 January 2012 Issue #70 |
| | Greetings! | Whether or not you made a resolution or goal to be more productive and organized this year, it's likely you will need to continue to save time and discover new, easy ways to accomplish your work. To be a part of the solution for you in 2012, I'll continue to expand the useful tips, handy shortcuts, and valuable how-to lessons that will help you to make the most of the programs on your desktop. Need Content! Would you like articles, tips, tricks, and other shortcuts for your association, company, agency, school, or group newsletter, magazine, publication, or website? I have written more than 60 articles and 100's of tips and tricks which you are welcome to use at no charge and I am happy to customize articles. Let me know how I can help! |
|  | | | | Feature Article | Picture It: How to Pick the Best Graphic Format Are you confusing a JPEG with a GIF? How can you decide if you should pick a BMP or a TIF? Which image format is the best choice for a document, website, or presentation? How do you sort out the alphabet soup of graphic acronyms? Including proprietary file formats, there are hundreds of different image file types although only a few dozen are widely supported by the programs on your desktop. Let's look at your options to get the results you need.
 Graphic Types: Raster vs. Vector
There are two primary categories to describe the techniques used to build a graphic: raster or vector. A raster image is also known as a bitmap and is created from rows of small dots of color called pixels ("picture elements") or "bits." The big disadvantage is they are a fixed size. If you try to alter the size of a raster graphic it gets the "jaggies" or those rough, stair step edges on a graphic. Most commonly available images are a bitmap or raster format. Vector image formats contain a geometric description which can be created smoothly at any desired display size. Examples of vector graphic files are EPS (Adobe Illustrator) and CDR (CorelDRAW). When available, vector graphics are generally best for printing because they can be easily re-sized without the "jaggies" but many formats are not widely supported by desktop programs.
Understanding Resolution
In addition to the specific graphic file formats detailed in this article, the resolution of an image also impacts the appearance. Image resolution is described by DPI (dots per inch), a graphic measurement. For instance, most web graphics are 72 to 96 DPI which is fine for screen viewing and even PowerPoint presentations but lousy for printing. This is why most Internet images are blurry when inserted into a document. Ideally, a graphic you want to print should be created and edited with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI. Do you have huge PowerPoint files? The biggest cause of presentation bloat are photos with large dimensions and a high resolution. Did you know that even if you re-size an image to a much smaller scale, PowerPoint and Word still store the photo in its original size? >>Read the rest of this article including descriptions of key graphic types and steps to reduce image size |
| Quick Tips & Tactics | Create Your Own List of Microsoft Word Shortcuts
You can also create your own lists using built-in commands in Microsoft Word 2010 and Word 2007. Just follow these steps:
- First show the Developer tab on the Ribbon. In Word 2010, click the File tab and choose Options. In the Word Options box, click Customize Ribbon, select Developer and click OK.
In Word 2007, click the Office button, pick the Word Options button, and then choose Popular to get to the "Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon" option.
- When the Developer tab is visible, select it and click Macros. In the "Macros in" menu, choose Word Commands and then pick ListCommands.
- Click the Run button; you can choose to see the current menu and keyboard settings, or all of Word's key commands. Make your selection and pick OK to create the keyboard shortcut list in a new Word document.
>>Find out how to simplify long or complex documents in Word 2007 |
| Featured Learning Guide: Power Packs | Premium Power Packs Windows 7 Tips, Tricks & Techniques What's New in Microsoft Office 2010? Moving to Microsoft Office 2007 Hundreds of Timesaving Shortcuts & Solutions What are Power Packs? Quickly build your software skills with these valuable collections of the best in-depth tips and tricks learning guides, smart and easy video lessons, searchable eBooks, and handy desktop keyboard shortcuts for the top programs on your desktop. Get up to speed quickly--save time and avoid frustration! Choose Premium Power Packs for both Windows 7 and your latest version of Microsoft Office or focus on targeted packages for Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010, or Microsoft Office 2007. Move ahead quickly with your own Power Pack! Available in print/physical format or digital--your choice. Explore your options and pick your Power Pack at: |
Mouse Bytes | AllMyFaves: The Ultimate Home Page  Favorites and bookmarks are great ways to keep track of key websites...until you have so many they are no longer a timesaver. Find what you need quickly and even discover new, interesting sites with the handy site All My Faves (www.AllMyFaves.com).
Explore categories including Search, Maps, News, Weather, Travel, Entertainment, featured Weekly Faves, and even add your own favorites.
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| About Dawn | Dawn Bjork Buzbee, MCT, is The Software ProŽ, a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) with 20+ years experience transforming Geek Speak into People Friendly. A professional software speaker, trainer, consultant, and author of 6 books, Dawn has helped more than 100,000 individuals to learn smart, easy, and productive ways to use software and technology more effectively.
In addition to MCT, Microsoft has awarded Dawn with the certifications of Microsoft Office 2010 Specialist (MOS 2010) Master Instructor, Microsoft Office 2007 Specialist (MOS 2007) Master Instructor, and Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) Instructor for her expertise in Microsoft Office and Windows. Dawn also holds the distinctions as a Certified Microsoft Office Expert with a proven track record in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access. Training and coaching is available on many other popular desktop programs.
>>Find out more |
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