CreativeTechs » QuickTips #200

Creative Tip: The 10 Most Popular Creative Tips So Far.

Today marks our 200th straight Monday publishing this weekly tips email newsletter. Whew! It's been a lot of work, and a lot of fun. We'd like to send a big thank you to all our readers who have helped make this publication a huge success. Check out some of the most visited tips over the last year, and stay tuned! We're just getting warmed up.

Creative #1: Quick Skin Tone Retouching in Photoshop.

Creative #2: Build Animated GIFs in Photoshop.

Creative #3: Create Letterhead Templates in MS Word.

Creative #4: Make The Logo Bigger. The Song.

Creative #5: Remove unwanted people from public photos.

Creative #6: Transparent Gradients in Illustrator CS/CS2.

Creative #7: Photoshop CS3's Automatic People Remover.

Creative #8: Free! Icons for your Website, Blog, Etc.

Creative #9: Adobe Pen Tool Cheatsheet.

Creative #10: How to smooth skin in Photoshop.

Source: This top ten list comes from actual web traffic over the last year on our online tips archive as tracked by Google Analytics. If you missed it, we have a tip about that of course: Who visits your website? Use Google Analytics.

Tech Tip: The 10 Most Popular Tech Tips So Far.

Each week we bring you a pair of creative and tech tips drawn directly from our real-world experience supporting hundreds of Mac-based creative teams across the greater Seattle area. Take a moment to peruse the most visited tech tips over the last year.

Tech #1: Change Microsoft Office's serial number, Easy!.

Tech #2: Avoid serial number headaches with CS3!

Tech #3: Set default applications in Mac OS X.

Tech #4: My Mac Won't Start! A Tiny Guide.

Tech #5: Six free Internet speed test sites.

Tech #6: Mac OS X Shortcuts! A Tiny Guide.

Tech #7: What is a good microphone for podcasting?

Tech #8: Garbled Fonts Troubleshooting Guide.

Tech #9: Reset a lost Mac OS X password.

Tech #10: Fold your own iPhone today.

Source: For even more technically focused articles, check out Jordan Bojar's Make Mac Work blog — yet another weekly publication from CreativeTechs. What's my favorite tech tip that didn't make this list? What is RSS? A description in plain English.

Seattle Workshop: Marketing with Email Newsletters.

Interested in learning more about using email newsletters as a marketing tool for your clients, or your own studio? We are offering a special Seattle workshop on May 28th: Marketing with HTML Email Newsletters. There are only a few slots left, so if you are interested in attending, sign up today. REGISTER

In a recent interview, Cynthia Hartwig, a mainstay in Seattle's advertising community, offered some timely thoughts about our own tips newsletter:

"I love CreativeTechs' marketing program. I get their tips newsletter every week. They are so consistent with it. They've never missed a week. The tips aren't always things I need, but it's amazing how many times they'll hit something that I need to know that day.

"Most people make the mistake of marketing as selling how great they are. I would never read an email from CreativeTechs if they were just bragging about themselves. And yet, here I've invited them into my personal computer on a weekly basis.

"I've heard they get 100,000 visits on their tips website each month. So there's this whole international community out there that knows this small business in Seattle, which is, in a way, unheard of. They're thought leaders within the community. That's a perfect place to be, and it's all based on knowledge. They look really smart. And they are smart."

Source: These wonderful comments came up spontaneously in a client interview last week. Cynthia graciously allowed us to quote her for publication today. Thanks Cynthia!

Your referrals wanted! Referrals from our clients and readers are what keeps CreativeTechs healthy and in business. As a small thank-you, every week we send a Free Mini-Workshop Pass to new Seattle-area subscribers, plus the friend or colleague who referred them:

Graphic design student Andrea Goodno at Seattle Central Graphic Design.
Referred by instructor Jennifer Kennard at Seattle Central Graphic Design.

Art director Liz Leines at Morning Sun in Tacoma.
Referred originally by photographer Adam Leahy.

Photographer & digital tech Micah Vacatio at Iridio.
Referred through Seattle's School of Visual Concepts.

CreativeTechs QuickTips is a free weekly newsletter for creative professionals who use Macs. Each week we publish a fresh mix of left-brain and right-brain tips based on our real world experience supporting hundreds of creative teams in the greater Seattle area. For a complete archive of previous tips, visit www.creativetechs.com/tips

For IT Professionals supporting Mac users, visit Make Mac Work. This weekly technical blog focuses on IT issues facing Macs in Enterprise environments. It is written by CreativeTechs' lead enterprise engineer, Jordan Bojar. For an archive of previous topics, visit www.makemacwork.com

Your referrals wanted! CreativeTechs relies on word-of-mouth introductions. If you know a Seattle-area creative team who might benefit from our unique expertise providing computer support for creative professionals, please introduce us. We are never too busy for your referrals. Email help@creativetechs.com, or call us at 206-682-4315.