Defining text on complext background

[chartleyuk]

Hello all,
I'm wondering if pagemaker 6.5 has a feature to automatically make the text colour the inverse of the background that it is on.
To set the scene I've been lumbered with a school yearbook (lucky ol' me) and one page is on the halloween 'dance' this means that the page is very dark with pictures on it as well.
The pictures are forming the majority of the background with dark scenes etc. so you'll probably say "then use a white text or yellowish one" sadly this only works until a picture has a face or an outfit which blends in with the text colour (or color depending on your location, I be British)

cheers for reading this, all suggestions greatfully appreciated as this is one of the last hurdles in a 60page full colour yearbook laid out more or less within a week with the deadline next week. So please excuse the ramblings but i'm far too tired and dosed on caffine!

 

[angler2229]

chartleyuk,

Yes, there is a reverse button on the Control Palette - the button with the R. However, yearbook publishers may need more directions that that.

First, are you a camera ready book, electronic book or something special (like Herf-Jones)? I use aTaylor Publishing camera ready book for my school.

I am not quite sure of the effect you want to achieve on this page. Some yearbook companies may have specific instructions when overburning text or reversing text ontop of pics. You would probably be safe if you used blue text (called an overlay in the yearbook trade) to tell the yearbook company how you want the page to be printed. Then make the overburn or reverse text in red to assure the printers do what you want.

Since your book is 4-color, spot color in red or blue overburned text looks great. I like Taylor's Super blue #9 the best. Bright orange would look good too since the page is for Halloween. Make the font sans serif bold for readablity.

If you decide to overburn or reverse the text, go to the Window menu and make sure the color palette is showing. Then go to the Blue color square and double click it. A dialog box will appear. Click the box for Overprint on the left side of the box. Then click OK. Repeat the process for Red.

When your yearbook publisher prints the book, they will use color separations. This results in a black plate, a blue plate, and a red plate printing. The layout guys know what to do from here.

Good luck, and I hope you meet your deadline.

Daniel

 

[chartleyuk]

Thanks very much for the reply, sadly most of it went over my head so i've done what bits i can understand and i'll let the printers do the rest!