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I'm a new and lone TW, about to begin my first software doc project,
having written only hardware manuals to date. I'm looking for advice on
the best settings and procedures to use when making screen captures, in
order to avoid problems with quality, size, resolution, etc. I haven't
found anything in the TW-L archives or on s/w developers' sites.
I will have to capture Windows, DOS text, and DOS graphics (yech!).
Output will be colour laser print and (possibly) PDF. Tools on Win98 SE
are Frame 6, Photoshop 5.0 LE, SnagIt, and Hypersnap DX 3 (I'm
evaluating the last two).
1. Does it matter what resolution my own screen is set at (640 x 480
versus 1024 x 768, e.g.)?
2. How do I relate on-screen image size to eventual print size, and will
I run into problems of image quality if I shrink or expand the original
captures? (*Should* I shrink or expand them, or is "lifesize" the best
approach?)
3. How do I ensure the screen captures are all of uniform size and
shape, when the captures may be done at various times, with the subject
windows sized and shaped differently?
4. Is there a "best" file format to save captures in?
5. What work habits make for efficiency in this part of doc creation?
6. What else should I consider?
Any and all tips, tricks, and best practices will be most gratefully
received.
Thank you,
Stuart Rogers
Technical Writer
Phoenix Geophysics Limited mailto:srogers -at- phoenix-geophysics -dot- com
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