Magic Feature: Import a Page Button

Have you ever seen a project in the Template Gallery that you really like but it’s not in the size—or even product—you wanted to choose? Say an 18 x 18 canvas you’d rather do in an 8 x 8 size? Or a 12 x 12 storybook you would rather have in 8 x 8 size?


Or what if you saw a canvas layout you wanted to use in a storybook? Or a page in a storybook you wanted to turn into a canvas? What about a greeting card that could become a page in a 7 x 5 storybook? 

All these can happen in an instant with the addition of an incredible new feature called the IMPORT PAGE button that works like magic! Known as “scrap-lifting” in the scrapbooking industry, emulating another design for your own use is a common way to expand your creativity.






Released in September 2011 at Reunion, the company’s annual consultant convention, this single-click “re-create” button saves you so much time and effort, plus it opens up every possible option in Studio you could ever imagine! No wonder the entire crowd of consultants cheered so loudly when this was announced!

10 QUICK STEPS TO IMPORT A PAGE
1. Find the project you admire and wish to “copy” into a new project. Click “start my own” so it goes into your “View In Progress” folder. [Time-Saving Tip: Rename the project to “1ImportNAME” where you use something descriptive for the “NAME” part. You’ll see why renaming will help in a later step.]
2. Start the new project you want to put the “copy” into — or open an existing one in the Editor window.
3. Go to the page you want to “trade out” with the new “scrap-lifted” layout. If it’s blank or empty when you begin, that’s best. Otherwise the next step will delete everything already on the page so keep that in mind.
4. In the Content Browser at the bottom, click on the MY PROJECTS tab then find the “1ImportNAME” project in your “My Unfinished Projects” folder (or it could come from something you’ve already completed and/or published). [If you didn’t rename it, it may be harder to find in this list, especially if you’ve been actively creating in Studio for a year or more and have a long list of projects.] Go to the page or part of the layout you want to copy. Click on the IMPORT PAGE button.
5. Read and review the information, agree you’ve read these reminders, then click “yes, import page.”


6. Import Page will instantly place all items from the other layout onto this page. However, the items may not all fit on the new page. Resizing is often needed and usually repositioning too.


7. Click the Edit/Select All menu so it highlights all items.
8. Click the UNLOCK button (or use the dropdown menu to choose “Unlock all on page”). Use your mouse to drag an outer border in or out (smaller or larger) to suit your situation.


9. Once you’ve positioned the layout in its entirety into your new layout location, you may use the Edit menu for “Lock all on Page” so it stays safely in its new spot.
10. That’s it! You may now do it again for other pages if you wish.

This “Import Page” feature is so fast, you could turn a year’s worth of single scrap pages into an annual album in hardbound storybook form without much trouble at all — without recreating a single layout from scratch!
For a visual how-to, watch this tutorial video on the Heritage Makers YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/ywKsHh9Vx8s

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
The “Import Page” feature for items that are the same size and type — a 12 x 12 storybook page layout can be added to another 12 x 12 storybook with zero trouble or effort. It also works well for items that are the same general dimension or perspective but a slightly different size.
While you can take items larger, it’s definitely more risky and challenging as the photos and embellishments may lower in quality as they are blown up bigger, resulting in poor print quality. Although it works both ways, the best way is to take something larger and put it into something smaller.
It is not recommended to turn a 4 x 6 greeting card into a 20 x 24 canvas, for example. However, you could turn the canvas design into a greeting card with no trouble whatsoever.
Be sure to watch for crop marks, trim margins and such. Double-check that your images and embellishments are still high quality resolution with green (or yellow for fair quality) outer borders when unlocked.
Other things to consider include that you cannot “undo” this action once it’s been imported. Remember, it replaces ALL ITEMS already on the page.

One final note: If your new project includes an “imported page” from another project that is an existing template, it will be flagged as a template and you will no longer have the option to “submit as a template” when you are finished.