PageStream's Preferences dialog box allows you to customize PageStream's many features. To display the Preferences dialog box, choose Preferences from the File menu.
The Preferences dialog box has tabs for groups of preference options. Click a tab to view its options. When you have changed the needed preferences, click Use to use these new settings without changing your permanent settings, or click Save to change your permanent defaults. Click Save As to save the settings as a new preferences file that can be loaded later with the Load button.
All of the options of the Preferences dialog box are detailed in the following tables.
| General | Description |
| Autosave | Select to have PageStream save your documents at regular intervals in case of a power loss or system error. Autosave does not save over your original document file. Instead it saves a temporary copy of the file in the directory path set in the associated Path text box. |
| Every | Enter the autosave time interval in minutes. PageStream will save the document at the end of this interval unless you are using the mouse or keyboard at that time. If you are busy, it will wait a short time before trying again. If you are still busy, it will save the document anyway. |
| Autobackup | Select to have PageStream keep a backup copy each time you manually save your documents. The title of each backup copy has the original document's name, the suffix .bak and the backup number. For example, a report named Report would have backup copies named Report.bak1, Report.bak2, etc. Backup copies are stored in the directory path set in the associated Path text box. The file with the .bak1 extension is the most current. |
| Keep | Enter the number of backup copies to keep. When a backup copy is made that exceeds the number of copies to keep, the oldest backup copy will be erased. If you specified three backups, the oldest one will be numbered .bak3 and the most recent ".bak1." |
| Path | Enter the directory path to use for autobackups and the temporary autosave file. |
| Keep history | Select to save a revision log with documents when they are saved. The Revision History dialog box will open each time you save a document to make a revision log entry. |
| 3D Interface | Select to use grayscale dialog boxes instead of a black and white interface. (MacOS only). |
| Underscore Shortcuts | Select to underscore the Command key shortcuts for dialog box controls. (MacOS only). |
| Undo | Select to enable the Undo and Redo features. If this is unchecked, these commands will not be available for use. The Undo and Redo features consume memory which you may not be able to spare. |
| Levels | Enter the number of levels of undo and redo to permit. Use this option to restrict how many actions you can undo. You can conserve memory by setting the undo levels to a low value. A value between 1 and 15 is sufficient for most uses. |
| Type | Description |
| Smart Dashes | Select to enable dash conversion. When this option is on, two dashes typed successively will be converted to an en dash, and three dashes will be converted to an em dash. |
| Smart Bullets | Select to enable conversion to bullets. When this option is on, typing an asterisk will enter a bullet. Type two asterisks consecutively to enter a true asterisk when this option is selected. |
| Smart Single Quotes | Select to enable conversion of single typewriter quotation marks to single typographic quotation marks. The first quotation mark typed will be an open quotation mark, and the next typed will be a close quotation mark. |
| Smart Double Quotes | Select to enable conversion of double typewriter quotation marks to double typographic quotation marks. The first quotation mark typed will be an open quotation mark, and the next typed will be a close quotation mark. |
| Language | Select the default language for new text articles. The language selection is used for hyphenation, and page, date and time variables. |
| Font | Select the default font for new text articles and text blocks. |
| Size | Enter the default text size for new text articles and text blocks. |
| Measure | Description |
| Relative to | Choose whether object coordinates are relative to the page or spread, if applicable. If you choose to measure relative to the page when viewing a spread, each page in the spread will have its own coordinates with which objects on that page are measured relative too; whereas, if you measure relative to the spread, all the objects in the spread will be measured together as if they were on one page. |
| Horizontal | Choose how to measure the horizontal direction of objects. |
| Vertical | Choose how to measure the vertical direction of objects. Choose Same As Horizontal to make the vertical measurement system always equals to the horizontal system. |
| Relative | Choose how to measure the non-directional parts of objects. i.e., the length of a diagonal line. Choose Same As Horizontal to make the relative measurement system always equals to the horizontal system. |
| Text | Choose how to measure text for type size, leading, etc. |
| Drawing | Description |
| On Double Click | Select the action to be performed when you double-click in the window. Flash Screen will flash the screen to alert you that you double-clicked. Object Command allows you to choose from a list of selected Object menu commands to perform when you double-click. Play Script allows you to choose an internal PageStream script to execute when you double-click. |
| Do | This pop-up menu is visible only when Object Command or Play Script are selected from the On Double Click pop-up menu. When Object Command is selected, the Do pop-up menu lists Object menu commands. When Play Script is selected, the current internal PageStream scripts are listed. |
| Duplicate Offset | Enter the default offsets to use for the Duplicate command. |
| Nudge Amount | Enter the default nudge amount. Use the arrow keys to nudge the selected object(s) this amount; hold down a Shift key while using the arrows to nudge object(s) a tenth of the normal amount. |
| View | Description |
| Rulers | Select to display rulers in new windows. Choose Show Rulers from the Layout menu to affect the active window. |
| Invisibles | Select to display invisible character codes in all windows. |
| Column Outlines | Select to display non-printing column outlines in all windows. |
| Text Frame Links | Select to display non-printing text frame link identifiers in all windows. |
| Pictures | Select to display pictures in all windows. When this is deselected, pictures will be shown as a crossed box. |
| Drawings | Select to display drawings in all windows. When this is deselected, drawings will be shown as a crossed box. |
| View | Select the view magnification to set when a document window is first opened. If you choose the Other option, enter the actual magnification into the Other text box. |
| Min, Max | Enter the minimum and maximum view magnification levels to allow. The absolute minimum view magnification is 5% and the absolute maximum view magnification is 3000%. MacOS may be unable to render some text and graphics at very high magnifications. |
| Display (Guides) | Choose whether to display guides in front of or behind objects in all windows. |
| Page Guides | Click the Browse (>>) button to change the color of page guides in all windows. |
| Margin Guides | Click the Browse (>>) button to change the color of margin and column guides in all windows. |
| Show Guides | Select to display guides in new windows. Choose Show Guides from the Layout menu to affect the active window. |
| Snap-to-Guides | Select to snap objects to guides in new windows. Choose Snap-to-Guides from the Layout menu to affect the active window. |
| Display (Grid) | Choose whether to display the grid in front of or behind objects in all windows. |
| Color | Click the Browse (>>) button to change the color of the grid in all windows. |
| Show Grid | Select to display the grid in new windows. Choose Show Grid from the Layout menu to affect the active window. |
| Snap-to-Grid | Select to snap objects to the grid in new windows. Choose Snap-to-Grid from the Layout menu to affect the active window. |
| Pasteboard | Click the Browse (>>) button to change the color of the pasteboard surrounding the page in all windows. |
| Page Shadow | Click the Browse (>>) button to change the color of the page shadow in all windows. |
| Files | Description |
| Documents | Enter the default directory for opening and saving document files. |
| Text | Enter the default directory for inserting and exporting text files. |
| Graphics | Enter the default directory for placing and exporting graphic files. |
| Scripts | Enter the default directory for scripts. |
| Scratch | Enter the default directory for virtual memory scratch files. |
| Show All Files in File Selector | Select to show all files, not just valid files, in file selectors. |
| Place Graphic in Center | Select to place and paste graphics automatically in the center of the screen. |
| Automatic text frames | Select to force PageStream to create as many additional text frames as required when importing more text than will fit in the current series of linked text frames. PageStream will continue creating additional frames until the text fits into the series. |
| Like | When like last column is selected, PageStream will duplicate the last text frame on the next available page and flow the overset text into it. If like masterpage is selected, PageStream will create a column on the next available page that matches these margins and column details of that pages masterpage. |
| Select text on paste | Select to cause imported or pasted text to remain selected for further editing. |
| Toolbox | Description |
| Format | Select a toolbox layout. |
| Increment | Enter the default increment for the Magnify tool. When you click on the screen with the Magnify tool selected, the magnification will be changed by this percent. 100% is equivalent to no change; 200% would double the magnification. Do not enter an increment of less than 101%, because you can hold down a Shift key while clicking on the screen to reduce magnification. |
| Drag Zoom | Choose whether to drag the magnified area from the upper left or center. |
| Gutter | Enter the default gutter space between columns in a text column frame. |
| Background | Select the default text column frame background. Use the Line & Fill command from the Object menu to change an existing text frame. |
| Horz, Vert | Enter the default corner radii for rounded boxes. |
| Start, End | Enter the default arc and pie starting and ending angles. These options apply to arcs and pies only; not actual ellipses. |
| Sides | Enter the default number of sides for polygons, from 299. |
| Radius | Enter the default radius of the alternate points for polygons, as a percentage of the actual radius. |
| Pre-Rotate | Enter the default angle at which a polygon should be rotated before being drawn. |
| Angle | Enter the default angle at which the alternate points of a polygon should be deflected from the actual points, from 0 to 100%. 50% is centered between points. |
| Toolbar | Description |
| Commands | Select a command or script to add to the toolbar. |
| Tools | Select a command or script to remove from the toolbar, or to move to a new position on the toolbar. |
| Script | Select a script for a selected script in the Tools list. |
| Insert Space | Click to insert space after the selected command or script in the Tools list. |
| Up | Click to move the selected command or script upwards in the Tools list. |
| Down | Click to move the selected command or script downwards in the Tools list. |
| Reset to Defaults | Click to reset the toolbar to PageStream's defaults. |
PageStream for Amiga has additional preferences options which can be accessed from the System Preferences submenu in the Project menu.
| Font Preferences | Description |
| Font drawers in use | This lists the drawers of fonts that have been added to PageStream. Fonts in these drawers are available for use in PageStream. If you change the fonts in a drawer, you must select the drawer from this list and click Update. |
| Add | Click to add a new font drawer to PageStream. A file selector will open. Use it to open a drawer containing the fonts you wish to add. Click on Add in file selector to add the path to the Font Drawers In Use scrolling list. |
| Remove | Click to remove the selected font drawer from the Font Drawers In Use scrolling list. The fonts in this drawer will no longer be available for use in PageStream. |
| Update | Click to check the selected font drawer for new or changed fonts. This is equivalent to removing the drawer and re-adding it. You must use this option whenever you change the fonts in a drawer. |
| Maximum memory to use | Enter the maximum memory that PageStream should use to cache fonts. Rasterizing a bitmap character from an outline font can be slow, so PageStream uses a cache to store bitmap characters to increase the speed of subsequent uses of the same characters. If the cache is set to zero, PageStream will have to genereate a bitmap each time you type a character. In general, increasing the size of the cache will decrease the time it takes to display text on screen and to print text to non-PostScript printers. Increasing this value to 500K is recommended if you have enough memory and use non-PostScript printers. |
| Maximum size to cache | Enter the maximum size of characters to cache in pixels. Because small characters are used more frequently than large characters, it is not important that headline size type be cached. However, increasing this value will improve non-PostScript printing speed. If memory permits, increase this value to 200 pixels. |
| Editor Preferences | Description |
| Text editor script | Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and the insertion point is in an article. Scripts are provided for PageLiner and TurboText. |
| Picture editor script | Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and a bitmap picture is selected. A script is provided for BME. |
| Drawing editor script | Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and a drawing is selected. No scripts are provided. |
| Screen | Description |
| Type | Choose the type of screen on which to open PageStream. Choose Workbench to run PageStream on the Workbench screen. Choose New Public to create a new, custom, public screen. Choose Existing Public to run PageStream on an existing public screen, and enter the name of the screen into the associated text box. New Public is the preferred screen for using PageStream because PageStream can use all of the colors of the screen unless you open other applications on the screen. |
| Mode | Click to open the Screen Mode dialog box if New Public is chosen from the Type pop-up menu. Choose a screen mode from those available. If you enter a size larger than the physical screen, PageStream will create an autoscrolling virtual screen. If you create a screen that is too small for PageStream's interface, PageStream will force the creation of an autoscrolling virtual screen. Set the number of colors to a value between 4 and the maximum supported by your Amiga. If you have CyberGraphX installed with a compatible graphic card, PageStream can be used in modes of up to 16 million colors. The number of colors on screen does not affect how your documents will be printed. |
| Font | Click to open the Screen Font dialog box. Choose the AmigaOS font to use for PageStream's menus, window titles, and dialog box titles; the font is only used for dialog box titlesnot dialog box control labels. |
| Display DPI | Enter the resolution of your monitor. Standard NTSC displays are 65x55 dpi (dots per inch), whereas standard PAL displays are 65x70 dpi. If you have modified your screen setup, use a large screen monitor, or have a graphic card in your Amiga, you may need to alter these values. To determine the values to use, measure the height and width of the visible display with a ruler, and convert this value to inches, if required. Divide the number of pixels horizontally and vertically by this value to find the display DPI. Enter the results into the X and Y text boxes. |
| Center windows on screen | Select to center dialog boxes on the visible screen. If you use a graphic card, you may need to deselect this option. |
| Show free memory | Select to display the total amount of free memory at the top of the PageStream screen. The memory, date and time display is a separate window which is always shown on top of other windows on the screen. You should not use these options if you run PageStream on a Workbench screen narrower than 800 pixels, because their display will conflict with the Workbench title display. |
| Show date | Select to display the date at the top of the PageStream screen. |
| Show time | Select to display the time at the top of the PageStream screen. |
PageStream for Amiga supports three font systems: Compugraphic Intellifont, PostScript Type 1 (Windows or MS-DOS format), and PageStream DMF.
PageStream does not use the Amiga's built-in font system because AmigaOS doesn't offer the features required by a desktop publishing program. You can also use Windows TrueType fonts with PageStream3 if you purchase the TrueType font engine, which is sold separately.
Compugraphic Intellifonts are common on Amiga computers. Compugraphic fonts have one file per style and weight. These fonts usually have a .type or .lib file extension. You can use any Compugraphic Intellifont with PageStream, although not all Intellifonts can be printed to PostScript.
Windows and MS-DOS PostScript Type 1 fonts are the most common font format for desktop publishing. You need two files per style and weight. The font outline file usually has a .PFB file extension and the font spacing file will have either an .AFM or .PFM extension. (Do not use both.) If optional bitmap screen font files are present, they will usually have .ABF or .## extensions. Macintosh PostScript fonts must be converted to Windows or MS-DOS format prior to use with PageStream.
The PageStream (SoftLogik) font format is an older system which was developed for the original version of PageStream. These fonts have three files per font. The font outline file usually has a .DMF file extension, the font spacing file has a .FM extension, and bitmap screen font files have .##I or .##H extensions. Obsolete .PS and .PSF files can be deleted.
To install fonts for use with PageStream for Amiga, copy them to a directory and then choose the Fonts command from the System Preferences submenu from the Project menu. Click on the Add button. Open the file selector to the directory so that the fonts are listed. Click OK.
AmigaOS includes 3 fonts: Times, Triumvirate and LetterGothic. The Times and Triumvirate fonts are also included with PageStream and are a special version of the fonts designed to match those used in PostScript printers, so you cannot add your Amiga's Fonts:_bullet_outlines directory.