| New Editing and Page Layout
Features Publish As HTML- Instantly publish your FreeHand document as a web page.
Use the HTML Assistant (Macintosh) or HTML Wizard (Windows) to guide you through the
process.
- Copy Special and Paste Special - Copy and paste items to the Clipboard in a file format
you specify.
- Page tool - Create multipage storyboards with the Page tool. Rearrange, duplicate, or
remove a range of pages or scenes. The Page tool places the task of page management
directly on the pasteboard.
Use FreeHand with other applications more smoothly and efficiently than ever.
- CorelDRAW - Import CorelDRAW 8 files.
- Fireworks - Drag and drop from FreeHand.
- Flash - The Flash 3 and Flash 4 SWF export Xtra now supports:
Clipping paths containing vector paths or image files.
Transparency Lens fills and other Lens fills.
- CMYK TIFFs.
- Grayscale TIFFs with a resolution greater than 143 dpi.
- Exporting selected objects only.
Flash Player movie -Export animation that plays at the set frame rate or
opens with the animation stopped on Frame 1. Set an animation to export and play
full-screen. Protect a SWF file exported by FreeHand from being imported into another
Flash movie.
Flash anti-alias - Display anti-aliased artwork on the screen as it will
appear when exported to Macromedia Flash SWF format.
Illustrator - Import Adobe Illustrator 7 files with linked images in
formats such as GIF, JPEG, PSD, and Targa.
Enhanced bitmap image support - BMP, GIF, JPEG, Photoshop (PSD), and
Targa can be linked or embedded in their native format.
Photoshop
FreeHand now interacts with Photoshop 5 the same way it does with Photoshop 4.
PSD - FreeHand files exported to Photoshop 5 PSD files (32-bit with alpha channels)
retain their layers. FreeHand rasterizes each layer and exports it to a corresponding
layer in Photoshop.
- GIF - Dither exported GIF files at any of three levels and optimize exported GIFs to
create the smallest file with the least number of colors. A new palette, WebSnap Adaptive,
converts colors that are near in value to web-safe colors to the closest web-safe color.
- TIFF - Import TIFFs with clipping paths.
- PDF - Import documents that contain notes or links to URLs on the web. Export documents
that contain notes, envelopes, symbols, or links to URLs on the web, as well as embed
fonts and use PostScript 3 gradients.
- Searching for missing links - Reconcile multiple missing links. Check the Search the
current folder for missing links option on the Locate File dialog box, which opens when
FreeHand can't find a linked file.
- Automatic export playback - When exporting a file, choose whether FreeHand opens the
file in a selected external application.
New Interface Features
Restore default preferences button - Quickly restore FreeHand preferences to their
default settings.
- Text tool reverts to Pointer tool preference - The Text tool returns to the Pointer tool
after you first create a text block and move the cursor outside the text block. If you
prefer that the Text tool remain active as in earlier versions of FreeHand, change this
setting by unchecking this option on the Edit > Preferences > Text dialog box.
- Xtra Tools and Operations - Xtra Tools and Operations are now on regular toolbars and
can be customized like other tools and commands.
Math entry fields
Enter mathematical equations in any entry field in FreeHand.
Using math entry fields
The math entry fields accept the standard math symbols:
| * |
Multiplication |
| / |
Division |
| + |
Addition |
| - |
Subtraction |
Note: When * and / are used in conjunction with + or -, the * and / will be
evaluated first.
The math entry fields also accept these standard unit overrides as follows:
| #i |
inches and decimal inches |
Example: 7i = 7 inches |
| p# |
points |
Example: p6 = 6 points |
| #p |
picas |
Example: 6p = 6 picas |
| #m |
millimeters |
Example: 12m = 12 millimeters |
| #c |
centimeters |
Example: 3c = 3 centimeters |
| #x |
pixels |
Example: 50x = 50 pixels |
To reduce the size of a 100 x 100 rectangle by half its width, enter 100/2 in the width
entry field in the Object inspector. The object resizes to 50 x 100.
For an invalid entry, FreeHand either uses what it can or defaults to 0 (zero).
Example: Entering 500dogs results in 500, and entering Dogs500 results in 0.
Smart Cursors
FreeHand's cursors are designed to give you feedback as you move around the document.
FreeHand tool, Pen tool, and Bezigon tool cursors
These cursors give feedback as you draw using the Freehand tool, the Pen tool, or the
Bezigon tool.
1 |
Standard cursor: Crosshair cursor that appears
when using the Freehand tool, the Pen tool, or the Bezigon tool. |
2 |
Create path cursor: When you initially click with
the Pen or Bezigon tool, this cursor indicates the start of a new path. Once the first
point is created, FreeHand reverts to the standard cursor.Since the Freehand tool creates
a new path every time it is used, the Create Path cursor does not appear. |
3 |
Close path cursor: Shows that you are about to
close a path. |
4 |
Insert point cursor: Shows that you are about to
insert points on a selected path using the Pen tool or the Bezigon tool. |
5 |
Continue path cursor: When you move the Freehand
tool over the endpoints of a path, this cursor indicates the continuation of a path. |
Spinning cursors
When you perform an operation that takes several seconds, FreeHand changes the cursor
to a spinning hourglass. For longer operations, FreeHand displays a progress bar
estimating the remaining time.
Note: Turn off animated Windows cursors to see the spinning cursor in FreeHand.
To apply a lens effect.
Revert (File menu)
Erases all changes made to the document since the last save. You cannot undo the Revert
command.
Use Revert when there are too many changes to use the Undo command.
Document inspector
Use the Document inspector to add pages, remove pages, change page size, or move pages
on the pasteboard. The Document inspector contains a miniaturized view of FreeHand's
pasteboard, showing thumbnail icons for each page in the document.
Magnification (View menu)
Reduces or enlarges the document view at preset or custom percentages.
To adjust magnification, choose a percentage from the magnification pop-up at the
lower-left corner of the document window, or enter a value between 6 and 256,000.
| Magnification shortcut keys: |
| 50% |
Control-5 |
| 100% |
Control-1 |
| 200% |
Control-2 |
| 400% |
Control-4 |
| 800% |
Control-8 |
New Window (Window menu)
Selecting New Window opens an additional document window for the active document. Move,
resize, scroll, and zoom the secondary window independently of the original window.
Use up to eight windows per document to simultaneously view different parts of the
document.
Included with FreeHand are several UserPrep files designed to help customize FreeHand
for high-end printing to specific output devices.
Choose from the list of installed files containing PostScript code in the UserPrep file
pop-up in the Print Setup dialog box to modify printing to PostScript printers. Choose
None to print without a UserPrep file. You will not need a UserPrep file when printing to
most desktop printers.
On the Macintosh, these files are located in the UserPrep folder in the FreeHand
application folder. In Windows, UserPrep files (PRP) reside in the FreeHand 9\Userprep
folder.
For complete information on available UserPrep files and how and when to use them, see
the UserPrep ReadMe in the application folder. The ReadMe includes a summary of each
UserPrep file.
Preferences (File menu)
Make changes in the preferences to determine how various features behave.
Preference categories
Select a preference category from the list on the left of the Preferences dialog box to
determine the available options:
General: Control sensitivity and appearance of editing and selection
tools, determine the default document, determine what causes a page to become active, and
determine whether or not unsaved documents are reviewed.
Object: Set the way defaults are changed when creating objects and the
way objects behave when editing. Also, set the default line widths for all the Width
pop-ups and determine the behavior of new object styles.
Text: Set behavior of text and text blocks.
- Document
: Determine view and page placement when opening a document.
- Import:
Set how FreeHand handles placed images, PICT files, EPS files, and DXF
files.
- Export:
Set file preview options, Output Options defaults, and Clipboard output
formats.
- Spelling
: Set spelling check options.
- Colors:
Set guide and grid colors, affect how colors are named and used, and set
color management options.
- Panels:
Set panel appearance and placement on screen.
- Redraw
: Set options for a document's on-screen display. Adjust redraw
preferences to balance the quality of the display and the redraw speed.
Restoring the default preferences
To restore all the preferences to their default settings, click the Defaults button at
the bottom of the Preferences dialog box.
Cursor Distance (Modify menu)
Enter a value in the Arrow Key field to specify the distance selected objects move
when you press an arrow key on the keyboard. Values are related to the unit of measurement
currently selected. Enter a value in the Shift + Arrow Key field to specify the
incremental distance selected objects move when you press an arrow key while holding the
Shift key on the keyboard.
Handling Font Substitution
Replacing missing fonts
The Missing Fonts dialog box appears when FreeHand attempts to open or import a graphic
containing fonts not installed on your system. From this dialog box, replace a missing
font with a font installed on your system.
| Choose |
To |
| Replace |
Replace missing fonts in the document not
installed on your system.Choose a replacement font and style from the Replace Font dialog
box. |
| Select All |
Select all of the missing fonts in the Missing
Fonts dialog box and replace them all with one font. |
| Cancel |
Cancel the opening of the document. |
| OK |
Open the document without replacing fonts.The
replacement font is Arial. |
Note: When FreeHand replaces fonts, the text of the replaced font loses all of
its manual kerning.
Cross-platform issues
Fonts may have to be reapplied each time you transfer a document from one platform to
another, especially if the original fonts are not available on the other platform, or if
the fonts have different names. Macromedia Fontographer can create compatible versions of
fonts for both Macintosh and Windows.
Automatic font substitution
ATM automatically applies each missing font's metrics and weight to a multiple master
font, and marks the font name with a diamond in the font menu. Line breaks and word
spacing are preserved, but the subtleties of the letter forms may be lost.
If you are concerned about typography, open the ATM control panel and uncheck Enable
Font Substitution (Macintosh only) before you open the file.
Wizards
Use FreeHand's wizards to quickly begin a project and to simplify your workflow.
Wizards are interactive screens that guide you through and actually perform a variety of
tasks.
To view the wizards, choose Help > Wizards. The Choose a wizard screen offers access
to five topics: Welcome, Setup, Screen-based, Stationery, and Publication.
| Choosing a wizard |
|
|
| Use |
To |
| Welcome |
Create a new document, open the previous
document, choose and open a document from a list, open a template on the FreeHand 9
CD-ROM, or launch FreeHand Help. This screen appears when launching FreeHand. |
| Setup |
Create a document based on an illustration style,
either freehand or technical. Choose colors, color mode, unit of measurement, page size,
and page orientation. |
| Screen-based |
Create a document optimized for creating
graphics, either for the Internet or multimedia/image editing. Choose colors and set the
size and orientation for onscreen designs. |
| Stationery |
Create documents for common business usage:
letterhead stationery, envelopes, and business cards. Choose colors and a standard paper
size. You also can browse through a variety of layout ideas. |
| Publication |
Create multiple-page documents. Choose page size,
number of pages, page orientation, colors, unit of measurement, and styles. |
|
