Resources: JPEG compression program, I used the JPEQ optimizer. It substantially cuts the size of the image file without cutting the size and the quality of the photo is not affected very much. It can do hundreds of photos automatically. The web site where you can download the program is http://www.xat.com

You can download a demo, and the program itself is $29.

Carol

I find that if I rebuild my desk top (Shift/Option at startup) when I start having regular crashes on the internet, my problems clear up. I, also, read somewhere that those crashes can be related to errors in Favorites (bookmarks) and sometimes it helps to trash your preferences and start over. You will lose all of your bookmarks, unless you back them up on a floppy or somewhere else on your hard drive. It did clear up my crashing problem.

Eileen Vernon

Computer tip: Try http://www.learn2.com for tutorials using computers and all kinds of things. I was amazed at all the info on that site.

Quinn

Alphabetizing "Favorites": Click on "Favorites" at the top of your screen, and the list drops down. Now RIGHT click on any name on that list, and a drop-down menu appears that includes "Sort by Name." Click on that, and all of your favorites will be magically reorganized into alphabetical order, at least until you add the next one. You can do this every time you add a new favorite, or wait and do it when you think of it.

Pat in Phoenix

Printables: I just copied over some of those printables from Jim's pages. You right click and save the item. Then I used Word and brought them into there and put about 15 on a page and then printed them out. My FIRST Time to try it and it worked!

Jo A Cohrs

Printer: For those of you who may be interested in purchasing a color printer - Epson will be coming out with a new printer next week, model 1270, under $500. It has new inks and papers that will produce photographs that last for 26 years or more. It is impossible to tell the difference between this print and one done in silver at a photo lab. Right now ink jet printers have a picture life of 1 year in a well-lighted room.

Gail

Scanners: I just purchased a scanner. It was under $100 plus a $30 rebate! Talk about CHEAP! It is a Visioneer PaperPort Flatbed scanner, model# 3100. I absolutely am thrilled with it. It's easy to use and it does a super job.

Leslie

Scanner: I use a Canon CanoScan FB620P scanner and it works just fine for me. I got mine at Staples on sale for $49.99 (plus a $20 rebate)! I think they are regulary priced around $100. It also came with very easy to use software for editing images as well.

Michelle Fox

I type my box labels on the computer and print them out (in fancy script, no less). If I change what's in a box, I just paste a new label over the old. If you can't stand doing that, rub a little grease or oil (vaseline, hand lotion, mineral oil) onto most any paper label, let it sit for half an hour or so, and the label comes off clean. Doesn't work for shiny labels, but works great for price tags.

Lee

Scanners: I had to send a scan to a friend, didn't have a photo of the doll and I don't like laying dolls face down as the clothes never come out right so I turned the scanner on its side, built a box cover, placed a background inside the box and the doll, tried a couple of scans to place the doll in the right place and it works. The scanner still works OK as well.

Hazel Dowd

Scanning a ruler: I've learned that sometimes, it is necessary to reduce your item in the scanner software, print it out, and if necessary, scan it again, and reduce it again with your scanner software, until you have it the size you want. THEN copy it to your other program, and do copy/pastes there to fill up the page for a 'final' document. My scanner will do reductions as much as 10% of original size, but sometimes I still need to reduce further.

If you have an HP scanner, look for 'Size Document' under one of the tool bar buttons after you've scanned that ruler. There will be actual increments you can reduce manually, and/or percentage choices below that.

Laura

Credit card info: I've been using Gator, to store my credit card info (on my hard drive, pretty safe), but this new one, anonymous, will not only store all your information for one-click filling in of the many forms we come across, but will also preview the site and advise you of how secure they are. Nice to know!

To get more info and download the anonymous advisor http://mailbits.net/special/offer/enonymous.asp and start surfing safer.

Bonni

Paypal: PayPal is so convinced that they will change the way you handle money, they'll give you five dollars just for signing up. PayPal is the simple, secure way to send money to anyone who has an email address, and having a PayPal account makes it easier for others to send you money.

Buying or selling through online auctions? Stop giving your credit card number to strangers or waiting for checks to clear. Tired of that coworker who never seems to have cash when you're picking up lunch? Make them pay you back with PayPal! It's easier than running to the ATM and lets you keep accurate records of who paid you and when. The service is always totally free, and you'll make five bucks when you sign up today.

Get it at: http://mailbits.net/free/get/paypal.asp

Bonni

Printable problems: Pick out the image you want and Right click on it. A box should pop up with a number of options; you want to "Save Image As..."

It's easiest to put it in your Picture file, if you have one set up. The system will save it automatically as a jpg or gif file, so just type in Star Wars or whatever; it'll add the suffix, so don't worry about it.

Now, on your toolbar, along with the big "W" for Word and the "P" for Publisher, you should have a tilted, multicolored square that is "Photoed.exe". Open that program, and then go up to File and click on "Open". It should go straight to your Picture file. Open the poster, and then click on "Image". Click on "Balance" and you should be able to lighten the picture, change the contrast, etc.

Dani

Reduce regular sized fabric: I just scan as I usually do and then insert the scan into a Publisher document, grab the corner and shrink it to about 1/4 the size so you can still see the detail. Then copy and paste it 3 more times to fill up the page. Print on paper or computer printer fabric or fabric lined with freezer paper or a full page label.

Roz

Saving Tips:

Copy and Paste:

1. Assuming that you're using Windows 95 or 98, click on the Start button, click on Programs, and then click on Accessories, and you should see "Notepad". Open it up.
2. The go into your email and open the email that you want to read (and copy information from). Highlight the text that you want to copy. Either click your "Copy" icon at the top, or press the keyboard keys "Ctrl" and "c" in that order while holding down the "Ctrl" key. This copies it onto the clipboard (which you can't see)
3. Then switch to the Notepad program that you have open, click your mouse where you want to start pasting what you just copied, and click your "Paste" icon or press the keyboard keys "Ctrl" and "v" in that order while holding down the "Ctrl" key. This pastes it in the Notepad text document that you have open. Then "Save" it with the file name that you want to use in the location where you'll be able to find it!

Jan

Warning! - Inkjet printing on fabric - Just wanted to let everyone know that when inkjet printing on fabric to be careful of the thickness of your fabric. I tried to use the medium weight cotton-like duck that I usually use to have mini rugs color copied and printed at the copy center and my printer groaned and grunted and sounded like it was falling apart. It was obviously too thick for my printer (I had set it for heavy paper, too). I let it run through but it only printed on part of the fabric and that was in black and white. Afterwards I was unable to get my printer to print in color; it had clogged the print heads. Luckily I was able to clear the blockage out by running a cleaning cycle.

Barbara

Scanning: How to get good quality results when scanning, reducing and printing you own "printables". I recommend you scan at no less than 300 dpi (Dots Per Inch), and consider scanning at a higher resolution than that. Your image will be huge and will need a lot of reducing, but the final result will be more detailed and smoother than if you scan at 72 dpi and have to reduce it less. I have tested this -- believe me on this one!

I also recommend you edit (resize, crop, etc.) your scanned image with a good quality image editing program. One I like a lot that isn't too expensive (in fact it is free for a 30 day trial period) and it isn't too hard to learn is Jasc's Paint Shop Pro. http://www.jasc.com

And finally, use high quality paper and your printer at its "best" setting.

Anne Gerdes

Another way to get better image output from scanner or digital camera: You need to edit the Image Size to the approximate final print size in Photo Shop before placing it into a page program like Page Maker. Shrinking the image on Page Maker or one of the Web Page programs like Page Mill, or the Home Page that I use, gives terrible results. I mention this because it is definitely not intuitive. BTW I don't think Paint Shop Pro is available for Mac, but Photo Shop LE is out there for about $100 and comes free with some scanners. I may be able to help someone with a Mac who is having trouble getting started using Photo Shop, Photo Shop LE or Photo Shop Deluxe. They are confusing programs.

Pete Boorum

Color Printing: Our local Kinko's printed things off diskettes (for a fee, of course, but fairly cheap). Maybe if you can save the printables on diskette, there's a copy shop that will print for you. Just a thought. If you find somebody, save the "entry" screens from the printables that site give you permission on the disk too, so they won't hassle you about legality.

Loretta