Way Cool Tool for your Mac

 

I can not remember when I have been more excited about a new piece of software than I am about Skitch. Skitch is a free screen shot/image sharing and annotating tool that is just so well designed you will have to see it to believe it. When you do you will find yourself asking yourself, “Why isn’t all software like this?” It seems like plasq has not only created a whole new kind of application we didn’t know we needed, but thought of everything as they built it and created an interface sure to be envied (and hopefully emulated) across all computerdom. I’m (obviously) not ashamed to gush over this combination application/web service which might just be the exception to that “if it seems too good to be true” rule.

Sample uses for the crafter/blogger might include
-taking, annotating, sizing and organizing screen shots for use in blog or print/pdf tutorials
-ditto for webcam shots
-cropping, resizing and annotating digital camera photos or scans for posting on blogs or message boards
-facilitating multiple images in a single post on Cricut message board
-creation of dummy thumbnails for scut or svg files

Save money on wallet size photos

With graduation time approaching I thought I’d share a tip that saved me some cash last year. If you go though Walgreens, Walmart, etc., and order wallet sized photos, they will print them 4 to a sheet that is smaller than 4 x 6 inches total, but charge you .59-.99 versus .09-.19 for a 4 x 6 print. Fortunately, all you have to do to get around that is prepare your file “4-up” before you upload it to them and order 4 x 6s of that.

How you do this depends on the software you use. I use Photoshop, open my photo and crop it to 2 x 3″ (300dpi). Then I open a new file at 4 x 6″ (also 300dpi) and paste in the 2 x 3″ photo and then duplicate it 3 more times. You could do the same thing with multiple photos and any sizes that will fit within a 4 x 6″ document. Basically, you are making a simple collage and then cutting them apart after printing. The 4 x 6″ prints are the best value so it makes sense to do it this way, even if you have white space left over. The guy at the Walgreens photo counter may look at you funny when you pick them up, though