Making the Layout by Zaweba interface easier to use

Accessibility settings in Layout by Zaweba are about the app itself rather than the documents you make with it. They let you make the interface bigger, raise the contrast, get around without a mouse and use a screen reader with the controls. Page layout is detailed, close work, so being able to see and reach every control comfortably makes a real difference over a long day.

Interface size

The interface size can be set anywhere from 80 to 200 percent. Below 100 percent you fit more panels and controls on a small screen, at the cost of smaller text. Above it, everything gets larger: menus, panel labels, Control bar boxes and buttons.

A high resolution laptop screen is a good example. Windows may already scale things up, but panel text can still feel small after a few hours. Nudging Layout up to 125 or 150 percent can be enough to stop the squinting. On a big monitor viewed from further away, a larger size helps too.

Try a size for a day before deciding. What feels huge at first often turns out to be restful.

High contrast

High contrast can be on, off or set to follow Windows. Following Windows means that if you use a high contrast theme across the system, Layout picks it up too. It can also be switched from View > High contrast, which is handy for trying it out or for changing it quickly when the light in the room changes.

High contrast helps tell panels, borders and selected items apart. It affects the interface, not the colours in your document, so your swatches and pictures are still shown as they are.

Moving focus with the keyboard

F6 moves focus between the main areas of the window: the page, the Control bar, the tools, the panels and the document tabs. Shift+F6 goes the other way. This is the key to working without a mouse, or with less of one. Press F6 until the Control bar has focus, type a value, then F6 back to the page.

It's also useful for anyone who simply prefers the keyboard, because jumping to the Control bar this way is quicker than reaching for it with the pointer.

Screen reader names

Buttons, boxes, lists and sliders have names for screen readers, so a screen reader can say what each control is rather than just announcing a button. Combined with F6 for moving between areas, that makes the panels and Control bar navigable by ear.

Getting the most from these settings

Start with interface size, since it helps the most people. Then decide on high contrast; following Windows is the simplest choice if you already use a high contrast theme elsewhere. Learn F6 and Shift+F6 even if you mainly use a mouse, as they're a quick way round the window.

One thing to keep in mind is that these settings shape how you see the app, not what the reader sees. If you're designing for readers with low vision, that's a matter of type size, contrast and colour choices in the document itself.

A comfortable interface isn't a luxury in a page layout app. You spend hours looking at small numbers and fine lines, and Layout by Zaweba lets you set it up so that's less tiring.