Sketchbook B Blog

Easy Proof Sheets with Adobe Bridge

2012-01-02T15:55:05Z

Most designers I know can probably count on one hand the number of times they’ve opened Adobe Bridge. But Bridge really does have some useful tools. One of my favorite uses for Adobe Bridge is selecting a series of pictures and creating a customized proof sheet.

I’ve seen people try to do this in InDesign and Photoshop, but with versions 5 and 5.1, Bridge makes it incredibly simple and provides lots of options.

Pick your images

Open Bridge and go to the Output Tab in the upper right. Finding the folder with your images on the left. You’ll need to select the specific images you want included from Content section in the bottom center. All images you select will appear in the Preview section in the top center.

Your proof sheet can include bitmap images (jpg, tif, png, gif and more), vector images (.eps), PDF files and even native Adobe files (.indd, .ai and .psd). Of course, the documents with multiple pages will only show the first page in the proof sheet.

Build a PDF Proof Sheet

To the right of the window is the Output tab with two options, PDF and Web Gallery. Select PDF and look at some of the default templates. 2x2 Cells will give you four pictures per page. 4x5 Contact Sheet will give you 20 per page. Click the Refresh Preview button and a preview will appear in the middle of the screen.

To generate the PDF, go to the bottom of the Output palette and press the Save… button.

Options to customize

Let’s say you want to customize your proof sheet. Bridge provides many options. (Just look at the screenshot of the entire Output Panel to the right.) The interface is divided into several sections:

Document - Change the size of the paper, resolution of the images and background color. Plus you can add a password to the document.

Layout - Change how the images are placed, how many columns and rows, the spacing between the images and more.

Overlays - Determine how the filenames are displayed and add page numbers.

Header and Footer - Two separate sections to add text to header and footer areas, set their dimensions and customize the appearance.

Playback - Want your PDF to open in Full Screen Mode and have transitions like a a PowerPoint presentation? Set it in this section.

Watermark - Add images or text as watermarks, either for individual images or for the entire page.

Brand your proof sheet

By combining several of the options, it’s possible to add a company logo to your page and then save it for future use.

Go to the Watermark section and select Add Watermark. Select Insert Image: and select the path for your logo. By default, the logo will be placed in the middle of your page, which you probably don’t want. Change the size and placement of the logo with Scale, Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset sliders.

You may also want to customize your header and footer to add other details. I’ve added a title in the header and a copyright statement in the footer.

Remember that you can hit the Refresh Preview button at the top of the page to see a sample of your proof sheet.

Once you have it exactly the way you want it, look back to the top of the Output palette. Next to the template list is a new page icon and a trash can. Click the new page icon to save your design as a template. (And if you want to delete one, you guessed it, click the trash can.)

Thumbnail of custom Sketchbook B proof sheet.

Next time you need to make a proof sheet for a client, select your template and click Save… at the bottom.

If you want to see how the various elements can be combined, check out this PDF sample of my Sketchbook B proof sheet showing some of my Flare effects. I’ve included my logo in the upper left, changed the typeface to SBB Periodic and added a title at the top of the page.

Sketchbook B: Letterhead and Envelopes

2012-01-02T15:29:01Z

Finally, after at least 4 years of using the Sketchbook B name for my personal projects, I have letterhead and envelopes.

Once the cornerstone of a corporate identity, letterhead and envelopes are becoming an endangered species. Digital communication is replacing written correspondence. And many people just print from a word processor with a logo at the top. (I personally think this has to do with how impossible it is to figure out how to load letterhead into a laser printer.) Pre-printed letterhead has become a luxury.

I printed business cards earlier in the year, but I hadn’t even considered doing letterhead and envelopes. I just don’t send that much written Sketchbook B correspondence.

I started reading Letters of Note and Letterheady and was inspired to start working on concepts. Something that would work for small quantities. Maybe a stamp or a label. But I couldn’t quite settle on something I was happy with.

One day, I was helping clean out a cache of old materials at the office and ran across a bin of old media – CDs, SyQuest drives, Zip disks, 3.5 inch diskettes and even 5.25 inch diskettes.

The 5.25 inch disks brought back memories of my Commodore 64. Using Print Shop for the C64 was the first time I used a computer to create and print a “design.” And it was likely the first time I ever thought about typefaces.

I had found my inspiration:

I took the dimensions of a 5.25 inch floppy disk label and worked up a concept. I’m sure at some point in the not-so-distant past, a floppy disk label was part of the standard corporate identity package.

All of the type in the system was initially designed with Fontstruct and later refined with other software. SbB Periodic is used for the address information and SbB Dradis for the logo.

The labels are odd dimensions - you can’t exactly buy precut labels that size anymore - so I had a local vendor print them on crack-and-peel on their Indigo press. I ordered a small quantity of Pop-Tone Sour Apple paper and envelopes from French.

On the letterhead and envelopes, the label wraps around the paper so the address is on the back. And the label can be used on folders, CD cases, binders and more.

Pixel First?

2011-12-09T22:00:45Z

I’m a big fan of pixel-based modular typography and had to reference Gustavo Ferreira’s interesting post about using pixel designs as the foundation of type design. In a lot of ways, “The Primacy of the Pixel” reminds me of the “Mobile First” movement among web designers – to start with the most constrained design challenge and move out from there.

With the bitmap approach, type-designers work directly on the pixel grid, painting the exact pixels that readers will see on their screens. Nothing gets lost in translation, and nobody is left out.

Great post. It’s a new site and I hope he will continue to post more. Gustavo is the designer of Elementar, an fascinating pixel font with a variety of weights and widths.

As an aside, I wonder though how long before the pixel is so small, that it’s irrelevant as a unit of measure. High density displays are becoming more common and as display quality increases, the need for dedicated “Pixel First” typefaces decreases.

Sew Awesome

2011-11-11T01:14:26Z

I was excited to help with the assembly of AIGA South Carolina’s InShow award for this year. Every year, the InShow “cube” is made of different materials or themes. Aluminum, concrete, cardboard, faux-quarium, ceramic, wood block, junction boxes, faux-cheese, a wrapped present and now…

The pillow cube was one we always wanted to do, but we never had the time to manufacture them all. So when Frances Grosse told me that they were going to finally do fabric cubes, I volunteered to help sew them. Frances picked out the fabric and patches and then she, Maria Fabrizio and I sewed cubes. The tags were created by Harrison Croft and pinned to the cube. (They aren’t in the picture above because these cubes are leftovers…) Definitely one of my favorite cubes.

Also: See my post from 2008 that details the process for making the junction box cubes.

Siri, why would I want to buy an Apple television?

2011-10-31T18:00:39Z

While I’m a big Apple fan, I’ve never been interested in the long-rumored Apple television. I have a nice, high-quality, flat screen television that’s wall mounted. It’s only a year old and I really have no interest in replacing it. Plus, I have an Apple TV connected to the television so I can access all of my content.

Rumors have kicked up again with lots of speculation. An Apple TV connected to the Apple ecosystem. Plus Apple’s AI, Siri built right in. Ask to watch “Pawn Stars” and it starts playing. Apps are the new channels…

While I think most pundits believe Apple is working on a television, many are skeptical if an Apple TV will be successful. How will it work? How will Apple get people to pay more for a television? What will the remote look like? All good questions. And the ecosystem created by cable companies, studios and networks is so complicated and interdependent, it seems like a tough sell for Apple.

Adding value with Siri

What kind of value could Apple add to a television that would motivate buyers to upgrade. I can think of a few ideas and they all rely on Siri.

Omnipresent Siri. A voice interface makes a lot of sense with a television. But the nice thing about Siri included on the TV itself is that it would be available regardless of which input was being used. Watching something on cable on input one and want to know what the weather is going to be, ask Siri. This is completely different than having an Apple TV plugged into input three (like I do). This is also why I think Apple will slowly phase out the set-top box concept for the Apple TV. When you are just an input, you have no real control.

Helpful Siri. Because Siri is omnipresent, it could also manage certain tasks for you. “I want to watch TV” or “I want to watch a DVD” can switch inputs for you effortlessly.

Now most of you are probably scoffing at the idea of needing help to switch inputs, but for some people (specifically my in-laws when they come to babysit) figuring out how to switch inputs can be challenging.

The rest of you are scoffing at the idea of Apple allowing me to plug in a Blu-Ray player or cable box. But I don’t think Apple would have a problem including HDMI ports on the television. I’m sure they want you to use the Apple ecosystem, but they need to allow consumers (and cable companies) time to transition.

I’d expect HDMI ports, but no additional integration. Yes, that would mean no voice-controlled cable TV guide. (And the pundits will scream about that.) You’ll be able to use voice controls to look for content from the Apple ecosystem, but the cable box becomes just another dumb input.

Siri and Facetime. Siri on a TV might sell with geeks. Facetime and Siri on a TV will sell to grandparents. Plus it’s right out of science fiction. “Siri, I’d like to talk to my grandkids…” And there they are. Lots of problems with this, for example a) where do the cameras go since TV’s are mounted at all different heights; and b) what do you do when the kids have completely destroyed the family room and you get a video call. But despite the issues, I honestly think it would sell Apple televisions.

Will an Apple TV sell?

Would these features make me run out and purchase an Apple television? Quite frankly, no. But I do see the potential in them and I could see buying one someday. I’m not so unhappy with my home setup that I’m actively looking for a solution.

Plus a lot of the commentary from John Gruber and other Apple writers is spot on. The television market is a challenging market to approach. It’s not as easy as bolting the internet to a TV.

However, this is the type of market that Apple excels in. No one was really had a massive problem with MP3 players when the iPod was launched. No one was begging for a touch screen phone. There wasn’t huge consumer tablet market before Apple created it with the iPad. And no one really has a massive problem with the current TV market. If anyone can figure out the right features to disrupt the television market, it’s Apple.

One more thing to note. If these features are based on Apple technologies like Siri and Facetime, none of the current TV manufacturers are going to be able to compete for a long time. They aren’t in the business of innovating with software. They can make their product cheaper and they can add hardware features like 3-D. But they don’t build anything to compete with Siri or Facetime. Which means they’ll go running to Google and Microsoft to provide competing solutions.

I don’t know if an Apple television will be successful, but it will absolutely be interesting.

Design competitions and public relations

2011-10-21T23:50:10Z

There have been a few high profile design competitions lately. Obama for America a couple of weeks ago. And then Moleskine today.

I support AntiSpec. It’s important to educate designers about spec work and why it’s likely not in their best interest to participate. And we should absolutely hold companies and organizations responsible when they ask for spec work.

However, I think we could be reaching out to another audience.

A different perspective

One of my many majors in college - on my way to the advertising degree I finished with - was public relations. And from a public relations standpoint, design competitions make sense.

For a relatively small amount of money, you get an army of people excited about your product. They submit logos. They tell their friends. Sometimes, they get people to vote for designs which drives traffic to a website, blog or social media channel. In the end, the client gets something they can use. People are taking about their product. Not much money was spent. PR company is happy. Client is happy. Someone won some money. Win-win for everyone, right?

The lawyers get involved and they write the fine print so the company keeps all the rights to the designs. Why? Because that’s what they do. Protect the company. Prevent a future lawsuit.

Now for the PR folks, the design isn’t the priority. They want the attention for the product. And the client probably doesn’t care about the design. They just want people to be excited about their company. And the lawyer doesn’t want the company to get sued.

No one involved - the PR executive, the client or the lawyers - is actually concerned with what the design looks like.

The design perspective

As designers, we look at competitions from a design perspective. We see designers not getting compensated for their work. Clients keeping the rights to all designs whether they win or not. And for designers, worst of all, clients getting subpar work that could be much better.

We like to think the design competition is about design. It’s not. It’s about the competition. The involvement. That’s the whole point of the competition. To involve customers. Telling a company that they will end up with a poor quality design won’t work when getting a good design wasn’t their goal to start with.

The unfortunate truth is that if someone is holding a design contest, they don’t care about design. Period.

The missing audience

I think we as designers, AntiSpec, AIGA, etc. should reach out to the public relations community and express our concerns about spec work. While it’s important to educate designers not to participate in these contests, it’s not going to stop the contests from being held. Maybe by reaching out to organizations like PRSA or schools that teach public relations, we can make them aware of the drawbacks of design competitions and encourage them to not to pitch them to their clients.

Just a thought.

Open book

2011-10-20T21:00:21Z

I haven’t had much time to blog lately. September was about the craziest month I can remember, personally and professionally. But now that September is over (and okay, most of October, too), I’m ready to get back into posting regularly.

One of my recent projects has been the rebranding of Rolling Readers of the Midlands. Rolling Readers is a not-for-profit in Columbia, SC that sends volunteers into schools to read to children. And at the end of the year, the participating students get books of their own. It’s amazing to think that many low-income kids don’t have any books at home.

I’m working on a range of materials, but it all starts with a new logo. The main color is red, but my intent is to use the logo in a whole range of colors.

The “Rolling Readers” lettering was created with House Industries outstanding Photolettering.com service (specifically, Copeland Milo script).

We had a barbeque fundraiser a few weekends ago, B is for BBQ. The fundraiser had its own range of materials - logo, poster, t-shirts, and tickets. The lettering in the logo is also from Photolettering.com. (The poster is now in my projects section.)

Amazing FontBook App for iPad

2011-08-10T22:00:41Z

The new FontBook app for the iPad is simply incredible. Created by Fontshop International, it’s an amazingly comprehensive resource. Look up typeface designs by origin date, class, designer name and more. Select your favorite fonts. Post samples to Twitter or Facebook. Compare designs. Explore similar designs.

If you are a serious typography fan and you have an iPad, go buy it now. It’s well worth the $5.99 purchase price. And if you are a serious typography fan and don’t have an iPad, it’s time to purchase one.

Now, I hope a few of my other favorite foundries release amazing iPad apps featuring their type libraries. I’d purchase a Hoefler-Frere Jones, House Industries or Adobe type specimen book in an instant.

Explore type by class, designer name, typeface name, foundry or year of release.Explore sample settings of typefaces.

Compare font designs and even swipe through preset background and type colors.

Periodic

2011-07-10T23:55:05Z

I designed the original Periodic as a pixel font on Fontstruct. As I played with the design, the more I fell in love with it. I like the idea of using the exposed pixel as a design element. Over the past few months, I’ve been tweaking it so that it would work better in print. And I’m using Periodic on my new business cards.

For the final version, I’ve connected the corners and broken the strict pixel grid for some of the special characters. The entire design is monospaced with old style numerals. I’ve also added an oblique version. It’s very readable at small sizes and distinct at display sizes. Get SbB Periodic from the “Download Fonts” section.

Pixels in Print

2011-07-06T00:17:26Z

I’ve been wanting to get Sketchbook B business cards for a while. And I wanted to use my own fonts for the identity system. I’ve played around with several different looks, but never pulled the trigger and ordered them. Finally, my new cards are printed and they use two typefaces that started life on Fontstruct: SbB Dradis Alpha and Periodic.

I just released the SbB Dradis family. It’s an odd experimental display typeface that can be used without spaces in between the letters. I’ve updated the masthead on the site with a new Sketchbook B logo in Dradis.

Periodic is a monospaced, pixel font with old style numerals that I designed to be used in print. For most designs, visible pixels are a no-no, but I think they add some texture and interest. I’m using a version of Periodic that I’m still tweaking. It’s a refined version of the one I quietly released on FontStruct. Once I finish polishing Periodic, I’ll release it here.