Microsoft PICTURE IT! PREMIUM user guide

User’s Manual

Microsoft

Picture It!

User’s Manual

Premium

Information in this docu ment, including URL and other Inter net Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are ctitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this docu ment may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellect ual property rights cover ing subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

Microsoft, Picture It!, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

This product contains images from PhotoDisc/Getty Images, Inc.; Dave Johnson, Tony Chor; Tim Hedlund; Charlotte Lowrie; David Parlin; Tom Simmons; and Faith Szafranski.

This software is based in part on the work of the independent JPEG Group.

This product contains Macromedia Flash™ Player software by Macromedia, Inc., Copyright © 1996-2002 Macromedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Macromedia, Flash, and the Flash Player logo are trademarks of Macromedia, Inc.

© 2000 Gina B. Designs, Inc., © Adjoa J. Bur rowes/EthnoGraphics, © Alice Briggs Illustration, © Allport Editions, © Amberley Greeting Card Company, © Antoinet te Simmons Hodges/EthnoGraphics, © Athena Hampton/EthnoGraphics, © Bett y Biggs/EthnoGraphics, © Bonnie Zuponcic, © Carla Golembe/EthnoGraphics, © Cathy L. Schubert/ EthnoGraphics, © Colors By Design, © Emma Raley, © Fish & Webster, © Fravessi Greetings, Inc., © Gary Craig, © Georgia Rettmer and Kimberly Rinehar t, © Great Arrow Graphics, © Jay P. Morgan, © Jeanine M. Frazier/Eth noGraphics, © Jesus & Margaret Flores/ EthnoGraphics, © Jim Z. Zhang/EthnoGraphics, © Joann Pecoraro/EthnoGraphics, © Joseph Polevoi/EthnoGraphics, © Karen Gutowsky, © Kay Erickson/EthnoGraphics, © Keith Henry Brown/ EthnoGraphics, © Kersti Wells, © Kiki Oberstenfeld de Suarez, © KOKO New York, © Kristin Elliott, © Kristin Nelson Tinker/EthnoGraphics, © Larry LaBonte, © Laura Schuman, © Leeann Lidz/EthnoGraphics, © Linda G. Fisher/EthnoGraphics, © linneadesign.com, © Lisa R. Foster/EthnoGraphics, © Liz Kahlenberg Bordow, © Lorie L. Clark/EthnoGraphics, © Madison Park Greetings, © MARA-MI, © Marian Heath Greeting Cards, © Maril Delly/EthnoGraphics, © Marisela Godoy/EthnoGraphics, © Mark Downey/EthnoG raphics, © ME GRAPHICS, © Northern Exposure, © NRN Designs Corporation, © Painted Hearts & Friends, © Palm Press, Inc., © Paula Doherty 2001, Advocate-Ar t © Penny Laine Papers, © Pinx A Card Co., Inc., © Rebecca Pavlenko, © Red Farm Studio, © Roobee, © Sally Martin do Gastelum/EthnoGraphics, © Sandi Car penter/EthnoGraphics, © Sara Sch neidman, © Snafu Designs, © Socially Yours, © Steve Haskamp, © Steve Katz, © Suzanne Tornquist/EthnoGraphics, © Xiaoxing Yu/EthnoGraphics, Bot tman Design, Inc. © Chris Roberts-Antieau, Bottman Design, Inc. © Paris Bottman, Fan Mail Greeting Card Co © Dona Rozanski, LAR KSPUR GRAPHICS © Andie Thrams, Off Ramp(TM), Silk Spiral Designs, © G.B., Steve Lovi, © 2000, TWENTY-FOUR CARROT, I NC. ®, © Jennifer Blomgren, © Andrea Beloff, © Dorothy Strait, © Carmel Bar tz.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

0604 Par t No. X10-53891

Printed in the United States of America.

Contents at a Glance

Chapter 1: Installation ............................................................................1

Chapter 2: Welcome to Microsoft Picture It! Premium...................... 5

Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictures........................................7

Chapter 4: Picture It! Basics ................................................................19

Chapter 5: Basic Touchup.....................................................................31

Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing ....................................................37

Chapter 7: Batch Editing in Mini Lab .................................................53

Chapter 8: Adding Edges, Mats, and Frames ....................................55

Chapter 9: Creating Projects................................................................57

Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures ..........................................61

Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library ............73

Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures......................................................85

Index..................................................................................................... 123

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Installation .................................................................................................................................... 1

Starting Setup............................................................................................................................................. 1

Completing the Installation Wizard ........................................................................................................... 2

Installation Folder Dialog Box............................................................................................................ 2

Installation Options Dialog Box ......................................................................................................... 2

Special Circumstances ............................................................................................................................... 3

Upgrading from a Different Picture It! Product ................................................................................. 3

Reinstalling or Removing Picture It! ................................................................................................. 3

Chapter 2: Welcome to Microsoft Picture It! Premium.............................................................................. 5

Other Helpful Resources ............................................................................................................................ 6

Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictures ............................................................................................... 7

Importing Pictures...................................................................................................................................... 7

Launching the Import Pictures Wizard automatically ....................................................................... 7

Starting the Import Pictures Wizard manually .................................................................................. 8

Opening Pictures for Editing ..................................................................................................................... 9

Using the le browser.......................................................................................................................... 9

Opening pictures from other cameras ................................................................................................ 12

Troubleshooting tips for opening pictures from a camera.................................................................. 13

Opening pictures from a scanner........................................................................................................ 14

Opening a Photo Sent Through E-mail...................................................................................................... 16

Opening a Picture from a Web Page.......................................................................................................... 17

Chapter 4: Picture It! Basics .......................................................................................................................... 19

Startup Window.......................................................................................................................................... 19

Examining the Work Area ........................................................................................................................ 21

Image Formatting ....................................................................................................................................... 23

Changing picture size.......................................................................................................................... 23

Applying Text............................................................................................................................................. 25

Help Resources ........................................................................................................................................... 26

Online Help ......................................................................................................................................... 26

Using the table of contents .................................................................................................................. 27

Using the index.................................................................................................................................... 27

Using the search .................................................................................................................................. 28

Product Tour........................................................................................................................................ 28

Instructional Videos ........................................................................................................................... 29

Technical Support .............................................................................................................................. 29

Chapter 5: Basic Touchup............................................................................................................................... 31

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast ............................................................................................................ 31

Correcting a Color Cast.............................................................................................................................. 32

Fixing Red Eye ........................................................................................................................................... 33

Straightening a Picture............................................................................................................................... 34

Cropping .................................................................................................................................................... 35

Using the rule of thirds ....................................................................................................................... 36

Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing.............................................................................................................. 37

Understanding Objects ............................................................................................................................... 37

Working with Composites................................................................................................................... 37

Locked Objects.................................................................................................................................... 38

Selecting Objects with the Object Tool............................................................................................... 39

Multiple Selection, Grouping, and Flattening Objects .............................................................................. 40

Multiple Selection ............................................................................................................................... 40

Grouping Objects ................................................................................................................................ 41

Flattening Objects ............................................................................................................................... 42

Automatic Flattening .......................................................................................................................... 42

Flattening Objects During Saving ...................................................................................................... 42

Using Selection Tools................................................................................................................................. 43

The Marquee Tool ............................................................................................................................... 44

The Freehand Tool............................................................................................................................... 45

The Edge Finder .................................................................................................................................. 46

The Magic Wand ................................................................................................................................. 47

Editing and Copying Selected Areas ......................................................................................................... 48

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Selections .......................................................................................... 48

Filters .......................................................................................................................................................... 49

Color Effects .............................................................................................................................................. 50

Paint Effects ............................................................................................................................................... 51

Chapter 7: Batch Editing in the Mini Lab .................................................................................................. 53

Chapter 8: Adding Edges, Mats, and Frames .............................................................................................. 55

Edge Effects................................................................................................................................................ 55

Mats and Frames ........................................................................................................................................ 56

Chapter 9: Creating Projects ......................................................................................................................... 57

Creating Photo Cards ................................................................................................................................. 57

Creating Calendars ..................................................................................................................................... 59

Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures .................................................................................................... 61

Saving Pictures........................................................................................................................................... 61

Saving Multiple Versions ........................................................................................................................... 62

Choosing a File Format .............................................................................................................................. 63

Setting PNG Plus Options................................................................................................................... 64

Saving for E-mail and the Web .................................................................................................................. 65

Printing Pictures......................................................................................................................................... 66

Printing Single Pictures ...................................................................................................................... 66

Printing Multiple Pictures................................................................................................................... 66

Selecting Print Quality........................................................................................................................ 68

Selecting a Print Size .......................................................................................................................... 69

Choosing Photo Paper ......................................................................................................................... 69

Creating Long-lasting Prints............................................................................................................... 70

Ordering Prints and Gifts on MSN Photos ................................................................................................ 71

Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library .................................................................. 73

Opening Picture It! Library........................................................................................................................ 74

Adding Pictures to Picture It! Library ....................................................................................................... 74

Scanning for Pictures.......................................................................................................................... 74

Adding Keywords....................................................................................................................................... 75

Viewing Your Photos.................................................................................................................................. 76

Viewing by Folder............................................................................................................................... 76

Viewing by Date.................................................................................................................................. 77

Viewing by Keyword .......................................................................................................................... 78

Using the Thumbnail Slider ................................................................................................................ 78

Showing Thumbnail Data .......................................................................................................................... 79

Tiles View............................................................................................................................................ 79

Thumbnails View ................................................................................................................................ 79

Thumbnails with Text View ................................................................................................................ 79

Grouping Your Pictures.............................................................................................................................. 80

Showing the Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... 80

Using the Preview Pane .............................................................................................................................. 81

Editing and File Management from Picture It! Library............................................................................. 82

Editing in a Photo Editor..................................................................................................................... 82

Editing in Mini Lab............................................................................................................................. 83

Batch File Management ...................................................................................................................... 84

Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures ............................................................................................................... 85

About Digital Cameras............................................................................................................................... 86

Photo Quality ...................................................................................................................................... 86

Using Zoom Features .......................................................................................................................... 91

Memory Cards, Disks, and Sticks....................................................................................................... 92

Battery Life ......................................................................................................................................... 93

Using the Flash ........................................................................................................................................... 94

Automatic Flash .................................................................................................................................. 94

Red-Eye Reduction Flash .................................................................................................................... 95

Fill Flash.............................................................................................................................................. 96

Using Your Camera’s Manual Settings ...................................................................................................... 97

Exposure .............................................................................................................................................. 97

Exposure Compensation ..................................................................................................................... 99

Aperture .............................................................................................................................................. 99

Shutter Speed ..................................................................................................................................... 101

ISO Setting or Equivalent ................................................................................................................... 103

Setting the White Balance .................................................................................................................. 104

Using Automatic Modes on Your Camera ................................................................................................ 105

Macro Mode ........................................................................................................................................ 106

Action Mode ....................................................................................................................................... 107

Burst Mode .......................................................................................................................................... 109

Portrait Mode ...................................................................................................................................... 110

Panoramic Mode ................................................................................................................................. 111

Using the Self-Timer................................................................................................................................... 112

Getting Yourself into a Photo.............................................................................................................. 112

Taking Long Exposure Shots .............................................................................................................. 112

Ten Tips for Great Pictures ........................................................................................................................ 113

1. Know Your Gear.............................................................................................................................. 113

2. Nail the Exposure............................................................................................................................ 114

3. Capture a Moment in the Story ....................................................................................................... 115

4. Look for the Light ........................................................................................................................... 116

5. Follow the Rule of Thirds................................................................................................................ 117

6. Find a Unique Perspective............................................................................................................... 118

7. Bracket............................................................................................................................................. 119

8. Analyze and Shoot Again ............................................................................................................... 120

9. Shoot Every Single Day................................................................................................................... 121

10. Show Your Photos to Other People .............................................................................................. 122

Index.................................................................................................................................................................. 123

Installation

Starting Setup

To install Picture It!, you must be running Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows XP or later. On Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems, you must have administrative privileges. For information regarding privileges, please refer to the operating system Help.

On most computers, Picture It! setup will begin automatically when you insert the Picture It! CD into your disk drive.

To begin automatic setup:

1. Turn off any antivirus software that you’re using, and close any programs that are running.

2. Insert the Picture It! CD into your disk drive. The Installation Wizard begins automatically.

If the above procedure does not start the setup process, you can start it manually.

To begin setup manually:

1. Turn off any antivirus software that you’re using, and close any programs that are running.

2. Insert the Picture It! CD into your disk drive.

3. Click Start, and then click Run.

4. If your CD-ROM drive is listed as letter D, type d:\setup.exe. If your CD-ROM drive has a letter other than D, replace D with the correct letter when you type the path.

5. Click OK. The Installation Wizard begins.

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Chapter 1: Installation

Completing the Installation Wizard

The Installation Wizard will show you a series of dialog boxes that provide setup status and some installation preference options. For most users, the default preferences will be appropriate. Information about the different setup options is provided below.

Installation Folder Dialog Box

The Installation Folder dialog box allows you to choose where the program will be installed on your computer. To install the program to a folder other than the folder in the Installation folder box, do one of the following:

• Type a different path in the Installation folder box.

• Click Change, select a folder in the Change Installation Folder dialog box, and then click OK.

Note that some les will be installed to the Program Files drive even if you choose to install the program to a different drive.

Installation Options Dialog Box

The Installation Options dialog box allows you to choose between Typical installation and Full installation.

• Typical installation takes up less space on your hard drive, and is recom- mended for most users. With Typical installation, you will have to insert the Picture It! CD in your CD-ROM drive to use some of the projects and clip art while you are using the program.

• Full installation copies all of the Picture It! projects and clip art to your hard drive, so you will not have to reinsert a Picture It! CD while you are using the program. Look under Description for the disk space required for this option.

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Chapter 1: Installation

Special Circumstances

Upgrading from a Different Picture It! Product

If you already have a Picture It! product installed on your machine, any of several scenarios may occur when you try to install another Picture It! product:

• Previous versions If you have a Picture It! product previous to version 10 already installed, installing a version 10 product will make both programs available on your computer.

• Upgrade from another version 10 product You can install a Picture It! version 10 product that has more features than a version 10 product already installed. The version of Picture It! with fewer features will be uninstalled automatically before the new installation begins. Your pictures and projects will not be deleted.

• Blocked downgrade If you have a Picture It! version 10 product installed, you will not be able to automatically install a version 10 product with fewer features. To install the version with fewer features, you must rst uninstall the version with more features.

Reinstalling or Removing Picture It!

If you are having problems running Picture It!, reinstalling the program may help it to run better on your computer.

You should not attempt to remove Picture It! by deleting the program les from your hard disk. Instead, use the Picture It! Installation Wizard to properly uninstall the program.

Other Picture It! Products

The family of Picture It! products includes programs with the following brands:

• Digital Image

• Greetings

• Greetings Workshop

• Home Publishing

• Picture It!

• Picture It! Express

• Picture It! Photo

• Picture It! Publishing

To remove or reinstall Picture It! on Windows XP:

1. Log on to the computer as an administrator.

2. From the Windows Start menu, click Control Panel.

3. Click Add or remove programs.

4. From the list of installed programs, click the version of Picture It! you want to remove or reinstall.

5. Click Change/Remove. The Installation Wizard opens.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen.

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Chapter 1: Installation

To remove or reinstall Picture It! from Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows Millennium Edition:

1. From the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Click Add/Remove Programs.

3. From the list of installed programs, click the version of Picture It! you want to remove or reinstall.

4. Click Add/Remove. The Installation Wizard opens.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Microsoft Picture It! Premium User’s Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of Microsoft Picture It! Premium, a unique combination of robust photo-editing tools and high-quality photo projects. While easy to use, Picture It! offers powerful imaging technology that helps you improve your photos.

Picture It! Premium provides editing features such as selection tools, red eye removal, and color and contrast adjustments to help you get professional editing results quickly and easily. When you’ve nished editing your photos, it’s a simple process to automatically stitch together a panorama from multiple pictures, create prints, or share your photos through e-mail.

Welcome to Microsoft Picture It! Premium

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Chapter 2: Welcome to Microsoft Picture It! Premium

Other Helpful Resources

This User’s Manual is not an exhaustive resource for everything you can do with Picture It!. For step-by-step instructions about using all of the program’s features, check out the online Help system, available from the Startup Window or the Help menu. Or, for a demonstration of some key Picture It! features, watch one of the Instructional Videos.

Digital photography is fun and exciting, and Picture It! makes it easy to get great results.

Microsoft Picture It! Premium User’s Manual

Picture It! makes it easy to import and open your pictures quickly. To transfer pictures from your camera or storage media to your computer, use the new Import Pictures Wizard. This wizard is designed to streamline the le transfer process, allowing you to choose the camera, scanner, or memory card to import from, name the destination folder, and add the pictures to Picture It! Library. To open pictures for editing, use the le browser. The le browser displays thumbnails of all your pictures, so you can quickly choose the ones you want.

Opening and Importing Pictures

Importing Pictures

The Import Pictures Wizard is a convenient way to transfer pictures and video clips from your digital camera, scanner, or other storage location to your computer. Also, the Import Pictures Wizard automatically catalogs pictures in Picture It! Library and can, if you prefer, automatically delete images from your camera after the import is complete.

Launching the Import Pictures Wizard automatically

Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP can automatically detect compatible cameras and other photo media such as photo CDs. This detection should occur when you:

• Connect a compatible camera or scanner to the computer and turn on the camera.

• Connect a compatible scanner to the computer and turn on the scanner.

• Connect a compatible card reader to the computer and insert media.

• Insert a photo CD, DVD, or other storage media into a drive on the computer.

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Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictutes

To set Windows to launch the Import Pictures Wizard automatically:

1. Connect your compatible camera, scanner or other device to the computer, and then turn on the camera or device.

- or Insert the storage media into a drive on the computer.

2. When Windows detects the picture les, Windows will ask you what you want to do with the pictures.

3. Click Import pictures using Microsoft Picture It! Import Wizard.

4. Check Always do the selected action.

5. Click OK.

6. Click the device you want to use, and then click OK.

Starting the Import Pictures Wizard manually

If Windows does not automatically detect your device or other media, you can start the Import Pictures Wizard manually.

To start the Import Pictures Wizard manually:

1. On the File menu, click Import Pictures.

2. Click the device you want to use, and then click OK.

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Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictutes

Opening Pictures for Editing

With Picture It!, you can open pictures for editing from a variety of sources, including your computer, storage media, and most cameras and scanners.

Using the le browser

You can use the le browser to locate your photos and open them for editing. The le browser can be used to open photos from a large number of locations, including:

• The hard drive on a computer.

• An external hard drive.

• A digital camera that is a USB Mass Storage Class device. (A USB Mass Storage Class device works as a “virtual drive,” letting you browse and open photos from the device as you would from a hard disk or oppy disk.) Though you can open pictures from a camera in this way, you will probably prefer to use the Import Pictures feature, discussed later.

• A card reader.

• A USB drive.

• A photo CD or DVD.

• A oppy disk.

• A network location.

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1 2 4

7 8 9

5 6

Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictutes

This picture identies the main features of the le browser:

1. All Files tab Click the All Files tab to view the folder structure on your computer. Click a folder to display its contents and subfolders. The folder structure includes internal and external drives on your computer, including disk drives, card readers, and USB Mass Storage Class digital cameras.

2. Picture It! Library tab Click the Picture It! Library tab to nd any picture you have cataloged in the Library. You can also use the Library’s View By and Group By features to lter and group your pictures, making it easier to nd the pictures you want.

3. MSN Groups tab Click the MSN Groups tab to open pictures that you have stored on MSN Groups.

4. Look in box Displays the name of the current folder selected on the All Files tab.

5. View menu Use this menu to change the way the image les are displayed.

6. Thumbnail size slider Move the slider to change the size of the thumbnails.

7. File name box Displays the le name of a selected thumbnail.

8. Files of type menu Use this menu to change the types of image les to be displayed.

9. Thumbnails Small versions of your photos stored in the current folder.

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10. Open Opens the selected thumbnails.

11. Cancel Closes the le browser without opening any photos.

To open pictures with the le browser:

1. If opening pictures from a USB Mass Storage Class camera, read your camera’s documentation and make sure that you have installed the camera’s software and drivers properly. Make sure your camera is turned on and connected to your computer.

2. On the File menu, click Open.

3. Click the All Files tab.

4. In the Look in list, click the drive, folder, or network location that contains the picture you want to open.

5. In the folder list, locate and open the folder or location that contains the pictures. Thumbnails of pictures in that folder appear in the right pane.

6. Select the picture you want to open. To select multiple pictures, press CTRL as you click the thumbnails.

7. Click OK.

File formats compatible with Picture It!

Picture It! can open photo les in any of the following formats:

• Adobe Photoshop (.psd)

• AutoCAD (.dxf)

• CorelDraw (.cdr)

• Enhanced Metale (.emf)

• EPS (.eps)

• FlashPix (.fpx)

• GIF (.gif)

• Home Publishing (.php)

• JPEG (.jpg)

• Kodak Photo CD (.pcd)

• Macintosh PICT (.pct)

• Micrografx Designer (.drw)

• PC Paintbrush (.pcx)

• Picture It! (.png, .php, .mix, .fpx)

• PNG (.png)

• TIFF (.tif)

• Targa (.tga)

• Windows Bitmap (.bmp)

• Windows Metale (.wmf)

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Chapter 3: Opening and Importing Pictutes

Using your camera’s software

Some digital cameras—especially older models—may not function as a virtual drive or be TWAIN or WIA compliant. For these cameras, use the software provided by the camera to download the photos to a folder your computer. Then open them with the le browser.

Opening pictures from other cameras

If your camera does not show up as a drive in the le browser, it is probably designed to work using TWAIN or WIA support. For many cameras, Picture It! works with TWAIN and WIA and your camera’s software so that you can open photos directly into the editor.

To open photos from a camera that uses WIA support:

1. Make sure that you have installed all the drivers that came with your camera.

2. Connect your digital camera to your computer, and then turn on the camera.

3. On the File menu, point to Import Pictures.

4. If more than one device appears in the dialog box, click the one that represents your camera.

5. Select Copy them to my computer or network. Then, to launch the Mini Lab after opening the pictures, click Yes under Open the pictures for editing.

6. Click Next.

7. By default, all of your pictures are selected. To select just some, click the pictures you want to import. If you want to import more than one picture, press CTRL as you click the pictures.

8. Click Next.

9. Type a name for this group of pictures. If you want to name all the pictures using this group name, check Use this name to rename the pictures. You can also specify which folder on your hard drive to copy the pictures. To erase the camera’s memory after the pictures are safely on the computer, click Delete pictures from my device after copying them.

10. Click Next.

11. The pictures stored on the camera appear in the workspace. If you chose to edit your pictures, they will also appear automatically in the Mini Lab.

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Troubleshooting tips for opening pictures from a camera

• Your camera must be connected and turned on before you start the digital camera task, or it will not appear in the list of cameras and drives.

• If you’ve connected your digital camera to your computer, but can’t see your pictures, make sure the connections are secure, the camera is turned on, and the batteries are charged. The camera might not start downloading if its batteries are low on charge. Some cameras are equipped with an A/C adapter that you can use instead of batteries.

• If your camera does not appear in the list of cameras and drives, or if you receive an error message when you click Download, start your camera software from the operating system Start menu.

• For more information about downloading photos using the software included with your camera, consult your camera’s manual.

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About TWAIN and WIA

TWAIN is interface software that allows communication between a camera and your computer. Many digital cameras come with a TWAIN driver.

WIA is a newer interface that works similarly to TWAIN, but often provides more control over the device. WIA is compatible with TWAIN, but is only available on some computer operating systems.

Opening pictures from a scanner

Picture It! supports two types of scanner formats: TWAIN and WIA. If your scanner doesn’t use a TWAIN or WIA interface, you need to use the software designed specically for the make and model of your scanner. Many scanner manufacturers provide free updates to their drivers on the Web.

To connect your scanner

1. Install the software that came with your scanner.

2. Turn off your scanner and computer.

3. Attach the connector cable from your scanner to your computer.

4. Turn on your scanner and computer.

Once the scanner is connect and recognized by your computer, you’re ready to scan.

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To scan a photo with a atbed TWAIN or WIA scanner:

1. Connect your scanner to your computer, and then turn on the scanner.

2. Place your picture on the scanner.

3. On the File menu, click Import Pictures.

4. If more than one device appears in the dialog box, click the one that represents your scanner.

5. Depending upon the type of scanner you have, you will either see the Scan Picture pane or the Import Pictures Wizard.

If you see the Scan Picture pane:

1. Select your scanner from the list

2. Choose the Automatic Scan option from Click a scanning method.

3. Click Scan.

If you see the Import Pictures Wizard:

1. If you want to immediately open the scanned picture for editing, click Open the picture for editing.

2. Click Next.

3. Specify the group into which you want the scanned picture to be stored. Also select a place on your hard drive where the scanned picture will be stored and specify a le format. The default JPEG format is usually an excellent choice for scanned pictures.

4. Select a scanning method. Most of the time, you should choose Auto- matic Scan to get a high quality, color picture.

5. Click Next

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Can this photo be printed?

To nd out if a photo has enough resolution to print, see the “How large a print can you get” section of the Printing Photos chapter.

Opening a Photo Sent Through E-mail

Friends and family members often enjoy sending photos through e-mail. When you receive photos through this way, you can save them to your computer and use Picture It! to work on them.

Many photos sent through e-mail are low-resolution photos, which are not suitable for large prints. But low-resolution photos may be ne for online viewing or printing at small sizes.

To open a photo sent through e-mail:

Use your e-mail program to save the photo to a folder on your computer. Save the photo to a folder that will be easy for you to locate later, such as the My Pictures folder.

1. In Picture It!, on the File menu, click Open.

2. The File Browser dialog box opens.

3. Click the All Files tab.

4. On the All Files tab, browse to the folder containing the photo, and then click the folder.

5. Select the photo, and then click Open.

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Opening a Picture from a Web Page

When you surf the Internet, you may come across photos and other images that you would like to use in your photo projects. You might nd photos of celebrities, vacation spots that you want to visit, or graphics that would look good as part of one of your photo projects. Unless the Web site uses image protection, you can capture these images and use them for your own projects. Web images are usually low resolution, so they may not be suitable for printing. But you could still use the images in a project to be viewed online.

To capture an image from a Web page, you can drag it from the Web page to the Picture It! Files palette.

To open a photo from a Web page:

1. Make sure that both Picture It! and your Web browser are open and running on your computer. A button for each program appears in the taskbar at the edge of your screen.

2. On the Picture It! File menu, click New.

3. Select a canvas size, and then click Done. A blank canvas opens in the workspace.

4. On the taskbar, click the button for your Web browser program.

5. In your Web browser, locate the Web page that contains the picture you want.

6. Right-click the picture, and then click Copy.

7. On the taskbar, click the button for Picture It!.

8. On the Picture It! Edit menu, click Paste. The new picture appears on the canvas.

Watch for copyrights

Pictures you see on the Web may be copyrighted, so be sure to read the site’s legal information before you use an image.

Once the photo is opened in Picture It!, you can edit it as you would any other photo and save it to your computer.

Microsoft Picture It! Premium User’s Manual

This chapter covers some of the fundamental aspects of Picture It! that you’ll need to get started. You’ll nd information on the Startup Window, the work area, basic image manipulation, applying text, and Help resources.

Picture It! Basics

Startup Window

The Startup Window is a quick launching point to photos, Mini Lab, projects, recently opened les, and Help.

By default, the Startup Window opens every time you start Picture It!. After closing the Startup Window, you can open it at any time from the main work area by clicking the Startup Window button in the Common Tasks list. This diagram points out the main features of the Startup Window.

1. Open Click the Open button to open the le browser, where you can open photos from your hard drive, a network drive, a digital photo card reader, a CD or DVD, or a oppy disk.

2. Import Pictures Click this button to launch the digital camera task, so you can open photos from a digital camera using Picture It! or your camera’s software.

3. Picture It! Library Click this button to open the Library, where you can nd and organize your pictures.

4. Edit Multiple Pictures Click this button to open the Mini Lab. The Mini Lab helps you perform routine editing task—such as rotating, levels auto x, cropping, and saving—on multiple pictures at the same time.

Microsoft Picture It! Premium User’s Manual

Chapter 4: Picture It! Basics

5. Create a Project Click this button to pick a project design. You’ll nd

6. Show on startup checkbox Check this box to have the Startup Window

7. Help links Click these links to go directly to resources that can help you

8. Recent Files See thumbnails of the last four pictures that you have edited.

9. More Files Click More Files to open the le browser, where you can

10. Close Click to close the Startup Window and go to the main work area.

a variety of projects—such as calendars, greeting cards, and album pages—designed to work with your photos. Projects are organized by type and by theme.

open every time you start Picture It!.

get the most out of Picture It! and digital imaging.

• Take a Tour launches the product Tour.

• Instructional Videos displays links to the different videos available.

• How to… displays a collection of image editing lessons.

• Online Photo Tips links you directly to the Tips & Tricks section of the MSN Photos Web site.

• Discover Even More connects you to information about other Microsoft products.

Click on one of the thumbnails to open that le.

open photos from your hard drive, a network drive, a digital photo card reader, a CD or DVD, or a oppy disk.

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