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.

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

1. Go to File Menu > Show Document Palette.
2. Build your Palette.
3. 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. 

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.

How to create filter sets

When AVA is first installed, the Filter Browser will be empty. You can begin adding filter sets by selecting New Filter Set from the action menu located in the middle of the window:

Alternatively, you can click the + icon to the right of this menu. Both options add a new filter set to the browser called Untitled:

By default, the Black & White filter will appear in the filter settings area in the middle of the window. This is because it is at the top of the extensive list of filters now available to you. Simply click on this dropdown menu to reveal these filters, and select the one you want to use.  If the selected filter has settings, these will become visible:

Changes to the settings will be previewed in the Design Window in real time.

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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.

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Naming 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.

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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).

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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)

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