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Using the Overlay Tool

Using the Overlay Tool

This Help topic describes the steps you might do to add or edit overlays. Depending on the page, these can be speech bubbles, captions, text boxes, an overlay image or an overlay video.

  1. Click the Overlay Tool tab in the tool box.

  2. In the Pages pane, click an inside page that has an image.

  3. If a page has a text footer over the image, you can type or paste text in that text box.

  4. To add a new overlay to a page, click and drag it from the Overlay Tool to the desired location on the image.

  • To duplicate an existing overlay, press the Alt key and then click the overlay you want to duplicate.

Now, when you click the overlay you added or duplicated, a toolbar appears. It shows a set of options, such as PICTURE. The options depend on the kind of overlay.

The more button (PICTURE) opens a list with these same opens and more that you can use.

You can do any of these things:

  • For an overlay bubble, text block or caption box: 

Click PICTURE (Format text) to open and use the Format dialog box.

Click PICTURE Copy text to copy selected text to your clipboard.

Click PICTURE Paste text if you already copied text to your computer clipboard.

Click Auto height to select (PICTURE) or clear this option. If you cleared this option, you can manually change the height (PICTURE). 

Click Add child bubble to add one.

Click PICTURE Duplicate to make a copy of the bubble, text block or caption box.

Click PICTURE Delete to delete the current bubble, text block or caption box.

  • For an overlay image, do any of these steps:

Click PICTURE Choose image from your computer and then choose the desired image.

Click PICTURE Paste image if you already copied an image to your computer clipboard.

Click PICTURE Copy image to copy the current image to your clipboard.

Click PICTURE Set image information to open and use the Copyright and License dialog box.
If the image is locked, you can only view the information.

Click  Expand image to fill space to maximize the use of the available space.

Click PICTURE Reset image to reset the size after you cropped the image to be smaller.

Click Paste Hyperlink PICTURE or paste a hyperlink from your clipboard.

Click PICTURE Duplicate to make a copy of the image.

Click PICTURE Delete.

  • For an overlay video, do any of these steps:

Click PICTURE Choose video from your computer and then choose the desired video.

Click PICTURE Record yourself to use the PICTURE Sign Language Tool to make a video.

Click PICTURE Play Earlier or PICTURE Play Later to move the focus to another video overlay if you have two or more video overlays.

Click PICTURE Duplicate to make a copy of the video overlay.

Click PICTURE Delete to delete the current video overlay.

  • Move an overlay:

Click and drag it to the desired position.

  • Resize an overlay:

Click it and then click and drag one of its ends. Examples:

PICTURE  (speech bubble), PICTURE ( text block),PICTURE (caption),PICTURE (image) or PICTURE (video).

  • Crop an image (without changing the image itself)

PICTURE

  • Align a tail:

Click the tail. Then, click and drag one or more move symbols ( PICTURE or PICTURE) until the tail points to the desired location and has the desired length and curve.

  1. Click a bubble, text block, caption box, or image and then use any of these tool box controls, if they are available:
  • Select () or clear () Show Tail to show or hide a speech bubble caption tail.

  • Select () or clear () Rounded Corners to have round or square corners the current caption box.

  • Choose text or background colors.

  • Click the Outer Outline Color down arrow () and then click a color or None.

  • Click Add Child Bubble and then type words in it.

  1. Use the Talking Book Tool if you will record the book.

Tip

  • PICTURE (Crop) does not change the actual image, but only changed what you see. This is different from the Crop PICTURE feature in the Image Toolbox.

  • Some Overlay Tool features work best when zoom is set to 100%.

  • To see what will be published, click anywhere outside of the page. This hides the move symbols, cogged gear and so on.

Digital Comic Book Template

Keyboard Shortcuts overview

Overlay Tool overview