Portfolios let you collect a set of documents relating to a particular topic for convenient distribution. The program provides this by extending the previous PDF Create support for packages. A portfolio is superior to a package because it can contain sub-folders and documents of differing file types (packages contain only PDF files in a single folder level).
The portfolio lets you view the pages not only of PDF files in the portfolio, but additionally pages of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and a wide range of image files. These are displayed in a separate window.
To create a new portfolio
Choose File > New > Create PDF Portfolio to display the PDF Portfolio panel. An empty portfolio called "New Portfolio_1" is created. Until you exit the program, the numeric suffix is incremented for each new portfolio whether or not you save any new portfolio under another name, leave it open and create a new one, or close it without saving.
To open a package or portfolio
Do one of the following:
choose File > Open from the main menu, browse for a location, select an item in the Open dialog box and click Open, or
drag-and-drop a package or portfolio from your file system onto the Power PDF working area.
Portfolios are displayed in the PDF Portfolio view; packages are displayed in a combined working area where both PDF Portfolio and Power PDF menu items, tools and processes are accessible.
Tip:
Do not use File > Open; that opens the file in the main program, not in the portfolio.
To suppress the cover page when opening a portfolio
A Portfolio – like a package – has a cover sheet that explains to a recipient what a portfolio is and how it can be used. When a recipient opens a portfolio, its cover sheet is displayed by default. Similarly, PDF applications without portfolio support also show the cover page on opening the portfolio.
To change which portfolio item is displayed in the above cases, do the following:
Select the PDF you would like to see open instead of the default cover page and add it to your portfolio (see below on how to add files to a portfolio).
Select the thumbnail of this PDF in the Portfolio panel.
Choose Portfolio Properties in the Options dropdown (or right-click the thumbnail and select the same option).
Select the checkbox Show current document when opening portfolio.
Click OK in the dialog window.
Save your portfolio.
To edit a portfolio
Once you have a portfolio open, a set of Quick Access Toolbar buttons offer portfolio-related functionality, including:
Save the entire portfolio or a file from it
Print the entire portfolio of the current document
perform searches including searching the entire portfolio and
attach the portfolio to a blank email message.
The Portfolio panel has its own toolbar with the following tools from left to right:
Home shows thumbnails of each file or folder in the portfolio. Right-click a thumbnail to access the following options:
Save File from Portfolio
Add Files: browse for files and insert them into your portfolio. The file will be duplicated so your portfolio will remain intact even if the original file is deleted from your file system. (Alternatively, you can select the same command from the shortcut menu of the Portfolio panel or simply drag-and-drop files to the panel.)
Add Existing Folder: browse for folders and insert them into your portfolio. The folder will be duplicated so your portfolio will remain intact even if the original folder is deleted from your file system. (Alternatively, you can select the same command from the shortcut menu of the Portfolio panel or simply drag-and-drop folders to the panel.)
Create New Folder: create a new folder inside your portfolio (but not in your file system).
Delete: remove the selected file or folder from your portfolio. This does not delete files or folders from your file system: only removes them from your portfolio.
Sort by: sorting choices include Name, Description, Modified, Size, Compressed size or Created.
Select All / Deselect All
Cover sheet: choose to have the cover sheet displayed
Show Information: select this to view file or folder properties. Name, Size, Modified, Compressed Size and Creation Date are read-only properties - Description is editable.
Portfolio Properties: use this to:
set which property fields are shown for portfolio items
define how portfolio items are sorted (property to Sort by and Sort order)
set how the Portfolio panel is shown on program startup
choose if the currently selected portfolio item is to be shown first when the portfolio is opened.
List view displays a table with one row for each file or folder; there are four default columns (name, description, modified, size). The right-click menu in List view offers all above options and some more:
View: select which columns to show in list view. Your choices are: Name, Description, Modified, Size, Compressed size and Created.
Edit Value: choose to edit the Name of the portfolio item or its Description - type your text into the field in the Edit Name / Edit Description windows, respectively.
List view columns can be re-ordered, shown / hidden or created / deleted. (This latter functionality is only available if you select Portfolio Properties from an item's shortcut menu or from the Options dropdown list. Only user-created portfolio properties can be deleted.)
For quick and easy access, many of these functions are also available directly from the Portfolio panel toolbar. These are as follows:
Add Files: see above under Home view reference.
Add Existing Folder: see above under Home view reference.
Create New Folder: see above under Home view reference.
Options: this dropdown offers a set of controls depending on your selection in the Portfolio panel.
If you do not have a selection on the panel, the following tools are available: Sort by, Select All, Cover sheet and Portfolio Properties. On their usage see above under Home view reference.
If you have an item or folder selected, you are offered these additional functions: Open Folder, Delete, Deselect All and Show Information. On their usage see above under Home view reference.
The navigating tools Previous or Next are displayed at the middle of the PDF Portfolio toolbar (or at the bottom of the Portfolio panel) when you open a portfolio file, so you can switch to the previous or next item.
To work with sub-folders
Choose Add Existing Folder to import all files from a folder on your system or drag the folder into the portfolio window.
Choose Create New Folder to place an empty folder which you can then populate.
To add items to sub-folders, select the desired sub-folder and use the Add files button or drag-and-drop files.
To move between sub-folders or return to the top level, select the desired folder in the path list that appears top left of the thumbnail or list display.
To save an item
You may want to save a single item from your portfolio. Do one of the following:
open a non-PDF item, click the Save attachments tool, and then use the Save As dialog box to save it.
open a non-PDF item, click the Open attachment tool, view the file and save it in the usual way.
When non-PDF files are saved and re-opened for the first time, you may have to specify which application to use.