Here’s what we need to nail down before beginning a project: Do you have an existing color palette? If not, we can create one. For color palettes that we develop, we’ll discuss general color directions with you. Any special graphics you want us to use? Your event may feature a unique theme, logo, illustrations, photos, posters, etc. […]
Author: Bluewave
Slide Aspect Ratios: What You Need to Know
Many PowerPoint presentations are formatted at the default 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the display size used by older TV screens and projectors. Widescreen shows, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, are becoming more and more common. Keynote conferences and other high-end events will likely be displayed in widescreen environments. For smaller venues, widescreen HD-capable DLP chip projectors are now very […]
Experiencing Blurry Images with PowerPoint 2007?
If you place high resolution images in PowerPoint 2007 presentations (say, above 220 dpi*), save the file and then reopen it, you may notice that the photos or graphics no longer appear as sharp as they should. This is because PowerPoint 2007 automatically compresses images down to 96 dpi, the resolution of projected slideshows. Animated […]
PowerPoint 2003: Dealing with the Paste Bug
Prior to PowerPoint 2003, when you copied and pasted text into a new location, the pasted text retained the formatting of the original text. In PowerPoint 2003, however, pasted text automatically takes on default text formatting, which is not necessarily what you’re looking for. There is no way to turn off this feature and therein lies […]
How to Get Help with Microsoft Office Products
Microsoft Office Discussion Groups is a great resource for any questions you may have about working with PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook and other Microsoft Office products. It’s the place to go when you’ve finally thrown in the towel and conceded defeat, or just want to get more familiar with techniques and procedures. http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx You can ask questions […]
Problems with Arial Black?
We encountered a strange situation recently with the font Arial Black in PowerPoint: all instances of the font suddenly turned italic. Nothing we could think to do removed the italic formatting. And even odder, this problem only occurred on certain workstations. After some sleuthing on Google, we discovered that the Windows Service Pack 3 upgrade apparently installs […]
PowerPoint — PC/MAC Version Compatibility
Bluewave performed general tests for PowerPoint version compatibility on both Mac and PC platforms. Here’s what we learned: Opening PC PowerPoint 2003 files in Mac PowerPoint 2004 or 2008 Fonts can be a problem. While easily fixed, it’s best to check each slide carefully. PowerPoint gradients become separate lines of color instead of a solid […]
The Collaborative Process in Brief
Needs Analysis Review project briefs or outlines Clarify the message Identify the target audience Determine the optimal media/platform Proposal Development Statement of work — Includes a description of the project and list of deliverables. Budget — Each budget is project-based. We keep our customers continuously updated on budget as we proceed through design and production. Schedule — […]
The First Quarter Inch — Developing Project Guidelines
Life is like a yardstick. In some ways, the easy part is the last 11¾ inches. The hard part is often the first quarter inch: getting organized and defining goals. Don’t cut corners on that first quarter inch, for it often moves the project from good to great. Many of our clients have clearly defined […]
Cut Costs on All Your Creative Projects with These Six Rules
Rule #1 — Allow plenty of time. Not enough time is the most common problem any design firm faces. Too often, the client is expecting a fast turnaround at a low price. Rule #2 — Respect the design team. Respect their creativity, judgment and effort. They are professionals and deserve to be treated as such. […]