Welcome to Crossword Designer

Designing a New Crossword

To start a new game from scratch you clck on the Crossword menu, and then select New Crossword. This takes you to the Crossword Designer page.

In the Crossword Designer page, you have the option of selecting a blank game from one of the supported sizes. Alternatively, you can select one of the templates.

The templates are shown graphically as small thumb prints. This allows you to quickly select the grid pattern you want for your new game.

If you don't like any of the templates start a new blank game and design the pattern as you like it. You will have the opportunity to make that pattern into a private template in the My Crosswords page.

Once you select the crossword template (or blank game) you like you are taken to the designer. If you selected a template, the template will be filled for you and all you have to do is enter the clues and words as needed.

If you change the block pattern you will have to renumber the grid or the grid will not verify. Renumbering the grid places the indexes on all the blocks that should be the begining of new words. In addition, the corresponding clue slots are displayes in the Across and Down panels on the right. If you did not renumber, clue slots corresponding to new words will not show at all and you will not be able to enter them.

Then you enter the words and clues you need to enter the various publication related information: the organization name, puzzle theme, publication date, your editor's name, and your name.

Once you have all the information in you should verify the game. If the game is fully loaded the game will be verified. Note that does not verify the contents to be correct or meaningful or acceptable. Only you can do that. Grig verification merely indicates that all the information is present and accounted for.

Other tools to aid in the construction of crosswords will be added to the sire in the future to aid with finding, selecting words and clues.