40 Must Learn Text Effect Tutorials in Illustrator

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

The love of creating text effects has become a common ground for many designers and enthusiasts. Indeed, it has even become an art form in itself. Imagine texts come to life with how different design elements seem to revolve around them.

There are so many design opportunities out there and it would be best to learn at least a few from other artists every now and then. Check out these 40 Must Learn Text Effect Tutorials in Illustrator and be inspired to create your own master pieces and, maybe, you could even share your work with the rest of the world right in the comments below!

Create a Green Viscous Text Effect

In this tutorial you will use illustrator’s 3D tools to add dimension on the text, and then add a green viscous text effect..

Learn to Create a Variety of Script Lettering

This tutorial will showcase three different approaches, which result in three different script lettering styles. starting with a nice simple basic script, touch on a more athletic inspired lettering style and work along the way to a classic, fancy script.

How to create a glassy text effect in Illustrator

This tutorial will teach how to create a glassy text effect in Illustrator. You will learn some simple techniques to enhance our types giving them gloss and shine.

How to Create an Entangled Lettering Illustration

A two part tutorial where you will learn how to create a brief typographic message from scratch. The first part will go over the basics of constructing the letterforms. You can check the second part HERE.

How To Create a Simple Sticker Text Effect

Learn how to use text and the Round Any Corner script to create a simple sticker effect.This effect can be applied to a variety of graphics, including shapes and symbols.

Create Colorful, Layered Paper Type in Illustrator

Here is a tutorial on how to brighten one’s mood by creating vivid illustrations with layered paper text and ribbons and create custom type and use Illustrator effects extensively to optimize work.
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Create a Mummy Text Effect

This tutorial will show you how to create a treatment with some gradients and heavy use of the appearance panel.
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Create a Vibrant 3D Pixel Type Treatment

Learn how to create a fun 3D pixel font type treatment using a free font, gradients, and Illustrator 3D filter with this tutorial.
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Old School Type – Line Gradients

This tutorial is about creating line gradients using illustrator.
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Illustrator Tackle Twill

Here is a tutorial on how to simulate a tackle twill look with Illustrator’s Appearance palette.
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Ornate lettering

Get new ideas in creating ornate lettering through the tips and techniques offered by this tutorial.
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How To Create Detailed Gothic Linework Typography

This step by step walkthough illustrates the design process for a recent gothic typography design.
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Getting Carried Away with Balloon Lettering

Here is a tutorial covering on the process of creating some illustrative shiny balloon lettering and in creating rounded, semi-transparent, bubble letters that will make up the basis of the balloon lettering.
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Create a Glossy, Smooth Text Effect

The tutorial is on how to create a glossy, smooth text effect using multiple fills and strokes with different blending modes and varied opacity percentage.
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Retro 3D Arcade Text Effect in Illustrator

This tutorial makes clever use of Illustrators built in 3D capabilities, gradients and opacity masks to design a Retro 3D Type Effect.
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How to Make a Cartoon Style Cereal Box Logo in Adobe Illustrator CS3

Get tips on how to make a cartoon style logo with illustrator.
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Working with type in Illustrator

Get tips and techniques with this tutorial on how to use and manipulate adobe illustrator in creating several text effects.
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How to Add Decorative Glamour to Your Ordinary Script Font

Learn how to give some extra sparkle to your ordinary font, creating a typographic design which can stand by itself through this tutorial
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Blueprint-Style Text in Adobe Illustrator

This tutorial is a quick demo using a blend of live effects, filters, and even a little gradient mesh to create a seemingly complex logo treatment.
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Illustrator type technique using shapes

Here is an illustration on how to make logos through shapes with illustrator.
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How to Make a Wooden Text Effect with Adobe Illustrator

The tutorial is on creating “wooden text” using the 3D Extrude and Bevel Tool combined with some clever gradients and layer effects you can make this great effect that’s perfect for text and symbols alike.
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3D Typography in Photoshop

Here is a tutorial on using various techniques on creating typogrpahy with illustrator
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Tug and Twirl Text in Illustrator

Learn how to tug and twirl texts with illustrator through this tutorial.
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Learn to Create a Variety of Beveled Lettering

This tutorial showcasea three different approaches, which result in three different beveled lettering styles.
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Create An Editable Metal Type Treatment

In this tutorial, you will learn to create editable metal type treatment with illustrator
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Creating stunning, detailed typography with Illustrator

Learn new ideas in creating stunning yet detailed typography through the tips and techniques offered by this tutorial.
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Illustrator Tutorial: Warp Text Inside A Heart Shape

The following tutorial will show you how to combine the text wrap and heart shape together to achieve the text wrap effect.
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Create a Folded Paper Text Effect

In this tutorial, you will learn to create a simple folded paper text effect and create some ink blobs and stains from some simple ellipses and brushes.
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Let’s Make a Playful Yet Robust 3D Letter Design

This tutorial is for the advanced beginner who wants to take her skills to the next level by creating robust and layful text effect in one artwork.
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Quick Tutorial: Create a Reusable Retro Type Treatment

This tutorial will show you how to create a simple retro type treatment using the Appearance panel and some texture effects, Warp effects, and some simple layering.
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Creating an Environmentally Friendly Green Type Treatment

The following Illustrator tutorial illustrates how to create a Green type treatment for logos and other design elements.
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Create a Furry Calligram in Illustrator

The following tutorial will walk you through creating calligrams by manipulating a typeface through to rendering fur, adding doggy features, and various details.
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Create a Grimy Text Treatment with a Pen Tablet

Here is a tutorial on creating a grimy text treatment utilizing Illustrator’s Blog brush, Live Paint, and a pen tablet.
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How to Create a Smokin’ Western Type Treatment in Illustrator

This tutorial will show you how to create a western type treatment primary using Illustrator’s Effects.
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Creating Editable Letterpress Styled Text

Learn how to utilize the Appearance panel and Graphic Styles to consistently apply this style to any editable text and other vector objects through this tutorial.
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Create a Polished Raised Type Treatment

The following tutorial illustrates on how to use the Appearance panel, some gradients to create a polished lifted type treatment.
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How to Create a Trendy Retro Type Treatment

Her is a tutorial on how to create a trendy retro type treatment with a free font, gradients, blends, and some scatter brushes.
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The Hidden Power of the Average Command: Creating Swirly Type

Learn to create abstract swirls using relatively simple methods and applying it to type.
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Create a Swirly Type Treatment

Here is a tutorial on creating a swirly type treatment with free fonts, some brushes, and gradients.
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Create a Glowing Neon Sign using the Appearance Palette – Screencast

The following tutorial shows the potential of the Appearance Palette in Adobe Illustrator, build an elaborate neon sign, utilize the Appearance Palette to speed up the process and remove the need of drawing complex paths.
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Illustrator Tutorial: Bling Bling Text Effect

This tutorial will show you how to create an eye catching bling bling effect in illustrator by creating the texture and applying it to any text.
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Stylish text effect tutorial using Illustrator

The tutorial illustrates how to create a beautiful text effect with a subtle vintage look that’s going to be applied to an specific typeface.
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Create Fun, Eye-catching Text with Adobe Illustrator

Learn to manipulate text in Illustrator by combining color and effects with this tutorial.
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Quick Tutorial: Gradient Strokes

This tutorial shows how I create gradient strokes by using the Appearance panel and effects to create editable gradient strokes in Illustrator.
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Turn Any Font Into a Sketch Font

The following tutorial illustrates one cool way of turning any font into a sketch font.
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Aetuts+ Photoshop Contest! Wait… What?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

After Effects has often been referred to as “Photoshop for Video”. I was thinking about this the other day after I said that very expression to someone who asked what the heck Aye Eeh Toots was. I then went over to Psdtuts+ and started looking back through their archives and well, I got inspired…

We’re hosting this contest in hopes that you’ll get a little creative and start to think outside the box and more importantly… outside the AE. Most people who are proficient in After Effects are pretty comfortable with Photoshop. This is often because most of us started in Photoshop and then stumbled across AE and realized… “Holy Crap! I could do ANYTHING!“

Here’s the Contest

Create a 5-15 second long video within After Effects that was done following or inspired by a Psdtuts+ tutorial. This can a VFX shot, a Motion Graphic animation, or any variation you can conceptualize.

Submission Details

You can submit as many entries as you like but all entries must be submitted by February 28th at midnight EST.

Judging

We will be judging based on 4 categories (25 points each – 100 total):

Integration of a tutorial found on Psdtuts+ tutorial (How closely you stick to the tutorial)
Visual quality of your end result (This is all about the execution, good timing… and an overall attractive render)
Concept creativity (With this area we’re looking to say, “Huh… cool idea”, that’s it)
Straight up Popularity (After we select the top 20 entries, we’ll make them available for you to vote on)

Our staff will look over the submissions and choose the top 20. We will then make those available for you to watch and vote on.

Winners and Prizes

We will be giving away over $2,000 worth of prizes thanks to our sponsors, Red Giant Software, Techsmith, and the Envato Marketplaces.

The 20 First Round Winners will all receive $10 credit toward the Marketplace.

To our Top Winners we’ll also be giving away : Magic Bullet Looks (for After Effects) – $400

Magic Bullet PhotoLooks (for Photoshop) – $200

From Red Giant Software… and

Camtasia Studio – $300

Snagit – $50

from Techsmith.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE

Create a Flowerpot From Scratch in Photoshop

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a flowerpot from scratch using several techniques in Photoshop.

Step 1

Begin by creating a New Document 450 px x 600 px with subtle a gradient background.

Step 2

Create a group called “Pot”. Inside this group, create a New Layer called “Top”. Use the Ellipse Tool to make an oval shape that will become the top of our flowerpot. Fill with any color (I’ve used #5b5b5b).

Step 3

Create a New Layer called "Band” and place it below “Top”. Use a combination of the Ellipse Tool and the Rectangle Tool to make the shape of the pot’s band. Use a different shade of gray to make it easier to identify the pieces.

Step 4

Create a New Layer called “Base” and place it below “Band”. Use the same techniques to create the base of the pot.

Step 5

On a new layer called “Color”, above the “Base” layer”, create a rectangle that covers up the entire shape, and fill with the gradient shown. Add Noise with a setting of .8%. Next, Alt + Click in between the two layers to make it a clipping layer.

Step 6

Copy the “Color” layer and paste it above each shape. Make each of these a clipping layer. When you’re done, you can tweak each “Color” layer to fit the shape better by using Transform (Command/Ctrl + T).

Step 7

Use the Burn Tool on the “Color” layer above the “Base” layer to add depth.

Step 8

On a new layer called “Inner Circle”, make an elliptical shape and fill it with gray. Just like the other shapes, we want to add a new clipping layer (name this layer “Inner Color”) that has a gradient color on it. Only this time, make a darker gradient to resemble the shadows inside the pot.

Step 9

To make the pot smoother, start by selecting the “Inner Circle” layer and use the Blur Tool to blur the top edge slightly. Next, create a New Layer called “Edge” and use a feathered brush to paint in a lighter clay color (I used #E2B398) around the outer edge in the area shown below (indicated in green). Set this layer to Screen and change the Opacity to 78%.

Step 10

To make the dirt, we will need to add another clipping layer. To do this, select the “Inner Color” layer and press Command/Ctrl + Shift + N to bring up the New Layer dialogue box and make sure “Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask” is checked. Name this new layer “Dirt”.

Step 11

To create some dirt, first draw in a shape with a dark brown color. Give this layer some Noise set to 30%. Next, Add Filter > Noise > Median with a radius of 1 px. Now, add some more Noise with a setting of 25%. Lastly, duplicate this layer, still keeping it a clipping layer, and set its Blending Mode to Multiply. Use the Dodge and Burn Tools on the original “Dirt” layer to add highlights and shadows.

Step 12

Go back to the clipping layer called “Inner Color” and use the Burn Tool to add some shadows on the inside of the pot from the dirt.”

Step 13

Next, we are going to create the stem. To prepare for this, create a group called “Flower” and inside this group, create another group called “Stem”. On a new layer, use the Brush Tool (B) to draw in a green stem. Add a Bevel and Emboss to this layer. Use the Burn Tool to add some shadows near the top and bottom of the stem.

Step 14

Make sure your foreground and background colors are set to black and white. On a new layer, create a white box and go to Filter > Render > Fibers and give it the following settings.

Step 15

Warp the fibers so that they appear to follow the shape of the stem and make the layer a clipping layer. Set the Blending Mode to Overlay and the Opacity to 28%.

Step 16

To create the flower, we first need to start by creating a New Group called “Petals.” Inside this group, create a New Layer called “Single Petal” and draw a basic shape of a flower petal with a light purple color.

Step 17

On a new clipping layer to the layer “Single Petal” use a feathered brush set to Dissolve to paint in some noise with a darker purple color. Next, give this layer a Motion Blur and Angle of 90 degrees and a Distance of 51 px. Next, add Noise set to 4.8% and Gaussian Blur set to 1.2 px.

Step 18

Transform (Command/Ctrl + T) this layer so that the texture appears to follow the shape of the petal. When you’re done, merge these layers together; make sure to keep the name “Single Petal”.

Step 19

As of now, the petal looks a little flat. To fix this, make a copy of the petal and Desaturate it (Command/Ctrl + Shift + U). Next, go to Filter > Stylize > Emboss and add the settings shown below. Set this layer’s Blending Mode to Overlay.

Step 20

Go back to the “Single Petal” layer and use a different shade of purple to paint in some more texture (refer to image). Merge the two layers together.

Step 21

Make copies of the “Single Petal” layer to arrange the petals in the shape of a flower (use Alt + Click on your canvas to make copying quicker). Don’t worry about the hole in the center, we’ll fix that later.

Step 22

Merge all the petals together and rename the layer to “Flower”. Use the Transform Tool to skew the layer into perspective. Move the flower in place.

Step 23

Use the Liquify Filter (Filter > Liquify) to distort the edge of the flower to give it a more organic feel. I’ve also painted in the backside of the flower where the petal may be lifted enough to expose it.

Step 24

Use the Dodge and Burn Tools to add some shadows and highlights to this layer. The image below illustrates some of the areas I focused on.

Step 25

To complete the center of the flower, I used the Polygonal Marquee Tool to separate the top and bottom half of the flower on to two separate layers. I then used the Liquify Filter (Filter > Liquify) to pull down the center of the flower. Use the Burn Tool to add depth and then merge the two layers back together when done.

Step 26

To create the stamen that goes in the center of the flower, we want to start by creating a new group called “Stamen.” Inside the group, create a new layer and with a small, light yellow brush, draw in a few lines as shown. Use the Burn Tool to add shadows near its base. When you’re done give it a Bevel and Emboss.

Step 27

On a new layer, repeat that last step to add more stamen to give this more depth. Erase the bottoms of the Stamen to make them appear to go in to the flower.

Step 28

To create the tips of the stamen (known as the Anther), create a new layer called “Anther” and paint in blobs of a light yellow color.

Step 29

Add the following Layer Styles the “Anther” layer.

Step 30

The last thing we will add is a leaf. Start by making a copy of the “Stem” group. Right Click the group and select “Merge Group”. Place this layer below the original “Stem” group. Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal and then Scale and Warp this layer into position.

Step 31

Next, create a New Group called “Leaf”. On a new layer, create an inverted heart shape in green. Make a copy of this layer and use Levels (Command/Ctrl + L) to lighten this copy.

Step 32

Use the Eraser Tool (E) on the copied layer to erase lines resembling the veins of a leaf (this will allow the darker leaf to show through). Open up the Layer Styles and add a Bevel and Emboss to this layer.

Step 33

Merge both leaf layers together and Rotate and Scale (Command/Ctrl + T) it into position and rename the layer “Merged Leaf”.

Step 34

Use the Liquify Filter (Filter > Liquify) to manipulate the edges of the leaf, just like we did with the flower petals.

Step 35

Use the Dodge and Burn Tools to add some more definition to the leaf.

Step 36

Copy a portion of the leaf and paste it to a new layer below the “Merged Leaf”. Use this piece of the leaf to fill in any parts of the leaf that appear to curl up and expose the underside. If needed, use the Eraser Tool (E) to trim the shape.

Step 37

To add some shine to the leaf, create a new clipping layer to the “Merged Leaf” layer and fill with white. Double click this layer to open the Layer Styles and adjust the Blend If sliders as shown. By moving the Blend If: Underlying Layer slider, you can control how hard and soft you want to blend the white layer over the leaf’s light or dark values.

Step 38

To finish up the leaf, use the Burn Tool to add some additional shadows to the leaf.

Step 39

To complete the image, I added a shadow and reflection. To create the shadow, use the Ellipse Tool to make a black ellipse under the base of the pot, then use a combination of the Motion blur and Gaussian Blur filters to blur it. Adjust the shadow’s Opacity. For the reflection, simply merge a copy of the pot into one layer and flip vertically. Reposition this layer and adjust its opacity for the illusion of a reflection.

Final Image

Food Styling Tips and Tricks that are Curious to Know

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

a glycerin apple

If you want to make some spark or add some bright effects to a photo – use appropriate decorate accessories. Nowadays it’s not a problem and you can use various additional things related to different fields of art to enhance the quality of your photo and make it really bright and outstanding. Food photography is an obligatory element for any company that deals with beverages and food. The main reason why marketing and advertising companies use food products in their campaign today – is that the restaurants that utilize photos in their menus sell more dishes than those who use only its titles and written descriptions. To make an excellent shot is not so easy as it seems, food photography is considered to be one of the most difficult specialities for photographers. Sometimes an artist has really less time to make two or three pictures before the food is no longer at its best look. Nowadays we live in such advanced age that photographers can achieve really impossible results. They get off such amazing shots that viewers find them more than particularly tempting. To ensure effective food and beverages that entice a craving from viewer, follow these simple but really wholesome tips and tricks:

Fake ice cubes

Fake ice cubes can be different shapes, sizes and made of various materials, the most popular of them are acrylic and plastic. Acrylic ice cubes are, as you understand , not real and can be used only for merchandising or photography purposes. Of course they can not be frozen or used for chilling, but they make beautiful items of display, provide a glitter to the decor and you can utilize them as aesthetics props when taking photos. Plastic fake ice cubes are also good helpers in the process of photography. They have some kind of non-toxic gel inside, you can freeze them and pop into drinks and they won’t sink to the bottom of whatever you’ll put cubes. These cubes come in various funny forms, such as balls, animals, fruits, hearts, cherries, shells ans etc. A great advantage is that plastic cubes can be re-used, wash them and fresh tempting ice cubes are ready.

Fake ice cubes are highly demanded in photography and even in film production, because real ice melts quickly and is difficult to work with. Some production companies sell fake ice cubes, you can find these accessories in Trengove, a special effects store in New York. They are not cheap, often costing up to 30$ for a single cube. Fake ice is very handy to use and it doesn’t melt under the hot photography lights, so by using it you can really simplify your work.

Classic ice cubes

Drink with lemon and refreshing ice cubes. The composition looks so seductive that it’s hard to resist the temptation to empty this glass.

ice cubes

Love won’t drown

Two ice cubes in the glass. The picture creates an impression as if ice is melting and transforming into water.

love won't drown food photography

Glycerin

What is it and why do photographers use it? It is a neutral, sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid which freezes to a gummy paste and which has a high boiling point. Glycerin can be dissolved into water and alcohol. Many things will dissolve into glycerin easier than they do in alcohol or water. So it is a good solvent. This thick liquid has a variety of uses, it can be used in prints and inks, lotions, preserved fruits and it can be used as a lubricant, due to its antiseptic qualities glycerin is applied in scientific specimens. It can be also used to make a dynamite, but of course it is not explosive alone, so don’t be afraid to hold a glycerin soap Photographers also like to decorate their photos with beautiful details and to make these details more outstanding, prominent and natural they utilize glycerin. In the pictures we’ve showcased below you can see the examples of their work.

Bella Sera

A bottle of wine with two glasses which look like they have been already filled in. The artist achieved such effect using glycerin and water spray for a lasting and controlled condensation look. These fresh palatable drops will stay on for about 15 minutes.

bella sera

Take a bite

In order to make this apple seductive and appetizing the photograph also have applied a water-glycerin mixture. It gives a fruit a juicy, glistering and so tempting appearance.

a glycerin apple

Glue

Photographers use glue instead of real milk for cereal photos, for hot chocolate photos and for pie repair shots. It’s a good way to make the food as appetizing as possible. White multi – purpose glue prevents flakes from becoming soggy too quickly and the bowl with glue won’t slosh around during the photography process and won’t become discolored after a long period under bright hot lights. If the artist delicate spread more glue among the flakes they will look really natural and mouth-watering on the photo.

Spilled milk and cereal

Of course it isn’t milk, it’s glue with variegated round corn flakes. They can’t be eaten, but look really cute and appetizing.

spilled milk and cereal

Cereal Photography

This composition was made using clamp to hold the spoon firmly in the place and placing glue on the spoon. Then the creator of this artwork with the help of tweezers added flakes and more glue between the greased flakes with toothpick. The last step – the artist added natural oiled strawberries. Oh, I want to eat it right now .

spoon with corn flakes

Chocolate caliente

This beautiful cup is filled with genuine chocolate glue. The author of this shot has used chocolate bars. He melted them and stuck in a cup then mixed with glue and the result is in front of your eyes. A palatable hot chocolate without messing with powder and milk. The only shortcoming is that this beverage can not be drunk. Would you like a cup of tempting hot chocolate?

chocolate fakephotography

Karma as a Social Interaction Design Pattern in Websites

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

The principles of karma are understood worldwide. We all like to believe that the good deeds and actions we do will be returned to us in one way or another. At its core, karma encourages us to help others.

Most of us were introduced to systems that promote good behavior as early as elementary school. Kids who misbehaved would endure punishments such as restricted play times and detention, while those who excelled and conducted themselves properly received rewards and extra credit, even if it was simply a gold star sticker.

Karma as a Social Interaction Design Pattern in Websites

In consumerism, loyal patronage is rewarded at gas stations, airlines, grocery stores, and so forth through loyalty cards where customers receive special discounts and benefits once they collect enough points.

Karma as a Social Interaction Design Pattern in Websites

The Effectiveness of Karma Systems in Social Websites

Karma as a game mechanic works wonderfully in social systems. We see karma game mechanics in action most frequently for user contributions in sites like Reddit, Hacker News (HN), Stack Overflow, and Foursquare.

While each of these sites (along with the many more that have similar features) employ their own algorithms for determining a user’s karma standing, the general idea tends to be pretty consistent: Good actions (such as submitting good links or flagging link spam) increases your karma, while bad actions (like submitting spam or trolling) decreases karma.

In the social web, karma allows a community to self-regulate itself, which tremendously helps in scalability. For example, Reddit — one of the biggest websites in the world, garnering close to half a billion page views a month — is able to run with only 6 staff members, no doubt thanks to the help of the millions of people who use the site and the karma system Reddit has developed.

Karma as a Social Interaction Design Pattern in Websites

Karma System Design Pattern

Karma points are often referred to as reputation points. Users accumulate karma/reputation points as they use and interact with the site and its users. These points can garner prestige within the community, as well as special features only available after attaining a certain quantity of points.

The Stack Overflow Users page displays top users with the highest amount of reputation points.

The points are earned by performing various site tasks such as submitting good content, leaving a good comment, or performing an encouraged site action such as filling out your user profile.

Karma points are rewarded by other users (often called "upvoting") and by the site.

Karma/reputation points are earned by submitting good links and writing good comments on Reddit.

Foursquare and Gowalla serve as good examples of systems that reward users for taking advantage of their service and sharing that information with their friends. The badges that users unlock for checking in at new locations offer rewards that can be shared with friends online.

Foursquare badges are displayed on user profiles.

Some systems unlock features of the website once a user gets a certain number of karma points. Usually, these features give users — who have proven their dedication and are intimately familiar with the community guidelines as indicated by their high number of karma points — a set of special community-management abilities such as content moderation and the ability to flag content as spam. For example, in Hacker News, you are able to flag submissions and make user interface customizations (for yourself) once you reach a certain number of points.

Users of Hacker News estimate that at about 250 karma points, they are able to change the top bar color of the site.

Why Do Karma Systems Exist?

So what’s the point of having a karma system on websites? Do these websites really need to associate a rank to their users in order to become (or remain) successful?

The real kicker with karma-based game mechanics is that they keep users coming back. In the case of any website, the rate at which you can retain users is a key ingredient of a successful website. While it is certainly important to always be reaching out to new users, returning users should be a top priority. Rewarding your current users for their deeds (and also keeping score of these deeds for them) is a huge tool for encouraging loyalty. If you can get your users to put the time into building up a reputation in your site, they are much less likely to stray somewhere else.

User Benefits of a Karma System

We can see why a socially oriented website would want to take advantage of the benefits provided by a reputation points system. The potential bump in visitor loyalty and participation is certainly tempting to site owners and web developers, but the rewards are not restricted to those running the show.

What’s in it for users of the site?

Information-Filtering

A well-functioning site that ranks users and content based on the credibility of those who post and promote information is a great tool for the site’s audience. The internet is an easy place to get lost in information overload. An excellent method for sifting through information to find what interests us is to use sites like Digg and Reddit, whose featured content has found success amongst a scrutinizing (and often brutal) audience.

Humans are wired to trust other humans — a concept known as social proof. When we have a tool that ranks content based on the feedback of thousands of people, it saves us time from wading through junk, allowing us to discover content that have been vetted by a community of people.

Opportunities for Top Users

On a more individual level, when we can see that a site user is experienced and reliable, the information they choose to share with us seems to bear more weight. Thus, a benefit for amassing reputation points is the influence that can come with it.

There are other rewards to be had outside of the obvious for a user who fulfills a contributor/curator role in a social media site. It is an arduous challenge to build a reputation within an online community of thousands (even millions), and the outcome of doing so can be immensely beneficial personally. For those who are looking to promote their own work, for example, having a great karma score will immediately increase the exposure of your own content. External career opportunities arise when people prove their mettle in these competitively social sites, as in the example of a software developer who got a Google interview by being a top contributor on Stack Overflow.

Downsides of Karma Systems

There are several issues in systems that incentivize participation.

Gaming the System

One primary issue is that, because attaining reputation points comes with benefits that increases a user’s success in promoting their own work, there will always be a few users that will look for ways to exploit the system to their advantage. This is often referred to as gaming the system.

For example, on Digg, because of the amount of traffic a site can get when their content becomes popular on the site, some groups have taken to gaming the system to their benefit.

Theoretically, a system relying on reputation points to rank user-contributed content should, as a matter of course, be able to self-regulate itself; but in practice, karma-based systems regularly fail in this area because users gaming the system may have greater incentives (such as financial gain) than users who participate in the system fairly and without external influences with regards to their site conduct.

Despite how sophisticated the system’s spam detection algorithms are and how big the site moderator staff is, there will always be users who will persevere in figuring out a way to exploit the system for personal and financial gain. Any time a site or web service on the web builds a high level of success, the race is on to exploit and abuse it to get a leg up on other users. Oftentimes, the result is disingenuous user-generated contributions by people who want to get more page views on their sites.

Ironically, karma systems promote a situation that is diametrically opposed to the core purpose behind it; instead of encouraging good behavior and helpfulness among its users, it entices some to behave in unscrupulous ways to get ahead of others.

Drowning Out New Users

Another downfall of karma systems is that as a community gets older and bigger, it makes it difficult for newcomers to get their voices heard amidst the old guard. Social classes begin to form (e.g., top users versus "noob" users). As a result, we see effects analogous to the rich-gets-richer socioeconomic class phenomenon. While anyone certainly has the opportunity to overcome the odds, it becomes difficult as older, top users get more and more entrenched into the community — a situation not unlike the difficulty of unseating a political incumbent.

Implementing Karma Systems in Websites: Examples and Tools

So far, one thing that reigns true about karma systems is that they work best on large-scale sites that currently have (or anticipate on having) a high volume of user contribution and interaction. The examples used above are all custom-developed sites built from the ground up specifically to accommodate a user reputation system.

This, then, begs the question: Can a karma system work in standard websites, such as a portfolio site or blog?

For example, much like large social media sites, blogs struggle with spam clogging up the comments system. Currently, the most prevalent way of catching comment spam is to employ software that automatically catches spam and/or manual moderation by site administrators. However, wouldn’t it be nice if users themselves helped a site they loved by contributing good comments, flagging comment spam, and rating content?

Let’s take a quick look at a few tools for incorporating karma systems in your websites.

Plugins and Extensions

If you happen to be using a content management system like WordPress or Drupal, there should be extensions available to you that will allow you to implement forms of karma-based interaction features.

Here’s a short list of extensions for WordPress and Drupal:

BuddyPress: Adds social networking capabilities to your WordPress installation
Disqus Comment System: Replaces the core WordPress comments system with a more robust system that has user options for flagging spam and upvoting comments
GD Star Rating: Allows users to rate and review content of a WordPress site
Comment Rating: WordPress plugin that allows users to rate comments with "like" or "dislike"
Comment Rating Widget: Extends the Comment Rating plugin above with additional features
Voting API: Powerful Drupal module for creating robust site voting systems
Fivestar: Configurable Drupal module for adding a rating widget
Flag: Can add highly customizable flagging features to a Drupal site (read more about it in our list of top 20 Drupal modules)

Third-Party, Social Networking APIs

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have APIs that site builders can use for obtaining data about online content. Using a social networking API can allow site users to rate, share, and vote content by way of retweeting or liking. Content with more retweets or Facebook likes can then provide social proof for the quality of a piece of content.

Smashing Network displays Facebook Like counts on content featured in the network.

An idea of a karma system for comments, for example, could be to provide a "Like" Facebook button on comments; other users can then use the feature to vote up a comment they like. Perhaps a tiered system can be in place where the more retweets your comment gets, the more prominent it becomes, bubbling up to the top of the comment stack and providing special benefits such as the ability to leave a link to your own site.

Here are links to popular social media APIs:

Points of Discussion

How would you implement karma systems on typical websites and smaller communities? Do you find the systems used by sites like Reddit, Stack Overflow, and Hacker News to be effective?

About the Author

Jason Gross is a freelance web designer focused on creating clean and user friendly websites. Jason currently lives in Indiana and can be found on Twitter as @JasonAGross or on the web at his personal blog and portfolio.

25 of the Best Real Estate Themes for WordPress

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

Real estate is a very competitive industry and having an attractive, usable and up-to-date website can help agents to stand out and increase the exposure for their listings. In the past, managing a website could be a costly a complicated task for real estate agents. However, there are now many WordPress themes designed specifically for real estate that can make it much easier and affordable.

WordPress is a great platform for most real estate agents because it is simple to add new listings in most real estate themes, professional themes can be purchased for less than $100, and because having a search engine-friendly site is possible with WordPress.

While there are some free real estate themes available, the quality and functionality of most premium themes is far better and prices are very reasonable. In this post we’ll showcase 25 of the best professional real estate themes for WordPress.

AgentPress ($59.95 at StudioPress)

ElegantEstate (Membership to ElegantThemes is $39/year)

deCasa (39 € at ThemeShift)

deCondo (39 € at ThemeShift)

Real Estate ($89.95 from Templatic)

Realtor Press ($79 at Mojo Themes)

Meadow Ridge, a Genesis Child Theme ($50 at Theme Garden)

Estate ($200 at WooThemes)

Real Agent ($79.95 at Gorilla Themes)

Residence ($79.95 at Gorilla Themes)

Broker ($79.95 at Gorilla Themes)

Open House ($79.95 at Gorilla Themes)

Bel Air ($69.95 at Gorilla Themes)

OpenHouse ($35 at ThemeForest)

WP Pro Real Estate ($30 at ThemeForest)

WP Pro Real Estate 2 ($35 at ThemeForest)

Real Estate Theme ($25 at ThemeForest)

Elegant Real Estate ($30 at ThemeForest)

QuickStart Real Estate ($30 at ThemeForest)

Real Estate Gold ($30 at ThemeForest)

OurHome ($25 at ThemeForest)

Realist ($25 at ThemeForest)

ModernRealtor ($30 at ThemeForest)

Homeowner ($79.95 at Gorilla Themes)

Prime Real Estate ($32 at Mojo Themes)

For more WordPress resources please see:

45 Brilliant Still Life Photography

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

Still life photography is an demanding art.It is an collection of random objects and arrange them in such a way i.e it create an image of illusion.This one in which the photographers are expected to work in refined sense of light and some compositional skills.The most difficult part is to select a proper object and place for pictures and then adjust the light.Here in my showcase i have collect some amazing still life photography for inspiration and i hope you enjoy it.

Memories

About Jug And Rowan

Autumn

Bar...

Cesarean

Contrasts

Dark And Light

Draw Of Wine

Dying For You

Face To Face

Flowers

Glassic

Grapes And Nectarines

I Can't Reach

Its My Beauty

Leaf

Lilly's Old Boots

Little Blue Room

Moments Of Rest

Nectarines

Nice View Of Flower

Orchid

Pear In A Bowl

Save Me

Specimen

Splash

Still Life With Tulips

Still Young

Sunflower

Sweet Chestnut

Syrup

The Guest

The Peaceful Chamber

The Wall

Waterdrop On A Kiwi

Zipper

Creative Artistic Glamour Still Life

Creative Still Life Photography

Still Life ,,,

Still Life Nuts and Seeds

Fruit Mashup?

Still Life Surrealistic Image

Still Life: Red

Creative Life

Still Life

Announcement: OSTraining.com Joomla Training Classes Winners

Posted on January 29, 2011 by admin

OSTraining, a provider of excellent online training for open source projects such as Joomla, Drupal and WordPress, offered to give five lucky Six Revisions readers 6 months access to their Joomla training classes and support. Read on to learn who the winners are.

The Winners

Congratulations to the winners! You should have already been contacted via email regarding your prize.

Results of SQL query that selected 5 comments randomly.

About OSTraining

OSTraining (short for Open Source Training) are trainers who help people learn Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. They have over 25 teachers who have taught 100s of live classes all over North America and the UK. Check out their blog where they often provide tutorials on WordPress, Drupal and Joomla as well as follow them on Twitter @ostraining.

About the Author

Jacob Gube is the Founder and Chief Editor of Six Revisions. He’s also a web developer/designer who specializes in front-end development (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) and also a book author. If you’d like to connect with him, head on over to the contact page and follow him on Twitter: @sixrevisions.

How to Take Great Photos With Whatever Camera You Got

Posted on January 28, 2011 by admin

Do you want to start taking photography more seriously? Do you want to understand the basic concepts behind your camera’s settings and take photos that you will come to treasure in the years to come? Whether you’ve got a simple point-and-shoot camera or the latest DSLR, How to Take Great Photos With Whatever Camera You Got by Rockable Press will give you all the down-to-earth advice that you will need to take the best photos possible with whatever gear that you have. This book covers several topics including light, composition, exposure and aperture, and will even explain how to shoot photos similar in quality to what you see in magazines or television. Today, we have decided to share the first chapter of this book; It’s Not the Hammer, It’s the Carpenter for you all to enjoy.

Preface

Look at this shot and remember it. I won’t talk about it again until the end of the book. (No, don’t peek.)

Almost everyone these days has a digital camera but what makes one person’s photographs more interesting than the next? In this book we will show you many ingredients that you can add to your photos to make them stand out and make them into photographs rather than snapshots.

We’ll cover the different types of cameras, composition, lighting, the basics of exposure and then move on to finishing and the display of your images in a more professional manner.

Most of the images included in this book have the lens focal length, the ISO, shutter speed and aperture included in the image to try to help show the effect that all these parameters may have on an image. They are not there as a guide on how you should shoot, but to show what effects they may have.

Fig 0-1. image information: 1. focal length, 2. ISO, 3. shutter speed, 4. aperture.

This book is for everyone, whether you are just starting out with your first point-and-shoot or have had a better consumer camera for a while but just can’t get “that” look of photos you see in magazines or online.

As a professional photographer that has taught many photographers both amateur and professional, I know sometimes we get caught up in “tech speak” which becomes meaningless to people just starting out. So in this book, we will explain it in plain English so that everyone is able to understand, learn and get the most out of any camera they may have.

It’s Not the Hammer, It’s the Carpenter

A popular joke among photographers is: “Wow, that’s a great photo, you must have a nice camera.” The funniest part of that is a lot of people believe that it’s true. People look at my camera, a high-end professional model, and say, “That must take great pictures” I always say, no it doesn’t take any pictures at all, I do. And that’s the truth. Cameras are a tool and just like the hammer in the title, without someone knowing how to swing it, it really doesn’t do very much.

The photographer is the biggest difference in how an image looks. More megapixels or better lenses can not compensate for talent. A lesser camera in the hands of someone that has the eye and the vision will far exceed the results of someone with the best and most expensive camera but who can’t understand what makes an image.

But let’s discuss what different types of cameras there are and what makes one a consumer camera and another a professional one. There are some features that in the right hands can make a difference but it’s not what you might think.

Point & Shoot Cameras

The name itself “Point & Shoot” kind of tells the story — just point and shoot the picture without any thought or knowledge, but is that the whole story? Back in the good old days of film (that’s the smelly plastic stuff that came in rolls), consumer cameras were very limited. They had very small negatives and weren’t capable of producing much more than a 4″× 6″ print. But the digital point and-shoot cameras of today are much different. It’s hard to find one that doesn’t have at least 10 megapixels, which mean they can easily be made into 12″× 18″ wall prints. Some have very good lenses made by such top names in optics like Zeiss and Leica. They have modes besides full auto that allow you to take control. Those different modes and settings can be used to make various artistic decisions that we will learn about later in this book.

They do have some limitations. They have smaller digital sensors than DSLRs (or Digital Single Lens Reflex — a type of camera we’ll learn more about in just a minute) and that can lead to some picture quality differences between say a point-and-shoot and a DSLR of the same megapixel rating. They tend to produce more noise in low light situations also. But one side effect that is actually a good thing is that smaller sensors are actually better at macro photography (close-up life-size images). The lenses on point-and-shoots are not interchangeable so you don’t have all the choices that a DSLR would have but most have a very usable zoom range.

Fig 1-1. a standard pointand- shoot digital camera.

Their flashes are smaller and less powerful, which limits how far from the camera the flash can effectively illuminate a subject. Because of their small size, point-and-shoots often have smaller batteries which means they often can’t operate as long without needing their batteries changed, or if integrated into the unit, recharged.

Now, I’ve told you of their limitations but that does not mean at all that they limit your creativity. That part is still largely up to you. In fact, their small size and compactness makes it easy to carry them around. You will find yourself happy that you had a camera with you when the time and place was just right to get that perfect shot — one you would have missed if all you had was a huge monstrosity of a camera which you decided to leave behind at home or in your car rather than drag it along with you.

Hybrids

The next step up from the pure point-and-shoot cameras are something of a hybrid. They still have the same sensors as a point-and-shoots, but may add interchangeable lenses or accessory lenses that slip over the fixed lens to extend the capabilities of the camera. They may also have a “hotshoe” that allows an external flash unit to be attached, again, to extend its capabilities. People who upgrade to these cameras often want the ease of use of a point-and-shoot with some extended capabilities but are afraid to make the leap up to DSLRs for fear they may be too difficult or complicated to understand (don’t worry, they are not).

Fig 1-2. a hybrid (sometimes called prosumer) camera.

DSLRs

From there we get into consumer DSLRs. A single lens reflex has a series of mirrors and prisms between the viewfinder and lens that allow you to see through the lens as you look into the viewfinder. This allows you to shoot what you see instead of just an approximation.

DSLRs open up a lot of opportunities and options for photographers. In the first place, they have larger sensors, which help capture images that have better clarity and lower noise, and they have better low light capabilities. Then there is the biggest advantage of DSLRs, the ability to change lenses. All the top manufacturers have literally tens to hundreds of different, high quality lenses to choose from: everything from normal lenses, to wide angles, to telephotos. This allows you to have the right lens for any situation.

Fig 1-3. a hotshoe. A hot shoe is a slip-in interface or “shoe” into which you would slide an external flash unit. The “hot” part means that it triggers and sends information to.

DSLRs are larger and able to carry larger batteries, and so can shoot more pictures before needing a charge or change of batteries. They have hot shoes and offer many different choices for auxiliary flash units. There are a multitude of accessories available, everything from remote controls to devices to have a flash off the camera or even to have multiple flashes all fire at once.

One major difference you will find when you move up to a DSLR is the amount of lag time between when you press the button and when the shutter opens. In point-and-shoot cameras there is always a lag which leads to a lot of missed shots. DSLRs, on the other hand, are for all practical purposes instantaneous. If you shoot a lot of sports or action shots a DSLR will make a big difference here.

DSLRs also have the ability to shoot multiple frames per second (FPS), usually between two and five. Again, this is great for shooting action subjects, sports and wildlife, because the camera is able to capture distinct moments of fast-moving scenes — scenes for which we may not be able to press the button at exactly the right time to be able to capture them.

Professional DSLRs

Professional DSLRs may not be everything you think. Yes, they are the best quality, but that may not always translate into superior photographs. In a lot of cases, pro DSLRs share the same sensors and features with some of the higher end consumer DSLRs. Sometimes pro cameras even have fewer features and instead focus on quality of materials and build.

Fig 1-4. DLSRs feature high-quality, interchangeable lenses.

Professional cameras are not only built for the ultimate in image quality but they are also built to withstand the rigors of professional use. The bodies are often magnesium or other high strength, low weight alloys instead of plastic. The bodies and lenses are many times weather sealed for use in all types of conditions. Whereas many consumer shutters are built to hold up for 10,000 clicks in their life, professional shutters are built to last for 100,000 clicks or more before needing replacement.

The lenses that professionals buy are also of a much higher quality and that does lead to improved image quality. But the good news about that is that many of those high end professional lenses will also fit the lower end consumer DSLRs.

In the hands of a knowledgeable professional, these cameras are the ultimate. But if someone doesn’t know an f-stop from a bus stop… these cameras are no better than a point-and-shoot and really make… bad hammers.

Chapter 2: Stop Taking Snapshots, Start Taking Photographs

If you enjoyed Chapter 1, please consider purchasing the rest of this eBook from the Tuts+ Marketplace. Chapter 2: Stop Taking Snapshots, Start Taking Photographs will describe the difference between a snapshot and a photograph and will then discuss the different types of Photography including portrait, landscape, travel, photojournalistic, and still life.

10 Tips for Providing Great Customer Service to Your Clients

Posted on January 28, 2011 by admin

The way your customers feel towards you is important. The more you show you care about them, the more they’ll likely want to continue working with you. With that in mind, providing good customer service to your clients should naturally be a major priority in your day-to-day schedule. This article lists tips and suggestions for ensuring that you’re treating your clients well.

1. Respond to Clients as Soon as Possible

Speed is everything, especially when a client is requesting something that’s time-sensitive. Try to reply to your clients as soon as you can. Procrastinating on a response to a client’s email, phone call or voicemail doesn’t help anyone; you’re going to have to reply eventually, so why not do it as soon as possible? Avoid that "mark as unread" button in your email client.

Even if you can’t work on the task they’re requesting you to accomplish right away, at least let them know you got their request and then supply them with a timeline of when you’re able to get the task completed. If you can’t find the time to perform the task, it will be considerate of you to let them know as soon as possible so that they can make alternative arrangements.

2. Keep Clients Updated

Feeling like you’re lost and that you don’t know what’s going on is one of the worst situations you can be in when you hire someone. Even if you don’t have anything major to report, you can still let your employer know what you’re working on and how things are progressing. Are you on track on milestones? Did you find something that might become an issue later on? Status updates give clients reinforcements that they’re involved in the project.

If you’re experiencing trouble with something, let them know right away. It shows that you’re keeping them in the loop and that you have things under control. If it’s something major, communicating your concern right away allows clients to plan for possible delays in the project’s completion.

3. Go the Extra Mile

If a client asks for you to do something that truly won’t cost you a lot in time and income, you have the option of going the extra mile and doing it for them. Not only will this result in an indebted and happy client, it can also go a long way in terms of keeping yourself in their radar for future projects.

4. Fix Your Mistakes

If you did something that didn’t end up working, you should repair it. A quick way to lose a client forever is not admitting that you are at fault and not fixing your own mistakes. You should always strive for a high-quality output; it shows that you have a high level of standards in your craftsmanship.

Not taking responsibility of your own blunders is a sure-fire way of gaining a bad business reputation. Transparency is important in any business; service work is no different.

5. Listen to Your Clients

It’s important to listen to what your clients are communicating to you. Like, really listen. Understand what they are saying and ask for clarifications on things that might be ambiguous. Clients might be unfamiliar with certain terminologies in our profession, and what you think they mean might be different to what they actually mean. For example, they might be saying "pop-up window," which we know to be annoying HTML browser windows opened using JavaScript, but what they really want is a modal window (often called a Lightbox window).

Listen to what their needs are, and then offer your suggestion on the best way to go about fulfilling their needs.

6. Keep Your Promises

If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. It’s part of being a professional. If you need more time on something, you should let them know as soon as possible, not after you’ve already missed the deadline. Honoring your commitments is very important.

7. Don’t Confuse Clients with Jargon

Try to explain whatever the problem is as best as you can without making the client feel stupid. When proposing a solution, make sure you state it in terms they understand. You could use analogies that are relevant to them. Read more about how to talk to clients effectively as well as how to get your ideas across to clients.

8. Be Patient

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve exhausted my patience on my clients. But I’ve never actually showed them my agitation. If you feel like the client is overstepping their boundaries, let them know in a cordial and professional manner. You just don’t want to start yelling and cursing at the people you make a living off of. Maintain professionalism at all times.

9. Know Everything You Need to Know

You are a paid expert. Someone is giving you their hard-earned money to do something they believe you have a high level of mastery of. You need to keep yourself up-to-date with the profession and always be ready to answer questions your client needs to know. If you exhibit signs that you don’t know your craft inside out, you risk the chance of ruining your professional reputation.

10. Put Yourself in Their Shoes

If you were in their shoes and were being treated the way you’re treating them, would you enjoy that experience? If so, you’re doing a good job. If not, you probably want to get a little better. It’s important to constantly evaluate the way you communicate with others. Our profession is heavily reliant on communication skills.

About the Author

Raphael Caixeta is a PHP and iOS developer and co-founder of Grip’d. He likes to blog about web and iOS development at raphaelcaixeta.com. If you’d like to connect with him, you can follow him on Twitter @raphaelcaixeta and add him on Facebook (raphaelcaixeta).