Fireworks: Symbols

Macromedia's three graphics programs (Freehand, Fireworks, and Flash) use a system of repeating/repeatable objects called symbols. This page gives you a very basic rundown of how to use symbols and libraries. For more details about them, see our Flash help for symbols and libraries.

What is a symbol?: A symbol is an object that you plan to use more than once in your image. For instance, if you were making a picture of the night sky, you might make an object called "star," which you could repeat throughout the image. The advantage of using symbols is that if you decide you want to change the look of them, you need merely alter the original symbol and all its instances change.
What is a Library?: A library is a storage space for your symbols. Libraries for more complex documents often contain dozens of symbols, each with its own properties.
How do I make a symbol?: There are two ways to make a symbol. First, you can select an object you've already made, choose "Convert to Symbol" from the "Insert" menu, and choose which kind of symbol it should be. Or, you can start by choosing "New Symbol..." from the "Insert" menu and proceeding from there. Either way works just fine.
How do I add an instance of a symbol to my document?: Simply drag the instance from your library window to your document window.

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