A question that often comes up, is the font size that's used for puzzles that are generated with Puzzle Maker Pro. Especially when you want to mark a book as Large Print on KDP/Amazon, you really want to know the font size in the books generated with Puzzle Maker Pro. This is not an easy question to answer, because there are several steps involved, and additionally, not all fonts have the same size at a given font size. (Which has nothing to do with Puzzle Maker Pro). In general, if you want to publish Large Print books, it also make sense to use a clear font like Arial, to improve readability. If you use a artful font with lots of embellishments, it may satisfy the requirements for Amazon, but still be hard to read for your target audience, resulting in negative reviews. # How are Fonts and DPI related to each other? First, lets discuss font size and DPI. DPI is an acronym for Dots Per Inch, and for print you’ll need 300 DPI. All Puzzle Maker Pro images are created at 300 DPI (unless you switch to 96DPI). You don’t have to worry about that. Font size is measured in points, not in dots or pixels: One point is 1/72th of an inch. Large print, 16 points or larger, means 16/72th of an inch, which is 0.222″ (or larger). Note: Different tools use different units. For example Microsoft Office uses points, while most image editing apps use pixels. # Which steps does Puzzle Maker Pro use to create a puzzle book? Puzzle Maker Pro uses two steps to create puzzle books: 1. Create the puzzles, 2. Create the puzzle book from these puzzles. [Find out more about the two-step approach of Puzzle Maker Pro](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-workflow) # How can you find out the font size that's used for a puzzle? The font size that is used in your puzzles depends on the size of your puzzle, the puzzle type and the puzzle settings. ## How to set the Puzzle Size In puzzle Maker Pro, you can select how big you want your puzzle images to be. Starting at 300, up to 3000. With 300DPI that’s 1″ up to 10″. ## How to calculate the font size for a puzzle type The size of the characters that are used to print a puzzle, depends on the puzzle size you’ve selected. Let’s take regular 9×9 sudokus as an example: The total puzzle size (let’s say 2700 pixels) is split into 9 rows and 9 columns. Each row has a height of 2700/9, and each column has a width of 2700/9, which is 300 pixels. Which is 1″ Puzzle Maker Pro automatically calculates the font size for each square. By default it uses 80% of the height, leaving 10% on top and 10% at the bottom as margins. For some puzzle types you can modify this ratio, resulting in a different font size. To calculate the font size, take 80% of 300 pixels, this is 240 pixels (numbers are rounded here). This is not yet the font size in points. To go from pixels to points, we divide by 300 (300 pixels per inch) and multiply with 72 (72 points per inch). 240 / 300 * 72 = 57.6 points. Summarized: A 9×9 sudoku puzzle, rendered to a jpg of 2700 pixels, will use a font size of 57.6 points. However… That only applies when you would print the image at it’s actual size. ## How does the font size change when creating a puzzle book from your puzzles? When you create your puzzle book, the puzzle images will be resized, and usually the size will be reduced. For example, let’s create a 6×9″ book interior with 0.5″ margins left and right. 6″ minus 0.5″ (left margin) minus 0.5″ (right margin) leaves 5″ for the puzzle. 5″ at 300 DPI is 1500 pixels. Let's say we created a puzzle of 3000 pixels, resulting in a font size of 64 points. You can easily see that it needs to be reduced by 50% (1500 / 3000). In which case the font also will be 50% smaller. 64 points / 2 = 32 points. Still a lot more than 16. For the 9×9 sudoku puzzles, you’ll usually be fine, but for other sudoku puzzles, you’ll need to do the math, unfortunately. ## What are the steps to determine the font size? In most cases it's enough to approximate the font size, as long as it's clearly over 16 points. Here are the steps: 1. Calculate the page body width, which is the trim size minus the margins. Example: an 8x10" book with .5" margins has a width of 7" 2. Divide by the number of puzzles in a row. Example: let's print 2 rows of 2 puzzles on each page. 7" / 2 = 3.5". For simplicity, we'll ignore the 0.1" padding between the puzzles. 3. Calculate the number of pixels for each square in the puzzle. This depends on the puzzle type. Example: For Sudoku 9x9, we can divide 3.5" by 9, that's 0.3889". 4. Calculate the font size in pixels for each square. This is 80% of the square size (with 10% padding). Example: 0.3889" times 0.8 = 0.311" 5. Calculate the font size in points from the font size in pixels: inches * 72 = points. Example: 0.311" * 72 = 22.4 points. For some puzzles, for example Word Search and Bingo, you can further modify the font size for each font. In that case these calculations get a bit more difficult, but the slider for the font size also shows the percentage. You can use this percentage to calculate the resulting point size.

A question that often comes up, is the font size that's used for puzzles that are generated with Puzzle Maker Pro. Especially when you want to mark a book as Large Print on KDP/Amazon, you really want to know the font size in the books generated with Puzzle Maker Pro. This is not an easy question to answer, because there are several steps involved, and additionally, not all fonts have the same size at a given font size. (Which has nothing to do with Puzzle Maker Pro). In general, if you want to publish Large Print books, it also make sense to use a clear font like Arial, to improve readability. If you use a artful font with lots of embellishments, it may satisfy the requirements for Amazon, but still be hard to read for your target audience, resulting in negative reviews. # How are Fonts and DPI related to each other? First, lets discuss font size and DPI. DPI is an acronym for Dots Per Inch, and for print you’ll need 300 DPI. All Puzzle Maker Pro images are created at 300 DPI (unless you switch to 96DPI). You don’t have to worry about that. Font size is measured in points, not in dots or pixels: One point is 1/72th of an inch. Large print, 16 points or larger, means 16/72th of an inch, which is 0.222″ (or larger). Note: Different tools use different units. For example Microsoft Office uses points, while most image editing apps use pixels. # Which steps does Puzzle Maker Pro use to create a puzzle book? Puzzle Maker Pro uses two steps to create puzzle books: 1. Create the puzzles, 2. Create the puzzle book from these puzzles. [Find out more about the two-step approach of Puzzle Maker Pro](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-workflow) # How can you find out the font size that's used for a puzzle? The font size that is used in your puzzles depends on the size of your puzzle, the puzzle type and the puzzle settings. ## How to set the Puzzle Size In puzzle Maker Pro, you can select how big you want your puzzle images to be. Starting at 300, up to 3000. With 300DPI that’s 1″ up to 10″. ## How to calculate the font size for a puzzle type The size of the characters that are used to print a puzzle, depends on the puzzle size you’ve selected. Let’s take regular 9×9 sudokus as an example: The total puzzle size (let’s say 2700 pixels) is split into 9 rows and 9 columns. Each row has a height of 2700/9, and each column has a width of 2700/9, which is 300 pixels. Which is 1″ Puzzle Maker Pro automatically calculates the font size for each square. By default it uses 80% of the height, leaving 10% on top and 10% at the bottom as margins. For some puzzle types you can modify this ratio, resulting in a different font size. To calculate the font size, take 80% of 300 pixels, this is 240 pixels (numbers are rounded here). This is not yet the font size in points. To go from pixels to points, we divide by 300 (300 pixels per inch) and multiply with 72 (72 points per inch). 240 / 300 * 72 = 57.6 points. Summarized: A 9×9 sudoku puzzle, rendered to a jpg of 2700 pixels, will use a font size of 57.6 points. However… That only applies when you would print the image at it’s actual size. ## How does the font size change when creating a puzzle book from your puzzles? When you create your puzzle book, the puzzle images will be resized, and usually the size will be reduced. For example, let’s create a 6×9″ book interior with 0.5″ margins left and right. 6″ minus 0.5″ (left margin) minus 0.5″ (right margin) leaves 5″ for the puzzle. 5″ at 300 DPI is 1500 pixels. Let's say we created a puzzle of 3000 pixels, resulting in a font size of 64 points. You can easily see that it needs to be reduced by 50% (1500 / 3000). In which case the font also will be 50% smaller. 64 points / 2 = 32 points. Still a lot more than 16. For the 9×9 sudoku puzzles, you’ll usually be fine, but for other sudoku puzzles, you’ll need to do the math, unfortunately. ## What are the steps to determine the font size? In most cases it's enough to approximate the font size, as long as it's clearly over 16 points. Here are the steps: 1. Calculate the page body width, which is the trim size minus the margins. Example: an 8x10" book with .5" margins has a width of 7" 2. Divide by the number of puzzles in a row. Example: let's print 2 rows of 2 puzzles on each page. 7" / 2 = 3.5". For simplicity, we'll ignore the 0.1" padding between the puzzles. 3. Calculate the number of pixels for each square in the puzzle. This depends on the puzzle type. Example: For Sudoku 9x9, we can divide 3.5" by 9, that's 0.3889". 4. Calculate the font size in pixels for each square. This is 80% of the square size (with 10% padding). Example: 0.3889" times 0.8 = 0.311" 5. Calculate the font size in points from the font size in pixels: inches * 72 = points. Example: 0.311" * 72 = 22.4 points. For some puzzles, for example Word Search and Bingo, you can further modify the font size for each font. In that case these calculations get a bit more difficult, but the slider for the font size also shows the percentage. You can use this percentage to calculate the resulting point size.

Puzzle Maker Pro can create puzzles, and additionally create puzzles books from these puzzles. It is a two-step approach on purpose: 1. Create the puzzles and solutions using the settings you selected for your puzzles, 2. Create a puzzle book from the puzzle and solution files you created in step 1 ## How to create Puzzles The primary function of Puzzle Maker Pro is to create puzzles for you. You can set the the resulting image size and file format on the Output Settings / Puzzle Files tab, and set all specific puzzle settings on the Puzzle Settings tab. ### Which files will be created by Puzzle Maker Pro? For most puzzle types this will result in * A file containing the puzzle image in JPG or PNG format (in the project/puzzles folder) * A file containing the solution image in JPG or PNG format (in the project/solutions folder) In some cases additional files will be created: * For Mazes, the SVG add-on will let you create the maze drawing in SVG format. This is an efficient vector format that can be used to display the puzzle on a web page, for further editing or styling in Adobe Illustrator, or to control cutter machines such as Silhouette * An XML file containing specific information about the puzzle, to use when you create puzzle books * A TXT file with the words used in a Word Search puzzle, and an additional file with the remaining words from your word list You can use these files in any way you like. There is no obligation to create your puzzle books with Puzzle Maker Pro. ## How to create Puzzle Books After creating your puzzles, Puzzle Maker Pro will automatically create a puzzle book for you. Consider this a friendly gesture of Puzzle Maker Pro - it does not aspire to compete with professional book layout software such as Adobe Indesign, Affinity Publisher or Microsoft Publisher. This is called "Additional Output". It will use the settings on the Output Settings / Additional Output tab, and the Output Settings / Page Format tab to create a PDF or Powerpoint file according to your specifications. If you have set the options to create additional output, it will do so immediately after creating the puzzles (when you click the Create button). ## How does the Time Saver fit in? The Time Saver extension allow you to create puzzles a lot faster, by creating puzzles with different settings in one go. It speeds up Step 1 (see above). It will create puzzles for each setting you specified, and will create a puzzle book after all the puzzles have been generated.

Puzzle Maker Pro can create puzzles, and additionally create puzzles books from these puzzles. It is a two-step approach on purpose: 1. Create the puzzles and solutions using the settings you selected for your puzzles, 2. Create a puzzle book from the puzzle and solution files you created in step 1 ## How to create Puzzles The primary function of Puzzle Maker Pro is to create puzzles for you. You can set the the resulting image size and file format on the Output Settings / Puzzle Files tab, and set all specific puzzle settings on the Puzzle Settings tab. ### Which files will be created by Puzzle Maker Pro? For most puzzle types this will result in * A file containing the puzzle image in JPG or PNG format (in the project/puzzles folder) * A file containing the solution image in JPG or PNG format (in the project/solutions folder) In some cases additional files will be created: * For Mazes, the SVG add-on will let you create the maze drawing in SVG format. This is an efficient vector format that can be used to display the puzzle on a web page, for further editing or styling in Adobe Illustrator, or to control cutter machines such as Silhouette * An XML file containing specific information about the puzzle, to use when you create puzzle books * A TXT file with the words used in a Word Search puzzle, and an additional file with the remaining words from your word list You can use these files in any way you like. There is no obligation to create your puzzle books with Puzzle Maker Pro. ## How to create Puzzle Books After creating your puzzles, Puzzle Maker Pro will automatically create a puzzle book for you. Consider this a friendly gesture of Puzzle Maker Pro - it does not aspire to compete with professional book layout software such as Adobe Indesign, Affinity Publisher or Microsoft Publisher. This is called "Additional Output". It will use the settings on the Output Settings / Additional Output tab, and the Output Settings / Page Format tab to create a PDF or Powerpoint file according to your specifications. If you have set the options to create additional output, it will do so immediately after creating the puzzles (when you click the Create button). ## How does the Time Saver fit in? The Time Saver extension allow you to create puzzles a lot faster, by creating puzzles with different settings in one go. It speeds up Step 1 (see above). It will create puzzles for each setting you specified, and will create a puzzle book after all the puzzles have been generated.

This brief tutorial will explain the different layout options Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw. Please be aware that the layout for this module is configured differently than for other modules in Puzzle Maker Pro. That is because the optimized positioning of the puzzle pieces depends directly on the page size. ## Use Default Page Setup Settings By default, this module will use the Trim Size and Margin settings that you configure at the "Output Settings / Page Format" tab. If you use a Trim Size of 8 x 10" and 0.5" Margins on each side, there will be a 'page body' area left that is 7 x 9". This will be the size for the Puzzle Pieces: ![Jigsaw 018 - Page Setup Default.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/UbDEDEA56U/Jigsaw%20018%20-%20Page%20Setup%20Default.png) If you change the Page Format and Preview / Create again, you'll get a differently sized image. If you use Time Saver, it will use the current settings when you run the Time Saver (not the settings when the puzzle preset was saved). This is done to get the best looking puzzle page in your puzzle books. However, sometimes you just want the images, not a puzzle book. In that case you can uncheck "Use Default Page Setup Settings" and choose the exact image size that you need (width and height in pixels). The next screenshot shows this: ![Jigsaw 019 - Page Setup Custom.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XbNdH6ZCgf/Jigsaw%20019%20-%20Page%20Setup%20Custom.png) ## Choosing Different Page Layouts Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw supports three page layouts. These are selected in the "Puzzle Settings" tab, not in the global "Page Layout" tab. 1. Single Page 2. Double Page 3. Pieces Only These different options have different impact on your book layout, and serve different purposes. ### 1 Single Page Layout This style is used for most of the examples and tutorials. It will show the puzzle pieces and the puzzle grid on a single page. ![Jigsaw 020 - Layout Single Page.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ju1lwUSyqJ/Jigsaw%20020%20-%20Layout%20Single%20Page.png) This format is intended for copy / draw puzzles (not cut out puzzles). However, you can choose to "Add Blank Page after each puzzle", this will make sure the back of the page is blank. Additionally this will force the page to be printed on the right page of a spread, which may introduce another blank page before the current page. ### 2 Double Page Layout The double page layout is also intended for copy / draw puzzles. In the preview you see the pieces page: ![Jigsaw 021 - Layout Double Page.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/mDi9LsLDpH/Jigsaw%20021%20-%20Layout%20Double%20Page.png) The Solution Preview will show you the layout and size of the puzzle grid (the solution is identical to the puzzle, except for the printed puzzle pieces): ![Jigsaw 022 - Layout Double Page Puzzle Pieces.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Ght8pFkkvu/Jigsaw%20022%20-%20Layout%20Double%20Page%20Puzzle%20Pieces.png) The Double Page layout will force a new spread in your book, if required. The pieces will be printed on the left page of the spread, the puzzle grid will be printed on the right page. The option to add a blank page will have no effect for this format. ### 3 Pieces Only Layout The Pieces Only Layout is for cut out puzzles, the puzzle grid will not be included in the puzzle book. (The layout is identical to the first screenshot show for the Double Page Layout. Just like the Single Page Layout, "Add Blank Page" will force the pieces to be printed on the right page of a spread, and it will keep the back of the page blank.

This brief tutorial will explain the different layout options Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw. Please be aware that the layout for this module is configured differently than for other modules in Puzzle Maker Pro. That is because the optimized positioning of the puzzle pieces depends directly on the page size. ## Use Default Page Setup Settings By default, this module will use the Trim Size and Margin settings that you configure at the "Output Settings / Page Format" tab. If you use a Trim Size of 8 x 10" and 0.5" Margins on each side, there will be a 'page body' area left that is 7 x 9". This will be the size for the Puzzle Pieces: ![Jigsaw 018 - Page Setup Default.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/UbDEDEA56U/Jigsaw%20018%20-%20Page%20Setup%20Default.png) If you change the Page Format and Preview / Create again, you'll get a differently sized image. If you use Time Saver, it will use the current settings when you run the Time Saver (not the settings when the puzzle preset was saved). This is done to get the best looking puzzle page in your puzzle books. However, sometimes you just want the images, not a puzzle book. In that case you can uncheck "Use Default Page Setup Settings" and choose the exact image size that you need (width and height in pixels). The next screenshot shows this: ![Jigsaw 019 - Page Setup Custom.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XbNdH6ZCgf/Jigsaw%20019%20-%20Page%20Setup%20Custom.png) ## Choosing Different Page Layouts Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw supports three page layouts. These are selected in the "Puzzle Settings" tab, not in the global "Page Layout" tab. 1. Single Page 2. Double Page 3. Pieces Only These different options have different impact on your book layout, and serve different purposes. ### 1 Single Page Layout This style is used for most of the examples and tutorials. It will show the puzzle pieces and the puzzle grid on a single page. ![Jigsaw 020 - Layout Single Page.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ju1lwUSyqJ/Jigsaw%20020%20-%20Layout%20Single%20Page.png) This format is intended for copy / draw puzzles (not cut out puzzles). However, you can choose to "Add Blank Page after each puzzle", this will make sure the back of the page is blank. Additionally this will force the page to be printed on the right page of a spread, which may introduce another blank page before the current page. ### 2 Double Page Layout The double page layout is also intended for copy / draw puzzles. In the preview you see the pieces page: ![Jigsaw 021 - Layout Double Page.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/mDi9LsLDpH/Jigsaw%20021%20-%20Layout%20Double%20Page.png) The Solution Preview will show you the layout and size of the puzzle grid (the solution is identical to the puzzle, except for the printed puzzle pieces): ![Jigsaw 022 - Layout Double Page Puzzle Pieces.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Ght8pFkkvu/Jigsaw%20022%20-%20Layout%20Double%20Page%20Puzzle%20Pieces.png) The Double Page layout will force a new spread in your book, if required. The pieces will be printed on the left page of the spread, the puzzle grid will be printed on the right page. The option to add a blank page will have no effect for this format. ### 3 Pieces Only Layout The Pieces Only Layout is for cut out puzzles, the puzzle grid will not be included in the puzzle book. (The layout is identical to the first screenshot show for the Double Page Layout. Just like the Single Page Layout, "Add Blank Page" will force the pieces to be printed on the right page of a spread, and it will keep the back of the page blank.

The styling options for Jigsaw are: * Font Styling for Coordinates * Line Width and Color * Help Lines in the puzzle pieces. ## Font Styling You can choose any (TrueType) font on your computer for the printed coordinates. Just click the white area that has the font name (by default "Arial", in this screenshot "Artless") and the Font Setup window will be shown, where you can configure and preview the font settings. ![Jigsaw 015 - Font Styling.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/1PQPuu1YAz/Jigsaw%20015%20-%20Font%20Styling.png) ## Line Width and Color You can set the Line Width and Color for the puzzle and solution, and separately for the individual puzzle pieces. That way you can choose for thicker lines if the puzzle pieces are intended to be cut out. ![Jigsaw 016 - Line Styling.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/zGokAZ8tVW/Jigsaw%20016%20-%20Line%20Styling.png) ## Help Lines In addition to the puzzle piece border lines, you can also add Help Lines. These will help children (or adults) to draw parts of the puzzle piece in the right location. This can be especially helpful if you have puzzle pieces with lots of detail. The next screenshot shows an example. The purple color for the Help Lines was chosen to contrast with the bright colors. ![Jigsaw 017 - Help Lines.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XFp9E9y0aY/Jigsaw%20017%20-%20Help%20Lines.png)

The styling options for Jigsaw are: * Font Styling for Coordinates * Line Width and Color * Help Lines in the puzzle pieces. ## Font Styling You can choose any (TrueType) font on your computer for the printed coordinates. Just click the white area that has the font name (by default "Arial", in this screenshot "Artless") and the Font Setup window will be shown, where you can configure and preview the font settings. ![Jigsaw 015 - Font Styling.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/1PQPuu1YAz/Jigsaw%20015%20-%20Font%20Styling.png) ## Line Width and Color You can set the Line Width and Color for the puzzle and solution, and separately for the individual puzzle pieces. That way you can choose for thicker lines if the puzzle pieces are intended to be cut out. ![Jigsaw 016 - Line Styling.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/zGokAZ8tVW/Jigsaw%20016%20-%20Line%20Styling.png) ## Help Lines In addition to the puzzle piece border lines, you can also add Help Lines. These will help children (or adults) to draw parts of the puzzle piece in the right location. This can be especially helpful if you have puzzle pieces with lots of detail. The next screenshot shows an example. The purple color for the Help Lines was chosen to contrast with the bright colors. ![Jigsaw 017 - Help Lines.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XFp9E9y0aY/Jigsaw%20017%20-%20Help%20Lines.png)

We use the word "Connectors" for the little pieces / hooks that connect the jigsaw puzzle pieces. In Puzzle Maker Pro, you can choose between several Connector types. The style you want depends on the purpose of your puzzles: * For copy / draw puzzles, where kids have to draw the puzzle pieces in the right locations, the style may depend on the age group. You can even add printed coordinates to each puzzle pieces to make the puzzles a bit easier - or to create practice material to learn working with coordinates. * For cut-out puzzles, where your customer (or your kids) can cut out the different pieces to solve the puzzle as an actual jigsaw puzzle, it makes sense to use no connectors, or square / triangle connectors, to make the pieces easy to cut out. * Certain other types of puzzles, can be created by using no connectors at all. ## Connector Types ### No Connectors Puzzles no connectors can be very easy but also very hard. You won't be distracted by the connectors, but the image has to be clear enough to solve a puzzle without additional clues. ![Jigsaw 007 - Square Connectors.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/FD92o6fKDW/Jigsaw%20007%20-%20Square%20Connectors.png) Additionally you can display the coordinates and a number of clues for the puzzle, as shown in this screenshot: ![Jigsaw 008 - Square Connectors and Coordinates.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/nqigYYDS5D/Jigsaw%20008%20-%20Square%20Connectors%20and%20Coordinates.png) Note: You can see difference in sizing for the puzzle grid and the puzzle pieces in these screenshots, because the coordinates require space as well. ### Square Connectors Most examples and tutorials use Square Connectors: ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) ### Triangle Connectors This screenshot shows what Triangle Connectors look like: ![Jigsaw 009 - Triangle Connectors (1).png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ZWC6eu9y6j/Jigsaw%20009%20-%20Triangle%20Connectors.png) ### JigSaw Connectors JigSaw Connectors are curved connectors that make your puzzle look like real jigsaw puzzles. ![Jigsaw 010 - JigSaw Connectors.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/WKMQgbx0MG/Jigsaw%20010%20-%20JigSaw%20Connectors.png) As you can see, these would be hard to cut out, but for copy / draw puzzles they look quite nice. ## Other Connector Options ### Connector Length The Connector Length determines how much the connector sticks out from the edge of the puzzle piece. This is a percentage of the puzzle piece size: 0.25% is 1/4 of the size of the puzzle piece. Horizontal connector length is derived from the puzzle width, vertical connector length is derived from the puzzle height. The following screenshot illustrates this: ![Jigsaw 011 - Connector Length.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/0k1yXbN2bp/Jigsaw%20011%20-%20Connector%20Length.png) In the example we used a fixed size for the length. You can also choose to use a randomly varied length. To do this, you can set the minimum and maximum length for the connector. ![Jigsaw 012 - Connector Length Random.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/CyHZijeErN/Jigsaw%20012%20-%20Connector%20Length%20Random.png) You can see in this screenshot that the lengths of the connectors vary greatly. You may notice that the smaller lengths also have smaller widths... ### Connector Width By default the Connector Width is equal (sync'ed) to the Connector Length. In some cases you may want to use a fixed width - in that case you can set it to "Max". That will use the maximum width for all connectors, regardless of the length. ![Jigsaw 013 - Connector Width Max.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/LgkwjsvaZV/Jigsaw%20013%20-%20Connector%20Width%20Max.png) ### Connector Position The final option for the connectors is the Connector Position. By default the connectors are placed exactly in the middle of the side. The amount you enter here (up to 25%) defines the maximum random adjustment away from the center. ![Jigsaw 014 - Connector Position.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/1MEmNJMUju/Jigsaw%20014%20-%20Connector%20Position.png)

We use the word "Connectors" for the little pieces / hooks that connect the jigsaw puzzle pieces. In Puzzle Maker Pro, you can choose between several Connector types. The style you want depends on the purpose of your puzzles: * For copy / draw puzzles, where kids have to draw the puzzle pieces in the right locations, the style may depend on the age group. You can even add printed coordinates to each puzzle pieces to make the puzzles a bit easier - or to create practice material to learn working with coordinates. * For cut-out puzzles, where your customer (or your kids) can cut out the different pieces to solve the puzzle as an actual jigsaw puzzle, it makes sense to use no connectors, or square / triangle connectors, to make the pieces easy to cut out. * Certain other types of puzzles, can be created by using no connectors at all. ## Connector Types ### No Connectors Puzzles no connectors can be very easy but also very hard. You won't be distracted by the connectors, but the image has to be clear enough to solve a puzzle without additional clues. ![Jigsaw 007 - Square Connectors.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/FD92o6fKDW/Jigsaw%20007%20-%20Square%20Connectors.png) Additionally you can display the coordinates and a number of clues for the puzzle, as shown in this screenshot: ![Jigsaw 008 - Square Connectors and Coordinates.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/nqigYYDS5D/Jigsaw%20008%20-%20Square%20Connectors%20and%20Coordinates.png) Note: You can see difference in sizing for the puzzle grid and the puzzle pieces in these screenshots, because the coordinates require space as well. ### Square Connectors Most examples and tutorials use Square Connectors: ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) ### Triangle Connectors This screenshot shows what Triangle Connectors look like: ![Jigsaw 009 - Triangle Connectors (1).png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ZWC6eu9y6j/Jigsaw%20009%20-%20Triangle%20Connectors.png) ### JigSaw Connectors JigSaw Connectors are curved connectors that make your puzzle look like real jigsaw puzzles. ![Jigsaw 010 - JigSaw Connectors.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/WKMQgbx0MG/Jigsaw%20010%20-%20JigSaw%20Connectors.png) As you can see, these would be hard to cut out, but for copy / draw puzzles they look quite nice. ## Other Connector Options ### Connector Length The Connector Length determines how much the connector sticks out from the edge of the puzzle piece. This is a percentage of the puzzle piece size: 0.25% is 1/4 of the size of the puzzle piece. Horizontal connector length is derived from the puzzle width, vertical connector length is derived from the puzzle height. The following screenshot illustrates this: ![Jigsaw 011 - Connector Length.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/0k1yXbN2bp/Jigsaw%20011%20-%20Connector%20Length.png) In the example we used a fixed size for the length. You can also choose to use a randomly varied length. To do this, you can set the minimum and maximum length for the connector. ![Jigsaw 012 - Connector Length Random.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/CyHZijeErN/Jigsaw%20012%20-%20Connector%20Length%20Random.png) You can see in this screenshot that the lengths of the connectors vary greatly. You may notice that the smaller lengths also have smaller widths... ### Connector Width By default the Connector Width is equal (sync'ed) to the Connector Length. In some cases you may want to use a fixed width - in that case you can set it to "Max". That will use the maximum width for all connectors, regardless of the length. ![Jigsaw 013 - Connector Width Max.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/LgkwjsvaZV/Jigsaw%20013%20-%20Connector%20Width%20Max.png) ### Connector Position The final option for the connectors is the Connector Position. By default the connectors are placed exactly in the middle of the side. The amount you enter here (up to 25%) defines the maximum random adjustment away from the center. ![Jigsaw 014 - Connector Position.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/1MEmNJMUju/Jigsaw%20014%20-%20Connector%20Position.png)

Like the other Puzzle Maker Pro modules, the best way to create puzzles with Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw is by quickly creating an initial preview and then customize the different options and settings. When you switch to Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw, you'll see this view. (Details may be different in future updates of the software) ![Jigsaw 001 - Initial View.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/i6SyZtuvMp/Jigsaw%20001%20-%20Initial%20View.png) Click on the white area just below "Select Image", or drag and drop an image file on it. You can use JPG or PNG files that you have on your computer. After setting the file, click "Next Preview" at the bottom left, and you'll see a jigsaw puzzle, which can look a bit like this: ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) This will usually be the solution of the puzzle, because that makes the most sense for many puzzle types. To view the actual jigsaw puzzle and the jigsaw puzzle pieces, click the checkbox "Preview Solution" at the bottom right of the window. The view will change into something like this: ![Jigsaw 003 - First Preview - Puzzle and Pieces.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/lmbu7bT83K/Jigsaw%20003%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Puzzle%20and%20Pieces.png) If you want to save one or more puzzles with these settings, just click "Create". To generate several different puzzles at once, you can change the Quantity (which is by default set to 1). Further reading: [Changing the number of puzzle pieces](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-pieces) [Changing the jigsaw piece Connectors](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-connectors) [Using different Page Layouts](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-page-layout) [Configure the puzzle Styling](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-styling)

Like the other Puzzle Maker Pro modules, the best way to create puzzles with Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw is by quickly creating an initial preview and then customize the different options and settings. When you switch to Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw, you'll see this view. (Details may be different in future updates of the software) ![Jigsaw 001 - Initial View.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/i6SyZtuvMp/Jigsaw%20001%20-%20Initial%20View.png) Click on the white area just below "Select Image", or drag and drop an image file on it. You can use JPG or PNG files that you have on your computer. After setting the file, click "Next Preview" at the bottom left, and you'll see a jigsaw puzzle, which can look a bit like this: ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) This will usually be the solution of the puzzle, because that makes the most sense for many puzzle types. To view the actual jigsaw puzzle and the jigsaw puzzle pieces, click the checkbox "Preview Solution" at the bottom right of the window. The view will change into something like this: ![Jigsaw 003 - First Preview - Puzzle and Pieces.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/lmbu7bT83K/Jigsaw%20003%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Puzzle%20and%20Pieces.png) If you want to save one or more puzzles with these settings, just click "Create". To generate several different puzzles at once, you can change the Quantity (which is by default set to 1). Further reading: [Changing the number of puzzle pieces](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-pieces) [Changing the jigsaw piece Connectors](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-connectors) [Using different Page Layouts](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-page-layout) [Configure the puzzle Styling](https://help.bookpublishertools.com/faqs/puzzle-maker-pro-jigsaw-styling)

When you start Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw, and create your first preview, it will use the default settings "Perfect Squares" (or another shape type) and 5 Rows. ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) ## Perfect Squares / Triangles Depending on your taste or your customer's preferences, you may want to create puzzles with squares (where each side has the same length) or rectangles. For triangles, you may want equilateral triangles or isosceles triangles (all three sides are equal or only two sides are equal). For circles, you may want a true circle, or an oval. And so on, for other shape types. The default setting is to use a square, an equilateral triangle or a circle. The total height of the image will be divided by the number of rows, and this will determine the number of columns. This may cut off the sides of the image. ## Imperfect Squares / Triangles When you uncheck the "Perfect" option, you can set both the number of rows and the number of columns. ![Jigsaw 004 - Rows and Columns - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/s6YLNqwZVb/Jigsaw%20004%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Solution.png) Setting the number of rows to 5 and the number of columns to 8 results in rectangular puzzle pieces, as you can see in the image. The image below shows what the puzzle and puzzle pieces image could look like: ![Jigsaw 005 - Rows and Columns - Puzzle.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/JEOLW67NyA/Jigsaw%20005%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Puzzle.png) In this image, the separate puzzle pieces are also printed in a 8 by 5 grid. This is a coincidence, and depends on the puzzle size and format. Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw will always try to print all the parts as large as possible. Another example: ![Jigsaw 006 - Rows and Columns - Alternative.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/NGdBlN0au5/Jigsaw%20006%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Alternative.png)

When you start Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw, and create your first preview, it will use the default settings "Perfect Squares" (or another shape type) and 5 Rows. ![Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png) ## Perfect Squares / Triangles Depending on your taste or your customer's preferences, you may want to create puzzles with squares (where each side has the same length) or rectangles. For triangles, you may want equilateral triangles or isosceles triangles (all three sides are equal or only two sides are equal). For circles, you may want a true circle, or an oval. And so on, for other shape types. The default setting is to use a square, an equilateral triangle or a circle. The total height of the image will be divided by the number of rows, and this will determine the number of columns. This may cut off the sides of the image. ## Imperfect Squares / Triangles When you uncheck the "Perfect" option, you can set both the number of rows and the number of columns. ![Jigsaw 004 - Rows and Columns - Solution.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/s6YLNqwZVb/Jigsaw%20004%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Solution.png) Setting the number of rows to 5 and the number of columns to 8 results in rectangular puzzle pieces, as you can see in the image. The image below shows what the puzzle and puzzle pieces image could look like: ![Jigsaw 005 - Rows and Columns - Puzzle.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/JEOLW67NyA/Jigsaw%20005%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Puzzle.png) In this image, the separate puzzle pieces are also printed in a 8 by 5 grid. This is a coincidence, and depends on the puzzle size and format. Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw will always try to print all the parts as large as possible. Another example: ![Jigsaw 006 - Rows and Columns - Alternative.png](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/NGdBlN0au5/Jigsaw%20006%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Alternative.png)

You can set your own titles for puzzles and solutions, which will be used in the additional output. One of the uses for this is for books in other languages than English. You can type your own text for the Puzzle Title and Solution Title. By default, the hashtag symbol will be replaced with the puzzle number. If you want to use the hashtag symbol in your title, for example to print "Puzzle #13", you can set the 'Placeholder' to '@', and the title to "Puzzle #@".

You can set your own titles for puzzles and solutions, which will be used in the additional output. One of the uses for this is for books in other languages than English. You can type your own text for the Puzzle Title and Solution Title. By default, the hashtag symbol will be replaced with the puzzle number. If you want to use the hashtag symbol in your title, for example to print "Puzzle #13", you can set the 'Placeholder' to '@', and the title to "Puzzle #@".

You can get the demo version for Puzzle Maker Pro [here](https://shop.bookpublishertools.com/puzzle-maker-pro-demo-version/). The demo version includes all puzzle modules, but will create watermarked puzzles. For other products, please contact our [helpdesk](https://bookpublishertools.com/members/helpdesk/) to get a temporary license for testing.

You can get the demo version for Puzzle Maker Pro [here](https://shop.bookpublishertools.com/puzzle-maker-pro-demo-version/). The demo version includes all puzzle modules, but will create watermarked puzzles. For other products, please contact our [helpdesk](https://bookpublishertools.com/members/helpdesk/) to get a temporary license for testing.

Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots is an interactive playground to create Connect the Dots puzzles. There are three different versions: The Lite Edition, the Manual Edition and the SVG Edition. * The Lite Edition has all the features and options of the Manual Edition, but is limited to one path only (with virtually unlimited dots) * The Manual Edition has tools and options to add, insert, move and delete dots, change the style of the dots, the style of the lines and the style of the tags (numbers or text), for multiple paths (lines). These paths can be grouped together for easier overview. * The SVG Edition adds options to import SVG files and optimize the number of dots resulting from an SVG import. In this tutorial we’ll focus on the basics – the window layout, and the tools and options to create a very simple Connect the Dots puzzle. This tutorial assumes some knowledge of Puzzle Maker Pro – Settings for output path, file size and format are explained elsewhere. ## How to get Started with Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots After choosing Connect the Dots in the Puzzle Type menu, you’ll see a window like the one below. (Details may differ slightly, because we’re continuously improving the software) Creating a Connect the Dots puzzle consists of two steps: 1. Create the dots and paths for the puzzle 1. Change the styling and options ### Lite Edition The next image is the default display for the Lite version of Connect the Dots. (1) You see the properties for the current path, such as line color and dot type. We’ll explain this after creating our first path. (2) The preview panel contains brief instructions for Connect the Dots, telling you to Open the Path Editor (3) Click the “Open Path Editor” button (3) to get started. ### Manual Edition and SVG Edition The Manual Edition and SVG Edition open the window with the Navigation menu visible. When starting a new puzzle, there will only be one single path shown: "New Path". Click the “Open Path Editor” button (3) to get started. ## How to Use the Path Editor for Connect the Dots The Path Editor contains tools and options to create the different paths for your puzzle. Some Connect the Dots puzzles only use one single path, that is: a single chain of dots numbered from 1, where the puzzler has to connect all the dots with consecutive numbers. 1 to 2, 2 to 3, and so on. More complex Connect the Dots puzzles may have multiple paths. Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots – Manual Edition and SVG Edition support the use of multiple paths. With the Path Editor you can: * Click to add dots (1). Just click on the preview panel, that contains the tutorial text. As soon as you place your first dot, the text will disappear. * Clear all (2): If you make mistakes, or you want to continue with a blank slate, click the “New Image” button * You can select an image on your computer to use as an overlay (3). That way you can add dots along the outline (or outlines) of your image. The filename of your overlay file will be shown as well (5) * With the SVG Edition you can also open the SVG Editor (4). This is a separate window that will display your SVG image and has options to change the number of dots. * At the left you can see the path settings panel (6). You can change all the path settings here, such as the name, colors, dot type, and more. ## How to Add Dots to create a puzzle By left-clicking the mouse on the panel at the right (that initially shows the tutorial text), you can add dots. The software will keep track of the order of the dots, and display lines between the dots (the path). In this example we’ve created a simple path with 5 dots in the shape of a house. * You can always identify the start dot (1), it has a different shape and size, which you can select in the dropdown menu “Start Symbol” After you change the settings for any of the styling options, click “Preview” (bottom left) to update the preview. * The shape for the regular dots (2) can be selected in the “Dot Type” dropdown menu, the color and size can also be changed using the Dot Settings options. Dot size and Line Size are calculated relative to the image size (see: Puzzle Maker Pro Basics tutorial). For an image size of 500px, the dot size will be the number of pixels (for example: the current setting “3” means 3 pixels). For an image size of 2000px (4 times as big) it will be 4*3 = 12 pixels, and so on. That way the scaling will be consistent if you use different image sizes. * The line size and width can be set (3) * Finally, a double circle will be displayed for the ‘current’ dot (4). This is the last dot you edit, or the dot you selected. The next screenshot shows the same image with totally different styling options: ## How to Edit the Current Dot position Puzzle Maker Pro - Connect the Dots is the only puzzle app where you can edit (move or delete) the individual dots in a path. A dot can be marked as the current dot (with the double circles). That means it’s the last dot you added or clicked. The current dot is also the one that can be edited: * If you click anywhere on the image, the next dot will be added directly after the current dot (and before the next dot). This way you can add dots to an existing path * You can press the Delete key (Del or Delete) on your keyboard to delete the current dot. This will only work if the mouse is positioned over the preview panel. (Otherwise other apps may not work properly) * You can use the left, up, right and down arrows to move the dot a tiny bit in that direction * You can use the PgUp, PgDn, Home and End keys to move the dot a bit further in that direction (Home for left, End for right) * You can press the left mouse-button when positioned over the current dot, move the mouse and release the mouse-button. This will move the current dot to a new position. However, very small moves will be ignored (to prevent you from accidentally moving a dot when you only want to select it) ## How to use the Path Data (tab) An additional way to see all the points, is the “Path Data” tab. This will show you co-ordinates for all the dots. The current dot is shown with a blue bar. You can use buttons to “Clear All” dots from the path, or to “Delete” the current dot. Usually you won’t need to use this information. You can also click other points in this list, and you’ll see a different dot getting selected in the image. The option “Closed Path” will allow you to automatically add a line between the last and first dot in the path. In the puzzle this will result in a combined number for the first dot, shown as “1/73” ## How to use the additional path settings All the path settings are available in all Connect the Dots editions, however some path settings only make sense when you use multiple paths. * By default you’ll see only the path your editing. By clicking “Show All Paths” (1) you’ll see all the paths for the current puzzle. The other paths will have a lighter color, making it easy to focus on the current path * You can set the name for each path, but typing the name in the Path Name box (2). Especially when you have many paths, this will help you to keep track. (You can save the path settings as a preset, to continue at a later time, or reuse the paths later. Using clear path names will help when you revisit the paths) * For each path you can choose to hide it (meaning: it will not be shown at all) or to use it as an illustration. For an illlustration, the lines will be shown, but the dots and numbers will not be printed * For each path you can choose a tag type (4). By default this is set to ascending numbers, other (future) options are letters or a list of numbers or letters * You can change the font type and size for the tags (5) by clicking on the font preview button or on the small zoom icon next to it * You can choose whether to place all the tags to the right of each dot, or at an automatic position (6). The built-in AI is continuously improving the automatic positioning * You can choose to number continuously, or to start each path at 1 (7). This will totally depend on your puzzle. ## How to use Multiple Paths in Connect the Dots You can create Connect the Dots puzzles with one or more paths if you have the Manual Edition or the SVG Edition. On the Navigation tab you can see a hierarchically ordered list of all the paths. By right-clicking on the navigation panel, you’ll see a popup menu with different options: * “Edit Item”, this will option the “Path Details” tab * “Add Group”, this will add a new empty group. A group is like a folder, it can hold together several paths or subgroups. * “Add Path”, this will add a new path with its own path settings, and optionally its own numbering * “Move Item to Group”, this will let you rearrange paths and groups. After clicking this option you have to click on the group (in the list) to select where to move the current item * “Delete Item”, this will delete the current path or group (including all the items in the group).

Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots is an interactive playground to create Connect the Dots puzzles. There are three different versions: The Lite Edition, the Manual Edition and the SVG Edition. * The Lite Edition has all the features and options of the Manual Edition, but is limited to one path only (with virtually unlimited dots) * The Manual Edition has tools and options to add, insert, move and delete dots, change the style of the dots, the style of the lines and the style of the tags (numbers or text), for multiple paths (lines). These paths can be grouped together for easier overview. * The SVG Edition adds options to import SVG files and optimize the number of dots resulting from an SVG import. In this tutorial we’ll focus on the basics – the window layout, and the tools and options to create a very simple Connect the Dots puzzle. This tutorial assumes some knowledge of Puzzle Maker Pro – Settings for output path, file size and format are explained elsewhere. ## How to get Started with Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots After choosing Connect the Dots in the Puzzle Type menu, you’ll see a window like the one below. (Details may differ slightly, because we’re continuously improving the software) Creating a Connect the Dots puzzle consists of two steps: 1. Create the dots and paths for the puzzle 1. Change the styling and options ### Lite Edition The next image is the default display for the Lite version of Connect the Dots. (1) You see the properties for the current path, such as line color and dot type. We’ll explain this after creating our first path. (2) The preview panel contains brief instructions for Connect the Dots, telling you to Open the Path Editor (3) Click the “Open Path Editor” button (3) to get started. ### Manual Edition and SVG Edition The Manual Edition and SVG Edition open the window with the Navigation menu visible. When starting a new puzzle, there will only be one single path shown: "New Path". Click the “Open Path Editor” button (3) to get started. ## How to Use the Path Editor for Connect the Dots The Path Editor contains tools and options to create the different paths for your puzzle. Some Connect the Dots puzzles only use one single path, that is: a single chain of dots numbered from 1, where the puzzler has to connect all the dots with consecutive numbers. 1 to 2, 2 to 3, and so on. More complex Connect the Dots puzzles may have multiple paths. Puzzle Maker Pro – Connect the Dots – Manual Edition and SVG Edition support the use of multiple paths. With the Path Editor you can: * Click to add dots (1). Just click on the preview panel, that contains the tutorial text. As soon as you place your first dot, the text will disappear. * Clear all (2): If you make mistakes, or you want to continue with a blank slate, click the “New Image” button * You can select an image on your computer to use as an overlay (3). That way you can add dots along the outline (or outlines) of your image. The filename of your overlay file will be shown as well (5) * With the SVG Edition you can also open the SVG Editor (4). This is a separate window that will display your SVG image and has options to change the number of dots. * At the left you can see the path settings panel (6). You can change all the path settings here, such as the name, colors, dot type, and more. ## How to Add Dots to create a puzzle By left-clicking the mouse on the panel at the right (that initially shows the tutorial text), you can add dots. The software will keep track of the order of the dots, and display lines between the dots (the path). In this example we’ve created a simple path with 5 dots in the shape of a house. * You can always identify the start dot (1), it has a different shape and size, which you can select in the dropdown menu “Start Symbol” After you change the settings for any of the styling options, click “Preview” (bottom left) to update the preview. * The shape for the regular dots (2) can be selected in the “Dot Type” dropdown menu, the color and size can also be changed using the Dot Settings options. Dot size and Line Size are calculated relative to the image size (see: Puzzle Maker Pro Basics tutorial). For an image size of 500px, the dot size will be the number of pixels (for example: the current setting “3” means 3 pixels). For an image size of 2000px (4 times as big) it will be 4*3 = 12 pixels, and so on. That way the scaling will be consistent if you use different image sizes. * The line size and width can be set (3) * Finally, a double circle will be displayed for the ‘current’ dot (4). This is the last dot you edit, or the dot you selected. The next screenshot shows the same image with totally different styling options: ## How to Edit the Current Dot position Puzzle Maker Pro - Connect the Dots is the only puzzle app where you can edit (move or delete) the individual dots in a path. A dot can be marked as the current dot (with the double circles). That means it’s the last dot you added or clicked. The current dot is also the one that can be edited: * If you click anywhere on the image, the next dot will be added directly after the current dot (and before the next dot). This way you can add dots to an existing path * You can press the Delete key (Del or Delete) on your keyboard to delete the current dot. This will only work if the mouse is positioned over the preview panel. (Otherwise other apps may not work properly) * You can use the left, up, right and down arrows to move the dot a tiny bit in that direction * You can use the PgUp, PgDn, Home and End keys to move the dot a bit further in that direction (Home for left, End for right) * You can press the left mouse-button when positioned over the current dot, move the mouse and release the mouse-button. This will move the current dot to a new position. However, very small moves will be ignored (to prevent you from accidentally moving a dot when you only want to select it) ## How to use the Path Data (tab) An additional way to see all the points, is the “Path Data” tab. This will show you co-ordinates for all the dots. The current dot is shown with a blue bar. You can use buttons to “Clear All” dots from the path, or to “Delete” the current dot. Usually you won’t need to use this information. You can also click other points in this list, and you’ll see a different dot getting selected in the image. The option “Closed Path” will allow you to automatically add a line between the last and first dot in the path. In the puzzle this will result in a combined number for the first dot, shown as “1/73” ## How to use the additional path settings All the path settings are available in all Connect the Dots editions, however some path settings only make sense when you use multiple paths. * By default you’ll see only the path your editing. By clicking “Show All Paths” (1) you’ll see all the paths for the current puzzle. The other paths will have a lighter color, making it easy to focus on the current path * You can set the name for each path, but typing the name in the Path Name box (2). Especially when you have many paths, this will help you to keep track. (You can save the path settings as a preset, to continue at a later time, or reuse the paths later. Using clear path names will help when you revisit the paths) * For each path you can choose to hide it (meaning: it will not be shown at all) or to use it as an illustration. For an illlustration, the lines will be shown, but the dots and numbers will not be printed * For each path you can choose a tag type (4). By default this is set to ascending numbers, other (future) options are letters or a list of numbers or letters * You can change the font type and size for the tags (5) by clicking on the font preview button or on the small zoom icon next to it * You can choose whether to place all the tags to the right of each dot, or at an automatic position (6). The built-in AI is continuously improving the automatic positioning * You can choose to number continuously, or to start each path at 1 (7). This will totally depend on your puzzle. ## How to use Multiple Paths in Connect the Dots You can create Connect the Dots puzzles with one or more paths if you have the Manual Edition or the SVG Edition. On the Navigation tab you can see a hierarchically ordered list of all the paths. By right-clicking on the navigation panel, you’ll see a popup menu with different options: * “Edit Item”, this will option the “Path Details” tab * “Add Group”, this will add a new empty group. A group is like a folder, it can hold together several paths or subgroups. * “Add Path”, this will add a new path with its own path settings, and optionally its own numbering * “Move Item to Group”, this will let you rearrange paths and groups. After clicking this option you have to click on the group (in the list) to select where to move the current item * “Delete Item”, this will delete the current path or group (including all the items in the group).

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