COLLAGE CREATOR

ArcSoft Collage Creator is an easy-to-use, fun program that lets you stack images upon images in a variety of fashions to create great-looking collages that would take forever to make by hand. Cool effects, crop templates and enhancement options let you modify each photo in a unique way. Combine photos with text and clip art to make collages stand out even more. You can even add your own doodles and make words from letters that look like magazine cutouts! Add countless layers of photos and text Apply cool image borders and crop shapes Create your own doodles Include magazine-cutout text Print in a variety of ways LAYER TONS OF IMAGES You're free to add and arrange your collage photos in any possible way. You determine the overlap of each individual image, so you're sure that your collage looks exactly the way you want. ADD TEXT, TOO You can not only stack images, but text as well. Each different text layer can have a different font, style, size and color. Create text layers that would be impossible to do by hand. AWESOME PHOTO EFFECTS An extensive library of cool photo effects and templates is included. Make photos look like they're taped to a backing board or faded around the edges in an unusual fashion. Crop templates stamp out neat and original shapes from your images, giving your collage a truly unique look. MAKE YOUR OWN COLLAGE PIECES Two built-in mini-applications seal the deal to make this the ultimate collage-building program: DoodleMaker and Letterboard. DoodleMaker provides you with paint tools so you can paste your own drawings right into your collage. Letterboard offers a package of letter cutouts so you can add catch phrases and titles that look like they've been cut out of magazines. SAVE FOR NOW, SAVE FOR LATER Save options let you export your collage in an assortment of file types for access by anyone with a computer. You can also save your collage as a "project" file, which makes it completely editable the next time you open it. This is perfect for saving collages that you'd like to reuse but slightly modify. MAKE BEAUTIFUL PRINTS Print options let you output your collage on a single sheet of paper, or across multiple pages. A slider to select DPI ensures you make quality prints each time. UNBELIEVABLY EASY The program is incredibly simple to use. Each step is accessible by large buttons along the top of the interface. You always know where you are and where to go to perform any task. Collage building is thorough, easy and fun. There's no reason to do it by hand anymore.

CCRFLY01

SRP: $39.99

ARCSOFT PRODUCT FAMILY

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ArcSoft PhotoBase TM - Mobile Edition Manage, edit and share your photos wherever you go. Currently available for Palm OS and Pocket PC users. Installs from Windows 98/Me/2000/XP.
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ArcSoft Collage Creator TM Piece together awesome collages that just can't be made by hand. Tons of tools give you boundless freedom. Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP.
To order: 1.800.762.8657 (for orders only) or log on to www.arcsoft.com 46601 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538, USA Tel: 1.510.440.9901 Fax: 1.510.440.1270

PROFAM02

About ArcSoft ArcSoft Inc. is a leading global provider or digital imaging technologies and services for business and consumer use. The company develops world-class scalable imaging software and infrastructure solutions for internet and network environments, delivering fully integrated, comprehensive visual capabilities to corporate Web sites in all major markets. Its award-winning desktop software is licensed to leading global manufacturers of still and video cameras, wireless and mobile devices, printers, scanners and headquartered in Fremont, California, ArcSoft has research and development centers in Californias Silicon valley and Hangzhou, China, as well as sales and support offices throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. Licensing Agreement The following is a legal software license agreement between you, the software end user, and ArcSoft, Inc. Carefully read this license agreement before using the product. Using the product indicates that you have read this license agreement and agree to its terms. If you do not agree to the terms, promptly return the package to the place it was purchased within 10 days of the date you acquired it for a full refund. Grant of License. This license permits you to use one copy of the software included in this package on any single computer. For each software licensee, the program can be in use on only one computer at any given time. The software is in use when it is either loaded into RAM or installed into the hard disk or other permanent memory. A multi-seat license permit from ArcSoft is required if the program is going to be installed on a network server for the sole purpose of distribution by other computers, or if the program is going to be installed on and used by more than one computer. Copyright. The software contained in this package is owned by ArcSoft and is protected by United States copyright laws, international treaty provisions, and all other applicable national laws. The software must be treated like all other copyrighted materials (e.g. books and musical recordings). This license does not allow the software to be rented or leased, and the written materials accompanying the software (if any) may not be copied. Limited Warranty. ArcSoft, Inc., warrants that the software contained herein will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying documentation. No Other Warranties. ArcSoft disclaims all other warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to the software, the accompanying written materials, and any accompanying hardware (if any). No Liability for Consequential Damages. In no event shall ArcSoft or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including but not limited to damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) which result from an inability to use this software, even if ArcSoft, Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. The software and documentation are provided with Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1),(2), and (3) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable, and any amendments thereto. The manufacturer is ArcSoft, Inc., 46601 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. If this product was purchased in the United States, this Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California; otherwise, local laws may apply.

Collage Creator Quick Start Guide

Table of Contents

System Requirements Introduction Getting Started Adding Collage Pieces Editing Collage Pieces Creating New Collage Pieces Saving Collages Printing Collages 13 13

System Requirements

Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP Pentium II-based processor or equivalent 100 MB free hard disk space 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended) 16-bit color display at 1024 x 768

Introduction

Get readysoon youll be creating the most unique and eye-catching collages ever. Collage Creator takes all the fun from traditional collage building while leaves out all the messy paste, paper trimmings, and most importantly, all the hard work. Because Collage Creator uses your digital images, youll find it easy to construct and modify your collages in ways you never thought possible. One thing youll appreciate about the program is its ease of use. Its a step-based program, meaning all of the program options are segregated to prevent you from getting lost. While its easy to use, this quick start guide will walk you through creating a sample collage. For more detailed information on specific buttons, functions, and screens, consult the Interactive Help file within the program. Basic Vocabulary If youre an experienced user, you can probably skip this part and get right into the walkthrough. Otherwise, take a few minutes to learn these basic terms. Digital photo/image/picture: The words photo, image, and picture can be used interchangeably. Basically, any photo that you have on your computer is considered digital. Once you scan a photo and it becomes a file on your computerbingoits now a digital photo. The same can be said for documents. Text files are considered digital documents. Once you print them out, they become hardcopy. It works the same way with photos. Theyre digital photos on your computer or digital camera until theyre printed out, at which point they become prints or posters or whatever you print them out as. Thumbnail: A thumbnail is simply a small version of a photo, mainly used for previewing. Pixels: Pixels are the unit of measurement for screens such as your television or computer monitor. Imagine a grid of hundreds or thousands of tiny squares covering your monitor. Each individual square is a pixel. Youve probably noticed that when you zoom into a picture, it becomes blocky, with rough edges. This is because youre getting closer and closer to seeing the individual pixels that make up the image.
Resolution: You now know that the size of a digital image on your screen is noted in pixels. Resolution is simply the measurement of an images width and height. For example, an image that has a resolution of 100 x 100 means that it is 100 pixels high by 100 pixels wide. Note that this image may still look different on various monitors. This is because your monitor has a resolution as well. Some people have their monitor resolution set at 640 x 480; others have it as high as 1600 x 1200! In general, monitors with a higher resolution will make pictures look much smaller than on a monitor with a lower resolution. Why? If your monitor is set to a width of 640 pixels, a 100 x 100 image will take up almost 1/6 of the width. By comparison, the image will only take up 1/16 of the screen width of a monitor with a resolution of 1600 x 1200. Its the same 100 x 100 image, but because of the different monitor screen resolutions, they appear different in size. DPI: This can be a bit confusing, but in principle its very simple. When printing within the program, the size of the printed image is directly dependent on two things: resolution and DPI (dots per inch). By setting the DPI for your collage, you determine how many pixels will be contained in each inch that is printed. For example, if you have a photo that is 1000 x 1000 and print at a DPI of 100, youll get a 10 x 10 image. Because the image is 1000 pixels high and youre printing 100 pixels in an inch, youll have a print that is 10 high (divide the image pixels by the DPI). Heres the confusing part. The DPI that you use to set your print size is not the same as the DPI used to describe the capabilities of your printer. For example, some printers can print at a DPI of 2000. This means that for each inch that the printer prints, it will shoot out 2000 individual dots of ink. Within the software, DPI refers to pixels printed per inch; with respect to your printer, it refers to the number of individual ink dots the cartridge puts on the paper within a single inch. A printer my use several dots of ink to make one single pixel of the photo. Image Acquisition Device: An image acquisition device is any hardware device that you can connect to your computer so you can download, or acquire images. These include digital cameras, scanners, and webcams. Its basically a fancy term that has been adopted to describe these things. Driver: Drivers are actually programs or files that are placed on your computer whenever you install a CD that comes with a piece of hardware. A driver basically tells the computer what device you have, and is responsible for transferring data back and forth from the device to your computer. Every piece of hardware you have on your computer has a driver. Your printer, your video card, your modem, your sound card all of these devices have a driver installed on your computer that tell it exactly what the device is, what it does, and how it does it. When you installed your flashy new digital camera software, the drivers for the camera were installed as well. You can acquire photos from your devices through Collage Creator, but the device driver is doing the actual downloading or acquiring. Whenever you acquire photos, the program basically sits and waits while the driver for your device goes to work. If youre having problems downloading/acquiring images, contact the manufacturer of your camera (or other hardware device) to see if they have an update. Most companies have their drivers available for free download on their Web site, and update them whenever issues arise.

Getting Started

Now that you have an understanding of some of the terms that are used when referencing digital photography, lets get started! When you first start the program, a window will appear with some program settings:
From the pull-down, choose the type of paper youll be using when you print your collage. Even if you arent going to print your work (lets say youre going to email it to someone), choose a paper type you like since it will affect the general dimensions of your collage. Choose the desired orientation. Collage Creator lets you create both portrait and landscape type collages. The initial background color for your collage is white. Click the box to select a different color. Think of this as choosing the color of the poster board for your project. The color you set will be the default color for all new projects. You can always change the color to whatever you want.
Once you click okay, youre ready to go. Lets walk though creating a collage! Notice that at the top of the screen, there are 5 main buttons. Add Pieces lets you add your photos, clip art, and text. Edit Pieces lets you modify any collage piece (add a frame or border, use a cool crop shape, etc.). Make Pieces lets you use two mini applications to create new doodles and letter cut-outs. Save Collage obviously lets you save your work, and Print Collage lets you print you final project at various sizes across multiple pages.
Youll automatically start out on Add Pieces. You need to add at least one collage piece before many of the other options become available.
Collage Creator Walk-Through Adding Collage Pieces
The first step in creating your collage is selecting the individual pieces you want to use. This includes photos, clip art, and text. Notice that the left side of the screen consists of three tabs: IMAGES, TEXT, and CLIP ART. Each tab allows you to add a different type of collage component.
Adding Images You can add images stored anywhere on your computer. There are two ways you can do this:
From File Choose a folder on your system from which you can select images for inclusion on your collage.
From Album Choose an ArcSoft album, then use the available thumbnail shortcuts to add images to your collage.

If you choose From File, use the Browse button to select the folder you want. The photos in that folder will appear as thumbnails. In general, its a good idea to keep all of the images on your computer stored in one location. Its good to create subfolders so that you can categorize them, but generally, youll want them all readily accessible. The My Documents folder is a great place to use because its easy to remember and find.
If you choose the From Album option, simply choose the album from the pull-down to see the available thumbnails. To create a new album, choose < New >. You can then use the Add and Acquire tools to add to your album. Consult the Interactive Help file within the program for more specific directions.
Note: Its important to remember that albums do NOT store images; they merely reference where theyre stored. You can create an album that contains thumbnails of images stored in a wide variety of locations. Albums provide you with a great to organize your photos by date, occasion, etc.
Once you have your set of images listed in the pane on the left side of the screen, you can click and drag any thumbnail to the main workspace to add it to your collage:
Here are a few commands that can help you quickly organize the photos on your collage: Moving a photo: Click and drag any photo on the main workspace to move it about the page. Rotating a photo: Click and drag the rotate anchor to spin the photo. Resizing a photo: Click and drag any of the corner anchors to resize the photo.
Layers Since collage pieces can overlap, youre provided with the means of altering the stacked, or layer order of the photos. Move a selected piece up or down in the layer order by clicking the respective layer button.
You can also click the Layers button to see a visual representation of each layer. You can drag/drop any layer to a new position. The thumbnails go from top to bottom, representing the stacked order of the actual collage pieces. Click the eye icon to hide a layer. It can be useful to hide layers when youre trying to select a collage component thats mostly covered by other objects. To delete a layer, click the trash can icon at the bottom of the layer palette. This completely removes the selected item from the collage. It serves the same function as pressing the DELETE key on your keyboard when the item is selected on the main workspace.
Altering the Collage View The View buttons allow you to alter how your collage is displayed in the main workspace. Lets take a look at the various options and what they do.
Best Fit: This is the default view. It displays the entire collage on the screen at the largest possible size.
Zoom: Use these buttons to zoom in/out on your collage.
The current magnification will be listed above the Zoom buttons. If the Best Fit option is selected, it will simply state Best Fit. Adding Text In addition to photos, you can also add multiple layers of text. Each text layer can be modified in the exact same way as a photo. Type your text in the text box. Use the pull-downs and buttons to set your font, size, style, alignment and color. Check the Shadow box to add a shadow to your text. In the shadow preview area, click and drag to set the position of the shadow. Use the sliders to adjust the presence of the effect. When youre ready, click Apply. Your text will be set as a collage piece. Youll be unable to edit the actual words that you type, but you can resize, rotate, and alter the layer order of the text. You can include multiple text layers. Remember, once you click Apply, the text becomes just like any other collage piece.

Adding Clip Art Adding clip art is identical to adding images. Included in the program is a collection of clip art images sorted into various categories. Simply choose the category you wish to view from the pull-down, then add the clip art you want in the same way that you added your images. Rotate, resize, and reposition each piece as you see fit. Dont forget that you can also alter the layer order to create virtually any type of overlap.
Collage Creator Walk-Through Editing Collage Pieces
In addition to the editing weve already discussed (moving, resizing, rotating, and altering the layer order), the program contains three tabs that contain fun image modifying features: CROP, EFFECTS, and ENHANCE. Cropping The options under the CROP tab let you stamp out unique cutout shapes from your photos. An entire library of crop templates is available. All you need to do is click on the crop shape you want and it will automatically appear over the selected photo. You can reposition, resize, and rotate the crop shape just you can a photo. When youre satisfied with the crop shape, click the Apply button. You can remove the crop shape by clicking the Restore button. If you move on to another photo, you will be unable to use the Restore function.
Freehand Cropping: Click the Freehand Crop button if you would like to create your own crop shape. The Freehand Crop window will appear with the selected photo in it.
Add Crop: Click here, then click and drag on the photo to draw your crop shape. You can also click in a connectthe-dots type fashion to create polygon shapes.
Subtract Crop: This works the same way as the Add Crop tool, but instead it removes areas of an existing crop shape.
The Reset button will remove the current crop shape on the photo. Check the Soft Edge box if you want the cropped image to fade out along the edges. Use the slider to adjust the intensity of the fade. If youre satisfied with your cropped image, click OK. Otherwise, click Cancel. Adding Effects Applying an effect works exactly the same way as applying a pre-defined crop shape. Simply select the effect you want for any photo that you feel needs to be spiced up. Herere some examples of various crop and effect enhancements:
Color Enhancing The ENHANCE tab contains sliders that let you adjust either the brightness and contrast or the hue and saturation of a selected collage component.

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All that you need to do is select the collage piece you want to enhance, then choose the type of enhancement you want. Click and drag the sliders to adjust the values. If youre happy with the enhancement, click the Apply button. Click the Restore button to undo any modifications youve applied.

Collage Creator Walk-Through Creating New Collage Pieces
The program contains two utilities that let you create additional collage pieces. Both are great tools that really let you add a touch of creativity to your work.
DoodleMaker lets you create transparent drawings that can be added as clip art or images to your collage.
Letterboard offers a set of magazine cutout text so you can paste together fun catchphrases, titles, or captions.
To draw, select the Pencil tool and click and drag on the workspace. You can control the color of the paint as well as the color of the background. To erase any part of your painting, click the Eraser tool and then click and drag over the area.

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The size of the brush tip or eraser can be controlled with the Tool Size slider. Undo/Redo buttons are also available to help you correct any mistakes that you may make. If you want to completely start over, drag the Slide-Erase slider across the workspace. Your doodle can be applied as a transparent object, just like clip art. Or, it can be applied as a standard photo with a square, opaque background.
The Letterboard tool works almost exactly the same as adding clip art. In fact, the letter cutouts are basically clip art images. The entire alphabet (as well as numbers and some symbols) is availablejust click and drag the characters you want onto the workspace. You can reposition, resize, and rotate any character you add. Use the Layer buttons beneath the workspace to adjust the stacked order of each individual letter. To remove a character, click it, then click the trash can icon. Once you click okay, the letters will be merged together onto one layer. You can reposition, resize, and rotate the entire phrase. You will not be able to modify individual letters at this point. If you make a mistake, just open the Letterboard window and create the phrase again.

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Collage Creator Walk-Through Saving Collage Pieces
Your collage projects can be saved as either projects or images. Project Files Project files are files that are exclusive to the program. These files retain each individual component of your collage and allow you to edit each piece at any time. Image Files These are your standard regular photo files. Your collage can be saved as a single-layer, flat image. Save as a project file if you want to be able to edit your collage at a later time. Youll want to use this option if you have to stop working on your project, or if you feel that you may need to fix or change parts of it at another time. Save as a standard image file if you would like to email your collage to friends or family. They wont be able to read project files.

Printing images is a snap. The preview that you see is exactly how the page will print. Herere the essential details: Adjusting the Print Size You can do this one of two ways: 1. Use the slider at the bottom of the print options section. As you click and drag the slider, youll notice the collage get larger or smaller on the page. Youll see the width, height and DPI just above the slider. For the best results, print at 200 DPI or higher. 2. Click and drag the corner handles of the collage directly on the preview page. Moving Your Print Click and drag your collage on the preview to move it around the page. Setting the Print Orientation Click the desired orientation button. You can print in either portrait or landscape format. Choosing the Print Layout You can print your collage on one page, or across several pages. Pick the format you want by clicking on the corresponding bubble. Printing Multiple Copies Type in the number of copies you want printed, or use the + and buttons to alter the amount.

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Contact Information
N. America 46601 Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 1.510.440.9901 Fax: 1.510.440.1270 Website: www.arcsoft.com Email: support@arcsoft.com Central Europe 46601 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 USA Tel: +1-510-440-9901 Fax: +1-510-440-1270 Japan Japan Support Center M.D.S., Inc. JTT Building 3F 3-3-4 Ueno, Taito-ku Tokyo 101-0005, Japan Tel: +81-3-3834-5256 Fax: +81-3-5816-4730 Website: www.arcsoft.jp Email: support@arcsoft.jp China ArcSoft Beijing Co., Ltd. No. 6 South Capital Gym Road Beijing New Century Hotel Office Building #1060 Beijing 100044, China Tel: 8610-68491368 Email: tech@arcsoft.com.cn Taiwan ArcSoft Inc. Taiwan Branch Tel: +886 (0) 2-27181869 Fax: +886 (0) 2-27190256 Email: support@arcsoft.com.tw Latin America Tel (Brazil): 00817-200-0709 Tel (Chili): 800-202-797 Email: latinsupport@arcsoft.com
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How to Register: Register your program online at www.arcsoft.com. Quick Start Guide: Written and layout by Steve Toribio
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