Document Style Guide

This section is only relevant to those who are editing the User Guide. These guidelines should be followed when editing this User Guide.

• Consider this a technical document. Opinions and discussions should not be placed on this site. (Page comments that anyone can add are exceptions.)
• The Menu can only be edited by an administrator.
• The basic structure of the User Guide links Menu items to a category page. Category pages may have multiple links to separate topic pages.
• In general, new category pages will only be created by an administrator since they should be linked to and from the Menu.
• If you add topic links to a category page and the links can be grouped, add a group title in bold and indent the subtopics for four (4) spaces under that. See the Brushes category page for an example.
• When creating a new page, assign it to the Topic Template template.
• Do not adjust the size of the tables that are used from the Topic Template. These tables are used to control the formating to help ensure a consistent width from topic to topic.
• Use bold or bold italic if you need to highlight something. Do not use font color or background colors as these may conflict with a different style applied to the whole site.
• Format styles in general are not used since it may be difficult to ensure consistent usage.
• Graphics should be used sparingly.
• Graphics should be as small as reasonable.
• Graphics should be resized to the desired size prior to uploading.
• The maximum width of images should be 575 pixels. This will keep the integrity of the table formating from page to page.
• Use GIF or PNG for low-color images.
• For screen-captured elements, keep in mind that "32 color GIF undithered" gives good results.
• Use JPEG for high-color images.
• Images that may be shared across multiple pages should be placed in the Images page. The Images page acts as the common image repository.
• Do not link to graphics on external sites.
• When referring to menu items, use the form menu Item > Item. For example: Select the menu File > Save
• When referring to buttons or other controls, use bold type. For example: Press the OK button.  
• When showing a series of steps, use an ordered list. For example:
  1. First do this.
  2. Next do this.
  3. Finally do this.
• Use a single space between sentences.
• If you are not sure if you should delete something, leave it there. It's easier for an administrator to delete something than to try to reconstruct it from the saved revisions.
• To specify a special note, use the unordered list and indicate it with Note: and make the body of the text italic, for example:
  • Note: This is a special note.
• To specify an editor's note, use the unordered list and indicate with Edit Note: and make the body of the text italic. These notes would be directed to document editors and will not be part of the format content. They will be removed once the first major edit is complete For example:
  • Edit Note: This is a special note to document editors.
    
• When referring to a shortcut key, use that term shortcut key followed by the key or key combination in bold.  For example: Press the shortcut key Ctrl+S to save your page.
• Here are some things that should NOT be posted to the User Guide:
  • Tutorials
  • Reviews
  • Personal art work
  • TwistedBrush Resources such as brushes, ArtSets, or scripts
  • Personal opinions, with the exception of Edit Notes that relate to editing this document.