If you’re like most web designers and developers you’ve probably amassed a slew of information, articles and bookmarks that could collectively fall under the category “Useful Tricks of the Trade.” The temptation to acquire one more tip can be simply irresistible, especially for those juicy titles that could potentially lessen your workload. In fact, saving you time and headaches are what design tools and tips are best for, and the amount of organization that comes out of it is likely to do just that.
I’ve put together a short list of several useful tools and helpful tips that can save you time and frustration. After all, an improvement in work flow means an improvement in cash flow, not to mention more time to do the things you love, so let’s get to it.
Typography
Meet Your Type
If you’re looking to cash-in on the basics of typography, this eBook is a great fit. The best thing about it is that it includes common typography mistakes, equipping you with the critical design knowledge you need to succeed.
Font Anatomy Wallpaper
If you need a quick reference for typography terminology, try this wallpaper. It focuses on specific portions of the alphabet to bring its message home.
Web FontFont User Guide
This guide is useful to more than just web developers. It contains information organized by group, covering developers as well as site administrators and visitors.
AltFontPrev
Quite a nifty little tool, this JavaScript bookmarklet allows designers to see the font stack of any website. Each can then be deactivated with just one click. Among the numerous advantages, this tool lets you select custom fonts, so that it’s quite simple to change and rearrange a variety of different fonts. The best thing about it is the preview it gives, allowing users to see the way various font choices will look, even without opening the source code.
Bookmarklet Combiner
I thought it’d reasonable to put the master of all bookmarklets first. This tool allows users to keep all bookmarklets in one convenient place, where they can be easily run all at once from the browser. Organize them into the menu for quick and easy single use.
WP-Toolbar bookmarklet
The ultimate WordPress blog time-saver, this bookmarklet puts the entire administrative back-end at your fingertips. Even better, the powerful GreaseMonkey script can load into the toolbar for specific website visits.
Print Friendly Bookmarklet
Do you need a quick way to prepare the site PDFs for printing? Try this bookmarklet. It sweeps away all the superfluous parts of a website, such as navigation and advertising, and takes it down to its bare bones so your print jobs come out de-cluttered and ready to go.
Web-based Tools
Secure Passwords Generator
Go with this tool for a good list of useful and secure passwords, with just one click. After you’ve set your password parameters, i.e. character length, letter case, and punctuation, and selected the number of passwords you need, simply submit, and your passwords are there.
SwatchSpot: Random Color Swatch Generator
Making color choices become a lot less time-consuming with this tool. After selecting the colors you prefer, the color codes are yours to download.
Yuuguu: Instant screen sharing and web conferencing
An excellent tool for the busy professional looking for time managing and connect with others. If you’re traveling regularly to meet customers and business associates, save yourself the trip by meeting online. This tool allows web-conference and document sharing, without the hassle. Plus, the first 100 minutes a month, are completely free!
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