Using fillable forms

With certain PDF files known as fillable forms, you can enter information and either save or print your changes. You can’t create fillable forms in Preview (you need Adobe Acrobat Pro or Smile’s PDFpenPro to do that), but you can fill out someone else’s PDF form, like any of the forms and publications from the IRS. Simply open the file, click on one of the fillable form fields, and enter your information. Once you’ve filled out the form in full, go to File > Save or File > Save As… to save the info you added or create a filled duplicate of the original form with a different file name.

Making annotations

When reviewing a document, I like to take notes directly in the document. This is particularly useful when interviewing job candidates, for instance. Using Preview, you can highlight, underline and strike through text; add notes and text boxes; and even some draw some limited graphics like lines, boxes, circles and arrows in PDF documents. To access the annotation toolbar in Preview, click on the Annotate button in Preview’s toolbar. In Snow Leopard, the annotation toolbar will appear at the bottom of the window. In Lion, a redesigned annotation toolbar will appear at the top.

Managing signatures

A new feature in OS X Lion’s version of Preview is the ability to manage signatures. This is great if you don’t have a scanner or fax machine handy. You can even create and manage a collection of various signatures. Create a new signature in Preview by following these steps:

1. Open a PDF in Preview and click on the Annotations toolbar button.
2. Click on the Signature button on the Annotation toolbar and select “Create Signature from Built-in iSight…”
3. Hold up a signed piece of paper to the camera and align it with the blue line.
4. Click “Accept” to add it to your library of signatures.
5. Add it to your PDF document from the Annotation toolbar the same way you would an arrow, text box or note.

Creating a duplicate

Since you’re technically editing the PDF file when adding annotations, saving a copy of the original as a new file might make sense. But if you’re using Lion, you can simply create a copy of the document by selecting “Duplicate” from Preview’s File menu. This is a lot easier than finding the document in the Finder, creating and renaming the file before opening, or even using the “Save As…” command.  If you have already made changes to the document before you duplicate, you will be presented with an option to revert your changes in the original, and create a duplicate copy that has all of your changes intact.

Any other tips for using Preview with PDF files? Share them in the comments.

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Since Jobs mentioned the coming update for the iPad last September, users have been wondering when multi-tasking and other features promised in 4.2 would actually arrive. The new page doesn’t answer that question, but it does provide a more detailed glimpse at what the update will provide.

Let’s talk about some of the new features iOS 4.2 will bring to your iPad that the iPhone already has. You’ll finally be able to switch between apps and play audio content in the background with Multitasking. Folders will allow you to cut down on the number of home screens on your iPad. Finally, Game Center and advanced Mail options (unified inbox, threaded messages) round out the pack.

There are a few new (unreleased for any iOS devices) things to be excited about, too. AirPrint (which, since it’s featured on the new Apple site, obviously isn’t being cancelled, regardless of what some think) will allow you to print mail, photos, and web pages to printers on your wireless network. AirPlay wirelessly streams videos, music, and photos to new models of the Apple TV, and streams music to AirPlay-enabled speakers and receivers or the Airport Express.

Other coming features include finding text within web pages and keyboard/dictionary and accessibility enhancements. With enhanced enterprise support, Apple offers businesses stronger security and device management options, which should help further Apple’s cause in bringing iOS to business IT.

Additionally, iOS 4.2 is being hailed as a performance improvement for 3G users. So, if you rushed to update your older iPhone and are now ready to throw it at the wall for its painfully slow speed, hang on a little bit longer because things could get better.

Various sites are reporting inside sources as mentioning that the update will release sometime this week. The new release of this information suggests it’ll be a few days still before the update arrives, because otherwise Apple wouldn’t have bothered. You may want to watch for the next iTunes update, as it often precedes an iOS update.

UPDATE: As readers have noted, the page itself isn’t new, but the “Coming Soon” tag is. The content of this article has been updated to reflect that.

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In this TechUniversity Preview screencast (subscription required), we’ll take an in-depth look at both PDF and image functionality.

For PDF documents, we’ll cover:

• Combining PDFs
• Searching PDFs
• Bookmarking PDFs
• Annotating PDFs

For images, we’ll cover:

• Selection Tools
• Slideshows
• Adjustment Tools

View the full Preview screencast on TechUniversity (subscription required)

Screencast Sample

Recently, Apple introduced preview launch pages for its iTunes musical content. The new pages, which replace the boring “iTunes is launching, please wait” dialog that used to appear, provide basically a snapshot of what you’ll find when that iTunes icon eventually stops bouncing and you’re taken to the relevant page on the iTunes store. And now iPhone apps have received the same treatment.

The launch page you now receive when you click App Store links looks pretty much exactly like what you’ll see in iTunes itself. Product description, recommended apps, screenshots and user reviews — it’s all there. Apple also benefits by providing you with the Apple web site’s top navigation bar, so that customers clicking through are now also potentially rerouted towards the company’s other products and offerings.

Is the web preview a good idea? I guess so, especially for Apple’s new customers, who might be confused or put off by links that just open an application on their computer with little or no explanation. And it’s good for Apple, as I’ve just mentioned, since it acts as a kind of light up-selling tool. But as an experienced user who doesn’t appreciate being sold to when I’m already trying to buy something, I see little point in the entire iTunes Preview concept.

Not that it’s completely without merit. In fact, there’s a very simple way to make the whole thing extremely useful and get rid of the annoyance that some feel when inadvertently clicking .itms links. I’m talking about just using iTunes Previews, without the simultaneous opening of iTunes itself. This is one of the few times I will actually advise the implementation of a user interface element that actually adds a step instead of taking one away, but in this case it just makes sense.

The launch pad tells you everything you need to know, since it literally contains all the information available on the item’s iTunes store page. Let us as customers pause there, reflect, perhaps preview songs, etc. and click through to other app previews, and then provide a link to open iTunes. I suspect even just the sense of agency this will allow consumers will help boost actual purchase numbers. And Apple still gets the chance to up sell using the navigation bar. Everybody wins.

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The sequel to Tweetie, the Twitter client that earned itself the much-coveted Apple Design Award earlier this year, is on its way to the App Store as you read this.

For the past few weeks I’ve been part of Loren Brichter‘s Tweetie 2 beta program, testing out new features as the former Apple engineer constructed his new Twitter client.

Brichter has rebuilt Tweetie from the ground-up. The sequel incorporates features such as app persistence, offline mode, drafts, threaded conversations, landscape support and much more.

Read on for an in-depth look at what to expect from Tweetie 2.

Look & Feel

While Tweetie 2 incorporates an updated aesthetic, it won’t be difficult for both new and veteran users to get to grips with the app. More so impressive is how the app incorporates a raft of new features without overwhelming the user.

Even after playing with Tweetie 2 for a few weeks, I’m still discovering new functionality. For instance, when replying to a tweet you can now drag down with your finger to “peek” at the original message.

It’s a small feature indeed but finding these kind of miniscule updates brings to mind that satisfied glow we all get when discovering new features in OS X. In essence, skimming through tweets, tapping out messages and finding new folk to follow looks and feels great with Tweetie 2.

Writing & Replying

Composing richer tweets is easier now. Tweetie 2 lays out the different options clearly so that you can quickly add content to your latest 140 character micro-opus. In a given tweet you’re able to access your Twitter address-book and @ messages, search current hashtags, geotag your tweet and add photos too.

Plus, just like with Tweetie on OS X, you can now shrink URLs with the tap of a button. Obsessively attentive readers may have noticed me video tweeting from Big Bird over the past few weeks, that’s because Tweetie 2 also incorporates video tweeting from the 3GS.

There’s also a wealth of options available beyond simply retweeting a message from someone that you’re following. Now you can quote the tweet, post a direct link, translate and even e-mail the tweet to a friend — all without leaving the app itself.

For prolific Twitter users there’s now a drafts manager. This means that you can write and save a stack of tweets for posting later on. I’ve found that it’s particularly handy to have several drafted tweets ready to go just incase you get hit by a case of tweeter’s block.

Browsing the Timeline

The app now features full persistence. This means that if you’re, say, tapping through a prolonged conversation and then you quit the app, you’re able to pick up exactly where you left off. Every single time you exit, the app remembers your place and drops you right back there.

Offline reading has been incorporated too. You’re now able to compose those witty little one-liners while offline, save them to your drafts, and unleash them on the Twittersphere next time you’re online. Even users or tweets you follow, block or favorite while offline will be synced back to the server.

Exactly like the desktop version of Tweetie, there are now threaded conversations, making it much easier to jump into an ongoing discussion and catch up with what you missed. Also, although I don’t use any read this later services, some users will be pleased to note that there’s Read It Later and Instapaper support too.

One of the most ingenious little additions to the timeline view is the “drag to refresh” gesture. Instead of tapping a refresh button, you simply scroll to the top of the timeline and then drag down. It works as intended and, thanks to the gesture combined with a sound-effect and flippy-floppy arrow, it feels tangible and satisfying.

Landscapes & Locations

Not only can you compose a tweet in landscape view, the entire app can be browsed in landscape view. I appreciate that some users may have been waiting for this, however it’s not a feature that I particularly wanted, nor do I make use of now that it’s here. If I could find the button to turn off auto-rotate, I would do so.

Setting that little niggle aside, the Nearby tweets feature has received a much-needed overhaul too. The original Tweetie displayed an odd looking radar animation before loading a basic, but functional, timeline of tweets nearby your current location.

The new Tweetie loads up a Google Map and then pops up tiny speech bubble icons representing all the tweets in your vicinity. It’s an effective way of sorting through local tweets and is a more creative approach than the standard timeline view.

And There’s Even More…

There are details and small features that you almost certainly won’t come across within the first few days of using the app. For instance, Brichter has now included profile editing from within the app.

Another feature that I just picked up on today is the ability to tweet simultaneously from multiple accounts. When composing a tweet you simply tap the “New Tweet” header at the top of the screen and then select the other accounts that you’d like to post the message from.

The Bottom Line

The app is a standalone purchase, as opposed to an update/upgrade. It’ll be available in the App Store soon for only $2.99, just like the original iPhone Tweetie. There’s also an update to the Mac version on the way, however this will be a free update to current owners of Tweetie for OS X.

If you’re unfamiliar with the current state of Twitter clients, we’ve got a great roundup here on TheAppleBlog. It’s worth noting that the original Tweetie came out on top as one of the top clients.

The new app definitely gets a thumbs-up from me, although I’d be interested to know which of you will be upgrading to Tweetie 2 when it comes out.

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News of the Mac app’s imminent release came yesterday (fittingly) via atebits’ own Twitter account, linking to a brief video on the atebits web site previewing the app. The trailer reminds me a little of an Apple commercial, thanks to the look and the sexy soundtrack. What’s more impressive, though, is the functionality the preview shows off. Tweetie for the Mac already looks like a heavily favored contender for best native OS X Twitter app.

Screen grab from the preview

The interface looks simple, but powerful, with a main window for displaying tweets and a sidebar on the left for quickly accessing your tweet stream, @replies, private messages, and search. You can switch between multiple accounts on the fly, just by clicking the appropriate profile icon in the same left-hand menu.

Other features include threaded conversations, that you access just by clicking on a reply, iChat style DM exchanges, easy nested navigation at the top of the app’s interface, drag and drop image sharing, in-app twitpic viewing, built-in searching, and link sharing via a bookmarklet for your browser. I’m sure there’s plenty more, but we’ll have to wait till this upcoming Monday to find out. I know I’ve got my day cleared.

For basic photo editing, if you’re running OS X 10.5 Leopard you don’t need Photoshop Elements or Pixelmator. Leopard’s Preview graphics viewer application is much more than a viewer; it now incorporates some very handy image correction tools that are not only user-friendly and intuitive to use, but also work really well.

Consequently, if you take digital photos or scan transparencies or prints onto your computer and want to optimize them, you may not need a traditional image editor application at all. Preview can do the job for you.

New Tools

Check out Preview’s new Tools Menu. If you’re familiar with the Tools Menu in OS 10.4 Tiger Preview, you’ll note that there are some new selections.

Now, say you’ve downloaded a photo from your camera, and you’re not quite happy with the exposure, color rendering, or other picture attributes. For example, here is a photo of a beach near my home. It’s straight out of the camera (an old, 3.2 megapixel unit) and is a bit underexposed, has a greenish tinge, and it isn’t as sharp as it probably should be.

So, open the image file in Preview and choose Adjust Color from the Tools Menu. A translucent black color and exposure adjustment palette will appear, with ten sliders that facilitate the adjustment of exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint, sepia, black level, white level, and sharpness.

Real Time Feedback

The adjustment sliders give you real time feedback, and I have found that they work beautifully. I love to play with all possibilities, and after my adjustment efforts, my beach photo now looked like this. It definitely has more brightness and pop and I like the color balance better. I was also able to make it sharper, although in cranking up the brightness I lost the cloud detail in the sky.

However, if you’re pressed for time, or are not quite sure what adjustment/correction effects you would like, just click the Auto Levels button and the program will make its best guess as to what the optimum values should be, automatically adjusting the sliders. You can still tweak individual qualities if you wish before saving the image. Here’s Preview Auto Levels’ best guess for my beach shot. I like my manual effort better, but it does retain the cloud detail.

Best All Around Tool For Simple Image Correction?

What both surprised and delighted me the first time I used it is how well this all works, and from one simple palette too. I’m not sure that this isn’t the all-round best tool I’ve ever used for this sort of image correction. It’s certainly the most convenient, and has added a great deal of value to the Leopard Preview application from my perspective.

But there’s more. Preview now has an image scaling and resizing tool as well, allowing you to conveniently and quickly change a photo’s resolution. Just select Adjust Size from the Tools Menu, and either manually enter the desired dimensions in the provided fields, or pull down the menu and choose one of the resolution selections provided. You can also change the resolution of your picture (number of pixels per inch) by setting it in the resolution box.

Of course, if you need to do more advanced correction such as red eye or spot removal, or retouching, you’ll still need an application like Photoshop Elements, Pixelmator, or iPhoto. But for basic exposure, color and sharpness correction, Preview is now a very quick, handy, and effective tool.

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After loving Plasq’s Skitch for a while now, I didn’t think I could have feelings for another screen capture utility. At an early glance, it appears I may need to re-evaluate my former stance. Now a days, I’m really looking forward to LittleSnapper from Real Mac Software.

Today the Real Mac folks have released a great screencast of the application doing its thing, sharing screen captures, and I can’t be more excited! It looks very slick visually, and extremely organized for those hoping to keep their Pictures folder in a somewhat presentable state. Writing for The Apple Blog — and for far less important reasons — I take lots of screen shots, so features such as these have a lot of utility for me.

There’s a lot of other great looking features that I can’t wait to play with. Go ahead and take a look at the video below and you too can get excited.

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This time we’re looking at Free RSS Reader, Menstrual Calendar and three freebies from Japanese game shop Hudson Soft.

Hudson Soft have been making fantastic games for quite some time now. From Bomberman, back on the NES in the 80′s, to the super-successful Mario Party series and now, owned by gaming giants Konami, creating titles for the iPhone.  Over in Japan this week, it’s the annual Tokyo Game Show and to celebrate the event, the lovely folks at Hudson Soft have released three games on the App Store for free (until October 12, so grab ‘em now!).

Another App Store Roundup next week, in the meantime check those apps out for yourself and let us know what new apps you’d recommend.

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When I have a large photo set I would like to look at in OS X the quickest and easiest way is to open them with Preview. Unfortunately, when you click on one picture that is in the same folder as the rest of the pictures, Preview doesn’t automatically recognize the photo is a part of a set and let you scroll through them all at once (you have to open each one individually).

To open photos as a set in Preview all you have to do is:

1. Highlight all of them (click the first picture in the set and while holding shift click the last photo in the set)
2. Right click on them
3. Chose “Open with” > Preview

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First off, Stacks. We’ve been hearing about patents along these lines for maybe a couple of years now. It’s nice to see that come to fruition. And I see a lot of potential in this new feature, for helping to keep my Desktop clean. I like it spotless as much as possible… So having Stacks at the ready is an interesting new feature I’m excited to play with, and expect will enhance my workflow. Will it knock Quicksilver off the top spot for accessing files quickly??? We’ll see.

Icon Previews will be huge for me. I love that I’ll be able to see the document in icon form as a super quick preview – quicker even than Quick Look, which looks decent in and of itself. This new feature seems like a no-brainer, but I’m sure will enhance many a user’s experience while looking through their documents. Spring cleaning anyone? The prospect of switching my icons from their current extreme (small, small, small) to the other end of things (big, big, big) suddenly seems like a good idea. (mental note, get larger LCD…)

Quick Look is a nice idea in practice, but I wonder how useful it’ll actually be to me, if only for the above mentioned reason. Couple the preview icons with the new CoverFlow capability and I doubt I’ll get much use from Quick Look.

Transparent Menu Bar. Um, short of [maybe] looking neat, why? Either hide the whole darn thing, or leave it be is my stance. I don’t see the use in the partially visible Menu Bar. Sorry Steve.

So I think the All Show and No Go argument is a bit harsh. There’s definitely some usability in the features we saw demonstrated. Don’t forget this is Apple, who’s design-centric strategies are partially to thank for where they are today. Just because Windows Vista tries to copy the eye candy and lacks in the functional area, doesn’t mean Apple’s following Redmond now.

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