Saving Your Work Is Important!

Saving Your Work Is Important!

In the event of a loss of power or technical difficulties on your computer you want to be sure you don’t lose all your time and effort put into your document.

Here are the different ways you can save your work:

  1. Flash Drive   

  The DMS has some available at the front desk if you do not have a personal one.

         

   2.  CTRL – S

Only a temporary solution in the DMS as your work will not be available after you log out.

   3. Save Auto Recover

In addition to CTRL-S you can choose to use Autosave as an extra safety net. You can set it to save (1 to 120 minutes)

   4.  Save in your Email

Begin an email with your document attached and save a draft within your email account.

   5. Internet cloud drive

You can save your document via internet in such places as Google documents, dropbox, and MTSU offers space on server to students ie: pipeline

How to Make a Flyer

By: Megan Huffman

Flyer making may seem like all fun and games, but there are certain guidelines you need to follow. So if you are planning on creating a flyer for whatever reason, here are a few hints and suggestions for how to make a great flyer!

Pick a Program!

First of all, you need to know where to start. There are a quite a few programs that you could make a flyer in, but for now, we’re going to focus on three specific programs: Microsoft Word, Pages, and Adobe InDesign.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is probably the most cookie-cutter way that you could make a flyer, it comes with basic templates and basic shapes and basic clip art. If you don’t want too much creative freedom, Microsoft Word is the program for you!

Pages

Pages is Apple’s version of Microsoft Word, the difference is that Pages is geared a little bit more towards design elements. That means if you want a little more creative freedom than Microsoft Word, but you don’t want too much freedom, Pages is the way to go. 

Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is for people who know what they want and they know how to get it. InDesign is one of the more flexible programs that allow complete user control; there are no templates to limit what you can do. If you want to use InDesign but you would prefer to have a template, there are plenty of free ones online.  If you want to try making flyers in other Adobe programs, Photoshop and Illustrator are great for flyer making too. 

Starting from Scratch v. Starting from a Template

Starting from scratch or starting from a template all depends upon personal preference. If you know what you want the flyer to look like, then starting from scratch would be your best option because you may not find what you’re looking for in places that provide templates. If you aren’t sure of where to start with a flyer, or don’t really know how to start making one from scratch, there are plenty of places on the internet that provide free flyer templates.

Know your content

Making a flyer out of the blue with no idea in mind of what it’s for isn’t really the best idea. You need to know why you are making the flyer and knowing the specifics can help too. Just ask yourself: what is my content? Is there a theme? Who am I making this for? Knowing what you’re going for will help you big time, and it will make your flyer look better in the long run.

Images and Clip Art

Images and Clip Art can be a great way to emphasize the message or theme you are trying to send. They are also great space or background fillers! Just be careful and don’t use too many, it may distract the reader. Unless you are trying to promote images, it’s best to stick with a small number of them. Clip art is great if you are using them for graphic purposes; but before you publish the flyer you should ask a friend or co-worker what they think of it, just to make sure it’s not too busy or too plain.

Filler text

Ever wondered what that “lorem ipsum” nonsense is? That’s called filler text! It can be a great way to show what a flyer template would look like with words in it.  That’s the point of filler text, to fill a space. What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. So if you are making a template of a flyer for someone else to use, putting filler text into a body section can really make it your flyer look nice.

Make everything readable

What is the point of a flyer if someone can’t read it? You need to make sure that your flyer is readable (if that’s the point). Make sure that the fonts you are using aren’t too sloppy or insane. You can use fun fonts, but just make sure that someone can read them (ask a friend or co-worker if they can read the font clearly, this will be a good indicator of whether or not your font is good for use). Also, make sure that you position your text so that it’s legible, you don’t want all of your text on your flyer to be going in all different directions, and you don’t want people to have to crane their necks to read your flyer either.

The importance of color

Don't Do This

Color plays an important part in making sure that your flyer looks good and is legible. You want your flyer to look nice, so choose colors that go good together. Unless you are making a holiday flyer, don’t use the stereotypical holiday colors together (for example: don’t use a red and green color scheme in August or a black and orange color scheme in December), doing this will usually remind the viewer of the holiday associated with the colors and they will be distracted from your flyer.

You want to avoid using certain colors together when it comes to matching your font color with your background for your font. Pairing colors that are too close together can make the text illegible. For example, don’t put dark grey text on a black background, or a maroon text on a red background. Also, be careful when using neon colors, too many mixed together can also make your text illegible.

Limit your font usage

Fun fonts are fantastic. But too many font designs can make a flyer look tacky. Try to limit the number of fonts that you use to 2 or 3, you don’t want your flyer to look to busy or distract the reader from the actual content.

  

Give credit where it’s due

Don’t plagiarize! Plagiarism is bad! Your English teachers have jammed this into your head since grade school and it still applies today! If you copy and paste someone else’s words or ideas, you are technically stealing. If you quote someone make sure that you give them the credit that they deserve.

How to make a QR code

A really good way to link people to a website, blog, picture, etc. is by using a QR Code. QR codes are great for flyers because they remove the need for a lot of clunky information text. What is a QR code? It looks like this: 

(This QR code will link you to the DMS website!)

If a person has the barcode scanning app on their phone, iPod, or iPad they can scan this and be linked straight to what you are trying to show them. So how do you make one? Well there are several free QR code generators out there but one that is commonly used is qrcode.kaywa.com . It’s really simple to figure out, on the home page, you have the option to insert a url to a website or picture, plain text, a phone number, or an sms message.

Once you put in what you want to link people to, you hit the Generate Free button and you have a QR code!

Then you can right click on the QR code, click on Save Image as… and then save it like you would a picture. Now you are free to use your new QR code wherever you’d like!

So now that you know the proper flyer making etiquette, you can go make your own awesome flyer! Flyers are great forms of mass communication; and if you make them right, getting your message out to the world is easy! Good Luck!

Turning Text Into an Image Using Illustrator

Creating A Universally Compatible Word Document   

          Creating documents that may need to be opened on another Mac or PC can create a whole host of problems. Along with the ever present issue of making sure your document is saved as the correct file type, there is also the question of whether or not another machine will even support the contents of your document.

This holds especially true for font types. Newer editions of programs frequently update and add to the available fonts one can use and even more fonts can be downloaded online. This means that it is quite possible to write something using a certain font on one computer- one with newer software or downloaded fonts- and be unable to display the text in the font used on another. This can specifically be a major problem in Adobe Illustrator, where font types are frequently chosen for aesthetic value.

Fortunately, the good people at Adobe have provided an easy way for users to circumvent this problem through the simple process of Outlining. This is a quick way of preserving the chosen font so that one can view it on another computer. I will demonstrate how to do this efficiently and easily in just a few steps.

In the image below I am in Adobe Illustrator with some example text typed out. I am using a larger size and smaller size of font to demonstrate how Outlining will work regardless of size.

If I wish to Outline this I must choose the Selection Tool from the tool bar at the top left of the screen (pressing the “V” key also calls up the selection tool.

I will then select the text I want by left clicking the appropriate box and call up the edit menu by right clicking the text box again (Control + click for Mac users). On the Edit menu there is an option labeled “Create Outlines,” clicking it will convert the text to an outline.

Outlining a text converts it to combination of outlines and fills, much like an image. This means that if the document is accessed on another computer, it is not necessary for the computer to have access to the font to view it because for all intents and purposes the text is now an image.

              This method works with text of all sizes and makes it easy for the document to be viewed on other computers without having to worry about font selection. However, it is important to not that once the Outlining process has been completed, the text can no longer be edited like text- it can be moved and re-sized like an image, but it cannot be altered as text (e.g. for spelling). So make sure that the text is in order and accurate before outlining! So there it is, a quick and reliable method of ensuring that fonts chosen in Adobe Illustrator are viewable no matter what computer is being used to display them. 

.PPT versus .PPS: Which One Opens as a Slideshow?

After you've worked hard on a PowerPoint presentation, it can be a hassle if it doesn't start as you had planned. Maybe you accidentally clicked on a later slide before changing it to slide show mode, or maybe you clicked through one of your transitions while trying to get it to run. Whatever the case may be, those problems in the beginning might throw off the feel of the PowerPoint presentation. However, rather than having to open the program, getting it to the slide you want, and then setting it to full screen slide show mode, you can set up your PowerPoint presentation to automatically open in slide show mode rather than opening in the standard PowerPoint editing mode.

To do this, all you have to do is save the file as either a .pps or a .ppsx file in the “Save As” menu. The .ppsx file works in Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010; it saves the file with all of the features that 2007 and 2010 can use. However, it is not compatible with earlier versions of Microsoft PowerPoint. The .pps file can be opened in Office 2010 and 2007, however it is also compatible with Office 2003. Not all features will be available when saving in a .pps format when you open it up on an earlier version of PowerPoint, but it ensures that your presentation will open in any earlier version of Microsoft Office.

When using a Mac, saving as a PowerPoint Show should look like this:

When saving as a PowerPoint Show on a PC, it should look like this:

From now on, after saving your file as a .pps or a .ppsx, your PowerPoint Slide Show will automatically open as a side show! If for any reason you need to get back to the editing menu, you can still do so by simply hitting the escape key or by right-clicking and selecting “End Show.”

How to Edit a Scanned Document in Microsoft Word

How to Edit a Scanned Document in Microsoft Word

Have you ever had a paper copy of a paper or letter with some serious spelling errors and you cannot find the saved document on your computer? Well, don’t waste your time trying to rewrite your paper. You can just scan it onto a computer and edit it in Microsoft Word! Here’s how you can do it:

First, open up your scanned document in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Once you have the document opened, right click on the image, then click on convert to Adobe PDF. 

 

Your scanned document will then open up in Adobe Acrobat Pro, but it is still only a picture. So, to open it up as a Microsoft Word document, you need to click on File>Save As>Microsoft Word>Word Document. 

Then you need to select a name for your document and where you want to save it.

 

Once you have saved your document, go to where you saved you saved it and double click to open it.

 

Great! You can now edit your scanned document in Microsoft Word!

Graduate Multmedia Development Center Class Schedule

GMDC WORKSHOPS - FALL 2012

The Graduate Multimedia Development Center, currently housed in room 262 of Walker Library, is hosting classes for graduate students. Some of these classes are in the Digital Media Studio, some are in the second floor class rooms.  If you are a graduate student and are interested in participating or have questions please contact Jeff Hanshaw at jjh2c@mtmail.mtsu.edu

GMDC Workshop: PowerPoint

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Room 272

From SmartArt graphics to animations, learn to create effective PowerPoint presentations. 

GMDC Workshop: Apple iMovie*

Wednesday, October 03, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Digital Media Studio, 2nd floor

Learn how to import, edit, and export your videos to nearly any platform.

GMDC Workshop: Adobe Photoshop*

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Digital Media Studio, 2nd floor

Tips on how to use Photoshop’s Camera Raw feature to import and enhance your photos.

GMDC Workshop: Introduction to Adobe Lightroom

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Room 272

Learn how Lightroom can manage your photo workflow, from non-destructive editing to exporting to your favorite social network, all in one fast, intuitive application.

(This is an introduction tutorial and will not include hands on training)

GMDC Workshop: Presenting Your Work

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Room 272

Don’t let a bad presentation make your beautiful work look mediocre. Designed for visual artists, learn how to use digital media to present your work using the right media for the job.

GMDC Workshop: Productivity Apps for Mobile Devices

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 9:15-10:15 PM

Walker Library, Room 272

Learn about different mobile apps designed to increase productivity.

* Reservations required. Please contact Jeff Hanshaw at jjh2c@mtmail.mtsu.edu to reserve your slot.

Save Time With These Windows Shortcuts

A Few Shortcuts To Save Time

In Windows, there are a plethora of handy-dandy keyboard shortcuts. The only problem is that many people do not know about these useful keyboard combinations. These shortcuts are not intentionally “hidden” from users, but one might have to search a little bit to find the most useful ones. In this blog, I have compiled a list of 5 Windows shortcuts that have improved my overall PC experience, and will hopefully improve yours.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Throughout the history of Windows operating systems, one key combination in particular has been proven to be most fruitful: Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Whenever a program starts going awry and the computer begins to awkwardly crash, many Windows users will jump to Ctrl + Alt + Delete, open up the Task Manager, and cleanse themselves of unwanted processes. However, with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, you can skip a step in the Ctrl + Alt + Delete sequence. Instead of pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete then selecting you want to open up the Task Manager, Ctrl + Shift + Esc brings it up with no additional dialogs.

Windows Key + E = My Computer

Have you ever wanted to find an important document on your hard drive but don’t have enough time to open the Start menu? Well, then do I have the shortcut for you! With Windows Key + E, you can cut out the middle-man Start menu and go directly to My Computer. No hassles, no strings attached! Guaranteed satisfaction!

Ctrl + Backspace = Delete whole words

All right, let’s say you’re writing a paper on a word processor and you start messing up. However, since you want to keep a flow of continuous thought and not lose momentum, you keep your hands on the keyboard and continue to type. You could just use backspace, but deleting one letter at a time is so slow and old fashioned. Since you do not know any way to quickly delete what you wrote, you keep frantically typing until you finish the paper and everything in it is terrible. If you want to avoid this happening again, consider this shortcut: Ctrl + Backspace. Instead of deleting single characters one at a time, with Ctrl + Backspace you delete whole words at a time. This shortcut will save you so much time deleting stuff that you’ll have type half as fast to keep yourself at a normal pace.

Windows Key + M = Minimize everything

Are you ever at work on your computer and not doing any work? If you’re the type of person that would rather play DOOM then open any Microsoft Office program, then this is the shortcut for you. By pressing the Windows Key + M, everything is minimized and you are magically taken to the safe land of the Desktop.

Shift + F3 = Toggle lower case, first letter capitalization, and all caps

One of my favorite shortcuts in this blog is Shift + F3. If you are working with a line of text that you need to change to all capital letters or all lower case letters, instead of retyping the line, you can just select the text and press Shift + F3. Like magic, all of the letters in your selection will be changed. This shortcut even has the option for first-letter-only capitalization. How cool is that?