Graphics Unleashed

BlueScreenView Helps Diagnose the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

2009-11-07T01:00:00.001-07:00

I've been fairly lucky with most of my computers over the past five years. Rarely have I seen the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). For those not familiar with this name, it shows when Windows had a very serious problem. The name comes because the screen is blue with a lot of unintelligible white text. At least normal humans don't understand it.

Unfortunately I've seen 10-15 blue screens of death with my new computer. Some would say it has something to do with running Windows 7. I don't think the fault is truly with Windows 7. Typically the BSOD is caused by a bad driver or something else really low level such an anti-virus utilities. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the problem based solely on the information on the blue screen.

That leads me to NirSoft BlueScreenView (free download at very bottom of the page). It can read the "dump" files created when you get a BSOD error. Admittedly you still have some pretty technical information to decipher, but it is a lot more helpful than the blue screen itself. Since installing BlueScreenView over a week ago, I've only had one BSOD and I think I've solved the problem. My best guess is that it was a combination of a bad driver that has since been updated and a bad desktop gadget that I no longer use.

While the process was a bit frustrating, BlueScreenView definitely gave me enough details that I could hunt down the problem. I think some of the issue was that drivers for Windows 7 were really new and that will resolve itself quickly now that large number of users are moving to Windows 7. If you are getting the dreaded BSOD, get a copy of BlueScreenView and start diagnosing.

Origami Font

2009-11-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated with some of the things created with Origami. Today's font shares a name with the ancient method of folding paper into unique shapes, but doesn't really have anything to do with origami. The characters all do have various lines at 45 degree angles and something that looks like a fold mark, but that is about the only connection. I just think it looks cool and would be perfect for headlines on the right project.

The Many Flavors of EPS Files

2009-11-05T01:00:00.029-07:00

We'll start out today with some tips on working with EPS files and then I'm asking for your help in answering a user's question. The first thing you need to understand about EPS files is that they were never meant to be edited. Read that sentence again. This means if you are able to edit an EPS file, you should consider it a bonus. Many EPS files will flat out fail when you try to edit them. This is not the fault of CorelDRAW, but rather that EPS files were never meant to be edited. Corel has done a good job of allowing us to edit many EPS files and we should be thankful for that.

The next thing to understand is that there are numerous flavors of EPS files. For many years, Adobe Illustrator files were a flavor of EPS. Those files will most likely import into CorelDRAW just fine though effects like gradient fills will be made up of numerous strips. Probably the worst thing I hear from users is when they export a file from CorelDRAW to EPS and then immediately try to re-import the EPS file to test it. Folks, you aren't testing anything! The file could import into CorelDRAW just fine and fail on the other end. Or it could fail to import and work just fine on the other end. If someone is blindly asking for an EPS file, you should ask them how they are planning to use the EPS file. Do they expect it to be editable? If so, you should probably export to a different format like Adobe Illustrator. Are they simply placing the file and printing it? EPS and/or PDF are probably the right choice in this situation but re-importing them won't prove anything to you.

For those who often work with suppliers requesting data, you should really get to know the file formats in depth so that you can supply functional artwork. You also need to fully understand the process on their end since many file formats come in a wide variety of flavors.

A user posted a very interesting question in the Graphics Unleashed Discussion Forums this week. A common type of graphic in the world of screen printing is a football or basketball complete with the texture of the ball. The person asking the question isn't sure how to successfully re-create the texture using spot colors and would love to hear suggestions. With all the screen printers reading this blog, I'm sure there is someone who can help. While visiting the forums, don't hesitate to post your own questions.

Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter

2009-11-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

These days it is pretty common that a new laptop will contain some sort of wireless adapter. Yet that doesn't mean that it supports the latest technology. What about connecting your desktop computer via wireless? In any of those situations, it is a good idea to have a wireless adapter that connects via USB.

Both of the situations ring true for me. My laptop doesn't support 802.11n and it doesn't work very well if it is more than 50 feet from a router. I also have a desktop computer that isn't near an Ethernet port. That led me to a search for USB wireless adapters and I think I found a great mix of a powerful component at a very reasonable price in the Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter. The "RM" in the name stands for refurbished which helps to keep the price down to only $24.99. At that price, I didn't hesitate to get one for both my laptop and desktop. It also could be handy if you have a guest in your office (or your home) who needs to connect to your wireless network. One of my friends always keeps a USB wireless adapter handy for guests in his home.

The Evils of Using JPEG Files

2009-11-03T01:00:00.010-07:00

Not a day goes by without seeing a situation where someone has used a JPEG file in a situation where another format should have been used instead. Today's tutorial, The Evils of Using JPEG Files, goes over many of the reasons why you shouldn't use JPG files. Even if you feel you understand JPEG files, I encourage you to read this tutorial at least once. Yes, JPEG files have their place and I use them regularly. The key is knowing when JPEG is the right choice and when it should be avoided.

Noisia Applications Color Spectrum Pro

2009-11-02T01:00:00.010-07:00

When you are printing something for a client, it can sometimes be tough to match the exact color they desire. Even if you select a specific set of CMYK values or a Pantone color, the output may not be the color wanted by your client. That's where Noisia Applications Color Spectrum Pro will come to the rescue.

Select the color you are trying to match and this macro will generate a series of color swatches near the selected color. If the original color doesn't match, the idea is that one of the nearby colors may do the trick. For those who need an exact color, this macro could be a job saver.

2010 Calendars

2009-11-01T01:00:00.006-07:00

As we get closer to the end of 2009, it becomes more important to get a calendar for 2010. The folks at Xerox have put together some nice 2010 calendars in PDF format that you can download. While you might be able to import the PDF into CorelDRAW for editing, be very careful about how you use the calendars so as not to violate any copyrights. If nothing else, use the calendars to inspire you to create a unique calendar for your customers.

Bart's Stuff Test

2009-10-31T01:00:00.042-07:00

I can pretty much guarantee that the name of this utility gives you very little information about what it does. Even the page where you download it doesn't say much about it, not even the name of what you are downloading. Bart's Stuff Test allows you to test the read and write speed of your hard disks. It is a free utility.

When I built new new computer, I used two different types of hard drives. One was an SSD drive and the other was a traditional mechanical drive. The SSD drive is supposed to be much faster then the mechanical drive and the only way to find out was to run some speed tests. That's where Bart's Stuff Test came into play. Below are my results.

SSD Drive (Patriot Torqx 2.5-Inch 128 GB Sata II)
Average Sequential Write for 66.5 GB: 116.9 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 147.4 MB/s
Average Sequential Read for 66.5 GB: 200.1 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 205.6 MB/s

Mechanical Drive (Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB Sata 32 MB Cache)
Average Sequential Write for 53.4 GB: 112.8 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 116.5 MB/s
Average Sequential Read for 53.4 GB: 113.1 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 115.8 MB/s

Clearly the SSD was faster in all tests. When writing data, the difference was fairly small. But reading data it was significantly faster. Go ahead and test your drives and see how they compare and then post your results as a comment.

Thriller Font

2009-10-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Just one more day until little goblins and ghouls wander around looking for candy. It is also the week when Michael Jackson's This Is It soundtrack and movie are being released. So it seemed only appropriate to highlight the Thriller font today. Maybe this font will get you and the other zombies in the office dancing. Or maybe you'll just get more designs done.

Outlines That Don't Inflate the Border Size

2009-10-29T01:00:00.006-07:00

A CorelDRAW user recently asked me if there was a way to create a box of an exact size with an outline on it. The most common usage of this would be to create a border around an ad. Remember that half of the outline is inside the shape and half is outside. So even if you draw a rectangle of the exact size, the outline will make it larger than what is allowed.

There is a simple answer for this, though it will take a couple of extra steps to create. Start by drawing a rectangle at the exact size you need. Now use the Contour effect to create a contour line inside of the original rectangle by the amount you want for the thickness of the border. Break apart the two objects making up the contour. Combine those two objects together. Fill the combined border with the color of your choice and remove the outline. Voila, you have a rectangle of the exact size you need with a border the exact thickness you desire.

ATI Radeon HD 5870

2009-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

There is a new speed king when it comes to video cards. Even better, the speed comes at a lower price. There are a variety of cards based on the ATI Radeon HD 5870 and all sport the same price of $399. Of those posting comments, the only negative seems to be the large size of the card at 11.5 inches long. So if you are going to get one, make sure you have room in your computer for it.

My preference in video cards has always been to get one from nVidia simply because their drivers have always had a "better reputation" than those of ATI. Of course this is all very subjective so I can't make a personal judgment since I've not used an ATI card. If you are in the market for a new card, look at what is available and see what works best for you. Definitely this is a card that should be on your short list.

Two Ways to Create a Split Front Design

2009-10-27T01:00:00.001-07:00

In only a few days the World Series will start. The New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies. Many of you probably have had to design artwork for the front of baseball jerseys that requires a split front. For those who aren't familiar, a split front has to have a small amount of overlap where the jersey buttons.

Today's tutorial will show you two different ways to create a split front in CorelDRAW. While this tutorial is several years old, the techniques still work great today. Give it a try and you'll have artwork ready for a jersey in no time.

Save Old Version

2009-10-26T01:00:00.002-07:00

If you have multiple versions of CorelDRAW installed in your office or you have clients with older versions, it may be handy to automatically save your files to an older version. The Save Old Version macro will do exactly that and it is free.

Now I'm going to caution you about using this macro unless you know the downsides. No, the macro doesn't do anything wrong. The problem is not having a copy of the file saved in the current version. With each new version of CorelDRAW, the file format changes and features are added. When you save backwards, you are permanently losing those new features. Yesterday I had a user ask me about this macro and his office is a mix between CorelDRAW X4 and CorelDRAW 10. If all files were automatically saved backwards to v10, all of the features added in the last four versions are lost. My suggestion was to save the file in CorelDRAW X4 and then save a second copy (under a separate file name) to v10 using Save As. This isn't as efficient as using this macro, but could save you from potential disaster if too much is lost by saving backwards.

Vector Smiley Pack

2009-10-25T01:00:00.009-07:00

It seems that every where you turn in software, there are smileys. I thought it might be nice to have some cool vector smileys to use in various projects and so I went searching around the Web. The search led to some really nice vector smileys in the Vector Smiley Pack. The files are supplied as Adobe Illustrator files so you may have to do a little editing after importing into CorelDRAW to get them to look the same. You should only have to edit the transparency ellipse used on each icon to provide highlights. Don't worry, I'll send this file to the appropriate folks at Corel in hopes that they can make it import better in future versions.

Xinorbis

2009-10-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

How cluttered is the hard drive on your computer? Even on a new machine it doesn't take very long for the gunk to build up. Yet often you have no idea what exactly is taking up all the space. That's where Xinorbis can help out. Allow it to scan your hard drive and you will get a wealth of data about what it found. Find out the size of the folders, what types of files take up the most space, the age of those files and much more. The program is completely free, but a small donation to the developer is encouraged. Give it a try and maybe you'll be able to do a little bit of hard disk cleanup.

Sinister Fonts

2009-10-23T01:00:00.003-07:00

Last week I directed you to a dingbat full of skulls to use for Halloween themed graphics. Today I'm going to continue that trend by telling you about a site loaded with some really sinister fonts that are perfect for the holiday. The Sinister Fonts Web site contains a number of free ghoulish fonts, wallpapers and even a few desktop themes sure to get you in the mood for Halloween.

New Reviews and New Deals

2009-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit of a mixed bag of information. I decided to put it all in a single post rather than having two separate posts. Hopefully you'll find all of the information useful.

Those of you who have been reading the content on Graphics Unleashed will remember a very prolific reviewer by the name of Kurt von Behrmann. He has been busy the last few years building his career as an artist and hadn't had the time to write any new reviews...until now. We have two new reviews from Kurt. The first is on the just released Windows 7 and the other is on Act 2010. If you have been considering either one, give the reviews a read to get Kurt's thoughts.

Today there was also a new CorelDeal Alert released with limited time offers on CorelDRAW, Corel Painter, Corel DESIGNER, a two for one deal with Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 and VideoStudio Pro X2 and more. These deals all expire on October 31, 2009 so make sure to take advantage of them now. Read the CorelDeal Alert for all the details!

Move It While Drawing

2009-10-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Does that title mean anything to you? I bet not. It is probably pretty confusing. What I'm talking about it moving an object while drawing it in CorelDRAW. There is one huge gotcha with this feature. You have to be using a mouse. I can't get it to work at all when using a tablet.

Let's start with the rectangle tool. Click and drag to draw a rectangle. Before you let go of the left mouse button, press down the right mouse button. While you have both held down, move the rectangle wherever you want it to go. Now try it with an ellipse or a polygon or some other shape. Pretty cool isn't it?

Amazing Deals for Windows 7 Release

2009-10-21T01:00:00.022-07:00

Last Saturday I told you my thoughts on Windows 7. The release is less than 24 hours away. As a way to capitalize on the release of Windows 7, Corel decided to have an incredible sale on two of their latest products. They didn't plan on this coupon getting out to a wide audience, but I won't tell if you won't. If you use the provided coupon code, you'll get 70% off these products.

Save 70% on downloads of WinDVD Pro 2010 with coupon code P843951. After applying the coupon, it is only $30!

Save 70% on downloads of Corel Digital Studio 2010 with coupon code P843951. That's right, only $30 after applying the coupon!

Remember, this only applies to the downloadable versions of these products. The folks who told me about this coupon also said that it only works for users buying through Corel's US and Canada estores. The coupon expires on October 31, 2009 so take advantage of this while you can.

How to Make a Hi-Tech Interface Using CorelDRAW

2009-10-20T01:00:00.001-07:00

Maybe you need a cool looking interface for a Web design project or maybe you just want it to include in a design to be printed. No matter what reason you have, Jeff Harrison has a great tutorial for showing you how to do it. How to Make a Hi-Tech Interface in CorelDRAW will show users of CorelDRAW 9-X4 a number of cool features and techniques for achieving the interface of their dreams. Of course that also includes tips for getting it done quickly. Jeff has also thrown in a copy of the CorelDRAW file for the interface and some background textures that may come in handy when creating your own interface.

wOxxOm Patch CorelDRAW X3/X4

2009-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you simply look at the name of this tool, you'll likely think it is a service pack for CorelDRAW. I've already suggested to the folks at MacroMonster that it should be renamed to TweakCDR as this is a tool that makes it easy to change some defaults in CorelDRAW by modifying the Windows registry for you.

wOxxOm Patch CorelDRAW X3/X4 gives you a number of functions. For example, you can change the size and color of nodes. Or maybe you want to disable the reading and saving of color styles. How about changing the size of the Navigator window. These are just a few of the many settings that can easily be changed. Best of all, you can download it for free.

Komodo Vector Leaves

2009-10-18T01:00:00.001-07:00

The folks at Komodo Media have put together some files with vector leaves that look really cool. Now here's the problem, you can't get the full benefit of them in CorelDRAW. The original files are saved in Adobe Fireworks format. While it has the PNG extension, you won't be able to use the vector data with CorelDRAW. A second file includes the leaves in Adobe Illustrator format which you should be able to use in CorelDRAW. The only downside there is that you lose the gradients found in the Fireworks files. So check out the leaves for yourself and see if you can recolor them in CorelDRAW to get something even better than the originals.

Windows 7 Less Than a Week Away

2009-10-17T01:00:00.088-07:00

Every few years a new version of Windows appears and we have to decide if there is a good reason to make the jump from the current version we are using. As I need to document software, I need to at least have one computer on the current version of Windows just in case things work a little differently.

I told you a little while back that I was building a new computer. The computer is now built and most all of my software and data has been transferred to the new machine. In fact, this is the first blog post I've created from this machine. Since I've installed Windows 7 Ultimate on this machine, I wanted to give you my thoughts on the Windows 7 experience so far and give you links to purchase the full/upgrade version of your choice if you were ready to make the jump.

There are numerous flavors of Windows 7, but only three of them will apply to most users. Home Premium is for users who may connect to a network, but don't have the need to connect to a corporate network or domain. It has all of the fancy multimedia stuff. Professional is for users who are in a corporate setting and it adds the networking components needed in that environment. Of course it also includes everything from Home Premium. Ultimate includes everything in the other versions and adds even more features, though I can't really name any feature that is particularly useful. At least not for me.

So why did I go with Ultimate if I can't tell you any good features in it? Quite simply because we at Unleashed Productions, Inc. are in a Microsoft Partner Program that provided us with one license of Ultimate. There is also a decision whether you want to install a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 7. In short, a 32-bit version can use no more than 3 GB of RAM but it provides the most compatibility with your existing hardware and software. The 64-bit version can use a lot more RAM (the limit far exceeds the amount you could install in a PC today), but you may not find drivers for all of your devices. I installed 12 GB of RAM on this machine so I went the 64-bit route. Before doing that, I researched online to make sure there were drivers for all of my devices.

The first question anyone asks is whether it is fast. Any operating system seems fast when newly installed, especially on a machine loaded with the latest hardware and lots of it. The one thing that has really impressed me so far is the boot time. I can do a complete reboot in less than a minute. On my old Windows XP computer, anything less than 10 minutes was pretty impressive. For that reason alone, the speed seems pretty good so far.

What about my software? So far I've had no problem installing any software. Even crusty old programs like Corel Ventura 10 have installed without a problem. Of course I did have to follow some specific steps to get Ventura installed. At this point I don't foresee any problems at all with software compatibility.

The hardware has been a little bit tougher. All of the components in the new computer worked flawlessly. I did get an error from Windows Update that it was unable to update the driver for the nVidia video card. This was quickly solved by downloading the latest driver from the nVidia Web site. I also had a glitch with the Sound Blaster sound card, but it turned out to be a hardware problem and is in the process of being replaced. Other than the wait, the replacement process was quite easy. The biggest problem was getting my Xerox Phaser 8550DP printer to print correctly. The driver supplied with Windows would always print pages 2-up on a printed page. After a lengthy discussion with a Xerox support rep, it was suggested that I install the Windows Vista driver instead. I did that and everything works great now.

Once you get past the main software and hardware issues, then you have to adjust to any changes in the operating system itself. It is easy for me to list the things I don't like and I'm guessing it will take longer to put together the list of things that I do like. When you jump in with both feet, the problems always get solved first and then you find the cool new stuff. Therefore I will mostly tell you about stuff I didn't like. There is a feature called "Snap" where the Windows on your desktop will automatically snap to the edges of your screen. I liked that. Unfortunately if you tried to move a window, it always wanted to maximize it. I hated that. You can't have it both ways so I turned it off. Being able to drag windows where I like was much more important.

In both Windows XP and Windows Vista, I set the Start menu to the "Classic" look. Old habits just die hard with me. With Windows 7, there is no classic look available so I'll find have to change. I've already customized the Start menu to be much larger than the default of 10 items. I've changed it to 20 and will probably make it larger. Why? Because I install a lot of software and I don't want to constantly scroll to find the program I want. A thumbs down for limiting the Start menu so much, but a big thumbs up that it is so customizable. This means I can get it to where I like it, though it will take a little time to get it just right.

Anyone who used Vista got sick of the pop-ups constantly asking for permission. They still exist, but there are not nearly as many as in Vista. Given that I have been installing a lot of software, I've seen quite a few. But they only seem to appear when I am installing things. Once the computer is set up, I really don't think I'll see them that often. For this, a huge thumbs up.

One of my favorite utilities is Yahoo Widgets. Since Windows Vista and Windows 7 have their own Windows Gadgets, I decided to see if I could find the gadgets I wanted so that I could migrate from Yahoo Widgets. So far, so good. The weather widget looks different, but I like all of the information it provides. The stock ticker orders stock by performance rather than alphabetically. It is an adjustment, but I kind of like it. The standard clock is boring, but I'm sure I can find a good replacement soon. I've even found a few gadgets for things that no longer were available with Yahoo Widgets. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the gadgets I've loaded so far and I don't think I'll need Yahoo Widgets in the future. Big thumbs up.

The part of the upgrade that isn't readily seen are some of the performance and security tweaks. Given that Windows XP was released in 2002, it is about time that users at least think of moving to a newer operating system. The more times that passes, the more likely that XP support will slowly fade away. For those that really need it, the Professional and Ultimate flavors of Windows 7 include a Windows XP virtual machine. That way if you just gotta have it to run some software, you can easily do it.

Overall I'm pretty happy with Windows 7. Sure there are adjustments I'll need to make to the way I work. In the short term it may take me a little bit longer to get things done. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that eventually I'll be working faster once I adjust to the changes. If you are happily using XP on a computer now, I wouldn't suggest updating that computer. Wait until you buy a new computer. While you can legally upgrade from XP to Windows 7, it requires you reinstall Windows and all of your software from scratch. Not a bad idea, but it is more complicated than a simple upgrade. Maybe it is time for you to start shopping for a new computer now. Users with Vista may want to seriously consider an upgrade. The things you probably dislike the most in Vista will undoubtedly be improved. Of course you probably want to know about how CorelDRAW works on Windows 7. I've installed both CorelDRAW X3 and X4 and both of them work quite well. I've yet to find any CorelDRAW problem that is caused by Windows 7.

Below are links to both the full and upgrade versions of Windows 7 at Amazon.com. If you are going to purchase a copy, I sure would appreciate if you use the links provided as we'll receive a small commission from each purchase. Don't worry, you'll still get the lowest price Amazon offers. Remember the official release date is October 22, 2009 so your order won't ship until then.

If you are already using Windows 7, post a comment and tell everyone what you think about it so far!

Skullz Halloween Font

2009-10-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

We are now halfway through October and that means Halloween is getting closer. Or maybe it is Dia de los Muertos that you celebrate. Regardless, I found the perfect font for the occasion. Skullz is a dingbat font full of various skull graphics, many with crossbones. Of course the best of the bunch has to be the skull in the top hat.

Duplicate Offset

2009-10-15T01:00:00.001-07:00

In the last week I've had several users ask me about modifying the duplicate offset value in CorelDRAW. In every case the desire was to change the offset to zero. So this tip is very short and sweet. You don't need to change the duplicate offset value at all. Simply press the + key on the numeric keypad. It always makes a duplicate with an offset of zero.