04/09/2009 by admin.

There will be times when you need to Copy and Paste one image, or a transparent object, on top of another.  To do so, first open two images, or transparent objects, onto Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2 X3 Photo’s workspace.

Then right-click one image’s top menu bar: and from the subsequent drop-down list, choose Copy, as illustrated below.

Now, activate a second image, or a transparent object: and right-click its top menu bar.

And from the subsequent drop-down list, choose Paste; then select your choice from the left-side drop-down list, as illustrated above.

An Alternative Copy And Pasting Method
First, activate your photograph, or transparent object: then from the top menu of Paint Shop Pro, choose Edit.
Now, activate your second photograph, or transparent object: then from the top menu, choose Paste then choose Paste as New Image, or Paste as New Layer.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (4th September 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips | Print | No Comments »

27/08/2009 by admin.

This tip demonstrates how to quickly change an image’s colour using
Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended) and Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo.

First, open your choice of Start Image onto your workspace.

Then, Photoshop students: bring up the Hue/Saturation command by pressing the Ctrl Key and simultaneously tapping your U Key.  Paint Shop Pro students, pressing and holding down the Shift Key, then simultaneously tapping the H Key will display the Hue/Saturation/Lightness dialogue box. Now, Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop students; ensure the Colourise box remains unmarked, and experiment with the Hue and Lightness sliders until you have found replacement colours to your liking, then click OK - as illustrated below.

Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, X3 Photo

Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, (Extended)

Now you are familiar with this technique, you can create pop-art/colour conversions, very quickly.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (27th August 2009).

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15/08/2009 by admin.

Made To Measure Selections Photoshop CS, CS2 CS3, CS4 (Extended)

First, activate your choice of Selection Tool.

Then from the Tool Options Bar, click open the Style menu, and change it from Normal to Fixed Size.

Then type numerical values into the Width and Height boxes.

Now, draw out a Selection Marquee, and it will be constrained within your specified Width and Height dimensions.

Made To Measure Selections Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, X3 Photo
First, Paint Shop Pro 7 only - (newer versions please continue further down page) - left-click to activate the Selection Tool.  Then draw out a Selection Marquee.

Then double-left-click the Selection Tool.  Double-left-clicking the Selection Tool displays the following Select Area dialogue box.  Now, enter specific values into the Left, Right, Top, Bottom boxes, and then click OK.

After clicking OK, your Selection Marquee will automatically change to represent your specified dimensions.

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo: activate the Selection Tool - and draw out a Selection Marquee.

Then from the Tool’ Options Bar, click the following Custom Selection tab.

Clicking the Custom Selection tab displays the following Custom Selection dialogue box.

Now, enter specific values into the Left, Top, Right, Bottom boxes, and then click OK.  Your Selection Marquee will automatically change to represent your specified dimensions.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (15th August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Paint Shop Pro Tutorials | Print | No Comments »

14/08/2009 by admin.

This tip demonstrates how to resize a Selection Marquee.

To begin, from Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 X3’s or Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended’s) left-side Tools Toolbar, activate a Selection Tool of your choice, and drag out a Selection Marquee onto your canvas.  Now, Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended): from the top menu, choose Select then choose Transform Selection.  Now, press and keep pressed your Alt Key, and rescale the Selection Marquee by gently tugging one of the outer repositioning handles that are attached to the Transformation Bounding Box - as illustrated below.

(Pressing the Alt Key resizes the Selection Marquee in proportion).

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo: from the top menu, choose Selections then choose Edit Selection.  A red (Rubylith) Mask will then fill the Selection Marquee, as illustrated below.

Now, from the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Deformation or Pick Tool, depending on your Paint Shop Pro version.

After clicking the Deform or Pick Tool, the red-filled Selection Marquee will be isolated by a large Vector Deformation Bounding Box - as illustrated below.

Note
Ensure the Deform/Pick Tool’s Mode is set to Scale.

Then gently tug one of the tiny vector handles that are attached to the Deformation Bounding Box, and rescale the Selection Marquee, making it larger or smaller, as necessary.

Then from the top menu of Paint Shop Pro: choose Selections then left-click to remove the tick before Edit Selection.

Congratulations, you have successfully rescaled a Selection Marquee.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (14th August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »

07/08/2009 by admin.

If you have ever taken a photograph and find the composition is fine; however, the colours are nothing to write home about, you can quickly add drama by inverting its colours.  For example, I am happy with my Tynemouth photograph below; however, the colours are less than exciting.

Inverting the colours would produce the following dramatic result.

Tip
You can further edit the image’s colours, if you feel it needs it.

Note
Photographs will always react uniquely; therefore, some will benefit from a quick colour inversion, and some won’t.

Invert Colours Adobe Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended)
Open your Start Image onto Photoshop’s workspace: then from the top menu, choose Mode then choose Adjustments then choose Invert.  (Windows XP: press Ctrl then tap your i Key).

Invert Colours Paint Shop Pro 7 8 9 X XI X2 X3 Photo
Open your Start Image onto Paint Shop Pro’s workspace: then from the top menu, choose Colours/Image then choose Negative Image.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (7th August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »

31/07/2009 by admin.

This is a handy tip, if for example, you have zoomed into an image that is open on Paint Shop Pro’s workspace, and you would like to see how it appears at its regular size.  From the top menu of Paint Shop Pro, choose Window then choose New Window.   A smaller dialogue box will open, and it will display your image at its usual size, as illustrated below.

Note
This tip is suitable for all Paint Shop Pro versions.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (31st July 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips | Print | No Comments »

24/07/2009 by admin.

First, open a transparent object onto Paint Shop Pro’s workspace - or Extract An Image From Its Background.

Note
Ensure any Layers have been Merged Visible.

Then from the top menu, choose Selections then choose Select All.  Then again, from the top menu, choose Selections; and this time, choose Float.

Your transparent object will now be isolated with a Selection Marquee.

Note
This tip works with Transparent Objects only.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (27th July 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips | Print | No Comments »

17/07/2009 by admin.

Anti-aliasing is the term used to describe how the edges of shapes - or text, get rendered with pixels. With anti-aliasing turned off, pixels are either just “on” or “off” and you see jagged edges. In some scenarios, turning off anti-aliasing is the best option.  With anti-aliasing on, the edges of shapes have semi-transparent pixels applied to give a smoother appearance.

Therefore, the very best solution for crisp, smooth edges, is to try different Fonts and Anti-aliasing settings, (or turn Anti-aliasing off altogether), and discover the best course of action for your text’s/shape’s needs.

Tip
To retain the crispness of your text; (unless it is made up of lots of colours - or is a gradient): always save it as a GIF - as opposed to saving it as a JPEG or a PNG.   Paint Shop Pro Explanation - Photoshop Explanation.

If you are working with very large text, and are keeping it large - the different Anti-aliasing and Text settings matter much less. However, with a block of small text, you are able to see how dramatically the different types of anti-aliasing matter.

When creating small shapes or text, I find the best approach is to open a fairly large New Image, much larger than is necessary, (600 pixels X 600 pixels or similar dimensions), then set the Resolution to a minimum of 300.  Now, activate the Text/Type or Custom/Preset Shape Tool, and apply your Text or Custom Shape as usual; - making it large enough to nearly fill the large canvas.  Then reduce the Text’s/Shape’s size, as demonstrated further down this page.

Note
I tend to utilise one of the Arial family fonts when creating small text, (with a Bold setting); however, for personal results, experiment with your Font collection.  For maximum readability, don’t choose a font-size that is too small: regardless of how you prepare very small font-sizes, they will never look sharp and crisp.

Tip
Duplicating the text’s Layer can produce a stronger result: if necessary, you can then reduce the Opacity of the Duplicated Layer.

After you have applied your Text or Shape; Rasterise it if necessary, (Layer then Rasterise/Convert to Raster Layer).  Then from the top menu, Photoshop students, choose Edit then choose Transform then choose Scale.  Paint Shop Pro students, from the Toolbar, activate the Deform/Deformation/Pick Tool, (depending on your version).  Then, Paint Shop Pro 8 9 X XI X2 X3 Photo, from the Tool Options Ribbon, change the Mode to Scale. Paint Shop Pro 7, as you resize the Deformation Bounding Box, (at the same time), press and keep pressed your Keyboard’s Alt Key - this resizes your Text/Shape in proportion.

Now, (Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro students), reduce your Text/Shape’s size by grabbing the top-right transformation handle (that is attached to the large Transformation/Deformation Bounding Box), and move it in the opposite direction - towards the bottom-left.  This in turn reduces your Text or Shape’s size, retaining its scale; and should produce a sharper/crisper edge.

Remember, for optimum results, you need to experiment with different Fonts and Anti-aliasing settings.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth. (17th July 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »

10/07/2009 by admin.

It’s relatively easy to create split-colour backgrounds using Photoshop (CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended)) and Paint Shop Pro (7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, X3 Photo) Gradients.

Gradient backgrounds are ideal for displaying extracted objects such as the following.

To create a gradient background such as the examples above; first create a New Canvas, then Paint Shop Pro students, set the Colour/Materials Palette to your choice of Gradient - I’ve selected a Gradient named Summer Field.

Note
Ensure the Gradient Style is set to Linear.

Now, activate the Flood Fill Tool (F), and left-click to fill the canvas with your Gradient choice.

Congratulations, your gradient background is now ready to utilise by Copy and Pasting an extracted image onto it.

Tip
For personal results, experiment with different Gradients.

Photoshop students, after you have created a New Canvas; activate the Gradient Tool (G) - then activate your choice of Gradient.

Note
Ensure you choose Linear Gradient.

Now, press and keep pressed the Ctrl Key: and stretch a Gradient Line in the direction indicated below.   As soon as you release your mouse button, the gradient will be applied. (I’ve selected a Photoshop Gradient named Copper).

Congratulations, your gradient background is complete and is ready to utilise by activating the Move Tool, and dragging an extracted object onto it.

For personal results, experiment with different Gradients.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (10th July 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »