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From Adobe’s press release:

First Major Release since April 2010 Packed with New Features and Huge Performance Enhancements

SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 22, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS6 beta, a preview of what’s to come in the next release of the industry standard in digital imaging, is available as a free download from Adobe Labs. Customers can download the beta, try out the experience and provide feedback to the product team. Packed with groundbreaking new innovations, features and incredible performance enhancements, Photoshop CS6 beta is available for the Mac OS and Microsoft® Windows® platforms. The final release is expected in the first half of 2012.

“Photoshop CS6 will be a milestone release that pushes the boundaries of imaging innovation with incredible speed and performance,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “We couldn’t wait to share this beta of Photoshop CS6 with our customers and are looking forward to hearing from them and seeing the ways they are incorporating the beta into their daily creative workflows.”

New Features in Photoshop CS6 Beta

Photoshop CS6 beta demonstrates Adobe’s focus on huge performance enhancements, imaging magic and creativity tools that offer customers a new experience in digital imaging. Key features include new additions to the Content-Aware tools: Content- Aware Patch allows greater control by letting users select and duplicate an area of an image to fill in or “patch” another, and Content-Aware Move lets users select and magically move an object to a new place in the image.

Customers will experience incredible performance, powered by the new Adobe Mercury Graphics Engine*, enabling near-instant results from popular editing tools including Liquify, Puppet Warp, Transform and Lighting Effects; and a refined, modern interface featuring dark UI options to make images pop. New and re-engineered design tools make creating designs faster and more efficient. Vector layers allow users to apply dashed lines and gradient strokes, searchable layers quickly zero in on any layer, and new type styles let designers swiftly apply type treatments to their designs.

In addition, the Photoshop CS6 beta offers all the features of Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended, such as new 3D editing features and quantitative imaging analysis capabilities. These features will be included in the shipping version of Photoshop CS6 Extended when it becomes available.

Pricing and Availability

The Photoshop CS6 beta is available immediately as a free download in English and Japanese. At installation, users will be required to provide an Adobe ID to complete a one-time login and online product activation. For information on how to install Photoshop CS6 beta, visit www.adobe.com/go/photoshopcs6. Customers can submit feedback via the Photoshop CS6 beta forum.

Users can also connect with the Photoshop team via the community-powered site; on Facebook; YouTube; Photoshop.com blog; or via Twitter.

Design doesn’t necessarily need to be a balance of text and images. In fact, it’s common for designers to communicate their ideas by just using typography giving a range of creative results. There are numerous ways of using typography whether it’s by using different sizes and styles in the one design or by using words to cleverly create an image.

I find typographic designs very inspiring and always love looking at clever, witty ideas which other designers have created. Here are a few of my favourites:

Source: www.tolgaoruc.com

Source: www.artext.co.uk

Source: www.tolgaoruc.com

Source: jlern.com

Source: www.vladstudio.com

Source: thebirdsandthebeasts.bigcartel.com

Source: www.behance.net/Gallery/Fear-and-Loathing-in-Las-Vegas/275201

Source: www.todayandtomorrow.net

Source: mariedenise.wordpress.com

Source: www.adsoftheworld.com

Source: www.alienbiru.deviantart.com

Source: www.tutorial9.net

Source: www.typomaps.net

Source: www.noemimones.wordpress.com

Related articles

• What is typographic illustration? (salon.com)
• Inspiring Typography Artwork (noupe.com)
• Showcase Of Creative Typography In Modern Web Design (mt-soft.com.ar)
• Type-a-file is a template for web typography (thenextweb.com)

“I want to be my own boss.” How many times have I heard that? So many people fantasize about saying, “Take this job and shove it,” to their employers. They envision freedom through owning their business. But what’s the reality of going freelance? Being a freelancer means you’re not just doing what you love in addition to graphic design, you must wear all the hats of a business owner

Freelancing Roles

Here are just some of the hats you will wear as a freelancer:

1. You’re the office manager. If you have a favorite pen, you can order all you want and not worry about co-workers stealing them. But if the printer runs out of toner on deadline, it’s no one’s fault but your own. As a business owner, you’re responsible for all the behind-the-scenes work to keep it going.
2. You’re the rainmaker. Just because you hung up your “open for business” sign doesn’t mean the clients are going to beat down your door–you need to find ways to bring them in yourself. Marketing is often cited as the least-enjoyable part of freelancing, because you want to huddle down with creative work, but instead you have to sell yourself. Not only that, but you have find the actual time to promote your work.
3. You’re the taxman. Every year in January, companies issue W-2 forms to employees, who often do their own taxes based on that one form. But freelancers get more than a W-2. Not only must you keep track of all your payments from each client but you also need to retain receipts in relation to your business since they are potential deductions.
4. You’re the IT person. Just because you know the Adobe Creative Suite inside and out doesn’t mean you know how to install memory into your computer or troubleshoot VoIP when it goes down. I love working independently––setting my own deadlines and surging through projects without interruptions from people. But the second my Internet turns sluggish or I get locked out of my computer, I am at IT’s door whining like a two-year-old for help. When I work from home and my computer acts up, I can only follow the advice of “The IT Crowd” and try turning it off and on again.

I’m not trying to scare anyone off–rather, people should realize what they’re getting into before swiping all the paperwork off their boss’ desk as they stomp out the door.

The Positives of Being a Freelancer

And there are positives to have all the different responsibilities, too:

1. Nondesign tasks break up your day. Sometimes you’ll hit a creative block, and rather than waste time forcing ideas, take a break and tend to administrative tasks. A school of thought is that working in chunks of time is a good way to stay on task and not burn out. It’s like having multiple deadlines throughout the day, which is how many people thrive.
2. You’ll be more marketable if you re-enter in-house life. I once blew a job interview because I failed the Excel test. It didn’t matter that I write, edit and design–nope, this was a job at a small nonprofit that needed everyone to pitch in and perform admin duty. Having skills beyond design prepares you for the real world, and depending on how long the economy takes to recover, you might find yourself counting on those extra skills to earn you a paycheck.
3. You have more opportunities for networking. Whether you’re shopping for office supplies, visiting your tax preparer or working in a cafe, you never know when you’ll bump into your next client. Being out and about allows you to meet all sorts of different people, and the more you chat them up, the more opportunity you have to pass on your business card.
4. You can do what you want. A company whose politics you disagree with approached you for a job? You can turn it down. A struggling business wants to hire you, but can’t afford your rate? You can halve it––just for them. If you’re a night owl, you can work into the wee hours and sleep all morning. As long as you make your deadlines and return phone calls and e-mails, clients shouldn’t care––or notice––the odd hours you keep. You don’t have to shower or wear a tie. Heck, you don’t have to wear pants.

Related articles

• The Freelancer’s Dilemma (psychologytoday.com)
• How to be a Successful Freelancer? (socyberty.com)
• The Components of a Successful Client Relationship (freelanceswitch.com)

iPhone is becoming very handy as it comes to applications. You name it and the application for that purpose is available. If you are a graphic designer you can use this gadget for many purposes as lots of graphic designing applications are available too and that’s what i tried to sort out today.

Below is the list of 25 useful iPhone apps for graphic designers.

1. Color Expert

Color Expert is an application guide that includes tools to facilitate the color settings, the process of capture, and a combination of several colors. In addition, this application will also allow you to add color to your wishes.

2. My Pantone iPhone Apps

My Pantone  iPhone Apps are applications that are specifically used to create several color combinations that exist so as to produce a unique color for your liking. This application is used if you do not find the colors found on your iPhone. Existing navigation on this application will allow you to do the color mixing of several kinds of colors available.

3. Cliqcliq

CliqCliq is an application that you can use to set some color features that exist, such as changing colors, and create a combination of several colors into one color.This application will greatly help your application work with CSS, HTML, Flex, Flash, and others. Colors resulting from this application you can convert it into several color formats, such as RGB and CMYK.

4. Camera Bags

Camera Bags serves to set the color produced from the iphone camera. There are several kinds of colors you can choose and then shared to multiple other devices, eg PC, Mac, or online store. In addition, you can also print the image directly with pitchbridge technology.

5. Color Guides

Color guide is one of the color management application that uses with the code.Several kinds of color code that is often used in these applications is RGB and HEX.This application is very suitable to be used as a reference for those who work as a designer.

6. Layers

Layers is a graphics application on the iPhone that can be used to produce unique images by using some existing tools, such as smudge tool, brushes, paint, erase, and several other applications. Such applications are also found on several image processing program such as Photoshop, Image editing, and Image Ready.

7. Loupe

Loupe is one iPhone application that is used to enlarge object pictures you take. Use of this application is usually done if the object is not very clear.

8. Color Toy

There are many iPhone applications on the Internet, one of which is the Color Toy. If you are a graphics designer, interior deisgn, or flash animator, ColorToy can help you find the type of color that is suitable and ideal for your project. The application is very simple and flexible, allowing you to produce and mix a variety of interesting color combinations.

9. Ruler Plus

Ruler Plus is an application that is widely used by designers to measure the object with the iPhone how to put it on the media to be measured. With this application, the measurement object can be known directly.

10. Quick Office

Mobiles Quickoffice is an application that functions to help your office work when you are outside. In this application is generally similar to existing Office applications on a PC or Mac. Some features that can be used with this application including MobileMe, Dropbox, Google Docs, and Box.net. Some advantages of this application that is able to transfer files via Wi-Fi technology.

11. Photo Bucket

Photobucket is an online photo storage application. Currently this application can enjoy through on your iphone. Image and photos you can upload directly from digital cameras or computers. Some features that are often used in this application include a photo library, and your browser’s online photo. And more interestingly, this application you can get for free.

12. Omni Focus

Omnifocus useful to manage multiple plans that you should do every day. Some of the features contained in this application of which is to manage incoming mail, project designers would you do, the discussion about the project with your colleagues, and schedule your other activities. This application will help you when you’re on outdoor. Although this application paid, but it will really help you that have high mobility as a graphics designer.

13. Work Timer

Are you as designers? Working as a web designer with too many clients is often difficult to organize, scheduling, and equally impractical. However, you still need to keep track of how much time you will from some spend working on each project, the which is the WorkTimer comes in.  Can you handling your entire project? By simply pressing the screen, you cans keep a log of how many hours you’ve spent working – one less thing to clutter your mind and distract your creative genius!

14. Zeptopad

Zeptopad is an application that can be used directly. If you’re a graphics designer, and suddenly found the idea, you can pour directly inspired by the fingers on the iPhone screen. Images produced by this application is  vector format.

15. Cooliris

Cooliris is an application that contains multimedia content, such as photo sharing, video, news, and some streaming-based applications. The advantage of this application is the speed of which browser you used when you surf the web to find pictures and video.

16. Evernote

This application serves to create a simple note about your activities outside, for example, to record important things, remember things when you are on the road, and everything you think is important enough to be immortalized. This application has been synchronized with other devices, such as Mac and PC with Windows based. Some features available in this application include writing text, photos, audio notes, mark notes for quick access. You can get this application for free.

17. Fonts Previews

Font previews an application that allows a designer to see some type fonts found in some device with iOS 3.2 based  , for example iPad, iOS 4 on the iPhone, and iPod touch.

18.Brushes

Brushes is a graphics design application that is very simple. You can draw an object through a menu of available brushes. Simple addition, this application is also capable of producing images with a unique vector format. Equipped with some image processing tools will make you like a professional designer.

19. Color Splash

Color Splash is an application that can be used to produce a unique image effects, interesting, and real. Typically these applications will result in a combination and mix of very different colors, such as black and white images are combined with bright-colored pictures, so that would lead to artistic impression.

20. Font Shuffle

Fonts Shuffle is an application that must be owned by those who work as graphic design. With this application you can find various kinds and types of fonts that you want to use, ranging from the size of fonts, symbol fonts, and font editing. There are many options available. Some versions of this application you can get for free.

21. Pixelpipe

Pixelpipe is one iPhone application that can be used for photo sharing to multiple social networking sites, and micro-blogging service. This application has been supporting more than one hundred social networking sites. You can get this application for free.

22. What the Fonts

What the font is an application that is widely used in design magazines, newspapers, and several other advertising media. Existing features can you integrate into some other devices that already support this application.

23. HTML Cheat Sheet

HTML Cheat Sheet widely used by designers based HTML source code. With this application you can optimize the function of each source code available on a design, be it graphic design, web design, and some HTML-based blogging application.

24.Dexigner

Dexigner is a special application from the iPhone which serves to show news and topics around the design. An interesting display is suitable for you to try this application.

25. Analytics

Analytics is an application used by web designers and graphic designers who build a website. Where in this application, you can know about  popularity of your web on search engine. Some view of these applications include direct traffics, referring site, and search engines.