graphic design
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Photoshop’s AI subject selection now handles portraits with ease
Adobe is adding new features to Creative Cloud apps to help you collaborate or share your projects with others. Of course, there are a number of new features for your regular everyday work, too. Perhaps the most interesting addition is an AI-powered selection feature for portraits that will save you a ton of time.
Billy Steele06.16.2020
NASA's iconic 'worm' logo will adorn the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon rocket
When Space X's Crew Dragon craft carries its first complement of astronauts to the International Space Station later this year, it will do so with NASA's iconic "worm" logo emblazoned on the side of its Falcon 9 rocket.
Igor Bonifacic04.02.2020
Adobe Illustrator is coming to the iPad in 2020
It's been over a year since Adobe first announced it was bringing Photoshop to the iPad, and the app finally debuts today. Not letting any time pass before moving on to the next challenge, Adobe is announcing that it's working to do the same for Illustrator at its annual MAX design conference. The app won't arrive until sometime in 2020, but when it does, the company's two biggest desktop design applications will be available for use on Apple's tablets.
Billy Steele11.04.2019
Photoshop on the iPad is now available
It's been over a year since Adobe officially announced that it was bringing Photoshop to the iPad, but today the company makes good on its promise to do so in 2019. Version 1.0 isn't a full-blown version of the iPad app you're probably expecting though. The first release primarily focuses on compositing and retouching tools -- things like selections, masking, painting, blend modes and adjustment layers. There are some pretty useful tools in that list, but it isn't the full extent of what Photoshop will be capable of on Apple's tablets.
Billy Steele11.04.2019
Pixelmator Pro is currently 50 percent off
One of Engadget's favorite Photoshop alternatives, Pixelmator Pro, has just gone on sale. Starting today, you can get 50 percent off the macOS image editing app. With the discount applied, Pixelmator Pro costs $19.99, instead of $39.99. If you're reading this outside the US, the app is likely discounted in your country as well, so make sure to check the Mac App Store.
Igor Bonifacic10.22.2019
Pixelmator Pro update brings full suite of editing tools to Apple Photos
We've long favored Pixelmator Pro as an effective and affordable alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Now an update to the image editor will make it easier for you to perform advanced visual editing right in Apple Photos. The Pixelmator team unveiled Pixelmator Pro 1.4 Hummingbird today, which includes an extension that brings its entire suite of editing tools to Apple's photo library. Nothing is missing from the extension -- users can perform layer-based edits, edit RAW photos, paint with digital brushes and more.
Amrita Khalid07.23.2019
Logoist 2: Designing logos and more on your Mac
Small business owners, website developers, and others often have a need to design logos, business cards, and more, but can't afford to hire a professional designer to do the work. While designers are your best bet for getting a logo or other artwork that can truly "sell" your business to customers, the recently updated Logoist 2.1 ($29.99, on sale through December 27, 2014 for $14.99) can help you to easily create good-looking, professional illustrations or images. The OS X app is fully optimized for OS X Yosemite, and creates files as images in PNG, JPEG, PSD, and PDF formats. But before you can output your images, you need to create them... Launching Logoist 2.1 displays a splash screen with a showcase of different designs, all of which can be used as a starting place for creating your own work. If you're looking more for a specific type of graphic item - say a logo, greeting card, business card or photo layout - there are tabs for those items as well. You don't have to use the presets, but they may be useful in getting your creative juices flowing. Selecting a preset brings up the example in a separate window that can be expanded to full screen if desired. On those presets you'll see several animated dots - clicking on those allows you to change some of the major features of a specific design. For example, one simple calligraphy logo had one dot for changing the text, while another dot changed the background color. But what if I wanted to do more than just change the text and background color? Well, there's a button to create a new document from the preset, and once that's been created a full editor comes into view. Want to change the text style or rotation? Done. Add shapes, lines, paths? It's in the controls. There are buttons for adding clip art or images, and specific items can be layered for depth or to mask out other items. I found it fascinating that individual letters in a logo could not only be rotated, but that I had total control over items such as line height and kerning. Style changes include fills, motion blurs, borders, a ton of effects from bevels to shadows, and even a "set distorter" to force perspective or warp words. There are so many choices that Logoist 2.1 provides a browser of style presets that you can try out, scrolling through gradients, flat colors, glows, plastic, glossy or glassy extrusions, or even metallic looks. All said, it's possible to make some really hideous choices like the faux TUAW logo seen at the top of the page. Clip art can be added in at any point along with images, and there are a number of combine effects for melding graphic and textual elements. As with most graphic apps, you'll want to be sure to take some time to learn the app so that you don't create nightmares like I did for the examples in this post. That's where the Logoist 2.1 User Guide comes in handy - it's a 51 page PDF document that outlines many of the techniques that you'll want to know in order to master the app. Anyone who needs an app that can help them design logos and cards - or at least show them that they need a professional designer's help - should jump on purchasing Logoist 2.1 while it's on sale through December 27, 2014. It's a powerful tool that can produce great results in the hands of those who learn its tricks and can show restraint.
Steve Sande12.22.2014
StarCraft II Art Tools Open Beta available
If you're a 3D artist looking for some new toys to get that creative streak going, Blizzard has just the thing for you. The StarCraft II Art Tools package is now in open beta, and includes plugins for 3DS Max, along with a ton of StarCraft II source art files, tutorials, and documentation to get you up and running. The art tools package isn't just a new toy from Blizzard -- it's the same tools that the StarCraft II development team used to create Heart of the Swarm. The tools package allows artistic players to create new models, textures, particle effects, animations, or pretty much any other 3D art asset that you can dream up for the StarCraft II engine. This is, however, a beta -- so there may be bugs with the program. However, Blizzard of course has an official feedback thread for users to leave bug reports and suggestions for improvement. To participate in the open beta, simply visit the announcement page, download the program in either 32-bit or 64-bit version, grab the documentation, and get to creating!
Anne Stickney08.31.2013
Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
Poser has come a long way from the last time I used it, right around version 4. We're now at 10 for the basic edition (retail US$299.99) and Poser Pro 2014 (retail $499.99) has become a powerful animation tool in its own right. I got to look at some of the new features rolling out today and they are impressive, putting Poser on par with many animation and modeling suites costing much more. A problem with any humanoid character is how the "skin" folds when you bend it. Poser now offers Pixar's OpenSubdiv libraries, which means subdivision surfaces anywhere you need them. I was impressed with the accuracy and speed at which Poser created subdivisions, which add greatly to the realism already available in Poser. There are also some new characters, both realistic and cartoonish, to help get you started. For basic work the stock characters will keep you busy for quite a while, but there's also a great third-party market for Poser models should you need more. One pain point for many digital artists are the hair and clothes for models. Getting those to "fit" properly can take a long time. Poser Pro now offers a "fitting room" which speeds up this process. Poser already has a cottage industry of third-party models and props, including clothes and hair. Now with the fitting room you can quickly fit those accessories to your basic models faster. Sure, you've still got the morph targets you've come to know and love, but Poser Pro now offers five specialized tools for interactively loosening, tightening clothes while retaining their physics properties (rigid or soft-body deformations). Both the Pro and basic editions now offer Bullet Physics, which simulates rigid-body and soft-body dynamics. Applying regions of soft-body dynamics is as easy as painting on your character, and the results are truly impressive with very little learning curve for newbies. That's the power of Poser, really. Many of the trickier elements of 3D modeling and animation are done for you (if you've ever rigged a biped using IK you know how tedious it can be!), leaving you to "play" with the models, lighting and accessories to get just the right look. With models already rigged, and now with Bullet Time, it has become easier than ever to get realistic animation out of the box with very little effort. Poser has become a powerful tool for graphic novelists as well, allowing artists to quickly pose and render characters. The latest addition offers a Comic Book Preview mode which allows artists to dial in the correct amount of lines and shading throughout a scene, even animated. Doing this in your 3D tool counts for a lot, and the examples I saw were impressive and fast. If you've ever set up a scene, added a cartoon render and discovered lines going funky when you animate, you'll be pleasantly surprised by Poser's ability to lock down lines and shaders in Comic Book mode. In addition to all this, there's a more capable Morph Brush for enhancing models, and a Live Simulation preview which allows you to quickly render ray traced models or preview animation using Bullet Time. Poser has become more capable and faster -- exactly what you want in a 3D modeling and animation tool. While the cost isn't cheap, Smith Micro is offering a deal through June 30. Poser 10 will be available for $239.99 and Poser Pro 2014 will be $399.99. If you're upgrading, check the Poser site for more details. Compared to 3ds Max and other tools, Poser is a steal at those prices. If you find yourself needing character models (for medical illustrations, graphic novels, stock photos, etc.) I think the basic version will make you very happy. If you need animated characters with lifelike skin, hair and clothes, Pro is simply brilliant and priced very competitively for what it delivers. No, these are not hobbyist tools exactly, but they are accessible to anyone and powerful enough to be used in professional situations. Check out Poser if you need a reliable solution to character animation or modeling needs. Show full PR text New Poser 10 and Poser PRO 2014 Animation Software Now Available · New 3D characters · Subdivision Surfaces · Bullet Physics with soft body dynamics · Interactive Raytrace Preview · Comic Book Preview Mode ALISO VIEJO, CA – May 21, 2013 – Smith Micro Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Productivity and Graphics Group today announced the newest version of its 3D animation software program, Poser® 10 and Poser® Pro 2014. Perfect for artists, illustrators, animators and graphic designers, Poser enables users to easily create full 3D scenes with digital humans, animals and props. In addition to an extensive library of pre-loaded characters and content, Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 come equipped with new features such as Subdivision Surfaces for improved bending fidelity, Bullet Physics for adding increased realism to animation and Live Simulation mode for previewing dynamics in real-time. Watch a video teaser for Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 here. "It's our goal to provide illustrators, graphic designers, animators and 3D artists as well as novice users and hobbyists with a resource for telling their stories in 3D, via images and video," said Steve Cooper, senior product manager of productivity and graphics at Smith Micro. "Poser not only provides professional users with powerful tools for creating 3D character content and scenes, but also offers a variety of easy-to-use features and pre-loaded figures and props that allow beginners to get into 3D art without forcing them to master figure modeling, texturing and rigging." Poser comes with pre-built, ready to use 3D characters that enable users to begin posing and animating right out of the box. Supported by a multitude of tutorial videos as well as by an experienced team of content creators, developers, QA testers and customer service and support teams, the full featured software is reliable, well documented and easy-to-learn. "With each new version that is released, Poser continues to raise the bar for 3D illustrators and artists," said Brian Haberlin, co-artist and co-writer of the multimedia sci-fi adventure saga Anomaly. "Poser gives users the ability to create exceedingly realistic animations and illustrations and has emerged as the digital artist's secret little helper." Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 provide new professional level features, even at the base version of the software. The integration of Pixar's OpenSubdiv library enables artists to define subdivision levels by prop, figure or even individual body part with ease. This feature, known as Subdivision Surfaces, improves bending accuracy, smoothens polygonal surfaces and boosts overall performance by enabling lighter poly-count content. Poser's new Bullet Physics tool simulates rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics and even dynamic strand-based hair. Poser artists can now add jiggle and bounce to any prop or character, paint soft body constraint weights to animate and more. Users can even preview their animations in real-time with the Live Simulation feature. "Poser offers a variety of features that help everyone from beginners to professional animators alike," said Monty Oum, director of animation at Rooster Teeth Productions. "Whether you are just jumping into 3D animation or are a skilled digital artist, Poser has tools that will help bring your art to life, while cutting down production time and cost." Comic Book Preview Mode and new Fitting Room: Poser's new Comic Book Preview Mode enables illustrators to create color or black and white comic art with improved line control and outlines with persistent shading, even when rotating or animating their point of view. Users can also interactively fit existing clothing and props to any Poser figure with Poser Pro's Fitting Room, which provides five intelligent methods that interactively loosen, tighten, smooth and preserve soft and rigid features. With the click of a single button, designers can generate a new conforming clothing item, using the original figure's rig, complete with full morph transfer. For a full feature-listing visit here. Pricing and Availability: From now until June 20, 2013 Poser 10 is available for $239.99 and Poser 2014 for $399.99. After this time, Poser 10 will be available for $299.99 and Poser 2014 for $499.99. For more detailed product, pricing and tiered upgrade pricing information, please visit the Poser website. About Smith Micro Software, Inc. - Productivity and Graphics Group: Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Smith Micro Software Productivity and Graphics Group produces award-winning software that inspires consumer creativity and enables efficiency. The group's creative suite of programs provides artists of all skill levels – from novice to professional – with the tools to illustrate, animate and create 2D and 3D art. Some of the Productivity and Graphics Group's award-winning creative and utilities products include Poser, Anime Studio, Manga Studio and StuffIt. For more information, please visit: www.smithmicro.com. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, forward-looking statements relating to the company's financial prospects and other projections of its performance, the existence of new market opportunities and interest in the company's products and solutions, and the company's ability to increase its revenue and regain profitability by capitalizing on these new market opportunities and interest and introducing new products and solutions. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements are changes in demand for the company's products from its customers and their end-users, customer concentration given that the majority of our sales depend on a few large client relationships, including Sprint, new and changing technologies, customer acceptance and timing of deployment of those technologies, new and continuing adverse economic conditions, and the company's ability to compete effectively with other software companies. These and other factors discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made on the basis of the views and assumptions of management regarding future events and business performance as of the date of this release, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. Smith Micro, the Smith Micro logo and Poser are trademarks or registered trademarks of Smith Micro Software, Inc. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.
Victor Agreda Jr05.21.2013
Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch review: the pen-enabled display tacks on multi-touch gestures
More Info Wacom outs the Cintiq 24HD touch, adds multi-touch controls and more to its largest pen display Wacom Cintiq 22HD hands-on Wacom Cintiq 24HD hands-on A few weeks ago, Wacom started shipping a new version of its Cintiq 24HD pen display for creative pros that first broke from cover last September. The appropriately named Cintiq 24HD touch carries virtually the same outer styling as the OG model. An ergonomic base still cradles the massive 24-inch screen and can be configured to your particular seating preference. On the inside, though, there's a host of changes. As the name suggests, the major difference between the two is the addition of multi-touch controls to the more recent offering. However, the added functionality does come with a pretty hefty price tag, as the Cintiq 24HD touch costs $1,100 more than its elder sibling. Are the additions of touch gestures and an improved display panel enough to justify forking over the extra coin, or will the less expensive option work just fine in a studio setting? Read on to find out as we tackle that very question.
Billy Steele10.14.2012
Wacom outs the Cintiq 24HD touch, adds multi-touch controls and more to its largest pen display
Hot off the heels of the more modest Wacom Cintiq 22HD's introduction, the outfit has announced a new version of its 24HD pen display as well. Labeled the 24HD touch, the upcoming offering adds multi-touch functionality to the company's 24-inch input device -- just as the name would suggest. The added features don't stop there. A touch-enabled 24HD also touts an improved display that shows 1.07 billion colors while covering 97% of Adobe's RGB gamut and implementing RGB backlighting that improves on-screen color rendition. Similar to the sans-touch offering, you can expect to utilize Express Keys and Touch Rings to customize your workflow for maximum efficiency in addition to the touchscreen. When the 24HD touch hits shelves, it'll play nice with upcoming Windows 8 operating system. In order to customize those pricey multi-touch commands, though, you'll need the requisite software. If you splurged for the regular ol' 24HD, we can understand your frustration. However, Wacom says that it intended for the touch model to be released at the same time as the pen-only version, but the development took a bit longer than anticipated. Part of the reason for the delay was the extra time needed to perfect features like palm rejection in the kit's software. The peripheral company also hopes that software developers will take the gesture tech and create features that will showcase its full range of potential -- your move, Adobe. Itchin' to snag one already? Well, you'll have to wait until sometime in August to get your hands on this model and be prepared to shell out $3699 for the pen display ($1100 more than the previous release). Need a bit more info before emptying your savings account? Hit the PR button for all the particulars or take closer look in the gallery below. %Gallery-159996%
Billy Steele07.10.2012
Wacom announces Cintiq 22HD pen display, we go hands-on (video)
Oh, to sit in a darkened room all day and get paid to do art. No phone calls, no stress, and no technology except for a PC and a brand new $1,999 Wacom Cintiq 22HD tablet display (and maybe also a pair of equally well-engineered Beyerdynamics). Alas, only our Distro magazine crew get to live like that -- the rest of the Engadget team must make do with spec sheets and quick hands-on impressions, which are precisely what you'll find after the break. %Gallery-159971% %Gallery-160012%
Sharif Sakr07.10.2012
Wacom outs the Bamboo Splash: the Connect's hardware with a new software bundle
For those looking to get their feet wet with a Wacom pen tablet, but not looking to make an Intuos-sized investment, the company's Bamboo family has been a solid choice. The outfit has now added one more option to the entry-level peripheral line with the Splash. Sporting hardware identical to the Connect tablet that's already available, the latest offering includes an updated software duo in the same box. Art Rage Studio offers painting that'll keep your shiny new MacBook Pro clean while Sketchbook Express provides tools for good ol' sketching. In case you need a refresher on the Bamboo accessory's specs, the pen tab plays nice with both Windows and Mac, offers a 5.8 x 3.6 inch active area, USB connectivity and a pen that touts 1,024 pressure levels. The good news is that the new bundle won't cost you a penny more, as the kit will remain priced at $79. Truth be told, the Splash is actually a solid pick-up for someone looking to test drive a graphics tablet without committing a larger sum of cash. %Gallery-158470%
Billy Steele06.19.2012
Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 now available
A few days after originally anticipated, Adobe has now made its Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 products available for purchase and download. Adobe is making a big push for its Creative Cloud subscription service, which offers access to all 14 of its desktop apps and previews for other products. The exception is Lightroom, which Adobe says will be coming soon. The six Adobe Touch apps are each a separate purchase, with four of those apps available for the iPad now. Adobe Collage and Adobe Proto are newly available on the App Store. The only Touch apps now available are Kuler and Debut, but they'll most likely hit the App Store soon.
Megan Lavey-Heaton05.11.2012
Adobe Creative Cloud rolls out today: CS6 applications, storage and syncing from $50 per month
If you haven't already upgraded to CS6, then maybe Adobe can entice you to take the "radical" next step of signing up to its cloud service, which starts today in 36 countries priced at $50 per month on an annual contract, or $75 per month for the non-committal. Will it be worth the potatoes? That depends on whether you're the type of person who prefers to pay $2,600 upfront for a perpetual license, or alternatively make use of subscription-based access to online install files, HTML5 apps like Adobe Muse 1.0 (for code-free HTML design) and Adobe Edge preview (for animations and interactive content), plus integration with Adobe's Touch Apps for iOS and Android tablets. You'd also get that other big cloudy offering: 20GB of online storage for easy sharing, viewing and syncing of all your hard work. Finally, if you're using an older version of Creative Suite, then Adobe's offering you a pretty hefty introductory discount to entice you onto the slippery upgrade slope. Check out the press release for further price info, or just look up in the sky.
Sharif Sakr05.11.2012Adobe formally unveils CS6, Creative Cloud, launch event April 23
Adobe has formally announced its upcoming Creative Cloud service, along with Adobe Creative Suite 6, and Adobe will stream a launch event at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET today, April 23. All products are available for preorder. Creative Cloud is US$49.99 per month; however, those who currently have an Adobe subscription or own Adobe CS3 through CS5.5 can get a subscription for $29.99 per month for a year. When I preordered Creative Cloud, the order screen showed an estimated availability of May 7. We first heard of Creative Cloud in October, and the Photoshop CS6 beta was released in March. Adobe Creative Cloud will allow access to all 14 CS6 applications via monthly subscription. CS6 contains major upgrades to all Adobe apps and Adobe Muse, which we reviewed in August, exits its beta form. Creative Suite prices range from $1,299 for Design Standard to $2,599 for the Master Collection. Upgrades start at $275. Education discounts are available.
Megan Lavey-Heaton04.23.2012
Reader's Digest creative director offers tips for magazine iPad design
Robert Newman, creative director of Reader's Digest, sat down with TMG's Engage to discuss how the magazine made the digital transition to publishing on the iPad. The article offers good advice in how to take a publication digital, as well as how it could influence a print product in return. It's also great for iPad design in general, and is a great reference for those wanting to get into this field. "If there's one crucial mistake that people make on their apps it's that they don't pay enough attention to the text font and the size and the width-and how it navigates," Newman cautions the would-be iPad designer. [Via Charles Apple]
Megan Lavey-Heaton03.28.2012
Adobe Photoshop CS6 beta is out
Adobe has just released its beta of Photoshop CS6. Engadget has already had its hands on it and provides a detailed look into the software -- complete with a redesigned UI. Users can try out the beta now. It requires OS X 10.6 or higher and 2 GB of available hard drive space.
Megan Lavey-Heaton03.22.2012
xScope 3 out today, design tool adds mirroring and other new features
My non-TUAW job is in print journalism, where I spend my nights as a designer for a newspaper in central Pennsylvania. Part of that work involves being able to estimate, from the glance at a photo in InDesign or a paper dummy, how much of a story I can fit on a page, photo dimensions and more. The same goes for online design. Design veterans will tell you that knowing how big your elements are, aligning them, how they'll look on various screen sizes and other metrics isn't exactly easy. Icon Factory and ARTIS Software's xScope is a premium tool for helping streamline design for the web and the screen. Nearly three years after version 2 was rolled out, xScope 3.0 makes its debut today. It rolls eight tools into one, including the ability to mirror the contents of any Mac desktop on an iOS device via the free xScope Mirror app. The app's been redesigned with an updated look that meshes well with OS X 10.7 Lion, smart tools that toggle on and off automatically depending on the app you're using, optimized code base and more. %Gallery-145098% Tools Mirror: This is the newest item in the Xscope Swiss Army knife, and it's pretty handy for demoing your work to clients or co-workers. You can bring up an iOS design prototype in Photoshop, mirror it to an iPhone or iPad to see how it would look on the smaller screens and lock it so you can pass it around without someone accidentally bumping the window. Dimensions: This tool is a universal favorite for those who use xScope. It allows you to take on-screen measurements of pretty much anything you can throw at it. Improvements for version three include pattern recognition and screen capture. Place the dimension tool at any location on your monitor, and you'll get crosshairs (what xScope dubs "laser beams") that let you know the distance from the center of the crosshairs to the next element it encounters. Move it around and it adjusts. You can take screenshots, learn the aspect ratio of an item and more. Rulers: The built-in ruler in InDesign is one of my most-common used tools. xScope's built-in ruler can measure any element and can snap to the edge of the element to make it even easier when you press the control key. The rulers can be rotated and the calipers and mouse-position indicators can be toggled on and off. Keyboard shortcuts allow for fine-tuning measurement increments. Screens: This places an overlay on your monitor to let you know where design elements fall on a particular platform. In the gallery example, we look at the regular TUAW site as seen on an iPhone with a red-shaded box indicating where the keyboard should be. This gives you an accurate view of how a web page would look on an iPhone. Loupe: Loupe allows you to zoom in extremely closely on a page element, grabbing color details that can be used for creating palette or making sure design elements align perfectly. As with the other tools, the loupe tool will update as you move your mouse around the screen and allows for fine-tooth measuring of very small items such as buttons. You can lock the loupe in place to make changes without the risk of bumping your mouse. However, this is when I began running into issues using xScope. Every time I activated the loupe tool, xScope crashed on my iMac, so I wasn't able to test the loupe. The other tools were pretty stable, so I imagine the crashing will be fixed fairly quickly with an update. Guides and Frames: Most design tools have the ability to create multiple guides, and xScope's guides feature is fairly solid. You can create a number of them using a keyboard shortcut and quickly clear them as needed. A guide wizard is available to help space the guides out evenly. I wish guides could be set to a particular window rather than the entire screen. Depending on your background, the guides are hard to see, so you'll have to set guide color via preferences if you have a dark background. Frames are like guides, but for a particular grid area. Crosshair: The final and simplest tool, it tells you coordinates based on where your cursor is on the screen. You can set any point as the origin, be it the entire monitor, within a window, or whereever you set your center point to via a keyboard shortcut. xScope normally costs $29.99, but it's currently on sale via the Mac App Store for $19.99. It's also available through direct download if you want to give it a try before you buy it. If you're a designer, it's a solid set of tools to have.
Megan Lavey-Heaton01.19.2012
Phone Arts shows off original works created only with iOS
This is one of the more interesting art projects revolving around Apple's touch devices -- Phone Arts is a series of works that highlights pieces made specifically with the iPhone or the iPod touch. We've seen art made with iOS apps and devices before, but this is a little different. Rather than using the phone to create some version of an oil painting or a sketch, these pieces strike me as art that you can look at and know right away that it could only have been created on the iPhone's screen. The picture above is one example of how this is done, using the Notes app on iPad and some symbolic text, but all of the works in the iPhone Arts gallery looks like they were created with a digital surface. As the page says, these pieces "explore the boundaries of the phone to create graphic illustrations and designs." Really interesting. I'd love to see more experimentation like this. [via Today and Tomorrow]
Mike Schramm11.29.2011