Design Matters: Version Control

In the last few years, we have seen how Adobe Creative Suite had been upgraded from CS to CS 2. It took a while for the CS 3 version to come out but within weeks of its launch, CS 4 surfaced on earth.

There are some people who had been on the relentless pursuit of upgrade. Each version offers some newer options which are very valuable that the older version will not be able to achieve. In TILT, we have been on a slow and constant upgrade. In fact, we have Adobe CS 2 on 1 computer, Adobe CS 4 also on 1 computer and the rest of our computers are on Adobe CS 3.

So when this happens, how can our workflow be such that it can still be seamless and be inter-changeable such that everyone in TILT can work hand-in-hand to complete a massive project?

Below are 2 examples using Adobe Indesign as the software (since that is the software which TILT uses for almost all our work):
Work was done in the lower version of CS
Voila! Your worries are solved as Adobe CS, like many other software, is backward compatible. This means that work which was done in Adobe CS 2 can definitely be opened in Adobe CS 3 or 4 and all of you can still work together (provided the first piece of work is done in the lowest version).

Work was done in the latest version of CS
There had been many instances of this situation happening, not only at TILT but in other companies as well (as far as we know). This is a quick tip such that work can still be completed across all the different platforms.
1. Go to File > Export.
2. Set the format to InDesign Interchange. (This will make a .inx file.)
3. Older versions of InDesign can open that .inx file.
4. Open the .inx file in the older version of Adobe CS.

And with this, you can continue working as 1 company!

Design Matters: Digital Imaging

DI or digital imaging is something which is a familiar term that is used in graphic design or photography, both of which belongs to the scope of work which TILT handles.

Digital imaging is very much about editting of a photograph. The complexity can be as simple as colour correction, to the more complex retouching or restoration skills needed for photo manipulation.

Very often, the software which is used is Adobe Photoshop. With the later versions of the creative suite, it actually makes digital imaging very much easier. For wedding photographers, they tend to remove all the blemishes on the bride’s face, making her face very smooth and devoid of eye bags. Sometimes, they also post-processed it such that the sparkle in the eye appears. These can be made via sharpening tool amongst some other options. These kind of digital imaging is seldom used in TILT’s course of work. The reason is simple, we only do corporate work.

In our work, we have also done our fair share of digital imaging. All our photographs always undergo simple colour correction. This process is a very simplified manner of digital imaging. Of course, with the easy, there are the more challenging moments.

Recently, during one of our advertorial photoshoot, the client requested for a pillar to be removed from the photograph. This is definitely one of the more challenging kind of digital imaging. The challenge is to let the photograph still look like a real photograph with the background filled in and the pillar removed.

The end result….

You decide…..

Have a look….

Design Matters: The High and Low of Photographs

TILT was shortlisted by Singapore Polytechnic for a 5-day corporate photoshoot. During our presentation, the client asked us if we provide contact prints. When we informed them our process is such that we do not provide contact prints, they were pretty surprised.

Perhaps, I can share on the TILT process and why we do not provide contact prints.

After each photoshoot, these are the few steps which we will undertake
a) Download all photographs
b) DI all photographs (the DI process includes colour correction, exposure correction, cropping, etc) [ A tutorial on this process will be provided in the future]
c) Rename all photographs (eg. SAF_HydroSapiens_###.jpg)
d) These photographs will be copied to a folder (named “High Resolution”)
e) A duplicate of the “High Resolution” folder will be made and all photographs will be downsized and placed in another folder (named “Low Resolution”)

The end product which the client will receive will be a CD / DVD consisting of High and Low Resolution photographs. Now, why is this better as compared to the client receiving a CD of High Resolution images with a few pieces of contact sheets?

The reasons are as follows:
1) With the low resolution pictures, the client can immediately email the photographs out to the colleagues instead of passing to the fellow colleagues the CD. This way, it becomes more efficient for the client and the client can save time and do other more important things!

2) With the contact sheet, the client has additional papers on his already very crowded desk. The possibility of losing this can be very high in the long run. With the pictures in a low resolution folder, the client can view them as thumbnails on his laptop and this will never be lost. If necessary, he can zip up the full folder and send them out to his fellow colleagues and this goes back to point 1 again. It saves time!

3) Not every client has softwares on his laptop that can downsize pictures conveniently. As such, if the client (usually from corporate communications) need to post something on the web, having the low resolution pictures, they can immediately post the pictures on the web to form a photo gallery without additional hassel. This again goes back to point 1. It saves time!

In addition, it assists clients who are not so IT savvy to be able to do their job conveniently as well!

There is without a doubt that when all of us are exposed to paper for the majority of our lives, it does take a little getting used to this system which TILT has developed. But do give us a try, this method is definitely useful in helping you manage your large photo library in the long run.