In addition to designing and developing, I am primarily a “how-to” writer. I can’t help but voice my opinions and enjoy blogging so that I can share what I have learned with others.

If you are looking for technical content please contact me.

These links will take you to the company’s blog site where they were published.

Blog Writing

UX

• April 7, 2020 – Seven tips for designing user-friendly AR experiences in the ‘new normal’
• January 21, 2020 – Seven tips for creating better digital experiences for older users
• December 3, 2019 – How can UX professionals plan for AI as it shapes the future of the industry?
• October 24, 2019 – What do UX designers need to know about accessibility?
• August 22, 2019 – Five reasons why UX Design and Product Management are a perfect match
• September 26, 2018 – 5 tips for planning successful user testing
• December 12, 2017 – The Guide to Design Consistency: Best Practices for UI and UX Designers

WordPress Technical Tutorials

• September 5, 2019 – How to import and export Gutenberg blocks
• October 23, 2018 – How to make a custom 404 page in a WordPress child theme
• March 13, 2018 – How to add jQuery to your WordPress theme
• March 7, 2018 – Simple customizations for your Genesis child theme
• February 28, 2018 – How to add a responsive Google Map in WordPress
• September 20, 2017 – How to optimize your WordPress RSS feed
• July 31, 2017 – How to make animated screenshots of design work for your portfolio
• June 1, 2017 – How to create SVG animations with CSS
• April 19, 2017 – How to add Instagram photos to WordPress sites
• January 4, 2017 – How to use the WordPress Visualizer Charts and Graphs plugin
• December 12, 2016 – How to create a custom WordPress login page
• December 5, 2016 – How to add a PDF download to your WordPress posts
• November 14, 2016 – How to A/B test feature images in WordPress
• October 28, 2016 – How to add Facebook Likes and Reactions to a WordPress post
• September 22, 2016 – How to create and use custom fields in WordPress
• September 1, 2016 – How to add an author bio to WordPress posts
• July 13, 2016 – How to build your very own WordPress plugin
• June 22, 2016 – How to create a WordPress child theme
• June 3, 2016 – How to start an email newsletter for your WordPress blog
• May 11, 2016 – How to add charts to your WordPress site using D3.js
• April 20, 2016 – 5 WordPress plugins for building forums and communities
• April 8, 2016 – WordPress form plugins: Which one is best for your site?
• March 16, 2016 – The basics of WordPress Multisite
• March 3, 2016 – WordPress API basics: What it means and how to use it
• November 3, 2015 – How to run a development copy of your WordPress site
• October 15, 2015 – Gravatars in WordPress: What are they and how to use them
• August 11, 2015 – Easy ways to create a sitemap for your WordPress site
• July 11, 2015 – Everything you need to know about WordPress hooks
• June 22, 2015 – Where do WordPress customizations go? Plugins or themes?
• June 9, 2015 – How to create a custom WordPress meta box
• April 15, 2015 – How to customize your Genesis Child Theme

Web Design Technical Tutorials

• March 25, 2020 – Creative text flows using CSS shapes
• February 2, 2019 – How to create SVG animations with CSS
• April 4, 2018 – How to create a card layout using CSS Grid Layout
• February 14, 2018 – How to create a sticky website header
• August 15, 2017 – How to combine Flexbox and CSS grids for efficient layouts
• April 7, 2017 – How to create 3D designs with the CSS3 transform property
• March 21, 2017 – How to use CSS3 transitions and transforms to create animations
• February 21, 2017 – How to use Flexbox to create a modern card design layout
• January 23, 2017 – How to use CSS blend modes
• October 3, 2016 – How to use CSS Feature Queries
• August 10, 2016 – How to create a simple layout with CSS Grid Layouts
• August 3, 2016 – How to use CSS and SVG clipping and masking techniques
• February 2, 2016 – How to create a sticky website header
• September 30, 2015 – How to add Font Awesome to your WordPress site
• August 27, 2015 – How to style your website for print with CSS
• May 21, 2015 – How to design emails for a mobile first approach
• May 15, 2015 – Improve your workflow with prototyping tools for designers
• April 6, 2015 – Design for web accessibility from the beginning
• March 30, 2015 – Use CSS Sprites to make your logo responsive
• January 29, 2015 – How to create shapes with CSS3
• December 26, 2014 – How to animate with CSS – five simple projects for your site
• November 24, 2014 – How to add a sticky back-to-top button on your website
• November 18, 2014 – Want to use SVG?

Web Designer Tools

• September 17, 2018 – How to design for the web using design patterns
• January 18, 2016 – Everything you need to know about web fonts
• December 30, 2015 – Rems, ems, and pixels. What’s the difference?
• November 30, 2015 – Web animations and modern web design technology
• November 16, 2015 – What to expect with Bootstrap 4
• September 29, 2015 – Why you should start using Font Awesome
• February 9, 2015 – Yes, you should create a web style guide and here’s what you should put in it

General Marketing

• December 15, 2015 – Website testing with Google Content Experiments
• September 14, 2015 – Tips for planning SEO strategy before your site goes live
• April 23, 2012 – Etsy – What Is It and How Does One Get Started?
  

Printing

Designer Inspiration

• August 23, 2014 – Modern Typography Trends
  

Graphic Design Software Tools and Technical Tutorials

• May 12, 2016 – How To: Pattern Text Fill in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign
  
• April 4, 2016 – How to Create Duotone and Tritone Images
  
• February 24, 2016 – Create a 3-D Photo Effect in Adobe Photoshop
  
• February 23, 2016 – Photo Adjustment Techniques for Custom Branding
  
• February 13, 2016 – Create Comic Book Inspired Typography in Adobe Illustrator
  
• November 7, 2015 – Create Unique Pull Quotes in Adobe InDesign
  
• October 3, 2015 – How to Wrap a Texture Around an Object in Adobe Photoshop
  
• August 22, 2015 – Blob Brush Tool In Adobe Illustrator
  
• August 15, 2015 – HDR and Panoramic Merge in Adobe Photoshop
  
• August 1, 2015 – Explore the Artboard Feature in Photoshop
  
• July 25, 2015 – How to Use the Note Feature in Adobe InDesign
  
• June 27, 2015 – Step and Repeat Setup in Adobe Photoshop
  
• June 20, 2015 – 5 Top Underutilized Tools in Adobe Photoshop
  
• June 13, 2015 – How to Incorporate Textures in Your Illustrations
  
• May 30, 2015 – Collage Techniques in Adobe Illustrator
  
• May 23, 2015 – Object Styles in Adobe InDesign
  
• May 9, 2015 – Using Multiple Artboards in Adobe Illustrator
  
• May 2, 2015 – Quick Saving Options from Adobe Photoshop
  
• April 25, 2015 – How to Make Objects Look 3D in Adobe Illustrator
  
• April 4, 2015 – Make Your Design Glow Using Adobe Photoshop
  
• March 28, 2015 – Add Lens Flair to Your Design in Adobe Photoshop
  
• March 21, 2015 – Add a Glossy Look to Vector Graphics
  
• February 28, 2015 – Add Depth to Vector Art in Adobe Illustrator
  
• February 21, 2015 – Remove Background From an Image in Adobe Photoshop
  
• February 14, 2015 – How to Align Objects in Adobe InDesign
  
• January 31, 2015 – Create a Double-Exposure Effect in Adobe Photoshop
  
• January 24, 2015 – Clipping Masks in Adobe Photoshop
  
• January 17, 2015 – Create a Stained Glass Window Graphic
  
• September 6, 2014 – How to: Create a Step and Repeat Pattern with Adobe InDesign
  
• December 20, 2014 – Pathfinder Options in Adobe Illustrator Using the Pathfinder Palette
  
• November 15, 2014 – Creating Animated Gifs in Adobe Photoshop
  
• October 18, 2014 – Benefits of the Content Collector in Adobe InDesign
  
• October 11, 2014 – Spookify Your Photo Just in Time for Halloween with Adobe Photoshop
  
• October 4, 2014 – Create a Screenprint Effect in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign
  
• September 20, 2014 – Text and Image Combination for Poster Design
  
• September 13, 2014 – Making Your Logo Digital with Adobe Illustrator
  
• September 6, 2014 – How to: Create a Step and Repeat Pattern with Adobe InDesign
  
• July 12, 2014 – Adobe InDesign Auto Numbering on Tickets
  
• June 21, 2014 – Annotate Photos with Adobe InDesign Live Captions
  
• June 14, 2014 – Content Aware – A Powerful Adobe Photoshop Tool
  
• June 7, 2014 – Create and Use the Symbol Tool in Adobe Illustrator
  
• May 3, 2014 – How to Format Fractions Like a Pro in Adobe InDesign
  
• April 19, 2014 – Create PDF Forms with Adobe InDesign
  
• April 12, 2014 – Data Display Options Using the Chart Feature in Adobe Illustrator
  
• April 5, 2014 – Channel Basics in Adobe Photoshop
  
• March 29, 2014 – Create a Table of Contents with Adobe InDesign
  
• March 22, 2014 – Use the Warp Tool to Create the Perfect Team Logo Text
  
• March 15, 2014 – How to Use Old Style Figures in Adobe InDesign
  
• March 1, 2014 – Object Blending Basics in Adobe Illustrator
  
• February 22, 2014 – How to Use Blend Modes in Adobe Photoshop
  
• January 25, 2014 – Using Layout Guides In Your Adobe Creative Suite Program
  
• December 14, 2013 – 5 How to Use Fonts From the Typekit Library in Adobe InDesign CC
  
• December 7, 2013 – 5 Tips to Improve Your Workspace in Adobe Photoshop
  
• November 16, 2013 – Make a PDF From a File That Contains Transparency Effects in Adobe InDesign
  
• September 28, 2013 – Turn Your Sketches Into Vector Art with Adobe Illustrator
  
• August 3, 2013 – Pantone Matching System and How to Achieve Accurate Color
  
• July 27, 2013 – Make Custom Brushes in Adobe Photoshop
  
• July 20, 2013 – Perfect Brochure Setup Using Adobe InDesign Master Pages
  
• June 15, 2013 – Creating a Seamless Pattern in Illustrator CS6
  
• May 12, 2013 – How to Make a Step and Repeat Pattern for Step and Repeat Banners
  
• March 4, 2013 – What’s a bleed? How do I set one in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop?
  
• July 27, 2012 – Booklet Setup from Start to Finish
  

Designer Tips & Tricks

• May 9, 2019 – Website color schemes: Theory, practice, and inspiration
  
• September 26, 2015 – Sketching Tips for Better Designs in Adobe Illustrator
  
• July 18, 2015 – Pinterest Tips for Designers
  
• July 11, 2015 – How to Grow Your Design Skills When You Are Insanely Busy
  
• July 4, 2015 – Tips and Tricks for Presenting Logo Concepts to Clients
  
• June 6, 2015 – Where to Find Great InDesign Tutorials
  
• March 14, 2015 – Tips and Tricks for Creating a Brand Style Guide
  
• January 10, 2015 – 5 Ways to Improve Your Adobe Illustrator Workflow
  
• January 3, 2015 – Graphic Design Apps for Designers On the Go
  
• August 2, 2014 – 5 Tips for Organizing Your Adobe Bridge
  
• July 26, 2014 – Achieve Greater Definition with the Photoshop Smart Sharpen Filter
  
• July 19, 2014 – Variable Data vs. Auto Numbering – Tips, Tricks and Examples
  
• May 31, 2014 – Tips for Importing Microsoft Word Files Into Adobe InDesign
  
• May 24, 2014 – Create a Fish-Eye Look in Adobe Photoshop
  
• May 17, 2014 –Create Rain Drops in Adobe Photoshop
  
• April 26, 2014 – Logo Design Comps Using Adobe Photoshop
  
• March 8, 2014 – 5 Helpful Tips for Using Adjustment Layer Options in Adobe Photoshop
  
• February 15, 2014 – Tips for Cutting and Pasting from Adobe Illustrator to Adobe InDesign
  
• February 8, 2014 – Long Document Navigation Tips for Adobe InDesign
  
• February 1, 2014 – Efficiently Control Visibility of Adobe Illustrator Layers in Adobe InDesign
  
• January 18, 2014 – Eyedropper Tricks in Adobe Photoshop
  
• January 11, 2014 – Create Dramatic Photos with Radial Blur in Adobe Photoshop
  
• December 28, 2013 – Tips and Tricks for Using Gradients in Adobe Photoshop
  
• December 21, 2013 – Gain Perspective with Adobe Illustrator’s Perspective Tool
  
• November 23, 2013 – Design Smarter with InDesign Templates
  
• November 9, 2013 – More Quick and Simple Adobe InDesign Shortcuts
  
• November 2, 2013 – Quick and Simple Adobe InDesign Shortcuts
  
• October 26, 2013 – Revive a Blurry Photo with Adobe Photoshop CC’s Camera Shake Reduction
  
• October 9, 2013 – Optical Vs. Metric Kerning in Adobe InDesign
  
• September 21, 2013 – Work Smarter and Faster with Nested Styles in Adobe InDesign
  
• September 11, 2013 – 5 Simple Ways to Boost Contrast in Your Digital Photos with Adobe Photoshop
  
• August 23, 2013 – Layer Organization Tips in Adobe Photoshop
  
• August 10, 2013 – 5 Reasons to Use Adobe InDesign for Postcard Printing
  
• June 29, 2013 – Tips and Tricks for Creating a Modern Online Graphic Design Portfolio
  
• June 5, 2013 – Should I Move to the Cloud or Keep CS6?
  
• June 1, 2013 – So Long Creative Suite, Hello Creative Cloud: Important Information for InDesign Users
  
• May 5, 2013 – Interested in Taking Your Graphic Design Skills to the Web? Free Resources Worth Trying
  
• March 6, 2013 – Brochure Printing 101: How to Choose the Right Paper
  
• July 31, 2012 – Copywriting Tips for Booklets
  

Printed Product and Process Content

• March 30, 2016 – How to Create a Pillow Box
  
• March 23, 2016 – How to Set Up a Clear Window Cling with White Ink
  
• January 9, 2016 – Create a Vector Signature for Signed Letters or Cards
  
• January 2, 2016 – Create Snowflakes with Digital Die Cutting
  
• December 12, 2015 – Tips and Tricks for Creating a Printed Newsletter
  
• November 21, 2015 – How to Design a Pop-Up Greeting Card
  
• October 10, 2015 – How to Create a Digital Die Cut POP Display
  
• September 12, 2015 – Creating a Design File for 2-Sided Window Graphics
  
• September 5, 2015 – How to Create a Design File for a Feather Flag
  
• August 8, 2015 – Design a Booklet with a Custom Cutout
  
• May 16, 2015 – Catalog Layout: Design Tips and Tricks
  
• April 18, 2015 – Perfect Bound Books, the Perfect Booklet Printing Option
  
• April 11, 2015 – Digital Design File Considerations for Seal & Send Invitations
  
• March 7, 2015 – How to Create a Custom Pocket Invitation for Occasion Printing
  
• February 7, 2015 – Custom Packaging with Digital Die Cut Boxes
  
• December 13, 2014 – Adding Glitz to New Year’s Invites & Greeting Cards
  
• December 6, 2014 – How to Set Up a Laser Die Cutting Digital Design File
  
• November 29, 2014 – Perfect File Setup for Your Wall Decal Project
  
• November 22, 2014 – Create Dazzling Holiday Cards with White Ink Printing and Laser Die Cutting
  
• November 1, 2014 – How to Converting an Adobe Photoshop or JPEG file to a PDF
  
• October 25, 2014 – How to Create a Die Line for Die Cutting
  
• August 16, 2014 – Enhance Your Invitation Ensemble with Custom Envelope Printing
  
• August 9, 2014 – File Setup Considerations for Designing Wall Calendars
  
• June 28, 2014 – Tips for Setting Up Your Custom 1-Sided Window Cling Print File
  
• May 10, 2014 – Tips and Tricks for Printing Perfect Pocket Folders
  
• October 21, 2012 – Custom Calendars – A Fantastic Promotional Tool
  
• August 22, 2012 – Rack Cards-A Great Marketing Tool
  
• July 6, 2012 – Booklet Design Inspiration – Carla Reiter Jewelry
  
• June 29, 2012 – Booklet Design Inspiration – Whitney Alyssa
  
• June 22, 2012 – Booklet Design Inspiration – Unique Art Hawaii Inc.
  
• June 18, 2012 – Booklet Design Inspiration – Lindsey & Beto Photography
  
• June 15, 2012 – Yard Sign Printing-A New Smartpress.com Offering
  
• May 2, 2012 – Design it with Galler.ee, Print it with Smartpress.com
  
• April 24, 2012 – Gallery Wrapped Canvas–A Smartpress.com Favorite

Creative Professional Interviews

• December 11, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Géraldine Adams, Vibrant and Whimsical Illustrator
  
• November 13, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Michael Michaud, Artist and Visionary at Mijumiart.com
  
• October 23, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Sara Regnier, Inspiring Designer and Owner of Green Elephant Prints
  
• September 18, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Dana Osborne, Marketing Expert and Founder of dSy Designs
  
• August 21, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Amy Carroll, Dedicated and Talented Founder of abc write/design
  
• July 18, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Erica Morgan Long, Clever and Creative Owner of Wicked Bride Stationery
  
• June 19, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Christi Rocco, Design Expert and Owner of Christi Marie Creative
• April 19, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Visionary Designer and Owner of Molly Meester Designs
  
• May 17, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Imaginative Illustrator Yelena Bryksenkova
  
• March 25, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Alicia White, Adventurous Photographer and Branding Design Expert
  
• February 19, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: June Jiang, Expert Photographer at 365 Photography
  
• January 28, 2013 – Customer Spotlight: Clever Designs by Skel & Co.’s Owner and Designer, Lisa Arnett
  
• December 18, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Ted Glasoe, Chicago Area Inspirational Fine Art Photographer
  
• November 26, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Impress Ink Impresses with Unique Designs
  
• October 18, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Donna McCafferty Fine Artist and Entrepreneur
  
• September 20, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Jennifer Stephens President and Designer at Unique Art Hawaii Inc.
  
• June 23, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Artist Clara Nilles
  
• August 15, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Camille Personne, Owner and Designer at Kamoka Handbags and Accessories
  
• May 31, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Designer Jen Saunders
  
• May 8, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Photographer Nathan Larimer
  
• April 18, 2012 – Customer Spotlight: Nidhi Chanani