* Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Questions about the various ways of sharing your research with others
Post Reply
User avatar
bssmith
Gold
Posts: 12
Joined: 26 Jul 2021 02:38
Family Historian: V7
Location: Fairfax County, Virginia

Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Post by bssmith »

I am including several images for individuals whenever I print off an Ancestors By Generation report. Within the report prefs, I've sized each image slot so that a single row can accommodate up to six images.

Here's an example where I have four images out of the six possible:

1of3.png
1of3.png (151.62 KiB) Viewed 1032 times

Then I had the thought of creating empty "spacer" images, so that I could "move" the four images around in the available space, like this:

2of3.png
2of3.png (152.57 KiB) Viewed 1032 times

Here is where the borders become really noticeable - that middle section would ideally be completely blank. I'd like to have an option to remove the outlines for all images in this report.

That's my first use case. In my second use case, I would take advantage of that dead space in the center by taking a rectangular-sized original image, slicing it into two image files, and then lining up the left half and the right half to approximate a (borderless) single image. I can specify zero space around each image, so this should work. Mockup would look something like this:

3of3.png
3of3.png (227.66 KiB) Viewed 1032 times

One other idea to consider. If removal of the border isn't doable, an alternative would be a configuration option to specify the color of the border. For example, if I could change the border line color from black to white, that would fully meet my first use case, but would leave a white line running down the center in my second use case - which would still be a better option than what is available today.

I do see a much older post viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13705&p=68834#p68834 which is in the neighborhood of this topic.

If this feature/configuration option is not possible today (seven+ years after the above post), I can open up a Wish List feature request.

Thanks!
-- Ben
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28488
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Post by tatewise »

No, I'm sorry, but there are no picture border options in any of the FH Report settings.
I even found you have to be creative with the Pictures tab Height and Width settings to achieve a 0 Gap.

The only idea I can suggest is to use an image editor such as IrfanView and paste the images side by side to form one very wide image. Add that image to the Media tab of the person and set Preference 1 so it is the 1st image to be added to the Report.

You can also tick its Media tab Exclude from Diagrams option so it does not appear on the Focus Window or in Diagrams.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
bssmith
Gold
Posts: 12
Joined: 26 Jul 2021 02:38
Family Historian: V7
Location: Fairfax County, Virginia

Re: Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Post by bssmith »

Very clever, Mike - I had not considered stitching multiple images into a single, very wide image.

I'll look for a good collage-building tool (to make it as easy as possible) and get to work on that front.

Thanks.
-- Ben
User avatar
bssmith
Gold
Posts: 12
Joined: 26 Jul 2021 02:38
Family Historian: V7
Location: Fairfax County, Virginia

Re: Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Post by bssmith »

This is a pretty good compromise. I still don't want to see a border anywhere, but now there is just one around this single wide image, leaving me plenty of unobstructed room inside the box.

sample report.png
sample report.png (229.38 KiB) Viewed 567 times

Rx:
  • Adobe Photoshop, File > Automate > Contact Sheet II, 1 row x 6 column grid, 1.25" height, 7" width
  • Three of the six images were blank spacers, leaving me enough room to resize/paste the census snippet
  • Adobe Express (online) to generate the QR code, which in my production report will point to Mary's entry on my website
  • Configure the FH report: 1 max pic for the root/relative, above text centered, custom size 1.25" height, 7" width
  • Caption is for this single wide image, with a bunch of spaces in front to push it right to a centered position under the census entry
-- Ben
User avatar
ADC65
Superstar
Posts: 473
Joined: 09 Jul 2007 10:27
Family Historian: V7

Re: Remove or recolor border from images in Ancestors By Generation report

Post by ADC65 »

Looks good, but I can't believe I've been RickRolled 😐😂
Adrian Cook
Researching Cook, Summers, Phipps and Bradford, mainly in Wales and the South West of England
Post Reply