Microsoft PICTURE IT! PREMIUM user guide

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User’s Manual

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Picture It!

User’s Manual

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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.

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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.

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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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1 3

5 6 7 8 9

Examining the Work Area

Most of the photo-editing tasks you perform in Picture It! will be in the main work area. When you open Picture It! and close the Startup Window, you see the main work area. The picture below identies the key elements of the Picture It! work area.

1. Menus Menus provide access to all of the Picture It! features. The Help menu gives you access to the Help window, the Instructional Videos, and the Picture It! Tour.

2. Toolbar The toolbar contains shortcut buttons for single-click access to some of the most common commands. To see the name of a toolbar button, hover the mouse pointer over the button.

3. Workspace Toolbar This toolbar contains buttons for the Common Tasks list, Stack, and Files palette. You can create more room in the workspace by hiding any of these tools.

4. Common Tasks list The Common Tasks list is an easy way to locate features. This list provides convenient access to some of the most common tasks, as well as single-click access to the Mini Lab, project selector, and the Startup Window. All of the features found in the Common Tasks list—as some additional features—are also available in the menus.

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5. Workspace

6. Selection Tools

7. Canvas

8. Zoom controls

9. Stack

10. Files palette

The gray area represents the workspace, the area that the canvas sits within. You can use the zoom controls to magnify or reduce the canvas so that it covers more or less of the workspace.

The selection tools allow you to work on a very specic area of an object.

The white area is called the canvas, and it represents the printable area of the page. When you open a photo, the canvas is often not visible since it is covered entirely by the picture. You can use the zoom controls to magnify or reduce the canvas so that it covers more or less of the workspace.

The zoom controls magnify or reduce your photo so that you can see it in more or less detail.

The Stack displays a thumbnail of each object in your picture. You can rearrange the order of the objects by dragging a thumbnail up or down within the Stack.

The Files palette displays a thumbnail of all of the currently open pictures. You can switch your active picture by clicking a thumbnail in the Files palette. You can also add a picture to the one you’re working on by dragging the thumbnail from the Files palette to the canvas.

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Chapter 4: Picture It! Basics

Image Formatting

When you have a picture open on the canvas, there are a number of ways to re-size or re-orient it.

Changing picture size

When you open an image onto the canvas, the on-screen representation of the image is automatically sized so that it lls the workspace. As a result, a high resolution image, such as 1600 x 1200 pixels, will look as large as a low resolution image that’s only 640 x 480 pixels. For this reason, viewing a picture on the canvas is not a reliable way of judging an image’s resolution.

Whenever you resize an image, consider these three factors:

• Image size, which is the size of the printed image.

• Pixel dimensions, which is how many colored dots (pixels) make up the picture.

• Resolution, which is the density of the pixels in the picture.

The image size is the product of the pixel dimensions multiplied by the resolution. For example, if you have a picture made of 1200 x 1800 pixels and print it at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, it will print at a size of 4" x 6". Given this relationship, if you change one of the three settings, one of the other settings will also have to change to keep the relationship equal. If you enlarged the picture in the previous example from 4" x 6" to 8" x 12"—and you kept the pixel dimensions the same—then the resolution would decrease from 300 pixels per inch to 150 pixels per inch.

When you resize a picture, it is generally not a good idea to try to increase or decrease the pixel dimensions since this reduces image quality. In most cases, it’s not necessary to adjust the image size, since that can be handled automatically during printing. For high-quality prints, it’s generally good to keep the picture’s resolution at least 300 pixels per inch. But depending on you printer model and the image quality you desire, you may be satised with prints at only 150 pixels per inch. For Web use, 72 pixels per inch is usually considered sufcient.

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To resize a picture:

1. On the Format menu, click Resize Image.

2. Click one of the following to lock the setting:

3. Enter amounts for the settings you want to change.

4. Click Done.

• Image size

• Pixel dimensions

• Resolution

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Applying Text

You can add text to any picture and easily change the text font, font color, font size, alignment, and emphasis. You start by adding a text box, and then you edit the text in the box. A text box is its own layer on the Stack.

To add text:

1. On the Text menu, click Insert Text. A text box appears.

2. Type your text. As you add text, the text box will automatically expand vertically to t all of your text.

3. To change the width of the text box, select the text box and drag one of the side resize handles.

4. To move the text box, select it, hover the mouse pointer over the edge of the text box until the move handle appears, and then drag the move handle.

Once you’ve added the text, you can select the text to edit it. You can also select the text and use the toolbar buttons to change formatting. When text is selected, the following tools are available on the toolbar for formatting:

• The font menu lets you choose between 140 different fonts.

• The font size menu lets you choose font sizes from 8 to 620 points.

• The font color button lets you choose from a standard palette of colors or choose a custom color.

• The Bold button adds bold formatting to the text.

• The Italic button adds italic formatting to the text.

• The Underline button underlines the text.

• The Alignment button has menu choices for Left, Right, Center, and Justify.

• The Bullets and Numbers button lets you apply or cancel formatting for bulleted or numbered lists.

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Accessing Help from the keyboard

You can access the online Help system at any time by pressing F1 on the keyboard.

Help Resources

There are multiple ways that you can learn more about using Picture It!. In addition to this User’s Manual, there is the online Help system, the product Tour, and Instructional Videos. The following sections describe the types of information available.

Online Help

Picture It! online Help is the most comprehensive of the Help resources. It provides step-by-step instructions, overviews, troubleshooting topics, technical support, and the "What’s wrong with this picture" diagnostic tool. Help includes several ways to nd information, including a table of contents, a keyword index, and a full-text search of all Help topics.

This diagram identies the main features of the Help window.

1. The Show/Hide button Click this button to expand or collapse the left

2. The Back button Click this button to go back to the last Help topic.

3. The Options menu This menu has options to print a topic or to set

4. The content pane Displays the current Help topic.

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pane of the Help window.

options such as Internet Options, where you can change the font size in the Help window.

Chapter 4: Picture It! Basics

5. The close button closes the Help window.

6. The Contents tab displays the Help table of contents.

7. The Index tab lets you nd keywords in the index list.

8. The Search tab nds topics that contain words that you enter.

9. The Favorites tab lets you save topics for quick access later.

To access online Help:

1. On the Help menu, click Picture It! Premium 10 Help.

Using the table of contents

You can use the table of contents to locate information by subject. The table of contents is a useful way to see all of the features available in each category of features.

To use the table of contents:

1. In the left pane of the Help window, click the Contents tab.

2. To expand a book in the contents, click the plus sign next to it.

3. To display a topic, in the contents list, click the topic title.

Using the index

You can use the index when you are looking for information about a specic term or keyword.

To use the index:

1. In the left pane of the Help window, click the Index tab.

2. In the Type in the keyword to nd box, type the word you want to nd.

3. In the results list, select the word you want to nd, and then click Display.

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Using the search

You can use the search function to nd all the topics in Help that contain a word or combination of words.

To use the search:

1. In the left pane of the Help window, click the Search tab.

2. In the Type in the keyword to nd box, type the word for which you

3. In the Select topic to display list, select the topic you want to view, and

Product Tour

The Picture It! Tour uses pictures, animations, and text to demonstrate the most popular and useful features of the program.

To take the product tour:

want to search, and then click List Topics.

then click Display.

1. On the Help menu, click Take a Tour. The Tour opens, displaying icons to represent different categories of features.

2. Click an icon. A feature list appears on the left side of the window.

3. Click a feature. Graphics and text appear that explain the feature.

4. Repeat steps 2-4 to learn about more features.

5. To close the Tour, click Close.

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Instructional Videos

Instructional Videos use animation and narration to show you how to use a variety of image editing features on your photos.

To watch an Instructional Video:

1. On the Help menu, click Instructional Videos. The Help window opens to a topic about Instructional Videos.

2. Click a video title link. The Video player opens and the Video begins.

The Instructional Videos are accompanied by complete, online tutorials that let you walk through the tasks at your own pace. To open the online tutorial, click the Written Tutorial button on the Video player.

Technical Support

The type of Technical Support resources available vary based on where you live and how you obtained your Picture It! product.

To view Technical Support information:

1. On the Help menu, click About Picture It! Premium 10.

2. Click Tech Support.

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Basic Touchup

Almost all photos can be improved with basic touchup tools. Picture It! touchup tools can be used to correct common photo problems such as red eye, crooked pictures, lighting problems or similar distractions that can ruin a photo. In many cases, Picture It! helps you eliminate basic problems with just a few clicks.

When you take a photo with an automatic camera, the camera’s automatic exposure feature measures the available light and determines how much light is required to take the photo. Sometimes, the exposure meter’s measurement is slightly too low or too high, creating problems with brightness and contrast in the photo. Picture It! provides tools to x the levels of brightness and contrast.

To correct brightness and contrast:

1. On the Touchup menu, click Brightness and Contrast.

2. Click Exposure Auto Fix.

3. If you are not satised with the results, ne-tune the settings with the Brightness and Contrast sliders.

4. Click Done.

Making a copy to touch up

Never edit your only copy of a photo. Always make a copy or choose Save As to save the edited le with a different name. If you aren’t satised with the results, you can always start again from the original.

The picture on the left is both too dark and too low contrast. The Exposure auto x tool was applied to the version on the right, correcting both the brightness and contrast levels.

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Chapter 5: Basic Touchup

Setting the white balance on a digital camera

Many digital cameras allow you to set the white balance for specic types of light, such as sunlight, incandescent, and ash. Using this feature can help reduce tint problems in your photos.

Zooming in to nd white

If there are no signicant areas of white in your photo, use the zoom controls to magnify the picture on the screen. When you zoom in, you might be able to use a very small area of white, such as the whites of a person’s eyes.

Correcting a Color Cast

When you take photographs, the source of the light can create a colored cast in the photo. We tend to think of light being white, but nearly every light source has its own unique color. For example, natural sunlight has a large component of blue in it, while incandescent (tungsten) lights—including most household light bulbs—give off a reddish or yellowish cast.

When taking a photo, you can compensate for these different colors of light by setting the white balance (with a digital camera), or using special lters (on a lm camera). But if you still end up with a cast in your photos, use the adjust tint task to correct the balance of colors to make the lighting look more natural. In this task, you locate a point that should be white, and then Picture It! balances all of the colors in the picture based on the white point you set.

If you have already used the Levels auto x tool, the tint problems in the picture may already be corrected. Use the adjust color task to make additional adjustments to the tint.

To adjust tint:

1. On the Touchup menu, click Adjust Color. The mouse pointer becomes an eyedropper.

2. With the eyedropper, click an area in the picture that should be grey or neutral—in other words, not too colorful, too dark, or too light. Digital Image automatically corrects the colors.

3. If you are not satised with the results, use the Color Balance sliders for ne-tuning.

4. Click Done.

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Chapter 5: Basic Touchup

Fixing Red Eye

Using your ash in low light situations can give your subjects red, unnaturallooking eyes. The Fix Red Eye tool darkens the red spots in the eyes to reduce or eliminate the redness.

To x red eye:

1. On the Touchup menu, click Fix Red Eye.

2. Use the pan and zoom controls to magnify your picture and focus on the red eyes in the photo.

3. Click the red part of the eyes. You can click up to two eyes at once.

4. Click Fix selected red eyes. The redness in the eyes is removed.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the red is eliminated.

6. Click Done.

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Chapter 5: Basic Touchup

Straightening a Picture

If you took a photograph while unintentionally holding the camera at an angle, the horizon or other straight lines will appear tilted. This tilt can be a distraction in the picture, but is easily xed with the Straighten Picture tool.

The Straighten Picture tool rotates the picture to make the horizon level.

To make the horizon level, the Straighten Picture tool rotates the picture on the canvas. When rotated, part of the picture overlaps the edge of the canvas, and these areas would be removed during printing. The rotation also creates empty areas at the corners of the canvas. Fortunately, these problems are solved by the Auto Crop feature which is part of the Straighten Picture tool. After you straighten the picture, Auto Crop trims the edges of the picture so that it becomes aligned with the canvas.

To straighten a picture with Auto Crop:

1. On the Format menu, click Straighten Picture, and then click Canvas.

2. Identify a line in the picture that should be straight (such as the horizon),

3. Click the other end of the line.

4. Make sure the Auto Crop check box is selected.

5. Click Done.

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and then click one end of the line.

The picture is automatically straightened.

The area of the picture that will be cropped is shown in lightened color around the edges.

Chapter 5: Basic Touchup

Cropping

Cropping is an easy way to improve the composition of a photograph. For example, if your picture has distracting background elements along the top, bottom, or side, you can crop away these parts of the background to focus the attention on the subject.

When you crop a photo, you are removing pixels, and therefore lowering the effective resolution (although the dots per inch will stay the same). If you crop a signicant portion of the original, you’re limiting the extent to which you will be able to enlarge the picture for printing. This is why it’s better to compose the picture as best you can when you take it, rather than relying on heavy cropping later.

Cropping a picture allows you to eliminate distractions and improve the composition.

Cropping your picture to a specic proportion lets you control exactly where the picture will be cut. Otherwise, if your picture is not the same proportion as the print size, some of the picture may be trimmed during printing to t into the printable area of the page.

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Using the rule of thirds

When composing a photograph, many beginning photographers consistently center their subject directly in the middle of the frame. While this technique may be the easiest way to get the subject in focus with a point-and-shoot camera, it is not always the most interesting way to present the subject.

Most advanced photographers follow the rule of thirds when composing the space inside a picture frame. The rule of thirds is used throughout the graphic design world, because it helps to create balance between the subject and the background. When you compose a picture according to the rule of thirds, you mentally divide the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically (imagine a tic-tac-toe grid), and place the point of interest on one of the four spots where the lines intersect.

If the photo includes a person or animal, you can place the face on one of the four points, looking toward the center of the scene. If the photo includes the horizon, it should run about one-third from the top or one-third from the bottom, depending on whether the terrain or the sky is the center of focus.

The cropped picture is a more interesting composition since it follows the rule of thirds.

To crop a photo using the rule of thirds:

1. On the Format menu, point to Crop, and then click Canvas.

2. Under Select a proportion, click a proportion.

3. Select the Show guidelines for the rule of thirds check box.

4. Click a starting point on your photo, and then drag the outline to the

5. Move and resize the cropped area so a focal point in the picture is

6. Click Done.

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opposite corner of the area to be cropped. The guidelines show the cropped area divided into thirds vertically and horizontally.

positioned at one of the intersections of the guidelines.

After you have done general touch ups to your pictures, you may want to use advanced editing tools for more precise editing or to apply special effects. The selection tools and multiple-object composites give you the power to edit very specic areas of your pictures. You’ll also be able to transform your pictures with lters, color and edge effects, and specialized editing brushes.

Advanced Photo Editing

Understanding Objects

For many advanced photo-editing tasks, you’ll need to understand the concept of objects. An object is a part of a picture that can be edited individually. For example, when you add text to a picture, the text is a separate object from the background image. When you edit the text—say, making the font color red—the background picture remains unchanged because it is a separate object.

Working with Composites

A picture that contains multiple objects is called a composite. The Stack helps you work with composites by displaying each object separately. Using the Stack, you can easily select any object. Make sure the Stack is showing in the workspace when you are working with composites.

To show the Stack:

1. On the View menu, click Stack.

On the Stack, you’ll see a thumbnail representation of each object in the composite. The top thumbnail represents the object that is the top layer in the composite. The bottom thumbnail represents the background object in the composite. Thus, the object that is lowest in the Stack may be at least partially obscured in the composite by the objects on top of it.

You can change the order of the objects in the composite by dragging thumbnails up and down the Stack. For example, dragging an object’s thumbnail from the lowest position on the Stack to the top position will bring it to the foreground of the composite.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Locked Objects

When you open any single-object picture, such as a picture you took with your digital camera, the picture will, by default, be locked to its position on the canvas. When an object is locked to the canvas, the lock icon is shown next to that object’s thumbnail on the Stack. This lock icon indicates that you will not be able to drag the object around on the canvas.

To lock or unlock an object:

1. Right-click the object’s thumbnail on the Stack.

2. Click Lock or Unlock.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Selecting Objects with the Object Tool

The object tool allows you to select one or more whole objects at a time. With the object tool, you can move, resize, and rotate selected objects by dragging the object on the canvas or using the resize handles.

Each time you start Picture It!, the object tool will be selected by default. You will be able to accomplish many different editing tasks by using the object tool as your only selection tool. Unlike the other selection tools, the object tool does not have an options palette.

To select an object with the object tool:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. Click the object tool button on the toolbar.

3. On the Stack, click the object.

When an object is selected with the object tool and not locked to the canvas, object handles are displayed around the perimeter of the selection. Object handles are yellow circles that you drag to resize and rotate the object.

To move, resize, or rotate an object with the object tool:

1. Select the object with the object tool as described above.

2. If the selected thumbnail has the lock icon displayed, right-click the thumbnail, and then click Unlock.

3. To move the selection, hold the cursor over the object until the move handle appears, and then drag the object on the canvas.

4. To resize the object proportionally, hold the cursor over one of the corner object handles until the resize handle appears, and then drag the resize handle.

5. To stretch the object, hold the cursor over the top, bottom, or side object handles until the resize handle appears, and then drag the resize handle.

6. To rotate the object, drag the rotate handle that is attached to the top of the selection box.

Selecting an object allows you to edit it without affecting other objects on the canvas. You can select an object by clicking it, either on the canvas or on the Stack. If you want to select a small object or one that is hidden behind other objects, it is often easiest to select it on the Stack.

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Multiple Selection, Grouping, and Flattening Objects

Picture It! allows you to create composites that contain many objects. While objects are separate, you can edit each one individually. However, sometimes you may want to edit two or more objects at the same time. There are three methods to join objects so that you can edit them together. From least permanent to most permanent, the three methods for combining objects are multiple selection, grouping, and attening.

Multiple Selection

Multiple selection links objects temporarily. For example, if you wanted to move three objects the same amount to the left, you could select the objects, and then drag them together on the canvas. Then, as soon as you select a different object to work on, the multiple-selected objects are no longer connected.

These three objects are a multiple selection, so they can be edited as a set and then separated later.

To multiple select objects:

1. Make sure that the Stack is showing.

2. Pressing CTRL, click each thumbnail on the Stack.

3. To cancel the multiple selection, click any single object in the Stack.

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The objects become multiple selected.

Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Grouping Objects

Grouping objects allows you to edit multiple objects and then maintain the grouped relationship while you do other tasks. The grouping relationship is even preserved when you close a picture le saved in PNG Plus format. Grouped objects can later be ungrouped and edited individually.

These three objects have been grouped, as indicated by the group icon at the bottom of the selection box.

To group objects:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. Pressing CTRL, click each thumbnail on the Stack. The objects become multiple selected.

3. On the Edit menu, click Group.

4. To cancel the group, click the group on the Stack, and then on the Edit menu, click Ungroup.

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Flattening Objects

Flattening objects is a permanent action. If you will no longer need to edit objects individually, you can atten objects into a single object. This allows you to work on the objects together and reduce the number of objects in your composite. Also, many editing tasks cannot be performed on a multiple selection. But if you atten the objects together, they become a single object, so you will be able to edit them together.

To atten multiple objects:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. Pressing CTRL, click each thumbnail on the Stack.

3. On the Edit menu, click Flatten Selected Objects.

Automatic Flattening

When working with objects that are multiple-selected or grouped, some editing tasks—such as using advanced selection tools—will automatically atten the selected objects into a single object. Picture It! will give you a warning message whenever two or more objects will need to be attened to perform an editing function. When you see a warning message about attening, you can click Cancel to prevent the objects from being attened.

Flattening Objects During Saving

When you save a composite picture in the PNG Plus le format, each object is preserved separately. When you open the le again, you can edit each individual object.

However, most le formats for images do not support multiple objects. So if you save a picture in the JPEG format, for example, all the objects will be attened into a single object. Even if you open such a JPEG le in Picture It!, you will not be able to edit objects individually.

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Using Selection Tools

Selection tools give you more control and more options for editing images. They allow you to x problems that exist in only part of the picture. You can also use selection tools to create new objects that can be duplicated or pasted onto other pictures.

Selection tools help you to isolate any part of a larger picture, which enables you to:

• Turn part of a picture into a separate object.

• Apply lters or other effects to a limited area of a picture.

• Duplicate part of an image within a picture.

• Combine parts from two or more pictures.

The selection tools are located on the toolbar next to the Selection options button. There are ve selection tools available, and each one works well for a specic editing scenario. Select the method that best ts your picture and your intended use. In addition to the object tool mentioned above, the other four selection tools are:

• Marquee tool

• Freehand tool

• Edge Finder

• Magic Wand

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Anti-aliasing a selection

Anti-aliasing means that pixels on the edge of the selection can be partially selected. This technique helps to smooth the transition between the selection and the surrounding area. Antialiasing is useful when creating composites.

Feathering a selection

Like anti-aliasing, feathering a selection helps to smooth its edges. But where antialiasing only affects pixels directly on the selection border, you can feather a border of up to 250 pixels around the edge of the selected area.

The Marquee Tool

The marquee tool helps you select part of an object in the shape of a rectangle, circle, or other shape. This tool is useful for cropping objects or pictures to a standard shape.

To make a selection with the marquee tool:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object of which you want to make a partial selection.

3. On the toolbar, click the marquee tool button .

4. If the Marquee Tool options palette is not visible in the workspace, click the Selection button on the toolbar.

5. To keep the edges of the selection smooth, select the Anti-aliased check box on the Marquee Tool options palette.

6. On the Marquee Tool options palette, click a shape for the marquee selection.

7. To keep the marquee shape in a specic proportion, click Shape proportions on the Marquee Tool options palette, and then enter a height and width.

8. On the Marquee Tool options palette, choose whether you want to make a new selection , add to the current selection , or subtract from the current selection .

9. Drag the marquee pointer diagonally across the area you want to select.

10. To adjust the selection shape, click Adjust marquee on the Marquee

Tool options palette, resize or rotate the marquee shape, and then click Done.

11. To feather the selection, click Feather on the Marquee Tool options palette, enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge, and then click OK.

12. To select the opposite area, click Invert on the Marquee Tool options palette.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

The Freehand Tool

The freehand tool helps you select part of an object by drawing an irregular shape.

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object of which you want to make a partial selection.

3. Click the freehand tool button on the toolbar.

4. If the Freehand Tool options palette is not showing, click the Selection button on the toolbar.

5. To keep the edges of the selection smooth, select the Anti-aliased check box on the Freehand Tool options palette.

6. On the Freehand Tool options palette, click whether you want to make a new selection , add to the current selection , or subtract from the current selection .

7. On the picture, drag the pointer, and then click the starting point to complete the selection.

8. To feather the selection, click Feather on the Freehand Tool options palette, enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge, and then click OK.

9. To select the opposite area, click Invert on the Freehand Tool options palette.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

The Edge Finder

The Edge Finder helps you select part of an object by tracing along welldened edges. This tool is useful for cutting out or copying people or detailed items in a picture.

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object of which you want to make a partial selection.

3. Click the Edge Finder button on the toolbar.

4. If the Edge Finder options palette is not showing, click the Selection button on the toolbar.

5. To keep the edges of the selection smooth, select the Anti-aliased check box on the Edge Finder options palette.

6. On the Edge Finder options palette, click whether you want to make a new selection , add to the current selection , or subtract from the current selection .

7. On the Edge Finder options palette, enter a value in the Width box. The Width is the number of pixels away from the pointer that the Edge Finder will try to detect an edge.

8. On the picture, click points along the edge of the item you want to select. As you trace, make sure that the edge stays within the zone of the Edge Finder.

9. To close the selection area, click the starting point.

10. To modify the selection, click Adjust edges, drag any point in the selection marked by a square, and then click Done.

11. To feather the selection, click Feather on the Edge Finder options palette, enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge, and then click OK.

12. To select the opposite area, click Invert on the Edge Finder options palette.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

The Magic Wand

The Magic Wand lets you select parts of an object that are the same or similar colors. The Magic Wand is useful for selecting a consistently colored area—a blue sky for example—without having to trace around it.

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object of which you want to make a partial selection.

3. Click the Magic Wand button on the toolbar.

4. If the Magic Wand options palette is not showing, click the Selection button on the toolbar.

5. To select only similarly-colored pixels that are connected to each other, select the Contiguous check box. Also, selecting the Smooth Edges check box reduces the jaggedness of your selection.

6. On the Magic Wand options palette, enter a value in the Tolerance box. The Tolerance is the range of colors that will be included in the selection.

7. On the Magic Wand options palette, click whether you want to make a new selection , add to the current selection , or subtract from the current selection .

8. On the picture, click the color you want to select.

9. If the selection has includes too much or too little of the area you want to select, enter a different value in the Tolerance box, and then make another selection.

10. To feather the selection, click Feather on the Magic Wand options palette, enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge, and then click OK.

11. To select the opposite area, click Invert on the Magic Wand options palette.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Editing and Copying Selected Areas

Using the advanced selection tools helps you to isolate a very specic area of a picture for editing or copying. For example, if a picture has generally good lighting levels, but a person’s face in a picture is in dark shadows, you can make a selection of just the face, and then adjust the brightness and contrast only in the selected area. And with anti-aliasing and feathering the selection, your edits to the selected area can look natural since the edited area will blend smoothly with the surrounding pixels.

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Selections

Advanced selection tools also allow you to cut out or copy part of an object to create a new object. These techniques allow you to trim a hole in a picture or create a new object that can be pasted in the same picture or in a different picture.

To cut a hole in an object:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object you want to cut a hole in.

3. On the toolbar, click a selection tool, and then select part of the object.

4. On the Edit menu, click Cut.

To copy and paste part of an object:

1. Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace.

2. On the Stack, click the object you want to copy part of.

3. On the toolbar, click a selection tool, and then select part of the object.

4. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

5. If you want to paste the selection onto a different picture, open that

6. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Note: If you paste the selection onto the same picture that you copied it from, the new object will be in the same position and may not look like a separate object. But the new object will be visible on the Stack, and you can use the object tool to move, resize, or rotate the new object.

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The selection is copied to the clipboard.

picture so that it is on the canvas.

The selection becomes a new object on the Stack.

Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Filters

The term lter originates from the colored glass covers placed over a camera lens. The rst lters in digital imaging sought to mimic the results of these physical camera lters, providing a slight shift in color, or increasing the intensity of colors. But the lters in Picture It! can create many other effects from sharpening an image to making the picture look like a painting or a mosaic.

Waiting for lters to be applied

Some lters require your computer to make many calculations, so on a slower computer they may take a few minutes to be applied.

Three different lters were used on the original picture (upper left): The colored pencil lter (upper right), the watercolor lter (lower left), and the lm grain lter (lower right).

To apply a lter:

1. On the Effects menu, point to Filters, and then click a lter.

Filters create a whole new look for your pictures. Many lters make the image look less like a photograph and more like a drawing, painting, mosaic, or other hand-created artwork. Filter-enhanced pictures can become an attractive focal point of projects such as greeting cards and calendars.

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Color Effects

You can give a color picture a new look by applying a color effect. Turn a favorite color picture into an instant classic by changing it to black and white. Or, apply the antique effect, which “ages” your picture by giving it an old newspaper look.

To turn a color picture to black and white or antique:

1. On the Effects menu, click one of the following:

• Antique

• Black and White

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Chapter 6: Advanced Photo Editing

Paint Effects

With the freehand freehand paint brush, you can choose from several painting tools:

• Paint brush

• Airbrush

• Pencil

• Eraser

• Highlighter

• Chalk

Use these tools to add new colors to a picture.

To use the freehand paint brush:

1. On the Effects menu, point to Paint Brush, and then click Freehand.

2. Click a painting tool, and then click a color.

3. Click a brush size, and then paint by dragging on the picture.

4. Click Done.

You can paint with stamps to enliven your pictures with a rubber stamp effect, Choose from a variety of stamp designs or make your own. Paint with a single stamp design, or use multiple stamps on the same picture.

You can choose from a wide variety of stamps to customize any picture.

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To paint with stamps:

1. On the Effects menu, point to Paint Brush, and then click Stamps.

2. Click a stamping style, and then click a stamp.

3. Click a stamp size, and then apply the stamp by clicking on the picture.

4. Click Done.

If you take photos regularly, it can become time consuming to perform basic editing to all of your pictures after you download them from your camera. Mini Lab contains tools that can help you save time with routine editing that needs to be done to many or all of the photos in a batch.

If you have a high-capacity storage medium in your camera, you may have dozens or more photos to download at once to your hard disk. Some of these photos may be excellent “keepers” that you will want to spend some time editing carefully later on. But many of the photos only need a few quick edits: changes such as rotation and resizing.

Opening each photo individually, performing basic edits, and then saving each one could take a lot of time. Mini Lab lets you perform these routine editing tasks to many photos at once. Mini Lab lets you select multiple photos to perform numerous tasks, including:

• Color auto x

• Exposure auto x

• Camera phone auto x

• Rotate

• Resize

• Save as (to save copies of the originals, change le format,

• Print

Batch Editing in the Mini Lab

and rename les)

Mini Lab displays all of your open photos, and includes a list of editing options that you can perform on multiple photos. This diagram identies the main features of Mini Lab.

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Chapter 7: Batch Editing in Mini Lab

1. The Open more les button opens the le browser to let you nd more pictures to edit.

2. The editing options list shows all of the tasks available for batch editing.

3. File options let you save or print multiple photos.

4. The Workspace in Mini Lab contains thumbnails of all of your opened pictures.

5. The Done button closes Mini Lab, keeping the photos open and maintaining the changes you have made.

6. The Cancel button closes Mini Lab, undoing any unsaved changes.

To open Mini Lab from Picture It!:

1. On the Touchup menu, click Batch Edit in Mini Lab.

When the Mini Lab starts, it automatically displays all pictures that were open in the program. Select the photos you want to edit, and then click one or more editing tasks. The changes are applied automatically.

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Adding Edges, Mats, and Frames

When you’ve nished editing a photo, you can add polishing touches by surrounding it with an edge, a border, a mat, or a frame.

Edge Effects

Edge effects alter the outside edge of a photo. For portrait photos, try the soft edge effect. To draw attention to photos that you post on a Web site, try applying one of the highlighted edges.

The photo on the left has highlighted edges applied, which work great for photos on the Web and in e-mail. The photo on the right has been enhanced with soft edges.

To add an edge effect:

1. On the Stack, click the layer to which you want to add the edge effect.

2. On the Effects menu, point to Edges, and then click an edge effect or border.

3. If available, click a specic edge or border.

4. Follow the instructions on the screen to customize the size or color of the edge or border.

5. Click Done.

Shrinking a picture to show the edge effect

Some edge effects appear only behind and outside the picture. So if your picture reaches the edge of the canvas, you might not be able to see the edge effect when you print it or save it to the Web.

To make sure you can see an edge you’ve added, make sure the object is not locked to the canvas, and then the press the CTRL key while you drag in one of the photo’s corner resize handles. This will shrink the photo proportionally on the canvas, so that the border lies within the printable area.

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Chapter 8: Adding Edges, Mats, and Frames

Choosing the right mat

When choosing a mat, consider the colors in your photo and the colors of your frame. A mat should not overpower the subject of the photo. Try selecting a soft-colored mat that matches one of the photo’s secondary colors.

Mats and Frames

If you plan to put a photo in a traditional photo frame, you can add a Picture It! mat to your photo before you print it. Mats create an elegant effect, and can also help to t an oddly-proportioned print to a standard size frame.

If you don’t plan to mount a photo in a traditional frame, but would like to print and display it, use a Picture It! frame instead. You can choose from a variety of frame themes to complement the subject of your photo. You can even add both a mat and a frame to the same photo.

Picture It! has a wide variety of mats and frames to nish your favorite photos.

To add a mat or a frame:

1. Select the picture or object to which you want to add a mat or frame.

2. On the Effects menu, point to Edges, and then click Frames and Mats.

3. Click a theme, click a design, and then click Open.

4. Drag your photo from the Files palette into the frame or mat, and then

5. Move or resize the photo so that it ts within the frame, and then

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click Next.

click Done.

Creating Projects

A great way to present your pictures and share them with friends and family is to create photo projects. Picture It! offers a range of designs that you can use to showcase your pictures. Choose from greeting cards, calendars, business cards, and more.

Creating Photo Cards

Use your own photo to personalize a greeting card for a holiday, a party invitation, or any other occasion.

To open a photo card design:

1. Open a photo and check to see that it appears on the Files palette.

2. On the File menu, click Create a Project.

3. On the All Types of Designs page, click Cards.

4. Click Photo Frame Cards.

5. Click a theme, click a design, and then click Open.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen.

7. To edit the inside pages, on the View menu, click Front of Card, Inside of Card, or Back of Card. Once your card project is open, you can add your own text, photos, and clip art. Since most printers cannot print to the edge of the page, the purple margins on the edges of a card project represent the unprintable areas of the card.

Working with a multi-page project

When working with a project that has more than one page, such as a greeting card, the multi-page palette appears on the bottom of the screen. This palette lets you switch between pages in the project.

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Chapter 9: Creating Projects

Photo cards are either half-fold cards, which are larger cards printed on both sides of the paper, or quarter-fold cards, which are smaller cards printed on only one side of the paper.

A favorite golng photo was used to create this half-fold card.

To change the fold style of a card:

1. On the Format menu, click Change Card Fold.

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Chapter 9: Creating Projects

Creating Calendars

Calendars are a great way to showcase your favorite photos. Calendar projects are available in the following formats:

A one-week calendar A one-year calendar

A month calendar

These are the rst three months of a 12-month calendar

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Chapter 9: Creating Projects

To create a calendar project:

1. On the File menu, click Create a Project.

2. Click Calendars.

3. Click a calendar type.

4. Click a theme, click a design, and then click Open.

5. Set the start date for the calendar, and then click Next.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen to add a photo to your calendar, and then click Next.

7. Move or resize your photo on the calendar. Use the corner resize handles to resize the photo proportionally.

8. Click Done.

When you create a 12-month calendar, you can add different photos to each of the 12 month pages.

To complete a 12-month calendar:

1. Complete the instructions above to create a 12-month calendar.

2. Open the photos you want so that they appear in the Files palette.

3. Use the multi-page palette to switch between pages in the project.

4. Drag photos from the Files palette into each of the 12 month pages.

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Saving and Printing Pictures

Saving Pictures

If you’re like most people, you can’t stand to throw photos away, even if they’re imperfect. You probably have a large box or two lled with envelopes of old negatives and photographic prints. Keeping track of all of your old prints and negatives can be a formidable task.

Fortunately, digital photography makes saving, storing, and organizing photos much easier. However, there are some important things you should know about saving your photos to make sure they’ll be in good condition whenever you want to enjoy them.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Saving Multiple Versions

Once you’ve downloaded a photo to your computer and erased it from your camera, your computer’s hard disk contains the only copy of that photo. This original version should be treated like a lm negative: You don’t want to do anything to it that will alter the original content. Except rotation to correct orientation or renaming the le, the original version should be left alone.

When you want to edit a photo or add it to a project, you should always save a copy of the original and work with the copy. That way, if you make some editing changes that you regret later, you can always go back to the original, make a new copy, and start over.

To make a copy of a photo:

1. Open the picture.

2. On the File menu, click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.

3. Click the folder where you want to save the copy of the original.

4. In the File name box, enter a name for the copy.

5. Click Save. The Save As dialog box closes, with the new copy of the picture open in the workspace.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Choosing a File Format

Picture It! allows you to save photos in a number of image le formats. You can determine the best format for saving your photos based on what you will use the photos for, compatibility with other computers, and le size. To help you understand the difference between le formats, here are some important characteristics of three common image formats:

• Picture It! PNG Plus (.png) saves the individual objects in your photo projects so you can edit them later. PNG offers lossless compression, but not all computers have the software to open PNG les.

• TIFF (.tif) is a common format for cameras that produce lossless images. TIFF does not support layers, but is a good format for saving important photos, although the les are relatively large.

• JPEG (.jpg) is the most common format for images, since the les can be opened on practically any computer. JPEG does not support layers. Too much JPEG compression can reduce image quality, but JPEG is a format that makes relatively small les that work well for most purposes, especially for e-mail and the Web.

To save a photo in a specic le format:

1. On the File menu, click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.

2. In the Save as type box, click a le type.

3. Click Save.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Setting PNG Plus Options

Only Picture It! and Digital Image can read individual objects saved in PNG Plus les. However, a PNG Plus le contains a attened PNG version of the picture that can be read by many other programs, including Internet Explorer. By default, Picture It! saves the attened version of the picture at the same size as the original, multi-object picture. But while this attened version of the picture allows the le to be opened by other programs, it does increase overall le size.

If you don’t need to have a full-size, attened version of the picture embedded in each PNG Plus le, you can choose to have the attened version of picture be saved at a smaller size. Limiting the dimensions of the embedded le can decrease the overall le size.

To limit the size of the embedded, attened PNG le:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click PNG Plus options.

3. Click No Larger Than, and then enter values to limit the width and height.

4. Click OK, and then click OK.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Saving for E-mail and the Web

Unlike photos for printing, photos for e-mail and the Web work best if they are relatively low resolution. Low-resolution photos, such as one that is 440 x 330 pixels, move faster through dial-up modems, and they are the right dimensions for viewing on most computer monitors.

To save a photo for e-mail or the Web:

1. On the File menu, point to Save a Copy For, and then click Save for E-mail or Web.

2. Do one of the following: Click a picture size Set maximum dimensions

3. Click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.

4. Click the folder to which you want to save the photo.

5. In the File name box, type a le name, and then click Save.

Avoid sending large photos in e-mail

Sending high-resolution photos in e-mail may cause problems for your recipients. For example, a single 5-megabyte (MB), high-resolution image will take over 20 minutes to download on a 28.8-Kbps modem. Also, some e-mail programs limit the size of attachments, and may, for example, block e-mail with attachments larger than 1 MB.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Installing printer drivers

When adding a new printer, make sure that you install all the printer software and drivers. If you’re installing an older printer, you may be able to nd updated printer drivers on the manufacturer’s Web site.

Printing Pictures

Printing Single Pictures

Picture It! has a simple process for printing single images. When using the single-picture printing task, one copy of the picture will print on the page, and the picture will be centered on the paper.

To print a single picture:

1. Make sure your printer is turned on and connected to your computer.

2. On the File menu, click Print.

3. Under Select a printer, click a printer.

4. To specify printer settings, click Change printer settings.

5. Select the number of copies, and then select a print size.

6. Click an orientation, and then click Print.

Printing Multiple Pictures

Picture It! has a wide variety of templates that allow you to print multiple pictures on a page. You can print multiple copies of the same picture or multiple pictures together at the same time.

Printing on a multi-photo sheet saves paper and is a convenient way to create prints to give to family and friends.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

To print multiple photos on the same page:

1. Make sure your printer is turned on and connected to your computer.

2. Open all the pictures that you want to print so that they are on the Files palette.

3. On the File menu, click Print.

4. Under You can also, click Print multiple pictures.

5. Under Select a printer, click a printer.

6. To specify printer settings, click Change printer settings.

7. Select a category of page layout, and then click an orientation.

8. Click a layout in the right pane, and then click Next.

9. Drag pictures from the Files palette onto the layout.

10. Click an option for tting the selected picture to the area, and then click Next.

11. Preview the page layout, and then enter the number of copies you want to print.

12. Click Print.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Turning on color management

Check your printer’s manual to see if it offers color management. Color management can help your printer to produce colors that match the ones on your monitor. If your printer offers color management, click Change picture settings while performing the Print task. Your printer’s dialog box will open, and you can adjust the settings for color management.

Selecting Print Quality

Most desktop printers are capable of printing in a range of qualities, from a low-quality draft mode to a high-quality setting that requires more time and uses more ink. Printer settings for quality and color vary, but you may be able to specify your paper type, ink type, dots per inch required, color management preferences. Some printers have simplied printing options such as "Good," "Better," and "Best." Make sure to read your printer’s manual to nd out how to take advantage of these different settings.

To select print quality for your printer:

1. On the File menu, click Print.

2. Click Change printer settings. Your printer’s dialog box opens.

3. Adjust your printer’s quality settings, and then click OK.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Selecting a Print Size

The quality of photo prints is is directly related to the number of pixels in the picture. A high-resolution picture contains a lot of detailed visual information, and can be printed at larger sizes. For example, a picture whose dimensions are 2048 x 1536 pixels (3.1-megapixel) would look good even when printed as large as 8" x 10" on most printers.

A low-resolution picture has less detailed visual information, and therefore cannot be printed in larger sizes. A picture with pixel dimensions of 1280 x 960, for example, lacks the detail needed to ll an 8" x 10" print. The result would be a grainy, pixelated image. But printing this picture at a smaller size, such as 4" x 6", would give you a sharp, detailed print.

As a general rule, try to print around 200 dots per inch (dpi). Take your picture’s pixel dimensions and divide by 200 to see how large the print can be in inches.

Choosing Photo Paper

If you want your images to look like traditional photographs, choose paper that is clearly labeled as photo paper. Photo paper comes in a range of thickness and texture. Paper weight ranges from ordinary ofce-document weight to a fairly heavy watercolor paper. If you choose a heavyweight paper, check your printer’s manual to make sure that your printer can handle it.

The quality of the image will be affected by the kind of paper stock you choose. As a rule, you’ll see the widest range of colors and get the deepest blacks from paper that has been specially coated to accept inkjet inks. The range of colors appears to be widest on the whitest papers. Glossy surfaces also create the illusion of deeper blacks. However, if you’re going to display your prints, glossy surfaces can cheapen the look of the work, and surface glare can make the images more difcult to view.

Paper formulations also contribute greatly to resisting fading and color shifting. If you’re using "fade-resistant" or "archival" inks, look for coated, acid-free papers that are also advertised as fade-resistant or archival.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Creating Long-lasting Prints

How long can you expect a print to last? With some inkjet prints, you can only expect a fade-free lifespan of two months to two years. All of the major printer manufacturers are beginning to advertise greater image stability for the output of certain printer/ink combinations, but few of these manufacturers claim that prints will last more than about four years.

When buying supplies for your printer, check which types of ink and paper are recommended by the manufacturer of your printer, and nd out about the ink’s lifespan rating. Some six-color printers use inks specially formulated for long life. When printed on high-quality heavyweight matte paper, photos from these printers can last approximately 40 years before perceptible fading occurs.

Fade ratings are given as the amount of time before any color shift in the print can be seen by the naked eye. The actual time it would take for the print to become unacceptably discolored would be several times that. These ratings are based on indoor exhibition under glass in an atmosphere that is not chemically polluted. Ozone is especially harmful to dye-based printing inks. Do not display these prints in rooms where oxygen tanks or electric air fresheners are used—both produce high amounts of ozone.

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Chapter 10: Saving and Printing Pictures

Ordering Prints and Gifts on MSN Photos

Order prints of your your photos online at MSN Photos and have the prints sent to you or your family and friends. On MSN Photos, you can also use your photos to create a variety of photo gifts.

To order prints and enlargements:

1. On the File menu in Picture It!, point to Print Professionally Online, and then click Prints and Enlargements. On the Web, click Order Prints.

2. If necessary, sign in with your Passport e-mail address and password.

3. Choose to print either the current picture or all opened pictures in the Files palette.

4. To open additional photos for ordering prints and enlargements, click Add or remove pictures, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

5. Click Next.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen to order the prints and enlargements you want.

7. Click Done.

To order photo gifts:

1. On the File menu in Picture It!, point to Print Professionally Online, and then click Photo Gifts.

2. On the Web, choose a gift product to order.

3. If necessary, sign in with your Passport e-mail address and password.

4. Choose to print either the current picture or all opened pictures in the Files palette.

5. To open additional photos for ordering prints and enlargements, click Add or remove pictures, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

6. Click Next.

7. Order the photo gifts you want.

8. Click Done.

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Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Picture It! Library is a powerful tool that helps you organize, nd, and edit your pictures. Picture It! Library does not store your pictures. Instead, Picture It! Library stores information about your pictures, including a thumbnail version of each picture, so you can conveniently organize the pictures on your computer. But you can also use Picture It! Library to keep track of pictures that you store on removable media, such as a photo CD or DVD.

Picture It! Library automatically tracks information about each picture you add to the library, including date taken, le size, image size, and the folder where the picture is stored. Then you can add your own picture information, such as ratings, keywords, and captions. Tools like the Keyword Painter and the Selection Preview pane make it easy to add this information to many pictures at the same time.

With all of this information about each picture, Picture It! Library helps you locate your pictures with powerful ltering and grouping. Even if you have added pictures from many occasions over the years, you can locate pictures that share the same keywords, dates, ratings and more.

Picture It! Library also allows you to make simple changes to multiple pictures at the same time, such as batch editing in the Mini Lab, batch rename, converting le format, and batch resize.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Adding Pictures from CDs and other removable media

You can use Picture It! Library Lite to help catalog your pictures located on CDs or other removable media. To import these photos into the Library, click the Import button [graphic] on the toolbar to launch the Import Pictures Wizard.

Opening Picture It! Library

Picture It! Library can be opened from the Windows Start menu or from the Picture It! Startup Window or File menu.

Adding Pictures to Picture It! Library

Any pictures you have in your My Pictures folder—and its subfolders—are automatically added to Picture It! Library’s database. You can also add pictures from other folders on your computer.

To add pictures from a folder on your computer:

1. On Picture It! Library’s File menu, click Add Pictures to Library. The Add Pictures to Picture It! Library window opens. The folders already cataloged in Picture It! Library are displayed.

2. Click Browse.

3. Navigate to the folder containing the pictures you want to add, click the folder, and then click OK.

4. Click Done.

Scanning for Pictures

Picture It! Library can scan your computer’s hard disk drive to locate pictures to add to Picture It! Library. This feature is helpful if you have pictures stored in multiple locations or if you don’t remember where your pictures are stored. The scanning process can take some time if there are many picture les on your computer.

To scan for pictures on your computer:

1. On Picture It! Library’s File menu, click Add Pictures to Library.

2. Click Scan.

3. In the Beginning Picture Scan dialog box, click OK.

4. Clear the check box next to any folder you don’t want to add.

5. Click OK, and then click Done.

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The Add Pictures to Picture It! Library window opens. The folders already cataloged in Picture It! Library are displayed.

The hard disk drive is scanned, and the folders containing pictures are displayed.

Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Adding Keywords

Adding keywords to your pictures is one of the most powerful ways to organize and later locate your pictures. You create your own keywords to identify the subjects of your pictures. You can add multiple keywords to one picture, and add the same keyword to multiple pictures.

The Keyword Painter is a fast way to add multiple keywords to pictures in Picture It! Library.

Applying keywords with the Keyword Painter

1. On the Tools menu, click Keyword Painter.

2. If desired, add a new keyword to the list by clicking <click here to add keyword>.

3. Click the keyword or keywords you want apply to pictures.

4. Click the pictures you want to assign those keywords to.

5. To close the Keyword Painter, click the close button on the Keyword Painter title bar.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Viewing Your Photos

Once you have added your pictures to Picture It! Library, you can customize the way you view the pictures. The left pane of Picture It! Library is called the View By pane. The View By pane allows you to lter the pictures displayed in the Thumbnail pane. Using the View By pane is helpful if you have a large number of pictures in Picture It! Library.

If you are viewing by date or by folder, you can click the All Pictures View so that all of your pictures show up in the Thumbnail pane.

Viewing by Folder

Viewing by folder allows you to lter your pictures based on where the pictures are stored. Remember, Picture It! Library does not actually store pictures, it just remembers where they are located. When viewing by folder, the folders shown mimic the folder structure on your computer and removable media. When you click a folder or drive in the View By pane, only pictures in that folder (and its subfolders) are displayed in the Thumbnail pane.

To lter by folder:

1. On the View By menu, click Folder.

2. In the folder structure, click a folder or drive. Pictures in that folder or on that drive are displayed in the Thumbnail pane.

3. To view pictures from all folders and removable media, click All Pictures View.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Viewing by Date

Viewing by date allows you to lter your pictures based the dates the pictures were taken. You can set the lter to display pictures taken in a particular year, month, or even a single day. When you click a year, month, or date in the View By pane, only pictures taken during that timeframe are displayed in the main viewing area.

To lter by date:

1. On the View By menu, click Date.

2. Click a year to display the months within that year.

3. To display the days in a month, click a month.

4. To display the pictures from a particular day, click the day.

5. To view pictures from all dates, click All Pictures View.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Viewing by Keyword

Viewing by keyword allows you to lter pictures based on keywords you assigned.

To lter by keyword:

1. On the View By menu, click Keyword.

2. Click either With at least one selected keyword or With all selected keywords.

3. Click the keyword or keywords you want to nd pictures for. Pictures with those keywords assigned appear in the Thumbnail pane.

4. To deselect a keyword from the lter, click the keyword to clear its check box.

5. To nd pictures with no keywords assigned, click the Unassigned keyword.

6. To view all pictures regardless of keywords, click Folder on the View By menu, and then click All Pictures View.

Using the Thumbnail Slider

The thumbnail slider, in the upper right of the Thumbnail pane, allows you to change the size of the thumbnails. With larger thumbnails, you must scroll more to see all your pictures, but more detail is visible. With smaller thumbnails, you scan see more pictures at once.

To use the thumbnail slider:

1. To increase the size of the thumbnails, do one of the following:

• Drag the slider to the right.

• Click the plus (+) button.

2. To decrease the size of the thumbnails, do one of the following:

• Drag the slider to the left.

• Click the minus (-) button.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Showing Thumbnail Data

There are three ways to view the thumbnails and their associated data in the Thumbnail pane.

Tiles View

Along with the thumbnail, the tiles view displays:

• Caption

• Time and date taken

• File size

• Image size (pixel dimensions)

• File name

• Rating

Thumbnails View

The thumbnails view displays only the thumbnail with no data.

Thumbnails with Text View

The thumbnails with text view displays the thumbnail and the eld that the pictures are arranged by.

To switch views in the Thumbnail pane:

1. On the View menu, click one of the following:

• Tiles

• Thumbnails

• Thumbnails with text

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Grouping Your Pictures

You can group the pictures in the Thumbnail pane according to date, ratings, keywords, or other information.

Grouping by rating, for example, will separate all the one-star pictures into one group, the two-star pictures into another group, and so on.

To group your pictures:

1. On the Group By menu above the Thumbnail pane, click a grouping option.

Showing the Table of Contents

You can open the table of contents, which is hidden by default, to list all of the groups currently in the Thumbnail pane. The table of contents is located along the left of the Thumbnail pane. To see the pictures of a particular set, just click the group in the table of contents.

To show the table of contents:

1. On the View menu, click Show Table of Contents.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Using the Preview Pane

The Preview pane, located under the Thumbnail pane, is a convenient way to view and edit information about a picture or pictures. The Preview pane displays the information about the pictures selected in the Thumbnail pane. You can click any of the elds (except le size and image size) in the Preview pane to edit the information.

To use the Preview pane:

1. In the Thumbnail pane, select the picture you want to preview. To multiple-select pictures, press CRTL while you click the thumbnails.

2. Click one of the following elds:

• File name will change the le name for all selected pictures. If more

than one picture is selected, the le names will be the base name that you enter followed by a sequential number.

• Caption will apply a new caption that you enter to all selected

pictures, replacing any previously associated captions.

• Date taken will change the date taken eld for all selected pictures,

which is useful if your camera recorded incorrect dates. If the selected pictures have more than one date taken, this eld will appear as Date Range.

• Keywords opens the Keyword Editor to add new keywords to the

selected pictures; existing keywords will not be deleted.

• Flags display convenient keywords that you can use as personal

reminders to edit, email, print, or perform other actions on indicated pictures.

• Rating assigns a new rating to each selected picture, replacing any preexisting rating.

Showing the Preview pane

The Preview pane can be hidden from view to make more room in the Thumbnail pane. If the Preview pane is hidden, you can show it again by checking Preview Pane on the View menu.

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Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Editing and File Management from Picture It! Library

With its powerful organizational tools, Picture It! Library is an easy way to locate pictures in your collection. Once you have found the pictures you want to work with, you can select those pictures for editing and le management.

Editing in a Photo Editor

From Picture It! Library, you can open pictures in a photo editor, perform your editing tasks, and then return to Picture It! Library.

To edit pictures in a photo editor:

1. In the Thumbnail pane, select the pictures you want to edit.

2. On the Tasks menu, click Edit. The pictures open in the photo editor.

3. Edit and save the pictures.

4. Close the photo editor. Thumbnails in Picture It! Library will be updated to show your edits.

By default, Picture It! Library will open the pictures to be edited in Picture It!. But you can set Picture It! Library to open a different photo editor.

To change the photo editor associated with Picture It! Library:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the General tab.

3. Under Change Picture Editor, do one of the following:

• Click Use a different picture editor, and then click Browse to locate

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a different editing program.

Chapter 11: Organizing and Archiving in Picture It! Library

Editing in Mini Lab

Mini Lab allows you to perform the most common editing tasks to multiple pictures at the same time. Some of these tasks include:

• Color auto x

• Contrast auto x

• Rotate

• Crop

• Fix red eye

The Mini Lab you can access from Picture It! Library is the same Mini Lab you can access from within the editor.

To batch edit pictures in Mini Lab:

1. In the Thumbnail pane, select the pictures you want to edit.

2. On the Tasks menu, click Batch Edit in Mini Lab. Mini Lab opens with the selected pictures.

3. For each batch-editing task, select the pictures you want to edit, and then click an editing option.

4. Click Done. Mini Lab closes and thumbnails in Picture It! Library will be updated to show your edits.

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Batch File Management

Picture It! Library has its own tools for batch le management. These tools include batch rename, batch convert le format, and batch management. These tools include batch rename, batch convert le format, and batch resize. These le management options save you time when you need to perform the same task on multiple les.

To begin batch le management:

1. In the Thumbnail pane, select the pictures you want to manage.

2. On the File menu, click one of the following:

• Batch Rename

• Batch Convert File Format

• Batch Resize

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Taking Great Pictures

No matter how polished and creative you are as a photographer, Picture It! is a valuable tool for helping you get the most out of your photos. With Picture It! features, you can easily correct common photo problems such as red eye and overexposure. And you can use features like lters and layers to create photos strikingly different from your originals.

Although Picture It! is a powerful photo-editing program, it’s important to get the best photo you can at the time you take it. Picture It! can do a lot to correct minor problems with the originals, but certain problems, such as severely blurred or underexposed photos, cannot easily be xed with computer software. And if you can develop your photography skills to take higher-quality photos, you can spend your time doing creative photo editing with Picture It!, rather than xing mistakes that can be avoided.

Many cameras available today offer a high degree of automation: just turn the camera on and press the shutter, and the camera does the rest. While this approach is quick and easy, it isn’t perfect in all situations. As a photographer, you can learn to ne-tune the settings on your camera to gain greater control of the camera to get the best possible photo for each situation.

With the range of cameras available—from basic point-and-shoot models to professional SLR (single-lens reex) cameras—this chapter cannot cover specics for all features available on all cameras. But this chapter does provide a foundation of photography concepts that are vital to taking consistently good photographs.

The rst section of this chapter contains information specic to digital cameras: concepts such as resolution and compression that don’t have direct counterparts in lm photography. Later sections cover universal photography concepts that apply to both lm and digital cameras.

Opening photos from your digital camera

For information on opening photos from your camera in Picture It!, see the digital camera section in the "Opening and Importing Pictures" chapter.

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

About Digital Cameras

If you’re new to using digital cameras, several camera features may seem foreign to you. Some of these features, such as digital zoom and compression, did not exist with lm cameras because the technology did not exist. But it’s important to understand what these features do and when it’s appropriate to use them (or, in some cases, not use them).

Photo Quality

A digital photograph is composed of tiny colored squares called pixels (short for picture elements). Like a mosaic, the pixels blend together to form a picture. Each digital photo consists of a set number of pixels, ranging from a few thousand to millions. When a digital camera takes a photo, it creates a digital le that species the number of pixels and the precise color of each pixel.

Pixels are not a set size, so they can shrink or enlarge if photo size changes. When a photo is enlarged too much, the individual pixels become visible, making a jagged looking, poor-quality photo.

The original photo on the left was saved at high resolution, and you can see sharp detail. The photo on the right has been saved at such low resolution that you can see the individual pixels.

The number of pixels that make up a photo is the photo’s resolution. Resolution and compression are key factors in determining the quality of a digital photo. The following sections explain resolution and compression.

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Resolution

Resolution is one of the main determinants of photo quality since it is a measure of the total number of pixels that make up a photograph. Resolution is sometimes expressed as the total number of pixels, such as 3 megapixels (3 million pixels), or in pixel dimensions, such as 320 x 240 (which equals 76,800 total pixels).

Resolution is important primarily because it determines how much you can enlarge and print a photo. Everything else being equal, a 3-megapixel photo and a 320 pixel x 240 pixel photo look the same in a wallet-size print. But if you enlarge those two photos to 5" x 7" prints, the quality of the 320 x 240 photo is very low: you can see the individual pixels. The 3-megapixel photo still looks sharp at the larger size, since its pixels are too small to be seen.

Resolution is also important because it determines le size. High-resolution photos contain color information for many more pixels than low-resolution photos, so the les for high-resolution photos can be signicantly larger. File size becomes an issue if you have limited storage on your camera or hard disk, or if you need to send the photos through e-mail.

The following chart gives an estimate of le size and maximum print size for various resolutions. The chart lists le sizes for JPEG format, which is a common (but not the only) format for photos. This is just a general guide to le sizes—you might produce good printing results by using larger or smaller les.

Dimensions Total pixels Approx. JPEG Maximum print size le size (with slight compression*)

320 x 240 76,800 23 KB Web and e-mail

640 x 480 307,200 91 KB Web and e-mail

1280 x 960 1,228,800 363 KB 4" x 6" (1.2 megapixels)

1600 x 1200 1,920,000 576 KB 5" x 7" (1.9 megapixels)

2,048 x 1,536 3,145,728 970 KB 8" x 10" (3.1 megapixels)

3008 x 2000 6,016,000 1.5 MB 11" x 14" (6 megapixels)

* Compression, which is explained in the following section, varies by camera, so you may nd different le size results.

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

Megapixel rating

One of the main factors in the price of a digital camera is its megapixel rating. The megapixel rating indicates the maximum number of pixels (in millions) that are captured by the camera’s image sensor.

Instead of lm, a digital camera uses an image sensor—usually a CCD (charge-coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) chip—to capture the visual information when you take a photo. The image sensor on a simple, low-resolution camera might capture just over 76,000 pixels. The image sensor on a high-quality digital camera might capture more than 6 megapixels. As you can imagine, the 6-megapixel camera can produce very large, high-quality photos (with very large les). The 76,000-pixel camera can capture a relatively small number of pixels, so photo quality would be fair to poor, even at small print sizes.

On many cameras, you can set the resolution at which the image sensor captures the photo. As a rule of thumb, always shoot at the highest resolution possible—you’ll get higher-resolution photos that you can print in larger sizes. However, in some cases you may want to lower the resolution so that the les will be smaller. This allows you to store more photos on the camera’s storage media, but you must sacrice some quality for quantity.

Make sure to check your camera’s manual to nd out what resolution you will get from the photo-quality settings on your camera. Beware of settings that offer "enhanced" or "interpolated" resolution. These features add extra pixels not found in the original photo to product a higher-resolution photo, but may reduce overall sharpness or quality.

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

Compression

You’ve seen one way to reduce photo le size: lower the resolution at which you shoot the photo. You can also reduce le size by having the camera compress the photo le as it saves the le to the camera’s memory. Compression consolidates similar information in the photo, and discards some information. With JPEG compression, for example, series of similarly colored pixels are grouped together and considered to be the same color. In the code that makes up the le, the color information for these grouped pixels only has to be listed once instead of hundreds, or even thousands, of times. This shortcut can reduce le size considerably. Taken to extremes, a photo in highly compressed JPEG format might be 95 percent smaller than the same photo in an uncompressed format.

Although compression does reduce le size, it also reduces photo quality. Slight to moderate compression might not noticeably reduce photo quality, but high compression produces visible areas of splotchy color called artifacts. Even with slight compression, artifacts become more pronounced each time the photo is resaved and compression is applied.

File size and photo quality

Lowering resolution and increasing compression both reduce le size and photo quality. Bearing this in mind, you can use le size as a rough way to judge photo quality.

The left photo has been saved with lossless compression, so all of the image quality is retained. The photo on the right was saved with heavy JPEG compression—which is not lossless—and the compression signicantly reduced the image quality.

For important photos that you want to make into prints, it’s good practice to use little or no compression. Or, if your camera offers it, you can take your photos in a format, such as TIFF, that offers lossless compression. Lossless compression reduces le size, but retains all of the photo quality once the photo is restored.

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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

Microsoft Picture It! Premium User’s Manual

Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures

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! (.php, .mix,

.fpx)

• PNG (.png)

• TIFF (.tif)

• Targa (.tga)

• Windows Bitmap

(.bmp)

• Windows Metale

(.wmf)

File Formats

There are many le formats designed for photos or other digital images. Picture It! can work with JPEG, TIFF, and many other le formats. If your camera allows you to choose le formats for your photos, you can decide which format to use based on your particular criteria: photo quality, le size, or compatibility with other programs.

The JPEG format is the most common format for photos. JPEG les are versatile, since they can accommodate over 16 million colors, can be compressed, and can be viewed on almost any computer and in any Web browser. To reduce le size, the JPEG format always uses compression, although the degree of compression varies by camera. Experiment with the compression settings on your camera to nd a low-compression setting that produces good or excellent results. Because JPEG uses some compression every time a le is saved, many photo purists prefer formats like TIFF over JPEG.

The TIFF format provides an extremely accurate recording of digital-image data. Some cameras can use a lossless compression method with TIFF. But even with some compression, TIFF les are generally larger than JPEG les for photos with the same resolution. For example, a single uncompressed 5-megapixel TIFF image is larger than 10 MB. To work with photos of that size, you need a lot of memory on your computer as well as a high-volume storage disk.

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