Computers

In this guide you will learn how to :   
Change your page to any size and from portrait - horizontal or to vertical - landscape.   
How to show the page border on top of anything sticking out of from the page.  
Create  rectangles and change their border color and width.    
Create  mosaics along a path using the Path effect editor.  
Cut off anything sticking outside of the page border.  

2. Open a new document. Click on  File - Document Properties.
**The Document Properties menu may appear a little off screen. Drag it so you can see it.
Select landscape if you want the page to be horizontal.
Check mark next to Border on top of drawing.
If you want you can choose a different page size.
Click on the red X box on the right top to close the menu.  

3. Click on the Create rectangle icon,circled in red.
Create a few small rectangles of different widths.
Select a rectangle. Click on Path - Object to Path.
Repeat for each rectangle.  

4. Click on the bezier tool, circled in red. 
Create a line.     
Select the line. Click on the Edit Nodes tool  icon. 
Drag the line to make a slight curve.
***You can leave the line as it is if you want to use straight lines in you design  

5. Select one of the rectangles.
Click on Raise to the top, circled in red.  

6. While the rectangle is selected, click on Edit - Copy or click the Ctrl and C on your keyboard.  

7. Select the line. Click on Path - Path Effects.  
The Path Effects menu will open on the right.  
Click on the plus sign, circled in red.  

8. The Add Path Effect menu will appear. 
Scroll down and click on Pattern Along Path.  
Click on Add.  

9. The Pattern Along Path menu will appear.
On Pattern copies select Repeated, circled in red.   
Change Width to 1. 
Everything else to 0 and no check marks in the check boxes.
Click on the Paste path icon, circled in blue.
The rectangle you have copied will be repeated along the line.  

10. Select the mosaic path line.  
Click on a color at the bottom of the screen.
Right click on Stroke, circled in blue.
Click on white.
Click on Edit stroke to change the stroke width,circled in green.
The Stroke and Fill menu will open.
Click on the Stroke Style tab,circled in red and change Width to 2 mm.  

11. Click on the create circle icon, circled in red.
Create a very large circle.  
Select the circle.
Click on Path - Object to path.  

12. Select the circle.  
Click on the edit path tool, circled in red.
Drag the square at the top up slightly to distort the shape.
Drag the square at the side slightly to distort the shape.
**** Drag them only slightly.
The changed outline of the circle will be the path your "mosaic pieces will be on.
If the arc is too sharp the mosaic pieces will overlap.
*You can use the circle as is if you like regular circles or ovals in your design.  

13. Click on a rectangle.
If you haven't done it before, click on Object - Object to path.
Click the Raise to the top icon, circled in red.
Click Edit- Copy or Ctrl and C on your keyboard. Step 6  

14. Select the circle. As you have done in step 7, 8 and 9.
Click on Path - Path Effects.  
The Path Effects menu will open on the right.  
Click on the plus sign, circled in red in Step 7.
Choose Pattern along path.
This time make the Pattern copies  Repeated stretched. 
**If you use Pattern copies - Repeated there may be a gap with circles and ovals

15. Select the tiled oval.  
Drag it over the page.
Select the tiled oval. 
As you did in Step 10, right click on  Stroke, circled in blue.
Click on white and change the Stroke style to 2.  

16. Continue adding mosaics along different paths.
You can duplicate the oval, change the size, fill color, flip it or change the shape by clicking on the edit path tool and move it around freely with the arrow keys on your keyboard .
If you like the way the mosaics look within the boundaries of the page continues to Step 17.  

17. Create a rectangle and drag it's sides to the boundaries of the page.
*The color does not matter.
It will be easier to see the edges of the paper if you Click - View - Zoom - Page  

18. Click on Edit - Select All  

19. Click Object - Clip - Set  

20. Click on page to unselect and see the results.
You can still make changes to the picture and crop it again just repeat steps 17 to 19.
If you want to create a line drawing for printing and coloring.
Change the stroke color to anything but white and make every fill color white.
**Do not make it no fill color because the lines underneath will show.
Have fun creating and playing around with the shapes and colors!