Note: This box may or may not be in line with the text it refers to.
A paragraph is a section of text which ends (and usually starts) with a 'hard' carriage return.
To apply certain attributes to a whole paragraph, first select the text tool, then click anywhere inside the paragraph to be changed. From the 'Type' menu, select 'Paragraph' and complete the dialogue box which appears:
Left indent determines the distance from the left margin to the left side of the text.
Right indent determines the distance from the right side of the text to the right margin.
First indent is the additional left indentation applied to the first line of the paragraph (for hanging indents this will be negative).
The alignment of the paragraph can also be altered:
Left is standard
Right lines up the right edge of each line, leaving the left edges ragged.
Centre centres each line within the width of the block.
Justify lines up left and right edges (except on short lines).
Force justify forces the text to fill up the available space between the left and right margins (or left and right indents).
The same attributes can be applied to a series of paragraphs by highlighting them before selecting 'Paragraph'.
The manipulation of tab stops is one of the more difficult parts of PageMaker, and requires a certain amount of practice.
Tabs work as follows:
The text may contain 'tab' characters. When the program encounters a 'tab' character, it lines up the next character with the next 'tab stop' in the layout for that particular paragraph. This is made more complicated by the fact that there are four types of tab stop:
Left: |
Standard. The text following the 'tab' character appears to the right of the 'stop'. (i.e. the 'tab' is on the left). |
Right: |
The text following the 'tab' character appears to the left of the stop. To get beyond the stop, you have to insert another 'tab' character. |
Centre: |
Text centres itself around the stop. |
Decimal: |
Numbers appear with the decimal place in the tab position. |
By default, every PageMaker paragraph is set up with `left' tab stops every 1 cm. To alter the tab stops for a particular paragraph, first select the 'Text' tool and click in the paragraph concerned (to set tabs for multiple paragraphs, first highlight the appropriate paragraphs). Then click on 'Type', 'Indents/tabs' to bring up the following dialogue box:
Note: This box may or may not be in line with the text it refers to.
The default tab stops can be seen on the scale as small triangles.
, right tab 
,
centre tab 
or decimal tab 
.
Then click the position on the scale where you want the tab to appear. All
the default tabs to the left of this position will disappear. You can continue
to add as many tab stops as you wish in the same way.Use 'OK' when you are satisfied with the tab stops you have.
The same dialogue box can be used to alter the indents on the paragraph. These are marked on the scale as triangles on the left and right ends, and may be dragged across in the same way as the tabs. Notice that the left indent can be split into upper and lower halves, corresponding to the 'first line' indent and the left indent for the remainder of the paragraph.
The position of tab characters in the text can be seen using the 'Story Editor' (see separate section).
A paragraph style is a collection of attributes grouped together and given a name, which can then be applied to any paragraphs in the document. Attributes consist not only of the paragraph attributes mentioned above, but also character attributes such as font, size, etc.
To apply one of the existing styles to a paragraph, click anywhere within the paragraph using the text tool. Then select 'Type' and 'Style' (NB: Not 'Type style') and choose one of the names that appear. The attributes associated with this style will immediately be assigned to this paragraph.
Alternatively, click on 'Window' and 'Show styles' and a box appears containing all the paragraph style names. To use this box, click within a paragraph, then point to one of the names in the box and click again.
If you don't like the appearance of this style, the style definition may be altered. Click on 'Type' and 'Define styles', then select the appropriate name. Click on 'Edit' and a new dialogue box will appear. To alter character attributes, select 'Type'; to change paragraph attributes, select 'Para'. Make alterations as required and click 'OK' several times (or hold <Shift> whilst you click 'OK'). Note that all paragraphs that have been assigned to this style will be immediately altered.
A completely new style may be created by selecting 'Type', 'Define styles' and 'New'. Invent a name for the new style and then select attributes for it. You can then assign paragraphs in the document to this style.
All style definitions are saved with the document. To import the style definitions
from another document (and so maintain a consistent 'look' between documents),
select 'Type', 'Define styles' and 'Import'. Select the file from which you
wish to copy the styles and click 'OK'.
Open a new page and import the file nvq.txt. Modify the layout of the document by assigning paragraph styles to each paragraph of the text - these styles may be adapted from those already existing, or might be completely new ones.
Under 'Define styles..' experiment with altering:
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