YEARBOOK EDITION USER GUIDE. a service provided by

Transcription

1 YEARBOOK EDITION USER GUIDE a service provided by

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3 Pixami User Guide Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction... 1 Basic Steps to Creating a Yearbook...1 User Login...2 Navigation Header...2 Main Dashboard....3 Chapter 2 Manage Users... 5 Creating New Users....5 Assigning Roles...6 Chapter 3 Manage Sections... 7 Creating a New Section...7 Preview and Info....8 Organizing Sections...8 Reordering Sections...8 Modifying section properties...8 Assigning Staff Users to a Section....9 Arrange Pages...9 Split and Merge Down Chapter 4 Manage Photos Uploading New Photos...11 Editing Photos Essential Tools...12 Effects Edges...14 Organizing Photos...14 Moving Photos...14 Copying Photos...14 Deleting Photos...14 PIXAMI USER GUIDE iii

4 Uploading Submitted Portraits...15 Adding Custom Clip Art...15 Chapter 5 Edit Sections Editing Sections...19 Toolbar...19 Pasteboard...19 Palettes Editing Photos within the Layout Crop Borders Flip/Rotate Effects Delete More Modifying Text and Its Properties Edit Color and Borders Rotate Delete More Group Selection Tools Select Multiple Objects Select Multiple Objects - Toolbar Chapter 6 Panel Pages (Edit Sections) Flowing Portrait Panels Flowing Teacher Large Portrait Panels Flowing Multiple Folders Chapter 7 Review Sections iv PIXAMI USER GUIDE

5 Chapter 1 Introduction Thank you for using Strawbridge Studios, Inc., as your yearbook publisher and for using Pixami as your online tool for yearbook creation. This user guide will take you step-by-step through the creation of the yearbook from how to get your yearbook organized to submitting the yearbook for production. With Pixami, all the work can be done by a single advisor or delegated to others such as students in a class or club setting. Multiple users may work on the yearbook simultaneously working on their own assigned sections in a collaborative workflow. And, since it's online, the advisor and other users do not have to be at school to work on the yearbook. Basic Steps to Creating a Yearbook The yearbook creation process can be broken down into these simple steps: Create users and assign them roles (if applicable). Create sections and organize them using a ladder diagram. Upload photos for each section to be used as candids or submitted portraits. Edit the content of each section. Review the sections for corrections. Once all corrections are made and sections are approved, order a proof book. Note The portraits may not be ready at the time the advisor is ready to begin working on the book. Once Strawbridge Studios receives the portraits from the school's photography company and the associated information has been vetted, the portraits will be uploaded to the yearbook's site. Please let Strawbridge Studios know beforehand if the portraits need to be uploaded by teacher, by grade, or by another sort order. Also, letting Strawbridge Studios know how the teachers and/or assistants will be flowed (with the class or as an enlarged separate portrait) will help in making sure that portraits are uploaded correctly. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

6 User Login FIGURE 1-1 Each school's yearbook is self-contained on its own website. There is no sharing of resources among other schools, therefore allowing Pixami to run smoothly and efficiently. When the advisor or another user goes to their yearbook's site, they are presented with a login screen. Advisors are provided with a default login by Strawbridge Studios to begin working on the book. Each subsequent user is created by the advisor as needed. Navigation Header At the top right-hand corner of every page in Pixami is the Navigation Header. Go to a drop-down menu that allows quick navigation to the other sections of Pixami. Video help please refer to the Strawbridge Studios website ( for detailed video tutorials on specific functions of Pixami. Help a help screen overlays the page giving information about the functions of the current page. Home page returns the user to the Main Dashboard. Log out logs the user out of Pixami. 2 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

7 Main Dashboard FIGURE 1-2 Once a user logs into Pixami, they are presented with the Main Dashboard. The Main Dashboard has access to all of the main pages of Pixami Manage Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, Edit Sections, and Review Sections. Depending on the role of a user, the Main Dashboard will only allow access to those pages in which the role has privileges. For example, a Viewer role will only see the Manage Sections option available while a Staff role will see the Manage Sections, Manage Photos, and Edit Sections options. Only the Advisor role will have access to the Review Sections option. Note The Navigation Header will also be limited to the same options available based on the privileges of the user's role. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 3

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9 Chapter 2 Manage Users Available to Editor and Advisor roles. FIGURE 2-1 Click New User to begin creating a new user. Enter the requested information and click OK. After creating a new user, assign the user to a role and click Submit. The Manage Users section allows the advisor to setup other users to help facilitate the production of the yearbook. Each user can be assigned a role that will give that user specific responsibilities. To create a new user and assign a role to the user, follow these steps. Creating New Users Click New User. Enter the user s address, first name, last name, and password. After confirming the password, click OK when complete. FIGURE 2-2 Input the requested information and click OK. CHAPTER 2: MANAGE USERS 5

10 Assigning Roles Once a new user has been created, the user must be assigned to a role according to the level of participation the user will have in creating the yearbook. The roles are described below along with the sections of Pixami to which each role has access. Note Each role, beginning with Photographer, includes the access level of the previous role. Viewer (Manage Sections) this role only allows access to view the book from the Manage Sections page. Photographer (Manage Sections & Manage Photos) including being able to view the book, this role allows the user to upload photos and clip art to Pixami. Staff (Manage Sections, Manage Photos, & Edit Sections) this user can edit the section(s) of the book in which the user was assigned by the Editor or Advisor along with viewing the book and uploading images. Editor (Manage Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, & Edit Sections) this role should be assigned to those that are responsible for organizing the yearbook and determining who is responsible for each section. Editors have the following expanded responsibilities: 1. create new users and assign roles 2. create new sections, modify section details, and reorder sections 3. upload, manipulate, organize, and delete photos 4. edit any section Advisor (Manage Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, Edit Sections, & Review Sections) the Advisor role has full access to Pixami which includes all of the responsibilities of the previous roles in addition to access for reviewing and approving the yearbook for submission. 1. download proof PDFs 2. reject sections needing corrections 3. approve sections ready for print Note By deselecting all of the roles by a user s name, that user will no longer have access to Pixami. 6 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

11 Chapter 3 Manage Sections Available to Viewer, Photographer, and Staff roles to view the yearbook only. Expanded section management tools given to Editor and Advisor roles. FIGURE 3-1 There are two main areas within the Manage Sections page section details and a ladder diagram. Color-coded pages in the ladder diagram correspond to the pages setup in the section details. A Show images button is available to see a thumbnail overview of the book s progress. The Manage Sections area of Pixami is the place to setup the structure of the yearbook. Here you will be able to create new sections, organize the sections into their proper order, modify section details, and assign the sections to Staff users. Creating a New Section Click on New Section. FIGURE 3-2 Enter section details such as the section name, a color code for a quick visual reference, and the number of pages. Select a background theme (optional). Once done, click OK and the new section will appear in the section details. CHAPTER 3: MANAGE SECTIONS 7

12 Section details are arranged into columns beginning with the section name and its assigned color code, the page count of the section, the page numbers of the section, and the status of the section. The Actions column will contain a number of links for affecting the section and will vary depending on the user type. Actions include links for previewing, getting info on page history, editing the section, splitting the section, and merging the section with the section below it. A ladder diagram containing the total number of contracted pages appears on the right-hand side. The pages will be color coded based on the color you assign to a section giving a quick visual reference on where the section is located in the book. A Show images button is available allowing a thumbnail overview of the book s progress to be toggled on or off. Note If the number of contracted pages need to be increased, please contact your yearbook representative to have it approved as pricing may be affected. Preview and Info Preview This link enables the user to view the section and is available to all roles. Info This link provides a comprehensive log of section activity. It lists user access, section events, and notes. This feature is useful in coordinating a multiple user project. Organizing Sections FIGURE 3-3 Reordering sections Sections can be moved around to place them in their proper order. Just click and hold on the color chip and move it up or down to where the section needs to be relocated (Figure 3-3). The program will automatically update the page numbers in the section to its new position in the book. A warning may pop up alerting the Advisor or Editor that by moving a particular section to a new location a spread within that section or in sections that will move as a result will break depending on even and odd page counts of the section. 8 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

13 Modifying section properties The properties of a section may be changed after it has been created. An Edit link appears to the right of the section in the section details. Clicking on it will open the shown dialog box (Figure 3-4). Here the section s name, page allotment, and color code may all be changed. FIGURE 3-4 Note A section can be deleted by changing the number of pages in the section to zero. A confirmation window will appear to make sure the section is to be deleted as it cannot be undone. Assigning Staff Users to a Section While modifying a section s properties, a Staff user may be assigned to that section. Click Edit beside a section to modify its properties. A list of Staff users will be listed on the right-hand side of the dialog box (Figure 3-4). Click the user s check box to assign them to that section and click OK. Arrange Pages The order of pages within a section can be rearranged. Click Arrange Pages in the Actions column of the section to which it pertains. In the resulting window (Figure 3-5), rearrange pages by clicking and dragging them to new positions. FIGURE 3-5 CHAPTER 3: MANAGE SECTIONS 9

14 Split and Merge Down Split This link allows the user to divide sections which contain multiple pages into two separate sections. Merge Down Sections can be combined with the section beneath to form one large section. Note Splitting and Merging sections can result in a variety of layout issues. Pay attention to any warning dialogs which may appear when splitting or merging sections. 10 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

15 Chapter 4 Manage Photos Available to Staff and Photographer roles to upload photos and clip art. Editor and Advisor roles can organize, manipulate, and delete photos. FIGURE 4-1 Manage Photos is the area of Pixami where photographs, portraits, and custom clip art can all be imported. Photographer users and above can upload images into a catch all folder or into specific folders that are automatically set up as each section is created while Editor and Advisor users can manipulate images, move or copy from one folder to another, or delete images permanently. The Manage Photos section is divided into three areas Photo folders, image browser, and Edit photos. The Photo folders section contains the uploader bring images into Pixami. As you create sections, a corresponding folder will be created automatically. The image browser shows thumbnails of the photos uploaded into the folders. The names of images, portraits, and clip art can be modified here. Edit photos allows the physical manipulating of images, moving and copying of photos from one folder to another, and deleting photos permanently. Uploading New Photos Either create a new folder or click on an existing folder to where the images are to be uploaded. Click the Upload photos button. Next, click Add Files in the dialog box that appears( Figure 4-2). You may add as many images as you want at one time and click Open. Repeat the process for more images in other locations to upload to the same folder. Files will upload two at a time while the others are queued. As one image finishes uploading, another will begin until the queue is cleared. If there are any problems with the images (too small, wrong color space, etc.), a warning will appear in red under the image progress bar. Images that are overly large will be resized automatically. CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS 11

16 FIGURE 4-2 Once all the images have been uploaded, the Upload photos dialog box can be closed. Editing Photos In the Manage Photos section of Pixami, an Editor or Advisor has the ability to manipulate photos. These tools include basic enhancements, image effects, and edge effects. To access the image editor, click the check mark beside the photo and click Edit selected photo from the bottom left pane (Figure 4.1). Note Once finished and enhancements have been saved, the enhanced image will be saved as a new image in the same photo folder as the original. Essential Tools Under the Essential Tools tab (Figure 4-3) are some basic image enhancements. Here is a list of the enhancements available. Rotate image clockwise or counter-clockwise at 90 intervals. Flip image on the horizontal or vertical axis. Enhancement tools (Select Tool) 1. Brightness and Contrast (sliders for both) 2. Auto-Fix (application only) 3. Sharpen (slider) 4. Crop the crop tool has a second drop-down menu with preset options. If an image is to be cropped without a specific aspect ratio, use Not constrained. The other options 4x6 Print, 5x7 Print, 8x10 Print will constrain the crop box to those sizes. 12 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

17 5. Fix Red-Eye (automatic) Undo, Redo, & Revert options Undo and Redo allow the user to step backward or forward to see if a enhancement is wanted or not. Revert, however, returns the edited image to its original state and cannot be undone or previous enhancements redone. FIGURE 4-3 Effects This tab (Figure 4-4) contains some common digital effects. They may be selected from the Select Effect drop-down menu. 1. Blur (slider) 2. Cartoon (application only) 3. Emboss (application only) 4. Pixellate (slider) 5. Posterize (slider) 6. Sepia (application only) 7. Convert to Gray (application only) 8. Invert (apply only) Undo, Redo, and Revert are again available for unwanted changes. FIGURE 4-4 CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS 13

18 FIGURE 4-5 Edges The Edges tab (Figure 4-5) contains edge effects that can be applied to the images. These, however, do not provide a transparent mask around the image. If applied and placed onto a page with a background, the background will not show through the outer edge of the image. It will have a white frame. Any unwanted changes may be undone, redone, or reverted back to the original. Organizing Photos FIGURE 4-6 Moving Photos To move photos from one folder to another, click the check box beside the image followed by Move selected photos in the bottom-left pane. Select the folder in which the photo is to be moved from the drop-down menu in the dialog box. Copying Photos By clicking Copy selected images instead, the selected image will remain in its original folder and a copy will be made into the new folder. Deleting Photos Photos can be deleted by clicking the red option Delete selected photos after selecting the desired images to be deleted. A warning box will appear to confirm this is the desired operation. 14 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

19 Uploading Submitted Portraits The yearbook company publishing the yearbook will upload the portraits taken by the school photography company. However, there may be those students who were unable to have their portraits taken on portrait day. If they are to be included, the Editor or Advisor can upload those portraits under the Portraits tab in the Manage Photos section page of Pixami (Figure 4-1). Select the Portraits tab in the photo manager Go to the teacher s folder in which to upload the missing student s image. If a new class needs to be created, click Add new folder on the left. Next, click the Upload photos button. This will be the same process as uploading a regular image. Once the upload is complete and the uploader is closed, the name under the photo will be the filename of the image that was uploaded. To give the student a proper name, click on the filename and type in the correct name. It must be last name, comma and space, and then first name. Press Enter on the keyboard when done. Note For submitted portraits, it is best to precrop the images to the proper ratio to match those of the images taken by the school photography company. The submitted portraits cannot be uploaded to the Photos tab to crop and then moved to the Portraits tab. Any enhancements to portraits must be done in an outside photo editor like Photoshop or GIMP and then uploaded to the Portraits tab. If you are unsure of what the ratio is, please contact Strawbridge Studios for assistance. Adding Custom Clip Art Pixami is full of its own provided clip art. However, if the Editor or Advisor would like to upload custom clip art, it may be done in the Clip Art tab of the Manage Photos page. For clip art to print properly and have the desired effect, it is recommended that the image be 1200 pixels on its longest side, in RGB color space, and unflattened (transparent background). The image should be saved as a.png file. An outside photo editor such as Photoshop or GIMP will be required. Uploading clip art to the Clip Art tab follows the same process as uploading images and portraits. CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS 15

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21 Chapter 5 Edit Sections Available only to Staff, Editor, and Advisor roles. FIGURE 5-1 Edit Sections is the page where the yearbook creation process begins in full. As Figure 5-1 shows, the sections have been created and organized from the Manage Sections page. The Edit Sections page can show the current status of each section, give access to the sections to edit them, and mark a section as complete for the Advisor to review before submitting the book to the publisher. The ladder is also present as well as the Show images toggle to show where each section is located in the book and its thumbnail if desired. The yearbook status will show four states In Progress, Checked out, Complete, and Reviewed. In Progress the section has yet to be or is still being edited. Checked out someone is currently working on the section. Complete the section has been marked complete and is awaiting the Advisor s review. Reviewed the advisor has reviewed and approved the section for printing. CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 17

22 FIGURE 5-2 FIGURE 5-3 The Info link gives a detailed summary of who has edited the section and any messages that may have been sent by the Advisor if a section has been rejected (Figure 5-2). A section may be rejected due to corrections or changes the Advisor may want the one editing the section to make. If a section has been rejected, a small triangle with an exclamation point will appear beside the section s name (Figure 5-3). The Edit Section link is the access point to actually designing the yearbook pages. More on this in the next section. Note If for some reason Internet connection is lost, work can be picked up where it was left off by clicking Continue Editing by the section the user was editing. When a Staff, Editor, or even Advisor user is done editing their section, they will click on Mark Complete. The status of the section will be changed to Complete and only the Info link will be made available. For one reason or another an Editor or Advisor may need to access a section that is currently checked out by someone else. By clicking Force Check-in beside a checked-out section, the Editor or Advisor can then gain access to that section. Any work that had been done or was being done at that point will be saved and access granted to the Editor or Advisor. 18 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

23 Editing Sections Clicking on Edit Section beside a section of the yearbook will open the layout editor (Figure 5-4). The layout editor is divided into three main sections the toolbar at the top, the pasteboard in the middle, and the palettes on the right. All the work to edit the pages takes place here. FIGURE 5-4 Toolbar Following is a description of each icon in the toolbar. Undo undoes up to five actions. Redo redoes up to five (undone) actions. Enlarge layout cycles pasteboard size between small, medium and large. Add Image Frame places a new image frame on the page in which to place photos. Add Text Frame places a new text frame on the page to add text. Add Digital Link this feature facilitates in the creation of a digital link (QR code) which can be placed on a page. These links can be scanned by mobile devices to access online content such as videos or web pages. CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 19

24 Previous Page goes to the previous page or spread in a multi-page section. Next Page goes to the next page or spread in a multi-page section. Toggle Grid turns on or off a visible layout grid. The grid is displayed in increments of one-quarter of an inch (.25 ), but objects snap to the grid in increments of one-eighth of an inch (.125 ) whether or not the grid is turned on. Flip Layout allows user to flip the design arrangement on a left or right page or the entire spread. Save Layout if a layout has been customized and would like to be used again later in the book, the layout can be saved to the Custom option of the Layout tab. This only saves placement of image and text frames of the layout. No backgrounds, images, or specific copy is saved. Preview opens a larger preview of the book that can be looked at more closely. Cancel checks out of a section without saving any work currently being done. Done checks out of a section and saves work that has been done. FIGURE 5-5 Pasteboard The pasteboard is where the pages are edited (Figure 5-5). A default 20 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

25 template is presented on the pages when a section is being edited for the first time. On the outer edge of the pages are two gray areas. The darker gray area is the bleed. Any background or image that is extended to the edge of the book must extend to this area. The lighter gray area is a safety margin. Anything that is not desired to be cut off when the book is made should stay away from this area. The white area is where the majority of the book's content should be. Editing a yearbook page follows this basic order: Choose a Layout pick a premade layout template from the Layouts palette and drag it onto the page. The template can be used as is or image and text frames can be added, deleted, and moved around as needed. If a template has been customized, it can be saved by clicking the Save Layout ( ) button in the toolbar. These layouts will be saved in the Custom option of the Layouts palette. Add a Background choose from various backgrounds already in Pixami from the Backgrounds palette. If a custom background is desired an image of adequate size and resolution can be used as a background. See the following section, Editing Photos Within the Layout - Fill Page for details. Add Photos drag photos from the Photos palette into image frames or drag them directly onto a page. A photo can be edited within its frame by selecting an image frame and clicking the appropriate icons in its Toolbar. Edit Text Frames add text such as headlines, body copy, and captions to tell a story about the photos. As with an image frame, a selected text frame will display a toolbar which contains editing options. Add Clip Art and Elements dress up the page with clip art and other design elements from the Clip Art and Elements palettes. There are many to choose from in Pixami or custom clip art can be created and uploaded using the Manage Photos page (see Chapter 4). Once a page is done, either navigate to the next page in the section ( or ) to continue or click Done ( ) in the Toolbar to save and check out of the section. If a section's layout is not going as planned, click Cancel ( ) to check out without saving and start over. CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 21

26 FIGURE 5-5 Palettes On the right-hand side of the pasteboard are palettes that contain specific elements Layouts, Backgrounds, Photos, Clip Art, Elements, and Custom Layouts. Click a tab to activate a palette. Layouts this palette contains the premade layout templates. The dropdown menu provides a variety of templates to choose from that will fit with whatever section of the book is being worked on advertising, collage, general, portrait panels, and others. By selecting a category from the Category drop-down, the palette will populate with different variations from which to choose. Custom Layouts save modified or built layouts for future use by clicking the Save Layout ( ) button. These saved layouts can then be found in the Custom Layout palette. FIGURE 5-6 Photos access photos that have been uploaded to Pixami through the Photos palette. 1. Change source click this link to access photos located in the Manage Photos section. Once a photos folder is chosen, photos will appear in the Photos palette. Drag and drop them into an image frame, or simply drag them directly onto the pasteboard. 2. Auto fill this link will automatically drop all of the photos of a selected folder into any available image frame on the page(s). This works well with collage templates and panel pages. 3. Add photos use this link to upload photos directly to the current source. Note Photos used will have a blue circle with a check mark inside over the top middle of an image to designate that photo has been used. 22 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

27 FIGURE 5-7 Backgrounds as with the Layouts palette, there are various categories of backgrounds relevant to any section of the yearbook. By clicking on the Folder drop-down, a variety of backgrounds can be chosen to fit the section's subject from basic borders to textures to thematic illustrations. All of the backgrounds available are ideal for sections that are designed in spreads, however, they can be used on single-page sections as well. Also, if a background needs to be removed, just go to the Color Palette folder, scroll down to white, and drag that background onto the page(s). Clip Art the Clip Art palette contains the clip art. Again, as with the Layouts and Backgrounds palettes, there is plenty of thematic elements that can be chosen to dress up the page. If custom clip art has been uploaded to Pixami in the Manage Photos page (see Chapter 4), it can found in the Folder drop-down listed under the folder made when it was uploaded. For clip art to be placed on a page, an image frame does not need to be created beforehand. Just drag and drop the clip art wherever it is needed. Once placed on the pasteboard, selected clip art will display a small tool bar docked on the top of its frame ( ). The three icons as they appear in the tool bar left to right are flipping and rotation controls, delete, and duplicating and layering controls, respectively. The size of clip art is changed by clicking and dragging a corner of the clip art frame towards or away from the center of the clip art frame. FIGURE 5-8 CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 23

28 FIGURE 5-9 Elements put simply, the Elements palette is Clip Art 2. It is virtually identical to the Clip Art palette in function and structure, differing only in content. Where the Clip Art palette contains strictly pictorial graphics, the Elements palette hosts a catalog of decorative graphics useful in page design and embellishing other page graphics. FIGURE 5-10 Editing Photos within the Layout Photos placed into a layout can be edited to some degree but not with all of the same options as if done in the Manage Photos section of Pixami. When selected, a toolbar will be displayed along the top edge of a Photo (Figure 5-10). The following are descriptions of each of the features on this toolbar. Crop ( ) Crop allows the user to change the size and proportions of a photo frame to omit a portion of the photo and focus on a specific area. Click the Crop icon on a selected photo then, in the preview window, drag the corners of the yellow crop box to adjust its size. Once the size has been changed, the crop box can be panned within the frame by clicking and dragging it to the desired location on the photo. Click Apply for the crop preview to take effect. For the best results, work between using the Crop tool and resizing the image frame. Borders ( ) Click the Borders icon then click and drag 24 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

29 the slider in the resulting preview window to create a simple, solid border. Click the color box next to the slider then choose from the variety of colors offered or use the eye dropper tool to sample a color from the pasteboard. A drop shadow can also be applied here by clicking the box. Click Apply for any border or drop shadow to take effect. Note When applying a border and with other edge effects there is the option to apply the settings to all. This will apply the settings to any and all image frames on the pasteboard. This can be a useful, time saving feature when it is necessary to apply the same border or edge effect to many images. Flip/Rotate ( ) This tool allows a photo to be inverted or turned as needed. Clicking the icon opens a drop-down menu which provides a series of choices for flipping and rotating. Effects ( ) The Effects feature offers a variety of filters and other controls for altering an images appearance. Click the Effects icon to open the drop-down menu. Descriptions of the menu options follow. Sharpen Sharpen applies a sharpening mask to the image to improve the photos detail. Click Sharpen to apply, click Sharpen again to undo the effect. Image Effects these effects AutoFix, Grayscale, and Sepia are automatically applied to photos when selected. To undo, choose None. Image Filter Pixellate, Posterize, Emboss, and Cartoon are Photoshoplike filters that can be applied to photos. Again, select None to undo the change. Image Fill these options instruct the photo how to fill its frame. All images are scaled proportionately. 1. Scale to Fit the photo will be scaled so the entire image will be shown regardless if it fills the frame or not. 2. Scale to Fill the photo will be scaled so the entire frame is filled from the center of the frame outward. Some portions of the image may be cut off and will need to be panned using the Zoom and Crop tab so the desired cropping is corrected. 3. Scale to Fill (Top) the photo will be scaled so the entire frame is filled from the top downward. Again, some portions of the image may be cut off and will need to be fixed in the Zoom and Crop tab to achieve the desired cropping. Delete ( ) Clicking the Delete icon gives the user the choice of deleting the image CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 25

30 frame from the pasteboard completely, or simply clearing the image from the frame so that another image can be placed in it. More ( ) More provides a variety of extra miscellaneous but extremely useful features. Duplicate this creates a copy of an image frame including the content and any applied effects to the image or frame. Lock this locks the frame to prevent it from being moved accidentally. If the frame is of desired size and position, check this box to lock it in place. Once locked, the option to Unlock the frame will appear in the More drop-down menu. Fill Page this option provides a quick way to enlarge an image frame so that its content fills either the entire page or the entire spread. This is often a means of having an image take the effective role of a background. As such, the options to additionally send images to the back of the layer order are provided in the drop-down menu. Once the image has been expanded, use the Crop tool to adjust how the image fits into the page or spread. Note Be advised that an image which is to fill a page or spread should be of adequate resolution to avoid pixellation x dpi for a full page 17.25x dpi for a spread Layer manages the order in which image frames will appear on the pasteboard in relation to all other page objects (image frames, clip art, text frames, etc.) except the background. When placement of objects causes one object to overlap another, it may be desirable to change their layer order to control which of the objects sits over the other. The layer dropdown menu provides options to move image frames forward and send them back. Transparency this allows the opacity of an image to be reduced making it transparent. Click Transparency and then move the resulting slider bar to the desired degree of transparency. This feature is often used to tone down an image being used as a background. 26 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

31 Modifying Text and Its Properties Similar to other objects on the pasteboard, text frames, when selected, will display a toolbar docked to the top edge of the frame (Figure 5-11). The following are descriptions of the features in the toolbar and their various functions. Edit ( ) To add text to text frames and make edits to existing text, select the text frame the text is to be added to. Then, click on the Edit icon in the toolbar. This will open a preview box (Figure 5-12). FIGURE 5-11 FIGURE 5-12 Copy click in the preview box then type or paste text. Font click in the font box at the top left corner of the preview box. Then, select a font from the font catalog. Font size select all, or a portion of text in the text preview box. Then, click in the font size box at the top of the text preview box to select from any of the preset point sizes. Bold/Italic select a portion of text. Then, click on the bold or italic buttons at the top of the text preview box. Align text six buttons are located at the top of the text preview box to align text horizontally and vertically in the text frame. When all edits have been made, click Apply to have the new properties take effect Note As with photo frames, text frames come with an Apply To All button. Click this to apply text properties to all of the text frames on the page. CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 27

32 Color and Borders ( ) Color can be applied individually to text, the space within a text frame, and to text frame borders. As with image frames, borders and drop shadows are can also be applied to text frames. Click the Color and Border icon to access the controls for these functions (Figure 5-13). Text Color Click the Text Color box to open the swatch window. Choose FIGURE 5-13 from the variety of colors offered or use the eye dropper tool to sample a color from the pasteboard. Border click and drag the Border slider to create a simple, solid border. Click the color box next to the slider to choose a color for the border. Fill click the Fill color box and choose a color. Click and drag the transparency slider to set the desired degree of fill color transparency. Drop Shadow check the Drop Shadow box to apply a drop shadow to both the text frame border and the text. Click Apply to have the Color and Borders settings take effect. Note Clicking Apply To All will apply Color and Borders settings to all text frames on the pasteboard. Rotate ( ) Click the Rotate icon to access a drop-down menu which provides a series of choices for rotating a text frame and its text. Delete ( ) Clicking the Delete icon gives the user the choice of deleting the text frame from the pasteboard, or simply clearing all text within the text frame. 28 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

33 More ( ) More provides a variety of extra miscellaneous but extremely useful features. Duplicate this creates a copy of an text frame including the content and any applied attributes to the text or frame. Expand allows the user to enlarge a text frame a small amount without the danger of accidentally moving it. When Expand is clicked on, the text frame will enlarge in the direction opposite its text alignment settings. Layer manages the order in which text frames will appear on the pasteboard in relation to all other page objects (image frames, clip art, text boxes, etc.) except the background. When placement of objects causes one object to overlap another, it may be desirable to change their layer order to control which of the objects sits over the other. The layer drop-down menu provides options to move text frames forward and send them back. Lock this locks the text frame to prevent it from being moved accidentally. If the frame is of the desired size and position, check this box to lock it in place. Once locked, the option to Unlock the frame will appear in the More drop-down menu. Group Selection Tools While most object arrangement (image frames, text frames, clip art, and elements are all objects) can be accomplished with click and drag actions, Pixami has provided some tools based on multiple object selection which save time and facilitate more precision object positioning. Select Multiple Objects Several objects can be selected at the same time by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on objects. A red dashed box will appear to contain the group of selected objects (Figure 5-14). FIGURE 5-14 Once selected in this manner, the objects can be moved to a new position on the pasteboard, all as one unit, while keeping their same position in CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS 29

34 relation to each other. Pressing the Ctrl key while clicking on any of the already selected objects will remove it from the selection. Simply selecting a different object on the pasteboard will release the selection completely. Select Multiple Objects - Toolbar ( ) A toolbar will be displayed at the top of the rectangle border which contains a group of selected objects. Duplicate this will create a second instance of the selected group of objects. Align this provides options for aligning objects by the left, right, top or bottom edge of their frames. Options for making object frames the same size are also available here. Delete delete the group of objects all at once. 30 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

35 Chapter 6 Panel Pages (Edit Sections) Panel pages are the section of the yearbook where the students' portraits are placed either by teacher, team, or grade. The organization in which the students will be flowed should be determined before your yearbook company uploads the portraits to your site. If the students will be placed by teacher, teachers should be delegated each to their own section. Flowing Portrait Panels Open the teacher's (or team or grade) section by clicking on Edit Section. Click the Portrait Wizard link in the Layouts palette A dialog box will open for selecting portrait folders (Figure 6-1) Drag and drop the portrait folder to be placed from the left list over to the right list. Click OK. FIGURE 6-1 Note This step can be skipped. Blank panels can be created and populated later. Use the Portrait Wizard window to configure a panel layout (Figure 6-2). FIGURE 6-2 Note Flowing a panel will clear a page of any objects that have been placed upon it. To prevent this, check the Keep non-portrait elements box in the Flow Settings portion of the Portrait Wizard window before configuring a panel layout. 1. Preview the Panel click the Apply to Page button, located in the Apply and Save area of the window, to display a preview of the panel that is CHAPTER 6: PANEL PAGES 31

36 being configured. Once the preview is displayed, it will continuously update to reflect the portrait and text settings as the user changes them. 2.Configure Portrait Settings use the drop-down lists in the Portrait Settings portion of the Portrait Wizard to determine the number, arrangement, position, and appearance of the portraits in the panel grid. a. Select the number of rows and columns. b. Select the size of top and bottom margins. This affects the amount of space available for using headers or footers. c. Select a minimum image gap. This will determine how much space will be between portrait frames. Large amounts of space can result in smaller portrait sizes d. Teacher Frame - this puts a large portrait frame for the teacher in the first position of the panel grid. Instructions for using large teacher frames follow later in the section. e. Apply an oval, border of variable color and thickness, or drop shadow to portraits. Note Any unused spaces in a panel page will not print, including the associated name text frames. 3.Configure Text Settings select the attributes for text placement, and appearance in the Text Setting portion of the Portrait Wizard. a. If using a header, select the font, point size and color for the header. Type header text in the field provided. b. Select the font, point size, and color for portrait names. Warning signs will appear to indicate instances where name text does not fit. c. Select name position - names centered below the portraits or in a column next to the portrait grid. Note that there are different options for name fitting for the two positions. d. Select the order of first and last name display. 4.Multi Page Flow if the folder being flowed spans several pages, click on the Previous Page and Next Page links located in the Apply and Save portion of the Portrait Wizard to move through the pages. When settings are applied to pages, portraits being flowed from the selected portrait folder will continue in a portrait grid starting from where the previous page left off. Panel settings can be applied to all pages or can be altered as needed and then applied, e.g. when flowing portraits by a grade consisting of 230 students, a header might be applied to the first page but removed from the settings for the following pages. Note Whether flowing panels on a single page or multiple pages, be sure that all portraits in a folder have been flowed. A message located below the panel preview indicates if portraits have not been used and provides calculations of the number of pages needed to flow all portraits using given settings. 32 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

37 5.Saving Panel Layouts saving panel settings saves time and gives panel pages consistency. In the Apply and Save portion of the Portrait Wizard, enter a description of the settings (e.g. 4th Grade Pages) in the provided field and then click the Save Settings button. The panel settings can now easily be accessed in the adjacent drop-down menu and applied when flowing portraits in other sections of the yearbook. Click the OK button to flow the panel and exit the Portrait Wizard. Once flowed, panels can be reconfigured by clicking on the Portrait Wizard link and repeating the previous steps. Flowing Teacher Large Portrait Panels While the Portrait Wizard provides a panel option for a enlarged teacher frame, it is not capable of populating it with a portrait. Instead, the enlarged frame is skipped and portraits flow into the panel starting in the first standard sized portrait frame (Figure 6-3). Due to this short coming, a few extra steps are necessary to flow teacher large portrait panels. In Manage Photos, create a new folder called Teacher Portraits. Move all teacher portraits from their class folder to the Teacher Portraits folder. Return to a panel page in Edit Sections. Use the Portrait Wizard to configure and flow a teacher large portrait panel. Click the Photos tab and then Click the Change source link to access the previously made Teacher Portraits folder. Drag and drop the teacher portrait into the large portrait frame. Edit the text frame below the teacher portrait to add the teacher name. (Figure 6-4) FIGURE 6-3 FIGURE 6-4 CHAPTER 6: PANEL PAGES 33

38 FIGURE 6-5 Flowing Multiple Folders The best and simplest way to flow portrait folders (classes) to sections is to create one section for each folder to be flowed. It is sometimes necessary, however, to combine a number of folders together to either flow across several pages, or to place a few small classes onto one page. Pixami offers some flexibility in the Portrait Wizard to accommodate these conditions. Open the section in Edit Sections, select the Layouts tab, and then click the Portrait Wizard link. In the Select Portrait Folders window, drag and drop all of the portrait folders that are to be used. Click OK. (Figure 6-5) FIGURE 6-6 Configure a panel layout in the Portrait Wizard. When more than one portrait folder has been selected, more options will be available in Flow Settings to combine or divide the groups of portraits as needed. The Flow Settings in the Portrait Wizard shown below (Figure. 6-6) have been set to On the next line as the intention is to display two separate classes on the finished page. This specific case is an example of a common solution for flowing two classes on one page. Once on the pasteboard, the third row of portrait frames will be deleted. The second class will automatically move down to fill the portrait frames in rows four and five. Text boxes will be added to the layout to create headers for the two classes. 34 PIXAMI USER GUIDE

39 Chapter 7 Review Sections Available to the Advisor role only. FIGURE 7-1 When the sections are marked complete and ready to be reviewed, the Advisor will have the opportunity to check over the book and approve or reject sections before the submitting the book to Strawbridge Studios. A section marked complete will have the following options available in the Review Sections page of Pixami (Figure 7-1) Info, Preview, PDF Proof, Approve, or Reject. Info shows the same information detailing work that had been done as in the Edit Sections page (see Chapter 5). Preview see a soft copy preview of the section. Zoom in on a page for a closer look by clicking the magnifying glass icon ( ) under the respective page. PDF Proof the advisor can download a medium-res water-marked PDF of the section that can be printed out for a hard copy proof. Approve If there are no corrections needed in the section, the Advisor will click Approve to verify that the section is ready to be printed. The status of the section will change from Complete to Reviewed. If after a section has been approved and a correction needs to be made, Reject may be clicked to release the section for editing. CHAPTER 7: REVIEW SECTIONS 35

40 FIGURE 7-2 Reject the Advisor may reject a section for corrections that need to be made. When a section is rejected, a dialog box asking for the reason why the section was rejected will be displayed. The Advisor can then describe what changes are necessary. The user to whom the section has been assigned will automatically receive an of the Advisors rejection of the section along the Advisor's reasons for the rejection. FIGURE 7-3 Once all of the sections are approved, including the cover, an Order Proof button will appear at the bottom of the Review Sections page. Clicking this button will begin the proofing process with Strawbridge Studios by having Pixami create a high-res PDF to be sent to their server. When the process is started, a confirmation box will appear letting the Advisor know that the proofing process has begun. The Advisor should contact Strawbridge Studios to let them know that the proof book has been ordered. FIGURE PIXAMI USER GUIDE

41 Strawbridge Studios Support and Online Resources Here is some information for technical support with Pixami as well as links to online resources to self-train. Strawbridge Studios Yearbook Support You may contact Strawbridge Studio via or telephone or visit our website for online resources. : ybsupport@strawbridge.net : (800) : GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) GIMP is a free photo editing software available for both PC and Mac platforms. See GIMP's website for information on how to install and use the program. : Note Strawbridge Studios does not provide technical support for GIMP. PicMonkey PicMonkey is an online photo editing site which features a variety of free tools for photo manipulation. : Note Strawbridge Studios does not provide technical support for PicMonkey. Adobe Flash Some portions of Pixami do require Adobe Flash. Please make sure your Flash plug-in is up to date. : get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ SUPPORT & ONLINE RESOURCES 37

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