Everyone is going green and the vast number of log texture backgrounds on different websites and graphic artworks such as business cards, posters and others are proof enough of that. Web and graphic designers seem to love log texture backgrounds a lot because it helps tone down the atmosphere, even if the content has aggressive and extremely opinionated posts. With its ability to relax and make people more open-minded and receptive, log texture backgrounds are becoming more popular. Log textures are preferred by artists over plain backgrounds because it will let their designs look more realistic. It can be used on its own, or the texture can be draped over other artworks - all its takes is some creativity. A simple picture combined with a log texture can make it seem like the picture is etched in wood. It's simple, yet the result is very artistic and looks unique every time.

I recently finished reading Tim Brown's new book "Combining Typefaces." It's 63 pages. You can buy it for less than $5 on FiveSimpleSteps, as a pdf or epub. Combining Typefaces is a dense book. It goes through a lot of concepts very quickly, but I'm a fan of that. The book may be primarily about combining types, but I think it serves as a great introduction to typography as a whole. It goes over anatomy and general terminology, but the book primarily approaches typography as a form of artistic communication, instead of just a set of guidelines and formulas. This is important, because that means it accepts subjectivity. There is no one answer to type, no winning approach; all we have are the techniques and patterns observed and used by of artists and designers throughout centuries. It challenges you to think about typography in your own way: how will you create what you want to communicate? What will you use? How will you use it?

Although, it is widely believed that every project calls for unique solution, there are long established and time-tested approaches that can effectively arrange content on your website and work perfectly well for vast number of cases. For example, grid-based layouts are fairly common and are involved in almost every second project.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to combine Photoshop with Filter Forge to create a glowing 3D text effect. We will begin by showing you how to create basic shapes in Photoshop, we'll then show you how to convert them to 3D, and finally how to add the final touches using Filter Forge and a few of Photoshop's basic features. Let's get started!

Hi, before we have published Brown WordPress Websites. And today we'll show you some WordPress Websites using purple color. The purple is strong and vibrant color associated with both royalty and sprituality. And it can be used with different niches.

It's been quite a while since we last published an article in our series of iPad apps for the creative professional. As we all know there is no shortage of apps for the Apple tablet in general. Hundreds of thousands can be downloaded. All in all more than 50 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store since its inception, which allows us to roughly estimate, that each human being walking this earth must own 8 apps on average. Hey, the numbers never lie. The app we want to introduce to you today is called Tayasui Sketches and at first sight it will remind you of Paper by FiftyThree, closely. At second, too…

Since CSS shapes are becoming more important to website development, I thought that a simple list of how to create the most common shapes was in order. You'll find that most of these shapes are very simple to achieve and that they are not that complicated at all. However, at the same time they will save you a lot of trouble.

WordPress developers love to get into the system and hack away at their own function codes. Both JavaScript and PHP gurus are notorious for building some really amazing plugins. And since WordPress is open source it allows for greater accomplishments in much less time. I think one interesting area of the WP blogging platform is within user comments.

The usage for twitter is on the rise and growing day by day. Everyone wants to be unique in everything they do. That is the reason people get customized clothes, cars and accessories. They want everything of theirs to give a statement a about them. This trend has fast caught up social networking profiles. However, a few people know that they can actually improve and customize their twitter backgrounds as well. I am here to reveal these secrets to you:

No matter which media, the sci-fi genre captures the imagination like no other, be it film, TV, books, gaming or art. Sci-fi doesn't trend, it is simply always popular and has been for many years, and I am sure will be for many years to come. It is a genre that frees the imagination, the artist, game creator or author can go where they will in their own minds to create amazing works that need absolutely no grounding in reality, and of course, sci-fi does not always have to be serious as a few of the works below will prove. In this round-up, we have collected more than 50 beautifully imaginative examples of digital sci-fi art for your viewing pleasure.

We are constantly being reminded how important typography is in every aspect of design - that fact is well documented and well showcased. Typography also lends itself to art, and it is one area where art often meets design to produce a beautiful result. In this showcase we are bringing you a double dose of inspiration - be inspired by the quotes themselves and also by the presentation in amazing typographic form. In these examples the artists have produced designs to be proud of.

One of the most important aspects of a front-end framework is how it handles navigation. In this part of Foundation for Beginners, we'll take a look at several forms of navigation, along with some JavaScript tools which add extra flourish. I'll also introduce you to another helpful tool which will help you to become a better Foundation developer.

In the field of technology, mobile applications are the current fad. These applications, or apps as they are called in short, have become a very integral part of marketing, customer satisfaction, and overall brand management strategies of almost every business. With a good portion of the public turning to their mobile devices for everything they do, these applications help businesses keep in touch with their customers.

In the field of technology, mobile applications are the current fad. These applications, or apps as they are called in short, have become a very integral part of marketing, customer satisfaction, and overall brand management strategies of almost every business. With a good portion of the public turning to their mobile devices for everything they do, these applications help businesses keep in touch with their customers.

Fonts and typography are critical aspects of graphic design, and most designers can never have too many quality fonts in their arsenal. Using the right font for a headline can also help to make it stand out and grab the readers attention. In this article we'll showcase a collection of 20 fonts that are excellent options for use in headlines, and they are also free to download. Next time you need to design a bold headline that will capture the interest of readers, consider using one of these free fonts.

There's a plethora of new HTML5 form input types (13 new ones to be exact) that make creating engaging and easy-to-use web forms much easier for web designers. The new HTML5 input types give us data validation, date picker controls, color picker controls, inline help text, and more in the web browsers that support them. Advantage of HTML5 Form Input Types The benefits of these new input types are tremendous for web designers. First, the new input types reduce our reliance on client-side- and server-side-scripting for validating common data types like dates, email addresses, and URLs. For mobile UI developers: You know that creating cross-platform web forms using HTML4 standards is a pain. Using HTML5 form input types could make things easier. For instance, a form written with HTML5 can utilize the mobile device's native specialized keyboards depending on what the target input type is. Here's an example of using HTML4 input types (on the left) for entering dates in a web form versus using the HTML5 date input type (on the right):

If you're looking to quickly and easily pull together a posh design piece, we've got just the trick! Vector ornaments can instantly add a touch of class and richness to promote the quality of your work instantly. Looking for Christmas ornament vectors instead? Check 'em out here Vector ornaments - inspired by the Victorian-era - are always intricate and possess a soft, feminine feel. It's these dressy details that help to convey the wealthy, rich state present during Queen Victoria's reign by which this time period was inspired and therefore, named after. This rich style is conveyed through the use of swirls, flowing florals, and beautiful borders often present in this type of elegant design, so if you're creating a design for something a bit more on the formal side, vector ornaments can pull your delicate design together. Grab an ornament frame or florals to seamlessly piece together a wedding invitation in a jiffy. Or emphasize a section of text in a piece by placing a swirl ornament above and below your text to frame it in a feminine way. (Pro tip: this can also be an easy approach to creating a logo for an upscale business!) Vector ornaments were also widely used during the 1920's vintage era and consequently are widely present in old-timey designs (think vintage movie poster designs). So this design type can also be used to go retro with your work! When working with this style of design, there is one key thing to remember: a little goes a long way. Since vector ornaments are very detailed designs, you'll want to maintain your classy look by using them sparingly. Otherwise, your design will look too busy and overcrowded. Also because of the intricate details present in vector ornaments, these designs can be laborious to create. Instead of spending hours, download them from Vecteezy where we've hooked you up with top-notch vector ornaments. Below is a list of list of some of the most popular vector ornaments available from our communi

E-books about principles of design, and specifically about web design, are getting more and more popular. Years ago these kind of information can only be found on universities, but now they're everywhere and people are taking them in like hungry lions. If you don't know this, well, seriously, what rock have you been living under last year? Sacha Greif wrote "Step by Step UI design" Jarrod Drysdale wrote "Bootsrapping Design" Nathan Barry wrote three e-books, "App Design Handbook", "Designing Web Applications" and "Authority".

If you are part of an organization like hongkiat.com, chances are you are working with colleagues all around the world who start and stop working at different hours. Trying to set up a meeting or have a discussion can be a headache to figure out, particularly when you have a hard time differentiating between GMT, PST, PDT and other time-zone acronyms. Even if there are no meetings to schedule, with an Internet connection you can watch world events like a football match, the Olympics, a keynote or an awards show live on your computer - so long as you can figure out what time it starts locally. Today, we've compiled the 10 best time zone converters for use on desktop or mobile to help you keep track of your global appointments. And if you are an regular traveler, this may even help you pick the perfect time to call home.

Line25 Sites of the Week is a weekly roundup of the most outstanding website designs that I stumble across during my every day browsing. In this week's collection, we have designs from Juliana Bicycles, Simple as Milk, Charlie Waite, @JRDN_SPRW and productOps.

People who have managed their own startup or websites online will know the stressors which come along through the job. It will require some finesse and a lot of research online. To install a CMS, create your own theme, back up the database, and fix bugs will require a whole toolbox of knowledge. But there are some helpful resources to be found online which may expedite the process of creating new website launches.