John Schneider – Page 4 – ACADEMIC TECH TIPS

Reduce the Size of Large PowerPoint and Word Files

By John Schneider | November 12, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

With Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, large files are almost always caused by images. You might have high resolution digital photos from your digital camera that you’ve inserted, high quality scans, or uncompressed graphics all throughout your file. Reducing file size helps alleviate complications later such as your colleague not being able to open your email attachment or lengthy download times. If you have a Word or PowerPoint file containing images that you plan to attach in an email or post to Blackboard then it’s worth compressing the images within your document.

PC users

There is a built-in option for compressing all of your images at once in Office 2003 and 2007. Follow these steps to compress your image in Word 2003/2007 and PowerPoint 2003.

Right-click on a picture, then click Format Picture on the shortcut menu.
In the Format dialog box, click the Picture tab, and then click Compress.
Under Apply to, click All pictures in document.
Under Change resolution, click Web/Screen.
Under Options, select the Compress pictures check box and the Delete cropped areas of pictures check box.
Click OK.
If prompted, click Apply in the Compress Pictures dialog box.

If you are using PowerPoint 2007, the steps vary slightly:

Single-click on a picture, then click the Format tab from the menu options on the upper right.
Click the Compress Images button on the upper left.

Mac Users

Microsoft Office does not have a built in compression feature for the Mac. However, if your image files are too big, consider converting them to JPG. You can easily convert images on a Mac by opening them in the Finder and saving them to the JPG format. You can also lessen the quality to reduce file size when you save images from the Finder. You can also use any photo-editing program such as Photoshop to reduce the size of an image. If you do not have a program like Photoshop installed on your computer, see a previous Tech Tip on free photo-editing tools.

Online Photo Editing Made Easy and Fun

By John Schneider | November 4, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

Creative Kit in Google+ (formerly known as Picnik and has since joined Google) is a free online photo-editing program that offers an array of professional and fun tools. This application provides numerous creative filters and effects such as cinemascope, focal B&W, vignette and many others. A few highlights of the program include:

– Allows you to upload pictures straight from social networking sites such as Flickr, Facebook, Photobucket and more
– Access to creative and fun tools such as adding text, stickers and creating collages
– Provides options to print straight from your computer, order prints online or order other photo projects like books, posters and wrapping paper

Online Access to your Files on the Loyola Network

By John Schneider | October 29, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

Loyola faculty and staff are able to store files on Loyola’s network; users have access to a private (U:) drive and some departments may have a shared directory. You can get to the network from any campus computer; however what if you are off-campus and need to access your files? With DocXchanger, Loyola users can simply and securely access their files located on Loyola’s network, from any Internet location. DocXchanger may be accessed via a Web interface or by downloading a Windows client. With this service, users also have the capability to share their files with external (non-Loyola) affiliates.

Note: You will need to have your Loyola user ID set‐up to work with this application; please refer to the DocXchanger Access Instructions or contact the IT HelpDesk for more information.

Keep in mind that DocXchanger only provides access to files stored on Loyola’s network. If you need remote access to any files or applications on your Loyola desktop computer, you will need to request access to Loyola’s Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Easily Extract Images from a Word Document

By John Schneider | October 22, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

Once an image is included in a Word document, it is embedded as part of the file. If you would like to use an image that is part of a Word document, luckily there is a quick and easy way to extract and save images from Word. Saving a Word document as a Web page (from Word 2000 on) will separate the text from images as separate files.

To save your document as a Web page, select (File > Save as) then choose Other Formats. From the pull-down menu, next to Save as type:, select (Web page *.htm; *.html), then save. Two components will be saved; a folder, which will contain the image files along with a separate .htm file. Find the image files you’d like to use and you may delete the rest, since you will still have the original Word document.

Edit your Google Documents Offline

By John Schneider | October 8, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

You may already be using the online word processor Google Docs to create and store documents online for free, publish them in multiple formats and access them anywhere and anytime you can connect to the Internet. If you are unfamiliar with Google Docs, you can check out a previous Loyola Tech Tip to learn about the benefits of using this fabulous tool. The greatest advantage of using Google Docs is that you can login from any computer to edit your documents. However, if you lose your internet connection and need access to a crucial file, you will be out of luck. That is unless you install Google’s Gears, an open source browser extension that enables Web applications to run offline.

Enabling Google Docs Offline

Once you download and follow the installation instructions from the Gears Home Page , you will be prompted to restart your Web browser. When you reopen your browser, sign into Google Docs and click on the Offline link.

You will be prompted with instructions to synchronize your documents. Once your documents are synched, you will notice a green checkmark status indicator next to your user name in the upper right hand corner. The status indicator will turn gray when you are working offline. If you login to Google Docs without an internet connection you will be able to edit any of your word processing documents or view your spreadsheets. At this time, you cannot create new documents when you are working offline. Keep in mind that you’ll need to install Gears on each computer that you would like to sync your Google Docs with (i.e. your laptop and your desktop). You should only enable the Google Docs offline feature on your personal computer, not a shared computer. Gears is also compatible with Google Reader, which enables you to access your Web feeds offline as well.

Further Reading:

Google Gears Help Center

Private Web Browsing

By John Schneider | October 1, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

When you surf the Internet, your Web browser stores various information from the websites you visit on your local hard drive. While the storage of Web browsing information may be convenient on your personal computer, if you use a shared computer you may not want to leave a trail of all of the websites you visit. An individual that uses a shared computer after you do may view your browsing history and if you didn’t securely log out of your email, online banking, or a shopping website, a malicious user could potentially access one of your accounts.

If you are using one of the computer labs at Loyola, the browsing history is automatically cleared each time you log out. However, if you are using a shared computer elsewhere on campus or other public locations it is a good idea to get in the habit of clearing your browsing history, especially when you access secure data. The caveat of relying on clearing your browsing history is that you have to remember to do it.

If you use Firefox (3.5 and later), you have the option to activate a Private Browsing feature before you start surfing the Web. Private Browsing prevents Firefox from retaining information about the sites you have visited on the computer you are using. To use Private Browsing in Firefox, click on Start Private Browsing from the Tools menu. Visit Firefox’s Private Browsing page to learn more. Safari and Internet Explorer 8 also have similar private browsing options.

A Guide to Understanding Image Formats

By John Schneider | September 10, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

If you’ve ever worked with photo-editing software, you’re probably aware of the numerous file formats for saving digital images, ranging from JPG to GIF to TIFF. Some formats are proprietary to specific software, while others can be used across programs and platforms. There are several factors to consider when selecting an image format, such as how the image will be used (prints, slideshow presentation, Web) or whether or not you will need to continue editing the image later. In this week’s tech tip we’ll provide some basic information and best uses for the more common image formats.

Saving Images
When you click on an image to view it, a photo-editing program that came installed on your computer such as Windows Picture and Fax Viewer or Apple Preview may open it. If you have a digital camera or scanner, the software that came with your device may open your image. Or you may use Adobe’s higher end tools such as Photoshop or Illustrator. The images that your digital camera produces are most likely JPEGs, however when you download an image from the Web, it can be in a variety of formats. If you wish to change the format of an image, click Save As in the image-editing program that you are using. Before changing the file type, keep in mind how you plan to use the image. Follow the guide below to help you choose the best file format for your image.

Common Image Formats

BMP (Bitmap)
An older format typically used for graphic elements on Microsoft applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Paint, etc.. BMP files are uncompressed, meaning they can create extremely large files. Keep in mind that bigger files can be less versatile for email transfer and posting to the Web and can also take up more disk space.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
Typically a Web-based format, GIF allows images with fewer than 256 colors and little pixel information to be displayed at a higher quality. It’s ideal for graphic images with few colors such as logos or Web page navigation icons that you want to place on the Web.

JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)
JPGs are a commonly used format for photographic images (most digital cameras output JPG images). Compression rates for JPGs are adjustable; JPGs that are moderately compressed lose very little quality from the original image. JPG images also have a 24-bit color scheme, which enables subtleties in complex images to be displayed. JPGs are very versatile and can be used for photo prints, slideshow presentations and Web-based applications.

PDF (Portable Document Format)
PDFs are generally used to maintain both textual and graphic information such as a newsletter or brochure. PDFs are a standard for making such materials available on the Web for download.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
This format was developed to replace the older GIF format for use on the Web. However, unlike a GIF formatted file, PNG allows for a wider range of color use.

PSD (Photoshop Document)
This format is used to save Photoshop projects midway through completion. It is especially helpful with multi-image or multi-layer projects that you have not completed or may want to return to edit later. Do not use this format to save an image you wish to use outside of Photoshop.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
Generally used for print images, the TIFF format allows varying degrees of compression and a 24-bit color scheme. Because it allows for a completely uncompressed file, it is most often used for professional printing of high-resolution images.

Compression
If you intend to email an image or post it to the Web, it’s a good idea to reduce to the file size for accessibility purposes. Here are links to previous tech tips that provide information on free photo-editing software solutions and steps for resizing images.

Free Photo Editing Tools

Resize Photos Fast

Resizing Photos and Making Banners with Paint.NET

Resize your Digital Photos in Windows XP

Secure your Gmail

By John Schneider | July 30, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

When you take care of your banking online, your bank’s website uses a protocol called https to secure your financial data. If you login to unencrypted wireless networks, i.e. at coffee shops or airports, https will keep your email encrypted so someone sharing the network can’t read it. If you use Gmail, you have the option to always leave https on to keep your email protected each time you access it. By default this option isn’t selected so you will need go to your Gmail settings and choose Always use https next to Browser Connection then click Save Changes. Keep in mind that https may make Gmail a little slower; you can always turn this feature off if you are using a secure network.

Source – The Official Gmail Blog: Making Security Easier

Easily Create and Share Diagrams with Webspiration

By John Schneider | February 12, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

With Webspiration, you can easily create a visual map that will help you organize concepts, plans and ideas. Webspiration is a useful tool for students to brainstorm ideas and make connections between concepts. Faculty and staff can also benefit from creating diagrams to assist with project management and planning. With a free Webspiration account, you can collaborate and share diagrams with anyone by simply sending an invite.

The benefit of using Webspiration is the incredibly user-friendly graphic interface; you can quickly develop and connect your ideas without having to spend a lot of time to get a professional-looking diagram. Also, because your documents are stored online, you can access them anytime, anywhere.

Getting Started

First, you’ll need to set up your free account and login. You’ll initially be taken to the Launch Page, where you can click on the Launch Inspiration button to start a new document. From the Launch Page, you can also access the Help Center for Getting Started documentation and the Learning Library, which contains resources and tips for using Webspiration.

Inspiration Software

Webspiration is also available as desktop application for Mac and PC calledInspiration. With Inspiration, you have the benefit of working from your hard drive, instead of working online. Inspiration is available for purchase and there is also a downloadable free 30-day trial.

Password Protect Your PowerPoint

By John Schneider | January 22, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

Technology Tips receives questions about technology that are sent to training@luc.edu. Instructors and students also email blackboard@luc.edu with Blackboard related questions. We thought it would be a good idea to start compiling some of these questions and occasionally share the answers in our weekly Tech Tips.

Q: I want to place my PowerPoint lectures on my Blackboard site. I want my students to be able to download them, but I don’t want them to be able to change the content. How can I prepare my PowerPoint presentation so it can’t be modified?

A: Even if you are not uploading PowerPoint presentations to Blackboard, you may be interested in learning how to password protect Office documents. Why would you care about this tech tip if you aren’t using Blackboard? You might want to share a draft of a paper or presentation you are working on and don’t want any one to make any changes to your handiwork, whether it is accidental or intentional. A popular way to create documents that people can’t easily change is to convert them to PDF format using Adobe Acrobat or free PDF software (Cute PDF, PDF995). However, there are reasons why you might want to make the original document available instead of converting it to PDF. For example, saving the original slideshow gives people the opportunity to view multimedia you have in the presentation. It also gives them some choice on how they print and view the slides. However, we aren’t discounting all the benefits of PDFs, so don’t forget about them entirely. They’re great for preserving formatting and compressing larger files. It’s very simple to password protect your PowerPoint presentation. You can also password protect your Word documents using the same steps.

Go to Tools > Options. Click on the Security tab.
To prevent unauthorized modification, type in a password under “Password to modify,” then select OK.
Enter a password. Re-enter your password to confirm. Select OK.
Go to File > Save and close PowerPoint.
The ” Password to modify” will allow anyone to open a “read-only” copy of your presentation. This means no one can make any changes to your documentation unless they know the password.
Note: You can go the extra step and require that people enter a password to OPEN the document. Simply enter a password under the “Password to confirm” dialog box. But gee, what top secret document are you working on?
The next time you open the document, the dialog box will say “Enter password to modify, or open read-only.” You should instruct the students or colleagues who have access to your document to select “Open read only” when they open your document to prevent confusion.
To remove password protection, simply go back to Tools > Options and the Security Tab and remove the passwords.

These instructions apply to Microsoft Office 2003; if you are using Office 2007 the steps will differ. See Microsoft’s online demo to learn how to password your Office 2007 documents.