(This post was originally published on 9-9-09.)
There are WAY more than 9 new things in Storybook Creator Plus 3.0, but here are my top 9 picks:
1. Tear that paper! We can now create the look of torn paper easily. And it's not just one repetitive tear, we can tweak the depth and shape of it. Woohoo!
2. Rounded corners. I've heard people asking for the ability to round corners on pictures and photo mats several times, and now they've given it to us in spades! We have some incredible corners available in the program now. We can determine the depth of the corner, and we can even create our own unique corners now. Woohoo #2!
3. Content Manager. I know, I wrote about it yesterday, but it's worth saying again. The new functions of the Content Manager are really powerful and really useful. I LOVE this!
4. Text Shapes and Paths. Text is no longer relegated to the box. We can now make it in any shape available in the program, and we can create custom paths for the text to follow. The possibilities are endless.
5. Auto-populate. Ever wished that the program would just create the book for you? Well, it's getting pretty close. Now when you create a new project, you have the option to have the program automatically read the time and date stamps on your photos and choose pages to put them on based on when they were taken. It's really an amazing feature, and very useful.
6. Convert pages to different sizes. Say you made a 12×12 Storybook of your wedding and you wanted to make 8×8 copies for both sets of parents. Now you can simply covert your 12×12 project down to the 8×8 size with the Convert feature and the work is done. You can also convert 11×8.5 down to 7×5. AND, there's no need to purchase predesigned pages in all four sizes anymore because 11×8.5 will show when starting a 7×5 project, and so on. Woohoo #3!
7. Two-page spread editing. Ever wanted to line up a border or embellishment across two pages? Now it's super simple. From your Storybook project (this won't work with Page Prints), just choose the View tab and then select Two Page. Both pages will show in the work space. Note: You can only edit one page at a time. To switch between pages, you'll have to choose the other page in the page list on the right.
8. High Quality vs. High Speed. So, have you ever been working hard on a Storybook and noticed that as the page numbers climb, the transition speed between pages slows way down? Now you have the option, also on the View tab, of choosing High Speed or High Quality. High Speed will limit the depth of quality you see on your screen (not on your finished page) to make it easier for your computer to jump from page to page. This can help you manage those last few pages of your book to get them completed. Then you can always switch back to High Quality on your final edit to make sure everything is the way it should be.
9. And, last but not least, Text Wrapping. Ok, I really had to debate what I would put here, because there's so much more. But I love this feature because it enables you to flow the text on your page around not just photos but other shapes and objects. No more creating numerous text boxes to get the text to fit the spaces you want it to. Such a time saver.
As I said, there's obviously much, much more. Keep checking back, I'll be sharing more and more as I dig in. Thanks for reading and happy cropping!