/JToday is the first day of the rest of your desktop publishing Life...
To move an object, click and drag ("fast-move") to move the object by displaying a bounding box but not the object itself. Or click, hesitate a moment, then drag to move the object with full display.
/3 Want a graphic to appear on every page? Use Master Pages!
Backup, Backup, Backup!! (I lost some important files once, and boy, was I unhappy.)
LayPerson definition of Kerning = "spacing between letters."
There are no good or bad typefaces, only appropriate and inappropriate ones.
An Em dash -- named because it's the length of an M -- replaces the use of two hyphens in typewritten text. The shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+=.
/JThere aren't many shopping days left before Christmas.
Text isn't printing but graphics are? Try printing TrueType As Graphics.
To make REALLY big text, use Tools/Convert to Picture to make it a graphic. Then resize as needed.
/JThere are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your kids to do it.
To install another printer, use the Windows Control Panel (Printers) in your "Main" group...
Every typeface, like every human face, has a character all of its own.
/JIt's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
/J"Push" will get a person almost everywhere -- except through a door marked "Pull."
/JEducation is not received. It is achieved.
/JYou can never get much of anything done unless you go ahead and do it before you are ready.
Double-click on the frame button of the selected frame to import text from your word-processor, or select the text tool and click inside the frame to start typing.
For a few, quick, and handy symbols try the following: Ctrl+Alt+'8' for a bullet, Ctrl+Alt+T for TM symbol, Ctrl+Alt+C for Copyright. And there's more...
Text flow is easier in Frames!
/JHoroscope. Whatever Star Sign you are, today is a GREAT day for desktop publishing...
To retain the aspect ratio of your picture, hold the SHIFT key while resizing the picture.
Make sure that inside pages reflect the covers of a brochure.
/2Teach your personal dictionary your special words. It saves time!
/JNo networks or e-mail? Sneakernet -- term used for transfer of electronic information by physically carrying a disk from one PC to another. Snail-mail -- actual paper in the actual mail.
If you have many objects together in one area, it may take several clicks before you get the right one selected. Look for the 8 black boxes that surround an object to make sure the right one is selected.
/JUse your co-workers and family as a second pair of design eyes.
The smaller the ad, the greater the need for simplicity and attention to detail.
/J"If a hole is in the wrong place, then no amount of digging is going to put it in the right place." -- Edward de Bono.
REVERSE VIDEO is the typographer's term for white text on a black background. First draw a box (using one of the Box tools) and make it black (or a tint). Then place some text over the box. Now make the text white.
/JHappy Birthday!! (well, I'll be right one day)
If you don't want to lose sales, pay real close attention to the design of your price lists.
/3 When doing Process Colour Separations ALWAYS get a Colour Proof (such as a Chromalin) before starting the production print run. It could save you an expensive mistake!
/3If you want to put a Headline over a frame, but don't want it to flow into the frame (ie. Keep as Free Text), hold the F4 key down while moving the Headline over the frame.
/3If you need to use two tools from the ToolBox frequently in succession use the F5 key to toggle between them.
To make objects line up, use "Guides" on the page. You can create guides by dragging on the rulers. Objects automatically snap to guides. You can switch snapping on and off with the button on the Status Bar.
/3You can detach (or "tear-off") the Property Panel from the ChangeBar by dragging it, in Professional level.
/JTime and type waits for no man.
The centre, lower handle on a text block will alter the line spacing (leading).
Remember, when selecting a frame, you need to click twice, since the first click selects the text block under the mouse and then the second the frame (unless you move the mouse in between clicks).
/J"A keyboard, how quaint!" -- Scotty. (Star Trek IV -- The Voyage Home, when they're trying to make a super strong whale container, in case you were wondering.)
/2Use the crop tool to create effects like semi-circles and 2 colour text.
If 'snapping' is on and you are creating, moving, or sizing an object, it will automatically jump (or snap) to the nearest guide. Use the Status Bar quick button (looks like a magnet) to turn it off/on.
TINT is the typographer's term for a shade of a colour (often a shade of black to make a grey). A Tint is a % of colour where 0% would be no colour (usually White) and 100% would be a solid colour (such as Black).
To change the number of columns in a frame use the ChangeBar. Double-click for the Frame Setup dialog. To change the width of a column just drag it with the mouse -- easy!
/J"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." -- Lewis Carroll.
/JIf you want to save time and print something great,
Take our advice and use a template. (A DTP poet?)
/JNo one ever climbed a hill just by looking at it.
/JOur ship would come in much sooner if we'd only swim out to meet it.
/2 When designing a multiple page document, print your first page out before going on to the rest of your publication. It's better to find out early that the design which looks great on your monitor, isn't so great in real life. (Not much better thou
gh, I still get REALLY depressed.)
/JEvery accomplishment, great or small, starts with the right decision, "I'll Try."
Move the top left handle of text in a frame for a quick first line indent. The middle left handle gives you a left indent and any right handle gives a right indent.
/JBegin where you are. But don't stay where you are.
/2To step through the pages in your publication, Click on the direction arrows on the Page area on the Status Bar. Double-Click jumps to the First or Last page.
Beware power outages and brown-outs! Save Your Work! (AutoSave does this automatically for you -- is it on?)
For folded documents, leave extra space in the centre for staples by having a larger gutter.
/2Do you want to maximize your screen area for page layout work? Use CleanUp on the Status Bar. This turns off the display of menus, title bar, scroll-bars and whatever else you don't want (double-click to customize)...
Organize each page around a single dominant visual element such as a big picture, or a big headline.
Play around with the text wrap feature. Select a picture on your page, set wrap on, and go to Tools/Wrap Settings to play with the choices.
/2Tracking refers to general spacing that text has, in other words the text can be "loose", "normal", or "tight"
Almost every part of a frame can be clicked+dragged to resize or move (be careful -- watch the mouse): columns, gutters, and the overall size. You can get some very unusual effects!
Time Saver: Try importing text by double clicking on the grey Link button on the bottom of the selected frame.
Pictures can be imported images, or OLE objects. The ToolBox Import Tool has icons for adding a TypePlus text effect, a TablePlus table or chart, or a DrawPlus graphic...
Did you know? In Europe the standard paper size is A4 (about 8.25" x 11.8") instead of Letter (8.5" x 11"). The equivalent of 5.5" x 8.5" (Letter folded in half) is A5, and the equivalent of 11" x 17" (two Letter pages) is A3.
Suggested Rule of thumb for fonts: maximum of 4 per publication or 3 for a one page publication.
/JYou have to know the ropes in order to pull the strings.
When using the ChangeBar, remember there are THREE ways to choose between options:
1. Scroll Bar for interactive changes.
2. Click on the drop down list button to select a specific value.
3. Click in the window to type in a new value.
/JLook on the bright side... You've ALREADY got enough money to last the rest of your life... unless you buy something.
Hold the CNTRL and ALT keys down AND choose another key to get special characters. (for example cntrl+alt+C is a copyright symbol).
/J When happiness gets into your system, it is bound to break out on your face.
/3Use the Status Editor (in Professional level) for super precise positioning and rotation.
/2To rotate in 45 degree multiples, hold the shift key while rotating. If you want an exact rotation angle, use the status editor. Double click with the rotate tool to unrotate an object, or to rotate it again.
/JThe largest room in the world is the room for improvement.
/JTake a break -- you deserve it...
/JBe patient. Rome wasn't built in a day.
/2TRACKING (or LETTERSPACING) is the typographer's term for adjusting the space between all characters in a paragraph of text. Less space between characters is "tighter" and more space is "looser".
Use PageHints to remind you of things in your publication.
/JIdeas are like children. No matter how much you like other people's, you can't help thinking your own are best.
/JTo cure hiccups, put your fingers in your ears and drink a glass of water. If you only have 2 hands, get a friend to feed you the water.
/JDON'T PANIC!
/3For exact position and rotation, select the object then Click on the Status Editor button on the Status Bar.
/1Press the Tab key to move from one field to another in the Page Setup or any other dialog box. Press the Return key to OK a dialog box. Both of these Windows keyboard shortcuts can be used so often that they're worth remembering early on.
/JIdeas are funny things. They don't work unless you do.
If you're new to DTP, just relax and take it slow. Switch to Intro level to keep things simple, and take a look at one of the Templates for ideas to get you started... (Switch to Publisher and Professional levels later when you feel more confident.)
You can edit your text (such as a "footer" on each page) to include the Page Number. Simply Text/Insert Page Number.
Most people have a inherent sense of good design; most don't use it.
You can use unit abbreviations to temporarily override the default unit type when typing in measurements, eg. 22in, 30cm, 10p.
To select more than one block of text, hold the shift key, and click on the blocks that you wish to select.
Moving rulers also moves the zero point unless you press the shift key.
/JImagination was given to us to compensate us for what we are not, and a sense of humor to console us for what we are.
/JYou can't get anywhere unless you start!
To add/remove fonts, use the Windows Control Panel (Fonts) in your "Main" group...
Press F1 in dialog boxes for context sensitive help.
Remember to check the Status Bar for valuable information about almost everything.
/JA mistake is proof that someone was at least trying to accomplish something.
Consider your product's potential buyers when designing sales materials.
When working with white objects, make them yellow so they are easier to see and make them white when you have finished.
/3To save your page as a graphic, select all the items on the page (using Edit/Select All) and use Tools/Convert to Picture. You can then resize your page, or use several pages as part of one layout.
Numbers in most fonts take up a fixed space so that you can align them more easily. Sometimes you will need a comma/period space (Ctrl+Alt+,) and a digit spage (Ctrl+Alt+1) in order to get a series of numbers aligned just right.
/JTo design or not to design, that is the question.
If you're not sure what typefaces and images you've used in your publication, choose Tools/Fonts and Pictures. This is especially helpful if you need to copy the publication and its resources to another PC (in another office, for example).
Make it as easy as possible for readers to respond to your ad.
/3Open your most recently changed document using Alt+F, 1.
For Typographer's quotes (instead of " and ') make sure you switch on the "Smart Quotes" option. They look much better except when you use a Typewriter-like font.
An En dash -- named because it's the length of an N -- is slightly longer than a hyphen and is used with compound words such as 'state-of-the-art'. The shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+N.
/JIf you don't climb the mountain, you can't see the view.
When sizing a picture, press the Control key to constrain the picture to sizes that will look best on your printer.
/JThink of buying a computer like buying a car. A car just moves your body; your computer, though, is the chariot of your mind, carrying it through the whole universe. How much is your mind worth to you? -- Ted Nelson (of HyperText fame).
/3For any but those jobs you consider routine, talk with your commercial printer as early in the planning stage as possible.
Font vs. Typeface - Typeface refers to a family, and font refers to the varying faces within that family like regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic.
/JNeville Brody (of The Face fame)... Now there's a desktop publisher! "You almost don't need designers anymore, because anyone with a PC can do it" he said.
Use the Windows Control Panel to install new printers and new fonts...
The most important articles need the largest headlines.
/JRemember: you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Double-Click on the ruler intersection to move your rulers to a selected object. Double-Click again to put the rulers back in their original position.
/JFor every problem, there's a solution that's simple, elegant and wrong.
Don't get confused between WHITE and CLEAR fill... It's easier than you might think because they look the same on your page! But White is opaque and hides any object underneath, while Clear is transparent and objects underneath show through.
Turn your page upside-down to decide whether your layout has the right feel to it. It will then be very easy to spot too much white or dark space, a confusing layout, or various other layout problems.
/JAldus Manutius -- just another dead Greek dude! (Or was he Venetian?)
If you're designing business stationery, don't forget to add the area code to your phone number. And don't forget to check ALL the phone numbers!!
White Space is like money -- you can never have enough of it!
Remember to type using a SINGLE space after a period or semi-colon, except for in the rare case when you are trying to imitate a typewriter.
Typefaces are like drinks -- mix too many and you'll be very ill!
Use a digit space (Ctrl+Alt+0) to align numbers where a digit is missing.
Set a hyphen (using Text/Insert Hyphen) on the first character of a word to prevent that word being hyphenated.
/JAppearances can be deceiving -- a dollar bill looks the same as it did twenty-five years ago.
Use bold, outline, italics, underlining, and small caps sparingly -- they tend to reduce legibility.
"Gutter" is the space between columns.
Save time -- use a Template.
To edit a single block, rather than the entire story, press the Control key when you double click with the text tool.
Think about your audience and the message that you are trying to convey when choosing a layout, graphics, text styles and so.
Remember to WATCH the cursor for CLUES... Crop or resize a picture for example, and watch what the cursor does. It will change its shape depending on what it thinks you are trying to do!
To select/edit all the text on the page, select one block of text then press Ctrl+ Shift+A
Typographer's fixed spaces are called EM and EN spaces (cntrl+alt+M and cntrl+alt+N)...
/3Using a "Style" is a quick way to change how text and graphics look. And if you change the style later, ALL the objects using that style automatically change...
SET WIDTH is the typographer's term for expanding (wider) or condensing (narrower) text. It's a good way to make a headline fit a space...
If you can't read the text that you are typing on the page, double click with the text tool to bring up WritePlus, the text editor.
/JThere is a story that a 15th century scribe, upon examining one of Gutenburg's press sheets, commented, "It's nice but it's not calligraphy."
For a Typographer's long dash (instead of the hyphen -) key cntrl+alt+hyphen instead.
/JIf music be the food of love... Buy a Sound Card!
Are you a translator? Call our Localization team to register yourself...
/JStop making excuses, get organized now! (I've never taken my own advice...)
/J"Save a little money each month, and at the end of the year you'll be surprised at how little you have" (Ernest Haskins, in depressed mode)
If you want to see a list of the applications that you currently have open, press Control+ESC.
If the yellow hints are distracting, you can make them grey or turn them off using Tools/Preferences/Ease of Use.
Be careful with NARROW columns: it is very difficult to achieve good looking text spacing. The narrower the column, the smaller your text size needs to be.
TIME spent checking your work saves MONEY later. Check and double-check. Don't forget that the Layout Checker and Proof Reader can help you... "He who proof-reads longest laughs loudest." -- Unknown DTP Guru.
Zoom in (using the magnifying glass button) for fine alignment work.
Typography is to the reader as tone of voice is to the listener.
Analyze good design around you; keep a file for inspiration. Resist the temptation to copy, but "borrowing" good ideas is a time-honored tradition!
/JStretch your imagination too far and it will snap back at you.
Hold the shift key down when selecting a tool to keep that tool selected.
The Zoom Tool can do three things...
1. Magnify (or Zoom In) by dragging an area
2. Reduce (or Zoom Out) by SHIFT-dragging an area
3. Switch Views by Double-clicking.
When you select an object, the ChangeBar title changes to tell you what object you've selected. This is especially useful when selecting overlapping objects.
Double click on the ruler origin to move the ruler to the currently selected object.
/JNo one is ever too old to learn, but many people keep putting it off anyway.
/2Click on the ToolBox Import tool to see the Graphics Flyout with icons for picture import, and OLE objects.
You can make objects line up by selecting them (as a group) and using Edit/Align Items...
/J"The dodo is design, what will always exist is communication." -- Neville Brody.
/JTypefaces are the clothes of words.
To save your logo as a graphic, select a group of objects on the page, then "Export as Picture".
White space is the unsung hero of graphics design.
LayPerson definition of Leading = "spacing between lines of text."
/JCarpe diem, as who knows when there'll be another one like it. (Seize the day, I think, but my Latin was never that great.)
/2If you import a (vector) picture, and you want the colours to match those you've already used in your document, you can. Use the Map Colours dialog...
Want more fonts and clip-art? Call us for details!
If you want an exact copy of a text-block or graphic, just hold down the Ctrl key while dragging the object to where you want the copy to be.
/JDon't forget -- charitable contributions are tax deductible...
/3Use Registration colour (printed on EVERY separation sheet) to create your own crop marks when creating business cards, etc.
Next to headlines, captions are the most widely read part of a publication.
Play around with linking a story through multiple frames. Remember you can only link a story from one frame to an empty frame.
Even the smallest offending detail can sabotage a good design.
RAGGED text is the typographer's term for text that is not justified. Align left (or ragged right because all the right-hand line ends don't line up) is the most common text setting.
If the snapping interval is too coarse then zoom in (magnify).
/2You can move an object in front of other objects using Bring to Front. To put it behind use Send to Back. There are icons for these on the ChangeBar.
When importing Kodak CD pictures, choose the file ""overview.pcd"" to see a gallery of all the pictures.
JUSTIFIED text is when the text fits exactly in your column width, so that EVERY line lines up on both the left AND right. You might need to switch Hyphenation on.
/JP-QB3, mate in 4, I think.
/3For accurate colour reproduction, NEVER rely on screen colours. Always use a Pantone colour Swatch or other printed guide.
Shift click with the zoom tool to zoom out.
You can change the colour of text frames and their backgrounds using the Graphics menu options.
For good books on DTP and Design, check out Roger Parker and Daniel Will-Harris...
/JIs it Friday yet??!!
Clicking on the rulers creates guidelines for accurate layout.
Once you've created your publication design, why not save the file as a TEMPLATE for later modifications? (See the Save As... options.)
Remember, you can MOVE the rulers!
/3 When printing or copying at a local company: remember to specify the paper colour, size and weight (thickness) that you want.
When laying out a page, start with the grid (ie. headline space, text frame(s), columns, and guides).
You can find out what an Icon does by resting the mouse pointer over it for a moment. A "ToolHint" will pop-up to help you...
/3 When working with text in stories, use Styles to update all of the text together. Using a Style means you can automatically change the text when you change the style.
Use Big Type for BIG ideas.
/JA menu's design should reflect a restaurant's character. A restaurant's menu should reflect a diner's appetite.
/JHave you found the gang screen yet?
(Clue: it's in the About Box, and involves RIGHT Click(s) of the mouse.)
/J"If there's a whisper in your hedgerow don't be alarmed now, it's just a spring clean for the May Queen..." (Guess... It's a very famous song)
To quickly move an object to another page, move it on to the pasteboard, go to the new page and move the object back again.
/JFear of criticism is the kiss of death in the courtship of achievement.
Do you want to use a logo (or other image) as a "watermark" or background? You'll need to reduce the intensity of the colours by changing the Picture Tint value...
An effective logo will be recognised, not read.
Different Fonts for Different Effects: Try a new font today!
/JHeaders and footers serve as road maps to information.
/JPaste-up artists with T-squares and pens are, quite simply, an endangered species.
Shift-Click to add (or remove) objects to (from) a group.
/3To view facing pages, click on the Facing Pages Button on the Status Bar.
/JVerso -- left-hand page (literally, the reverse) with the right-hand page considered the front.
Lots of numbers and/or data to display? Maybe TablePlus is the solution!
You can use slant to produce an artificial italic version of your font.
/3Readers seldom encounter just one page, but see facing pages together. Use Facing Pages view to check your design.
Use a tinted box covering the whole page to create different colour backgrounds.
/JHey! Have I told you what a great looking, charming, and thoroughly nice person you are?! (I bet your other software never told you!)
/JRestraint is the hardest design principle to apply in a consistent manner.
/JGood designers assemble individual parts to create one total picture.
/JIf you use too much yellow and black, your page will look like a bee.
You can create ruler guides by clicking (or dragging) on the rulers to help you align objects.
When choosing a graphic for your page, try to use vector graphics like .WMFs (Windows MetaFile) because they look better than bitmaps if you resize them.
Want to change Santa's red suit to green and blue, go to Graphics/Map Colours and have FUN!
/3To scroll around the page without using scroll-bars you can use the grabber hand (Scroll by Hand) on the Status Bar...
To navigate through a series of text frames, Click the direction arrows on the frame ChangeBar. Double-Click jumps to the First or Last frame in the sequence.
Click the Pointer OFF the page to de-select all currently selected objects.
/2Do you need to print a booklet? Just make up your document in the normal way, and then choose the Booklet option in the Print dialog. This puts two pages on each printer sheet, and automatically sorts out the page order for you...
/JYour designer mission for today: to reconcile the need for both variety and consistency.
If you press the Shift key AFTER you start moving an object, the movement will be constrained to either horizontal or vertical only. (The cusor changes too, so you can see which.) To change direction release the shift key then press it again.
Graphics, when chosen and placed properly on your page, will help to cement your message into the mind of your readers.
To de-select an object from a large group of selected objects, hold down the Shift key and click on the object you want to deselect. Shift click on the object again to add it back to the group.
/JOh, boy, another day already...
/3Use Master Pages for objects (such as headers and footers) you want to appear on every page in your publication. Click on the Page area of the Status Bar.
A "Drop Cap" is a big character at the start of an article.
/J"One hundred tellings are not as good as one seeing." -- Chinese Proverb.
To type free text on the page, first select the Text Tool, then click on the page where you want the text to be. Then type...
That's all Folks! (But you can edit the Today's Tip file to add your own -- or take ours away.)
