In this hands-on, project-oriented class for beginners, you'll learn how to design, create, and publish a wide variety of stunning documents using Microsoft Publisher 2007—one of the most affordable and comprehensive desktop publishing packages available.

You'll find out how Publisher's built-in layouts and templates can help you quickly complete virtually any desktop publishing project. Then you'll see the many ways you can modify those templates in order to create impressive and truly original works of your own. You'll gain valuable experience in designing and publishing newsletters, brochures, and Web sites. If you're new to graphic design, you'll receive plenty of expert guidance in selecting and using images, colors, and layouts.

Discover how Microsoft Publisher can take you to levels of design expertise you never dreamed possible without any formal graphic design experience or training!

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Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

Welcome to Publisher 2007! In the first lesson of our class, we'll go over some basic Publisher concepts, including accessing the program and customizing some of Publisher's powerful features. Then we'll talk about how you can access and use Publisher's extensive online Help system. This is a handy tool for a beginner to know as you set off on your journey!

Friday - Lesson 02

Today, we'll get started with some of Publisher's basics. We'll explore some more of the concepts that you need to know before delving into a large project, including how to open, save, and close a file. Then we'll take a look at the various elements of the main Publisher window, including menu bars, toolbars, and page navigation tools.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Are you ready to have some fun? In this lesson, you'll see how to add and edit text, both directly in the program and by importing it from other documents. Then, you'll learn how to format text (including selecting the font, size, and color) and how to change paragraph alignment and line spacing. We'll also discuss how to set off special text by adding borders and fills to the text frame.

Friday - Lesson 04

In today's lesson, you'll learn how to punch up the creativity in your projects by adding graphics. Well go over how to create and format drawing objects, as well as how to insert clip art and import picture files. Once you have the basics down, we'll dive into recoloring, resizing, cropping, rotating, and flipping graphics, tweaking them for just the right impact.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

It's time for you to discover how to create and work with tables in Publisher. You'll also learn how to apply and customize table borders, add shading, colors, and patterns, and merge and split cells.

Friday - Lesson 06

Today, we'll begin our two-lesson series on how to create an impressive professional newsletter in Publisher. We'll begin by going over some basic planning issues (the crucial first steps!), and then we'll continue with some layout tips. By the end of this lesson, you'll select or create a color scheme, develop a masthead, flow text onto a page, and then continue that text onto another page.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

You've done a lot with your newsletter already! Now, you'll wrap things up by learning how to use the Design Gallery to create a professional sidebar, format a drop cap, create a footer on the background, insert a picture, and group objects. When you finish, you'll have a snazzy newsletter to show for all your hard work.

Friday - Lesson 08

Today, we'll begin our two-part series on creating a Web site in Publisher. You'll learn all you need to know to create a simple site. Then, we'll take a look at some of the technical issues surrounding Internet publishing, including ISPs, URLs, and domain names.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In part two of our series on creating a Web site in Publisher, you'll discover some of the ways you can dress up your site, including how to add graphics, sound, and other objects. After that, you'll be ready to publish your site to the Internet and you'll get detailed instructions on how to do just that. You'll truly be amazed at what you can do!

Friday - Lesson 10

Publisher makes it easier (and cheaper!) than ever before for anyone to design professional-looking brochures in—literally—a matter of hours. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create a good brochure; from planning the content, to designing the cover, logo, and graphics, to placing and arranging your text.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Today, you'll look at the basic process for preparing your publication for a commercial printer. We'll talk about the different printing processes, and when to choose each type. We'll also discuss how easy and automatic Publisher makes transferring your publication's files to a format your commercial printer can use. You'll know exactly what you'll need to do to get the results you want.

Friday - Lesson 12

Publisher offers several ways for you to create consistent and professional publications for your organization. In our last lesson together, you'll learn how to use two main methods: Templates and Design Sets. You'll discover how to create a template from scratch, change an existing template, and how to open a new publication using a template. You'll also see how Publisher's Design Sets can help you develop an entire suite of coordinating business materials in a matter of hours.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Allyson Hart Benavides.

Allyson Hart Benavides is a technical communicator with over 22 years of professional experience. She spent most of those years working as the director of the technical communications group for a large international consulting company. In 1998, she founded her own technical communications firm and works as a consultant for several large corporations. Allyson has used Microsoft Publisher through five upgrades (and 10 years) and considers herself to be a Publisher fanatic. She has taught online courses in Publisher 2000, Publisher 2002, Publisher 2003, and now Publisher 2007, introducing hundreds of students to the exciting possibilities the program has to offer. A firm believer in practicing what she preaches, Allyson relies on Publisher to maintain the marketing presence of her own business.

Requirements:

Microsoft Windows Vista or XP, Microsoft Publisher 2007 or Microsoft Office 2007 (Small Business Edition or Professional Edition only. (Please be sure to install this software on your computer before the course begins.) Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader). This course is not suitable for Macintosh users. Artistic ability is not required, just a desire to be creative.

Note: Publisher 2003 is not covered in this course; however, because the 2003 version is similar to 2007, experienced users may use the 2003 version, provided they understand that the lessons will not match the version they're using.

Student Reviews:

Reviews coming soon! Please check back next month.