Back to Titanic: Making Waves: Copal's Queue: Making graphics pop II

Today in Titanic History - with Searching

Today in
Titanic History
Thursday, January 30, 2025

1854 - 1st class passenger Mr Arthur Webster Newell was born to Benjamin Newell and Susan Bennett Newell in Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA.

1867 - 1st class survivor Mr Walter James Hawksford was born.

1894 - 1st class survivor Mrs Mary Graham Carmichael Marvin was born to Frank Farquharsen and his wife.

1920 - 1st class survivor Mrs Mary Wick died at the age of 53.

2001 - 2nd class survivor Master Michel Marcel Navratil died in Montpellier, France at the age of 92.

1990 - 3rd class survivor Miss Anna "Annie" Mcgowan died in Chicago, Illinois, USA at the age of 95.

1958 - 3rd class survivor Mrs Beila Moor died at the age of 75.

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Making graphics pop II

For the second half of my two-part series on the difference between average and professional graphics, I decided to cover fonts and layers. They may require Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

Fonts:
Collecting and downloading fonts is relatively easy once you know where to look. My favorite stomping ground for fonts is the Font Ring (http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=fontring&list). There is a dramatic difference when you use an uncommon font on your graphics. The perfect font can change the mood of the piece entirely. Some graphics are best remembered just for their font, so they'll remember you the next time they see it.

Most fonts are in zip format. (Save them to a folder other than "C:/Windows/FONTS" for you Windows users.) After you're done downloading your fonts you need to unzip the files with WinZip, or a comparable program. Simply open the zip file and extract it to your primary font folder (Windows users should place them in "C:/Windows/FONTS" now). Open a graphics application (Photoshop, etc.) and add text just like usual. The fonts should appear in your existing list of fonts.

You can never have enough fonts, it sets you out from the crowd to use something other than Arial, Helvetica, New Times Roman, and the other fonts we've seen before. Don't get me wrong, they have their place.

A special note to webmasters: If you display the new fonts you've acquired on your page as text, as in font face="NewFont'sName", you will be able to see the font. However, unless your visitors have that font, they will see no difference.

Layers:
When I first got Photoshop, I was uneasy using layers, but the program forced me to at least explore it. I never looked back. Layers are separate images on top of one another. Say you had one layer with Jack Dawson's face on it and a second with text on it. If you feel like changing it to Cal's face, you can without disturbing the layers above or below it. On Photoshop, you can turn layers "on" or "off" which is boundlessly useful. The best part of layers, especially when making custom graphics, is that you can go back later. I've gone back and made simple changes when the webmaster wanted a different picture, or for something to be lighter/darker. This will save a lot of time compared to using flattened images.

Animations can easily be made first in Photoshop. Make all of the frames for the animation within the layers. That way when it comes to moving it over to your animation program you just need to Copy Merged and Paste.

Keep in mind layered image files are much larger than jpgs of gifs. Whenever possible keep the layers to a minimum.

Making Waves

corey's interviews
history with kelly
copal's queue
site of the month
the flub report
wallpapers/quotes
graphic sets
characters
scenes
downloads
rare pictures
facts
books
columns

Copal's Queue
introduction
thumbnails
seamless bg
frames
webrings
yahoo
graphics pop
graphics pop ii
loading
diamond bg
striped bg
text
transparent gifs
seamless frames
guides
transforming
mouseovers
tables
cleaning up
flyout window
image maps
programs i love
actions
cropping

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