CreativeTechs » QuickTips #207

CreativeTechs QuickTips #207

Week of July 7, 2008

Creative Tip: Fix the Finder's Odd Sort When Opening Files.

Try this test on your Mac: Select a collection of ten image files in the Finder and open them in Photoshop. You can double-click the files, or drag them onto the Photoshop icon in your dock.

Do they open in the order you expected? Chances are Photoshop opens the images in a seemingly random order. How frustrating!

This annoyance isn't limited to Photoshop. With a few exceptions, opening a list of files from the Mac OS X Finder results in a random order in most applications. In this tip we'll cover 3 workarounds to solve this odd behavior.

Full Tip: Avoid the Finder's Odd Sort When Opening Files.

Source: This tip is inspired by a range of frustrated phone calls we've received about this issue over the years.

Business Tip: Track Craigslist Opportunities using RSS.

RSS feeds are a great way to stay updated whenever new articles (or tips) are posted to your favorite blog. But the usefulness doesn't stop there. As you become more comfortable using RSS feeds, you'll discover all sorts of handy ways you can use RSS to grow your business.

For example, you can turn any search on Craigslist into a personalized RSS feed that notifies you whenever newly posted listings fit your search criteria:

Full Tip: Track Craigslist Opportunities using RSS.

Still fuzzy what RSS is about? Here are two tips to clear things up:

Bonus Tip 1: What is RSS? A Fun (Short) Video.
Bonus Tip 2: Subscribe to RSS news feeds in Safari.

Source: This tip loosely inspired by our upcoming July 30 workshop, Blog Your Studio, in which we'll demonstrate how (among other things) to create an RSS feed of your studio's portfolio, so interested clients and colleagues can always stay updated on your latest work.

Reader Survey: What Online Workshops Do You Want?

Each week we get emails and phone calls from readers outside of Seattle who want to sign up for one of our workshops. We've been promising an online test of these classes for people in other parts of the country.

So we're opening the question up to you: What topics are you most interested in? Visit this quick survey and simply check off any topics you'd like to see offered as an online webinar:

Survey: CreativeTechs Online Workshop Topics

The responses we get to this survey will help us determine whether to offer online workshops. So if you are interested, please participate.

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 designer Andy White at BlueShoe Design.
Referred by Photographer Heather McCutchen with Wander and Scrawl.

Stanley Hainsworth of Tether Inc.
Referred by designer Kari Strand also with Tether Inc.

Design and production artist Amy Betton.
Referred by graphic designer Julie Jennings.

Graphic artist Jennifer Anderson-Medau at Costco Wholesale.
Referred by designer Shannon Sorem also at Costco Wholesale.

Marketing writer Shana McNally at Costco Wholesale.
Referred by Mac IT manager Mark Williamson also at Costco Wholesale.

Designer Cynthia Coburn at Washington Dental Service.
Referred originally through a Mac OS X Font Management talk at SVC.

Design assistant Randi Herrin at Washington Dental Service.
Referred by Cynthia Coburn at Washington Dental Service.

Seattle Mac support Ruben Jeffries at MacDaddy Seattle .
Referred via an Apple Leopard Certification workshop with NW Mac Pros.

Designer Tim Dulany at Pink on Vinyl.
Referred via Eugene Hastey at CG Tech Services.

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.

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