Tell Markup R-XP which PDF pages contain the actual cross-stitch charts that you would like to stitch from.

On this page

 

 

What this step is for

 

Most cross-stitch PDFs contain extra pages such as a cover image, thread list, instructions, backstitch guide, or finished-picture preview. These pages are useful, but they are not usually part of the chart grid you stitch from.

This step tells Markup R-XP which PDF pages contain the actual chart grids. These are the pages the app will use to build your pattern.

 

When your PDF gives you a choice, it is usually best to select multi-page charts rather than single-page versions, black-and-white charts rather than colour charts, and charts without backstitch shown. These usually give Markup R-XP clearer symbols and more detail to work with.

 

Anything you exclude here is not deleted. It is simply hidden from the following setup steps. Your selection is saved straight away, so if you come back later, Markup R-XP will remember which pages you selected.

The screen at a glance

 

Figure 1. The Select Chart Pages screen shows your PDF pages as thumbnails in a grid. (1) The header bar shows how many pages are currently selected and reminds you that you can double-tap a page to enlarge it. (2) Selected pages are shown with a green tint and green title strip. (3) Unselected pages are shown with a plain grey title strip. (4) The floating selection chip provides quick options for selecting multiple pages. (5) The Next button moves you to the next setup step once your chart pages are selected.

Reading a page tile

 

Each tile represents one page from your original PDF.


Figure 2. A page tile includes: (1) the PDF page number, which is always shown so you can match it to the original PDF; (2) a thumbnail preview of the page contents; and (3) the selection state, where selected pages have a green tint and thicker green border.

Including and excluding pages

 

To choose your chart pages:

  1. Tap a page to include it. The page turns green to show it is selected.
  2. Tap it again to exclude it. The page returns to grey.
  3. Watch the header. The count updates immediately, for example: “3 of 8 selected”.
  4. Repeat until all chart pages to stitch from are green. Cover pages, thread lists, instructions and preview images should usually stay grey.

Tip. Not sure whether a page is a chart page? Double-tap it to preview it full-screen first. Previewing a page does not change whether it is selected.

Note. Excluding a page does not remove it from your PDF. It only tells the Markup R-XP this is not a page to stitch from. You can return to this step later and include it again if needed.

Bulk selection using the floating chip

 

The floating chip appears on the left edge of the page list. It gives you three quick ways to change your page selection.


Figure 3. The floating chip contains three buttons: (1) Select All, (2) Select None, and (3) Invert Selection.

Select All

Includes every page in the PDF.

Use this when most of your PDF contains chart pages and you only need to deselect a few extra pages afterwards.

Select None

Clears your entire selection.

This is useful if you have selected the wrong pages and want to start again.

Invert Selection

Flips the current selection.

Pages that were selected become unselected, and pages that were unselected become selected. This is useful if you accidentally selected the non-chart pages instead of the chart pages.

Previewing a page full-screen

 

Thumbnails can sometimes be too small to tell whether a page is a chart, key, colour preview, or instruction page. You can open any page full-screen to inspect it more closely.

To preview a page:

  1. Double-tap any page tile. The page opens full-screen.
  2. Tap the done button when finished. This returns you to the page list.

Previewing a page does not change whether it is included or excluded.

A single PDF page filling the screen with a back-arrow button in the top-right corner.
Figure 4. The full-screen preview lets you inspect a PDF page in more detail before deciding whether to include it. (1) The back-arrow button returns you to the page list.

Moving to the next step

 

When you are happy with your selection, tap Next in the bottom-right corner.

Markup R-XP saves your selected chart pages and moves you to the next step of the setup wizard.

Heads up. You must select at least one chart page before continuing. If you tap Next without selecting any pages, you will see the message: “No chart pages selected. Please select at least one page to continue.”


Figure 5. This warning appears if you try to continue without selecting any chart pages.

Tips and common questions

Here are answers to the most common questions about selecting chart pages.

Q: The page list looks too cramped or too sparse. Can I change how many columns are shown?

Answer: The layout adjusts automatically to your device and screen size.

Phones show fewer columns, while tablets, desktops and landscape layouts show more. You can rotate your device or resize the window to change the layout.

Q: I selected all my pages by accident. Do I have to deselect them one at a time?

Answer: No. Tap Select None in the floating chip to clear the whole selection in one go.

Q: What if my PDF only has one page?

Answer: You still need to tap the page once to include it.

Markup R-XP works with single-page charts. You will simply have fewer pages to choose from in later setup steps.

Q: If I come back to this step later, will my changes wipe everything I have already done?

Answer: No. Markup R-XP preserves your existing setup wherever possible.

However, adding or removing chart pages may cause parts of the chart layout to be re-evaluated, because the wizard needs to understand which pages make up the stitchable chart.

Q: One of my pages looks like a chart but does not have a grid. Should I include it?

Answer: Usually, no.

Markup R-XP expects selected chart pages to contain a printed grid so it can line things up correctly. Pages without a grid, such as a finished colour preview, should normally be left out at this stage.

Q: The thumbnails are blank or slow to appear. Is something broken?

Answer: Probably not.

The first time you open a project, Markup R-XP needs to create preview images from the PDF. On larger PDFs this can take a few seconds. Once the thumbnails have been created, they are cached and should appear much faster next time.

What's next?

 

After selecting your chart pages, the next step is to choose your key pages.

The key page is the part of the pattern that lists each symbol and the thread colour it represents. Markup R-XP uses this information to understand what each symbol on your chart means.