Long gone are the days when every banner and sign required the specialized touch of a sign writer—yet, even with today’s billboard-sized digital prints created from Photoshop files, the art of good old-fashioned hand lettering is still just as popular as it ever was. And while it does take some practice to cross your t’s and dot your i’s with a cohesive style, the good news is that you don’t need to go back to design school to get a formal typography education. Written by graphic design icon Ivan Castro, The ABC of Custom Lettering: A Practical Guide to Drawing Letters is an authoritative resource for designers, typographers, sign writers,…

While McLaren Automotive is known for designing and manufacturing some of the world’s fastest supercars, they’ve never been one to shy away from lending their expertise to the design of lower-tech vehicles, too—particularly, the bicycle. More recently, the British Automaker teamed up with Specialized Bicycles to celebrate their 50th year of Grand Prix racing and pay homage with the limited-edition McLaren S-Works Roubaix. While the unmistakable Heritage Orange paint is a nod to the same color that McLaren painted their race cars way back in 1966, the brand storytelling details go far beyond cosmetics. In fact, no expense appears to have been spared for the McLaren x Roubaix. The frame…

Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll kick things off with “Winter” from Yabadum before riding into the sweet sounds of Peter Bjorn and John, Autolux, Bill Baird, Plums, The Districts, You Won’t, and others before smoothing things out with “I’m Here Now” from Motopony.…

Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Each Monday, we’ll link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you. Be sure to check in each Monday morning for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown ‘Smack.…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee, and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top ten stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. Latest ARKit Demo Shows Possibility for 3D Sketch and Modeling Last June 2017, Apple announced that it would be making headway in the Augmented Reality department with its new ARKit. Though…

When it comes to computer peripherals, today’s digital designers have never had it so good. From wireless pen tablets to 3D mice, we’ve come a long way since the days of a simple wired keyboard and one-button mouse. The recently unveiled Craft keyboard from Logitech adds just one more option to that growing pile. The wireless keyboard, which pairs nicely with the company’s MX Master mouse, includes an ingenious touch-sensitive “creative input dial” located on the top left corner. When used in tandem with various design programs including the Adobe suite, users can use the knob for a number of functions ranging from brush size to zoom. Better yet, users…