Davao Graphic Designer Forum

iPhone 4G for the rest of us

2010-06-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Some 35+ years ago, in my last year of college, I was provided a few choices for where to intern for my student teaching experience. I decided to take an assignment at a special education program for the hearing impaired.

That experience was one of the most remarkable among my university classes. I learned American Sign Language (ASL) and began to communicate with people with whom I had little contact prior to my student teaching. I made so many wonderful friends among teachers and students and throughly enjoyed every moment I spent at the institute.

I learned that people with hearing impairments are disadvantaged in some obvious ways, but are indeed greatly advantaged in other ways. One remarkable example I remember was on a field trip we took. We traveled to some destination I can't remember in several vehicles. In my vehicle two high school students were acting up a bit and the instructors decided to separate the students. We pulled off the highway and one student left our vehicle to ride with another teacher.

As we trolled down the highway about 100 yards apart, the two students were completely unaffected by the separation. They carried on an intense communication with their hands. Physically separating the students did not affect their ability to communicate. In a way, I thought it was marvelous for the youngsters to continue their dialogue and could only smile at the incident.

Once in awhile technology arises to serve the needs of certain minorities. I believe that time has come for the hearing impaired with the introduction of iPhone 4. With Apple's new FaceTime, video telephony has become much more accessible on mobile devices.

Regardless of whether you're a fan of iPhone or not, stop and think about the communication experience that will open up to more than 8 million Americans and many more people around the world who have been left out of the mobile communication market.

As I view the demos on Apple's new iPhone 4 with video conferencing I think of my old friends and former students who can now engage in rich communication experiences. Take a look at this lovely lady in the video hosted at Deaf World as Eye See It and think of how iPhone 4 can be a huge asset for her and her family.

ted

2010-05-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Evolving with iPad

My first computer was an Apple II in 1978. It cost me about $1,500 (more than 30 years ago that was a lot of money). Base price was around $1,200 but I opted for 32K of extra memory (that’s K not MB) that cost me an additional $300. With 48K of memory I had a screamer.

In the early days of microcomputing it was an accepted form of practice for one to spend hours performing simple tasks. I remember my first word processing memos were written in Basic and I had to continually go back and forth between the screen and printer to get the 40 characters on the screen to print 80 characters on a single line on the printer. But that was okay, because computers were fun and the struggle made it all worthwhile.

Through the past 30+ years I have grown to view computers as necessary evils. Somehow that garage hobbyist techie mentality is still dominant in the microcomputer world. The techies believe that we still need to struggle with a computer to get things working properly. There’s a lot of testosterone thrown around a group of people engaged in tech-talk. Get into the registry and do this or that, open the console and type some kind of cryptic message, add a few lines of code here or there or work through a maze of dialog boxes adjusting settings and things will be fine…

Well, after 30 years and owning a few dozen different computer models, I’m just really getting tired of teching around. I want to get out of the garage and into a place where things just work with minimal effort.

I’m tired of waiting a long time for a computer to boot. Try a netbook and Windows and see how many minutes you waste before you can do something.

I’m so darn tired of dialog boxes popping up informing me I lost my network connection or my virus software needs to be upgraded.

I’m really tired of scrounging around a new computer to find the HP software that resides on the machine with dozens of dialogs opening asking me to use HP’s software for one task or another.

I’m so tired of adding security passwords to log-on after booting. I’m tired of dialog boxes popping up asking to confirm an installation, view a Web site, or change my viewing experience.

I’m tired of adding long serial numbers and waiting hours to complete application installations. I’m tired of filling out registration forms. I’m tired of install failures and tech calls for software activation.

I’m tired of having to completely deinstall an application in order to install an upgrade.

I’m tired of loosing a hard drive and having to call software vendors to allow me to activate software I’ve already purchased when installing on my new hard drive.

I’m tired of applications software opening dialogs warning me of potential security breaches and asking me if I want to proceed.

I’m tired of using a default target location for my saved files set up in some obscure location on my hard drive and then searching the drive to find previously saved files.

I’m tired of my batteries going out on my wireless mouse. I’m tired of backup drives, cables, and wires spread all over my office.

I’m tired of application error dialogs informing me I need to upgrade a driver for a new operating system.

I’m tired of messy desktops with files and screen shots spread all over. I’m tired of creating folders and nesting folders.

I’m tired of adding plug-ins to applications just to view files or videos.

A few weeks ago I bought an Apple iPad. What I’ve discovered is that I’m not so tired anymore.

Creating eBooks for the iPad

2010-05-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

I've been researching all that's involved in getting a book published on the iBookstore, Amazon Kindle, and other sources and the task isn't as easy as I thought it would be. There's quite a bit involved in getting a book published with an online host.

Typically, writers will use eBook aggregators to convert native document manuscript files, acquire ISBN numbers (when needed for a host), and distribute your work to the various resources selling eBooks.

This intermediary step of using a service for distribution is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that they can take a lot of headaches out of the distribution process for you. The curse is that they'll use a single application to convert your work into more than a half dozen formats. eBook aggregators generally will accept only native document files and not files you convert to other formats. Now really, would you expect any tool to be successful in converting an MS Word document to ePub, Mobi, JavaScript, PDF, HTML, RTF, etc. and expect that all conversions are likely to be perfect?

In my first experiment, I used Smashwords (an online eBook aggregator). I formatted the book for the iPad and the ePub format. All worked well in my conversion and Smashwords did a great job in converting my native Word file to the .epub format. Unfortunately, the other formats look very poor when viewing in a browser, Adobe Reader, and various viewing tools supporting other formats. I need to go back to the drawing board on this one.

Fortunately the content that describes how to create an eBook for the iPad is accurate and the final .epub document displays perfectly on the iPad. If you want to learn more about creating eBooks for the iPad take a look at the free download from Smashwords at the link above. This short book describes laying out a document and how to get it in your iBookstore Library.

If you have an iPad add the .epub formatted book to iTunes and upload the file via iTunes to your iPad. If you don't have an iPad but want to start learning how to develop content for iPods/iPhones/iPads view the .epub document you can download from Smashwords in Adobe Digital Editions. You can download the free Adobe Digital Editions from Adobe's Web site.

One thing that excites me is the range of possibilities ahead for people developing content designed for education. We need to wait and see how iPad and other tablet devices are embraced in 3rd world countries, but if I were to gamble, I'd put my money on a huge growth in eBooks for education. If you believe as I do, then the time to start learning how to create content is now.

iPads for the rest of us

2010-04-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Like so many people residing outside the USA, I’ve been following the articles, videos, and blog posts related to Apple Computer’s new device the iPad. There are many articles discussing the pros and cons of the iPad and the critics have pulled no punches en mass talking about the shortcomings of the device. There just may be more articles related to what iPad can’t do or doesn’t have than there are articles applauding Apple’s new invention.

Of the critics comments the ones that amuse me the most are those comparing the iPad with laptop computers and Netbooks. I honestly feel that many critics are missing the point. If the same people were writing articles in 1492, they’d be warning the world that the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria would fall off the edge of the earth’s flat surface.

Imagine, if you will, that Sony introduces a new TV and the critics complain that it doesn’t support a microphone or wireless keyboard. It’s a TV for gosh sakes —an appliance that’s designed to perform a certain set of functions. Imagine if NEC introduces a new cash register for supermarkets. Do the critics complain that it doesn’t run Microsoft Office? It’s a cash register —albeit still a computing device.

Steve Jobs and the people at Apple Computer have developed devices that push people to think outside the box. When a new product comes from Apple, one has to rethink the way we do things and capitalize on investigating new ways to perform both routine functions and new activities.

When you stop and think about it, consumer type computing devices are designed to perform two fundamental tasks —enable us to be more efficient, and add some form of convenience to our lives whether it be work, leisure, or some compelling activity.

Is Apple’s iPad an essential piece of equipment? Of course not! Does it add some convenience to our lives and help us engage in some compelling experiences. Undoubtedly, yes!

In terms of what has been criticized regarding the iPad, people have suggested that the keyboard is awkward for any kind of work. Well, there are options for adding a keyboard if you need to do light work related activities. People have criticized iPad for not being able to multitask apps. Well, Apple is committed to updating the operating system by the fall to perform multi-tasking features. It’s been criticized for not having a camera. No, doubt the next generation will support some camera features. And, one of the biggest criticisms is no support for Adobe Flash. I suppose this is of interest to people who want to see those annoying ads when you’re trying to read newspaper articles or playing Farmville —could be something many of us can live without.

Rather than elaborate more on what iPad can’t do, let me share some thoughts on my personal plans for using iPad. I ordered one via a friend in the USA and had it shipped to me. It just went through customs after I had to pay a handsome VAT charge. Hopefully it will be arriving in the next few days.

My leisure amusement

For my own personal amusement, I find that iPad can be a much more efficient tool. Years ago I could sit at a computer 18 hours a day when writing a new book. Today, my brain is fried after 12-14 hours. I need to wind down after a long day of writing and sometimes I just want to do something mindless.

I watch a movie on Cinemax or HBO and quite frequently I like to visit IMDB to learn more about the plot, actors, director, academy awards, etc. I watched Vertigo not so long ago and wondered what ever happened to Kim Novak. I was delighted to see that she is alive and well and retired after making many more films than I had imagined.

It’s just my form of amusement and content consumption. Do I need an iPad for this? Obviously I don’t. I’ve been using my iPhone but struggle with the screen size when I want to read some articles and movie reviews. iPad is just more efficient for this kind of entertainment.

iPad as travel companion

I realize that my computing needs are typically much different than most average users. When I write a new book I need to cover cross-platform applications. Hence, I need both a Windows and Macintosh desktop computer for the best part of my workday. When I travel to speak at conferences I need to cover issues for a cross-platform audience and therefore I have two laptops (Win and Mac). Although sometimes I use my PowerBook with a Windows installation so I only need to carry a single computer when traveling.

My flights are 10 hours or more. I often fly over 18 hours for some destinations. In the past I’ve used a laptop onboard an aircraft. After 1.5 hours my laptop is toast and I can forget about anything related to working on a computer.

With the iPad I can take a 10-hour flight and have access to slide presentations (either from Keynote or PDF files) and review my sessions. In 10 hours I might also like to view some videos, play some hands of bridge or chess, or review captured Web site content and emails. All of this is exceptional with the iPad. No other computing device can offer me work and amusement for the complete duration of a 10-hour flight.

iPad as educational device

I have two high school freshmen in my home. One of the ways I like to contribute to their educational experiences is in combining some leisure time activity with learning. In many third world countries schools don’t instruct students in geography very well. I’ve talked to college graduates who have suggested that I could always drive from Manila to Los Angeles as an alternative to flying.

One way iPad can help me educate my high school freshmen in an area like geography is when the family watches a movie on TV together. When we watch a movie with a setting in New York, Paris, Saint Petersburg, etc., I can open the maps app and show the kids where the movie setting is relative to our home. When we see a Polar bear, a Bengal tiger or a well-known place, the iPad Web browsing can also contribute to their awareness. It’s casual learning but a great contribution to their education and the world around them.

Of course these tasks can be performed on a laptop or Netbook or even an iPhone. It’s just that iPad is a bit more compelling and with 10 hours of battery life no need to keep the power cable plugged in.

iPad in the kitchen

In the past I’ve seen some cooking shows on the LifeStyle network. When something looks tasty and worth the effort I usually go to the Web site and capture a recipe with my iPhone. In the kitchen, my iPhone display disappears after a few minutes, not to mention the small screen I need to continually zoom to see the ingredients and instructions. And, I’m zooming usually with flour or butter on my fingertips.

Obviously, iPad isn’t essential, it just makes life easier and a much more efficient way to follow a recipe. It can be propped up and one can stand back stirring the pot of Mediterranean sauce while getting ready to prepare the cous cous.

Overcoming the brownout problem

Power is becoming an increasing problem in the third world. Population explosions have created burdens on infrastructure. In my area we’re seeing brownouts up to 3 hours on some days. When I’m working on a new book it becomes a huge disruption. My laptop doesn’t have enough power to keep me busy until the lights come back on.

I can export my Word files to PDF and review the PDF documents easily on my iPad using the Good Reader software. If I need to add comments I can use Aji Annotate and dictate comments in my PDF files. My UPS has just enough juice to get files to the iPad before I completely loose electricity.

Staying current

The way I work, I just don’t seem to be able to multi-task or stay current with blog posts and personal information sites. When I’m writing a new book, I spend all my time in the application I’m writing about and MS Word and Photoshop. I rarely take time to visit my Twitter page, Facebook account, blog, or look over Linkedin notes.

Where I see iPad being a help is that when I leave my desktop computer and watch a movie on TV I can visit my sites and maybe keep a few things updated. I’d rather be on the sofa looking over content than remaining at my desktop after a 12-hour day of hacking along in a word processor.

Sure, I can do this with a laptop computer, but it’s just a bit more elegant and convenient with an iPad.

iPad as an appliance

I have many other activities planned for iPad. Here in the Philippines it’s hard to get published technology books at the local bookstores. iBooks and Kindle reader will be a big help and a more cost efficient alternative to packing a suitcase filled with books each time I return to the USA. I also suspect that some things I haven’t thought about yet will also become part of my iPad experience.

What’s important for people here and throughout Southeast Asia is that one needs to view iPad for what it is. First and foremost it’s not a computer, not a laptop, not a Netbook. It’s a new type of appliance that just happens to do some similar things as computers and mobile phones. Don’t get caught up in comparing the device to other electronic products or look at features that have not yet been implemented. More will come later. Look at what iPad can do for you now and see if it might be an appliance that will help you be more efficient and productive.

I’ll be back here soon to talk about sustainability with electronic documents and other tasks we in third world countries might do with this marvelous new device from Apple Computer.

An Exceptional Designer in Davao

2008-10-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am... finally again. I've just been buried in books this year and hopefully after this next one I'll be able to be more attentive to this post and all the other things I've had to postpone.

Once in awhile I come across someone who just sparkles with talent and creativity. I'm green with envy wishing I could come close to the work I see from some other folks. Upon my latest discovery, I'm not just grass green but feel like a 1970's left-over sparkling with fluorescent-green envy!

The designer is Leah Valle (of the Valle Graphics and Design Studio) who is so incredibly talented and so very modest and shy. Her inner self is no doubt partially responsible for her great creations. And, her creativity extends to so many arenas. Leah is an accomplished photographer, graphic artist and I imagine a great copywriter too. Just take a look at her Web site:

13thWitch.com

You see what I mean by the copywriting skills. Is that not a great name for a Web site?

Browse her site and see if you agree. Leah has come out with a new calendar series of some very lovely models whom she photographed. Not only is the design great, but Leah has an eye for typography too. The wonderful layouts are all well designed and make use of good type.

If you like the designs, be sure to buy one of her calendars. Let's help the ladies get rewarded for all their fine efforts.

ted

New Training Coming to Davao

2008-09-10T02:14:00.000-07:00

Ohmygosh! I just noticed that my last post was in June. I'm still not clear of getting out of Book #&*!%*... It's been a long haul this year. Some things I can't talk about, others I can. I've finally put to bed the Acrobat 9 PDF Bible and the Creating Forms Using Acrobat and LiveCycle Designer Bible. There's more, but I'll talk about those later.

After canvassing the Davao territory I've finally found some locations where I can offer training programs. I'm flying off to the USA for a conference in Minneapolis next week, then off to Vancouver Canada to do a video series and returning home to Davao around October 7. Shortly thereafter I'll be offering training on Acrobat PDF forms and Adobe LiveCycle Designer forms.

Unfortunately, the first group of people I want to offer the classes to is going to be limited in a lot of ways. First off, I want people who own a computer, laptop or desktop. The reason is that I want to get a group of people up to speed for things to follow such as job opportunities. In order to be job ready, one needs to practice, practice, and practice... The best way to practice is by having your own computer. In addition, I need to have people who are willing to purchase Adobe Acrobat. There's no practice without the software.

One more little thing is that it will cost 20 pesos a session. This money is used to cover electricity and air con costs. The fees will be paid directly to the owner of the facility. No other costs are required.

I'm planning to offer the class (one night a week for 3 hours a night for 10 weeks). If I have enough interested people I may offer the class to a second group. Other than the costs mentioned here, it's free. I can't do much better than free.

If you're one who wants to become skilled using software that will get you a job, then by all means contact me. But please only serious inquiries.

ted

Introducing Acrobat 9

2008-06-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is June already. I took a quick look at my last post and noticed it's been almost 6 months since I added a new post. Unfortunately, I've been swamped and haven't had time to even make a visit over to Samal Island for a little R&R. You see, I've been working on the update to my Acrobat PDF Bible.

Today Adobe officially announced the release of Acrobat 9 and it's been about a week since I finished that book. Concurrently I'm in the middle of writing the "PDF Forms Using Acrobat and LiveCycle Designer Bible," so I've just been behind a computer screen without any time to do anything but write manuscripts.

This new upgrade to Adobe Acrobat is very exciting and holds a lot of promise for individuals and small businesses as well as large enterprises. In addition to introducing Acrobat 9 (now in three versions: Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro Extended for Windows, and Acrobat Pro for both Windows and Macintosh) Adobe is introducing Acrobat.com.

Acrobat.com is a free service provided by Adobe to offer Acrobat users support for web conferencing, sharing files, engaging in shared reviews, and collecting distributed form data. The ease of using Acrobat.com is certainly going to appeal to the individual users and small businesses that don't have the support personnel to configure servers. Again, it's a FREE service offered by Adobe and very impressive.

Some of the new features you find in Acrobat 9 include PDF Portfolios (a marvelous way to package your files with character and design), much improved scan to PDF features including the use of Clearscan and support for Windows WIA scanners, transcoding video to Adobe Flash files (using Acrobat Pro Extended on Windows), Flash player is now built into Acrobat so you don't need a player plug-in, a new Form Edit mode that simplifies creating AcroForms, installation of Adobe Presenter for creating rich Flash media files from Microsoft PowerPoint documents (Acrobat Pro Extended on Windows), new improved compare features, a no nonsense way of engaging in shared reviews, splitting files into separate PDFs, much improved support for embedding rich media in PDFs, much improved Tracker features for tracking reviews and distributed forms, support for preparing QuickBooks templates and populating templates with QuickBooks data, huge improvements in print production tools, creating new layers in PDF documents, support for AcroForms authoring in Acrobat Standard (Windows only) and about 300 more upgrades and performance enhancements.

Stay tuned for some new posts as I get into showing off some of the Acrobat 9 new features. I'm hoping to get back to a normal life soon. If you're interested in learning now about some of the changes to authoring PDF forms, take a look at the Acrobat Users web site. I have PDF Portfolio available as a free download on Acrobat Users. Until you can download the free Adobe Reader 9 software, you'll see this document as a PDF Package. Be sure to upgrade your Acrobat and/or Adobe Reader software as soon as Adobe makes the products available.

ted

December Events

2007-11-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

December 7 - MSITE07

The 5th Mindanao Student Information Technology Education Conference 2007 (MSITE07) is being held at NCCC Convention Center Hall (MacArthur Highway corner Maa Road, Davao City) beginning at 8:00AM and winding down around 7:00PM. The day prior on December 6 there will be a Mindanao-Wide IT Quiz Bowl at the NCCC Mall Activity area from 01:00 p.m. to 03:00 p.m. The Mindanao-Wide IT Programming Competition will be held on December 8, 2007(Sat.) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Computer Labs. F-613c and F-613i, 6th flr., Finster Bldg, Ateneo de Davao University.

The fee for the MSITE07 event is 400 Php. That includes 2 snacks, lunch, and certificate. I'll be offering a 30 minute presentation on some essential tools young IT professionals need to learn to help make some money and advance their skills. My session starts at 3:15 PM. There's a great round-up of talent making other presentations so be sure to let all IT students in Davao City to not miss this event.

You can find out more on Dr. Randy Gamboa's Blog Site

December 14 - Adobe Photoshop Workshop

Well... I've been begged, pleaded with, and slam dunked about offering an Adobe Photoshop workshop for some time. I gave in and agreed to do a session at Felis Seminar Resort in Matina Aplaya on Friday December 14 at 3:00 PM. I was a bit reluctant because I wasn't sure exactly what to offer a mixed group of users from beginning level to advanced users. I've been immersed in Photoshop CS3 for the past few days and I think I came up with a number of Photoshop techniques to help users of all skill levels improve digital photos for print and Web hosting.

I'll run over some basics for color calibration and using color profiles then proceed to talk about tone corrections. If you're confused about using the Curves dialog box in Photoshop, this workshop demystifies using Curves for tone and color corrections. I'll show techniques for rescuing photos close to images beyond repair, correcting skin tones, correcting color for different lighting conditions such as shots in fluorescent lighting, adding snap to flat photos, and offer some tips for creating high-key photos.

At the end of the workshop several books I've written on Color Management, Adobe T-shirts, Adobe Pens, and some other goodies will be raffled off. The workshop is free but there is a 100 Php fee for the merienda. If you're so inclined, you can stay for dinner for 150 Php. The workshop is limited to 150 people and the dinner is limited to 50 people. If you're interested in this workshop sign up immediately with Felis Seminar Resort by emailing: felisresort_4@yahoo.com or call: (082) 297-0719 or fax (082) 298-2601

JavaScript Workshops

2007-11-18T12:56:00.003-08:00

About 200 people attended the Davao Acrobat User Group workshop at Felis Seminar Resort on Nov 16. Thom spoke about Acrobat JavaScript and showed some interesting demonstrations for what you can do with JavaScript.

Among one of the most interesting demos I saw was a PDF Karaoke machine that highlights text to follow lyrics of a song playing inside a PDF document. The JavaScript to create the effect was quite complex and a good demonstration for what you can do with JavaScript and PDF documents. If you didn't make the evening event, you can visit Thom's Web site and download some sample files he showed at the workshop from his WindJack Solutions Web site.

The following day on Saturday Nov 17 Thom spoke to about 47 people at Fwendz Diner at another Davao Acrobat User Group meeting. Following Thom's discussion Davao AUG Chapter Leader Chris Cubos provided some demonstrations of Adobe Flex and Adobe AIR.

Events like these offered free to the public are efforts to help make the Davao Silicon Gulf Initiative a reality here in Davao City. Stay tuned to this blog for announcements of the Adobe Photoshop seminar scheduled in December.

Thom Parker Coming to Town

2007-10-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

I was so very sad to have missed the Mindanao Bloggers Summit held recently at NCCC Mall. I had a conference in Omaha Nebraska and couldn't return in time to attend. From the emails flowing through my mail client, it sounds like it was a very successful effort and congratulations are certainly in order for Blogie Robillo, Councilor Peter Laviña, and all the organizers who put the program together.

For me, I had a great time in spite of missing the Summit in the cold of the Nebraska plains in the USA's midwest. It gave me an opportunity to spend a little time with my good friends who tour the PDF Conferences; and I must say, it was a pleasure in spite of being a little homesick for Davao.

Over a few Omaha steaks and potatoes I had an enjoyable time speaking with my good friend Thom Parker. In case you don't know, Thom is perhaps among the top 3 experts in the world on Acrobat JavaScript. What did we talk about? Well, among other things we discussed Thom's visit to me here in Davao in just a few weeks from this writing.

Thom will be spending a little time in Davao before we head out to Bohol for a little recreation. And, while he's here, Thom is giving a free workshop on JavaScript at the Felis Seminar Resort in Matina Aplaya on Friday November 16 beginning at 3:00PM. The resort is asking for 200 PHP for dinner for adults and 120 PHP for children, but the workshop is free and I encourage all those who dabble in JavaScript to attend the event. If you choose to go to the event, you can spend some time over dinner talking to Thom about individual issues related to JavaScript programming.

When I spoke last month at Felis Resort the organizers turned people away due to space limitations. If JavaScript is your interest, we have a special treat in having Thom Parker visit Davao. Be sure to register early if you plan to attend the event. You can email Felis Resort at: felisresort_4@yahoo.com or call the resort at: 298-2601. Just tell them you want to attend the Thom Parker session on JavaScript.

If you want to find out more about Thom, you can visit his company's Web site Windjack Solutions. Thom is the founder and CEO of Windjack Solutions —a software development company. He also hosts a column on AcrobatUsers.com called the JavaScript Corner.

I hope to see many of you at the event.

ted

Workshop Memoirs

2007-10-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

I just finished a workshop at Felis Seminar Resort here in Davao City on Adobe Acrobat, PDF, and creating dynamic forms. About 160 people gathered for the event coming many different local companies as well as several students from a variety of local universities. As usual, it was a pleasure to address the audience, offer a little about some technology issues, and have a lot of fun.

Felis Resort is gearing up for several different seminars to be held on a monthly basis covering a variety of topics related to using different Adobe programs. Next month my good friend and colleague Thom Parker, whom I consider one of the top 5 people in the world on JavaScript programming, will be offering a presentation when he visits me in November. If you're into JavaScript programming, you won't want to miss Thom's seminar.

Keep in touch with my blog and I'll post the exact date that Thom will be hosting a session at Felis Seminar Resort in Matina Aplaya. You can find out a little more about Thom on his web site and his blog site.

Here's a short video clip of part of the session I had recently at Felis Resort.

ted

Free Seminar on October 10

2007-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

I've been working away for the upcoming Acrobat Central Conference in the USA in Omaha Nebraska on October 23 and 24. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Davao Blogger's Summit. If you can't make Omaha in late October, then try to attend the Blogger's Summit. It certainly promises to be a great event for graphic designers.

In the midst of my preparations for the Acrobat Central Conference, I've been asked to provide a FREE session at Felis Seminar Resort here in Davao City on October 10. There's a bit of a disclaimer here since the host (Felis Seminar Resort) is asking people to pay for snacks and beverages (a total of 100 Php) for the day. If you can afford the 100 pesos for the merienda, you might enjoy some of the things I hope to demonstrate at the seminar.

The topic is using Adobe Acrobat geared toward designers and people in various occupations such as law, accounting, education, government, business, and just about any other kind of industry. We'll spend 3 hours talking about Acrobat, PDF, and using Adobe Reader for those who don't have Acrobat installed on their computers. The event starts at 1:30PM and ends at 4:30 PM. It might be a good opportunity to meet some people who can lead you to some commissioned work. I can't promise that, but networking is always a good thing for graphic designers.

Download the flyer as a PDF file.(765K)
Note you need to have Acrobat or the free Adobe Reader software to view the file.

—ted

The Diversity of Davao Graphic Designers

2007-08-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

The more people I meet who are graphic designers and advertising professionals locally, the more I find people engaged in multiple careers. I know that this is a necessity for most of us here in the Philippines because the work and compensation isn't as plentiful as we find in many other countries.

What amazes me however, is the diversity of talent and broad range of skills many local designers possess. I find some who are engineers, trades people, office workers in a number of different occupations, politicians, etc. whose first love is the arts, but through necessity, are dependent on dividing their work days in other occupations.

One such prime example is my friend and a great designer Christopher Cubos. Chris called me the other day and asked me to meet him at a new restaurant. Upon my arrival at Fwendz Diner Chris informed me he is the proprietor. It was a delightful event having the best bar-b-que ribs I've found in all the Philippines. For a truly great meal at a very reasonable price I recommend a visit to Friends Diner. Walking from Gaisano Mall toward San Pedro Hospital, turn left at the street and walk to the sign where you see Metro Avenue. Walk down the alley to the back where you pass some other interesting cafes and on the left side in the back you'll find Fwendz Diner. Oh, did I mention that bar-b-que sauce... it's out of this world!

True to form you'll find an interesting design for the menus. Chris informed me that part of the design was created by his 4 year old son (I think he's about 4 years old). A good menu design, a good atmosphere, great food, and a welcome from Chris' lovely wife makes your visit truly enjoyable.

I'm sure there are many others whose first love is the arts, but through necessity need to work in other occupations. If you have something interesting to tell, add a post here. Among other things, we can help support the efforts of our fellow artists.

—ted

Breaking Borders in PDF Files

2007-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article by Dallas-based graphic designer Bryan Tamayo who discussed adding graphic elements in Adobe InDesign that extend beyond page edges in files converted to PDF. I played with Bryan's technique and discovered a bit more working with Adobe InDesign CS3 and Acrobat 8.

To discover how to create files that appear like the image you see here, log on to my other blog at: http://tedpadova.wordpress.com/.

Mindanao Blog Awards 2007

2007-08-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all bloggers. Do you want to get some credit for that wonderful blog you've created. Do you have a blog related to Advocacy, Culture, Food (yum yum... all us Pinoys love to eat), or maybe it's a blog covering the never ending saga of Auntie Marvic and Uncle José. Regardless of your blog topic, you may just be eligible for an entry for the Mindanao Blog Awards 2007 contest.

The contest winners will be announced at the Mindanao Blogger's Summit at NCCC Mall in Davao, Philippines on 27 October 2007 from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. To find out more about the Summit, log on to Mindanao Bloggers.

For a list of categories and entry rules for the Bloggers Contest, log on to: Mindanao Bloggers.

Good luck to all those who enter and I hope to see many of you at the summit.

—ted

I'm attending the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit

2007-08-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm attending the first annual conference on Blogging will soon be held for Mindanao residents at the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit at NCCC Mall this October. This conference is a great venue for graphic designers who want to get networked with the blogging community and Web designers. In addition to the Blogger's Summit you'll find many other tracks related to other technology issues. As soon as the official program is published, I'll add more info on the event.

If you're an experienced blogger now or you want to create your first blog, this event is for you. Many successfule local bloggers will be making sessions presentations. I encourage everyone who has an interest in blogging to attend the event.

Among some individuals and organizations attending the conference you'll find Councilor Peter Laviña, BisayaBloggers, Lane Systems, Join the DigitalFilipino.com Club and Davao's Food Huntress.

This event promises to be a great opportunity for bloggers to share ideas and learn from Davao's best.

—ted

Die Hard 4.0 Typography and Film Credits

2007-07-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Years ago —pre mid 1950's, movie titles were hidden behind a curtain in movie theaters. Projectionists opened the curtain only after the dull movie titles and credits finished and the story began. It wasn't until 1955 that Otto Preminger insisted that the curtain be raised to show the credits. That move spawned a revolution with artists competing for well designed film credits.

Saul Bass
Among one of the famed typographers for film was the late movie Oscar winner Saul Bass of the advertising firm of Bass/Yeager in the USA. Bass designed film credits for such films as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Vertigo, Otto Preminger's Man with the Golden Arm, Stanley Kubrick's Sparticus and Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear. An award winning designer of film credits the firm of Bass/Yeager also designed many famous logos such as AT&T, United Airlines, Bell Telephone System, Warner Communications, and Minolta.

Harry Marks
A little less known is one of my favorite film credit artists Harry Marks who has won every award in broadcast design and promotion including an Emmy Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Broadcast Designer's Association. Marks designed credits and titling for many TV shows such as the ABC Movie of the Week and The Young Riders. Harry's typography in film was always ahead of its time. Although you can see some of the films today that are obviously dated, the type used in the credits appears contemporary.

Die Hard 4.0 Film Credits
Last night I went to the movies at Gaisano Mall and saw Die Hard 4.0. I love the Die Hard series even if the stories are a bit unrealistic. I was ready for the action —well almost ready because the seats aren't as comfortable as those at SM and NCCC Malls.

Fortunately, I arrived early enough to see the opening credits. I loved the typography used in this film. San serif font used with two type faces. Something like Bruce | Willis. You'll have to see if for yourself to get the complete feel for the type used in the titles.

Take at look at the movie and let me know your thoughts on the typography used in the credits for this film.

—ted

Councilor Peter Lavina

2007-07-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

When I meet many local Davaoeños who are making a difference in the economy and social welfare of our city and country, I often equate my new Filipino friends to the traditions of Dr. Jose Rizal. I'm always amazed to read about Dr. Rizal and his achievements in just 35 short years of his life. Imagine, a man who spoke 22 languages, mastered more than 7 disciplines, and became a national hero less than half the age of national heros of most countries in the world!

Many Filipinos follow the tradition of Dr. Rizal in pursuing knowledge and love of country on so many levels. Take Councilor Peter Laviña as an example. He's a man who was a journalist, an ad agency chief, marketing professional, a political activist, an IT educator and evangelist, and a City Councilor. Talk about any local committee designed to help people in education and technology and you'll find participation and leadership from Councilor Laviña. His accomplishments are many and his work largely follows the traditions set forth by Dr. Rizal.

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Councilor Laviña who fit me in to his tight schedule. I discussed some of my ambitions to help create an Adobe user group here in Davao and start an Ad Club. In addtion we talked about creating a local certificate program in graphic design through the TESDA Ladderized programs. On all accounts I had much support from Councilor Laviña who is willing to lend a hand and make contributions to these causes.

Davao City is fortunate to have such an active and dedicated Councilor who continually works for the betterment of the Filipino people and the advancement of technology. If you haven't had the same pleasure of meeting Councilor Laviña, you'll find him at NCCC Mall giving some talks on eGovernment and blogging in October —more on that expo later.

—ted

Pinoy Designers

2007-07-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Last week (July 6, 07) I had the good fortune to be invited to speak at the Davao Cyber Expo. The expo was a well organized event and some very impressive lectures were given to about 200 students from Davao City universities. Along with the 100+ computers that were used for gaming competitions the event was lively and exciting for all who attended the 3-day fair at NCCC Mall.

I've been a conference speaker for more than 15 years and I've had the pleasure of speaking at some conferences with friends like Deke McClelland, Katrin Eisman, Ron Chan, Ted Alspach, Russell Brown, Thom Parker and many other world industry leaders. Conferences held in the USA and many other countries around the world that attract world authorites on computer applications software are impressive and provide a wealth of information for attendees as well as a learning platform for the speakers themselves.

Comparitively, I found the Davao Cyber Expo on par with any other conference I've attended. And with the massive floor of NCCC Mall covered with computer workstations where gaming wizards applied their talents, I'd have to say that the Davao Cyber Expo was one of the best events I've attended.

More impressive to me however was the sophisticated level of expertise from the presenters. And here I'd like to draw another comparison. Take Deke McClelland who is the world's leading author on Adobe Photoshop books. Deke and I worked together on several publications and I've always found his command of just about any computer program to be extraordinary.

How did Deke (Katrin, Ron, Ted, Russell, Thom et al) get their knowledge? First off, these people all have about 4 or more computers at home or in their offices (I personally have 6 computers I use to write my books). They began their computer experiences as children with their own computers in their bedrooms. They've been to schools that offer design, photography, computer, etc. training. They all have friends at Adobe Systems who liberally help out routinely with support. They have a network of friends who are the world's best and most knowledgeable users and they all have attended many, many conferences and expos to learn as well as speak.

Now let's take a look at the Pinoy counterparts who spoke at the Davao Cyber Expo. I saw one session on Blender. Blender is a free application you can download from the Internet and since it's free it doesn't have the same friendly user interface as you find in commercial software programs. As such, Blender is extremely complicated and would take most people years to learn. The presentation on Blender showed some very impressive 3D designs created by a Davao university student who taught many different features of the program. Then there was Chris Cubos' presentation on Adobe After Effects. Chris demonstrated some of the newest features in the CS3 release. And again, After Effects is quite a complicated program.

So what's the background of the Pinoy presenters compared to their colleagues in the USA, Europe, Japan and other countries? In the Philippines, these geniuses did not have the benefit of growing up with a computer in their home. They had no Internet connection and many gathered together to combine their Pesos to huddle around a computer at an Internet Cafe. They had no formal graphic design training. They couldn't afford the more than Php 2,500 for Deke's Adobe Photoshop Bible. They have no contacts at Adobe Systems. They don't have friends who are world authorites to share knowledge.

Where did they get their training and foundations? Quite simply, most of these experts poke around the Internet and read articles and information to help them learn new programs. That's about the only source of training people have here in the Philippines for graphic design applications. And, most people need to practice their talents at Internet Cafes without the luxury of owning a single computer.

When it comes to programming and systems analysis, I find the university classes here, for the selected few who can attend them, to be the same quality training as you find in other countries. But what I don't find here in the Philippines is many classes in graphic design, typography, color management, courses on Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and various multi-media programs. These skills are often picked up by those with a thirst for knowledge and through perseverance.

By comparison, I find the Filipino designers and technicians to be extraordinary. To think that they start with so much less than others in more affluent countries and have attained the same levels of expertise as many world authorities is indeed an extraordinary feat. We have so many brilliant minds here in the Philippines who have achieved so much expert knowledge and I, for one, am totally impressed!

—ted

Where's the Davao Ad Club?

2007-07-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

It was about 3:00AM yesterday when I finished my email responses and started poking around on the Internet. I started searching for Advertising Clubs here in the Philippines. After several hours of searching, I didn't find an Ad Club —even in Manila. Maybe I missed it, but I couldn't find any groups for advertising professionals that hold an award ceremony.

About Ad Clubs

In the USA you'll find the American Advertising Federation(AAF) that includes member organizations throughout the USA and many other countries. Each chapter holds their own ADDY Award ceremony (something like the movie industry's Academy Awards ceremony). Regional winners are then engaged in the international competition for yet another awards ceremony. Then you have the International Advertising Awards sponsored by ad-awards that holds an awards ceremony for television advertising.

Davao City Needs an Ad Club

What we need here in Davao City, and by extension in the Philippines, is a local Advertising Club. An Ad Club gathers interested members together for regular meetings usually held monthly for the professional advancement of advertising professionals. Monthly meetings might include speakers who offer interesting talks on advertising, software applications usage, and marketing advertising services.

ADDY Awards

Each year in January the clubs have a "Call For Entries" for advertising professionals to submit work for the awards competition. Judges are usually members of other clubs outside the region of the club holding the event. Advertising categories include areas in print, Web design, TV, radio, and all related services such as copywriting, printing, etc. Sometime, usually in March, after submissions of artwork and judging the awards night is held where winners of the awards are announced.

The category I like best is the special entries provided by students. All students from all the local schools offering some form of IT, communication, or art courses can compete in the student division. You have an opportunity to see some of the most talented student artwork created within the past year. Student winners are often contacted by advertising agencies for employment after completing the courses of study. For the professional artists who need to hire additional staff, this event can provide you introductions and networking with potential candidates for employment in your studio.

What an Ad Club Can Do for You

What an Ad Club and an ADDY Award ceremony can do for graphic designers is to help you with your own marketing efforts. Your name is officially recognized for winning an award and the evening is held with all entrants' artwork on display. Even if you don't win, your artwork and name are shown in the display where the awards ceremony is held. In addition to the Ad Club members, artists usually invite clients to the awards ceremonies where clients can see all the artwork created within a given city. If you're lucky enough to win, your client is sitting there next to you when your name is announced as a winner. It's a marvelous opportunity to show the best of the best advertising artwork in a given city.

Here in the Philippines I've seen some very impressive artwork from so many talented people. If you agree with me that it's time to let the world know about the Filipino artist in advertising and you have an interest in creating an Ad Club here in Davao City, contact me. I'll help you start a club for Davao graphic design and media artists.

—ted

Marketing Design Services

2007-07-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Recently (June 2007) I was interviewed by Adobe User Group - Philippines . The interview should be posted at the end of July 2007. One of the questions asked by the interviewer was, "What advice would you give to young artists or artists just starting out?" I thought I'd take up a little virtual space in this blog to elaborate on my response to that question for the AUG - Philippines users.

Just to give a little background, I taught graphic design classes over 17 years for the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and several other universities and community colleges in the USA. One question that always popped up with my design students was, "how do I get started?"

My response was always the same. You need to give away your services for free to worthwhile causes. Why? If you're a design porfessional you need to get your name out as frequently and in front of as many people as you can. The more people who see your name and associate your artwork with you, the more likely you are to receive referrals for commissioned work.

The sad reality of working in graphic design today is that the most successful designers are not necessarily the best artists. The most successful are those who are the best marketers. Young design professionals need to continually market oneself to become known and recognized. That means you need to create a lot of design work. If the work isn't coming in on commissioned jobs, you need to dedicate a portion of your time to donated services.

Here in the Philippines, it's very easy to do. There are many charitable groups, church groups, even businesses and educational institutions that don't have budgets for design work. Pick and choose the groups you want to serve and be certain to include two very important stipulations in your services.

First, always be certain that your client knows you will add a credit line on your artwork. This can be on a Web site, printed material, or any type of electronic document you design. Donating the time of your services is of no good if you don't get your name associated with the artwork. If it's a printed piece, be sure to include the printer's company name on the work. If it's a Web site, include the Web hosting service. These companies are also potential referral sources and they'll appreciate you helping out their own marketing efforts.

Secondly, make sure your client signs a document stipulating that you are the owner of the design material and you can freely use the artwork for all your own self-promotion materials. Without restriction, you should have complete freedom to display artwork you created for any client.

If you're a graphic designer and you don't have enough work now, try to squeak out a little time and find a group or organization you can help with some design services. The world of graphic design is open territory. All you have to do to find an organization in need of your services is to look at promotional material they have now or any kind of advertising media they currently use and you can often find some very bad designs. Offer to do a makeover and chances are your potential clients will reward you with some commissioned assignments.

—ted