THE POSTER PROGRAM. Version 2.1 11/25/95. This version works with Win95. Caution: This version will NOT read files created by Poster 1.x. INTRODUCTION. POSTER 2.1 is the latest version of the popular Windows shareware program for making big posters, signs, and banners, printing them at up to 9 feet by 9 feet. All text and graphics are enlarged and tiled over multiple pages. POSTER supports all True-Type and ATM fonts, and imports graphics from BMP and WMF files, as well as from the Clipboard and OLE applications. POSTER supports full color, and most Windows-compatible printers. This new version of poster supports complete flexibility in the placement of graphics, incorporates drawing tools and special effects (like 3D) for text, and provides better support for non-standard poster and paper sizes. POSTER is great for a wide variety of projects at work, school, home, or clubs: 1. Creating large posters for presentations, projects, charts, etc. 2. Creating large signs for advertisements, announcements, etc. 3. Creating banners for special events, etc. 4. Enlarging pictures, charts, etc. for display. ADVANTAGES OF POSTER. This program is very easy to use, and it is very simple to create large posters and banners. It is especially useful when you have a number of fonts installed, as the font selection menu displays renditions of all the true-type fonts. The final poster size is fully configurable. WHATS NEW. Version 2.1 adds Special Effects for Text, and fixes problems with printing method A and B. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPPORT. For the latest on Poster, including the latest version, tips and hints, etc., see our web page: http://users.aol.com/PosterSW If you have any problems or suggestions, please send me a note. My email address is AOL: PosterSW Internet: PosterSW@aol.com Compuserv (CIS): 75754,2174 REGISTRATION. POSTER is shareware. If you try this program, find it useful, and continue to use it, you are expected to register. The fee is only $12, which is really quite reasonable for a program like POSTER. This fee helps cover costs for distribution and support of the program. If you register, your are entitled to unlimited support, future versions, and a free disk full of fancy borders. To register: From CIS (Compuserv), type GO SWREG By mail, send $12 to: POSTER Software 11002 48th St. E. Puyallup, WA. 98372 I'll send you the disk containing the latest version of POSTER, and a set of fancy borders, by return mail. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VERSION 2.1 IMPROVEMENTS. 11/25/95. 1. Adds Special Effects for text. 2. Fixes text scaling problems when printing with Method A or B only. VERSION 2.0 IMPROVEMENTS. 11/11/95. 1. Graphics can be placed anywhere on the page. 2. Free-form drawing tools added. 3. Automatic support for alternate paper sizes, like A2, 11x17, etc. 4. Easier page size setup for non-standard poster sizes. 5. Poster automatically fills the screen for any size poster. VERSION 1.6 IMPROVEMENTS. 10/1/95. 1. Modified to print properly under WIN95. 2. Minor fixes to font menus, and OPEN. 3. Maximum characters increased to 2000. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTALLATION. If you have unzipped the files, then you have practically installed the program. The package consists of the following files: 1. This README file. 2. POSTER.TXT, which is the documentation for POSTER. All of this documentation is also in the on-line help file. 3. POSTER.EXE, which is the poster program itself. 4. POSTER.HLP, which is the on-line help file. 5. CTL3D.DLL, the 3d controls library. 6. Several BORDERx.WMF border files. These can be imported using the Page->Border->From File command. To install the program, do the following after unzipping the poster download file: 1. Create a directory called POSTER. 2. Copy the files POSTER.TXT, POSTER.EXE, and POSTER.HLP into that directory. 3. Copy the file CTL3D.DLL to your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. 4. Create a program manager icon for POSTER by doing the following: WINDOWS 3.1 or WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS: a. Select the program manager group where you want the icon. b. Select NEW. c. Select Program Item. d. In the dialog box, fill in Description ("Poster"), The command line: C:\poster\poster.exe The working directory: C:\poster If you have unzipped into a different directory, use it instead of c:\poster. WIN95: a. From the START button, click on START, then Settings, then Taskbar. b. From the "Taskbar Properties" box, click on "Start Menu Options". c. Click on NEW. d. Enter the full patch name to poster (such as "c:\poster\poster.exe"), or click on the browse button, find the directory with POSTER in it, and click on POSTER.EXE. e. Click on Finish. f. Select the folder you want the shortcut in, then click on Finish. g. Enter the name you want to use for the icon, and click on Finish. 5. You may view and print the documentation file, POSTER.TXT, with notepad. However, this entire document is included in the online help file. USING POSTER. To start using poster, simply double click on the poster icon. POSTER will start and ask you for the poster or banner format. After selecting the format you want, it will present an empty page to you. Just start typing to begin making your poster. You can also associate "POS" file types with poster (do this with File Manager or Explorer.). Then, double clicking on a POS file will automatically start poster with that file. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PRINTERS. This program has been successfully tested on the following printers: HP Laserjet II and compatibles HP Laserjet III - see special setup instructions below. HP LaserJet 4 - See special setup instructions below HP DeskJet PLUS HP DeskJet 500 Epson dot matrix and compatibles Postscript printer - See special setup instructions below If you cannot get POSTER to work properly on your printer, try checking the box marked "Method A" in the PRINT dialog box. This should work ALL printers (but not plotters). If this still doesn't work, try "Method B". Also, see the special setup instructions below. LASERJET III USERS. If the posters you print are missing characters at page edges, then do the following: 1. Select "Method A" in the Poster Print Dialog box. Also, be sure your printer is set to 300 dpi. LASERJET 4 USERS. To successfully print posters, you must configure your printer as follows: 1. Select "Printer Setup": 2. Set resolution to 300 dpi. (At 600dpi, printing takes a very long time, and may hang the printer.) 3. Select "options". 4. Select "Graphics Mode" = "raster", "Graphics Quality"="high", and check "print true-type as graphics". If posters still do not print properly, then in the PRINT dialog box, check the boxed marked "Method A". This should always work. POSTSCRIPT PRINTER USERS. POSTER cannot always automatically switch a postscript printer from portrait mode to landscape mode. If "Print Preview" shows the printer to be in the incorrect mode,use the "Print Setup" menu item to manually select the proper mode. If you get postscript errors, or you are loosing characters at page boundaries: 1. From the control panel, select Printers, then select 'Setup. 2. Select "options", then select "advanced". 3. Select "print true type fonts as" "Bitmap (type 3)". 4. Close the control panel. 5. Start POSTER. If posters still do not print properly, or print too slow, then in the PRINT dialog box, check the boxed marked "Method A". This should always work. COLOR PRINTERS. POSTER should now properly print color text and graphics. SLOW PRINTING. Sorry, but Windows printing is s..l..o..w. I have no good solution for this. Be sure to verify your poster with "Preview" in the "Print" dialog box. Then, have patience while it prints. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT. Users of POSTER must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "POSTER is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse- quential, which may result from the use of POSTER." POSTER is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using POSTER and continue to use POSTER after a reasonable trial period, you must make a reg- istration payment of $12. The registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of POSTER must register and pay for their copies of POSTER within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by con- tacting the author. Anyone distributing POSTER for any kind of remuneration should first contact the author at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering POSTER immediately (However the author should still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of POSTER.). You are encouraged to pass a copy of POSTER along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of POSTER. --------------------------------------------------------------------- TECHNICAL TRIVIA. POSTER is written in C, and complied using MSVC 1.5. It consists of about 15,000 lines of code (proving that it takes a lot of code to not do very much). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Bedoll 11/22/95. Poster Software 11002 48th St. E., Puyallup, WA, 98372 email: PosterSW@aol.com (206) 848-0467.