Kevin Slimp Online
Kevin Slimp is a favorite speaker and trainer in the publishing world. He can be reached at kevin@kevinslimp.com.

Current Newsletter

When Less is More in Newspapers

Feb 01, 2024 at 06:30 pm by INT

In late January, I had such a good time visiting with the publishers of the Wyoming Press Association at their annual convention. I spoke on a few of my favorite topics: Growi.... Read More

Predicting 2024 for Newspapers

Jan 10, 2024 at 10:45 pm by INT

Making bold predictions is easy. This year, I’ve paid close attention to forecasts by respected sportswriters in national print and online publications to see how my foo.... Read More

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Recent Columns

Affinity Publisher Primed to Take Business from InDesign

Mar 09, 2021 at 12:30 pm by INT

It’s been a while since a column has drawn as much response as my November review of Affinity Publisher, the layout application that has so many designers, editors and p.... Read More

Kevin makes His 2021 New Year Predictions

Jan 07, 2021 at 04:19 pm by INT

As I write this column, vaccines are beginning to make their way to first responders, the New Year has begun, and maybe – just maybe – the world is seeing a light.... Read More

Affinity Publisher: Is it ready for prime time?

Nov 17, 2020 at 02:15 pm by INT

A few years back, I received an email from Nebraska publisher Rob Dump about a design application he’d read about named Affinity Publisher. He asked if I thought he migh.... Read More

Why are Some Newspapers Growing? Answers from publishers at growing papers

Nov 05, 2020 at 03:15 pm by INT

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken (virtually) at five state and regional press association conventions. In all but one, my leadoff topic was “What’s Going.... Read More
Slideshow

Kevin answers questions about colors, photo settings, paragraph styles and ligatures

Jul 06, 2020 at 12:15 pm by INT

So, what do professional speakers do during a pandemic? I can’t speak for all the speakers in the world, but among other things, I’ve been leading a lot of webinar.... Read More

Finding Ways to Generate Revenue

Jun 20, 2020 at 09:15 am by INT

It’s a crazy time for all of us. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Like many of you, I’ve been working out of my home office for six.... Read More

No Bull: What works and what doesn't

Mar 29, 2020 at 05:32 pm by staff

I will remember fall '19 as a season of research. I was involved in two major newspaper studies: one related to Millennials for North Dakota Newspaper Foundation and one to de.... Read More

Affinity Publisher and IDMarkz: One thumbs up, one thumb sideways

Feb 01, 2020 at 05:29 pm by staff

I spent my morning writing about mergers, buyouts, and bankruptcies. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to spend a few minutes on something more fun. For the past three or.... Read More

Looking Toward the Future: Groups taking steps to plan for the future

Sep 25, 2019 at 04:12 pm by staff

Like many of you reading this column, I've been in the newspaper business a long time. I began delivering daily papers for the Johnson City (Tennessee) Press-Chronicle when I.... Read More

What's the Big Deal: You make a few predictions...

Aug 29, 2019 at 11:00 am by staff

Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes." I've experienced those fifteen minutes a few times, but it comes less often these da.... Read More

Front Page

And speaking of upgrades, Adobe makes an announcement of its own <p>

Jun 03, 2008 at 10:26 am by staff

Adobe had its own announcement in June: Acrobat 9 is ready for public consumption. I’ve been involved in beta testing version 9 for the past year and plan to write a full revi.... Read More

Quark hopes to keep - and attract - designers with QuarkXPress 8

Jun 03, 2008 at 10:16 am by staff

Is it too little, too late for QuarkXPress? I hope not. The more competition the better, I say. Unless it’s a competing paper in my market, that is. The press releases came.... Read More

Kevin Reviews Photoshop Elements, Drive Genius 2 and Publisher Miracle Worker

May 01, 2008 at 09:36 am by staff

Help! My desk used to be under this pile of software somewhere. I keep stacking software boxes on my desk as they arrive from vendors and I can’t put off taking a few of them.... Read More

Kevin Answers Questions About Old & New Software

Apr 03, 2008 at 03:22 pm by staff

There seems to be a recurring theme in my e-mail lately. Problems related to outdated and just released applications seem to abound. Fortunately, my e-mail includes enough var.... Read More

Institute of Newspaper Technology Announces Fall Class Lineup

Mar 08, 2008 at 09:11 pm by staff

We’re in the early stages of completing the schedule for the October 9-11 session of the Institute of Newspaper Technology. If all goes as planned, we’ll have attendees repres.... Read More

Stop The Press!

Feb 29, 2008 at 03:45 pm by staff

I had a journalism teacher in seventh grade who told the class how she once ran into the press room yelling those words. Apparently, she had gotten some facts wrong while writ.... Read More

Newspapers flip over pocket size camcorder

Feb 04, 2008 at 08:40 am by staff

I asked a couple of buddies - one at a large metro paper, the other at a mid-size daily - what camcorder they were sending with their reporters these days. I got the same answ.... Read More

Association membership has its benefits

Feb 04, 2008 at 08:32 am by staff

A funny thing happened to me the other day. Not “ha ha” funny - interesting funny. My wife, who directs a non profit counseling program here in Knoxville, called to say she ha.... Read More

Similar skills, but not schedules, differentiates newspaper design from agency work

Jan 03, 2008 at 01:37 pm by staff

Each year, December offers me the opportunity to do something a little different. Because the convention and training world slows so much between Thanksgiving and New Year’s,.... Read More

You'll Need to Sit Down For This One: Open Microsoft Publisher Files in InDesign!

Dec 06, 2007 at 08:21 pm by staff

Are you sitting? Don’t read any further unless you’re sitting. The news I’m about to share requires that you be in a seated position before reading any further. OK, ready?.... Read More

Taking Control of Your Time

Mar 12, 2023 at 09:49 pm by INT

It has been one of those days. You’ve had them. It began with a website that wasn’t working like it was supposed to. When you have a website that lists items for.... Read More

The Secret to Newspaper Growth

Feb 22, 2023 at 10:45 pm by INT

Earlier this month, I traveled about an hour from my home to conduct focus groups for a weekly newspaper in Tennessee. Focus groups come in all sizes and shapes. This particul.... Read More

A few reasons some papers grow

Jan 22, 2023 at 10:13 pm by INT

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I don’t plan these columns in advance. Most months, I receive an email from newspaper industry executive Jack Guza remi.... Read More

Design issues faced by most newspapers

Nov 16, 2022 at 11:27 pm by INT

As I write this, I’ve just returned from a trip to Marysville, Kansas, where I worked with the staff of The Marysville Advocate on their new design, which went to the pr.... Read More

Even more about Adobe Type 1 and your newspaper: Time to prepare for Jan 1

Sep 28, 2022 at 11:30 am by INT

Excuse my repetition, but for those who didn't read my column last month titled, "Planning for Adobe Type 1 Conundrum in January," there is a storm brewing, and it's not comin.... Read More

Paying Attention to Readers Yields Increased Readership & Revenue

Sep 09, 2022 at 10:00 am by INT

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.” (The more things change, the more they stay the.... Read More

A Tale of Two Publishers

Jul 12, 2022 at 06:31 pm by INT

I’m not that old. Seriously, I’m not. But in my work with newspapers, I’ve worked with so many younger people that I sometimes feel like Yoda (for you Star W.... Read More

4.5 Hours of Training by the News Guru at 1 Low Price!

Jul 06, 2022 at 04:23 pm by staff

In all, these videos include 4.5 hours of training for everyone on your staff. Topics include: Designing (and redesigning) better pages Creating more effective ads to imp.... Read More

Growing Readership

May 07, 2022 at 06:28 pm by INT

I had a great time last month, as I got out a little more to visit newspapers in multiple states. What I learned inspired, invigorated, and reminded me of much that is going w.... Read More

CBS and the Death of Newspapers

Mar 04, 2022 at 01:17 pm by INT

It’s late as I write this column, just around midnight. There’s nothing unusual about that. I tend to write my columns, stories, and books late in the evening. App.... Read More