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tpicco · Mar 11, 2008, 02:23 AM

I have a client who wants me to create a template so he can create his own monthly newsletter, without my help, and send it to his printer. Fair enough. It's text only, with a few drop in half page ads, so I can create a handful of various page templates to give him options.

Now, via his personal assistant, he asked me if I thought if he should use either Microsoft Publisher or Adobe Acrobat. I think Microsoft Publisher is out of the question, but he seems to think I could create Adobe Acrobat template pages for him to run copy into.

I only have Acrobat 6.0.2... is his request possible? I have not kept up-to-date on Acrobat capabilities. Can I create a template that he could use to do a monthly newsletter and send it to the printer? Do I need to upgrade? And can I create this theoretical template on a Mac that he could use on his PC?

Or would it make more sense to make a Word template (shudder) and have him save them as PDFs for his printer's press?

Thorzdad · Mar 11, 2008, 08:10 AM

Though I hate to recommend it, your client would probably do just fine using Punisher...er, I mean Publisher. Of course, there is no Mac version, so you won't be able to help him, unless you want to set-up the template using a PC.

A Word template is your best bet.

tpicco · Mar 11, 2008, 09:34 AM

You can send files from Microsoft Publisher to a printing press??? I thought they were only for desktop newsletter publishing crap...

Oisín · Mar 11, 2008, 10:56 AM

I have a client who wants me to create a template so he can create his own monthly newsletter, without my help, and send it to his printer.

This in itself sounds like disaster waiting to happen.

tpicco · Mar 11, 2008, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

This in itself sounds like disaster waiting to happen.

What are ya gonna do? So far, he has been producing a horsy-looking but functional e-mailed newsletter... so perhaps he has learned just enough to be truly dangerous...

andi*pandi · Mar 11, 2008, 02:41 PM

he sounds like trouble.

tpicco · Mar 11, 2008, 03:41 PM

oh I dunno... been working with him for a few years now... do three annual publications for him, along with his brochures and such... if it is too much trouble or too costly, he will quickly jettison the idea of a printed newsletter...

Thorzdad · Mar 11, 2008, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by tpicco

You can send files from Microsoft Publisher to a printing press??? I thought they were only for desktop newsletter publishing crap...

Sadly, yes. There are some printers who accept Publisher files. What are they supposed to do? Turn paying customers away? In any case, they'll probably just run the Publisher files off on their digital printer anyway. No real pre-press involved.

KeriVit · Mar 12, 2008, 03:00 PM

How you design a nice color shell, get those printed. Then set up a BW template in Word that he can fill the gaps, make a PDF and send to the printer in BW.

I tried setting up a Publisher template once. Yes, some printers will take them. But, I have to say, it only lasted a month once things went horribly wrong.

Regarding Thorzdad's last comment. We used to take them at my work. But only for the digital press. Try as anyone may- spot or proper CMYK would NEVER work. We lost prepress money every time. But for the digital press, we'd just make a PDF and send it. We'd show them a proof. We took no responsibility for color shift, resolution probs, image corruption. We had a disclaimer.

tpicco · Mar 12, 2008, 04:49 PM

Guess I'm setting up a Word template of some kind...

Why do non-graphic professionals think they can do layouts?

Thorzdad · Mar 12, 2008, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by tpicco

Guess I'm setting up a Word template of some kind...

Why do non-graphic professionals think they can do layouts?

LOL.
I roll this one around in my head all the time. One of my clients is a small software firm where all the marketing/advertising is being generated by the regional sales staffs. There's no organized marketing program. Just sales guys emailing me at the last minute because they need a special flyer for some trade show they're going to in three days. And they are ALL art directors. And copy writers.

I think it comes from the fact that everyone grows-up with a crayon in their hands. Being visual is a basic part of our make-up and it's very hard for Type-A, alpha-dogs (like sales people) to accept that someone might have a better eye than they do. Doubly-so when the item in question is a sales piece. They know sales, dammit! Not some art dweeb!

And some POC software (like Publisher) just enables them.

tpicco · Mar 27, 2008, 06:05 AM

I hate WORD
I hate WORD
I hate WORD
I hate WORD

OK... I didn't know WORD that well when I offered to try and create a newsletter template for a client... but I was arrogant enough to think "Hey, I am a design professional with 30 years' experience... How hard could it be to learn enough WORD to create a basic attractive newsletter template?

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH
Can anything be more counter-intuitive than WORD? I have never used such a balky, frustrating, mind-numbing, just plain foolish software program in my life. Even the Help Topics are useless.

I don't really expect any help from you guys... I'm just venting...

tpicco · Mar 27, 2008, 07:50 AM

Wait... I could use some help///How do you prevent WORD from turning a typed out URL from turning blue, getting underlined and turning into an automatic link?

Westbo · Mar 27, 2008, 08:45 AM

Hi T

Found this in the MS Word Help:

To turn on or off automatic formatting of hyperlinks
1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
2. Under Replace as you type, select or clear the Internet paths with hyperlinks check box.

To turn on or off automatic formatting of hyperlinks
1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
2. Under Replace as you type, select or clear the Internet paths with hyperlinks check box.

Although it does visually change the link, it does remain live. But why would that be a surprise? After all, Microsoft knows what's better for us.

BTW, In MS Word 2004 there is a newsletter template (Help>Sample Documents) in which comprises of "how to" articles which may explain the quirky way to do newsletters using Word.

Good luck... we feel your pain.

W2

Oisín · Mar 27, 2008, 11:15 AM

I don’t have Word installed anymore (thankfully), so this is purely from memory.

Type in a URL followed by a space. That will convert the URL to a hyperlink. Mouse over the end of the hyperlink; that should give you a little drop-down clickable menu. The second item (I think) in that menu should be “Stop automatically creating hyperlinks” or something to that effect.

That’ll only work for this document, of course.

Can anything be more counter-intuitive than WORD?

Habits.

I grew up using Word and WordPerfect. I find it quite easy and intuitive to use, most of the time (as long as we’re not talking the newest monstrosity incarnation on Windows where they destroyed the concept of menus). On the other hand, I’m still a rookie with apps like InDesign and still find that quite counter-intuitive for many tasks.

mydog8mymac · Mar 27, 2008, 06:11 PM

You can design the newsletter in Illustrator and save it as a pdf. Then open it in Acrobat Professional whatever version you have and create form fields for text boxes. Optimize the file and then he can put copy into the form fields with the latest version of Acrobat Reader. He can even save and keep if you enable usage rights for Reader when you create the original file.

peeb · Mar 27, 2008, 06:45 PM

If you must do this, buy the guy a mini and a copy of pages. It is very easy to set up good looking templates, and much harder to **** up than Word.

tpicco · Mar 28, 2008, 07:27 AM

Well here's the latest... he hated the Word template (but still likes me) so now he's decided I should create a template for him in Quark. He is going to buy Quark and learn "enough" to use the template I design.

So now, I am working semi-backwards. I am designing a template as attractive and as "mechanically" simple as possible, with very specific style sheets, limited fonts and a library of various objects he can use.

Oh mama, all I ever wanted to be was a graphic designer... how did I end up doing this instead?

>sigh<
(In the big picture, life is good. I'm just whining to understanding professional compatriots...)

peeb · Mar 28, 2008, 03:35 PM

How much is Quark, out of interest - I think a Mini and Pages might well be cheaper.

tpicco · Mar 28, 2008, 03:49 PM

I have no idea what you mean by a "mini & pages."

Quaerk, fresh outta the box for his pc, these days, is: $799.00

Westbo · Mar 28, 2008, 04:06 PM

T

I think peeb is referring to a Mac Mini (Apple - Mac mini ) and Pages ( Apple - iWork - Pages )

W2

peeb · Mar 28, 2008, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Westbo

T

I think peeb is referring to a Mac Mini (Apple - Mac mini ) and Pages ( Apple - iWork - Pages )

W2

Yep - sorry!
You can download a demo of Apple Pages for free, and try it out - it is a great basic page layout program with excellent support for templates. I think the combo would come in about the same price as Quark.