DM 1

Cabrillo
College
Library

 

 

 

 

How to Get to this Page on the Internet

  1. Be on the Cabrillo College Library homepage (libwww.cabrillo.edu)
  2. Click on Internet Links
  3. Scroll down and click on Digital Media
  4. Scroll down to Course-Related Materials, and click on DM 1

 Finding Answers Online 

Lots of ways & places to find dtp information. Three main ways:
1. Use a "mega-site" -- Some websites are goldmines covering nearly any aspect of dtp:
Adobe -- The Mothership company has something for everyone: software support, tutorials, scanning tips, industry information, and lots more (now including Macromedia products)
Desktop Publishing -- From About.com, covering career and production tips, typography, software information, and much more
The Study of Design -- Not so much a mega-site but a good collection of design information & links (click on Directory link)

One caveat, however: these websites get redesigned very, very often, so you frequently find yourself having to learn a completely new site.

2. Use a search engine -- Search engines like Google are often your best bet for finding tech tips. Try searching on targeted terms, e.g. beginning photoshop tutorials, or scanning resolution, etc. The more focused your search terms, the more applicable the results. Also, try looking in subsets of the search engines: newsgroups, images, etc.

3. Combination techniques -- You can combine the above techniques, for extremely focused results, or to find a page you can't find after a website has been redesigned.

  • In Google or Yahoo Search, try:
    • tutorials photoshop site:www.adobe.com
    • scanning tips site:about.com
    • dm 1 site:cabrillo.edu

 

 

 

 Finding Typography and Font Information 
 
You can find thousands of type-related websites on the Internet. A few good places:
 
Typography Websites
FontSite -- Look in Archives for "Rules of Typography" and much more
Type Resources (from Adobe) -- Glossary, tips, & other useful information
FontSeek -- Amazing searchable collection of over 55,000 fonts, both free and commercial

When you don't have a specific website to go to, Web directories are often your best starting point. Directories provide categorized access to small-ish portions of the Internet, and are an easy way to find information when you know exactly what you're looking for.
Google Web Directory
  • Start at Google's main page (www.google.com)
  • Click on the more>> link, then click on the even more>> link
  • Click on the Directory icon
  • From the top-level category list, click on Computers
  • Click on the sub-category Fonts
  • Explore the narrower & related categories listed
  • Note: for a targeted search, enter a search term and mark Search Only In Fonts
A Few Pointers on Downloading Fonts
  • Do you want TrueType, PostScript, or Open Type?
  • Do you need a Macintosh version, or a PC version?
  • On a Mac:
    • Click on any "download" link; save files to Desktop
    • Unstuff the file & put loose fonts in your User Library Fonts folder
  • On a PC:
    • Click on any "download" link and choose Save File
    • Unzip the file, then go to Start - Settings - Control Panel - Fonts, then click on File menu, select Install New Font, and find your downloaded fonts

 Finding Images & Using Search Tools  
Search engines are powerful automated portals into much larger subsets of the Internet. Each search engine provides its own collection of searching tools and techniques.  

Google Search Engine
  • Start at Google's main page (www.google.com)
  • Type your search terms in the dialog box
  • Click on the Search button
  • Search tips:
    • Google requires that all of your terms be present
    • Word truncation is not available -- singular and plural forms of words must be searched separately
    • Put multi-word phrases in quotes, e.g., "coca cola," "green frog," etc.
  • Now click on the grey tab that says Images

A few points about saving images

  • Is this for educational use, or commercial/public use?
  • Do you need permission from the owner to use the image?
  • Remember to save images in their original format! You can change them later in Photoshop.
  • On a Mac:
    • Put cursor over image and hold mouse button down
    • From the resulting menu, click on Save Image As
  • On a PC:
    • Put cursor over image and click the right mouse button
    • From the resulting menu, click on Save Image As
 Finding Jobs & Industry Information 

Graphic design is one of the hottest occupations going right now, and not just because it's fun. Lots of companies are hiring graphic designers, both as employees and as freelance contractors. Here are a few places to find information on this job market:

Aquent -- Talent agency providing career tips, salary guides, etc.
CraigsList -- Lots of SF Bay Area jobs
FirmList -- "Global guide to web design firms"
HotJobs -- Job search engine, from Yahoo
Occupational Outlook Handbook -- U.S. government guide to thousands of industries

M. Loos, G. Romero; rev. 10/06