The key to creating quality printed documentation is planning. If you plan from the start to use your Help project as the source files for your printed documentation, you'll be able to implement the strategies that provide you with the best possible outcome.
Here are some tips for making the most of your HTML source files:
Base your printed documents on your table of contents: The table of contents is a great framework for creating your printed documentation. The Document Wizard allows you to create one file for the entire project or chapters that mirror the books in your table of contents. You can decide how many levels of books to use as a basis for the number of chapters. This way, your printed documentation will result in smaller, more manageable files.
Use styles consistently in the style sheet: In RoboHELP, you create styles and format paragraphs and text with these styles. Even individual blocks of text are often formatted through character or inline styles. In Microsoft Word, every word, sentence, and paragraph is also associated with a style. If you use your styles consistently throughout your Help topics, the styles will be consistent in your printed documentation.
Design styles for your printed documentation in advance: Do you want the printed documentation to look just like your HTML topics or do you have a Word template that you need to use? If you already have a Word template, you can create a style sheet that uses the same styles. The key to making this work is to map the styles, one-to-one, to paragraphs and text in your Help topics. For example, if your template includes a style called "Steps," create a style in your style sheet called "Steps" and set up the formatting so it's similar to that used in the template. Apply this style to your numbered steps so they are converted.
Select the style sheet before you convert: The Document Wizard will create a template (*.DOT) based on the name of the style sheet (*.CSS) you specify. It creates Word styles that closely match the styles in your style sheet and applies them to the text in the printed documentation.
Identify your Word templates: The Document Wizard copies the template it creates (based on a style sheet) to the same folder where it creates your printed documentation. You'll most likely want to move this template into your default Templates folder. To find out the location of your default templates folder, open Word. From the Tools menu, select Options, and then click File Locations. After you move it, you can modify the template in Word and save the changes and then create new documents based on this template.
Existing templates are not overwritten: If you create a style sheet that uses the same name as a template you already use for your printed documents, it will not be overwritten. All of your customizations will remain intact and the new set of printed documents will take on the formatting specified in the template.
The Document Wizard supports Microsoft Word 95, 97 and 2000. If you have several versions on your system, the Wizard will prompt you to select the Word version to use with the printed documentation. HTML bulleted and numbered lists are only supported in Word 97 and 2000. For Word 95, the bullet and number formats are not included with the text. You can reapply bullets and numbering to the text after you open the documents in Word 95.
Note: See Preparing for printed documentation for more useful tips on using Help projects to create printed output.