Picture Element

Whether it is a company logo, common shapes, or standard warning icons, a typical Layout includes pictures. A Picture Element is also the best way to create grids or complex frames that surround a variety of text and other images, and a Picture Element is the only way to add tables and title blocks to designs.

Designer XI accepts images in several common formats:

BMP
DNG
GIF
ICO
JFIF
JPEG
PNG
SVG (preferred)
WBMP
WEBP

Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) files are preferred because they support high-resolution images at any scale. Raster formats such as .png and .jpg will work, but you may notice pixelation at small scales.

Many third-party image applications can create or convert other image formats to .svg, including Microsoft Powerpoint. On a blank Powerpoint slide, either insert your existing picture (for example, a company logo), or create a new image using the various shapes and icons within Powerpoint. If necessary, group image elements together. Then, right-click the picture and choose “Save as Picture.” Finally, for “Save as Type,” choose Scalable Vector Graphics.

IMPORTANT: If text within an .svg image does not look right when added to Designer XI, convert text to paths in your image editing software.

To create Picture Elements, follow these steps:

Ensure you have a canvas, as stated in Create Page Elements.
Have your image ready in Windows Explorer. Later, you drag and drop it into the Create Element dialog.
Click the Add Element tool.
In the Add Element dialog, click Page Elements.

IMPORTANT: It is required to click Page Elements first if you intend to create a new Element. If you are on Page Templates, then you would create a new Template.
Click the Add tool.
In the New Element Type dialog, click Picture, then Next.
In the Create Element dialog, type a concise and descriptive Name. This Name is seen by end users. This example uses “Company Logo.”
Notice the Category field. Categories organize your Elements. The first time you want a Category, you type its name into the field. For subsequent Elements, you can choose the Category name from the drop-down.
Type a Category name. This example uses, “Images.”
Type a Description. This is optional, but it allows you to provide a little more detail about the Element for your end users.
Drag and drop your image into position.
Verify the image.
Click Apply.
Repeat with other common images.
When finished, click the Save icon.

Good to Know

End users are able to re-size images, if necessary.