1. Click File then Import. Select the QR code PNG or JPEG file. The QR code image will be inserted into the CorelDRAW document window. In the screenshot below, the QR code's size is larger than the business card.
2. Select the QR code image using the Pick Tool. Launch Corel PowerTRACE by clicking opening the Bitmap menu, then Outline Trace and High Quality Image. Alternately, click Trace Bitmap on the Property Bar and select Outline Trace then High Quality Image.
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| Bitmap menu. |
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| Trace Bitmap on the Property Bar |
3. In the PowerTRACE window, drag the Smoothing controls to 0. Ensure that Corner smoothness is also 0 and that Detail is at the maximum setting.
4. If needed, remove the background color by checking Remove background and using the eyedropper tool or checking Automatically choose color. Click Ok.
5. The document window will display a vector version of the QR code. If needed, delete the imported PNG image. The QR code can now be scaled, moved, and resized without any loss in data.
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| The Object on the right is a Vector version of the QR code. |
1. When placing QR codes in business cards, test different sizes. The appearance and complexity of a QR code is dependent on the amount of information "embedded" on it. For instance, a web site produces a simple QR code while a a whole block of text (e.g. contact information, address, etc.) produces a more marked design. Complex QR codes work best in large sizes while simple QR codes would work at a smaller size.
This QR code includes a complete set of contact details.
This QR code provides a web site link only.
2. Try different scanners and different devices. Besides iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, test the printed QR code on a Blackberry and Android phone.
3. Consider the paper and medium. Business cards are printed on different types of paper of varying brightness, sheen, and color. Print out a proof first.
4. Use different Scanner apps. The iTunes Store has quite a few free QR scanners such as i-nigma QR, Scan, and QR Code Scan. Some work better than others. The i-nigma QR scanner, for instance, was able to read a poorly printed QR code that was cropped in the bottom while the two other apps failed. QR code scan needed more light in order to interpret the QR code (i.e. the iPod Touch's camera failed under dim light). Also, some apps boast the ability to scan a QR code from different angles.
1. Click Edit then Insert Barcode.
2. In the Barcode wizard, select the Industry Standard Format from the list.
3. Input the necessary numeric or alpha-numeric details. For the Codabar format, up to 30 digits can be entered.
4. Click Next.
5. Input the Printer resolution, Magnification, and Bar height. This is especially important if the final design (e.g. sticker, business card, price tag) will be resized or cropped by the printing service. Barcodes should not be modified as much as possible. Click Next.
6. Select a Font and a check on Make this bar code Human Readable if the barcode requires text translation.
7. Click Finish.
8. The barcode is inserted as an object in the document and can be positioned as needed.
1. Knoppix LiveUSB - Knoppix has excellent hardware support and applications that run perfectly even from a LiveUSB. Even an older Knoppix release includes VirtualBox for OS virtualization.Knoppix's small footprint on a USB allows plenty of available space for backing up files and transferring to other platforms, too.
2. Clonezilla LiveCD or LiveUSB - A resourceful Linux user always creates a clone of his dual-boot system or Linux setup on an external hard drive. Clonezilla, one of the best Linux distributions for backing up systems, is recommended for heavy duty backups for multiple systems. If a system fails, it's a snap to reimage a system via Clonezilla LiveCD or LiveUSB.
3. External Hard drive - For a full reinstall on the go, an external hard drive with Linux ISOs or Clonezilla image is better than toting around DVD backups.
4. External DVDR drive - Although portable optical drives have gone out of fashion (even so far as being removed from laptops and popular machines like the Macbook Air and Mac Mini), it still has its use for the itinerant systems admin. Imaging, backing up, and fixing broken systems are easier with a LiveCD than on a LiveUSB. Moreover, the business road warrior still needs to burn the occasional DVDR for a client.
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| K3B, KDE's DVDR burning software, works with any optical drive out there. |
5. Netbook - Although the netbook has largely been replaced by tablets and ultrathin laptops such as the Macbook Air, there are many units still out there and manufacturers such as Samsung and Asus haven't given up on them. For the frugal but practical user, a Linux-powered netbook is indispensable for any task that requires writing or programming. A fast Linux distribution like ArchLinux, Puppy Linux, or Lubuntu on an Atom or AMD Vision equipped netbook can be a cheap multimedia companion.
1. Linux Mint - Mint is loaded with a complete suite of Internet applications, office suite, and codecs ensuring a complete out-of-the-box mobile solution. Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu are great with a full update and restricted applications, but if any of the above, Windows, or Mac OSX fails, a user might need a quick boot using a LiveCD like Mint. Unlike some of the more advanced distributions out there, little configuration is needed to get wireless and everything else working.
2. Knoppix - Lightweight, small, and fast. See above.
3. Clonezilla - Imaging and backup solution. See above.
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| Surprisingly, the "Unity Scroll bar" doesn't affect LibreOffice. |
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| Dash can be inconsistent |
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| Adobe Reader 9 does not function properly in Ubuntu Unity (works in openSUSE, Mandriva, and Fedora though) |
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| Getting used to the Menu appearing only when moused over is more difficult than that Office 2007 Ribbon everyone complained about. |
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| uTorrent is available for Linux as a .tar.gz download |
1. Fast and lightweight
2. Triggers torrent and magnet links
3. Small and unobtrusive interface (doesn't require a maximized window to use unlike Deluge and KTorrent)
4. When the application is closed, Transmission exits completely. Transmission doesn't "hide" or revert to the system tray. This can be annoying for users who prefer to have their torrents running all the time - one mistaken click of the close button and Transmission closes.
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| KTorrent System Tray menu |
1. Like most KDE applications, KTorrent has tons of settings to fiddle around with even when it's minimized to the System Tray. Queues, Proxies, Ports, and MTUs can all be configured separately.
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| Numerous plugins |
2. The Group View can be somewhat confusing. Downloads, uploads, "passive torrents" and "active torrents" are all sorted out in a file tree. There is an option to close the view though.
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| Group View |
3. KTorrent certainly has more features than Transmission and Deluge. A power user can import Torrents from other applications, run pre-written scripts, automate shutdown, access torrent Plug-ins, configure speed limits for each torrent running, and search torrent sites from within the interface.
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| Searching for torrents in KTorrent |
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| Speed limit per torrent |
1. Setting up the initial bank accounts is very straightforward in Skrooge and takes only a few seconds to get up and running. Some might prefer KMyMoney's Setup Wizard however.
2. The Tracker functionality is particularly useful for sorting out expenditures. It can be used to track specific types of expenditures, for instance those spent on vacation or for someone else. It is a unique and invaluable feature to Skrooge.
3. The Categories are especially robust and a lot of work could be spent just deleting some of the items. Skrooge does not have the preset account types of KMyMoney but the comprehensive list takes care of almost everything out there.
4. Tracking expenditures is intuitive and easy. Budget and Payee screens are easy to read and configure. Dashboard aside, Skrooge's overall interface is simpler and easier to use.
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| The Operations page is where users add to the Ledger. |
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| KMyMoney and Skrooge have a similar interface when inputting an entry. |
5. Another extremely useful feature is the Split table in Operations. This excellent addition allows users to input one amount used for several purchases or expenditures.
6. The Report features of KMyMoney is much more powerful than Skrooge, but using the Reporting feature can be a lot of work. Skrooge's Report Page maintains the same interface as the other Pages. The minimalistic approach works for Skrooge proving that less is more.
1. Users are greeted with a very cluttered Dashboard (made worst on a small netbook screen). There are several modules that can be added on the Dashboard such as Advice, Budget, 5 Most used categories, etc. I can definitely see using some of these "widgets" but I felt that it appeared a bit too busy for my taste. I disabled all of them to avoid any confusion on my first run. KMyMoney's Home Screen, in comparison, has a clean, customizable ledger view.
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| Dashboard on a new setup. |
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| Dashboard after initial setup. |
2. Skrooge imports KMyMoney files among other file types. However, the transition isn't consistent - mixed currency accounts for instance isn't followed very accurately and older .kmy files cannot be imported (my 2011 .kmy file imported successfully but an older 2010 file didn't).
3. Skrooge can be installed on Unity and Gnome, but there are interface issues working on a non-KDE environment. The Dashboard "widgets" are supposed to display Zoom and Move controls on hovering with the mouse, but they don't always appear on a Unity install. Icons on the Pages panel also didn't show up properly. KMyMoney didn't have the same interface problem on the same Ubuntu Unity machine.
To add an expense to the ledger:
1. Click Ledger on the left panel.
2. Select Withdrawal tab. Any type of cost or expenditure is considered a withdrawal by KMyMoney because it reduces your overall wealth.
3. Click the New button.
4. On the Pay to field, type the Payee name. The Payee is the recipient of the money - 711, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, your friend, etc. KMyMoney will automatically remember previous payees, allowing users to eventually select repetitive expenditures like lunches at the cafeteria or electricity bills.
5. On the Category field, select the appropriate category from the list.
6. On the Memo text box, type any additional description.
7. The Date is automatically filled out with today's date. Click the Calendar button to change the date if the purchase or income occurred on a different date. This is especially important when back tracking on previous dates.
8. Enter the Amount or press the Calculator button to pull up an integrated calculator for quick computations.
9. Click Enter to add the entry to the ledger.
1. Place the insertion point to where the image is to be inserted.
2. On the Insert tab, click Picture, and select the screen shot.
3. Word 2010 will automatically insert the picture as an inline image.
4. To edit image dimensions, borders, and position, click the Picture Tools tab.
1. Place the insertion point to where the image is to be inserted.
2. On the File menu, click Import, then File. Select the screenshot or image.
3. On the Imported Graphic Scaling window, select the dpi required for the image. For online tutorials or web-based documents, 72 dpi would suffice.
4. FrameMaker will not automatically position the image in line with the text. To correct this, open the Special menu and click Anchored Frame.
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| The screen cap is not aligned with the text. |
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| The Anchored Frame panel changes the alignment and position. |
5. On the Anchored Frame panel, select the At the Insertion Point on the Anchoring Position list. Click Edit frame.
6. To adjust the alignment of the image with the text, edit the values found on the Distance Above Baseline. Negative values moves the image downwards in relation to the text.
