Water Only Dries

Comics

Great visual tutorial for simple silkscreening. I need to make some shirts for an Art Camp we are putting on and this was just the trick. I haven’t done it yet but I am looking forward to it.

If you are seeing this you are seeing the new server. Welcome.

Budget LCD Roundup April 2005

TunerTricks GTi – MacMini

I would love to do this sometime. I have been thinking about it but I don’t have the time right now. A trip with the kids could be so much more enjoyable. Add the Mac Media Center to the mix with an LCD in the back and I would travel willingly.

I have created a new photoshop file with additional layers to help with changing the look. There are two new layer sets in this version as well as the original default theme (kubrick) layers.

One layer set has a vector version. If you just want to change the color, fill the layer and leave the mask alone. The shadows and gradients are created with layer effects. I have unlinked the masks so they don’t get moved inadvertently.

The second layer set is a bitmap version that will act the same way as the vector one. Fill the layer with your color and the masks will handle the cropping. If you want to use an image for the header just paste it in the file and use one of the masks to crop it. Command + click (mac) on the mask to make the mask a selection. Make sure the layer you are masking is active and make it a mask by clicking on the “add layer mask” icon at the bottom of the layers palette. The shapes are also saved as paths if you are so inclined.

Just keep in mind how the file will be sliced up while playing around. The guides will help you. All of the exporting instruction from this post still apply.

Have Fun and let’s all be different!

It has been a few weeks since I put up the photoshop template and it seems to be helping someone. Over 250 downloads so far. It can make it easier as long as you are changing the default theme. All you have to keep in mind is that the tiles fill the width of your template with the background color filling in behind that. The faint color on the right is just for the right column. You can change the width in your style sheet and make it any width you want.

Anyhow. Crazy times these past couple weeks. I was busy with a catalog as well as sick kids and freelance. We had a good write-up in the Cook’s Illustrated newsletter and orders went crazy for a few days (ThermoWorks) and seem to be holding steady but higher now. The BBQ season is upon us as well as tradeshows and much more. I like spring.

I wanted to customize the default theme on the brand spankin’ new 1.5 so I made a little psd file with a few layers that made it quite easy to change the look quickly. Just stay within the guides and you should be just fine. Be sure to backup or duplicate your default theme before you start. It is a photoshop file with layers that correspond to the different images needed for the theme. The Guides also give a visual feedback for where each slice will start.

The layers are named to correspond with the exported images. I just added new layers with my look and left the original ones alone. Then I could flip back and forth by toggling layer visibility.

When you have finished just use save for web with all the slices and images only and you should be set.

There will be one extra file (spacer) for slice 06 but it can be ignored. Upload these 5 files into the images folder inside the theme you are changing. Voila. You’re done. I know everyone doesn’t have Photoshop but that is what works for me. The file is quite simple. Sometimes the best way to figure something out is to give it a try.

Update: There is a new file with added layers and masks. More Info

We are now at 1.5!

Rotel 1056 receiver Mac mini HDTV – maybe around 1K, with DVI input B&W speaker system software

Apple – Mac mini

I really want one. I think it would work great as an entertainment machine. $499. Wow.

Rip the kids movies to the HD and play them from there. Itunes to the stereo. A New Rotel! Soon. Then have a web interface to launch the movies and just standard itunes interface to play the music. It would be nice to have a touchpad to control it all. Maybe a bluetooth palm device? An i-5 or i-node may also work? I only wish I had the dough to buy everything I want. Maybe soon.