Technical Support Note 15

Using Sign-It! With Microsoft PLUS! Utility Pack

Problem:

When using Sign-It! with the PLUS! Pack, the system may freeze (locks up) or the signature may disappear and be replaced with rectangular boxes. This may especially evident when trying to change point sizes of the signature font.

Solution:

The PLUS! Pack is a separate utility for Windows 95 (it is standard as part of Windows NT) that includes the ability to smooth the screen text (anti-alias). This feature causes problems with rendering signature fonts when using the Sign-It! signature server. To turn off the smoothing of screen text: (1) Click on START button and select SETTINGS, (2) Choose Control Panel, (3) Double Click on the Display control panel, (4) Click on the PLUS! Tab, (5) Turn off Smooth edges of screen fonts, (6) Click OK.

Using the Signature Font Directly

An alternative method that may also solve the problem is to use the signature font directly. Since Sign-It! includes a TrueType font of your signature it is always possible to use the signature font directly rather than through the OLE mechanism. To use the font directly type an "A" in the document (your signature and first name are stored in the character "A" and "B"). Select the character and change the font to your signature font (e.g. the font name on your Sign-It! diskette label). At the same time increase the point size of the signature, typically 36-48 points is a reasonably sized signature.