PhotoShop online

Posted by trav in New Releases, On the Web      1 comment

Mar
27

Adobe has announced that they will be offering a free online-based stripped down version of PhotoShop by year’s end.

Here’s the scoop. It’ll be interesting to see what features they offer for free and if/how they tie it into the desktop app.

So far SnipShot has met my basic needs for an online photo editor. Though I’m sure there are plenty of good alternatives out there.

Prose by any other name

Posted by trav in Media, News, Publishers      No comments

Mar
27

Warner Books has announced that their new name is Grand Central Publishing. It’s all part of being bought by a French company last year.

I guess dropping “books” from your business/imprint’s name will be standard practice as the big companies move forward and look at online content, etc.

I do want to see the new logo though. Pass a link along if you stumble across it please!

Not another one!

Posted by trav in Book Talk, News      1 comment

Mar
26

A few weeks ago a very colorful and fun article made the rounds on many blogs. Schott’s NY Times article was about a self-confessed “book abuser” and sparked many create comments and posts across the blogosphere. Well know, folks are taking him to task about the similarities between his article and an essay that appears in Anne Fadiman’s book “Ex Libris.”

Here’s an informative post about it that I found via Books, Inq.

It’s a shame. Looks like the rash of plagerism by professionals over the past couple of years will keep eveyone under the microscope. I mean even if Schott didn’t copy, the burden of proof will always be on him to prove otherwise and regardless of the truth, his name has a smudge on it now.

Font finds

Posted by trav in Book Design, On the Web, Type      No comments

Mar
23

Through an amazing web of links and referals I wound up at an old thread on Cameron Moll’s blog from August of last year.

The subject of the post is “Typefaces no one gets fired for using”. If you’re in the market for new fonts or some variations on some old favorites, check out all of the recommendations left by the commentors. Lots of good rec’s.

Of course, it’s almost as fun to guess what kind of project these folks must be working on to recommend some of the more “display” (i.e. outlandish) fonts.

Score!

Posted by trav in Book Covers, Book Design      No comments

Mar
22

In an effort to save money and whittle down my “to be read” pile I have seriously curtailed my book buying this year. So far I’m doing pretty good. But today my willpower broke when I ran across a copy of Stefan Salter’s “From Cover to Cover”!

Yes, he’s one of THE Salter brothers. Though not as prolific as his older brother George, Stefan did hold his own as a book/book cover designer. This is a collection of some of his thoughts and opinions on design and publishing in general. Penned back in 1969 it’s sure to offer some unique insights.

I can’t wait to get that one started.

Book give-a-way

Posted by trav in Book Talk, On the Web      No comments

Mar
22

You have today and tomorrow to put your name in the hat to win over at Reading Matter’s latest contest.

I pass that along because 1. it’s a fun blog to keep up with and 2. I’m a fan of this specific contest’s “subject”. You are simply to list the title of a fictionalized account of some real-world historical figure or person. I’ve always enjoyed reading these kinds of books and have added two title to my wish list, just based on comments.

By the way, if you win then you get a copy of Heather Rose’s The Butterfly Man, currently only available in Australia and New Zealand.

“Distinction is the key…”

Posted by trav in Book Covers, Book Design, On the Web, Type      No comments

Mar
21

Wise words that I need to remember. I just finished reading an 2006 interview with Paul Buckley, Art Director at Penguin. He said they crank out 600 covers a year! I can’t imagine the scheduling nightmares they must have.
Buckley spoke directly to something I struggle with with every title:

“…tend to flood the market with books that have huge, foil-embossed type, and instead of these getting your attention, they actually fade into a sea of sameness – or if they do catch your attention, you might feel like you are being yelled at in some cheap, aggressive way. Certainly typography is a beautiful medium and large type can be gorgeous, but there are so few books out there that achieve this…”

“That’s why distinction is key, and not big type.”

It’s so easy to just make the type big and hardline the contrast. It makes the authors happy and marketing happy and it “pops”. But it’s amazing how small and faded that same cover appears when you’re in the store looking at it amongst the competition.

By the way, I stumbled upon the above interview while trying to catch up on a couple of the Flickr groups I like, Magic City, Typography and Lettering and Book Design, when I chased a rabbit that led to the article.

Reed’s new digs

Posted by trav in Birmingham, Bookstores, News      1 comment

Mar
21

Jim Reed’s Book Loft has moved from its historic loft space on 1st Avenue South over to 3rd Avenue North. Jim is cramming as much as he can into the first floor of the O’Neill building. It’s a smaller space, but I have to say that you can see more books now. The “shotgun” design of the shop allows for LOTS of bookshelves.

Some might miss the sense of adventure the old loft and all its nooks and crannies created, but those of us stopping by on our lunch breaks do appreciate the new found organization and space.

I posted a few pics here on Flickr. You can tell they’re still moving in (or if you remember the old shop, maybe you can’t).
Here’s a few from the old loft space taken by another Birminghamster some time ago.

Kudos to Kennedy

Posted by trav in Birmingham      No comments

Mar
21

Looking for some inspiration and a pick-me-up, I recently checked out Fingerprint from my library. Lots of good handlettering, letterpress and screenprinting in this one. But let me tell you how pleased I was when I saw Alabama-based Amos Kennedy’s work sharing pages with some of the world’s premiere shops. Page 116 shows some printed fans he did for Kentuck and page 162 showcases a layered poster he did to commemorate Rosa Parks’ famous bus ride.

Lets hear it for some positive press for us folks south of the Mason Dixon!

Talking shop

Posted by trav in Media, News, On the Web, Type      No comments

Mar
20

A post over at fade theory points us to an interview with Gary Hustwit, director of the now-playing Helvetica documentary. Pretty cool. I sure would like one of those posters!