OiReilly has released two new books, PDF Hacks and iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual. PDF Hacks attempts to change peopleis low opinion of the PDF format by showing that, when done right, a PDF file can be very useful. The book also leans away from being a book solely about Adobe Acrobat, as many other books about PDF tend to be, instead focusing on the format itself, and some of the variety of applications that can create, edit, and present PDF data. From OiReilly:
To most of the world, PDF stands for that rather tiresome format used for documents downloaded from the web. With a reputation for being slow to load and slower to print, hopelessly unsearchable, and all but impossible to cut and paste from, the Portable Document Format doesnit inspire much affection in the average user. But PDF done right is another story. Those who know the ins and outs of this format know that it can be much more than electronic paper. "PDF Hacks" (OiReilly, US $24.95) by Sid Steward shows readers how to use a variety of PDF tools--not just Adobe Acrobat--to create, rearrange, customize, and present information as PDF.
Ideal for anyone who works with PDF on a regular basis, including web developers, pre-press users, forms creators, and those who generate PDF for distribution, "PDF Hacks" demonstrates how to:
- Customize PDF viewers to make reading PDF more comfortable
- Create PDF files with a variety of tools on a number of platforms
- Build PDFs with sophisticated navigation and interactive features
- Integrate PDF files with web sites beyond a simple hyperlink
- Collect data on your web site with PDF forms
- Convert incoming faxes to PDF
- Write scripts that control Acrobat
With the right tools, PDF is flexible, compact, interactive, and even searchable; itis the ideal way to present content across multiple platforms. "PDF Hacks" provides resources that anyone can use to create PDF files that offer a richer, more powerful experience.
iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual continues OiReillyis popular Missing Manual series by looking at the latest releases of Appleis iMovie and iDVD software, which are both included in Appleis iLife software bundle. The book covers techniques for making your movies look more professional, editing basics, DVD creation, and more. From OiReilly:
iLife i04 comes with deliciously polished editions of both iMovie and iDVD--complete with new tools, new techniques, and even new menus--and this witty, authoritative, updated guide to the software is really three books in one: itis the artistic filmmaking background people wish they had (including advice on lighting, sound, and composition as well as how to actually put all those buttons on the modern camcorder to use); itis the technical grounding and the tools and tricks people need to take advantage of each and every feature of iMovie; and itis the thorough iDVD guide to making Hollywood-style (and maybe even Hollywood-worthy) DVDs.
This all-inclusive, step-by-step book covers:
- Essentials of film technique: Pogue provides readers with the know-how they need to give home movies professional polish.
- Editing basics: These pages burst with clever workarounds, hidden features, and editing tricks from the Hollywood film world.
- Finding an audience: With this guide, readers can export their finished masterpieces back to tape for high-quality TV playback--or save them as a QuickTime movies for posting on a web page, emailing to friends, burning as a video CD, or even uploading to a Bluetooth cell phone.
- Mastering DVDs: With a Mac equipped with SuperDrive, people can distribute their movies at much higher quality than VHS tapes or QuickTime movies by creating Hollywood-style DVDs. The book-within-a-book on iDVD includes dozens of undocumented secrets for extending the programis design tools.
Whether they plan to make the next "Blair Witch Project" or just improve their home movies, videographers will find everything they need in "iMovie 4 & iDVD: the Missing Manual" to marry the stunning quality of digital video with the power of their imaginations.
Both books are available now, PDF Hacks for US$34.95, iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual for US$24.95.