Background Layer colors and images

Question

I just made the switch from gimp to Freehand. After reading
the instruction booklet, the only real problem I'm having is
setting the background. I'd like to make a gradient background, but
I can't figure out how to make any background whatsoever show up.
Even when I select a new color for the color box, the page remains
white. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Since you are coming from GIMP you are still thinking in
terms of Bitmap
Editors. Freehand is very different and you have to change
your way of
thinking. The white box is not a background, it is an empty
page. You
place items on that page according to what you want it to
look like. If
you want a color to fill the entire page then draw a
rectangle the size
of the page and apply your color/gradient to the rectangle.
FYI: When placing items in Freehand, it does have layers like
Photoshop
(does Gimp?) but they work differently. In Freehand multiple
items can
exist on the same layer without destructing/changing other
items on that
layer. So if your background rectangle goes on the same layer
as
something else you may find yourself accidentally sending the
other item
behind the background or the background in front of the item.
Thinking
in bitmap editing terms you may think the item is wiped
out/gone, but
it's not. Just send the background behind it again. You can
eliminate
these problems by setting up different layers for different
categories
of items, background, text, graphics, etc. You can then lock
layers so
that you don't accidentally grab onto items that you don't
want moved,
such as the background.
Look out for the "Background" layer that appears by default.
See that
bar right above it in the Layers Panel that separates it from
Guides and
Foreground? That's a printing bar. Anything below the bar
will not
print and will be represented as ghosted image in the
preview. So if
you intend to use the Background layer for your background I
suggest
that you move the Background layer above the bar and under
the
Foreground layer. Lock the Background layer and then place
items on
your Foreground layer.
Rich
bippity wrote:
> I just made the switch from gimp to Freehand. After
reading the instruction
> booklet, the only real problem I'm having is setting the
background. I'd like
> to make a gradient background, but I can't figure out
how to make any
> background whatsoever show up. Even when I select a new
color for the color
> box, the page remains white. Any help would be
appreciated.
>