Contents

Chapter 1: Getting started... 1
Welcome to ACDSee Pro 2.5... 1 Whats new in ACDSee Pro Photo Manager 2.5... 1 Improved Digital Asset Management... 1 Greater Flexibility in Editing... 4 Improved Usability.... 5 Starting ACDSee Pro 2.5.... 6 About the ACDSee user interface... 6 The Browser... 7 The Viewer.... 7 Edit Mode.... 7 Using the Browser... 7 About Browser panes... 8 Working with Browser panes... 9 Moving panes.... 9 Docking panes.... 9 Stacking panes.... 10 Resizing panes.... 10 Resetting the Browser layout... 10 Using the Viewer... 11 Viewing images in full screen mode... 12 Using the Viewer panes... 12 Returning to the Browser... 12 Using Edit Mode.... 13 Editing images.... 13 Working in Edit Mode... 13 Closing Edit Mode... 15 Importing files with ACDSee.... 16 About removable devices... 16 Organizing and managing files in ACDSee... 17 Searching with ACDSee.... 17 Sharing images with ACDSee... 17
ACDSee Pro 2.5 - User Guide
System requirements.... 18 Getting help.... 18 Using the Quick Start Guide... 18
Chapter 2: Importing photos... 21
About the Device Detector... 21 Importing photos from a device.... 21 Importing photos from a scanner (TWAIN)... 27 Importing photos using Windows Image Acquisition.. 28 Importing photos from a CD or DVD... 28 Importing photos from a mobile phone... 29 Creating a renaming template... 29 Taking a screen capture... 31
Chapter 3: Browsing... 33
Browsing files in the File List pane... 33 Sections of the File List pane... 33 Maximizing the File List pane... 34 Using the Windows Explorer right-click menu... 34 Browsing using the Folders pane... 34 Selecting multiple folders... 35 Creating and managing folders... 35 Browsing files by date or event... 36 Adding descriptions and thumbnails in Events view.. 37 Browsing favorite files... 38 Creating a shortcut... 38 Creating a new folder... 38 Deleting a shortcut or folder... 38 Browsing RAW files.... 38 Changing view modes... 39 Customizing the Details view mode... 39 Filtering files... 40 Grouping files.... 41 Navigating through groups in the File List... 41 Removing groups from the File List... 42 vi

Folders

Calendar

Favorites

Search

Selective Browsing

Organize

Properties

This pane displays file properties and database information for any file or folder you select in the File List pane. You can use the Properties pane to view and edit database information for your files, and the EXIF metadata included in digital photos. While browsing through your files and folders, you can place images in the Image Basket to hold them temporarily. You can then edit, print, or share those images without moving them all into a single folder. This pane provides the tools you need to group and organize files and then burn them to CDs and DVDs from within ACDSee.

Image Basket Burn Basket

Working with Browser panes
You can open and close panes in the Browser to suit your preferences, and move, float, or stack any of the panes to customize the layout of the Browser window. To open or close a Browser pane: Click View and select the pane you want to open or close.

Moving panes

You can move a pane from a docked or floating position to a new location. You can move one pane at a time, or several stacked panes. To move a pane: 1. 2. 3. Drag the pane's title bar and hold your mouse pointer over any of the arrows of the Docking Compass. When the shaded marquee displays the position of the pane you want, release the mouse button. To return a pane to its previous location, double-click its title bar.
To move a docked or floating pane: Do one of the following: Drag the pane's tab to a new location. Only one pane moves. Drag the pane's title bar to a new location. Any panes stacked beneath it also move.

Docking panes

When you select a pane in the Browser, the Docking Compass activates to help you place the pane precisely. The Docking Compass consists of an outer and inner ring of arrows. When you hold your mouse pointer over any of the arrows, a shaded marquee displays the potential position of the pane.
To dock a pane in the Browser window: 1. 2. 3. Drag the pane's title bar or tab to activate the Docking Compass. To dock a pane around the outer edge of the Browser window, hold your mouse pointer over any of the outer arrows of the Docking Compass, and then release the mouse button. To dock a pane around the outer edge of the File List pane, or another Browser pane, hold your mouse pointer over the inner arrows of the Docking compass, and then release the mouse button.

Stacking panes

Viewing images in full screen mode
You can use the entire screen of your monitor to display images. In full screen mode, the window borders, menu bar, status bar, and toolbars are hidden, and only the image is visible. If you want to always view your images in full screen mode, you can set this option as the default for the Viewer. To view images in full screen mode: 1. 2. 3. Open an image, or a group of images, in the Viewer. Click View | Full Screen. Right-click the image to access the Viewer tools and options via a shortcut menu.
To exit full screen mode: Do one of the following: Press the F key. Right-click the image and select View | Full Screen.

Using the Viewer panes

To open the Viewer panes: 1. 2. Open an image in the Viewer. Do one of the following: Click View | Histogram to display the histogram for the image. Click View | Magnifying glass to magnify the area of the image under your cursor. Click View | Navigator to display a thumbnail overview of a magnified image. Click View | Properties to display file, database, EXIF, or IPTC information about the image.

Returning to the Browser

You can close the Viewer window and return to the Browser at any time. To return to the Browser from the Viewer window: Do one of the following: Press Esc. Press Enter. Double-click the image. Click File | Browse. Click the Browse button on the toolbar.

Using Edit Mode

Editing images
ACDSee includes a powerful, yet easy-to-use image editor with an array of useful tools to help reduce red-eye in digital images, remove an unwanted color cast, apply special effects, and much more. You can also edit and enhance your images by adjusting the light and color levels, cropping images that are too large, rotating or flipping images that are incorrectly aligned, and adjusting sharpness. When you are finished editing, you can preview your changes, and then save your images in over 10 different file formats. You can use the Edit Mode to edit and enhance your images, or you can configure ACDSee to open and work with a variety of editing applications, such as ACD Photo Editor. To open an image in Edit Mode: Do one of the following: In the Browser, select an image and click Tools | Open In Editor, and then select Edit Mode. In the Viewer, click Modify, and then select Edit Mode. In the Viewer, click Modify | Edit Mode and then select the name of the tool you want to apply to your image. Edit Mode will open directly to that tool.
To edit an image in another image editing application: Do one of the following: In the Browser, click Tools | Open in Editor, and then select the editing application you want to use. In the Viewer, click Modify | Open in Editor, and then select the editing application you want to use. For more information about editing in other applications, such as Canvas or ACD Photo Editor, see Configuring image editors.

To expand and collapse all groups: Right-click a group header, and then select either Open All Groups or Close All Groups. To display a preview of the images in a closed group: Hover your mouse cursor over the group header. To scroll through multiple groups: Click the Next Group bar. and Previous Group buttons at the bottom of the File List scroll
To display the table of contents: Do one of the following: Click View | Group By | Table of Contents. Click the Group By button on the File List toolbar and select Table of Contents. At the bottom of the File List scroll bar, click the Table of Contents button.
To quickly jump to a specific group: 1. 2. Display the table of contents. Click the group that you want to display.
To change the sort order of the groups: Do one of the following: Click View | Group By and select either Group Forward or Group Backward. Click the Group By button on the File List pane toolbar and select either Group Forward or Group Backward.
Removing groups from the File List
To remove a group: Do one of the following: Click View | Group By | None. Click the Group By button on the File List pane toolbar and select None.
Selecting files in one or more groups
To select files in groups: Do one of the following: Click the group header to select all of the files in that group. Press and hold the Ctrl key and click on two or more group headers to select all of the files in those groups.

Sorting files

In any view mode, you can sort your files according to different file properties to quickly organize your images, find specific files, and create a range of files with similar attributes for easy selection. To sort items in the File List: 1. Click View | Sort, and then select one of the following criteria: Filename Size (KB)

2.

Image Type Modified Date Image Properties Caption Rating Tagged More (sort by database, EXIF, file properties, image attributes, IPTC information, or multimedia attributes)
To set the direction of the sort, click View | Sort, and then select a direction: Sort Forward Sort Backward Your sort settings are saved until you change them. For example, if you sort images in the File List pane according to Rating, the images will remain sorted according to Rating until you change the sort settings.
Sorting files using column headers
You can quickly sort files in Details view mode using column headings. To sort files using a column header: 1. 2. 3. Click a column header. An arrow appears, indicating the sort direction. Click the column header again to change the sort direction.

Custom sorting files

You can use custom sorting to customize the order of files in the File List pane. After custom sorting your files, ACDSee automatically saves the file order for the selected folder until you change it or delete the custom sort order. To customize the sorting order of your files: 1. 2. 3. Select one or more files. Drag the selected files to a new location in the File List. To delete a custom sort order, click View | Sort, and then select Delete Custom Sort.

To restore your system to the default desktop wallpaper: Click Tools | Set Wallpaper | Restore.
Viewing images in another application
You can open a file in another program from within ACDSee. For example, you can open documents in the application used to create them. To use the shell open and edit commands: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click File | Shell. Select one of the following options: Open: opens the file using the application that Windows associates with its file extension. Edit: opens the file using the default system application, or opens a dialog box where you can select an application.
Creating a desktop screen saver
You can create a desktop screen saver using your own images. You can set the screen saver options to adjust how long each image is displayed, set the background color, apply transition effects, and add header or footer text. To create a screen saver: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the File List pane, select a group of images, and then click Tools | Configure Screen Saver. In the ACDSee Screen Saver dialog box, click Add to browse for more images to add to your screen saver, or select images you do not want to include and click Remove. Click Configure. In the ACDSee Screen Saver dialog box, specify the options as described below, and then click OK. To automatically use the screen saver on your desktop, select the Set as default screen saver check box. When you are satisfied with your choices, click OK.
To activate the screen saver on your computer: Select the Screen Saver tab in your Windows Display Properties dialog box, and then select ACDSee Screen Saver from the drop-down list. Screen saver options Basic tab Select transition effects Background color Image delay (in seconds) Advanced tab Transition quality General settings Select or clear the check box next to each transition effect. The screen saver will randomly select transitions from your choices. Specifies the background color. Click the color picker arrow to select or change the color. Specifies how long you want the screen saver to display each image. Drag the slider to the left to improve screen saver speed, or drag to the right to improve the quality of the transition effects. Select or clear any of the following options: Play embedded audio: plays any audio clips embedded in the images. Repeat: repeats the images after displaying the last image. Stretch images to fit screen: enlarges small images to fill the entire screen.

Slide order

Select one of the following options to specify the order to display your images: Forward Backward Random

Text tab

Display header text Display footer text
Displays a text caption at the top of each image. Set the options to specify the text you want to display. Displays a text caption at the bottom of each image. Set the options to specify the text you want to display.

The graph changes as you right-click and drag down on the graph itself. The graph represents the darken adjustments you are making. The gray graph represents the maximum amount you can drag the graph before clipping (pink) begins. Changes the tonal band on the graph itself with a corresponding change in the image. This is useful for making fine adjustments to a specific tonal band.
You can use all the shortcuts below that apply to the image, directly to the Graph itself. On Image Double-click with left mouse button
Automatically sets the brightening compression to optimum for that area of the image. A brighter area (e.g. a face) works best.
Double-click with right Automatically sets the darkening compression to optimum mouse button for that area of the image. (or SHIFT+ doubleclick with left mouse button) CTRL+ double-click with left mouse button Increases the amount of brightening around that tone level while decreasing the brightening in the rest of the image. Use this method to quickly brighten a specific subject or area to bring it out of the image. CTRL+ double-click Increases the amount of darkening around that tone level with right mouse button while decreasing the amount of darkening in the rest of the image. Scroll up or down with Increases or decreases the amount of brightening applied the mouse wheel above at that tone level in the image. Both the image and the the image graph show the changes. SHIFT+ scroll with the Decreases or increases the amount of darkening applied at mouse wheel above the that tone level in the image. image Hold down "A" +scrolling or +dragging with the left mouse button Hold down "A" +SHIFT +scrolling or +dragging with the right mouse button Click and drag up and Increases or decreases the amount of brightening applied down on the image (left at that tone level in the image. Both the image and the mouse button). graph show the changes. (Only works if the image is actual size - no zooming.) SHIFT+click and drag Decreases or increases the amount of darkening applied at up and down on the that tone level in the image. image (left mouse (Only works if the image is actual size - no zooming.) button). CTRL+ any direct adjustment (above). Automatically maintains a constant amplitude and prevents clipping. Using Ctrl + any adjustment, constrains and reshapes the curve, for example, if you are increasing the brightness of the mid tones of the image, the brightening of the dark and light areas of the image decreases. Sets the darken Amplitude slider directly. Sets the brighten Amplitude slider directly.

Actual/Print size

Units Width Height Resolution Preserve original aspect ratio Fit within
Specifies whether the aspect ratio is maintained based on the specified width. For more information about how the different combinations affect the images, see Pixel resize options and resulting action.
Adjusting exposure for multiple images
In ACDSee, you can lighten or darken the colors of an image or a group of images with the Batch Adjust Exposure Wizard. You can adjust each image individually and preview the changes before applying, or make your adjustments to a single image and automatically apply the same changes to all of the images you selected. You can also save your settings as a preset for future use. To adjust image exposure: 1. 2. In the Browser, select one or more images, and then click Tools | Batch Adjust Exposure. In the Batch Adjust Exposure tool, do one or more of the following: 3. To adjust your images' exposure automatically, select the Auto Levels tab and set the options. To adjust your images' exposure, contrast, and fill light level, select the Exposure tab and adjust the options. To precisely adjust the contrast and light levels in your images, select the Levels tab and set the options. To precisely adjust the RGB color channels in your image, select the Curves tab and set the options.
Do one of the following: Select the Apply settings to all selected images check box to apply the current settings to all of the images you selected. De-select Apply settings to all selected images and click Next Image to move on to the next image and repeat step 2 for each image you want to adjust.
Click Options to specify how you want to save and store the images. Click Filter All Images. You can also adjust your image's exposure and color levels in Edit Mode.
Changing the color profiles of multiple images
You can change the color profiles of multiple images using the Batch Convert Color Profile tool. At this time, ACDSee Pro does not support CMYK color profiles.
To change the color profiles used in images: 1. 2. 3. In the Browser, select one or more images. Click Tools | Batch Convert ICC Profile. In the Color profile to convert from list, select the color profile currently associated with the images. For example, you will typically use the Batch Convert Profile tool to convert from your camera's color profile to a more universal color profile, such as sRGB. If you select Use profile information when found in JPEG and TIFF images, ACDSee will convert from the color profile embedded in the images, not the color profile that you select in the list. 4. 5. In the Color profile to convert to list, select color profile that you want to associate with the image. In the Rendering Intent list, select the rendering intent. The most common rendering intent is Perceptual. Some color profiles ignore the rendering intent, so results can vary depending on the profile that you select. 6. Click Options to specify whether ACDSee should overwrite the image file (which effectively deletes the original color profile) or create new files with the new color profiles. You can also select options for JPEG compression. Click Start. Click Done.

Assigning categories and ratings
You can assign files to a rating, or one or more categories, without moving the file or making an extra copy. To assign files to a category or rating: 1. 2. Select the files you want to categorize. In the File List Pane, do one of the following: 3. Drag the selected files to a category or rating in the Organize pane. Right-click, and then select Set Categories and click the category in the fly out.
In the Viewer, do one of the following: Click Edit | Set Categories and then click the category to which you want to assign the files. Right-click one of the selected files, select Set Categories, and then click the category to which you want to assign the file. Click Edit | Set Rating and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file. Right-click one of the selected files, select Set Rating, and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file. On the status bar, click the rating icon, and then click a new rating. This icon only appears once a rating is set.
If you are comparing images and want to categorize them, do one of the following: Right-click one of the files, select Categories, and then click the category to which you want to assign the file. Right-click one of the files, select Set Rating, and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file.
To assign files to categories or ratings on the Properties pane: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. If the Properties pane is not visible in the Browser, open it by clicking View | Properties pane. On the Properties pane, click the Database tab to bring it to the front of the tabs. In the File List, select the files you want to assign to a category or rating. Under Categories at the bottom of the pane, click the check box of any category you want to assign to the selected files. Click the rating you want these files to have.
Removing files from categories or ratings
You can remove a file from a category or rating without moving or deleting the original file, or affecting any other files assigned to that classification. To remove files from a category: 1. 2. In the File List pane, select the files you want to remove. Do one of the following: Right-click a selected file, and then select Set Rating | Clear Rating. Right-click a selected file, select Set Categories, and then select the name of the category from which you want to remove the file. Right-click a category or rating in the Organize pane, and then select Remove Items.
Creating and assigning keywords
With ACDSee you can create a master list of keywords and store the list in the database. By using a master list, you can reduce the number of duplicate or misspelled keywords, and improve your search returns and image management. The database automatically updates the keywords assigned to files with any changes you make to the keywords in the master list. To create and maintain the master keyword list: 1. 2. 3. In the Properties pane, click the Keyword Picker button beside the Keywords field. In the Keyword Picker dialog box, click Edit List. In the Keyword List Configuration dialog box, do one of the following: 4. To create a new keyword, type a new keyword into the New Keyword field, and then click Add. To delete a keyword, select a keyword in the Keyword List field, and then click Remove. To rename a keyword, select a keyword in the Keyword List field. Click Rename, type a new name for the keyword, and then press Enter. To assign keywords to your files, select one or more keywords in the Available Keywords list, and then click Assign. To remove a keyword from your files, select a keyword in the Assigned Keywords list, and then click Remove.

Excluding folders from the database
You can choose to exclude folders from the database, and keep the contents separate from your other images and media files. By default, the Program Files and Windows folders on your hard drive are automatically excluded from the database. To manage your excluded folders settings: 1. 2. Click Database | Excluded Folders Settings. In the Excluded Folders dialog box, do one of the following: 3. To exclude a folder from the database, click Add. Browse to a folder on your hard drive, and then click OK. To remove a folder from the excluded folders list, select a folder in the list, and then click Remove. To reset your excluded folders list to the default settings, click Reset to Defaults.
When you are satisfied with your choices, click Close to return to ACDSee.
Cataloging files in the database
ACDSee automatically adds file information and thumbnails to the database as you browse. You can use the Catalog Files Wizard to add groups of files to the database without having to first browse the folders. This can be particularly useful when using ACDSee for the first time, and when browsing or managing large collections of images as it reduces the loading time required for these folders. The first time you run ACDSee, the database automatically catalogs the contents of your My Pictures folder. You can click Reset to display only the default column names in the Currently Displayed Details pane, and you can also move a column in the File List pane by dragging its header to a new position. A vertical line indicates where the column will be inserted.
To catalog your files: 1. 2. 3. Click Database | Catalog Files. On the Welcome page, select which folders you want to catalog. Click Next when you are ready to continue. If you chose to catalog specific folders, on the Select folders to catalog and Add database information pages, add the folders to catalog in the database, specify the information to add to the database, and customize the caption, notes, author, and date fields. Click Next when you are ready to catalog your files. If you are cataloguing a large collection of files, do not disrupt the process, or use other software while it is running. For large file collections, it is best to run cataloging overnight.
Converting an older database
You can use the ACD Database Convert Wizard to take database information from previous versions of ACDSee or ACD mPower Tools, and add it to your current database. This ensures that any information associated with your files using a previous version of ACDSee is referenced properly in the current database. If you have already added information to your current ACDSee database, it is recommended that you create a backup of your database before converting an older ACDSee database. To convert an older database: 1. 2. 3. Click Database | Convert Database. On the Welcome page, click Next to select your conversion options. On the Database Convert Options page, specify the version of the database file you want to convert, as well as its location on your hard drive. Click Next when you are ready to continue. To automatically rebuild image thumbnails and EXIF information after the conversion process is complete, select the Rebuild Thumbnails and EXIF data check box. To automatically update your database after converting, select the Optimize database files after convert check box. Click Next when you are ready to continue. On the Summary page, review your selections, and then click Next to convert your database.

Search pane areas

The Search pane contains several areas to help you manager your searches. When you create a search, remember that the search tool will only return files that match all of the criteria that you specify. Saved searches In the saved searches area, you can save a complex search to use later, select a search to run again, or delete a saved search. Saved searches If you have saved a search, it is listed in this drop-down list for you to select and run again. When you click Start at the bottom of the pane, the search results are listed in the File List pane. Saved searches are also listed on the Organize pane, from where you can run them with a single click on the Saved Search name.

Save a search

Click the save icon, and then save or save as to save or overwrite a saved search. When the Saved Search dialog opens, type in a name for the search. If you use a descriptive name, it makes it easier to remember the criteria in your saved search. Select a search from the drop-down list and then click the delete icon. Click Yes to confirm the deletion, when the prompt opens.

Delete a search

Files and Text In the Files and Text area, you can identify what you are searching for, and where you want to search for it. Search for files or folders named With the text Type a portion of the file or folder name for which you want to search, or select a previous search term from the drop-down list. You can also use wild cards to search for file name patterns. To exclude all non-image files, click the right-arrow button beside the field and select Images only. Type the text you want to search for within the ACDSee database. This can include portions of a caption or keyword, or even the name of a folder or category that might contain the files you want to find. When you search by both file name and a keyword or phrase, an item is included in the search result only when it includes both criteria. To specify what parts of the database you want to search, and indicate how to treat the text you type in the field, click the arrow next to the field and select any of the following options: Search in Find all words: only returns files that match all of the words you enter. Find whole words only: only returns files that contain the entire word, exactly as you type it. Search in Caption: searches the Caption field of files in the database. Search in Keywords: searches the Keyword field of files in the database. Search in Notes: searches the Notes field of files in the database. Search in Categories: searches the Category assignments of files in the database. Search in Folders: searches in the name of folders in the database. Entire database: performs a search on the entire ACDSee database. Note that any folders on your computer that have not been cataloged are not included in the search results. Specific folders and categories: performs the search only within the categories and folders you specify. Selecting this option opens the Categories and Folders area, where you can select the location and categories in which you want to search.

Click Next. If you are comparing the files with another list, add the files or folders you want to compare to the second list, and then click Next. On the Search Parameters page, specify whether you want to find exact duplicates, or just files with the same name. You can also choose to search for image files only. When you are ready to perform the search, click Next. If no duplicates are found, refine your search or click Cancel to exit the Duplicate Finder. If duplicates are found, specify from which list you want to delete the duplicates, and then select the check box next to the files you want to delete. You can also right-click a file name to open, rename, or delete a file.
10. Click Next to review your changes, and then click Finish to perform the operation.

Finding images quickly

You can click on the name of a saved search to quickly re-run a complex search. You can select Special Items in the Organize pane to locate all of the images in your database, or list all of the images that you have not yet assigned to a category. To re-run a saved search: In the Browser, on the Organize pane, click the name of a saved search. The results of the search display in the File List pane. To find all of your images at once: 1. 2. In the Browser, click View | Organize to open the Organize pane. In the Organize pane, under Special Items, click Image Well.
To locate uncategorized images: 1. 2. 3. In the Browser, click View | Organize to open the Organize pane. In the Organize pane, under Special Items, click Uncategorized. The Image Well and Uncategorized features only display images that have been cataloged in the database; they do not search your hard drive for specific file types.

Chapter 7: Sharing

E-mailing images
You can use the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard to send images directly from ACDSee without opening an external e-mail application. To use the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard, you will need an active e-mail account, and have a default e-mail application set up on your computer, or have access to an SMTP server. To e-mail your images: 1. 2. 3. In the File List pane, select the images you want to share, and then click File | E-mail Images. In the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard, click Next. On the Add images and adjust options page, you can add or remove images from the list, and set the options to specify a maximum e-mail size, and the image size and compression. When you are satisfied with your changes, click Next. On the Select your e-mail client page, specify whether you want to use your default e-mail application, or send the images through an SMTP server. If you are not sure which method you should use, try the default e-mail client option. Click Next to continue. Do one of the following: On the Sending your images page, wait while the wizard formats your images and prepares the e-mail message for sending. Once the wizard opens the e-mail message, you can specify who you want to send the message to, and add text to the e-mail before you send it. Click Finish to close the wizard and return to ACDSee. On the Select and create SMTP accounts page, click the Create Account button to create a new SMTP account, or select an account from the drop-down list, and then click Next. On the Enter e-mail information page, specify the recipients, the subject of the e-mail message, and the text you want to include in the message. Click Next to send the e-mail message. The E-mail plug-in does not support Internet-based e-mail applications such as Hotmail or Yahoo.

Graphics Interchange Single page and animated; 87a and 89a Format AT&T ICN Windows icon EA/Amiga Interchange File Format JPEG2000 JPEG2000 JPEG JFIF Kodak KDC MAG Konica Minolta RAW Nikon RAW Olympus RAW Portable BitMap Kodak PhotoCD ZSoft Publishers Paintbrush Pentax RAW PEF Portable GrayMap SoftImage PIC Macintosh PICT Adobe Acrobat documents Alias PIX Portable Network Graphics Portable PixMap Adobe Postscript Adobe PhotoShop Document First page only RGB, grayscale, duotone, paletted and bi-level Lab color interpreted as grayscale only Can read all pages. 24 bpp All sub-types supported All sub-types supported Up to 3072x2048 resolution (16BASE) All sub-types supported Shows multiple resolutions as separate pages 1-24 bpp, including HAM and HAM8; multiple pages and animations not supported 48-bit support 48-bit support JFIF and Adobe CMYK Reads both the full image and the embedded thumbnail All sub-types supported
JP2 JPC JPG KDC MAG MRW NEF ORF PBM PCD PCX PEF PGM PIC PCT PDF PIX PNG PPM PS PSD
PSP QuickTime RAF RAS RAW
Paint Shop Pro.qtif,.qif,.qfi Fujifilm RAW Sun Raster Pentax RAW, Leica RAW, Contax RAW, Casio RAW Red Storm image format SGI Image Format Targa TGA Tag Image File Format
Version 5 and version 6 Support for Apple QuickTime still image codecs
Uncompressed and RLE compressed

RSB SGI TGA TIFF

All sub-types are supported 8-32 bpp; no colormaps; RLE or uncompressed All sub-types supported 1/2/4/8/12/16 bits per sample, 1-4 samples per pixel Bilevel/RGB/Paletted/CMYK/YCrCb/LOGL/LOGLUV; Uncompressed/PackBits/LZW//ThunderScan/ SGILog/CCITT/ZIP/NEXT/New-JPEG (no v6.0 JPEG support) Support for multiple-page documents Kodak RAW TIFF, Canon RAW TIFF

WBMP WMF XBM XPM

Wireless Bitmap Windows Metafile Format X bitmap X pixmap Win 3.x placeable metafiles
Image write support formats BMP GIF IFF Windows Bitmap Windows 1/8/24 bpp
Graphics Interchange Non-interlaced GIF 89a only Format EA/Amiga Interchange File Format JPEG2000 JPEG JFIF 8 and 24 bpp. Progressive and baseline; adjustable compression factor, subsampling, smoothing and Huffman code optimization 8 and 24 bpp; RLE compressed 1-24 bpp, including HAM and HAM8; multiple pages and animations not supported

hue Predominant color in an image. I image editor Program that you can use to create and edit images. ACD Photo Editor is an image editor. image optimizer Program you can use to make your images more suitable for the Internet. ACD RealOptimizer is an image optimizer. image resolution Quality of image details and colors. Also used to describe the quality of monitors and printer output. image viewer Program that displays images. ACDSee and ACD Photo Editor are image viewers. import Bringing data into an application from another using a format that the receiving application understands. interpolation Process that uses nearby pixels to estimate the color of new pixels added to the larger image. For example, interpolation might be used when enlarging a digital image. IPTC Standard method of encoding information within image files so that items such as descriptive comments and copyright information can be transmitted with the image. J-K jaggies Individual pixels displayed in an image with low resolution. The appearance of pixels in an image causes lines and curves to appear jagged. L lossless compression Form of compression that retains all image data and quality. lossless rotation and flipping Rotation of a JPEG image without loss of image quality. This works best on images with dimensions that are a multiple of 8 or 16. lossy compression Form of compression that attempts to remove unnecessary data. This data loss can affect image quality.
M marquee Dashed-line frame that identifies a selected portion of an image. Depending on the tool, you can resize or move a marquee with or without changing the underlying image. metadata Information about an image and how it was taken. For example, the metadata of digital camera images can contain the date and time the picture was taken, the shutter speed, the exposure settings of the camera, and whether a flash was used. monochrome image Image containing a single color. multiple page image Image containing more than one image in a single file. For example, images in TIFF format can have multiple pages. myACD A control panel that you can use to check the status of your software, enter a license code to update your trial versions, and download other products to try or buy. N newsreader Application for reading and posting messages on Internet newsgroups (online discussion groups). noise Effect produced when a variety of pixel colors are used in the same color region. Noise often results during image resizing, or when converting an image to a new format. O opacity Determines how visible an effect is when applied to an image or a selection. High opacity produces a more solid effect, while low opacity results in a nearly invisible effect. overexposed Images that are overexposed have too many highlights, and tend to look faded or grainy. You typically overexpose images by exposing your digital camera's sensor to light for too long. P-Q panning Moving zoomed images vertically, horizontally, and diagonally across the display area to view specific areas of the image.

Chapter 3: Browsing

The ACDSee Browser is the screen you see when the application first opens. This is where you browse and manage files. You can search for, move, preview, sort, organize, and rate your files, as well as share them in many ways. The Browsers 12 panes can be closed or hidden, moved and docked in many different configurations, which you can save, name, then reload when you need them. 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 Browser window displays information about the currently selected file, folder, or category.
Browsing files in the File List pane
The File List pane is the large pane in the center of the Browser. The File List pane displays the contents of the currently selected folder, the results of your latest search, or the files and folders that match your selective browsing criteria. The File List pane is always visible, and cannot be hidden or closed. Files display as thumbnails in the File List pane by default. However, you can change the File List pane view mode from thumbnails to details, list, icons, tiles, or filmstrip. You can sort your files according to name, size, image properties, and more. You can also use filters to control which files display in the File List pane. There are two sections in the File List pane: the Contents bar and the File List toolbar.

The Contents bar

The Contents bar is located at the top of the File List pane and describes what you are currently browsing. When you are using the Folders pane, the Contents bar will display the path or paths to the folders you are browsing, as in the following example:
If you are browsing files by category or rating with the Organize pane, the Contents bar displays the selected classifications, as in the following example:
The Contents bar also displays a date range when browsing with the Calendar pane, and a summary of your search criteria when you use the Search pane.

Chapter 3 : Browsing

File List toolbar
Filter By Displays a list of filter options such as rating and category. You can also select Advanced Filters and create a custom filter. Displays a list of file attributes that you can use to group files in the File List pane. Displays a list of file attributes that you can use to sort the files in the File List pane. Opens the View Modes menu, where you can select how to display files in the File List pane. Displays a list of file selection options. Opens the Thumbnail Info page of the Options dialog, where you can select the information to display in the thumbnail pop-up and what overlay icons to use. Controls the size of the thumbnails in the File List pane. Drag the slider to adjust the thumbnails.

Year View

Month View

Day View

Photo Calendar

Options

Use the Calendar pane options to specify which date you want to use to organize your files. For example, you can quickly change so that you display photos by the following: Date the ACDSee database catalogued the file Date the image was taken Date the file was modified Date the file was loaded to your compute You can click Options to open the Calendar where you can set filter options, choose the day to start the week, and set clock formats.

Previous Item Next Item

Selects, and moves to, the closest previous date that has photos. Selects, and moves to, the next closest date that has photos.
Adding descriptions and thumbnails in Events view
You can add a description and a thumbnail image to dates in Events view to help you remember the event. To add a description to a date in Events view: 1. 2. 3. Expand the month to see the dates on which images or media files are available. Click Enter event description and replace the highlighted text with a new description. Press Enter or click outside of the description area. The description is saved.
To select a specific thumbnail in Events view or Photo Calendar: 1. 2. 3. Expand the month to see the dates on which images or media files are available. Click on a date to display the images or media files in the File List pane. Click and drag an image or media file and drag it to the thumbnail area for the date. When you release the mouse button the thumbnail is saved. You can reset the default thumbnail by right-clicking the thumbnail and selecting Restore Default Thumbnail. To navigate a long list of dates in Events view: 1. 2. 3. To expand and collapse specific groups click the +/- signs which are located on the left side of the group header. To expand and collapse all groups right-click a group header and select either Open All Groups or Close All Groups. To scroll through multiple groups click the Next Group and Previous Group buttons, which are located at the bottom of the File List scroll bar.

To configure a slide show: 1. Do one of the following: In the File List pane, select a group of images. In the Folders pane, select a folder or use the Easy-Select bar to select multiple folders that contain images. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Tools | Configure AutoSlide Show. In the Slide Show Properties dialog box, select or change the slide show options as described below. To save your settings as the default slide show behavior, select the Save current settings as default check box. Click OK.

Slide show options

File Selection Slide show contents Always use these contents for this selection type and start slide show automatically Basic Select transition effects Background color Image delay (in seconds) Advanced Transition quality Specifies the locations and images you want to use in the slide show. Retains the current Slide show contents setting and starts automatically the next time you launch the slide show.
Select or clear the check box next to each transition effect. The slide show will randomly select transitions from your choices. Specifies the background color. Click the color picker arrow to select or change the color. Specifies how long you want the slide show to display each image. Drag the slider to the left to improve slide show speed, or drag to the right to improve the quality of the transition effects.

General settings

Select or clear any of the following options: Play embedded audio: plays any audio clips embedded in the images. Autohide control bar: hides the slide show controls whenever the mouse pointer stops moving for more than a few seconds. Repeat: repeats the slide show after displaying the last image. Stretch images to fit screen: enlarges small images to fill the entire screen. Stretch video to fit screen: enlarge video files to fill the entire screen.

Slide order

Select one of the following options to specify the order to display your images: Forward Backward Random
Display header text Display footer text
Displays a text caption at the top of each image. Set the options to specify the text you want to display. Displays a text caption at the bottom of each image. Set the options to specify the text you want to display. Retains the current settings on all of the tabbed pages and applies them the next time you view a slide show.
Save current settings as default

Slide show text options

Alignment Backgroun d color Text Font Insert Metadata Tag Specifies the alignment of the text captions. Specifies a background color for the caption text. Specifies the text to display as a caption. Opens the Font dialog box where you can select or change the font options for your text. Inserts file-specific information called metadata into the caption. Click to open the Choose Property dialog box and select the metadata you want to insert.

See also. Setting ACDSee Showroom options
Viewing and using brush files
You can view brush files in the Browser just like fonts or other files. This means that you can assign ratings or organize them just like any other file in ACDSee. Because many.abr files are actually groups of images in one file, you need to open them in the Viewer to see the individual images. This icon indicates an.abr brush file in ACDSee.
To view brush files: 1. 2. 3. In the Browser, navigate to the folder containing your brush files. To see just the top image in any.abr file, hover over the thumbnail to activate the popup, or click on it to see that image in the Preview pane. To view the other images in the.abr file, double-click on it to open it in the Viewer. The file opens in the Viewer showing the individual images in a pane on the left-hand side.
To see the number of images, and select them by number, click the down-arrow at the top of the sidebar, and then select the number of the image. To scroll through the images, click the right and left arrows at the top of the sidebar, or on each image.
To use brush files in Adobe Photoshop: With both Adobe Photoshop and ACDSee open, drag the file from the File List (in the Browser) onto the Photoshop window. Even though nothing appears to happen, the brush is loaded into the Photoshop brush library. To view the new brushes, open the library and scroll to the bottom of the pane. To make it even easier to use brushes in Photo Shop, you can configure it to be your default editor. Then you can use Ctrl +E to open Photoshop and use the brush right away.

Chapter 5: Editing

ACDSees Edit Mode is a quick and easy image editor containing useful tools to help reduce redeye in digital images, remove an unwanted color cast, apply special effects, and much more. You can also edit and enhance your images by adjusting the light and color levels, cropping images that are too large, rotating or flipping images that are incorrectly aligned, and adjusting sharpness. When you are finished editing, you can preview your changes, and then save your images many different file formats. You can use the Edit Mode to edit and enhance your images, or you can configure ACDSee to open and work with a variety of editing applications, such as ACD Photo Editor. To open an image in Edit Mode: Do one of the following: In the Browser, select an image and click Tools | Open In Editor, and then select Edit Mode. In the Viewer, click Modify, and then select Edit Mode. In the Viewer, click Modify | Edit Mode and then select the name of the tool you want to apply to your image. Edit Mode will open directly to that tool. To edit an image in another image editing application: Do one of the following: In the Browser, click Tools | Open in Editor, and then select the editing application you want to use. In the Viewer, click Modify | Open in Editor, and then select the editing application you want to use.

Closing Edit Mode

You can close the Edit Mode window and return to the Viewer or Browser at any time. To close Edit Mode: Do one of the following: Click the Finished Editing button on the toolbar. Press Esc. If you are currently working with a tool, the Finished Editing button may be disabled. Close the tool first, and then click Finished Editing to return to the Browser or Viewer.
Using the undo/redo system
You can undo and redo your changes when editing an image. To undo a change: Do one of the following: In the Viewer, click Edit | Undo. In Edit Mode, on the Edit Panel, click the Undo button. To redo a reversed change: Do one of the following: In the Viewer, click Edit | Redo. In Edit Mode, on the Edit Panel, click the Redo button.
Previewing changes to images
You can use the Preview bar with some editing tools in Edit Mode to see how the changes you are making affect your image. The Preview bar shows you the original image and the image after your changes. You can pan either image in the Preview bar by dragging it within its pane, and drag the edges or corners of the Preview bar to resize it. Preview Bar button
To open the Preview bar: 1. 2. On the Edit Panel, open an editing tool. On the tool panel, click the Preview Bar button.
The Preview bar displays the original version of your image in the top pane, and the edited version of your image in the bottom pane, with a toolbar between the two.

Resizing an image

You can resize an image by adjusting its dimensions in pixels, percentage, or actual/print size. While resizing, you can also choose an aspect ratio and a resampling filter to adjust the resized image's appearance. You can save your options as a preset for future use. To resize an image: 1. 2. In Edit Mode, on the Edit Panel, click Resize. Select one of the following resize options: Pixels: resizes the image to specific dimensions in pixels. Percent: resizes the image to a percentage of the original. Actual/Print size in: resizes the image to match a specific output size. Click the drop-down list to specify a unit of measurement. 3. If you want to maintain a specific width to height ratio, select the Preserve aspect ratio check box, and then select one of the following options from the drop-down list: Original: maintains the original image's width to height ratio. 1 x 1: forces the width and height to be equal. 2 x 3: forces a width to height ratio of 2:3. 3 x 2: forces a width to height ratio of 3:2. 3 x 5: forces a width to height ratio of 3:5. 5 x 3 forces a width to height ratio of 5:3. Custom: applies a custom ratio. Enter a width to height ratio in the Custom Aspect Ratio dialog box. 4. 5. Select a resample filter from the Filter drop-down list. Under the resize option you selected in step #2, type the image's new dimensions into the Width and Height spin boxes. If you selected Actual/Print size in, click the Resolution drop-down list, and then select a resolution (in dots per inch) for your output image. To estimate the size of the output image, click Estimate new file size. Do one of the following: Click Done to apply your changes and close the Resize tool. Click Cancel to discard all changes and close the tool.

Drop Shadow

Opacity Distance

Text Effects options

Special Effect Bevel Specifies the effect you want to apply to your text. Each effect has different options that control its appearance. Drag the sliders to adjust the appearance of the text. Angle Specifies the direction of the imaginary light source that creates the bevel effect. Drag the arrow to adjust the angle - note that this also adjusts the angle of the drop shadow. Specifies the height of the imaginary light source that creates the bevel's shadowed effect. Lower values produce longer shadows on the text, while a higher value produces a more direct lighting effect and shorter shadows. Specifies how much of each letter's edge is bevelled. Higher values give the text a more rounded, smoother look. Specifies the difference between the highest and lowest points on the text. Higher values heighten the difference between the flat portions of the text and the bevelled edges. Specifies the direction of the imaginary light source that creates the drop shadow. Drag the arrow to adjust the angle - note that this also adjusts the shading of the text bevel. Specifies the amount of blur applied to the drop shadow. Sharp shadows tend to seem less realistic than those with a slight blur. Specifies the darkness of the drop shadow where it falls on the image. Specifies the distance between the drop shadow and the text. The higher the value, the farther the shadow and the higher the text appears. If a drop shadow is cut off, or has a noticeably sharp edge, you may need to increase the size of the text rectangle. Blend Mode Select an option from the Blend Mode drop-down list to specify how you want the text to blend into the underlying image.
Batch Processor watermark options
You can use the options in the Watermark section to add a watermark to an image. You can move the watermark to any position on the image. You can also change the opacity of the watermark and blend the watermark into the image. To set Watermark options: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Browse, select your watermark, and click Open. The watermark displays in the center of the photo by default. Click and drag the watermark to reposition it anywhere on your image. Alternately, click the Position & Blending tab and use the options to reposition the watermark. Drag the marquee handles to resize the watermark image. Select Maintain aspect ratio while resizing if you want to resize the watermark image without stretching it. Select Apply Alpha Channel to apply the alpha channel if it is present in the watermark. (Only TIF, PNG, and ICO watermark files can have an alpha channel.) Select Apply Transparency to make a color in the watermark transparent. The default color is white. You can enter the RGB value of the color. If you do not know the RGB value, move your mouse over the watermark preview thumbnail on the Edit Panel and click on the color that you want to make transparent. Click the Position & Blending tab. Select an option from the Blending Mode drop-down list to specify how you want the watermark to blend into the underlying image. Drag the Opacity slider to specify the transparency of the watermark.

Light EQ options

Brighten sliders (top) Drag the sliders up to increase the brightening in each tonal band. The sliders on the left affect dark tones. The sliders on the right, bright tones. Moving a slider changes the amount of brightening only in that particular tonal band in the image. You can also type a number into the number boxes and increment them slowly to make precise adjustments. Darken sliders (bottom) Drag the sliders down to increase the darkening in each tonal band. The sliders on the left affect dark tones. The sliders on the right, affect bright tones. Moving a slider changes the amount of darkening only in that particular tonal band in the image. You can also type a number into the number boxes and increment them slowly to make precise adjustments. Orange Graph The orange graph indicates the amount of brightening and darkening applied throughout the tone range of the image. The portion of the graph above the horizontal axis corresponds to brightening, while the portion of the graph below the horizontal axis corresponds to darkening. When both brightening and darkening are applied within the same tonal band, contrast is increased. The area between the top of the brightening graph and the bottom of the darkening graph indicates the relative increase of contrast throughout the tone range of the image. Click the drop-down list to increase or decrease the number of tonal bands that you can adjust.

Number of tone bands

Color options
White Balance When you take RAW images the settings you select for white balance are not applied to the image but stored within the image's metadata. When ACDSee Pro 2 processes the RAW image, this stored setting is applied to the image by default. You can then make adjustments to this original setting. Select one of the following white balance correction options: Custom: Allows you to specify a specific white balance, either by adjusting the Temperature and Tint sliders, or by clicking on an area of the image that is a neutral color (gray). Sunny: Adjusts the color temperature to 5500K, approximately that of the midday sun. Cloudy: Adjusts the color temperature to 6500K, approximately that of a lightly overcast sky. Shade: Adjusts the color temperature to 7500K, approximately that of a heavily overcast sky. Tungsten: Adjusts the color temperature to 2850K, approximately that of a household light bulb. Fluorescent: Adjusts the color temperature to 3800K, approximately that of a fluorescent light bulb. Flash: Adjusts the color temperature to 5500K, approximately that of a camera flash. Auto: Adjust the color temperature and tint to settings automatically determined by analyzing the image. As Shot: Selected automatically. Applies the camera's white balance setting as stored in the camera when the photo was taken. You can set a custom white balance by clicking on a neutral color (like gray) in the image. Auto Click the Auto button to automatically correct the white balance settings for the selected photo. To see which white balance settings were used, look at the Temperature and Tint slider values. Click to use the white balance settings that you selected when you took the photo. The As Shot button displays the settings you selected. For example: As Shot (Auto) indicates that you selected Auto white balance settings when you took the photo, while As Shot (Sunny) indicates that you selected Sunny white balance settings when you took the photo. Drag the Temperature slider to the left or right to select a specific color temperature. Drag the Tint slider to the left (more magenta) or right (more green) to match the white balance settings that you selected when you took the photo.

Background color Slant Direction
Applying a Solarize effect
You can use the Solarize effect to simulate the effect of overexposing an image, as though the film was exposed to light before developing. You can select or change the Solarize options to apply this effect to your image, and save your options as a preset for use at another time. To apply a Solarize effect: 1. 2. On the Edit Panel, click Effects, and then double-click Solarize. On the Solarize tab, drag the Threshold slider to specify the brightness threshold of the image.
In the Effect area, specify which pixels you want to adjust by selecting one of the following options: Solarize: adjusts pixels located above the specified threshold option. The effect takes any pixels above the threshold and replaces them with their negative value. When you solarize an image, a higher threshold value sets a brighter threshold, and colors need to be brighter to be overexposed. Lunarize: adjusts pixels located below the specified threshold option. The effect takes any pixels below the threshold and replaces them with their negative value. When you lunarize an image, a higher threshold value sets a darker threshold, and colors do not have to be as bright to be overexposed.
Do one of the following: Click Done to accept your changes and close the Solarize tab. Click Cancel to discard your changes and close the tab.
Applying a Stained Glass effect
You can use the Stained Glass effect to divide your images into fragments of a random size and shape, to give the photo the appearance of a stained glass window. You can control the size and position of the fragments. You can save your options as a preset for use at another time. To apply a Stained Glass effect: 1. 2. 3. On the Edit Panel, click Effects, and then double-click Stained Glass. On the Stained Glass tab, set the options as described below. Do one of the following: Click Done to accept your changes and close the tab. Click Cancel to discard your changes and close the tab.

Stained Glass options

Fragment size Random Seed Specifies the size of the fragments. Indicates the random placement of the fragments. When you apply the Stained Glass effect to an image, ACDSee places the fragments randomly. This makes the effect different every time you apply the filter. You can define a specific random seed to generate identical fragment patterns. To generate a new random seed, click Random Seed. See also. About tool presets Using the undo/redo system

See also. Using the File List pane Maintaining the database

Chapter 6 : Organizing

Copying images
You can copy an image to the Clipboard and then paste it into another application, such as ACD Photo Editor. Using the Copy Image command transfers only the image data to the Clipboard: no database, EXIF, or IPTC information is retained. To copy an image: 1. 2. 3. In the File List pane, select the image file you want to copy. Click Edit | Copy Image. Paste the image into your other application.
Pasting files and folders
You can cut or copy files to the Clipboard, and then paste them into another folder without losing your database information. To cut and paste files: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the File List or Folders pane, select one or more files or folders. Click Edit | Copy or Cut. Using the Folders pane, browse to a new location. Click Edit | Paste to place the files or folders into the new location.
Replacing or overwriting files
When copying or moving files from one location to another, a file name collision occurs if a file already exists in the destination folder with the same file name and extension as a file you are relocating. In ACDSee, you can view both of the files involved in the Confirm File Replace dialog box. If the files involved are image files, ACDSee displays thumbnail previews of both files, and provides options to replace the existing file, rename, delete, or skip the file you are moving, or cancel the operation entirely. To use the Confirm File Replace dialog box: 1. 2. 3. If you are moving a number of files and want to handle all potential file name collisions in the same manner, select the Apply to all check box. To help determine any differences between the two files, use the toolbar between the two preview fields to shrink or enlarge the size of the previews. Do one of the following: To replace the destination file with the source file, click Replace. To rename the new file before moving it into the destination folder, type a new name for the file in the Rename to field, and then click Rename. To skip this file, and leave both files intact, click Skip. To delete either the destination or source file, click Delete below the file you want to remove from your hard drive. To cancel the operation and not move or copy any more files, click Cancel.
In the Confirm File Replace dialog box, destination file refers to the file that exists in the target folder, and source file refers to the file you are moving or copying.
See also. Setting File Management options
Renaming a file or folder
You can rename a file or folder on your hard drive in the Folders and File List panes. To rename a file or folder: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the File List or Folders pane, select the item you want to rename. Click Edit | Rename. Without removing or changing the file name extension, such as.jpg, type a new name for the file. Press Enter. You can rename multiple files at the same time using ACDSee's Batch Rename tool.

To display a tagged photo: In the Browser, click View | Organize to display the Organize pane, then click Tagged. Tagged photos from all your folders display in the File List pane of the Browser. See also. About the ACDSee database Using the Organize pane Using the Properties pane

Creating categories

You can use the Organize pane to create, rename, delete, and move your categories. To create a category: 1. 2. 3. 4. Do one of the following: Click Edit | Set Categories | New Category. Right-click a category in the Organize pane, and then select New Category. Select one of the following: Create a new, top-level category Create a sub-category within the current selection 5. 6. If you are creating a top-level category, select an icon from the Icon drop-down list. If you are creating a sub-category, select a top-level (or parent) category from the drop-down list. (If you right-clicked a category in the Organize pane, the sub-category will be added below that category by default.) Type a name for the new category in the Name field. Click OK.
To manage your categories: Select a category in the Organize pane, and do one of the following: To move the category, drag it to the new location. To edit the category, right-click the selected category and select Edit Category. To delete the category, right-click the selected category and select Delete. See also. About the ACDSee database Using the Organize pane Using the Properties pane
Assigning categories and ratings
You can assign files to a rating, or one or more categories, without relocating the file. To assign files to a category or rating: 1. 2. 3. Select the files you want to categorize. In the File List Pane, drag the selected files to a category or rating in the Organize pane. In the Viewer, do one of the following: Click Edit | Set Categories and then click the category to which you want to assign the files. Right-click one of the selected files, select Set Categories, and then click the category to which you want to assign the file. Click Edit | Set Rating and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file. Right-click one of the selected files, select Set Rating, and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file. On the status bar, click the rating icon, and then click a new rating. This icon only appears once a rating is set. 4. If you are comparing images and want to categorize them, do one of the following: Right-click one of the files, select Categories, and then click the category to which you want to assign the file. Right-click one of the files, select Set Rating, and then click the rating to which you want to assign the file. Removing files from classifications You can remove a file from a category or rating without moving or deleting the original file, or affecting any other files assigned to that classification.

To insert data into the fields in the Batch Set Information dialog box: Do one of the following: Type the exact information you want in the field. For example, you can type in captions, descriptions, notes, or comments. When you type in data, the same information appears for each file selected. Select information from calendars or lists. For example, you can select a specific date and time, or assign a rating to files. Each file will contain the same information. Insert an asterisk <*> to keep the original or existing data in the field. For example, many cameras store the date and time an image is taken. If you insert an asterisk in the field, this original information about each separate file is added to the EXIF information, or to the database, when you click Perform Set Information. Insert a series of number signs #. When the information is set, these will be replaced with incrementing characters, so each file will have a unique number. Select and insert metadata place holders. For example, you can insert the metadata placeholder <Camera:Model> in the Model field on the EXIF tab. When you set the information, the model of the camera that took each separate image will be inserted into the EXIF information. Alternatively, in the Notes or User comment fields, you can insert metadata place holders to include unique information about each file like file location, file type, aperture value, or other detailed metadata.
Map information to a given field. For example, you can select to map Width to the Pixel X dimension field, and Height to the Pixel Y dimension field. When you set the information, the unique width and height of each image will appear in the EXIF fields for all of the files.

Advanced Options

Edit only empty fields Sets the Batch Set Information tool so that it only changes those fields that do not already contain information. Fields that do contain information remain unchanged. Sets the dialog box to close automatically after you have set the information. Stores the current Advanced Options settings and loads them the next time you set information for files. Sets the number at which to start incrementing any number signs <#>.
Close dialog when finished Save settings as default Start incrementing numbers at
See also. About the ACDSee database Using the Properties pane
Removing IPTC keywords and supplemental categories
You can remove an image's IPTC keywords and supplemental categories from the ACDSee database. To remove IPTC keywords and supplemental categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 4. 5. 6. In the Browser, select the image. If the Properties pane is not already displayed, click View | Properties to display it. Ensure that the image is writable: Click the File tab. If there is a check mark in Read only, the image is not writable. Clear Read only to make the file writable. Click the IPTC tab. Click the Keyword Picker button beside the Keywords field or the Supplemental Categories Picker button beside the Supplemental Categories field. Select the keyword or supplemental category that you want to remove from the Assigned values box. (To select more than one keyword or supplemental category press and hold the Ctrl key while select the keywords and supplemental categories with your mouse.) Click Remove. Click OK.

Finding duplicate files

You can use the Duplicate Finder plug-in to search for duplicate files on your hard drive. Once you locate any duplicates, you can rename or delete them to better manage your file collection. The following steps are a basic overview of how to use the Duplicate Finder. There is also extensive context-sensitive Help in the plug-in dialog box to provide you with additional information. Limit your search by selecting only a portion of the photos or images in a folder.
To find duplicate files: 1. 2. 3. In the Browser, click Tools | Find Duplicates. In the Select Search Type dialog box, add the files and folders you want to search. Do one of the following: To find duplicates within the files and folders you added to the list, select Find duplicates within this list of files. To compare files between the list you created and another group of files, select Find duplicates between these files and another list. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Click Next. If you are comparing the files with another list, add the files or folders you want to compare to the second list, and then click Next. On the Search Parameters page, specify whether you want to find exact duplicates, or just files with the same name. You can also choose to search for image files only. When you are ready to perform the search, click Next. If no duplicates are found, refine your search or click Cancel to exit the Duplicate Finder. If duplicates are found, specify from which list you want to delete the duplicates, and then select the check box next to the files you want to delete. You can also right-click a file name to open, rename, or delete a file.
10. Click Next to review your changes, and then click Finish to perform the operation.

Finding images quickly

You can select Special Items in the Organize pane to quickly locate all of the images in your database, or list all of the images that you have not yet assigned to a category. To find all of your images at once: 1. 2. In the Browser, click View | Organize to open the Organize pane. In the Organize pane, under Special Items, click Image Well.
To locate uncategorized images: 1. 2. 3. In the Browser, click View | Organize to open the Organize pane. In the Organize pane, under Special Items, click Uncategorized. The Image Well and Uncategorized features only display images that have been cataloged in the database; they do not search your hard drive for specific file types.
See also. Using the Organize pane Assigning categories and ratings

Chapter 7: Sharing

E-mailing images
You can use the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard to send images directly from ACDSee without opening an external e-mail application. To use the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard, you will need an active e-mail account, and have a default e-mail application set up on your computer, or have access to an SMTP server. To e-mail your images: 1. 2. 3. In the File List pane, select the images you want to share, and then click File | E-mail Images. In the E-mail Image Sharing Wizard, click Next. On the Add images and adjust options page, you can add or remove images from the list, and set the options to specify a maximum e-mail size, and the image size and compression. When you are satisfied with your changes, click Next. On the Select your e-mail client page, specify whether you want to use your default email application, or send the images through an SMTP server. If you are not sure which method you should use, try the default e-mail client option. Click Next to continue. Do one of the following: On the Sending your images page, wait while the wizard formats your images and prepares the e-mail message for sending. Once the wizard opens the e-mail message, you can specify who you want to send the message to, and add text to the e-mail before you send it. Click Finish to close the wizard and return to ACDSee. On the Select and create SMTP accounts page, click the Create Account button to create a new SMTP account, or select an account from the drop-down list, and then click Next. On the Enter e-mail information page, specify the recipients, the subject of the email message, and the text you want to include in the message. Click Next to send the e-mail message. The E-mail plug-in does not support Internet-based e-mail applications such as Hotmail or Yahoo.

Actual size Always on top Full screen Hide mouse cursor in full screen Background Default color Custom color

Setting JPEG options

You can change the settings in the Options dialog box to control the quality of the JPEG image, encoding method, color subsampling method, and whether to update or create embedded thumbnails in the JPEG image.

Jpeg options

Image quality Encoding Drag the slider to determine the quality of the JPEG image. Progressive: Select to enable progressive encoding. Optimize Huffman codes: Select to optimize Huffman codes to increase compression. Color component sampling 2:1 Horizontal: Select to subsample color channels on the horizontal axis by a factor of 2:1. 2:1 Vertical: Select to subsample color channels on the vertical axis by a factor of 2:1.

Embedded thumbnails

Only update existing thumbnails: Select to update any existing embedded thumbnails. Always add/update thumbnails: Select to update any existing embedded thumbnails, or create embedded thumbnails. Never add/update thumbnails: Select if you do not want to update any existing embedded thumbnails, or if you do not want to create embedded thumbnails. Generate DCF compatible thumbnails: Select to generate thumbnails that meet the Digital Camera Format (DCF) specification and are compatible with the thumbnail view on the LCD of a digital camera. This option forces a fixed resolution of 160x120 and pads any extra space with black.
Save these settings as the defaults
Select this option to use these JPEG settings by default for all JPEGs.
See also. Organizing and managing files in ACDSee
Setting resized file options
You can change the settings in the Options dialog box to control where ACDSee places modified images, how to handle file duplication conflicts, and specify whether you want to preserve the last-modified date of the file.
File options Specifies where to place the new images. Select one of the following three options: Remove/replace original files: overwrites the original file with the new image. Rename modified images and place in source folder: adds identifying labels to the image names and places them in the same folder as the originals. Place modified images in the following folder: places the converted image in a folder that you can specify. Click the Browse button and select a folder. Overwrite existing files Determines how ACDSee should handle overwriting files. Select one of the following options from the drop-down list: Ask: prompts you when overwriting a file. Skip: cancels the operation if there is a file with the same file name and extension. Replace: overwrites the file. Rename: prompts you to rename the file.