…but when readers encounter spelling errors, they take facts and ideas less seriously.

The last questions you should ask yourself before sending LPi your publication are…

Did you PROOFREAD your document?

1. Did you check your spelling?

2. Did you check your grammar?

3. Did you check your punctuation?

Sometimes we can omit, add, or transpose letters, leave out an apostrophe, or forget the s in a possessive form. By printing a final hard copy of your publication, you can usually catch these typographical errors when proofreading.

Sometimes we have errors because of words sounding or looking alike, e.g., using “their” when you intend “there” or “they’re;” using “too” for “to;” confusing “principal” with “principle,” or “stationary” with “stationery.”  (NOTE: This kind of error will not be caught by a spell checker!)

To help avoid spelling errors look up a word anytime you are in doubt and these days, most desktop publishing programs have a dictionary, a thesaurus and spell checkers built into the programs. The first thing you should do when you type anything into a computer is spell check it. Just remember, spell checkers are not totally accurate. You may need a dictionary. When all of the words in a sentence are spelled correctly, use a grammar checker. Grammar checkers are not as good as spell checkers but still use them.

You should check for accuracy and correctness because it makes it easier for someone to understand you. When you use correct grammar, you make it easier for people to understand your ideas.

Now that you have thoroughly checked the spelling, grammar and punctuation of each and every sentence of your bulletin, printed and proof-read the entire document, you can now submit your bulletin with complete confidence.

With the amount of computer viruses going around now, it is always wise to occasionally backup your Publisher file to a CD or flash drive. This way if something happens and your computer crashes you will have a backup to get you started again.

You can also check with your computer technician to see if your computer is automatically backed up on a weekly or daily basis. Remember two things about a backup. 1.) You may want to keep your back off-site or in a safe. 2.) Test your backup periodically to make sure you can retrieve your file.

If you’ve ever labored over a full color page in your publication, only to see a blue sky appear stormy purple, well…we feel your pain. Color is something we work on every day, and we want to see your vision realized in print.

There is nothing more frustrating than finding out the effort you put in didn’t get the result you wanted–and understanding color a little better is one of the best ways to make sure YOUR blue STAYS blue.

The computer screen you view your publication on is based on one color model–RGB. However, the paper and ink professional printers print with are based on different color model–CMYK.

Why is this, and what does it mean to you?

Here are some great visual examples from wikipedia:

Note how the two images differ…

Do you see the how the center of the “RGB” image

is “white”?  This is because RGB,(which stands

for: Red Green Blue) is an addative color model.

 Various portions of light wavelengths (the ROY-G- BIV acronym) combine to form visible white light.

Now when you look at the CMYK (Cyan, magenta, yellow, and Black–the “key” color or “K”) chart, you see that it is a “subtractive” color.
As you use portions of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow ink, the colors block visible light from being reflected off of white paper–creating various shades of color.  As a result of blocking reflected light, a murky brown color is created if too much Cyan, Magenta / Yellow ink is used.

To help correct for this, black ink is added so that crisp dark colors can be generated.

But what does that all mean?

What it means to a publication editor is this:

Knowing which colorspace your text and graphics are in can tell you how their going to come out in print.  Here is an example from wikipedia:

As you can see–the colors you generate with light are “brighter” than the corresponding colors generated by blocking light.

Does this mean all your images will look bad?

Certainly not!  You can improve the quality of images by making sure that you start in, or convert to to a CMYK color model.  You can do this a number of different ways (and you can call your tech support representative for details).

To begin with, LPi’s Art and Media Portal has several thousand images that are ready to go, formatted for CMYK. All you need to do is select the images of your choice, and insert them into the document! When working in CMYK, you’ll have a MUCH better idea of what your final product will look like. 

A few tips to working in CMYK:

#1 use the smallest CMYK values you can to generate a given color.

CMYK values range from 0-100 for each of the four colors.  a cyan: 40 means 40% of the paper is covered in Cyan (light blue) ink.

However, once the ink hits the page, it gets even more interesting…

Much like water soaks into a sponge, ink soaks into the paper–and while doing so, it expands.  This is called “dot gain”, as the ink “dots” get larger in size.

Since CMYK works by subtracting from the light that gets to your eye,  the more ink you use, the less light you see…and as a result,  less image. 

#2 Don’t use less than 10% of a value.

When your colors go from your electronic file to our press, they are first sent to “plate” ( a flexible material which carries the ink information, and is placed in the press).  These plates register the ink “density” (11-100%).  Ink densities of less than 10% are unlikely to transfer visibly to the final copy.

#3 Use your color chart!

Your rep will know what format you print in (offset or digital), what colors you print in, and what pages have color. The color choices we show on the Color Chart are optimized for our process–if you want a green, for instance,  the numbers for “Green 356″ on your chart are a great starting point!

And questions?  Please ask your application support/tech support rep–speaking as one of them–we’d love to help out!

#4 Understand that “your mileage may vary”, and build your numbers to compensate.

The way your colors look on your screen (RGB) will look different than they do from the press (CMYK)–because of the color differences described above.  Thus, what looks blue on your screen might really BE purple in print, and if you change the numbers (with your new knowledge of CMYK, plus the help of your tech) you can compensate so you can make your blue sky “bluer”.
Your knowledge of color, plus the help of LPi’s technicians, will make small, key differences in the color values you decide on. Those choices can make a huge difference in the final product–and make sure your blue sky stays blue.

If you take ownership of your congregation’s listing page on Seek And Find, we’ll automatically send you an email within hours that your publication is available on Seek And Find.  To take ownership, find your congregation on Seek And Find and follow the directions in the “Take Ownership of This Page” box.

Once ownership of the page has been granted to you, an email alert goes out to you when your new publication is posted online.

A very inspiring, dear friend once sent me a Thanksgiving message that really made me thankful for EVERYONE I know and have met in my life. It was a simple but heartfelt message that I share with you this special time of year and I paraphrase it here…

Friends and family are a very important part of the holiday season. Whether you’ve known someone for just a few months–or your paths have crossed for decades–be grateful for the part they have played in your life. Who you are is made of what you have learned from all the people whom you have met. This time of year is the perfect time to express your heartfelt thanks to all the people who have befriended, mentored, supported and encouraged you along the road of life.

Please take a moment and follow this link, http://www.portal.4lpi.com and make a beautiful holiday card to email or send to all.

Enjoy the card below created with art from Liturgical Publications Inc. Art & Media Portal.

- communicate current, fresh content on happenings in your parish.
- provide an updated calendar of current events.
- publish accurate contact information for your staff and key volunteers.
- print a personal, timely message from your priest.
- display a few pictures of not just your church, but recent parish events.

Unfortunately, if you’re like over half of our customers, you don’t do the same on your website. Almost all of our customers have their own website, but well over half of those customers don’t publish content on their website at nearly the same frequency, depth or passion than they do their bulletin. If you’re like the majority of our customers, your website contains outdated information, broken links that go nowhere, and at least a few pages that say ‘Under Construction’ and probably said that same thing 6 months ago.

The bulletin has been a staple of church communication for decades, but as the world seems to be moving online will it always be this way? Remember, the next generation of parishioners is growing up in online very connected world.

Here are a few simple things you can do now to help improve your online presence:

1. As the Bulletin Editor, you are aware of all the changes and upcoming events in your Parish. For every change you make in your bulletin or new article that is written, don’t forget about your website. You could serve as the focal point for communicating changes or new stories to whoever maintains your website.

2. If you don’t have a website yet, feel free to use ours. We offer a free directory service, www.seekandfind.com that can be used as a website. If you haven’t check this out yet, please go look for your parish, its there! If you need more, let us know. We have services that can assist.

3. Many of you have started to publish your bulletin online which is a great first step. In case you haven’t yet, you can find an electronic copy of your bulletin on our website, www.seekandfind.com. If you don’t want to manually upload your new bulletin to your website every week, you can have your bulletin appear on your website automatically through LPi’s Bulletin Widget. Call or email our Technical Support team for details.

Like the bulletin, the Internet is a communication vehicle. The technologies used to create a website or manage an email campaign may seem complicated maybe even a little scary, but in the end they are just tools. These tools can help you communicate your mission. Here at LPi, we’ll be rolling out some new technologies in 2010 to help improve your presence on the Internet and communicate more with your parishioners online if you wish to. We’ll be introducing a few of these in some upcoming blog posts over the next few months.

Good times, cheer, family…

And all kinds of pressure to get. things. done.  now.

Stress that can leave you dazed, worn out.  Pressure that can make the most wonderful time of the year the toughest to get through.

No matter what or where that pressure comes from, nearly everyone feels some of it from Thanksgiving through New Years Day.  All to often, we forget to take care of ourselves during that time–and as a result, we’re far less productive than we’d like to be.   Don’t forget to take care of yourself!

Three simple things can help take the pressure off your holidays…

–The first thing?  To go faster…slow down.

Take a moment to reflect on the solemnity of the season.  Take time for yourself, even in a busy office, even if its only for five minutes.  Use that time to stand, stretch, breathe deep—though you may be extra, extra busy…you’ll be better at everything you do if you give yourself a break once in awhile.

–Second?  You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating:

Drink plenty of water.  Drink some coffee, or tea if you like..but don’t forget your water.

It’s easy to forget to stay hydrated–but remembering can bring the following rewards:

* We look and feel younger.

* Mental clarity gets a welcome boost.

* Our digestive system sends nutrients to each cell

* Weight control is restored.

* Ability to handle stress is enhanced.

* Pain from aching joints is reduced.

* Overall flexibility is restored.

And…while its challenging indeed to stick to a clean, healthy diet during the holidays, keeping in the habit of hydration can help ease the stress of a day–and its an excuse to get up and move around.

–And last, that thing we never seem to do for ourselves…

Remind yourself that sleep is more than just a luxury! I know, I know…its tough advice–but…there’s always more to do. Sleep is tough enough to come by when its NOT busy.  Knowing that, give yourself the help you need–go to bed an hour earlier!  If you can’t carve out that extra hour to sleep–try going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier than normal. Sleep really CAN help your holiday:

*It keeps your heart healthier.  (7 to 9 hours a night reduces the risk factors for stroke and heart disease)

*It reduces stress. (sleep your way to less stress–what could be easier?)

*It bolsters your memory. (who did you miss on your list? More sleep, and you might remember.)

*It makes you more alert. (Which isn’t news—until you consider that getting out early, in the daylight (!) and being a bit more active will give you another good nights sleep–a positive feedback loop to increase your energy level over time.)

Ah, the holidays…a wonderful, stressful, amazing, exhausting time. 

So….

Give yourself what you need.  That way, you can give the best of yourself to everyone who counts on you to help make holidays special.

There are no absolutes, no right or wrong ways to choose or mix fonts in a design project. However, there are a few accepted standards that can speed up the font selection process and generally result in beautifully arranged, attractive and readable documents.

First and foremost, text in any document transmits a message. Secondly, the look of a typeface establishes a mood and often plays a essential role in telling a story.

There are 2 common font styles, serif & sans serif.

• A serif font has the little extra stroke found at the end of main vertical and horizontal strokes of some letterforms; eg.

• A sans serif font (sans meaning without) does not have “serif”s — the little extra
strokes found at the end of main vertical and horizontal strokes of some letterforms; eg.

Some basic guidelines when choosing fonts…

1. Use Serif Text with Sans Serif Headline
When in doubt, pair a serif font for body text and a sans serif font for headlines. This is not a rule. This is simply a good starting point for when you’re stuck for ideas or can’t seem to find the right mix. In most cases, a serif plus a sans serif provides good contrast and doesn’t overwhelm with too many fonts.

2. Use Contrasting Styles
Avoid mixing two very similar typefaces, such as two scripts or two sans serifs. There is not enough contrast and the small differences will cause a visual clash. This is why pairing a serif with a sans serif font works so well. There’s generally good contrast. In addition, it’s not recommended to use all caps with a script font because it is difficult to read.

3. Use Fewer Fonts
Limit the number of typefaces used in a single document to no more than three or four. With too many different fonts you run into problems with not having enough contrast between font styles plus a lack of consistency and even a feeling of choppiness because there are too many distractions. Even just using one typeface is better than using too many.

4. Use Proportional Fonts
The best body copy fonts are the least distinctive. They generally have less extreme parts or unusual character shapes. This is one place where boring can be better. Use fonts with more distinctive characters in headlines and pull-quotes and other places where you want to grab attention and pull the reader into the story.

As a side note…
Be wary of downloading “free” fonts from the internet or getting fonts from anywhere other then the original software or additionally purchased fonts. “Free” fonts can be corrupt and corrupt other fonts on your system. Stick with licenced fonts that come with the original software to avoid corrupted font issues.

Hopefully, a few of these ideas can help all of us answer those pesky “font” questions.

Save your work! Save your work frequently! Here are some tips for saving:
• Save after you finish typing an article.
• If the article is several paragraphs long, save after typing each paragraph.
• If the phone rings, save your work before answering the phone.
• If someone comes to your door, save your work before acknowledging the caller.
• When formatting complex text (e.g., tab stops, indents), save your work more frequently.
• When making your final edits, save each edit individually.

Don’t forget the CTRL+S keyboard shortcut for saving. It will save you time and effort. Instead of moving your hand from the keyboard to the mouse so that you can go File > Save or click the Save button on the standard toolbar, hold down the CTRL key and tap the S key once. That’s all you need to do to save your work.

By saving your work and saving frequently, you’ll never experience the frustration of losing information and having to start all over again.