Getting Started with TPEN 3

Welcome to TPEN 3 Early Access! This guide will help you get up and running quickly.

Quick Start

1. Create Your Account - Sign up using your email or social login
2. Launch TPEN 3 - Open the application
3. Create Your First Project - Start transcribing immediately

Your First Project

Option 1: Start with a Single Image

The quickest way to get started:

1. Click “Create Project” in the TPEN 3 app
2. Paste the URL of any web-accessible image
3. Add a title and description
4. Start transcribing!

Option 2: Import from IIIF

If your images are already in a IIIF repository:

1. Click “Create Project”
2. Select “Import IIIF Manifest”
3. Paste the Manifest URL
4. The structure and metadata import automatically
5. Start transcribing!

Option 3: Upgrade from TPEN 2.8

If you have existing projects at t-pen.org:

1. Click “Import from TPEN 2.8”
2. Link your t-pen.org account
3. Select projects to upgrade
4. Your transcriptions migrate automatically

Learn more about migration →

Core Features for Early Access

Transcription Interface

The Classic Interface is available first, offering:

• Line-by-line text entry
• Image zoom and navigation
• Auto-save functionality
• Column and layer organization
• Split-screen tools and QuickType shortcuts

More interfaces are coming soon for complex layouts and specialized workflows.

Collaboration

Invite team members and assign roles:

• Owner - You, with full control
• Leader - Project managers who can configure and invite others
• Contributor - Team members who can transcribe
• Viewer - Read-only access for reviewers

Access the Project Management page to add collaborators.

Project Organization

• Create multiple layers for main text, glosses, and commentary
• Organize pages into ordered and labeled columns
• Add project metadata and license information

Essential Concepts

Everything is Linked Open Data

Your transcriptions are automatically stored as:

• Web Annotations - W3C standard format
• IIIF Manifests - Interoperable image structure
• Published to RERUM - Public Linked Data repository

This means your work is:

• Immediately accessible to other tools
• Discoverable across the scholarly web
• Yours to export or remix in standard formats

Non-Destructive Annotation

TPEN 3 never modifies, mirrors, or claims original images. Your transcriptions are:

• Separate annotation layers
• Linked to precise image regions
• Versioned and trackable
• Independently dereferenceable

Common Workflows

Solo Transcription

1. Create project from image(s) or IIIF Manifest
2. Transcribe at your own pace
3. Export when ready (Plain Text, IIIF, Web Annotation)

Team Collaboration

1. Owner creates project and invites Leaders
2. Leaders invite Contributors
3. Team transcribes different sections or layers
4. Owner or Leaders export and publish

Collection Transcription

1. Import entire IIIF Collection
2. Assign different manuscripts to team members
3. Use consistent metadata across projects
4. Export collection-wide

Getting Help

In-App Support

• Feedback Tool - Click the feedback icon in any interface to report issues or suggest improvements
• Tooltips - Hover over interface elements for quick explanations

Community Resources

• Tutorials - Step-by-step guides for specific tasks
• GitHub Discussions - Ask questions and share tips
• What’s New - Latest features and improvements

Known Limitations (Early Access)

This is an early access release, so some features are still in development:

• Limited interface options - Classic interface only (complex layout and specialized interfaces coming soon)
• Export formats - Plain text, IIIF, and Web Annotation available (TEI and other formats planned)
• Manifest editing - Coming in future updates
• Advanced image manipulation - Basic zoom/pan, color adjustment available (rotation or segmenting planned)

We appreciate your patience and feedback as we continue development!

What’s Next?

• Explore Tutorials - Learn specific features in depth
• Read What’s New - Understand improvements over TPEN 2.8
• Join Discussions - Connect with other users
• Check About - Learn about the TPEN project and team

Found a bug?

• Use the in-app feedback tool
• Report on GitHub Issues

Welcome to the TPEN 3 community! 🎉