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September, 2009 Issue Subscribe
Articles:
 PowerPoint – Moving Objects More Precisely
Printing – What is a Die-Cut?
Excel – See the Data You Need to See – Splitting vs Freezing Panes
 PowerPoint – Moving Objects More Precisely
Have you struggled to move an object (graphic or text) in PowerPoint either up/down/left/right, a small amount, but just can’t get PowerPoint to place the item where you want it? Then read on for a few tricks to help you out.
Using Your Arrows Keys – when you move an object with the arrow keys, PowerPoint moves the item by about 5 pixels per click. While this is great for fast adjusting, if you want to be precise, it doesn’t help. To solve this, use the Ctrl key along with the arrow keys to move 1 pixel at a time.
 Using Nudge – Another way to control the movement of an object is by using the Nudge feature in the Drawing Tools (if it’s not on your screen as shown on the right, find it at View/Tool Bars/Drawing). To use this feature, click on the object(s) to move, navigate to Draw/Nudge and use the menu keys provided to move in smaller increments (1 pixel). If you use the Nudge command and the Snap objects to grid option (see below) is turned on, the nudge distance is determined by the grid spacing.
Note: What 1 screen pixel represents relative to the slide area depends on the zoom percentage. When zoomed in to 400%, 1 screen pixel is a relatively small nudge distance on the slide. When zoomed out to 25%, 1 screen pixel is a relatively larger nudge distance on the slide. Therefore, if you want to use smaller nudge distances to refine the placement of objects on a slide, zoom in and use the CTRL+ARROW keys.
 Snap(fu) to Guide/Grid – When grids are visible you might notice that when you move something it “snaps” to the guide or grid making it difficult and down-right frustrating when trying to place something exactly. This is because “Snap to Grid” is activated. To turn this off go to the menu – hit View, then click Grid and Guides. There you can turn off the Snap to Grid to give you more precise movement.
Printing – What is a Die-Cut?
Envision a Do Not Disturb door hanger from a hotel – how do you think that hole got in the middle to fit over the doorknob or how was the arch made? They used a die-cut! Die-cutting is a manufacturing process used to generate large numbers of the same shape. Think of a cookie cutter – it’s the same principle.
A “die” (the cookie cutter) is made up of sharp, specially shaped blades that are bent into the desired shape and mounted on a strong backing where the die is pressed onto the material to cut it.
Using the Do Not Disturb sign as an example – let’s walk through the steps for creating it. First, the piece is designed on the computer using a design tool (i.e., InDesign, Quark). Then we, as the printer, create a die template that shows where the piece is to be cut (the hole, the arch, and the body). This template is handed off to die-maker to create the die.
While the die is being created Your project is being printed. Then your printed sheets are put on a die cutting press to create the final pieces.
This is a simple example of a die-cut requiring only one die. More complex pieces might require multiple dies to get the desired final result. We have been working with our clients for more than 20 years creating dynamic material using die cuts. Call us today (203-934-4275) to discuss your ideas or your next project.
Excel – See the Data You Need to See –
Splitting vs Freezing Panes
When working with a large amount of data on a spreadsheet it can be difficult to see the data you need without continually scrolling. Imagine you have a spreadsheet with customer data that contains data in columns A - U. Column A contains the customer name and Column T contains their total purchases and you want to be able to see both those columns at the same time (side-by-side). To alleviate the hassle of scrolling you can use Split or Freeze Panes to hold parts of the spreadsheet in place as you view it.
Split – Place your cursor below the row and to the right of the column you want to be held in place, click Window/Split. Now you'll be able to scroll in both areas of the worksheet (the areas to the left and top of the split as well as the interior area), while rows or columns in the non-scrolled area remain visible.
Freeze Panes – Place your cursor below the row and to the right of the column you want to be held in place and click Window/Freeze Panes. You can select specific rows or columns that remain visible when scrolling in the worksheet. For example, you would freeze panes to keep row and column labels visible as you scroll. But you can’t scroll within the area to the left and top of the freeze.
To turn these off (and scroll freely) simply go back to Window on the toolbar and click Unsplit or Unfreeze.
Fun Facts for September
September Observances: Chicken Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Children’s Good Manners Month, Cholesterol Education Month, Food Education Safety Month, Little League Month and School Success Month.
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