eXPress Collage FAQ's
Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below for answers to the most common questions about eXPress Collage 4.x (fully licensed version). Some of the explanations below will not apply to eXPress Collage Lite 4.x (freeware). If your question is not addressed, please use the Technical Support Request Form on this web site. A technical support representative will respond ASAP. Thank you! FAQs for eXPress Collage version 3.x can be found here.
	Updates Installation Uninstallation System Requirements	Getting Started Images Text Printing Misc
UPDATES
Q: What is a Collage update? An update contains updated features and/or fixes for eXPress Collage 4.x or Collage Lite 4.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. For a detailed list of features/fixes in the current update, click here. Note: the previous versions of Collage have been superceded by version 4.0. 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: Double click the zipped file you downloaded. A screen with extraction (unzip) options will appear. The default update directory will be C:\eXPress Collage 4.0. If eXPress Collage 4.0 (or Collage Lite 4.0) is not installed in the default location, you must specify the directory where Collage is installed, or the update will not be successful. When the correct Collage directory has been specified, choose ‘Finish’. To verify that the update has occurred, open the version of Collage 4.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 4.x is supported on Windows 98SE, 2000 and XP.
Q: How do I install Collage Lite 4.x (the freeware version)? To install from a download, follow the instructions below (which may also be found in the 'readme.txt' file that accompanies eXPress Collage Lite): Double click the zipped setup file. The default unzip directory will be C:\eXPress Collage 4.0. If the defaults are acceptable, choose "Finish." The eXPress Collage Lite setup program will automatically start. Choose ‘Install’. Choose ‘Agree’ to install eXPress Collage Lite. Use the "Browse" button to specify the drive on which Collage Lite will be installed, or choose "OK" to accept the default. If prompted, confirm creation of the directory. When setup finishes, choose "OK." An eXPress Collage program group will be added to your program manager (under Start | Programs | eXPress Collage 4.0). To view the demo or tutorial that accompanies Collage Lite, from the menu bar choose Help | Demo/Tutorial. 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 4.x (the full licensed version)? To install from a download, follow the instructions below (which may also be found in the 'readme.txt' file that accompanies eXPress Collage Lite): Two zipped files will be provided. Double-click the first one to install eXPress Collage 4.0 The eXPress Collage setup program will automatically start. Choose ‘Install’. Choose ‘Agree’ to install eXPress Collage. 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. When setup finishes, choose "OK." An eXPress Collage program group will be added to your program manager (under Start | Programs | eXPress Collage 4.0). Double-click the second file (contains additional templates) and follow the instructions. Open eXPress Collage 4.x and enter the 12-digit Key Code when prompted. (Note: if you reinstall Collage, you will need to re-enter the Key Code.) To view the demo or tutorial that accompanies Collage, from the menu bar choose Help | Demo/Tutorial. 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 4.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 4.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 4.x after uninstalling it? You must use setup.exe from the original zipped file you downloaded. Even though a setup.exe file remains in the ‘eXPress Collage 4.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 4.x executable. Be sure to reapply the latest update build or version upgrade also.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Q: What operating systems does eXPress Collage run on? eXPress Collage 4.x is supported on Windows 98SE, 2000 and XP.
Q: How much memory should my computer have in order to view large Collage files? The recommended minimum is 256 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 "optimize" the project 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 1024x768 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 displayed when Collage is opened 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 1024x768 unless otherwise specified in the name.
GETTING STARTED
Q: Are there any tools to help me learn Collage? Yes. An introductory tutorial can be found under Help|Demo/Tutorial. This short tutorial will introduce you to the basic features of Collage. You can use the project wizard to walk through the steps of creating a Collage project. And finally, the Collage Help file (under Help|Help Topics) is sectioned to help new users learn Collage from basics to more advanced concepts.
Q: What is the project wizard? 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 file (*.lit), but can also be published as a Presentation viewable without installing Collage (*.exe), a screen saver (*.scr), a series of images (*.jpg, *.bmp, etc.), or series of web pages (*.htm). The wizard can be accessed via File | Wizard, or by using the Wizard button on the project pane.
Q: How is the Import Images button different than the wizard? The Import Images button on the Project Pane can be used to import images from a specified directory on your computer. Choose an image directory from the My Folders drop-down list, or from the directory tree below the project pane, then choose the Import Images button to bring the images into the current Collage file (note: imported images are copied into Collage, the original image still exists on the computer hard drive).
Q: I don't have anything listed in the My Folders drop-down. How can I add directories to it? Directories from which images are imported are automatically added to the My Folders list. To add a particular folder, browse to it in the directory tree below the Project Pane, and then right-click on it and choose "Add to My Folders." You can also add or remove folders from this list by going to Project | My Folders.
Q: When I apply a template some of the objects in my project disappear. Templates can be applied at any time during the creation of a project, but are best used at the beginning since all objects in the project, except images, will be deleted when the template is applied.
Q: When applying an e-Book template from the Project Pane, how do I get my text into the Collage project? After applying the template, you can double-click any text object and choose to either import text or type your text directly into the text box. Text can also be imported by dragging and dropping (or double-clicking) a text file displayed in the image preview pane below the main canvas.
Q: I applied a template. I like the layout and frame, but can I change the background? To change the canvas background, go to Project | Canvas Properties. Here you can remove the current background image (under Image Set), and either add a new image or choose a color for the background. The changes will only be applied to the currently displayed canvas unless the "Apply to all canvases" box is checked.
Q: How many pages does a single Collage file allow? Collage supports up to 1000 pages (canvases) per file. The more canvases and the more images in a single file, the larger the file becomes. Collage files should always be optimized before publishing to reduce the file size.
Q: I would like to share my Collage .lit files 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 web pages, as a series of images (screen shots), or as a Windows screen saver. None of these options require Collage to view. Note: After publishing a file it cannot be edited in the published format 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 in the desired format.
Q: How do I get a copy of the eXPress Collage Viewer 4.x, and how do I install it? The eXPress Collage Viewer 4.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 web site.
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 project wizard to browse and select images. The images will be imported and automatically placed in the current Collage file. Use the Import Images button on the Project Pane to import images from a specified directory on your computer. Choose an image directory from the My Folders drop-down list, or from the directory tree below the project pane, then choose the Import Images button. The images will be imported and automatically placed in the current Collage file. To associate specific images with specific canvases, drag and drop the images from one canvas to another (after importing), or import the images by dragging and dropping them from the image preview pane below the main canvas.
Q: What if I want to reorder the images I have imported? You can reorder imported images in a variety of ways: Images can be cut, copied and pasted between canvases, or dragged and dropped from the displayed canvas to canvases in the Canvas Manager area. Use the Canvas Layout area on the Project Pane to choose a different Image Space layout for the project. Images which are part of the Image Space will be rearranged to fit the new layout. Images that are removed from Image Space (right-click on image, uncheck Image Space option) can also be resized and/or rearranged on the currently displayed canvas. Canvases (pages) can be reordered by right-clicking the canvas in the Canvas Manager area and using cut/paste.
Q: I resized and rearranged some of the images on a canvas, but later they went back to the original configuration. The Image Space feature 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 be rearranged. 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 rearrange 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, go to Project | Canvas Properties and choose "Remove" from the Image Set area. Images that are deleted or removed still exist in the project. To delete all unused images (and reduce the Collage file size), 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 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 file. How do I get them back? To restore arrows from a Collage template, you must reapply the template.
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 file can be saved as a supported file type using a third-party text editor.
Q: How do I import text into a Collage project? You can import text to a Collage file using several methods: Drag and drop a text or RTF file from the image preview pane to the main canvas. This can be done with or without a template applied (but if you plan to use a template, you should apply it first). From the menu, choose Object | Text and choose "Yes" when asked if you want to import text. 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. To add additional text, copy and paste the text into the text box (double-click the text box to enable "edit" mode).
Q: How do I edit text in a text object? Double-click the text box, 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 box 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 box then choose Object | Text from the menu. After making your selections from the Text Properties dialog box, choose Apply to apply the edits, then Ok.
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, which the formatting was applied to must be selected again to remove the formatting. Click the formatting option on the text toolbar that you wish to undo.
Q: What is the difference between a caption and a text box? A caption supports only three lines of text, and always appears below the image with which it is associated. More than three lines of text can be typed or imported into a text box. Text boxes are also linked to each other, such that text which does not fit into the displayed area of one text box can be wrapped to other text boxes.
Q: How do I wrap text between text boxes? Text boxes are linked to each other, such that text which does not fit into the displayed area of one text box can be wrapped to other text boxes. Imported text is automatically wrapped. To wrap text after editing or resizing text boxes, choose Object | Text Operation | Wrap. Note: Specific text boxes can be excluded from wrapping by choosing the "No wrap" option in the Text Properties. Select the text object, then go to Object | Text to see the Text Properties for the selected text box.
Q: Can I print out a copy of the text I have typed into my Collage project? Yes and no. eXPress Collage allows printing each canvas one at a time. If you want to print the text only, the text should be saved in a different format (e.g., Notepad or Wordpad) and then imported into Collage.
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 | Print and set the desired Size and Position and Orientation. 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.
Q: How do I change the print orientation to match my canvas? Go to File | Print to choose either Portrait or Landscape orientation.
MISCELLANEOUS
Q: What is the Organize feature for and why do I get a warning when I go there? The Organize feature interacts with files saved on your computer hard drive (or a networked drive). Unlike Collage, changes made to files using Organize are applied to the original image (or other file) on your computer. The warning is to make sure that you are aware of this distinction.
Q: What does the Catalog feature do? The Catalog feature of Collage (found in the Organize mode) can help you organize your image files by keyword. Multiple keywords can be applied to any image on your computer hard drive (or network drive). Then you can search for images with certain elements without saving all the like images to the same folder.
Q: How do I associate an object with a sound? Any object on the canvas (image, text box, shape, calendar) can be associated with a sound file. Select (click once on) the object, then choose Object | Sound and choose a sound from the Standard Sounds list, or choose Select New to import your own sound file (.wav only). Choose whether you want the sound to be played when the object is clicked on (Left mouse click) or when the cursor passes over the object (Mouse hover). To disassociate a sound from an object, choose the "None" option. Note: To activate the sound associated with the object, you must be in either Preview or presentation mode.
Q: How do I associate an object with a link? Any object on the canvas (image, text box, shape, calendar) can be associated with a link. Links can be made to another page in the same file, to a URL (e.g., Internet) address, or to a specific file or program on the local computer. Select (click once on) the object, then choose Object | Link and specify the type of link and link details. Choose whether you want the link to be activated when the object is clicked on (Left mouse click) or when the cursor passes over the object (Mouse hover). To disassociate a link from an object, choose the "None" option. Note: To activate the link associated with the object, you must be in either Preview or presentation mode. Linked files and programs must exist on the computer where the Collage file is running.
Q: I set up Password Security on my Collage presentation, but the password did not 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 saves three bookmarks per Collage project (.lit file). However, the files must be saved in separate directories, or the bookmarks will overwrite each other.
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