Apple LiveType 2 User Manual
Page 15
Chapter 1
The LiveType Interface
15
Backgrounds often cover the entire Canvas. However, when used with the matte
feature in the Attributes tab of the Inspector, an element can appear to “punch
through” an underlying element to reveal the background color, image, or movie. See
“
” on page 72 for more about creating mattes.
Tracks
The dark blue horizontal line that appears in the default Canvas is a track. Tracks are the
foundation of any LiveType composition. Every element of a project resides on a track.
Tracks define:
 The position of text and objects in the Canvas
 The layering of elements
 In some cases, the path taken by moving elements
Tracks have two endpoints, and can have any number of “control points,” which are
nodes that create angles and curves in the track. When more than one track is in the
Canvas, only the endpoints of the selected, or active, track are visible. This identification
is helpful when you’re applying attributes to a track.
Action Safe and Title Safe Guidelines
The green hairline boxes in the Canvas represent the “action safe” and “title safe” areas.
The action safe area, defined by the outer line, is the extent of the screen where the
image is readily visible, given the curvature of the cathode-ray tube (CRT). The title safe
area, represented by the inner line, is the boundary beyond which text is not easily read.
To turn the action safe and title safe guidelines off or on:
m
Choose View > Title Safe.