Apple Macintosh PhotoFlash User Manual



Macintosh

PhotoFlash

User’s Guide

K Apple Computer, Inc.

© 1994 Apple Computer, Inc. and Storm Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the
written consent of Apple. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying
software license agreement.

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.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Apple and
Storm Software are not responsible for printing or clerical errors.

Apple Computer, Inc. Storm Software
1 Infinite Loop 1861 Landings Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014-6299 Mountain View, CA 94043
[phone] [phone]

StuffIt InstallerMaker software is Copyright © 1993 by Aladdin Systems, Inc. and
Raymond Lau.

Apple, the Apple logo, EtherTalk, LaserWriter, LocalTalk, and Macintosh are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S.A. and other countries.

AppleScript, Finder, PhotoFlash, QuickTake, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.

Adobe, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.

Cinepak and SuperMac are trademarks of SuperMac Technology.

DayStar Digital is a trademark of DayStar Digital.

ExposurePro is a registered trademark of Baseline Publishing, Inc.

FileMaker is a registered trademark of Claris Corporation.

Helvetica and Times are registered trademarks of Linotype-Hell AG and/or its subsidiaries.

Kodak and Photo CD are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.

Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

PageMaker, Persuasion, and SuperPaint are registered trademarks of Aldus Corporation.

PicturePress and Storm Software are registered trademarks of Storm Software.

PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license
therefrom.

QuicKeys is a trademark of CE Software, Inc.

QMS is a registered trademark of QMS, Inc.

QuarkXPress is a registered trademark of Quark, Inc.

UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.

UserTalk is a trademark of UserLand Software.

Simultaneously published in the United States and Canada.

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.

Contents

Preface ix

What you need to know ix

How to use this book x

1 Using Catalogs 1

Creating a catalog 2

Creating a catalog from within PhotoFlash 2

Creating a catalog from the desktop 2

Saving a catalog 4

Opening and closing a catalog 5

Opening a catalog from within PhotoFlash 5

Opening a catalog from the desktop 6

Closing a catalog 6

Duplicating a catalog 6

Adding image files to a catalog 6

Dragging image file icons from the desktop to an open catalog 7

Using the Add to Catalog command 7

Resizing catalog windows 9

iii

Working with thumbnails 10

Selecting thumbnails 10

Moving and copying thumbnails 12

Sorting thumbnails 13

Removing thumbnails from a catalog 14

Opening image files from a catalog 14

Getting information about image files 14

Printing a catalog 15

Searching for images 16

Searching for images by caption text 16

Searching for images by filename 18

Searching for images that resemble a sketch 19

Searching for similar images 20

2 Working With Image Files 23

Macintosh image files 23

File formats recognized by PhotoFlash 24

Opening image files (non-Photo CD) 25

Opening a Photo CD image file 26

Acquiring images 28

Creating a new image 29

Viewing images 30

Moving an image within its window 30

Magnifying or reducing an image 31

Arranging windows 33

Adding or editing a caption 33

iv

Contents

Saving an image 34

Saving an image as a new file 34

Saving changes to an existing image file 36

Reverting to the previously saved version 37

Printing images 37

Exporting images 38

3 Working With Selections 41

The PhotoFlash Tool palette 41

Selecting a rectangle 43

Selecting a rectangle visually 43

Selecting a rectangle of a specific size 44

Selecting an irregular area 45

Selecting an area in the shape of a polygon 46

Selecting an area of similar colors (Magic Wand) 47

Changing the area of a selection 48

Adding to a selection 48

Subtracting from a selection 49

Selecting an entire image 50

Deselecting an area 51

Inverting a selection 51

Moving a selection 52

4 Manipulating Images 53

Duplicating an image 53

Cropping an image 54

Resizing an image 55

Resizing part of an image 56

Resizing the entire image 58

Straightening an image 65

Contents

v

Rotating an image 67

Rotating part of an image 68

Rotating an entire image 69

Flipping an image 71

Changing the number of colors used by an image 72

Using the Number of Colors command 72

Deciding how many colors to use 74

5 Enhancing Images 75

Using the Enhance commands 76

Adjusting colors 77

Balancing the exposure 79

Adjusting brightness and contrast 80

Blurring an image 82

Using the Blur command 82

Using the Blur tool 83

Sharpening an image 84

Using the Sharpen command 84

Using the Sharpen tool 85

Removing dust 86

Using the Remove Dust command 87

Using the DeDust tool 88

Removing scratches 89

Using the Remove Scratch command 90

Using the DeScratch tool 91

Repeating enhancements 92

vi

Contents

6 Converting and Compressing Files 93

Converting image file formats 94

Choosing a file format 95

PICT 95

TIFF 97

JPEG 98

EPS 99

DCS 102

Number of colors or grays supported by standard file formats 103

Using JPEG compression 104

Applying JPEG compression to the entire file 105

Applying different levels of JPEG compression within an image 106

7 Automating Your Work 109

The Script palette and Script menu 110

Scripting with PhotoFlash 111

Recording and saving a script 113

Running a script 115

Launching application programs from PhotoFlash 116

Choosing a different scripting language 116

Editing a script 117

Appendix A Setting PhotoFlash Preferences 121

Virtual memory preferences 122

Thumbnail preferences 124

Display preferences 126

Processing/Filing preferences 127

Units preferences 129

Contents

vii

Appendix B Using Photoshop-Compatible Plug-In Modules 133

Installing and storing plug-in modules 134

Using plug-in modules 134

Scripting plug-in modules 135

Appendix C PhotoFlash Acceleration 137

PhotoFlash tasks that can be accelerated 138

Using accelerator cards 138

Glossary 139

Index 141

viii

Contents

Preface

PhotoFlash allows you to organize photographs and other digitized images,
enhance them, and place them in a document created with another
application program. To start using PhotoFlash, follow the instructions in
PhotoFlash Getting Started. That guide describes how to install the PhotoFlash
software and start using it within just a few minutes.

This guide is a reference to everything you need to know about using
PhotoFlash. After you’ve read PhotoFlash Getting Started, you should be able
to start using PhotoFlash with your own images right away. If you have
questions about any of PhotoFlash’s capabilities while you’re working, you
can look up the task you want to learn about in this guide.

What you need to know

This guide assumes that you have installed the PhotoFlash software according
to the directions in PhotoFlash Getting Started and that you understand how to
perform the other tasks described in that guide. It also assumes that you’re
familiar with the basics of using Macintosh System 7: how to work with disks,
programs, folders, and files and how to use menus and dialog boxes. For more
information on Macintosh basics, see the Macintosh User’s Guide provided
with your computer.

ix

How to use this book

This guide is organized according to tasks. Use the Contents or the Index to
locate instructions for specific tasks.

Descriptions of tasks in this guide often include numbered steps. Each step
consists of a short instruction in boldface type followed (usually) by further
explanation in plain type. Depending on your level of expertise with
PhotoFlash and other Macintosh programs, you may find that you can speed
through some or all of the instructions by reading just the boldface steps and
looking at the pictures:

1 The boldface steps like this tell you what to do.

The text like this gives you extra help.

2Pictures like this show you what to look for on your computer screen:

This guide contains the following chapters and appendixes:

m Chapter 1, “Using Catalogs,” describes how to create and use PhotoFlash

catalogs—collections of thumbnails that represent image files stored
anywhere on your hard disk or on other volumes, including other volumes
on a network.

m Chapter 2, “Working With Image Files,” describes how to open, view, and

save image files with PhotoFlash. This chapter also describes the standard
image file formats that PhotoFlash supports.

m Chapter 3, “Working With Selections,” describes how to use the Selection

tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette to select part of an image. After you’ve
selected an area, you can use the Action tools to manipulate or enhance it
as described in Chapters 4 and 5.

m Chapter 4, “Manipulating Images,” describes how to use commands in the

Image menu to crop, resize, straighten, rotate, flip, and change the number
of colors used by an image. It also describes how to manipulate selections
by using the Crop, Resize, and Rotate tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette.

x

Preface

m Chapter 5, “Enhancing Images,” describes how to use commands in the

Enhance menu to adjust an image’s red, green, and blue (RGB) values,
balance an image’s exposure, blur or sharpen an image, and remove dust
and scratches. It also describes how to enhance selections by using the
Blur, Sharpen, DeDust, and DeScratch tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette.

m Chapter 6, “Converting and Compressing Files,” describes how to convert

image files from one format to another. It also discusses the five standard
file formats supported by PhotoFlash and describes how to use JPEG
compression, which is a standard format for image compression that can be
used with most file formats.

m Chapter 7, “Automating Your Work,” describes how to record and run

scripts that perform repetitive tasks in PhotoFlash and other programs.

m Appendix A, “Setting PhotoFlash Preferences,” describes how to use

controls and settings in the Preferences dialog box (available from the Edit
menu) to control various aspects of the way PhotoFlash works.

m Appendix B, “Using Photoshop-Compatible Plug-In Modules,” describes

how to use PhotoFlash with third-party plug-in modules designed for use
with Photoshop.

m Appendix C, “PhotoFlash Acceleration,” describes PhotoFlash’s support for

program-specific accelerator cards designed to work with application

™

programs such as PhotoFlash, Adobe

Photoshop (versions 2.0.1, 2.5, or

higher), and PicturePress.

You can find definitions of unfamiliar terms in the Glossary. Use the Index to
find instructions for specific tasks or information about specialized topics and
commands.

Preface

xi

1

Using Catalogs

PhotoFlash allows you to create collections of images called
use catalogs to organize images that you want to group together. For example,
you could create a catalog that represents all the images you want to use in
one issue of a newsletter, or all your photos from a vacation, or all the images
for a chapter of a book. You can also manipulate multiple images at the same
time from within a catalog.

A catalog is a PhotoFlash document that you can save and open like other
documents. When you open a catalog, you see a series of
reproductions of the images that it represents. You can arrange a catalog’s
thumbnails in any order you like; add to or remove them; or search for
specific images by name, by caption text, or by their resemblance to other
images or a rough sketch.

A catalog doesn’t contain the actual image files that correspond to each
thumbnail. Instead, it contains a small copy (the thumbnail) of each file
and keeps track of the file’s location. The arrangement of thumbnails in a
catalog is completely independent of the arrangement of the image files on
your hard disk.

catalogs.

thumbnails,

You can

or small

1

Creating a catalog

You can create a new catalog from within PhotoFlash or from the desktop.

Creating a catalog from within PhotoFlash

To create a new catalog from within PhotoFlash, follow these steps:

1Choose New from the File menu.

The New dialog box appears.

2If it’s not already selected, click Catalog to indicate that you want to create a new

catalog.

2

When the Catalog button is selected, the Image Setup information in the
dialog box is dimmed.

3 Click OK.

A new, empty catalog document appears. To add images to your new catalog,
follow the directions in “Adding Image Files to a Catalog” later in this
chapter.

Creating a catalog from the desktop

If some of the image files you want to include in a catalog are located within
a folder on the desktop, follow these steps:

1 Locate the PhotoFlash program’s icon on the desktop.

Chapter 1

Unless you have moved it since installing PhotoFlash, the PhotoFlash
program should be located in the PhotoFlash folder.

2 Locate the folder that contains the images you want to include in a new catalog.

3 Drag the folder icon over the PhotoFlash icon and release the mouse button.

When the folder you are dragging is directly over the PhotoFlash icon, the
icon becomes highlighted. (If it doesn’t become highlighted, you may need to
rebuild your desktop. To do so, hold down the

x and Option keys and restart

your computer.)

After you release the mouse button, PhotoFlash opens a new catalog and
creates thumbnails in the catalog for all the image files in the folder. Like
most new Macintosh documents, the new catalog isn’t saved on your hard disk
until you choose Save As from the File menu and choose a name and location
for the catalog file.

If you drag several folder icons over the PhotoFlash icon at once, the catalog
will include all the images in all the folders. If you drag individual images
over the PhotoFlash icon, PhotoFlash opens the images instead of creating a
catalog for them.

Using Catalogs

3

Saving a catalog

1Make sure the catalog you want to save is in the frontmost window.

2Choose Save As from the File menu.

Folder where the

catalog file will be

stored

Catalog name

PhotoFlash creates a new catalog each time you drag icons for folders or disks
that contain image files over its icon. If you want to add images to a catalog
that already exists, follow the directions in “Adding Image Files to a Catalog”
later in this chapter.

To save a new catalog, follow these steps:

The Save As dialog box appears.

4

3 Use the dialog box to give the catalog file a name and select a location for it.

4Click Save.

As with most other Macintosh documents, after you’ve saved a catalog for the
first time you can continue working on it and save it again at any time by
choosing Save from the File menu.

Chapter 1

Opening and closing a catalog

You can open a previously saved catalog from within PhotoFlash or from
the desktop.

Opening a catalog from within PhotoFlash

To open a catalog file from within PhotoFlash, follow these steps:

1Choose Open from the File menu.

The Open dialog box appears.

This shows the

amount of disk

space used to

store the selected

catalog file.

This icon indicates that
the selected file is a
catalog.

2 Use the Open dialog box to locate the catalog file you want to open.

When you select a catalog file, the catalog icon appears in the lower-right
corner of the dialog box, as shown in the figure. When you select an image
file, the image’s thumbnail (if one is available) appears instead.

3 Click Open.

PhotoFlash opens the catalog and, if necessary, updates its thumbnails.

Using Catalogs

5

Opening a catalog from the desktop

To open a catalog file from the desktop, double-click its icon.

Closing a catalog

To close a catalog, click its close box (in the upper-left corner of its window)
or choose Close from the file menu while the catalog’s window is the
frontmost window. If you haven’t saved the catalog or if you’ve changed it
since the last time you saved, a dialog box appears asking whether you want
to save your changes.

If the catalog you are closing includes thumbnails for images that are
currently open in PhotoFlash, and if any of those images or their captions
have been changed and haven’t yet been saved, PhotoFlash displays a dialog
box asking whether you want to save the images before closing the catalog.

Duplicating a catalog

To duplicate a catalog, make sure it’s in the frontmost window and choose
Duplicate Catalog from the File menu.

An exact duplicate of the catalog appears in a new untitled window.

Adding image files to a catalog

To add one or more image files to a catalog, you can drag their icons from the
Finder desktop into a catalog window or use the Add to Catalog command.
This section describes both methods.

If one open catalog includes thumbnails for the image files you want to add to
another open catalog, you can copy and paste the thumbnails or drag them
between the catalog windows. See “Moving and Copying Thumbnails” later
in this chapter for details.

6

Chapter 1

1Make sure both the catalog window and the icons for the files you want to add are

2Select the icons for the image files or folders.

3 Drag the selected icons from the desktop into the the catalog window.

Drag icons into the

catalog window to

add the images they

represent.

Dragging image file icons from the desktop to an open catalog

To drag icons for image files or folders that contain image files from the
desktop to an open catalog, follow these steps:

visible.

Using the Add to Catalog command

To add image files to a catalog from within PhotoFlash, follow these steps:

1Make sure the catalog to which you want to add images is the frontmost window.

2Choose Add to Catalog from the File menu.

Using Catalogs

7

When you click

Add, PhotoFlash

removes the

selected file or

folder from this list

and then adds it to

the catalog when

you click Done.

The Add to Catalog dialog box appears.

Click here to include the
selection in the list of files
or folders to be added to
the catalog.

This shows how many files
and folders you’ve selected to
be added to the catalog.

Click here
when you’ve
finished
selecting files.

3 Use the Add to Catalog dialog box to locate and select the first image file or folder of

image files that you want to add.

4 Click Add.

The selected file disappears from the list of files and folders. The text at
the bottom of the dialog box indicates how many folders and files you have
selected so far. If you wish, you can add other image files or folders. Only
image files (whether selected individually or within a folder) will show up in
the catalog.

5When you have finished adding image files to the catalog, click Done.

After a few moments, thumbnails for the image file or files you selected
appear in the catalog. If you change your mind about including any of the
images, select the ones you don’t want and press the Backspace or Delete key.

8

Chapter 1

Resizing catalog windows

You can resize a catalog window the same way you resize any Macintosh
window, by dragging the resize box in its lower-right corner. When you do so,
the overall ordering of the thumbnails from the beginning to the end of the
catalog remains the same, but PhotoFlash rearranges them so the width of
each row fits in the window.

You can also use a catalog window’s Zoom box to toggle between window
sizes.

To toggle a window’s size between its current dimensions and the maximum
dimensions required to show as many thumbnails as possible, follow these
steps:

1Click the catalog window’s Zoom box (in its upper-right corner).

The window’s width increases as much as necessary to accommodate its
thumbnails, and its height changes so that either all the thumbnails are
visible or, if all the thumbnails won’t fit on the screen, until the window fills
the screen.

2 To return the catalog window to its original size, click the Zoom box again.

To toggle a window’s size between its current height and the maximum height
required to show as many thumbnails as possible, without changing the
number of thumbnails in a row, follow these steps:

1Hold down the Option key and click the catalog window’s Zoom box (in the window’s

upper-right corner).

If any blank space is visible toward the right side of the window, the window’s
width decreases to eliminate the space, and the window’s height increases
until either all the thumbnails are visible or, if all the thumbnails won’t fit in
the window, until the height of the window matches the height of the screen.

2 To return the catalog window to its original size, click the Zoom box again.

Using Catalogs

9

Working with thumbnails

You can arrange thumbnails in a catalog however you wish. This section
describes how to select thumbnails, how to move them within or between
catalogs, how to sort them within a single catalog, and how to open the
images they represent.

You can manipulate one or more images from within a catalog by selecting
their thumbnails and choosing commands in the Image, Enhance, or Script
menus. For information about applying specific commands to thumbnails, see
Chapter 4, “Manipulating Images,” Chapter 5, “Enhancing Images,” and
Chapter 7, “Automating Your Work.”

If you change an image represented by a thumbnail in an open catalog, the
label “Changed” appears across the thumbnail to indicate that the catalog
thumbnail hasn’t yet been updated. PhotoFlash updates the thumbnail the
next time you open the catalog.

Selecting thumbnails

To select a single thumbnail, just click it. The area around the thumbnail’s
image becomes highlighted when the thumbnail is selected.

Total number of

images in catalog and

total number selected

10

Chapter 1

Selecting separate thumbnails

To select several thumbnails in different parts of the catalog, follow
these steps:

1 Click the first thumbnail you want to select.

2Hold down the Shift key (or the x key) and click the other thumbnails you want to select.

Shift-click
additional

thumbnails to

select them.

While you’re holding down the Shift key, each unselected new thumbnail
you click becomes selected, and previously selected thumbnails remain
selected. (Each selected thumbnail you click becomes unselected.) Only
thumbnails you click are added to the selection, even if they are separated by
other thumbnails.

Holding down the x key has the same effect as holding down the Shift key
when you’re selecting thumbnails.

Selecting a range of thumbnails

To select a continuous range of thumbnails, follow these steps:

1 Click the thumbnail at one end of the range of thumbnails you want to select.

2Hold down the Option key and click the thumbnail at the other end of the range you want

Option-click a

second thumbnail

to select a range.

to select.

Using Catalogs

11

After you’ve selected one or more thumbnails, you can move them to any
location in the same catalog or in a different catalog. The next two sections
describe how.

Moving and copying thumbnails

You can move thumbnails within a catalog by selecting and dragging them.
When you drag thumbnails between catalogs, PhotoFlash inserts copies of the
thumbnails in the second catalog.

You can also move thumbnails between catalogs by cutting and pasting them.

Moving or copying thumbnails by dragging

You can drag selected thumbnails either within the same catalog or to a
different catalog. If you are copying thumbnails between catalogs, make sure
both catalog windows are open and visible on your screen.

To move or copy thumbnails by dragging them, first select the thumbnails
(see “Selecting Thumbnails” earlier in this chapter if you need instructions).
Then follow these steps:

1Position the pointer over one of the selected thumbnails.

2 Drag the selected thumbnails to the location to which you want to move or copy them.

12

When you drag the pointer between two thumbnails, the vertical line between
them changes to red to indicate where the selected thumbnails will be
inserted if you release the mouse button.

If you drag the pointer slowly toward the right or bottom edge of a window
with active scroll bars, the window scrolls in the same direction.

3When the pointer is over the location to which you want to move the selected

thumbnails, release the mouse button.

If the new location is in the same catalog, PhotoFlash moves the thumbnails
to their new location in the order you selected them and rearranges the other
thumbnails in the catalog as necessary. If the new location is in a different
catalog, PhotoFlash copies the thumbnails in the order you selected them and
rearranges the other thumbnails in the second catalog as necessary. The
thumbnails remain selected after you move them.

Chapter 1

Note: A catalog can contain only one thumbnail for each of its images. If you
attempt to drag several thumbnails to another catalog that already contains
some of the dragged thumbnails, PhotoFlash copies only those that are new.

Copying, cutting, and pasting thumbnails

When you copy or cut thumbnails and then paste them into a catalog,
PhotoFlash pastes them after any thumbnails that are currently in the catalog.
Therefore, pasting thumbnails within the same catalog isn’t useful unless you
want to move them to the end.

To move thumbnails between catalogs by cutting and pasting, first select the
thumbnails you want to move as described in “Selecting Thumbnails” earlier
in this chapter. Then follow these steps:

1Choose Copy or Cut from the Edit menu.

2 Open the catalog you are moving the thumbnails to or activate its window.

3Choose Paste from the Edit menu.

The thumbnails you copied appear, selected and in the order you selected
them, after the last thumbnail in the catalog.

Note: A catalog can contain only one thumbnail for each of its images. If you
attempt to paste thumbnails into a catalog that already contains some of the
same thumbnails, PhotoFlash pastes only those that are new

Sorting thumbnails

You can sort thumbnails in a catalog by filename or by date. Sorting occurs
only when you choose a PhotoFlash sort command from the Search menu.
You can change the thumbnail order any time you want by moving thumbnails
around as described in the previous section.

To sort a catalog’s thumbnails, follow these steps:

1Make sure the catalog whose thumbnails you want to sort is in the frontmost window.

2Choose Sort by Filename or Sort by Date from the Search menu.

PhotoFlash rearranges the catalog’s thumbnails by filename or by the date on
which each file was last modified. After sorting a catalog’s thumbnails, you
can rearrange them in any way you choose.

Using Catalogs

13

Removing thumbnails from a catalog

To remove one or more thumbnails from a catalog, follow these steps:

1 Select the thumbnail or thumbnails you want to remove.

For detailed instructions, see “Selecting Thumbnails” earlier in this chapter.

2Press the Backspace or Delete key or choose Clear from the Edit menu.

Or press the Clear key if your keyboard has one.

The thumbnails you selected disappear, and PhotoFlash rearranges the
remaining thumbnails as necessary.

Opening image files from a catalog

To open an image file from within a catalog that includes the image, just
double-click the image’s thumbnail.

To open several images from within a catalog, follow these steps:

1 Select the thumbnails for the images you want to open as described in “Selecting

Thumbnails” earlier in this chapter.

2Double-click any of the selected thumbnails.

PhotoFlash opens the image files for all the selected thumbnails. If any of the
image files represented by selected thumbnails are on a disk or other volume
that isn’t visible on your desktop, PhotoFlash asks you to mount the volume.

Getting information about image files

You can view information about an image in a catalog, including its caption,
by opening its Get Info window.

To open the Get Info windows for one or more images from within a catalog,
follow these steps:

1Select the thumbnail or thumbnails for which you want to view information.

For instructions, see “Selecting Thumbnails” earlier in this chapter.

14

Chapter 1

2Choose Get Info from the File menu.

Type or edit

caption text here.

3When you’re finished, click the Get Info window’s close box to close the window.

The Get Info window for the thumbnail you selected appears. If you selected
several thumbnails, a Get Info window appears for each of them. You can add
or edit caption text in this window. To locate the image file’s icon on the
desktop, click the Find Original button.

Click here to locate the image
file’s icon on the desktop.

You can also open the Get Info window for an image file that is currently
open in PhotoFlash. To do so, make sure the the image’s window is active and
choose Get Info from the file menu.

Printing a catalog

1Make sure the catalog you want to print is in the frontmost window.

2Choose Print from the File menu.

To print the thumbnails in a catalog in a form similar to a contact sheet for a
roll of film, follow these steps:

Using Catalogs

15

The Print dialog box appears.

Click here to print

only the selected

thumbnails.

3Adjust the settings in the Print dialog box.

4 Click OK.

PhotoFlash prints the catalog as you specified.

Searching for images

You can use commands in the Search menu to search for images in one
catalog or in all of your open catalogs by name, by caption text, or by
resemblance to other images or a rough sketch.

16

Searching for images by caption text

To search for images by caption text, make sure the catalogs you want to
search are open, then follow these steps:

1Choose Caption Text from the Search menu.

Chapter 1

Type the text you
want to find here.

Click here to

request a search

of all open

catalogs.

2 Type the text you want to find.

3Select the search options you want.

The Search Caption Text dialog box appears.

Click here to request a new
catalog that contains copies of
the matching thumbnails.

Capitalization and diacritical marks don’t matter. PhotoFlash looks for images
with captions that include the text you specify.

The default settings cause PhotoFlash to search only one catalog and to
highlight the selected images in that catalog.

4Click OK or press Return.

When the search is complete, PhotoFlash selects the matching thumbnails in
their original catalogs or, if you selected the Put Results in New Catalog
checkbox, creates a new untitled catalog containing copies of all matching
thumbnails.

Using Catalogs

17

1Choose Filenames from the Search menu.

Type the filename

you want to find here.

Click here to request

a search of all open

catalogs.

2Type the filename or a portion of the filename you want to find.

Searching for images by filename

To search for images by filename, make sure the catalogs you want to search
are open, then follow these steps:

The Search Filenames dialog box appears.

Click here to request a new
catalog that contains copies of
the matching thumbnails.

Capitalization and diacritical marks don’t matter. PhotoFlash looks for images
with filenames that include the text you specify.

18

3Select the search options you want.

The default settings cause PhotoFlash to search only one catalog and to
highlight the selected images in that catalog.

4Click OK or press Return.

When the search is complete, PhotoFlash selects the matching thumbnails
in their original catalogs or, if you selected the Put Results in New Catalog
checkbox, creates a new untitled catalog containing copies of all matching
thumbnails.

Chapter 1

1Choose Using Sketch from the Search menu.

Click here to

select a color.

Click here to request

a search of all open

catalogs.

Searching for images that resemble a sketch

You can use the Using Sketch command in the Search menu to draw a rough
sketch of an image and search for catalog images that resemble the sketch.
The Using Sketch command can identify general similarities based on color
and (to a lesser extent) shape, but may not always be able to locate an
individual image. However, it’s worth trying if you don’t know anything about
the image’s caption or filename. It’s also useful if you want to identify several
images with similar colors or compositions.

To search for images by their similarity to a sketch, make sure the catalogs
you want to search are open, then follow these steps:

The Search Using Sketch dialog box appears.

Click here to select the
Pencil or Eraser tool.

Draw a rough
sketch of the
image you want
to find here.

Click here to request a

new catalog that

contains copies of the

matching thumbnails.

2 Use the color palette and the Pencil and Eraser tools to create a sketch that resembles

the image you want to find.

If you click on any thumbnail while this dialog box is open, a sketch based on
that thumbnail appears in the sketch area. You can then use the Pencil tool to
add to the sketch and the Eraser tool to erase. To erase the whole sketch and
start over, double-click the Eraser tool.

Using Catalogs

19