Use MultiPageImporter2.5.jsx by Scott Zanelli

It’s a really cool – and free – script that will save you a lot of time & energy. Here’s a screen shot of the import options:

Multipage Importer Script for InDesign

Download the script:  MultiPageImporter2.5-CS5.zip.

Click over to Dan Rodney’s site to learn how to install the script (it’s easy, honest).

Eleven Easy Steps to Create a FlipView PDF

Now that you have the multipage script installed, you can begin the process of easily creating a multipage FlipView PDF. Here are the seven steps:

1. Create a new 8.5 x 11 page in InDesign. Be sure facing pages is checked.

2. From the top menu, select Windows > Utilities > Scripts

3. Search through the script folders to find “MultiPageImporter2.5-CS5″ and double click on the script to start it.

4. A window will open allowing you to browse for the PDF that you want to import. Select your PDF.

5. The “Import Multiple PDF Pages” window will open. Select the options you prefer and click okay. I usually use the default settings as shown in the screenshot at the beginning of this article.

6. The script will place each PDF on a new page – automatically (this is so sweet!).

7. Once the script is finished, I make the following adjustments because I like my flip view to open in spreadsheet format.

A. From the pages panel, select the menu and unclick “Allow Document Pages to Shuffle” and “Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle.” This allows you to reorder the pages from Facing Page format to Spreadsheet.

Here’s a screenshot of the multipage PDF with facing pages (before I made changes):

And, here’s a screenshot of the multipage PDF after I put all the pages in spread format.

8. Save your file, then click File > Export and select Format: Flash Player (SWF), which will open the Export SWF window.

9. From the Export SWF window, be sure “All Pages” is selected. Under “Size (pixels) change the setting to Fit to: 800 x 600 (or whatever you prefer). Select any other options you prefer then click “OK.”  Here is a screenshot of the settings I use:

10. InDesign will create both an HTML and a SWF document. It will open the HTML on your desktop browser so you can preview the file before posting to your website. Tip: Clicking any corner of the page will cause the page to curl back and turn (cool huh?!).

11. If you are happy with the results, you can now upload both files to your website. I save all my FlipView PDFs into a subfolder on my website called “SWF.” Once loaded to your website, you can create a link from any page to the HTML document, which will open the FlipView SWF file.

Here is a screenshot of the final FlipView inserted into my portfolio template:

You can view live samples on my Art for Licensing page.

I love to hear from my readers. Let me know if you found this post helpful.

Art Licensing Basics

In very simple terms, Art Licensing is a process where an artist “rents” their artwork to a client to use on certain products, in certain applications, and in specified geographic regions.  The beauty of this arrangement is that the artist retains the rights to their artwork and can sell the same piece of art to many different clients. The only restraints are the limitations the artist agrees to upon signing a licensing agreement with a client.

In Art Licensing, clients typically pay a royalty to an artist. The royalty is usually a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the licensed product. It can also be based on a fixed dollar amount per licensed product sold. In some cases, artists are also paid an advance against royalties.

How Art Licensing Differs from the Graphic Design Industry

Since my background is in graphic design and I am new to the art licensing field, I’ve discovered several differences between the two. In my mind, there are three major ways that art licensing differs from graphic design work: Goal of the Art, Rights of Ownership and Payment Structure.

1. Goal of the Art

In art licensing, the goal of the art is to enhance the look of a product. Clients purchase artwork to adorn the products they manufacture and sell to retailers. Products may include everyday items such as dishtowels, gift-wrap, stationery, textiles, apparel, paper goods, and more. The intent is that the art will make the product irresistible to consumers, who then buy the product, earning the retailer, manufacture and artist an income.

In graphic design, the goal is of the art is to enhance marketing communications materials (brochures, ads, logos, signage, website, etc.) in order to improve brand image and/or aid the client’s efforts to sell more products and services.

These are very generalized explanations and there are many exceptions. For example, graphic designers may be contracted on a work-for-hire basis to revamp a product’s overall design. This encompasses the artwork on the product as well as the product’s materials, shape, color, packaging and labeling.

 2. Rights of Ownership

With art licensing, the artist retains the rights to the original artwork. In graphic design, once the artist completes the design project (brochure, direct mail piece, print ad, logo, etc.) and has been paid in full, the client assumes all ownership of the artwork. This is because graphic design services are typically considered to be “work for hire.”

Again there are exceptions to these scenarios. For example with illustration & photography, many artists negotiate to retain the rights to their artwork while being a paid a flat fee for their use of their art in say a magazine article or on a billboard. While other illustrators and photographers serve clients on a work-for-hire basis, releasing all rights of ownership to the client once they’ve been paid in full for the project. In this later case, the client then owns the purchased photo or illustration and can use it anywhere and however often they choose.

 3. Payment Structure

The payment structure is also very different between the two industries. Graphic design services are typically considered to be works-for-hire. Designers are paid a flat fee for a project and/or are reimbursed for time spent on a project. Licensors (artists who license their artwork) are usually paid a royalty fee and/or an advance against royalties. In very rare cases, a licensor (artist) may agree to release all rights to their artwork and sell their artwork to a client for a flat fee (not recommended, but it happens).

Basic Art Licensing Terms

License – An agreement or “license” grants rights to another person or entity to use your art for (x). The (x) could be a particular product (dish towels) or a group of products (kitchen accessories).

Licensor – the owner of the image (you the artist).

Licensee – the one who is granted rights to the artwork (your client).

Licensed Property – the image (i.e. piece of artwork)

Royalty – A royalty is typically a percentage of the proceeds received from the sale of the licensed product.

Licensing Agreement – A contract with gives the licensee (your client) the right to use the licensed property (your artwork) for a specific purpose (on wrapping paper) for a limited time (two years) in a specified territory (United States).

Art Licensing Resources

Blogs

Joan Beiriger’s on Art Licensing Blog - a must follow!

Art Licensing Blog by Tara Reed – a must follow!

All Art Licensing Blog by J’Net Smith

Maria Brophy’s Blog

The Moon from My Attic by Alex Colombo – I love her interviews of other licensing artists.

Art Licensing from Jim Marcotte

Greeting Card Design Blog by Kate Harper

Surtex Blog

Teleseminars & Podcasts

Accidental Creative by Todd Henry (Not specific to art licensing but definitely covers topics to help commercial artists face stay brilliant and balanced.

Art Licensing Teleseminars & (free) Monthly Ask Calls by Tara Reed – highly recommend!

Illustration Mundo

Websites

Art Licensing Info (Tara Reed)

Porterfield’s Fine Art Licensing Resources for Artists

The Business of Art Licensing by Lance J. Klass

Art of Licensing LinkedIn Group

All Art Licensing Newsletters

Books

Licensing Art and Design: A Professional’s Guide to Licensing and Royalty Agreements by Caryn R. Leland

Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines

If you have more to add, please post a comment or email me to share your tip.

I appreciated his talent, the happy subject matter of his painting, his luminescent painting style, and the success he achieved through gallery sales and art licensing ventures.

Despite a few issues that occurred during the last few years of his life, his back story is very inspirational. If you ever have a chance, watch the movie Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage.

I found it inspring to learn of his early struggle to find his personal style and niche and the subject matter that eventually inspired him on the path to becoming the world-renowned “Painter of Light.”

The world has lost a bright light. My thoughts & prayers are his family, friends and fans.

A Place to Paint: A Guide to Setting Up an Art Studio for Painters & Other Artists

Whoo-hoo, I did it! I sent a query letter, book proposal and chapter-by-chapter outline of my book, A Place to Paint, to a publisher this afternoon. The book was five years in the making but I finally got it done and out the door. I’m so proud of myself right now, I could hug myself!

I admit I did this whole process a little backwards. I wrote and designed the book first. Next, I wrote the book proposal and chapter-by-chapter outline. And, lastly I wrote the Query letter. I’ve since learned that you usually put a book together in this order:

• Query Letter
• Book Proposal
• Chapter-by Chapter Outline
• Write the Book
• Publisher Designs the Book

Even though the process was not the norm, I learned so much. First I learned that I could write a book. It’s not a long book (a.k.a. War & Peace) but it is informative and inspiring.

I also learned that it’s better to finish writing the book before you start designing it.

In other words, writing and designing a book at the same time is just down right messy. Editing, required changing the layout, which sometimes required additional editing, which necessitated other layouts adjustments. In other words, it was a vicious circle. I ended up “tweaking” the book almost to death. At which point, I’d set it aside to rest so I could come back to it with a fresh perspective. No wonder it took me five years to get it done!

Sometime during this process, I gained valuable experience in catalog design at my day job. This experience taught me a huge number of time savings tricks that I could have and should have used in designing the book. The biggest being the use of Adobe InDesign’s master pages and character, paragraph, table, and object style sheets. I’m sure InDesign has a bunch of other time-saving features for book design. My goal wasn’t to become a professional book designer. I just wanted to produce a book. However, if I ever decide to design a book again, I’ll be sure to maximize the use of InDesign’s book design capabilities – and only after the book is completely written!

Read the Forward to A Place to Paint: A Guide to Setting Up an Art Studio for Painters and Other Artists.

• Subscribe to our mailing list to keep informed about my progress with getting the book published.
• Check out the artists that were featured in the book.

Other Resources: Steps to Publishing a Book – A Timeline. I wish I’d seen this first!

Front view of the intention. The back side lists the 7 steps to setting clear intentions.

Having trouble getting your but into the studio? Sometimes we let other activities or our fears get in the way. Here’s a subtle and sweet way to turn that experience around. Set a clear intention that you want to create the experience of being drawn (enticed, compelled) into your studio – that the feeling will be irresistible and you won’t be able to resist picking up the pencil or paintbrush.

We often set a goal or intention, but we don’t think about how we want it feel. And, it’s the feeling that drives us.

To get yourself into the right feeling state for this, think of another experience in your life where you have no resistance and are eager to jump and get going. This could be a hobby, surfing the internet, volunteer work, an organizing project, etc.

For me, my “other” experience is my marketing consulting and graphic design work. After 28 years, I still can’t wait to get into the office and start working. And, even on days where the work is particularly stressful or I’m tired and grumpy, or heck even when I’m sick – I still feel the tug to get to work.

When I decided to pursue a career in art for licensing, I knew I had to create a schedule to keep myself producing art. If I didn’t, other things, even my other work, might get in the way. My plan was to do my consulting work in the morning because one of my larger clients involves contact with associates who are based in France and are six hours ahead of us. I’d then use the afternoon to work in my studio.

Until I made the commitment to make a career in art licensing, I had only done my art “when the spirit moved me.” Plus, until recently, creating art hadn’t come as easily to me as my other work. I realized that producing art on a regular basis was a muscle I needed to tone and exercise. And to do this, I needed to reduce or eliminate any inner or outer resistance that might prevent me from getting into the studio on a routine basis.

I didn’t want it to be a struggle like diet & exercise. So I applied a Law of Attraction technique and set a clear intention that I would be drawn into my studio like I am drawn to my office chair. I let myself think, “What if it were that easy?” And, imagined the feeling that tugs me into my office chair, also pulling me into my studio chair. Whenever I thought of studio time, I thought “What if were as easy as going to my office” and re-affirmed my intention.

And, by golly it worked! In fact, within a month I had a new schedule comfortably place. It became such a habit that when two month’s later personal business necessitated a week long stay with my parents in Florida, I was able to easily maintain the same schedule. I have to say, that working and painting every day in a lanai was also a treat!

If you’ve tried setting a schedule for studio time and find you are still being distracted by email, the internet, the laundry, or other activities, try the “Seven Steps to Setting Clear Intentions.” The PDF download features the image at the top of this post on the front, while the back outlines the 7 steps.

Leave a reply and share a strategy you use to get yourself into the studio more often. We can all learn from each other!

Resources:

• A PDF of the “Seven Steps to Setting Clear Intentions” Note Card
• The first 4 steps toward selling your art: Step #1 by Art Biz Blog, see #2 Guidelines for Your Studio Time
• How to Cowboy Up and Create More Art in 2011
• Managing Your Art Studio Time by Shaunaleelange.com
• Productivity Part # 3 – Make a Schedule by Home Studio Corner (written for those with music studios, but certainly applies to all creatives).
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. I highly recommend this book for guidance on breaking through resistance, barriers and blocks to creating more art.

• Color
• Interesting Objects
• Toys
• Chalkboard

In addition to the items above, my creative spaces often contain:

• Photos of people or animals I love – these remind me that I am loved & supported
• Mementoes from places I’ve visited or traveled
• Greeting cards that make me smile
• Buttons, stickers or plaques with word messages like “Imagine,” “Create,” Inspire” or “Dream”
• Artwork of my favorite artists
• Inspiring images – whether clipped from a magazine, calendar or a photograph

Create an Inspiration Board
If you don’t have a lot of wall or desk space consider creating a “Inspiration” board. Buy a bulletin board or cork board and post a variety of the items above on it. Place it in your line of sight, so when you glance up or are lost in thought your eyes travel to the board and you are reminded of the what inspires you.

Mental Environment
Just about any book on creativity tells you to postpone all judgement until much later in the creative process. Hensher’s article is no exception. However, I feel there are two sources of judgement to watch out for:

• Judgments that come from others
• Judgements that come from within ourselves

One way to avoid judging our work early in the creative process is to set aside a private space for your art making. It’s very difficult not to judge your own work if people are walking by and making comments. This is one reason having an art studio and a space to call you own is very important. It provides a private space where you are free to be vulnerable and experiment beyond the watchful eyes and judgements of others.

It requires a little mental discipline to ignore the judgements that come from within yourself during the early stages of your creative project. If you’re like me, you might notice that the “Judge” pops in at the same point during your creative process. For me, he always seems to appear when I’m adding additional layers of paint or detail.

“You screwed it up.” “You probably should just start over.” Or sometimes she whispers evilly, “You’re never going to be as good as those other artists. Maybe you should give up now.”

It takes some force of will to tell her to shut up and go away. However, the more I paint and create, the more I realize that there is almost always a stage in my painting process where I don’t like how it looks. Where I doubt myself. And, that’s when the judge creeps in. Luckily I’ve been painting long enough now that I realize this phase is very temporary. If I just push through this angst and ignore it, I finish the painting – and I am most often pleased with the end result (and very glad I didn’t start over!).

I highly recommend subscribing to Joan’s blog as well.

1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Implementation

Click here to read more about the four steps of creativity. Gaining a deeper understanding of these steps will help you navigate the process with less frustration and a lot more “flow.”

There’s also a great book on the subject called A Technique for Producing Ideas, by James Webb Young.

A portion of my Art Studio

There is something magical about Art Studios. We rarely get to see inside them, and therefore, there tends to be somewhat of a mystique about them.

The more I’ve ventured into other artist’s spaces, I’ve come to regard the supplies of an artist, the space they create and their works-in-progress as akin to spiritual objects. The artist has touched them, honored them with frequent use, injected them with their own power, and ultimately pulled forth something almost magical while using them – a work of art.

If you’re like me, you find visiting and perusing other artist’s studios inspiring. Click here for 8 links to online photo galleries of Artist Studios that are sure to get your creative juices flowing.