Macintosh Newsletter Give Artists Insights in User-Friendly Way
As a boy, Fritz Richard was always fascinated by computers, but that took a back seat to his real passion--artwork.
But when he became a graphic artist, the two interests came together. His employer bought a Macintosh computer, and the work that used to take him hours by hand now could be done in minutes by machine.
Richard quickly became proficient and was soon showing other graphic artists how to manipulate the Macintosh to make their creative ideas come to life. He became so good at sharing techniques that he has now made a business out of it.
He founded MacArtist, a bimonthly newsletter based in Anaheim that is targeted at graphic artists using the Apple Co.’s highly popular Macintosh. The first issue came out in February, and Richard said he already has 500 subscribers who pay $48 for a yearly subscription.
“I saw a need, and I filled it,” Richard explains simply.
Indeed, there is a high level of interest among graphic artists to exploit the latest Mac “four-color” technology, said Jim Thomas, president of Flagstaff, Ariz.-based Creative Resources Inc., a desktop publishing and consulting company for Macintosh users.
More advertising agencies, typesetting houses and commercial lithographers are turning to computer-generated processes as prices become more affordable. “It’s a real revolution in the whole graphic arts industry, and it’s going on now,” Richard said.
MacArtist is chatty and informative. One recent article explains in detail how an artist can transfer an image from a photograph to a computer. Another details how artists can create their own styles of lettering or even “paint” pastoral scenes on their screens that mimic watercolor, pastel and oil brush effects.
“I find it useful and applicable to my work,” said Shellie Stricklin, a subscriber and owner of Computer Work Center, a computer rental service in Irvine. “It’s very easy to read, nicely laid out on good quality paper and even though it’s just a little under 20 pages, it’s designed like a magazine. I thought it was great.”
Another subscriber said that while other Mac newsletters stress the technical side of using the Macintosh computer, MacArtist appeals to the human aspect of Macintosh users and has a “refreshing personality” of its own.
“Fritz covers the technical aspect of computer graphics clearly and in an orderly fashion, and I just enjoy reading it,” said Howard Goldstein, owner of a graphic design company in Van Nuys.
Although four-color computer graphics technology has been around for nearly two years, it wasn’t widely used among desktop publishers until recently. It took time for the technology to trickle down into the art world, Richard said.
For instance, it took time for the software and output devices, such as Linotronic, to become compatible with the graphics programs software put out by the industry, he said. More important, prices of the new technology have become more reasonable.
“Before, you could only do four-color publication in computers using systems costing about $1 million,” he said. “Right now, it has just became more practical to do four-color publication. My system, a Mac II plus a printer, cost a total of only $10,000.”
As the latest Mac newsletter in the market, MacArtist has to contend with three others which are either geared to Mac users in general or to graphic artists using Macintoshes. The largest is Step-By-Step Electronics Design of Peoria, Ill., which has 10,000 subscribers. The others are Before & After: How to Design Cool Stuff, based in Sacramento, and The Page, a black-and-white newsletter out of Chicago.
John McWade, publisher of Before & After, was skeptical that MacArtist could make inroads in the field. “He (Richard) is coming late to the market, and he’s got a weak product. It’s generally a chit-chat, and you don’t get anything new or much out of it.”
Despite the growing number of Mac publishers in the market, Richard said he still sees a craving among graphic artists to understand their machines. He believes his artistic background and computer expertise give him an edge over other publishers because he recognizes trends in artwork and understands artists better.
A year’s subscription comes with a free hour of telephone consultation with Richard, a personal touch that his competitors don’t offer. MacArtist also sells a software program that provides step-by-step instruction on producing illustrations or designs that appear in the newsletter.
Richard said he’s got “the heart and passions of an artist, the mind of a computer programmer and the eyes of a businessman.” He feels these elements are enough to keep his newsletter growing.
“Ever since I knew that pennies added up to dollars, I’ve always wanted to run my own business,” he said.
