Insider Tip Archives

Preventive Protection
As identity theft becomes more prevalent, protecting your computer is essential. The key to securing your computer is to use protective software and keep it up to date. Make sure that you install all security patches available from the developer of your operating system. Run antivirus software to check incoming e-mails, and update the virus definitions frequently. Set up a firewall to prevent intruders from getting into your network or computer.

In addition to using protective software, you should choose strong passwords to protect accounts; don't use your personal information as a password. Also, consider mixing upper- and lowercase letters to keep your passwords for each account unique. These techniques will help secure and protect your computer.

Closing Pesky Pop-ups
Pop-ups are more than nuisance ads; they can be methods of infecting your computer with spyware and viruses. Even clicking the "X" button at the top right corner of the pop-up window could unknowingly install a program on your computer. A good rule of thumb is to not click anything in a pop-up window.

The safest way to close a pop-up is to find the tag for the pop-up's Internet Explorer window in your task bar, usually located at the bottom of your screen. Right click on it and select “Close.” That way, the operating system closes the window, and no program code in the pop-up window will be executed.

Going Against the Grain
The grain direction of paper is the direction in which the paper fibers lie. The grain can be an important factor to consider when planning your printing project. Here are a few things to consider when planning your project.

• Design your piece so the final fold is with the grain. Paper folds more easily with the grain than against it, and this will help minimize the paper cracking on the fold.
• Heavy-weight text papers and cover stocks may need scoring first, if the final fold is against the grain.
• If the piece folds and will be printed on a digital color unit, try to keep large solids and text out of areas that fold. This will minimize toner crack on the fold.

Going with the grain will help your piece to look just the way you want it.

I Can See Clearly Now...In Three Easy Steps
If you have Windows XP, you can see fonts more clearly on your monitor if you turn on ClearType. ClearType is easy to apply and makes fonts look smoother. If you have a standard CRT monitor, you'll see modest improvement, but the real advantage is apparent with color LCD flat screen monitors and LCD screens on mobile PCs, such as Tablet PCs and laptops.

1. Right click anywhere on your desktop and choose “Properties” from the menu.
2. Click the “Appearance” tab, and then click the “Effects” button.
3. Click the check box next to “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts.” Click the down arrow and select “ClearType” from the list. Click “OK,” and then click “OK” again.

E-mail Etiquette
Think of every e-mail message that you send as a business letter and compose it so that it looks professional. Remember to use correct spelling and grammar, and use Spell Check to correct punctuation errors and check capitalization.

Don't type in all capital letters unless you're showing emphasis or typing acronyms. To avoid extreme emotion in your messages, consider composing a draft message first, if you’re stressed or upset, before actually sending the message. Taking the extra time to check these details will enhance your business communication.

Keystroke Shortcut Hints

• Closing multiple child windows:
  • To close a number of windows that were opened in succession, hold down the “Shift” key, then click the “X” button to close the last window. All parent, grandparent, great-grandparent (you get the picture) windows that were opened will be closed.
• Use the "Windows Key" + "M" to minimize all windows.
• Use the "Windows Key" + "E" to launch Explorer.
• Use the “Windows Key” + “D” to show your desktop.
• Use the “Windows Key” + “L” to lock your desktop.

How to “Handle” Frequently Handled Projects
If your printing project is going to be subjected to significant handling and use, consider selecting a paper that will hold up well and will minimize fingerprints. If you design your piece with substantial ink coverage, make sure you use a varnish or laminate that will protect the piece.

Using Real Fonts
Many typefaces are designed with separate fonts to represent bold and italic text. For example, when you click Bold on the Formatting toolbar, Windows_® actually substitutes your Times New Roman text with Times New Roman Bold.

However, some fonts do not have style variations. When you apply the bold or italic style, Windows instead creates a synthetic version of the typeface by darkening or slanting the characters.

Synthetic font styles will print normally to most desktop printers, but may not print as you expect them to on high-end print devices, such as imagesetters. To ensure your font appears correctly, replace any synthetic font styles in your publication with the appropriate style variation. If a font does not have a style variation, choose a different font or contact your commercial printer for assistance.

Completing Deletions in Web Forms
When you start typing in a Web form with the Auto-Complete function enabled, a list of previous entries for the same field will appear. This function allows you to quickly complete the field without retyping the same information. 

To remove an entry that is erroneous, outdated, or private, click in the desired field and press the Down arrow. Select the entry you would like to delete using the arrow keys instead of using your mouse. Press the Delete key, and the individual entry will be removed.

Deleting unnecessary fields will enable you to keep your Web form accurate and up-to-date, while still utilizing this time-saving function.

Paper Choices “Finish” Your Project
When designing your project, select photographs and illustrations that are compatible with the paper finish that you want to use.

For example, smooth finish paper works well with fine-line reproductions. Felt finishes have an open, toothy texture and absorption properties that create a softer look. Embossed finishes range from being barely perceptible to possessing deep textures.

Selecting the right paper for your job will complement your design and emphasize the type of illustration you use.

Fonts In E-mails
Sometimes you need to be careful about what fonts you use in your e-mails and signature blocks. If you use Plain Text format (the title bar of the e-mail message window will have your subject and "(Plain Text)"), you won't have any choice regarding fonts, but Rich Text and HTML format messages do.

The problem is that you may have fonts installed on your machine that your recipients don't. If you use one of these fonts for your e-mail message text, or even your signature, your recipient may have problems reading your message — Windows will try to substitute a font that is installed, and come up with the best match. But sometimes the best match is Wingdings, or some other symbol-type font.

Some basic fonts that are universal: Arial, Times New Roman, Courier/Courier New, Verdana, Trebuchet, and Georgia. Stick with these, and you shouldn't have any problems.

One more note about signatures: be careful when adding logos into your signature. The more graphics/pictures (.TIF, .GIF, & .JPG) you include, the larger the size of your e-mail. Also, Outlook sometimes blocks graphic images.

U.S. Tax Phishing
It is tax time in the U.S. and there’s a significant increase in the ‘phishing’ attempts that try to trick you into believing that the messages come from the IRS.

If you get an e-mail from the IRS telling you about an audit or your tax refund – ignore them, they are fake. Like any ‘phishing’ scam, the messages are really an attempt to draw you to a fake Web site and lure you to enter private information.

The real IRS does NOT send e-mails to individual taxpayers about their returns. The only e-mails sent are general news or information.

You can see the “Dirty Dozen” of tax scams listed at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=154293,00.html – ‘phishing’ is ranked number #3.

‘Save As’ To Save Headaches
When saving Microsoft_® Word files, please consider utilizing “File – Save As” and then name the file with an appropriate descriptive name. If you allow Word to save the file with a default name, the program will automatically choose the first line of text. As automatically saved files often have very long file names, this can cause problems when opening the file and trying to save it in another software program.

Need to Send a Large File? No FTP Access?
The next time you have a large file to send (several MB or more), you might want to consider utilizing www.yousendit.com. This Web site allows users to send extremely large files (up to 100 MB!) and offers various levels of service, the first of which is free. This Web site might be especially useful if you or your recipient(s) have a small size limit on their e-mail account, or if they do not have access to an FTP site.

Requesting an Estimate – Step 1: What is Most Important?
When requesting an estimate from your print supplier, inform your contact about what is important to you with regards to your printing project. For example, if the turnaround time is crucial, your supplier may be able to specify house sheets or other stocks that are readily available. On the other hand, if quality is most important, your contact can work with you to provide alternative recommendations to meet your specific needs. Keep in mind that telling your printer upfront what is most important can help save you valuable time and money and give you the results that you require.