Lesson Two: Create Graphics, Resize and Crop Photos
SeniorNet
Introduction to
Digital Photo Imaging
Lesson Two: Create Graphics, Resize and Crop Photos
In the last lesson you learned the major components of the Adobe Photoshop Elements workspace window and several tools accessible from the Image and Enhance menus. You learned how to improve and enhance photographs that were taken with a digital camera or scanned.
In this lesson you will be introduced to some of the basic tools in the Photoshop Elements toolbox and some ways to enhance and manipulate a photograph. You will also create a new document using several of the graphics tools.
Objectives
- Create a new Photoshop Elements document
- Use several toolbox tools to create and change graphics
- Open existing Photoshop Elements documents
- Use various toolbox tools to enhance images
- Cut, copy, paste, crop and resize an image
ContentsPage
Objectives
Start Photoshop Elements
Create a new document
New dialog box
Save the file
Toolbox – Active and Hidden tools
The Toolbox and the Options bar
Shape tools
Create a shape
Select a shape style
Color tools
Foreground and background colors
Brush tool
Explore the Eraser tool
Smudge tool
Close the document
Modify the Explore settings to view file types
View the files for this lesson
Change the View menu setting
Change the image size
Selection tools
Marquee tools
Lasso tools
The Magic Wand tool
Select large areas
Cut, copy and paste
Open a new file
Copy and paste
Resize the image
Crop the image
Save the changes
Close Photoshop Elements
Challenge
Congratulations
Now you can…
Start Photoshop Elements
1Follow the instructions in the Basic Procedures handout to start Photoshop Elements.
Create a new document
For the first exercises in this lesson you will open a new blank document to practice using some new graphics and text tools. Two ways to create a new blank document are shown below (see Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1 Create a new document
1From the File menu – Click the File menu and click New, --or --
From the Shortcuts bar – Click the New icon.
The New (document) dialog box opens (see Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2 New dialog box
New dialog box
The New dialog box is where you name your document and enter some basic specifications.
1In the New document Name box, with the previous name still selected, type My First Picture.
2Click the arrow in the Preset Sizes box and select Default Photoshop Size.
If you do not see this selection use the scroll bar to move to the top of the Preset sizes list.
3Click the arrow on the following list boxes, if they don’t show these settings:
- Width:7 inches
- Height:5 inches
- Resolution:72 pixels/inch
- Mode:RGB Color
- Contents:White
4When all the criteria are set as described, click OK.
A new blank document window appears, and you are ready to create and edit images.
Save the file
1Follow the steps in the Basic Procedures handout to save the file in PSD format as My First Picture.
Toolbox – Active and Hidden tools
All of the tools you see in the toolbox are Active tools (see Figure 2.3).
Figure 2.3 Toolbox
1Click the Default Colors icon at the very bottom left of the toolbox.
This operation resets the Foreground and Background colors to black and white.
2Place the pointer over one of the tools.
A label displays the name of the tool.
3Repeat this again on a few of the other tools to see their labels.
4Notice that some of the toolshave a small triangle in the lower right corner (see Figure 2.4).
Figure 2.4 Small triangle indicates hidden tools
5Right-clickthe Paint Bucket tool.
Nothing happens. There are no hidden tools for the Paint Bucket tool.
6Right-click the Marquee tool.
A pop up list opens showing two different Marquee tools (see Figure 2.5).
Figure 2.5Pop-up tool list
7Click the Elliptical Marquee tool.
The icon for the elliptical marquee tool replaces the rectangular icon in the toolbox. The Elliptical Marquee tool is now the active Marquee tool.
8Right-click the Type tool.
The pop-upmenu of Type tools appears.
9Click Horizontal Type Tool.
The Horizontal Type Tool becomes the active Type tool.
The Toolbox and the Options bar
The options bar displays options for the tool that is selected in the toolbox. You can right-click to see the pop-up menu next to the tool or left click to see the options only on the options toolbar.
1Right-click the Type tool in the toolbox.
A pop-up menu displays four different Type tools. The same tool options are displayed on the options toolbar. Figure 2.6 shows the relationship between the tool in the toolbox and the options bar options.
Figure 2.6 Type tool options bar
2Click thePaint Bucket tool to switch to a different tool.
The Paint Bucket options bar appears.
3Click the Type tool in the toolbox. (Do notright-click this time.)
The options bar for the Type tool appears.
4Click the Horizontal Type tool on the options bar.
Hint: Hold the mouse pointer over the tool icons to find their labels.
5Clickthe arrow in the Fontname list box and select the BalloonDExtBolfont.
Since font style and font size options depend on font name, select the style and size after selecting the name (see Figure 2.6).
6Select 36 for theFont size.
This font has only capital letters.
Note: A few steps back we reset the foreground and background colors to black and white. The color of the text you type is determined by the foreground color. If that color happens to be white as a result of some previous operation you would be unable to see your typing.
7Click in your new document somewhere in the middle toward the top.
A blinking insertion point appears where you clicked. If you can’t see the line move the pointer to the side. The line indicates where your typing will start.
8Type your first name.
If you do not like the font choice, click Edit and click Undo Typing, then select a different font name and type again. Make sure the Type tool is selected and the cursor is blinking where you want to type your name.
Shape tools
There are many shape tools on the options toolbar. Place the mouse pointer on an option to see a label that displays its name or function.
1Click the Shape tool in the toolbox. This is the fourth tool from the top on the left.
The options bar for the Shape tool appears. Use the diagram below as you work through the steps that follow.
Figure 2.7 Shape tool diagram
2Click the Custom Shape tool on theOptionsbar.
3Click the arrow on theCustom ShapeOptionslist box on the options bar.
The Custom Shape Options box appears. The default setting is “Unconstrained.” You can keep the default setting.
4Click outside of the Custom Shape Options box to close it.
5Click the arrow on theShape pickerlist box.
The Shape Picker box opens displaying different shapes.
6Click the smallarrow at the top right of the list of shapes.
Options for viewing the shapes appear at the top of the list and a menu of shape categories appears below (see Figure 2.8).
Figure 2.8 Shape picker options menu
7Click the Animals category to see the shapes available.
8Click the arrow again and click Default in the category listings to return to the default custom shapes.
Create a shape
1Click the butterflyshape in the Shape Picker to select the butterfly.
2Click outside the Shape Picker box to close it.
3Click to place the pointer on the document, hold down the mouse button and drag diagonally to create the shape. Release the mouse button when the shape is the size you want (make the shape fairly large so you can see changes to it).
A solid butterfly has been drawn in the document (see Figure 2.9).
Figure 2.9 Draw a shape diagonally
Select a shape style
Continue to refer to Figure 2.7while doing the steps in this section.
1Click the Style Picker arrow.
A box displaying styles opens.
2Scroll down to the bottom of the Style Picker and click Wacky Metallic.
You may only see part of the name, in this case WackyMe... The shape you’ve drawn takes on the effects of the Wacky Metallic style.
Note:Toextend the length of the Style box,click on the lower right corner of the box,hold down the mouse button and drag the corner down to the desired length.
3Repeat step 2toselect another style.
4Click outside the Style Picker box to close it.
5Click the Edit menu and click Undo Apply Style to remove the last selected style.
6Click the Edit menu and click Step Backward or click the Step Backward icon on the shortcuts bar until you return to the state of the shape when it was first created.
Color tools
The diagram shown as Figure 2.10 shows the Color Picker with labels on each of its sections. The Color Picker is launched any time you click an option that requires a color selection. In this exercise we will see how it is launched from the Color box on the Shape options bar.
1Click the Color box on the Shape options bar.
The Color Picker dialog box appears.
2Click the Vertical color bar in the general area of the bluecolor.
The bluecolor range will display in the main color field.
Figure 2.10 Color Picker
3Press down the mouse button and slide the color sliders on the vertical color bar up and down until the colors in the large color field box display the range of color you desire.
4Click inside the color field box to select a color within that range. You may also drag the pointer around in the color field box.
Notice the divided color box to the right of the Vertical Color bar. When the Color Picker opens, the top and bottom parts of the box contain the same color. As you click different colors, the top color labeled AdjustedColor (on the diagram above) changes to the selected color.
5When the Adjusted Color is the color you want, click OK.
The Color Picker closes and your butterfly is now the blue color.
6Click the Edit menu and click Step Backward (or click the Step Backward icon on the shortcuts bar) until the document window is blank.
Foreground and background colors
The color controls at the bottom of the toolbox can be used to change the background and foreground colors (see Figure 2.11).
1Click the Foreground Color tool at the bottom of the toolbox.
The ColorPicker dialog box appears. “Select foreground color” appears at the top of the color box.
2Click a color for the foreground in the Color Picker box and click OK.
The foreground color box changes to the color you selected.
Figure 2.11 Foreground and background color
3Click the rectangular shape toolon the Shape options bar and drag in the document window to draw a fairly large rectangle.
The color of the shape is the foreground color.
4Click the Background Color tool in the toolbox.
The Color Picker box appears. “Select background color” appears at the top of the color field box.
5Click a color in the color box for the background. Pick a color that is different from your foreground color. Click OK.
The background color box changes to the color you selected.
6Click the Layer menu and click Flatten Image.
All of the layers are merged into the background layer so that you can make changes to the shape.
7Click the Switch Colors arrow next to the Foreground color in the toolbox.
The foreground and background colors change places.
8Click the Save icon in the Shortcuts bar to save your work.
Brush tool
There are two tools in the toolbox that look very similar. In Figure 2.12, find the Brush tool and the Selection brush tool . The Selection brush is the third tool down on the left side of the toolbox; its icon has a dashed line looping around the brush tip. This is not the Brush tool. The Brush tool for this exercise is the sixth tool down on the left. A third tool, the red eye brush tool , has a small eye by the brush. It is the seventh tool down on the right.
Figure 2.12 Brush tool diagram
1Click the Brush toolin the toolbox.
The options bar for the Brush tool appears.
2To use the Brush tool you are required to select a brush type and size. Click the Brush Presetslist box to open the list of brushes (see Figure 2.12). Scroll up and down the list to see the available brushes.
4Double-click the brush with the number 19 on the left. The number you see is the size.The brush you select moves into the Active brush spot on the options bar. The tool size appears as 19 px (pixels) in the Size box next to the active brush.
5Change the Opacity setting to 100%.
A layer's opacity determines to what degree it obscures or reveals the layer beneath it. A layer with 1% opacity appears nearly transparent, while one with 100% opacity appears completely opaque (nothing is permitted to show through).
6Place the mouse pointer over the rectangle on your document.
The pointer is the shape of a small circle.
7Place the pointer near the left edge of the rectangle; click and drag a line across the shape.
The color of the line is the new foreground color you selected. The size (width) of the line is your brush size, 19.
8Click theSize Picker arrow.
The Size slideropens. Change the size of the brush to 9 px. You can also change the size by selecting the size and typing a new number.
9Drag the brush (circle) across the rectangle to paint another line on the document.
10Repeat steps7 through9 a few more times to draw several lines.
Explore the Eraser tool
1Click the Eraser tool in the toolbox.
The Eraser tool options bar appears. The Eraser tool also requires that you pick a brush type and style.
2Click the Eraser tool on the options bar if it is not already selected.
Figure 2.13 Eraser tool options bar
3Click on the arrow in the Size box and slide the slider to 5 px.
4Click the arrow next to Opacity and slide to 100%, if it is not already that value.
5Drag the eraser on the shape you created and over the lines you drew to erase some of the areas.
The parts that you erase are in the background color.
6Click the Switch Colors icon on the top right corner of the Foreground and Background color tool.
The colors in the boxes reverse.
7Click the Eraser tool again and drag the eraser over some of your previous erase marks.
The parts that you erase are in the new background color (the reverse).
8Click the black and white foreground and background icon on the bottom left corner of the Foreground and Background Color tool.
The colors are set to black foreground and white background.
Smudge tool
1Click the Smudge tool in the toolbox.
The Smudge tool options bar appears.
Figure 2.14 Smudge tool options bar
2Click the Size slider and set the size to 25px.
3Drag the pointer up and down and back and forth across some of the lines and see what happens.
This tool is valuable when you are blending objects in a photograph and want to blur their edges.
Close the document
1Click the X on the document title bar to close the document. If the document is not maximized, click the X on its title bar to close it. When a dialog box appears asking if you want to save your changes, click No.
You will now use the tools to modify actual photographs.
Modify the Explore settings to view file types
A file format is recognizable by the extension that is part of the file name. The extension is the three-letter identifier that immediately follows the dot. Since the Windows default setting does show the file extension, you will check that setting now and change it if necessary.
1Right-click the Windows Start menu and click Explore.
The Explore window opens.
2Click the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
The Folder Options window opens with the General tab selected.
3Click the View tab.
The View settings are displayed (see Figure 2.15).