solo, but for the most part, when it comes to action games, particularly shooters, I like to play with a friend.
This brings me to the next question.... is it possible that people will not be playing these games because they don't like to see people exploding and the other people in the game swearing up a storm? How many shooters are rated E10? The answer? Two. One is Greg Hastings Paintball 2, which has some decent reviews, but as a shooter game it favors more the aspects of paintball than the military simulation shooters that are popular. I've been reading reviews all over the net and a popular comment is "Why would anyone want to play a simulation of a simulation?" Well, my comment to those people is why would anyone want to experience real war? The truth is that most of those people who are playing these games have never experienced real war, death or watched a buddy get dismembered by a string of hostile fire. Truthfully neither have I, but really, why would people come enmasse to watch and participate in such brutality for fun's sake?
I'll tell you.... it's because games like this are addicting, it's fun to hunt the most sophisticated and strategic animal out there... the human race. It's fun to see if you can do it better than the other guy. So from the point of view of myself, I wonder why you can't take a traditional shooter game and turn off the heavy violence? Why can't you turn off the swearing by the NPC / bots? Why doesn't someone make an airsoft variant - where you start the game with a small amount of in-game cash, a basic rifle or pistol and as you proceed through the game, you acquire more in-game cash and upgrade weapons, get better equipment, unlock new locations. All of the overall mechanics are still in the game, but instead of watching an opponent's head explode and see the bystanders screaming in terror, the guy simply puts his rifle up and walks off the course.
The other advantage to a game such as this is that the game companies would draw in a much younger audience. I know there are a lot of kids playing COD4 and Black Ops, but should they be? NO WAY! They want to play the game to do the hunt, but exposing young children to this level of violence is not healthy in any way, shape, or form. In addition, you're introducing them to a whole level of violent opponents that are mostly older men. I'm not sure that's safe from a parent's point of view.
Will someone over at Ubi please develop a Rainbow Six-type game with Airsoft as the basis, using current Airsoft guns, upgrades and courses? I guarantee there would be a big audience. Rate it E or E10 and see where the wide audience comes from. Perhaps market it to Christian organizations and those who would otherwise stay well-away from your types of products. This could be something fun for everyone.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Domain Registration woes
I finally got the .com version of my domain name. It was purchased automatically by an auction house at the end of it's previous domain registration and I got the "bargain" price of $69. For someone accustomed to purchasing domains from GoDaddy for $12, this was a bit steep. On the other hand, premium domains go for as much as $2K and above, so in that sense, it wasn't too bad.
Once I had the new domain, it would be an easy thing to forward the new address to my site.... not so with all domain registration sites apparently. I guess I'm just used to ease and no-cost solutions. I guess it's too difficult to point the domain away from the ad-filled generic sites from these large DNS houses. Once I got over my frustration, I figured I'd go over to the old-standard GoDaddy and transfer the domain. They were running a special where the domain transfer plus an additional year of registration was a measly $8 - a no-brainer in my mind.
So.... look for www.camerongraphix.com soon on the web. It will forward to the already existing .net site, but having that additional URL will help drive traffic to the site and people are really accustomed to .com in any case.
Once I had the new domain, it would be an easy thing to forward the new address to my site.... not so with all domain registration sites apparently. I guess I'm just used to ease and no-cost solutions. I guess it's too difficult to point the domain away from the ad-filled generic sites from these large DNS houses. Once I got over my frustration, I figured I'd go over to the old-standard GoDaddy and transfer the domain. They were running a special where the domain transfer plus an additional year of registration was a measly $8 - a no-brainer in my mind.
So.... look for www.camerongraphix.com soon on the web. It will forward to the already existing .net site, but having that additional URL will help drive traffic to the site and people are really accustomed to .com in any case.
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