Desktop Publishing for Proposal Professionals

Course Curriculum

Learning Objectives

The participants will learn and practice skills in:

• Applying MS Word shortcuts to optimize and accelerate the desktop publishing process.
• ​Create a color palette and design a compliant layout utilizing logos and other graphic media reinforcing your company’s brand.
• ​Developing a proposal template.
• ​Setting up and creating styles that are easy for contributors to apply.
• ​Cleaning up the document to ensure multiple authors’ styles do not destabilize the document.
• ​Understanding cut, copy, past, and paintbrush options efficiently.
• ​Using the Section and Page Break features and understanding how they affect headers, footers, and outlining features.
• ​Working with tables to convey information efficiently.
• ​Inserting material from MS Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop, and other types of files.
• ​Establishing an automated and hyper-linked Table of Contents (TOC) anywhere in the document, including several TOCs in the same document.
• ​Creating other lists such as List of Figures, Compliance Matrix, Acronym List, and Index ​
• Paginating the main page and sub-pages.
• Preparing the document for submission.

Module 1: Introduction to Government Proposal Desktop Publishing

• Introduction and learning objectives
• ​Familiarization with what is possible in desktop publishing
• ​Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts
• ​Moving through the document, split screen, and three ways to accomplish the same function
• ​Toolbars and Rulers
• Moving the Quick Access Toolbar
• Populating Quick Access Toolbar with your favorite tools

Module 2: Preparing for Graphics Development

• Choosing a color palette
• Comprehension and incorporation of the Solicitation Requirements
• ​Styles
  – What is Normal
  – How does Normal affect styles
  – Creating and editing styles
  – Import styles into another or a new document
  – Displaying styles so other users can apply them
  – Cleaning up styles
• Column Breaks
• ​Page Breaks
• ​Section Breaks

Module 3: Editing the Document

• Table of Contents (TOC)—Part 1
  – Create your own based on your styles
• ​Cut, Copy, Paste—Paintbrush
  – Using the Clipboard icon
  – Inserting text from another document
  – Inserting from Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe products
• ​Tables
  – Sorting in a table
  – Formatting a table with styles
• Create a table style
• ​Preparing your graphics for insertion and inserting them into the document
• ​Keeping graphics from “jumping”
• ​Table of Contents (TOC)—Part 2
  – Inserting “context specific” TOCs in one document
  – Creating other lists: List of Figures, Compliance Matrix, Acronym List, and Index

Module 4: Publishing and Distribution Tips

• Printing and binding
  – White Glove page check
  – Keeping the exact copy or proof copy for your company (CYA)
  – Preparing box label and receipt
  – Handling the receipt after the signature, attaching it to and archiving the Proof Copy, scanning, and making it a part of the electronic files
• ​Creating PDF for uploading
• ​Checking each page for legibility, errors, misprints, or degradation of graphics
• ​CD, thumb drive or other electronic submissions files checks
• ​Distribution List
  – Create file list all parties print and keep with Proof Copy
  – Copying of all electronic files onto storage media, including the “archive” or “old” versions, and the “raw” graphics

Module 5: Summary and Recap

• Summary and recap
• ​Additional resources