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Tip 1
Better Span Blocking in Mail
If Apple’s Mail application is letting more spam through its junk mail filter than you like, check to see that the following is NOT enabled:“Message Is Addressed
Using My Full Name” in Mail> Preferences> Junk Mail. Otherwise, if enabled,
any mail addressed to your correct name is allowed—and spam often is!
Joe Kissell, Macworld 11/06
 

Tip 2
Illustrator's Hidden Flip Command
The two places that Illustrator hides the Flip command (to flip an object either
horizontally vertically) are: in the side menu of the Transform palette; and in the side
menu of the little palette that appears when you click on the blue X, Y, W or
H in the Control palette. If you can remember that Flip means the same thing
as Reflect in Adobe-speak, you can also use the Reflect tool, which is hidden under
the Rotate tool, or choose Object> Transform> Reflect.
 


Tip 3
Live Trace Tip for Illustrator
Illustrator’s Live Trace feature turns raster images into outlines, but sometimes
the raster image doesn’t have enough contrast for Live Trace to work well. To fix this, open the image in Photoshop and use a Curves or Levels adjustment layer to increase its contrast. Then use Illustrator’s Links palette to update the link
to the image. The Live Trace object will automatically update as well.



Tip 4
Copy Only Colors with Eyedropper
To tell InDesign’s Eyedropper tool to copy just the COLORS of an object, hold
down the Shift key while using it. If you’ve already copied ALL the attributes
of an object, you can apply only the colors to a new object by holding down
the Shift key when you click on the new object.
 

Tip 5
Deselect All In InDesign
In InDesign, you can deselect all objects by pressing Command-Shift-A. This is
handy when creating or editing a new color because otherwise that color will be
applied to selected objects. David Blatner, InDesignSecrets.com
 


Tip 6
Master Page Tips for InDesign
To base a master page on an existing document page in InDesign, use the Pages
palette: just drag the page’s icon above the line separating the master pages
from the document pages. To base a new master page on an existing master
page, create the new master page then drag the icon of the existing master page
onto the icon of the new master page.


Tip 7
Trick: Convert RGB to CMYK for PDFs
If your workflow (or service bureau) requires that your PDFs contain only CMYK
items (not RGB), you can do that in one pass — regardless of whether your page
items are RGB or CMYK. In QuarkXPress 6 or 7, and InDesign CS2, just
make sure the CMYK output options are enabled, then output to a Post-
Script file and run that file through Acrobat Distiller. Here’s how: in Quark-
XPress’s Print dialog, choose Composite CMYK from the Setup menu; in InDesign’s Print dialog, choose PostScript File from the Printer pop-up menu, then click Output in the left-hand pane and choose Composite CMYK from the Color pop-up. Both applications will convert all RGB and spot color items to CMYK using the current color management settings when you print to a PostScript file. Then run that file through Distiller.



Tip 8
Drag & Drop Colors
You can apply a color to an item in QuarkXPress or InDesign by dragging and
dropping a color swatch from the Colors or Swatches palette onto the item. This technique works for frames, backgrounds and rules, but not for text. In QuarkXPress
(but not InDesign) the item will preview the color in real time as you hold
the color swatch over it.



Tip 9
Control Runaround on Hidden Layers in QuarkXPress
When using layers in QuarkXPress, you may want to make a layer invisible but maintain the text runaround of objects on that layer — or vice-versa. You can control this behavior by double-clicking the layer in the Layers palette, and then using the
Keep Runaround checkbox.
 


Tip 10
Add Any Size Layout to QuarkXPress
In QuarkXPress 7, you can append an entire Layout from another Project into your current Project: just choose File> Append. The other Layout doesn’t need to be the same size, orientation, or even output intent (Print or Web). You can also use File> Append to import style sheets, colors, color management setups, hyperlinks, H&Js, lists, dashes & stripes, interactive menus, metatags, etc.



Tip 11
The Hidden Auto Levels
When you create a new Adjustment Layer in Photoshop (Layer> New Adjustment
Layer> Levels) you can access the Auto Levels, Auto Contrast and Auto Color
controls by clicking the Option button in the Levels dialog box. This lets
you apply Auto Levels, etc., to an Adjustment Layer instead of to the layer itself.
Michael Ninness, Photoshop User



Tip 12
Copy Layer Masks between Layers
Photoshop CS2 lets you copy layer masks between layers: just hold the Option key while clicking and dragging the layer mask
from one layer to another. Jay Kinghorn



Tip 13
Better Compression in Photoshop
Photoshop CS2 offers better file compression options than earlier versions.
For example: TIFF images will compress better if you choose the Per Channel option instead of the older Interleaved option; also, if you work with layered 16-bit images, uncheck Maximize Compatibility when saving in PSD format for a dramatic size reduction in file size.




Tips and Tricks Archive

September 2006

August 2006

June 2006

February 2006

January 2006