 |
| |
|
About formatting content
FirstClass works in a similar manner to most word processing software. You can change the margins for all the content, format paragraphs, and format selected text.
In FirstClass, you can select text in the standard ways used by your operating system. These are some of the ways you can select text:
• drag the cursor over a block of text
• double-click a word to select it
• click a paragraph to select it
• triple-click a paragraph to select it and all of the content within it
• choose Edit > Select All to select all content.
Changing margins
To change the margins for all the content:
1 Choose Format > Format Margins.
2 Update the Format Margins form.
Shortcut
Drag the bars at the ends of the ruler to the desired locations.
Formatting paragraphs
For a selected paragraph, you can change:
• interline and interparagraph spacing
• tab stops.
You can also make these changes your default paragraph style.
Changing paragraph alignment
You can align a paragraph with the left margin, the right margin, or the center of the body.
To align a selected paragraph, use one of these methods:
• choose Format > Align, then the alignment you want
• choose the alignment you want from the edit bar
• choose Format > Format Paragraphs, then choose your alignment option at "Alignment".
Changing paragraph spacing
You can change both the interline spacing for a paragraph and the amount of space above a paragraph.
To change a selected paragraph's spacing:
1 Choose Format > Format Paragraphs.
2 Enter your spacing requirements at "Space above" and "Line space".
As a guideline to how many pixels to specify for space above a paragraph, this paragraph has 6 pixels above it.
Indenting paragraphs
You can change the indentation of a paragraph from the left and right margins. In addition, you can set a separate indentation value for the first line of the paragraph.
To indent or outdent a selected paragraph, use one of these methods:
• choose Format > Increase Indent to indent to the next tab stop, or Format > Decrease Indent to outdent to the previous tab stop
This affects left indentation only.
Shortcut
Triple-click the paragraph, then press Tab to indent or Shift-Tab to outdent.
• drag both top and bottom triangles at the end of the ruler
Depending on the end of the ruler you work with, this affects left or right indentation of the whole paragraph. To change the first line indentation, drag just the top left triangle.
• choose Format > Format Paragraphs, then specify the indentation you want at "Left side", "First line", and "Right side".
To indent or outdent one tab stop at a time, click the arrow buttons.
Working with tabs
You can either use the default tab stops that are indicated on the ruler or specify your own tab stops. To move to the next tab stop, press Tab.
All tabs are left-aligned. Tab stop positions are calculated from the left margin.
Adding tab stops
To add a tab stop for a selected paragraph:
1 Choose Format > Format Paragraphs.
2 Enter the location for the tab stop at "New tab".
3 Click Add to List.
The new tab stop location appears at "Tab list". Any default tab stops to the left of this tab stop are deleted.
Shortcut
Click the desired location on the ruler. To change the location of this tab stop, drag it along the ruler.
Deleting tab stops
To delete a tab stop for a selected paragraph:
1 Choose Format > Format Paragraphs.
2 Select the tab stop at "Tab list".
3 Click Clear Selected.
Any default tab stops to the left of the deleted tab stop are restored.
Shortcut
Drag the tab stop down off the ruler.
Changing default tab stops
To change the spacing between default tab stops for a selected paragraph:
1 Choose Format > Format Paragraphs.
2 Enter the tab stop spacing, in pixels, at "Default".
Shortcut
Drag one of the default tab stops along the ruler. All default tab stops move with the one you are dragging.
Creating a default paragraph style
You can specify the formatting that you want to use as a default paragraph style. To do this:
1 Select a paragraph.
2 Choose Format > Format Paragraphs.
3 Update the Format Paragraphs form.
4 Click Save as Default.
To apply these defaults to a paragraph, click Use Default on the Format Paragraphs form.
Formatting text
For selected text, you can:
• apply styles such as bold and italics
• change the font
• change the size
• change the color.
You can also make these changes your default text style.
Changing text style
You can apply styles such as bold, italics, underlined, and superscript to text. These styles can be applied in combination.
To apply styles to selected text, use one of the following methods:
• choose Format > Style, then the styles you want
• click the appropriate button on the edit bar
Plain removes any special styles.
• choose Format > Format Text, then select the styles you want.
"Placement" allows you to apply superscript or subscript formatting.
Changing fonts
To change the font of selected text, use one of these methods:
• choose Format > Font, then the font you want
• choose the font from the edit bar
• choose Format > Format Text, then choose the font at "Font".
Changing text size
To change the size of selected text, use one of these methods:
• choose Format > Size, then the size you want
The value Smaller makes the size one point smaller. The value Larger makes it one point larger.
• choose or type the size from the edit bar
• choose Format > Format Text, then enter the size at "Size".
Changing text color
To change the color of selected text, use one of these methods:
• choose Format > Color, then the color you want
To see more colors or create custom colors, choose Other Color.
• choose the color from the edit bar
• choose Format > Format Text, then choose the color at "Color".
Creating a default text style
You can specify the formatting that you want to use as a default text style. To do this:
1 Select some text.
2 Choose Format > Format Text.
3 Update the Format Text form.
4 Click Save as Default.
To apply these defaults to other text, click Use Default on the Format Text form.
Note
You can also change default text formatting (font, size, and color) at "Normal text" in your content edit preferences.
Formatting horizontal lines
You can change the appearance of a horizontal line by specifying:
• the line thickness
• the space above the line
• the width of the line
• the color of the line
• whether the line is visible.
To change the appearance of a horizontal line:
1 Select the line.
2 Choose Format > Format Horizontal Line.
3 Update the Format Horizontal Line form.
|