Writer Guide

frames looks reasonably good in most cases but is rarely the best
choice.
One of the most visually effective ways to position a frame is to align
its left margin with that of the paragraph above it. To achieve this
effect, insert the frame in a blank paragraph of the same style as the
paragraph above. Then, select Insert > Frame > Type > Position >
Horizontal > From Left to position the frame exactly where you want
it.
You also should think about the type of wrap and the spacing between
the frame and text. Instead of cramming a frame close to the text, use
the Wrap tab to place some white space between them.
You can format frames individually or define and apply frame styles—
see Chapter 7 (Working with Styles).
Example: Using a frame to center text on a page
Although you can center text horizontally as part of a paragraph style
or by using manual formatting, those methods do not work for vertical
centering. To center text vertically, you need to place the text in a
frame and then center the frame vertically on the page.
Creating frames
You can create a frame in several ways, depending on your needs.
• Choose Insert > Frame) to create an empty frame. The Frame
dialog box (Figure 104) appears. You can click OK and come back
to customize it later, or you can set the frame’s characteristics at
this stage.
• Select text or a graphic, choose Insert > Frame, and click OK to
create a frame containing the selection. The selected text is
automatically deleted from the normal text flow and inserted into
the frame, and the Frame dialog box appears.
• Insert a picture or other object by selecting Insert > Picture >
From file or Insert > Object to start the process to insert a
picture or object. The item inserted automatically appears in a
frame, but the Frame dialog box does not appear.
• Use the Insert Frame Manually icon on the Insert toolbar (go to
View > Toolbars > Insert to display it), select the number of
frames in the drop-down menu, and drag the mouse to draw the
frame.
Chapter 4 Formatting Pages 123