If you haven’t had a chance to play with this little online program, you might want to put down your mouse and have some fun typing keywords into Worlde.

This little program will automatically generate designer-looking word clouds of any words that you enter. The more your enter a word, the larger it will appear in the grouping. Looking at a group of words together can really convey a message all its own and give you a greater appreciation for the language you employ.

Try your family members names, your mission statement, your favorite poems, quotes, speeches, blog posts, website categories, friends . . . the list of possibilities goes on and on.

Shake it up by letting it randomize the fonts, colors and positioning. Try customizing the settings too for even more control. Perhaps it will inspire you on a design you are working on that needs a little extra push.

This sample is from somethingtocherish.com. Now it’s your turn to worlde: try it out at : wordle.net.

www.functionfox.com/events/Proposals-Contracts-Getting-To-Yes

Here is a fascinating site if you need a little design, illustration or marketing inspiration from the days of olde. See what the hippest styles and products were for any decade for since the late 1800’s and search for terms that might interest you.

www.vintageadbrowser.com

As a designer, you know that there are probably millions of ways to arrange color palettes. Our environment is continually informing us of colors that best represent a slice of our humanity at any particular time. Technology, current events and philosophical beliefs are just some things that move and shape our color trends. Since following color trends is an ever changing, organic and creative process, there will never be one definitive resource on the matter. However, designers and manufacturers must stay on top of these patterns, to incorporate them, to respond to them or at least, just to be aware of them. In my efforts to stay on top of this ever changing and inspiring world of color, I have created a handy color trends toolbar to include quick and easy links to some of my favorite sites on COLOR.

(click to zoom)

As a special gift, I would love to share this very helpful color trend toolbar – “Cherish COLOR”.

• Designed for anyone who researches color and trends along with those who just love color and art
• Especially helpful for manufacturers, licensees and artists
• No risk, completely anonymous, no strings attached
• It works on Windows, Mac and Linux and on all the major browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and finally Safari.

This easy to install tool bar has links to the most popular and useful sites in the areas of:

• Color Trends + Palettes (Sites, Blogs, Google Search, Books)
• Color Mixing (Color Tools, Color Management and Color Software)
• Color Me Fun (+ Games)
• Built in Google search engine
• Internet Radio (Add your favorite stations)
• Note Pad
• Weather
• E-mail Notifier
• Plus customize it by adding many “gadgets” of your choice

Please feel free to contact me with any feedback. You are also free to share this free tool with any design professionals you know would benefit. Enjoy!

You may download the browser toolbar here!

Phatfusion: Java & Flash Slideshow

http://net2.com/nvu/

Podcast Generator – Make your own podcasts
http://podcastgen.sourceforge.net/

Podcast Generator is a free web based podcast publishing script written in PHP: upload media files (audio-video) via a web form along with episode information and automatically create podcast w3c-compliant feed including iTunes specific tags. It also features a comprehensive web administration.

Prepressure covers design techniques, PDF, PostScript, fonts, JDF and numerous other prepress topics that have to do with printed communication.

ANSWER all of your prepress questions here.