Tell Markup R-XP which PDF pages contain the symbol key(s), the legend that lists every symbol used on the chart and the thread colour it represents.

On this page

 

 

What this step is for

 

The key (also called the legend, thread list, or colour chart) is the part of a cross-stitch pattern that lists every stitch symbol alongside the thread colour it represents. For example, the symbol “○” might mean DMC 310 black, and “▲” might mean DMC 666 red.

This step lets you tell Markup R-XP which PDF pages contain that key. Once selected, Markup R-XP can look at the symbols on your chart and match them to the right thread colours when you start marking off stitches.

 

Different pattern designers lay out the key in different ways. Some give it a whole page of its own. Others put it across two or more pages when the design has many colours. A few include a small key in a corner of the first chart page instead.

If your pattern has a dedicated key page, select it here. If the key is embedded inside a chart page, you can still include that chart page as a key page - Markup R-XP will read the symbols from anywhere on the selected pages.

 

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

The screen at a glance

 

The Select Key Pages screen shows your PDF pages as thumbnails in a grid, with selected key pages highlighted green and Back / Next buttons at the bottom.
Figure 1. The Select Key Pages screen shows the same page grid you saw in the previous step. (1) The header bar shows how many pages are currently selected as key pages. (2) Selected key 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 Back button returns you to the previous step; the Next button moves you on to selecting picture pages.

Reading a page tile

 

Each tile represents one page from your original PDF.

Close-up of a selected key page tile, showing the PDF page number, thumbnail of a symbol/colour legend, and the green selected state.
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, which should visibly contain a symbol-and-colour legend if it is a key page; and (3) the selection state, where pages marked as key pages have a green tint and thicker green border.

Including and excluding key pages

 

To choose your key pages:

  1. Tap a page to include it as a key page. 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: “1 of 8 selected”.
  4. Select every page that contains the key. If the key spans more than one page, include all of them.

Tip. Not sure whether a page contains the key? Double-tap it to preview full-screen. A key page typically lists every symbol used on the chart in a column or grid, with a thread number (DMC, Anchor, Madeira) and often a colour swatch beside it.

Note. The same page can be selected as both a chart page and a key page if the key is printed alongside the grid. Each role is tracked independently.

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 key-page selection.

The floating chip on the left edge of the screen with three round buttons stacked vertically.
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 as a key page.

Use this when most of your PDF is key-related content and you only need to deselect a few non-key pages afterwards. Rarely needed - most patterns have only one or two key pages.

Select None

Clears your entire key-page selection.

This is useful if you have selected the wrong pages and want to start again, or if your pattern has no dedicated key page and you want to leave the selection empty.

Invert Selection

Flips the current selection.

Pages that were marked as key pages become unselected, and pages that were not become selected. Useful in the rare case where you accidentally selected every chart page instead of the one key page.

Previewing a page full-screen

 

Thumbnails can be too small to make out the small text of a thread list or the layout of a symbol legend. You can open any page full-screen to take a closer look.

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, showing a symbol/colour key, with a Done button in the top-right corner.
Figure 4. The full-screen preview lets you inspect a PDF page in detail. A key page usually looks like a table of symbols and thread numbers, sometimes with colour swatches. (1) The Done 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 key pages and moves you to the picture-pages step. If you want to go back and change your chart-page selection, tap Back in the bottom-left corner instead.

Note. Unlike the chart pages step, you are not required to select a key page here. If your pattern does not include a separate key, you can move on with nothing selected and continue setting up the project. Markup R-XP will use whatever symbol information it can find later on.

Bottom-of-screen view showing the Back button in the bottom-left and the Next button in the bottom-right.
Figure 5. The wizard navigation. (1) The Back button returns to the Select Chart Pages step. (2) The Next button moves on to the Select Picture Pages step.

Tips and common questions

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

Q: What exactly counts as a key page?

Answer: Any page that lists the symbols used on the chart and the thread colours they map to.

This is usually a table or grid. Each row pairs a symbol (the printed mark on the chart) with a thread brand and number such as DMC 310 or Anchor 403, and often a colour swatch as well.

Q: My pattern does not have a dedicated key page. What should I do?

Answer: Skip the selection and tap Next.

You can move on with no key pages selected. Markup R-XP can still build your project - it will work from the symbols it finds on the chart pages themselves. You may have to provide colour names manually in a later step.

Q: The key on my pattern is shown in a corner of the first chart page. Should I select that page as the key too?

Answer: Yes.

A page can be both a chart page and a key page at the same time. Selecting it here tells Markup R-XP to also look at this page for symbol-to-colour information.

Q: Can I select more than one page as the key?

Answer: Yes.

Patterns with many colours sometimes spread the key across two or more pages. Select all of them. Markup R-XP will combine the information from every selected key page.

Q: I selected the wrong page as the key. How do I change it?

Answer: Tap the page again to unselect it, then tap the correct page to select it.

If you have made several wrong choices, tap Select None in the floating chip to clear everything and start fresh.

Q: The bulk selection buttons and double-tap preview look identical to the previous step. Do they work the same way?

Answer: Yes - the same controls are used across all three page-selection steps.

For more on these controls, see Select Chart Pages, where they were first introduced.

What's next?

 

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

A picture page is a finished colour image of the design - what your project will look like when it is stitched. Markup R-XP shows it alongside your chart so you have a reference to compare against while you work.