User manual APPLE APERTURE

Aperture User Manual K Apple Computer, Inc. © 2006 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Aperture software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Apple is not responsible for printing or clerical errors. Because Apple frequently releases new versions and updates to its system software, applications, and Internet sites, images shown in this book may be slightly different from what you see on your screen. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the "keyboard" Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws. Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Cinema Display, ColorSync, FireWire, iPhoto, iTunes, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Aperture, Finder, and MacBook are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. .Mac is a service mark of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe, Adobe RGB, Photoshop, and PostScript are trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective companies. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products. 1 Contents Preface 11 12 Introducing Aperture What's Next? Part I Chapter 1 15 16 17 20 31 32 37 39 40 41 42 43 45 49 50 52 53 54 57 60 61 64 65 67 Interface and Acquisition An Overview of Aperture A First Look at Aperture Creating Projects and Importing Your Photos Photo Editing with Aperture Image Processing Distribution Backing Up Your Work The Aperture Interface The Aperture Main Window Projects Panel Viewer and Browser Control Bar Toolbar Adjustments Inspector Metadata Inspector Import Panel Vaults Panel Book Layout Editor Webpage Editor Light Table Heads-Up Displays Workspace Layouts Customizing the Toolbar Setting Aperture Preferences Chapter 2 3 Chapter 3 71 72 78 79 80 82 82 83 83 85 87 88 89 90 91 97 105 108 109 110 110 111 112 114 114 115 Working with Aperture Projects Basic Components of Aperture Working with Projects Creating and Naming Projects Opening and Closing Projects Creating and Showing Favorite Projects Deleting Images from Projects and Albums Deleting Items from the Projects Panel Working with Library Files Quickly Accessing Commands Importing Images An Overview of Importing Images File Formats You Can Import into the Library Planning Your Import Strategy Importing from Your Digital Camera or Card Reader Importing Image Files Stored on Your Computer Automatically Naming Your Imported Images Adding Metadata to Images During Import Creating Stacks Automatically During Import Adjusting the Image File's Time When Importing Dragging Files from the Finder to the Projects Panel Importing Folders of Images from the Finder Importing Your iPhoto Library Transferring Projects from Another System Making an Immediate Backup Where Aperture Stores Your Managed Files in the Library Chapter 4 Part II Chapter 5 119 120 122 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 130 132 Photo Editing Working with Images in the Browser An Overview of the Browser Navigating Through and Selecting Images Working with a Selection of Images Working with Images in Grid View Working with Images in List View Searching for Images in the Browser Rearranging Images in the Browser Sorting Images in Grid View Rotating Images Creating Versions of an Image Deleting Images from the Browser 4 Contents 134 135 141 142 Chapter 6 145 146 148 148 149 150 151 151 152 154 155 156 156 157 158 160 162 163 164 165 165 169 171 173 174 174 175 175 177 180 186 Dragging Images into Different Projects and Albums Working with Referenced Images Working with Two Projects Open Displaying Specific Metadata with Your Images Displaying Images in the Viewer An Overview of the Viewer Showing or Hiding the Viewer Changing the Viewer Background Changing the Number of Images in the Viewer Comparing Images Viewing Stacks Viewing Images with the Loupe Using the Color Meter Showing Hot Areas in Your Images Viewing Images at Full Resolution Viewing Master Images Setting Up the Viewer for Onscreen Proofing Viewing Images on Multiple Displays Displaying Metadata Associated with Images Selecting Image Preview Options Quickly Accessing Commands Viewing Images in Full Screen Mode An Overview of Full Screen Mode Entering and Exiting Full Screen Mode Working with the Filmstrip in Full Screen Mode Working with the Toolbar in Full Screen Mode Using HUDs in Full Screen Mode Changing the Display of Metadata in Full Screen Mode Using Keyboard Shortcuts in Full Screen Mode Quickly Accessing Commands Stacking Images and Making Picks An Overview of Stacking Images Creating Stacks Working with Stacks Keyboard Shortcuts for Working with Stacks Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Contents 5 Chapter 9 187 188 190 192 194 195 197 199 200 202 206 213 218 222 223 223 224 225 226 228 231 232 235 238 241 242 243 Rating Images An Overview of the Aperture Rating System Rating Images Sorting Images by Rating Including Image Rating in Your Workflow Comparing and Rating Images Keyboard Shortcuts for Displaying Images with Specific Ratings Applying Keywords to Images An Overview of Keywords Viewing Keywords Applied to Images Applying Keywords Using the Keywords HUD Applying Keywords Using Keyword Controls and Keyword Presets Applying Keywords Using the Lift & Stamp HUD Applying Keywords Using the Metadata Inspector Applying Keywords to Images in the Light Table Removing Keywords from an Image Importing and Exporting Keyword Lists Working with Metadata An Overview of Metadata, Metadata Views, and Metadata Presets Displaying Metadata with Your Images Turning the Display of Metadata On or Off Viewing and Changing Metadata in the Metadata Inspector Working with Metadata Views Working with Metadata Presets Batch Changing Metadata More Information About IPTC Metadata Understanding Badge Overlays Searching for and Displaying Images An Overview of Searching Controls in the Query HUD Searching Across the Entire Library Searching by Image Name, Caption, or Other Text Searching by Keyword Searching by Date Searching by Rating Searching by IPTC Information Searching by EXIF Information Searching by Import Session Searching by File Status Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 247 248 252 253 253 255 256 258 259 260 261 262 6 Contents 263 264 265 Chapter 13 267 268 270 271 272 272 273 Searching by Other Metadata Searching by a Combination of Criteria Saving Your Search Results Grouping Images with Smart Albums An Overview of Smart Albums Collecting Images in a New Smart Album Searching Within a Smart Album Revising the Contents of a Smart Album Transferring Smart Album Images to Another Project or Album Deleting a Smart Album Part III Chapter 14 277 277 279 281 282 282 283 284 284 286 287 291 292 293 296 306 311 312 314 315 315 315 317 318 319 320 321 Distribution and Backup Printing Your Images An Overview of Printing Controls in the Print Dialog Printing a Single Image Printing a Series of Images Printing a Contact Sheet or Series of Contact Sheets Printing a Book Printing a Light Table Arrangement Creating and Modifying Print Presets Proofing Your Images Onscreen Turning Off Color Management in Your Printer Exporting Your Images An Overview of Exporting Images Exporting Copies of Digital Master Files Exporting Image Versions Working with Export Presets Creating Slideshow Presentations An Overview of Slideshows Creating a Slideshow Controlling a Slideshow Arranging the Order of a Slideshow's Images Controls in the Slideshow Presets Dialog Creating Slideshow Presets Modifying Slideshow Presets Creating a Growing Grid of Images Playing Your Slideshow on Your Main Display Only Displaying Your Images to Music Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Contents 7 Chapter 17 323 324 325 326 327 328 330 331 331 332 332 333 334 336 339 341 342 345 346 348 351 357 358 363 365 366 369 370 372 374 379 383 388 393 396 397 Using the Light Table An Overview of the Light Table Creating a Light Table Album Placing and Viewing Images in the Light Table Moving and Resizing Images in the Light Table Aligning and Arranging Images in the Light Table Adjusting the Light Table View Setting View Options for the Light Table Transferring Images from the Light Table Printing a Light Table Arrangement Deleting a Light Table Album Creating Webpages An Overview of Creating Webpages Creating Web Galleries Creating Web Journals Viewing and Navigating Through Webpages Choosing and Modifying Themes Working with Web Gallery Pages Working with Web Journal Pages Exporting Webpages Working with Web Export Presets Creating Books An Overview of Creating Books Planning Your Book Creating a Book Album Controls in the Book Layout Editor Choosing a Theme Viewing Pages Placing Images in a Book Adding and Removing Pages Working with Pages Working with Images Working with Text Working with Master Pages Copying a Book Album Printing Books Chapter 18 Chapter 19 8 Contents Chapter 20 399 400 401 402 404 405 406 406 407 407 409 Backing Up Your Images An Overview of the Backup Workflow Planning Your Backup System Working with the Vaults Panel Creating Vaults Updating Vaults Disconnecting a Vault's Hard Drive from Your System Temporarily Reconnecting a Vault's Hard Drive to your System Deleting a Vault Permanently Backing Up Images from a Portable in the Field Restoring Your Aperture System Part IV Appendix A 413 414 415 417 419 423 423 427 428 430 431 433 453 Appendixes and Glossary Setting Up an Aperture System Setting Up a Basic System Optional Equipment to Consider Setting Up Your System with Two Displays Configuring Mac OS X for Multiple Displays Calibrating Your Aperture System An Overview of Color Management Calibrating Your Camera Calibrating and Profiling Your Display Calibrating and Profiling Your Printer Credits Appendix B Appendix C Glossary Index Contents 9 Aperture is a powerful and easy-to-use digital image management system that can track thousands of digital images and provides the professional photographer with high-quality image management and adjustment tools. Designed for the needs of professional photographers, Aperture is an all-in-one post-production tool that provides:  An advanced RAW workflow: From capture to output, you can work with your images captured as RAW files, without having to first convert them to another format before viewing, adjusting, organizing, or printing them. Aperture supports RAW formats from leading digital camera manufacturers (including Canon and Nikon).  Flexible image management: A new, open Library structure lets you store photos anywhere you want. You can have Aperture either store image files in the Library or simply link to image files in their current locations. You can also have Aperture link to your iPhoto Library without copying the images into the Aperture Library. Aperture can work with photos stored on any number of hard disk drives and other storage media. You can catalog and search for images that are stored on multiple hard disks, including offline volumes, CDs, and DVDs.  Professional project management: Aperture allows you to manage thousands of projects and provides flexible organizational tools, comprehensive metadata support, and powerful search tools that let you find files instantly.  Nondestructive image processing: Designed to protect your images from the moment they're imported, Aperture identifies your original images as digital "master files," and it has built-in safeguards to help ensure that you don't accidentally overwrite or modify them.  Versatile printing and publishing: Working directly with your RAW images, you can create color-accurate prints, custom contact sheets, stunning websites, and unique bound books with tools that are intuitive and powerful. Preface 11 Introducing Aperture With Aperture you can efficiently import digital images, perform a photo edit, adjust and retouch images, publish images for the web or print, and back up your entire image library for safekeeping. Aperture lets you work with high-quality JPEG, TIFF, and RAW image files directly from your camera or card reader and maintain that high quality throughout your workflow. What's Next? This manual is only one of several types of documentation you can use as you work with Aperture.  For instructions for installing Aperture software, see Installing Your Software.  For an introduction to the basic concepts, procedures, and digital photography workflow for using Aperture, see Aperture Getting Started.  For an overview of Aperture, an introduction to the Aperture interface, and detailed instructions for using the many features and tools in Aperture, continue reading this manual.  For information about making image corrections and adjustments in Aperture, see Performing Image Adjustments in the Aperture Help menu.  For a list of the keyboard shortcuts you can use to perform tasks in Aperture, see Aperture Quick Reference.  For an introduction to the fundamentals of digital photography, see Digital Photography Fundamentals in the Aperture Help menu.  For information about ordering printed books of your images, see Ordering Books and Prints in the Aperture Help menu.  For the most recent technical and release information about Aperture, see Late-Breaking News in the Aperture Help menu.  For information about new features in Aperture, see New Features in the Aperture Help menu.  For the latest articles about technical issues and solutions, go to the Aperture Support website, available from the Aperture Help menu. 12 Preface Introducing Aperture Part I: Interface and Acquisition I This section provides introductory information about the application and its interface. It also explains how to set up your image management system and import images into it. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 An Overview of Aperture The Aperture Interface Working with Aperture Projects Importing Images 1 An Overview of Aperture 1 Aperture is designed to be the center of your digital photography workflow, from capturing new images to the final delivery of professional-quality photographs. This chapter provides an overview of how Aperture works and what you can do with it. If you're new to Aperture, this chapter is for you. If you're familiar with the Aperture features and interface, feel free to skip this chapter. The chapter doesn't provide all the detailed information and instructions needed to perform work on your images. Once you're familiar with Aperture, you'll find in-depth explanations and instructions in later chapters. This chapter covers:  A First Look at Aperture (p. 16)  Creating Projects and Importing Your Photos (p. 17)  Photo Editing with Aperture (p. 20)  Image Processing (p. 31)  Distribution (p. 32) 15 A First Look at Aperture When you first open Aperture, you see the following areas: To create a project to hold your imported images, click here. Click here to open the Import panel. Toolbar Viewer Your projects appear here. Browser Click here to open the Vaults panel. You select a hard disk to use for backing up images here. Note: Because you can customize the toolbar, adding and deleting the buttons you want, your toolbar may appear different from the one pictured in this manual. For more information about changing the toolbar, see "Customizing the Toolbar" on page 65. 16 Part I Interface and Acquisition I After you import images into a new project, your screen will look similar to this: Aperture imports the images into a project. Click the project to see its images in the Browser. The Viewer shows the selected image. Select a thumbnail in the Browser. Your project's image thumbnails About Aperture Sample Projects The Aperture installation disc includes several sample projects containing high-resolution images. When you first open Aperture, a dialog appears asking if you'd like to install a sample project. Other sample projects are available in the Sample Projects folder on the Aperture installation disc. You can import these projects into Aperture from the Aperture installation disc at any time after installing the application. Creating Projects and Importing Your Photos To use Aperture, you first import your photos. You can import digital photos directly from your camera or a card reader and from hard disks or other storage devices where you've archived digital files. After a shoot, you can connect your card reader or digital camera to your computer and Aperture automatically detects it. You can then easily import your new images into Aperture. Creating Projects As you work with Aperture, you create projects to hold your images. A project is similar to a folder that can hold dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of images. For example, after completing a travel shoot to Antarctica, you might create a new project named Antarctica and import the photos into it. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 17 Your new project appears in a list in the Projects panel. Folders Examples of items in the Projects panel Projects As your portfolio increases and you create more and more projects, you can organize your work into hierarchies of folders, projects, and albums. You can create as many projects as you need and name them according to any naming scheme you prefer. It's important to name projects so that they will be easy to identify and access. When you need to further subdivide and organize images in a project, you can create albums. Over the long term you may be using Aperture to track years of projects, so you'll want to develop a naming system that is easy to use and understand. For more information about organizing your images in projects and albums, see Chapter 3, "Working with Aperture Projects," on page 71. 18 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Importing Images When you connect a camera or card reader to your computer, the Import dialog appears. You can select your camera or card reader and see the images you're about to import. You can select all the images on a memory card or select and import only those you want. You can also select image files on your hard disk for importing. Select your camera, card reader, or hard disk here. Specify import options here. When you click Import All, your images are imported into the selected project or a new project. You can then specify options for importing your images. For example, you can specify that your images be imported into the Aperture Library in your Pictures folder, or specify another location to store them. If you have images already stored on a hard disk, you can simply allow Aperture to access them without changing their current locations. You can choose how images are named and include other information that is recorded with each image to help identify it. For example, you can specify the event name, date, time, photographer, and location, as well as copyright information. You can also specify other import options, such as whether you want Aperture to group related images together in stacks. For example, if you have bracketed images or images shot in quick succession, you can have Aperture import and stack these images together to make reviewing and working with them easier. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 19 Importing Files from Your Body of Work You can easily import your collection of archived digital images into Aperture from any hard disk or storage device connected to your computer. When importing legacy images from your portfolio, you can move them into the main Aperture Library, or simply identify where the images are located, and Aperture adds them to its management system without changing the image locations. This means that with Aperture, you can still work with your images in their current organization and on multiple hard disks without relocating or reorganizing your current files. You can also move or copy images to new locations when needed. Aperture can also import your iPhoto Library and files stored in a variety of common file types and formats, including:  GIF  JPEG  JPEG2000  PNG  PSD  RAW files from a variety of supported digital cameras  TIFF Note: For a list of supported digital cameras, go to http://www.apple.com/aperture. For more information about importing images, see Chapter 4, "Importing Images," on page 87. Photo Editing with Aperture Aperture allows you to easily view and work with your images onscreen. It provides easy-to-use tools and controls, as well as efficient methods for rating images, searching for images, and comparing and adjusting them. Viewing and Working with Images in the Browser and Viewer To work with your images, you select a project in the Projects panel and Aperture displays that project's images in the Browser. You use the Browser to review, organize, and select images. 20 Part I Interface and Acquisition I When you select a thumbnail image in the Browser, the image appears in the Viewer. The Viewer displays the selected image. Select images here. A selected image appears with a white outline. The Browser can show your images as thumbnails arranged in a grid. You can click an individual image to select it, and a white border appears around the image. To quickly move to and select other images, press the arrow keys. You can drag images to rearrange them in the Browser, or drag them into different projects or albums. You can also display your images as a list of files. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 21 You can also view your images in Full Screen mode, where you can work with them in detail. Toolbar available in Full Screen mode The displayed image fills the screen. Filmstrip available in Full Screen mode To see images in Full Screen mode, you press F. Press F again to switch back to the Viewer. In Full Screen mode, you can change the display of images to show single images, three images, or up to ten images at once. For more information about using Full Screen mode, see Chapter 7, "Viewing Images in Full Screen Mode," on page 163. 22 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Displaying your images clearly and accurately is a pivotal function of Aperture. With Aperture you can take advantage of the latest display technology and view and work with your images in Full Screen mode and on dual displays. Using Aperture with two displays is ideal for creating a large workspace. You can easily compare and adjust images, play slideshows, and present the best of your photos at optimal size during client reviews. Working with Heads-Up Displays To work efficiently in Aperture, you can use floating panels of controls called heads-up displays (HUDs) to change images. For example, when you view images in Aperture in Full Screen mode, you can open an Adjustments HUD to adjust your images. HUDs are available for use in Full Screen mode and can make adjusting images easier. As you work on your images, you can position HUDs anywhere on the screen and use them to make changes. For example, Aperture provides a Keywords HUD that you can use to quickly assign keywords to your images. To assign a keyword, you simply drag it from the Keywords HUD to the image. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 23 Working with Inspectors Aperture also provides an Adjustments Inspector for applying adjustments and a Metadata Inspector that allows you to review and assign metadata to your images. You can show or hide the Adjustments and Metadata Inspectors together or individually whenever you want. Showing the Inspectors panel is as easy as double-clicking an image in the Browser or pressing the I key. Adjustments Inspector Metadata Inspector For more information about making adjustments and retouching your images, see Performing Image Adjustments in the Aperture Help menu. 24 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Rating Images with Aperture You can rate images as you review them in the Viewer or the Browser, or in Full Screen mode. Rating controls appear below the Browser and in the filmstrip in Full Screen mode. By selecting an image and clicking a rating button, you can quickly rate images as rejected, or assign them from one to five stars (with five stars being the highest, or Select, rating). Image ratings appear as easy-to-read overlays on the image. Five stars indicate the highest rating (Select). Stars indicate a positive rating. An X indicates a negative rating (Reject). Once images are rated, you can have Aperture display only images of a certain rating, so you can focus on a particular group of images. For more information about rating your images, see Chapter 9, "Rating Images," on page 187. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 25 Finding and Displaying Images with the Query HUD You can use the Query HUD to search for and display only certain photos in a project or album. Click the Query HUD button beside the search field in the Browser and the Query HUD appears. In the Query HUD, you can specify criteria for the photos you want to work with. The Query HUD is set to show images rated five stars. Click the Query HUD button to open the Query HUD. You can enter any search criteria you want to display specific images. You can also display images based on rating, date when shot, keywords, or import group. After you specify the search criteria, Aperture displays only those images that match the criteria and hides the rest. For more information about searching for images, see "Searching for and Displaying Images" on page 247. 26 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Comparing Photos Aperture allows you to carefully compare images. You select an image and press Return to have Aperture display it for comparison against other images in a selection. Select an image and press Return to select it as the "compare" image. Select an image for comparison by pressing the arrow keys. While comparing images, you can rate the selected images or make adjustments to them. For example, you might use the comparison method to make final selections of the best images in a series. Or, you might compare two versions of an image and make adjustments. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 27 Stacking Images Photographers frequently work with large selections of images. To help you work efficiently with a series of shots, such as bracketed shots or shots taken in quick succession, Aperture can automatically stack related shots. You can also select and manually stack related shots yourself and review them for a "pick" the image that you , intend to use. A stack with five images is shown expanded, or open. The Stack button indicates the number of images in the stack. Once photos are in a stack, you can work with them as if they were a single image instead of many individual photos. A stack appears as a series of linked photos in the Browser. The pick of the stack appears on the left with a Stack button. You can drag an image in the stack into the pick position. By clicking the Stack button, you can close the stack so that only the pick image appears. You can then work with the single pick image without the encumbrance of the other stacked photos. You can expand a stack to see all its images whenever you want. Only the pick image is shown when the stack is closed. Working with stacks can greatly increase the efficiency of reviewing large collections of photos. For more information about working with stacks of images, see Chapter 8, "Stacking Images and Making Picks," on page 175. 28 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Assigning Keywords to Images Carefully assigning keywords to images is critical for the photographer who needs a means to easily locate specific images among thousands. Applying keywords is also required if you plan to sell images to image libraries, such as Corbis or Getty Images. You can use Aperture to assign keywords to images using standard IPTC fields (the standard metadata fields defined by the International Press Telecommunications Council). You can also select images and assign keywords that you define. You can display images in the Viewer with their version names and any assigned keywords appearing on or below the image. Keywords and other metadata The Keywords HUD lists all the keyword categories and keywords that you define. For example, if you shoot weddings, you might create a wedding category with specific keywords that include Candid, Ceremony, Guests, and so on. You can apply a keyword directly to a selected image or group of images by dragging it from the Keywords HUD to the selection in the Viewer or Browser. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 29 You can also show keyword controls in the control bar at the bottom of the Aperture main window by choosing Window > Show Keyword Controls. Using these simple controls, you can display different categories of keywords and easily apply those keywords with a quick click or keystroke. Your Aperture keyword scheme can ensure comprehensive accessibility to your images, and even help with the management of your copyrights, sales, and usage rights. For more information about assigning keywords, see Chapter 10, "Applying Keywords to Images," on page 199. Grouping Images with Smart Albums Photographers often need an easy way of regrouping and presenting images based on the needs of a client or project. For example, a corporate client might call to request images of a general location or subject, such as airports or Asian temples, to be included with future collateral. Aperture allows you to easily make selections from across the entire library of images and group them in Smart Albums, which are albums that can be dynamically generated based on search criteria you specify. Aperture comes with a selection of predefined Smart Albums set up in the Library for you. For example, there are Smart Albums that gather all your select images, all images taken in the last week, and all images taken in the last month. When you click the Library disclosure triangle, you see the list of Smart Albums created for you. Select a Smart Album to see its contents in the Browser Disclosure triangle A Library Smart Album has this icon. Although a Smart Album appears similar to the other projects or albums in the Projects panel, the contents of the album are specified by search criteria. You don't import master files or versions into a Smart Album. You use the Query HUD to specify the image keywords or other criteria that identify the images you want, and image versions automatically appear in the album. By adjusting the search criteria, you change the contents of the Smart Album. 30 Part I Interface and Acquisition I For example, after creating an empty Smart Album in the Projects panel, you might specify that you want any image that is rated five stars. Aperture searches across the Library and displays all the images rated five stars in the Smart Album. New images rated five stars are added to the Smart Album automatically. In the Query HUD, specify the search criteria for images you want in the Smart Album. You can work with the photos in the Smart Album just as you can with images in any other album. You can make Smart Albums that gather images from across the entire Library or from within a specific project only. When you no longer need a Smart Album, you can delete it, and the contents of the Library remain the same (the Smart Album's images are not deleted from the Library). For more information about using Smart Albums, see Chapter 13, "Grouping Images with Smart Albums," on page 267. Image Processing You can use Aperture to crop, rotate, horizontally align, and remove red-eye from images, as well as adjust color and exposure, reduce noise, and so on. Aperture provides controls for performing many types of image adjustments, including:  RAW image fine-tuning  Exposure adjustments  Color adjustments  White-balance adjustments  Red-eye correction  Spot and patch corrections  Straightening  Cropping  Highlights and shadows adjustments  Monochrome color mixing  Choosing monochrome colors  Applying sepia tones  Noise-reduction adjustments  Image sharpening  Edge-sharpening adjustments Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 31 For especially efficient image adjusting, you can save adjustment settings as presets (collections of saved adjustments) and apply the same adjustments to many images at once. You can adjust your images using the controls in the Adjustments HUD. Add Adjustments pop-up menu Adjustment Action pop-up menu The controls in the Adjustments HUD are also available in the Adjustments Inspector. You can also easily export your images to a third-party application such as Adobe Photoshop, make adjustments, and then bring the adjusted image back into Aperture. For detailed information about making adjustments to your images, see Performing Image Adjustments in the Aperture Help menu. Distribution When it's time to show your work to others, Aperture provides the following methods of distribution:  Creating slideshow presentations  Performing Light Table reviews  Creating web galleries and web journals  Ordering printed books  Printing and exporting images 32 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Presenting Your Images in Slideshows You can use Aperture to make slideshow presentations to clients or viewers. Using one or two large-screen displays, you can set Aperture to present slideshow images in a variety of ways. For example, you can present images as a sequence of single images or as multiple images in columns and rows on your screen. You can also customize your slideshow by setting the display interval, choosing accompanying music, using transitional fades, changing the background, and more. You can control the slideshow using the arrow keys on your keyboard or have images appear automatically. To create a slideshow, you select the images you want to show and choose File > Slideshow. For more information about creating slideshows, see Chapter 16, "Creating Slideshow Presentations," on page 311. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 33 Reviewing Images in the Aperture Light Table You can use the Aperture Light Table to freely arrange and organize a group of images visually to see how various combinations of images work together. Or, you can arrange a combination of images and print them in specific geometric arrangements. When viewing a selection of images in the Light Table, you can freely drag the images into any position or arrangement you want, and resize them to determine how they might look grouped on a page. For more information about using the Light Table, see Chapter 17, "Using the Light Table," on page 323. Publishing Your Images in Web Galleries and Web Journals To provide clients or the public the convenience of an online review, you can use Aperture to create webpages and websites. With Aperture, you can easily post your webpages to your .Mac account, or you can post them to your own website server and then provide the Internet address to clients or other reviewers. 34 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Aperture provides ready-made themes and webpage layouts that you can quickly choose for the design of your pages. To create webpages that present a gallery of your images, you create a web gallery album and use the Webpage Editor to design your pages. When you place images in the album, Aperture automatically populates your web gallery with your images. The Webpage Editor shows with the selected images. The new album you created appears in the Projects panel. You can also create a web journal, which allows you to mix text and images on the webpage. For example, you might create a web journal that chronicles your latest trip and include your photos. You create web journal pages by creating a web journal album and using the Webpage Editor to design your pages. For more information about creating web galleries and web journals, see Chapter 18, "Creating Webpages," on page 333. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 35 Printing Your Images in Books You can lay out images and combine them with text to create books. Aperture provides a Book Layout Editor that allows you to easily combine your images with text on the page. Aperture also provides master templates that you can use to compose pages. You can easily create professional-looking pages for art books, wedding albums, picture books, and more. You create a book by creating a book album and using the Book Layout Editor to design the book's pages. In the Book Layout Editor, you select a page's thumbnail image to see an enlarged view of the page's layout and contents. You can also change the page design, and the current page is automatically updated to the format you chose. To add an image, you drag it from the Browser into a photo box on the page. For more information about creating books, see Chapter 19, "Creating Books," on page 357. 36 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Printing and Exporting Images You can also easily print individual images in standard and custom print sizes and print collections of images on contact sheets. Aperture has many preset printing options to help facilitate printing. You can also customize print settings to get the optimum use of your printer and meet custom print requirements. For more information about print options, see Chapter 14, "Printing Your Images," on page 277. When you need to deliver digital files to clients, prepare files for posting on websites, or transfer files to other computers or users, you can export images in a variety of formats. You can export your original digital master files as well as versions that you've created. Aperture provides many preset options for exporting files in a variety of file sizes and formats, and you can add custom touches such as watermarks or copyright information. When you export images, you can assign custom filenames and export all or a selection of the metadata associated with an image. For example, you can send an editor a digital file complete with the IPTC information you've added. Aperture also enables you to quickly email images. For more information about exporting images, see Chapter 15, "Exporting Your Images," on page 291. Backing Up Your Work After importing images from your camera and erasing memory cards in preparation for the next shoot, the only record of your images is stored on your hard disks. It's vital that you back up your files on storage media separate from your computer and its hard disks. Backing up your photos and storing the backups in a safe place can save your work from catastrophes such as fire, theft, storm-related disruptions, or equipment failure. Aperture backs up your managed images (images that are stored in the Aperture Library) and all information, such as versions, metadata, and previews, associated with them on vaults located on hard disk drives. Aperture doesn't back up the digital master files of referenced images located outside the Aperture Library. You must maintain your own backup system of referenced image master files. Aperture does back up the versions, previews, and metadata information associated with referenced images, but does not back up the master images themselves. Chapter 1 An Overview of Aperture 37 You can view your vaults in the Vaults panel. There are several controls that you'll use when you update vaults to back up your images. Disclosure triangle Vault Status button Vault Action pop-up menu Update All Vaults button Vaults Panel button You can create multiple vaults to provide duplicate backups. Each vault holds a backup copy of the entire Aperture Library. After you import new images into Aperture, you should immediately make a backup of the newly imported files. Once the images are backed up, you can depend on the reliable Aperture backup functions to track all the versions of your photos and the work you have done with them. For an explanation of the Aperture backup and archiving features, see Chapter 20, "Backing Up Your Images," on page 399. 38 Part I Interface and Acquisition 2 The Aperture Interface 2 The Aperture interface is modeled around acquiring, editing, processing, and distributing photos. This chapter describes the names and functions of the Aperture interface elements. Use this chapter to orient yourself while learning Aperture. To find detailed information about the concepts described in this chapter, read the chapter about the topic. You can also search for terms associated with Aperture in the index and glossary. This chapter covers:  The Aperture Main Window (p. 40)  Projects Panel (p. 41)  Viewer and Browser (p. 42)  Control Bar (p. 43)  Toolbar (p. 45)  Adjustments Inspector (p. 49)  Metadata Inspector (p. 50)  Import Panel (p. 52)  Vaults Panel (p. 53)  Book Layout Editor (p. 54)  Webpage Editor (p. 57)  Light Table (p. 60)  Heads-Up Displays (p. 61)  Workspace Layouts (p. 64)  Customizing the Toolbar (p. 65)  Setting Aperture Preferences (p. 67) 39 The Aperture Main Window The Aperture main window contains the following areas. Viewer Toolbar Projects panel Adjustments Inspector Metadata Inspector Browser Control bar Note: The inspectors are not shown by default. You can show or hide the Inspectors panel by pressing I. Arranging the Interface Aperture provides three preconfigured workspace layouts: Basic, Maximize Browser, and Maximize Viewer. The areas in the Aperture interface are resizable, and you can customize any of these workspaces to suit your workflow. To view the workspace layout shown above, choose Window > Layouts > Basic, then press I to show the Inspectors panel. For more information about workspace layouts, see "Workspace Layouts" on page 64. 40 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Projects Panel The Projects panel holds containers--projects, folders, and albums--with which you can organize your images. You can create Smart Albums that automatically find and store images based on search criteria you specify. You can also create webpages (photo galleries and online journals), Light Table arrangements, and books. A B C A B Projects pop-up menu Add to Library pop-up menu Choose to show all, your favorite, or recently selected projects by choosing an option from the pop-up menu. Create new projects and albums, including web gallery, web journal, Light Table, and book albums, from this pop-up menu. You can automatically fill your albums with selected images or create empty albums. You can also create Smart Albums, which you fill by specifying search criteria such as filenames or dates. Add and remove favorite items or export projects from this pop-up menu C Project Action pop-up menu To learn more about using the Projects panel, see Chapter 3, "Working with Aperture Projects," on page 71. Chapter 2 The Aperture Interface 41 Viewer and Browser The Viewer and Browser work together to display a project's or album's images. When you select a project or album in the Projects panel, images appear in the Browser. When you select one or several image thumbnails in the Browser, those images are displayed in the Viewer. You can use the Viewer to examine an image at its full size or compare multiple images side by side. E D C B A F G H I A Browser The Browser displays the contents of any project or album selected in the Projects panel. By default, the Browser displays images in a project or album as a set of gridded image thumbnails. You can also view your images in list view. Display the Browser contents in grid view (a grid of image thumbnails) or in list view (a list of sortable file data). Sort your images by a variety of sort properties in this pop-up menu, or define your own custom sort criteria. Use this button in conjunction with the Sorting pop-up menu to arrange the order of your images. The Viewer displays the images you've selected in the Browser. You can apply adjustments, keywords, and metadata to an image in the Viewer. Search for images by entering a term in the search field or choosing an option from the search field pop-up menu (with a magnifying glass icon). To perform a more complex search for images using the Query HUD, click the Query HUD button (to the left of the search field). B C D E Grid View/List View buttons Sorting pop-up menu Sort Direction button Viewer F Query HUD button and search field 42 Part I Interface and Acquisition I G H I Shuttle control Scroll bar Thumbnail Resize slider Use the Shuttle control to quickly move through your image thumbnails. Use the scroll bar to scroll through your image thumbnails. Use the Thumbnail Resize slider to quickly change the size of your image thumbnails. To learn more about using the Browser and Viewer, see Chapter 5, "Working with Images in the Browser," on page 119 and Chapter 6, "Displaying Images in the Viewer," on page 145. Control Bar The control bar contains buttons and controls you can use to rotate, rate, and navigate through images, as well as apply keywords to them. It runs across the bottom of the Aperture main window. If you don't need the control bar, you can hide it by choosing Window > Hide Control Bar (or press D). Display Controls A B C D E A Viewer Mode pop-up menu Zoom Viewer button Show Master Image button Full Screen button Choose how to view your images and arrange your displays from this pop-up menu. For more information, see Chapter 6, "Displaying Images in the Viewer," on page 145. Click this button to move between viewing an image at actual size and fitting the image to the Viewer's screen size. Click this button to view the original digital master file without any applied adjustments. Click again to switch the view back to the current version. Click this button to switch to Full Screen mode. For more information, see Chapter 7, "Viewing Images in Full Screen Mode," on page 163. Click this button to temporarily change between making metadata changes to all selected images or the primary selection only. B C D E Primary Only button Chapter 2 The Aperture Interface 43 Rotate Buttons A B A B Rotate Left Rotate Right Click this button to rotate the selected image to the left. Click this button to rotate the selected image to the right. Rating Buttons B A C D A B C D Reject Decrease Rating Select Increase Rating Click this button to give the selected image a Reject rating. Click this button to decrease the rating of the selected image. Click this button to give the selected image a Select rating (five stars). Click this button to increase the rating of the selected image. To learn more about rating your images, see Chapter 9, "Rating Images," on page 187. Navigation Buttons A B A B Previous Image Next Image Click this button to go to the previous image. Click this button to go to the next image. 44 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Keyword Controls A B C A Individual keyword buttons Add Keyword field Keyword Preset Group pop-up menu Click any of these buttons to apply a preset keyword to a selected image or group of images Hold down Shift and click the button to remove the keyword. Enter a new keyword, then press Return. Aperture creates a new keyword and applies it to the selected image. Choose a keyword preset group to display on the keyword buttons, or edit the buttons in an existing keyword preset group. B C Note: If the Adjustments and Metadata Inspectors are shown, there may not be enough room to show the entire control bar. In that case, the keyword controls are not shown. You can hide the Inspectors panel by pressing I. To learn more about applying keywords, see Chapter 10, "Applying Keywords to Images," on page 199. Toolbar The toolbar is a collection of buttons and tools located at the top of the Aperture main window. Its buttons and tools are grouped by function: there are buttons for creating projects, organizing images, and configuring the Aperture workspace, as well as tools for applying adjustments. The toolbar is shown by default, but you can hide it by choosing View > Hide Toolbar. You can customize the toolbar. For more information, see "Customizing the Toolbar" on page 65. Note: Because you can customize the toolbar, adding and deleting the buttons you want, your toolbar may appear different from the one pictured in this manual. Chapter 2 The Aperture Interface 45 Import and Project Buttons A B C D E F G A Import Panel Click this button to show or hide the Import panel. When you select either the camera, a memory card, or a mounted drive, the Import dialog appears. For more information, see "Import Panel" on page 52. Click this button to create a new project. You will have the option to create an empty project, a project with any images you've selected, or a project with all the images in the Browser. Click this button to create a new album containing your current image selection. Click this button to create a new Smart Album. For more information, see Chapter 13, "Grouping Images with Smart Albums," on page 267. Click this button to create a new book album. For more information, see Chapter 19, "Creating Books," on page 357. B New Project C D New Album New Smart Album E F G New Book Album New Web Gallery Album Click this button to create a new web gallery album. For more information, see Chapter 18, "Creating Webpages," on page 333. New Light Table Album Click this button to create a new Light Table album. For more information, see Chapter 17, "Using the Light Table," on page 323. Email and Slideshow Buttons A B A B Email Slideshow Click this button to open your email program and attach selected images. Click this button to initiate a slideshow of the selected images. 46 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Version Buttons A B A B Duplicate Version New Version From Master Click this button to duplicate the selected image version, with all applied metadata and adjustments. Click this button to create a new version from a selected image's digital master file. Stacking Buttons A B For details about working with stacks, see Chapter 8, "Stacking Images and Making Picks," on page 175. A B Stack Stack Pick Click this button to group the selected images in a stack. Click this button to mark the selected image as the stack's pick, or best image. Adjustment Tools A B C D E F G H I A B C D E F Selection Rotate Left Rotate Right Straighten Crop Spot & Patch Select projects, albums, and images with this tool. Rotate an image to the left with this tool. You can use this tool to rotate an image displayed in the Viewer or Browser. Rotate an image to the right with this tool. You can use this tool to rotate an image displayed in the Viewer or Browser. Use the guides to help manually straighten (or level) the selected image. Trim the selected image with this tool. Remove imperfections in the image, such as sensor dust, with this tool. The tool either copies the pixels around the blemish ("spotting") or copies pixels from another area of the image ("patching"). Chapter 2 The Aperture Interface 47 G H I Red Eye Lift Stamp Reduce red-eye, occurring when the subject's retinas reflect light from your camera's flash, with this tool. Copy a set of metadata and adjustments, including cropping and straightening of images, from a selected image with this tool. Stamp, or apply, a copied set of adjustments or metadata to one or several images with this tool. For more information about working with the adjustment tools, see Performing Image Adjustments in the Aperture Help menu. Loupe and Keywords HUD Buttons A B A Loupe Click this button to open the Loupe tool, which zooms in on your image by magnifying the area of the image it is placed over. You can adjust the diameter of the Loupe by choosing View > Increase Diameter or View > Decrease Diameter. Click this button to show or hide the Keywords HUD. B Keywords HUD Adjustments and Metadata Inspector Buttons Aperture provides three layout buttons that you can use to quickly change the workspace layout. A B A B Adjustments Inspector Metadata Inspector Click this button to show or hide the Adjustments Inspector. Click this button to show or hide Metadata Inspector. For more information about workspace layouts, see "Workspace Layouts" on page 64. 48 Part I Interface and Acquisition I Adjustments Inspector You can use controls in the Adjustments Inspector to apply, edit, and remove image adjustments. Controls in the Adjustments Inspector are grouped according to the type of image adjustment they perform. You can see the controls for an adjustment by clicking its disclosure triangle. To show the Adjustments Inspector, do one of the following: m Choose Window > Show Inspectors (or press I) to open the Inspectors panel. m Double-click an image in the Browser to open the Inspectors panel. m Choose Window > Show Adjustments (or press Control-A). B C A D A Adjustments Click the disclosure triangle for an adjustment to view its controls. Select the checkbox for an adjustment to apply changes using the adjustment controls. Choose the types of adjustments you want to apply to an image from this pop-up menu. When you choose an adjustment, its controls appear in the Adjustments Inspector. Choose a histogram view and remove selected or all adjustments made. Click the Reset button for an adjustment to reset the controls to their default settings. B Add Adjustments pop-up menu Adjustment Action pop-up menu Reset button C D Chapter 2 The Aperture Interface 49 To remove an adjustment from an image, deselect the checkbox for the adjustment. For more information about using adjustment controls, see Performing Image Adjustments in the Aperture Help menu. Although you can apply initial adjustments with the Adjustments Inspector, it's often more convenient to use the Adjustments HUD in Full Screen mode. For more information, see Chapter 7, "Viewing Images in Full Screen Mode," on page 163. Metadata Inspector The Metadata Inspector displays an image's caption text, keywords, version number, filename, and file size. You can also view EXIF (Exchangeable Image File) and IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) data associated with your image. EXIF metadata is embedded with an image file by the digital camera and includes camera settings such as shutter speed, date and time, focal length, exposure, metering pattern, and flash information. IPTC information can be embedded in a digital image with most software programs used to edit photos, and can include a caption, the place and date a photo was taken, and copyright information. To show the Metadata Inspector, do one of the following: m Choose Window > Show Inspectors (or press I) to open the Inspectors panel. m Double-click an image in the Browser to open the Inspectors panel. 50