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Calibre


Version 3.00 17th August 2008
© Ray Favre 2008
(Authored with Dr Wimp)


Licence: This application is Freeware, but if the end product (i.e. a printed calendar) is used for commercial purposes please read the more detailed licence near the end of this Manual.

If you are upgrading from the previous !Calibre (Version 2.00) then please note that Version 3.00 will accept all previously saved files.
The recommended upgrading method is to copy your existing Defaults and UserRes folders to somewhere safe before installing this new version. Then:

(a) your Calendar files ( filetype &1CC, “calfile”) can be added to or substituted for the newly supplied items in the UserRes and/or Defaults folder - but ensure that the newly-supplied Format10 calendar file remains in the Defaults folder.
Calendar files from Version 2.00 will load successfully but you are recommended to re­save them immediately because the new font checking facility - see later - will only be active for calendar files saved from Version 3.00 onwards.

(b) your Version 2.00 RLD files can be substituted/added - as appropriate - to the UserRes.RLDs directory.

(c) your old picture files can be copied/substituted at any time into the appropriate UserRes.Pics folders.

Any Choices and Window positions files from Version 2.00 will load successfully but you are strongly recommended to re-save them immediately as some window additions and changes have been made.

!Calibre is an application for designing and printing calendars.
The application presents several default calendar examples, each with a different format for the all-important date area. The user can then produce customised alternatives to these defaults (and/or replace the defaults) using the very flexible controls provided.
As the format differences concern only the way in which dates and/or days are spatially arranged there is very little restriction on the size or artistic design of the end product.
In all formats, up to three separate graphic areas can be defined and used independently (for pictures and/or text).
Additionally, nearly all formats can show ‘ordinal’ dates, moon phases and user-defined ‘Red Letter Days’.
As supplied, !Calibre uses English for the month and days text, but the language can be changed by the user (via the iconbar menu) and several options are included.


(For the new user, it is suggested that you now install and run !Calibre - and take an initial look through the provided examples in the different formats - comparing them with the descriptions below. This will help with the assimilation of the different formats)


Currently there are nine formats offered, as follows:

Format 1 - a commonly seen 1-month-per-page layout where the dates are arranged in a 7 column × 5 row grid with the days as a single horizontal row above (usually) the date grid. In months where the last few days cannot fit onto the fifth row they are ‘wrapped’ round to the start of the first row. The month and year are shown in separate areas. Optionally, week numbers can be added to the left or right of each row of dates.
Format 2 - as for Format 1 except the date grid is 7 columns × 6 rows and ‘wrapping’ of dates is unnecessary.
Format 3 - as for Format 1 except that the date grid is turned at right angles to become 5×7 and the days appear in a vertical column to the left (usually) of the date grid - and the optional week numbers are above or below each column of dates.
Format 4 - as for Format 3 except that a 6×7 date grid is used.
Format 5 - a 1-month-per-page layout of 2 columns × 16 rows, where the date and day both appear in each grid ‘box’. The 1st of the month always starts in the top left box and dates 1-16 always appear in the left-hand column. The dates from 17th to the end of the month form the right-hand column, with the last one or more boxes remaining empty, depending on the number of days in the month. Separate month and year areas are definable as in Formats 1-4. Week numbers are not applicable to this format.
Format 6 - a 1-week-per-page layout, often used as a ‘family calendar’ with each family member having their own designated column of empty boxes in which to write their events. The dates and days both appear together in a single column of 7 boxes down the left-hand side (usually) of the area of blank boxes. This blank area is user-configurable with up to 6 separate columns - each one of which can be headed with a user-defined name. Separate month and year areas are definable as in Formats 1-4. Optionally, a single week number can be added.
Format 7 - this is a straightforward ‘Year Planner chart’ with 12 vertical columns for the dates in each month and a single column of (repeating) days down the left-hand side (usually).
Format 8 - this is a straightforward ‘Year Calendar’ with each month shown as a complete 7×6 mini-grid (i.e. each month similar to a mini-version of Format 2). The 12 months can be arranged on the page as 3×4, 4×3, 2×6 or 6×2. Week numbers can be added as an option.
Format 9 - a 1-month-per-page layout, often used as a ‘family calendar’ with each family member having their own designated column of empty boxes in which to write their events. The dates and days both appear together in a single column of up to 31 boxes down the left-hand side (usually) of the area of blank boxes. This blank area is user-configurable with up to 6 separate columns - each one of which can be headed with a user-defined name. Separate month and year areas are definable as in Formats 1-4.
Format 10 - a sideways version of Format 7 i.e. a ‘Year Planner chart’ with 12 horizontal columns for the dates in each month and a single row of (repeating) days along the top (usually).


In nearly all the formats the degree of available user-customisation is very high indeed. For instance, the calendar size and position on the paper; the date, day, year, month area sizes and positions, fill colours (including ‘transparent’), grid/outline colours (also including ‘transparent’); the text fonts, font sizes, text offsets (horizontal and vertical) - are all user-definable.
Similarly, the size and position of up to 3 graphics areas are user-definable and loaded pictures (independent for each area) are automatically scaled to their defined areas. Further, if the user chooses to overlap a picture with another element of the calendar, the picture can be shown/printed either ‘on top’ or ‘underneath’. (Any or all of the graphics areas can be used to show additional custom text in a drawfile - included with, or instead of, pictures.)
The user also defines, in a simple way, any ‘Red Letter Days’ to be used and, for each calendar design independently, these can be given their own date/day/box­fill and text fonts/colours, so as to contrast with the normal choices. Red Letter Days can also have additional text defined.
For printing, options are provided to print a range of years/months/weeks and alternate calendar sheets if required, as well as inverting the calendar and changing the position of them when 2- or 4-pages-per-sheet are chosen. It is also easy for the user to put the same or different pictures on different calendar pages (independently for up to 3 picture areas).
A printing preview facility is provided and this is particularly useful for checking that the correct pictures are associated with the correct year/month/week when a range of calendar pages is to be printed.
In formats 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 the user can opt for the weeks to start on a Sunday instead of Monday.



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