Using The Cave

New! iPhoto Slideshow Tutorial

Click here if you would like a tutorial on the basics of making an iPhoto slideshow in The Cave.

Cave Printing Tutorial

Click here if you would like a tutorial on the basics of printing in The Cave.

Here are some tips on how to have a more positive Cave experience...

Backup Your Work

This is the most important and fundamental rule for all work done on computers, whether your working on photos, novels, taxes, or genome mapping. There are any number of possible causes of data loss, ranging from acts of god to mechanical failure to computer virus to computer theft. As such, you should know that you are welcome to store your files in The Cave, but the safety of the files cannot be guaranteed, and at the end of the day it is up to you to make sure you have your own, safe copy of your work. Use optical media (CD's and DVD's), USB flash storage (keychain drives), or other means (iPod, FTP, portable hard drive) to create backup copies of all your work.

There are two locations in The Cave where you can save your work. One is on the local hard drive of the computer you are working on, and the other is the local file server for The Cave called "Drop Box." All cave computers should automatically log into the Drop Box server when they are powered on or restarted. If, for some reason, the "dropbox" volume is not available on your desktop, you should be able to get it back by going up to the apple menu (top left), then go down to "recent items" and look for it under "recent servers."

Also remember to save your work often while you are working. On the keyboard, press the "Apple" Key with the "S" Key.

Please note that the Drop Box and also the workstation hard drives will be erased after they are filled to capacity...BACKUP YOUR WORK!

Have Patience

Inkjet printers are notorious for two things:

1. Amazing print quality
2. Amazing finickiness

If you look around at all of the various digital art forms (printmaking, web design, music, video, etc.), you will find that troubleshooting, and having patience, is at least a third of the game. If you approach your work knowing and accepting that there will always be times when the printers don't want to load your paper, and there will always be times when your print doesn't match exactly what is on the screen, you will be much better off.

Loading Paper

This is where patience can really be a virtue, especially on the Epson 4000 printers. If the printer won't accept your paper (gives a "paper not straight message"), release the paper suction lever to free your paper, and try again. If you are sure your paper is straight and the printer still says it's not, you can push the pause button and this will override the printer's message. Also remember that there are several ways of loading paper, and try to make sure your paper has nice straight perpindicular corners. If you need help please feel free to ask!

Ask Questions, Ask Questions, Ask Questions

There is no such thing as a dumb question. Ever. Enough said.