Guide – Newsletter

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Find sample Newsletters in Google Drive – Operating Guide – Newsletter 

Software:

– Any layout software that can output high quality EPS or PDF
– QuarkXPress 10+ (or Adobe inDesign – for layout)
– Adobe Photoshop or equivalent (for photo editing)
– Adobe Acrobat Distiller (Optional – for creating PDF’s)

Initial Draft:

– Email to Board. Request for content.
– Copy most recent issue and image folder.
– Update the color scheme (see below).
– Delete out existing article text
– Copy similar common articles from previous year’s issue
– Assess the existing open space to determine where new articles are needed.

Final Draft:

– Spell Check Entire Doc
– Convert all double spaces to single spaces.
– Find/Replace all single quotes to single quotes (the right kind).
– Find/Replace all double quotes with double quotes (the right kind).
– Output a low-rez (72 or 96dpi) PDF and email or post to website for reviewing.
– Solicit comments.

Send to printer:

– High resolution (Print) PDF.
– e-mail or deliver to printer: (2015: Graphics Impressions, Malvern, PA)
– Printer will load into their system and produce a draft
– Review draft and provide changes if necessary.
– Approve for printing. Provide total count and number of pre-sealed newsletters.
– Usually ~175 pre-sealed and 400 total. (Some issues require more – e.g. Fall issue to send extras to recipients)

Image Formats:

– Change image resolution to 300 pix/inch with no resampling
– Resize or crop to print size (Cover airport image is usually 1024×768).
– Adjust brightness/contast to moderate contrast. (When printed, image will darken somewhat)
– Most images will be approx 3.4in wide x 2.5in tall, 300 pix/inch
– Save as TIF or appropriate high rez format
– Drop into Quark/InDesign

Color Scheme:

Full Color.
NewsletterBase used for most text, and normally black
NewsletterHighlight, used for title page, some headings and background color

Optional seasonal color scheme:

Spring = Green – Pantone 341C
Summer = Red – Pantone 200C
Fall   = Brown – Pantone 160C
Winter = Blue – Pantone 301C

The color scheme can be changed for the whole document in one place…

– Choose “Edit”, “Colors” from the menu
– Select “NewsletterHighlight”
– “Edit”
– Control-C (To copy the color name to the clipboard)
– Choose a new Pantone Coated Color
– Paste (Control-V) “NewsletterHighlight” back into the Name field
– Press OK
– Press Save

Publish PDF to website at some point after printing:

– Add PDF to /papilot/issues directory
– Update /papilot page to point to new issues

Newsletter Mailing:

– Coordinate with Membership to ensure updated member list (Wild Apricot)
– Print labels using label templates for members, airports, complimentary list (see below).
– Get first class postage.
– Get large envelopes for mailing multiple newsletters to some officers and others (e.g. recipients).
– Attach first class to folded newsletters.
– Provide extras in large envelopes for PA airports and others (some officers, recipients).
– Purchase 1st class postage for large envelopes.
– Deliver to Post Office.
– Photocopy or snap photos of postage receipts and send to Treasurer for reimbursement.

Print Labels:

1) Log in to Wild Apricot – Admin View
2) Go to Contacts – Saved Searches
3) Click Labels – Active Member (Members who have not chosen electronic delivery)
3B) Repeat steps for Labels – Non Members (Airports and other contacts)
3C) Repeat steps for Pending Renewal This Year List (for Spring Newsletter Only)
4) Export to Excel
5) For Members, Open File, copy Label Message into Expiration Message Column, Row 1. (example below)
6) Duplicate the formula down the column
7) If the column does not show the proper exiration message, then the column numbers may have changed
8) Save
9) Use the EXCEL file as input to MAIL MERGE PROCESS.
10) Use Member Template for members (included expire data). Others use Non-Member|Complimentary|Airport Template.

Mail Merge: (Mac Word 2008)

Sample Mac Word templates: AirportTemplateMac | MemberTemplateMac

00) For Members list, open exported Excel file and update the Expiration Message column (see below)
0) Open Label Template (Member, Airport)
1) Tools – Mail Merge Manager
2) Create New LabelsCancel
3) Get List – Open Datasource – Select Excel Spreadsheet
4) OK… OK… Wait (about 1 minute for processing)
5) Cancel (Edit Labels popup)
6) Preview Section <<>>
7) Select Merge to New Document (don’t use Save-As).
8) Clean up labels
9) DO NO SAVE the template file (it will break the template)
10) Save the New Document
11) Close the Template File WITHOUT saving

Mac Label Margin Settings: 0.55 Top, 0.45 Bottom
Margins: File, Page Setup, Microsoft Word (pulldown), Margins

Expiration Label Message example (2023): Might have to change quotes to simple quotes in Excel. Add this formula to the Expiration Message column and copy it to all rows:

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("LIFE",AF2)),"Life Member",IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("HONORARY",AF2)),"Honorary Life Member",IF(EXACT("COMPLIMENTARY",AF2),"Complimentary Member",IF(AI2<=DATE(2022,7,1),IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("RECIPIENT",AF2)),"Recipient Membership Expired","Membership Expired"),IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Recipient",AF2)),"Free member until "&TEXT(AI2,"mm/dd/yyyy"),"Member until "&TEXT(AI2,"mm/dd/yyyy"))))))

Electronic Delivery:

1) Log in to Wild Apricot – Admin View
2) Go to Emails – Email Drafts – Compose Email – Choose Newsletter Template
2B) Alternate, look at email log, find previous newsletter email and duplicate.
3) Update title, subject, text
4) Update hyperlink to latest issue link
5) Upload/FTP medium size PDF of issue to the website
(e.g. /papilot/issues/AeroSpring2016.pdf)
6) Create a thumbnail to /papilot/thumbs
7) Preview and send test email
8) Send to Electronic Newsletter List contact list.

Newsletter page:

1) Update the page to add the LAST issue newsletter link (thumbnail and issue)