Mapsoft ImagePlacer
Version 1.5

Introduction

ImagePlacer is a very powerful publishing tool which allows you to stamp a graphical image onto specified pages within a PDF document. The graphic can be stamped as an overlay, or as a watermark. Overlays appear in the foreground of the appropriate page. Watermarks appear in the background of the appropriate page behind any existing text. Images stamped as an overlay can also be transparent. This means that the text beneath the graphic can still be seen/read.

Some documents put a background colour behind their text. Watermarks may not work in such situations. If this is the case, you can choose to stamp the graphic in the foreground as an overlay, and use the transparency option which should achieve the results you require.

You can save a named configuration and re-use it again and again, either with ImagePlacer itself, or with Mapsofts unique automation tool, Automator. Automator allows you to use your saved ImagePlace configurations to stamp your chosen graphic onto multiple files in one operation. (Automator can be purchased from the Mapsoft web site, www.mapsoft.com.) Automator also allows you to use ImagePlacer in combination with other Mapsoft publishing tools to create a sequence of actions that can be applied to single or multiple documents. Each tool can be added to this sequence more than once, and each time it is used it can have different settings. A full list of all available Mapsoft publishing tools can also be found on the Mapsoft web site.

You should be aware that once an imported graphic has been stamped into a file, that graphic will be permanently embedded within that file once that file is saved. Prior to saving a file you have the option to use Acrobats standard File > Revert facility to revert to the last saved version of that file. However, once you have saved a file that has been stamped with a graphic using ImagePlacer, you will NOT be able to subsequently remove any of these graphics from that file.

You are strongly advised to take backups of your files before running the ImagePlacer tool over them.

Stamping a New Graphic

To stamp a graphic onto the current document:

1.      Open the document you want to stamp with the graphic.

2.      Select Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > ImagePlacer ... from Acrobats main menu.

The Mapsoft ImagePlacer dialog box now displays

See the section ImagePlacer Options below for full details on all the options available here.

3.      In the Image field, enter the full path name of the graphics file (including its extension) containing the graphic you want to stamp onto this PDF file. You can use the Browse button to help locate the file if you wish.

The file entered here must be in a standard graphics format, such as .JPEG, .BMP, .TIFF, .GIF, .PCX, .PNG, .PCD, .TGA.

4.      Specify the co-ordinates on the page at which the graphic should be stamped into the Placement field.

Specify the horizontal position for the bottom left-hand corner of the graphic in the X field and its vertical position in the Y field. (These co-ordinates are calculated from the bottom left-hand corner of the page.)

The Units field controls the unit of measurement to be used in calculating the positioning of impressions. Their position can be calculated in inches, centimetres or millimetres.

5.      Specify if the graphic should appear as a Watermark or as an Overlay. If it is to appear as a overlay you can also specify that the image is to be transparent. In this instance, use the sliding scale next to the Overlay radio button to control the transparency of the graphic. Move the slider to the left to make the graphic more transparent (that is, fainter) or to the right to make the graphic less transparent (that is, denser).

6.      Specify the scaling of the graphic, in the Scale field.

7.      Specify the appropriate Page Range to determine those pages within your PDF document that will be stamped with this graphic. Choose the All Pages option to stamp all the pages within the PDF file with your chosen graphic, the Current button to stamp the current page, or the Specified Pages Only option to stamp selected pages only. If you select the Specified Pages Only option you can then type the numbers of the pages you want to mark with the impression into the text box at the foot of this field. See the section Specifying Page Ranges below for details.

8.      Specify the required Page Spread to control whether All Pages, Odd Pages Only or Even Pages Only within the specified page range should be stamped with the selected graphic.

9.      Optionally, enter a name for your new configuration into the Name Configuration field and click Save. This makes this graphic available for re-stamping in another session of ImagePlacer or for use with Mapsofts macro builder tool, Automator which is available for purchase from Mapsofts website: www.mapsoft.com. See the section Saving an ImagePlacer Configuration below for further details on this step.

10.   Click OK to stamp your file with the chosen graphic, or choose Preview to see the desired changes without committing them to the PDF. The Undo button can then be used to remove the previewed stamp.

Saving an ImagePlacer Configuration

To save a particular ImagePlacer configuration, simply enter a name for it into the Configuration Name field, then click the Save button. This makes this graphic available for re-use in another session of ImagePlacer. It also makes it available for use with Automator, Mapsofts unique automation tool which allows you to stamp multiple files in batch mode. You do not have to save a graphics configuration details before stamping a document, but if you do not save its details, you will need to re-define all those details if you wish to use it again.

Once saved, you can delete any existing ImagePlacer configurations you no longer require simply by selecting the appropriate one from the drop-down list in the Configuration Name field and then clicking the Delete button.

Stamping with a Previously-Used Graphic

To stamp a previously used graphic onto the current document:

1.      Open the document you want to stamp with a previously-saved graphic configuration.

2.      Select Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > ImagePlacer ... from Acrobats main menu.

3.      Select the existing ImagePlacer configuration from the list of those available in the drop-down list associated with the Configuration Name field, as illustrated below.

You will notice that all the relevant fields will be populated with information previously saved for this particular ImagePlacer configuration.

4.      Click OK to stamp your currently open document with the selected graphic using the previously defined configuration you just selected.

ImagePlacer Options

The following options can all be set in the ImagePlacer dialog box:

Image

The name of the graphic file which is to be imported into the PDF document and its contents stamped on the specified pages within the document. This file must be in a standard graphic format, such as JPEG. Use the Browse button to locate this file or type in its full path name (including file extension).

Placement

Controls the placement of the imported image on the appropriate page(s) within your PDF document. The bottom left corner of the graphic will be positioned at the X, Y position defined here: X Position The horizontal position of the image. The distance specified can be from the left or right of the page depending on selection. Y Position The vertical position of the image. The distance specified can be from the top or bottom of the page depending on selection. Units The units in which the specified positions co-ordinates are to be calculated. This can be measured in Inches, Centimetres or Millimetres

Apply as	Controls if the imported graphic is stamped in the background or foreground of the selected page. Watermark The graphic appears in the background, behind any existing contents on the appropriate page. Overlay The graphic appears in the foreground, overlaying any existing page content. If you check the Transparent check box associated with this field the image will be transparent. If you choose to stamp your graphic as a transparency this means that the text beneath the graphic can still be seen/read. Using the sliding scale beneath this check box, you can also alter the transparency of the graphic. Move the slider to the left to make the graphic more transparent (that is, fainter) or to the right to make the graphic less transparent (that is, darker).
Scale	The imported graphic will be shrunk or expanded by the specified percentage.
Page Range	Specifies those pages to which you wish the graphic to apply: Current Applies the graphic to the current page only. All Pages Applies the graphic to all the pages within the PDF file. Specified Pages Only Specifies the range of pages to which your graphic is to be applied. If you select this option, type the actual page range into the box beneath. See Specifying Page Ranges below for further information.
Page Spread	Specifies the page spread, of pages lying within the specified page range, to which the image is to be applied: Odd and Even Pages (the default). The image applies to all pages within the specified range. Odd pages only The image applies to only odd pages within the specified range. Even pages only The image applies to only even pages within the specified range
Name Configuration	The name under which your new configuration is to be saved. Saving a configuration ensures you can use it again, either with ImagePlace itself in conjunction with Mapsofts automation tool, Automator.

Specifying Page Ranges

When adding a new graphic you can choose if that graphic should be applied to the whole of a PDF document, or just selected pages within that document. If you want a graphic to apply to only selected pages choose the Specified Pages Only option from the Page Range field in the Import dialog box when creating the mask. You can then type the numbers of the pages you want to apply the graphic to into the text box at the foot of this field.

You can apply a graphic to non-contiguous pages, and/or ranges of pages. To apply a graphic to individual non-contiguous pages type the page numbers of the relevant pages, separating each by a comma. For example to add a graphic to pages 6, 12 and 15 type:

6, 12, 15

Any spaces are ignored, so you can enter them or not as you prefer.

You can also specify a range of pages to have the graphic inserted onto them. To do this type the starting and ending numbers in the range, separated by a hyphen. For example to apply a graphic to pages 3 through 19 of your document type:

3-19

If you omit the first number in the range, the first page of the document is assumed. Similarly if you omit the last number the final page of the document is assumed. Thus if you were to enter:

3-

your chosen graphic would be applied to all pages from page 3 onwards. If you enter:

-28

the graphic would be stamped on pages 1 through 28 of your document.

You can specify both non-contiguous pages and ranges of pages at the same time. For example to stamp a graphic on pages 3, 8, 9, 10, 14, and 18 type:

3, 8-10, 14, 18

Specified ranges can overlap if you so wish. For example it is perfectly possible to enter two overlapping ranges such as:

5-10, 7-12

Once youve typed in a page range definition, if you subsequently click the All Pages button the page range definition is retained so making it easy to go back to it should this be required.