Creative Adobe Suite 5 Manual

							7CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
Last updated 11/16/2011
Output panel Contains options for creating PDF documents and HTML or Flash web galleries. Appears when the 
Output workspace is selected.
Adjust panels
You can adjust the Adobe Bridge window by moving and resizing its panels. However, you can’t move panels outside 
the Adobe Bridge window.
❖Do any of the following:
Drag a panel by its tab into another panel.
Drag the horizontal divider bar between panels to make them larger or smaller.
Drag the vertical divider bar between the panels and the Content panel to resize the panels or Content panel.
Press Tab to show or hide all panels except the center panel (the center panel varies depending on the workspace 
you’ve chosen).
Choose Window, followed by the name of the panel you want to display or hide.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a panel tab and choose the name of the panel you want to display.
Work with Favorites
To specify Favorites preferences, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences 
(Mac
 OS). Click General, and select desired options in the Favorite Items area of the Preferences dialog box
To add items to Favorites, do one of the following:
Drag a file or folder to the Favorites panel from Windows Explorer (Windows), the Finder (Mac OS), or the 
Content or Folders panel of Adobe Bridge.
Select a file, folder, or collection in Adobe Bridge and choose File > Add To Favorites.
To remove an item from the Favorites panel, select it and choose File > Remove From Favorite. Or right-click 
(Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the item and choose Remove From Favorites from the context menu.
Select and manage workspaces
An Adobe Bridge workspace is a certain configuration or layout of panels. You can select either a preconfigured 
workspace or a custom workspace that you have previously saved. 
By saving various Adobe Bridge workspaces, you can work in (and quickly switch between) different layouts. For 
instance, you might use one workspace to sort new photos and another to work with footage files from an After
 Effects 
composition. 
Adobe Bridge provides the following preconfigured workspaces:
Output Displays the Favorites, Folders, Content, Preview, and Output panels. This workspace is available when the 
Adobe Output Module startup script is selected in Adobe
 Bridge Preferences.
Metadata Displays the Content panel in List view, along with the Favorites, Metadata, Filter, and Export panels.
Essentials Displays the Favorites, Folders, Filter, Collections, Export, Content, Preview, Metadata, and Keywords 
panels.
Filmstrip Displays thumbnails in a scrolling horizontal row (in the Content panel) along with a preview of the 
currently selected item (in the Preview panel). Also displays the Favorites, Folders, Filter, Collections, and Export 
panels. 
						

							8CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
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Keywords Displays the Content panel in Details view, along with the Favorites, Keywords, Filter, and Export panels.
Note: In Mac OS, pressing Command+F5 to load the Keywords workspace starts Mac OS VoiceOver by default. To load 
the Preview workspace by using the keyboard shortcut, first disable the VoiceOver shortcut in Mac
 OS Keyboard 
Shortcuts preferences. For instructions, see Mac
 OS Help.
Preview Displays a large Preview panel; a narrow, vertical Content panel in Thumbnails view; and the Favorites, 
Folders, Filter, Collections, and Export panels.
Light Table Displays only the Content panel. Files are displayed in Thumbnails view.
Folders Displays the Content panel in Thumbnails view, along with the Favorites, Folders, and Export panels.
To select a workspace, choose Window > Workspace, and then choose the desired workspace. Or, click one of the 
workspace buttons in the Adobe
 Bridge application bar.
Drag the vertical bar to the left of the workspace buttons to show more or fewer buttons. Drag the buttons to rearrange 
their order.
Workspace buttons and pop-up menu
To save the current layout as a workspace, choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace. In the New 
Workspace dialog box, enter a name for the workspace, specify options, and then click Save.
To delete or restore a custom workspace, choose Window > Workspace, and then choose one of the following 
commands:
Delete Workspace Deletes the saved workspace. Choose the workspace from the Workspace menu in the Delete 
Workspace dialog box, and click Delete.
Reset Standard Workspaces Restores the currently selected saved workspace to the Essentials configuration.
Adjust brightness and colors
Brighten or darken the Adobe Bridge background and specify accent colors in General preferences. To open 
preferences, choose Edit
 > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS).
To brighten or darken the background, go to the General panel of the Preferences dialog box and do either or both 
of the following:
Drag the User Interface Brightness slider to make the Adobe Bridge background darker or lighter.
Drag the Image Backdrop slider to make the background of slide shows and of the Content and Preview panels 
darker or lighter.  
						

							9CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
Last updated 11/16/2011
To specify accent colors, go to the General panel of the Preferences dialog box and choose a color from the Accent 
Color menu.
Work in Compact mode
Switch to Compact mode when you want to shrink the Adobe Bridge window. In Compact mode, the panels are 
hidden and the Content panel is simplified. A subset of common Adobe Bridge commands remains available from the 
pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the window.
By default, the Compact mode Adobe Bridge window floats on top of all windows. (In Full mode, the Adobe Bridge 
window can move behind other windows.) This floating window is useful because it is always available as you work in 
different applications. For instance, you might use Compact mode after you select the files you plan to use, and then 
drag them into the application as you need them.
Deselect Compact Window Always On Top from the Adobe Bridge window menu to prevent the Compact mode 
Adobe Bridge window from floating on top of all windows.
1Click the Switch To Compact Mode button .
2Do any of the following:
Choose commands from the menu at the upper-right corner of the Adobe Bridge window.
Click the Switch To Ultra Compact Mode button  to hide the Content panel, further minimizing the Adobe 
Bridge window. You can click the button again to return to Compact mode.
Click the Switch To Full Mode button  to return to Full mode, displaying the panels, and letting Adobe Bridge 
move behind the current window.
Manage color
In Adobe Bridge, the thumbnail quality determines whether color profile settings are used. High-quality thumbnails 
use color-profile settings, while quick thumbnails do not. Use the Advanced Preferences and the Options For 
Thumbnail Quality and Preview Generation button in the application bar to determine thumbnail quality.
If you own Adobe Creative Suite 5, you can use Adobe Bridge to synchronize color settings across all color-managed 
Creative
 Suite components. When you specify Creative Suite color settings using the Edit > Creative Suite Color 
Settings command in Adobe
 Bridge, color settings are automatically synchronized. Synchronizing color settings 
ensures that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe Creative Suite
 5 components.
See “Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications” on page 81.
Change language settings
Adobe Bridge can display menus, options, and tool tips in multiple languages. You can also specify that Adobe Bridge 
use a specific language for keyboard shortcuts.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click Advanced.
2Do either or both of the following: 
Choose a language from the Language menu to display menus, options, and tool tips in that language.
Choose a language from the Keyboard menu to use that language keyboard configuration for keyboard shortcuts.
3Click OK, and restart Adobe Bridge.
The new language takes effect the next time you start Adobe Bridge. 
						

							10CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
Last updated 11/16/2011
Enable startup scripts
You can enable or disable startup scripts in Adobe Bridge preferences. Scripts listed vary depending on the 
Creative
 Suite 5/5.5 components you’ve installed. Disable startup scripts to improve performance or to resolve 
incompatibilities between scripts.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click Startup Scripts. 
2Do any of the following:
Select or deselect the desired scripts.
To enable or disable all scripts, click Enable All or Disable All.
Click Reveal My Startup Scripts to go to Adobe Bridge Startup Scripts folder on your hard drive.
Restore preferences
Numerous program settings are stored in the Adobe Bridge preferences file, including display, Adobe Photo 
Downloader, performance, and file-handling options. 
Restoring preferences returns settings to their defaults and can often correct unusual application behavior.
1Press and hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (Mac OS) while starting Adobe Bridge.
2In the Reset Settings dialog box, select one or more of the following options:
Reset Preferences Returns preferences to their factory defaults. Some labels and ratings may be lost. Adobe Bridge 
creates a new preferences file when it starts.
Purge Entire Thumbnail Cache Purging the thumbnail cache can help if Adobe Bridge is not displaying thumbnails 
properly. Adobe
 Bridge re-creates the thumbnail cache when it starts.
Reset Standard Workspaces Returns all workspaces to their factory default configurations.
3Click OK, or click Cancel to open Adobe Bridge without resetting preferences.
Adjust Adobe Bridge Content panel display
The Content panel displays thumbnails, detailed thumbnails, or a list of the files and folders in the selected folder. By 
default, Adobe Bridge generates color-managed thumbnails and displays them in the Content panel with file or folder 
names as well as ratings and labels. 
You can customize the view in the Content panel by displaying detailed text information with thumbnails or viewing 
thumbnails as a list. You can also resize thumbnails and specify thumbnail quality. Choose Horizontal Layout or 
Vertical Layout from the Content panel menu to position scroll bars. Choosing Auto Layout ensures that 
Adobe
 Bridge switches between a horizontal and vertical layout as needed. 
Choose a view mode
❖Choose one of the following from the View menu:
As Thumbnails to display files and folders as thumbnails with file or folder names as well as ratings and labels.
As Details to display thumbnails with additional text information.
As List to display files and folders as a list of filenames with associated metadata in a column format.
Show Thumbnail Only to display thumbnails without any text information, labels, or ratings. 
						

							11CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
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Click the buttons in the lower-right corner of the Adobe Bridge window to View Content As Thumbnails, View 
Content As Details, or View Content As List.
Adjust the size of thumbnails 
Make thumbnails smaller so you can see more of them at once, or enlarge them to see thumbnail details. 
Drag the Thumbnail slider  at the bottom of the Adobe Bridge window. 
Note: When you resize the Adobe Bridge window in Auto Layout mode, thumbnails in the Content panel also resize. To 
avoid this behavior, choose Horizontal Layout or Vertical Layout from the Content panel menu.
If you don’t see the filename or other metadata with an image thumbnail in the Content panel, drag the slider to the 
right to make the thumbnails larger.
Click the Smaller Thumbnail Size button at the far left of the Thumbnail slider to reduce the number of columns in 
the Content panel by one. Click the Larger Thumbnail Size button at the far right of the Thumbnail slider to 
increase the number of columns in the Content panel by one. Adobe
 Bridge automatically maximizes the size of the 
thumbnails for the number of columns displayed.
Lock the grid
Lock the grid so that Adobe Bridge always displays complete thumbnails in the Content panel. When the grid is locked, 
thumbnails keep their configuration if the window is resized or panels opened or closed.
❖Choose View > Grid Lock, or click the Grid Lock button  next to the Thumbnail slider at the bottom of the 
Adobe Bridge window.
Show additional metadata for thumbnails
The Additional Lines Of Thumbnail Metadata preference specifies whether to show additional metadata information 
with thumbnails in the Content panel. 
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click Thumbnails. 
2In the Additional Lines Of Thumbnail Metadata area, choose the type of metadata to display. You can display up 
to four extra lines of information.
Limit file size for thumbnails
You can limit the file size for which Adobe Bridge creates thumbnails (displaying large files can slow performance). If 
Adobe Bridge can’t create thumbnails, it displays the icon associated with that particular file type. Adobe Bridge 
disregards this setting when displaying thumbnails for video files.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click Thumbnails.
2Enter a number in the Do Not Process Files Larger Than box.
Specify monitor-size previews
Monitor-size previews display the highest quality preview possible based on the resolution of your monitor. With 
monitor-size previews enabled, images appear sharp in full-screen mode.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click Advanced.
2Select Generate Monitor-Size Previews. 
						

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Specify thumbnail quality
You can specify that Adobe Bridge display embedded, high-quality, or 1:1 previews of image thumbnails for individual 
folders of images. 
For faster browsing, choose a folder and then select the Browse Quickly By Preferring Embedded Images button  
in the Adobe Bridge application bar.
To display higher-quality thumbnail previews, click the Options For Thumbnail Quality And Preview Generation 
button
  in the Adobe Bridge application bar and choose one of the following:
Prefer Embedded (Faster) to use the low-resolution thumbnails embedded in the source file. These thumbnails 
aren’t color managed. This option is equivalent to choosing Browse Quickly By Preferring Embedded Images.
High Quality On Demand to use embedded thumbnails until you preview an image, at which time Adobe Bridge 
creates color-managed thumbnails generated from the source files.
Always High Quality to always display color-managed thumbnails for all images. Always High Quality is the default 
quality setting.
Generate 100% Previews to create 100% previews of images in the background for Loupe and Slideshow views. This 
option speeds loupe and slide show operations but uses more disk space and slows initial browsing. See 
“Use the 
Loupe tool” on page 26 and “View images as a slide show” on page 24.
Customize the List view
You can customize the List view by sorting and resizing the columns, and by choosing which metadata categories to 
display.
1Choose View > As List.
2Do any of the following:
Click any column header to change the direction of the sort order.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) any column header to choose a different metadata category, 
close the column, insert a new column, resize the column, or return to the default configuration.
Note: The Name column is always the leftmost column.
Drag the vertical divider bar between two columns to make them wider or narrower.
Double-click between two column headers to automatically resize the column to the left.
Work with the Adobe Bridge cache 
The cache stores thumbnail and metadata information (as well as metadata that can’t be stored in the file, such as labels 
and ratings) to improve performance when you view thumbnails or search for files. However, storing the cache takes 
up disk space. When you build a cache, you can opt to export it for sharing or archiving, and you can choose to generate 
100% previews. You can manage the cache by purging it and by setting preferences to control its size and location.
More information on the Bridge cache is available in the article Manage the cache | Adobe Bridge CS4, CS5. 
						

							13CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
Last updated 11/16/2011
Build and manage the cache
❖Choose either of the following commands from the Tools > Cache menu:
Build And Export Cache Builds, as a background process, a cache for the selected folder and all the folders within it 
(except aliases or shortcuts to other folders). This command reduces the time spent waiting for thumbnails and file 
information to be displayed as you browse in subfolders. You can also generate 100% previews in cache to help 
improve performance when viewing images at 100% in slide shows and full-screen previews, or using the Loupe tool. 
The Export Cache To Folders option in the Build Cache dialog box creates a local cache for sharing or archiving to 
disc. When this option is selected, Adobe Bridge creates cache files for the selected folder and its subfolders. When a 
folder is copied to an external disc, such as a CD or DVD for archiving, the cache files are copied, too. When you 
navigate to a previously unviewed folder in Adobe Bridge, such as a folder on the archived CD, Adobe Bridge uses the 
exported cache to display thumbnails faster. The exported cache is based on the central cache and includes duplicate 
information.
Note: Exported cache files are hidden files. To view them in Adobe Bridge, choose View > Show Hidden Files.
Purge Cache For Folder [Selected Folder] Clears the cache for the selected folder. This command is useful if you 
suspect that the cache for a folder is old and must be regenerated. (If, for example, thumbnails and metadata are not 
being updated.)
Set cache preferences
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Click Cache.
3Do any of the following:
Keep 100% Previews In Cache  Keeps 100% previews of images in the cache to speed zoom operations in a slide show 
or in full-screen preview, and when using the Loupe tool. Keeping 100% previews in cache, however, can use 
significant disk space.
Automatically Export Caches To Folders When Possible  Creates exported cache files in the viewed folder, if possible. 
For example, you cannot place cache files in a folder on a read-only disc. Exporting cache files is useful when, for 
example, you share images, because the images can display faster when viewed in Adobe
 Bridge on a different 
computer.
Location Specify a new location for the cache. The new location takes effect the next time you start Adobe Bridge.
Cache Size Drag the slider to specify a larger or smaller cache size. If the cache is near the defined limit (500,000 
records) or the volume that contains the cache is too full, older cached items are removed when you exit Adobe Bridge.
Compact Cache Optimize cache by removing obsolete records to reduce the total number of records.
Purge Cache Delete the entire cache, freeing room on the hard drive.
View and manage files in Adobe Bridge
Navigate files and folders
Do any of the following:
Select a folder in the Folders panel. Press the Down Arrow and Up Arrow keys in the Folders panel to navigate the 
directory. Press the Right Arrow key to expand a folder. Press the Left Arrow key to collapse a folder. 
						

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Select an item in the Favorites panel.
Click the Go To Parent Or Favorites button  or Reveal Recent button  in the application bar and choose an item.
To reveal a file in the operating system, select it and choose File > Reveal In Explorer (Windows) or File > Reveal In 
Finder (Mac OS).
Click the Go Back button  or Go Forward button  in the application bar to navigate between recently visited 
folders.
Double-click a folder in the Content panel to open it.
Ctrl-double click (Windows) or Command-double click (Mac OS) a folder in the Content panel to open that folder in 
a new window.
Drag a folder from Windows Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Mac OS) to the path bar to go to that location in 
Adobe
 Bridge.
Drag a folder from Windows Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Mac OS) to the Preview panel to open it. In 
Mac
 OS, you can also drag a folder from the Finder to the Adobe Bridge icon to open it.
Use the path bar to navigate:
Click an item in the path bar to go to it.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an item in the path bar to turn on folder “cruising.” Folder 
cruising allows you to see and go to the subfolders of the selected item. You can also click a right-pointing arrow
  
in the path bar to cruise the subfolders of the preceding item.
Drag an item from the Content panel to the path bar to go to that location.
Click the last item in the path bar to edit the path. Press Esc to return to the icon mode.
Note: Show or hide the path bar by choosing Window > Path Bar.
Show subfolder contents
You can specify that Adobe Bridge display folders and subfolders in one continuous, “flat” view. Flat view displays the 
entire contents of a folder, including its subfolders, so you don’t have to navigate the subfolders. 
❖To display the contents of folders in flat view, choose View > Show Items From Subfolders.
Open files in Adobe Bridge
You can open files from Adobe Bridge, even files that were not made with Adobe software. When you use 
Adobe
 Bridge to open a file, the file opens in its native application or the application you specify. You can also use 
Adobe
 Bridge to place files in an open document in an Adobe application.
❖Select a file and do any of the following:
Choose File > Open.
Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
Press Ctrl+Down Arrow key (Windows) or Command+Down Arrow key (Mac OS).
Double-click the file in the Content panel.
Choose File > Open With, followed by the name of the application with which to open the file.
Drag the file onto an application icon.
Choose File > Open In Camera Raw to edit the camera raw settings for the file. 
						

							15CREATIVE SUITE 5Adobe Bridge
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To open photos from a digital camera into Adobe Bridge, use the Adobe Photo Downloader. See “Get photos from 
a digital camera or card reader into Adobe Bridge” on page 20.
Change file type associations
Selecting the application to open a specific file type affects only those files that you open using Adobe Bridge and 
overrides operating system settings. 
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and click File Type 
Associations.
2Click the name of the application (or None) and click Browse to locate the application to use.
3To reset the file type associations to their default settings, click Reset To Default Associations.
4To hide any file types that don’t have associated applications, select Hide Undefined File Associations.
Place files into another application
Select the file in Adobe Bridge and choose File > Place, followed by the name of the application. For instance, you 
can use this command to place a JPEG image into Adobe Illustrator.
Drag a file from Adobe Bridge into the desired application. Depending on the file, the document into which you 
want to place the file may need to be opened first.
Search for files and folders with Adobe Bridge
You can search for files and folders with Adobe Bridge by using multiple combinations of search criteria. You can save 
search criteria as a smart collection, which is a collection that stays up to date with files that meet your criteria.
1Choose Edit > Find.
2Choose a folder in which to search.
3Choose search criteria by selecting options and limiters from the Criteria menus. Enter search text in the box on 
the right. 
4To add search criteria, click the plus sign (+). To remove search criteria, click the minus sign (-).
5Choose an option from the Match menu to specify whether any or all criteria must be met.
6(Optional) Select Include All Subfolders to expand the search to any subfolders in the source folder.
7(Optional) Select Include Non-Indexed Files to specify that Adobe Bridge search uncached as well as cached files. 
Searching uncached files (in folders that you have not previously browsed in Adobe
 Bridge) is slower than 
searching just cached files.
8Click Find. 
9(Optional) To save the search criteria, click the New Smart Collection button  in the Collections panel when 
Adobe Bridge displays your search results. The Smart Collection dialog box automatically includes the criteria of 
your search. Refine the criteria if desired, and then click Save. Type a name for the smart collection in the 
Collections panel, and then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac
 OS). See “Create a smart collection” on page 21. 
						

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Perform a Quick Search
Use the Quick Search field in the application bar to find files and folders in Adobe Bridge. Quick Search lets you search 
using either the Adobe
 Bridge search engine or Windows Desktop Search (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac OS). The 
Adobe
 Bridge engine searches filenames and keywords. Operating system engines look for filenames, folder names, 
and image keywords. Adobe
 Bridge search looks within the currently selected folder and all subfolders, including My 
Computer (Windows) and Computer (Mac
 OS). Operating system search engines look in the currently selected folder 
or in My Computer (Windows) and Computer (Mac
 OS).
1Click the magnifying glass icon  in the Quick Search field and choose Adobe Bridge, Windows Desktop Search 
(Windows), or Spotlight (Mac OS) as your search engine.
2Enter a search criteria.
3Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS). 
Note: Windows Desktop Search is installed by default for Vista. Windows XP users can download and install it from the 
Microsoft website. Adobe Bridge detects if Windows Desktop Search is installed and enables the functionality accordingly. 
The default Windows Desktop Search only indexes to the Documents and Settings directory. To include additional 
locations, modify your options in the Windows Desktop Search Options dialog box.
Label and rate files
Labeling files with a certain color or assigning ratings of zero (0) to five stars lets you mark a large number of files 
quickly. You can then sort files according to their color label or rating. 
For example, suppose you’re viewing a large number of imported images in Adobe Bridge. As you review each new 
image, you can label the images you want to keep. After this initial pass, you can use the Sort command to display and 
work on files that you’ve labeled with a particular color.
You can label and rate folders as well as files. 
You can assign names to labels in Labels preferences. The name is then added to the file’s metadata when you apply 
the label. When you change names of labels in preferences, any files with the older label appear with white labels in the 
Content panel.
Note: When you view folders, Adobe Bridge shows both labeled and unlabeled files until you choose another option. 
1To label files, select one or more files and choose a label from the Label menu. To remove labels from files, choose 
Label
 > No Label.
2To rate files, select one or more file and do any of the following:
In the Content panel, click the dot representing the number of stars you want to give the file. (In Thumbnail view, 
a thumbnail must be selected for the dots to appear. Also, dots do not appear in very small thumbnail views. If 
necessary, scale the thumbnails until the dots appear. In List view, make sure that the Ratings column is visible.)
Choose a rating from the Label menu.
To add or remove one star, choose Label > Increase Rating or Label > Decrease Rating.
To remove all stars, choose Label > No Rating.
To add a Reject rating, choose Label > Reject or press Alt+Delete (Windows) or Option+Delete (Mac OS).
Note: To hide rejected files in Adobe Bridge, choose View > Show Reject Files.