1. In Photoshop open a new canvas.

2. Go to Filter > Render > 3D transform. A new window will open over the canvas. Click on the button that looks like a cube and drag a cube. Just click somewhere on the top left portion of the edit window and drawn it down to the right.

3. Use the Trackball Tool to rotate the cube. This tool looks like a ball with an arrow going around it. Keep rotating the cube until you see at least two gray sides. If you keep going you will see three sides. When you get the cube positioned the way you want it, click OK. The cube will now be on your canvas.

4. Select the Magic Wand Tool and make sure your setting are: Tolerance 1-The Contiguous, and Use all Layers Boxes should be the only ones checked.

5. With the Magic Wand Tool select one side of the cube. Go to Image > Adjustment > Hugh/Saturation. (Make sure the colors is checked.) Use the sliders to adjust the color to your preferences. Repeat on all sides of the cube.

6. If you want to get really creative you can add, drop shadows, inner and outer glows, it looks very cool.

Just a side note ... Make sure you do not make the new canvas in Grayscale. I say this because I tried the tutorial in one of my classes. Gee was I red faced when it would not work; it only took me three tries to notice Photoshop was set on Grayscale. Oh well, my students were entertained, and they are now aware of this potential oversight and will remember it.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/30/2005 04:46:00 PM / Permanent Link  

You just purchased your first beautifully designed template, with external .css from BasicTemplates.com. So how do you get it into Dreamweaver?

1. First you will need to define your site in Dreamweaver, so that you will have a place to store files.

2. Open up your template package zip file with your unzip software. When you open it you will see a sub-folder, named accordingly and associated with the template you purchase (something like 408). Open this file and you will see three more files: an "imges" directory, a CSS file (btstyle408.css) and an HTML file (index.html). Go to file in the menu bar and click on > Select All. Then choose Copy. Be sure you do not choose Cut or you will lose your original template. You did make a backup copy, right? :-)

3. Using WIndows Explorer, open up your Dreamweaver file from your My Documents folder. Then go to File > Paste.

4. Startup Dreamweaver. Open the site by going to File > open > MyDocuments > Sitename. Click on Open. You are now ready to work on your new website.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/30/2005 03:06:00 PM / Permanent Link  

Looking for beauty salon web templates? Check out the HTML CSS Web Templates and Web Graphics we have available. Summertime is the best time to start working our your salon's website; while many of your customers are on vacation.

> Beauty Salon Web Templates

> View our entire Website Templates Gallery.

// posted by BasicBeca on 6/30/2005 01:54:00 PM / Permanent Link  

Can You Relate to Any of These Questions?

- Will you be developing a number of websites in the near future?

- Is your competition kicking your butt?

- Have you been thinking about trying out our designs and services?

- Do you enjoying taking advantage of reduced rates on an already value-packed service?

- Will you have extra time this holiday weekend to get a jump start on your next design projects?

- Is hiring another designer for your projects not in your business' financial budget?

- Are you looking for easy-to-use designs that are "effective", affordable, and don't require expensive software to use?

- Do you often wonder why your website visitors do not stay longer on your website?

- Are you spending too much time at your computer designing when you would rather be enjoying more time with your family and friends?

- Do you want to increase your sales volume without substantially increasing your expenses and time?

- Are you tired of hobb-knobbing from template to template resource site only to find that the designs are difficult to use or make changes to, over priced, under developed, disorganized, and loaded down with excessive code and graphics which are not effective for any website - including your own?

- Are you a current member looking for a chance to get a deep-dish discount on your next renewal?

- Have you been searching for quality, reasonably priced interchangeable graphics or header graphics?

- Are you one of the many hundreds of folks who have been waiting for another one of our explosive sales events?


If so, Don't Miss our FREEdom Sales Event scheduled to begin on July 1st.

IMPORTANT: Our newsletter subscribers will get the best values, so subscribe now - it's free!

// posted by BasicBeca on 6/29/2005 07:45:00 AM / Permanent Link  

There are many types of home baseds businesses that can be started with little money or overhead. Others will require a small to medium amount of working capital. You may need to purchase equipment and/or software, purchasing inventory, and perhaps you may need to rent a storefront. One thing is certain, you will still need money to live on even if your business is not making money yet. How can you manage this? Here are a few options you may want to consider.

1. Getting Help from a Commercial Bank: The problem that you may incur with consulting a bank is that they may not want to give you the loan if you do not have collateral or prior experience in running a business.

2. Small Business Administration: This organization does not loan the money to you but they find loans that you must guarantee to repay. You must show cash flow to repay the loan.

3. Home Equity Loans: If you own property, this type of bank load is most likely the easiest to get, and right now you can get them with low interest rates. Think long and hard on this option. The question you need to ask yourself, "Is do you want to risk your home to start up your new business?"

4. Cash Advances from Credit Cards: This is a quick way to get cash. Beware however. The down site on this option is the high interest rate. Also just one late payment, even by one day in most cases, can cost you a not only a late fee but possibly a higher interest rate.

4. Leasing: You may also want to consider leasing equipment such as a new computer, fax machines, copiers, etc. This would help to cut down on start up costs, but in the long run would cost more than buying the items outright.

In summary, you need to very careful in calculating your startup costs, and do not underestimate it. Add 10% for cost fluctuations. Sit down and make a check list of all the things that you will need to start your business, including your advertising cost. Advertising is some manner is a must and is often an expense area that is overlooked.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/29/2005 07:31:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Do you have your business cards with you all the time? You never know when you are going to meet a contact who could become a potential client. There may be a new client on every street corner, in the line at the bank or the corner market.

A friend of mine who is a contractor came up with an inexpensive marketing plan; it helps him and it helps me. I maintain his web site, design his business cards, stationary, etc. I carry my business cards with me and I carry his. He carries mine. This may sound silly to you, but it works well.

When someone comes to my home office and tells me they really like the way it looks, I tell them who did my work and give them his business card. If he is with a client, and they say "Wow, I really love your web site!" or "Your business cards are really nice.", he gives them my business card. Guess what? We are referring business to one another and it costs us nothing but 20 seconds of our time. It also shows our clients that we care and wish to help them in anyway we can.

Since this worked out well with my contractor friend, I began to carry other business cards of friends too.

This concept is neither high tech, nor a traditional marketing strategy, but it is a good way to make contacts and get new business. Networking with other quality businesses illustrates good business ethics and everyone wins: you, your partnering businesses and your customers.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/28/2005 08:03:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Try this splattered text technique with your next graphic design project.

1. Start PhotoShop and create a new document. Type something in a bold type. Your font of choice.

2. Go to Filters >Distort > Glass. Under Texture, select Ccanvas and set scale to 100%. Then play around with the sliders until you get something that you like.

3 Go to Filters > Brush Strokes > Spatter. Play around with the sliders until you see something that appeals to you.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/27/2005 11:29:00 AM / Permanent Link  

The first step in building your website is defining your site. In this mini tutorial we will be working with Dreamweaver MX. The steps for other versions of this software will be slightly different.

1. Open Dreamweaver MX. In the tool bar select Site > New Site. (In this tutorial I will be using the basic site definition, so make sure you have clicked on the basic tab or you will not be seeing what I am talking about.) Here you will see a space for the site name. I always use the company or name of the person that I am designs the for. Click Next.

2. The next screen will ask you if you want to use server technology. Most often you will choose No. Click Next.

3. On the next screen you will be asked, "How do you want to work with your files during development?" You will want to choose Edit local copies on my machine, then upload to server when ready. Then you are asked, "Where on your computer do you want to store your files?" By default you will see something like this:C:\Documents and Settings\Ann\My Documents\Unnamed Site 2. You would want to change it to something like this C:\Documents and Settings\Ann\My Documents\BasicAnn\. The last part would be the company or person you are doing the site for. If you leave the default location: Unnamed Site2, Unnamed Site3, ect it will get very confusing. Click the Next button.

3. On the next screen you will be asked the following:

How do you want to connect to your remote server? Select FTP from the drop down box.

What is the host name or FTP address of you website? Enter the hostname (example: www.yourwebsite.com) or IP address (Example: 256.000.256.000)

What folder on the server do you want to store your files in? Your hosting service may or may not have folder assigned here, you will need to check with them.

What is your FTP Login/Password? Enter the information that your hosting service gave you.

What is your FTP Password? Enter the information that your hosting service gave you.

Then Test the connection. This will let you know if you have entered the right information. After the test is successful, click next. If the test is not successful, go back over the information above for accuracy.

4. On the next screen you will be asked if you want to use Check In/Out. Normally you will not unless you are working on the site with others. Click Next.

5. This last screen is an overview of the information that you just filled in. Click Finish.

Dreamweaver has a FTP client built right into it, which makes it easy to publish to the web. However, by default, FTP is set to disconnect at 30 minutes. If you have dial up you will most likey have to change this. You can change this setting by going to Edit > Preferences > Site.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/27/2005 10:21:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Silhouettes make a great attribute for a company logo template. They are "basic" {pun intended}, they conform with the KISS concept (Keep it Simple Stupid), they take less printer ink (color), and they load super fast if you optimize them for the web.

15 Logo Templates (#221 thru 235) were added. The new design themes are: silhouettes, women, teen, friends, model, feminine, virtual assistant, dating service, DJ, music, photography, software, CD, diskette, files, email, gaming, PC tools, Rx, thumbs up and reminders.

> Browse our entire gallery of Print-Ready Logo Templates in PSD Format.

As always access to all of our Logo Templates is free to subscribing members even without the interchangeable graphics addon service. Listen to our Audio Presentation for more info.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/27/2005 07:47:00 AM / Permanent Link  

What a great idea for all travel agencies and travel related websites and just in time for the vacation crush here in the northern hemisphere.

25 Header Graphics with Troipical Vacations & Resorts themes [Product ID: G14] were recently added. These headers are 725x200px and are provided in .JPG format. View this Web Graphics Package.

> Browse our entire collection of Interchangeable Swap-Out Header Graphics.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/27/2005 07:37:00 AM / Permanent Link  

When I first started working from home the hardest things for me to do was stay on task, get organized and develop a routine. These are the top three things that can keep you from succeeding.

Because we are designers we have a tendency to simply want to start designing. That is what many of us were born to do. It's in our blood. If you are anything like me, once I get into designing something I look up and find that hours have passed by, and I did not make any of those business contacts I was suppose to accomplish that day. Oops!

How do you avoid this? Develop a routine. My work day goes something like this:

The very first thing that I do while sipping my morning coffee is check and answer my email. Then I do go over my notes from the previous day to see who I need to call back. I make all the necessary calls, and then check back to my notes to see if I have any meetings.

I personally like to get all of the business activities out of the way in the morning. That way when I get lost in my passion, I don’t have to worry about forgetting to call someone back or answer an email or worse yet ... forget a meeting.

I also let the answering machine pick up the calls, so I can stay on task, and then check the machine periodically.

I have even set a lunch time, 12:00pm-1:00pm. I eat and watch “Judging Amy” during this break. After lunch I check the answering machine, email and answer as needed. I keep a notebook with things that need to be done each day, and check them off as they are done.

Before I close up shop, I make sure all of the filing is done and everything is in it’s place. To me there is nothing more irritating than a messy office in the morning.

This may not work for you. But the main things that I found works which work best for me is to stay organized, focused and stick with my routine.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/22/2005 01:18:00 PM / Permanent Link  

Many freelance web designers are working from home these days. What do you need to start your own web design business?

Here is a short list that will help you.

1. You will need to set aside a work space away from the rest of the household. This will spare you from the distractions. I was lucky to have a spare room, which was my daughter's play room. She is now 16 so her bedroom is her haven.

2. Consider which HTML editing and design software to purchase. Those of us who have been in the business for a while know that Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop are currently the best design software options. But when you are starting out these programs may not be in the budget. A good alternative would be Microsoft FrontPage for HTML page designing and PaintShop Pro for graphic design projects. FrontPage has its disadvantages, but it will work well for you initially.

3. You will also need to invest in some type of accounting software, QuickBooks Pro is the best, but a less expensive one is Microsoft Money. Money does not have all the cool options for Invoices, etc., but it will help you track your money, ie. profits/losses. Utilizing a good accounting software to keep track of your business finances is critical. Your finance organization has a direct impact on your business' success. Do not cut corners here.

4. You will also need some type of office suite like Microsoft Office. If MS Office is not in your budget there are many other office suites that work well. You will also need to check with your County Clerks Office to see if you need a vendors license; it varies from state to state. If you are located outside of the U.S., check with your city, providence, or township laws for required licenses for new businesses.

5. The installation of a second phone line is beneficial. If this is not affordable for you, most phone companies offer a special ring number (at no extra charge) that is a different phone number from your home number and has a special ring to it.

6. Invest in an inexpensive fax machine.

7. If high-speed internet service is available in your area, I would highly suggest it. It came into my local area last summer, and it is an assest when uploading a site, or downloading software updates. If it is not available in your area or is not in the budget yet, dial-up works just fine; I used it for years.

8. This is a very important necessity. Get your design business online with a quality but simple website. This is where a BasicTemplates membership can help you. You can quickly and easily personalize your own website and use the templates in your membership account to develop websites for your clients with very little overhead and a huge return on investment.

9. Purchase a domain name. Some of them are very costly. I use GoDaddy.com . They are affordable for any budget, and if you find yourself with a technical problem, they have phone tech support to assist you.

10. Look for great values in website hosting. Here's one you simply cannot beat: Get 40GB of transfer for only $7.95.

So it looks like you are good to go! Let the adventure begin.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/22/2005 12:28:00 PM / Permanent Link  

To create a Star Burst Effect in PhotoShop:

1. Create a new document with a default white-filled background. Make sure that it is a square (ie: 250x250)

2. Add a new transparent layer on top of the background and make sure that it is active. 3. Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool, make several vertical rectangular areas across the layer and color fill them. (Edit > Fill). Be creative. Make them Thin Thick.

4. At the menu bar go to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates. Click on next. Go to Rectangular > Polar. Then click OK.

This will produce a starburst effect with hard edges.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/21/2005 06:12:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Many years ago I used to keep up with the latest Internet news and trends by subscribing to email newsletters and visiting blogs - one by one. I still subscribe to a dozen or so of my favorite newsletters, but the real time saver for me is subscribing to RSS news feeds from my favorite websites. I simply open my RSS Reader and it updates all the feeds I subscribed to in the background while I work. A few minutes later, all the news I ever wanted to read is right on my desktop. {sigh} Don't you just love technology?

What is RSS? RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. To read an RSS feed, you need an RSS Reader which is similar to newsgroup software but not quite the same as it is so much better. Basically, RSS enables you to pull in (or syndicate) news summaries from your favorite web sites.

Subscribing to an RSS feed is as easy as copying the URL feed into your RSS reader. Just look for the little orange XML icon on the website you want to syndicate. If your RSS Reader is open (running in the background on your system) some advanced readers will alert you when you visit a site that has an available feed.

Then all you need do is right click on the orange XML icon and choose "Copy Shortcut". Go to your RSS reader software, create a new channel and the URL in your clipboard will be auto-pasted into the URL field.

If you don't have an RSS Reader, then there are a number of great web-based services that are free or for a small fee. Yahoo email has had their RSS service integrated with their email service for well over a year and it works just fine.

BasicTemplates.com has an RSS feed to this blog. So if you are not reading this post from your desktop with your reader, now you know that you can. And you can keep up with our blog posts without having to actually visit our blog. Your RSS reader will automatically let you know as soon as we post a blog entry or you can subscribe to be notified by email, IM, or any wireless device (like your cell phone).

You can subscribe to our blog feed using any of the feed icons and/or services listed at the top of every page in our blog.

Oh, the times are changing and it's so exciting. We have seen a tremendous increase in our RSS subscriptions (a free service, btw) just over the last six months. Now more than 4,000 readers syndicate our RSS blog feed every month and our blog has only been online for just over a year. Amazing. One day I suspect that RSS subscriptions (which again are completely free) will surpass our newsletter subscribers. I'll do the happy dance when that happens. Although I think newsletters via email are an effective communication tool, I really love my RSS and the technology that's coming due to its development which is just around the corner. More on that at another time. ;)

// posted by BasicRic on 6/20/2005 09:12:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Could we possibly have more print-ready Logo Templates? You bet! See what happens when customers ask? We listen to the max.

15 Logo Templates (#206 thru 220) were added. The new design themes are: pets, cat, dog, dice, games, joker, dominoes, building blocks, dance, men, happy, silhouettes, jump, energetic, happy dance, and surprise.

> Browse our entire gallery of Print Ready Logo Templates in PSD Format.

As always access to all of our Logo Templates is free to subscribing members even without the interchangeable graphics addon service. Listen to our Audio Presentation for more info.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/20/2005 08:15:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Just in time for the summer season ... 25 Header Graphics with vegetables themes [Product ID: G13] were recently added. These headers are 725x200px and are provided in .JPG format. View this Web Graphics Package.

> Browse our entire collection of Interchangeable Swap-Out Header Graphics.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/20/2005 08:05:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Don't simply throw away your old CDs or DVDs. The data you have on them is still there and could fall into the hands of the wrong person.

First let me tell you how NOT to destroy this type media and why. I learned the hard way. ;)

I had heard that intentionally scratching a CD or DVD to damage it was not a secure enough means to destroy the data on it. So I tried breaking it; you know, snapping it in half. :O

Oh, it works; but too well. The sharp plastic pieces and fine metallic film covering the disc flew everywhere. Imagine my surprise when it was raining plastic and metallic film.

Since I walk around my home office in my bare feet, that's not good. It's also not good when my dog's snout frequently grazes the office floor for miniscule Pop-Tart crumbs I might have dropped.

So learn from my mistake. When you snap a CD or DVD in half to destroy it, wrap it in an old towel first and then hold it over your trash can. Note that a broken CD or DVD is sharp, so be careful not to cut yourself.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/18/2005 08:58:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Since I know that not all customers (and visitors) at BasicTemplates.com are at the same design level, I will be offering some Photoshop info and tips ranging from very basic {pun intended}, to some really cool advanced techniques.

This first tip is in answer to a phone call I received the other day. It was a simple question, "How do I resize my photo in PhotoShop?" She had been all over the menu bar in the software, and could not find the feature.

As much as I love PhotoShop, I wonder what they were thinking when they designed their software interface. To resize an image in PhotoShop 6.0, go to the Help section. Under Help and at the very bottom, you will find Resize Image. The Resize Image Wizard will walk you though the remaining steps.

If you do not find it, go to Help and Downloadables. You can download it there.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/18/2005 08:30:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Windows 2000 will move into Extended Support after June 30th.

What this means is support for Internet Explorer 5.01 with Service Pack 3 and Internet Explorer 6 with Service Pack 1 running on Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 will expire.

What Windows 2000 users need to do is make sure they upgrade to Service Pack 4 in order to receive security updates.

For more info visit the Microsoft Web Site.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/18/2005 08:08:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Microsoft just announced that they have released a test version of a new professional graphics tool. The codename is Acrylic.

They have created an innovative illustration, painting and graphics tool that provides exciting creative capabilities for designers working in print, web, video, and interactive media or so says Microsoft.

In other words, Microsoft is developing it to compete with Adobe Photoshop and other powerful graphics programs.

Right now you can download and try this Beta release for free.

I think I'll give it a try tonight. The only thing I have to lose is hours of time "playing with my new toy".

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/17/2005 06:54:00 PM / Permanent Link  

Earlier this week I wrote an overview on How to Copy/Paste from Microsoft Word into Dreamweaver.

Sometimes Word can create unneeded and unwanted code when you Copy/Paste. You need to clean that code. This is very simple in Dreamweaver. Open Dreamweaver and go to the menu bar. Click on Command and below it you will see, "Clean up Word HTML". Click on this and a box will pop up. Sometimes it will say, "Dreamweaver cannot detect version of Word", so if you see this message, simply click on 2000/2002. Most people are still using these versions. This is especially important to do if the Word document has been saved as a web page.

Additionally, when you Copy/Paste from any source you should clean the code. Unneeded code can cause you problems in the future, and it can effect the page load time.

After all, quick page load and effective web design is what BasicTemplates is all about.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/17/2005 11:51:00 AM / Permanent Link  

As you know BasicTemplates offers corresponding PSD files (templates) to their HTML-CSS Templates as an optional purchase. If you are just starting out or if you are a home user on a limited budget, Adobe PhotoShop is not always an affordable option. Great news! There is a budget friendly option PaintShop Pro. It has many of the same PhotoShop functions.

So now that you have found an affordable option to Adobe PhotoShop, the next time you buy a HTML-CSS Template from BasicTemplates go ahead and get the corresponding PSD file too. This will make your experience with us even better.

For example, purchasing the PSD file will allow you to change pictures such as in our HTML-CSS Templates in the Animals Category #0091T. You could add your favorite kitty on the header graphic, change colors, add or remove text.

Web Designers: Imagine how impressed your customers will be when you are able to add their product specific photographs to a BasicTemplates header graphic and present it to them. HTML-CSS Template #0408T is a good example. It is a beautiful design for contractors, but if your client sells and builds log home like my client does, just put resized photos of your client's log homes in the header instead of the layered images in the PSD file. Trust me, your clients will be dazzled!

So go for it - get that PSD File!

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/17/2005 10:53:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Along with Backing up Your Computer Files, keeping your computer healthy with regular scheduled maintenance is just as important.

As a designer my computer is the means by which I make my living. If you own a website or are also a designer, your computer is likely one of your biggest business assets. I tell my students that PC Maintenance is just as important as maintenance on your car; it keeps everything running smooth.

Here are a few tips to keep you computer running like a champ.

The very first thing that I emphasize is having good anti-virus protection. This is so important because a virus can take your computer down in a heartbeat, so to speak. Probably the two most recognized are Norton and McAfee. McAfee runs about $29.95 and Norton is more expensive but they offer a package called Norton System Work. It’s a really helpful tool to keep your PC healthy. Not only does it offer Anti-Virus protection, but it also includes utilities to find and fix problems. I would suggest that you keep your virus fighting software updated every day and run the virus scan at least once a week. They are set up so they should detect incoming virus, but once a week is still a good plan.

The next thing that I emphasize is Adware protection. Adware is an every increasing problem, probably even more than a virus. Your system gets pounded with adware whenever it is connected to the Internet. Most people are unaware of this unfortunate fact. Eventually, it will slow your computer down to the point that some programs may freeze up. There are several free products out there that you can download, including AdAware, Spybot Search and Destroy and Microsoft also has a beta that you can download. The free adware zapping tools work very well. I run all three because one may find something that the other does not. I also run one that I paid for called XoftSpy. It is very powerful, and you have techs that are on call to answer any questions. So I really run four. This may seem excessive, but they all detect something the other overlooked.

How often should you run the adware - spyware programs? I recommend once a day - either every morning or in the evening before you close up shop. If you have high speed internet access, I suggest running the programs in the morning, because you are connected 24/7. It is surprising how much junk you can get in the middle of the night.

The next maintenance practice you should get into the habit of doing is running your defrag. You should run it at least once a week or anytime that you install a new program. If you can’t remember how to run it, the easiest way is to go to your Start menu, go to help and then support. In the search box, type in "defrag". This will get you where you need to be.

The last subject I would like to touch on is deleting files, folders and programs that you do not use. Unused programs take up space that you could be utilizing more effectively. Make sure that you run a defrag after removing any program.

I hope you find this helpful. I know as designers we all tend to do what we love to do, and things like system maintenance is generally at the top of our procrastination list. I must admit I did not do all this on a regular basis until I stared to teach my basic computer classes. It was like a wake up call to me and I hope it will help you realize the importance of PC health too.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/16/2005 11:45:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Did you ever wonder what the button on your keyboard that looks like the Windows Logo between the “Ctrl” and “Alt” buttons did? When I was a computer newbie, I know I looked at that button for years and wondered. Well, now you will know too.

Windows Logo button will display or hide the Start menu

Windows Logo+BREAK will display the System Properties dialog box

Windows Logo+D will display the desktop

Windows Logo+M will minimize all open windows

Windows Logo+SHIFT+M will restore the minimized windows

Windows Logo+E will open My Computer

Windows Logo+F will search for a file or a folder

CTRL+Windows Logo+F will search for computers on your network

Windows Logo+F1 will display Windows Help

Windows Logo+R will open the Run dialog box

Windows Logo+U will open Utility Manager

Pretty cool, huh? I hope you will find these little tips fun and helpful. Here at BasicTemplates.com we are all about saving you time and money.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/16/2005 08:12:00 AM / Permanent Link  

These are General Windows Keyboard shortcuts that are for Windows XP Operating Systems but for the most part can be used with any windows-based program. You will likely find a shortcut you didn't know about; I did. Don't feel overwhelmed with this list. Pick one shortcut every week and practice using it until it becomes second nature to you. It will indeed save you tons of time.

CTRL+C will copy the selected item

CTRL+X will Cut the selected item

CTRL+V will Paste the selected item

CTRL+Z will Undo the previous action

DELETE will Delete the selected item

SHIFT+DELETE will delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin

CTRL while dragging an item will copy the selected item

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item will create a shortcut to the selected item

F2 key will Rename the selected item such as a folder or document

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW will move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word, in a document

CTRL+LEFT ARROW will move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word in a document

CTRL+DOWN ARROW will move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph in a document

CTRL+UP ARROW will move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph in a document

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys will highlight a block of text

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys will select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document

CTRL+A will select all text in a document or web page

F3 key will open the search for a file or a folder when used on the desktop

ALT+ENTER will let you view the properties for the selected item

ALT+F4 will close the active item, or quit the active program

ALT+ENTER will display the properties of the selected object

ALT+SPACEBAR will open the shortcut menu for the active window

CTRL+F4 will close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously, like Microsoft Word

ALT+TAB This let you switch between the open items

ALT+ESC This allow you to cycle through items in the order that they had been opened

F6 key will allow you to cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F4 key will display the Address Bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer

SHIFT+F10 will display the shortcut menu for the selected item

ALT+SPACEBAR will display the System menu for the active window

CTRL+ESC will display the Start menu

F10 key will display the menu bar in the active program

RIGHT ARROW will open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu after using F10

LEFT ARROW will open the next menu to the left, or open a submenu after using F10

F5 key will update the active window

BACKSPACE allow you to view the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer

ESC will cancel the current task

SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive will prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/15/2005 07:21:00 AM / Permanent Link  

1. Place your mouse cursor at the beginning of the text you want to copy in Word.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button, while pulling your mouse over the text. This will highlight the text.

3. Release the left mouse button.

4. With the text still highlighted go to File on the menu bar and click on Copy.

5. Go to Dreamweaver, place the mouse cursor in the area that you want the text to be placed, click the left mouse button.

6. In Dreamweaver go to File on the menu bar and click on Paste. The text will now copy into the area that you indicated.

Shortcuts:

To Highlight: Press 'Ctrl' + 'A'. Note: This will highlight everything on the page

To Copy: Highlight an area, as shown above, then hold 'Ctrl' + 'C'

To Paste: Click your mouse where you want the text pasted, and then press 'Ctrl' + 'V'

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/14/2005 10:20:00 AM / Permanent Link  

I would like to take this time to introduce all of our blog readers to our newest BasicTemplates.com team member: BasicAnn

BasicAnn is from Ohio, and she brings with her many years of computer related experience in the travel and health care industries. She is knowledgable in many areas of computers and design. She also teaches computer related classes within her local school district.

You will be seeing a consistent flow of new and helpful design and computer related tips from BascAnn for newbies and as a memory jog for all experienced computer users and website owners.

BasicAnn's first blog entry, Backup Your Files!, is a reminder to all of the importance of this simple, preventative step which "we can control".

So welcome aboard BasicAnn. I'm on my way to do some backups myself. ;-)

// posted by BasicRic on 6/13/2005 10:30:00 AM / Permanent Link  

I used to find myself very guilty of not performing the backup ritual on a regular basis - until the nightmare from last summer. Nearly all of us put this task on the back burner, promising ourselves we will "do it tomorrow”. We never think that we could wake up tomorrow morning, get that cup of coffee, sit down at the computer to start our day, and discover the computer will not boot. Well, there goes that website you worked on until midnight last night to get finish for your newest client. Those hours and designs are gone forever.

Even if you have a new computer or hard drive it can still happen to you. There are several causes of data loss other than the hard drive crashing. You could get a virus, which happened to me and my new hard drive last summer (The nightmare from last summer.), a power surge, (Yes, surge protectors can fail.), or a lightning strike. Sometimes simple unforeseen things can wipe out your system. A friend of mine's new puppy chewed through the power cord on her laptop, and her computer system was fried. Don't worry. The puppy is fine but tends to back away from power cords now.

I learned my lesson since last summer's nightmare. I back up almost every night, not everything, just the work I have completed or started that day.

There are many types of external storage, Zip Drives, External Hard Drives, DVD-RW, CD-RW and online backup storage such as Iomega iStorage. When you choose external storage, you need to weigh cost and convenience against the amount of information you plan to back up. I work between My Zip Drive and my CD-RW, depending on what I am backing up.

For example I have all of my Websites on CD-RW, one for each site. All of my Templates from BasicTemplates are on Zips. You need to do what works for you. Just make sure you backup! Save yourself from a nightmare that you can prevent, and get on with that new design and life!

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/13/2005 09:16:00 AM / Permanent Link  

Yes, you asked for it. But as always, we over-do-it or as some folks often say, "BasicTemplates goes far beyond the concept of over delivering!". {big grin}

TIP: Did you know our Logo Templates have a 300 dpi resolution? They are suitable for print projects such as letterhead, business cards, brochures, postcards, etc. Of course, you can optimized them for your web design projects too. Just because they are delivered in high res format does not mean they cannot be used as other web design elements.

15 Logo Templates (#191 thru 205) were added. The new design themes are: globe, broken heart, dice, clover, sphere, grid, building blocks, crown, decorative, black/white, rocket, shell, shooting star, and dog training.

> Browse our entire gallery of Print Ready Logo Templates in PSD Format.

Oh, I should also mention that our Logo Design Templates are free to subscribing members. Listen to our Audio Presentation for more info.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/13/2005 07:21:00 AM / Permanent Link  

125 Gradient Header Graphics in some of the most popular colors [Product ID: G12] were added. These header web graphics are 750x75px and are provided in .JPG format. View this Web Graphics Package.

Easily use these gradient graphics by adding your own text, logo, etc. to them with your graphic software of choice. They are a huge timesaver for the time conscious designer or web site owner.

These Web Headers and many more are interchangeable with our HTML-CSS Web Templates. Simply swap-out the existing web headers in our templates with a new header from any of our many Header Graphics packages, and it changes your template theme and/or template appearance within seconds at a very low cost to you.

> Browse our entire collection of Swap-Out Header Graphics.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/13/2005 07:08:00 AM / Permanent Link  

We are in the process of re-categorizing our "Profession Specific" web template category in our Web Template Gallery. You will see some changes taking place this week, if you haven't already. Don't worry. We do not anticipate this to be a long project as it was the last time. Basically, {pun intended} we are slimming down the once very large Profession Specific category into smaller, themed categories for quicker accessibility by our customers.

Additionally, "Floral" Web Templates will be renamed to "Flowers", "Jewels-Gemstones" will be renamed to "Jewelry". So if you have any of these bookmarked, you may want to re-bookmark them.

Please report any errors you might find, as you did before. It could simply be that you hit our template gallery during a change in process or we messed up. ;)

// posted by BasicRic on 6/13/2005 06:45:00 AM / Permanent Link  

A recent tech support question brought back some old memories that I thought I'd share with you today. I had completely forgotten about it. If you are new to web design then you might be struggling with the question, "Do I want to learn web design or graphic design?"

Don't worry, you are not the first newbie web designer to make this decision. After all, it seems overwhelming to envision yourself trying to learn both at the same time. Trust me, I am aware of how that feels. I personally struggled with this decision for months way back in 1995. I wasted a lot of time. I really liked them both.

Back then there were few people who actually designed websites. No joke. There were few people to ask with any level of experience in the field and there certainly was not anyone locally who could be my mentor.

Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks. The results of web design will communicate with people. The results of web graphics will decorate that communication. They go hand in hand! If I don't learn both, I will always feel a little lost. So I learned web design first - hand coding HTML. Yep, I learned the hard way, but now when I look at code, it is easy for me to read what it means and pick out what might be wrong or what does not need to be there (like unnecessary code added by an HTML editor).

Then I learned web graphic design. It was fun. I could be super creative, and I made some really cool 3D layered stuff that blew away my friends. The problem was those cool graphics interfered with my communication to my website visitors. Dialup speeds couldn't handle them. Uhoh, now what?

The answer was simple. In order for me to communicate to my website visitors, I had to design a website that loaded fast. The graphics could be creative, but not overpowering or distracting. Otherwise, my website would not be effective at all. What would be the point of having a website then? So I learned to use my artistic creativity in a lean way and mesh both concepts.

In the end this is why I was hired to design web templates for BasicTemplates.com. BasicTemplates has always gone to great lengths to educate designers and website owners on the necessity of clean and lean designs as well as promoting the development of "effective" web design and templates using external CSS and swap-out graphics. I feel honored and proud to be part of a team of designers who is successfully educating the World Wide Web about "effective web design". BasicTemplate customers and visitors learn what it means to the success of your website and how it effects their website visitors' experience and first impressions about them. It really does matter.

// posted by BasicBeca on 6/11/2005 06:35:00 AM / Permanent Link  

25 Fruit Header Graphics, Product ID: G11, were recently added. These header web graphics are 750x200px and are provided in .JPG format.

These Web Headers and many more are interchangeable with our HTML-CSS Web Templates. Simply swap-out the existing web headers in our templates with a new header from any of our many Header Graphics packages, and it changes your template theme and/or template appearance within seconds at a very low cost to you.

> Browse our entire collection of Swap-Out Header Graphics.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/06/2005 08:15:00 AM / Permanent Link  

It's been awhile since we have added any logos to our template gallery. You've been asking; so here they are! Enjoy ...

15 Logo Templates (#176 thru 190) were added. The new design themes are: grid, forms, spheres, 3D, clover, hearts, gel, patterns, and leaves.

> Browse our entire gallery of Logo Templates in PSD Format.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/06/2005 08:08:00 AM / Permanent Link  

It is a sad time in the Internet marketing world as we have all lost a valuable player.

Corey Rudl owner of the Internet Marketing Center died this past weekend in an auto crash. He was only 34. Although his online marketing techiques were different than other well-known marketing specialist, he did have quite a large following and was known as a guru in his marketing circles. Corey empowered, inspired and successfully helped thousands of people and businesses create revenue through their websites. He will certainly be missed by many. We here at BasicTemplates.com are indeed saddened by this shocking news.

More information can be found at the following news websites:

LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-speedway3jun03,1,3734695.story?coll=la-news-state&ctrack=1&cset=true

NBC News:
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4562562/detail.html

// posted by BasicBeca on 6/03/2005 12:43:00 PM / Permanent Link  

One online dating themed web site template (#1105) with multi-colored gel rollover buttons was added recently.

> Browse our entire collection of Globe Web Templates.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 11:01:00 AM / Permanent Link  

One casino and gambling theme web site template (#1104) with metallic gold rollover buttons was added recently.

> Browse our entire collection of Casino & Gambling Web Templates.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 10:44:00 AM / Permanent Link  

One real estate themed web site template (#1102) was added recently.

> Browse our entire collection of Real Estate Web Templates.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 10:27:00 AM / Permanent Link  

50 Header Graphics with rock, stone and brick themes, Product ID: G10, were recently added. These header web graphics are 750x100px and are provided in .JPG format.

These Web Headers and many more are interchangeable with our HTML-CSS Web Templates. Simply swap-out the existing web headers in our templates with a new header from any of our many Header Graphics packages (or individual templates), and it changes your template theme and/or template appearance within seconds at a very low cost to you.

> Browse our extensive collection consisting of 1000s of Swap-Out Header Graphics.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 10:09:00 AM / Permanent Link  

One globe with gear themed web site template (#1101) was added recently.

> Browse our entire collection of Globe Web Templates.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 10:03:00 AM / Permanent Link  

One U.S.A. Patriotic American web site template (#1103) with gel rollover buttons was added recently.

> Browse our entire collection of Patriotic America Web Templates.

// posted by BasicRic on 6/02/2005 09:10:00 AM / Permanent Link