Editor Guide
Using your editor guide - This guide is an in depth explanation on how to use the editor. You may navigate to any of the sections contained in this guide by simply clicking the section name below, or you may scroll down through the guide.
- Product Selection � Choose the product that you want to create then press �Next�. Displayed Below.
- Background Selection- This next page will present you will with a selection of backgrounds. If you are only seeing the no background option then press the �Download� button to download the other backgrounds. Click the button as displayed below to download the backgrounds. In addition you can load your own images and use them as a background. Click load, and browse your computer to find your own personal backgrounds.
Select a background or no background and press the �Next� button. - Border Selection - The next page you are taken to asks you to choose the border that will be placed around your photographs, this can be changed later. Choose your border color and thickness and press �Finish� which will complete your Initial Setup.
Top >>
Counter Tool Bar - The screenshot below shows the lower tool bar. The �available photo placeholders� category indicates how many placeholders are currently available with the layouts and album chosen. The other three categories �poor/average/high quality photos used� indicates the quality of the photographs that you have selected.
When you place pictures into your layouts these indicator boxes will show symbols which will correspond to the symbols in the bottom of your pictures. This allows you to find which pictures you dropped into your album that are of poor/average/high quality.
This is an example of what it will look like.
Layouts Tool Bar - This will show what standard templates are available. You can create your own layouts by creating your own picture and text boxes (shown later). The layouts are categorized for you into the number of photos per page. The image below shows the �Layouts (< 4 Photos)�. To view the Layouts with more photos per page select the categories to the right that are labeled �Layouts (4-6 Photos)� or �Layouts (6> Photos)�.
NOTE: Products that have a die-cut cover will have only one layout for the first page. This image will show through the cut out box in the cover which is why it cannot be moved.
Top >>
 | - This screen shot shows the thumbnail tool bar which is located on the right side of the editor screen. This allows you to browse through your files to find images. Then click and drag the image into the designated image placeholders in order to move the images into your photo album. |
-Click on the "Online Image Resource" tab to view and select from a library of photos to add to your digital product. To use any of the photos, simply click and drag the image into the designated image placeholders. |
Top >>
� The screen shot below displays what is called the �Menu Bar�
File - This section allows you to do many functions such as save, new, etc�. Definitions to the some of these functions are listed below:
Convert - This is used to change your existing work to a different product or create multiple books with the same layout, text, and pictures. It will convert your existing work into a different product saving you time and effort. Displayed below is where it is located along with the product re-selection menu.
Auto Flow Photos � A function that will essentially allow you to group a bunch of pictures that you want to put in your album, then spontaneously place them into the album.
View - This section allows you to show or hide tool bars, and adjust your views and photographs. Definitions of these functions are listed below:
- Layout Templates / Thumbnails - These two options allow you to show or hide the �Layout Tool Bar� and the �Thumbnails Tool Bar�.
- Photo Adjustments � Allows you to change and choose color options such as (color, sepia, and grayscale), add borders, contrast, brighten, etc�. The image below has arrows indicating some of the options.
- Used Files � Displays information about files that you have used in your product such a size, location, etc�
- Zoom In/Zoom Out � Zooms in to display one page of the product, or out to display several.
- Page Layout � Two different options for views.
- Default Settings � Restores all of the settings to the default.
 | Design - This section allows you to alter the alignment, rotation, and cropping of your photographs. One of the options under this category is cropping. The screen shot adjacent shows you the dialog box that allows you to crop. It will maintain the same proportions that are needed to fit the image into the layout. For example: �If you have a tall and slender picture and you want to maximize the amount of the picture shown you must select the appropriate layout for that page. A layout with a tall and narrow photo placeholder would be most appropriate here.� |
Extra � This section contains several very useful options which make your editor more user-friendly. Below is a brief description of each function.
- Preview � This is a full page view of each page showing you what your book will look like.
- Get Price � This function will connect you to the internet and show you the price of the product that you are creating, excluding shipping and tax.
- Order � This function will take you to the upload page where your product design and pictures will be sent over the web to our database. Then you will be e-mailed further instructions on how to complete your order. The upload page will look like the screen shot below. If you have any issues uploading please refer to the help FAQ section.
- Move � This function will lock your images in place so that you cannot alter them. This function does not apply to individual images but the entire document.
- Front/Back � This function will allow you to choose which picture shows in the front if you have images on top of one another.
- Grid � This function will place grid marks on your pages. These marks will NOT show up when you submit your order and are there for the purpose of lining up your images. You can select the type and color of your grid lines. An important option is the �Snap to Grid� function which will allow you to have your pictures snap to the gridlines to ensure that they align vertically and horizontally to other pictures. The image below shows the grid dialog box and indicates the �Snap to Grid� option.
Top >>
The tool bar is just a quick way of accessing the menu bar. They are shortcuts in essence. If you need a description of the functions of each shortcut refer to earlier in this document for more information. The shortcut icons are labeled in the image below.
There is however one option listed in the tool bar that is not in the menu bar. The �add text box� and �add image box� functions work by selecting the page you want to drop them onto. Then you click the shortcut icon to drop a new box onto the page; you can then adjust the size of it appropriately.
Top >>
Left Click�Scale Your Photos� - by using the left click on the mouse on the edge of photo's place holders/photos and dragging it to stretch the box to the desired size. The editor is designed to keep the photo�s set dimensions which in turn can limit the stretching ability. This will prevent the image from becoming distorted.
�Rotate� - your photos by left clicking on a photo place holder, then left click on the green dot that is protruding from the photo place holder. Simply left click and drag around until the image is displayed properly.
�Move Pages Around� - by clicking on a page and dragging it in between two other pages then dropping it. This allows you to rearrange your pages without having to recreate them.
Right Click � If you right click on a photo placeholder a screen with options will pop up in a dialog box. All of these options you are familiar with as explained above in the previous sections. There are however additional options at the bottom of this dialog box. Run your arrow over the tiny arrow that points down at the very bottom of the dialog box. This will present you with more options. One important option is �Delete Place Holder� if you decide that you do not wish to use a place holder simply click on that option and it will disappear.
Top >>