Printing Double Sided Behind the Desk with Specialty Paper

Hey guys!

Today a patron came up to the desk asking if she could print her resume on card stock and have it double sided since she had two pages in her document. When printing specialty paper, procedure says to use the Bypass Tray located on the side of the print. However while going through the instructions, Greg, Eve and I realized that automatic double sided printing was not available. In the print properties dialog box, the option to have double sided printing was faded out. It was only available with the automatic trays. In our situation luckily, the patron decided to print with the resume paper that we can provide,which we were able to run through the normal tray. However this work around we figured out for right now.

One Copy

• Feed the single sheet through the side
• Once the paper has come out you will see that the writing is face down , flip the sheet so that the freshly printed side is now facing up
• Now feed the paper again through the Bypass Tray with the bottom of the page entering first

Multiple Copies

• In the print options dialog box, select how many copies you want
• Change the "page range" option from all to only page 1
• Load the paper into the Bypass Tray and hit print
• Once all of the papers have printed, take the stack and flip it so the wording is facing up and the bottom of the page is entering the tray first
• Now go back to the computer, and open the print dialog box
• Select the number of copies you want and change the "page range" option to now only print page 2
• Now hit print and again and you should now have a stack of double sided specialty paper

This method is fairly manual, so if there is a better way to go about this, please comment!! :)

Laptops and Tablets

Hey everyone,

so I wanted to promote some speculation about the utility of laptops over tablets and vice cersa. Additionally looking at the Apple and Microsoft devices.

We recently put this iPad Air units in circulation to joining the regular iPads already in place. You all know about the Dell laptops we have in circulation. The main advantages that the iPads have over the laptops is their portability, touch screen, lower price point, the wide range of app support, and depending on what operating system you prefer the MacOS on the iPad itself. Whereas the Dell laptops do have a solid keyboard which some may find more useful than it's touch screen opponent, the ability to run software incompatible with the MacOS, greater processing power, and more.

Seeing as the iPads also have the advantage of being a more recent acquisition, is it time that we get new laptops operating on windows 7 or 8? Would anyone use a Microsoft Surface tablet if the SMDC invested in one. Do you think that as we acquire more, the iPads will see a lot more use than the laptops? Finally, should the laptops have an increased loan time like the iPads?

Thanks,
Brandon

Resolution and scan size options in the Student Multimedia Design Center

During the semester, many people head for the scanners to scan documents, articles, or book chapters without much thought as to the size or quality of the output.  The clustered scanners offer many options that people can use to create better and more usable images.

Most people scan using the default resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) which is fairly basic for text.  If file size isn't a major consideration, I often recommend that they look at 400 dpi, which makes for smoother, easier-to-read text.  For finer detail, such as a passport or driver license, scanning at the full 600 dpi makes a better image, although the file size and time per scan also increases.

This week, there was a request for a lower resolution scan.  A government agency required the user to supply a scan of a signed and initialed eight page document at under 256 kb.  The document was the agency's legalese -- apparently the agency only wanted to record the person's initials and signature as acknowledgment of terms.  300 dpi created a large file but reducing the value to 100 dpi and compressing the file in Adobe Acrobat Professional brought it in at the low resolution/file size required.

Scanning sizes can also be adjusted as needed.  A person scanning pages of a book that opens to 11" x 19" won't capture the content by mashing the book down and scanning 11" x 17"!!  Scanning the individual pages using custom scan settings for a landscape orientation of 9.5" x 11" greatly improves the capture.  If this doesn't make sense, be sure to ask a staff member to demonstrate this.  A good scan will be easier to read and helps prevent paper jams when users print the images.

Dry Erase Markers

Nick Rogers and I made a bet this week that the third question we encountered on the desk during our shift is the topic I have to write about for my blog entry.  Looks like we're all learning about dry erase markers this time.  Also, I'm shamelessly ripping off his format.

We're not going into the origin story of dry erase markers, though undoubtedly we'd all be riveted.

Like this, only with more wonderment, smudges, and physics drawn on dorm lounge windows.

There's an actual relevant question here, that being, are the dry erase markers in the study rooms our responsibility?  My first instinct is no, gross, more responsibility.  My second is, yeah, maybe.  My third is that I should ask a staff member.  Turns out my third was correct.

I couldn't find any pictures of the staff, so just imagine this is them.  They love what you're doing, keep up the good work.

 

A patron came up asking for a replacement marker for the whiteboards in the study rooms.  His, tragically, had come to the end of their squeaking but robust existence.  Mike gave him a replacement, though we weren't 100 percent on the protocol for the situation.

Diana told me later we do replace them and the extra markers are in the drawer under the cash register and in the cabinet in the back, on the second shelf from the top.  There's like thirty boxes in there.

Studio mic kits available for loan!!!

As many of you now know, the studio mic kits are available for loan from the Student Multimedia Design Center as of today! They are four hour loans to be used in the library.
So, you might be wondering, how do we use them now? Basically...

• There are 2 jacks in Studio Four under the window glass that are good for connecting to Studio 6. You can hook up one or both of the mics and they are directly connected to the mixer in Studio 6.
• In Studio 6, you mute the mic that is already there. Turn the level of channel 2 off.
• Turn up the microphones from channels 3 and 4 three quarters of the way so you can manipulate each track from each mic. Turning these knobs for each channel allows you to control the volume from each.
• The pan knob for each level allows you to do side-to-side effects.

This explains the basics, but for more info...don't forget to read the instructions! Thanks to Diana for helping to explain!

FujiFilm HS25EXR Now Availabe!

Since I have been working here, the beginning of the semester usually means new equipment. One of the new items we have this semester is the FujiFilm FinePix HS25EXR digital camera. Not a name that exactly rolls off the tongue but if you haven't spent some time getting familiar with this camera you should! The HS25EXR has great picture quality, manual zoom, bright screen, excellent low or existing light capability, panorama capture, different film types can be used (Astia, B&W, sepia,etc.), easy to use controls and menus, and fast auto focus. It's not quite as advanced as our DSLRs so take that in consideration when recommending a camera to a user.

We currently have two in circulation and one that we keep in the back so feel free to have fun with this user-friendly camera!

Finalize Feature in iMovie

Today, a user came to the desk asking why it was taking so long to save his iMovie project.  He was attempting to use the "Finalize" feature.  Diana explained that when attempting to share an iMovie project, the "Finalize" feature actually saves the project in 5 different formats so that it is ready to share in multiple sizes.  The video is rendered as mobile, medium, large, HD 720p, and HD 1080p. If a user only needs to share the video to one source, it is quicker to use the "Share" feature.  Here, the user can select the source and size they want, and the project will be prepared in this format only.

Problem in Studio 1 and 2

     Today a student had a problem recording his voice on a power point presentation in studio 1 (we later found the same problem in Studio 2.) The problem is caused by the mic's settings which were defaulted to 0.

 SOLUTION: Right click on the volume icon  on the task bar. Click recording devices. Right click on the 1st microphone icon that's connected. Click on Properties. Click on levels. Finally, move up the volume.  VERY EASY!
 

Special Note: Thank you Mallory.

Excel Add-In for Analysis ToolPak, and Excel 2013

Some students may ask for the Add-In "Analysis ToolPak" in Excel. As John let us know last semester, this is only available on the Windows computers. To install the add-in, click on File then Options then Add-Ins. Select Analysis ToolPak, then click Go. Also some students have been asking about Excel 2013. No Library computers have Excel 2013 (or Word 2013, etc.) but Smith and McDowell do.

Sertting up the short cut keys on your Wacom Device

Hey Guys!

I just recently bought a new drawing board for my computer and actually sat down and watched their quick start tutorials, which is pretty impressive for me. Anyhoo, I stumbled upon a really interesting solution to the "this doesn't act like a real pen" problem that some people experience when they first switch to digital. You can go in system preferences and set up how the pen acts within a specific program. This means that you can work within photoshop or even painter and have custom settings as far as quick set buttons are concerned.

Adjusting your Wacom’s settings
In your system preferences/start menu you should see a ‘Wacom’ folder, and inside, a ‘Wacom Tablet Properties’ program. This utility helps you tweak the special buttons on your tablet, pen pressure, and a lot of other stuff. The most important setting here (and the only one I’m going to talk about) is the ‘Tip Feel’.

As you can see from the screenshot above, I like pen tip to have a firm feel. This means that I have to press harder to get the same line thickness than at the default settings. I find that being able to keep a constant medium to hard pressure helps me make smoother lines. The software has a handy little preview of how hard you’re pressing so use that as a benchmark to find the best setting.

you can also select the the shortcut buttons for the pen (I happen to like the pen top button to be [x] because this allows you to switch back and forth between foreground and background colors.

Drawing Tips

(I stole this off the tutorial and thought it was a helpful hint)
Before I started using a Wacom I imagined that it would magically transform me into a good artist. Not so! In many ways the Wacom is more difficult to control than traditional drawing tools (it’s saving grace is the Undo function). So unfortunately even if you follow this tutorial perfectly I can’t guarantee you’ll be drawing scrolls like Jeff does. Even so, here are some tips for getting better as a Wacom artist.

1. Practice! Plain old drawing is great, but also try some Wacom training drills. One that I’ve used is trying to draw perfectly spaced even lines from thin to thick. Then try it thick to thin, then thin, thick, thin. Try concentric curves, squares – anything that requires you to keep line thickness and spacing consistent is good.
2. Zoom in. Your Wacom’s tablet area is proportionate to your screen, not your zoom setting. For that detailed linework go ahead and zoom in to reduce shakiness.
3. Be Decisive. Quickly drawn lines are naturally straighter, so don’t be bashful.

Importing photos to iMovie

Hey guys I hope everyone had a good and relaxing winter break!

Today I encountered an issue with adding photos to iMovie. One could typically add photos by importing them through iPhoto then dragging and dropping from iPhoto to iMovie or by clicking on a camera icon at the lower right corner of iMovie then dragging and dropping the photos. But whenever I tried this the clips would not show up when the movie was played.

Finally Lucky was able to figure out that iMovie had glitched and was able to fix the problem by copying the movie files and reinserting the pictures back onto the iMovie project.

Sometimes software can be a little buggy, but don't fret! If your having trouble  try asking someone else for help.

*Thought I submitted this last week oops!

Anxiously Awaiting the Air

Hello everyone!

So, one of the upcoming additions to our equipment collection is Apple's newest iPad, the iPad Air.  I am excited for this to be brought into circulation and I am sure many of our patrons will be as well.  The one-pound tablet is innovative in not only its light-weight construction, but also in its functions and available applications.  Compared to our current iPad 1, the iPad Air has much more to offer including:

• 1080p camera
• Front "FaceTime" 720p camera
• Retina display
• Siri
• A7 chip for speed and power and M7 coprocessor for motion measuring
• iOS7 and the capability to download Garage Band, iMovie, iPhoto, Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes! 

Yes, you can use Garage Band and iMovie on the iPad Air!  I myself am excited to test out these programs on the iPad and see what others think about this feature.  Is this the future of crafting music and designing movies?  What implications will there be for this "portable design" for not just us at the Student Multimedia Design Center, but designers around the globe?

The anticipation of the Air's release here is certainly exciting, but there are still some waters to test.  Diana is dissecting the tablet and noting any issues.  Nick R., Dillon, and I were asked to play with the apps (as if we needed to be asked!) in order to locate any issues.  It ran well and we had some fun--especially with Garage Band with the Alesis MIDI controller kit connected. 


Procedurally, this will be similar to the iPad 1, and when returned we will follow the same steps to restore.  As the instructions note, "The iPad Air may ask you to connect to the iTunes store, press "Cancel" to permanently dismiss this dialog."

One last thing: as with all of the newer Apple products, it has a lightning port rather than the 30-pin port.

Infrared Photography

Hey Everyone,

The other day, someone came in asking if we had any cameras that could take pictures in infrared light. None of us at the desk had any idea how this was possible other than she would need a specific filter to capture the light spectrum she wanted. What she was interested in doing was using the infrared photography to take pictures of furniture and hope to find writing and other patterns on its surface that are not visible under normal lighting. Unaware of how to do this, we told her to contact Nico because he would be the best person to help her.
Turns out, we have the solution right here! The Sony HXR Advanced Camera kit has a nightshot mode that enables these forms of photographs to be taken. In order to do this, you just have to switch the camera from automatic to manual shooting, and press the nightshot button located to the right of the lens. When looking through the view finder, one will see the difference in the lighting. Get your paranormal activity on.

Matt

Workshops here, you can go to one!

We are offering several workshops this spring, including Photoshop, iMovie, and typography and design. If you're one of our student assistants and are interested you can sign up and can probably be paid for attending (check with Eve). We especially recommend the iMovie workshop for our student assistants if you haven't gone to one before. The first Photoshop workshop has full registration, however, there's a chance someone may drop so feel free to sign up for the waiting list.

Faronics Deep Freeze

Staff and veteran student workers at the SMDC are all probably familiar with the Deep Freeze program which is installed on all our computers here; laptops and desktop, Mac and Windows. I am writing this primarily for new student workers here and anyone who is unfamiliar with the program.

 

 

Deep Freeze Bear knows what you did last summer.

 

 

 Most users here at the SMDC won't even be aware that Deep Freeze is on the computer at all; despite the fact that its so essential to keeping our computers safe and secure (and uncluttered) its actually quite an illusive little creature. To catch a glimpse of it on a Windows machine, for instance, you need to click "show hidden icons" on the right of the main task bar. You'll know Deep Freeze is on the computer beacuse of the little bear face, identical to the one above.

 

And in fact, Deep Freeze does not really do anything while users are using the computer; thats not its job. Deep Freeze comes into play when the computer restarts. What Deep Freeze does, in laymans terms, is erase any changes made to the computer. Once Deep Freeze is installed, it is ordered to save the computers state at that time. The computer is now said to be frozen. Every element of the computer at time of Freezing will be saved. The Deep Freeze program will restore the computer to its Frozen state whenever the computer reboots.

 

 

Deep Freeze Bear is pictured here, protecting us all from the forces of darkness.

And clutter on the desktop. Deep Freeze Bear HATES clutter on the desktop.

 

 

In order to make permanent changes to the system that will last across restarts, such as installing the latest multimedia software, the administrators who set up the Deep Freeze must "thaw" the system by accessing Deep Freeze (wouldn't you like to know how?), entering a password, and unfreezing the system. Once changes are made, the system can be refrozen.

 

This makes sure nothing unwanted gets unto our computers; no viruses, malware, spyware...no unauthorized software to slow down our computers, no unsightly documents to violate the pristine order of our desktops...The righteous hand of Deep Freeze Bear cleanses them all.

 

When Deep Freeze Bear is not preventing the notorious hacker community of New Castle county Delaware from smuggling system destroying viruses into our library, he occupies the rest of his time frustrating the efforts of  humble UD students by devouring any work they might not have saved externally.

 

You want to know why hours worth of work is gone when you unwittingly restarted the computer? Blame Deep Freeze Bear. He laughs at your pain.

 

You should have brought a flash drive.

Booking Group Study Rooms

Hey guys! So this was new to me today. You can now reserve those ever popular group study rooms in the Morris Library by using this link: http://udel.libcal.com/booking/groupstudy. This is a self-service for groups of 2 or more and the users do not necessarily have to be working on anything multimedia-related. These study rooms are different from the Studio rooms in the Student Multimedia Center that require multimedia assistants to help make a reservation for the student. To reserve a room, click on any green slot and fill out the booking details with your name, email, group name, and college affiliation in the form below the schedule. You will be sent a confirmation email when everything is complete. There is a maximum of 2 hours that can be booked per day.

Adobe Acrobat

Hi guys!

My first post of the year, I’ve got something a little banal but something that you might see pop up from time to time when people have issues printing. I had a student drop by asking whether they could convert a PDF file to powerpoint (their professor had saved the powerpoint that they were presenting in class as pages within a single PDF, and the student wanted to print it out so that they could leave room to take notes.) 

We tried to convert the file using a tutorial online, but when that failed we just adjusted the print settings to print them with room to spare (we did landscape, multiple per page, and 1 by 3- it centered a column of 3 pages on the sheet. While this isn’t optimal, it gave the student room to take notes.)

This reminded me that a ton of problems that can pop up can be solved simply using the print settings- it can be an quick first try when fixing formatting problems.

Sam

Student Multimedia Showcase

The Student Multimedia Showcase will be held this Wednesday, Feb. 19, starting at 3:30 p.m. in the Class of 1941 Lecture Room in the Morris Library. Feel free to drop in or out anytime between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. The event is free, and refreshments will be served (including hot apple cider).  This is your chance to support your fellow students' creative work.  Hope to see you all there!

Checking printing allocation

What's up guys,

After I read Nadine's post about the printing allocation being 10 dollars instead of 5, I wanted to check my own to see if this was the case for everyone. However, I realized that I didn't actually know how to do this. After a little playing around I found out that it is actually quite simple! All you have to do is log onto UDSIS and click on UDflex and point balance. Your printing allocation is under the sub-title "Other" and titled "PrintLess printing allocation balance". Because I didn't already know how to do this, I figured others might have the same question. I hope some of you found this post helpful!

Thanks, Justin

Printing Allocation

Check you printing allocation because it may be $10.00 instead of $5.00. 

ENGINEERING FOR YOU VIDEO CONTEST

The College of Engineering encourages members of the campus community to submit videos for the National Academy of Engineering's 50th anniversary contest by March 31.

The College of Engineering encourages members of the campus community to submit videos for the National Academy of Engineering's 50th anniversary contest by March 31.

Students, faculty encouraged to enter national engineering video contest

9:08 a.m., Jan. 27, 2014--In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering invites students and faculty to produce videos highlighting past, present or future engineering innovations.
The University of Delaware’s College of Engineering is encouraging Blue Hens from all disciplines to enter a submission for the “Engineering For You Video Contest,” which offers a grand prize of $25,000.

The competition is open to individuals or teams in six competition categories. Entries must be submitted by March 31, 2014.
Contest entrants can submit one- to two-minute videos showcasing engineering contributions that have enhanced the well-being of society in the last 50 years or the endless possibilities of what engineers will create over the next 50 years.
Prizes include a $25,000 best video overall award, a $5,000 people’s choice award and a $5,000 prize for the top videos in each competition category.
A panel of engineering, film and media professionals will judge submissions on creativity in content selection and presentation, anticipated breadth of public appeal, and effectiveness in highlighting engineering achievements that serve human welfare and the needs of society.
Winners will be notified by Sept. 1.
Visit the Engineering For You Video Contest website for full details on entry categories and prizes.

Article by Joanna Lemons

Our newest group link table

The group-link tables are a great way to meet up with a group and collaborate on an idea. With them you can have up to 4 laptops hooked up and display them on th elarge HDTV at the end of the table. To switch between them it just takes a press of one of the 4 buttons within the panel located in the table. On the new table though, the buttons are located on the cables themselves. Most newer laptops however do not have vga cables and instead are equipped with an HDMI port.

Luckily, the group-link table closest to the wall now has 3 HDMI cables attached. We do not have HDMI cables at this time to loan out so students will have to bring their own. We do however, have an HDMI adapter that students can borrow. So next time you need a place to work with a group, come check-out our group-link tables located in the basement of Morris Library.

Scanners and Photocopiers

Welcome back everyone!

Just to let you know that we are currently testing two new scanners.  Both are located across from the Circulation Desk.  They will be here for about thirty days and there is a clipboard for comments.  Please give them a try, let us know what you think about them, and ask your friends to try them out.  

Photocopiers should be checked for paper supply in the morning and checked for jams according to the SCANNER/GIS STATION USE LOG.

Any questions, please ask a supervisor.

B&H Wilderness Photo Competition has February 28 Deadline

B&H is offering multiple prizes in its Wilderness Photo Competition, including safaris for two to wild animal parks in either Botswana or Namibia.  Judges will evaluate photos in the following categories:

• Land Mammals
• Aquatic (Marine and Freshwater)
• Culture/Wilderness People
• Landscape/Scenery
• Conservation/Man and The Environment
• Birds
• Amphibians/Reptiles
• Macro: Flora/Insects
• Animals in Zoos and Captivity

It's a neat opportunity for those who agree to the posted rules.

Snow, Snow, and Justin

With all the snow in January, one of our own made it onto Action News.  Justin Phillips was on piece during one of our many snow days.  Take a look!

Justin Phillips on Action News.