Align column text across cols

[Artyboots]

Just because I am an idiot, Acorn, doesn't mean I am stupid!

If I have two text areas with the same font etc, when I introduce a graphic into one column I am not able to get the alignment back. Other progs do have a way to attach to the baseline. What am I missing?

[gwpriester]

I understand fully what you are trying to do. You can always start a new text area under the illustration and then align it to the adjacent column and even link it to the previous column. It would be helpful to have this be automatic align to baseline when you insert a graphic or even a space after a paragraph that is more than a normal paragraph space. Sadly, many of these text formatting features, which I remember back with Aldus Pagemaker, are unfamiliar to the R&D team. Xara would do well to have a former typesetter or magazine and book designer give them guidelines on how to implement these features.

[Egg Bramhill]

Just because I am an idiot, Acorn, doesn't mean I am stupid!

I am stupid Ali, I too can't understand your problem. What Acorn suggested was perfectly correct, give us screengrabs.

[Artyboots]

GARY!!!!! YES!!!! What excellent ideas. THANK YOU! I don't mind working around. But I couldn't stand to submit a brochure with misaligned columns.

You are right. It is so odd to find a DTP program without it. Makes for an amateurish finish if you can't workaround it. And yes, they need someone like us, who know the ancient wisdom (even if they can't remember the name for it!), to help them. Print is print. It needs printerly methods. I went on a course for TWO weeks just for kerning!

These arts are going to be lost.

Thank you everyone, thank you, for trying to help me here, and behind the scenes. You are the best thing of all about Xara, and I appreciate it.

Have a good evening.

Ali

[mwenz]

...It is so odd to find a DTP program without it. ...

That's because XDP, which I love for what it excels at, ain't really a DTP application. Maybe in a wannabe but never realized sense, but such things are simply not its strengths.

[Big Frank]

That's because XDP ain't really a DTP application.

Smartest thing I've read in these couple threads.

Edit: but it should be and it could have been

[Acorn]

Just because I am an idiot, Acorn, doesn't mean I am stupid!
If I have two text areas with the same font etc, when I introduce a graphic into one column I am not able to get the alignment back. Other progs do have a way to attach to the baseline. What am I missing?

I didn't call you stupid or think you are an idiot. The dumbness is in me not understanding your difficulty.

You have introduced "unlinked text", then "an illustration in one column", and "some call out text in another".
This is trickle-feeding your problem as the problem is in the alignment failure, to what?

You mention Quark, Gary recalls Aldus, both worthies but full of features. All I was asking for is what you want.

Acorn