If the data being copied and pasted is purely within the Excel environment, the Paste Special command offers a set of options which are unique to the Excel environment. Interestingly enough, the Paste Special command is only available if the Excel data is copied rather than cut. Note also that it is often useful to paste over the original data, using the options in the Paste Special dialog to transform the original data in some way. Let’s now look at the key options which are available when using the Paste Special command.

If the option “All” is chosen, Excel will paste all the data on the clipboard in much the same way as it would do if the ordinary Paste command had been used.

Choosing the “Formulas” radio button causes Excel to ignore any cell formatting and paste only the data contained in the cells being copied. (The term “formulas” is used in a broad sense here and does not imply that Excel will only copy cells that contain formulas.)

The “Values” option is particularly useful and can be used to “freeze” dynamic data. Like the “Formulas” option, “Values” causes Excel to paste only data and ignore formatting. The key distinction is that if the copied cell contains a formula, Excel will paste the calculated result of the formula rather than the formula itself.

Selecting “Formats” is a bit like using the Format Painter tool. It pastes the formatting from the copied cells but does not paste any data.

The “Comments” options copies only comments that were in the source range, ignoring all other data.

Similarly, the “Validation” option will copy only cells that have had validation rules applied to them.

This hopefully gives you an idea of how the Paste Special command works. Let’s just mention one final option: “Transpose”. This option reverses the orientation of the original data, so that rows become columns and vice versa.

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Excel gives us three options: firstly, we can choose “Freeze Top Row”. A bold horizontal line is then visible underneath the first row which extends into the row headings. As we scroll down the worksheet, the headings at the top of the sheet will now remain in view. Similarly, we can use the “Freeze First Column” command. This time, the bold line will extend to the right of the first column and into the column heading area. Then, as we scroll to the right of the worksheet, the first column remains frozen so that we can see the headings it contains and compare them with data in the adjacent cells. To return to normal scrolling, we simply use the “Unfreeze Panes” command in the “Freeze Panes” drop-down menu.

Excel also allows us to freeze an arbitrary number of rows and columns. To do this, click in the cell below the last row you want frozen and to the right of the last column you want frozen. So, for example, to freeze the first row and the first column you would click in cell “B2″. Having selected the cell, in the “Freeze Panes” drop-down menu, you would then choose “Freeze Panes”.

This time, there are two bold lines: one indicating the column that is frozen and one indicating the row that is frozen. Then, as we scroll down the first row remains frozen and, similarly, when we scroll to the right the first column remains frozen. Once again, to return to normal behaviour, we simply choose “Unfreeze Panes” in the “Freeze Panes” drop-down menu.

Since this command allows you to freeze any number of rows or columns, if you are ever working on a large worksheet perhaps containing multiple row and column headings, you will probably find it pretty much an essential feature.

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The alignment section of the Home Tab of the Excel ribbon contains a number of options relating to the way in which your data is position within the cell. Perhaps the most familiar and the most frequently used buttons in this section are the three relating to the horizontal position your data: left, centre and right. However you’ll notice that when you click in the cells of an unformatted worksheet, none of these three icons is highlighted, which indicates that none of them is the default. The reason for this is that Excel treats data differently depending on the data type.

If you type text in a cell, your text is aligned on the left; if you type a number, the number is aligned on the right; if you type a date, it is also aligned on the right. To change the horizontal alignment, either select a range of cells or click on a column letter to highlight the entire column then click on one of the alignment icons.

Haven chosen one type of horizontal alignment, you can change it in two ways. You can either click on a different form of alignment or click again on the already selected alignment. For example, if your text is centred and you click on the Centre button a second time, this deactivates centre alignment and returns you to the default alignment which, for text, is left. Thus we have, effectively, four types of horizontal alignment: left, centre, right and unspecified (or default), which is the alignment that applies when none of the alignment buttons is highlighted.

Excel also allows you to specify vertical alignment. This setting normally only becomes apparent when you increase the height of the cell and this time there is a definite default which is that text is aligned at the bottom of the cell. This setting applies to text, dates and numbers alike.

To change vertical alignment, either make a selection or click on the row number to select the entire row then click on one of the buttons to make the change: align middle, align top and so forth.

The alignment option also includes the ability to change the orientation of text within the cell. This is particularly useful in those situations where the headings are wider than the data within the cells. To change the vertical orientation of your text, you simply select the cells in question and then choose the appropriate orientation in the Alignment dialogue.

If you rotate your column headings by 90 degrees, you can usually make the columns much narrower. Excel has a very useful way of doing this: simply select all the columns that contain data then in the Cell group of the Home Tab of the Excel Ribbon, choose Format then AutoFit Columns. This command makes each of the highlighted columns no wider than it needs to be in order to display all the data it contains.

There are two ways in which computer graphics can be generated on a computer: as vectors or as bitmaps. Bitmapped images consist of a series of tiny squares called pixels, while vector graphics are essentially instructions to a computer to create a series of geometrical shapes each with a given set of attributes. Bitmaps are typical continuous tone images such as photographs. Vectors are typical flat artwork designs such as logos, charts, symbols and illustrations.

Vector images can be created in a number of programs. Firstly, you can use specialist graphics programs like AutoCad. Then we have the general purpose drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. And, finally, there are many non-graphic programs which nevertheless inlude drawing tools. This last category would include the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Since vector images are essential mathematical formulae, the quality of these images is not fixed but, rather, depends on the environment in which the drawing is created. If a vector graphic is displayed on the screen, it will be rendered at screen resolution; if it is printed on a high resolution printer, it will be printed at high resolution; and so on.

In contrast to vector images, bitmapped images are often acquired rather than created from scratch. Photos are typical loaded onto a computer via a digital camera or a scanner. As far as manipulating bitmapped images, the king of the arena is definitely Adobe Photoshop which is available in a few different flavours such as Photoshop Elements as well as the main program: Photoshop CS4. Other contenders are Corel PHOTO-PAINT and Paint Shop Pro.

Another key difference between the two types of image is that the quality of bitmapped images is determined when the image is acquired: when the photograph is taken or when the print is scanned. Although the quality of a bitmap can be reduced (a process known as downsampling), it is not possible to increase its resolution or quality.

As regards conversion from one graphic type to another, converting a vector image to a bitmap is far easier than doing the reverse. The process of converting vectors to bitmaps is called rasterization and is usually very successful and most software will allow you to specify the quality of the resulting bitmap. To convert a bitmap into a vector, you will normally use a utility to trace the lines and filled areas of the bitmap. However, the resulting vector image is normally difficult to manipulate. Adobe Illustrator contains a utility for tracing bitmaps.

So, which is easier to learn, vector drawing programs or bitmap editing programs? Well, on our Adobe training courses, we find that most delegates seem to find bitmapped images easier to work with. This may of course simply be because they find working with rich media more visually appealing. However, we normally advice delegates who plan to undergo Adobe Creative Suite training to begin with a Photoshop course before tackling Adobe Illustrator.

There are basically two ways in which a graphic can be inserted into an InDesign layout. Firstly, it can be independent of all other items on the page and, secondly, it can be embedded, or anchored, within a block of text. The first approach perhaps offers the greatest degree of flexibility in terms of how the graphic may be integrated with other elements. The main benefit offered by the anchored approach is that the graphic can then be linked to a given point within the flow of text.

Let’s say that we are producing a user manual for a piece of equipment, that the booklet will be translated into several different languages and that each graphic used in the document relates to a particular set of instructions within the manual. This is an example of situation where the use of anchored graphics will be beneficial. Each illustration can be inserted next to the instructions to which it relates. When the instructions are translated, since some languages are more succinct than others, the flow of text will change. However, each image will stay with the related text.

To import an image into InDesign as an independent graphici, choose Place from the File menu, locate and double-click on the image. Next, click on the page where you would like the top left of the image to be positioned. When using this technique, the image is brought in at actual size and placed inside a picture frame which InDesign automatically creates. (Text and images cannot be placed directly on the page in InDesign; they have to be placed inside containers referred to as frames.)

A second method of importing an independent graphic is to create a frame for the graphic at the required size and position then to highlight the frame and choose File – Place. InDesign will place the graphic inside the highlighted frame. The options in the Object – Fitting sub-menu can then be used to determine how the graphic will be sized and positioned within its containing frame.

InDesign provides us with three techniques for adding an anchored graphic to a page. The first is to position the cursor inside a text block at the required position and then to choose File – Place. The graphic is imported and anchored at the cursor position. The second is to highlight a graphic frame and choose Edit – Cut. Next, position the cursor inside a text block at the required position and choose Edit – Paste. The third method is to position the cursor inside a text block and choose Object – Anchored Object – Insert. When the Insert Anchored Object dialogue box appears, choose Content – Graphic.

InDesign CS4 provides the user with a tremendous degree of flexibility in how anchored graphics may be positioned relative to the text around it. To get access to these options, highlight an anchored graphic and choose Object – Anchored Object – Options. For example, setting the position to Custom allows you to drag the graphic around the page and to wrap text around it as if it were independent. When this is done, it can sometimes be difficult to tell where the anchored graphic is actually inserted. Working in Story Editor, InDesign’s plain text mode, makes it easy to review the position of anchored graphics. Simply highlight the containing text frame and choose Edit – Edit in Story Editor. Each anchored graphic is represented by a little anchor symbol. Conveniently, you can highlight an anchor symbol and drag it to a new location.

Before you can create a chart in Microsoft Excel, you need to highlight the data that you want to plot. Your selection should also include any relevant headings. Excel allows you to create charts on chart sheets independent of the worksheet containing the data or to embed the chart on the worksheet alongside the data.

To create a chart which is embedded in the worksheet itself, having selected the range of data that you wish to plot, click on the Insert tab of the Excel ribbon and, in the chart section, you will find a series of drop-down menus offering each of the main chart types. Each drop-down reveals a gallery of customised chart types.

Additionally, we can click on the launch button in the bottom right of the Charts group to bring up the Insert Chart dialog box. Here, we are given access to the full range of chart types that Excel has to offer. You will also notice that there is a button which says Set as Default Chart. If you use a particular type more than any other, you can choose that type and click this button so that the next time you create a standalone chart, by right-clicking on a worksheet tab and choosing Insert, the new default chart will be used as the chart type.

When you choose an option from one of the drop-down menus in the Charts group of the Insert tab, Excel creates the embedded chart. The chart is placed on the draw layer of Excel which is different from the worksheet layer. When you click on a worksheet cell, you are working on the worksheet layer and the chart becomes inactive. When you click on the chart, it is highlighted and you will then be working on the draw layer.

You will notice that whenever the chart is highlighted, Excel displays three contextual tabs called Design, Layout and Format. They contain a series of options specifically related to charts.

In the Design tab, we have the Location Group which contains The Move Chart button. Clicking on this button gives us the option to move the chart to a separate sheet. If you choose the option, Excel creates a new chart sheet and places the chart on it. We can also do the reverse. If you click the Move Chart button again and click on “Object In…”, we can now choose the worksheet that we want to transfer the chart to. When we click OK, Excel embeds the chart in that worksheet and deletes the empty chart sheet.

In this tutorial will look at creating and customising a column chart. The first step is to select the data that we want to plot, taking care to include any column and row headings. Row headings will be used as the names of the chart series and will be displayed in the legend. Column headings will be used as category labels. If the selection includes two sets of column headings, Excel will automatically recognize this and create two sets of headings on the category axis for us.

The next step is to click the Insert ribbon tab and from the Column drop-down menu specify the option that we require. The very first option is the default clustered column. Excel creates our chart and places it in the worksheet as an embedded chart. If we want to change it to a standalone chart, click on Move Chart in the Location section and then choose New Sheet and enter a name for the new chart sheet.

Having chosen a chart, you can of course customise it to suit your requirements. To change the colour of the columns, simply click once on any member of a series to highlight the whole series and then choose a colour from the Shape Fill drop-down menu in the Format contextual tab. As well as Shape Fill, the drop-down also offers Shape Outline and Fill Effects. The Fill Effects includes preset effects such as shadow, glow and bevel.

There are several subtypes to choose from within the column chart type. The most basic and probably the most widely used is the clustered column chart type. To change the chart type, go to the Design contextual tab and click on Change Chart Type.

In the Stacked Column chart type, it is the overall total of all series within each category which takes precedence over the individual value of each series. The second type of stacked column is 100% Stacked Column. Here, the height of each column becomes 100% and so all columns have exactly the same height. This type of chart shifts the emphasis away from the number or quantity represented by each series to the percentage split between series.

Excel also offers 3-D versions of its three different column chart types. You will notice that these chart tpes are not strictly 3-D charts; they simply have a 3-D effect on the columns. It is the 3-D Column option which gives us an actual three-dimensional chart. Here, Excel adds depth to the chart and places the series along the z axis (the third dimension). The remaining column options are simply variations on these basic themes. For example, if we want to go for a 3-D chart, we might choose to have pyramids instead of rectangular blocks.

Before you can manipulate a chart any way, you need to select the chart. To select an embedded chart, just click once on its border. When a chart is highlighted, Excel does two things: it displays the data on which the chart is based and it displays the Chart Tools. Chart Tools consist of the Design, Layout and Format context sensitive tabs.

To highlight a stand-alone chart, simply click on the sheet tab. In a standalone chart, the chart occupies the entire sheet and normally the chart remains highlighted. However, it can become deselected if you click on the blank space outside the chart area. If the chart has become deselected, simply click on its border to reselect it; just as you would with an embedded chart.

The most basic type of manipulation one can do to an embedded chart is to reposition and resize the chart. To resize the chart, use one of the resize handles. These are positioned on the corners of the chart and in the middle of each side. Each resize handle consists of three dots. When using the middle handles, you can only change one dimension; either the width or the height. When you use the corner handles, you can change both dimensions. To resize proportionally, in other words to retain the aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key as you drag.

You may also find it useful to permanently lock the aspect ratio. Click on the Format tab and then click on the launch button. In the size section this displays the Size and Properties dialog box. Here you’ll find the option Lock Aspect Ratio. If this option is activated, whenever you use the corner handles to resize a chart, the aspect ratio is automatically preserved without having to use the Shift key.

To move a chart, position the cursor on the border of the chart but away from the resize handles. You will notice that when the cursor is over a resize handle it changes to an icon with two arrows. When you have the cursor over the border but away from the resize handles, the cursor changes to an icon with four arrows. At this point, simply click and hold and drag the chart to a new location.

Although Excel places an embedded chart on a layer which is separate to the worksheet itself, it still associates it with the columns and rows over which it is place. This means that if you make adjustments to these rows and columns, the chart can move or be resized. For example, if we insert a column to the left of one of the columns over which the chart is placed, the chart becomes wider to accommodate the newly inserted column.

If this behaviour becomes a nuisance at any time, Excel allows you to deactivate it. Simply highlight the chart, click on the Format tab and then click on the launch button in the Size section. This time, click on the Properties tab and here you’ll find options for Object Positioning. If you choose the option Don’t Move or Size With Cells, this means that chart objects will become completely independent of the columns and rows on which they superimposed.

This article describes two features which are very useful when printing worksheets in Microsoft Excel: Set Print Area and Print Titles.

Print Titles

Each time you print a worksheet, Excel normally prints all the data that it contains. However, there are times when you only want to print a selection of your data. Although you can achieve this by hiding rows and columns, Excel offers a simpler solution.

The Page Layout tab of the Excel ribbon, is where you will find the Set Print Area drop-down menu. When you click on it, it offers two options: Set Print Area and Clear Print Area. The Set Print Area command allows you to highlight a range of data and specify that this is the only part of the worksheet that will be printed whenever you use the print command. Having chosen the Set Print Area command, Excel displays a dotted lined border around the area that has been set, in much the same way as it normally displays the page boundaries after the print command has been used.

Set Print Area

Print Titles

In the Page Layout tab of the Excel ribbon, you will find the Set Print Area drop-down menu. When you click on it, it offers two options: Set Print Area and Clear Print Area. The Set Print Area command allows you to highlight a range of data and specify that this is the only part of the worksheet that will be printed whenever you use the print command. Having chosen the Set Print Area command, Excel displays a dotted lined border around the area that has been set, in much the same way as it normally displays the page boundaries after the print command has been used.

Only one print area can be specified at a time. The Clear Print Area command can be used to restore normal behaviour; so that, when you print, the entire worksheet will be printed.

As we move away from the days when the printed version of a document was always seen as the definitive one, Adobe’s PDF format becomes more and more important. InDesign itself allows you to create PDF documents; you don’t need a separate copy of Acrobat for this purpose. In addition to creating the PDF, InDesign allows you to make it interactive, thus enhancing the user experience of anyone who browses it. To ensure that these various commands are included in the PDF, you must activate the “Interactive Elements” option in the Export PDF dialog box.

There are five main interactive features which InDesign allows you to add to your PDFs: bookmarks, links, buttons, video and transitions. When viewing a PDF file in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, bookmarks can optionally be displayed in a panel on the left of your screen; clicking a bookmark takes you to the relevant page. Links and buttons are essentially hotspots which, when clicked, instigate an action of some sort, such as opening a web URL. QuickTime video can also be added to a PDF file and transitions are useful when you want to create PDF files that can be viewed in a similar way to PowerPoint presentations.

Bookmarks are typically generated automatically in InDesign and are linked to the table of contents feature. The table of contents definition window contains an option for creating bookmarks. If this is activated, InDesign will automatically generate a bookmark corresponding to each item in the table of contents pointing to the appropriate page.

Links can also be automatically generated via the table of contents feature. Each table of contents entry will automatically turn into a clickable link which will take the user to the corresponding page. As well as this, InDesign has a button tool which allows you to create a button on any part of a page. Using the Button Options command, you can then choose what happens when the button is clicked. Thus, for example, you could create a button hotspot over your company logo and specify that, when clicked, it will take the user to your company website.

Video clips are brought into InDesign using the Place command in the File menu. The only video format allowed is QuickTime. Once the video clip has been positioned, you can right-click on it and choose Movie Options. Here, you can specify when the movie will play, whether it is embedded in the PDF file or referenced externally and whether the QuickTime controller bar will be visible.

The Transitions panel is new to InDesign CS4 and allows you to associate transitions with all pages or selected pages within the document. Simply highlight a selection of pages and then choose the desired transition. To apply the selected transition to all pages, choose the option Apply To All Spreads.