Student Outreach: November 2012 Archives

Shortcuts to Success: Toggle to the Hand Tool

Tips and Tricks 11.29.12 posted by The Editors

Sure, there are huge lists of InDesign keyboard shortcuts out there, but are you going to sit down and memorize them all? We're here to help you learn some handy new ones, one by one, making it easier to add them to your mental list. Each week, we'll highlight a different shortcut to help you work faster, better and smarter.

SPD-U SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Temporarily Access the Grabber Hand

Space Bar

option + Space Bar (if using type tool in active text)

The hand tool is a faster way than using the scroll bars of your document window to navigate around your pages, because you can also move diagonally. You can save the time it takes to switch tools, too. Hold down the space bar to get the Grabber Hand Tool, and you can click hold and drag with your mouse to move around. Add the option key if you're in live text, so you don't end up with an unwanted space.

Got a favorite keyboard shortcut you'd like to share with everyone? Email it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll include it in our series, along with your own commentary if you'd like.

This week's shortcut brought to you by Joseph Caserto.

Ask the Pros: How do you feel about promo pieces?

Ask The Pros 11.26.12 posted by Student Editors

After our terrific Ask the Pros: Live! event (get caught up on the great advice our panel had to share), we're back with more of the online version. To help prepare you for the real world, our Ask the Pros series is here to answer some of your most common questions about interviewing, job-hunting and working in the world of publication and media art and photo departments.

Got a question you want answered? Send it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll put it to our experts! A varying panel of professionals will give you their take, and then it's up to you to put their advice to work.

Read on for today's question about sending out promo pieces ....

… MORE

Forget Black Friday ... Work on Our Student Design Competition Instead!

Student Design Competition 11.23.12 posted by Student Editors

Why get bumped and bruised fighting the crowds at the mall? Stay safe and sane by staying home and working on your entries for our Student Design Competition instead! The 2013 contest is officially open. Get all the nitty-gritty details and download the entry form here.

Have questions? Send 'em to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll answer them here on the blog.

Shortcuts to Success: Use the Magnifying Glass Tools

Tips and Tricks 11.22.12 posted by The Editors

Sure, there are huge lists of InDesign keyboard shortcuts out there, but are you going to sit down and memorize them all? We're here to help you learn some handy new ones, one by one, making it easier to add them to your mental list. Each week, we'll highlight a different shortcut to help you work faster, better and smarter.

SPD-U SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Temporarily Access the Magnifying Glass Tools

command + Space Bar (Zoom In)

option + command + Space Bar (Zoom Out)

We're adding to your Thanksgiving feast with two shortcuts this week! If you want to use one of the magnifying glass tools, you don't have to click on them in the Tool Panel. Type command + Space Bar to zoom in, or option + command + Space Bar to zoom out. As long as you're not in active text, press space bar first to prevent Spotlight from popping up.

Got a favorite keyboard shortcut you'd like to share with everyone? Email it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll include it in our series, along with your own commentary if you'd like.

This week's shortcut brought to you by Joseph Caserto.

Get Those Ideas Flowing! Our Student Design Competition is Officially Open

Student Design Competition 11.16.12 posted by Student Editors

You know those SPD Annuals we're always talking about around here? The huge books with lushly printed pages full of awesome, award-winning magazine designs and photography? Well here's YOUR CHANCE to be a part of it!

Enter our 2013 Student Design Competition and if you're one of the top winners, your winning entry will be published alongside all the super-cool professionals. Not to mention, you could win an INTERNSHIP, ADOBE SOFTWARE and CASH!!!! And according to research, everyone likes more cash ... well, everybody but that baby.

So click here to check out our official competition post chock-full of rules, info, FAQs, tips, past winning entries and more. And if you STILL have questions, email us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com.

The March 4 deadline may seem a long ways away, but it'll be here before you know it! Get started now!

Shortcuts to Success: Specify Text Frame Options

Tips and Tricks 11.15.12 posted by The Editors

Sure, there are huge lists of InDesign keyboard shortcuts out there, but are you going to sit down and memorize them all? We're here to help you learn some handy new ones, one by one, making it easier to add them to your mental list. Each week, we'll highlight a different shortcut to help you work faster, better and smarter.

SPD-U SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Access Text Frame Options

command + B

There's a whole slew of things you can do to a text frame with this command, including moving text away from the edges, changing the vertical alignment, adding columns, and ignoring text wrap. With the text frame selected, type command + B to bring up the Text Frame Options. See more after the jump.

Got a favorite keyboard shortcut you'd like to share with everyone? Email it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll include it in our series, along with your own commentary if you'd like.

This week's shortcut brought to you by Joseph Caserto.

… MORE

Mark Your Calendars! 2013 Student Design Competition Entries Due March 4th

Student Design Competition 11.12.12 posted by Student Editors

Our annual Student Design Competition is an awesome opportunity for you to win internship, cash and prizes. We're sharing the categories and rules below to get those ideas flowing.

Pick one of the following five topics and design a 2-spread story. We love original photography and illustration, so if you can incorporate that, even better (some categories even require it). And who says you only have to pick 1? Enter as many designs as you'd like.

Get all the rules and category details after the jump and look for the official rules and entry form PDF to be posted here in the coming weeks. And be sure to check our Facebook page for more updates.

… MORE

Shortcuts to Success: Take The Dot Off a Lower-Case I

Tips and Tricks 11.08.12 posted by The Editors

Sure, there are huge lists of InDesign keyboard shortcuts out there, but are you going to sit down and memorize them all? We're here to help you learn some handy new ones, one by one, making it easier to add them to your mental list. Each week, we'll highlight a different shortcut to help you work faster, better and smarter.

SPD-U SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Dotless I

option + shift + B

Sometimes, the dot over an i can look awkward. When that happens, type option + shift + B to get a dotless lower-case i.

For typography purists, who would never do this for a design element, there's actually a legitimate reason to remove an i's dot. From wikipedia: "The Turkish alphabet, which is a variant of the Latin alphabet, includes two distinct versions of the letter I, one dotted and the other dotless."

See an example after the jump.

Got a favorite keyboard shortcut you'd like to share with everyone? Email it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll include it in our series, along with your own commentary if you'd like.

This week's shortcut brought to you by Joseph Caserto.

… MORE

"Ask the Pros: Live!" :: What We Learned

11.01.12 posted by Student Editors

SPD-U continued its busy fall with our "Ask the Pros: Live!" event a week ago, Wednesday, October 24. Our truly awesome group of panelists (pictured above, from left: Jen Sharpe, Elliot Stokes, David Curcurito, Dennis Huynh, Jamie Bartolacci and Yuko Shimizu) had all kinds of terrific, honest advice and shared lots of juicy tidbits from their own experience job hunting or hiring. If you weren't able to make it, here's some snippets of wisdom that was shared: … MORE

Shortcuts to Success: Switch a Fill or Stroke to None

Tips and Tricks 11.01.12 posted by The Editors

Sure, there are huge lists of InDesign keyboard shortcuts out there, but are you going to sit down and memorize them all? We're here to help you learn some handy new ones, one by one, making it easier to add them to your mental list. Each week, we'll highlight a different shortcut to help you work faster, better and smarter.

SPD-U SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Apply the Color "None"

/

If you want to remove the color from a selected object, first click the fill or stroke box in the Swatches or Tools Panel, and then type / (forward slash). As with any single character shortcut, this won't work with live type.

Got a favorite keyboard shortcut you'd like to share with everyone? Email it to us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com and we'll include it in our series, along with your own commentary if you'd like.

This week's shortcut brought to you by Joseph Caserto.

November 2012 Archives

« October 2012 | Archives | December 2012 »