OVER 2 YOU, 029 (10/05/01)

BOOKLET PRINTING

I have put together a booklet - 32 pages with about fifty illustrations - of a recent trip to Sri Lanka. I cannot find, anything in Microsoft Publisher comparable to the option given in Word to print 'Odd Pages', 'Even pages' or 'All pages'.  My printer is a Canon BJ 620 - I have searched its properties but cannot find a solution there.

This means I have to let page one print out, leap to my feet and turn the sheet over, let page three print out - on a fresh sheet - then repeat the process eight times!  Another option, which exists in "Word" but apparently not in Publisher is Widows & Orphans - so how do I prevent lots of hyphens at the end of lines?

Ian  A. Powys via email

This is very easy with a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 970Cxi, which can be set in its printer setup to do this automatically. It does this by printing the first side, waits a few seconds for the ink to dry, then passes it back through reversing rollers at the rear, and prints the second side from the bottom end up! Because it works from the printer setup screens, it can be used with any Windows software, including Adobe Acrobat, so, for example that you can leave it print a technical manual in *.pdf format using both side of the paper. Not only that but you can set it to print two of your pages side by side on each side of each sheet - very economical for printing a manual! Various other reduction options are available, also poster printing where your A4 page is enlarged to 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4 A4 sheets which can be stuck together to make a poster, and 2400x1200dpi on photographic paper.

Brian Looker, via email

Lotus WordPro has facilities for printing even and odd pages. GSP Pressworks is even cleverer and happily prints an A4 32 page document on 8 sheets of paper, which you fold in half to produce an A5 size booklet. What's more it gets the page numbers right, as long as the total is divisible by 4!
Rex Boys,

Hyphenation in Publisher needs to be turned off to avoid lots of hyphens – right click on a text box and select Proofing Tools, Hyphenation, deselect "Automatically hyphenate this story"; for the whole document select Tools, Options, Edit - deselect "Automatically hyphenate in new text frames". This won't help if the document is already created, you'll have to change each text box individually once the text is in, but for new documents it's invaluable.

Widows and Orphans are not to do with hyphenation, but with odd words and  phrases "straying" from the main text - I remove these by right clicking, Change Text, selecting Character Spacing, and taking it down to around 94-5% - this also removes rivers of white space and improves the look of text generally. Moving the edges of the text box slightly can also improve these, sometimes moving a line of text into the next/previous column merely by resizing the box a tiny amount.

As far as the printing issue goes, no, you can't print odd/even pages like that (at least not that I've found), but why not print one set of pages normally, then turn them upside down and print on the reverse - this obviously requires a bit of thought when arranging the paper in the printer the second time but it's a lot less jumping up and down, and you get two good copies if you've done it right, one to proof and one for show...
Jacqui Hill,

I don't know Microsoft Publisher as such, but I have used many word processing packages over the years. The real page control must be in the printer software. Products like Word, Word Perfect, etc. can have a friendly user overlay, but underneath will be using printer control codes. If Ian's printer doesn't have an easier way, these will be available in the printer software but do need programming experience to set. A quick check in the printer manual may help. I use a (relatively) humble 2-year old Epson Stylus 760. This has its own Print Preview screen which shows all the pages, and it is easy to select odd pages and print, turn the sheets over, de-select the odd ones and select even pages, then print again. This maintains pagination and works for every document I use, regardless of source.

Peter Branson,

This can be achieved quite simply, effectively and without tears by using WordPerfect. I have used it without any problem on several occasions. Although the instructions in "Help" are vague, booklet printing is clearly labelled in the print dialogue box.
Jack Church,

ENVELOPE PRINTING

As treasurer of a church, I am involved in Gift Aid procedures, which involves the issue of numbered and printed envelopes which people use each week to put their gifts in. These can be bought from specialist printers, but I would prefer to create my own.  However, I cannot find a way of printing more than one at a time; the system is designed for mail merge or one-offs but not for many that are identical. I am running Word 7.0 on Windows 95.

Malcolm Heron, via email

There is another way to work round the problem of issuing numbered envelopes for Gift Aid contributions.  At my church the treasurer uses labels, and asks contributors to fill in their own reference numbers and the date, if relevant. Avery Dennison provides a free CDROM (Avery.co.uk or 0800 80 50 20) containing Wizards for all versions of Word from which it's easy to print many identical labels.  It's better than the Word label facility by miles. The Word 2000 version includes an option to print from a database file, although I haven't needed to try it out - other versions could well include the same option.  Two bonuses of using labels are that you print the same number much quicker than printing individual envelopes, and you don't have to set the printer up specially.
David Thompson,

I have been using a Gift Aid envelope system for some time now, which works well. I use the standard 4"x 3" gift envelopes and print on the back the text. I can usually print around 10 in sequence, by telling the computer to print this number but I expect it would do more if told!  I use these envelopes for the casual visitors who have not "signed up" to fairly regular giving - for these latter ones the normal numbered envelopes are OK.

Mike Lenderyou,

As the treasurer of a hard-of-hearing club I recently had to send identical SAEs to members and used Word mail merge by setting up a database with my name & address repeated as necessary. It did not take long to double the number of entries to 2, 4...64, then delete the surplus to finish with 50-odd (most of us!) identical SAEs.
Martin Roper,

A simple cheat is print off sheets of labels with the appropriate numbers and wording on them then stick these to your envelopes of choice
John Dean, Headington, Oxford

HOME SCHOOLING

I have taken my ten-year old daughter out of school and want to educate her at home. Can anyone recommend web sites and resources for home schooling?
J. Condon, via email

The replies to the question about teaching at home did not really convey the health and vibrancy of education outside the schooling system that exists within the UK today.  Increasing numbers of parents are abandoning the anachronistic mass schooling model of education in search of something relevant to their children and the world they live in. Technology allows access to all manner of resources, which render the process of attending school pointless and irrelevant.  Many of us would say it always was pointless and irrelevant… I draw your attention to:

The annual Home Educators Seaside Festival (HESFES), which is having a second event this year as it, has proved to be so popular.http://www.hesfes.co.uk The recently published book Free Range Education is an account by home educating parents (and the occasional home educated child) of how home education works in practice.
http://www.free-range-education.co.uk

For a wealth of advice and links to resources etc try...
http://www.choiceineducation.co.uk
http://www.home-education.org.uk
http://www.education-otherwise.org

For information in Scotland (where education law varies a little from England and Wales)...
http://www.schoolhouse.org.uk

Teenagers are actively encouraged to get a life and get out of school at..http://www.silencingthebell.btinternet.co.uk

We are setting up Open Education to question and challenge the unthinking assumptions that are made about schooling.  Anyone seeking further information or wishing to explore such ideas further are most welcome to contact us. http://www.open-education.org.uk
Duncan Moran,

I can thoroughly recommend that you either, ring Hope Education on 08702 414 400 and order a huge product catalogue which you can peruse at your leisure or use their web site, www.hope-education.co.uk. This company supplies schools with virtually everything you can think of across the whole curriculum, but will also supply private customers.

Dawn Shilcock,

My apologies to those readers who tried to contact Christian Education Resources (C.E.R.) at otterhill@compuserve.com; their email address is now tracy@ChristianEducationUK.co.uk. The website is www.ChristianEducationUK.co.uk, and this site includes links to other educational resources.
J Lillie,

J Condon could try the following organisation: Education Otherwise, Home Education Advisory Service, and Schoolhouse, Dundee, all of which exist to support home educators
John Blake, Alloa

EXCEL POWER

Has anyone written an Excel spreadsheet to calculate which of the power companies will give the best deal for your area? What is required is a method of entering the number of units of gas and electricity used again the cost per unit of each supplier. This information is obtainable from the Ofgem.gov.uk web side. Standing order charges and direct debit discount also require taking into account. I am not experience in writing spreadsheets. I was hoping someone might save me some time.

Peter Martin, via email

Do not bother going to the trouble of writing an excel spreadsheet to compare gas & electricity tariffs. I used www.cheaputilities.co.uk this site is quick & simple to use; you go straight to the information you want. I also had Ofgen fact sheets, these had different tariffs from the ones quoted on this site, so I asked them to confirm that their tariffs were correct. It turns out that the Ofgen data is inaccurate due to the time it takes to collect the data & then print it. Who would have thought that a site such as this would be more accurate than the Government Regulator.
Alan Cupper,

HEDGEHOGS & WORMS

Despite the Internet's reputation for being able to supply every conceivable human desire, I am unable to find anyone selling hedgehogs or slow worms.These are not for occult purposes but as a green alternative to slug pellets. As a gardener who lives in London, I am desperate to deter monopods from eating my bulbs.
Ian C, via email

It is actually illegal under Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to sell sloworms, or offer them for sale. Hedgehogs are not listed, but most hedgehog rehabilitators would be reluctant to sell them. Neither species does to well in gardens - sloworms are very vulnerable to cat predation, hedgehogs insist on wandering outside and get killed on the roads. Nevertheless, there are always hedgehogs needing relocation, and the local RSPCA would probably consider inspecting Ian Cowie's garden with a view to releasing an animal or two. Another biological control agent worth considering is a pair of call ducks, but they will need a pond, and can make a mess of attractive water lilies!
D.W. Yalden, dyalden@fs1.scg.man.ac.uk

The British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society (of which I am the publicity officer) have prepared an A4 leaflet on the many different ways available to combat the slug and snail menace. I'll be happy to e-mail a copy of this to anyone else who would like one.

John Dearden,

CAN YOU HELP?

Can anyone point me in the direction of a wire drawing software to draw various patterned wire spheres and to enable them to revolve on the screen.

Peter Davidson, via email

I need, ideally, to run a spreadsheet (Excel) with all my stocks and shares listed on it, and be able to download (off the net) daily or more often prices so it can update automatically. Can this be done without getting tied up with a portfolio with an on-line company, and having to be registered with a supplier of said prices?
Chris J Catton, via email

Does anyone know of driving simulator software for continental roads? I feel this would help prepare drivers to cope with the new conditions and also give more confidence when on the continent, on the wrong side of the road.
John Wallis, via email

I am trying to find software, which will allow me to produce invoices for up to 100 customers.  There are 16 products, each customer will have two or more products per week updated every Sunday and I wish to produce an invoice each month showing the weekly totals.  When the price changes on a product I want to change the price on the master list and have the products per customer automatically change. During each week I will input all changes and payments to each individual customer and then print off the invoice at the end of the month. As I am a beginner with computers the program will have to be simple and easy to use.

Brian Smith, via email