Using Publisher to Create Marketing and Communications Materials

Transcription

1 Using Publisher to Create Marketing and Communications Materials This document provides instructions for creating professional-looking publications with Microsoft Publisher. Overview of Publisher Publisher provides a wide array of publication types, including designs for newsletters, brochures, business cards, postcards, greeting cards, signs, and more. Publisher provides pre-designed templates complete with images and placeholder text, which offer an idea of where content can be placed. However, you can also build publications from scratch if you prefer. Publisher vs. Word Certainly, Microsoft Word can be used to create publications. However, the benefit of using Publisher is the flexibility Publisher provides. Everything in a Publisher publication, including a block of text, is an independent element. Each element can be placed exactly where you want it, and you can control its size, shape, and appearance. Creating a Publication from a Template Each publication type (i.e. brochures, business cards, flyers, etc) includes a wide range of readymade, professional designs. Once you have chosen the type of publication you want to create, replace the placeholder text and pictures with your own information. The color scheme and font scheme can be changed, and elements can be added or deleted. 1. Select the desired publication type from the list on the left. a. Select Blank Page Sizes if you want to start off with a clean page. 2. Browse through the various designs. 3. Select the desired color scheme. Information Technology Services, UIS 1

2 4. Click Create when finished. Designs Publication types Color schemes 5. The publication is now ready to be customized to meet your needs. 6. Use the Format Publication pane to change the design template, color scheme, font style, and more. 7. Publisher displays lines depicting margins and borders of text boxes and frames. These can be turned on/off by choosing Boundaries and Guides from the View menu. These lines are shown on the screen but do not print. Information Technology Services, UIS 2

3 8. Additional pages can be inserted by choosing Page from the Insert menu. Unwanted pages can be removed by choosing Delete Page from the Edit menu. Working with Text In Word, text merely fills up all the space between the margins and flows from one page to the next, which is perfect for writing papers and other documents. But in Publisher, each block of text lives in a container called a text box. Publications are built by arranging text boxes on the pages. In its simplest form, a text box is merely a box that contains text. But the flexibility that comes with Publisher allows you to place a text box anywhere you want on a page, make it any size you want, and divide it into columns. You can also connect one text box to another so text flows between them even if the text boxes are on different pages (like in a newspaper article). You have control over both the placement of text boxes and the appearance of the text within the text boxes. To create a text box, 1. Click the Text Box tool on the Objects toolbar. 2. Drag to create a rectangle on the page. There is no need to worry about where you place a text box when you first create it, or what size it is. The text box can be moved Information Technology Services, UIS 3

4 anywhere you want on (or off) the page, and you can change its size at any time. This is the box I drew with my mouse. 3. Type your text in the resulting text box (surrounded by round handles). Text boxes can easily be moved and resized: 1. To move a text box, position the pointer over the text box boundary. When the pointer becomes a four-headed arrow, click and drag. 2. To resize a text box, click the text box and position the pointer over one of the round handles. When the pointer becomes a two-headed arrow, click and drag. 3. To rotate a text box (and the text it contains), click the text box and position the pointer over the green rotation handle. When the pointer becomes a circle the direction you want the text to rotate., click and drag in Information Technology Services, UIS 4

5 Text boxes can be formatted using the Formatting toolbar (to change the font style, size, add bullets, etc). Additional formatting options are available by choosing Text Box from the Format menu. For example, you can add a border around the text box, change the background or border color, change the margin between the text and text box boundary, and much more. Creating Columns of Text Text boxes can easily be converted to equally spaced columns of the same size. To divide a text box into columns, 1. From the Format menu, choose Text Box. Information Technology Services, UIS 5

6 2. Click the Text Box tab, and then click Columns. 3. You can then choose the number of columns. You can also control the spacing between the text and the column boundary. Linking Text Between Text Boxes Newsletters and brochures often have continuation stories, where they start on one page and conclude on another. Publisher makes this easy. 1. To link one text box to another, first click the starting text box. 2. Click the Create Text Box Link tool. 3. The cursor now looks like a pitcher. Next click the text box to which you want to link the overflow text pours into the text box. 4. To add a "Continued" notice to a text box, click the text box to select it. Information Technology Services, UIS 6

7 5. On the Format menu, click Text Box. 6. Click the Text Box tab. Choose to include either "Continued on page " or "Continued from page ". Working with Graphics While text is contained in text boxes, Publisher encloses graphics in frames. Frames give you the same control over pictures that text boxes give you with text. You can place a picture anywhere on a page including inside a text box and you can change its size and appearance. Information Technology Services, UIS 7

8 To insert an image, 1. Click the Picture Frame tool on the Objects toolbar and select the appropriate type of frame. a. If you choose Clip Art, the Clip Art pane will open. In the Search for box, type a keyword that represents the subject of the picture that you want to find, such as hot dog, and then click Go. From the list of results, click the desired image to insert it into the publication. b. If you choose Picture from File or Empty Picture Frame, drag to create a rectangle on the page, which will be the picture frame. There is no need to worry about where you place a frame when you first create it, or what size it is. The frame can be moved anywhere you want on (or off) the page, and you can Information Technology Services, UIS 8

9 change its size at any time. This is the frame I drew with my mouse. c. Browse for the desired image. 2. Publisher also comes with a Design Gallery, which includes a host of graphics ready to be inserted into your publication. a. From the Objects toolbar, click Design Gallery Object. b. Select the appropriate category on the left and browse the associated objects. Select the desired object, and click Insert Object. Information Technology Services, UIS 9

10 Modifying Graphics You can use tools on the Picture toolbar to recolor the picture, increase or reduce contrast, compress the size of pictures, add a border, and even reset it to discard the formatting changes that had been applied. Pictures can be easily moved or resized. 1. To move a picture, select the picture and drag it to a new location. The cursor will look like a four-headed arrow. 2. To resize a picture and maintain the original proportions, select the picture, press SHIFT, and then drag a corner handle. The cursor will look like a 2-headed arrow. You can also control how text flows around a picture. 1. Select the picture. 2. On the Picture toolbar, select the Text Wrapping tool, and then click the desired text wrapping option. Information Technology Services, UIS 10