Indexing manuscripts: A quick guide. - USALada.usal.es/img/pdf/IndexingGuide.pdf · Archive site under Ceremonies > The long liturgy > Complete ceremonies title) you should identify

Indexing manuscripts: A quick guide.

Avestan Digital Archive

©Avestan Digital Archive

1st Step:

• After opening your file (it should be a high definition one, with an .orf extension or similar), a dialog box like this should appear automatically:


2nd Step:

• You should choose the automatic settings:


• The manuscript should have an appearance similar to this:


• You can modify brightness and contrast in order to improve the reading of the manuscript:


• Then the file is prepared for further modification. You should just open it to start:


3rd Step:

• You should get rid of the background and, optionally, perfect the surrounding of the manuscript. To achieve the latter, this is an option. Choose the “Quick selection” tool:


• Used with care, this tool helps you select the entire area surrounding the manuscript:


• You can use the Brush tool to clear the background colour. It is preferable to choose a brush with faded contour and a big size (it will thus make things easier and quicker) :



• Afterwards, it is time to trim the image. Using the Crop tool, you can select the page you want to work with:



4th Step:

• This is one of the most difficult parts, but once it is done, it is helpful and saves some work. You should open the “Actions” dialog box on the right:


• Choose the “Create new action” command. This will start recording all the following steps you take, so that they will be saved and activated when needed:


• Of course, you should choose the keyboard shortcut that you find easier to remember from the given list:


• The first step afterwards is to adjust Canvas size:


• The recommended settings are 3 cm width/ 2,5 cm height (relative to the current canvas size):


• An optional step to make the rest of the procedure easier is to click in the View menu > Show > Grid, to keep the following texts centered.


• Afterwards, you should incorporate to the canvas the names of the corresponding Library (left), Manuscript (centered) and Avestan Digital Archive (right). The settings shown on the image should work nicely for every manuscript, though you can adjust it differently if needed:


• You can now stop the recording of the action, which will from now on be saved for you to use it when needed, just clicking the key you had set for it previously:


5th Step:

• It is now time for the proper indexing process to begin. First of all, you should insert the number of the page. It should look like: #r (recto), #v (verso).


• Afterwards, having the table of ceremonies as a guide (it is placed on the Avestan Digital Archive site under Ceremonies > The long liturgy > Complete ceremonies title) you should identify the text within the manuscript:

Note: The font used is always Times New Roman, here and in the titles. The size depends on the room left for it, in this case, as the name of the ceremony is long, I used size 11, but a size 12 will normally do. In case you have the beginning of two passages in the same line, you should put the number of the first passage on the right and the second one on the left.


6th Step:

• You should save two copies of the image. The extension of the first should be .psd (Photoshop file), so that it can allow further modification if required. Click “Save as”:


• We recommend that you have two folders for the indexed files (e.g. “Definitive PSD” and “Definitive JPG”), so that you can save both types of archive separately. The name of the image should be: e.g. “Manuscript_#r.psd” or “Manuscript_#v.psd”


• After you have saved your .psd file, you should make sure you save another copy in .jpg. for the web. Within the “File” menu, choose > Save for Web & Devices.


• Make sure you choose 100 on “Quality”. Apart from that, you can leave the default settings:


• The name of the file should be exactly the same as the .psd one. It will automatically save it like this, but check it out to avoid errors. Remember that saving .jpg images in a separate folder is recommended:


7th Step:

• Uploading the manuscript. Enter this website (ada.usal.es/admin) and write down your username and password:


• Click on “Manuscripts”. You can click on “New Manuscript” and a form will appear afterwards:


• You should fill out the form that is shown next with as much detail as you can:


• After you have uploaded your new manuscript, it is time to add the pages. Click on “Pages” on the left menu and afterwards on “New page”:


• Fill out the form (adding comments if there is anything relevant about the page, the next/previous page is missing, etc.), select your file from the .jpg ones you saved, not the .psd:


• After you have uploaded the new page, you can check it out. You can also edit the details or delete the image in case you have uploaded a mistaken image:


• You can view your page afterwards by clicking “View” on the menu shown in the previous slide or looking it up normally by passage, manuscript or library in the Avestan Digital Archive site:


That is the complete procedure. In case you have got any doubt, feel free to contact us and we will respond

your questions as soon and clearly as possible.

Thank you for your collaboration.


Documents

Indexing manuscripts: A quick guide. - USALada.usal.es/img/pdf/IndexingGuide.pdf · Archive site under Ceremonies > The long liturgy > Complete ceremonies title) you should identify