A Story panel is similar to a Text panel, but can be used for optimised articles, as three sections are available; Headline, Strapline and Body. Each section will be included by default, but can be changed using the 'Include?' checkbox- for example, you may wish to only include Headline and Body text.
A Headline is the main title of the piece of content you are adding. It should be short and concise. Make it interesting and engaging; you want to encourage the reader to learn more!
A Strapline is a secondary headline that sits below the headline. It should informative without giving too much away, and provide an overview of what's to come in the Body section.
Body text is the main paragraph of text. Good body text grabs attention, is organised and gets to the point quickly. Make it engaging by using headings, short sentences and paragraphs. It will also be more digestible than long blocks of text, which can overwhelming, and hard to scan.
Where to find the Story panel
Navigate to a Document.
Select ‘Design’ for the Version of the Document that you want to work on.
The Version will then open in Design mode and the Panel palette (one of the most important features of TigerDesigner!) can be found to the right of your page design.
How to add a Story panel
Select the ‘Story’ panel type from the Panel palette.
Click and drag out an area on the page.
Select the ‘S’ icon from the flyout menu to open the text editor.
Enter text into the Headline, Strapline and Body fields.
Select the 'Save' button to save your changes.
Story panel Settings
When a panel is selected, the Settings palette will become active ready for you to begin choosing any settings, such as font type, size and colour. There are six main sections in this area, Name, Headline, Strapline, Body, Accessibility and Panel.
Fully Editable gives you full control of every setting of a Story panel (which is a lot!), so it's strongly recommended that you read the below section and become familiar with the settings available.
1. Name
Name
The 'Name' field is set by default, but it's important to update it to something unique that reflects the content - for example, 'Welcome Message'. Descriptive names make it easier to identify the panels in your design, which is particularly helpful if you're using lots of the same panel type.
2 and 3. Headline and Strapline
💡 The same settings are available for both 'Headline' and 'Strapline'.
These sections allow you to change the appearance of the text added into the 'Headline' and 'Strapline' parts of your Story panel. Think about how you may want your Headline to look - do you want to use a different font type to make it stand out, or perhaps a contrasting colour? Use the settings to make the text visually appealing and easy for your visitors to read and engage with.
Font
To change the font of your text, simply select an option from the 'Font' drop-down list. You can choose from a variety of public fonts or even upload your own fonts.
Font files should be .TTF and you must be sure that you have the rights to use them.
Size
You can find the font size field just to the right of the 'Font' drop-down list. Enter a numerical value to set a specific size - in general, this should be no smaller than 40pt for Headlines and 20pt for Straplines.
Style
You can also change the style of your text using the 'Style' field. Font styles help to promote legibility, as well as communicate the message or tone of your content - for example, bold text is often used for Headlines to draw attention to it. Font styles can also add to the aesthetic of your document.
Uppercase
USING ALL CAPS CAN CERTAINLY HAVE ITS PLACE; your brand guidelines may even state that all Headlines must be in uppercase. It's important to remember that it can also appear like you're shouting, so be mindful when using this settings. If you wish to transform your text to uppercase, simply select the 'TT' icon. Once applied the icon will change to orange.
Text Colour
The 'Text Colour' field allows you to set the colour of your text - select from the colour picker, enter a HEX code, or choose from your brand colours. Think about the choice of colour - Do you want to use a different colour font for Headlines to make it stand out? Font colours can also reflect your brand personality, as well as evoke emotions.
Opacity
You can find the opacity field just to the right of the 'Text Colour' option. Enter a numerical value between 0-100 to set the opacity - the higher the value, the more opaque the text will be.
Alignment
The alignment of text can add to the aesthetic of your document and make the content easier to read. Choose from:
Left-aligned - text is aligned with a left edge.
Right-aligned - text is aligned with a right edge.
Centered text - text is centered between two edges.
Justified - text is aligned along both the left and right margins, creating straight edges on both sides.
Text spacing
💡 Select the cog icon to the right of the 'Alignment' to access this option.
The spacing of text is just as important as font type, size and style, as it helps to enhance the readability and legibility.
Char - the amount of space between each individual letter or character in the panel.
Word - the amount of space between each word in the panel.
Line - the amount of vertical space between each line of text in the panel.
Para - the amount space between each paragraph of text in the panel.
Pad - adjust the space between the bottom of the Headline/Strapline and the next section of text.
4. Body
💡 The settings available for 'Body' are the same as 'Headline' and 'Strapline', with the additional of 'List Spacing' and 'Headings' settings.
List spacing
💡 Select the cog icon to the right of the 'Alignment' to access this option.
This section is used to adjust the spacing for any bullet point list used in the Body text.
Indent - adjust the spacing between the left of the panel and the bullet point. The higher the number, the larger the indent.
Text - adjust the spacing between bullet point and its associated text. The higher the number, the larger the space.
Before - adjust the space that appears before the bullet point list. The higher the number, the larger the space.
After - adjust the space that appears after the bullet point list. The higher the number, the larger the space.
Gap - adjust the spacing between each bullet point item. The higher the number, the larger the space.
Headings
Headings are useful if you have a longer piece of text. They can help structure the content and allow the reader to navigate through it more easily.
💡 Select the small arrow to the right of 'Headings' to display this section.
Font
This options enables you to choose the font used for any text set as a Heading in the Body section. Choose from a variety of public fonts or upload your own fonts.
Size
You can find the font size field just to the right of the 'Font' drop-down list. Enter a numerical value to set a specific size. Headings will generally be larger than the rest of the content added into the Body text.
Style
Change the style of the Heading text using the 'Style' field. Font styles help to promote legibility, as well as communicate the message or tone of your content - for example, bold text can help a Heading to stand out from the rest of the text.
Text Colour
The 'Text Colour' field allows you to set the colour of Headings - select from the colour picker, enter a HEX code, or choose from your brand colours. Think about the choice of colour - it can draw attention to a particular section of your text or help to break up the content.
Opacity
You can find the opacity field just to the right of the 'Text Colour' drop-down list. Enter a numerical value Enter a numerical value between 0 - 100 to set the opacity - the higher the value, the more opaque the text will be.
Alignment
The alignment of Heading text can be set using the Alignment field. Choose from.
Left-aligned - text is aligned with a left edge.
Right-aligned - text is aligned with a right edge.
Centered text - text is centered between two edges.
Justified - text is aligned along both the left and right margins, creating straight edges on both sides.
Text Spacing
💡 Select the cog icon to the right of 'Alignment' to access the Text Spacing settings for Headings.
The spacing of Heading text is important, as it can help break up the content and make it easier to digest.
Char - the amount of space between each individual letter or character in the panel.
Word - the amount of space between each word in the panel.
Before - Adjust the vertical space before the Body heading text.
After - Adjust the vertical space after the Body heading text.
5. Accessibility
Visible to Screen Reader
A simple checkbox option is available here for 'Visible to Screen Reader'. It will be ticked by default, but if you don't want the Story panel to be visible in Accessible Mode it can be unselected.
6. Panel
This section is used to customise the appearance of the Story panel itself - for example, choose a border thickness and colour, margin sizes or add a rounded corner.
Keyline Colour
A keyline adds a border/boundary line around your panel. Use the 'Keyline Colour' field to specify the colour that you wish to set for the border around the edge of the panel.
Keyline Width
Use the 'Keyline Width' to specify the width of the border around the edge of the panel. Enter a numerical value to set the keyline width- the higher the value, the thicker the keyline.
💡 Did you know you can choose a different thickness for each side of a panel? Simply enter four comma-separated values to apply. For example, 0, 0, 5, 0 (top keyline, right keyline, bottom keyline and left keyline) will display a keyline along the bottom of the panel only.
Back Colour
The 'Back Colour' field allows you to set the background colour of the panel - select from the colour picker, enter a HEX code, or choose from your brand colours. Think about the choice of colour - it can reflect your brand personality, as well as evoke emotions or draw attention to content.
Opacity
You can find the opacity field to the right of the 'Back Colour' field. Enter a numerical value between 0 - 100 to set the opacity - the higher the value, the more opaque the background will be.
Corner Radius
Use the 'Corner Radius' to specify the roundness of the corners of the panel. Enter a numerical value to set the corner radius - the higher the value, the rounder the corner.
💡 Did you know you can choose a different radius for each corner of a panel? Simply enter four comma-separated values to apply. For example, 10, 10, 0, 0 (top left corner, top right corner, bottom right corner and bottom left corner) will display a corner radius along the top of the panel only.
Position X & Y
Adjust the position of the panel using X and Y coordinates. 'X' sets the position of the left edge and 'Y' sets the top edge of the panel.
Width & Height
Adjust the width and height of the panel. The size is measured in pts.
Margins
Margins create breathing space by adding a clear separation between the content of a Story panel and the keyline (if used). A margin goes around all four sides of the panel and it's possible to target and change the margin for each side by selecting the link/unlink icon.
💡 Think about the size of margin you wish to use and how it can help establish visual balance and composition in your document and prevent the content from feeling cramped or crowded, which can make it harder to read.
Flow Text Into
If you have a large amount of Body text in a Story panel, it's possible to set it to 'flow' into another. This can be really useful if you wish to add imagery between the Body text on the page.
To use this feature, you must have at least two story panels.
Add a Story panel to the page, and enter the content.
Add another Story panel to the page, but don't add any content.
Select the first Story panel, followed by the 'Flow' icon in the Settings palette.
Now click on the second Story panel to flow the text into it.
Example
Tom is redesigning the New Starter pack and wants to make the welcome message more engaging by adding some imagery. He adds a Story panel with the welcome message, followed by an Image panel. He then adds a second Story panel so the Body text from the first flows into it.
