Graphic Exchange News is a news site covering, according to their tag line, “graphic resources for creative minds.” The site is a companion to Graphic Exchange, a quarterly print magazine offering free subscriptions to Canadian graphic design professionals (paid subscriptions are available for those outside Canada). Twice a year, they also offer a free download of a PDF version of the magazine. I’ve been looking forward to it with anticipation since I first discovered it last summer.

The third issue, Summer 2005, is now available. It includes a number of interesting articles, including a piece by Ron Giddings on “The Fine Art of Printing Fine Art,” “Screening the Options for Screen Pages” (a look at digital magazines by Dan Brill), and a special feature, “Creative Source 24,” a 32-page guide to the best Canadian illustrators, photographers, and designers.

The magazine is available in two versions: a rich media version with web links and videos (81 MB), and a lightweight preview version (7.1 MB). If you have a broadband connection, grab the fat one. I’ve enjoyed the rich media in past issues. But note: if you’re on Tiger and using Adobe Acrobat 7, there’s a problem with QuickTime 7 that prevents you from playing movies. Apple and Adobe are working on a fix.

You can also search past issues of Graphic Exchange magazine and download PDF files of previous articles, dating from 1991 to 2004.