Adding Border Rules to Block Elements

You can configure border rules and background color for block elements. Settings of this type apply when Structure type in the Breaks category is set to Block.

The steps to creating border rules for block elements are:

1. If creating for print/PDF output, ensure your environment is set to use PTC ALD as the print engine.

2. Select the element for which you wish to configure border / background color settings. Navigate to the Breaks property category and ensure that Structure type is set to Block.

3. Navigate to the Block border property category for the Elements or Property Sets list.

Properties in the Block border category are disabled if the Outputs to edit field is set to anything other than Print/PDF (PTC ALD), any of the HTML outputs, or Base (All Outputs).

For more information, see Block border Category.

4. Choose the sides of the block to which to apply border rules using the Sides pickers in the Border properties field.

Select Yes for each side on which the border should appear.

5. Choose the style, thickness, and color of rule to apply to each side:

6. Specify the distance at which the rule should be offset from the block edge in the Offset field.

A positive offset increases padding, pushing the border further away from the content. The block may take up more space in output, and may displace neighboring content.

7. If you want to change the default style of corner for adjoining borders, select Yes in the Rounded corners field.

If you have activated rounded corners, you can select the stretch of curve of the corner with the Radius picker.

A rounded corner setting only applies to corners that have two borders.

8. You can also select a background color for the block element using the Color picker in the Background properties field.

Please be aware of these implementation notes:

• Border rules and backgrounds configured in this category apply in these outputs:

◦ Chunked HTML outputs (EPUB, HTML Help, Web)

• Some Arbortext Styler border styles are not supported in HTML output. These mapping to HTML border styles apply:

Styler style	HTML style
Single	Solid
Double	Double
Dot	Dotted
Dash	Dashed
Long Dash	Dashed
Dot Dash	Dashed
Dot Dot Dash	Dotted
Jagged	Solid
Jagged Double	Double
Curvy	Solid
Curvy Double	Double

• Adding rules to a block element has an impact on its margin priority settings, when publishing to PDF with the PTC ALD engine. Margin merging cannot be applied.