Copyright: Created by BBC Multimedia 1998


Contents

  The Wallace and Gromit Print-o-matic

Your computer should be set to display thousands (Hi-colour, 16 bit, 64k)  of colours to view this readme.

Installing and Running	The Wallace & Gromit Print-o-matic
	Minimum System Requirements		Introduction
	Installation		What can I do with the Print-o-matic?
	Running		Wallace`s Desktop
	Uninstalling		Designing in the Print-o-matic
	System Configuration		The Toolbox
	Troubleshooting		Identi-kit
	Technical Support		Party-kit


Minimum System Requirements

The BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC CD-ROM requires the following minimum system to work correctly:

	486, DX2 Multimedia PC with 66 MHz processor and 8 MB of RAM
	Double-speed CD-ROM drive
	16-bit (thousands of colours) display set to 640 x 480
	Sound Blaster 16 bit audio card (or 100% compatible)
	Suitable loudspeakers or headphones
	Mouse or other pointing device
	Windows 3.1, 3.11 (running DOS 5 or greater) or Windows 95, 98
	Printer compatible with your operating system


Installation

Ensure that Microsoft Windows is running with no other applications open. Insert the CD-ROM into your drive.

Windows 3.1 or 3.11 users:

Within Program Manager click on File and then select Run from the drop-down menu.

Windows 95 and 98 users:

From your Windows 95 or 98 desktop, choose Start and then Run. On the Run command line type D:\Setup.exe, and then click OK.  If your CD-ROM drive is not drive D, substitute the correct drive letter.Follow the instructions as they appear. If in doubt, choose the default options as you proceed through the installation. Once you have completed it, if prompted, shut down Windows and then restart your computer.


Running

Windows 3.1 or 3.11 users:

You should now be able to start by double-clicking on the BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC icon. Next time you want to play, insert the CD into your drive and double-click on the BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC icon.

Windows 95 and 98 users:

From the Start Bar, select the programs option and choose BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC to start the program.Next time you want to play, insert the CD into your drive. Then, from the Start Bar, select the programs option and choose the BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC option to start the program.


Uninstalling

The software can be uninstalled by selecting the Uninstall icon or program listing.


System Configuration

Please ensure that you run BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC using a 640 x 480 display set to Hi-Color (16 bit) or 64K colours, and that you are using the latest drivers available from your hardware supplier. If you need to change any settings, refer to the documentation for Windows and for your particular system.

If your display card cannot be set to Hi-Color (16 bit) or 64K colours, you should try setting it to 16.7 Million (true colour).  This may enable you to run the software, but should not be regarded as a permanent solution as it can slow the operation of some programs.  You should try to obtain updated drivers for your display that will provide Hi-Color (16 bit) or 64K colours.


Troubleshooting

If you experience problems printing you should try printing from another program that allows you to load graphics. The Paintbrush program supplied with both the Windows 3.x and Paint supplied with Windows 95 and Windows 98 are suitable. From these or another program load D:\TEST. BMP (if your CD-ROM drive is not drive D, substitute the correct letter).  Try printing the picture you see. If it fails to print, or the printed output does not match the screen, you have a problem with your printer setup, and you should consult your printer manual. For all other problems you should refer to Updated Drivers, or Technical Support.


Updated Drivers

Multimedia software problems are most often caused by faulty driver software.  This is the software used by hardware components to communicate with the rest of your computer.  The most frequent culprits are the drivers for display cards, audio cards, and printers.

If you experience problems with Wallace and Gromit Print-o-matic, you should try to obtain the latest versions of your software drivers from the system manufacturer.  Updated drivers can often be obtained at no cost from the Internet.


Technical Support

If you experience any problems after completing the installation procedure, please check that your system and settings meet or exceed the minimum system requirements described above and refer to your Windows and system documentation. Having checked your system, please uninstall and then attempt to install BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC again.  If you still have a problem and require further assistance, you may call the BBC Multimedia Technical Support Line in your country on:

UK:	0181 308 6544
US (Phone/Fax):	212 705 9325
US only e-mail:	wgsprt@bbc.co.uk
Australia:	1902 96 2000

When calling, please ensure you have a pen and paper at the ready, and have made a note of any error messages displayed by your system. It will also be extremely helpful if you have any technical information about your PC configuration available.If you need any more information about the BBC WALLACE & GROMIT PRINT-O-MATIC CD-ROM, you can email us at the following address:

wgprint.cd@bbc.co.uk


Introduction to the Print-o-matic
Introduction

Welcome to the Wallace & Gromit Print-o-matic, where you can create your personal stationery using pictures of your favourite characters from the popular series of films. You'll find instructions here on how to get the best out of your Print-o-matic, to make your creations unique and special.After you have started the CD-ROM you will come to Wallace's Desktop. From there you can click on either Identi-kit or Party-kit to start working.

Identi-kit	The Sticky-note with the picture of Wallace takes you to Identi-kit.
Party-kit	The Sticky-note with the picture of Gromit takes you to Party-kit.

You can also access Help from here, and Quit. Saved Files  accessed by clicking on the clipboard at the bottom of the screen  will contain all the creations you save as you use the programme. Also stored in this area is a sample greeting card.You can return to Wallace's Desktop at any point in the programme by clicking on the dark blue Close button on the Toolbox.


What Can I Do With the Print-o-matic
What can I do with the Print-o-matic?

You can create writing paper, posters, ID cards, certificates, bookmarks, greeting cards, crumb catchers, gift wrap, invitations, gift tags and labels, with the help of the templates supplied.To create your item choose the template you want, load it, and fill in the picture and text boxes. As you click through the templates you will be shown an example of how each one can be used, giving you an idea of where you can put your text and pictures.To give you some ideas to get started there is a ready-made greeting card. This file is called 'Made Earlier …' and is stored in the Saved Files section.


Wallaces Desktop
Wallace`s Desktop

This is Wallace`s Desktop, from here you can access all parts of the printomatic.  Click the different areas of the desktop for more information.


Selecting and Loading Blank Templates

The template predefines the positioning for all the elements on a page. Browse through the templates using the red arrow buttons. As you click through each template you will see an example of a finished design, showing where you can put your text and pictures using that particular template. To select one, click on the Load Blank Template button. Your chosen template will then be displayed with a Toolbox containing everything you need to start designing.Here are the blank templates you can select:

	Identi-Kit	Party-Kit
	4 Writing paper templates	3 Greeting card templates
	2 Poster templates	2 Crumb catcher templates
	2 ID card templates	3 Gift wrap templates
	2 Certificate templates	2 Invitation templates
	2 Bookmark templates	2 Gift tag templates
	2 Label templates


Identi-Kit

Click this button to go to the Identi-kit.


Party-kit

Click here to go to the Party-kit.


All about saved files

When you create in the Print-o-matic you can save your work for use at a later stage. To access saved files click on the clipboard at the bottom of the screen on Wallace's Desktop. The Saved Files screen will be displayed. Browse through the list using the red arrow buttons.  As you click through, each file will be displayed. When the file you want is shown, click on the Yes button. Your saved file will then be displayed with all the tools you need to get to work! You will also find here the ready-made greeting card ('Made Earlier …').  Click on the No button to return to Wallace's Desktop.

Take a look at the Saved Files Hints & Tips.


Hints & Tips

	Your saved files can be worked on in exactly the same way as when you created them the first time.
	You can change any of the elements  backgrounds, pictures, stamps and text  as many times as you like.
	You can save your file using a different name, allowing you to keep the original version and your new version.

Back to All about saved files.


The Quit Button

Click on the quit button to exit the Wallace & Gromit Print-o-matic. A dialogue box will be displayed, with the option to exit. Click on the yes button or, to remain in the programme, click on the no button.


The Help Button

This button will show you helpful information on the current screen.


The Credits buttons

Click on the Credits button to see the credits.


Designing in the Print-o-matic

The first thing you will see when you choose to create something in Identi-kit or Party-kit is your chosen template with the Toolbox placed at the top left-hand corner. (Move this by clicking, holding and dragging the Title bar). The Toolbox contains all the tools that you will need to start designing. To get into the section of the Toolbox in which you wish to work (called the tab sheet) you must click on the Tab icon, which is to the right of the Toolbox.


The Toolbox

	The Toolbox provides everything you need to create and edit the work you want to print. Click on the buttons and tabs for information.


Exit

This button takes you back to Wallace's Desktop. If you have any unsaved work left on your desktop you will be asked to confirm that you wish to exit without saving. Click on Yes to exit or No to remain in the work area.


Help

Click on this button to get help on creating in the Print-o-matic.


Erase

Click on this button to clear a picture or text box. Your cursor will become an eraser when you move on to the template. Click on the box you wish to clear and a dialogue box will ask you to confirm the erase action. Click Yes to erase or No to exit the dialogue box. The cursor will return to normal if you click the Erase button again, or any of the other buttons/tabs.


Minimise/Maximise

This button will minimise the Toolbox, which is useful if you want to see the whole layout of your work. Clicking on the button again will maximise the Toolbox so you can once again choose other items from it.


Backgrounds Tab

This tab sheet allows you to create your item against a background of your choice. There are different types of background to choose from: plain, with a greeting, patterned or with pictures.Browse through the backgrounds by clicking on the style you want, then use the red arrow buttons to flick through the choices. Click on the OK button to select a background. You are now ready to add pictures, text and stamps to complete your creation,  but first you may want to look at the Hints and Tips.


Hints & Tips

	You can switch to other backgrounds at any time while working on your creation.
	If you wish you can print out your background only.
	To erase a background without deleting your designs, select the white background.


The File Tab

You will find the Save, Delete and Load buttons on the File Tab Sheet. You can scroll through the items already saved - using the red Up and Down buttons - to check the file names already used and to carefully select items for deletion.


Save

Click on this button to save your current creation. A dialogue box appears, asking you to input a unique file name. Confirm the name by clicking on the Yes button or No to exit the Save option. If the name you type in has already been used, a further dialogue box will ask you to confirm replacement of the file. Click on Yes to replace or No to exit the dialogue box. You can check the file names by scrolling through the list.

Back to The File Tab


Delete

Click on this button to delete the selected item from your hard disk. You will be asked to confirm the delete action. Click on Yes to delete or No to exit the Delete option. You can scroll through all the items you have created to select those for deletion.

Back to The File Tab


Load

Browse through the designs you have saved previously using the red arrow buttons. Click on the Load button to select one.

Back to The File Tab


Pictures Tab

This tab sheet allows you to choose characters and objects. The pictures can be placed in the picture boxes on the template. These are the boxes with a silhouette of Wallace and Gromit in the foreground and text in the background. Click on a picture type and use the red arrow buttons to see the selection. To put your chosen picture on the template, click on any picture box and it will instantly be inserted. You will notice that the cursor is now shown as a picture cursor. To place the same picture in more than one picture box just click on any of the picture boxes on the template. To select another picture, repeat the procedure of clicking on a picture type and using the red buttons to choose. You will be asked to confirm that you want to replace the picture if there is one already in the box. Click on Yes to replace or No to keep the picture that is already there.It is possible to use picture boxes to input text (described in the Text Tab Sheet Help information). If you have done this and then want to replace text with a picture, select the Pictures Tab Sheet. Choose a picture and click on the box, then click Yes to confirm the action.


Text Tab

Using the Text Tab Sheet you can design your own text by choosing the font, colour, style and size. To get started, click on a text box on your template, which will then be highlighted. Then, click the red arrow buttons to decide how you want your text to look. You will be shown an example each time you click on the arrow buttons. To input your text click into the chosen text box again and begin typing. When you have finished, click on the Close icon (the X in the top right corner) or click anywhere on the template. Your text will now be in place. You can change the font, colour, style and size of your text at any time by highlighting the text box and making new choices using the various controls. These will be applied directly to your text as you click through each option.

You can also Copy and Paste your text.


Copy and Paste

To copy text, click on the text box that contains the text to be copied and then click on the Copy button. The text will be copied on to the clipboard, which is displayed just above the controls. Click on the target text box, which will make it current, and then click the Paste button. The text from the clipboard will be inserted into the selected text box. If the text box already contains text you will be asked to confirm that you wish to replace it. Click Yes to continue with the paste action or No to exit this function. The copy-and-paste feature is particularly useful when creating identical ID cards or invitations. Simply type in your text, click on copy, click on the next text box and click paste. Repeat the last two actions until all text boxes on the template are complete. It is also possible to put text into a picture box. To do this, select the Text Tab Sheet. Then work in the same way as described above, but select picture boxes to input your text instead of text boxes. These boxes can be turned back into picture boxes at a later stage. This is described in the Pictures Tab Sheet Help information.

Back to Text Tab.


Stamps Tab

You can decorate your creations using stamps from the Stamps Tab Sheet.  These are small pictures that can be placed anywhere outside the picture and text boxes.  Click on a stamp type and use the red arrow buttons to see the selection. Insert your chosen stamp on the template by clicking anywhere on the grid.  You will notice that the cursor is now shown as a stamp cursor.  To help you with alignment, the area in which the stamp will be inserted is outlined in red.  You can click repeatedly to place the same stamp in more than one place on the template.  To use another stamp repeat the above procedure.

You can also click on the orange button beside the stamp display to rotate your pictures.

For more information, look at the Stamp Hints & Tips.


Hints & Tips

	Try overlapping stamps to create interesting effects.
	Overlapping stamps that have been rotated in different directions also gives an interesting effect.

Back to the Stamps Tab.


Tools Tab

You will find the Print, Erase and Clear All buttons on the Tools Tab Sheet.


Print

Click on this button to print your creation.  A dialogue box appears with the option to stop the print by clicking on the Cancel button.

You should read the Hints & Tips to get the best from your printing.

Back to the Tools Tab.


Erase

Click on this button to clear a picture or text box. Your cursor will become an eraser when you move on to the template. Click on the box you wish to clear  a dialogue box will appear asking you to confirm the erase action. Click Yes to erase or No to exit the dialogue box. The cursor will return to normal if you click the Erase button again, or any of the other buttons/tabs.

Back to the Tools Tab.


Clear All

To clear the template completely click on this button. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to clear the template: click Yes to clear or No to leave it as it is.

Back to the Tools Tab.


Printing Hints & Tips

	Make sure you align the paper against the paperguides on your printer.
	If the print looks a bit faded or uneven check your Print Quality setup (see your printer manual for instructions).
	If your image is not printing out centrally, refer to your printer manual for information on the print area.
	Constant paper jams may indicate too much paper in the sheet feeder.
	Use different print-quality paper to get the best results. For example, a glossy finish is effective for posters and card could be used for invitations and ID cards.
	Your printer will not print up to the extreme edges of your paper.  Trim this surplus off your printed items for a neater finish.
	If you do not have a colour printer, print in black and white using the black-and-white pictures and then colour in the line drawings with paints and crayons.

Back to Print.


Scroll Buttons

Once you have clicked the Picture Tab, for example, you can scroll through the pictures available by clicking the scroll buttons.


Indenti-kit
Identi-kit

Writing Paper

	To make sure your own writing will be easy to read when you use your writing paper, choose one of the simpler backgrounds available.
	See if you can find a stamp relevant to the subject of your letter and use it to decorate your writing paper.
	When you have designed your writing paper, use the labels template to design an address label to match it.
	To create writing paper with text and images at both the top and bottom of the page, combine the template 'writing paper 3' with one of the others.  Print on the same page twice - once with each template - to achieve this.  Remember to use only one background on one of your chosen templates.

Posters

	Use posters to convey any information you choose, such as 'Do Not Disturb' or 'Keep Out'!
	Use the images and stamps available to reinforce your message.  Preston the dog, for example, would be a good image for a 'Keep Out' sign!
	If you have access to a photocopier, try enlarging your poster from A4 to A3 size.
	Make double-sided posters by printing on both sides of your paper.

ID Cards

	Remember that the ID card is the smallest item featured in the Print-o-matic so try to keep your design simple so that your card will be easy to read.
	Personalise your ID card a little further by cutting out a photo of yourself and gluing it on your card.
	Print on printer-quality card or glue your designs on to card to improve their durability.
	Set up your own private club and make ID cards for all its members.  Don't forget that with the Print-o-matic you are able to put a different name on each card and add new members as they join your club.

Certificates

	Print out certificates for your family and friends to congratulate them on their achievements.
	You don't have to be serious all the time with your certificates - try to inject a little Wallace & Gromit humour into your designs!
	Cut around the scrolled edge of the certificate to achieve a different effect.

Bookmarks

	If you're planning to give someone a book as a present, create a bookmark to go with it.
	Use a printer-quality card or stick your designs on to card to give them a longer life.  Try covering them with sticky-backed plastic as well to increase their durability.
	Make yourself a special bookmark to keep the current page in your diary.


Party-kit

Greeting Cards

	Try printing your greeting cards on an A4 size piece of card (suited to your printer) for a more professional effect.
	Print on both sides of your paper or card so that you have pictures both inside and outside your greeting card.
	For birthday cards, use the stamps tool to mark out the numbers of the age of the person you're sending it to.
	Glue a little tinsel or glitter on to your card to give it a more festive look.
	Use the cards for any occasion: birthdays, Christmas, best wishes, get well  or just to say hello!

Crumb Catchers

	Personalise your crumb catchers with fun comments directed at individuals such as: 'No burping at the dinner table, Dad!'
	Get your favourite crumb catchers laminated at your local print or copy shop.
	Use crumb catchers for dinner parties, everyday meals or at picnics.

Gift Wrap

	To wrap large presents, print out lots of copies of your gift wrap and tape them together.
	Use your gift wrap to cover books and folders.
	A plain-coloured background will often be the best way to offset your gift-wrap designs.

Invitations

	Use your invitations for any event from birthday parties, to dinner parties, picnics or even an invitation to the first night of a school play.
	Try printing your invitations on an A4-size piece of card (suited to your printer) or cut them out and glue them on to card.
	To make sure your text is legible, choose one of the simpler backgrounds from the Print-o-matic selection.
	Use pinking shears (scissors with a jagged edge) to cut your invitations out and give them a different look.

Gift Tags

	Use a hole punch to make a hole in your gift tag and add a piece of ribbon to it.
	Glue your gift tag on to a piece of card to make it more durable.
	Use the picture box for a personal message instead of a picture.
	Use the gift tag template to make name tags for your belongings.
	Make your own special tag for your suitcase next time you go on holiday.

Labels

	Print your label designs on to sheets of printer labels or, if you don't have these, simply print them on to plain paper, cut them out and glue them wherever you want.
	Use your labels on jam jars, pencil holders, containers, books and as address labels or signs for doors and cupboards.