Macintosh PhotoFlash User’s Guide
K Apple Computer, Inc. © 1994 Apple Computer, Inc. and Storm Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Contents Preface ix What you need to know How to use this book 1 Using Catalogs ix x 1 Creating a catalog 2 Creating a catalog from within PhotoFlash Creating a catalog from the desktop Saving a catalog 2 2 4 Opening and closing a catalog 5 Opening a catalog from within PhotoFlash Opening a catalog from the desktop Closing a catalog Duplicating a catalog 5 6 6 6 Adding image files to a catalog 6 Dragging image file icons from the desktop to an open catalog Using the Add to Catalog comma
Working with thumbnails 10 Selecting thumbnails 10 Moving and copying thumbnails Sorting thumbnails 12 13 Removing thumbnails from a catalog 14 Opening image files from a catalog 14 Getting information about image files 14 Printing a catalog 15 Searching for images 16 Searching for images by caption text Searching for images by filename 16 18 Searching for images that resemble a sketch Searching for similar images 20 2 Working With Image Files Macintosh image files 23 23 File formats
Saving an image 34 Saving an image as a new file 34 Saving changes to an existing image file Reverting to the previously saved version Printing images 36 37 37 Exporting images 38 3 Working With Selections 41 The PhotoFlash Tool palette Selecting a rectangle 41 43 Selecting a rectangle visually 43 Selecting a rectangle of a specific size Selecting an irregular area 44 45 Selecting an area in the shape of a polygon 46 Selecting an area of similar colors (Magic Wand) Changing the area of
Rotating an image 67 Rotating part of an image 68 Rotating an entire image Flipping an image 69 71 Changing the number of colors used by an image Using the Number of Colors command Deciding how many colors to use 5 Enhancing Images 76 77 Balancing the exposure 79 Adjusting brightness and contrast Blurring an image 80 82 Using the Blur command Using the Blur tool 83 Sharpening an image 84 82 Using the Sharpen command Using the Sharpen tool Removing dust 74 75 Using the Enhance command
6 Converting and Compressing Files Converting image file formats Choosing a file format PICT 95 TIFF 97 JPEG 98 EPS 99 DCS 102 93 94 95 Number of colors or grays supported by standard file formats Using JPEG compression 104 Applying JPEG compression to the entire file 105 Applying different levels of JPEG compression within an image 7 Automating Your Work Scripting with PhotoFlash Recording and saving a script 110 111 113 115 Launching application programs from PhotoFlash Choosing a d
Appendix B Using Photoshop-Compatible Plug-In Modules Installing and storing plug-in modules Using plug-in modules 134 Scripting plug-in modules 135 Appendix C PhotoFlash Acceleration 137 PhotoFlash tasks that can be accelerated Using accelerator cards Glossary Index viii Contents 139 141 134 138 138 133
Preface PhotoFlash allows you to organize photographs and other digitized images, enhance them, and place them in a document created with another application program. To start using PhotoFlash, follow the instructions in PhotoFlash Getting Started. That guide describes how to install the PhotoFlash software and start using it within just a few minutes. This guide is a reference to everything you need to know about using PhotoFlash.
How to use this book This guide is organized according to tasks. Use the Contents or the Index to locate instructions for specific tasks. Descriptions of tasks in this guide often include numbered steps. Each step consists of a short instruction in boldface type followed (usually) by further explanation in plain type.
m Chapter 5, “Enhancing Images,” describes how to use commands in the Enhance menu to adjust an image’s red, green, and blue (RGB) values, balance an image’s exposure, blur or sharpen an image, and remove dust and scratches. It also describes how to enhance selections by using the Blur, Sharpen, DeDust, and DeScratch tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette. m Chapter 6, “Converting and Compressing Files,” describes how to convert image files from one format to another.
1 Using Catalogs PhotoFlash allows you to create collections of images called catalogs. You can use catalogs to organize images that you want to group together. For example, you could create a catalog that represents all the images you want to use in one issue of a newsletter, or all your photos from a vacation, or all the images for a chapter of a book. You can also manipulate multiple images at the same time from within a catalog.
Creating a catalog You can create a new catalog from within PhotoFlash or from the desktop. Creating a catalog from within PhotoFlash To create a new catalog from within PhotoFlash, follow these steps: 1 Choose New from the File menu. The New dialog box appears. 2 If it’s not already selected, click Catalog to indicate that you want to create a new catalog. When the Catalog button is selected, the Image Setup information in the dialog box is dimmed. 3 Click OK. A new, empty catalog document appears.
Unless you have moved it since installing PhotoFlash, the PhotoFlash program should be located in the PhotoFlash folder. 2 Locate the folder that contains the images you want to include in a new catalog. 3 Drag the folder icon over the PhotoFlash icon and release the mouse button. When the folder you are dragging is directly over the PhotoFlash icon, the icon becomes highlighted. (If it doesn’t become highlighted, you may need to rebuild your desktop.
PhotoFlash creates a new catalog each time you drag icons for folders or disks that contain image files over its icon. If you want to add images to a catalog that already exists, follow the directions in “Adding Image Files to a Catalog” later in this chapter. Saving a catalog To save a new catalog, follow these steps: 1 Make sure the catalog you want to save is in the frontmost window. 2 Choose Save As from the File menu. The Save As dialog box appears.
Opening and closing a catalog You can open a previously saved catalog from within PhotoFlash or from the desktop. Opening a catalog from within PhotoFlash To open a catalog file from within PhotoFlash, follow these steps: 1 Choose Open from the File menu. The Open dialog box appears. This shows the amount of disk space used to store the selected catalog file. 2 This icon indicates that the selected file is a catalog. Use the Open dialog box to locate the catalog file you want to open.
Opening a catalog from the desktop To open a catalog file from the desktop, double-click its icon. Closing a catalog To close a catalog, click its close box (in the upper-left corner of its window) or choose Close from the file menu while the catalog’s window is the frontmost window. If you haven’t saved the catalog or if you’ve changed it since the last time you saved, a dialog box appears asking whether you want to save your changes.
Dragging image file icons from the desktop to an open catalog To drag icons for image files or folders that contain image files from the desktop to an open catalog, follow these steps: 1 Make sure both the catalog window and the icons for the files you want to add are visible. 2 Select the icons for the image files or folders. 3 Drag the selected icons from the desktop into the the catalog window. Drag icons into the catalog window to add the images they represent.
The Add to Catalog dialog box appears. When you click Add, PhotoFlash removes the selected file or folder from this list and then adds it to the catalog when you click Done. Click here to include the selection in the list of files or folders to be added to the catalog. This shows how many files and folders you’ve selected to be added to the catalog. Click here when you’ve finished selecting files.
Resizing catalog windows You can resize a catalog window the same way you resize any Macintosh window, by dragging the resize box in its lower-right corner. When you do so, the overall ordering of the thumbnails from the beginning to the end of the catalog remains the same, but PhotoFlash rearranges them so the width of each row fits in the window. You can also use a catalog window’s Zoom box to toggle between window sizes.
Working with thumbnails You can arrange thumbnails in a catalog however you wish. This section describes how to select thumbnails, how to move them within or between catalogs, how to sort them within a single catalog, and how to open the images they represent. You can manipulate one or more images from within a catalog by selecting their thumbnails and choosing commands in the Image, Enhance, or Script menus.
2 Hold down the Shift key (or the x key) and click the other thumbnails you want to select. Shift-click additional thumbnails to select them. While you’re holding down the Shift key, each unselected new thumbnail you click becomes selected, and previously selected thumbnails remain selected. (Each selected thumbnail you click becomes unselected.) Only thumbnails you click are added to the selection, even if they are separated by other thumbnails.
After you’ve selected one or more thumbnails, you can move them to any location in the same catalog or in a different catalog. The next two sections describe how. Moving and copying thumbnails You can move thumbnails within a catalog by selecting and dragging them. When you drag thumbnails between catalogs, PhotoFlash inserts copies of the thumbnails in the second catalog. You can also move thumbnails between catalogs by cutting and pasting them.
Note: A catalog can contain only one thumbnail for each of its images. If you attempt to drag several thumbnails to another catalog that already contains some of the dragged thumbnails, PhotoFlash copies only those that are new. Copying, cutting, and pasting thumbnails When you copy or cut thumbnails and then paste them into a catalog, PhotoFlash pastes them after any thumbnails that are currently in the catalog.
Removing thumbnails from a catalog To remove one or more thumbnails from a catalog, follow these steps: 1 Select the thumbnail or thumbnails you want to remove. For detailed instructions, see “Selecting Thumbnails” earlier in this chapter. 2 Press the Backspace or Delete key or choose Clear from the Edit menu. Or press the Clear key if your keyboard has one. The thumbnails you selected disappear, and PhotoFlash rearranges the remaining thumbnails as necessary.
2 Choose Get Info from the File menu. The Get Info window for the thumbnail you selected appears. If you selected several thumbnails, a Get Info window appears for each of them. You can add or edit caption text in this window. To locate the image file’s icon on the desktop, click the Find Original button. Type or edit caption text here. Click here to locate the image file’s icon on the desktop. 3 When you’re finished, click the Get Info window’s close box to close the window.
The Print dialog box appears. Click here to print only the selected thumbnails. 3 Adjust the settings in the Print dialog box. 4 Click OK. PhotoFlash prints the catalog as you specified. Searching for images You can use commands in the Search menu to search for images in one catalog or in all of your open catalogs by name, by caption text, or by resemblance to other images or a rough sketch.
The Search Caption Text dialog box appears. Type the text you want to find here. Click here to request a search of all open catalogs. Click here to request a new catalog that contains copies of the matching thumbnails. 2 Type the text you want to find. Capitalization and diacritical marks don’t matter. PhotoFlash looks for images with captions that include the text you specify. 3 Select the search options you want.
Searching for images by filename To search for images by filename, make sure the catalogs you want to search are open, then follow these steps: 1 Choose Filenames from the Search menu. The Search Filenames dialog box appears. Type the filename you want to find here. Click here to request a search of all open catalogs. Click here to request a new catalog that contains copies of the matching thumbnails. 2 Type the filename or a portion of the filename you want to find.
Searching for images that resemble a sketch You can use the Using Sketch command in the Search menu to draw a rough sketch of an image and search for catalog images that resemble the sketch. The Using Sketch command can identify general similarities based on color and (to a lesser extent) shape, but may not always be able to locate an individual image. However, it’s worth trying if you don’t know anything about the image’s caption or filename.
3 Select the search options you want. The default settings cause PhotoFlash to search only one catalog and to highlight the selected images in that catalog. It’s usually a good idea to select the Put Results in New Catalog option, because PhotoFlash sorts the thumbnails in the new catalog in order of their similarity to the sketch. 4 Click OK or press Return.
For example, if you use the Similar Images command to look for pictures similar to a picture of a beach, PhotoFlash will probably identify pictures of beaches that contain similar colors. However, if you look for pictures similar to a picture of a cat, PhotoFlash probably won’t identify other pictures of cats, because the colors in pictures of cats vary a lot more than the colors in pictures of beaches.
4 Click OK or press Return. When the search is complete, PhotoFlash selects the matching thumbnails or, if you selected the Put Results in New Catalog checkbox, creates a new untitled catalog containing copies of all the matching thumbnails, starting with those that most closely resemble the image on which the search was based. In the example shown here, the images that include blue sky or sea are listed first.
2 Working With Image Files PhotoFlash allows you to work with image files in a variety of formats. This chapter describes those formats and explains how to open, view, save, and print image files. Macintosh image files Images are stored as files, just like other Macintosh documents. You can get images from a variety of sources, including Photo CDs, digital cameras such as Apple’s QuickTake camera, video frame-grabbing programs, scanners, and online services and bulletin boards.
Image files often include a caption and a thumbnail, which is a miniature reproduction of the image. Thumbnails appear in catalog windows, in the Open dialog box when you select an image file, and in the Get Info window for an image. File formats recognized by PhotoFlash PhotoFlash can open image files saved in any of the following file formats: m PICT is the standard Macintosh format for image files. PICT files can also be opened in the Windows environment if QuickTime is installed in the Windows system.
m Photo CD is the file format used to save photographs on Kodak Photo CDs. PhotoFlash can open Photo CD or Photo CD Pro files but can’t save files in this format. For more information about this format, see “Opening a Photo CD Image File” later in this chapter. m Photoshop format is used by Adobe Photoshop. PhotoFlash can read data from files saved with Adobe Photoshop 2.0 or 2.5, but can’t save files in this format.
The Open directory dialog box appears. Only files saved in formats PhotoFlash recognizes, including plug-in formats and Photo CD, show up. This shows the amount of disk space used to store the selected image. This box shows a preview of the selected image (if one is available). This box describes the contents of the selected image. It may be empty. 2 Use the directory dialog box to locate and select the image file you want to open. 3 Click Open or press Return.
4 Open the folder named PHOTO_CD, then open the folder inside it named IMAGES. 5 Double-click the name of the image you want to open. The Photo CD Options dialog box appears. Dimensions (in pixels) of the image displayed on your screen Uncompressed size of the image at the current Resolution setting Note: If you have the Apple Photo Access extension installed, you will see a Photos folder as well as the PHOTO_CD folder.
8 Click Open. The Photo CD image opens in PhotoFlash with the dimensions and orientation you selected. Note: PhotoFlash doesn’t read caption text for Photo CD files. Acquiring images You can use PhotoFlash to read image data from an external device such as a digital camera or scanner. To do so, you must have a plug-in module for the device you are using. A plug-in module is a special file that conforms to Adobe Photoshop’s standard plug-in specifications.
A dialog box appears showing the options for the plug-in module. For instructions on using the plug-in module, see the documentation that came with the external device. For more information about plug-in modules, see Appendix B. Note: Plug-in modules may or may not be scriptable. For more information, consult the documentation that comes with each module. Creating a new image To create a new, empty image, follow these steps: 1 Choose New from the File menu. The New dialog box appears.
Viewing images You can use two tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette to change your view of an image within its window. If the Tool palette isn’t visible on your screen, choose Show Tool Palette from the Window menu to make it appear. The Hand tool and the Zoom tool, at the top of the palette, allow you to move an image around within its window and enlarge or reduce it. The Hand tool moves an image around within a window. The Zoom tool enlarges or reduces an image.
Magnifying or reducing an image You can use either the Zoom tool (in the Tool palette) or the Zoom command (in the window menu) to magnify or reduce an image. Using the Zoom tool To magnify or reduce an image by using the Zoom tool, follow these steps: 1 Click the Zoom tool (in the top right corner of the Tool palette) to select it. If you can’t see the Tool palette, choose Show Tool Palette from the Window menu. 2 Move the pointer over the image you want to magnify or reduce.
Using the Zoom command To magnify or reduce an image by using the Zoom command, make sure the image is open and follow these steps: 1 Choose the Zoom command from the Window menu, but don’t release the mouse button. The Zoom submenu appears. The current enlargement or reduction has a checkmark beside it in the submenu. 2 Drag the pointer to the right and down to choose the percentage enlargement or reduction you want.
Arranging windows If you have multiple image windows open at the same time, you can arrange them automatically by choosing a command from the Arrange menu. Follow these steps: 1 Choose the Arrange command from the WIndow menu, but don’t release the mouse button. The Arrange submenu appears. 2 Drag the pointer to the right and down to choose the window arrangement you want. PhotoFlash arranges the image windows as you specified.
The Get Info window for the image appears. You can add or edit caption text in this window. To locate the image file’s icon on the desktop, click the Find Original button. Type or edit caption text here. 2 Click here to locate the image file’s icon on the desktop. When you’re finished, click the Get Info window’s close box to close the window. You can also open the Get Info window for an image by selecting its thumbnail in a catalog and choosing Get Info from the File menu.
2 Drag to the right to choose the file format you want to use from the Save As submenu. A dialog box appears showing the format options for the file format you selected. Note: If the image you’re saving uses fewer than millions of colors or fewer than 256 grays, you can choose only the PICT or TIFF items in the Save As submenu; the others are dimmed.
The Save dialog box appears. 5 Use the dialog box to select a name and location for the file. PhotoFlash appends a suffix to the default name of the file that reflects the file format you selected (for example, “/TIFF” for a TIFF file). You can change the name if you want to. 6 Click Save. PhotoFlash saves the file in the format you selected with the settings you selected in step 3.
m If the numbers of colors in the original image file have been changed in a manner that makes it impossible for PhotoFlash to save the image in its original format (for example, if you have converted a JPEG image with millions of colors to be displayed using only 256 colors).
The Print dialog box appears. Click here if you want to print the caption with the image. These settings are dimmed until you click the Print Caption checkbox. Drag here to choose the caption font size. Drag here to choose the caption font. Click one of these buttons to specify the caption’s position in relation to the image. 3 Adjust the settings in the Print dialog box as necessary. 4 Click OK. PhotoFlash prints the image as you specified.
To use the Export command, make sure the external device you want to use is turned on, then follow these steps: 1 Choose the Export command from the File menu, but don’t release the mouse button. The Export submenu appears. IMPORTANT If the Export command is dimmed, PhotoFlash has no Export plug-in modules installed. You must have an appropriate plug-in module installed for the external device you want to use before you can use the Export command.
3 Working With Selections This chapter describes how to use the Selection tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette to select part of an image. After you’ve selected an area, you can use the Action tools to manipulate or enhance it. The PhotoFlash Tool palette You use tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette to select and modify part of an image. If the Tool palette isn’t visible on your screen, choose Show Tool Palette from the Window menu to make it appear.
You can drag the Tool palette by its top to any convenient location on the screen. To hide it, click the close box in its upper-right corner or choose Hide Tool Palette from the Window menu. To select a tool, click it. The Tool palette contains three groups of tools: the View Tools, the Selection Tools, and the Action tools. Chapter 2, “Working With Image Files,” describes how to use the View tools.
This chapter describes how to use the Selection tools: the Marquee tool, the Lasso tool, the Polygon tool, and the Magic Wand. The easiest way to learn how to use the Action tools is to experiment with them. Duplicate an image to work with, select part of the image, choose an Action tool, and click or drag in the selection to see what happens. For more detailed information about the actions the Action tools can perform, see Chapter 4, “Manipulating Images,” and Chapter 5, “Enhancing Images.
2 Drag to adjust the selection. The current dimensions of the selection appear at the bottom of the Tool palette as you drag. Selecting a rectangle of a specific size To specify the size of a rectangular selection before you select it, follow these steps: 1 Double-click the Marquee tool. The Rectangle Options dialog box appears. Click here. Type the measurements you want here. 2 Drag here to select a different unit of measurement.
IMPORTANT After you select the Fixed Size setting in the Rectangle Options dialog box, PhotoFlash uses this setting whenever you choose the Marquee tool. To switch back so you can drag to select a rectangle, double-click the Marquee tool again, click Normal in the Rectangle Options box, and click OK. Selecting an irregular area To select an irregular area, follow these steps: 1 Click the Lasso tool to select it.
Selecting an area in the shape of a polygon To select an area in the shape of a polygon whose sides aren’t necessarily the same length, follow these steps: 1 Click the Polygon tool to select it. The Polygon tool becomes highlighted, and the pointer changes to a crosshair when it’s over the image. 2 Click at the point where you want to begin the first side of the selection. 3 Without holding down the mouse button, move the crosshair pointer to create one side of the selection.
Selecting an area of similar colors (Magic Wand) To select an area of similar colors by using the Magic Wand tool, you must be working with an image with 256 grays or thousands or millions of colors or with a CMYK image. Follow these steps: 1 Click the Magic Wand tool to select it. The Magic Wand tool becomes highlighted, and the pointer changes to a magic wand when it’s over the image. 2 Click the area of similar colors (or grays) you want to select. A moving dashed line surrounds the selected area.
The Magic Wand Options dialog box appears. Drag the slider to the right to increase the size of the selection. 2 Drag the Sensitivity slider control to adjust the range of colors to be selected. The default setting is 15, which selects a relatively narrow range of colors. You can select any setting from 0 to 255. The lower the number, the fewer the colors selected by the Magic Wand tool, and the smaller the selection is likely to be.
To select several areas of an image and keep them all selected, follow these steps: 1 Select one area of the image. 2 Hold down the Shift key and select the next area. You can choose a different Selection tool if you wish. The second selection may overlap the first selection. Area selected with the Marquee tool Area selected with the Lasso tool 3 Repeat step 2 as many times as you need to. A moving dashed line surrounds the currently selected areas.
You can choose a different Selection tool if you wish. When you release the mouse button and x key, PhotoFlash subtracts from the overall selection the area of the second selection that overlaps the first. 3 Repeat step 2 as many times as you need to. A moving dashed line surrounds the currently selected area. If you use an Action tool anywhere within the selected area, the action affects the whole selection.
Deselecting an area To deselect the current selection so that no part of the image remains selected, choose Deselect from the Edit menu or press x-D. If you’re not using the Magic Wand or the Polygon tool, you can also click outside of the selected area or in the gray area around the image, if any, to deselect the current selection. After you’ve deselected an area, the moving dashed lines around it disappear.
Moving a selection You can use the Move tool to move or copy a selection. Follow these steps: 1 Select the area you want to move. 2 Click the Move tool to select it. 3 Position the pointer over the selected area. 4 Drag the selection to reposition it. If you want to drag a copy of the selection rather than dragging the original, hold down the Option key while you drag. This causes the area you originally selected to remain intact after you move the selection.
4 Manipulating Images You can use commands in the Image menu to crop, resize, straighten, rotate, or flip an image or to change the number of colors it uses. If part of the image is currently selected, you can use commands in the Image menu or the equivalent tools in the PhotoFlash Tool palette to crop the image to the selection or to resize, rotate, or flip just the selection. For a quick summary of the way the tools in the Tool palette work, see the beginning of Chapter 3, “Working With Selections.
To duplicate the image in the frontmost PhotoFlash image window, just choose Duplicate from the File menu. An exact duplicate of the image appears in a new untitled window. Cropping an image If you wish to remove some portion of an image, you can select the area you want to retain and crop (trim away) the rest. 1 Select the part of the image you want to keep. For information on using the Selection tools, see Chapter 3, “Working With Selections.” 2 Choose Crop from the Image menu.
The area you selected appears in the center of the window. The rest of the image disappears. If you’re not happy with the crop, choose Undo Crop from the Edit menu and try again. Area no longer part of image (gray) Total area of new image 3 Use the Save or Save As command from the File menu to save the cropped image file on your hard disk. IMPORTANT If you use the Save command, the cropped image replaces the original image on your hard disk.
IMPORTANT Resizing an image may cause its quality to deteriorate. Note that the Resize tool and the Resize command work differently from the Zoom tool or the Zoom command. The Resize tool and the Resize command change the information stored on disk when you save the file, whereas the Zoom tool and the Zoom command only magnify or reduce the image on screen without changing its actual dimensions, resolution, or size on disk.
Drag from a corner to resize the selected area. As you resize the selection, its new dimensions appear at the bottom of the Tool palette. If you want to resize a copy of the selection, so that the original selected area underneath it remains intact, hold down the Option key while you drag. 5 Release the mouse button. The selected area changes size. If you’re not happy with the results, choose Undo Resize Selection from the Edit menu and try again.
Resizing the entire image To resize an entire image, use the Resize command in the Image menu. This command displays a dialog box in which you can indicate the new dimensions you want for the image by typing a percentage or typing a new width and a new height. The Resize dialog box also allows you to resize the work area in which the image appears and to change the image’s resolution and its size. The dimensions of an image, its resolution when printed, and its size on disk are interrelated.
2 If it’s not already selected, click the Image button. Image button selected Select this checkbox to preserve the original image’s proportions. Type a percentage reduction or enlargement here . . . . . . or type a new width and height here. Drag here to choose a different unit of measurement. New uncompressed size of the image file Select this checkbox to preserve the uncompressed size of the image. This information describes the image before it is resized.
4 Click the Preserve Size checkbox to select or deselect it. If the Preserve Size checkbox is selected, the uncompressed size of the image (labeled New Size in the dialog box) won’t change, no matter how much larger or smaller you make its dimensions. Changing the image’s dimensions changes its resolution only. If the Preserve Size checkbox isn’t selected, the uncompressed size of the image (labeled New Size in the dialog box) changes when you change the image’s dimensions.
To confirm that the new dimensions of an image have been set as you intended, follow these steps: 1 Position the pointer over the number in the lower-left corner of the image window. 2 Press the mouse button. Changing the dimensions of an image’s work area An image file can include an extra space around the image itself called the work area.
2 If it’s not already selected, click the Work Area button. Work area button selected Select this checkbox to preserve the original image’s proportions. Type a percentage reduction or enlargement here . . . Click one of these squares to specify where to place the image in the work area. . . . or type a new width and height here. Drag here to choose a different unit of measurement. New uncompressed size of the image file This information describes the image before the work area is resized.
When you define the work area’s new dimensions, the New Size figure (which indicates what the image’s uncompressed size will be after you save it) also changes automatically. IMPORTANT If you increase the work area’s dimensions, it will use more disk space when you save it. Make sure you have enough space available.
To change the resolution of a single image, make sure the window you want the Resize command to affect is the frontmost window, then follow these steps: 1 Choose Resize from the Image menu. The Resize dialog box appears. 2 If it’s not already selected, click the Image button. Image button selected Type a new resolution here . . . . . . or drag here to choose a new resolution. Select this checkbox to preserve the uncompressed size of the image.
IMPORTANT If Preserve Size isn’t selected and you increase the image’s resolution, it will use more disk space when you save it. Make sure you have enough space available. 5 Click OK to close the Resize dialog box and initiate the resolution change. PhotoFlash changes the image’s resolution, ignoring any selection the image may contain.
3 Drag the circle in the center of the cross to define the axis around which you want to rotate the image. Horizontal crossbar Vertical crossbar Pointer A convenient point for the axis of rotation in this picture is the bottom of the big tree’s trunk, as shown above. 4 Release the mouse button. 5 Move the pointer along any of the crossbar’s arms. The pointer changes to a small curve with arrows at both ends. The pointer becomes a curve with arrows.
6 Hold the mouse button down and drag until the crossbars align with elements in the image that you want to be vertical or horizontal. Align one of the crossbars with elements that you want to be vertical or horizontal. When the pointer looks like this, you can click to rotate the image.
Rotating part of an image To rotate part of an image, follow these steps: 1 Select the part of the image you want to rotate. For instructions on using the Selection tools, see Chapter 3, “Working With Selections.” 2 Click the Rotate tool in the Tools palette to select it. The Rotate tool becomes highlighted. 3 Position the pointer over the selected area. The pointer changes to a tightly curved arrow. 4 Drag any corner of the selection in the direction you want to rotate it.
Rotating an entire image You can rotate an image in 90° increments: 90° left, 90° right, or a full 180°. You can also specify an arbitrary number of degrees that you want the image to be rotated. You can use the Rotate command on a single image that’s open in PhotoFlash or on one or more thumbnails selected in a catalog window.
To rotate images an arbitrary number of degrees, follow these steps: 1 Choose Rotate from the Image menu, but don’t release the mouse button. 2 Drag to the right to choose the Arbitrary command. After you release the mouse button, the Rotate dialog box appears. 3 Type the number of degrees you want to rotate the image and click Right or Left to indicate the direction of rotation. 4 Click OK to rotate the image. If necessary, the work area enlarges to accommodate the entire rotated image.
Flipping an image You can flip part of an image or the whole image by using the Flip command in the Image menu. This can be useful, for example, if you want to place a picture on a page with the person in it facing left, but the person faces right in the original image. To flip part or all of an image, follow these steps: 1 If you want to flip just part of an image, first select the part. If you want to flip the whole image, skip this step.
Changing the number of colors used by an image A digitized image consists of a grid of pixels, or dots. You can use the Number of Colors command in the Image menu to control how many different colors each pixel is capable of representing. This number directly affects the fidelity of the image, especially in the case of photographic or other continuous-tone images.
To change the number of colors used by an image, follow these steps: 1 Choose Number of Colors from the Image menu. The Number of Colors dialog box appears. Current size of uncompressed image View of current image View of image after changing number of colors New size of uncompressed image Use these tools to move, enlarge, or reduce the view of the image. Click here to turn dithering on or off. Click one of the buttons in this box to choose the number of grays or colors you want the image to use.
For help deciding which setting to use for a specific image, see the next section, “Deciding How Many Colors to Use.” 3 If you want the image to be dithered, make sure the Dithered checkbox is selected. You can select the Dithered checkbox only if you are reducing the number of colors used by the image. A dithered image is displayed using a technique that changes the colors of some adjacent pixels to create the illusion of more colors.
5 Enhancing Images You can use commands in the Enhance menu to adjust the color balance, exposure, brightness, and contrast of an image; to blur or sharpen it; and to remove dust or scratches. You can also use most of the Enhance commands on selected thumbnails in a catalog. If you are using any Enhance command on a single image and part of the image is currently selected, the command affects only the selection.
Using the Enhance commands This section summarizes how the standard Enhance menu commands work. The sections that follow describe in more detail the actions you can perform with each command and, where appropriate, how to use the equivalent tool in the PhotoFlash Tool palette.
2 Adjust the sliders as necessary to achieve the kind of enhancement you want. If you are working with a single image, you can try out new settings and view their effects, and you can use the Hand and Zoom tools to move, enlarge, or reduce the view of the image. 3 If you can’t achieve the look you want, try experimenting with other commands in the Enhancement pop-up menu. The commands in the Enhancement pop-up menu are the same as the standard commands in the Enhance menu.
Make sure the window you want the Adjust Colors command to affect is frontmost, then follow these steps: 1 Choose Adjust Colors from the Enhance menu. The Enhance dialog box appears. View of current image View of image after new colors settings are applied Drag these sliders to increase or decrease the proportions of red, green, and blue. If you click on the image itself while this dialog box is open, the place you click appears in the Before and After boxes.
Balancing the exposure You can use the Balance Exposure command in the Enhance menu to bring out details in an image that are otherwise faint or even invisible. In general, it’s preferable to balance the exposure of a whole image rather than a selected area of an image. This command may improve severely overexposed or underexposed images that can’t be fixed with the Brightness/Contrast command.
PhotoFlash applies the exposure settings you specified to the frontmost window. If the window contains an image that includes a selection, PhotoFlash applies the new settings to the selection only. If the window contains a catalog with selected thumbnails, PhotoFlash applies the new settings to the images they represent and ignores any selections the images contain.
Some general guidelines for adjusting brightness and contrast follow step 3. After you adjust the Brightness slider, click different areas of the image to examine the changes in the brightest and darkest areas. If you move the slider too far to the right, very light areas change to pure white and lose all detail. If you move the slider too far to the left, very dark areas change to pure black and lose all detail.
Blurring an image You can use either the Blur command or the Blur tool to blur or soften part of an image or an entire image, making it appear to be less in focus. The Blur command is more convenient if you’re blurring the whole image, and it gives you a preview of the change before you apply it. You can also use the Blur command to blur multiple images represented by selected catalog thumbnails. The Blur tool is sometimes convenient if you’re blurring just part of an image.
If you click on the image itself while this dialog box is open, the place you click appears in the Before and After boxes. 2 Adjust the slider as necessary to achieve the look you want. 3 When you’re ready to apply the new setting, click Enhance. PhotoFlash applies the Blur setting you specified to the frontmost window. If the window contains an image that includes a selection, PhotoFlash blurs the selection only.
5 Position the pointer over the part of the image you selected. The pointer changes to the Blur icon. 6 Click anywhere in the selected area. PhotoFlash blurs the selected area. Sharpening an image You can use either the Sharpen command or the Sharpen tool to sharpen an image. The Sharpen command is usually more convenient if you’re sharpening the whole image, and it gives you a preview of the change before you apply it.
The Enhance dialog box appears. View of current image View of image after Sharpen setting is applied Drag this slider to increase or decrease the Sharpen command’s effect. If you click on the image itself while this dialog box is open, the place you click appears in the Before and After boxes. 2 Adjust the slider as necessary to achieve the look you want. For best results, keep the setting as low as possible. 3 When you’re ready to apply the new setting, click Enhance.
2 If you want to adjust how much the Sharpen tool sharpens, double-click it; otherwise, skip to step 4. Double-click the Sharpen tool in the Tool palette to adjust its settings. The Sharpen Options dialog box appears. Drag this slider to increase or decrease the Sharpen tool’s effect. 3 Adjust the Sharpen setting as necessary, then click OK. For best results, keep the setting as low as possible. 4 If it’s not already selected, click the Sharpen tool in the Tools palette to select it.
The Remove Dust command allows you to preview its changes before you make them, which can be helpful when you’re trying to find the right settings to remove dust that blends in with the background. It’s not a good idea to use the Remove Dust command to remove dust from multiple images represented by selected thumbnails, because the command ignores selections and instead acts on the whole image.
Try fairly low settings first, and check the Before and After views to see their effect. The lower the Size setting, the smaller the specks that PhotoFlash recognizes as dust. The lower the Sensitivity setting, the more different a speck’s color must be from surrounding colors for PhotoFlash to recognize it as dust. Lower sensitivity also tends to reduce the number of image elements that PhotoFlash recognizes as dust. 4 When you’re ready to try removing the dust, click Enhance.
3 Adjust the Size and Sensitivity settings as necessary, then click OK. Try fairly low settings first, increasing them only if the dust doesn’t disappear when you click the selection. To see the effects different settings have, use the Remove Dust command as described in the previous section. 4 If it’s not already selected, click the DeDust tool in the Tool palette to select it. The DeDust tool becomes highlighted when it’s selected. 5 Position the pointer over the part of the image you selected.
Using the Remove Scratch command The Remove Scratch command, like the DeScratch tool, works best if you first carefully select the part of the image from which you want to remove a scratch. Follow these steps: 1 Select the part of the image from which you want to remove a scratch. For instructions on using the Selection tools, see Chapter 3, “Working With Selections.” 2 Choose Remove Scratch from the Enhance menu. The Enhance dialog box appears.
4 When you’re ready to try removing the scratch, click Enhance. PhotoFlash attempts to remove the scratch as you specified. Using the DeScratch tool To remove a scratch from part of an image by using the DeScratch tool, follow these steps: 1 Select the part of the image from which you want to remove a scratch. For instructions on using the Selection tools, see Chapter 3, “Working With Selections.
5 Position the pointer over the part of the image you selected. The pointer changes to the DeScratch icon. 6 Click anywhere in the selected area. PhotoFlash attempts to remove scratches from the selected area. If you have trouble removing a scratch with the DeScratch tool, you may find it easier to use the Remove Scratch command as described in the previous section. The Remove Scratch command allows you to preview part of an image while you adjust the Remove Scratch Options dialog box.
6 Converting and Compressing Files PhotoFlash can open and save image files in a variety of formats. This means you can use PhotoFlash to convert image files saved in one format to another format. Most image file formats also allow you to compress an image file so that it doesn’t take up as much room on disk when you save it. This chapter describes how to convert image files from one format to another.
Converting image file formats The basic procedure for converting image file formats is the same for all the file formats supported by PhotoFlash: You use the Save As command to select a different format, adjust the settings in the Save As dialog box for that format, and save the image.
4 Click Save. The Save dialog box appears. Folder or disk where the image file will be saved Name of the converted file 5 Use the dialog box to name the file and select a location for it. PhotoFlash appends a suffix to the name of the file that reflects the type of file format that you selected. You can change this default name if you like. 6 Click Save. PhotoFlash saves the file in the format you selected with the options you selected in step 3.
The compression options that can be applied to the image file saved in the PICT format appear on the PICT Compression pop-up menu in the Save As PICT dialog box. IMPORTANT The PICT compression options are available only if the QuickTime system extension is correctly installed in the System Folder on the startup drive of your Macintosh. (If you installed QuickTime yourself, don’t forget to restart your Macintosh.
m Photo–JPEG. Use this option when working with photographic images generated by a digital video camera or a scanner. Photo-JPEG compression helps maintain the subtle shades of image detail while creating the smallest possible PICT image file. m Video. Use this option if you are modifying an individual frame of a QuickTime video sequence. This format forces the image to use thousands of colors. When you choose any option other than None, the Quality slider in the Save As PICT dialog box becomes active.
The compression options that can be applied to an image file saved in the TIFF format appear on the TIFF Compression pop-up menu in the Save As TIFF dialog box. JPEG compression is available only for image files that have millions of colors or 256 grays or for CMYK files. The TIFF Compression pop-up menu includes these options: m None. Use this option if you don’t want any image compression applied to the TIFF file. m JPEG. Use this option to apply JPEG compression to the image saved as a TIFF file.
For more information on the JPEG format, see “Using JPEG Compression” later in this chapter. EPS EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. Many page layout programs support this format for images placed or imported into a layout file. Like TIFF files, EPS files include information about the file’s characteristics that allows many different kinds of computers to open and interpret the color and image data in the file.
You can use the three EPS Settings pop-up menus—Preview, Quality, and Format—to define how PhotoFlash saves the image file in the EPS file format. The sections that follow describe the settings for each. Preview options You use the Preview pop-up menu to select the number of colors you want for the EPS file’s Preview image. The Preview pop-up menu includes four options: m None. Specifies that no Preview image will be saved with the EPS file. m 1-bit PICT. Specifies a black-and-white Preview image.
Quality options The Quality pop-up menu is available only if you’ve selected 24-bit PICTJPEG in the Preview pop-up menu. You use the Quality pop-up menu to define the quality level of the JPEG compression PhotoFlash applies to the Preview image saved with the EPS file. You have three options: High, Medium, and Low. In most cases, the default Medium setting is more than adequate for the Preview image.
Depending on the type of image file that you are converting to the EPS file format, the following limitations may apply: m JPEG compression is available only for image files that are in millions of colors, 256 grays, or the CMYK file format. m You can print EPS JPEG files only on a PostScript Level 2 printer. DCS DCS stands for Desktop Color Separation. It is used in page layout and other programs that can prepare color images for printing.
IMPORTANT Only image files that have been created or opened in a CMYK format can be saved as DCS files by PhotoFlash. PhotoFlash can’t directly convert RGB (red, green, blue) image files to a CMYK file format like DCS. If the DCS menu item is dimmed in the Save As submenu, it means the image file you’re attempting to convert is not in a CMYK format. You can obtain Photoshop-compatible plug-in modules that allow you to convert an image file to CMYK formats from within PhotoFlash.
Using JPEG compression JPEG is a standard method for still image compression established by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. It is designed to compress and decompress digitized images while preserving maximum image quality. You can use JPEG compression with a variety of file formats in addition to the standard JPEG format. Many kinds of computers can send, receive, and display image files saved in the standard JPEG format.
Applying JPEG compression to the entire file You can apply JPEG compression to PICT, TIFF, JPEG, or EPS files that use 256 grays or millions of colors, or to DCS or other CMYK files. You may also be able to apply JPEG compression to other formats supported by Photoshopcompatible plug-in modules. To apply JPEG compression, begin by choosing from the Save As submenu the name of the file format to which you want to convert an image (see steps 1 and 2 of “Converting Image File Formats” earlier in this chapter).
4 Use the Save dialog box to name the file and select a location for it. By default, PhotoFlash appends a suffix to the name of the file that reflects the file format you selected. 5 Click Save. PhotoFlash applies JPEG compression and saves the image file. IMPORTANT Compressing an image with JPEG may change the appearance of the image. To examine the appearance of the compressed file, you must close and then reopen it.
3 Activate the JPEG slider by choosing the appropriate JPEG command from the pop-up menu or selecting the Use JPEG Compression checkbox. If you chose Save As TIFF, choose JPEG from the TIFF Compression pop-up menu. If you chose Save As EPS or DCS, click the Use JPEG Compression checkbox to select it. The JPEG controls become active. Selected Area Quality slider 4 Drag the Selected Area Quality slider to select a numbered setting.
Note: If you use Storm Software’s PicturePress and have created custom compression settings, they also appear in the Selected Area Quality pop-up menu. 5 Choose a percentage from the Unselected Area Quality pop-up menu. PhotoFlash applies the Selected Area Quality percentage you choose to the part of the image area that isn’t selected. 6 Click Save to close the Save As dialog box and continue the saving procedure. The Save dialog box appears.
7 Automating Your Work You can automate your work in PhotoFlash and other programs by recording and running a script, which is a series of instructions written in a scripting language such as AppleScript or UserTalk™. For example, suppose you are a real estate agent and you’ve taken a series of digitized pictures of some townhouses you’re trying to sell. Because all the houses are tall and narrow, you had to rotate the camera 90 degrees to fit them in.
You can record scripts to automate many such repetitive tasks. This chapter describes how to record, run, and edit scripts. To record and run scripts that control PhotoFlash, you must have AppleScript installed in your system. If you use the Installer program to install PhotoFlash according to the instructions in the first chapter of PhotoFlash Getting Started, the AppleScript software is installed in your system automatically.
Scripting with PhotoFlash If you’re familiar with AppleScript, these may be the only instructions you need. If you’re not familiar with AppleScript, you should also read the rest of this chapter. If several scripting languages are installed in your system, a pop-up menu appears in the Script palette that lets you choose among them. Recording and saving scripts To record a script, click the Record button, perform the actions you want to record, and click the Stop button.
You can also run a script or launch a program by choosing its name from the Script menu. The contents of the Scripts folder (located inside the PhotoFlash Folder) determines which scripts and programs are available from within PhotoFlash. The names of folders, programs, scripts, or aliases to any of these appear in both the Script palette and the Script menu. You can change this arrangement at any time by activating the Finder and arranging the contents of the Scripts folder to suit your own convenience.
Recording and saving a script Recording scripts is the fastest way to learn about PhotoFlash’s scripting capabilities. Before you begin to experiment with recording, it’s a good idea to use the Duplicate command to make a copy of the image you want to work with, in case something goes wrong. To record a script, follow these steps: 1 If the Script palette isn’t visible on your screen, choose Show Script Palette from the Window menu.
PhotoFlash displays the directory dialog box for saving a script. By default, PhotoFlash saves scripts in the Scripts folder. Scripts saved in the Scripts folder appear in the Script palette and Script menu. Type a name for the script here. 5 Use the directory dialog box to name the script and specify its location on your hard disk. If you want the script’s name to appear in the Script palette and the Script menu, save it in the Scripts folder or a folder within the Script folder.
Running a script If a script performs an action on the frontmost window, the action may differ depending on whether the window contains a catalog or an image. For example, a script that blurs a selected area of the frontmost window works correctly if you run it while an image is frontmost, but generates an error message if you try to run it while a catalog is frontmost. Make sure you know what a script does before you use it.
Running a script can cause actions in more than one program. For example, you can run a script that makes a copy of an image file, saves the copy as a TIFF file, and places the TIFF version of the image in a word-processing document. Launching application programs from PhotoFlash In addition to scripts or aliases to scripts, programs or aliases to programs that you save in the Scripts folder appear in the Script menu and the Script palette.
Editing a script This section describes a situation in which you might want to make a minor change to a recorded script and demonstrates how to edit the script accordingly. Suppose you have recorded a script that performs one or more actions on the image in the frontmost window and then saves it. For example, Chapter 5 of PhotoFlash Getting Started describes how to record a script that rotates an image and then saves it as a TIFF file.
Of course, you could just record the script all over again, this time applying JPEG compression. For a short script like this, rerecording is easy enough. But rerecording longer scripts may take a long time. Another alternative is to figure out which part of the script needs to be changed, then change just that part.
4 Choose JPEG from the TIFF Compression pop-up menu. 5 Make sure the slider is set to 67, for high-quality compression. The default setting is 67, so you shouldn’t have to adjust it. 6 Click Save. The Save directory dialog box appears. 7 Use the directory box to name the image file and specify its location. The new file is just a sample for recording purposes, so you can save it anywhere. 8 Click Save. 9 Click the Stop button in the Script palette.
When you look at the part of each script that follows |Use JPEG|, you’ll notice that there’s only one difference. The original script says |Use JPEG|:false, whereas the new one says |Use JPEG|:true. The rest of that line in each script is identical. The original script shows the default slider setting of 67, even though compression was turned off. So, to change the original script so it saves images with JPEG compression set to 67, all you need to do is change the word false to true.
Appendix A Setting PhotoFlash Preferences PhotoFlash allows you to change the default settings it uses for various aspects of its operation, including virtual memory settings, thumbnail size, and other preferences. This appendix explains how to change PhotoFlash preferences and how different preference settings affect the way PhotoFlash works. In most cases the default settings work well for optimum performance. You need to change them only if you have special needs.
To examine or change any of the PhotoFlash preferences, choose Preferences from the Edit menu. The Preferences dialog box appears. Virtual memory preferences PhotoFlash uses a technique called virtual memory to simulate RAM. This allows it to work with files that are larger than the amount of RAM available in your computer. IMPORTANT PhotoFlash’s use of virtual memory is completely independent from System 7’s use of virtual memory as shown in the Memory control panel.
If you have several disk drives connected to your Macintosh, you may want to specify one drive to be used for PhotoFlash virtual memory. The disk with the greatest amount of free space would be a good choice. The virtual memory settings appear in the upper-left corner of the Preferences dialog box. This disk is currently used for PhotoFlash virtual memory. The checked drives can be used for virtual memory. The unchecked drives will not be used.
To change the default settings for PhotoFlash’s virtual memory, follow these steps: 1 To ensure that a certain disk is not used for PhotoFlash virtual memory, click the disk’s checkbox to deselect it. This checkbox isn’t selected, so PhotoFlash can’t use this disk for virtual memory. 2 Repeat step 1 to deselect any other disks that you don’t want PhotoFlash to use for virtual memory. 3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box and save your settings.
The thumbnail settings appear in the lower-left corner of the Preferences dialog box. Click here to change the size of saved thumbnails. These settings are dimmed until you click the Custom radio button. Small thumbnails are 80 x 80 pixels and large thumbnails are 128 x 128 pixels; both use millions of colors and medium-quality JPEG compression. Small is the default setting and produces the best results in catalogs.
Display preferences The display preferences determine how PhotoFlash opens image files and the background color for images when they’re open. The display preference settings appear in the upper-right area of the Preferences dialog box. Click here to open image files to full screen size. By default, PhotoFlash opens image files at actual size (100%), with no magnification or reduction. If you’re working with a large image on a small screen, some of the image may not be visible.
The Background Color dialog box appears. 2 Use the dialog box to select a background color. The dialog box is the same as the one used to set the desktop color for the Macintosh screen. It is explained in the Macintosh User’s Guide. Note: The background color is behind your image. If you move or delete a selected area of your image, the background shows through. The background is different from the gray area that surrounds the image if an image’s window is larger than the image’s work area.
You can use the Optimize When Not Busy checkbox to control the way PhotoFlash changes the parts of files it keeps on disk. Click here to allow PhotoFlash to perform housecleaning tasks when it’s not busy. If the Optimize When Not Busy checkbox is selected, you may hear your hard disk drive whirring unexpectedly when you’re not using your computer for any other tasks. The Optimize When Not Busy checkbox is selected by default, because this setting permits PhotoFlash to work most efficiently.
Drag here to choose a default file format. If you choose the Ask setting, PhotoFlash prompts you to choose a file format before it saves a file. For information on converting file formats, see Chapter 6. Units preferences The units preferences appear on the right side of the Preferences dialog box. These settings determine the units of measurement that PhotoFlash displays at the bottom of the Tool palette.
Pixels and picas are units of measure used frequently by people who work with images. A pixel is a small dot of color. The shapes that appear on your computer screen are made of pixels. If you set the unit of measure to Pixels, PhotoFlash displays the horizontal and vertical dimensions of your image in pixels, or dots. A pica is one-sixth of an inch and is typically used to measure blocks of text.
As shown in the diagram, the columns are columns of text, and the gutters are the space between the columns. When PhotoFlash displays the width of an image in columns, it includes the gutter width between columns. To specify Column Size and Gutter Size settings, follow these steps: 1 Position the pointer over the Horizontal pop-up menu and drag to choose Columns.
6 Click OK to save the preferences you’ve defined. These settings remain in effect until you change them again. PhotoFlash saves the settings when you quit and continues to use them the next time you launch it.
Appendix B Using Photoshop-Compatible Plug-In Modules You can install Photoshop-compatible plug-in modules in the PhotoFlash Plug-ins folder to extend PhotoFlash’s capabilities. A plug-in module is a special file that conforms to Photoshop’s standard plug-in specifications. Photoshop plug-in modules that use other specifications may not work with PhotoFlash.
Installing and storing plug-in modules When you install PhotoFlash according to the directions in PhotoFlash Getting Started, the Installer places a Plug-ins folder in your PhotoFlash folder. Place all plug-in modules you want to use with PhotoFlash (or aliases to them) in the Plug-ins folder. You must quit PhotoFlash, then launch it again before it can recognize a newly installed module.
If a file format translator plug-in supports writing as well as reading the format, you can use the Save command to save images using that format as you would with any other file. Likewise, when you choose Save As from the file menu without releasing the mouse button, the Save As submenu displays the names of all the file formats PhotoFlash can write, including any supported by the currently installed plug-in modules.
Appendix C PhotoFlash Acceleration You can accelerate some aspects of PhotoFlash’s performance by installing accelerator cards in your computer. Accelerators designed to accelerate specific programs, such as PhotoFlash, Adobe Photoshop (2.0.1 and 2.5 or higher), and Storm PicturePress, are sold by SuperMac Technology and DayStar Digital™. All of these accelerator cards feature two programmable digital signal processors (AT&T DSP16A chips) that can process 60 to 80 million instructions per second.
PhotoFlash tasks that can be accelerated Accelerator cards that use AT&T DSP16A chips can accelerate the following operations in PhotoFlash: m Resizing m Blurring m Sharpening m Reading Photo CD files m Reading and writing files in JPEG format m Reading and writing files in EPS-JPEG format m Reading files in TIFF-JPEG format Using accelerator cards To use an accelerator card, just activate it as described in the documentation that comes with the card.
Glossary AppleScript A system extension that allows you to control programs with the aid of scripts. The term AppleScript also refers to the AppleScript scripting language, one of several scripting languages that can take advantage of the capabilities provided by the AppleScript scripting extension. catalog A PhotoFlash file that represents a collection of images. A catalog doesn’t contain the actual image files that it represents.
JPEG (Joint PhotoGraphic Experts Group) A standard method of compressing image files. You can apply JPEG compression to files saved in most of the formats that PhotoFlash supports, including the JPEG file format. Photo CD A file format used to save photographs on Kodak Photo CDs. PhotoFlash can open Photo CD files but can’t save files in this format. PICT The standard Macintosh format for image files. PICT files can also be opened in the Windows environment if QuickTime is installed in the Windows system.
Index A C Accelerator cards and PhotoFlash 137–138 Acquire command (File menu) 28–29 Action tools, summarized 42 Add to Catalog command (File menu) 7–8 Adjust Colors command (Enhance menu) 77–78 Animation compression 96 Application programs, launching from PhotoFlash 111, 116 Arrange command (Window menu) 33 Automating tasks 109–120 Caption Text command (Search menu) 16–17 Captions adding or editing 14–15, 33–34 printing 38 Catalogs 1–22 adding image files to 6–8 closing 6 creating 2–4 defined 1 duplica
Cinepak compression 96 Close command (File menu) 6 Colors adjusting RGB values 77–78 changing number of 72–74 deciding how many to use 74 number supported by standard file formats 103 Columns, as units of measurement 130–132 Component video compression 96 Compression Animation 96 Cinepak 96 Component Video 96 for EPS files 99–100 Graphics 96 JPEG 97–103, 104–108 LZW 98 PackBits 98 for PICT files 96–97 for TIFF files 98 Video 97 Contrast, adjusting 80–81 Converting file formats 93–95 Copying catalogs 6 image
PICT 24, 95–97 recognized by PhotoFlash 24–25 TIFF 24, 97–98 written by PhotoFlash 95–103 File menu commands Acquire 28–29 Add to Catalog 7–8 Close 6 Duplicate Catalog 6 Duplicate Image 53–54 Export 38–39 Get Info 14–15, 33–34 New 2, 29 Open 5, 25–28 Print 15–16, 37–38 Revert 37 Save 36–37 Save As, for catalogs 4 Save As, for images 34–36, 94–95 Filenames command (Search menu) 18 Filing preferences 127–129 Fit to Window command (Zoom submenu) 32 Flip command (Image menu) 71 For Similar Images command (Searc
J JPEG compression 97–103, 104–108 JPEG file format 24, 98–99, 104–108 L Lasso tool 45 LZW compression 98 M Magic Wand Options dialog box 48 Magic Wand tool 47–48 Marquee tool 43–44 Move tool 52 Moving a selection 52 Moving an image within a window 30 Moving thumbnails 12–13 N New command (File menu) new catalog 2 new image 29 Number of Colors command (Image menu) 72–74 O Open command (File menu) 5 opening image files with 25–28 opening Photo CD files with 26–28 Opening images from catalogs 14 P, Q Pac
RGB values, adjusting 77–78 Rotate command (Image menu) 69–70 Rotate tool 67–68 Running scripts 115–116 S Save As command (File menu) for catalogs 4 for images 34–36, 94–95 Save command (File menu) 36–37 Script Editor program 117–120 Script menu 110–112, 116 Script palette 110–120 Scripting language, choosing a 116 Scripts defined 109 descriptions of 115 editing 117–120 recording 113–114 running 115–116 saving 114 summary of instructions for using 111 Scripts folder 112 Search menu commands Caption Text 16
DeScratch tool 89, 91–92 Hand tool 30 Lasso tool 45 Magic Wand tool 47–48 Marquee tool 43–44 Move tool 52 Polygon tool 46 Resize tool 55–57 Rotate tool 67–68 Sharpen tool 84–86 summary of tools in 41–42 Zoom tool 30–32 U Units preferences 129–132 Using Sketch command (Search menu) 19–20 V Video compression 97 Virtual memory, PhotoFlash use of 122–124 W, X, Y Window menu commands Arrange 33 Hide Tool Palette 42 Show Script Palette 110 Show Tool Palette 30, 41 Zoom 32 Work area, changing the dimensions of
The Apple Publishing System This Apple manual was written, edited, and produced on a desktop publishing system using Apple Macintosh computers and QuarkXPress. Screen shots were created and modified with system software, ExposurePro, Aldus SuperPaint, PhotoFlash, and Adobe Photoshop. Proof pages were created on Apple LaserWriter printers and on QMS and Tektronix color printers. Final pages were output directly to separated film on a PostScript™-driven imagesetter.
