QuarkXPress 7: Why Merely Duplicate Items When Step and Repeat is So Super?

Everything you work with in QuarkXPress, be it a text box, picture box or line, is an item. Items can get in the way of other items. You may need duplicate items. You may need to align them. Learning how to control items is key to mastering QuarkXPress. You can duplicate any selected item via the Item menu. But if you duplicate, you have little control of where the duplicated item will appear, and only one duplicate item will appear at a time. If you need multiple items and you know where you want them, consider the Step and Repeat command.

With the Step and Repeat command (Item menu), you can create several duplicate copies of an item and control where the duplicates appear on the page. Using Super Step and Repeat, you can control such things as the size, shade and angle of each repeated item.

Use Standard Step and Repeat

1. Create a new project (File > New > Project)
2. Draw an item using any of the drawing tools (such as an oval or rectangle)
3. Modify the item (Item > Modify) and change the Width and Height to .5 inch (one-half inch)
4. Ensure the item you just drew is selected and choose Item > Step and Repeat
5. The Step and Repeat dialog box appears.

   The Horizontal Offset controls how far each successive item moves left or right (positive numbers will move each item right; negative numbers will move each item left). Similarly, the Vertical Offset controls item position north and south on the page (positive numbers will move items down the page; negative numbers will move items higher on the page–yes, higher).

   

6. Change the Repeat Count to 3
7. Change the Horizontal Offset to .25 inch
8. Change the Vertical Offset to .25 inch
9. Click OK

   You should have a total of 4 items moving diagonally down your page. They should each overlap by one-quarter inch.

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