User manual

Customizing layouts 7-17
Formatting graphics on a layout
In Layout mode, you can format graphics you've pasted or imported
onto a layout in the same way you format graphic data in a container
field. For more information, see “Specifying formats for fields
containing graphics” on page 6-24.
Showing text, field, or button boundaries
You can show boundaries on a layout for text, fields, and buttons to
help you easily identify, position, and align these objects.
To hide text, field, or button boundaries, choose the corresponding
command from the Show submenu again.
Note Boundaries only appear in Layout mode. If you want to see
borders around these objects in Browse mode or when you print the
layout, define a border with the pen and line width palettes in the
status area.
Arranging objects
In Layout mode, you can:
1 group any combination of objects so you can edit or move them
together
1 change the stacking order of objects to get different effects when
the objects overlap
1 rotate an object or group of objects in 90-degree increments
1 align or distribute objects precisely
Note Use the Arrange toolbar (choose View menu > Toolbars >
Arrange) or context menus for quick access to many commands for
arranging objects. See “Using toolbars” on page 1-5 and “Using
context menus” on page 1-5.
Grouping and ungrouping objects
Group objects so you can work on the grouped object as if it were a
single object. You can:
1 copy and paste grouped objects, maintaining the arrangement of
the objects within the group
1 assign attributes (like a font or a fill color) to items in the group,
even if the attribute isn’t appropriate for all the items in the group.
(For example, assigning a new font to a group that contains text, a
field, and a graphic changes the text and the field, but leaves the
graphic alone.)
1 more easily work with stacking order, because grouped objects all
exist on the same layer
1 align an individual object to a grouped object
To group objects, in Layout mode, select the objects, then choose
Arrange menu > Group.
To ungroup a grouped object, select the group, then choose Arrange
menu > Ungroup.
To show
boundaries around Do this in Layout mode
All text (not in a field) Choose View menu > Show > Text Boundaries.
You see the boundaries as thin black boxes around
all layout text.
All fields Choose View menu > Show > Field Boundaries.
You see the boundaries as thin black boxes around
all fields.
All buttons on the layout Choose View menu > Show > Buttons.
You see the boundaries as gray boxes around all
buttons you’ve defined.