Setting Up Documents

Setting Up Documents

Setting Up Documents

After you create a document, you can use the Document Setup manager in the Preferences dialog box to change the document type, measurement units, size, orientation, and other options (Layout | Document Setup).

The Document Setup manager presents similar options for each type of document, with some specific options for a particular document type; e.g., in a Publication document, you can set facing pages and page margins. In a Presentation document, you can specify screen size.

To Set Up a Document:

  1. Choose Layout | Document Setup.
  2. In the Document Setup manager, select the options you want and click OK.

Document Setup Options

The following options are available in all document types, except as noted.

Document Units

Choose an option in the Document Units pop-up menu. The unit you select will be used in the rulers.

Document Size

You can set the document size to match the paper in your printer, or set up a document based on a standard or custom size. The controls for document size are labeled according to the type of document (Illustration, Publication, and so on).

For illustrations larger than the current paper size, toggle the Breaks option in the Properties bar to see or hide page breaks. A line around the layout area indicates page boundaries.

To use a standard size, choose an option from the pop-up menu. You can choose standard sizes based on the document type.

  • From Printer: To base the dimensions of the layout area on your printer’s page size, choose From Printer. The layout area will match the settings in the Page Setup dialog box. For more information, see Matching Documents to Printer Pages.
  • Custom: To specify custom dimensions, choose Custom. Type the width in the first box and the height in the second box.

Orientation

To change the orientation of the document, click the button in the Orientation area. This swaps the width and height values of the document.

Margins

To set margin size for two-sided Publications, enter the Inside, Outside, Top, and Bottom margins in the text boxes in the Margins area. For single-sided Publications, enter Right, Left, Top, and Bottom margins. The margin is measured from the edge of the paper. Margins are not available in other document types.

On screen, the document’s margins appear as a dashed line. The page boundary appears as a solid line around the edge of the layout area. Make sure the margins are not outside the page boundary.

Facing Pages

To create double-sided pages, select Facing Pages. When Facing Pages is on, the document has a left and a right master page that you can apply to its left-hand and right-hand pages. This option is available in Publication documents only. Note that once you select Facing Pages for a Publication, it cannot be undone or changed to another document type.

Paper Color

Lets you apply a solid color to the document layout area. The paper color is for display purposes only and does not print. To apply a paper color, select a color from the pop-up palette.

When objects are partially transparent, the paper color is visible through the objects. However, while the paper color is not visible through solid objects, in the real world, the colors of objects will be affected by the color of the paper they are printed on; e.g., a yellow circle printed on blue paper will appear green. This is not shown on screen in Canvas X Draw when you use the Paper Color option.

Canvas X Draw includes the paper color when it renders transparent objects, so the paper color affects the rendered image the same as it does on screen in Canvas X Draw.

Matching Documents to Printer Pages

Canvas X Draw sets the orientation and dimensions in the Document Setup section of the Preferences dialog box to match the selected page size.

When From Printer is selected from the Document Size drop-down menu and you change the page settings, Canvas X Draw changes the dimensions of the document to match. You can choose File | Print to change the paper size, or its orientation; Canvas X Draw will update the dimensions of the document and you do not have to choose Layout | Document Setup.

When the document type is Illustration, and you select From Printer from the Document Size drop-down menu, the document size is equal to the printable area or page boundary of the paper selected in the Document Setup section of the Preferences dialog box. For Publication document types, the document size is equal to the paper size, rather than the page boundary.

On most printers, the page boundary is smaller than the paper size. Illustration documents are sized to the page boundary, so illustrations will fit on the paper without being scaled. You should note that the page boundary on many printers is not centered exactly on the paper.

To see or hide the page boundary, you can toggle the Breaks option in the Properties bar. Canvas X Draw indicates the page boundary by a solid line around the border of the page.

When From Printer is selected from the Document Size drop-down menu, Canvas X Draw checks the Page Setup information each time you open the document. If necessary, it adjusts the document’s dimensions to match the page information.

See Also:

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