Creative Adobe Suite 5 Manual

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Last updated 11/16/2011
Preview dynamic media files in Adobe Bridge
You can preview most video, audio, and 3D files in Adobe Bridge. You can preview SWF, FLV, and F4V files as well 
as most files supported by the version of QuickTime you have installed on your computer. Use Playback preferences 
to control how media files are played. 
Preview media files in the Preview panel
1Select the file to preview in the Content panel.
2In the Preview panel, click the Play button  to start the video, click the Pause button  to pause playback, click 
the Loop button  to turn continuous loop on or off, or click the Volume button  to adjust loudness.
You can brighten or darken the Adobe Bridge interface to better preview dynamic media files. See “Adjust brightness 
and colors” on page 8. 
Play full-screen previews of dynamic media files
1Select the file to preview in the Content panel.
2Choose View > Full Screen Preview.
3Click the Pause button  to pause playback, click the Play button  to resume playback, click the Loop 
button  to turn continuous loop on or off, or click the Volume button  to adjust loudness.
4Press Esc to return to Adobe Bridge.
Set playback preferences
1In Adobe Bridge, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Click Playback.
3Change any of the following settings, and click OK.
Stack Playback Frame Rate In stacks that contain 10 or more images, you can preview (scrub) the images. This option 
lets you specify a frame rate for previewing image stacks. (See 
“Stack files in Adobe Bridge” on page 23.)
Play Audio Files Automatically When Previewed When you click an audio file to display it in the Preview panel, the 
audio begins to play automatically. Turn off this option to play audio files manually.
Loop Audio Files When Previewed Continually repeats (loops) the audio file. Deselect this option if you want the audio 
file to play only once.
Play Video Files Automatically When Previewed Play a video file automatically in the Preview panel when you select it 
in the Content panel.
Loop Video Files When Previewed Continually repeats (loops) the video file. Deselect this option if you want the video 
file to play only once.
Export photos from Adobe Bridge to the web
The Export panel in Adobe Bridge CS5 provides a streamlined way to save photos as JPEG and easily upload them to 
photo-sharing websites, including Facebook, Flickr, and Photoshop.com. 
						

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Note: Exporting to Facebook, Flickr, and Photoshop.com is available only in North America.
For more information about using the Export panel in Adobe Bridge, see Exporting from Bridge CS5 to social media 
sites by Michael Hoffman.
Important: When using the Export panel, make sure you have installed the latest Adobe Bridge update. Download 
updates from the 
Adobe product updates page.
Manage Export modules
Adobe Bridge uses modules for exporting photos. Each module holds photos in a queue until you export them. Each 
module allows you to specify image size and other options.
Save To Hard Drive  Saves JPEG photos to a location on your hard drive .
Facebook  Uploads photos to a Facebook account. You can upload to an existing album or a new album.
Flickr  Uploads photos to a Flickr account. You can specify privacy settings before you upload.
Photoshop.com  Uploads photos to a Photoshop.com account, incluing to a specific gallery or collection.
To enable or disable export modules, click the Export panel menu button  and choose Manage Modules.
To view your export history, click the Export panel menu button  and choose Export Progress.
Use Export queues
To add photos to a queue, drag them from the Content panel to a module in the Export panel.
Hide/show the contents of a queue by clicking the triangle to the left of the module name.
To remove a photo from a queue, select the photo and click the Remove Photo button .
To empty an entire queue, click the Clear Job button .
Click the Reveal In Bridge button  to go to a queued photo in the Content panel.
Export photos 
1Double-click a queue or click the Export Job button .
2Specify options in the Destination tab of the Export dialog box:
(Photo-sharing modules) Sign in to the website.
Choose a location for the exported files, such as a Flickr set, a Photoshop.com gallery, or a folder on your hard drive.
(Flickr) Specify privacy settings for the photos you upload.
(Save To Hard Drive) Specify how to resolve naming conflicts. You can rename the files, overwrite existing files 
with the same name, or skip the file when you export.
3Specify options in the Image Options tab of the Export dialog box:
Image Size And Quality If you choose Manual Size instead of Don’t Resize, specify the following:
Constrain To Fit Specify, in pixels, the maximum length of the longer side of the image. Adobe Bridge preserves the 
aspect ratio of the exported image.
Resample Method Bilinear provides medium-quality results. Bicubic is slower than bilinear but produces 
smoother tonal gradations. Bicubic Sharper applies sharpening, making it good for preserving detail in resampled 
images. 
						

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Always Render From Fullsize Image Creates the JPEG from the full-size image, not from a lower-quality preview.
Image Quality Higher numbers preserve greater image quality and apply less compression.
Metadata Specify what metadata and keywords to include with the exported image:
Include Original Metadata Include all metadata, just the copyright, the copyright and contact information, or all 
metadata except camera and Camera Raw metadata.
Apply Metadata Template See “Work with metadata templates” on page 37.
Additional Keywords Enter any additional keywords you want to apply to the photo.
4Click Export.
Export photos using presets
Presets appear as queues in the Export panel. When you export a job using a preset, Adobe Bridge bypasses the Export 
dialog box and starts the export directly.
❖To reuse settings, specify options in the Export dialog box, then enter a name in the Preset Name field and click Save.
Automate tasks in Adobe Bridge
Run tasks from the Tools menu
The Tools menu contains submenus for various commands available in different Adobe Creative Suite components. 
For example, if you have Adobe Photoshop installed, you can use the commands under the Tools
 > Photoshop 
submenu to process photos that you select in Adobe Bridge. Running these tasks from Adobe Bridge saves time 
because you don’t have to open each file individually.
Note: Third parties can also create and add their own items to the Tools menu for added functionality in Adobe Bridge. 
For information about creating scripts, visit the 
Bridge Developer Center.
Adobe Bridge also includes useful automation scripts. The Adobe Output Module script, for example, lets you create 
web photo galleries and generate Adobe PDF contact sheets and full-screen presentations. The Auto Collection
 CS5 
script stacks sets of photos for processing into panoramas or HDR images in Photoshop.
1Select the files or folders you want to use. If you select a folder, the command is applied where possible to all files 
in the folder.
2Choose Tools > [Component], followed by the command you want. (If your component doesn’t have any 
automated tasks available, it doesn’t appear in the Tools menu.)
For information about a particular command, see or search the documentation for that component.
Batch rename files 
You can rename files in a group, or batch. When you batch rename files, you can choose the same settings for all the 
selected files. For other batch-processing tasks, you can use scripts to run automated tasks.
1Select the files that you want to rename.
2Choose Tools > Batch Rename. 
						

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3Set the following options:
Destination Folder Place the renamed files in the same folder, move them to another folder, or place copies in another 
folder. If you choose to put the renamed files in a different folder, click Browse to select the folder.
New Filenames Choose elements from the menus and enter text as appropriate to create new filenames. Click the Plus 
button
 (+) or Minus button (-) to add or delete elements.
String Substitution Allows you to change all or part of a filename to custom text. First, choose what you want to 
replace: Original Filename  replaces the string from the original filename. Intermediate Filename replaces a string that 
is defined by preceding options in the New Filenames pop-up menus. Use Regular Expression allows you to use regular 
expressions to find strings based on patterns in filenames. Replace All replaces all substrings that match the pattern in 
the source string.
Options Select Preserve Current Filename In XMP Metadata to retain the original filename in the metadata. For 
Compatibility, select the operating systems with which you want renamed files to be compatible. The current operating 
system is selected by default, and cannot be deselected.
Preview One current and new filename appear in the Preview area at the bottom of the Batch Rename dialog box. To 
see how all selected files will be renamed, click the Preview button.
4(Optional) Select a preset from the Presets menu to renaming with frequently used naming schemes. To save batch 
rename settings for reuse, click Save.
For more information on batch-renaming files, see any of the following tutorials:
Stacking and renaming files, by Conrad Chavez
Batch-renaming, by Deke McClelland
Changing obscure camera filenames with the Batch Rename command, by Michael Ninness
Automatically stack HDR and panoramic images
The Auto Collection CS5 script in Adobe Bridge assembles sets of images into stacks for processing as high dynamic 
range (HDR) or panoramic composites in Photoshop
 CS5. The script collects images into stacks based on capture 
time, exposure settings, and image alignment. Timestamps must be within 18 seconds for the Auto Collection script 
to process the photos. If exposure settings vary across the photos and content overlaps by more than 80%, the script 
interprets the photos as an HDR set. If exposure is constant and content overlaps by less than 80%, the script interprets 
the photos as being part of a panorama.
Note: You must have Adobe Bridge with Photoshop CS5 or later for Auto Collection CS5 to be available.
1To enable the Auto Collection CS5 script, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > 
Preferences (Mac
 OS).
2In the Startup Scripts panel, select Auto Collection CS5, and then click OK.
3Select a folder with the HDR or panoramic shots, and choose Stacks > Auto-Stack Panorama/HDR.
4Choose Tools > Photoshop > Process Collections In Photoshop to automatically merge them and see the result in 
Adobe Bridge.
Note: For more information about panoramas and HDR in Photoshop, see the Photoshop Community Help topics Create 
panoramic images with Photomerge and High dynamic range images. 
						

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Create web galleries and PDFs with Adobe Output 
Module
The Adobe Output Module is a script that comes with Adobe Bridge CS5 and later. You can use it to create HTML and 
Flash web galleries that you upload to a web server. You can also create PDF contact sheets and presentations with the 
Adobe Output Module.
The Adobe Output Module is available through the Output workspace.
Create a web photo gallery 
A web photo gallery is a website that features a home page with thumbnail images that link to gallery pages that display 
full-size images. Adobe Output Module provides various gallery templates, which you can select and customize using 
the Output panel. 
1Select the images you want to include in the gallery and choose Window > Workspace > Output. Then, click the 
Web Gallery button at the top of the Output panel.
If the Output space is not listed, open Adobe Bridge Preferences (Ctrl + K on Windows or Command + K on Mac OS), 
select the Startup Scripts panel, and select Adobe Output Module.
2Choose a gallery from the Template menu and specify a thumbnail size from the Style menu. Then, customize the 
appearance of the gallery using the options in the following drawers:
Site Info Specify information that appears on every page of the gallery, including a title, a description, and contact 
name and e-mail address.
Color Palette Options vary depending on selected template. Choose colors for different elements of the gallery, such 
as text, header text, background, and borders.
Appearance Options vary depending on selected template. Specify the size of images and thumbnails, the quality of 
the JPEG images, transition effects, layouts, and whether to include filenames on HTML gallery images.
Image Info (Airtight galleries only) Include a caption, based on image metadata, on gallery images.
Output Settings (Airtight galleries only) Specify the size and quality of JPEG gallery images.
3Click Refresh Preview to view the gallery in the Output Preview panel in Adobe Bridge. Click Preview In Browser 
to preview the gallery in your default web browser.
Important: Gallery previews display up to 20 files, but the complete gallery is saved and uploaded.
4(Optional) Save custom settings for reuse by clicking the Save Style button .
5To upload your gallery via FTP, open the Create Gallery drawer. Enter an FTP Server address, User Name, 
Password, and Folder destination. Then, click Upload.
Note: When typing the server path, use slashes for designating directories. Check with your web hosting provider to verify 
the path for accessing your public folder on the web server.
Note: Adobe Bridge adds characters to the text you enter in the Password field after you click or press Tab to go to another 
field. Adobe
 Bridge adds these characters for security reasons.
6To save your gallery on your hard drive, open the Create Gallery drawer and specify a Save Location. Then, click Save. 
						

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Create a PDF contact sheet 
Using the Adobe Output Module, you can create PDF contact sheets of one or more images. For contact sheets of 
multiple images, all images in the layout are a uniform size. By specifying playback options, you can also create a PDF 
to use as a full-screen or slide show presentation.
Note: To create print layouts that contain images in more than one size, use the optional Picture Package plug-in for 
Photoshop
 CS5. For more information, see Print photos in a picture package layout in Photoshop Community Help.
1Select the images you want to include in the PDF file and choose Window > Workspace > Output. Then, click the 
PDF button at the top of the Output panel.
If the Output space is not listed, open Adobe Bridge Preferences (Ctrl + K on Windows or Command + K on Mac OS), 
select the Startup Scripts panel, and select Adobe Output Module.
2Choose an option from the Template menu. Then, customize the PDF using the options in the following drawers:
Document Specify page size, orientation, output quality (in ppi); JPEG image compression quality; background color; 
and optional permissions.
Layout Image-placement and image-spacing options.
Overlays Print the filename under each image and page numbers in a header or footer.
Header, Footer Enable headers and footers and specify their positioning and type.
Playback Options for how the PDF plays onscreen in Adobe Acrobat® or Adobe Reader®.
Watermark Add a text or graphical watermark to each page or each image. Customize the text font, size, and color. 
Customize the text or graphic’s scale, opacity, offset, and rotation.
3Click Refresh Preview to preview the PDF in the Output Preview panel.
Important: The Output Preview panel displays only the first page of the PDF.
4(Optional) Save custom settings for reuse by clicking the Save Template button .
5To automatically open the PDF in Acrobat or Reader after you save it, select View PDF After Save at the bottom of 
the Output panel. Otherwise, click Save.
Adobe Output Module preferences
1In the Startup Scripts pane of Adobe Bridge preferences, select Adobe Output Module to enable the Output panel.
2In the Output pane of Adobe Bridge preferences, specify the following:
Use Solo Mode For Output Panel Behavior Allows only one drawer of options in the Output panel to be open at a time.
Convert Multi-Byte Filenames To Full ASCII Removes multibyte characters from filenames when generating a gallery. 
Use if your FTP server doesn’t accept multibyte characters.
Preserve Embedded Color Profile Preserves a color profile that is embedded in the image, if possible. If the profile is 
not supported in JPEG, Adobe Output Module converts the profile to sRGB. 
						

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Work with metadata in Adobe Bridge
About metadata
Metadata is a set of standardized information about a file, such as author name, resolution, color space, copyright, and 
keywords applied to it. For example, most digital cameras attach some basic information to an image file, such as 
height, width, file format, and time the image was taken. You can use metadata to streamline your workflow and 
organize your files.
About the XMP standard
Metadata information is stored using the Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) standard, on which Adobe Bridge, 
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop are built. Adjustments made to images with Photoshop® 
Camera Raw are stored as XMP metadata. XMP is built on XML, and in most cases the metadata is stored in the file. 
If it isn’t possible to store the information in the file, metadata is stored in a separate file called a sidecar file. XMP 
facilitates the exchange of metadata between Adobe applications and across publishing workflows. For example, you 
can save metadata from one file as a template, and then import the metadata into other files.
Metadata that is stored in other formats, such as Exif, IPTC (IIM), GPS, and TIFF, is synchronized and described with 
XMP so that it can be more easily viewed and managed. Other applications and features (for example, Adobe Drive) 
also use XMP to communicate and store information such as version comments, which you can search using Adobe 
Bridge. 
In most cases, the metadata remains with the file even when the file format changes (for example, from PSD to JPG). 
Metadata also remains when files are placed in an Adobe document or project.
If you’re a C++ or Java developer, use the XMP Toolkit SDK to customize the processing and exchange of metadata. 
If you’re an Adobe Flash or Flex developer, use the XMP File Info SDK to customize the File Info dialog box. For more 
information, visit the Adobe website.
Working with metadata in Adobe Bridge and Adobe Creative Suite components
Many of the powerful Adobe Bridge features that allow you to organize, search, and keep track of your files and 
versions depend on XMP metadata in your files. Adobe Bridge provides two ways of working with metadata: through 
the Metadata panel and through the File Info dialog box. 
In some cases, multiple views exist for the same metadata property. For example, a property may be labeled Author in 
one view and Creator in another, but both refer to the same underlying property. Even if you customize these views 
for specific workflows, they remain standardized through XMP. 
More Help topics 
“Add metadata using the File Info dialog box” on page 36
“Work with metadata templates” on page 37
“Import metadata into a document” on page 38
The Metadata panel
A file’s metadata contains information about the contents, copyright status, origin, and history of the file. In the 
Metadata panel, you can view and edit the metadata for selected files, use metadata to search for files, and use templates 
to append and replace metadata. 
						

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Depending on the selected file, the following types of metadata may appear:
File Properties Describes the characteristics of the file, including the size, creation date, and modification date.
IPTC (IIM, Legacy) Displays editable metadata such as a description and copyright information. This set of metadata is 
hidden by default because IPTC Core supersedes it. However, you can display IPTC (IIM, legacy) metadata by 
selecting it from the Metadata options in the Preferences dialog box.
IPTC Core Displays editable metadata about the file. The IPTC Core specification was developed by the International 
Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) for professional photography, especially news and stock photos.
Fonts Lists the fonts used in Adobe InDesign files.
Linked Files Lists files that are linked to an Adobe InDesign document.
Plates Lists CMYK plates specified for printing in Adobe Illustrator files.
Document Swatches List the swatches used in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator files.
Camera Data (Exif) Displays information assigned by digital cameras, including the camera settings used when the 
image was taken.
GPS Displays navigational information from a global positioning system (GPS) available in some digital cameras. 
Photos without GPS information don’t have GPS metadata.
Camera Raw Displays settings applied by the Camera Raw plug-in.
Audio Displays metadata for audio files, including artist, album, track number, and genre.
Video Displays metadata for video files, including pixel aspect ratio, scene, and shot.
Edit History Keeps a log of changes made to images with Photoshop.
Note: The History Log preference must be turned on in Photoshop for the log to be saved with the file’s metadata.
DICOM Displays information about images saved in the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 
format. 
Mobile SWF Lists information about SWF files, including title, author, description, and copyright.
1To specify the metadata that appears in the Metadata panel, do one of the following:
Choose Preferences from the Metadata panel menu.
Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Bridge CS5.1 > Preferences (Mac OS), and then select Metadata 
from the list on the left.
2Select the metadata fields that you want to display in the Metadata panel.
3Select the Hide Empty Fields option to hide fields with no information in them.
4Click OK.
The metadata placard
The metadata placard uses common icons for digital camera commands and functions. 
						

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Metadata placard keyA. Aperture  B. Metering mode  C. White balance  D. Image dimensions  E. Image size  F. Color profile or filename extension  G. Shutter speed  
H. Exposure compensation  I. ISO  
Metering mode icons that appear in the metadata placard:
Note: See the documentation that came with your camera for more information on its metering mode icons.
White balance icons that appear in the metadata placard:
❖To show or hide the metadata placard, do one of the following:
Select or deselect Show Metadata Placard from the Metadata panel menu.
Select or deselect Show Metadata Placard in Metadata preferences.
View metadata 
❖Do any of the following:
Select one or more files and view the information in the Metadata panel. If you select multiple files, only metadata 
that is common to the files appears. Use the scroll bars to view hidden categories. Click the triangle to display 
everything within a category. 
You can change the typeface size in the panel by choosing Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size from the panel 
menu.
Select one or more files and choose File > File Info. Then, select any of the categories listed at the top of the dialog 
box. Use the left and right arrows to scroll categories, or click the down arrow and select a category from the list.
Choose View > As Details to display the metadata next to the thumbnails in the Content panel. 
Choose View > As List to display the metadata in columns in the Content panel. 
Position the pointer over a thumbnail in the content area. (Metadata appears in a tool tip only if Show Tooltips is 
selected in Thumbnails preferences.) 
Average or centerweighted 
averageEvaluative
SpotMultispot
Matrix or patternPartial
Centerweighted average or 
center weightOther or unknown
Digital ESP
As shotTungsten
AutoFluorescent
DaylightFlash
CloudyCustom
Shade
ABC
DEF
GHI 
						

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Edit metadata in the Metadata panel
1Click the Pencil icon to the far right of the metadata field you want to edit. 
2Type in the box to edit or add metadata.
3Press Tab to move through metadata fields.
4When you have finished editing the metadata, click the Apply button  at the bottom of the Metadata panel. To 
cancel any changes you’ve made, click the Cancel button  at the bottom of the panel.
View Camera Raw and Lightroom metadata in Adobe Bridge
Because Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, and Lightroom all use the XMP standard for storing metadata, each application 
can read metadata changes made in the others. If you add a star rating or IPTC information to a photo in 
Adobe
 Bridge, for example, Lightroom can display that metadata in the Library module. Similarly, adjustments or 
other metadata changes that you make to a photo in Camera Raw or Lightroom appear in Adobe
 Bridge. Metadata 
changes made in Lightroom must be saved to XMP in Lightroom in order for Adobe
 Bridge to recognize them.
While browsing files, Adobe Bridge rereads metadata, detects changes, and updates previews automatically. When 
Adobe
 Bridge detects metadata changes have been made to a photo, it displays a Has Settings badge  in the photo 
thumbnail in the Content panel.
Note: If you switch between Lightroom and Adobe Bridge rapidly, you may notice a delay in the update appearing in the 
Content and Preview panels. If, after waiting a few seconds, Adobe
 Bridge does not automatically display metadata 
changes from Lightroom or Camera Raw, choose View
 > Refresh, or press F5.
View linked InDesign files
Adobe InDesign CS5 documents that contain linked files display a link badge  in the upper-right corner of the 
thumbnail in the Content panel. The metadata for the linked files is available in Adobe Bridge.
1Select an Adobe InDesign document with linked files in the Content panel of the Adobe Bridge window.
2In the Metadata panel, expand the Linked Files section to view the names and paths of the linked files.
3Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the .indd file and choose Show Linked Files to see the linked files 
in the Contents panel.
View colors (Illustrator and InDesign) or fonts (InDesign)
When you select an InDesign document, the Metadata panel displays fonts and color swatches used in the document. 
When you select an Illustrator document, the Metadata panel displays plates and color swatches used in the document.
1Select an InDesign or Illustrator document in the Content panel of the Adobe Bridge window.
2In the Metadata panel, expand the Fonts (InDesign only), Plates (Illustrator only), or Document Swatches sections.
Add metadata using the File Info dialog box
The File Info dialog box displays camera data, file properties, an edit history, copyright, and author information. The 
File Info dialog box also displays custom metadata panels. You can add metadata directly in the File Info dialog box. 
If you select multiple files, the dialog box shows where different values exist for a text field. Any information you enter 
in a field overrides existing metadata and applies the new value to all selected files.