Feb 21, 2017 Meeting Topic Overview: Pages

by Jamie Cox

“Expect a lot from software and you’ll usually get �it.” � � � � � � � � �– Eric Newman, MacMAD President emeritus

In Feb 2017, the current version of Pages for Mac is 6.0.5. For iOS it is version 3.0.5.�

There are three ways to run Pages:

• On the Macintosh
• On an iPhone or iPad
• From a Web Browser on iCloud

�Pages Running on the Mac

Pages Running on the iPhone

Pages �Running in a Browser from iCloud.com

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How to Get Pages

Pages probably came with your Mac or iOS device, or get�Pages via the Mac App Store�($19.99),�or get�Pages via the iTunes App Store�($9.99).

Competition / Alternatives to �Pages

• TextEdit – came with your Mac; Open Source; For simple tasks,�it does more than you think
• Microsoft Word (Office) – For giant documents and giant companies (Now with iOS version)
• Open Office – Free and Open Source Office suite
• NeoOffice -�Commercialized version of Open Office customized for the Mac
• GoogleDocs – Cloud-based, free

 

What Pages Does

Although Pages has a deceptively clean and simple design, it does a lot of things you might have expected�to need separate applications�for. Pages includes these functions:

• Word Processing (obviously)
• Page Layout
• Spreadsheet
• Charting
• Photo Editing
• Publishing
• Collaboration Software

Integration with iCloud

Work on your document from all your devices.

Pages Has Two Document Types

All Pages documents are either:

• Word Processing Documents, or
• Page Layout Documents (have no body)

Word Processing documents have body text which is a continuous flow of text within the document. It may flow around images, tables, etc.

Page Layout documents have no body. All text in a page layout document exists as part of �something else: a text box, a shape, or a table.

Consistent Text Operations

Text can exist in:

• The document body,
• Text boxes
• Shapes,
• Tables,
• The header and footer

All are treated consistently�as far as styles and formatting.

Shapes and Images

• Wrap
• Align
• Resize
• Rotate
• Shapes can have text with the �usual attributes
• Images can not have text
• Shapes have adjustable opacity
• Images have opacity and Instant Alpha
• Opacity is the opposite of transparency
• Alpha is�just�selective transparency – pixel-by-pixel

Import and Export

Import Microsoft Word Format

Export Your Document As:

• PDF
• ePub – for eBook readers like Kindle and iBook
• Microsoft Word
• Pages ’09 – For users of older versions of Pages

Learn More

http://www.apple.com/pages/

Pages 101 Tutorial Video with David A Cox�(YouTube) (no relation)