Acrobat and PDF software solutions

Mapsoft ThumbNails
Version 1.5

A Publishing Tool for use with Adobe Acrobat
(Version X upwards)

Running under WindowsTM Operating Systems

Issue 3
January 2021


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Introduction

You can use the Mapsofts ThumbNails tool to embed thumbnails within a document. A thumbnail is a miniature view of each page within a document. Thumbnails can be displayed in the Thumbnails tab located to the left of the document window (called Pages in Acrobat 6). You can choose if you want thumbnails to be embedded within your document or if you want them to be exported into separate image files. If you create external image files you can use them in desk-top publishing (DTP) or web design. The ThumbNails tool allows you to specify if these image files should have borders around them, which would make them easier to use in publishing.

You can also use the ThumbNails tool to remove any existing embedded thumbnails from within a file.

Thumbnails are an in-built feature of Adobe Acrobat. Under Acrobat Versions 5, 6 and 7 thumbnails are generated, but not embedded, automatically.

Using ThumbNails

To create thumbnail image files or embed thumbnails for the current document:

1.      Open the file for which you wish to create thumbnails. These can be created as either external image files or can be embedded into the source document itself.

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

3.      The ThumbNails dialog box then displays:

Mapsoft Thumbnails plugin for Adobe Acrobat main window

4.      Ensure the Create Thumbnails radio button is selected.

5.      Choose if you wish to either Embed Thumbnails in the document itself or Create Images in a separate file.

6.      If you choose to create the thumbnail images in a separate file you must:

q  Enter the name of the directory to which the image files are to be saved in the Save To field. You can use this fields associated Browse button if you wish.

q  Enter the prefix of the new files into the Prefix field.

q  Select the format of the external image file in the Format field.

q  Ensure the Create Border Around Images check box is checked (the default) if you want a border to be created around each image. Then select the line width (in pixels) you require for the border.

7.      Regardless of whether you chose to create thumbnail images in a separate file or to embed them into the current document, you must now enter the Page Range and Page Spread details for those pages for which you wish to create thumbnails.

8.      Optionally enter a name for your current configuration/settings into the Name Configuration field and then click Save to save it. You will then be able to re-use this definition with Mapsofts unique macro builder tool, Automator, which is available for purchase from the Mapsoft website: www.mapsoft.com. Automator allows you to use ThumbNails in batch mode across multiple documents and/or to use it in conjunction with other Mapsoft publishing plug-ins.

9.      Click OK to create thumbnails either as embedded images in the appropriate document or as separate images in a new file depending on the options you have selected.

To remove thumbnails from the current document:

1.      Open the file from which you wish to remove existing thumbnails.

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

3.      When the ThumbNails dialog box displays check the Remove Embedded Thumbnails button.

4.      Enter the Page Range and Page Spread details for those pages from which you wish to delete thumbnails.

5.      Optionally enter a name for your current configuration/settings into the Name Configuration field and then click Save to save it. You will then be able to re-use this definition with Automator.

6.      Click OK to remove any embedded thumbnails from the specified pages.


Saving a ThumbNails Configuration

To save a particular ThumbNails configuration for later re-use, simply enter a name for it into the Configuration Name field, then click the Save button. This makes configuration available for re-use in another session of ThumbNails.

Once saved, you can delete any existing ThumbNails 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.

ThumbNails Options

The following options can be set in the ThumbNails dialog box:

Create Thumbnails

Check this check-box to embed thumbnails. Thumbnails can either be created in the source file, by clicking the Embed Thumbnails button, or exported to external image files by clicking the Create Images button. If you choose to create the thumbnails in external image files the following options are also available:
Quick Mode
The thumbnails are created from any embedded thumbnails that exist in the document. If no thumbnails already exist, images are created for all the pages you have selected.
Resolution of Output Images
The dpi of the output images. (72 dpi by default)
Save To
The name of the external image directory to which the thumbnail image files are to be exported. You can use this fields associated Browse button to locate the appropriate directory if you wish.
Prefix
The prefix to be used for the external image files. The resulting filename will be in the format PrefixFilename.Format.
Format
The format of the external image files. Choose from JPEG, TIFF, DIB, BMP, GIF or PNG.
Create Border Around Images
Specifies if a border should be created around each thumbnail image. If set on you can specify the width of the border (in pixels) and its colour.

Remove Embedded
Thumbnails

Check this box to remove any existing thumbnails already embedded within a document.

Page Range

Specifies those pages for which you wish thumbnail image files to be created:
All Pages
Creates thumbnail image files for all the pages within the PDF file.
Specified Pages Only
Specifies the range of pages for which thumbnail image files are to be created. If you select this option, type the actual page range into the box beneath. See below for further information.
Current
Creates a thumbnail image file for the current page only.

Page Spread

Specifies the page spread, of pages lying within the specified page range, for which thumbnail image files are to be created:
Odd and Even Pages (the default).
Thumbnail image files are to be created for all pages within the specified range.
Odd pages only
Thumbnail image files are to be created only for odd pages within the specified range.
Even pages only
Thumbnail image files are to be created only for 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, or you can use it in conjunction with Mapsofts Automator tool

Specifying Page Ranges

If you only wish to create thumbnail image files for certain selected pages choose the Specified Pages Only option from the Page Range. You can then type the numbers of the pages for which you wish to create thumbnail image files into the text box at the foot of this field.

Thumbnail image files can be created for non-contiguous pages, and/or ranges of pages. For individual non-contiguous pages type the page numbers of the relevant pages, separating each by a comma. For example to create thumbnail image files for 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 for which thumbnail image files are to be created. To do this type the starting and ending numbers in the range, separated by a hyphen. For example to select 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-

thumbnail image files would be created for all pages from page 3 onwards. If you were to enter:

-28

thumbnail image files would be created for pages 1 though 28 of your document.

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

3, 8-10, 14, 18

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.