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Every designer has their own preferred set of go-to fonts, a dependable set of serifs and sans-serifs that'll cover most eventualities. But every now and then you find yourself in need of something a little out of the ordinary, a really weird but eye-catching font that you can use sparingly to grab people's attention. When you're in need of a weird font, you're not always sure exactly what you're looking for; it's the sort of thing that you'll only recognise when you see it. So to help you out, we've gathered together 10 of our favourite weird and unusual fonts for you to download for free today (see more of our favourite free fonts here). All of them are free to use for personal work, and some of them can be used commercially too. 15 top typography resources 01. Blue Rabbit Give your text that lagomorphic touch [Image: Willian Santos] We're not entirely sure what it has to do with rabbits, but you can definitely make it appear in blue – or any other colour you like. Blue Rabbit is an excellently circular and elegant typeface that's an intriguing mix of upper and lower-case characters, and guaranteed to catch the eye. It's the work of Willian Santos, and it's free for both personal and commercial use. 02. Pop of the Tops This quirky take on Cooper Black will be your number one [Image: Imagex] This hand-drawn and beautifully scratchy take on Cooper Black is the perfect way to give your work a bit of retro cool. Pop of the Tops takes its name the 'Top of the Pops' compilation albums of the 1970s, a very of-its-time series consisting of anonymous cover versions of hit songs. Find one in a middle-aged relative's record collection and you'll see the Cooper Black title (plus a very 1970s cover model). It's free for personal use; contact its creator about commercial usage. 03. Psychedelic Caps Far out, man [Image: DaFont/Jim McCauley] If your retro tastes go further back than the 1970s, Psychedelic Caps is a fab and groovy all-caps font that perfectly captures the spirit of the swinging '60s. Created by Jorge Morón, it's free for personal use and goes perfectly with wild colour schemes. For an added psychedelic feel, we'd advise warping it along a curved path to really bring out its weird proportions. 04. Bad Signal A little bit of glitch never did anyone any harm [Image: Woodcutter Manero] Bringing things a bit more up to date, here's a bold and brash font with just enough glitch to make people notice. Bad Signal features random lines of distortion streaking through its all-caps characters, giving your text the appearance of a fax sent over a really noisy phone line, hence the name. It's the work of Woodcutter Manero from Spain, and it's free for personal use only. 05. Simple Myopia There's more to bad vision than a simple blur [Image: Woodcutter Manero] Another beautifully distorted font from Woodcutter Manero, Simple Myopia simulates the effect of short-sightedness not by blurring its text, but by scattering the pixels around the letterforms. It's a clever and striking effect that would work well as a headline font or on posters. Simple Myopia comes with both caps and lower case characters, plus symbols and a few accented characters, and it's free for personal use. 06. Smile and Wave A straightforward headline font with some eye-catching features [Image: Chris Vile] For the most part, Smile and Wave looks like a fairly ordinary all-caps sans serif headline font with a bit of weathering for effect; it's only when you check out the weird and triangular styling on the A, K, M and W that you'll notice its attention-grabbing qualities. If you need a display font that makes people look twice, this is a perfect candidate. It's the work of Chris Vile and it's free for personal use; a commercial licence will cost you $39. 07. Through the Black Through the Black is odd and just a little intimidating [Image: FontSpace] If you need your text to give viewers an uneasy feeling, Through the Black by KineticPlasma fonts would be a great way to do just that. Its weirdly-warped characters are far from easy on the eye, delivering an effect a little like looking at a ransom note made from cut-out newspaper text; it's an effect that you'll want to use sparingly on just the right call to action or similar. For all its weirdness, Through the Black is great value – its free for personal and commercial use under the SIL Open Font Licence, and it comes in a whole load of weights. 08. Rebimboca Outline This free deco font has plenty of charm [Image: Paulo W] The original Rebimboca is a beautiful and peculiar deco font by Brazilian designer and typographer Paulo W, with some wonderfully ornate touches; you can buy it here from £11.99. Rebimboca Outline is one of a number of free variants, with all the original's strange charm, but in an outline version that looks almost as good. It's free for personal use, but you can use it for commercial purposes in return for a donation. 09. VTC-BadVision Another great way to get that short-sighted look [Image: WOlfBainX/Jim McCauley] If you enjoyed the skewed optics of Woodcutter Manero's Simple Myopia, here's a similar take on a myopic view of the world, this time from designer Larry Yerkes who works under the name WolfBainX. VTC-BadVision is an all-caps font that achieves its effect by distorting its text in a way that simulates the look of double vision; from a distance it looks blurred, but up close it's broken-up and scratchy. It's free for personal use only. 10. Aberforth A clean, mixed-case font with a gorgeous quirky look [Image: Brittany Murphy] To finish off here's Aberforth, a clean and simple font from Brittany Murphy with a decidedly striking look. Its caps characters are perfectly fine-looking bold sans-serifs, but it's the lower case set that's where the fun lies: it's a mixture of upper and lower case characters that'll give your text an adorably quirky feel. Aberforth is free for personal use; prices for a commercial licence start at just $8.00. Related articles: Font types: A designer's guide The 8 biggest typography mistakes designers make The 10 commandments of typography View the full article

The best camcorders go far beyond the videos created on today's flagship smartphones. Meaning that even if you've got one of the best camera phones around, you'd probably still benefit from a dedicated camcorder. Far from dying out, the camcorder is experiencing a renaissance, with a remarkable choice for every budget, level of expertise and activity. 4K camcorders are now commonplace, from sophisticated semi-pro models with full manual controls to beginner-friendly devices with presets and automated features to ease the learning curve. For sports and tough conditions, there are also camcorders designed to be dustproof, waterproof, shockproof, and able to handle temperatures well below freezing. Many modern camcorders also offer wireless connectivity, allowing you to transfer videos without wires, or even stream them directly online. Here we've rounded up the very best camcorders that deliver the optimum balance of value and performance, whatever your needs. And if you're looking for ways to edit your footage once you're done, don't miss our posts on the best video editing apps and best laptops for video editing. For professional-quality shooting, the Panasonic HC-X1E is hard to beat. It's the heaviest camera in our roundup by some way, so it's not the most portable option and will need a good quality tripod to keep it stable if you're not resting it on your shoulder. Experienced videographers will appreciate the comprehensive manual controls, including triple lens rings (for focus, zoom and iris), plus customisable controls for gain, white balance, shutter and more. Experienced videographers will appreciate the manual controls, including triple lens rings (focus, zoom and iris) plus programmable buttons for adjusting the shutter, gain, white balance and more. The HC-X1E also features a 1-inch CMOS sensor, Leica Dicomar Lens and 20x optical zoom for capturing pin-sharp footage without distortion. It's not a camcorder you'll master quickly, but the quality is well worth the time investment. The Sony HDR-CX405 is a great value camcorder that doesn't compromise on quality – even a little. With a compact chassis and built-in image stabilisation, it's ideal for filming one-handed, and features a raft of presets to help first-timers achieve better results. It can record in both XAVC S or AVCHD format and MP4 format simultaneously, and capture high quality stills while also recording video. There's no wireless connectivity, but the USB connector is simple to use when it's time to charge or transfer files to a computer. There's even a built-in tool for editing videos in-camera. This camcorder is simple to use, and very impressive for the price. Whether handheld or mounted on a tripod, the Canon LEGRIA GX10 delivers pro-quality 4K footage at 50FPS, or 1080P at 100FPS (ideal for super-smooth slow motion). There's also an eight-stop ND-grad filter for shooting landscapes, plus a 15x wide-angle zoom lens. With both automatic shooting modes and customisable manual controls, it's ideal if you're making the jump to a high-end camcorder and want to learn the ropes at your own pace. Unusually for a 4K camcorder, the Canon LEGRIA GX10 also features dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity for fuss-free file transfers. This is a robust, reliable 4K camcorder, and the perfect companion for shooting in the great outdoors. The GoPro Hero5 Black isn't the newest of GoPro's action cameras, but it set the bar very high and is now better value than ever. Despite its diminutive size, this little action camera is capable of capturing 4K footage in extreme conditions. It's waterproof to 10m even without a housing (something few rival sports cameras can beat), and with voice controls it's easy to operate when your hands are occupied with swimming, skiing and otherwise having fun. 4K video capture maxes out at 30FPS, but the Hero5 Black is still a great choice, and tough enough to survive any adventure. Sony produces a wide range of camcorders for all skill levels, and its mid-range models like the Sony PJ620 are among the best on the market. This camcorder features Sony's proprietary image stabilisation to minimise shake when shooting freehand, which can prove invaluable when used with the 30x optical zoom, which would otherwise amplify unwanted movement. Spot-focus, intelligent auto, wind noise reduction and smile shutter make things even easier when capturing home movies. The Sony PJ620 also features a built-in 25-lumen projector, but this soon becomes rather hot – more of a gimmick than a useful tool, and this camcorder's only real letdown. In the market for a 4K camcorder but not ready to go semi-pro? Take a good look at the Panasonic HC-VX980EB-K – its impressive specs list includes HDR video for lifelike colours, an extensive choice of scene modes, full manual mode (with controls for focus, white balance, shutter and iris) and top-notch image stabilisation. The wireless multi-cam option, which is becoming a key feature for Panasonic's consumer range, lets you link multiple camcorders and assemble the footage using the Panasonic app. It's a shame that most of the creative effects can only be used when shooting in 1080P, but shooting in 4K gives you more potential for editing in post. For quick, fun shooting at home or on the move, you can't go wrong with the Canon LEGRIA HF R86. This is no 4K manual monster – what you get here is a camcorder built for capturing family moments in 1080p. Unusually, the Canon LEGRIA HF R86 comes with 8GB internal storage in addition to its SD slot (enough for half an hour of Full HD video), and is capable of transferring files via Wi-Fi or NFC straight to a PC, ready to be uploaded and shared on your social network of choice. This is a reliable, thoughtfully designed camcorder that would make an ideal gift for new parents. MiniDV is now an outmoded format, having being superseded by SD cards, but the Canon VIXIA HV20 was one of the best camcorders made for the little tapes in their twilight years. Capable of shooting at 1080p and featuring 10x optical zoom, it was a seriously powerful consumer camera when first released, and has aged well in the years since. Helpfully, this MiniDV camcorder is also capable of recording to Mini SD cards, which will keep it in regular use once your supply of tiny tapes runs dry. You might find a new VIXIA HV20, but otherwise refurbished is the way to go. The JVC Everio GZ-RY980HEU is tough, powerful and dependable – ideal for shooting 4K on the road. JVC's new Falconbird image processor is less power-hungry than previous versions, extending battery life for 4.5 hours of continuous 4K shooting, and the camcorder's tough chassis will survive drops of 1.5m, submersion in water to depths of 5m, and temperatures of -10C. This is a strong candidate if you're looking for a camcorder for recording far from home (and power outlets), and with the JVC Everio GZ-RY980HEU capable of taking 8K stills, you might decide to leave your regular camera at home. The Sony RX0 II is tiny – seriously tiny. The sports camera market has blossomed in recent years, with a host of rivals appearing to wrestle for GoPro's crown, and the tough little RX0 II is punching well above its weight. It's the world's smallest 4K camcorder, capable of shooting at 30FPS and capturing 15.3MP stills. Its Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm f/4 fixed wide-angle lens is impressive, and it even features a diminutive tiltable LCD display. It's waterproof to 1m without a case, and resistant to accidental crushing. You don't get a lot of camera for your money, but it's a pocket-sized powerhouse. Read more: The best cameras for beginners The best monitors for video editing How to edit videos: top tips for beginners View the full article

Lino printmaking is a method of relief printing which involves carving a drawing into a soft linoleum block, rolling a thin layer of ink over it, and pressing paper on top to transfer the image. The areas where you have carved away reveal the paper beneath, often with quite beautiful results. Lino prints look bold and powerful, with hard lines, flat areas of colour, and high contrast between the paper and ink. You can spend a long time carving, or just make a simple design, but the printing is fairly fast, so multiple copies can be made quickly and easily. Many artists find that working in lino changes their style, and drawings that look tentative or flimsy in pencil take on a more confident, powerful quality when transformed into lino prints (see our best pencil drawings for drawing inspiration). In this tutorial you will learn the basics of lino printmaking as we explain how to make a simple lino print using a few basic materials. 01. Get to know your tools The tools you'll need for lino printmaking, flowers optional [Image: Meg Buick] Before you start your lino printmaking project, you need to make sure you have the right tools. You will need the following: lino board ink roller carving tools sheet for inking up (glass, plastic, a tile, another piece of lino, anything that is smooth, flat and non-absorbent) marker pen pencil (see our post on the best pencils) carbon paper (optional) There's more than one tool for carving out your lino [Image: Meg Buick] Lino cut tools have been developed over time so that each tool can be used to give a different mark or texture. Look at the blade of each tool. Some have a pointy ‘V’ shape, and some have a curvy ‘U’ shape. Another one is flat, and one is like a small craft knife. 02. Draw and transfer your design Draw your design out before you start [Image: Meg Buick] Start off with a simple drawing. You can draw directly onto the lino or you can transfer a photograph or drawing using carbon paper. 03. Create areas of light and dark Highlighting the areas that will be light or dark can help you understand what you're creating [Image: Meg Buick] You will have to clear away all the 'paper' areas on the lino block with your tools – it’s an inverse of drawing with a black pen on white paper. It can help to use a marker pen to clarify the light and dark areas of your image. 04. Make a test piece to practise Different tools create different textures [Image: Meg Buick] Try shading a test piece of lino with your marker pen (so you can see what you’re doing) and try and use every tool in the box to make as many textures as you can. Holding the tool in one hand a bit like a pen, insert it into the surface of the lino and push forward. You should see a slither of lino being lifted away. Push forwards and tilt the angle of your hand to remove it completely, and have a look at the mark you have made. You’ll find that the V tools are better for narrow, sketchy lines like a fine point pen, while the U tool cuts wider marks like a marker. The flat tool can be used for clearing larger areas Use one hand to carve and the other to steady it. The pressure, speed and angle of the tool will all make a difference. Always cut away from your fingers – these blades can be sharp! Keep turning the block as you work on it rather than turning to cut back towards yourself. 04. Carve out your design Consider which tools you'll use for different areas of your design [Image: Meg Buick] After practicing with your tools on your test piece, choose the marks and textures you want to use in your design. You might want some areas to be drawn like a pencil line using the V tool, and others as flat areas of black or white. 05. Shade your carvings with a marker pen Marker pens can help you see what you're doing [Image: Meg Buick] Use a chunky marker pen to shade over where you are carving – it will bring out the marks you are making, and give a better idea of the way your block will look like when it is printed. 06. Roll your ink onto the sheet Create a thin, even layer of ink on your sheet [Image: Meg Buick] Now it’s time to get messy! You’ll need your 'slab' or 'sheet' for rolling out the ink. We are using a plastic lid. Start by squeezing a thin strip of ink at the bottom of your slab, straight from the tube. Dip the roller in the ink and then roll forward onto the plastic, spreading ink out evenly across it until it covers it in a thin, even, flat layer. Too thick and it will sound squelchy and have little peaks, a bit like orange peel. Try and aim for a ‘whisper’ as the roller runs up and down, and a texture a bit like brushed suede. 07. Roll ink onto the lino Aim for a shiny, inky texture on your lino [Image: Meg Buick] When you have a nice even layer of ink on your slab, roll directly onto your lino. This is the exciting bit where you start to get a sense of what your image will look like. Roll in lots of different directions and after rolling two or three times on your block, go back and roll in the inky slab to re-fill your roller by rolling across it again. When you have covered your block, it should be covered in an even, shiny texture, showing you that you have inked the entire image. 08. Press paper onto your lino Place a piece of paper over your lino and press down with your hands [Image: Meg Buick] Now for the printing! A great thing about lino printmaking is that it can be done at home without the need for a printing press – all you need is your hands. Put a piece of paper directly on top of your image, and smooth down with your hands all over. 09. Press with a wooden spoon Press down with a wooden spoon to make sure your image prints correctly on your paper [Image: Meg Buick] Take a wooden spoon and, starting in the middle of the image, begin rubbing the round base of the spoon in small circles, moving outwards to cover the block, and making sure you reach the edges. You should see the paper go slightly shiny where you have rubbed, and you may see a light embossing from your image. This will help you keep track of where you have covered. 10. Peel off your print Now for the big reveal... [Image: Meg Buick] When you think you have printed the whole image, gently peel up the corners and have a peek. Apply further pressure if you think it still looks a bit patchy. Then, take two corners of your paper and gently lift it up from the block. Voilà! You have your first lino cut. Make as many copies as you want. 11. Compare your lino block and your print Decide if you're happy with your image [Image: Meg Buick] Your final print will be a reversal of your lino block. Look at areas of texture created by the tools where you have carved away and decide if you want to make any changes. You can wash your block and continue to carve if you wish. 12. Leave your lino prints to dry Your final print [Image: Meg Buick] Leave your prints to dry over a few days, by placing them separately somewhere flat and warm. Make sure you wash all your tools thoroughly – you can clean your lino block and inking slab and roller with warm, soapy water and a rag – and you're done. Cato Press is a printmaking studio in East Bristol that runs courses in lino cut and other printmaking processes. Visit the Cato Press website to find out more. Read more: Pencil drawing techniques: Pro tips to sharpen your skills Get started with Risograph printing An introduction to monotype printing View the full article

Microsoft is urging users to patch every Exim installation in their organization and make sure that they are updated to the most recent version, Exim version 4.92. View the full article

Adobe Fresco has been announced as the latest addition to the Creative Cloud family. The next-generation digital art app, which was previously known as Project Gemini, recreates the feeling of drawing and painting with traditional tools. Designed for the iPad, and other stylus and touch devices, Adobe Fresco is now open to pre-release testing. You might remember that Fresco was first announced as Project Gemini at Adobe's annual conference, Adobe MAX 2018. Fresco looks set to be Adobe's answer to Procreate, and could rank up there with the best drawing apps for iPad. Revealed by Kyle T. Webster and Eric Snowden, Fresco will pair pen and touch hardware with professional tools and a streamlined, easy-to-use interface. Sign up to Adobe Creative Cloud "We’re developing Adobe Fresco to empower spontaneous creativity," explains Creative Cloud's chief product officer and executive vice president, Scott Belsky in an Adobe blog post. "Because it's built for the Apple iPad (with versions for other stylus- and touch-based devices to follow), you’ll be able to bring Fresco wherever you go. It frees drawing and painting from the desktop and lets you create everywhere, anytime." Fresco's name is no coincidence, either. The word refers to a centuries-old painting technique where artists would work into wet plaster. And once the plaster was dry, they were out of time. This perfectly sums up how Fresco will replicate the organic interactions of analogue art tools, such as chalk, oils, and watercolours. Rethinking the mobile art experience Fresco has been created with Adobe's users and community in mind. Having heard that they've been asking for professional-level features on mobile, Adobe went back to the drawing board and completely rethought how its tools can be used on the go. The result is a set of intuitive features that hope to recapture that simple, natural feeling of working with analogue drawing tools. New painting and illustration capabilities, such as new types of paint and painting interactions, open up previously impossible digital art opportunities. This includes the ability to mix digital watercolour washes just like the real thing, as well as exclusive brushes and a multiscreen mode. To ensure that they're up to scratch, these tools have been rigorously tested by a selection of skilled artists. On top of that, Adobe Fresco is also able to sync with Photoshop on the desktop. This means that art you make in the field can be developed seamlessly when you're back in the studio, without the headache of transferring files. Images created in Adobe Fresco will sync with Photoshop on desktop [Image: Adobe] "Fresco will have the power creative professionals need," adds Belsky. "It includes pro-level tools like layers, masking, and selection in a workspace you can customise for efficiency." Adobe Fresco is due to launch later in the year, but if you would like to sign up for pre-testing, you can apply here. And if you're after a device that will make your digital artwork look as good as can be, check out our guide to the best tablets with a stylus for drawing. Read more: How to draw: the best drawing tutorials Sneak peek: Supercharged Photoshop tool The 10 commandments of Photoshop etiquette View the full article

You've been on a trip that was really special to you. You shot some great videos you'll always treasure. And now you want to show them to your friends, family, colleagues, and perhaps share it on your social media networks . But you don't want people to just glance at them, say "Yeah great" and then wander off; you really want them to watch it properly! And you know that the more slickly produced they are, the more that's likely to actually happen. Thankfully, in 2019, you don't need special training to create professional looking videos. Adobe's Premiere Rush provides a simple way to edit your footage that anyone can use. And if you really want to add the 'Wow' factor to your footage, you can use Adobe Stock Motion Templates to add the kind of animated titles and graphics you see in movies and TV shows. Read on as we explain how... 01. Import your video It's easy to edit your video in Premiere Rush First, download the free version of Adobe Premiere Rush. (Note: you'll need an Adobe ID; if you don't have one, create one for free here.) Open the app, and click the 'Create a New Project' button in the top-left corner. Import your video or videos, and edit them accordingly using the software. (If you need help in this, check out this Premiere Rush tutorial). 02. Find a motion template There are hundreds of great motion templates on the Adobe Stock website Titles, credits, captions, transitions, and graphics can really add the 'wow' factor to your video. And the great news is that you don't need to craft them yourself: that's already been done for you. Adobe Stock has hundreds of professionally designed motion graphics templates that you can drag and drop into your video. Check out the hundreds of great templates on offer at Adobe Stock. Just hover over the still image and you'll see what they look like when animated. 03. Import a stock motion template into Rush Search for motion templates right within Premiere Rush Open up Premiere Rush and in the top-right hand side of the screen, you'll see a square with a 'T' in it. Click on it, and you will bring up the 'Titles' panel. Choose the 'More titles' button in the top right, and this will list all available motion templates from Adobe Stock. You can either scroll through them, or use the search bar to find the one you're looking for. Here, we're using the neon pink and yellow template called 'Sliding Pop Art Title'. Once you've chosen your template, drag it onto the timeline of your video. (Note: you don't place it on the still images themselves, but in the strip above them). Then, if you want to make your template appear for a shorter or longer time in the video, pull the purple rectangle back and forth accordingly. 04. Edit your Stock Motion template Update your text and change font, size, etc using the 'Edit' tab The 'Edit' panel on the right enables you to customise your template to your heart's content; you can change the font, the size, and more. You'll also want to change the text itself, of course. Note: this is done by clicking in the text box on the screen, not in the edit panel or the timeline. Now, click the play button to see what your motion text looks like within the video. If it doesn't look right, then just go back and keep tweaking until it does. Alternatively, if you decide against using the template altogether, no problem. Just select it and delete it by clicking the trashcan icon on the left, and start again with another template. Also note that you're not restricted to one template per video, you can use as many as you like. 05. Export your video Exporting your video to your computer or social networks is a piece of cake Once you're happy with your video, click the 'Share' button in the top-left corner. Now you'll be given the choice of saving your video to your desktop, YouTube, Instagram or Behance. And you're done! Here's our example video, and another one we enhanced with titles and graphics in just a few minutes, using the same steps. Just think how you could use these kinds of titles, transitions and motion graphics to bring your own holiday videos to life! There are hundreds of Adobe Stock motion templates to choose from, so don't hang around: start trying them out today. Get started with Adobe Stock here. View the full article

With Sky Boxes and Freeview HD recorders now allowing viewers to fast-forward through the commercials, the need for TV ads to amuse, charm, and delight is more important than ever. But can an ad ever be TOO entertaining? We’d argue that solely entertaining without persuading is ultimately a futile activity. As well as engaging its audience, an ad also needs to deliver a clear and understandable message, and ideally, prompt viewers to take some kind of action. In this post, we highlight five UK ads that are hugely entertaining but where the commercial message seems muddled or lost. Don't get us wrong: they're all brilliantly made, and some have even won awards... but we humbly question whether they actually serve the fundamental brand purpose. 01. John Lewis/Elton John It’s a little bit funny, the feeling inside, when you watch this ad created by Adam & Eve/DDB. Because quite frankly it seems more like an ad for Elton John than an ad for John Lewis. For two minutes and 10 seconds, we're treated to a beautifully constructed journey through the life and career of the singer. This mini-biopic is epic, touching and at times overwhelming. And yet... its connection with the high-street retailer it's supposed to be promoting seems less than obvious. It's only in the final few seconds that we get the payoff: apparently, when he was a boy, Elton's parents bought him a piano, and so the final caption reads “Sometimes a gift is more than a gift”. It’s a nice line, but it feels like a stretch to connect any of this with John Lewis. Pianos are not an obvious item you’d associate with the British retail institution, and in fact, they literally don’t sell them. (Yes, they do sell digital pianos, but in this context, that’s really not the same thing.) Overall, it all feels like John Lewis was so excited to be associated with a rock icon, they forgot that the point was to get people to actually buy stuff. If the purpose of a TV ad is to encourage the viewer to take an action, this one certainly works... but only if the action is to download Elton's ‘Your Song’, or go to the cinema and watch Rocketman. How to do it better The 2014 Christmas ad for John Lewis, also by Adam & Eve/DDB, again tells the story of a specific purchase; in this case, a toy penguin. But in this case, it's both something people are likely to buy, and something John Lewis actually sells. Furthermore, the story and the tagline (“Give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of”) conveys a broader notion: that of delighting a child with a present tailored to their own desires and dreams, which is much more universally relatable. 02. Confused.com/Brian the Robot Comparison websites are often awkward and time-consuming to use. So even though we know they could save us money on our car insurance or energy bills, we often just lazily click ‘renew’ when our year’s contract is up. This ad, created by Publicis London, aimed to make Confused.com's service seem more accessible, by portraying it in the form of a chummy, approachable robot called Brian. And it was certainly entertaining. With a fun soundtrack, which fans of 1980s TV will recognise as the Knight Rider theme tune, we see Brian comically chase a family driving across the UK for a series of days and nights. Finally, he catches up and informs them: “I could save you £230 on your car insurance”. This could have been a great climax to an entertaining sequence. But to our minds, the ad fluffs it; the driver simply responds “Cheers mate” and drives off. Honestly, it seems more like he's giving Brian the brush-off than actively engaging in the comparison process. This damp squib of an ending means the whole thing falls flat. And the family’s passive response seems unlikely to encourage viewers to visit Confused.com and start entering their details. How to do it better This ad for ClearScore.com is drily amusing, with a comedy dog and a funny miscommunication between husband and wife. But it’s also superbly persuasive. The call to action couldn’t be clearer, as the characters basically hold up a mirror to viewers at home, showing them exactly what to do, and how quickly it can be done. A great example of how to be entertaining, at the same time as conveying a clear message and call to action. 03. Halifax/Wizard of Oz Who doesn’t love the Wizard of Oz? And this ad, created by Adam & Eve/DDB, cleverly blends the classic movie's footage with a newly filmed scene in a way that can only be described as technical genius. Like in the movie, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin-Man and the Cowardly Lion knock on the door of the Great and Powerful Oz’s castle. But instead of the Wizard, they’re greeted by Greg, a Halifax mortgage advisor, who tells them, “If it’s the home of your dreams you’re after, maybe I can help?” It’s a smart concept, and a lovely way to view a boring subject like banking through a rosy lens of nostalgia. But ultimately, it falls flat when Greg informs Dorothy: “I can’t give you a mortgage, you’re far too young” – and she then bursts into tears! Although Greg eventually does get Dorothy home, this moment feels like a bum note, instantly unravelling the (already weak) connection with getting a mortgage that the ad was meant to promote. Overall, then, the whole thing feels like something that everyone had a lot of fun making, but doesn’t really get across a clear message. How to do it better This earlier Halifax ad, also created by Adam&EveDDB, is far less convoluted: Top Cat and his sidekick Benny simply walk into a branch, ask for a mortgage, and well, get a mortgage. The ad works particularly well because it ties into what fans already know about the characters (they're always being evicted from their trash can-homes), while it's simple enough that people who’ve never seen the show still get the point. 04. The National Lottery/Please Not Them You'd think that persuading people to buy lottery tickets was a fairly simple proposition: who doesn’t want to be a multimillionaire overnight? But for some reason, the National Lottery decided to go for a more complicated, surreal and irony-laced approach with its ‘Please Not Them’ series of ads. Rather than pursuing the obvious line that people like being instantly rich, it played on the somewhat quixotic notion of playing to stop other people winning; specifically, celebrities with ludicrous ideas about what they'd do with the money. Don't misunderstand us: this campaign, led by AMV BBDO, was hugely entertaining, often hilarious, and packed with star power. In the ad shown above, Piers Morgan plays an exaggerated version of himself, in which he designs a narcissistic amusement park called Piers’ Pier. Other ads in the series featured James Blunt and Katie Price, and each parodies celebrities’ sense of their own importance brilliantly. So hats off to AMV BBDO for creating these superb comedy sketches. We just question whether anyone has ever bought a ticket because of them. Quite simply, their tongue is so firmly in their cheek that the concept of playing the lottery is less brought to the forefront of viewers' minds than shoved right to the back. How to do it better For a British audience, a naked appeal to personal greed might be considered a bit tasteless. So this clever ad, again from AMV BBDO, instead focuses on the things we’d buy for our nearest and dearest if we won. It's a simple but effective campaign that recasts our avarice as generosity, and gives us a truly convincing reason to buy that next lottery ticket (which we wanted to do anyway, but just needed a bit more talking into). 05. Nationwide/Flo and Joan This series of adverts for Nationwide features a comedy duo called Flo and Joan. And it seems to have divided the nation – or at least those active on the internet – between people who love them and people who truly hate them. From a pure business point of view, there’s nothing wrong with creating ads that annoy people. Some of the most successful ads of all time have also been the most irritating, from Cillit Bang to Go Compare, partly because they tend to stick in the memory for longer. But just being irritating isn’t enough in itself. As we’ve said many times in this article now, there needs to be a clear message, ideally one that makes a viewer imagine using your product or service, and a call to action. But to our mind, this campaign, created by VCCP, features none of these things. Each of the ads consists of a comedy song, followed by a couple of text captions about how great the building society is. Yet the two seem at best distantly (and at worst tortuously) related to each other. In short, the entire campaign seems more like an advert for Flo and Joan. We hope they reap the benefit, because we honestly can’t see Nationwide doing so. How to do it better Here’s a much more effective use of a comedy song, in an ad to promote Yorkshire Tea. It basically takes the classic British notion that a cup of tea cures all ills to ridiculous extremes. And it's not just funny and entertaining, but conveys the message and the call to action quickly and efficiently. That contrasts strongly with the Flo and Joan ads, where you have to watch the entire thing before you find out what the heck any of this has to do with Nationwide. View the full article

If you want to stay on top of your game as a 3D artist, it's important that you brush up on your skills every now and then. This includes building world environments, an area which has its own criteria to keep in mind. To help you build better world environments, we caught up with CG environment modeller Albert Valls Punsich and senior generalist at Industrial Light & Magic, Damient Penoit. Together, their expertise will help you create believable worlds packed with character and style. And if their tips whet your appetite for more 3D inspiration, why not head on over to our round up of the most stunning 3D art. 01. Gather references and research There is no other way to start working on a CG environment. If we skip this step or we try to make it quicker, we will pay for it later in production time by being slower, vaguer and much less focused. Take your time to create a full research library for the project, and the early effort will make all the difference. 02. Consider image composition Make the image tell the story. Create an illustrative sketch or photo-bashing using all the cinematographic techniques that you have within reach. Work on the silhouette, depth of field, lines of action, camera shot, colours and base lighting. By taking this approach, we make the viewer's eye land where we want it to. 03. Perfect the art of blocking This is the most important step of the production process. Create primitive models to adjust the proportion and shape of the assets in our scenes. Watch out! It’s a common mistake to start working on final assets before completing this, and then having to redo it later. Make sure you have perfect blocking. 04. Maintain a balance Keep the modelling, texturing and shading at the same style and level of detail for all the assets of your scene. Always use a hero asset to define these values at the beginning of production, and use it as a guide throughout the process. 05. Create a set dressing library One of the biggest tricks is creating a set dressing library by producing a bunch of reusable assets to decorate and populate your scene, in order to add realism. Simply take your base models and apply small modelling and texture changes to create completely new and different ones to feed your library. Create impressive worlds like this quickly with Damient Penoit's tips [Image: Damient Penoit] 06. Use World Machine When you're doing the layout of your future project, I strongly recommend using World Machine for open worlds. It’s the easiest way to create fantastic landscapes and bring them into your favourite 3D app. You can find lots of good tutorials on YouTube, and it's nodal, fast and already UV mapped! 07. Lay down quick lighting I like to link my dome light rotation to the HDRI horizontal rotation for a quick lighting setup. It enables me to quickly change the direction of my lights and upgrade my scene atmosphere. Do it with the Wire Parameters in 3ds Max using the Animation, Wire Parameter dialog. Click Vraylight > Zrotation > SceneMaterials, then HDRI Horizontal Rotation and finally Connect. 08. Use Forest Pack in 3DS Max If you're using 3ds Max, Forest Pack is your best friend. Create each pack, such as grass, cobble stones, rocks, trees and so on separately, and then copy and paste the ones where you want more density. Being able to tweak them independently will help you to bring much more variation to your scenes. 09. Use brush combos When you're using ZBrush for environments, the Trim Smooth Border and Mallet Fast brushes are your best combo. Use with a square alpha and a sharp brush (set intensity to 100 and focal shift to -100) and they will enable you to create very nice rock shapes, destroyed walls or damaged ruins. 10. Convert for fast rendering At the end of your scene assembly, when everything looks good, always convert as much as you can into VRayProxies. Your RAM will thank you for that, and you might be very surprised to see that you divided your render time by 1.5 or 2! But use it with caution, because you’re losing your stack history. This article was originally published in issue 130 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 130 or subscribe to 3D Artist. Related articles: The best 3D modelling software 2019 These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills View the full article

Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, a marketing manager, an entrepreneur, or a blogger, you'll likely find that knowing how to edit videos can really come in handy. And with a lifetime subscription to Moovly Video Maker, editing any video becomes super easy. With this user-friendly tool you can edit your footage to look professional. This is thanks to a bunch if handy tools, including cool transitions, interesting effects, and a whole lot more. The best cloud storage 2019 And with a drag-and-drop video builder, the whole process is foolproof. What’s more, you'll get unlimited storage space, which means you can store as much footage as your project requires. As if all this wasn't good enough, you can now save 86 per cent on a lifetime subscription. This means the Moovly Video Maker can be yours for just $199. Related articles: 49 best photo apps and photo-editing software The best video editing apps in 2019 The best video editing software in 2019 View the full article

Finding your favourite audio content on Spotify has just got a whole lot easier for Premium users thanks to a redesign of the streaming service's 'Your Library' section, which launched last week. The redesign, which splits up music and podcasts, aims to streamline and personalise the listening experience for users. This is sure to be music to the ears of creators. Whether you're creating a playlist of music to work to, or looking to catch up on the latest episode of your favourite design podcast, Spotify's easy to navigate interface is there to help. Although it might not be a design tool in itself, Spotify is up there with the best iPhone apps for designers thanks to its new decluttered library. Once you fire up Your Library, you'll immediately notice that Music and Podcasts are separated out into two tabs. Simply swipe or tap to toggle between them. In each section you'll see subdivided lists of songs and podcasts. The new Spotify app design makes it easy to switch between music and podcasts [Image: Spotify] Podcasts are split into Episodes, Downloads and Shows. Meanwhile, the Music tab is categorised by Playlists, Artists and Albums. Both tabs make short work of sifting through tracks, and the refreshed menus help to close the gap between Spotify and iTunes. In a blog post announcement, Spotify said: "Everything about the reimagined Library is designed to get you to the content you want faster. It also makes getting started and staying up-to-date with podcasts on Spotify a seamless, personalised experience." The updated design has already been available to Spotify's free users, but Premium users have been able to access it since 13 June. To get the most out of your music and podcasts, you'll want a premium pair of headphones. Check out our roundup of the best wireless headphones for suggestions that match all budgets. Related articles: 10 amazing podcasts for digital artists 7 top tips for performant design The best wireless speakers in 2019 View the full article

In a world where it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell what's real and what's fake any more, how are you supposed to illustrate brands and products in a way that connects with your audience? Face the facts: authenticity is overrated, as iStock by Getty Images has identified with this new visual trend for the very opposite. Reject the mundane and embrace the weird [Image: iStock] Magazines, adverts and cinema have always presented us with an idealised version of reality, from airbrushed cover models to serving suggestions that look nothing like what ends up on your plate. And despite the old adage about the truthfulness of cameras, the best photographers have always known the tricks for making the camera lie like a snake oil salesman. Surprise and delight with unexpected imagery [Image: iStock] Now, though, it's harder than ever to tell what's for real. The rise of Photoshop means that we can never take photographs at face value, and with AI-powered technology becoming increasingly powerful, you can't even be sure that videos or audio recordings are the real deal. Social media bots and the 'fake news' phenomenon have ramped up our cynicism about any reporting we see. The world's in a mess and who's to say what's real and what's fake? Peculiar compositions are the perfect antidote to a depressing reality [Image: iStock] As Hunter S. Thompson once said, when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. And with things as weird as they are right now, the only sensible option is to reject dull authenticity and inject a little weirdness into your visual palette. It's an attitude that's cropped up over and over again in times of turmoil, from artistic movements such as Surrealism, Dada and Cubism, through to more social movements such as Psychedelia, New Romanticism and even Acid House; people pushing back against the status quo with new ideas, new visual language and new sounds. Push back against the status quo with anti-authenticity [Image: iStock] This notion's key to the current trend for eye-catching anti-authenticity, whether it's in stock photography, illustration or graphic design, and it's something you can find in abundance at iStock by Getty Images. Rather than opt for the safe and comforting fake reality that's so often brought in to signal authority and reliability, creative expression has recently been leaning in more playful and dream-like directions, mixing up retro stylings and futuristic invention to create a dazzling new super-saturated aesthetic. Unnatural lighting and vivid colours are just part of this trend [Image: iStock] You can see it everywhere from music videos to Instagram feeds through to films such as Boots Riley's surrealistic 'Sorry to Bother You' or anything by Wes Anderson. It's also visible in the latest illustration trends, which see creatives rejecting faithful representations of the world in favour of retro wave palettes, liquid effects, sparkling metallics and juddering glitches. The only rules seem to be to avoid the mundane, relatable and the commonplace, and to instead embrace fantasy, nostalgia, dreams and surrealism, crazy colour schemes and challenging compositions. Inspire, amaze and unsettle; provoke a reaction rather than go down the safe route with a tried and tested campaign. Don't go down the safe route; inspire, amaze and unsettle [Image: iStock] Whether you're creating imagery or searching for stock visuals that'll provide you with a look that transcends reality and transports the viewer away from the everyday, if only for a moment, this trend for anti-authenticity is one to watch out for. Go for those clashing palettes that you'd normally avoid, bring in unnatural poses and anachronistic props, raid the dressing-up box and create whole new worlds that people have never seen before. Make it weird, make it fantastic and make it exciting. The incongruous and anachronistic are your friends [Image: iStock] You can find all manner of strange and unusual imagery to spark the imagination at iStock by Getty Images. Get 15% off annual subscriptions by using the code ANNUAL15, or get 10% off credit packs with ISTOCK10 until Sept 30 2019. View the full article

Is your creative project taking longer than you anticipated? If so, check out EpicPxls. This design package will streamline your productivity by providing you with premium curated fonts, graphics, templates, mobile app designs and much more. Whether you're a graphic designer, web developer or a blogger, there's plenty to enjoy with this EpicPxls deal. You'll be able to download 20 premium items per month for life, all for the reduced price of $99. That's a massive 95 per cent saving on the regular price of $2,400. The best cloud storage 2019 With no recurring payments, you can sign up today safe in the knowledge that you're not going to get stung by charges further down the line. Supercharge your creativity and your productivity today by getting your EpicPxls deal for $99. Related articles: The best free graphic design software The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 Graphic designer's price list is (still) priceless View the full article

Threatpost editors Tara Seals and Lindsey O'Donnell discuss a recent lawsuit against Amazon for its privacy policies, a Telegram DDoS attack and more. View the full article

Attackers are exploiting a Linux Exim critical flaw to execute remote commands, download crypto miners and sniff out other vulnerable servers. View the full article

Learning how to edit videos can be a rewarding hobby, and is a skill that may come in handy at work, too. In filmmaking, the editor is one of the most important jobs. As an editor, you're responsible for the final feel of a film – almost as much as the camera-wranglers creating the footage in the first place. If you’re just getting started, it’s important to approach learning how to edit videos with the right mindset. But it’s not for us to tell you how to piece together that visual masterpiece, or in what order. Your clips are your own. We’re not even going to tell you what software to use – there are options aplenty, here's the best video editing software if you're still not sure, and here are the best laptops for video editing if you're looking to upgrade your machine. Whether you’re creating a documentary, a commercial, a comedy masterpiece or a YouTube special, these beginners' video editing tips are all about getting yourself started right, getting the tools you need arranged and familiar, and doing everything required to produce a fantastic end product, whatever your skill level. 01. Know your limits Before you even start filming, consider the strength of your kit, and what you’re trying to achieve. Filming at 4K will create better quality footage (perhaps at the expense of frame rate) but the resolution puts massive demands on editing hardware, and could make the process much more frustrating if you don’t have the computer to match your ambition (see our best computers for video editing if you're looking to buy new kit). On the flip side, many clients will not be satisfied with a 1080p end product, and blowing up lower resolution footage rarely leads to good results. So weigh up the strength of your hardware and software and get (or set) specific requirements for the end product before recording a single frame. 02. Keep it organised File management is vital when you're making lots of small adjustments This isn’t an editing tip as much as it is a sanity one: if you’re attempting to stitch together a video made of lots of little clips, digging through a single bucket full of randomly named files is just going to drive you mad. Before you start the editing process, step through your footage and label your files properly to reflect the scene and the take, drop them in folders separated by theme, and organise them in such a way that you can find them quickly, as you need them. Make folders for your sounds, music and images too, and put your project file in the root of a main folder encapsulating everything. If you can at all help it, don’t send anything to the trash: you never know when that seemingly botched take might come in handy. 03. Keep track of your files On the same note, no matter what the medium, we’ve probably all felt the pain of not hitting Save and losing a huge amount of work. Saving your project often (and versioning it, so you can roll back on overzealous editing errors) is a given, but what happens if your hard drive gives up the ghost and your raw footage is lost forever? That’s potentially much more catastrophic. Backup experts swear by the 321 rule – three copies, in at least two different places, one of which is off-site – but as long as your raw footage is on at least two physical drives, and you regularly send your project off to your backup location, you’ll be adequately covered. An online service like Google Drive could be a good target for an online backup, though you'll likely need to spend a little more than average given the size of most video. 04. Don't be scared to try it Modern editing isn’t like the old days of splicing and cutting – it’s non-destructive, which means that no matter how crazy you get with editing, your original footage stays entirely as it was. You can import whatever you like into your editing software, and adjust your cuts to your heart’s content without losing a thing. If a transition between shots doesn’t feel right, change it until it does. If a clip feels too roomy, tighten it up until the pace of your video quickens. There’s a reason good editors are so highly prized: there’s no direct formula which makes for a good video. It’s all down to feel. 05. Colour counts Colour grading will make a big difference to your final film It could be argued that the best editing is completely unnoticeable; there is little more jarring than obvious differences in camera colour. The editor’s job extends beyond order and pace, because It’s essential to get the colour right. That does mean a fair amount more work, colour correcting each clip for consistency, and then colour grading the final footage to give your video a classier look. You don’t need to make everything Matrix-green, but a grade (even something which uses a simple LUT for a filmic wash) can make all the difference to the end product and turn a simple edit into something much more professional. 06. Keep it simple Effects and transitions are exciting, right? Well, sort of. Before you get all star wipe happy, think about your viewer, and what kind of film you’re trying to present. If you’re jumping between clips, there is usually no need whatsoever for a transition – even a neat dissolve – when a simple cut would do. Don’t let that stop you from experimenting with the tools your software has to offer – that’s a vital part of learning to edit – but save the effects for the moments where they make sense. A wipe might signify the passage of time or a change of location, while a fade to black (or even white) is a good way to definitively end a scene as long as it’s not overused. Keep the same thought in mind if you’re adding text to your video: make it clean and easy on the eye. 07. Use B-roll Depending on what you’re trying to put together, B-roll footage can be absolutely essential. You’ll likely have noticed those moments in on-camera interviews where a camera trained on the subject suddenly switches to one on the interviewer, nodding thoughtfully – this footage is often taken after the fact, and used to subtly edit out speech stutters or gaps without a noticeable jump in the footage. We’re not suggesting you follow the over-excited formula many modern editors employ, with a cut every two seconds or so, but switching to a second camera can help turn momentarily poor footage into a perfectly useable shot. 08. Cut it short An Avid keyboard can help accelerate your editing speed [Image: Editors Keys] You’ve likely seen Avid keyboards, or well-worn Macbooks covered in pastel stickers, used by pro editors. These only exist because keyboard shortcuts are so incredibly important to the editing process; if you’re fumbling around and only clicking a mouse, your edit is going to take so much longer than it will if you know what to hit to perform crucial functions. You don’t necessarily have to deface your equipment, but learning the basic controls, and perhaps picking up a gaming mouse with extra buttons, which can be mapped to quick actions, will make your life as an editor much easier. See our list of best mice or best keyboards if you're looking to see what's out there. Read more: The best video editing apps right now The best tablets for photo and video editing 50 After Effects tutorials to sharpen your motion skills View the full article

When it comes to design, it's tough being a Spider-Man fan. On the one hand, the comic book franchise can deliver visual delights such as the incredible film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. On the other, it can churn out some fairly underwhelming posters. This includes a recent effort to promote the IMAX release of Spider-Man: Far From Home (below). Click the icon in the top right to see the full-size poster [Image: Spider-Man Movie] Released on the official Spider-Man: Far From Home Instagram page, the poster sees characters clumsily arranged on a jazzy background of famous landmarks from around the world. As far as promotional material goes, it's a bit of a hodge-podge that looks like it would benefit from one of our collage maker tools. And because the internet can be a creative place when designers hate something, the poster has inspired funny imitations that take the awkward look to the next level. There's this one with a hand drawn eye-patch... And this pixellated mess turns villain Mysterio's spherical head into a goldfish bowl. Microsoft Paint looks like it got a good workout in this version. Meanwhile the dreaded Comic Sans makes an appearance in this mess: And this is just a fraction of the deliberately terrible creations knocking about on Twitter. What's more, this isn't the first time Spider-Man fans have been let down by a poster. When the cluttered Spider-Man: Homecoming poster was revealed in 2017, we asked whether or not movie posters were in a design crisis. It looked like Wonder Woman was going to save the day when the stunning retro poster for Wonder Woman 1984 was released recently. However with this IMAX poster, it looks like we're back on course for crowded compositions. It's important to keep in mind though that this isn't the be all and end all when it comes to the film's poster. This is the poster being used to promote IMAX screenings, but there are plenty of other (arguably better) posters out there that are drumming up interest for Spider-Man: Far From Home. For example, this coming soon poster takes a more professional approach. That's more like it [Image: Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios] But perhaps we're being too harsh on the IMAX poster. As Instagram user selenfrantastic pointed out on the film's official account, "I actually think this is a pretty accurate poster. It feels very high-schooler's notebook-y which is perfect for Peter's whole storyline." When you take that into account, maybe this poster isn't so bad after all. Related articles: 7 hidden design secrets from Into the Spider-Verse 27 top movie title sequences The good, the bad and the ugly of movie posters View the full article

Last week, we reported that a grocery store in Vancouver – East West Market – had come up with a novel way to discourage plastic bag use. It had printed supposedly 'shameful' slogans, such as 'the colon care coop' and 'Dr Toeurs' wart ointment', on its five-cent plastic bags in a bid to stop people buying them. We thought this seemed like a great idea, but predicted it might backfire. The bags are so good-looking we thought people would want to buy them. And guess what? We were right. The owner of East West Market, David Lee Kwen, told the Guardian that some customers were keen to collect the designs – which include some rather stylish typography (see our roundup of retro fonts to copy the look). Many of them were doing so "because they love the idea of it," said Kwen. Despite, this, he claimed the scheme is working: "Even if you have the bag, you have to explain its origin to your friends. And then, we’ve started a conversation." And of course, this is all just happens to be good publicity for East West Market. One of the 'shameful' bag designs [Image: East West Market] We also thought that one way to get round people wanting the bags would be to print the designs on canvas bags instead of plastic ones. And again, our predictions came true, as Kwen plans to do just that. "It’s a double-edged sword," he said of the scheme. "We wanted to address an issue, but we’ve also made something popular, so it’s turned out great." But it's not all been positive for East West Market. Some have pointed out that the store uses a lot of plastic in its other packaging. When East West Market posted an image of two customers who had chosen to carry their groceries instead of use a bag on Facebook (see below), many of the comments focused on the amount of plastic used to wrap the goods. It seems that becoming 'environmentally friendly' or campaigning to reduce plastic in your business is not as simple as many imagine. It also goes to show that if you can produce and design something beautiful related to plastic use, if nothing else, you'll at least get people talking. Read more: 38 standout packaging designs 5 ad campaigns that changed the world How to create work that could change the world View the full article

Back in 2017, design agency høly broke records by creating the most successful crowdfunded font in history. Its OpenType font, Futuracha, proved to be popular thanks to a feature that automatically adjusted letter shapes to fit whatever the user had written. And earlier this week, høly announced an updated and redesigned version of the font: Decoracha. Inspired by the principles of the Art Deco movement and the quirky antennae of a Madagascan cockroach, Decoracha builds on Futuracha by introducing capital letters, numbers, positional alternates, varied diacritics, and four different stylistic sets. And just like its predecessor, Decoracha still adjusts and readjusts to fit whatever you've typed. Decoracha is available to purchase with three licenses: student, personal, and commercial. Prices start from as little as €19, but if you're after something even cheaper, check out our list of the best free fonts for designers. Watch Decoracha in action below to get an idea of what it's capable of. As well as including up to seven alternates for every letter, Decoracha is also available as a webfont version. All of these updates mean that the flexible font is now more versatile than ever. It remains to be seen if Decoracha can top the work of Futuracha in terms of success. But given that Futuracha was downloaded by over 50,000 people in its first year of publication alone, we're expecting big things from this enriched redesign. To download Decoracha, head over to the høly site and pick you license. Related articles: Quirky font magically adjusts to what you're writing How to design a handwriting font that isn't boring Transform your type online with variable fonts View the full article

Archviz is one of the 3D world's most exciting communities. The term, which stands for architectural visualisation, melds architectural flair with technical know-how. But to those on the outside of the community, it can be a mysterious and often daunting area. That’s why we've assembled the experts to lift the lid and explore the foundations of archviz. So if you've checked out our free 3D models and went to take your skills further, let's hear what they have to say. What is archviz? Jeff Mottle, CEO and founder of CGarchitect, the leading online magazine for architectural computer graphics, has some thoughts: "At its core archviz is using some form of computer generated visualisation to depict architecture. In reality, the term encompasses an entire profession that ranges from image generation to real-estate marketing films, VR/AR, touch-screen installations, apps, etc." He adds: "There is very little standardisation in what we call ourselves in this field, so there are many terms and titles, but in the end it’s all about using visualisation in a compelling way to sell or design architecture and real-estate." Victor Bonafonte, art director and co-founder of creative collective Beauty & The Bit, expands the definition further: "It's the ability to portray forthcoming and unbuilt architecture in the present. Good archviz isn't attached to any specific technique. It can be anything, from a Frank Lloyd Wright watercolour to a CG city asset in a sci-fi movie. In the end both of them are showing hypothetical architecture." A still from Beauty & The Bit’s animated short film, Landmark [Image: Beauty & The Bit] It appears that the only defining factor of archviz is that architecture is, in some way, visualised. But what attracts talented artists to this vast corner of the CG industry? "I've loved architecture from a very young age and always knew I wanted to be somehow involved with it," says Mottle. "I also had a lot of interest in computers and all things technical, which I guess naturally led me into archviz." For freelance visual designer Mohit Sanchaniya, the appeal is similar: "The best thing about archviz is that it brings out your creativity, imagination and showcases architecture through an artistic masterpiece." What's the appeal of archviz? Back in 2001 there were very few resources available to those that wanted to indulge their passion for archviz, something that prompted Mottle to start his online magazine CGarchitect, which caters to the architectural computer graphics industry. Victor Bonafonte gathers inspiration from cinema, painting, traditional photography, videogames and concept art [Image: Victor Bonafonte] "The industry has grown exponentially since then, but CGarchitect has stayed the course and continues to be the leading and central hub for pros around the world looking to connect, advance their careers and learn," he explains. Sites like Mottle's have helped to cultivate the lively archviz community of today. "CGarchitect has become many things to many people," he continues. "We write and publish articles, feature top artists, advocate for the industry and regularly survey the field to provide the most up-to-date information." "We also host the 'Oscars' of our industry in the CGarchitect 3Dawards, now in their 16th year. I think that's my favourite project I work on each year. Regardless of the things we do, our mission is to evangelise the industry and elevate professionals in the field so they can pursue rewarding careers." In more recent years artists like Sanchaniya have emerged in a community that's more connected than ever. "I started my archviz career in 2014, during my college days," he reflects. "I graduated in civil architecture, which led to me focusing on architectural illustration. Early in 2017 I participated in the Tomorrow 2017 archviz challenge, which helped me to get a job at Tomorrow’s studio in Stockholm." Misty Chicago, Mohit Sanchaniya's winning image for the Evermotion Challenge in 2018 [Image: Mohit Sanchaniya] While Sanchaniya was busy studying in 2012, Bonafonte was starting Beauty & The Bit from home, with his partner Lina Garau. The small boutique studio is based around, but not limited to, archviz. "We provide architectural illustrations with a strong art direction, crafting iconic visuals that drive the observer’s emotions," says Bonafonte. This takes much more than placing blocks and materials in the correct place, as Bonafonte explains: "We like to think of our images not as a collection of checkmarks in a PDF document, but as something with much more coherence and intention." "When I started this company I was already working with people like SHL, SOM and BIG. I wondered if they'd think I was managing their projects from the same room that held all my home recordings. We've been growing consistently from that very moment." Beauty & the Bit is a boutique archviz studio based in Madrid, Spain [Image: Beauty & The Bit] Beauty & The Bit's growth has been such that in 2018 they embarked upon their most ambitious project yet, Landmark, a non-commissioned animated short project that aimed to go beyond the usual architectural approach. "At that moment in time I wanted to show that a different animation style is possible for architecture. Architecture has drama and storytelling, just like a movie, so why can't we incorporate those elements into architectural animations?" argues Bonafonte. He continues: "At some point there has to be something that breaks the rules and tries to give another turn to the screw. It was proudly worked on in our spare time last year, and believe me, we have hardly any spare time. It's been widely recognised and highlighted, not just in archviz circles but in several cinemas, as well as on sites dedicated to animation and visual effects." How can you start an archviz career? Even if you have the blend of artistic flair and technical wizardry necessary for archviz, taking the first step in your career can be a challenge for some. We asked our contributors to impart some wisdom, based on their own experiences. KAAN, Beursplein, Belgium. Created by Beauty & The Bit in 2017 [Image: Beauty & The Bit] "One of the positive aspects of being a freelancer is that you have a creative freedom on projects and are able to make them unique," explains Sanchaniya of his own route. "You can work in your own style, experimenting with new stuff and different workflows." However, there are things to be carefully considered before embarking on a freelance venture. Sanchaniya explains that it can be difficult to manage the business end of things on your own. There is also the small matter of making a name for yourself in the industry, something that takes time in and of itself. "I think the biggest single piece of advice I could give would be to ensure you understand why this industry exists and what role visualisation plays," says Mottle, someone who has a rare perspective over the industry. "I think there are far too many people that have entered the field on the back of being software experts, without a lot of thought into the value they bring. Some are purely technicians that leverage software to do the heavy lifting, and some are fine artists who leverage their skills as artists to bend the software to their will." "At the end of the day though, this profession is about telling a compelling story through architecture or leveraging the tools to help visualise during the design process," he continues. Beauty & the Bit utilised iToo Software’s Forest Pack for some exterior shots in their short film Landmark [Image: Beauty & The Bit] "Right now we're on the cusp of a major shift where software and technicality will play a much less visible role in the profession. This is going to leave a giant hole for those relying on their expertise in software. I think creative thinking and artistic ability will eventually be what is needed almost exclusively to work in this field." Another option is of course to apply for work at a studio focused on architectural visualisation, like Beauty & The Bit. When asked what advice he has for artists, Victor Bonafonte said: "Just follow your intuition, don't form an opinion of your work based on other people's comments. Commenting and criticising is easy and cheap, but having the guts to do something, that's a whole different thing." He continues: "Keep reinventing yourself, it's a unique way to grow as an artist. Work your ass off, be self-critical with what you do, and have some fun. Don't just chase money, it makes living easier but don't be exclusively focused on it. Chase excellence, chase quality, and chase beauty in what you do." This article was originally published in issue 246 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 246 or subscribe to 3D World. Related articles: The best 3D modelling software 2019 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills How to create 3D grass View the full article

Calculating your rate as a designer or illustrator is a notoriously tricky task, as is managing clients that think they can design, or believe they are masters of design thinking, who are hiring you just so you can agree with them. If you can relate to the above, then you'll appreciate the graphic designer's price list. We originally wrote about this price list back in 2015, but have found that versions of it are still doing the rounds, suggesting that it continues to be relevant today. Plus, it's still pretty funny (or sad, depending on how you look at it). Still want to design everything? [Image: Digital Synopsis] There are several version of the price list on the net, this one is one of the better-looking ones around (some of them seem to be horribly low-res, we assume on purpose?), and is from Digital Synopsis. Based on the Fibonacci sequence, the fees follow the 1:1.61 ratio – otherwise know as the Golden Ratio – spiralling upwards as the client increasingly takes control. Clients: take note. If this price list is anything to go by, your design 'skills' might be about to get rather costly. Read more: 10 steps to getting a reluctant client to pay How to make money on Pinterest as a creative The best monitor stands for your studio (that don't cost $1,000) View the full article

Evernote's web clipper extension for Chrome is vulnerable to a critical flaw that could have exposed the data of more than 4.6 million users. View the full article

The critical bug in a connected medical device can allow an attacker to remotely manipulate hospital pumps, either to withhold meds or dispense too much. View the full article

With its amazing design, brilliant battery life, and focus on fitness, it's no surprise that the Apple Watch Series 4 is regarded as the best smartwatch money can buy. However, it's also the priciest smartwatch on the market. But if you've got an Apple Watch Series 3 or an appropriate smartphone that you're ready to trade in, you could save a whopping £340 on the RRP at John Lewis. The timing of this deal is no surprise. With Amazon Prime Day 2019 just around the corner, online retailers are dropping their prices on a range of goods. Depending on what you currently own, you could be the proud owner of an Apple Watch Series 4 model for just £59. For a list of full what you can trade in, click here. What sets the Apple Watch Series 4 apart from previous models is a screen that stretches to the edge of the device. Other improvements include better colour depth and unparalleled access to third-party apps. There are plenty of models to choose from on the John Lewis site, but take a look at some of the most eye-catching smartwatches below. Related articles: The best smartphone in 2019: be more creative on the move The 10 most beautiful Apple products (and the 5 ugliest) The best cheap Apple Pencil deals of 2019 View the full article

We're nearly halfway through Pride Month, the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It happens in June every year to mark the date of the Stonewall riots in New York, and this year's a big one as it's the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. This year also feels like a particularly important one thanks to the current social and political climate that's seeing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights from a number of quarters, so it's heartening to see big brands doing their bit and showing their support for Pride Month in various ways. Even if it's just something like a temporary logo (read more about logo design here), new packaging in support of Pride, or a line of rainbow T-shirts, it all helps. Here, then, are eight brands supporting Pride Month in various – and colourful – ways. The stories behind Pride flag designs 01. Skittles Four LGBTQ+ artists, including Kate Moross, created these packaging designs [Image: Skittles] Skittles has had a long association with Pride, and for the past couple of years it's marked the event by draining its rainbow in favour of colourless packaging. This year, though, it's decided on a different approach, and challenged Straight Forward to come up with a new packaging concept for Pride. The London agency brought in four artists who identify with the LGBTQ+ community – Thomas Wolski, Fox Fisher, Kate Moross and Maia Bokye – to create a collection of limited edition packaging designs that celebrate Pride while staying true to Skittles' brand messaging, with fantastic results. 02. Apple It's the perfect excuse to get a new strap for your Apple Watch [Image: Apple] There are very few major companies with an openly gay CEO, and Apple is one of them. Tim Cook tweeted in support of Pride Month last week, and while Apple never goes as full-on its support for Pride as other brands do, in recent years it's marked the event by releasing limited edition rainbow straps for the Apple Watch. This year is no exception; the new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available now. 03. Converse SHUT UP AND TAKE OUR MONEY [Image: Converse] Converse is pushing the boat out with its 2019 Pride collection, with eight limited edition designs that aren't just rainbow-themed. For the first time, Converse is also reflecting the transgender community with a set of designs using the pink, blue and white of the trans flag. As well as straightforward rainbow stripes there are some amazing lightning bolt designs, and it's not just footwear; there are some great-looking tops, too, as well as a hat and a bum bag. Converse will be donating proceeds from its sales to long-standing local and global LGBTQ+ partners, including the It Gets Better Project. 04. Instagram Instagram has set up 10 Pride Month installations across New York [Image: Instagram] Instagram has quite a few tricks up its sleeve to mark Pride Month 2019. It's unveiling 10 installations across New York that celebrate lesser-known LGBTQ+ pioneers, places and movements, and with the #UntoldPride hashtag it plans to honour history, empower queer expression and foster safety across the Instagram platform. It's also introducing more inclusive gender options [Image: Instagram] Instagram is also rolling out some new features for Pride Month. Along with GLAAD it's identified a set of popular hashtags such as #lgbtq and #pride2019, which will be displayed in a rainbow gradient this month. It's also partnered with The Trevor Project to create a guide to online well-being and self-care, and it's updating its gender selection options in Profile to be more inclusive, with the 'Not specified' option being replaced by 'Prefer not to say' plus a 'Custom' option. 05. Budweiser It's not just rainbows; Budweiser has a flag cup for every identity [Image: Budweiser] Another brand that recognises that there's more to Pride Month than the rainbow flag is Budweiser. As a sponsor of Pride in London it's running an inclusive Fly the Flag campaign, and has produced a whole set of flag cups reflecting the many different palettes of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, ensuring that no community gets lost in the crowd. And to help ensure that its impact lasts beyond Pride, it's partnered with nine charities that support the whole LGBT+ community. 06. Gap For anyone who finds all these rainbow designs just a bit too loud, there's always Gap. Its Pride collection for 2019 turns down the saturation just enough so that you can show your support without dazzling anyone, and it's also produced a set of understated black and white videos focusing on LGBTQAI advocate Jodie Patterson and her 'chosen family' of friends, relatives, mentors and neighbours. Fifteen per cent of its Pride collection sales will go to the United Nations Foundation in support of the UN Free & Equal campaign. 07. Marks & Spencer The M&S sandwich is both brilliantly conceived and thoroughly delicious [Image: author's own] We can't do a Pride Month round-up without recognising the brilliance of Marks and Spencer's LGBT sandwich. Whoever came up with the notion of adding guacamole to a BLT, we salute you. We're pleased to note that M&S has donated £10,000 to the Albert Kennedy Trust, as well as another £1,000 to BeLong to Youth Services in Ireland. The sandwich is delicious, too. 08. NASA All right, NASA isn't officially supporting Pride. You may have noticed that the USA has banned its embassies from flying the rainbow flag during Pride Month, and someone at NASA has decided that this simply isn't good enough. In reaction the US State Department's ban, rogue NASA staff got artist Lauren Power to create a NASA Pride 2019 logo, and we absolutely love it. Head this way if you want a t-shirt, tank top, sticker or mug adorned by it; all proceeds go to the artist. Related articles: How to encourage diversity in the design industry Rainbow flag designer commemorated with free font family 6 times brands temporarily changed their packaging View the full article

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