Cont e nt s :: I s s ue 9 | Se pt e m be r 2007

/ * Com m e nt*/
O pe n Source Publ is h ing Wel com e t ot h e Se pt e m be r f e at ure is s ue . Th is m ont h o3 l ook s atO pe n Source Publ is h ing, and l ook s att he v e ry t ool s us e d h e re ato3. W h il e s om e f ol k s h av e bas h e d t h e conce ptofprof e s s ional m agaz ine f orm at s us ing PDF ,t h e st rong and grow ing re ade rs h ip w e h av e ato3 m agaz ine , s h ow s t h e re is a m ark e tf or s om e t h ing be yond t he bl og. Th is is s ue is a l it t l e of fs ch e dul e due t o our h ol d pol icy w h e n ne t w ork probl e m s occur . Th e pol icy h ol ds back an is s ue f or 48 t o 72 h ours w h e n a m aj or out age occurs . L as t week,t w o oft h e dat a ce nt e rs w e col ocat e at w e re im pact e d by ups t re am prov ide r probl e m s , on t w o dif f e re ntdays . W e did not w antt o com pound t h e probl e m w it h an o3 re l e as e . I s s ue 10 is due outs h ort l y, and I s s ue 11 is cov e rage ofO h io L inuxFe s t . -- Joh n Bus w e l l (bus w e l l j @ o3m agaz ine .com )

O pe nO f f ice
Col l aborat iv e Edit ing Th e O pe nO f f ice w rit e r is a pow e rf ul t ool f or e dit ors and docum e ntt e am s w ork ing on col l aborat iv e docum e nt s.Al ook att he f e at ure s of f e re d by O pe nO f f ice t o m ak e l if e e as ie r .

O pe nO f f ice
Cre at ing Ne w s l et t e rs w it h O pe nO f f ice Ev e ry bus ine s s w il l ne e d t o cre at e a ne w s l et t e r atone pointor anot her . O pe nO f f ice w rit e r prov ide s t h e pe rf e ctt ool t o ge tt he j ob done .

Scribus
O pe n Source De s k t op Publ is h ing Scribus is a pow e rf ul prof e s s ional grade de s k t op publ is h ing s ol ut ion. Scribus is w h at is us e d t o buil d o3 m agaz ine . Th is art icl e t ak e s a s t e p by s t e p approach t o buil ding o3. I s s ue 10 Ne t w ork M onit oring and M anage m e nt Ne t w ork M onit oring and m anage m e ntare k e y pie ce s oft e ch nol ogy re q uire d t o m aint ain ev ent h e s m al l e s tofproduct ion ne t w ork s . Ne xtis s ue , o3 m agaz ine l ook s atNagios , M onit , Z e nos s , graph ing w it h Cact i, O pe n Source Bandw idt h m anage m e nt , m onit oring w if i and CARP , a s e cure and pat e nt -f re e al t e rnat iv e t oV RRP /H SRP . As al w ays w e e atour ow n dog f ood s o t o s pe ak , t h e s e m onit oring s ys t e m s are one s t h atare in dail y us e atSpl ice d Ne t w ork s and o3 m agaz ine .

Gim p
Cre at ing graph ics f or publ is h ing w it h Gim p Th e GNU I m age M anipul at ion Program is a pow e rf ul ope n s ource graph ics pack age t h at is a s t rong com pe t it or t o Adobe Ph ot os h op. Th is art icl e l ook s ath ow GI M P is us e d ato3.

Ne xtI s s ue
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Ev e nt s :: Trade s h ow and Com m unit y

O h io L inuxFe s t2007
Col um bus , O h io :: Se pt e m be r 29 t h 2007 ht t p:/ / w w w .oh iol inux.org O h io L inuxFe s tis a com m unit y run conf e re nce and e xpo f or F re e and O pe n Source s of t w are prof e s s ional s /e nt h us ias t s . Th e e v e ntis f re e , al t h ough itis a good ide a t o re gis t e r ah e ad of t im e in cas e t h e y re ach capacit y. Th e e v e nts t art s at8am , and runs al l day, t h e re is a pos t ev e ntpart y ata ne arby h ot el . Spons ors t ypical l y h av e int e re s t ing e xh ibit s and t h e re are al w ays good t al ks f or al l l ev el s ofs k il l .V yat t a, Sun M icros ys t e m s , Googl e,I BM , Nov el l , Sil icon M e ch anics , Z e nO SS and Re d H atare j us ts om e oft h e s pons ors oft h e ev e nt .I t s a ch ance t o m e e ts om e oft h e o3 s t af fw h o w il l be at t e nding t h e ev e nt .

Z e nd /PH P Conf e re nce and Expo

Burl ingam e , Cal if ornia :: O ct obe r 8t h - O ct obe r 11t h 2007 ht t p:/ / w w w .k bconf e re nce s .com / z e ndcon07/ inde x.ph p Join e xpe rt s w h o w il l s h are t h e ir e xpe rie nce s and be s tpract ice s f or cre at ing com m e rcial W e b appl icat ions w it h PH P . Th e e v e ntw il l incl ude a w ide range ofs e s s ions f ocus e d on bot h t h e bus ine s s and t e ch nical as pe ct s ofPH P . Th e k e ynot e s pe ak e rs incl ude CEO ofZ e nd H arol d Gol dbe rg, Robe rtPicciano (V P ofW orl dw ide I nf orm at ion M anage m e ntSal e s atI BM ), L e e Brim e l ow (Sr . Pl at f orm Ev ange l is tatAdobe ). Th e re are ov e r 40 s e s s ions , and t h e ev e nt prov ide s a uniq ue ne t w ork ing opport unit y.

O nt ario L inuxFe s t2007

Toront o, O nt ario, Canada :: O ct obe r 13t h 2007 ht t p:/ / onl inux.ca Th is is t he v e ry f irs tye ar f or O nt ario L inuxFe s t , and it s ge aring up t o be a gre ate v e nt . Ke ynot e s pe ak e rs are Jon 'm addog' H al l and Th e odore T s 'o (probabl yt he f irs tL inux k e rne l de v el ope r in Nort h Am e rica). Spe ak e rs incl ude K h al id Bah e ye l din - Pe rf orm ance Tuning and O pt im iz at ion ofH igh -Traf f ic W e b Sit e s , Ch ris t oph e r Brow ne (W h at s Ne w in Pos t gre SQL 8.3), Ange l a Byron (W om e n in O pe n Source ), M arce l Gagne (be s tk now n f or L inux Journal 's Cook ing W it h L inux col um n) and m any ot h e r gre ats pe ak e rs .

I nt e rnat ional BSD Conf e re nce

I st anbul , Turk e y :: O ct obe r 20t h /O ct obe r 21s t2007 ht t p:/ / w w w .bs dcont r .org/ inde x.ph p O rganiz e d in coope rat ion w it h M arm ara Univ e rs it y and Ende rUNI X Sof t w are De v el opm e nt Te am , t h e conf e re nce w il l be h e l d on t h e Goz t e pe cam pus ofM arm ara Univ e rs it y in I st anbul , Turk e y. F re e BSD core t e am m e m be r Robe rtW at s on, O pe nBSD Proj e ctM arc Bal mer , Diom idis D. Spine l l l is (aut h or ofCode Re ading), f rom t h e BSDCe rt if icat ion Group M ach t el t Garre l s and Paw e l Jak ub Daw ide k w il l be at t e nding t h e conf e re nce as gue s ts pe ak e rs .

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Fe at ure :: O pe nO f f ice Ch ange Track ing

Col l aborat iv e e dit ing w it h O pe nO f f ice

O pe nO f f ice W rit e r is a pow e rf ul al t e rnat iv e t o M icros of tW ord. I n m any bus ine s s e nv ironm e nt s col l aborat iv e e dit ing ofdocum e nt s is a ne ce s s it y ofl if e . M ayank Sh arm a l ook s att he f e at ure s in t he l at e s tO pe nO f f ice re l e as e t ohel p m anage col l aborat iv e e dit ing ofdocum e nt s. M ayank Sh arm a (m s h arm a@ o3m agaz ine .com ) At ypical publ is h ing j ointruns on an as s e m bl y l ine ofe dit ors . O nce a w rit e rt urns in a pie ce it 's ch e ck e d f or gram m at ical e rrors , f l ow , l e ngt h ,et c. De pe nding on s e v e ral f act ors t he art icl e m igh ts h ut t l e be t weent h e arm y of e dit ors and t h e w rit e r and f ace s e v e ral re w rit e s . W oul dn'titbe w onde rf ul ift h e w rit er and t h e e dit ors coul d ata gl ance f ind outt he ch ange s m ade by ot h e rs ? You can probabl y im agine s e v e ral s ce narios w h e n you'v e col l aborat e d or s h are d a docum e ntw it h a group and w onde re d w h o is s ugge s t ing w h ich ch ange s . O pe nO f f ice .org W rit e r h as an im pre s s iv e ch ange t rack ing m e ch anis m t h at 'l l notonl y s h ow you t he ch ange s ata gl ance , butw il l al s o al l ow you t o re v ie w and acce ptor re j e ctany or al l oft hem. Com paring t w o docum e nt s Tradit ional l y ifyou h ad t o com pare t wo docum e nt s , you'd k e e p t h e m s ide by s ide and go t h rough e ach l ine ! I s t h atine f f icie ntor w h at ?W orry not . O pe nO f f ice .org W rit e r's t o t h e re s cue . So ifyou'v e j us tbe e n s e ntback a docum e nt w it h re v is ions , you can us e W rit e r's Com pare Docum e nt s f e at ure . W h e n you ge tt h e e dit ed v e rs ion, s av e itand ope n t h e original docum e ntin W rit er . Now go t o Edit-> Com pare Docum e nt . Th is w il l ope n a dial og box us ing w h ich you'l l h av e t o pointt ot he e dit e d docum e nt . Th is is w h e re t h e m agic h appe ns . I n your original docum e nt , W rit e r w il l m ark t he dif f e re nce be t weent he t w o docum e nt s.I t 'l l al sof ire up a dial og box us ing w h ich you can re v ie w e ach ch ange and ch oos e t o acce ptit or re j e ctit .

Butt h e re 's a cat ch ! M ak ing ch ange s t h is w ay is n'tf or t he f aintofh e art . De pe nding on t he s iz e oft h e docum e ntand t h e num be r of ch ange s , re v ie w ing t h e ch ange s can be q uit e at as k . Al sot h is proce dure onl y com pare s t w o docum e nt s . So it 'l l notw ork in s it uat ions w h e re you h av e m ul t ipl e f ol k s w ork ing on t he docum e nt . Track ing ch ange s Th e re 's a v e ry s im pl e st e p you can t ak e t o av oid running int ot h e probl e m m e nt ione d abov e . Al l you h av e t o do is act iv at e t he f e at ure t h att rack s ch ange s be f ore you s e nd t h e docum e nt . Th at 's it ! Enabl ing t h is f e at ure al s o h as s e v e ral adv ant age s . You'l l be abl e t of ind outata gl ance w h o h as m ade w h atch ange s . Th e f e at ure e nabl e s W rit e rt okeept rack of ev e ryone w h o h as ch ange d t h e docum e ntin any w ay. You ofcours e al s o ge tt he f re e dom t o acce ptor re j e ctany oft h e s e ch ange s . Addit ional l y, and you'l l ge tus e d t ot h is f e at ure q uit e e as il y, e v e ryone e dit ing t he docum e ntcan add com m e nt s e xpl aining e ach and e v e ry addit ion and de l et ion t h e y'v e done in t h e docum e nt . Again, t h is is v e ry s im pl e . Al l you ne e d t o do is go t o Edit-> Ch ange s -> Re cord. From t h is pointon W rit e r w il l st artt rack ing and h igh l igh t ing al l ch ange s . By de f aul tal l addit ions f rom t h is pointon are unde rl ine d. Th e addit ions are al s o col or code d. Al l e dit ors h av e t h e ir ow n col ors t o s e parat e t h e ir ch ange s f rom ot h e rs . Al s o, by de f aul t de l et ions h av e a h oriz ont al l ine t h rough t hem l ik e a s t rik e -t h rough .

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Fe at ure :: O pe nO f f ice Ch ange Track ing

You can al s o ch ange t h e s e de f aul t param e t e rs f or m ak ing ch ange s . H e ad ov er t oT ool s -> O pt ions -> O pe nO f f ice .org W rit e r> Ch ange s . Com m e ntt h e ch ange You s h oul d now be abl e t of re e l y e xch ange docum e nt s w it h ot h e rs as s ure d t h atW rit e r is f ait hf ul l y k e e ping t rack ofal l t h e ch ange s . Som e ch ange s are v e ry obv ious and f airl y s im pl e t o unde rs t and. Butde pe nding on t he com pl e xit y and nat ure ofs om e docum e nt , it m igh tbe v e ry im port antt o e xpl ain t he ch ange s . Butf or e v e ry com pl e x probl e m s , W rit e r h as a v e ry s im pl e s ol ut ion t uck e d aw ay in it s m e nus . T o add a com m e ntt o a port ion oft e xt you'v e adde d, s e l e ctitand t h e n go t o Edit-> Ch ange s -> Com m e ntw h ich ope ns t he com m e ntdial og box. Us e t he t e xtbox in t he dial og box t o e nt e r your com m e nt . Th e probl e m w it h adding com m e nt s t o de l et ions is t h att h e de l et e d port ion cannotbe sel e ct e d! I t 's a good ide a t osel e ctt he t e xt pre ce ding or f ol l ow ing t h e de l et e d port ion and us ing t h att o e xpl ain t h e re as ons f or de l et ion. Butm ak e s ure e v e ryone w ork ing on t h e docum e ntk now s w h e re t h e de l et ions are e xpl aine d. W h e n you cre at e a com m e nt ,t h e com m e nt appe ars in t h e Acce ptor Re j e ctCh ange s dial og box. I fyou t urn on e xt e nde d t ips by going t oT ool s -> O pt ions -> Ge ne ral and cl ick ing t h e Ext e nde d Tips ch e ck box, you'l l be abl e t osee t h e com m e nt s w h e n you pl ace t h e curs or ov e r any ch ange t h ath as an as s ociat e d com m e nt . Acce pt ing/ Re j e ct ing ch ange s So you'v e e nabl edt h e ch ange s and l e tt he docum e ntcircul at e . W h e n itcom e s back t o you, it 's t im e f or t h e m os tim port antt as k -re v ie w ing t h e ch ange s . O pe n t h e e dit e d docum e ntt h atyou'v e

re ce iv e d w it h al l t h e ch ange s . H e ad ov e rt o Edit-> Ch ange s -> Acce ptor Re j e ct . Th is pops ope n t h e Acce ptor Re j e ctCh ange s dial og box w it h t wot abs -- L is tand Fil t er . Se l e ctt he L is tt ab w h ich l is t s al l t h e ch ange s in t h e docum e nt . As you cl ick on an it e m in t h is l is t , W rit e r s crol l s t h e docum e ntin t he back ground t ot ak e you t ot h e port ion oft he t e xtt h e ch ange appl ie s t o and h igh l igh t s it . Now re v ie w t h e ch ange and de cide it s f at e by e it h e r acce pt ing or re j e ct ing it . You can al so re j e ctor acce ptal l ch ange s atone go us ing t h e acce ptal l and re j e ctal l but t ons . Th e Fil t e rt ab l et s you f il t e rt h e ch ange s t h at are s h ow n in t he L is tt ab. Th is is us e f ul ifyou w antt o re v ie w ch ange s m ade be t ween part icul ar dat e s or by part icul ar aut h ors . You can al s o de cide t o onl y re v ie w al l addit ions or al l de l et ions . Concl us ion W h at ev e r s ortofpubl is h ing you're int o, t he O pe nO f f ice .org W rit e r's ch ange t rack ing f e at ure is pl ain and s im pl e inv al uabl e.I t 's s im pl e t o com pre h e nd, s im pl e t o us e and s im pl e t o ge tus e d t o. No m at t e r h ow m any pe opl e you're col l aborat ing w it h , ifyou ne e d t okeept rack oft h e ch ange s in a docum e nt , l e av e itup t o W rit er . AboutO pe nO f f ice O pe nO f f ice is a s uit e ofof f ice appl icat ions . O pe nO f f ice W rit e r is a f re e O pe n Source al t e rnat iv e t o M icros of tW ord. O pe nO f f ice is s pons ore d by Sun M icros ys t e m s butI BM h av e re ce nt l yj oine d t ohel p w it h O pe nO f f ice de v el opm e nt . O pe nO f f ice is av ail abl e f or a w ide v arie t y ofpl at f orm s . O pe nO f f ice is av ail abl e f rom h t t p:/ / w w w .ope nof f ice .org. M acO S X us e rs l ook ing f or O pe nO f f ice t h at runs nat iv el y s h oul dl ook att h e Ne oO f f ice proj e ct .

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Fe at ure :: Publ is h ing w it h Scribus

Publ is h ing w it h Scribus

Scribus is an O pe n Source De s k t op Publ is h ing s ol ut ion f or s e v e ral pl at f orm s , incl uding L inux. Scribus is us e d t o buil dt h is v e ry publ icat ion. Scribus is an incre dibl e ope n s ource proj e ct , itis h igh l y prof e s s ional and can produce pre s s -re ady out put . Scribus can out putPDF f il es t h atf ol l ow t h e st andards s t rict l y incl uding PDF 1.4, PDF 1.5, and PDF/ X. Joh n Bus w e l l (bus w e l l j @ o3m agaz ine .com ) Scribus is an O pe n Source De s k t op Publ is h ing s ol ut ion f or L inux, M acO S X, and W indow s . Scribus can l ay outpage s prof e s s ional and produce " pre s s re ady" out put . Th is publ icat ion (as w e l l as s e v e ral ot h e rs ) are pos s ibl e t h ank s t ot he ef f ort s of t h e Scribus t e am . Scribus is gre att ool f or DTP and can be us e d t o cre at e prof e s s ional PDFs in a re l at iv el y s h orts pace oft im e . Th e t im e itt ak e s t o cre at e a ne w is s ue ofo3 m agaz ine w it h Scribus is e xt re m e l y s h ort .I n f act , about9 0% oft he t im e in cre at ing o3 m agaz ine is s pe ntre s e arch ing and w rit ing t h e art icl e s , w h il e onl y 10% , ift h at , is us e d in t ype s e t t ing t h e m agaz ine w it h Scribus . Th is art icl e is going t o w al k you t h rough h ow w e cre at e o3 m agaz ine 's l at e s tl ook w it h Scribus . Te m pl at es W e h e av il y us e Scribus ' page im port capabil it y. Scribus can im portanot her Scribus docum e ntas one or m ore page s . For o3, w e h av e a num be r oft e m pl at e s w it h our page l ayout . Th e s e t e m pl at e s are - cont e nt s, t w o col um n w it h h e adl ine , t w o col um n, and no col um n. Th e cont e nt s is our t abl e of cont e nt s page , t w o col um n w it h h e adl ine is our s t andard f irs tpage ofe v e ry art icl e,t wo col um n is a re gul ar art icl e page , and f inal l y t h e no col um n is bas ical l yt h e h e ade r and f oot er . W e us e t h e no col um n l ayoutf or s pe cial re q uire m e nt s , or t o buil df ut ure t e m pl at es. Th e h e ade r and f oot e re l e m e nt s on e ach page ofo3 m agaz ine , are s im pl yt e xtboxe s w it h a bl ack back ground. Th e page num be rs are s uppl ie d by ins e rt ing t w o page num be r ch aract e rs int ot he t e xtbox. Th is is done v ia I ns e rt-> Ch aract e r -> Page Num be r . You w oul d onl y ne e d one page num be r ch aract er ifyou can re s t rictyour publ icat ion t o a s ingl e digitpage num be r ,t h atis page 9 . As s oon as you e nt e r doubl e digitnum be rs f or page num be rs , you ne e d t h e s e cond ch aract e rs o t h atitdis pl ays bot h digit s.L ik e w is e , ifyou w e ntt ot h re e -digitpage num be ring in a l arge r docum e nt , you w oul d ne e d t h re e page num be r ch aract e rs . Th e o3 m agaz ine " l ook " , m ak e s cre at iv e us e s ofgrays and w h it e t e xt col ors , al ong w it h s e parat ors s uch as doubl e col ons (::) and t h e pipe (|). Th e cont e nt s boxe s are t wot e xtbox el e m e nt s t h atus e gradie ntcol ors ofone dark gray and one l igh t e r gray f or t he t it l e are a. Us ing t h e s h if tk e y, w e s e l e ctbot h . Th e n copy and pas t e t o dupl icat e t h e m . Th e s iz e s are care f ul l ysel e ct e d and docum e nt e d, s o w e can j us tt ap t h e co-ordinat e s and s iz e s int ot h e prope rt ie s X,Y,Z t ab, w it h outh av ing t o gue s s t im at e anyt h ing. Th is is w h atm ak e s o3 l ook s ym m e t rical ! Th e re s toft he t e m pl at es t ak e on t h e s am e pre m is e . Th e t w o col um ns are al w ays t he s am e w idt h , s am e f onts iz e , and s am e f ont re gardl e s s oft he t e m pl at e . Th e onl y dif f e re nce be t weent h e h e ade r and noh e ade r col um ne d t e m pl at e is t h att he col um ns s t artata h igh e r Y-pos it ion in t he h e ade r t e m pl at e . W e pl ace s om e dum m y t e xt in t he t e xtf ie l ds in t he t e m pl at es sot h att he f onts e t t ings are re t aine d and cl e arl yv is ibl e t ot h e us e r . Font s Th is publ icat ion us e s L uxi Sans , Re gul ar at 12 point . Th e t it l e s are s im pl y bol d and at25 point .T o m ak e t h e publ icat ion e as ie r t o re ad, a bol df ontand dark gre e n col or is us e d t o h igh l igh tt h e h e ade r . A st andard pract ice of

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Fe at ure :: Publ is h ing w it h Scribus

us ing dark gre e n f or URL s , and dark gre e n and obl iq ue (it al ic) f or code s am pl e s , m ak e s t h ings e as ie r f or t h e re ade r . Al t h ough t h is s im pl e f onts ch e m e w ork s f or us , Scribus can us e m os toft he f ont s prov ide d by t h e s ys t em. Buil ding t h e m agaz ine Each is s ue ofo3 m agaz ine s t art s f rom a ne w f il e . Th e page l ayoutis doubl e s ide d, t h e s iz e is A4, and orie nt at ion is port rait . A m argin guide pre s e tofm agaz ine is us e d, w it h a 10 pointm argin. Th e f irs tpage is al w ays a righ t s ide page . Th e re as on w e ch os e t o us e A4 ins t e ad ofs om e ot h e rf orm at , w as t o m ak e t h e publ icat ion e as ie r t o print .I tal sof it s q uit e nice l y ins ide a 1280x1024 re s ol ut ion s cre e n at100% z oom in m os tPDF v ie w e rs . A4 is al so a st andard int e rnat ional page s iz e , itis pos s ibl e t o s ource t h e A4 pape r anyw h e re in t h e w orl d, incl uding t h e Unit e d St at e s . Th e st andard int e rnat ional pape r s iz e s s uch as A4, A5, A6 are al s o us e d in t h e m aj orit y of count rie s around t h e w orl d. Scribus pre s e nt s a bl ank page w it h s om e guide s . For o3, t h is is t h e cov e r page . Sim pl y sel e ctt h e im age icon f rom t he t ool bar , and draw a box in t h e ce nt e r oft h e page . Righ t cl ick , and s e l e ctGe tI m age . Att h is point ,t he e dit ors oft h is publ icat ion w oul dsel e ctt h e o3 cov e r page cre at edf rom t h e GI MP .I nt he prope rt ie s box on t h e X,Y,Z t ab, s e tt h e coordinat es f or x and y t o 0. Th is w il l m ov e t he box t ot he t op l ef th and corne r . Righ tcl ick on t h e box again, and now t h e m e nu h as ch ange d, s ince t h e im age h as be e n im port e d. Se l e ctt h e Adj us tFram e t oI m age opt ion, and t he f ram e w il l e xpand nice l y. Th is is w h y t h e im age w as cre at e d us ing t h e A4 @ 300 DPI t e m pl at e in t h e GI MP .I t 's a pe rf e ctf it . PDF L ink s Th e o3 m agaz ine cov e r h as l ink s on t he cov er .I fyou h av e a com pat ibl e PDF v ie w e r , you can cl ick on t h e cov e r h e adl ine s and j um p s t raigh tt ot h e art icl e . Th e s e l ink s are cre at e d us ing PDF Annot at ions . T o cre at e a PDF Annot at ion, j us ts e l e ctt he t e xtbox t ool . Draw a t e xtbox around w h atyou w antt ol ink , t h e n righ tcl ick on t he t e xtbox. Unde r PDF

O pt ions -> I s PDF Annot at ion, s e l e ctt h at opt ion and itw il l pl ace a ch e ck m ark ne xtt o it t o indicat e it 's s e l e ct e d. I fyou m ov e f ocus of t h att e xtf ram e , t h e PDF annot at ions are m ark e d w it h a bl ue dot t edl ine f or a f ram e . I t 's im port antt h att he t e xtf ram e is att h e h igh e s t l ev el . Ato3, t h e PDF annot at ions are adde d af t e rt h e e nt ire m agaz ine h as be e n t ype s e t . Th is is a w is e m ov e be caus e t h e PDF annot at ion ne e ds t o k now w h e re t o pointt o. Th is is done t h rough righ tcl ick , PDF O pt ions > Annot at ion Prope rt ie s (w h ich appe ars once ith as be e n s e l e ct e d as an annot at ion). For int e rnal l ink s , o3 m agaz ine us e s t h e PDF annoat ion t ype - L ink . Th e page num be r is e nt e re d butt h e co-ordinat e s ne e d t o be 0,0 nott h e de f aul t0, 841 f or itt o w ork corre ct l y w it h m os tv ie w e rs . Ext e rnal URL s us e t he Ext e rnal -W e b L ink opt ion, al ong w it h t h e URL oft he t arge t . Adv e rt is e m e nt s Th e ne xtt w o page s ofo3 m agaz ine are adv e rt is e m e nt s . Se l e ctf rom t h e m e nu: Page >I ns e rt ,t h e n m ak e s ure t osel e ct2 page s and t h e atEnd opt ion. Th e re s toft h e it ems can s t ay att h e de f aul ts e t t ings . Th is w il l cre at e t w o ne w page s . For o3 m agaz ine , s im pl y re pe att h e cov e r im age t rick , butt h is t im e us e Ge tI m age t o ge tt h e adv e rt is e rs graph ics . Again, as s um ing t h e y are t o s pe cif icat ion, t h e y s h oul d be A4 and f itt he page . Cont e nt s page Th e cont e nt s page is t he f irs tpage t h atus e s t he t e m pl at e . Th is t im e around, t h e Page -> I m portm e nu opt ion is us e d. Cl ick t h e ch ange box, and s e l e ctt h e docum e ntt e m pl at e t o us e . Type 1 (or a h igh e r num be r ifyou h av e a m ul t i-page t e m pl at e ) in t he I m portPage (s ) box, s e l e ctt h e Cre at e Page s ch e ck box, and m ak e s ure t h e set t ing is atEnd. Th is w ay not h ing ge t s re orde re d or m e s s e d up. For o3 m agaz ine , doubl e cl ick and e ditt he t e xtt o m at ch t h e de s cript ions f or t h e is s ue s cont e nt s . Th e e dit orial page is cre at edf rom a st andard h e ade r and t w o col um ns t e m pl at e, w h e re t h e s e cond col um n h as t he back ground col or m odif ie d f or our cre dit s box.

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Fe at ure :: Publ is h ing w it h Scribus

Art icl es Th e re s toft h e publ icat ion is a v e ry s im pl e, rins e and re pe atoft h e s e conce pt s. Adv e rt is e m e ntpage s are cre at edf rom ins e rt ing bl ank page s , cre at ing an im age box, im port ing t h e adv e rt is e rs im age , s e t t ing t he co-ordinat e s , and e xpanding t he f ram e . As t h e adv e rt is e m e nt s go t o e xt e rnal web l ink s , it s ok t o cre at e t h e PDF annot at ions as t he adv e rt is e m e nt s are im port e d. Tw o t e m pl at es are us e d f or t h e art icl es,t h e h e ade r w it h t wo col um ns , and t h e n m ul t ipl e t w o col um n page s . Since w e h andl e al l t he f ont s in Scribus , o3 m agaz ine us e s s t andard ASCI I t e xtf il es f or art icl e s . W rit e rs us e w h at ev er t e xte dit or t h e y w ant , incl uding O pe nO f f ice , butt he f il e t h at 's im port e d int o Scribus is AL W AYS a s t andard ASCI It e xtf il e . For o3 m agaz ine , t h e h e ade r and t w o col um n page s are im port e d int o Scribus . Ne xt ,t h e col um ns are l ink e d us ing t he L ink T e xtFram e s t ool f rom t he t ool bar .I tis t h e icon w it h t wo col um ns (h oriz ont al l ine s oft e xt ) w it h at iny bl ue arrow be t weent h e m . Se l e ctt he f irs t col um n in t h e h e ade r page , t h e n cl ick on t he ne xtcol um n, t hent he f irs tcol um n on t he ne xtpage and s o on. Th is is done unt il al l s ix col um ns on t he t h re e page s t h atw e re im port e d are now l ink e d. Scribus put s big arrow s s h ow ing t he t e xtf l ow , s o t he t e xtf l ow is f ool proof . On t he f irs tcol um n, righ tcl ick and s e l e ctGe tT e xt . H e re w e im portour t e xt f il e dire ct l y int o Scribus . I m m e diat el y, you'l l s e e ifyou h av e t oo m any or t oo f e w col um ns . I fyou h av e t oo m any, you'l l see t he t e xts t op in one oft h e col um ns , f ol l ow e d by w h it e s pace . I fyou h av e t oo f e w col um ns , t he v e ry l as tcol um n you h av e w il l h av e a s m al l box w it h an x in it , att h e bot t om righ th and corne r . Th is is e as y t of ix. Sim pl y im port anot h e rt w o col um n page , and l ink in t h e ne w col um ns . You can e as il y gue s s t im at e h ow m any e xt ra col um ns you'l l ne e d w h e n you s e e h ow f ar your t e xtw e ntand h ow f ar is l ef t t o go. Dot t ing t he I 's and cros s ing t h e T's .. Ato3 m agaz ine , w e us e t h e col or code d s ch e m e m e nt ione d e arl ie r in t h is art icl e,t o pol is h up t he t e xt . Th e f irs tcoupl e ofw ords of e ach art icl e is h igh l igh t e d in dark gre e n, t hen

t h e URL s , and t h e code s e gm e nt s . Th e code s e gm e nt s are al s o m odif ie d t o obl iq ue t o m ak e ite as ie r t o ide nt if y itas a code s e gm e nt . Som e t im e s t h ough , t he t e xtw il l cov e r a s ingl e col um n on t he l as tpage . Th is l e av e s a com pl et el y bl ank col um n. Th is w h it e s pace l ook s w rong w h e n t h e m agaz ine is e xport e d. Th e m agic t rick h e re is t o us e col um n adv e rt is e m e nt s . You w il l h av e seen t h e s e in o3 m agaz ine , prom ot ing f orum s , or O h io L inuxFe s t . Th e s e are done by re pl acing t he t e xtbox w it h an ide nt ical im age box and us ing t h e GI MP t o cre at e a graph ics f il e t h at f it s t h e box pe rf e ct l y. T e xtboxe s are draw n around any URL , s e tt o PDF annot at ion and t h e e xt e rnal w e b-l ink opt ion w it h t h atURLin itis us e d. Final l y add t h e PDF annot at ion t e xt boxe s f or int e rnal l ink s t ot h e cov e r and t he cont e nt s page . PDF Export Att h is pointin t h e gam e , t h e m agaz ine is re ady f or e xport . Fil e -> Export-> Sav e As PDF is us e d. For o3 m agaz ine w e us e PDF 1.5 com pat ibil it y, w it h l ef tm argin binding. Th e ch e ck boxe s f or Ge ne rat e Th um bnail s , Sav e L ink e d T e xtFram e s As Art icl e s , and I ncl ude book m ark s are ch e ck e d on t h e Ge ne ral t ab. Th e publ icat ion al s o ch e ck s t h e Re s am pl e I m age s and s e t s itt o 72 DPI . Th is produce s a m uch s m al l e r PDF t h an itw oul d h ad w e l ef t t h e im age s at300 DPI .I nt h e Font s t ab, s im pl ysel e ctEm be d al l Font s . Unde r t he V ie w e r t ab, Doubl e Page Righ tis s e l e ct ed and w e l e av e t he v ie w e r de f aul t s . Col or t ab h as t h e out puts e l e ct edf or Scre e n /W e b. Th e n s im pl ysel e cts av e.Af e w m om e nt s l at er ,t h e PDF is e xport e d. Th e PDF is t hen t e st e d in a num be r ofv ie w e rs , be f ore w e publ is h itonl ine . Th e Sys t em Th e s ys t em t h atis us e d t o cre at e o3 m agaz ine is a Fe dora Core de s k t op, running on an AM D At hl on(t m ) 64 X2 Dual Core 4400+ w ork s t at ion. Th e w ork s t at ion is e q uippe d w it h 2GB ofRAM , t w o nv idia ge Force FX5200 PCI cards and one ge Force 6800 GT PCI -Expre s s card. Us ing xine ram a, at ot al of5 L CD f l atpane l s are driv enf rom t h is w ork s t at ion. Th e o3 m agaz ine t ype

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set t ing is done f rom a s ingl e v irt ual de s k t op us ing al l 5 m onit ors . Th is h ow e v e r is an e xt re m e s e t up. W e h av e t ype s e to3 m agaz ine in t h e pas t , on a m ode s t l y conf igure d l apt op. Concl us ion Scribus is a pow e rf ul de s k t op publ is h ing t ool . Th e f ol k s be h ind t h e s cribus t e am are h ardcore de v el ope rs w it h a gre at com m it m e ntt o producing a h igh q ual it y productw h ich conf orm s t o al l t h e prope r publ is h ing s t andards . L ink s Scribus ht t p:/ / w w w .s cribus .ne t

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Fe at ure :: GI M P in Publ is h ing

Cre at ing Graph ics f or Publ is h ing w it h GI MP

Th e GNU I m age M anipul at ion Program (GI M P) is a graph ics e dit ing t ool t h atis riv al e d onl y by Adobe Ph ot os h op. Th e GI M P is a f as tand pow e rf ul t ool . Th is art icl e l ook s atcre at ing graph ics f or us e in publ is h ing appl icat ions w it h t h e GI MP . Joh n Bus w e l l (bus w e l l j @ o3m agaz ine .com ) GI M P is t h e GNU I m age M anipul at ion Program , and f or m any appl icat ions itis a pe rf e ctope n s ource al t e rnat iv e t o Adobe Ph ot os h op. I tis j us tas capabl e , and in s om e cas e s be t t e rt h an Ph ot os h op, and ce rt ainl y nobody is going t o com pl ain aboutt h e price -FREE. Rat h e rt h an doing ye tanot h e r w al k t h rough oft h e GI MP ,t h is art icl e is going t o s h ow you h ow w e us e t h e GI M P h e re ato3 m agaz ine . Adv e rt is e r Graph ics Th e adv e rt is e m e nt s in o3 m agaz ine are t ypical l y prov ide d t o us by s om e out s ide s ource . Buts t il l adv e rt is e m e nt s f or in-h ous e adv e rt is e m e nt s , and s om e ofour cus t om e rs adv e rt is e m e nt s are cre at e d by our graph ics t e am us ing t h e GI MP . O ut s ide s ource s can com e in a v arie t y off orm at s,t ypical l y PDF , PSD, or TI FF . De s pit e our pre f e re nce f or JPEG, m any graph ics s h ops j us ts im pl y s e nd us w h att h e y h av e on h and. Th ank f ul l y, t he GI M P h as f ul l s upportf or t h ese f orm at s. Adv e rt is e m e nt s are t ypical l y im port e d int ot he GI MP ,t h e n w rit t e n outas z e ro-com pre s s ion (h igh q ual it y) JPEGs , f or e as y ins e rt ion int o Scribus (t h e ope n s ource publ is h ing pack age t h atw e us e ). Th is is a v e ry s im pl e (Fil e -> O pe n) and (Fil e -> Sav e As ) s e t up. Cov e r Graph ics Th e cov e r ofo3 m agaz ine is buil tf rom a t e m pl at e e ach m ont h . Th e t e m pl at e is a l aye r XCF (GI M P's nat iv e f orm at ) im age w h ich is in A4 @ 300 DPI . Each m ont h , w e copy t he t e m pl at e f il e t o o3cov e r-#.xcf , w h e re # is t he num be r oft h e is s ue w e are pre paring t he cov e rf or . W it h t h is l oade d in t h e GI MP ,we cre at e a ne w L aye r , and ope n t he f il e we h av e sel e ct edf or t h e cov e r art w ork . W e h av e al arge royal t y-f re e dat abas e ofgraph ics w e h av e purch as e d or cre at e d ours e l v e s . Th e cov e r art w ork is s iz e d corre ct l yt of itin t he w h it e s pace on t h e cov er , and is t h e pas t ed int ot h e ne w l aye r . W e cl os e t h e cov er art w ork f il e , and cont inue t o w ork on t he cov er . Be s ide s t h e art w ork , w e h av e t e xt pl ace h ol de rs f or t h e m ont h /is s ue num be r , t he I NSI DE: t ag att he t op oft h e cov er , and t h e art icl e h e adl ine s . By s e l e ct ing e ach t e xt l aye r , w e s im pl y m odif yt he t e xtpl ace h ol de r w it h t he t e xtw e w ant , h igh l igh t ing and ch anging t h e col or ofs pe cif ic k e yw ords in t he h e adl ine , t h atw e f eel you, our re ade rs , w il l f ind int e re s t ing. W e m odif yt he t e xtf or t h is is s ue s s pons or's URL , and t h e n s im pl y im portt he l ogo art w ork w e re ce iv edf rom t he s pons or . Siz ing Tip A q uick ch e atw e us e f or s iz ing up t h e s pace f or graph ics on t he t e m pl at e , is t o cre at e a bl ank l aye r . Us e t h e sel e ctre ct angul ar re gion t ool t o approxim at e t h e s pace w h e re t he art w ork ne e ds t o go, t h ensel e ctcopy. Going t o Fil e -> Ne w , w il l bring up t h e s iz e oft he copie d are a. W e can t h e n accurat el y re s iz e t h e art w ork t of itin t h e s pace , and pas t e itin. Cov e r Te m pl at e Th e cov e rt e m pl at e f or o3 m agaz ine is e xt re m e l y s im pl e , butis s t il l el e gant . We st art ofby s e l e ct ing bl ack on w h it e f or t h e col ors . Th e re is an act ual but t on (s m al l bl ack s q uare , s m al l w h it e s q uare ) ne xtt ot h e col or pal et t e t h atw il l re s e tt h is f or you. Se l e ct ing t he gradie ntpaintt ool , w e gotdow n about1/ 5t o 1/ 4 oft h e page , and s t arta s m al l gradie nt . H ol ding t h e s h if tk e y dow n w h il e dragging t he gradie nts e l e ct ion h e l ps giv e us a pe rf e ct l y st raigh tgradie nt . Th e are a w e s e l e ctis about 1/ 4t o 1/ 3 oft h e page . Th is l e av es a

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Fe at ure :: GI M P in Publ is h ing

s uf f icie nt l yl arge " w h it e " are a t o pas t e in t he cov e r art w ork . Th e re as on w e us e a w h it e back ground f or t h e cov e r artare a is t h at m any royal t yf re e graph ics are obj e ct s on a w h it e back ground. O bj e ct s f or cov e r artare al s o re l at iv el y e as y t o s h ootw it h a cam e ra and a w h it e back ground w h e n w e ne e d t o cre at e our ow n cov e r art w ork f rom obj e ct s. Ne xtI s s ue Graph ic O nce w e h av e t h e cov e r page com pl et e d, w h ich doe s n'tt ak e v e ry l ong, w e f l at t ent he im age (righ tcl ick on a l aye r in t he l aye rs w indow and s e l e ctf l at t e n im age ). Be care f ul nott o ov e rw rit e your l aye re d XCF .We f l at t en t h e im age t o m ak e ite as ie r t o copy and pas t e as a s ingl e el e m e nt . W e h av e at e m pl at e f or t he " ne xtis s ue " , butas it 's re l at iv el y s im pl e t o cre at e , it 's w ort h al ook att h e w ay w e cre at e a drop s h adow e f f e ct. W e s t artof fw it h a Ne w I m age (Fil e -> Ne w ). GI M P h as a t e m pl at e drop box, f rom t h is w e s e l e ctA4 (300 DPI ). W e l e av e t h e adv ance d opt ions t o t h e ir de f aul tv al ue s . W h e n de al ing w it h im age s t h is big (ov e r 64M B), you w il l ne e d t o incre as e t h e M axim um I m age Siz e in t he Pre f e re nce s dial og. I tis s e tby de f aul tt o 64M B. I fyou are w ork ing s ol el y on w e b graph ics you do notne e d t o us e 300 DPI . Th is publ icat ions us e s 300 DPI , be caus e re q ue s t s are re ce iv e d re gul arl yf or h igh q ual it y printv e rs ions oft h e o3 m agaz ine PDFs . Th e ne xtis s ue t e m pl at e is v e ry s im pl e.I t cons is t s oft h re e l aye rs - t w o bl ack bar l aye rs and a t e xtl aye r (w h it e on bl ack ). Th e t wo bl ack bar l aye rs are t h e s am e , buton t he l ow e r bl ack bar , w e 'v e us e d t h e Gaus s ian bl ur f il t e rt o giv e a s ortofdrop s h adow e f f e ct on t h e s e cond bar . Now t h is is one are a w h e re t h e GI MP l ack s a l it t l e com pare d t o Ph ot os h op w h ich h as a v e ry s im pl e l aye r FX opt ion, t h ate nabl e s de s igne rs t osel e ctdrop s h adow s f or t he l aye r . Sim pl y a s ign ofw h e re Ph ot os h op h as e xt ra pol is h in s om e are as , butt h e GI M P is nott oo f ar be h ind. Th e de s ign t e am h e re ato3 m agaz ine h as ye tt o run int o any e f f e ctf or t h e m agaz ine t h at GI M P coul dn'th andl e.

Us ing t h e s iz ing t ip dis cus s e d e arl ie r ,t he f l at t e ne d cov e r is s cal e d dow n and im port ed in. Th e graph ic is t h e n s av e d and it 's good t o go. Concl us ion Th e GI M P is a pow e rf ul t ool f or cre at ing and m anipul at ing graph ics . I ts upport s a gre at num be r ofe xis t ing f orm at s , as w e l l as it s ow n pow e rf ul l aye re d f orm at- XCF . GI M P is us e d notonl yt o cre at e t h e graph ics w e dis cus s e d abov e , butt h e col um n and s om e oft he adv e rt is e m e nt s you s e e in o3 m agaz ine , as wel l . GI M P is m ore t h an capabl e ofprov iding prof e s s ional grade re s ul t s righ toutoft h e box. L ink s GI MP ht t p:/ / w w w .gim p.org

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Fe at ure :: Ne w s l et t e rs w it h O pe nO f f ice

Cre at ing Ne w s l et t e rs w it h O pe nO f f ice

Ev e ry bus ine s s w il l ne e d t o cre at e a ne w s l et t e r atone pointor anot her .Whet h e r it s a q uick f l ye r f or at rade s h ow e v e nt , s om e t h ing t o drop m ail t o pot e nt ial cus t om e rs or an inf orm at iv e docum e nt adv is ing cus t om e rs ofne w product s and s e rv ice s . O pe nO f f ice r W rit e r prov ide s t h e pe rf e ctt ool t o ge tt h is j ob done . M ayank Sh arm a (m s h arm a@ o3m agaz ine .com ) Th e m ul t i-pl at f orm O pe nO f f ice .org of f ice s uit pack s s om e oft h e be s tand div e rs e ope n s ource product iv it yt ool s.I nt h is art icl e w e 'l l dis cus s s om e ide as t o us e t h e pack age 's w ord proce s s or , O pe nO f f ice .org W rit er ,t o cre at e a m ul t i-page , m ul t i-col um n ne w s l et t er . 1. M ark your t e rrit ory Th e f irs tt h ing you ne e d t o do is t o de cide t he l ayoutoft h e page . I m port antl ayoutde t ail s incl ude ch oos ing t h e s iz e oft h e pape r you'l l be print ing on (A4, A5, B5, e t c), h ow w ide do you w antt h e m argins t o be , and t he orie nt at ion oft h e page (h oriz ont al l ands cape or v e rt ical port rait ). O pe nO f f ice .org of f e rs you l ot s off l e xibil it y in set t ing up t he l ayout . W h il e you can s e tup e q ual m argins on al l page s , t h is is n'tan ef f icie ntus e oft h e pape r . A be t t e r approach , ifyou'l l be print ing t h e ne w s l et t e r in A4 port raits h e e t s and t h e n binding t h e m att he ce nt er , w oul d be t o m ak e bigge r righ t -s ide m argins on e v e n page s w h il e k e e ping t he l ef t s ide m argins m inim al and v ice v e rs a f or odd page s . W rit e rl et s you s pe cif y dif f e re ntpage set t ings f or odd and e v e n page s ! You can al s o s e tup h e ade rs and f oot e rs if you'l l ne e d t hem t okeept rack ofpage num be rs , l is t ing your w e bs it e 's URLifyou h av e any, e t c. Don'tcram t oo m uch s t uf fint o t he f oot e r and de pe nding on t h e s iz e oft he ne w s l et t e r you can e v e n do aw ay w it h t he page num be rs . I ns t e ad you can j us tl e av e a l it t l e bl ank " bre at h e r" s pace att h e bot t om of t h e page . 2. I t 's al l aboutSt yl e O nce you h av e de f ine d t he l ayoutoft he page , you ne e d t o w ork on t h e st yl e ofyour ne w s l et t er . A st yl e in W rit e rt e rm inol ogy, is a col l e ct ion off ontand paragraph s e t t ings t h at de f ine h ow t he t e xtl ook s . De f ining s t yl e s is l ik e m ak ing s t andards . You can cont rol v arious as pe ct s ofyour docum e nt s w it h st yl e s . W it h W rit e r you can cont rol st yl es f or e nt ire paragraph s , indiv idual ch aract e rs , and f ul l page s . You'd de f init el y w antde f ine t h e s pace be t w e e n paragraph s , and opt ional l yt h e h e igh toft he f irs tch aract er ofe v e ry art icl e , cal l e d a drop cap. Al s o it 's a good ide a t o cre at e a s im pl e m as t h e ad and notgo craz y on t h e aut o s h ape s and f ontw ork w h ich is s im il ar t ot he w ord artin M icros of tW ord. 3. Div ide and Rul e As you m igh th av e s e e n, m os tne w s l et t e rs are m ul t i-col um n. Tw o-col um n ne w s l et t e rs are t h e norm , w it h t h re e -col um n one s m os t l y print e d on bigge r pape r s iz e s in l ands cape m ode . A s ingl e col um n l ayoutis be s ts uit ed f or print ing circul ars and not ice s . W rit e rl et s you div ide t h e page in as m any col um ns as you pl e as e . You can al s o ch oos e t h e w idt h ofindiv idual col um ns as w e l l as t he s pacing be t weent h e m . Ge ne ral l yt he f irs t page oft h e ne w s l et t e r w oul d h av e a s ide bar w it h us e f ul inf orm at ion aboutt h e ne w s l et t er and t h atpart icul ar is s ue . For t h is you'l l ne e d a s m al l e r col um n on t he l ef tand a l arge r one on t h e righ tor v ice v e rs a. Th e good t h ing is t h atonce you h av e de f ine d col um ns , t he t e xt aut o-f l ow s be t weent h e col um ns and int o ot h e r page s as itnorm al l y w oul d. I t 's noth ard t o im age t h atifyou'l l probabl y h av e m ul t ipl e col um n s ch e m e s in a

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Fe at ure :: Ne w s l et t e rs w it h O pe nO f f ice

ne w s l et t er .I fyou de s ign your f rontpage l ik e s ugge s t e d in t h e paragraph abov e you'l l h av e atl e as tt w o dif f e re nts t yl e s ofcol um ns . I fyou h av e a not ice f or your re ade rs it 'l l probabl y be in a s ingl e col um n. Th is is w h e re s e ct ions com e int o pl ay. W rit e rl et s you div ide your ne w s l et t e r int o s e ct ions . Each s e ct ion can cont rol t h e ir indiv idual num be r ofcol um ns . 4. Pack age and parce l De pe nding on t h e cont e ntofyour ne w s l et t er , you'l l s om e t im e s w antt o h igh l igh tpart icul ar port ions oft e xt . So ifyou're w rit ing t e ch nical art icl e s you m igh tf eel l ik e e xpl aining s om e t e rm inol ogy or t e rm s us e d in t h e art icl e . But doing s o in t h e m iddl e oft h e art icl e coul d s poil t h e sl ow oft h e art icl e . Th e com m on e dit orial pract ice is t o m ov e t h e s e bl ock s of t e xtouts ide t h e norm al f l ow t o w h atis cal l ed a cal l -outor a box or a s ide bar . You can e as il y cre at e t h e s e h igh l igh t cont aine rs w it h W rit er . Al l you ne e d t o do is s urround t h e m w it h borde rs . Buta be t t e r ide a w oul d be t o us e f ram e s . I fyou us e f ram e s you'l l be abl e t o bre ak t h e page 's al ignm e nt and col um n s e t t ings . Th at 's notgood, righ t ? W rong. Fram e s cre at e a m ov abl e box oft e xt t h atcan be pl ace d anyw h e re in t h e page , ev e n be t w e e n col um ns ! I nf actm any ne w s pape rs us e t h is t e ch niq ue t o pl ace bl urb or art icl e h igh l igh t s in t h e ce nt e r oft h e art icl e. Th e t e xtin t h e docum e ntw h e t h e r in f ram e s or notaut om at ical l y w raps around t he f ram e . I t 's al s o a good ide a t o us e a dif f e re nt back ground col or in t h e s e boxe s . Ev enwh en print ing bl ack and w h it e , you can us e s h ade s ofgre y t o m ak e t h e s e boxe s s t and out . I fyour ne w s l et t e r is f or onl ine dis t ribut ion, or you w antt o printitf rom a dif f e re ntm ach ine , you can e xportitin v arious int e rope rabl e f orm at s . Th e m os tcom m on f orm atf or onl ine dis t ribut ion is PDF and W rit e r can e xportyour ne w s l et t e r as a PDF docum e nte f f ort l essl y. 5. M ak e boil e r pl at es O nce you'v e de cide d on t he l ayout ,t e xtf l ow , st yl e s and ot h e re l e m e nt s f or your ne w s l et t er ,

W rit e r h as one l as tt rick up it 's s l eev e t o s av e you t im e . T o s av e you t he t roubl e ofre de s igning t h e ne w s l et t e re v e ry t im e you w ant t o printan is s ue , you can s av e your cus t om f orm at t ing in a t e m pl at e . Al l you now h av e t o do be f ore print ing a ne w s l et t e r is t o bas e t he docum e nton t h is t e m pl at e , copy t he t e xtand t ak e print out s. So w h atcan a t e m pl at e h ol d?A W rit er t e m pl at e w il l l e tyou de f ine t e xtf orm at t ing, st yl e s , and e l e m e nt s l ik e h e ade rs and f oot e rs , e t c. Addit ional l y you can al s o us e it t o pl ace s om e t e xtt h at 'l l be dis pl aye d in al l is s ue s . Us ual l yt h is m e ans t h e nam e oft he ne w s l et t e r and f rontpage s ide -bar e dit orial inf orm at ion. Butw h ataboutinv is ibl e f orm at t ing l ik e drop caps ?You can al s o pl ace s am pl e t e xtin t he t e m pl at e t o il l us t rat e a part icul ar f orm at t ing and e l e m e nt s l ik e f ram e s . Go pl ay around w it h O pe nO f f ice .org W rit er and printyour prof e s s ional l ook ing ne w s l et t er in no t im e . I fyou h av e at rick t h atyou'd l ik e t o s h are w it h our re ade rs , pl e as e drop us a not e on t he f orum s .

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