Tips To Give Your Company Picnic “Bling” To Make It A Big Hit For Everyone!

December 2nd, 2008 by beachboys

Throwing a company picnic involves more than just setting a date, hiring a caterer, and choosing a location. Yes, that’s the list of basics if you just want a routinely boring event. Your company picnic offers the opportunity to do more than provide some food in a relaxing atmosphere. To get more from your picnic, there are a few things that must happen before the big event.

Goals of Your Company Picnic

First, let’s decide what you want to accomplish with the company picnic… do you just want to say thanks to your employees, give employees the chance to get to know each other on a personal basis, to honor an employee, or to celebrate a company event. If you know what you want to accomplish, before you begin to plan your picnic you’ll be much more likely to create the atmosphere required to get the desired actions.

Once you know what you want to accomplish choosing the theme for your company picnic becomes much easier. The theme of your company picnic can be centered on the season, a holiday, or it can be company related, such as a new acquisition, or increased performance, or whatever positive event has occurred within the company. Your imagination is the only limit when choosing themes.

Let’s say your goal is to provide time for your employees to get to know each other in a more personal way. Team events are a great way to evoke open communication and build unity. Friendly competition gives your employees a chance to be in the limelight and gather support from co-workers. So be sure to include a team event at your picnic.

Location

Choosing the location also plays an important role. Using the previous example, the attendees are much more likely to converse and enjoy each others company if they are in one specific location. Let’s say you have decided to hold the company picnic at a local park. Rather than just say come to the park and lunch will be served at twelve. Set times for specific events, like slow Linden softball beginning at 10:30, trail walk for the kids at 11:15, volleyball game at 1:00.

Choosing activities and entertainment for your company picnic also needs to revolve around the theme and your underlying goals. In addition, you need to be sure to keep the needs and tastes of those attending in mind as you plan this aspect of your company picnic. Planning for employees only, versus employees and family results in different types of agendas, so make sure to include activities for every age group within the crowd.

Allow sufficient time to give your attendees advance notice before the company picnic, so they can include your event in their plans. Make sure everyone attending knows the schedule of events and what’s happening before the day of the event. This helps everyone be able to prepare and bring any necessary items.

Add the “Bling” to Your Company Picnic

Next it is time to add the “bling”. To make your company picnic shine, get creative. Banners, balloons and other decorations add a sense of festivity. Music and entertainment are other components to add to the zest of the picnic.

Giving prizes also adds excitement to a company picnic. Holding a drawing for prizes serves more than one function. These prizes create a sense of employee appreciation. They will also ensure that attendees of the picnic linger and socialize.

Planning, scheduling, and finding providers for food, beverages, entertainment, and music can be time consuming. Finding and meeting with a host of providers and coordinating everything can sometimes be time consuming and put a strain the budget. Often it is easier to contact event planners and compare prices and services.

Using an event planner reduces the time involved and also ensures no detail is omitted. Event planners will assist you with every aspect of your company picnic…even suggesting company picnic ideas. All you need to do is set the specifics of what you want and they will take care of the rest. Everything is be included- food, beverages, activities, entertainment and music.

It is a good idea to confirm everything relating to the picnic plans at least two weeks prior to the event. This allows enough time to solve any problem issues without rush or panic. Even of you have chosen to use an event planner, you still want to make contact to ensure everything is going as scheduled.

Effectively planning your company picnic will create a day of fun and relaxation. Great food, fun activities, good prizes, and hopefully sunny weather along with your creative ideas all comes together for a memorable event. Ready, set…plan and enjoy!

Larry Klein owns and operates one of Southern California’s premier event production companies, Team Play Events and one of the largest day camps, Camp Keystone. A graduate of CSU Northridge (BA) and Pepperdine University (MBA) he has over 25 years experience creating company picnics and corporate events. In addition to growing his companies, Larry has taught university level classes on entrepreneurship. Visit http://www.teamplayevents.com to take advantage of his expertise with company picnics, team building, corporate events and catering.

Marketing Blunder #34 - Sales is a Contact Sport

December 1st, 2008 by beachboys

Do you want more referral business? Then read this article it may very well be the most important articles you ever read on how to grow your business and increase your sales!

In my opinion anyone who wants to be really successful as a business or a salesperson has to stop playing lip service to this very critical concept in sales. Sales is a contact sport. You cannot be building relationships with people if you are not reaching out and touching your friends, business associates, customers and prospects in some meaningful way. And what has meaning to your friends, business associates, customers and prospects?

People will care about you when they online homeowners insurance quotes that you care about them.

Do you know what professional organizations or associations your sphere of influence belongs too? Do you know the names of their wives or husbands? Do you know about their interests and hobbies?

There is another part to this, and that is the contact part, you can’t have meaningful relationships with people if you are not reaching out and “contacting” them.

Be with your prospects and customers in their environment!

Volunteer for community events, join toastmasters, join social groups. Get active in your community!

Invite them to a football, basketball or hockey game. Invite them out to play a round of golf. Invite 2 other people who would make a great fit for your prospect, business associate or customer.

1) Online Social Marketing
2) Participation in community and social activities
3) Professional activities: public speaking, writing articles, posting useful comments on blogs…

It never ceases to amaze me how much business Toastmasters has brought me. In fact I have got more business in one year from Toastmasters than I have ever got from some very notable business networking organizations in five!

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear about people “complaining” about doing business the “old school way” over lunch or a round of golf. There’s a reason these time tested methods work so well.

People prefer to do business with people that they know, that they like and that they trust! Most people would prefer to get to know you “outside” of the suit and the tie. People want to connect with the “real” you.

If you are serious about growing your business and increasing your sales by getting more referral business then get out of your office or your home and start connecting!

Do you someone who needs help with their cold calling skills?

How to cold call anyone, anywhere, without fear of rejection! Stop your prospect from what they are doing, get their full undivided attention and have them instantly build rapport with you! CLICK HERE!

If you would like to learn more innovative new skill sets and strategies to help you build an incredibly successful business and dramatically improve your sales results, visit my web site and subscribe to my FREE 8 part email home study e-course on relationship sales and marketing!

Does your success depend on your sales ability? Then CLICK HERE for a very powerful package on how to significantly improve your sales results!

Kevin is an expert sales coach/trainer and the author of “The Secrets to Sales Mastery”

Learn the refinance bad credit of a top producer and take your sales and your business to the next level!

iPhone 3G - Know More About iPhone 3G

November 30th, 2008 by beachboys

Apple has always been an aggressive marketer for its line Fort Worth personal injury attorneys products. The ipods have been extensively advertised and the launch of iphone was marketed as the most awaited gadget of the year. Though technologically advanced and a pioneer in bring out a new style, the iphone has not been as popular in India unlike other European markets. The iphone was priced lofty and it has not managed to strike a chord with the Indian consumers. It has a niche following and the target audience has not been the multi utility users.

Apple iphone 3G is an extension of the earlier version of the iphone. The iphone has also replicated in to their ipod series as ipod touch. The ipod is famed for its unique touchscreen navigation and smooth interface. The iphone is surely a show-off tool which scores heavily on the oomph factor above everything else. It is priced heavily above other countries; the pricing is almost the double in India. The 3G personal injury law Dallas has limited internet access in India as most 3G services have just been initiated and are in nascent stages. By the time 3G services flourish well the iphone maybe an outdated device.

The iphone has features which are not very compelling to the Indian consumers. It features just a 2 megapixel, decent quality camera, which is now found in most of the mid range phones. It does not support video recording but with an addition of third party software application it can do video recording.

On the brighter side the iphone 3G is truly a great phone in terms of styling and looks. It has accelerometer which automatically flips the photos and navigation as per the direction of the phone, be it vertical or horizontal. The potential competitors are now banking on this model of iphone and are inducing touchscreen navigation. Brands like HTC, Blackberry are all ready to compete with the iphone. The pricing of the iphone is its downside and reduced costs can only bring up the sales in the Indian market. The phone lacks some of the basic features like forwarding messages, which do not suit the mindset of the Indian buyers. There is speculation of a possible price cut of the apple iphone 3G in India. But until the price reaches below the 20K marks it is difficult for Apple to get path breaking sales of their revolutionary mobile phone.

Pooja Lapasia has a wealth of experience in article writer. Her articles cover many topics i.e. smartphones, digital camera, spice mobiles, pda mobiles etc.

Helping Children’s Charities With Your Credit Card

November 29th, 2008 by beachboys

People donate to charity in a number of ways. They give old clothes, bake and sell cakes, or contribute their time. Now there’s an even easier way to support your favourite charity by using your credit card.

People have been able to use their credit cards to make direct payments to charity for quite some time. But now many charities are automating accident attorneys Oakland practice of receiving donations by launching their own credit cards backed by major banks.

Charity Credit Cards — How They Work

Charity credit cards donate to charities in two ways. People apply for credit cards as usual. Once the application is accepted, the issuing bank donates a lump sum to the charity. This can vary considerably, from as little as £5 to £40 or more.

The second part of the donation is a fixed percentage of spending on credit card purchases. Again, this rate can vary from around 0.25% to 1%. This means that charities get 25 pence for every £100 spent on the card.

Some card issuers offer an incentive for repeated spending on the card or for continuing to keep the card. This usually means another lump sum donation to the charity at the end of a set period, such as a year.

Children’s Charity Credit Cards

There are many charities that car insurance Washington credit cards, including many popular children’s charities. The NSPCC (National Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Children) card is backed by Halifax and offers a preferential rate on balance transfers for six months. Other credit cards for charities that benefit children include:

1. Barnardos — issued by Cooperative Bank

2. Children in Crisis — issued by Cooperative Bank

3. Childline - issued by MBNA

4. Children’s Aid — issued by Cooperative Bank

5. Children’s Society — issued by Cooperative Bank

6. Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital

7. Mencap — issued by Halifax

8. Save the Children — issued by Cooperative Bank

All of these credit cards offer a one-off donation when the card is issued, a percentage of spending donated to charity and an additional donation for continued use of the credit card.

Looking For The Best Charity Credit Card Deal

In addition to donating to charity, most charity credit cards offer the same benefits as other credit cards. It is worth shopping around for the best deal. There are many websites that have credit card comparison charts to help people decide on the best mix of features.

Many charity credit cards have introductory offers. These include 0% balance transfer rates for fixed periods. Some card issuers charge a one-off fee for balance transfers to stop the practice of rate jumping.

Other introductory offers include long term low interest rates, low or 0% interest rates on purchases, reward points and more.

Shopping around for the best credit card deal will give consumers a credit card that suits their spending habits. At the same time, they will be able to automate their charitable contributions. This benefits both consumers and charities.

Joe Kenny writes for CardGuide.co.uk, with the latest credit cards, and more info on the best credit cards.

Visit today: http://www.cardguide.co.uk/

How to Use an Online Car Payment Calculator

November 29th, 2008 by beachboys

So the painful time has come for you to replace that old, broken down, gas guzzling vehicle you’ve been driving for the past 15 years. You’re probably beginning to look at the great hybrid technology that’s available in some Idaho car accident lawyers the popular import vehicles. Great fuel mileage, friendly to the environment and HOV access are all great reasons to purchase a new car. But have you stopped to figure out just how much your monthly payments will be? Good news, you can use a car payment calculator to figure exactly what your payments will be before you purchase. Here are some tips to help you maximize the benefit of an online payment calculator.

Before inputting any information into a payment calculator you will need to know the selling price of the vehicle. If you’re just trying to get a ballpark payment amount, then just input the MSRP (window sticker) dollar amount of the car you are considering purchasing. You may pay slightly more or less depending on the vehicle you end up buying, but this will give you a close from which you can work. To get an even more accurate monthly payment figure, multiply the MSRP price by 10% and add that to MSRP. This will figure in tax, license and registration fees.

What term is best for you? 60 months is the standard auto finance term, but occasionally 72 months isn’t a bad way to go, just be prepared that your interest rate is usually more when you go with longer terms. Sometimes there are special rates when you go short term, 36/48 months. The payment will be higher because of the shorter term, but you will pay less interest in the end. Be sure to look into these short term options as well. Never go longer than 72 months. You will pay too much interest and never get your car paid off. Once you know your desired term, enter that into the “Term” area of the payment calculator.

The interest rate you receive will be based solely on your credit. If you have excellent credit, 740+ car insurance North Dakota score, you will almost always qualify for top tier rates. Once you know the approximate interest rate you have available to you, you will enter that percentage into the calculator.

How much can you afford to put down? It’s not mandatory that you input a down payment amount into most calculators, because not everyone has the money to put down, but as a general rule, figure for every thousand dollars you put down, your payment will be lowered by approximately $20 / month. If you do have money down, or if there is a manufacturer rebate, enter it in the “Down Payment” box on the calculator.

Once you’ve got all of this information properly entered, you will click submit or calculate to get your monthly payment. The great part about these tools is that you can easily go back and adjust any of the variables to figure out just what it will take to get to the payment you want. Doing this before you go visit the car dealership will give you a huge advantage, as you will know exactly what terms will work for your situation, before you get involved in a purchase.

Do your homework first with this free Car Payment Calculator

Road Rage May Be Getting Better

November 28th, 2008 by beachboys

Ever since the gas prices have skyrocketed this past year, I’ve noticed a significant change in the way that people have been driving. They’ve been slowing down or not driving at all. For instance, I drive a Jeep, which is considered an SUV of sorts. It’s a V6 and consumes a lot of gasoline.

Back when gas prices were $4 a gallon, I was easily spending almost $75 just to fill up my gas tank. I had a 30 minute commute to get to work and another 30-45 minute commute to get home (depending on the traffic). So, in the course of just a regular Oregon car insurance workweek, I was riding home with almost an empty tank come Friday. I was having to fill up my tank almost every single week just for driving to and from work- nowhere else! Well, if you’re like most other people in the United States, money is something that you’re trying to save. I am guilty of being a speeder.

However, I have since slowed down and eliminated my need for speed because of my need to save money on gas. Now, I was still having to fill up my Jeep every week, but because I slowed down, I could get through the workweek and still have a little gas left over for the weekend. It’s all about stretching that car insurance Connecticut And I wasn’t the only person who realized this. I noticed that a lot of other people were slowing down and maybe only doing 5 mph over the speed limit versus the normal 10-20mph. As a result of people slowing down, it seems like I have been able to witness less accidents on the roadways, less traffic backups as well as maybe just a teensy bit of courtesy for other drivers.

It’s amazing what raising the gas prices a little can do. However, now that gas prices have dropped significantly over the past few weeks and are now approaching almost $2 a gallon, I wonder whether or not we will see an increase in the number of people driving their vehicles. Will the drop in gas prices have an inverse relationship with the amount of people once again becoming enraged on the roadways? I’m not so sure. I think that given the volatility of the economy as well as the overall volatility of the fact that gas prices can be $4 a gallon one week and $2 a gallon the next week, people won’t exactly be rushing to get the keys to their cars. I recently saw a few signs at car rental places trying to encourage people to run out and rent cars now that the gas prices seem to have (temporarily) righted themselves. I don’t think people will buy into it though. I don’t think that people will buy into much of anything until the stock market is back up and banks are loaning again. We can only hope that with the election of a new president, that things will eventually get resolved in the White House and abroad. And who knows, maybe it won’t cost us almost $75 to fill up our cars each time!

Renting A Car

Accident Car Rental

Fashion and Charity - In Whose Best Interest?

November 26th, 2008 by beachboys

Since the 1960’s, the fashion world has taken a stand on mortgage refinance interest rates social causes. The antiwar movements and women’s rights are just a couple of the areas in which the fashion world has made strong statements. More recently, fashion has taken to assisting and speaking for individual charitable causes and in some cases, it has been questioned just whose best interests are involved.

A prime example of this has been the partnership between Gucci, Prada and Armani and UNICEF; the United Nations Childrens Fund. The reasons and motivation behind this particular collaboration have been questioned home financing bad credit some international groups and, perhaps most telling for the United Nations, by the very front line workers who would receive the proceeds.

Senior staff members of UNICEF have strongly stated their displeasure with the charity’s close ties with the world of glamour and celebrity, saying it is both demeaning to the work that the UN is doing as well as having a strong smell of hypocrisy about it.

UNICEF staff in Pakistan and India have spoken against the alleged working practices of the French conglomerate PPR (formerly Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), the owners of Gucci and whose Asian suppliers have, for a number of years, been linked to sweatshops in Mumbai and Karachi.

One long term employee of UNICEF has stated that, for him, this partnership with Gucci has been the final straw and that the feeling among workers is nearly unanimous that the UNICEF name is being hurt by this undertaking.

Another problem arises with the close ties between celebrities and nearly every major humanitarian disaster. Putting up with the star and his or her entourage is bad enough, but the connection in the public’s eyes between celebrity and disaster relief cheapens and degrades the entire effort, claim the front line ground workers.

According to some, the current desire of fashion companies to align themselves with charities may have more to do with covering numerous sins than to strike a chord in people’s conscience. These critics say that many firms are just looking for a cause to jump on and that associating with a good cause will provide an enormous bump for sales.

To be fair, the fact that the fashion industry in general and specific companies in particular benefit from alliances with international charities is only to be expected but the key will come down to the perception of the public and the workers involved.

If both the company and the charity gain by such an effort; fine. It is only when the goals of the charity are seen to be compromised and the message diluted that both partners should be looking long and hard at exactly why they are collaborating in this venture.

The Teacher (aka John Pawlak) has been involved in education for over 25 years. He has developed a series of fashion websites which include: The Fashion Universe and Timepiece Collections

Child Custody Laws

November 25th, 2008 by beachboys

Normally, generic tadalifil judge deciding child custody matters will consider the parents’ wishes, the child’s wishes, the relationship of the child Prozac online his siblings or others with whom he has contact, the child’s likely adjustment to home, school, and community, and the mental and physical health of all individuals involved. The judge will also consider any past acts of domestic violence.

The parents’ religious practices Normally, the judge deciding child custody matters will consider the parents’ wishes, the child’s wishes, the relationship of the child to his siblings or others with whom he has contact, the child’s likely adjustment to home, school, and community, and the mental and physical health of all individuals involved. The judge will also consider any past acts of domestic violence.

The parents’ religious practices The parents’ religious practices may be considered - if those beliefs or practices are harmful to the child (for example, refusing appropriate medical treatment). You do have some rights under child custody laws though.

The parents’ sexual behavior The parents’ sexual behavior might be considered if the behavior is considered damaging to the child - for example, having sexual relations in front of the child. Normally, the fact the one parent is homosexual will not affect that parent’s right to custody, but in light of the discretion that judges have in making custody awards, you should ask a local lawyer whether this fact is considered significant by judges in your county.

May child custody be awarded to a non-parent? Custody may be awarded to a non-parent, but there is a strong presumption that the child should be with a parent. Judges have sometimes awarded custody to a stepparent. If you have questions about child custody laws, contact a divorce attorney near you.

Click to read more articles from GotTrouble.

Copyright 2008 gottrouble.com

Henry Dahut is an attorney and marketing strategist who works with some of the largest law firms in the world. He is the author of the best selling practice development book, “Marketing The Legal Mind” and offers consulting services in the area of strategic branding and law firm marketing. Henry is also the founder of the legal online help-portal http://www.GotTrouble.com - the award winning site that helps people through serious legal and financial trouble.

Fundraising Fireworks - Donor Cultivation With Seasonal Themes

November 19th, 2008 by beachboys

The 4th of July is personal injury law Sacramento very important holiday here in the United States. And it’s also an ideal solution to keep your donor cultivation tactics going strong during the hot days of summer. Or as a solution to your creative blues for summertime fundraising.

What do I mean? The 4th can be the theme for the next message to your donors.

Industry statistics and studies - along with your own personal experience, I expect - show that most money for nonprofits and charities is raised in the last few months of the calendar year. People are in the giving spirit. And although there may be some who toss a little more into the pot for tax purposes, this isn’t the motivator for the vast majority.

So you certainly ought to be sending out letters and emails to your donor house file - and maintain acquisition efforts - during this time period.

But don’t let everything screech to a halt during the summer months. Yes, some of the plant life and vegetation wilts and turns brown in the heat of summer. Still, this is no reason to let the same thing happen to your prospecting, fundraising or donor cultivation efforts.

You worked hard and invested considerable money to acquire your donors. Now you must work even harder to keep them. Donor cultivation - the focus of this article - will help you do just that.

Donors need to hear from you on a regular basis. If not…you’ll be forgotten. Your house file and your revenues will die.

Another charity organization that also resonates with your donors’ interests will enter the picture. They’ll be getting those precious donations instead of you. There’s lots of competition for donor dollars, especially in tougher economic times.

Another point to remember is this: Every message - direct mail, email, whatever - doesn’t have to include a request for money. How would you feel if every time a friend contacted you she hit you up for cash?

Donor cultivation includes some messages without an “ask.” Think of it as writing to a friend, “Just keeping in touch to let you know…”

Just send an update with a success story from your mission. Mention - in donor-centered copy - how their financial gift made all this possible. And antidepressants say “thank you!”

Now you may be asking yourself, “What does all this have to do with the 4th of July?” Simple. It’s the perfect excuse to contact your donors.

Zip off an email with a spirited “HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!” Share a few words about our nation’s history. Maybe something about how passionate patriots were about the cause for freedom and independence. Then segue into your mission. Say how the dedication and support of donors “like you make it possible to continue another important cause [insert a short phrase on what you do or what you’re highlighting].”

Next you can give a specific example by telling a great success story. Remember, even within the story it must have donor-centered copy. It must also be emotional (this doesn’t always mean tear-jerking), interesting, detailed and compelling.

You could do the same thing with a postcard. Have an interesting photo and headline on the front. Then your “Happy 4th of July” greeting followed by your story on the back.

Because of its low cost and speed, the email could go out to everyone. For the postcard you may want to segment your file. Part of your fundraising strategy ought to be focusing 80% of your efforts on the 20% of your file that generates the vast majority of your revenue. In other words, to keep costs down and to maximize results, you could send the postcard to a select portion of your house file.

Donor cultivation is a critical, no…it’s an essential part of your overall fundraising strategy. Proper cultivation of your donors to build and strengthen the relationship with your nonprofit will yield greater results. You’ll retain donors longer and they’ll be more generous.

Need more ideas or guidelines? You’ll find many more ideas on theme related fundraising letters and campaigns in the Periodic News, January 2008 post on my website (Go to the home page, left side near the top for the link to Periodic News). And there’s a wealth of tips, ideas and techniques within the Newsletter Archive (Resource section) on my website.

My name is Karen Zapp and I’m freelance fundraising and sales copywriter ( http://www.PKscribe.com ). I specialize in uniquely written copy that not only touches readers at profoundly deep levels, but does so intellectually, emotionally and personally. I also publish a FREE monthly newsletter for fundraising professionals designed to make your job a bit easier: “Karen’s Fundraising Tips.”

Copyright 2008 PK Scribe, LLC and Karen Zapp. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article as long as this resource box remains attached and unchanged. Thank you.

Learn Photoshop CS3

November 18th, 2008 by beachboys

This tutorial will go over the use of the Gradient Tool in Adobe Photoshop CS3. This conference calling company a short and focused tutorial on the capabilities of the gradient tool. Many different things can be constructed from such simple features. Many new web 2.0 buttons, headers and images are using finely tuned gradients to give off a smooth effect.

I personally like this look and feel, and will be developing it into some of my new tutorials. If you are looking for a more defined tutorial on how to use this feature, you can check out of the links to the side or a webpage from the resource site link. Also there is the full package of teaching tutorials that you will find summarized at the end of this tutorial. Enough of the idle talk lets continue with the tutorial.

Let’s start by opening up Adobe Photoshop CS Extended and making a document of a large square shape (500 pixels x 500 pixels). Then you can select the Gradient Tool.

Now drag a line from the top left portion to the bottom right portion like shown in the image below.

Now you will see what happens with the color patterns from blue to brown. You can see the color pattern at the top left of the program. That is the way it is shown for a gradient.

Now select that gradient box and you will see the default option within it. There are a variety of pre-made color patterns.

Let’s take a look at one in use. Pick the transparent rainbow.

Now drag a line from the top right to the bottom left.

Now you will get an opposing gradient image from another corner of the document. You could do with different layers and make all kinds of cool contrasting stuff.

Now lets get a fresh document and select the Linear Gradient located at the top of the screen as shown in the image below.

Now drag a line from the left to the right.

Now you will get a linear gradient with the transparent rainbow. The transparent rainbow is nothing more than a few Sell structured settlement changes. You blur the rain colors and then you set the opacity to about 50% and there you go.

Let’s make another clean document and select the Angle Gradient.

Select the option Foreground to Background, which will take your personally made background and foreground colors and make an angled gradient with them. You can do this with any of the gradients.

Now drag a line from left to right.

Now you will have an angled gradient. My gradient is from blue to white so it looks like it takes up only half the screen. You can make yours look like whatever you want.

Now make a new document and select the Reflected Gradient.

Drag a line from the bottom left to the top right.

Now you will see the image below.

Now select the Diamond Gradient from the top. I am sorry for not having the proper caption for this. Now select the black and white color option.

Now drag a line from the top left to the bottom right.

Now you will have an odd looking diamond speared gradient object. I probably should have demonstrated this in another color pattern.

The rest of the options are pretty self-explanatory. Next to the gradient types are the modes you can run them in. I kept it on normal for simplicity sake. They are shown below.

The gradient is a great tool that has many useful possibilities. It has been used since digital graphic editing started and it will continue on with these brilliant programs. Nothing catches the eye more than a well used gradient in an image. It mimics the changing faces of the sky that we see everyday. Some people would state that they have never seen anything more beautiful than a colorful sky. I believe they may be on to something. I hope this tutorial has taught you a few features that Adobe Photoshop CS3 has to offer with gradients.

Master The Basics of Adobe Photoshop With Easy to Follow FREE Online Tutorials. Click Here for more details: www.msphotoshop.com”>learn photoshop cs3