Photo Editor  

Click below to see the following objectives.

Beginner

• Main Screen

Microsoft Photo Editor allows you to customize graphic images you create, scan, or open.

·           Move Handle- Allows one to move the location of the toolbar.

•   New-  Creates a new window.

•   Open- Opens an existing file.

•   Save-  Saves an image to a file.

•   Print-  Prints the current image in the window.

• Scan-  Scans an image and places the image in the window.

•   Cut- Removes the selected item and places it on the clipboard.

•   Copy- Copies the selected item and places it on the clipboard.

•   Paste-  Inserts the contents of the clipboard.

•   Undo-  Reverses the previous actions.

•   Redo-  Reverses the action of the Undo command.

• Select-  Enables one to choose an area that can be modified.

• Zoom- Reduces or enlarges the current location that is clicked.

•   Smudge-  Smears the area that is clicked.

•   Sharpen-  Sharpens the area that is clicked.

• Image Balance-  Enables one to select the Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma of an image.

•   Set Transparent Color-  Allows the clicked area to become transparent.

•   Rotate 90°-  Rotates an image 90° to the right.

•   Zoom Control-  Reduces or enlarges the current view of the screen.

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• Creating a New Image

1. On the File menu, click "New."
2. In the "Image Type" list, click the type you want.
   
   
3. Type the settings you want in the "Resolution," "Height," "Width," and "Unit" boxes and then click "OK."

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• Opening an Existing Image

1. On the File menu, click "Open."
2. In the "Look in" box, open the folder that contains the image.

3. In the list of files, select the image you want.
4. Click "Open."

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• Previewing an Image Before Opening It

1. On the File menu, click "Open."
2. Select the image you want to preview.
3. Click "Preview."
   
        The "Preview" dialog box appears. You can crop, resize, or cancel the preview. To crop the image, drag the edge of the frame in the preview window. To resize the image, drag any corner of the frame. To accept the cropping or resizing changes, click "OK." To cancel the preview, click "Cancel." To restore the image to its original settings, click "Reset."

NOTE: In the Preview menu, you cannot increase the size of the picture and you cannot resize the image proportionately.

4. Click "Open."

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• Creating a New Image with a Colored Background

1. On the File menu, click "New."
2. Click "Color."
   
   
3. Select the color you want and then click "OK."
4. Click "OK" again.

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• Scanning an Image with Microsoft Photo Editor

1. On the File menu, click "Scan Image."
2. Follow the directions for the scanner.

NOTE: If a scanner is not hooked up correctly or not hooked up at all, an error will come up.

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• Selecting a Scanner

1. On the File menu, click "Select Scanner Source."
2. In the "Sources list," click the scanner you want to use.

NOTE: You can select another TWAIN device, such as a digital camera, instead of a scanner. You can select any TWAIN device that is attached to your computer if it appears in the "Sources" box. If your scanner is not listed in the "Sources" box, one of the following messages appears:

• The scanner is not TWAIN-compliant. Photo Editor recognizes only TWAIN-compliant scanners.
  
  or

• The scanner and its software are not installed correctly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the scanner and software.

* To learn more about scanners, go to the scanner link located under the heading Hardware.

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• Saving a New Image

1. On the File menu, click "Save As."
2. Select the folder where you want to save the image.
3. In the "File Name" box, type a name for the image.
4. Click "More" to change the number of colors or compression settings, how the file is saved.

    5.  Click "Save."

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• Printing an Image

• If you don't need to change the printer settings, click the Print button on the Standard toolbar.
• If you need to change the printer settings, click "Print" on the File menu, and then do any of the following:

1. To center the image on the page, click "Center."
2. To set a fixed position, type a measurement or click the arrows to change the measurement in the "Top" and "Left" boxes under "Position."
3. To set a fixed size for the printed image, type a measurement or click the arrows to change the measurement in the "Width" and "Height" boxes under "Size."
4. To automatically resize the image to fill the page, click to select the "Fit To Page" check box.
5. To resize the image disproportionately, click to select the "Allow Distortion" check box.

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• Quitting Microsoft Photo Editor

There are two methods of quitting Microsoft Photo Editor:

1. On the File menu, click "Exit."

Or

2. On the File menu, click "Exit" and "Return to Document" (or "Exit" and "Return to Presentation").

Or

3. Click the Close button (X) in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

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Intermediate

• Rotating an Image

1.      Open or create a new image.

2.      On the Image menu, click "Rotate."

3.      Select any "Orientation" and "Image" options you want, and then click "OK."

NOTE: If you select "By Degree" under "Orientation,"              type a number or click the arrows to select the              degrees you want.

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• Zooming In or Out of an Image

          You can change the magnification using two different methods:

1. In the Zoom Control box on the Standard toolbar, type or select the magnification you want.
   
   Or

     2.  Click the Zoom button on the Standard toolbar.

·         To zoom in, click the area you want to enlarge.

·         To zoom out, hold down SHIFT and click the area you want to shrink.

When you are done, click the Zoom button again to cancel the Zoom feature.

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• Smudging Part of an Image

The Smudge Brush smears or blends adjacent colors when you drag the brush across the image.

1.      Click the Smudge button on the Standard toolbar.

2.      Drag the pointer over the area you want to smudge.

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• Sharpening Part of an Image

The Sharpen Brush increases the difference between adjacent gray values when you drag the brush across the image.

1.      Click the Sharpen button on the Standard toolbar.

2.      Drag the pointer over the area you want to sharpen.

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• Creating Transparent Areas in an Image

You can use transparent areas to integrate an image into your document, presentation, or Web page.

1.      Click the Set Transparent Color button on the Standard toolbar.

2.      Click the area of the image you want to make transparent.

The "Change Color to Transparent" dialog box appears. The preview window shows the color that changes to transparent when you click "OK." You can also increase the range of colors that become transparent or change the degree of transparency.

3.      Click "OK."

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• Adjusting the Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma of an Image

The Brightness control changes the amount of white in all colors and shades of gray. The Contrast control changes the difference between adjacent colors or shades of gray. The Gamma control changes the contrast in the dark areas of the image.

1.      Click the Image Balance button on the Standard toolbar.

2.      Move the "Brightness," "Contrast," and "Gamma" sliders to the right to increase the brightness, contrast, and gamma; or move the "Brightness," "Contrast," and "Gamma" sliders to the left to decrease the brightness, contrast, and gamma. To adjust all colors, select "All Colors" in the lower-left list before moving the slider. To adjust the color channels separately, select "Red," "Green," or "Blue" before moving the slider.

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• Selecting All or Part of an Image

1. To select the entire image, click "Select All" on the Edit menu.
2. To select part of an image, click the Select button on the Standard toolbar, and then draw a box over the area you want.
3. Click the Select button again to turn off the command.

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• Resizing a Selection

1. To move one side of the selection's bounding outline, move the pointer over the sizing handle on that side until the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, and then drag the handle.
2. To change the height and width simultaneously, drag a corner handle.

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• Copying All or Part of an Image

1.      Select all or part of the image you want to copy.

2.      On the Edit menu, click "Copy."

3.      Open the document or image you want to copy the selection into.

4.      On the Edit menu, click "Paste."

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• Erasing All or Part of an Image

1.      Select all or part of the image that you want to Erase.

2.      On the Edit menu, click "Cut."

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• Resizing an Image

1.      On the Image menu, click "Resize."

2.      Type a new measurement or percentage for the width and height.

3.      Select any other options you want.

4.      Click "OK."

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1.      Select the area of your image you want to keep.

2.      On the Image menu, click "Crop."

3.      Select the options you want, and then click "OK."

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Advanced

• Moving and Pasting a Selection Within the Same Image

1.      Select the part of the image you want to move and paste.

2.      Move the selection to a new location by clicking on the selected area and moving it to its new location.

3.      Paste the selection by clicking the Select button on the Standard toolbar.

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• Moving All or Part of an Image to a Different Image or File

1.      Select all or part of the image that you want to move.

2.      On the Edit menu, click "Cut."

3.      Open the image or file you want to move the selection into.

4.      On the Edit menu, click "Paste."

Note: After the selection appears in the new image or file, you can drag it to another location within the new image or file.

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• Canceling a Selection

1.      To cancel an active selection, press the ESC button on your keyboard.

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• Using Undo or Redo for the Last Action

·         To cancel the last action, click the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.

·         To restore the last action, click the Redo button on the Standard toolbar.

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• Using Undo to Restore Multiple Changes

1. To restore all the changes you made to an image since the last time you saved it, click "Revert" on the File menu.

      2. Click "OK."

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• Adjusting the Image Quality Automatically

1.      To automatically adjust the brightness and contrast levels of an image, click "AutoBalance" on the Image menu.

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·  Changing the File Format of an Image

1.      On the File menu, click "Save As."

2.      In the Save As Type box, click the file format type you want.

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• Changing the File Properties

1.      On the File menu, click "Properties."

2.      Under Image, in the Type list, select the type of image you want.

NOTE: To learn more about the images press the F1 button.

If you select Palette or 256 color (8 bit), do the following:

a.      Click "Custom."

b.     For fewer than 256 colors, click "Variable" and type a number in the "Number of Colors" box.

or

For 256 colors, click "Standard."

c.      Click "OK."

If you select "Monochrome," do the following:

a.      Click "Custom."

b.     Select the halftone options.

c.      Click "OK."

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1.      On the File menu, click "Properties."

2.      In the Resolution box, type the value you want.

3.      Click "OK."

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• Apply Artistic Effects

1.      Select all or part of an image.

2.      On the Effects menu, click the effect you want to apply. They are located below the separator line.

3.      Make any adjustments you want.

4.      Click "Preview."

5.      Click "Apply."

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• Applying Special Effects

1.      Select all or part of an image.

2.      On the Effects menu, click the effect you want to apply. They are located above the separator line.

3.      Make any adjustments you want.

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• Sending an Image by E-mail

You can send an image as an e-mail attachment, using the following steps:

1.      On the File menu, click "Send."

2.      Your e-mail program starts, a new message is created, and the image is attached to the message.

3.      Send as you normally send e-mail.

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Created Date: 02/26/2002  Last Reviewed: 02/26/2002  Rev. Date: