What does AVA stand for?
Nothing really. But the symmetry of the lettering makes for a very nice logo! However, at AVA we do operate within an important set of core values, so I guess you can say we stand for:
- Expertise
- Community
- Vision
- Integrity
- Life Long Learning
Why is technical support asking me to send them my log files?
There are two types of log files we may request from you, generally this is if you have experienced a problem:
Type 1: AVA Log - this helps us pinpoint the exact moment the software crashed and what you were doing at the time.
Type 2: Crash log - this shows us exactly what was going on in the software when you crashed, it can often tell us how to repeat the crash as sometimes background tasks are what causes a problem.
Is it OK to save directly to a server from AVA?
While this is possible, it is not a workflow we recommend. That is because, if the connection drops between your server and your design station during a save, the file can become corrupt.
We recommend dragging the file from the server to your desktop. Then, as you work, you save the file but to the desktop. When you have finished working on the file, you can drag it from the desktop to the server.
This is a much safer way to work.
How do I allow guest access on my Mac®?
If you want to allow users to connect to a system as a Guest, which is particularly useful when setting up a system that will run the AVA Digital Print Rip, you need to do the following:
- Go to the Menu > System Settings > Users & Groups
Click the padlock to unlock, then click on the Guest user and check ‘Allow guest users to connect to shared folder’ (see below):
Which languages does AVA support?
AVA supports eight languages and whilst we do not currently support everybody's preferred language, there is a way of running AVA in one of the supported languages, whilst retaining the rest of the Mac®OS in a preferred language.
The languages currently supported are:
- English
- French
- Italian
- Spanish
- German
- Russian
- Japanese
- Chinese
What training options to AVA offer?
Click here to see some of the types of training we offer, or contact technical support directly to discuss further.What is the difference between ava3 and ava4 files?
The .ava3 file format is an old legacy format and does not save many of the newer features of the latest software.
AVA recommends you always use the AVA4 format.
The .ava3 format is retained in the software for occasions where a file is being opened in an older version of AVA which does not support the ava4 format.
Why have all my floating windows disappeared?
There are two possible answers:
- You accidentally pressed the ‘Hide Floating Windows’ icon in the toolbar of the Design Window. Click this button again to get them back! To prevent this from happening again, you could remove that option from your toolbar.
- You held down the Option key whilst closing a file. Doing this does close all windows in the application. To reopen them, go to the Window Menu and select the windows you want to open.
Why is my system running slowly after running a Mac®OS update?
Because it is reindexing all of your files
How do I use tabbed windows in AVA?
Minimise your screen clutter and take advantage of this Mac®OS feature within your AVA software. File tabs help you organise multiple windows within one application into one easy-to-navigate window.
Mac®OS Monterey and below
To switch on this feature:
- Go to Menu > System Settings
- Click on the General icon
- Change ‘Prefer tabs’ to Always
- In AVA, go to the View Menu and select Show Tab Bar
Now, when you open files into AVA they will open into the same Design Window, but will be separated by tabs, creating a clean and organised working environment.
Tip: To view all open tabs in AVA, go to the View Menu and select Show All Tabs
Occasionally, when completing some tasks such as putting a file into repeat using the Carbon Copy from Crop Box method, separate Design Windows may be desirable. You can split windows by going to Window Menu > Move Tab to New Window, or you can simply drag a tab out from the window to separate it.
To merge separated Design Windows, go to Window Menu > Merge All Windows.
DeleteMac®OS Ventura
To switch on this feature:
- Go to Menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock
- Change ‘Prefer tabs’ to Always
- In AVA, go to the View Menu and select Show Tab Bar
Now, when you open files into AVA they will open into the same Design Window, but will be separated by tabs, creating a clean and organised working environment.
Tip: To view all open tabs in AVA, go to the View Menu and select Show All Tabs
Occasionally, when completing some tasks such as putting a file into repeat using the Carbon Copy from Crop Box method, separate Design Windows may be desirable. You can split windows by going to Window Menu > Move Tab to New Window, or you can simply drag a tab out from the window to separate it.
To merge separated Design Windows, go to Window Menu > Merge All Windows.
DeleteWhat is a 'document palette' and why is it useful?
Each document in AVA can contain individual and file specific settings in the form of a customisable Palette. This is ideal for storing dot gains, document specific filters, tools, selections and PDF documentation.
Not only does this create a streamlined workflow, but it also reduces the risk of you losing vital information during file transfer. In conjunction with the automatic saving of overprint and substrate settings, this palette can be used to retain all the relevant information relating to the file in one place.
Creating a Document Palette
- Go to File Menu > Show Document Palette.
- Build your Palette.
- Save the document in .ava4 format.
These settings will now be saved with the document and can be easily recalled, even if the file is opened on a different computer.
This Palette can now be shared with your colleagues.
Note: The Document Palette in the image above is grouped with other floating windows to save space and reduce clutter on the screen. To do this, go to AVA Menu > Settings and select Appearance. Then tick Use Grouped Windows.
What meta data of an AVA file is searchable in Spotlight?
A considerable amount of useful information can be attached to files via this window. It provides a convenient way to record details such as the author, company and the copyright details of individual files. These notes can then be used to group and organise your files, as the information is searchable within the Finder, and can also be viewed in the AVA Productivity Manager module.
Applying searchable notes to a file
There are two ways to open the Notes. You can either go to the File Menu and select ‘Notes…’ Or, you can customise the toolbar of your Design Window and add the above icon to it. A window opens and displays any information which has been applied in the Default Notes Settings .
The date of creation (not available in the Default Notes Window) is automatically recorded in the Creation Date field and comes directly from the time and date set on your Mac®. You can click on the ‘Today’ button beside it to set it to todays date or you can type it in manually. Alternatively, use the arrows adjoining the Creation Date field to alter the selected date.
The Notes will enhance your design management in terms of file location and exchange. The notes will automatically be saved with the file as long as it is in .ava4 format, and these can then be searched on using the Finder. For more details on this please see the Using the Finder to search for files and What is the Spotlight Importer and how do I use it? articles. If you use AVA Colour, you can use Dynamic Text to display the Notes in the Layout Window.
What do the various icons beside my open documents mean in the Window Menu?
When working with several designs at the same time, it can be hard to keep track of the status of each design, whether some have unsaved changes; some have been minimised; or some are just hidden behind others that are open.
AVA includes a number of document marks and icons within the software to keep you up to date on the status of your open files. This labelling system allows you to easily identify their status and whether any action is required.
The following document marks are displayed next to the names of files in the Window Menu:
- A diamond indicates that the document window has been minimised into the Dock
- A tick identifies the active document
- A bullet point indicates that the document contains unsaved changes
Note: A diamond or bullet will not be displayed on the active document regardless of whether the document requires saving or has been minimised, as it will always display a tick while it is the active document.
As well as the bullet point in the Window Menu, a dot appears in the close button of a document when it contains unsaved changes.
Proxy icons
The toolbar of all document windows in AVA show an icon of the document they represent. This is known as a proxy icon. If the document has not been modified, this icon can be dragged and dropped in a new location - just like a document in the Finder Window. If the document has been modified, the icon is displayed as greyed out and cannot be dragged until the document has been saved.
Note: On Mac®OS 11 (Big Sur) and higher, you need to hover your cursor over the title of the document to reveal the proxy icon.
At any time, regardless of whether you have made changes to the document, you can click on the title of the document while holding down ⌘ (command key) on the keyboard, to reveal the path to the file.
You can then select a folder from this path menu and it will automatically open in the Finder Window. This can be useful for many reasons and helps for example, if you have double clicked a file in the Finder Window to open it, and have forgotten it's location. It can also be useful when trying to locate a design which is stored in the same folder as the open design.
What is that red dot I see beside the AVA application icon in my dock?
AVA's messaging system
What is the File Browser, and how will it help my workflow?
The Filter Browser is an integrated window, allowing you to create and store different combinations of filters. These can range from creative filters to production process simulations to textures.
The possibilities are endless when you use the Filter Browser alongside our Palette technology. You can access the browser either from the Layer Menu or from your customisable toolbar.
To open the Filter Browser go to the Layer Menu > Filter Browser. Alternatively you can add shortcut for it to the toolbar of your Design Window.
The Filter Browser has three parts: a filter set list at the top; a filter settings area in the middle; and a preview and application part at the bottom. The size of the whole window can be adjusted by dragging the bottom right corner of the window, and the size of the top and middle sections can be adjusted by dragging the handle which is positioned between them.
Note: Each filter is explained in full in its own article. Simply do a search on the filter name to find the relevant article and learn what each of its settings does.
How to create filter sets
Alternatively, you can click the + icon to the right of this menu. Both options add a new filter set to the browser called Untitled:
Changes to the settings will be previewed in the Design Window in real time.
Note: Some changes may take longer to preview than others.
You can add multiple filter effects together to produce unique results. For example, if we wanted to add a Blur to the Kaleidoscope effect above, we simply need to click the + icon near the bottom of the window:
When this button is clicked, the present filter will be duplicated:
Use the dropdown menu to select your next filter. In this case it would be Blur Gaussian:
Adjust the settings of each of the filters contained within the filter set until you achieve the effect you want in the design.
DeleteNaming filter sets
When you are happy with the results, you should name the filter set by double clicking on the work Untitled in the top part of the window. We recommend you've the filter set a name which reflects to effect it creates:
Naming the filter sets is important because these names also appear in the Brushes Library where you can paint with the filters, and apply the effects in a subtle way to specific areas as opposed to the whole file or within a selection.
DeleteSwapping the order of filters within a filter set
The order of the filters within a filter set will alter the overall effect. If you want to change the order in which they are applied, use the arrows located to the left of each filter. 
Applying the filter to your design
If there are no selections in your design the filter will be applied to the active layer(s) over the whole design. If there is a selection in the file, the effect will only be applied inside this selection on the active layer(s).
Note: Some filters only work on layers, and some only work on image layers.
To apply the filter effect to the file, use the New Layer or Apply buttons in the bottom right hand corner of the window:
- New Layer - will apply the effect to a new layer in the Layers Palette
- Apply - will apply the effect to the active layer(s)
Saving specific filter settings to a Palette
Palettes are a great way of saving a selections of filter settings to use in other files. The settings can be added as a new Palette Button or they can be added to existing Palette Buttons which results in a combination of actions which can be later applied to other designs at the click of a button.
- Go to File Menu > New > Palette.
- Click on the filter set you want to add to a Palette.
- Drag the setting handler located at the bottom right of the window to the Palette. This will create a button.
- Once the filter is added to a button in a Palette, you can edit the filter further by clicking on the icon to the right of the action:
- To apply this filter to any design, simply click on your newly created button.
Troubleshooting
Why is my Filter Browser empty?
The Filter Browser is empty when AVA is installed on new systems because the idea behind our Filter Browser is the user creates the filters themselves using the New Filter Set option in the Action Menu. You can also Save and Load your filters from one computer to another using the same menu.
What do progress windows tell you about a file?
When a task is performed on a file in AVA a progress sheet drops down from its title bar to indicate how the task is progressing. This sheet is attached to the actual file in which the task is being carried out, so if more than one task is being carried out at once, you can clearly see which tasks are in operation in which files.
In addition to the progress sheet, AVA displays an animated sun dial icon at the bottom left hand corner of your Design Window. When a task is progressing, the dial icon will spin like a clock. Once the action is complete, the icon will stop animating and will remain static until another task begins.
Both the progress sheets and progress indicators are intended to remind you that when a task is in progress for a particular file you are unable to carry out other tasks at the same time on that file, until they have finished. If the progress indicator appears to have been spinning for a long time, or you are unable to access other functions after carrying out a certain function, move your cursor over the progress indicator and hover there. A message tag will appear to tell you what, if any action is in progress.
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