Blog

Practical tips and tutorials to help you get more done.

Side ProjectProductivityWeb Development

Shipping a Side Project in a Weekend

What it actually takes to go from idea to live in 48 hours — and the shortcuts that make it possible.

February 18, 20263 min readRead more

PDFFile SizeWorkflow

Client Sent a 47MB PDF (Here's What I Did)

When someone emails you a massive PDF and expects you to 'just make it smaller,' here's the actual workflow.

February 17, 20263 min readRead more

ProductivitySaaSCost Savings

I Cancelled 3 SaaS Subscriptions Last Month

Some tools don't need a monthly fee. Here's what I replaced and what I kept paying for.

February 16, 20263 min readRead more

Web DevelopmentProductivityDeveloper Tools

10 Tools Web Developers Actually Use Every Day

The real daily toolkit for web developers — from formatting JSON to testing regex to minifying code before deploy.

February 16, 20264 min readRead more

PrintDesignImage Quality

The Print Shop Rejected My File (A Checklist So It Doesn't Happen to You)

Common reasons print files get rejected and how to fix them before you submit.

February 15, 20264 min readRead more

DebuggingDevelopmentWorkflow

Debugging at 2 AM: What Actually Helps

When production is down and your brain is foggy, these are the tools and habits that save you.

February 14, 20264 min readRead more

ImagesPerformanceWorkflow

The Complete Image Optimization Pipeline

From oversized originals to web-ready assets — a step-by-step image optimization workflow that actually saves bandwidth.

February 14, 20264 min readRead more

Web DevelopmentQuick WinsPolish

Five-Minute Fixes That Make You Look Like a Pro

Small improvements that take almost no time but make your website or project look way more polished.

February 13, 20264 min readRead more

Content CreationAutomationProductivity

Automating the Boring Parts of Content Creation

You don't need fancy tools to stop doing repetitive image and text tasks manually.

February 12, 20264 min readRead more

Data ConversionWorkflowDeveloper Tools

Converting Data Between Formats Without Losing Your Mind

A practical guide to moving data between CSV, JSON, YAML, and XML — the real pipeline for migrations and integrations.

February 12, 20264 min readRead more

DeploymentDevOpsBest Practices

What I Check Before Every Deployment

A short, practical checklist that has saved me from embarrassing production issues more times than I can count.

February 11, 20264 min readRead more

PDFWorkflowProductivity

The Complete PDF Workflow: Create, Split, Merge, and Extract

Everything you need to handle PDFs in real work scenarios — from creating reports to splitting chapters to merging contracts.

February 10, 20264 min readRead more

File SharingProfessionalTips

Sending Files That Won't Get You Fired

Practical advice for sending documents and images that look professional and actually open on the other end.

February 10, 20263 min readRead more

ToolsDevelopmentDaily Workflow

The Tools I Actually Use Every Single Day

Not a curated list of trendy apps. Just the boring tools I reach for daily and why they stuck.

February 9, 20264 min readRead more

Data FormatsComparisonDeveloper Tools

JSON vs YAML vs XML: Which Format Should You Use?

An honest comparison of JSON, YAML, and XML — when each one shines, where each one hurts, and how to pick the right one for your project.

February 8, 20264 min readRead more

ProductivityToolsPrivacy

Online Tools vs Desktop Apps: When Does Each One Make Sense?

Browser-based tools are incredibly convenient, but they're not always the right choice. Here's a practical guide to picking the right tool for the job.

February 6, 20265 min readRead more

PerformanceImagesWeb Development

Image Optimization and Core Web Vitals: A Practical Guide

Images are the biggest factor in web performance. Here's how to optimize them properly and improve your Core Web Vitals scores.

February 4, 20265 min readRead more

RegexProgrammingCheat Sheet

20 Regex Patterns Every Developer Should Bookmark

A practical cheat sheet of the most useful regular expressions — email, URL, phone, IP, dates, and more. Copy, paste, and use.

February 2, 20264 min readRead more

ImagesPerformanceWeb Development

JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF: Pick the Right Image Format

Every format has trade-offs. Here's how to choose the right one for your images.

January 31, 20263 min readRead more

HTTPAPIWeb Development

HTTP Status Codes: What They Mean and When to Use Them

Beyond 200 and 404. A practical guide to status codes for API developers.

January 30, 20263 min readRead more

DesignFreelanceProductivity

The Freelance Designer's Essential Online Toolkit

Every tool a freelance designer needs for client work — image optimization, color conversion, favicon creation, and SVG cleanup. No installs required.

January 30, 20264 min readRead more

DiffDebuggingDevelopment

Finding What Changed: A Guide to Text Diff

Spot differences between files, configs, and code versions without losing your mind.

January 29, 20263 min readRead more

QR CodeSmall BusinessMarketing

5 Ways Small Businesses Actually Use QR Codes (That Work)

Forget the hype. Here's how real small businesses use QR codes to save time and connect with customers.

January 28, 20263 min readRead more

SQLDatabaseCode Quality

Readable SQL Isn't Optional

How to format SQL queries so your future self (and teammates) won't hate you.

January 28, 20263 min readRead more

E-commerceBusinessImages

Online Seller's Image & Labeling Toolkit

Product image optimization, barcode generation, and QR codes for packaging — every tool e-commerce sellers need to look professional without expensive software.

January 28, 20264 min readRead more

MarkdownWritingDocumentation

Markdown: Write Once, Publish Anywhere

The simplest way to format text that works on GitHub, Notion, blogs, and almost everywhere else.

January 27, 20262 min readRead more

JWTSecurityAuthentication

JWTs: What's Actually in Those Long Strings

JSON Web Tokens decoded. How they work, what they contain, and common security mistakes.

January 26, 20263 min readRead more

EducationStudentsFree Tools

Free Online Tools Every Student Should Bookmark

Merge PDFs for assignments, count words for essays, compress images for presentations, and more — all free, no signup required.

January 26, 20264 min readRead more

ImagesWeb PerformanceOptimization

Your Images Are Probably Too Big (Here's How to Fix It)

Most websites load slowly because of unoptimized images. A few minutes of compression can cut your load time in half.

January 25, 20264 min readRead more

CronAutomationDevOps

Cron Expressions: Schedule Anything Without the Guesswork

Those cryptic scheduling strings finally explained. Write cron expressions that work the first time.

January 25, 20263 min readRead more

APIBackendDeveloper Tools

API Development Toolkit: Debug Faster, Ship Sooner

JWT debugging, HTTP status codes, JSON formatting, Base64 encoding, and URL encoding — the essential browser tools for API developers.

January 24, 20264 min readRead more

JavaScriptCSSPerformance

Code Minification: What It Does and When to Bother

Smaller files load faster. Here's what minification removes and when it's worth the effort.

January 24, 20262 min readRead more

PDFHTMLWeb Development

HTML to PDF: Harder Than It Should Be

Converting web pages to PDF seems simple. Here's why it's not, and how to get good results.

January 23, 20263 min readRead more

WritingSEOSocial Media

Character Limits Are Everywhere (Here's How to Deal)

From tweets to meta descriptions, character counts matter. Tips for writing within limits.

January 22, 20262 min readRead more

QR CodeMarketing2026 Trends

QR Code Marketing Strategies That Actually Work in 2026

Skip the gimmicks. Here are QR code marketing strategies with measurable results — from dynamic codes to print-to-digital campaigns.

January 22, 20264 min readRead more

BrowserWeb DevelopmentAnalytics

User Agent Strings: Reading Browser Fingerprints

What that weird string tells you about your visitors and why it's often misleading.

January 21, 20263 min readRead more

BarcodeQR CodeBusiness

Barcodes vs QR Codes: Which One Do You Need?

A practical guide to choosing between 1D barcodes and QR codes for your project.

January 20, 20263 min readRead more

PDFRemote WorkProductivity

Stop Emailing 50MB PDFs to Your Team

Simple fixes for the PDF problems that slow down remote teams every day.

January 20, 20263 min readRead more

PrivacySecurityBrowser Tools

Why Browser-Based Tools Are Better for Your Privacy

Your files shouldn't leave your device just to resize an image. Here's why client-side processing matters and how to tell which tools actually protect your data.

January 20, 20264 min readRead more

ImagesDesignWeb Development

Resize vs Crop: Know the Difference

They both make images smaller. They do completely different things.

January 19, 20263 min readRead more

AccessibilityDesignColor

Color Contrast and Accessibility: A Practical Guide

How to make sure your colors meet WCAG accessibility standards. Contrast ratios, AA vs AAA, and tools to get it right — explained without the jargon.

January 18, 20264 min readRead more

SecurityHashingCryptography

Hashing Explained: MD5, SHA, and When to Use Each

Hash functions turn data into fingerprints. Here's how they work and why MD5 isn't dead yet.

January 18, 20263 min readRead more

UnitsMathDevelopment

Unit Conversions: The Details That Break Things

Metric, imperial, and the conversions that seem simple but aren't.

January 17, 20263 min readRead more

EncodingUnicodeDeveloper Tools

Character Encoding Explained: From ASCII to UTF-8

Why your text sometimes turns into question marks and weird symbols. A practical guide to character encoding.

January 16, 20264 min readRead more

YAMLConfigurationDevOps

YAML: Configuration Files Without the Clutter

Why YAML became the standard for config files and how to avoid its gotchas.

January 16, 20263 min readRead more

JSONAPIDeveloper Tools

Reading API Responses Without Losing Your Mind

Why your API responses look like garbage and how to actually read them.

January 15, 20263 min readRead more

UUIDDatabasesAPI Design

UUIDs: When Auto-Increment Isn't Enough

Why unique identifiers matter and when to use them instead of sequential IDs.

January 15, 20263 min readRead more

QR CodeTechnicalDeep Dive

QR Code Error Correction: Why Damaged QR Codes Still Work

How QR codes survive scratches, logos, and dirt. A deep dive into L, M, Q, and H error correction levels.

January 14, 20264 min readRead more

XMLJSONData Conversion

XML to JSON: It's Harder Than It Looks

Why converting between XML and JSON produces surprising results, and how to handle the edge cases.

January 14, 20263 min readRead more

DesignTypographyContent

Lorem Ipsum: Why Placeholder Text Exists

Dummy text lets you focus on design without waiting for content. But it has limitations.

January 13, 20263 min readRead more

PerformanceMinificationWeb Development

What Code Minification Actually Does to Your Files

Variable shortening, whitespace removal, dead code elimination — and when you should skip it.

January 12, 20264 min readRead more

TimestampProgrammingDatabases

What's a Unix Timestamp and Why Should You Care?

That giant number in your database isn't random. Here's what it means and how to work with it.

January 12, 20263 min readRead more

ImagesDesignSVG

Why Your Logo Looks Blurry (Raster vs Vector)

Vector graphics scale infinitely. Raster images don't. Know when to use each.

January 11, 20263 min readRead more

Base64ImagesPerformance

Base64 Images: Convenient Trap or Useful Tool?

Embedding images as Base64 strings seems convenient. Here's when it helps and when it hurts.

January 10, 20263 min readRead more

ImagesBatch ProcessingProductivity

Batch Image Processing: Resize, Compress, Convert

Stop processing images one by one. A practical guide to batch operations for social media, web, and print.

January 10, 20264 min readRead more

SecurityPasswordsPrivacy

Your Password Is Probably Terrible (Here's a Better One)

Why password123 isn't fooling anyone, and what actually makes a password strong.

January 10, 20263 min readRead more

PDFImagesConversion

When to Convert PDFs to Images (And When Not To)

PDF to image conversion has legitimate uses. Here's when it makes sense and how to do it right.

January 9, 20263 min readRead more

FaviconDesignBranding

Making a Favicon That Doesn't Look Like Garbage

That tiny icon in the browser tab matters more than you think.

January 8, 20263 min readRead more

RegexProgrammingText Processing

Regex: Less Scary Than It Looks

Regular expressions have a reputation for being unreadable. They don't have to be.

January 8, 20263 min readRead more

ImagesDesignPhotography

The Art of Cropping: Less Is Often More

Good cropping transforms mediocre photos into compelling images. Here's how to think about it.

January 7, 20263 min readRead more

PDFDocumentsProductivity

Splitting and Merging PDFs Without Adobe

Extract pages, combine documents, rearrange content. No subscription required.

January 6, 20263 min readRead more

Base64EncodingDeveloper Tools

What Is Base64 and Why Does It Keep Showing Up

That weird text string in your code isn't gibberish. Here's what it actually means.

January 5, 20263 min readRead more

URLWeb DevelopmentEncoding

Why Your URL Broke (And How to Fix It)

URL encoding isn't optional. Here's why special characters cause problems and what to do about it.

January 5, 20263 min readRead more

ColorsCSSDesign

Hex, RGB, HSL: A Quick Guide for the Rest of Us

Color codes decoded for developers and non-designers who just need the right shade of blue.

December 28, 20253 min readRead more

CSVJSONData

Getting Data Out of Spreadsheets Without Losing Your Sanity

CSV, JSON, Excel—converting between formats without breaking everything.

December 20, 20253 min readRead more

SVGOptimizationPerformance

Your SVG Is 10x Bigger Than It Needs to Be

How design tools bloat SVG files and what to do about it.

December 15, 20253 min readRead more