I'm Back!

Seven certificates and one program later, I'm finished with the forms (some fillable, some not) and the banquet program that the state society needed for the conference, which is next weekend. Members of the FSGS have put in long hours trying to make this conference a standout. I'm hoping they have a roaring success on their hands. With the certificates and program, I've been able to participate even though I'm unable to attend the conference.

During all of this mass production, I did realize one thing that I was doing that might be of interest to anyone who reads this blog.

Color Sampling and Filling
If you look back at the sample certificates I posted earlier, they all include color. The certificates use different layouts; however, they all have cells filled with a color that matches another color in the certificate.

• For Orange Blossoms, I sampled a green in the leaves to create the green borders.
• For Pioneer Border and Pioneer Stripe, I sampled blues in the society seal to create the blue on blue border.

Long ago, I learned that you can't guess at these colors. Something that looks great on a computer screen can look awful in print and match nothing.

I use Paint to sample the color that I want to insert into a Word document, frequently filling the cell of a table with color.

To sample a color: 

1. Confirm that you have the color version of the graphic for which you want to sample colors. The graphic needs to have any of the following extensions: .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .png, or .tif. 
2. Open Paint (select Start, All Programs, Accessories, and then Paint). 
3. Open the graphic (select File, Open, and then open the graphic). For example, in my case, I was opening a color scan of the state society seal.
4. Click the color picker tool, and then click a color in the graphic. Color 1 in the Colors group updates to that color. 
5. Click the Edit colors button. The Edit Colors dialog appears.
6. Look for the Red, Green, and Blue numbers. The numbers you see are the formula for the color.
   
   See Much Ado About Graphic Software...Part 6 for information on tools and colors for older versions of Paint. 
7. Jot down the three numbers. Be sure to note which is red, green, and blue.

To insert the color in a Word table: 

1. Open a Word document, and add a table with three columns and three rows. 
2. Right-click in the center cell of the table. A pop-up menu appears.
3. Select Borders and Shading to display the Borders and Shading dialog.
4. Click the Shading tab in the dialog. 
5. Locate the Apply to field and select Cell from the drop-down list. 
6. Locate the Fill field, and click the drop-down arrow beside it. The Theme Colors pop-up appears.
7. Click More Colors. The Colors dialog appears.
8. Click the Custom tab. 
9. Enter the Red, Green, and Blue numbers you jotted down for the color formula, and then click OK. The dialog closes.
   
10. Click OK on the Borders and Shading dialog. Word adds the color to the center cell of the table. 

This example isn't very realistic or practical. However, if you look at the sample certificates  you can see how I used color sampling and the fill option in Word to create frames and stripes for the certificates.

Assuming that nothing more is needed for the state conference, I should be back to my regular posting. So if you have questions, please send them along.