Now you have even more control from import to output.
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Aperture 2 consolidates the Projects, Metadata, and Adjustments panes into a single, all-in-one Inspector and HUD. Switch among projects, assign keywords and update metadata, and apply image adjustments in one convenient place.
One-key Inspector pane switching
Press W to cycle through the Projects, Metadata, and Adjustments panes in the new all-in-one Inspector.
Metadata entry shortcutWhen adding or modifying metadata entries, press Command-Right Arrow (or Command-Left Arrow) to advance to the next (or previous) image. The cursor remains in the same metadata field, expediting the process of making metadata edits as you move from image to image.
Viewer Only modeHide the thumbnail Browser so you can work with images in an enlarged Viewer that provides more screen real estate for your photos. To display images in the new Viewer Only mode, choose Viewer Only from the View menu.
One-key view cycling
Switch among Browser Only, Browser and Viewer, and Viewer Only modes by pressing the V key.
Filmstrip mode for BrowserClick the Filmstrip View button in the Browser (or press Control-F), and Aperture 2 displays a Filmstrip that works just like the filmstrip in Full Screen mode. The new Filmstrip option offers an alternative to viewing Browser images in a list or grid.
Hide or show Sort and Filter controlsPress Shift-F to toggle between hiding and showing the strip of Sort, View, and Filter controls that appear at the top of the Browser. (Or choose Browser from the View menu and select Hide Sort & Filter Controls.) Filtering and Searching in Aperture
Switch Inspector position to left or right sideSwitch the position of the Inspector from the left to the right side of the Aperture window by pressing Shift-I.
Customizable double-click behaviorSwitch to Full Screen or Viewer Only mode automatically when you double-click an image. Set the double-click behavior in the Appearance pane of the Preferences window.
Fast source switchingIn the Import window, switch between import sources without having to wait for the window to close and reopen while displaying the genie effect.
Import Finished warning option in PreferencesIn the General pane of Preferences, you can choose whether to “Show alert when import is finished.” For interruption-free imports, set the option once and forget it.
Customize the default adjustments setSpecify exactly which adjustments you want to appear in the Adjustments Inspector by default. Use the two new commands — Add to Default Set and Remove from Default Set — in the Action pop-up menu for each adjustment to configure these settings.
Multi-Touch gesture supportUse Multi-Touch trackpad gestures in Aperture on any Mac that has a Multi-Touch trackpad. For example, when working with images in the Browser, use the swipe gesture to select a different image or the pinch-and-expand gesture to change the size of the Loupe or the size of images on a Light Table.
Get a quick visual overview of your projects by skimming their contents in the All Projects view — just as you can skim Events in iPhoto ’08. To switch to All Projects view, click the disclosure triangle in the Projects pane of the Inspector and choose All Projects from the options. Aperture 2 displays all the projects in your library, representing each project with a poster image, or Key Photo (a thumbnail of one of the images in the project). Hover the pointer over the Key Photo, and Aperture quickly skims through all the images in the project. Skimming All Projects
Setting the Key PhotoTo set the Key Photo for a project in All Projects view, skim through the project until Aperture displays the image you want to use as your Key Photo. Then Control-click (or right-click using Apple Mouse) or press the Space bar and choose Make Key Photo from the contextual menu.
Redesigned Preferences window with tabbed sections
Maximize your productivity by using the new tabbed Preferences window. Click the General, Appearance, Export, Previews, Metadata, and MobileMe Gallery buttons to display preference settings for each of these categories. Choose Preferences in the Aperture menu (or press Command-Comma) to display the Preferences window.
Set Viewer/Browser brightness to any levelUse the sliders in the Appearance pane of Preferences to set custom background brightness levels for both the Browser and the Viewer.
Thumbnails retain custom sizes when switching between viewsSet different custom sizes for thumbnails depending on your view. Make them small in Browser Only mode; bigger when viewing the grid in combination with the Viewer; and even bigger in the Filmstrip. As you switch between views, Aperture remembers — and switches to — the custom size you applied to the thumbnails in that view.
Redesigned thumbnail gridEnjoy faster, smoother scrolling while using the thumbnail Browser. Optimized to provide faster scrolling and browsing performance, the thumbnail Browser is noticeably quicker even in projects with thousands of images.
Library selectorIf you have more than one Aperture library, you can now choose the library you’d like to open by holding down the Option key when you launch Aperture. This action also lets you create a new library on the fly.
Onscreen Proofing indicatorWhen you turn on Onscreen Proofing and select a profile from the Proofing Profile menu, Aperture displays the name of the proofing profile in the tool strip at the bottom of the Viewer. Convenient in two ways, this new feature offers a visual indicator that proofing is on and identifies the selected profile.
Full Screen Filmstrip Position menuAnchor the Filmstrip to the left, right, or bottom of the Full Screen window using the new Action pop-up menu in the Filmstrip.
Full Screen Filmstrip snaps to side and bottom screen edges
When you manually reposition the Filmstrip in Full Screen mode, the Filmstrip snaps to the edges of the side and bottom of the window, making it easy to configure Full Screen mode to meet your needs.
Redesigned Primary Only buttonNow it’s easier to determine when operations are being performed on single images or groups of images. Click 1 to apply your metadata to the one primary selection instead of multiple images.
Keyboard support in Adjustments PaneMake precise image adjustments using the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the various sliders in the Adjustments Inspector. To activate keyboard control, click once in the numeric field of an adjustment control (such as Exposure). Then use the arrow keys to increase or decrease values. Hold down the Option key when using the arrow keys for even more precise adjustment. You can also use the Tab key to move to the next adjustment control (and Shift-Tab to move to a previous control).
Set the Full Screen Filmstrip to work like the Mac OS X Dock. Use the Filmstrip Action pop-up menu to turn Filmstrip Hiding on or off. With Filmstrip Hiding on, the Filmstrip disappears, leaving the entire screen available for your image(s). To see the Filmstrip, hover the pointer over the area where you docked the Filmstrip, and it will appear above the image. Move the pointer again to force the Filmstrip to hide.
Image count displayed on Filmstrip in Full Screen modeAperture displays a count of the number of images to the right of the Filmstrip Action pop-up menu when you review images in full screen. The count reflects the selected filtering options.
50+ tutorialsWatch more than 50 tutorials covering all aspects of Aperture 2 — from an overview of the new user interface to publishing photos in a MobileMe Gallery. The tutorials make use of the four sample projects included with Aperture 2, so it’s easy to try the techniques using the sample images provided.
Show camera infoBelow the histogram in the Adjustments pane, Aperture 2 displays values for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and lens focal length.
Redesigned, simplified toolbar
The clean new toolbar offers easier-to-use tools and pop-up menus. Choose Customize Toolbar from the View menu to add or reposition buttons to suit your needs.
Adjustment tools accessible from ViewerHide the main toolbar if you want to maximize space in the Viewer. Thanks to the new Adjustments strip at the bottom of the Viewer, you still have access to editing tools for making essential adjustments.
Reset All Warnings preference
If you disabled warning messages in various parts of Aperture, a new Reset All Warnings button in the General pane of Preferences lets you reset Aperture to display them all again. You can, for example, make the main Welcome screen reappear at startup if you disabled it previously.
Rollover-style sliders in Adjustments paneNavigate the Adjustments pane more easily using the roomier slider bars that highlight when you roll over them.
Simplified Viewer mode optionsDirect Aperture to Show One or Show Multiple images in the Viewer when you select more than one image in the Browser.
Progress through image adjustments in a logical mannerSeveral adjustment bricks have been repositioned to reflect a logical top-to-bottom process. Start with White Balance adjustments, move on to Exposure, and then apply image enhancements.
Double-click to hide/show InspectorSimply double-click the divider bar to hide or show the Inspector. Or just grab the center handle and pull the Inspector out to reveal it when hidden.
Simplified button behaviorsSelect an image and click the Lift and Stamp or Rotate buttons to perform the requested action.
Sorting in All Projects viewTo sort the All Projects view in either ascending or descending date order, Control-click (or right-click) one of the project thumbnails to reveal a contextual menu that includes your sort options.
Choose your Key Photo from within projectChoose the “poster image” for a project in All Projects view by selecting the image and choosing Make Key Photo from the Image menu.
Access to toolbar on a second displayWhen using multiple displays in Full Screen mode, you can now access the Full Screen toolbar on a second display.
Aperture 2 leverages the next-generation RAW image processing in Mac OS X Leopard to deliver images of astounding quality, offering superb color, increased shadow detail, reduced noise, and advanced highlight recovery. Using RAW Fine Tuning
Hue BoostAvailable only with images processed using RAW 2.0, Hue Boost preserves hues when applying Apple’s tonal response curve. The adjustment is especially powerful for tweaking intensely saturated highlight areas, such as sunsets.
Shooting RAW on a camera or camera back not natively supported by Mac OS X? Aperture lets you work with DNGs created from the RAW files generated by most cameras, increasing its breadth of support.
Moire control with Radius sliderUse the Moire and Radius sliders to correct color fringing in high-contrast edges or the moire patterns sometimes found in images with such subjects as brick walls or picket fences.
Migrate Baseline DNG when availableAs additional cameras and camera backs become natively supported by Mac OS X, you’ll be able to migrate from Baseline DNG support to camera-specific rendering via the RAW Decode Version pop-up menu.
Aperture provides RAW support for more than 100 digital cameras and camera backs, including the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III; Nikon D3; Leaf Aptus 75S; Hasselblad CF-22 and CF-39; and additional models from other manufacturers.
Aperture 2 provides instant previews for quick review by extracting the previews created in your camera and embedded in most RAW files. Importing Basics
Quick Preview modeSpeed up the process of accessing and displaying images by pressing P to turn on Quick Preview mode. In this mode, Aperture displays only image previews, which load much faster than RAW masters. Using Quick Preview
Loupe support for 50% magnification
By popular demand, there’s an option for 50% magnification in the Loupe pop-up menu. Using the Loupe Tools
When you drag images in the Light Table, Aperture displays yellow guidelines that make it easier to align layouts and groups of photos. Using Light Tables
Pull blown highlights back into range with powerful highlight recovery that takes full advantage of new RAW processing tools in Mac OS X. Recovering Highlights
VibrancyAdd punch to images while avoiding unwanted oversaturation by using the new Vibrancy adjustment. Vibrancy adds saturation to less-saturated colors while protecting skin tones, preserving a more natural look.
Repair brush
Part of the new Retouch tool, the Repair brush lets you copy texture from a source area and maintain the color and shading in the destination area you want to repair. Use the Radius, Softness, and Opacity sliders to customize the parameters needed for your repair. Ideal for areas with hard edges, the Repair brush detects and preserves them while making the repair. The Detect Edges option makes it easier to clean up difficult areas by preserving edges when making repairs. Using the Retouch Brush
Edit API (application programming interface)
A powerful new plug-in architecture enables third-party imaging software to work with either TIFF or RAW images directly within Aperture as plug-ins. With powerful batch processing, you can feed multiple images into a single plug-in and apply third-party imaging operations to groups of images.
Black PointAdjust the threshold of shadow details in an image using the Black Point slider. Decreasing the Black Point value increases the amount of detail in the shadow areas. Increasing the value decreases the amount of shadow detail, effectively crushing the blacks.
Dodge & Burn plug-in
Use the sample plug-in preinstalled with Aperture 2.1 to take advantage of the Edit API introduced in Aperture 2. The plug-in adds brush-based tools for Dodge (Lighten), Burn (Darken), Contrast, Saturation, Sharpen, and Blur.
Add local contrast, increasing clarity and reducing “hazy” detail, without modifying an image’s overall contrast.
Use the Vignette control to reduce brightness at the edges of an image. Choose between Exposure and Gamma vignettes. Exposure vignettes simulate lens-created vignetting by reducing exposure at the edges of an image. Gamma vignettes apply a gamma adjustment to pixels in the vignette area, resulting in a more pronounced effect.
Devignette adjustmentsRemove unwanted optical vignetting (darkening) at the periphery of images. New controls let you adjust the amount of brightness applied to the edges of a selected image as well as the size of the adjusted area.
Applying Vignette and Devignette
Use the custom hue eyedropper to select up to six different hues to adjust. Luminance, Saturation, and Range sliders let you make precise color corrections.
Set crop to match displayCrop images so that they perfectly match the aspect ratio of your display — ideal when preparing images for a slideshow. The option to match the aspect ratio of your primary or secondary display is available in the updated Crop tool.
Externally edited versions stored with mastersAperture now automatically stores versions created when editing an image externally (in Adobe Photoshop, for example) in the same location as the master images from which they were created. If the master was a managed image — stored inside the Aperture library — the new version is stored in the library, as well. If the master was referenced, the new version (saved as either a TIFF or PSD file) is stored in the same referenced location as the master.
RGB Color Value display optionsDisplay RGB values as either a percentage or an 8-bit value. Other options are LAB, CMYK, HSB, and HSL. The menu also lets you specify the sample size.
Clone brushUse the Clone brush (part of the Retouch tool) to eliminate imperfections in one area of your photograph by copying pixels from an area with similar visual elements and cloning them into the area you want to retouch. You can set values for Radius, Softness, and Opacity.
Edit a Copy With commandWhen re-editing an image that has been created with an external editor — either another application or a plug-in that uses the Edit API — you can choose to edit the image itself or edit a copy of the image. Hold down the Option key when pulling down the Images menu to access the Edit a Copy With command.
Hold down the Command key while dragging the Exposure, Recovery, or Black Point sliders or the black/white control points in Levels to display out-of-range pixels as a clipping overlay on your image. The color of the overlay indicates which color channel is being clipped, and you can toggle between Color and Monochrome overlays.
Double-click to reset adjustmentsReset individual adjustment sliders to their default values by double-clicking them.
“Rule of thirds” guides for croppingHold down the Command key while dragging out a crop rectangle, and the Crop tool displays a rule-of-thirds grid. The grid allows you to improve composition by taking the rule of thirds into consideration when cropping images.
Enhanced Straighten toolIn addition to improved performance, activating the Straighten tool on a cropped image displays the entire image, including the cropped-out area, so you can see which portions of the photo will be brought into view as you straighten.
Lift only adjustmentsLift only the image adjustments you’ve made to a photo and, with one command, stamp them on one or more images without replacing the metadata in the stamped image. This greatly speeds up the process of copying adjustments to other images while preserving metadata values.
Show cold pixelsQuickly spot completely black pixels by choosing Highlight Hot & Cold Areas from the View menu. This new overlay option lets you accurately adjust image toning. Adjust the threshold of the display in the Appearance pane in Preferences.
Simplified Crop tool
Choosing a preset aspect ratio when applying a crop has been streamlined with a simplified HUD that appears when you use the Crop tool.
Preserve aspect ratioThe Crop tool now includes a setting for preserving the aspect ratio of the original image.
Flip imagesFlip images horizontally or vertically (or both) using the new Flip adjustment that can be added to the Adjustments Inspector.
8-bit external editor supportSend images to an external editor as either 8-bit or 16-bit TIFF or PSD files. You can choose these options in the Export pane of the Preferences window.
Click the new “Do not import duplicates” checkbox in the Import window, and Aperture suppresses the import of images already in the library.
Support for lens metadata
View the specific lens model used to capture each shot (if embedded in photos by your camera).
Adjust time/date offsetAdjust the timestamp assigned to each photo by your camera at the time of exposure and embed the changes in the original master image files.
Embed IPTC data in RAW files on exportEmbed IPTC (and EXIF) metadata in RAW files when exporting master images.
Searchable stacksBy default, Aperture 2 searches all the images in your stacks — not just the picks. Click the “Include stack picks only” checkbox to limit your search to only the stack picks.
Lift only metadataEasily lift only the metadata from one image and stamp it to another without affecting image adjustments you made to the stamped image.
Incorporate logic operators in search variables for more search flexibility and even more specific searches than previously possible.
Keyword filtering options in Query HUDRefine your keyword search criteria using any of the filtering options: “are applied,” “are not applied,” “include any of the following,” “include all of the following,” “include only the following,” “do not include any of the following,” and “do not include all of the following.”
Search by adjustmentsChoose Adjustments from the Add Filter pop-up menu in the Query HUD or a Smart Album filter, and Aperture 2 adds a filtering option that lets you search images based on adjustment values. For example, create a search for only black-and-white images by searching on Monochrome Mixer.
Search by RAW versionUse the Query HUD to find images based on the version of Apple’s RAW decode method used to process them.
Filtering and Searching in Aperture
Reveal the location of your photos on Google Maps if your camera embeds GPS data in the EXIF information it captures at the time of exposure.
Show contents of project foldersClick one of the yellow folders you created in a project to organize albums, and Aperture displays the images used in all the enclosed albums.
Aperture 2 lets you “force-reconnect” images in the Managed Referenced Files window. Reconnecting to master images on a different drive is normally restricted to files that match in name, size, or date. If for any reason these attributes change in a way that makes normal reconnection impossible, you can hold down the Option key to force Aperture to reconnect to your masters.
Bigger projectsAperture 2 can handle up to 100,000 masters (plus any number of versions) in a single project.
No limit on Browser capacityThere is no upper limit on the number of thumbnails that Aperture can display in the Browser, so more than 100,000 thumbnails can be displayed at a time.
Update EXIF From MasterThis command allows Aperture to reread EXIF data from master images after they have been imported.
Choose from seven different background colors using the Set Background button when you design books using the new themes, Formal and Modern Lines.
Full-bleed wraparound book coversDesign a dust jacket that includes a full-bleed, wraparound image.
Use your MobileMe account to publish albums on the web. Simply select the images you want to publish and choose MobileMe Gallery from the New pop-up menu in the toolbar.
Distribute master images via your MobileMe Gallery
Use MobileMe Gallery to make either JPEG versions of your photos or full-size master images, including RAW files, available for download directly from your Gallery.
Creating a MobileMe Gallery
Use the new Layout Options Inspector to set with numeric accuracy the position (left, right, up, and down) of photo and text boxes on book pages.
In addition to small and large softcover books, you can now order medium-size softcover books directly from Aperture.
Options for hardcover booksOrder large hardcover books that include foil-stamped covers and dust jackets.
Book themesCreate books using three new themes: Formal, which includes elegant beveled photo frames; Snapshots, with photo borders reminiscent of traditional film prints; and sleek Modern Lines.
Making Books
Set the size (length and width) of photo and text boxes on book pages with the Layout Options Inspector.
Indicate exact rotation angle for photos and textAccurately set the angle of rotation for photo boxes and text in book layouts using the Layout Options Inspector.
Customize books with photo bordersAdd frames to photos using the Layout Options Inspector. The controls let you specify the thickness and color of the frames.
Custom page sizesCreate books with pages of any size for books you intend to produce yourself, either as PDFs or printed on your own printer. Specify custom page sizes — 10-inch square, for example — in the Book Layout Editor.
Aperture 2 supports 16-bit print drivers for Epson and Canon printers, allowing you to produce high-quality output with smoother gradients and better color fidelity.
Print sharpeningApply sharpening in the Print dialog, using both the Amount and Radius controls. These settings (which can be saved as a preset) do not affect sharpening adjustments you make in the Adjustments pane.
Use the Loupe in the Print dialog
Click the Show Loupe button at the bottom of the Print dialog to check the sharpening you applied.
Page Size indicator added to print previewThe Preview area of the resizable Print dialog now identifies the page size — such as Letter (8.50x11.00 in.) — of the print being sent to the printer.
Save PDF to ApertureYou'll find a new Automator workflow in the PDF pop-up menu of the Print Book dialog that automatically imports a PDF version of a book directly back into Aperture.
Save books as JPEG or TIFF imagesAutomator workflows in the PDF pop-up menu of the Print Book dialog let you automatically generate JPEG or TIFF images from book pages. Optionally, these page images can be imported directly back into Aperture.
Use the new Command Editor to customize keyboard shortcuts to meet your needs and streamline the way you work.
Tethered shooting support
Connect a supported camera directly to your Mac via FireWire or USB, controlling it using the Tether HUD. Aperture saves captured images in a selected project and displays them onscreen, allowing you to review them and make lighting or other changes before committing to the shot.
Integrated iPhoto BrowserAccess your entire iPhoto library, directly in Aperture 2, to import selected events, albums, or individual photos using the iPhoto Browser. Choose Show iPhoto Browser from the File menu to reveal the browser.
In the Previews pane of Preferences, you’ll find a 1/2 Size option in the “Limit preview size” pop-up menu. Selecting this option allows previews to be generated faster at this optimized size.
Background image exportAperture 2 prepares images for export in the background, allowing you to continue working as background operations proceed.
Generate Thumbnails commandThis new command lets you instruct Aperture to generate up-to-date thumbnails from images on demand.
Pause Task control in Activity windowThe Activity window in Aperture 2 includes a Pause Task button you can use to control background tasks — for example, pausing the creation of previews while Aperture exports a batch of images.
In addition to identifying the activity and indicating its status, the improved Activity window provides a more detailed description of the background tasks being performed.
Activity spinner in ViewerThe activity indicator (spinner) that appears when background tasks are underway now includes text that indicates which tasks are involved.
Every image preview is fingerprinted with a special identifier that AppleScript scripts can use to locate the master image represented by the placed preview image. This marking technique allows a source image master to be located and edited while updating the placed previews to reflect any changes to the master library images.
The “adjust date” verb has been added to the AppleScript Dictionary, allowing you to modify the EXIF date of images through a scripted workflow.
Extended access to image metadataThe AppleScript Dictionary now supports access to other metadata tags beyond the standard IPTC and EXIF metadata tags.
Embed metadata in master images on export via the scripting interface.
Move and RevealThese new scripting verbs allow you to create AppleScript scripts that can move image versions from album/project to album/project and display a designated image in the Viewer.
