Create and apply the style you need

To create a style for general text that you want to count:

1. Select Format | Styles And Formatting from the menu bar.
2. Click the New Style in the Styles And Formatting task pane.
3. In the Name text box, enter psTxtNrm. Leave the Style Type dropdown list set as Paragraph.
4. Select (no style) from the Style Based On dropdown list. The Style For Following Paragraph dropdown list should automatically change to psTxtNrm.
5. Use the Formatting area and the Format button to set your preferred formats. We used 11-point Times New Roman for our example.
6. Select the Add To Template check box if you want the style to be available to all documents. Click OK.

Quickly lighten or darken your images using the Levels command

The Photoshop Levels command creates a lot of unnecessary anxiety in many users. The reality is that you don’t have to fully understand everything about it to reap its benefits.

How to design to avoid spam

Most Web hosting services provide an option to allow for unlimited email from that domain. This option is a great tool in managing spam. The key is to set up the mail so that anything incorrectly addressed to the domain is forwarded to your email address. Then, when you need to use your email address to register for a Web service, use an address like nameoftheservice@yourdomain.com. Since there wouldn't be an account for that address, it would automatically be routed to your standard email address. When you begin seeing email addressed to nameoftheservice@yourdomain.com you'll not only know that the email address has been nabbed up by those pesky marketers, but you'll also know where they got the address from. You can then set up a rule in your mail client to remove the mail before it ever begins to bloat your mailbox.

Return to Inbox—the smartest choice

If you haven’t changed Outlook’s default settings, you’ve probably noticed that when you close or delete an open email, Outlook automatically opens the next message in the Inbox. Although this is a convenient setting when you have a list of email to read, it isn’t a good idea because the next message in line could be a risky one.

Copy and paste text outlines in one step (Adobe InDesign)

When you select text with the Type tool and choose Type > Create Outlines, you transform the selection into editable paths. Converting text to outlines enables you to manipulate the individual letter shapes, as well as use them as frames, and it eliminates the need for the font. The only downfall is that once you convert text to outlines, it loses its editing capabilities. To correct a misspelled word, for example, you have to retype the word and reconvert it to outlines, and reapply any other effects too. However, if you hold down the [option] key ([Alt] key in Windows) while you choose Type > Create Outlines, InDesign creates a copy of the text directly on top and converts it to paths—leaving the original text intact. After you move the converted text to a new layer, lock and hide the layer for the original text. This will keep it from getting in the way and creating problems in print. Best of all, you still have a copy of the text that you can edit if necessary.

Painlessly set up an auto response as a server-side rule

You know you can apply rules to Outlook, but you may not know that there are two types of rules: client-side and server-side. We’ll explain some of the differences between the two, then show you how to set up an auto response so that it functions as a server-side rule.

Crop to Artboard in Adobe Illustrator CS5

Wasn’t it nice in Illustrator Creative Suite (CS)4 when you could create a graphic on your artboard, choose Save for Web, and the export area was automatically trimmed to fit the artwork exactly? You can still do this in CS5—a few different ways, in fact—but only one method renders the process automatic.

Adjust font, style, and size without dragging your mouse (2003/2007/2010)

Chances are you abandoned the Bold, Italic, and Underline buttons on the Formatting toolbar long ago for their respective shortcuts: [Ctrl]B, [Ctrl]I, and [Ctrl]U. To crank up your efficiency even more, why not add the Style, Font, and Font Size shortcuts to your repertoire?

Multiple Page Sizes in Adobe Acrobat

Many applications allow you to create multiple page sizes in a single document, but not all applications are capable of exporting them as such. Take Microsoft Word, for example. The trouble with Word is that it also allows you to create multiple page sizes but it doesn’t let you export them to a single PDF file. As soon as the PDF writer encounters an alternate page size, it saves it to a separate PDF file. Then it goes on to save the rest of the standard-size pages in yet another file, until it encounters another alternate page size, and so on and so forth. In the end, you wind up with a bunch of PDF files when all you really want is one!

Four ways to get the most out of materialized views

While materialized views—especially with query rewrite—are a powerful way to speed up big queries, don’t assume that you’re getting all the performance you could be getting just because you’ve set them up. In some cases, you may not get any performance gain for your efforts! Here are four easily overlooked points to make sure that your investment in materialized views is paying off:

Alphanumeric data sorting made easy (2003/2007)

Alphanumeric data consist of a combination of both letters and numbers. If you often use alphanumeric data in your worksheets, such as product codes, customer IDs, and case numbers, it’s easy to get frustrated when you attempt to sort. With a good understanding of how Excel sorts alphanumeric data, you’ll find it much easier to analyze your data after you’ve sorted.

Acrobat 9 Ignores Initial View Settings

You create a PDF from InDesign and set the Initial View Settings for the document in Acrobat 9 Professional. When you reopen the PDF in Acrobat 9, however, the Initial View settings are ignored. Annoying isn’t it?

Free yourself by adding the currently open document to the Favorites folder (2003)

You routinely add websites to your Favorites folder for quick retrieval later, but did you know you can also add currently open Word files to the Favorites folder?

Create Multiple Page Sizes in a Single InDesign CS5 Document

If you’re still on the fence as to whether you should upgrade to InDesign Creative Suite (CS) 5, we can help you decide in three words: Multiple Page Sizes. InDesign CS5 allows you to create a variety of page sizes in a single document. This new InDesign CS5 feature allows you, for example, to create an entire business set—including business card, letterhead, envelope, etc.—all in one document. You’ll find creating gatefold layouts much easier, too.

Quick queries to find the bottlenecks on your system

It’s easy to find SQL queries or transactions that are slowing your system. While Oracle 10g provides its Top SQL feature for this purpose, you can find bottlenecks by using queries if you aren’t on 10g or prefer the precision and control you get from issuing SQL commands.

Try the RichTextBox control as a colorful alternative to Windows' data objects

The DataGrid and ListView are usually the display mechanisms of choice for presenting data to users. However, one control you may not have considered is the RichTextBox control. This control allows you to easily customize all or part of its contents. The function shown below accepts a DataSet object and RichTextBox control as arguments and outputs the DataSet data to the control. Of course, you may have to tweak the strings a bit for appearances. But if your goal is just a quick glance at the data; it will certainly do the job. To implement this feature in the companion article, “Fully automate Access imports with a blend of old and new data objects,” replace its ShowDataInRTB() method with this one.

Format the same document in two different ways (2003/2007)

If you’re working on a long document and want parts of the document to have Landscape page setup, you can do so by following the steps outlined below:

Don't waste your time opening unwanted templates

When you install Illustrator CS2 the program copies over 150 MB worth of templates and sample files to your hard drive. You can use the artwork as is or as a starting point for your creative muse. And there’s another 170 MB of excellent clip art and stock photos sitting on the installation CD.

Turn your laptop’s power button into a standby button

Placing your computer into standby mode has several clear benefits. Not only does it conserve your laptop battery by placing your computer into a low-power state and switching off the monitor and the hard disk, but your computer also springs back into action more quickly than it would if you had shut it down and then booted it back up again. Best of all, when your computer does activate again, your desktop will appear exactly as it was when you entered into standby mode.

Stretch your homepage title tag for SEO results

Most developers favor keeping title tags short for most web pages. This is because the major search engines only display up to 66 characters (including spaces) in their search results. Some experts suggest this rule can and should be broken for the site’s homepage, because the content of the homepage and its ability to be found is more important.

Turn negative keywords into positive search results

It’s possible that having your site found in the wrong kind of search is just as bad as having it not found at all. If you use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising services, using negative keywords can help ensure that your site is more likely to show up in searches that are relevant to your content.