Google explores printed material searches; opportunity for news sites?

(The following is a reaction to a blog in the web; submitted to Anna Lim 122204)

"Much printed media these days is not available online, but rather sold in hard copy for profit."

This is the main point that Google is trying to reverse so that search providers like it can get a piece of the action, as well as provide a way to make more information available to the public and end users, without getting the ire of publishers.

So how does Google do that? By introducing a new patent application that enables search of printed materials, pay-per-view documents and scanned documents with clickable ads, and even the ability for print publishers to swap out ads in digital copies of their printed pages.

In the article posted, the new patent application may well open new revenue sites to publishers of print, CD and DVD media, while broadening its own revenue base. The application, simply named "Method for searching media", provides additional income particularly for publishers relying only on hard copies of their materials.

According to the article, there are two key elements: (1) a method for executing a permission protocol wherein the publisher is asked to authorize Google to display more text and information; and (2) store scanned versions of printed documents along with data sets representing the ads that went with them.

Google is now experimenting with several search services that could be part of the foundation of the program.

I have to agree that this step of Google is very much welcome especially for end users and providers of information. For the end users and searchers, this is good news. Not only would we be able to get a part of the information but the whole enchilada. No more piecemeal offerings of a good thing. Now we will be able to enjoy the whole lot. Just like one of the search engines that are going to be used by Google, Google Print, users would be able to see the text as well as the actual images of the pages.

On the side of the providers, more profits would be had because this would mean a broader opportunity for publishers to increase sales via Google. Profits, profits, profits. I could now see the eyes of publishers and businessmen getting bigger with the sounds of the cash register kashinging.

This is how it should be. As long as the end users like us are also getting a good deal out of it, it is but proper and alright for the others to get income out of it. Quid pro quo.

There's nothing like a little colorful insight

(This is a reaction to a blog made in the web; submitted to Anna Lim 122104)

So true.

There really are some great blogs out there.

There's fun and enjoyment when you come across articles and writers, for that matter, that get the topic squarely in the head, writes with attitude and style (and more often with aplomb), as well as provide his insights in wonderful and funny sketches at the back of business cards. And I especially find nothing wrong with language that is very colorful not just sometimes, but oftentimes. Hugh's insights and sketches are unique and distinctive.

Although Hugh's choice of color on his sketches has yet to excite me (I mean, come on, brilliant colors are still and always will be more attractive than one-tone color scheme).

And since we are on the topic of color, I would just like to say that nothing beats my favorite digital printing company- Color Printing Wholesale. When it comes to full color digital printing, they are very affordable and cost effective. They mostly provide digital printing services for products such as brochures, business cards, flyers, folders, newsletters, postcards and posters. And aside from digital printing, they have short run print, variable data printing, large format posters printing, as well as custom printing.

As Hugh said in his blog, a company should have "simple, easy-to-embrace beliefs", followed by action. As far as action is concerned, Color Printing Wholesale gets all the action pumping out of their production of the results, as promised. Not to mention that they have a simple belief- quality and reliable full color digital printing at an affordable price. There really are good things in life that are, well, somewhat, free. Color Printing Wholesale's services may not be free but they come close with their cost effective rates that are sure to satisfy your discerning budget.

If other people can handle colorful language, Color Printing Wholesale definitely can handle any kind of color requirement- from two- to four-color to full color printing. They have state of the art equipment and advanced technology to help them create brilliant color masterpieces with every assignment they handle.

"To understand your brand properly is to understand it beyond its own borders." That's what we should look for when choosing the printer provider that's right for us- a digital printing outfit that understands the true meaning of digital printing service.

Billboards:Modern Counterparts of Van Gogh and Da Vinci

Taking a drive down an unfamiliar road, or simply driving to and from work has become nowadays more pleasurable and less stressful. What with the multitude of billboards plastered all over the city and suburbs, they have become a wonderful centerpiece with the backdrop of heaven and earth.

Have you ever imagined what life would be like without these big, larger than life posters and signage to aesthetically improve our place? Are you not amazed at how great the quality and colors are? Are you not struck with the brilliance and true-to-life depiction of the images in each of these billboards?

When billboards were first posted, they not only expressed artistic creativity, they also were medium of information and reminders for people of current events and new products. The people then were not yet attuned on billboards being very powerful tools in helping others in ways that they have never imagined before. Fortunately today, we have learned of its uses and are utilizing them in several ways.

Billboards are the cheapest and it reaches more people than any other form of advertising. Thus, many small businesses, and even some of the big corporations for that matter, utilize this form of media because television and radio commercials are more expensive and costly.

One state in fact used billboards to improve the visual quality of their community, and also serve as tools to reduce alcohol consumption by minors. Still another state made several billboards to try to convince people to stop smoking, to prevent the spread of AIDS, and to offer pregnancy support.

However, despite its practical uses, billboards first and foremost are works of art in the modern sense. Its production process, from conceptualization to posting, is definitely a designer's and artist's imaginations put to life.

When designers are put to work to create these magnificent billboards, they do not see their assignment as something corporate or practical. I mean, sure, they see also the numbers in every assignment. But let's face it. Within each of these designer and artist, the billboards are their next work of art. With every billboard assignment, they see themselves as the modern Leonardo Da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh.

According to one review, Van Gogh's most searching artistic analysis was of himself. This is shown in his famous self portraits. However, Van Gogh was also very appreciative of the profuse of colors found in nature. In fact, one of his very famous paintings was the Irises. Similar to his self portraits, Van Gogh's Irises are carefully studied with the same sincerity and precision. The elements of colors- like the greens, red, yellow, orange and white, and the different ranges of blues- all made the painting look luxuriant and produce a gay colorfulness and richness.

Leonardo Da Vinci also recognized the importance of painting scenes that are very close to reality. He was keen to observe with great care how animals, people, and landscapes really looked. He was also careful to notice the differences on how an object looked when it was close by and when it was farther away, and when it was seen in bright light and in dim light. He turned his attention to nature during long walks. He wrote detailed notes on his observations and made sketches of the things he saw in his notebooks throughout his life.

Whether its Van Gogh or Da Vinci, designers and artists are sure to emulate what they have done. Thus, billboards are most likely to reflect reality and life. What you see in billboards is what we have of life- big reflections of us and our world.

And with the advent of computer technology, we have programs, softwares and equipment to help our artists and designers come up with brilliant, full color and striking images and designs that are sure to stand out. You'll be amazed at the technology we have now that keeps these billboards fresh for the longest time that they have been exposed. Several manufacturers and developers managed to produce high grade materials and machines that could make the pictures and prints true to its original. Xerox, Adobe's Creative Suite, Corel, Epson- these are just a few of the names that are there to help make their lives and work simpler.

Whether it's film making, game development, commercial design, or even fine arts, every creation and output are worthy of praise. There is only one big difference- creating works of art now is faster and easier, thanks to advanced technology. Combined with the power of modern technology of digital media, natural talents and techniques obtained during the formative years can create breathtaking works of art that are at par, if not better, with those of the grand masters.

Billboards: Snapshots of History

Billboards are collections of large photos. Some are funny; some are strange. Still some come out as ironic. However we see it, we have to face the fact that billboards are a constant reminder to us that there is life out there that is worth living. In fact, most billboards are memorable images that help us make our lives more worthwhile.

Billboards help people to find the place to eat, sleep, and get fuel for their cars, the nearest ATM machines. Imagine driving yourself to a place you are not familiar with and suddenly be struck with the urge to eat; or your car conking out on you because the gas tank is empty. Where do you get information when there's no available person to point you to the proper direction? Billboards.

Billboards help many businesses, especially small ones, in advertising and marketing products and services. With companies that do not have the money to spend on TV or radio commercials, billboards are the cheapest and it reaches far more people than any other form of advertising medium.

In short, life is simpler with billboards around to help us. They are a symbol of life. With billboards around, development and civilization is present.

Billboards, billboards, billboards. They are reflections of history and human survival. Billboards are everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. They often comment and reflect on events that occur in the present and the conditions of life itself. Some carry important messages, be it personal or otherwise political. With the development of billboards, and outdoor advertising for that matter, the development of life itself comes with it.

Billboards can trace its lineage back to the earliest civilization. We could trace human genealogy along with the history of billboards and outdoor advertisement.


Egypt's Stone Obelisk: Man's First Outdoor Advertisement

Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians used a tall stone obelisk to publicize laws and treaties. This is the early form of outdoor advertising. With the advent of publication through the obelisk, people have their first advertisement. Political it may seem, but still advertising nonetheless.

Early Stages

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing in 1450, modern advertising was introduced through the handbill. And in 1796, the first illustrated poster was made when the lithographic process was perfected.

As time goes by, people are looking for more desirable locations to ensure constant exposure of their message for a fixed period of time. Thus, bill posters began to erect their own structures in locations where there is heavy traffic.

U.S. billboard was erected when the circus came to town…

In the beginning, Americans used roadside advertising for local purposes. Businessmen and merchants painted signs or glued posters on walls and fences to advertise their establishments and what they have to offer.
It was in New York where the first large American outdoor poster (more than 50 square feet) was posted. Jared Bell's office printed posters for the circus in 1835. In 1850, exterior advertising was first used on street railways.

Public Service is a Billboard Thrust…

In the 1900s, there was a boom in national billboard campaigns. Big advertisers began mass production of billboards for the national market. From toothpaste and soaps, to breakfast cereals and sodas, billboards were made to advertise in big bold pictures and images. And in 1913, the practice of filling "open boards" with public service advertising has continued to this day. During the war, there was a concerted effort from the industry to help in the mobilization. While in peacetime, the concern was focused on efforts to generally improve the way of life.

1990's to the present…

With the advent of digital technology, hand-painted boards were replaced by computer-painted outdoor advertising formats. Outdoor companies offered a diverse range of advertising formats--- bus shelters, transit and kiosks, airport advertising, mall displays, and taxis.

From the early civilization until the present time, man has used the billboard to advertise, to market, to share their feelings, and generally, to uplift the lives of many. Whether it's to provide information on gas prices or the arrival of the best sausage in town, knowledge is one important element that billboards have imparted. They have become a very popular medium to address current issues and information. As BPS Outdoor Advertising wrote in one of their articles: "Perhaps it's because they reach more people for cheaper prices than any other type of media. Or perhaps it's because people are spending much more time in their vehicles now than ever before." Whatever it is, billboards are here to stay. Billboards are here to help us and be tangible reminders of what we have become and what we have achieved. Not only do they improve the visual quality of the area where they are placed, they also serve as beautiful reminders of our past and the future. Wonderful snapshots of history.

That's Smart Marketing!

Developing a marketing plan is the most significant strategy for any budding business. Marketing strategies and activities will help make your products and services available to satisfy your target clients, as well as earn profits for your company. Simply put, a marketing plan targets your revenue goals and lists the resources you need to be able to meet those goals.

Preparing a marketing plan helps you to better understand your business. Because it requires you to assess current trends in your marketplace, as well as how your business can make an impact, a well-thought of marketing plan can provide you the means to enhance your business profit capacity. Often, simply involving yourself in the process of writing a marketing plan can guide you in developing a successful marketing strategy. With a marketing plan on hand, you would be able to evaluate your progress later.

So what do you need to plan out a great marketing plan?
Know the inside and outs of your products…You need to focus on your revenue and marketing objectives, and on how you intend to accomplish them. A thorough understanding of your products and services- from their features and benefits, to your target market's performance and potential competitors- will help make your plan more focused and well organized.

Your plan starts here… Begin your research by checking on the demographics of your target region. Information you need are age, gender, income, occupation, education and other key elements. You need to realize that your marketing plan should vary according to the industry your dealing with, the size of your company, and the stage of growth. Different plans for different folks. It is imperative that you realize that the process is very important because it makes you think about your goals in terms of revenues and what your marketing strategy would be to achieve your goals.

Your plan is divided into sections… These sections are what you usually find in a marketing plan. However, the components of your plan will vary depending on your company type, stage of growth and goals.

• Executive Summary
This part allows you to introduce your company and major points of the plan in summary. It further highlights the mission and objectives of your company to establish the framework of your marketing strategy.

• The Business
It provides the general introduction which includes your business, your company's products and services, distribution process, and the marketing personnel.

• The Macro-environmental Analysis
This is an analysis of elements and factors outside your direct control that affect your day-to-day operations. The factors include economic, industry, legal, regulatory, political, social, cultural and technological issues.

• Market Analysis
You need to define and characterize the market you are in. This analysis will describe the market itself, its opportunities, market segments, customer needs and competition.

• Issues and opportunities
This would be the SWOT analysis part of your plan. It should contain the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of your business, as well as the resulting issues.

• Goals
This is where you transform your overall mission and objectives into actual financial and marketing goals. This would help in identifying the tools and means to operate your business and measure the rate of success of your efforts.

• General Marketing Strategy
The 'goals' chapter explained what you want to achieve in very specific terms. This portion indicates how you would accomplish those goals in more descriptive terms.

• Specific Marketing Strategy
It details the product, price, promotion, and place of distribution. It provides detailed direction for all four areas of your plan.

• Specific Marketing Programs
It details exactly what you will do, when you will do it, and who will do it for each of P's in the specific marketing strategy.

• Risk Analysis Planning
This chapter presents the major risks resulting with the plan and corresponding contingency measures.

• Sales Forecast
This includes the number of units you expect to sell and the resulting revenue. The projected sales forecast tells of how you quantify the results from selling your products and services.

And finally,

• The Budget
This chapter shows the planned expenditures brought about by the marketing activities.
Your marketing plan is a guide in determining where you want to go and how to execute your strategy to get to your goal. It should be clear, concise and well-thought. There are several agencies and companies available that can help you create a professional marketing plan. For a fee, they will be able to direct you through every step and provide you with detailed instructions and examples.

Natural Filters from Au Naturel

There's a new plug-in in town. Buena Software has made available Au Naturel for After Effects, Final Cut Pro and Combustion. The software is a collection of effects that allows you amazing control over your image footage. With the new plug-in, you could have effects that look like they might have been done in camera.

The First Effect…

The first of the effects is the Adjust Exposure effect. This is a combined brightness/contrast effect that allows the users to adjust exposure. Users will be able to preview how much adjustments are made, as well as the end result.

With Au Naturel's 32 bit floating point linear RGB color space, the results from applying the effect to a layer often yield more natural effects.

The Second Effect…

The Directional Blur effect allows users to constrain the blur to a particular angle. An added bonus in this plug-in lets the user utilize the two blur effects to change how the edges of the frame are interpreted. Instead of the soft edge that reveals your underlying layers, users can mirror the edges or simply repeat the edge pixels.

The Third Effect…

The package includes a Levels effect that is an applications levels control but allows users to utilize values outside of the minimum and maximum pixel value range. The Levels control also lets users to make adjustments on one or more of the color channels or alpha channel. For that matter, many of the effects in the collection allows the users to make adjustments on individual channels that lead to some very interesting and powerful results.

The Fourth Effect…


The Transform effect has the ability to rotate and scale a layer. Au Naturel claims that their algorithms resample the image by users to deliver a much better result.


The Fifth Effect…

This effect is a brand new version that can be used to create a time lapse effect by averaging frames. The end result is an image that looks like it had a long exposure time.

The Best Effect…

The best thing about the plug-in is that the interface allows you to apply the effects quickly for various results. For After Effects users, each time they apply an effect, the effect controls appear in the interface.

However, with Final Cut Pro or discreet Combustion, all of the controls are visible regardless of the user's application of the effect or not. This can be confusing on the Combustion interface where one must go through several pages looking for the controls for the effect. Also, the separation among the effect controls is not well marked. Clearly, the Au Naturel may not be a must-have application. Nevertheless, at $99 for both Mac and Windows, it is a good buy.

What are Pixels… and other tips for photographers.

What are pixels?

When you take hold of a digital camera, or even a traditional one, you constantly read or hear about "pixels". "This digital camera has 8.0 megapixels." "This one has 6.5 megapixels." So what are pixels exactly?

According to My Design Primer, PIXEL came from the first letters of "pix element"- pix meaning picture. It is the smallest unit on a display screen or monitor. By dividing the monitor into rows and columns of pixels, one may be able to see the pictures displayed on the monitors. The more pixels are squeezed into a monitor's surface, the smoother an image will appear on screen. They will appear like they're connected to your eye because pixels are usually so close together. A monitor with more pixels per inch (PPI) will be more expensive than a cheaper one.

The number of bits used to display each pixel determines how many colors a pixel can display. For example, a color monitor uses 8 bits per pixel in an 8-bit color mode. This makes possible the display of 256 (or 2 to the 8th power) colors on screen. Each pixel in a color monitor is made up of dots- red, blue, and green (RGB). These three dots are focused on the same spot when you look at it, creating a very smooth image. The quality of a monitor depends on its resolution. It indicates how many pixels it can display in a given area, as well as how many bits are contained in each pixel.

How to remove the red-eye in pictures-

Somewhere somehow, red eyes seem to attach itself to our photographs. This makes our friends and loved ones look like the version of the Exorcist. To avoid the red eye from haunting us, Fireworks MX 2004 has a tool for removing this effect on photos.

The Red-eye Removal tool works by removing all the shades of red within a certain range that are within the selected area. These, in turn, will be replaced by a neutral color range of gray and black.

To remove the red-eye effect, Macromedia has provided the following steps for the Red-eye Removal tool:

1. Select the bitmap that exhibits the red eye effect. You can only use the Red-eye Removal tool on a bitmap, and not on a vector image.

2. Choose the Red-eye Removal tool from the Tools panel. This tool can be found in the Replace Color tool pop-up menu.

3. Click with the tool in the section that exhibits the red eye effect. The tool instantly transforms the red shades, to the tolerances set in the Property inspector for the tool.

4. Since the tool only looks for red pixels, it should cleanly remove the red eye. Adjust the tolerance settings to fine tune the Red-eye Removal tool for your image.

The Right Resolution For Your Images

When using images for your web site or on-screen presentations, it is important to understand that the resolution that works well with printed materials does not apply to images put in your web or presentation files. This will definitely result in the difficulty of the images to download in your web site and presentation programs to run very slowly.

Such file formats used are different from those of word processing or database files. They usually are raster image file formats consisting of pixels. Pixels are picture elements or picture files. So when we describe the resolution of a file, we're referring to the number of pixels in a raster image file. These image files include tiff, jpeg, bmp and gif.

All raster images are made up of pixels laid out in a grid. Resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch (ppi) or most commonly known as dots per inch (dpi). So when somebody tells you that the image is 300dpi, this means that there are 300 pixels for every inch of image. Simply put, resolution refers to how well an image is displayed on screen.

Many people make the mistake of increasing the resolution of a file because they think that high-resolution images make a great picture. However, for web pages or on-screen presentations, an image of 72dpi will look as clearly as that of the 720dpi. The one difference is that the 720dpi will have a much bigger file, thus slowing the performance of a presentation program or making downloading of a web site longer.

Always have in mind the size you want the image to be in your document. And consider also your final output. Plan ahead and scan your image at the right resolution and right size. If you're not sure of the right resolution that you'll need, any service bureau or photo lab can best advise you how much resolution is needed for a particular output device.

Bear in mind, when creating raster image files, always begin with the right resolution. More pixels don't always mean its better. You can have too many pixels, making the file larger than necessary, thus slowing everything down. So, plan ahead. Your web site or on-screen presentation can be your tool to a better position in your business.

Making Your Presentation in Slides (How To Make The Presentation They'll Remember)

Making product presentations is, I think, the most stressful part of my job. With all those disapproving eyes and condescending bosses around me, it gives me shivers every time I contemplate another schedule for me to make my presentation. I don't know how people in computer ads do it. They make presentations seem fun and effortless.

From my many experience of doing presentations, one thing I learned is that there's nothing more striking than a well produced slide. Knowing your material inside and out or even upside down is already a definite topic. But having a very powerful slide presentation is another thing. One author couldn't have said it more clearly- "Project one across a twenty foot screen in a darkened auditorium and you'll experience the real power of words and pictures. The image is crystal-clear, the colors are intense and the impact is big, bold and unforgettable. Overheads and video don't even come close."

The most important rule for making slides is to include only the relevant information, and not the whole enchilada. You're audience doesn't want to read a boring detail of your presentation. And they don't want to hear your reading expertise either. You just need to take down points that are relevant, and expound on the topic yourself. And make it more engaging. Try to include your audience in your discussion. This way, yawning will be minimized to its utmost level.

• Avoid tables but, if necessary, simplify by including only the information you will need to make your point. One of the most boring presentations I've ever encountered is a production of tables and graphs in the entire piece. Up to the last period and centavo was indicated in the slides presented. I couldn't help myself from getting sleepy and yawning the rest of the time.

• Use numbers with only a few important digits. Always round off. Avoid including the decimal part, if necessary. If there is some graphical way you could present the figures, do it. There's nothing simpler to grasp than information in pictures and images.

• Include on each slide only information you will discuss. The more information in your slide, the more it will become distracting and confusing. Try to limit each slide to one idea. And, include just a few sentences to explain your idea.

• Make sure your slides are readable. If you can read a 2x2" slide without the help of a magnifier then even those seating in the rear will be able to see what you are projecting. Font sizes of 18-24 seem to work best.

• Slide with light backgrounds may be more readable than those with dark ones, especially when there is room light. Most computer-generated slides project much darker result than they appear on the computer screen. Choose color combinations that go well together. And even if there's a small possibility that your audience will include color-blind people, there's nothing wrong in making the necessary measures.

• Present your slideshow in an organized manner. No need for you to further torment your audience by "rewinding" or "fast-forwarding" every time you want to recall certain points. If you think that you would be referring to the same points more than once, prepare duplicates within your slideshow.

• Prepare horizontal slides rather than vertical ones. The size of the screen may result in cropped vertical slides. In addition, viewers at the rear, particularly in a large room, won't be able to see the bottom of vertical slides.

Believe it or not, these steps have made my presentations more bearable to my audience. Slides are a quick and inexpensive means to make your point. Combined with today's tools and technology, you can make your own presentations entertaining, educating and move people to do some action.

Creating Your Own Metallic Type (Adobe Photoshop CS Tricks and Tips)

Metallic effects are widely used by artists as the drop shadow for texts. You usually see them in car ads, CD covers, and movie logos. Even magazines are abundant with this metallic type. I found these great tips in the Internet in creating metallic effect to your text. Let me share it with you.

1. To start with your artwork, create a new file large enough to contain the full logo you're about to make.

2. Use the Gradient Tool. Add a liner gradient from top to bottom using any color you like. Changing the setting is easy. Just double-click on the Gradient tool icon and the Option palette will be opened.

3. Add a type with the Horizontal Type tool, and enter the name you want to use.

4. Create a warped text by clicking on the Create Warped Text icon on the Type Options bar. Choose the effect and the amount you want. Then click OK.

5. Create a path from the type by getting to the Layer > Type > Create Work Path. The new path can be found under the Path palette. The original layer can now be trashed or turned off. By using the Direct Selection tool, the path can be changed to any shape you want. Points can be added to create distortions or mutated shapes.

6. Create a new layer and fill the path with a color after you have completed the path. This can be done in many ways. One way is to click on the Fill Path button at the bottom of the Path palette. Just a simple advice, whatever color you choose is not that important. You will be overriding it anyway later.

7. To add drop shadow, double click or Alt-Double click (the former for Mac and the latter for Win) on the layer in the Layer palette with your logo to bring up the Layer Style dialog box. In that dialog box, click on Drop Shadow. Adjust to your specifications.

8. Click on Bevel and Emboss to add them. Choose Chisel Hard for the Technique and pump up the Depth.

9. To add Gradient Overlay, click on the gradient icon to bring out the Gradient Editor. Choose the gradient type that looks almost exactly like the reflection used in metallic type. When you choose a particular gradient, it appears in the Editor box. Adjust it in any way you want. When you want to move the position or change the color of the paint wells, just click them. The paint wells are located below the gradient. On the other hand, clicking below the gradient when there's no paint well will automatically insert a new one. These wells along the top of the gradient control opacity.

10. Adjust the angle. Once you have the gradient you want, click OK to exit the Editor to get back in the Layer Style dialog box. Back in the dialog box, just adjust the Angle to allow the gradient to intersect the logo at the right angle to simulate the reflections in the metal.

Finally,

11. Choose Stroke to add an edge to the logo. Click OK to exit the Layer Styles dialog.

You now have a brand new metallic type text for your CD or car ads. Just remember that these steps are just samples of what you can do with your Adobe Photoshop program. Be creative and imaginative. Creating your own design and art is easy with the Adobe Photoshop CS suite.

Innie Minnie Miny Moe… Who's the Best Printer of Them All?

Landing the most suitable commercial printer for your particular job is oftentimes the most harrowing part. Finding the right printer to do the job for you is just one step. You need first to do the following: identify the printing process ideal to your job requirement, locate the companies with the equipment to execute the process, and identify the people who know how to get the equipment doing its utmost capabilities.

Step 1: What printing process do you need?

If it's mostly basic black and white, a high quality, high speed Photocopier will do the trick. A lot of photocopiers are available in the market today. Nevertheless, it is still best to go with brands that have a reputation and name for excellent results. Brand X may be affordable but can it give you quality output?

If you are printing more than one color, with high resolution output, photographs, and you need a large amount of quantity reproductions, it is time to use an Offset Duplicator, or for quantities over than 10,000, the Sheet-fed Offset Press is the equipment for you.

For quantities above 50,000, a faster press may save you money. You may either choose a Web Press that uses less expensive rolls, or a Mini-Web Press with increased speed at prices almost similar with a sheet-fed press.

One rule of thumb that I got from one article: get a printer with a larger press that is not busy. A small job on a big press is always better than no job at all.

Step 2: Who has the right equipment?

After the process then comes the list of companies with the right equipment. Many are listed in the yellow pages or the internet. In addition to the presses they have and the process they can handle, find out what other services each printer has to offer. In addition, ask if they specialize in a particular type of work or range of quantities.

Step 3: Who has the best people?

According to an article I read, what separates a good printer from a mediocre one is a team of skilled people. The right equipment and facilities can provide you the best results when combined with skilled personnel who know how to utilize them at their maximum capacity.

And the only way you can gauge that is to get out and visit your candidates' shops. Look at the examples of the team's portfolio. Check for brilliant and clean colors, for smooth, dense solid areas, and text and images. Are they focused? Are they clear? Basically, look for the quality of product. If it seems lower than your expectations, then on the next one.

Service Bureaus/Commercial Printers Online

Aside from looking for printers on foot, we also have a lot of print providers and buyers online. With the wide range of selection that the Internet can provide nowadays, many links are made available. Here are some of the few digital printers that I personally found excellent:

• Digital Room. They offer Digital B&W and Digital Color Printing, Four Color Process Printing, Large Format Printing, Scanning, Pre-Press, Mounting and Laminating. www.digitalroom.com

• Color Printing Wholesale. Visit their website at www.colorprintingwholesale.com.

• Large Format Printing. They provide poster print media, and offer Offset Poster Printing, Inkjet Printing and Finishing

• Printing Shoppers. webmaster@printingshoppers.com.

• My Postcard Printing. When you're in a rush, you can order full color post card printing online. Their cards are printed on thick, 12 point gloss coated two sided card stock, and their prices include four-color printing on both sides. Email them at info@mypostcardprinting.com.

Put Character Into Your Words

While fonts are an important way to give your promotional materials character and distinction, providing graphics and art to it can provide that X-factor to your identity that makes it stand out from the rest.

One artist who is a favorite when it comes to providing illustrations and artwork is Michael Clark. According to an article, Clark is a calligrapher who gave up life as a banker and taught himself the art of lettering. Today he lectures on the subject at calligraphic societies and universities. He is also designing logos and titles for a long list of companies, book publishers and advertising agencies.

We don't need to become another Clark to design beautiful and attractive letters and words for our materials. Here are some steps to help us become almost expert calligraphers in our own right.

Anything in excess is bad for the health…

The key to using graphics in the text is to use it for a few words at most. Don't overuse by making an entire paragraph of graphic text, unless it's absolutely necessary.

As with the old adage, anything in excess is bad for your health. So does excessive amount of graphic text looks ridiculous and childish in your promotional materials. Do everything in moderation. It would also make your materials simpler and elegant, rather than garish.

Creating Graphic Text…

You don't have to be an artist to create graphic files. You just need the right software. There are several software available in the market today. Adobe has a complete suite that will help you design and provide beautiful artwork to your words.

There's this latest in the series of Alien Skin, Eye Candy 5: Nature. It's a set of plug-in filters for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Macromedia Fireworks. The program helps users simulate various phenomena in nature such as fire, smoke, rust, snow, ice, solar flares, halos, water drops and drips.

Measuring the size of character…

We need to realize that reading words that you could hardly discern because of its size won't help our cause. Size does matter. The remedy is to design flexibly so that anyone will be able to read what you have to say.

Leading the way…

One writer said that back in the days when type was made of little metal pieces, typesetters put rows of lead in between the lines of type. That has become passé nowadays. Nevertheless, leading is still important in creating your words.

To give your material readability factors, a little extra leading in between lines helps a lot. You could write your graphic text in such a way that readers will not be confused about the jumble of words that your text has become just because you did not provide leads.

Consistency…

Finally, your objective should be consistency in all your graphic text. When readers see something valuable and useful, you bet they'll come back for more. So try to create something that has character and meaning. Don't be like the blonde bombshell—beautiful outside but nothing inside.

7 Things My Mother Never Told Me… (How To Promote My Business)

There is a great myth in the business environment that believes in the power of a great product or service—that other business and clients- people for that matter- basically look for quality. No amount of promotion can help a small business thrive without the excellent product and service that you could offer the market.

But why is it that you are struggling and your competitors are growing day by day? You offer the best in the market, coupled with the best trained personnel, the longest warranties, and the most awards. Still, people are flocking to your neighbor's doors every minute of the day.

Promotion is the key. As David Frey would say, without promotion, your business will eventually dry up and blow away—no matter how good your product or service is.

So here are 7 things that I hope could help you brighten up your prospects and situation. These are just a few of the steps you could apply so that your promotional materials may go to other people's hands. These advices I have used personally, so if it works for you- great. If not, buy a book instead.

1. Shake hands, change cards. Your business card, letterhead and envelope tell target clients how serious you are with your profession, so the first thing you have to do is get them printed immediately. When you have them, it's time for you to go out and visit your friends and relatives, and even enemies, to tell them about your company. Make sure that you leave a small stack of your cards or even posters or flyers, or brochures so they could hand them out to their friends.

2. Talk to all the vendors from whom you buy your supplies and services. Give them a card or two, and ask them if they could use your product or service, or anyone they knew who could use what you are offering. Maybe they have newsgroups. You ask them if you could add your business card to their board or stack your brochures and flyers on the table.

3. Attend meetings of professional groups or any other group for that matter. Many associations have their monthly or weekly meetings. Civic organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club—they usually hold meetings and seminars on a regular basis. So go out there and attend those get-togethers. Don't forget to bring along your business cards and promotional materials. Every time you introduce yourself, make sure you reach in your pocket for a business card. And, don't forget to also listen to the person your talking with. They'll be flattered by your interest on them and remember you because of it.

4. Sponsor a promotion. Look for a non-profit organization and host an activity for them. Or, you could wrap your promotion around their own promotion, and you'll get the benefits from tagging along. Target the organizations whose benefactors and members are financially filthy. The organization distributes your message for you.

5. Be an active member of 3 or 4 groups. If you're still not a member of your chamber of commerce, do it now. These organizations have a list and calendar for all those activities and promotions we're talking about in #4. That will give you more opportunity to meet possible prospects. And while you're at it, be involved as well and make real contributions. There's no harm in becoming a little gracious yourself.

6. Send out press releases. Look for something unique about your company and send out press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, cable TV stations, or magazines. Somewhere along the way, a reader or two who are likely to be interested in buying what you sell, would chance upon your press release and call or visit you.

7. Do it in small prints. Many small businesses have come up with upbeat and distinctive ways to get their products and services into the public. Here are some of them:

• Reminder Cards- One company printed "reminder cards" for a non-profit organization to send out and distribute for donations. The name, and a kicker line about the company was printed there as the sponsor.

• Bookmarks- Print vital information for a charity you're supporting, and make sure your name and specialty is included. You could also print tips and hints on the bookmark for reference.

• Outreach Cards- How about a handy card that organizations can pass out letting other people know about their organization and how to get involved?

• Invitation Cards- A member could give this to a non-member inviting them to a meeting.

• Sports Calendars- A printing provider produced a calendar of sporting events of a local high school. He was able to get calls from moms and dads of the students who got his calendar for free.

• Car ID- These can have vital tips on calling for help, or first aid in case of accidents. People can put them in the glove compartment, and easily fish them out when the need arises.

Dear Santa… Coolest Gifts I Want To Get For Christmas

Dear Santa,

Not all I want for Christmas are two front teeth. I don't need two front teeth at the moment. I still have all of mine. What I really wish for are gadgets and gizmos aplenty, especially those that could make me a certified digital geek. I hear there are great price deals out there. So here are my list, categorized according to my three needs and wants. (Could you also make them double, coz I wanted to send the same gifts to my husband.)

Digital Cameras with > 6.0 Megapixels

• Fuji FinePix E550 Digital Camera

A great value, hand-carry digital camera. With fast start-up, low shutter lag, and good image quality, it's made for those fine carry-everywhere shoots you've been dreaming of. Within the $300 price range, this digital camera has arguably the best features particularly for the hobbyist.

Features: 6.63 megapixel, 4x optical zoom, standard point and shoot, 2 inch LCD panel, xD picture card, built-in flash. Price range: $265-$400.

• Canon PowerShot S70 Digital Camera

If you're amateurs and you want to start with getting those professional shots, this is the most suitable digital camera to have around. With a few minor faults such as some mild distortion on wide angles, it is a solid choice that allows users room to grow creatively.

Features: 7.4 megapixels, 3.6x optical zoom, standard point and shoot, 1.8 inch LCD panel, CompactFlash Card Type I. Price range: $390-$600.

• Kodak EasyShare DX7630 Digital Camera

With an amazing range of specs, this is a powerful digital camera to have. In addition to a very affordable price, it features a set of good lens, great batteries, and amazing picture quality.

Features: 6.10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, standard point and shoot, 2.20 inch LCD panel, built-in, MMC card, SD card. Price range: $280-$570.Below $500 Digital Camcorders

• Sony Handycam DCR-TRV120BT Digital-8 Digital Camcorder

One of the features of this camcorder is the night shot. It's great because it allows the camcorder to record video even in perfect darkness using infrared. The infrared light may be found below the camera lens.

Features: digital-8 recording format, 25x optical zoom, 460K CCD pixels, 2.5 inch LCD panel, with image stabilizer, 12/16 Bit PCM Digital Stereo/Audio Dub. Price range: $230.

• Sony Handycam DCR-TRV330 Digital-8 Digital Camcorder

The TRV330 is a good choice for those looking for affordable Sony camcorder with PhotoShot, USB and Memory Stick functions.

Features: digital-8 recording format, 25x optical zoom, 460K CCD pixels, 2.5 inch LCD panel without color view finder, with image stabilizer, 12/16 Bit PCM Digital Stereo/Audio Dub, still-shot capability. Price range: $400.

• Sharp VL-WD255U Mini DV Digital Camcorder

If you want to start a hobby of DV recording, this is the camcorder. It has features such as the Cat Eye (for dark shooting), and the Gamma (for low light situations). There's more to be desired on the print out quality though. Nevertheless, it does the job of getting good shots even on a cloudy and dreary day.

Features: digital, mini DV, 1xCCD, 26x optical zoom, 1.58 lb. Price range: $330-$489.

That's all Santa. Thank you and may you have a very Merry Christmas.


Sincerely yours,
Granny's Mettle

Asking the Right Questions: 7 Things You Need to Know When Hiring a Graphic Designer

Getting graphic designers nowadays is as easy as buying your milk in the supermarket. Graphic designers have become so endemic that everybody thinks that if they know how to use software programs and provide design and artwork to a material, they could easily get clients.

Graphic design is a two-way street of benefits- one for you and the other for the designer. To be able to maximize those benefits, here are 10 questions that we came up with to help you get the most suitable graphic designer working for your project.

1. How many years have you been in graphic design?

As I've said earlier, graphic designers are a dime a dozen. Almost everyone is a graphic designer these days. They even come younger than your next-door neighbor's son or daughter. Getting someone who has a background on graphic design is not enough anymore to build a strong working relationship. It is still better to have someone who has spent time training and getting the needed experience to do the job for you.

2. Can I see a portfolio?

Knowing what your designer has done in the past and getting his likes and dislikes on designs and art can suggest what he/she will be presenting to you. You might just get someone who has the exact look of what you have in mind.

3. Who have you worked for?

This is the most significant. Maybe I should put this on top. Anyway, your candidates should be able to produce not just clients but HAPPY clients. This is important because these clients are living references that you could talk to. Go one step further. Call them and ask about the candidate.

4. What's wrong with this project?

Prepare some material that includes an intentional mistake on the content. If they don't see any glitch or error, I think it's time to move on to the next candidate. Remember that editing and errors even minor ones will mean money out of your pocket.

5. Here's a page, what can you do?

A little test will go a long way in evaluating whether they say what they mean, and mean what they say. It's easy for them to tell you that they ca produce great results. However, you would need someone who CAN. So don't be afraid to give the test. Make it simple and give them a day or two to provide you with their results.

6. How long will it take you to do the job?

Your answer would be dependent on many things. Be more specific and ask for concrete answers. Also, try to ask our live references whether the candidate submitted late jobs. Not all projects are on time. We should accept that fact. Nevertheless, it's up to you to decide if chronic lateness can be within your tolerance for pain.

7. How much will it cost?

Prices do vary on the amount of work and your specifications. And do they make over-charges? This is another fact that you should accept. Overcharges are unavoidable because of the changing nature of the industry. Again, call the live references. They will know whether the overcharge is justified or not.

After everything has been said and done, choosing your Graphic Designer depends on you and your requirements. As with each fingerprint being unique, so does with graphic designers. Each of them has their own differences that can be an advantage for you and your company. So don't be afraid to look around. What you need might just be a block away from your office.

Photoshop's Got a New Plug In: Eye Candy 5 Nature

There's a new plug-in in town.

Remember the Alien Skin filters series? The same developers were the ones who made a blockbuster out of the XenoFex and Eye Candy 4000. Now the latest in the series of Alien Skin, Eye Candy 5: Nature is a set of 10 plug-in filters for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Macromedia Fireworks.

Eye Candy 5: Nature comes in the latest package that simulates a variety of nature's phenomena such as fire, smoke, rust, snow, ice, solar flares, halos, water drops and drips. The second from a three-part upgrade of Eye Candy 4000, Nature offers four new filters and six Eye Candy originals. The original filters have brand new looks, greater realism, and enhanced ease-of-use.

With Nature, users can now create new layers with effects without modifying the original layer. Viewing, editing and turning-off the effects are simple and doesn't change even an iota from the original image. The versatile and elegant renditions of the effects of nature will definitely be a hit among graphic designers, digital photographers and Web or multimedia content creators.

Effects that create nature's phenomena…

With the 10 plug-in filters provided in Nature, nature's phenomena can be recreated by the user to provide effects to the text and photo images.

• Ripples- This filter has three modes that create refractive ripples around any shape, as well as chaotic reflective waves.

• Rust- From iron oxide to tarnished brass, this filter tarnishes and corrodes images and text along with mold and mildew. Controls specify the size, color and texture of rust spots. And users can drip rusty water streaks down the selection surface.

• Snow Drift- It piles snow on text and lightly dusts images with surface snow and frost. Simple controls simulate deep, wet snow or a light dusting. By integrating Snow Drift with Icicles, users can produce winter effects on text and photos.

• Icicles- Drip icy stalactites from ay selection. Glaze surfaces with realistic ice. The Icicle filter makes any text adopt a wintry environment. It works great with Snow Drift.

• Smoke- Using two modes, users can simulate anything from voluminous clouds of smoke to murky haze. From volcanic eruptions to a steaming cup of coffee, users can create great effects with this new filter.

• Drip- It melts images, melds colors and provides oozing drops that drip from selections. This particular filter creates great wet paint effects on text. Users could even liquefy selections, artwork or photographic objects by altering the melt controls.

• Corona- This filter creates radiant solar flares, organic glows, and wispy auroras. You could also render coronas to a new layer, within the Eye candy interface, without affecting the original selection.

• Squint- From the twinkling of the stars to the frosting of diamonds, this filter mimics poor or wet vision or camerawork, defocuses images and adds highlights and halos to the selection. It provides that extra sparkle to any user's art with its classic, radial blur and soft light effects.

• Water Drops- Users can select color, opacity and viscosity of the water drops for that splash image and more.

• Fire- A reincarnated classic, it provides more realistic flames, creating effects from blue flames to white-hot rocket exhaust. With two new modes, the filter offers greater versatility and flexibility, simulating anything from the romance of candlelight to towering furnaces of infernos.