Software Articles

March 12, 2011

Adobe Acrobat Techniques For Manipulating Document Pages

Filed under: Acrobat — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:32 pm

It is quite common that, after you have generated a PDF file, you will want to manipulate the pages within the document without having to return to the original pre-PDF version. You may for example need to update, remove or add pages. Acrobat contains a number of menu commands and other techniques for working with pages. There are two ways of working with pages in Acrobat: firstly, you can use the commands in the Document menu and, secondly, you can use the Pages panel. The pages panel contains its own panel menu offering all of the page manipulation commands found in the Document menu as well as other useful commands and techniques.

Acrobat contains four main menu commands designed for manipulating pages within a PDF document: Insert, Extract, Replace and Delete. These commands are found both in the Document menu and in the Pages panel menu. The Document menu also contains one extra page manipulation command: Split Document.

The Insert command is a sub-menu offering two options: From File and From Clipboard. If you choose From File, you are presented with a browse dialog where you can navigate to the appropriate file and double-click its name. The Insert Pages dialog then appears, allowing you to specify where the incoming file will be inserted: either before or after a given page. If you choose the Clipboard option, the contents of the clipboard will be converted into a one page PDF document and inserted at the specified position.

The Extract command can be used to copy or move a single page (or a range of pages) into a separate new file. When the command is used, you can specify the page range to be extracted and whether or not the extracted pages should be deleted from the original document. Thus, the Extract command can be used to split an original document into several new and smaller documents. However, if the document has bookmarks, the Split document is more useful, since it will perform the operation in one step.

The Split Document dialog allows you to split a document mechanically (x number of pages in each file, for example). However, more usefully, it also offers an option called Top Level Bookmarks. This causes Acrobat to use each bookmark as the signal of where each of the new documents should start and end. You also have the option of placing the newly created PDF documents into a separate folder and using the bookmark names as the names of the new documents.

It’s not uncommon that one or more pages in a PDF document need to be updated. Rather than recreating the whole PDF, the Replace command can be used to choose an incoming PDF file and then specify which page or pages it should replace. Thus, Replace is equivalent to inserting a document and then deleting the pages which it is designed to replace.

Finally, we have the Delete command. No prizes for guessing that this allows you to choose a range of pages which will be permanently deleted from the document. This command cannot be undone; so it is probably a good idea to ensure that a backup version of the document exists before using it.

Adobe Acrobat training courses in London.

Finding Effective Microsoft Powerpoint Tuition

Filed under: PowerPoint, Software — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:04 pm

Depending on how busy a person is Microsoft Powerpoint Training can be very complex and detailed or be as simple as spending an afternoon with the training program offered by the Microsoft company on their website.

There are many colleges and training centers that provide training to individuals seeking Microsoft Powerpoint Training. The purpose of these courses is to provide individuals with the basics of using the program so that they can return to their home or business and experiment with the program. In most of the classes the special functions that are taught are those that are used most by people who use Powerpoint on a regular basis.

Sitting with someone who has used the Powerpoint program for a long period of time is a great way to get effective Microsoft Powerpoint Training. These people know many different functions that a person who does not use the program on a regular basis would not know. They can teach an individual how to get faster results or produce more effective presentations in fewer keystrokes.

If one starts using the program and finds that they need assistance there are access points within the program that will provide short tutorials on a specific function or feature. An individual can click on that icon and be directed to a detailed explanation and walk-through to make the function or feature operate properly.

Many books have been written that provide more exhaustive Microsoft Powerpoint Training. One can purchase a book and learn many of the secrets that are used by programmers and developers that are not made public. By using some simple techniques one is able to create more dynamic presentations.

Microsoft Powerpoint Training does not end. There is always something new to learn with the program and a new method for creating exciting presentation, slideshows, brochures, and pamphlets. When an individual gets to a point where they feel they have learned all that they want to know they can stop.

Microsoft PowerPoint training classes.

Organizing Training For Microsoft Excel Professionals

Filed under: Excel, Software — Tags: , , , — admin @ 7:51 pm

There are a lot of different resources available for Microsoft Excel training. You can find training on how to use all parts of Microsoft excel as well as very specific training on how to use certain parts of Microsoft excel. There are many different excel professionals that provide training and tips about using excel. You can do a lot with excel but most people don’t know how to use certain functions.

The individuals in your company that use excel may have different skill levels and this can make getting a project done difficult as you will need to train different individuals and this can cause problems with productivity. By having everyone on the same skill level you will find it is much easier to complete all of your projects.

Many different job positions require some Microsoft excel knowledge as this include accountants, office managers, small business owners, teachers and students. If you need something for a business career day or other employee training then a seminar on Microsoft excels training can be a great addition. You can learn how to use Power excel, how to create charts, actions that can be used from the data menu and learning how to use pivot tables.

If you don’t have a seminar in your future then there are several online courses on how to use excel. The time length of these courses last from 30 to 60 minutes. The online topics you can find courses are filtering external data, excel macros, importing text files into excel, creating charts, different printing options and other excel features.

There are other books and texts that are Microsoft excel training guides. Many of these books have supplement cds that provide examples and tutorials on using excel. There are even books that can help you gain your certification as an excel specialist or expert.

Some additional and more advanced training can be found for analyzing data and other content, how to manage workbooks, creating data and formatting content and data.

Excel VBA training classes in London.

March 6, 2011

Benefits Of Using Layers In Adobe InDesign

Filed under: InDesign — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 9:58 pm

Several programs within the Adobe Creative Suite have a layers feature: Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator and InDesign. Their function differs from program to program but, in general, the use of layers serves to offer flexibility of composition. Items of related content can be placed on their own individual layers. Layers can then be made visible or hidden or can be locked to prevent their content being changed. Equally, the stacking order of layers can be changed to determine which elements are displayed in front of which other elements. Layers are not always necessary when creating a publication in InDesign, but they can beneficial in several situations.

Intricate page layouts often require the creation and complex manipulation of many different InDesign elements. This process can sometimes be made much easier by placing elements on a series of layers.

Perhaps the most common reason for using layers is where you need to produce several different versions of a publication. For example, there may be one version of a catalogue for in-house use and another for clients; or you may need to create different language versions of the same document.

Layers are also useful where certain page elements take a long time to redraw. For example, if you’re creating a large poster with a high resolution background image, you may find it useful to place it on a separate layer and hide the layer when you are working on other elements.

Since layers can be made none-printing simply by hiding them, it is also possible to use layers to store text and other elements which are relevant to the publication but are not to be included in the final version. Such layers could also be used for comments and reminders and can simply be deleted once the publication has been completed.

Another trick is to use layers for creating a document by using a similar publication as a template. A full sized scan of the original document can be placed on a locked background layer and used to ensure that each part of the layout is in the right place, has the right dimensions and so forth.

PowerPoint users often complain that elements placed the slide master will always be behind elements placed on the slides. Whilst the same if true of InDesign master page elements, using layers allows to overcome this fact. Simply place all those items which need to be front-most on a separate layer and move that layer to the top of the heap.

Adobe CS5 training courses in London.

Getting To Know The Microsoft Word 2007 Ribbon

Filed under: Word — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:49 pm

The ribbon is the most important element in the Microsoft Word interface. It contains the vast majority of the commands that the program has to offer. These commands are arranged in a series of tabs. To activate a particular tab, simply click on its name. The commands displayed in each tab are related in some way. For example, the commands in the Home tab are those which are most frequently used in Microsoft Word: commands such as Cut, Copy And Paste and commands for changing the character and paragraph attributes of your text.

The Insert tab features commands for adding elements to your page such as tables, pictures, headers and footers.

The Page Layout tab is home to commands relating to the formatting of the page as a whole, such as the orientation and margins.

The References tab contains a number of options for adding references to longer documents such as tables of contents and indexes.

The Mailings tab has controls for creating mail merge documents. Mail merge involves a combination of a data document, which normally contain a list of recipients, with a main document, which is normally a letter, to produce a series of personalised mail merge documents which can then be sent out to each recipient.

In the Review tab, you will find tools for proofing your document. Here, you can check your spelling and grammar and also you have tools for reviewing a document by inserting comments and then tracking these comments as the document is passed from person to person.

The View tab contains all the options for displaying the document in various ways. It also houses controls for zooming in and out

Finally, the developer tab contains controls for recording, creating and editing macros and Visual Basic.

The controls in each tab are arranged into groups. For example, the groups in the Home tab are labelled Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles and Editing. As always in Microsoft applications, placing the mouse over a control displays a tool-tip. In the case of Office 2007, these tool-tips are pretty extensive. They contain a description of how the control works, what it does and the keyboard shortcut which is equivalent to clicking on that control.

As well as the regular ribbon tabs, Word also contains context sensitive tabs. These are tabs which only appear in a certain context, typically when a certain type of object has focus. For example, whenever you insert a table, you will notice that Word immediately displays two context sensitive tabs relating to tables: Design and Layout. As long as an area within the table is highlighted, these tabs will remain visible and they behave in exactly the same way as the regular tabs. However, as soon as you click outside the table to deselect it, the context sensitive tabs relating to tables will disappear.

Microsoft Word training courses in London.

March 5, 2011

Any Experienced User Can Master InDesign Scripting

Filed under: InDesign, JavaScript — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:56 am

InDesign is widely acknowledged as the industry standard in print and publishing software. It has a huge range of functions and a large base of users, many of whom have an in depth knowledge of the program. Anyone who uses the program regularly, especially those who use it for fairly challenging tasks, will welcome the ability to automate some of their workflows. However, there is no easy way of achieving this in InDesign.

The recordable actions facility found in Photoshop and Illustrator simply does not exist in InDesign. Instead, InDesign allows the user to write executable scripts using a choice of three programming languages: JavaScript, AppleScript or Visual Basic. The major benefit of using JavaScript as the programming language is that it is cross-platform: scripts will run equally well on Windows and Macintosh.

For anyone working in a Mac-only environment, AppleScript will be the obvious language of choice. It offers the benefit of easy integration with scripts written for automating other programs on the Macintosh platform, for example, extracting information from FileMaker and then taking it into InDesign.

For anyone interested in automating InDesign on the Windows platform, Visual Basic is the logical choice. Additionally, it is possible to control InDesign using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a variant of Visual Basic which is used to automate Microsoft Office. This option would be ideal for someone automating the production of financial reports heavily reliant on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Be forewarned that, in order to be able to control the program with scripting, you must know InDesign CS5 very well. This is essential; since it is impossible to understand many of the subtleties of the InDesign object model without an intimate knowledge of the elements of InDesign which these scripting objects represent. Basically, in order to automate InDesign, you need a good knowledge of three elements. Firstly, InDesign: the program and all its major functions. Secondly, a compatible scripting language such as JavaScript. Thirdly, the InDesign object model: the programming syntax which is used to represent every nook and cranny of InDesign itself.

InDesign CS5 Automation Using XML & JavaScript by Grant Gamble is available now from Amazon.

March 2, 2011

Finding The Right Computer Software Training Courses For Your Staff

Filed under: Computers, Software — Tags: , , — admin @ 7:06 pm

Most IT managers agree that computer IT training is a must if their staff are to use software packages effectively. IT (or Information Technology) represents quite a broad spectrum of services within the computing field. A typical IT job may include network troubleshooting, upgrading PC systems, launching a software platform across multiple user terminals, or wiring up a dozen new terminals to the patch panel. Because of this multiplicity of jobs that an IT professional may encounter in the day-to-day grind, computer IT training must be just as diversified and broad, covering an extensive group of subjects.

Rather than attending short courses, many IT professionals prefer an education program where they can continue to get updated computer IT training on a regular basis. Many companies, realizing the speed at which technology is changing in today’s fast paced world, will actually require their IT workers to enrol in such classes. Some companies are going so far as to actually sponsor their employees in regularly scheduled computer IT training. This is seen as a win-win situation, as it is a free benefit for the employee, while the employer can ensure they have professionals who have received the most up-to-date information in the field.

The topics on offer reflect the trends of the day; for example, you will find many IT training classes on all the various web technologies simply because these are the areas that are more rapidly advancing than others. For example, in the networking arena, wireless networking has taken off. In many office environments, using wiring run through the walls and ceiling to connect the computers to a common server is considered ‘old school’ technology. More and more companies are transforming their workplaces into wired hot spots, allowing more freedom of movement and productivity of employees. In order to be able to understand and troubleshoot this type of work environment, the IT professional(s) working in the company making this transition will want to attend a computer IT training class that is tailored to meet their needs.

IT managers should also be on the lookout for the free seminars held in many cities, sponsored by some of the larger hardware and software manufacturers. These computer IT training seminars will present the latest and greatest developments to the IT professionals in the area. Some times the seminars are free, in which case they will attempt to sell you something after the class. However, many of these computer IT training seminars are very professionally produced, and will cost hundreds of dollars to attend. This tab for this type of seminar is very often picked up by the company and accounted for as employee training costs.

Just about everyone needs computer IT training nowadays; basically, it will have an impact on the career of all of us since we are all involved in the Information Technology field. To stay on top of their game, it is no longer an option, but considered a necessity, for IT professionals to attend a regularly scheduled computer IT training class. Don’t miss out on your next promotion or career opportunity because you are unaware of the latest and greatest development in your particular niche of the IT field. Sign up for a computer IT training class today and check out the new technology that just might make the difference for you!

Computer software training courses.

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