I just read a great article on Line25 about the common HTML tag misuses. If you’re using the <small> tag to make your text smaller instead of using CSS to control your text sizes, then you’re doing it wrong.
Author Archives: Brian Lancaster-Mayzure
CSS Shorthand: font
I’d actually like to use CSS shorthand in my code more, but the biggest problem I have is remembering the shorthand syntax!
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Displaying ligatures on the web with CSS
Those of us in graphic design are in the know about type features such as ligatures. In typography, a ligature occurs where two or more letters are joined as a single glyph in fonts that support them. A good example of a ligature is the lowercase f and the lowercase i characters. They can be displayed separately, but some fonts contain a ligature glyph of the f and i joined as fi.
Cool drop shadows with CSS
I remember the old days before CSS was widely used. They were dark days, indeed. When you wanted to place a drop shadow behind a photo on your website, you didn’t have a lot of choices except to place the drop shadow on the photo in Photoshop, and hope that the background matched. We’ve come a long way since then.
The Grid System with Bootstrap
A few posts ago, I introduced you to Bootstrap, an HTML+CSS framework that makes formatting websites and pages easier. There are lots of advantages to using Bootstrap, but one of its biggest advantages is the grid system.
Make your links stand out with only CSS!
CSS3 has added so many great features and effects. One effect that I like to use is the link color transition effect (just hover over this link to see it in action).
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A Look at CSS Frameworks: Bootstrap
With the rise of web standards, the introduction of HTML5, and the advances in CSS in the past decade, CSS frameworks have become an easy way to build websites. No longer do you have to re-invent the wheel each time, instead you can use one of many pre-built frameworks that are feature-packed to quickly produce the results you want, including responsive web pages.
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13 Realities of Being a Graphic Designer
Sharlene King, Programming Director for AIGA Chicago and designer at Morningstar, Inc., takes on for-profit design school marketing propaganda aimed at aspiring graphic designers in an article on her blog entitled “13 Realities of Being a Graphic Designer”. Some of this could also apply to our school, Columbia College Chicago.
Learning ‘The Secret Handshake’
I recently ran across a website called The Secret Handshake, put together by a local studio called Bright Bright Great (who are, incidentally, my neighbors in Avondale). The site is “a resource for student designers and young creatives looking for insider insight, honest answers and solid solutions to go pro.”
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Text Editors: My Picks
Having a good text editor is key when working in web design and development. Sure, TextEdit on Mac and Notepad on Windows will get the job done, but they lack features that make writing HTML and CSS easier. There are better text editors out there, and here are a few of my picks.
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