I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I don’t plan these columns in advance. Most months, I receive an email from newspaper industry executive Jack Guza remi.... Read More

As I write this, I’ve just returned from a trip to Marysville, Kansas, where I worked with the staff of The Marysville Advocate on their new design, which went to the pr.... Read More

Excuse my repetition, but for those who didn't read my column last month titled, "Planning for Adobe Type 1 Conundrum in January," there is a storm brewing, and it's not comin.... Read More

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.” (The more things change, the more they stay the.... Read More

I’m not that old. Seriously, I’m not. But in my work with newspapers, I’ve worked with so many younger people that I sometimes feel like Yoda (for you Star W.... Read More

In all, these videos include 4.5 hours of training for everyone on your staff. Topics include: Designing (and redesigning) better pages Creating more effective ads to imp.... Read More

I had a great time last month, as I got out a little more to visit newspapers in multiple states. What I learned inspired, invigorated, and reminded me of much that is going w.... Read More

It’s late as I write this column, just around midnight. There’s nothing unusual about that. I tend to write my columns, stories, and books late in the evening. App.... Read More

Redesigns. They’ve been on my mind a lot lately. When Ed Henninger, the undisputed guru of newspaper and magazine design, decided to retire three years ago (I never rea.... Read More

In my end-of-year column last month, I mentioned that newspapers and magazines are uniquely positioned to utilize government grants to pay for on-site training. I first became.... Read More

I’m seeing good things of late. People are starting to come out to conventions and training sessions again. Newspapers tell me they’re starting to refill positions that were c.... Read More

I ran into Paul Niemann at a newspaper conference in Missouri a few months ago. It seems that Paul has made a living writing a series called Red, White & True Mysteries for ne.... Read More

Wendy MacDonald, with Family Features, has been after me for years to take a look at their products for newspapers. I’ve seen their booth at dozens of newspaper conferences ov.... Read More

My inbox has been especially full lately. That makes it harder to answer every question personally, but I try to answer as many questions as I can. Let me share a few I’ve rec.... Read More

It was about two years ago when Rob Heller mentioned that we should start offering Soundslides classes at the Institute of Newspaper Technology. He explained that it was the e.... Read More

Charles, a newspaper designer from Kentucky, just sent a question via Facebook asking how to convert files from his Sony camcorder to a format he could use in Adobe Premier CS.... Read More

Each year, I release a list of hardware and software recommendations for newspapers. With newspapers spending less this year, I’ve trimmed this list to items which tend.... Read More

Many of you know that I direct a training program for newspaper designers, publishers and I.T. related staff called the Institute of Newspaper Technology. The schedule for.... Read More

I’ll never forget my first business. It was a publishing company. I came up with the idea and shared it with a friend during a water skiing outing on Thanksgiving Day 1988. Ye.... Read More

As we say in Tennessee, we are smack dab in the middle of convention season. Here in the states, most press associations conduct their conventions sometime between late Januar.... Read More

Everyone loves good surprises. I

I

My desk has been piling up with products I

Three excellent books for newspaper designers and technology staff persons arrived in the mail this week. All three should be available by the time you read this: Real Worl.... Read More

This story begins during a visit with Scott Winfrey, publisher of The Carthage (Tenn.) Courier, near the end of the last millennium. Back in those days, we still had a handful.... Read More

It has to be some kind of record. At least it

OK. I didn't mean to write another column about PDF files. After a week at the beach with my family, I arrived at the office with plans to pen my annual "favorites" column, pr.... Read More

Adobe, watch out! Here comes Apple with its own photo editing application. Announced in late November, Aperture is built to lure the professional photographer with powerfu.... Read More

Our friends at A Lowly Apprentice Production have been coming up with good ideas for years. I call them "friends" because they create products that make the designer's life a.... Read More