ACD Systems ACDSEE 12 User manual

The easy way to organize and share your photos.
User Guide

ACDSee 12 User Guide
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precaution was taken in the preparation of this document, neither the author nor ACD Systems shall have any liability to any person
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Copyright and Trademark Notices
ACDSee Photo Manager software and documentation was designed, programmed and is Copyright © 2010 ACD Systems
International Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Unauthorized duplication strictly prohibited.
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This Software also contains software of ACD Systems and its suppliers which are used in accordance with the notices reproduced
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This Software contains Method and System for Calendar-Based Image Asset Organization, Patent No. US 7,398,479 B2
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Contents
Chapter 1: Getting started 1
Welcome to ACDSee 12 1
What’s new in ACDSee Photo Manager 12 1
Intuitive Interface 1
Easier Organizing 2
Improved Editing 3
Enhanced Sharing Capabilities 4
Updated Compatibility 5
Starting ACDSee 12 5
About the ACDSee 12 user interface 5
Manage mode 6
View mode 6
Edit mode 6
Online mode 7
Switching modes in ACDSee 12 7
Using Manage mode 7
About the Manage mode panes 7
Manage mode drop-down menus 8
Working with Manage mode panes 8
Moving panes 8
Docking panes 9
Stacking panes 9
Resizing panes 9
Resetting the layout 9
Using View mode 9
Viewing images in full screen mode 10
Using the View mode panes 11
Using the Bottom toolbar 11
Switching to Manage mode 11
Using Edit mode 11
Using Online mode 12
About Online mode 12
Creating an account 12
Uploading images 13
Chapter 2: Getting help 15
Using ACDSee 12 Help 15
Using the Quick Start Guide 15
Finding other resources and support 15
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Chapter 3: Manage mode 17
Importing photos 17
Importing files with ACDSee 12 17
About the ACDSee Device Detector 18
Importing photos from a device 19
Importing photos from a CD or DVD 22
Importing photos from a disk 23
Importing photos from a scanner 23
Importing photos from a mobile phone folder 24
Creating a renaming template 24
Browsing 25
Browsing files in the File List pane 25
Browsing using the Folders pane 27
Browsing files by date or event 28
Browsing favorite files 30
Using the Organize pane 30
Changing views 31
Filtering files 31
Grouping files 32
Sorting files 33
Selecting files 34
Previewing images 35
Rotating images 35
Comparing images 35
Gathering images in the Image Basket 37
Organizing 37
Organizing and managing files in ACDSee 12 37
Organizing with the Organize pane 37
Creating categories 39
Assigning categories and ratings 40
Using the Properties pane 41
Creating and assigning keywords 42
Copying and moving files 42
Copying images 43
Pasting files and folders 43
Replacing or overwriting files 44
Renaming a file or folder 44
Storing files in private folders 44
Tagging images 46
Adding database and EXIF information to multiple files 46
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Removing IPTC keywords and supplemental categories 47
Changing the date and time properties of images 48
Backing up your files to another computer 49
Searching 50
Searching with ACDSee 12 50
Using the Quick Search bar 50
Using the Search pane 51
Searching with file name patterns 52
Using selective browsing 53
Searching with auto categories 54
Finding duplicate files 55
Finding images quickly 55
Publishing and sharing 56
Sharing files with ACDSee 12 56
Taking a screen capture 56
Emailing images 57
Creating a desktop screensaver 58
Viewing and configuring a slideshow 59
Sharing slideshows and screensavers 62
Creating a desktop slideshow 63
Creating a PDF 64
Creating a PowerPoint presentation 64
Burning a CD or DVD 65
Creating video files and VCDs 66
Creating an HTML album 66
Uploading images to photo Web sites 67
Creating a contact sheet 68
Creating archives of your files 69
Extracting archived (.zip) files 70
Creating a SendPix album 70
Publishing images to TiVo 70
Printing 71
Printing images 71
Setting printer options 71
Setting image size and positioning 72
Adding text to pages 73
Setting contact sheet printing options 73
Batch functions 74
About batch editing 74
Converting multiple images to another file format 74
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Rotating or flipping multiple images 75
Resizing multiple images 76
Adjusting exposure for multiple images 77
Renaming multiple files 78
Managing database information 79
About the ACDSee 12 database 79
Excluding folders from the database 81
Cataloging files in the database 81
Converting an older database 82
Importing database information 82
Importing file information from other sources 83
Exporting database information 83
Generating file lists 84
Backing up your database 84
Database backup tips and strategies 85
Restoring database information from a backup 86
Maintaining the database 86
Optimizing the database 87
Rebuilding thumbnails and metadata 87
Quarantined files 87
Plug-ins 87
Working with plug-ins 87
Managing plug-ins 88
Viewing plug-in properties and getting help 89
Chapter 4: View mode 91
Working with images in View mode 91
Viewing images with Auto Advance 91
Displaying text on images in View mode 92
Synchronizing View mode to a folder 93
Viewing offline images 93
Using ACDSee Quick View 94
Viewing images in another application 95
Setting an image as the desktop wallpaper 95
Viewing and using brush files 96
Playing video and audio files 96
Selecting part of a media file 97
Saving video frames as images 97
Adding or editing image audio 98
Selecting part of an image 99
Viewing file properties in View mode 99
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Printing images in View mode 100
Showing originals 100
Committing changes 100
Zooming images 101
Zooming an image 101
Setting the zoom level 101
Automatically shrinking or enlarging images 102
Displaying a thumbnail of a magnified image 102
Panning a magnified image 103
Magnifying specific areas of an image 103
Chapter 5: Edit mode 105
Working in Edit mode 105
Using Edit 105
Using presets in Edit 107
Using the undo/redo button 107
Restoring originals 107
Using blend modes and opacity 108
Previewing changes to images 108
Pixel resize options and resulting action 109
Saving images in Edit mode 110
Selections tools 111
Using selections 111
Applying edits or effects to selections 114
Repair tools 114
Reducing red eye 114
Removing flaws 115
Add tools 116
Adding text to an image 116
Adding borders 117
Adding a vignette 121
About special effect filters 122
Applying a Bathroom Window effect 123
Applying a Blinds effect 123
Applying a Bulge effect 123
Applying a Colored Edges effect 124
Applying a Contours effect 124
Applying a Crayon Drawing effect 125
Applying a Crosshatch effect 125
Applying a Dauber effect 125
Applying an Edge Detect effect 126
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Applying an Emboss effect 126
Applying a Furry Edges effect 127
Applying a Glowing Edges effect 127
Applying a Granite effect 128
Applying a Mirror effect 128
Applying a Negative effect 128
Applying an Oil Paint effect 129
Applying the Old effect 129
Applying an Outline effect 129
Applying a Pencil Drawing effect 130
Applying a Pixel Explosion effect 130
Applying a Pixelate effect 131
Applying a Posterize effect 131
Applying a Radial Waves effect 131
Applying a Rain effect 132
Applying a Ripple effect 132
Applying a Scattered Tiles effect 133
Applying a Sepia effect 134
Applying a Sheet Metal effect 134
Applying a Shift effect 134
Applying a Slant effect 135
Applying a Sobel effect 135
Applying a Solarize effect 135
Applying a Stained Glass effect 136
Applying a Sunspot effect 136
Applying a Swirl effect 137
Applying the Threshold effect 137
Applying a Topographic Map effect 138
Applying a Water effect 138
Applying a Water Drops effect 138
Applying a Waves effect 139
Applying a Weave effect 139
Applying a Wind effect 140
Creating a custom special effect filter (Convolution effect) 141
Geometry tools 141
Rotating an image 141
Flipping an image 142
Cropping an image 142
Resizing an image 143
Exposure/Lighting tools 144
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Adjusting image exposure 144
Adjusting image levels 144
Adjusting levels automatically 145
Adjusting tone curves 146
Adjusting lighting 146
Color tools 147
Adjusting white balance 147
Adjusting color balance 148
Using the Histogram 148
Changing image color depth 148
Using the Color dialog box 149
Detail tools 150
Sharpening an image 150
Blurring an image 150
About noise and noise reduction 151
Removing noise 152
Adding noise 152
Chapter 6: Online mode 155
Working in Online mode 155
Creating an ACDSeeOnline.com account 156
Uploading images to ACDSeeOnline.com 156
Creating and making folders public or private 157
Viewing images 157
Changing the rating system 157
Downloading images 158
Using Transfer Manager 158
Chapter 7: Options and configuration 161
Setting options 161
Setting the General options 161
Setting the Manage mode options 161
Setting the Quick Search options 162
Setting the File List pane options 162
Setting the Thumbnail Info options 164
Setting the Thumbnail Style options 165
Setting the Details View options 166
Setting the Preview pane options 166
Setting the Folders pane options 167
Setting the Organize pane options 167
Setting the Calendar pane options 168
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Setting the CD/DVD Management options 168
Setting the File Management options 169
Setting the Database options 170
Setting the View mode options 171
Setting the Display options 172
Setting the Edit mode options 173
Setting the ACDSee Online options 173
Setting the ACDSee Showroom options 174
Setting the ACDSee Quick View options 175
Setting JPEG options 176
Customizing and configuring 176
Auto-hiding panes and panels 176
Using the Task Pane 177
Customizing toolbars 177
Customizing the Editing Tools pane 178
Configuring image editors 178
Customizing keyboard shortcuts 179
Changing the display theme 179
Chapter 8: Shortcuts 181
Manage mode keyboard shortcuts 181
Manage mode mouse shortcuts 183
View mode keyboard shortcuts 183
View mode mouse shortcuts 186
Calendar pane shortcuts 187
Edit mode keyboard shortcuts 187
Edit mode mouse shortcuts 187
Online mode keyboard shortcuts 187
Online mode mouse shortcuts 188
Chapter 9: File formats 191
Supported file formats 191
Image formats 191
Archive formats 191
Video and audio formats 191
About RAW Files 194
Supported RAW formats 195
Registering and Associating files 195
For Microsoft XP 195
For Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7 195
System requirements 197
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Glossary 199
Index 209
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Chapter 1: Getting started
Chapter 1: Getting started
Welcome to ACDSee 12
Welcome to ACDSee Photo Manager 12, and congratulations on choosing the industry-leading digital photo management software.
ACDSee 12 is the essential application for importing, organizing, viewing, enhancing, and sharing your digital photos and other
media files.
ACDSee 12 imports photos from your camera to your computer, categorizes and rates your files, and manages photo collections of
any size—from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand. Choose to view thumbnail previews of any size, or use a detailed list of
file properties to sort your files. Can't find a particular photo? No problem—ACDSee 12 includes a variety of powerful searching tools
and a Compare Images feature to eliminate duplicates.
View mode quickly generates high-quality displays of your images. You can run slideshows, play embedded audio, and display
multiple-page images in any of the more than 50 image and multimedia file formats.
Also, ACDSee 12 includes a wide variety of image editing tools you can use to create, edit, and touch-up your digital images. Use
tools such as red eye reduction, crop, sharpen, blur, and photo repair to enhance or correct your images. Image management tools,
such as exposure adjustment, convert, resize, rename, and rotate, can be performed on multiple files at the same time.
The user interface is completely customizable, and provides quick access to tools and features. You can customize the screen
layout, the order of images, toolbar display, and many other options to suit your preferences. ACDSee 12 contains extensive
context-sensitive Help to assist you as you move through the application.
ACDSee 12 is a fast, powerful, and easy-to-use image management system that everyone from beginners to professionals can use
and enjoy.
What’s new in ACDSee Photo Manager 12
Intuitive Interface
Stay on top of your entire photo collection with ACDSee Photo Manager 12. The newly refined interface is now even more intuitive,
helping you easily navigate between organizing, viewing, editing, and sharing photos, all from a single window. Quickly find the
tools you need in four simple modes:
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Manage mode
Browse, sort, and organize inManage mode. The simplified toolbar with drop-down menus help you to find the most
commonly used tasks. You can combine different tools and panes to perform sophisticated searches, and view thumbnail
previews of images. Usability improvements include radio buttons for ratings, and category check boxes to quickly
categorize images. Publish your images easily using the FTP, Email, or SmugMug uploaders.
View mode
View your images using a variety of image viewing tools. Use the Properties pane to display image information such as
EXIF or IPTC data, and add captions to your images as you view them. View mode features a new filmstrip, which lets you
easily flip between images without having to return to Manage mode.
Edit mode
Perform all image adjustments in Edit mode. Use Edit mode to adjust an image's color, exposure, white balance, and
detail. Fine tune your image using tools such as red eye removal and easily repair any imperfections. Or add creative
touches by adding text or borders, or other special effects.
Online mode
Use Online mode to upload your images to the new online image sharing and storage site: ACDSeeOnline.com. In Online
mode, you can easily drag and drop your photos into an album on ACDSeeOnline.com without having to go through a Web
site.
Easier Organizing
Visual Tagging
Visual tagging is a quick and easy way to identify photos for further review, editing, or sharing, without physically moving them into
different folders. Simply click the check box in the corner of any photo to tag it, then display your tagged photos by clicking Tagged
in the Special Items section of the Organize pane.
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Chapter 1: Getting started
Identify Edited Images
Quickly find your edited image. Now, whichever mode you're in you can identify the edited images by E icon. Or you can group, sort,
or search for edited images.
Edit Tools and Category Icons
Do you prefer the interface to be simple and uncluttered, or do you use icons to identify edit tools and different categories? Now it's
in your hands. You can choose to turn icons on or off.
Improved Editing
Saturation
Bring your photos to life using the improved Saturation slider in the Color Balance tool.
Noise Reduction
Add clarity to your images with the improved Noise Reduction tool. Two new adjustment sliders fix luminance and color noise while
preserving image sharpness.
Special Effects Browser
ACDSee 12 includes a new special effects browser so that you can preview all the different special effects for the selected image.
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Commit Changes
When you edit an image in ACDSee 12, a copy of the original image is automatically saved in an [Originals] folder. If you want to
save space on your hard drive, you can choose to commit the changes to the image. ACDSee 12 will then delete the original image,
saving just the edited image.
Show Original
In View mode you can now toggle between your edited image and the original image by clicking the Show Original button in the
bottom toolbar.
Enhanced Sharing Capabilities
ACDSee Online
ACDSeeOnline.com is an image sharing and storage service. Using Online mode, you can upload and browse through your images
on ACDSeeOnline.com without having to launch an Internet browser. Organize your photos into folders, tag images for later editing
in ACDSee 12, manage your images in your account, and control privacy settings for individual images or groups of images.
You can also share images with people you know, send images to other web applications such as Facebook, send private messages
to other ACDSeeOnline.com users, or set up an RSS feed to subscribe to the latest public photos on ACDSeeOnline.com, all from
inside ACDSee 12.
For help with ACDSee Online, see the ACDSeeOnline.com Help.
SmugMug Uploader
The SmugMug Uploader now has advanced options to let you create new albums, add keywords and resize images.
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Chapter 1: Getting started
FTP Uploader
Using the new FTP Uploader, you can now upload your images to an FTP site directly from ACDSee 12. Simply create a profile for
your FTP site, select the destination folder, then select any image resize options and upload your images.
Send Email Wizard
Using the Send Email Wizard, you can email images directly from ACDSee 12 using your desktop email, web-based email, or an
SMTP server.
Updated Compatibility
Works On Windows 7
Enjoy support for Windows®7.
Netbook Compatible
ACDSee 12 now supports Netbook computers with a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.
Starting ACDSee 12
After you install ACDSee 12 on your computer, an application icon appears on the desktop and in the Start menu.
To start ACDSee 12:
Do one of the following:
Double-click the ACDSee 12 icon on the desktop.
Click Start |ACD Systems |ACDSee 12.
About the ACDSee 12 user interface
The ACDSee 12 user interface provides easy access to the various tools and features you can use to browse, view, edit, and manage
your photos and media files. ACDSee 12 consists of four modes: Manage mode, View mode, Edit mode, and Online mode.
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ACDSee 12 User Guide
Manage mode
Manage mode is the main browsing and managing component of the user interface, and is what you see when you start ACDSee 12
using the shortcut icon on your desktop. In Manage mode, you can find, move, preview, and sort your files, and access organization
and sharing tools.
Manage mode consists of 12 panes, most of which can be closed when not in use. The File List pane is always visible, and displays
the contents of the current folder, the results of your latest search, or the files in your database that match your filtering criteria. A
status bar at the bottom of the Manage mode window displays information about the currently selected file, folder, or category.
You can open and close panes, move them to different areas of your screen, and stack them on other panes or dock them to the edge
of the window. Most panes also have additional options you can set to further customize their behavior and appearance.
Manage mode also features a toolbar and a set of drop-down menus. The toolbar provides buttons for your home folder, and for
navigating forwards and backwards through your folders. The drop-down menus provide quick access to the most common tasks.
View mode
In View mode you can play media files and display images in full resolution, one at a time. You can also open panes to view image
properties, display areas of an image at varying magnifications, or examine detailed color information.
You can open View mode by double-clicking an associated file type in Windows Explorer, and you can use the filmstrip in View mode
to flip quickly between all of the images in a folder. View mode contains a toolbar with shortcuts to commonly-used commands, and
a status bar at the bottom of the window, which displays information about the current image or media file.
Edit mode
You can use Edit mode to fix and enhance images using the pixel-based Edit tools.
The Edit pane displays the available pixel-based tools in a customizable menu that can be closed or hidden when not in use. Clicking
the name of a tool on the menu opens that tool in the Edit pane, where you can adjust the settings to edit or enhance your image.
The Edit pane also contains a status bar, which displays information about the image you are editing.
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