There are four basic steps to getting started with Portable Contracts. The steps are:

• Create a profile through the Profiles tab.
• Create or import one or more clients in the Clients tab.
• Create or purchase one or more templates through the Templates tab.
• Create a contract in the Contracts tab using the client and template entries you previously created.

This application has a lot of options available within it, so don't be afraid to take a look around and test everything out.

Note: While signatures can be made with your fingertips fairly easily, we highly recommend that you consider purchasing an iPad stylus for optimal signature capturing abilities. Something like this: Griffin Technology Stylus.

Profiles are used to group clients, templates, and contracts. Each profile has its own Company Name, Contact Name, Address, etc. that is used within the contracts that are created while you are using that specific profile. In order to use the rest of the application, you must create at least one profile.

When you first create a profile you are asked to fill in 5-10 different items that are related to your profile (Company Name, etc.). If you have additional items that you would like to add to your profile, you can add profile keywords through the Keywords tab. Profile keywords will appear within your profile setup area and they can be used like any other keyword within the templates and contracts.

A template is a fully formed contract with keywords displayed in place of client/job specific information, such as your clients' names, negotiated prices, etc. When you associate a template with a client, the template then becomes a contract and the keyword values within the template are automatically filled in with your client's contact information.

There are multiple ways to create contract templates, including purchasing the templates as in-app purchases, writing the templates from scratch, and copy/pasting the text from other contracts that you have used in the past. Saved templates can be modified and copied an unlimited number of times.

As a thank you gift for purchasing our application through the App Store we allow you to select and download your first set of templates at no charge. Note: Our template list is limited to photography templates only at this time. More templates are on their way for other professions. Shoot us an email if you have any specific templates that you would like to see made available.

The left panel within this tab contains a list of all of the templates that have been created in the past. Next to each template name is a client selection icon; clicking the client selection icon will allow you to quickly create a contract, using the currently selected template, and the client of your choice.

You can store and manage your client list within the application through the Clients tab. Since many of your clients are possibly already in your iPad's address book, we have created a way for you to import and sync your client list with that app.

In addition to displaying your clients' names and contact information, the client list also allows you to easily see which clients have had contracts created for them in the past and which clients still have contracts that need to be signed.

When a client has a contract associated with them a small colored circle is displayed underneath their name, along with the current status of their most recent contract. The color of the circle is determined as follows:

• Green Circle: All contracts have been signed.
• Yellow Circle: One or more unsigned contracts that were created less than 30 days ago.
• Red Circle: One or more unsigned contracts that were created more than 30 days ago.

Clicking on client name from within the client list will allow you view a full list of their associated contracts and their statuses. From this page you can allow start a new contract for the currently selected client.

Contracts can only be created once you have defined one or more templates and one or more client records. You can start a contract by either clicking the "Create a New Contract" button on a client's information screen, clicking the client selection icon within the Templates tab, or by clicking the "Start New Contract" button within the Contracts tab.

If you are starting a contract from within the Contracts tab the first thing you will be asked to do is to select a client and a template. Once both the client and the template have been selected you will be asked to fill in (or verify) the values for each of the keywords found within the template. Many of the keyword values will be filled in automatically for you using your profile information and your client's contact information. Any keyword that is not automatically given a value should be filled in by you or your client. Once the keywords have all been given a value, click the Save button to create the contract.

Once a contract has been created you can choose to modify the contract text, email the contract as a PDF, or view and sign the contract. Contracts that are missing values for one or more of their keywords cannot be signed until those values have been filled in. Contracts can be emailed in both their signed and unsigned states.

Small colored circles are displayed in the left panel next to each contract to allow you to quickly know the status of each contract. The color of the circle is determined as follows:

• Green Circle: The contract has been signed.
• Yellow Circle: The contract is unsigned and was created less than 30 days ago.
• Red Circle: The contract is unsigned and was created more than 30 days ago.

Keywords are used in contract templates to hold a place for a future contract values (such as client names, job locations, etc.). This allows you to create a single set of templates that can be re-used an infinite number of times, for an unlimited number of clients and situations.

There are seven built-in keyword types:

• Small Text - Used for items such as a business name.
• Large Text - Used for items such as a contract addenda.
• Date - Used for items such as payment deadlines.
• Date Time - Used for items such as a service contracted for a specific date and time.
• Signature - Used wherever a signature is required, such as at the bottom of a contract.
• Initials - Used wherever initials are required, such as next to important paragraphs within a contract.
• Droplist - Used wherever you or your clients have multiple choices, such as selecting contract options.

In addition to the keyword types defined above, you are also able to select whether or not each keyword is a "Profile Field." When a keyword has the profile field setting set to Yes, the keyword will be displayed within the Profiles tab. The value that you give the keyword in the Profiles tab will be the value that is automatically entered into your contracts wherever the keyword is used.

Some keywords are built into the application and cannot be deleted (Client Name, Profile Business Name, etc.), but can be renamed to fit your specific business needs.

If you are building a template from scratch, or if you are modifying an existing template, keywords can be automatically created within the template. To create a new keyword from within a template, use the following syntax: <<Keyword Label||Keyword Type>> This functionality allows you to create new keywords on the fly without having to stop working on your templates.

As a thank you gift from us to you for purchasing Portable Contracts through the App Store, you may download your first set of contract templates at no charge. Our contract template selection is fairly small at the present time, but as time goes on we will add additional templates for you to purchase and download.

Purchased templates can be re-downloaded multiple times and they can be used on as many of your profiles as you would like.

At this time, our in-app purchase options are limited to just photography related templates. Additional templates will be added in the future for non-photography professions.

• Q: My app crashed! What can I do to stop this from happening again?
  A: The easiest way to ensure the best possible experience with the app is to update your iPad to the most recent iOS version. Additionally, if you are using the original iPad (iPad 1), closing all other open apps may help avoid memory-related issues and potential crashes.
• Q: I don't want my custom keyword values to be red, is there a way to change that?
  A: Yes. The easiest way to do this is to select all of the text in the template and then click on the color picker and change everything to black. The keywords don't have to be red to work correctly, they just stand out a little more when they are red.
• Q: How can I attach images to my contracts?
  A: Images can be appended to the end of a contract by clicking the "Import Photos" button found at the bottom of the "Edit Contract Details" screen.
• Q: How do I switch between the different profiles I have created?
  A: Click the button on the top of the application that says the name of your currently selected profile; this will give you the option of switching to another profile.
• Q: If I don't want to buy templates from you, how do I get templates into the application?
  A: The easiest way to get a template into the app is to copy & paste the wording from a pre-existing contract, and then modify it within Portable Contracts to use keywords wherever they are needed.
• Q: Why are there only photography-related templates offered through the in-app purchase area?
  A: We have been working with photographers for many years through Instaproofs.com, and photography is our primary specialty. Non-photography templates will be added to the in-app purchase area in the not-too-distant future.
• Q: Is there any way to create a contract without associating a client with it?
  A: No, all contracts must be associated with a client. If you only need the client's name on the contract, create a client entry that only includes your client's name and then create a contract for that client.
• Q: Why does opening a purchased template take so long?
  A: The first time a template is loaded, the editor has to interpret the template and locate all of the keywords, calculate the page breaks, add text formatting, etc. This formatting and interpreting occurs only the first time the template is loaded; all subsequent openings of the template should happen very quickly.
• Q: When my keyboard is split (iOS 5 only), sometimes the keyboard is in the way of the bottom of my contract wording. How can I get around that?
  A: In iOS 5 you have the ability to "undock" the keyboard and move it around wherever you would like. To move the keyboard around, tap and hold the bottom-right keyboard button and then move the keyboard up or down to wherever you would like it to be.