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Re: User Guides in Quark Express or InDesign

Subject: Re: User Guides in Quark Express or InDesign
From: Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
To: Karen Murri <kmurri -at- comcast -dot- net>
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2006 13:50:35 -0400

Hi Karen,

You're right about Word...not my favorite, but it does the job as long as you keep control and know how to work around it's quirks. I know Ken likes FrameMaker (and so do I for most things), but you have to work with what's on your plate. Just be thankful that you don't have to use Publisher for any of your documentation efforts.

Karen Murri wrote:

Not that I'm a big fan, but I've worked mostly in Word for the last ten
years and have figured out how to work with its, um, quirks.

Rule #1 - turn off ALL autoformatting functions
Rule #2 - use styles!
Rule #3 - put graphics inline with text as much as possible. Place them
using tables if you need a wrapped look.
Rule #4 - never use the bullet and numbering buttons - set them up as
styles. And don't base a new bullet/number style on an existing style unless
you've set them up as outlined.
Rule #5 - when you paste stuff in from another document, paste
special/unformatted text.
Rule #6 - keep a master document that no one but you is allowed to touch.
Don't use tracked changes in the master doc.
There's a great website http://word.mvps.org/ that gives all the hints and
work arounds for Word's quirks.

-Karen


--

Al Geist
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