Publisher 2.0: Common Questions and Answers
PSS ID Number: Q101548
Article last modified on 10-04-1993
PSS database name: W_MSPub

2.00

WINDOWS


-------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Publisher version 2.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

This article contains 55 common questions and answers about the
features and functionality of Publisher 2.0.

More Information:

 1. Can I import my old Publisher 1.0 documents into Publisher 2.0?

    Yes. You can open your Publisher 1.0 files directly in Publisher
    2.0, without any translation. Once the file is in version 2.0,
    however, you cannot save your file as version 1.0. It must be
    saved in version 2.0 format.

 2. Can I import text from word processing applications?

    Yes, Publisher can import text from the following major word
    processing applications:

     - Works for Windows
     - Works for DOS
     - Windows Write
     - Word for Windows 1.x-2.x
     - Word for DOS
     - WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1

    You can also import .RTF and .TXT files.

 3. What graphics file formats can Publisher import?

    Publisher can import the following major graphics formats:

         - .TIF (Tagged Image File Format)
         - .PCX (PC Paintbrush)
         - .BMP (Windows Bitmap)
         - .PCD (Kodak PhotoCD)
         - .CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile)
         - .EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
         - .WMF (Windows Metafile)
         - .WPG (WordPerfect Graphics)
         - .DRW (Micrografix Designer/Draw)

 4. How much clip art is included in Publisher 2.0? What format are
    they in?

    There are over 125 pieces of clip art included in the product.
    They are all .CGM and .WMF vector-based images.

 5. If I want to use WordArt, am I limited to the same 19 fonts
    available in Publisher 1.0?

    No, you can use any TrueType font with WordArt. As a matter of
    fact, Publisher ships with 20 TrueType fonts.

 6. What will happen to my Publisher 1.0 WordArt when I import
    Publisher 1.0 files into Publisher 2.0?

    You will have the option to retain WordArt 1.0 or convert the
    WordArt to Publisher 2.0. If you choose to convert, the fonts will
    be substituted with the closest TrueType equivalents. This
    conversion is irreversible.

 7. What fonts does Publisher include?

    Publisher includes the following 20 TrueType fonts:

     - Algerian
     - Arial Rounded Bold
     - Bauhaus 93
     - Bookman Old Style Bold
     - Braggadocio
     - Brush Script
     - Brittanic Bold
     - Century Gothic
     - Colonna
     - Desdemona
     - Footlight Light
     - Gradl
     - Impact
     - Kino
     - Matura Script Capitals.
     - Mistral
     - Playbill
     - Stencil
     - Vivaldi
     - Wide Latin

    You can also use any of the fonts that come with Windows, of
    course.

 8. Is Publisher compatible with Adobe Type Manager?

    Yes.

 9. Does WordArt support Type 1 Fonts?

    No.

10. Can I rotate text?

    Yes. Using WordArt you can rotate text to any degree manually, or
    you can choose from over 30 different predefined shapes and
    effects, such as turning text upside down, placing it on an angle,
    along an arch, along a vertical line, or pouring the text into a
    triangle or a stop-sign shape.

11. Can I wrap text around irregular shaped objects? Can I define the
    way it wraps around an object?

    Yes. You can do this right from the toolbar. You can also crop the
    irregularly-shaped object and specify the margin around which the
    text will wrap.

12. What kind of Help or computer-based training (CBT) is available
    with Publisher?

    There are a variety of ways to get on-line assistance in learning
    and using Publisher. Publisher includes the following learning
    aids:

    - Introduction to Publisher
    - First Time Help
    - Quick Demos
    - Cue Cards
    - Print Troubleshooter

13. Does Publisher use OLE (object linking and embedding) technology?

    Yes. Publisher 2.0 is the first Microsoft application to ship with
    support for OLE 2.0. Because Publisher supports OLE 2.0, you can
    edit objects from OLE 2.0 server applications that support in situ
    editing while inside Publisher.

    WordArt, Note It, and ClipArt Gallery are OLE servers, and
    Publisher is an OLE client. WordArt is OLE 2.0 compatible, while
    Note It and ClipArt Gallery are OLE 1.0 compatible.

14. How many templates are in Publisher 2.0?

    There are 35 professionally-designed templates.

15. What Page and Area Wizards are featured in Publisher 2.0?

    Page Wizards:

     - Banner
     - Brochure
     - Business Card & Paper
     - Envelope
     - Flyer
     - Greeting card & Invitation
     - Newsletter
     - Origami
     - Paper Aeroplane
     - Seven Business Forms
     - Tape Cassette Cover
     - Three Panel Brochure

    Area Wizards:

     - Ad
     - Calendar
     - Coupon
     - Fancy First Letter
     - Logo Creator Plus
     - Newsletter Banner

16. Are they the same Wizards that were included with Publisher 1.0?

    Some of them are the same, some are new, and some have been
    improved and redesigned.

17. What language are the Page Wizards written in? Can third parties
    develop Page Wizards?

    Page Wizards are written in C. Page Wizards can be written in any
    programming language, including C and Visual Basic. Microsoft may
    allow third parties to develop additional Page Wizards in the
    future.

18. Can I view two pages side by side?

    Yes.

19. To what view magnification level can I zoom?

    You can zoom to ten different levels, up to 400%.

20. What is the minimum amount of RAM required by Publisher?

    4 megabytes.

21. How much hard disk space does Publisher 2.0 require?

    6 to 13 megabytes, depending on what options you choose to install.

22. How many columns can I have per page?

    You can have up to 63 columns of text frames.

23. Can I link frames together and auto-jump from one to the other?

    Yes. Publisher can also automatically insert "Continued on Page X"
    and "Continued from Page X" notes at the beginnings and endings of
    columns if desired.

24. How many pages can you have in a Publisher publication?

    There is no specific page limit. You can have up to 65,535
    objects, including pages, per presentation.

25. Can I use indexing and tables of contents for long document
    support?

    No.

26. Does Publisher offer tracking and kerning?

    Yes. The Spacing Between Characters feature allows you to adjust
    tracking and pair kerning for both WordArt and regular text.

27. Can I group and align objects?

    Yes.

28. Can I use text formatting styles? Can I import styles from other
    applications?

    Yes. You can either create your own styles within Publisher or you
    can import styles from any major word processor.

29. Can I crop, scale and rotate graphics?

    You can crop and scale graphics, but you cannot rotate imported
    graphic images. Graphics created with the Shape Tool in Publisher,
    however, can be rotated by 90 degrees.

30. What are the differences between Publisher and high-end desktop
    publishing applications such as PageMaker?

    The three main differences between a high-end desktop publishing
    application, such as PageMaker, and a mid-range desktop publishing
    application, such as Publisher, are that high-end applications
    typically provide support for the following:

     - Spot color and process color separations
     - Increased typographical controls
     - Long document support (indexing and tables of contents)

    While Publisher, on the other hand, focuses on the following:

     - Ease of use
     - Increased automation

31. Does Publisher support color?

    Publisher supports 256-color display for text and images, and 16
    colors for its internal borders, and the backgrounds and
    foregrounds of shading patterns.

32. Can I do color separations in Publisher?

    There is no spot color or process color separation capabilities
    within Publisher. You can save Publisher documents as .EPS files
    and use an editing tool if you want to print color separations of
    Publisher files.

33. Does Publisher have shading patterns?

    Yes. Publisher offers 24 shading patterns.

34. Can I apply a different color to a shadow?

    Yes, there are 8 different shadow effects for text in WordArt, and
    16 different colors to choose from.

35. How many documents can I have open at once?

    You can only have one publication open per instance of Publisher,
    but you can have as many instances of Publisher open as your
    computer allows.

36. Can I print my output at a service bureau? What type of printers
    can I print on?

    Yes. You can print on any printer that supports Windows.

37. Can I create tables in Publisher?

    Yes. You can do this right from the toolbar. There are several
    automatic formats to choose from. Within the table you can drag
    and drop cells, autofill down and autofill right.

38. Can I create bulleted and numbered lists?

    Yes. You can do this right from the toolbar.

39. Can I nudge objects?

    Yes. You can nudge object in increments of tenths of a point.

40. Can I print banners and posters?

    Yes. You can print banners up to 20 feet long, and posters up to
    20' x 20'.

41. Can I edit clip art images within Publisher?

    Yes. You can edit them using Microsoft Draw, which is included
    with Publisher 2.0.

42. Does Publisher use drag and drop?

    Yes. You can drag and drop text, just like in Word for Windows,
    and you can also drag and drop text and numbers within a table.

43. Does Publisher have draggable Guides?

    No. You can set any number of vertical or horizontal guides but
    they cannot be manually dragged into place.

44. How does Publisher work with Paper Direct paper?

    With Publisher 2.0 you can actually view Paper Direct specialty
    paper designs right on-screen. That way you know exactly how your
    document will print out.

45. Can I embed my Word for Windows tables into Publisher?

    Yes. You can also embed tables created in Microsoft Excel.

46. Can I use my own clip art in the ClipArt Gallery?

    Yes, you can view and categorize all of the clip art you own in
    ClipArt Gallery.

47. Will Publisher work with my scanner?

    Publisher has TWAIN support, which makes it extremely easy to scan
    in images. You can do this without even leaving Publisher.

48. What is a shape tool?

    The Shape Tool is available right from the toolbar and allows you
    to draw common shapes like starbursts, arrows, 3D boxes, and
    others--36 shapes in all!

49. How is Publisher different from word processors? Is there a lot of
    overlap in features with products like Word for Windows?

    Many word processors have some desktop publishing functionality as
    part of their product feature set. This functionality, however, is
    usually very incomplete. Publisher is a dedicated, specialized
    desktop publishing application.

    There are three primary areas that differentiate Publisher from
    high-end word processing applications:

     - Ease of Use
     - Text Handling
     - Graphics/Design

    Publisher features a paste-board metaphor that is focused on page
    layout. Publisher's frame-based orientation utilizes features such
    as layering of frames, scratch areas, multi page text flow, frame
    jumping, font effects, and irregular text wrap. You can drag
    objects where you want them to go using the mouse, which is not
    possible in most word processing applications. Publisher's
    graphics capabilities include ClipArt Gallery, the shape tool,
    drawing tools, and the ability to group and align groups of
    objects. Publisher also provides a wide array of ease-of-use and
    automation features. None of these features are provided by
    typical word processing applications.

50. Is Publisher available on the Mac?

    Not at this time.

51. Is this product dual-media?

    No, Publisher is packaged with 3.5" disks only. However 5 1/4" and
    720K disks are available through Microsoft at no extra cost.

52. Is there a retail upgrade? What is the price?

    There is no retail upgrade. Instead there will be a $20 rebate
    coupon in the box for users of Microsoft Publisher 1.0, Microsoft
    Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Works.

53. Will there be a CD version?

    Yes. The CD will come out in the Fall and will feature Publisher
    2.0 in addition to other value-added items.

54. Is there also a new Design Pack?

    A new Design Pack will come out in the Fall.

55. Who uses Publisher?

    Windows users with little or no design experience who need to
    create newsletters, flyers, brochures, and other printed materials
    quickly and easily.

Additional reference words: 2.00 mspub topten designp1 dp1 

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.