Issue 3.4 July/August 1998
This issue of KDP is sponsored by:
ShareWay IP (MAC)
FEATURE
ShareWay IP: The World-Wide Network
It has become abundantly evident that connectivity is a vital element in the design, deployment, construction, and use of a computer environment. The network, and the channels through which digital data flows, is the life-blood that supports and nourishes the discrete functional units of digital publishing workflow.
In a digital publishing environment the movement of data is an absolute requirement. The production of a publishing project is as much a manufacturing process as an automobile assembly line is, with parts (text, graphics, photos, databases, etc.) arriving from sub-contractors and component providers (authors, artists, designers, customer agents, etc.) on a just-in-time basis. Unlike most assembly lines, which are predictable production processes, digital publishing usually deals with a different assembly process, and different parts, for each project.
The delays and losses (in time and sometimes shipments) inherent in postal and overnight courier services are no longer tolerable, nor are they necessary. The electronic nature of virtually every aspect of digital publishing, makes on-line delivery an absolute necessity.
Digital publishers and service bureaus have used a variety of communication methods to connect to customers, contractors, and others who support or depend on the production of publications, for print, the Web, electronic distribution or presentation, or multimedia. In most of these environments the Apple Macintosh plays a significant role, both as the production environment in which digital assets are created, and the assembly environment in which publications and projects are composed, tested, and produced. The Macintosh has been a network player since its beginning, and has an unequaled reputation for easy and reliable connectivity. That reputation has been enhanced with the release of ShareWay IP, a software utility that offers the potential of world-wide network access from any Macintosh.
ShareWay IP was created by Alan Oppenheimer, a long-time Apple software engineer, and a co-creator of the AppleTalk network system. What Mr. Oppenheimer has done is to extend the capabilities which are inherent in AppleShare IP to any Macintosh, in support of any AppleTalk-accessible server assets, anywhere on the network. AppleShare IP is Apple's innovative networking product that opens server access via the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, popularly known as TCP/IP, or IP for short. What IP capability provides is access to an AppleShare server resource from any Macintosh or enabled server client, with an Internet connection and the appropriate permission to mount a given volume. A Macintosh user simply opens the Chooser, selects ""Server IP Address..."", inputs the IP number, and logs onto the remote site. With proper permissions, any accessible remote volumes can be mounted on the local desktop, and used just as if they were local hard drives. ShareWay IP does essentially the same function, but extends it in several ways.
ShareWay IP is available in three versions, the Professional version having the most capabilities. ShareWay IP Professional can be installed on any Macintosh or AppleShare server, providing access to the volumes mounted on the server, those of the host Macintosh, or another Macintosh, Macintosh server, or AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) servers running on other platforms such as Windows NT, Novell Netware and Unix.
An individual Macintosh user, could, for example, enable sharing of any or all of his or her local volumes, setting the sharing permissions using the Macintosh's file sharing services. ShareWay IP Professional would then allow the user to share those resources remotely from any Macintosh with an IP connection and the proper permissions. Think what this means...
* In a strictly closed loop scenario, the user could set up to share all volumes on an office, studio, or production computer so that he or she could have exclusive, remote access from home, while travelling, or from any location, including a client's, colleague's, or service provider's computer. The person would no longer have to worry about access to a file at the office since it could be used from virtually anywhere on the planet.
* A digital publisher could provide drop boxes for clients so that they could simply drag-and-drop the work on their own desktops, and have it delivered to the publisher in realtime. ShareWay IP supports the use of aliases, so that the client could make an alias of the volume containing the drop box, place it in the Macintosh start-up folder, and have it appear on the desktop automatically at start-up.
* A digital publisher, or a service bureau, could make one or more of their volumes available for public read-only access. In this way they could provide style manuals, proprietary fonts, graphics, templates, and other useful files. ShareWay IP keeps a log of remote access which can be maintained in a database. Although a similar capability could be provided with FTP access, the use of ShareWay IP is better since:
1. It is inherently Mac-like and is, therefore, not technologically intimidating
2. It provides drag-and-drop simplicity
3. It does not require compression or binhexing...files are ready to use, requiring no post-processing by the recipient.
* A digital publisher could enable remote program linking, allowing a distant user, through the Internet, to run a program from the host. This could be used either by a customer who needed technical help with accomplishing a given procedure, and provided their publisher or service provider with access to their program; or by the publisher, to let a customer examine a job prior to output. In either case, the customer and client could be in voice contact while the Internet connection was underway.
Each of the shared ShareWay IP volumes can support up to 120 users, and ShareWay supports hundreds of shared volumes. In addition, access to a Shareway-supported volume can be provided through a Web browser or an e-mail message using a URL format specific to AFP. Using an OpenDoor accessory program called AFP Engage!, the client's Web browser and e-mail program will recognize AFP URLs, and convert them into clickable links. This means that the specification of a ShareWay volume, by its AFP URL name in an e-mail message, or as part of a Web page, will provide direct access to that resource simply by double-clicking. Rather than see a list of files available for download from a remote server, the user would actually have that volume mounted on their desktop, and drag the files that they want directly to a local volume. Alternately, if the user knows the URL of the AFP server, he or she could input it in the browser. The format for an AFP URL is:
afp://servername/volumename/path
In addition to the professional version, ShareWay IP is available in a Standard Edition, which supports an AFP server either on the server itself, or any Macintosh that has AppleTalk access to that server. One copy of ShareWay IP is required for each server. Finally, the program is available in a Personal Edition, which supports personal file sharing on the same Macintosh as the ShareWay IP Gateway itself.
The Professional version is priced at $479, Standard at $249, and Personal at $79. Educational pricing is also available.
Contact: Open Door Networks, 110 South Laurel St., Ashland, OR 97520, 541 488-4127, http://www.opendoor.com, e-mail: asip@opendoor.com, fax: 541 488-1708.
Publish It Deluxe includes a professionally designed collection of over 4,000 templates, simplifying the process of producing quality documents. The user employs a wizard to quickly and easily produce high quality newsletters, business cards, brochures, fliers, memos, office documents, signs, banners, presentations, and logos. The bundle includes over 15,000 pieces of clip art, 2000 photos, 2000 Web graphics, 274 TrueType fonts, 100 music clips, 500 animated GIFs, and 400 borders. Any of the documents can be repurposed for the Web.
This inexpensive package includes more features than any of its competitors. Among the advanced capabilities are photo editing, drawing, a 3-D editor, photo special effects, image distortion, a spell checker, thesaurus, snap shot screen capture, mail merge, and more. Quite impressive for the money. $99.95
Contact: Macmillan Digital Publishing, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290, 800 571-1097, 317 817-7290, http://www.macdigital.com, fax: 317 817-7025.
PrePage Templates for Adobe PageMaker is a cross platform CD-ROM collection of 300 professionally-designed desktop publishing documents. The CD is accompanied by an indexed 120-page book showing thumbnail images of each design. Templates have all of the design elements in place, ready for the substitution of the user's copy. Document production time can be significantly reduced, and professional results are virtually ensured. The collection, designed and executed by renown designer Chuck Green, includes the following categories: Advertisements; Announcements, Awards, and Invitations; Binders and Folders; Books and Booklets; Brochures and Flyers; Business and Rotary Cards; Calendars and Forms; Catalogs and Product Sheets; Correspondence and Messages; Direct Mail and Postcards; Labels and Tags; Menus; Newsletters; Packaging; Personal Projects; Posters and Signs; Presentations and Publicity; Promotional Materials; and Wearables. $99
Contact: Logic Arts Corporation, 11475 Chikahominy Beach Dr., Glen Allen, VA 23060-9813, 804 266-7996, http://www.ideabook.com, fax: 804 266-7990.
Multi-Ad Creator2 is a next generation design tool that has been optimized for the creation of display advertising. It combines drawing and page layout capabilities in one program with powerful underlying PostScript algorithms that support the creation of custom typographic and illustrative material. It has many unique features, such as: multiple page sizes and master pages sizes in a single document; auto masking of images; advanced typographic controls such as editable shades and outlines; shadow creation on text, shapes and images; standard or custom traps between graphical elements; automatic generation of rows and columns; hundreds of standard borders and textures; viewing and editing of color separations from within the program; and much more. The program also includes Multi-Ad Search, an image database for maintaining digital assets. If you have anything to do with the design of advertisements or collateral material, this program is a real treasure. $649
Contact: Multi-Ad Services, Inc., 1720 West Detweiller Dr., Peoria, IL
61615-1695, 309 692-1530, WWW: <http://www.multi-ad.com>, e-mail:
corporate@multi-ad.com, fax: 309 692-6566.
i publish 2.0 (WIN)
i publish 2.0 is certainly one of the most automated and easy-to-use desktop publishing programs available. It consists of a split screen that shows publication templates and design options on the left, and what the publication will look like on the right. After the user is satisfied with the look of the design, they drag-and-drop their text, photos and graphics directly into place. The page elements automatically conform to the containers on the page. The user can change the template or any of the design variables at any time, and see the results immediately. Templates are provided for newsletters, brochures, reports, letters, memos, catalogs, press releases, fliers, etc. Once the design in acceptable, the user has the option of printing it locally, sending it to a service bureau (i press), converting it to Web format, or publishing it as an on-screen presentation. Both the Web and on-screen versions are generated with all necessary formatting and navigation. The CD-ROM includes over 40 fonts plus an image library of over 1,000 photos and clip-art files, and access to proprietary on-line image resources. $99
Contact: Design Intelligence, Inc., 111 Third Ave., Suite 1500, Seattle, WA 98101, 206 749-2860, http://www.design-intelligence.com, e-mail: sales@designintelligence.com, fax: 206 389-8228.
Plus Pack for Palm III Connected Organizers is a collection of programs for the PalmPilot III. Of particular interest for digital publishers is the Image Viewer 2.3, which provides the capability to view and organize maps, pictures, diagrams and images on a virtual scrolling screen of 640x280. Grayscale and black-and-white images can be imported from a PC and categorized, stored, and retrieved as needed. Also of interest is Pocket C, for writing C applets. It includes a function library providing graphics, sound, database I/O, and serial I/O. Other applications in the package include a golf scoring program, watch with alarms, English/Spanish/French/Italian translator, pocket drum kit, and flash card generator. $29.95
Contact: Macmillan Digital Publishing, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290, 800 571-1097, 317 817-7290, http://www.macdigital.com, fax: 317 817-7025.
Business Plus Pack for Palm III Connected Organizers is a collection of business-oriented applications for the popular PalmPilot III. Digital publishers will appreciate the BrainForest (tm) Mobile Edition which provides the capability to manage and track ideas. It is similar to the outline view in Microsoft Word, and makes it easy to manage projects and complicated tasks. Those over the age of 40 will like the TealZoom! application that provides a magnifying glass to enlarge hard-to-see numbers. The Actioneer program can automatically classify and distribute information to the proper PalmPilot application, or combination of applications. Also in the pack are a powerful calculator, world time calculator, billable time tracker, personal money manager, and database utility. $39.95
Contact: Macmillan Digital Publishing, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290, 800 571-1097, 317 817-7290, http://www.macdigital.com, fax: 317 817-7025.
Professor Teaches Windows 98 and Internet Explorer are two interactive learning programs on CD-ROM providing complete multi-mediated support for both programs. Each of the programs includes a main menu showing the complete contents, sets of hands-on lessons, and quizzes. $19.95
Contact: Individual Software Inc., 4255 Hopyard Road, Building 2, Pleasanton, CA 94588, 800 331-3313, 510 734-6767, 800 822-3522, http://www.individualsoftware.com, fax: 510 734-8337.
Turbo-PS is a utility program that performs a single function: It creates PostScript code from QuarkXPress or Adobe Illustrator in approximately one-tenth the time it takes to write out conventional PostScript. Serious digital publishers are aware that PostScript is exceptionally verbose, producing hundreds of pages of ASCII code from DTP files that consist of only a few pages. Turbo-PS saves a significant amount of time, which accounts for serious production efficiency. $399
Contact: Productive Intelligence, Inc., 1626 N. Wilcox Ave., Suite 945, Hollywood, CA 90028, 213 850-7321, 800 500-0541, http://www.pr-int.com, e-mail: sales@pr-int.com, fax: 213 850-7756.
Action Files is a utility which adds significant enhancement to the standard Macintosh Open and Save window. It is an essential tool for digital publishers who manage vast on-line resources consisting of multi-gigabyte volumes. In essence, the program makes it much easier to locate and manage the files that are being sought. Rather than rely on operator memory, or luck, Action Files provides many tools for tracking and finding files quickly, easily, and effortlessly.
Users will first notice that the Action Files window is resizable and movable, and that both the font and size of the window listings can be changed. These features ensure that the complete file names can be viewed at all times. Files can be viewed and sorted by name, size, date, label or kind.
The key feature of the software is that the user can select recent files or folders directly from the Open and Save window. This makes is easy to work on several frequently-used files, even if they are located on different local or remote volumes. Users can also designate files and folders as "favorites," so that they are always accessible from the Action Files menu system, even if they have not been accessed recently. The ease by which files are located will save the user several minutes of time looking for files, and the frustration and wasted time and effort of opening the wrong files. Over the course of a year, this saved time is likely to amount to several hours that can now be used productively, and result in more billable hours.
If the file being sought is not in the list of recently viewed files or folders, the user can use the flexible search feature. Files can be located by name, size, kind, label, creation date, modification date, file type, creator and more.
Action Files adds several menus to the Open and Save window that provide the same functions that normally can only be conducted from the Macintosh Desktop. These include Get Info, Label, Rename, Duplicate, Make Alias, Move to Trash, Show Original, Up/Down Level, Desktop, Eject, and more.
The Action Utilities Control Panel provides customization control over several of the program's capabilities. In it the user can specify the number of favorite and recent files and documents that will be listed (the default is 10 each); how the default sort order will appear; the format for the date listings; the option of disabling Action Files, or just its resizing feature for specific applications; and more. $49.95
Contact: Power On Software, 2046 Lakewood Road SW, Sherrodsville, OH 44675, 800 797-7382, 612 317-0344, http://www.poweronsw.com, e-mail: sales@poweronsw.com, fax: 330 735-3136.
Microsoft Office 97 is the standard suite of business applications, and consists of MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and MS Access. The potent combination of these programs (a similar set of applications is available for Macintosh in Microsoft Office 98) has virtually eclipsed any other software suite, or any single word processing application.
Microsoft has done an excellent job both in integrating the applications, so that they work seamlessly, and in providing online user help, in the form of the Office Assistant. The Office Assistant interface supports the input of questions in English, resulting in the immediate display of helpful suggestions.
Although the suite was not specifically designed for publishing purposes, digital publishers will appreciate the following features: a new "Save as HTML" option; a powerful set of drawing tools for the production of graphics that can be used in all Microsoft Office documents; a collection of hundreds of images, textures, and sound effects; the Microsoft Photo Editor; Microsoft Outlook, which serves as a desktop information manager that can help to organize e-mail, appointments, contacts, tasks and documents; and much more.
Free online extras, consisting of clip art, templates and add-ons, are available on The Microsoft Network (connect-time charges apply). In addition, the cross-platform composition of most publishing environments will benefit from having virtually the same applications being available for both Macintosh and Windows. $499
Contact: Microsoft Corp., One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, 206 882-8080, WWW: http://www.microsoft.com, fax: 206 93MSFAX.
INFO SELECT Version 4.0 is an award-winning personal information manager (PIM) which provides unlimited data storage in both free-form and structured database formats. This new version is the most comprehensive ever, with over 100 new features. Users can type anything into an INFO SELECT note and file it under any category they which to create. The program's advanced search algorithm finds entries amazingly fast using free-form, field, AND/OR/NOT, wild card and Fuzzy searching. The program is now network ready so that databases can be shared easily. The main feature set includes: word processing, spell checking, forms design, Web bookmarks, colorized outlines, drag and drop editing, thesaurus, two-computer data synchronization, prioritized To-Do list, calendars, auto dialer, warning alarms, hyper links, database import/export, custom reports and label printing, time and date stamping, and much more. $99.95
Contact: Micro Logic, 89 Leuning St., So. Hackensack, NJ 07606, 201 342-6518, WWW: http://www.miclog.com; e-mail: staff@miclog.com, fax: 201 342-0370.
Typing Instructor Deluxe Edition Version 9 features the "Personalized Typing Plan" which lets the user design and implement their own custom learning course composed of selected lessons, tests, practice sessions and games, in any order. The student may also follow the pre-set course which provides progressive skill-building responsive to the user's level of skill. There is no single digital publishing skill that is as important as keyboarding.
The keyboarding skills development game aspect has been expanded from five to seven, with practice sessions taking place in a video game-like environment. There are also 20 background music styles to select from, and users can import their own music files. The Magazine Rack provides excerpts from over 300 books, magazine articles and short stories for keyboarding practice, from a wide variety of subject categories. The program features an expanded set of practice texts, lessons and tests that can be downloaded from the program's dedicated Web site. Users as young as seven can benefit from this program. Many people need keyboard skill development, and almost anyone can benefit from keyboard skill-building...this is the program to accomplish both. $29.95
Contact: Individual Software Inc., 4255 Hopyard Road, Building 2, Pleasanton, CA 94588, 800 331-3313, 510 734-6767, 800 822-3522, http://www.individualsoftware.com, fax: 510 734-8337.
DAVE V2.0 is the first complete Microsoft Windows connectivity solution for Macintosh. It is the only Macintosh-based TCP/IP software product for connecting to a wide range of Microsoft-based computers with the Mac OS, including NT (Server and Workstation), Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95 systems. It also provides Wintel PCs with full access to Macintosh files and PostScript printers. No hardware or software is necessary on the PC side. PC users see Macintosh resources in the Network Neighborhood. The program also lets Macintosh users connect to other Macintosh users using TCP/IP.
DAVE requires no modifications to any Windows 95 or NT systems in order to share Macintosh resources. It installs on the Macintosh and lets the Mac look like another PC on the Microsoft network. The Macintosh user uses the Chooser to mount other users' shared directories, or to share with Windows PCs, or even other Macintosh systems running DAVE. It also supports removable media, such as Zip disks and CD-ROMs. It is extremely easy to use, and ultimately indispensable. It makes it extremely easy to share large files, which are common in a digital publishing environment, and to provide parity between Macintoshes and PCs. It provides file and print services to or from the Mac or PC.
Because DAVE uses TCP/IP it can communicate from anywhere over the Internet. This makes it practical to work from home, access resources while traveling, or provide access to cottage workers or clients. In addition, and of great utility for remote users, DAVE supports messaging, so that messages can be sent between Macintosh and PC systems. This feature can also be used for notification when a print job is completed. $149
Contact: Thursby Software Systems, Inc., 5840 W. Interstate 10, Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76017, 817 478-5070, WWW: http://www.thursby.com, fax: 817 561-2313.
Harmony 1.0 is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop 4 and 5 which supports the management of color schemes, both within Photoshop and other graphics applications (Adobe Illustrator and PageMaker). It helps the user create harmonious color schemes using the RYB (Red, Yellow, Blue) color wheel. The user selects one color, and Harmony provides a harmonious color scheme of up to six swatches. Easy. The Harmony eyedropper can be used to select colors inside or outside the Harmony window, so that a target color can be grabbed from an open document. The program provides HTML conversions, Macintosh, Windows, and Web-safe previews. The user can choose from analogous colors, complements, split complements, triads, tetrads and more. Thousands of variations can be explored quickly and easily by adjusting the wheel tint, shade and tone.
Up to 24 additional swatches can be added to the basic harmony scheme. The user can name, lock, edit, or drag and drop colors into each other. Quite an amazing and useful utility. $79
Quite Imposing and Quite Imposing Plus are Acrobat Exchange plug-ins which provide page imposition capabilities. This means that the user can rearrange one or more PDF files, producing the compilation as a properly imposed booklet. The Plus version allows manual imposition, user-defined bleeds, user-applied page numbers, and stick-on masking tape (to hide parts of pages that should not be printed). Both programs are available in demo versions at http://www.emerge.com.
Contact: Quite Software, 80-83 Long Lane, London, EC1A 9ET, United Kingdom; 105 Ridley Road, Forest Gate, London E7 0LX, United Kingdom, 44 181 257-1044, e-mail: quite@dial.pipex.com, fax: 44 181 522-1726.
EdgeWizard is a Photoshop plug-in that helps the user produce perfect image edges, free of halo or banding effects. The plug-in consists of four productivity-enhancing tools that support the application of 8-bit edges to masks created in Photoshop or Chroma's MagicMask. Edges may be applied locally or globally and directed inside, outside or center. Each use is supported by unlimited levels of undo.
The tools include Quick Edge, which creates a 2-3 pixel edge; Gaussian Edge, which applies a blur to an edge; Variable Color Edge, which determines the best possible edge; and Pixel Edge Brush, which lets the user create and edit masks by adding to or subtracting from mask values. $99.95
Contact: Chroma Graphics, Inc., 577 Airport Blvd., Suite 730, Burlingame, CA 94010-2020, 415 375-1100, 888-8CHROMA, http://www.chromagraphics.com, email: sales@chromagraphics.com, fax: 415 375-1118.
Instant Buttons & Controls v3.6 is an extensive and attractive collection of license-free images for multimedia interface design, in the form of buttons and controls (keyboards, sliders, etc.) for use in Macromedia Director 5 and 6 formats. It installs and an Xtra with Director, but also supports almost every other authoring program with its graphics and sound output. The CD includes over 12,500 images, over 200 button sounds, powerful lingo behaviors, and more. In addition, the package includes a WebVectors folder with 380 vector graphics, each with a rollover and mouse down graphic (Flash programming and sound included); support for touchscreen feedback; associated button sounds in .wav and Aiff formats; and a bookmark feature for easily accessing particular buttons. $109
Contact: stat media, 7077 East Shorecrest Dr., Anaheim Hills, CA 92807, 714 280-0038, http://www.statmedia.com, e-mail: statmedia@eworld.com, fax: 714 748-0178
Genuine Fractals plug-in for Photoshop provides the capability to output resolution-independent fractal image format (FIF) files with compression ratios from 4:1 to 125:1. The software provides two options for encoding FIF files from RGB images. The Pro Graphics option lets Photoshop users work in medium-resolution files between 10 and 25 megabytes for large format output. Files can then be compressed to between 2 and 5 megabytes and scaled to extremely large sizes (450 megabytes or more) while maintaining visually lossless picture and color integrity. The Web Graphics option creates very small compressed files from screen-resolution images that display quickly on the Web. Web designers can select from among 50 settings. $129
Contact: Altamira Group, 1827 Verdugo Ave., Second Floor Suite C, Burbank, CA 91506, 818 556-6099, http://www.altamira-group.com, fax: 818 556-3365.
Vertigo 3D HotTEXT is a Photoshop plug-in that supports the creation of 3D text and paths, with applied textures and lighting effects. In addition to being able to select the font, size, depth, spacing and rotation, users can select from the over 1,500 textures that are included with the software.
The program supports the generation of Hollywood-quality 3D titling effects. Within the Vertigo 3D world the user can arrange the virtual camera to view the 3D text from any perspective, providing significant flexibility. Text is automatically aligned to user-defined or pre-set 3D paths. $199
Contact: Vertigo Technology Inc., 842 Thurlow St., Suite 300, Vancouver, BC, CN V6E 1W2, 888-4-VERTIGO, 604 684-2113, http://www.vertigo.com, e-mail: info@vertigo.bc.ca, fax: 604 684-2108.
Boris FX 3.5 is a set of plug-in filters for digital video editing supporting a wide range of host applications, including Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Avid Media Composer 7, Media 100, and several others. The user is presented with an interactive interface in which the filter parameters are set and previewed, afterwhich the effect is rendered in the host application and the results are viewed on the broadcast monitor. The collection consists of 15 filters for special effects and transitions. These include 2D particles, scatterize, directional blur, Gaussian blur, unsharp mask, linear key, posterize, noise, and several more. Some of the filters are new, others are improved versions of previous versions. Further information is presented on the Boris FX Web site, http://www.borisfx.com/products/bfx_page_2.html. $495 to $895, dependent on the host application.
Contact: Artel Software, Inc., 381 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210-1853, 617 451-9900, 888 77BORIS, http://www.artelsoft.com, fax: 617 451-9916.
Cinelook is a plug-in for Adobe After Effects which transforms QuickTime compatible digital video clips into a form resembling film. The program can emulate over 50 different film stocks, and the custom settings can be saved so that they can be applied to additional footage at any time. The only other way of creating this effect is to send digital files to a service bureau, wait several days, and then assess the job that they have done. This puts the creative control into the hands of others, and costs a minimum of $85 per minute of footage, usually with a 10 minute minimum.
The emulation process imitates the stochastic nature of film grain, and uses three layers of grain to simulate the different frequencies of grain that are apparent on many film emulsions, for either color or black-and-white. Cinelook applies a slight out-of-focus adjustment to each RGB layer to simulate what actually happens when light is focused on color film.
The program can also add aging and damage effects, such as dirt, stains, scratches, hairs, flicker, uneven focus, film sprocket jitter and other simulations to suggest old and mishandled film. Quite an amazing, practical, and fun application. $695
Contact: DigiEffects, 818 Monterey Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94127, 415 841-9901, 888 344-4339,
Eye Candy for After Effects is an extended version of Alien Skin's award-winning Photoshop plug-in set. This version provides the 19 Eye Candy effects to animators, video and film producers, and CD-ROM developers. Alien Skin has a well-deserved reputation for producing incredible digital effects.
The filter effects include texture (fur, swirl, HSB noise), distortion (glass, squint, jiggle), production (inner bevel, outer bevel, perspective shadow, carve, glow, cutout), and specialized (fire, smoke, weave, chrome, motion trail, and antimatter). Each effect has its own set of controls which have been extended to support animation and time-based video. $599
Contact: Alien Skin Software, LLC, 800 St. Mary's St., Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27605-1457, 919 832-4124, Internet: alien-skinfo@alienskin.com, http://www.alienskin.com, fax: 919 832-4065.
The Imposer/MarkIt Bundle consists of two XTensions for QuarkXPress. Imposer imposes pages from a single QuarkXPress document into printer spreads. The palette provides a preview in the printer orientation, although it does not shuffle pages. The program compensates for gaps, creep, bleed and crossover traps, and the user has complete control over margins.
MarkIt is a QuarkXPress XTension that supports the placement of workmarks, such as press marks, trim lines, registration targets and color and grayscale bars. The program provides industry standard press marks, and the user may add their own. The selection of marks is saved as a style, and a style is applied to a particular job. $99 each or $169 for the bundle.
Contact: alap, inc., 2700 19th St., San Francisco, CA 94110, 415 642-3733, 800 788-7557, e-mail: sales@xchangeus.com, fax: 415 642-3816.
ShadowCaster is an XTension for QuarkXPress that provides a one-step method of applying a soft shadow to text or graphics. The shadows that it produces are high-resolution TIFF images. The shadows can be silhouetted, outlined or ghosted. $99
Contact: alap, inc., 2700 19th St., San Francisco, CA 94110, 415 642-3733, 800 788-7557, e-mail: sales@xchangeus.com, fax: 415 642-3816.
VectorTools 2.0 is an upgraded version of DrawTools. The application, which supports Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia FreeHand, consists of several components. These include: VectorLibrary, a floating palette for storing frequently used images, text or illustrations, and dragging them out for use; VectorNavigator, for quickly moving anywhere inside of a document; VectorColor, for modifying the color characteristics of a given graphic; VectorObjectStyles (Illustrator only), provides style sheets; VectorMagicWand, selects paths with similar attributes; VectorFrame, applies a frame to an object or group of objects; VectorBars (Illustrator only), provides customizable tool bars; VectorTypeStyles (FreeHand only), provides advance character-based formatting; and VectorCaps (FreeHand only), for setting the case style of selected text. $99.95
Contact: Extensis Corp., 1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97201, 800 796-9798, 503 274-2020, http://www.extensis.com, fax: 503 274-0530.
Boris AE 1.0 is a set of plug-ins for Adobe After Effects. The collection consists of more than 30 filters including digital video editing-style picture-in-picture, cubes, page turns, partially wrapped spheres and cylinders, as well as photographic color effects. $395
Contact: Artel Software, Inc., 381 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210-1853, 617 451-9900, 888 77BORIS, http://www.artelsoft.com, fax: 617 451-9916.
Extensis BeyondPress 4.0 is a powerful XTension for QuarkXPress that provides precision Web publishing using the latest Web standards. It offers the most direct and efficient route for repurposing print documents for use on the Web. The program converts QuarkXPress documents into HTML code, automatically converting images to JPEG, GIF, progressive JPEG, or interlaced GIF. The user has the option of publishing all items on a page or only selected items. The converted Web pages can include Java, QuickTime and animated GIFs from within the Quark document. Most importantly, the page design is maintained during the conversion, with fonts appearing essentially the same through the use of Cascading Style Sheets and Dynamic Fonts.
The program uses an Advanced Style Mapping process whereby QuarkXPress styles are mapped to HTML styles. These styles are maintained and are processed automatically, although the user can edit them at any time.
The Attributes Inspector can be used to assign HTML attributes, such as links and ALT tags to any page object. The site organization is maintained using a preferences window in which the user specifies the default folders for images, multimedia, etc. Pages can be previewed in either of the provided browsers without the need to export files. The package includes a copy of Extensis PhotoAnimator for the rapid creation of animated GIFs. $499
Contact: Extensis Corp., 1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97201, 800 796-9798, 503 274-2020, http://www.extensis.com, fax: 503 274-0530.
PANTONE HexWrench is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop which supports the viewing and creation of Hexachrome images. Hexachrome is a six-color, ultra high fidelity process color system that is superior to traditional four-color process printing. Not only does Hexachrome produce dramatically superior images, with increased photorealism and an improved color range, but it is also capable of producing, through process color printing, more than 90% of the solid PANTONE colors. This is twice the number of PANTONE colors that the conventional four-color printing process can reproduce.
The Hexachrome process is an important technical development which all digital publishers should be aware of. It was developed in recognition of the large number of six-color presses that are available in installations worldwide. It is composed of a special ink set consisting of purer versions of the subtractive primaries (yellow, magenta, and cyan) along with black, vivid orange and green. Although there are HiFi color systems that use seven and eight colors, Hexachrome produces a broader color gamut due to the purity of the Hexachrome primary inks. The four-color ink set can be used alone with excellent results, which minimizes the press makeready time between CMYK and Hexachrome jobs. PANTONE developed the process and supports it with the special ink set, design and separation software, proofing and the PANTONE Hexachrome Color Selector.
In a production environment, Hexachrome offers several benefits. First, it provides designers with greater latitude in the creation of imagery since it is less likely that their designs will be compromised by the limitations of the four-color process. Second, it favors RGB and L*A*B image files over CMYK, which saves the time and trouble of converting, and also results in files that are 25% smaller. Third, it eliminates (in most cases) the need for printing additional solid colors through the use of "bump" plates.
The HexWrench program provides an easy-to-use interface which supports the specification of ColorSync/ICC device profiles to yield the best possible on-screen preview. The user can display a split-screen showing before and after images and comparing the Hexachome image to its four-color counterpart. The user can also view progressives in every possible combination. When he or she is satisfied with the results, the program is used to generate six-channel DCS 2.0 files that can be imported into programs such as PageMaker and QuarkXPress.
Hexachrome has become an industry standard, with pre-press proofing solutions available or under development from DuPont, Afga, Fuji, and others. PANTONE has licensed their Hexachrome ink set to printing ink manufacturers around the world. The process is compatible with conventional and stochastic screening. Specific information is available on-line at http://www.hexachrome.pantone.com. $499
Contact: Pantone, Inc., 590 Commerce Blvd., Carlstadt, NJ 07072-3098, 201 935-5500, http://www.pantone.com, fax: 201 896-0242.
Object Collection Vol. 2: Woodies is set of 100 royalty-free computer-generated literal and symbolic wooden doll postures, each provided in three resolutions, from 72 dpi to 3000 dpi, in TIFF format. They are posed in a wide variety of poses, and shown in a large number of angles. Each image has a built-in alpha channel. $99.95
Contact: Imagedrome, Inc., One St. Francis Place #1607, San Francisco, CA 94107, 415 979-9790, http://www.imagedrome.com, e-mail: info@imagedrome.com, fax: 415 979-9791.
Bright Ideas is a subscription design service that provides the following each month: 80 original pieces of digital artwork, 8 fonts, 10 tabloid-size backgrounds, 5 rendered and wire-frame models, and the Bright Ideas magazine (40 pages, full-color). The magazine shows all of the digital assets (which are provided on CD-ROM), many shown in suggested layouts, or using one or two of several possible treatments; tips, tricks and techniques; reviews of new peripherals and accessories; and skill-building tutorials. Members pay a one-time setup fee of $39.95, which provides unlimited toll-free technical support for artwork and fonts, and access to art and font libraries. The monthly subscription cost is $49.95.
Contact: Bright Ideas, 5816 Dryden Place, Carlsbad, CA 92008-6527, 760 930-7308, 800 433-0171, http://www.dtp-ideas.com, e-mail: member@dtp-ideas.com.
Sams Teach Yourself Windows 98 is an interactive learning package with video demonstrations and tutorials. The package covers common Windows' tasks, functions, and operations. The user quickly learns survival skills that they can apply immediately. Priced less than most books. $19.95
Contact: Macmillan Digital Publishing, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290, 800 571-1097, 317 817-7290, http://www.macdigital.com, fax: 317 817-7025.
Trellix 1.0 automates the creation of attractive Web documents, automatically linking word processing files to professionally designed layouts. It was designed by Dan Bricklin of VisiCalc fame, for the purpose of capturing legacy documents for publishing on the Web. Although not immediately intuitive, it can be used by anyone familiar with word processing or presentation graphics applications after they acquire some basic training. The process of building a Trellix document is "simply a matter of clicking on freely movable page icons and placing the icons on special Map tools that assign the look, the navigation and links to the pages. The Map can be changed interactively and modifications are immediately reflected throughout the document."
A set of publishing Wizards are provided to post files in HTML to a Web site, or to email them to a recipient. A unique feature of Trellix is the capability to intelligently print the output, including a way to navigate links, even on paper. Trellix documents can also be distributed electronically, independent of the Web, and read using a free Trellix Viewer.
The program, which was a PCWeek Best of Comdex "Best All-Around Application" in November, 1997, is, perhaps, one of the fastest routes to moving composed pages to the Web within a unified layout, and with all navigation tools attached. It significantly lowers the skill level required for producing an attractive, timely, and easily maintained Web site. $99
Contact: Trellix Corp., 51 Sawyer Road, Waltham, MA 02154, 781 788-9400, 800 266-0879, http://www.trellix.com, e-mail: info@trellix.com, fax: 781 788-9494.
GoLive CyberStudio 3 Professional Edition is among the most complete Web authoring systems for the design, production and maintenance of fully dynamic Web sites. Although the program supports WYSIWYG layout, it provides the HTML author with complete control over tag coding.
This new version is the first program to provide visual control and editing of Cascading Style Sheets in the visual mode. It is also the only authoring tool to support the creation of fully dynamic Web pages without any multimedia programming. The GoLive Web site have several tutorial QuickTime movies which show many new capabilities in action.
Among its other advanced features are: ready-to-use, fully editable JavaScript Actions which are supported by all major browsers; professional page layout capabilities, including group, align, and distribute; automatic link updating when pages are moved; a self-contained Web database providing full control over the structure of HTML code; visualization of Web pages in different browsers (even on different platforms); the layout of Floating Layer Boxes, which are independent objects within an HTML page that are suspended above the normal HTML; a Visual Site Building mode wherein the site structure is built by dragging and dropping master and stationery pages from the palette; a Timeline Editor that simplifies the creation of animations; pixel-level layout precision of page elements using grids and boxes; the specification of master elements that can be used throughout an entire site; flexible table tools that support the direct importation of ASCII text from a spreadsheet file into multiple table cells; sophisticated site management including the capability to print the entire site view; direct Web server connection via FTP, with a split-screen view within the Site Window, and incremental control moving only the files that have changed; support for opening multiple Site Windows wherein assets can be moved between them; spellchecking of an entire site; and much more. This program comes closest to the page element positioning capabilities of a page layout application. $549
Contact: GoLive Systems, Inc., 525 Middlefield Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94025, 650 463-1580, 800 554-6638, http://www.golive.com, fax: 650 463-1598.
ImageReady 1.0 is a program that combines the image processing tools that Web developers need to quickly and efficiently produce optimized graphics. What digital publishers will appreciate most is the realtime feedback in the LiveView window that shows how an image will appear on the Web at given compression settings. The interface has been compared to Photoshop, and while it has the familiar Adobe look, it provides a different set of capabilities. Users can preview how a particular image will look in various browsers and see the download times for various connection rates. Among the other major features are: the capability to create client-side image maps, compose editable type; access multiple levels of undo, create batch-processing Droplets (desktop icons onto which batches of files can be dropped), record and replay editing sequences in the Actions palette, create Animated GIFs, and access a core set of Photoshop tools. The program is compatible with Photoshop filters. $199
Contact: Adobe Systems Inc., 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110-2704, 408 536-6000, WWW: http://www.adobe.com, fax: 408 537-6000.
Fireworks is a complete environment for the production of optimized images for use on the Web. It provides powerful yet easy-to-use tools to produce the highest-quality JPEG and GIF graphics in the shortest possible time. The program not only saves production time, it produces graphics that can be pretested to yield the fastest download times. Digital publishers will appreciate the control, particularly over text. Users maintain precise control over kerning, leading, special effects, alignment, and more, and the text remains editable. Live effects, which include drop shadows, bevels, glows, and embosses, are editable and can be updated at any time. The results of any effect can be previewed in multiple output variations so that the user can determine which looks the best at a given compression rate. An Export Wizard is provided to assist in determining the best image optimization. Other features include: a complete set of drawing and painting tools, image map creation, automatic creation of JavaScript rollovers; the slicing of images on export into HTML tables (with links), a vector tool for the creation of Bezier paths and shapes, and more. $299
Contact: Macromedia, 600 Townsend, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415 252-2000, 800 326-2128, http://www.macromedia.com, e-mail: info@macromedia.com, fax: 415 626-0554.
PANTONE OfficeColor Assistant is an accessory program for Microsoft Office which provides users with the capability to assign Pantone colors to objects used in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It is particularly useful for conveying company logo colors in a faithful rendition, and in deploying a palette of easily identifiable colors, either by PANTONE name or number, across an entire organization. Colors can be applied to line art, shadows, logos, clip art, and text.
The OfficeColor user interface shows 35 of the 1,012 Pantone color samples at a time, with the selected color shown in a larger chip size. Users can select colors by inputting the PANTONE number, scrolling through the chip samples, or clicking on the color spectrum bar. Users can see how colors will appear on paper by printing one or more PANTONE color charts. The charts, which depict how the selected printer will render the colors, provides complete reference information. $29.95
Contact: Pantone, Inc., 590 Commerce Blvd., Carlstadt, NJ 07072-3098, 201 935-5500, http://www.pantone.com, fax: 201 896-0242.
Dreamweaver 1.2 has rapidly become one of the most popular Web development tools. In a crowded market it has differentiated itself by its easy-to-use interface which smoothly integrates both visual and HTML editing in a single package. The program provides what is termed "roundtrip HTML" which means that it generates standard, compliant HTML code that can be deployed to the Web and opened and edited by virtually any HTML editor. Compliant code is very important since Web pages are often subject to continued editing and revision. The user wants a program that produces code that can be used universally. Some Web page applications produce code that only they can read, and manually editing that code can be very difficult and time-consuming, even for a skilled HTML programmer.
The user has the option of typing HTML code directly in the editor and having the results appear immediately in the visual editing window. Conversely, any additions input in the visual window will appear in proper HTML code form in the text window. This format accommodates both the expert and novice Web page designer, since experts can write directly in code, and novices can either compose visually or cut and paste HTML code from other sites or sources.
Dreamweaver provides cross-platform support for the latest Dynamic HTML technologies, including cascading style sheets, JavaScript-based animation, and absolute screen positioning.
The program also supports an FTP interface so that pages can be quickly loaded to, or downloaded from, the Web site. This makes both Web publishing and revision considerably easier. $299
Contact: Macromedia, 600 Townsend, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415 252-2000, 800 326-2128, http://www.macromedia.com, e-mail: info@macromedia.com, fax: 415 626-0554.
HotMetal Pro 4.0 is a Web site application that does not require the knowledge of HTML coding. Users can use wizards, templates and sample files to create attractive and useful Web sites.
A key feature of the program is Site Maker, an interactive, step-by-step site creation environment that leads the user through the process of creating a sophisticated Web site without coding, programming, or design skills.
The program provides three authoring environments which address the skill level of the user: a WYSIWYG, point-and-click graphical interface; an HTML tag view; and direct editing of HTML. The program provides error-checking to maintain compliant HTML code. Up to four different browsers may be used to preview pages.
The program supports contemporary HTML technologies, including Dynamic HTML, animated GIFs, JavaScripts, ActiveX, and Java Applets. Also bundled with the program are 4,000 clip art images and decors, Ulead PhotoImpact SE with GIF Animator, Acadia Infuse ScriptBuilder, Jamba PE, DTL DataSpot Database Publisher, Platinum VRCreator VRML Editor, StarBase version 2.0, and ZBSoft ZBServer Pro Limited Edition.
A 60-day trial version is available at no cost at http://www.sq.com/hotmetal/hm-ftp.htm.
The program can be used to manage and import existing Web sites, and supports the direct importation of several word processing formats. Users can also cut-and-paste Excel spreadsheets into HTML tables. The Information Manager provides a global view of a site, allowing interactive movement of files with automatic relinking. $129
JE Mail-Call is a subscription service that provides access to a user's e-mail through any telephone. The user can hear their e-mail messages by using a touch-tone or cellular phone. The service uses an advanced text-to-speech application. After listening to an e-mail, the user can have it automatically faxed anywhere. The e-mail messages stay in the user's computer's in-box so that they can be processed further from there, or the user can delete them while on the phone. The user can select the reading rate, volume level, and voice. The system reads the e-mail header, message number, sender, subject, and date. The user can listen to the message, fax it, or skip to the next message. A free demo is available at 888 462-4348. $99/yr.
Contact: JE Software, 404 North Terrace Ave., Mount Vernon, NY 10552, 914 699-6710, 800 431-1348, http://www.janesway.com, Internet: janesway@ix.netcom.com, fax: 914 699-6969.
Media Cleaner Pro 3.0 is the latest version of the standard tool for optimizing and compressing audio, video, and still images for publishing on CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, kiosk applications, and the Web. The package includes a free license for Apple QuickTime 3.0 Pro. It addresses the needs of all digital publishers...reducing the outrageous sizes of digital media files.
As a service to the digital publishing industry, Terran maintains Codec Central, a free on-line source of information regarding multimedia codecs and delivery technologies. It is lcoated at http://www.CodecCentral.com.
The Media Cleaner Pro 3.0 program reads all of the standard formats and outputs in QuickTime, RealVideo, Real Audio, DV, AIFF, WAV, JPEG, GIF, and PICT. It is typically used after a multimedia project has been completed, but before it is published. It incorporates Variable Bit-rate Encoding, which intelligently adjusts the data rate within a particular movie based on its content (frame-to-frame differences). The program can create multiple versions of each movie and deliver the appropriate version over the Web, based on the connection or CPU speed of the user. Among its other features are: the capability to embed a URL link at the end of a locally-viewed movie so that the user can access the associated site; a preview window which provides a side-by-side comparison of the original and compressed image; support for a shared color palette over a list of images and/or movies; improved batch processing supporting up to 2000 files at a time; a flawless and unique "suspend and resume" capability so that lengthy compression sessions can be conducted at the user's convenience; and a settings Wizard that leads any user to the optimum compression settings. $359
Contact: Terran Interactive, 2 North First St., Suite 215, San Jose, CA 95113, 800 577-3443, 408 278-9026, http://www.terran-int.com, e-mail: info@terran-int.com, fax: 408 278-9063.
Create Screen Savers Quick & Easy is an inexpensive utility program that supports the creation of attractive and sophisticated screen savers composed of digital photos, clipart, sounds and videos. The package includes a collection of digital media, and the user may supplement that with their own digital assets. $19.95
Contact: Individual Software Inc., 4255 Hopyard Road, Building 2, Pleasanton, CA 94588, 800 331-3313, 510 734-6767, 800 822-3522, http://www.individualsoftware.com, fax: 510 734-8337.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Deluxe Audio Edition is a cross-platform CD-ROM, with over 100,000 words, phrases, and proper names, with audio pronunciation. The dictionary contains over 214,000 definitions, 75,000 dates of first recorded use, and 34,000 examples of word use. Also included is the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Thesaurus, with 130,000 synonyms, antonyms, related and contrasted words, and idioms. Special features include flexible search options, fast definitions, spelling assistance, word puzzle solving, and easy access from other Macintosh or Windows programs. $39.95
Contact: Merriam-Webster Inc., 47 Federal St., Springfield, MA 01102, 413 734-3134, http://www.m-w.com, fax: 413 734-2014.
System Commander Deluxe provides the capability to run more than one operating system on a single personal computer. The software installs in less than ten minutes and automatically prepares the user's hard drive to accept a new PC-compatible OS while protecting everything that is already on the computer. New OSs (over one hundred) can be added without the need to create or resize partitions, although the program does support that capability as well. $69.95
Contact: V Communications Inc., 4320 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 120, San Jose, CA 95129, 408 296-4224, http://www.v-com.com, fax: 408 296-4441.
PSAlter 1.5 is an extensive and powerful set of PostScript utilities arranged in four sections. The View section lets users open and view pages or pictures at a variety of sizes. The Translate section lets users convert PostScript to BMP, TIFF, or EPS, or import PostScript directly into a TWAIN-compliant application, such as Photoshop. The Report section lets users view and print pre-flight reports with the necessary information for proper output. The unique Workbench section lets users open the PostScript code and perform several operations such as setting breakpoints on operators, names, tokens and images on the screen; single step (evein within procedures) or full speed; view stacks, data, and statistics; enter PostScript mode commands at any time ("executive mode"); use detailed error explanations and extensive error recovery options; get help on all PostScript operators; and more. Contact Quite Software for pricing and availability.
Contact: Quite Software, 80-83 Long Lane, London, EC1A 9ET, United Kingdom; 105 Ridley Road, Forest Gate, London E7 0LX, United Kingdom, 44 181 257-1044, http://www.quite.com, e-mail: quite@dial.pipex.com, fax: 44 181 522-1726.
Virex 5.9 provides Macintosh users with protection against computer viruses. Viruses have once again emerged as a real threat to computer data and operation. Virex uses Dr. Solomon's Olympus scanning engine and Advanced Macro and File Heuristic Analysis. Online updates are available from the Dr. Solomon worldwide network of virus research and support teams. Unlike competing programs, Virex detects viruses without false alarms. Other advanced features are: searching of password-protected documents; speedscan (fastest available virus scanning); macro virus protection (detects and repairs infected documents before they are opened by MS Word or Excel)universal scan-at-download option; DropScan, provides simple drag and drop scanning from the desktop; optional access through the Macintosh Control Strip; scheduled scans at predetermined times; scanning of compressed file archives (ZIP, StuffIt Deluxe, Compact Pro, Disc Doubler, Auto Doubler, and Now Compress); and an easy-to-use intuitive interface. An optional Virex Protection Service, providing monthly virus updates via e-mail, is $75 annually. $69
Contact: Dr. Solomon's Software, Inc., One New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803, 781 273-7400, 888 377-6566, http://www.drsolomon.com, e-mail: info@us.drsolomon.com, fax: 781 273-7474.
Text Cleaner 1.02 is one of a small number of indispensable tools that every digital publisher should have in their arsenal. Since text is the prime component in virtually all publishing projects, the need to control the form and style of text, which is usually submitted from several different sources, to conform to house style or other typesetting conventions, is an absolute requirement. Text Cleaner, which uses the RAM-based Panorama database run-time engine, which is known for its speed, can perform multiple operations in a single pass, processing a file on the Clipboard or disk. Users can also clean files using drag and drop with the DropClean utility. Among its most useful features are: removing multiple spaces, returns and tabs; changing straight quotes to curly quotes; converting dashes to en and em dashes; changing line breaks to wrapped text; and much more. Selected settings can be saved for reuse. A shareware version, Text Cleaner Lite, which does not provide the full feature set, is available at no cost. $110
Contact: Studio 405, 6930 Carroll Ave., Suite 710, Takoma Park, MD 20912, 301 270-8445, http://www.studio405.com, e-mail: info@studio405.com, fax: 301 270-8446.
FontExpert Typeface Recognition Software is an amazing expert system that does what even few typographic experts can do: accurately identify type specimens from printed samples. It does not require any measuring or interpretation on the part of the user, eliminating the possibility of input errors or misinterpretation.
The need to identify typefaces is one which confronts the digital publisher on a regular basis. A customer will present a sample of work that was previously done elsewhere, and ask that a similar design be used. The challenge of finding either the exact match, or a similar one, may represent a significant time investment; one which can not easily be billed to the customer. FontExpert can reduce the time to seconds, and produce an unrivaled list of matching fonts.
The program works from scanned images of a small number of characters. Although the scanned input is best at 300 dpi, the program still does a remarkably accurate job using fax-quality character input. It compares the data that it extracts from the samples, to its database of more than 20,000 fonts, each of which has data for all upper- and lower-case characters, and the numerals. In just seconds it presents a list, in order of physical similarity, of the typefaces that are the closest matches, along with a bitmap image of the character set that it has in its database. It is sufficiently accurate to be able to distinguish between character weights (light, regular, bold, etc.). It can also provide listings of "similar to" typefaces from competing font foundries.
A demo version of the software is available at the Allied Compugraphics Web site.
The desktop publishing revolution has produced tens of thousands of PostScript and TrueType typeface designs, far more than were available for phototypesetting or earlier technologies. In recognition of that fact, FontExpert provides an Open Database feature, so that the user can add their own font libraries. In this way, when a match is made listing a font that the user has on-hand, they can begin production that much sooner. This is one program that should be in every professional digital publishing environment. $179
Voyager Professional Edition 2.5.1 is a highly focused Web site administration system that addresses the need of Webmasters to automate the management of Web pages and the components which they hold. The software works in concert with other Web development tools. It should not be confused with Web page authoring tools, such as Adobe PageMill, Claris HomePage, and others, which do not provide significant site management features. The Macintosh version is shipping, the Windows version is expected in the fourth quarter.
During set-up the user specifies their choice of helper applications. For example, they may specify Macromedia Dreamweaver as their HTML text application, and Adobe Photoshop as their image application. Once Voyager knows this information it establishes connections with those programs so that they work seemlessly within the Web page construction, editing, and management process.
The main Voyager window presents an overview of the entire Web site, with all in- and out-links, the designation of the helper applications, and the link status. The user can import an existing site, either local or remote. The components that are used on various pages are displayed in Component Palettes, that show miniature representations of the graphics, photos, sounds, and other graphic elements. Components can be dragged-and-dropped into the Web site, and double-clicking an element opens the application from which it was created, or in which it can be edited.
A freeware edition, (Voyager FE) for Macintosh only, is available at http://www.wootech.com/Download/download.html.
Additional features include: the capability to print the structure of the Web site; the capability to share components across a network, or to share them through multiple Web projects; the capability to create and apply an unlimited number of master pages which set the "look and feel" of the site; and an up-to-date view of the link status of every page.
The program is impressive in its scope, and its recognition of the one of the big unanswered needs in the Web publishing field. The program requires some getting used to, and the documentation could use additional examples, and clearer text. Regardless, the program can provide valuable on-going benefits after the learning curve has been scaled. $269
Contact: Wootech Corporation, 1035 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 276, Foster City, CA 94404, 650 286-1112, http://www.wootech.com, fax: 650 286-1113.
First Aid 98 is an enhanced version of the award-winning automatic service and support software. It is now Internet enabled with ActiveHelp, so that it can automatically tap into a centralized knowledge base of of more than 10,000 problems and solutions from hardware and software manufacturers. Using the ActiveHelp Center it can automatically detect, diagnose and fix most common PC problems. Among the kinds of problems it can solve are: fixing Web connections (it examines the entire PC Internet setup); fixing corrupted applications; warning in advance of hard disk failure; emergency recovery when the PC does not start up correctly; and resolving conflicts by retrieving and installing software and driver updates (using CyberMedia's Oil Change Internet update technology). The program also includes instructional videos, that demonstrate specific functions, and automated task sequences, which provide direct control over the environment. $39.95
Contact: CyberMedia, 2029 Century Park East, Suite 810, Century City, CA 90067, 310 843-0800, http://www.cybermedia.com, fax: 310 843-0120.
Gimme Space is a disk expansion utility that provides increased disk space with one-button ease, with no risk of losing data.
The program works by reallocating disk space available on secondary drives, partitions, networks, and Zip drives to add that free space to the user's C: drive or other primary drive of choice. It reclaims disk space without uninstalling programs, or compressing or deleting files. $39.95
Contact: SoftQuad Inc., 56 Aberfoyle Crescent, 5th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8X 2W4, 416 239-4801, fax: 416 239-7105, Internet: mail@sq.com, WWW: http://www.sq.com.
Print Screen Deluxe provides extensive feature support for the standard PC Print Screen key. Users can print any screen or save in JPG, BMP, PCX, or PNG file formats. Users can capture the entire screen, the entire window, the client area, or any defined part. The user can shrink or stretch the image, save it in reverse image, select either portrait or landscape mode, and use a time-delay function. The deluxe feature set includes image manipulation capabilities, including brightness and sharpness, vertical and horizontal flip, rotation, color bleeding and gamma correction, and zoom from 2x to 16x. $29.95
Contact: JE Software, 404 North Terrace Ave., Mount Vernon, NY 10552, 914 699-6710, 800 431-1348, WWW: http://www.janesway.com, http://www.jesoft.com, e-mail: janesway@ix.netcom.com, jesoftware@aol.com, fax: 914 699-6969.
MacComCenter Plus is a feature-packed suite that supports fax, voice and data communications. It stands apart from other com packages in both the scope and depth of its capabilities. Fax support includes the generation of custom fax cover sheets, drag and fax, fax broadcasting to an unlimited number of recipients, scheduled faxing, automatic OCR or incoming faxes, single-click faxing from most applications, and support for 64-level grayscale faxes.
The voicemail system supports up to 8,000 password-protected mailboxes, and distinctive ring support. It is Caller ID aware and provides optional Call Announcing using text-to-speech technology. The voicemail system uses a Graphical Voice Scripting Editor for easy configuration and set-up. It also supports full-duplex speaker phone capability.
The data communication capabilities include data terminal and transfer functions, with fully integrated call logging. The software has Automatic Call discrimination to recognize voice, fax or ARA. The program supports simultaneous serial port access for up to five modems. $99.95
Contact: Smith Micro Software, 51 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, 714 362-5811, 800 964-7674, WWW: http://www.smithmicro.com, fax: 714 362-2300.
Drive Image 2.0 is a utility that makes it possible to reduce the risk of upgrading to a new hard drive, or to guard against disaster by performing a full system backup. The program provides a graphical wizard interface moving the user through the imaging process, of the whole or selected partitions, step-by-step. A user can make an image of a hard drive, to Jaz, Zip or other media (using automatic spanning), in minutes. The new version supports the restoration of individual files from the file image. $69.95
Contact: PowerQuest Corp., 1083 North State St., Orem, UT 84057, 801 226-8977, fax: 801 226-8941, CompuServe: 74601,354, WWW: http://www.powerquest.com.
SoftWindows 95 Version 5.0 has a 25% performance improvement over version 4.0. The program provides a complete Windows 95 emulation on a Power Macintosh, now providing support for multimedia (Sound Blaster Pro, SVGA), games (MMX support), DirectX, and the Internet. The program integrates with the Mac environment, with bi-directional cut and paste of text and graphics, and drag and drop between Mac and PC applications. $199
Contact: Insignia Solutions, 2200 Lawson Lane, Santa Clara, CA 95054, 408 327-6000, 800 848-7677, http://www.insignia.com, e-mail: maccs@isinc.insignia.com, fax back: 800 876-3872, fax: 408 327-6105.
RealPC for Power Macintosh is a Windows emulator tuned specifically for running DOS PC games and programs. It acts like an Intel Pentium PC with MMX and provides Sound Blaster and joystick support. Windows 95 support can be had by adding a personal copy of Windows. $79
Contact: Insignia Solutions, 2200 Lawson Lane, Santa Clara, CA 95054, 408 327-6000, 800 848-7677, http://www.insignia.com, e-mail: maccs@isinc.insignia.com, fax back: 800 876-3872, fax: 408 327-6105.
MacLinkPlus Deluxe Version 10 is the latest update, with the most dramatic changes, in the long history of this essential application. The program translates, and otherwise converts, incompatible files, mainly from PC sources, into forms that the Macintosh user can use. Conversely, it can translate Mac files into PC format, and it can do so a file, or an entire folder, at a time.
Although a lite version of MacLinkPlus has traditionally been a part of Macintosh OS releases, this will no longer be the case. Macintosh users must purchase this product to get the benefits. Anyone who deals with foreign file formats, either receiving or sending them, will have a critical need for this application.
The program now includes decoding and decompression capability for opening e-mail attachments, including zip-compressed files that originated on a PC. It can also decode compressed or encoded files that appear within an e-mail message as garbled text.
Also new is a quick view function, whereby a foreign file, in text or graphic format, can be viewed from the desktop, without opening either its originating application, or one which might be compatible. This makes file identification much easier, and saves considerable time.
MacLinkPlus provides virtually thousands of translators to support the conversion of files between different word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics formats. The new user interface makes this process even easier. This new version includes support for Microsoft Word 98 and Excel 98, Macintosh Edition. $99
Contact: Dataviz, 55 Corporate Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611, 203 268-0030, 800 733-0030,
http://www.dataviz.com, e-mail: info@dataviz.com, fax: 203 268-4345.
Instant GUI is an interface construction kit on CD-ROM for the creation of graphical user interfaces (GUIs). It automates the creation of attractive, sophisticated user interfaces, with a large library of buttons, windows, dials, sliders, etc. The program can be used for the creation of any kind of interface; for a Web page, multimedia project, etc. It works inside of Photoshop, produciing independent Photoshop layers. An instructional QuickTime movie is included to show how easily a professional interface can be constructed. A tryout version of Photoshop is included. $49.95
Contact: Monster Interactive, 931 San Pedro S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108, 505 888-8853, WWW: http://www.monsteri.com, e-mail: info@monsteri.com.
DeltaGraph 4.0 recently changed hands, moving from DeltaGraph to SPSS, a leader in statistical programming. The most recent version has several new capabilities, including ten new chart types (raising the total to over 70), the capability to return the absolute value of a number or column of numbers in a chart, a built-in equation editor, axis breaks (to skip a portion of an axis), application of chart grids over a 2-D chart, text rotation to 360 degrees, support for up to 32,000 rows of data, and more. $295
Contact: SPSS Inc., 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, 312 329-2400, 800 621-1393, WWW: http://www.spss.com/software/science/deltagraph, fax: 800 841-0064, 312 329-3668.
AnimaTek World Builder 2.0, Yosemite Edition provides creative tools for animators, architects, game and multimedia developers to generate photorealistic animated landscapes. Using drag-and-drop technology, users construct a scene, creating a custom, copyright-free world. Almost all of the elements of the scene can be animated, such as clouds moving across the sky. The bundled library includes trees, scrubs, flowers, skies, buildings, bridges, reoads, and oceans. Users can control the time of day, the season, and the landscape, from desert to jungle to underwater. Real-world landscape data can be imported (USGS, VistaPro DEM, or DXF files), to provide a photo-realistic rendition of either a real or planned environment. Supported file formats include: BMP, TGA, TIFF, JPEG, AVI, PCX, and GIF. Users can export to 3DS, VRML, and DXF. $999
Contact: AnimaTek, International, Inc., 77 Geary St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94108-5723, 415 477-0610, WWW: http://www.animatekusa.com, e-mail: technologies@animatekusa.com, fax: 415 477-0626.
Poser 3.0 is a phenomenal upgrade, producing photorealistic animations, images and models for video, graphics, 3D projects, print, multimedia or Web publishing. Poser 3 figures, human or animal, can be posed in virtually any way, and can talk, walk and move smoothly and easily. An example which really impressed us is the set of fingerspelling images which is provided. The user can select a series of hand-shapes representing the letters in one or more words, apply them to a model, pose the hand, animate the still frames, and have Poser create the 'tweens to generate a fluid QuickTime movie. Amazing!
The user interface, like all MetaCreation products, is elegant and easy to use. Nine new fully articulated male and female human figures are included, as well as five animal models, and the user can add new models.
The user can move any element of a figure in 3D space, posing a hand, for example, just as if it were live; and set the camera, lighting and other environmental elements. The user has unprecedented control over the models, and the program is advertised as the "most complete figure animation tool at any price." $189
Contact: MetaCreations, Inc., 6303 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013, 805 566-6200, http://www.metatools.com, Internet: kptsupport@aol.com, fax: 805 566-6385.
Microshaft Winblows 98 is Microsoft spoof concerning two fictitious Microsoft employees who create a company called "Microshaft" to lampoon their employer, Bill Gates. The CD-ROM consists of activities, interactive games, a virtual pet, a computer trivia game, and several other features. $19.95
Contact: Palladium Interactive, 899 Northgate Dr., Fourth Floor, San Rafael, CA, 415 446-1700, http://www.palladium.net, fax: 415 446-1730.
Olympus FlashPath is a marvel of modern engineering. It effectively solves the problem of getting images from a digital camera to any computer (available initially for Windows, soon for Macintosh) without cables or costly peripherals. FlashPath is a device that has the same form-factor as a floppy disc. It has a small slot which accepts a SmartMedia memory card, the media which is used to record images in all of the current Olympus digital camera models. When the FlashPath is inserted in the normal floppy disk drive, the SmartMedia data becomes available to the computer system at 25 KB/sec. The user doesn't need to have the camera itself in the environment, so that another user can be capturing images. $99
Contact: Olympus America, Digital & Imaging Systems Group, Two Corporate Center Dr., Melville, NY 11747-3157, 800 347-4027, 516 844-5000, http://www.olympus.com/digital, fax: 516 844-5262.
Reunion 5.0 is flexible family tree software that supports the creation of charts, reports and Web-ready documents. The print output supports charts of any size, in the user's choice of fonts, colors, boxes and lines. Pictures, sounds and movies can be applied to any record. The Web output easily lets the user publish family history on the Internet, including images, index, introduction, table of contents, and cover page. The Web user can navigate through the family information just as easily as using the Reunion program directly.
In addition to its flexible publishing capabilities, the program provides significant genealogical features. $99
Contact: Leister Productions, POB 289, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, 717 697-1378, WWW: http://www.LeisterPro.com, e-mail: info@LeisterPro.com, fax: 717 697-4373.
Hekman, Jessica Perry
A comprehensive, yet concise, reference to the core commands on common Linux distributions. Chapters are tabbed for easily locating each group of commands, and each listed command is clearly displayed, defined, and presented with examples.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56592-167-4/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56592-167-4 424 pp. $19.95
Contact: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 103 Morris St., Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Gertler, Nat
A very colorful and highly illustrated book providing one of the most basic and elementary introductions to the use of a personal computer and the tasks that are common to its operation. It covers over 130 procedures related to using a computer, with visual, step-by-step instructions. It is totally unintimidating, and provides an excellent introduction for a new user.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7897-1630-5/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7897-1630-5 215 pp. $19.99
Contact: Que Corporation
11711 North College Ave.
Carmel, IN 46032
Lemay, Laura
A exhaustive book and cross-platform CD-ROM package organized in units of information to be learned and absorbed in seven days. The accompanying Web tools provide a sufficient environment for building a Web site incorporating HTML 4 capabilities.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-672-31344-8/7550-9049184-399541.
0-672-31344-8 621 pp. $39.99
Contact: Sams
201 West 103rd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46290
Weinman, Lynda; Jon Warren Lentz
An in-depth examination of several critically-acclaimed Web sites, with a deconstruction of the technical elements that have made them successful, popular, and appealing. The set of case-studies looks at the designers, illustrators, photographers and programmers of award-winning sites, and analyzes the decisions that they made in building their sites.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56205-859-2/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56205-859-2 229 pp. $39.99
Contact: New Riders Publishing
P.O. Box 4846-V
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Adobe Systems, Inc.
The official Adobe training manual for learning Adobe Premiere 5.0. The self-paced learning guide covers all of the major features of the program, and includes a cross-platform CD-ROM containing the example files which are presented in the text. The book, CD-ROM, and the Premiere application are all that are needed for learning how to use the program effectively.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56830-467-6/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56830-467-6 378 pp. $45
Contact: Adobe Press, Prentice Hall, 113 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Fulton, Jennifer
A straight-forward guide to determining if, and how, to upgrade or repair a personal computer. The author covers increasing RAM; replacing or installing a floppy, CD-ROM, or DVD drive; adding an external removable drive; enhancing Windows; fixing common problems; and much more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7897-1642-9/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7897-1642-9 456 pp. $16.99
Contact: Alpha
201 W. 103rd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46290
Shafran, Andy
A complete, authoritative guide to using Jasc Software's Paint Shop Pro version 5.0 for creating graphics for the Web. The full-color examples show the step-by-step procedures to create sophisticated, professional results. The author explains all of the various Web-related file formats, and their pros and cons, and how to optimize image quality and size. Almost every aspect of digital imaging is covered, including: Animated GIFs, the use of scanners and digital cameras, image maps, background graphics, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-9662889-0-4/7550-9049184-399541.
0-9662889-0-4 368 pp. $44.99
Contact: Muska & Lipman Publishing, 9525 Kenwood Road, Suite 16-372, Cincinnati, OH 45242, 513 794-1912, http://www.muskalipman.com, e-mail: info@muskalipman.com, fax: 513 794-1913.
Golding, Mordy; Dave White
The consummate Web color resource kit consisting of a printed copy of Web Designer's Guide to Color, a Pantone Internet Color System fan-book, and a Macintosh compatible CD-ROM. The book provides a complete background on the history of color, color theory, color systems, and the use and application of color in Web publishing. The CD-ROM contains the Pantone Internet Color System Color Picker for Macintosh, the text of Hayden Books' HTML Web Magic, Adobe Pagemill 2.0 for Macintosh, tools from Extensis, and a PhotoDisc catalog.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56830-354-8/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56830-354-8 211 pp. $65
Contact: Hayden Books
4300 West 62nd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Meyer, Eric K.
A complete treatment of the various forms (glances, graphs, maps, diagrams, sequences, and illustrations) of infographics; how to create them with computer tools; how to compose them most effectively; and how to gather the information of which they are composed. The author provides procedures for using the Web, and a listing of fact-based references.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56830-339-4/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56830-339-4 324 pp. $39.99
Contact: Hayden Books, 4300 West 62nd St., Indianapolis, IN 46268
Parker, Roger C.
A detailed treatment of the design elements associated with both print and Web publishing by a particularly talented and accomplished designer. Numerous examples are presented to show how effective design can contribute to the communication of a message, and the process of holding the reader's attention. Print and Web technologies are examined, and the author shows how to use each to its best advantage.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-0139-9/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-0139-9 358 pp. $19.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
Basch, Reva
A fascinating book filled with insider information and professional advice for locating pertinent information on the Internet. The author provides pointers on how to find and verify information using specialized search tools, and the most appropriate on-line sources. The accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM contains Web browsers, help files, and several shareware programs.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-0382-0/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-0382-0 333 pp. $24.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
Microsoft Press
Certainly the most sweeping and authoritative volume of information related to the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system. The major book sections include: Deployment and Installation, System Configuration, Networking and Intranets, Internet and Communication Tools, Systems Management, and Architecture. The accompanying Windows CD-ROM contains more than 50 tools, utilities and help files. The book is supported with a Web site for up-to-date information.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-57231-644-6/7550-9049184-399541.
1-57231-644-6 1766 pp. $69.99
Contact: Microsoft Press, POB 3019, Bothell, WA 98041-9910
Tittel, Ed; James Michael Stewart
A complete source of information covering the planning, evaluation, deployment and operation of an intranet. The authors resolve virtually every concern, consideration, and problem. Dozens of software tools and network utilities are listed and described. The accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM contains share and demo versions, as well as links to all sites mentioned in the text.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-8013-2/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-8013-2 854 pp. $49.9
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
Underdahl, Brian
The first book to incorporate interactive, sound-based multimedia software supporting the 14 step-by-step lessons, published in the book. The interactive lessons are provided on an accompanying CD-ROM, providing video demonstrations of over 100 Windows 98 tasks. The CD also includes dozens of useful utilities.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-3184-0/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-3184-0 455 pp. $29.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
LeVitus, Bob; Deborah Shadovitz, Edward Jones, Derek Sutton
As exhaustive a treatment of the capabilities of Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh as one is likely to find. The reader is shown virtually all of the capabilities of the individual suite applications, and how they can be used most effectively together.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-4041-6/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-4041-6 843 pp. $39.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
McClelland, Deke
An illustrated guide to the use of Macromedia FreeHand 8 for Macintosh and Windows. Sections cover the drawing tools, text capabilities, use of color and form, special effects, and use as a desktop publishing application for single and short-length documents.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-3234-0/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-3234-0 652 pp. $39.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
O'Quinn, Donnie
A tab-indexed guide to all of the tools, commands, palettes, and sub-menus in QuarkXPress 4. Each item is supported by a list of its common uses (and misuses), as well as informative production-oriented background information. The book includes a significant amount of information from a professional perspective, providing the reader with valuable techniques and procedures that are not to be found elsewhere.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1-56592-399-5/7550-9049184-399541.
1-56592-399-5 526 pp. $19.95
Contact: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 103 Morris St., Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Taylor, Dave
A good fundamental treatment of all of the HTML 4 capabilities: what they are, why they are useful, and how to use them effectively. The author provides step-by-step instructions and numerous examples. The accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM includes several Web development utilities and Mac and Windows Web browsers.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0-7645-3201-4/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-3201-4 433 pp. $29.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San Mateo, CA 94402
http://www.printerport.com/klephacks/
**********
The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing is (c)opyright 1998, Graphic Dimensions, Pittsford, NY, all rights reserved. You may distribute the SoftLocked version of this document, unmodified and in its entirety. You may distribute portions of this document, up to 200 words in length, unmodified, provided that you also include this copyright notice and subscription information.
DTP Reviews
Publish It Deluxe (WIN)
PrePage Templates for Adobe PageMaker (MAC/WIN)
Multi-Ad Creator2 (MAC)
Productivity Reviews
Plus Pack for Palm III Connected Organizers (WIN)
Business Plus Pack for Palm III Connected Organizers (WIN)
Professor Teaches Windows 98 and Internet Explorer (WIN)
Turbo-PS (MAC)
Action Files (MAC)
Microsoft Office 97 (WIN)
INFO SELECT Version 4.0 (WIN)
Typing Instructor Deluxe Edition Version 9 (WIN)
DAVE V2.0 (MAC)
Addition / Extension Reviews
Harmony 1.0 for Adobe Photoshop (MAC)
Contact: Hot Door, 101 West McKnight Way, Suite B, Grass Valley, CA 95949, 530 274-0626, http://www.hotdoor.com, e-mail: knock@hotdoor.com, fax: 530 274-0626.
Quite Imposing, Quite Imposing Plus (MAC/WIN)
EdgeWizard (MAC/WIN)
Instant Buttons & Controls v3.6 (MAC/WIN)
Genuine Fractals plug-in for Photoshop (MAC/WIN)
Vertigo 3D HotTEXT (MAC/WIN)
Boris FX 3.5 (MAC/WIN)
Cinelook (MAC/WIN)
Eye Candy for After Effects (MAC/WIN)
Imposer/MarkIt Bundle (MAC)
ShadowCaster (MAC)
VectorTools 2.0 (MAC)
Boris AE 1.0 (MAC/WIN)
Extensis BeyondPress 4.0 (MAC/WIN)
Printing Reviews
PANTONE HexWrench (MAC)
Image Collection Reviews
Object Collection Vol. 2: Woodies (MAC/WIN)
CD-ROM Reviews
Bright Ideas (MAC/WIN)
Sams Teach Yourself Windows 98 (WIN)
Internet Reviews
Trellix 1.0 (WIN)
GoLive CyberStudio 3 Professional Edition (MAC)
ImageReady 1.0 (MAC/WIN)
Fireworks (MAC/WIN)
PANTONE OfficeColor Assistant (MAC/WIN)
Dreamweaver 1.2 (MAC/WIN)
HotMetal Pro 4.0 (WIN)
Contact: SoftQuad Inc., 56 Aberfoyle Crescent, 5th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8X 2W4, 416 239-4801, fax: 416 239-7105, Internet: mail@sq.com, WWW: http://www.sq.com.
JE Mail-Call (ALL)
Utility Reviews
Media Cleaner Pro 3.0 (MAC)
Create Screen Savers Quick & Easy (WIN)
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Deluxe Audio Edition (MAC/WIN)
System Commander Deluxe (WIN)
PSAlter 1.5 (WIN)
Virex 5.9 (MAC)
Text Cleaner 1.02 (MAC)
FontExpert Typeface Recognition Software (MAC/WIN)
Contact: Allied Compugraphics, Inc., 3031 Carpenter Loop, S. E., Olympia, WA 98503, 360 438-2822, 800 330-4488, http://www.allcompu.com, e-mail: allcompu@allcompu.com, fax: 360 438-6882.
Voyager Professional Edition 2.5.1 (MAC/WIN)
First Aid 98 (WIN)
Gimme Space (WIN)
Print Screen Deluxe (WIN)
MacComCenter Plus (MAC)
Drive Image 2.0 (WIN)
SoftWindows 95 Version 5.0 (MAC)
RealPC for Power Macintosh (MAC)
MacLinkPlus Deluxe Version 10 (MAC)
Multimedia Reviews
Instant GUI (MAC/WIN)
DeltaGraph 4.0 (MAC/WIN)
AnimaTek World Builder 2.0 (WIN)
Poser 3.0 (MAC/WIN)
Entertainment Reviews
Microshaft Winblows 98 (WIN)
Miscellaneous News and Reviews
Olympus FlashPath (MAC/WIN)
Reunion 5.0 (MAC)
Book Reviews
Linux In a Nutshell
Easy PCs
Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in a Week
<deconstructing web graphics.2>
Adobe Premiere 5.0: Classroom in a Book
Complete Idiot's Guide to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Third Edition
Creating Paint Shop Pro Web Graphics, Second Edition
Pantone Web Color Resource Kit
Designing Infographics
Web Design & Desktop Publishing for Dummies
Researching On-line for Dummies
Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit
Intranet Bible
Windows 98 One Step At A Time
Office 98 Bible
FreeHand 8 Bible
QuarkXpress in a Nutshell
Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages
A Word From Our Sponsors
**********
If you use a Mac and you're on the Internet, give NetBots a try:
Copyright and Distribution Information
Copyright and Distribution Information
The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing is published in Adobe Acrobat PDF format http://www.adobe.com, using SoftLock http://www.softlock.com technology. Each issue costs $4.95, with a 6 issue subscription costing $24.95. The free Acrobat reader and the free SoftLock plug-in and registration program are required for viewing.
Past issues (more than 60 days old) of The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing are available on the Web at: http://www.printerport.com/kdp/. Comments and inquiries should be directed to: The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing, 134 Caversham Woods, Pittsford, NY 14534 USA. E-mail: kdp@printerport.com.