#23908
Online documentation and software messages are important elements of the end-to-end user experience. They have a direct impact on the productivity of users and affect the total cost of ownership. This article discusses designing and executing usability testing of these two important components of the overall product offering. Based on usability tests that were performed on the IBM DB2® Universal Database™ (DB2 UDB) and IBM® WebSphere® Commerce and software products, the combined experiences provide guidance for usability professionals and information developers who need to organize and run such tests for a first time.
Markov, Nikolay and Uliyana Markova. IBM (2004). Design>User Interface>Software>Help
#27556
Precisely Positioning DIV Tags in Your Page From Design View
Not everybody likes working in code view, indeed I would guess that many folks purchase Dreamweaver just so they don't have to work in code view. In this article we will look at how you can insert DIV tags into your code, precisely. We will do this from Dreamweaver's design view by making good use of the insert div tag function that can be found on the insert bar.
Senior, Adrian. Community MX (2006). Design>Web Design>Software>Dreamweaver
#23085
Preflighting for PDF/X-Compliance with Acrobat
PDF/X (PDF Exchange) is a subset of Adobe PDF that eliminates many of the color, font, and trapping variables that lead to printing problems. You can verify that a PDF document is PDF/X-compliant in Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional before submitting the document to a service provider, and then embed the verification results in the file.
PlanetPDF (2001). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe Acrobat
#21531
QuarkXPress is categorized as page layout software - software that lets you easily place text and graphics on a page. Using well-designed page layout software has the feel of moving actual columns of text, blocks of color, and images around and pasting them into place. Unlike a word processor, which is driven by a continuous text flow, QuarkXPress gives you complete control over the elements you place on each page. QuarkXPress is a standard at most publishing companies and advertising agencies.
Lycos (2004). Articles>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#22544
QuarkXPress 6 Tips: Working with Layers
Learning to use layers in your page-layout program can greatly streamline design and production. See how to tap into the power and flexibility of layers in QuarkXPress 6.
Assadi, Barbara and Galen Gruman. Creative Pro (2004). Design>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#21525
QuarkXPress Technical Manual Project
The following is a step-by step tutorial outlining how to make a technical manual suitable either for print or for screen display as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.
Mike's Sketchpad (2002). Articles>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#26558
QuarkXPress Tutorial: QuarkXPress' Work Area
Familiarize yourself with QuarkXPress 6.x work area.
Bruno, Elisabetta. Designorati (2005). Design>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#21529
QuarkXPress Tutorials and Training
Look for tips, tutorials product support, downloads, templates,and publications for QuarkXPress. Find formal and informal training classes and seminars both online and offline for this popular desktop publishing program.
Howard Bear, Jacci. About.com. Resources>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#22699
Quick Mask Mode Using Adobe Photoshop
Quick mask mode is a powerful means of selection in Photoshop. It is a selection based on the masking of the desired portion of an image. It is used for minute and accurate selections.
DevShed (2004). Design>Graphic Design>Software>Adobe Photoshop
#20200
The new Layer Styles features in Photoshop 6.0, you can easily create a cool, realistic-looking plastic effect for your text.
Kelby, Scott. Mac Design Magazine (2003). Design>Typography>Software>Adobe Photoshop
#27431
Use an Adjustment Layer to easily change a color in your photo, and then quickly change it back if things don’t work out.
Cross, Dave. Planet Photoshop (2006). Design>Graphic Design>Software>Adobe Photoshop
#25140
Redefining the Document Using Adobe Acrobat 
How content is combined from multiple sources quickly and easily.
Baker, Donna L. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Articles>Document Design>Software>Adobe Acrobat
#23133
Distributing documents as Adobe PDF files can reduce the problems that may occur when you exchange large presentation or page-layout files. In many cases, you can make your Adobe PDF file even more compact without compromising the document's integrity. The PDF Optimizer in Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional gives you easy access to several options that can help you reduce the file's size, including compression options that are comparable to the ones available when you create an original Adobe PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Distiller.
PlanetPDF (2004). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe Acrobat
#29932
Reducing Screen Clutter in Acrobat
Are you looking to remove all distractions to read your PDF content? Perhaps you just want to remove all distractions so that you can skim through your PDF document before signing off on it and sending it off? This tip explains how to reduce on-screen clutter in Acrobat to allow you to focus your attention completely on the content.
Shea, Dan. PlanetPDF (2007). Articles>Document Design>Software>Adobe Acrobat
#20196
Here's one way to create reflections in water. (The basic steps can be adapted to work with any image.)
Duggan, Sean. Mac Design Magazine (2003). Design>Graphic Design>Software>Adobe Photoshop
#22540
Reinventing Quark: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
When creative professionals think of Quark, they tend to think only of QuarkXPress - or perhaps a negative technical-support experience. But Quark is more than a one-product company, one that has been trying to change for the better. Craig Cline provides an inside peek at Quark's new attitude.
Cline, Craig. Creative Pro (2004). Design>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
#25929
Removing Things in Perspective
Before Photoshop CS2's introduction of the Vanishing Point filter, cloning away things in perspective was one of the hardest removal tasks of all. Luckily, this incredibly cool filter not only simplifies removing things in perspective, it actually makes it fun. In fact, this is one of those filters that's so amazing, you can wind up spending hours cloning away things that have no business being cloned away.
Kelby, Scott. Layers Magazine (2005). Design>Graphic Design>Software>Adobe Photoshop
#22111
If I see another goofy Flash interface I am going to scream. Please do not take my prior statement as rejection of everything Flash. I love Flash. I think Macromedia Flash is a wonderful tool with wonderful potential. But along the way, we have a lot of learning to do.
Kennedy, Tim. Streaming Media World (2000). Design>Web Design>Software>Flash
#28064
Replacing Gradient Colors With a Swatch
InDesign shares a feature with Illustrator that enables you to select a color stop in a gradient and replace it by clicking on a color swatch in the swatches palette.
Cole, Tim. Adobe Evangelists (2006). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe InDesign
#23292
Results From a Survey of Web Prototyping Tools Usage
In June 2002 GUUUI conducted a survey on web prototyping tools usage. The purpose of the survey was to find out what tools are used for prototyping, what requirements interaction designers have for their tools, and how happy they are with the tools they are using. This article presents the results of this survey.
Olsen, Henrik. GUUUI (2002). Design>Web Design>Software
#23455
This page is dedicated to the Adobe FrameMaker software. It includes many suggestions for customizing FrameMaker as well as a guide that my department used for converting thousands of pages from Word to FrameMaker.
Henkel, Rick. Docspages (2000). Resources>Document Design>Software>Adobe FrameMaker
#31753
The Right and Wrong of Quark and Adobe Strategies
What distinguishes the underlying strategies of Adobe InDesign from QuarkXPress is the absence or presence of a content management system (CMS). And each company asserts that it’s following the less-traveled road. The problem is they’re both taking roads most traveled because of their respective stances towards integrated content management systems, and I’ll show you how after looking at their respective strategies.
Kuhnen, Eric. Content Wrangler, The (2008). Articles>Document Design>Software>Content Management
#21948
Is your Illustrator artwork too smooth-looking? Try adding patterns and textures to your work.
Alspach, Ted and Jennifer Alspach. Adobe Magazine (1996). Design>Graphic Design>Software>Adobe Illustrator
#21968
PageMaker's paragraph rules feature lets you attach lines to paragraphs. So what? Watch this ...
Kvern, Olav Martin. Adobe Magazine (1995). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe PageMaker
#26015
Save Time With Xpress Design: Style Sheets With QuarkXPress
Consistency is one of the principles that designer must follow. Style Sheets help the designer so he doesn't have to apply manaully the same type of formatting over and over again thrughout the document. Let me give you an example. You are designing a magazine promoting a certain item. You want to have all of your titles with a certain font, a certain size and a certain colour. You can record all of these information in a Style Sheet and then apply them to each title with a click. Now, let's say that you decide that the titles are two small and they all have to be made 4 points bigger. Well, you just go to your Style Sheet and modify the size of your font there and all of the parts of text with that Style Sheet will change in one go. This tutorial is for users of QuarkXPress 5 and 6. If you want to know how to create Style Sheets in QuarkXPress 4 follow the instructions for QuarkXPress version 5.
Bruno, Elisabetta. Designorati (2005). Design>Document Design>Software>QuarkXPress
