Pages '08 Hot Tips

When you need to insert a shape in your document you can select it from the shapes button in the toolbar or by choosing Shape from the Insert menu. If you need a precise shape in a specific location you can get a cursor to draw the shape by holding the option key while selecting the shape in either menu.

Using Quick Look in Leopard, you can view the contents of a file without even opening it. With a single click you can watch full-screen video, see entire Keynote presentations or flip through multiple-page documents. If you want Pages '08 to automatically create that preview for your documents simply check the Preview box of the General Preferences tab (Choose Pages > Preferences).

When you are trying to align images or other objects, the alignment guides give you an excellent reference to objects already on your document. If you want even more precision, you can show additional guides by enabling the "Show guides at objects edges" from the General Preferences (Choose Pages > Preferences). Moving an object on the layout will then draw lines to the edges of the nearby shapes and images to help you align them perfectly.

To share any Pages '08 document with friends, family, or colleagues you can simply post it to your .Mac website using iWeb '08. Once your document is complete, choose File > Send to iWeb and pick either PDF or Pages Document format. iWeb '08 will then place your document in your blog or podcast. Pick the PDF format if you don't know who will download your document or if you know they don't have Pages '08. Pick Pages Document if you know people downloading your file have Pages '08; you can even use Change Tracking to exchange notes and updates!

To personalize your word processing documents, you can add an image in the background, behind your text flow. Copy an image you like (for example, one from a Pages '08 template) and paste it on your page. With the image selected, make sure the Floating button is selected in the Format Bar. Place, resize, and rotate your image if necessary, and from the Format Bar select 20% Opacity. With the image still selected, choose Arrange > Send Object to Background and your image will display lightly behind your text.

When you're working on a leaflet or book, you can switch to a facing pages mode and even view facing pages on the page thumbnail navigator. To do so, open the Document Inspector, click the Document tab, and select the Facing Pages checkbox. Then choose Show Page Thumbnails from the View menu to view the facing pages on the thumbnail navigator.

When you want to spread your story across multiple areas of your document, you can use text boxes and link them together so that the text flows. Create a text box (click the Text Box button or choose Insert > Text Box) and click on the small blue arrow at the bottom right of the box. With the cursor, draw another box anywhere in your document and those two boxes will be linked. You can also link existing text boxes by clicking on the small blue arrow on the first box and clicking with the cursor on the second box. Note: While shapes can contain text, they can't be linked.