An Introduction to Adobe PageMaker - Formula Sheet

Document Geometry and Layout Formulations

These calculations govern page printable dimensions and text column layouts:

Printable Page Width Formula

The horizontal printable boundary is determined by subtracting the left and right margins from the total physical page width:

W_printable = W_page - (M_left + M_right)

Where:

• W_printable: The width of the active printable area on the page.
• W_page: The overall physical width of the paper (e.g., A4 is 8.268 inches).
• M_left: The left margin width setting in inches or millimeters.
• M_right: The right margin width setting in inches or millimeters.

Printable Page Height Formula

The vertical printable boundary is calculated by subtracting the top and bottom margins from the physical page height:

H_printable = H_page - (M_top + M_bottom)

Where:

• H_printable: The height of the active printable area.
• H_page: The physical paper height (e.g., A4 is 11.693 inches).
• M_top: The top margin height configuration.
• M_bottom: The bottom margin height configuration.

Typography and Formatting Formulations

Text Auto-Leading Proportions

PageMaker determines the automatic spacing between lines of text proportionally using the current font size:

L_auto = S * 1.20

Where:

• L_auto: The auto-leading value in points, representing vertical spacing baseline-to-baseline.
• S: The selected typeface font size in points (pt).

Star Shape Inset Calculations

Polygon Star Inset Percentage

The star shape depth is determined by the percentage of the polygon lines bent inward relative to the outer radius:

I = (1 - (R_inner / R_outer)) * 100

Where:

• I: The Star Inset parameter configured in Polygon Settings (expressed as a percentage).
• R_inner: The distance from the shape center to the inner vertices.
• R_outer: The distance from the shape center to the outer vertices.