Insider Tip Archives

Sorting Email Messages in Outlook and Outlook Express
Ever notice the faded little triangle in the column header on your email screen? This indicates the key sort field and controls the direction your email messages appear on the screen (ascending or descending). The arrow is hard to see and accidentally clicking on it or other header icons can really jumble up your messages. To change the direction of the sort click on the triangle - when it points up, the sort is ASCENDING. When it points down the order is DESCENDING.

Amazing Quick Copy Technology
Great strides have been made in quick copy technology in the past year. Not only is the equipment much faster, but the print resolution is sharper and electronic editing capabilities nothing short of amazing. The "electronic eraser," for example, cleans up smudges, coffee stains and tears from old documents and removes unsightly headers from faxes you may wish to include as an original document. Add to that automatic pagination, "intelligent" collating and compatibility with most electronic formats and you have a virtual print shop - all in one machine.

Don't Forget Email Subject Lines
Always include a topic in the subject field of an email. This is not only considered polite, but gives the recipient a chance to organize their email. An accurate subject line will also provide a clue to the message's content in years to come. When responding to an email message, be sure the subject still applies. If the topic has changed at all, change the subject line to reflect it.

On-Demand Printing Saves Dollars
Did you know that up to 30% of printing costs are wasted because materials stuck in inventory become obsolete before they can be used? On-demand digital print technology allows you to print the exact quantity needed, thereby eliminating any risk of obsolescence and wasted print dollars. This is, by far, the single biggest benefit of on-demand printing. Check it out before your next print job.

Email Composition Counts!
When composing email messages, use mixed-case letters. A message in all caps is more difficult to read, and using all caps is considered to be the electronic equivalent of shouting (which is considered impolite). For some reason, the use of lower case letters doesn't evoke a sense of whispering; thus, many emails are written using all lower case letters with little or no punctuation. These, too, can be hard to read. While emails should be kept brief, proper sentence structure and punctuation helps the recipient read (and understand) the message faster.

Watch Those Newer, Bluer Papers
A current trend in paper manufacturing is producing stocks with a slight blue shade, because the paper appears brighter. This is helpful if the colors in your print job are predominantly cool because the images will reproduce with greater intensity. However, if your images are warmer, such as skin tones, it's best to avoid blue-shaded papers, as they may cause undesirable gray-green undertones.

Text Copying Solution
When copying text from a document that has different formatting than the document you wish to paste the text into, simply pull down the Edit menu, click on "Paste Special" then choose "Unformatted Text" (when working in MS Word or WordPerfect). This allows the pasted text to assume the formatting, or at least minimize formatting problems, of the document you're working in.

Choosing Paper For On-Demand Printing
When selecting paper for an on-demand digital print job, the rule of thumb is the better the paper, the better the results. Both productivity and quality suffer when flimsy, inexpensive paper is used. Characteristics to look for are texture (coated papers allow for finer lines and sharper images, though toner adheres better to uncoated stock); a high opacity to prevent show-through on two-sided copying, and brightness, to provide high contrast which makes images "pop" out at you.

Freshen Up That Web Site
With all the competition on the Internet these days, drawing traffic to your web site is an on-going challenge. Customers and prospects have seen pictures of your plant. They need a stronger incentive to keep visiting. Update your site regularly - weekly, if not daily — to reflect company news, current marketing campaigns and "involvement" devices of value to customers. Alert your email list to web updates and be sure external advertising/marketing campaigns are always tied into your site.

Check Availabililty of Paper FIRST
Ever fall in love with a paper from a tiny paper sample in a booklet provided by your local paper company? Most print buyers and marketing professionals have a huge library of paper sample books. Problem is, not all of these papers are readily available, some have minimum order restrictions or must be shipped in even cartons; and others are prohibitively expensive. Always check on availability, price and any other conditions before finalizing your paper choice.

Create An Email Signature
A consistent and complete signature on business email not only looks professional but reminds people of your role within the company. To create a text block signature in Outlook, go to Tools, Options, and click on the Mail Format tab (or Signatures tab in Outlook Express). At the bottom of the window click the Signature Picker button. Select New. Give the signature a name, select the options you want and click Next. Then click Finish, then OK all the way back out to the main window.

Set REAL Tabs in MS Word
Setting tabs properly in MS Word saves time and reduces the margin for error in written material headed for publication. Yet many people still tab or space their way across a page and add an unnecessary double space, (as baby boomers were taught in typing class), at the end of sentences. This throws off the formatting and creates a lot of extra work for the person laying out the publication, who must reformat and take out all of those extra tabs and spaces. Set real tabs before typing text, and use a single space between sentences. The result? Less time, less cost and a better looking publication.

Where Did My Attachment Go?
Did you know that when you open an email attachment, the associated application opens up only a temporary copy of that file? Thus, the file only "lives" for as long as it is open. As soon as you close the application, the file disappears. Even if you do a FILE, SAVE, your edits are saved only to the temporary file. To save the edited attachment permanently, do a SAVE AS, thus securing the attachment in a "real" file.

Consider Connection Speeds In Web Designs
When designing or changing your company's web site, be conscious of PC users with slower connection speeds. There are still many of them out there – some bogged down by their own internal networks. Even those with high-speed connections can be annoyed by too many bells and whistles. Remember—sounds, images, and video are the things that take the longest to load. You want your site to be appealing and user friendly to everyone, so consider your audience when adding new material to the web site.

Digital Photo Know How
When using a digital camera, resist the temptation to use the "display" to view while you are actually taking the shots. It's a neat feature, but drains the batteries faster and may cause the camera to shake, blurring images. Instead of "display", use the viewfinder. That way the camera is held closer to the body, touching your head. This steadies the camera for all types of shooting and will increase the sharpness of your photos.