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Looking for information or products related to marketing, writing, design or desktop publishing? Check out this page of information and links that I've found useful. I've also included a lot of my own experiences and opinions, so take all this with a grain of salt! If you have stuff you think I should add to this list, send an email!
By the way, this site was created using Adobe® GoLive™, with graphics prepared in Adobe® ImageReady®.
Choose a Category:
Graphics, design and desktop publishing:
Books, magazines and web sites with ideas, help, tips and tricks about graphics, web design, desktop publishing, etc.
Business writing:
Books and other resources for business writing/editing, grammar, style, technical writing, PR writing, etc. Everyone should have at least one good English reference book.
Computer software
My own experiences with graphics software: photo editing, illustration, web design, desktop publishing.
Desktop printers
My own experiences with scanners, printers, etc.
Buying hardware and software
Places (sites) where I shop for software and hardware.
Printing Companies
Links to my favorite printing companies
Photos, illustrations, clip art & fonts (fee-based)
Links to sites that sell high-quality digital images on the web and/or on CD.
Specialty papers
Links to sites that sell special preprinted papers for laser printing, along with labels, envelopes, promotional items and presentation supplies.
Graphics, design and desktop publishing:
Books, magazines and web sites with ideas, help, tips and tricks about graphics, web design, desktop publishing, etc. These are some of my favorite resources and have been very helpful to me!
Dynamic Graphics magazine
800-255-8800, www.dgusa.com
I used to love this magazine more than I do now (they changed it a lot recently), but it's still a good resource. It has info for designers and desktop publishers with info on design techniques, products, software, etc.
<Designing Web Graphics.3>
Lynda Weinman, New Riders Publishing, ISBN 1-56205-949-1, www.lynda.com
A serious, in-depth book about web design from A to Z. Illustrates lots of web techniques using high-end web publishing software like GoLive, Dreamweaver and Fireworks. This comprehensive book might intimidate beginners or non-designers, but it's a great reference tool.
The Non-Designer's Web Book
Robin Williams & John Tollett, Peachpit Press, ISBN 0-201-68859-X
I love this book, and I highly recommend it for beginning web designers. It’s funny, and not too serious, but it gives a very solid overview of web design and publishing. It starts at ground zero (as in "What is the World Wide Web?") and goes all the way through publishing your site and listing it with search engines. It’s a great way to get your feet wet without being intimidated.
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Business writing:
Books and other resources for business writing/editing, grammar, style, technical writing, PR writing, etc. Everyone should have at least one good English reference book.
The Little, Brown Handbook (grammatical reference)
H. Ramsey Fowler, Addison-Wesley Pub. Co; ISBN 0321037979 (7th edition/1998)
Anyone who writes at all should have a book like this. It covers everything you need to know to write proper English. Topics include grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, choosing words, writing style, research and business writing.
Quick Tips for Better Business Writing
Gary Blake, McGraw-Hill, Inc., ISBN 0-07-005691-9
A great, easy-to-read book full of useful tips to improve your business writing skills.
Handbook for Business Writing
Baugh/Fryar/Thomas, NTC Business Books, 1994
A basic business writing book with lots of examples: letters, grammatical issues, writing style, plus tricky formatting stuff like salutations, titles, etc.
The Publicity Handbook (press releases)
David R. Yale, NTC Business Books, ISBN 0-8442-3286-6
A must-have for any non-PR person who writes press releases or deals with the media. The book outlines how to write a press release, what to put in it and how to format it. Also tells where, when and why to send a release, plus all sorts of very, very useful information.
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Computer software:
This rather chaotic section outlines my own experiences with graphics software, scanners, printers, etc., plus links to sites where you can find reviews and buy stuff. If I seem like I am biased toward Adobe products, I probably am. I am accustomed to them, and they tend to be the choice of design professionals. This doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right for you, but give them a try (if you can) before making your decision. P.S...I own and use all of the software products outlined in this section.
No, you don’t need a Macintosh to do design work. I used a Mac for 6 years before switching to a PC. I've worked nearly every day for 10 years on a PC doing graphic design, word processing and web design, and I see virtually no difference in terms of using software. If you do plan to send files to a service bureau or printer, find out if they support PC files and whatever type of fonts you're using (some of them don't like TrueType (Windows) fonts).
Graphics Software:
I own both Adobe Photoshop and Corel PhotoPaint. If you plan to do a lot of photo editing or preparing images for the web, you will need this kind of software. I use Photoshop because I just don’t like the PhotoPaint interface, even though I got the software free when I bought CorelDRAW. PhotoPaint does the same basic stuff as Photoshop, and it’s a good alternative, especially if you’re tight on cash.
Adobe® Photoshop®
Raster/bitmap (photo) editing software
Photoshop is what the pros use for creating and editing raster images (raster means pixel-based images like photos, TIFs and bitmaps). It’s very powerful and does lots of cool things, but it’s also intimidating and it's overkill for simple tasks. Photoshop is more expensive than most of its competitors, but I use it because I’m familiar with it. Photoshop also comes with Adobe ImageReady to create, edit and optimize web images. I'm still using an old version of Photoshop and it serves me just fine. I don't upgrade with every version.
CorelDRAW®
Graphics illustration software (vector graphics)
CorelDRAW is a full-featured graphics program for vector-based art (art created with lines and shapes, as opposed to pixels). Most professional designers use Adobe Illustrator because it's geared toward commercial printing, but I've used CorelDraw because my clients use it, and it comes with tons of fonts, clip art and photos you can use for free. My version of CorelDraw (an old copy of 9.0) works great for drawing illustrations and manipulating clip art, but it doesn't work well for page layout and lengthy text passages (it is very difficult to control things like tabs and spacing). If you need page layout horsepower, get Adobe PageMaker or InDesign instead. Remember, when you buy CorelDRAW, you get PhotoPaint for free (or you used to!).
Web Design Software:
I used Adobe GoLive to create this web site, after first getting my feet wet with Adobe PageMill (a fabulous entry-level web design program that is no longer available).
Adobe® GoLive™
Web editing/publishing software (professional-level)
This high-end software helps you easily create and manage great-looking web sites without writing your own HTML. It offers powerful design tools you won’t find in cheaper entry-level software; rollovers, image maps, javascript, etc. GoLive is awesome but complicated (and pricey)—definitely not for the faint-at-heart.
Adobe® ImageReady®
Web graphics editing software
ImageReady comes bundled with Photoshop; you can’t buy it separately. ImageReady is a great tool for preparing web images. You can open a source file (like a Photoshop file), then preview what it will look like saved as a GIF or JPEG at various quality settings, without altering the source file itself. It makes it easy to create the most efficient, best looking images and photos for your web site.
Desktop Publishing Software (text mixed with images):
Adobe® PageMaker®
Desktop publishing software
For creating text documents with lots of images, PageMaker is the tool I use. I've had this software since 1998, even though Adobe keeps trying to kill PageMaker and replace it with InDesign. As of July 2005, I think PageMaker is still available since people don't seem to want to give it up.
PageMaker is somewhat archaic compared to the features of newer programs, but allows you to create and manage large files with lots of pages and imported images. It provides much better control over the placement of objects on a page than a word processing package. If you’re tired of wrestling with complicated documents in Microsoft Word, PageMaker will work better. It’s very different than working with a word processor, and it's not as snazzy in terms of automated features, but the benefits outweigh the learning curve. Quark Xpress is very similar to PageMaker, and a lot of people use it. Both are common in the desktop publishing industry, and are supported by most service bureaus (the people who make film for offset printing). Do not try to use an illustration program like CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator to handle text-heavy documents...you will be kicking yourself (or somebody else) later!
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Desktop Printers:
There are a lot of questions to answer when buying a printer: color or black & white, inkjet or laser, quality vs. speed vs. cost, etc. Guess what? There is no right answer! Laser printers offer better quality text and are faster than inkjets, but they cost more. Most laser printers produce high enough quality output (1200 dpi) to be considered “camera-ready.” Inkjets offer color printing, but the quality varies from great to abysmal and the cost per page can range from cheap to exorbitant. They are relatively cheap to buy, but they lack the crispness of laser quality. Most inkjet inks are not waterproof, so if you plan to create your own postcards or mailers, you’ll probably want to go with laser output. Either type of printer can be expensive to operate, depending on what type of ink or toner it requires.
Color Laser:
To begin with, let me say that I am fanatical about the quality of my text. No matter what the ads say, an inkjet just won’t do it for me. So I scraped together $1,500 for a Minolta/QMS Magicolor 2 desklaser back in 1999. In 2002 I upgraded to a Magicolor 2210 for about $1,000. After two years the controller board bit the dust, and I chunked it and went back to the archaic DeskLaser, swearing I'd never buy another QMS/Minolta/Konica printer. Well, I just bought my 3rd Konica (Minolta/QMS) printer, the Magicolor 2400W color laser printer for a verycheap $280 after rebate. I'm very impressed so far. It was very easy to set up. It's only half as heavy as the old color lasers, and a lot smaller. The colors look great at the default settings, giving a close match to commercially printed colors. The only problem so far is that it makes a mess of envelopes, wrinkling them badly as they pass through the machine.
Each color toner has it's own cartridge, so you only replace the one that's low without wasting the other colors. Maintenance and supplies are expensive for color laser printers.
Inkjet:
At some point I added an inkjet printer to my arsenal of printing resources. I got tired of wasting hours trying to print envelopes on my old color laser printer, only to have the machine jam every time. I did lots of comparison shopping among every model of inkjet available in early 2001 from $0 - $350. I ended up with an HP Deskjet 842c, which prints color and photos great, even though my purchase price was less than $100 with a rebate. The text is better than that of most inkjets. It's kinda slow, but fine for occasional use. Don't buy a slow printer like this if you're printing more than a few pages at a time; spend the extra money to get something faster. INKJET COST WARNING: really do your homework before buying an inkjet. Check a computer publication to see how each printer ranks in terms of quality, cost, speed, etc. Be especially careful to check out the costs. Compare the costs of using the printer, not just the purchase price. Some inkjets are nearly free to purchase but use hundreds of dollars worth of ink in 2-3 years! No bargain at all!
Buying software and hardware:
Places (sites) where I shop for software and hardware.
Rebate warning: When buying software or hardware with a rebate, be sure to follow the rules carefully and keep copies of everything you send. I’ve heard lots of stories lately about companies doing a very poor job of issuing rebates, or not honoring them at all. If this happens to you, try the "Clark Howard" tip; get a credit from the company where you bought the item. Tell them you would not have bought the item without the rebate. Often they will give you a credit as a gesture of good faith.
Buy.com
buy.com
My newest favorite resources for ordering hardware. I've recently bought a portable hard drive and a color laser printer from them. They send me great coupons and specials via email.
PC Connection
1-800-800-5555 or pcconnection.com
One of my favorite resources for ordering software and comparing prices. In many cases, you can have the software on your desk the next morning without ever even leaving your office! They handle small orders for individuals, as well as big corporate orders. If you don’t see what you're looking for in the catalog or web site, call them...they just may have it.
Micro Warehouse
1-800-367-6808 or warehouse.com
My other favorite resource for ordering software and comparing prices. It’s easy to shop online or from the catalog, and shipping is fast. This company is very similar to PC Connection. Check both before buying an item; in many cases one company will have a higher price on one particular item, but a lower price on a different item. It pays to compare before you buy!
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Printing Companies:
Printing for Less
1-800-930-6040 or printingforless.com
I LOVE this printing company, and I can't say enough good things about them! I sent them a small job a couple of years ago just to try them out, and I've been sending all my printing projects to them ever since. Their quality is excellent, their customer service is outstanding, and their prices really can't be beat. The online ordering process is very easy (even for a regular person), and their website is loaded with helpful information. They do full-color (4c/process) printing for less money than other printers charge for a 2-color job. They can print from nearly any type of file, PC or Mac. They specialize in standard printed pieces like business cards, brochures, stationery, etc. Since they're shipping from Montana, it can take awhile to get your stuff, but if you're not in a hurry, it's no big deal.
Photos, illustrations, clip art & fonts (fee-based):
Links to sites that sell high-quality digital images on the web and/or on CD. Most of these sites operate the same way. You can search and browse through images online, and download low-resolution images to use for mockups before you pay. You generally pay a fee based on how you will use the image, or based on the quality of the image. For instance, web images are much cheaper than full-page images for color printing. You can order online at most sites after registering online (this helps keep people from using the images without paying for them). You can usually download the purchased image right over the web.
Photos To Go
photostogo.com
Loads of photographs to illustrate your web site, printed materials and more. Licensing fees are based on the size of your company. The photos on the Wyatt Communications site are from Photos To Go.
Eyewire
1-800-661-9410 or eyewire.com
Royalty-free photographs, illustrations, clip art, fonts, audio clips and video clips.
Fotosearch
fotosearch.com
A good source for royalty-free photographs, illustrations and video. It searches for items from a bunch of other sites and compiles them together in one place.
315 dpi: Royalty-Free Images
http://www.intuitivmedia.de/index2.htm
A small selection of beautiful, great-quality images. The site is no longer updated and is not searchable, but the images are FREE! For a larger selection of images for a small fee, check out intuitivmedia.net.
IntuitivMedia
intuitivmedia.net
Striking photos of a variety of subjects. You may not find the specific photo you're looking for, but you will find lots of photos you love. They're cheap, too.
PhotoDisc
1-800-528-3475 or photodisc.com
A wide variety of professional-quality, royalty-free photographs.
Dynamic Graphics Creative Solutions
1-800-255-8800 or dgusa.com
Royalty-free photographs, illustrations, clip art and fonts.
StarkPhoto.com
starkphoto.com
Stock photography and royalty free images in a searchable image database. Can't find what you're looking for? They also shoot custom photos if you need exactly the right image.
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Specialty papers:
I love working with colorful preprinted papers. It’s an easy way to add color and fun to an otherwise boring task, like designing an invitation for your company’s Thanksgiving luncheon. Here are some great resources I use. They sell fun themed papers, as well as business stationery sets including: papers, labels, envelopes, brochures, business cards, folders, note cards, table tents, door hangers, presentation supplies, etc. You really have to see a catalog to believe the kind of stuff you can buy! Most of these outfits offer next-day shipping CHEAP, but if you're in a real hurry, you can find a limited supply of preprinted papers at your office supply megastore.
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