998 CALMFAX Thu 02 Jul 00:00:00
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Your page, page 998

Page 998 is yours to write — a real teletext page you build cell by cell, just like the broadcast pages of the 1980s. This guide walks through every control in the editor. It takes about five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

The editor is a genuine 40×24 teletext grid. The top line is the live CALMFAX header (page number, name and clock) and can't be edited — everything below it is your canvas.

Quick start

  1. Open CALMFAX and go to page 998, then choose Edit.
  2. Give your page a title in the box at the top.
  3. Click on the screen to place the cursor, then type.
  4. Pick a colour, add block graphics, or set an attribute as you go.
  5. Press Save. Your page — and its title — now appear at 998.

The toolbar

‹ Back
Leave the editor without saving and return to your page.
Page title
A short name (up to 40 characters) shown on the CALMFAX front page.
Save
Store the page. It stays private to your account.

Writing text

The keyboard does the writing. Click anywhere on the page to move the cursor first.

Colours

Pick a colour, then keep typing — everything after it on that line takes the new colour. Teletext stores a colour as its own little control cell, so a colour change uses one space.

Block graphics

Teletext pictures are made of chunky blocks. Switch the Txt button to Gfx to draw instead of type. In graphics mode the colour swatches set the graphics colour.

Each character cell splits into a 2×3 grid of six little blocks (a "sextant"). Tap the blocks in Draw block to switch them on and off and build a shape:

Use Sep for separated blocks (a thin gap around each) or Cont for solid, contiguous blocks.

Attributes

Attributes change how the text after them looks. Like colours, each takes one cell.

Double
Double-height text — grand for headings. It borrows the line below, so leave it free.
Normal
Return to normal height after a double-height run.
Flash
Make the following text blink, just like the classic pages.
Steady
Stop flashing and hold the text steady.
Conceal
Hide the text until it's revealed — handy for quiz answers and surprises.
Sep
Separated block graphics (small gaps between blocks).
Cont
Contiguous block graphics (solid, joined-up blocks).
New BG
Fill the background from here on with the current colour.
Blk BG
Set the background back to black.

Row tools

Centre
Centre the text on the current row.
Clear row
Wipe the current row and start again.

How colour "sticks"

A colour or attribute affects everything to its right on the same line, and each new line starts fresh in white. That single control cell is why a colour change nudges your text along by one space — it's authentic teletext behaviour, not a bug.

Saving & where it appears

Press Save and your page is stored privately against your account. Type 998 any time to read it, and its title shows in the CALMFAX contents on the front page. Come back and edit it whenever you like.

Tip: start simple. A yellow double-height title, a line of cyan text and a small block graphic go a long way. You can always add more later.
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