vLetter Online Support - vLetterWriter for Windows

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The following instructions address issues related to the
vLetterWriter for Windows.

When To Use the vLetterWriter

- when making email attachments to add to regular email messages
- when sending email messages directly from the vLetterWriter
(if your system configuration allows this)
- when converting text into handwriting and then copying it into another document either as text or as a graphic

How do I open the vLetterWriter?

- Go to Start > Programs > vLetter > vLetterWriter or double-click the shortcut to the vLetterWriter that was installed onto your desktop.
1. Open the vLetterWriter;
2. Hit any key to open the Edit Window;
3. Type your text;
4. Click the "Click Here to View This Text as Handwriting" button.
- Please read the vLetter Read Me file (Start > Programs > vLetter) for more details on using the vLetterWriter.

There's no vLetterWriter shortcut on my desktop or in my Start Menu.

- Go to C:\Program Files\vLetter\ and make a shortcut of vLetter.exe. Put the shortcut on your desktop, and/or in the Start Menu if you know how.

There is no vLetter program group in the Start Menu.

- Restart the computer.
- If that doesn't solve the problem, reinstall the software.
- If that doesn't solve the problem, go to C:\Program Files\vLetter\ to find the files. Then open the vLetter Read Me folder inside there. Read the "To Remove Installed Files" section in the Read Me file to learn where files are located, and make shortcuts to the files as needed.

How can I copy text from other documents into vLetterWriter?

1. Copy the text in a document;
2. Open the vLetterWriter and hit any key to bring up the Edit window;
3. Paste (Control-v) the text into the vLetterWriter's Edit window.

How can I use the vLetterWriter to put my handwriting into other documents?

1. Create handwritten text in the vLetterWriter;
2. Choose "Copy as text" in the vLetterWriter's Edit menu;
3. Paste it into a document.
- If you see "Greek" letters or other symbols instead of your handwriting, highlight those characters or symbols and choose your handwriting's name from the program's Font menu.

How do I send a vLetter email directly from the vLetterWriter?

1. Open vLetter and type your message in the Edit Window. Customize with menu options if you wish;
2. Choose "Send this vLetter to" from the eMail menu in the vLetterWriter window (the first time you do step 2, the Settings window will open. Fill in the required information and click "OK");
3. Fill in the email address and other information in the dialog box and click the "Send" button.

My handwriting style's name doesn't appear in Handwriting > Handwriting Options in the vLetterWriter.

- There can be several reasons for this:
* There may be too many fonts in the Windows Fonts folder (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts). We recommend having no more than 350 fonts in the Fonts folder.
* If your vLetter Pro, Print or Sig is an upgrade, your original handwriting may still be installed with the same name as your new handwriting. The new handwriting won't overwrite the original handwriting, so you have to remove the old one. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts. Delete any "TT" file which has your handwriting's name. Then reinstall your upgraded or modified vLetter Pro, Print or Sig.

* The system may not have registered your font during installation. To do this manually:
1. Close all applications and open the Windows Fonts folder (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts).
2. Find your version 4 font in the Fonts folder and double-click it. It should display in a window ("The quick brown fox...") at several point sizes. If so, click "Done".
3. Re-open the vLetterWriter or the version 4 SigSoft Handwriter (Start > Programs > vLetterWriter or SigSoft Handwriter). Your handwriting style should now be listed.

* Some people have had problems installing fonts on their computers. In some cases, the manufacturers do not do a complete install of the Windows operating system and omit this feature from the installation process. In other cases, the Fonts folder loses its system attributes for some unknown reason. Other possible problems are that the Fontext.dll file may be missing or damaged, or the Desktop.ini file may be missing or damaged. The following steps are a likely way to resolve this problem.
1. Go to the MS-DOS Prompt or Command Prompt (Start > Programs > MS Dos Prompt). When the DOS window opens, make sure that you are in the Windows Directory. You can do this by typing "cd Windows" or "cd\Windows" at the command prompt (or WINNT if you are on Windows 2000).
2. Type "attrib fonts +s", then press the Enter key.
3. Close the DOS window to return to Windows.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Go to Fonts in the Control Panel. You should now see the Install a New Font option available under the File menu.
6. Reinstall your vLetter software.

The handwriting or signature that appears is not mine.

- You may be using one of the bonus fonts included with the software, "LiteUS" and "LiteEuro". To choose the correct handwriting style, go to Handwriting > Handwriting Options and choose your handwriting in the Handwriting menu.

My handwriting shows up as boxes. I double-clicked the TrueType font in the Windows Fonts folder and it displayed correctly.

- The Font Registry may be corrupt. You can fix it with the following steps:
1. Go to Start > Run. Type in "regedit.exe".
2. Go to Hkey_Local_Machine > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Fonts.
3. Select your handwriting's name.
4. Delete entry.
5. Close Regedit.
6. Reinstall your handwriting software.

What is the difference between the "LiteUS" and "LiteEuro" bonus handwriting styles?

- LiteUS is a U.S. English handwriting style has the full U.S. keyboard character set plus 2 sets of capital letters. Most people write the 2nd set of caps as block letters, making them especially useful for acronyms (FBI, USA, MGM, etc.).

- The LiteEuro handwriting style has the full U.S. keyboard character set plus additional accented characters, punctuation, and symbols needed for many Western European languages (Spanish, French, German, Italian, etc.). See the Western European characters section in the vLetter Read Me file.

Why are there two ways to send a vLetter: "Send To" and "Convert this vLetter to an email attachment"?

- Because sometimes you may want to insert a vLetter into the main body or text of a regular email message instead of just sending the vLetter by itself. To do that, you need to choose "Convert this vLetter to an email attachment" from the eMail menu in the vLetterWriter, and drag the .GIF into your email message to the point where you want it inserted.

I can't send emails directly from the vLetterWriter's eMail menu ("Send this vLetter to...").

- vLetter looks in the Windows registry for Outlook or Outlook Express connections and uses those. With so many different email applications and many, many way of connecting to the internet, we are currently unable to build into vLetter an automatic connection for every email environment.
- For some email environments, the first time you use it, you will need to manually input the name of the SMTP or outgoing mail server in the vLetterWriter's eMail > Settings box. We recommend trying "mail" or "mailhost" or "SMTP" followed by . (dot), followed by the part of the user's email addresses that follow the "@" sign. For example, if your email address is JDoe@Syscomps.com, type in "mail.syscomps.com". @home users type in "mail" only. Try asking the ISP or network administrator what the name of the SMTP server is, and then putting that into the SMTP Server box in the vLetterWriter's Edit > Settings menu.
- If the first option fails, set up your Outlook Express (free with all Windows) email application to send and receive (even if you don't use it), so the vLetterWriter can find Outlook's connection to the internet.
- Even if none of the above suggestions work, or if an SMTP server is not used, you can still turn the vLetters into attachments and drag them into regular email messages. Most recipients have email applications that will display the pictures in the messages without having to open an attachment (a vLetter is a .GIF graphic--viruses can't be attached to them). Read the "Using Handwriting in Emails " section of the Read Me (Start > Programs > vLetter > vLetter Read Me.pdf).

Why do I get an "Error" message when I successfully send my vLetter from the "Send To" option in the eMail menu? The vLetter sends correctly and my computer or the vLetter application don't shut down or freeze.

- There are some email sending bugs related to specific versions of MFC42.dll (located in the C:\Windows\System directory). Microsoft released a few versions of this .dll with bugs. The latest version can be downloaded from several sites. To find more information, search on "MFC42.dll" on the web. One version in particular that has known problems in vLetter is 4.21.7160. If the problem persists, simply convert your vLetter to an email attachment and send it via your regular email.

What is the difference between the "Send as HTML" and "Send as an Attachment" options in vLetterWriter's eMail > Settings menu?

- When you send your vLetter as HTML, it does not show as an attachment in the recipient's email application (use this option when sending to users with newer email applications, but not to AOL users). When you send the vLetter as an attachment, it is automatically displayed in most email applications, but it is noted in their email application that it is an attachment.

What do I do with the .GIF file that is created on my desktop when I choose "Convert this vLetter to an email attachment" from the eMail menu in the vLetterWriter?

- Drag this file into your email message or select it from the "Attach File" option of your email application. It will be attached to the message and will display automatically in most email applications when the recipient reads the email message.

My vLetterWriter's window is too small (or too large). I want to make my vLetters bigger (or smaller).

- Resize the window by dragging the lower right-hand corner to the new size, in the same manner in which you resize any other window.

Why do I lose my settings in the vLetterWriter when I switch between an older version of vLetterWriter and a newer one?

- Because each version of vLetterWriter writes its own .ini file when preferences are chosen. We recommend that you have only the latest version of vLetterWriter on your computer (the latest version will have the most features).

Sometimes my vLetter has an extra line between paragraphs, even though I didn't put one there.

- Resize the width of the vLetterWriter window a little. This will cause the line spacing to re-randomize each time you do it.

Can I mix regular fonts with Handwriting Styles in my vLetters?

- Not in version 4, but we expect to have this capability in later versions.

Sometimes my handwriting looks "lumpy" or the stationery doesn't look quite right (fuzzy or off-color). What can I do?

- Make sure your display is set for "High color" (16-bit) or "True color" (24-bit). Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display. Then select the color in the Settings tab of the "Display" window.

Why aren't the colors of vLetters on my computer screen very good?

- We recommend that you set your computer's display to 16- or 24-bit or higher; or "High color" or "True color". Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display. Then select the color in the Settings tab of the "Display" window.

I can't see my signature in the vLetterWriter window before I make the vLetter .GIF picture attachment. What do I do?

- Add 1 or 2 line returns (hit Enter) after your signature in the vLetterWriter's "Edit Window."

Why can't I see the last line of my vLetter when I click the "View this text as handwriting" button?

- vLetterWriter registers a line when there is a carriage return, so after your last line in the message, you may need to add a line return.

Will my vLetters have the advertising that is on the FREE Demo version?

- Paid versions 4.1 and later have an option in the Edit > Send To menu to turn off the advertising. If you have an older version, you can request an updated version via email. The Free Demo vLetters always have vLetter advertising.

How can I save themes (preferred background and ink colors, stationery, and graphics options)?

- Choose the "Save" or "Save As" items in the File menu. Saved files have the extension .ltr. When you double-click the saved file, it will open with the previous text, stationery, and formatting options. Just delete or overwrite the text when you want to make a new vLetter using this theme.

What does "Stretch" mean in the Stationery > Stationery Options menu of the vLetterWriter?

- The full page stationery graphics were designed to be 600 pixels wide, so recipients of your vLetters who have old, narrow monitors wouldn't have to side scroll to read a message. If you are not concerned about that, you can choose the "Stretch" option next to the Stationery choices in the vLetterWriter's Stationery menu to allow you to make the graphics the full width of your vLetterWriter window or monitor. The stationery will also stretch proportionally vertically.

Can I make my own stationery?

- Yes. The instructions for doing so are in the vLetterWriter's Stationery > Stationery Choices > Custom Graphics button.

When I make stationery in Paint, what type of file should I save them as?

- We recommend 24-bit bitmap (.BMP). Once you have saved it, drag it into the vLetter folder in your C: drive. The name you saved it as is the name that will appear in the vLetterWriter's Stationery choices.

What do I do with Graphics that I make myself?

- Put all graphics, accessories and updates into the same folder in which "vLetter.exe" resides.

When I print a vLetter .GIF attachment, it looks bad.

- vLetters attachments are .GIF graphics that are made to give good screen (monitor) resolution at 72 dpi; they are not meant to be printed. Standard print resolution graphics (like TIF images) are at least 300 dpi, and have a much larger file size.

Can I save a vLetter?

- Yes. Saved files have the extension ".vlt". You can open them by double-clicking or by choosing File > Open. You can use this file as a template: open it to make changes, but don't send this file by email. Your recipient won't be able to open it, unless that person has also purchased vLetter software.

Can I spell check a vLetter?

- Yes, you can copy the text from the vLetterWriter's Edit window (not the "handwritten" text in the vLetterWriter window) into a word processor and spell check it there, then copy and paste the checked text back to the vLetterWriter Edit window.

Why are the vLetters saved as .GIF's?

- .GIF's make smaller files which download in seconds; they look great on-screen; they use lossless compression; and they provide security from eMail snoops.

Can I print my vLetter text before I have made it into a .GIF?

- Yes, by choosing the Print item from the File menu. This version does not print borders, tiles, or stationery graphics, just the handwriting itself.

Why doesn't the stationery print when I print my vLetter from vLetterWriter's File > Print menu?

- The vLetterWriter prints only the text of a vLetter, to the paper size you have chosen for your printer. You can print onto regular stationery if you choose.

Is there any advantage to printing my vLetter note compared to printing a "handwritten" letter made in MS Word using the vLetter Toolbar?

- Yes. A printed vLetter note contains all the randomness of line spacing and word position that you have given it, making the vLetter look even more like "natural" handwriting.

Why does my vLetter print all the way across the paper, even though my vLetter is only half as wide as the paper?

- The vLetterWriter is not primarily a word processing application, so it has no margin or other formatting options. It prints to the size paper you have chosen for your printer, and to the margins you set when you print.

I'm trying to print from the vLetterWriter onto a card. How can I make the margins fit?

- The vLetterWriter uses an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper as its default size. To change this, you need to set the margins further in, based on how much smaller you card or stationery is compared to letter-sized paper.
1. Measure your card or stationery with a ruler.
2. Set each margin to force the printer to restrict the printing area. This will take some trial and error.
- If your card is 5" wide, try setting the RIGHT margin at 4", which will tell the printer that the right margin begins 4" in from the edge of a standard 8.5" wide sheet of paper. This means the actual printing area will not extend beyond 4.5" from the left (8.5" minus 4" equals 4.5").
- If your card is 7" tall, try setting the BOTTOM margin at 4.5", which will tell the printer that the bottom margin begins 4.5" up from the edge of a standard 11" long sheet of paper. This means the actual printing area will not extend below 6.5" from the top (11" minus 4.5" equals 6.5").

How come I can't see my text when I print to a Black & White printer?

- If you have a dark color paper, and a light ink color chosen for your vLetter, the text will not be visible or be barely visible, depending on the ink color. To print a vLetter on a B&W printer, change the ink to black or another dark color. Also, try a lighter color of paper.