Merging photos and other pictures
You can merge images into your publication as easily as you can merge text data. The basic procedures are the same (see the previous topic for a review), and the data source can include both text and images. PagePlus can automatically create a data source—a simple database using the .sdb (Serif Database) format—for a set of images in a folder. You can merge images into single fields or even auto-generate a repeating layout with a grid arrangement suitable for catalogs or photo albums.
To merge photos:
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Open any suitable data source (see the previous topic) that includes either pictures or references to pictures (i.e. valid path names).
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Create a data source for a set of images in a folder. -
Insert a picture field as a placeholder for each image in the publication.
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Click the
Insert Picture Field button on the Mail and Photo Merge toolbar.
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Choose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select Insert Picture Field… from the submenu.
From the scrolling list in the dialog, double-click a field that stores an image reference (or select it and click Insert). -
See the next topic to learn how to set up a repeating layout with multiple picture fields.
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Each new picture field appears in your publication. The dialog remains open so you can insert additional fields if needed. To dismiss the dialog, click Close.
Picture fields are essentially picture frames that you can position and resize as free-standing objects on a page, or insert inline into a text object.
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To set display properties such as picture size and alignment within the picture field, right-click the field and choose Properties>Frame Properties…
As detailed in the previous topic, you can edit the merge list (the actual data to be merged) by specifying which records to include or exclude, and apply advanced filtering/sorting capabilities to refine the data. At any time you can preview the merged data directly in your publication. And in no time, you’ll be ready to Merge and print.
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To view the current data in row/column format, choose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select Edit Merge List… from the submenu, or click the Edit Merge List button on the Mail and Photo Merge toolbar. Via the Merge List dialog, you can specify which records to include or exclude, and apply advanced filtering/sorting capabilities to refine the data. See Selecting, filtering, and sorting the merge list.
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To edit a Serif Database file, for example to add a field with photo captions, display the Merge List dialog (as above) and click the Edit… button. See Editing Serif Database files.
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To preview merged data, including images, select the View Data button on the Mail and Photo Merge toolbar, or choose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select View Data on the submenu. (Deselecting either item switches out of preview mode.) See Previewing data in the publication.
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To merge data while printing, choose Print… from the File menu and set options in the Mail Merge section of the Layout tab. See Merging and printing.
Creating a photo data source
PagePlus can automatically create a photo data source—a simple database using the .sdb (Serif Database) format—for a set of images in a folder. You can select individual pictures (typically digital photos) within the designated folder for inclusion. Each database record consists of a path name for the photo, plus fields containing additional Exif data (details such as date and time, equipment, software, etc.) that may have been automatically stored with the original file. Since the listing is a Serif Database file you can easily edit the data —for example, adding a new field to store descriptive information or captions.
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The Photo Data Source function handles image files in any standard format, not just photos.
To create a photo data source:
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Choose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select Create Photo Data Source from Folder Contents… from the submenu.
The Create Photo Data Source Wizard appears.
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Click the Browse… button to locate the source folder containing the images you want to database. (All images must be located in the same folder.)
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Click Next, then provide a full path name for the database file to be created.
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Click Next and the Wizard displays a list of image files found in the designated source folder and lets you uncheck individual entries to exclude specific images from the database. Initially, all images are checked for inclusion. For convenience, you can also click Select All or Select None, or Toggle Select to reverse the state of each record.
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Click Next and the Wizard displays a list of Exif data fields that may be associated with one or more images. Again, yo
u can exclude fields you don’t want recorded in the database. Unless you want to see all the information, click Select None and then check just the fields you want. -
When you’ve completed the Wizard, click Finish.
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PagePlus builds the database, then displays the data in row/column format. The Merge List dialog lets you customize the actual data to be merged by including or excluding specific records or filtering/sorting the data. And since the data source the Wizard created is a Serif Database file, you can click Edit… to view, add, or delete individual records, and even customize fields. For example, you can create a new field to store descriptive information or captions.
Note: Editing the database in this way is exactly like editing an address list file, as detailed in the previous topic. -
Click OK to close the Merge List dialog. (You can reopen it at any time by choosing Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and selecting Edit Merge List… from the submenu, or clicking the Edit Merge List button on the Mail and Photo Merge toolbar.
To open a photo data source:
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Choose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select Open Data Source… from the submenu.
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Making sure that “Serif Databases (*.sdb)” is shown in the Files of type list, locate the data file to open.
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The Merge List dialog appears, presenting the data in row/column format and allowing you to edit, select, filter, and/or sort the actual data to be merged. You can make any necessary changes now or later.
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Click OK to close the Merge List dialog and return to the publication.