Indesign Secrets

As I mentioned (but didn’t go into great detail about) in my May 2008 column for CreativePro.com, one of my favorite InDesign techniques is to lift interesting silhouettes from photographs to use as InDesign text, image or unassigned frames that I fill with a color or something.

For example, you can convert these three images (all from the Photoshop Samples folder, inside the Photoshop application folder):

My co-host here, Anne-Marie Concepción, is so modest and humble that she’s not going to stand up here and shout about the other work she’s been doing, so I figger I’d better do it for ‘er. Here’s the deal: If you haven’t been reading her new column at CreativePro.com (titled “HerGeekness Says”, you’re missing out. […]

Le Roi est mort. Can software that was never the market leader be considered “the king”? Perhaps only in our hearts. GoLive had long been our personal favorite, when it came to HTML development, and we were deeply saddened when Adobe dropped it from the Creative Suite. We got a tad bit excited when Adobe […]

Adobe TV debuted today with a wealth of ready-to-view video content, much of it aimed at InDesign-using graphic designers. What’s nice is that you don’t need to run out and buy an HDTV — just go to http://tv.adobe.com and watch the shows in your browser. (You may be prompted to install the Flash Player v9 plug-in, because the Adobe TV “network” is also a proof-of-concept showcase for its just-released product, the Adobe Media Player.)

I just finished watching three of the 47 programs currently available, each belonging to one of their four Adobe TV “channels:” Designer, Photographer, Video Professional, and Developer. I only meant to watch just one show, because I have work to do, but it was like potato chips. Just one more. Okay one more. Finally I tore myself away to write this up!

While some of the content appears to be repurposed video from existing podcasts and training companies (lynda.com, Total Training, the Creative Suite podcast), what I loved were the “made-for-Adobe TV” shows like Caffe Fibonacci, Tim Cole and Rufus Deuchler’s “digital kitchen:”

I had the opportunity the other day to open a file sent to me by someone I don’t know. I realized that I went through a few ingrained procedures that I usually do when I open a strange file.
I also realized that this is a good list of things to go through for anyone who […]

We’ve just learned that in the next “dot” release of InDesign (version 5.0.3.1.r42), Adobe is removing all support for printing. The File > Print command will be replaced with File > Export to AIR and the various print-based PDF Presets will be removed, in favor of three new presets, including one for PDF/X-6 (which, as […]

Many of you know that I’m also involved with MOGO media (I’m the editorial director, so I help organize content and speakers for the various MOGO events, including The InDesign Conference). But I’m also helping them with a series of podcasts, including videocasts on InDesign.
For example, I posted a tip based on a technique for […]

I don’t like to focus on promotional stuff too much, but I felt compelled to tell you that InDesign Magazine is offering their biggest subscription discount ever right now, and only until March 21! If you use the code IDS (for indesignsecrets readers), you’ll pay only $34 for a year’s subscription (6 issues of the PDF magazine). Or, for just $10 more, you can get two years.

That’s something like $25 off the normal one-year subscription cost, and they’ve…

Please forgive the self-indulgent announcement, but a number of readers and listeners have asked me when my InDesign CS3 Beyond the Basics video title would be available from Lynda.com. The answer is: Today. I just got the word that it’s live at this Web address.

If you don’t yet have a subscription to Lynda.com and you’re not in the mood to buy the DVD, you’re welcome to watch all 10 hours of the video instruction by signing up for a free one-week subscription at lynda.com/IDsecrets.

The Beyond the Basics title picks up…

SJ wrote:

It has been months since any new Exchange plugins have been added. I have to wonder why. Can you give me an answer?

I’ve been wondering the same thing myself, for a long time. Adobe had a somewhat vibrant store of cool plug-ins, scripts, and other materials on their Adobe Exchange site for a couple of years. Then, it all stopped around the end of 2006. Steve Werner noticed that a new “beta” site went live last May, but there was no new content…