Getting Started with Colors

PageMaker gives you a wide variety of options for using colors. Several colors are provided in the Color Library, but you may also create your own colors using PageMaker’s color-matching system.

Applying Colors

At the upper right hand corner of the Colors Palette, are three buttons
which you will use to specify what part of an object you want to color.

The STROKE button will apply the selected color to the line/border of a selected object.

The FILL button will apply the selected color to the inside of a selected object.

The BOTH button will apply the selected color to both the line and inside of a selected object.

To apply color to an object

1. From the Window menu, select Show Colors
   The Colors Palette appears.
   NOTE: To resize the Colors Palette, drag the window from the lower right hand corner
   

   

2. Select the object to which you want to apply color

3. To apply the selected color only to the border of your object, click the STROKE button 
   To apply the selected color only to the inside of your object, click the FILL button
   To apply the selected color to the border and the inside of your object, click the BOTH button
   NOTE: You can apply separate colors to the border and to the inside.

4. To apply a color, click the desired color

Creating New Colors

PageMaker provides you with three options in designing a new color:

• RGB: Red, Green, and Black
• HLS: Hue, Lightness, and Saturation
• CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black

To create a new color

1. In the Colors Palette, at the lower right corner, click the NEW COLOR BUTTON
   OR
   From the Palette menu , select New Color…
   The Color Options dialog box appears.
   

2. From the Model pull-down list, select an option to use in creating the color
   Text boxes appropriate to the model you have chosen appear below.

3. In the value text boxes, type the values or use the scroll bar to create the color you want
   In the Preview box, you will see the color change as you make adjustments.

4. After you have created the desired color, in the Name text box, type a name for your new color

5. Click OK
   The new color appears in the Colors Palette.

Selecting Colors from a Color Library

If your PageMaker publication will be commercially printed, it will be important to have the colors of your publication reproduced as accurately as possible. When choosing a custom color, faithful reproduction of it will be easier to achieve if you select the color from a color library, which contains various color-matching systems supported by commercial printers.

NOTE: Before selecting colors, be sure to check with your printer as to which color-matching systems they support.

1. In the Colors Palette, at the lower right corner, click the NEW COLOR BUTTON
   The Color Options dialog box appears.

2. From the Libraries pull-down list, select a color-matching system

3. To locate the color you want, use the scroll bar

4. Select the color by clicking it

5. Click OK

6. In the Color Options dialog box, in the Name text box, type a name for the new color

7. Click OK

Duplicating Colors

Once you have created a color, you may want to create another color based on it (e.g., a darker or lighter shade). By duplicating the original color, you will have a copy which you can edit without affecting objects filled with the original color.

1. From the Colors Palette, select the color you wish to duplicate

2. From the Palette menu, select Duplicate…
   The Color Options dialog box appears.
   In the Name text box, the name of the selected color will appear followed by the word copy, (e.g., blue copy).

3. In the Name text box, type a new name for the copy

4. Click OK
   The duplicated color will appear in the Color Palette list under its new name.

Deleting Colors

You can delete colors from the Colors Palette that you are not using in your publication or no longer want.

NOTE: You cannot remove the following colors: None, Paper, Black and Registration.
WARNING: Deleting a color from the Colors Palette will recolor all objects and text of that color to black.

1. On the Colors Palette, select the color you wish to delete

2. In the lower right corner of the Colors Palette, click the TRASH BUTTON
   OR
   From the Palette menu , select Delete…
   A confirmation dialog box appears.
   

3. To delete the selected color, click OK
   OR
   To cancel, click CANCEL