New PSP X9 User Question - Page Orientation

[artgal]

ehume - I recently moved and still have a lot of stuff in boxes. If I get a chance to dig through them I'm likely to find at least v 7 (my fav) and 9 and X2 but since I'm evaluating this X6 trial with about 2 weeks left, I'm really trying to determine if I want to pay for it. I'm still running Win7 Pro with no plans up upgrading to Win 10 till right before January. Will my older versions of PSP run on Win10?

The Print properties aren't the same. They won't change the orientation of the file, just the orientation of the paper it prints on but thanks for the suggestion.

[artgal]

Is there a Corel Customer Support number for PSP Trial users?

[ehume]

. . .Will my older versions of PSP run on Win10? . . .

Yes. My copies of PSP 7, PSP9, PSP XI, PSPx4, PSPx6-x9, PSP 2018 all work fine on Win10. Same with PSP 4, 5, 6, but I got them through downloads from oldversion.com.

[Jean-Luc]

Is there a Corel Customer Support number for PSP Trial users?

No.

[artgal]

Thanks, that's good to know.

[Jean-Luc]

I can't get it to install as 64 bit (my system is 64-bit capable) so I'm running it as 32-bit for the time being. Can that be causing a limitation with X9?

PSP 32 bit version is the same as PSP 64 bit version. The 64 bit version handles more memory and some other technical stuff but there is no difference when using 32 or 64 bit (same tools, same workspace, same .pspimage files, etc.).

Trial versions: they are the same as paid versions. The limitation is: they will not run after 30 days (calendar days, not using days).

[Jean-Luc]

1. If, after working on the file, I decide I want to change the page orientation to landscape, what exactly do I do?

I suggest you create a square image at maximum length or width.
Place virtual guides to delimit a portrait or landscape working area.
When needed, do the final crop.

[hartpaul]

able to add the simple little portrait/landscape icon onto my top tool bar below the menu toolbar

Just looked at PSP X6 and so far not able to find this portrait /landscape icon. Where did you get it from ?

I did a quick look at PSPx6 and can confirm your observation. Nothing in PSP 9 either. But in PSP 7 there is a single rotate button. I remember that button. I used it for years. Today, you will find the function shared among three buttons:

Rotate.jpg

To get those buttons, follow the directions I posted earlier.

Found that button /icon - it is labelled Free Rotation, not Portrait/ landscape. In Customise go to Image and should be third one down after Rotate Left and Rotate Right.

[Jean-Luc]

Found that button /icon - it is labelled Free Rotation, not Portrait/ landscape. In Customise go to Image and should be third one down after Rotate Left and Rotate Right.

Yes, but it only works if :
- All layers is UNCHECKED and
- Background layer is selected in the Layers Palette.

Bravo Hartpaul !

[JoeB]

Found that button /icon - it is labelled Free Rotation, not Portrait/ landscape. In Customise go to Image and should be third one down after Rotate Left and Rotate Right.

Yes, but it only works if :
- All layers is UNCHECKED and
- Background layer is selected in the Layers Palette.

You also have to have the 90 degree radio button active in the Free Rotate dialogue that opens (Free Rotate, of course, is also under the menu item Image>Free Rotate).

Also, it will only work properly - i.e., without issues - if (a) the background canvas layer is transparent, or (b) if the background canvas layer is colored (e.g. white) then it has to remain a Background layer and cannot have been promoted to a regular raster layer.

Given all of those conditions, I'm not sure it sounds like it does what the OP seems to want to achieve - i.e., have a one-click option to rotate the background canvas layer. But I could be wrong.

Personally, I don't think there has ever been such an option in PSP.

[ehume]

I think hartpaul has it right. If you back off so the whole thing is in view, this single button leads you to a portrait or landscape.

[JoeB]

I think hartpaul has it right. If you back off so the whole thing is in view, this single button leads you to a portrait or landscape.

Doesn't work for me in PSP 2019 I'm afraid. For me that button, dragged to my toolbar, just opens the same dialogue as does Image>Free Rotate. Have you tried the situations that I outlined that are required to make it work for the OP, and the opposite situations where it won't work without issues?

[ehume]

I think hartpaul has it right. If you back off so the whole thing is in view, this single button leads you to a portrait or landscape.

Doesn't work for me in PSP 2019 I'm afraid. For me that button, dragged to my toolbar, just opens the same dialogue as does Image>Free Rotate. Have you tried the situations that I outlined that are required to make it work for the OP, and the opposite situations where it won't work without issues?

Yup. I have PSPx9 and PSP 2018 both up. That Free Rotate button with the All Layers box checked works in both apps. Of course, you have to set it to 90 degrees. Any other angle and you see a background color of black.

[JoeB]

I think hartpaul has it right. If you back off so the whole thing is in view, this single button leads you to a portrait or landscape.

Doesn't work for me in PSP 2019 I'm afraid. For me that button, dragged to my toolbar, just opens the same dialogue as does Image>Free Rotate. Have you tried the situations that I outlined that are required to make it work for the OP, and the opposite situations where it won't work without issues?

Yup. I have PSPx9 and PSP 2018 both up. That Free Rotate button with the All Layers box checked works in both apps. Of course, you have to set it to 90 degrees. Any other angle and you see a background color of black.

I am getting confused by your descriptions, so I would like to take this step by step if you don't mind.

1) First, the OP doesn't want the All Layers box checked. She wants to be able to only rotate the background canvas layer without rotating the objects on layers above that canvas.

2) Second, are you telling me that, when you drag the Free Rotate button to a toolbar and then click on that button it does NOT open the Free Rotate dialogue box? Remember, the OP is looking for a button that is a one-click solution. That means no dialogue boxes open. The background canvas is just supposed to rotate independently of all other layers above it.

3) Third, I also have PSP X9 and 2018 and have put that button on a toolbar in both versions and it also opens the Free Rotate dialogue box in both of those versions.

4) Fourth, when the dialogue box opens it has retained the settings last used with that dialogue. So if, on another project, you had slected the Free radio button set at 45 degrees and All Layers checked, then for the OP to achieve what she wants she would have to change it to selecting the 90 degree radio button as well as uncheck the All Layers box. This would add even more clicks, which she specifically said she wants to avoid.

5) And fifth, I don't think you did the experiment I described where I pointed out the other requirements she needs to have selected prior to trying to do her background canvas only rotation. If she starts with a background canvas in portrait orientation with a white background (instead of transparent) and has started by promoting that background canvas to a regular raster layer, then rotating the background canvas to landscape orientation would result in the white color of the background being only as wide as it was in portrait orientation, leaving transparency on the left and right of it. As I stated in my last post, the only want to make it work would be to ensure that the background canvas layer was NOT promoted to a raster layer, or if the background canvas was originally created as a transparent background. So again these are even more things that she would have to make sure of, making it even less of a simple one-click operation.

Remember, we are trying to find a solution to the OP's original request, not find a way to make the Free Rotate dialogue open with a button instead of using Image>Free Rotate.

[Jean-Luc]

Perhaps, it could be scripted and bind to an icon -> one click could do the job. IMHO.