Adobe PageMaker
ADOBE PAGE MAKER
INTRODUCTION
Desktop publishing is a program that produces typeset quality text and clean graphic
images, merges the text and graphics on the same page and then print on high –resolution
printer or typesetter.
Page maker is a sophiscated page layout easy to use DPT program. All production tasks art
performed in the screen, which displays an exact image of the page, as it would appear
when printed.
Basic Features of Desktop Publishing
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Viewing of full pages/page spread on a screen
Type text or import from other programs
Draw / import graphics
Layer text and graphics on top of each other
Create master pages
Format text using style sheet
Access a wide range of fonts
Print positive or negative page images, including color separations
Starting a publication
Start adobe page maker by clicking the start button programs and then the menu item
where page maker program is contained e.g. Adobe 6.5 or 7.0
Page maker runs in a moment
To create a new document, click file and choose new or press Ctrl key from the keyboard
and N key
A document setup dialog box appears. Make the appropriate changes for example paper
size, paper orientation and printer type to be used e.t.c.
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Adobe PageMaker
Click OK to create a new document. Page maker opens the untitled document window (see
diagram below) after creating a document, the setting can be changed at any time. Click file
menu then document set-up and choose the new settings.
Tool box
Paper
Margins
Page boundary
colour
Ruler
Paste booard
Master
Page
icon
Control palette
Opening a publication (An existing document)
To open an existing document, choose the file then open or press Ctrl + O keys to display
the open dialog box. Choose the folder with the document the double click on the file name
Or
Click the file menu, point at recent then click file name.
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Toolbox
Tools are instruments used to do layout work. They are considered to be an artist’s
conventional collection or drawing tools. A tool box is a separate window, which can be
dragged by its title bar on any position on the screen. To select a tool click on the respective
icon on the toolbox. The cursor changes to indicate what tools you selected
Arrow tool
Rotate tool
Line tool
Rectangle tool
Ellipse tool
Text tool
Crop tool
Constained tool
Rectangle frame tool
Ellipse tool
Polygon tool
Polygon frame
Hand tool
Zoom tool
Tools
Arrow/Pointer tool:-Used to select, move and resize text blocks and graphics
Rotating tool: - Used to rotate text and graphics at any angle. When selected a star burst
appears
Text tool: - used to create /type and edit text
Constrained line tool: - used to draw lines divisible by 45 degrees
Crop tool: - used to trim graphics imported from other programs
Ellipse tool – used to draw oval shapes. To draw circles, hold down shift key
Line tool: - Draw lines at any angle
Rectangle: - used to create squares and rectangle boxes. To draw a square, hold down
shift key.
Zoom tool: - to magnify or reduce an area of a page.
Frame tools: - to create placeholder shapes.
Dividing a publication into columns
One main advantage of suing page maker instead of word processor is that it is easily
places text and graphics in columns. To establish column guides, dialog box shown below
appears. Enter the number of columns and then click Ok.
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Adobe PageMaker
Entering text
Click on the text tool. The cursor changes from an arrow to a text cursor.
Click on the page where you want to start typing text.
After clicking you will see a blinking insertion marker. Start typing.
If text is in a small type size, PageMaker displays txt in small X’s called greeking of text. To
see the actual character, zoom in the document by choosing a larger view, click view menu
to zoom or click on the right mouse button and choose the actual size.
Working with text blocks
When you select a text block by clicking on it with a pointer tool, two types of handle
appear: - text block handles and window shade handles. The text block handles are
small solid squares at the corners of the text block. Horizontal lines define the upper and
the lower boundaries of the text block. After creating a text block you can move it around or
change the shape by using the arrows/pointer tool. But first, the block must be selected (by
using the arrow tool) sometimes referred to a window shade.
To move the text block
Place arrow tool within the block, press and hold down the left mouse button then move to
new position and release he button.
You can also move the block to short distance by pressing arrow keys on the keyboard.
To resize the block drag the window shade handles. You can drag horizontally, vertically or
diagonally.
Placing text
Position to be loaded text icon where you want the upper left corner of the text block to
begin then click. The text will flow down to fill the column or page.
Text placement handles
Text placement handles give information about text in a block. A red arrow pointing
downwards means there is not enough room to fit the text in the block to accommodate all
the text. To make the text fit, either increase the text block or click on the red arrow and
place the text elsewhere. Plus sign means text is linked to another text block
An empty symbol means that is the end of the of the text block.
To delete a text block
Select the text to be deleted using the arrow tool and then press delete. Both the text and
the block will be deleted.
Importing text
You can import text generated in another application. PageMaker supports a wide variety of
word processing applications (and has special capabilities for the most popular ones) and
text files format (including Rich Text Format) and even imports text from other PageMaker
publications.
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Adobe PageMaker
Click edit menu and choose insert objects ( a dialogue box appears)
Choose the object type e.g. image document
Click file menu and choose update, to import the image to adobe
Or choose create from file and click browse to insert already existing document.
Setting the tabs and leaders
You can use tabs to position text at specific location relative to the left edge of a text block.
After you set tabs, it is easier to add leaders ( a row of dots or dashes placed between
items, usually in a list or table) you can set left and right aligned tabs as well as tabl=s that
align a column of numbers at the decimal point. You can re-use tab setting by setting them
as part of a style.
Editing text
This means making changes to already typed text e.g. inserting, deleting and copying or
moving text.
To insert text click on the position you want to insert using the text tool and start typing. All
other text moves to the right.
To delete text select character to be deleted then press delete key on the keyboard.
To move text from one place to another, select it, click edit then cut or press Ctrl +X
Place the cursor where you want to move the text then click edit menu then paste Ctrl + V
Story Editor
This is built – in word processor that enables quick typing and editing of text. It offers other
functions like search and replace, spell checking, creating table of contents, creating table of
index and marking entries.
To start the story editor
Select the text using the pointer arrow tool, click inside the story to bew edited, click edit
menu then story or press Ctrl + E or triple click on the text block with the arrow tool.
To close the story editor. Press Ctrl + W and click place to place you text or click edit menu
then edit layout or press Ctrl + E
Creating and setting indents
Click on type menu and then paragraph. Fill the dialog box as shown below.
Changing space between paragraphs
Always specify consistence spacing before and after paragraphs. This is done in the
paragraph specification dialog box.
Spacing between letters
There are two ways
1. Tracking
This lets you adjust letter spacing uniformly over a rage of selected text.
2. Kerning
This controls the spacing between pairs of characters.
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Changing spacing between lines
The vertical spacing between lines of the text is called leading. (Pronounced ledding). To
improve readability, you can change the leading for all or part of the story. You can
specify leading in 0.1 increments up to 100 points. You can change leading using the
control palette or the leading command.
PageMaker positions each line of the text in an invisible horizontal space called a slug.
You can see the slug when you select a line with the text tool. The height of the slug
represents the amount of leading you have chosen for the text. Changing the leading of
even one character on a line affects the leading of the entire line.
There are three leading methods in PageMaker
1. Proportional leading - The base line of a line of a text is two-thirds of the way
down from the top of the slug.
2. Top-of-caps leading – distance from the top of the slug of the base line equals the
height of the tallest character.
3. Base line leading – the bottom of the slug is aligned with the base line of a line
text.
Graphics
Rotating objects
To rotate any graphic select the object, click the rotating tool on the toolbox, click any of
the corner handles and rotate accordingly.
Use the rotating tool ( ) in the tool box to rotate an object manually around any fixed point,
or use the rotating option, on the control palette to rotate relative to the reference point
selected on the proxy.
To rotate an object with the rotating tool:
1. Select the object
2. Select the rotating tool from the toolbox
3. Position the starburst at a fixed point –the location around which you want to rotate
the selected object. If you are rotating around the centre point, press Ctrl.
4. Drag the starburst away from the fixed point, in the direction you want to rotate the
object. To constrain rotation to 45-degree –increments from the starting position,
press shift as you drag.
The rotating lever helps you control the amount of rotation. The farther you drag the
starburst away from the fixed point, the more control you’ll have when you rotate the
object
5. When the object is in position, release the mouse button.
To rotate an object with the control palette
1. Select the object
2. Choose window > show control palette
3. Click or double click to select a reference point on the proxy
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 If you click to select a reference point, it appears as a small box on the proxy,
and the corresponding point on the selected object – remains stationary as you
rotate the object.
 If you double click to select a reference point, it appears as a two or four way
arrow and the corresponding point on the selected object moves as you rotate
the object.
4. Adjust values for the rotating option in the control palette
Skewing objects
This is slanting an object vertically, horizontally by degrees increments. You can skew any
unlocked object, including a text block or a grouped item.
To skew an object
1. Select the object
2. Choose window > Show control palette
3. Click or double click to sect a reference point on the proxy
 If you click to select a reference point, it appear as small box on proxy, and the
corresponding point on the selected object-remains stationery as you skew the
object.
 If you double click to select a reference point, it appears a as two –or four way
arrow, and the corresponding point on the selected object moves as you skew the
object.
4. Specify a skew angle for the skewing option in the control palette
Positive angles move the top edge of the object to the right; negative values move the
top edge to the left, regardless of the selected reference point.
5. Click the apply button or press enter
Reflecting objects
This is used to create a mirror of an object by flipping it.
Use the control palette to horizontally or vertically reflect any unblocked object, including a
text object or a bitman image.
To reflect an object
1. Select the object
2. Chose window > Show control palette
3. Click or double click to select a reference point on the proxy
 If you click to select a reference point, it appears as a small box on the proxy,
and the corresponding point on the selected object –remains stationery as you
reflect the object.
 If you double click to select a reference point, it appears as a two –or four –way
arrow and the corresponding point on the selected object moves as you reflect
the object.
4. Click the horizontal reflecting button or the vertical reflecting button in the control
palette.
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Adobe PageMaker
Cropping graphics
This means trimming away parts of the graphics. It is done using the cropping tool from the
toolbox.
Wrapping text around graphics
This is done to visually integrated text and graphic in your publication. To apply the text
wrap feature to a graphic is done by selecting the graphic, click element and choose text
wrap command. PageMaker creates a dotted rectangular boundary around the graphic and
then automatically wraps text around the boundary. The graphic boundary an take any
shape. You can drag a boundary handle to any place on the page, and add more handles to
create new line segments by clicking on the boundary. To prevent text from refolding as you
reshape the boundary hold down the space bar.
Printing
PageMaker provide tools that help you translate your design ideas in print. Use print
command on the file menu to print.
Setting up tables
Table editor lets you create tables from your PageMaker publication. A table presents
information in columns and rows. The table editor is particularly effective for creating
worksheet, statistical tables, lists and forms. To set up a table you first define the size and
the number of rows and columns it contains. You then type or import text or data and
modify the tables as needed.
Creating An Embedded Adobe Table
Choose edit in layout view then click insert object, a dialog box appears. Select adobe table
from the list then click Ok. Insert appropriate values in the dialog box that will appear
requesting for the table dimension then click Ok.
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