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Help Tools - 12/13/2019 3:45:24 PM   
debbab

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/13/2019
Status: offline 		I just purchased PrintMaster 2020 - installed it - and needed some HELP. When I click on the help button, it takes me to my PC/documents folder. I can see a help folder but it is 1K and when I click on it, it says it was deleted or moved. How do I find it? I have submitted four help tickets - it has been four days - no one responds and I can't use the software.

So, I need help with "help" and I was looking to see how to crop a photo to a shape. When I click on shapes, all I get is the shape in black and I am not able to change colors or select no fill.

Thanks.
Post #: 1
RE: Help Tools - 12/13/2019 5:49:13 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
... When I click on the help button, it takes me to my PC/documents folder. I can see a help folder but it is 1K and when I click on it, it says it was deleted or moved. How do I find it? ...

This problem seems to have persisted a very long time. There is no user manual available for versions 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 2019 as well! They have all been removed from the internet, HTML and PDF formats. I have to believe that an updated user manual is in the works

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 2
RE: Help Tools - 12/13/2019 6:01:45 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
... how to crop a photo to a shape. When I click on shapes, all I get is the shape in black and I am not able to change colors or select no fill.

You've done the first part: Add a shape. With the shape selected, click the Photo icon within the Shapes menu. Choose your photo. The photo appears within the shape.




Unfortunately, this program doesn't allow us to reposition our photo within the shape. The photo is fitted dead-center into the shape, regardless of your focal point. So my workaround is to use MS Paint to recrop a copy of my photo thereby changing the center of the photo. Now I can use this photo in a Printmaster shape.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/13/2019 6:14:41 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 3
RE: Help Tools - 12/14/2019 10:18:08 AM   
debbab

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/13/2019
Status: offline 		Thanks for the quick response. I was using a 10 year old version of PrintMaster that allowed the function to work - sad they changed it. When I tried to put a photo into the shape, it had a square border which showed. It worked seamlessly in PowerPoint.

The other problem is that I just purchased the 2020 version and there is absolutely no help in the software - seems it is getting worse. Also, the only way to communicate is through a ticket which they do not respond to.

I'm thinking I want to return this but since there is no customer service, not sure how that would work. I called the number they suggest for "service" and twice I got a gentleman who continued to repeat: "you need to write to ..." and gave me an email address - to which I got no response.

Can you shed some light on this product for me? I've never had this unusual experience before. Thanks in advance

(in reply to lindarobin)
Post #: 4
RE: Help Tools - 12/14/2019 12:25:31 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline 		I found this info in the knowledgebase:
https://encoresupport.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/43000541702-broderbund-and-encore-s-refund-policy

All shapes are editable - both fill and edge color, and edge thickness.

I will email the forum administrator about the lack of a help manual. There must be one, and they forgot to put it online.

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 5
RE: Help Tools - 12/14/2019 7:31:45 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline 		After some googling, I found this PDF that can be downloaded here:
http://pm8.printmaster.com/p/support/pm_user_guide.pdf

It's for the previous version, but I think it should cover 99% of the features in version 2020. Hope this helps.

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 6
RE: Help Tools - 12/14/2019 8:14:26 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

When I tried to put a photo into the shape, it had a square border which showed

What was the shape? Click the Border icon and make the border zero or none. Or do you mean that your photo didn't fill the entire shape?

The different shape options all seem to do what they say:




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< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/14/2019 8:15:11 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 7
RE: Help Tools - 12/14/2019 8:39:14 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

I'm thinking I want to return this...

I do hope you will play with the program some more. I think it makes beautiful cards. For example, I opened this Girls' Night ready-made template, and with a few clicks transformed it into a Christmas card.




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/14/2019 8:41:14 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 8
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 2:07:34 PM   
debbab

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/13/2019
Status: offline 		Thanks so much. You've been helpful. The thing with the photo is that for example, in PowerPoint, I can bring up a photo, then click crop to shape and it will make the photo the shape that I click on. Then I can resize it and make a border or whatever. In the instance I was using, I just wanted the face, no body, and I wanted it round. I could crop the photo but it would be square and when inserted into the round shape, you could still see the square. I was able to do this on a ten year old version - but not having any reference for help, made it all very frustrating.

And, by the way, It is almost a week and no one has gotten back to me about any of my four tickets I submitted. That is what frightens me about the software and the company.

I do appreciate the link you forwarded to me. I hope they will include an updated help link in the future and improve on their customer service.

Thanks again!!

By the way, the card you attached is beautiful!!

(in reply to lindarobin)
Post #: 9
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 2:09:50 PM   
debbab

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/13/2019
Status: offline 		The link you sent me takes me to my documents file and there is nothing there. Am I doing something wrong?

(in reply to lindarobin)
Post #: 10
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 5:19:15 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
The link you sent me takes me to my documents file and there is nothing there. Am I doing something wrong?

The link goes to where the PDF is stored and you can download it from there:
http://pm8.printmaster.com/p/support/pm_user_guide.pdf

I clicked it again, and now have 2 copies of the user guide. It is a 8.3 MB document. Do you have anything that may be blocking the download? Are you clicking "save"?

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/16/2019 5:20:43 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 11
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 5:56:40 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
...I could crop the photo but it would be square and when inserted into the round shape, you could still see the square...

In this program, you do not want to "insert" a photo into a shape. Instead, the shape is filled with a photo. Add your shape first. Then click the Photo button shown under the Shapes and Lines options. (The shape must be selected in order to activate these options.)


Do not add a photo and then try to crop it. In this program, that's doing it backwards and will not work.
Fill shapes NOT crop photos.

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/16/2019 6:07:44 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 12
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 9:26:39 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
By the way, the card you attached is beautiful!!

Thank you! To save time, I often start with a ready-made card (like this Valentine one) and swap out the clipart. Saves time figuring out how to size and position elements.


(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 13
RE: Help Tools - 12/16/2019 10:12:03 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline
quote:

I just wanted the face, no body, and I wanted it round.

OK, so there is a technique to ensure the photo will fill the shape the way you want it to. It all depends on the width to height ratio of your photo. A very wide photo will get "smushed" into a circle, making a person look unnaturally thin. You can widen the shape to make the photo look right, but then you no longer have a circle.

The solution is to crop a copy of your photo in MS Paint. Make it perfectly SQUARE with the face in the middle (and a little to the top so there's not all this empty space above the head). Save it with a new name. You will use this as your shape fill.

I tested this and got good results:




If you are still having trouble with this, I am happy to crop your photo for you.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/16/2019 10:16:56 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 14
How fill shapes work - 12/16/2019 11:05:26 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline 		How Fill Shapes Work

On the left column are three photos, seen here saved on my C drive. In the right column are three circle shapes. Each has been filled with a different photo.

To get the result you want, it may be necessary to crop your photo into a square using MS Paint, to create a new image file suitable for filling a shape in Printmaster.




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by lindarobin -- 12/16/2019 11:09:28 PM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 15
RE: How fill shapes work - 12/16/2019 11:42:35 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline 		... a card made using the filled shape.




Attachment (1)

(in reply to lindarobin)
Post #: 16
RE: Help Tools - 12/18/2019 11:07:03 PM   
lindarobin


Posts: 947
Joined: 8/28/2004
Status: offline 		I can't stress this enough:
quote:

... click the Photo button shown under the Shapes and Lines options.





Attachment (1)

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 17
RE: Help Tools - 12/19/2019 12:29:32 AM   
ellengard


Posts: 3253
Joined: 10/2/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: debbab
...I was using a 10 year old version of PrintMaster that allowed the function to work

I have a 10 year old PrintMaster and it has almost the same way of filling shapes as the newest PrintMaster. See Draw Object

The old version also has a photo crop function. See Crop Object (just below Draw Object. This is probably the one you are more familiar with, and it was a nice feature because you could place the crop boundary on any part of the photo, not just the middle.




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by ellengard -- 12/19/2019 12:36:37 AM >

(in reply to debbab)
Post #: 18
RE: Help Tools - 1/12/2020 7:20:39 AM   
LindaPro

 

Posts: 2
Joined: 9/6/2012
Status: offline 		I too am looking for a user manual or some type of help with Printmaster 2020. I couldn't get the posted link in this thread to work, neither by clicking it or cutting and pasting. I purchased PM2019 and got a refund last January after not being able to get it to work. The email support system doesn't work too well since it takes days to go back and forth. I can't figure out how to get the address book functionality to work and have gotten one response from tech support. I was using this in a previous version (I think PM Platinum under Windows 7) and it did exactly what I needed.

Now I am trying to create a project from scratch and can't even figure out how to add a text box that has fonts and shapes I want to use.

I'd appreciate any assistance in finding some documentation that would help. I think if I got started, I would be okay.

Thanks for any response.

Linda

(in reply to ellengard)
Post #: 19
RE: Help Tools - 1/12/2020 12:47:43 PM   
ellengard


Posts: 3253
Joined: 10/2/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LindaPro

I too am looking for a user manual or some type of help with Printmaster 2020. I couldn't get the posted link in this thread to work, neither by clicking it or cutting and pasting.

I am reposting that link. It worked for me.
http://pm8.printmaster.com/p/support/pm_user_guide.pdf
However, if for some reason it doesn't work for other people, I have also uploaded the PDF to my website where it can be downloaded.
http://ellengard.weebly.com/downloads.html

(in reply to LindaPro)
Post #: 20
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