Links

Link(s):

A connection between a source file and a linked object so that the object exists in only the source file, but the link displays the object in the destination file; you can edit the object in the source files, and the edits will appear in the destination file.

Source file:

The file in which objects you import, embed, or link are created.

Destination file:

The program into which objects are imported, embedded or linked.

Why do we use links and how do they affect us?

Links. . . they sound simple enough, but if they are not understood and treated properly, lost links become the leading cause for problems encountered in publishing both the newspaper and yearbook.

As noted in the definition, a link connects files. Think of it as the path that must be followed to find a file. Just as you searched through folders and files to find the picture you needed, the computer must record and remember the same path so that the picture s shows up every time. Keeping this in mind and following these important rules will drastically reduce any potential problems.

1. Once you've place a picture, do not move the picture from its original file to another one. This will break the link or the path and the computer will not be able to find the picture. You will have a blank box where the picture should be.
2. Printing the Vermillionaire can be so much easier if you keep links in mind. Just like the computer, the printer needs to search for the links on our server to place it on the page. If everybody has the pictures they used for their page in a different folder, the printer needs to be searching everywhere to find the file and print the page. This causes the printing to slow way down or stop altogether. We can easily solve this! For each issue of the paper you need to put the picture you intend to use in the links folder and then place the picture from that folder on the page. It's important to do it in that order to simplify the link path.
3. For the yearbook Jostens has made the links process simple. All you need to do is place and remove ALL pictures using PicturePlacer. The software establishes a links folder automatically. It removes the links of pictures that you remove and adds the links for those you use. If you do not use PicturePlacer, the links are not established properly and we could spend hours after school correcting the problem.