Thursday, November 11, 2010

Schoolwork

Most of you probably know that I have gone back to school to do a design intensive. For anyone who didn't know or was too shy to ask, I am learning to be better and more efficient at doing stuff like layouts and photo manipulation. I guess that might sound a bit dry, but it isn't always, and I really am improving fast. Hopefully when I have more time I'll be able to integrate more drawing elements or hand-lettering into these kinds of projects.

Here's what one of my homework assignments looks like.


















Image from http://mariannika.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/wacky-cupcakes/ where you can also find the Wacky Cake recipe in its original context.

In somewhat related matters I have a few questions for those of you in the clicking/drawing/making trades. I have been experiencing a lot of eyeball strain and back pain, and the beginnings of generalized flabbiness, as a result of all this computering. Do you have any tips to toughen me up or at least save my eyesight? I'm a bit concerned as this will eventually be my job.

Bonus question: Colours that look fine on my computer are attrocious on everyone else's computer, it seems. My CS colourspaces are all synchronized and I have tried changing the colourspace of my computer (I am using windows vista on a laptop so perhaps my monitor is partly to blame) but to no avail. Someone told me the problem is that PCs are not calibrated whereas Macs are calibrated, but they didn't elaborate beyond that. I thought you calibrate TO something, like another device or a peripheral like a printer. Can something just BE calibrated? Is that what my problem is?

Thanks!

4 comments:

  1. Don't computer in the dark (he says sitting in the dark). Focusing from dark to light causes eye strain. Back pain is how you're sitting, don't hunch over the keyboard or lean towards the screen. Move the keyboard/screen closer to you. Flab, take breaks and walk around, if you're going to snack then snack wisely. Grapes and little sliced veggies are best and filling. Chasing after grapes that roll away is good exercise.

    Colors...no monitor comes "properly" calibrated. Over time the way any screen displays colors will shift. To get as accurate results as possible you can have it calibrated. A device will sit on the screen and read the light emissions from the primary colors and then create a color profile for you. The device is about 100$ or ask someone who has one to do it for you. The process is 2-3 minutes.

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  2. Thanks for your helpful comments. Unfortunately I have eye strain regardless of never using the computer with the lights out, and had when I worked in an office as well. It seems like I may just be more predisposed to it than others.

    What I don't understand about calibrating with a spider or a Huey is how lighting factors in. My lighting environment is particularly yellow - it's not because I want it that way, it's what I have. Is that a factor with an external device and if it is how does one mitigate that beyond purchasing new lightbulbs?

    Thanks again,
    -m

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  3. External lighting sources shouldn't effect how the device calibrates your screen, at least it has never been a problem for me.

    If the light/dark isn't a factor in eyestrain maybe it's mixed lighting causing the problem. Different types of light bulbs are different colors and this can also cause eye strain or you might need glasses.

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  4. Luckily I don't need glasses yet, though I suppose that day is inevitable.

    Thanks again,
    -m

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