Technical Writing

Photoshop Tutorial

2009-01-17T13:55:00.001+05:30

Photoshop as you may already know is a graphic editing software. It is the lifeline of Graphic and Web Designers. Technical Writers too need the software for their image manipulation needs. It can help in editing the minutest of defects in an image. As Photoshop uses layers, editing becomes all the more easier. Now, let us learn the tools in Photoshop which are useful for technical writers:

Marquee Tool: It is probably the most useful tool which is used for selection. It is also called as the selection tool. It helps to select a region on an image. To use this tool, select the Marquee Tool and click and drag across an image. See the figure below:

Move Tool: This tool helps in moving a selection. To use this tool, select the Marquee Tool and click and drag across an image. Then select the Move Tool and click and drag the selection to move. See the figure below:

Crop Tool: Once you are done with image editing, you can crop your image with this tool. Simply select the region and press Enter.

Text Tool: If you want to add text on your image, select the Text tool and click on the image and start typing.

What SnagIt does!

2009-01-15T13:19:00.007+05:30

As mentioned in the previous post, SnagIt is used for image capturing. You can capture anything on the screen with this software. See the picture below to get familiarized with its interface:

The above picture too was captured using SnagIt!

If you can see in the picture, there are some basic colour profiles. All you have to do is select any one of the profiles and click on capture to start taking screenshots. Let me explain each of the profiles briefly:

Region: With this profile you can capture a region according to your preference. It can be used for capturing an image from a website, a logo etc.
Window: As the name suggests, you can capture a window with this profile.
Full Screen: This profile does the job of a conventional desktop feature “Print Screen”.
Scrolling Window: If you want to capture a full length of a page of a website which scrolls to 2-3 pages or more, you must use this profile.
Web page: This profile helps you to capture a webpage.

Now let us discuss the other Capture Profiles available in SnagIt:

Scrolling window to pdf: Capture an image from a scrolling window and convert to a pdf using this profile.
Menu with time Delay: If you want to want some time before you take a shot, use this profile. For example, if you want to capture the sub-menu too while taking a screenshot this profile comes in handy.
Object: If you want to capture only a particular object on the screen like a banner, a box etc this profile captures the object with precision.
Images from a web page: Very often we find some websites with beautiful images and want to capture them all and use as wallpapers for our desktops. Using this profile you can do just that.
Text from window: If all that you want from a webpage is its text, make use of this profile.
Record Screen Window: Yes, you can create video tutorials using this profile. It may not compare with other video creation software but it is good!

Tools Used in Technical Writing

2009-01-11T23:30:00.007+05:30

You must have come across job opportunities where the employer seeks candidates proficient in various tools like Snagit, Framemaker, Photoshop and Visio. If you are wondering why so many tools are required to be learnt by a technical writer then read on. This article will give a brief overview of these tools so that you know why these tools are required in technical writing.

Adobe Framemaker: Adobe Framemaker is the tool you use to create manuals or ebooks. It is mostly used for large documents. Framemaker is of two types – structured and unstructured. Many companies use Microsoft Word as a replacement to Framemaker for writing the manuals. The latest version of Framemaker is 8 and was released in 2007.

SnagIt: SnagIt is a screen capture tool which helps in capturing the screen. If you think that Print Screen does the job too, you are right but SnagIt has many features which makes the job of a technical writer fast and easy. Basic capture profiles of the software include A Region to File, A Region to Clipboard, A Window to File, A Scrolling Window etc. You can also create videos with this software. SnagIt comes with a SnagIt editor which helps in editing the captured screenshot.

Photoshop: It is a graphics editing program mostly used by Web Designers. It is very useful for technical writers as well. It corrects the minutest of errors in a graphic and allows you to save the graphic in different formats like png, gif, jpeg etc. The advantage with using Photoshop as the graphic editor program is that each change in the graphic is done on layers and if you are not satisfied with any particular change you can delete that particular layer. When you save the graphic as psd format you can make changes in the graphic any time later too. The latest version is CS4.

Visio: Visio is software which helps in the creation of diagrams and flowcharts.

RoboHelp: RoboHelp is a help authoring tool which helps in creating Help files that you can find integrated with all softwares. For example, MS Word, Photoshop, Flash etc. You can create both HTML as well as a Flash Help with this software. You can also write tutorials with it and set the tutorial according to the proficiency level of the user.

Other tools that may be used for technical writing are Corel Draw, Flash, Dreamweaver, Epic Editor, and Frontpage.

If you do not have the above software and want to practice, install the trial version and learn the tools.

How to create an Index in MS Word

2008-09-26T18:33:00.003+05:30

On the File menu, click Open to open a new document.
Type your text in the document.
Select the required word.
Click Insert >Reference >Index and Tables.
Click Mark Entry, the selected word automatically gets populated in the Mark Entry field.
Click Mark.
Follow steps 2 to 5 for the words you want to index.
Navigate to the page where you need to include the index.
Click Insert >Reference >Index and Tables.
Click OK.

How to Format Text in MS Word

2008-09-20T18:31:00.004+05:30

On the File menu, click Open to open a new document.
Type your text in the document.
On the Format menu, click Styles and Formatting.
The Styles and Formatting task pane opens.
Select the text you want to format. The Styles and Formatting pane highlights the default formatting style.
Right click on the highlighted style and click Modify Style. The Modify Style window appears.
Name your style and choose style type from the drop-down menu.
Choose the font type, size and make it bold or italics if you want.
Click OK.

How to insert the page number in MS Word

2008-09-15T18:30:00.004+05:30

On the File menu, click Open to open a new document.
On the Insert menu, click Page Numbers. The Page Numbers window appears.
Choose the options from the dropdown list.
Click OK.

How to apply Headers and Footers in MS Word

2008-09-10T18:25:00.004+05:30

On the File menu, click Open to open a new document.
On the View menu, click Headers and Footers.
The Header and Footer appear at the top and bottom of the document.
Type your text in the Header and Footer area.

How to apply margin in MS Word:

2008-09-04T18:03:00.004+05:30

On the File menu, click Open to open a new document.
On the File menu, click Page Setup. The Page Setup window opens.
Open the Layout tab and click Borders. The Borders and Shading window opens.
Choose the Setting, Style and Colour of your choice.
Click OK.

Writing Web Content

2008-04-02T14:47:00.000+05:30

Web Content: from Fabulous to Frankenstein

Review - Hot Text: Web Writing That Works

Introduction to XML

2008-03-26T11:23:00.001+05:30

A Really, Really, Really Good Introduction to XML

Technical Writing Books

2008-03-24T13:25:00.001+05:30

Books on Technical Writing

1. Developing Training Courses: A Technical Writer's Guide to Instructional Design and Development

2. How to Deliver Dynamic Training: 77 Sensational Tips for Computer Instructors

3. Building Effective Technical Training: How to Develop Hard Skills Within Organizations

4. How To Be a Successful Technical Trainer: Core Skills for Instructor Certification

5. Terrific Training Materials: High Impact Graphic Designs for Workbooks, Handouts, Instructor Guides, and Job Aids

6. The ASTD Technical and Skills Training Handbook

7. Developing Technical Training: A Structured Approach for Developing Classroom and Computer-based Instructional Materials

8. Instructional Systems Development for Vocational and Technical Training

9. The Career Connection for Technical Education: A Guide to Technical Training and Related Career Opportunities

10. Training Complex Cognitive Skills: A Four-Component Instructional Design Model for Technical Training

11. Supplement 1 to the ASTD Technical and Skills Training Handbook

12. Developing Technical Training: A Structured Approach for the Development of Classroom and Computer-Based Instructional Materials

Technical Writing Software

2008-03-24T12:56:00.000+05:30

The Technical Writing Software includes:

Adobe FrameMaker
Adobe Photoshop
Macromedia Dreamweaver/Frontpage
SnagIt