vLetter Support - vLetter Toolbar for Microsoft Word

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The following instructions address issues related to the
vLetter Toolbar for Microsoft Word in Windows.
(The vLetter Toolbar does not work with Mac fonts or SmartFonts).

The vLetter Toolbar is currently only available for full installations
of Microsoft Word for Windows (not available for Click-to-Run).

Get the updated toolbar for Microsoft Word 2000 – 2010.

If you get an "expired certificate" warning when you start Word, or if the toolbar does not work correctly or is missing from your latest version of Word, you can download the updated toolbar here.

NOTE: This is an update for current vLetter software for Windows (4.x) only. This is NOT a demo of the toolbar, nor will it work with versions prior to 4.x, nor with any demo versions or Mac versions. You must have version 4.x software for Windows.

DOWNLOAD:   vLetter_Toolbar2010.exe

SAVE this file to your hard drive, then follow the installation instructions below.

INSTALLATION:
1. Quit ALL Office applications first.
2. Locate the file named vLetter_Toolbar2010.exe, then double-click it.
3. Choose "Accept" to begin the installation, or "Cancel" to Quit.
4. Choose "Install" to install the new Toolbar. The installer may give an error message, but it will correctly install the Toolbar to the correct location in Microsoft Office. Just click OK on the error message.
5. Click "OK" to finish installation.
6. Start your Microsoft Word program. When asked to enable macros, be sure to check the option that says to always trust this source, then click Enable Macros.

Or, you can remove the old Toolbar if you do not need to use it. Be sure to quit all Office applications first. Double click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Go to the C: drive, then to Program Files, then to Microsoft Office, then to Office (or Office10, Office11, Office12, or Office14), then to Startup. Inside that Startup folder you should see the vLetter.dot file. That is the Toolbar. Select this file, then drag it to the Recycle Bin, or hit the Delete key on your keyboard. Done!

How does the vLetter Toolbar work in Word?

How do I convert text into handwriting in MS Word 2000–2003 (XP)?

1. Type in plain text first, like Times New Roman (do a spell check at this point).
2. Highlight the text.
3. Click the Settings button on the Toolbar.
4. Pick a handwriting font from the Settings window and click OK.
5. Click the Handwriting button to convert the plain text to your handwriting.
6. To go from handwriting back to plain text, highlight the written text and click the Plain Text button on the Toolbar.

To insert a signature: click the Signature button. The signature in the font will be inserted at the cursor position. Note: personal signatures are available only in custom fonts (Pro, Print, Sig).

How do I use it in Word 2007–2010?

The vLetter Toolbar is now located on the Add Ins tab inside Word. If you obtained your vLetter software prior to January 2007, you will need to download the vLetter Toolbar update in order to install it for Word 2007. (The Toolbar update for Word 2010 was posted on 6/15/2010.)

Once it is installed, follow these steps to enable the Toolbar:
1. Start Word, and then go to the Add Ins tab.
2. Click on the Security Warning that is beneath the vLetter Toolbar.
3. Click the option to "Trust all documents from this publisher," then click OK.

Alternate method to enable the Toolbar:
1. Word 2007: Click on the Office Button, then choose Word Options at the bottom.
    Word 2010: Click on the File tab (top left), then choose Options (down by Exit).
2. Click on Trust Center at left, then click Trust Center Settings at right.
3. Under Macro Settings, choose the option to "Enable all macros," then click OK. Quit Word, then restart it. The vLetter Toolbar should now be functioning.

You can try the Toolbar at this point. It is located on the Add Ins tab. Follow steps 1- 6 above for Word 2000–2003 to use the Toolbar.

The toolbar is not on the Add Ins tab.

1. Word 2007: Click on the Office Button, then choose Word Options at the bottom.
    Word 2010: Click on the File tab (top left), then choose Options (down by Exit).
2. Click Add-Ins on the left side.
3. At bottom, go to Manage, choose Word Add-ins from the menu, then click Go.
4. In the Templates and Add-ins window, put a check mark next to vLetter.dot, then click OK.

My Signature inserts as symbols in Word 2007–2010.

Microsoft Word 2007–2010 has a bug that sometimes prevents the Signature from being correctly inserted the first time. This bug exists even if you create a new macro and assign a Microsoft font to be used.

The work-around: If your signature inserts as "junk" the first time, simply hit Ctrl-Z to Undo, then hit the Signature button again. If you leave Word open while you work, and close only the documents, then this error disappears, but it can appear again the next time you start Word.

The Toolbar wasn't installed in my MS Word.

The Toolbar should already be installed in the folder inside Microsoft Office on your hard drive. You can check for it by right-clicking on the My Computer icon on your desktop, then clicking Explore from the drop-down menu. Go to the C: drive, then to Program Files, then to Microsoft Office, then to Office (or Office10, Office11, Office12, or Office14), then to Startup. Inside that Startup folder you should see the vLetter.dot file. That is the Toolbar. If you have installed an upgraded or modified font, and you see a file named Handwri7.dot or Handwri8.dot in addition to vLetter.dot, delete the "Handwri" file, so it will not conflict with the new vLetter Toolbar.

NOTE: If there is no "Startup" folder, then the Toolbar cannot be installed. You can create a new folder and name it "Startup"; however, it is best to repair your installation of Microsoft Office to make sure everything works correctly (insert your Office installation CD and choose "Repair installation"). If you have more than one version of Office installed, but do not use all those versions, it is best to uninstall the version(s) you don't need.

Run the vLetter install file again, and then check that the Toolbar was installed correctly. For more help, download this PDF guide for Toolbar Help in Word and follow the steps. If you still need help with the Toolbar, contact us by email.

The Toolbar is installed into MS Word 2000–2003, but it is not visible.

1. Start your Microsoft Word program. When asked to enable macros, check the option that says to always trust this source, then click Enable. If you do not enable macros, the Toolbar will not work.
2. In Word, go to the Tools menu, then select Templates and Add-ins from the menu. In the Templates and Add-ins window, check the box for vLetter.dot, which is the vLetter Toolbar. If it is not listed, click the Add... button. Find the Startup folder (see "The Toolbar wasn't installed" above) and select the vLetter.dot file, then click OK. Make sure this file is checked in the Templates and Add-ins window. Click OK when finished.
3. If the vLetter Handwriting Toolbar is listed and checked, but not visible, it may be active but hidden by other Toolbars. Go to View > Toolbars and uncheck all Toolbars except vLetter. It will then appear on a Toolbar line by itself. Move it all the way to the left of the Toolbar line, then go back to View > Toolbars and re-check the other Toolbars you want visible.

The Toolbar won't install. I get the message "can't find directory 'Startup'."

Read the section above named "The Toolbar wasn't installed in my MS Word."

I've tried all the steps and the Toolbar still won't install. What can I do?

1. If you are installing this software at your work location, you may not have "installation" privileges. You need to check with your IT or computer services department to have a technician install the software for you.
2. Be sure you are installing vLetter on the same drive that Microsoft Office is installed on (normally the C: drive). If you attempt to install vLetter to a different drive that does not also have Microsoft Office, the installer will not be able to find the Office folder in order to install the toolbar.
3. Be sure you really do have Microsoft Word installed (included with Microsoft Office). Some people actually have WordPerfect, which is not Microsoft Word, and is made by a completely different company (not Microsoft). WordPerfect versions later than 8.0 are incompatible with vLetter software. Also, there is no toolbar for WordPerfect. Finally, Microsoft Works is NOT Microsoft Office, and does not have Word.
4. If you do indeed have Microsoft Word (or Office), and it is installed correctly, or the installation has been repaired correctly, please keep trying to install the toolbar and go through the steps above to check the "Startup" folder and the toolbar options in Word. If the toolbar will not install, you can still use the SigSoft Handwriter and vLetterWriter to convert text to your handwriting font.

What does the vLetter Toolbar look like? I don't know if it's installed or not.

- You can see the vLetter Toolbar in action near the top of this page.

What are the 4 buttons in the vLetter Toolbar?

- The Handwriting button converts highlighted text into handwriting.
- The Plain Text button changes highlighted handwriting back into a regular font such as Arial.
- The Signature button inserts your signature into a document.
- The Settings button allows you to select your handwriting from the other handwriting styles available, and to select the size of your handwriting. You can also select which font to use for Plain Text (do not select a handwriting font for the Plain Text option).

Previous Version SigSoft Toolbar Buttons (versions 4.0 - 4.2)

- The Write button converts highlighted text into handwriting.
- The UnWrite button changes highlighted handwriting back into a regular font such as Arial.
- The Signature button inserts your signature into a document.
- The Settings button allows you to select your handwriting from the other handwriting styles available, and where you select the size of your handwriting and signature.

What are all the little menu options in the Settings button's dialog box?

- The three menus in the Settings dialog box (File, Handwrite, Help) contain more options for using your handwriting in MS Word. Click on them and find out what these options are. You can't hurt your computer by exploring the menus.

My handwriting style's name doesn't appear in the Font list of the Toolbar.

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 (you can move unnecessary fonts to a new folder named "extra fonts" or something similar).

* If your vLetter Pro 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 or Sig software.

* You may have an earlier version of the Toolbar installed. If so, go to View > Toolbars > Customize; highlight "Signature Software" by clicking on it; then choose "Delete". After doing this, run the vLetter installer again and answer "Yes" to any overwrite prompts.

* The system may not have registered your font during installation. To fix this:
1. Close all applications and open the Windows Fonts folder (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts).
2. Find your latest font file in 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 MS Word and click the Settings button of the Toolbar. Your handwriting style should now be listed in the Font list.

The handwriting that appears is my old handwriting, not my modified handwriting.

You may need to delete your older font file. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts, and find your older font file (it will have a date older than your modified or upgraded font file). Delete the older font file, so it will not conflict with your newer font file.

The Toolbar takes up too much room in Word's Toolbar area — I don't use it that much, anyway. How can I get rid of it?

- Go to View > Toolbars and uncheck "vLetter Handwriting." When you want to use the Toolbar again, just re-check it under View > Toolbars.

The Toolbar seems to be incompatible with my system. I can get it installed, but the computer crashes when I try to use it.

- This can happen on some older Windows systems. It's a mystery as to why. If so, remove the Toolbar (if it installed) by going to View > Toolbars > Customize; highlight "vLetter Handwriting" by clicking on it; then choose "Delete." You can use the SigSoft Handwriter to convert text to your handwriting.

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 in the Toolbar, click the Settings button and choose your handwriting in the Font list.

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 this by editing the Registry (do not attempt this if your are unfamiliar with the Registry):
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 the entry.
5. Close Regedit.
6. Re-install 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.

How do I put my signature into a Word document?

1. Put your cursor in the Word document where you want the signature to appear.
2. Click the Signature button in the Toolbar. If the signature you see is not yours (the "Lite" handwriting styles have demo signatures), click the Settings button and select your handwriting in the Font list of the dialog box that comes up.
- This is in the "Using Handwriting in a Regular Document (Non-Email Use)" section of the vLetter Read Me file (Start > Programs > vLetter, then open the vLetter Pro, Print or Sig Read Me.pdf file).

How do I use just part of my signature?

- Click the Settings button; go to the Handwrite > Signature menu; choose the parts you want to use in the order of which you want them to appear in your document. Each part is automatically inserted when you select it from the menu.
- You can also insert the whole signature by clicking the Signature button, then use the backspace or delete key to remove the parts you don't want to print.

My Handwriting is too large or too small after I click the "Handwriting" button.

- Click the Settings button and select another handwriting size in the Size list. You can also change the size by highlighting the handwriting and using the normal font size menu in Word.
Note: You should use your handwriting at a larger size than normal text. Most people write at least 18pt or larger; some even as large as 36pt. Experiment with the font size to see which one most closely matches your normal writing.

My Signature is too large or too small after I click the "Signature" button.

- Click the Settings button and select another handwriting size in the Size list. Your signature will be inserted at a size that is relative to the font size. If you wrote your signature larger or smaller than the rest of your handwriting sample, then your signature will appear larger or smaller than the current font size selected in the Settings.

I get Greek characters after I click the "Handwriting" button.

- Highlight the text again and choose your handwriting style from Word's font menu. If that doesn't work, you should re-install your vletter Pro or Sig. Also, be sure to uninstall your older font file and older SigSoft Toolbar if those are still installed. See the section above named "My handwriting style's name doesn't appear in the Font list of the Toolbar."

Some of the letters are replaced with symbols (such as (TM) or ...) after I click the "Handwriting" button.

- Turn off the "Replace text as you type" function in the Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect menu item before you make the conversion to handwriting with the Toolbar.

I get "Message 132" when I try to UnWrite handwritten text with the SigSoft Handwriter.

- Make sure the text you want UnWritten is highlighted.
- Make sure the SigSoft Handwriter is not in the Manual Copy > Paste mode. Turn it off in the Handwrite menu.
- The amount of text chosen may be too large for the clipboard. The maximum amount of text to be converted at one time is about 5 pages (8000 characters, including spaces).
- There may not be enough system memory to copy the text onto the clipboard. Close other programs that are running other than MS Word and the SigSoft Handwriter.

The original text is still in the Word document after I click the "Handwriting" button. The handwritten text has just been added to it.

- Go to Tools > Options, then the Edit tab, and check "Typing replaces selection."

Can I get "Randomness" (of line spacing and word height on the baseline) in printed documents?

- Only in documents printed from the vLetterWriter. The SigSoft Handwriter and the vLetter Toolbar have no way of controlling the formatting functions of your other applications. You can, however, adjust the line spacing to overlap for a more natural look. See the item below, "There is too much spacing...."

There is too much spacing between the lines of my handwriting or around the signature.

Normal line spacing (Single) is 120% of the chosen font size (example, if the font size 10 pt, the line spacing is 12 pt). vLetter Handwriting fonts are sometimes spaced even larger than that, depending on how you write. You can change this with the following steps in Word:
1. Highlight the lines of text you want to space differently. Then go to Format > Paragraph.
2. On the Indents and Spacing tab, under the "Spacing" section, set Line Spacing to Exactly and enter a point size in the text box to the right. If your font size is 20 point, try a line spacing of 24 point. The closer the line spacing is to the font size, the closer the lines will be together, and will start to overlap. If you set the line spacing to smaller than the font size, the lines will overlap significantly. Experiment with different line spacing settings to see which you like best.
3. This may cause the tails on some letters to appear cut off onscreen, but they print out just fine.

My highlighted text is replaced by a page break when I click the "Handwriting" button.

Turn off "Word Perfect Help" and "Navigation for Word Perfect Users" in Tools > Options > General or in Help > WordPerfect Help > Options.

My handwriting displays correctly on screen, but prints as Courier.

- Reinstall the printer driver or update the printer driver from the manufacturer's website.
- Another test to try: Test the handwritten text in some other application (i.e. WordPad), and test the text at a variety of point sizes.

When I try to edit "handwritten" text in a document, the stuff I add isn't connected. How do I edit text once it has been "handwritten" with the Toolbar?

- Highlight the text to be edited and "unwrite" it using the Plain Text button on the Toolbar, OR just choose Edit > Undo (Ctrl-Z) one or more times until the original un-written text appears. Edit the text, do a spell check, and then highlight the text and click the Handwriting button again.

When I start MS Word, I get an error message regarding the Toolbar, but then Word finishes starting up and everything seems OK.

- Often you can just ignore the message and go ahead and use the Toolbar. If the Toolbar isn't there, however, or if Word crashes when you use it, you may need to use the SigSoft Handwriter to convert text. Your system may be configured in a way which doesn't allow the Toolbar to install properly.

My handwriting doesn't show up when I open documents created in a previous version of my word processor.

- You need to open the documents in the previous version and "unwrite" them with the version of the SigSoft Handwriter that you used to use to convert text. Save the "unwritten" document and then open it in the new version of your word processor. Now, convert the text into handwriting with your new SigSoft Handwriter or vLetter Toolbar.

Can I Spell Check handwritten text?

- No. You need to "UnWrite" it first by highlighting the text you want to spell-check; then click the "Plain Text" button, or do as many Ctrl-Z's (Edit > Undo) as it takes to get the text back to the original regular text. Do a spell check and make any changes, and then highlight the text and click the Handwriting button again.

The vLetter Toolbar shows up in Outlook, but it doesn't work. Why not?

Outlook is integrated with Microsoft Word, and Word can be used as the message editor for Outlook emails. Because of this, the vLetter Toolbar may show up in Outlook. However, the toolbar is not intended to be used in Outlook, and your email recipients will not be able to see your font anyway, since they do not have your font installed. You can go to Tools > Customize in Outlook to uncheck the vLetter Toolbar, so it no longer shows in Outlook.
- Be sure to use the vLetterWriter to send email, or to create graphics that can be attached in Outlook emails.