Lesson 6: ACDSee Basics in Real Time

In this lesson you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started organizing your digital scrapbooking supplies.

Video Lesson 6: ACDSee 14 Basics In Real Time

In this video we pick up the pace showing you in real time how to get organized. (Click the image below to launch the video in a new window)

 

Get Your Designer Files Ready

• Organize your digital scrapbooking folders by designers with Kit folders inside.
• Structure all your designer folders under ONE MAIN Scrapbooking Supply folder.
• Also organize your kit files so that every kit has all the elements in one folder (some designers store elements, paper, etc. in kit subfolders). The only exception to this is Alphas – leave the Alphas in a subfolder of the kit.

 

Creating Designer/Kit Categories Using Folder Structure

• Choose the plus Tag on the right of category – call it Designers, select top level category and choose an icon.
• Select all designer file folders (CTRL+A) in File List Pane
• Check the box next to Designers and then choose “Create a category structure based on the folder structure and assign all items respectively.” Click Ok.
• This will create categories for every designer and sub-categories for each of their kits.
• Now assign Designer categories by selecting each designer file individually. Select the corresponding Designer Category and then choose “Add the items from the folder and its subfolders to the category.”
• You can also add categories for designers that you don’t yet have folders for – i.e. collab kits with two designers, etc.

 

Adding Designers via The Properties Pane/ACDSee Metadata

• Navigate down to the kit level where all the kit items can be seen.
• Press CTRL+A to select all the items in the kit.
• Open the Properties Pane and Expand ACDSee Metadata
• Type the name of the Designer in the Author field. Press return to apply the author into the ACDSee metadata.

 

The Basics of Categories & Creating Your Category List

• Delete Categories by right clicking on the category and choosing Delete.
• Create a new category with the plus button in the upper right of the categories pane. Select top level or sub-category and icon. You can also choose to name your categories with numbers first to override the default alphabetical order listing of categories.
• Create a Category List – make sure you go back to the work you did in Lessons 3&4 to gather inspiration to help with your list. Create a category list that fits the way you scrap.
• Teacher’s Note: It may take a bit more work than just using someone else’s style but trust me, it will serve you better long-term to take the time to do this in the way that you think!

 

Categorizing Supplies

• You can see all the assigned categories in the properties pane.
• To tag multiple items together:
  • Click on the first item, hold the shift key down and click the last item to select. Then add the category.
  • CTRL+Click on several items not grouped together to add categories

 

• You can add categories several ways:
  • Check the box next to the category
  • Drag thumbnail(s) from the File List Pane to the Category
  • Choose ALT+E>S and select with arrow keys.
  • Choose Edit > Set Categories and then choose with arrow keys.

 

• Un-Categorize Items by choosing ALT+E > S > Uncategorize all selected Items. You could also choose Edit > Set Categories.

 

Ratings

• Ratings are a fun way to flag items you have in your collection that you want to scrapbook.
• Ratings can also be used as part of search to help you narrow down items – but we will get into that later!
• Set rating by selecting items you want to rate, click the rating you want to apply.
• Remove rating by selecting items and then click unrated.

 

Labels

• A fun way to organize. You can use however you want. One idea is to label items that have been organized with a green label so it is easy to see what is organized vs. not organized.
• Set labels by selecting items you want to rate, click the label you want to apply.
• Remove labels by selecting items and then click Unlabeled.
• You can even sort items in your file list pane by label which will show items by the order that are labeled.

 

Tagging In ACDSee

• I often refer to categorizing as tagging. Tagging, keywording, categorizing are terms used in different software programs.
• Tagging in ACDSee is a small icon in the lower right of an image thumbnail – a checkmark box that turns orange when checked.
• It is a way to organize items into a virtual collection for a project or any other way you want to use them.
• Tagging in ACDSee is similar to “quick collections” in other software programs.

 

A Note On Alphas

• Uncategorize alpha items by opening a kit alpha folder and pressing CTRL+A to select all. Choose Edit >  Set Categories > Uncategorize all selected Items.
• Tag only one or two letters/numbers from each alpha.
• When an alpha comes up in a search, right click on the thumbnail and choose Go To File to see all the letters.

A Note On Fonts

• ACDSee can help you organize fonts which allows your computer to run faster because it doesn’t have to run with all your fonts installed!
• To use Fonts in Photoshop follow this simple process:
  • Open ACDSee
  • Navigate to your Fonts folder (the folder that contains your categorized and uninstalled fonts).
  • Press CTRL+A to select all the fonts.
  • Choose Tools > Database > Rebuild Thumbnails & Metadata
  • Wait a few moments until they are done rebuilding.
  • Open your editing program (i.e. PSE or CS)
  • Your fonts will be temporarily installed there – meaning that when you close the editing program and open again, you will have to repeat this process to use them in the program.
• Organize your fonts in categories – this way when you follow this process you will be rebuilding thumbnails for a smaller number of fonts.

 

A Note on Brushes

• Choose your main scrapbooking folder from the File Folder Pane. Choose Image Well on your Organize Pane.
• At the top of the File List Pane choose Sort By File Type and then Forward which will bring all your ABR files to the top of the File List Pane.
• Select all your brushes and add the Brushes category.
• When you look at your brush files, double click on the file to enter view mode to see all the brushes in the file.
• To use the brush, select the thumbnail in Manage mode and press CTRL + ALT + X which will open Photoshop. View the brush palette to see the brushes.
• When you close Photoshop the brushes will be uninstalled.

 

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