1. Free Alternatives to Expensive Technical Writing Software
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... do it on PhotoShop. From osalt.com Among its features you find: powerful painting tools, layers and channels support, multiple undo/redo, editable text layers. Gimp as a plug-in architecture and a scripting ...

2. How to Write Editing Comments For Authors
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... discussions between editors and authors. Because you can insert a comment right at the spot you want to talk about, an author gains context for the comment. It’s almost as if you point a finger at a spot ...

3. Using Comic Books for Technical Instruction
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... set of instructions. Obviously the graphic and text can be more dynamic and interesting in what would otherwise be bland information. Though the graphics are cartoon-like, that is what makes them so appealing ...

4. Using Old School Web Design
(Web Design/Web Design Tips and Articles)

... in the 1990’s was to fill in every piece of a webpage not occupied by text with animated gifs. We don’t see much of those anymore. Likewise gone are most of the sites with the long scrolling pages, jammed ...

5. Web Design: Font and Page Size
(Web Design/Web Design Tips and Articles)

... they are no longer in use.The first exhibit deals with font, text and page size. Font type and size. What a boring element to start with, but what an important ingredient in any written communication. ...

6. How to Write Policies and Procedures
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... section, break tasks down into the smallest parts possible, especially if they're complex tasks. Instead of abstract instruction, give instruction in the context of real tasks that the employees will have ...

7. Technical Communication and Programming: Internal and External Documentation
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... code, while external documents are needed to give context to the program itself. Internal documentation serves a basic function: it helps people more quickly and easily understand the code. This is accomplished ...

8. How to Use Metaphors in Web Site Design
(Web Design/Web Design Tips and Articles)

... a virtual scrapbook. Again, the designers could have simply created a series of pages and stuck text, sound files and a bunch of pictures on them, but then the site is just that: a bunch of pages with ...

9. Universal Usability and Culture
(Usability/Usability Tips, Lessons and Articles)

... relied on numerous examples which put the directions into a sort of context: a phenomenon called grounding. The implication then, is that a set of instructions following every rule to create "good" instructions ...

10. PowerPoint Tips
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... contrast between the background and the text. The important thing to see on a slide is the text, so make sure your audience can see it. And finally, make sure you have no grammar or spelling problems ...

11. When To Use Graphics
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... explain the process of tying your shoelaces with visuals when compared to text? If constructed correctly, you can successfully show someone the complete process without the use of any words at all. Visual ...

12. Resume Guide Part 3
(Resume Writing/Resume Writing Lessons)

... more buried in the text than it can be in a resume. A person reading a cover letter is willing to take more time to find the important information, just like you might when you read a magazine or newspaper ...

13. Minimum Functionality for Increased Usability
(Usability/Usability Tips, Lessons and Articles)

... a “proper” writing instrument for professional contexts, neither is durable, neither can easily produce the clean look that a “fine” point is able to, neither possesses the aesthetic qualities of more ...

14. How to Align Text
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

Along with several other elements on a page, the alignment of your text helps achieve the goals of technical communication (making the information easy to find and easy to read/understand). You need to ...

15. Technical Communication and Programming: Using Writing Rules
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... hobby. And while I cannot provide insight into better programming principles, I can offer guidance about writing those short pieces of text programmers always embed, but sometimes neglect. Helping students ...

16. Usability Testing: Tapping Task
(Usability/Usability Tips, Lessons and Articles)

... overload. Albers found that this occurs when web pages force participants to focus unnecessarily on the text. Instead of intuitively-named links, for example, links are difficult to understand. The information ...

17. How to Use Whitespace
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

White space is the term used to denote the space between objects on a page (web pages, printed pages, etc.). Look at figure 1, a paragraph of text in Times New Roman. There is no margin around the text, ...

18. How to Use Font Types: The Sequel
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

In the first lesson on font type I highlighted how they can be used to make information easier to understand, and how the look of the font accomplishes that. Here I'd like to discuss how fonts can actually ...

19. How to Use Font Type
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... and more easily distinguish the difference between the letters. Thus, the serifs in this case are a useful tool. When faced with longer, more complicated pieces of text, the differences stand out even ...

20. What Font Size to Use
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... information easy to find, and making it easy to understand. Depending on what context your information is being transmitted, certain font sizes are better to use than others. When writing information to ...

21. Consistency in Writing
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

... know exactly where to look, because by that time they understand what each textual element represents. Specific elements to check include: Headings and subheadings: font type and size, spacing above and ...

22. The Context of Communication
(Technical Communication/Technical Communication Lessons)

Closely tied to the decisions you make based on your audience, are decisions based on the context or situation from which your communication emerges. I'll use an example to explain what I mean. Let's ...