8.5

•
Select the Item tool and move the Arrow pointer over an Understanding handles to display
the Resizing pointer. Click and drag the handle to a new location to reduce or extend the
length of the line.
• Choose Item > Modify (Command+M/Ctrl+M), then click the Line tab. Click the Mode
drop-down menu to display the four mode options (see "Line modes for straight lines").
Choose Left Point, Midpoint, or Right Point to display a Length field. Enter values in
the Length field to precisely change the length of a line, then click OK.
• Choose either Left Point, Midpoint, or Right Point from the Line Mode drop-down
menu in the Classic or Space/Align tab of the Measurements palette to display the L
(Length) field. To precisely change the length of a line, enter a value in the L field, then
press Return/Enter.
You can resize any Bézier line by modifying the size of its bounding box. To do so, make
sure Item > Edit > Shape is unchecked, and then resize the line as if it were a box.
Reshaping lines
You can change the shape of a line in the following ways:
• You can change the shape entirely by choosing a different option from the Item > Shape
submenu.
• You can reshape Bézier lines by repositioning points, curve handles, and line segments.
For more information, see "Understanding Bézier shapes."
Controlling line appearance
To control the appearance of active lines, use the controls in the following places:
• Measurements palette (Classic tab)
• Line tab of Modify dialog box (Item menu)
• Colors palette (Window menu) — for line color only
In addition to color, shade, and opacity, you can control the following characteristics for
lines:
• Line style: This option lets you control the general appearance of a line. Several line styles
are included by default, and you can add new ones with the Dashes & Stripes dialog box
(Edit menu).
• Width: You can specify the width of lines in any measurement system. You can also specify
a Hairline width; the printed width of a hairline rule is .125 pt on a PostScript imagesetter,
with a wider value on some laser printers.
• Arrowheads: You can apply arrowheads to lines using the Arrowheads drop-down menu.
You can also specify line appearance in an Item Style. For more about Item Styles, see "Item
Styles XTensions software."
A GUIDE TO QUARKXPRESS 8.5: PLUS EDITION | 67
BOXES, LINES, AND TABLES