Every digital format has an unprocessed version that allows it to be changed into any file type. For digital images, this is the RAW format. RAW images are the core image data stored on a digital camera in its purest form. Do RAW images degrade over time?

RAW images do not degrade over time because they are lossless files. The only time there is a possibility that they could degrade is if they are stored improperly and you do not have backups for them.

Understanding how image files work and the best way to store them ensures that the precious memories you capture will last a lifetime. So, read on to learn more about RAW files and their integrity.

Can RAW Image Files Break Down Over Time?

RAW images are the image data that is stored inside your camera that is taken right from the digital sensor. They are large and have been processed lightly or not at all. This means they are the purest form of any digital image, so they are rich in color and have a whole host of beneficial properties.

RAW images themselves do not degrade over time unless they are stored the wrong way on the camera or do not have backup files. This is because RAW images are lossless files. Now, to share a RAW image, they have to be converted into a JPEG or other recognizable format since they are so large. 

Degradation can happen when RAW images are changed into other formats, but RAW images themselves are unlikely to break down as time passes.

What is a Lossless File?

Lossless files are those that have all of the original data preserved, such as PNGs. They are the most powerful quality-wise and some of them can be compressed without affecting the image quality. On the other hand, lossy files are those that have lost data, and when thinking about pictures, can become more pixelated depending on the conversions done.

Benefits of Raw Image Files 

Since RAW images lack shareability, those who love to show others pictures will rarely, or never, keep them in their original format. Aside from the fact that image degradation is rare, there are many benefits to the RAW format. These include:

1. RAW Images Display More Shades of Color 

Since RAW image files are not missing any data, they will show more hues of color than any other file type. There can be as many as 68.7 billion colors in a RAW image. This means that photos will be richer and look more vibrant. RAW format is perfect for appreciating the beauty of the world in full color.

2. RAW Images Have a Better Dynamic Range 

The better the dynamic range of an image, the lower the risk of overexposure or underexposure to lighting. The ability to bring back shadows and highlights naturally present in an image is also better with RAW files. Too much exposure to an image leaves them with a glare, and too little exposure creates so much shadow that it is difficult to see the subject or subjects.

3. More Control of the Image and Edits Made

Because RAW images are pure, you have full control of how they will look and how they are edited. You can choose to leave them RAW or change them in any way you wish. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

4. Proof of Ownership and Authenticity

RAW images are more difficult to manipulate than other formats, so it becomes harder for people to manipulate or plagiarize the images you create. Plus, if someone did try to take your image, the data from the RAW file is there to prove it is yours.

In short, the RAW image format is best for people that are serious about photography and want the highest quality images possible. It is best to pick and choose what images you want to keep RAW because they take up more space than other formats.

How To Store RAW Image Files Properly

Earlier, it was mentioned that RAW images can degrade if they are not stored properly, but what is the best way to store them to prevent this?

One of the best ways to save RAW photo files without them taking up space on your camera or computer is to use a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. Many of these can store RAW images. Alternatively, you can use a hard drive that has much more space on it.

Conclusion

RAW images are the purest form of a photo that cannot degrade unless they are converted, not stored properly, or not backed up. They are also lossless, which means they contain all of their original data. RAW photos are rich in color, dynamic, and a canvas you can change in whatever way you want. It is best to store them on a hard drive or a cloud storage app.

For those who work with web design, you’ll often find that you use HEX codes more than any other color coding system. With the mixture of letters and numbers in the six-digit code, you may be wondering if the codes are case-sensitive, or if you can switch the caps lock off.

As a general rule, HEX codes are not case-sensitive. A hexadecimal code can be typed as #33FFB5 or #33ffb5. Whether uppercase or lowercase is used is typically up to personal preference.

When creating designs online, it’s important to make sure you are inputting the information in the correct way, especially when dealing with coding. Keep reading to learn about the importance of capitalization in coding so you can decide which case to use when inputting HEX codes.

Are HEX Codes Case Sensitive?

Depending on your experience with typing code, you may be under the impression that all codes are required to be typed in a certain case. However, this isn’t necessarily true.

When typing in HEX codes, there is no need to pay attention to the case that you use. HEX codes can be typed in either uppercase or lowercase and will work just the same.

For example, if you wanted to use navy blue as the text on a website you’re designing, you could type either #0F2055 or #0f2055 into the code on your website. Though they look slightly different because the f is captilized in one and not the other, both variations would result in the same color.

Do Capital Letters Matter in Code?

Though HEX codes are not case-sensitive, you’ll still want to pay attention to your capitalization in other aspects of coding.

For the most part, tags can be typed in upper or lower case when inputting plain HTML. However, you may want to pick one or the other for reading consistency.

On top of that, if you move into different coding languages, like Javascript, capitalization plays a huge role. Therefore, it’s best to pick a case and stick with it so that you can create a habit early on and won’t have to worry about it later.

Why Are HEX Codes Normally Seen In Uppercase?

Traditionally speaking, HEX codes are typed using uppercase letters. For example, if you search for a color on HTML Color Codes, you’ll notice that they all generate with capital letters. When using the color picker in the logo maker on Placeit.com, you’ll see capital letters as well.

While there aren’t any technical reasons for this, the use of uppercase generally boils down to personal preference and sticking to what you were taught.

Because there are many case-sensitive programming languages, lower case is generally the standard for writing source code. However, many of the beginner-friendly programming languages are case-insensitive. Some of these include:

• Basic
• SQL
• Pascal

Many coding classes will use uppercase letters for HEX codes when writing source code to differentiate between codes, especially when learning case-insensitive languages. Generally, as we mimic what we are taught, that tends to become our default way of doing things. But, as you gain experience, your preference may change.

Why Do Some Designers Prefer Using Lowercase?

There are several reasons why some designers like lowercase hexidecimal codes:

• It is the standard in programming.
• Lowercase is easier and faster to type, thus increasing productivity.
• Everything stays consistent.
• It’s easier to search for something if you know what to look for, especially when rewriting old code.
• Some find lowercase letters easier to read.

Once again, it really boils down to personal preference. This could be as simple as thinking the coding looks better in lowercase, or it may have something to do with the natural way the designer works.

Do HEX Codes Always Have Letters?

A HEX code is a six-digit alphanumeric code that represents color in RGB format digitally. However, that doesn’t mean that every color code is going to contain letters.

Each two digits of the code represent a different piece of information. The first two represent the amount of red color, the second two represent the amount of green color, and the last two represent the amount of blue color. These are based on RGB color code values on a scale of 0 to 225.

However, because many computers use 8-bit operational codes, the RGB color codes are divided into a two-digit code that sometimes includes a letter.

Final Thoughts

Though working with codes can sometimes be tricky and temperamental, this isn’t the case with HEX codes. Whether you use uppercase or lowercase when typing HEX codes is completely up to you.

The Surface Go is a powerful little laptop that bridges the gap between laptops and tablets. As such, it supports a touchscreen display and a small keyboard that gets out of your way when needed. It even supports a stylus even if it does not come with one.

Generally, you can use any stylus with a Surface Go if it falls under one of the two compatible types and offers a supported feature set. While the Go only supports two stylus types, they are both common in the market. So, you should be able to find one that works.

While you can use any compatible stylus, you still must ensure your stylus fits you and your application. Therefore, by reading further, you will learn what you should consider when buying one along with the pros and cons of each type.

Stylus Types You Can Use with a Surface Go

The Surface Go line of tablets is one of the most captivating tablets on the market. Wonders of modern technology, these devices offer the full power and application lineup of a desktop computer in an easy-to-use mobile format. You can even use the optional attachable keyboard and use these computers as laptops.

While the little keyboard is a nice feature, making full use of the touchscreen display is the hallmark of tablets and other mobile devices. As such, you may want to add a stylus to your Surface Go experience. While Microsoft offers a Surface Pen that is guaranteed to work, it might not be the right one for you.

Your reason for choosing another brand of the stylus can depend on many factors, most of which will come down to personal preference. However, your stylus will only work with a Surface Go if it falls under one of the supported pen types.

Stylus Types Compatible with a Surface Go

A stylus or electronic pen is a pen-like computer input device that allows you to sign, swipe, and draw on touchscreens and electronic devices. While they all may look the same on the outside, they can be very different on the inside. In particular, they can differ in how they communicate with the computer.

With that said, styluses can either be active or passive.

• Active stylus – tracks its location and movement on the screen through internal electronic components.
• Passive or capacitive stylus – works as an extension of your fingers as the computer tracks all movement.

Differences Between a Conventional Capacitive or a Bluetooth Stylus

While both types would theoretically work with a Surface Go, only a capacitive stylus will work out of the box. This is because the Go has no native means for communicating with a stylus. It only has the touch sensitivity of the screen to deduce movement. Because passive pens mimic the actions of your fingers, they should work just fine.

However, there is a way to use an active stylus if it has Bluetooth functionality.

Capacitive Stylus

Capacitive stylus pens are the most common type of stylus. Their power comes from being a more accurate and convenient extension of your fingers. You used them simply by pressing the tip against the screen. As such, you can use them on most touchscreens, making them great for gaming, drawing, writing, and other touch-compatible applications.

Therefore, capacitive stylus pens are guaranteed to work with a Surface Go. They also:

• Have no battery
• Work with multiple devices
• Light and easy to hold
• Work in any environment
• Cheap and readily available

These pens just lack other features such as pressure sensitivity. They are also very vulnerable to interference from the rest of your hand.

Bluetooth Stylus

Bluetooth stylus pens can be either active or passive, making them very versatile. Their main benefit is all the other features they have. Some common features include pressure level sensitivity and shortcut buttons. These features require an active Bluetooth connection, thus the name. They also require batteries and compatible software.

Different models will have different features. So, you must check to see if your stylus has the features your applications expect before you can use them.

Things to Consider When Buying a Stylus for Your Surface Pro

A Bluetooth capacitive stylus sounds like the best stylus for a Surface Go. The tablet has Bluetooth connectivity and a touchscreen out of the box, letting you take full advantage of such a stylus. However, not every Bluetooth stylus will fit your style, budget, and applications. In some cases, you may even be better offer with a simple capacitive pen.

Therefore, you will want to ensure that your stylus:

• Provides the features you need
• Offers good durability, reliability, and ease of use
• Backed by a good warranty policy
• Fits your budget

Conclusion

The Microsoft Surface Go tablet is guaranteed to work with any capacitive stylus, though you can use a Bluetooth active one in some cases. It all depends on whether your application supports the additional Bluetooth features.

Stock photo sites are everywhere these days, and their rise brought numerous rumors with them. While these rumors are often based on truth, they usually exaggerate the situation, obscuring the truth in the process. For instance, many people claim that photos from Unsplash contain viruses.

Generally, Unsplash photos do not contain viruses, but that does not mean that every photo you get from there is clean. This is true for every stock photo service as well as any other file you download off the internet. Your best bet is to obtain your photos from a known reliable source.

Even if Unsplash photos are virus-free, you may still want to avoid using them. By reading further, you will learn the issues you could face from using their photos as well as a few better alternatives.

Do Stock Photos from Unsplash Contain Malware?

Photo files seem harmless. They appear to only contain photos and other images. However, these files can and often contain much more. While most of the time this content is nothing more than the metadata for the photos, they can be avenues for viruses and malware as well. This is especially true for photos you download from internet sites such as Unsplash.

Unsplash and other stock photo sites provide countless stock photos you can use in your projects. Depending on the site, you can use these stock photos for commercial purposes or otherwise modify them into your creations. As such, they are a popular resource for journalists, video creators, and other publishers.

However, these sites rarely produce the photos themselves. Instead, they acquire them from third-party photographers who post their work to these sites for exposure, as an income source, or both. It is these third-party agents that can lead to problems when using a sight like Unsplash.

Photos Can Have Viruses

While Unsplash and other stock photo providers constantly inspect their offerings, they cannot catch everything that moves through their system. As such, it is possible to find pictures on them that do contain viruses and other malware. This malware can hide in any part of the photo including the image itself, any included audio track, or embedded as a backdrop disturbance.

Fortunately, you cannot receive or send a virus directly through an image file. Image files are not executables. So, there is nothing to activate the virus. However, they can infect your computer if something like a library or database processes the files.

Anything You Download Can Have Viruses

Still, it is always a good idea to check everything you download for malware. Unsplash may or may not have a vetting process for its photographers, but they are not the only site afflicted with such problems.

Any collection site will likely have a virus or two in its database. All that matters is if you trust the site enough to catch most of the issues, then have your computer do the rest.

Other Reasons to Not Use Unsplash

When using photos from a service such as Unsplash, viruses should be the least of your concerns. While these sites allow you to use thousands of photos in your projects, they might not own all the rights that allow you to do so, ‘Free Use’ might not always mean free.

Improperly using stock photos is one of the easier ways to commit a crime and not even know it. That is because sites like Unsplash rarely pay photographers for the photos. While the exposure is great, most photographers sign up with the service believing that they would get royalties from the revenue Unsplash makes through advertisements and other licensing agreements.

Unsplash gives you an irrevocable, nonexclusive, worldwide copyright license to:

• Download
• Copy
• Modify
• Distribute
• Perform
• Use photos from their library for free

However, they often do so without permission. Therefore, using these photos might be an infringement on someone else’s copyright. This can happen in multiple ways though it is usually just people uploading stock photos they do not own to the service. Because the site obscures the source for these photos, there is no way to know if a photo should be there or not.

Because the service lets you use the photos without providing credit, these photographers fail to even get the exposure they were promised. To make matters worse, Unsplash continues to “delay” their promised “remove” feature that would end these issues.

Use Alternatives to Unsplash When Possible

While things are bad for photographers, they offer legal indemnification to their users either. They claim their photos are legal to use but will not defend you in case someone sues you for them. Therefore, you should choose an alternative solution that properly works with photographers to ensure legal compliance such as Placeit.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to not use stock photos from Unsplash, but viruses are not one of them. Instead, you are more likely to have legal issues from the use of their content. As such, you may want to use an alternative regardless if their photos have viruses.

There’s something about Powerpoint that brings out the middle schooler in all of us. The bells and whistles are the fun part of any presentation, right? Forget all that Social Studies content I should be researching and just turn me loose with all the cool design features – like animation. Simultaneous animations would double the fun, but can you do that?

You can use two or more animations simultaneously in Powerpoint by setting up an object with two animation effects that occur at the same time, or by having two independent objects perform animations in sync with each other. 

If you’re ready to release your inner middle school self and start animating in Powerpoint, read on to find out how to make two animations happen at once.

Powerpoint Allows Simultaneous Animations

We’ve all seen those super cool graphic motions like fly-ins, swipes, or bubbles. They definitely liven up an otherwise run-of-the-mill Powerpoint slide and help keep viewers engaged.

Powerpoint’s animation tool allows you to add motion to text or any object such as a graphic, shape, or image. Not only can you animate an element, you can also control specific details about its motion, such as:

• Animation style
• Timing
• Duration of the animation
• Order in which the animation occurs
• Grouping of elements to receive animation

According to Microsoft.com, you can apply several animation effects to one object and set up those animations to happen at the same time. You can also apply animation to two different objects and establish animation preferences so that both objects move at the same time.

Animation preferences are in the Animation Pane that is found on the Animations tab once you’ve clicked on the object that will be animated.

How to Make One Object with Multiple Simultaneous Animations

So you’re creating a Powerpoint slide and you want one of your objects – let’s say a butterfly – to come onto the slide with a bit of pizzazz. Flying and twirling to be exact. Here’s how you do it. 

Open the Animation Pane 

Clicking on the butterfly will bring up several tab options. When you choose the Animation Tab, the Animation Pane will open and this is where you control all the movements of the butterfly. 

Add Animation

Clicking on Add Animation brings up a host of motion options. Of course, you can choose any of these that suits your needs. In our butterfly example, we’ll choose Fly In at this point.

To add a second animation, we’ll go ahead and choose Swivel to give the butterfly the twirling effect we want.

Tip: You must add the second animation (or any additional animations beyond that) before moving on to other details. Otherwise any new animation will merely replace what’s already there.

Control the Timing of Animation

This is the step where you create the simultaneous movement that causes the butterfly to twirl as it flies into the slide. You should still be working in the Animation Pane.

You’ll find three timing options under the Timing dropdown menu that control when an animation starts:

• On Click – begins when you click the mouse
• With Previous – begins simultaneously with the previous animation effect
• After Previous – begins after the previous animation effect

For the first animation effect in the list, you will select On Click. Our butterfly will fly into the slide when you click the mouse.

Now here’s the important part: find the second animation effect (Swivel, in this case) and set its timing to With Previous. That means the Swivel motion will begin at the same time as the Fly In motion.

How to Make Two Objects with Simultaneous Animation

Using our butterfly example, let’s say you want two butterflies to come into the slide at the same time. This is super easy to do now that you know all about the Animation Pane. The key is setting up the animation effect exactly the same for each object. Follow these steps for each butterfly:

• Highlight the butterfly to open the Animation Pane.
• Click Add Animation.
• Select an effect. Let’s choose Fly In in our example
• Click on the Fly In animation and go to Timing.
• Choose On Click.

If you set up both butterflies in this way, when you click your mouse on the slide, both butterflies will fly in at the same time.

Final Thoughts

Setting up two animations to happen at the same time is pretty straightforward and will set your Powerpoint presentation apart from the next guy. Embrace your tweenager creativity and follow the easy steps we’ve discussed here to create simultaneous animations in your next Powerpoint slide deck. 

Powerpoint is a powerful app that has many tools to help people create the presentations they want and need. Because there are so many features on Powerpoint, some of them can fly under the radar. One of these is the promote and demote feature. What exactly is promoting and demoting?

Promote and demote allows the user to change the level that text is sitting on in a Powerpoint. This is the feature that is used to make outlines for essays and other projects, and it can be found across the Microsoft suite in different ways. Promote is moving up, and demote is moving down.

Using this feature can help you better organize your slides and the content on them. So, read on to learn more about the uses for both promoting and demoting.

Why Do Promote and Demote Exist in Powerpoint?

Promote and demote are two tools used to move text on a Powerpoint slide in opposite ways.

Promote moves text up a level, and conversely, demote moves text down a level. This allows the text to be presented in a staggered way, which makes it easier to read. Without this feature, it would be difficult to organize bullets or other chunks of text so that they are digestible.

Both promote and demote were added to Powerpoint in the 97’ and 98’ versions of Powerpoint and they have been around since. The team that worked on this application knew it would be a necessity from the beginning.

Steps to Use Promote and Demote in Powerpoint

Another way to think about the promote and demote features is that they either increase or decrease the amount of indentation in one or multiple lines of text.

This feature can be applied to Powerpoint text by following a simple series of steps outlined below.

Promoting Text

Promoting text means moving it up in an outline or increasing the indent of it.

To do this in Powerpoint, you can do any of the following:

1. Click on the Promote or Increase Indent button in the Paragraph section of the Home tab
2. Dragging the desired text to where you want it using the mouse or trackpad
3. Pressing the Shift Key followed by the Tab Key
4. Performing the keyboard shortcut by pressing the Alt, Shift, and Left Arrow Keys at the same time

Raising the position of text means that you can give the most important points and ideas greater emphasis. If a section of text is towards the top, you know it is important or will lead you to more details about a particular topic.

Demoting Text

As discussed earlier, demoting means lowering the position of a selection of text or decreasing the indentation.

You can do this in Powerpoint by taking any of the below paths:

1. Clicking on the Demote or Decrease Indent button in the Paragraph section of the home tab
2. Pressing the Tab key
3. Dragging the desired text over with the mouse
4. Pressing the Alt, Shift, and Right Arrow keys at the same time to activate the Demote keyboard shortcut

You have probably used demotion more often than promotion when writing essays and creating PowerPoint presentations. Lowering the position of text allows us to signal to the audience that a current topic has finished and a new one is beginning. It also allows writers to write or plan out the details they wish to include about a topic.

The Big Picture

Whether you are using promotion or demotion, the goal is to better organize content. Using them both when needed will make sure your ideas are in the order you want them.

If you are a visual learner or someone who learns by doing, here is a video explaining promote and demote that you can watch and or follow along with if you need it.

Even though the video is made using the 2010 version of Powerpoint, the icons, and process for promoting and demoting look and remain the same. This is nice because if you are using Promote and Demote in Powerpoint for the first time, it will not be difficult for you to follow along despite changes made to the Powerpoint app over the years.

Conclusion

Promote and Demote in Powerpoint are two functions that are opposite of each other. Promote allows the user to move text up or increase the indent it has. On the other hand, demoting allows the user to move the text down or decrease the indent it has. The purpose of these functions is to provide a way of organizing content, and they are simple to understand and use.

Anyone with a smartphone or computer has viewed them and, in all likelihood, has even used or created them at some point. Even though they have a duration lasting but a few seconds, Graphics Interchange Format files (or, as they are more commonly known, gifs) can have a huge impact on their viewers. They have the power to make someone smile, laugh, or even cry, all without a sound.

Gifs were developed in the late 1980s as a way to transmit image files over networks that were not nearly as fast as the ones in use today. Given the circumstances, there was no need for audio. The animation feature was added much later and this is what has catapulted gifs into mainstream use.

Incredibly, the technology behind one of the most widely used features in social media posts, emails, and smartphone messaging has been around for nearly four decades. Despite its simplicity and decidedly low-resolution attributes (by today’s standards anyway), gifs are an instrumental tool in the modern digital toolbox, despite being completely silent. Here’s why and how this came to be.

Why Do Gifs Have No Sound?

In 1987, a computer scientist named Steve Wilhite and his software engineering colleagues at CompuServe came up with a way to transmit and view graphics files on computers without consuming too much memory and bogging down each workstation’s resources. At that time, the primary objective was simply to be able to view large images quickly and efficiently.

Little did they know that their creation, the Graphics Interchange Format, or gif for short, would give rise to a new method of visual communication that would spread like wildfire. By enabling the use of animated images created on endless loops lasting mere seconds, gifs would be capable of delivering impactful messages through a wide variety of digital platforms.

Gifs do not have sound in them because they were originally formatted for transferring image and graphics data through much slower networks. The animation feature for gifs was not developed until much later. Given their short duration and immense popularity, the lack of sound is a non-factor.

The developmental journey of the gif is a true digital rags-to-riches story. What began as a technology that was specifically developed to address a purely functional need has somehow evolved into a vibrant communication tool that is now the primary form of the social phenomenon known as memes.

A Brief History of Gifs

The technology behind gifs was first developed in 1987 and it had a very specific purpose. At that time, there were major challenges to viewing large image files on computers:

• Networks were far slower than they are now
• Processors were far less powerful
• Computers had very limited memory resources

Steve Wilhite and his computer science cohort tasked themselves with addressing these issues and their solution was gif technology. It is important to bear in mind that the primary objective of their efforts pertained to static images (i.e., non-animated), and as such, there was no audio element to their work.

In short order, gifs became the go-to format for images viewable on the internet (which was still in its infancy during the late 80s and early 90s), but their true calling was realized when basic animation was applied to images. Unlike the complex techniques utilized today that result in fluid motion and impeccable images, animation as applied to gifs results in nothing more than digital flipbooks.

But despite their decidedly low-tech attributes, gifs have evolved into what they are now known to millions – brief video loops that are memorable, entertaining beyond words, and indispensable when trying to convey a sentiment without typing out any characters.

Why Are Gifs So Popular?

Aside from their ability to capture a moment or express a feeling, gifs are appealing to millions of users because they align with a basic characteristic of people living in the current digital age. An interesting study has seemingly confirmed what seems readily apparent, that people’s attention spans are getting shorter as technology improves the ways by which content is presented and consumed.

In the year 2000, a study group comprised of regular consumers was found to have an attention span lasting 12 seconds. Less than two decades later, the average person’s attention span was found to have decreased by 33% to a mere 8 seconds.

While there are a number of inferences that can be drawn from this observation, as far as gifs are concerned, it sheds a light on why this medium of communication is so popular with both users and viewers. Eight seconds may not seem like a lot of time in which to contemplate any type of information, digital or otherwise.

But for gifs, this is an ample amount of time. A person can view a gif, process its intended message, and appreciate its meaning, all in a matter of milliseconds. What other form of expression can say that?

The Future of Gifs

As so often seems the case with technology, the future is now. Despite the immense popularity of gifs in their current (i.e., silent) iteration, there is a significant portion of the gif userbase that feels that the addition of audio would enhance the overall experience of creating and using gifs.

Thus, several tech companies are launching gif-creation platforms that enable users to incorporate audio into their animated image loops (which, technically speaking, would then no longer be gifs but rather, very short videos). The audio component would come from the original source material of the video loop.

Whether audio-enabled gifs become as popular as the original silent version remains to be seen but this turn in the development of gif technology should come as no surprise to anyone.

Conclusion

Every day, it seems, new technological advances expand the boundaries of what is possible in the digital age. Computers are faster, devices are more powerful, and the ways that people connect with each other are more dynamic than ever before.

And yet, one of the most popular forms of media, used by millions of people every day, is based on a technology that has been around for nearly four decades. Animated gifs are proof positive that sometimes the most powerful tools of the digital age are not necessarily the most high-tech.

In English, we have a rule to always capitalize a single “i” because it acts as a pronoun. But in the world of design, the text doesn’t always follow all of the rules. So what happens when you are working on a design in Canva and the program keeps auto-capitalizing all of the i’s you write?

As a general rule, Canva doesn’t capitalize standalone i’s by default. Instead, this is probably due to the auto-capitalization setting on your computer, internet browser, tablet, or phone. This is a default setting on many devices and is usually seen as a convenience for those writing in English because of general grammar rules.

For the most part, auto-capitalization can be helpful, especially in those moments when we are typing fast and forget to hit the shift key. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. Keep reading for more information on why Canva is capitalizing every i, and how you can make it stop.

Why Do My I’s Keep Capitalizing In Canva?

Whether you use a PC, tablet, or phone, you will more than likely find a setting on your device that auto-capitalizes words such as pronouns or those found at the beginning of a sentence. This includes the letter I when it stands separate from other letters.

Why? This is because a standalone i is considered a pronoun in the English language. And because many devices are set up with English in mind, this setting provides the convenience of correcting minor mistakes made during typing, much like the way autocorrect does.

However, this isn’t always seen as helpful, especially for those typing in other languages or for anyone working in design. So, how can you stop the automatic capitalization when working in Canva?

There are several ways to do this, and we will break each one down for you below.

Turn Off Auto-Capitalization on Your Device

The simplest way to stop your i’s from switching to uppercase is to turn off the auto-capitalization setting on your device.

For Android and iPhone devices, text correction can typically be turned off from the phone’s keyboard settings. This can either be accessed by clicking the gear located on the keyboard, or by searching through the phone’s main settings menu.

For tablets, this is generally the same. However, since there are so many different makes and models of tablets, it is best to check your device’s manual to find out how to access the settings.

Windows users with touch screens will have access to advanced keyboard settings under Devices and Typing. Simply turn off the auto-capitalization option and you should be good to go. Non-touch screen users will not have access to these settings and should focus on changing the settings in their preferred browser or program.

Mac users can find autocorrect settings under the keyboard tab in Settings. Here, customized autocorrect settings can be made. If you have created a rule to change “i” to “I”, delete it. You may also want to turn off auto-capitalization by unchecking the box next to “Capitalize words automatically.”

Turn Off Auto-Capitalization in Your Browser

Though not all internet browsers do this, some do have auto-capitalization enabled as part of their autocorrect or spell check features. If you’re having issues with capitalization in Canva, it’s a good idea to check your browser’s language settings.

Change Browsers

Another option you may need to consider is switching browsers. Sometimes, a program can work a bit funny in one browser and not in another. This usually has to do with updates not being current.

If you generally work in Chrome and are having issues with capitalization in Canva, try opening it up in Edge or Safari. If this works, you may want to consider using Canva in that browser for the time being.

Download a Change Case Extension

If you’ve adjusted your settings and are still having issues, one final option is to download a case change extension. This allows you to set advanced settings for your text within your browser. Some of these settings include:

• No case
• Uppercase
• Lowercase
• Title case
• Toggle case
• No accents

These extensions can be found on both Chrome and Firefox.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re typing up a text-heavy design in Canva or browsing the web, we often rely on the settings of our device keyboard or browser more than we realize. If your i’s won’t stop capitalizing, it’s probably because of a setting that you didn’t even know was in place.

Hopefully, this article gave you a better understanding of why every i you type is capitalized, and how to change it if you need to.

One of the most exciting aspects of getting a touch-screen tablet like the Surface Pro is pairing it together with a stylus. Using a pen on these types of tablets provides the precision and accuracy that is hard to achieve otherwise. However, if you’re in the market for a new stylus, you might be wondering which ones will work.

The Surface Pro tablets support the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP), which means that any stylus with MPP should work with the tablet. However, older pens may be outdated, so it’s always good to check compatibility before choosing a stylus.

If you recently acquired a Surface Pro tablet, it’s important to choose the right stylus so that you don’t run into any hiccups. Keep reading to find out which stylus will work with your Surface Pro.

Will Any Stylus Work On Surface Pro?

One of the benefits of using a Surface Pro tablet is that it supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol. Essentially, this is an attempt to differentiate between styluses and pen technologies on the market.

As a general rule, any stylus equipped with MPP should work with a Microsoft Surface Pro.

However, that doesn’t mean that every stylus will be compatible with your Surface Pro model. For example, the new Surface Slim Pen 2 isn’t compatible with some of the earlier versions of the Surface Pro.

Vice versa, if you have a Surface Pro 8, some of the older styluses and pens may not be up to par to work with your new device.

What Stylus Can Be Used on Surface Pro Tablets?

Because of the MPP support, the number of styluses available for the Surface Pro can be a bit overwhelming. And not all pens are created equally.

Here are a few pens that are known to work well with Surface Pro tablets:

• Surface Slim Pen 2
• Dell Active Pen PN350M
• Uogic Pen for Surface
• HP Tilt Pen
• Bamboo Ink Smart Stylus

Remember to always check compatibility with your device before committing to a pen. Just because a pen works with the Surface Pro 7, doesn’t mean it can be used on a Surface Pro 4.

How To Find Out If A Stylus Is Compatible With Your Surface Pro

Finding out whether a pen is compatible with your device isn’t always an easy task. Because there are so many brands to choose from, how you go about finding compatibility is going to vary.

However, as a rule of thumb, the first place to check is always going to be the pen’s specs or product features. For example, compatibility for the Surface Slim Pen 2 can be found under Tech specs on the product page. Compatibility for the Uogic stylus for Surface can also be found on the product page under Product Overview.

Another way to check compatibility is to call the manufacturer of the pen and simply ask. The manufacturer is going to have the most up-to-date information and will be able to tell you whether or not their product will work with your device.

Is It Worth Getting the Surface Pen?

With all of the different options out there, you might be wondering if it’s better to just go with the Surface Pen. After all, this is the stylus that was created to work with your tablet.

For the most part, whether the Surface Pen will work for you is going to boil down to which features you are looking for in a stylus. The new Surface Pro 8 has features such as haptic feedback that will only work with the Surface Pen. However, the feature may be of no interest to you.

So, if you want to take advantage of all of the features that come with your device, then it’s best to pair your Surface Pro with a Surface Pen. But if you’re more interested in how the pen feels, then it’s best to shop around and find something that suits your hand.

Can You Write On Surface Pro Without A Stylus?

One thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need a stylus to use your Surface Pro.

You can easily write, draw, and browse on your Surface Pro by simply using your finger. However, you’re not going to have the same precision and accuracy that you would if you were using a stylus.

Final Thoughts

You should now have a better idea of what stylus will work with a Surface Pro. Remember to look for a pen with MPP, and, if all else fails, you can always use your finger until you find the stylus that suits you best.

The right animation and presentation can be the difference between your audience sticking around or moving somewhere else. As such, you want to control how your Canva animated sequences end. However, the editor often adds a fade-out sequence that can leave a large blank area on your page.

Unfortunately, you cannot stop Canva animations from fading out, but there are workarounds. These workarounds mimic the effect of stopping the animation, giving you some control over the presentation. They have their drawbacks, but they will do the job until future versions of Canva add the feature.

These workarounds will reduce the fading effect, but only if you implement them correctly, Therefore, by reading further, you will learn what these workarounds are and how to do them.

Stopping Canva Animations from Fading Out

Canva revolutionizes the graphics design space through its unique feature for producing breathtaking animation. The graphics editor will let you animate anything from the things you create in the program and the stuff you import into it. It will even do some of the keyframing for you to ensure everything goes smoothly.

However, Canva lacks the features of a full-featured animation program. As such, you must get creative if you want something special.  For instance, Canva will insert fading effect to the beginning and end of your clip. This feature has numerous uses, especially when combing several clips into one. But it can also be a problem if you keep displaying a logo at the end.

Such an effect requires that you pause or stop the video, but Canva offers no solutions for it. The clip will continue and fade out into the next clip. There is no way to stop the animation from fading out. Fortunately, you can mimic the effect through other means. None of them will be a perfect replacement for the missing feature, but they will work.

Mimic a Pause in Your Canva Animation by Adjusting the Speed

Modifying the speed of your animated clips is the most common workaround that mimics a pause. Combining the technique with the right frames can even make the effect unnoticeable, ensuring that your audience only sees what you want them to see. There are multiple ways you can do it too with some being more unconventional than others.

Editing the Timing Function

Before we continue, we must note that you cannot adjust the animation speed in Canva directly. You can only adjust the duration of the individual frames, slides, and pages. However, this function is perfect for mimicking a pause. You just have to extend the right elements.

You can access this feature through Canva’s Timing Function Tool which sits on the editor toolbar as a stopwatch icon. You must adjust it from the default 5 seconds for each page or slide you want to pause. Luckily, it is as easy to use as:

1. Click the background of the target slide’s canvas
2. Click the Timing Function tool on the editor toolbar
3. Move the slider in the dropdown menu to adjust the duration.

You can also modify the duration by entering your desired value in seconds in the text box adjacent to the slider. You can then press Enter to save the changes before repeating the steps for the next page or slide.

While this method will make the animation appear to stop, it does not stop it. Thus, if you need your clip to end on a particular slide, this method will not work. However, it will give your audience the time to perform your desired action.

Export Then Import as a Video

If your animation must conclude without fading, you must take more drastic measures as there is nothing Canva that will do it. At least, there is nothing that would work on animations. Canva’s video trimming function would do the trick, but it only works on pre-rendered video clips.

Therefore, if you truly want to prevent your Canva animation from fading out, you must convert it to a video. However, only the Export Tool can do it. As such, you will lose your ability to edit your project. Thus, you will want to complete everything else before you take this option.

After that, it is as simple as:

1. Exporting the project as a video
2. Import the new video file as a new project
3. Use the Trim Tool to cut the video before it fades out

You can even combine this method with the previous one to ensure your video ends where you want it. You can even use a third-party app such as Placeit if you wish.

Conclusion

Canva lets you turn your graphics designs into beautiful animations, but it comes with a few quirks. For instance, it will always fade animation clips. While there is no way to stop or alter this feature, there are workarounds you can use to give the effect.