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MICROSOFT PUBLISHER : GENERAL TIPS
Keyboard Shortcuts Page layout programs
like Publisher are, to a large degree, about formatting text into
a legible and inviting configuration. And
page layout pros save a lot of time by using keyboard shortcuts
for their most often used actions. To that end, here are some
keyboard shortcuts for some often used text formatting options: Save as an Image Save
any part of your publication or the entire publication as a picture
to
share
your publications with others that may not have publisher installed
on their PC (Versions 2002 & higher) and to stop others editing
your file. Note: .gif or .jpg would be the most commonly selected format especially if you want to email the file. Use the design checker to check for errors (versions 2000 and higher) Quickly and
Easily Check for Errors in your Publication (Versions 2000 and
higher) Using pack and go (versions 2000 and higher) When you create a Publication in Publisher, you may find you want to take the publication to another computer for more processing and/or for printing. You can use the Pack and Go wizard to pack your files and include both the fonts and the graphics you used with your files. This will allow you to be sure your publication will look the same as it did on your computer where it was created. To use the Pack and Go wizard, select the File menu, then choose Pack and Go, and then select Take to Another Computer. Follow the Pack and Go Wizard each step to go through the packing process. Keep an Object's Centre in the same place To keep the center of an object in the same place in your publication while you resize the object, click the object, then hold down CTRL while you resize the object. Release the mouse button before you release CTRL. Change Text Wrap to Irregular 1. Click the graphic. More Text Wrap Tips You can use CROP THE GRAPHIC OUTWARD to add a "margin" around the graphic. Simply select the graphic, click the crop tool, hold down the Ctrl key, and drag any of the graphic's corner handles away from the center until you've added as much wrap margin as you like. This technique also works for inserted objects, but does NOT work for tables. Wrap Text Around Tables You can quickly add a wrap margin to any table by adding an extra column or row on whatever sides face the text. For example, to add a wrap margin to the right side of a table, select the rightmost table column and choose Table, Insert Column; then use your mouse to adjust the column width to the desired wrap margin width Page Sizes You can start a new document or change a current document to any page size you like. Simply go to File > Page Setup and under the option 'Choose a Publication Layout' select Special Size. Under the option "Choose a Publication Size' select Custom. You may then enter in the physical dimensions of your printed piece making sure the orientation is correct. Once complete, click 'OK' and you may begin your design. The Nudge Option For a high degree of control over the positioning of objects on the page use the nudge option. Just select the object you need to move and use Alt+Arrowkey (up, down, right, left) and your object will move one pixel for each keystroke. Use Arrange > Nudge to change the increment of movement. Absolute Positioning Even better, go to Format > Size And Position and use numerical values to position and size objects. This is the absolute best way to make sure things will look right when you are going to press with a design. Trying to position objects by eye on your monitor can be deceiving because of the relatively large size of the pixels it uses to display objects. Do the math and use this method when you want your design elements to be positioned exactly. Grouping Elements After you have a section of your layout positioned very precisely it might be a good idea to select all the items (hold down the shift key and click on each one) and then group them together using Arrange > Group Objects or (Ctrl+Shift+G). This will lock them together in their relative positions. This is especially useful if you will need to duplicate this configuration somewhere else in your layout; copy and paste the group to another page and you will have perfect consistency throughout your layout. Putting Things in the Background Publisher uses foreground and background layers. Your work will go on the foreground by default unless you set it to be in the background. You might want to use images or text in the background. Here's how to do it: choose View > Go To Background. This will take you to the background of the publication. Remember to Print a Hard Copy It's very easy to miss mistakes in your document when you're looking at it only on the screen. Print it out and look at it . Check for spelling errors, spacing problems, inconsistencies, and design problems. If your project is going to be folded then fold the printout you made to see if the elements on the page are positioned right on the panels and to see if there are any problems with folding it the way you had envisioned. Read through it again the next day - you are bound to see something you want to change. Spacing and Alignment Check the alignment of frames, text, pictures and captions. It should be consistent throughout your publication. Also check spacing between headings, paragraphs, and pictures. The spacing should be consistent throughout your publication. Spelling and Punctuation Don't forget to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Run the spell checker; select Tools > Spelling > Check Spelling. Another good one is to check the accuracy of hyphenation: select Tools > Language > Hyphenation. It's a good idea to have someone else look at it too. They may see something you've been looking at and missing. Microsoft Templates Available for Download (All Versions)
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