Posts by Ugur Akinci
How to Share a MS Word 2010 Document and Edit it with Other Authors
© Ugur Akinci Here is an automated way to share a MS Word 2010 document with other authors, editors, or reviewers in your group. If you have Word 2007, you cannot use this method because it does not provide an easy link to SharePoint like MS Word 2010 does. I also think that Google Documents’…
Read MoreHow to Draw Connecting Shapes with Multiple Strokes with Adobe Illustrator
© 2011 Ugur Akinci Sometimes you will need to draw technical illustrations with shapes that not only connect but also have double or multiple strokes. Think of converging railroad tracks. A shape like this: Follow these steps: (1) Draw your individual overlapping shapes by using any tool necessary (rectangle, ellipse, etc.). (2) Press Ctrl +…
Read MoreHow to Add a Math Equation to a MS Word Technical Document
Did you know that you can add complicated mathematical questions easily with just one-click into your MS Word technical document? Here is a list of equations you can insert with no problem at all: Pythagorean Equation Taylor Expansion Trig Identity 1 Trig Identity 2 Area of Circle Binomial Equation Fourier Series Expansion of a Sum…
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How to Prevent Compounding Editing Errors While Copy Editing a Long Technical Document
Introduction Editing errors are an important issue in all types of writing. There are some tips and techniques in technical communication that do not make much sense unless you’ve been a technical writer for a long time and you’ve seen the same issues arising over and over again. One such technical writing issue is the…
Read MoreHow to Switch Templates for a MS Word 2007 or Word 2010 Technical Document
© 2011 Ugur Akinci When you create a technical document with MS Word 2007 or 2010 the application uses its default Normal template. But you do not need to use the Normal template all the time. You can switch to any template you like. Here is what the top three-level Word headings created with the…
Read More"Manual Writer," "Technical Writer" or "Technical Communicator" — What’s in a title?
A reader asked the other day if it’s okay for his customer to address him as a “manual writer.” “Is this really a big deal?” he asked. My short answer is — yes, it is a big deal and of course it matters, for more reasons than one. First off, “manual writer” is not correct…
Read MoreLIZ POHLAND, Editor, STC and INTERCOM — Technical Communication Interview
In the days ahead we’re planning to bring you detailed interviews with the prominent figures in Technical Communication both to acknowledge and honor their good work and to inform ourselves about the current state of affairs in our dynamic field. Here is our first interview with Liz Pohland, the Editor of STC and its flagship…
Read MoreSimple Diagrams: Draw a Blackboard-and-Chalk Diagram
Simple Diagrams is proof that we’ve come a full-circle in technical illustration. We started fifty years ago with nothing more than a blackboard and a fistful of chalk. If we had any colored chalks we considered ourselves lucky. That was my elementary school experience. Then we went through the Photoshop + Illustrator revolution in the…
Read MoreHow to Select A-Series Paper Sizes in Inches
Paper sizes can be confusing at times. FrameMaker, for example, offers a wealth of paper sizes in the Print Setup dialog box. Most of them are spelled out clearly. But the dimensions of some others are not as clear. What size is A3, for example? Or what are the exact dimensions of A5 or A6?…
Read MoreHow to Write About Internet Connectivity — An Introduction
Telecommunications and internet connectivity are hot items not only for the consumers but for writers as well. Those writers specializing in these topics have countless magazines and web sites to which they can sell their articles. But first things first… If you’re a technical communication professional who’d like to write articles and reviews about Internet…
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