Dynamically-sized templates grow from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner.
How Does the Template Scale?
Below is an example of an 8.5" wide x 11 tall" print ad. The grey containers represent elements on the document - starting with a hero image, headline, subhead, a phone number with an icon, a website with an icon, a line, and ending with a disclaimer block.
When this print ad is set up as a library size for a dynamically sized template, it's possible for End Users to create documents that range in width from 8.5" to 12.75" and in height from 11" to 16.5". The graphic below represents examples of different aspect ratios of documents End Users could create.
For each of the sample document sizes shown above, the transformation from the library size to the final document size is the same: the library size will grow from the top-left corner in the direction of the bottom right corner. This is shown below:
How Does the Content Behave?
Once this concept is mastered, the next concept to learn is: How do the elements on the page change as the library size transforms to the final document size? Do they stay the same? Do they scale in either width or height? And most importantly, as the elements change, what relationships need to be maintained?
There are two controls that determine any piece of content -
- Translation - changes in position - how it moves when the template is re-sized
- Transformation - changes in size - how it grows (or doesn't) as the template is re-sized.
CampaignDrive maintains relationships in dynamically sized templates with a feature called sizing rules.