Reading Expository Text on a Computer Screen  

Issues of legibility, restricted screen space, and the resulting effects on reader efficiency have hampered efforts to bring expository text to the computer screen. Previous research focused on character-based displays, a technology that is rapidly being supplanted by equipment capable of improved resolution and visual symbol generation. These issues, which affect both authors and readers, need to be investigated in light of current screen and user interface technology. It may well be that linear expository texts are easily adaptable to contemporary computer screens.

Ham, Eardley L. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>Document Design>Accessibility

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

Reducing PDF File Size

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

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

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

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

Resume Design

This handout offers advice making informed design choices in creating a resume. We also have a sample resume that uses these design principles.

Purdue University (2004). Careers>Resumes>Document Design>Visual Rhetoric

Rhythm and Repetition

Aside from alignment and grouping, elements can be linked using rhythm: a regular or irregular repetition of common stylistic features.

Hunt, Ben. Web Design From Scratch (2005). Design>Web Design>Document Design

Rick Henkel - FrameMaker

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

Roughing It  

Not in the mood for smooth? Consider going rustic with your paper and design.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1998). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Rules of the Game  

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

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

Scientific Documentation: Learning from Journal Articles  

Suggests that writers of technical manuals could learn a thing or two about usability from the consistent form of scientific journal articles.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2004). Articles>Document Design>Scientific Communication

See Spot Print  

An in-depth guide to working with spot colors in Photoshop.

Amladi, Rita and Erik Gibson. Adobe Magazine (1995). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Color

Seeing and Using Theories for Design  

In recent years, the subject of research has attracted much attention within the field of design. In this discussion, suggestion has been made about the importance of descriptive/explanatory theory for the practice of design. Given that design is prescriptive by nature, between description and prescription, there is a gap. The gap suggests that the function and value of theory in design practice and thus its evaluation require further examination, clarification and demonstration. The practical value of theory in scientific inquiry is unquestionable. Theory is often referred as the foundation of sciences. Since the immediate goal of scientific practice is different from that of design practice, can the same be said about theory for design? Taking a perspective of a designer, my starting point is that theory, like any information, needs to be brought to life by our way of seeing and using it. Through reflecting on how I have evaluated and used developmental theories for a conceptual design of HIV prevention communication. I will bring up the issue of user in theory evaluation, attempt to demonstrate theory is (made) useful (by)/to designing and put into perspective the value of descriptive/explanatory theory to designing.

Chow, Rosan. University of Alberta (2003). Design>Document Design>Theory>Visual Rhetoric

Selecting a Color Palette

It's not hard to persuade a designer that color matters. But persuading Fortune 500 companies? You might be surprised. Color consultant Leatrice Eiseman has carved out a major career in helping companies 'make correct choices in colors that sell.'

Eiseman, Leatrice. Design, Typography and Graphics (2006). Design>Document Design>Graphic Design>Color

Set Up Records For a Smooth Merger

Instantly generate documents, such as mailing labels, form letters, or envelopes, with the new data merge feature in Adobe® PageMaker®. Using data from spreadsheets, databases, or text editors, you can merge multiple records into one publication. These steps explain how to prepare records so that they merge flawlessly in your publication.

Adobe (2003). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe PageMaker

SGML Document Structuring: Implementing Document Analysis  

SGML (ISO 8879) provides organizations a standard for structuring and managing electronic information independent of software and hardware restrictions. Its premise is that all documents have a logical structure that can be represented with symbols. Using these symbols, SGML identifies a document’s elements and their interrelation slips. SGML separates format from content, allowing masses of information to be logically stored and easily retrieved. Data from one document marked with SGML tags can be used to create everything from brochures to reference manuals. This workshop emphasizes SGML document analysis and its impact on technical communicators.

Coggin, William O., Leslie K. Gasser and Beth A. Williams. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Document Design>SGML

Sheet Smart  

'Going against the grain' is more than a cliché when you're weighing the merits of one paper characteristic over another. Learn how paper's grain direction affects the finish of your jobs.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (2004). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Showcase Images with Nested Frames

Circle meets square as Sandee Cohen nests frames inside frames to accentuate images in Adobe InDesign.

Cohen, Sandee. Adobe (2004). Design>Document Design>Graphic Design

Simplify Your Life With Templates

Adobe® PageMaker® 7.0 includes more than 300 templates. Just open the Templates palette, select a category, choose a template, replace the placeholders with your content, and you’re done. You’ll get professional-looking results every time without fussing over special layouts or worrying about choosing appropriate fonts.

Adobe (2003). Design>Publishing>Document Design>Adobe PageMaker

Single-Sheet 16-Page Gift Book

Everyone loves photos, and by using a little creativity and a little planning you can make a superb photo album.

Showker, Fred. Design, Typography and Graphics (2005). Design>Document Design>Prepress

Single-Sourcing from FrameMaker 5.5.6 to ForeHelp Premier 2000

This article centers on a single-source documentation process that involves authoring structured, chunked documentation in Adobe FrameMaker 5.5.6 and converting it 'just in time' to a WinHelp online help system using ForeHelp Premier 2000.

Snavely, Deborah. InFrame (2000). Articles>Software>Document Design>Adobe FrameMaker

Six Tips for Improving Your Design Documentation

Documentation is a crucial component of successful product planning and implementation, so it's important that it communicates as effectively as possible. Good organization, complete information, and clear writing are, of course, key to the success of any design document, but there are some other, less-obvious techniques you can use to make your documents more readable and understandable. Here are a few of them.

Olshavsky, Ryan. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Articles>Documentation>Document Design

Small Scale, Big Impact: Creating an Employee Newsletter  

Every few weeks we receive a flyer about a 'seminar' or a 'workshop' on newsletters -- now to write them, how to design them, how to produce them, how to improve them. Although we haven’t actually attended any of these seminars, they travel to many major cities, and the list of topics covered and the testimonials printed in the flyers are impressive. This phenomenon of the successful traveling newsletter seminar suggests that A) lots of people (hence organizations) are interested in creating or improving newsletters, and B) there’s lots to be learned about newsletters.

Anderson, Pamela A., Sally Nereson, and Dorothy J. Wiemann. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Document Design>Publishing>Newsletters