Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I frequently print images to fit in 7.5in x 9.5in "frames" to populate two separate photo frame room dividers.  The individual frames are not exactly the same size (if I'd made it, I'd call it "craftsman style"! <g>).  I want the prints to have the same basic look, a thin black border (.10), a thinner white border (.05), and a thicker black matte (.35in).  The inner and outer borders are set to shrink the image, as is the matte.  (I end up with an 8x10 print which mostly fit snugly inside the "frames".)

I can save the job with the two borders, but I can't figure out how to save the job with the matte; for each picture, I have to add it back in.  Is there a way to save the entire layout including the matte?  If so, how?

George,
I find it Easy Peasy to save the job with the matte.
I am all set with 2 borders and a matte. Everything just right, paper, size etc.
Now I go to top left of my screen where the little icon buttons are and select the second one which says SAVE. Click it open and then click the "J" button for job. Type in a suitable name for the job, and click save.
That was too easy so I bet what you are trying to do is get the mats and borders in place and then add an image.. Now the mat has disappeared.
So this is what I always do ...........    Recall the job as previously saved, and you are all set, except for changing the picture.
Click the Queue tab at the top right of the screen next to print tab. Now just drag the new image and drop it on top of old one, IN THE QUEUE TAB.
Works fine.  Let me know if you need fine tuning
Fred

Thanks, Fred, that might be the best solution.  But I'm running into a problem when I attempt successive attempts to replace the picture.  The program seems to be stalling when dragging a different thumb for a new print.  I'll have to play with this more later.

I see one also has to drag the thumb to the image name in the Queue tab, and not just anywhere in that tab.  No big deal.

I'll get back later, and thanks again, as usual.

[EDIT]  I resolved the stalling issue.  I actually have to print an image before replacing it.  heh-heh.  Just printing to file until I'm ready to start a batch of prints.  (Where's the embarrassed emoji when editing a post?)

You can also hold the Alt key and just click and drag the thumbnail and drop it onto the image in the Live View while holding the Alt key: it's not mandatory to use the queue tab.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks Mike, I prefer that to dragging to the queue tab.

As noted in my edit above, I will sometimes print these to file.  With the matte included, the filename becomes Template(####), and "Auto naming (preserves image file names)" is being bypasssed/ignored.  Is there a setting I can tweak somewhere?  (I did look, honest!). 

[ANOTHER EDIT]  Re: use of Alt + drag, this allows replacing the image with a different one, even if dragging to the queue (which would require the extra step of opening the queue tab). 

The files saving as "Template" has been fixed in 2020.118.

Regards,
Mike

May I ask a dumb question! What exactly is a black matte border. I don't understand what is meant here.

Bill

Well, first off, that darn spell checker didn't correct "matte" to "mat".  What can I say.  If it was a real mat, using actual mat board, I would usually use a black matte mat.

If the above didn't clear up the confusion generated by my spell checker:  The mat border is an option in the QU image editor (right-click on the image, select "Photo Mats (uneven borders)" to bring up the mat editor.  It's a faux, printed representation of a proper mat.

In the attached example, I have a think black border, a thinner white border, and a thicker black border, which was produced using the "Photo Mats..." option.  Multiple mats (or mattes, depending on your spell checker) can be added.  Some day I may test the limits on the number of mats that can be added.  Just not in the near future.

Mike:  thanks for correcting the naming of images when printing to file!

After that explanation I don't feel so bad after all.  In my day, we didn't have spell checkers, just spelling  checks  and if you didn't get it right, your reward was a clip across the ear so you would wouldn't forget it again in a hurry.

Joking aside, thanks for putting me right.

A nice picture though and even nicer mats to direct the viewers interest onto the subject… I give you ten out of ten.

OK, sounds good, but can one of you fine spell checkers tell me what is a Think black border?
See your quote.
Fred

OK, sounds good, but can one of you fine spell checkers tell me what is a Think black border?
See your quote.
Fred
[/quote]

No problem, Fred.  It's not a real mat, it only "thinks" it's a mat.  The borders, in contrast, are real borders.

Maybe I should have written "think thick matte black mat"?

I "think" I should stop.  I need more coffee.  And black ink.