---
title: Quick Publish
slug: author/quick-publish
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-11T06:55:06.570Z
---

This guide walks through the process of using BrightSign Author to create a simple presentation and then publishing that presentation to a player.

:::hint{type="warning"}
The player must already have been set up. If this has not yet been done, first go through the player setup process outlined in [Player Setup](docId\:rCuHsQUJj1ethBHvT46xi) or [Quick Setup](docId:-GUga56hC2IJ-tLQLAAOo).
:::

# What You Will Need

- A BrightSign player that has already been set up. If you have not set up your player yet, refer to [Player Setup](docId\:rCuHsQUJj1ethBHvT46xi) or [Quick Setup](docId:-GUga56hC2IJ-tLQLAAOo).
- Mac or PC with the BrightSign Author software installed. This software should have already been installed as part of the player setup process.
- For players configured with the Standalone Publishing Mode, you will also need a *blank* microSD card and a microSD card adapter (computers with SD card readers typically require an adapter to access microSD cards)
- Visual access to the display on which the presentation will be displayed.

# Create a Presentation

In the BrightSign Author app:

1. From the drop-down menu next to the **Presentation** tab, select **New**.
2. Select **Single Zone > Playlist** as the presentation type.
3. Enter the presentation **Name.**
4. Select a **Destination** folder.
5. Select your BrightSign player model under **Target Device.**
6. Select the **Connector** type that is used to connect the player to the display.
7. Select **Start.**

:::ExpandableHeading
### What are Zones?

Presentations can contain one or more media “zones”. A zone represents a defined section of the display. Each zone can play its own playlist of media content. For example, a presentation could have one zone with a looping series of videos, another zone that displays a slideshow of photos, and another zone with a scrolling market ticker of various stock prices. Each of these zones are simultaneously displayed. In this guide, a single zone presentation will be created. More detail about zones can be found [here](docId\:v-EVnMU6c7K5NHUNs86qT).
:::

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/tNb17yqqmwdosYEpsQGsH_image-20221222-203840.png)

You should see the following screen. From here, you can toggle between the presentation’s **Layout** (zone placement and positioning) and its **Content** (media files like video, images, etc.). Select the **Content** tab to add media files to the presentation. Alternatively, you can double-click on the zone (the green “Zone 1” box in the pic).

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/XD4gX2sRV4P5Lz7qNQKl1_image-20230810-195453.png)

From the **Content** tab:

1. Select **Open** (a) to view the file system on the Mac or PC. Select the *folder*, not the actual media file(s), where the desired media file(s) reside.
2. Media files within the selected folder will be shown in the **Assets** pane (b).
3. Drag and drop items from the **Assets** pane to the the zone’s **Content** pane (c).
4. Select the **Save** icon (d) to save the presentation to the presentation’s previously defined destination directory.
5. Select **Publish** (e).

:::hint{type="info"}
There is an important distinction between **Save** and **Publish**.

*Saving* the presentation saves any changes to the previously defined destination directory, similar to saving a typical text document or spreadsheet. The saved presentation file (.bpfx file) is not self-contained - it does not contain the various media files (images, videos, etc.). The presentation file is therefore insufficient on its own for display and requires access to the required media files.

When the presentation is *published*, BrightSign Author gathers all the necessary files (the .bpfx file, images, videos, etc.) and outputs it in a way that the player can read and process.

Generally speaking, you do not want to **Save** the presentation directly to the microSD card. Rather, you should **Publish** the presentation to the microSD card.
:::

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/BmkSWJRJ1_4XCSUqU8cu5_image-20230111-180430.png)

Selecting **Publish** will take you to the **Schedule** tab where you can define schedules to control when the presentation will play. In this example, the presentation will use the default schedule, which is to play all day, every day.

# Publish to a Standalone Player

::::ExpandableHeading
Steps for Standalone publishing

:::hint{type="warning"}
Make sure to erase the microSD card before copying the presentation and media files to it. If the setup files are left on the card, the player may attempt to run the setup process every time it is rebooted and not play the presentation.
:::

1. For **Destination Type**, select **Local System Storage** (a).
2. Insert a *blank* microSD card into the computer and select the card as the **Destination Local Directory** (b).
3. Select **Publish** (c). This will publish the presentation to the microSD card. Remove the card from the computer and plug it into the player. The presentation should then play on the display. If the presentation does not play after a few minutes, try rebooting the player.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/x9zqIvNsTxJNV-L9N8PtM_image-20230111-181148.png)
::::

# Publish to a Local Network Player

:::ExpandableHeading
Steps for Local Network publishing

1. For **Destination Type**, select **Local Network** (a).
2. The player should appear in the **Networked Players** list. If not, select the **Refresh** icon (b). If the player still doesn’t appear, you may have to select the **+** icon (b) and manually enter the player’s IP address. The IP address will be shown on the “Congratulations, your BrightSign player is set up!” screen.
3. Select the player(s) to publish to (c).
4. Select **Publish** (d). The player may go through an automatic reboot cycle before playing the presentation.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/HYcRjQwVvINEhwP4nvOiR_image-20230111-181726.png)
:::

# Publish to a Web Folder Player

:::ExpandableHeading
Steps for Web Folder publishing

### Web Folder Mapped to Local Directory

1. For **Destination Type**, select **Web Folder** (a). If you have a local directory that’s mapped as a volume to your web URL, select **Directory** (b) and select the folder icon to navigate to and select that local directory.
2. Select **Publish** (c) to publish the presentation to the directory you’ve selected. If set up properly, your Web Folder configured player should detect new content at the web URL, transfer that content to its microSD card, and play it.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/jZoMlxHHKnk0uVWfcLTRg_image-20230111-190854.png)

### FTP

1. To transfer files to the web URL via FTP, select **FTP Site** (a) as the **Destination Type**.
2. Select the **+** icon (b) to enter a new FTP site.
3. Enter the required info for the FTP site and select **Submit** (c).
4. Enter the web URL again under **Options >** **Player Configuration** (d). Your web folder URL must match the URL you used when setting up the player.
5. Select **Publish** (e) to publish the presentation to the specified FTP site. If set up properly, your Web Folder configured player should detect new content at the web URL, transfer that content to its microSD card, and play it.

![New.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/LMdV5IIeJ1_LoTDkqnwh-_new.png)
:::

# Publish to Author Plus

:::ExpandableHeading
Steps for BrightSign Author Plus publishing

From the main **Dashboard** of BrightSign Author,** Connect to BSN.cloud** by selecting either of the places shown.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/O9plgVpbCt5kYhUHJtY5Q_image-20230111-191311.png)

You should have already created an account during the setup of your BSN.Cloud player. Enter your username and password to login. Once logged in, note the toggle for **Local Content** and **BSN.cloud Content**:

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/uqwwJggb4z4a58yRDdK8e_image-20230111-191522.png)

This toggle only appears if you are logged into BSN.Cloud and is thus only applicable to BSN.Cloud users. It governs what content you will see. **Local Content** mode displays the content stored on your local computer (the computer you are running BrightSign Author on) whereas **BSN.cloud Content** mode displays content stored on BSN.Cloud.

Presentations created in BrightSign Author Plus are stored in BSN.Cloud and are only accessible through BSN.Cloud. Presentations created in **Local Content** mode cannot be accessed in Author Plus and must first be uploaded in order to be used in Author Plus. 

### Upload Local Presentations to Author Plus

If you created a presentation prior to logging into BSN.Cloud and wish to use that presentation with BSN.Cloud, first select **Local Content** mode:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/qORRm2ZksQBNCdJAJ6iEP_image-20230105-183619.png" size="50" width="390" height="46" position="center" showCaption="false" darkWidth="390" darkHeight="46"}

Next, select **Presentation** and select the presentation you wish to use. You may get an “Open presentation error” where you are asked to resolve the location of the presentation’s media files. Select **Location** and select the folder where the the media files reside, then select **Continue**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/6aJoYtf2i97lsQSjf0RR6_image-20230105-184139.png)

Next, select the **Upload** icon to upload the presentation to Author Plus:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/dK6hY0Zd0x4PCLtrTrAdY_image-20230111-191806.png" size="80" width="916" height="118" position="center" showCaption="false" darkWidth="916" darkHeight="118"}

A progress bar should appear at the top of the window showing the transfer progress. When the transfer has been complete, toggle the mode to **BSN.cloud Content**. Select the **Presentation** tab and you should see the presentation you just uploaded. Double-click the presentation to open it and then select **Publish**.

This will take you to the **Schedule** tab. Select the **Group** that the player was assigned to. Unless the player was assigned to a different group, it will be part of the **Default** group.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/DysOI5Q0wFxXcsHjlsK-R_image-20230111-191941.png)

Select **Publish** once again. You may see a message about a minimum OS and an OS being required. This message is in error. Select **OK**. Your presentation will be published to all players in the designated group.

### Create Presentations in Author Plus

Creating presentations directly in BrightSign Author Plus is similar to creating a presentation in **Local Content** mode with the important distinction being *where* the media files are located. With **Local Content** mode, media files are stored locally on the computer running BrightSign Author. As covered previously, presentations created in **Local Content** mode must first be uploaded before being able to be used in Author Plus.

Media files used for presentations created in Author Plus must first be uploaded to BSN.Cloud. From the **Content** tab drop-down menu, select **Upload New Media**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0prk6SO2dy9LdU77jB8D1/WaN0rHZco1diQjRuRuEVZ_image.png)

1. Select **Choose Files** to select content from your local computer’s file manager or simply drag and drop them onto the BrightSign Author window.
2. Select a folder on BSN.Cloud to upload the content to.
3. Select **Upload Content**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/VjU_ZlE9woOOi7rzeNiM6_image-20230111-192413.png)

After uploading, the content will be available for use in any presentation. The steps to create a simple presentation are as covered previously in the [Creating a Presentation section](docId\:CZGuHZ_OMw1rSbPfddPaH) of this guide.
:::