Making Posters Using Freehand

About Freehand

Freehand is a popular page-layout and content creation software that is widely used to create composite pages of figures and text. The program can be used with Grendel or Ghidorah, Media Services' large format DesignJet printers, to assemble posters from pre-existing text and image files. The cost, listed on our ratesheet, is payable by personal check or by authorized charge to a valid NYUMC account. Although the design and electronic construction of a poster is performed entirely by the end-user, the actual printing is done at Media Services under staff supervision. It is therefore necessary to schedule time in advance for this purpose by signing-up for a poster printing appointment.

You must use the poster templates available at the bottom of this page to create your poster.

Freehand can import TIFF and EPS files. All Photoshop and JPEG files must be converted to TIFF format, and all Canvas, Illustrator, Cricket Graph, Delta Graph, Freehand and PICT files converted to EPS format before being imported into Freehand, where they can be scaled and rotated.

Posters are generally more easy to produce using the methods advocated here than with traditional tools. Although a spray-booth, cutting table and straight-edges are available in Media Services, we encourage you to adopt digital workflow techniques.

The key to using Freehand is understanding it’'s two most important parts. First is the toolbox . Here you will find icons similar to those found in other graphics programs. The most useful is the pointer.

You will use this tool to select objects you want to change or modify. This brings us to the second central tool to Freehand. The Inspector.

In Freehand everything is an object and every object has properties. As you select different objects the appearance of the inspector changes to make the objects properties accessable.

The most reliable method for placing images in your Freehand document is the import function under the file menu.

Once the file is selected the cursor will change to an angle. Click and drag the angle to the size you want your image to appear on the document. Release the mouse to place the image on the page. Now the placed image can be selected and modified like any other object. TIP: To select an object behind another hold the control key and click.

Freehand can import TIFF and EPS files. All Photoshop and JPEG files must be converted to TIFF format, and all Canvas, Illustrator, Cricket Graph, Delta Graph, Quark and PICT files converted to EPS format before being imported into Quark, where they can be scaled, rotated and cropped.

Making a Poster with Freehand

Download and open a Freehand poster template from the bottom of this page. These templates have been created specifically for users of the Media Services facilities. They indicate the exact printing of the 755CM DesignJet printer, and contain additional information about preparing files for output.

Read the information in the template's text and picture boxes before replacing it with your own; then duplicate the existing boxes or create new ones. Pre-formatted text styles have been created for each common poster element. To use a formated text element copy your text into selected text on the poster template.

Text should be restrained in a box. To place text, select the text tool from the tool box. Click and drag the tool across the document. This creates the box the text will go in. Next click the text tool in the box and begin to type or paste copied text into the box. Notice the letter tab on the inspector displays all the properties of the text you may need to change.

When the poster is complete, proof print it out at 50% on tabloid paper using a printer such as Godzilla. Do this repeatedly, until you are certain that no mistakes remain in the file, and that all images print correctly.

When you are absolutely certain that there are no mistakes, omissions or errors in the poster, sign-up for an appointment to print it out full size, and in color. You must bring a proof print of your poster to your appointment.

Remember:

You must utilize one of the templates at the bottom of this page. The size of the long dimension (only) may be adjusted in the Document tab on the Object Inspector.

The roll of paper on which posters are printed is 36 inches wide. This obviously limits the maximum size of the poster in one dimension to 36 inches.

You must bring a proof print of your poster to your appointment.

Macintosh Poster Templates to Download