TEC home

Web home

Page/site design
- basic principles
- good/bad examples

Basic html
- tutorial
- resources

Netscape Composer
- tutorial
- resources

Dreamweaver
- tutorial
- resources

Uploading and downloading
- setting up your mason account
- basic procedure

Web assignments
- general
- design and navigation

Contact us

Composer Tutorial - Entering and Formatting Text



Important points to consider

  • When a user installs a browser, the browser includes format settings for text.  These initial settings in the browser are called “default settings.”
  • The default settings for text include “Normal” for the body of a paragraph and “Heading” (sizes 1-6) for headings and sub-headings.
  • “Normal” and “Heading” text displays on the reader’s browser according to the default settings of the reader’s browser (unless the reader has modified the settings).  It will not necessarily appear the way it does on your screen.
  • You can include specific font, size, and color settings for your text if you want it to appear in a certain way (or as close as possible) on the reader’s browser.

Start from Scratch

  1. Open Netscape.

  2. Click  on Communicator > Composer.

  3. Click on File > New > Blank Page.

To identify a paragraph as a heading

  1. Click on the arrow to the right of the paragraph style box.

    A menu of styles will appear.
  1. Move your pointer to the heading size you want (“1” is the largest and “6” is the smallest) and click on it.

To identify a paragraph as part of the “body” of the page
  1. Click on the arrow to the right of the paragraph style box.

    A menu of styles will appear.

  2. Move your pointer to “Normal” and click on it



To select specific font and size settings for text before you start typing  

NOTE: To format text after you have entered it, highlight the text, and then follow the steps
              below.


To select a character font

  1. Click on arrow to the right of the font style box.

    A drop-down list will display.



  2. Move the pointer to the character font you want to use and click on it.

    NOTE:     Use the scroll bar to move down through the various font selections.

To select the font size

  1. Click on arrow to the right of the font size box.

    A drop-down list will display.

  2. Move the pointer to the font size you want to use and click on it.

    NOTE: Use the scroll bar to move down through the various size selections.

 

Author: Susan Campbell
scampbel@gmu.edu
May 14, 2001


Composer Home | Text | Links | Images | Tables