Over the course of several recent projects, I’ve been experimenting with some alternatives to the usual cast of web fonts (Arial, Verdana, Georgia, etc.). I know this is nothing new, as countless other designers have had other fonts grace their designs. While the results of my experiments often prove less than successful, I proceed to share my experiences in pursuit of documenting web font knowledge. After all, what’s a designer’s job without a little challenge every now and then?
For those living in the comfort of Arial & Co., do not take this as a discouragement from exploring the outer limits of web fonts, but as a warning of what lies ahead.
Continue reading ‘(There Is Hardship) Beyond Arial & Verdana’
We conclude our two-part Rapid Fire special with a technique that will save you from manual-erase horrors that come with placing one photo over another. Using vector shapes and the Multiply blend mode in Adobe® Fireworks® allows us to create adjustable superimpositions and preserve the shadows of the superimposed image. This works best with photos of objects with a flat white background, standard among stock photos.
Continue reading ‘Rapid Fire #5: Image Editing Tricks Part II’
This dual serving of Rapid Fire demonstrates some basic image compositing techniques in Adobe® Fireworks®. This is the first of two parts, and will serve as a simple intro showing how to create and match perspectives using the Distort Tool. And what better example than putting a screenshot over an empty screen?
Continue reading ‘Rapid Fire #4: Image Editing Tricks Part I’
In this edition of Rapid Fire, we’ll be making use of a particular design resource in a not-so-conventional manner. Utilizing readily-available corroded fonts, we can achieve a marker- or chalk-stroke effect with which to frame or emphasize our design elements in Adobe® Fireworks®.
Continue reading ‘Rapid Fire #3: Quick ‘N Dirty Outlines’
Whether it’s signifying merit or signalizing new content, a golden seal graphic often does the trick. Utilizing two of Macromedia Adobe® Fireworks®‘ nifty features—Auto Shapes and Text On A Path—you’ll be stamping shiny seals in no time. Continue reading ‘Rapid Fire #2: Golden Seal’