Contents

Table of Contents - Version 5.1 for Windows 95

Creating a Poster or Banner

Quick-Start

What's New

Support and Registration

Printing

Text Appearance

Graphics

Drawing

Page Size and Margin

Borders and  Backgrounds

View Options and Metric

Keyboard Help


Creating a Poster

CREATING A POSTER OR A BANNER

Introduction.

Poster is a great program for creating signs, posters, banners, murals, etc. It is generally applicable to a broad range of uses - all dealing with printing large posters and signs which are not supported by standard Windows word processors and graphics programs.

Getting Started:

1. Select the poster shape.

2. Select QUICK START and fill out the template.

3. Edit the resulting poster, if desired.

4. Add any graphics.

5. Print the poster or banner.

1. Select the poster shape.

a. Select VERTICAL to make a poster that is taller than it is wide.

b. Select HORIZONTAL to make a poster that is wider than tall.

c. These posters will be the same shape as the currently selected paper for the currently selected printer. For a poster which is not the same shape as your paper, select CUSTOM SIZE.

d. Select BANNER to make a long, narrow banner.  This will be 1 sheet high, and as long as possible. To change the banner length, or to make it taller, Custom Size.

For more info, see Setting Page Size

2. Select the poster to start with.

a. 	Select Blank Page, then just begin typing in the information. The default font and character size are set to get you going immediately  OR

b. 	Select Quick Start and fill in 1 - 8 lines of text.  Select the relative font size.  POSTER will compute the optimum font size to fill up the poster or banner.

c. 	Select 2,3,or 4 columns for a newspaper style poster.  Click in each column and start typing.  You can resize and move the columns as you wish.

d. 	Select Examples to start with an existing, pre-made poster.

3. Fine-tune the appearance.

a. Use the text->fonts menu to select other fonts, and the 'text' menu to change the size and other characteristics.

b. Use text->Special effects for 3D, shadow, subscript, inverse, and other special effects.

You can edit your poster like any other windows word processor.

3. Make a Border.

a. Select Page->Border and select a simple border, or import one from a file or the clipboard.

b. Select Page->Background to select a background color.

4. Add Graphics:

You can create graphics in 4 ways:

1. Using OLE and the "Insert Object" command:

Use the "Edit" "Insert Object" command to start an OLE server like Draw, Paintbrush, etc. After you create the object, exit the program; the picture will be pasted into your poster.

2. Pasting from the Windows Clipboard.

Create graphics with 'Draw', 'Paintbrush' or some other program, and then copy them into the windows clipboard.  Then, in the poster program, you can paste them into your poster. You may also use a clipart program, such as Corel Gallery.

3. Import graphics files.

Import bitmap files (*.bmp files), graphics files (*.gif, *.jpg),  or windows metafiles (*.wmf files). Metafiles are recommended, as they will scale smoothly when enlarged and printed.  Bitmaps will generally look jagged when enlarged and printed.

Graphics can be used as a picture inserted into the text, or a border or background.

4. Draw your own simple graphics.

Use the graphics tools in the 'draw' menu, or the toolbox, to create simple graphics.  Use the shapes such as triangle and star (Draw->Star) to use fancy shapes.

5. Print the Poster.

When you are done, save the poster, and then print it.  You can print it as a single sheet, or up to ten times bigger (which takes 100 sheets of paper).  You then have to paste the sheets together to make a single, big poster or sign.

Each poster is 1 page on the display screen - usually 8 1/2 x 11 inches (21.6 x 28 cm.) - when you create it; but when you print it, you scale it up to be as big as you want (up to 9 feet - 266 cm. - wide or high)!

Each banner is about 10 inches wide on the screen, but it prints 10 times bigger, making it 109 inches (almost 9 feet -  266 cm.) wide.

Support and Registration - version 5 for Windows 95

Problems and Questions:

For questions, help on any problems or suggestions, send me a note.  My email address is:

Internet: PosterSW@aol.com

AOL: PosterSW

Compuserv: 75754,2174.

Phone: (206) 848-0467

Updates:

  WWW: For the latest information and the very latest version of POSTER, visit our web site:

http://members.aol.com/PosterSW.

  The WEB site also contains a poster FAQ (frequently asked questions).

 FTP: You may download the latest version of POSTER using FTP: connect to user.aol.com, change to directory "postersw", and download the latest posterxx.zip file.

Registration:

 POSTER is shareware. PLEASE register this program if you find it useful.  Registration is only $16 (+$2 shipping, $4 for non-US orders), which is incredibly reasonable for a program as powerful and flexible as  POSTER.

When you register, you will be emailed the registration code immediately.  (Be sure to indicate your email address).  In addition, you will be mailed a disk full of fancy borders and the latest version of poster.  Registration allows you to continue printing after you have printed your first 10 posters. Registration also entitles you to full support, and all  future upgrades.

To enter the code, select Help->Registration, and click on "enter  registration code". Then type the code into the box, and click on OK.

To register:

From Compuserv: GO SWREG, and register ID 4249. Your compuserve account will be automatically charged.

Credit Card Orders (Visa, MC, Amex, Discover) are handled by Public Software Library:

  Phone: Call 1-800-2424-PSL,  or 713-524-6394,

  FAX : 713-524-6398  (include mailing & email address)

  Internet: http://members.aol.com/postersw

  Ask for POSTER, ID 14375.

   Do NOT use these numbers for any support questions.

Instead, call me at (206) 848-0467.

By Mail: The price is $16 with NO shipping charge. Send check, money order, or cash to:

Bob Bedoll, Poster Software

11002 48th St. E.

Puyallup, WA, 98372

USA

Thanks,

Bob Bedoll

WHAT'S NEW.

Version 5:

32-bit port of Version 3.5a. Adds improved startup, smart shapes, support for large pages, and other minor enhancements.

Version 3.5:

Bugfixes. New and Banner setup logic revised.

Better display of black & white bitmaps. Constant aspect-ratio resize fixed.

Change printers from within Poster.

Grid, ruler, and status line displays improved.

Version 3.4:

Bugfixes and minor enhancements.  Reshape polygons. 30 new examples.

Version 3.3:

A number of minor enhancements to make it easier to work with big bitmaps,

fix problems in selecting objects, and general usability.

Version 3.2:

Import GIF (*.gif) and JPEG (*.jpg) files directly into picture.  This allows WEB graphics to be imported directly into poster.

Crop and lighten/darken pictures with Picture Edit.

Version 3.1:

Bug fixes.

Warp text into different shapes.  This is pretty cool - check it out.

Print banners and posters on continuous forms.  Supports dot matrix printers and the HP680.

Use Gradient color fills for rectangles, squares, text boxes, and text.

Automatic expanding borders for banners.

Version 3.0:

 Quick-Start to create a poster or banner in a minute.

 Number of characters allowed in a poster is increased from 2,000 to 32,000.

 Full screen display with variable zoom and display of page breaks.

 TEXT FEATURES:

Character limit raised from 2,000 to 32,000.

Arch, rotate, and many more special effects.

Multiple colors on text special effects.

Apply bitmap patterns to text.

Greater precision for better printing of small text.

Import text from a file.

 GRAPHICS FEATURES.

Zoom.

Graphics group and ungroup.

Ruler, Grid, and Snap to grid.

Rotation and flip.

 BORDERS and BACKGROUNDS:

Backgrounds can be stretched to fit, not stretched, or tiled.

Gradient colored backgrounds.

99 built-in simple borders

Version 2.3C:

Cursor keys will move objects.  Handles are smaller for easier graphics object manipulation.

Minor bug fixes.

Registration code.

Version 2.3:

Automatic word-wrap is now supported. See text->word wrap.

Automatic character map, as in previous versions of Poster, is also supported.

Text boxes may now be multiple lines.  All attributes of normal text may be applied.

A number of problems are fixed with deleting and selecting text in text boxes.

There is a toolbox selection for text boxes with borders and fill, and for text boxes without borders and fill (invisible boxes).

Version 2.2:

Thick dashed and dotted lines.

Arrows.

Arcs, Pies, Polygons, and Polylines.

Automatic Drop shadows for shapes. See Draw->Shadow.

Control over spacing between characters and between lines.  See Text->Spacing

More special effects for text, with a preview box. See Text->Special.

Subscript and superscript for text.  See Text->Special

Inverted (White on Black) text. See Text->Special.

Tab support. Tab stops align every 1/2 inch (12 cm).

Selectable colors and patterns for backgrounds.

Text boxes of a single line of disconnected text.

Bug fixes for background bitmaps and metafile borders.

Version 2.1:

Special effects for text.

Bug fix for jagged lines when printing in method A or method B.

Version 2.0:

Graphics drawing tools.

Ability to place graphics anywhere on the page.


quickstart

QUICK-START.

Quick-Start will help you create a poster or a banner in less than a minute. Quick-start automatically calculates the optimum font size and spacing, based on the text you enter. After you create a poster or banner with quick-start, you can edit it using all the normal POSTER features and special effects.

1. Answer YES to the Quick-Start question, or select File->Quick-Start.

2. Fill in your text, with as many lines as you want.

    Each line becomes 1 line on the poster or banner

       (no automatic word wrap).

    Empty lines (lines where you entered NO characters or blanks) are ignored.

    If you specify at least 1 blank in a line, that line will NOT be ignored.

    Use TAB to move to the next line (don't use ENTER or RETURN)

3. Select the relative font size.

    'Medium' is 2/3 the size of 'Big'. 'Small' is 1/3 the size of 'Big'.

4. If you don't like the default  font (Arial), click on the font box for that

    line, and select the font you want.  Quick-start allows only 1 font per line.

    (Once quick-start is done, you can change fonts on a character by character basis.

   (Don't bother to select the size in the 'font' dialog box; Poster ignores it.)

5. When done, click on OK.

6. Enter YES if you want a simple rectangular border.  For Banners, this will default to an automatic border, which expands as your text expands.  To change the border later, select Page->Borders.

POSTER will calculate the biggest font size that will work for your poster or banner,

while still ensuring that each line you entered appears as a single line on the poster.   The size of the medium and small fonts will be set to 2/3 and 1/3 of the size of the big font.

When Quick-start is done, it presents your poster or banner to you.  Now you can edit it in any way you want, changing the text and adding graphics as you wish.


Printing a Poster

PRINTING

General

Alignment Marks

Changing Printers

Color

Custom Sizes

Margins and Page Size

Paper Type

Preview

Print Order

Method A, B, C

Print Each Page Immediately

Problems

Range of Sheets

Save Settings Only

Select Size

General

To print a poster or banner, select Print in the "File" menu.

Posters:

To print a single page exactly as it looks on the screen, select "1 page".

To print a double size poster, which is actually 4 sheets of paper, select the "2X" option.  Everything on the poster, including all the text and all the graphics, will be automatically printed in double size.  This is a good size to use if you are going to paste the poster onto standard size 'poster board'.

The text will be printed with smooth lines.  However, the graphics may look ragged because there is no way to smooth the lines in the picture.

To print bigger posters, select the "3x", "4x", etc. option. Everything on the poster will automatically be scaled up.

If you have specified a Custom Size, the print scale will be automatically set to print your poster at the full size you specified.  You can still check "1 sheet" to print a sample sheet.

Maximum Size.

The maximum size allowed by Windows is 32,767 pixels.  At 300 dpi (standard laser printer resolution), this is 109 inches, or a little over 9 feet.

At 360 dpi (Cannon or Epson ink-jet resolution), the maximum size is 102 inches.

If you decrease your printer resolution, such as to 150 dpi, then the maximum poster size will increase as long as the printer driver reports this to Poster.

Banners:

The banner is setup with the maximum possible print scale factor for your printer..  This will usually print a banner that is 8.5 inches  high (1 page high) and up to 105  inches wide (19 cm x 266 cm). This gives a standard banner.  You may select other print sizes to give you different effects by using File->New->Custom Size.

If you are using a dot-matrix or HP680 printer, select 'Continuous Form' paper. This causes Poster to print the entire length of the paper without visible page ejects, giving a continuous banner, or continuous strips for a poster.

If you get a page eject between pages, do the following:

1. 	Select File->Print.

2. 	Select More.

3. 	If your first page continues ok onto page 2, and then page ejects: Change Override Paper Margins, Sides to a value larger than 0.01. For example, 0.1. This will cause POSTER to page eject sooner.  Experiment with this  value till you get something you want. Ideally, you want POSTER to go to the very end of a page, and then page eject onto the next page, which results in a completely continuous form.

4. 	If your first page does a page eject before it gets to the end of page 1, then change Override paper size, width to something longer than 11 inches. This will cause POSTER to page eject later.  Experiment with this value till you get something that works.

5. 	You must do this every time you print.

Preview.

To preview the entire printed poster:

1. Select File->Print.

2. Select the scale factor.

3. Select PREVIEW.

The preview option will show you exactly how the poster will look on the printed page, at the scale you have selected.  Each rectangle corresponds to a printed page.

To see the page marks on your working copy:

1. Select View->Page Breaks.

The page marks will reflect the last print scale factor set in File->Print.

Margins.

POSTER always puts a 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) margin around each printed page. (When the pages are cut and pasted together, the entire poster will have a ½ inch margin around it). To override this, see below. (For continuous forms, the side margins are set to 0).  For a 1x poster of standard size, the actual printed size is 7 1/2 x 10 inches (19 x 25.4 cm). For a 2x poster, the actual printed size is 15 x 20 inches (38 x 50.8 cm), and so on.

POSTER determines the size of the paper you are using from the paper selection you make in your Printer Setup. If you are using 8 1/2 x 14 inch paper  (legal size) for example, POSTER will automatically take that into account.  POSTER always leaves a 1/2 inch margin all around each page, unless you override it (see below), or set 'continuous forms'.

To override the default page size and page margin:

1. Select "File->Print" -> "More".

2. The dialog box will show the page size and page margin FOR EACH SHEET OF PAPER.

3. Change these items to fine-tune how POSTER prints on your printer.

4. Use PRINT PREVIEW will show the effect of changing the page size of each sheet.

5. Changing the MARGIN affects where on each sheet POSTER prints the image.

These settings reset EVERY TIME you select PRINT and must be reset by you every time.

Dot-matrix and HP680 printer users: to print over the fold, check 'Continuous forms'. This sets the margin for the page height to zero.  If you still get a page eject, try Print->More, and change the margin on the sides to a very small non-zero value, such as 0.05 inches..

Pasting pages together.

Each page will be printed separately, and the pages must be pasted together.   To help you do this, you can specify 'alignment marks'.  If you specified 'continuous forms' and your printer supports this, then each 'strip' will be printed continuously.  If you have multiple strips, they will have to be pasted together.

Alignment Marks and Overlap.

There are two different kinds of alignment marks:

Corner marks: small marks will be printed in each corner of each page.  By lining these marks up when pasting the pages together, you can get accurately placed pages.

Cut lines: dotted lines are printed on each edge which must be pasted to another edge.

Overlap: This option is independent of corner marks and cut lines. If selected, a small amount

of poster overlap is printed on the edge of each page to make it easier to mate pages together. The overlap is out to the printable edge of each sheet.

Print Sizes.

NOTE:  Custom size on the Print dialog box scales up your current poster equally in both height and width (the aspect ratio is preserved).   To change the ratio of width to height (the shape of the poster),  set a Custom Size in the Page->Custom Size or File->New->Custom Size menu.

If you want a poster size other than an even multiple of your page size, you may set a custom size in the print dialog box.  The poster will be scaled up as you requested, and printed on as many sheets of paper as necessary to hold the scaled up poster.  (Note that the printable area of each page remains as the size of one sheet of paper, minus a 1/2 inch margin on each side. BUT - you may change this with the "MORE - Page size and Margins" entry)

Possible entries:

One of the following can be set, and it causes the other two to automatically be set:

SCALE FACTOR: A decimal number between 1.0 and the maximum indicated on the menu.  This is a multiplier, not a percent. (To make the poster twice as big, use 2.0, not 200).

Example: A scale factor of 5.5 multiplies the page height AND width by 5.5, so the standard size poster (7.5 x 10) becomes 41.25 x 55 inches.

WIDTH: A decimal number between 1.0 and 105.0 specifying the width of the poster, in inches or centimeters.  The height will automatically be set, based on the original size of a single page.

HEIGHT: A decimal number between 1.0 and 105.0, specifying the height of the poster, in inches or centimeters.  The width will automatically be set, based on the original size of a single page.

Paper Type.

To print each sheet individually: Select single sheet. (the normal mode for laser printers.}

To print over the paper fold in continuous strips: Select continuous forms - the normal mode for dot matrix printers.

For the HP680, select continuous forms if you are printing in banner mode (be sure to set your printer driver to banner mode).

Continuous forms sets the margins to 0 for the edge containing the paper fold.

If your printer still page ejects at the fold:

1. Select File->Print->More.

2. Set the Override Margins of the appropriate margin to a small, non-zero value, like 0.05.

3. Experiment with different values till you find one that works well.

4. 	You must reset this value every time you print.

Save Settings Only.

Pushing this button causes POSTER to remember the print size, alignment marks, paper type, and printing method that you just set.  This button exits the Print dialog box without actually printing anything.  NOTE: Print or Print Preview will also remember the settings.

Printing Method A, B, C.

If you are having trouble printing the poster, and especially if you loose characters at page edges, try the alternate printing methods.  These will cause all text to be sent to the printer as a bitmap graphic, rather than as characters.

If your printer is dropping characters at the end of pages when you print at 2x or greater, then check  one of the alternate printing methods. If you get postscript errors or color errors, try this also.

Method A, B, and C are three different approaches to printing the poster text (graphics are not affected).  Each is more successful on different types of printers.  Try method A first; if that fails, try B, then C.  If they all fail, send me a note.

.

Method A & B: These methods work best for black text.  Colored text will change color when printed against a non-white background.  White text will not print.

Method C: This method will work for all colors and backgrounds, but is very slow.  Allow 30 seconds/character to generate the print file.

Changing Printers.

To change printers from within POSTER:

1. 	select File->Printer Setup

2. 	then select the printer you want.

You can also use the control panel to change the default printer, but within a POSTER session, once you use File->Printer Setup to change printers, changing the default printer in the control panel will no longer have any effect on POSTER.

Color.

POSTER will print in color if your printer and printer driver support it.  All graphics, borders, and text will print in the same colors as shown on the screen - within the capabilities of your printer.

Printing a Range of  Pages.

To print a range of sheets of a multi-sheet poster:

1. Select PRINT->MORE.

2. Enter the page number start and end of the range you want to print. Pages are numbered in the order printed, starting with 1.

Horizontal Posters and banners: numbered in rows from left to right, then top to bottom.  Page 1 is in the upper left-hand corner.

Vertical Posters are numbered in columns from top to bottom.

You may use PREVIEW to ensure that you are printing the correct sheet.

This value must be reset EVERY time to print OR preview.

Print Order.

Horizontal posters and banners normally print their sheets from left to right.  Vertical posters print from top to bottom.  This is done to make Continuous Forms work properly.  You can manually override this for special situations (such as continuous forms along the wide edge).

This value must be reset EVERY time you print OR preview.

NOTE: If you manually override print order, you may have to reselect Continuous Forms, or manually reset the page margins in the MORE dialog box to get continuous forms to print correctly.

Print Each Page Immediately.

When this box is checked (default), each page is sent to the printer as soon as it is generated.  Each page becomes a separate print file.

CLEAR this box to put all pages into a single print file (the standard Windows treatment).   This is useful when:

 	1. Sending a FAX. (Otherwise each page is a separate fax).

2. Sending to a network printer that generates a banner page for each print job.

Printing Problems.

A. Loosing characters across page boundaries.

1. If characters that would cross page boundaries are not being printed, and you have a laserjet printer, see the special instructions below.

2. If those don't work, or don't apply, select "Method A" or "Method B"  in the "Printing Method "box. This normally is a problem only for laserjet printers, not for inkjet printers.

3. If that doesn't work, or is too slow, install the HP Laserjet II driver, and use that when you print a poster.  Many users have reported that this fixes all their printing problems.

4. 	"Method C" should always work, especially for color, but it is very slow.

B. Page ejects when printing in continuous form (banner mode).

If you get a page eject between pages, do the following:

1. 	Select File->Print.

2. 	Select More.

3. 	If your first page continues ok onto page 2, and then page ejects: Change Override Paper Margins, Sides to a value larger than 0.01. For example, 0.1. This will cause POSTER to page eject sooner.  Experiment with this  value till you get something you want. Ideally, you want POSTER to go to the very end of a page, and then page eject onto the next page, which results in a completely continuous form.

4. 	If your first page does a page eject before it gets to the end of page 1, then change Override paper size, width to something longer than 11 inches. This will cause POSTER to page eject later.  Experiment with this value till you get something that works.

C. Other printing problems.

Try each of the following, one at a time. These have all corrected various printing problems for Poster users.

1. Uncheck the box "Print Each Page Immediately" under File->Print->More.

2. Reprint just the pages that didn't print the first time. See File->Print->More.

3. Print only a range of pages at a time. See File->Print->More.

4. Make sure you have enough disk space. A BIG bitmap at 300dpi could take up a

lot of space. (A full-page, full color bitmap could require 8x300x10x300x4=28.8MB for each page!).

5. Make sure you have the latest version of your printer driver (check the manufacturer's web site).

If these don't work, send email to postersw@aol.com, or call (206)848-0467.

Special Printer Instructions.

LASERJET III USERS.

If the posters you print are missing characters at page edges, then do the following:

1. In the PRINT dialog box, check the button marked "Method A".

2. Be sure your printer is set to 300 dpi.

OR - install the laserjet II driver, and select it when printing posters. Use the Standard printing method.

LASERJET 4 USERS.

To successfully print posters, you must configure your printer as follows:

1. From the control panel, select printers, select 'Setup':

2. Set resolution to 300 dpi. (At 600dpi, printing takes a very long time, and may hang the printer.)

3. Select "options".

4. Select "Graphics Mode" = "raster", "Graphics Quality"="high", and

     check "print true-type as graphics".

5. Close the control panel.

6. Start "POSTER".

If posters still do not print properly, then in the PRINT dialog box, check the button marked "Method A". This should always work.

POSTSCRIPT PRINTER USERS.

Poster may be unable to set the printer to horizontal or vertical page orientation. If "Preview" shows that the paper is not properly oriented for your poster, use the "Print Setup" selection to set the Page Orientation manually.

If you get postscript errors, or you are loosing characters at page boundaries:

1. From the control panel, select Printers, then select 'Setup.

2. Select "options", then select "advanced".

3. Select "print true type fonts as" "Bitmap (type 3)".

4. Close the control panel.

5. Start POSTER.

If posters still do not print properly, or print too slow, then in the PRINT dialog box, check the button marked "Method A".

If you don't get all the pages, go to Print->More and UNselect "Print each page separately".

HP680 Series Printers.

To print banners:

1. From File->Print Setup, select 'Paper' and check "banner'.

2. From File->Print, select 'continuous forms'.

To print posters in continuous strips, do the same thing.

DOT-MATRIX Printers.

To print banners and posters in continuous strips, from File->Print, select 'continuous forms'.

If you get a page eject between pages, do the following:

1. 	Select File->Print.

2. 	Select More.

3. 	If your first page continues onto page 2, and then page ejects: Change Override Paper Margins, Sides to a value larger than 0.01. For example, 0.1. This will cause POSTER to skip to the top of page sooner.  Experiment with this  value till you get something you want.

4. 	If your first page does a page eject before it gets to the edge, then change Override paper size, width to something longer than 11 inches.  Experiment with this value till you get something that works.


Fonts.

CHANGING TEXT.

All the following attributes apply to text in both the main section of the poster, AND in any disconnected text boxes.

Alignment (Center, left, right).

Apply Bitmap and Gradient

Arch

Bold, Italics, Underline.

Character size.

Color.

Fonts.

Multiple columns.

Rotated text

Size.

Special Effects (3D, etc).

Spacing (line and character).

Tabs.

Warp

Word wrap.

ENTERING TEXT.

To enter text:

1. Into the main text flow:

Just start typing.

2. Manual Text box:

Use the text box tool.

This creates a box, with edges and fill, that holds text.

The text is separate from the main text flow.

The text outside the box will not display.

3. Automatic text box:

Use the automatic text box tool.

This creates an invisible box, that holds text

you enter.  The box expands automatically.

The text is separate from the main text flow.

The edges and fill of the box never show.

FONTS.

To change fonts:

1. highlight the desired text.

2. select the "Font" menu and click on the desired text.

3. If you select a font without first highlighting text, the font applies to subsequent characters you type in.

The font menu is automatically filled with pictures of all the TRUE-TYPE fonts you have installed.

If you have more than 68 fonts:

1. Select "Font"

2. Select the "more..." menu item - this will bring up a separate font selection box.

If you have Type 1 fonts installed and use Adobe Type Manager (ATM)

1. Select "Fonts".

2. Select  "more..."  (Type 1 fonts are not shown in the pull-down Font menu).

BOLD, ITALICS, UNDERLINE.

These font attributes are selected by highlighting the desired text, and then selecting them.

They can also be selected using Ctrl-B, Ctrl-I, and Ctrl-U.

These attributes apply to all text entered after they are selected, until they are changed or the cursor is moved with the mouse or cursor keys.  Then the attribute of the adjacent characters is used.

Normal will clear Bold, Italics, Underline, and any special effects.

SPECIAL EFFECTS.

There are over 20 different special effects in the special effects dialog box.

To change  a 3-D effect:

1. Highlight the text to change.

2. Select Text->Special Effects.

3. Select the desired special effect.

4. Set the Position field to upper left, upper right, lower left, or lower right.  This changes where the 3D character will be printed.

To change the color of special effect characters:

1. Select Text->Special Effects.

2. Select Front color to change the color of the character.

3. Select Back color to change the color of the 3-D effect (the portion of the character that is visible behind the front color.

SPACING - CHARACTER.

Use this option to increase or decrease the space between characters. The actual characters themselves do NOT change. To use spacing:

1. Select the characters.

2. Select Text->Spacing.

3. Select Character Expand or Compress.  Each time the width between characters is changed by about 0.1 inches (25 mm).

4. Use the command over again to expand or compress some more.

CAUTION: If you change the characters, the expanded or compressed setting will be lost, and you must reset it.

SPACING - LINE.

Use this option to increase or decrease the space between lines. The actual characters themselves do NOT change.

1. Select all the characters in a line.

2. Select Text->Spacing

3. Select Line Taller or Shorter.  The line becomes shorter or taller, increasing or decreasing the space between the line and the line ABOVE it.

4. Use the command over again to expand or compress some more.

NOTE: to change line spacing for the entire poster, select Page->Spacing.

CAUTION: If you change the characters, the expanded or compressed setting will be lost, and you must reset it.

LARGER/SMALLER.

These enlarge or reduce the font size by 0.1 inches each time.  If the font is 1 inches or less, each size increment is 0.05 inches. Use Ctrl-L or Ctrl-S to do this easily.

For METRIC, these enlarge of reduce the font size by 0.1 cm.

SIZE.

This selects the size font to use.

The easiest way to change font size quickly is to highlight the text and use Ctrl-L or Ctrl-S.

Important: font sizes are always entered relative to a single size, 8 1/2 x 11 page. For example, a 1 inch font would be 1 inch high when printed at 1x,

but if you print at 2x (for a 17 x 22 inch poster), your 1 inch fonts will actually be 2 inches high.

You may use the 'Text-> Size' entry in the font menu to make a font of any size, up to the maximum printable size of a single page (usually 7 1/2 x 10 inches).

Again, if you scale the poster up when you print it, your font will scale up in the same manner.

Type-1 fonts, the kind supported by Adobe Type Manager, ARE supported - but you must choose "more"  from the "Font" menu, and select them from the dialog box.

Bitmap fonts and vector fonts (like 'Modern') are not supported.

If you want to use fancy fonts, there are many sources for them.  Most bulletin boards contain many decorative true-type fonts, which can be down-loaded at no cost.   Collections such as "Key Fonts Pro" feature over 1000 fonts for about $20.

COLOR.

You can select the color to display and print text by using the "Color" menu in the "text" pull-down menu.  The text will be printed in the same color as it is displayed - within the capabilities of your printer.  POSTER retains the color as a full-color (24 bit) value; the display driver and printer driver then interpret this value and come as close to it as they can.  To set a gradient (2 colors that blend) see Applying Gradients.

NOTE FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS: If you use Text->Color for special effect fonts, only the FRONT COLOR will be changed, and the BACK COLOR will be lost.  Instead, use the color buttons in Text->Special Effects.

TABS.

Tab stops are automatically set every 1/2 inch (12 cm.).  You can use tab stops to align text for tables or columns.  LEFT alignment is recommended when using TAB stops. (Select all characters in a line, then select Text->Left).

MULTIPLE COLUMNS.

To create multiple columns, use the text-box tool to create two (or more) boxes of text.  Shape the boxes as you wish.  Note - each box is independent - text will not flow from one box to the other.

ALIGNMENT.

Text may be aligned with the left edge of the page (or text box), centered in the page (or box), or aligned with the right edge of the page (or box) or Justified between the 2 edges of the page or column. Highlight the desired text, and select Text->Left, Center, Right, or Justify.

NOTE: The alignment is specified by the FIRST character in the line.

WORD WRAP.

Word wrap->Word is automatically selected for all text.  If the current line overflows the page width or text box width, the line is wrapped at the last word boundary.

Word wrap->Character wraps the line at the last character that will fit on the line.

Word wrap->None does not automatically wrap the line.  The part of the line that does not fit on the page is just not displayed (though it is still present).

ROTATING CHARACTERS AND LINES.

Select Text->Rotate->Characters to rotate individual characters. The line will remain horizontal.

To rotate entire lines:

1. Create a disconnected text box, using the Text tool from the lower left hand corner of the graphics floating tool box.

2. Type in your text.

3. Set any colors, special effects, fonts, etc.

4. Select the text box, using Ctrl+mouse clock on the text.

5. Select Text->Rotate->Lines.

6. Enter the rotation value.

    Values from 0 to 360 degrees rotate the text clockwise around the first character.

    Values from 0 to -360 degrees rotate the text counterclockwise around the first character.

ARCHING TEXT.

To arch entire lines:

1. Create a disconnected automatic text box, using the Text tool from the lower left hand corner of the graphics floating tool box.

2. Type in your text.

3. Set any colors, special effects, fonts, etc.

4. Select the text box, using Ctrl+mouse clock on the text.

5. Select Text->Arch->type of arch or wave.

To change the effect, select a different arch or wave type.

To edit the text, or change colors, special effects, fonts, etc., the easiest way is:

1. Select the text box, using ctrl+mouse click.

2. Select Text->Arch->None.

3. Edit the text.

4. Reselect the text box.

5. Select Text->Arch->type of arch or wave.

WARPING TEXT.

To warp text:

1. Create a disconnected automatic text box, using the Text tool from the lower left hand corner of the graphics floating tool box.

2. Type in your text.

3. Set any colors, special effects, fonts, etc.

4. Select the text box, using Ctrl+mouse clock on the text. (Do NOT select the text itself).

5. Select Text->Warp->type of arch or wave.

To change the effect, select a different warp type.

CAUTION: Warped text prints slowly - be patient.

To edit the warped text, and change colors, special effects, fonts, etc., the easiest way is:

1. Select the text box, using ctrl+mouse click.

2. Select Text->Warp->None.

3. Edit the text.

4. Reselect the text box.

5. Select Text->Warp->type of warp.

APPLYING BITMAPS.

To make characters take on the appearance of a bitmap pattern or picture:

1. Type BLACK characters on a WHITE background.

2. Import a bitmap graphic (File->Import Graphic)

3. Move the graphic so it is immediately behind ONLY those characters you want to change.

You may have to stretch or compress the bitmap to do this.

4. Select Text->Apply Bitmap.

5. The BLACK characters will take on the appearance of the bitmap.  The bitmap will disappear from the white background.

To remove the bitmap:

1. Select the bitmap by holding down CTRL and clicking the mouse on the bitmap.

2. Select Text->Apply Bitmap.  This will remove the 'apply' effect.

APPLYING GRADIENTS.

To give characters a 2 color gradient color ( 2 colors that blend from one to the other):

1. Type BLACK characters on a WHITE background.

2. Draw a rectangle that covers the text you want to color.

3. Select the rectangle (ctrl+mouse click).

5. Give it a gradient color (Draw->Fill Gradient)

4. Select Text->Apply Bitmap.

5. The BLACK characters will take on the appearance of the gradient.  The gradient will disappear from the white background.


Graphics

ADDING GRAPHICS.

You may add a picture in 4 ways:

1) Paste the picture in from the Windows clipboard.

2) Use the "Insert Object" command to start an OLE server like DRAW.

3) Import a picture from a *.bmp, *.gif, *.jpg, or *.wmf file.

4) Draw with the Poster drawing tools.

You may also import a picture to use as a border or background.  See BORDER.  To do this, select the "Border..." menu item.

Other topics:

Picture Location

Resizing

Color

Display

Background

Edit Picture

Using the Clipboard.

To add a picture, create it using Draw, Paintbrush or any other windows drawing or painting package. Then,  copy the picture to the Clipboard.  (If you have a choice of the format for the clipboard, choose 'Picture'). In Poster, put the cursor where you want the picture, then from the "Edit" menu, select "Paste from Clipboard".  The picture will be pasted in place.

POSTER supports two types of graphics: Picture (metafile) and Bitmap.

   A PICTURE (metafile) is generated by drawing programs (Draw, Corel Draw, Designer) and some clipart packages (Corel Gallery). A PICTURE is actually a set of instructions to Windows to create a graphic using lines and curves.  When a PICTURE is enlarged for printing, it will usually enlarge very smoothly, and generate a high-quality image.

     A BITMAP is generated by painting packages (Paintbrush) and many clipart packages, as well as most scanners.  A BITMAP is simply a collection of bits (or pixels). When you print a BITMAP, each bit is enlarged to become multiple bits. Hence, a BITMAP will usually look quite jagged when it is enlarged for printing.

  Pictures (metafiles) are usually preferred to bitmaps because they enlarge better.

Importing a bitmap (BMP), GIF, JPEG,  or metafile (WMF).

To import a graphic from these files: bitmap (*.bmp), GIF (*.gif), JPEG (*.jpg),  metafile (*.wmf):

1. Select the 'Import Graphic' from the File menu.

2. Specify the file containing the graphic.

3. Select the picture placement.

4. Position and resize the picture as desired.

Picture Location.

"Stand-alone".  The picture will be completely free standing, and can be moved (or resized) anywhere on the page by selecting it and dragging it with the mouse.  The picture can be moved independently of any text.  NOTE: Text will overlay any picture - text does NOT move automatically to accommodate the picture.

"Embedded". The picture will be embedded into the text, and treated like a large character.  The picture will move when the text moves.  You can change the size of the picture using the mouse - but you can only move the picture by inserting and deleting text.  This is the way pictures were treated in Poster version 1.x.

"Border".  The picture is stretched and reshaped to cover the entire background of the poster. This is also used for backgrounds.  You cannot move or stretch the picture, since it is automatically sized to cover the entire poster..

All text and other graphics will appear on top of this picture.

To erase a border, select Page->Borders->Delete Border.

"Background". Identical to "Border", BUT the picture is NOT reshaped - the original aspect ratio is preserved. However, the picture will be resized to cover the entire poster.  This usually means that part of the picture will be off the screen. The upper left-hand corner of the picture is aligned with the upper left-hand corner of the poster.

To erase a background, select Page->Borders->Delete Border.

"Tile". The picture is repeated as often as necessary to cover the entire background.  This is identical to tiling a picture for a Window's display screen background.

To erase a tile, select Page->Borders->Delete Border.

Preview.

The "Automatic Preview" box instructs POSTER is automatically display a preview of the graphic in a file when you click on that filename.

If you turn "Automatic Preview" off, you can still preview a file by clicking on the PREVIEW button.  This will display the last file selected, or the file name you have typed in.

JPEG.

*.JPG files are automatically converted to a bitmap format as they are imported.  The JPEG conversion uses temporary files to hold the converted data.

If you get the message "Can't write to temporary file - out of disk space" then:

1. Check your environment variables to see where they are pointing.

2. POSTER uses the directory pointed to by TMP. If there is none, it uses that pointed to by TEMP. If there is none, it uses the current working directory.

3. Note that POSTER uses the directory specified inthe TMP or TEMP environment variable, NOT that directory itself.

To change your environment variables to point to a different directory:

1. Use notepad to edit C:\autoexec.bat.

2. Find the line that says TMP= or TEMP=, and change it to

TMP=c:\temp

   Where c is the disk you want to use, and temp is the directory you want to use.

   If temp does not exist, then create it.

3. If there is no line in your autoexec.bat file, create one as above.

4. Restart you computer.

If you get the message "insufficient memory", then you are out of virtual memory.  Create a bigger virtual memory swap space.

1. To find out how much you need, check the size of the JPG file you are trying to import.

2. Take that size and multiply by 4.

3. That gives you the minimum number of bytes of virtual memory you need.

Conversion to 256 colors:

1. If you convert your JPEG file to 256 colors, that is the most that will print.

2. If you DON'T convert to 256 colors, your picture will print in all the colors captured in the JPEG.

3. NOTE: If you are running in 256 color more (or in 16 color mode), your picture will only display in 16 colors - but it will still print in all colors.

Inserting an OLE Object.

You may use the OLE capabilities of programs like Draw, Paintbrush, WordArt, etc., to easily insert a picture into Poster.  To insert a picture, select "Edit" and "Insert Object".  This starts the OLE server program.  When your picture is created, exit the OLE server, and presto, the picture appears in Poster.

    To Edit the picture, double click on it - this will restart the OLE server with your picture.

    To resize the picture, click on it, then use the mouse to move or resize it.  Do NOT double click on the object, as this will restart the OLE server.

 Moving and Resizing the Picture.

To move the picture:

1. Position the mouse inside the picture or graphic.

2. Single click with the left mouse button.  This should select the picture by displaying  a bounding box.  If this does not work, hold down the CTRL key and click with the left mouse button. If you cant get the picture you want, press the TAB key until the picture you want is selected.

3. Hold down the mouse button and move it. (Embedded pictures can only be moved by inserting or deleting text).

To resize the picture:

1. 	single click with the mouse to select it.

2. 	Position the mouse over one of the 6 resize handles

3. 	Depress the mouse button, and pull it.

4. 	The Status line will show the size of the picture.  The size will be relative to a single page (1x). To show the final printed size, first select View->Show Printed Size.

To maintain a constant shape (aspect ratio) when resizing:

1. 	Select the picture.

2. 	Hold down the shift key.

3. 	Grab one of the 6 resize handles and pull it with the mouse.

Deleting.

To delete a picture, use the DEL or Backspace key, just like deleting text.

Displaying.

By default, a dashed rectangle shows the outline of the picture - this box is never printed.  To turn off the box, see the options menu.

Displaying a metafile can take a long time.  You may wish to turn off the display of these graphics - but still print them.  To do so, see the Options menu.

Creating graphics

Any program which will allow a metafile (picture) or bitmap to be copied into the Windows Clipboard can be used to create a graphic.  If you want to import clipart files in formats such as *.TIF, you must first import them into a program like PaintShop PRO, Paintbrush, Corel Draw,  or Write, and then copy them to the Clipboard.

You can also draw graphics using Poster drawing tools.

Saving

When a poster is saved, the pictures are saved along with it.

When a poster is reloaded, the pictures are reloaded with it.

CAUTION: This can make for some very big 'save' files.

Backgrounds.

When a picture (bitmap or metafile) is imported as a background, it is stretched to fill the entire page.  There are 3 flavors of stretching:

1. Border - width and height are stretch independently - aspect ratio is not preserved, but no part of the picture is lost.

2. Background - width and height are stretch simultaneously and aspect ratio is preserved - however part of the picture may not be displayed if it is a different shape than the poster.  The display always begins at the upper left hand corner of the background - not at the center.

3. Tile - the picture is repeated across and down the page, based on its original size.

Backgrounds are independent of simple borders.  However, you can have either a background OR a fancy border (a border imported from a metafile).

To delete a background: Select Page->Background->Delete.

Color.

POSTER will keep each picture in the maximum color 'depth' that it is available.  256 color pictures are always kept internally in 256 color mode; True-color pictures are always kept internally in true-color mode.  The following rules apply:

1. Pictures are always displayed in the maximum color depth that you have selected for your display (usually 16 color or 256 color, but poster will support true-color as well).

2. Pictures are always printed in the maximum color depth that your printer will support, regardless of how they are displayed.  Example: You import a 256-color bitmap, but your display is only setup for 16 colors. POSTER will display it in 16 colors, but will print it in 256 colors.

3. If you have multiple 256-color pictures displayed simultaneously and your display is setup for 256-color mode, the colors may not all be displayed correctly, because windows can only display 256 DIFFERENT colors at once. However, the pictures WILL print correctly, because most color printers are not limited to 256 colors.

4. Full-color (24-bit color, or 16million colors) are kept and printed in full color.  However, they are displayed in only 16 colors. Don't let the display fool you.  They will still print beautifully.

Editing a Picture.

Picture editing works ONLY on pictures of 255 colors or less.  It does not work on full color (16 million color, or 24-bit color) pictures.

To edit a picture:

1. Select the picture by positioning the mouse over the picture, holding down the CTRL key, and clicking on the picture.

2. Select Edit->Edit Picture.

To Crop a picture:

1. Type in the number of rows or columns to delete from the TOP or LEFT of the picture.

2. Type in the total width and height of the picture, in pixels.  This effectively crops the picture from the right and from the bottom.

3. Click on 'CLICK TO CROP'

4. The result will be displayed.

To Lighten or darken the picture:

1. Click on lighten or darken.

2. Each click changes the picture by 4 units (on a scale of 0 to 255).

To change contrast.

1. Click on More or Less.

2. Each click makes dark colors darker by 4 units (on a scale of 0 to 255) and light colors lighter by 4 units.

To alter color balance:

1. Click on More or Less for the desired color.

2. Each click makes the color lighter or darker by 4 units (on a scale of 0 to 255).


pagesize

Setting Page Size and Margin.

POSTER works with a single page, which is normally a standard size of 7 1/2 x 10 inches, plus a 1/2 inch margin on each edge, giving a total size of 8 1/2 x 11 inches.  This is automatically set based on the currently selected paper size of the currently selected printer.  To make a poster that is not an even multiple of a page size, see Custom Size.

When you set font sizes - such as 1 inch, the default - those sizes are relative to the SCREEN SIZE: a single sheet of  paper.

When you print the poster, you tell POSTER how big to print it - that is - how big to scale up the "Screen Size". (See Printing a Poster).  This is called the PRINT SIZE. The poster is only enlarged when it is printed.

Changing Paper Size.

POSTER picks up the paper size from your printer driver setting.

To change paper size:

1. select File->'Printer Setup'->Setup.

2. change the size.

3. reselect 'Page->Horizontal' or 'Page->Vertical'.

Text Margin.

The "Text Margin" is the space between the edge of the printed area, and the start of the text.

It is NOT the space between the edge of the paper and the start of the printed area - that is controlled by the Override Margins setting on the File->Print->More dialog box.

The following rules apply:

1. The margin is the same on all sides.

2. The margin defaults to 0.1 inches (3 mm).

3. If you are using SIMPLE BORDERS, the margin is relative to the innermost boarder, NOT the end of the printed page.

4. If you are using a BORDER or BACKGROUND from a file or from the clipboard, the margin is relative the end of the printed page.

5. If you IMPORT a BORDER from a METAFILE, the text margin is automatically set to 0.5 inches for you.

Custom Page Size.

To make a poster that is NOT a multiple of your current paper size, select File->New->Custom Size or 'Page->Custom Size'.  Enter the final size of the poster you want. Poster will calculate the proper size for a 1 page poster, and also set the Print Scale Factor to print your full size poster.

Example: If you wanted a printed poster size of 40 x 40, you would set a page size of  40x40 inches. Poster then sets a page size of 7.7x7.7 (a square poster that will fit on 1 page) and a Print Scale Factor of 5.2x.  When you print the poster, you can print a single test page, or use the scale factor to print a full-size poster.

IMPORTANT: POSTER leaves a 1/2 inch margin along each edge of every sheet, so an 8 1/2 inch sheet has a printed area of 7 1/2 x 10 inches.  A poster 2 sheets wide is actually 15 inches wide, plus the 1/2 inch margin on each side, or 16 inches total.  If you ask for a poster 17 inches wide, it will take 3 sheets of paper!.

BANNERS.

The "Page->Banner" command automatically sets the SCREEN page size to .75 inches by 10.5 inches.  It also sets the print scale to the maximum possible for your printer, usually about 10x.  When the poster is printed, it will print at 7.5 inches x 105 inches (19 cm. x 266 cm.)

You can make the banner narrower by setting "Custom Size" to a size less than 105 inches.  You cannot make the banner wider.

You can always make a banner taller:

1. 	Select File->New->Custom Size.

2. 	Specify the height.  If you want it 2 pages tall, specify 17 inches.

3. 	Specify the length, such as 105 inches.

You can have as many lines in a banner as you wish.  All poster commands, like Border and Background, will work.

Banners support Automatic Borders.  In the Borders->Simple borders box, check 'automatic'. The size of the border will grow and contract with the text.  (Caution - if the border does not appear to be redrawn properly, hit F5 to force a full redraw).


Drawing

DRAWING.

Use the POSTER drawing tools to add simple graphics to your poster.

Use Draw->Special Shapes to add pre-made shapes like stars, triangles, cubes, etc.

Tools.

The toolbox and the 'Draw' menu access the same drawing tools:

Line - creates a single line.

           Hold SHIFT key for a horizontal or vertical line.

Box - creates a single rectangle.

          Hold down SHIFT key for a square.

Rounded Box - creates a single rectangle with rounded corners.

          Hold down SHIFT key for a square.

Circle - creates a circle, ellipse,  or oval.

           Hold down SHIFT key for a circle.

Polyline - creates multiple connected line segments.  Note: this is NOT a closed figure.

          Even if you close the figure manually, you cannot fill it.  Use Polygon for fill.

          Each mouse button up and down creates a new side.  DOUBLE-CLICK to end the figure.

Polygon - creates a closed multi-sided figure.

Each mouse button up and down creates a new side.  DOUBLE-CLICK to end the figure.  	The FILL options will fill the figure.

Arc - creates a section of an ellipse.

Pie - creates a closed section of an ellipse, like a pie.  The fill options will fill this.

Chord - creates a closed section of an ellipse.  The fill options will fill this.

Manual Text Box - creates a text box that holds multiple lines of text, but does NOT resize automatically.

      This text is disconnected from the rest of the poster text.

      You can move this box with the mouse - the text moves with it.

      Use Line and Fill styles like you would any other box.

      To change text, select text mode ('A'), position the cursor, and click.

      You can use the same text styles as normal text.

      You can use this tool to make multiple text columns.

      This box does NOT automatically grow with the text  -You must manually set (and alter) the size of the box.  Text that does not fit inside the box is not displayed.

      You can rotate, arch, or warp a manual text box, but the box (not the text) disappears when you do.

Auto Text Box - this is similar to Text Box, but it DOES resize automatically, and the box is invisible

      If you select the box with the pointer, the box will be shown while

      you move it.

      This box automatically grows with the text.

      The text is never clipped by the box.

      You can ROTATE,ARCH, and WARP.  the entire line in this text box. Select Text->Rotate->Line, or Text->Arch, or Text->Warp.

      You can NOT use Line or Fill styles. The box is always invisible.

These tools behave like other windows drawing packages.

Line Style.

This controls stand-alone lines, and the Outline (frame) of rectangles, ellipses, and polygons.

To eliminate an outline: Select Draw->Line Style->None.

To change style or add arrows, select Draw->Line Style->....

     Arrows are only valid for single lines, not for arcs.

     Styles other than a solid line can be used at all widths on single lines only.

To change line width: Select Draw->Line Width.

Fill Style.

This controls the fill of all closed shapes (rectangles, circles, polygons, pies, and manual text boxes).

For Transparant fill, select Draw->Fill Style->None.

For a solid color fill, select Draw->Fill Style->(all black).  Then select Draw->Fill Style->Color.

For a hatched fill, select Draw->Fill Style->(desired style). Then select Draw->Fill Style->Color.

NOTE: Crosshatches may not scale up when printed - some printer drivers scale these, others don't..

Fill Gradient.

For a gradient color fill of rectangles:

1. Select the objects to fill.

2. select Draw->Fill Gradient->Color.

3. Choose the 1st color from the 1st color dialog box to appear.

4. Choose the 2nd color from the 2nd dialog box.

5. Select Draw->Fill Gradient->Top-to-bottom or Left-to-Right to set the fill pattern.

Gradient fills only work on rectangles.

NOTE: Gradients are displayed in 200 incremental steps.  Although the Windows display dithers the colors, your printer will make smooth colors, within the limits of its color capability.

Shadow.

When selected, a black shadow of the figure will be drawn slightly below and to the right of the figure.

Selecting Objects.

To select an object:

1.   Left-Click on it with the mouse.   OR

2. 	Hold down the CTRL key and click on the object with the mouse.  OR

3. 	If you cant get the correct object, press the tab key repeatedly until the object you want is selected. The tab key will cycle through ALL objects.  OR

4. 	Use a bounding box:  position the mouse outside the object and push down the left button and drag the mouse to draw a bounding box around the ENTIRE object (or all the objects you want to select). I

Moving and Stretching (Resizing) Objects.

To move an object (a graphics object or a picture):

1. select it, then

2. use the mouse  OR the cursor keys to move it.

To stretch (resize)  and object.:

1. select it, then

2. position the mouse over a handle, depress the mouse, and drag the handle.

3. Hold down the SHIFT key to keep a line horizontal or vertical, or to preserve the aspect ratio (the shape) or the original object.

Move to Front/Back.

Move to front means the selected object will appear on top of other objects.

Move to back means other objects will appear on top of the selected object.

All objects are automatically behind all text, unless On Top of Text is selected.

On top of text/Underneath text.

Underneath text means the text will be drawn on top of the object. (default)

On top of text means the object will be drawn on top of (over) the text.

SNAP and GRID.

Grid will draw a grid with the indicated spacing.  The inch spacing is used unless metric is selected, in which case the metric spacing is used.

The grid does NOT print.

Snap will move each end point of a graphics object to the nearest grid point.

GROUP/UNGROUP.

To group objects:

1. Select multiple objects by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on each object in succession, OR hold down the left mouse button and draw a bounding box.

2. Select Draw->Group.

All objects in a group can be moved together, stretched together, and altered together.

To ungroup objects:

1. Select the group.

2. Select Draw->Ungroup.


Border

BORDERS and BACKGROUNDS.

You can have POSTER add a simple border or a fancy border to the entire poster.  The border is printed at the end of the standard poster size, which is 7.5 x 10 inches.

If you check 'Automatic Resize', the border is printed just outsize the TEXT boundary.

If you have specified a custom page size, the border is printed  within that size.

Simple borders are generated by poster.

Background single colors and gradients (2 colors blending into each other) are generated by poster.

Fancy borders and fancy backgrounds are handled identically - they are imported from metafiles or bitmaps.

Background and Gradients.

To set a simple background color:

1. Select  Page->Background->(grey or colored value).

They are always displayed underneath all borders and backgrounds imported by files or clipboard.

To set a gradient (2 colors):

1. Select  Page->Background->Gradient.

2. Select the flow - left to right or top to bottom.

3. Select color 1 (the left or top color).

4. Select color 2 (the bottom or right color).

 They are always displayed underneath all borders and backgrounds imported by files or clipboard.

To delete a gradient: Select Page->Background->Gradient->None.

NOTE: Gradients are displayed in 200 incremental steps.  Although the Windows display dithers the colors, your printer will make smooth colors, within the limits of its color capability.

From File.

This option allows you to import any WMF (windows metafile), BMP (bitmap file), GIF, or JPG (JPEG) as a border.  The graphic in the file is automatically stretched to fill the entire page.

To change the background, import a new one, or select Page->Border->Delete Border.

POSTER includes a few WMF files with samples of fancy borders.  If you register poster, you will receive a disk full of fancy borders.

NOTE: when you add a WMF file as a border, the TEXT MARGIN is automatically set to 0.5 inches to accommodate a fancy border.  You may reset it with the "Page"->"Size & Margin" menu item.

From Clipboard.

This option allows you to paste a metafile from the clipboard into the border.  This is identical to importing a WMF file as a border.

Fancy borders are clipart borders which are pasted from the clipboard.  The clipart must be in the windows metafile ("picture") format.  It can be imported from a program like Corel Gallery, or created in a program like Draw.

The border is always expanded to fit the entire screen.

Corel Gallery is recommended as an excellent choice of hundreds of borders (as well as thousands of pieces of clip art) for less than $30.

Simple borders.

Simple borders are generated by POSTER.  Try experimenting with the set of borders. Try 1, 2, or 3 lines, and different line widths.

Simple borders can coexist with borders and backgrounds imported from *.wmf and *.bmp files, and the clipboard or with background colors or gradients.

Color.

Border color is treated similarly to text color.  Your printer will print the border in color if it can. The Color only applies to SIMPLE borders.

Automatic Resize.

If you check this, POSTER computes the size of the border and prints it just bigger than your text. The border is printed last, on top of everything else. This works best for banners.

Automatic resize is selected automatically for Banners in Quick-Start mode.

Always on Top.

If you check this, the border is printed AFTER all text and graphics are printed, placing it on top of everything.  If you don't check this, the border is printed first, underneath everything else.


Setting Options.

VIEW OPTIONS.

The options are global, and effect any document edited by POSTER.

Options are saved by SAVE, and are reloaded by OPEN.

ZOOM.

The entire poster is enlarged to the specified magnification.

"Printed Size" sets the ZOOM value to the value closest to the print scale factor selected by the last PRINT or Print Preview command.

GRID.

Generates a grid to help in graphics alignment.  Set the grid size as desired. "Show Printed Size" means the grid is relative to the size the poster will be when printed; otherwise the grid is relative to 1 page (1x).

RULER.

Generates a ruler to help in graphics alignment. "Show Printed Size" means the ruler scale is relative to the size the poster will be when printed; otherwise the scale is relative to 1 page (1x).

SHOW DISPLAY/PRINTED SIZE.

Show Display Size will show the ruler, grid, and status line sizes relative to a single page (1x).

Show Printed Size will show the ruler, grid, and status line sizes relative to the printed size. The printed size is set by the last File->Print. Command.

To set a printed size (such as 4X) without printing something:

1. 	Select File->Print.

2. 	Set the Printed Size or Print Scale Factor.

3. 	Push Preview.

4. 	Now select View->Show Printed Size.

PAGE BREAKS.

Shows where page breaks will occur, based on the printed size selected by the last Print or Print-Preview command.  See above to set the printed size.

Display Non-Printable characters.

This option displays a paragraph mark where ever a carriage return has been entered. (Sometimes this mark may not be visible if it is off the side of the page). This is to help you remember where you have hard line breaks.  These marks are NOT printed with the poster is printed.

This option defaults to OFF.

Display Bounding-box around graphics.

This option displays a dashed line around a bitmap or metafile which has been pasted into the document.  The graphic can be resized with the RESIZE option.

The dashed line is NOT displayed when the poster is printed.

This option defaults to OFF.

Don't display metafiles.

When set, this option bypasses the display of metafiles on the screen - however, the bounding box is always displayed.  This option is used if the redraw of a metafile takes a lot of time.

The metafile is ALWAYS printed when the poster is printed.

This option defaults to OFF.

Metric.

When this is set, all measurements are expressed in centimeters, rather than inches.  The default font menu shows fonts in increments of 0.5 cm, and the Text->Bigger/Smaller entries increment the text by 0.5 cm.

NOTE: If you have setup your machine to use METRIC measurements, POSTER automatically comes up in METRIC mode.  To do this, use the "International" settings in the "Control Panel".

You may switch between Metric and English measurements at any time.


Menu items.

menu


Keyboard

Keyboard help.

The only special keys recognized by Poster are:

F1 - call for Help

F3 - SAVE

F5 - Redraw. Use this when the display doesn't look quite right.

        Sometimes POSTER does not properly update the screen after a delete

       or insert - this will generally fix the problem.

ESC - If text is selected, deselect it.

Ctrl+B - Bold

Ctrl+U - Toggle underline

Ctrl+I - Toggle Italics

Ctrl+N - Reset text to Normal (No bold, italics, underline, or special effects)

Ctrl+S - Makes text smaller

Ctrl+L - Makes text larger

Ctrl+C - Copy to clipboard

Ctrl+X - Cut and copy to clipboard

Ctrl+V - Paste from clipboard

Ctrl+Z - Undo

The cursor keys will move the cursor.

Home - move to start of current line.

End - move to end of current line.

PageUp - move to the start of the poster.

PageDown - move to the end of the poster.

Del - delete the next character, or the current selection.