Illustration programs are very useful tools, even if you are not an illustrator. Programs such as Macromedia FreeHand, Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are great for creating graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, logos and informational graphics. Each program has a different personality making them well suited to different kinds of people. FreeHand is a lot like QuarkXPress, in that its precision gives the user a lot of freedom of expression if the user understands how it works.

FreeHand is a lot like QuarkXPress, in that its precision gives the user a lot of freedom of expression if the user understands how it works.

The first thing to do when working with FreeHand is to set up your document. Making a new document isn't enough, because that only creates a letter-sized page set at 300 dpi. After creating a new document, select Window > Inspectors > Document to bring up the Inspector palette. Then click the last icon on the right, which looks like a page.

This brings up the Document Inspector. Make sure the units of measurement are set to ones you like (picas, inches, etc.), and then select Custom from the page size menu. Enter dimensions that are close to your expected final size. Although EPS files can be sized dramatically without altering their look, it is a good idea to work at roughly your intended final size. Also, it is very helpful when placing a graphic in a layout program if there is not much white space around it. There is a bizarre quirk in FreeHand's interface that forces you to hit the landscape button if you want a wide document. Otherwise, when you enter a larger width than height, FreeHand will switch the dimensions and draw a tall document. The last thing to enter in the document inspector is Printer Resolution. We suggest that all print work be set at the highest number, 2540 dpi, as it does not seem to affect performance.

The next thing to do before beginning to draw is to setup the Output Options dialog box. Select File > Output Options. If you intend to create bitmaps from within FreeHand, set the Images setting to whichever condition applies. In any case, set the Maximum Color Steps to "256" and the Flatness to "3." This creates the best looking output and ensures that complex images RIP quickly.

Working with Strokes and Fills in FreeHand is much different than in Illustrator. You can drop a color directly on an object, which will color its stroke, its fill or both depending on where you dropped the color. Or, you can directly edit the stroke and/or fill by selecting them from the Inspector palette. The Stroke palette is pretty self-explanatory, but don't forget to use an actual number for a thin stroke instead of Hairline (Hairline does not print at high resolution). The Fill palette is more complicated, because it has controls for nine different kinds of fills (None, Basic, Custom, Gradient, Lens, Pattern, PostScript, Textured and Tiled). If you just want to fill an object with a color or screen of a color, use the Basic setting.

One interesting set of techniques to learn is the repeat transform. Begin by selecting an object and selecting Edit > Clone. This puts an exact duplicate on top of it. Then select any of the transform tools (Move, Rotate, Scale, Skew or Reflect) and change the cloned object. If you then hit Command D (Control D in Windows), FreeHand will draw another object and perform the same transform on it. If you hit Command Comma, FreeHand will do the same transform again to the same object. For example, draw a star and clone it. Then scale it 110 percent and rotate it 15 degrees. Now hit Command D several times and watch FreeHand create a Spirograph effect.

SIDE: FreeHand is a lot like QuarkXPress, in that its precision gives the user a lot of freedom of expression if the user understands how it works.