The Albumeasy Examples Thread With Code

Here is some code to create old style albums

The inner border creates a box inside the box and using the sides command to get specific sides to show to create the shorter separator.

PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (HB 12 "\Inner Borders")

STAMP_BORDER_STYLE (SIDES L T B)

ROW_START_FS (HN 8 0.1 0.0)
STAMP_INNER_BORDER_STYLE (SIDES R)
STAMP_INNER_BORDER(1.5 0.1)
STAMP_ADD (26.0 32.0 "Inner borderR" "" "1" "")

STAMP_BORDER_STYLE (SIDES T B)
STAMP_INNER_BORDER(1.5 0.1)
STAMP_ADD (26.0 32.0 "Inner border" "" "1" "")

STAMP_INNER_BORDER_STYLE (SIDES R)
STAMP_INNER_BORDER(1.5 0.1)
STAMP_ADD (26.0 32.0 "Inner border" "" "1" "")

STAMP_ADD (26.0 32.0 "BOX 4" "" "1" "")
STAMP_INNER_BORDER_STYLE (BLANK)
STAMP_BORDER_STYLE (SIDES t B R)

STAMP_ADD (26.0 32.0 "no inner border" "" "1" "")

Al,

Very nice - well done!

Now all we gotta do is figure out an easy way to do half-tone illustrations. I haven't discovered a way to do that without spending $$$ on special software.

John

Nice solution Al, thanks for sharing :)


I don't think that it would be too difficult to go from greyscale, which AE currently can do, to half-tone. However, with modern printing techniques, I can't think that there would be any need, other than possibly for a visual effect?
Clive

Clive, thanks for asking.

Yes, for me, a half-tone effect would be awesome - in the style of the old printed albums. It has that certain visual effect... If it could be done in, say 300 dpi (to ensure quality printing), I believe it could revolutionize self-printed album pages. I have seen others who have used half-tone on their self-designed album pages but it always seems to have been produced using pricey software. I have not been able to automatically duplicate (say, with a folder full of images) with free or cheap image programs like Ifranview or Gimp.

John

As an example, the following is the best I've been able to batch process using Ifranview. The settings were changed to:

1. Colors changed to 2 (B/W)
2. Grayscale
3. Brightness changed to 150.

I'm not entirely happy with it...



John

Different approach - improvement (?).

1. Change to 2 colors (B/W)
2. Change to grayscale
3. Median Filter set to 3

Looks like I might be getting close using Ifranview for batch processing...

John

Hi John,
One of my favourite image conversion tools is ImageMagick. It is free and cross-platform, however, it is command line only.
Which, if one is familiar with DOS batch files or Linux shell scripts is actually an advantage because it is then easy to create scripts to batch process images.

It occurred to me today that it likely has the ability to create half-tone images amongst its many features, which after a brief scan of the documentation turned out to be the case.
Needless to say, it has multiple modes, here is the result of a few that I tried, the original image to the left followed by images using modes: h4x4a, h6x6a, h4x4o, h6x6o

I only skimmed the documentation enough to do some basic conversions without looking up what the modes mean.

The command line for the first image is:

convert  stamp.png -colorspace Gray  -ordered-dither h4x4a out.png

Where stamp.png is the original image, out.png is the resultant image and h4x4a is the mode.

Clive

Thanks, Clive. I'll check it out. I'm familiar with command line programs.

John

Nice.

"Parquet" layout in AlbumEasy

I have been enjoying using AlbumEasy to make "Scott International" style pages,
to add years to these albums for selected countries.
The "Classic.txt" page border style helps greatly with this, of course.
The layout style is to essentially "cram as many stamps as possible" onto each page.
While this ignores very nice labelling features which AlbumEasy provides,
it helps minimize the number of new pages, which helps avoid having to add more binders!
I prefer to identify sets by making all the stamp boxes within a set touch each other,
and having spaces between sets.

While working on Poland 1969-76,
I noticed a couple of unusual sets which include both wide and tall stamps.
These can fit into less page space by using a style like a parquet floor
which stacks the wide stamps above each other, next to the tall stamps:



It is done by putting the tall stamp(s) and upper wide stamps
in a first row with alignment at the top.
Then put the lower wide stamp(s) in a second row,
using PAGE_VSPACE(-n) to move that second row up until it touches the first row.
The ADD_STAMP_BLANK (n 0) command is needed sometimes to move the second row to the right
of the tall stamp(s) on the left.

The first parquet set has a single tall stamp followed by 4 wide stamps ( | = = ).
Here ADD_STAMP_BLANK is needed.

The second parquet set has two tall stamps with two wide stamps in the middle ( | = | ).
Here ADD_STAMP_BLANK is not used.

Here's the full code for the page:

ALBUM_PAGES_SIZE (215.9 279.4)
ALBUM_PAGES_MARGINS  (15.0 9.0 9.0 9.0)
ALBUM_PAGES_MARGINSE (9.0 15.0 9.0 9.0)
ALBUM_PAGES_DECORATIVE_BORDER   ("Classic.txt")
ALBUM_PAGES_SPACING  (1.0 4.0)
ALBUM_PAGES_NUMBER (TN 8 C)
STAMP_BOXES_SIZE_ADJUST(0)
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_SETTING ( 16.0 16.0 True)
ROW_ALIGN_BOTTOM

PAGE_START
PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TN 12 "\nPoland 1970");
ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (59 32 "70/BHC-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (59 32 "70/BHD-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (59 32 "70/BHE-s.jpg" "" "" "")

# parquet | = =
ROW_ALIGN_TOP
ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (32 58 "70/BHH-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "70/BHI-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "70/BHJ-s.jpg" "" "" "")
# 30 = 58 - 32 + 4
PAGE_VSPACE (-30)
ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
STAMP_ADD_BLANK (32 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "70/BHK-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "70/BHL-s.jpg" "" "" "")
ROW_ALIGN_BOTTOM

ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (44 36 "70/BHF-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_BLANK (4 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (41 53 "70/BHG-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_BLANK (4 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (32 36 "70/BHN-s.jpg" "" "" "")

# parquet | = |
ROW_ALIGN_TOP
ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (32 58 "72/BMU-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "72/BMT-s.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (32 58 "72/BMV-s.jpg" "" "" "")
# 30 = 58 - 32 + 4
PAGE_VSPACE (-30)
ROW_START_FS (CN 6 0.1 0)
# do not add BLANK in | = | pattern
STAMP_ADD_IMG (58 32 "72/BMW-s.jpg" "" "" "")
ROW_ALIGN_BOTTOM

Stamp images are from stampworld. The second parquet set is from 1972.

I've been enjoying AlbumEasy so much that I sent Clive a donation to help with costs!
What a great tool.

yosclimber:




Brilliant!

John

yosclimber, thanks for sharing your "parquet" layout, which I have not seen before, I am sure that others will find it inspirational.


Thank you very much, I appreciate it
Clive

Interesting layout,

Maybe some of you know the album texts I created with AlbumEasy, which can be downloaded from Clive's website.

I have currently revised most of them: for one thing, the images are now all in greyscale and significantly reduced in size to avoid confusion between illustrations and actual stamps when viewed. On the other hand, I have also added supplementary information for some "difficult" issues for interested collectors.

Here is an example from my album on official stamps of the German Democratic Republic.

The "PAGE_START_GROUP" is used to position the country name at the top of the page frames (to leave more space on the page for displaying the stamps themselves). It is also necessary to ensure, for example, that changes in the size or ratio for the stamp images do not affect the way the country name is presented (since a background image ["white.jpg"] is required for the country name).

The following code defines and positions both the individual stamp fields and the supplementary illustrations and notes.

Here the AlbumEasy code:

ALBUM_PAGES_Size (220.0 282.08) #set the album page size to Letter
ALBUM_PAGES_MARGINS (25.0 12.0 15.0 15.0) #left, right, top and bottom page margins, when A4 or letter
ALBUM_PAGES_BORDER (0.1 0.0 0.0 1.0) #single thin line border around the page
ALBUM_PAGES_SPACING (1.0 6.0) #set horizontal & vertical spacing for elements on a page
ALBUM_PAGES_FOOTER (TN 6 R "Designed by Alexander Barthel with AlbumEasy")


STAMP_BOXES_SIZE_ADJUST(5.0)
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_GREYSCALE_ON


PAGE_START_GROUP_BEGIN
ALBUM_STAMP_NEW_IMG_SETTING (5.0 5.0 false)
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_ASPECT_RATIO (false)
PAGE_VSPACE (-6)
ROW_START_ES (HN 6 0.1)
ALBUM_STAMP_SETTINGS_SAVE
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_SHOW
STAMP_ADD_IMG (86.0 10.0 "Images/white.jpg" "" "" NO_FRAME)
ALBUM_STAMP_SETTINGS_RESTORE
PAGE_VSPACE(-19.5)
PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TN 18 "German Demokratic Republic" 1)
ALBUM_STAMP_NEW_IMG_SETTING (4.0 4.0 false)
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_ASPECT_RATIO (true)
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_NEW_SETTING_PCNT (25)
PAGE_START_GROUP_END


PAGE_START
PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TI 12 "Official Stamps for Administrative Value Post" 1)
PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TB 12 "1954")


PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TN 10 "Coat of Arms, Arc of Compass to the Left, Offset Lithography, Post Horn Watermark" 2)
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 6.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB001.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB002.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB003.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB004.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB005.jpg" "" "Type I" "")
PAGE_VSPACE (-2)
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 6.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB005.jpg" "" "Type II" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB006.jpg" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB007.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB008.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB009.jpg" "" "" "")
PAGE_VSPACE (-2)
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 6.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB010.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB011.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB012.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB013.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB014.jpg" "" "" "")
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 6.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB015.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB016.jpg" "" "" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (22.0 26.0 "Images/VWPB017.jpg" "" "" "")


STAMP_BORDER_STYLE (Blank)
ALBUM_STAMP_SETTINGS_SAVE
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_SHOW
ALBUM_STAMP_IMG_GREYSCALE_OFF
ALBUM_STAMP_NEW_IMG_SETTING (0.0 0.0 false)
STAMP_BOXES_SIZE_ADJUST(0.0)
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 1.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (10.0 5.0 "Images/Offset.jpg" "" "Lithography" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (15.0 15.0 "Images/3 lines.jpg" "" "Original Printing,\n12 Pf Type I" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (15.0 15.0 "Images/Type II.jpg" "" "12 Pf Type II" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (15.0 15.0 "Images/5 lines.jpg" "" "Reprint 1957" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (10.0 05.0 "Images/Bookprint.jpg" "" "Typography" "")


PAGE_VSPACE (-4)
PAGE_TEXT_CENTRE (TN 6 "Variants of post horn watermark in this issue" 1)
ROW_START_FS (TN 6 0.1 6.0)
STAMP_ADD_IMG (20.0 12.0 "Images/Wz 2XI.jpg" "" "horizontal\nnarrow letters and\nshort post horn" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (12.0 17.0 "Images/Wz 2YI.jpg" "" "vertical\nnarrow letters and\nshort post horn" "")
STAMP_ADD_IMG (20.0 12.0 "Images/Wz 2XII.jpg" "" "horizontal\nwide letters and\nlong post horn" "")
ALBUM_STAMP_SETTINGS_RESTORE
STAMP_BORDER_STYLE (Solid)
PAGE_VSPACE (-4)
PAGE_TEXT_PARAGRAPH_START(TN 8 JUSTIFIED 30 0.0 30)
All stamps of the original printing exist with a horizontal watermark in both variants. The vertical watermark can only be found on the denominations of 5 Pf, 15 Pf, 20 Pf, 25 Pf, and 50 Pf.
The series was reprinted in 1957 with slight modifications (see illustration). The stamps of 12 Pf in Type II, 48 Pf, and 84 Pf were not reprinted. All reprints are exclusively available with a horizontal watermark in both variants. All reprints remained ungummed and were canceled with a cliché stamp. Only the reprints of 12 Pf and 70 Pf denominations are known to exist without cancellation marks.
PAGE_TEXT_PARAGRAPH_End

Of course, since the images are missing, this text cannot be executed. Therefore here also the final page:




My newest and all revised AlbumEasy texts have already been created with the newest version of AlbumEasy (4.5) and therefore can only be customized with this version.

(As my mother tongue isn't English I hope that I could all explain sufficiently clear enough...)

Thank you Rednaxela, I have removed the posts in the other thread.
Don