Articles by jsartain
Photoshop Tips: Textures, Patterns, and Gradients
Some of the greatest features in Photoshop are the text, object, and image effects such as Textures, Patterns, Gradients, and Styles. We'll show you how they work.
How Photoshop Artistic Filters work, with examples of our favorites
Photoshop Artistic filters alter images to simulate colored pencils, watercolors, chalk pastels, charcoal, pen and inks, crayons, and many other artistic methods.
How to get Microsoft Office for cheap
It is possible to save some money by buying an older version of Office, but you need to shop carefully. Here's what to consider before you buy.
Office 2019 vs. Office 365: Microsoft Office plans compared
Microsoft offers two Office flavors: Office 2019 standalone software, or Microsoft 365 subscirption. They differ in apps and support. Here's how to decide between the two.
How to upgrade from Office 2010 to Office 365
As Microsoft prepares to end support for Office 2010 on October 13, upgrading to Office 365 is one of your primary options. Here’s how it works.
Microsoft ends support for Office 2010: What you can do
Microsoft Office 2010 support ends October 13, 2020. This means no more technical support, no more patches, and no more security updates. Here are your options, some of which are free.
How to use Photoshop Blur Gallery for Bokeh effects and more
Photoshop Blur Gallery tools, plus three Effects tabs for Bokeh, Motion, and Noise, offer many options to fine-tune or transform your images.
Photoshop Blur filters: What they are and how to use them
Photoshop Blur filters are designed primarily for retouching images—to soften, haze, cloud, fuzz, or distort specific areas of a picture or the entire image. Here's how to use them.
Photoshop Shapes: What they are and how to use them
How to access, use, edit, create, convert, and download Photoshop Shapes.
Photoshop Styles: What they are and how to use them
Photoshop styles are works of art that can be applied to text, objects, vector shapes, illustrations, or photos. Here's how to access and use them.rn
Microsoft Word reads to you: How to use the Speak and Read Aloud commands
Can Microsoft Word read to you? Yes, it can. The Speak feature was incorporated into Microsoft Office back in version 2003. Here's how it works.
Alternatives for Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop and more
Adobe's move to subscriptions has left some users looking for options. Here are some good alternative programs, and more information on why subscriptions are here to stay.
Outlook organization tips: 5 ways to tame the email pile
These helpful tips can help you cut through inbox clutter and organize Outlook.
Meet DATEDIF(), Excel’s secret Date & Time function that’s still handy
DATEDIF(), which means Date + Dif, is a compatibility function left over from Lotus 1-2-3 that Microsoft adopted in Excel version 2000. It's fallen off current Excel menus, but you can still use it. Here's how.
How to edit PDFs in Microsoft Word
For light PDF users, everything you need is in a tool you use every day.
6 ways to manage emails and control spam in Outlook
Blocking senders, setting rules, and other ways to keep the email pile safe as well as sane.
Microsoft Excel: Why your spreadsheet is so slow
When Microsoft Excel complains it "cannot complete this task with available resources," or it's "Out of memory," here's what to do.
Excel: How to create simple and dependent drop-down lists
Drop-down lists in Excel let you create a list of valid choices that you can select for a given field. We'll show you how to use tables, named ranges, formulas, data validation, and table styles.