eXPress Collage FAQ's

 

 

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below for answers to the most common questions about eXPress Collage Version 3.x. If your issue is not addressed, please use the Technical Support Request Form on this website to submit your question to eXPress Partners. A technical support representative will respond ASAP. Thank you!

 

FAQs for eXPress Collage Version 3.x may be found here.

 

UPDATES
 

Q: What is a Collage update?

 
An update contains updated features and/or fixes for eXPress Collage 3.x or Collage Lite 3.x. The latest update may be downloaded from this site at no charge. Each update is cumulative, meaning that the latest update will always contain all feature additions and fixes included in the previous updates.

 

To download the update, or for a detailed list of features/fixes in the current update, click here.
Note: the previous versions of Collage have been superceded by version 3.0. Previous versions are no longer supported but updates and FAQs will remain online for previous versions.
 

Q: How do I install an update?

 

To install the latest update, follow the instructions below:

 

   1. Double click the zipped file you downloaded. A screen with extraction (unzip) options will appear.
 
   2. The default update directory will be C:\eXPress Collage 3.0. If eXPress Collage 3.0 (or Collage Lite 3.0) is not installed in the default location, you must specify the directory where Collage is installed, or the update will not be successful.

 

   3. When the correct Collage directory has been specified, choose ‘Finish’.

 

   4. To verify that the update has occurred, open the version of Collage 3.x that you were updating, go to Help | About eXPress Collage, and verify that the version number in the dialog box matches the update.

 

 

INSTALLATION & UNINSTALLATION
 

Q: What operating systems does eXPress Collage run on?

 
eXPress Collage 3.x is supported on Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP.
 

Q: How do I install eXPress Collage 3.x and Collage Lite 3.x after downloading?
 
To install from a download, follow the instructions below (which may also be found in the 'readme.txt' file that accompanies eXPress Collage and Collage Lite):
 
   1. Double click on the zipped file ‘explite3.exe’. A screen with extraction (unzip) options will appear.
 
   2. The default unzip directory will be C:\eXPress Collage 3.x. If the default is acceptable, choose ‘Finish’.
 
   3. The eXPress Collage setup program will automatically start. Choose ‘Install’.
 
   4. Choose ‘Agree’ to install eXPress Collage.

 
   5. Use the ‘Browse’ button to specify the drive on which Collage will be installed, or choose ‘OK’ to accept the default. If prompted, confirm creation of the directory.

 
   6. When setup finishes, choose ‘OK’. An eXPress Collage program group will be added to your program manager (under Start | Programs | eXPress Collage 3.x).
 
   7. If you have purchased the licensed full version of eXPress Collage 3.x, open the program and choose Help | Key Code from the menu. Enter the 12-digit Key Code which was provided by eXPress Partners and choose ‘Ok’. (Note: if you reinstall Collage, you will need to re-enter the Key Code in order to access the program's full functionality.)

 

   8. To view the demo which accompanies Collage 3.x and Collage Lite 3.x, from the menu bar choose Help | Demo/Tutorial and open Demo.exe. Use the arrows displayed on the page, or the arrow keys on your keyboard, to turn the pages.


 

Q: How do I install eXPress Collage 3.x from the CD-ROM?
 
To install eXPress Collage 3.x from CD-ROM, follow the steps below:
 
   1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
 
   2. The eXPress Collage setup program should automatically start. If not, go to Start | Run, and type 'd:\setup.exe' (without quotes, and where d=your CD-ROM drive letter).
 
   3. Choose ‘Install’.
 
   4. Choose ‘Agree’ to install eXPress Collage.
 
   5. Use the ‘Browse’ button to specify the drive on which Collage will be installed, or choose ‘OK’ to accept the default.

 

   6. When setup finishes, choose ‘OK’. An eXPress Collage program group will be added to program manager (under Start | Programs | eXPress Collage 3.x).

 

   7. Open eXPress Collage 3.x and choose Help | Key Code from the menu. Enter the 12-digit Key Code which was provided by eXPress Partners and choose ‘Ok’. (Note: if you reinstall Collage, you will need to re-enter the Key Code in order to access the program's full functionality.)

 

   8. To view the demo which accompanies Collage 3.x, from the menu bar choose Help | Demo/Tutorial and choose Demo.exe. Use the arrows displayed on the page, or the arrow keys on your keyboard, to turn the pages.
 

Q: When I tried to uninstall eXPress Collage 3.x, I received an error that setup was unable to delete all eXPress Collage files. What should I do?
 
Since some of the files in the ‘eXPress Collage 3.x’ directory are in use during uninstallation, these files (and the directory containing the files) cannot be deleted. The files and directory may be deleted manually, if desired.

 

 Q:  How do I reinstall eXPress Collage 3.x after uninstalling it?

You must use setup.exe from the CD-ROM, or the original zipped file you downloaded. Even though a setup.exe file remains in the ‘eXPress Collage 3.x’ directory after uninstalling, other necessary setup files are missing and the installation will not succeed if this setup.exe is used.

 

Note: This method will reinstall the original Collage 3.x executable. Be sure to reapply the latest update build or version upgrade, which can be downloaded from this site.

 

 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
 

Q: What operating systems does eXPress Collage run on?

 
eXPress Collage 3.x is supported on Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP.
 

Q: How much memory should my computer have in order to view large Collage files?
 
The recommended minimum is 128 MB of RAM. However, the actual amount of memory needed will depend on many factors, including how many images the Collage files contains, how many other applications are open, and when the computer was last rebooted. Suffice it to say, large Collage files may take a long time to open, or may not open at all, on computers without enough resources (physical or virtual memory and hard drive space). If a Collage project is intended to be viewed by a wide audience, the project designer should take steps to optimize the project, and perhaps even split the project into multiple files, so that it may be viewed on computers with low resources.
 

Q: When I open a .lit file, picture and/or background colors do not display correctly.
 
eXPress Collage .lit files are best viewed with a color palette setting of High Color (16 bit or 65,536 colors) or above. Collage will operate with a reduced palette (such as 256 colors), but if imported images (pictures, backgrounds or arrows) contain more than 256 colors, Collage will not compensate for the missing colors. To adjust the computer's color palette setting, click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel. Double click the Display icon and choose the Settings tab.
 

Q: What is the recommended display size for eXPress Collage?
 
The recommended (but not required) display size for eXPress Collage is 800x600 or higher. To adjust the computer's display size setting, go to Start | Settings | Control Panel. Double click the Display icon and choose the Settings tab.
 

Q: What is the recommended canvas size for my Collage projects?

Collage project canvases can be made in nearly any size. The default canvas size is determined by the display size of the project designer's computer. A specific default canvas size can be set under File | Preferences. All pre-designed template canvas sizes are 800x600 unless otherwise specified in the name.
 

 

GETTING STARTED
 

Q: What is the project wizard?
 
A new feature in Collage 3.1, the wizard assists users in creating Collage projects: photo albums, ebooks, calendars, and even freeform projects which may contain elements of all of the above. Via the wizard, users can choose a project template (look and feel), and import images and/or text. The project will be saved as a Collage (*.lit) file, but can also be published as a Presentation (viewable without installing Collage), a screen saver, a series of images or series of web (HTML) pages. The wizard is accessed via File | Wizard, or using the Wizard button on the project pane.
 

Q: What does Quick Start do?
 
The Quick Start button on the Project Pane combines the Import and Design features into one-button simplicity to create a Collage of images with a pre-designed template. Choose a template from the drop-down list, choose a directory of images from the My Folders list below, then hit the Quick Start button. (Note: if the My Folders list is empty, use the Browse button to locate image directories.) By default, 15 images (2 per page) will be loaded. This, and other defaults, may be changed under the Quick Start Options button.
 

Q: When using an e-Book template from Quick Start, how do I get my text into the Collage project?
 
After applying a template from Quick Start, you can double-click any text object and type your text (or copy and paste from another program). Text can also be imported but it will be added to the page inside of a new text object.
 

Q: I applied a template from Quick Start, and it was applied to every canvas. Some of the objects in my project disappeared, too.

 

Templates can be invoked at any time during the creation of a project, but are best used during the beginning stages since all objects in the project, except text and images, will be deleted upon applying the template. Templates applied from Quick Start (or the template Collections area) will be applied to the entire project. To apply a template to a single canvas, use Design Manager instead.

 

Q: I have Windows 98 (or ME) and I cannot see the entire Collage Help file.
 
Users of Windows 98SE or Windows ME may have experienced difficulty scrolling down to read the entire page in the Collage Help file. For an updated Help file, please email us.

 

 

VIEWING AND SENDING .LIT FILES
 

Q: I would like to share the .lit files I create with my friends and family. Do they need to own eXPress Collage in order to see my files?
 
No. Your Collage projects may be published as a Presentation file that includes the free eXPress Collage Viewer embedded in every file. Recipients just double-click the presentation .exe file to view. Collage presentations may also be published as HTML web pages, as a series of images (screen shots), or as a Windows screen saver. None of these options require Collage to view them.
 

Note: The Publish options are no longer editable using Collage, so the project should first be saved as a Collage (.lit) file. If edits are needed, the .lit file can be edited, and then the file can be re-published.

 

Q: How do I get a copy of the eXPress Collage Viewer 3.x, and how do I install it?
 
The eXPress Collage Viewer 3.x is embedded in any Collage file published as a Presentation. No installation is required. The Viewer is no longer a separate program that can be downloaded from this website.
 

Q: How do I get a copy of eXPress Collage Lite 3.x, and how do I install it?
 
eXPress Collage Lite 3.x is available for download from this website. It can be used to view Collage files of any size. To install Collage Lite 3.x, follow the steps below:
 
   1. Double click on the zipped file ‘explite3.exe’. A screen with extraction (unzip) options will appear.
 
   2. The default unzip directory will be C:\eXPress Collage 3.x. If the default is acceptable, choose ‘Finish’.
 
   3. The eXPress Collage setup program will automatically start. Choose ‘Install’.
 
   4. Choose ‘Agree’ to install eXPress Collage.

 
   5. Use the ‘Browse’ button to specify the drive on which Collage will be installed, or choose ‘OK’ to accept the default. If prompted, confirm creation of the directory.

 
   6. When setup finishes, choose ‘OK’. An eXPress Collage program group will be added to your program manager (under Start | Programs | eXPress Collage 3.x).
 
   7. To view the demo which accompanies Collage Lite 3.x, from the menu bar choose Help | Demo/Tutorial and open Demo.exe. Use the arrows displayed on the page, or the arrow keys on your keyboard, to turn the pages.
 

Q: The colors in my .lit file do not display correctly.
 
See 'System Requirements' (above) for recommended display settings.
 

 

IMAGES
 

Q: What type of images can I import into eXPress Collage?
 
eXPress Collage supports multiple image file types: .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .tga, .pcx, .ppm, .png, .ras, .j2k, .jp2, .j2c, and .jpc. If the image’s file type is not natively supported by Collage, the image can be saved as a supported file type using a third-party image editor.
 

Q: How do I import images into a Collage project?
 

Several options for importing images are available:

  • Use the wizard to select any number of images (up to 300), and the number of images per canvas. The images will be imported and automatically placed on the canvases.
  • Use Quick Start to import a specified number of images from a directory and the number of images per canvas (see Quick Start FAQ question). The images will be imported and automatically placed on the canvases.
  • To associate images with specific canvases during import, use the Import feature (button on Project Pane). In Import, images displayed as tiles below the canvases can be dragged and dropped on the desired canvas.
  • To associate a single image with a specific canvas, or add an already imported image to a canvas, use the Object | Image menu option (or the Image toolbar icon).

Q: What if I want to reorder the images I have imported?

 
All imported images can be resized and/or rearranged on the currently displayed canvas. Images can also be cut, copied and pasted between canvases, or dragged and dropped from the displayed canvas to canvases in the Canvas Manager area. Canvases can also be reordered. (See Collage Help file for details.)
 

Q: I resized and rearranged some of the images on a canvas, but later they went back to the original configuration.
 
Every canvas features an Image Space that automatically sizes and positions images when they are imported. Images can be resized or repositioned by the project designer, but if another image is added to the same canvas, or if the Image Space border is reset, all images on the page will return to the original configuration (or will arrange themselves to accomodate the new image). To prevent this, right-click on the image and uncheck the Image Space option. This will remove the image from the Image Space so it will not re-Arrange itself.

 

Note: Templates should be applied to a project before removing images from the Image Space. Templates are designed to delete any images which are not part of the Image Space.
 

Q: How do I remove images from my Collage project?

 

To remove an image, right-click on it and choose Delete. To remove an image placed as a background, select (click once on) the canvas (make sure no other objects are selected). Use the Canvas toolbar icon (or Project | Canvas) and choose the 'Remove Image' button.

 

Images that are removed from a canvas may still exist in the project. To delete all unused images, go to Advanced | Optimization and choose the 'Delete all unused images' button.
 

Q: I have been working on a project for several days and some of the images I imported look fuzzy.

 

The default file compression setting may cause imported images to blur if the file is saved repeatedly. To prevent this, save the file without compression while editing it. The final save can be done with compression to reduce file size, and if done at 100% compression, the images will not be affected. To change the file compression, go to File | Preferences and the File tab.
 

Q: Using the Image Editing feature, the changes I make to the image aren’t saved.

 

Image edits are not saved until you use the 'Save' icon on the image editing toolbar.
 

Q: I deleted the arrows on a canvas in my Collage presentation. How do I get them back?

 

Depending on how you deleted the arrows, you can copy and paste them from another canvas. Or, go to Object | Image | Select Existing and add the arrows to the canvas from there. If the arrows are not there, they must be reimported. Note: arrows from pre-designed templates consist of 2 images per arrow (an up and a down image). Links and effects (sound and hide) must be manually configured using Advanced | Object Settings.
 

Q: I am using a set of custom arrows from the eXPress Collage CD-ROM but I can't resize the arrows.
 
Custom arrows cannot be resized using Arrange. They should be optimally sized before importing into eXPress Collage.
 

Q: I created my own custom arrows using a third-party image editor. The arrows are in the shape of a flower, but when I import them into my .lit file, the image shows up as a square. How do I get rid of the square outline around the flowers?
 
Using your third-party image editor, make the square outline one color, and make it the same color on every flower arrow you want to import. Save the flower images as .bmp or .jpg files, then import the images into Collage. After placing the images as arrows, use Color Hide to hide the square outline color on EACH arrow image. The square outline around the flowers will seem to disappear, allowing the page’s background to show through. For more information about Color Hide, please refer to the Collage Help Topics.
 

 

TEXT
 
Q: What type of text can I import into eXPress Collage?
 
eXPress Collage supports two text file types: .txt and .rtf. If the text file type is not natively supported by Collage, the text can be saved as a supported file type using a third-party text editor.
 

Q: How do I import text into a Collage project?

Two options are available. One, select (click once on) the canvas (make sure no objects are selected). Go to Object | Text, or use the Text toolbar icon, and say 'Yes' to importing text. Or, use the Import feature (button on Project Pane), select the desired canvas, select the text file you want to import and either double-click it or drag and drop it to the desired canvas.

Note: If you import text into a Collage project which already contains text, the imported text will overwrite the existing text even if it is imported to a different canvas than where the existing text resides.
 

Q: How do I edit text in a text object?
 
Double-click the text object, then place the cursor inside the text box before typing. When a text object is in this editable mode, a text toolbar will appear with font and other formatting options. Select the text first, then choose the formatting option from the toolbar. Click once outside the text object to end text editing mode.

 

Alternatively, if you want to apply formatting (such as a font style, size or color) to all the text in a text object, select (SINGLE click on) the text object then choose Object | Text from the menu or use the Text toolbar icon. After making your selections from the Text Properties dialog box, choose Apply to apply the edits, then Ok to close the box.
 

Q: I have some text that I have applied formatting to (i.e.--bold, italic, underline). How do I undo the formatting?
 
To remove text formatting, double-click the text object first. Select (highlight) the formatted text. The EXACT selection of text, including spaces at the beginning and end of the selection, that the formatting was applied to must be selected again to remove the formatting. Choose the desired formatting option from the text toolbar.
 

Q: Can I print out a copy of the text I have typed into my Collage project?
 
Yes. eXPress Collage version 3.x allows printing each canvas one at a time. If you want to print text only, all text in the project may be exported to a *.txt file saved outside of Collage, and printed from there. To export text go to Advanced | Object View. Select text from the drop-down list of objects and then select the text to export. Use the Export button under the File I/O section.

 
 

PRINTING
 

Q: How can I print my Collage presentation?

 

Choose File | Print from the menu to print the currently displayed canvas. Canvases can only be printed one at a time. It is recommended to Print Preview the canvas first to make sure it appears correctly on the printed page.

 

Q: How do I center the canvas on the page before printing?

 

If the canvas is not centered on the Print Preview, go to File | Page Setup and adjust the top and/or left padding. Preview the canvas again and adjust as needed. Changing the Pixels/Inch setting will make the entire printed area bigger or smaller. Once the canvas is centered, the settings will apply to all canvases printed from the project during the same session. To save the settings for future use, go to File | Preferences and the Printing tab and enter the settings there.

 

Q: How do I change the print orientation or paper size to match my canvas?

 

Go to File | Print Setup to choose either Portrait or Landscape orientation, or choose Letter or Legal size paper.

 
 

MISCELLANEOUS
 

Q: I set up Password Security on my Collage presentation, but the password didn’t get saved.
 
When password protecting a .lit file, the password must be ‘Applied’ before the Preferences dialog box can be closed. In addition, the file must be saved (File | Save) or the password will not be applied to the file.

 

Q: I have several .lit files on my computer. When I save a bookmark in one file, it sometimes overwrites the bookmark I had saved for a different file. Why is this?
 
eXPress Collage 3.x saves three bookmarks per Collage project (.lit file). However, the files must be saved in separate directories, or the bookmarks will overwrite each other.

 

electronic Generation X Press

Copyright © 1998-2006 eXPress Partners. All rights reserved.