Handy sources for sample data

There are a number of reasons why you might need sample database or spreadsheet data to use for a project, and you want “real” sounding records with names, addresses, credit card numbers, company names, etc. Sure, you could mock up some fictitious data yourself, but that’s time consuming and tedious. Instead, turn to the Fake Name Generator™, generatedata.com, or FreeDataGenerator. 

Perhaps you’re using Adobe XD to prototype an app, and quickly want to auto-populate a screen with random records using the Repeat Grid feature. Or you’re setting up a document using InDesign’s Data Merge feature and you don’t have the real data yet. Or you’re working on an XML or JSON project and need some sample data to work with. Or you’re teaching a Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets class and want to populate a spreadsheet with sample data.

Each of these Web sites makes it easy to generate dozens or hundreds of records of sample data. Each site offers something slightly different regarding the types of data generated and the formats that it will export the data to. Here are a couple of example data sets quickly generated with these resources:

XML data generated by FreeDataGenerator

Spreadsheet data generated by generatedata.com

How to create a device mockup with Adobe Comp CC

Adobe Comp is one easy way to create quick mockups of your web site or app on a mobile device. Just follow these steps:

1. Download and install Adobe Comp CC on your device. The app is free, and available for iOS (iPad and iPhone) and Android tablets and phones. You will need a Creative Cloud plan to sign into the app.

2. On your tablet or phone, take a screenshot of what you want to “pose” on the device. To take a screenshot on an iOS device, press the home button and the power button simultaneously. One most Android devices, you press the volume down and power buttons simultaneously. Instead of a screenshot, you can assemble artwork in Photoshop or any other program that you wish. Just be sure to create it at the size of your device screen. Here, I just took a screen shot of my Web site on my iPad in landscape orientation.

3. Run Adobe comp on your device

4. Tap the plus icon in the lower right corner to create a new composition

5. Choose the proper size project for your device

6. Tap the place image button and locate the image from step 2. In my case, the image is a screen shot, so it is “On my device"

7. Drag your image to the upper-left corner, and then grab the lower-right selection handle and drag it to fill the canvas

8. Tap the share button and choose Auto Mockups

9. Your artwork will appear “posed” on a device. Depending on what device you are targeting, you may have multiple mockups available, Swipe to the left to see additional mockups.

10. Tap the share button to save the image the finished mockup to local storage, Dropbox, etc.

The finished project:

Using gradients on strokes in Illustrator

Gradients aren’t just for fills in Illustrator. Did you know that you can use them on strokes also? Here’s how:

1. Draw a path with the Pen tool, Curvature tool, Line Segment tool, Spiral tool, Pencil tool, or any other tool that creates a path

2. With the path selected, give the path a stroke weight (the Appearance panel is the best place to do this)

3. Choose a gradient for the stroke

4. In the Gradient panel, there are 3 “Stroke” buttons: the left-most button creates a gradient that just goes across the object from left to right by default.

5. The middle button creates a gradient that follows the curve of the stroke.

6. The right-most button creates a gradient that goes across the width of the stroke.

7. The Reverse Gradient button will change the direction of the gradient. This is particularly useful for gradients that follow the curve of the path.

Keep in mind that the Object > Path > Reverse Path Direction command will also change the direction of the gradient if the gradient is set to follow the curve of the path or go across the width of the stroke.