Any one know how to format a file to be read in Word?

[backspin]

I'm posting this on a couple of message boards, in hopes that someone has experience with this:

Okay, here's the story. I'm a graphic designer, using a Mac. I work in a department of all PC users. They want me to design some templates that they can put into a Word document
& print off their printers to make copies (small newsletters, etc.). I have never worked with Word, & don't know how to format something that will work for them.

I can make the background "template" file into a .tif, .eps, or .jpg file; will any of these work? And if that file takes up a whole page (for example, if there's a border that runs
around the page), can they then go over top of it to put in their text?

Hope this makes sense. I'm coming from the perspective that Word is for Word processing, not design, but I do understand their desire to create more professional looking documents. Is there any way I can help them?

 

[GeorgeMack]

Realize that at least part of the reason that your Quark documents will look better is because of "wetware" -- the human and professional skills that you bring to the process. (That could actually result in a greater appreciation of your role once they've tried it for themselves.)

Designing for Word is an uphill task -- Word is not really a layout program, just word-processing with options. I have tried this in the past and the options are a bit limited. You can make multi-columns (as sections) but controlling spacing neatly takes massive intervention, and Word happily makes new pages if you go a couple of characters over the space allowed.

Best results may be making up a set of stylesheets (= Quark Paragraph + Character styles in one) to keep those choices pegged close to where you want it. Insist on specific typefaces. Make up a couple of sample pages or a whole issue, using dummy text. Set word counts for each type of article, based on your template. Break columns and sections as necessary, knowing that it may be difficult to control with changing copy. Keep at least some filler on each page (small text or graphic) to soak up sloppy copyfit. Make up a sheet describing each style, and when and to use it including instructions for accessing the multi-column sections, and hope they read and follow it.

It's still not going to be Quark-level design, but you may be able to keep it from being really ugly. Sometimes expectations aren't very high to begin with or they may just pour it back into your lap when things don't go well, in which case, they could *write* the copy using the style sheets, making it a little easier for you to build the documents.

Good luck

 

[Chadoe]

I have had the same thing come up at my work too. Unfortunately I gave up trying to import/export a Quark file into MS Word and just dug into Word. I found that with a heavy hand and a bunch of Help file reading I was able to set up a templete that they could drop stuff into without too many problems. And like GeorgeMack said, it wasn't long before they realized that they really needed us to do the layout. Its more work, but its better that way. We have control over the corporate image consistancy then.

Good Luck

*By the way, whoever thought that creating a program that automatically adjusts everything for you should be taken to a wall somewhere! There is a reason that graphic designers exist. They know what they are doing!*