Category: Print Publishing/Desktop Publishing

If you are a new print publisher, you are probably more comfortable in layouts that use inches as the default measurement system. In fact, most new users would rather that they never have to work with points or picas.

There are two main problems working with inches. First, it’s very difficult to add, subtract, multiply or divide when you are dealing with parts of an inch. If asked what half of 1 5/8 inches is, few would be able to answer quickly–unless you’re still good at math and fractions, which I’m not. However, if asked what half of 36 points is, most people know the answer is simple division (36 divided by 2 =18 points). Second, most professional printers and service bureaus work with points. If you are comfortable working with points, it will make working with other print professionals easier.

I’ll give you an easy method for memorizing point/pica/inch conversions. Remembering a few numbers will help you avoid having problems working with points or picas.

Here is the magic formula:

• 12 points = 1 pica
• 6 picas = 1 inch
• 72 points = 1 inch

Four little numbers: 12, 6, and 72. All three of them equal 1 (pica, inch, inch respectively). The biggest number to keep in mind is that 72 points = 1 inch. If you can keep that straight, you’ll be able to quickly tell how many points there are to 1/2 inch (36) or how many points there are to 1/4 inch (18).

Colors you intend to print commercially are typically mixed with four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). If your QuarkXPress or InDesign document contains just a few colors (three or less), consider using spot colors. If you use spot colors, only the specific inks you need will be added to the press when your file is printed—and you will only be charged for those inks. If your layout uses four colors or more, use process colors. In this scenario, the individual CMYK inks are added to the press, one at a time—and you are charged for four inks. If your layout has a photograph, the image likely contains thousands of colors. However, since the colors are mixed with components of CMYK, you will only be charged for four inks, not thousands.

A typical rule of thumb follows: if you use three colors or fewer in your layout, use spot colors. If you use four colors or more, use process colors. It is possible to combine the use of spot and process colors in the same layout. Although expensive to do so, the practice can create some very nice results. For instance, you might create a layout with photographs (which would need CMYK process inks), plus a logo (the logo might need just one or two spot colors).

It’s Lead. But it’s pronounced Led.

Leading refers to the baseline-to-baseline vertical measure of your lines of type. (The baseline is the invisible line that all text sits upon.) Many designers will show font size and leading like a fraction. For example, if you see 12/14 written as instructions for you to use in creating a layout, the first number you see is font size (12) and the second number is leading (14).

By default, most desktop publishing programs, including QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign, use Auto for leading, which is an amount equal to 120% of the point size measure. It is not a good idea to leave your leading set to Auto. When mixing font point sizes while using Auto leading, the line of text will take on the Auto leading for the largest point size in the line and usually will not look good. Also, in a multiple column layout, many designers like to align the baselines of type across the columns of the page; Auto leading may interfere with this.

Setting Leading in QuarkXPress

1. Select some text using the Content tool
2. Show the Measurements palette (Window menu)
3. Use the Leading area of the Measurements palette to change the leading as appropriate (you can also choose Style > Formats to display the Paragraph Attributes dialog box and change the leading)

Setting Leading in InDesign CS 2

1. Select some text using the Text tool
2. Show the Control palette (Window menu)
3. Click the Character Formatting Controls button (the large "A")
4. The leading field is located in the second row of the Control palette, the second field from the left

Here are a few keyboard shortcuts you might find useful.

• Select all Guides: Ctrl-Alt-G
• Sort Menus Alphabetically: Ctrl-Alt-Shift and click on Menu
• Tabs palette: Move Left Indent (triangle) without moving First Line Indent: Press [shift] while dragging the (bottom) triangle

When using QuarkXPress, you can instruct XPress to find the first occurrence of the phrase you’re looking for. However, the ability to do so is hidden. Here’s how you do it. Select the Content tool. Click anywhere in your story. Choose Edit/Find Change. Type the phrase you’re looking for. Notice that the button at the lower left of the dialog box says “Find.” Press the [alt] key on your keyboard. Notice the “Find” button changes to “Find First.” Click “Find First” and the first occurrence will be found and selected. When you record the movie, you will end up with a movie that bridges the gap between a demonstration and assessment movie. You will also notice that the captions created by Captivate (because you selected Text captions from the Custom Recording Options) are written in the active voice and encourage learner participation.

The following is thanks to Mike Jarvis and John WU at the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA):

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If you intend to import Word documents into FrameMaker, QuarkXPress, PageMaker or InDesign, its best to create a template in your desktop application with style sheet names that match those found in Word by default.

During a recent class, John asked me if there was a list of default styles use in Word. Great question. I had no idea. Mike found the following list via google searches:

Normal
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Heading 7
Heading 8
Heading 9
Index 1
Index 2
Index 3
Index 4
Index 5
Index 6
Index 7
Index 8
Index 9
TOC 1
TOC 2
TOC 3
TOC 4
TOC 5
TOC 6
TOC 7
TOC 8
TOC 9
Normal Indent
Footnote Text
Annotation Text
Header
Footer
Index Heading
Caption
Table of Figures
Envelope Address
Envelope Return
Footnote Reference
Annotation Reference
Line Number
Page Number
Endnote Reference
Endnote Text
Table of Authorities
Macro Text
TOA Heading
List
List 2
List 3
List 4
List 5
List Bullet
List Bullet 2
List Bullet 3
List Bullet 4
List Bullet 5
List Number
List Number 2
List Number 3
List Number 4
List Number 5
Title
Closing
Signature
Default Paragraph Font
Body Text
Body Text Indent
List Continue
List Continue 2
List Continue 3
List Continue 4
List Continue 5
Message Header
Subtitle
Salutation
Date
Body Text First Indent
Body Text First Indent 2
Note Heading
Body Text 2
Body Text 3
Body Text Indent 2
Body Text Indent 3
Block Text
Hyperlink
Followed Hyperlink
Strong
Emphasis
Document Map
Plain Text

I recently finished a custom FrameMaker training class where two issues were addressed:

1. FrameMaker’s annoying habit of NOT letting you use the scroll wheel on your mouse.
2. Importing tables from Word is a train-wreck. There aren’t "header rows" and there’s a ton of custom formatting you have to remove.

There are two plug-ins you can get (one costs, one is free) that will solve these two problems:

First, the ability to use the Scroll Wheel: There is a free utility available at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2060/freewheel.html. Freewheel provides mouse wheel support for applications that do not directly support the IntelliPoint mouse wheel. It runs on Windows 9x or Windows NT as a tray icon, which you can hide if you dislike clutter in your tray.

Now for the table trouble: There is a $60 utility called TableCleaner. Go to http://www.frameexpert.com/plugins/tablecleaner/ for the download. TableCleaner is a plugin that gives you more control over FrameMaker tables. Some commands work on selected cells and tables, while other can change all of the tables in a document at once. This plugin was especially designed to help format tables imported from Word.