Working with Panels

TypeStyler's geometric shapes are called Panels. This section teaches you how to create panels for your TypeStyler documents.

The flexibility that TypeStyler brings to each design decision arises from its treatment of text as graphic objects. In addition to text, TypeStyler applies the same object manipulation techniques to panels that can enhance the appearance of text objects. For example, you can place a full-page, patterned color panel behind a styled type logo to create a complete page layout. Panels are also great for use in designing logos and creating buttons and other web graphics.

Panels, like type, can be manipulated by using both the Shaper tool and commands in the Arrange menu. Panels can also be customized in the Style Workshop. Panels do not contain headline objects but they can be containers for body or paragraph text objects.

TypeStyler's panels are manipulated and customized in the same way that you style text objects. Since the operations are so similar, this chapter on panels contains only additional, panel-specific information. Please see the sections styling and customizing type for instructions regarding the dialogs and tools that create both type and panels.

Choose one of the panel tools from Tool palette to create the area within a document to be occupied by a new panel. This is called "growing a panel box." Click the Panel tool at the corner of the area you want to select, and drag diagonally across the area to form a box. When you let go of the mouse button, the Panel appears occupying the area you defined.

Note: When growing a panel box, if you hold down the shift key, the box will be constrained to a square.