Custom Colors for Collage Background

Interesting discussion this week - how can we add a custom color to PicCollage or Diptic layouts? So far these apps do not offer a way to customize the background color. Huh? What workflow could we add to processing to make custom colors? 

Several apps on our list would import an image and allow a color to be selected to fill the canvas, for example Procreate, Pixelmator and Graphic. 

We settled on a free app with the eye-dropper tool - Apple Keynote! This is the software for creating presentations - it can open Powerpoint presentations or save as PPT and PDF. 

Roughly, here are the steps: Open Keynote to any template with a white background. Use the default title page to make notes to yourself about how to use this slide deck. Add a second slide. Import a photo with the color you want as a background. Add a small square shape to this slide on top of the photo. Use the Paintbrush tool to show how the shape can be stylized with border or color. Look for the Eyedropper tool. Now move your finger/pencil/stylus/mouse over the photo to see a circle of changing colors. Stop moving to set the shape's color. Tap the Eyedropper tool again and practice changing colors. 

Watch for more hints on the Keynote slide process coming soon. 

Wow - learning all the time. The screenshots I made and then added to a new Shared Album using the iPad are out of sequence on iPhone and computer. What?? Need a workaround ...

Created a Google Slide Deck called Custom Color Background with the screenshots and comments. This is best viewed on iPad or computer. The slides auto advance every 10 seconds or you can force the next slide by swiping right to left. (Also swipe left to right to go back a slide.) Start your own Keynote presentation or download my template with slides and shapes in place. OK, third time is the charm. Keynote saved to my Dropbox account. If you see a log-in screen, try to cancel and access the file. 

Remind me to write up a little tutorial page on Tools for Sharing Online. Hint: WordPress or Blogger for websites, Google Forms for surveys, Dropbox for posting documents ... all tools and skills for contributing to a family reunion or a volunteer organization. 

iPad OS 14 Tips

Several tips were shared today and work on iPad and iPhone. 

Find a website using the Safari browser. In the URL bar, on the left edge is AA button to indicate options for this page. The popup menu offers to change text size, show Reader View (without ads!) and if the page is in a foreign language - to Translate to English. Also added with 14 is the Privacy Report. 

Create a PDF from website in Reader View for off-line reading (while camping/glamping) using the Share button > Print > using two fingers pinch-out on the page to open a PDF instead of printing to paper. Tap the Share button again to save the PDF to the Books app or Save to Files app (create a new personal folder on iPad (for camping when no wifi allows you to connect to your iCloud). 

Control Center has Do Not Disturb and if your calendar includes an event - like this class - press and hold on the crescent moon icon to see options for DND. This feature stops Notifications from appearing on screen when activated. My devices try to get me to refocus on new Messages, new email, new Shared Album postings, upcoming appointments and News items. Control Banners, Sounds and Badges from individual apps in Settings > Notifications > ... 

Services and Tools

Services

• Cheryl is pleased with the prints she ordered from CanvasDiscount and shipping charges were reasonable. 

Tools - specifically backup - check compatibility with Apple File app and that photos are "browsable" without downloading to your device - so you can see a preview or show photos in a folder. 

• Power and backup with RAVPower Wireless Travel Router - wireless media sharing, wireless backup to SD cards or USB flash drives. Creates a wifi ad-hoc network that can be shared with 5 users. Can use the Apple Files app to see USB drive or download their app FileHub Plus. 
• The SanDisk Connect wifi/USB drives are another option with storage capacities of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 265GB. Remember a backup strategy is to not just have one, but multiple copies of important photos and documents! In other words, buy two, back up twice. 
• SanDisk iXpand Drive Go has a Lightning connector and a USB connector. Capacities come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.  If your next iPhone has a USB-C connector, then look at SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB-C flash drive. Capacities range from 32GB to 1TB. Buy two and backup twice. These are such little things and could be lost easily. Plan ahead! 
• SanDisk is now part of Western Digital and they offer solid state drives, SSDs, with USB-C ports. My Passport Ultra mobile capacities range from 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 5TB. This could be used for your computer-based photo archive. Remember, buy two and backup twice. 

Photo Workflow Strategies

 It is time to review storage status on iPhone, iPad and iCloud or other online service. Maybe because you are considering upgrading to the iPhone 12Pro or because your iCloud storage is straining at the seams and devices cannot back up (my story). 

Colleen sent me an article in Apple News: iPhone Trick Lets You Delete Photos Without Losing Them Forever - Hello extra storage 
Read in LADbible: https://apple.news/AioBufqNzQ_WuB0K4HBvhiA 

How have you organized your devices and iCloud? 

This might be a good time to remind everyone that workflow and storage are moving targets. As our operating system updates and new features are released, we want to review how to modify our settings and choices to maximize the newest security and features presented. Back in the day, this included moving your files from floppy disk to optical (CD/DVDs) and now to USB or SSD (solid state drive) drives. It also means evaluating the amount of storage space we are using and what our needs will be in the near future (one-to-two years). 

Some photographers still keep working computers with optical drives around in case they need to retrieve old images on discontinued media formats. 

My 200GB iCloud storage was too full to backup my iPhone. So began the ultimate purge of photos. Looking at the iCloud Storage graph, Photos is over 100GB. My shooting style is to take many shots of some subjects and then edit the best using many apps thus creating more images. Because of this class I often make Screenshots as well. That was the easiest group of photos to cleanup. My current iCloud settings allow for syncing between iPhone and iPad (iMac is not yet in this mix). It is easier to review photos on the iPad:

• Tap Library in the sidebar
• Tap Years in the top menu then tap the year to review, scroll to January
• Tap All Photos in the top menu (now duplicate/same photos appear!) 
• Tap the box to hide the sidebar list 
• Pinch in to shrink the thumbnails or pinch out to see bigger thumbnails
• Swipe up to see other photos
• Tap Select then tap on thumbnail to mark with check
• Tap on other duplicate images to mark 
• Tap Trash Can to delete marked photos
• Also, look at a photo full size to choose to delete

At the beginning of this semester I had 24,170 and now 18,813 with three years yet to review. This is important because there are may old digital images I want to add back into my Photo Library from 1995 to 2008 from earlier digital cameras. Eventually I will scan older 35mm slides to add as well. 

As you adventure down this road, take Before and After Screenshots to remind you of what changes have been made. 

HP 564xl black cartridge - available

Nov 2, 2020 - Irene has a free black cartridge for HP Photo Printer. Check your printer to see if it can use the 564xl size ink. - Let me know and I will get you connected.