We Are Designers

Have far to many fonts? Can’t keep track if you really need that font or not? Then it’s time for you to invest in a font management program. For years Extensis has been making some of the industry leading software for just this. The latest incarnation of their font management software is called Suitcase Fusion but now it looks as though they are getting ready to release a major update, Suitcase Fusion 2.

The application is getting refresh of the user interface and even allows you to do a live font preview, which is something no other font utility has done in the past, at least to my knowledge. And if your like me and use the app on a daily basis, the $50.00 upgrade price looks like it be worth it. 

If you haven’t had the chance to try Adobe’s Kuler, an RIA (Rich Internet Application), then you’ve been missing out on one of best FREE tools a artist or designer could have. I first started using Kuler a little over a year ago and I have to say it gets used just about as often as I use Photoshop.

Basically, Kuler is a Flash application that was developed to generate themes of color that you can save or download as Adobe Swatch Exchange .ASE files and import into Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. Browse, download or even comment on other color themes people have generated, until your heart is content. Essentially Kuler acts and feels just like Illustrator’s Live Paint, but much easier to handle and for everyone to enjoy.

In the past year Kuler has even been upgraded to offer a new feature that allows color themes to be generated from a photo. You can either uplaod your own photo, or browse through public Flickr accounts. Heck, you can even sign into your Flickr account and grab your own photos. This new feature even has built in presets to help you find colors that work well together.

Kuler also comes in a bit size version of itself for use on your OS called Kuler Desktop. The AIR app is pretty much a slimmed down version of the online experience, but I’m sure they will eventually release it with all the same features.