These are set of tips for new users of Aperture 2.0.
1. Show/Hide Inspector Using Menubar
In Aperture’s Menu, Click Window >I to show or hide the Inpector. You can always use the floating Inspector (see Tip 4) so that you have more room for viewing a photo(s) in the interface of Aperture.
2. Add the Inspector Button to the Tool Bar
Click on View>Customize Toolbar and drag the blue Inspector button to the menu bar. Clicking on the button will hide or show the Inspector.
Aperture Interface Without the Inspector
Without the Inspector, you have more room in the interface to view images.
3. Use the Floating Inspector Hud
Using the floating Inspector Hud is especially useful if you have a dual monitor setup or a large monitor of 21-27 inches. Click Window>Show Inspector Hud The floating HUD can be placed outside the main interface of Aperture. It’s the only panel that can be separated from the interface of the program itself.
4. Swap the Position of the Inspector
If you you rather use the Inspector, you can swap the position of the Inspector by simply going to View>Inspector>Swap Position. This will enable you to put the Inspector on the left or right of the interface.
5. Hide or Add an Adjust Tool by Default
I used Aperture for quite some time before I realized I could add an adjustment tool to the Inspector that would appear by default. For example, the Vignette tool does not appear in the Adjustment Inspector by default. You have to manually add it each time you want to use it with a new selected image. But if you click on the little arrorow on the upper right of the Vingnette tool (or “brick”), you will get a drop down menu. From there, you select “Add to Default Set.” So now each time you open the Adjustments panel, the Vignette tool will be present. Likewise, you can also have a tool removed from the default set.
6. Save Favorite Adjustment Settings
For each of the Adjustment tools you use in Aperture, you can save your favorite settings for each particular tool. For example, when I use the Levels tool, I have a set of adjustments saved as a preset that I typicall apply to nearly all images. Those settings won’t be perfect for every photo, but they provide me a starting place when using the Levels/Luminance adjustment tool.
7. Customize Your Shortcut Keystrokes
Some tools like the Vignette tool don’t come with a shortcut keystroke by default. But you can create or change the shortcut keys for nearly all tools in Aperture. Simply click on Aperture>Commands>Customize and you will be presented with the Command Editor where you can make changes.
8. Drag Items to the Toolbar
Customizing the Toolbar is a great way to access tools that you use a regular basis, especially if you’re a heavy mouse user. Simply go to View>Customize toolbar… and drag your favorite items to the toolbar. You can select to show the items as Icon+Text, Icon Only, or Tex Only.
9. Get Export Plug-ins
Aperture 2.0 comes with a few dafault export plug-ins, but there are quite a few more from 3rd party developers that enable you to, for example, export photos to Fickr.com, Facebook, and SmugMug: Plug-ins, workflows, and other extras.
10. Check Apple’s Tutorial Site
If you’re just starting out with Aperture 2.0, you owe it to yourself to check out the over three dozen professionally produced video tutorials for nearly all aspects of Aperture 2.0. Aperture Tutorials.
