Tom Arah explains why the new Windows Presentation Foundation in Windows Vista is set to revolutionize computer-based design.

Recently I’ve looked at the history of computer-based design for both print and screen. It’s been a strange story with many twists and turns...

Tom Arah looks at the history, problems, solutions and future of designing for the screen.

Previously I looked at the history of desktop publishing (DTP) with its focus on print-based design and output to paper. However the advent of the Apple Mac and of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) into the mainstream of personal computing also heralded the opening up of an entirely new publishing medium and one that is set to become even more important than paper – the computer screen itself.

Tom Arah looks at the surprising history of professional desktop publishing and the current state of play.

The generally-accepted wisdom is that desktop publishing (DTP) was invented by Steve Jobs and Apple with the launch of the Apple Mac in 1984. It’s certainly true that the Mac’s Graphical User Interface (GUI) enabled bitmapped fonts, images and layouts to be both viewed onscreen and printed – a whole new world compared to character-based PC systems.

Tom Arah investigates the use of the web as a free online photo source.

It's a common question : how do you find images for your creative projects – for free. And at first sight the answer might seem obvious...

Tom Arah investigates how to bring your colour under control

In these days of full-colour displays, budget colour lasers and photo-quality inkjets it might seem that computer-based colour handling is hardly an issue. But when you need accurate and consistent colour it’s another matter entirely...