Table of Contents
| Introduction | |
| Ch. 1 | FreeHand Basics | 1 |
| Ch. 2 | Document Basics | 21 |
| Ch. 3 | Display Options | 29 |
| Ch. 4 | Working with Pages | 45 |
| Ch. 5 | Path Creation Tools | 59 |
| Ch. 6 | Pen and Bezigon | 79 |
| Ch. 7 | Working with Points | 87 |
| Ch. 8 | Working with Paths | 97 |
| Ch. 9 | Path Operations | 107 |
| Ch. 10 | Move and Transform | 123 |
| Ch. 11 | Envelopes and Perspectives | 141 |
| Ch. 12 | Layers and Layering | 149 |
| Ch. 13 | Working in Color | 159 |
| Ch. 14 | Fills | 175 |
| Ch. 15 | Strokes | 193 |
| Ch. 16 | Brushes | 205 |
| Ch. 17 | Blends | 213 |
| Ch. 18 | Basic Text | 221 |
| Ch. 19 | Text Tools | 241 |
| Ch. 20 | Text Effects | 249 |
| Ch. 21 | Styles | 259 |
| Ch. 22 | Symbols | 267 |
| Ch. 23 | Automating FreeHand | 275 |
| Ch. 24 | Xtra Tools | 285 |
| Ch. 25 | Charts and Graphs | 299 |
| Ch. 26 | Raster Images | 307 |
| Ch. 27 | Exporting | 317 |
| Ch. 28 | Moving to the Web | 327 |
| Ch. 29 | Flash Animations | 339 |
| Ch. 30 | Basic Printing | 351 |
| Ch. 31 | Advanced Printing | 357 |
| Ch. 32 | Customizing FreeHand | 369 |
| App. A: Keyboard Shortcuts | 377 |
| App. B | Fill and Stroke Displays | 383 |
| App. C: Preferences | 389 |
| Index | 399 |
Forewords & Introductions
Introduction
Welcome to learning Macromedia FreeHand. If you are like most people who are just starting out with the program, you may find it a little overwhelming. This Visual QuickStart Guide has been written to help you sort out the many different features.
FreeHand is one of the most versatile graphics programs for the computer. At its simplest, FreeHand is a vector drawing program. It allows you to create varied artwork such as drawings, logos, and illustrations.
FreeHand also lets you add scanned artwork from programs such as Macromedia Fireworks or Adobe Photoshop. This makes it an excellent layout program to create ads, book covers, posters and so on. FreeHand has a multiple-page feature that allows you to create newsletters and flyers, as well as multi-page presentations with differently sized pages.
Finally, FreeHand uses the newest Flash technology to turn FreeHand artwork into animations. FreeHand also lets you save your files in formats that can be posted directly onto the World Wide Web.
Using This Book
The first few chapters provide overviews of the program. You may find that you do not create any artwork in those chapters. Do not skip them. They contain information that will help you later.
The middle chapters of the book contain the most artistic information. This is where you can see how easy it is to create sophisticated artwork using FreeHand.
The final chapters are about printing, preferences, and using your artwork with other applications and the Web. Some of this information refers to technical printing terms. If you are not familiar with these terms, speak to the print shop that will be printing your artwork.
Using the Exercises
If you have used any of the Visual QuickStart Guides, you will find this book very similar. Each of the chapters consists of numbered exercises that deal with a specific technique or feature of the program. As you work through each exercise, you gain an understanding of the technique or feature. The illustrations for each of the exercises help you judge if you are following the steps correctly.
Instructions
Working with a book such as this, it is vital that you understand the terms I am using. This is especially important since some books use terms somewhat incorrectly. Therefore, here are the terms I use in the book and explanations of what they mean.
Click refers to pressing down and releasing the mouse button on the Macintosh, and the left mouse button on Windows. You must release the mouse button or it is not a click.
Press means to hold down the mouse button, or the keyboard key.
Press and drag means to hold the mouse button down and then move the mouse. In later chapters, I use the shorthand term drag, just remember that you have to press and hold as you drag the mouse.
Menu commands
FreeHand has menu commands that you follow to open dialog boxes, change artwork, and invoke certain commands. These menu commands are listed in bold type. The typical direction to choose a menu command might be written as Window > Panels > Style. This means that you should first choose the Window menu, then choose the Panels submenu, and then choose the Style command.
Keyboard shortcuts
Most of the menu commands for FreeHand 10 have keyboard shortcuts that help you work faster. For instance, instead of choosing New from the File menu, it is faster and easier to press the keys on the keyboard. On the Macintosh, the keys are Cmd-N. On indows, the keys are Ctrl-N.
Keyboard shortcuts are sometimes listed in different orders by different software companies or authors. For example, I always list the Command or Ctrl keys first, then the Option or Alt key, and then the Shift key. Other people may list the Shift key first. The order that you press those modifier keys is not important. However, it is very important that you always add the last key (the letter or number key) after you are holding the other keys.
Learning keyboard shortcuts
While keyboard shortcuts help you work faster, you really do not have to start using them right away. In fact, you will most likely learn more about FreeHand by using the menus. As you look for one command, you may see others that you would like to explore.
Once you feel comfortable working with FreeHand, you can start adding keyboard shortcuts to your repertoire. My suggestion is to look at which menu commands you use a lot. Then each day choose one of those shortcuts.
For instance, if you do a lot of blends, you might decide to learn the shortcut for the Blend command. For the rest of that day use the Blend shortcut every time you need to make a blend. Even if you have to look at the menu to refresh your memory, still use the keyboard shortcut to actually apply the blend. By the end of the day you will have memorized the Blend shortcut. The next day you can learn a new one.
Onscreen element appearances
Some of the onscreen elements, such as the toolbars, may look different in this book from your settings. That's because I changed those panels to make them easier to read. For more information on customizing the toolbars, see Chapter 32.
Cross-platform issues
One of the great strengths of FreeHand is that it is almost identical on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. In fact, at first glance it is hard to tell which platform you are working on. However, because there are some differences between the platforms, there are some things you should keep in mind.
Modifier keys
Modifier keys are always listed with the Macintosh key first and then the Windows key second. So a direction to hold the Command/Ctrl key as you drag means to hold the Command key on the Macintosh platform or the Ctrl key on the Windows platform. When the key is the same on both computers, such as the Shift key, only one key is listed.
Generally the Command key on the Macintosh (sometimes called the Apple key) corresponds to the Ctrl key on Windows. The Option key on the Macintosh corresponds to the Alt key on Windows. The Control key on the Macintosh platform does not have an equivalent on the Windows platform. Notice that the Control key for the Macintosh is always spelled out while the Ctrl key for Windows is not.
Platform-specific features
A few times in the book, I have written separate exercises for the Macintosh and Windows platforms. These exercises are indicated by (Mac) and (Win).
Most of the time this is because the procedures are so different that they need to be written separately. Sometimes features exist only on one platform. Those features are then labeled as to their platform.
Mac OS X
Macromedia FreeHand is one of the first applications to take advantage of the new Mac OS X (ten) operating system. If you are learning FreeHand on a computer that uses OS X, you will find much of the interface to look different. Don't worry, though. The differences are cosmetic. There is nothing that FreeHand running in OS X can do that can't be done in Mac OS 9 or Windows.
Learning FreeHand
With a program as extensive as FreeHand, there will be many features that you never use. For instance, if you are an illustrator, you may never need any of FreeHand's text or layout features. Or you may never need to create charts or graphs. And if you are strictly a print person, you may never need to do any exporting as Web animations. Do not worry. It may be hard to believe but even the experts do not use all of FreeHand's features.
Find the areas you want to master, then follow the exercises. If you are patient, you will find yourself creating your own work in no time.
And don't forget to have fun!
Sandee Cohen (SandeeC@vectorbabe.com) July 2001
Read an Excerpt
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Chapter 7:
Working With Points
As you have seen in the previous chapters, all the objects created by the creation tools are called paths. And all paths consist of points that are joined by segments.
As soon as you start to change the shape of objects, it is necessary to understand what the different types of points are and how they can be modified. You also need to understand how to work with the handles that extend out from points.
Fortunately, Macromedia FreeHand gives you a wealth of powerful tools for working with points-either manually or automatically.
Understanding the Types of Points
If you are familiar with programs such as Macromedia Fireworks, or Adobe Illustrator, you should understand the basic aspects of working with points.
The basics of points
There are three elements to working with points (also called anchor points). There is the point itself, the line segment that connects the point to other points on the path, and point handles that may extend out from the point.
Tip Points and point handles are displayed in the highlight color of the layer that they are on (seepage 158).
Handles are nonprinting lines that control the direction along which any path curves. Changing the direction of the handle changes the shape of the path.
Point handles are also called Bezier (pronounced Bay-zee-ay) handles. They were named after the French mathematician Pierre Bezier. He invented the mathematical principles that control handles.
Three different types of points make up FreeHand objects: corner points, curve points, and connector points. In order to have a complete understanding of FreeHand, it is vital to understand how these points work.
Corner points
Corner points are anchor points that allow paths to have an abrupt change in direction. Depending on how they were created, there are three different types of corner points: points with no handles, points with two handles, and points with one handle.
Curve points
Curve points are anchor points that make a smooth, curved transition along the direction of the path. A curve point has two handles that extend out from both sides of the point. However, unlike corner points that may have two handles, the handles on curve points are linked so that as the handle on one side moves, the handle on the other side also moves. The length of the handle governs the shape of the curve.
M If you rotate the point handle on one sids of a curve point, the handle on the opposite side also moves. It is this "lever" action that makes the curve transition smooth.
Connector points
The purpose of connector points is to constrain the transition between segments so that they cannot be moved out of alignment with their line segments. Connector points are indicated by triangular dots and always have point handles.
Connector points can have one or two point handles. When a connector point occurs between-a straight-line segment and a curved segment, there is only one point handle, which runs along the same direction as the straight line. When a connector point is between two curved segments, there are two point handles which are constrained by the position of the points on either side of the connector point.
Tip FreeHand provides two types of handles on the levers that come out of the points. The illustrations in this book show the small handles. You can work with the large handles by switching the Preferences settings (see Appendix C).
Selecting Points
Anchor points define the shape of paths. So when you select and work with the points on a path, you also change the shape of the path. This is how great artwork begins.
FreeHand has two tools that select and move points: the Pointer tool and the Subselect tool. However, as you shall see, the Subselect tool can be found as an option when working with the Pointer tool.
To select points by clicking:
1. Click the Pointer tool in the Tools
panel.
2. Move the tip of the arrow of the Pointer tool on the path and click. This selects the path with its anchor points visible. Although the anchor points are visible, they are not individually selected.
Tip Do not use a path drawn with the Rectangle or Ellipse tools unless you have first ungrouped the objects (see pages 103-104 for more information on grouping and ungrouping objects).
3. Move the tip of the arrow over one of the points and click. The point is now selected and is shown as a hollow dot. If it has point handles, they will be visible.
4. Hold the Shift key and click with the
Pointer tool to select additional points.
Tip If you need to deselect a point, hold the Shift key and click on the selected point. This deselects the point without deselecting the path or other points.
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Selected points on a path are usually,
displayed as hollow dots. Unselected points are usually solid. However, you can reverse this by choosing Show Solid Points in the FreeHand General Preferences (see Appendix C).
This setting displays selected point as solid dots and unselected points as hollow dots. This is how Adobe Illustrator displays points. Those who move from Illustrator to FreeHand s may feel more comfortable working., this way. (Sadly Adobe is not as welcoming for those moving from FreeHand to Illustrator.)
Another way to select points is by using the Pointer to marquee an area around the points you want to select.
To select points with a marquee:
1. Place the Pointer tool outside the point or points you want to select.
2. Press and drag to create a rectangle that surrounds the points you want selected The area inside the rectangle is the marquee.
3. Release the mouse button. This selects all points inside the marquee.
Tip To select points in more than one area, create your first selection marquee. Then press the Shift key and create your next selection marquee.
Tip Hold the Cmd/Ctrl key to temporarily switch from another tool to the Pointer tool.
Sometimes creating a marquee may select points you don't want selected. In that case you may want to use the Lasso tool, which can select points in a non-rectangular area.
To select points within a non-rectangular area:
1. Choose the Lasso tool in the Tools panel.
2. Place the Lasso tool outside the point or points you want to select.
3. Press and drag to create an area that surrounds the points you want selected.
4. Release the mouse button. This selects all points inside the marquee.
To deselect points that are selected:
Click elsewhere on the work page to deselect points.
Modifying Points and Handles
The shape of a path depends on the types of points on the path. You can change the shape of a path by changing the type of point or changing the point handles.
To modify points using the Object inspector:
1. Use the Pointer tool to select one of the points on a path.
2. In the Object inspec.
3. Click the Handles icons to retract the handles going into and out of the point.
Tip The left icon retracts the handle going into a point. The right icon retracts the handle coming out of a point.
4. With a curve point selected, choose the Automatic setting. This sets the point handles to the position and length that is best suited for the shape of the path.
Tip The Bezigon tool creates points with the Automatic setting turned on.
5. Use the Point location x field to set the horizontal position of the point.
6. Use the Point location y field to set thy, vertical position of the point.
Tip If you select multiple points on a path, you can change all the point attributes except their Point location.
To retract handles manually:
1. Select a point so that its handles are visible.
2. Place the Pointer tool or Subselect tool on the dot at the end of the handle.
3. Drag the handle into the anchor point.
To extend a single handle manually:
1. Use the Subselect tool to select the point from which you want to extend the handles.
2. Position the pointer over the selected point. A white curved arrowhead appears.
3. Drag to extend the handle out from the point.
Tip You can hold the Opt/Alt key while in the Pointer tool to access the Subselect tool.
You can also extend two handles at once from
the points at either end of a segment. (This
technique is sometimes called the "Bend-O-Matic." )
To extend two handles manually:
1. Use the Subselect tool to select the line segment between two points.
2. Drag the line segment. A handle extends out from each of the points on either side of the segment.
Tip If you use the Pointer tool, hold the Opt/ Alt key to access the Subselect tool.
To retract handles with the Pen:
1. Move the Pen tool over the point. A small caret (A) symbol appears next to the cursor.
2. Click. The handles of the point are automatically retracted.
To extend handles with the Pen:
1. Move the Pen tool over the point. A minus sign (-) appears next to the cursor.
2. Drag but do not click. The point is converted to a curve point and handles extend out.
Tip If you click instead of drag, you will delete the point (see the next page)...
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