communicating across the generation gap - visions inc. · pdf fileapril / may 2012 this issue...

April / May 2012

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Communicating Across the Generation Gap Did you know that there are now six generations interacting with businesses and organizations as purchasers? Whether you call them customers, clients, donors, investors, subscribers or any other name, each generation was shaped by what was going on in the world during their childhood and teenaged years. Those events influenced each generation’s thinking, including the values they hold, their expectations for behavior, and the way they like to communicate. And this has implications for crafting a marketing message and approach.

The generationsAccording to leadership coach Bea Fields, president of Bea Fields Companies in North Carolina and co-author of Millennial Leaders: Success Stories from Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders, here is an overview of each generation:

GI Generation – birth years 1901-1924

Girl Scouts; invention of vitamins; changes in telephone use (telephone calls made using an operator until about 1911 when rotary dial telephone became commonplace;

• Characteristics: achievers, believers, inventors

• Values: simplicity, uniformity, cooperation, leadership, saving the world

• Communication preferences: face-to-face, rotary dial telephone, handwritten letters

• Communication obstacles: e-mail, FAX, cell phones, texting, social networking

Traditionalists – birth years 1925-1945

G.I. bill; teletype service initiated

The Generation Gap 1-2

Tips & Tricks 3

Q & A 3

The Idea Corner 4

A Vocabulary of the Graphic Arts 4

Fonts: Formats - Files - Fixes 5-7

Stand Out From the Crowd 8

Fix Fonts & More with Font Doctor Organize, Remove Duplicates and Troubleshoot

Font files have a way of multiplying: Old font CDs throughout the client files, purchased downloads stored on random office machines, fonts collected for output lurking like the ghost of projects past. You kept them. Can you find them? Re-use them? Are duplicates causing font ID conflicts? How many are on your drive? How long have they been there? If these problems plague you, consider font doctor, a font utility from Morrison Soft Design.

Font Doctor scours your hard drive, finding all but System fonts. It checks them over, resolves any duplicates or font ID conflicts, and leaves you with a set of fonts that work. If you have hundreds or thousands of fonts lurking, set Font Doctor to auto-trash corrupt and duplicate fonts when it finds them, rather than having to confirm every single decision. If you prefer, it can move them to folders on your desktop, where you can review these misfits and duplicates before sending them to the bin.

You can also use Font Doctor to find your remaining fonts wherever they are, and organize them into a new, hierarchical font library. When creating your library, it is better to choose create alphabetical folders, not font family folders, since it’s easier to avoid creating duplicates if you have a flatter file structure, and these programs never seem to put all of the fonts from a family together anyway. You might consider running the program twice to create two separate libraries: One just for TrueType, and the other just for PostScript. To summarize Font Doctor in a word: Fantastic.

Fixated on Free Fonts?4,000 Fonts for $25! Will They Print?

You can find thousands of free fonts online, but be cautious with what you find. There are significant artistic and technical skills required to make fonts. Closely study the character spacing and kerning from your free font downloads, and make sure the text or headlines created with these fonts looks professional. Often it’s the small quality considerations such as kerning pairs that are lacking in free fonts. Your readers may notice the difference.

Watch out for corrupt fonts. They can cripple your system until you isolate the culprit and remove it, which can take hours of your time. Many of the free fonts we’ve tested just fail to print, and many more create mediocre output results. If a corrupt font keeps the press waiting, it’s anything but free.

Personalized Type SpecifiersCreate Your Own Font Reference Guide

Windows. [www.moonsoftware.com] Windows users should start off with Moon Software’s Font Xplorer Lite. It generates a sample from your installed fonts, with added functionality if you upgrade to the paid version.

Mac. [www.lemkesoft.com] Check out Lemkesoft’s Fontbook. It creates a type specimen book from the fonts installed on your computer. For a real-world test of whether a font will print, choose to have it save each font’s page as a separate print job and print with the PDF option on to provide a real-world test of each typeface.

Windows Users: Tweak UIWindows Fonts Repair

[www.microsoft.com] Tweak UI, a free utility from Microsoft, does many things, including fixing corrupt font resources. Upon launch, the last item in the menu is repair, and within the submenu you’ll find repair font folder. This tool restores functionality to the fonts folder while fixing registry corruptions that deny access to fonts even when they appear to be installed correctly. Get Microsoft’s Tweak UI by searching microsoft.com for Windows XP PowerToys.

Mac Users: Clean Your Caches!Onyx: A Fantastic, Free Utility for Mac

[www.titanium.free.fr] We’ve seen big performance improvements clearing out the font cache from time to time, as for some reason, this cache tends to become corrupt. We recommend Onyx. It’s free and it’s easy to use and it works.

• Characteristics: waste not/want not, loyal, patriotic, faith in institutions, hierarchical thinking

• Values: logic, loyalty, discipline, tradition, family, leaving a legacy

• Communication preferences: face-to- face, formal typed or handwritten letters

• Communication obstacles: e-mail, FAX, cell phones (use for emergencies only), texting, social networking

Baby Boomers – birth years 1946-1964

• Significant world events: Vietnam War; move to suburbia; color television; street drugs; assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King; civil rights protest and movement; Woodstock; touch telephone; first video phone

• Characteristics: hard working, keeping up with The Joneses; idealistic; questioning authority; climbing the corporate ladder; highly competitive; the first “me” generation

• Values: hard work (70-hour work weeks), getting ahead, being noticed, becoming famous, money, freedom, being “me”

• Communication preferences: telephone, face-to-face, FAX, e-mail (lots of it), group/team meetings, cell phones (for talking, not texting), neighborhood street parties

• Communication obstacles: social networking, blogging, texting, technophobia

Generation X – birth years 1965-1978

• Significant world events: expanded technology via computer use; dot.com boom and bust; Sesame Street; beginning of “melting pot” syndrome; AIDS epidemic; climbing divorce rates; latch key syndrome kids; MTV; first cellular phone; Apple and Microsoft as tech giants

• Characteristics: “reality bites”, skeptical of higher institutions, cynical about marriage and life, fiercely independent, questioning everything, tech savvy, globally concerned

• Values: independence, freedom, friends, mobility, security

• Communication preferences: to choose the communication method and frequency, e-mail, cell phone, texting, blogging, instant message, online forums

• Communication barriers: face-to-face communication, formal letter writing, team discussion (prefer one-on-one), difficulty communicating up or down a generation; some barriers with social networking

Generation Y – birth years 1979-1997

• Significant world events: September 11; high speed Internet access; overnight delivery; the Information Age; YouTube; “everything and anything goes” pop culture; helicopter parents and birth of self-esteem movement; Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings; cell phone mania; invention of Facebook, My Space and other online social networks

• Characteristics: open and accepting of diverse backgrounds, very concerned about social and global issues, worldly, knowledge workers, team players, multi- taskers, “me”, impatient, need for speed and thrills

• Values: live first/work second, speed, information/knowledge, friends, fun, saving the world, creativity, simplicity, balance

• Communication preferences: texting, online social networks, e-mail (only for work and school), instant message

• Communication obstacles: face-to-face, telephone, professional or even casual letter writing

Generation Z – born after 1997

This is the rising generation. Not yet adults, Gen Z has not yet been profiled. Generation Z has never known life without the Internet, computers and mobile phones and because of this, they are used to instant access and satisfaction. They are being given cell phones at an early age, making their primary means of communication texting and using online communities and social media.

Since generations repeat themselves

after 80 years or four generations, some demographers believe this generation will look like the G.I. Generation. Generation Z will be shaped by the current recession which will likely to make them frugal, socially conscious and valuing integrity.

Using generational preferences for marketingToday’s communications technology enables marketers to pick from a number of tools to reach customers, including telemarketing, direct mail, opt-in e-mail, and messages to mobile devices. By understanding the communication preferences of generations, you can select the method your target audience is most likely to prefer, as well as tailor content to each generation.

But be aware that each generation blends into the next, meaning that preferences exist on a sliding rather than absolute scale. What this means is that the best strategy is to be proficient at all forms of communication.

• Don’t neglect personal and business correspondence. The GI Generation, Traditionalists and early Baby Boomers value letters, both handwritten and typed.

• Don’t abandon the telephone. The GI Generation, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers and Gen X still use the telephone. Just remember to call Gen Xers on their cell phones.

• Become comfortable with face-to-face communication. Only Gen X and Gen Y are truly uncomfortable with face-to- face conversations.

• Become comfortable with technology. E-mail, blogging, text messaging, instant message, Facebook and Twitter are here to stay.

• Learn how to speak in public. There will be times when a public speech is necessary. Think of the “elevator speech”, a 30-second description of who you are and what you do.

How we can helpIf you would like more information about putting our expertise to work for your business or organization, call David Hull at 763-425-4251.

2 Providing you an edge in print communications. www.visionsfirst.com 7Visions 763-425-4251

Tips, Tools & Troubleshooting

In their book The Fourth Turning, published in 1997, authors Williams Strauss and Neil Howe published their theory that modern history repeats itself in a four-generation cycle, approximately 80-100 years. The four cycles – High, Awakening, Unraveling and Fourth Turning – always come in the same order. • High cycle: occurs when a new order or human expansion is developed, replacing an older one.• Awakening: more spiritual than the High cycle, this is a time of rebellion against the established order.• Unraveling: elements of individualism and fragmentation take over society. A trouble era, it leads directly to the final cycle.• The Fourth Turning: an era of crisis dominating society during which a redefinition of its very structure, goals, and purposes is established.Here is how current generations map into the cycles:• High cycle: The GI Generation (The Greatest Generation) and Gen Y (Millennials)• Awakening cycle: Traditionalists and Gen Z• Unraveling: Baby Boomers• The Fourth Turning: Gen X

Q You mentioned that generations recur every 80-100 years.Can you elaborate?

a

3Visions 763-425-42516 Providing you an edge in print communications. www.visionsfirst.com

Generational communication preferences are important in the workplace as well as in marketing. There are currently four generations in the workplace: Traditionalists (15% of work force); Baby Boomers (50%); Gen X (30%) and Gen Y (5%). Traditionalists are hard workers whose lack of technical knowledge is more than offset by their work ethic and personal values. They tend not to offer opinions unless asked and prefer a face-to-face conversation.

Of all the generations, Baby Boomers are the most accepting of change. Though they have mastered technology, they prefer phone calls and e-mail. Boomers read body language well and like written backup plans. They are workaholics and expect co-workers to be, too.

Gen Xers love technology and new gadgets. Communication is short and pointed, often using e-mail. Gen Xers like feedback from supervisors and offer it in return, and may become offended if not kept informed. For a Gen Xer, part of each day includes communicating with family and friends.

Gen Y loves technology even more than Gen X and will play with everything. E-mail and texting is short and quick, and they may use mobile phone apps to communicate. They expect work to be fun and flexible. Laughter is essential to this group – stern talking is not well accepted. Gen Y also expects everyone to be on the same level.

Files, Formats & ExtensionsFormat Ext Win OS X OS 9

POSTSCRIPT TYPE 1 [MACINTOSH] NONE X X

Mac Type 1 fonts have two components: the screen font, which is also known as the bitmap font, and the printer font, also known as the outline font. A font suitcase is a special type of folder that can hold multiple screen fonts, but the corresponding printer fonts are always individual files. Font suitcase icons in OS 9 look like a suitcase; in OS X, they have an icon with “FFIL” on them. Outline fonts, also known as printer fonts, carry the font foundry’s icon. Both OS X and OS 9/Classic require you to keep a font’s screen and printer font pairs in the same folder.

POSTSCRIPT TYPE 1 [WINDOWS] .PFB X

Windows PostScript fonts have a .pfb extension. Unlike the Mac, Windows PostScript fonts have both the display and printer font information in this one file. This is the only major PC font format that cannot be used with Mac OS X.

OPENTYPE WITH POSTSCRIPT FONT DATA .OTF X X X

Microsoft and Adobe jointly developed OpenType to provide a single, cross-platform font format that is flexible enough to meet a variety of needs. OpenType supports font data in both the PostScript and the TrueType format. An OpenType font containing PostScript font data has an .otf extension and works on both the Windows and Mac platforms. Great in theory, but we’ve experienced problems with .otf fonts when used with Quark 6.x for Mac. The type disappears when the Quark file is converted to PDF. Beware.

OPENTYPE WITH TRUETYPE FONT DATA .TTF X X X

An OpenType font with embedded TrueType font data has a .ttf extension, the same as a Windows TrueType font.

TRUETYPE [MACINTOSH] NONE X X

Mac TrueType fonts are packaged in suitcases, like the screen font component of a Mac PostScript Type 1 font. Unlike Type 1 fonts, the outline fonts are part of that single font file. Both PostScript suitcase and Mac TrueType suitcase files display the same FFIL icon in Mac OS X, making it difficult to distinguish one from another.

TRUETYPE [WINDOWS] .TTF X X

Though Apple invented TrueType, it was Microsoft that made it the most popular font format. With OS X, you can now install Windows TrueType fonts on a Mac, giving Mac users access to thousands of free or low cost .ttf fonts. Beware of quality issues with free fonts, especially kerning and ability to print. If you use .ttf fonts in your document, make sure you can print the file to a desktop printer and/or convert it to a PDF. If it won’t print on your laser or ink jet printer, chances are it won’t print to our platesetter. Finally, while TrueType fonts from major font foundries should be “embeddable” in a PDF, obscure TrueType fonts may carry a “Do Not Embed” restriction. This is a restriction that is set by the designer of the typeface and will result in font substitution if you try to embed such a font into a PDF document. If you use Adobe Distiller, it will warn you if embedding is not allowed.

TRUETYPE [MAC OS X DATA FORK] .DFONT X

Apple introduced a new variant of TrueType with OS X. It has an extension of .dfont and is the format used for most pre-installed system fonts. You should avoid using this format in your print layouts; be especially carefully with the dfont version of Helvetica Neue, which comes installed with OS X. Use the PostScript or TrueType version of Helvetica Neue if you can.

FONT METRICS FILE .AFM .PFM X X X

Metrics files provide tables of character widths, kerning pairs, and lots of other measurements. This information is embedded into the font files as well, so you only need the metrics files if you are a type designer or plan to convert fonts from one operating system to another. If you do keep them, keep them separate from your fonts.

Postscript Type 1: High-EndPostScript fonts remain the preferred font format for high-resolution commercial print output. Why? The vast majority of print high-resolution output devices relies on PostScript raster image processors (RIPs), and has for the last 20 years. Add to it the fact that you can embed any PostScript font in a PDF, and you get an established workflow with consistent quality and predictable results.

TrueType: It’s EverywhereWhile TrueType is a popular font format for both Windows and Macintosh, it can be unpredictable when used for output to older PostScript Level 1 or 2 imaging systems at higher resolutions. With modern output devices, however, it is hardly ever a problem to rely on TrueType fonts.

Datafork: New for OS X, But Is It Improved?Macintosh OS X comes with a new file format called a Datafork font; it has the .dfont extension. This is a version of Mac TrueType that has the data and resource forks combined into a new file format. Mac OS X, like Windows, uses extensions to define the file type, eliminating the Mac OS 9 Resource Fork file component, and making Mac OS X files compatible with other OS file systems. If you want to use TrueType, just find Windows .ttf fonts; they work on OS X. Use Apple’s DataFork fonts just for OS X display, not print documents.

OpenType: Big Bang, But Worth The Buck?OpenType, jointly developed by Microsoft and Adobe, is a cross-platform font file format with some great functionality. There are two main benefits of OpenType. First, this font file format offers cross-platform compatibility (the same font files can be installed on Mac OS 9, OS X and Microsoft Windows). That’s great when your print service provider could be working on a different platform than your graphic designer.

Second, each OpenType font supports a significant expansion in built-in character sets and attributes — as long as you are using one of the few applications (mostly from Adobe) that support these extended sets. One OpenType font can support fractions, ligatures, ordinals, old-style and dingbat-style characters. These character alternatives are accessed via a fly-out menu from the character palette of your Adobe applications.

The OpenType format supports both TrueType and PostScript font data structures, and can be installed along with PostScript Type 1 and TrueType fonts.

Adobe has long discontinued use of Multiple Master fonts in favor of OpenType. Please try to avoid .mm or.mmm fonts as they can cause layout changes during output and characters in a given font may not always be available in the Multiple Master substitute. No one wants unpredictability when it comes to prepress and printing.

1955 to 1964). The Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement were significant to Boomers I while social issues such as AIDS had more effect on Boomers II.

Digital Natives: Generation Z, born after 1997. Not yet adults, they have never known a life without the Internet, computers and mobile phones. Used to instant action and satisfaction.

Helicopter parents: parents who hover closely over their children whether the children need them or not. The term was coined by Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay in their 1990 book Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. Also known as over parenting.

Latchkey kids: Generation X, birth years 1965 to 1978. So named because they often had both parents working, were exposed to daycare and divorce. Also known as the Lost Generation.

LERN: an acronym for Learning Resources Network, a training and consultancy organization that offers certificate programs in Generational Communication Management.

Millennials: Generation Y, birth years 1979 to 1997. Currently the youngest generation in the work force.

• Generation Y, sometimes called The Millennials, currently is the youngest generation to emerge as customers and workers. Born between 1979 and 1997, they are now in their late teens to early 30s and are predicted to be the next big generation. They were raised in a consumer economy using the tenets of the self-esteem movement where everyone won and everyone got a medal. They are predicted to share many characteristics with the GI Generation (sometimes called The Greatest Generation).

• In 2010, the Pew Research Center developed a 14-question quiz to predict how closely a person’s values, attitudes and behaviors resemble the typical Millennial. A score of 51 or higher means the chances are better than 50-50 that there is a match.

• If you would like to take the quiz, it is available online at http://pewresearch.org/millennials/quiz/.


Self-esteem movement: a psychological theory based on the writings of Canadian psychotherapist Nathaniel Branden. In his 1969 paper The Psychology of Self-Esteem, Branden argued that “feelings of self-esteem were the key to success in life.

Social Media: web-based and mobile technologies used to turn communication into interactive dialogue. Kaplan and Haenlein identified six different types of social media: collaborative projects (Wikipedia), blogs and microblogs (Twitter), content communities (YouTube), social networking sites (Facebook), virtual game worlds (World of Warcraft), and virtual social worlds (Second Life). Technologies include blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing and voice over IP.

Veterans: people born prior to 1946 whose lives were affected by wars. Characteristics include discipline, respect for law and order and consistency. Subgroups are Depression Era (birth years 1912 to 1921); World War II (birth years 1922 to 1927); and Post-War Cohort (birth years 1928 to 1945).

Baby Boomers: people born between 1946 and 1964; the largest population of any generation. Subgroups are Boomers I (birth years 1946 to 1954) and Boomers II or Generation Jones (birth years

Font Formats, Font Files, Font FixesType Change!

In their book The Fourth Turning, published in 1997, authors Williams Strauss and Neil Howe published their theory that modern history repeats itself in a four-generation cycle, approximately 80-100 years. The four cycles – High, Awakening, Unraveling and Fourth Turning – always come in the same order. • High cycle: occurs when a new order or human expansion is developed, replacing an older one.• Awakening: more spiritual than the High cycle, this is a time of rebellion against the established order.• Unraveling: elements of individualism and fragmentation take over society. A trouble era, it leads directly to the final cycle.• The Fourth Turning: an era of crisis dominating society during which a redefinition of its very structure, goals, and purposes is established.Here is how current generations map into the cycles:• High cycle: The GI Generation (The Greatest Generation) and Gen Y (Millennials)• Awakening cycle: Traditionalists and Gen Z• Unraveling: Baby Boomers• The Fourth Turning: Gen X

Q You mentioned that generations recur every 80-100 years.Can you elaborate?

a

3Visions 763-425-42516 Providing you an edge in print communications. www.visionsfirst.com

Generational communication preferences are important in the workplace as well as in marketing. There are currently four generations in the workplace: Traditionalists (15% of work force); Baby Boomers (50%); Gen X (30%) and Gen Y (5%). Traditionalists are hard workers whose lack of technical knowledge is more than offset by their work ethic and personal values. They tend not to offer opinions unless asked and prefer a face-to-face conversation.

Of all the generations, Baby Boomers are the most accepting of change. Though they have mastered technology, they prefer phone calls and e-mail. Boomers read body language well and like written backup plans. They are workaholics and expect co-workers to be, too.

Gen Xers love technology and new gadgets. Communication is short and pointed, often using e-mail. Gen Xers like feedback from supervisors and offer it in return, and may become offended if not kept informed. For a Gen Xer, part of each day includes communicating with family and friends.

Gen Y loves technology even more than Gen X and will play with everything. E-mail and texting is short and quick, and they may use mobile phone apps to communicate. They expect work to be fun and flexible. Laughter is essential to this group – stern talking is not well accepted. Gen Y also expects everyone to be on the same level.

Files, Formats & ExtensionsFormat Ext Win OS X OS 9

POSTSCRIPT TYPE 1 [MACINTOSH] NONE X X

Mac Type 1 fonts have two components: the screen font, which is also known as the bitmap font, and the printer font, also known as the outline font. A font suitcase is a special type of folder that can hold multiple screen fonts, but the corresponding printer fonts are always individual files. Font suitcase icons in OS 9 look like a suitcase; in OS X, they have an icon with “FFIL” on them. Outline fonts, also known as printer fonts, carry the font foundry’s icon. Both OS X and OS 9/Classic require you to keep a font’s screen and printer font pairs in the same folder.

POSTSCRIPT TYPE 1 [WINDOWS] .PFB X

Windows PostScript fonts have a .pfb extension. Unlike the Mac, Windows PostScript fonts have both the display and printer font information in this one file. This is the only major PC font format that cannot be used with Mac OS X.

OPENTYPE WITH POSTSCRIPT FONT DATA .OTF X X X

Microsoft and Adobe jointly developed OpenType to provide a single, cross-platform font format that is flexible enough to meet a variety of needs. OpenType supports font data in both the PostScript and the TrueType format. An OpenType font containing PostScript font data has an .otf extension and works on both the Windows and Mac platforms. Great in theory, but we’ve experienced problems with .otf fonts when used with Quark 6.x for Mac. The type disappears when the Quark file is converted to PDF. Beware.

OPENTYPE WITH TRUETYPE FONT DATA .TTF X X X

An OpenType font with embedded TrueType font data has a .ttf extension, the same as a Windows TrueType font.

TRUETYPE [MACINTOSH] NONE X X

Mac TrueType fonts are packaged in suitcases, like the screen font component of a Mac PostScript Type 1 font. Unlike Type 1 fonts, the outline fonts are part of that single font file. Both PostScript suitcase and Mac TrueType suitcase files display the same FFIL icon in Mac OS X, making it difficult to distinguish one from another.

TRUETYPE [WINDOWS] .TTF X X

Though Apple invented TrueType, it was Microsoft that made it the most popular font format. With OS X, you can now install Windows TrueType fonts on a Mac, giving Mac users access to thousands of free or low cost .ttf fonts. Beware of quality issues with free fonts, especially kerning and ability to print. If you use .ttf fonts in your document, make sure you can print the file to a desktop printer and/or convert it to a PDF. If it won’t print on your laser or ink jet printer, chances are it won’t print to our platesetter. Finally, while TrueType fonts from major font foundries should be “embeddable” in a PDF, obscure TrueType fonts may carry a “Do Not Embed” restriction. This is a restriction that is set by the designer of the typeface and will result in font substitution if you try to embed such a font into a PDF document. If you use Adobe Distiller, it will warn you if embedding is not allowed.

TRUETYPE [MAC OS X DATA FORK] .DFONT X

Apple introduced a new variant of TrueType with OS X. It has an extension of .dfont and is the format used for most pre-installed system fonts. You should avoid using this format in your print layouts; be especially carefully with the dfont version of Helvetica Neue, which comes installed with OS X. Use the PostScript or TrueType version of Helvetica Neue if you can.

FONT METRICS FILE .AFM .PFM X X X

Metrics files provide tables of character widths, kerning pairs, and lots of other measurements. This information is embedded into the font files as well, so you only need the metrics files if you are a type designer or plan to convert fonts from one operating system to another. If you do keep them, keep them separate from your fonts.

Fix Fonts & More with Font Doctor Organize, Remove Duplicates and Troubleshoot

Font files have a way of multiplying: Old font CDs throughout the client files, purchased downloads stored on random office machines, fonts collected for output lurking like the ghost of projects past. You kept them. Can you find them? Re-use them? Are duplicates causing font ID conflicts? How many are on your drive? How long have they been there? If these problems plague you, consider font doctor, a font utility from Morrison Soft Design.

Font Doctor scours your hard drive, finding all but System fonts. It checks them over, resolves any duplicates or font ID conflicts, and leaves you with a set of fonts that work. If you have hundreds or thousands of fonts lurking, set Font Doctor to auto-trash corrupt and duplicate fonts when it finds them, rather than having to confirm every single decision. If you prefer, it can move them to folders on your desktop, where you can review these misfits and duplicates before sending them to the bin.

You can also use Font Doctor to find your remaining fonts wherever they are, and organize them into a new, hierarchical font library. When creating your library, it is better to choose create alphabetical folders, not font family folders, since it’s easier to avoid creating duplicates if you have a flatter file structure, and these programs never seem to put all of the fonts from a family together anyway. You might consider running the program twice to create two separate libraries: One just for TrueType, and the other just for PostScript. To summarize Font Doctor in a word: Fantastic.

Fixated on Free Fonts?4,000 Fonts for $25! Will They Print?

You can find thousands of free fonts online, but be cautious with what you find. There are significant artistic and technical skills required to make fonts. Closely study the character spacing and kerning from your free font downloads, and make sure the text or headlines created with these fonts looks professional. Often it’s the small quality considerations such as kerning pairs that are lacking in free fonts. Your readers may notice the difference.

Watch out for corrupt fonts. They can cripple your system until you isolate the culprit and remove it, which can take hours of your time. Many of the free fonts we’ve tested just fail to print, and many more create mediocre output results. If a corrupt font keeps the press waiting, it’s anything but free.

Personalized Type SpecifiersCreate Your Own Font Reference Guide

Windows. [www.moonsoftware.com] Windows users should start off with Moon Software’s Font Xplorer Lite. It generates a sample from your installed fonts, with added functionality if you upgrade to the paid version.

Mac. [www.lemkesoft.com] Check out Lemkesoft’s Fontbook. It creates a type specimen book from the fonts installed on your computer. For a real-world test of whether a font will print, choose to have it save each font’s page as a separate print job and print with the PDF option on to provide a real-world test of each typeface.

Windows Users: Tweak UIWindows Fonts Repair

[www.microsoft.com] Tweak UI, a free utility from Microsoft, does many things, including fixing corrupt font resources. Upon launch, the last item in the menu is repair, and within the submenu you’ll find repair font folder. This tool restores functionality to the fonts folder while fixing registry corruptions that deny access to fonts even when they appear to be installed correctly. Get Microsoft’s Tweak UI by searching microsoft.com for Windows XP PowerToys.

Mac Users: Clean Your Caches!Onyx: A Fantastic, Free Utility for Mac

[www.titanium.free.fr] We’ve seen big performance improvements clearing out the font cache from time to time, as for some reason, this cache tends to become corrupt. We recommend Onyx. It’s free and it’s easy to use and it works.

• Characteristics: waste not/want not, loyal, patriotic, faith in institutions, hierarchical thinking

• Values: logic, loyalty, discipline, tradition, family, leaving a legacy

• Communication preferences: face-to- face, formal typed or handwritten letters

• Communication obstacles: e-mail, FAX, cell phones (use for emergencies only), texting, social networking

Baby Boomers – birth years 1946-1964

• Significant world events: Vietnam War; move to suburbia; color television; street drugs; assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King; civil rights protest and movement; Woodstock; touch telephone; first video phone

• Characteristics: hard working, keeping up with The Joneses; idealistic; questioning authority; climbing the corporate ladder; highly competitive; the first “me” generation

• Values: hard work (70-hour work weeks), getting ahead, being noticed, becoming famous, money, freedom, being “me”

• Communication preferences: telephone, face-to-face, FAX, e-mail (lots of it), group/team meetings, cell phones (for talking, not texting), neighborhood street parties

• Communication obstacles: social networking, blogging, texting, technophobia

Generation X – birth years 1965-1978

• Significant world events: expanded technology via computer use; dot.com boom and bust; Sesame Street; beginning of “melting pot” syndrome; AIDS epidemic; climbing divorce rates; latch key syndrome kids; MTV; first cellular phone; Apple and Microsoft as tech giants

• Characteristics: “reality bites”, skeptical of higher institutions, cynical about marriage and life, fiercely independent, questioning everything, tech savvy, globally concerned

• Values: independence, freedom, friends, mobility, security

• Communication preferences: to choose the communication method and frequency, e-mail, cell phone, texting, blogging, instant message, online forums

• Communication barriers: face-to-face communication, formal letter writing, team discussion (prefer one-on-one), difficulty communicating up or down a generation; some barriers with social networking

Generation Y – birth years 1979-1997

• Significant world events: September 11; high speed Internet access; overnight delivery; the Information Age; YouTube; “everything and anything goes” pop culture; helicopter parents and birth of self-esteem movement; Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings; cell phone mania; invention of Facebook, My Space and other online social networks

• Characteristics: open and accepting of diverse backgrounds, very concerned about social and global issues, worldly, knowledge workers, team players, multi- taskers, “me”, impatient, need for speed and thrills

• Values: live first/work second, speed, information/knowledge, friends, fun, saving the world, creativity, simplicity, balance

• Communication preferences: texting, online social networks, e-mail (only for work and school), instant message

• Communication obstacles: face-to-face, telephone, professional or even casual letter writing

Generation Z – born after 1997

This is the rising generation. Not yet adults, Gen Z has not yet been profiled. Generation Z has never known life without the Internet, computers and mobile phones and because of this, they are used to instant access and satisfaction. They are being given cell phones at an early age, making their primary means of communication texting and using online communities and social media.

Since generations repeat themselves

after 80 years or four generations, some demographers believe this generation will look like the G.I. Generation. Generation Z will be shaped by the current recession which will likely to make them frugal, socially conscious and valuing integrity.

Using generational preferences for marketingToday’s communications technology enables marketers to pick from a number of tools to reach customers, including telemarketing, direct mail, opt-in e-mail, and messages to mobile devices. By understanding the communication preferences of generations, you can select the method your target audience is most likely to prefer, as well as tailor content to each generation.

But be aware that each generation blends into the next, meaning that preferences exist on a sliding rather than absolute scale. What this means is that the best strategy is to be proficient at all forms of communication.

• Don’t neglect personal and business correspondence. The GI Generation, Traditionalists and early Baby Boomers value letters, both handwritten and typed.

• Don’t abandon the telephone. The GI Generation, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers and Gen X still use the telephone. Just remember to call Gen Xers on their cell phones.

• Become comfortable with face-to-face communication. Only Gen X and Gen Y are truly uncomfortable with face-to- face conversations.

• Become comfortable with technology. E-mail, blogging, text messaging, instant message, Facebook and Twitter are here to stay.

• Learn how to speak in public. There will be times when a public speech is necessary. Think of the “elevator speech”, a 30-second description of who you are and what you do.

How we can helpIf you would like more information about putting our expertise to work for your business or organization, call David Hull at 763-425-4251.


Tips, Tools & Troubleshooting

April / May 2012

This Issue

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Communicating Across the Generation Gap Did you know that there are now six generations interacting with businesses and organizations as purchasers? Whether you call them customers, clients, donors, investors, subscribers or any other name, each generation was shaped by what was going on in the world during their childhood and teenaged years. Those events influenced each generation’s thinking, including the values they hold, their expectations for behavior, and the way they like to communicate. And this has implications for crafting a marketing message and approach.

The generationsAccording to leadership coach Bea Fields, president of Bea Fields Companies in North Carolina and co-author of Millennial Leaders: Success Stories from Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders, here is an overview of each generation:

GI Generation – birth years 1901-1924

• Significant world events: Roaring 20s followed by Great Depression; birth of Boy and Girl Scouts; invention of vitamins; changes in telephone use (telephone calls made using an operator until about 1911 when rotary dial telephone became commonplace; first transcontinental telephone communication).

• Characteristics: achievers, believers, inventors

• Values: simplicity, uniformity, cooperation, leadership, saving the world

• Communication preferences: face-to-face, rotary dial telephone, handwritten letters

• Communication obstacles: e-mail, FAX, cell phones, texting, social networking

Traditionalists – birth years 1925-1945

• Significant world events: Great Depression; war (World Wars I and II, Korean War); G.I. bill; teletype service initiated


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