Design area

Adding pictures

To add pictures please drag them from File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) into the list at bottom of the design area, you may also add pictures using the button “Add pictures” at right bottom or the menu available right clicking over the pictures list at bottom.

To add pictures to a sheet drag them from the list at bottom into the sheet (left, right or middle). If you drag one picture to a picture already on this spread they will be swapped, if you drag one or more pictures to an empty place in the spread all old pictures will be replaced by the news, if you prefer to add the new pictures please press ALT while dragging and dropping the pictures on the sheet. Dropping more than one picture to a single picture in the spread has no action because one picture can’t be replaced by many.
You may drag also one picture to the border of one or two pictures, the new picture will be inserted between or at the border ( a red line appears).

At the right of the pictures list you will find an option to filter pictures by folder, you may select any combination of folders.

Moving or resizing pictures

To move a picture in his layer press CTRL / CMD and drag the mouse

To resize a picture in his layer press SHIFT and drag the mouse

To move a picture click to select it and drag the mouse. You may also select a group of pictures and move them together.

To resize a picture click to select it, then drag with the mouse from the borders or corners of the picture (in yellow). You may also select a group of pictures and resize them together.

To swap one picture with another in the same spread please press ALT and then drag the source picture to the target one, both pictures will be swapped.

Main menu

New album: To create a new album please select a folder and input a file name, this name will be used for the album database. Once accepted a window will open to set album sizes. You may input the size of the album sheet and the cover and back sizes.

Width and height must include margin sizes
Central guide is only to be used if you need a double central guide, this data indicates the separation between the two guides
If available you may select the predefined album size for your lab
Margins will be shown in the sheet design and will help you not to place important portions of an image, frames, texts, etc on the margins.

Edit album: Edits the current sizes of the album, you may create a copy of the album with a different size by entering a different file name and / or folder. All spreads will automaticall be resized to the new settings.

Open album: Opens an album by selecting the album database file. Album TD database files are in .db format.

Recent albums: Lists all recently opened albums, click at one to open it

Save all spreads: Saves all the spreads in the album database file. Shortcut is Ctrl+S or Cmd+S

Autodesign album: Designs all the album shpreads automatically. You have to select the pictures to be used, click at this option and input the number of spreads. You may also set the vertical and horizontal margin and separation between pictures for all the spreads. Once the automatic design is made you may modify it, add more spreads or remove them. Cover and back have to be designed manually.

Export to Photoshop: Exports the spreads to Adobe Photoshop© version CS to CC 2015, requires having Photoshop installed.

Export to JPG / TIFF: Saves all sheets and creates the final sheets in JPG or Tiff format into the folder you select, they are exported at final resolution and using the sizes input for the album. You also may split the sheets and create a PDF format preview or watermarked smaller previews for album proofing.

Preferences (in Mac this option is available at the left Album TD option) : Allows to adjust application preferences like:

Units ( cm or inches)
Language
Use pictures framing
Don’t show used pictures
Show / hidden guides
New spreads should be panoramic, if not selected all new spreads will be by default double paged
Dynamic preview, shows the layouts filled with the current pictures in the spread including backgrounds, clipart, etc as a true preview of the result you will get by selecting this layout.
Adjust layers to album margins, this option places the image layers into the safe area defined by the margins of the album except for images at full bleed.
Minutes between each automatic saving process, besides from this saving the application creates a backup each 2 hours with the suffix _backup
Adobe Photoshop version
Pictures editor. Selects the external pictures editor, you may use Adobe Photoshop or any other application capable of opening pictures included as executable parameter.

License: To input your license details and activate it.

New spread: Adds a new spread to the album. Shortcut is Ctrl+N or Cmd+N

New cover: Adds a cover to the album, only one cover can be added. Ctrl+O or Cmd+O

New backcover: Adds a back to the album, only one back can be added. Ctrl+B or Cmd+B

Get new layout: Replaces the layout of the currently active spread with another one randomly selected from the layouts list.

Simple view: One sheet is displayed in the design area and a Pictures / Spreads navigation list is available at bottom. To change pictures from one sheet to another drag it pressing ALT to the navigator and the target sheet will open in the design area, then drop the picture. Multiple view: All sheets are displayed at the same time and you may drag pictures to them, change the layout or add a background or clipart. If you need to resize or reposition pictures please use simple view. Click a spread to select it and double click to open it in the editor. In multiple view you may reorder the spreads by pressing Ctrl / Cmd and dragging them to a new position. You may use Ctrl / Cmd + M to change between multiple and simple view

Pictures: Shows the pictures list at bottom. Use Ctrl / Cmd + 1

Spreads: Shows the spreads list at bottom. Only visible in Simple view. By clicking at a spread it will be selected and shown in the editor. Use Ctrl / Cmd + 2

Masks: Shows the masks in an independent window. Drag a mask to a picture in the editor to mask the picture. Then you may use the brush to retouch the mask. Ctrl / Cmd + 3 to open this window and Ctrl / Cmd + W to close it.

Backgrounds: Shows the backgrounds in an independent window. Drag a background to the spread in the editor. Right click over a background in the editor to set opacity, hue and saturation or delete it. Ctrl / Cmd + 4 to open this window and Ctrl / Cmd + W to close it.

Cliparts: Shows clipart in an independent window. Drag a clipart to the spread to add it. Ctrl / Cmd + 5 to open this window and Ctrl / Cmd + W to close it.

Next spread: Makes active the next spread in the list. Ctrl+F / Cmd+F

Previous spread: Makes active the previous spread. Ctrl+R / Cmd+R

Layout: Shows the layouts available for the active spread with dynamic preview (if set in preferences). Click at a layout in the list to change the current layout in the editor or multiple view. Ctrl / Cmd + Y to open this window and Ctrl / Cmd + W to close it.

Undo: Use Ctrl / Cmd + Z to undo the last change in the active spread. Maximum number of steps to go back is 9.

Select all: Selects all pictures in the current spread. Once selected you may resize, move, rotate or apply a frame to all of them. Use Ctrl / Cmd + A

Cut image/s: Takes the selected images for the next paste or swap process

Paste images: Paste the selected images in the previous Cut process into the current spread, they are removed from the source spread and a new design is applied to the current spread. Can only be used to cut and paste images between different spreads

Swap images: Swaps the image selected in the Cut process (if more than one picture was selected only the first is taken) with the currently selected one. This process can be used in the same spread or to swap images in different spreads.

Help: Shows the help window with info about the application

Shortcuts

(please remember that you have to use Ctrl + key in Windows and Cmd + key in Mac OS X)

Ctrl+S Save

Ctr+N New spread

Ctrl+O New cover

Ctrl+B New backcover

Ctrl+G New random layout

Ctrl+M Changes between single and grid view of spreads

Ctrl+1 Pictures list at bottom

Ctrl+2 Spreads list at bottom

Ctrl+3 Masks window

Ctrl+4 Backgrounds window

Ctrl+5 Clipart window

Ctrl+F Next spread

Ctrl+R Previous spread

Ctrl+Y Layouts window

Ctrl+Z Undo one step

Ctrl+A Select all shapes in the current spread

Ctrl+X Cut image/s

Ctrl+V Paste images

Ctrl+K Swap images