Changing Views
Collate comes with four standard view settings, two of which show accurate thumbnails, the third shows page icons only, and fourth and final view is based on the user selection. It's simple to switch between the four views, simply click the icons shown below. The figures below are an illustration of what each option changes:
You'll find that while editing PDF or TIFF files, in detail view that your editing speed is drastically increased. At times when previewing the page's thumbnail isn't needed, this is the best view to select. When files or pages are added in detail mode Collate doesn't require the time needed to open, refresh, and display page thumbnail icons for each and every page. This increases your productivity but limiting you to standard default icons.
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Open Existing Files
When Collate first runs the target file is set to a blank project area. You are offered the availability of either opening an existing document to modify the contents such as adding pages, deleting pages, re-arranging pages, or starting a new file from scratch. Opening an existing file is simple just go to the FILE menu and select the 'Open Target File' option. This will prompt you to find a folder, then select a PDF or TIFF to be opened. Once a file has been selected the contents of that file will be populated in the target file area where it can be modified.
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Adding Pages
After opening a directory containing either PDF/TIFF or JPEG files. Adding them to an existing or new PDF/TIFF file is a snap. You can simply drag the file over into the target side then let go. Another way is to simply click on the file/pages then click the 'Add to Target' button, this will prompt if you want to add just the first page or entire contents. If more than one file was selected Collate will ask if you want to load all pages "Yes to all", just the first page "No to all", or simply change your mind "Cancel". Once you choose either the “Yes” or “No”, depending on the situation, Collate will remove the source page from view until it is removed from the target side.
What if you only want a few pages from the exisiting PDF or TIFF you might ask? Simple enough, just double click the PDF/TIFF to open the file within the source area, which will soon be populated with the contents of the file. Then you only need to select the pages you wish to add, then like before either drag and drop or select the 'Add to Target' button. Collate makes this so simple that more than half the time you need but just point and click!
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Inserting Pages
Having previously covered adding pages, its suiting enough we cover how to insert pages into either a newly created target file or an existing document. Collate can handle this in four separate ways. Collate can either insert selected pages in front of pages, insert after pages, drag and drop into position, or simply click the 'Add to Target' button to append the selected pages to the end of the document. Collate has two tools that were created for handling insertions these two tools are detailed below:
Insert Before Selected Page
Above is an example of the insert before tool, the only requirement to use this command is that there be at least one page within the target file. Simply select the pages or files you want to insert from the source area, then select a page from the target area. Once the insert before command is selected, Collate will process the selected pages from the source area then add them to the target file inserting them in front of the selected page from the target file.
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Insert After Selected Page
Above is an example of the insert after tool, the only requirement to use this command is that there be at least one page within the target file. Simply select the pages or files you want to insert from the source area, then select a page from the target area. Once the insert after command is selected, Collate will process the selected pages from the source area then add them to the target file inserting them behind the selected page from the target file.
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Moving Pages
After you've finished adding pages, inserting pages, or even opening an existing file then what? Collate gives you the ability to take these new or existing pages and re-arrange them into any new order. There are four tools designed specifically to give you the ability to re-arrange the contents of the target file. The 'Move to Top' and 'Move to Bottom' options move any selected group, or individual page to either the very top or very bottom of the target file. The 'Move Left/Up' and 'Move Right/Down' options give you the ability to shift a group, or invidiual page in ascending or decending order one page at a time. Don't let the name fool you, the Left/Up changes depending on the view currently in use. Icon view shows the order of the files arranged in decending order from left to right. Therefore if you wish to move a file up one in order, simply move the page towards the left. While in the List and Detail view the order would be either shifted up or down as opposed to left or right.
Move to Top |
Move Left/Up |
Move Right/Down |
Move to Bottom |
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Deleting Pages
Collate offers the ability to not only add, insert, arrange, or modify pages. Collate also allows deleting groups of pages or individual pages with the ‘Delete Pages’ tool located on the target side of the Collate main interface. To use the ‘Delete’ tool simply select a page or group of pages from the target side, and then click the ‘Delete Pages’ button to clear them from the target listing. Once the pages have been removed from the target side they will again be available for display from the source side.
Checking Target File Size
A special feature built into Collate that allows you to check the approximate file size of the target file being created. There are only two possible formats that the file can be saved in, the PDF and TIFF formats, but considering the size differences between the two formats Collate has a 'Check Target File Size' option. This option is located under the FILE menu simply click on File→Check Target File Size and the CTFS dialog box will appear. Simply choose the format that you wish to save the file as, either PDF or TIFF. Once you've chosen the file type click the 'Calculate' button and Collate will process then display the approximate size of the file. There might be a slight delay depending on the size of the file being created.
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Saving TIFF/PDF Files
After you've finished using many of Collate's easy to use features, you will want to save your newly modified or created PDF/TIFF. To do this simply to go to FILE→'Save target as a new file...' to save the target file as a new file, or simply go to FILE→'Save Target File' to save changes to an existing document. If for some reason you do not want to save changes to the target file, simply go to FILE→'New Target File' and click no when prompted if you want to save changes. What this will do is clear out the contents of the target area to begin work on a new target file.
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Save Button
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File→ Save target file
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Icons
List
Details
Large Icons
Delete Pages
