At Home with Tech

December 15, 2024

How to Create a Holiday Card with a Photo Collage at the Last Minute

If stores are closed, and you need to buy a holiday card before the party, why not print out one of your own? And if you add in a few of your own pictures, you’ve got the makings of a great card. Here are three ways I do it.

When I was a kid, my mother would spend hours shopping in different stores for the perfect holiday or birthday card for me. I think she equated all that effort to demonstrating her love (or she just enjoyed shopping for cards). For a time, I followed in my mom’s footsteps, but that eventually changed.

I stopped shopping for ‘greeting cards’ at pharmacies years ago. It’s so analog. Those generic cards are expensive, and the professionally written sentiments are hardly delightful. Sure, they’re adequate and serve a purpose, but there’s a better way…

Make your Cards Yourself
I’ve been generating my own holiday and birthday cards on my computer. Plus, I typically do it using my family pictures.

It just takes:

a home printer
some photo paper
and access to a card-design program

What Design Program Should You Use?
The key for me is to use a card-design program or app that allows you to quickly pop in your pictures and type your message into a photo template. Speed is everything, because I’m often creating the cards (cough) at the last minute. (And if you realize you need a card after the stores are closed, a digital DIY solution is really all you’ve got.)

I usually prefer to use a photo-collage template. The multiple pictures help to represent a body of time that I’m celebrating.

The bespoke nature of these cards makes them more personal, and I find them more impactful than choosing the generic-card-from-a-store route.

My recipients really like them! But believe it or not, there aren’t that many online options out there that will do the card-creation trick for you quickly and free.

That said, here are three options I’ve tried that are relatively easy to use.

Shutterfly
Like many websites, Shutterfly wants to sell you physical cards. The design piece is there to help complete your purchase. But before I click to ‘buy’ the designed card, I simply capture a screenshot of the card and use that file for my printer. Yes, it’s a MacGyver move, but it works. (You don’t need a high-res file for a 5″ x 7″ card housing a photo collage.)

The templates are easy to use, and yes, I do occasionally buy something from them.

Adobe Express
This Adobe software has a free version you can use, though many templates are unavailable. Still, it’s a good choice to consider. Even though this is a simplified ‘express’ solution, it requires a little more Adobe design/interface knowledge.

Its ‘Collage Maker’ has a 9-photo limit. Once you import your pictures, you then click through some preset layout options, which often don’t fit the photos. So, you’ve got some work to do. But then I found its photo-resizing function was surprisingly glitchy. Happily, with a little more effort, the interface eventually behaved.

And with practice, I’m sure Adobe Express would be easier to work with. (You’re using an Adobe product. So, I’d say that’s a good investment of your time.)

Canva
I’ve been using Canva for years. Its interface is easy to navigate, and its photo-grid templates are quite flexible and intuitive to move around.

Just like Adobe, the free Canva version shuts you out from many designs, but there are still plenty of options.

I must repeat that Canva is super simple to use, and it gives you solid results.

One more time… Easy.

It’s Never too Late
No, printing out a photo-collage card onto photo stock is nothing new. But it’s always a good reminder to occasionally flex the skills needed to spit one of these out.

Yes, there are any number of other solutions online to do this kind of creative work, but I prefer going with a brand or website I know and already have a relationship with.

Just set aside a little time (especially to compose a few heartfelt words), and I bet you’ll quickly create a beautiful card that will totally impress your recipient.

December 8, 2024

How 3 Computer Screens can Enhance your Work at Home

If you’re struggling to manage multiple windows on your computer screen while working from home, then it’s time to get yourself more screen real estate. It’s okay to admit it. Six monitors might be too many, but here’s what I did to get to three.

How many programs or apps do you juggle on your computer screen during your work day? Several Microsoft Word docs? Perhaps a Google Slides deck? Emails? Multiple web pages? Texting program? If you’re a creative, maybe you’ve also got Adobe Premiere or After Effects running. Where can you possibly put all that? Sure, you can minimize and hide windows, but you know… out of sight… out of mind.

It’s a constant struggle to keep your desktop organized and quickly find what you need. And you can never see everything simultaneously. You’d need a massive screen for that.

Well, of course they make larger screens for your computer. And if paired with a laptop, you also get the extra benefit of having a second screen. But some people keep their laptop closed and just use their external monitor. I think that’s a missed opportunity.

Stop Looking through a Pinhole
I know. Lots of folks do just fine using their tiny 13” laptop screen. Heck, 15” laptop screens are considered massive by comparison. But I know I’m not alone in feeling even that’s not enough room to do your work if you spend most of your day on a computer.

An office environment can often accommodate for this need with multi-screen stations you can easily plug into. But if you’re working from home, you’re usually on your own to figure it out.

Well, I’ve got a bold message to share: It’s really time to stop struggling.

Stop ‘making do’ with your tiny laptop uncomfortably crammed in the corner of your home. Why not reprioritize your existence and acknowledge your reality? It’s not temporary anymore.

So go ahead and redesign your space to set up a larger monitor for your laptop. If you’ve already got one monitor, consider buying a second one!

Yes, you really need it! It’s okay to admit that you do.

And let me tell you, when you allow your field of computer-screen vision to spread out more, it’s like putting on glasses for the first time…. Simply glorious.

Adding a 24” Screen to a 27” Monitor on my Standing Desk
I’ve been using a 27” LG monitor for the past few years with my laptop. They sit on my 42” wide standing desk in my home office. But I finally decided it just wasn’t enough. I really wanted a three-screen setup.

My standing desk is positioned in front of a window across from a separate V-shaped desk that houses my personal Mac Studio and a 32” HP ‘Z’ monitor.

Years ago, I chose to separate my work and play spaces in my home office. Perhaps that’s unnecessary, but it feels right for me. So, on the days when I work from home, my commute is a simple 150° swivel of my chair, and I’ve arrived.

No, I didn’t have a ton of extra room on my standing desk, certainly not enough for another 27” monitor. But I believed I could squeeze in a 24” monitor to help me gain additional screen real estate.

I knew it wouldn’t look pretty. I wouldn’t win any home-office feng shui awards. It would be a “Matrix”- like clutter vs. an airy starship design. And that’s okay. You go with what you’ve got.

So, with holiday sales swirling about, I finally allowed myself the freedom to buy a second additional screen for my laptop.

My New 24” Dell Monitor
I went with a 24” Dell UltraSharp USB-C Hub Monitor (U2424HE). The ‘hub’ functionality made it easier to tether to my existing set up without having to buy a separate hub device.

The USB-C connection to my laptop also feeds power to my laptop, which is a nice bonus, reducing cable clutter.

The IT Guy Finds a Challenge
The setup mostly was plug and play, but you really must know where to plug everything in. There were no directions in the box. (The quick setup sheet didn’t talk about multi-screens.)

I eventually found the 116-page manual online. The PDF was crammed with every possible detail. It described 14 connection options, each pin designation for the RJ45 plug and the emergency steps to take if you have to quickly dump the warp core (Trekkie joke). I scoured though this manual nobody ever wants to read and finally found page 55.

MST on Page 55
It’s titled, “Connecting the Monitor for USB Type-C Multi-Stream Transport (MST) Function.” (MST? Are we supposed to know that acronym?)

In short, page 55 told me to connect the Dell to my laptop with the USB-C cable and then tether the two monitors with the DisplayPort (DP) cable. (easy)

And then it simply worked. All my screens began to glow, and so did I. But please take note that you really do need to bring your inner IT Guy for this.

The Power of 3 Monitors
I think the irony and the truth behind this story is my secret desire to ultimately surround myself with 360° screens. Well, I’m on my way…

For now, I’ve got my laptop screen, my 27” LG and my adorably mismatched 24” Dell. Everything fits. And the extra monitor really makes a big difference. (Barrett is happy.)
Here’s my upgraded standing desk setup with my personal laptop displaying Adobe Firefly images I’ve created for my blog.

Maybe one day, a less expensive next-generation Apple Vision Pro will transport me into a more evolved virtual workspace environment and better serve my needs.

For now, all that matters is I’ve successfully expanded my access and visual connection to the many details constantly flowing through my computer.

More clarity through working smarter. I highly recommend it.

December 1, 2024

Ways to Avoid the Agony of Holiday Shopping

When I was a child, I learned conflicting gifting skills from my parents. Here’s how I’ve tried to modify their methods to become more effective in how I shop today.

While I was growing up, I watched my mother shop for presents with an intensity that demonstrated long hours and an incredible commitment to find the perfect gift at the best price. Her process inevitably generated great results, but it must have been exhausting for her.

My father’s shopping style couldn’t have been more opposite. He picked up his gifts with a seemingly effortless flair. He’d walk into a store and pick up an item in what seemed like seconds. It was glorious to watch him in action. And they often seemed to be nifty presents… but not always.

As a kid who occasionally accompanied my parents while they shopped, I preferred my father’s methodology. But I saw my dad’s shopping success through the eyes of a child. You can’t just magically wait till the last minute, and waltz into a store to get exactly what you want. Or can you?

My mom never had the opportunity to apply her analog hunting and gathering strategies to online shopping. I think she would have enjoyed the opportunity to endlessly compare prices and sales. But as we all know, all that data can create a crippling shopping cycle where you never get to the finish line.

I am a product of both these shopping styles, and I carry the inherent burdens of both.

Fact Vs. Fiction
As you might expect, shopping during holiday seasons has been complex for me across the decades. I’ve instinctively applied certain shopping ideals that are usually impossible to follow.

Decide on the perfect gift
Perform exhaustive online research
But do it quickly
Find it on sale at the best price
Expect it to show up the next day at no extra cost if ordered online

Here’s a more realistic version.

It’s hard to find the perfect gift, unless you’re shopping for a requested item
Spotting the best price is also challenging, because discounts occur all year long
Taking tons of time to browse for gifts doesn’t always result in finding the right present
However, minimal effort is also a mediocre strategy
Shipping delays happen

Less is More
We all know that holiday shopping is an artificial construct designed by the marketing machine to keep the economy humming. It’s stressful, because you’re always feeling pressure to quickly make purchasing decisions with a deadline looming.

Giving and receiving is supposed to be fun. How can we reduce all the related frenzy and find more of the joy this season is constructed to be?

Well, spending less time shopping is probably a good start. Browsing for random deals is a huge time suck. You’ve really got to know what you’re looking for.

At Home with Existing Tech?
And if that special person asks you what you might want for a gift, and you’re not craving anything, that’s okay. (That doesn’t mean you’re ‘ungiftable.’)

For me, I think it’s been something of a slow year when it comes to wanting the latest and greatest tech. Still, I must admit, there are a few items out there
I wouldn’t mind receiving. For example…

A Self-Directed Drone for Swooping Cinematic Shots
The DJI Neo is a tiny, automated drone that that you don’t have to fly yourself. It doesn’t need a controller and will simply circle its human subject using pre-programmed flight plans to record awesome 4K cinematic shots. The Neo takes off from your hand and then does the rest on its own. It’s like hiring your own drone crew to capture the ending of your personal movie… all for only $199. That’s a great price point. ($289 will get you 3 batteries and a charging hub.)

But I digress…

Less Browsing, More Planning
Like it or not, we’re all probably doing some holiday shopping. Just don’t overdo the browsing part. Focus more on the planning and deciding parts.

If you have a plan that takes some effort, it’s okay to go for it.

I’ll never forget the great gift I received when I was seven years old. My mother bought me my first audio cassette recorder that she couldn’t afford using promotional stamps.

She saw my interest and found a way to fuel it. Her gifting me that communications tool was a seminal moment in my timeline. Without it, my later life in professional video production may not have evolved. (Yes, if you wanted to time travel to change my life, I think that’s a clear juncture point.)

The Perfect Gift
This little tape recorder was the best present my mom ever gave me. And she spent months working on it. But doesn’t her process seemingly break the rules of moderation I’m now trying to follow as an adult?

Let’s review her strategy:

My mom had a plan
She spent a lot of time on it, but she didn’t waste any time shopping
And she effectively received a 100% discount on the purchase

It was, in fact, the perfect shopping execution for the best gift I ever received.

There’s Always a Sale
Again, the lesson here is to have a strong intention before you begin any shopping. (I’m trying really hard these days to follow this wisdom.)

Don’t be distracted by the hundreds of items on sale. It’s not about the sale. That can lead you down the wrong path and hours of wasted time.

First commit the time to consider what the person might like. Once you’ve completed that step, the rest will follow.

Then, go find your sale. It’ll be there waiting for you.

Because that’s how the system works.

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