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Without naming Huawei, the EU warns on state-backed 5G suppliers. View the full article

A new dropper and payload show that Fin7 isn't going anywhere despite a crackdown on the infamous group by law enforcement in 2018. View the full article

There's not long to go now until Google's New York hardware event on October 15. And while the search giant is expected to reveal a raft of devices, it's the tech giant's new Chromebook, the Pixelbook Go, that's attracting attention right now, thanks to a extensive selection of photos that have been leaked ahead of the product's launch. The device is already being referred to as 'Google's MacBook', but the photos reveal one unusual design feature that is a far cry from Apple's sleek aesthetic. (If you're in the market for a new laptop, take a look at our predictions for the best Black Friday MacBook deals.) The inside of the Google Pixelbook Go looks rather similar to its Apple competitor (and with it being rumoured that Apple is ditching its tricksy butterfly keyboards, perhaps the two are set to become even more alike). However, flip the machine over and you'll find a ribbed surface on the underside. This is included to ensure the Pixelbook Go doesn't slip around, and it's definitely a... unique look for a laptop. In the leaked snaps, it's pink – which we sincerely hope is just to match the colour of the rest of the laptop. 9to5Google, the news hub that leaked the images thanks to early, exclusive hands-on access, compares it to "the roof of a dog's mouth". Just what you want from a laptop. It might be genius, or it might be horrible, we're not sure yet. If you're not convinced, take a look at our guide to the best MacBook Pro alternatives for some other options. Could the Pixelbook Go come with a unique ribbed finish? So, weird ribbed base aside, how might this compare to the best laptops for graphic design? The Pixelbook Go boasts a 13.3-inch 16:9 screen in either 1080p or 4K resolution, and two USB-C ports. It also has options for an Intel Core m3, i5 and i7 processors. In terms of power, it comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 2566GB of storage. A 2-megapixel front-facing camera, headphone jack and Titan C security chip are also supplied as standard. Check out those speakers Of course, considering that this is just a prototype, things could change. Although we hope the two front-firing speakers, which run parallel to the length of the keyboard, stay in the final release as they sound superior to those in the 2016 MacBook. Take a look at all of 9to5Google's exclusive images by heading over to its gallery. Here you'll also find a video review which gives you a good look at what to expect from the Pixelbook Go. No price has been revealed yet, but we expect this will be confirmed at the upcoming hardware event. Want to pick up an existing Google Pixelbook? You're in luck! We've rounded up the best deals available right now: Related articles: The best Google products for home, work and play The best laptop stands in 2019 The most powerful laptops in 2019 View the full article

Traditionally, if you wanted to become a professional graphic designer, you needed a university degree on your CV. However, attending university is a huge investment – in terms of both time and money. Thankfully, in recent years new options have opened up, which mean those with passion and creative flair can snag a graphic design job without needing to attend university. For example, there are plenty of online resources for self-teaching, as well as ways to immerse yourself in the design industry and start learning from the pros. If you want to formalise your knowledge with a qualification, it's well worth looking into a short course such as those offered by Shillington. In this article we'll explore some of these alternative routes in more detail. Increasingly, employers are recognising that a university qualification isn't the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to hiring the talent with the most potential. Read on for three ways to arm yourself with the skills and knowledge you need to launch your design career, without spending tens of thousands of pounds (and three or more years of your life) on a university course. 01. Skill up with online tutorials There's an absolute gold mine of information available online nowadays if you know where to look. For practical skills, such as how to use industry software, online tutorials are the place to start. There's plenty of great quality content available for free, too – Creative Bloq has roundups of the best Photoshop tutorials and Illustrator tutorials to get you pointed in the right direction. Many of these guides come with a screencast to follow along, and help you make sense of things. If you find you've hit a wall using free content, consider exploring an online course. Providers such as Pluralsight, Udemy, Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning all offer structured online design courses. Some content will be free, some is paid. It's a good middle-ground between totally unstructured learning and a formal course, and is especially good for plugging specific gaps in knowledge. 02. Build up your portfolio Before you secure your first job, you're going to need a build up your design portfolio so your potential employer can get a taste of your skills. It seems like a vicious cycle – until you have clients, you won't have anything to put in your portfolio, but without a portfolio you won't secure any clients, right? Wrong. There are some things you can do to start creating a book that will show off your skills. First, treat your portfolio like your first branding project, and start building a strong commercial identity as a designer. Your personal brand will include everything from brand colours, to fonts, tone of voice and a logo. As with any branding project, your chosen scheme will flow through everything you create, from your portfolio to any self-promo collateral and cover letters you send out. Second, consider doing some small projects for friends or good causes. While we don't condone working for free in most cases, while you're still learning this can be a win-win – just make sure you're not being taken advantage of. For more tips, take a look at Creative Bloq's guide to building a portfolio from scratch, or if you've already got started, take a look at Shillington's expert tips to improve your graphic design portfolio. 03. Enrol in a design short-course Self-learning is all well and good, but the down-sides here are that this approach requires a heavy dose of self-discipline, and you're not going to end up with any kind of qualification at the end of it. For a qualification that employers will recognise, try a short course such as those offered by Shillington, a graphic design school with campuses in New York, London, Manchester, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Rather than the three or four years you need to complete a traditional university degree, Shillington's courses involve just three months of intensive study – or nine months if you have other commitments and want to go part-time. The courses are suitable for individuals with no prior design experience who want to kick-start their career, but are also very popular with those who had already studied at university, or dipped their toes in the design industry. Shillington offers a mix of different learning styles What would you be signing up for? Well, the courses are fast paced and high-energy, with the potential to totally transform your career. Experienced teachers cover everything you need to enter the industry, including design theory and technical skills, as well as that all-important design portfolio with which to impress potential employers. One benefit over other self-teaching approaches is that the learning styles are varied – there's a mix of punchy lectures, demonstrations, discussions and group workshops, to help you learn and put your skills into practice. Read more about the Shillington course here. 04. Get involved in the industry It's never too soon to start immersing yourself in the design industry. This is a great way to get a feel for the design world, soak up knowledge and make valuable connections. To start with, you want to be reading design blogs and magazines for inspiration and insights into the latest big projects. There's also plenty you can learn from the case studies on agencies' websites. Even better, start attending design events. Many cities have their own meetups for designers, and there's a rich calendar of design festivals to choose from. While these can be a little pricey, you can be sure you'll be getting a healthy dose of inspiration, networking opportunities, and practical advice all rolled into one. Finally, those a little further along in their learning should consider joining a design organisation (see Creative Bloq's guide here), many of which offer resources, events and networking opportunities to junior creatives. View the full article

A campaign first observed last year has ramped up its attack methods and appears to be linked to activity targeting President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. View the full article

We all have that long list of things we’d like to improve on or achieve, but sometimes life gets in the way. As creatives, it's never too late to continue learning and get started on your personal and professional objectives. And now you can brush up on the design skills you’ve wanted to refine with The Ultimate Adobe CC Training Bundle, now 98% off. With over 40 hours of content and more than 600 tutorials, this Adobe CC Training Bundle is the perfect way to get more out of the programs you already use (or are interested in using). Take a look at the best Adobe Creative Cloud deals right now The 12-course training bundle is geared toward various levels of experience, so no matter where your degree of expertise lies, you're likely to get something out of it. Master your skills in Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Animate, and so much more. There's even a course dedicated to the ins and outs of the art of web design through Adobe XD, taking you through the building blocks behind creating a responsive, user-friendly website. With tutorials to help you build your design portfolio, this popular bundle is available 24/7, allowing you to come back and visit when you need to reference a specific tool or need a spark of inspiration for your latest project. Explore the tool panels in each program and get exposed to real-life exercises that test your understanding of the content. Great for work and play, this is a gem for both the budding and seasoned creative. While lifetime access usually sells for $2,400, The Ultimate Adobe CC Training Bundle is currently price-dropped (for a limited time only) to $39 - that's a savings of 98% off. It's a great way to elevate the design artistry you already possess or start up a new career in the digital arts. Related articles: A game-changing update is coming to Adobe XD 13 best Adobe Illustrator plugins 2019 Adobe Fresco is available to download on iPad! View the full article

The predictions of renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo are often bang on the money, and if his latest report is to be believed, the tech company's troublesome butterfly keyboard will be replaced by a traditional scissor-switch mechanism in future MacBook releases. This will be a welcome update for Mac users who are currently infuriated by the laptop's butterfly keyboard setup. It's a flaw that holds back Apple's machines, even though they consistently make our list of the best laptops for graphic design. For those unfamiliar with the difference, the mechanism for the butterfly keyboard is thinner than the traditional scissor mechanism found on other devices (and looks more like a pair of butterfly wings than an overlapping pair of scissor blades). But while it moves less, a butterfly keyboard is prone to jamming. It's also louder, which isn't something you want if you're working in a quiet studio. After a non-Apple alternative? We've got you covered with our guide to the best keyboards for designers currently available right now. And if you don't mind about the keyboard and want an Apple product on the cheap, keep an eye on the upcoming Apple Black Friday deals. The best cheap Apple laptop deals in 2019 The decision to alter the keyboards would be Apple's latest admission that the butterfly mechanism just doesn't cut it. According to MacRumors, Apple has previously said: "We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard." News of the change also comes courtesy of MacRumors, where Kuo says that among other updates including a time-of-flight camera, future Macs "will also swap over to a scissor mechanism rather than a butterfly mechanism". The 16-inch MacBook Pro is expected to lead the way by adopting the scissor keyboard first. If you've got your fingers crossed that this will come to pass, you'll have to wait until the refreshed Apple MacBooks arrive in the second quarter of 2020. What's more, the rest of Apple's laptop lineup is due to follow suit throughout the year. Related articles: The best computer for graphic design in 2019 Apple's new MacBook Pro will come with a big screen and an even bigger price Samsung announces its answer to the MacBook Pro View the full article

Do You Know Who You Are? Well – do you? If not, there's only one place you should be heading, and that is Harry Styles' new website. Type your name in, and you'll get a personalised message from the 1D teenybopper heartthrob turned flamboyant soloist (or perhaps his marketing team). The message is rounded off with TPWK ('Treat people with kindness' – one of Styles' trademark phrases), Love H (Harry). You can see some of the Creative Bloq team's messages below. We think they're very accurate, although one of our freelancers got 'You're a bit needy, but it's OK', which he was less pleased with. He declined to screengrab. Visit the site yourself for your own personalised message, and find out a deep truth about yourself that you never knew. The site is entitled DYKWYA (Do You Know Who You Are? – HS sure loves an acronym), and speculation is raging amongst fans that it's a sign a new album is about to drop. It forms part of a wider campaign that began with some cryptic billboard advertising – a number of signs bearing the message 'Do You Know Who You Are? TPWK' began popping up. There was also this thought-provoking Tweet. So while we're partly writing this because it's Friday and it's a bit of fun, the campaign is actually pretty smart. The absence of overt branding, coupled with a drip-feed of cryptic information is a great promotional strategy that makes the most of the truly fanatical nature of Styles' fans. (Rosie would like to point out that she does not know enough about Harry Styles to say whether or not she's a fan. But that's probably because she's just so intellectual.) Read more: VW 'fixes' iconic Beatles album cover Life comes at you fast with these hilarious Spotify ads The surprising story behind the Joker logo View the full article

When it comes to UK design studios, there are many 'best of' lists, but there's only one that the industry really cares about. Every year, Computer Arts magazine publishes its UK studio rankings, selected by a panel of industry professionals on the basis of who’s doing the greatest work each year. Hitting the streets today, issue 298 of Computer Arts features profiles of all 30 winners of the 2019 rankings, and it's a must-read for anyone involved in the creative industries. With a special wraparound cover created by Superunion, this special issue focuses on the 30 best UK studios leading the way in 2019, reveals some of the projects that have earned them this honour, and digs into what makes them tick. Buy your copy of Computer Arts issue 298 And that's by no means all! Issue 298 of Computer Arts also contains a feature on what it takes to produce great packaging design for consumables, offering plenty of insight from the industry's leading practitioners. You'll also find a fascinating, in-depth interview with one of New York's finest graphic artists, Erik Jones, who chats about his recent exhibitions, his approach to his mixed- media work, and how he overcame his fear of heights to create his first mural on the side of a building. Save up to 70% on a subscription now! Elsewhere in the mag, you'll meet the creatives at Saffron who are, unusually, based around project, not location. Plus Design Bridge discuss its striking identity for the Financial Alliance for Women, and we learn how Found worked with whisky brand Ballantine’s to help launch three single malts. In our comment and analysis section, Steele & Stovell’s Bekki Stovell urges us to get soulful with our brand work, and we discuss &Walsh’s versatile new identity; whether long-term client relationships need a best-before date; and what's the best music to listen to when you're designing. All this, plus all the usual news features, reports, insights and visual inspiration from the creative industries adds up to a killer issue of Computer Arts, that you simply can't miss. Have a glance at what's inside below, and then grab your copy today. You can take a deep dive into each of the 30 studios in the 2019 UK Studio Rankings: Discover the secrets of packaging design: See the latest and greatest new work from around the globe: Meet New York artist Erik Jones: And learn about Saffron, which is structured in a somewhat unusual way We profile Saffron, which is structured in a somewhat unusual way Buy Computer Arts issue 298 or subscribe to Computer Arts magazine. Read more: Computer Arts studio rankings 2018 4 things you should NEVER do in a design studio A designer's guide to font licensing View the full article

After Apple launched two new iPad models in early 2019 – a new 10.5-inch iPad Air model and a fifth-generation iPad mini, both supporting Apple’s Pencil stylus. Add in the latest 10.2-inch iPad and there’s now a busy lineup of Apple tablets to choose from, at a range of sizes and price points. And don't forget, if you want to pick up a cheap Apple tablet, check out our guide to the best iPad Pro deals. For some illustrators, the iPad mini may be one of the more interesting additions to the family. It’s super portable – just 300g and 7.9 inches across. It’s small enough to fit into almost anything and take anywhere with you. Now that you can use Apple’s Pencil with it, this means you can combine a powerful digital tablet with a highly sensitive stylus. Check out your other drawing tablet options with our guide to the best drawing tablets. The best Apple Pencil deals of 2019 Combined with the brilliant range of drawing apps that are available for iOS – Procreate, ArtRage and SketchBook to name but three – and the iPad mini is clearly a unique creative product. The downside of this portability is, of course, a smaller screen area. Drawing on a larger tablet is a completely different experience, and perhaps better for more complicated work. And it’s worth highlighting that the new iPad mini only supports the first-generation Pencil, which is just as precise as the newer stylus, but lacks its magnetic wireless charging and double-tap action. (Note that the newest version of Apple’s stylus still only works with the latest iPad Pro.) When the new Photoshop launches for iOS, the iPad could become far more useful than merely a means of sketching on the go There’s zero compromise on performance, though. This latest version is the first iPad mini update in four years, upgrading its ageing Apple A8 processor with the powerful A12 Bionic CPU and coming with 3GB of RAM and either 64 or 256GB of on-board storage. Rest assured, the device will be more than capable of running even the most advanced illustration tools, and its high level of performance will no doubt be welcome when Adobe launches its reworked Photoshop for iOS later this year, which will bring the whole experience of drawing much closer to the desktop experience. That includes full support for layering and a cloud-based file system that will enable you to put the tablet down and then pick up wherever you left off on your PC or Mac. With its boost in processing power the iPad mini is more than capable of handling video-editing duties There have been a few other subtle changes, too. Although the iPad mini’s external design and bezel sizes remain unchanged since the very first model in 2012, and the screen has the same 2,048x1,536 and 326 PPI resolution as last time, it’s now fully laminated. This is better for working in sunlight, supporting Apple’s True Tone image-adjustment and P3 wide colour. Although the more powerful iPad Pro remains our first choice for illustration, it’s expensive. The iPad mini is significantly cheaper and a more portable device, but we realise that screen size is about personal preference, and what you think you’ll be using a tablet for. You could also consider the new 10.2-inch iPad. Certainly, for sketching duties while out and about, Apple’s latest mini is more than up to the task in hand. This article was originally published in ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe to ImagineFX. Read more: The best iPad apps for designers View the full article

It's that time again! After canvassing creative directors, studio founders and design course leaders from all across the UK, Computer Arts magazine is delighted to reveal the results of the sixth-annual UK Studio Rankings. You'll need to buy the latest issue (298, on sale today) of the magazine to get the full details of each studio and the work that led them to win. But here on Creative Bloq, we can reveal the positions each studio gained on 2019's list (compare it to the 2018 UK Studio Rankings here). The peer-judged UK Studio Rankings aren't about size, longevity or the number of other awards you've won; it's purely about the work you've done in the last 12 months. Being selected by your peers in this way is clearly, then, a huge honour, so read on to learn the studios that made this year's list... Buy your copy of Computer Arts issue 298 today 30. Sawdust Client work for Another Planet Entertainment Founded: 2006 Number of staff: 2 A new entry on our list, one of the biggest work highlights for Sawdust in 2019 was collaborating with Apple to pay homage to the Apollo 11 mission on its 50th anniversary. 29. Kellenberger-White Identity work for Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. Founded: 2009 Number of staff: 5 Another new entry to the UK Studio Rankings, recent projects for Kellenberger-White include identities for Goldsmiths CCA and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art; exhibition design for the V&A; and books for gallery Hauser & Wirth. 28. Rose Design Campaign work for Bletchley Park Founded: 1999 Number of staff: 6 full-time, 2 part-time Recently profiled in Computer Arts, Rose Design is a new entry on our list this year, just as it celebrates 20 years in business. "“We still get a buzz from solving problems for clients through creativity,” says owner Simon Elliott. 27. Droga5 Identity campaign for London's Coal Drops Yard Founded: 2016 Number of staff: 7 A further new entry to the UK Studio Rankings is Droga5, who this year launched a visual identity and campaign for Coal Drops Yard, as well as creating work for The Tide in Greenwich Peninsula. =25. OMSE Campaign work for Printworks Autumn/Winter 2019 Founded: 2016 Number of staff: 6 Joint 25th place this year goes to new entry OMSE; another highlight in the year it received a Campaign Awards Best-In-Show, for its Agenda 2020 Augmented Reality project. =25. Graphic Thought Facility Blink by Anna Fox Founded: 1990 Number of staff: 14 Sharing 25th place this year is Graphic Thought Facility, which this year had two projects at Milan Design, and also played a big role in the launch of London hotel The Standard. 24. dn&co Branding work created for The Royal Docks, London Founded: 2006 Number of staff: 25 2019 has seen new entry dn&co. working on projects of greater scale and visibility, including The Royal Docks identity and The V&A wayfinding project. 23. Turner Duckworth Turner Duckworth's visual identity work for creative organisation D&AD Founded: 1992 Number of staff: 110 Turner Duckworth is also a new entry on the UK Studio Rankings list for 2019, a year that saw the studio rebrand McDonald’s global visual identity. 22. Magpie Branding for Senser Spirits Founded: 2008 Number of staff: 11 Magpie has been doing some fine work in the hospitality sector this year, including the identity for Ryan Chetiyawardana's new Amsterdam bar, Super Lyan. 21. Studio Moross Poster for Parklife 2019 Founded: 2012 Number of staff: 10 Working on the world Tour for the reformed Spice Girls was a big highlight of 2019 for Kate Moross, director of new entry Studio Moross. 20. Here Design Identity for Get Up, Stand Up Now Founded: 2005 Number of staff: 37 Here Design has been busy throughout 2019 with projects including branding for The Fife Arms Hotel and the Get Up, Stand Up Now exhibition at Somerset House, 19. FIELD Motion work for distillery Alisa Bay Founded: 2009 Number of staff: 10 full time + freelancers in London, 2 full time + freelancers in Berlin Another new entry, FIELD is now celebrating its 10th anniversary, and its 2019 highlight was crafting the identity for IBM’s Think Conference. 18. Made Thought Campaign work for Editions de Parfums Founded: 2000 Number of staff: 40 Headline projects for Made Thought in 2019 have included work for Adidas StellaSport, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle and Fred Perry. 17. APFEL (A Practice for Everyday Life) Exhibition work for Eva Rothschild Founded: 2003 Number of staff: 6 APFEL has been commissioned to design two pavilion identities for the Venice Biennale this year, working with Leonor Antunes and Eva Rothschild. 16. Supple Studio Branding and packaging for Ubiety Founded: 2013 Number of staff: 6 Favourite projects by Supple Studio in 2019 have included a branded packaging range for Dorothy House Hospice Care, a brand and wayfinding system for the Minster Mill hotel, and its first project for the National Trust. 15. Office of Craig Oldham A spread from They Live for Rough Trade Books Founded: 2007 Number of staff: 2-4 In 2019, Office of Craig Oldham projects have including pilot initiatives for British Cycling with Ellen Ling, and working for the V&A with Hannah Warrick. 14. GBH identity for SailGP Founded: 1999 Number of staff: 20 New in at number 14, GBH (aka Gregory Bonner Hale) engaged new hotel and restaurant work throughout 2019, for clients including Mob Hotel in Paris, Stay KooooK in Bern, and Amor in Milan. 13. North Manchester International Festival 2019 branding Founded: 1995 Number of staff: 15 In 2019, North has won both new business in Australia, Thailand and South Korea, and plaudits for its work for Norway’s Munch Museum. 12. DixonBaxi Branding for Fox Sports Founded: 2001 Number of staff: 30 DixonBaxi has been doing a lot of digital-heavy brand work in 2019, for clients including Amazon, AT&T, BBC, IMAX and AC Milan. 11. Pentagram London Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition Founded: 1972 Number of staff: Medium Big projects for the UK office of Pentagram in 2019 have included work for John Lewis Partnership, London Fashion Week and Opera Ballet of Flandres in Belgium. 10. Accept & Proceed Accept & Proceed worked on Nike House of Innovation Founded: 2007 Number of staff: 24 A new entry into the top 10 this year, Accept & Proceed has won the admiration of its peers from across the design industry thanks to recent high-profile work for Nike and NASA. "Peer recognition is a wonderful thing," says executive creative director David Johnston. "We are very proud of our work over the past 13 years, and so very grateful to be seen for all we are delivering." 09. Universal Everything What is Universal Everything? is the studio’s own archiving project in book form Founded: 2004 Number of staff: 2 + 10 regular freelancers For an out-of-London studio to make the top 10 is a rare feat. But Sheffield-based Universal Everything has managed it in 2019, a year that included the release of its first monograph, published by Unit Editions and designed by fellow Top 10 agency Spin. "Being outside of London means we consider every collaborator, client and fan as a global connection," says founder Matt Pyke. "This has given us a global outlook from the start." 08. Taxi Studio Bottle design for Carlsberg Founded: 2002 Number of staff: 47 Following its global rebrand of Carlsberg, and being crowned Creative Pool Independent Agency of the Year, Bristol-based Taxi Studio has also managed to crack the London monopoly over the top 10. "The role of our design thinking, combined with our deep knowledge of brand, has never been more powerful," says co-founder Spencer Buck. 07. Spin Poster for Under The Silver Lake Founded: 1992 Number of staff: 6 With a dramatic rise of 17 places in this year’s UK Studio Rankings, it's been a great year for Spin, in which highlights have included working for MUBI, Neri Oxman, Wallpaper* and Apple. For 2020, there are a lot of things they can't talk about, but "the next 12 months is going to be massive for us," says founder Tony Brook. "Onwards and upwards." 06. Paul Belford Studio Paul Belford Studio’s design work for Hair Solutions Founded: 2013 Number of staff: 6 (3 are part-time) Paul Belford Studio is our highest new entry this year, leaping in at number 6. Why? "I’d like to think it’s the quality of our work," says its eponymous founder. "We tend not to enter creative awards. We make an exception for D&AD, but usually just a token two or three projects to keep the cost down." Despite this, it seems that 2019 is the year the studio's peers sat up and took notice. 05. Commission Studio Design work for FENTY Founded: 2013 Number of staff: 8 Another huge climber in this year’s UK Studio Rankings, Commission has shot up 14 places into the top five. Recent highlights for the studio have included launching Rihanna’s fashion brand FENTY. "We feel proud that people see and like our work," says co-founder Christopher Moorby. "Hopefully, it means a wider audience is starting to see it too." 04. Studio Sutherl& Branding for St Albans Museum + Gallery Founded: 2014 Number of staff: 2 Having topped the UK Studio Rankings for two consecutive years, Studio Sutherl& has stayed firmly in the top five this year. It's currently working on a new Human Atlas project in Detroit with Marcus Lyon, as well as a music venue in London, a stately home in Yorkshire and a new environmental charity, to name but a few projects. "We put joy into every project that comes our way, and that joy comes out the other end somehow," says founder Jim Sutherland. 03. NB Studio NB Studio’s design work for ANNA Founded: 1998 Number of staff: 15 NB Studio has shot up the UK Studio Rankings dramatically in 2019, rising 25 places to take the third-place spot. It's a great achievement in the year of its 21st birthday, when it's also invested in new premises in Southwark. "We can’t thank our friends in the design world enough for their support," says co-founder Alan Dye. "Hopefully, this represents a vote for simplicity, empathy and impact through design." 02. JKR JKR’s branding work created for Athrú Founded: 1990 Number of staff: 140 (UK) JKR wins the exalted second place in the UK Studio Rankings, in a year that's seen the agency broaden its horizons, working in the sustainability space for Miller Harris, creating branding for Irish distillery Athrú, and designing Budweiser’s new offices. "We believe a great idea can come from anywhere, and always look for opportunities to share briefs amongst the wider studio," says executive creative director Sean Thomas. "That’s led to some of the most exciting work for us over the past 12 months." 01. Superunion Superunion’s work for BBC Two Founded: 2018 Number of staff: 181 (UK) Ever since five WPP Group agencies joined forces in early 2018, the resulting company, Superunion, has gone from strength to strength. Winning Best of Show at the Brand Impact Awards for the second year running with its BBC Two rebrand – which also scooped a D&AD Yellow Pencil earlier this year – topping the UK Studio Rankings in 2019 is the icing on the cake for the global branding powerhouse. "This is really special for us all for two reasons," says chief creative officer Greg Quinton. "First, because we just didn’t expect anything like this so soon as a ‘new’ agency. It’s been less than two years since we launched and to be honest it’s the first year where our work reflects Superunion. "Second, it’s amazing to think what we’re doing appears to be clicking and that our peers appear to like the new work. It’s been a roller coaster in the pitch black, so any recognition is a ray of light in the tunnel! Thanks peers!" For the full lowdown on this year's UK Studio Rankings, don't miss the latest issue of Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 298 or subscribe to Computer Arts. Read more: 5 sure-fire signs you're a designer Rockstar designers share the objects that made them 5 winning personality traits all studios are looking for View the full article

A hacker is selling the email addresses of 250,000 users of a Dutch sex-work forum -- data that researchers say could be used for blackmail. View the full article

Who doesn't want to make a saving on the latest iPad? Apple released its new entry-level device only a month ago, but you can already grab a discount on it when you buy from Amazon. There's a small $29 saving to be had on the 128GB version, and while it's not quite as impressive as the best Black Friday iPad deals, every little helps when it comes to buying an Apple device. That's right, when you order from Amazon, you can purchase the 10.2-inch display, 128GB iPad 2019 for $399.99, down from the normal price of $429. And that's not all, the 11-inch iPad Pro is also available at a discount price, with Amazon knocking it down from $799 to $674. That's a much bigger saving of $125 on a device that's perfect for digital artists looking to pick up an Apple tablet on the cheap. The best iPad Pro deals in 2019 The 10.2-inch 2019 iPad is touted as an entry-level Apple device, and it's perfectly optimised to deliver a superior viewing experience for films, TV shows and online videos. It's even packed with Apple's A10 Fusion processor, so you know that it will load social media feeds, emails and writing documents smoothly. What's more, it's even compatible with the Apple Pencil. You will need to by one separately, but we've got you covered with the best Apple Pencil deals of 2019. The 2019 iPad comes with Apple's new iPadOS, which includes a dark mode, mouse support and a swipeable keyboard. It also has a battery life that lasts for up to 10 hours. If you're after something a little more powerful, the 11-inch iPad Pro could be just what you're after. With Apple's A12X Bionic processor, it packs more of a punch, and allows graphic designers to bring their ideas to life. Just like the iPad 2019, it offers up to 10 hours of battery life. This device also comes with a Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone and wide colour. A 12MP back camera and 7MP TrueDepth front camera tops off this impressive tablet. Still not quite what you're after? Check out these other iPad deals. Related articles: 18 iPad Pro apps designed for Apple Pencil iPad Air (2019) review The best iPad deals on all models View the full article

Trends are an inevitable part of any design discipline. And while obsessively following trends can be counter-productive – it's harder to develop your own distinctive style if you're constantly adapting to reflect what everyone else is doing – keeping an eye on trends, and bringing in developments that fit with your particular look, is a sure-fire way to stay relevant. Typography is a vital element in graphic design; different font pairings can completely change the mood of a piece, and technological developments in typography mean that there are exciting options available now that didn't exist a few years ago. Here are five of the biggest current trends that you need to be aware of. 01. Colourful fonts Alex Trochut's MEGAZERO is a stunning example of a modern colour font Fonts have traditionally been strictly monochrome as they've been largely tied to the print process. But with more typography happening on-screen rather than on the printed page, typographers are starting to open up to the possibilities of colourful fonts and their potential for creating exciting designs. OpenType-SVG fonts, which allow for vector shapes with colours and gradients, have become the industry standard, and while it's still early days for colour fonts, there are a few great-looking options around. Gilbert was the first to come to our attention; we also love the attention-grabbing glitchiness of Alex Trochut's MEGAZERO. 02. Variable fonts Jongmin Kim's Leon Sans is made using code and perfect for kinetic typography 2019 has been the year in which people have really started paying attention to variable fonts, and it seems certain that they're just going to keep getting bigger. The basic appeal of them is self-evident: rather than having to get a whole set of different weights, with a variable font you get a single file that you can adjust to make it appear in any style you want. The potential for variable fonts is much bigger than simply being able to roll your own weight, though. Used online, variable fonts can be adjusted on the fly, making it easy to create eye-catching kinetic typography effects. And we've recently seen an even more intriguing typographic development in the form of Jongmin Kim's Leon Sans: a geometric sans-serif made in code that enables users to not only change font weight dynamically, but also to create custom animations, effects or shapes using the HTML5 Canvas element. 03. Retro type Stranger Things has played a big part in the current 80's retro trend It's good to keep up with the latest typographic developments, but it also never hurts to look to the past. If you want to appeal to people's sense of nostalgia, or if you're simply after a look that stands out from the crowd, using retro fonts is a great approach. Right now it seems to be all about hooking into the 80's revival, but there's a host of other design and visual movements that you can evoke through the right typographic choice. Whether you want a sophisticated art deco look, or the in-your-face appeal of ornate Victorian poster fonts, a good vintage font can light up your layout. 04. Hand-drawn lettering Everywhere you look there are loads of hand-drawn fonts to choose from There's no escaping hand-drawn fonts right now, and we don't see them going away any time soon. There are way too many to choose from at the moment – luckily we've already picked out some of the best new free calligraphy fonts for you – with more appearing every day. The bewilderingly vast selection of hand-drawn and calligraphy fonts means, however, that it's relatively easy to find one that fits the mood that you're trying to evoke in a particular design, and if you dig reasonably deep then the chances are you'll pick a font that hasn't been used anywhere else. 05. Plenty of contrast High contrast serifs such as Zesta can make a big impact A healthy bit of contrast can always make for a visually rewarding design, and there are a few on-trend typographic options that will help you achieve that look. Right now, high-contrast serifs that mix fat downstrokes with razor-sharp upstrokes are a popular option; they're elegant and dramatic and the ideal way to bring a bit of class to a design, and you can amplify the effect by adjusting the kerning and leading to something a little out of the ordinary. But there are two other hot typography trends that you can mix together to get a pleasingly high-contrast look. Massive, super-heavyweight bold fonts are a popular attention-grabber at the moment; combine them with sophisticated, minimal sans-serifs for a beautifully balanced but superbly contrasting overall effect. Related articles: 8 invaluable online typography tools Typography rules and terms every designer must know 15 top typography resources View the full article

Attackers exploit an “unquoted path” flaw in the Bonjour updater in iTunes for Windows to deliver ransomware attacks. View the full article

The vulnerability stems from an issue with DLL loading in Open Source Hardware, used by tens of millions of computers, researchers say. View the full article

Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro – it's a tricky one. The latest version of Microsoft's popular Pro tablet is one of several new products launches recently revealed at the annual Microsoft event. It was also when the tech giant wowed audiences with a couple of innovative looking dual screen devices, including the Surface Neo. Both the iPad Pro and the SurfacWhile the Surface Pro 7 might be a more low-key release comparatively, there’s still plenty of interest in what Microsoft is doing with the venerable 2-in-1 workhorse of its Surface range. The good news: USB-C connectivity was introduced (finally). The not-so-good news: This still very much looks like the Surface Pro 6 – in fact in terms of design and aesthetics it’s identical – although the hardware inside has been upgraded (as you would hope). So how much difference do these improvements make, and how does the Surface Pro 7 stack up to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch tablet (which currently tops our pick of the best tablets for photo and video editing) as a result? Let’s find out whether Microsoft or Apple wins for creatives. Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Performance Microsoft has upgraded the Surface Pro 7 courtesy of new 10th-gen Intel processors with the top-line chip being a Core i7-1065G7 (quad-core, capable of Turbo up to 3.9GHz). These 10nm (Ice Lake) CPUs also benefit from better integrated graphics in the form of Intel Iris Plus Graphics (Gen11). There are Core i7, i5 and i3 options, but note with the dual-core Core i3 – meaning the entry-level machine – you won’t get Iris Plus Graphics, but rather Intel UHD Graphics. System memory runs up to 16GB and storage up to 1TB (as before). What’s particularly exciting for creative types here is the Gen11 integrated graphics. This is considerably more powerful than Intel’s UHD Graphics, and should make a big difference when it comes to all manner of creative applications. What’s particularly exciting for creative types here is the Gen11 integrated graphics So while the CPU is pretty much the only major upgrade Microsoft has made with the Pro 7, at least it’s an important one. A caveat here is that battery life is apparently worse with the new Surface Pro and Ice Lake: it has over 20% less longevity, in fact, compared to its predecessor, according to Microsoft’s claimed figures. That’s disappointing, naturally. While the iPad Pro 12.9 might be a device from last year, it sports a very powerful A12X Bionic processor, which Apple designed to be able to easily cope with more demanding creative tasks like photo or video editing. And as we found in our iPad Pro 12.9 review, this chip has plenty of grunt in that respect, and at the time, we were seriously impressed with the iPad’s video rendering performance compared to the Surface Pro 6. Of course, it’s difficult to draw direct comparisons because of the fundamental differences between Apple and Microsoft’s hardware and operating systems here, but we can say that the Surface Pro 7 is really upping the ante with Ice Lake and Gen11 graphics, so we expect it to be a major step forward on the performance front compared to its predecessor. We also have to bear in mind that the Surface Pro represents a fully-fledged desktop platform with Windows 10 and a diverse range of software packages therein, and is designed as a hybrid notebook – both a laptop and tablet – whereas the iPad Pro is pitched as a tablet featuring a mobile OS (with an add-on keyboard as a bonus). That said, iPadOS, the freshly released spin on iOS specifically designed for Apple slates, provides a fuller desktop experience with better multi-tasking and much more besides. It even lets you use a mouse with your iPad – a previously missing piece of the puzzle which proved a point of frustration for some professional users – although support is at an early stage right now, and somewhat wonky (but could well improve in the future). Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Connectivity Microsoft finally introduced USB-C with the Surface Pro 7, something which was long overdue, really. This single connector replaces the Mini DisplayPort, so the latter is no longer present. The downside with the Surface’s Type-C port is that it doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3. Otherwise, connectivity remains the same, with a USB Type-A connector still here, along with the Surface Connect port, microSD slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. Another fresh introduction on the wireless front is Wi-Fi 6. The iPad Pro also offers a USB-C port (again, non-Thunderbolt 3), and that’s your lot (it runs with Wi-Fi 5). So clearly, Microsoft’s hybrid wins the connectivity battle, and is better for hooking up external peripherals, even if the firm didn’t go the extra mile in supporting Thunderbolt 3 with the USB-C port (which would have allowed for connecting external GPUs). Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Display Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 has a 12.3-inch PixelSense screen with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution (3:2 aspect ratio) giving a pixel density of 267 ppi. The iPad Pro has a slightly larger 12.9-inch Retina display with a 2,732 x 2,048 resolution giving 264 ppi. Both screens are super-sharp, then, and they’re both gorgeous panels, although the iPad Pro is a good deal brighter. And while the Surface’s screen makes colours pop, the iPad’s support for the P3 wide colour gamut means it’s perfect for photo editing work and professional design or illustration. This colour accuracy, as well as that extra bit of screen real-estate with the iPad, which could be a very important consideration when it comes to drawing on your tablet, means that Apple has the edge in the display department. Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Pen(cil) Apple’s second-gen Pencil is a nifty piece of kit, with the stylus being much improved from its initial incarnation. It feels very natural to sketch with the Pencil, and that realistic feel has been improved even further by the introduction of iPadOS, which reduced the latency of the stylus from 20ms to 9ms. This is one slick peripheral, make no mistake. The Surface Pen is a great stylus too, and also offers a very natural feeling drawing (or writing) experience with all the important features you need like tilt shading. There’s a new version of the Surface Pen, as well – a ‘Slim’ variant for those who prefer a thinner, flatter design. It’s obviously useful to have that choice for those creatives who go the Surface route. Which pen you might prefer is something of a subjective matter, but generally speaking, Apple’s Pencil gets the nod, simply because it feels more responsive when jotting or drawing thanks to that super-low latency. Some creative pros do, however, prefer the feel of Microsoft’s stylus on the glass of the display. Finally, note that the Surface Pen is a little cheaper – but on the other hand, the new Surface Slim Pen is more expensive than Apple’s Pencil. Speaking of pricing, let’s discuss that next, so prepare your wallet in advance… Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Pricing Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 starts at £799 for the base Core i3 model (without Gen11 graphics) with 128GB of storage, but only 4GB of system RAM. While that amount of system memory is fine for general computing tasks, it’s not really going to be enough for running the heavyweight apps creative types will be using in Windows (or at least not running them well). The next step up is the Core i5 model with 8GB of system memory for £899. Prices top out at a rather staggering £2,249 for the flagship with a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. The keyboard cover costs you an extra £124.99 and the Surface Pen is £99.99. Apple’s iPad Pro 12.9 starts at £969 for the 64GB model, which is a pretty stingy allocation of storage. The 256GB version plunders your bank account to the tune of £1,119, and if you want the maximum 1TB capacity the bill is £1,519. Those are all Wi-Fi models, with the cellular versions of the iPad costing even more. As for the accessories, the Smart Keyboard Folio will set you back £199 (ouch), and the Apple Pencil is £119. So with the Surface Pro 7, you’ll likely need to gun for at least the Core i5 model, which when kitted with the keyboard and stylus will set you back a total of £1,124. If you get the base iPad Pro and think you can manage with 64GB of storage, that will total £1,287 when fully kitted with both keyboard and pen accessories (though you may well want to push further than that very basic amount of storage). Both devices are pretty expensive, then, for the full hardware setup, but Microsoft appears to win as the (relative) value proposition on the face of it. However, if you want a higher-end Surface Pro 7 – and you’re considering going for the Core i7 processor for the beefiest performance levels – the value scales tip back towards Apple. Whatever iPad Pro you’re buying, you get the same power level, of course; the only difference in the hardware is the amount of storage (and whether you opt for cellular data). Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro: Conclusion On an overall level, these are both very impressive portable devices, often being on a fairly even footing in the various important categories we’ve discussed. But from a broader perspective, the Surface Pro 7 is the all-rounder champ. By which we mean it offers a full desktop OS experience with Windows 10, and all that entails. In short, it’s a more versatile jack-of-all-trades device with a bristling software ecosystem and a better keyboard (plus trackpad), and better connectivity (wired and wireless) for hooking up peripherals which may help your workflow and productivity (like a mouse). The newest Surface Pro also makes an important processor upgrade which will help with performance in creative apps, and widens its appeal in terms of being able to enjoy a spot of light gaming with Intel’s Gen11 graphics. It’s a fully realised portable computer, as opposed to Apple’s iPad Pro which remains a tablet with strong computing aspirations. Indeed, buying Microsoft’s 2-in-1 could mean that you might not need a second machine for your other computing needs – which could have major cost-saving implications. Simply put, it’s a fully realised portable computer, as opposed to Apple’s iPad Pro, which remains a tablet with strong computing aspirations. It's a close race, but the iPad Pro wins as a device for creative pros On the flipside, the Surface Pro has barely changed in several iterations now. It almost feels like Microsoft rather forgot about the 2-in-1, shoving it way down the priority list while the company was busy concentrating on all its other shiny new Surface products. Furthermore, it’s a bit chunkier (and heavier) than the iPad Pro, and the design is starting to look a little static and tired now, or even slightly dated we might argue, with those rather thick tablet bezels. Apple’s tablet is sleeker looking with a somewhat better screen and thinner bezels, and that means something in the real world. If you’re a creative freelancer, say, visiting a client’s office to show them some of your work on your tablet, which device do you think will make you look more ‘cutting-edge’? With a superior stylus peripheral too – although that judgement is rather subjective, granted – and plenty of power, the iPad Pro wins out as a device for creative pros. But it’s a close run race, particularly if the Surface Pro’s broader all-round computing capabilities appeal to you. View the full article

Do you run Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom Classic CC on a Mac? Maybe you're even working your way through our Photoshop tutorials. If so, you might want to hold fire before you update your machine to macOS Catalina. That's because both pieces of Adobe software aren't quite ready for the upgrade, and have been hit with a few usability issues. Apple released macOS Catalina earlier in the week, and Adobe users were quick to point out that Photoshop and Lightroom Classic CC weren't quite operating as expected. On the support pages for each piece of software, Adobe acknowledged that both apps "work with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) but have … known compatibility issues." Get Adobe Creative Cloud now As far as the issues go, Lightroom is the least affected. One bug means that it won't be able to detect Nikon cameras when the camera is on and the Start Tether Capture command has been run. The Lens Profile Creator is also broken. Adobe says that "The Lens Profile Creator is currently 32-bit, but we are investigating updating it to be a 64-bit utility." Meanwhile, Photoshop has been hit with more issues. File naming currently doesn't work properly, with users having to add file types manually. A handful of plugins are quarantined and will throw up one of two error messages, including "the file was not found" and "can't be opened because its integrity cannot be verified". Photoshop file types need to be entered manually Photoshop's older, 32-bit droplets will no longer work on macOS 10.15, and just like Lightroom, its Lens Profile Creator is currently stuck at 32-bit, rather than 64-bit utility. In a statement, Adobe said that: "You may want to remain on your current version of macOS until these issues have been resolved." It also recommends that customers do their own testing on a non-production partition "to ensure that new operating systems work with their current hardware and drivers (printing, and so forth)." Familiarise yourself with all of the compatibility issues by heading over to the support pages for both Photoshop and Lightroom. Related articles: 13 best Adobe Illustrator plugins 2019 A game-changing update is coming to Adobe XD Build prototypes with Adobe XD View the full article

In the democratically accessible world we inhabit, it can sometimes feel overwhelming operating as a creative for a living. It can often feel everyone is having a go (and sometimes doing better than you), but does that make them a designer? Does that devalue what you do for a living? Does this even matter? Worry not. I’m here to tell you you’re still a designer, despite the plethora of new work posts and Behance barrages, you still qualify. Yes, you. Helpfully (and humorously) here are five signifying symptoms that usually mean you’re a designer. Who knows, you may not even know it… Need help keeping up with all the other designers? Get inspired by some of our favourite graphic design portfolios. 01. You collect things. Strange things Maps. Penguin books. Receipts. Driftwood. Czech glass vases. Horror and science-fiction film posters specifically illustrated and only from the period 1979-1988. These are just some of the things I know designers to collect. Because designers do. They save. They hoard. They amass. And who knows the reasons why, as it’s unique for each person. But you may find an inexplicable and unrelenting desire to just hold on to something, just because it may come in handy and some point. 02. You own a combination of the below: More than one black T-shirt A pair of Converse/Superga/Red Wings A homeware item by Alessi A Rapha accessory A fancy coffee maker A Rains garment A tote bag filled with other tote bags A bike Various pin badges (worn or kept) An Anthony Burrell print A fancy camera A collection of various physical letters A collection of old magazines, never read New Balance trainers The Milton Glaser Bob Dylan poster Some wooden type (never used) A Moleskine Anything from Muji An iPhone Something creative made by a parent An Eames An Eames knock-off Something from HAY Something from Habitat Something from Patagonia Jeans that cost more than £60 03. You spot things. Strange things Faces contained within inanimate objects. Weird or funny graffiti. Letters made by formations of litter. You name it, a designer somewhere has a picture of it. Curiosity, whether expressed externally or held back just for you, is a vital characteristic of a designer. Combine this with the aforementioned compulsion to covet, you find a designer building up their own resource, a personal reference system crucial when it comes to creating. 04. You love a whinge At the first wind of a semi-notable rebrand, or release of new work, you might find yourself sliding up the sleeves and cracking the knuckles before juggernauting through your keyboard to pass judgement (putting it politely). Designers have an irresistible urge to wade in. To have their say. And this is a true tick in the box of any practising designer. But don’t confuse this with necessarily having any validity on whatever it is you’re wading in on. That comes later. Or sometimes not at all. Don't believe that designers love a whinge? Look at how designers reacted to the latest Volkswagen logo or the new Macy's mark. 05. You care Despite version 31 of your design file, despite chasing that invoice for going on six months, despite getting feedback like 'I don’t completely dislike it' from your boss, or your client wanting the work finished five minutes before briefing it, designers still actually care about what they do. And they care about so many things beyond badly kerned shop signs and missed creative opportunities. Design is a profession that cares about the impact of its work and always, generally, tries to push the right things forward for the right reasons and take a stance on doing the right thing. It’s not perfect by any means, but there is always the effort and the care. So, if you love a whinge, but whinge because you care. If you hoard stuff for inexplicable reasons, and spot the tragedy in things, and do it all while having a flat white in your black shirt, best jeans and Converse after a quick cycle, you may, just may, be a designer after all. Read more: Rockstar designers share the objects that made them 3 trends that changed the design industry forever 11 ways to bag your dream job View the full article

The new Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix is currently raking it in at the box office and dividing critical opinion. But if there's one thing that designers can agree on, it's that the movie boasts an impressive typography-based logo. And now its designer has revealed that he used an old-fashioned woodblock letterpress to give the logo its distinctive, scratchy appearance. Our guide to logo design has already examined how typography is a critical part of the design process. And it's something that the designer of the Joker logo, Chad Danieley, has put into action brilliantly. Over on Reddit, Danieley took the time to share the surprising story of how the logo came to be. The freelance designer and animator revealed that it was created with wood type from his letterpress collection, and that it was the "smoothest approval process I have ever been involved with". The original wood blocks behind the Joker logo This was surprising news for fans of the gritty lettering, as designers in the audience had suspected that the grain effect was created digitally. Danieley said that: "I ended up not digitising." Instead, the wood block letters and their grainy textures were exported as PNG files, which he then used to construct an SVG typeface. "Not my first choice especially since After Effects does not recognise SVG fonts," he added. Common image file formats and when to use them As well as retaining the scratchy texture of the lettering, this method also allowed him to make the logo transparent. The spontaneity of the woodblock printing technique resulted in a huge chip in the letter 'K', as well as other faded elements. And while these lend themselves well to the spirit of the film, Danieley is cautious of reading too much into them. "I can post conceptualise the gash as his 'soul' etc. etc. yawn," he joked in the Reddit comments. "Really I just dropped it on the floor and it felt right so I left it. I'm a huge fan of Brian Eno's method of chance [and] using his oblique strategies when I get stuck." If you want to learn more about Danieley and his Joker logo, he's being very generous with his time by replying to lots of comments on Reddit. It's an invaluable chance to learn from a top designer and animator, so go and check it out. And if you're a fan of the Joker film, you can also check out some of the fantastic Joker fan art that's been flooding in. Related articles: 50 top typography tutorials The ultimate typography cheat sheet 8 invaluable online typography tools View the full article

It was nearly a quarter of a century ago that audiences got a glimpse of the future of animated feature films, when Pixar unveiled the world's first fully CG animated movie Toy Story in 1995. Since then, the technology – and artistry – behind Pixar's many releases has soared to new levels. All that technology, artistry and storytelling ability is there on the screen in one of the best 3D movies in recent years: director Josh Cooley's Toy Story 4, which now sees Woody, Buzz Lightyear and a host of other characters out in a much wider world. It's a film that, thanks to Pixar's increased firepower (including the physically based path-tracing architecture now in RenderMan), was simply not achievable before. Read on to find out how the studio made some of the most complicated scenes and characters in Toy Story 4, including the antique store, the carnival, the opening rain storm, and Bo Peep's exquisite porcelain surface. Inside the antique store A lot of work went into figuring out how the antique store fits together The antique store is a massive environment, full of props, furniture and tons of atmosphere like floating dust particles. It's here where Woody reunites with Bo Peep, while also having to rescue a new member of the toy family, Forky, after facing off against the store's long-time doll resident, Gabby Gabby. "We're in this antique store for probably a third of the film," outlines Pixar supervising technical director Bob Moyer, who likens himself to the visual effects supervisor on Toy Story 4. "It's like one super set that we're in, with different set pieces within it. The tricky thing was, there are no walls – the entire thing is just made out of props and furniture, and so there's nowhere where you can say, 'Oh, I'm closing this portion of the set off, and I don't have to worry about how it plays in the future sequences.' We had a lot of negotiation and planning to figure out how all the different parts would fit together." The best 3D modelling software The other challenge of the store was that it represented a place where both humans and toys exist. "So," notes Moyer, "you need to believe that when you see something in the human world, that we've actually designed it and detailed it out all the way down to a toy scale. Woody is 15 inches high, but we have a character in the film who's about maybe an inch tall, Giggle McDimples. So we really needed to believe, in all those sequences and all those action points, whether you're going through the aisles or behind the shelves, that every single part of the antiques mall was done to a 'macro' level. We had a lot of interplay of trying to make things look good from a distance and also things looking good super-close up, where you'd see dust and procedurally generated cobwebs, for instance." To help realise the vast amount of geometry and detail in the antique store, and the entire film, Pixar relied on rendering in RenderMan, which is now at version 22.5 and features the RIS physically based path-tracing architecture. They also looked to a machine learning de-noiser that came from Disney Research Zurich. "One of the challenges we've had the last couple films is, because we've switched to that very photorealistic, all ray-traced render in RenderMan," details Moyer, "is that just inherently cranks up your lighting times and your rendering times, especially if you have a lot of glass, if you have a lot of practical light sources, or you have a lot of reflections. These are all the things that are in the antique store. And if we wanted to see how, in camera, all the set work and all this camera work and all this lighting was all coming together, we had to render a lot earlier, and a lot more often." "The de-noiser was so good," continues Moyer, who says the de-noiser was simply known as the 'DRZ de-noiser', "it actually cut our render times down by about a third or a half, and we were able to make it so that we could render almost film quality for some sequences almost every weekend." Carnival time Lighting the carnival scene convincingly took around 40,000 lights Across the street from the antique store is a carnival area, where the toys get into more shenanigans. For Pixar, the carnival needed to come alive at night with rides and booths, and that was aided by having bright and animated neon lights, around 40,000 of them. "For the lights," explains Moyer, "we had one of our artists set up animation sequences in Houdini, say a good half a dozen per ride or per booth that we could choose from. We had certain animation cycles that the director could, either per shot or per sequence or across the film, choose an energy level from. And then as we had an action sequence, we'd have them very active. If we wanted to quiet them down, we could do that, too." "We actually worked to make sure that the lights were exactly the correct calibration relative to the sun's source, relative to a fluorescent bulb across the film, and that meant that the lighting team actually had an exposure control in their setups," adds Moyer. "They could change an exposure. If it was a daylight exposure, the lights would seem very dim, but if they had a dark exposure, suddenly the lights would be the main source of illumination in the scene. And that just made it so that all that played really well together and went screamingly fast through our lighting department." Rain rescue The opening of the film is a rescue scene set nine years ago, when Woody and his toy friends save the remote-controlled car character, RC, from being washed away in a rainstorm. It relied on heavy fluid effects simulations. Says Moyer: "Josh Cooley really wanted us to play up the fact that it's actually just a normal rainstorm, and even Andy runs outside during it, so for humans, it's nothing. But for a toy, it could be the most dangerous thing in the world. The gutters are flooding. Each raindrop feels like a little minor explosion. "Our effects and lighting departments worked very tightly to come up with a palette of different rain effects – splashes, the drops themselves, levels of fog. It was important to allow for interaction, with the rain pouring down over objects on the set. Our artists would dress it out per shot to try to give the feeling relative to camera and the toy scale of how that action was going to get played up." Pixar relied on Houdini for the water sims, which ported into its in-house animation software Presto, with lighting then carried out in Katana. "For this film, too," states Moyer, "it was one of our first real uses of Houdini Engine. It helped lighting and effects have a really tight loop as they were developing the shots." Character effects Pixar brought in the latest tools to enhance character details Although Pixar strove to keep the characters of Toy Story 4 within the Toy Story world that audience members knew so well, the studio did use the latest tools and techniques to add and enhance character details. Two new toys in the mix, the carnival plush toys Ducky and Bunny, have fluorescent fur, representing a particular kind of challenge for the team, notes Moyer. "We try to keep our albedo levels below a certain threshold or otherwise the lighting starts kind of blowing up. And the problem with fluorescents is that you're actually taking UV light and making it feel even brighter, and so we had to crank up the knob on those guys a little hotter than we would've probably technically felt safe about. And then we spent a lot of time after that balancing out and trying to figure out clean-up so that they weren't sending what we call fireflies everywhere, which are super hot spots around on the set." Another brand-new character is Forky, central to the plot, made by Bonnie out of a spork and items like pipe cleaners for arms and googly eyes. "The thing is," says Moyer, "he actually was made out of more materials and things than most of our other characters. Woody is basically plastic and cloth. Even Ducky and Bunny were pretty much just plastic and fur. But Forky was made up out of all these different things. "Animation then really leaned into Forky. They said, 'Let's make this feel like a toy that's hand constructed, and almost like Bonnie is there animating it herself.' So they really animated the pipe cleaners to feel like pipe cleaners, and his googly eyes to rotate and never quite focus. There were a lot of technical challenges in Forky to give something that felt really simple, but actually had a lot of complexity in how animation could work with him." The Pixar team developed a porcelain shader for Bo Peep New tools and techniques allowed Toy Story 4's artists to re-visit the character Bo Peep and bring her to life in a way that had not been seen before, especially her porcelain qualities. "Our shading team spent a lot of time developing a porcelain shader that would give that real depth of material that you're feeling on her," says Moyer. "Porcelain, of course, is a clay with a glaze on top, and it tends to be that, with a little bit of age or even if it wasn't fired quite right, you get this crazing effect, which are these little hairline cracks on the surface. Eventually they pick up dirt, and so we wrote a new shader that did that crazing effect so it would actually model the light interaction with the cracks to keep that depth of field, or that depth within the glaze. We then used that effect creatively to imply how Bo Peep has been through the wringer a little bit, and hasn't been shy, and hasn't been up on a shelf the whole time, which was kind of a really fun but subtle effect." Pixar actually instituted something across the show called 'Team Bo', made up of story artists, animators, characters, TDs, tailoring, shading, rigging and other artists, who collaborated on Bo Peep. "For example," says Moyer, "one of the things they had to deal with was the simulation for her cloak. It used to be her dress in the original films, but now she's turned it into something that works for her in her new world. So it can flip inside out. It can get rolled up into a ball. She uses it sometimes to hide, and they had all these very technical shots of making it feel and work like something that's really nice, small and hand stitched, and this very simple Superman movement to it that they worked with animation on. And I just think the work on Bo in simulation is some of the best in the entire film." This article was originally published in issue 250 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 250 here or subscribe to 3D World here. Related articles: 35 greatest CGI movie moments of all time Create a scene with RenderMan for Maya Special effects in movies: 10 stunning examples View the full article

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Fully integrated into the Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock is a great tool for helping you create better designs, with less fuss. But you have to go about it in the right way. In this article, we share eight tips on how to make sure that you make the best use of Adobe Stock in your design work. Whether you're designing for print or the web, there's lots of useful advice here, so read on and learn how to best use Adobe Stock to craft beautiful and functional designs. 01. Select your images carefully Couple enjoying themselves on a winter day, by Jacob Lund One of the reasons stock imagery sometimes has a bad name is the popular association with ‘cheesy’ and generic images. A quick look through the images on Adobe Stock, however, will show that in 2019, it’s more about find high-quality, professionally shot photography. This means it's easy, for example, to find images that feel authentic and realistic, such as the example above, rather than ones that are obviously posed. So it's well worth putting in a little work to select the right pictures for your design. Adobe Stock offers a sophisticated search engine, driven by machine-learning, along with some clever filters, to help you to do so. Most importantly, though, your choice of image needs to be contextually relevant to the design. So that means not just thinking about the subject (what’s in the picture and what does it convey?), but also mood and atmosphere (what emotion is it likely to provoke in the viewer). 02. Complement your colour scheme As well as considering how well your image is going to work contextually, you need to think about how it’s going to work aesthetically. If you’ve already settled on a colour scheme (which might already be laid out in your brand’s design manual, for instance), then you need to pick images that complement this palette naturally. Thankfully Adobe Stock makes this easy, by providing a colour wheel filter to help narrow down your picture search to only those featuring certain colours. There’s also a handy slider for setting the level of vivid colour you’re looking for. 03. Think about text placement Search results for 'Golden Gate Bridge' with 'Images with Copy Space' ticked Even when you’ve found what you think is the perfect image, getting it to work in a particular design isn’t always easy, especially where a lot text is involved. Usefully, then, Adobe Stock has a special filter to only show images that leave space for copy text. Give it a try, and you could end up finding an image with the perfect amount of space needed for other elements in your design... potentially saving you hours of messing about in Photoshop! 04. Include alt text If you’re designing for the web, then there’s one golden rule when it comes to embedding images: use alt text. Alt text is a word, phrase or sentence embedded in the HTML of a site that describes the contents of an image. This text can be read by screen readers, typically used by people with visual impairment. It also appears in a blank box that would normally contain the image, if that image fails to load, because of poor quality internet, for example. The most important reason to include alt text is that Google will be more inclined to promote your website in the search results if you include it. The more natural and descriptive you can write your alt text to be, the better. 05. Seek an emotional connection The first three search results for 'Wistful thoughtful child' on Adobe Stock One of the main aims of any design is to provoke some kind of emotional connection in the viewer. Including images of people’s faces can be a great way of doing so, as this creates an instant response in the most primal parts of our brains. Adobe Stock makes it easy to find such right images, simply by clicking the ‘Include people’ filter and adding the word ‘face’ to your search terms. Plus, as well as using search terms that describe things, places, etc, also include ones that describe feelings, such as 'proud', 'excited', 'overwhelmed' etc. 06. Keep everything legal Using images online can be a legal minefield, with lawyers waiting to pounce on your for the slightest copyright infringement. Using Adobe Stock images, of course, saves you from worry as they will all be appropriately sourced and royalty-free. That said, there are a small number of things you need to bear in mind, which we detail in our article Is it legal? Your guide to using stock images in your designs. 07. Consider illustration “Louise”: oil painting on canvas by Mari Dein Photography is not the only way to go when it comes to design, and in recent years illustration has become increasingly trendy, from apps and websites to posters and packaging. There are literally millions of professional illustrations available on Adobe Stock for your design projects, and you can use all the same powerful search tools and filters to narrow down your search and find the perfect one for you. 08. Harness your creative flow One of the most challenging things about design work can sometimes be switching between different folders and different tools, which often disrupts the flow you need to be truly creative. That’s why Adobe Stock is seamlessly integrated with the CC apps designers love to use, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects and others. This clever integration means you can search for images within the software, pull in watermarked versions, play around with them and finally - if you choose - licence them, without ever leaving the app. And that leaves you to focus less on coming up with imaginative and creative solutions, interruption-free. To see how this works in practice, check out our tutorial Design a poster in Photoshop CC with Adobe Stock templates, View the full article

If you've been thinking about buying a new drawing tablet, then today could be your lucky day. Perhaps you want to treat that special someone in your life later on in the year and want to get organised. Perhaps that special someone in your life is you. We won't judge. You can consider it an early October treat. You might've thought you had to hold out for a Black Friday deal to snap up a bargain, but right now you can get an 11-inch or 19.6-inch Huion tablet for a knockdown price. Huion tablets have consistently made it to our list of the best drawing tablets. The Huion KAMVAS GT-191 has an RRP of £449 but is currently on Amazon for just over £300, at £318.84, or eBay at just £299.99, and the Huion Inspiroy Q11K costs just £69, down from £115 (also on Amazon). The Huion GT-191 has a 19.5-inch screen with a HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution IPS screen for colour accuracy (displaying over 16.7 million colours) and consistent images. It comes with a free pen, the PE330, which has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a whopping 350 hours of battery life – after just one and a half hours of charge. There's also an adjustable stand, and the compatibility with Windows, Mac and other major programmes you'd expect. If you don't need such a big tablet, the 11-inch Huion Inspiroy Q11K is an absolute bargain. It costs under £70, comes with a rechargeable Pf150 pen, which has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. The tablet has eight customisable shortcut keys and wireless connectivity. It's also one of our top Huion tablet picks. If you're not in the UK, or want to check out other deals on Huion tablets, see today's best prices on a range of models below: Read more: The best tablets with a stylus in 2019 Wacom Cintiq 22 review Procreate 5: Drawing app gets its juiciest update yet View the full article