timSwyka.com

So you don’t have big bucks to decorate a stage like the pros? No problem! With a few hundred bucks and a little creativity you can have a stage that looks like a million bucks.

When designing staging, the first thing I think about is what the type of event is. Is it a play, a fun concert, a serious recital? Next, I open my proverbial toolbox and look at the tools I have. Do I have any previously used staging available? What types lighting do I have available? Next I open my bag of tricks. What staging have I used in the past that has been successful? If I still need something, I often go shopping for inspiration. The local hardware store, thrift store, or Wal-Mart are prefect places to start.

Check out Church Stage Design Ideas and Visual Worshiper for lots of great inspiration.

I recently setup a Canon MF4370 in my office. I generally like how Canon printers work in terms of both hardware and software. I setup this printer on the network. The printer drivers installed easily, allowing me to print without any hassle. Getting the scanner to work was another story entirely.

Canon ships the printer with a network TWAIN driver. That means in order to use the scanner, a program that supports TWAIN scanning is necessary. I searched around for weeks trying to find a free program I could use. Finally, someone suggested IrfanView (http://www.irfanview.com/). I had used IrfanView in the past for batch image editing but never thought of it as “scanning software.” After installing IrfanView I was presently surprised how simple it was to scan from the Canon scanner. Simply choose “File” and “Select TWAIN Source.” Then choose “File” and “Aquire/Batch Scanning.” Put the printer in scanning mode and scan away. It could not be easier.

Did this work for you? Do you have a better way? Let me know!