Veerle's blog 3.0

The design process of my infographic about women cycling for Grinta!

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:50 GMT

Sometimes I wish all job requests could be like this one. Then again, I'm the last person to complain as I get to do what I love on most days. What I want to say is that some projects just give me such a joy to work on. These favorites of mine usually have an illustration part. One of them was this infographic about women and cycling for Grinta!, a Belgian magazine all about cycling. Today I'll explain the steps I took during the design process, and also share some details on how I created some of the graphs…

An image says more than a thousand words

There is a first time for everything. Yes you read this right, this is the very first infographic I have ever created. Don't get me wrong, I have created many schematic illustrations over the years, but infographics weren't really around yet. These days, they are hot. I lost count on how many emails I receive these days asking me if I could share an infographic on my blog… After all, they are the perfect way to translate data into something comprehensible and visually attractive.

The briefing

The briefing for this was fairly straightforward: transform the data gathered from the questionnaire into something visually attractive and fun to look at, and readable on a spread. The result of the questionnaire was a 6 pages PDF file with 14 questions and their multiple choice answers. These were all I needed to get started. I was given carte blanche, but right from the start I already knew exactly which direction I should take in terms of design style.

The layout

The first thing I tried to figure out was the general layout of the page. I was thinking of dividing the spread up into boxes, using a box for each item. So I tried out a few different compositions. By combining different sizes of blocks I was able to create a more attractive layout. This way I give some results a bit more attention than others, and for some of the items more room was needed as well.

I was also thinking about adding a big title, somewhere in the centre of the page, covering the total width of the spread seemed like a perfect spot. So I made sure to leave enough room for this. I decided to go with the last version, using 4 big boxes at the top, then the title below, and a combination of 5 boxes below on each side, including 3 small ones and 2 big ones. I thought it would be interesting to have the 5 boxes in mirrored version on the other side of the page. At this stage this was of course a bit of guessing work, but it was a good foundation.

Next was trying to figure out which data item goes into which box, by starting to add the ones that had a lot info to show into the big boxes, and the ones that had "yes/no" answers into the smaller ones. At this moment I just added a few keywords into the box, just to keep an overview of things. This was a fun exercise as it almost felt like I was finishing a puzzle.

The concept and illustrations

Once I got this figured out, I started thinking about the illustration and visualisation of each item. First I did some short brainstorming, writing down cycling related keywords, also gathering images from Google search results. Then I tried linking an idea to each data item. At this point I didn't cover all items, I figured I would also get fresh ideas while working on this, item per item. You see…

A design process is never like a straight line going from point A to point B.

There are a lot of curves along the way as you constantly experiment and change things. Sometimes I change so much that there is almost nothing left of the initial concept that I had in my head. There is a certain order in place of the mayor steps you take during this process, but there is a big part that isn't very logical, even chaotic. I guess it's part of the creative brain. It's like trying to explain how inspiration works, there is always a certain unexplainable mystery.

It usually happens that a lot of ideas come during the process itself. While working on one item, an new idea arises for the next item. This is something that happens a lot to me. Besides, I was also just so eager to get started on the first illustration. Just like a kid that is excited to play with his new toy :)

Choosing the color palette

While I was creating the first illustrations, I also tried to pick a suitable color palette. I wanted this vintage look, but I didn't want to use muted colors. So I thought of a combination of bright colors on a beige background.

While the infographic was getting shape, I realised that the colors I chose weren't 100% to my liking. I wondered if the palette I chose was too narrow, or just not narrow enough. Something just felt wrong to me. Maybe it was in the way I apply the colors to my design. So I tried to figure out some sort of a system to fix this.

First I decided to give the titles and all other text the same color, going for the dark grey. Secondly, I thought it would be a good idea to use red for the highest result, blue for the second highest result and yellow for the other results. It was better already, but it still didn't feel quite right. So I explored other color options and decided to go for a new color palette using this same system of applying the colors. I ended up with the colors shown in the image below:

The graphs and graphics

Creating these illustrations was the most fun part of it all, but also the most challenging. There was this item that had a list of answers and since there was so much text to process these, I tried to find a way to present these in an attractive way by creating an icon for each one of them (see item 'Problemen met' witch is Dutch for 'Problems with'). Some where obvious to translate, others weren't, such as 'the position on the bike', 'riding with cleats' or 'riding on cobbles'.

Since each answer was given in percentages, it was easy to enter this data into a chart using Illustrator's Graph Tool. Some questions were answered with yes or no. For these data items I thought a pie graph would be perfect, maybe turning them into rings…

Then I ungrouped the pie so it becomes an editable drawing. This way I could transform them into a ring, then copy mirroring and re-coloring the 2nd ring for the other answer.

The end result

Hope you enjoyed reading my process. This infographic was created for a special 'girls' edition of the Grinta! magazine. 180 pages with some very good articles like the girl reporters asking questions to Tom Boonen and Louis Talpe. A ride with World Champion Marianne Vos and practical stuff like woman's geometry or not. It's available at news stands from today. See the Grinta web site for more info.

Fausto Coppi design process & review

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:07 GMT

I think it's safe to say that Fausto Coppi, along with Eddy Merckx belong in the category of the greatest cyclists of all time. There is a certain mystique surrounding this Italian 'Il Campionissimo'. 53 years after his death he's still interesting enough to write a new book about him. That's exactly what Grinta editor & Coppi fan Frederik Backelandt did.

Un Uomo solo è al comando della corsa. La sua maglia è biancoceleste, il suo nome è Fausto Coppi.
— Mario Feretti

A man alone is leading the race. His shirt is white and blue, his name is Fausto Coppi.
— Mario Feretti

A childhood dream come true

Frederik Backelandt is a true 'Coppiano', that's how they call a Coppi fan and this book project is a childhood dream come true for him. This is the story about a long term project. The linen cover refers to the kind of blue that was also found in Coppi's jersey. This book isn't the ultimate Fausto Coppi biography, but more like an interesting mix of facts, stories and experiences. It has been written with passion and that is noticeable throughout. The book contains 4 chapters:

Chapter 1

Even if you are too young to remember Fausto Coppi, you still have the opportunity to get to know the life and work of Fausto. In chapter one you'll get to know the high and lows. There is a lot to discover. Here are a few things you'll discover: you'll read about the epic rivalry between Coppi and Bartali, and about Fausto's controversial relationship with the White Lady. The second World War, and his tragic death on Saturday morning January 2, 1960.

Chapter 2

In chapter 2 you'll get to know Fausto Coppi through the eyes of others. Frederik talked to 13 people that knew Fausto personally to gather never been told stories. Some of the stories are told by Fiorenzo Magni, Andrea Carrea, Raymond Impanis, Jan Nolten ('the Dutch Coppi') and Raphael Geminiani. Stephan Vanfleteren photographed these folks in his beautiful unique style. There are also a bunch of never been shown pictures that make all this an exciting trip down memory lane.

Chapter 3

A few weeks ago I was at the Ronde van Vlaanderen centrum listening to Wilfried De Jong. He is such an excellent story teller and writer. You'll notice that in chapter 3 too as Wilfried talks about Fausto's death.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of this beautiful book is something special. In this part Frederik gets on his bicycle and does the legendary ride from 1949's Tour of Italy, from Cuneo to Pinerole. In this stage Coppi rode his biggest stunt of his career. On that June 10th he rode an unbelievable 192km alone at the front and won this 254km stage with five Alpine Cols. Coppi had those days when he became one with his bicycle and that June 10th was one of them. I'm not spoiling if Fredrik also became 'the great heron' or not :)

Saving the best for last — the design process

The best part of this beautiful book is its look & feel. Yes the internet is great and exciting, but nothing beats the tactile feedback of paper & the smell of the ink. Some people still care about this craft luckily. Cannibal Publishing are without a doubt leaders in creating the most beautiful sport books you'll find. The question that comes to mind is; how does such an amazing book come to life? I'm happy & honored that I was able to talk to the designer that created this wonderful Fausto Coppi book.

His name is Tim Bisschop and runs houtkaai zeven and he will guide us through his design process.

Designing the layout of a book like this one seems like a big undertaking. How do you get started? Can you reveal the mayor steps of this design process?

Everything starts with the briefing of the publisher, the photographer and/or the authors. I get to know what the book is about, I receive a piece of the manuscript, possible an overview or Table Of Contents, and most of the photos. We examine together what direction we can go (style, audience, format, paper, special finishes etc). With this information I'm able to kick off the project.

After doing some research —both in terms of style and content— I start with a first design. I read a piece of text. This way I get an idea of how the pace and structure is built, and I'm looking for a way to translate it typographically.

The hardest part of this choice - especially with this type of book - is that by using a typeface you are guiding the reader through the book without the reader noticing that he is being supervised. The typography needs to be subtle. I'm not fond of shouting, or spectacular constructions that draw all the attention, and as a result take away the role of the photography.

To me a thorough upfront study of the typography is most import and very crucial. During this process I especially watch: the proportions, the contrast, the shape, the style, the durability, the tone of the body-text and how the figures look, the cursives and citations. In short, an analysis of the whole font family. I define a font for all elements: titles, body-text, captions, and citations.

After having chosen the typefaces, I start with the architecture of the book. I create a raster, sometimes on paper, sometimes directly on the computer, where text and photos can live/move. The photos are placed in relation with each other. This happens in consultation with the photographer (in this case Stephan Vanfleteren). Furthermore, I also try to look for other possible combinations e.g. typo-image, image-whitespace, typo-whitespace etc. Gradually the structure and hierarchy between the different elements are evolving.

Despite the fact that I have created a general form upfront, each page is looked at individually. This is necessary in order to develop a certain rhythm. Otherwise as a reader you would quickly sense that the book has a certain systematic feeling, making it hard to navigate and the risk that it comes across as boring. By designing each page separately you create a certain spontaneity in the lay-out.

After laying out all pages everything goes back to the authors & editors. They indicate any possible text corrections. After adjustments and approval of the publisher, everything goes to the printer. The cover of the book is usually designed after I have finished creating the inside of the book. I believe you can only design the cover after this previously intensive work.

How long did the entire design process take?

The duration of the whole process depends on the size, complexity, and the type of book. It's obvious that a book with info-graphics, illustration, a lot of text and a complex structure (such as Kleine man Grote Tour) takes longer to complete than a regular reading book (such as Sportduivel). I think on average it takes about 2 to 3 weeks of full-time work.

Besides the splendid photos, this book is the perfect proof that beautiful typography also makes half the design. It shows that you've chosen all the typefaces with the best care and eye for detail. What are the criteria that you generally take into account when you choose them? Can you also reveal the names of the typefaces?

As I mentioned before, the typography needed to be very subtle, as the reader must never be distracted. I would find it rather odd if the typography would play a major role, and grab all the attention. The fonts were chosen with that in mind.

For this book I chose for Gill Sans and Minion Pro. Gill Sans is perfect for headers. This modern sans serif typeface was originally designed on the basis of classical letters. As a result, this typeface has beautiful curves, classic quotation marks, and a graceful "g" which gives this letter more character than many other sans serif letters. He therefore goes perfectly together with Minion. Minion also gives a nice smooth image in larger text blocks, it has a clean look and shows little gaps.

Choosing a typeface is of course highly subjective, but I'm convinced that the photography and the subject of this book, can tolerate stylish and timeless fonts. And maybe most importantly, it just reads well!

For the quotes and the cover I used a script. Normally I'm not a big fan of scripts, but here it worked really well, as I wanted to translate certain aspects of the content of the book in a lyrical way. The script-font also somehow felt very Italian.

Did you have a saying in the dimensions of the book, the choice of paper, the cover, and the finishing etc.? Did the editor involve you in the printing and finishing process as well? If so, what was your experience during this process? Which criteria did influence your choices.

The choice of the paper, the finishing, the type of cover,… is usually done in dialogue with the publisher and photographer. Paper is chosen by its color, opacity, thickness,… The tactility of the paper is always tuned to the mood of the book. For "Fausto Coppi" it was OK okay to go for a retro feel. We chose for an off-white paper, namely 'Gardapat Classica'. The dark spots and images also work well on this paper. The black is beautiful deep black and there is also little shining.

For the cover we opted for a light-blue linen wrapper which refers to the 'celesta' blue cycling-shirts from this period in time. I created the graceful retro letter based on logos of old Italian race-bikes. The wonderful name "Fausto Coppi" also invites for a calligraphic approach, and is beautiful as an icon itself.

Which technical advice would you give a print designer designing the lay-out of his first book? Which criteria, in your experience, does he/she definitely have to keep in mind (to avoid the most common mistakes)?

The design of a book is a creative process under strong time pressure. Therefore, it is important to check beforehand whether your solutions are feasible within a certain time. To achieve a perfect result, it is also convenient to involve the printer during the entire process, because printing technology-wise not everything is possible. Also ask the publisher what is and what is not possible in terms of budget.

That's it! I hoped you enjoyed this interview and I like to thank Tim for his time & enthusiasm to do this. It's beautiful work proudly produced in Belgium!

Where to buy?

The book can be bought at Cannibal Publishing for €39.95 (delivery charges included). At the moment it is only available in Dutch. Dimension are 28 x 28cm and it has 168 pages. Highly recommended if you love beautiful books like me and are interested in the legendary past of cycling.

My T-shirt design for Wolf

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:10 GMT

A while ago I was contacted by Wolf, a Belgian indie brand of T-shirts for kids, asking me if I would be interested in designing a T-shirt for their collection. Their designs are of such high quality and I totally love the vibrant colors. Of course I was honored they asked me and I knew it would be totally fun to do.

Geeky Dog

While looking into my personal illustration work, the client thought my Geeky Dog would be prefect for a T-shirt. A few years ago I created this fun, imaginative dog character, which I used a couple of times in my personal creations. One of them was for a dribbble rebound game, and before that also for a Christmas card.

While digging into my old illustrations, I found the sketches from a few years ago when I was trying out different poses and ideas for this Christmas card. I thought maybe one of these would be perfect to use.

My preference was the face of the dog at the bottom. The client also liked the one I created on dribbble, so I thought I'll try something out with these two versions.

Maximum 3 colors

Since these T-shirts are all screen-printed, they can only contain just a few colors to make sure the costs don't blow out of proportion. Using only a few colors can also make the design stronger. To me this was a bit challenging because the illustrations of the dog all use more than 4 colors. This took a bit of experimenting.

First design proposals

In the end the dog's face won, and I chose to go for these 3 colors:

White
Pantone 631 U (light blue)
Pantone 7469 U (darker blue)

There was also the question whether I chose the right colors of the T-shirt, since I could choose a different color for the girls version than for the boys. I initially chose red because that was also a color that I used (for the socks) in my initial illustration of the dog. But I figured maybe pink could also work well for the girls. So I tried putting the illustration on a photo of a girl wearing the pink tee. After some consideration we decided pink worked really well.

Final designs

The only thing left for me to do was making sure the position of the dog was perfect. Just some tweaking of the scarf was needed. After showing the design to the printer the only change was to move up the face just a little as I could only have one color at the last 1.5 cm from the bottom of the tee due to the technical challenge of having to print to the end of the T-shirt.

The finished tees

Pre-order now!

Special Offer

Pre-order your T-shirt(s) now, and get two beautiful limited edition Geeky Dog post cards (offer while stocks last)!

Buy now!

Limited edition postcards

The best print or web related tips from my readers

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:24 GMT

Better late than never! Ages ago I posted this about the best print or web related tip, where I requested my readers to post theirs in the comments. A lot of people did the effort and shared their knowledge by giving a ton of great tips. I made a promise back then I would write an article about it, but somehow it never came to that. Today I want to share some of those, but first… my sincere apologies for the delay. This wouldn't have been possible without my readers, you guys and gals are awesome!

What's your print or web design related tip that you've learned at school, and are still using today?

Always use printers black

by Hollie

Everyone assumes that if they just use black out of the swatches in illustrator, indesign it will print as black but really, it’ll only print as a slight dark grey. Printers black in CMYK is 40, 40, 40, 100. You’ll see a difference as soon as you change the CMYK values to this.

Convert a color (iA or PS) PDF to grayscale

by Benedikte

1. Open the pdf in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Menu > Advanced > Print production > Preflight > PDF fix ups > Convert to grayscale
3. You can edit the settings by clicking on "edit"
4. Click Analyse and fix
5. Save the grayscale version of the original pdf file.

Create a cold or warm black

by CJ

1. If you have a predominantly blue or 'cold' image and want a great black, use just 50% Cyan and 100% Black to give you a cold black.
2. If you are printing sunsets or wanting a 'warm' black, use 20%M, 20%Y and 100%K.
3. Although you can set this in the color pallet itself, sometimes it is best to separate the cyan underlay as a separate layer.
4. To proof the accurate colors in Acrobat Pro(9), go to Advanced > Print Production > Output preview. Hover over your colors and you will see the appropriate values.

Convert a screenshot from 72dpi to 300dpi, and keep the crispness of the image

by Kisan

1. Capture the screen
2. Paste it in Photoshop
3. Change the color mode to Index color with default settings
4. Go to Image > Image Size...
5. Check 'Constrain Proportions', and 'Resample Image: Bicubic'
6. Use a resolution in multiples of 72 dpi, so 288 and then again scale the image and enter 300, 600 dpi.
7. Change the color mode to RGB, or to CMYK in case you need the image for print

Achieve really powerful, vivid colours out of an image do the color corrections in LAB color mode

by Michael Zrobok

1. Image > Adjustments > Curves
2. Use Lightness to control how bright or dark you need to go
3. Then your A's & B's to experiment depending on what color range you are truly after.
4. Convert back to the color mode you need to work in and you should get to keep a decent share of the new color values!

Add more contrast to the edges of your photo using the High Pass filter

by Tom Hermans

1. Copy layer
2. Filter > Other > High Pass… > Radius: 1pixel
3. Set layer to 'Overlay' blend mode
4. Decrease opacity to around 40-70% (see for yourself what works, 100% is too harsh imho)
5. You can also make an Action out of this and use it in batch processing

Smart color organzing tips

by Bryan

Keep your color swatches organized. Remove unused swatches and identify specific color builds and/or spot colors. Even if your project will be printed CMYK use a Pantone color bridge book to identify the intended color. If you don’t have one you should definitely get one.
If you are working with a die line simply create a custom spot color swatch and identify it on its own layer. Set all objects on this layer to overprint.
Most of all understand that your design is more than just the image on screen, it should also include clear direction and intent by labeling layers, organizing links and identifying the color you intend to see in the final execution.

Use the Fixed Ratio in Photoshop to crop photos proportionally

by Jackie

1. Select the Rectangular Marquee
2. Select the Fixed Ratio option from the Style drop-down menu
3. Enter the exact width and height in those other two fields, that you would like your image to be
4. With the Rectangular Marquee tool selected, drag the rectangle around the area you want to crop.
5. Go to Image > Crop to crop the image

5 albums from 2012 that helped me get inspired

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 08:44 GMT

I treasure the moments that I feel truly inspired. They are more rare than common, and they give me a sense of pure joy and happiness. If you are passionate about your job like I am, and you love what you do too, than I think you'll recognize the emotions that I'm referring to. As some of you might know, for me music and inspiration go hand in hand. Music is often *the* trigger, because it can get me in the right mood. Delicious music for the ears works well together with its visual counterpart, both are a catalyst to get me into the zone.

Inspired by music

When listening to my favorite music with my headset on, I can shut myself off from the *real* world. It feels like my mind is transfered to some off-world place of paradise where it can find rest. This sounds as if I am in dreamland, and up to a certain level it is, but I'm also fully focussed on my work. It's what I call "my design zone", and it's where inspiration can take place.

Inspiration is vital, we need it in our profession, and in our life. That's why I like to put some of my musical heroes in the spotlight, because for me music is inspiration. So here is just like last year, and the year before, 5 albums that inspired me the most, together with a few quotes on what inspired the artists to create it. Rollover to buy or preview.

Never Leaves You, by Ralf Gum

Listen to the album
Shadowboxing Heroes, by Jaidene Veda

Listen to the album
Pure Salinas Volume 4, compiled by Bruno from Ibiza

Listen to the album
The White Island, by Afterlife

Listen to the album
Defected Presents House Masters, by Miguel Migs

Listen to the album

Ralf Gum

Music seems to be just in me and after my first album 'Uniting Music' in 2008, I wanted to produce another long-player with the aim to stay true to my particular style, however show my growth as an artist. I wanted to have real songs on it and hence worked with what I consider a dream-team of house vocalists. The reason for me to do an album is that it enables me to show my specific taste in music with a variety of different songs on one CD.

"The reason for me to do an album is that it enables me to show my specific taste in music with a variety of different songs on one CD.

Ralf GUM feat. Monique Bingham, Take Me To My Love

Ralf GUM feat. Kafele - Burning Star (Ralf GUM Main Mix)

Jaidene Veda

When I say 'shadowboxing heroes', it's to say that I feel this was the album I've been preparing for all my life. Influence is a powerful thing and I've learned that inspiration always comes full circle. It is forever humbling and an honor to now work with people who I considered musical heroes since I was a young girl… So I wanted to share that story…

"When I say "shadowboxing heroes", it's to say that I feel this was the album I've been preparing for all my life. Influence is a powerful thing and I've learned that inspiration always comes full circle.

But as an indie artist, label & producer, I felt it was important to take this opportunity and also share the stories & incredible voices of some of my very favorite artists, friends and peers. I'm incredibly proud to know these gifted people, or now introduce them to you.

Jaidene Veda, Hidden Heart

Jaidene Veda, Colors Of Your Love

Jaidene Veda, Nice Day

Special Offer

Buy a digital copy of Jaidene Veda's Shadowboxing Heroes using the code 'duohdigital' and get 15% off, or buy the Limited Edition CD (includes immediate download of 22-track album in your choice of high-quality MP3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.) and get 40% off using the promo code 'veerle'.

Buy now!

Bruno From Ibiza

The concept behind 'Pure Salinas' compilation came from a place I used to play in Kho Samui, Thailand called Salinas Beach Club. It also makes reference to the famous beach in Ibiza called Salinas. Ibiza is my living place and my main inspiration. The music style represents the sound of Ibiza I played wherever on the radio, on the beach...

"Ibiza is my living place and my main inspiration. The music style represents the sound of Ibiza I played wherever on the radio, on the beach...

Midiman - Seduction

The Heels Of Love - Flight 707 (Jadoo Remix)

Steve Miller, aka Afterlife

I constantly look for inspiration which can come from anywhere, usually when it is least expected, I usually start sitting at my piano or with a guitar or my wavedrum. I am not influenced by fashion whatsoever. I remember also that once I was making love with my girlfriend and a bass line came into my head, it was so good I had to stop and write it down, my girlfriend understood and forgave me.

"I get my inspiration from keeping a blank mind as much as possible, that way there is plenty of space for new ideas to grow.

Afterlife feat. Lovely Laura - Saxophone

Afterlife - The Magus

Miguel Migs

I definitely find inspiration in many ways and I’ve always been very spontaneous and adventurous, staying open minded to people, places, foods and music and arts.

"To each his own, but you gotta enjoy the ride, do what you feel and be creative with your own mind!

Defected presents House Masters Miguel Migs

If you love all this…

If this is your kind of music, you can follow my music blog on Tumblr where I share everything I buy, and where I archive the weekly DJ mixes that I share.

Getting started in Illustrator

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:39 GMT

Getting started in a new application is always daunting especially one like Adobe Illustrator. I regularly receive questions about how to get started. To give newcomers a head start I'm sharing some great resources that should help overcome the feeling of frustration.

How to Get Started with Adobe Illustrator CS6

If you are totally new to Illustrator and need to understand the basics of setting up your documents and getting elements on the page — and how to do these fundamentals the right way you'll love the following. Watch Terry White, Adobe worldwide design evangelist, podcast on How to Get Started with Adobe Illustrator CS6 – 10 Things Beginners Want To Know How To Do.

The Pen tool

I think it's safe to say that this is one of the oldest tools in Illustrator and probably the one that will get you frustrated because it isn't easy to understand when you are just starting to use it. It doesn't have to be… Some time ago I created a pen tool exercise in an Illustrator document that tries to explain how the pen exactly works.

How it works

You simply follow the numbers and the instructions to complete the exercise. The point you need to aim at in each step is the center of each numbered colored dot. Depending on the instructions, you either have to click, click and press, or click and press and then drag, while sometimes holding down the shift or alt/option key. The document is created in 2 layers. The bottom layer, called template contains the instructions, and is locked. The top layer is the 'working layer'. This layer is unlocked, and by default already selected. So this is the layer you'll be working on.

I've used big colored dots for you to click in with the number inside. There are 3 different colors: blue, red and green. The blue ones don't require any dragging, but involve clicking, and often clicking and pressing. The red ones, involve dragging, and sometimes a key needs to be pressed as well. The green ones also involve dragging, but this time dragging one of the handles of the anchor point you've just created, while holding down a key first (alt/option). The document is more extended as it now contains 3 pages (the Adobe Illustrator CS3 version has everything on 1 page), starting with the easiest exercises first, and ending with an actual drawing of a simple tree, and a random swoosh shape.

Download

More Pen tool exercises by Vectortuts+

A similar document created by Ian Yates for Vectortuts+ encourages you to follow the guides to create precise paths, using the hints and shortcuts covered in this article. Download the Pen Tool Exercise file to put them into practice. There are more practical tips in the article as well.

One more Pen tool exercise

One last one that you can watch is How To Use The Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign CS6 by Terry White. He explains the very basics as well in this video.

Pen tool Shortcuts

Select Pen tool (P)
Select Add Anchor Point tool (+), or when you have the Pen tool selected, just place your pen tool cursor on the path where you want to add a point. Your pen cursor will show a + sign.
Select Delete Anchor Point tool (-), or when you have the Pen tool selected, just place your pen tool cursor on the anchor point that you want to remove. Your pen cursor will show a - sign.
Select Convert Anchor Point tool (Shift + C), or when you have the Pen tool selected, just place your pen tool the anchor point that you want to convert holding down the Alt/Option key. Your pen cursor will change into the Convert Anchor Point tool.
Select Scissors tool (C) to cut out a segment of the path.

New Window

A sometimes overlooked but helpful Illustrator feature is Window > New Window. Not everybody knows that you can display different details of you current document simultaneously in a new window. You can view the same art in different View Modes, Zoom Levels, Proof Setups, and more! Can be very handy.

Hopefully you'll now feel a little less overwhelmed and are eager to do some of my other tutorials too.

Photoshop Etiquette

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:27 GMT

I like a tidy desk, desktop and environment to function at my best and others like it messy to feel comfortable. If there is one place where everybody should be organized it would be Photoshop. Even if you work alone it is good practice to follow some basic rules to make life a little easier.

Be organized and you'll receive good karma

Once every full moon I still receive PSD files from other designers that I waste my time on cleaning up their file because I just can't help myself. Why, you ask? Well, I just can't function in a messy unorganized, unnamed document.

Ever since I work for Fab as their Design Lead I have been delivering Photoshop files for the developers more than ever. The organization of these files is important, as I need to keep in mind that they need to be able to work with them in the most efficient way. Generally speaking, I always try to keep these basic rules in mind:

Keep Layers, effects, masks… as flexible possible: use Smart Objects, vector-shapes, etc.
Give each Layer & Layer Group a logical name
Make sure your Layers & Layer Groups easy to navigate
Use Layer Comps where needed

Keep flexibility in mind

Keep Layers, effects, masks… as flexible possible. Use Smart Objects, vector-shapes, etc. Think about the fact that an item needs to stay editable, scalable etc. This is very important, especially if you work on designs for iPhone or iPad and you want your design to scale perfectly for Retina. But even in any other situation flexibility is important. If changes need to be made, make sure it's possible, and also in the least possible time.

Easy to navigate

To me it's pure common sense to place the Layer Group named FOOTER that holds all the Layers of the footer, at the bottom of the Layers palette, and the Layer Group named HEADER containing all the header Layers at the top of the Layers palette. Furthermore, before I hand over my Photoshop files, I also make sure to clean out the hidden unnecessary Layers where I have tried out stuff which aren't needed anymore in the final approved version.

Search Layers

You probably noticed by now that one of the Photoshop CS6 improvements brought us a new feature which allows you to use search for your Layers. This feature alone should convince you to name your layers. It's such a powerful tool! Choose a 'Filter Type' by clicking the drop down menu at the top left of the Layers panel and choose from Kind, Name, Effect, Mode, Attribute and/or Color. Then, use the corresponding options that appear to the right of the Filter Type to narrow down the search. The 'light switch' to the right of the Filter options toggles the filtering on and off. Note: when filtering by Kind, you can click on more than one icon at a time in order to narrow down the search. Click an icon again to toggle if off. (source)

Mark specific Layer Groups with a color

In a lot of situations I have to make updates on a file that has already been sent to the developers, and so I have to resent this file with the update in place. This could be something like an icon, button, or some detail that had to be added in a later stage for example. Usually the file contains a lot of Layers and Layer Groups. To help the developers in finding the change or new item I give the Layer Group a color. You can of course use colors for other purposes. You could for example create the habit of coloring the Layer Groups that holds hover states of buttons.

Guides

When creating a web layout in Photoshop your document quickly fills up with a lot of guides. It's essential to keep them relevant and useful. Using too many guides will overwhelm others and they probably will turn them off and disregard them. I personally try to stick to gutter, columns and sections when using guides. If I use them for anything else I usually throw those away when handing my files over.

Use Layer Comps

I wrote about Layer Comps ages ago on my old blog. I'm not sure, but I believe Layer Comps are underestimated. I use them all the time to show different states of a design. Especially when I work on iPhone and iPad designs they come in pretty handy. The content is usually longer than the screen, and so I use Layer Comps to show the content further down below when the user scrolls down, or when the user taps and item, to show the different state. You can combine a lot of different screens within one Photoshop file in a more organized way, not only for yourself, but also for the developer as he can zap quickly between the difference screens, and states.

Use the lock

If you really want to preserve an original state or position use the Layer lock. I usually lock the header, background or other elements of the design that can't be changed anymore. By doing so you prevent important Layers from being edited and changed by accident.

There is more…

A Guide to Discernible Web Design in Photoshop

A great site that everybody should know about is Photoshop Etiquette created by Dan Rose. I've already linked to it long time ago but it got totally relaunched about 4 months ago. I must say that this incarnation is fantastic. Everything is clearly organized and you can click the + sign to expand to see a screenshot and often a link to a good resource as well. This should be a must read for all designers. Next time you receive a mess point the owner to this site and hopefully the next time you receive a new PSD he or she understood the message.

All about Masks in Photoshop

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:32 GMT

At the beginning of December I shared some Photoshop Layers tricks and shortcuts that I collected over the years. Today I'm doing something similar in a post that is all about masks in Photoshop. Hopefully this post will be as interesting as the layers one. That one worked its way up quite nicely. Enjoy!

Tips & shortcuts for (Layer) Masks

Targeting the Layer Mask

Targeting the Layer Mask: "Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + ‘\’ (backslash) targets the layer mask in the Layers panel. Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + 2 targets the layer

Create Layer Mask from Transparency

In order to automatically convert the transparent areas of a layer into a mask, select Layer > Layer Mask > From Transparency.

Delicate Mask Clean-Up

After adding a layer mask to hide portions of a layer, it can sometimes be difficult to determine if there are any small bits of the layer that have been accidentally left behind. In this case, it might be helpful to temporarily add a layer effect such as a bright red stroke ( Layer > Layer Style > Stroke and click the color swatch to choose a vibrant color) . The stroke will now appear around any small areas of the mask that you may need to clean up. When finished, simply remove the layer effect by dragging the "fx" icon on the Layers panel to the Trash icon).

Inverting the Quick Mask

Option (Mac)/ Alt (Win) -click on the Quick Mask icon to invert the selection when entering Quick Mask mode.

Quick Mask (Q)

Double click on the Quick Mask icon to access the Quick Mask Options dialog box to change color, transparency and opacity options.

Double Check your Layer Mask

When working on intricately composited, multi layered documents, it can be useful to check each of the layer masks before finalizing the image. To do this, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click on the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to display it. With the mask visible, check to see if there are any unwanted awkward transitional areas that might not have been visible in the complex composite (a sharp edge from a selection or gradient for example).

Pasting into Masks

To paste content (from the clipboard) into a Layer mask, Option (Mac)/ Alt (Win) -click the Layer Mask icon on the Layers panel and then select Edit > Paste. If you have an active selection in your document (marching ants) and have content on the clipboard, selecting “Paste Into” will paste the content from the clipboard into your selection - and automatically convert the selection into a Layer mask.

How to Paste into a Layer Mask in Photoshop CS6

Masking Selections with the Liquify Filter in Photoshop CS6

If you have an active selection in your image and choose Filter > Liquify, the Liquify filter will automatically turn the selection into a mask allowing you to manipulate the area within the original selection while masking (or freezing) the unselected area. If you need to manipulate the area outside of the original selection (instead of the inside), in the Liquify dialog, be sure to have the Advanced Options showing and click the “Invert All” button under the Mask Options.

Clipping Masks

Clipping masks are most commonly used when an adjustment needs to be applied to a single layer in a multi-layer document. For example, if you have a triptych of images (each on their own layer) within a single document and need to brighten only one of the images, you can add an adjustment layer and “clip” it so that it only effects that single layer. The easiest way to “clip” an adjustment layer to the layer below it is to target the layer that needs the adjustment in the Layers panel, then click the clipping icon at the bottom of the Adjustment panel before adding the adjustment, (or, if you forget, you can click the clipping the icon after adding the adjustment at the bottom of the Adjustment panel). As you make the adjustment, you will notice that the modification is only effecting the layer that the adjustment is “clipped" to. Another use of clipping masks is to clip content such as a photo to a shape such as type. In order to do this, put the type layer under the photo layer on the Layer's panel, target the type layer (by clicking in it in the Layer's panel) and select Command-Opt (Mac) / Control-Alt (Win) + G to create a Clipping Mask. Or, on the Layers panel, hold the Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) key and position the cursor over the line that separates the two layers in the Layer's panel. When you see the icon switch to a triangle with two overlapping circles -click to create a Clipping Mask. You can have multiple layers clipped to a base layer. Visually, you will know that the layers are clipped because the bottom most layer’s name will be underlined in the Layers panel, and the clipped layer(s) will be indented with an arrow pointing downwards towards the base layer.

Masking Multiple Layers

Not only are Layer Groups great for organizing your layers, you can also use them to mask the content of multiple layers at a time. With the Group targeted in the Layers panel, click the Add Pixel (or Vector) Mask icon from the Masks panel. This mask will control the visibility of all layers within the Group.

Adding Masks

To add a mask to a layer, click on the layer or vector mask icon in the Properties panel (or Masks panel, for older Photoshop versions). If you prefer to use the Layers panel “Add Layer Mask” icon, click once to add a layer mask, click again to add a vector mask, or if you want only the vector mask, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click the mask icon. To add a layer mask which automatically hides the selection (as oppose to reveals it as it does by default), Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click the icon. In Photoshop CS4, you can invert a layer mask using the Invert button in the Masks panel. In CS6 you find this button in the Properties panel.

Applying Smart Filters With Independent Masks in Photoshop

In order to apply multiple filters to a single layer – each with their own filter mask, convert the layer into a smart object (Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Objects). Apply the first smart filter and paint in the mask as desired. To apply the second filter, choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object (essentially ‘nesting’ one smart filter within another), apply the second filter and paint in the mask as desired. If you need to edit the settings or mask for the first filter, choose Layer > Smart Object > Edit Contents. This technique is also an excellent way to selectively sharpen and blur an image.

In the screenshot above, the High Pass filter was applied to the Smart Object (Layer 0) and then masked so that it is limited to sharpening the cactus. Note: If you use the High Pass filter to sharpen an image, you can double-click the small icon to the right of the filter name in the Layers panel and set the blend mode to Overlay or Soft Light to remove the grayish look of the filter

After applying the first smart filter, selecting Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object nests the first smart filter and allows the addition of another filter (in this example Oil Paint) with its own Smart Filter mask.

Convert a Layer or Layer Mask into a Selection

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on a layer or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to load it as a selection.

In addition:

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift to add additional layer and or layer mask to the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) to subtract another layer and or layer mask from the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift to create the intersection of two layers and or layer masks.

Moving and Duplicating Masks

Drag a layer or vector mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to move it from one layer to another.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -drag a layer or vector mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to create a copy of the mask.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + Shift -drag to create copy of a layer mask while simultaneously inverting the mask. (Note: this shortcut does not work with a vector mask - in order to invert a vector mask, select the path with the Direct Selection tool and click the “Subtract From Shapes Area” icon in the Options bar.)

Photoshop’s Mask Panel – Nondestructive Edge Softening

When adding a mask to a layer in Photoshop, instead of guessing at the size of a feather that should be applied (because we know that the feather amount will vary depending on the resolution of the image and the desired softness of the edge that is being feathered), use the non-destructive Feather option on the Properties panel. To access the mask properties, click on the mask icon on the Properties Panel. Now, you can add a feather to soften an edge yet, if the image is resized or other adjustments need to be made at a later time, the feather can be appropriately adjusted.

And while you’re in the Properties panel, and the focus is on the mask, be sure to check out the non-destructive Density slider to reduce the opacity (density) of the mask.

TIP: before playing with the ‘feather’ slider, go to the Channels panel and make the one corresponding to your selection visible. By doing this you’ll really see the feathered area.

The Adjustment Brush - Masking Options

When using the Adjustment brush, tap "M" to toggle on/off the Auto Mask option (Auto Mask automatically detect edges based on contrast and color to help selectively apply adjustments to a desired area. To view the Mask Overlay tap "Y" to toggle the Overlay on /off. To choose a different color to display as the mask overlay, click the color swatch to the right of the Show Mask option.

Temporarily Disabling a Layer Mask

Sometimes you need to see what a layer or the image as a whole looks like without the effect your layer mask has on the image. Luckily there’s an easy way to “turn off” the Layer Mask without deleting it or undoing its creation in the History panel.

Just move the cursor over the Layer Mask, then Shift-click to turn it off temporarily. This will place a red “X” over the mask and allow you to see what the picture would look like without it being used. To turn the mask back on, just Shift-click the mask again.

Credit

Similar credit as in my previous post where I shared 'Photoshop Layers tricks and shortcuts'. Many of these excellent tips I collected over the years by following Julianne Kost's blog. In an application as big as photoshop you are never too old to learn something new.

Thanks & 50% OFF at Authentic Jobs

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:59 GMT

It's that time of the year again where we start a new year and look back at how fast 366 days are gone. I like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers for the continuing visits and support. Hope you all will have an inspiring, healthy and lovable 2013.

THANK YOU!

I also want to thank each one of you that contributed to our charity: water campaign of raising $30,000 for a community + school in Rwanda. Now that we reached our goal we are going to make a celebration video starring you, the champs who made it happen and who will bring clean water to an entire community and neighboring school.

So, join in and create a video as follows:

Shoot a video with your phone, DSLR, mirrorless, iSight, or whatever camera
Keep it to 3 seconds or less so we can include as many videos as possible
Make it celebratory! Be creative. Examples might include "Go Rwanda!" or you creatively holding a sign with the number 30,000 on it
If the file is less than 10 MB, send it to support{at}authenticjobs{dot}com, OR
If the file is larger than 10 MB, post the video (any format) in your Public folder on Dropbox or Box, or use any of the apps for sending large files
We’ll create a montage with your video and post it to the site, and we’ll also do everything in our power to show it to the community that receives water tap stands because of our campaign

Get inspired by watching this 2012 recap from charity: water:

It’s #2013. Get 50% off at Authentic Jobs.

Finally I'm ending this post with our yearly promotion of Authentic Jobs, the fantastic Jobs Listings Network and my partner in crime. So if you are looking for a designer or a developer as an employee or freelance contractors there is no better time to enjoy our annual New Year’s promotion: 50% off any listing. Take advantage of the promotion while it lasts as it expires midnight on January 11.

How to apply?

Special Offer

Post a job before January 11th, 2013 and receive 50% off the fee (this promotion also includes the UK site). To take advantage of this special offer post your listing and use promotional code VEERLE2013 during the payment process.

Take advantage of the promotion while it lasts as it expires midnight on January 11.

Photoshop Layers tricks and shortcuts

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:51 GMT

When you are so used to an application you sometimes don't think about its tricks and shortcuts anymore because you are so used to them. You take everything for granted. Today I want to share some of my favorite Photoshop layers shortcuts & tricks.

Layer shortcuts & tricks

Adding layers

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + N will add a new layer and display the New Layer dialog box. When you add the Option key on (Mac) / Alt (Win) you add a new layer without displaying the dialog.

Displaying layers

Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click on a layer's eye icon to hide all other layers, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click again to toggle all previously visible layers. To make all layers visible (as oppose to only those that were previously visible), Control (Mac) / right mouse (Win) -click the layer's eye icon and select "Show/Hide all other layers".

Layers Panel Preview Options

Change preview settings for Layer thumbnails by selecting Panel Options from the Layers panel fly-out. Select a desired Thumbnail Size (note: if your image is significantly wider than it is high, selecting the smaller icon sizes might display the generic icon for Adjustment layers more often). Choose Change Thumbnail Contents to either "Layer Bounds" (in general this will display a larger preview of layers containing minimal content), or to "Entire Document" (which will generally display layer content smaller, in relationship to the entire document). Choose "Use Default Masks on Fill layers" to automatically add masks to Fill layers and "Expand New Effects" to display the contents of layer styles when applied.
Uncheck the "Add copy to Copied Layers and Groups" checkbox if you don't want Photoshop to add "copy" to each Layer or Layer Group you copy.

Selecting Similar Layers

Quickly select all of your Type layers by targeting one in the Layers panel and then choose Select > Similar Layers. This also works with Adjustment layers, Fill layers, Smart Objects etc. However in version CS6 you now have these Filter Options at the top of the Layers panel instead where you can filter your layers. You can also search a layer by entering a keyword. On the right you can turn layer filtering on and off.

Load Layer Contents as a Selection

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on the icon for a layer on the Layer’s panel.
Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift to add additional layers to the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) to subtract another layer from the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift to create the intersection of two layers.

Quickly Centering a Layer

If you have a layer that you want to center within a document, choose Select > All and, with the Move tool chosen, click the "Align vertical centers" and "Align horizontal centers" icons in the Options bar.

Select All Layers

Command + Option (Mac) / Control + Alt (Win) + A will select all layers. Note that hidden layers are included in this selection, however the Background is not selected with this shortcut.

Note: to convert the Background into a layer, drag the Lock icon (on the Background layer in the Layers panel) to the trash icon at the bottom of the layers palette.

Auto-Select Layers

To auto select a layer, with the Move tool selected, check the Auto-Selection option in the Options bar. Choose between Auto-Select Layers or Group. Or, to temporarily invoke the Auto-Select functionality, with the Move tool selected, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on part of the layer’s content. To select more than one layer, Shift-click on the layer’s content in the image area. Shift clicking on an already selected object deselects it.
With the Auto-Select feature invoked, you can also click-drag over objects in the image area, to select their corresponding layers in the Layers panel. This method works well if you have multiple objects (layers) and a Background. Otherwise, because you have the Auto Select feature turned on, clicking in the image area will auto-select the first layer that you click on and begin to move it instead of selecting additional objects (layers). Because a Background is locked by default, it is impossible to select and therefore skipped by the Auto Select Feature. Hint: if you have layers that you do not want to auto select, lock them.

Select Multiple Layers Using the Layers Panel

To select multiple layers from the Layers panel, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click to the right of the layer or mask thumbnail (in the name area) on multiple layers Shift -click to select a range of contiguous layers in the Layers panel. When multiple layers are selected, commands will be applied to all layers when possible (this includes, moving, transforming, aligning, distributing, applying styles, etc.). In fact, when selecting multiple layers with the Move tool, you have the option to check "Show Transform Controls" (in the Options bar) to have Photoshop display a bounding box around selected layers. Not only does this help to show which layers are selected but can also be used to quickly transform multiple layers without having to use the Free Transform command.

Duplicating Layers

To duplicate a layer(s) in the Layers panel, select the layer(s) and Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -drag until you see a heavy black line between the layers - then release the mouse and the Option/Alt key. I prefer this method over using Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + J because that shortcut will only duplicate a single layer. However, to cut a selection (or an entire layer) to a new layer, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + J works like a charm.

Merging Layers

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + E will merge visible layers.
Command + Option (Mac) / Control + Alt (Win) + E creates a new layer and pastes a "flattened" version of the selected layers on it.
Command + Option (Mac) / Control + Alt (Win) + Shift + E creates a new layer and pasted a "flattened" version of all layers on it.

Aligning Layers

With the Move tool selected, selecting multiple layers (or selecting linked layers) allows them be aligned and distributed using the Align and Distribute icons in the Options bar.

Targeting the Layer Mask

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + "\" (backslash) targets the layer mask in the Layers panel. Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + 2 targets the layer.

Copying Multiple Layers

Instead of dragging and dropping multiple layers between documents, you can choose to target the layers in the Layers panel, and then select Edit > Copy to copy all layers to the Photoshop clipboard. You can then paste them within the same document, or move to another and select "paste all layers".

Targeting Layers via the Keyboard

Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + "[" or "]" targets the layer above or below the currently targeted layer.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) +Shift + "] "or + "[" adds the next layer up or down to the targeted layer(s) (note when you get to the top or bottom of the layer stack, Photoshop will "wrap around" to continue adding/subtracting layers).
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + "," or "." targets the bottom/top -most layer.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + Shift + "," or "." targets all layers that fall between the currently targeted layer to the top or bottom of the layer stack.

Note: these shortcuts are essential when recording actions as they help to select layers, but do not record the specific "name" of the layer in the action.

Moving Layers

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + "[" or "]" moves the layer up or down. This is a very useful shortcut when recording actions as the specific name of the layer is not recorded.

Reverse the Layer Order

Select Layer > Arrange > Reverse to reverse the stacking order of the selected layers. Note: if the layers are in different groups this option is not available.

Adding Layer Groups

Layer Groups are an excellent way to organize a complex multi layered document. To create an empty Layer Group, click the Create Layer Group (the folder) icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. The Group will be added above the currently targeted layer. If no layers are targeted, Photoshop adds the group to the top of the layer stack.
To create a new Layer Group while simultaneously placing targeted layers into that group Group select Layer > Group Layers or drag the targeted layers (in the Layers panel) to the New Group icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, or use the keyboard shortcut Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + G. The group will be added above the topmost currently targeted layer.
To ungroup layers select Layer > Ungroup Layers or use the keyboard shortcut Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + G.

Duplicating Layer Groups

With a Group targeted in the layers panel, Select Layer > Duplicate Group or Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -drag the Group in the Layers panel (until you see a heavy black line between the layers) and release.

Note: this shortcut will not work (in CS5 or older) if the Group is at the top of the Layers panel - in this case, I use the context sensitive menu (Control -click (Mac) or right mouse click) on the Group and select Duplicate Group.

Deleting Layer Groups

To delete a Group, select Layer > Delete > Group or, with the Group selected on the Layers panel, click the trash can icon. Either method displays a dialog with the options to delete the "Group and Contents" (which deletes both), "Group Only" (which removes any groups but leaves the layers), or "Cancel".
To delete the Group and all of it’s contents while bypassing the dialog select the Group on the Layers panel and either drag the Group to the trash can icon or, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click the trash can icon.
Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -drag a Group to the trash can icon to delete a Group without deleting it’s contents.

Selecting Layer Groups

To automatically select Layer Groups (as oppose to selecting individual layers), with the Move tool selected, check the Auto-Select box in the Options bar and choose Group from the pull-down menu.

Displaying Layer Group Contents

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click the disclosure triangle next to a layer Group to expand or collapse all layer Groups in the document.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click the disclosure triangle to expand collapse all groups nested within the current group.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) -cick the disclosure triangle to expand and collapse all groups (nested or not).
Or, if you prefer, Control (Mac)/ right mouse (Win) -click the Group’s disclosure triangle and choose "Close/Open this Group" or "Close/Open all Other Groups".

Copying Merged Layers (and Groups)

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + C (with a selection) copies a merged view of all visible layers onto the clipboard.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift +E, pastes a merged copy of all visible layers on a (single) new layer above the topmost currently selected layer.

Masking Multiple Layers

Not only are Layer Groups great for organizing your layers, you can also use them to mask the contents of multiple layers at a time. With the Group targeted in the Layers panel, click the Add Pixel (or Vector) Mask icon from the Masks panel. This mask will control the visibility of all layers within the Group.

Blending Layer Groups

Layer Groups are, by default, set to display blending effects (such as opacity, blend modes etc.) just like any other layer in Photoshop. For example, if a layer in a Group has its blend mode set to "Multiply", it will be multiplied (blended) with all other layers below it. In this default state, clicking on the Group in the Layers panel displays "Pass Through" as the Group’s blend mode (i.e: any blending applied to layers within the group is "passing through" the group to be applied to the layers below it).
To change this default behavior to limit the blending between layers to only those layers within the Groups, target the Group in the Layers panel and set the Groups blend mode to "Normal" . For even more advanced blending of channels within Groups, choose Layer >Group Properties (or Control (Mac)/ right mouse (Win) -click the Group icon in the Layers panel and select Group Properties) to specify which channels to use for special effect blending of layers.

Locking Layer Transparency

When on a layer, tap the "/" key to toggle the Lock (Transparency, Pixels, Position, or All) option on and off.

Convert a Layer or Layer Mask into a Selection

Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on a layer or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to load it as a selection. In addition:
Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift to add additional layer and or layer mask to the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) to subtract another layer and or layer mask from the selection.
Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift to create the intersection of two layers and or layer masks.

Opening Files into Layers

When you know that you are going to want to open several files into a single document, it is easiest to select the desired files from Bridge and then choose Tools > Photoshop > Load Files into Photoshop Layers. This opens all files and deposits them into a single Photoshop file.

The Missing "Flatten Layers" Shortcut

I have always wanted a shortcut for Flattening all layers, but there isn't one by default. This is the perfect example of when the ability to create custom keyboard shortcuts is valuable. Simply select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts, set the "Shortcuts For" pull-down menu to Application Menus, Click the disclosure triangle for "Layers" and add your own custom shortcut.

Rules for Linking Layers

Selecting a layer that is linked will show the link icon on all the other layers to which it is linked.
To unlink a single layer from a link set, simply select the layer and click the link icon. If there were other linked layers, they remain linked.
If none of the layers selected contain linked and you click the link icon, all layers become linked - creating a new link set.
If the layers selected contain only linked layers, regardless of whether they're all in the same link sets, clicking the link icon unlinks everything selected.
If the layers selected contain at least some linked layers within the selection, plus any number of unlinked layers, clicking the link icon extends the link set to include the unlinked layers in the selection.
If the layers selected contains linked layers from two or more link sets plus at least one unlinked layer, everything in the selection gets put into a "new" linked set.
Layers can only belong to one link set at a time.

Credit

Some of these I learned along the way but so many others I discovered via Julianne Kost's blog where she posted these little tips many years ago. Her video tutorials are excellent to follow as well. You are never to old to learn something new and I try to reserve some of my time to watch video tutorials or to read interesting posts to stay in touch with what is out there. If there is one constant in our working world it is that the learning never stops.

Veerle's blog 3.0

The design process of my infographic about women cycling for Grinta!

An image says more than a thousand words

The briefing

The layout

The concept and illustrations

Choosing the color palette

The graphs and graphics

The end result

Fausto Coppi design process & review

A childhood dream come true

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Saving the best for last — the design process

Designing the layout of a book like this one seems like a big undertaking. How do you get started? Can you reveal the mayor steps of this design process?

How long did the entire design process take?

Did you have a saying in the dimensions of the book, the choice of paper, the cover, and the finishing etc.? Did the editor involve you in the printing and finishing process as well? If so, what was your experience during this process? Which criteria did influence your choices.

Which technical advice would you give a print designer designing the lay-out of his first book? Which criteria, in your experience, does he/she definitely have to keep in mind (to avoid the most common mistakes)?

Where to buy?

My T-shirt design for Wolf

Geeky Dog

Maximum 3 colors

First design proposals

Final designs

The finished tees

Pre-order now!

Special Offer

Limited edition postcards

The best print or web related tips from my readers

Always use printers black

by Hollie

Convert a color (iA or PS) PDF to grayscale

by Benedikte

Create a cold or warm black

by CJ

Convert a screenshot from 72dpi to 300dpi, and keep the crispness of the image

by Kisan

Achieve really powerful, vivid colours out of an image do the color corrections in LAB color mode

by Michael Zrobok

Add more contrast to the edges of your photo using the High Pass filter

by Tom Hermans

Smart color organzing tips

by Bryan

Use the Fixed Ratio in Photoshop to crop photos proportionally

by Jackie

5 albums from 2012 that helped me get inspired

Inspired by music

Never Leaves You, by Ralf Gum

Shadowboxing Heroes, by Jaidene Veda

Pure Salinas Volume 4, compiled by Bruno from Ibiza

The White Island, by Afterlife

Defected Presents House Masters, by Miguel Migs

Ralf Gum

Ralf GUM feat. Monique Bingham, Take Me To My Love

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Jaidene Veda

Jaidene Veda, Hidden Heart

Jaidene Veda, Colors Of Your Love

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Bruno From Ibiza

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The Heels Of Love - Flight 707 (Jadoo Remix)

Steve Miller, aka Afterlife

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Afterlife - The Magus

Miguel Migs

Defected presents House Masters Miguel Migs

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