Yellow Color Meaning

Dig into the meaning and negative/positive symbolism of yellow as well as the colors that work well with shades of yellow.

Shades of Yellow These words are synonymous with yellow or represent various shades of the color yellow: banana, cadmium yellow, chartreuse, chiffon, cream, golden, goldenrod, khaki, lemon, mellow yellow, saffron, topaz, yellow ocher.

Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit.

Yellow is one of the warm colors. Because of the high visibility of bright yellow, it is often used for hazard signs and some emergency vehicles. Yellow is cheerful.

For years yellow ribbons were worn as a sign of hope as women waited from their men to come marching home from war. Today, they are still used to welcome home loved ones. Its use for hazard signs creates an association between yellow and danger, although not quite as dangerous as red.

If someone is yellow it means they are a coward so yellow can have a negative meaning in some cultures.

Yellow is for mourning in Egypt and actors of the Middle Ages wore yellow to signify the dead. Yet yellow has also represented courage (Japan), merchants (India), and peace.

View the original article here

Red Color Meanings

Discover the power, the nature, and the language of red. Find out what red symbolizes and what colors work well with red.

Shades of Red: These words are synonymous with red or represent various shades of the color red.
blood red, blush, brick, burgundy, carmine, China red (see vermilion), cinnabar (see vermilion), crimson, fire engine red, flame (see scarlet), Indian red, madder, maroon, rose, rouge, ruby, russet (a reddish brown), rust (a reddish brown), scarlet, tomato, Venetian red, vermilion.

Red is hot. It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil.

A stimulant, red is the hottest of the warm colors. Studies show that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure.

The expression seeing red indicates anger and may stem not only from the stimulus of the color but from the natural flush (redness) of the cheeks, a physical reaction to anger, increased blood pressure, or physical exertion.

Red is power, hence the red power tie for business people and the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs (very important people).

Flashing red lights denote danger or emergency. Stop signs and stop lights are red to get the drivers' attention and alert them to the dangers of the intersection.

In some cultures, red denotes purity, joy, and celebration. Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China and may be used to attract good luck.

Red is often the color worn by brides in the East while it is the color of mourning in South Africa. In Russia the Bolsheviks used a red flag when they overthrew the Tsar, thus red became associated with communism. Many national flags use red. The red Ruby is the traditional Fortieth Wedding Anniversary gift.

These color palettes feature shades of red used with a variety of yellows, blues, greens, and neutrals.

Explore these red color swatches to find which of the colors in the red family are the most attention-grabbing, mysterious, friendly, sophisticated, or mentally stimulating.

View the original article here

How to Share .pub Files

There are currently no plug-ins, viewers, or shortcuts for .pub files created by Microsoft Publisher. However, there are several methods you can use to create a shareable Publisher file. PDF is always a great choice but prior to Publisher 2010 there is no built-in PDF export.

Answer: When you create a document in Microsoft Publisher or any desktop publishing program, in order for others to open and view the file they would normally have to have the same program. If they don't, there are ways you can convert your creation to a format that others can use. If you are the recipient, you'll need to get the person who created the file to save it in a format you can view.

When the content, rather than the layout, is of primary importance — and no graphics are needed — the best way to exchange information is as plain ASCII text. But when you want to include graphics and wish to preserve your layout, plain text won't do.

Previous Versions: To share Publisher 2000 (or above) files with users of Publisher 98, save the file in Pub 98 format.

Send the recipient a file that they can print to their desktop printer. They won't be able to view it onscreen but they can get a fairly accurate print out. Several methods are available although they do have their drawbacks:

PostScript: Do a "Save As" from the File menu then click PostScript in the Save as type box to create a .ps file. This is normally used for preparing files for commercial printing, however, if the recipient has a PostScript cabable printer they can print the file.

EPS: Normally used for commercial printing, an EPS file can be opened in many graphic programs. It normally has to be placed into another program (such as PageMaker or QuarkXPress) to be printed. You'll have to create a separate EPS file of each page in your publication. Choose Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) as the PostScript output format under Print Setup | Properties. Select "Print to file" then print each page, one at a time.

PRN: Select the "Print to file" box when printing your publication. Instead of printing to your printer, Publisher will create a .PRN file. The recipient can then use the DOS Copy command to send the file directly to their desktop printer (From the DOS PROMPT type copy filename.prn lpt1 — or lpt2, depending on where their printer is located). Since your printer may not match that of the recipient, it may not print exactly as you envisioned. If you're exchanging files regularly with one specific recipient, obtain a copy of the print driver for their printer and use it to create your PRN file from Publisher.

Convert your Publisher document to an HTML File. You can then either post the files on the Web and send recipients the address to go view the files or send the HTML files to the recipient for them to view offline in their browser. If you send the files, you'll need to include all the graphics as well and make sure you set up the file so that all HTML and graphics reside in the same directory so the recipient can place them anywhere on their hard drive. Or you could take the HTML code that Publisher creates and send an HTML-format email. The exact procedure will depend on your email client and how it is received by the recipient will depend on what email client they use (and if they accept HTML-formated email). Convert your Publisher document to the Adobe PDF format. Since Publisher versions before Publisher 2010 have no PDF export you'll need to use another program, such as Adobe Acrobat Distiller. First create a PostScript file then use Adobe Acrobat to create the PDF file. The recipient will be able to view the document on-screen or print it. However, the recipient must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader (it's free) installed. There are also some printer drivers and software available that allow you to create PDF files from almost any Windows application.

If you're using Publisher 2010, save your Publisher file as a PDF from the program to send it to anyone who has software (including the free Acrobat Reader) that can open or view PDF files.

Browse list of Publisher file-sharing methods posted by our readers. There are suggestions for software, file formats to use, quick & dirty methods, and online conversion services.

Get Help If none of these options work for you or you feel that your circumstances are not covered in this FAQ, post an inquiry in the Microsoft folder of the About Desktop Publishing forum requesting help.

All the FAQs: Career & Business | Software | Design & Layout | Graphics | Type & Fonts | Prepress & Printing

View the original article here

The Meaning of the Color Green

Green is the color of life, of nature.

Explore green color meanings, green color palettes, and the language and symbolism of the color green. For the month of March, explore the specific greens of St. Patrick's Day and pick up free templates and graphics too.

Shades of Green These words are synonymous with green or represent various shades of the color green: apple, aquamarine, beryl, chartreuse, emerald, fir, forest, grass green, jade, kelly green, lawn green, leaf green, lime, mint, moss, olive, olive drab, pea green, pine, sage, sap, sea green, seafoam, spring green, viridian.

Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience.

Green is a restful color with some of the same calming attributes of blue. Like blue, time moves faster in a green room.

Green is the national color of Ireland and is strongly associated with that country. Green also has close associations with Islam. Because of all the green in nature the color is reminiscent of Spring. Coupled with red it's a Christmas color.

View the original article here

Harry Potter Fonts

Examples of some of the Harry Potter fonts found on the Web.

updated December 2, 2008

Whether you are creating a Harry Potter fan page or just want to write a mystical message, here are some sources for the best Harry Potter fonts. Two of the most popular can be downloaded here. Explore the list for more great lightning bolt letters and magical characters.

See the links to other Web sites (below) for Mac versions of these and other similar Harry Potter fonts.

Download: HarryP.zip | Lumos.zip

NEW IN 2008: For four times the magical fun, you may want to consider purchasing Hocus Pocus. This professionally designed Harry Potter style font comes with three or more times as many characters in 4 different styles. And it's all just $20US. From David Occhino Design, the Hocus Pocus, a Harry Potter font features alternate versions of all upper and lower case characters, numbers, complete punctuation, and a Magic Bolt style with some lightning bolt characters. Need more incentive to buy a font when others are free? Compare the character set, appearance, and quality of Hocus Pocus with other Harry Potter fonts to see how much more you get.

Fonts with stars are often featured on Harry Potter font pages. Here are some free star-studded fonts you may want to consider for use in your Harry Potter projects:
Milky Way | FontDiner.com Sparkly | Starry Night

The links, below, to sources for Harry Potter fonts go outside About Desktop Publishing

Font Space - Harry Potter Fonts
Dumbledor, HP Poster, and LumosLatino are among the offerings here.

The Daily Prophet - Harry Potter Resources
Offers downloads of Hogwarts Wizard, Lumos, Magical Me, and others in ZIP files.

View the original article here

The Meaning of the Color Blue

A universal favorite of men and women, explore the meaning of blue, how to use shades of blue, subtle changes in blue symbolism from dark to medium to light blues, and colors that go with blue.

Shades of Blue: These words are synonymous with blue or represent various shades of the color blue: azure, baby blue, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, cornflower blue, corporate blue, cyan, indigo, midnight blue, navy, Prussian blue, robin's egg blue, royal, sapphire, sky blue, slate, steel blue.

Blue is calming. It can be strong and steadfast or light and friendly. Almost everyone likes some shade of the color blue.

In 1999 Pantone named the sky blue color of Cerulean as the color of the new millennium. Pantone selected the color Blue Iris as the 2008 Color of the Year telling us: "Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

A natural color, from the blue of the sky, blue is a universal color. The cool, calming effect of blue makes time pass more quickly and it can help you sleep. Blue is a good color for bedrooms. However, too much blue could dampen spirits.

In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, brings peace, or is believed to keep the bad spirits away.

Blue conveys importance and confidence without being somber or sinister, hence the blue power suit of the corporate world and the blue uniforms of police officers. Long considered a corporate color, blue, especially medium and darker blues, is associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.

Just as seeing red alludes to the strong emotions invoked by the color red, feeling blue or getting the blues represents the extremes of the calm feelings associated with blue, i.e. sadness or depression, lack of strong (violent) emotion. Dark blue is sometimes seen as staid or stodgy — old-fashioned.

In Iran, blue is the color of mourning while in the West the something blue bridal tradition represents love.

People describe How the color blue makes them feel

These blue color palettes feature shades of blue combined with gray, orange, peach, purple, and earthy browns as well as palettes with multiple blues.

This selection of Medium and Dark Blue Color Palettes feature 2, 3, 4, and 5 color combinations centered around dark shades of blue such as Navy, Dark Slate Blue, and Dark Cyan.

View the original article here

InDesign Frame / Shape Tools

With InDesign, you can convert shapes created with the Rectangle, Ellipse, or Polygon Tools into either image frames or text frames.

For graphics, you just do the same thing you would do with an image frame. You take your Rectangle, or Polygon or Ellipse Tool, draw a shape and then go to File > Place (Control + P for Windows or Command + P for Mac: if using the QuarkXPress shortcuts, you need to replace P with E) and place your graphics inside the frame.

You can also convert your shape into a text frame. Click inside the shape with the Type Tool.

View the original article here

Portrait Monitors

In 2002 I bought my first flat LCD monitor. It's a great space saver and has a wonderfully clear picture. But the most outstanding feature of this monitor is that it is a portrait monitor. More accurately, it is a pivoting monitor that can provide both the familiar landscape orientation as well as the vertical or portrait orientation. In the time I've had it I've found that I rarely use the landscape mode.

In word processing and desktop publishing, the portrait or full-page monitor has distinct advantages. The bulk of the material - books, newsletters, fliers, etc. - that we produce has a portrait orientation. With these vertical monitors it's easier to see the entire page without scrolling and without zooming out so far that the content is unreadable. They can even enhance your enjoyment of the Web by cutting down on scrolling. More of the page is visible in your Web browser.

Portrait monitors are nothing new. Some early personal computers and word processing systems used the portrait orientation. However, when IBM began mass-producing the PC for the general consumer market, they "established the low-resolution, TV-like landscape monitor as a de facto standard." Meanwhile portrait monitors became something of a novelty for the typical computer user. "Since only a few types of documents call for landscape orientation, the portrait view makes better use of the desktop space by allowing you to see and work with more of your document without constant scrolling."Portrait Display, Inc. from a description of their Pivot Software for pivoting monitors

But anyone who spends a great deal of time working with word processing documents or designing portrait-oriented layouts will appreciate a portrait monitor. A pivoting monitor that also provides the "conventional 4:3 aspect ratio of television screens and [standard] computer monitors" is the best of both worlds.

If you're in the market for a new monitor or want to add a second monitor to your system, perhaps you should seriously consider a portrait or pivoting monitor. See more, scroll less.

View the original article here

Using Bylines

Bylines tell who wrote an article. They are a small element in books, magazines, newspaper, or newsletter design but certainly important to the author. In some cases, bylines may be used to give credit for photographs or illustrations.

Designing with Bylines
Bylines should usually be kept simple and non-obtrusive. Bylines should be distinct from the headlines and body copy but shouldn't stand out too much. While bylines are important to authors and can help lend credibility for the reader, they are generally not a newsletter design element that needs to jump off the page and scream Read Me! They do provide an element of personalization, letting the reader know that it is a real person talking to them. Use size, typestyle, color, embellishments, and alignment to differentiate bylines from other nearby article elements such as headlines, datelines, decks, kickers, and body copy. Use a smaller font than the headline and subtitles. Use a smaller font and/or a different style from the body text such as italics or small caps. Bylines are often prefaced by the word "By" or sometimes "Written by" which could be capitalized or kept all lowercase. "Photographed by" or "Illustrated by" may preface other types of credit lines. Other prefacing options are to use symbols such as an em dash, a tilde, or a bullet.

   — Lyla Jewel
~ Lyla Jewel
• Lyla Jewel

Bylines can be accompanied by additional descriptive text pertinent to the article itself including a copyright notice, revision notice, or indication that the article was previously published or a reprint. These can appear on the same line or separate lines such as:

   by Charles Molder ? 1998, revised March 2003
or,
By Jacci Bear
Reprinted from The INK Spot magazine

Bylines can be accompanied by other descriptive text pertinent to the author such as identifying the author by area of expertise or location.

   BY CATHY CARROLTON,
A FREELANCE WRITER BASED IN WASHINGTON D.C.
or,
by Jack B. Nimble, professional candle jumper

Ghostwriters may get "as-told-to" or "with" bylines to acknowledge their assistance to non-writers. This is frequently used for first-person narratives and personal experience pieces.

   BY JACK B. NIMBLE
with JACK B. QUICK
or,
by Jack B. Nimble as told to Jack B. Quick

Bylines can appear at the top or bottom of the article in a book, magazine, newspaper, or newsletter design. Placed at the end of an article, bylines are often accompanied by credit blocks or mini-bios that describe the author's credentials and/or provide contact details. For example:

By Jacci Howard Bear, contact the author at her desktop publishing web site at http://desktoppub.about.com/

Although usually found after the headline, sometimes the byline is incorporated into a section header preceding the headline. This placement is often used for recurring columns or sections that appear in each issue of a periodical. Bylines can be aligned left, right, or centered. Bylines on Web page articles are often hyperlinked to a biography (such as my byline at the end of this article, ~ Jacci Howard Bear), a list of other articles, or to the author's Web site in the case of guest articles written for other sites.

Once you've established a byline style, aim for consistency throughout your book, magazine, newspaper, or newsletter design, issue-to-issue, or within certain types of articles. For example, staff writers for a publication may have one style of byline while guest writers have another. Feature articles may use one byline style with a different style for departments, columnists, or lesser features. Set up a paragraph style in your software that is specifically for each of these types of bylines.

Bylines are a small element of a page layout but don't make them an afterthought. Give credit creatively.

View the original article here

Widows and Orphans

In desktop publishing, widows and orphans are those words or short phrases at the end or beginning of paragraphs that are left to sit alone at the top or bottom of a column — separated from the rest of the paragraph.

Do you leave readers dangling? Words left hanging leave readers in the dark.

Not everyone agrees on what constitutes a widow and what makes a word an orphan. For every source that says orphans are the end of a sentence sitting alone at the top of a column there is another source that calls it a widow. No matter what we call them these widowed and orphaned bits of text can make our stories harder to read and our layouts look unbalanced.

Some instances of dangling words are less troublesome than others but in this article we'll look at ways to control them. Whether or not you choose to tinker with each and every instance of widows and orphans in your publications is entirely up to you and/or your client.

Some examples of widows and orphans that often need attention: A word or two at the top of a column that belongs with the paragraph at the bottom of the first column looks out of place. The start of a paragraph at the bottom of a column is equally annoying. When the rest of the sentence continues on the next page it can also destroy continuity for the reader. Subheads that appear at the bottom of a column or end of a page — without at least 2-3 lines of the following text — also look bad and hurt readability.

Next: Once identified, learn the various ways to fine-tune your line endings to eliminate widows and orphans.

View the original article here