
Make control files
To use GNU/Linux’s text processing abilities for graphic design, I needed to find a way to expand this world of plain text. My approach herefore is the automated generation of plain text control files, that serve as input for software, that extends the world of plain text. Lists are the most simple example for a...

Bash Fundamentals
This is a very short and incomplete introduction to the Bourne-Again Shell. On the commandline most programs follow the simple principle of creating and modifying plain text. To make this approach extremly productive the Bash offers some mechanisms. The so-called pipe character (|) acts like a plug to send the output of one program to...

HTML
It is possible to examine text data without conversion tools. If the data doesn’t look right, you can use a standard text editor to modify it. Specialized tools are not required. You don’t need a separate editor for each kind of data file. One size fits all.

SVG
Handy solution to transfer complete layers from one svg to another. Since inkscape svgs are flat text xml files you can use any ordinary word editor to copy/paste data.
Decrease JPG Quality
Ever wanted to save 100 jpg files with decreasing quality? INPUTFILE=test.jpg COUNT=100 while [ $COUNT -gt 0 ] do OUTPUTFILE=$COUNT.jpg convert -quality ${COUNT}% $INPUTFILE $OUTPUTFILE COUNT=`expr $COUNT - 1` done exit 0; Made with bash and imagemagick. These examples are probably super useless. They perform tasks that are normally not part of...
Save a jpg file 10000 times
Ever wondered what happens to the image quality if you save a jpg file 10000 times? Simple example for the use of automation. Code not tested! INPUTFILE=test.jpg COUNT=0 while [ $COUNT -lt 10000 ] do OUTPUTFILE=$COUNT.jpg convert $INPUTFILE $OUTPUTFILE INPUTFILE=$OUTPUTFILE COUNT=`expr $COUNT + 1` done These examples are probably super useless. They perform...
HTML in a loop
Editing HTML is normally the first time when graphic designers learn how to determine visual form or colors through plain text. What do you see if you read #FF0000? This is the first step towards a changing perception. Therefore HTML will serve as our first example how to make a simple script do some work...

What *NIX got to do with it
Some ideas from this strange colored book served as inspirations for the stuff on http://www.forkable.eu. The Unix Philosophy by Mike Gancarz ISBN:1–555558-123–4. Copyright 1995 Butterworth-Heinemann. Copied from here. There: Reprinted with Permission of Digital Press Small programs are easy to understand. Small programs are easy to maintain. Small programs consume fewer system resources. Small programs are...

Ludic Interfaces for Scrabble Lovers
GNU/Linux system utilities are a sort of Lego construction set for word-smiths. Working with a shell [...] is literally a word dance. *