  Computer Malfunction:
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Compu-Cheat Sheets
The next time you begin a new document with your word processor, try browsing around in your template directory. A template is nothing more than a document already designed and ready for you to fill in the pertinent information yourself. I have seen templates for everything from a simple letter to a very complicated thesis. Everything is already done for you. The margins are set to specific detailed standards, the typeface is chosen for you, the tabs are just the way they ought to be and, in some instances, a newsletter template, for example, there are even boxes placed for any clip art you should choose. This doesn't mean all this is etched in stone. You can still make all the adjustments you might want, but the basics are already done for you. You can find templates with any word processor, spreadsheet, or database application. Drawing and art programs like Corel include templates to help you begin projects with a minimum of fuss or experience. If you would like to do a newsletter, open your word processor and look through the "samples" directory or the "templates" directory and chances are you will find several templates for different styles of newsletters. Choose the one you want and you're off! Any desktop publishing package will also include templates and sample file to assist you in just about anything you can imagine. If you aren't quite sure how to use the templates included with your word processor or desktop publishing program, click the word Help at the top of your opening screen. Choose Index or Search and type in the word Templates. This should give you a pretty good overview of how you can get to them and make them begin to earn their keep. Did I say Sample Files earlier in this article? Yes I did! Sample files are just what their name implies. These are files intended to give examples of the types of things you can do with your software program. You can also change these sample files to suit your personal needs. When you are finished with your changes, click the word File, then click Save As, and give your new file a different name. This way the original stays intact for the next time you need it and you have a new document that someone else did the hard work on. All you had to do was make a few changes to "make it yours".
Got questions?
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You could be tapping your fingers on a gold mine. Your software is loaded, and if you haven't discovered the templates and wizards until now, you're in for a nice surprise. When you click on the words "file" and "open", you could be overlooking that extra step that could save you hours of work. It could mean the difference between a professional look and "not so neat, but at least it's done."