Thommy H:
Office 2007 can make PDFs as part of its basic functionality, by the way. If you don’t have it, I’d be happy to have you e-mail the Word file over and just save it as a PDF. That’s how I’ve done all mine since I got this computer. None of this messing around with special programs.
nitroglysarine:
If you don’t have Office 2007 you can also use CutePDF that installed a phantom printer that ‘prints’ to a pdf instead of a physical document.
Thommy H:
Yeah, that’s the way most PDF software works. There are lots of options out there - the annoying thing is that most will cost you for a “full” version, and trial versions might give you a watermark, or so many un-watermarked uses before they start stamping their logos at the bottom of every page. With Office '07, you can just save a Word document as a PDF.
Baggronor:
I have the full-on professional version of Acrobat so, between us all, I think we have PDFing sorted :cheers
HB, if you’re sure you’re up for running things, then I’m happy to help out when I can. I have far less flexibility time-wise these days, so any comic stuff will likely have to be on an every-other-issue basis, but I can still do 1-2 pics per issue. Just give me as much warning as possible.
Thommy H:
Yeah, I can write stuff. Although I do now expect to be sent toys as payment.
zobo1942:
Using a ‘phantom printer/helper app’ is usually better than just the ‘output to pdf from word’ - it give you waaaaay more control, and better pdfs.
vulcanologist:
I’ve got a load of artwork done that was going to go in last issue and I can always do more ( or help in any other way possible?)
Hashut’s Blessing:
Well, if people start arming themselves with content, I can get to learning how to best go about producing the badboy 
Obviously, I won’t be able to start for a minimum of a week due to my current job, but after that I should be good to go!
Nicodemus:
You can also take a look at my sig for this link to a pdf I put together… not that I think it’s the best thing out there, but I think it’s a good enough start and with a little more artwork and background templates for the pages it would do the trick.
So who is actually taking charge of this?
zobo1942:
I have worked in print/prepress for a very long time (too long, truth be told), and I have a few words of advice that you may wish to consider to make the issue creating process easier:
1) Review previous issues to determine average article & story size.
2) Decide on the size (page size, number of pages, etc…) of the publication in advance.
3) Create a template in your layout application which will be re-used for every issue to be created in the future - use placeholder frames to hold spots to place artwork and text, and create typestyle setting for headings, subheads, body text, etc… If there are pages with are always the same, set them up as completely as possible. This will stop you from having to ‘redesign’ the publication each time you create it, and ensure a consistent ‘look’ to it.
4) Create an archive of graphics which will be re-used in future images: graphics for the stylized name of the magazine, graphic backgrounds for pages, icons, fancy image frames, etc… Ideally, you’d like to be able to paste in the text, drop in the images, and export it.
4) Get all the editing of the text done BEFORE it is placed in the layout application.
4) Get imagery and text sent to you in the format that works for you (ie. you can copy and paste the text into placeholder frames, and import the images with a minimum of effort and time) Err on the side of ‘a bigger image is better’. You can always downsample images, but you can’t create more image data if you need it.
5) Don’t worry about downsampling and optimizing image sizes until final output to pdf - Distiller can do the work for you.
This will reduce the amount of work required in the long run. True, it will mean that there is more work for the initial set up, but it means that any future issues will take a lot less time, and make it more likely that they will be produced. I’d love to help out but my wife works in the evenings and on weekends, I work during the week, and we have two small children so unfortunately, that won’t happen.
Best of luck!!
Willmark:
To do this the Editor in Chief has to be a right bastard to be frank. It also takes an immense amount of work TBQH.
Good luck to all involved.
Willmark:
Regarding InDesign, it works like most high end layout tools: Draw a box. Define what goes in the box. Format the text in the box, or scale the graphic in the box. That's it. Anything else is just moustache-ing - it just saves you from going into Photoshop to change a drop shadow. Obviously, you can make it as complicated as you want to - but, bare bones, that's pretty much it.Adobe InDesign.
I also use primopdf extensively at my job. I work in print/prepress (although, I can't say for how much longer - everyone got laid off today, except me), and have also published a series of short fiction compilations for which I used primopdf to create the 'master' pdfs, and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Couple it with some pdf tools like 'Quite Imposing' and 'Quite a Box of Tricks' and you have a pretty powerful solution.
This might sound strange, but looking at the WoH, I get a distinctly 'CorelDraw' feeling from it. That's not a dig... there are just some aspects of it that look like 'CorelDraw-isms'.
What application is actually used to create it?
zobo1942
Borador:
I am willing to write articles, which I will try to do on a regular basis, if my help is needed to get WoH rolling again!
G.2:
We need an overall bossman or possibly 2 bossmen with the patience to hold everything together and organise stuff, or it will likely become a shambles.Ok, lets go with that. If that is the only way this thing will work, then I am all for it.
Baggronor
Well, if people start arming themselves with content, I can get to learning how to best go about producing the badboy ;) Obviously, I won't be able to start for a minimum of a week due to my current job, but after that I should be good to go!OK I am off to organise content. Actually I may have some images, and a "how to" article I can contribute. How do you want them?
Hashut's Blessing AKA The Bossman
Hashut’s Blessing:
Prepare them in a word file and I can edit the content more easily then.
Sorry to all, been a little hectic trying to organise work and auditions. Will be starting this on Sunday, hopefully.
Galladorn:
Prepare them in a word file and I can edit the content more easily then.I created Campaign rules several years ago that were based on the original Mighty Empires rules from the 1990s and the current Mighty Empires Tileset.
Hashut's Blessing
Borador:
Need an article HB?
I’ll be away for a few days soon, but starting the 30th of august, I can write stuff for the WoH
Hashut’s Blessing:
Borador, feel free to write stuff in preparation for it all
Borador:
Will do!
This message was automatically appended because it was too short.
Hashut’s Blessing:
Okay, I’m all set up and ready to get started. Now all I need is for people to start entering submissions.
P.S. Willmark, can you PM me regarding any tips/special backgrounds/fonts etc, please?