I had really wanted to inaugurate my appointment to Editor-in-Chief of Sacra Blue with a complete makeover of our award-winning newsletter. To do that, I knew I would have to study fast and hard on whatever DTP application I thought would give me what I wanted. After some basic research, I chose Adobe's PageMaker 7.0.

Likewise, I chose the respective "Classroom in a Book" to get me up to speed quickly. For the most part, the book is excellent, experiencing only a few consternations. The bottom line, however, is that you are left woefully unprepared when things don't work as well as the tutorials.

Don't get wrong. This book is very good for beginners. It takes you step-by-step through eight projects and two publication methods (PDF and Web). I believe that not scaring the new user is a good thing. I also believe that one learns a far greater appreciation for a subject when confronted with projects that could go wrong and the lesson involves how to be aware of mistakes made and how to repair them. This would also involve mentioning likely malfunctions and other obstacles and how to avoid them. The projects go smoothly, too smoothly.

First, a little about PageMaker itself. In the days before computers, more specifically, before computer-based page layout applications, one had to physically cut and paste strips of typed text onto pasteboards. Professional layout artists had a standard workspace and kit of tools. PM replicates that environment.

While working through the projects, I had occasion to fill four 3x5" notecards with behaviors I think are unwarranted or unnecessary, and other events and actions that are simply bizarre or just plain wrong. The book, of course, does not bring these up.

Suffice it to say, the issue of Sacra Blue I had intended to be published using PageMaker 7.0 is now deferred to the next issue while I consult the experts.

The Classroom in a Book comes with a CD containing copies of the completed projects, additional fonts you will need (some fonts come with PageMaker and need to be installed manually), a copy of Type Manager (to install Adobe fonts), and a copy of Acrobat Reader 5.

The first lesson is a single-page flyer designed to get the user familiar with PageMaker's controls, document display layout and typical layout options. Actions common to all documents, such as guide placement, text and image placement, drop caps, formatting, and some special effects are discussed.

The second lesson is a letterhead, envelope, and business card combo that shows how one can manipulate text as objects and object management.

The third lesson is a multipage project that demonstrates the "Master Document" and "Master Pages"approach to design characteristics common to all pages, such as page numbering, columns, and headers and footers. This lesson also illustrates the ease of use that is Pagemaker by showing autoflowing text, tracking, kerning, leading, and style management.

Lesson four is a CD jewelcase that discusses elaborate and precise object placement and control through layers.

Lessons five to eight expand on the previous skills by getting deeper in the micro-manipulation and control of text including hyphenation and continuations, and over-all document control including color separation, Table of Contents and Indexes, and booking multiple files.

Lesson nine publishes an existing PageMaker document to the Web and lesson ten adds bells and whistles to the PDF format.

Adobe PageMaker 7.0, Classroom in a Book
Adobe Press, 2002, 325pgs, $45.00
ISBN: 0-201-75625-0