DVD Menu
Well I have been asked several times in the past few weeks what I have been working on, for examples of projects and if I really do anything… Hmmm, the website is a bit out dated and the blog has lots of tutorials but few samples. I can see where these statements are coming from as there is little current online proof that I really do work on lots of projects.
So most of this month will be dedicated to showing some examples of recent projects (at least the ones I can, as many are under NDA – and where needed I will substitute the TLC logo in place of company/event logos).
To kick things off – here is a DVD menu layout designed for a recent project (yes that’s greeking text to protect the innocent – me).
– Troy @ TLC
Wikipedia on PowerPoint
If you want some facts about PowerPoint, you could search the Microsoft website or just head to Wikipedia (click here) for a history of the program and more.
– Troy @ TLC
Pecha Kucha (Tonight)
Pecha Kucha is something that sounds fun and may be a great skill builder for presenters. Basically Pecha Kucha forces presenters to create an on-the-fly presentation. They are given a topic, 20 slides, and 20 seconds per slide. It was created in Tokyo, Japan in 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.
If you are in the NorthEast, head over to the free Calypso Communications event in Portsmouth NH. Click here for a story outlining the event and Pecha Kucha.
– Troy @ TLC
Resize Preview To Fit-to-Screen: PPT vs. Photoshop
To quickly get the “big picture” you may need to see the whole slide or image. There are some great keyboard shortcuts to do this, but they are different in PPT 2003, PPT 2007 and Photoshop.
PowerPoint 2003:
Option 1: Use the drop-down menu and choose FIT
Option 2: Install the PPTools free StarterSet and click the magnifying glass icon
PowerPoint 2007
Click the ‘Fit to Window’ button in the lower right corner
Photoshop:
CTRL + 0 (zero)
– Troy @ TLC
Resize and Keep Aspect Ratio: PPT vs. Photoshop
Another great feature is resizing (enlarging or shrinking) images and autoshapes from any corner and have it maintain the same aspect ratio.
This feature is available in PowerPoint and Photoshop, using the SAME key combination.
PowerPoint: SHIFT + adjust with mouse
Photoshop: SHIFT + adjust with mouse
– Troy @ TLC
Resize From Center: PPT vs. Photoshop
A great feature is resizing (enlarging or shrinking) images and autoshapes from their center point.
This feature is available in PowerPoint and Photoshop, but using different key combinations.
PowerPoint: CTRL + SHIFT + adjust with mouse
Photoshop: CTRL + ALT + adjust with mouse
– Troy @ TLC
Change Photoshop Ruler Measurement
I have been using Photoshop since version 2 (the dark ages of computer design) and just had Lori point out a cool feature I never knew existed!
I know PowerPoint is our topic, but I work in Photoshop virtually everyday preparing images for templates and presentations. In this case I was moving back and forth between PPT images that are measured in pixels and a print layout that was measured in inches. So, I was constantly going into the preferences and changing the rulers until Lori came over and pointed out a better way.
If you RIGHT-CLICK the ruler in Photoshop, it can instantly (and easily) be changed!
– Troy @ TLC