Sandys-Great-Graphic-Find Archives

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: typoGenerator

March 25, 2007 by Liz

Create typoPoster with typoGenerator

Permalink: http://www.typogenerator.net/

Target Audience: Anyone – just for fun!

Content: Here’s a generator that creates random graphics just for fun. It searches images.google for backgrounds and images according to the text you enter. And you can manipulate the results and change up the text, images or colors.

This generator was a student project. I’m curious what Katharina is doing now.

Here’s a sample that I made.

Let me know what you create and how you use it.

See you next time!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: CoolText

March 18, 2007 by Liz

Create Logos and Buttons with CoolText Graphics Generator

Great Find: CoolText

Permalink: http://cooltext.com/

Target Audience: Computer users who want to create buttons

Content: Every now and then I need a button. Sure, I have all the programs to create my own, but why spend the time when there are tools out there that can finish the job quickly.

There are a lot of button generators, but this one caught my attention because it worked so well. Recently a few people told me the ‘hire me’ on my site doesn’t look like a link, so it seemed like a good time to try out CoolText. Here’s what I created.

Then check out the logo designs. I’m not crazy about the terminology and would prefer banner, or something more descriptive. But it doesn’t really matter what they call them, there’s a great selection. Remember to save the image files on your computer because they don’t store them.

It took longer to write this post than to create the buttons/banners.

Here are six things I like about CoolText:

You can create an account to save your designs
There’s more than 1200 fonts available
It’s easy to use
You can edit your button until it’s just right
There are several file types to choose from
It’s free!

Click the screenshot to go there.

Let me know how you use CoolText!

See you next time!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: PicMaster

January 28, 2007 by Liz

How Do They Create Those Mosaics?

Great Find: PicMaster

Permalink: http://www.graphics-tools.com/

Target Audience: All Windows users

Content: This week we’re taking a look at a program called PicMaster. There are a number of features this program is known for, but the one I like the best is the mosaic function. I’ve seen those mosaics made with a lot of little photos and wanted to try it. This software makes it easy. Make sure you have a large selection of photos that can be made into thumbnails for the finished piece. Then it’s just a matter of telling the software what you want and waiting a few minutes.

VoilÃÂ¡! A mosaic for your viewing pleasure.

PicMaster is offered as Shareware so you can try it before paying the $29.90 U.S. fee. There are restrictions though, so if you like what this tool offers, you will want to purchase it to eliminate the watermark and realize the full potential of the software.

Here are seven things I like about PicMaster :

Create mosaics.
Remove red-eye with the image editor.
Manage your pictures with the image browser.
Print individual pages to make a huge poster.
Morph images (e.g., a cat into a dog).
Use the filters (preview first) to create neat effects.
Add sound comments to your pictures.

I had fun with this program. Let me know what you think.

Stay tuned… next week we’ll have a graphics tip!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: Pixel Ruler

January 21, 2007 by Liz

Need to measure graphics? Here’s a great tool . . .

Great Find: Pixel Ruler v3.1

Permalink: http://www.mioplanet.com/products/pixelruler/index.htm

Target Audience: All Windows users

Content: This week I want to tell you about a tool I use a lot. It’s a virtual ruler for your desktop that you can use to measure pixels. What are pixels? They are the tiny colored squares that make up a web page. It helps to communicate with others if you speak the same language.

I also worked in the print world, and it’s an adjustment to switch from thinking about inches to measuring in pixels. So I looked for help. There’s plenty of tools out there, but this one works great, the price is right, and it’s simple. Click the screen shot to take you there.

Here are three things I like about Pixel Ruler:

It’s handy for reading large tables and spreadsheets.
You can change the color of the skin.
It’s free.

The next time someone asks you the size of a banner or graphic, use a ruler that floats on your screen. Keep a shortcut to Pixel Ruler handy so you can open it quickly. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Stay tuned… next week is another tool that’s free!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: FavIcon from Pics

January 14, 2007 by Liz

Sometimes It’s the Little Things That Get Noticed . . .

Great Find: FavIcon from Pics

Permalink: http://www.chami.com/html-kit/services/favicon/

Target Audience: All computer users

Content: You’ve probably noticed those small graphic symbols next to the URL in the address bar of your browser or in your bookmarks. Maybe you wondered how they did that. The symbols are called favicons. What’s that?

Favicon is short for favorite icon, and sometimes you will see it referred to as a bookmark icon. The file is very small (16×16 pixels and 16 colors) and is saved with the name favicon.ico.

You can convert your logo or picture with special tools. There are several to choose from, and the one we’ll talk about today is Favicon from Pics. This tool creates still or animated favicons from your images.

Simply browse to select the file on your computer (it must be a *.gif, *.jpg, *.png, *.ico or *.bmp) and click the GenerateFavicon.ico button. Then you have a choice to Download Favicon or Test in Browser.

How slick is that?

Three things I like about FavIcon from Pics are:

It’s easy to use.
It’s free.
It’s web based, so there’s nothing to download except your finished file.

Depending on which blogging software you use, the instructions for uploading your file vary. Check the help section for instructions.

Stay tuned… next week is another tool that’s free!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: SnagIt

January 6, 2007 by Liz

There’s more to SnagIt than capturing screen shots and editing visual elements . . .

Great Find: SnagIt

Permalink: http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.asp

Target Audience: All computer users

Content: This week I want to tell you about a tool that’s earned a permanent home on my PC. For everyday use, I always turn to SnagIt from TechSmith. It’s fast and easy-to-use for screen captures and editing visual elements, and it has more power than you might expect for $39.95. The development team is supportive and always looking for ways to improve the product.

Here are eight ways I use SnagIt:

Capture graphics of my screen when collaborating with others
Convert file formats (e.g., .jpg to .gif)
Capture all the image files from a specified URL
Capture a rolling screen
Select options like borders or resolution before making the capture so my images are consistent
Edit photos in batches to save time
Use paint tools to add arrows, text, etc.
Making a collage

There is a capture timer feature that allows you to take screen shots at predefined times. (I’m trying that next!) They offer a Tip of the Day, tutorials, and lots of help screens. Try the 30-day free trialtoday!

SnagIt is a tool I have come to rely on and I wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you think!

Stay tuned… next week is a tool that’s free!

–Sandy, Purple Wren