Using the Keyline Plug-In for Borders

Some designs look nice with a thin border to keyline (or surround) objects on the page. PageMaker can create a border automatically by drawing a box (or oval, for oval objects or oval clipping paths) around the object and grouping the object and the keyline together. This is done with the Keyline Plug-in.

Terminology

Fill
The color that is applied across the area of the object.

Keyline
A border, rectangular or oval, that surrounds an object.

Knock out
The option that allows the top object to print and the bottom object not to print where the top object overlaps it. In other words, you want the top object to “knock out” the bottom object.

Overprint
The Overprint option is opposite of Knock out, so the bottom object overprints the top object. When you print overlapping color objects on a printing press, there may be misalignment of the printing plates which results in misregistration (gap or hue shift between colors). To compensate for misregistration, you may want to have a spot color or process color to overprint the top object.
NOTE: Black text with font size less than 24 points overprints by default.

Paper
The color of the background paper (usually white) that will knock out other objects unless those objects are set to overprint.

Transparent background
The objects placed behind a patterned stroke will show through the spaces in the pattern. Otherwise, the spaces in the pattern are opaque.

Reverse
The stroke color is reversed so if the line was black, it changes to the paper color (usually white).

Stroke
The colored line that is applied to the border of an object.

Keylining an Object

1. With the pointer tool, select one or more objects
   Selecting more than one object will create a group when keylined.
   WARNING: Do not include a previously-created group. A group combines several objects together and treats them as a unit through the Element menu, but you cannot apply a keyline to a group not created with the Keyline plug-in.

2. From the Utilities menu, select Plug-ins » Keyline…
   The Keyline dialog box appears.
   

3. In the Extends text box, type the distance you want to extend the keyline from the object’s bounding box
   For example, if you type 5 points, the outside edge of the keyline (whatever its line weight) will begin 5 points from the object’s outside edge.

4. To keep the keyline in front of the object, select Bring keyline to front of object
1. OPTIONAL: Keep or deselect Knock out under keyline

2. OPTIONAL: In the Overlap interior by text box, type in a number of points to overlap by

To put the keyline behind the object, select Send keyline behind object
HINT: You may have to deselect Knock out under keyline before you can select Send keyline behind object

5. OPTIONAL: To adjust the Fill and Stroke options, click ATTRIBUTES…
   
1. Set Fill and Stroke attributes such as Fill, Stroke, Color and Tint
   HINT: You can fill the keyline shape with the color Paper to force a knock out of any background color below the object you are keylining. 
2. Adjust Overprint, Transparent background, and/or Reverse.

3. Click OK
   You are returned to the Keyline dialog box.

6. To apply the keyline, click OK