Why Neoprene Cases are a Good Choice for Protecting Your iPad

At Accessory Genie, we are constantly trying to stay current to meet the demands of our electronically-savvy customers. As soon as Apple announced its first tablet computer -- the iPad -- we ordered our own and then began scouring our sources for the accessories we thought you would need. After looking at countless options, we chose a line of neoprene cases that we think maximize protection, sleek appearance and function. Why neoprene? It fixes the biggest problem we encountered when playing with our new iPad: the slip factor.

We poured over the first reviews of the iPad itself and discovered something interesting. One of the biggest complaints about the device was its combination of thin and slippery. It might look snazzy, but it has a way of escaping people's grasps. It's far too easy to damage. Just handing it from employee to employee, we were handling it like a newborn baby. So, we went on the hunt for accessories to help rectify the problem.

We checked out several hard cases that would have fixed the slipping, but they also made the iPad twice as thick if not more. Part of the allure--at least to our techies--is the slender design. Adding a case twice the size of the actual device makes for a clunky final product, thereby defeating the whole purpose. Another hard-case concern was how it would handle any impact. It didn't seem like it would absorb any kind of impact, even if we just set the iPad down too hard on the table. With those potential issues in mind, we abandoned the hard case for awhile and went in search of something different. That's when we found neoprene cases.

The neoprene combines impact absorption and protection, and still allows the iPad to be as thin as possible. Neoprene is, essentially, synthetic rubber. The products we chose have several layers of thread, which add to their ability to protect against dents and absorb bumps. It's also scratch-proof, weather resistant and even stain resistant. Being that several of us are horribly accident-prone, we need all the help we can get.

Between the classic black option and two reversible bright blue and pink selections, there is something for everyone's sensibility. In case you need a few more options, one of our products has elastic straps inside to hold in the iPad itself; this means you can use your iPad without taking it out of the case. Now that you have the results of our slightly clumsy staff's comprehensive research, hopefully you can avoid the pitfalls and dangers of handling and protecting your iPad.

Tutorial! Adding A Screenshot To A Phone

Alright, so today we're going to be adding a screenshot to this sexy HTC Incredible. The Incredible is wearing a really awesome silicone case which you can check out right here.

Grab your image, or go shoot one. If you missed my first tutorial on how to shoot product on white with a reflection you can check that out right here. Open up the screenshot you want to use and place it into your document over the layer with the phone.

You'll want to lower the opacity on the screenshot layer so you can see where the corners of the phone's screen are.

Then go Edit>Transform>Distort.

Now drag each of the corners of the screenshot to meet the corners of the phone's screen. Hit enter when you're done to commit the changes.

You can bring the opacity back to 100%. Now, you could just leave it and call it a day, but to me it looks really fake, too fake. I like having a small hint of realism in my product work. So for the next step you'll have to set the screenshot layer to a blending mode. If you've never messed with blending modes, you should. They're a lot of fun and they can make your life a whole lot easier. I'm not really sure what each does technically, I typically just scroll through them all until I find the best looking one. I believe I opted for Overlay in this instance, but I do use Screen a lot too.

You can flatten your image and you're all done! It's a quick little thing that can add a whole lot to your product shots. Remember to check out the case I used and for you Android people out there, use code SOCIAL10 at checkout for 10% off the case! Not too shabby!

*If you know of any other cool ways of doing this, we'd love to hear them! Leave us a comment! And if you use this tutorial, We'd LOVE to see what you make!

http://www.accessorygenie.com/
http://www.twitter.com/accessorygenie
http://www.flickr.com/accessorygenie