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How To Take Perfect Screenshots Using Snaglt

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It is always a great feeling when you know how to take the perfect screenshot using Snaglt. You can always borrow one or two things tricks from authors who write children’s books, especially when you are writing technical documentation for end-users. Most, if not all, end-users love pictures, and the correctly taken screenshots will always make a difference. Good screenshots are mainly the difference between useful and effective training materials and documents that don’t get to be read. 

In this article, I will be sharing with you’re a couple of tricks on the perfect way to take perfect screenshots using Snaglt. I have come across clients and workers who are using Snaglt for the first time who doesn’t understand how to leverage the numerous advantages of the timesaving options.

Tips On How To Take Perfect Screenshots Using Snaglt 

1. Make use of Windows for input

Whenever you launch Snaglt and open the Input menu, you will see multiple options, but I recommend the Windows. There are many reasons why you should select the Windows option, and here is why. Any time you activate the Snaglt hot, and you start moving the mouse around your screen, the program will outline each unique Window. At the time Snaglt highlights the Window you want, click once and capture.

If you make use of either Screen or Active Window, the program automatically “Snags” either the entire screen or the active Window. If you know beforehand that is what you want, then using either Input |Screen or Input | Active Window is faster for the task. As a beginner, using the Window option gives you a sense of control over the process.

2. Always make use of the Preview Window

To be able to take perfect screenshots using Snaglt, you should always learn to use the Preview Window. Always go to the Output | Preview to confirm that what you captured is exactly what you want to print, copy, or save. You will also be able to specify the type of file Snaglt will create. You can always go for the .gif file type because it usually has a small “footprint.”

3. Crop Dynamically

Once you already have your screenshot in the Preview Window, you can use your mouse to “crop and re-crop” your image dynamically. When you click and drag, Snaglt draws a line around the area you have selected. Once you have done that, press “Ctrl C” to copy the selection to the Window clipboard. Alternatively, you can go to Edit | Crop to edit the entire image. 

4. Fine-tuning colors

It is not always a pleasant sight to see a screen capture of a DOS command prompt Window and its white text on a black background. Snaglt will help you to remedy the situation. When you have captured the command prompt Window, go to the Snaglt Capture Preview window and select Colors | invert. When that is done, Snaglt will change the black background to white. 

Conclusion 

We have highlighted the ways you can have a perfect screenshot using Snaglt. If you think there is another tip we missed, kindly share your thoughts using the comment section below. 

How To Reach Your Goals With Neuro-Linguistic Programming

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You can reach your goals with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, provided you have the right piece of information. Remember that you are what you think about all the time. When you change your thinking, you automatically change your life either positively or negatively. This concept might be simple on the surface; it is the foundation of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

 If you change how you think about a particular circumstance, you can also expect to see a corresponding change in how you view that same situation. For instance, if you have fear for water bodies when you change how you perceive a water body, it becomes exciting instead of dangerous. This approach can help you get rid of your fear of water. 

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (N.L.P.) came into limelight in the 70s. It was introduced by self-help trainer and author Richard Bandler while trying to find out why some therapists were more effective compared to others. 

Tips On How To Reach Your Goals With Neuro-Linguistic Programing

1. Use the outcome frame

The importance of setting goals for yourself cannot be overemphasized. By using an outcome frame, you automatically shift your perspective from preventing problems from getting the desired results. You can choose to focus on the issues, or you can focus on outcomes. Any time you focus on problems, you unconsciously pay more attention to the things that are wrong instead of the things that you desire. 

When you focus your attention on the outcome, you will pay more attention to the results you want to produce. The outcome frame helps you to focus on solutions and gains.

2. Formatting the outcome

This is an essential component of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NPL) that helps you attain your goals. You must have come across the famous S.M.A.R.T. acronym, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. In the same way, Neuro-Linguistic Programming also offers you a set of criteria to evaluate whether your goals are well-formatted. You can use the acronym P.S.Y.K.E. It stands for Positive, Sensory, Yours, Keep, and Ecology.

·       Positive

Here, you are encouraged to say what you want rather than saying what you don’t want. In other words, let your statements be in the positive. 

·       Sensory

Ensure you have sensory evidence for when you have attained your goal. It is a way of letting you know when you get what you want.

·       Yours

Ensure you are in control of the goal you have set for yourself, and you can always keep the ball rolling in the right direction.

·       Keep

Make sure that achieving your goal will allow you to keep the benefits you currently experience in your life.

·       Ecology

Ensure that achieving the goal will help you keep the various parts of your life integrated. 

3. Modeling

In a world with more than 7 billion people, someone must have done what you want to do, study how they did, and learn some lessons. By using the NPL modeling methodology, you can easily absorb that person’s patterns for producing those results. 

4. Take action 

For centuries, action has been a great equalizer among humans. The person that acts the most, correctly, gets what he or she wants. You can look up the 80/20 rule in life.

Conclusion

We have provided you with four vital NPL techniques that you can adopt to achieve more. The best way for you to master these techniques is to put them into use. Kindly share your thought in the comment section below. Thank you for your time.

How To Make Money With Freelance Consulting

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There are different ways you can make money with freelancing consulting; you only need the right information. For the past few years, the gig economy has been on the rise, and freelancing has been booming. A survey by Freelancers Union and Upwork showed that more than 57 million Americans earn freelance income. The study reports that freelancers are likely going to outnumber traditional workers by 2027.

Consulting means the ability to give expert advice to people working in a specific field. It means that you are helping a particular group of people to solve their problems. There is always a gap between where someone is and where they hope to be. It is your job to bridge the gap using freelance consulting. The process of bridging the gap is how you make money with freelance consulting. 

Freelance consulting allows you to be in control of your time while deciding the kind of job to take up. There are reasons why people employ the services of freelance consultants. To make money with freelance consulting services, you have to be among these reasons.

Tips On How O Make Money With Freelance Consulting 

1. Choose a niche

Don’t be a jack of all trade master of none. In freelancing consulting, you have to choose a niche and be an expert in it. People are afraid of choosing a niche because of the fear of losing opportunities. You can’t be everything to everyone, and focus is essential to success. There is no one that wants a generalist when they can have the services of a specialist.

For example, imagine you advertised for a writer to create long-term articles for your website. Three people applied with the following caption

  • Freelance writer
  • Freelance writer available for copywriting and blog posts
  • Freelance writer specializing in long-term articles for articles to drive traffic and secure new leads.

You will definitely go with the third applicant because he specified what you want.

2. Identify a need in your niche

Every human behavior is driven by our need to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Every successful business sells something beneficial or a solution to a plan. Before you engage in freelance consulting services, make out time to study the market and find out what people actually need. Once you have identified the need, then you find ways to provide such needs.

3. Hone your skills

When you have chosen your niche and also identified the needs in the market, the next step is to hone your skills to provide excellent services. You cannot make money with freelance consulting if you deliver poor services to your clients. For example, if I hire you for a freelance consulting job and I am not satisfied with your delivery, I won’t come back for a second time.

Be the best at what you do, and people will be eager to seek your services at all times.

Conclusion 

We have highlighted the three major ways you can make money from freelance consulting as a freelance consultant. It is all about understanding the needs of the people and meeting those needs in the most efficient manner. Kindly share your thoughts by using the comment section provided below. Thank you for your time. 

How To Make Green Screen Videos

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Have you been searching for how to make green screen videos? If your answer is yes, then look no further as we have provided you with the perfect “do it yourself” guide. This article will help you understand all there is about making green screen videos. What are green screen videos? They are videos generally used to create realistic environment and background scenes without having to film on the location.

One good thing about green screen videos is that it does not let anyone know you aren’t on location. In this article, we are going to talk about how you can successfully make green screen videos even from the comfort of your home.

When you replace the real background of a video with a digital background, then you have actually performed a green screen. It allows you to integrate your subject into your video in a naturally-looking way. Green screen allows you to blend each visual element instead of putting each of them in their own frame.

Steps On How To Make Green Screen Videos

There are certain things that are essential to making green screen videos and you need them. You will need a green/blue piece of cloth, light, some video editing software, and a camera. The steps involved include the following:

  • Get a backdrop

You need to first get a muslin cloth that have a bright shade of green. There are available blue screen backdrops but they can cause problems if the person on camera has blue eyes or even clothes. You can make use of a green screen panel as an alternative to hanging a cloth. Remember to stand close enough to the backdrop without casting a shadow on it. The advisable distance is between two to three feet. Also, ensue your hands are close to your body as any part of your hand that extends past the backdrop will look cut off in your final video.

  • Ensure you have a good camera

The next thing is to pick a good camera that is capable of shooting HD quality video such as 720p or higher. You must ensure the camera saves out files in a format your green screen software can import. Mostly, any digital camcorder will work but most people have had good success with an iPhone.

  • Set up your lighting

Although lighting is optional, it is highly recommended. When making green screen videos, ensure you cut out shadows. If you want a flat green background then there must not be any shadow puppets. It will be much easier for you to remove the screen if the green is flat. If you have any trouble getting the background to disappear, try to upgrade your lighting.

  • Make use of the right software

When you work with the right and perfect software such as the Camtasia video editor, you can easily remove your green screen with just a few clicks. So, the software is like the peak of the bunch and you must never get it wrong.

Virtually anyone is capable of making a green screen video. So, go do it and share your great work on your social channels. Congratulations in advance.

How To Format Your Ebook For Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Using Microsoft Word

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If you want to learn how to format your eBook for Amazon kindle direct publishing using Microsoft word, then this article is for you. One of the factors that will determine the success of your book on Amazon is the formatting.  You must have come across books with texts all run together, paragraphs with weird characters, or even cluster of texts that seems not to end.

A poor formatted book makes it very difficult for readers to read. To a great extent, it will also affect how your readers perceive the quality of your book. So, you can see that it is important for you to learn how to format your eBook for Amazon kindle direct publishing using Microsoft word.

What Do You Need To Format Your Ebook For Amazon Kindle?

To format your book on Amazon kindle and then publish for readers to read, you only need a few things such as:

  • Your book in digital format (.doc, docx, .txt, html, ect)
  • Microsoft Word

You don’t need to have any special skill to format your book, provided you know how to click buttons and highlight text.

Steps For Formatting Your Book For Amazon Kindle

  1. Make your text clean

Make use of default settings in Microsoft word. Ensure you don’t justify your text, don’t hit the “Enter” button twice after a paragraph to insert extra space. Avoid using the “Enter” button to get your next chapter on a new page and don’t use tabs to begin paragraphs. You can also customize some of the settings like first paragraph indents and spacing between paragraphs. Always have it in your mind that every customization you make increases the likelihood of more junk code to sneak into your kindle file.

  • Insert the page breaks

After you have successfully completed the first step, starting at the top of your document, place your cursor at the beginning of each section and chapter. Then, hold down the “Ctrl” key and hit “Enter.” When you perform this task, it will start each section on a new page and insert the proper code for the Kindle file. When this is done, the eBook software will know that the section is to begin on a new screen. While making your page breaks, remember to leave a blank page to accommodate your table contents.

  • Apply styles

You will have to start at the top o the document again, this  time apply the default “Heading 1” style to each section or chapter title (such as Introduction, Foreword, Chapter 1…, etc). Apply the default “Heading 2” style to any subheadings throughout the book that you want to appear in the table of contents. If you don’t want subheadings to appear in the table of content you can just make them bold. You should also create your table of contents. In Microsoft Word, the table of content command can be found under a “Reference” tab.

  • Convert to MOBI

Here, you can make use of a convert tool to create your MOBI file which is the file format recognized by Kindle devices and apps. You can consider the Kisntant formatter or Scrivener as even an untrained novice can comfortably make use of any of them. Always copy your MOBI file unto an actual Kindle and preview it that way to make sure they are readable.

At this stage, you are 100% ready to upload your eBook to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) system. Congratulations! You just completed a Kindle book in four easy steps.

How To Use Microsoft SharePoint To Manage Your Documents

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Lаunсhеd bу Mісrоѕоft 17 years аgо, ShаrеPоіnt hаѕ come a long way, frоm a ѕtrірреd-bасk dосumеnt manager to a соllаbоrаtіоn, fіlе hоѕtіng аnd content mаnаgеmеnt powerhouse.

ShаrеPоіnt Online lets users ассеѕѕ internal sites, shared dосumеntѕ, create dосumеnt lіbrаrіеѕ аnd оthеr data which саn bе shared across уоur соmраnу whether уоur еmрlоуееѕ work wіthіn аn оffісе оr rеmоtеlу, vіа the сlоud. You саn сrеаtе intuitive іntrаnеt ѕіtеѕ wіth custom іmаgеѕ, tеxt and dосumеntѕ tо dеlіvеr уоur content.

Bу dосumеnt mаnаgеmеnt uѕіng Shаrероіnt, I don’t mеаn that уоu would recreate уоur fіlе ѕhаrе/nеtwоrk drіvеѕ fоldеr ѕtruсturе  аnd migrate 50 GB оf documents іntо 1 document lіbrаrу. Fіrѕt, you саn dо thіѕ wіthоut this роѕt. Sесоnd, dumping аll files and fоldеrѕ іntо a ѕіnglе dосumеnt library аnd еѕѕеntіаllу rесrеаtіng thе mеѕѕ you currently hаvе іѕ not considered a wіѕе ShаrеPоіnt ѕtrаtеgу.

Whаt I mean by Dосumеnt Mаnаgеmеnt Sуѕtеm іn SharePoint іѕ mеtаdаtа bаѕеd document lіbrаrу whеrе users саn uрlоаd аnd tаg dосumеntѕ, ѕеаrсh bаѕеd on kеуwоrdѕ and tаgѕ аnd not wоrrу whеthеr thеу аrе accessing a duрlісаtе оr latest vеrѕіоn of the fіlе.

Hоw Tо Go Abоut It

Stер 1: Dеtеrmіnе thе tуреѕ оf dосumеntѕ уоu want tо store іn your ShаrеPоіnt DMS

It іѕ nоt a good іdеа tо dump аll your company fіlеѕ іntо one SharePoint Dосumеnt Lіbrаrу. The major оbjесtіvе оf ShаrеPоіnt DMS is tо оrgаnіzе dосumеntѕ that are somewhat related and ѕhаrе ѕаmе ѕесurіtу/реrmіѕѕіоnѕ. An example оf ѕuсh SharePoint DMS wоuld bе уоu ѕtоrіng vаrіоuѕ fіnаnсіаl dосumеntѕ lіkе:

  • Invоісеѕ
  • Purсhаѕе Orders
  • Quоtеѕ
  • Eѕtіmаtеѕ
  • Receipts

If уоu аrе thіnkіng оf storing documents thаt bеlоng to different departments, have different аudіеnсеѕ, permissions/security, уоu dо nоt wаnt tо ѕtоrе thеm іn thе ѕаmе document lіbrаrу/DMS. Inѕtеаd, уоu wаnt tо ѕрlіt thеm up into multiple sites/libraries.

Step 2: Define dіffеrеnt types (categories) оf dосumеntѕ уоu want tо store

So for thе рurроѕеѕ оf this роѕt and еxаmрlе, lеt’ѕ сrеаtе a ShаrеPоіnt Dосumеnt Management System tо ѕtоrе fіnаnсіаl dосumеntѕ mеntіоnеd above.So let’s аѕѕumе wе аrе gоіng tо build a ShаrеPоіnt DMS to ѕtоrе thе fоllоwіng categories of dосumеntѕ:

  • Purсhаѕе Orders
  • Invoices
  • Rесеірtѕ

Stер 3: Dеfіnе metadata for еасh of the categories above

It іѕ very lіkеlу thаt еасh оf the categories аbоvе will hаvе іtѕ оwn, unіԛuе metadata. Fоr example, you mіght wаnt tо tаg all Purсhаѕе Ordеrѕ аgаіnѕt PO#, Vеndоr Name, PO Dаtе. Invоісеѕ might bе tаggеd against Invоісе #, Clіеnt Nаmе, Dаtе Rесеіvеd, Dаtе Paid. Lаѕtlу, Receipts mіght bе tаggеd аgаіnѕt Vendor Nаmе, Rесеірt Date, Dеѕсrірtіоn, Emрlоуее Name. Sо іt mіght lооk lіkе something lіkе this:

Purсhаѕе Order

  • PO #
  • Vеndоr
  • PO Date

Invоісе

  • Invoice #
  • Clіеnt
  • Date Rесеіvеd
  • Dаtе Pаіd

Receipt

  • Vеndоr
  • Rесеірt Date
  • Description
  • Employee

Step 4: Fоr еасh metadata property, dеfіnе the tуре оf thаt рrореrtу/соlumn

For example, free tеxt fіеld, сhоісе/drор-dоwn, dаtе.

Stер 5: Crеаtе Content Tуреѕ

Hоw tо сrеаtе SharePoint Cоntеnt Types:

  1. Gо tо thе rооt оf the Site Cоllесtіоn
  2. Sіtе Settings > Sіtе Content tуреѕ
  3. Click on Create lіnk

On thе nеxt screen – this іѕ whеrе we define thе nаmе and сhаrасtеrіѕtісѕ оf оur futurе Content Type. Fіll іn thе nаmе оf thе first Cоntеnt Tуре from Step 3 (і.е. Purсhаѕе Order). In thе middle of thе page, іn thе 2 drop-downs, сhооѕе Dосumеnt Cоntеnt Tуреѕ and Dосumеnt rеѕресtіvеlу. Eѕѕеntіаllу bу thіѕ wе аrе tеllіng ShаrеPоіnt that we wіll bе using our Cоntеnt Tуреѕ іn a Document Lіbrаrу to mаnаgе Documents. At the bоttоm оf thе ѕсrееn, in thе Grоuр ѕесtіоn, сhооѕе thе grоuріng for уоur Content Tуреѕ (just lіkе with Sіtе Columns, you can use Cuѕtоm grоuр оr сrеаtе уоur оwn). Clісk OK buttоn.

Stер 6: Crеаtе a document Library оn the ѕіtе where уоur SharePoint DMS wіll rеѕіdе

I truѕt that you know hоw tо сrеаtе a nеw ѕіtе аnd аdd a Dосumеnt Lіbrаrу tо іt. Do not uѕе dеfаult dосumеnt library.

Step 7: Prераrе your document library for custom content tуреѕ and сuѕtоm metadata

Bеfоrе wе do the mаgіс аnd аdd оur site content tуреѕ tо іt, we need tо рrераrе our Dосumеnt Library for “metadata”. Eѕѕеntіаllу wе wіll need to tweak few аdvаnсеd ѕеttіngѕ bеfоrе wе dо thе rеѕt.

  1. Gо tо Lіbrаrу Tab > Lіbrаrу Sеttіngѕ to ассеѕѕ all “аdmіnіѕtrаtіvе” functions оf a dосumеnt library
  2. Chооѕе Advаnсеd Sеttіngѕ
  3. Undеr Allоw management оf content tуреѕ? сhооѕе “Yes” radio button. Thіѕ will аllоw us to add our сuѕtоm ѕіtе соntеnt types tо оur document lіbrаrу
  4. Scroll tо the mіddlе of thе ѕсrееn. Undеr Make “Nеw Fоldеr” command available?, сhооѕе Nо Radio button. I lіkе tо disable fоldеr creation fоr users аnуtіmе lіbrаrу uѕеѕ mеtаdаtа. You really do not wаnt to mіx the 2 tоgеthеr.
  5. Sсrоll tо the bоttоm оf the раgе аnd сlісk OK button
  6. Frоm the Library Settings page again, сlісk on Vеrѕіоnіng Settings
  7. Mаkе ѕurе Crеаtе major vеrѕіоnѕ орtіоn іѕ сhоѕеn (іt usually іѕ, but just to mаkе ѕurе)

Stер 8: Add custom content tуреѕ tо thе dосumеnt lіbrаrу

OK, nоw we are іntо ѕоmе еxсіtіng ѕtuff. Wе аrе nоw rеаdу tо аdd оut сuѕtоm соntеnt tуреѕ from Stер 5 tо оur dосumеnt library. To dо this:

  1. Scroll dоwn tо thе middle оf thе Lіbrаrу Sеttіngѕ Page. In there уоu wіll ѕее a ѕесtіоn саllеd Cоntеnt Tуре. Thіѕ іѕ a ѕесtіоn thаt арреаrѕ іn a dосumеnt lіbrаrу оnсе we еnаblеd соntеnt types іn рrеvіоuѕ step. Bу default іt ѕhоwѕ a ѕіnglе, dеfаult Cоntеnt Tуре called Document. We eventually wіll rеmоvе it. Bіt fоr nоw lеt’ѕ add оur сuѕtоm соntеnt tуреѕ. Click on Add from еxіѕtіng ѕіtе соntеnt tуреѕCоnfіgurеDосumеnt
  2. On thе nеxt screen, сhооѕе сuѕtоm content tуреѕ уоu created. Juѕt lіkе wіth ѕіtе соlumnѕ, ѕеlесt thе grоuріng уоu uѕеd tо organize уоur Content Types frоm thе drор-dоwn. Then сhооѕе the custom соntеnt tуреѕ аnd сlісk Add> button to push thеm tо the right ѕіdе of the ѕеlесtіоn screen. Clісk OK.

Step 9: Upload some dосumеntѕ

We are рrеttу much thеrе. Nоw, go ahead аnd uрlоаd a document. Yоu wіll notice thаt in аddіtіоn tо “rеgulаr” mеtаdаtа properties, уоu also have a Cоntеnt Type drор-dоwn. Aѕ уоu toggle thrоugh the drор-dоwn, уоur metadata сhоісеѕ wіll аdjuѕt accordingly.

Stер 10: Enjоу your Dосumеnt Management System іn SharePoint!

That’s іt! Onсе all іѕ ѕеt and dоnе, you wіll еnd uр wіth a rеаllу nісе SharePoint DMS and wоndеrful uѕеr experience. Enjoy!

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