USER GUIDE - Strawbridge Studios

YEARBOOK EDITION
USER GUIDE
a service provided by
Pixami User Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Basic Steps to Creating a Yearbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
User Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Navigation Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Main Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2 Manage Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Creating New Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Assigning Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 3 Manage Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Creating a New Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Organizing Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Reordering Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Modifying section properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Assigning Staff Users to a Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 4 Manage Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Uploading New Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Editing Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Essential Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Organizing Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Moving Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Copying Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Deleting Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Uploading Submitted Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Adding Custom Clip Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Chapter 5 Edit Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Editing Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Pasteboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Editing Photos within the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Zoom and Crop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Borders and Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Modifying Text and Its Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter 6 Panel Pages (Edit Sections) . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 7 Review Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Chapter 1
Introduction
Thank you for using Strawbridge Studios, Inc., as your yearbook publisher
and for using Pixami as your online tool for yearbook creation. This user
guide will take you step-by-step through the creation of the yearbook
from how to get your yearbook organized to submitting the yearbook for
production.
With Pixami, all the work can be done by a single advisor or delegated to
others such as students in a class or club setting. Multiple users may work
on the yearbook simultaneously working on their own assigned sections in
a collaborative workflow. And, since it's online, the advisor and other users
do not have to be at school to work on the yearbook.
Basic Steps to Creating a Yearbook
The yearbook creation process can be broken down into these simple
steps:
Create users and assign them roles (if applicable).
Create sections and organize them using a ladder diagram.
Upload photos for each section to be used as candids or submitted
portraits.
Edit the content of each section.
Review the sections for corrections. Once all corrections are made and
sections are approved, order a proof book.
Note The portraits may not be ready at the time the advisor is ready to begin working on the
book. Once Strawbridge Studios receives the portraits from the school's photography company
and the associated information has been vetted, the portraits will be uploaded to the yearbook's
site. Please let Strawbridge Studios know beforehand if the portraits need to be uploaded by
teacher, by grade, or by another sort order. Also, letting Strawbridge Studios know how the
teachers and/or assistants will be flowed (with the class or as an enlarged separate portrait) will
help in making sure that portraits are uploaded correctly.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
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User Login
FIGURE 1-1
Each school's yearbook is self-contained on its own website. There is no
sharing of resources among other schools therefore allowing Pixami to run
smoothly and efficiently.
When the advisor or another user goes to their yearbook's site, they are
presented with a login screen. Advisors are provided with a default login by
Strawbridge Studios to begin working on the book. Each subsequent user is
created by the advisor as needed.
Navigation Header
At the top right-hand corner
of every page in Pixami is the
Navigation Header.
Go to – a drop-down menu
that allows quick navigation
to the other sections of
Pixami no matter which page
a user may be working in at a given moment. At this time, Strawbridge
Studios does not support the Bookstore or My Account features.
Video help – please refer to the Strawbridge Studios website
(www.strawbridge.net) for detailed video tutorials on specific functions of
Pixami.
Help – a help screen overlays the page giving information about the
functions of the current page.
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Home page – returns the user to the Main Dashboard.
Log out – logs the user out of Pixami.
Main Dashboard
FIGURE 1-2
Once a user logs into Pixami, he is present with the Main Dashboard. The
Main Dashboard has access to all of the main pages of Pixami—Manage
Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, Edit Sections, and Review
Sections. Depending on the role of a user, the Main Dashboard will only
allow access to those pages in which the role has privileges. For example,
a Viewer role will only see the Manage Sections option available while a
Staff role will see the Manage Sections, Manage Photos, and Edit Sections
options. Only the Advisor role will have access to the Review Sections
option.
Note The Navigation Header will also be limited to the same options available based on the
privileges of the user's role.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
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Chapter 2
Manage Users
Available to Editor and Advisor roles.
FIGURE 2-1
•Click New User to begin
creating a new user.
•Enter the requested
information and click OK.
•After creating a new
user, assign the user to a
role and click Submit.
The Manage Users section allows the advisor to setup other users to help
facilitate the production of the yearbook. Each user can be assigned a role
that will give that user specific responsibilities. To create a new user and
assign a role to the user, follow these steps.
Creating New Users
Click New User.
FIGURE 2-2
•Input the requested
information and click OK.
Enter the user’s e-mail address, first
name, last name, and password.
After confirming the password, click
OK when complete.
CHAPTER 2: MANAGE USERS
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Assigning Roles
Once a new user has been created, the user must be assigned to a role
according to the level of participation the user will have in creating the
yearbook. The roles are described below along with the sections of Pixami
to which each role has access.
Note Each role, beginning with Photographer, includes the access level of the previous role.
Viewer (Manage Sections) – this role only allows access to view the book
from the Manage Sections page.
Photographer (Manage Sections & Manage Photos) – including being able
to view the book, this role allows the user to upload photos and clip art to
Pixami.
Staff (Manage Sections, Manage Photos, & Edit Sections) – this user can
edit the section(s) of the book in which the user was assigned by the
Editor or Advisor along with viewing the book and uploading images.
Editor (Manage Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, & Edit Sections) –
this role should be assigned to those that are responsible for organizing
the yearbook and determining who is responsible for each section.
Editors have the following expanded responsibilities:
1. create new users and assign roles
2. create new sections, modify section details, and reorder sections
3. upload, manipulate, organize, and delete photos
4. edit any section
Advisor (Manage Users, Manage Sections, Manage Photos, Edit Sections,
& Review Sections) – the Advisor role has full access to Pixami which
includes all of the responsibilities of the previous roles in addition to
access for reviewing and approving the yearbook for submission.
1. download proof PDFs
2. reject sections needing corrections
3. approve sections ready for print
Note By deselecting all of the roles by a user’s name, that user will no longer have access to
Pixami.
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Chapter 3
Manage Sections
Available to Viewer, Photographer, and Staff roles to view the yearbook only. Expanded section
management tools given to Editor and Advisor roles.
FIGURE 3-1
•There are two main
areas within the Manage
Sections page—section
details and a ladder
diagram.
•Color-coded pages
in the ladder diagram
correspond to the pages
setup in the section
details.
•A Show images button
is available to see a
thumbnail overview of
the book’s progress.
The Manage Sections area of Pixami is the place to setup the structure
of the yearbook. Here you will be able to create new sections, organize
the sections into their proper order, modify section details, and assign the
sections to Staff users.
Creating a New Section
Click on New
Section.
FIGURE 3-2
Enter section
details such
as the section
name, a color
code for a
quick visual
reference, and the number of pages.
CHAPTER 3: MANAGE SECTIONS
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Once done, click OK and the new section will appear in the section details.
The section details will show you the color code given, the number of pages
within the section, the page numbers of the section as it falls in the order
of the book, a preview link to look at the books progress, and an edit link to
modify the section’s properties.
A ladder diagram containing the total number of contracted pages appears
on the right-hand side. The pages will be color coded based on the color
you assign to a section giving a quick visual reference on where the
section is located in the book. A Show images button is available allowing a
thumbnail overview of the book’s progress to be toggled on or off.
Note If the number of contracted pages need to be increased, please contact your yearbook
representative to have it approved as pricing may be affected.
Organizing Sections
FIGURE 3-3
Reordering sections
Sections can be moved around to place them in their proper order. Just
click and hold on the color chip and move it up or down to where the
section needs to be relocated (Figure 3-3). The program will automatically
update the page numbers in the section to its new position in the book.
A warning may pop up alerting the Advisor or Editor that by moving a
particular section to a new location a spread within that section or in
sections that will move as a result will break depending on even and odd
page counts of the section.
FIGURE 3-4
Modifying section
properties
The properties of a section
may be changed after it
has been created. An Edit
link appears to the right of
the section in the section
details. Clicking on it will
open the shown dialog
box (Figure 3-4). Here
the section’s name, page
allotment, and color code
may all be changed.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Note A section can be deleted by changing the number of pages in the section to zero. A
confirmation window will appear to make sure the section is to be deleted as it cannot be
undone.
Assigning Staff Users to a Section
While modifying a section’s properties, a Staff user may be assigned to that
section.
Click Edit beside a section to modify its properties.
A list of Staff users will be listed on the right-hand side of the dialog box
(Figure 3-4).
Click the user’s check box to assign them to that section and click OK.
CHAPTER 3: MANAGE SECTIONS
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Chapter 4
Manage Photos
Available to Staff and Photographer roles to upload photos and clip art. Editor and Advisor roles
can organize, manipulate, and delete photos.
FIGURE 4-1
•The Manage Photos
section is divided into
three areas—Photo
folders, image browser,
and Edit photos.
•The Photo folders section
contains the uploader
bring images into Pixami.
As you create sections,
a corresponding
folder will be created
automatically.
•The image browser
shows thumbnails of the
photos uploaded into the
folders. The names of
images, portraits, and
clip art can be modified
here.
•Edit photos allows the
physical manipulating
of images, moving and
copying of photos from
one folder to another,
and deleting photos
permanently.
Manage Photos is the area of Pixami where photographs, portraits, and
custom clip art can all be imported. Photographer users and above can
upload images into a “catch all” folder or into specific folders that are
automatically set up as each section is created while Editor and Advisor
users can manipulate images, move or copy from one folder to another, or
delete images permanently.
Uploading New Photos
Either create a new folder or click on an existing folder to where the
images are to be uploaded.
CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS
11
Click the
Upload photos
button.
FIGURE 4-2
Next, click Add
Files in the
dialog box that
appears. You
may add as
many images
as you want at
one time and
click Open.
Repeat the
process for
more images
in other
locations to
upload to the
same folder.
Files will upload two at a time while the others are queued. As one image
finishes uploading, another will begin until the queue is cleared.
If there are any problems with the images (too small, wrong color space,
etc.), a warning will appear in red under the image progress bar. Images
that are overly large will be resized automatically.
Once all the images have been uploaded, the Upload photos dialog box
can be closed.
Editing Photos
In the Manage Photos section of Pixami, an Editor or Advisor has the ability
to manipulate photos. These tools include basic enhancements, image
effects, and edge effects. To access the image editor, click the check mark
beside the photo and click Edit selected photo from the bottom left pane
(Figure 4.1).
Note Once finished and enhancements have been saved, the enhanced image will be saved as a
new image in the same photo folder as the original.
Essential Tools
Under the Essential Tools tab (Figure 4-3) are some basic image
enhancements. Here is a list of the enhancements available.
Rotate image clockwise or counter-clockwise at 90° intervals.
Flip image on the horizontal or vertical axis.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
FIGURE 4-3
Enhancement tools (Select Tool)
1. Brightness and Contrast (sliders for both)
2. Auto-Fix (application only)
3. Sharpen (slider)
4. Crop – the crop tool has a second drop-down menu with preset
options. If an image is to be cropped without a specific aspect ratio,
use Not constrained. The other options—4x6 Print, 5x7 Print, 8x10 Print—
will constrain the crop box to those sizes.
5. Fix Red-Eye (automatic)
Undo, Redo, & Revert options — Undo and Redo allow the Editor or Advisor
to step backward or forward to see if a enhancement is wanted or not.
Revert, however, returns the edited image to its original state and cannot
be undone or previous enhancements redone.
Effects
FIGURE 4-4
This tab (Figure
4-4) contains
effects similar to
those found in
Photoshop or any
other major photo
editing program.
They may be
selected from the
Select Effect dropdown menu.
CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS
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1. Blur (slider)
2. Cartoon (application only)
3. Emboss (application only)
4. Pixellate (slider)
5. Posterize (slider)
6. Sepia (application only)
7. Convert to Gray (application only)
8. Invert (apply only)
Undo, Redo, and Revert are again available for unwanted changes.
FIGURE 4-5
Edges
The Edges tab (Figure
4-5) contains edge effects
that can be applied to
the images. These,
however, do not provide a
transparent mask around
the image. If applied
and placed onto a page
with a background, the
background will not show
through the outer edge of
the image. It will have a
white frame.
Any unwanted changes may be undone, redone, or reverted back to the
original.
Organizing Photos
FIGURE 4-6
Moving Photos
To move photos from one folder to another,
click the check box beside the image followed
by Move selected photos in the bottom-left
pane. Select the folder in which the photo is to
be moved from the drop-down menu in the dialog box.
Copying Photos
By clicking Copy selected images instead, the selected image will remain in
its original folder and a copy will be made into the new folder.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Deleting Photos
Photos can be deleted by clicking the red option Delete selected photos after
selecting the desired images to be deleted. A warning box will appear to
confirm this is the desired operation.
Uploading Submitted Portraits
The yearbook company publishing the yearbook will upload the portraits
taken by the school photography company. However, there may be those
students who were unable to have their portraits taken on portrait day. If
they are to be included, the Editor or Advisor can upload those portraits
under the Portraits tab in the Manage Photos section page of Pixami
(Figure 4-1).
Select the Portraits tab in the photo manager
Go to the teacher’s folder in which to upload the missing student’s image.
If a new class needs to be created, click Add new folder on the left.
Next, click the Upload photos button. This will be the same process as
uploading a regular image.
Once the upload is complete and the uploader is closed, the name under
the photo will be the filename of the image that was uploaded. To give
the student a proper name, click on the filename and type in the correct
name. It must be last name, comma and space, and then first name.
Press Enter on the keyboard when done.
Note For submitted portraits, it is best to precrop the images to the proper ratio to match those
of the images taken by the school photography company. The submitted portraits cannot be
uploaded to the Photos tab to crop and then moved to the Portraits tab. Any enhancements to
portraits must be done in an outside photo editor like Photoshop or GIMP and then uploaded to
the Portraits tab. If you are unsure of what the ratio is, please contact Strawbridge Studios for
assistance.
Adding Custom Clip Art
Pixami is full of its own provided clip art. However, if the Editor or Advisor
would like to upload custom clip art, it may be done in the Clip Art tab of the
Manage Photos page.
For clip art to print properly and have the desired effect, it is recommended
that the image be 1200 pixels on its longest side, in RGB color space, and
unflattened (transparent background). The image should be saved as
a .png file. An outside photo editor such as Photoshop or GIMP will be
required. Uploading clip art to the Clip Art tab follows the same process as
uploading images and portraits.
CHAPTER 4: MANAGE PHOTOS
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Chapter 5
Edit Sections
Available only to Staff, Editor, and Advisor roles.
FIGURE 5-1
Edit Sections is the page where the yearbook creation process begins in
full. As Figure 5-1 shows, the sections have been created and organized
from the Manage Sections page. The Edit Sections page can show the
current status of each section, give access to the sections to edit them,
and mark a section as complete for the Advisor to review before submitting
the book to the publisher. The ladder is also present as well as the Show
images toggle to show where each section is located in the book and its
thumbnail if desired.
The yearbook status will show four states—In Progress, Checked out,
Complete, and Reviewed.
In Progress – the section has yet to be or is still being edited.
Checked out – someone is currently working on the section.
Complete – the section has been marked complete and is awaiting the
Advisor’s review.
Reviewed – the advisor has reviewed and approved the section for
printing.
CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS
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FIGURE 5-2
FIGURE 5-3
The Info link gives a detailed summary of who has edited the
section and any messages that may have been sent by the
Advisor if a section has been rejected (Figure 5-2). A section
may be rejected due to corrections or changes the Advisor may want the
one editing the section to make. If a section has been rejected, a small
triangle with an exclamation point will appear beside the section’s name
(Figure 5-3).
The Edit Section link is the access point to actually designing the yearbook
pages. More on this shortly.
Note If for some reason Internet connection is lost, work can be picked up where it was left off
by clicking Continue Editing by the section the user was editing.
When a Staff, Editor, or even Advisor user is done editing their section, Mark
Complete will be clicked. The status of the section will be changed to
Complete and only the Info link will be made available.
For one reason or another an Editor or Advisor may need to access a
section that is currently checked out by someone else. By clicking Force
Check-in beside a checked-out section, the Editor or Advisor can then gain
access to that section. Any work that had been done or was being done at
that point will be saved and access granted to the Editor or Advisor.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Editing Sections
Clicking on Edit Section beside a section of the yearbook will open the
layout editor (Figure 5-4). The layout editor is divided into three main
sections—the toolbar at the top, the pasteboard in the middle, and the
palettes on the right. All the work to edit the pages takes place here.
FIGURE 5-4
Toolbar
Following is a description of each icon in the toolbar.
Add Image Frame – places a new image frame on the page in which
to place photos.
Add Text Frame – places a new text frame on the page to add text.
Edit Current Frame – edit the properties of the selected frame.
Delete Current Frame – deletes the selected frame.
Move Up – move the selected frame up in the layering order in
relation to other frames on the page.
Move Down – move the selected frame down in the layering order in
relation to other frames on the page.
CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS
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Previous Page – goes to the previous page or spread in a multi-page
section.
Next Page – goes to the next page or spread in a multi-page section.
Toggle Grid – turns on or off a visible layout grid. The grid is
displayed in increments of one-quarter of an inch (.25″), but objects
snap to the grid in increments of one-eighth of an inch (.125″) whether
or not the grid is turned on.
Save Layout – if a layout has been customized and would like to be
used again later in the book, the layout can be saved to the Custom
option of the Layout tab. This only saves placement of image and text
frames of the layout. No backgrounds, images, or specific copy is
saved.
Preview – opens a larger preview of the book that can be looked at
more closely.
Cancel – checks out of a section without saving any work currently
being done.
Done – checks out of a section and saves work that has been done.
FIGURE 5-5
Pasteboard
The pasteboard is where the pages are edited (Figure 5-5). A default
template is presented on the pages when a section is being edited for the
first time. On the outer edge of the pages are two gray areas. The darker
gray area is the bleed. Any background or image that is extended to the
edge of the book must extend to this area. The lighter gray area is a safety
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
margin. Anything that is not desired to be cut off when the book is made
should stay away from this area. The white area is where the majority of
the book's content should be.
Editing a yearbook page follows this basic order:
Choose a Layout – pick a premade layout template from the Layouts
palette and drag it onto the page. The template can be used as is or
image and text frames can be added, deleted, and moved around as
needed. If a template has been customized, it can be saved by clicking
) button in the toolbar. These layouts will be saved
the Save Layout (
in the Custom option of the Layouts palette.
Add a Background – choose from various backgrounds already in Pixami
from the Backgrounds palette. If a custom background is desired, make
an image frame the size of the page including the bleed, drop in a photo
from the Photos palette, and then send it the back using the Move Down
( ) button.
Add Photos – drag photos from the Photos palette into the photo frames
on the page(s). A photo can be edited within its frame by selecting a
) button in the
photo frame and clicking the Edit Current Frame (
Toolbar. There is also a magic wand icon ( ) in the upper left corner of
the selected frame. Click the icon and select Edit.
Edit Text Frames – add text such as headlines, body copy, and captions
to tell a story about the photos. To edit the text within the text frames,
) button in the
select a text frame and click the Edit Current Frame (
Toolbar. Text frames also have a "T" icon ( ) in the upper left corner of
the selected frame. As with a photo frame, click the icon and select Edit.
Add Clip Art – dress up the page with clip art from the Art palette. There
are many to choose from in Pixami or custom clip art can be created and
uploaded using the Manage Photos page (see Chapter 4).
or
Once a page is done, either navigate to the next page in the section (
) to continue or click Done (
) in the Toolbar to save and check out of
)
the section. If a section's layout is not going as planned, click Cancel (
to check out without saving and start over.
CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS
21
Palettes
On the right-hand side of the pasteboard reside palettes that contain
specific elements—Layouts, Photos, Backgrounds, Art, Text, and Folios.
These elements are dragged onto the pasteboard to add them to the page.
FIGURE 5-5
Layouts – this palette contains the
premade layout templates. When
working on a new section, drag the
desired template onto the page to begin
editing the page. There are various
categories of templates to choose from
that will fit with whatever section of the
book is being worked on—advertising,
collage, general, portrait panels, and
others. By selecting a category from
the Category drop-down, the palette will
populate with different variations from
which to choose. If none of them are
exactly what is needed, these templates
can be modified and then saved for
future use by clicking the Save Layout
) button. These saved layouts
(
can then be found in the Custom option
of the Category drop-down.
FIGURE 5-6
Photos – photos that have been
uploaded to Pixami can be accessed
through the Photos palette.
1. Change source – click this link
to navigate to a specific folder of
photos that is desired to be used
on a page. Once chosen, drag the
photos over to the page and drop
them onto an image frame.
2. Auto fill – this link will automatically
drop all of the photos of a selected
folder into any available image frame
on the page(s). This works well with
collage templates and panel pages.
3. Add photos – if more photos are
needed for a section, clicking this
link will open the photo uploader
to add more photos to the current
folder.
Note Photos used will have a blue circle with a check mark inside over the top middle of an
image to designate that photo has been used.
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Backgrounds – as with
the Layouts palette, there
are various categories of
backgrounds relevant to any
section of the yearbook. By
clicking on the Folder dropdown, a variety of backgrounds
can be chosen to fit the
section's subject—from basic
borders to textures to thematic
illustrations. All of the
backgrounds available are ideal
for sections that are designed in
spreads, however, they can be
used on single-page sections
as well. Also, if a background
needs to be removed, just go
to the Color Palette folder, scroll
down to white, and drag that
background onto the page(s).
FIGURE 5-7
Art – the Art palette contains
the clip art. Again, as with
the Layouts and Backgrounds
palettes, there is plenty of
thematic elements that can
be chosen to dress up the
page. If custom clip art has
been uploaded to Pixami in
the Manage Photos page (see
Chapter 4), it can found in the
Folder drop-down listed under
the folder made when it was
uploaded.
FIGURE 5-8
For clip art to be placed on a
page, an image frame does not
need to be created beforehand.
Just drag and drop the clip art
wherever it is needed.
By clicking on the Edit Current
) button or the magic wand icon ( ) while the clip art
Frame (
is selected, options to rotate at 5° and 90° intervals clockwise or
counterclockwise, rotate 180°, flip on either its horizontal or vertical axis,
and modify its layering order are available. A transparency slider is also
present if the clip art is to allow anything underneath it to show through.
CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS
23
FIGURE 5-9
Text – the text palette offers a few
more options and styles for a text
)
frame than the Add Text Frame (
button.
1. Balloons – comic-book-style quote
balloons to use as if someone is
saying or thinking something.
2. Opaque – text frames filled with a
solid color that have either squared
or rounded corners.
3. Translucent – color-filled text
frames that are slightly transparent
to allow objects underneath to show
through. These also have either
squared or rounded corners.
4. Transparent – there are only two
choices here—standard text frame
and a text frame with a black border
around the frame.
FIGURE 5-10
Folios – folios is the publishing term for
the manner in which page numbers are
styled in a design.
To add page numbers to a yearbook
page, click on the Folios palette. Drag
and drop a folio onto the page where
you want it to appear. You can choose
from centered, flush left, and flush
right placement according to the
design of the page. The appropriate
page number will be placed onto the
page when the file is prepared for final
printing.
Just like with any text frame, the font,
color, and style can be customized
to match the overall aesthetic of the
yearbook.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Editing Photos within the Layout
Photos placed into a layout can be edited to some degree but not with all
of the same option as if done in the Manage Photos section of Pixami.
Below is a summary of the options that are available by selecting a photo
) button at top or clicking the
and clicking either the Edit Current Frame (
magic wand icon ( ) and then Edit on the frame itself.
FIGURE 5-11
Zoom and Crop
The Zoom and Crop tab of the Change Image dialog box (Figure 5-11)
allows for zooming and panning within the image frame. The image may
be enlarged by moving the slider—located on the right-hand side of the
dialog box—up and down. Once the desired enlargement has been made,
the image can the be panned within the frame by clicking and dragging
the image to the desired cropping. The image may also be rotated 90°
clockwise or counter-clockwise as well as flipped vertically or horizontally.
Note At the bottom of each tab is a option to apply the changes made to all of the photos on
the page. This is helpful if a style is desired for all of the photos on a page. Rather than making
changes to each one, a blanket change can be made once the first image is altered as desired.
CHAPTER 5: EDIT SECTIONS
25
FIGURE 5-12
Advanced
The Advanced tab (Figure 5-12) offers some filters and other special
effects. The frame itself can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in
increments of 5°. The frame can be moved up or down in the stack order
of other elements on the page. A transparency slider allows the frame's
transparency to be modified so that other elements underneath the frame
may show through the photo.
Image Effects – these effects—AutoFix, Grayscale, and Sepia—are
automatically applied to photos when selected. To undo, choose None.
Image Filter – Pixellate, Posterize, Emboss, and Cartoon are Photoshoplike filters that can be applied to photos. Again, select None to undo the
change.
Image Fill – these options instruct the photo how to fill its frame. All
images are scaled proportionately.
1. Scale to Fit – the photo will be scaled so the entire image will be
shown regardless if it fills the frame or not.
2. Scale to Fill – the photo will be scaled so the entire frame is filled
from the center of the frame outward. Some portions of the image
may be cut off and will need to be panned using the Zoom and Crop
tab so the desired cropping is corrected.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
3. Scale to Fill (Top) – the photo will be scaled so the entire frame is
filled from the top downward. Again, some portions of the image may
be cut off and will need to be fixed in the Zoom and Crop tab to achieve
the desired cropping.
The Lock Frame check box will lock the frame to prevent it from being
moved accidentally. If the frame is in its desired size and position, check
this box to lock it in place.
The Sharpen check box applies a sharpening mask to the image to improve
the photos detail.
FIGURE 5-13
Borders and Edges
This tab (Figure 5-13) gives options to add ruled borders and edge effects
to the image. These options cannot be combined together with other
options in the same tab.
Borders – to add a ruled border around a photo, adjust the slider to the
desired thickness of the border and select a color for the border. A drop
shadow may also be added by click the Drop Shadow check box.
Edge Effects – a shaped frame or feathered edge can be added using
this option. Just clicked on the desired shape. The image may need
to be repositioned using the Zoom and Crop tab after the edge effect is
applied.
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Frames – this option adds framing elements to the photos along with
other masking effects such as corner tabs, ruled rounded corners, and
torn edges. Photos may need to repositioned using the Zoom and Crop
tab after the frames are applied.
Note To remove the applied borders or edge effects, click the Remove Border button.
Modifying Text and Its Properties
FIGURE 5-14
To add text to text frames, select the text frame where the text is to be
) button at top or the
added and click on either the Edit Current Frame (
"T" icon ( ) and then Edit on the frame itself. This will open the Change
Text dialog box (Figure 5-14). Once all changes have been made, click Done
to save or Cancel to not save.
These options will be applied once they are chosen without the need for
clicking Apply:
1. Font
2. Color
3. Horizontal Alignment – left, center, or right
4. Vertical Alignment – top, center, or bottom
5. Frame Rotation – 180°, clockwise or counterclockwise in increments
of 90° or 5°.
6. Lock Frame
7. Drop Shadow
8. Layering Order
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
To change the type size, select all or part of the text and choose a new
point size. Click Apply to preview the change. Bold and Italicize can be done
the same way but are only available on certain fonts.
Spell Check is also available to double check for misspelled words. If there
are misspelled words, a dialog box will appear with the misspelled words in
red. Click on the word and a suggestion list of corrected words from which
to choose will appear. If the word is spelled correctly and is not in the spell
checker's dictionary, click Ignore Word to leave it as is. If the same word is
used multiple times in the copy and is correct, click Ignore all to confirm all
instances of the word are correct.
Note As with photo frames, text frames come with an apply-to-all check box. Click this box and
then Done to apply changes to all of the text frames on the page.
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Chapter 6
Panel Pages (Edit Sections)
Panel pages are the section
of the yearbook where the
students' portraits are placed
either by teacher, team, or
grade. The organization in
which the students will be
flowed should be determined
before your yearbook company
uploads the portraits to your
site. If the students will be
placed by teacher, each
teacher should be delegated to
his own section as more than
one class cannot be placed
on a page or in a multi-page
section. Once the organization
has been finalized, follow these
quick steps to flow a portrait
panel:
FIGURE 6-1
Open the teacher's (or team or grade) section by clicking on Edit Section.
Select a portrait panel from the Layouts palette
1. Go to the Category drop-down and select a style from the Portraits
Border, Portraits Drop Shadow, Portraits Oval, or Portraits Standard
categories.
2. Make sure the panel selected contains more spaces than needed for
the class. If the number of students in the largest class is known,
select the portrait panel needed for that class and use it for all the
classes for uniformity.
3. Drag the chosen portrait panel onto the page.
Flow the portraits into the panel from the Photos palette.
1.Click Change source.
2. Click on the Portraits tab in the following dialog box.
3. Select the folder of the class, team, or grade to be flowed.
4.Click OK.
5.Click Auto fill.
6. Select how the names are to be displayed (Last, First or First Last) and
click OK.
CHAPTER 6: PANEL PAGES
31
The class has been flowed. If a chosen panel portrait contains an
enlarged portrait for the class teacher, navigate to the faculty folder
through the Photos palette as you would selecting a class. Locate the
teacher for the class and drag his picture to the proper location.
Note Any unused spaces in a panel page will not print, including the associated name text
frames.
The rest of the page can be dressed by adding a background, clip art, or
photos.
If the text of the names needs to larger or other properties need to be
changed, edit one of the names and select the apply-to-all button before
clicking Done so that all the name text frames will be styled the same.
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Chapter 7
Review Sections
Available to the Advisor role only.
FIGURE 7-1
When the sections are marked complete and ready to be reviewed, the
Advisor will have the opportunity to check over the book and approve or
reject sections before the submitting the book to Strawbridge Studios.
A section marked complete will have the following options available in
the Review Sections page of Pixami (Figure 7-1)—Info, Preview, PDF Proof,
Approve, or Reject.
Info – shows the same information detailing work that had been done as
in the Edit Sections page (see Chapter 5).
Preview – see a soft copy preview of the section. Zoom in on a page
for a closer look by clicking the magnifying glass icon ( ) under the
respective page.
PDF Proof – the advisor can download a medium-res water-marked PDF
of the section that can be printed out for a hard copy proof.
Approve – If there are no corrections needed in the section, the Advisor
will click Approve to verify that the section is ready to be printed. The
CHAPTER 7: REVIEW SECTIONS
33
status of the section will change from Complete to Reviewed. If after a
section has been approved and a correction needs to be made, Reject
may be clicked to release the section for editing.
FIGURE 7-2
Reject – the
Advisor may reject
a section for
corrections that
need to be made.
When a section is
rejected, a dialog
box asking for the
reason why
the section was rejected will be displayed. The Advisor can then describe
what changes are necessary which will be sent to the one that was
editing the section in an e-mail.
FIGURE 7-3
Once all of the sections are approved, including the cover, an
Order Proof button will appear at the bottom of the Review
Sections page. Clicking this button will begin the proofing process with
Strawbridge Studios by having Pixami create a high-res PDF to be sent to
their server. When the process is started, a confirmation box will appear
letting the Advisor know that the proofing process has begun. The Advisor
should contact Strawbridge Studios to let them know that the proof book
has been ordered.
FIGURE 7-4
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PIXAMI USER GUIDE
Strawbridge Studios
Support and Online Resources
Here is some information for technical support with Pixami as well as links
to online resources to self-train.
Strawbridge Studios Yearbook Support
You may contact Strawbridge Studio via e-mail or telephone or visit our
website for online resources.
:ybsupport@strawbridge.net
: (919) 688-8064
:www.strawbridge.net/administrators/yearbooks/yearbook-support
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
GIMP is a free photo editing software available for both PC and Mac
platforms. See GIMP's website for information on how to install and use
the program.
:www.gimp.org/downloads
Note Strawbridge Studios does not provide technical support for GIMP.
Adobe Flash
Some portions of Pixami do require Adobe Flash. Please make sure your
Flash plug-in is up to date.
:get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
SUPPORT & ONLINE RESOURCES
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