8.5

When the Item tool is selected, you can remove items with the Clear (Mac OS only)
and Delete commands. Cleared and deleted items are not copied to the Clipboard.
Controlling the stacking order of items
When two or more items overlap, each is either positioned in front of or behind the other
item. The term "stacking order" refers to the front-to-back relationship of the various items
on a page. Each item you create occupies its own level in the stacking order. Every new
item you create becomes the front item.
The Item menu includes commands that let you control item stacking order.
• Choose Item > Send to Back to move an item to the back of the page or layer.
• Choose Item > Bring to Front to move an item to the front of the page or layer.
• To move an item one level backward in the page or layer on Mac OS, press Option and
choose Item > Send Backward. On Windows, choose Item > Send Backward.
• To move an item one level forward in the page or layer on Mac OS, press Option and
choose Item > Bring Forward. On Windows, choose Item > Bring Forward.
In a document with layers, the layers themselves are in a particular stacking order; within
each layer, each item has its own relationship to the stacking order. When you use the
Send to Back, Send Backward, Bring to Front, and Bring Forward commands (Item
menu), the stacking order of the items is altered within the layer.
To activate an item that is hidden behind other items, select the Item tool and press
Command+Option+Shift/Ctrl+Alt+Shift while you click repeatedly at the point where
multiple items overlap. Pressing Command+Option+Shift/Ctrl+Alt+Shift while clicking
will successively activate items from the front of the stacking order to the back.
Grouping items
You can combine multiple items on a page or spread into a single group. Grouping items
is useful when you want to select or move several items simultaneously. You can move,
cut, copy, duplicate, and perform a number of other functions on a group. For example,
you can group all the items that compose a publication masthead; once grouped, you can
modify or move the entire group as you would a single box, line, or text path.
After you create a group, you can still edit, resize, and reposition individual items while
maintaining the group relationship. You can also place a copy of a group into an open
QuarkXPress library for use in other documents.
Items can be grouped when two or more items (lines, boxes, text paths, or other groups)
are active. To select multiple items with the Item tool , either Shift+click each item or
draw a marquee around the items you want to group. Choose Item > Group
(Command+G/Ctrl+G) to place multiple selected items into a single group.
You can group groups, and multiple-select a group (or groups) along with individual boxes,
lines, and text paths to create a larger group.
A GUIDE TO QUARKXPRESS 8.5: PLUS EDITION | 69
BOXES, LINES, AND TABLES