The Ink Spot

Matt

1:38 PM

morning

Yisela

hi Matt!

Ryan

hi Matt and Yisela and anyone else that happens to be here now or in the future from now

Matt

hi @Yisela

happy hump day!

I think Vincent's question will be like the comic sans one

Yisela

hahaha

Ryan

@Matt what question?

Matt

1:47 PM

25

Q: What is so good about Helvetica?

For as long as I have known, a majority of designers have been beyond enamoured with Helvetica. While I can see that it's a nice typeface, I really don't understand the hype. Some research into the matter yields some arguments: Helvetica is neutral, well-glyphed (as in: it has lots of glyphs and...

Vincent

hi all

Ryan

Anyone know of a free opensource invoicing application that isn't cloud based?

Vincent

I was inspired by the Comic Sans one, yes :)

Yisela

@Ryan Lauren has a question about that

hang on

Ryan

7

Q: Billing software for freelancers

The billing/invoicing/time-tracking software I use, iBiz, is no longer being supported by its manufacturer. I am a freelancer, so I need software which allows me to: Track time on jobs Track tasks on jobs Automatically fill in a rate for a task (not all tasks are the same hourly rate) Add notes...

software-recommendations business

Yisela

1:52 PM

yes, that one

Ryan

they're not free and many of the answers are cloud based

I really don't feel a company has any place offering cloud based invoicing. I'm not giving some company that much insight into my life

Yisela

that question needs some serious voting, all answers are in 0

there's your niche then, develop an app!

the one I linked is not cloud based, but it's not free and you do need a server

Matt

what about cloud?

Ryan

@Yisela I think anything would need server unless its written in Java/C. If I were to make my own it would still need some sort of backend to save the information.

Yisela

I was thinking that

Vincent

2:05 PM

@Yisela that monster project is amazing :D

Yisela

although having only a single user would make it somehow... easier

@Vincent yes!

gomonsterproject.com

Matt

is that your site?

Yisela

no, just saw it today

Vincent

you'll have to step up a bit on the hat department, Yisela. It was almost to easy to beat you :P

Yisela

haha

I don't want to do things just for the hats

Vincent

2:18 PM

and our incumbent champ isn't even trying :P

Matt

I think Im done until Scott goes nuts

Yisela

Mr Helvetica bomb dropper

:P

Matt

I dont see getting an answer up to 7 votes to beat em.

Vincent

it wasn't on purpose to get hats, honestly.

Matt

@Vincent by far a good question.. if I knew better I think you were sitting on that lol

Vincent

2:18 PM

I was once more frustrated that I don't have the typeface and that it's so expensive. That's what got me wondering.

Yisela

a really good one indeed

Vincent

thx, thx. bows, takes off hat

Yisela

I have fallen inlove with Montserrat and Open Sans, I don't need anything else <3

Vincent

I hear you! Those are two of my faves as well :D

Matt

@JohnB not doing hats this year and keeping your title?

Ryan

2:20 PM

I really like Bariol. Wish it had more weights but it's a really lovely font

Vincent

@Matt thx for the protect. Prevents more 'watch' jokes

@Ryan ah, Arial rounded done right\

Matt

ya I knew it might be an issue

Ryan

oh @Vincent did you see what I came up with for that PHP question?

Yisela

is there a name for a perspective that is "as if you were looking at something on top of a table from the side of the table"? Light slightly frontal and up...

Vincent

@Ryan er... nope?

Yisela

2:24 PM

a bit like this: lh4.ggpht.com/…

Ryan

<?php
$pagename = 'information';
$pagetype = 'information';
$pagetitle = 'Information about Products';

include('information_template.php');
?>

then

Vincent

ah, sounds like a solution

Ryan

<?php include '/partial/' . $pagetype . '-subheader.php'; ?>
<?php include '/partial/' . $pagetype . '-toc.php'; ?>
<?php include '/content/' . $pagename . '.php'; ?>

made a subfolder "content" and make each file with just the body portion in there

Vincent

figured

nice

did the SO nerds approve?

Ryan

no downvotes or upvotes

Vincent

2:30 PM

:/

Ryan

It works though and seems rather nice. I think when I'm done I'll even undo a lot of the "partials" like the header and just put it back in the single template file. Then I can add to each page more variables for meta information. Only thing I'll still need to figure out is a good schema implementation

Matt

wheres your question?

Ryan

1

Q: How to make a PHP template without a database?

I'm working on a small company "brochure" website. I have a few pieces that repeat for example: Menu Submenu Footer Subheader Say a page "comparison.php" needs to have all of the above and then content. I could do which is how I started: <?php include '/partial/menu.php'; ?> <p>This i...

php templates directory-structure

Matt

ya your method is how Ive done some wp stuff

Ryan

I was trying to think about it in terms of how a ROR App or WP App might approach it

Ryan

2:55 PM

its like im punching

Ryan

4:12 PM

@Scott did you ever get around to really trying out the Adobe Stylus? Think its better or worse than a Wacom Bamboo?

JohnB

5:19 PM

@Matt nah, busy time for me

I got a few of the secret ones just cause I think those are fun but otherwise meh

Ryan

veewo.com/games/get10

Scott

6:22 PM

@Ryan Exceptionally better. The Bamboo is just a stick with a soft tip. The Adobe Stylus actually has functions.

Ryan

@Scott Another thing I was looking at was hear some people use tablet as drawing surface with a stylus. Not sure how good that is or not, one article said there's a way to connect the tablet to your computer so you can draw in Illustrator/Photoshop whatever

www.adonit.net has some really good reviews but then I'd have to get iPad instead of droid

Scott

THat kind of defeats the tablet purpose then. I mean I'd get a Cintiq if I wanted to do that.

I've got a Jot stylus.

Adobe's is better

Ryan

Why does it defeat the purpose of a tablet?

Scott

If you are tethered to a computer... why use a tablet?

I think that's just people who dont' want to purchase an Intuos and are trying to make due

Ryan

I don't own a tablet or an intuos. would seem if it works well why not buy a tablet that I can use for all sorts of things, including this.

Scott

6:30 PM

THere's a difference. Most tablets dont' reject palm touching. The Intuos completely ignores your palm. Try drawing while never resting your hand on the paper your drawing on. It's not that easy, at least for me.

I've tried about 30 various styluses for the iPad. The Adobe Stylus is by far the best.

If I couldn't get the Adobe Stylus, I'd use the Wacom Bamboo. But really there's not a great deal of comparison between them since the bamboo is just a stick.

Ryan

ah okay didn't think about it with hand touching. Last time I used a Wacom it didn't have multitouch and wouldn't register hand anyways

Scott

I could not for the life of me use the Jot stylus. The circle thing at the tip just kept getting in the way. But again, just my experience.

My Intuos can turn touch on and off. I actually just keep it off.

Ryan

Now the Adobe Stylus is just for Android/iPad right? You don't use the adobe stylus on your Intuous do you?

Scott

no. The intuos has it's own stylus (which is better). The Adobe Stylus is just for mobile tablets.

Ryan

Alright so if I went with Tablet you'd say to get the Adobe Stylus. But if my primary goal is drawing to get an actual Intuous or eventually get all 3 (Intuous, Tablet, and Adobe Stylus).

I just noticed Adobe is licensing Adonit's technology

Scott

6:44 PM

If you are working on a desktop or laptop, get an Intuos. If you ware working on an iPad or other mobile tablet, get an Adobe Stylus. But if you've never used a mobile tablet, I'd encourage you to just get a $10 stylus at first. It may work for you. Many people like the sticks with soft tips. I just can't draw well with them, I need some sort of pressure reading. You may not need that and could save yourself a couple hundred dollars by starting small first :)

Ryan

Well really my first goal is being able to record writing similar to a Khan Academy video

But I'd use it for sketching logos and layouts and such as well

Scott

Just try a $10 stylus first. Don't go all out with the Adobe Stylus right off.

But don't spend $100 on the Jot. If you're going to spend that much, just get the Adobe Stylus

gotta reboot.......

Ryan

Alright, thanks for the info. Glad you're liking that adobe stylus

Scott

7:25 PM

That was fun. Stupid Apple :)

Ryan

thats a long reboot

Scott

8:03 PM

Had tech issues I thought a reboot would correct. Turns out it didn't. Had to dump the Dock database of all things.

Scott

8:36 PM

Man, trying to explain why spot colors don't look correct unless you use an Adobe product and turn overprint preview on can be an annoyance. "But I want to email this file to people" Well, then you don't want it to be spot color. "But I don't want to have 2 files to use" Well, then you need an RGB file. "But I need to get this printed 3 colors" Well then you can't email it "But I have to email it to people" Well then you need 2 files....... ugh.

Ryan

that's awful, unless you've got a huge budget and plan on printing all sorts of materials there's just not much incentive to even worry about spot color

Scott

It's actually cheaper to print 3 spots at times.

Ryan

You'd have to have multiple objects of different materials in my opinion to make it worth it. Like to make sure the logo on a tradeshow backdrop was identical to the logo on your tshirts

Might be cheaper at times to print, but not to produce and deal with the logistics of it

Scott

Not sure I understand? I find spots much easier to deal with.

They only get complicated when illustrating (which this was)

Had to convert some CMYK AI illustrations to 3 spots. That's where the overprinting cam ein.. and thus the client (a designer) not understanding the limitations.

Ryan

I guess if you're doing something with just spot. You don't find spot colors easier to deal with when included on a larger CMYK though do you?

Say you're printing a CMYK Catalog and one particular logo in the catalog is spot color.

Scott

8:47 PM

depends upon how they are used. Overall, they are pretty easy. Of course, once you enter Photoshop with spot colors, it gets complicated and frustrating. But if you aren't using Phtooshop with spots it's all pretty easy.

I've done a lot of 5 or 6 color jobs. It's pretty simple as long as raster iamges don't need the spot color directly.

Ryan

I guess I haven't had as much control over my projects. The few times I've dealt with spot colors (and it is very few) the main thing was: convert it to CMYK.

This was also in a full size book with hundreds of logos. If even 5% of the logos used some sort of Pantone it would've added up very quickly. Not to mention it was being printed on newsprint

Scott

yeah, that sunds like a nightmare and converting to CMYk makes sense :)

Ryan

it was and if we (and by we I mean I) missed a single spot color it would need to be re-exported / distilled / sent again. Though usually we (I) would catch them at least in the distill process.

I could see it nice for something like business cards, letterhead, vinyl wraps, stuff like that. But guess I've been jaded for a lot of other things. Suppose you could make a 3 color brochure or even 5 color brochure since it's CMYK + Spot Color just for that one company

You'd still have the logistics / understanding though of trying to explain the RGB equivalent for web, and CMYK for when it's going into other publications and such though as you're currently dealing with

Scott

Yeah. Most companies that print 5 or 6 color always print 5 or 6 color or 2/3 color spot only. Many won't just use CMYK. It's either only sport or CMYK + spot.

Ryan

Say Acme Co. prints in 5 color always. What do they do when they advertise in a magazine that's CMYK? Only really high end mags are going to offer advertisers spot colors

Scott

9:00 PM

Well, then they begrudgingly adjust. But internal items generally stick tot he same standards.

Ryan

and that begrudgingly adjust part is what I mean by logistics and dealing with it. If you have a company and the organization to understand the adjustment and to keep track of it then that's great

But for a small mom and pop type of place you have your logo and expect it to work for everything from web to billboards without ever paying another dime

Scott

Well, that's what designers are for :)

GiantCowFilms

9:53 PM

Whats up!

Ryan

not my morale

GiantCowFilms

@Ryan Why?

You're doing great

Ryan

heh thanks but i'm tired. I really need a vacation

GiantCowFilms

@Ryan That sounds like an idea..... Hmmm I think we can ask the SE staff to give the person with the most hats a trip to some warm place with lots of sand :D

Ryan

If I win I'll take a trip to NYC instead, or Vermont, or somewhere cold.

But its finally 5. I'm off

Take care @GiantCowFilms

GiantCowFilms

10:01 PM

@Ryan :D

good to hear that.

your getting off

I'm not

@Ryan, I found an epic joke to add to my profile: blender.stackexchange.com/users/3127/giantcowfilms

(hint hint, yours looks a touch empty)

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