Wow! Getting to be some activity on this list. I have been the newsletter
editor for our club for about two years, I use a Mac, PageMaker, PhotoShop &
Illustrator & others. I have some thoughts for newcomers, and experiences I
would like to share.
I have found that at any club event, I can go to most anyone and ask if they
would please write up the event for the newsletter. In 24 issues, I have only
been turned down once, and that person volunteered to write up the next event
(it helps if the person you ask has a computer and can give you an ASCII
file). I thank them in the newsletter & give them the by-line, and it really
helps. We print the meeting minutes in the newsletter & I insist the Club
Secretary give me an ASCII file (or e-mail the minutes).
If you ask eye-to-eye for any technical articles it helps. It is hard for
most people to say no in person.
Are any of you guys/gals into Adobe Acrobat? I complete the newsletter in
PageMaker (8 pages, lots of photos, generally about 6-8 megabytes worth of
stuff), make a PDF (Acrobat) file (generally about 200 kilobytes) and e-mail
it to my proof reader. After corrections, I then make the final changes to
the source file, make a 600 dpi PDF file (about 1.3 MB) for the Newsletter
Printer & a 72 dpi PDF file for archiving.
The Printer outputs the Acrobat file I e-mail them (I have already sent
stamps, dot-sealers & mailing labels earlier in the month), outputs the
newsletter on a 600 dpi copier, inserts the pages, folds the pages, seals,
labels & stamps the newsletters & returns them to me to mail them (you should
actually do the mailing to avoid screw-ups). Costs the club about $60 for 125
newsletters (plus the postage) and the newsletters look great.
I archive the 180-300 KB, 72 dpi file for future reprints (yea, the photos
are grainier, but reprints are possible!). The last 12 issues take only a
little over 3 MB on my computer (and I use lots of photos).
When you look at the Acrobat files on your screen, you see what will print...
I mean what will really print. It is really a comfort to know what you will
be getting, especially when you have someone else do the output.
My printer is Lanier Copy Control Center, and I think they have offices
nation-wide, and I assume any office can output the PDF files.
If anybody wants to go to http://www.adobe.com & wants to download Acrobat
Reader (if you don't already have it), I'll e-mail you the last issue & you
can check it out (it doesn't matter if you have a PC or Mac... one of the
beauties of Acrobat).
Finally, I got a "Video Capture Card" for my Mac, and I find that I can take
video at events, look for possible photos (only 90 frames to choose from in
about 5-6 seconds of capturing, hard to miss!) in the tape, capture them &
they look good in the newsletter. Very helpful with those "action" shots that
make for good eye-catchers.
FYI, good luck to all,
Dave Tietz - Florida Suncoast MG Car Club
PS I don't get paid... But we have one of the biggest, most active MG clubs
in the Southeast & I know the newsletter helps keep the spirit alive. I do
get thanks often, and that helps.
I am also the club webmeister, and you can see page one of the newsletter at:
http://members.aol.com/fsmgcc
Check it out!
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