Many large websites have dropped support for IE6 including YouTube, Amazon, Google Docs, Google Reader, Apple’s MobileMe, Basecamp (all 37 signals projects), etc. While this is helping to accelerate the trend, some large corporations are still clinging to the aged browser due to the need to support legacy enterprise-wise applications. For the regular computer user however, most have upgraded long ago. The problem with IE6 is that it doesn’t support many of the methods and techniques used to make modern websites visually appealing and easier to use, because well, it was released August 27, 2001.

If you are using any flavor of Internet Explorer, I would strongly suggest you download a better browser. Your web experience will be greatly improved. They’re all free, here are 3 fantastic browsers that I use interchangeably.

Firefox (Mozilla)

Safari (Apple)

Chrome (Google)

We all want to be able to measure our marketing efforts, but it’s hard to quantify a “Return on Trust”. ROT? Maybe not the best acronym. How about ROR, “Return on Relationship”? Any good relationship takes time to build and often requires some adverse conditions to be tested. Any relationship that has trust is a two-way street. Obviously the customer needs to trust the vendor. Trust that they’ll do what was promised. Trust that they are a good value. Trust that if there is a problem, its brought out and dealt with. From a vendor standpoint, trust means the client will give them all the information they need upfront. Trust that the vendor’s intellectual property will be respected. That ideas and creativity have value; both professionally and financially. That they’ll pay for what was ordered. Trust requires some degree of transparency on both sides.

All that takes time and effort to establish, but produces the best kind of working relationship. Its a great investment. As one of our clients told me recently, ” I just give it to you so I don’t need to worry about it. I know it will be great.” That’s a lot easier sales plan than cold-calling!

Hopefully we can clear this up once and for all — right here, right now.

The reason we can’t enlarge the photo but can enlarge the logo? The photo is a raster file. The logo is a vector file.

What’s the difference? The short answer is that a raster file is made of pixels while a vector file is made of math descriptions.

To elaborate:

Raster

Photos and many other graphics are raster images, also called bitmaps. Raster images are constructed from a fixed grid of pixels. The file stores information about each individual pixel. Considering that an 8-1/2″ x 11″ image with bleed at 300 pixels per inch (print resolution) has 8,859,375 pixels, you can see why these files are often too big to email.

If we enlarge a raster image, we’re telling the computer to represent the same image using more pixels. The image becomes fuzzy or jagged because the computer doesn’t actually know what detail is being added to the image; it’s just guessing what the color of each additional pixel should be based on the color of the pixels next to it. This “guessing” process is called interpolation, and while there are better and worse ways to do it, it cannot replace having the detail there to begin with. However, raster images can be reduced without any visible loss of quality.

Vector

Logos and some illustrations typically originate as a vector image. A vector image is made up of lines, curves or shapes defined by a mathematical formula. This mathematical formula enables a vector image to be scaled to any size and printed at any resolution without losing detail or clarity. Since these formulas can describe the image in much fewer characters, the file sizes are often much, much smaller.

Not every kind of image can be created as a vector. The image must be relatively simple, such as a logo or line drawing that can be expressed as groups of lines, curves or shapes. If you tried to represent a photo using vector data, it would be unmanageably large.

The example below shows the difference between a vector image and a raster image when viewed close up.

One of the odd things is at some point ALL image files end up as raster, its just where in the process that happens. Vector images get “rasterized” at the last stage by the platemaker or the when the films are output by the printer. This process (which includes all the type as well) is handled by the RIP, or the Raster Image Processor. So if you hear someone say “its going to RIP” or “that’s been RIPped already”, it doesn’t mean they are tearing the files up. It means they are processing all the images and turning the mathematical descriptions into dots on film or plates.

Any questions? Just want to see how long you can withstand our graphics technobabble? Give us a call.

While at Miller Designworks, Helene became a key programmer on many websites and interactive projects. Just a few of these clients and projects included SunGard, CertainTeed VinyLink color selector, INTEX Millwork QuickQuote estimator and the Colonial Theater website. Miller Designworks loss will be Thomas Jefferson Hospital’s gain and we wish her success at her new home. If anyone is interested in contacting Helene, please find her on Linkedin.

Shooting for the documentary on the Colonial Theatre is nearly finished. Helene Calci and I have had the opportunity to meet some great folks with a real passion for this Phoenixville treasure. We’ve also had the chance to shoot at some great concerts, like Southside Johnny, Jake Shimabukuro, and the Cowboy Junkies. While Southside Johnny and the Cowboy Junkies might be more well known, I have to let you know how incredible Jake Shimabukuro was. He’s called the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele, and with good reason. Take a look at a clip from what we shot at his recent concert at the Colonial (thanks to Jake, for letting us post it) and then check out his website for more. Just amazing!

source: johnlangdon.net

John Langdon is the undisputed master of ambigrams, delightful graphic logotypes that can be read the same if they are reversed or flipped upside down. Ambigrams are the enchanting typographical palindromes featured in the novel Angels & Demons, the prequel to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Brown even honored John Langdon by giving the book’s main character Langdon’s surname. Robert Langdon shares his namesake’s personality quirks and fondness of symbols and puzzles.

While attending Drexel University I studied typography under John Langdon. His love and passion for hand rendered fonts and attention to subtle intricacies in typography quickly captivates all who come in contact with him or see his work. His play on words, influenced by what Dali and Escher did with images, consistently challenges the mind to look at concepts from entirely new perspectives. He taught me how to find the harmony within the details, and that the space between objects is just as important as the objects themselves.

Keep a lookout for the amazing ambigrams featured in this summer’s film version of Angels & Demons and visit Langdon’s website at www.johnlangdon.net for a more in-depth look at the artist and philosopher who has already influenced so many.

Built originally as a stage house, The Colonial Opera House opened its doors in 1903, quickly following with movies and performers, including Houdini in 1917. The Colonial went on to serve the people of Phoenixville through two world wars, a depression and a diverse series of dedicated owners.

The film will tell the theatre’s story by focusing on its architecture, programs and commitment to the Phoenixville area. It will show The Colonial’s rich heritage through the voices of the people who have shaped and are touched by The Colonial Theatre’s presence in the community. The people involved with The Colonial at every level will make up the film through interviews and stills. Filming starts in June.

If you are from Phoenixville, or have some connection to the Theatre, we’d love to hear from you. If you have any old Colonial photos, video, film or memorabilia, we’d REALLY love to hear from you! (and it might even make it into the film)

This blog will follow this film’s development into a documentary on a community treasure.

Let’s focus on my personal favorite web-based RSS reader, My Yahoo!. It is easy to use, highly customizable, styled in the theme of your choice, more visual than most with the inclusion of images, and available on any computer you use (as well as your iPhone through the free Yahoo! App [iTunes Link]).

Use the "+Add Content" button, circled in red above, to add feeds to your page.

If you don’t already have one, you can create a yahoo account for free. After setting up your Yahoo! Id and logging into yahoo, click the My Yahoo! link in the header. You can now customize your page by adding content (click the “+ Add Content” button shown right) from their vast stores of Feeds and Applications (commonly referred to as “Widgets”). You can also add feeds from the sites that you enjoy most by doing the following:

1. On the site you want to add, Click the RSS logo and copy the feed url to the content you want.
2. Then back in My Yahoo! click “+ Add Content” (shown in the above image)
3. Then, click “Add RSS Feed” (shown highlighted in red below)
4. Then paste the link in to the text field to add it.

Add Content Panel Open.

My Yahoo! Feed Options Dialog Screen Sample

After you have all the content you want on your page you can grab the top bar of any area and drag it to a new location arranging your feeds to your liking.

The (gear) icon will open the preferences dialog. This lets you change the number for articles, dates displayed, as well as the option to include images or just the headline text only. This is an option many other feed readers do not offer.

That’s the basics of customizing My Yahoo!, for more information please refer to Yahoo! Help for My Yahoo!.