Beginner’s SIG Series – January 12, 2006

Illustrated Using Outlook Express

Using, Creating and Downloading Stationery

 

 

Things that will be nice to know for the Stationery Session.

 

1.  Practice highlighting files or text using the left mouse button.
2.  Practice finding and opening My Documents and My Pictures folders.  Note files in each folder.  Do the file names end with a dot followed with three letters?  If not, send me an e-mail (barbres101@cox.net) and I will send you directions as to how to make this happen.
3.  What does the ‘browse’ icon or button look like?
4.  Practice dragging and dropping files or text.
5.  Practice making new folders anywhere using the Right Click, New, Folder method or the blue XP Windows Task bar.

6.  Open the folder My Computer and explain what comes up on the screen

7.  Go on to the web and open Google – www.google.com and search for an item of interest.   If you cannot think of anything interesting, find out something about Loihi.  Or on Google, using Local, find the address of the Wal Mart Store in Bemidji, MN.

 8. Use Google and find a recipe for pumpkin pie and download it or print it from the web.

 9.  Right Click on the Start Button and left click Explore…   

Single (left) click on several items in the right and left hand side of the window to see if you can figure out what is happening.

10.  Make note of any of the above you have problems with or cannot understand for our December session.

 

 

 

Using ‘canned’ stationery available in Outlook Express– Follow A or B then C

 

A.  From the Inbox Window                B.  From the New Message Window

            Choose Message.                             Choose Message

            Select New Message Using.                        Select New Using

 

C.        Select stationery name from drop-down list or select Select Stationery to see names.

Stationery will include a background design or color, possibly a border across the top or the side, preset margins to fit these borders and a specific font color and size.

                        Type your message.  Send.

 

 

Creating your own stationery.  Stationery is previewed as you create it.

 

Follow A or B above then click Select Stationery.

            Click Create New  (Wizard appears)

  1. Browse to choose a picture or animation (.jpg,.gif,.bmp) 
  2. Select position of picture as top or left border or tile.
  3. Click color check box and dropdown background color choices.  Select one. Click Next.
  4. Choose font size, style and color.  Click Next.
  5. Change margins, using up or down arrows so   your message will not print over the borders.  Click Next.
  6. Enter a name for your stationery.  This will now appear in your stationery list.

 

Downloading stationery from the web.

 

1.      Files needed for stationery are stored in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery  (Use Explorer to navigate to this folder)

 

2.      http://www.thundercloud.net/stationery is a typical website offering stationery designs

 

3.      Other websites may be found by doing a Google search for microsoft stationery or outlook express stationery

 

 

4.      Typical procedure is to choose a category and scroll through choices in that category.

 

5.  When you find a stationery design you like, there is usually a download button somewhere that will

      transfer the files to your computer.  This file (or files) should be scanned for viruses.

 

6.  If it is a dot-exe file then it will need to be installed – usually by double-clicking it.  This will transfer all the necessary files to the folder where the other stationery files are stored (see #1).

 

7.  Some of these may have sound or music as well as animation.  Sound may be eliminated by going to the folder in #1 and looking for the dot-mid file.  Make a separate folder for these files and move the dot-mid file into the folder.  (If you change your mind you can always move the file back.  This will generate an error message that a file is missing when you load the stationery.   But this is OK because we know it is the music file that the stationery cannot find.

 

8.  This new stationery will show up in the stationery list in Outlook Express for use in your e-mail.

 

9.  Adaptations for Juno are on the web site listed above.