Pro Editing @ Home

by Kevin P McAuliffe
February 16, 2009

After looking at the Compositor’s Toolkit, I am a big fan of Digital Juice, and needless to say when they asked me if I wanted to take a look at their newest product, DJ Fonts Collection One (DJF), I jumped at the chance. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this new product, as I really hadn’t heard anything about it, but I love surprises, so let’s see what Digital Juice has offered us this time!

INSTALLATION

Much like the Compositor’s Toolkit, DJF’s core is the Juicer, and when you have downloaded and installed it, which is totally free, you will notice that there is no catagory for DJF, so what you will need to do is insert the “Installation” disc into your computer, and navigate to FILE>INSTALL PRODUCTS, and the Juicer will immediately scan the disc in your drive. Since there is no viewing support for the web, you will be required to install the previews locally on your machine. Once you click "Install", you are greeted by this window.

Look for your Activation Key in an e-mail, or on your invoice from Digital Juice

Digital Juice has done something a little different. Just having the disc for the installation isn't enough any more. Now, when you purchase DJF, you are e-mailed a unique activation key that you will need to enter, before you are able to install the previews. Very clever on DJ's part to help avoid piracy, and people loaning the discs out to their friends. Once you input your activation key (that will either be e-mailed to you or included on your invoice), DJF will install, and once it's done, the Juicer will look a little different.

The Juicer once Digital Juice Fonts is installed and selected on the left.

You are now ready to start creating your fonts.

WHAT YOU GET & HOW IT WORKS

One problem that graphic designers (and editors/motion graphic designers for that matter) run into all the time is that they have to take standard fonts, and get creative with them by making them look like balloon's, or that water has been poured on them, or something else that the project they are working on dictates. Normally, it can be a long and painstaking process to create these unique fonts, as you have to search the internet for textures, and create multiple layers to get just the look you want. Who has time for that? That's where Digital Juice Fonts come in. In "Collection 1", you get thirty-five font families. Now that might not seem like a lot, but what you need to keep in mind it that in every family, you will have a whole ton of presets ready for you to just type and use. But wait, that's not all! With each and every preset in each family, you can alter them to your liking, essentially creating more possibilities than you could ever need.

 

VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR

At a regular price of $499.95, some people might think the price is a bit steep, but there is something important to keep in mind. What you are paying for are not only excellent looking fonts, but you are paying for the speed and power of creating awesome fonts, in a very, very short amount of time that can be very unique. People who are working on shows, and need to come up with a font look and then modify it slightly are going to love DJF, as they will be able to create their show's fonts in absolutely no time. Also, for the rest of the month of February (2009), DJ is offering Collection One for half price, $249.95 (US), and they are throwing in a $25 gift certificate for any DJ product, and free ground shipping to the domestic US. This is an awesome deal that anyone who has been sitting on the fence, should really jump at!

There is one last thing that I want to point out, and for me it's something important, and that is that I really see DJF as the future of DJ products. Why you might ask? Well, basically what we have with DJF and the Juicer is a way to manipulate the different layers of these fonts to create many different and unique looks. How far behind is the ability to do these to their animated backgrounds? With the power of the Juicer, I don't think it's very far off. Once this happens, there will be no need to worry about seeing your animated background in a different show, as you will be able to alter all the background elements to your liking, and render them out however you need them.

PROS

- Ease and flexibility of the Juicer and DJF is quickly apparent
- Easy to use for beginners with "Presets", powerful to use for more advanced users
- The Juicer and DJF is like a "fast Photoshop" with very little work required (just your imagination)
- Collection one is just the beginning
- Some spectacular deal is always included with all their new products.
- Saving as layered PSD files is a huge bonus
- This type of workflow will be the future of all DJ products

CONS

- If you haven't discovered the Juicer yet, you are really missing out

Purchase Recommendation: Buy it! For full price you can't go wrong, and right now it's half price!!!

I really liked Digital Juice Fonts Collection One. Not only do you get the thirty-five font families with all the presets, but the ability to modify all these presets into your own creation makes this a must-have for graphic designers as well as motion graphic artists and editors alike. I can't wait to see what's in Collection Two! For more information on Digital Juice, or Digital Juice Fonts Collection One, head over to www.digitaljuice.com .