Google Font API - Strange Glitches

Google recently released fonts that are accessible to all free of charge. Web designers can now reference them and expand our typographic possibilites. Pretty nifty. Here is where shit hits the fan. If you download these fonts to use in mockups in Photoshop all web browsers (barring chrome) have a glitch where they call on the regular font from the system instead of the italic/bold/bolditalic font.

This glitch only effects Droid Sans, and Droid Serif. Which is strange in itself. So there are two take home messages I have for you:

1. If you want to speed up your page loading by downloading these fonts, just skip Droid Sans and Serif, there is some goofy glitch that isn't worth your time.
2. If you want to use these fonts in mockups install the fonts directly to the Adobe Commons font directory, not the system font directory. 
1. This can be done by navigating to C:\Program Files\Common Files\ Adobe
2. Then either creating or entering a folder called "Fonts"
3. Place any extra fonts in here

I had a heck of a time working this out because the new version of Adobe CS5 doesn't create a Fonts folder. Chaos!

So there you have it. Feel free to check out the font api. If you are in to typography you will be seeing these fonts pop up everywhere in the very near future.

Clearing your swatches in photoshop

Stop dragging swatches to the bin in photoshop and just download this swatch packet. It has one color in it! Glorious, all you have to do is hit replace swatches, and voila.

http://dodona.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/how-do-i-clear-my-color-swatches-in-photoshop-cs3/

Photoshop Tutorials

If you don't mind the english language being butchered at every full stop then these photoshop web design tutorials are for you.

They give a great idea of designing with a web 2.0 look, using layer effects and a variety of tools. It isn't always the best explanation of what the tool does, but usually isn't too hard to grasp. Also the colors that are chosen aren't web safe (so make sure you aren't trying to select web safe!).

Most of the designs are dark with light text, but they look great.

http://www.grafpedia.com/category/tutorials