New Book Teaches How to Design Cool Stuff
Before & After Page Design by John McWade makes good design easy for anyone.

Berkeley, Calif. and Roseville, Calif.: January 23, 2004-Peachpit Press and Before & After magazine today announced the release of Before & After Page Design by John McWade. Before & After Page Design is a beautifully clear, cohesive and elegant primer on page design that covers all the essentials. Acclaimed for his approach to teaching by example, McWade makes simple the complex process of good design for professional and occasional designers.

"For over a decade, graphic designers have depended on Before & After magazine for ideas and inspiration," says Marjorie Baer, executive editor of Peachpit Press. "With Before & After Page Design, we have created an essential addition to the library of any visual communicator."

Through a series of projects chosen for their practical value to today's graphic designer, the book shows readers how to put into practice the principles of excellence in design. McWade teaches how to think visually-transforming the images in your head into documents that communicate effectively on the page. Projects include newsletter and newspapers, brochures, fliers and mailers, advertising and stationery.

"Page design is not about decoration but communication, about making your words and vision visible, giving it form and body for all the world to see," says John McWade, creative director of Before & After magazine. "This book is about how to express in a few words, a few shapes, a few colors, the ideas you want to convey."

Highlights of subjects covered include: -When one typeface works better than another, and how to select the most effective font for your project -Dramatic photo placement for a product showcase -How to make a pocket brochure that's easy to update -Strategies for directing your reader's eye -The essentials of a powerful ad layout -How to create a do-it-all business portfolio (and what to put in it)

About the Author
Designer, teacher and author John McWade has been at the forefront of the graphic design and desktop publishing world for several decades. The very first beta user of the desktop publishing program Aldus PageMaker, he went on to found the first desktop publishing company, PageLab, to take advantage of the new tools. With his wife Gaye McWade, he founded the acclaimed Before & After magazine, long a favorite resource for graphic designers.

About Peachpit Press
Berkeley-based Peachpit Press has been publishing top-notch books on the latest in graphic design, desktop publishing, multimedia, Web publishing, and general computing since 1986. Its award-winning books feature step-by-step explanations, timesaving techniques, savvy insider tips, and expert advice for computer users of all sorts. It is the home of the internationally recognized Visual QuickStart Guide series, New Riders Voices that Matter series, and is the publishing partner and distributor of Adobe Press, Macromedia Press, and Avid Press books. Peachpit Press is a company of Pearson Education, the world's largest education publisher and a Pearson (NYSE: PSO) company. Learn more at www.pearsoned.com.

About Before & After magazine
Before & After magazine has earned legions of fans with its approach to design not as a mere decoration but as an essential form of communication. Launched in 1990, the magazine is published six times a year from Roseville, California. Each issue delivers step-by-step instruction and explanation of the essentials of visual design in a style that is entertaining, inspiring and educational. Learn more at www.bamagazine.com. Before & After is a registered trademark of JMS Publishing, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.


Title: Before & After Page Design
Author: John McWade ISBN: 0-201-79537-X
Price: $24.99 Size: 7 x 9", 195 pp.
Levels: Beginning-Advanced Publication Date: 12/03
Category: Graphic Design Publisher: Peachpit Press
Availability: Through bookstores, computer dealers, catalogs, user groups or directly from Peachpit Press. Call (800) 283-9444 for a free catalog.

Click Here to purchase.

For more information:

Rebecca Barthel
Before & After magazine
TEL (650) 988-1450
Email: Rebecca

Kim Lombardi
Peachpit Press
TEL (800) 283-9444 x123
Email: Kim