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1. Re: Drawing Arrows
Barbara B. Nov 11, 2010 10:55 AM (in response to geo_coy)First go to the far left of the options bar and click the icon or tiny triangle there and choose Reset Tool to get rid of your current settings.
When using the line tool, here are your options for arrows:
• Start/End. Do you want the arrowhead at the start or the end of the line you draw? Tell Elements your preference by turning on the appropriate checkbox.
• Width and Length. These settings determine how wide and long the arrowhead is. The unit of measurement here is the percentage of the line’s width, so if you enter a number lower than 100, your arrowhead will be narrower than the line it’s attached to. You can pick values between 10 and 5,000 percent. If your length setting is too low, you’ll get a shape that looks more like a T than an arrow.
• Concavity. Use this setting if you want Elements to indent the side of the arrow- head where it meets the line. The number determines the amount of curvature on the widest part of the arrowhead. You can pick a setting between –50 percent and +50 percent.
Set the line weight first.
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2. Re: Drawing Arrows
Barbara B. Nov 11, 2010 11:09 AM (in response to Barbara B.)In your case you just set the line width too high, and let go too soon. If you had dragged away from the head after drawing the arrow, you would have gotten the normal looking shaft part, just a really big arrow.
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3. Re: Drawing Arrows
geo_coy Nov 11, 2010 12:05 PM (in response to Barbara B.)Thanks VERY MUCH that fixed the problem. I have been trying to get that working for a long time.
I hate to sound unappreciative but not all of Adode menus are intuitive, it kind of reminds me of the first versions of Word Perfect. Folks bragged that Word Perfect would do enything, but you had to have the manual (and it was a huge manual) open all the time to find out how to do something.
That reset tool button you showed me has no label on it, it is almost invisible, I would have never found it.
Is there some way to make simple edits in Adobe Elements without using all of the layers. Layers are no important on simple illustrations I need to do on a repetitive basis
Thanks again for your help
George
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4. Re: Drawing Arrows
Barbara B. Nov 11, 2010 12:15 PM (in response to geo_coy)Is there some way to make simple edits in Adobe Elements without using all of the layers. Layers are no important on simple illustrations I need to do on a repetitive basis
Well, if you stay in the Quick Fix, only the special tools (blue skies, whiten teeth, convert to black and white) create layers, and the rest of what you do there doesn't. However, layers are very handy to have and don't do any harm, so I wouldn't be so quick to shun them. For example, you can just delete the arrow layer from your file in the screenshot you sent me, even if you accidentally saved and closed the file that way. If the shape tool didn't make layers, you'd be stuck (unless you also had a version set).
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5. Re: Drawing Arrows
geo_coy Nov 11, 2010 12:53 PM (in response to Barbara B.)Now that I made the editing changes I needed I remember the other issue I had with this application. Look at the text on this simple illustration. The text looks very blotchy, is that some choice I am making or is this normal. I don't think you can see the problem clearly on the snapshot shown here, but if you can download the attachment and open it, it really is blotchy text.



