Questions regarding hardware or analogical tools (but please use software-recommendation for software ones!)
27
votes
8answers
993 views
Is there a good resource or tool to help build a palette/color scheme around colors I select?
No matter how nice the composition, flow, and lines of my design are, if I am not copying directly from nature, I have a very difficult time picking a decent color scheme. It either looks too drab, ...
21
votes
5answers
14k views
How can I automatically determine fonts used in an image or PDF?
How is it possible to determine the fonts used by text in PDF and TIFF files?
20
votes
7answers
7k views
Are graphics tablets worth it?
I've always felt curious about graphics tables, but I've never even used one. Most people I know either give up or love them.
I'm not a big illustrator myself, but I do the occasional doodle and ...
15
votes
7answers
3k views
Learning to draw: start in the pen and paper realm or the digital space?
My question is should I start with paper to learn to draw or learn to digitally draw with Photoshop or Illustrator or any image manipulation application.
I am thinking of using a book or some other ...
12
votes
5answers
722 views
Web-based workflow solutions for graphic designers (hosted and self-run)?
There are some common tasks in almost every graphic designer's workflow that are made immensely easy by the Internet, but are often clumsy to handle through traditional channels like E-Mail.
...
9
votes
6answers
703 views
What analog tools should every designer have today?
Prior to the proliferation of software, namely Adobe and Aldus, a designer needed an entire toolbox full of things to get a job done.
From t-squares and triangles, to ruling pens, masking tape, photo ...
6
votes
3answers
153 views
How can I automate the process of cutting intricate shapes out of paper?
I am trying to find whereabouts and name for this kind of automatic paper scissors, source of image here. I understand it so that one plugs in image with formats such as vector and raster and then it ...
5
votes
1answer
187 views
Illustrator eyedropper: What effect does different 'Pick up' and 'Apply' settings have?
Double-click on the Adobe Illustrator eyedropper icon, and you get a useful panel of advanced options that allow you to control what it picks up and what it applies. Two columns, 'Eyedropper picks up' ...
4
votes
3answers
86 views
How do you call “Charte Graphique” in English?
This is not really a translation question - more of a designer vocabulary.
How do you call the set of visuals, logos, designs, colors, fonts... that make a whole design project?
In French we would ...
4
votes
1answer
508 views
What digitizer stylus would most naturally replicate the range of touch between a mechanical pencil and a Uniball micro-point?
I am looking to start digitizing my work by re-drafting it from sketch books. This question is less about specs and hardware and more about the feel of the media, both in terms of mechanical ...
4
votes
2answers
393 views
Can I connect multiple line segments to a single point using the pen tool in photoshop?
I'm using the pen tool in CS5 to draw shapes, and I'm getting more comfortable with it, but one thing I'd really like to be able to do is add to a path. For example, if I draw a circle, I'd like to ...
4
votes
3answers
408 views
iOS, Android, etc., tablet devices in a design workflow?
I'm going to have to spring for one or more tablets (iPad, Tab, whatever) for testing ePubs, digital magazine ads, site rendering, etc. Because I don't have the consumer nature and also because I'd ...
3
votes
3answers
107 views
What are some essential tools I need to start school?
I dont have an artistic background, so when I start school soon, I don't really know what I'm going to need and what I'm not going to need. I'm trying to prepare as much as I can before starting and ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
3
votes
6answers
254 views
What computer hardware matters to a graphic designer?
I've had my MacBook Pro since 2007 and I'm starting to think about what the next system might look like. I'm not made of money, but if upgrading a component helps to make me a more efficient worker ...
3
votes
2answers
97 views
What's the fastest-drying pen?
I'm talking about real pens, not software!
I love drawing with Sharpies except that I often smear the lines with my sweaty wrists!
What's a similar black drawing pen/marker (felt tip or otherwise) ...
3
votes
1answer
222 views
How can I do spiral circle
I need to do the following shape in illustrator, if can be done by illustrator. I think it can be done by spiral, circle and pathfinder tools but I'm not sure. Please I need the details of how to do ...
3
votes
1answer
425 views
Designing forms for printing in InDesign
I have to make a lot of forms in InDesign. Not interactive forms, just forms that need to be printed. It's really a pain making all the checkboxes, radio buttons, lines and text fields and ensuring ...
3
votes
2answers
350 views
What is a good free font management tool for linux?
I've been trying to find a font management tool that is free, but all solutions are comercial.
Is there a good font management tool that is free?
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Can Pixelmator handle Photoshop layer styles?
Can Pixelmator handle Photoshop layer styles? How compatible is Pixelmator with the rest of Photoshop and the other Adobe graphics programs?
3
votes
2answers
399 views
Illustrator: Pathfinder divide not working as expected
I'm trying my hand at making a map using illustrator. I'm fairly new at it so I'm still learning the ropes. I'm trying to divide up a continent into several countries using border lines. Here's an ...
2
votes
2answers
172 views
Simplest way to create a product box image
Would like to present our products as pictures of 3D product boxes like this:
I think Adobe Illustrator with the persepctive tool could to it, but I wondered if there is maybe something even ...
2
votes
5answers
242 views
Wireframing tool to design a website idea
I have nothing to do with design, because I don't know how to mix two colors. Some time ago, I've read about some tools which are used in the creation of interfaces for application and web pages.
In ...
2
votes
4answers
296 views
Best tools for scanning doodles?
I like to doodle with pencil and paper. I'd like to scan it, or take a picture with my phone, then have as much of it converted to vectors as possible.
Ideally, my crooked lines would become ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Getting Dimensions of Marquee Tool in Photoshop
Is it possible to get the dimensions (width, height, top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right) of the select area that is selected using the marquee tool.
If yes how?
2
votes
3answers
8k views
how create rounded corners for a layer or selection
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 ...
2
votes
2answers
756 views
How do I control the way the cropping tool works in Photoshop CS3?
I'd like to set the behavior of the cropping tool.
I want it to define cropping areas based on...
A fixed, numerical set of pixel dimensions.
A given proportion, e.g., a 9 by 12 area of arbitrary ...
2
votes
2answers
166 views
What Windows-based tools do you use to create icons?
I'm working on a project that often needs small (16x16, rarely 32x32), simple, bespoke icons (either made from scratch or as slight modifications of other icons).
Working on a Windows box, I end up ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Color mixer that can mix 3 or more colors?
I'm looking for some sort of service, tool or application – even manual techniques – where you can digitally mix/blend 3 or more colors (i.e. not 2 as in most applications out there) and get the ...
2
votes
5answers
2k views
A good tool to visually design graphical user interfaces for iOS devices?
I'm developing an iOS apps and I need to find an easy design tool, something that would allow me to drag widgets into my GUI, and visually build it.
I'm currently using Adobe Illustrator with this ...
2
votes
1answer
32 views
Is there a tool that fills an area by its surrounding borders?
By example:
Is there a tool or a way to fill the white X shape so that the colors and patterns around it will blend into it as automatically as possible?
I.e., I want to remove the X as close to ...
2
votes
1answer
661 views
3D character modeling tool [closed]
I am working on building a Strategy Game (it will be in 2.5D), and for graphic design part we are using Illustrator and Photoshop for designing (including designing characters), and now we want to ...
2
votes
0answers
149 views
What are the best online collaborative tools? [closed]
What are the best on-line tools, software or web-apps that you can use to collaborate with your team and clients?
1
vote
6answers
139 views
Do companies/firms usually provide drawing/artist tablets to their designers and artists?
Or do you have to provide your own?
1
vote
3answers
937 views
Tools to get HTML/CSS easily from PSD?
I have the PSD designs for my website and now want to create the site using these designs. I am not very good with css though I know HTML, javascript well. Is there any tool, site, software that can ...
1
vote
4answers
673 views
A good Mac image annotation tool?
I'm looking for a tool where I can quickly annotate my Photoshop/Illustrator designs with the distances in pixels between different elements and / or the edges, so I can then transform the layout into ...
1
vote
4answers
607 views
How do I change RGB value without changing the Alpha channel?
I would like to know how can I change color of RGBA image when alpha channel will be unchanged for each pixel. If I use Paint Box Tool it will set alpha channel for all pixels to constant value.
Look ...
1
vote
2answers
622 views
Using GIMP to redraw an existing low res logo
I am just getting my teeth into Gimp and am not a graphic designer by any stretch of the imagination! I'm a developer trying to make myself a bit more useful on the design front.
Anyway, I am ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
What are the differences between the Wacom Intuos 3 and 4 graphics tablets?
For the Wacom Intuos graphics tablet, are there significant functional differences between the current model (4) and the previous model?
Does the newer one have additional features or design ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
eyedropper tool working incorrectly
By default when sampling colors in Photoshop with the eyedropper the color selected shows up as the foreground color, currently when i try sampling a color it sets it as the background color -how can ...
1
vote
1answer
78 views
How do I preserve transparency over a 'paste' operation in photoshop?
Basic situation:
I have an image with a complex alpha channel (ie. feathered, complex non-linear edges).
I have an image I want to overlay on top of the first image using a blend option like ...
1
vote
1answer
118 views
Photoshop: Why does the Hand Tool icon flicker when choosing 'Add a layer style' from the Layers palette?
Does anyone else see this? Is there a reason why this happens or is it a bug? (Photoshop CS5.1 on OS X 10.7.2, not sure if this happens in previous Photoshop or OS X versions.)
Steps to reproduce:
...
1
vote
1answer
681 views
What are good and maybe free UI storyboarding applications, especially for mobile UIs
Hi I would like to get an overview of existing UI desktop or online application, which may have a specialization towards user interaction modeling and mobile device interfaces. I guess there are some ...
1
vote
2answers
29 views
Tools to save, tag and share images with clients/team?
When you are doing visual research, what tools do you use to save, tag and share images or screenshots with clients/team? Do you know other tools than Little Snapper?
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Need help with pen tool
Let's say I've completed a path and the pen tool is no longer selected.( It's a straight line, not a closed circle.)
Now I want to start from the ending point again and continue the line. How do I do ...
1
vote
2answers
224 views
What causes the Eyedropper to change all samples to white?
My Eyedropper has suddenly started changing all samples to white. No matter what area of an image I click it samples white, this is regardless of sample size or modifier keys. If I manually select a ...
1
vote
2answers
164 views
Simple, hosted file tracking
I'm looking for some advice on a simple, hosted web-based digital file management system. We have a design team that creates a lot of assets needed by engineering, marketing, and many other people in ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
InDesign HTML 5 plugin or web apps to create HTML 5 ebooks based on InDesign project
I am designing e-books for iPad & Android tablets. The problem is I have very little options to add animated effects to my e-book when doing it on InDesign (which is a must for me, as the e-books ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Illustrator reducing double stroke svg to a single stroke svg
I have a double stroke svg that I want to reduce to a single stroke svg. The area on the svg is defined as some white shapes that are overlayed on a black background, with anchors outlining the shapes ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
What is the most accurate way to transport a physical sketch via email?
I have a sketch on paper that I would like to send to someone via email. What can I do to send it to them without changing the size of it and will still allow for them to print it back onto paper? ...
