A very naive question about document settings.



  • For example, creating a simple guide map.
    The contents are directions from the nearest station to the store. It is used only for printer output. The paper size is A4. The save format is a VS native file.

    Now, regarding the document settings in this case,
    If I set the Artboard to A4, how would I design the Canvas to be the foundation for efficient Artwork?
    Also, what is the function of Canvas margin?

    The Canvas settings for A4 Artboar are:
    a) Size: A4, set margin = 0, but forced to 35.8mm.
    b) Set Large Canvas, margin =?
    c) Set Automatic Canvas, margin =?
    d) Canvas is an insubstantial concept, and there is no need to think about it.

    Which one is right for me?
    Conventional graphic software sets the required size of paper and creates artwork on it, but VS seems to be a little different.


  • administrators

    @861475_VctSt If the Large Canvas is checked, then you do not need to worry about the other canvas settings.

    I recommend to check Large Canvas and then all other canvas settings are insubstantial. In this case you get a very large space (the canvas) to arrange the artboards.

    In VectorStyler Large Canvas means what other apps call infinite canvas (but there is no such thing as infinite canvas, so lets call it large canvas). It means that there will be sufficient space to create as many artboards as needed.

    An explanation on Canvas and Artboard in VectorStyler:

    • a canvas contains the drawing, organized into a hierarchy of layers. By default there is no indication of size or margin of canvas (it is very large).
    • a single canvas may contain any number of Artboards. You can use the artboard tool to create new artboards (or pages) on a single canvas. Or you can use the artboard commands from the Canvas menu.
    • an artboard (page) is just an indicator of a region of the canvas that will be printed or exported. Objects are not separated per artboard (same as Illustrator, but different then Affinity Designer).
    • when zoomed out, multiple artboards can be visible.
    • a VectorStyler document may contain multiple canvases.
    • but only a single canvas can be visible at a time in a view.
    • to navigate between the canvases of a document, use the Canvas & Artboard panel, or the commands in the Canvas menu.
    • to view two canvass at the same time, use the View -> New View command to create a new window on the same document.
    • each canvas can have its own collection of artboards.
    • each canvas has a separate layer hierarchy and contains different objects / artwork.
    • each canvas may be of a different size (or set to large canvas), but again this size only sets the space in which artboards can be arranged.

    Comparing to conventional software:

    • in Illustrator and Affinity Designer we have a single (somewhat large) canvas on which you create artboards.
    • in InDesign we have multiple limited size canvases called spreads, each containing a few pages (typically 2).
    • in CorelDraw we have a separate canvas for each page, and if Facing Pages are enabled then we get two pages per canvas, but with restricted size and positioning.
    • in VectorStyler we can create any number of canvases (and organize this into a hierarchy), each canvas can contain different artworks, and each canvas can have any number of artboards (pages) arranged freely, or in a grid.


  • @vectoradmin

    I found it vaguely.
    🐌
    From now on I will work with the Large Canvas settings without hesitation.
    This is the soul of VS. Isn't it?


  • administrators

    @861475_VctSt Yes, that will work fine.