Adobe Illustrator is a program from the Adobe Creative Suite that has an infinite amount of capabilities when it comes to vector graphics but have you ever felt limited with it’s ability to make color adjustments? Do you use illustrator heavily? Then Astute Graphics has an amazing plugin for you to tach on to Illustrator to make Illustrator more versatile then before. The plugin is called Phantasm CS Publisher.

Phantasm CS adds some amazing functionality to Illustrator to make it behave like Photoshop and in some cases In-Design this is a must have if you live in the vector world of Illustrator. Phantasm CS gives you:

• Color Adjustment Tools (Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation) These work directly in an Illustrator document on all embedded vector objects and images.
• Halftones & Duotones and other creative tools
• Print previews including quick and full separations and ink coverage (super helpful for that new t-shirt design vector you just made or anything of the sort)
• Embedded image editing
• Embedded image linking

Astute Graphics has several videos that give you a complete walk through on Phantasm CS. Their video’s include:

• An Overview of Phantasm CS Publisher
• Basic Color Adjustment
• Filters vs. Live Effects
• Adjusting Channels
• Accurate Gradient Adjustments
• Advanced Options
• Halftone Tool

Several of these features will serve advertising agencies, graphic design studio’s, illustrators, print designers, printers or anyone that has to deal with any kind of printing, process colors or are involved in any pre-press processes.

Phantasm CS is compatible with CS2+ for Windows and Mac. If you need more information on what requirements are needed for plugin you can check the Astute Graphics site. Phantasm CS comes in three different flavors: Design ($75 USD) Studio ($137 USD) and Publisher ($214 USD).

If you use Illustrator at all you should go grab the demo from Astute Graphics and take it for a test drive. It’s a plugin that you don’t want to miss.

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Add more value to Illustrator with Phantasm CS

Even if productivity is not quite your forte, those of us in the freelancing forum always need ways to keep our minds on the current tasks at hand, and our focus in a fixed range. So the following apps can prove beneficial in these instances as well, so it may behoove you to take a gander through what we have gathered here.

In order to use the apps listed below, you will need to first install Adobe Air.

Focus Booster

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique that works great for anyone who needs help in focusing on a single project as well as those of us who have trouble stopping to take breaks, you can easily give it a try yourself by downloading the free ebook and taking it for the proverbial spin. Focus Booster is an outstanding Air app designed to help you keep track of your Pomodoro sessions. Whether you use the Pomodoro technique or something a bit different, this app will help you enhance your focus and productivity.

Klok

Klok is a time tracking app with a lovely user interface giving you a clear look at how much time you spend on specific projects as well as helping you estimate time frames for future tasks. With the ability to enter notes on projects, adjust times, create subtasks, retrieve accidentally deleted items and view full featured reports, this is a fantastic full service app to keep track of where you are spending your time, and perhaps more importantly, where you aren’t.

MiniTask

MiniTask is a great to do app to keep track of minor lists. It seems more fit for the immediate to-dos, and is really good for use as a secondary app covering what you need to do this week and today. Having a small to do list, separate from your more comprehensive lists, that tells you exactly what you need to focus on now is very beneficial. Featuring drag and drop reorder, reminder alarms, separator headers and a variety of keyboard shortcuts, MiniTask can really help keep you on track and focusing on those tasks that need to stay in the forefront of your mind, and cannot afford to be back-burnered.

Doit.im

If you prefer to use the David Allen GTD method then finding a great app for Windows can prove to be a daunting task. Personally we have tried so many great Mac apps, but for those who prefer to work primarily on a PC, choices are seriously lacking. Doit.im was a dream come true. It has everything you need and nothing you don’t to fully implement GTD.

The only downsides to this app is that there are a few stability issues that still need to be worked out and it is currently only available for Windows & Mac, no Linux version yet. So for another option there is:

GTD-R

GTD-R is another option for GTD on Windows. Not only does it lack a few of the features that Doit.im has, but it also lacks the clean UI Doit.im users are used to. Though it is a bit more stable and available for Linux.

Remember the Milk Notifier

If you use Remember the Milk for your to do list, then Remember the Milk Notifier is a must. Okay, so must might be a bit strong for some, but it is definitely a decent addon that can enhance your overall use of the Milk. Unfortunately this is another app that is not quite available for Linux yet, but they are working on it. In the mean time, if you need a RTM solution for Linux, you may want to check out Tasque, though this is not an AIR app.

In Closing

If we missed any must try productivity apps please comment and let us know. And if you know of a great GTD app for Windows, please recommend it even if it is not an Adobe Air app.

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

The Best Adobe Air Apps to Increase Productivity

The Code: fuelyourbilling, is going to remain active for the next 21-days. They have offered to leave the code open for the same amount of time as their free 21-day trial, so that everyone has time to give the software a practice run to see if it is the accounting program for them. If the software suits you and satisfies your billing and invoicing needs then you can use the savings code and take advantage of this special offer.

If you want a little background on this app, be sure that you stop by the review of Billings 3 that we did a few weeks back here on FYC. Once again, thanks to the Marketcircle team for graciously giving this discount to our readers. So if you entered and did not win the giveaway, or you missed the giveaway we did and are interested in getting your hands on the program then dive in with a discount!

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

15% off Billings for FYC Readers

Billings is the time tracking, billing, and invoicing software that changes the game completely for all of the folks struggling to conquer their accounting matters. This extremely easy to use, award winning software takes care of so many of your billing needs that you will never look at doing your financials the same way again. With invoicing and account statements all readily awaiting your minor input and template selection, the once time consuming process of preparing this paperwork has been revised in a revolutionary and time saving manner.

Billings also keeps track of your client’s payments, and allows for billing single or multiple projects to your client at a time. Billings will manage the account information for each client, not only notifying you when a client’s payment becomes past due, but by also allowing you to set up a recurring billing cycle for your client which will automatically alert you when their payment initially comes due. When Billings tallies and tabulates your payments, it also tracks your taxes as well.

Project management, an important area of the freelancing lifestyle, has gotten a few more helping hands to improve your performance in this realm through Billings. With built-in time tracking software that easily allows you to start and stop the timer throughout your system, and even tabs out the total cost of the time spent on the project when an hourly amount is provided, this software manages your projects with grace and style.

With a handsome interface and so much flexibility of control, it is easy to see why Billings has become such a popular staple among the freelance community. It even has a bevy of built-in reporting functions to give the user a quick financial overview of all the managed data that it has tracked.

With its built-in integration to work with other programs such as Daylite, Merlin, and more, Billings establishes itself as the innovative billing and invoicing software leader that it has proven to be. From its initial launch to the latest version, Billings has become a popular Mac application whose stability and flexibility continue to set this software powerhouse apart from other programs in its playing field.

The Giveaway

After having the opportunity to try out this application, we are very excited to be able to offer two of our readers the chance to take this software home with them. The fine folks over at Marketcircle have graciously given us copies of Billings 3 to giveaway to two lucky readers so that they can see for themselves what all of the fuss is about!

To win, simply leave us a comment in the section below, and make sure it is attached to a valid e-mail address. And in a week from today, we will announce the names of the winners. It is that easy. So be sure to get entered before time runs out on this fantastic opportunity for freelancers!

The Winners Announced

Congratulations to our two winners of the Billings 3 giveaway:

• William Barrera
• Teo

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Billings Review and Giveaway **Winners Announced

So have we got your appetites fueled up and raring to go? Good. Then dig in to this freelancers smorgasbord of software galore ranging from productivity to communication, business management to file management apps and more.

File Backup

Dropbox

Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers. Put your files into your Dropbox on one computer, and they’ll be instantly available on any of your other computers that you’ve installed Dropbox on as well as via the Dropbox website.

You can get a 2GB account for free which should be plenty for backing up current projects you are working on.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Billing, Time Tracking and Money Management

Invoice Journal

Looking for software that will basically handle all of your invoicing needs short of collecting from the client for you, and that will be a breeze for any budget? Then you may have just been looking for Invoice Journal. This a fast, user friendly, free way to send invoices to anyone in the world from anywhere in the world.

Operating Systems: Web App

Ora Time and Expense

Ora Time and Expense is a light-weight, easy-to-use Adobe Air application that handles various aspects of your freelance business for you through tracking and generating timesheets, expense reports, and invoices.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Mint

Mint is a simple, strong, and secure Web–based solution for online financial management. And like the rest, it is free. You register anonymously using any valid email address, and then add the log–in information for the online bank, credit union, credit card and investment accounts you want to consolidate in Mint.

Operating Systems: Web App

Design and Development

Font Picker

Font Picker is a simple Adobe Air app that shows you all the fonts installed on your computer and helps you choose which one is most suitable for a particular project. Type the text you will be using for your project. Get rid of the fonts that you do not like or mark your favorites with the simple click of a button.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Gimp

GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. While it is not a perfect Photoshop replacement, it is great for the new freelancer on a budget.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Inkscape

Inkscape is an open source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Inkscape is to Illustrator what GIMP is to Photoshop.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

jEdit

jEdit is a highly configurable and customizable text editor with a variety of useful features including support for a large number of character encodings including UTF8 and Unicode, folding for selectively hiding regions of text, word wrap, auto indent, and syntax highlighting for more than 130 languages.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

File Transfer

Filezilla

While Filezilla may not be setting off to rampage through Tokyo or New York, this monster of an app has made a name for itself conquering file transfer needs across the globe. This free, open source FTP solution not only allows you to pick the client if you want to transfer files, but you can also get the server version if you want to make files available for others.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Fire FTP

Another file transfer protocalling program that is fantastic to use, is FireFTP. It is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers. Need we say more?

Operating Systems: Firefox Addon

Communication and Collaboration

Skype

When it comes to communicating with clients or colleagues, there is one app whose name seems to keep coming up. And that name, is Skype. Skype comes with some really useful free features like Skype-to-Skype calls, video calling, conference calls and even instant messaging and chat sessions.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Collabtive

Collabtive is web-based project management software with loads of finely tuned features including Basecamp import, both timetracking and reporting capabilities, and unlimited projects, milestones, tasklists, tasks and members with user profiles.

Operating Systems: Web App

To-Do Lists / GTD

Remember the Milk

Remember the Milk is a favorite solution for to do lists for so many, including some folks we know fairly well. Maintain separate lists, set recurring due dates, and if you are a practitioner of GTD, make sure you check out Advanced GTD with Remember The Milk. Not to mention the fact that it syncs up with almost any device or service you can think of.

Operating Systems: Web App

Office

OpenOffice

OpenOffice is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It stores all your data in an international open standard format. It can also read and write files from other common office software packages making it very versatile.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

Mind Mapping

FreeMind

When it comes to getting the ideas flowing and the brain storming, then you can turn to FreeMind. If you haven’t heard of this awesome creative tool then you are by far, missing out. FreeMind is a mind-mapping software written in Java with one-click ‘fold / unfold’ and ‘follow link’ operations.

Operating Systems: Linux, Mac and Windows

That’s all folks!

We may be done, but that doesn’t mean that the conversations and recommendations have to stop here. Let us know your favorites that you think should have made the list.

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Free and Open Source, Cross-Platform Solutions for Freelancers

Brush Pilot is an amazing new application from Jay Hilgert over at Bittbox, that allows for simple brush management on your Mac! How simple? Let’s just say, Rob can do it, so that should be a strong indicator right there. I was really amazed at the simplicity of the program, but much more so at it’s virtual weightlessness. With everything that this compact little firecracker can do, I really expected a heavier strain on my system resources, or at least a moment or two of the spinning color wheel of death to cycle through while the app was in full-on run mode, but that never happened. Ever! (You may be more impressed by that statement if you only knew how bogged down I keep my MacBook, and how often it runs a bit sluggish with the multi-tasking…or singular tasking that I demand of it.)

The Specs

The program, as I already mentioned, is amazingly light weight, so you do not have to worry about what you have running in the background, this app will not disturb or slow your system. (you might slow down your workflow, simply because you will be playing with this app and exploring its usefulness for hours rather than focusing, but that’s half the fun of any new app…or am I doing that wrong?) Part of Brush Pilot not being a resource hog, means that it allows for lightning speed maneuvering through the app while it is in use.

More than just a brush browser, the program has contextual menu commands throughout for each of its designated functions, and keyboard shortcuts for even more ease of use. Upon starting the program, it scours through your entire machine, searching for all brush files that stored there, you do not even have to send it searching by location. (Not that you do not have that option as well, for any external drives you may be networked to, as in my case, you can simply point the program in the right place for finding other brushes you can access.) Once it gets down hunting down your brushes, it displays them all in the Finder. From there things get even more exciting.

By clicking on the individual brush files, be they 8bit or 16bit, you get a preview of each set opened up in a window where you can easily scan through the different brushes that are included. The previewer also allows you to quickly and easily adjust the size of the previews using a slider bar beneath it, with five different size options to choose from. So don’t worry about missing out on the details of the brush because of a minuscule preview image, Brush Pilot’s got you covered!

From the finder, you also have the options that really complete the package, in my humble opinion. From a right click on the brush, you can reveal the brushes location on your hard drive (for any of those misplaced downloads that got you just couldn’t track down), you can delete the brush altogether from your system, or you can simply click to have the brush installed straight away into Photoshop. And earlier when I mentioned the lightning speed, you may have thought I was exaggerating, but the installation of the brushes happens instantly without delay or any s.c.w.o.d. hesitation at all! So it was not me being all poetical or ‘hype’rsensitive. Get it? Hype…nevermind. In fact, the only downside I discovered at all to this process, was the inability to select multiple brushes to be installed or deleted at once. To me, that many pros to one con, makes Brush Pilot an overall smashing success!

The Giveaway

We are so excited to have the opportunity to share this awesome Mac application with one lucky reader of the blog. Unfortunately, this is strictly for Mac users, so if you have a Mac and would like the chance to get a free copy of Brush Pilot, then simply comment below to make it happen. I know there will only be one winner of the contest, but rest assured, the app is modestly priced at only $15.00 so if you do not win, it is still not that far out of reach.

And as I said, you may not think you need a brush browser, but if you are Photoshop’ing graphic designer, this little ditty is that rare gem that you won’t understand how you ever did without it after you run it for the first time!

So leave a comment below, and the winner will be announced on July 20th! Check back to see if it’s you!

An Added Word of Thanks!

If you like this post and the other great content from Fuel Your Creativity then make sure you thank Elegant Themes for all of their support. Elegant Themes is a site created by Nick Roach, dedicated to creating premium WordPress themes for the online community. With so many beautifully crafted themes for all site-types and tastes! Nick’s unwavering support of the creative online community is as inspiring as the designs he creates! Thank you, Nick.

Winner Announced

Lisa T

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

UPDATED: Brush Pilot Review and Giveaway – Winner Announced

One real pain in the neck in most designer’s process is often working with mockups. It seems rather straight forward, but the problem occurs when the client doesn’t like what you’ve done. It’s a lot of effort to make a perfect PSD mockup, only to have it rejected. There’s a solution to that called Balsamiq Mockups. Balsamiq is an application that allows you to easily and quickly created rough mockups.

The Interface

The best of Balsamiq is that it is fast and easy, which is due in part to the interface. The Balsamiq interface has a toolbar with all of the mockup elements in a convenient and organized list located at the top of the page. All you have to do is drag and drop the elements onto the page.

Balsamiq also has convenient editing tools, right on the page. When you place an item in the mockup, an editing box will appear, with everything you need right there.

Although the Balsamiq is easy and altogether very usable, it is not the best looking interface. Personally, I like clean applications, were everything flows together, and that was the only downside of Balsamiq. Although the look doesn’t affect the layout, it still can be somewhat of an annoyance in this extremely useful application.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• · Quick and easy
• · Easy to learn how to use
• · Click and drag pre-made elements
• · Necessary layout elements for a quick mockup
• · Easy editing tools
• · Easy shortcuts for faster editing
• · Import actual images
• · Automatic guides
• · Lock elements in place
• · Comment, arrow, and other labeling tools
• · Save to PNG/XML

Cons:

• · Not the prettiest interface
• · Missing a few important layout elements
• · Lacks coloring tools

In conclusion, Balsamiq is an extremely helpful application, with a longer list of pros than cons. If you’re tired of taking all the time out of your day, for mockups, then Balsamiq is definitely something worth looking into.

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Balsamiq Mockups Review

The Overview

• Capture your displays as a Photoshop layered image
• Don’t waste time capturing each window separately, importing them in your favorite PSD editor, naming the layers, positioning the images, etc.
• Press the capture hotkey or customize your capture in the inspector.
• You’ll obtain a full fledged PSD file with one layer per window, including menu and desktop icons, dock and menubar.

Final Thoughts

If your a creative or have the need to capture many images on the fly, Layers App is for you. Not only is it a great product, the quality is amazing and the app itself runs smoothly and quickly!

Did I mention the dock icon is cute too?

If you’d like to test it out, check out their site or download the app and see for yourself.  If you find it useful let us know!

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Layers: Screen forensics

The Details

Fluid Mask 3 offers the most powerful and accurate image extraction on the market. Fluid Mask 3 is available for both Windows and Mac based operating systems, and functions as a standalone application or as a fully compatible plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS4 as well as all previous versions.

About Vertus

Vertus is the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation. Heligon’s groundbreaking technology uses complex algorithms to mimic the way the eye and brain perform visual processing so that complex shapes and colors can be recognized within images. Heligon licenses its technology to market leaders in industries including design and graphics, printing and video. More information on Vertus can be found here.

Vertus Announced New Pricing Yesterday

At $149, the Professional Choice for Separating Complicated Images from Their Backgrounds Now More Accessible to the Growing Community of Hobbyist Photographers and Designers

London, U.K. & Boston M.A. – December 8, 2008 – Vertus, Inc., a graphics and imaging software developer that creates simple and highly specialized software solutions, today announced that its award-winning Fluid Mask 3 image extraction tool, the  professionals’ choice for image masking, will now be available for $149.00, a savings of almost 40% from its original cost.

The proliferation of high quality cameras and the ever-growing community of hobbyist photographers looking to perform expert-level editing tasks have led to the introduction of numerous new image editing suites which provide basic image extraction tools.  Despite improvements in this area, these tools cannot match the power, accuracy, and efficiency of Fluid Mask 3.  The product’s new price will enable this larger pool of photographers to access the unique capabilities of Fluid Mask 3 at its most affordable level.

A fully functional free trial of Fluid Mask 3 is available for immediate download.

Final Thoughts

• Totally worth the new price drop
• Learning curve is quite easy – medium
• Saves plenty of time for those “hard to edit” photos
• Great tool to have for any designer/photographer
• One of best plugins I’ve used for Photoshop
• Recommend at the very least trying the “free trial“

Sponsored by

Advertise on Fuel Brand Network.
Fuel Brand Network 2010 cc (creative commons license)

Vertus FluidMask 3 Rocks!