10 Tips for Adobe Illustrator

Hi Maps for Design users, this just came across our desk from
Shutterstock.com, the royalty free photo site. It is on 10 tips for
using Adobe Illustrator.

Including:
1. Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts
2, Copy in Place
3. Option/Alt and Shift Drag
4. Learn the Smart Guides
5. Flatten Transparency
6. Group Items to Move Them (I am always recommending this to our
customers, great tip)
7. Transform Again
8. Blend Shapes
9. Work with Text Boxes
10. Changing a Star to a Triangle

Check out all the info at:

http://www.shutterstock.com/newsletter/49/article3.html

Adding Cities to PowerPoint Maps

Question: I want to add several cities to one of your maps. The cities
are Madrid, Toledo, Avila, Segovia, Sevilla, Cordova, Granada,
Barcelona. How do I do this

Answer: Thank you for visiting our site and for your question. If you
are using our PowerPoint editable maps you can easily add in what ever
text you might need. The maps are completely editable. Just use the
text tool and type your city on the edge somewhere, format it to the
size and font that you want. Then using the pointer move it to the
correct location. I would also add in a little circle or square to mark
the city, For the cities you mentioned you could use the Europe map.

check out this link for map
http://www.mapsfordesign.com/shop/product.php?

productid=16257&cat=253&page=2

We also put together a video on this.
http://mapsfordesignhowto.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-add-text-to-

powerpoint-slide.html

Hope this answers your question
thank you.
bruce jones

How to Split a State in Half

We get this question all the time and just wanted to revisit the topic
and to highlight all of our How To Videos for customizing our
PowerPoint Maps.

We have produced a series of videos on how to customize your maps.
Please contact me if you are still stuck, and I will try to help. The
video covers it pretty well

Please click on the link below for How to Split a State
http://mapsfordesignhowto.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-divide-

powerpoint-clipart-map-in.html

Please click on this link for all of our How to Video
http://mapsfordesignhowto.blogspot.com/

thank you, bruce jones

USA Map to Track the Election

Question: I want to get a US map of the 50 states that I can download
and that I can color to show which states are likely to go Republican
in November, which are likely to go Democratic and which are "swing"
states. What do you have?

Answer: thank you for visiting our site and for your question. We have
two editable USA maps in PowerPoint that would work for you. The
difference is one has two letter state names and the other has the full
name. Both are fully editable with each state an individual element
that you can color using the fill bucket in the Drawing Bar. For the
swing states you can use the pattern fill in the paint bucket and
choose a two color pattern. Should work just fine. Click on the link
below to review the maps

http://www.mapsfordesign.com/shop/home.php?cat=249

Just register on the site and order the map. You will be able to
download it right after the order form processes.

Any questions please contact me and I can help
thank you, bruce jones

I wanted to know if you can create maps with only the states or countries you want?

Question: I wanted to know if you can create maps with only the states
or countries you want

Answer: Thank you for visiting our site and for your question. Yes you
can, wither you are working in PowerPoint or Illustrator you can create
a custom map. All of the states, counties or countries are individual
elements that can be customized, colored, deleted, moved around, what
ever you want to do.

If you wanted to set up just the Pacific Northwest say, just delete the
other states, move the remaining ones to the center of the screen and
there you go, a custom territory. All pretty easy.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have further questions.

thank you, bruce jones