How to “Back Out” a Timeline

“Backing out” a timeline is basically scheduling in reverse.

1. Take out a piece of paper and open your calendar.
2. Note the drop dead due date on your calendar. This is the date beyond which there is no wiggle room. Usually, this is the date when the client expects the product in their hands, or when a product has to go out for shipping or to the printer.
3. For safety, create a due date a few days before the real one. This is your personal target date so that you have time to deal with any potential problems without compromising your deadline.
4. Based on past experience with similar projects, create mini due dates for each stage of the project. For example, you may have due dates for rough concepts, another for drafts, another for creative review, another for proofs, and so on.
5. Look at the due dates for each stage. What exactly must you do to achieve your goal regarding this date? Do you need to research similar projects to create concepts? Make a list of what you need to get the job done. Examples might include gathering materials from other staff members or creating different pieces of the final products.
6. Next, for your mini due dates, schedule times that you will spend on each of the tasks on your list. For the example, create a timeline for when you should finish each portion of the project (i.e., if you finish cover ideas by Wed, you can finish a template by Thurs, and packaging materials by Fri). Make sure you leave enough time for your fellow staff or teammembers to respond to any requests or questions you may have.

Quick and Easy Combined PDF Files from Word documents

1. Open the folder that contains your files. If they are not already housed in one location, make a folder and drag all the files you want to PDF into it first.
2. Highlight all of the Word files.
3.  Right click, then choose the “Convert to Adobe PDF”.
4. For each file, there will be a popup that asks you to confirm thea filename you are saving as and the location. The default filename is identical to the Word document, and the default location is the same folder the word (source) file is in.
5. After you go through and convert each Word file into PDFs, highlight all of the PDF files. Right-click and choose “Combine supported files in Acrobat”. A dialog box will appear:
   a. You can add more files in case you missed one.
   b. You can arrange the files using the “Move Up” and “Move Down” to arrange the resumes. Keep in mind that the default order is alphabetical, so most of the time you just have to move the OIC to the top.
   c. Choose the file size that you would like (smaller for electronic, larger for print submission).
   d. Click “Next”.
6. Another dialog box appears. Leave “Merge files into a single PDF” selected and click “Create”. 
7. Another dialog box appears with a list of files and preview thumbnail. Once the file is done combining, you can use the preview pane on the right to check the order and that things look correct. Sometimes Word will generate a PDF that has trackchanges on or markup showing, in which case you want to go back and fix those files, then combine the PDFs again.  
8. If the preview looks good, go ahead and click “Save” and follow the prompts to save the file using the name and location of your choosing. Ta-da! Quick and easy combined PDFs.

About Document Structure

There are a few elements that appear in every document you create. Usually, a  document is a tree of elements, including a title, body, headings, subheads, tables, paragraphs, lists, etc. This “tree of elements” is your document’s hierarchy. Hierarchy is extremely important when creating accessible files because:

• It dictates the order of how things should be read and navigated.
• It provides information to the screen reader about how items are organized on the page, as well as how important they are.

The easiest way to creature a strong document structure is to use the technique of progressive enhancement, however this sounds easier in theory than in practice. Most designers focus on design aspects, then content, and structure last (if at all). As designers, we need to rethink our top-to-bottom approach and work from the bottom up. Using the method of “progressive enhancement”, we would start with a solid document structure and add styles and other design functionality for those who can use it. In a way, it is like thinking in layers in Photoshop. I like to think of document structure as layers of a cake. Start with the bottom (the cake), add the style (the frosting) and work your way to the fancy flourishes at top (the sugar roses and sprinkles).*

Begin with a solid document hierarchy by creating templates and styles for every project. Create a wireframe of your layout, or begin by creating your styles (heading levels, body text, lists, etc.) before you begin adding content. Next, add document content, including your copy and photos, and use the styles that you created to format your text. Be meticulous with your styles; you should never be manually formatting text. By using the styles, you are creating a reading hierarchy that will generate XML tags in a relatively quick and painless way. If you want to really step it up a notch, right click each image you place and add alternative text for those images. Lastly, focus on design.

Document structure is all about using the program’s features to “tag” objects with a semantic markup, as well as arrange them in their correct reading order on the back end. Remember–a better and more organized document structure will always create a better, more accessible file.

Document Structure Tips

• To simplify how you think about your document’s structure, aim to separate content from form. Ask yourself first “What is it?”, then “What does it look like?”
• Use progressive enhancement to think in layers and work from the bottom up. Start with document structure and organizational flow, next add your content, and lastly focus on the design that brings it all together.

*In case you were wondering, I picture a white cake with buttercream frosting and tons of sugar roses and swirls. What can I say? I had a lot of delicious grocery store birthday cakes when I was growing up.

Checking for Compliant Files in Acrobat Using the Accessibility Checker Options (Section 508, WCAG, and Adobe PDF)

In Adobe Acrobat, when you run an accessibility check you are given the option to select the criteria you would like to check your file against. I would like to explain what some of the various options can do, as well as when you should use each while working to create accessible PDF files.

Adobe PDF
Adobe PDF is the most lenient of the bunch, but it can be a nice jumping off point when you are working your initial drafts. For example, I will often run an Adobe PDF check to verify that it is ready to go to the next steps in compliance.  As a rule, if your PDF fails to pass an Adobe PDF check, it will not pass Section 508 or WCAG. So when you run your check and your tab order is off or your language is not specified, go back and check your work.

Section 508
In the U.S., when we create accessible files we are working to meet a set of criteria established by the Federal government as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Section 508 web site is chock full of great information about the requirements, but the accessibility checker in Acrobat can leave quite a bit to be desired. Most often, the checker will find no problems in the document but require quite a bit of manual verification. If you are not familiar with the requirements of 508, you can easily mistake a non-compliant file for a compliant one.

WCAG 1.0 & 2.0
WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, is series of Web accessibility guidelines published by the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative. When it comes to running an Adobe accessibility check, the WCAG reports that are generated have always been more detailed than the 508 reports. For example, a 508 check will not reveal problems associated with not have a language defined for the file while the WCAG will prompt you to change it. I have found WCAG to be far more useful when working with tables, which is interesting when considering that Section 508 also requires clearly defined headers and read order for tables. Also, although 1.0 appears in the accessibility checker as current, with the release of WCAG 2.0 in December 2008, you should not rely on passing 1.0 alone. The new WCAG standard is 2.0.

Putting it all together
As a general rule, you should not rely on the accessibility checker in Acrobat to verify that your document is accessible or complying with Federal regulations. A better course of action is to be proactive about familiarizing yourself with the different standards and using the checker as a tool rather than a certification of compliance. It is important to remember that just because the checker doesn’t detect any problems, the content still may not be fully accessible to someone using a screen reader. Checking your document on a screen reader (such as JAWS) will always be the best way to verify that your document is fully accessible. If you do not have access to a screen reader, you can use the “Read Out Loud” feature in Acrobat to verify that the document is being read in the proper order. You can also using the “Touch Up Reading Order” tools to check your document hierarchy, tags, and order. The reading order tool is especially useful when checking for artifacts, which will not be played when read out loud or detected when running the compliance checker. Can you imagine what would happen if you accidentally flagged an important graph as an artifact? (After a long day, it can happen!)

8 Steps to Checking Accessibility in Acrobat

When I am checking a file for 508 compliance, I practice the following steps:

1. I make sure to export a tagged, bookmarked document from the source file.
2. In Acrobat, I open the Document Properties and verify that the PDF is tagged. While in the dialog box, I make sure that the  filename is correct (not too long, no spaces or special characters), add the title and keywords, and specify the document’s language.
3. Use the “Touch Up Reading Order” tool and Tags pane to verify that things are tagged correctly and in their proper order. Use the Table Inspector to verify that tables are structured properly, and add any table descriptions.
4. Using my own checklist based on the different requirements, I review the file for errors (especially useful for things like color requirements, etc).
5. Run the accessibility checker for Adobe PDF and correct any errors until it passes.
6. Run the accessibility checker for 508 and correct any errors until it passes.
7. Run the accessibility checker for WCAG (1.0 and 2.0), correcting errors until it passes.
8. Finally, if the document has been especially tricky, play the document using the “Read Out Loud” feature.

Quick Post: 54 Mind-blowing Digital Paintings

54 Mind-blowing Digital Paintings @ PSDTUTS by Danny Outlaw

Challenge: Portrait made of fonts (and only fonts).

When I was in school, a professor assigned a self portrait made entirely out of type. It took hours, but the finished product was worth it. All of the portraits were hung in the hallway outside of the classroom, and I don’t think any other project garnered so many apathetic college students stopping dead in their tracks just to stare. Of course, I forgot all about this assignment until recently when I saw this: Dead Celebrities made out of fonts @ Geekologie.

Here’s how it works:

• Choose a photo that you want to use; it can be just your face or a full-body shot.
• You can use any font with any adjustments you can come up with from within your type editor. (Sorry, no dragging a letter into Illustrator and editing it until it fits your needs.)
• You can only use black and white.
• You can trace the letters, stencil the letters, or work directly on the computer.
• When you are done, the image should only be the black type on white background, or the reverse. Your actual photo should not be layered underneath. The idea is that you should be able to tell what it is without having to rely your photo.

If you have the time and the patience, this is a really fun project to work on. Plus, this is a much better conversation piece to hang on your wall than say, a clearance rack poster, or a moose head. Okay a moose head may spark more questions (unless you live in the Ozarks).

Quick Post: Crystal Apartment

This was an article that I saw awhile ago, but it was just so fantastic I had to post it. Can you imagine the sound your shoes would make walking around in there? I imagine it would sound like the crunchiest kind of snow (or glass?).

Roger Hiorns uses crystals to turn a bedsit into a kind of paradise

Quick Post: Linus Blanket, & Charitable Crafts

Linus Blanket at Urban Outfitters

Partial proceeds benefit Project Linus- an organization devoted to providing kids in need with some security when they need it most in the form of handmade blankets and afghans lovingly created by volunteers.

Great Charity Projects for Crafters

Project Linus
Headhuggers
Miracles Happen
Lion Brand Yarn Charity Connection

DIY: Sarah Jessica Parker’s pearls from the Sex and the City movie

A friend of mine recently sent me an eBay listing for the necklace that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in the above photo. I already have the rhinestone necklace that she is wearing (I picked it up at Claire’s in 1998; how is that for a throwback?). The seller was listing the necklace for $40, but I was convinced that I could produce the exact same thing for much cheaper. Even better, the description was extremely detailed.

Swarovski Pearl Long Necklace
This is like the one Carrie, or Sarah Jessica Parker, was wearing in the movie Sex and the City.

• It’s made with 8mm white pearls (104 of them) and 10mm (2 at the both ends) white pearls by Swarovski.
• Total length: 37″ (including the extension chain)
• Material: 8mm Swarovski White Pearls, 10mm Swarovski White Pearls, Gold-Plated Rondells, Clasp, and Chain

I took a trip over to Artbeads and looked up the items on my list. It went something like this:

5810 8mm Swarovski Pearl White	$0.11	Quantity: 104	$11.44
5810 10mm Swarovski Pearl White	$0.28	Quantity: 2	$0.56
5811 10mm Swarovski Large Hole Pearl White	$0.32	Quantity: 2	$0.64
Griffin Bead Cord 100% Silk – No. 1 (0.35mm) White	$1.25	Quantity: 1	$1.25
Gold-Filled 14K Open Jump Ring 0.025 x .110 inches (0.6 x 2.8mm)	$0.07	Quantity: 15	$1.05
Gold-Plated Mini Lobster Clasp	$0.21	Quantity: 1	$0.21
Subtotal:			$15.15
Total:			$15.15

I already own small needle-nose pliers and wire snippers. Shipping is always free, no matter how small or large the order.

Now I just think that is fantastic. This is just a straightforward stringing job that I can do while watching TV. I can be guaranteed of the quality since I am the one making it, and I can get the look for much less. If you have other jewelry that you love but the price is out of reach, look into how much it would be to make it yourself. If you have questions, please feel free to email me.