Friday, January 09, 2009

 

Make friends with PowerPoint

I'm working on something very cool right now for our nonprofit--creating a low-cost, low-footprint e-learning initiative that has several different components, all set in SharePoint and using PowerPoint for the basic coursework. After just a day's worth of work, it's really coming into shape!

I've always loved PowerPoint and years ago, wrote a couple of books about it (not sure why I haven't written any PowerPoint books lately, but I'd love the chance if it rolls around again). I do have a pet peeve though. Do you know how AutoFit compensates with your text to fill whatever space is available on the slide? As an editor, that just drives me crazy because you might have four different sizes of text on four different slides, depending on the amount of content on each slide. Inconsistencies wound the soul (not really; it just sounded good).

If that bugs you too, you can turn off AutoFit by clicking the Microsoft Office Button and choosing PowerPoint Options. Then, click Proofing and click AutoCorrect Options. In the AutoFormat as You Type tab, under Apply as You Type, click to clear the AutoFit checkboxes for the title and body text areas.

Ahhhhhh....much better. Happy Friday!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

 

3-Minute Quick Guide for Mailing Labels in Word 2007


Happy New Year! Heather from Australia wrote last night and asked me a question about mailing labels, and as I began to write out my response, I thought I'd just capture the process and post it as a simple quick-guide for others who may be struggling with the same thing. Mailing labels are one of those Word tasks that if you do it regularly (say monthly or weekly), it's pretty simple and intuitive. But if you just try to do it once a year or so--or perhaps you're trying it for the first time--the process can be frustrating. This simple 3-Minute Quick Guide: Mailing Labels in Word 2007 gives you the simple steps so you can get on with things that are more fun. Download away! It's free. :)
Thanks for the inspiration, Heather, and I wish you the best as you good-heartedly continue to help your friend with her business.

If you have a question or process you'd like to see covered in a 3-Minute Quick Guide (can't promise I can fit all Office basics into three minutes...some have taken me hours to figure out!), but I'll do my best. Drop me a note.

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