When MAC users create files on their computer, invisible metadata files are created by the operating system. (mac users can't see these and their functionality is required on the mac)
There are two types of files created, a folder metadata file called .DS_store and individual metadata files for every file created carrying the same file name but starting with ._ (so a folder containg 6 files will have 7 metadata files).
When such files and folders are created and shared with PC users, these files unfortunately are no longer invisible. The PC operating system is not programmed to hide them the way the MAC does.
And MAC users can't avoid the creation or inclusion of these irksome little meta files.
Conveniently though, all those metadata files are grouped into their own separate folder called _MACOSX. With the exception of the .DS_store file which will show up in both the metadata folder and the real folder that has the download content.
I've provided some screenshots to show you what to look for, and what to avoid:
As you can see, if you've no idea what you are looking at, it could be very confusing!
As an added note... if you use any sort of automated file opening sequence on a folder like this, your program is likely to select the metadata folder simply because it comes first in the list within the zip.
If that happens you'll have to manually go back to the folder to select the right files to open, because the meta files are not actual files you can use, they only contain a thumbnail image of the real file.
Alternatively, if you only ever use a PC, you can simply delete all of the meta files to get them permanently out of your way. It does no harm to delete them and only causes small inconveniences if later opened on a MAC.
When I first started learning computer based illustration and graphic design, you had to pay thousands of dollars for the software. And I only remember knowing of two possible choices... Corel and Adobe.
These days, anyone can be a graphic designer, with the tools and resources to do so more accessible now than ever before. And every year it seems like a raft of new choices crop up. It's quite amazing.
In fact, there are so many design software choices it can be super overwhelming to figure out which one to start with, or which one has the tools you need.
Since a lot of my customers are looking for affordable and simple options, I've made a list of my favorite choices that I would use if I didn't have Photoshop or Illustrator and had a simple project to work on.
These are listed in random order, I haven't tested each so thoroughly that I can rank which one is 'best' - and besides,'best' is a bit subjective depending on your project and skill set.
Also note that these are selected based on desktop computing, although some of these will work well on a tablet. (these are full programs and not apps)
PHOTOPEA
I recommend this one because it's actually compatible with Photoshop files (among others) and looks and feels a lot like Photoshop when you are using it. It doesn't have ALL the features that Photoshop has (obviously) but it's great for creating basic design layouts with lots of drawing tool options.
It's also a web based software, so it's accessible on any device, anywhere.
PIXLR
This is another online editor, also a lot like Photoshop in how it looks and feels. Recently revamped there are now two options; Pixlr X and Pixlr E.
Pixlr X is super basic and only has very limited editing options. Great for projects where you are just adding a text overlay, cropping or making photo adjustments. Pixlr E is the advanced option that mimics Photoshop and has a robust selection of design and drawing tools.
While it will open photoshop files, it doesn't seem to be able to handle larger sized files very well and doesn't keep layers organized in folders, so complex files end up very messy.
GIMP
I hesitate to call this a favorite (it's not), but it's been a few years since I last tried it and I'm adding it to the list because it is a popular free software with advanced editing capabilities. It is very similar to how Photoshop works and has all the tools you could need for either drawing or graphic design. This is a downloadable software.
Beginners will likely find it rather overwhelming as it does have a steep learning curve and isn't particularly intuitive. Luckily there are loads of helpful tutorials available as Gimp has been around for quite some time now.
While it will open Photoshop files it doesn't support all features so some files may not function properly.
SUMOPAINT
Another simple and easy to use software. It has a nice selection of tools for beginners and a friendly navigation.
This is not one that I have personally tested, but it comes highly rated for what it is and is the most likely candidate for me to recommend as a beginners graphic design tool with an easy learning curve.
It is only compatible with image files such as jpg and png and has a more limited selection of tools than some of the more advanced software options but otherwise a perfect option for the occasional project.
INKSCAPE
This downloadable software is a vector graphics editor and a comparable substitute for Illustrator. It opens both Illustrator and Corel Draw vector files with full functionality intact.
It has a very steep learning curve but plenty of tutorials can be found online to get you started.
It's a great option for anyone looking to learn vector drawing or wants to edit an Illustrator file.
While you can use it for graphic design projects I don't really recommend it for beginners unless you're prepared to spend some time upfront learning.
CANVA
This
design program is a closed system editor. What that means is, you can't
create and save files the same way as regular software programs. Files
'in progress' can only be saved inside Canva and you can only download
finished projects in flattened form such as PDF, PNG or JPG.
Designers offering Canva templates therefore will always label their products specifically as Canva templates. If a designer (like me) does not mention Canva in the product details... a Canva specific template is not included.
However, Canva is still a very useful design tool and my PNG format files can be used here with a little creativity. Canva is very user friendly and reasonably quick to learn.
VECTORNATOR
I haven't used this one, but it
looks comprehensive as a vector based program. It's free to download and also available as a mobile app. It
looks to be built for pro designers so there should be good support and
tutorials. An excellent option if you plan to do a lot of designing on
the go.
For Mac users only there is Pages. This is Apple's version of Word + Powerpoint combined making it a versatile editor capable of reasonably sophisticated graphic design, depending what you are looking to do. Usually included with all Mac devices it is available for free in the app store.
Now and again you might find yourself needing to grab a screenshot from your computer, whether it's because of a tech issue you need help with or something you just need to share.
Luckily both PC and Mac come with built in tools to assist and make this a super easy and quick task.
Let's start with the PC. There are actually quite a few different ways to accomplish a screenshot on a PC, but by far the easiest, imo, is the following method.
To create and save the screenshot, just tap the Windows key + Print Screen key at the same time. The screenshot will then be saved to your Pictures > Screenshots folder.
And it's just as easy as that. Should you really not want to share the entire picture you just snapped, you can quickly crop out the parts you want to hide, or you can use one of the tools or methods listed in this handy article that covers all the ways to screen grab.
Here's a keyboard pic showing where the Windows and Print Screen keys are:
So let's cover the Mac desktop now. My favorite tool that I use all.the.time is the Screenshot application. You'll find this in Finder > Applications > Utilities. I drag it to the dock so it's always handy because I use it so often.
Just click the program to open it, then position and size the box you get on your screen to fit what you're capturing and click 'Capture'. The image will then be automatically saved to your desktop.
Mac also has a few other methods to do a screenshot such as keyboard shortcuts, but I much prefer the tool and find it faster and easier to use.
Need help with screenshots on other devices? Find all the other instructions here from CNET.
I use RTF files for delivering download links on my digital products whenever I can't upload the actual files directly. It's a helpful alternative that's commonplace practice in the digital realm, although different sellers may use different types of documents to do the same thing.
So what exactly is an RTF file?
Basically it is just a simplified document file, a sort of up-scaled version of the TXT file. What makes it useful is that it is a universal document type that can be opened in a wide variety of word processing software on either PC, Mac or Linux. It means the file is easily shareable to absolutely anyone.
I like using it for that very reason, but it's also super quick for me to make and save the file too. As an added security bonus, RTF files cannot transmit viruses or malware (unlike word or pdf docs). So it's a super safe file type to use when sharing really simple data.
How do you open an RTF file?
The first thing you should try is to just double-click (or tap on mobile) to open the RTF file directly.
You likely have an app already built-in or installed on your system for opening RTF files. To start with, if you’ve got any word processing app installed—Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, AbiWord, for example—you can open an RTF file with it.
Most file services—like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive; will have built in viewers that let you at least read an RTF file, while Google Docs also lets you edit RTF files.
And most operating systems will have a built-in editor that can open RTF files. In Windows, that would be WordPad and in Mac it's TextEdit or Apple Pages.
If you prefer that an RTF file opens with a different app than the one currently set as your default program you can easily change that to your preferred app. On Windows or Mac, just right-click the file and you’ll see an “Open With” command or something similar for choosing the app you want to use. Change your default app for RTF files by selecting the “always use this app to open .rtf files” option.
And that's all there is to it. Simple and easy peasy. :)
When you purchase art work online, whether for your website or blog, a digital craft project or to print out and use as a physical product it is handy to know and understand the file types that are being offered with your purchase.
SVG - there is a lot more to this file type than I will describe here, but the basics are that this image file is scalable, meaning you can resize up or down without any quality loss. This is a popular file type for use with cutting machines like Cricut or Silhouette and compatible with all cutting machine brands.
DXF - this is a type of AutoCAD file and typically presents as a simple outline of a graphic. this is now commonly used by cutting machine users wanting to edit and personalize graphics in their cutting machine software.
When you purchase a computer there will already be a selection of fonts installed on that machine. However, while these included fonts are always tried and tested classics you may eventually have the need for something with a bit more flair.
Installing new fonts to your computer is super easy and something that you needn’t be daunted by.
Here are the steps for PC Desktop and Laptops:
- first download your new font file folder, this will most likely be a zip file
- unzip the font folder
- right click on the font file and select install
- that’s it, all done
- same as above, download and unzip the font folder
- double click the font file and press install
- done
Font files can come in 2 formats: .OTF (open type) or .TTF (true type) So what are the differences?
It’s all about what kind of extra detail is included within the design of the font and the explanation gets a bit complicated, so as a beginner all you really need to know is that both file types work on either Mac or PC, and regardless of which format you’re given, it will work on your machine.
Different fonts you download will have one or the other file type in the folder and sometimes you will receive both options together. OTF files usually come with extra or alternate lettering options (something you might choose to learn about later) so otherwise just stick to the TTF file when there's a choice. But know that either way, you’ll be fine!
Another thing to look out for and know... some purchased fonts will come with a choice of ‘desktop’ fonts and ‘web’ fonts. Always install the desktop font file. The web font version is specifically for web designers.
Have errors during installation? Ensure you are clicking on the extracted font file (not the still zipped up folder file) or that you have administrator privileges on your machine.
Font terms of use: as with any artwork you download from the internet, fonts will have terms of use associated with them. Many free fonts are for personal use only. Some will allow commercial use with a donation and many fonts require the purchase of the font if you wish to use it commercially.
Always respect the creator's terms of use. Artists work hard to earn a living and their generosity should not be taken advantage of. Plus you might get into trouble later.
WHERE TO FIND FREE FONTS
DaFont - this popular site has a big collection of fonts and while a good many are for personal use only you can find some that allow commercial use
1001FreeFonts - a site very similar to above, both sharing a lot of the same fonts
FontSquirrel - a site that offers links to free fonts, all of which are available for commercial use
PremiumFreeFonts - the free section offered by FontBundles.net has an ever-changing selection of free fonts with a commercial use license, it's worthwhile to sign up for their newsletter as you will grow your font collection in no time at all
TheHungryJPEG - a site with way more than just fonts, they have a free section and weekly freebies include many fabulous fonts, all with a commercial use license
Creative Market - this site is a designers marketplace and they offer up free resources every week with at least 1 or 2 fonts each week, again with a commercial use license
Do you have another favorite place to source free fonts? Share in the comments!