The Basics

The Document Setup dialog box is where you will control page size and orientation, number of pages, number of pages per paper side, and margins.

To start a new document, go to Choose File > New > Document.

The New Document Dialog

• Number of Pages: Enter in a value for the total number of pages for the new document.
• Facing Pages: Select this option to make left and right pages face each other in a double-page spread. Deselect it to let each page stand alone, such as when you plan to print on both sides of a sheet of paper.
• Page Size: Choose a page size from the menu, or type in values for Width and Height. Page size represents the final size you want after bleeds or other marks outside the page are trimmed.
• Orientation: Change the page orientation by clicking the portrait (tall) or landscape (wide) icons. These icons interact dynamically with the Page Size dimensions you set. When Height is the larger value, the portrait icon is automatically selected. When Width is the larger value, the landscape icon is automatically selected. Clicking on the currently unselected icon switches the Height and Width values.
• Margins: Change these values to specify the distance between margin guides and each edge of the page. If Facing Pages is selected in the New Document or Document Setup dialog box, the Left and Right margin option names change to Inside and Outside, as in the example shown, so that you can specify additional inside-margin space to accommodate binding.
• Columns: Change the Number value to change the number of columns to be created within the margin guides. For Gutter, set a value for the width of the space between columns.

After clicking OK, you will have a blank page, outlined in black, with blue or red lines delineating the margins, ready for editing.

Everything set in the New Document dialog box may be changed at any time by going to Choose File > Document Setup. Any elements on the page prior to changing document setup parameters will not move from their original positions.

Note: The plotter in the SACG general-access labs is able to scale documents up to 419%, so you may want to choose to work with a smaller document, then scale it to print at poster sizes.