2. Product Overview
Aperture 2
Contents
Page 3 Aperture
The Essential Tool from Import to Output
What’s New in Aperture 2
The Mac Platform Advantage
Page 10 Optimized for Speed
Quick Preview
Faster and More Powerful Searches
Advanced Metadata Support
Background Export
Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
Faster Navigation and Scrolling
Tethered Camera Support
Page 14 Intuitive and Accessible
Streamlined User Interface
All-in-One Inspector
Innovative Project Skimming
iPhoto Browser
Sample Projects
Online Video Tutorials
Page 18 Powerful Image Processing
Next-Generation RAW Image Processing
Highlight Recovery and Black Point
Vibrancy and Definition
Vignette and Devignette
Retouch Brush
RAW Fine Tuning
Highlight Hot and Cold Pixels
Customized Default Adjustment Set
Plug-in Architecture
Page 4 Enhanced Output
Publishing to MobileMe Gallery
16-Bit Print Support
Custom Book Options
Page 7 Resources
Page 29 Technical Specifications
Page 34 Product Details
3. Product Overview 3
Aperture 2
Aperture 2
Powerful photo editing and management
Aperture 2, Apple’s groundbreaking photo editing and management software, gives
photographers powerful tools to manage massive libraries, speed through photo
edits, make essential image adjustments, and deliver photos online or in print with
ease. Whether you’re a professional photographer or a photo enthusiast, Aperture
delivers a simple, integrated workflow that takes photos from import to output with
uncompromising quality every step of the way.
With more than 100 new features, Aperture 2 delivers advanced, next-generation RAW
image processing, significantly faster image handling, powerful new image adjustment
tools, a streamlined interface, and an integrated Mac workflow, making it the ideal
workflow tool for people who are passionate about photography.
4. Product Overview 4
Aperture 2
The Essential Tool from Import to Output
Aperture 2 has been designed to help photographers import, manage, enhance, and
deliver photos in a single, integrated workflow that dramatically streamlines every
aspect of digital photography.
Import images fast—manage them professionally
Aperture starts its flexible, fast image import the moment you attach a camera or
memory card to your Mac. It instantly displays thumbnails of every image and offers
streamlined ways to add copyright, keywords, and other metadata during import. You
can also import photos from cameras, card readers, memory cards, DVDs, and hard
drives, or pull shots directly from iPhoto.
Once the images are in your
library, you can organize them
logically by using Aperture
projects, folders, albums, and
Smart Albums. Find images
quickly with powerful search
tools that let you search by
any metadata field or image
Shoot tethered1
adjustment. And the flexible
Connect a camera to your Mac via USB
and open library system lets
or FireWire, control it from Aperture, and
you store your images wherever and however you like—directly in Aperture, on
save the photos in an Aperture project.
external drives, even on a network storage device. The robust file management tools
allow you to easily move your original photos to a new storage location at any time,
so you’ll never run out of space for your library as it continues to grow.
Make selects quickly and easily
After adding hundreds of new photos to your library, Aperture provides the fastest
and most efficient way to review them all and pick the very best. Aperture lets you
edit photo shoots using tools such as Quick Preview mode for rapid-fire image review
and Compare mode for easily evaluating
images side by side. With Aperture, you
can even zoom and pan multiple images
at once for tight comparisons before
making a pick.
You can use the stacks feature to
automatically group images shot in
Using the Loupe
a sequence, and speed through big
The versatile Loupe magnifies images
projects using keyboard shortcuts to
from 50 to 1600 percent. Use it to
compare details in similar images.
apply ratings and keywords.
The Light Table gives you a freeform
space for grouping images visually,
letting you resize, overlay, compare, and
organize images into comp layouts.
5. Product Overview 5
Aperture 2
Adjust and enhance images precisely
Aperture adjustment tools help you make your best photos look even better. Aperture
takes you far beyond the basics of straightening, cropping, and improving exposure.
Powerful toning controls let you correct exposure, fix white balance, set black point,
enhance colors, and recover blown high-
lights and shadow detail. The soft-edged
Retouch Brush removes spots, dust, and
blemishes precisely. The new Vibrancy
and Definition tools let you selectively
enhance detail and saturation in specific
areas of an image.
Copying adjustments from one image to
another is simple using the Lift and Stamp
tool, which allows you to batch-process
Make selective adjustments adjustments on multiple images with one
Use the enhanced color controls to click. And because all adjustments are
select a hue. Then make perfect spot nondestructive, you don’t have to worry
adjustments with Luminosity and
about damaging your original master
Saturation sliders.
images. Aperture never touches them.
Aperture’s plug-in architecture lets you extend adjustments even further, allowing you
to take advantage of third-party plug-ins for additional image editing.
Take the final steps and showcase your best work
Aperture makes it easy to deliver professional photos online or in print. With flexible
export options and integrated online and print publishing capabilities built into
Aperture, showcasing your work has never been easier.
Flexible export option
Save finished photos as JPEG, TIFF, or PSD.2 Output at exactly the size and resolution
you want, embed ICC color profiles and metadata, and protect your photos with a
watermark when you publish. Send photos to colleagues via Mail. Include the photos
in iLife or iWork documents, taking advantage of the direct integration of Aperture
with iMovie, Keynote, Pages, and other applications.3 Sync them directly to your
iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV. Or use an Aperture export plug-in to send photos to Flickr,
SmugMug, Gallery, Zenfolio, or Picasa.
Publish online
Aperture offers fully integrated MobileMe Gallery support, so you can publish a
portfolio using your MobileMe account in minutes.4 Use your password-protected
Gallery to deliver photos, letting others download JPEG or original RAW masters
directly from your site. With the effortless HTML-based Web Page and Web Journal
options of Aperture, photographers have the tools they need for instant, effective
web publishing.
Professional-quality books to order
Aperture provides all the tools you need to create custom-designed books in
small, medium, and large formats. You can place, resize, rotate, and mask photos,
so your book looks exactly the way you want. Hardcover books include a full-bleed,
wraparound dust jacket. Choose from eight elegant designed themes, adjust to your
own specifications, then place your order—all from within Aperture.
6. Product Overview 6
Aperture 2
High-quality printing
With new built-in support for 16-bit printing, Aperture lets you produce high-quality
prints with smoother gradients and better color fidelity. The new Print dialog also
features print sharpening controls for fine-tuning sharpness for print. You can also
order traditional lab prints directly from Aperture in a variety of sizes (wallet size to
20 by 30 inches).
What’s New in Aperture 2
With more than 100 new features, Aperture offers dramatic improvements in speed,
ease of use, and image quality. It gives photographers significantly faster and
more powerful photo editing, processing, and management tools. It offers a more
streamlined intuitive user interface that lets you get up and running quickly. And
because photographers simply shouldn’t have to compromise when it comes to image
quality, Aperture delivers next-generation RAW image processing, powerful image
adjustment and enhancement tools, and 16-bit printing.
Optimized for speed
Virtually every photo management task across the workflow is faster, thanks to
powerful new preview and search options, a more streamlined user interface, and
a more responsive database.
• Quick Preview provides a lightning-fast way to speed through high-quality image
previews and compare, rate, and make selects with virtually no lag time.
• Faster and more powerful searches, based on a dramatically optimized database,
let you sort through huge libraries quickly and perform sophisticated searches by any
metadata field or adjustment.
• Background export lets you keep working uninterrupted during rendering and
final output while a revamped Activity window lets you track the progress of
background processing.
• Faster navigation and scrolling facilitate switching between projects and scrolling
images, thanks to a faster database and a speedier thumbnail browser.
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts let you define your own shortcuts for the
commands you use the most so you can work with greater efficiency.
• Tethered camera support lets studio photographers connect cameras directly to their
Mac for immediate, fullscreen capture directly into Aperture during photo shoots.1
• Advanced metadata support includes the ability to embed IPTC metadata in RAW
masters on export and to adjust EXIF time and date stamps, making previously labor-
intensive metadata tasks fast and effortless.
Intuitive and accessible
No other professional workflow application offers the ease and depth of Aperture
photo management and editing tools, including a streamlined interface that’s easy
to navigate and puts tools where you need them.
• Streamlined user interface offers ease of use, is highly customizable, and provides
simple one-key navigation to switch between views.
• All-in-one Inspector combines the Projects, Metadata, and Adjustments tools on three
tabbed panels to maximize screen real estate and speed up switching between tools.
• Innovative project skimming in the new All Projects view gives you a visual overview
of your entire library by displaying one representative image for each project and
letting you skim through the photos within projects with a flick of the mouse.
7. Product Overview 7
Aperture 2
• iPhoto Browser lets you browse your entire iPhoto library from within Aperture and
drag selected iPhoto images, albums, or events into Aperture.
• Sample projects, including four professional image collections, books, web pages,
and light tables, let you experiment with high-quality examples.
• Online video tutorials, each focused on a specific task in the workflow, introduce the
new features in Aperture and explain each part of the import-to-output workflow.
The tutorials help new and existing customers get up to speed fast and take full
advantage of Aperture.
Powerful image processing
With an all-new RAW processing engine and fine-tuning controls, together with
powerful new image adjustment and enhancement tools, Aperture gives photo-
graphers even more control over their images.
• Next-generation RAW image processing delivers unparalleled RAW quality with an
all-new RAW processing engine that delivers superior images with less noise, better
detail, powerful highlight recovery, and improved color rendering.
• Highlight Recovery and Black Point tools offer advanced exposure control and the
ability to rescue previously unsalvageable highlight and shadow detail.
• Vibrancy and Definition tools let you selectively boost saturation and accentuate
image detail in specific areas without affecting the rest of the image.
• Vignette and Devignette filters let you add vignettes around the edges of your
images for artistic effect, or remove unwanted optical vignetting.
• Retouch Brush offers precise retouching, letting you remove blemishes or dust spots
precisely and clone away unwanted image elements with ease.
• RAW Fine Tuning gives photographers image-by-image control over RAW renderings,
including new Hue Boost and Moire correction tools.
• Highlight Hot and Cold Pixel overlays make it easy to highlight out-of-range image
data so you can adjust tones precisely and set a perfect black point.
• Customized default adjustment set allows you to specify which adjustments appear
by default in the Adjustments Inspector/HUD.
• Plug-in architecture extends image editing capabilities with Apple’s own Dodge
Burn plug-in, and other powerful third-party plug-ins.
Enhanced output
From superior-quality prints to stunning online galleries to professional books,
Aperture gives photographers the tools they need for instant, effective print and web
publishing.
• MobileMe Gallery integration means photos can be published from Aperture with
a few clicks, and clients can view and download high-quality JPEG images or master
RAW images.
• Custom book options let you design your own one-of-a-kind books that can be
professionally printed by Apple, with an expanded range of themes and sizes.
• 16-bit printing and integrated print sharpening deliver high-quality print output
with better color fidelity and stunning clarity.
8. Product Overview 8
Aperture 2
The Mac Platform Advantage
What further distinguishes Aperture 2 is how it takes advantage of Mac OS X and
other Apple products to deliver the most integrated digital photography workflow in
the industry—with integration that lets you easily access your photos wherever and
whenever you need them.
Because Aperture has a direct connection to MobileMe as well as integration with
iPhone, iPod, and Apple TV, your image library can travel with you wherever you
go. Integration with iLife and iWork makes it easy to create stunning slideshows,
marketing materials, books, podcasts, and websites. And thanks to the way Leopard
integrates the OS-level media browser, your Aperture library images are available in
Leopard Mail, iChat, or virtually any other program that includes a command to insert
or import an image. With Aperture, you get the functions and advantages of the
Mac platform.
• Publish to MobileMe Galleries. Integration with MobileMe lets you showcase your
photos in a stunning MobileMe Gallery that syncs directly to your Aperture library.
Visitors to your published Gallery can adjust the size of thumbnails, view photos full
size, watch slideshows with transitions, download high-quality JPEG images or even
RAW master files, and post their own images from any computer on any platform.
• Create custom books. The direct connection of Aperture with Apple print products
makes the production of high-quality bound books simple and affordable. Create
a deluxe hardcover book with a customizable dust jacket and foil-stamped title.
Or choose one of the three softcover versions now available. With the sophisticated
Aperture book layout engine, you have total control, so you can create one-of-a-kind
books with a fully customized design. And when you’re done, you can order your book
with a single click and have it shipped directly to your doorstep.
• Sync your portfolio. Use iTunes to sync your entire Aperture library or specific albums
to your iPod or iPhone for the ultimate in portable up-to-date portfolios. You can also
sync your library to Apple TV with just a few clicks, so once your images are organized
in Aperture, they’re automatically ready for presentation on widescreen TV.
• Make stunning slideshows and presentation materials. Once your images are
part of your Aperture library, they become available in all iWork applications, so
it’s easy to turn your photos into spectacular Keynote slideshows or drag images
directly into Pages when creating posters, DVD covers, letterhead, proposals,
brochures, or newsletters.
9. Product Overview
Aperture 2
• Produce movies, DVDs, podcasts, and websites. With a direct connection to iLife,
Aperture lets you create audio slideshows in iMovie ’08 that bring your images to life,
or make photo slideshows in iDVD, enhanced podcasts in GarageBand, or photo-rich
websites in iWeb.
• Integrate with Leopard Mail. Your entire Aperture library is automatically shared with
the integrated photo browser in Leopard, so you can access your photos, organized
into projects, albums, and Smart Albums, from inside applications such as Mail.
With unparalleled integration that spans the whole Apple platform, Aperture makes it
easier to do more with your photos—onscreen, on the web, and in print.
10. Product Overview 10
Aperture 2
Optimized for Speed
With Aperture 2, virtually every photo management task across the workflow is
faster, thanks to powerful new preview and search options, a more streamlined user
interface, and a more responsive database.
The new Quick Preview mode in Aperture—combined with its unmatched compare
and select tools, Loupe, multi-image zooming, and Smart Albums—provides the
fastest and most efficient way to edit a photo shoot. Switching between projects,
scrolling through thumbnails, and searching for images are all dramatically faster.
Exporting images is now a background operation, allowing you to keep working as
Aperture renders your finished images. In addition, Aperture significantly improves the
performance of certain processor-intensive adjustment tasks such as noise reduction,
and Highlights Shadows.
Key new features include:
• Quick Preview
• Faster and more powerful searches
• Advanced metadata support
• Background export
• Faster navigation and scrolling
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Tethered camera support
11. Product Overview 11
Aperture 2
Quick Preview
The new Quick Preview mode in Aperture is a lightning-fast way to speed through
high-quality image previews, browse and compare photos, and make selects with
virtually no lag time. Quick Preview simply tells Aperture to load only the preview of
each photo when it’s selected, rather than decoding and loading the full-size master
image. This means photographers can scan through a shoot rapidly, make preliminary
selects, and sort photos, edit metadata, and build albums faster than ever. The feature
takes advantage of the embedded JPEG previews that are created in-camera by most
cameras when shooting RAW images, or uses the preview that Aperture generates
after import. Quick Preview is easy to toggle off whenever the full-resolution image is
needed (to make image adjustments, for example).
Faster and More Powerful Searches
Rebuilt from the ground up, the revamped database in Aperture 2 is the key to
dramatically faster searching and sorting, even when working with very large libraries.
Powerful new search features, unavailable elsewhere, include the ability to search
for images by adjustment (find all black-and-white images, for example) and to
perform complex searches based on any combination of metadata fields. This gives
photographers incredible flexibility in sorting their libraries, allowing them to quickly
locate any images that have had a specific filter, adjustment, or metadata tag applied
to them.
12. Product Overview 1
Aperture 2
Advanced Metadata Support
Sophisticated Aperture metadata tools make metadata tagging and editing rapid
and effortless, at any stage of the workflow, even in full-screen mode. New features
include the ability to embed IPTC metadata directly into master RAW files on export.
And photographers can now precisely adjust the time and date stamps of images by
a specific offset, to easily correct in-camera errors or to sync multicamera shoots.
Background Export
Aperture now exports images in the background, so photographers can continue their
work uninterrupted while their final images are rendered and exported—an enormous
time-saver. Clicking the Activity indicator in the Viewer toolbar opens the Activity
window, which provides the status of all background operations in progress.
Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
Aperture speeds tasks even more by letting photographers create their own keyboard
shortcuts. The visual keyboard interface for the Command Editor makes it easy to
modify shortcut keys or create new ones. And the ability to save an unlimited number
of shortcut sets for different users or tasks, and to easily switch between shortcut
sets, means that multiple users can work in the way that’s most efficient for them.
The Command Editor can also be used to look up existing keyboard shortcuts.
13. Product Overview 13
Aperture 2
Faster Navigation and Scrolling
Major database improvements and a revamped thumbnail browser optimized for speed
provide dramatically improved performance across the workflow. Photographers will
notice incredibly fast thumbnail browsing and scrolling, minimal load time when switch-
ing between projects, as well as performance improvements when applying certain
processor-intensive adjustments such as Noise Reduction and Highlights Shadows.
Tethered Camera Support
The new Tether command in Aperture lets users of popular Nikon and Canon digital
SLRs tether their cameras to a Mac and capture images directly into Aperture without
relying on third-party software or scripting. It’s easy to set up and provides studio
photographers with immediate, full-screen feedback while they shoot.
14. Product Overview 14
Aperture 2
Intuitive and Accessible
No other professional workflow application offers the ease and depth of Aperture
photo management and editing tools, including a streamlined interface that’s easy to
navigate and puts tools where you need them. The new, all-in-one Inspector makes it
easier than ever to work efficiently in Full Screen mode, while the simplified browser
lets you scan through photos and switch between viewing modes more efficiently. The
innovative All Projects view gives photographers a quick visual overview of their entire
library. And to help Aperture newcomers get up to speed fast, Aperture ships with a
set of useful sample projects and 50 online video tutorials.
Some key new features:
• Streamlined user interface
• All-in-one Inspector
• Innovative project skimming
• iPhoto Browser
• Sample projects
• Online video tutorials
15. Product Overview 15
Aperture 2
Streamlined User Interface
The simplified user interface of Aperture is more intuitive and makes it easier to switch
between viewing modes, so that your workspace is always optimized for the task at
hand. A new Hide Browser option gives you maximum screen real estate for images,
books, web pages, and light tables. You can cycle through the three remaining viewing
modes—Viewer Only, Browser Only, and split Viewer/Browser—with a single keystroke
for maximum efficiency. And the new Filmstrip view in the browser makes shuttling
through thumbnails of large photo projects easier than ever.
All-in-One Inspector
The new consolidated Inspector brings together the Projects, Metadata, and
Adjustments Inspectors into one tabbed panel, maximizing screen space and making
it easy to work efficiently in Full Screen mode. You can switch to the panel you need
with a single keystroke and stay in Full Screen mode while you add and edit metadata,
switch between projects, and apply corrections and adjustments.
16. Product Overview 16
Aperture 2
Innovative Project Skimming
In the new All Projects view, each Aperture project appears as a single thumbnail
image—similar to the Events view in iPhoto—for easy visual skimming of all the
projects in your library. You can slide your mouse pointer across a project to quickly
skim the photos inside, define a Key Photo for each project to serve as the “poster”
image, and double-click a thumbnail to instantly open a project and go directly to the
selected image.
iPhoto Browser
Aperture also makes it easier for iPhoto users to dive in and get great results with
their images. The Show iPhoto Library command makes it easy to browse your entire
iPhoto Library from right within Aperture, and drag selected iPhoto images—or even
entire albums or projects—into Aperture projects.
17. Product Overview 17
Aperture 2
Sample Projects
Aperture ships with four complete sample projects of professional images—including
full-resolution RAW files—that are perfect for experimentation and learning. Some of
the projects include adjusted images to help you understand how the adjustment
and enhancement tools can be used most effectively. In addition, the projects include
sample books, web pages, Light Tables, albums, and Smart Albums, so you can explore
your output options by experimenting with these ready-made professional examples.
Online Video Tutorials
Aperture includes a direct link to 50 video tutorials, each focused on a specific task
in the Aperture workflow—from importing photos to making final prints. With nearly
two full hours of video content, the targeted tutorials bring newcomers up to speed
fast and help existing Aperture users get the most out of the new features.
18. Product Overview 18
Aperture 2
Powerful Image Processing
Aperture provides all the essential tools that photographers need to get the highest
quality out of their images, whether shooting RAW or JPEG. The application has been
built around an all-new RAW processing engine that delivers remarkable quality that
can be further enhanced with an arsenal of simple but powerful adjustment tools.
These new image adjustment and enhancement tools give photographers what they
need to correct exposure, adjust tone, and refine images in more precise and powerful
ways, all nondestructively. For even more control, innovative RAW fine-tuning controls
let photographers perfect their renders on an image-by-image basis. Opening up even
more possibilities is the new Image Editing Plug-in Architecture that makes it easy for
photographers to use specialized third-party imaging software from developers like
Nik Software and PictureCode, right from within Aperture.
Some key new features:
• Next-generation RAW image processing
• Highlight Recovery and Black Point
• Vibrancy and Definition
• Vignette and Devignette
• Retouch Brush
• RAW Fine Tuning
• Highlight Hot and Cold Pixels
• Customize Default Adjustment Set
• Plug-in Architecture
19. Product Overview 1
Aperture 2
Next-Generation RAW Image Processing
Aperture introduces an unparalleled level of quality to RAW image handling, with an
all-new RAW decode engine that delivers superior images with less noise, better detail,
powerful highlight recovery, and improved color rendering. You can selectively migrate
existing images from the 1.x to 2.0 RAW decode, so you control which images in your
library are re-rendered. Aperture supports 100 different RAW formats from today’s
leading cameras—including Adobe’s DNG format—plus JPEG, TIFF, and PSD files.5 And
the new Baseline DNG support means that even users of cameras with RAW formats
not natively supported in Mac OS X can work with their images in Aperture.
Highlight Recovery and Black Point
Powerful new tools let you correct exposure and enhance images with precision,
giving you a wider range of artistic control over how your images are rendered, and
rescuing previously unsalvageable highlight and shadow detail. The new Recovery
slider offers remarkably effective recovery of “blown” highlights. A new Black Point
slider on the Exposure brick speeds up toning, making it easier to set a black point and
adjust the shadow areas of an image independently from the midtones and highlights.
20. Product Overview 0
Aperture 2
Vibrancy and Definition
Two new adjustments add remarkable detail and punch to your images. Vibrancy
applies saturation selectively to unsaturated hues only and protects skin tones for
more pleasing and realistic results. Definition adds superb clarity by applying local
contrast to images to accentuate detail.
Vignette and Devignette
The new Vignette filter lets you apply either gamma- or exposure-based vignettes
around the edges of your images for artistic effect. Exposure vignettes simulate
lens-created vignetting by reducing exposure at the edges of an image. Gamma
vignettes apply a gamma adjustment to pixels in the vignette area, resulting in a more
pronounced effect. Devignette lets you easily correct existing vignetting problems,
removing unwanted optical vignetting where dark or shadowed areas appear at the
periphery of images.
21. Product Overview 1
Aperture 2
Retouch Brush
A true soft-edged brush tool, the new Retouch Brush removes blemishes, dust spots,
or other unwanted elements with precision. You can specify the brush softness and
opacity for precise control over the desired effect. A Detect Edges option helps you
preserve image detail when repairing spots adjacent to hard edges. In Clone mode,
you can easily clone pixels from one portion of an image and paint them over
problem areas to make perfect visual repairs with multiple undos.
RAW Fine Tuning
An expanded set of RAW fine-tuning controls give photographers even more control
over tuning Apple’s RAW decode on an image-by-image basis. Hue Boost, which lets
you control the degree to which hues are preserved when the default tonal response
curve is applied, can be particularly useful when rendering saturated highlights such
as sunsets. The Moire control reduces unwanted color fringing and patterning that can
sometimes appear in RAW images due to a moire effect.
22. Product Overview
Aperture 2
Highlight Hot and Cold Pixels
Highlight Hot and Cold Pixels is a new overlay option that makes it easy to see exactly
which pixels in an image are completely white or black, so you can adjust tones and
set a perfect black point. Aperture also includes out-of-range pixel overlays, which can
be invoked on the fly by holding down the Command key while using the Exposure,
Levels, Recovery, and Black Point tools. Photographers can choose between Color or
Monochrome overlays.
Customized Default Adjustment Set
You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments
Inspector/HUD. Include only the tools you use most frequently to save time setting up
adjustments. This customized default adjustment set helps reduce screen clutter and
makes navigating through adjustments faster and easier.
23. Product Overview 3
Aperture 2
Plug-in Architecture
The open plug-in architecture in Aperture makes it easy for photographers to use
specialized third-party image editing plug-ins for localized editing, filters and effects,
noise analysis and reduction, fisheye lens correction, and more. By selecting one or
more images within Aperture, you can choose from a menu of installed plug-ins
and apply specialized imaging operations to either TIFF or RAW images. Apple is
working with key developers to bring the most requested plug-ins to Aperture, such
as Nik Software, PictureCode, Digital Film Tools, The Tiffen Company, dvGarage, and
Image Trends.
Aperture 2.1 includes Dodge Burn, a sample plug-in developed by Apple, that adds
brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast, saturation, sharpen,
and blur. You can set the brush size, the softness of the effect, and the strength of
the effect produced by the brush.
24. Product Overview 4
Aperture 2
Enhanced Output
This seamless integration of Aperture with the rest of the Mac platform makes it a
complete output solution. With built-in support for 16-bit printing and integrated print
sharpening, Aperture produces superior-quality prints more easily than ever. Plus, the
expanded book features let you design and publish one-of-a-kind, professional books
with new sizes, themes, finishes, and layout tools.6 And Aperture gives photographers
the tools they need for instant, effective web publishing, as well as essential access to
their portfolios on their iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV.
Key new features include:
• Publishing to MobileMe Gallery
• 16-bit print support
• Custom book options
25. Product Overview 5
Aperture 2
Publishing to MobileMe Gallery
New integration with MobileMe Gallery means photos can be published from Aperture
to a password-protected photo gallery on MobileMe with just a few clicks. Visitors
can view photos, download high-quality JPEG images or even RAW master files, and
post their own images from any computer on any platform. One-click syncing makes
it easy to keep published web albums completely up to date. When combined with
the effortless HTML-based Web Page and Web Journal options that Aperture offers,
photographers have the tools they need for instant, effective web publishing.
16-Bit Print Support
Aperture produces superior-quality print output more easily than ever. Built-in support
for 16-bit printer drivers from leading manufacturers means high-quality print output
with smoother gradients and better color fidelity. And integrated print sharpening
lets you dial in the exact amount of sharpening your printer needs, giving you sharper
prints with more detail.
26. Product Overview 6
Aperture 2
Custom Book Options
Aperture has expanded its photo book layout tools to make it easier to create one-
of-a-kind photo books, professionally printed and bound by Apple and delivered to
your door.6 Choose from eight professionally designed layout themes—two of which
are new—as a starting point, but make the book your own by customizing the layout
and adding your own borders to photo and text boxes. Books are available in three
different sizes. New finishing options include foil-stamped hardcovers and dust jackets.
Publishing your images as high-quality books was never easier.
27. Product Overview 7
Aperture 2
Resources
To help you learn more about Aperture and how to get the most out of your
photography, Apple has made the following resources available. For more information
visit the Aperture Resources web page.
www.apple.com/aperture/resources
100+ New Features
Now with more than 100 new features, Aperture 2 gives you even more control from
import to output. New features are organized in eight categories: User Interface, Image
Processing Tools, RAW Image Quality, Photo Management, Compare and Select Tools,
Print and Web Publishing, Workflow, and AppleScript.
www.apple.com/aperture/features/100.html
What’s New—Quick Tour Videos
Learn about the powerful new tools in Aperture by watching short Quick Tour videos
on the Aperture New Features web page.
www.apple.com/aperture/features
Online Tutorials
Watch more than 50 online video tutorials, each focused on a specific task in the
Aperture workflow. With nearly two hours of video content, the tutorials bring
newcomers up to speed fast and help current Aperture users get the most out of the
new features. Videos are viewable as QuickTime movies or available for download
to iTunes.
www.apple.com/aperture/tutorials
Free 30-Day Trial
A fully functional version of Aperture is available as a 30-day trial. Simply register
online to receive a serial number to download your copy. The trial is available in
English, French, German, and Japanese.
www.apple.com/aperture/trial
Aperture in Action
See how professional photographers use Aperture in their work every day by visiting
the Aperture in Action web page. Watch the stories and view portfolios from award-
winning photographers.
www.apple.com/aperture/action
28. Product Overview 8
Aperture 2
Training
Looking for further training on Aperture? Choose from the various training resources
offered by Apple and third-party partners.
Instructor-led classes at an Apple Authorized Training Center
There are more than 125 Apple Authorized Training Centers worldwide. For more
information, visit www.apple.com/software/pro/training.
Self-study courses from the Apple Pro Training Series
The official Apple Pro Training Series courseware is published by Peachpit Press.
For more information visit www.peachpit.com.
Personalized training through an Apple Certified Professional
Certified through coursework and testing, Aperture Certified Pros have extensive
knowledge of Aperture and are available for training and consulting services. For
more information, visit www.apple.com/software/pro/training.
Plug-in Development
Are you a developer interested in creating plug-ins for Aperture? The open plug-in
architecture in Aperture makes it easy for developers to create plug-ins for extending
the Aperture workflow and image editing.
Image editing plug-ins
The free Imaging Editing Plug-in Software Development Kit (SDK) for Aperture is
available through the Apple Developer Connection (ADC). Interested developers
should contact Apple at aperturedeveloper@apple.com.
Export plug-ins
Information about developing export plug-ins for Aperture is available on the Apple
Developer website; or contact Apple at aperturedeveloper@apple.com.
29. Product Overview
Aperture 2
Technical Specifications
Input
• Import images directly from cameras and storage devices
– CompactFlash I, CompactFlash II, and Microdrive
– Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo
– Secure Digital, MultiMedia, and SmartMedia cards
– xD Picture cards
• Import from multiple cards simultaneously
• Drag files in from any volume (preserves Finder folder hierarchy)
• Browse and import directly from iPhoto library
• Capture images directly from tethered Nikon or Canon camera1
File formats
• Native RAW import and editing from leading DSLR cameras (see camera model listing)7
– ARW, .CR2, .CRW, .MOS, .NEF, .RAF, .RAW, .SRW, .TIF, .OLY, FFF, .3FR, .DNG5
• Compatible with all major still-image formats
– JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, PDF, PSD2
Photo management
• Store photographs anywhere—external hard drives, RAID systems, optical media
• Import photos into an Aperture-managed library or reference them in place without
copying or moving them from their physical locations
• Use File Management tools to consolidate masters, move referenced images, manage
offline photos, check status (i.e., online/offline or referenced)
• Rename actual master files on disk
• Use Folder Name Presets to create folders/subfolders automatically when importing/
relocating master images
• Append additional metadata or replace existing metadata entirely during a
Batch Change
• Work with thousands of projects
• Locate images quickly with the high-performance database
• Organize photos into projects and albums
• Include up to 100,000 ”master” images in a project with as many ”versions” as needed
• Create albums from any combination of images
• Combine photos from multiple projects into albums
• Have duplicate-detection on import
• Search using Smart Albums based on metadata queries
• Archive and back up with one click
• Back up to multiple drives concurrently
• Track backup status and location of all images
30. Product Overview 30
Aperture 2
Image processing
• Preserve original images with nondestructive image processing
• Create alternate versions without using extra disk space
• Tweak RAW decode setting using fine-tuning controls:
– Boost (reduce/increase image contrast)
– Hue Boost
– Sharpening
– Moire control
– Auto Noise Compensation
• Save individual Adjustment Presets and apply them whenever needed
• Choose the version of the RAW decode on an image-by-image basis to produce the
best-quality images
• Use Color Meter to sample pixel values in RGB, CMYK, or LAB anywhere in an image;
display in HSB (hue, saturation, brightness) or HSL (hue, saturation, brightness)
• Use Hot and Cold Pixel overlays to show pixels that are out of range
• Adjust images using photographer’s essential nondestructive editing tools
– Exposure
– Highlight Recovery
– Black Point
– Vibrancy
– Definition
– Histogram
– Levels
– Color
– Highlights Shadows
– Edge Sharpen
– White Balance
– Monochrome Mixer with RGB Channel Mixer
– Crop
– Straighten
– Flip Image
– Red-eye Correction
– Noise Reduction
– Vignette and Devignette
– Retouch (soft-edged Repair and Clone)
– Color Monochrome filter
– Sepia Tone filter
• Spot and patch tools
• Lift and Stamp tool to copy and paste adjustments
• Stacks to manage alternate versions
• Seamless Photoshop integration
– One-click export directly into Photoshop as PSD or TIFF (8-bit or 16-bit)
– Native support for flattened or single-layer PSD files2
– Manage Photoshop-generated image versions
• Open Edit API enables third-party imaging plug-ins to work with either TIFF or RAW
images directly within Aperture as plug-ins.
• Dodge Burn plug-in adds brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken),
contract, saturation, sharpen and blur.
Compare and select
• Stacks
– Group sequences of shots together
– Automatically group bursts and bracketed shots
– Manually stack alternate shots
– Collapse entire shoots down to selects
31. Product Overview 31
Aperture 2
• Full-screen workspace for comparing images
• View multiple images side by side
• Simultaneously zooming multiple images
• Quick Preview mode for rapid-fire image browsing
• Compare Mode for selecting shots
• Digital Loupe tool for magnifying images
• Digital Light Table for organizing images and creating comp layouts
Output
• ColorSync color-managed output
• Onscreen soft proofing
• Specify size and resolution of exported images
• Embed ColorSync and ICC profile data during file export
• Embed IPTC metadata during file export
• Drag-and-drop JPEG export into Mac OS X applications
• Export IPTC metadata as XMP sidecar files or embed into master images upon export
• Expert local printing
– Images
– Customizable contact sheets
– Light Table comps
– Gamma adjustment
– Black point compensation
– Print sharpening with radius control
• Order color-managed prints online
• Publish photos to MobileMe Gallery
– Password-protect online galleries
– Allow downloading of JPEGs or master images
– Sync published online Gallery with library automatically
• Integrated layout and authoring tools for web
• Integrated layout and authoring tools for books
• Fully customizable template library
• High-resolution book printing
• Create and order professionally printed books6
– Three sizes: small (softcover), medium (softcover), or large (soft or hardcover)
– Full-bleed dust jackets and foil-stamped covers available on large hardcover book
– Layout tools for specifying size, position, and angle of photos on page
• Built-in Automator workflows to automatically generate JPEG or TIFF images from
book pages (and import them back into Aperture)
User interface
• Streamlined interface designed for photographic work
• Color-neutral UI palette
• Adjustable background luminance
• Customizable window layouts
• Integrated Projects, Metadata, and Adjustments Inspectors
• Variable-size thumbnails
• Heads-up displays, tools, and controls
• Full-screen mode for single or multiple displays
• All Projects view for visually skimming contents of projects
• Default tools in Adjustment Inspector customizable
• Keyboard-driven Adjustment tools
• Media Browser in iLife, iWork, and throughout Leopard offers access to Aperture
library, albums, and Smart Albums across entire Mac OS
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Built-in iPhoto Browser to access images from iPhoto from within Aperture
32. Product Overview 3
Aperture 2
• Sync albums, Smart Albums, or entire Aperture library to iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV
via iTunes
• Control slideshows with Apple Remote
• Export API for access to third-party services via vendor-supplied export plug-ins
• Gesture support for Multi-Touch trackpads
Metadata
• Provides comprehensive IPTC and EXIF metadata support
• View, extract, or add any metadata
• Define custom metadata sets
• Speed metadata entry by creating Metadata Presets—prefilled IPTC presets from
copyright, captions, and other metadata fields
• Customize display of metadata throughout entire workflow
• Add metadata automatically to batches on import
• Embed IPTC metadata on export of versions or Master images
• Use powerful Query tool for searching, sorting, and sifting
• Search images based on adjustments applied
• Adjust time/date to correct time-stamps on images
• Lift and Stamp tool for copying and pasting metadata
Supported cameras
Aperture 2 supports the RAW formats from more than 100 leading digital cameras
and camera backs.* It also lets you work with most DNG files. And you can also import
JPEG images from virtually all digital cameras using Aperture.8
Canon
EOS 1Ds Mark III* EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D EOS D30
EOS 1D Mark III EOS Digital Rebel XT/Kiss Digital N/350D PowerShot G9*
EOS 1Ds Mark II EOS Digital Rebel/Kiss Digital/300D PowerShot Pro 1
EOS 1D Mark IIN EOS D60 PowerShot G6
EOS 1D Mark II EOS 1Ds PowerShot G5
EOS 10D EOS 1D PowerShot S70
EOS 20D EOS 5D PowerShot S60
EOS 30D
EOS 40D
Fujifilm
FinePix S5 Pro
FinePix S3 Pro
FinePix S2 Pro
Hasselblad
CF-39* H3D-31*
CF-22* H3D-31II*
CFV-16*
Konica Minolta
Maxxum 5D DiMAGE A1
Maxxum 7D DiMAGE A2
Leaf
Leaf Aptus 75s* Leaf 545* Leaf Valeo 17
Leaf Aptus 75 Leaf Aptus 22 Leaf Valeo 22
Leaf Aptus 65s Leaf Aptus 17
Leaf Aptus 65 Leaf Valeo 11
Leica
M8 D-LUX 1
Digilux 3 D-LUX 3
Digilux 2 D-LUX 2
33. Product Overview 33
Aperture 2
Nikon
D3* D1 D60*
D2Xx D300* D50
D2X D200 D40x
D2Hs D100 D40
D2H D80 Coolpix 8400
D1X D70s Coolpix 8700
D1H D70 Coolpix 8800
Olympus
E-3* EVOLT E-410 C-8080 Wide Zoom
E-1 EVOLT E-400 C-7070
EVOLT E-510 EVOLT E-330 C-7000
EVOLT E-500 EVOLT E-300
Panasonic
Lumix DMC-LX2 Lumix DMC FZ50
Lumix DMC-LX1 DMC-LC1
Lumix DMC-L1
Pentax
K110D *ist DL2* *ist D
K100D Super* *ist DS2*
K100D *ist DS
K10D *ist DL
Samsung
GX-1L
Sony
DSLR-A700* DSLR-A100
DSLR-A350* DSC-F828
DSLR-A200* DSC-V3
*Cameras and camera backs followed by an asterisk require Aperture 2 with Mac OS X v10.4.11 or Mac OS X
v10.5.2 Leopard or later.
Aperture works with most DNG files generated from cameras that support this format
and DNG files generated by the Adobe DNG Converter with the “Convert to Linear
Image” option turned off.
34. Product Overview 34
Aperture 2
Product Details
Pricing and Availability
The U.S. retail price of Aperture is $199.9 Contact your authorized Apple representative
for education pricing. Aperture 2 is available as an upgrade for $99 for current owners
of Aperture 1.0 and 1.5.
Aperture is available in English, French, German, and Japanese. It can be purchased
from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com/store), Apple Authorized Resellers, and
Apple Retail Stores.
System Requirements
Aperture takes advantage of the PowerPC G5 processor or the Intel Core Duo
processor for the fastest performance. Performance depends on the processor speed,
amount of RAM, graphics subsystem, and graphics card installed.
Minimum system requirements
One of the following Mac computers:
• Mac Pro
• MacBook Pro
• MacBook
• MacBook Air
• Mac mini with an Intel Core Solo or Duo processor
• iMac with a 1.8GHz or faster PowerPC G5 or Intel Core Duo processor
• Power Mac G5 with a 1.6GHz or faster PowerPC G5 processor
• 15- or 17-inch PowerBook G4 with a 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4 processor
Memory requirements:
• 1GB of RAM
• 2GB of RAM required for Mac Pro
One of the following graphics cards:
• ATI Radeon X600 Pro, X600 XT, X800 XT Mac Edition, X850 XT, X1600, X1900 XT, 9800
XT, 9800 Pro, 9700 Pro, 9600, 9600 XT, 9600 Pro, 9650, HD 2400 XT, HD 2600 PRO, or
HD 2600 XT
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 or 9600
• ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, 6600, 6600 LE, 6800 Ultra DDL, 6800 GT DDL, 7300 GT,
7800 GT, 8600M GT, or 8800 GT
• NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 or FX 5600
• Intel GMA 950 or GMA X3100
