Creating and Editing Images in Paint Shop Pro Version XI. File Types

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1 Creating and Editing Images in Paint Shop Pro Version XI Paint Shop Pro (PSP) from JASC software ( is an imageediting and creation program. You can download a 30-day trial version from the website along with many of the extras. PSP is used to edit existing images, such as the ones you download from the Internet, take using a digital camera, or produce from a scanner. It can also be used to create original images, ranging from a simple background to complicated artwork. Built-in tools called paint tubes allow users to create professional results easily. To start PSP, click on the Start option, then choose Programs/Corel Paint Shop Pro XI. File Types PSP recognizes a variety of file formats. A basic understanding of image file types is important before you start. BMP is a bitmap file. If you have created art in a program like Windows Paint, you have seen bitmap images. BMP files are huge and should not be used on web pages. JPG or JPEG (pronounced jay-peg ) files are compressed so that they take up less space. Digital photos and many of the images that you find on the web are JPG s. These files are 24 bit color files and are considered true color since they can contain over 16 million different colors. GIF (pronounced jif like the peanut butter) files are also compressed to take up less space. Since GIF s are only 8 bit color and contain only 256 different colors, they are best used for black and white images or when a limited amount of colors will not be an issue. GIF s do have two special ways of being displayed that make them useful on the web. You can set a color, such as the background color, to be transparent and a collection of GIF s can be stored as a single file and displayed as an animated GIF. (Note: do not open an animated image in PSP since that will cause it to lose the animated effect. Instead use JASC Animation Shop which is installed on our computers.) When you open an image file, or create a new image, you can use the save as option to store the file in a different format. Simply changing the extension will NOT change the file type. Note: the default type for saving new files is as a PSP file. This will not work on a web page, so make sure you choose either JPG or GIF when you save Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 40

2 Toolbars and Menus The PSP main screen contains a number of toolbars that will help you perform a wide range of tasks. Here are some of the toolbars with notes about their functions. (Note: if you are missing a toolbar, choose View and either toolbars or palettes to display it.) On the upper right hand side of the screen you will be able to set background and foreground colors and properties. Click on the screen thumbnail and a palette dialog will appear. Choose a color around the circle and then choose the shade from the square. You can also customize colors by entering the RGB numbers. Custom textures can be added to a background or foreground. The Tools toolbar (shown to the left) provides the opportunity to select from a wide variety of drawing and editing options. Tools with an arrow expand to show several options. When you choose a tool, the options for that tool appear at the top of the screen. Here is the example from the selection tool. This handout will now explain how to do some of the common procedures in PSP. The built-in help tool also is very useful when learning to use this software package Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 41

3 Cropping and Resizing Images Images, such as those produced from a digital camera, often need to be cropped or resized before they are used in a document, in a web page, or ed. There are two ways to crop images. The first is to use the cropping tool. Click on the crop icon and use your mouse to select the area you want to crop. The check mark at the top of the screen processes the crop and the arrow undoes the operation. Another way to crop is to use the selection tool. This gives you the ability to crop in various shapes including circles and stars. Click on the selection tool from the menu. You may see Freehand or Magic Wand in the same place depending of which tool was used last. Choose the shape you want and use your mouse to outline the area. To crop, choose Image/Crop to Selection from the main menu. To resize an image, select Image/Resize from the menu. The screen that is displayed allows several choices. You can resize using either percentages or pixels. Use pixels when you need a precise size. If you check the Lock aspect ratio box, the height or width will be adjusted automatically to preserve the ratio of the pictures. This is important for photographs. You can also choose a specific print size. When you resize, it is important to only do it once or you will see a decrease in the quality of the picture. If you are not pleased with a resize, choose Edit/Undo from the menu and try again Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 42

4 Image Special Effects PSP contains a wide variety of special effects. These can be accessed from the Effects menu. In order to use a special effect, the image must be in true color. If the Effects menu is greyed out, choose Image/Increase Color Depth/16 Million Colors from the menu. When you choose an effect, a dialog window appears that permits customized choices. Here is the Texture Effect dialog. Notice that you can preview the effect as you customize. The texture effect contains a library of available textures. The effects browser displays the effects at a glance by category. You can click on the different folders and choose an effect that is shown on the screen Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 43

5 Creating a New Image When you create a new image, you are really creating an empty canvas. First make sure that you have chosen the background and foreground colors you want. Then choose Image/New from the menu. You will see the new file dialog. Choose the dimensions, color depth (usually 16 million is what you will want), and color. The default color is your chosen background, but you can click on the color box to access the color palette and choose a new color. The Presets drop down box at the top contains settings for common sizes (postcards, 5 by 7, etc.). Using the Picture Tube Tool The Picture Tube Tool lets you add entire images to a canvas or existing image with the click of a mouse. Click on the tool and then choose the image from the library that appears at the top of the screen. You can also specify the size (scale). Some images use a single click and others use a lick and drag option to display. The images are randomly placed, so if you are trying to get a specific zoo animal for example, you may have to use the CTRL+Z option to erase the first few you get until you see the one you wanted Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 44

6 Capturing Screen Shots When creating handouts for your students (such as this one!) using screen shots can be a great addition. To capture a screen shot, press the Prnt Scrn button on your keyboard. Choose Edit/Paste as New Image from the menu. If you want, use the cropping tool to select a part of the screen shot. Choosing Edit/Copy puts the selection on memory so you can paste it into a word processing document. Format the inserted image as tight so that the words can wrap around it easily. Copy and Paste Techniques You can use the selection tool to copy part of an image and then paste that selection into another image, the current image, or a new canvas. There are several options available: Paste as new selection lets you move the selection around and place it where you want it. Paste as new image creates a new image. Paste as transparent selection will superimpose the shape on the other image, rather than a rectangle. Photo Corrections and Enhancements You can retouch and restore images with a variety of built in tools. Red eye removal, cosmetic enhancements, and scratch removal are among the choices. Use the Help feature for specific instructions. Creating Transparent Images GIF files can be saved in a format so that they display on a web page with a transparent background. The following steps will walk you through the process. You can save images from the web, such as the Jan Brett cat image show below or you can create your own images. You can also use the selection tool to cut a shape out of an image and make the resulting cut-out a transparent image. 1. Open the image in PSP. The image can start as either a JPG or GIF file. 2. Choose File/Export/GIF Optimizer from the menu Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 45

7 3. When the dialog screen appears, choose Areas that match this color. If the color displayed is not the color you wish to make transparent, click you mouse on the original image in an area where you see the appropriate color. The box will display the new color. The transparent areas will show up as a checkerboard effect. If the grey checks are not solid, you can experiment with the Tolerance setting to get better results. That will make colors within the specified range of pixels transparent also. 4. Click OK and you will be prompted to save the image as a GIF file. If you are going to use the image on a web page, remember to save it in the correct folder! Creating Buttons If you want to create buttons to use on your web page, you can accomplish this in a few easy steps using PSP. 1. Make a list of the words you will use on the buttons. For example, when creating a web quest, you would need buttons for the words Intro, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, and possibly Teacher Page. Once you have your list, you will have an idea how large your buttons will need to be. 2. In PSP create a new canvas with a solid color background. Make the size so that it will fit the longest word. The example shown here is 160 by 70 pixels. 3. Choose Effects/3D Effects/Buttonize from the menu. Choose the height, width, opacity, and 2010 Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 46

8 button edge style (solid or transparent) that you like and click OK. 4. Save this file as a JPG file and name it button (the computer will add the extension.jpg). This will be your button template. It is important to keep this file in case you want to add more buttons later. Be careful not to overwrite it by accident. 5. Click on the text tool (the letter A on the toolbar). You will see a new toolbar at the top of the screen that looks like this: Set the properties as follows: Create as should be floating. Choose the font and size you want, along with any styles such as bold or italics. Make sure that the foreground and background colors are set to the color you want by setting those palettes. They can be set to two different colors if you choose. This will create outlined, filled words for some fonts. The foreground becomes the stroke color and the background is the fill color. 6. Notice that when you put your mouse on the button you get a new mouse cursor that looks like a cross with the letter A next to it. Click anywhere on the button. 7. When the text dialog appears, add your text in the box and click Apply. The remember text check box is helpful if you have to undo and try again. You won t have to enter the text a second (or third!) time. 8. Use your mouse to the center the text on the button. Make sure you have the move cursor (4 arrows) when you click and drag Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 47

9 9. Save the button as a JPG file and name it using the word on the button (example intro.jpg ). If the screen prompts you to merge layers, answer Yes. 10. You will now have two files, button.jpg and intro.jpg. Open button. jpg again and repeat steps 5-9 for each new button. The font properties will not have to reset each time since they will be remembered. 11. Your buttons can be inserted into your web page and used as navigation links. Add them like you would add a typical image and link the image to the target page. Do not forget to add the ALT text (example: Intro Button or Click here for the Intro ). Hint: Using an invisible table with cellpadding will space your buttons nicely on the page Margaret M. Thombs, Ph.D. 48