On each monthly CD, you will find a folder named "How_to." In it are special files intended to provide you a convenient starting point for performing step-by-step instructions listed in Idea Starters and various How-to features presented in Concepts & Designs magazine.
The results you achieve should be similar to those shown in the magazine. But because colors can vary widely depending on the calibration of your monitor, you should not expect your results to be precisely identical. Also, the files you will use are of lower resolution than those depicted in the magazine, and you may be manipulating these files in different software versions; these factors are further explained below.
File identification
The naming of these "starting point" tutorial files is straightforward. For example:
01CD1000.psd
01 = file number
CD = Concepts & Designs
10 = month
00 = year
.psd = Photoshop document
.eps = Illustrator document
.qxd = QuarkXPress document
In the magazine, these tutorial files are identified by a 7-point Futura line running vertically to the left of each image (whereas other files of noncurrent art or photos are identified by a 5.5-point Futura line placed beneath the image or by a cutline if the image is not shown).
File resolutions
Because tutorial files are intended to allow you to repeat start-to-finish software instructions and are for educational purposes only, they will necessarily be offered in lower resolutions, occasionally 170 dpi but most often 72 dpi. These tutorial files come in addition to your regular monthly selection of high-resolution, high-quality images. They were created for use on your computer screen only.
Software requirements
Tutorial files offer the best results when you use the following software versions: Photoshop 5.5, Illustrator 8.0.1, and QuarkXPress 4.04.
How to use the files
To perform the start-to-finish instructions, locate the How_to folder on your CD, open it, then open the appropriate tutorial file. If the tutorial file has supporting documents, you will need to open them as well. Supporting documents will not be shown in the magazine but are included in the How_to folder. They will be named like this:
01CDA.esp
01CDB.psd
01 = file number
A = supporting document identification
B = supporting document identification
Questions or difficulties
If you have questions about any tutorial exercise or encounter difficulty performing the instructions, please e-mail: keyes@dgusa.com.
Send us your comments, suggestions and requests
We welcome any communication aimed at helping us better serve subscribers like you who work in widely diversified fields, who have different or unusual job requirements, and whose experience levels range all the way from "just beginning" to "veteran software expert."
Please e-mail your comments, suggestions, or requests for specific tutorial exercises to: sutton@dgusa.com.