Format Your WWWpage: Change Font Colour, Background Colour/Image, Font Size and the like...


To apply formatting choices using Composer works much like similar processes in any current word processing program, like Word. There are a wide variety of tools available under the Format Menu, and/or right on the screen on the ToolBar.
 
 

If you forget what tool a specific ToolBar icon represents, simply place your cursor on the icon, and a brief descriptive phrase will appear below the icon. Select the unit of text you wish to change (single character or grouping) and select the appropriate action (e.g., indent, font size).
 
 
 

Character Formatting

Changing the properties of one or more characters (e.g., font, font size, style,  or colour).
Example: To Bold a unit of text
  1. Select unit of text
  2. Select Format > Style > Bold
Or
  1. Select unit of text
  2. Click on the ToolBar icon for Bold
Look at your text, and change several properties of the page by making choices about character formatting. Keep in mind (a) readability, (b) purpose, and (c) consistency.
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Keep in mind that once your page is available to the world on-line, any specific reader's  browser can only display those particular fonts installed on the computer where it resides, and so you can go nuts with font types, only to discover that your intended audience has no way to see the fonts you chose. Keep it simple.

Paragraph Formatting
Changing the properties of larger units of text (e.g., indenting, creating a numbered or bulleted list, alignments etc...)
Example: To Center a chunk of text
 
  1. Select chunk of text
  2. Select Format > Align > Center
Or
  1. Select chunk of text
  2. Click on the ToolBar icon for Alignment: Center
Look at your text, and change several properties of the page by making choices about paragraph formatting. Keep in mind (a) readability, (b) purpose, and (c) consistency.
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Save your work! Netscape is a great program, but it does tend to freeze up and crash the computer at the worst moments. So get used to saving your work with GREAT frequency. And if you want to be sure you're saving, let the software save itself as follows:
  1. Select Edit > Preferences > Composer
  2. Select Automatically save page every > 2 minutes
Whole Page Formatting
Changing the properties of the entire page (e.g., colour of links, background colour, page title)
Example: To change the background colour
 
  1. Select Format > Page Properties > Colors and Background
  2. Choose Use Custom Colors
  3. Click on the rectangle beside Background
  4. A colour-choosing tool will appear, such as a colour wheel. Click on the colour you would like for a background. Presto chango!
Look at your text, and change several properties of the page by making choices about whole page properties. Keep in mind (a) readability, (b) purpose, and (c) consistency.


You can also use an image as a background. To find out how, go to the page/section called "Use an image for a background".
Let's look at how your page would appear if it were on-line, and displayed by Netscape Navigator.
Click on the gold ship's wheel icon on the ToolBar labeled View in Navigator

If you haven't Saved recently, Composer will prompt you to Save: Make it so!
 
 
 

Let's go back to Composer. This page needs more work!
The Composer window should be sitting on the desktop. Find it and click on you're Composer window to bring back up front.
If it seems to have disappeared, Select File > Edit Page
Practice going back and forth between Navigator and Composer, so you get used to recognizing with ease which environment you're in, and how to get to where you want to be.
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Netscape Communicator Format the Page Add a Table
Use Composer to Create Your First Page Add Images Add Sounds
Use Navigator to Surf A links1.html dd Links Publish Your Page