Vector Graphics Overview

Classmates Project

Refining and Completing

Initial set up
- Copy to a new folder on the desktop of the hard drive your files from the previous lab session.
- Make sure your Classmates document (the one you created in FreeHand), and all the photo files are in the same folder.
- Double-click on the Classmates file icon on the hard drive to launch FreeHand.
  - If FreeHand won't start up automatically, drag your document icon and drop it on FreeHand's icon.
Add missing files (if any) to Classmates document.
- Log on to the file server and find the class folder.
- Open "Take" folder for the Classmates project, compare with what you have on your own disk. Drag to your folder on the desktop any files you are missing.
- Drag the file server icon to the Trash.
- In FreeHand, use File-->Import to import missing bios and photos.
- If any imported photographs require adjustments:
  - Make sure the Inspector palette is visible (Window menu) and extended. Click the Object Inspector icon (the leftmost in the top row). Use the arrow tool to select a photograph.
  - Click the 'Edit' button at the bottom of the palette. Use the lightness and contrast scroll bars to adjust the photo.
    - Click 'Apply' to check the effect of your corrections.
    - Click 'Reset' to return to initial settings.
    - Click 'OK' when satisfied.
  - Note that these adjustments won't be possible (and the 'Edit' button won't be available) if the photo was not saved as a TIFF file.
Duplicate your prototype page
- Make sure the Inspector palette is visible and extended. Click the Document Inspector icon (the rightmost in the top row).
  - Click the middle Pasteboard Magnification icon (to the right of the Options menu).
  - Use the Duplicate command in the Options menu to get enough pages to accommodate all the students, one to each page.
Position bios and photos on the pages.
- As you duplicate the prototype page, the text and photo used to mock-up the design are duplicated as well. For each page, you want to replace the prototype text and photo with the text and photo provided by the student assigned to that page.
- To replace the prototype text:
  - Use the text tool to place the insertion point in the new student's text.
  - Use Edit-->Select-->All to select all of the text, and Edit-->Copy to replicate it into the Clipboard.
  - Use the text tool to place the insertion point in the prototype text.
  - Use Edit-->Select-->All to select all of the text, and Edit-->Paste to replace it with the contents of the Clipboard.
- To replace the prototype photo:
  - Use the arrow tool to select the frame of the prototype photo.
  - Use Edit-->Cut Contents to pull the prototype photo out of the frame, then press the Delete key to remove the prototype photo.
  - Use the arrow tool to select the new student's photo. Drag it so it overlaps the frame.
  - If the photo is too big to fit the frame, resize the photo by dragging one of its corner handles while holding down the Shift key (the Shift key prevents non-proportional scaling, which would distort the countenance of your classmate).
    - Alternatively, you can resize the photo by typing a scale ratio in the "Scale %" fields in the Object Inspector. 100% is actual size, anything less will shrink the picture. Use the same percentage in both 'x' and 'y' fields to avoid distortion.
    - Make sure not to enlarge the photos, since doing so lowers their resolution.
  - Use Edit-->Cut to move the photo to the Clipboard.
  - Use the arrow tool to again select the frame, then use Edit-->Paste Inside to place the contents of the Clipboard in it.
- If the prototype photo is not inside a frame, you can simply delete it and drag the new student's picture to the same location on the page. You will have to manually ensure that the new photo is sized and positioned accurately.
If you change your mind about your design:
- After you duplicate the prototype page, any and all changes are much more time-consuming since they must be repeated for every page. There is also a chance that some pages may end up being different from the others. To keep your publication consistent, you can use guides and styles.
- Nonprinting guides can be added to all pages at once, and can assist in maintaining a consistent layout.
  - View-->Guides-->Edit; click 'Add'.
    - Select guides' orientation ("Horizontal" or "Vertical"), number ("Count") or spacing ("Increment") and location ("Position").
    - Enter the range of pages created in the previous step, so that all will have the same guides.
  - In the View menu, make sure the following are checked: Guides-->Show, Guides-->Lock, and Snap To Guides.
- Once defined, type styles can quickly apply multiple formatting commands to text. Revisions are also faster because you simply redefine the style. Finally, styles assist in maintaining consistent type format.
  - Make sure the Styles palette is visible and extended (Window menu).
  - Use the text tool to select the text you want to style. Use the commands in the top section of the Type menu to format text as desired.
  - While the text you just formatted is still selected, use the New command in the Options menu of the Styles palette.
    - Double-click the default name of the new style and enter a descriptive name. Press the Enter key so that the new name is accepted.
  - Typically, you will want one style for the students' names and a second one for their bios.
  - Apply the styles you defined to text in the following pages by selecting the text (with the text tool), then clicking on the name of the style in the Style palette)
Save your files
- Before leaving, copy your FreeHand file and all student files to your Zip disks (you can overwrite the older versions). You will need to turn them in later for grading.

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This document originally at <http://www.sanedraw.com/LEARN/EL_ILLST/CLSMTS3/INDEX.HTM>
Copyright 2001 by Sandro Corsi. Created 1998-08-31. Last modified 2001-02-04.