INSTANT ARTIST

Basic terms in Instant Artist

Document
Anything you create using Instant Artist, whether it contains graphics and fills only, text only, or a combination.
Document type
One of eight kinds of documents you can create: sign, banner, business card, envelope, greeting card, letterhead, postcard,
or certificate.
Fill
A fully colored-in rectangle used to fill in space in a document and set off graphics and text.
Graphic
An illustration included in Instant Artist's Graphics library.
Layout
Fully formatted and designed, ready-to-print document included in Instant Artist. Nearly 400 professionally designed layouts
are included. Layouts and the layout library are discussed in more detail later in this chapter.
Object
Text block, fill, or graphic that has been inserted into an Instant Artist document.
Symbol
A special kind of graphic to which effects can be applied.

Text block
A group of words or letters that has been inserted in a document.

The mouse in Instant Artist

The pointer changes appearance as you move it around the screen with the mouse. Each of the different forms, or "icons,"
represents a different function in Instant Artist. These icons types are shown in the User Guide.
To get access to the function you want, move the mouse until the correct icon appears and then keep the mouse in that area
until you've begun using the function.
If you are unfamiliar with Windows conventions and using the mouse, you should take the time to work through the tutorials
provided with Windows. These will give you a basic idea of how to navigate in Windows and how to maneuver with the mouse.

Screen conventions
As in most Windows applications, the two basic screen displays in Instant Artist are the Workspace screen or Desktop and
the Instant Artist dialog box.
The Select Document Type dialog box into which the program opens differs from all other dialog boxes in Instant Artist;
instead of Categories and Selections lists, it has a document type area above the preview screen and command buttons for
selecting the type of document you wish to create or open.

Dialog boxes

The main difference between Instant Artist dialog boxes and dialog boxes in other Windows programs is the addition of the
Preview screen, which allows you to see what you are selecting before you confirm the selection.
Each part of the dialog box has a particular function:

1. The Screen title bar shows the dialog box you are currently working with.
2. The Categories list includes the categories of layouts or documents available to choose from.
3. The Selections list contains the descriptive names of all layouts or documents in the currently highlighted category.
4. The Preview screen shows the document type or document currently highlighted on the screen.
5. The Command buttons execute commands available within a dialog box. These may change as you enter different dialog boxes.

Note:

The preview screens for Greeting Cards and Postcards have list boxes which allow you to preview the fronts and backs of both
types of cards, and both sides of the Greeting Card interior, for each layout in these document types.

Creating new documents in Instant Artist

You can create a document in any one of four ways:

1. Creating your own document from scratch using a "blank"
2. Beginning with a template, which is a special kind of blank
3. Beginning with one of the document layouts from Instant Artist
4. Beginning with a document you earlier created and saved

First choose a document type from the Select Document Type dialog box or the File menu.
To choose a document type:

1. Press or click its button in the Document type area.
2. Click the New button. This activates a screen whose title matches the type of document you just chose.

Note:

Greeting cards have an intermediate screen that asks you to chose a card fold pattern. Once you have done this, you will see the
dialog box, New Greeting Card.

Next, decide whether you want to work with a blank, template, or layout by clicking to highlight Blank, Template, or the
category from which you wish to choose a layout.
To choose a layout, template, or blank format:

1. Scroll using the scroll bar on the right side of the list, and click your choice.
2. Click OK or double-click the preview screen or the highlighted name when your choice is visible.

Once you have chosen either a blank, template, or layout, you will see Instant Artist's main Workspace, from which you can call up
the Graphics library, insert text in one of many different fonts, and apply effects, shapes, and colors.

If you wish to close your current document and open another in the same document type, choose New from the File menu or
press CTRL + N. This returns you to the Select New... screen. To open a different document type from the Workspace screen,
choose Document Type from the File menu.
Note:

The Select Document screen also gives you a choice of viewing the document you select in monochrome. This is especially helpful
if you have a color monitor but are going to print on a monochrome printer. This choice is also available for graphics, as discussed
in the "Effects and color" section.

Opening saved documents

To open a saved document from the Select Document Type dialog box:

1. Select the type of document by clicking the appropriate button.
2. Click the Open button.

A dialog box will then open that lists all of your saved files by descriptive name. Your saved files will preview just as Instant
Artist's own layouts do. If you wish to open a saved file in a different document type, pull down the list in the lower right area
of the Open screen and scroll to choose a different document type.

3. Highlight the descriptive name.
4. Double-click the name, click OK, or press ENTER.

To open a saved document from the Workspace:

1. Select Open from the File menu.

A dialog box will then open that lists all of your saved files by descriptive name. Your saved files will preview just as Instant
Artist's own layouts do. If you wish to open a saved file in a different document type, pull down the list in the lower right area
of the Open screen and scroll to choose a different document type.

2. Highlight the descriptive name
3. Double-click the name, click OK, or press ENTER.

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