How to Contact Us Our main office (UK, Europe): The Software Centre PO Box 2000, Nottingham, NG11 7GW, UK Main: (0115) 914 2000 Registration (UK only): (0800) 376 1989 Sales (UK only): (0800) 376 7070 Customer Service/ Technical Support: http://www.support.serif.com/ General Fax: (0115) 914 2020 North American office (USA, Canada): The Software Centre 17 Hampshire Drive, Suites 1 & 2, Hudson NH 03051, USA Main: (603) 889-8650 Registration: (800) 794-6876 Sales: (800) 489-6703 Customer Service/ Technical Support: http://www.support.serif.com/ General Fax: (603) 889-1127 Online Visit us on the Web at: http://www.serif.com/ International Please contact your local distributor/dealer. For further details, please contact us at one of our phone numbers above. This User Guide, and the software described in it, is furnished under an end user License Agreement, which is included with the product. The agreement specifies the permitted and prohibited uses. Trademarks CraftArtist is a trademark of Serif (Europe) Ltd. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks acknowledged. Windows Vista and the Windows Vista Start button are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Adobe Flash is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Copyrights TrueType font samples from Serif FontPacks © Serif (Europe) Ltd. Digital Images © 2008 Jupiterimages Corporation, All Rights Reserved. Digital Images © 2008 Jupiterimages France SAS, All Rights Reserved. Bitstream Font content © 1981-2005 Bitstream Inc. All rights reserved. The Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine © 2000 Wintertree Software Inc. Panose Typeface Matching System © 1991, 1992, 1995-1997 Hewlett-Packard Corporation. Anti-Grain Geometry - Version 2.4 © 2002-2005 Maxim Shemanarev (McSeem) © 2010 Serif (Europe) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this User Guide may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Serif (Europe) Ltd. CraftArtist © 2010 Serif (Europe) Ltd. All rights reserved. Companies and names used in samples are fictitious. All screenshots were taken using the US version of CraftArtist 1. Contents Contents 1. Welcome ............................................................ 1 Key features................................................................................................................. 4 Installation ................................................................................................................ 10 2. Getting started ................................................. 13 Using the Startup Wizard.................................................................................... 15 Understanding Craft Projects ........................................................................... 18 Starting from a template .................................................................................... 21 Starting projects from scratch .......................................................................... 32 Make & Do projects ............................................................................................... 45 Opening and displaying projects.................................................................... 47 Saving your work ................................................................................................... 49 3. Digikits .............................................................. 51 Browsing .................................................................................................................... 53 Buying Digikits ........................................................................................................ 57 4. Pages and design aids .................................... 61 Adding, moving and deleting pages............................................................. 63 Navigating pages ................................................................................................... 67 Panning and zooming ......................................................................................... 68 Using design aids ................................................................................................... 70 Contents 5. Working with photos ........................................ 75 Adding and positioning your photos ............................................................77 Replacing, resizing, and deleting photos .....................................................82 Cropping your photos ..........................................................................................85 Retouching photos ................................................................................................88 Applying PhotoLab filters ...................................................................................89 Using Cutout Studio ..............................................................................................97 6. Adding photos to frames ............................... 103 Adding photo frames to your project ......................................................... 105 Fitting photos to frames ................................................................................... 108 Deleting frames and framed photos ........................................................... 115 Converting photos to frames ......................................................................... 116 7. Working with text ........................................... 117 Editing and deleting text.................................................................................. 124 Formatting text..................................................................................................... 125 Fitting text to a path........................................................................................... 130 Adding outlines and edges to text............................................................... 133 Sentiments.............................................................................................................. 137 8. Applying effects ............................................. 143 Adding drop shadows ....................................................................................... 145 Applying other 2D filter effects ..................................................................... 146 Applying 3D filter effects.................................................................................. 147 Paper textures ....................................................................................................... 148 Applying transparency ...................................................................................... 150 Contents 9. Adding lines and shapes ............................... 157 Using QuickShapes ............................................................................................. 159 Drawing lines and shapes ................................................................................ 160 Editing lines and shapes ................................................................................... 164 Changing line style.............................................................................................. 174 Copying an item's formatting......................................................................... 177 10. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing ................... 179 Scissor cuts ............................................................................................................. 181 Combining, cropping, and joining items................................................... 188 Erasing and adding to items ........................................................................... 196 Using stencils ......................................................................................................... 201 11. Adding brush strokes ..................................... 205 Adding brush strokes ......................................................................................... 207 Choosing brush types ........................................................................................ 208 Creating brush strokes....................................................................................... 212 Setting brush stroke properties ..................................................................... 214 12. Working with colour ....................................... 217 Changing fill and line colour........................................................................... 219 Applying gradient fills........................................................................................ 222 Using colour palettes ......................................................................................... 226 13. Arranging items .............................................. 233 Rotating and shearing items ........................................................................... 235 Ordering items ...................................................................................................... 241 Grouping items ..................................................................................................... 243 Contents 14. Sharing and publishing .................................. 245 Sharing via website ............................................................................................. 247 Basic printing ......................................................................................................... 251 Exporting as PDF .................................................................................................. 254 Sharing via email.................................................................................................. 255 15. Index .............................................................. 257 Welcome 2 Welcome Welcome 3 Welcome to CraftArtist—the digital crafting solution that combines crafting fun with a wealth of powerful drawing and crafting tools for the very best results. In an instant, you'll be able to create beautiful print projects with that professional touch! Projects such as greeting cards, scrapbooks, photobooks, stationery, gift wrap, and party crafts can be created from ready-to-go layouts or from scratch—it's your choice! For unlimited design possibilities, CraftArtist works with a range of DaisyTrail Digikits, each offering themed items that you can use as starting points for your projects. Each Digikit includes a selection of drag-and-drop layouts, backgrounds, embellishments, materials, photo frames, and decorative letters. 4 Welcome In addition to supplying ready-to-go content, CraftArtist lets you add decorative lines, shapes, and stencils. You can also apply natural or spray brush strokes using easy-to-use drawing and painting tools. Photos can be added to your project, and image adjustments and effects applied using the powerful PhotoLab. You can even cut out the subject of a photo, and create your own photo frames! Once you've created your masterpiece, you'll want to share it. A lively web-based craft designing community—www.daisytrail.com—is available for you to share your projects freely or to selected groups. You'll make some new friends along the way too! Don't forget to visit DaisyTrail.com to download your free Digikits—and purchase new ones! Key features Crafting essentials • Create beautiful craft projects easily! (p. 18) Create greetings cards, photobooks, stationery, and gift wrap from your purchased Digikits. Simply select, edit, then print! Why not try Make & Do projects with step-by-step written and video instructions—create real greeting cards for friends and family! • Digikits (p. 51) Digikits are rich in items perfect for craft designs. Your items, chosen from a powerful Digikit Browser, are loaded into Content tabs ready to drag and drop onto the page—nothing could be easier! You can increase the number of Digikits available to you by browsing and purchasing the latest Digikits hosted on the www.daisytrail.com website. • Scissor cuts, erasing, and adding to items (p. 179) Take your �virtual’ scissors to materials with the Scissors tool—choose from a wide selection of scissor cut types (Square, Pinking, Shark Fin, ZigZag, and more). Use the Erase and Freeform Paint tools to remove and add to items. Welcome 5 • Add impact with a ready-to-go stencil (p. 201) The Stencils tab provides a wide selection of ready-to-go stencil templates—designs include birds, people, plants, shapes, and more. The stencils are quick and easy to use, and provide endless opportunities for creativity. Simply drag and drop your chosen stencil onto your page, then paint over it with the Brush tool, or use it to cut out a design from a photograph. • Design, print, and upload in high-resolution In CraftArtist, 300dpi native working is the norm. All craft items are high-resolution so quality is guaranteed. Printing and upload at 300dpi gives truly outstanding high-quality output. • Layer work made easy For greater design control, store items on layers—work on items on one layer without affecting items on other layers. Layers can be created, merged, and hidden, and display a hierarchical tree view of associated items for easy selection. Apply paper textures to layer items (p. 148)! Ease of use • Total ease of use Tabbed, collapsible, and dockable Studio tabs are always at hand. Choose from preset colours, line styles, brushes, and effects, or create your own. Use tabs to arrange, transform, and align items. • Context toolbars Context toolbars offer different tools and options depending on the currently selected item. Great for efficiency and simplifying your workflow. • Design aids (p. 70) Rotate your canvas through any angle, just like an artist would do in real life. For more focused design, use Solo Mode to work on items in isolation. Use the Rule of Thirds tool on your photos or on your project's pages for improved page composition. 6 Welcome Photos • Adding photos (p. 77) Personalize your projects by importing your own photos from hard disk, CD/DVD, digital camera or scanner. Store photos in the Photos tab before dragging directly onto a page or into a photo frame; optionally fill each photo frame automatically using AutoFlow! At any time, try dragging a frame onto an unframed photo or swap one frame for another by drag-and-drop. • Cropping and fitting photos to frames (p. 108) Use the Crop Tool to remove unwanted areas of your framed photo. For perfect photo placement, you can scale, pan, and rotate photos to your liking. • Frame Editor allows you to create your own Digikit photo frames from a photo-based image of a frame. • Convert photos to frameless frames (p. 116) Photos you've added directly to your page (i.e., those that are not inside a decorative photo frame) can be converted so that they sit inside “frameless” frames. These frames function exactly like the decorative frames you've added from the Frames tab, allowing you to crop, zoom, and pan the photos inside them. You can even use the AutoFlow feature to automatically replace frame contents! • Apply photo adjustments and effects (p. 88) PhotoLab provides an impressive selection of editable non-destructive photo adjustments (White Balance, Lighting, Curves, to name just a few...) and creative effects (including a selection of artistic effects such as Pencil, Watercolour, and Oil). You can apply single or multiple filters to an entire photo, or to selected areas using a mask. Your original photo remains intact. You can even save adjustment/effect combinations as Favourites for future use. Welcome 7 PhotoLab also includes Red-eye and Spot-repair tools for easy retouching. (See Applying PhotoLab filters on p. 89.) • Photo cutouts (p. 97) Cutout Studio makes light work of cutting out your photos. Use brushes to discard backgrounds (sky, walls, etc.) or keep subjects of interest (people, objects, etc.). • Use QuickFrame, an ornate QuickShape, to frame your photos. Brushes and Lines • Realistic brush strokes (p. 205) Unleash the painter within you with CraftArtist's powerful Brush tool! Apply natural or spray brush strokes using preset brush types from the Brush tab's galleries—additionally pick brushes from Digikits. Even apply a brush stroke around item edges! • Natural brush strokes (p. 208) The Natural Media category hosts Acrylic, Charcoal, Paint, Felt Tip, and Watercolour brushes. Use Embroidery brushes on cut materials, or why not adorn your page with lace and ribbon Photo brush effects which can be recoloured in an instant. • Spray brush strokes (p. 208) Have fun with spray brushes from categories such as Airbrush, Embroidery, Flowers, Fun & Celebrations, Glitter, and more. • Versatile line and curve drawing (p. 160) For natural smooth curves, click and drag with the Pen tool, even edit Bezier curve segments with selectable join options. Draw straight or freeform lines with the Pencil tool. Join any line's ends to create irregular filled shapes, with optional offset outlines! • Brushes and lines get pressure sensitive! Use in-built pressure sensitivity control for beautiful and realistic natural brush strokes or when drawing freeform lines; control the weight and opacity of your strokes as you apply pressure. 8 Welcome Text • Sentiments for that special message (p. 137) Struggling to find the right words for your card? CraftArtist comes with pre-written and pre-formatted sentiments you can add to your cards with ease. Select birthday greetings, quotes, and messages for every occasion. If you've typed your own special message, save it as a custom sentiment for future use. • Artistic and shape text (p. 119) Apply artistic text or text within QuickShapes right on the page... apply basic formatting from the always-at-hand Text context toolbar. Convert text to curves for text design freedom. • Fitting text to a path (p. 130) Make your text flow along drawn curves, or even around closed shapes or QuickShapes. Preset text paths (e.g., spirals and waves) can be applied to any artistic text. Drawing • Design inspiration Use the Online tab to view video tutorials explaining how to use CraftArtist's tools and how to apply various creative techniques. • QuickShapes (p. 159) QuickShapes work like intelligent clipart which can morph into a myriad of different shape variations. Even extremely complex shapes like spirals, stars, and webs are simple to draw. • Copy fills and effects between objects! (p. 177) Use the Format Painter to copy fills and effects between objects. • Colour and transparency control (p. 217) Apply solid colour or transparency to any drawn item's line or fill (or brush stroke) with the Colour tab. The tab hosts colour swatches from Digikits, an HSL colour wheel (for custom colour selection), and transparency slider. Use the Fill Tool to apply gradient, plasma, or mesh fills for exciting results—a gradient fill path lets you add or replace colours and/or transparency simultaneously for more subtle gradients. Welcome 9 • Design your own custom colour palettes with Colour Palette Designer For quick results, simply pick your base colour and then choose from a range of related colours. You can add suggested colours automatically, or mix your own colours to create a new palette. (See Creating custom palettes in CraftArtist Help.) • Filter effects (p. 143) Give your project items depth with Material Depth or soft edges with Feather Edge. Why not apply drop shadows with the Shadow Tool? All are easy to apply and sure to impress. • Astounding 3D lighting and surface effects (p. 147) The Studio's Effects tab offers preset 3D effects (metals, elements, glass, stone, wood, and more) you can apply one or more effects, then customize by varying surface and source light properties. Sharing • Share via website (p. 247) Upload projects to Serif's digital craft community website, www.daisytrail.com. View layouts using powerful zoom technology, comment on, or search for any project by tag. Create public or private groups for like-minded crafters—great for making new friends! Take part in craft discussions in DaisyTrail's forums. • Email project images to friends and family Send your project as Adobe PDF and the popular JPEG format—or simply email your *.craft file! 10 Welcome Installation System requirements Minimum: • Windows-based PC with DVD drive and mouse • Microsoft Windows® XP (32 bit), Windows® Vista, or Windows® 7 operating system • 512MB RAM • 266MB (recommended full install) free hard disk space (program only)* • 1024 x 768 monitor resolution * Does not include space requirements for Digikit collections and downloaded Digikits. Additional disk resources and memory are required when editing large or complex documents. To enjoy the full benefit of brushes and their textures, you'll need a computer whose processor supports SSE. On brush selection, an onscreen message will indicate if your computer is non-SSE. Optional: • Windows-compatible printer • TWAIN-compatible scanner and/or digital camera • Pen (graphics) tablet • Internet account and connection required for accessing downloadable DaisyTrail.com Digikits, online resources, and project upload Welcome 11 Installation procedure • Insert your purchased DVD into your DVD drive. • If AutoPlay is enabled on the drive, this automatically starts the Setup Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions for install. -or- • If AutoPlay is not enabled (or doesn't start the install automatically), run setup.exe from your DVD. 12 Welcome Getting started 14 Getting started Getting started 15 Using the Startup Wizard Once you have installed CraftArtist, you're ready to start crafting! By default, a Serif CraftArtist item is added to the All Programs submenu of the Windows Start menu. Opening the Startup Wizard • Use the Windows Start menu to open CraftArtist. -or- • If CraftArtist is already running, on the File menu, click New>New from Startup Wizard... 16 Getting started The Startup Wizard offers different routes into the program: Option Allows you to... Choose a Template Create a CraftArtist Project (greeting card, scrapbook, photobook, etc.) based on a template. You can customize the layout to suit your needs by adding your own photos, text, and decorative items. Blank Project Create a new CraftArtist project from scratch. Make & Do Project Create physical projects (rather than electronic ones) such as greeting cards. Follow the written and video instructions step-by-step for beautiful cards you can pop in the post box! Download Free Digikits Access free to use Digikits hosted on DaisyTrail. Visit DaisyTrail Shop Buy Digikit Collections and individual Digikits on DaisyTrail. Use the Open section to launch recently opened and saved CraftArtist projects (plus unopened projects). Hover over each entry for a quick preview before clicking! The Learn section allows you to access online video tutorials hosted on DaisyTrail, as well as the DaisyTrail gallery and forums. The CraftArtist User Guide (PDF format) tells you all you need to know about CraftArtist. Getting started 17 Turning the Startup Wizard off and on If you don't want the Startup Wizard to display every time you open CraftArtist, you can turn it off. To turn off the Startup Wizard: • In the lower-left corner of the Startup Wizard, click Don't show this wizard again. -or- 1. On the Tools menu, click Options... 2. In the Options dialog, under Ease of Use, clear the Startup Wizard check box. Both methods only turn the Startup Wizard off when you open CraftArtist. Once the program is open, you can still access the Startup Wizard by clicking File>New>New from Startup Wizard. To turn the Startup Wizard back on: 1. On the Tools menu, click Options... 2. In the Options dialog, under Ease of Use, select the Startup Wizard check box. -or- 1. On the File menu, click New>New from Startup Wizard. 2. Click to clear the Don't show this wizard again box. 18 Getting started Understanding Craft Projects CraftArtist is project based, and allows you to create greeting cards, scrapbooks, photobooks, stationery, gift wrap, and party crafts from project templates or from scratch. Your saved work can then be saved as a Craft Project (*.craft) file. Template-based projects The projects you can create depend on the product you've purchased and any installed Digikit you've downloaded and installed. As an example, the Greeting Cards Digikit Collection contains many Digikits, each packed with different layouts to make your Greeting Card project template. Similarly, the Scrapbooks Digikit Collection provides scrapbook layouts, the Baby Photos Digikit Collection provides baby-related layouts, etc. The project types are as follows: Greeting Cards You can choose from greeting card layouts from your installed Digikits. Layout types include Side Fold, Tent Fold, Tri-Fold, Z-fold. Scrapbooks This project type is for typical 12" x 12" scrapbook pages. The Digikit layouts are all designed for the creation of stunning scrapbooks. Embellishments, materials for cutting, and textured backgrounds all contribute to great layouts. Getting started 19 Photobooks Photobook layouts are packed with photo frames which automatically populate with your favourite hand-picked photos. Great for photo-rich wedding and baby albums! Stationery Create your own personalized stationery including invitations, RSVPs, menus, thank you cards, and much more. Gift Wrap Diverse layouts are provided for gift wrap (Gift bags, boxes, and tags). Party Crafts Start celebrating with room, glass, and cupcake decorations, plus party masks, place cards, and table numbers! Template-based projects are created from the Startup Wizard's Choose a Template option. (See Starting from a template on p. 21). Whichever layout you then select, you'll also get all other items from the Digikit added to the Content tabs in your workspace. 20 Getting started Blank projects By starting from scratch, you can still create any of the above project types, but as simple empty page layouts. By using the Digikit Browser (see p. 53), you can then choose any installed Digikit to pick items to base your project on. This gives you more flexibility in design. Blank projects are created from the Startup Wizard's Blank Project option. (See Starting projects from scratch on p. 32). Getting started Starting from a template Digikits offer a selection of template layouts, backgrounds, frames, materials, letters, embellishments, brushes, swatches, and effects. If you want to get started quickly, selecting a template will help you to create your first project in just a few easy steps. There's no need to worry about your project paper sizes as your project will automatically scale to your printer's paper size. You can also create original projects from scratch. See Starting a project from scratch on p. 32. Additional Digikits are available from the www.daisytrail.com website. 21 22 Getting started Choosing a layout 1. Launch CraftArtist, or click File>New>New from Startup Wizard... 2. In the Startup Wizard, click Choose a Template. If you've switched the Startup Wizard off, you can switch it on again. Click Tools>Options, select the Ease of Use option, and then select the Startup Wizard check box. 3. From the dialog's Craft Projects tab, select the type of project you want to create, e.g. Greeting Cards, Scrapbook Pages, PhotoBooks, etc. 4. In the middle pane, scroll to review each layout; on hover over, each layout's thumbnail gives a visual indication of your printed project. You'll see the same set of layouts repeated for each installed Digikit in turn. Getting started 5. Click to select the layout. 6. Click OK to exit the dialog. The first page of the layout opens in the workspace, and all of the design items contained in the Digikit are added to the Content tabs at the left of the workspace. 23 24 Getting started 7. Running horizontally along the lower edge of the workspace, the Pages tab displays the pages you chose to add to your project. Click through the thumbnails to view these pages in the workspace and choose the page you want to work on first. For fixed layouts such has greeting cards (above), your pages are added automatically. For other projects, you can insert, copy, move, and delete pages without constraint. (See Adding, moving, and deleting pages on p. 63.) Getting started 25 Adding your own photos 1. On the Photos tab, click Add... 2. In the Open dialog, browse to and select the photos you want to add to your project. • To select multiple adjacent files, press and hold down the Shift key, click the first file in the list, and then click the last file. • To select multiple non-adjacent files, press and hold down the Ctrl key, and then click to select. 3. Click Open. Your photos are added to the Photos tab. 4. To add a photo to your page, simply drag it from the Photos tab. You can drag directly onto the page, or onto an existing photo frame. 26 Getting started Adjusting and replacing framed photos 1. Select the framed photo, and then click the Crop button. 2. To rotate, or zoom into or out of the photo, click the buttons displayed at the right edge of the photo. Getting started 3. To pan the photo, click and drag on it. 4. To close the Crop window, click page or pasteboard area. 27 Back, or click elsewhere on the To replace a photo: • Drag a different photo onto a frame from the Photos tab. -orSelect 1. Select the framed photo you want to replace, then click the Cropped Object(s) button that displays below it. 2. Click the 3. Browse to and select the photo you want to add and click Open. Replace Photo button on the Photo context toolbar. You can preview a photo in a frame by dragging the photos over the frame (without releasing the mouse button). 28 Getting started Changing backgrounds • From the Backgrounds tab, drag a different thumbnail onto your existing background. Sentiments To insert a new sentiment: 1. Insert Sentiment from the To add a preset sentiment, select Pages context toolbar (ensure Select tool is enabled). 2. From the dialog, choose a sentiment category and then your sentiment from the right-hand pane. 3. Click Insert. For unwanted sentiments on your page, simply select with the Select tool and press Delete. You can edit the sentiment as before to change age, dates, etc. Getting started 29 To edit an existing sentiment: 1. Open the Pages tab. 2. Select the page on which the sentiment is located. 3. Click in the sentiment text and edit the sentiment. Great for changing the age on a greeting card! You can save any text as a sentiment for later use, by clicking Add as sentiment, appearing under the text. Adding letters and numbers 1. Open the Letters tab. 2. To add an individual letter or number, drag it from the tab onto your page. -orTo add an entire word or phrase all at once, type it into the text box at 30 Getting started the bottom of the tab and click Insert. The word is added directly onto the page. 3. Use the Colour tab to colour the word or selected letters. Even add drop shadows using the Shadow tool. To work with grouped and ungrouped letters: • To move an individual letter or a group of letters, simply drag it. • To resize a letter or group, select it, and then drag a corner handle. Getting started 31 • To rotate a letter or group, select it, and then drag its rotate handle. • To delete a letter or group, select it and press the Delete key. • To group letters, click and drag to draw a selection marquee around them. (To avoid selecting the object beneath the letters, hold down the Alt key as you drag.) • Release the mouse button and then click the Group button. To ungroup, select the group and click the Ungroup button. 32 Getting started Adding decorative items 1. In the Content tabs at the left of the workspace, open the Embellishments or the Materials tab. 2. Scroll the tab to find the item you want to add, and then drag it onto your page. 3. To move, resize, rotate, or delete an item, use the methods described above in Adding letters. To remove a design item from a Content tab, click its button. Remove Starting projects from scratch If you decide to create your project from scratch, the first step is to select the page size and layout for your project. Creating a new blank project 1. Launch CraftArtist, or click File>New>New from Startup Wizard... 2. In the Startup Wizard, click Blank Project. If you've switched the Startup Wizard off, you can switch it on again. Click Tools>Options, select the Ease of Use option, and then select the Startup Wizard check box. If the Startup Wizard is turned off, or you cancel the wizard, a new blank page will open of the type and size you last created. Choosing page size and layout When starting a blank project, you'll be able to set up your page size and layout initially, using standard or custom page sizes. Getting started Using standard page sizes 1. From the Page Setup dialog, select your project type from the lefthand pane, e.g. Scrapbook Pages. 2. From the middle pane, navigate the categories and click on your chosen page layout. 33 34 Getting started Page margins are represented on the page area by solid blue guides (Left, Top, Right, and Bottom). 3. Click OK to accept the new dimensions. The updated settings are applied to the current project. Instead of picking standard page sizes your project can be based on a custom page size instead. Using custom page sizes • From the Page Setup dialog's middle pane, scroll down to the Custom option, and click it. • From the right-hand pane, edit the settings to create your custom page. You can also swap to a different layout for folded documents. Getting started 35 To change your project's page setup at any time: Page Setup. 1. On the Pages context toolbar, click 2. Select a project type and page layout as described above. Changing page units The width, height, and margins of your page (its printing dimensions) are shown in page units. You can change the unit without altering the page's actual dimensions. • From the Page Setup dialog, choose different page Units in the righthand pane. -or- 1. In your workspace, right-click the box which intersects your horizontal and vertical rulers at the top-right of your workspace. 2. From the flyout menu, select a different page unit. The page size and margin settings are automatically saved with your project. Normally, they are also recorded as �master settings,’ which will be in effect the next time you start CraftArtist or create a new project. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see Recording master settings in CraftArtist Help. For projects created from templates, you won't need to worry about page size and layout as this is automatically set according to the template you've chosen (your design will scale at print time). However, you may still wish to access Page Setup for several reasons: • You may want to quickly view your page size and layout to check your project settings. • You may need to work to a set paper size, perhaps if you're printing professionally. 36 Getting started Choosing page backgrounds 1. In the Digikit Browser, you'll see installed Digikits, plus featured free and purchasable Digikits from the DaisyTrail.com shop. (See Buying Digikits on p. 57.) Select the Digikit you want to browse by clicking its thumbnail. 2. Scroll to the Backgrounds category. You'll see the backgrounds available from the selected Digikit. Getting started 3. Click the background(s) that you want to use in your project. -orTo add all items from the Digikit, click Add all items . If you select an item from a featured free or purchasable Digikit— the Digikit Not Installed dialog will display and you will be prompted to visit the DaisyTrail.com shop. Once you've installed your free or purchased Digikit, the item will be added to the relevant Contents tab on selection. (See Buying Digikits on p. 57.) In the Content tabs at the left of the workspace, the Backgrounds tab displays the backgrounds you added to the project. 37 38 Getting started Back to all Digikits to add backgrounds from 4. (Optional) Click other Digikits. 5. Click Done. 6. Drag the background you want to use onto your page. To change the background, simply drag a new one onto the page. To remove a background from the Backgrounds tab, click its Remove button. Adding photo frames 1. On the Frames tab, click Add... 2. The Digikit Browser opens to display frames, categorized by the name of the Digikit to which they belong. Scroll to the Digikit category you want to add frames from. You can add frames from more than one Digikit. 3. Add all items Click a frame to add it to your craft project, or click to add them all. The selected frames are added to the Frames tab. 4. When you've finished selecting frames, click Done. 5. Drag a frame from the Frames tab onto your page. Getting started 39 Once the frame is added to the page, you can move, resize, and rotate it. To remove a frame from the Frames tab, click its button. Remove Adding photos 1. On the Photos tab, click Add... 2. In the Open dialog, browse to and select the photos you want to add. 3. • To select multiple adjacent files, press and hold down the Shift key, click the first file in the list, and then click the last file. • To select multiple non-adjacent files, press and hold down the Ctrl key, and then click to select. Click Open. Your photos are added to the Photos tab. 40 Getting started 4. Drag a photo from the Photos tab and drop it onto a frame, or onto the page. 5. (Optional) You can adjust your photo inside its frame, or even replace it if required. For details, see Adjusting framed photos on p. 112. To remove a photo from the Photos tab, click its button. Remove See also Replacing and resizing photos and Fitting photos to frames on p. 115 and p. 108, respectively. Adding decorative items 1. On the Embellishments or Materials tab, click Add... 2. The Digikit Browser opens to display Embellishments or Materials, categorized according to the Digikit to which they belong. Select the category from which you want to add items. (You can add items from more than one Digikit.) 3. Click an item to add it to your craft project, or click to add them all. Add all items Getting started 41 In the workspace, the items you added are displayed in the relevant Contents tab. 4. When you've finished selecting items, click Done. 5. To add an item to your page, drag it from its tab. 6. Once an item is placed on the page, you can move, resize, and rotate it as required. To remove a design item from a tab, click its Remove button. Adding letters 1. On the Letters tab, click Add... 2. The Digikit Browser opens to display letter sets, which are categorized by the name of the Digikit to which they belong. Scroll to the Digikit category you want to add letters from. You can add letters from more than one Digikit. 3. Click the letter set to add all letters to your craft project. They are added to the Letters tab. 4. When you've finished selecting your letter set, click Done. 5. To add an individual letter, number, or special character (such as an accent,) drag it from the tab directly onto your page. To add an entire word or phrase all at once, type it into the text box at the bottom of the tab and click Insert. To remove a letter from the Letters tab, click its button. Remove 42 Getting started You can now move, resize, rotate, and delete these letters individually, or you can work with them as a group by first clicking the Group button. (See Grouping items on p. 243.) Adding text Text tool. 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the 2. To create text at the default size, click on your page to set a text insertion point. -orClick and drag on your page to set the size of the text insertion point. 3. To set text attributes (font, size, etc.) before typing: Make your selections on the Text context toolbar. (See Formatting text on p. 125.) 4. To set text colour, set the Line/Fill swatches on the Colour tab. (See Changing line and fill colour on p. 219.) 5. Start typing. You can also create Shape Text, by typing directly inside a QuickShape or drawn shape. See Adding text on p. 120. Creating brush strokes Brush tool. 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the 2. At the right of the workspace, open the Brushes tab and select a brush category from the upper drop-down list, and then a specific brush. 3. On the Brush context toolbar, set the brush stroke properties (width, opacity, smoothness, etc.). Getting started 4. Drag a brush stroke across your page. 5. To create new brush strokes, repeat the click and drag process. 6. (Optional) Swap to a different brush on the Brushes tab for other brush effects, e.g. spray brushes for flowers, then continue painting. 7. When you have finished painting, to deselect the brush stroke press the Esc key. 43 44 Getting started Brushes used in the current project are added to the Document category of the Brushes tab. For more on brushes, see Adding brush strokes on p. 205. Adding Digikit brushes The Brushes tab's Digikit category displays the brushes added from Digikits. If you've previously chosen to add all the items from a Digikit, a selection of brush strokes will be displayed in this category. Some Digikits don't contain brushes. To add Digikit brushes: 1. On the Pages Context toolbar, click The Digikit Browser dialog opens. Add items from Digikits. 2. Select the Browse my items tab. 3. Select the Brushes category from the left-hand category list. 4. Scroll the middle pane until you find a set of Digikit's brushes you like. Click to select the brush(es) you want to use. Getting started 5. (Optional) Click Digikits. 6. Click Done. 45 Back to all Digikits to add brushes from other Make & Do projects Make & Do projects are a great excuse to get the scissors and glue out and try your hand at some 'real' project. These are typically cards for occasions or simply based on a theme. To make your project easy to complete, CraftArtist suggests equipment and materials needed. You'll also be able to follow a step-by-step video along with written How To instructions. 46 Getting started Each Make & Do project is actually a *.craft file, containing all the instructions, examples, and embellishments you'll need. The embellishments can be printed and cut out to complete your project. Make & Do projects provide all the content you'll need to complete your project. As such you won't be able to add content from installed Digikits. Starting a Make & Do Project 1. Launch CraftArtist, or click File>New>New from Startup Wizard... 2. In the Startup Wizard, click Make & Do Project. If you've switched the Startup Wizard off, you can switch it on again. Click Tools>Options, select the Ease of Use option, and then select the Startup Wizard check box. 3. From the dialog, choose a level which you feel most comfortable with—Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. Different Craft Projects will be offered for each level. 4. Select the project you want to make, then click OK. 5. Open the Pages tab, by clicking the your workspace. 6. Make your project by following the Start Page then Instructions page. Subsequent Print Template pages let you edit, print, and cutout embellishments for your project. button at the bottom of Getting started 47 Opening and displaying projects You can open an existing project from the Startup Wizard or the File menu. If you have more than one project open, you can switch between them using the Window menu or the document tabs. Opening a recently opened project (via Startup Wizard) 1. From the Startup Wizard (at startup time or via File>New...), select your project from the Open section. The most recently opened project will be shown at the top of the list. To see a thumbnail preview of any project before opening, hover over its name in the list. 2. Click the file name to open it. CraftArtist opens the file as a maximized currently active project. Recently viewed files also appear at the bottom of the File menu. Simply select the file name to open it. 48 Getting started Opening any project 1. From the Startup Wizard (at startup time or via File>New...), click Open.... -orChoose Open... from the File menu (at any time). 2. In the Open dialog, select the folder and file name. 3. Click Open to open the desired project as a maximized document. Browsing your projects 1. Choose Browse... from the File menu. 2. In the Open Saved Work dialog, in the Documents pane: • Use the Folders tab to browse your computer's folder structure and locate your projects. -or- • 3. Use the History tab to view your most recently used projects. On the right, preview thumbnails of your saved projects are displayed. You can choose between Thumbnails View (displays thumbnails only), or Details View (displays thumbnails and information about the file—file size, creation date, and so on). Click a thumbnail, and then click Open. Getting started 49 Displaying projects If you have multiple craft projects open at the same time, there are several ways to jump between them quickly. Displaying a project from the Window menu: • Select a project name from the Window menu. Unsaved projects are indicated with an asterisk. The currently active project is indicated with a check mark. Displaying a project from the document tabs: • In the upper left area of the workspace, click on an open project's tab to make it active. The file names of projects that are not active are greyed out. Saving your work The first time you save your work: Save. 1. Click 2. In the Save As dialog: • Type a file name. • Browse to and select the destination for your saved file. • Click Save. On subsequent saves: • To save the project under its current name, click the Save button (or use Ctrl+S on your keyboard). The existing project file is overwritten with your recent changes. 50 Getting started • To save the project under a different name, click File>Save As... to open the Save As dialog. CraftArtist periodically autosaves your work to a temporary file, allowing you to recover as much as possible in the event of a system failure. You can set autosave frequency under the General option of the Tools>Options... dialog. Craft projects are saved with a *.craft file extension. Digikits 52 Digikits Digikits 53 Browsing The Digikit Browser provides access to your installed Digikits, and to featured free and purchasable Digikits from daisytrail.com. You can browse Digikits and preview the items they contain, before adding them to your workspace. You can also use the search controls at the right of the dialog to narrow your search, or to find a specific item. There are two ways to browse Digikit items— by Digikit, or by item category. Browsing Digikits Add items from Digikits. 1. On the Pages context toolbar, click 2. In the Digikit Browser, you'll see installed Digikits, plus featured free and purchasable Digikits from the DaisyTrail.com shop. (See Buying Digikits on p. 57.) Browse the Digikits in My Digikits, Featured Free DaisyTrail.com Digikits and DaisyTrail.com Digikits categories. Hover over your chosen Digikit to see a zoomed-in preview for further inspection, then click its thumbnail. 3. Scroll through the categories to browse items included in the Digikit. 4. (Optional) To narrow your search, filter items by clicking tag names (e.g., Flower) in the Categories section. (See Applying a search filter on p. 54.) 5. To browse another Digikit, click Back to 'All Digikits'. 54 Digikits Browsing items 1. In the Digikit Browser dialog, click the Browse my items tab. You'll see items belonging to installed Digikits, plus featured free and purchasable Digikits from the DaisyTrail.com shop. (See Buying Digikits on p. 57.) 2. On the left-hand side of the dialog, select an item category you want to browse, e.g., Embellishments. 3. The items are categorized further in the middle pane by the name of the Digikit to which they belong, e.g., Afternoon Tea. Scroll through to browse the items included in each Digikit. To make browsing easier, you can expand and collapse the Digikit categories to hide or reveal the items. 4. (Optional) To narrow your search, filter items by clicking tag names (e.g., Flower) in the Categories section. (See Applying a search filter.) Applying a search filter The filter searches preset and custom tags applied to all of the Digikits shown in the Digikit Browser (this includes Digikits you have installed, and Digikits available from the DaisyTrail.com shop). (See Tagging in CraftArtist Help.) Add items from Digikits. 1. Click 2. Click Browse Digikits or Browse my items, depending on which browsing method you prefer. 3. There are two methods by which you can apply search filters, and both can be used together to further narrow your search. Digikits 55 • Select a preset search tag from the drop-down menus. • Type the word or letter you want to search for in the Search text box, situated at the right of the dialog. This is useful for retrieving items with custom tags attached. Ctrl-click to select more than one filter. Click filter(s). to remove the If you've searched via the Browse Digikits tab, the Digikit containing the relevant items is displayed for you to select and browse further. 56 Digikits If you've searched via the Browse my items tab, click on each category, e.g., Frames, to reveal the relevant items. Adding items to your workspace • To add items to your workspace via the Browse Digikits tab, select the Digikit you want to browse and then simply click the item you want to add. • To add items to your workspace via the Browse my items tab, select the category you want to browse, and then simply click the item. • To add all items from a selected Digikit, select the Digikit, and then click the Add Digikit button that displays in the lower-left corner of the dialog. • To add all items in a category, click the Add all items button that displays in the upper-right corner of each category's thumbnail gallery. If you select an item, or add all items, from a featured free or purchasable Digikit—the Digikit Not Installed dialog will display and you will be prompted to visit the DaisyTrail.com shop. Digikits 57 • To remove a specific item from your workspace, select the item and click the Remove button via the Digikit Browser or subsequently via the relevant Contents tab. • To remove all items from your workspace, click the Clear All Categories button that displays in the lower-left corner of the dialog. Buying Digikits Buying Digikit collections CraftArtist is supplied with at least one Digikit Collection for Baby Photos, Greeting Cards, Scrapbooks, or Wedding Day, depending on which product version you've bought. For any Digikit Collection you'll find an impressive selection of themed Digikits to choose from. You can also buy a range of DaisyTrail Digikit Collections. To buy other Digikit Collections: 1. Launch CraftArtist, or click File>New>New from Startup Wizard... 2. In the Startup Wizard, click Choose a Template. 3. From the dialog's Digikit Collections tab, select the collection you wish to purchase. 4. In the middle pane, follow the instructions to purchase your new Digikit collection. You'll be taken to daisytrail.com to carry out your purchase. Once you've installed the new Digikit collection, you'll see all of your newly purchased Digikits appear in the Digikits tab directly under the dialog's Digikit Collections tab. 58 Digikits Buying individual Digikits You can also buy individual Digikits from the DaisyTrail shop. Provided that you have an internet connection, the Digikit Browser will automatically update to display the Digikits currently available for purchase from the website. To buy a Digikit: Add items from Digikits. 1. On the Pages context toolbar, click 2. In the Digikit Browser, scroll to the DaisyTrail.com Digikits category. 3. Click the Digikit you want to buy and scroll through the categories to browse included items. You can also use the search controls on the right of the dialog to narrow the list of items, or search for a specific item. (See Browsing on p. 53.) 4. Click any item. The Digikit Not Installed dialog is displayed and provides a brief summary of the Digikit. 5. Click Visit Shop. The daisytrail.com shop opens in your web browser for you to proceed with your purchase. If you've not already registered on daisytrail.com, you will have to register on the website. Digikits 59 If you don't want to immediately buy the Digikit, you can add the Digikit to a wishlist (click Add to Wishlist)—a list of items you want to have. You can return at a later date to make your purchase. Downloading free Digikits DaisyTrail.com offers a featured free Digikit for you to download to use in your projects. Provided that you have an internet connection, the Digikit Browser will automatically update to display the Digikits currently available for free download. Digikits made available for free download are often themed according to current or upcoming seasons, celebrations, public holidays, and vacations—Independence Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and so on. To download a free Digikit: Add items from Digikits. 1. On the Pages context toolbar, 2. In the Digikit Browser, scroll to the Featured Free DaisyTrail.com Digikits category. 3. Click the Digikit you want to download and scroll through the categories to browse included items. You can also use the search controls on the right of the dialog to narrow the list of items, or search for a specific item. (See Browsing on p. 53.) 4. Click any item. The Digikit Not Installed dialog is displayed and provides a brief summary of the Digikit. 5. Click Download. DaisyTrail.com opens in your web browser for you to proceed with your free download. If you've not already registered on DaisyTrail.com, you will have to register on the website. 60 Digikits Pages and design aids 62 Pages and design aids Pages and design aids 63 Adding, moving and deleting pages All pages in your project are displayed in the Pages tab, which can be expanded from the bottom of your workspace. To expand the Pages tab: • Click on the button at the bottom of the workspace. Click the button again to collapse the tab. Depending on your project, the way you work with multiple pages will vary. For scrapbooks, photobooks, stationery, and gift wrap: • Projects can consist of a single page, or a series of pages made up of various pre-defined layouts. You can add pages to your project designs by adding your own blank pages. For greeting cards only: • Cards use a "fixed" multiple page layout, with a back and front page and double inside pages. Due to the nature of folded cards, further pages cannot be added. 64 Pages and design aids Adding pre-designed layouts CraftArtist offers a range of pre-designed layouts within each Digikit which you use as the basis of your new page. By customizing each layout further, you can quickly create your own professional looking designs. • Click the Insert Page icon in the Pages tab to access your installed Digikits and their layouts. Once you've selected a layout from the categorized pane, click OK. The layout is added as a new page as the last page in your project. You can replace any page with a different layout by selecting the page first and simply dragging the layout from the Layouts tab onto it. Pages and design aids Adding blank pages If you don't plan to work from a pre-designed layout, you can add blank pages from the Pages tab. The new page is added after the currently selected page. To add a new page: 1. On the Pages tab, select the page after which your new page will be added. 2. Click Insert Page. The new page is created and becomes the currently active page. -orIf on the last page, click the Next Page button on the HintLine toolbar and use the Page Manager's Insert Page tab. 65 66 Pages and design aids Moving pages From the Pages tab, you can either: • Click and drag a page to its new position in the tab (illustrated above). -or- • Select a page selected and click Move Previous or Move Next. The selected page jumps one position back or forward in the page order. Deleting a selected page On the Pages tab, select a page and click page and click Delete. Delete Page, or right-click on the Copying pages Use the Copy page button to base your new page on an existing page. Page items are copied across to the new page. Pages and design aids 67 1. On the Pages tab, select the page you want to copy. 2. Copy Page to create an identical copy immediately after the Click selected page. Navigating pages You can use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars to scroll the page and pasteboard area. The Pages tab and HintLine toolbar provide additional controls to let you navigate between pages. Navigating with the Pages tab Once you have added pages, use the Pages tab to quickly navigate between pages. 1. To expand the Pages tab, click on the the workspace. button at the bottom of (Click the button again to collapse the tab.) 2. To view a specific page, simply select its thumbnail. 68 Pages and design aids You can also use the page controls on the HintLine toolbar to navigate your pages. For details, see CraftArtist Help. Panning and zooming Use panning to move around zoomed-in areas of your project. A variety of tools and magnifying options are available for zooming into and out of your page. The Pan and Zoom tools are located on the HintLine toolbar at the lower-right of the workspace. Panning Click the Pan Tool and then click and drag on the page to reposition it in the window. If you're using a wheel mouse, you can hold down the middle button and drag anywhere on the page to reposition it in the window. Pages and design aids 69 Zooming The Zoom tools let you view and/or edit the page at different levels of detail. You can zoom in/out in increments, or by a userdefined or preset amount. • Current Zoom: Displays the current zoom percentage, with 100% representing an actual-size page. Click on the value to select a preset zoom from a pop-up menu, or type over the value for a custom zoom percentage. • Zoom Out: Click to decrease the current zoom percentage with each click. • Zoom In: Click to increase the current zoom percentage with each click. • Zoom Tool: Click the tool and then drag out a rectangular selection marquee on the page to define a region to zoom in to. The zoom percentage adjusts accordingly, fitting the designated region into the window. 70 Pages and design aids • To zoom out, hold down the Shift key when dragging or just rightclick on the page. You can also pan around a zoomed-in page while the Ctrl key is pressed. To zoom to the currently selected item, choose Selection from the View menu. • Fit Page: Click to adjust the zoom percentage so the entire page area is displayed in the window. If you're using a wheel mouse, you can scroll the wheel forward or back to move up or down the page, or move horizontally left or right by using the Shift key and scrolling together. Try combining the Ctrl key and scrolling up or down for immediate in/out zoom control. Using design aids A number of tools are provided on the HintLine toolbar (at the bottom of the workspace) to assist you as you design. Typically the tools can be switched on or off as you go. Rotating your canvas Rotating your canvas helps you to maintain natural flow when drawing freeform lines, curves, or brush strokes, where the artist uses the wrist as a pivot (especially when using a pen tablet). If you rotate the canvas by a chosen angle then the drawing becomes easier—taking advantage of the natural arc of the drawing hand. Pages and design aids 71 The previous example illustrates how grass-like brush strokes can be added to a canvas once it has been rotated 30°! To rotate your canvas: Either: Rotate Canvas button (don't click the down arrow). 1. Click the 2. Hover over your workspace until you see the cursor, then click and drag to rotate the canvas clockwise or anti-clockwise. 3. Once you're happy with the degree of rotation, release the mouse button to reposition the canvas. • Click the down arrow on the Rotate Canvas button and choose a preset angle from the drop-down list. -or- You can also select an item and then choose To Item from the Rotate Canvas drop-down list. The canvas adjusts so that the item is positioned square to the X and Y axes. To reset your canvas: • With the button enabled, double-click anywhere on the canvas to reset. 72 Pages and design aids Applying the Rule of Thirds Traditionally a technique used in photography, the Rule of Thirds grid can also be applied to CraftArtist projects to help you with page composition. By aligning items to intersecting horizontal and vertical lines (rather than just centreing items on the page) you can create greater visual interest. When a grid is applied to your page the displayed context toolbar lets you alter the grid's colour and opacity. You can also add more grids, delete, and reset a grid. (See CraftArtist Help.) The grid is actually an overlay which appears as an �Overlay Layer’ in the Layers tab. To apply a Rule of Thirds grid: 1. Click Rule of Thirds on the HintLine toolbar. A blue grid is overlaid over your page. 2. (Optional) Drag a corner or edge handle to resize the grid; reposition the grid by dragging. Use over selected items (instead of the entire page) depending on what you're currently working on. 3. Place embellishments, photos, or cut materials onto any of the intersecting blue lines. If at any point the Rule of Thirds grid becomes deselected, simply click the Rule of Thirds button again to reselect it. Pages and design aids 73 Isolating items For focused editing, CraftArtist provides the Solo mode. This allows you to temporarily isolate selected item(s), such as embellishments or photos, on the page that you are currently designing (all unselected objects disappear!). In doing so, you avoid having to move objects to other layers or lock object unnecessarily. The selected balloon (selection shown in blue) can be isolated for detailed painting with a red brush. • Select the item(s), then click Solo Mode. Click the button again to return to normal editing mode. Clipping items Clipped mode cuts off (clips) items that hang over the edge of your canvas, and which would otherwise display on your grey pasteboard area. The option is turned on by default, but you can view your overlapping items unclipped if required. To turn off Clipped mode: • Disable the Clipped Mode button on the HintLine toolbar. Any overlapping items will then display in full. Click the button again to return to Clipped mode. 74 Pages and design aids Working with photos 76 Working with photos Working with photos 77 Adding and positioning your photos You can use the following methods to add photos to your project: • Use the Photos tab to store photos that you want to use in your project. You can then drag them onto the page as you need them, or use AutoFlow (p. 109) to quickly add them to frames you have already placed on your page. • Use the Photo button on the Standard toolbar to add individual images directly to the page. Use the first method if you want to add multiple photos to your project all at once, or if you want to add your photos to photo frames. Use the second method if you want to add photos to your page individually, or if you want to add your own embellishments to your layout. 78 Working with photos Adding photos to the Photos tab 1. In the Contents tabs at the left of the workspace, click the Photos tab to open it. At the bottom of the tab, click Add... 2. In the Open dialog, browse to and select the photos you want to add to your project. 3. • To select multiple adjacent files, press and hold down the Shift key, click the first file in the list, and then click the last file. • To select multiple non-adjacent files, press and hold down the Ctrl key, and then click to select. Click Open. Your photos are added to the Photos tab. Working with photos 79 Adding photos to the page To add a photo from the Photos tab: There are several ways to add photos to your page: • Drag a photo from the Photos tab directly onto the page, or onto a photo frame. (See Adding photo frames on p. 103.) • Click AutoFlow to sequentially populate a series of photo frames with photos from the Photos tab. (See Using AutoFlow on p. 109.) • Replace the contents of a photo frame by dragging a new photo onto the frame. On the Photos tab, framed and unframed photos added to your project are denoted with a check mark icon. This lets you quickly and easily identify photos used in your project. 80 Working with photos To add a photo from the Standard toolbar: 1. On the Standard toolbar, click Photo. -orOn the Insert menu, click Photo>From File... You can also insert photos directly from an external device such as a camera or scanner. See Importing camera and scanner images in CraftArtist Help. 2. In the Open dialog, browse to and select the photo you want to add, and then click Open. 3. To insert the photo at default size, simply click the mouse. -orTo set the size of the photo, drag out a region and release the mouse button. To add a photo by drag-and-drop: • Drag and drop an image file or preview thumbnail into CraftArtist from Windows Explorer into the current workspace. Images added in this way will not automatically be scaled to fit the page or be added to the Photos tab. Working with photos Moving photos Select tool. 1. Select the photo(s) with the 2. Click inside the photo (not on a handle), hold down the left mouse button, and then drag to a new location. (Note that the cursor changes to a Move cursor.) -orClick and drag the photo's Move button. 81 82 Working with photos Replacing, resizing, and deleting photos Once you've placed a photo on your page, you can replace, resize, or delete it as required. Replacing photos 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the select the photo you want to replace. Select tool, and then click to 2. On the Photo context toolbar, click Replace Photo. 3. In the Open dialog, browse to and select the photo you want to add, and then click Open. The image is replaced. Working with photos 83 When you replace a photo in this way, the aspect ratio of the original photo is used. This is fine if both of your images are the same aspect ratio. However, if your photos are of different dimensions, then it is better to delete the original image and add the new one. To replace a framed photo: • Drag a different photo onto the frame from the Photos tab, or use AutoFlow to automatically replace the contents of multiple frames in a single step. (See Fitting photos to frames on p. 103.) 84 Working with photos Resizing photos Select tool. 1. Select the photo with the 2. To resize the photo, drag a corner handle. The photo's aspect ratio is preserved. To allow free resizing to any aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key while dragging. Deleting photos • To remove a photo from the page, select the photo and press the Delete key. • To remove a photo from the Photos tab, click its Recycle button. For information on deleting framed photos, see Deleting frames and framed photos on p. 115. Working with photos 85 Cropping your photos CraftArtist includes the Crop Tool for cropping objects and photos on the page. The Crop context toolbar also provides a Rule of Thirds grid to help you with your photo composition (see p. 86). For information on working with framed photos, see Fitting photos to frames on p. 108. Cropping a photo Crop 1. Select a photo and then on the Standard toolbar, click the Tool. 2. Click and drag an edge or corner handle towards the centre of the photo. 86 Working with photos Using the Rule of Thirds Crop Tool. 1. Select your photo and click the 2. On the Crop context toolbar, click 3. A 3 x 3 grid is superimposed on top of the photo. 4. Drag an edge handle to crop the photo. The grid repositions itself on release. Show/Hide Thirds Grid. Working with photos 5. 87 To zoom into or out of the image, use the Zoom tools displayed to the right of the photo. 88 Working with photos Click and drag on the cropped photo to pan the image. For best results, aim to position your main subject of interest at a point where any two gridlines intersect. Retouching photos When you select a photo on the page, the Photo context toolbar displays. In addition to replacing photos, this toolbar lets you quickly remove red eye, adjust brightness and contrast, apply auto level and auto contrast adjustments, and access PhotoLab (p. 89) and Cutout Studio (p. 97). You can use these tools on unframed and framed photos. You can also convert unframed photos to “frameless” frames. (See Converting photos to frames on p. 116.) Working with photos 89 Applying PhotoLab filters PhotoLab is a dedicated studio environment that lets you apply adjustment and effect filters to photos, individually or in combination. PhotoLab offers the following key features: • Adjustment filters Apply tonal, colour, lens, and sharpening filters. • Effect filters Apply distortion, blur, stylistic, noise, render, artistic, and various other effects. • Retouching filters Apply red-eye and spot repair correction. • Non-destructive operation All filters are applied without affecting the original photo, and can be edited at any point in the future. • Powerful filter combinations Create combinations of mixed adjustment, retouching, and effect filters for savable workflows. • Selective masking Apply filters to selected regions using masks. • Save and manage favourites Save filter combinations to a handy Favourites tab. • Viewing controls Compare before-and-after previews, with dual- and split-screen controls. Use pan and zoom control for moving around your photo. • Locking controls Protect your applied filters from accidental change, then optionally apply them to other images on selection. 90 Working with photos PhotoLab includes filter tabs, a main toolbar, and an applied filter stack around a central workspace. Photos present in your project display in the Images tab. • If you can't see the Images tab, simply click the the bottom of the dialog. button at A - Filter tabs D - Filter stack B - Main toolbar E - Images tab C - Main workspace Working with photos 91 To launch PhotoLab: 1. Select the picture that you want to apply a filter to. 2. Click PhotoLab on the context toolbar. Using the images tab Pictures present in your publication will show in the Images tab (E in the previous screenshot), if the tab is expanded. You can show or hide the tab by button at the bottom of your workspace. clicking the To search publication images: 1. Click the Filter button on the Images tab. 2. Select and define a minimum and maximum size, if required. 3. Select or deselect RGB, CMYK and Greyscale to show only images in these colour modes. 4. Click OK. The Images tab displays only images which comply to the criteria set above. 92 Working with photos Filters are stored in the Favourites, Adjustments, and Effects filter tabs, and are grouped into categories. For example, the Adjustments tab provides the Quick Fix and Pro Edit categories, while the Effects tab offers a wide range of creative effect categories. On the Favourites tab, you'll find a selection of presets created with individual and combined filters. You can add your own custom filters to the Favourites tab. (See Saving Favourites on p. 96.) When you apply a filter from one of these tabs, it is temporarily added to the Trial Zone that displays beneath the filter stack. This lets you preview and adjust filters before applying them. Applying filters 1. Select the photo you want to work on. (If the photo is framed, select it and click Select Cropped Object.) 2. Click 3. For ease of use, when you open PhotoLab, the Filters stack on the right contains some commonly-used filters (such as White Balance and Lighting). These filters are disabled by default. PhotoLab on the Photo context toolbar. Working with photos 93 Enable/Disable control To apply one of the default filters, click its to enable it, and then adjust the filter settings by dragging the sliders. To disable, reset, and delete a filter, see below. To add a new filter: 1. Browse the filter thumbnails displayed on the Favourites, Adjustments, and Effects tabs, and click the one you want to apply. The selected filter is added to the Trial Zone, and the main window shows a preview of your photo with the filter applied. 2. Experiment with the filter settings in the Trial Zone—you can drag the sliders, or enter values directly—to suit your requirements. (Note that some filters also offer check boxes, drop-down menus, and additional advanced controls.) 3. (Optional) To replace the trial filter, click a different thumbnail. Selecting a new filter always replaces the current filter in the trial zone. 4. To apply the filter, click 5. (Optional): • Commit to add it to the Filters stack. Repeat steps 1 to 4 to add more filters to the Filters stack. Filters are applied to a photo cumulatively, in the order in which they are added to the Filters stack. The most recently added filter always appears at the bottom of the stack. (See To reorder filters, below.) 94 Working with photos 6. • Disable, reset, and/or delete filters in the Filters stack. (See below.) • Use zoom in/out buttons or a percentage magnification for detailed work. • Use the retouch tools to fix red eye and remove blemishes. (See Retouching, below.) To apply all filters in the Filters stack and close PhotoLab, click OK. To disable, reset, and delete filters: • To disable a filter, click • To reset filter values, click filter's defaults. • To delete a filter, click . Click to re-enable. . Changes to settings revert to the . To reorder filters: • Drag and drop your filter into any position in the stack. A dotted line indicates the new position in which the entry will be placed on mouse release. To add a filter directly (without trialling): • Click Add Quick Filter at the top of the Filters stack and choose a filter from the flyout categories. The filter is applied directly to the stack without being added to the Trial Zone. Working with photos 95 Retouching PhotoLab's main toolbar provides some useful retouching tools. These are commonly used to correct photos before applying colour correction and effects. • Red-eye tool, to remove red eye from a human subject. • Spot-repair tool, to remove blemishes from human skin and material surfaces. For instructions on using the retouching tools, see CraftArtist Help. Selective masking You may sometimes want to apply a filter to selected regions of a photo, rather than to the entire photo. In PhotoLab, you can do this by using a “mask” to define these region(s). You can apply a mask: • To the areas to which you want to apply the filter. - or- • To the areas you want to protect from the filter. To apply a mask: Mask drop-down menu, select New Mask. 1. From the 2. In the Mask Brush pane, select the 3. Adjust the settings to suit your requirements. For example, adjust Brush Size to paint larger or more intricate regions. Add Region tool. 96 Working with photos 4. 5. In the Mode drop-down menu, choose one of the following options: • Select: Choose this if you want to apply the filter only to the regions you paint. This is the default setting. • Protect: Choose this if you want to apply the filter to all areas of the photo, except for those that you paint. Using the circular cursor, paint the regions to be masked (selected areas are painted in green; protected areas in red). If you've not been as accurate as you'd like while painting, click Remove Regions then paint over the unwanted painted regions. 6. Click to save your mask changes, or to cancel. You can create additional masks for the same filter, as above, and then choose between them. You can only apply one mask at any one time. By using the Mask menu's New From> option you can also base your new mask on an existing mask, which may be applied to the current filter or to any other filter in the stack. This is useful when working with Favourites filters that contain multiple adjustments. To edit a mask: • Expand the drop-down to edit. Click Edit Mask. Mask menu and select the mask you want Saving favourites You can save specific filter settings, or combinations of filters, as favourites for future use. PhotoLab stores all your favourites together in the Favourites tab. You can even create your own categories (e.g. My Adjustments) within the tab. Working with photos 97 To save and manage favourites: Save Filter. 1. Click 2. In the dialog, type a name for your filter and choose the category in to create a new category.) which to save it. (Click 3. (Optional) To organize your favourites into user-defined categories, click the Tab Menu button and choose Manage Favourites. Using Cutout Studio CraftArtist includes Cutout Studio, a powerful integrated solution for separating objects from their backgrounds. Whether you're discarding or replacing a photo background, or isolating a section of an image to use in your layout, Cutout Studio lets you create eye-catching pictures quickly and easily. Opening Cutout Studio 1. Select the photo you want to work with. 2. On the Photo context toolbar, click 3. Follow the instructions outlined below. Cutout Studio. You'll find detailed instructions in the Help tab at the right of the Cutout Studio window. 98 Working with photos Choosing your approach The approach you take depends on your photo content. Discard Brush Tool • If your subject of interest is placed against a simple, uniform background (sky, a wall, etc.), it's easier and quicker to select and discard the background. Keep Brush Tool • If the subject of interest is surrounded by a background consisting of complex colours or patterns (such as trees or buildings), it's easier to select and keep the subject. Selecting areas to discard or keep To select areas to discard or keep: Discard Tool or the Keep Tool. 1. Click the 2. On the horizontal toolbar, select a brush size. 3. (Optional) To adjust the degree of precision with which areas are selected, select the Grow Tolerance check box and adjust the value. 4. Click and drag on the image to mark the areas you want to discard/keep. As you do so, CraftArtist locates similar adjoining areas and includes them in your selection. 5. Repeat the click and drag process until your selection area is complete. Working with photos 6. 99 As you paint your image, you can view your progress using the buttons on the left toolbar. • Show original: The default view mode. The image is shown in its original form. • Show tinted: Areas marked to be kept are shown with a green tint; areas to be discarded are shown with a red tint. • Show transparent: Areas marked for discarding are not shown. By default, these areas are replaced with a checkerboard background indicating transparency. Choosing an output type On the Output Settings tab, the Output Type drop-down list provides two output format options, Alpha-edged bitmap, and Vector-cropped bitmap. The format you choose depends on what you want to do with your resulting image. General recommendations Choose alpha-edged bitmap if you want to blend your cutout image into another image or background, or if your subject has poorly defined edges. Choose vector-cropped bitmap if you want to place your cutout image onto a plain or transparent background, or if your subject has more well-defined edges. (For more details on these output formats see CraftArtist Help.) To create an alpha-edged bitmap: 1. On the Output Settings tab, in the Output Type drop-down list, select Alpha-edged Bitmap. 2. (Optional) • Drag the Width slider to set the area of the image that is to be faded into the background. (Use a lower Width setting for small images, or those with intricate edges; use a higher setting for large images, or those with �cleaner’ edges.) • Drag the Blur slider to smooth out the cutout edge. 100 Working with photos 3. To preview the cutout area, click Preview. 4. (Optional) Use the touch-up tools to further refine the cutout area (alpha-edged bitmaps only). (See Refining the cutout area on p. 100.) 5. To complete the cutout and return to the CraftArtist workspace, click OK. To create a vector-cropped bitmap: 1. On the Output Settings tab, in the Output Type drop-down list, select Vector-cropped Bitmap. 2. (Optional) • Drag the Feather slider to adjust the softening effect around the edge of the cutout. This can improve the appearance of your image. • Drag the Smoothness slider to smooth out the cutout edge. • Drag the Inflate slider to adjust the cutout outline, moving it inward or outward. The Inflate adjustment is particularly useful if the edges of the subject include hair or fur, which usually also incorporate some of the background colour. 3. To preview the cutout area, click Preview. 4. To complete the cutout and return to the CraftArtist workspace, click OK. Refining the cutout area (alpha-edged bitmaps only) 1. On the Output Setting tab, click the Preview button. (You can use this button to check your cutout as you work.) 2. On the left toolbar, click the Erase Touch-up Tool. Restore Touch-up Tool or Working with photos 101 3. Paint the areas for restoring or erasing as you would with the brush tools. 4. (Optional) To increase or decrease the opacity of the restored or erased areas, drag the Hardness slider (located on the horizontal toolbar). 5. • Higher values will result in more pixels being erased, producing a more defined edge. • Lower values will produce a softer, more blended edge. To complete the cutout and return to the CraftArtist workspace, click OK. Editing the cutout area If you've missed a portion of the photo intended to be discarded (or just removed too much), you can redefine the cutout area at any time. To edit a cutout (alpha-edged bitmaps only): 1. Select your photo and on the Photo context toolbar, click Studio. The existing cutout area is displayed. 2. Fine-tune your selection as described above. Cutout To edit a cutout (vector-cropped bitmaps only): 1. Select your photo and on the floating toolbar, click Object(s). 2. On the Photo context toolbar, click cutout area is displayed. 3. Fine-tune your selection as described above. Select Cropped Cutout Studio. The existing 102 Working with photos Adding photos to frames 104 Adding photos to frames Adding photos to frames 105 Adding photo frames to your project CraftArtist Digikits include a wide selection of photo frames that you can add to your page. Once you've placed a frame on your page, simply drag a photo onto it—CraftArtist automatically fits the photo to the frame. All frames can be moved, resized, and rotated on the page. Adding frames to the Frames tab 1. In the Content tabs at the left of the workspace, click the Frames tab to open it. 2. At the bottom of the Frames tab, click Add... 3. The Digikit Browser opens to display available frames, categorized by Digikit. Scroll to the Digikit from which you want to add frames. You can add frames from more than one Digikit. 4. Click a frame to add it to your craft project, or click Add all items to add them all. The selected frames are added to the Frames tab. 5. Click Done to close the Digikit Browser. 106 Adding photos to frames Once the frame is added to the page, you can move, resize, and rotate it. To remove a frame from the Frames tab, click its button. Remove Adding frames to the page 1. Drag a frame from the Frames tab onto your page. 2. Once the frame is added to the page, there are various ways to work with it. • To resize the frame, drag a corner handle. Adding photos to frames • 3. 107 To rotate the frame, drag the Rotate handle. To add a photo to a frame, drag it from the Photos tab and drop it onto a frame. -orClick AutoFlow to sequentially populate a series of photo frames with photos from the Photos tab. (See Fitting photos to frames on p. 108.) Adding frames to existing photos If you've already added a photo to your page, you can easily add a frame to it. To add a frame to an existing photo: • Drag a frame from the Frames tab and drop it onto the photo. CraftArtist fits the photo to the frame automatically. To preview a frame: • Drag a frame from the Frames tab and hover over the photo without releasing the mouse button. The photo is displayed the frame. • To apply the frame, release the mouse button. - or To select a different frame, drop the currently selected frame back onto the Frames tab, then drag a new frame onto your photo. 108 Adding photos to frames Fitting photos to frames Once you have added your photos to the Photos tab, you can frame them on the page—manually by clicking and dragging, or automatically using AutoFlow. CraftArtist lets you rotate, zoom, and pan your framed photos inside their frames. You can even crop a framed photo and adjust its frame to follow suit! You can also convert photos so that they sit inside “frameless” frames. Once converted, these frames function exactly like the decorative frames you've added from the Frames tab. (See Converting photos to frames on p. 116.) Adding individual photos to frames 1. Add your photo(s) to the Photos tab. (See Adding photos to the Photos tab on p. 78.) 2. Add a frame to your page. (See Adding frames to your project on p. 105.) Adding photos to frames 3. 109 Drag a photo from the Photos tab and drop it onto the frame. CraftArtist fits the photo to the frame automatically. On the Photos tab, photos added to your craft project are denoted with a check mark icon. Using AutoFlow 1. Add your photo(s) to the Photos tab. (See Adding photos to the Photos tab on p. 78.) 2. Add a frame to your page. (See Adding frames to your project on p. 105.) 3. On the Photos tab, click AutoFlow to automatically populate multiple photo frames. 110 Adding photos to frames 4. The AutoFlow Photos Into Frames dialog opens, offering various options for filling your frames. For example, you can choose to replace existing photos in frames; randomize photo order; insert new pages to accommodate extra photos, and so on. Select any options you want to apply and click OK. • Frames are filled sequentially, from back to front in the Z-order (see Ordering items on p. 241). This means that if you haven't rearranged your frames (using the Arrange tab or the Arrange>Order Items... menu), they will be filled in the order in which you added them to your page. • 5. By default, photos are placed in available frames in the order they appear on the Photos tab (unless you selected the Randomize photo order fill option). If you have more frames than photos, or vice versa, a dialog will display. • If you have more frames than photos: Delete the unused frames, or add more photos and then drag them from the Photos tab and drop them onto the frames. • If you have more photos than frames: Add more frames to your page, and then drag the photos from the Photos tab and drop them onto the frames. On the Photos tab, photos added to your page(s) are denoted with a check mark. Adding photos to frames 111 Cropping framed photos 1. Select the framed photo with the 2. Click 3. Drag the handles to crop the photo. Select tool. Crop. (See also Cropping photos on p. 85.) 4. Click 5. (Optional) Back to return to the Select tool. • Rotate, zoom or pan your cropped photo. To help with the composition of your photo, see Using the Rule of Thirds on p. 86. • Adjust the frame to fit the crop—see overleaf. 112 Adding photos to frames Adjusting frames If a photo has been cropped inside a frame, you can adjust the size and shape of the frame to suit it. The frame can be, moved, rotated, resized and even recoloured independent of the photo. You can even add an effect or colour to the frame—without affecting the photo. 1. Select the framed photo with the 2. Click Select Frame Object. Select tool. Adding photos to frames 113 3. To resize the frame, drag a handle. The frame's aspect ratio is preserved. To resize to any aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key while dragging. 4. (Optional) The Select Frame Object tool also lets you isolate the frame so you can add effects or change the frame's colour—without affecting the photo inside it. 5. Click Back to return to the Select tool. Rotating, zooming, and panning 1. Select the photo, and then click the Crop button. 114 Adding photos to frames 2. To rotate, or zoom into or out of the photo, click the buttons displayed at the right edge of the photo. 3. To pan the photo inside its frame, click and drag on the photo. 4. To use the Rule of Thirds to grid to help with your composition: 5. • On the Crop context toolbar, click • Click and drag on the photo to pan the image, positioning your main subject of interest at a point where any two lines intersect. (See Using the Rule of Thirds Grid on p. 86.) To close the Crop window, click page or pasteboard area. Show/Hide Thirds Grid. Back, or click elsewhere on the Adding photos to frames 115 Replacing a framed photo • Drag a new photo from the Photos tab and drop it onto the frame. CraftArtist fits the photo to the frame automatically. Changing a photo frame • Drag a new frame from the Frames tab and drop it onto the photo. CraftArtist replaces the existing frame and fits the photo to the new frame automatically. Deleting frames and framed photos You can delete frames (along with the photos inside them) from your pages. You can also remove frames from the Frames tab. Deleting frames from the page • Select a frame and press the Delete key. If the frame contains a photo, this will also be deleted from the page. Removing frames from the Frames tab • On the Frames tab, select a frame and click its Remove button. This process will only remove frames from the Photos tab; it will not delete frames already on your pages. 116 Adding photos to frames Converting photos to frames Photos you've added directly to your page (i.e., those that are not inside a decorative photo frame) can be converted so that they sit inside “frameless” frames. Once converted, these frames function exactly like the decorative frames you've added from the Frames tab. For example, if you use the AutoFlow feature to automatically populate frames in your project, photos in frameless frames will also be replaced. (See Using AutoFlow on p. 109.) If you have used the Line tab to apply an outline or edge to your photo, when you convert the photo to a frame, the outline itself becomes the new frame. For information on applying outline and edge effects, see Changing line style on p. 174. To convert a photo to a frame: Select tool. 1. Select the photo with the 2. On the context toolbar, click Convert to Frame. The photo is converted to a frame, and the controls display beneath it. Frame Notice also that the Photo context toolbar has been replaced with the Crop context toolbar. You can now adjust the way your photo fits inside its frame by rotating, zooming, and panning. You can also crop the photo and adjust its frame to follow suit. See Fitting photos to frames on p. 108. Working with text 118 Working with text Working with text 119 You can create artistic text and shape text in CraftArtist. Both text types are fully editable, and you can apply formatting, styles, and colour fills before or after typing. If you’re looking to add decorative text to your project you should try adding Digikit letters from the Digikit Browser (see p. 53). Text types overview The following table outlines the main characteristics of artistic and shape text. Text type Use and characteristics Artistic text Shape text • Great for decorative typographic design. • Individual letters can be stretched, rotated, sheared, and combined with other items. • Lends itself well to blocks of body text where shape and flow contribute to the overall layout. • Conforms to the containing shape. You can't manipulate individual letters, but you can achieve unique text flow effects by varying the container’s properties. • Shape text does not have a line property. 120 Working with text Adding artistic text Text tool. 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the 2. To create text at the default size, click on your page to set a text insertion point. -orClick and drag on your page to set the size of the text insertion point. 3. • To set text attributes before typing, adjust the settings on the Text context toolbar. (See Formatting text on p. 125.) • To set text colour before typing, set the Line and Fill swatches on the Colour tab. (See Changing line and fill colour on p. 219.) Start typing. To start a new line of text, press the Enter key. Adding shape text 1. Create a shape either from the QuickShape flyout or by closing a drawn line. 2. With the shape selected, start typing. Text flows within the shape and the Text tool is automatically selected. Working with text 121 To set text attributes before typing, adjust the settings on the Text context toolbar. (See Formatting text on p. 125.) To set text colour before typing, set the Line and Fill swatches on the Colour tab. (See Changing line and fill colour on p. 219.) • (Optional) To start a new line of text, press the Enter key. • If you’ve typed more text into a shape than it can display, an Overflow button displays below the shape when it’s selected. Click the Overflow button (or the AutoFit button on the Text context toolbar) to reduce the size of the text. -orTo reveal all the text without changing the font size, enlarge the shape. 122 Working with text • To extract text from a shape (as an artistic text item), right-click the shape and click Detach as New Item>Text. To detach the text from its containing shape, simply drag it. Working with text on the page To select an entire artistic or shape text item: • Click it with the Select tool. To edit a text item: 1. Select the item with the Select tool, and then click the Edit button that displays below the item. -orSelect the item with the Text tool. A text edit cursor is inserted inside the text. 2. Click and drag to select the text you want to edit, and then retype. See Editing and deleting text on p. 124. To move a text item: • Select it, and then drag it. -orClick and drag its Move button. Working with text 123 To resize a text item: • Select it and drag a corner resize handle. To rotate a text item: • Select it and drag its Rotate handle. To apply text formatting: • Select the text, and then adjust the settings on the Text context toolbar. See Formatting text on p. 125. You can also rotate and shear text items, and apply shadows, transparency, and other effects. For details, see: • Rotating and shearing items (p. 235) • Adding drop shadows (p. 145) • Applying transparency (p. 150) • Adding outlines to text (p. 133) • Applying 2D filter effects (p. 146) 124 Working with text You can also add frequently used text as a resusable sentiment. See Sentiments on p. 137. Editing and deleting text You can edit and delete artistic text and shape text directly on the page, or in the Edit Text dialog (for details on working in the Edit Text dialog, see CraftArtist Help). To edit text on the page: 1. Select tool, and then click the Select the item with the Edit button that displays below the item. -orSelect the item with the 2. Text tool. A flashing text edit cursor is inserted inside the text. Working with text 125 3. Type new text at the insertion point, or click and drag to select the text you want to edit. 4. Type your new text. To cut, copy, and paste text, use the standard Windows keyboard shortcuts. To delete an entire text item: 1. Select a text item or shape with the 2. Press the Delete key. Select tool. To delete selected characters or words: 1. Select a text item or shape with the 2. Click the Select tool. Text tool. A flashing text edit cursor is inserted inside the text. 3. Click and drag to select the text you want to delete, and then press the Delete key. Formatting text You can select and format artistic text and shape text directly on the page using the Text context toolbar, the Format menu, or the Edit Text dialog. 126 Working with text Selecting text for formatting To format an entire text item: Select tool. 1. Select the item with the 2. Use the Text context toolbar or Format menu to apply formatting, as described below. To format selected letters or words: 1. Click the Text tool, and then click and drag to select one or more characters or words. 2. Use the Text context toolbar or Format menu to apply formatting. Working with text 127 Using the Text context toolbar The Text context toolbar lets you apply basic text attributes, such as point size, font style, alignment options, and so on, to selected text. To format text from the Text context toolbar: 1. Select a text item, a character, or a group of characters. 2. On the Text context toolbar, adjust the settings described below: • Select a font from the Fonts drop-down list. Lists font names and provides a preview of the selected text. Icons indicate the font type (e.g., = TrueType). • Select a text size from the Point Size drop-down list. Shows the height of the selected text in points. • Click to apply bold, italic, or underline formatting. • Click to apply left, centre, right, or justified text alignment. • Click to apply a bullet or numbered list style. • Click to incrementally decrease or increase text indents. 128 Working with text • Click AutoFit to increase or decrease the size of shape text to fit its containing shape. • Click to incrementally increase or decrease text size. • Click to apply super- or subscript to text. Superscript formatting is automatically applied to ordinates, e.g., the 'st' in 1st will change to 1st. See Using Auto-Correct in CraftArtist Help for more information. • Click to display the Curved Text flyout. Click a preset path to apply it to a selected artistic text item. You can only fit artistic text to a curve. See Putting text on a path on p. 130 for more information. Using the Format menu 1. Select a text item, a letter, or a group of letters. 2. On the Format menu, click Character, Paragraph, Tabs, Bullets & Numbering, or Text Flow. 3. Make your changes in the respective dialog(s), and then click OK. See CraftArtist Help for a detailed description of these options. Working with text 129 For special adjustments on artistic text: 1. Select the text item with the 2. Click the Select tool. Edit Points button under the selected text. Adjustment sliders and handles appear to the left of, and above and below the text. Hover the cursor over a slider to see its function. • Drag the WRAPPING (E) slider inward to change wrapping (how line wraps onto a new line). • Drag the LEADING slider (A) to change leading (space between lines). • Drag the LETTER SPACING slider (D) to change tracking (spacing between characters). • To move a single character, select and drag the square handle at the character's lower-left corner (B). To constrain movement horizontally or vertically, select a letter and then press and hold down the Shift key while dragging the letter. • To move a group of letters, select them one at a time with the Shift key held down. • To rotate a single character (illustrated), click its handle and drag the node on the opposite end of the displayed line to either side (C). 130 Working with text Fitting text to a path CraftArtist allows you to make artistic text conform to a curved baseline (such as a drawn freeform line or curve), custom shape or a preset shape (QuickShape). Putting text on a path To fit text to a path: 1. Select the curve or shape. 2. Click the 3. Hover over the curve or shape's outline until you see a cursor, then click at the point on the line where your text is to begin. 4. Begin typing your text. The text will be placed along the curve or shape. Text tool. Working with text 131 Alternatively: 1. Create your artistic text. 2. Create a freehand, straight, or curved line or a shape. 3. Select both objects and on the Tools menu, click Fit to Curve. The text now flows along the specified path. To flow text along a preset path: 1. Select your artistic text. 2. From the context toolbar, click the down arrow on the Preset Text Paths button and select a preset curve from the drop-down menu on which the text will flow. 132 Working with text Refining a text path Artistic text on a path remains editable as text. Likewise, you can continue to edit its path using the Edit Points button as described in Editing lines and shapes. When a path text object is selected, you'll notice that text paths have several unique "handles" not found on other objects. You may need to zoom in a bit, but it's easy to select the handles—special cursors let you know when you're directly over them. To see what the handles do, carefully compare these two examples: • The Baseline Shift handle (A), resembles a QuickShape handle with a tiny slider control. Drag the slider with the cursor to raise and lower the text with respect to the path. In the bottom example, we've lowered the original text. • The Start (B) and End (C) handles, look like arrows on the text path. Drag them with the and cursors to adjust where the text begins and ends with respect to the path's start and end nodes. In the bottom example, we've moved the start of the path to the left. Working with text 133 To edit a text path: 1. Select the text object. 2. Click the 3. Drag the Baseline Shift handle to raise or lower the path and/or drag the Start and End handles to alter the start and end points. Text tool to display the text path. Adding outlines and edges to text You can create interesting text effects by adding various line, brush stroke, and “fringed” edge styles to your artistic text items. You cannot apply lines and edges to shape text. Adding outlines to artistic text 1. Select a text item with the 2. Open the Line tab. Select tool. 134 Working with text 3. To apply a line style, click one of the following buttons: Line tab button Solid Dash Double Calligraphic Effect achieved Working with text 4. Adjust the line width by dragging the slider. To remove an outline, click the None button. Adding brush stroke edges to artistic text Select tool. 1. Select a text item with the 2. On the Line tab, click the 3. On the Brushes tab, select a brush stroke style. Stroke button. The stroke is applied to the text outline. 135 136 Working with text 4. Use the following Line tab controls to adjust the effect: • Change the stroke width by dragging the slider. • Increase or decrease the flow of the brush stroke by changing the brush Flow value. Adding fringed edges to artistic text 1. Select a text item with the Select tool. 2. On the Line tab, click the Edge button. 3. On the Brushes tab, select a brush stroke style. 4. Use the following Line tab controls to adjust the effect: • To apply the edge style inside the edge of the text, select the Inner Edge check box. • Change the stroke width by dragging the slider. • Increase or decrease the flow of the brush stroke by changing the Flow value. Adjusting the outline distance Use the Line tab's Offset value to change the distance between a text item and its outline. Working with text 137 To adjust line offset: Select tool. 1. Select a text item with the 2. On the Line tab, adjust the Offset value to achieve the desired effect. You can click the up/down arrow buttons; click the right arrow button and drag the slider; or type a value and press Enter. Sentiments If you're always stuck for words, CraftArtist can help you add sentiments and quotes to your designs with just a few simple clicks! You can create a new sentiment from any artistic text object. In fact, you can even create a single sentiment from several text objects! This makes it really easy to design and use complex text designs over and over again quickly and easily! 138 Working with text Adding sentiments to the page 1. On the page context toolbar, click Insert Sentiment. -orOn the Insert menu, click Sentiment or Quote... 2. 3. In the Insert sentiment or quote dialog: • In the left pane, select the category and/or sub-category that fits your design. • In the right pane, click on the sentiment that you want to use. • Click Insert. To create the sentiment at the default size, click on your page. -orClick and drag on your page to set the size of the sentiment. 4. The sentiment is added as an artistic text object(s). Working with text 139 Editing sentiments on the page Once you have added your sentiment to the page, it behaves in the same way as any other artistic text object. See the help topics contained within Working with Text in the Table of Contents for further details. Creating new sentiments 1. Create and select your artistic text object(s). Why not start with an existing sentiment and then personalize it as we've done in this example? Add as sentiment button. 2. Click the 3. In the Create new sentiment or quote dialog, select the category (indicated by a yellow folder icon) into which you want to add the sentiment, then: • Select and existing sub-category and click Add > Add to existing. -or- 140 Working with text • Type a name for the new sub-category and click Add > Add New. To create an entirely new category for your sentiments, see Managing sentiments in CraftArtist Help. 4. Your new sentiment will now be available from the Insert sentiment or quote dialog. Having a party or two? You can also use sentiments to quickly create advance text layouts. In our example, we used several text objects to create this standard invitation sentiment. Working with text 141 142 Working with text Applying effects 144 Applying effects Applying effects 145 Adding drop shadows The Shadow Tool is great for allowing freeform control of a drop shadow effect. With its on-the-page control nodes and supporting Shadow context toolbar, the tool offers various adjustments such as Opacity, Blur, and X (or Y) Shear. Simple shadow (drag from item centre) Offset shadow (adjusted origin) A - Origin of shadow B - Blur C - Opacity X - X-axis shear Y - Y-axis shear Skewed offset shadow (adjusted Origin and X Shear) Once you’ve created a basic shadow, you can further edit it as needed using the Filter Effects dialog. 146 Applying effects Applying drop shadows with Shadow Tool 1. Select the item and click the Shadow Tool on the Standard toolbar. Control nodes display to allow for shadow adjustment, as illustrated above. 2. Drag across the item to create a drop shadow. 3. Change blur, opacity, or shear properties by dragging the respective control nodes (or via the displayed context toolbar). To change a shadow's colour: • Select the item, choose the Shadow Tool, then select a colour from the Colour tab. To remove the shadow from an item: • Double-click the item while the Shadow Tool is selected. Applying other 2D filter effects Changing material depth If you've manipulated materials you've added to the page, perhaps by cutting out with the Scissors tool, you can apply some depth by applying an embossing effect. • Material Depth On the Effects tab, adjust the Material Depth setting. (The greater the value, the more pronounced the embossed effect.) Applying effects 147 Making feathered edges Feathering applies a softer edge to design items such as embellishments or cut materials. The effect also looks great when applied to photo edges. • Feather Edge In the lower-right corner of the Effects tab, enter a Feather Edge value. (This is the distance inside the item's outline from which feathering will be applied.) The Feather option in the Filter Effects dialog (see CraftArtist Help), offers independent control of Opacity and Blur, which can also be used in conjunction with other 2D filter effects. Applying 3D filter effects As well as 2D filter effects, CraftArtist provides a variety of 3D filter effects that you can use to transform any item. Such effects are selectable from an Effects tab which offers an impressive choice of ready-to-go simulated natural and manufactured surfaces. When applied to drawn items, previously "flat" appearances are brought to life by application of depth and texture. The Effects tab displays a variety of thumbnail presets in various categories (Glass, Metal, Animals, etc.). 148 Applying effects Click any thumbnail to apply it to the selected item. None of these 3D effects will modify an unfilled item—you’ll need to have a fill there to see the difference they make! Paper textures Paper textures simulate various real media textures of varying roughness and "feel", such as Canvas, Cartridge, Embossed, Parchment, and Watercolour. As a paper texture is a layer property, the layer's texture is applied to all items on that layer. A different texture can only be applied to a different layer (and to all its items). Applying effects 149 Applying paper textures 1. On the Layers tab, select the layer on which to apply a paper texture. 2. Click the name. 3. In the Bitmap Selector dialog, select the Paper Textures category. A gallery of texture thumbnails displays. 4. Choose a thumbnail and adjust Scale and Opacity values if required. 5. Click OK. Paper Texture button displayed after the chosen layer's On the Layers tab, the layer's Paper Texture button changes to that a paper texture has been applied. , indicating All existing items on the layer, and any new items added to the layer, will adopt the applied paper texture. Removing a paper texture 1. On the Layers tab, locate the layer whose texture you want to remove and click the 2. Paper Texture button. In the Bitmap Selector dialog, click the Remove button. The paper texture is removed from the layer and all items on it. You can also switch, edit, and remove paper textures from within the Layer Properties dialog. (Right-click on a layer entry, choose Layer Properties, and then click Edit). 150 Applying effects Applying transparency Transparency effects are great for highlights, shading and shadows, and for simulating realism. They can make the critical difference between flat-looking illustrations and images with depth and snap. Transparency may seem a bit tricky because you can't "see" it the way you can see a colour fill applied to an item. In fact, it's there all the time in CraftArtist. Each new item has a transparency property: the default just happens to be "None"—that is, no transparency (opaque). Transparencies work rather like fills that use "disappearing ink" instead of colour. The more transparency in a particular spot, the more "disappearing" takes place there, and the more the item(s) underneath will show through. For example, in the illustration below, the butterflies have a solid (100% opaque) transparency, a gradient (100% to 0% opaque) transparency and a solid (50% opaque) transparency from left to right. Solid transparency distributes the transparency equally across the item. Gradient transparencies are created by drawing a path across the item; Linear transparencies are drawn by default but other categories such as Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Plasma, Square, Three Points, and Four Points can be created. Applying effects 151 Applying solid transparency The Colour tab hosts a Transparency slider that controls the level of solid transparency applied to currently selected items. The further right the slider, the more opacity; the further left the more transparency. Remember that opacity is the inverse of transparency—100% Opacity = 0% Transparency and vice versa. To apply solid transparency from the Colour tab: 1. With your item(s) selected, go to the Colour tab. 2. Adjust the Transparency slider to set the level of transparency. The transparency is applied to the selected item(s) uniformly. Applying gradient transparency Just as a gradient fill can vary from light to dark, transparency can be applied as a opacity gradient, by drawing a gradient transparency path across the item. The gradient transparency path links the From and To nodes (e.g., from 100% opacity (black node) to 0% opacity (white node)). 152 Applying effects For items with a gradient transparency applied, you can adjust the transparency effect by adding or subtracting nodes along the gradient transparency path. The Transparency Tool displays an item’s gradient transparency, indicated by two or more nodes situated along a path. You can reposition the nodes to adjust the transparency’s starting point or end point. For transparencies with multiple nodes, you can also adjust the intermediate levels of transparency. Each node has its own value, comparable to a key colour in a gradient fill (see Applying gradient fills on p. 222). Each selected node's value can be altered directly on the page or in the Gradient Transparency Editor dialog. To apply gradient transparency with Transparency Tool: 1. Select an item. 2. Click the 3. To apply a simple Linear transparency (grading from 100% opacity to 0% opacity), click and drag across the item to define the transparency path. Transparency Tool on the Standard toolbar. The effect starts where you place the start node, and ends where you place the end node. Applying effects 153 Changing transparency type By default, the Transparency Tool applies a simple linear transparency on the drawn path. However, the tool's context toolbar lets you change to one of several transparency, e.g., Radial, Conical, Ellipse, Plasma, etc. The path's appearance may change to reflect the transparency type, but the principles of editing the transparency path are the same. Editing gradient transparency Once you've applied a gradient transparency, you can adjust its path on the item, and the level of transparency along the path. You can even create more complex transparency effects by adding extra nodes to the path and assigning different values to each node. Each node along the path is selectable by clicking and can therefore adopt its own transparency value. To adjust the transparency path: 1. Select the item with a gradient transparency applied. 2. Click the 3. Drag the displayed nodes to new positions. You'll notice the effect change as you drag a node. Transparency Tool on the Standard toolbar. 154 Applying effects Editing a gradient transparency path is similar to editing a solid gradient fill path (see Editing gradient fills on p. 224). Adding a level of transparency means varying the transparency gradient by introducing a new node, and assigning the node a particular value. For transparencies with multiple nodes, each node has its own value, comparable to a key colour in a gradient fill. You can either edit the path directly using the Transparency Tool, or use the Gradient Transparency Editor dialog (similar to the Gradient Fill Editor). Both methods let you define key values along the path. The Gradient Transparency Editor dialog lets you fine-tune the actual spread of transparency between pairs of key values, and displays the transparency gradient, with pointers marking the nodes (corresponding to nodes on the path) that define specific transparency values. Again, black represents 100% opacity, and white represents 0% opacity, with greyscale values in between. A sample window at the lower right shows the overall transparency effect. For details of how to edit and manage transparency in the Gradient Transparency Editor dialog, see CraftArtist Help. Applying effects 155 To edit gradient transparency directly: 1. Transparency Tool button from the Select the item, then the Standard toolbar. The item's transparency path appears, with start and end nodes. 2. To add a transparency node, hover over the path until the cursor changes then click on the point on the path where you want to add the node. 3. To change the greyscale/transparency value of any existing node, including the start and end nodes, select the node and move the Colour tab's transparency slider to the required value. 4. To move a node you've added, simply drag it to a new position along the transparency path. 5. To delete a node you've added, select it and press Delete. 156 Applying effects Adding lines and shapes 158 Adding lines and shapes Adding lines and shapes 159 Using QuickShapes The QuickShapes flyout provides a wide variety of commonly used shapes that you can instantly add to your page. To create a QuickShape: 1. Click Shapes on the Standard toolbar and select a shape from the flyout. 2. On your page, either: • Double-click to place a default-sized QuickShape. -or- • Click and drag to draw your QuickShape at a specific size. To constrain the aspect ratio (for example, to obtain a square or circle), hold down the Shift key while dragging. New QuickShapes adopt the currently set line and fill, as defined on the Colour tab. See Changing fill and line colour on p. 219. Once you've drawn your QuickShape, you can adjust its properties—for example, apply solid fills (p. 220), gradient fills (p. 222), or transparency effects (p. 221). You can even use sliding control handles to create variations on the original QuickShape. You can also use the QuickShape context toolbar, situated above the workspace, to swap QuickShapes and adjust line weight, colour, style, and more. 160 Adding lines and shapes All QuickShapes can be positioned, resized, and rotated. What's more, you can adjust their appearance as soon as they are drawn, or at a later time. To adjust the appearance of a QuickShape: Select tool. 1. Select the item with the 2. Click the Edit button displayed beneath the item. This reveals sliding round handles around the shape. (Different QuickShapes have different handles.) 3. Drag the handle to change the appearance of a QuickShape. For example, dragging the top sliding handle to the right on the Quick Star below will produce a very different star shape. Drawing lines and shapes You can draw straight or curved lines. As soon as you draw a line you'll see its points appear. The line between any two points is called a line segment. Freeform and curved lines usually have many points; straight lines have only two. All lines and line segments have line properties such as colour and weight (thickness). For details on applying colour to lines and shapes, see Changing line and fill colour on p. 219. Adding lines and shapes 161 When a line, or series of line segments, forms a complete, enclosed outline, it becomes a new closed item called a shape. Because shapes can be filled with a solid or gradient fill, they have fill properties as well as line properties. Freeform Line (Pencil tool) Curved Line (Pen tool) Closed Line (Shape) (Pen tool) Drawing freeform lines Pencil tool on the Standard toolbar. 1. Click the 2. Click once, then drag across the page, drawing a line as you go. The line appears immediately and follows your mouse movements. 3. To end the line, release the mouse button. The line will automatically smooth out using a minimal number of points. Note the dots indicating its points—at the two ends, and at each point where two line segments come together. 4. (Optional) To set the degree of smoothing to be applied to the line (and subsequent lines), set the Smoothness value (by entering a value or adjusting the slider) on the context toolbar. To draw a straight line, hold down the Shift key down as you drag. 162 Adding lines and shapes Drawing curved lines Curved lines are created as a series of connected line segments (which may be curved or straight) using a series of "connect the dots" mouse clicks. New line segments are added all the time. The tool is designed for drawing complex, combination curves and shapes in a highly controlled way. Pen tool from the Standard toolbar. 1. Choose the 2. From the displayed context toolbar, choose to create your drawn Smooth joins or Sharp joins creation mode. By segments in default, you'll be in Smooth joins mode. 3. Click where you want the line to start (1). 4. Click again for a new point and drag out a pair of control handles which orbit the point (2). (Control handles act like "magnets," pulling the curve into shape. The distance between handles determines the depth of the resulting curved line.) Release the mouse button to create your curve segment (3). (1) 5. (2) (3) To extend an existing line, click beyond the end of your current curve to create a new point (thus creating another curve segment). Normally, curve segments end in a symmetric (evenly rounded) corner (4), with control handles locked together. Adding lines and shapes (4) 163 (5) 6. However, you can press the Alt key while drawing the segment to define a "cusp" or sharp corner (5). This locks the control handle on the last created point. For more on line corners, see Editing lines and shapes on p. 164. 7. To end the line, press Esc or choose a different tool. Drawing shapes To close a freeform line or curve as you draw: • For irregular shape, simply extend the line back to its starting point. Shapes have an interior which is filled with the current default fill (see Changing line and fill colours on p. 219) when the line or curve is closed. To close an existing line or curve (with a straight line): Select tool (Standard toolbar). 1. Select the line or curve with the 2. Click the 3. Select Close Curve button from the context toolbar. A Straight segment appears, closing the curve. Edit Points button displayed beneath the item. 164 Adding lines and shapes If you're trying to draw a cartoon outline made up of many independent curves (e.g., a cartoon ear, rose, etc.) you may want to fill each curve without closing it. This is made easy by using the Fill-on-Create feature. To fill an unclosed curve automatically: 1. Select the Pencil, Pen, or Brush tool (Standard toolbar). 2. On the context toolbar, click to enable select a fill from the Colour tab. 3. Draw a freeform line and the resulting curve will automatically fill with the current fill colour. Fill-on-Create, and then Editing lines and shapes All items, lines, and shapes are composed of one or more line segments (which can be straight or curved) that are joined at their points. To edit a line or shape, you can manipulate its segments and/or points, redraw lines, reshape lines (by moving or adding/deleting points), or join two or more lines together. To: Do this: Move a whole line Using any selection tool, drag the line. Adding lines and shapes 165 Redraw part of a line Draw a new portion with the Pencil tool while in Editing mode. Extend a line Drag away from a node, creating a new segment. Reshape a line (or curve) Drag points while in Editing mode. Simplify a line (remove points) Adjust the Smoothness setting on the Pencil tool's context toolbar. Select and delete points while in Editing mode. Use Clean Curves to remove unwanted points. Enhance a line (add points) Click anywhere on a line segment while in Editing mode. Change the type of point or line segment While in Editing mode, select a point then pick a different segment from the context toolbar. Convert to straight line segments Click the Straighten Line or Convert to Straight Lines buttons (Context toolbar). Adjust a shape Drag points while in Editing mode, and/or adjust control handles. Use the context toolbar to break open the shape, then add line segments. Join two lines together Select two lines, then choose Join Curves from the Tools menu. 166 Adding lines and shapes Redrawing part of a line You can use the Pencil tool to redraw any portion of a line or curve. To redraw part of a selected line: 1. Select the line, then the Pencil tool. Hover the displayed cursor over the line, at the point where you want to begin redrawing. The cursor changes to indicate you can begin drawing. 2. Click on the line. 3. Keep the mouse button down and drag to draw a new line section, connecting it back to another point on the original line. Again, the cursor changes to include a curve when you’re close enough to the line to make a connection. When you release the mouse button, the original portion is replaced by the newly drawn portion. Adding lines and shapes 167 Extending lines Any kind of open line (that is, one that hasn’t been closed to create a shape) can be resized. You can use any of the line tools to do so. To extend a line: 1. Select the drawn line with the line’s drawing tool. Move the cursor over either of the end points, a small + cursor will appear. Click at that location. The line that you create will be a continuation of the existing line, as a new line segment. Select tool, and then select the Drag out to draw a freeform line beyond the end point. You can optionally close the curve, creating a new shape that can take a fill! 168 Adding lines and shapes Reshaping lines To reshape a line, you can drag or adjust its points and segments. To reshape a straight line segment, first convert it to curves (see Converting a shape to editable curves in CraftArtist Help). To reshape a curved line: Select tool. 1. Select the line with the 2. Edit Points button displayed beneath the item. The Click the line’s points appear, and a context toolbar displays. (Some of the toolbar's buttons may be �greyed out.’ These will become available when you select a point or part of the line/shape to work on.) 3. Either: • Hover over a segment and drag the segment to form a new curve shape. Adding lines and shapes 169 -or- • Hover over a point (the cursor will display) and click to select the point. Optionally, Shift-click or drag out a marquee to select multiple points. Control handles (in blue) for the adjacent line segment(s) will appear. Note that each segment in the line has a control handle at either end, so when you select an end point or interior point, you'll see either a control handle on each selected end point (one segment) or a pair of handles at a selected interior point (two segments), respectively. Drag any selected point to reshape adjacent segment(s). All selected points move in the same direction, so you can reshape the curve by selecting specific points. (Shift-drag to constrain the movement to horizontal or vertical.) Drag one or more control handles to change the curvature of the line on either side of a point. You can shorten or lengthen the handles, which changes the depth of the curve, or alter the handle angle, which changes the curve’s slope. 170 Adding lines and shapes By changing the type of point you can change how the adjacent segments behave. As a shortcut when selecting points, you can press Tab or Shift-Tab to select the next or previous point along the line (following the order in which points were created). Simplifying or enhancing lines and shapes The more points there are on a line or shape, the more control over its shape you have. The fewer points there are, the simpler (smoother) the line or shape. You can adjust smoothness to refine the curve most recently drawn (as long as the line is still selected). To adjust the smoothness of the most recent pencil line: Pencil tool and draw a freeform line. 1. Click the 2. On the context toolbar, click the right arrow on the Smoothness option and drag the displayed slider left or right to increase or decrease the number of points (you can also type absolute values into the input box). The line is made less complex, i.e., smoother, by dragging the slider to the right to decrease the number of points. To add a point to a line or curve: • If the line is selected with the drawing tool used to create it, singleclick (for a pen line) or double-click (for a pencil line) on the line to add a new point. -or- • If the line is not selected, select it with the Select tool, click Edit Points, and then single-click on the line to add a new point. The new point is created and selected by default. Adding lines and shapes 171 To delete a point: 1. Select the line with the Select tool, and click Edit Points. -or- Select the line with the 2. On the context toolbar, click key). Pen tool. Delete Point (or press the Delete You can also reposition the points, and reshape the line or shape, by dragging on its control handles (see below). If you've converted a shape to curves you can clean up unwanted points by using the Clean Curves command. See Converting a shape to editable curves in CraftArtist Help. Changing points and line segments Each segment in a line has a control handle at either end, so at each interior or "corner" point (where two segments join) you'll see a pair of handles. The behaviour of these handles—and thus the curvature of the segments on either side—depends on whether the point is set to be sharp, smooth, symmetric, or smart. You can quickly identify a point's type by selecting it and then checking to see which button is selected on the displayed context toolbar. Each type's control handles behave differently as illustrated in the table below. To change one or more points to a different type: Select tool. 1. Select the item with the 2. Click the Edit Points button displayed beneath the item, then click on the point you want to change (Shift-click or drag out a marquee to select multiple points). 172 Adding lines and shapes 3. Click one of the point buttons on the displayed context toolbar: A Sharp Corner means that the line segments to either side of the point are completely independent so that the corner can be quite pointed. A Smooth Corner means that the slope of the line is the same on both sides of the point, but the depth of the two joined segments can be different. At a Symmetric Corner, points join line segments with the same slope and depth on both sides of the point. Normally, custom segments you draw with the Pen tool end in a symmetric corner. Smart Corner points automatically determine slope and depth for a rounded, best-fitting curve. If you attempt to adjust a smart corner's handles, it changes to a smooth corner. You can always reset the point to smart—but to maintain smart points, be careful what you click on! You can also use the context toolbar to define a line segment as either straight or curved. To change a line segment from straight to curved, or vice versa: 1. While in Editing mode, select the leading point of the line segment (the point nearer the start of the line). 2. Then, either: • To make a line segment straight, click Straighten Line on the context toolbar. The selected segment immediately jumps to a straight line. -or- • To make a line segment curved, click one of the point buttons (describe above) on the context toolbar: Sharp Corner, Smooth Corner, Symmetric Corner, or Smart Corner. You can then adjust the curvature of the newly created curved segment. Adding lines and shapes 173 To convert to straight lines: 1. While in Editing mode, select the curve. 2. Convert to Straight Lines. The On the context toolbar, choose curve segments are replaced by straight line segments throughout the line. Adjusting a shape As described previously, you can easily turn a curve into a shape by connecting its end points. You can go the other way, too—break open a shape in order to add one or more line segments. To break open a line or shape: Select tool. 1. Select the item with the 2. Click the 3. Select the point on the closed curve where you want the break to occur. 4. Break Curve button on the context toolbar so that the Click the line will separate. A shape will become a line, with the selected point split into two points, one at each end of the new line. 5. You can now reposition the points and reshape the line by dragging on the handles. Edit Points button displayed beneath the item. When you first break a curve the two points are in exactly the same location and so the curve may still look as if it is connected. If you drag one of the red point ends away you will quickly see the separation. If the broken shape had a fill you can change the unwanted fill to be transparent by using the Colour tab's Fill swatch. 174 Adding lines and shapes Joining lines You can connect any two straight or curved lines to form a new line. To join two lines together: Select tool. 1. Select both lines by Shift-clicking with the 2. Choose Join Curves from the Tools menu. The end control point of one line is connected with the start control point of the other. Changing line style All lines, including those that enclose shapes, have numerous properties, including colour, style, line ends, weight, join, cap, and offset. Using the Line tab, you can adjust plain line properties for any freeform, straight, or curved line, as well as for the outline of a shape or photo. Adding lines and shapes 175 Changing line colour Colour swatches present in a Digikit automatically become available in the Colour tab when it is loaded. For details on adding or editing plain line colours, see Changing fill and line colour on p. 219. Changing line style A series of buttons arranged along the top of the Line tab set the line style. Solid, Dash, Double, Calligraphic, and Stroke styles can be applied. A fringed Edge style can also be applied to shapes, text, and photo edges. To change line style: • Click a button to set the line style—only one style can be set at any one time. Click another button to jump to that style. Once a style is selected you can choose line ends for most styles (except Stroke and Edge). For some styles, variations are also available. Dash or Double line style, For example, for a additional dash patterns (below) and double line options can be selected. 176 Adding lines and shapes To select a line end: • From the start and end. and drop-down menus, pick a line Other styles such as Dash and Calligraphic offer further customization of the chosen style. Two styles, Stroke and Edge, let you apply a brush, chosen from the Brushes tab, to the edge of a shape or edge. You'll see your current brush shown on the Line tab. Both styles look great when applied to artistic text. (See Adding outlines and edges to text on p. 133.) For changing line caps and ends, see CraftArtist Help. Changing line width On a selected line, curve, or shape, drag the Weight slider on the Line tab. To turn off the line, set the value to 0.0pt Adding lines and shapes 177 Adjusting line offset On a selected line, curve, or shape, adjust the Line tab's Offset value. This lets you adjust the distance between an object, brush stroke, etc., and its outline. To do this, you can click the up/down arrow buttons, type a value directly, or click the right arrow and drag the slider. Copying an item's formatting Use Format Painter to copy an item’s line and fill properties directly to another item (you can even copy between line/shape and text items). The Format Painter is particularly useful if you've taken the time to fine-tune an item's appearance (e.g., you may have applied a complex fill or combination of filter effects), and want to apply the same format to other items on your page. 178 Adding lines and shapes To apply an item’s formatting to another: 1. Select the item whose formatting you wish to copy. 2. Click Format Painter on the Standard toolbar. When you click the button, the selected item's formatting is "picked up." 3. Click the item to which you want to apply the "picked up" formatting. The second item becomes selected and the formatting is applied. • To cancel Format Painter mode, press Esc, click on a blank area of the page, or click any other tool button. • While in Format Painter mode, to select an item without pasting formatting, hold down the Shift key and then select the item. • When copying formatting from one text item to another, text properties such as font and style are also passed along. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 180 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 181 Scissor cuts Use the Scissors tool to cut any item or group of items on your page. For example, you might want to cut a material or embellishment, or add a decorative cut edge to a photograph. You can cut freeform shapes, or apply a preset “punch” shape. 182 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Cutting freeform shapes 1. Use the Select tool to select one or more items. To cut through selected items on multiple layers, ensure that the Edit All Layers button, on the Layers tab, is selected. (See Working with layers in CraftArtist Help.) 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the Scissors tool. 3. On the Scissors context toolbar, select a scissor type from the dropdown list. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 4. 183 Optional: • To adjust the regularity of the freeform cutting line, adjust the Smoothness setting. To do this, click the up and down arrows, or click the right arrow and drag the slider. • To adjust the length of each unit of the cutting edge, change the Wavelength setting. • To adjust the depth of each unit of the cutting edge, change the Amplitude setting. You can't adjust wavelength or amplitude for Straight cutting lines. 184 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 5. To create a freeform cut, click and drag across the item(s). Unselected items that the cutting line crosses will not be split. 6. To remove a cut section, click it. -orTo retain a cut section, hold down the Shift key, and then click the section you want to retain. (All other portions of the item will be deleted.) -or- Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing To retain both sections and split them apart: • Click the Select tool and then click a cut section. • Drag the section into its new position. 185 186 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Punching shapes Select tool to select one or more items. 1. Use the 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the 3. On the Scissors context toolbar, select a scissor type from the dropdown list. 4. Click to expand the Punches flyout, and then click a preset punch shape to apply it to your item. Scissors tool. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 187 5. The punch is applied to the item. Click the Cut button that displays below the item. 6. To delete or retain cut sections: • To delete a cut section, click it. • To retain a cut section, hold down the Shift key, and then click the section. 188 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing • To retain both sections and split them apart, click the Select tool, then click a cut section and drag it into its new position. Combining, cropping, and joining items CraftArtist provides the powerful Combine, Crop, and Join (Add, Subtract, and Intersect) commands, which you can use on multiple selections to create new shapes. For easy access to these commands, use the buttons on the Arrange tab. You'll also find these commands on the Arrange menu, and from the menu accessed by right-clicking on a multiple selection. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 189 Combining items Combining merges selected items into a composite item, with a hole where filled regions overlap. The composite takes the line and fill of the bottom item. 1. Use the Select tool to create a multiple selection containing the items to be combined. 2. On the Arrange tab, click the Combine button (you'll also find this option on the Arrange and right-click menus). The composite takes the line and fill of the back item. 190 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing To break apart the item, select it and click the button again. You can also use the Crop tool to crop photos and other items on your page. See Cropping photos on p. 85. Cropping items 1. Use the Select tool to create a multiple selection containing the items to be cropped. 2. On the Arrange tab, click the 3. To crop the bottom item to the outline of the top item, select Crop to Top. Crop button to display a flyout. -orTo crop the top item to the outline of the bottom item, click Crop to Bottom. To remove the crop, click Arrange>Crop>Uncrop. 191 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Clipping items 1. Use the Select tool to create a multiple selection containing the items to be clipped. 2. On the Arrange tab, click the down arrow to expand the flyout. 3. To clip the bottom item to the outline of the top item, click Clip to Top. Crop -orTo clip the top item to the outline of the bottom item, click Clip to Bottom. To remove the clip, click Arrange>Crop>Uncrop. 192 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Adding items Adding creates a new item that’s the sum of two or more selected items, whether or not they overlap. 1. Use the Select tool to create a multiple selection of items. (The items need not overlap.) 2. On the Arrange tab, click Add. The new item is a composite of the selected items, taking the line and fill of the bottom item. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 193 Subtracting items Subtracting creates a new item, retaining only the portion of the bottom item that is not overlapped. This command is particularly useful for cutting out shapes from photos. 1. Use the Select tool to create a multiple selection of overlapping items. (The items must overlap.) 194 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 2. On the Arrange tab, click Subtract. The new item consists of the non-overlapping portion(s) of the bottom selected item. Intersecting items Intersecting creates a new item by retaining the overlap and discarding the rest. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 195 Select tool to select two overlapping items. 1. Use the 2. On the Arrange tab, click Intersect. The new item consists of the overlapping portions of the previously selected items, taking the line and fill of the back item. Add, Subtract, and Intersect produce a permanent new item out of any selected items. You can only break the resulting item apart immediately after creating it by clicking the Undo button on the Standard toolbar. 196 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Erasing and adding to items Erasing Adding to CraftArtist provides the following tools for erasing and adding to existing lines and shapes. Erase Tool Lets you erase portions of a selected item or items. You can control the extent of erasing by setting eraser tip width and pressure (if using a graphics tablet). You can erase on an individual layer or across multiple layers. (See Working with layers in CraftArtist Help.) Freeform Paint Tool Lets you add to or �grow’ the boundary of an existing shape or line. This tool is especially useful for reshaping existing items, or for creating unusual filled shapes. If you add to or erase from a bitmap, QuickShape, or artistic text item, the item will be converted to curves, preventing further editing in their original form. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Erasing portions of an item Select tool to select an item. 1. Use the 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the 3. On the context toolbar, choose an eraser tip shape. 4. (Optional) Set the tip width by adjusting the Width value. Erase Tool. 197 198 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 5. Position the cursor, and drag over the item's edge. The area to be erased is drawn temporarily (use the Ctrl key to redefine the erase area while drawing). 6. Release the mouse button to erase the area drawn. The erasing process shows the background colour belonging to any item behind it (either on the same layer or a layer below the current layer). Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Adding to an item Select tool to select an item. 1. Use the 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the 3. On the context toolbar, choose a shape for the tool's tip. 4. (Optional): Freeform Paint Tool. • Set the tip width by adjusting the Width value. • To create a series of shapes without switching tools, click to disable the Select-on-Create button. 199 200 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 5. Position the cursor over the item and drag over an item boundary. You'll see dark shading, which represents the area to be added. 6. Release the mouse button to reshape the item to include the painted area. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 201 Using stencils The Stencils tab provides a selection of ready-to-go, fun stencils that will add impact to any page. Whether you paint over them with the Brush tool, or use them to cut out a design from a photo, stencils provide endless opportunities for creativity. Adding stencils to your page 1. On the Stencils tab, select a category from the drop-down list. The lower gallery displays thumbnails of the stencils available in the selected category. 2. Click and drag a thumbnail from the gallery onto your page. 202 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Painting over stencils 1. Add a stencil to you page. 2. Click the 3. Choose a brush type from the Brushes tab and set your brush colour on the Colour tab. (See Adding brush strokes on p. 207.) Brush tool. Brushes in the Airbrushes, Glitter and Natural Media categories are particularly suited to stencil work. 4. Paint over the stencil with your chosen brush. By default, stencils are set up so that paint is applied to the inner edge. To switch to the outer edge, click Outer. 5. Click Lift Stencil to remove the stencil and reveal the painted design beneath it. Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing 203 Cutting out a stencil from a photo 1. Add a stencil to you page. 2. Drag a photo from the Photos tab and drop it on top of your stencil. 3. Position the photo so that it displays as required inside the stencil outline. 4. Select the stencil and click Lift Stencil to remove the stencil and reveal the cut out design beneath it. 204 Scissor cuts, crops, and erasing Adding brush strokes 206 Adding brush strokes Adding brush strokes Adding brush strokes Add artistic flair to your projects with the Brush tool. The Brushes tab provides a wide range of brushes. Choose from preset, categorized Global brushes, or add Digikit brushes to your workspace. You can draw and paint with your mouse or with a pen tablet. The tablet’s pressure-sensitive pen tip allows control of stroke width or transparency (see Pressure sensitivity in CraftArtist Help). 207 208 Adding brush strokes Choosing brush types Brush types The Global category provides the following brushes: natural stroke and • Airbrushes Add dramatic, soft, or textured airbrush effects. • Edges Apply inner or outer edge effects to any shape or picture. • Embroidery �Stitch’ items to your page with these colourful brushes. • Flowers Paint your pages with flower spray brushes. spray Adding brush strokes 209 • Fun & Celebrations Create cheerful, fun layouts with confetti, sweets, and clouds. • Glitter Make your pages sparkle with glitter dust and glitter glue brushes. • Grunge Add aged and grunge effects to your layouts. • Natural Media Apply paint (dry, medium, and watery), acrylic, charcoal, pastel, pen, and watercolour natural media brush strokes. • Photo Add realistic lace, rope, ribbon, and rope effects with this collection of photo brushes. • Special Effects Paint with bubbles, fire, snowflakes, splats, and more! 210 Adding brush strokes Selecting brushes from the Brushes tab The Brushes tab lets you view brushes currently being used in your project, and serves as a container for supplied brush presets, brushes from Digikits, and your own custom brush designs. Document category The Document category shows the brush types used in the currently active project. This category is useful for automatically �bookmarking’ brushes for easy reuse. Global category The Global category stores the supplied brush presets under a series of predefined subcategories. These brushes are available to all projects currently open. Adding brush strokes 211 Digikit category The Digikit category displays brushes added from free or purchased Digikits you've chosen in the Digikit Browser. Most Digikits contain brushes, but some may not by design. Adding brushes from Digikits Add items from Digikits. 1. On the Pages context toolbar, click The Digikit Browser dialog opens. 2. In the Digikit Browser, select the Digikit from which you want to add brushes. 3. Scroll to the Brushes category (if present), and then hover over the brush you want to use to. If you like the brush, double-click the preview to add it. To add all brushes from the Digikit, click Add all items at the top right of the category pane. When a brush is added, a check mark appears on the brush thumbnail. 212 Adding brush strokes If you select a brush from a featured free or purchasable Digikit— the Digikit Not Installed dialog will display and you will be prompted to visit the DaisyTrail.com shop. Once you've installed your free or purchased Digikit, the brush will be added to the Digikit category of the Brushes tab on selection. (See Buying Digikits on p. 57.) Back to 'All Digikits' to add brushes from 4. (Optional) Click other Digikits. 5. When you've finished selecting brushes, click Done. Creating brush strokes You can apply brush strokes directly to the page using your mouse or pen tablet. If you're using a pen tablet, you can control stroke width and transparency by adjusting pressure sensitivity (see Pressure sensitivity in CraftArtist Help). Adding brush strokes 213 Applying brush strokes 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the The Brush cursor ( you’re ready to paint. 2. Brush tool. ) indicates that the Brush is selected and that On the Brushes tab, choose a brush category from the drop-down list, and then select a brush stroke style from the gallery. At the top of the workspace, notice that the Brush context toolbar is displayed. Use the controls on this toolbar to set the properties of your brush stroke, as described in steps 3 to 6 below. The following steps provide an overview of the brush properties. For more details, see Setting brush stroke properties on p. 214. 3. Click the Colour button and select a brush stroke colour using the Colour Selector dialog. 4. Set the Width, Opacity, and Smoothness of your brush stroke. Click the up and down arrows, or click the right arrow and then drag the slider. 5. (Optional) Enable the Fill-on-Create button if you want to fill your closed or unclosed shape as you paint. (See Setting brush stroke properties.) 6. (Optional) Enable the Select-on-Create button if you want to be able to edit your strokes immediately after painting them. 7. With the brush cursor drag a brush stroke across your page. The properties currently defined on the Brush context toolbar settings will be adopted for subsequent brush strokes. 214 Adding brush strokes A brush stroke can be extended or reshaped, as for a straight or curved line (see Editing lines and shapes in CraftArtist Help). The brush stroke path can also be reversed, closed, or opened. Setting brush stroke properties You can set the properties of your brush strokes (both before and after creating them) using the Brush context toolbar. To set brush stroke properties: 1. To set properties before painting, click the choose a brush style from the Brushes tab. Brush tool and -orTo set properties of an existing brush stroke, select the stroke. The Brush context toolbar displays. 2. To change the brush design, select a category on the Brushes tab. 3. To change the brush colour: • Set the line swatch on the Colour tab. (See Changing line and fill colours on p. 219.) -or- • Click the Colour... button on the context toolbar, and then choose your colour from the Colour Selector dialog. See Using the Colour Selector dialog in CraftArtist Help. Brush strokes cannot take a gradient fill. If applied, the base colour of the fill is adopted. Adding brush strokes 4. 215 To change brush stroke width: • Adjust the Width setting on the context toolbar (you can enter a value; click the up/down arrows; or click the right arrow and then drag the slider). -or- • 5. At the bottom of the Line tab, drag the slider or enter a value in the adjacent box. To adjust brush stroke opacity: • Adjust the Opacity setting on the context toolbar. (100% opacity = no transparency; 0% opacity = fully transparent.) -or- • 6. On the Colour tab, drag the Transparency slider to achieve the desired effect. If, in step 1, you selected the Brush tool rather than an existing brush stroke, you'll see three additional options on the context toolbar: Smoothness, Select-on-Create, and Fill-on-Create. • • Smoothness: Adjust the degree of smoothing to be applied to the brush stroke by entering a value; clicking the up/down arrows; or clicking the right arrow and then dragging the slider. Select-on-Create: Click to enable or disable this option. 216 Adding brush strokes Select-on-Create disabled: When you release the mouse button, the stroke you just created is not selected. This means that if you want to edit or add to the stroke, you must first select it. Use this method when you’re happy to set all your brush stroke properties before painting—and particularly if you intend to paint repeatedly with the same brush stroke style. Select-on-Create enabled: When you release the mouse button, the curve or stroke you just created is automatically selected, allowing you to add to or edit it immediately. Use this method when you want to change your brush stroke properties (colour, width, opacity, etc.) frequently. Press the Esc key to deselect the current brush stroke. • Fill-on-Create: Enable if you want to fill the unclosed curve produced with a brush stroke with the fill colour defined on the Colour tab. (See Changing line and fill colours on p. 219.) Working with colour 218 Working with colour Working with colour 219 Changing fill and line colour You can apply colours to the outline and interior of closed shapes and text objects, and to lines and line segments. In the Digikit Browser, the Swatches category (shown when browsing items) offers a selection of colours specifically chosen to complement your installed Digikits. Once a Digikit is selected, these colours become available in the Digikit palette, which displays on the Colour tab. To apply fill and line colour, you can: • Select a swatch from the Digikit palette. (See below.) • Apply a colour tint or a transparent fill. (See below.) • Use the Colour tab's Colour Picker to apply a colour used elsewhere on your page. (See below.) • Use the Colour tab's Colour Wheel, Colour box, or sliders. (For more on the Colour tab, see CraftArtist Help.) • Mix a custom colour in the Colour Selector dialog. (See Using the Colour Selector dialog in CraftArtist Help.) • Apply a gradient fill. (See Applying gradient fills on p. 222.) • Apply a plasma or mesh fill. (See CraftArtist Help.) 220 Working with colour Applying colours from the Digikit palette 1. Select a shape, line, or text object. 2. On the Colour tab: 3. • To change line colour, click to select the Line swatch. • To change fill colour, click to select the Fill swatch. Click a palette swatch previously loaded from a Digikit (via Digikit Browser). The colour is applied and the Line/Fill swatch updates with the selected colour. For information on switching palettes, see Using colour palettes on p. 226. Applying colour tints 1. Select a shape, line, or text object. 2. On the Colour tab: • Click to select the Line or Fill swatch, as described in step 2 above. • In the Colour Mode drop-down list, select Tinting. Working with colour 3. 221 Drag the slider to the right to lighten the tint, or to the left to darken the tint. You can also enter a percentage value in the box (0% resets to the original colour). Applying transparent fills 1. Select a shape, line, or text object. 2. On the Colour tab, click to select the Line or Fill swatch, as described above. 3. On the Colour tab, click the No Fill swatch. This applies transparency to items with line/fill properties, such as shapes and text. For pictures, clicking this swatch resets a recoloured picture back its original colours. See also Applying transparency on p. 150. Applying colours with the Colour Picker 1. Select a shape, line, or text object. 2. On the Colour tab: 3. • Click to select the Line or Fill swatch, as described above. • Click the Colour Picker. On your page, click on your chosen pickup colour with the pickup cursor (to magnify the colour swatch, hold down the mouse button). 222 Working with colour Picked Colour 4. The colour is picked up and displayed in the swatch. 5. On the Colour tab, click the Picked Colour swatch to apply the colour. 6. Optional: To add the colour to your Document palette, click the Colour Tab Menu button and select Add to Palette. (See also Using colour palettes on page 226.) Applying gradient fills Gradient fills include the Linear, Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Square, Three Colour, and Four Colour types. All of these apply colour �spectrums’ in a fill path spreading between two or more nodes. Once you've applied a gradient fill, you can edit its fill path and change its colours. (A) Start Node, (B) End Node, (C) Fill Path - Linear Working with colour 223 Applying a gradient fill 1. Select an item on your page. 2. Click the 3. Click and drag on the item to define the fill path. The item takes a simple Linear fill, grading from the current colour of the item, ending in white (items filled with white will grade from white to black, to show contrast). Fill Tool. To constrain the fill path in 15° increments, hold down the Shift key while dragging. 4. Optional: To change the fill style, choose from the drop-down list on the Fill context toolbar. 224 Working with colour The new fill path displays. Note that this will differ depending on the fill style selected. Editing a gradient fill path 1. Select an item with a gradient fill applied. 2. Click the 3. Move the fill path nodes by clicking and dragging them. Fill Tool to display the fill path. -orClick and drag across the item to define a new fill path. Working with colour 225 To constrain the fill path in 15° increments, hold down the Shift key while dragging. To ensure that the origin of the gradient remains at the item's centre point, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging. Adding and deleting fill path nodes 1. Select an item with a gradient fill applied. 2. Click the 3. To add a node, click anywhere on the fill path. Fill Tool to display the fill path. -orTo delete a node, click to select it and then press the Delete key. Changing node colours 1. Select an item with a gradient fill applied. 2. Click the 3. Use any of the following methods to recolour fill path nodes: Fill Tool to display the fill path. • For a simple gradient fill with two nodes, choose from the Fill Start and Fill End palettes on the context toolbar. • For fills with three or more nodes, select a node on the fill path, and then choose from the Fill Colour palette on the context toolbar. • Select a node and then on the Colour tab, click a colour swatch. See Editing gradient fills in CraftArtist Help. • Right-click the filled item and choose Format>Fill... (or choose the command from the Format menu). 226 Working with colour Use the Gradient Fill Editor to add/remove nodes, modify node colours and alter node positions along the path. See Editing gradient fills in CraftArtist Help. Adjustment techniques, Fill Tool, and context toolbar options differ depending on the fill style. Using colour palettes When you apply a solid fill or line colour, you choose a colour belonging to a colour palette. Only one palette can be active at any one time. The currently active palette is displayed as a gallery of swatches on the Colour tab. You can add, edit, and remove palette colours, and switch between different palettes at any time. You can also create your own custom palettes from colour spreads. (See Creating custom palettes in CraftArtist Help.) Changes to palettes are saved globally and the new palette colours are automatically carried over to any new projects you create. The following palette types are available: • Digikit palette: These palette colours originate from your chosen Digikit—you'll see the Colour tab populate with Digikit colours when you select a Digikit for your new Craft Project (see p. 21 and p. 220). You can modify your Digikit palette at any time via the Digikit Browser—select the Browse my items tab, then the Swatches category to add or remove colours to the current Digikit palette by clicking! (See below.) Note: Some Digikits may not contain palette colours, in which case the default Document palette is displayed on the Colour tab. Working with colour • 227 Document palette: If you start a blank project from scratch, rather than from a Digikit, the default Document palette is displayed on the Colour tab. This palette provides a set of commonly-used colours from which to choose. You can edit the colours displayed in the Document palette—for example, you may want to add swatches from a Digikit or a themed palette, or add a colour you have mixed yourself on the Colour tab or Colour Selector dialog. You can also save your Document palette for use in other projects. • Standard RGB and Standard CMYK palettes: Palettes based on industry-standard colour models. • Themed palettes: CraftArtist also provides a range of designer-created themed palettes containing colours designed to work well together on the page. When you save a project, its palette is saved along with it. 228 Working with colour Switching palettes 1. On the Colour tab, click More... 2. In the Colour Palette Designer, the Palettes drop-down list displays all of the palettes installed with CraftArtist. 3. Click the palette you want to use. The selected palette's colours appear as swatches in the Colour Palette Designer and on the Colour tab, replacing the swatches previously visible. Adding swatches to the Digikit palette Add items from Digikits. 1. On the context toolbar, click 2. In Digikit Browser, click the Browse my items tab. 3. In the category list on the left, click Swatches. Working with colour 229 4. Swatches already added to your Digikit palette are highlighted in the main window. 5. You can remove colours from the palette, and add colours from other installed Digikits. • To remove a colour from the palette, click to deselect it. • To add a colour, click to select it. 6. Click Done. Colours are automatically removed from/added to the Digikit palette displayed on the Colour tab. 7. Optional: • To add the colour to your Document palette, click the Tab Menu button and choose Add to Palette. Colour (You would do this if you intended to save your Document palette for use in other projects, for example.) See also Editing palettes on p. 230. 230 Working with colour Changing Document palette colours You can add colours manually from the Colour tab, or take them directly from an item's fill. Once a colour is stored in the Document palette, you can edit it in the Colour Picker dialog. To add a colour from an item's fill to the Document palette: • Select an item that has a fill colour you want to add to your palette, then click the Colour Tab Menu button and select Add to palette. To add a colour manually from the Colour tab: 1. On the Colour tab: • Click the Fill swatch, and then click to select your preferred colour. -or- • Click the Colour Picker, hold down the mouse button, and then click anywhere in your workspace to pick up your new colour. Click the the Fill swatch. 2. Click the Picked Colour swatch to transfer the colour to Colour Tab Menu button and select Add to palette. Editing palettes To add a new palette swatch: 1. On the Colour tab, right-click on the palette and click Add. 2. In the Colour Selector dialog, choose your new colour and click OK. (See Using the Colour Selector dialog in CraftArtist Help.) The colour is added to the currently loaded palette. Working with colour 3. 231 Optional: To add the colour to your Document palette, click the Colour Tab Menu button and choose Add to Palette. (You would do this if you wanted to save your Document palette for use in other projects, for example.) To edit a palette swatch: 1. On the Colour tab, right-click on the swatch you want to edit and click Edit. 2. Follow step 2 above. To remove a palette swatch: • On the Colour tab, right-click on the swatch you want to remove and click Delete. Saving palettes To save the currently active palette (the palette displayed on the Colour tab): 1. On the Colour tab, right-click the palette and select Palette Manager. 2. In the Palette Manager dialog, click the Options button, and select Save Palette As. 3. Save the palette to a new *.plt file. To save a different palette: 1. On the Colour tab, click More... 2. In the Colour Palette Designer, in the Palettes drop-down list, select the palette you want to save. 3. Click Save. 4. Save the palette to a new *.plt file. By default, palette files are saved to the Palettes folder of your installation directory. 232 Working with colour If you store your palette to a different location, it will not appear in the Palettes drop-down list. To use a palette that is not saved in the Palettes folder, you need to load it. Loading other palettes In the Colour Palette Designer, the drop-down Palettes list lets you quickly switch to any of the palettes saved in the Palettes folder. However, you can also load palettes that are stored elsewhere on your computer. To load a palette: 1. On the Colour tab, click More... 2. In the Colour Palette Designer, click Load. 3. Navigate to and select the palette you want to load. 4. Click Open. The loaded palette's colours appear as swatches in the Colour Palette Designer and on the Colour tab, replacing the swatches previously visible. Arranging items 234 Arranging items Arranging items 235 Aligning and distributing items You can arrange, align, and distribute the items on your page quickly and easily. The resulting alignment of items differs depending on how you select the items. Selecting items for alignment Shift-click • If you select items by holding down the Shift key and then clicking each item in turn, the items are aligned relative to the edges of the last selected item. Selection marquee • If you click and drag a selection marquee around the items to be aligned (or click Edit>Select All), the items are aligned relative to the item that is farthest back in the Z-order (the order in which items are placed on top of each other on the page). 236 Arranging items Alignment controls Alignment controls are available on the Align tab or from the Arrange>Align Items menu item. Distribution controls let you distribute items evenly (you can set the space between items if required). You can also distribute items across your page by selecting Include Page. See Distributing items on p. 237. Aligning two or more items 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Select tool. 2. Press and hold down the Shift key, and then click to select all the items you want to align. -orClick and drag a selection marquee around the items. -orClick Edit>Select All to select all items on the page. 3. On the Align tab, select an option for vertical or horizontal alignment. Arranging items 237 Aligning items with a page edge Follow the steps above, selecting the Include Page option. The page is added to the set of items included in the alignment, e.g., selecting Align Top aligns all of the items in the selection to the top of the page. If only one item is selected, page-edge alignment is automatic. Distributing items 1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Select tool. 2. Press and hold down the Shift key, and then click to select all the items you want to align. -orClick and drag a selection marquee around the items. -orClick Edit>Select All to select all items on the page. 3. On the Align tab, click Horizontal Distribute or Distribute to distribute items horizontally or vertically. Vertical 4. (Optional) To set a fixed distance between vertically or horizontally distributed items, select the Spaced option and enter a measurement value (otherwise the items distribute evenly between end-most items). 238 Arranging items Rotating and shearing items Rotating items Select tool. 1. Select the item(s) with the 2. Hover over the rotate handle, when you see the cursor change, drag in the direction in which you want to rotate the item. As you drag, the angle of rotation is temporarily displayed around the item's origin point (shown as ). This temporary display of information is known as tool feedback. To rotate in 15° intervals, press and hold down the Shift key while dragging. To revert the rotation, double-click the rotate handle. Arranging items 239 To change the rotation origin point: 1. Click and drag the origin point to any position on the page. (This can be outside the item itself—useful for rotating grouped items around a central point.) 2. Drag the repositioned rotate handle. The item rotates about the new origin point. Additional rotation options are provided on the Arrange and Transform tabs, and on the Arrange menu. For details, see CraftArtist Help. 240 Arranging items Shearing items Select tool. 1. Select the item(s) with the 2. Hover over a centre edge handle. When you see the Shear cursor, click and drag in the direction in which you want to shear the item, and then release. • To copy and shear an item, press and hold down the Ctrl key while dragging—this preserves the original item, while shearing the new copied item as you drag. • For precise shearing, enter an exact tab. Shear value in the Transform Arranging items 241 Ordering items The items on your page are �stacked’ on top of each other, the front-most item (e.g., lilac flower above) being the one on top of the stack (also known as Zorder). Each time you create a new item, it is placed in front of the items already there. You can move any item to any position in the ordering sequence using the buttons on the Arrange tab below. The lilac flower in the second illustration above has been moved to the back. Equivalent commands are available from the Arrange menu's Order items submenu. 242 Arranging items To change an item's position: On the Arrange tab, click one of the following buttons: • Bring to Front • Send to Back • Back One • Forward One Alternatively, ordering is possible using the right-click Order Items> options. Don't confuse the concept of item ordering with that of page layers. (See Working with layers in CraftArtist Help.) Arranging items 243 Grouping items Grouping items prevents you from accidentally altering them. Grouping also allows you to move, rotate, and resize items all together, and to edit similar items all at the same time. You can select multiple items at the same time but this is a temporary operation; grouped objects are always kept together until you physically ungroup them. The only requirement for grouping is that multiple items are selected in advance. (See Selecting, moving, and resizing items in CraftArtist Help.) To create a group from a multiple selection: • Click the Group button below the selection. To ungroup (turn a group back into a multiple selection): • Click the Ungroup button below the selection. In general, any operation you carry out on a group affects each member of the group. For example, property changes applied to a group—such as changing line or fill—will affect all the items contained in the group. 244 Arranging items Sharing and publishing 246 Sharing and publishing Sharing and publishing 247 Sharing via website You can share your project by print, via email, as a distributable electronic PDF, or via the daisytrail.com website. Publishing to DaisyTrail lets you contribute to the growing collection of published projects, and share your work with friends, family, and like-minded crafters! To share your projects via website, simply complete the following steps: • Register on the website. • Login with your DaisyTrail account information in CraftArtist. • Upload your chosen project. The www.daisytrail.com website is designed specifically as a digital crafting community. 248 Sharing and publishing Main website features include: • Free stuff Daisytrail.com offers free Digikits for you to download which are often seasonal, based on events, or on occasions. • DaisyTrail shop Buy and download individual Digikits or entire Digikit Collections, plus font collections, software, and other goodies. • Commend and comment! Praise and comment on other people's projects—and have your own designs assessed by the community. Click the like this button to commend your favourite projects. • Search Find projects, groups, or other users throughout the website. • Make new friends! Social networking meets craft designing! Use email or user discussion forums to build friendships with other crafters, especially those you add to your friends list. • Work in groups Create groups of users with similar interests—great for schools, clubs, or maybe just your network of "crafty" friends. Registering DaisyTrail Upload on the Standard toolbar. 1. Click 2. If you've not registered before, click the Join Now! button. You'll be taken directly to www.daisytrail.com registration. 3. From the registration form, enter your personal information, including an email address to which an activation message will be sent. If you need Help, use the link provided. Sharing and publishing 4. 249 Click Create Account. For account activation, you'll need to check your email and click on the activation message sent to you. This may take time depending on your ISP and connection. Remember your Username and Password. You'll need to re-enter this information into CraftArtist. 5. Registration is complete after activation. All you need to do now is to create your craft project and upload it! If you don't add your DaisyTrail user account details, you'll be reminded to do so every eight days. You can register on the website, then transfer your username and password over, or cancel to enter your details later. Uploading Once you've successfully created your account you can upload your project, with the option of including only specific or all pages. To upload your project from CraftArtist: DaisyTrail Upload on the Standard toolbar. 1. Click 2. If you've registered (see above) and are uploading for the first time, enter the Username and Password you created on DaisyTrail. You won't need to do this again on subsequent uploads. 3. In the dialog, uncheck pages you don't want to upload (use the scroll bar to view all pages). 250 Sharing and publishing 4. (Optional) For the upload you can choose a different account to upload to. Click My Account and enter a different Username and Password. 5. Click Upload to transfer your selected pages. 6. On upload, a progress bar indicates upload status. On completion, click OK to close the dialog or click View to immediately see your uploaded project on the website. Modifying account details in CraftArtist 1. Select Options... on the Tools menu. 2. In the Upload pane, enter your remembered Username and Password. 3. (Optional) Click the Test button to verify that the account details are correct. If successful, a "Username and password valid" message is displayed. If you've forgotten your password or you've not already registered, use the accompanying Reset Password and Register buttons. For the latter, you'll be directed to the Registration page on the website. Complete the registration details and click Create Account. 4. (Optional) Reduce the upload Quality to 96 DPI to speed up file transfer if your Internet connection is 56k dial-up modem (at the expense of zoom quality). Otherwise, use the default 300 DPI for broadband and all other faster Internet connections. Sharing and publishing 251 Basic printing CraftArtist supports printing directly to a physical printer (e.g., All-in-ones, Inkjet and Laser printers), with options for scaling and thumbnail printing. Greeting cards (below), scrapbooks, and other projects can be printed quickly and easily. To print: 1. Click File>Print... (or right-click on the page or pasteboard area and click Print). 2. In the Print dialog, select a target printer from the drop-down list. Click the Properties button to set up the printer for the correct page size, etc. Set the page size from the Advanced tab if needed. 3. (Optional) If you want to create a print-ready *.prn file for printing at a later date, select the Print to file option. 4. Select the print range to be printed: • Document: Exports the whole project. • Current Page: Exports only the page currently displayed. 252 Sharing and publishing • Pages: Enter a page range (e.g., 3-5) to export a limited selection of pages (or individual page numbers, if separated by commas). If you've set a range, you can further export just odd or even pages in the range from the drop-down list. • Selection: If you've selected an item in advance, you can print it in isolation using this option. 5. Enter the Number of Copies to be printed. 6. Check Crop Marks to add marks to the corner of your design when printing onto paper larger than your project's paper size. The marks indicate where to cut your design out after printing (using scissors, guillotine, etc.). 7. Choose a Print Size option: 8. • As in document (default). Prints the project without scaling to fit the paper. If your project uses a paper size larger than that currently set for the printer, the resulting printed output will �cut off’ parts of your page. • Shrink to fit paper size. Reduces the print size to fit the printer's currently set paper size. • Scale to fit paper size. Reduces or enlarges the print size automatically to fit neatly on the printed page, taking printer margins into account. • Best Fit. CraftArtist scales the print size to prevent any unwanted white borders around your design from being printed. This makes full use of your printable area. • Print as thumbnails. Prints multiple pages at a reduced size on each printed page, taking printer margins into account. Specify the number of thumbnails per sheet in the Per sheet value box. Click Print. Sharing and publishing 253 The Preview window lets you review your print output before actually printing. It shows how your project pages map to the selected paper size. You can also choose Print Preview from the File menu. Printing folded craft projects If you've chosen a Greeting Card or Stationery craft project then the template you've chosen will automatically be set up to print your pages in the correct order, i.e. automatic imposition occurs. Using purchased print media For greeting cards, you'll probably want to use your own purchased card stock to print onto. For successful printing, you can either choose a print scaling option (p. 252) or you can use Page Setup (click File>Page Setup) to ensure the project matches the card stock used (by changing project layout and/or page size). Using standard printer paper If you're not using card stock, it's possible to make your own greeting cards from standard printer paper. As an example, printing an A5 greeting card project to a desktop A4 printer, would output project pages 2 and 3 on the first printed sheet, with pages 1 and 4 on the second. To create a double-sided card, it's popular to use the printer's manual feed to print the first printed sheet then flip this sheet over. Hey presto, you've got an double-sided A5 greeting card. If you're happy to scale your project's paper size to your printer's default paper size (e.g., A4), you can choose Scale to fit paper size on the Print dialog when you print. You may prefer to use the manual feed in any case if you're using thicker than usual print media such as card. 254 Sharing and publishing Exporting as PDF The cross-platform Adobe PDF file format is a worldwide standard for document distribution, which works equally well for electronic or paper publishing. It excels as an electronic distribution medium as it is device- and platform-independent. To make sharing easy, you can export your project as a PDF file (Acrobat 4.0 compatible). In doing so, all the colours you've used will be output to an RGB colour space, and all your pages will be rasterized (converted to bitmaps) on export. Exporting as a PDF file 1. Click File>Export>Export as PDF... 2. In the dialog, select a Print Range: 3. • Entire document: Exports the whole project. • Current page: Exports only the page currently displayed. • Pages: Enter a page range (e.g., 3-5) to export a limited selection of pages (or individual page numbers, if separated by commas). If you've set a range, you can further export just odd or even pages in the range from the drop-down list. For facing page spreads, enter the page number combination, e.g., 2, 3. (Optional) Set other options as follows: • For more convenient on-screen viewing in Adobe Reader, specify how your project will initially appear by selecting the Fit to complete page or Fit to page width check box. • By default, your PDF file will display in your currently installed Adobe Reader immediately after export finishes. If you do not want to preview your file immediately after export, clear the Preview PDF file check box. Sharing and publishing 4. 255 Select a Print Quality level from the drop-down list. Best quality offers 300 dpi lossless export (no compression). Other list options offer lower resolution export, with smaller file sizes offered as quality decreases. 5. Click OK. 6. Choose a location and file name for your PDF file. Click Save. Once export completes, the PDF displays if Preview PDF file was selected in step 3 above. Sharing via email You can share your projects via email, attached as a JPEG or PDF*, or as your original *.craft project. To share your project via email: 1. On the File menu, click Send... 2. In the Send dialog, choose the format in which to send your project. You can attach your project as a *.craft project file, as a JPEG image, or as a PDF document. 3. Your project is attached to a new email message, which opens in your default email program. 4. Just add your email recipient(s) and message and send your project! 256 Sharing and publishing Index Index Index 2D filter effects, 146 Brushes tab, 210 3D filter effects, 147 canvas (rotating), 70 adding pages, 64 Clip to Bottom, 191 adjusting Clip to Top, 191 photo frames, 112 Clipped Mode, 73 pictures, 88 clipping items, 191 QuickShapes, 160 closed lines (shapes), 163 Adobe PDF files, 254 publishing, 254 colour, 219 colour palettes, 226 albums (photo), 19 Colour Picker, 230 Align tab, 236 Colour tab, 175, 220, 226 alignment combining items into new shapes, 189 of items, 235 artistic text, 119 conical transparency, 153 AutoFlow, 109 control handles (line editing), 171 Back One, 242 corner nodes (line editing), 171 Bézier curves Crop to Bottom, 190 drawing, 162 editing, 171 Crop to Top, 190 cropping, 85, 111, 190 Break Apart, 190 framed photos, 111 Bring to Front, 242 items, 190 browsing photos, 85, 111 Digikits, 53 Curve Smoothness slider, 162, 170 items, 54 curves, 162 brush strokes drawing, 162 applying, 212 editing, 164, 168 setting properties, 214 filling unclosed, 164 Brush Tool, 213 Cutout Studio, 97 brushes, 207 cutting with Scissors Tool, 181 adding from Digikits, 211 DaisyTrail, 247 categories for, 208 deleting pages, 66 Index Digikit Collections, 18, 22 format painter, 177 buying, 57 formatting text, 126 viewing, 57 Forward One, 242 Digikits frames (photo) accessing, 53 adding, 105 browsing, 53 adjusting, 112 downloading, 59 converting photos to, 116 distribution of items, 237 Document Palette, 230 saving, 231 cropping, 111 deleting, 115 fitting photos to, 108 Freeform Paint Tool, 196 drop shadows, 145 gift wrap, 19 editing gradient fills, 222 brush strokes, 214 edit, 224 lines and shapes, 164 gradient transparency, 151 QuickShapes, 160 greeting cards, 18 text, 122, 124 effects, 147 printing, 253 Hintline toolbar, 68 feathering, 147 images (see photos), 77 filters, 147 importing pictures, 77 textures, 148 installation, 11 Effects tab, 146 intersecting items, 194 ellipse transparency, 153 items Erase Tool, 196 adding to, 199 Export as PDF, 254 adding to the workspace, 56 exporting, 254 aligning with each other, 235 PDF files, 254 browsing, 54 features, key, 4 clipping, 191 Fill-on-Create, 164, 216 combining into new shapes, 189 fills cropping, 190 gradient, 222 distributing, 237 transparent, 221 erasing, 197 filter effects, 146 fills, 219 Index grouping and ungrouping, 243 margins of page, 34 intersecting, 194 nodes, 170 isolating, 73 editing, 170 joining, 192 offset, adjusting on Line tab, 177 line settings, 174 opening projects, 16, 47 ordering, 241 ordering items, 241 QuickShapes, 159 outline effects rotating, 238 adding to text, 133 searching for, 54 Page Setup, 33 selecting one or more, 243 page size, 32 shearing, 240 page units, 35 splitting, 185, 188 pages subtracting, 193 adding, 64 transparency, 150 deleting, 66 Join Curves, 174 duplicating, 66 joining items, 192 moving, 66 Line tab, 174 navigating, 67 linear transparency, 153 Pages tab, 63 lines, 160 palettes, colour, 226 adjusting offset of, 177 selecting from, 220 closed (shapes), 163 panning, 68 curved, 162 paper textures, 148 drawing, 160 party crafts, 19 editing, 164 PDF files, 254 extending, 167 exporting, 254 filling unclosed, 164 Pen Tool, 162 joining, 174 Pencil Tool, 161 reshaping, 168 photobooks, 19 smoothing, 161 PhotoLab, 89 straight, 161 photos styles for, 175 adjusting, 82, 88 turning into shapes, 163 converting to frames, 116 Make & Do project, 45 cropping, 85, 111 Index cutting out, 97 saving documents, 49 cutting with stencil, 203 scaling (printing), 252 deleting, 84, 115 scissor cuts, 181 fitting to frames, 108 Scissors Tool, 181 importing, 77 scrapbooks, 18 replacing, 82 Select-on-Create, 215 resizing, 84 Send to Back, 242 using AutoFlow, 109 sentiments, 28, 137 plasma transparency, 153 adding, 138 printing, 251 creating, 139 greetings cards, 253 editing, 139 PDF files, 255 Shadow Tool, 145 stationery, 253 shadows (drop), 145 thumbnails, 252 shape text, 119 projects shapes, 159, 163 blank, 20, 32 breaking open, 173 Make & Do, 45 combining, cropping, and joining, 188 opening saved, 47 saving, 49 drawing, 159, 163 starting new, 32 editing, 160, 164 template-based, 18, 21 QuickShapes, 159 adjusting, 160 creating, 159 using QuickShapes, 159 Sharing by email, 255 by website, 247 radial transparency, 153 shearing items, 240 registration, for project upload, 248 solid transparency, 151 Solo Mode, 73 rotating splitting items, 185, 188 canvas, 70 square transparency, 153 items, 238 stacking (ordering) items, 241 rule of thirds, 72, 86 on photos, 86 on the page, 72 Startup Wizard, 15 stationery, 19 printing, 253 Index stencils, 201 selecting, 122 Stencils Tab, 201 shape, 119 straight lines, 161 textures, paper, 148 subtracting items, 193 themes, choosing, 22 system requirements, 10 tint, 220 tab Tool Align, 236 Brush, 213 Arrange, 241 Erase, 196 Brushes, 210 Format Painter, 177 Colour, 175, 220 Freeform Paint, 196 Effects, 146 Pen, 162 Line, 174 Pencil, 161 Pages, 63 Scissors, 181 Stencils, 201 Shadow, 145 tablet, 70 Transparency, 152 templates, 21 toolbar, HintLine, 68 text transparency, 150 artistic, 119 gradient, 151 combining, cropping, and joining, 188 path, 153 editing, 122, 124 flow on a path, 130 solid, 151 Transparency Tool, 152 transparent fills, 221 formatting, 123, 126 ungrouping items, 243 letter, 41 uploading (projects), 249 moving, 122 Weight of line (width), 176 outlines, 133 resizing, 123 rotating, 123 Welcome, 3 zooming, 69 Index