A grid provides consistency for the placement of design objects. A grid based on body text leading helps baselines and other elements line up easily in a multi-column layout. This simple how-to describes how to create a basic leading grid in Adobe Pagemaker 6.5 for Windows.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: NA
Here's How:

• 
  Set the leading value of your body text. Do not use Auto leading.
  
• Select File Preferences from the menu bar.
  
• In the Preferences dialog box, set the Measurement system option to Picas.
  
• In the pulldown box for the Vertical Ruler select Custom then enter your body text leading value in the points field. Click OK.
• Select View Snap to Rulers (Alt^R) so that elements you place on the page will automatically snap to the leading grid.

If you are more comfortable working in inches, you could leave the Measurements in inches for the horizontal ruler but you'll still need to set the vertical ruler to points (it will display in picas but snap to the leading value).

This basic leading grid works for publications that use the same grid throughout. To use multiple grids use Utilities Plug-ins Grid Manager.

The Word Counter plug-in in Adobe PageMaker is a quick way to see how many words are in your entire publication or selected portions. Use it to determine copyfitting needs or to count the total number of stories that make up a publication.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: NA
Here's How:

To count all words in your publication, with no text selected choose Utilities Plug-ins Word Counter

The Word Counter dialog displays a count for Characters, Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, Text Objects, and Stories.

To count words for only portions of your publication, highlight the text in a text block (or a portion of it) with the text tool then choose Utilities Plug-ins Word Counter.

Tips:
The Adobe PageMaker Word Counter is not available from the Story Editor.
Character count does not include spaces but does include punctuation. Words with hyphens (such as eye-catching) count as one word.

If selected text contains no ending punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation) then the Word Counter will say there are no sentences in the selection.