FAQ 9/96

Using Canvas 5 efficiently

This list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) was compiled from customers' questions about Canvas 5, the latest release from Deneba Software. The following questions and responses deal with a variety of questions about Canvas features.

Topics covered in this FAQ

General

How much disk space do I need to save my Canvas documents?
What's the difference between Canvas document types?
Can I edit an EPSF file in Canvas?
Does Canvas support Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator plug-ins?
What web-oriented features does Canvas have?
How can I change the default ruler and units for new Canvas 5 documents?
Does Canvas support workgroup computing?

Color

Can I do color separations for a gradient that contains a spot color?
Are there add-on ink palettes available?
How do I create a continuous gradient across objects and text?

General

Q. How much disk space do I need to save my Canvas documents?

A. The exact amount of disk space required to save a Canvas document depends on the number, type, and complexity of the objects in the document. Large, 24-bit color, high resolution images need a lot more space than text and vector graphics. Whatever the size of your document, though, Canvas needs double that amount of space to save the file. When saving, Canvas doesn't immediately overwrite the original file; it writes to a new file with the ".100" extension first. When it has completely saved this file, the original is deleted, and the ".100" file is renamed with the original name. This process helps prevent data loss in the event that something goes wrong with your system in the middle of saving, but it requires a little more disk space.

Q. What's the difference between Canvas 5 illustration, publication, and presentation documents?

A. All of Canvas' text, vector, and image-editing features are available, no matter what type of document you use. The different document types simply indicate different document layout options, with a few additional features for each.

Illustration documents are single-page layouts, with multiple layers.
Publication documents are multiple-page layouts, with special column guides, left and right master pages, headers, and footers.
Presentation documents are multiple-slide layouts, and each slide can have multiple layers. Presentations have a special slide show mode, with dynamic transitions between slides.

Q. Can I edit an EPSF file in Canvas?

In most cases, you can edit almost any EPSF file that Illustrator 5.5 can. When you open or place an EPSF file in Canvas, a dialog box asks you if you want to simply place the EPSF or create Canvas objects using the PostScript code. If you place the EPSF as an object, Canvas displays the preview image (if available) as a place holder for the contents of the EPSF. You cannot edit the objects inside the EPSF, but you can still move, rotate, skew, and scale the EPSF as a whole. If you create Canvas objects from the EPSF, Canvas generates fully-editable objects and places them in a Canvas document. If you parse an EPSF file in Canvas, keep the following in mind:

Canvas creates an object mask to define the boundaries of the parsed EPSF information. For example, if you parse an EPSF file that contains a circle, Canvas creates a circle, and an invisible rectangle that masks the circle. If you move the circle around, you can see how only the area of the circle inside the rectangle is visible. To get rid of the mask, select all the objects generated from the EPSF and choose Mask > Release in the Object menu. Then delete any stray rectangles.
The filter that Canvas uses to parse EPSF files doesn't support CMYK color mode; Canvas converts all colors to RGB. However, if you place an EPSF without converting it to Canvas objects, CMYK colors are preserved.

Q. Does Canvas support Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator plug-ins?

A. Canvas supports all Photoshop plug-ins, and integrates them into the Image > Filters menu. To use plug-ins with Canvas, you need to tell the program where to find them on your system. Choose Preferences in the File menu, and click the Painting tab to bring it to the front. Click the Plug-ins button. In the directory dialog box that appears, locate your plug-ins folder and click OK. You can now use the plug-in filters by choosing them in the Image > Filters menu. At this time, Canvas does not support Illustrator plug-ins.

Q. What web-oriented features does Canvas have?

A. Canvas is ideal for creating web graphics because it has export filters for GIF and JPEG, the two primary graphics formats on the Internet. In addition, Canvas makes it easy to edit web graphics. Because text, vector drawings, and images can all coexist in the same Canvas document, you can create your graphic, save a completely editable version in Canvas 5 format, then export a copy to GIF or JPEG. If you want to change a few words later, you can open the original Canvas file, make your changes, and save it again as GIF or JPEG. In other applications, you would have to keep several files of different text, vector, and image elements, edit them individually, and re-design the graphic each time you want to make a simple change.

To make web page design even easier, Canvas ships with hundreds of web design elements like bars, buttons, and borders in the clip art collection. Also, you can download an inks palette of the 216 colors that are commonly supported by Mac OS and Windows web browsers.

Q. How can I change the default ruler and units for new Canvas 5 documents?

A. You can save rulers, units, and other display settings as a Canvas 5 template, then use the template to create new documents. See page 84 in the Canvas 5 User's Guide or type the keyword "template" in the Canvas 5 Help system for more information.

Q. Will Canvas support workgroup computing, where multiple users can access a single document simultaneously?

A. Currently, Canvas 5 locks open files to prevent users from overwriting each other's changes to the same file. In the future, we might add multi-user file access, depending on the demand and feasibility.

Color

Q. Can I do color separations for a gradient that contains a spot color?

Canvas can't currently perform spot color separations of a gradient ink. However, you can work around this limitation by using a process color as a substitute for the spot color. For example, you can create a blend between magenta and black, with magenta serving as a substitute for Pantone 125. When you send the graphic to a printer, tell the printer that you want to substitute the Pantone ink for process magenta. This work-around works only when the process color isn't used anywhere else on the page.

Q. Are there add-on ink palettes available?

A. Now available for download from this web site are several new ink palettes. These palettes include common CMYK and RGB color sets, as well as some of the textures on the Canvas 5 Clip art CD-ROM. Keep checking this site for more palettes.

Q. How do I create a continuous gradient across objects and text?

A. You can create a continuous gradient across vector objects by selecting the objects, choosing Path > Make Composite in the Object menu, and applying the gradient.

For text objects, you have two options. First, select the text object and choose Path > Convert To Paths in the object menu. Canvas converts the text object to paths by creating a separate path for each shape in the text object. Next, choose Ungroup in the Object menu to separate the paths. Finally, select the separated paths, choose Path > Make Composite in the Object menu, and apply the gradient. The disadvantage of this method is that once the text object is converted to paths, the text properties are lost.

You can also create a continuous gradient by using the text object to mask a background object. Simply position the text object in front of a background object that contains the gradient you wish to apply. Select both objects, and choose Mask > Make in the Object menu. Canvas masks the background object with the text making the text appear to be filled with the gradient.

Image editing

Q. When pasting into an image, I get stray pixels around the border of the pasted area. How do I get rid of the edges so the pasted area blends smoothly into the background?

A. You can use the Median filter to get rid of these pixels and create smooth transitions in an image. First, use the Lasso tool (the rubber band Lasso tool works great here) to outline the edges with the stray pixels you want to remove (you'll probably need to repeat this procedure to get all the edges). Next, choose Select >Hide Edges in the Image menu to hide the "marching ants" selection; this makes it easier to see what's happening in the image.

Choose Filter > Noise > Median in the Image menu. In the Median dialog box, turn Preview on and change the Radius setting until the stray pixels disappear. Click OK. The pasted image should now blend smoothly into the background.

Q. How do I make precise selections in an image? The Lasso tool is too imprecise, and the Marquee tool lets me select only rectangular areas.

A. You can hold down the Option key (Mac) or Alt key (Windows) while using the Lasso tool to make "rubber band lasso" selections. While holding down the modifier key, click around the area with the Lasso tool. Canvas connects the points that you click with a selection line. The more points you click, the more precise the selection. When you release the modifier key, Canvas connects the first and last points you clicked and selects the image area.

Q. How can I make white pixels in a paint object transparent?

A. Select the paint object with the Selection tool. Press the fill ink icon to open the Inks palette, and choose the "no ink" setting to apply it to the paint object. Pure white pixels become transparent on-screen and when printed to a QuickDraw printer. However, the white pixels reappear if you print the document to a PostScript printer. You can get around this limitation by combining overlapping, transparent paint objects into one image. Select the paint objects and choose Area > Render in the Image menu; choose the color mode and resolution in the Render dialog box that appears. Canvas rasterizes the on-screen appearance of the overlapping objects, preserving the transparency but combining the objects into one paint object. This composite image can now be printed to a PostScript printer.

Q. Does Canvas' image-editing capabilities include layers?

A. Canvas does not yet have image layers; if you import a Photoshop image that contains layers, Canvas "flattens" the image to a single layer. However, you can simulate layer effects using selections, channel editing, and floating opacity controls, just like you would in Photoshop 2.x.

Q. Does Canvas support transparent GIF files for use on the World Wide Web?

A. Canvas 5 does not yet have this capability. A new GIF tool is in development that will support transparency.

Vector drawing

Q. What's the difference between the Mix and Transparency combine methods?

A. Mix and Transparency both create new objects from the overlapping areas of selected objects. Both also apply new colors, derived from the colors of the original objects, to the overlapping areas. However, Mix combines colors based on the concept that inks are mixing, while Transparency combines colors based on the model that the front object is translucent and light is passing through it. For this reason, Mix uses the CMYK color system (an ink-based system) and Transparency uses the RGB color system (a light-based system).

When working with these effects, keep in mind the final output method for your work. For example, if you use the Transparency method and you plan to print four-color separations, you should check your document for out-of-gamut colors and convert them to CMYK (see the User's Guide for instructions).

Typography

Q. What do the letters D, T, and P in the font names on the Canvas 5 Font CD stand for?

The letters designate whether the fonts have been designed for Display, Text, or Poster use. You might see fonts with the same name, but with different letters following the names. The D, T, or P tells you which to use. For small body copy, use the Text version. The text version has kerning and design elements that look best when the font is used in small point sizes. For headlines, or for use in situations where the type is large, use a Display font, or a Poster version of a font.

Display and Poster fonts have tighter kerning and design elements for viewing at large sizes. Using the proper font type for each situation can give your document that professional polish that we all strive for.

Q. How do I wrap text to a shape within a paint object?

A. In Canvas 5, there are two ways you can make text wrap around a shape in a paint object. The easiest method works for images that have a light (ideally, white) background and a single, isolated, relatively dark subject. For example, a picture of an apple against a white background. Simply select the paint object and the text object you want to wrap around it, and choose Wrap > Outside Object in the Text menu. Off screen, Canvas maps the colors in the image to plain black and white, based on the brightness of the color. Wrapped text ignores white pixels and avoids black pixels. If the image doesn't have enough contrast, or the subject is not dark enough to be mapped to black pixels, this method won't work well.

The other method is to use vector drawing tools, such as the Curve tool, to outline the shape in the image around which you want to wrap text. Then wrap the text around the vector object. You can hide the vector object by sending it to the back of the stacking order, or by applying "no ink"as the fill and pen inks.

Q. Why is the text in the tutorial files and in the newsletter templates in Latin-like gibberish?

A. The text used in these files is Lorem Ipsum, a standard resource for "dummy text." This text is not in any language, and is only meant as filler. Publishers often use Lorem Ipsum when the focus is on the layout, and not on the content. It's also handy because it doesn't need to be translated when the product is localized for different countries, and there are no copyright restrictions.

Q. How do I create text flows across different pages of a publication?

A. You can flow text across different pages of a publication by using the Text Link tool, or the text flow pointer.

To use the Text link tool

Create at least two text objects on different pages by using the Text or Text Object tool.
Select the Text Link tool in the tool box. The pointer changes to the text link pointer.
Click the first text object; this is the text object you want text to flow from.
Go to the page that contains the second text object. You can use one of the following methods: the page icons, the Page Info palette, the arrow buttons, or the Pages > Go To Page command in the Layout menu.
Click the second text object. Canvas links the two text objects, creating a text flow across the pages.

The other method is to use the text flow pointer. Simply add a single column of text to a document, and reduce the area of the column by dragging a selection handle. Canvas truncates the text that doesn't fit into the re-sized column and displays an overflow indicator. Click the overflow indicator. The pointer changes to the text flow pointer. Next, go to the page you want to flow text to. Click the text flow pointer where you want the new column to appear. Canvas places the overflow text where you click. For more information about linking text objects, see pages 218-220 of the Canvas 5 User's Guide.