Take Advantage of Technology

Backup your files regularly!

  • USB flash/jump drives (64GB for ~$20)
  • external USB hard drives, 1000GB for <$100
  • use synchronization software to replace only the files that were changed on your computer hard drive or your external USB drive
  • another option is to use on-line backup services, your files are then stored on an off-site server, e.g.:
  • backup daily!

Keep file sizes manageable

  • large files
    • are difficult to e-mail (size limits!)
    • take up lots of space on your computer and backup
    • are slow
    • can often be avoided
  • go to the journal site to download images at original resolution, or sample images from pdf files (example)
  • make sure that images are not being stored at a resolution higher than the screen (or print) resolution
    • typical print resolution is 200dpi (dots per inch), screen/projector resolution 96 dpi
      • size of projector image at most  1920 x 1200 = 2.3 mega pixels
    • different sizes of graphic file formats vary in their file size, GIF or PNG format is appropriate for images with sharp transitions and few colors, JPEG is better for images with lots of colors and smooth transitions, such as photographs; WMF files can be edited in ppt
    • use an image editing software to adjust resolution of the images and thus file size or set the default target output to 220ppi (or less for ppt presentations) under options/advanced/image size and quality

Provide high quality images

  • the graphics in your thesis proposal/thesis need to be of high quality
  • images taken from the web often do not have high enough resolution, you perhaps need to redraw the image
  • many journals now provide high resolution images on their website, e.g. Mailloux et al., 2013 or Cook et al, 2004
  • if you copy graphs from Adobe Acrobat, the resolution of your image depends on how large it appears on the screen
  • you may scan images from printed materials, keep in mind what you want to use the image for
  • in case you have trouble lifting images from electronic sources, you can always take a screen dump and paste it into an image processor, such as Paint, Photoshop, or GIMP (free and cross-platform)
  • in the PC version of powerpoint, you can compress images to a certain resolution (click image and then go to Picture tools/Compress pictures)
  • use the drawing toolbar to make cartoons yourself
  • stick to simple tools, they are quite powerful after you get to know them a little bit; uinvestigating a lot of time into sophisticated programs like Adobe Illustrator may not worth the effort.

PC/Macintosh compatibility issues

  • files created by the same applications on a Macintosh and PC are not always compatible, although they should be
  • the problem is often that images are not transferred correctly or fonts are not recognized
    • tip: use basic fonts (e.g. Times Roman, Arial)
    • from a former version of the Microsoft website:
    • “When you add graphics to slides, be sure to use pictures saved in a graphics file format that is common to both platforms, such as Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), or Graphic Interchange Format (GIF). If you are opening the presentation on a computer that has PowerPoint, you’ll get the best results by using pictures saved in PNG format. Otherwise, use a third-party graphics program to convert your pictures into JPEG or GIF files.”
  • projection equipment at BC is PC based, if you create a file on a Mac, make sure it works fine on a Windows PC before you give the presentation
  • another possibility is to store the presentation as Adobe PDF file, that format seems to be the most compatible between different operating systems.

Remote control & mini conference logistics

  • you will use a remote control for flipping from slide to slide
    • the remote control has a timer which will vibrate when you have 5 minutes and the again when you have 2 and 0 minutes left.
    • the remote has a laser pointer as well
  • please deposit your PPTX and/or PDF file on the courseworks web page of EESC BC 3800/01 (under ‘shared files/mini conference’) before noon of the day of your presentation
  • Don’t use Prezi!!!! Only PDF or Powerpoint files are accepted
  • use LastnameF.ppt as filename and add your Lastname, Firstname  under ‘title’ when you post the file
  • PLEASE don’t bring your presentation on a USB drive to class or download it from your mail account to the presentation computert in the front – WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!
  • during the mini conferences we will ask you to make comments on each other’s presentations in writing; your advisor will channel those comments plus those of faculty back to you in writing

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