Archive for the 'tools' Category

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Pixelmator & Acorn: Quick Comparison Review

Published on September 26, 2007 in software and tools. 0 Comments Tags: Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Apple, bitmap, design, graphic design, graphics, Mac, Mac OS X, OS X, Photoshop, review, software, tool.

A quick overview comparing the two new image editors Pixelmator and Acorn by designer John Whipple. I would have to agree with most of his points. The one thing I really, really like about Acorn is the handy resizing & cropping keyboard modifiers: hold Option and drag to resize, hold Control and drag to crop. It’s a very clever and very handy way to do things quickly. The zoom slider at the bottom of the window is nice as well. Oh, and the integrated screenshot tool.
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Image editor Pixemator hits 1.0

Published on September 25, 2007 in software and tools. 0 Comments Tags: Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Apple, art, graphics, graphics tablet, Mac OS X, OS X, Photoshop, shareware, software, tool, Wacom.

Pixelmator image editor icon art The much-buzzed image editor Pixelmator has just been released in all it’s 1.0 glory, which means the rest of us can download the demo and if so inclined pick up a copy ($59).

I have played around a bit with it and it seems pretty darn cool. Once I have a chance to compare it to Acorn I’ll get a review up here.
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Acorn: Handy Lightweight Pixel-Based Image Editor

Published on September 17, 2007 in art, cartooning, software and tools. 0 Comments Tags: Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Apple, art, bitmap, cartooning, drawing, graphics tablet, Illustration, Mac, Mac OS X, OS X, Photoshop, shareware, sketch, software, tool, vector, Wacom.

Screenshot of single palette pixel-based image editor Acorn A new image editor snuck in under the radar a few days back: Acorn. It’s a pretty nice lightweight alternative to Photoshop for either users who don’t need all the bells and whistles the Adobe juggernaut has to offer, or would like to have a companion app for those times when you just need to do some quick edits and don’t want to fire up Photoshop just for an annotated screenshot.

If Adobe has Photoshop Elements, you could call Acorn “Photoshop Molecule”.

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Default Folder X – Essential Mac Productivity Utility Software

Published on September 9, 2007 in productivity, reviews, software and tools. 0 Comments Tags: Apple, art, keyboard commands, keyboard shortcuts, Mac, Mac OS X, OS X, productivity, shareware, software, tool, vector.

Default Folder X is one of those shareware utility applications that seem pretty handy while you are demoing, but until you use another Mac without Default Folder installed (or the demo runs out), you don’t realize exactly how perfect the software actually is.

I constantly run across these “714 Absolutely Essential Mac Applications” blog posts that always leave this one out. And I think the only reason is that the author is unaware of it’s existence. There’s no other explanation. Half of the time the apps I see on those lists are so-so anyways.

So what is this so-called “Default Folder” anyways? In short, it’s a way for you to access — from the Open/Save dialog windows — not only commonly used folders, but also recently used folders and open Finder windows, all with (mostly) user-defined keyboard shortcuts.

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Pantone Announces New “Goe” Color Matching System

Published on September 7, 2007 in Illustration, tools and updates. 0 Comments Tags: Adobe, Apple, art, CMYK, color, color theory, design, gadgets, graphic design, graphics, Mac, Pantone, print, printing, software, tool.

Pantone Goe color matching system product photo Pantone just released a brand new color matching system, touted as a “complement” to the PMS system they’ve used for 45 years. Once Adobe gives it the OK, PMS colors will be out the window. This has been in the works for about 4 years, so it predates the X-Rite buyout.

Supposedly the new numbering system is much more logical and expandable. It even comes with it’s own software now — even those who just opt for the standard fan books. Adobe hasn’t yet embraced the new system, but I can’t see why that won’t happen eventually.

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