Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Introduction
This course teaches how to use The Print Shop software to edit photographs. Once the photographs have been changed to your liking, you may print them singly or in groups for a page in an album. It is recommended that you save edited photos or album pages to your Flash Drive.
This course requires that your photographs be in a digital form, either from a digital camera, scanned into the computer, received as an attachment to e-mail. The instructor will supply sample photos for use in the first part of this course. Later you will work to improve your photos.
The words Graphic and Photo used in this handout are synonymous.
To start Print Shop
-On the desktop, double click Applications
-Double click Print Shop
-Click Blank Page
-Clicknext
-Click the circle next to eithertall or wide
-Click the Finish button
Note: If the `Hot Shot viewer opens, click the X in the upper right to close it.
To open a photograph in Print Shop
In the menu on the left of the screen click Art & Photos
Click Insert Art & Photos
Click File, then Open from Disk
On the left click Computer.
Click the drive you want to access.
Double click the photo you want to import into Print Shop or click the photo and click Open
Editing the photo
Make sure there is a box around the photo you want to edit. If there isn’t, click anywhere on the photo.
In the menu on the left of the screen click Photo Tools
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Cropping
Cropping
Cropping and Orienting in the Photo Workshop
You can use Print Shop to crop and orient a graphic. Cropping hides a portion of the graphic that you don’t want to appear in the final image. You can select a pre-set crop shape, or create a freehand crop.
Make sure there is a box around the photo you want to edit. If there isn’t, click anywhere on the photo.
- In the menu on the left of the screen click Photo Tools
- Click Crop & Orientation.
- To change the orientation of the graphic, click the Rotate 90 Degrees button until the graphic appears as you would like.
Crop using a predefined shape.Various shapes are provided for cropping to make interesting photos. The square can be change into a rectangle.
- To crop the graphic using a shape, select a shape from the Select a Pre-Set Shape area.
- The shape crop displays on the graphic as an outline with handles –these are the boxes at each corner and in the middle of each side.
- Click and drag a handle to resize the crop.
- Click and drag from the center of the cropped shape to move the entire crop shape.
- Click the Apply Crop button to complete the crop.
- The crop displays with the background removed.
- Note: You can remove the crop by clicking the Remove Crop button.
- To add the cropped graphic to your project, click the OK button at the bottom.
Crop using a freehand shape. Freehand shapes are a series of straight lines that enclose an area of the photo that you want to keep.To create a freehand crop of the graphic, click the Freehand Crop button.
- To add freehand crop points to your graphic, click to create a starting point,and thenmove the mouse to create a line –click the mouse to end a line and begin a new one.
- Points and lines display on the graphic, representing the crop area.
- To complete the freehand crop, click on the starting point.
- To move a point, position the mouse pointer over the point to be moved, then click and drag the point to the new position.
- To delete a point, click the Delete button, then select the point to be deleted.
- To accept the crop, click the Apply Crop button.
- The crop displays with the background removed.
- Note: You can remove the crop by clicking the Remove Crop button.
- To add the cropped graphic to your project, click the OK button.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Brightness
Adjusting Brightness
When adjusting brightness, two copies of the photo are displayed on the right. The one on the top stays unchanged, while the one on the bottom –the Preview, changes as you make adjustments. This allows you to refer to the original photo and decide if the adjustments are what you want.
Note: When you make a photo brighter, you may have to increase the contrast as well. When you darken a lightphoto, it sometimes helps to increase the saturation as well.
Make sure there is a box around the photo you want to edit. If there isn’t, click anywhere on the photo.
- In the menu on the left of the screen click Photo Tools
- Click Adjust Brightness & Focus
- Click the Brightness & Focusindex tab if it is not already displayed.
- There are five editing options with a slide for Brightness, Contrast, Blur/Sharpen, Saturation and Gamma.Click and drag the arrows on these slidesor just click the spot where you want the slide to be, toincrease or decrease the effect you want.
- The results display in the Preview area. This is a try and try again process.
- To undo the last change, click the Undo Last button.
- When finished, click the OK button.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Adjusting Color
Adjusting Color
You can increase the color of a photo –for example, to increase the redness of a sunset. But to decrease a color, you need to add more of its opposite or complimentary color. One way to remember the color compliments is this silly phrase, "General Motors says BuYRed Convertibles". Where Green and Magenta (a purplish red)are opposites, Blue and Yellow are opposites, and Red and Cyan (a greenish blue)are opposites. If, for example, a photo is too blue, select a more yellow color.
Make sure there is a box around the photo you want to edit. If there isn’t, click anywhere on the photo.
- In the menu on the left of the screen click Photo Tools
- Click Adjust Color.
- Click the Adjust Color tab if it is not already displayed.
- Select a color effect for the graphic.
- Select the appropriate option in the Select Effect Intensity area (start with Moderate).
The results display in the Preview area. `
- To transform the graphic to black and white, select the Make Black & White button.
- 7. To transform the graphic to a negative reverse graphic, click the Make a Negative button.
- 8, To undo the last change, click the Undo Last button
- 9. When finished, click the OK button.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Fixing Flaws
Fixing Flaws
Fixing Flaws in the Photo Workshop
In this portion of the Photo Workshop, you can fix “red eye” on a person or "green eye" on a pet, as well as fix dust and scratches, and soften a too shiny face. Use the Select a Tool drop-down list to select the appropriate tool for the flaw, and then click the area of the photo that needs repair in the Preview area. You can vary the size of the tool to repair large or small areas, or click the zoom buttons to view the flaw closer or farther away.
Make sure there is a box around the photo you want to edit. If there isn’t, click anywhere on the photo.
In the menu on the left of the screen click Fix Flaw
- Click the Fix Flaw tab if it is not already displayed.
- Select one of the following options from the Select a tool drop-down list for the type of flaw you would like to fix:
- Red Eye Removal - to remove "red eye" in people photos
- Pet Eye Removal - to remove "green eye" in pet photos
- Dust & Scratches - to remove dots and lines
- Shiny Face - to remove shiny highlights from your image
- Repair Tool - to repair an area of the photo by copying another area over it.
- Click the appropriate button in the Select a tool size area for the size of the fixing tool.
- If you selected Repair Tool, do the following:
- Click the area of the photo you wish to copy.
- Then click on the flaw that you would like to repair in your photo in the Preview area.
- To copy a different area of your photo over a flawed area, first click the Select a New Source Area button, and then repeat the two steps above.
- If you selected one of the other tools, then click on the flaw in the Preview area to fix it. (You can continue clicking the graphic until you are satisfied.)
- To undo the last change, click the Undo Last button.
- When finished, click the OK button.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Printing your Photos
Creating album pages
The window with the finished photo(s) is the Project Window. To create album pages with multiple photos or to get full use out of photographic paper, you can position multiple photos on one page. After importing and/or editing a photo you can click and drag it to where you want it on the page.
Moving Photos on the Project Page
Click anywhere on the photo and drag it to the new location.
Picture Size
Click anywhere on the photo so there is a box around it.
You can change the size of the picture by clicking and dragging the photo's corner handles. Do NOT drag any handle other than a corner or you will lose the perspective. Note; at the bottom of the Project Page it displays the current length and width of the selected photo.
Rotating Photos
Click anywhere on the photo so there is a box around it.
To rotate a photo to fill the page, click arrange then rotate and select the appropriate option.
Printing the Project Page
You can print a Project Page containing individual or multiple photos by clicking File, Print. Print your draft copies normally, but for your finished project you can select the best print quality as follows.
- Click File, Print
- Click Setup (for some printers this step isn't necessary).
- Click Properties
- Click Paper/Quality
- Select the Best Print Quality
- Click OK, OK, Print
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Saving your Photos
Because of software idiosyncrasies, you must follow different procedures to save an individual photo vs. saving a photo album page with several photos.
Saving individual photos
To save an individual photo
- After you modified a photo, click on it to select it.
- Click the PhotoTools, then select one of the Photo Workshop options, such as Adjust Color.
- Click the Save As button.
- In the Save As dialog box,
- Click in the Save In box, Click your Flash Drive,enter a file name and be sure to specify theSave as type boxto be.JPG. Then click Save.
Saving entire Project Pages
If you do a File/Save As in Print Shop to save anentire album page, it will save it in a format that only Print Shop can open. But if you want to save a page in a general use format like .jpg (for example to send it as an e-mail attachment) you will need to follow this procedure! JPG is a preferred format for saving storage space and when sending a photo or project as an e-mail attachment.
- Click File, then Export As.
- Unclick Add to Art Gallery if it is checked.
- Make sure the circle next to Save all Objects is selected
- Make sure there is a check mark next to Maintain Aspect Ratio
- Remove check mark next to Add to Art Gallery
- Click Continue
- Click in the Save In box, Click your Flash Drive,enter a file name and be sure to specify theSave as type boxto be.JPG. Then click Save.
[1]Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Adding a Caption to a Photo or Album Page
Insert a Text Boxto add a label on top of or belowa photo.
- Click Insert on the toolbar and select Text Box.
- A text box will appear in the middle of the project.
- Double-click inside the text box, select font and font size.
- A color font works well over a dark area, select the text, click the rainbow of colors on the tool bar, clickObject, then click the desired color, then close the color palette.
Note; To insure that you save both graphic and text, follow instructions on previous page to Save All Objects.
To Move or Resize a Text Box
- Moving a Text Box
- Click once inside the text box and hold the mouse button down. Handles (small squares) will appear around the text box.
- Reposition the text box as needed by dragging the mouse.
- Release the left mouse button when the text box is in the desired position.
- To change the size of the text box, click on a handle (small square boxes) that show around the text box.Note; This does NOT change the text size!
- With the left mouse button pressed, drag the small square to increase, decrease or stretch the text box.
- When the text box is resized, release the mouse button.
To rotate a text box to any angle
- Click once inside the text box to select it. Handles (squares) will appear around the text box.
- Place the mouse pointer on the handle extension that appears to the right of the text box at the 3 o'clock position. The pointer should change to a circular arrow.
- Press and hold the left mouse button and move the mouse up or down to rotate the text box.
- When the text box is rotated to the desired position, release the left mouse button.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Special Effects
Applying Special Effects
Note–Special Effects usually require a trial and error approach where you select different options until you have a result that you are pleased with.
Soft Edge
Sometimes a soft edge around a photo will add interest and highlight a picture.
- After editing and cropping a photo, click it to be sure there is a box around it.
- Click Effects on the tool bar at the top of the window.
- Click Apply Special Effects on the drop down menu.
- Select the Soft Edge index tab and click on different thicknesses of soft edge or click No Edge to turn it off.
- Click OK.
Outline Edge
On the Special Effects window there is also an index for Outline Edges. This is a way to frame a photo that has been cropped using a special shape.
- Select the width and color of the edge you want.
- Click OK.
Radiant Glow
A radiant glow is another way to add interest to a photo.
- After editing and cropping a photo, click it to be sure there is a box around it.
- Click Effects on the tool bar at the top of the window.
- Click Apply Radiant Glow on the drop down menu.
- There are Preset Glow choices for different amounts of glow.
- Also there are Customized Glow options to select the density, thickness and color of the glow.
Frames
You can outline your graphic with a picture frame or with a box.
- Click Effects on the tool bar,
- Click Apply Frame.
- Select a frame you like and click it once.
- Click OK.
Oak Crest Computer Group
Photo Editing Course
Miscellaneous
-The Undo Last button will delete the last editing you completed. It can be pressed repeatedly to undo multiple changes. The Undo Last will not work after you've accepted the changes by clicking OK.
-The Undo All will eliminate all of the editing you've done since starting the edit process. If you first crop a photo, then without clicking OK, adjust the brightness, the Undo All button will undo both edits. The Undo All will not work after you've accepted the changes by clicking OK.
-All of the edits described here can also be used to modify many Print Shop graphics. If you are making a greeting card and the pink birthday cake doesn't fit in, you can crop it, adjust its color, fade it, etc. See the Print Shop help screens for instruction on this.
-Note; you do not lose picture quality in going from large to small, but you do lose it if you make an appreciable change from small to large
Note: The following Special Effects are not part of this course. They require a great deal of creativity and are not used often.
- Photo EffectsUsed to transform an entire photo to create fun and interesting looks
- Area Effects Allows you to specify a crop area and apply the same effects as above to just that area.
- Artistic StampsAllows you to create unique boarders or added appeal to your photos by using Print Shop graphics as color stamps.
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