Paper Tools help
Reviewed November 2, 2026 · Cacti.News
Quick help
The ? button in Paper Tools opens these topics next to your work.
Paper Tools
- Select an issue under Continue to return to your last work.
- Open StoryExtract to add Word files, PDFs, and pasted stories.
- Open NewsCalc to calculate the advertising percentage of an issue.
My publications
- Make a folder for each publication. Select New publication.
- Open a publication. Then make a folder for each issue.
- Open an issue to add stories and photos.
- Use the folder tree to go to a different publication or issue.
A publication
- Select New issue. Enter a name and, if known, the publication date.
- Open an issue to see its stories and photos.
- Archived issues stay in the list with an Archived label.
- Rename or delete the publication from the toolbar.
An issue
- Drop Word .docx files, PDFs, and photos on the issue. Or select Add files, Paste story, or Add photos.
- Select a story to check its text and photos against the source.
- Select a photo to edit its name, caption, and credit. Changes save automatically.
- Select stories and photos with their checkboxes to download, move, or delete them together.
- Use the ⋯ button or right-click a story, photo, or folder for more actions. On a computer, drag a story onto an issue in the folder tree to move it, or drag a photo onto a story to attach it.
- Select Download issue ZIP to send the full issue to layout.
- Select Grid or List to change the view. The status bar shows storage use, the save state, and files in progress.
Unassigned stories
- These stories were saved before they had an issue.
- Select the ⋯ button on a story, then Move to…. Or drag the story onto an issue in the folder tree.
- Moving a story keeps its text, edits, and photos. It does not change the expiry date.
A photo without a story
- Edit the photo name, caption, and credit. Changes save automatically.
- Select Attach to story… and choose a story. You can also drag the photo onto a story.
- Select Download photo to get the original bytes.
A story
- Compare the text with the source. Check paragraph breaks, reading order, captions, and credits.
- Use Join paragraphs, Split paragraph, and Clean spacing to fix the text.
- Open Images to check photo names, captions, and credits.
- Read the extraction notes at the top when the story has them.
- Use the ‹ and › buttons, or Alt+Page Up and Alt+Page Down, to check the next story without closing the dialog.
- Download the text, a photo, or a ZIP for this story.
NewsCalc
- Set the columns, page size, weight, and papers per inch.
- Enter the advertising height for each column on each page.
- Add inserts and tabloids with their page counts and sizes.
- Read the advertising percentage for each part and for the full issue.
- Entries stay in this browser. They do not sync to other devices.
Which files can I use?
StoryExtract accepts Word .docx files, PDFs, and pasted text and photos. Use Paste story for clipboard content. Save older .doc files as .docx in Word first.
Each upload can be up to 25 MB. Each PDF can contain up to 200 pages. Add up to 100 MB of source files in one upload batch. Saved accounts allow up to 100 stories. Processing also has image, memory, and execution limits. A file can reach one of these limits before it reaches the upload limit.
Check your source files
Use Word .docx files or PDFs up to 25 MB each. PDFs can contain up to 200 pages. Save older .doc files as .docx in Word first. Scanned PDFs need optical character recognition (OCR) before extraction.
Complex PDF layouts need a manual check. Extracted photos can look different from the cropped, rotated, or masked photos in the source layout. Compare the result with the original file before publication.
How do I organize a publication?
- Sign in.
- Create a publication. Enter its name.
- Create an issue. Enter its name and, if known, its publication date.
- Open the issue. Add Word files, PDFs, pasted stories, or separate photos.
- Open a story to edit its text and photo names, captions, and credits. Select a separate photo to edit its details. Changes save automatically.
- Download selected stories and photos, or the complete issue, as a ZIP.
For example, create Town News and its November 12, 2026 issue. Separate photos stay visible until you attach them to a story. Original photo bytes and dimensions are preserved. A story and its photos can move to another issue in the same publication.
Existing saved stories appear in Unassigned stories. Select Move to… on a story to put it in an issue. Sign in on another device to open the same publications, issues, stories, and photos. Select Refresh in My publications to fetch newer saved changes.
Active and archived content expires 30 days after first save. Moving, editing, and archiving do not extend expiry. Attaching a photo uses the earlier of the photo and story expiry dates. Publication and issue names remain until deleted.
After a move or an attach, select Undo in the notification within 10 seconds to reverse it. Delete cannot be undone. Archive does not delete content or release storage. Archived issues stay in the issue list with an Archived label. Open one and select Reopen issue to reopen it. Delete is separate and asks you to confirm the affected story and photo counts. Cancel keeps the content.
Processing results and errors appear in toasts. Errors stay visible until dismissed. Story tiles keep save status and expiry visible after a toast closes. If a save fails, keep the page open and retry or download local edits before leaving.
How do I prepare and check a story?
- Open StoryExtract. Drop files, or select Add files or Paste story.
- Select a ready story to open its text and photos.
- Compare the result with the source. Check paragraph breaks, reading order, punctuation, tables, captions, and credits.
- Edit the production text. Use Join paragraphs, Split paragraph, and Clean spacing when needed.
- Check photo names and download the production files.
Complex PDF layouts need a manual check. Page boundaries remain paragraph breaks. Join story continuations manually. Extraction does not copyedit text, verify facts, or infer missing captions and credits.
Does StoryExtract read scanned PDFs?
No. Scanned or outlined pages need optical character recognition (OCR) first. StoryExtract does not provide OCR.
Are extracted photos the same as the source layout?
Extracted photos use the embedded image data. Crops, rotations, effects, and masks from the layout are not applied. PDF images may already have a lower resolution than the original photograph. Word linked images and separate attachments are not included in extraction.
Does Paper Tools save stories and photos?
Yes. When you sign in, added stories save to your account on the server. Saved content includes extracted or pasted text, original reset text, edits, extraction notes, photo names, captions, credits, and photo bytes. You can reopen saved stories on another device.
Each account can save 100 stories and 500 MB of stored content. Encoded photo data counts toward this limit. Each saved story can be up to 64 MB. Stories expire 30 days after the first save. Editing does not extend that date.
Changes save automatically. The browser warns you if you try to leave before a save is complete. If a save fails, download your local edits and photos. Save story retries a failed save. A conflicting edit from another device requires a review; download local edits before reloading.
Use the trash control on a story to delete it. A dialog asks you to confirm. Deletion frees storage. Expired stories cannot be opened. Scheduled cleanup removes expired stored content; infrastructure backups follow a separate retention policy.
Are original uploads saved?
The saved-story library does not retain original Word or PDF files.
Uploads are processed during the request. PHP removes the temporary uploaded files when the request ends. The processing queue is disabled on this installation.
Pasting and formatting run in the browser. Adding a pasted story saves its text and photos to the server when signed in. The paste dialog draft is separate from the saved story.
Contact Cacti.News for account or data-removal help. See the privacy policy for the wider account service.
What can I download?
Download edited UTF-8 text, individual photos, or a ZIP for one story. Select story and photo checkboxes for a combined ZIP. With saved storage enabled, use Download issue ZIP to include all its stories and separate photos. ZIPs include photo caption and credit metadata. Separate filename prefixes prevent stories with the same names from replacing each other.
ZIP files are built in your browser. Check the files in your layout application before publication. Paper Tools does not lay out pages or publish directly to a newspaper website.
Which account do I use?
Select Sign in to continue. Use Account settings to change your email, password, or sign-in methods. Select Return to Paper Tools when you finish. Signing out here does not sign out other devices.
NewsCalc entries stay in this browser. They do not sync with saved stories or another device.
How much does Paper Tools cost?
A paid plan and its price have not been finalized. Subscription checkout and billing management are not available. NewsCalc is currently free.