Save custom PDF Output Template in Adobe Bridge CS4
In Bridge CS4, Adobe introduce the ability with the Output Module to quickly generate PDF contact sheet of selected images. We can customize the look and feel of the contact sheet by choosing the various option for the Document, Layout, Overlays, Header & footer and so on. Than if you are like me you have try to find a “Save as Template” button to discover that it look like Adobe forget to give us a quick way to save our custom setting into a Template. How can we than create our own templates so we can in a single click toggle all of our custom setting for various needs?
Below are a way you can do it on the Macintosh. Follow the steps carefully and you will be able to save your own templates so they can be selected in the Template Menu in the Output Panel.
1. Open the Bridge CS4 application and choose the Output Workspace
2. Browse and select some images
3. In the Output Panel, choose the PDF icon
4. Now, customize all the settings you want and preview the result. When you are satisfied with the look of your PDF contact sheet, quit Bridge.
5. Now browse and locate the file userInput.json in this location:
Macintosh HD > Users > [your username] > Library > Application Support > Adobe > Bridge CS4 > Adobe Output Module > ContactSheet > userInput.json
6. Make a copy of that file to inside this folder: Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support > Adobe > Bridge CS4 Extensions > Adobe Output Module > contactsheet > resources > datas > customtemplate >
7. Rename the userInput.json file to whatever you want (but with no space and no number). Like in our example: Proficiografik.json
8. Now open that file in the TextEdit application (or any text editor).
Search for this line of text: {id:”template”, value:”Custom”}, and replace the “Custom” with the name of the file we just copied and renamed without the extension. In our example, it would look like this {id:”template”, value:”Proficiografik”},
9. Save the file make sure it is is text only and end with the .json extension
10. Now locate and open the file ContactSheetConstant.jsxinc You can find it here: Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support > Adobe > Bridge CS4 Extensions > Adobe Output Module > contactsheet > resources > scripts >
Search for word “Template”. Two line below that word you will find something like this:
{value:”TwoUpGreetingCard”, text:AOM.localize(”$$$/ContactSheet/javascript/dropdownlist/twoUpGreetingCard=2-UP Greeting Card”)},
11. Copy this entire line of code and paste it just above itself.
Now change it to:
{value:”Proficiografik”, text:AOM.localize(”$$$/ContactSheet/javascript/dropdownlist/Proficiografik=Proficiografik My Template”)},
[It’s important that the name you enter in this line of code be identical to the name use in step 7. You can only customize the name after the =. In fact, this will be the name that will appears in Bridge Template menu.]
12. Save the file make sure it is text only and end with the .jsxinc extension
13. Now start Bridge CS5 choose the Template menu, your custom save template shall appears on top of the list. Like in this example:
Adobe Bridge CS4 Custom PDF Template
14. Repeat the steps to create another template.
WARNING: Please make a copy of the file ContactSheetConstant.jsxinc in a sure place before making any modification to it.
For windows users, the steps and files shall be the same, you might need to do some searching to find the path on your hardrive.
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20 comments on «Save custom PDF Output Template in Adobe Bridge CS4»
Awesome! Thanks for the clever workaround. You did a fantastic job of walking through each step. It worked like a charm. Now I am off to create some more PDF templates.
Hi Jean-Claude,
Thanks for all your help! Here are the paths a pc user will need:
C:\Documents and Settings\”User Name”\Application Data\Adobe\Bridge CS4\Adobe Output Module\ContactSheet
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Bridge CS4 Extensions\Adobe Output Module\contactsheet\resources\datas\customtemplate
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Bridge CS4 Extensions\Adobe Output Module\contactsheet\resources\scripts
All the best!
-Rebecca
Hi Rebecca and thanks for the paths to accomplish that for the Windows. (Theses are for the 64 bit version of Windows XP).
If you are running the regular XP change the “Program Files (x86)” portion in the paths to “Program Files”
If you run Vista here are the paths mentioned in this post:
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Bridge CS4\Adobe Output Module\ContactSheet\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Bridge CS4 Extensions\Adobe Output Module\contactsheet\resources\datas\customtemplate
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Bridge CS4 Extensions\Adobe Output Module\contactsheet\resources\scripts
Is it possible to design a PDF template outside of bridge and use it with the bridge environment eg something with a predesigned Header and Footer maybe with images in and then add the contact pics in as and when needed?
Hi Paul, Unfortunately their is no way to define background elements (like custom headers/footers with others graphics) as a starting template. It would have been possible to achieve that if Bridge was allowing for external image/pdf as Watermark or Background. But here is a workaround that works fine, and if you do a lots of contact sheet in Bridge it can make sense. First, you need to create you custom background in Indesign/illustrator or else save it as PDF or Jpeg. In Bridge set the top/bottom space to allow for room for this background to not be on top of the images. The only extra step you need to do now is to add the background in Acrobat. This can be done on multiple PDF in one go, or even batch processed.
Of course - How silly of me - Thanks for this - I cant believe I missed that - excellent site by the way very informative
Thanks for the guide, very helpful. Just wondering if in step 12 you meant .jsxinc instead of .jsoninc? I left the extension unchanged and it worked for me.
Hi Gloda, thanks for catching that error. I have made the correction.
Thanks for providing all this great info. Would you know of a way to make the watermark appear on all of the images? I need to print 15 pix per page, but the watermark appears on only the centre image.
Thanks!
Lynn, their is no way inside Bridge output module to force the watermark to be on top of every images. If you 15 images will always be layout the same way, I suggest you create a 15 up watermark overlay and add it in acrobat pro after the contact sheet is created. You can create your 15 up overlay in Indesign and export it to PDF. Let me know if you need a real example.
Is there a way to add certain metadata items, title, description, for example to a template?
Jim, unfortunately their is no way to extract any metadata information and include it into a contact sheet template.
Do you have a similar workaround for the web gallery option? I poked around a little, but it doesn’t seem as simple as the pdf workaround.
Thanks for the info!
: )
m
Melissa, I’ve look into the web gallery when I wrote that article, but never get any success to figure out which files to modify to manually create new html gallery & style.
It doesn’t work with me. If i do the changes (several times) i get a blank grey screen for the output window. I have tried it several times, also woth someone else next to me, dut is won’t work.
Does anyone know why?
I’m extremely frustrated with Adobe for not allowing me to save custom templates in Bridge. How can they continue to justify charging premium rates for apps that are so sub par?
Thank you very much for giving us this workaround at least.
Adobe? SHAME ON YOU. You need to make a free update to CS4 that let’s you do this task. It should have been a no-brainer during initial development. Do you not have brains???? Grrrrr…..
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