The easy way to organize and share your photos.

Getting Started Guide

ACD Systems International Inc. 2010 All rights reserved. Notice of Liability
The information in this document is distributed on an As Is basis, without any representation or warranty of any kind whether express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, title or fitness for a particular purpose or use. While every precaution was taken in the preparation of this document, neither the author nor ACD Systems shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly in connection with the use or inability to use the instructions contained in this document. ACD Systems reserves the right to make changes to this document without notice.

Copyright and Trademark Notices

ACDSee Photo Manager software and documentation was designed, programmed and is Copyright 2010 ACD Systems International Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Unauthorized duplication strictly prohibited. ACD, ACDSee and ACDSee logo are trademarks of ACD Systems International Inc. and may be registered in Canada, the United States, European Union, Japan or certain other jurisdictions. Adobe, Acrobat, Photoshop, PostScript and XMP are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Apple, Macintosh and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Paint Shop Pro is a trademark or registered trademark of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States and/or other countries. DirectX, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows, Windows logo, Windows Media, Windows Vista and Windows Vista Start button are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks, products and company names are the property of their respective owners.

Third Party Software Licenses

This Software also contains software of ACD Systems and its suppliers which are used in accordance with the notices reproduced below: This Software contains Method and System for Calendar-Based Image Asset Organization, Patent No. US 7,398,479 B2 This product includes DNG technology under license by Adobe Systems Incorporated. More information may be found at: http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/main.html. All rights reserved. XMP Toolkit 4.1.1 is copyright 1999 - 2007, Adobe Systems Incorporated All rights reserved. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS AS IS AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. Xalan and Xerces libraries are licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the License) You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.apache. org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0. Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an AS IS BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. The Software is provided with Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c) (1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. Manufacturer is Chilkat Software, Inc., 1719 E Forest Ave, Wheaton, Illinois 60187 USA. This Software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

TIFF support based on LibTIFF, Copyright 1988-1997 Sam Leffler, Copyright 1991-1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc. This notice must appear in all copies of the Software and related documentation. The names of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics may not be used in any advertising or publicity relating to the software without the specific, prior written permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS-IS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. MPEG 1 Codec is copyright MainConcept 2008. The MainConcept logo and the Codec By logo are registered trademarks and MainConcept is a trademark of MainConcept AG or any of its subsidiaries. CD/DVD recording software developed under license from Padus, Inc. http://www.padus.com Copyright 1996-2007 Padus, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This software contains portions of imaging code owned and copyrighted by Pegasus Imaging Corp., Tampa FL, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contents
Welcome to ACDSee12
About ACDSee12 ACDSee12 modes

1
2 2

Manage
Overview Browse Folders, Calendar, and Favorites Filter, Group, Sort, View, Select Database Properties Import Organize Categorize Tag Rate Search

5
6 6 7 8 9 9 10 12 12 13 14 14

View
Overview Full screen Zoom Organize

17
18 18 19 20

Edit
Overview Save, Done, Cancel Selections Exposure Sharpen Crop Repair Text Special effects Restore originals

21
22 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31

Contents | v

Online
Overview Create an ACDSeeOnline.com account Login Upload images Share

33
34 34 34 35 36

Whats next?

39

vi | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Welcome to ACDSee12
Congratulations on choosing ACDSeePhoto Manager 12, the industryleading photo management software. ACDSee12 is fast, powerful, and so easy to use that it is essential for managing, viewing, editing, and sharing your digital photos.

About ACDSee12
ACDSee12 provides a wealth of tools to help you manage, view, edit, and share your images. Browse and organize images on your computer, or import photos from a camera, memory card, or other device. View the images and tag the ones that need further editing. Use the Edit tools to enhance the images, fix exposure and lighting, or add borders, text, or other special effects. Share your images with an ACDSeeOnline.com account. The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to just a few of these basic features to get you started. For information about all the ACDSee12 features and tools, see the ACDSee12 Help file. Simply press F1 at any time while you are using ACDSee12.

ACDSee12 modes
ACDSee12 provides four modesManage, View, Edit, Onlineto group the tools that you commonly use during each step of your photography workflow.

2 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Manage
Manage mode is the main browsing and managing component of ACDSee12. In Manage mode, you can find, move, preview, and filter files located on your hard drive or removable storage device. You can also organize your files by adding categories, keywords, and other metadata to make your files easier to search. There is no need to import your files into the program because ACDSee12 catalogs your files as you browse through them, adding file properties and metadata to the ACDSee12 database automatically. However, you can use ACDSee12 to import files from a camera or other device onto your computer. When you use the Import tools you can create folders, rename files, add organizing information, and create backups as you import the files.

View
In View mode you can display images one at a time, zoom in and out, and see images in full screen. You can also view image properties, display parts of an image at varying magnifications, as well as add organizing information or tag your images for further editing. You can open View mode by double-clicking a file in Manage mode, and then use the filmstrip to flip quickly between all of the images in a folder or a group of selected files.

Edit
In Edit mode you can fix and enhance images. You can make adjustments to the entire image, such as cropping, rotating, applying color or lighting adjustments, sharpening, and reducing noise, or use Selections to adjust selected areas. And you can add borders, text, and other special effects.

Online
Online mode provides an easy way to upload images to ACDSeeOnline.com, an image sharing and storage service located online at: www.acdseeonline.com In Online mode, you can select the images on your computer and then drag and drop them directly into your ACDSeeOnline.com account. From there you can share images with people you know, or you can make images public so that anyone can see them.

Welcome to ACDSee12 | 3

4 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Manage
In Manage mode, you can browse the files on your hard drive or removable storage device, import images from a camera or other device, organize images using categories, ratings, and other file properties, and tag images for further editing.

Overview
Manage mode, the default view in ACDSee12, is where you can browse and organize your files and images. You can perform sophisticated searches and filtering operations, and view thumbnail previews of images.

Browse
ACDSee12 gives you the ability to browse the files on your hard drive or a removable storage device. There is no need to import files into ACDSee12simply navigate to the files you want to view.

6 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Folders, Calendar, and Favorites

The easiest way to browse your files, is to use the Folders pane, much like you would use the folder tree in Windows Explorer. Double-click folders to expand them, or use the + and - icons to expand or collapse folders. The files and subfolders in the selected folder are displayed in the File List pane, the central section of the ACDSee12 window. If you have images or folders that you frequently need to find, you can add them to your favorites, and then use the Favorites pane to quickly find them again. Once you have browsed your files and ACDSee12 has added them to the database, you can use the Calendar pane to easily find files or images by date.

Manage | 7

Filter, Group, Sort, View, Select

When you are looking at a set of files, you can adjust the view using the drop-down lists in the File List toolbar.

8 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Database
If you are a new ACDSee user, you may not know that ACDSee12 uses a database to record information about your images. As you browse your images, ACDSee12 catalogs them and saves any file properties or metadata that they contain, such as the file name and date, and the type of camera and camera settings used. Then, when you organize your images using ACDSee12, the custom metadata is also added to the database. The more information you add, the more easily you can search your files and find the exact image you are looking for. If you want to move or copy an image to a different computer or to a removable storage device, you can embed the custom metadata in the image file or you can export the database information. See the ACDSee12 Help for details.

Properties
You can use the Properties pane to view the information about your images, including information in the database, and File, EXIF, and IPTC metadata. You can also enter additional information in this pane.

To open the Properties pane:

Click View | Properties.

Manage | 9

Import
If your images are still on your camera or removable storage device and you want to move them to your computer, you can use ACDSee12 to import them. In ACDSee12, importing refers to the process of copying or transferring images from your camera or removable storage device to your computer. As well as importing your files, the Import wizard lets you: Create and name one or more folders. Create a duplicate set of folders and photos as a backup copy. Rename each file using a renaming template. Automatically rotate the files if your camera provides the necessary information. Add files to one or more categories. Add author, notes, and keywords as well as EXIF and IPTC data, including copyright information. You can save all these import settings and use them repeatedly or save different sets of import settings for different tasks.

To import photos using the Import dialog box:

1 2 3 Connect the camera to the computer. Turn on the camera. When the Device Detector prompts you, select Import files with ACDSee to launch the Import dialog box.

If the camera is already connected to the computer, and you do not see the Device Detector, you can open the Import dialog box in ACDSee12 by clicking File | Import | From Device.

10 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

6 7

When the Import dialog box opens, select the images you want to import: If you want to filter the images on the device, select Date or File Type. Select or clear the check boxes in the left pane by date or file type. For example, if you want to import just the photos you took last weekend, select the check boxes for those dates. If you want to view just the images you have selected, click the View selected radio button. You can also select the photos you want to import individually or in groups in the preview pane. Select or clear the check boxes by clicking the small square in the top right corner of each thumbnail. When you have finished choosing images, select your import options, including a destination where you want to save the images, backup location, renaming and rotation options. You can also choose or enter organize settings, including categories, keywords, and other metadata. When you are ready to import, click Import.

Manage | 11

Organize
You can organize your images in Manage mode or View mode, adding categories and ratings, or tagging images to apply organize settings to more than one image at a time. Once you have organized your images, you will be able to quickly find just the image you are looking for.

Categorize
Categories can organize and group your images so that you do not need to create extra copies or move files into different folders. Categories also make it possible to find images with similar subject matter with a single click. A single image can belong to many categories. How you arrange your categories depends on your preferences. One possible strategy is to create top-level categories of themes, such as Family, Garden, or Vacations. Then create sub-categories below that. For example, under Family, create sub-categories such as Birthdays, School, and Sports. Some images might fit more than one category or sub-category. Unlike a folder system, you do not need to make extra copies of an image, you just assign it to multiple categories.

To create a new category:

1 In the Organize pane, do one of the following: To make a new top-level category, click the New Category button. In the Create Category dialog box, select Create a new, top-level category. Right-click the name of an existing category, and select New Category. In the Create Category dialog box, select Create a sub-category within the current selection. In the Name text box, type a name for the new category. Click OK to create the category.

2 3

To assign images to a category:

1 2 Select one or more images in the File List. Do one of the following: Select the check box next to the category in the Organize pane. Drag the images from the File List and drop them onto the category name in the Organize pane.

12 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

To view images in a category:

In the Organize pane, click the name of a category.

To remove images from a category:

1 2 In the File List, select the images you want to remove from a category. Clear the check box for the category.

Tag
It is easy to take hundreds of photos while you are on vacation or at a sports event. After you have transferred the photos to your computer, you will want to review them and select the best photos. Tagging is a fast and easy way to identify your best photos or to separate them for editing or review. The tagging check box is at the bottom right corner of each thumbnail. Click the check box to tag or untag photos. Photos remain tagged until you clear the checkmark from the check box. You can display all your tagged photos with one click. Tagging, like categories and ratings, is a way to set aside, organize, and group your photos without moving the files into different folders.

To tag an image:
In Manage mode, select the check box in the bottom right corner of the thumbnail. Use the keyboard shortcut: \ (Backslash)

To view tagged images:

In Manage mode, in the Organize pane, click Tagged in the Special Items section.

Manage | 13

Rate
You can also rate your images so that you can easily find the best ones when you need to gather images for a special project. You can either select single images to rate, or tag a group of images that you want to rate.

To rate a photo:
1 2 Select one or more images in the File List. Do one of the following: Select the radio button next to the numbered rating in the Organize pane. Drag the images from the File List and drop them onto the numbered rating in the Organize pane. Use the keyboard shortcut: CTRL + 0 to 5.

Search
ACDSee12 also provides a sophisticated search tool to help you find the files you are looking for. You can perform a simple search, entering a single search parameter, or narrow your criteria by specifying folders or categories to search within. If you find yourself performing the same search more than once, you can save the search to reuse the next time.

To perform a quick search:

Enter a search term in the Quick Search box at the top of the File List.

To open the Search pane:

Click View | Search.

14 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

To create a new saved search:

1 In the Organize pane, do one of the following: Click Create a new saved search. Click the New saved search icon. Create your search criteria. Do one or more of the following: If you want to search based on a file or folder name, enter details in the Files and Text area. If you want to search based on categories or folders, click the Specific folders and categories radio button in the Files and Text area, and then enter the details below in the Categories and Folders area. If you want to search the file metadata, click Add in the Properties area. Click the check boxes for the information you want to search, and then click OK . Save the search. Click the Save icon, select Save As, enter a name for the saved search, then click OK .

To re-use a saved search:

Do one of the following: On the Organize pane, click the saved search. On the Search pane, select a search from the Saved searches drop-down list. Your search is re-run and all of your matching images are displayed in the File List.

Manage | 15

16 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

View
If you want to view your images in full screen, or zoom in to see the details of an image, you can switch to View mode. Use the Properties pane to organize your images.

Overview
If you like to view your images at full size or magnify part of the image to see the details, you can use View mode. A filmstrip at the bottom of the screen lets you quickly move to the image you want to view, and then you can use full screen, zoom in on your image, or organize your images by tagging them, or applying ratings or categories.

Full screen
At times you might want to view your images without the distraction of the window borders, menus, toolbars and filmstrip. In full screen you can use the entire screen to view your images.

To toggle full screen on or off:

In View mode, do one of the following: Click View | Full Screen. Press the F key.

18 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Use the mouse wheel or keyboard shortcuts to view the next or previous image.

Zoom
In View mode you can view images at full size, or you can use the zoom tools to zoom in and out on your images.

To zoom in or out on an image:

Click Tools | Zoom, and then select one of the Zoom menu options.

View | 19

Organize
You can organize your images in View mode using the same tools that are available in Manage mode, including categories, tags and ratings.

To rate, tag, or categorize images:

1 2 3 Click View | Properties to open the Properties pane. Use the filmstrip to scroll through your images. When you see an image you want to rate, tag, or categorize, do one or more of the following: To apply a rating, click a numbered rating in the Properties pane. To apply a tag, select the Tagged check box. To apply categories, select the check box next to one or more categories.

20 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Edit
Use Edit mode to adjust your imagesfix lighting and exposure, crop and rotate, or use selections to make adjustments to selected parts of an image. Or get creative by adding special effects, text, and borders.

Overview
Using the Edit tools, you can make global adjustments or corrections to your image. As you make adjustments, you can see a preview of your image in the right pane. You can also fine tune particular areas of an image by selecting an area and then adjusting the exposure and lighting. Or you can add special effects, borders, a watermark, or text to the image. A few of these tools are described on the following pages. Be sure to explore ACDSee12 to find all the tools that are available, and review the ACDSee12 Help for additional instructions.

Save, Done, Cancel

Before you begin editing an image, it is important to understand how your image is saved. When you edit an image in ACDSee12, the original image is automatically saved in an Originals folder so that you can always go back to the image that you started with. That means that you can edit the image in ACDSee12 and save it with the same filename, or you can save the edited image with a new filename. Its up to you. In Edit mode, at the bottom of the Editing Tools pane, there are three buttons:

The following table describes what you can do from each button. Button Done < > Save Description Prompts you to save the image with the edits, and then returns to the previous mode. Prompts you to save the image, and then opens the next or previous image in the filmstrip. Save as: Saves a copy of the image with the edits. Use this option if you want to save the image with a different filename or in a different location. Save: Saves the image with the edits with the same filename in the same location. Copy to clipboard: Copies the image with the edits to the clipboard so that you can paste it into another program. Cancel Cancels the edits on the image.

22 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Selections
Use selections to isolate an area of an image and then apply edits or filters to only that area. There are two ways of using selections in ACDSee12: Open an Edit tool, such as Color Balance, and then while you are using the tool, click Create Selection in the top image toolbar to make the selection. When you have finished making the selection, you are returned to the Color Balance pane to make your adjustments to the selected area. Open the Selections tool and make a selection first, and then use an Edit tool, such as Color Balance, to adjust the selected area of the image.

In the example, the Magic Wand was used to select the red-colored walls, and then using the Color Balance tool, the saturation, hue, and lightness were adjusted so that the walls appear to be a more vibrant red.

Edit | 23

To use the Selections tool:

1 2 3 4 5 In Edit mode, select one of the Edit tools. For example, in the Color group, click Color Balance. Click Create Selection in the top image toolbar. Use one of the selection tools to select an area of the image. When you have finished making your selection, click Done. The selection remains active. Use the Edit tool, such as Color Balance, to edit the selected area of the image.

Exposure
Exposure is the amount of time that your digital cameras sensor is exposed to light. Depending on your camera settings and the light at the time you shot the photo, some of your images may appear under or overexposed, or too light or dark. In ACDSee12 you can fix these problems by adjusting an images exposure.

To adjust the exposure:

1 2 In Edit mode, in the Exposure/Lighting group, click Exposure. To adjust the exposure, do one or more of the following: Auto: Click the button to automatically adjust the exposure. Exposure: Drag the slider to increase or decrease the exposure. Contrast: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of contrast between the light and dark areas of the image. Fill Light: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of light in the darkest areas of the image. Exposure warning: Click the button to highlight overexposed and underexposed areas of the image. Overexposed pixels turn red and underexposed pixels turn green. Click Done to apply your changes and return to Edit mode.

24 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Click the Preview button to the left of the Undo button to see your image before and after adjusting the exposure.

Sharpen
To make an image appear less blurry, you can increase the sharpness of edges by enhancing the contrast of pixels at the edges.

To sharpen an image:
1 2 In Edit mode, in the Detail group, click Sharpen. To adjust the sharpness, do one or more of the following: Amount: Drag the slider to specify the amount of light added or removed from an edge. Higher values produce darker edges. Radius: Drag the slider to specify the number of pixels to adjust around the edges. Higher values increase the number of sharpened pixels. Threshold: Drag the slider to specify the difference in lightness between two adjacent pixels before they are sharpened. Higher values increase the difference required. Click Done to apply your changes and close the tool.

Edit | 25

In the image above, sharpening exposes the headlight details.

Crop
If you want to remove unwanted parts of an image or reduce the canvas size to a particular size, you can crop the image. For example, if you have too much background, you can crop an image to focus on the interesting details.

To crop an image:
1 2 3 In Edit mode, in the Geometry group, click Crop. A crop box appears in the center of the image. To move the crop box, click inside the box and drag the box to position it over the area you want to keep. To resize the crop box, do one of the following: Drag a side or corner of the crop box. In the Editing Tools pane, select an exact width and height for the crop area.

26 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

4 5 6

To estimate the file size of the cropped image, click Estimate new file size. To darken or lighten the area outside the crop box, adjust the Darken outside crop area slider. Click Done to apply your changes and close the tool.

If you want to make the crop area a standard photo size, you can constrain the proportions of the crop box. Click the Constrain cropping proportion check box and select a size in the drop-down list.

Edit | 27

Repair
You can use the Repair tool to remove flaws such as: Skin blemishes Telephone wires and other unwanted objects Flash flares from snowflakes or windows Lens scratches and water drops The Repair tool provides two brushes for removing flaws: Heal: Use the Heal brush to copy pixels from one area of the image to another. ACDSee12 analyzes the pixels in the source and target areas, and then blends the pixels of both areas for the best match of the surrounding area. The Heal brush works particularly well with images that involve complicated textures such as skin or fur. Clone: Use the Clone brush to copy the exact pixels from one area of an image to another, creating an identical image area. The Clone brush is more effective for images that have strong, simple textures or uniform colors, because it is more difficult to identify the copied pixels in the finished photo. In the example, there are two patches of reflected light. We could use the Heal or Clone brush to remove these reflections to improve the image.

28 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

To remove flaws from an image:

1 2 3 4 In Edit mode, in the Repair group, click Repair Tool. Drag the Zoom slider to zoom in on the area you want to repair. Select Heal or Clone. Do one or both of the following: Drag the Nib Width slider to set the width of the brush. Drag the Feathering slider to set the amount of feather on the edge to prevent sharp transitions between the original and the healed part of the photo. Right-click the image to set a source location. Pixels will be copied from this location and used in the target location. Click and drag over the area that you want to cover. If you selected the healing brush, ACDSee12 analyzes and replaces the pixels when you release the mouse button. Click Done to apply your changes and close the tool.

5 6

Text
You can use the Text tool to add a caption to a photo. You can move the text to any position on the photo.

Edit | 29

To add text to an image:

1 2 3 4 5 In Edit mode, in the Add group, click Text. A text box appears in the center of the image. In the Add Text pane, type a caption. Adjust the font attributes and other text effects. Click and drag the text box to position it anywhere on your image. Do one of the following: Click Apply to add the text to your image, and keep the Add Text tool open. Click Done to add the text to your image, and return to Edit mode.

See the ACDSee12 Help to learn how to save your options as a preset for future use.

Special effects
In ACDSee12 you can use all sorts of special effects to enhance your images. The special effects browser shows you thumbnail previews of all the effects on your image so that you can easily choose the right effect for your project.

To add a special effect:

1 2 3 4 5 In Edit mode, in the Add group, click Special Effect. To select an effect, click one of the thumbnails. For example, click the Oil Paint thumbnail. In the Editing Tools pane, adjust the sliders or other tools. Click Done to apply the special effect to your image. Do one of the following: Select another special effect to apply to your image. Click Exit to return to Edit mode.

30 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Restore originals
When you edit an image, ACDSee12 automatically saves a copy of the original image in the Originals folder. This means you can always restore an edited image to the original.

To restore an original image in Manage or View mode:

1 2 In Manage or View mode, select one or more images. Click Tools | Restore to Original.

To restore an original image in Edit mode:

1 2 In Edit mode, select an image. Click File | Restore to Original.

Edit | 31

32 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Online
Online mode provides an easy way to upload images to ACDSeeOnline.com to share with your contacts or the public. In Online mode, you can select the images on your computer and then drag and drop them directly into your ACDSeeOnline.com account.

Overview
ACDSeeOnline.com is an image sharing and storage service located online at: www.acdseeonline.com Using Online mode, you can upload and browse through your online images directly from inside ACDSee12. Simply create an ACDSeeOnline.com account, log in, and then begin uploading your images.

Create an ACDSeeOnline.com account

Before you can upload images to ACDSeeOnline.com, you must create an account. Once you have an account you can update your profile, view statistics, manage your contacts, and manage your shared photos.

To create an ACDSeeOnline.com account:

1 2 3 In Online mode, click Create Your Account. Enter your information. Click Create My Account.

Login
After you have created your ACDSeeOnline.com account, you need to login to the account before you can upload images.

To login to ACDSee Online:

1 2 3 4 In Online mode, click Login. Enter your email address and password. If you want ACDSee12 to stay logged into your ACDSeeOnline.com account, select Stay logged in. Click Login.

34 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Upload images
After you have logged into ACDSeeOnline.com, you can begin uploading images to your ACDSeeOnline.com account. Its as easy as dragging and dropping images from ACDSee12 into ACDSeeOnline.com. ACDSee Online converts all images to JPEG when they are uploaded from ACDSee12.

To upload your images:

1 2 In Online mode, if you are not already logged in, login to your ACDSeeOnline.com account. Click Transfer. The ACDSee12 window splits in twothe bottom section of the window displays images on your computer, and the top section displays your images online. Select a resolution from the drop-down list in the top right corner. To select images to upload, do one or more of the following: Drag an image from the bottom section of the window (your computer) to the top section of the window (online) to upload it to your ACDSeeOnline.com account. To select multiple images, press SHIFT or CTRL as you click images, or click and drag your cursor across a group of images. Drag a folder of images from the bottom section of the window to the top section.

3 4

You can upload a folder with sub-folders. Online mode respects a folder hierarchy when you upload a folder of images to your ACDSeeOnline.com account.

Online | 35

Share
ACDSeeOnline.com lets you easily share your images in a number of ways, by making folders public, by sending images to other web applications such as Facebook, or by sharing images directly with your family and friends. Check out all the latest sharing features of ACDSeeOnline.com by logging into ACDSeeOnline.com from Online mode or visit the ACDSeeOnline.com web site.

To share images:
1 2 3 4 5 In Online mode, click ACDSeeOnline.com. Click Manage. Open the folder that contains the images you want to share. Select the images you want to share. Click Share.

36 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

6 7

Enter the email addresses of people you want to share the images with, a message, and an optional password. Click OK .

Online | 37

38 | ACDSee12 Getting Started Guide

Whats next?

Explore
ACDSee12 is packed with many more useful features and toolsmore than we can cover in this simple guide. Hopefully, these instructions have given you some ideas on how the program can help you manage your collection of photos or other files. We encourage you to explore the rest of ACDSee12, and to experiment with some of the features for yourself. If you get stuck, or need more information about a particular tool or feature, try one of the following options:

Consult the Help file

The ACDSee12 Help provides explanations and steps for using all of the ACDSee12 features. It also contains lists of shortcut keys, detailed descriptions of the modes, and more information about how to import, organize, repair, manage, and maintain your growing collection. Press the F1 key while using ACDSee12 at any time to open the Help file. ACDSeeOnline.com also provides help, so that wherever you are, in Online mode or visiting ACDSeeOnline.com on the web, you can find the help you need. In ACDSee12, click Help| ACDSeeOnline.com Help. Or on the ACDSeeOnline.com web site, click Help.

Product Support and Resources

If you have an Internet connection, you can access the latest information instantly by clicking Help | Product Support and Resources. You will find a PDF of this guide, tutorials, and any updates to the software.

Community
Visit the ACDSee Community by clicking Help | ACDSee Community. Here you can find our forums, chat to other ACDSee12 users, and sign up for our free email newsletters to get digital photography tips and tricks, and other useful information.

Web site
On the Web site, www.acdsee.com, you can find more information about ACDSee12, and articles about other products and digital photography in general.

Contacting ACD Systems

When you buy ACDSee12, you are automatically eligible for ongoing service by our technical support team. If you have any technical or product-related questions, or just general feedback you would like to share, please visit our Web site at: www.acdsee.com/support

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