ACE Photoshop CS3 certification

Just a quick note to say we added Adobe Photoshop CS3 ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) certification to our roster today.

Photoshop is one of those software applications I admit, even as an amateur photography enthusiast, with which I enjoy a love-hate relationship. With so much power comes not only so much responsibility -- but also so much of a learning curve! And that's where some good training can always come in handy.

I love some of things that only Photoshop can do, but fully concede that there are easier and less expensive applications out there for a myriad of common and important photo editing tasks. For example, if you just need to crop, rotate, and/or resize a picture you took on your digital camera, but don't have or want to mess with other editing tools, consider the free and easily available www.phixr.com. You can edit a photo there without even signing up for an account.

That said, sometimes a professional or prosumer has "gotta have" the beast that can pretty much do it all, if you can tame it. And thus, the full version of Photoshop is out there.

(And finally, if you care to take this or other certification exams in the KC area, you can do so at Centriq Training.)

On the Road,

Eric J. Reid

Closing out 2008 with Flash ACE Certification

Just a brief update from Open Road Communications... Hope that you're all enjoying the holiday season, whether it's taking you on various journeys or keeping you safe and cozy at home. Last week, before closing the offices for the holidays, ORC added another ACE certification to the list, this time for Flash. Of course, Flash, like Dreamweaver, was previously a Macromedia product that Adobe acquired. Fortunately for fans of both products, Adobe has not discontinued either, but has instead continued to develop their capabilities.

Since 1996, Flash has added visual pizazz, animation and interactivity to the Web. Good usage of Flash can be tricky, and some other technologies (such as CSS and JavaScript) have replicated some of the benefits of Flash. But it remains a viable and attractive option for countless designers. And in recent incarnations, Flash has added XML data interactivity to increase its usefulness and flexibility in more situations. Plus, sometimes you just need a little action on the page or subtle responses to users that Flash can accomplish very well.

Again, if you care to take this or other certification exams in the KC area, you can do so at Centriq Training.

And have a great 2009. We certainly have big things in mind just over that hill.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

ACE and ACI Adobe Certifications

A few weeks ago, ORC updated its Adobe credentials for increased web design functions. ORC now adds ACE certification (Adobe Certified Expert) for Dreamweaver, and ACI certification (Adobe Certified Instructor) to its roster of certs. For those who may be considering it, the exam is a timed 80-minute exam with just over 70 questions covering 4 main topic areas:

1. Understanding Web technologies
2. Planning sites
3. Designing pages
4. Managing and maintaining sites

In Kansas City, you can schedule to take the exam at Centriq Training.

Dreamweaver has for many years been a leading (if not the leading) GUI web editor. Although like with any web editor it is fully possible to create "bad" or "poorly organized" code, or to achieve affects the user doesn't fully understand, Dreamweaver forfeits some control over code creation and maintenance for faster results with less upfront knowledge required. Additionally, many of the tools provided (such as templates, the sweet new Spry tools, and site-wide find/replace and link updating) can be huge time-savers and consistency helpers even for veteran coders. I personally consider it one of the best options for someone starting out their web career, and in some cases, a good option for someone trying to ease their management of ongoing sites.

So best wishes in continued growth and usage of the Web.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid