Designing a Letterhead
Computer Science 101—PageMaker Tutorial #1

This is a simple tutorial designed to introduce a new user of PageMaker to the general environment of the program. There's nothing very special about the assignment; in fact, it would be fairly easy to do this entire assignment with a word processor (like Word or Wordperfect) instead of a desk top publishing tool. It's important, though, to remember that the goal of this assignment isn't really the finished product of the letterhead—instead, it's the new knowledge that you'll have about how things are done with PageMaker.

Conventions used in this tutorial

When you need to go to a menu item on the screen, the name of the menu item will be written in this font:

Menu
Each menu category will have options that can be selected. The option to be chosen will be listed after the name of the menu item, for example:
Edit / Undo
Which means, "click on the menu bar for Edit, then move the mouse to select the choice Undo, then release the mouse button." Occasionally, a menu selection will have an arrow to the right which means there's another layer of selections beyond. In that case, the line continues, such as:
Type / Font / Times
Which means, "click on the menu bar for Type, then move the mouse to select the Font submenu, then move to the side window and scroll down to the selection Times, then release the mouse button."

Getting Started with PageMaker

Start PageMaker 6.5 from the Launcher or by double-clicking the PageMaker 6.5 icon. Begin a new PageMaker document:

File / New
Be certain that the Page size is "Letter" and that the Orientation is "Tall." Enter the number 3 in the Number of pages box. Make sure that the "Double-sided" checkbox does not have an arrow in it, by clicking in the box if necessary to remove the arrow. Click in the boxes and set the margins to the following:
Left: 0.75 inches
Top:  0.5 inches
The other values can stay the same as the default. Click "OK"

You now see a blank page with the margins set as you described. Notice the icons at the lower left of the screen that tell you that you are currently on page one of your three page document. Also notice the rulers which will allow you to see exactly where your work will appear on the final printed page.

To see the page more accurately, select:

View / Actual size
Move to the tool palette (the small window with several different icons on it. If you don't see a window like that on the screen then go do the following: Window / Show Tools). Select the "text tool" which looks like a large letter "T" for its icon.

Click with the new I-beam pointer somewhere on the page and type the following text:

New Fashion, Inc.
146 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 15204
(555) 555-5555
Now that you've written a story (yes, that's what PageMaker 6.5 thinks you've just done!) Select the pointer (arrow) tool from the tool palette. Click with the pointer somewhere in the text you've just written and then hold the button down until you have moved the text so that the top of it's box is aligned with the top margin on your page, then release the button.

Select the text tool again. Move the I-beam pointer to somewhere beneath the previous block of text so that you can write another story. Enter the following in the new text block:

Joyce Miller
President
Select:
View / Fit in window
Select the pointer tool from the tool palette. Click with the pointer somewhere in the new text and then hold the button down until you have moved the text so that the bottom of it's box is aligned with the bottom margin on your page, then release the button.

Changing the Font and the Style of Text

Click somewhere on the screen near the upper left corner of the text. Select:

View / Fit in window
Select the text tool. Click inside the text block and hold the button down while you move the mouse to highlight all of the text in the upper block. Select:
Type / Font / Helvetica
then
Type / Size / 10
Repeat this procedure for the block of text at the bottom of the page.

Saving and Printing the document

Select:

File / Save as
then enter the name you would like to give the file. Be sure that you are saving this onto your own zip disk. As normal, click the Save button or press return to save your file.

You can print the document if you wish by using the standard command:

File / Print
Extending the Document. On to Page Two!

Select:

View / Fit in window
Select the pointer tool. Click in the text block at the top of the page. Select:
Edit / Copy
then click on the page 2 icon at the lower left of the document. Hold down the option key on the keyboard and select:
Edit / Paste
to place the block from the previous page onto page 2. Using the option key caused PageMaker to place the copy of the text onto the same location in the page as it had been in the original copy. Go back to page 1 and repeat the process for the other text block.

Once both blocks are on page 2, select:

View / Zoom Out
Using the pointer tool, click in the first text box and notice the "handles" that appear. We wish to make this text box more narrow. To resize the box, click on the bottom right handle and drag the mouse to the left until the upper ruler marker is at the 3-1/4" mark. Release the mouse button. You have resizedthe box. Try not to move the mouse up or down while resizing the side. If that happens some of the text might appear to be gone. It's not gone. It's just hidden under the "windowshade." You can pull the windowshade handle down to bring the text out again if that occurs.

Scroll down to the lower text block. Click on the text. Resize this block in the same way.

Click with the pointer tool somewhere inside the lower block of text, hold down the mouse button and drag the block up to the top of the page so that its upper right corner is aligned with the upper right corner of the margin.

We will now align the right hand text with the right margin of the paper. Using the text tool, click anywhere inside the text in the right story, then select:

Edit / Select All
Type / Alignment / Align Right
This is a good time to save your work again:
File / Save as
then click the Save button or press return to save your updated file with the same name as you chose earlier.

More Versions of the Same Document. On to Page Three!

Select:

View / Fit in window
Select the pointer tool. Click in the text block at the left of the page. Hold down the shift key on the keyboard and click in the text block at the right of the page. This selects both of the independant blocks as a whole that has been grouped together. Select:
Edit / Copy
then click on the page 3 icon at the lower left of the document. Select:
Edit / Paste
to place the block from the previous page onto page 3. The blocks may not be flush with the corners of the upper margin because we didn't use the option key this time. If that's true, just use the pointer tool to click inside a text box and move the grouped boxes until they are properly aligned. Once the two blocks are properly placed, ungroup them by clicking with the pointer tool anywhere outside the text blocks.

We will now change the font and some of the font styles. Select:

View / Actual size
Select the text tool and use it to highlight the text in the right hand text block. Select:
Type / Font / Palatino
Type / Size / 9
Repeat for the text block on the left side of the page.

Now highlight only the word "President" and italicize it:

Type / Type Style / Italic
Similarly, we will bold the name of the company "New Fashions, Inc." by highlighting those words and selecting:
Type / Type Style / Bold
You can now save your completed three page letterhead file, print it and then continue to the most important part of this assignment: CREATE YOUR OWN LETTERHEAD by opening a new file and setting it up exactly the way you want it. Be creative. Try different fonts, different placements, different sizes. Work with it until you get a letterhead that's exactly right for you.