Table of Contents
Advertisement
If you use the control panel in program mode, select CHARACTER.Just press
the [>] button to get to the font attribute you want to set, press [v] to get to
its possible values, press [>]to scan through them, and finally press [v] to slap
in the value you want.
The procedures for selecting a font from a computer program is a bit more
complicated. These font selection methods are detailed in the next chapter.
3.4.2 Hints: Desktop publishing and page design
Desktop publishing systems help you automate your specifications for
margins, cover design, typefaces, font sizes, placement of graphics and
regular features. You build the specifications you want in templates,
standard page designs you later simply call up on your screen and fill in
with text.
. Some desktop publishing systems, such as Aldus's PageMaker, are page-
oriented: you put each page together individually. These are great for
shorter documents, such as newsletters, brochures and letters. Other
systems, such as Xerox Ventura Publisher, are document-oriented. That
makes them better suited to technical manuals and long proposals or
reports that go through many drafts.
Other ways in which such systems differ include whether they show on
your screen what you will get on paper (code-based programs don't), how
well they handle pictures, and how hard they are to learn. Think about your
needs before choosing a desktop publishing system.
c A few of today's computer programs let you see several different font
sizes and typefaces on your computer screen. That capability is necessary
if you want to see on-screen exactly what will print on your Star
LaserPrinter 4111. D esktop publishers call this capability WYSIWYG —
"what you see is what you get".
. When you design your pages, don't vary font size just to fit text into the
space available. Go with a size that's easy to read and be consistent.
Never be tempted to use all uppercase letters. When you want to highlight
text, switch to a bold font or draw a box around it.
Don't be afraid to use white space. White space relieves eye fatigue and
looks more attractive.
35
Advertisement
Table of Contents
