The document page

For each Expression Design document you create or open, a separate document window opens on the screen and the document title appears in the Flip bar (for more information on the Flip bar, see Managing Document Windows). The document window is a view into an essentially boundless workspace in which you can draw.

In the center of this workspace is a document frame in the shape of a page (also called the artboard). For objects in your document, the document frame is mainly a guide, and you can draw on it, around it, or ignore it altogether. However, live effects are always limited by the edges of the document frame. Similarly, when you print or export a bitmapped image, only the objects within the document frame are printed or exported (though you can override this with the Crop Marks feature).

Rulers and measurements

The top and left edges of the document window each have a ruler displaying your current measurement system. You can adjust the measurement system by changing the Document Units setting in the "Units and Grids panel of the Options dialog box.) As you move the cursor around the page, the rulers display small markers to indicate the current coordinate of the pointer. However, the ruler values disappear when you have rotated your page view. Many tools, including the various selection tools, also display the current coordinates in the Action Bar (in the lower-left corner of the document window) when you use them.

Note that the measurement system in Expression Design is typically based on the ruler origin being in the upper-left corner of the document frame. Positive X (horizontal) values indicate "farther to the right edge of the page." And positive Y (vertical) values indicate "down toward the bottom of the page." This is also controlled by the Units and Grids panel of the Options dialog box.

Tip: You can change the zero point of the rulers by choosing Set Document Origin from the File menu and then clicking inside the document window.