CONTENTS
========

1. MAILBAG
2. ANSWERS
3. THE EURO
4. CONTROL VIA DDE
5. MAKING QUARK AND PAGEMAKER WORK TOGETHER
6. IMPOSITION AND PAGEMAKER
7. UTILITIES
8. HINTS
9. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
10. LAST WORD

 

1. MAILBAG
==========

Kevin Mack wrote from Australia: "Are there any tools, scripts or plugins to facilitate the formatting of database info in PageMaker. Something like the old Ventura Database Publisher?"

We replied: "There is a program called GalleyMaster <http://www.galleymaster.com> which seems to do this. However, it usually seems easier to set up a dummy of the final output in PM, export with tags (either simple or complex) and then use this as a guide to setting up a report in the database program with the tags placed as text fields in the report.

We gave an almost identical answer to a similar question from Gregory in California.

---------

Jeff Lawrence from Australia: "I often need to change upper to lower case and fine the plug-in case change in pm65 too slow. Is there a shortcut? I know there is one for changing lower to upper."

We replied: The case-change facility within PageTools <http://www.extensis.com> is what I use -- and it is a lot quicker than the plugin included with PageMaker, especially if you use the toolbar buttons available in PageTools.

-----

Thomas Steffan in Europe asked why he was getting huge files in PageMaker with placed EPS graphics. He also asked on several newsgroups and got all the usual answers, which didn't help, about doing SaveAs instead of Save, and ensuring he was linking files instead of embedding them -- which he'd already said he was doing.

We suggested that he hold down shift as he placed the file, and select a much lower resolution for the EPS preview. "Although you may not be including the file itself in the file, a 300dpi rasterised preview could be much larger than the file itself." He replied quickly: "That's it! It makes a really big difference if I have a preview picture of 72 or 300DPI."

-----

Don Drozdenko, West Coast Editor for the Grinder Finder Newsletter of the Association of Coffee Mill Enthusiasts reported problems with jpeg and pdf file imports and asked: " What is the best file format for color photographs that would retain the best detail and color when imported/pasted/placed in Pagemaker?"

We pointed to the jpeg filter on the PM6.5 CD -- go to Custom install and select just filters, and then the jpeg filter. There wasn't a pdf filter when 6.5 was released but there is now one available on the Adobe site.

It's generally accepted that TIFF or EPS are the best formats (the latter only if you are using Postscript of course). However JPEG is gaining ground as with good use of the compression/quality options you can get good pics with a smaller file size. Be aware though that TIFF compression has been known to cause printing problems (we recommend uncompressed tiffs -- and if space is a problem, zip or stuff the final files for storage or transport).

GIF is generally thought to be acceptable with pics that contain large areas of flat color, but not for reasonable quality press work, and BMP are usually at the bottom of the list.

We use TIFF for most purposes, and convert to GIF or JPG for web use. We scan at 200dpi for newspaper work and at 300 for most other uses unless there is to be a substantial variation in the finished size compared to the original. For line work we usually scan at as high a true optical setting as the scanner will give us and then size down if necessary in Photoshop.

-----

Michelle D. Feigen wrote from the US: "First, I just subscribed to Format because after reading the archive I think it's concise, useful, and infrequent enough that it won't 'stack up' in my email before I've gotten a chance to make good use out of all it has to offer.

"Now, the question: I'm on a Windows 98 system running PageMaker 6.52 and ATM Deluxe 4.0. Because of the different way the Windows platform handles fonts, I've been told be many people, including Adobe's own tech support, that the way to choose a font like "Helvetica Bold" or "Helvetica Italic" would be to select it from the style rather than the actual font by that name (Because although installed they are not visibly available in the font menu). I would be happy to believe Adobe except that when I check the fonts in the document, using "Save for Service Provider", only the Helvetica face itself is collected and shown in the document and not the true styled font. What's the real deal?"

We replied: As you say, Windows doesn't let you specify the subsidiary styled fonts, and the Save for Service Provider plugin doesn't seem to handle this particularly well (which I suspect is a Windows problem rather than a PageMaker one). My answer is to include the bold, italic and bold italic fonts as well -- unless I know absolutely that any of those have not been used.

Also check whether the Save for Service Provider plugin you are using is the latest version -- an update to version 1.1 is available on the Adobe website. (It shows as S4SP.ADD in the list you get if you hold down Ctrl while clicking on About in the Help menu).

-----

Joan Breman of Pittsburgh asked: "Is there a way to remove the 6.5 update. I don't want to lose all my work."

We replied: The update in Windows just replaces two files, the application file itself (pm65.exe) and another called Vamp.dll. It puts the originals of these in a subfolder of the main pm65 folder called, appropriately, Backup. Therefore you just have to drag these two from backup to the pm65 folder and say OK to the dialog asking if you want to replace the files already there.

However, the 6.52 update does overcome a lot of little problems with 6.5 including a number of common printing and frames problems, so I'd suggest having another go at installing it. Neither the update nor reverting to the original 6.5 version should have any effect on files you've already created.

 

2. ANSWERS
==========

David Kunkel in the US suggested an answer to Bob Mallett in the UK who asked why his palettes wouldn't stay in the same place when he reopened PageMaker. We had suggested to ensure you close PM when it is in full screen mode rather than when it is iconised or on the task bar. However Bob replied to say that this worked partially -- in that the palettes now opened where he wanted them but only for a few seconds.

David replied: "I resolved this problem in Corel Draw by finding the appropriate .ini or .cfg file in the program's directory, and making it read-only. I have to click a dialog that warns me that 'current settings will not be saved', but I get what I want. In my case the files were cdrmenu.cfg and cdrrolls.cfg, for menus and roll-ups, respectively."

The main configuration file for PageMaker is PM65.cnf which is in the language folder (usenglsh or whatever).

 

3. THE EURO
===========

Euro to us is a kind of kangaroo, but it's actually the new version of an EMU (no, not the flightless bird, the European Monetary Unit). The euro is the new business currency of 11 European nations within the European Monetary Union. And it is going to cause all kinds of problems for the print world.

The euro symbol itself is a rounded "E" with a double cross bar going right through, so it looks more like a "C" with double horizontal bars. It will be easy enough to get. There are free fonts from Adobe <http://www.adobe.com/type/eurofont.html> or by FTP at <ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/type/win/all/eurofont.exe> or <ftp://ftp-pac.adobe.com/pub/adobe/type/win/all/eurofont.exe> (172K). The Sans of these faces (without bold or italic) is the official symbol.

Also there are free fonts from Microsoft and probably a number of other fonts sites. (Phil's Fonts offer a service of adding the euro to any existing font file <http://www.philsfonts.com/>).

There's an FAQ file with links to the fonts and Win95 and NT updates at <http://www.microsoft.com/opentype/faq/faq12.htm>.

Windows 98 has support for the euro and does not need any special product updates.

More Euro Enabled Fonts for Microsoft Office adds euro support to the following additional fonts. Arial Black, Arial Narrow, Book Antiqua, Bookman Old Style, Century Gothic, Comic Sans MS, Garamond, Haettenschweiler, Impact, Monotype Corsiva, Trebuchet MS and Verdana.

The euro symbol occupies a place in fonts which has been reserved for a long time for a new currency symbol. Currently it is occupied in many fonts by a strange circle with four dots around it which has been known as "the currency symbol".

The problem arises when you have a workflow which is not entirely in your control. If you have the new fonts and send jobs to a bureau or printer which does not have them, you will see the euro symbol on your proofs but the output will be that strange dotted circle.

Printers in Europe will be immediately aware of the problem but those of us in the rest of the world can expect some communication breakdowns.

I suppose the answer is, if you have the fonts, to supply a copy with your job, and I can't imagine there being a copyright problem if the bureau/printer has a legal copy of that font in an old version -- especially since the updates you are likely to have are going to be, initially, ones given away free by the foundries.

The other option is to use one of the specific Euro symbol fonts (like the ones from Adobe) -- perhaps using a script to place it -- and then supply that font to the printer.

For web use (where the user can change a font at will), we suggest you use a tiny GIF file.

While mentioning the euro, there's a neat freeware euro calculator on the IBM site <http://www.ibm.com>, which can add itself into Lotus, but which is stand alone for those who don't use Lotus. It allows you to add your own currency to the 11 euro ones. We've added the AUD (Australian dollar) and the USD (US dollar) so entering a figure in any one gives you the conversion in the others. You have to update the dollar to euro conversions of course, but the intercountry conversions between the 11 participants are fixed.

But how do you get the euro symbol on screen or in print? On a PC keyboard you use the 'AltGr' key plus another key which will probably be e, 4 or 5. If it doesn't have an AltGr key you may be able to use the right 'Alt' key and the appropriate digit or letter.

On standard US keyboards hold down either Alt key and type 0128 on the numeric keypad part of your keyboard. Microsoft explains: "The AltGr combinations listed are not implemented on US keyboard as users expect both right and left Alt keys to have the same effect".

Will your printer output the new symbol? Yes, providing you don't use printer resident fonts that do not include the euro. You may need to adjust your printer setup options as using resident fonts will probably be the default setting. Look for 'print fonts as graphics' or similar settings in your printer setup options.

Printing fonts as graphics instead of using resident fonts will often result in slower printing. Newer printers may have support for the symbol built into their resident fonts.

There is an explanation of Apple's position at <http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1140.html>. As we understand it the euro glyph has been added under Mac OS 8.5, to the following fonts: Apple Chancery, Capitals, Charcoal, Chicago, Courier, Gadget, Geneva, Helvetica, Hoefler Text, Monaco, New York, Palatino, Sand, Skia, Symbol, Techno, Textile, and Times.

In all these, except Symbol, the euro is at Option-Shift-2 replacing the international currency symbol. For Symbol, the glyph has been added at Option-t. The glyph does not take on the font and style characteristics of the font in which it resides (unlike the Microsoft fonts). Apple say they may stylize the glyph with a future release of the Mac OS but they are not planning to release the fonts outside of the Mac OS 8.5 release. They state: "Third parties, however, do have fonts that contain this Euro glyph if you are not running Mac OS 8.5".

What happens when you print will depend on the printer driver you are using. If it is LaserWriter 8.6, it should print the euro symbol from the Symbol font (which explains why it isn't styled to the various fonts). If it is 8.4 or 8.5 it will depend on the PrintingLib file version. Older than that and it seems you are out of luck.

As we said, it is likely to cause some confusion -- maybe, for those in the graphics fields, even more than the year 2000.

 

4. CONTROL VIA DDE
==================

David Muchemi of Kenya wrote that they were using PageMaker 5 on a newspaper in that country. He asked about scripting and when we suggested that, because PM5's scripting is very basic, to have any real control he would have to use DDE programming, he came back with the obvious question: "Can you point me to where I can get more information on DDE programming?"

The answer is that most programs which can issue DDE commands have different ways of doing it, but they all basically use only four commands to communicate with PageMaker: DDEInitiate, DDEExecute, DDERequest, and DDETerminate (though the command names can vary a little). In brackets after those commands come the commands that are used in PageMaker scripting.

The following is a very brief DDE sequence from the PM6.5 help files which may give the idea. It is in VisualBasic and is intended to run as a Macro in Word to connect with PageMaker, create a new file, find out how many pages it has and then close the link.

Sub MAIN

 End Sub

 

 5. MAKING QUARK AND PAGEMAKER WORK TOGETHER
===========================================

Sharon Charpentier wrote from Maine: "Just read your newsletter on the Internet. It is so refreshing to meet up with some others in the same industry. One of the questions that was addressed in your newsletter is similar to a challenge my publication faces. I have someone out of house layout out our pages and we (in-house) do all the ads. Out of house operates on a Mac using Quark. We use PCs and PageMaker 6.5. I have contemplated going straight from disk to print but have had such a difficult time with how to get our two platforms and different operating systems to work together. I know there must me a way. (Sharon publishes 'Making It At Home community and business news')

We replied: It depends which way round you want to do it -- bring the pages in and add the advertisements in PM, or put the ads into the Quark pages. Either way can be done, but it would need some dry runs to sort out the potential problems.

There is a Quark-to-PM converter on the Adobe website which could convert the Quark files to PageMaker, although there can be some problems, and, as it makes heavy use of PageMaker frames to copy the frame-based QXP layout, it can be difficult to make even minor changes on the files until you have realised just how it converts the files. Make sure you use the latest version of the converter -- the one on the PM6.5 CD has some major problems.

Similarly there is a program called PM2Q from Markzware though we haven't seen how well that works (you should find details in the XTensions section of the Quark website).

Another option in going from PM to QXP is to convert the PM-created ads to PDF files, although the Quark PDF import filter is still in a Beta version (though free from the Quark website last time I looked). And PDFs for spot colour and colour work present some problems (though none which cannot be overcome).

 

6. IMPOSITION AND PAGEMAKER
===========================

Robert A. Rosenberg asked about "Imposing more than 2 page images per printed page": "The Make Booklet Plug-in only allows the creation of 4 page signatures (2 images on the front and two on the back). Is there a better Plug-in that will impose more images per side (something like the Palmbook Template creates)? A template (with Front and Back Side Master Pages) with the pages linked in the correct order across the two Master Pages (if this was possible), would work so long as I can just go "Place" with the text file and have autoflow fill in the pages in the correct order (as well as create enough extra pages to hold the full input). I use the Macintosh PPC version of PM 6.0 and 6.5 if this makes any difference."

We replied: "We don't know of any automatic way of creating impositions of more than two pages within PM and any reasonable way of doing this would soon hit the 42" page limitation (which already causes problems for showing spreads of the bigger broadsheets -- "Facing pages not available for a page size greater than 17" x 22" is the message you get.)

In theory you could script imposition of smaller page sizes in a similar way to the Build Booklet plug-in (there is a scripted version on Marc Zeedar's scripting web site which could be a starting point). This could rotate pages according to page number.

Robert replied: "This is for a paperback book format so a 17x22 limit is adequate (it gives 2x4 pages per side since I'm getting 2 pages per side on normal 8.5x11 paper). The problem is to select the correct sets of pages for each position. Since I want to impose multiple sheets (in the same pattern) an automated method (like the Build Booklet plug-in) is needed to create the pages images."

We suggested: A better way may be the Quite Imposing plug-in for Acrobat Exchange which is available from Quite software <http://www.quite.com>. We've used this effectively on a number of A5-size imposition jobs based on PDF files created from PageMaker.

Robert replied: "This sounds like it will meet my needs. I'll check out the page."

 

7. UTILITIES
============

If you copy text from an Acrobat file you end up with hard returns all over the copy. This problem be solved by means of Peter Ring's TrimTXT shareware programme, downloadable from <http://www.prc.dk/software/home.html>. This US$30 program also sorts out those email messages with strange equal sign symbols in them and converts html text to standard. Just copy the text, invoke TrimTXT (probably from a shortcut) and paste.

TrimTXT may be executed as a stand-alone programme, or from a Word or WordPerfect macro, which are included with the TrimTXT help file.

 

8. HINTS
========

A styles shortcut in PageMaker can quickly change a style based on altered text.

Firstly change font, color, size, rules, etc of selected text that's already a style you're using. Then, in the control palette (set to show styles), click the text cursor in the style name while holding down command (control) and shift.

PM asks you if you want to make the style the same as the altered text. You click yes and all text with that style is updated to the new revision.

------

To print postscript files direct to your printer: Open Notepad and type:

@copy %1 lpt1
@exit

Save the file as print.bat

If you put this on your Desktop you can drag and drop PS files onto this for them to print. You can also put this into the \windows\sendto folder so it shows on a right-click menu under Send To.

If you don't like the window popping up, right-click this file in Explorer and in the resulting menu, choose Create Shortcut. In this shortcut, choose "run minimized" and "close on exit," choose a nice icon, and drag to the shortcut instead of the batch file.

You can't multiple-select and print using this (unless you put in %2, %3, etc., but then you're stuck printing that many files).

  

9. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
=========================

The FontSite -- <http://www.fontsite.com>

----

"Tip of the month" for January 1999 on "The User Friendly Manuals' Website" is "Current trends in technical communication". <http://www.prc.dk/user-friendly-manuals/home.html>

 

10. LAST WORD
=============

The more you have fiddled with the final version of the copy/layout, the more likely the client/editor is to change the final copy (and want a rush turnaround time).

 

Gordon Woolf
The Worsley Press
Hastings, Australia.

====================

Back to Format page