Adobe Page Maker Tutorials
Adobe Page Maker Tutorials
Adobe Page Maker Tutorials
The following are assorted tips and tutorials for Adobe Pagemaker.
Credits: desktoppub.about.com and Microsoft.com/education
Contents:
Page 1, section 1. How to Insert Page Numbers on Master Pages in PageMaker
Page 1, section 2. How to Wrap Text Around a Graphic in PageMaker
Page 2, section 1. How to Wrap Text Around Text in PageMaker
Page 2, section 2. How to Insert a Drop Cap in a PageMaker Document
Page 3, section 1. How to Create a Bullet List in a PageMaker Document
Page 3, section 2. Using Photo-objects in Adobe Pagemaker and MS Publisher
Page 4, section 1. How to Count Words and Characters in PageMaker
PageMaker will automatically number pages in the style you designate when the proper page numbering code is placed
on the Master Pages of your document.
Here's How:
1. On a Master Page, click on the page or draw a text block where you want to insert a page number.
2. At the point where you want the page number type Ctrl + Alt + P (Windows) or Command + Option + P (Mac).
3. Repeat Step 2 on the opposite Master page.
4. A page number marker will be on each master page -- LM on the left master, RM on the right master.
5. Format the paragraph and page number marker as necessary including adding additional text before or after the page
number marker.
Tips:
1. Elements on the Master page are visible but not editable on all foreground pages. You'll see actual page numbers on
the foreground pages.
2. To omit a page number on some pages turn off display of master page items for that page or cover the number with a
white box or create another master page set for pages without page numbers.
The text wrap feature in PageMaker allows you to place graphics in a document and have the text wrap around that
image without covering it (or being covered). A basic text wrap takes only a few clicks.
Here's How:
1. Place your graphic object on the page in the position where you want it. It may cover up part of the text, that's OK.
2. With your object selected, choose Element | Text wrap... from the menu bar.
3. From the Text Wrap dialog box select the middle icon for Wrap option (the third icon is not available initially until
you've customized the text wrap).
4. Choose a Text flow: With Icon 1 text stops at the graphic then continues to next page or column. Icon 2 wraps text to
top and bottom only. Icon 3 wraps text completely around in a rectangular wrap (until you modify it).
5. If you know exactly how much space you want between text and object, make adjustments in the Standoff section,
otherwise accept the default and click OK.
6. If the text doesn't wrap exactly the way you want grab one of the dotted lines representing the standoff area and pull it
in closer to the object or further away until you get the text wrap effect you want.
Tips:
1. Select the 'Wrap text on same layer only' box if you don't want to wrap text on other layers
around the object.
2. When placing a square/rectangular graphic between two columns of ragged right aligned
text, use a slightly smaller standoff on the left side to visually balance the space around the
object.
3. Align the bottom of your graphic with the baseline of adjacent text.
1. How to Wrap Text Around Text in PageMaker
Difficulty Level: Easy
The text wrap feature in PageMaker allows you to place graphics in a document and have the text wrap around that
image. With one additional step you can also wrap text around other text blocks for effects such as pull-quotes.
Here's How:
1. Select the text block that you want to have other text wrap around.
2. Choose Element | Group from the menu bar. This causes PageMaker to treat that text block as a graphic.
3. With your text turned graphic selected, choose Element | Text wrap... from the menu bar.
4. From the Text Wrap dialog box select the middle icon for Wrap option (the third icon is not available initially until
you've customized the text wrap).
5. Choose a Text flow: With Icon 1 text stops at the text/graphic then continues to next page or column. Icon 2 wraps text
to top and bottom only. Icon 3 wraps text completely around in a rectangular wrap (until you modify it).
6. If you know exactly how much space you want between text and text/graphic, make adjustments in the Standoff
section, otherwise accept the default and click OK. 7. If the text doesn't wrap exactly the way you want grab one of the
dotted lines representing the standoff area and pull it in closer or further away until you get the text wrap effect you
want.
Tips:
1. Select the 'Wrap text on same layer only' box if you don't want to wrap text on other layers around the text
block/graphic.
2. Allow sufficient standoff between text blocks to visually separate them, especially when there is not a large degree of
difference in the type used for each text block.
3. Align the bottom of pull-quotes with the baseline of adjacent text.
Drop caps are one variety of initial capitals -- those oversized letters used at the start of some paragraphs to catch the
eye and lead the reader into the text.
Here's How:
1. With the text tool, highlight the letter you wish to make into a drop cap.
2. Select Utilities | Plug-ins | Drop caps... from the menu bar.
3. In the Drop cap dialog box change the Size to the number of lines of text you want the letter to drop into the paragraph
(the default is 3).
4. Select Apply to see how the Drop cap will look.
5. If you don't like it, select Remove then try again.
6. When you are satisfied with your Drop cap, select the Close button on the Drop cap dialog box.
Tips:
1. If you want to use a different typeface for the Drop cap, make the changes before using the
Drop cap plug-in.
1. How to Create a Bullet List in a PageMaker Document
Difficulty Level: Easy
A bullet list is a list of words, phrases, or sentences set apart with a simple bullet or numbers at the start of of each line.
Bullet lists can help to set apart information or provide a list of steps to be taken to accomplish a task.
Here's How:
1. With the text tool, highlight the lines to which you want to add bullets or numbers or put your cursor at the start of the
first line (paragraph).
2. Select Utilities | Plug-ins | Bullets and numbering... from the menu bar.
3. In the Bullets and numbering dialog box select the style of bullet you want to use from the choices given or use the
Edit button to select a different font or bullet or size for the bullet.
4. If you want a numbered list instead of bullets, select the Numbers button. Choose a numbering style and specify the
number range to use if you don't want to start with number 1.
5. If you highlight the text you want bulleted or numbered, choose Only selected paragraphs for the Range; otherwise,
specify the number of paragraphs that you want bulleted.
6. Select Ok to add your selected bullet or number style.
Tips:
1. Be consistent in your use of bullets. Too many different styles in a publication or mixed bullets in one list are
confusing.
2. Numbers are good for lists of tasks that are best done sequentially or to designate relative importance among items in
the list.
The Word Counter plug-in is a quick way to see how many words are in your entire publication or
selected portions. Use it to determine copyfitting needs or to count the total number of stories that
make up a publication.
Here's How:
1. To count all words in your publication, with no text selected choose Utilities | Plug-ins | Word Counter
2. The Word Counter dialog displays a count for Characters, Words, Sentences, Paragraphs,
Text Objects, and Stories.
3. To count words for only portions of your publication, highlight the text in a text block (or a portion of it) with the text tool
then choose Utilities | Plug-ins | Word Counter.
Tips:
1. Word Counter is not available from the Story Editor.
2. Character count does not include spaces but does include punctuation. Words with hyphens (such as eye-catching)
count as one word.
3. If selected text contains no ending punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation) then the Word Counter will say
there are no sentences in the selection.
1. Using Photo-Objects in Adobe PageMaker and Microsoft Publisher
a clipping path and transparency tutorial
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Adobe PageMaker 6.5 and Microsoft Publisher 2000 do not have support for TIFF with transparency. This limitation can
be circumvented by saving your TIFF images as EPS with clipping path. However, you'll need to do any necessary
tweaking within your graphics program. Each program places the EPS and recognizes the clipping path immediately, but
do not provide editing options.
WARNING: Due to a glitch in the way PageMaker for Windows handles EPS files, on-screen the EPS will appear as if it
doesn't have a transparent background. However, it will look right when printed to a PostScript printer or when exported
as a PDF file. When opening the TIFF with transparency in Adobe Photoshop or Corel Photo-Paint there are a couple of
extra steps necessary to access the transparency information.
1st method:
• Go to Select > Load Selection
• In the Channel drop down, select #1 or Alpha 1
• Copy the Photo-Object then Paste it into a new Photoshop document
• Save the new Photo-Object for placing in your page layout program
2nd method:
• Open the Channels palette
• Make sure RGB is selected
• Hold Command (Mac) or Control (PC) and click on the #4 channel (Alpha 1 in 5.0)
• Copy the Photo-Object then Paste it into a new Photoshop document
• Save the new Photo-Object for placing in your page layout program
Below, is a portion of a PDF file from Adobe PageMaker 6.5. The images with the white rectangles are TIFF images. The
EPS images with clipping paths have transparent backgrounds. The appearance in Microsoft Publisher would be similar.