Guide to ZoomText

ZoomText is a screen magnifier, designed to help users with vision impairments, and is a stand-alone piece of software.

Using ZoomText

The ZoomText window appears towards the top left of the screen when the program is activated and defaults to a magnification of x2. Move the mouse pointer to the edges of the screen to scroll to the rest of the magnified screen. Magnification starts at x1.25 and goes up to x16. Alter the magnification level by clicking on the up and down arrows next to the Power display. The remaining icons on the toolbar are grouped into three sections: Zoom Windows, Enhancements and Finders.

To find out which University PCs have ZoomText installed, please view the Library Assistive Technology pages.

Zoom Windows

The Zoom Window Type gives several choices; the default option is Full (the whole screen is magnified). The change to a different option, click on the Type icon to see a drop down list of options. The currently selected option will have a tick to the left of it. The remaining options are:

• Overlay: a portion of the screen is magnified and the rest of the screen is not
• Lens: a small square 'lens' acts like a magnifying glass which can be moved over the screen
• Line: similar to Lens but a horizontal line across the width of the screen
• Docked: the screen is split in half, with the selected half (Top, Bottom, Left or Right) magnified and the other half in normal view.

The Adjust icon enables changes to be made to the zoom window (not available in Full mode). Click on the icon to change the size of the magnification window (particularly useful in Lens mode). Use the drag handles on the zoom window to alter the size. To exit Adjust facility, right-click the mouse or click on Esc (Escape button on the keyboard).

The Freeze option can be used in Full mode only. An area of the screen is frozen and this window will sit on top of the Full zoom window while you continue to edit or view the full screen. Click on the icon and select New. Move the mouse and drag to select the area you wish to freeze. Right-click or click Esc to exit the Freeze facility. To switch off the Freeze area, click on the icon and select Disable.

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Enhancements

Colour enhancements allow you to change the appearance of the whole screen. The default is Normal; click on the icon to select a Scheme. There are several present schemes available including Black and White, Yellow on Black and Invert Brightness. Custom enables you to create your own colour scheme using the Settings option.

Pointer enhancements change the mouse pointer. As with the colour enhancements, Normal, Scheme and Custom are available. The preset schemes include Red with Circle and Giant Green.

Similarly, the Cursor enhancements option allows changes to the text cursor. Again, Normal, Scheme and Custom are available. The preset schemes include Blue Wedge and Green Circle.

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Finders

The Desktop finder helps to find and launch programs from the desktop, system tray and quick launch bar. It also allows you to open items in the Control Panel, Programs Menu and My Document folders.

To use the Web finder option, open Internet Explorer. Return to the ZoomText toolbar, click on the Web icon and a new window will open containing a list of the links on the current web page. Select a link from the list and click on 'Execute Link' to visit that page.

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Useful options from the Menu bar

Alter the settings for Zoom Window, Freeze Window, Enhancements and more by selecting the Magnifier menu.

The Settings menu presents options for altering the Tracking and Alignment of the pointer and cursor.

The User Interface option allows you to alter the Toolbar Settings. Select the 'Restore Toolbar after using tool' option; the ZoomText toolbar will always show on the screen after using, for example, the Adjust facility. By selecting the 'Always on Top' option, the ZoomText toolbar is always visible even if it is not the active window.

More useful features in ZoomText

Increase and decrease the magnification of the screen by holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard and using the wheel of the mouse.

Smooth scrolling of the screen can be achieved by holding down the ALT key on your keyboard and pressing the Arrow key for the direction in which you wish to scroll. Increase the speed of scrolling by pressing the arrow key again. To decrease the speed, press the opposite arrow key. To stop scrolling, release the ALT key. This feature is useful when looking at rows and columns of information.

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Help in ZoomText

The Help pages in ZoomText can be accessed by selecting Help on the menu bar.

Context sensitive help is available by clicking on the ? icon above the ZoomText toolbar. It can be used to find out information about the icons on the toolbar and to find out the keyboard shortcuts for the icons.

Closing ZoomText

To close ZoomText down, select File and Exit from the menu bar, or click on the X in the top right hand corner of the toolbar.

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