Printed in the UK Outside the UK and Éire £6 C$19.95COVER ILLUSTRATION: SIMONE LEGNOOCTOBER 2004 £6

9 771360 537024

1 0

CREATE OUR COVERTutorial starts p24

LIP SYNC & AUDIOFLASH

Make your characters’ lips move in time to speech

CUSTOM BRUSHESILLUSTRATOR

Use textures and type to build this vintage poster

NATURAL MEDIAPHOTOSHOP

Create this great effect with water and a printer

How to create stunning characters with sleek curves and clean lines

MASTERCLASS

DRAW PERFECTFIGURES

http://fasthosts.co.uk

HELLO!Welcome to issue 101 of Computer Arts. After last month’s celebrations and the excitement of issue 100, it’s a relief to feast our tired eyes on this month’s soothing cover image, courtesy of Simone Legno. We love the cool, clear lines of his Japanese woodcut-style illo and it really is perfect for our cover tutorial, which reveals the secrets behind drawing the perfect fi gure.

After a short break, Derek Lea is back with part one of a new series that will take a look at how natural media can be used to produce a truly individual look. This month Derek created a water-logged city scene using just a colour printer, a water spray and a little Photoshop know-how.

The Freak makes his debut on our cover disc this month. His well-endowed fi gure was just perfect for our CD tutorial in which Computer Arts resident Jacey takes up the challenge of recreating a revolutionary-style propaganda art poster.

So enjoy this month’s jam-packed issue, and if you didn’t fi nd a golden ticket last month, don’t fret. This month you’re in with a chance of winning one of three pairs of tickets to GraphicEurope.

GILLIAN CARSON SENIOR EDITORgillian.carson@futurenet.co.uk

October 2004 | 3

Ë

EDITORIAL

ILLUSTRATION IN THE MAGSIMONE LEGNOIf you thought Illustrator was all about harsh lines andrigid geometries, think again. Simone’s elegant design, inspired by Japanese woodblocks, reveals just how capable the app is with delicate tones, lines and colours.INFO: www.tokidoki.it

EDITORIAL 01225 442 244GILLIAN CARSON SENIOR EDITORgillian.carson@futurenet.co.ukDOM HALL DEPUTY EDITORdom.hall@futurenet.co.ukRODDY LLEWELLYN SENIOR ART EDITORrichard.llewellyn@futurenet.co.ukVICKY MITCHARD DESIGNERvicky.mitchard@futurenet.co.ukSOPHIE EMBLEY PRODUCTION EDITORsophie.embley@futurenet.co.ukJOSEPH RUSS NEW MEDIA CONTENT EDITOR joseph.russ@futurenet.co.ukMATT GALLIMORE SENIOR CD EDITOR matt.gallimore@futurenet.co.ukJON ALONGI CD EDITORjon.alongi@futurenet.co.ukJEN WAGNER ONLINE EDITOR jennifer.wagner@futurenet.co.uk

CD PROBLEMS 01225 822 743ca.support@futurenet.co.uk

CONTRIBUTIONS FROMJason Arber, Graeme Aymer, Ailin Chambers, Dave Curd, Alistair Dabbs, Hans Deconinck, Mike de la Flor, Craig Grannell, Andy Kay, Chris Kenworthy, Derek Lea, Simone Lego, Ed Ricketts, Chris Schmidt, Mark Sparrow, Jacey.

PHOTOGRAPHY Margo SilverPRINT William GibbonsREPRO Radstock Reproductions Ltd

SUBSCRIPTIONSComputer Arts magazine, Future Publishing,30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW01225 442 244 ISDN 01225 789 293 SUBSCRIPTION QUERIES 0870 444 8455OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS +44 (0) 870 444 8455 EMAIL customerservice@futurenet.co.uk

ADVERTISING 01225 442 244ANDREW BRAIN advertising managerandrew.brain@futurenet.co.ukGEORGE LUCAS senior sales executivegeorge.lucas@futurenet.co.ukJAMES BLAXTER classifi ed sales executivejames.blaxter@futurenet.co.uk

DIGITAL DIVISIONDOM BEAVEN publishing directorKELLEY CORTEN publisherFIONA TULLY marketing managerCLARE TOVEY production managerPAUL MCINTYRE group art editorSARAH WILLIAMS software copyright co-ordinator

PRODUCTION DAVID MATHEWS ad design point of contactKATTY PIGOTT production co-ordinatorMIKE THORNE commercial print buyer

CIRCULATION & LICENSINGRICHARD JEFFERIES circulation managerPETE STOTHARD head of international licensingSIMON WEAR overseas licensing directorComputer Arts has licences in China, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain

UK DISTRIBUTION Marketforce Ltd 020 7633 3300Kings Reach Tower, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LS

THE FUTURE NETWORKROGER PARRY non-executive chairmanGREG INGHAM chief executiveROB PRICE managing director UKJOHN BOWMAN group fi nance directorT: +44 (0)1225 442 244 URL: www.thefuturenetwork.plc.uk

Computer Arts is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations Jan-Dec 2003: 22,888

Computer Arts is the registered trademark of Future Publishing Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All trademarksand copyrights in this issue are recognised, and are

acknowledged where possible. If we have failed to credit your copyright please contact us – we’re happy to correct any oversight. Material submitted is accepted on the basis of a worldwide right to publish in printed or electronic form. All contents © Future Publishing 2004.

Future Publishing is part of The Future Network PLC. The Future Network produces carefully targeted specialist magazines for people who share a passion.

We aim to satisfy that passion by creating titles offering value for money, reliable information, smart buying advice, and which are a pleasure to read. Today we publish more than 90 magazines in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 80 international editions of our magazines are also published in 28 other countries across the world.

The Future Network PLC is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FNET).

CONTACTComputer Arts, Future Publishing, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW PHONE: 01225 442 244 EMAIL: ca.mail.futurenet.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS: 0870 444 8455 OVERSEAS: +44 (0) 870 444 8455

AILIN CHAMBERSAilin’s Flash vampire comes to life (as it were) with the help of pin-sharp lip sync.INFO: www.ailinsart.com

DEREK LEAPhotoshop + H20 = ? Derek reveals all with this stylish fusion of the old and new.INFO: www.dereklea.com

STUDIO OUTPUTStudio Output vividly depicts the challenges of InDesign’s transparency settings.INFO: www.studio-output.com

JACEYAn affectionate Photoshop homage to the bold Soviet propaganda imagery of old.INFO: www.jacey.com

SCOTT HANSENWe love the nonchalant gorilla in Scott’s illo for our A3 colour laser Group Test.INFO: www.iso50.com

ANDY KAYAndy uses Maxon’s Sketch and Toon module to rendera striking C4D “illustration”.INFO: www.andykay.org.uk

DAVE CURDCustomised Illustrator brushes bring warmth and style to a Fifties-style poster.INFO: www.davecurd.com

IdentikalIdentikal’s illo brilliantly captures the idea of both confl ict and reconciliation.INFO: www.identikal.com

CONTENTS

OCTOBER ISSUE 101

TUTORIALS

XANTÉCL30

BROTHERHL-3450CN

OKIC9500DN

REVIEWS

KONICA 7300

P88 GROUP TEST Turns out bigger is better – at least when it comes to these fi ve A3 giants… But which one will prove the most versatile under pressure? Find out with our detailed Group TestXEROX PHASER 7750DN

TUTORIALS FOR 99P Buy Computer Arts tutorials online for just 99p at www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials

4 | October 2004

P78 AMAPI PRO 7 Eovia’s ultra-sophisticated3D modeller now comeswith Dynamic Geometry

P80 IN-A-FLASH 3Create eye-catching Web animations with NetGUI’s entry-level Flash app

P82 FURNACEMovie quality motion blur and footage-steadying plug-ins, courtesy of The Foundry

P83 PAINTSHOP PRO 9Our special preview of this long-anticipated upgrade reveals what’s in store

P84 NEC MONITORNEC-Mitsubishi’s ultra-slim 20.1-inch LCD is one of the sharpest we’ve ever seen

P85 BRAVO IIFancy your very own CD-burning and label-printing device? Well, here it is…

P86 PHOTOCLEAN 2.10Improve your digital images with this one-click solution

P56 ILLUSTRATOR Add a warm, personal touch to yourillos using customised brushes

P64 FLASHDiscover how intelligent lip-synching can add vigour and humour to eventhe simplest of animations

P104 PHOTOSHOP & POSERUse The Freak fi le on our cover CD to create this bold, modern take on an old Russian propaganda poster

P40 PHOTOSHOP CS We go all Tony Hart. Apply real-world water-blurring techniques to your artwork

APRIL ISSUE 97

SUBSCRIBE!

October 2004 | 5

TURN TO PAGE 46Subscribe today and makesure you get an exclusivecollector’s issue delivered straight to your door.

Call our subscription hotline: 0870 444 8455 or visit www.computerarts.co.uk

P24 PERFECTION Rediscover the delight of gentle curves and colours with our modern take on the traditional Japanese woodcut. IllustratorCS provides the tools; you provide the skill and artistry

FEATURES

P72 IT’STHE LAWCopyright: whatis it, how does it work, and whydoes it exist? Legal experts reveal the do’s and don’ts in plain English

IN THIS ISSUE

P64 FLASHUse audio to refi ne your animations and add style to dialogue delivery

P40 NATURAL MEDIALearn how to exploit water effects and give your digital images a grittier, more traditional feel

P56 ILLUSTRATORCreate your own brushes and youcan add old-fashioned personalityto even the simplest of subjects

Fashion your own stylish poster with a Poser model, revitalise your Flash animations with our Motion Graphics Suite, and make use of fi ve great fonts – see CD for details

ON THE CD

P114 CV Two graphic design graduates from the University of Applied Science, Mainz, get the chance to show off their talent

P68 DROP SHADOWSInDesign’s famously fi nicky transparency settings are a law unto themselves. We crack the code so you don’t have to

CA INTERVIEW

P30 TRONIC STUDIOTronic Studio’s Vivian Rosenthal and Jesse Seppi discuss architecture, space, light, and mixing live action with CGI

FREAK KITThis bemuscled Poser model, complete with clothing and props, is ideal for kickstarting your illustration work. Check out how we used him in our CD tutorial, starting on page 104

ANIMOTIONS BUNDLEPoser kit and gear from AniMotions worth £200 – includes Dendras fi lm and photo collection

MOTION GRAPHICS SUITEThese eight AdvanceFlash motion graphic segments, featuring abstract lighting effects and billowing clouds, will add life to your animations

MISPRINTED TYPEEnjoy these fi ve fonts, courtesy of typographical legend Misprinted Type: dirty ego, downcome, nasty, pastelaria and porcelain

EXPOSURE

6 | October 2004

Send your work to Computer Arts and be seen by thousands! EXPOSURE

XEVI SOLERJOB Freelance DesignerCONTACT xevi@vision55.com or www.vision55.comSOFTWARE Photoshop

1,2 & 3 The Mowry Fisher Gang “These pages were hand-drawn using a Pilot DR drawing pen and scanned at 300dpi as a bitmap. The image was then coloured in Photoshop.

Layers are dedicated to foreground and background colour elements and effects, allowing me control over colour balancing and level adjustments for specifi c areas of the image.

I was inspired to do these drawings after watching Steven Lisberger describe the torturous amount of work that went into making Tron! But more specifi cally, I’d cite Robert Crumb and Masamune Shirow – both masters of comic art (but stylistically a million miles apart!) – as prime infl uences.

This is the fi rst time these drawings have been published.”

2

1

October 2004 | 7

EXPOSURE

To fi nd out more about this section, please go to www.computerarts.co.uk/gallery/

ABOUT XEVI SOLERXevi Soler says he’s a “freelance Graphic Designer –but there’s a comic artist trying to get out!” He takes creative inspiration from such greats as Jack Kirby, Stanley Kubrick, Saul Bass, Michael Mann, Ridley Scott and Syd Mead.

Soler studied Illustration and Cell Animation at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art “long before Macs ruled the creative world” and it was here that he developed his individual animation style. “I developed a style of illustration where line art was copied onto acetate and laid over coloured paper. In effect, I was using Photoshop layers before Photoshop even existed,” he says.

Having recently completed a re-branding of a NewsQuest newspaper, Soler is now working on a pet project named The Diamond-Cutter, work partly inspired by Karel Capec’s Rossum’s Universal Robots. The project will mix graphic design and line art in a way not really seen before.

“I am just as comfortable designing a page layout as I am drawing, taking photographs or designing toy robots,” says Solar – a skill he’ll use working on his latest concept, Syboc. For more information visit www.vision55.com/syboc.

3

EXPOSURE

8 | October 2004

CONNIE A. WILSONJOB NVQ Assessor, Distance Learning Tutor and budding IllustratorCONTACT caw@hardcaw-illustration.com or www.hardcaw-illustration.com SOFTWARE Photoshop

1. Untitled 1“This was an experiment. I wanted a subtle collage effect, so I used scanned textures to create more depth to the image and “painted” in Photoshop. I’m inspired by magazine photography and wanted that slick look.”

2. Fly Me to the Moon“I kept singing Fly Me to the Moon in my head (only the fi rst verse), and wanted do an illustration about it, so here it is.”

3. Self-infl icted“For this image I wanted to show that sometimes we create our own problems (paranoia, fear and inner demons). I wanted to achieve a sombre look.”

4. Untitled 2“The woman’s face was taken from Fly Me to the Moon, but I wanted to try out a quick image that could be used on a music CD cover or a fl yer for a gig or party. So I played around with it a bit to get a “funky” look.”

1

3

2

4

GET EXPOSED

EXPOSURE

ADAM DRASJOB Website Designer/IllustratorCONTACT adam@media64.com or www.media64.comSOFTWARE Photoshop, Illustrator

1. Elfa“Based on a stock photograph,I drew this image in Illustrator placing each different shade and colour on a new layer. I then used Photoshop to touch up the illustration with some custombrushes to add grunge textures. The socks took me over two hours to draw!”

2. Maja“This is an illustration of my daughter. With vector work, the fi nal result is always the reward for your time and effort.”

3. Just relaxing“I was inspired to draw this illustration by Computer Arts magazine, as I used a stock photo that was included on the December 2003 cover CD.”

October 2004 | 9

Send your work to us, alongwith an explanation of your techniques and software, the titles of each piece, your Website details and email. Images should be sent as PCor Mac TIFF or JPEG fi les, on CD or Zip disks. A hard copy is a great help. We will endeavour to return all entries that provide an SAE. All contributions are submitted on the basis of a non-exclusive worldwide licence to publish, both in print and electronically. Post hi-res fi les for print to: Exposure, Computer Arts, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW.

2

1

3

10 | October 2004

LETTERS… Write to us at ca.mail@futurenet, or join us online at forum.computerarts.co.uk

ICONIC IDEASI really liked the feature “The Art of Punk” (issue 97) about the work of Jamie Reid. I am a High School computer arts teacher, traditionally trained in traditional art.

However, although the article contained lots of good information, I was surprised that it did not mention anything about Andy Warhol’s Pop Art or the work of Jenny Holzer. Hopefully my copy of Lipstick Traces, a Secret History of the Twentieth Century will fi ll the gaps in my knowledge of how/why Reid developed his art to fulfi l the goals of his clients.Kim D. BachmannTutor, Virginia, USA

We’re glad you enjoyed our feature on Jamie Reid, Kim. The Icon feature is an introduction and overview of one piece of art or design. We have limited space in the magazine and therefore can’t cover as much as we’d like to regarding the infl uences and background of the artist. But we do always point you towards informative “further reading” (which you mention) where you can further feed your interest in the subject if you wish.

PCS IN PUBLISHINGI work as a Graphic Designer for a large Kent-based newspaper group. About 75 per cent of the company use Apple Macs still running OS 9 in order to handle Quark 4.1,while the rest use PCs for admin.

The company has said that it plans to scrap all of its Macs by December and switch to PCs. They also plan to migrate over to InDesign from QuarkXPress. How many other large desktop publishing fi rms are actually using PCs as their maincomputer systems as opposed to the industry-preferred Macintosh platform?Vinesh PallaramKent

Although we can’t fi nd any specifi c published fi gures for the use of PCs versus Macs within the publishing industry, we can talk from our own experiences at Future Publishing. All of our magazines are now produced using Macs and we are

I am a student on the MA Media Arts at the

Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD) at Manchester Metropolitan University. I wondered if you knew if Apple or anyone else ever give away kit or offer sponsorship or bursaries for creative students?

I make experimental animation using footage recorded on a 3CCD camcorder and hand-drawn animation, using Adobe CS and Final Cut Pro.

At the moment I use the University’s computers (Superdrive iMacs with lots of memory) and only have a PC at home. I don’t really trust eBay, as most of the sellers are in the

US, and I’m not sure if I want to spend a small fortune on a second-hand Power Mac if a new eMac will do.

If you have any ideas on leasing, discounts or what system would be most appropriate to my needs I would be very grateful if you could advise me. Andy Sidorczuk

We’d go to the Apple Store for Education (www.apple.com/uk/education) and look at any G5 deals there. On a Wednesday, go to the refurb store at www.apple.com/ukstore (there’s a link from there) and check out the refurb deals. That said, it’s common knowledge that the iMac G5 will be released in September, so it might be worth waiting for that.

STAR LETTER: MY FIRST MAC

BEACH BABE MAGNETOn Sunday I went to the beach armed with issue 99 of Computer Arts to read if I had time. I was reading the magazine and talking with my friends under the sun when we decided to take a dive in the water, leaving the magazine behind on the deck-chair.

After 45 minutes or so, we saw three girls crowded around my deck-chair. They were looking at the magazine with quite an interest!

As I reached the chair one of the girls said, “Sorry, for the invasion, but we saw the magazine and couldn’t resist it. We decided to take a peek.”

“Interesting magazine!” said another. “We thought it was about make-up and girl’s stuff.” Keep up the good work Computer Arts and keep the covers coming!Dimitris BostandasDesigner, Thessalonica, Greece

Thanks Dimitris. We’ve had lots of feedback on issue 99 and it’s great to know that the cover is provoking a reaction across the globe. Even if the reactions are from those who think we are a women’s magazine!

FILM SCHOOL I send my compliments to all the team at Computer Arts. The magazine is so creative and informative and I was so glad to come across Computer Arts Projects in Barcelona for the fi rst time.

I have been searching for this kind of magazine, and when I set my eyes on it at the shop I began to see editing, producing and fi lm-directing dreams come true. Reading this magazine has made me feel as if I am in the fi lm school that I could not afford to attend. Thank you.Efe Osariemen, Student, Barcelona, Spain

As the Star Letter winner, you can choose a day’s training at Space. Co-founded by Bridget Riley, Space is one of the largest visual arts resources in the Capital, and offers a variety of courses ranging from Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, to how to sell your work, tax and self-employment, and marketing strategies for designers. Space also has a large range of high-end equipment including video-editing facilities, technical support staff and exhibition spaces. For more information go to: www.spacestudios.org.uk

PRIZE: free training at Space, London

June 2004 | 13

NEXT ISSUE INDON’T MISS ISSUE 102

LETTERS

GOLDEN TICKET WINNERSCongratulations to Dae Woong Kim, our fi rst 100th issue golden ticket winner (pictured with his winning ticket as requested!). Both he and our second winner, George A. Griffi ths, will receive a full copy of Adobe’s Creative Suite Premium Edition worth a whopping £1115.

We’re yet to hear from the fi nal two ticket winners, so double check your issue just in case!

also undergoing a gradual move over to InDesign.Macs come at price, but they are built to pretty

rigid design specifi cations to support Apple’s core publishing market. Historically, QuarkXPress was released fi rst on the Mac and didn’t make the transition to Windows until version 3. But since QuarkXPress 4, and the emergence of Adobe InDesign, PCs have been more than capable of performing the same function.

So why do we use Macs? Because they’re what we know best, and we can’t help but love them!

T-SHIRT PRINTINGI once read an article in Computer Arts that explained how to design t-shirts using Photoshop.

At the end of the article, it mentioned printing the artwork onto a t-shirt with a screen printer. I have a fair idea of how to screen print the old-fashioned way, and I’ve read that there are electronic printers that can do the same.

Could you please provide me with the names of a few companies that manufacture the appropriate screen printing devices?Brian Hunger

Unless you have loads of money to spend, screen printing is not fi nancially viable for most people. A more economical option is to look at digital transfer printing; this can be done by your local printers or by using digital transfer paper, which can be bought from any large computer store.

Digital transfer printing works by using a normal inkjet printer to print onto a vinyl surface that can be transferred to fabric with the application of heat. These can be printed on home inkjet printers, but don’t have the crisp, clear quality of screen prints and can deteriorate with repeated washing.

FULL SOFTWAREworth £269!

ON THE CD...

ON SALE FRIDAY 1 OCTOBER

FULL SOFTWARE

AMAPI PRO 6Get your hands on this amazing pro 3D modelling tool

All contents are subject to change.

Create an impressive range of stunning effects with our expert tutorials

PHOTOSHOP TIPS & TRICKS

ILLU

STR

ATIO

N :

IDEN

TIK

AL

OpenType fightMAIN STORY

Font foundries fi nally throw their weight behind Adobe and Microsoft’s OpenType format

FIND OUT MORE AT www.computerarts.co.uk

12 | October 2004

The great font wars of the 90s saw Adobe and Microsoft fi ght a public battle over the future of their respective

PostScript Type 1 and TrueType font formats. But the companies eventually saw sense and jointly developed the OpenType format towards the end of the decade – the industry’s fi rst single font fi le to work on both Mac and Windows platforms.

Until now, the move to adapt that technology among design companies and font foundries has been slow. But this is about to change. Adobe has announced that some of the world’s biggest font foundries such as Bitstream, Émigré and the Font Bureau now support OpenType. The move has been seen as a sign that at last a wider adoption of the standard is picking up.

Bruno Steinert, Managing Director of German font house Linotype Library GmbH says: “OpenType is simple for our customers to use. Notorious cross-platform compatibility issues are now history.”

In the UK, Edward Detyna, founder of the Electronic Font Foundry, says his company will start to support OpenType before the end of the year because his customers are asking for it. He also says the

higher level of multi-language and cross-European projects are another factor behind increased demand. But Detyna admits that the move was complex and costly – that’s why many in the industry are dragging their heels over adoption.

Although he plays down the concern over adoption costs, Adobe’s UK Business Development Manager Chris Kitchener describes the gathering support for OpenType as “highly signifi cant”. He acknowledges that the move towards wider adoption of the standard was a “slow process” but that it’s gathering pace.

“Its an evolving process and it will take time [for the industry] to accept the format, but we are really on the cusp of this happening now,” he says.

For Kitchener, OpenType is all about putting fonts on centre stage. “OpenType is a revolution because typography had been a dying art. With this new format, all of a sudden everything is possible – companies are creating new fonts and the whole thing is opening up. Even small design fi rms that would not have worried about typography are getting involved again.” INFO www.adobe.co.uk/type/opentype/main.html

WEBSITESThe Box Doodle ProjectURL: www.neu-e.deA fascinating site on which designers demonstrate their skills through back-of-fag-box doodles. “The rules are simple,” says site co-ordinator David Hofmann, “rearrange a box to make any kind of fi gure or object. Make the most of least.” Indeed.

Graphic QuarterURL: www.graphicquarter.com This slick online portfolio features some amazing Flash animation and graphic work from designer Gareth Crook, showcasing work from short fi lms and photography to full 3D animations. Intriguing.

DuudlesURL: www.duudle.dkYou’ll fi nd more online doodling from Denmark at Sune Ehlers’ intriguing site/blog. Soon to be turned into a cool-looking book in collaboration with the UK’s Jon Burgerman, we think it’s potty, but well worth a look.

Low MoraleURL: www.lowmorale.co.ukFlash fi lm from Web design group Monkeehub describing, “one man’s struggle to cope with the soul sapping, will to live draining, morale crushing experiences of work”. So pretend you’re working and watch it.

Misprinted TypeURL: www.misprintedtype.com/v3 Nice low-tech site from Brazilian designer Eduardo Recife, featuring some striking montage work, free fonts and austere fi lms and photos. Not a run-of-the-mill collection and there’s lots to look at.

Diesel DreamsURL: www.dieseldreams.com/launch.html Diesel-sponsored showcase featuring the work of 30 international animators, artists and fi lmmakers. There’s some great work by Hong Kong’s Da Joint and the UK’s Ne-o.

FIVE FREE FONTS ON THE CD!

NEWSNEWS

SIGGRAPH UPDATE

NEWS

October 2004 | 13

› GOOD MONTH

Adobe InDesign CS US publishing behemoth Hearst Magazines – which produces glossies such as Cosmo, Marie Claire and House Beautiful – has switched to Adobe’s ever-popular Creative Suite as its standard publishing platform. Clearly not such good news for Quark though, as Hearst previously used XPress 6.

HP’s printing business After two months and £2m Hewlett Packard says the media blitz around its LaserJets has made it top dog in the colour printing market. But watch out for cheaper prices from Dell.

Graphics cards The likes of NVIDIA and ATI are rubbing their hands together and preparing for increased demand as graphics-hungry games such as Doom 3 and Half-Life shoot up the sales charts.

fi BAD MONTH

Dreamworks Animation Studio The current owners of the successful Shrek-producing animation studio have decided to spin the business off though a stock market fl otation in order to raise $650m, pay of debts and fund future production.

Typographi.ca The Typographica Website has fallen victim to tough new regulations from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which insists on a Canadian presence for sites bearing a .ca domain. The site was unceremoniously closed down, but can now be found at www.typographi.com.

‹ AND FINALLY

Photography as truth Best not to go into too much detail, but Bryan Sparks of Springfi eld, Ohio has been acquitted in a case involving pornographic digital images found on his hard drive. The jury could not be sure if the images were real or had been doctored using digital software.

SOFTWARE

Toon Boom comes to Mac OS XPopular animation package follows Maya to Mac platform

Following last month’s move by Alias to produce Maya Unlimited for Mac OS X, another animation and 3D scene-planning software group, Toon Boom, is now readying a release of its products for users of the Apple platform.

Like Maya, Toon Boom seems to have recognised the importance of targeting the Mac-using creative sector with its Opus and Concertoplanning, effects and compositing 2D and 3D tools.

Toon Boom President and CEO, Joan Vogelesang, says it is important for his company to reach “the operating system of choice for creative professionals.”INFO www.toonboom.com

Wacom overhauls tabletsImproved work fl ow and functionality promised with redesigned tablets

Wacom has given its fl agship Intuos Pen Tablet System a thorough overhaul. The Intuos3

release has received a design and functionality tweak, which the company says will signifi cantly help users with speed and productivity. So you can expect a review next month’s issue.

The main additions: two much-needed four-button keypads for ALT, Shift and Space functions and Touch Strip – a tool that acts like a scroll bar and allows users to zoom in and out and move around.

Wacom has also made changes to the Grip Pen, which now comes with changeable nibs that allow users to create paintbrush and felt-tip style effects.

The Intuos3 is available from September 8 in A6, A5 and A4 formats and will cost between £129.99 and £305.99 (ex. VAT). INFO www.wacom.com

Alias buys KaydaraVendor looks to extend its reach through a couple of new alliances

Leader of the 3D graphics pack, Alias, has announced at Siggraph that it has snapped up smaller rival Kaydara. The company now promises to fi ll any gaps in its product set by buying others in the same market.

The two companies have also released Motionbuilder 6, an updated version of Kaydara’s character animation software, which features a simplifi ed user interface, enhanced keyframe animation capabilities and improved story timeline functionality.

Motionbuilder and Kaydara’s other key product FBX will continue to support all current industry platforms and will be sold as stand alone packages under the Alias brand name. INFO www.alias.com

GRAPHICS TABLET

THE MONTH IN BRIEFWe take a quick look at this month’s winners and losers. Plus one very lucky man...

LYCOS MAIL• 1GB INBOX• Advanced spam filters• Virus protection• SSL secure access• Outlook sync and POP3• 30 free SMS per month• Unlimited file size attachments• No intrusive advertising• No account expiration

PLUSYOURPERSONALDOMAINNAMEyou@yourdomain.com

£3.49*Per month incl. Vat

WWW.LYCOSMAIL.CO.UK

BUY TODAY AND GET YOUR FIRST

3 MONTHS FREEIn order to claim your Free 3Months you must enter the following promotional code in the order form: NET (Terms and conditions apply. See website for full details).

GO TOWWW.LYCOSMAIL.CO.UK

MORE STORAGE, LESS SPAM AND YOUR PERSONAL DOMAIN

1GbINBOXLYCOS LAUNCHES 1GB EMAIL SERVICELycos Europe becomes the first company outside the US to offer e-mail with the ability to store up to one gigabyte (Gb) of data on the Internet.

NEW

ON THE CD

Corps BusinessLondonAuthorised Adobe, Apple, Quark, Macromedia and Extensis training centre offering small-group tuition and excellent post course support. After Effects: Fundamentals13-14 September, £5503ds max: Fundamentals27-28 September, £550URL www.corps.co.uk

Net ResourcesEdinburghOffering both individual and tailored training, Net Resources provides courses taught by a team of professionals with extensive experience of Flash, Dreamweaver and CSS. Macromedia Dreamweaver MX24 September, £281

Macromedia Flash MX10 September, £281URL www.netresources.com

Escape StudiosLondonPopular training company with a good reputation for delivering courses in high-end 3D animation and 2D visual effects. Maya Level 113-24 September, £1,899Digital Compositing Comprehensive13 Sept-22 Oct, £4,799URL www.escapestudios.co.uk

ParityLeedsParity offers a wide range of courses covering Web and creative design alongside HTML programming and desktop publishing.

Adobe Illustrator 1013-14 September, £699QuarkXPress 615 September, £699URL www.parity.net

Design Computer TrainingBirminghamOne-to-one and small-group training for image editing, graphics and Web design software, including Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress and Macromedia Dreamweaver.Adobe InDesignOne or two-day courses available all year, £360 for a one-day course, £710 for two daysMacromedia FlashOne or two-day courses available all year, £360 for a one-day course, £710 for two days.URL www.combined.f9.co.uk

LEARNING CURVE

Visit our massive Website for weekly news updates and much more. To contact our news team, email ca.news@futurenet.co.uk

COMPUTER ARTS WEBSITENEWS

WORKFLOW FEEL THE QUALITYURL www.markzware.comDutch group Markzware, which makes quality control and workfl ow software for the graphic arts market, has produced FlightCheck Workfl ow 3.5 – an upgrade that adds support for the Adobe Creative Suite, improved InDesign functionalityand improved PowerPoint and Microsoft Word management. The upgrade from v3.1 costs £189.

PLUG-IN BACKDROPSURL www.digitalanarchy.comDigital photographers will be able to create hundreds of different backgrounds for use in portraits and product shots with Digital Anarchy’s new plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Elements and other compatible applications. Available now for $199, the Backdrop Designer 1.0 plug-in offers600 presets that you can subsequently modifywith your own choice of light, colour, etc.

3D PAINTING: PIRANESI 4URL www.informatix.co.ukInformatix has produced version 4 of its 3D painting program Piranesi, which the company says will enable you to create 3D images from simple models, rendering objects out quickly so that you can fi ll in the details and add hand-drawn effects. The software is available later this month.

COMPOSITING DISCREET AUTUMNURL www.discreet.comDiscreet has released updated versions of inferno 6, fl ame 9 and fl int 9. The upgrades feature a new spline-based morphing and warping tool and 3D look-up table capabilities. The new products have yet to be priced and will hit the shelves in the Autumn.

3D STAY TUNEDURL www.e-onsoftware.come-on software remains tight-lipped about specifi c details, but has revealed that it’s set to release a new version of its fabulous scenery rendering and animation software Vue d’Esprit. So far, the US-based group has said only to expect the new release sometime between now and Christmas and that it will cost $249.

SOFTWARE

18 | October 2004

Apple launches MotionApple’s motion graphics package fi nally goes on sale

Cinesite, the company behind computer-generated unpleasantness such as the classic Alien “face-

huggers”, has been spinning its digital effects magic once again for Fox’s autumn banker Alien vs. Predator.

The London-based company worked with Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor John Bruno on several of the fi lm’s key scenes, developing work using extensive digital matte painting, set replacement and motion control.

Modelling and pre-visualisation of the Alien face-hugger were based on HR Giger’s original 1979 storyboards and drawings. INFO www.cinesite.co.uk

VISUAL EFFECTS

Face-hugging critters do the business in summer blockbuster

Alien environment

After what has seemed like an eternity of previews and teasers, Apple has fi nally released its new motion graphics package, Motion.

Motion is a welcome addition to Apple’s existing digital video suite, integrating with Final Cut Pro HD

and DVD Studio Pro for DVD, fi lm, and video production.

Designed to make use of Apple’s latest G5 hardware, Motion will enable real-time previews of video effects.

Apple hopes that the program’s “behaviours”, which simulate natural

motion and physical effects such as gravity and wind, will bring motion graphics to a broader audience.

Priced at £199, Motion will provide stiff competition for the well established Adobe After Effects.INFO www.apple.com

October 2004 | 15

©Martin Childs

NEWS

16 | October 2004

Computer Arts: Your work makes great use of montage – illustrations,

photographs, type and handwriting. Where do you fi nd your material? Eduardo Recife: Resources are a must have for my work. I collect old books, vintage magazines, old photos, my photos and a collection of scanned material. I have a cabinet with drawers fi lled with magazine cuttings and imagery. It takes time to build a good arsenal of images, but it’s defi nitely worth it. I’m inspired by anything from art and design to music, books, movies, streets and feelings.

CA: How do you use computers to manipulate the material you use in your work? And how do you go about creating new fonts?ER: Computers have made collage work easier because you don’t have to worry about image sizing any more. You can rescale or fl ip images in order to create the collage composition you want. Colouring and adding textures is also easier, but I try not to be limited by the machine.

I create typefaces for my personal works. I usually get excited and create the whole alphabet. But there isn’t a rule, sometimes I just have an idea and decide to work on it. Most typefaces are a good mixture of analog and digital – photocopying, hand trashing, transferring – and then scanning and re-working everything in Photoshop or

Illustrator. It takes a whole lot of work, not to mention the boring parts: kerning and metrics.CA: What do you think of other type foundries? Who do you admire?ER: There are an infi nite number of good foundries. Misprinted Type is an

experimental type foundry that mostly produces display typefaces. It’s very different from “traditional” type, where every character is strictly measured and perfect for easy reading.

I have a great amount of respect for Jonathan Hoefl er, Emigre, Linotype and Bitstream – not to mention the fathers of type, Bodoni and Baskerville. They deserve true respect. I also admire Professor Brian Bonislawsky (www.astigmatic.com).

CA: Do you think typography is under-valued as an art form? ER: Most people don’t realise how hard it is to create a typeface. We are so used to seeing type everywhere that we forget its real value and the hard work involved in its creation.

Brazil-based experimental font foundry MisprintedType.com has just enjoyed a huge design overhaul and relaunch. Computer Arts talks to its founder and master...

DESIGNER TALK

Eduardo Recife

With digital type, things get even worse. People still have preconceived ideas about digital artworks in general.

CA: What is the design scene like in Brazil? Who do you share your ideas with?ER: Brazil has so many great designers. But most of them go off to work abroad or for big, boring agencies. Design is still a little restrained around here. We are dictated by foreign magazines and taught about what we can and can’t do. The same goes for fashion. Our art scene, on the other hand, is very rich and speaks for itself.

I have lots of friends who are artists and designers and it’s nice to share information with them. We don’t have any good Brazilian design magazines, and good books are hard to fi nd or too expensive, making it easier to (blindly) buy it over the Internet.

CA: Do you have a favourite typeface?ER: Favourite typefaces come and go. I used Corona (Linotype) for quite some time last year. I also still use Times New Roman in my work and people keep asking me, “What beautiful serif typeface was that?” It’s a matter of how you use it, I guess.

INFO Visit www.misprintedtype.com andget your hands on a host of amazing Misprinted Type fonts available as freeware. Alternatively, check out the fi ve Misprinted Type fonts provided free on our cover CD.

Brazil has so many great designers. But most of them go off to work for big, boring agencies”

“

18 | October 2004

Vancouver Film School competition finalists

Judges sifting through entries for

the recent Computer Arts competition to win a life-changing scholarship to the Vancouver Film School in Canada have drawn up alist of fi nalists and will choose a winner shortly.

The fi ve-strong paneltell us that they are extremely excited by the quality of work they have seen and are looking forward to announcing the

winner, who will receivea coveted place on the Institute’s prestigious Digital Design Program.

The list of fi nalists comprises Elsi Caldeira

Mendes of California, Keith

Chingandu of London, Benjamin Garraud of Devizes, John Leigh of Henley, Marco Morales

Aburto of Mexico andSeth Powell of Cornwall. Congratulations and good luck to all our fi nalists.

NOTEBOOK CAMERA INCLUDED URL www.ecs.uk.comElitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) is claiming an industry fi rst with its ECSD G220 – a notebook with a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera. ECS says the camera, part of a Pentium powered wireless-ready PC, canalso be used for video conferencing. The G220 is available now, although

pricing details weren’t available as we went to press.

HARDWARE

SCANNER DIGITISE 35MM URL www.epson.co.uk Epson claims that its Perfection 2580 Photo isthe fi rst scanner to include special features for digitising 35mm fi lm. It comes equipped with high optical resolution for picking up small glitches, tools for repairing old photos and ways to rid prints of dust and faded colours. The scanner is available now at £100.

DIGITAL CAMERA POWERSHOT UPDATEURL www.canon.co.ukCanon has updated its Powershot range of digital cameras with the addition of the 4.0 megapixel A85. Canon says that the new camera has “improved ergonomics”, improved styling, a 1.8-inch LCD and six special scene presets. You can lay your hands on one for £239.

NOTEBOOK HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD URL www.go-l.comClaiming to offer a “quantum leap” in mobile computing technology, the Hollywood Gold64 laptop from L comes with a 17-inch widescreen display, an Athlon 3700+ processor, high-speed DVD burner and integrated video camera. The cost? A suitably monster-sized $2799.

MOBILE APPLE AND MOTOROLA HOOK UPURL www.apple.comIn a provocative statement that raised more questions than it answered, Apple and Motorola have revealed that they will jointly develop an iPod-style player for Motorola music phones and have plans to unveil the product next year. The deal, which is expected to see iTunes included on some Motorola music phones, continues a long alliance between the two companies.

The Odeon Cinema Group has called timeon an alternative version of its Website developed by designer and Cambridge maths graduate Matthew Somerville, who’s beenre-designing versions of sites he believes are Java-heavy and inaccessible.

According to his offi cial site, Somerville’s actions are prompted by an urge to make Websites “…available to anyone using any browser, from Opera to Explorer 6.”INFO www.dracos.co.uk

Odeon clamps down on errant site

Rogue Java-free cinema site closed

WEB DESIGN

NEWS

SOFTWARE UPDATE

Cinema 4D hits version 9German 4D group upgrades product line and adds 100 new functions

Maxon has just announced the release of version 9 of its acclaimed animation software Cinema 4D,which the company says features new modelling tools and offers enhanced workfl ow.

The latest upgrade, which Maxon is pushing as an easy-to-learn and low-cost alternative to the likes of Maya and 3ds max, tightens up existing elements of Cinema 4D and adds 100 new features, including

cloth simulation and sub-polygon displacement. Other notable improvements include a re-engineered modelling core, a smarter interface (complete with Global PopUp for regularly used commands) and improved polygon knitting and stitching.

Cinema 4D 9 is available from Maxon resellers or the company’s online store. INFO www.maxon.net

GRAPHICS

Late-night, square-eyed TV addicts can expect to see stunning visuals

from designers such as Lost in Space and Neil McFarland now that music show Mixmasters has returned to the small screen.

Now in its fourth series, and nominated for Best Music TV Series at Music Week’s CADSO4 awards, Mixmasters fuses exclusive mixes byDJs such as Derrick Carter and Germany’s Superpitcher with specially-commissioned visuals, animations and graphics. The showruns from now until Christmas on ITV1.INFO www.addictive.com

Late night mixTV mixes music and graphics

October 2004 | 19

The world’s gone copyright crazy. Even cinemas hammer home stern

warnings before screenings about the perils of fi lming the presentation, courtesy of the Federation Against Copyright Theft. FACT is concerned primarily with counterfeiting and piracy issues in the fi lm industry, hoping to imprison the shady looking chaps selling fake DVDs on street corners and shut down source operations in the Far East.

You might be feeling smug, safe in the knowledge that you’ve never bought a dodgy DVD, but there are two things that bring it closer to home: the Internet and the availability of software that allows for easy copying of DVD movies.

It’s now possible to sidestep the whole sordid business of buying fake DVDs by downloading them from peer-to-peer networks. It might take all night to trawl the Web, but the anonymity seems to make it okay, and hell, everyone’s doing it.

CREATIVE LICENCEAs a creative person, I must confess to fi nding much of this just a little bit troubling. Not because I have a great moral stance on the issue, but because I know that an awful lot of people, like myself, have put time and effort into the movies and subsequent DVDs. By stripping out the packaging, removing the DVD menus and

crunching down the quality of the movie so that something previously spread out over a dual-layer disc now fi ts on a single-layer DVD, much of the creativity is compromised, or even lost.

It’s for this reason that I actually enjoy buying DVDs, but I worry that it makes me the equivalent of an audiophile growing

misty-eyed over vinyl, while the rest of the world cram their hard drives with MP3s.

But there’s another aspect of copyright theft that has a more direct impact on the life of designers, illustrators, photographers and other digital creatives. Hands up if you bought every piece of software on your computer. Hmm, I don’t see many hands. That’s because most of us think nothing of “borrowing” a copy of Photoshop from work or from a friend.

From individual applications to whole operating systems, software theft is rife. And the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), a contemporary body to FACT, is

Software companies lose millions in lost revenue due to piracy every year. But would fewer people end up using illegal software if prices for individuals plummeted?

Hands up if you’re faking it keeping an eye on us. In reality though, it has very little impact. Who can afford a personal copy of Adobe CS when it costs over £1000? And what do you do if you want to bring work home, or you’re unemployed and need to master the latest applications to get a job?

The primary reason for stealing software is fi nancial – a real chicken and egg scenario. Are people pirating software because it’s expensive, or is it expensive because the software is being pirated? It’s an important point, and slightly beyond the scope of this column.

SILVER LININGBut it’s not all bad news. After all, I did buy my own legal boxed copies of the software that had been illegally installed on my Macs at home as soon as I could afford to. The piracy formed a vitally important stage in my creative life, building up a relationship with crucial pieces of software that I could no longer function without.

Perhaps software manufacturers could look upon piracy as an extended trial period, offering an amnesty against prosecution, while offering more realistic, tiered pricing structures.

I’m convinced that fewer people would use illegal software if prices were cheaper. If Apple can change the culture around the illegal download of MP3s, tapping into a rich vein of folk who will pay for music downloads, surely software companies can follow suit?Jason Arber a designer and also co-founder of

www.pixelsurgeon.com

Software manufacturers could look upon piracy as an extended trial period, an amnesty against prosecution”

OPINION

FORUMS Do you agree, or

disagree? Tell us what

you think. Post your

views at http://forum.

computerarts.co.uk

“

ILLU

STR

ATIO

N: t

wel

ve:te

nNEWS ANALYSIS

20 | October 2004

After three or four years of hard slog and fi nancial sacrifi ce this summer’s

batch of fresh-faced Web, 3D, multimedia and interactive design graduates may be forgiven for thinking they will have the pick of entry-level jobs at any agency in the country. They have, after all, been steeped in the principles of design theory and had time to get to grips with the latest software packages and technology.

But the truth, according to industry-backed, government-linked trade body Skillset, is a little bleaker. The majority of design companies are apparently unwilling to take a punt on those coming out of the education system with well-rounded background knowledge but little industry or commercial experience.

This reluctance to take on new graduates, Skillset’s Jonathon Hirsh believes, is contributing to a wider problem, which will effect the competitiveness of the industry at large as companies waste internal resources and

money getting new recruits up to an acceptable starting level.

In Skillset’s new Interactive Media report Hirsh writes that there is “widespread dissatisfaction” with degree courses, many of which have yet to prove themselves and are not equipping graduates with the real world skills employers increasingly expect. As Hirsh sees it, the problem lies with the massive spread and scope of degree courses and the hugely variable quality of graduate they produce.

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE“Improvements could be made to some of the courses to develop the range of skills students come out with and Universities could do more to help that,” says Hirsh. Although he points out that University courses still fulfi l an important academic role in teaching design fundamentals, Hirsh believes the lack of skilled graduates and the diffi culties they have fi nding jobs is a problem that won’t go away. “The

As thousands of ambitious young designers take up places on degree courses, thousands more graduates are out looking for work. But the prospects are tough WORDS BY DOM HALL

IN DEPTH

industry will fi nd its own solutions because there is already an acceptance that they will have to train people themselves,” he says.

This is certainly a scenario recognised by design companies currently looking to expand. Fadi Shuman, Co-founder and Director of London-based agency Pod 1 – which builds sites for the likes of Austin Reed, Tesco and the Discovery Channel – says the quality of graduates applying for jobs has “not been great”.

“They have a lack of experience in dealing with client briefs and producing work to tight deadlines in a couple of days, rather than three months. They also focus too much on things like Flash, which is okay in one context but not for building a dry, corporate site for a bank, which is how you actually make money,” he says.

Those in the industry involved in placing graduates from design and interactive media courses in real, wage-paying jobs support this. Rupert Wallis, Senior Manager at London-based Web design

The great graduate jobs debate

FORUMS Visit http://forum.

computerarts.co.uk

to share your views on

this topic and more

with other readers.

NEWS ANALYSIS

October 2004 | 21

Universities say the blame lies with funding and the explosive growth of courses thanks to the dot.com boom

recruitment specialist Media Contacts believes prospects for those looking for work fresh out of higher education are slim. “Its tough for them, I have a couple of employers on my books at the moment looking for junior staff, but they all require at least one year’s commercial experience. Graduates with no experience will fi nd it diffi cult,” he says.

Like Hirsh, Wallis believes the higher education establishments could do more to furnish graduates with the best skills and the “right attitudes” to work. “They need to

get commercial experience under their belts, especially if their courses do not offer placements. They also need to build up a portfolio of mocked-up sites,” he says.

To some extent universities and colleges are taking theses criticisms on the chin. They say the blame lies chiefl y with funding and with the explosive growth in courses on the back of the dot.com boom – something course leaders believe has lead to large variations in the quality offered by different educational establishments. This

point is backed up by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Website, which contains a staggering list of 153 full-time Web-related degree courses.

TOO MANY STUDENTS?Aidan Rowe, Programme Leader of the Surrey Institute’s Graphic Design and New Media BA says it’s a simple case of “too many students and too many courses”. “The eighties and nineties saw a proliferation of design-related courses because students could see a labelled job category upon graduation,” says Rowe. “Higher education providers cashed-in on this and created, modifi ed or expanded undergraduate design courses, which in many instances have not been fully thought through or positioned properly.”

At the University of Plymouth, Programme Manager of the inter-disciplinary Medialab arts degree, Chris Speed, believes his course better positions graduates for the outside world through its one year paid placement programme, which typically sees students spending a quarter of their four-year course working full time in new media companies. While this goes a long way to equip undergraduates with real world skills, Speed admits there are still crucial gaps in their knowledge.

“Our students get the arts and cultural perspective from us and the science and

technology stuff from the experts, but still genuinely struggle with graphic design skills. Studio space is on the decrease as Universities expand and budgets tighten, students have less money to invest in design culture and we cannot attract good designers into higher education teaching because the salaries are not nearly as rewarding as the industry,” he says.

So while the immediate outlook for new graduates may seem bleak, there’s still a feeling within the industry that a ready supply of new talent is important and will always be welcomed by employers as long as it comes with the right attitude.

“Hard work is always recognised,” says Shuman. “If you want a job, work for free somewhere for a couple of weeks and show people what you can do.”

INFO www.skillset.orgwww.plymouth.ac.ukwww.surrart.ac.ukwww.media-contacts.co.ukwww.pod1.com

FONT SHOWCASE

particularity of each character at sizes of up to 24pt or higher.

Christián is Art Director at Ce Diseña, one of the most important global branding fi rms in Chile, and an independent designer for several artistic projects.

22 | October 2004

ËBorn in Santiago de Chile in 1977, Cristián González Sáiz studied

Graphic Design at the Finis Terrae University and graduated in 2001. The following year, he continued his studies on the Typography Diploma at Pontifi cia

INFO

Web: Origen is available exclusively at www.unionfonts.com.Price: £95Other top-selling Union Fonts include Airbrake, Monodon, Country Fang, Anarcharsis, Dispose, Nova, Digna, Ether, Mundence Rock and Cattlebrand.

OrigenAdd some South American charm to your work with this adaptable Chilean typeface

Universidad Católica de Chile, where he created Origen, his fi rst commercial font.

Origen is a sexy, soft typeface, that was originally created from a logo designed for a potter. It not only retains its legibility in small sizes but also the

CRISTIÁN GONZÁLEZ SÁIZ

http://www.tokidoki.it

ftp.futurenet.co.uk/pub/arts/zinio/arts101_tut_cover.zip

30 | October 2004

October 2004 | 31

CA INTERVIEW

“Usually there’s one concept that resonates with both of us, and we “Usually there’s one concept that resonates with both of us, and we get excited the way you would in school,” Vivian Rosenthal says of her get excited the way you would in school,” Vivian Rosenthal says of her inspirations. It works. We fi nd out more about Tronic Studio’s rapid inspirations. It works. We fi nd out more about Tronic Studio’s rapid rise to famerise to fame

WORDS BY ED RICKETTSPHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGO SILVER

In the space of three years Tronic Studio has evolved from student pipedream to international design agency. We just had to fi nd out how they did it...

TRONIC STUDIO

CA INTERVIEW

32 | October 2004

ËTronic Studio is barely three years old, but it has already produced an

interactive backdrop for a Broadway show, designed Wired’s NextFest show, created a music video and multiple short idents, presented to the Premier of China and produced innovative art installations.

In short, New York-based Tronic embodies the term “multimedia”, and not

just in a digital sense. The company combines virtual and physical spaces,live action and CG, architecture and Web design, all in ways that would have been impossible ten years ago.

Tronic is the brainchild of Vivian Rosenthal and Jesse Seppi, although the pair are quick to point out that their main collaborator, Rei Inamoto, creative director of R/GA, makes vital contributions, too. Both hold Masters in architecture, and share a love of physical and virtual spaces.

“I went to undergraduate college in Brown, Rhode Island, and studied

architectural history and theory,” says Rosenthal. “I then applied to Columbia graduate school for architecture. That’s where I met Jesse.”

Even then, Seppi had experience of digital: “I was very involved with form-zin the beginning. It was developed at Ohio State, where I did my BA,” he says. “A lot of architecture fi rms weren’t using 3D graphics to envision their designs at that time. Because I was involved with all that, I was recruited by Morphosis in California, a cutting-edge architectural fi rm.

“I really got into the idea of expressing architecture through software. We used form-z and early versions of 3D Studio,and that was the beginning of my interest in computer design.”

Joined-up thinkingThe realisation that both Seppi and Rosenthal wanted to bring architectureinto the new digital era was almost instant. “I came to Columbia because I knew they had what was called a paperless studio, which also had an emphasis on digital design in architecture,” says Seppi. “So when we discovered we both saw things the same way, Vivian and I started working together on projects.”

The connection was such that they took a proposal to the Dean for a joint thesis, something that hadn’t been done before.

COMPANY INFO

Location:USA Tronic Studios LLC54 West 21st StreetSuite 705New York, NY 10010URL: www.tronicstudio.comE: info@tronicstudio.com

“I really got into the idea of expressing architecture through software. We used form-z and early versions of 3D Studio”

ABOVE: Tronic directed and animated these network IDs for the cable music channel Fuse, which showcased the Penthouse Pet of the Year, Sunny Leone. Tronic explored subtle, surreal transformations in seemingly normal environments. “A space starts to deconstruct,” explains Rosenthal, “or something occurs that’s out of the ordinary.”

‘D2’ model

Available from:DVD+/-RW 8x4x12x+CDRW Double layer srp £83 (£97.53 inc VAT)

CD-RW 52x32x52x srp £44 (£51.70 inc VAT)

Mobile 24x24x24x CD-RW/DVD Combo srp £73 (£85.78 inc VAT)

Mobile 4x DVD+/-RW+CDRW multidrive srp £119 (£139.83 inc VAT)

- Sleek, robust case, portable and stackable - CD-RW super fast write and rewrite speeds - Double layer DVD up to 8.5GB high capacity- Dual format DVD+/- RW - Bundle includes DVD authoring software - Firewire or USB2 versions (cables included)

LaCie UK Ltd, 46 Gillingham Street, London, SW1V 1HU - Email: info.uk@lacie.com www.lacie.com/uk

E&OE July 2004

LaCie products are available from leading resellers - visit www.lacie.com/uk/wheretobuy

‘P5’ model

LaCie ExternalHard Drives

‘D2’ model

Available from: 40GB MobileDrive USB2.0 or FireWire srp £74 (£86.95 inc VAT)

60GB MobileDrive USB2.0 or FireWire srp £101 (£118.68 inc VAT)

80GB MobileDrive USB2.0 or FireWire srp £133 (£156.28 inc VAT))

LaCie External CD& DVD+/-RW’s

Available from:80GB srp £282 (£331.35 inc VAT),160GB srp £326 (£383.05 inc VAT)

250GB srp £389 (£457.08 inc VAT), 500GB srp £649 (£762.58 inc VAT)

- Ultra portable (can fit into a pocket) and bus-powered via FireWire or USB- Ideal for laptop HDD expansion or/and backup- no need for separate power cable for true mobile portability- Only 7.6x12.9x1.7cm dimensions and 200g in weight- FireWire or USB2 versions (cables included)- Compatible with Windows Backup Utility

- Sleek, robust case, portable and stackable - 7200rpm ideal for DV Video without dropping frames- Fast Firewire 800 ‘Extreme’ up to 84MB/s, USB2 34MB/s sustained- Firewire, USB2, or new FireWire 800 versions (cables included)- Compatible with Windows Backup Utility

‘d2’ 500GBFirewire 800, 400

& USB2.0

Mobile SlimDVD+/-RW& CD-RW

- Share data among as many as 25 users - Backup function with integrated scheduling feature

- Easily administered via any web browser and accessible through any computer on the network or remotely via http/ftp

- Increase the capacity through the USB & FireWire interfaces - Quick and simple installation - up and running in 10 minutes- Features a Microsoft Windows XP® embedded operating system

LaCie Ethernet Disk(Network NAS Storage)

Leader in FireWire / USB2.0 ExternalHard Drives, CD & DVD+/-RW’s

Available from:80GB srp £60 (£70.50 inc VAT)

160GB srp £80 (£94.00 inc VAT), 200GB srp £122 (£143.35 inc VAT),

250GB srp £111 (£130.43 inc VAT), 320GB srp £163 (£191.53 inc VAT),

400GB srp £224 (£263.20 inc VAT), 500GB srp £259 (£304.33 inc VAT),

1000GB srp £609 (£715.58 inc VAT)

‘D2’ model

19” Photon Vision TFT/LCD srp £393 (£461.78 inc VAT)

20.1” Photon Vision TFT/LCD srp £603 (£708.53 inc VAT)

19” Electron19 Blue CRT srp £229 (£269.08 inc VAT)

22” Electron22 Blue CRT srp £439 (£515.83 inc VAT)

‘P5’ model

LaCie DataWatch 256MB USB2 srp £53 (£62.28 inc VAT)

LaCie DataWatch 128MB USB2 srp £32 (£37.60 inc VAT)

8in1 Memory Card Reader/Writer USB2.0 srp £9 (£10.58 inc VAT)

Data Bank 1.8”HDD USB2.0 20GB srp £100 (£117.50 inc VAT)

Data Bank 1.8” HDD USB2.0 40GB srp £138 (£162.15 inc VAT)

- Transport you files between home and work, while never losing anotherUSB key. The LaCie DataWatch is simple to use and allows you to easilytransfer your audio files, presentations, spreadsheets or documents.Wherever you go, you’ll be able to easily share files between Macs/PCs

LaCie DataWatch

- VGA & DVI connectors on TFT/LCD - TFT/LCD includes Tilt & Swivel function- 3-year advanced replacement warranty- Optional BlueEye provides hardware calibration of E19 & E22 - Highest specification LCD & CRT Monitors

LaCie ProfessionalTFT & CRT Monitors

NEW!NEW!

LaCie MobileDrivesMOBILEDRIVE

250GB USB2.0

PHOTON 20.1” TFT/LCD - USB 2.0 Flash Memory storage device & watch- 3 year battery life with Japan Movement- Ships with USB extension cable- Water resistant, shockproof and anti-static

NNEEWW!!

‘d2’ Doublelayer 8.5GBDVD+/-RW

“We wanted to think about the idea for a blue house and what it would be like to be in a space that was all blue”

CA INTERVIEW

It was called The Blue House. “The idea was to take two distinct physical locations; taking the environment from one location, and the movement of the people from the other, to create a third distinct location out of the two,” Rosenthal explains.

The Blue House itself only existed digitally, with the “blue” referring to the bluescreen technology traditionally used in fi lm compositing. “But we thought it had

no application in architecture at the time,” says Seppi. “We wanted to translate that technology and think about the idea of a blue house and what it would be like to be in a space that was all blue.”

“It sounds like a commonplace idea now, but four or fi ve years ago it really wasn’t,” explains Rosenthal. “There were

maybe one or two architecture fi rmswho were starting to see that fi lm had interesting overlaps with them. That’swhat led us to this.”

“This” turns out to be an eclecticmix of broadcast design, 3D and fi lm compositing, virtual and physical installations, pure rendering, signage, Websites and just about anything that fi res the pair's imagination. But no matter what

the subject or medium, Tronic applies the rigorous principles of architecture.

“The concept is key,” says Seppi. “I had a professor who once said that when you have a project that’s maybe two years long, it’s vital to boil it down conceptually to two words. Otherwise, when you’re done, it doesn’t relate to what you set out to do.”

Rapid successThe resulting thesis brought the pair recognition and commissions even before

34 | October 2004

they formed Tronic. “Maybe a week after graduation, we were approached to do a series of 30-second animated commercials for one of the largest digital billboard screens in the world, for Reuters in Times Square,” Rosenthal reveals.

The couple were also renovating a building in Brooklyn as an architecture project. “So we thought. ‘Hey, let’s start a new company...’ We went through a host of different names. Tronic was really a response to realising that everything we do is digital and that we’d moved completely away from physical models,” says Rosenthal. It was also a sly tribute to the pioneering CG fi lm Tron.

Early work included a fully rendered CG model of a helicopter for the hit musical Miss Saigon, a virtual backdrop with which the actors could interact. This appealed to Tronic’s passion for the crossover of genres – as did their workfor Nike. These ads recreated products such as trainers in a 3D rendered style,but with an added twist.

“That approach was also pretty architectural: we took apart the shoes and modelled them,” says Rosenthal. “The idea was to approach the shoes from a very architectural perspective, so that you could see all the different layers, down to the

ABOVE: Central to the Nikelab site is the display of performance-based products, including shoes, a watch and a MP3 player. Tronic rendered these in 3D to create a unique viewing experience that enables the visitor to deconstruct the product online.

RIGHT: Tronic was commissioned by Niketo create a short fi lm for its new campaignon speed. A Long Time Ago, Tomorrow isan all-CG piece conceptualised and designedby Tronic. It shows one man’s attempt to travel at the speed of sound.

RIGHT: The “Retail Experiment” is an interactive video installation created for the Diesel Denim Gallery in NYC. A morphing process shows these people becoming younger and younger as they recounttheir fondest memory.

TRONIC STUDIO

September 2004 | 41

wireframe, in the same way you’d see a rendering of a building in cross-section.”

While producing work for large clients such as Nike, Tronic can continue with its own experimental projects. New Spaces for New Bodies, for instance, is an innovative installation for an art gallery. Rosenthal explains: “We recreated the gallery space in the computer, and then mapped that back onto the physical space so that they matched. Then we inserted a digital character who appeared to move within the space.”

“It was like live-action compositing, except that we were doing it in a real space,” continues Seppi. “This individual was doing things that weren’t natural. So you’d be in the gallery and see him walking from the corner of your eye and think, ‘Oh, it’s just a real guy.’ And then all of a sudden he’d crawl up the wall and do other odd things.”

But the pair’s largest-scale project to date has been NextFest, a show for Wired magazine. “We were responsible for the architecture, the signage, the branding, the motion graphics and the Website,” says Rosenthal. “Wired said one of the reasons

they chose us was because we understood that all the different media should interact and relate to one another. That took us out of the broadcast realm and was more spatial.”

“Conceptually, it was all about the future, and we basically boiled it down to a visual of light,” Seppi continues. “That’s a very futuristic phenomenon; it’s there but it’s not there, it’s very open-ended, it can’t quite be defi ned, and I think that appealed to the people at Wired. So the two concept words for that project were ‘light’ and ‘layering’.”

In complete contrast was a project forGE (General Electric), one of the largest companies in the world. It was also rather surreal. The Premier of China was visiting the US for just two meetings: one with President Bush and one with GE. The company chose Tronic to design and produce a half-hour show about its history and future

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Tronic’s short fi lm Regret was commissioned by Tekko. It’s a hybrid live-action and CG short that examines one man’s relation to regret.

October 2004 | 35

CA INTERVIEW

to present to the Premier. They were delighted. “That was such a fascinating experience,” adds Jesse. “They really took a chance with us… You can imagine how challenging that was, to condense a company like that into half an hour.”

Gut feelingsAlthough Seppi says that, “80-90 per cent of our ideas for an approach to a project are gut feelings,” he is well aware of constant commercial pressure. “You have to be intelligent about how you approach projects. As much as we’d like to indulge narcissistically in our ideas, we realise we have to communicate.”

Most of their early infl uence came from so-called paper architects, who work in the fi eld of theoretical architecture. These architects design buildings that almost certainly couldn’t exist in the real world. Seppi cites Wes Jones and Neil Dinari: “I was into machine architecture, where the actual buildings are robotic, so they can

get up and walk around… I still describe myself as an architect.”

Tronic’s recent work focuses on animation and directing within the broadcast world, although having already created one video for rock band Denali, they’re not keen to make more. “It’s so much work and the budgets are so low.We feel we can spend our energies better elsewhere,” Seppi admits.

However, short stings and idents for the music channel Fuse have given Tronic plenty of scope for experimentation, especially with the mixing of CG andlive action. “With those, we’re creating surreal qualities within live action, using animation,” says Rosenthal.

“You bring all those elements together in the computer and you can start to tweak in very subtle ways what was real,” continues Seppi. “Obviously, The Matrix brought this to the masses in a clear way.”

Discussing the future, it’s clear that Rosenthal and Seppi can’t wait. They’re like two eager kids who’d rather take their Christmas present apart than play with it. As Seppi says: “I don’t want to bore you with the politics of art... It’s all one big game really.”

TRONIC STUDIOS Q&AName: Jesse SeppiRole: Partner/Creative DirectorFrom: Pittsburgh, PAFave designer: Jim O'TooleFave Website: www.cgchannel.com

Name: Vivian RosenthalRole: Partner/Executive ProducerFrom: NYC, NYFave designer: Zaha HadidFave Website: www.google.com

CA INTERVIEW

36 | October 2004

ABOVE: Tronic conceptualised, shot and animated this piece for a top-ten countdown show by music TV network Fuse.

RIGHT: Tronic directed and animated this mysterious piece that combines live action with 3D animation. It’s the story of a mammoth concrete overpass that comes to life in the most unusual way. It suggests that nothing is as it seems, not even the streets we walk on…

Where nextfor Apple?

PLUS! HOW TO...Enhance your desktop with free utilities

Make QuickTime VR panoramas

Hush up your Mac’s hard drive

Stop your kids destroying your Mac!

Our insiders’view of Apple’splans for the future.

Master selections in Photoshop

ON THE CDPlay exclusivelevels of AirburstExtreme

Plus: Full OCRpackage!

WWW.MACFORMAT.CO.UK

On sale Tuesday2 September

ALAN FLETCHER IAN ANDERSON JON BARNBROOK JOSHUA DAVISPETER SAVILLE

SPEAKERS INCLUDE

HOW TO ENTER

To win one of three pairs of tickets to Grafi cEurope, worth £1064, just answer this simple question:

Peter Saville designed a number of album covers for the band that released the single Blue Monday. But what was the name of the band? Was it?a. New Order b. Out of order c. Last orders

Then choose one of three ways to enter:1. Visit www.computerarts.co.uk/competition2. Send a postcard with your answer, full name, address and telephone number to: Grafi cEurope Competition, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. 3. Or, new this month, enter via text. Send us a message that says “CA” then leave a space and add your one-letter answer, i.e, “CA C”, to 84600. (Each entry costs 50p. If you are not the bill payer, please seek permission before entering.)

If you didn't make it to last year's Grafi cEurope in Barcelona, you missed out. So make sure you witness this year's event – to be held in the vibrant city of Berlin – by entering our fantastic competition.

Grafi cEurope 2004 will run from 14-16 October and feature more than 20 acclaimed speakers including Peter Saville, Rick Poynor, Alan Fletcher, Karin Fong and Ian Anderson. In-between sessions you could check out the conference exhibitions – Public Address System and Emerging Designers – take part in professional workshops, or explore some of the great sights Berlin has to offer.

The emphasis of Grafi cEurope 2004 will be on intense thought and serious play and the glamorous evening events will provide plenty of opportunity to refl ect on the day and network in some of Berlin's fi nest architectural hotspots.So enter now for your chance to win a pair of tickets...

WIN TWO TICKETS TO GraficEurope 2004 WORTH £1064 We’re offering you the chance to win one of three pairs of tickets to this year’s Grafi cEurope, the only comprehensive annual conference for the pan-European graphic design community

FOR DETAILS OF THE FULL PROGRAMME LINE-UP VISIT www.graficeurope.com

TEXT YOUR ANSWER TO 84600

Ë

The rules: The closing date for this competition is 1 October 2004. Employees of Grafi cEurope and Future Publishing, their agents and families are not permitted to enter. Multiple entries are not accepted. The Editor’s decision is fi nal and there are no cash alternatives. No other correspondence will be entered into. If you are entering by post and do not wish any of the companies involved in this competition to contact you with further offers, please indicate this on your entry. We will not pass your details on to third parties.

http://www.dereklea.com

Ace ServerAce Server

Website FeaturesHost unlimited sites with full PHP, Perl CGI, my SQL, FrontPage, SHTML and SSL support.You have full access to all configuration options on a server and per site level.

Email FeaturesCreate unlimited mailboxes, auto-responsers and forwarders all with up to date virusprotection. POP3, IMAP, SMTP and web based access to your mail.

Full Administrative AccessInstall any software you desire and configure it as you want. You have root level shellaccess as well as our easy to use web based control panel to configure your server.

Management and SupportWe will monitor the performance of your server, apply security patches and installand configure software for you. Our devoted team is available 24 hours a day to solveyour problems and tend to your needs by telephone and email.

Data BackupHardware based RAID disk mirroring and daily tape backups provide total protectionfor your data.

Network and Data CentreOur network and data centre is owned and operated by us, giving faultlessperformance and availability. For security, redundant Cisco firewalls areincluded as standard.

Hardware• 2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 processor• 1GB memory• Dual 60GB hard disk drives• Hardware RAID controller• 40GB monthly data transfer

Total Service Guarantee- or your money back!• 100% uptime or your money back• Instant reboots via automated power outlets• 5 minute engineer response time• All security updates installed on your behalf• Instant replacement server in the event of hardware failure• 24 hour dedicated support

Increase or decrease your server’sdata transfer quota as your

bandwidth requirements change.

Additional data transfer£2.50 per GB

Sign up NOW and enjoy 7 days free service.Simply enter the special code CAF4 at:www.donhost.co.ukor call 0845 226 5566Login and start using your server straight awaywhether you sign up online or over the telephone.

NO MINIMUM CONTRACT,NO SET-UP FEE, TERMINATE

AT ANY TIME.

From £49.99 per month

InstantActivationSign Up Now!Sign Up Now!

As your business becomes affected by the constraints of shared hosting,a dedicated server may appear an attractive option. However, unlessyou have the resources to operate an Internet facing serveralong with the ability to deal with a crisis, expensive downtimeand damaging security breaches are inevitable.

Our dedicated servers come with skilled technicians to look afteryour machine, apply security updates and offer help when you need it.Supplied with a suite of software, including our exclusive web basedcontrol panel, you are free to run your business whilst we take care ofthe technical side of things.

Donhost really has Served an Acewith the Ultimate Dedicated Server!

FreeBSDTHE POWER TO SERVE

A member of

Call: 0845 226 5566Or visit: www.donhost.co.ukShared hosting packages from £8.99/monthReseller hosting packages from £39.99/month

http://www.computerarts.co.uk

http://www.ilex-press.com/computerarts

SUBSCRIBE NOW!SAVE 42% • +44 870 444 8451>>TEN PAGES OF EXPERT TIPS

3DS MAX • CINEMA 4D • LIGHTWAVE • MAYA • XSI>>

THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR 3D ARTISTSISSUE 56 ON SALE NOW: PRICE £6.00

INSIDE THIS ISSUEIN THE MAG Spider-Man 2 We uncover the 3D secrets of the superhero movie of the summer • I, Robot Digital Domain and Weta’s robot VFX dissected • Instant animation Turn the motion capture files on our CD into high-quality animations: we show you how • Group test All the best new 3D training DVDsON THE CD Rendering software worth £340 – create stunning architectural illustrations • Over £1,500 of motion-capture data!

WIN!LightWave 8& 3D softwareWORTH £2,000

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL EDITION, VISIT WWW.COMPUTERARTS.CO.UK/ZINIO TODAY

THE WORLD’S BEST–SELLING CREATIVE MAGAZINE

NOW AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT!

• Get the digital version of the world’s best-selling creative magazine sent direct to your desktop

• Receive 12 digital issues for just $75 (around £42)

• Subscribe online now!

ALL TUTORIAL

FILES INCLUDED

ICON

ICON

ICON

ICON

ICON

50 | October 2004

Main image: Where it all began… Lambie-Nairn’s now iconic Channel 4 ident was the fi rst computer-generated and animated ident to be broadcast in the UK, way back in 1982.

October 2004 | 51

ICON

THE CHANNEL 4 LOGOMARTIN LAMBIE–NAIRN

Acetates and rostrum cameras used to be the stuff that station idents were made of. But in 1982, Lambie-Nairn kicked off the computer-driven, channel-branding age with the now legendary Channel 4 logo. The rest is history…

ËThere never used to be such a thing as channel branding on television.

Your station or broadcaster would typically feature some sort of animation before every programme it had produced in-house that bore no relation to the upcoming content: remember the old Thames or LWT animations? Or the BBC’s spinning globe? The latter, in fact, was an actual model, shot by a special camera and broadcast live. The same camera was used to relay the BBC clock, apologies for technical diffi culties and the like, right up until the 1980s. With this in mind, it’s no surprise

that when Channel 4 launched on 2 November 1982, its computer-animated logo caused quite a splash.

It was the work of famed designer Martin Lambie-Nairn, and his design studio of the same name. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Lambie-Nairn had worked as a member of an in-house design for a number of broadcasters, including Thames precursor Rediffusion, the BBC and ITV. In those days, complex animation for broadcast was just that: cel animation. You got hold of pen, pencil, paper, acetate and paint, created your sequence and numbered the cels for a rostrum camera operator to shoot. A simple graphic could take 24 hours – or longer – to create.

However, while working at LWT studios in 1974, a colleague burst into a room declaring they were all doomed. Animator Bob Godfrey had created an animation to demonstrate the movement of the driving wheels of a Brunel-designed steamship.

However, he’d not used traditional means; instead, he’d used a plotting pen driven by computer. The cel’s days were numbered. By today’s standards, the vector-line animation was crude, but it set a precedent.

Not long after, Lambie-Nairn had started out on his own with the agency that would soon be known as Lambie-Nairn, and in 1976 took a computer-aided design course at Middlesex Polytechnic. He hated it. “I did extract two important nuggets from this miserable experience, however,” he says. “First, I knew I didn’t want to go anywhere near a computer myself. Second,

I’d met a man who knew all about the new technology – John Vince.”

He used that connection, and the technology, for the opening sequence to a BBC programme called Music in Time, in 1979. However, in those days, there were no computers around that could provide the animation; instead, the machine drew and printed out stills onto acetate, which were then coloured in by hand and photographed by a rostrum camera.

At around that time, the station decided to pitch for the Channel 4 launch. The station was to be something of a broadcast revolution. It wouldn’t produce its own material; instead, it would act more as a broadcast publisher, bringing to air work by independent production companies. Lambie-Nairn used this as a metaphor for his creative pitch; there would be a wooden puzzle featuring individual blocks that would come together in the shape of a ‘4’. In his mind, Lambie-Nairn had visualised

“If Channel 4 wanted to be fresh and surprising, it had to have a family of idents, each a variation on the basic theme”

June 2004 | 47

Lambie-Nairn is behind some of the biggest broadcast campaigns around. The company has worked for everyone from the BBC in the UK to the launch of US-based, Al-Jazeera jammer Alhurra for the Arab world. Creative Director Martin Lambie-Nairn has a particular vision for how television should be branded that makes for interesting reading, and the best place to fi nd out more is in his book Brand Identity for Television — With Knobs On. It’s full of brand campaign recollections with a few fi rst-hand details, as well as a lot of background and history of design for broadcast and personal insights into marketing-led branding strategies for broadcast.

It’s no work of exquisite prose and it’s pricey, but there’s no doubt that it’s a vital read for anybody who works in (or who hopes to crack) the design side of the broadcast industry.READ THIS: Brand Design Identity for Television – With Knobs On by Martin Lambie-Nairn. Phaidon Press (1997) £89.95 ISBN 0-7148-3447-5

ESSENTIAL READING

EMAIL

WE WANT TOHEAR FROM YOU!Send us your ideas about this feature to ca.mail@futurenet.co.uk, with the subject line ‘icon’.

ICON

exactly how he wanted his launch animation to appear, and he knew that he’d need a computer for maximum impact. However, the traditional method – printing and colouring in computer-drawn vector illustrations – would lack punch. He wanted the lighting and shading effects of true computer animation. The trouble was

that Britain didn’t have a computer powerful enough for the job. So, over budget and short of time, Lambie-Nairn and John Vince went to the United States.

There, the two Brits worked with Bo Goehring Aviation and Information International Inc, who had recently collaborated on Disney’s Tron. Once Lambie-Nairn and Vince had convinced the Americans of the validity of their idea, the race was on to upload the programmed animation, created in Britain, to the American computer. It took three days in all to get the data from the tape, into the computer. But they fi nally met with success, and the computer outputted its full colour animation, complete with lighting effects, to 35mm fi lm. Back in Britain, this had to be transferred to video and edited. Despite vanished and recovered frames, as

well as white spots on the black background, the sequence was ready for Channel 4’s launch that November.

The joke at the time was that the logo sequence was more interesting than any programmes aired on the station. Blocks of colour swung in from all about the screen to a purpose-written fanfare, complete with desired shading and lighting effects.

Modern reactions to the logo’s legacy remain mixed. “The design was bold and original, in comparison to the staid idents we were used to,” remembers producer Mario Cavalli of Colony Media. “But nowadays it looks creaky and pretentious, even childish, all those coloured blocks.”

“It was big, bright and clean, and set the stage for ten years,” quips The Mill’s Dave Throssell. “CGI was so limited then that the only people who could fi nd a use for it were graphic designers who could use its very limited palette to its best advantage.”

However, Lambie-Nairn’s idea had gone one further. It wasn’t just about the logo. The Channel 4 campaign was also about the brand of the station. “They needed to consider the identity of the channel as a whole,” says Lambie-Nairn in his book, Brand Identity for Television – With Knobs On. “If Channel 4 wanted to be

fresh and surprising, it had to have a family of idents, each a variation on the basic theme, helping to establish a unique personality for the station.”

The original logo would have to work as an expensive CGI animation or a printed letterhead. It would need to support fi lms or news, sport or the clock. The same idea underpins today’s computer-driven E4s, BBC Two’s ‘2’s, the dancers on BBC One and the onscreen graphics, or DOGs, that differentiate one digital channel from another. It also means that ITV’s logo works as well on ITV1, ITV News and ITV.com. Lambie-Nairn’s CGI originality certainly advanced the use of computers in broadcast graphic design. However, his and his agency’s overall creative strategy for the station also set a new standard for broadcast brand design throughout the UK television industry.

LEARN MORE ONLINE

MARTIN LAMBIE–NAIRN

52 | October 2004

To relive the days before computers took over broadcast, check out sites such as Transdiffusion and 625.uk.com for excellent histories, audio and video fi les.

www.lambie-nairn.comwww.colonymedia.co.ukwww.mill.co.uk

www.transdiffusion.orghttp://625.uk.comwww.channel4.com

Lambie-Nairn was the agency responsible for the BBC rebranding. The positioning of BBC Two has always been important, but the agency ensured that the ‘2’s did not clash with the BBC’s blocky Gill Sans font.

“Computer-generated imagery was so limited then, the only people who could fi nd a use for it were graphic designers”

THE GREAT WAVEKatsushika Hokusai’s world famous woodblock print.

NEXT ISSUE

REVIEW

MISSED AN ARTICLE?

SO WHAT DO I NEED? All tutorials are in PDF format. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat to open them, which you can downloadfree from www.adobe.co.uk

Once you’ve paid for your tutorial, you’ll have 24 hours to download the fi le. You can then download all supporting fi les for the tutorial via a link embedded in the PDF

BT CLICK&BUY BT click&buy is a secure way to pay for online content. If you have a BT telephone, you can have the 99p charge added to your phone bill. If you don’t have a BT account,

simply charge it to your credit card instead. Both options are safe and secure ways to pay.

No more back issues left? Don’t worry! You can download previous Computer Arts tutorials online with our new, secure, one-stop shop. Just go to www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials to fi nd out more

Go to www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials

BUY TUTORIALS

FROM 99p!

August 2004 49

TUTORIALSILLUSTRATOR 4 HOURSCUSTOM BRUSHESUse custom brushes, and create your own, to recreate a vintage boxing poster that retains a certain hand-drawn charm.

ON THE CDTutorial fi les on CD

FLASH 1 HOURLIP & FACIAL SYNCINGLip-syncing really is the secret to successful animation. Get it right and you’ll breathe new life into your animated characters.

TURN TO PAGE 56

ON THE CDTutorial fi les on CD

CINEMA 4D 2 HOURS3D SKETCHINGMake the most of the sketch renderer within your 3D package and add a great new dimension to your illustrations.

ON THE CDTutorial fi les on CD

TURN TO PAGE 60

TURN TO PAGE 64

TUTORIALS FOR 99P Did you know you can buy Computer Arts tutorials for just 99p via our Website at www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials?

There’s everything from Photoshop and FreeHand poster design, typography in InDesign and vector drawing in Flash MX, plus more general tutorials on Dreamweaver and Flash.

You’ll also fi nd tutorials that make the most of 3ds max 4, Bryce 5 and After Effects.

We’ve got tonnes to offer this month with an impressive range of tutorials from a great line up of Computer Arts experts. First off, we use Illustrator to recreate the atmosphere of fi ght night. See the convincing results on page 56.

Whichever 3D package you use, making the most of your sketch renderer can give excellent results. But if your 3D software lacks a sketch facility, don’t fret – we’ll

show you how to fake it in Photoshop! Take a look at the brilliant Smart car illustration you could create on page 60.

On page 64, we unleash the power of Flash and come over all spooky, bringing life to an animated character using gestures and lip-sync and fi nally, bring some relief to those of you frustrated by the intricacies of transparency effects in InDesign on page 68. Have fun!

IN THIS ISSUE

INDESIGN 3-4 HOURSFLATTENING TIPSWe turn detective to investigate the mysteries that lay beneath transparency fl attening in Adobe InDesign.

ON THE CDTutorial fi les on CD

TURN TO PAGE 68

64 | October 2004

TUTORIAL

TUTORIAL

FLASH MX

October 2004 | 65

TUTORIAL

ËIn any form of animation, the principles are the same. But

technology increasingly enables youto expand your animation into many different mediums – and Flash MX, of course, is no exception.

Flash provides a quick and easy way of animating 2D images for use in both on the Web and television. However, its creative potential should never be underestimated; the power it can provide to you, the animator, is massive.

It goes without saying that character animation is important, especially when the character itself is talking. Gesturesand lip-sync work together to give your character life and personality. It’s often easy to forget that the animator is the actor and so it’s important to ensure that the character acts, too. Facial expressions and subtle head movements will make your character less wooden.

Flash provides a simple and easy way to construct characters, whether they’re drawn directly onto your computer or on paper fi rst. The following tutorial will introduce you to those methods and tothe creative process behind making an animated character talk. By concentrating on movement, lip-syncing and a range of Flash tools, you’ll ensure that your character really does come to life.

So have a go with the examples provided on this month’s cover CD and then see what effect the skills you learn have on your future animation projects.

4 If you have drawn your animation on paper, draw crosshairs on each drawing

so that the animation can be accurately matched up again once it’s been scannedand imported into Flash MX.

1 When animating in Flash, it’s a good idea to break your character up as much as

possible. Keep eyes, eyebrows and mouths separate from the head, and arms and legs separate from the body. Put their symbols into Library folders so they’re easy to fi nd.

2 Drag the Library sound fi le to the timeline. To determine your scene’s

length, click on a frame on the voice layer and hold down F5 until the entire track is visible.

3 Bring the character into the main stage layer by layer. At this point, leave the

head empty. It’s also a good idea to labelyour layers, to prevent confusion later on.Illustration & tutorial by Ailin Chambers

ON THE CDYou’ll fi nd all theFlash fi les you need to complete this tutorialin the folder named Tutorial/Flash.

TIME LENGTH

1 hour

Ailin Chambers works as a freelance

animator and illustrator. He is currently Lead Animator at Fictitious Egg, designing and animating for TV and the Internet. See more of his work at www.ailinsart.com or www.eggtoons.com.

INFO

5 Now to assemble your character. In this case, the vampire moves his arms up as

he speaks. Because the body remains still, it stays as a single frame throughout the movie. Place the arms on separate levels, one layer above and one layer below the body.

6 Listen to the dialogue and pick out words that you could emphasise with some

movement. Tying this to a particular wordor phrase can really add life to a character. Here, for example, our vampire raises his arms as he says, “Welcome!”

LIP & FACIAL SYNCINGAlthough lip-syncing and character animation are a crucial part of successful animation, it takes skill to make your character move and talk convincingly. Flash provides simple and effective methods of achieving great results

TUTORIAL

FLASH MX

66 | October 2004

ONION SKINWhen moving symbols in Flash to animate a movement along the timeline, it’s often tricky to judge where the previous frame was on the stage. This is where the Onion Skin comes in handy. It acts as a virtual light box, showing semi-transparent images of the frames before and after the frame you’re currently on. This is very helpful when animating cycles like walking or birds fl ying.

13 Blinks are particularly useful whenyou need to seamlessly slip from one

expression to another. Start with the eyes fully open, then fully closed, then fi nally half open. From here, you can either go back to the original (fully open) position or on to a new eye shape, such as wide or narrow.

7 Play the animation back or scroll along the timeline. If the movement doesn’t

seem to tie in properly with the dialogue, highlight the frames of the animation and drag them left or right along the timeline to improve the sync. Once you’re happy with the results, move on to step 8.

10 There are basically nine mouth shapes for lip sync. Listen to the dialogue on

the timeline and pick out the phonetics and the accents. On the mouth layer, create a blank frame (F7) and bring the relevant mouth position onto the stage from the Library.

11 Your character’s blinking and eye expressions can also help to give

the dialogue more expression. Think about what your character might be doing while talking. Is there an expression in the voice that can be given extra effect by using a particular eye or eyebrow movement?

12 Whatever expressions you decide to use, always remember to make your

character blink, as this will help to make it look less wooden. There are many different ways to animate blinks, but generally three drawings make up the movement.

8 Double-click the head symbol and then start to bring other symbols onto it. Next,

create layers for the eyes, eyebrows and mouth. By animating these elements in the head symbol, you will be able to move it about on the main stage without worrying about repositioning the features.

9 When lip-syncing within the head symbol, bring in the sound fi le as you did in the

main stage. But before you drag the mouth shapes from the library onto the head,make sure the mouth layer is selectedand remember to set the sound object inthe Properties box to “stream”.

15 Position the character’s pupils on separate layers, directly beneath the

eye layer, so that they are free to move around without affecting the blinks and eye shapes. Add one more layer underneath these, label it “white”, and draw a white rectangle that covers all the eye positions.

14 During this change of expression, you’ll need to animate the eyebrows in

order to cushion their movement from the fi rst expression to the next. Onion Skin the frames of the eyebrows. Create a keyframe (F6) between the two frames and move the new eyebrow frame in between the two.

MASKINGMasking is an often underused tool that gives a lot of freedom to a scene. The mask always covers the area you want to see in the movie, leaving the surrounding areas hidden. For example:if a character walks behind a lamppost, which is part of the painted background, on the mask layer, every area is painted except the post itself.

MASKING

ANIMATING A SYMBOL

October 2004 | 67

TUTORIAL

19 It is often a really nice addition to dip and raise the head when the character

is talking. Again, listen to the words and emphasise the expressions. If it helps,match the head movements with the eye expressions. Do this sparingly to preventyour character from jittering.

16 Because the pupils are now on a separate layer, you need to create a

mask layer to hide the parts of the pupils and whites that overlap the eyes or eyelids. Start by animating all the blinks and expressions you need for the scene, then highlight all frames in the eye layer and Copy them.

22 Give the head a fi nal tweak by adding “squash and stretch”. At the head’s

lowest point during a movement, use the Free Transform tool (Q) to squash it down and widen it. Do the opposite for the head’s highest point. Don’t overdo this; be subtle.

20 Start by plotting keyframes on the head layer. Add a frame at the point

you intend to move the head. Highlight each of these frames and adjust its position. As the vampire begins to say “Welcome!” the head dips. As he fi nishes the word, the head rises.

21 To avoid making the head too snappy, add more keyframes between the

newly created head positions. Now move them between to cushion the head movement. Remember to use the Onion Skin feature (see page 66) to help see the frame before and after.

17 Create a new layer and Paste the eyes onto it. Name this “mask”. Right-click

this new layer and select “mask” from the drop-down menu. This layer is now blue. Drag the layers to be masked onto it to make them blue, too (if they’re not already).

18 Now highlight each frame on the mask layer and in turn colour the

inside of the eyes. In this example, they’re red. To do this, you need to break the symbols apart by pressing Ctrl+B. Lock all the timeline layers to see it work.

23 Create a layer below the character in the main timeline and bring in the

background (either create this in Flash or import it from your computer). Drag the background onto the background layer.

24 Go through the symbols and remove any markings and crosshairs with the

Eraser (E). Now’s the time to make any fi nal adjustments… Happy? Then hit Ctrl+Enter to Preview your movie or Export it as an AVI fi le.

24 Lip-syncing and character animation in Flash needn’t be complicated. Keep

things simple and don’t move anything unnecessarily. Now play with other Flash tools and see what you can create.

Cycles are often used to animate inside a symbol, enabling that symbol to be moved around later in a scene without adjusting the animation. If you have all your animation contained in one symbol, then you can move it around in the main timeline, using Motion Tweening to make it move across the screen, or get larger or smaller.

FEATURE

READ THE SMALL PRINT

OPYRIGHT AND ONTRACTS

GET STARTED WITH...

FEATURE

The world has become increasingly litigious,so it pays to know your rights. Most people –

designers and clients alike – have misconceptions about who holds the copyright to commissioned work, and many designers neglect the paper work. Creative work is often deemed all-important – the legal stuff comes later. But this is a mistake. If you don’t assert copyright from day one, you’ll lose your rights to do so.

Rebecca Swindells is an associate at Addleshaw Goddard, specialisingin Intellectual Property litigation: “The fi rst owner of the copyright is generally the creator of the work, although if there’s more than one author, copyright ownership depends on the contribution made by each author and any agreements made. If the author is an employee, the employer typically owns the copyright, and although the author/employer is typically the copyright owner for commissioned work, contractual arrangements usually expressly or implicitly provide that the commissioner is entitled to the copyright, or at least has a licence to use the work.”

Marc Peter, co-founder of on-IDLE, also recommends checking your employment contract, especially when

working on “after hours” projects: “The company you work for can claim copyright ownership on such things if the work relates to a customer or work going on at the company at the time.”

Because copyright is a property right, it can be transferred to someone else by way of assignment in writing. Mark Johnson of digital design agency Clear* Interactive maintains that you should retain copyright, “so the elements that comprise your work cannot be taken by the client and handed over to third parties that might re-use it.” The basis for this, he explains, is that designers are contracted to deliver specifi c solutions and not to give away all their knowledge and expertise. That work may be re-used in a way that

diminishes its value and refl ects poorly on you, the designer.

But many clients don’t accept such demands. “Some contracts make you sign away your copyright on artwork,” says Pixelsurgeon’s co-founder, Jason Arber. “Most of the time I won’t be using it again, so I’m not bothered by lack of copyright ownership.”

2Advanced’s Tony Novak says that in such cases you should still retain a full non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide licence, so that you’re entitled to display work within your portfolio. Apart from that, the copyright for 2Advanced work is released to the company’s clients, with the caveat that 2Advanced maintains the right to register and enforce claims stemming from work produced by the studio. “Most designers try to retain

Ë

October 2004 | 73

USEFUL RESOURCES:Although many books exist onthe subject of copyright and contracts, our legal advisors recommend a number of online resources, including: The Patent Offi ce (www.patent.gov.uk/copy/index.htm)New Media Knowledge (www.nmk.co.uk)LawGym (www.lawgym.com)PACT (www.pact.co.uk)Briffa (www.briffa.com)www.intellectual-property.gov.ukThe UK Copyright Service (www.copyrightservice.co.uk)

Although it's composed of generic tags and elements, code can be copyrighted, as Margaret Briffa of leading IP legal advisors Briffa explains: "If you put various programming languages together in a unique and original manner, the use

and pattern of that string of codes will probably be protected by copyright as a literary work, in the same way as any other literary work would be protected. But to attract copyright protection, coding must be long enough so that there

can be other ways of achieving the same effect."

Code ownership must be explicit in your contracts: clients must be awareof whether you intend to retain copyright or not. 2Advanced's Tony Novak says copyright on all items

(including code) transfersto the client upon project completion. Conversely, Designation's Arthur op den Brouw says his company retains all rights, granting the customer a “licence to use output for the purpose for which it is intended.”

Copyright and contracts can be a brain-numbing subject. But if you can't afford to have a lawyer on permanent stand-by, how do you avoid trouble? Craig Grannell getsthe low-down from those in the know

WHO OWNS THE CODE?

FEATURE

74 | October 2004

ownership without knowing the reason why,” says Novak. “Some believe they have something that they can sell again and again, but, in our opinion, this never happens.”

The professionals With so many options, Swindells suggests seeking legal advice to carefully limit the use that the licensee can make of your copyrighted work. She also says that contracts should be drawn up professionally. Naomi Hood, a solicitor at Briffa, agrees: “Solicitors keep up-to-date with current legal issues and their impact on contract drafting, and have the expertise.”

In addition, you must determinethe rights clients have to amend copyrighted material. Peter Stevens, a partner at Manches Solicitors, explains: “Copyright is infringed if, without the licence of the copyright owner, it is (among other things) adapted, copied, rented or lent to the public.” There are exceptions, such as fair use for non-commercial research – essentially, if you retain copyright, the licence you provide regulates what a client can do with the work.

With regards to infringements, there are caveats, notably that reproduction of something that amounts to less than a “substantial part” of a work is not an infringement. “But ‘substantial’ is measured qualitatively as well as quantitatively,” explains Stevens. “A key feature of a design may be ‘substantial’ even

though it occupies only a small percentage of physical space. ‘Substantial’ is broadly defi ned on the principle that if something’s worth copying, it’s worth protecting.”

“Authors also have a right to prevent their work being treated in a derogatory manner,” says Joanne Brook of Jeffrey Green Russell. “If an

amendment is not good… they can prevent those that demean the original work.” Of course, this relies on your retaining copyright, and this right is often waived under a contract.

Of course contracts cover more than just copyright. As Johnson says, “They clearly state the roles, responsibilities and rights of all parties involved – who owns what, how long it will take for each party to live up to their responsibilities on each project, and so on. A contract is a road

map used to agree with the client how we can best work together.”

In terms of items for inclusion, Stevens lists “terms of payment, the ‘product’ or list of things that should be done/delivered, who the parties are, and under what circumstances the contact terminates,” as essential. Novak says you must detail what happens when delays occur due to you or the client, and list additional costs that will not be included in the quoted price. “You should also know whatthe contract’s terms mean in a legal context,” he continues. “We regularly come across companies/individuals who don’t understand the meaning of these terms as they’re practised within

the judicial system.” Finally, Brook advises “including provisions excluding liability for any material provided by the customer and limiting damages the designer is liable for.”

Daylight robberySadly, it’s essential that you protect your work from being pilfered by

others. Although many designers pepper work with symbols and statements, Swindells notes that under UK law, “there’s no requirement for any copyright symbols.” However,she says that to be internationally protected, you must “include a copyright notice: the © symbol, the name of the copyright proprietor and the year of fi rst publication.”

Stevens adds: “Copyright in the USA used to depend on registration, but the Universal Copyright

Convention required the US to give equivalent copyright protection to unregistered foreign works, provided they bore the copyright notice.” US law was amended when the USA signed up to the Berne Convention. “Now, copyright under US law arises automatically on creation, although registration still confers some advantages in terms of remedies for infringement,” says Stevens.

In addition to copyright, some designers include full “terms of use” when possible, on Websites for example. 2Advanced is one such company. Its “legal” link leads to its claim for copyright, details regarding copyright infringement, and protection of materials on the site.

Ultimately, this is a lot to take in and it can be costly to seek advice from legal professionals. Luckily, free initiatives that enable creatives to better understand their rights are launching. Creative London recently announced Own It!, a means of delivering seminars, online and face-to-face advice.

Atticmedia is one of many companies advocating such services. CEO Mark Weber says: “As a result of taking intellectual property advice, we restructured our business, enabling us to retain a stake in the content we were developing. This added 20 per

“Get a proper contract drawn upand explain additional amateur legal statements in person to avoid ambiguity,or you could accidentally offend clients.” Iman Moradi, oculasm.org

DO:• Make it clear that your work is

protected. This will stop people “accidentally” using your workfor their own means.

• Seek professional advice when drawing up your contracts. This protects both you and your clients.

• Keep development work, and don't overwrite it – you never know when you may need to prove that you created something.

• In the event of disputes, ensure that the “fi ght” is not about ego, but about who will benefi t from copyright ownership and how.

• Talk to your clients at the very beginning of a project regarding expectations and wishes regarding copyright ownership.

• Include provisions within contracts excluding liability for any material provided by the customer and limiting any damages that the designer is liable for.

DON’T:• Refer to individual team members

within a contract. Instead, keep contracts between business entities – it’s easier to deal with things when problems occur.

• Have anything in the contractthat could be deemed ambiguous. Use straightforward wording.

• Lose control of your work by immediately signing away all rights. You don’t want work being used inappropriately by someone you don’t approve of because you didn’t control the copyright.

• Let people copy your work without your permission. If you acquiesce to use, you may not be able to claim infringement later.

• Blag your way through everything. If your client has legal counciland you’ve made up inaccurate legal jargon, you’ll lose.

• Hope that the problem of contracts and copyright will just go away. It won’t. Act sooner, not later.

DO’S & DONT’S

“Copyright, patenting and trademarking varies between countries. You should know the basics of every foreign market to which you deliver work.”Marc Peter, on-IDLE

FEATURE

• Assignment: The transfer of IP rights from the rights owner to someone else.

• Commercial rights: These ensure adequate remuneration for the author.

• Copyright: The legal framework enabling authors to control works and receive remuneration for its use. Copyright applies for a fi xed period, whereupon work becomes public domain and free of copyright restrictions.

• Copyright notice: A notice used as an indication that work is protected by copyright and its owner is aware of and assertive about protecting these rights.

• Fair use: The use of copyrighted work without permission being required. Varies by country. Often restricted to educational outlets and news reporting.

• Infringement: The illegal useof copyright material, such as distribution or adaptation without permission.

• Intellectual Property (IP): The concept of treating intangible products as physical things.IP can comprise copyrights, patents and trademarks.

• Moral right: The right to be identifi ed as author of a work and to object to derogatory treatment of said work.

• Patent: A government grant giving a creator exclusive rights over an invention for a specifi ed time period.

• Royalties: A share paid to an author from income generated from the sale of their work.

• Trademark: A distinctive device used to identify a product ora company.

cent to our bottom-line.” Elsewhere, advice has evolved into freely available contracts to use and adapt, such as the fl edgling effort at New Media Knowledge. The contract, developed with the assistance of Briffa, “provides a template for Web developers,

interactive agencies and their clients to pick and choose legal clauses tailored to their relationships.” Essentially, it enables you to rapidly and cost-effectively develop commercial agreements and reduce the risk of confl icts between you and your clients.

Use your headDespite the myriad seminars, lawyers and solicitors available, Arthur op den Brouw, director of Reading-based new media agency, Designation, takes a cautious approach. He says that basic common sense still has its part to play in the current climate of watertight contracts and frenzied lawsuits. “Sometimes, these things need to be led by gut feeling and the good nature of the people you’re intending to work with. No job is worth anything if you can’t resolve an issue face-to-face or through discussion,” he says.

• Copyright-wise, the 2Advanced Website makes it very clear about what the user can and cannot do.

• The text includes a disclaimer, in case the site itself unintentionally infringes the copyright of others.

• For pitch work, the on-IDLE purchase order states that the concepts cannot be passed on to a third party without the consent of on-IDLE. For work completed, it states IP must only be used for the agreed specifi c purpose, and no other.

Legal advice provided by: Rebecca Swindells, Addleshaw Goddard (www.addleshawgoddard.com); Margaret Briffa and Naomi Hood, Briffa (www.briffa.com); Creative London (www.creativelondon.org.uk); Peter Stevens, Manches Solicitors (www.manches.com); Joanne Brook, Jeffrey Green Russell (www.jgrweb.com).

JARGONTHE SMALL PRINT

October 2004 | 75

• The Clear* standard contractdetails that the company reservesthe right to suspend services ifpayment isn’t received.

• It also outlines the company’sterms in this area – in fi ne detail.

How three companies – Clear*, 2Advancedand on-IDLE – handle their contract details

“Keep contracts simple: for short-term ones, don’t wrap each other in a spider’s web of conditions, exclusions and ‘what ifs?’” Arthur op den Brouw, Designation

THANKS TO…

■ WORLD EXCLUSIVE!ABLETON LIVE 4It’s the biggest softwarerelease of the year: Live 4will rock your sequencingworld. Read the review, loadup the demo and follow ourclick-by-click tutorial

■ AMAZING FREE SOFTWARE!Chop up beats in theexclusive Reflex CM demoElectric and acoustic guitarsin SampleTank 2 Free

■ PLUS!Mix like a pro 3Make betterbasslines 3Go beyond MP33Master the Event List 3Image-Line Sytrus, e-LabObsession and NI XpressKeyboards reviewed

ON SALE MONDAY AUGUST 16

MAKE MUSIC NOW

Featuring a FREE virtual music studio on the CD every month, Computer Music is all you need to make incredible music on your PC and Mac

NEW LOOK!NEW LOOK!

★★★★★September 2004 | 77

REVIEWSThis month’s reviews kick off in style with an in-depth look a Eovia’s Amapi 7 Pro, a 3D modeller with superlative NURBS modelling tools that will suit both the beginner and experienced user. Find out how 11 years’ of evolution shapes up on page 78.

Then there’s In-A-Flash 3, NetGUI’s phenomenally adept entry-level animation app. Despite being aimed at newcomers, pro

designers will relish the inclusion of the FlashLab 1.1 fi le browser. More on page 80.

In addition, you’ll fi nd an exclusive preview of PaintshopPro 9 (page 83), and full reviewsof Furnace, two incredible After Effects plug-ins (page 82), NEC Mitsubishi’s gorgeously seductive LCD (page 84) and Primera’s CD-burning/printing marvel (page 85). All this and more over the page…

WELCOMETURN TO PAGE 78

FURNACEImprove your footage with this top AE plug-in

TURN TO PAGE 82

PAINTSHOP PRO 9EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW! Find out why we can’t waitto get our hands on Jasc’s superb upgrade

TURN TO PAGE 83

MULTISYNC 2080UX+One of the sharpest and most impressivedisplays we’ve seen in a long time

TURN TO PAGE 84

GROUP TESTA3 COLOURLASER PRINTERSLarge-format printersgo head to head…

TURN TO PAGE 88

BRAVO IIBurn and label your CDs with this all-in-one hardware solution from Primera

TURN TO PAGE 85

PHOTOCLEANBanish red-eye, blurs and more – forever

TURN TO PAGE 86

IN-A-FLASH 3Create fl exible Flash animations in minutes

VERDICTOUR RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED: All our products go through rigorous testing to get a rating in our verdict and only truly outstanding and essential pieces of kit receive fi ve out of fi ve

TURN TO PAGE 80

ON THE CDDemo version

SPECIAL PREVIEW

AMAPI 7 PROPros will adore Eovia’s re-tooled 3D modeller

ON THE CDDemo version

ON THE CDDemo version

ON THE CDDemo version

REVIEW

Amapi Pro is without doubt a powerful but easy-to-use NURBS modeller for the professional industrial designer, modeller, animator or architect. A keen price ($799) keeps this high-end tool within everyone’s budget, while the shallow learning curvewill please novice users.

PC ✔

FEATURES● New NURBS kernel● Connecting surfaces● Trimmed surfaces● NURBS fi lleting● NURBS Booleans● Manifold Volume Construction tool● Advanced polyhedral modelling● Solid modelling● Dynamic Geometry● Support for IGES, DWG and STL● Microscribe support

SYSTEM● PC: PIII, Celeron 800MHz or better● Windows 2000/XP recommended● 256MB RAM or more● 24-bit colour display● OpenGL 3D graphics card

● MAC: G4/G5 800MHz or better● Mac OS X 10.2 or higher● 256MB RAM or more● 24-bit colour display● OpenGL 3D graphics card

FOR● Powerful NURBS modelling● Awesome Dynamic Geometry● Detailed polyhedral modelling● One of few high-end modellers

for the Mac

AGAINST● Tricky tool/command validation or

termination tricky at fi rst● Limited rendering and materials

Ë With Amapi 7 Pro, Eovia –which also publishes 3D

modelling tool Carrara – has produced a re-tooled product aimed squarely at professional industrial designers, modellers, architects, animators and illustrators.

No simple upgrade, this new release boasts sophisticated NURBS and comprehensive polygonal tools, a powerful construction history, and a redesigned interface – all of which will do a lot to place Amapi 7 Pro way ahead of the competition.

The new NURBS kernel lies at the heart of the app and has been rebuilt from the ground up in order to address the demands of the CAD/CAM pipeline. The NURBS engine features high-end modelling tools, such as NURBS Boolean operators, trimmed surfaces and NURBS fi lleting. Though NURBS offer distinct advantages over polygonal modelling, connecting NURBS

surfaces has always been tricky. Amapi Pro tackles this problemwith the Ruled Surface tool, which provides excellent control over the joined surfaces.

The NURBS engine offers more than just a comprehensive set of modelling tools; it provides a friendly environment in which to sketch design concepts, refi ne models and

export 3D surfaces and volumes for CAD/CAM manufacturing – all from within Amapi Pro. The software seamlessly interfaces with manufacturing systems by importing and exporting IGES,STL and DWG formats.

While NURBS may be the way forward for CAD, polyhedral modelling is by and large the current standard for animation, games and illustration. In Amapi Pro the NURBS and the polyhedral modelling tools are basically the same and can be easily switched using the app’s NURBS/Poly button.

A new feature of Pro 7 is the Convert to NURBS function, which converts polygonal models to NURBS surfaces. This works well, but the results are unpredictable when attempting to convert large models with a high polygonal count.

Another major plus is the revamped interface: it’s now stable,

PRICE: $799$329 Upgrade

CONTACT:Eovia Corporation650-938-0515www.eovia.com

78 | October 2004

MAC

VERDICT

Amapi 7 Pro3D SOFTWARE

After 11 years in development, Amapi has fi nally matured into a serious tool for professional modellers

★★★★★

✔

Below: The re-tooled NURBS kernel provides creative freedom coupled with engineering precision for CAD/CAM manufacturing.

Main image: Models created in Amapi Pro can be exported in OBJ and 3DS formats for import into animation and rendering programs. Amapi Pro has a direct exporter for its sister product Carrara Studio 3. This image was rendered in Carrara Studio 3.

Below: AmapiPro modelling tools include Coons surfaces, Gordon surfaces, Sweep and Double Sweep.

© O

liver

Drio

n

© T

. Rou

ssel

© Oliver Drion

REVIEW

FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE AMAPI 7 PRO INTERFACE AND MAIN TOOLS

customisable, easy on the eye, and, more importantly, easy to use. The only leftover from earlier versions is the awkward tool validation process.

Eovia uses a room analogy to organise the workfl ow in Amapi Pro. Modelling is done in the Modelling room, rendering and materials inthe Rendering room and asset management in the Catalog room. While this system takes getting used to, it’s actually a rational method of organising the design, which, because each room only displays the tools and palettes required for its intended purpose, prevents clutter.

When you’re ready to apply materials, light or render a scene, you must switch to the Rendering room – and it’s here that Amapi Pro shares a few shortcomings with other 3D modelling packages. Its materials, lighting and rendering tools leave much to be desired.

The Rendering room gives access to the Materials Editor, which provides basic controls for Ambient Colour, Diffuse Colour, Shininess, Specularity and Transparency, among others, and to material

libraries such as, wood, metal and stone. Default scene lighting can be customised with basic Sun, Light and Spotlights. Just as basic are the rendering parameters.

In real production, the best course of action is to export the Amapi Pro models into your favourite 3D modelling/animation program via the 3DS or OBJ exporters. Amapi Pro also has a native exporter for its sister product Carrara Studio 3, so you can render more effectively there.

In addition to the actual software, Amapi Pro comes with a 500-page

manual, hundreds of ready-to-use models and an interactive Quick Tour that does a good job of guiding you through all of the most important features.

In terms of competition, Amapi is battling head-to-head with long established CAD applications such as StudioTools, form•z, Rhino and SolidThinking. Compared to Rhino and SolidThinking, Amapi has clear advantages, but falls short beside such industry standard tools as Studio Tools and form•z – mainly because it lacks complete modelling to rendering solutions.

Modelling complex volumes can be a time-consuming and demanding process. But now with the Manifold Volume Construction tool, everything is streamlined to just a few curves and mouse-clicks. When modelling the body of this mouse design, for instance, all you need are intersection surfaces to defi ne the boundaries of the mouse. Then, using the Manifold Volume Construction tool, you select each surface, press Enter and Amapi Pro creates the volume based on those surfaces.

2. InterfaceAmapi Pro sports an improved interface design that is well organised and fairly intuitive. However, itstill retains a couple of awkward relics from previous versions.

3. RenderingUnfortunately, materials and rendering options are limited. It’s more practical to export models to your favourite animation program for texturing and rendering.

4. Modelling toolsetAmapi Pro features an extensive polyhedral modelling toolset that rivals those providedby more expensive software modellers.

2

3

4

NEXT ISSUE IN

On test: Apple’s Motion

MANIFOLD VOLUME CONSTRUCTION TOOL

1. Dynamic GeometryDynamic Geometry enables youto do almost all modelling without having to collapse the construction history. This makes each modelling step fully editable.

October 2004 | 79

REVIEW

RESOURCE

Although In-A-Flash will be redundant to experienced Flash designers, the title provides a range of features that will be of interest to those still to master Macromedia’s package. For the price, even pro designers should consider the title for the FlashLab and PowerPoint add-in alone.

PC ✔

FEATURES• Automated preloader option• Control panel creation• Multimedia emails• Animated photo albums• Banner ads and screensavers• One-click effects• Add Flash to PowerPoint• SWF preview through FlashLab• SWF conversion

SYSTEM• Pentium 133 MHz• 128MB RAM• Windows 95 or later

FOR• Quick and easy Flash creation• Comprehensive confi guration

options• FlashLab SWF previewer AGAINST• Too simple for established

Flash designers• Results can be too generic• Predefi ned special effects are

a little clichédË Macromedia Flash has long

ruled the roost in terms of delivering high-impact animated content over the Web. As the technical capabilities of the product improve, so does the way it’s used in terms of creating dynamic content.

While the advances in Flash technology have been welcomed by the professional Web design community, there’s always a danger that complex developments might leave behind the casual users looking for an easy-to-use tool that helps them create banner ads or simple Web eye candy.

If this sounds familiar, then In-A-Flash might just be what you’re looking for. Unashamedly aimed at the non-pro market, it enables you to create fl exible Flash results without the need to master the Macromedia Flash timeline feature or rummage through Flash’s Actions palette.

On loading the software, you’re presented with a Project Wizard that

enables you to quickly create some of the more common end results, from banner ads through to photo albums. We found the main interface easy to grasp – and putting together a movie relatively easy via the images, text, existing animations or audio assigned to the timeline

Individual aspects of the Flash movie become editable when assets such as images, text, existing animations or audio are introduced, breaking the project into modules rather than the regular frame-based timeline. You can then develop these further in the Properties area, which provides options using a familiar tabbed approach.

This means you can amend overall properties through the Movie tab to work out the canvas size and any background elements while the duration of individual aspects of your movie is controlled via the Scene tab.

You can control assigned image, text, animation or audio elements

through dedicated tabs, each of which allows a good range of control over areas, including position, scale and colour, in addition to rotation and predefi ned special effects.

Aside from the primary toolset, In-A-Flash has much more to offer the novice Flash designer. Topping this list is FlashLab 1.1, a fi le browser dedicated to previewing Flash native SWF fi les. Ordinarily, SWF fi les must be opened to preview how an individual fi le is composed, but with FlashLab you can browse any folder within your system to see thumbnail animations of the Flash fi les they contain. A tool enabling you to add SWF fi les to your PowerPoint presentations is also provided.

For the price, In-A-Flash provides effective ways of creating simple Flash eye candy and, although there’s stiff competition from the likes of SWiSH, the complete suiteis well worth considering for thosein need of a quick Flash fi x.

PRICE: £36

CONTACT:NetGUI01752 895100www.netgui.co.uk

80 | October 2004

MAC

VERDICT

In-A-Flash 3 ANIMATION SOFTWARE

Flash made simple for those without animation skills and the desire to fl ex their creative muscles

★★★★★

✘

LEFT: The sample SWF fi les are pretty lame, but the concept behind FlashLab will be of interest to both new and experienced Flash users.

SWiSHzone’s Flash content creation tools should also be able to satisfy your craving for smart and hassle-free site design. For further details, visit www.swishzone.com Top templates (SWiSHsites) are also available.

ABOVE: The main interface consistsof the main confi guration window anda free-fl oating Preview pane that displays real-time changes.

http://bt.com/getbroadband

REVIEW

RESOURCE

Speed up and slow down footage with movie-quality motion blur, or steady handheld shots and camera shake with ease. Furnace effects work quickly and areeasily adjustable – but theycome at a price. In a professional environment, though, they’ll pay for themselves in no time.

PC ✔

FEATURES• Build “in-between” frames to

change the speed of movement• Add motion blur without having

to retime a clip• Auto-removal of camera shake • Optical fl ow technology to track

the movement of every pixel from one frame to the next

• Stabilise shots without using tracking points

• Stabilise shots that pan and sweep• Reduced edge dragging between

foreground/background objects• Fully multi-processing and renders

at 8-bit or 16-bit • Node locked and fl oating licence

keys available• Can be used in conjunction with

masks, for improved results

SYSTEM• Any system capable of running

After Effects 6.0 or 6.5

FOR• Superb results, especially with

slow motion• Many shots work with no changes

to the settings• A “high-end” look now available in

After Effects

AGAINST• Kronos not completely intuitive• Documentation could be clearer• Render times could be faster

Ë At fi rst glance, you might think there’s nothing special

about the two plug-ins that make up Furnace. After all, it’s easy to change clip speed and remove camera shake in After Effects, which is all that Kronos and Steadiness are meant to do. But spend time with them and you’ll soon see otherwise.

It’s diffi cult to cheat the slow-motion shot well in post-production. Kronos changes all that. Simply slow footage in AE and the result appears steppy, fl ickering and altogether forced; not the liquid motion you get with fi lm shot at a fast frame-rate. Apply Kronos to a video clip, though, and that super-smooth look is brilliantly recreated, often without having to adjust fi lter settings. In a similar fashion, Kronos can quickly smooth out accelerated footage that would otherwise look too much like an old Charlie Chaplin movie.

Render times are substantial, because every pixel is being tracked,

and blurs are predicted. In real-world use, however, render times aren’t a signifi cant problem, because you can render on a network, and are unlikely to apply Kronos to several minutes’ footage at a time.

When you slow footage down, you want to create motion blur, but you don’t want edge-dragging – where the foreground and background mix unrealistically. Furnace copes well with this, but if you want perfect results you’ll need to draw a mask around the foreground object. In many cases, this level of detail isn’t required, but you can’t always expect Kronos to do the whole job for you.

Meanwhile, Steadiness makes image stabilisation easier than ever. The beauty is that you no longer have to set tracking points. Not only does this save time, because you simply apply and render, but it means you can stabilise shots where tracking points move off-screen. As most users will know, just about every

shot you want to stabilise suffers from vanishing tracking points.Steadiness solves the problem, admirably. Even with no adjustment to the presets, it rendered better results than we’d managed after hours of work. It was particularly good at turning handheld shots that move horizontally across the subject into smooth, dolly-like tracking shots. Steadiness even worked on footage that AE’s own tools found diffi cult to cope with.

You can adjust settings if required, and steady the image according to a particular frame, or by averaging out movement over the whole clip. Render times aren’t as bad as you might expect, being barely longer than the standard AE approach.

Deceptively simple and easy to use, Furnace plug-ins will be useful to serious video editors. For those who work with speed changes or handheld footage, the time savings are signifi cant.

PRICE: £350 (licence available from)

CONTACT:The Foundry020 7434 0449www.thefoundry.co.uk

82 | October 2004

MAC

VERDICT

Furnace PLUG-INS

Furnace brings movie-quality stabilisation and speed control to Adobe After Effects

★★★★★

✔

LEFT: Steadiness can take a sweeping, panning handheld shot, and make it look like a smooth track-dolly shot, with nothing more than the preset fi lter.

BELOW: Kronos generates a smooth, movie-like, slow-motion look, without the usual jitter and jerking producedby typical slow-motion video.

The Foundryis already justly famous for its Tinderbox range of high-end After Effects plug-ins. Lightning, Old Film, Sparks, LensFlare, Paint, Rays, Sky and Distort are just some of the effects available. For more details, visit www.thefoundry.co.uk

VERDICT

N/A PREVIEW ONLY

PC MAC

RESOURCE

REVIEW

Paintshop Pro 9GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

Jasc's latest upgrade to its creative application for digital artists and enthusiasts

The wonderful new painting tools enable you to paint in almost any style you wish.The Mixer palette enables you to choose colours and smear them around, then save the palette to disk.

FEATURES• History palette • Mixer palette • Art Media tools • Image browser • RAW camera image support • Digital photo correction fi lters • New effects• Vector tool updates • Text tool updates • Print layout features

SYSTEM• 300MHz processor or faster

(1GHz recommended)• Windows 2000/XP• 256MB of RAM (512MB

recommended)• 500MB of free hard drive space • 16-bit colour display at

800x600 resolution• Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

FOR• User-friendly, intuitive interface• Professional tools and fi lters• Real life artist tools• Favourite actions can be scripted

AGAINST• Nothing we could think of

PRICE: £100

CONTACT:Jasc0870 443 2239www.jasc.com

✔

ËPaint Shop Pro has retained its popularity over the years

thanks chiefl y to a user-friendly interface, intuitive functions and design targeted at both amateur users and experienced artists alike.

While version 8 remains a popular package, Jasc is about to release a new version. And on the evidence presented by the beta-test product under scrutiny here, we’re convinced it’ll really turn heads.

The most signifi cant new feature is the real-world simulating paint toolset –that Jasc calls its Art Media tools. These come in a number of fl avours, including Oil Brush (our favourite), Chalk, Pastel, Crayon, Coloured Pencil and Marker tools – and work really well.

Paint strokes made with the Oil Brush and Palette Knife tool are, by default, designed to smear and mix colours together. You can choose to dry the layer with a simple mouse

click or make it wet again with another. Every Art Media Layer can have its own texture or blending mode, which makes it possible to paint pretty much anything.

But paint would be nothing without a palette on which to form your colours, which is where Jasc's Mixer Palette comes in. You dab colours on it as in real life, selecting colours and then smearing them together until the intended shade is produced. Once happy with the blend, you can save the colour to a fi le until you’re ready to use it.

The interface is customisable, and you can dock handy menus at will, too. Paint Shop Pro 9 even enables you to create your own menu bars so that frequently used actions can be scripted to fully automate your standard actions and effects.

The vector tools have also been updated. The Pen tool is now more intuitive to make the creation of line

art easier, while the addition of symmetrical shapes gives you all you need to create buttons, banners and stunning vector art. Best of all, you can do it all without having to leave the program. Jasc has even thrown in a bunch of preset shapes so that every vector layer can be turned into a raster layer.

There’s also a whole list of features offering functionality around digital camera images –anything from snaps to the high-end professional stuff – in the form of RAW Camera Image Support and numerous digital photo correction fi lter features.

In terms of price, Paintshop Pro 9 costs just a fraction of professional-focused software such as Adobe’s Photoshop, and while the package can’t compete with some of the Adobe features, Paint Shop Procan easily stand alongside it as an effective, low-cost alternative.

✘

Amateur and professional users alike will benefi t from the friendly interface, effective functionality and excellent graphics tools. But for us the enhanced digital painting capability of this new release has really moved Paint Shop Pro 9 up into a different league in our opinion.

Paint Shop Pro started life as a graphics app, freely available on a bulletin board for testing, circa 1991. Creator Robert Voit, a former airline pilot, set upJasc to fi nance the product’s R&D. Millions of artists now use it worldwide.

Loads of scripts for automating effects or much-used functions are available. You can download many more from the Web.

October 2004 | 83

SPECIAL PREVIEW

Fall in love with a screen goddess – NEC-Mitsubishi’s display is slim, elegant and delivers a spectacular image.

REVIEW

RESOURCE

The MultiSync 2080UX+ sets the standard for other large LCD monitors. A fi ne pixel pitch and a stunning response time make it one of the sharpest and most impressive LCD screens we've seen in a long time – you certainly get what you pay for. Audition one and fi nd out for yourself.

PC ✔

FEATURES• Superb S-IPS TFT 20.1-inch panel • Ultra-fi ne pixel pitch of 0.255mm • Clear viewing angle of 176°

horizontally and vertically• Brightness of 250 cd/m 2 • A contrast ratio of 400:1 • Response time of 16ms • 1600x1200 at 60Hz native

resolution• Dual DVi inputs as well as a

D-sub VGA analogue input• Dimensions (WxHxD):

442x366.3x200mm • Tilt, height swivel and pivot

adjustments

SYSTEM• Computer with graphics card

and DVi or VGA interfaces capable of driving 1600x1200 native resolution screen.

FOR• Fine colour adjustment• Sublime image quality• Dual inputs

AGAINST• There are cheaper screens• Small control buttons• Looks boxy from the rear

Ë Reports of the death of the CRT monitor have been

greatly exaggerated over the last few years. Despite predictions that these hot and heavy screens were on their way out, the quality and fi delity of colour reproduction has kept them in demand in graphic studios up and down the country. With NEC Mitsubishi’s latest, though, the doomsayers could have a point.

The NEC MultiSync 2080UX+ is probably one of the best fl at-panel monitors on the market. Not only is it a model of superb ergonomics, it has probably the sharpest, steadiest and most colour-neutral image you’re likely to fi nd at any price.

With a full 20-inch display, the 2080UX+ corresponds to a 22 or 23-inch CRT screen, so in display terms there’s a lot of space to play with, yet the dimensions of the screen make it perfect even for a moderate-sized desk. Part of the reason for its petite appearance is an ultra-thin bezel, which makes the screen appear to hang in space. We think it’s probably the thinnest you’re likely to fi nd on a monitor, CRT or fl at panel.

These slender proportions also make the 2080 perfect for a dual-screen set-up. Put two of these beauties side by side and you have a large and almost uninterrupted workspace for laying out projects or editing Photoshop fi les at different magnifi cations. The footprint of the 2080 is, however, tiny and doesn't take up much more space than the average offi ce telephone.

Technically speaking the 2080’s credentials are impeccable. For starters, the 0.255mm pixel pitch is exemplary and the 400:1 contrast ratio produces a crisp and bright image of 1600x1200 pixels, which can literally stops passers-by in their tracks. So steady and so natural is the image that you can work allday at the screen without feeling fatigued or stressed.

Working comfort is also further assured with a series of adjustments that encompass tilt, swivel height

and even pivot, so that you can set the screen in just the position or angle to suit your working set-up.

Perhaps one of the nicest features of the 2080UX+ is the provision of dual DVi inputs and a VGA socket for legacy video cards. Dual sockets make the 2080 perfect for sharing between a PC and a Mac. If you use a Mac for Photoshop and, say, a PC for 3D work, then you only need to buy one monitor. Sharing this big beast is as simple as pressing a control button on the front of the screen to switch inputs. It’s even possible that

you might want to share the monitor between two people for when each wants a little more screen space.

Other features that we like include the internal power supply and the respectable response time of just 16ms, which makes it perfect for displaying digital video with asense of realism. The 2080 also incorporates six-axis colour control so you can tweak the display for optimum colour balance – not that you’d have to as this screen has one of the most neutral colour casts we’ve ever seen.

PRICE: £998

CONTACT:NEC Mitsubishi UK08701 201160www.nec-mitsubishi.com

84 | October 2004

MAC

VERDICT

MultiSync LCD 2080UX+NEC MONITOR

The cathode ray tube’s days are numbered – as this stunning LCD makes clearer than any of its rivals

★★★★★

✔

Want to know more aboutNEC-Mitsubishi’s proprietarysix-axis colour system? Then try out the interactive colour demoat www.nec-mitsubishi.com/specials/online_englisch/sixaxis/index.html

RECOMMENDED

★★★★★

PC MAC

REVIEW

PRICE: £1395

CONTACT:Primera+49-611-92777-0www.primera.com

FEATURES• Print resolution of 4800dpi• USB 2.0 connection• 25-disc output, 50 in kiosk mode• One-year return to depot warranty• 52x CD Recorder• Easy-to-use software• SureThing CD labelling software

SYSTEM• PC: 450MHz or faster Pentium III/IV processor, Windows 2000 or XP

• MAC: OS X, 256MB RAM, 10 GB hard drive space

FOR• Professional results• High print quality• Cost effective over time

AGAINST• High initial outlay• Diffi cult to master• Low-end burner• Only works on Macs with USB 2

Bravo II Disc PublisherChurn out batches of CDs with high-spec professional labels, adding consumer appeal to your discs

CD COPIER✔✔

ËOn the face of it, this

behemoth of a CD duplicator looks like one complicated and expensive piece of kit. But for those in the professional graphics space needing to send out well-branded samples, it could signifi cantly reduce the cost of outsourcing such operations.

Manufactured by US-based Primera Technology, who had a hit last year with the original Bravo Disc Publisher, this upgraded version has signifi cantly upped the ante in terms of both copying and printing speeds.

First things fi rst, the Bravo II is a serious piece of kit that enables users to copy and label CDs in batches of up to 50 at a time. Considering how this is achieved,it’s commendable how Primera has crammed so much technology into such a (relatively) small space.

The Bravo works by utilising an impressive robotic function to grab your pre-loaded CDs, transfer them

to its built-in low-end LG 52x CD-R recorder to burn the content, then shuffl e them to an integrated printer where your full colour, high-resolution image is printed directly onto the surface of the disc.

Surprisingly, although the machine looks daunting in its not insubstantial box, setting up and using the copier is a fairly straightforward process. Once you’ve loaded the ink cartridgesand installed the CD docking bays, it's as simple as loading Primera’s SureThing labelling software and getting down to the job.

Obviously when approaching a complex job that involves printing and burning, the process should be approached with caution. Primera has included an easy-to-follow instruction book that requires careful reading – a 50-disc batch could easily be misprinted or mis-burnt if any of the steps are left out. The message is simple: always do

things by the book and you’ll avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Although the design of the Bravo II differs little from the original machine, Primera has made the most of its software and hardware improvements by adding USB 2.0 and tweaking the software interface.

One of the best advances, though, is in print quality. Primera has upped the dpi to 4800 from 2400 – a capability we felt gave our fi nished product a superb appearance.

We went for a simple logo design and found the process fairly simple – a case of importing a design using the software – although generic backgrounds and examples are also available if required.

Once the printing and burning process is underway, you can just sit back and marvel at the Bravo II doing its job. This process is quiet and, at around three and a half minutes per CD, fairly fast.

While certainly not an essential piece of kit, with prices for disc duplication, printing and packaging coming in at least £1.50 per disc (or considerably more for smaller runs), the Bravo II Disc Publisher couldstill save you some serious money if you outsource on a regular basis.

It’s easy to use, a dream to set up but still a little pricey for the average user at present.

If you’re fed up having to pay someone else to burn and professionally label your CDsfor you, then Primera’s Bravo IICD Publisher lets you take complete control in-house, while sacrifi cing none of the quality. If you outsource on a regular basis,it could also save you money.

VERDICT

Primera also provides a DVD version of the Bravo II Publisher. This is compatible with both CD-R and DVD±R. For more details, visit www.primera.com

RESOURCE

October 2004 | 85

Watching the Bravo II in action as it lifts, copies and prints is a strangely hypnotic experience.

REVIEW

RESOURCE

Shortcut PhotoClean is an easy-to-use and intuitive photo-editing tool that should be of interest to both professional and home enthusiasts. It is capable of fi xing a host of common digital imaging problems with impressive results.

PC ✔

FEATURES• Redesigned interface• Skin repair• Red-eye removal• Advanced features for

colour correction• Camera lens and

perspective correction• Support for multiple formats• Easy comparisons between

different images

SYSTEM• Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000,

XP or higher• Macintosh OS X or higher

FOR• Easy to use• Low price• Good results AGAINST• Hard to judge the extent

of effect applied• Can be slow

Ë Although the world isn’t quite crying out for another photo-

editing tool, the specialist vendors in this area keep pumping out the updates and new applications to meet the needs of a rapidly growing digital photography market.

Now that everyone from design agencies to the humble wedding photographer is getting busy with photo-editing tools, vendors have woken up to the fact that, in order to differentiate themselves, they must come up with something unique.

Away from the top-level pro market, amply catered for by the likes of Adobe, Jasc and Corel, smaller publishers are carving a successful niche for themselvesby offering cheaper versions of products designed to tidy up and enhance digital images.

One such company is Shortcut (formerly S-Spline), which produces a range of software designed to resize, redesign and enhance the quality of your digital photos. With PhotoClean 2.10, it’s carried out a

major upgrade, giving the package a complete interface overhaul and adding eight reparation options.

Operating via large, simple icons, PhotoClean works in a simple plug-and-play manner, offering 17 simple solutions to common digital photographic problems. Starting with fi lters developed to address faults such as blurred or poorly lit images, PhotoClean tackles the offending fi les with aplomb, managing to almost completely re-sharpen photos we’d left for dead.

As well as dealing with blur and shadow removal, the package works well with colour adjustment, skin tone enhancement and contrast and also manages to deal with red-eye.

Elsewhere, PhotoClean offers good fi xes for scanning interference, JPEG pattern correction and a fi lter enabling you to correct perspective and camera lens-related problems.

Once you’ve opened the package, it’s simple. Just load an image and then apply a number of fi xes to improve what you see on screen

using a combination of scrollbars and tick boxes.

The program allows for instant comparisons between original and treated images – a feature we found particularly useful in gauging adjustment to photo-blur. The results can also be judged via a preview window, which also displays the adjusted image at its actual pixel size, overcoming any distortions.

If we have one complaint, it would be that applying some of the fi lters can be diffi cult to judge – defi ning the effect parameters is pretty much up to you. We found it far too easy to apply too much of a fi x. Aside from that, and the odd lengthy wait while effects are processed, PhotoClean is a remarkably fl exible app that supports all major image fi le formats, including PCX and TGA.

While the low price of PhotoClean might put some punters off, the software’s sparkling functionality, ease of use and excellent output should be enough to make thisan essential buy.

PRICE: 49 euros

CONTACT:Shortcutwww.trulyphotomagic.com

86 | October 2004

MAC

VERDICT

PhotoClean 2.10PHOTO-EDITING SOFTWARE

Banish red-eye and the shakes forever with this latest addition to the ranks of the photo-editing app

★★★★★

✔

LEFT: If little Timmy just can’t stay still, PhotoClean will help put things right.

Other utilities available in the Shortcut Photo range include PhotoZoom (magnify images with minimal loss in quality) and PhotoArtist (transform any digital photo into an illustration or painting at the click of a button). For details, visit www.trulyphoto magic.com

ABOVE: With PhotoClean, red-eye like this will soonbe a thing of the past.

Authors Mark Wasserman Price $35Publisher How Design BooksISBN 1-58180-459-8

DIGITAL FANTASY PAINTING WORKSHOPAuthors Martin McKennaPrice £18Publisher IlexISBN 1-90470-537-5

Authors Simon DanaherPrice £20Publisher IlexISBN 1-90470-538-3

BOOKS

From fi re-breathing ice demons to the obligatory half-clad fantasy vixens, the usual suspects from the world of fantasy art are lavishly featured in McKenna’s Digital Fantasy Painting Workshop.

Intended as both a hands-on guide as well as general overview, the book takes an in-depth look at fantasy, sci-fi and horror art inthe digital age.

Starting with an examination of popular fantasy source material, the book progresses through a number of fantasy styles and offers multi-step tutorials on how to get the right look – from scanning-in original drawings and building images with

3D software packages to adding lightingand shadow effects.

A well put together and useful guide to a very popular genre.

Covering the full gamut of 3D graphics and design, this Complete Guide by CA contributor Simon Danaher will beof interest toboth newcomersand seasoned professionals.

From detailed explanations of the basics and early history of digital3D modelling to advanced tips for creating complex and effective graphics, Danaher's book offers a clear and detailed overview of the medium.

Also included is a guide to the major 3D packages Xara, 3ds max

and Maya. We’re sure we’ve seen that tutorial featuring a goldfi sh in a bowl before though.

What happens if some of the world’s most notable design practitioners get a chance to “remix” existing work using the original source fi les as a base?

The answer, pretty much, is a mixed bag. But this collection of material is intelligently presented through well-constructed layouts and informative interviews.

From visually impressive projects such as fi ve very different takeson an iMac press advertisementto less well realised attempts at redesigning various CD covers, this title visibly illustrates that there is

always more than one solution to a creative problem.

But the work falls down. The book tackles a narrow range of projects which fall into the CD cover/concert poster, retail advert genre. We’d prefer to have seen more ambitious re-designs of some mainstream, recognisable art. Also the layout of the book is confusing and makes it diffi cult to spot the difference between old and new work.

However, the book does feature some great new work by Dave Eggers and eBoy.

RETHINK REDESIGN RECONSTRUCT

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL 3D DESIGN

October 2004 | 87

The best reads this month on Computer ArtsBOOKS

DIGITAL FANTASY PAINTING WORKSHOP

88 | October 2004

GROUP TEST

GROUP TEST

October 2004 | 89

A3 COLOUR LASER PRINTERS

BROTHER HL-3450CN P90

KONICA-MINOLTA MAGICOLOR 7300 P90

OKI C9500DN P91

XANTÉ CL30 P91

XEROX PHASER 7750DN P92

GROUP TEST

Ë The days of the black-and-white “laser proof” are over – or, if they're

not, they should to be. Colour work deserves to be checked and reviewed in colour, too, well before you reach contract proof stage. But inkjet printers do not make good on-the-job page proofers: they’re slow, the consumables are expensive, and their default non-PostScript drivers may not faithfully representyour artwork. What you need, then, is an A3 laser proof – but in colour.

Most colour laser printers are designed for offi ce use, where output speed is of primary importance. But a handful of products have been put together with

graphics use in mind, and it’s this exclusive selection that we’ll be reviewing over the next few pages. These printers’ manufacturers recognise that in-house colour proofs are not just roughs, but need to show accurate font outlines, reproduce crisp vector art and make a decent job of bitmap images. It’s essential that the colour itself is highly accurate, not just “good enough”, and a built-in PostScript RIP should come as standard.

So if you’re looking for a fast printer that can produce A3 proofs in seconds rather than minutes, with each proof costing pennies rather than pounds, read on.Illustration by Scott Hansen. www.iso50.com

Large-format colour lasers can present a viable alternative to inkjet for in-house proofi ng and general graphics output, thanks to fast output and advanced colour matching. We test fi ve of the best

RESOURCE

Ë Brother has an enviable reputation for the industrial

design of its offi ce products, so it comes as no surprise to fi nd thatthe HL-3450CN is the smallest and lightest printer of the fi ve on test here. In fact, its footprint is so small that the A3 paper-feed cassette sticks out at the front. The device supports A3+ sheets (13x19inches) to allow full-bleed A3 output, complete with crop marks.

The slab-like toner cartridges are loaded drawer-fashion at the front of the unit and easy to install. Sadly, this is the only device of the fi ve that requires a separately installed oil bottle, so be careful if you need to relocate it, as things can get messy. The ghastly pong emitted from the vents during printing will also limit where you can put it in the offi ce…

Print quality is consistently good and, although it’s the slowest printer

of the fi ve, is certainly fast enough for graphics proofi ng. The device is easy to manage across a network from a Web browser via its embedded Web server, too.

The combination of limited memory in the standard model (64MB) and Brother’s own-brand BR-Script 3 emulation of PostScript leads to a lot of failed jobs. More memory is defi nitely needed for A4 spreads from QuarkXPress or hi-res output from Adobe Photoshop, for example. You will never be able to enjoy 2400dpi output without the full complement of 384MB. Of more concern is the BR-Script, which seems to struggle with output from Adobe PDF 1.5 pre-press documents, especially those containing transparency. The intermediate answer is to fl atten everything, but then doing so will demand yet more printer memory.

Brother HL-3450CNA compact colour laser for those on a tight budget

This printer seems more at home with business graphics than commercial digital artwork. We think you’ll need to fi t more printer memory before using the HL-3450CN in a design environment.

VERDICT

PC ✔

MAC ✔ PRICE: £2349STREET PRICE: £2180CONTACT: 0161 830 4030 www.brother.co.uk

★★★★★

Ë Arguably the most attractive printer on test, the Konica

Minolta magicolor 7300 also features some sensible product design. The unit is compact and almost as light as the Brother HL-3450CN, but we especially liked the provision of two paper input trays. Together these support a total paper input of 750 sheets as standard, yet both trays fi t fl ush with the case and are fi tted with large, rugged handles. Toners are inserted as narrow cylinders in a horizontal row behind a door at the front, a process that we found straightforward, if a little messy.

Print quality is very good indeed, something Konica Minolta puts down to its “Polymer Toner” and “Photo ART” imaging technologies. Colours, including gradients and continuous tones, lack the usual graininess you’d expect. This alone marks the magicolor 7300 out as an

ideal proofer for serious graphics work. Helping things along are good print drivers, which include a press colour-rendering feature for emulating Euroscale, SWOP (Specifi cations for Web Offset Printing) and Japanese CMYK press colours. This was also the only printer on test to install a set of factory-measured International Color Consortium (ICC) profi les for immediate colour management use.

Print speed, however, was inconsistent, possibly due more to the emulated PostScript than the memory allocation, which at 256MB should have been plenty for the test fi les. So, while vector artwork completed in under a minute, and some hi-res Adobe Photoshop samples took no more than a couple of minutes, our test spread in PDF 1.5 format only dropped into the output tray after eight minutes.

PRICE: £2606 STREET PRICE: £2270CONTACT: 01784 442255 www.konicaminoltaprinters.co.uk

Konica-Minolta magicolor 7300An inexpensive printer with accurate colour rendering

Despite some slow PDF output during testing, the Konica Minolta magicolor 7300 stands out for its very high quality results. You can’t ignore the low price and penny-per-sheet running costs, either.

VERDICT ★★★★★

PC ✔

MAC ✔

90 | October 2004

GROUP TEST

The International Color Consortium (ICC) was set up in 1993 to promote an industry-standardsystem of colour management that would enable users to match colour output across a wide range of print and digital media.

GROUP TEST

Ë Strictly speaking, this is not a laser printer at all. It still

works by electrophotographic methods but employs fi xed LED arrays instead of the conventional laser-and-mirrors setup. There are no disadvantages.

The Oki C9500DN is a one-pass printer, although – once again – it doesn’t take the most conventional route of mounting toner cartridges over a large photo-sensitive belt. Instead, each toner hopper sits on top of its own miniature organic photo conductor (OPC) drum, enabling the paper to pass along a fl at path underneath. This ensures colour printing is not much slower than plain black-only output.

Our only complaint is that the toner cartridges are fi ddly to install, and while each cartridge has been designed not to fi t in the wrong cradle, we imagine you could still do

so with some force, resulting in breakage and toner contamination.

Paper handling is good. In addition to the 550-sheet input tray there’s a fold-open multipurpose tray available on the right-hand side of the unit, plus a fold-open face-up tray on the left that provides a fl at path for thick media. Print quality is good, too, even if the results can look a little “textured”. The drivers support press colour rendering as well as Oki’s own colour-matching system, while the printer itself is fi tted with an Adobe PostScript 3 RIP. Colour accuracy is assured thanks to an invaluable software bundle that includes gamma and colour swatch utilities, plus a colour-correction utility for Microsoft Offi ce programs and HSL colour modes.

The C9500DN is pretty fast, too. Nothing we threw at it took longer 90 seconds to print, usually much less.

Ë Xanté specialises in constructing printer

packages that meet the needs ofthe professional digital graphics community. Several of its monoA3 laser models are marketed as platemakers, for example, thanks to their fully customisable precision geometry. The CL30 is a colour LED device based on the same hardware as Oki’s C9000 series, but with Xanté’s own touch of graphics management on top.

So in hardware terms, the CL30is visually very similar to the Oki C9500dn and functionally works in the same way. All the speed and paper-handling advantages of the Oki model, not to mention the fi ddliness of the toner cartridges, are evident here. You can print to outsize A3+ media, each job is printed in one pass, and the printer includes a genuine Adobe PostScript 3 RIP.

All that was lacking in our test model was the duplexer, which is of course available as an option.

What makes the CL30 unique is the colour precision control, in particular the ColourMatch 2 software for calibrating and profi ling the device with much greater local accuracy than merely relying on factory-standard ICC profi les. Not least, the device automatically recalibrates its settings after every 500 prints. Also provided is a PDF Direct Print utility, although as far as we could determine this is optimised for fast output of PDF 1.3 docs. As such, it may not be as reliable for PDF 1.5 documents, such as those generated by the latest edition of Adobe Acrobat. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that practically all pre-press submissions, and certainly the PDF/X standards, conform to PDF 1.3 anyway.

More than just another re-branded printer, the CL30 bears all the hallmarks of Xanté’s expertise in colour-accurate, precision output. Designers who demand fast and reliable proofs need look no further.

VERDICT

PC

MAC ✔ PRICE: £4463STREET PRICE: £4360CONTACT: Info-Tec 0870 740 0802 www.info-tec.biz

★★★★★

XantéCL30High-speed colour proofi ng with many options for pro users

PC ✔

MAC ✔ PRICE: £4869STREET PRICE: £4589CONTACT: Oki 0800 917 6015 www.oki.co.uk

OkiC9500DNFine network A3 colour printing from the LED specialists

This is a fast and accurate printer that everyone can use, both forhigh-end graphics proofi ng and everyday offi ce documents. The price includes a generous allocation of memory and an internal duplexer.

VERDICT ★★★★★

RESOURCENeed something a little meatier? Then you’ll be pleased to hear that another version of the Xanté CL30 –the HSE model –is available for designers who want to print on heavy stock upto 330gsm.

October 2004 | 91

✔

RESOURCE

If your budget can stretch the extra £1000 or so, the Xerox Phaser 7750DN is the only printer (other than a proper digital proofer) your studio needs. The print quality is great for everyday proofi ng, the colour accuracy right for mission-critical design, and the speed ideal for extra offi ce work.

PC ✔

FEATURES• 1200dpi resolution• 35ppm (A4) for colour as well

as mono• Genuine Adobe PostScript 3

RIP built-in• 384MB memory as standard• Embedded Web server• Press profi les in driver• Colour calibration software

FOR• Thoroughly versatile printer, which

produces accurate, quality colour proofs without the wait

AGAINST• Very big, very heavy and

very expensive Ë A3 colour lasers seem oversized at the best of times,

but the Xerox Phaser 7750DN is a mighty 88kg giant that will require a fair bit of room in your studio. That said, the weight and space it occupies is not wasted: this is a thoroughly well built machine with plenty of solid parts. Even the 150-sheet fl ip-open multipurpose trayon the left-hand side of the unit is thicker and tougher than average. The main paper tray, which slotsinto the front, holds 500 sheets, making a total standard input of 650. Additional 1,500 and 2,500-sheet feeders are available at extra cost and the unit includes an internal duplexer as standard.

This is a single-pass device with four cylindrical toner cartridges inserted at the front, sitting over a wide transfer belt. The toner cartridges themselves are quite large – notably the black, which is the largest. Replacing the cartridges is straightforward and surprisingly clean, too. All the other printers

allowed at least a light sprinkling of coloured dust to escape during replacement, but not the 7750DN.

Like Xanté and Oki, Xerox has built a genuine Adobe PostScript 3 RIP into the device, which signifi cantly aids output speed and compatibility across the widest range of graphics applications. Although a per-print speed comparison between the printers on test is not so important for colour proofi ng as it might be for colour copying or offi ce documents, the Phaser 7750DN sprints through jobs like no other.

A complex vector illustration took just 16 seconds; a high-res image in Photoshop took 42 seconds; our challenging full-bleed A4 spread in PDF 1.5 format containing multiple instances of transparency dropped into the output tray after just 43 seconds. Of course, processing speed was helped in no small part by the 384MB of memory.

Colour controls include a powerful driver with a wide range of on-screen and press rendering

simulations, from sRGB to Euroscale and SWOP. Also featured are Pantone-approved solid colour simulations and support for international standards such as SNAP and DIC Toyo. Essential colour calibration is achieved using a PhaserCal utility, while full PhaserMatch 3.0 software isoffered as an extra-cost optionfor calibrating the printer and generating custom ICC profi les.

In common with the other printers on test, the Phaser 7750DN supports advanced network features such as job accounting and security. But its embedded Web server is defi nitely the most comprehensive, and its walk-up features are second to none thanks to the printe’s big, backlit, six-line LCD status screen. This product is nothing if not useable and friendly.

Print quality is very good, with only a minimum of grain in gradients and continuous tones. Flat colours, including pastels, are impressively clean throughout.

PRICE: £5779STREET PRICE: £5110

CONTACT: Xerox0800 787787www.office.xerox.com

MAC

VERDICTNo wonder the 7750DN outranks its competition. Xerox developed the very fi rst laser printer way back in 1969– and unveiled a prototype in 1971.It wasn’t until 1977, however, that the Xerox 9700 Electronic Printing System went on sale. It established 300dpi as the standard resolution for printed images.

An expensive but immensely well confi gured beast of a colour-accurate laser printer

★★★★★

✔

RECOMMENDED

92 | October 2004

Xerox Phaser 7750DN

GROUP TEST

GROUP TEST

October 2004 | 93

Ë Colour lasers may make interesting proofers, but few printer manufacturers see them in this

way. Sure, some have professional design output in mind, but most don’t think of graphics beyond Web pages and PowerPoint hardcopy. Our selection of fi ve A3 colour laser printers includes examples of both.So, from a CA reader’s point of view, the BrotherHL-3450CN seems the least attractive option. It is, however, a fi ne offi ce printer and can still handle less demanding graphics jobs, given enough memory.

The other four devices in our Group Test are better equipped for the professional design studio, but in

varying measures. The inexpensive Konica Minolta magicolor 7300 produced the fi nest output of the Group Test and running costs are low. The Xerox Phaser 7750DN produced output almost as good at four times the speed, although admittedly at twice the price. And despite being based on similar core hardware, the Oki C9500DN and Xanté CL30 feel like very different printers indeed because of each manufacturer's approach to calibration and colour profi ling.

In tests, the Oki C9500DN had the edge in terms of speed, but the Xanté offered more when it came to colour management. Although we didn’t have the

opportunity to test it this time round, the heavy stock edition of the Xanté CL30 (the HSE model) would defi nitely make a compelling purchase for the creative designer and packaging artist.

Picking the best out of these four is an impossible job: we can safely recommend them all. However, since we are forced to pick just one, we choose the Xerox Phaser 7750DN, because it’s a product that has everything: lots of memory, long toner cartridge life, fast output, Adobe PostScript 3, 1200dpi resolution, hard disk, duplexer and more. Just bear in mind that it costs a bundle and weighs a ton.

CONCLUSION

PRODUCT BROTHER HL-3450CN KONICA-MINOLTA MAGICOLOR 7300

OKI C9500DN XANTÉ CL30 XEROX PHASER 7750DN

Price (RRP) £2349 £2606 £4869 £4463 £5779

Price (Street) £2180 £2270 £4589 £4360 £5110

Speed rating (A3/A4) 3/6ppm colour, 12/24ppm mono

11/21ppm colour, 11/21ppm mono

16/30ppm colour, 20/37ppm mono

N/A/30ppm colour,N/A/37ppm mono

N/A/35ppm colour,N/A/35ppm mono

Max resolution 2400dpi 600dpi 1200dpi 1200dpi 1200dpi

PostScript emulation BR-Script 3 PostScript 3 Adobe PostScript 3 Adobe PostScript 3 Adobe PostScript 3

Interfaces Ethernet, USB, parallel Ethernet, USB, parallel Ethernet, USB, parallel Ethernet, USB, parallel Ethernet, USB

Memory fi tted/max 64/384MB 256/512MB 320/1024MB 256/1024MB 384/1024MB, 20GB HD

Paper input trays 250 sheets 500 sheets, 250 sheets 550 sheets, 100 sheets 550 sheets, 100 sheets 500 sheets, 150 sheets

Optional trays 250 sheets, 500 sheets 500 sheets, 250 sheets 550 sheets, 550 sheets 550 sheets, 550 sheets,1,650 sheets

1,500 sheets, 2,500 sheets

Duplexer Optional Optional Standard Optional Standard

Toner prices Black £128.50 (14,000 pages), Cyan £110.63 (8,500 pages), Magenta £111.48 (8,500 pages), Yellow £115.74 (8,500 pages)

Black £100 (26,000 pages); Cyan £159 (26,000 pages), Magenta £159 (26,000 pages), Yellow £159 (26,000 pages)

Black £69 (15,000 pages), Cyan £169 (15,000 pages), Magenta £169 (15,000 pages), Yellow £169 (15,000 pages)

Black £104.57 (15,000 pages), Cyan £233.82 (15,000 pages), Magenta £233.82 (15,000 pages), Yellow £233.82 (15,000 pages)

Black £107.91 (32,000 pages), Cyan £198.42 (22,000 pages), Magenta £198.42 (22,000 pages), Yellow £198.42 (22,000 pages)

Toner cost per A3 page 4.4p 1p 3.2p 4.5p 2.4p

Dimensions (WxDxH) 615x420x540mm 628x594x564mm 666x626x460mm 665x589x462mm 644x715x493mm

Weight 54kg 56.8kg 72kg 70kg 88kg

RECOMMENDED

http://www.computerarts.co.uk/usasubs

July 2004 | 95

BUYER’S GUIDEWelcome to the Computer Arts Buyer’s Guide – an indispensable resource that summarises popular products we’ve tried and tested in previous issues. It saves you fl icking through your back issues to fi nd out how we scored a particular product; here you can simply see at a glance what we thought of it.

Every month, we update the section with our latest reviews, ensuring that you’re always up to date when it comes to making that vital buying decision. Note also that the price we print is the

RRP suggested by the manufacturer, so you could pay less if you shop around.

Indeed, when it comes to locatingthe best bargains, the Internet should always be your fi rst port of call. Whether you buy directly via an e-tailer, or use a dedicated Website’s search facilities to snap up a brilliant deal, there’s no better way to make your money go further.

RECOMMENDED URLS: www.ebay.co.uk, www.dabs.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.kelkoo.com

WELCOME

September 2004 | 95HHHHH VERDICT

OUR RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED: All our products go through rigorous testing to get a rating in our verdict and only truly outstanding and essential pieces of kit receive fi ve out of fi ve

Graphics and layout softwareP96 PHOTOSHOP CS The industry standard image editor

Digital SLRsP97 CANON EOS 10D Superbly featured digital SLR

Scanners and printersP97 EPSON PERFECTION 4870First-class scanner

Graphics cardsP97 FIREGL X2 256T Top-end, pro-level performer

Digital videoP98 FINAL CUT PRO HD The latest version hits the mark

Plug-insP98 NIK COLOR EFEX PRO Terrifi c set of colour fi lters

Graphic tabletsP99 WACOM INTUOS2 A4 REGULAR PLATINUM

3D softwareP96 ZBRUSH 2 Truly stunning 3D modeller

Mobile hard drivesP97 LACIE MOBILE HARD DRIVELow price and great features

Web, animation, CD/DVDP99 DVD STUDIO PRO 3 Creative heaven for DVD writers

DVD writersP99 ADOBE ENCORE DVD 1.5Superb features and great authoring options

★★★★★

NAME MAC PC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

POSER 5 Mac PC

Leading 3D character design and animation tool for artists and animators, with ready-to-use models.

Curious Labs 289euros

www.curiouslabs.com

76 ★★★ Despite shortfalls, Poser proves handy for scene visualisation and quick character set-ups.

SHAKE 3.5 Mac PC

Small but effective update for Apple’s industry-standard compositing and visual effects application.

Apple £2099 www.apple.com/uk/shake

99 ★★★★★ Excellent colour correction tools from Apple’s pricey but powerful app.

3DS MAX 6 Mac PC

Acclaimed modelling, animation and renderingsolution used by 3D artists worldwide.

Discreet £2814 www.discreet.com 92 ★★★★ Vertex Painting should keep 3ds max popular in the games industry.

MAYA 6 Mac PC

Academy Award®-winning 3D animation and effects software that’s become the fi lm industry’s favourite tool.

Alias £1645 www.alias.com 97 ★★★★ Alias has made major improvements, although the app remains as tricky to master.

VUE 4 PROFESSIONAL

Mac PC

Natural 3D scenery rendering package that enables you to generate lush landscapes at the click of a button.

e-o n Software £419 www.e-onsoftware.com

91 ★★★★ A cut above other 3D packages – andsoon-to-be leader in its fi eld.

BRYCE 5 Mac PC

Create ultra-realistic 3D landscapes and animations. Boasts network rendering, and new light and tree tabs.

DAZ $80 www.daz3d.com 61 ★★★★ Great for creating lush yet believable landscapes and spectacular architecture.

TRUESPACE 6.6 Mac PC

Popular and powerful 3D animation and rendering package. Features an enhanced particle system.

Caligari $595 www.caligari.com 85 ★★★ A worthy 3D program, rich in features,but poor workfl ow makes using it a chore.

SILO PC Affordable polygon-modelling program that aims to bea cheap yet powerful alternative to its pricier peers.

Nevercenter $109 www.nevercenter.com

93 ★★★★ Professional-level modelling tools at your fi ngertips for a fraction of the cost. Great value.

CINEMA 4D 8.5 Mac PC

Powerful yet accessible 3D modelling and animation application, widely used in the fi lm industry.

Maxon £499 www.maxon.net 97 ★★★★ Create realistic images with ease. New features include extra shaders and better Booleans.

MOJOPACK Mac PC

Compendium of planets, plug-ins, terrain maps and tutorials for planet/landscape-generator MojoWorld.

Pandromeda $99 www.pandromeda.com

97 ★★★ An interesting collection, but hardly a substitute for a full-on MojoWorld update.

ZBRUSH 2 PC V2 of this innovative 2D painting/3D modelling hybrid is faster than ever and boasts hi-res mesh support.

Pixologic $489 www.pixologic.com 98 ★★★★★ A stunning 3D package that setsa new standard for detailed polygon modelling.

LIGHTWAVE3D 8

Mac PC

A long-awaited upgrade of this highly competitive industry standard 3D modelling and animation package.

NewTek £699 www.newtek.com 93 N/A Brand new bones and dynamics systems make LightWave 8 a force to be reckoned with.

SOFTIMAGE XSI 4.0

PC This world-leading 3D modeller comes in three fl avours: Advanced, Essentials and Foundation.

Softimage $1995 -$8995

www.softimage.com 100 ★★★★ Manipulating curves and NURBS is still a little inadequate, but the rest makes up for it.

BUYER’S GUIDE

96 | October 2004

GRAPHICS AND LAYOUT SOFTWARE

3D SOFTWARE

NAME MACPC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

STUDIO ARTIST 3 Mac Image processing and real-time video effects in this, the latest edition of the world’s only “graphics synthesiser”.

Synthetik Software $379 www.synthetik.com 95 ★★★★ Not the easiest graphics package to get to grips with, but persevere and it comes into its own.

ILLUSTRATOR CS Mac PC

Industry standard vector graphics software – a vital tool for anyone who needs to design for print or the Web.

Adobe £511 www.adobe.co.uk 89 ★★★★ Offers smaller improvements across the board, but not exactly what you’d call a huge upgrade.

PHOTOSHOP CS Mac PC

The design daddy, the creative king, and the industry standard professional image editor.

Adobe £605 www.adobe.co.uk 89 ★★★★ Improvements across the board make this a more versatile tool than ever.

FREEHAND MX Mac PC

An easy-to-learn graphics environment for designing illustrations and organising data for print/Web or Flash.

Macromedia £299 www.macromedia.com

82 ★★★★★ A rock-solid release that offers a plethora of invaluable tools .

QUARKXPRESS 6 Mac PC

The tried-and-tested publishing tool of yesteryear plods into the present. Better late than never…

Quark £1095 http://euro.quark.com

87 ★★★ A comfortable and familiar upgrade,but InDesign still has the edge, design-wise.

INDESIGN CS Mac PC

Adobe’s DTP upstart comes of age as QuarkXPress-killer InDesign approaches industry standard status.

Adobe £716 www.adobe.co.uk/products/indesign

67 ★★★★ InDesign now simply amazes – andutterly trounces QuarkXPress.

COREL PAINTER 8 Mac PC

The ultimate digital sketching and painting app, with over 400 brushes and over 30 mediums to paint with.

Corel £367 www.corel.co.uk/painter8

84 ★★★★★ A stunning tool that’s more powerful and more intuitive than ever.

GRAPHICSSUITE 12

Mac PC

Education-tailored vector graphics package with sketching capabilities and intelligent drawing tools.

Corel £422 www.corel.co.uk 94 ★★★ A good combination of bitmap, vector and animation tools at a decent price.

FIREWORKS MX 2004

Mac PC

Create, optimise and integrate great Web graphics, from simple buttons to sophisticated rollover animations.

Macromedia £249 www.macromedia.com

71 ★★★★ No crass effects and gizmos; just smart changes to improve an already praiseworthy app.

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0

Mac PC

Share your photos as prints, by email or via the Web. Great fi xing tools, too, streamlined for easier use.

Adobe £77 www.adobe.co.uk 73 ★★★★ Don’t dismiss Elements as a cut-down version of its big brother – it’s much more than that!

SKETCHBOOK PRO

Mac PC

Fuss-free paint and drawing application with customisable markers, pens, brushes and airbrushes.

Alias $179 www.alias.com 100 ★★★★ A well-designed app that focuses on ease of use rather than unnecessary extra features.

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

October 2004 | 97

BUYER’S GUIDE

SCANNERS AND PRINTERSNAME MAC

PC?DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

HP SCANJET 4600

Mac PC

Wallet-friendly USB 2 scanner that lacks a lid, soyou can see exactly what you’re scanning.

HP £149 www.hp.com/uk 93 ★★ Too many teething problems need ironing out. Interesting concept, let down by execution.

CANON I990 BUBBLE JET

Mac PC

Colour photo printing with the world’s fi rst six-colour printer. An additional red greatly enhances quality.

Canon £299 www.canon.co.uk 95 ★★★★ This superb printer earns its place in any graphic or photo studio. Great quality prints thanks to the extra red ink.

CANON I965 BUBBLE JET

Mac PC

Fast (full A4 photo in under a minute) and economical printer with borderless photo printing facility.

Canon £255 www.canon.co.uk 96 ★★★★ Superfast photo printer that simply trounces the competition. Another winner from Canon.

HP DESKJET 9670

Mac PC

An attractive A3 device aimed at the graphics professional – and at a decent price, too.

HP £399 www.hp/com/uk 93 ★★★★ Admittedly, not as fast as one of Canon’s devices, but it easily holds its own in terms of print quality.

CANOSCAN 8000F

Mac PC

Entry-level scanner with FARE Level 1 auto-correction technology. Can scan up to the edge of the bed.

Canon £175 www.canon.co.uk 98 ★★★ Good capabilities at a very good price, but none of its features are market-leading or particularly state of the art.

HP SCANJET 8200

Mac PC

4800x4800dpi resolution A4 scanner with 48-bit colour sensitivity and good software package.

HP £449 www.hp.com/uk 98 ★★ Specs-wise, this sounds a dream; in practice, it's a nightmare... The poorly conceived drivers really impair workfl ow.

CANOSCAN 9900F

Mac PC

Professional scanner offering 2400x4800dpi resolution and FARE Level 2 technology.

Canon £299 www.canon.co.uk 98 ★★★★ A competent performer at a great price. It can scan all media types and is easy to operate with its programmable buttons.

MICROTEK ARTIXSCAN 1100

Mac PC

Showing its age, but this faithful stalwart's colour fi delity is second to none.

Microtek £938 www.microtek.co.uk 98 ★★★ Valuable as part of a colour-critical environment, but slow and expensive, considering its age.

PERFECTION 4870 PHOTO

Mac PC

Profi cient scanner with Digital ICE image-cleaning technology for the ultimate reproduction quality.

Epson £349 www.epson.co.uk 98 ★★★★ So slick, this wouldn’t look out of place in a pro environment, let alone a home studio or small offi ce.

GRAPHICS CARDS NAME MAC

PC?DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

FIREGL X2 256T PC Top-end, pro-level graphics card tailored forpower-hungry users (engineers, architects, etc).

ATI $899 www.ati.com 98 ★★★ An amazing performer, but it comes at a prohibitive price that may put off many prospective buyers.

RECOMMENDED

NAME MACPC?

SHORT DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

LACIE BIG DISKEXTREME 500

Mac PC

500GB FireWire hard drive LaCie £420 www.lacie.com 97 ★★ A stylish, powerful and versatile drive – let down by potentially disastrous reliability issues.

MOBILE HARD DRIVE

Mac PC

20GB, 40GB, 80GB hard drive LaCie £85- £200

www.lacie.com 97 ★★★★★ Swift auto-installation (without drivers), toptransfer rates, and a great low price!

MOBILE HARD DRIVES

RECOMMENDED

NAME MACPC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

NIKON D70 Mac PC

An upgrade of Nikon’s D100, but at half the price– and a capable answer to Canon’s 300D.

Nikon £800 www.nikon.co.uk 97 ★★★★ Superbly kitted out and built to tough specifi cations, the D70 betters the D100.

OLYMPUS CAMEDIA E-1

Mac PC

Smart design enables Olympus’ fi rst foray into the digital SLR world to accommodate smaller lenses.

Olympus £1400 www.olympus.co.uk 97 ★★★★ A cracking build and a vast array of features make the E-1 a highly attractive proposition.

FUJIFILM FINEPIX S2 PRO

Mac PC

Competent digital shutterbug with Super CCD thatcan capture 12MP images (with interpolation).

Fujifi lm £1500 www.fuji.co.uk 97 ★★★★ A bulky, weighty SLR that delivers crisp, clear, colour-accurate images every time.

CANON EOS 300D Mac PC

The fi rst genuinely budget SLR to hit the market – with easy-to-use controls and limited functions.

Canon £900 www.canon.co.uk 97 ★★★ An average SLR that’s unfortunately showing its age – now superseded by Nikon's D70.

CANON EOS 10D Mac PC

Critically acclaimed digital SLR that’s exceptionally well put together.

Canon £1400 www.canon.co.uk 97 ★★★★★ First class images, superb magnesium alloy body and great features.

ASSET MANAGEMENT NAME MAC

PC?DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

PORTFOLIO 7 Mac PC

Leading asset-management software, now expanded to include direct-to-Web publishing feature.

Extensis $200 www.extensis.co.uk 100 ★★★★ Nothing can touch the power of this long-respected and valuable asset management solution.

DIGITAL SLRS

RECOMMENDED

BUYER’S GUIDE

NAME MACPC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

VIDEOTOASTER 3 PC A complete post-production and video mixing suite. Supports live Internet streaming.

Computers Unlimited

£2500 www.newtek-europe.com

95 ★★★★ Budget studios will fi nd VideoToaster 3 an ideal all-in-one solution for their

FINAL CUT PRO 4 Mac Emmy Award-winning tool for editing and fi nishing in SD and HD formats. Used to produce many TV shows.

Apple £699 www.apple.com/uk/fi nalcutpro/

86 ★★★★★ Final Cut Pro 4 is nothing shortof superb. Excellent bundled applications, too.

AVID XPRESS PRO Yes Sophisticated video editing tool aimed at the higherend of the mid-range market.

AVID £1527 www.avid.com/xpresspro

91 ★★★★ Twice as expensive as Premiere particularly different to warrant the difference.

ENCORE DVD PC Windows-only DVD authoring package, where you can create and edit menus in a Photoshop-style format.

Adobe £399 www.adobe.com/products/encore/

87 N/A A fi ne addition to Adobe’s digital video range. If you’re used to Photoshop, it’s a breeze to pick up.

AUDITION 1.5 PC Pro audio editing/mixing environment that delivers advanced mastering and effects-processing features.

Adobe £246 www.adobe.co.uk/products/audition

N/A N/A An excellent tool for home users serious about audio. Superb features and easy to use, too.

FINAL CUT EXPRESS 2.0

Mac Apple’s fl agship consumer video-editing app strikes a careful balance between features and affordability.

Apple £199 www.apple.com/uk/fi nalcut express

94 ★★★★ The best low-cost editing solution for DV, although effects may frustrate Pro users.

AFTER EFFECTS PC Adobe’s industry standard tool for adding visual effects and motion graphics to fi lm footage.

Adobe £664 www.adobe.co.uk/products/aftereffects

95 ★★★★ Well-designed app with many features not available in rival software sold at the same price.

DVD WORKSHOP 2 PC Consumer-friendly DVD authoring software with many professional features, including real-time previews.

Ulead £259 www.ulead.co.uk 97 ★★★ Easy to use, but much of the (cheaper) competition has caught up since the release of v1.

MATCHMOVER PRO 3.0

PC A sophisticated yet simple-to-operate solution thatwill meet all your camera-tracking requirements.

RealViz 11,280euros

www.realviz.com 97 ★★★★ RealViz’s incredibly fl exible app delivers accurate results time after time. But it ain’t cheap.

VEGAS 5 PC Capable audio-visual editor with real-time effects rendering and 3D clip animation.

Sony $699 www.sony.com 98 ★★★ The most powerful audio editor on the market now sports compositing tools.

FINAL CUT PRO HD Mac The professional editing application with broadcast quality credentials is now HD compatible.

Apple £699 www.apple.com/uk 98 ★★★★★ Pro features and top interfaceensure this pro-level app always delivers.

AFTER EFFECTS 6.5

Mac PC

Adobe’s industry standard app now includes better motion tracking and grain management tools.

Adobe £664 (Standard)

www.adobe.co.uk 99 ★★★★ A number of new and improved features make this an indispensable tool for the video pro.

PREMIERE PRO 1.5 PC Video-editing app with improved project management and broader support for industry formats.

Adobe £616 www.adobe.co.uk 99 ★★★★ Premiere’s allegiance to Windows ensures superior integration with related titles.

PFTRACK 2 Mac PC

3D motion-tracking software that supports tracking, zooming, passing and tilting shots.

The Pixel Farm £3000 www.thepixelfarm.co.uk

100 ★★★★ Fast and effi cient, PFTrack 2 completes what can be a dreadful job simply and quickly.

DIGITAL VIDEO

98 | October 2004

NAME MACPC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

NIK COLOREFEX PRO

PC Fantastic set of digital photographic fi lters for Photoshop and Paintshop Pro.

Nik Multimedia £280 www.nikmultimedia.com

94 ★★★★ You could create the effects foryourself in Photoshop, but they’d take longer.

MODELSHOP Mac PC

Enables you to add one of thousands of 3D modelsto your Photoshop document.

Digital Element $149 www.digi-element.com

92 ★★★★ Plenty of potential as a tool for compositing 3D in 2D scenes in Photoshop.

LUNARCELL Mac PC

Instantly create strikingly detailed planets in humble Photoshop. They can be fractal or reality-based!

Flaming Pear $40 www.fl amingpear.com

N/A N/A An excellent plug-in that integrates brilliantly with Photoshop – some effects will blow you away.

XENOFEX Mac PC

A selection of 14 powerful effects to trigger within Photoshop, Elements or Fireworks.

Alien Skin Software $129 www.alienskin.com 84 ★★★ A fi lter set in the traditional mould – so a little clichéd and gimmicky – but useful all the same.

SYMMETRY WORKS

Mac PC

Adobe Illustrator plug-in for creating eye-catching surface pattern designs in seconds.

Artlandia $241 www.artlandia.com N/A N/A Fast and effective way to create patterns. An effective time-saver when up against deadlines.

PRIMATTE 2.0 Mac PC

Photoshop plug-in dedicated to ultra-clean,blue-screen compositing.

Digital Anarchy $299 www.digitalanarchy.com

97 ★★★ More powerful than Cinematte and cheaper than Multimatte. Results are impressive.

SAPPHIRE Mac PC

Generate superb effects with this 175+-strong suite of movie-quality plug-ins.

GenArts $1699 www.genarts.com 98 ★★★★ Without a doubt, the best plug-ins you can buy – but they come at a professional price.

PARTICULAR Mac PC

Neatly integrated After Effects plug-in suite, comprising natural and technical effects.

Trapcode £199 www.trapcode.com 99 ★★★★★ Stunning, beautifully put together and boasting endless creative possibilities.

PLUG-INS

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

production needs.

– but a not

RECOMMENDED

BUYER’S GUIDE

GRAPHICS TABLETS

October 2004 | 99

NAME MACPC?

SHORT DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

NISIS EASYPEN G3 Mac PC

USB-friendly tablet: active area 152 x 114mm;tablet dimensions: 234 x 232 x 10mm

Nisis £30 www.nisis.com 99 ★★ More of a consumer toy than a professional device, but that’s refl ected in the price.

NISIS EASYPEN G6 Mac PC

USB-friendly tablet: active area 304 x 228mm;tablet dimensions: 385 x 347 x 12mm

Nisis £90 www.nisis.com 99 ★★★ Nearly there in terms of features and usability, but there are irritating signal issues.

GRAPHIRE3 CLASSIC XL

Mac PC

USB-friendly A5 tablet: active area 209 x 159mm;tablet dimensions: 276 x 257 x 18mm

Wacom £200 www.wacom.com 99 ★★★★ A great all-round performer from Wacom, although not quite yet in the Intuos league.

INTUOS2 A5 PLATINUM

Mac PC

USB-friendly A5 tablet: active area 203 x 162mm;tablet dimensions: 334 x 258 x 14mm

Wacom £300 www.wacom.com 99 ★★★★ An incredible, feature-rich tablet that’s hard to fault. A5 tablets don’t get better than this.

INTUOS2 A4 REGULAR PLAT

Mac PC

USB-friendly A4 tablet: active area 305 x 241mm;tablet dimensions: 456 x 361 x 14mm

Wacom £400 www.wacom.com 99 ★★★★★ Totally customisable and easy to use, this is everything you could want it to be.

RECOMMENDED

DVD WRITERSNAME MAC

PC?SHORT DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

SONIC DVDIT 5 PC DVD writing app that sits between Sonic’s entry-level MyDVD and the more advanced ReelDVD.

Sonic £171 www.sonic.com 100 ★★★ A useful introduction to the media for savvy creatives, but a little limited in terms of features..

AHEAD NERO 6 SUITE

PC A repackaged DVD version of the oft-bundled Nero burner, complete with NeroVision Express 2.

Nero Ð79 www.nero.com 100 ★★ An effective entry-level application aimed solely at consumers, but a no go for professionals.

ROXIO CREATOR 7 PC Complete with pro authoring component DVD Builder and a host of useful DVD-authoring features.

Roxio £70 www.roxio.com.uk 100 ★★ A comprehensive suite of tools that challenges the options of the Nero bundle. Boasts a more effective toolset, too.

APPLE DVD STUDIO PRO 3

Mac Features include render-free transition preview, alpha transitions and Photoshop integration.

Apple £349 www.apple.com 100 ★★★★ There’s no alternative for Mac users serious about creating DVD content. Load it up and weep!

ADOBE ENCORE DVD 1.5

PC Features include DV menu previews, QuickTime fi le support and integrated/background transcoding.

Adobe £452 www.adobe.com 100 ★★★★ This superbly usable and fully featured appprovides a strong range of design and authoring options.

RECOMMENDED

NAME MACPC?

DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PRICE WEBSITE ISSUE VERDICT

DIRECTOR MX Mac PC

Build rich content featuring video, interactive audio, bitmaps, vectors, text, fonts and more.

Macromedia £959 www.macromedia.com 80 ★★★★ Director now has the power to deliver many different types of content, on and offl ine.

DVD STUDIO PRO 3 Mac Create a complete DVD in under 15 minutes with the latest iteration of Apple’s pro DVD creation tool.

Apple £349 www.apple.com/uk 99 ★★★★ Stacks of creative features,perfect for a professional environment.

GO LIVE CS Mac PC

Adobe’s Website design application is sometimes hailed as the Pepsi to Dreamweaver’s Coke.

Adobe £394 www.adobe.com 89 ★★★★ A competent Web authoring tool. Adobe has refi ned both the look and the feel of the app.

DREAMWEAVER MX 2004

Mac PC

Build and maintain Websites and applications with this powerful set of tools.

Macromedia £339 www.macromedia.co.uk 91 ★★★★ Good integration with Contribute; fully embraces Cascading Style Sheets.

TOON BOOM EXPRESS

Mac PC

This complete 2D animation software is a cut-down version of Toon Boom Studio 2.

Toon Boom $144 www.toonboom.com 92 ★★★★ Great introduction to 2D animation: excellent scene-planning and drawing tools.

STITCHER 4 Mac PC

Create high quality panoramas and 360-degree QuickTime VR animations in minutes.

RealViz 499euros

www.realviz.com 95 ★★★★ Not the cheapest ‘sticking together’ app around, but anything else would be a false economy.

JUGGLOR V2 PC Builds standalone applications that deliver interactive Flash content with a professional look and feel.

3rd Eye Solutions $249 www.fl ashjester.com 97 ★★★★ A great step forwards in terms of offering developers a way of distributing content effectively.

TOON BOOM STUDIO 2.5

Mac 2D animation package that covers everything from scene-planning to preparing output for delivery.

Toon Boom $374 www.toonboom.com 98 ★★★★ A fantastic all-round package for anyone interested in the vagaries of 2D animation.

OPUS PRO 04 PC Tempted by multimedia, but daunted by Director’s complexity? Then try this out!.

Digital Workshop £300 www.digitalworkshop.com

98 ★★★ If you’re only looking for occasional access to multimedia tools, Opus Pro 04 is up to the task.

FRAME FORGE 3D STUDIO

Mac PC

Professional quality storyboarding 3D software - import scripts, pose fi gures, set up cameras, and more...

Innoventive Software

$349 www.frameforge3d.com 100 ★★★★ If you can’t draw and need to visualise your fi lm before you shoot, this is a quick and easy low-cost solution.

AUDITION 1.5 PC Syntrillium’s former sound editor Cool Edit Pro, supports VST, ReWire and enhanced video.

Adobe £246 www.adobe.co.uk 100 ★★★ The established and respected audio tool benefi ts from simplifi ed features and better integration with other Adobe apps.

WEB, ANIMATION, CD/DVD

RECOMMENDED

THIS ISSUE◆ Tweak your hardware and software

◆ Replace your drives, memory, graphics

cards, CPU and more

◆ Learn new Windows tips and tricks

◆ Keep your system safe from intruders

and trouble-free

ON THE CD-ROM◆ BlackICE Defender 2.9

◆ Secura Archiver 1.43

◆ AceBackup 2003

◆ Turbo Browser Express 3

◆ Worth over £90 in total!

THIS ISSUE◆ Master your digital camera’s controls

◆ Take better photos by improving

their composition, lighting and colour

◆ Enhance your images using your

favourite image-editing software

◆ Buy the right kit for your lifestyle

ON THE CD-ROM◆ Serif PhotoPlus 6.0

◆ Red Eye Pilot 1.0

◆ DigiPhoto Gallery 2.52

◆ Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 SE

◆ Plus many more handy utilities!

HandbooksImprove your knowledge of the subjects that matter with ourcomprehensive collections of tutorials, projects and features

Each issue gives you unbeatablecoverage of its subject, with over 250packed pages, plus a FREE CD-ROM

The Complete

SIMPLESTEPSSERIES

123ON SALE NOWEXCLUSIVELY FROMSUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY FROM SELECTED WH SMITH HIGH STREET STORES

THIS ISSUE◆ Master every Paint Shop Pro tool

◆ Improve your digital photos and scans

◆ Learn expert shortcuts and tips

◆ Rescue flawed shots and damaged snaps

◆ Follow step-by-step projects and tutorials

ON THE 2 x CD-ROMS◆ Five full commercial products

◆ 50 programs, plug-ins & PSP Xtras

◆ Two hours of video tutorials

◆ Free AutoFX Textures, fonts

and much more!

102 | October 2004

ON THE CDOOOOOOOOOOOOON THE CD

WELCOMEHow did we follow our jam-packed 100th issue? With a great 101st of course!

This month’s disc is packed with a collection of great Poser resources; we’ve got the giant model the Freak, a bundle of props to accompany him, and more accessories from AniMotions worth £200.

Once again, there’s free stock imagery from Image Source worth £1000 and, in addition to our Q&A with Eduardo Recife (see page 16), we’re giving away fi ve excellent Misprinted Type fonts. Enjoy!

Joe Russjoseph.russ@futurenet.co.ukNEW MEDIA CONTENT EDITOR

Five fonts from Misprinted Type Sample some of Eduardo Recife’s brilliant Brazilian typefaces

FREE FONTS MAC & PC

Eduardo Recife, the brains behind misprintedtype.com, has a passion for collecting printed and written ephemera. Old postcards, instruction leafl ets and posters – all have been recycled to create his trademark grungy-looking fonts. Five of these fonts have been included on this month’s disc – dirty ego, downcome, nasty, pastelaria and porcelain. Find out more about Eduardo Recife on page 16.

FULL SOFTWARE MAC & PC

We bring in the muscle with this full Poser model

The Freak bundle

The Freak: a greatstarting point for fantasy artwork.

InfoFor more Poser accessories visit www.daz3d.com

SEE PAGE 104 Create a Russian style propaganda poster using the Freak

There are many inexpensive characters and props exclusive to the AniMotions store that are made especially for Poser. Included in this bundle is the Dendras fi lm and photo collection, which contains everything you need to set up a movie or photoshoot with Poser characters, a range of poses for Victoria (left) and a selection of impressive environments for you to work with.

ANIMOTIONS BUNDLEPoser accessories worth over £200 courtesy of AniMotions

INFOThere are more exclusive items available at www.animotions.com

POSER ACCESSORIES MAC & PC

Since its release, Poser has become a vital tool for creative designers wanting to mock-up fi gures for rough sketches and diagrams with the minimum of fuss. As a result, a thriving Poser art scene has emerged, where keen amateurs use the program to create their own artwork. It’s also spawned some dubious “Poser porn”, but that’s another story! Poser has a few

drawbacks though: the standard models can start to look quite “samey” if used regularly.

But the Freak is a fi gure unlike any of the standard models. With vital statistics that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger weep, he is well known for his, erm, outlandish proportions.

So, to get you started we’re giving you not only the Freak, but also a Freak bundle. This collection of clothing,

props and accessories will fully furnish your very own Freak. There are garments of clothing to hide his

dignity, morphs to reshape his body, skin textures, fantasy armour, and even the Ultra Bodysuit: the Freak’s very own stylish cat suit... The mind boggles!

October 2004 | 103

ON THE CD

ROYALTY-FREE STOCK IMAGES

THE FREAK LE (MAC+PC)FULL POSER MODELAdd a little muscle to your designs with this giant Poser model.

THE FREAK BUNDLE (MAC+PC)POSER PROP COLLECTIONA collection of clothing, props and accessories to bring the Freak to life.

IMAGE SOURCE STOCK IMAGES (MAC+PC)ROYALTY-FREE STOCK IMAGESFive high-resolution images courtesy of Image Source worth £1000.

ANIMOTIONS BUNDLE (MAC+PC)POSER ACCESSORIESMore accessories from AniMotions worth £200.

ADVANCEFLASH CLIPS (MAC+PC)FLASH ANIMATIONS Eight exclusive Flash animation special effects.

FIVE FREE FONTS FROM MISPRINTED TYPE (MAC+PC)FREE FONTSFive free fonts courtesy of Eduardo Recife.

THE FOUNDRY PLUG-INS (MAC+PC)TRIALCreate motion blur and other special effects with these After Effects plug-ins.

IN-A-FLASH PRO (PC)TRIALCreate Flash content without getting your hands dirty with code.

AMAPI PRO 7 (MAC+PC)TRIALTrial version of this 3D CAD application.

PHOTOCLEAN (MAC+PC)TRIALCorrect and repair your digital photographs with amazing results.

TUTORIAL FILES (MAC+PC)You’ll fi nd all the relevant supporting fi les for this month’s tutorial here. Navigate the interface to the “In The Mag” section and select Tutorials.

FULL LISTING

AFTER EFFECTS PLUG-INS MAC AND PC

FOUR PLUG-IN SETS FROM

THE FOUNDRYFurnace and Tinderbox collections 1, 2 & 3

Eight great Flash animation clipsExclusive motion graphics for animation or video

ADVANCEFLASH CLIPS MAC & PC

AdvanceFlash motion graphics clips are short, looping animations ideal for all kinds of multimedia projects. These clips create great effects that can be used for building interfaces and menus when you want to add motion to an otherwise fl at screen. The eight short clips featured on this month’s disc were created exclusively for Computer Arts and can be used within Flash animations or imported into After Effects.

INFOFind more motion clips at www.advancefl ash.com

Image Source photosPROFESSIONAL IMAGES Use them in your creative work for free!

Image Source is an independent producer and distributor of royalty-free imagery for creative professionals worldwide. You can search and download images online from a collection of thousands of individual images or via a selection of themed CDs. Photographs are arranged under such titles as Lifestyle, Business, Health, Science or Nature. On our cover CD this month, you’ll fi nd fi ve images (three pictured below) worth £1000 to use freely in your own projects.

INFOIf you’re after creative, professional royalty-free pictures, visit www.imagesource.com

104 | October 2004

TUTORIAL

PROPAGANDA ARTPHOTOSHOP & POSER

Propaganda-fuelled illustrations from the Soviet inter-war years provide the inspiration for our piece this month. But by using Photoshop and Poser 4 Pro, we’ll add a modern twist to the old-fashioned iconography

October 2004 | 105

ON THE CDYou’ll fi nd all the Daz3D fi les for the Freak Poser model used in this tutorialin the folder named Tutorial/CD. The original Photoshop layered illustrationhas been includedfor reference.

TIME LENGTH

2 hours

Jason Jaroslav Cookhas been

writing tutorialsand illustrating for Computer Arts for around seven years. Regular CA readers will be familiar with his cover artworkand editorial opening illustrations. As a digital artist, he goes under three distinctive aliases – fl atliner , jacey and jaroslav – which enable him to demonstrate his skills in a variety of styles. For more details, see www.jasoncook.co.uk

INFO

CD TUTORIAL

ËPhotoshop’s ability to work in any style or with any medium opens up

fantastic opportunities for designers – as its tools improve with each release, we’re given the enviable chance to work like artists and illustrators from different periods in history, with startling results.

This month, we turn our attention to the Russian propaganda posters of the 1930s. These are marked by striking graphic illustrative shapes and simple bold colours such as black, white and red, all of which help to convey great power and authority.

In this tutorial, you’ll use Daz3D’s Freak Poser model to provide the basis for an illustration. You’ll then import this into Photoshop and manipulate it, before combining other elements to build up the layers of a poster. We’ll also show you how to use the Image>Adjustments>Threshold command to break down the render into a simple black and white image.

One of the greatest things about using Poser in your illustrative work is that you don’t actually have to be limited to just the Poser render. Why not use Poser’s renders as a basis for your illustration and then use Photoshop’s fi lters and tools to manipulate the render of your choice? You can even use it as an aid if your fi gure-drawing skills aren’t up to scratch.

In this tutorial we do just that – import the Freak and use it as a base. The image is then traced with the aid of the Pen tool and Paths palette to achieve the exact look and feel required for an image of the Soviet era.

4 In Photoshop, open freak.tif and go to Select>LoadSelection. Set the source

document as freak.tif and the channel as alpha 1. Now set the Operation to New Selection and click OK. Copy the selection (Edit>Copy) and paste it so that the Freak's head is on a new layer. Select the background layer and then create a new layer using Layer>New Layer and fi ll it with thecolour white (Edit>Fill).

1 First, install the Freak model from the cover CD. You can now fi nd it in Poser

under Figures>DazFreak. Click on the Freak icon to load it into the document window. Go to Render>RenderOptions and select the New window. Set width and height to 1000 pixels, tick all items for surface detail andset Resolution to 72 pixels per inch. Click OK.

2 With the editing tools, position and rotate the Freak as above. Now, using the

lighting controls, position three lights so that part of the face is in shadow. Don’t worry about the colour of the lights as you’ll eventually be working in black and white. Now change the colour of the Freak’s skin to white under Render>SurfaceMaterials. (See jc_freak.pz3 on the cover CD for reference.)

3 Go to Render>Render to render the model. Now save the fi le to your hard

drive as freak.tif, close Poser and open Photoshop. (Non-Poser users, don’t fret: you can use the Freak.tif on the CD instead.)

Illustration & tutorial by Jason Cookwww.jasoncook.co.uk

CD TUTORIAL

PHOTOSHOP & POSER

THRESHOLDUse Threshold (under Image>Adjustments>Threshold) to embolden an imageso that it becomes a striking black-and-white illustrationwith no greyscale. Experiment with the slider to alter the extent of the effect.

9 Now extend the canvas backgroundso that you can apply hair. You can see

that we’ve extended the back of the head – because this will bleed off the left-hand side of our fi nal illustration. (See freakhead2.psd on the cover CD for reference.)

5 Select the top layer with the new head. Go to Image>Adjustments>Threshold

and adjust the slider so the image looks a little like the screenshot above. Yours may vary slightly as the way you rendered your fi gure with lights in Poser will affect the result. Now click OK. Save this Photoshop fi le as freakhead.psd.

6 Now clean up the head by fi lling elements with black. Create a new layer

in the Paths palette and rename it Touchup. Use the Zoom tool to magnify the left eye that faces you and select the Pen tool.

7 Apply the tool to selected edges of the eye and black areas to clean up the

jagged edges and defi ne the black areas. As you can see, we’ve given the black edges a more angular look. Once you’ve drawn a Clipping path with the Pen tool, create anew selection and fi ll it with black.

8 Now do this for the rest of the face. Pay particular attention to the way the edges

are straight and angular. Also, add highlights to the eyes to give a spark of life to the face. The above is only a reference, so feel free to experiment. Remember to save the fi le.

11 Create a new layer and fi ll it with R:222, G:36, B:20; to generate a vibrant

red. Create another layer above it and, using the Gradient tool, make a Gradient at the top and bottom of the image so that both fade into the middle. Save the image to your hard drive and call it propaganda.psd.

10Create a new Photoshop document with the following settings: width 1338

pixels, height 1500 pixels, colour mode RGB, background contents white. Afterwards, Cut and Paste the head into the new document. For now, as you start to add layers, make sure it stays at the top of the Layers palette.

12 Again, create a new layer abovethe Gradient layer and, using the

Polygonal lasso tool, create three sunbeam shapes that radiate from the middle of the fi gure’s head and expand outwards. Using the colour R:243, G:178 and B:107, combined with the Gradient tool, create a gradient that starts from the fi gure and fades out to the top-right.

106 | October 2004

TUTORIAL

14For the next layer, use the Rectangular Marquee tool to create a silhouette of a

building. Now, using the Gradient tool and the colour R:219, G:61 and B:35, start the Gradient off at the top of the building, fading to the bottom. On the sides, use a darker red and make a selection with the polygonal tool. Add depth with the Gradient tool.

13Create a new layer. Make a circular selection with the Elliptical Marquee

tool and fi ll it with a sunbeam-like colour. Go to Edit>Stroke and draw a thick black line of 15 pixels around it. Use the Pen tool to create a cog-like profi le, as shown. Turn the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay.

October 2004 | 107

15 On a new layer, use the same tools to create the shapes and gradient as

shown above, so it looks as if the building has a number of windows. Again, you don’t have to be restricted to just one building. Add more and make it more like a cityscape or a factory, if you prefer.

CD TUTORIAL

Search the Web for samples of Russian propaganda posters and you’ll come across an array of exciting styles, designs and fonts. Although we haven't includedthe font used in this tutorial on our cover CD (DirtyEgo), it’seasy to fi nd at www.misprintedtype.com/v3 under Fonts. Feel free to try out other examples, though, perhaps something cleaner and bolder.

16 As a near-fi nal touch, create a shape like this to suggest that our man is

wearing dungarees. Use the Polygonal tool to create the selection, then fi ll with black and set the Opacity for this layer to around 48 per cent. This will knock the image into the background a bit.

18 Create a new layer at the top of the Layers palette. With the Pen tool,

design a basic computer monitor. You may need to do this over a number of layers and then merge them together to create a single layer. Afterwards, make an icon shape for the computer screen and some more icons to illustrate the hard drive casing.

17 Using the above as guide, add a few borders and rectangular shapes, both

above and below the head. Only the main block at the bottom of the illustration should be a Gradient; all the rest should be solid. Apply a variety of reds, then save the fi le.

19 With the Type tool and a font of your choice (in white), add text to your

design – use our words if you like, but feel free to experiment. As a rule of thumb, always use either a strong, simple font or something quite raw and dirty. Don’t opt for anything overly decorative.

20 As the fi nal touch, add a white keyline around part of the design.

This will tie the fi gure in with the computer. Starting from his forehead, create a clipping path around his head, going along the top the illustration and then down and around the computer, using the Pen tool. Add two bullet points to fi nish it off.

FONTS AND DESIGN

CD DUPLICATIONDB Masters• Short and long runs• Competitive prices• Fast turnaround• A-Grade CDR • Thermal or screen print

Tel: 01795 597 755Fax: 01795 597 766Email: info@dbmasters.co.ukWebsite: www.dbmasters.co.uk

ILLUSTRATION,3D ANIMATION & VISUALISATIONArcana DigitalAnimation, imaging and post production for broadcasting, interactive and print. Folio available online or call for aCD sampler. Studio 15 minutes from Victoria. Clients include: Bray Leino, Citigate.A.F, DDB, Grey, JWT, Lowe, Masius, Ogilvy, OWN&P, Proximity, Publicis, RKCRY&R, Saatchi, TBWA, WTCS, WWAV.

Tel: 0208 466 0655Email: john@arcanadigital.comWebsite: www.arcanadigital.comContact: John Fox

PRINTING SERVICESist Printing Servicesist Printing Services specialises in quality stationery using the foil blocking method of printing. If you need an unusual business card or letterhead, we can also incorporate die-cutting and embossing to make your stationery stand out from the crowd, using only the best

paper and boards from all over the world. We also supply presentation folders, invitations, plastic cards and acetate report covers. Visit our Website for more details and information about foil blocking.

Tel: 01655 331196Fax: 01655 331515Email: info@istprintingservices.co.ukWebsite: www.istprintingservices.co.ukContact: Ian Stopford

Wellington Press The Wellington Press Group has been established for over 70 years, offering a complete design, printing and fi nishing service encompassing all forms of printed and electronic communication. The Group has expanded and kept pace with the rapid developments in graphic communication and printing technology, and now leads the industry in many new techniques. From conventional to digital offset to large format printing and fi nishing, through pre-press, design and studio work, to electronic media and the internet, the Wellington Press Group are your complete solution providers.

Tel: 0800 7833241Fax: 0208 5583722Website: www.wpdigital.co.uk

LARGE FORMAT PRINTINGDisplay PrintServices Ltd (dps)It’s a big world out there and competition is fi erce, so howdo you create super-strong

visual impact and really get noticed? By thinking big. Big graphics, big messages –and big pictures. As a specialist in large-format print and display, dps has all the know-how to transform your ideas into high quality reality. We can produce anything from point-of-sale items up to posters, banners, exhibition stands or even wrap up whole buildings.

Call us for more details of how we can help you to makea big impression.

Tel: 01373 225555Email: info@dps.eu.comWeb: www.dps.eu.comContact: David Wooster

RECRUITMENTCorps BusinessCorps Business is the most established and professional recruitment agency in the design, advertising and media industries. Since 1989, wehave been recruiting the top freelance and permanent creatives and developers. Our strict testing and screening procedure ensures that the people we supply can do what you want, when you want.

Tel: 020 7222 8484Email: recruit@corps.co.ukWebsite: www.corps.co.uk

TRAINING SERVICECorps BusinessCorps Business is the leading UK authorised training centre for the top software houses, including Adobe, Macromedia, Apple, Maxon, Media 100, Extensis and Quark Systems. You can choose either a group

or a tailored course, depending on your needs and abilities.Our consultants are all very knowledgeable in the software and can advise you on which course would suit you best.

Tel: 020 7222 8484Email: train@corps.co.ukWebsite: www.corps.co.uk

Falmouth College of ArtsAre you passionate about the future of digital interactivity? The MA in Interactive Art & Design at Falmouth College of Arts, taught by renowned net artist Kate Southworth (www.gloriousninth.com), offers radical new ways of working in Web design, digital sound art, net art and interactive installation art and design.

Tel: 01362 211077Fax: 01362 213880Email: admissions@falmouth.ac.uk

Metro New MediaLondon’s leading training centre for Web design, 3D, animation, multimedia,project management and programming• All trainers are professionals

in their fi eld• State-of-the-art studios• All levels from beginner

to advanced • Specialists in customised

training• Discreet accredited

Tel: 0207 729 9992Email: training@metronewmedia.comWebsite: www.metronewmedia.com

WEB HOSTINGDedicated ServersThe UK’s leading hosting company provides:• FREE and UNLIMITED phone

& email support (24/7/365)• Service level agreement• State-of-the-art data centres• Dedicated Control Panel• Partner Programme• Windows, Linux, Sun, Cobalt

and Co-location available• Host up to 200 Websites per

server from £74.99 per month

Tel: 0870 3339738Fax: 0115 9195514Email: sales@dedicated-servers.co.ukWebsite: www.dedicated-servers.co.uk

NetceteraFormed in 1996, Netcetera is one of Europe’s leading Web hosting service providers. Our services are biased towards Microsoft-based Internet Technologies – Microsoft Certifi ed Partner since 1999. Netcetera provides complete solutions for Web hosting, Domain Name registration, ecommerce, e-mail, dedicated server hosting, server-based applications hosting (ASP) and .NETppliance.

Tel: 01624 612948Fax: 01624 623385Email: sales@inetc.netWebsite: www.inetc.net

TO FEATURE IN THE CREATIVE DIRECTORY, EMAIL CA.ADVERTISING@FUTURENET.CO.UK

THE CREATIVE DIRECTORY

Register on-line now for discounted tickets and to get all the latest information

www.mac-expo.co.uk

digitalmusic

digitalphotography

wireless &the internet

digitalvideo

design &publishing

Design and publishing, creative pro or gifted amateur, see new techniques and workflow solutions

Improve your digital photography skills, try the latest equipment , get tips and tricks from experts

Get serious about digital video and create great shorts and promos, manage your video assets

Learn how to make music like the professionals and optimize and accessorize your iPod

Live the iLife, unite your digital products and unleash the full potential of wireless and the Internet

Attend the Macworld Conference @ MacExpo for in-depth masterclasses from top professionals

design & publishing solutions

EMAIL

114 | October 2004

“This was a layout for Fanatic Snowboards.

Since we created the last board for girls, Fanatic asked us to do a layout for the new one. Leo came up with a sexy lady illustration and I mixed it all together.”

CURRICULUM VITAE

VIAGRAFIK

CV

LOCATION: Wiesbaden, GermanyJOB TITLE: Graphic DesignersDATE OF BIRTH: Leo: 07.05.74, André: 05.04.75

TRAINING: Both have a diploma in Graphic Design from the University of Applied Science, in Mainz

SOFTWARE: FreeHand, Photoshop, Mac OSHARDWARE: Apple Mac, Sony Digicam, Canon scanner and photocopier, HP laser printer, Atari 1040 STf, Liyama monitors

INFLUENCES: The Designers Rebublic and Ian Anderson, eikes grafi scher hort, Wim Crouwel, H.P Willberg, Squarepusher, Converge, J. Müller-Brockmann, Situationists, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre, Henry Miller, Anïs Nin, Georg Büchner, science-fi ction, chaos/order, love/hate, Karl Marx, Z. Hadid, mk12, büro destruct, Luca Ionescu, Monty Python, Alien & Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, pi, and Swedish graphics.

STYLE: We are totally into vector shapes but wouldn’t say no to a little bit of dirt. We like to cling to concepts and realise them with all kinds of ideas!

CONTACT: View more Viagrafi k images at www.viagrafi k.com, or mail info@viagrafi k.com

”We were asked to do four illustrations about religious sects for the German

magazine Blond. They were very pleased with the results and this was one of their favourites.”

“This was a page for a special issue of Brett

(a German skateboard magazine). We were free to do what we wanted, so Leo did the pirate illustration and I arranged all the elements and fi nished the layout.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!Send us your CV, in the format shown, to ca.mail@futurenet.co.uk, with the subject line “CV”.

“We love to create logos. Leo has a

graffi ti background and I am totally into type design, so they are always a challenge for us.”

Visit www.solo.pipex.net

PIPEX professional broadband now available at homePIPEX has been the leading choice for business for over a decade.

Now you can choose it at home too. Industry leading, multi-award

winning professional broadband – is it any wonder over 50% of our

new customers join PIPEX through word of mouth. So if you want

fast, reliable broadband that’s up to 20x faster than standard dial-up

at home, connect to PIPEX and get the best in broadband.

In 1991 PIPEX was the UK’sfirst commercial ISP

FROM JUST

£15.99A MONTH INCLUDING FREE

MODEM & FREE SET UP

Today it’s trusted bythe majority of The Times

Top 100 companies

Now you can trust it at home for

just £15.99 a month