User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc.
First edition for Ulead® PhotoImpact® 12, August 2006. © 1992-2006 Ulead Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems, Inc.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................13 Overview of the programs ................................................... 14 PhotoImpact ............................................................................. 14 Album ...................................................................................... 14 GIF Animator ............................................................................. 14 Photo Explorer ...............
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the EasyPalette .......................................................... 34 Loading and unloading galleries and libraries ................................. 37 Creating and organizing your galleries and libraries ........................ 37 Organizing your tab groups ........................................................37 Using your images as preview thumbnails ....................................39 Modifying and adding Galleries thumbnails ........................
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE AutoSave ................................................................................ 63 Sharing images as different file outputs ........................................ 63 Photo Project ........................................................................... 64 Creating your own Photo Project templates ........................... 65 Creating placeholders ........................................................ 66 Calendar ..............................................
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Focus ....................................................................................... 89 Lens Distortion .......................................................................... 89 Remove Red Eye ....................................................................... 90 Enhancement effects ........................................................... 91 Blur ......................................................................................... 91 Motion Blur ...
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4: SELECTIONS & OBJECTS .............................. 121 Working with selections .................................................... 122 Pick Tool ................................................................................. 122 Standard Selection Tool - selecting regularly shaped areas ............ 122 Lasso Tool - selecting irregularly shaped areas ........................... 123 Magic Wand Tool - selecting an area containing similar colors .......
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Measure Tool ..................................................... 147 Using the Transform Tool .................................................. 148 Rotating images .......................................................................149 Straightening images .............................................................. 149 3D transformation ................................................................... 150 Working with Object Eraser Tools ...............
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE CHAPTER 6: WORKING WITH TEXT AND PATHS .............. 177 Adding text ........................................................................ 178 Tool Settings ........................................................................... 178 3D ........................................................................................ 179 Options ................................................................................. 179 Style .............................................
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Bump .................................................................................... 210 Making the surface of 3D objects smoother ..................................210 Creating transparent objects ......................................................210 Using bump maps .....................................................................211 Saving material properties to the EasyPalette ............................. 212 Type effects .................................
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Particle Effect .......................................................................... 247 Creative Transform .................................................................. 249 Type Effect .............................................................................. 250 CHAPTER 8: BATCH PROCESSING ................................... 251 Using the Quick Command Panel ....................................... 252 Using tasks in the EasyPalette ............................
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Objects on a Web page ..............................................................278 Linking multimedia objects .........................................................278 Editing Linked objects ............................................................. 279 HTML Text objects ....................................................................280 Converting HTML Text objects to image objects ............................282 Script effects ............................
1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Ulead PhotoImpact, the software that delivers total image editing. Easily manage and enhance digital photos, create stunning graphics and produce high-impact Web pages for recreational or business use. Professional-looking photos are easy to make using one-click auto correction commands. Add pizzazz with loads of filters, special effects and professional raster, vector and 3D tools. Create a variety of photo projects and share it with your friends and relatives.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Overview of the programs The following is a brief overview of the programs included in the PhotoImpact package: PhotoImpact PhotoImpact is an all-in-one image editing solution for photo enhancement, graphic design, and Web design. With a wealth of tools at your fingertips, there’s virtually no limit to the images you can create for great-looking images for your home, business or school projects.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Photo Explorer Ulead Photo Explorer gives you everything you need to quickly acquire, manage, enhance, and share digital photos, audio, and video files. It is the perfect companion to digital cameras, web cams, DV camcorders and scanners. Ulead COOL 360 With Ulead® COOL 360™, you can combine a series of photos into 360° or wide angle panoramic scenes. • Create 360° and wide-angle photo panoramas in just 3 steps.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Optimized DSC features and professional effects For DSC beginners: • Auto Reduce Noise Significantly and automatically reduces “electronic” noise generated by cameras or scanners, by blending surrounding colors without losing picture detail. • Auto SmartCurves Using the SmartCurves’ mechanism, Auto SmartCurves allows you to automatically correct your images’ camera curve anomalies without the complexities of using levels, curves and histograms.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Component Designer* This wizard lets you easily customize different DVD menu title objects and buttons or export rollover buttons and banners to your Web pages. • Path Tool* Choose between large and small node sizes for greater flexibility in working with paths. You can also save time by batch converting multiple path objects to images. • Z-Merge* Maintain the spatial relationships between Z-Merged objects while resizing.
2 GETTING STARTED This chapter explains the concepts behind PhotoImpact's user interface, beginning with a walkthrough of the workspace and its various components, followed by detailed descriptions of the various panels and toolbars and ways on customizing your PhotoImpact workspace. You will also learn how to use the EasyPalette and some of the basic program functions.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Introduction to the workspace The PhotoImpact workspace can be displayed in ExpressFix, Full Edit, Web or Video & DVD modes which contain specific sets of tools depending on what you want to do in the program. The Welcome Screen When you run PhotoImpact for the first time, the Welcome Screen appears, which allows you to do the following: Choose among the following modes: • ExpressFix Mode offers a simpler workspace that address the more common tasks.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Working in ExpressFix mode ExpressFix is a time-saving tool that provides quick and easy fixes to common digital photo problems such as improper color, unbalance exposure and out of focus conditions. 2 1 4 3 1 Preview Windows: (Before, After and Dual View) Displays the original and modified versions of an image. 2 Workspace Toolbar Provides a shortcut for switching among different modes and workspace. Click ExpressFix to use ExpressFix mode.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Ideal for first-time users who want to apply basic photo enhancements, ExpressFix presents various options to fix images through a simple yet intuitive user interface. You can easily compare original and modified images by using Dual View which provides two preview windows at the same time. Dual View In the ExpressFix Panel, you can use different image enhancement presets that you can also customize to achieve the result you want for your images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Before Before After After To use the ExpressFix Panel: 1. When in ExpressFix mode, select File: Open and browse for the images you want to enhance. 2. Choose your desired photo enhancement options in the ExpressFix Panel. 3. Under One-click Presets, click a thumbnail to apply a quick fix. Tip: To reverse the most recent action, click Undo [Ctrl + Z] or Redo [Ctrl + Y] on the Standard Toolbar. 4. For finer adjustments, click Customize.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Overview: User Interface This section provides a brief overview of the PhotoImpact workspace. Familiarizing yourself with the components of the workspace is a great way to start learning the program. Use the page references to locate a specific topic of interest.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Status Bar Enter or exit Mask Mode Show or hide Slice Line Show or hide Image Map Show or hide Ruler Unit Data Type Display image properties or system information Panel Manager The Panel Manager, by default docked at the right side of the PhotoImpact window, allows you to open or close various panels. Just click a button to open the associated panel, and click again to close it.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE it was created. Change the order, position and size, and object properties directly from within the Layer Manager. You can also show/hide objects by clicking the eye icon, or lock an object’s position by clicking the lock icon in the Layer Manager. Notes: • To select multiple objects in the Layer Manager, press [Ctrl] or [Shift] as you click objects. To select all objects, press [Ctrl+Shift+A].
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE zoom tools. When the document does not fit in the window, the frame on the document enables you to select the area to display. Browse Manager Browse for image files on your computer or local network with the Browse Manager. Image files can be identified more easily in the Browse Manager as they are displayed as thumbnails. Open files by double-clicking a thumbnail or by dragging the files to the workspace.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE and actions as tasks, then apply them to your images at a single click. With the Quick Command Panel, you can also easily retrace or redo steps you have done. Tool Settings The Tool Settings Panel allows you to define custom settings for the different tools in the Toolbox, which include the Text Tool, Path Tools, Paint Tools, Retouch Tools, Clone Tools, Stamp Tool, and Object Eraser Tools.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Pick Tool Z-merge Selection Tools Text Tool Path Tools Transform Tool Crop Tool Retouch Tools Stamp Tool Paint Tools Clone Tools Eraser Tools Fill Tools Zoom Tool Slice Tool Eyedropper and Measure Tools Image Map Tool Foreground and Background Colors Personalizing the workspace PhotoImpact gives you the flexibility to customize the workspace to suit your needs. Its toolbars and panels can be floated or docked to the workspace.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Floating and docking toolbars and panels In the PhotoImpact interface, you can freely drag floating toolbars and panels around the workspace or dock them to the sides of the workspace. The Standard Toolbar can be docked either to the top or bottom, or the left or right side of the program window while the Toolbox can be docked to the left and right side. The Attribute Toolbar can be docked either to the top or bottom.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To display guidelines: 1. Select View: Show Ruler to display the ruler. 2. Select View: Guidelines and Grid - Guidelines [Ctrl+Shift+G] to begin using guidelines. 3. Drag the pointer from the Ruler towards your image to add a guideline. Drag from the left to create a horizontal guideline or drag from the top to create a vertical one. Tips: • Select Snap to Guidelines from View: Guidelines and Grid to make objects snap to the nearest guideline when being repositioned.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • EasyPalette tab lets you set the order of Galleries and Libraries you can show or hide in the EasyPalette. • Options tab gives you other choices for using large buttons and the tooltip feature. After adjusting the PhotoImpact interface to your own preferences, you can save your profile in the Profiles tab. This adds your profile to the mode choices in the Workspace Toolbar.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The quick samples in some dialog boxes such as Brightness and Contrast and Color Balance apply cumulative changes to your image. Each time you click a thumbnail, the respective preset is added to the current state of the image. Note: In this type of dialog box, the center thumbnail represents the current state of the image and the surrounding thumbnails represent the different presets. Clicking a preset applies it to the center thumbnail.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Split View shows an overlapped display with the Splitter bar dividing your image into its original and modified versions. Click Splitter bar to change how the preview image is to be divided (horizontal or vertical) then drag the Splitter Bar accordingly, depending on whether you want to see more of the original image or more of the image after the effect has been applied. The Splitter Bar can be fully moved to the right or to the left.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Samples of effects and enhancement presets Image Enhancements: Photo Effects - Enhance Image Enhancements: Creative Lighting - Lightning Image Enhancements: Brush Paint Tools Text/Path Effects: Wrap - Path Wrap Text/Path Effects: Material Skin 35
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE By customizing effects and objects, you can create your own galleries and libraries. These can then be saved and shared with other PhotoImpact users. To use the EasyPalette: • Click or • Click view. to toggle between displaying the EasyPalette in the Tree or Tab • In Galleries, to switch between galleries and libraries. allows you to use your images as preview thumbnails.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Loading and unloading galleries and libraries Use Load and Export to share your galleries and libraries with other people or save them as backup. • Load Allows you to import gallery files (SMP) or object library files (UOL) into the EasyPalette. • Export Saves the active gallery/object library as another file in a specified folder. In Export Gallery/Object Library dialog box, the Package option allows you to include all linked files in the folder.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE In Tree view, click “+” before the name of the gallery/object library to display all the available tabs. You can create, delete, and arrange the order of tab groups in the EasyPalette. DVD Menu Mask Image Shape Different tab groups in the EasyPalette Note: You cannot edit a tab group in read-only galleries/object libraries. To disable this setting, right-click the gallery/object library in Tree view and clear Readonly (for Sharing).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE In the Manage Group dialog box, you can rename, arrange, and remove tab groups. Only custom tab groups, however, can be removed. Tip: To sort galleries and object libraries alphabetically, click the Galleries/Object Libraries arrow and select Gallery Manager/Object Library Manager Sort Ascending/Sort Descending.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Modifying and adding Galleries thumbnails You might find it convenient to modify your collection of customized tools and special effects directly on the EasyPalette. By clicking Thumbnail menu commands, you can choose to modify thumbnail effects and add new effects, including Adobe Photoshop plug-in effects and image fills. You can also add a variety of commands for image adjustment and conversion by selecting Add Command Thumbnails.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Adding custom effects to the EasyPalette The effects that you customize in the Adjust, Photo and Effect dialog boxes can be added to the EasyPalette. Click gallery. in the dialog box to save all the settings of your custom effect into a To add a custom effect to the EasyPalette: 1. Select a command from the Adjust, Photo or Effect menu. 2. Customize your effect using the available options in the dialog box. 3. Click Add.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To package a gallery or object library into a folder: 1. Click or and then select Gallery Manager/ Object Library Manager - Export. Note: You can also right-click the gallery/object library in Tree view and select Load/Export. 2. The Export Gallery/Object Library dialog box opens. 3. Specify the destination folder where your packaged gallery/library files and other external files will be saved. 4. Enter a file name. 5. Select Package. 6. Click Save.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Select one of the Canvas options: • White Sets the base image to plain color white. • Custom color Sets the base image to be a solid color of your choice. • Background color Sets the base image using the assigned background color in the Toolbox. By default, a document’s background color is white. • Transparent Hides the base image and displays the default background grid. 4. Set the image dimensions in the Image size set of options.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creating an image for DVD menus PhotoImpact allows you to create images (with TV safe area) for use in DVD menus. To create a DVD menu image: 1. Select File: New - New DVD Menu. 2. Select a preset which determines the dimensions of your DVD menu image. 3. Click OK. Notes: • A 16:9 DVD menu image is compatible with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4.0 or above. • PhotoImpact provides a number of DVD menu samples in the EasyPalette.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Opening image files There are several ways to open your image files: • Click Open on the Standard Toolbar. • Select File: Open [Ctrl+O]. • Double-click an associated image file name from Windows Explorer. • Use the Browse Manager to browse for image files on your computer and open multiple images. • Select File: Open Recent Files and choose a recently used file from the list. Tips: • You can specify the number of recently opened files to display in the Preferences dialog box.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: To select a custom area to load, clear Grid. Click the image and drag the handles of the frame to select an area of the image. 3. Click OK. The selected area opens in the workspace. Note: Once you have finished editing, save the image as usual. If you change the data type or dimensions of the partially loaded area, you must save it as a new image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Browse Manager The Browse Manager can help increase productivity when working with images in several ways: • It allows you to easily identify and open image files since they are displayed as thumbnails. • It allows you to instantly view EXIF data before having to open a file in the workspace. • You can apply presets from the EasyPalette to a single image, multiple selected images, or an image folder.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Working with digital cameras and scanners Images can come from different sources. With PhotoImpact, transfer photos that were taken from a digital camera or transform photo prints or documents into digital images via scanners. Using the Digital Camera Wizard Getting images directly from a digital camera or retrieving images from a flash memory card can be accomplished quickly and easily using the Digital Camera Wizard. To get images from a Digital Camera: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To select the default image source: 1. Select File: Scanner - Select Source. A list of TWAIN devices appears. Select a device as the image data source. Note: If you only have one TWAIN device connected, that device automatically becomes the TWAIN source. 2. Click Device Type to specify the type of input device and then click OK. 3. In the Select Source dialog box, click the appropriate driver and then click Select.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: PhotoImpact supports EXIF image data contained in most WIA-based images. For more information on using and exporting EXIF information, please refer to the PhotoImpact Album Manual. Viewing images When you open an image in PhotoImpact, the pixels of the image are “mapped” onto your screen pixels. Controlling the mapping of these pixels determines the way you see the images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Right-click to zoom out. You can also press [Shift] and click. • Drag along the area you want to zoom in. A marquee appears. Releasing the mouse button zooms in that area defined by the marquee. • Drag the Zoom ratio slider on the Attribute Toolbar. Note: Set the window to automatically fit the new zoom ratio by selecting Adjust window on the Attribute Toolbar for the Zoom Tool. This becomes the default for any zoom action performed when using any other tools.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Changing resolution Resolution determines the physical size of an image by defining the number of pixels that appear per unit area. Increasing the resolution places more pixels closer together, reducing the size of the image, while decreasing the resolution places pixels farther apart, making the image larger. By resizing an image without actually changing the number of pixels it contains, you can retain its original quality.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Use Resample when: • Changing the size of an image as it is displayed on screen. • Making the file size of an image smaller so that it takes less time to import it into another application and print it from there. • Resizing or distorting an image. To resample an image: 1. Select Adjust: Resize. 2. In Apply to, select which objects are being resampled.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • If you select a non-rectangular area, the image is cropped to the smallest rectangle that can contain the selected area. • When cropping the base image, all objects are not merged. • Use either Auto-process Crop or Post-processing Wizard to quickly crop an image that has extra space along its borders. To use the Crop Tool: 1. Click Crop Tool in the Toolbox. 2. Make a selection on your image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • To reset the crop bounding box or cancel the crop action, press [Esc]. • To reposition the bounding box, move your mouse within the bounding box. When the pointer changes to a 4-directional arrow, drag selection to the desired position. • Click Add to save the current settings to the EasyPalette. From the EasyPalette, double-click or drag-and-drop to apply saved settings to an image(s).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 4. To determine where the crop will be applied, click Options on the Attribute Toolbar. You can choose between cropping Selection & All Objects, Active Selection/Object(s), or Entire Image. 5. Click or press [CTRL+R]. Performing cut and copy operations The most common methods for placing data onto the clipboard are by clicking Cut [Ctrl+X] and Copy [Ctrl+C] on the Standard Toolbar, or by selecting their respective commands from the Edit menu.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Pasting images into a selection area After copying image data to the clipboard, you can now paste the contents to any selection area. To paste image data into a selection area: 1. Select an area on the image where you want to paste the clipboard image into. 2. Select Edit: Paste - Into Selection. The clipboard image appears inside the selection and remains attached to your mouse. Note: Press [Esc] to undo (before you have finished the pasting operation).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Pasting images beneath the mouse pointer Select Paste: Under Pointer to place the clipboard image onto the base image wherever you click your mouse. This is useful when you know where to exactly anchor the clipboard image. Duplicating images As you work with an image, you may find the need to make copies of it. This can be useful because you can edit the copies without having to worry about causing any damage to the original image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Whenever new information is placed in the clipboard, the previous data is automatically overwritten, regardless of where the new data came from. The Clipboard submenu The following clipboard commands are available under Edit: Clipboard. • Load Brings an image file onto the clipboard. • Save Stores clipboard image data to a file. • Display Shows the current clipboard image in a Windows clipboard viewer. To close the clipboard viewer, press any key or click your mouse.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Converting between data types Images come in various data types. A data type can generally be understood in terms of the number of colors an image contains, its bit resolution, and the number of channels it uses. Images with more colors tend to have larger file sizes compared to images with less colors. Common data type examples include: black and white, indexed 256-color, and CMYK true color. To convert between data types: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Making a screen capture Screen Capture can take screen shots of any images on your screen, including the PhotoImpact program window, just like a real world camera. You can specify capture options in order to save you editing time. To start capturing an image: 1. Select File: Screen Capture - Setup. 2. Set the default options for capturing. • Source Sets what and where to take the screen shot in your monitor screen. • Destination Specifies where to send the captured image(s).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Take the screen shot by pressing the Hotkey specified in Activation. A small viewer window appears. This window offers controls on the top edge that guide you when capturing. Among other functions, this allows you to: • Move the viewer window around the four corners of the screen by clicking any of the four buttons on the upper left of the window. • Disable the window but continue to capture by clicking Close.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To save an image: 1. Select File: Save [Ctrl+S] or File: Save As [Ctrl+Shift+S]. 2. Select the folder where you want to save the image in Save in and select a file format from Save as type. 3. Enter the name for saving in File name. A file extension is not needed. 4. Click Save. Note: Select Effect: Digimarc - Embed Watermark to include a digital watermark into your images before saving them.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Photo Project If you’ve already opened images in the workspace, you can choose Photo Project to create custom greeting cards, name cards, invitations and much more by providing you with a large range of templates. Photo Project also contains a large selection of tools to prepare your images for projects, and special enhancements. To create a photo project: 1. Click File: Share - Photo Project. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Use this toolbar to customize text settings Creating your own Photo Project templates For starters, you can use the templates provided in the EasyPalette which you can customize to fit your taste. Or start creating your templates from scratch -combining objects and layers or applying effects and enhancements. Read through the next chapters to learn how to work with objects, texts and special effects. It is also important to have a placeholder included in your template.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creating placeholders A placeholder is an image area or an active element on the project template that indicates that this may be replaced by another element or image. Creating placeholders can help you change or replace images in your template easily. To create placeholders: 1. Create or select an object that you want to use as a placeholder. 2. To be able to assign the object as a placeholder, you need to create a layer mask on the object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Calendar Create a monthly calendar to remind you of important and special dates. To create a calendar: 1. Open an image and click File: Share - Calendar. 2. In the Calendar dialog box, set the Template by selecting the Calendar type and Orientation. Click the thumbnail of your desired style. 3. Set the start date by the year and month. 4. When done, click Print or To Clipboard.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Web Slideshow You can also transform all your image collections to slideshows for your Web pages. To save images as a slideshow: 1. Click File: Share - Slideshow. 2. Specify the folder containing the images you want to include in the slideshow and indicate the file type. Note: Select Include all subfolders to add images from subfolders of your specified folder. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Color Management Due to variations in monitor calibration, the color gamut of your device, and the type of paper you are printing on, the color you see on your screen may not necessarily be the color you get on your final printed copy. Therefore, you may need to use Color Management System (CMS) to match the colors on your monitor with a printed version. A CMS has 3 key functions: • Maps color gamuts between selected devices.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To calibrate your printer: 1. Select File: Print [Ctrl+P]. 2. Click Options for more detailed printer settings. 3. In the Calibration tab: • Clear Use printer’s default to manually adjust the calibration curve. • Click Apply enhancement and choose an enhancement command to correct one or more of your printer’s problems, or manually adjust the calibration curve. 4.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Under Layout, specify settings of the image for printing. You can assign the paper’s orientation, provide an image title, automatically resize it to fit the page, and center it horizontally and vertically. 6. Specify number of copies to print in Copies. 7. Click Print if you want to print, or Close to return to the normal editing mode. Notes: • Select the appropriate alignment settings in the Options Panel to reposition the document.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 6. Adjust an image’s location within the print Preview Window by dragging it. To resize the image while maintaining aspect ratio, drag the handles at the four corners of the image. To resize the image without maintaining aspect ratio, use the non-corner handles of the image. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all images have been placed in the Preview Window and resized. Then, click Next. Sample paper layouts in Print Multiple 7. Specify number of copies to print in Copies. 8.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To use Print Poster: 1. With an image in the workspace, select File: More Print Options - Print Poster. 2. Select a printer from Printer name. Change printer settings by clicking Printer Properties. 3. Click Paper size to select the paper and set the number of copies. You can also select the paper orientation of your choice. 4. Specify the height and width of your poster. You can do so using percent, inches, centimeters or pages as the unit of measurement.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Acquiring images from the Internet For Web designers and Webmasters, having direct access to images on a Web site makes it easier to modify and update them. PhotoImpact offers you two ways to get images directly from the Internet. First, use Select File: Open from Web - Image to open specific images from a Web page located either in your computer or on the Internet. For details, refer to the procedure below.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Locate the folder where you installed the plug-in and look for the folder which contains the file with the extension *.8bf (Ex. MyFilter.8bf). 4. Click OK then select the checkbox beside the specified folder. 5. Click OK to close the window then restart the program. 6. To select the plug-in, open an image then select Effect. You will see the plug-in at the bottom of the menu. Note: To import plug-ins that do not need to be installed on your PC, simply locate the *.
3 PHOTO EDITING PhotoImpact has a wealth of tools that lets you refine and enhance your digital and scanned photos. Learn also how to effectively use the High Dynamic Range feature, whether to combine same photos that were taken using different exposure settings, or even to remove moving objects in the images. PhotoImpact provides you with a number of retouch tools to let you edit your photos such as: Touch-up Tool, Dodge Tool, Burn Tool, and more.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Adjusting and enhancing your images There are some issues to take into consideration when dealing with digital pictures and scanned images. Problems like overexposure, underexposure, poor lighting, or incorrect tint can be corrected by using the Adjust and Photo commands in PhotoImpact. These commands can be applied to selected areas, objects or entire images. Below are the most common commands used to fix photos.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Invert Invert changes each pixel color to its complimentary color. This is similar to creating a photograph negative, only without the orange mask present in film. Posterize Posterize allows you to adjusts images by reducing the number of tones into a specific number, with each pixel remapped to the nearest specified level, producing a dynamic, posterlike effect. Threshold Adjusting the threshold of images separates the image pixels into black or white extreme values.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Brightness and Contrast, Enhance Lighting, Levels, Highlight Midtone Shadow and Curves) to learn how to correct your image’s lighting problems. SmartCurves SmartCurves produces high-quality tonal correction tailored for different cameras. For more details, see “Enhancing the dynamic range of an image with SmartCurves”.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Adjust Enhance Shadows to intensify the dark portions of the image. This will amplify contrast, thus creating a clearer picture. 4. Click OK. Levels Using Levels, you can adjust the tonal range of an image by adjusting the intensity levels of the image's shadows, midtones and highlights. The histogram serves as a visual guide for adjusting the image's Black, Gray and White tones. To adjust an image using Levels: 1. Select Photo: Light - Levels. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Highlight Midtone and Shadow This feature redistributes the tone adjustment in an image to take advantage of the full tonal range. This is used to add, emphasize or remove shadows, improve contrast, and enrich highlights. To adjust Highlight, Midtone, and Shadow in an image: 1. Select Photo: Light - Highlight Midtone Shadow [Ctrl+Shift+H]. 2. Select either Dual View or Split View tab to view the changes you make in the image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Drag the sliders and watch the Preview Window to see how the new settings are affecting the image. Tips: • Click Auto to let PhotoImpact automatically adjust the image. • Click if you want to save adjustments to the EasyPalette for future use. 6. Click OK. Highlight=30 Midtone=0 Shadow=0 Highlight=0 Midtone=30 Shadow=0 Highlight=0 Midtone=0 Shadow=30 Curves Editing curves is the most straight-forward color correction approach.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Color There are some things to take into consideration when dealing with digital pictures and scanned images. Factors like overexposure, underexposure, poor lighting or incorrect tint may cause these images to appear differently from the original source. By using the color correction tools in PhotoImpact, you can remove most of the problems associated with color and lighting to produce stunning images that are sometimes better-looking than the original.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Auto Gives you automatic calculation of the fitted white point that is wellmatched with the overall color of your image. • Pick Color Allows you to manually select the white point in the image. Use the Eyedropper Tool to pick a reference area that should be white or neutral gray. • White Balance presets Automatically selects white point by matching specific light conditions or scenarios. • Temperature Allows you to specify color temperature of light sources in Kelvin (K).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To adjust hue and saturation in an image: 1. Select Photo: Color - Hue and Saturation [Ctrl+E]. 2. Select either Dual View or Split View tab to view the changes you make in the image. 3. In the Method option, select the reference for adjusting the image colors. • Master adjusts all the colors in the image based on those contained in the image. • Range blocks only the sections of the color bar where editing is applied.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To adjust the color balance of an image: 1. Select Photo: Color - Color Balance [Ctrl+L]. 2. Click the Smart tab. This allows you to define a specific color to change in order to improve image appearance. Tip: To proportionally adjust all the colors in the image, use the Preset tab. 3. Click the Desired color square to open the Ulead Color Picker dialog box to specify the replacement color (right-clicking opens the Color Picker pop-up menu).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To adjust color cast: 1. Select Photo: Color - Color Cast. 2. Pick a color from the Before View that should be the neutral tone (an area that should be pure white, gray or black but is not, because of the color cast). The cursor changes to the color picker when it moves over the source image. 3. After selecting a color, a reference point (represented by an "X") appears on the color wheel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Focus Selecting Focus adjusts the image’s overall convergence to sharpen or blur it. Lens Distortion In the Camera Lens range of effects, the Lens Distortion effect simulates the bending of an image through different shaped lenses, distorting the image in various ways. The lenses can emulate spherical and trapezoidal lenses as well as a combination of the two. To apply the Lens Distortion effect: 1. Select Photo - Lens Distortion. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE distortion, set the distortion center by dragging the O icon over the preview image. Use the slider to set the vertical and horizontal degree of distortion. Adjusting the sliders left makes the image concave, while going toward the right makes it convex.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Enhancement effects The enhancement effects in the Photo menu allow you to accentuate certain features in your images to make images look better or simulate a certain effect. The following sections illustrate how to use some of these effects. Blur This group of effects smoothen images by reducing fine image details and noise. These also suggest an out-of-focus effect. Motion Blur and Zoom Blur can be used to suggest fast camera or subject movement.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Edge Preserving Blur Edge Preserving Blur applies blur effects to an image or selection but retains the sharpness of the edges. This filter works similarly like Blur, except that neighboring pixels whose values are more than the given threshold will not be blurred. Edge Preserving Blur is helpful in simplifying images with a lot of noise. To apply Edge Preserving Blur: 1. Select Photo: Blur - Edge Preserving Blur. 2. Set the level of Edge preservation you want to apply.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Zoom Blur The Zoom Blur effect focuses on a point in your image, then creates a surrounding blur or whirlpool effect. This effect can be used on the whole image, a selection, or an image object. Before After To apply Zoom Blur Effect: 1. Select Photo: Blur – Zoom Blur. 2. Select a zoom type from the Type pull-down menu. 3. Click and drag the red spot on the left preview image to move the focus of the effect. 4. Select a radius setting in Unblurred Area radius.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Sharpen This group of effects corrects blurred and out-of-focus photos. These effects enhance the edges by making them more distinct resulting to a crisper image. Noise This group of effects allows you to remove unwanted speckles within an image and random pixels that produce noise. Reduce Noise Reduce Noise effectively helps you in eliminating different visible noises in images generated by digital cameras and scanners. To reduce noise: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To apply Beautify Skin: 1. Select Photo: Enhance - Beautify Skin. 2. Use the Eyedropper Tool and click to select a suitable skin tone from the original image. The selected tone will be shown in Skin tone. 3. In Level, determine the intensity of the effect. The higher the setting, the greater the enhancement. 4. Select a Complexion which controls the overall appearance of the skin, and the level of the effect. The higher the setting, the greater the variation.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Add Vignette Vignetting is a situation in photographic lenses causing the darkening of edges in an image. Add Vignette creates a framing effect by darkening the edges of an image, focusing the view on an image subject. To add vignette: 1. Select Photo: Enhance - Add Vignette. 2. Create the shape and focus of the vignette by using the Freehand or the Ellipse tool.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Add Moon With the Add Moon effect, you can add a moon to an image and customize its phase, appearance and location. To apply Add Moon effect to an image: 1. Select Photo: Enhance - Add Moon. 2. In Dual View, drag the red dot to the location where you want the moon to appear. 3. Under Phase, select the moon phase that you want. Rotate the moon by dragging the red dot in the Rotation dial. Click + or – for more precise adjustments. 4.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To apply Sunlight to an image: 1. Select Photo: Enhance - Sunlight. 2. In the Dual View tab, if image correction is needed, apply a preprocessing filter before applying the Sunlight effect to the image. Enhancement filters include: • Gradual luminance (ND) Corrects the light distribution of an image by adjusting the highlights. Before • Blue sky Adds a blue-white gradient on the specified effect area to enhance its appearance.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Lens Filters In traditional and digital photography, filters are placed over the camera lens for the purpose of modifying the appearance of a photo. Different filters are used to achieve different effects such as eliminating reflections on shiny surfaces, saturate colors, or deepen blue skies. The same output can be achieved in digital imaging using PhotoImpact's Lens Filters.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE of the beams, adjust Hue Shift. You can also set the diffraction beams' Intensity, Length, Size, Spacing, and Glow size. 8. If you made a selection on the base image, select Expand outside selection to make the diffraction go beyond the selection. 9. Click OK. Multivision Filter Multivision Filter simulates the effect of a camera’s multi-image filter, which creates reproductions of a subject. Before After To create Multivision Filter effects: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Star Filter Star Filter creates brilliant, star-like points in areas of an image where light is noticeably bright. This effect adds a dramatic and brilliant accent to ordinarylooking images. To create Star Filter effects: 1. With an image open, select Photo: Lens Filters Star Filters. 2. Specify the Filter Setting by entering the number of Spikes, and values for Variance. Determine the effect’s generated density by setting the Luminosity Threshold. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The following are features that can be adjusted for 48-bit images: • Brightness and Contrast • Unsharp Mask • Levels • Reduce Noise * • Curves • Crop • Hue and Saturation * • Rotate • Highlight Midtone Shadow • Flip • Color Balance * • Zoom • Invert • Auto-process • Color Cast * • Color Adjustment * • Equalize • Posterize • Gaussian Blur • Threshold Notes: • You can save 48-bit images in TIF or UFO format. • * does not support 16-bit grayscale images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To open RAW files, select File: Open and select the file you want to open. This will take you to the Open Camera RAW File dialog box. • White balance Calibrates colors to correctly display white and other colors according to different lighting conditions. You can adjust white balance through: • Scenario Lets you choose the lighting condition applied to the image. Choose from default scenarios (e.g. As Shot, Daylight, Tungsten etc.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE High Dynamic Range Dynamic range is the range of light that can be captured in a photo, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlight. Digital camera sensors (or film in traditional cameras), unlike the human eye, can only capture a limited dynamic range when photographing in extreme light conditions or dark environments.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Enhancing the dynamic range of an image with SmartCurves You can enhance the dynamic range of an image by directly applying a camera curve to an image. (To make a camera curve, see “Creating and saving a camera curve profile” for details.) To enhance the dynamic range of an image with SmartCurves: 1. Select Photo: Light - SmartCurves. 2. Select a camera curve from the Use camera curve list. Tips: • You can create your own camera curve in the High Dynamic Range dialog box.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Exposure Value. Whereas if you are taking a greater number of shots, you can set the exposure at lower increments but make sure that the number of shots are enough to cover a wide range of exposure levels. To create and save a camera curve profile: 1. Open the photos that were taken using various exposure levels. 2. Select Photo: High Dynamic Range. 3. In the Composition tab, select Auto generate camera curve from the Camera curve profile choices.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To compose the HDR image: 1. Open the photos that were taken using various exposure levels. Tip: At least one image with EXIF data is required for creating an HDR image. 2. Select Photo: High Dynamic Range. 3. In the Composition tab, select the Camera curve profile of the camera you used to take the photos.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To fix differences in the photo: 1. Select Remove artifacts. 2. Choose a method, Auto or By Brush, how to fix differences in the photos. • Auto Automatically fixes differences in the photos. • By Brush Lets you manually define areas in your photos that you want to remove or retain. Note: If you choose Auto, you do not have to do the proceeding steps. If you select By Brush, continue with the procedure below. 3. Click an image in the Image List Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Optimizing the HDR image You can also refine the HDR image by adjusting its tone and contrast. To optimize the HDR image: 1. Click the Optimization tab. Histogram clipping 2. Histogram clipping displays the full histogram data of the HDR image. Drag the two triangle sliders (black and white) to define the optimized histogram range to be used in the HDR image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Editing the HDR image Rotate, resize, crop, or save the HDR image. The Operations tab lets you make further adjustments to the HDR image. This is also where you can save the image as an HDR image file to retain the full tonal information of the image. To edit the HDR image: 1. Click the Operations tab. 2. Edit the image by using Rotate, Resize, or Crop. • Rotate Click a button to rotate or flip the image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE SmartRemove SmartRemove lets you remove unwanted objects or areas from at least two images of the same scene. You can even expand your creativity by preserving and/ or deleting particular objects or areas. To use SmartRemove: 1. Open at least two EXIF images of the same image size, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO values. Note: Images without these data can also be used but the result may be limited. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Retouch Tools The Retouch Tools are used to enhance areas of an image by adjusting existing color pixels. PhotoImpact offers a variety of tools to help edit your images such as: Dodge, Saturation, Burn, and more. To select a tool, click the lower right corner of the Retouch Tool in the Toolbox; a drawer of retouching tools opens and you can select the type of tool you want to use.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Burn and Dodge Tools The Burn and Dodge Retouch Tools let you darken or lighten areas of an image. On the Attribute Toolbar or Options in the Tool Settings Panel, select to modify only the Shadows, Midtones or Highlights when using these Retouch Tools. To use these tools, select the tool then drag over the area in the image you want to lighten or darken.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 to colorize more areas of the image. Tip: To colorize your photos faster, you can also select Photo: Color - Hue and Saturation then select Colorize to apply a single color. One petal selected then colorized. Newly selected petals being colorized. Cloning parts of an image Cloning is the process of duplicating an object or parts of an image and "painting" it over another part of the same image or another image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Touch-up Tool The Touch-up Tool is primarily used to correct blemishes on a person’s face or skin. Similar to the other Clone Tools, it copies pixels from one part of your image to another. In addition, the Touch-up Tool takes into consideration the texture and lighting of the image and therefore creating a realistic touch-up job. To use the Touch-up Tool: 1. Click the Touch-up Tool in the Toolbox. 2. On the Attribute Toolbar, Set the options for the Touch-up Tool.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Focus Adjusts the image by softening sharp edges and enhances dull areas. Works well with both sharp and blurred images. • Straighten Automatically rotates the image and straightens it to an absolute horizontal or vertical position. • Crop Removes white space from the edges of the image. • Enhance Automatically adjusts and smoothens tone to improve overall image quality. • Contrast Adjusts the Brightness of the image, and retains the original Hue and Saturation setting.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Whatever the case, Stitch Scanned Images lets you accurately and efficiently reconstruct an image from multiple pieces. The way in which you use Stitch to join image strips depends entirely on the condition of the images you have. For this reason, Stitch provides multiple options and controls for both manual and automatic stitching, giving you pixel-level control for seamless joining of images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Click Test to preview the auto stitched image. 6. Click OK. Manual stitching Manual stitching gives you more control on how to combine the different images. To stitch two images manually: 1. Follow steps 1 through 4 of the “To stitch two images automatically:”. 2. Drag the floating image until you are satisfied with its position. 3. Click OK. Adding a frame and photo caption Use Photo Frame to add a frame to your image or object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Tip: Select Shadow or Canvas to add a shadow or to enlarge the size of the document canvas. Click Options to customize the settings. 5. Click OK. There are different frame styles available and each one has a different set of frame options. However, the procedure of adding a frame is the same for all frame styles. To insert EXIF data as text on a photo: 1. Select Photo: Photo Frame and click the Text tab. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To insert a logo on a photo: 1. Select Photo: Photo Frame and click the Text tab. 2. In the Text tab, select Text then click Logo. Tip: Click Add to save the logo in Text to the currently selected item in the Element list. You can then use the same logo in the future by selecting it from the list. 3. In the dialog box, select the image you want to insert then click OK. Tip: You can see a preview of the logo in the Preview Window. 4.
4 SELECTIONS & OBJECTS In this chapter, you will learn how to work with selections and objects. PhotoImpact provides you with a variety of selection tools to let you select parts of images that you only want to edit. Selected areas in your image are indicated by a selection marquee. Besides selections, you will also be introduced to objects. You will learn how to create, edit and manage objects using tools such as the Transform, Measure, and Object Eraser Tools.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Working with selections When no area has been selected in an image, any command that you apply affects the entire image. To restrict the command to a certain area of an image, you need to create a selection area. Click the Selection Tools in the Toolbox, then choose a type of selection tool to use. Tips: • You can start and end your selection outside the image canvas making it easier to select the corners of your image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To create a standard selection: 1. Click the Standard Selection Tool and select the desired shape in Shape. 2. Drag your mouse over the image. Once the dotted line area covers the area you want to select, release the mouse button. Tips: • If you want to create a selection area based on precise dimensions, select Fixed size on the Attribute Toolbar and then enter the desired width and height. • To add to an existing selection, press [A] as you select.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Set the Area to consider when tracing. This determines the area that the Smart lasso will consider when tracing the edges. The Area to consider when tracing is represented by a circle. The larger the value, the larger the size of the circle. Tip: If the subject you are selecting has irregular edges (e.g. flower petals) and you do not want to include unwanted areas in the selection, it is recommended to set Area to consider when tracing to a lower value. 4.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 7. Drag and adjust the nodes to make your selection more precise. 8. Click Tip: Click to generate a lasso selection. to cancel the current selection. To use the Lasso Tool (no Smart lasso): 1. Drag the mouse to select the subject. Tip: If you are selecting a straight edge, release the mouse when you reach the starting point of the straight line then click the end of the straight line. 2. Follow steps 6 to 8 of the “To use the Lasso Tool (Smart lasso):” procedure.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: If there are other objects or selection areas made by other Selection Tools, the Magic Wand will include parts of the objects or selection areas that are similar as well. Tip: To add to an existing selection, press [A] as you select. To remove parts of a selection, press [S] as you define the section to remove. Determining color similarity To use Similarity, enter a value that you feel most closely reflects the range of colors you want to select.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE determines the colors that will be incorporated into the selection, so that the higher the similarity, the more colors are included. The second method, Standard, uses the image’s highlight, midtone, and shadow to determine the color range automatically. To make a selection using Color Range: 1. With an image open, click Selection: Select by Color Range. 2. Select the method of selecting the color range that you want to use. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Step 1 of 4: Drawing the boundary Trace the edge of the subject you want to extract. To draw the boundary: 1. Select Object: Extract Object. 2. In the Extract Object dialog box, set the Color and Size of the brush. 3. Drag to trace the edges of the subject that you want to extract. Make sure that the subject you want to extract is enclosed by the brush strokes. Tip: If you want to remove parts of the selection, click Eraser then drag on the edges that you want to remove.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Tips: • Click Invert to switch the selection to the unselected areas. • Click Reset to revert to the original state. Step 3 of 4: Adjusting degree of extraction Set the detailed level of extraction. To adjust the extraction degree: 1. Adjust the Extraction Detail slider. The higher the value, the more details are selected when the object is extracted.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Step 4 of 4: Refining the object Remove unwanted areas in the extracted object or recover parts of the original image to add to the extracted object. To refine the object: 1. Set the Size, Transparency and Soft edge of the brush. 2. Remove excess parts of the object by dragging on areas you want to remove. To recover areas from the original image, click +/- to add or remove. Tip: You can change the Background color and set the Background transparency.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE collage. Also, since Mask Mode has transparency options, it lets you blend more effectively one image object with another. Note: Mask Mode can only be used with RGB and 8-bit Grayscale images. Mask Mode basically operates on a Grayscale buffer, which means that you make selections based on tonal values of the Grayscale. When in Mask Mode, you will only be able to access Grayscale values in the color palette.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Paint on the image until you have the area you want. When you’re done, select Edit: Mask Mode or click Mask Mode on the Status Bar (or Exit Mask Mode in the Layer Manager) to exit. A selection marquee appears where you have painted on the mask. All areas that you painted using White and Grayscale values fall within the selection areas. Grayscale areas will be semitransparent, depending on the value of gray. 6.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Delete selected object(s) Enter/exit Mask Mode Delete the layer mask Create a layer mask Layer Mask options in Layer Manager Toolbar To create a layer mask: 1. Click the object that you want to add a mask on. You can also select the object directly at the Layer Manager. 2. Make a selection using the tools available. Make sure the selection intersects with the object to be modified.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Selecting on objects PhotoImpact lets you create new selections on objects. You can create a new selection on an object or a group of objects. This is useful when there are several objects in your image and you only need to select on one particular object. To select on objects: 1. Select the object or objects where you want to create a selection area. New selection made using the Lasso Tool on an object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Moving a selection area marquee After you have created a selection area with one of the Selection Tools, you might find that the selection area is not positioned exactly where you want it. For example, the selection might include part of the image that you don’t want. To move the selection marquee, click a Selection Tool then on the Attribute Toolbar, click Move Selection Marquee. After selecting Move Selection Marquee, drag the selection marquee to another area.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Softening a selection edge Click Selection: Soften (or right-click and select Soften) to make the edge of a selection area appear diffused, creating a “halo-like” effect. Higher values increase the diffusion of the edges. This effect will be apparent when you convert the selection to an object and move it to a different background.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Adding to or subtracting from a selection You can select multiple parts of an image at one time. In the same way, you can also exclude portions of existing selection areas. Follow these procedures: • To add an area, select from the Mode options on the Attribute Toolbar and click [+], or press [A] while selecting more of the image (the pointer changes to display a plus sign).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Managing object layers The Layer Manager helps you keep track of objects within an image. To open the Layer Manager, click in the Panel Manager. Tip: You can also open the Layer Manager by selecting Window: Panels - Layer/ Selection Manager or press [F3]. If the panel opens and it does not display the Layer Manager, click the Layer Manager tab.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE You can change an object’s properties by using any of the following methods: • In the Layer Manager, double-click a property item (size, position, or object name) to directly change its value. • Select Object: Properties. • Right-click an object and select Properties. Hiding and showing objects Temporarily hide objects to view different variations of your image. When printing an image, hidden objects will not be printed. Using the Object Properties dialog box 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Grouping and ungrouping objects While editing an image, it may be convenient to group objects so that you can move them as a unit or edit them collectively. To group objects: 1. Press [Ctrl] as you click the thumbnails of the objects you want to group in the Layer Manager. 2. Select Group from Thumbnail menu commands thumbnail) to group the selected objects together.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Editing objects Objects can be edited on their individual layers without affecting any of the other objects or the base image. In addition to editing them as you would any other selection, you can also remove parts of the object so that images and objects that lie beneath it are visible, thus creating a transparent object effect. You can do this with the Object Paint Eraser and the Object Magic Eraser, both of which are located in the Toolbox.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Set the tolerance level of the pixels to be removed in Tolerance. This determines the similarity of the color for removal with any adjacent colors and removes them as well. 4. Use the color sample picker to specify a color that will be set as the Original background color. This color will be used to “wash” pixels affected by Defringe and blend them with the background. 5. Click OK.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Separating a shadow from its object Separating a shadow and making it as a separate object from its original image is easy. To do this, select Object: Split Shadow or right-click an object and select Split Shadow. The shadow now becomes a new object whose attributes you can modify such as changing the color or applying a painting texture. Bottom bowling ball shows the shadow as a separate object. Note: Split Shadow is disabled when multiple objects are selected.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: By default, a duplicated object will be copied and superimposed on top of the source object. To displace the duplicated object and make it more visible, select File: Preferences - General and select Shift objects after doing Duplicate. Deleting an object To delete an object or group of objects, select it and then select Object: Delete (or right-click and select Delete) or press [Delete].
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using libraries You can store images and selections conveniently using Libraries. Click Libraries in the EasyPalette. All available libraries are listed below in a tree view. Click each library to see the thumbnails of any images, paths, and selections that are available. Saving selections to the libraries When you save a selection or an object to any of the Libraries, it is represented by a thumbnail in the library.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: To export a selection as a new image in the workspace, or to save it as a file in a specific file format, choose Selection: Export Selection. To save the entire image to the Object Library: 1. Select Selection: All (or right-click an image and select All). 2. Drag it to the Object Library. 3. Enter a name for the whole image and click OK. To store an image as a selection: 1. Prepare a Grayscale image of the image that you want to use as a selection.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE the mask object is placed at the mouse point when you drag the previously saved mask object into a new image and release the mouse. Notes: • When the destination image is of different size, the selection is placed wherever you release the mouse. • When placing a selection that has been created from a Grayscale image into an Indexed-Color or Black & White image, the gray areas of the selection are converted to pure black or white.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE All values, distance, length, or angle, are displayed on the Attribute Toolbar. You can use these values to compute differences when applying Transform, Rotate, or other effects. Using the Transform Tool The Transform Tool allows you to take an image, text, path object, or selection and manipulate it so that it changes shape and even perspective. To use the Transform Tool: 1. Select an object that you want to transform. 2. Click Transform Tool in the Toolbox. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • If you rotate or distort an entire image by anything other than 90, 180 or 270 degrees, extra space appears around the image, filled with the background color (Objects are not affected in this way). • If there is no selection or active object, the transformation will be applied to the base image. • If your selection area or object is a circle or an ellipse, a rectangular box will appear bounding the selection area.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To horizontally straighten an image: 1. Select Rotate Using a Horizontal line under Transform on the Attribute Toolbar. 2. Drag a control point to one end of a strong horizontal feature, such as the edge of the image. 3. Drag the second control point to the other end of the feature, carefully aligning the control line along the feature. 4. Double-click the image or any of the control points to rotate.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Drag the object to rotate it. Object Center mode Projection Center mode Notes: • Moving the Object Center relocates its object handle, thus moving the entire image but retaining the Projection Center in its original position. • When you see a round path with a focal point at the center, that is the Object Center and dragging anywhere within it transforms your object in a threedimensional effect.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • Object Eraser Tools can only be used on image objects. To use the Object Eraser Tools on a path and text object, base image, or selection area, it needs to be converted into an image object first. • Only 24-bit RGB, 8-bit Grayscale, Indexed color, and Black & White images can be edited with the Object Eraser Tools. To erase parts of an object: 1. In the EasyPalette - Image Library, select Rose 2 then drag it to the workspace. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To use the Stamp Tool: 1. Click the Stamp Tool in the Toolbox. 2. On the Attribute Toolbar, click the Stamp thumbnail to display stamp object choices. Click the desired stamp object. 3. Set the Transparency, Scale, and Spacing for the stamp objects. 4. Set how and what stamp objects appear in Order. For example, to use the same object in a straight line, select Angular. This means that the object type will only change when you switch direction as you drag the mouse. 5.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE have different names, but share similar attributes. This means that all components can be created using basically the same method. The following sections show you an example of how to create components using a Component Designer template. Notes: • In Component Designer, if you choose to export components as individual objects, they are still editable in PhotoImpact. However, their Component attributes are lost, making them uneditable in Component Designer.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • As Component Object (in PhotoImpact) Keeps objects intact for further editing in Component Designer. Tip: Click Back to create more Web components, or click Close. Rollover button This is a special button whose appearance (such as color, graphic, or shape) changes, using up to three separate images. The transition depends on the mouse action in three states: normal (no mouse action), mouseover (cursor moving over the image), and mousedown (clicking the image).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • You can always view and test your rollover button in the Preview tab by using the mouse throughout the whole creation procedure. 7. Click Export to select where to send the rollover button. To HTML saves it to a Web page (HTM or HTML) with JavaScript code and associated image files. Notes: • Once the HTML is exported, open its source code to view detailed information on how to copy a correct portion of HTML then apply the rollover button to your own HTML document.
5 USING THE PAINTING AND FILL TOOLS The Paint and Fill Tools in PhotoImpact allow you to decorate and enhance existing images or create original artwork from scratch. Once you understand the concepts of selections and objects discussed in the previous chapter, you will be able take advantage of the full power that these tools have to offer. This chapter introduces you to just some of the things that you can do with the Paint and Fill Tools.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Painting Tools PhotoImpact is equipped with an extensive assortment of painting tools that allows you to paint, draw on an image, or create your own image. To select a tool, click the lower right corner of the Paint Tool in the Toolbox; a drawer of painting tools opens, which lets you select the Paint Tool you want to use. You can use the Paint Tools much as you would use real paintbrushes, pens, and other drawing tools to create stunning artwork.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 4. Select a Soft edge for the paint. A lower value means that the paint strokes will have harder edges. 5. Click Lines to specify a painting mode. • Freehand allows you to paint freely by dragging the cursor on the canvas. A high Soft edge value (left) and low Soft Edge value (right). • Straight Lines lets you paint in straight lines by clicking the start and end points of the line. • Connected Lines lets you paint multiple lines that are connected to one another.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using Paint Tool presets Each Paint Tool comes with a set of useful presets that you can use to paint your image. To choose a preset, first select a specific Paint Tool, and then choose a preset from the Preset menu on the Attribute Toolbar. Once you have chosen a tool, you can use it as is, or you can further specify its characteristics on the Attribute Toolbar or in the Tool Settings Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Special Paint Tools and Tricks PhotoImpact provides you with some unique Paint Tools that you can use to make stunning and creative images, whether you want to paint an image from scratch or transform a photograph into a stunning work of art. Using the Particle Brush The Particle Brush creates a dappled paint effect that can be useful for adding glitter and shimmers to your image or for creating an impressionistic painting, among others. To use the Particle Brush: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To use the Drop Water Tool: 1. Select the Drop Water Tool from the Paint Tool menu. 2. On the Attribute Toolbar, specify the Shape and size of the tool. 3. Specify the transparency. Lower values decrease the amount of color that is smudged. 4. Specify the Soft edge. 5. Start painting on the image. Try using different stroke techniques to get the paint effect that you want.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To paint a border on a selection: 1. Create a selection area using one of the Selection Tools, or select an object or objects. 2. Select the Paint Tool that you want to use for the effect, and define its color as well as other attributes. 3. Select Effect: Creative - Paint on Edges or press [Shift+P]. The edges of the selection or object will be painted with the Paint Tool and attributes that you specified.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Editing active objects only Sometimes you might have a project with many carefully positioned objects in it, and then you discover that you only need to edit selected objects. The Edit Active Objects Only mode allows you to edit selected objects that are overlapped by other objects without having to reposition them. To edit active objects only: 1. Select the objects in the project that you want to edit.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Fill Tools The Fill Tools give you a convenient way to create backgrounds for your projects. In the Toolbox you can access the Bucket, Linear Gradient, Rectangular Gradient, Elliptical Gradient, and Texture Fill Tools. The Bucket Fill Tool is useful for quickly replacing solid colors, such as white to black. The three Gradient Fill Tools fill an area, using two or more colors, with a smooth color transition from one color to another.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Tip: Fill an image or selection area with your default background color without having to open the Fill dialog box. On the Toolbox, click or right-click the Background color square to select the color you want to use, and then press [Delete]. The image or selection area is filled with the background color. Choosing a Gradient Fill method In PhotoImpact, when applying a Gradient Fill on your image you can choose between two methods: Two-color or Multiple-color.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Select the start and end fill colors in the Fill colors color squares. 4. Click the point where you want the fill to start, and drag the mouse to the point where you want it to end, then release. Note: If you are using the Linear Gradient Fill Tool, press [Shift] while dragging to constrain the fill to a certain angle. If you are using the Rectangular and Elliptical Gradient Fill Tools, press [Shift] to create a square and circular fills respectively.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE include real-world textures such as wood grain, stone, and fabric, and Photo fills are photographic images that you can use as a fill. To use the Texture Fill Tool: 1. Click the Texture Fill Tool in the Toolbox. 2. On the Attribute Toolbar, choose a Texture fill preset category from the drop-down menu: Photo, Natural or Magic. Alternatively, you can use your own image file by clicking Select other texture, then selecting any JPEG or BMP file stored on your computer. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE When you open the Fill Gallery, you can view thumbnails of various gradients and textures. To apply a Texture or Gradient Fill, drag its thumbnail onto an image, object, or selection area. Notes: • To adjust a preset, right-click a thumbnail and select Modify Properties and Apply. • When a Texture or Gradient Fill is applied to a selection area, the base image within the selection area is filled with the texture.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Ulead Color Picker The Ulead Color Picker command opens a dialog box showing a continuous color spectrum. The color spectrum displays hue or color and luminance or the amount of brightness. When you move your mouse over the colors, their RGB and HSB values are displayed below the color spectrum. For a more precise color selection, click one of the colored tabs above the color spectrum.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Picking colors from an image or entire screen There are two ways to select a color directly from an active image: • Use the Eyedropper Tool, located in the Toolbox. • Use the Eyedropper command, located on the Ulead Color Picker pop-up menu when you right-click a color square. Notes: • By zooming in on an image, you can precisely select the desired color by simply clicking on it. • Color choices are limited to what the image contains.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The Color tab The Color tab in the Color Panel gives you an alternate location besides the Attribute Toolbar and Toolbox where you can set solid or gradient colors for the various PhotoImpact tools you work with. The colors specified here will become the default colors whenever you use a tool. Click the arrow under Mode to choose between using a solid color (Single-color) or a gradient color (Two-color or Multiple-color).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Spectrum Bar Left-click to select the foreground color, and right-click to select the background. Tip: Click [+] beside the color box to add the selected color to the Swatch Palette in the Swatches tab. Note: When in Web Color mode, if the color selected is not a Web-safe color, the warning mark and the closest Web-safe color that matches the selected color will be shown. Click the Web safe color square to use that color.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE clicking or right-clicking a color square. You can also set the color by clicking on the swatch while a favorite color square is selected. Click the arrow to open a pop-up menu where there are several commands that allow you to add, save, change the view or append swatches among others. Saving the current Swatch Palette, as a Ulead Swatch Library file (USL), allows you to use the same Swatch Palette for future projects or even share the palette to others.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE In this tab, you can also create custom gradient fills then save them as a Ulead Gradient Library file (UGL) which you can use for future projects. Tip: You can select multiple gradients by pressing [Ctrl] while clicking on the gradients that you want selected. You can also press [Shift] to select several adjacent swatches. When multiple swatches are selected, Edit is disabled. To deselect the gradient, press [Ctrl] and click the gradient again.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To edit the Color Table: 1. Click the arrow then select Color Table on the pop-up menu. Note: You can also access the Color Table through Adjust: Color Table. 2. The Color Table dialog box appears. Edit the Color Table by using the different functions available. • Compact Removes all unused and duplicated entries on the table. • Expand Adds cells at the end of the table to represent unused entries.
6 WORKING WITH TEXT AND PATHS With PhotoImpact, creating and editing text and path objects is quick, easy, and effortless. This chapter shows you how to add text to your images and how to use the different Path Tools to create basic geometric shapes as well as complex polygon shapes. Advanced techniques such as creating wrapping text, adding 3D properties to paths and text, and fusing objects using the Z-Merge Tool are also described in this chapter.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Adding text Adding text titles and captions to your images is a snap with PhotoImpact. It allows you to enter, modify, and customize 2D or 3D text directly on the work area. You can add gradients, textures, and fills as well as add shadows and dozens of other effects to your text. With the Text Tool, you can create and modify dynamic and exciting text directly on a specific area in your workspace.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3D Determines the appearance of depth, and the extent of the border of a 3D text object. Lighting effects can also be determined. See “Light” for details. Note: Applying the 3D Pipe effect to a multicolored text block will change the color attributes of the whole block. Options Anti-aliasing controls the smoothness or sharpness of your text. Choose from three anti-aliasing levels.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Split Text Text objects can be split by characters, lines, words, or styles. Even when text objects are split, each segment retains its properties as a text object. Note: Select Keep original text in Split Text to preserve a copy of the original text block. Applying text effects Once you've added and positioned the text on your image, the next step is to give it that extra spark of life to make it really stand out.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Editing text as a path object You can make extreme and slick changes to individual letters in PhotoImpact by converting your text into a path object. Each letter in the text will be converted to a closed path, which you can easily reshape using the Path Edit Tool. Take note, however, that paths cannot be converted back into text. Text properties are lost and the text's contents and settings can no longer be modified. To edit text as a path object: 1. Click the Text Tool.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Saving text objects Save text objects just as you would save image and path objects. There are two ways to save text objects: • Save to EasyPalette You can save the attributes for each text object to My Library in the EasyPalette for easier access. Simply drag your text object into the My Library folder and enter a name for the object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE use the Path Drawing Tool or Path Outline Drawing Tool. Use the Line and Arrow Tool to draw open paths. When you select one of these tools, the Attribute Toolbar changes to give you the drawing options for that tool. The fourth tool, Path Edit Tool, lets you adjust the shape of a path by giving you total control over the nodes, lines, and curve segments that make up a path. See “Using the Path Edit Tool” for details.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE You can tweak various characteristics of a shape, including its shape, color, surface textures and materials, lighting, 3D effects, and more. You can also choose the size of your nodes when working with paths. Select the size you want in Adjust node size of the Tool Setting Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The Polygon Shape menu holds four types of polygon shapes. For each of these shapes, the number of sides (or points) can be adjusted from three to 32. This number can be specified either before or after drawing the shape. Creating paths with the Path Drawing Tool Use the Path Drawing Tool to create closed shapes with solid fill.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Material Gallery contains combined properties of texture, light, bump, shadow, and more. Material Attribute Gallery contains presets for specific 3D characteristics, such as a type of bevel, shadow, shading, and other aspects. Choose a preset thumbnail and apply it by dragging and dropping. • Click Material on the Attribute Toolbar to customize various 3D properties individually. • Click Show or hide Tool Settings on the Attribute Toolbar to open the Tool Settings Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Examples of path objects created using the Path Outline Tool The Attribute Toolbar options of the Outline Drawing Tool are the same as that of the Path Drawing Tool, but also has additional settings for defining outline width and style in the Tool Settings Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • To ensure smooth edges, select Anti-aliasing in the Options group in the Tool Settings Panel. • 3D effects can be applied to Path Outline shapes the same way as they are to solidfilled Path shapes. For details on how to tweak 3D properties and to save them, see “Adding 3D properties”.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: For more information on drawing curves and irregularly-shaped paths, see next section. 4. Set the line Width and Style on the Attribute Toolbar. Select an Arrow style for the start and end points. 5. Select Anti-aliasing in the Options group of the Tool Settings Panel for smoother lines and curves. Add Shadow. 6. Click Mode and make the path a 2D or 3D object. For further 3D properties, click Material.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 6. Continue clicking and moving your mouse until you have created the desired shape. The path automatically curves based on the position of the nodes. 7. Double-click to complete the path. Note: Right-click at any time to cancel drawing. To draw a line segment: To draw a straight line segment within a path, hold down [Ctrl] while you click the start and end positions of the line segment. This prevents the Spline Tool from bending the segment into a curve.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. To draw a straight segment, click at the point where you want to start the line. A node appears. Move the cursor to the point at which you want your line to end, and click again to complete the segment. 4. To draw a curve segment, click at the point where you want the curve to start and then drag in one direction. Then click at the endpoint of the curve segment and drag in the opposite direction.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • To restrict the angle between segments to 45 degrees, hold down [Shift] as you draw. • Press [Backspace] to remove the previous curve or line segment drawn. • Use the same drawing procedures given in this section when drawing open-path lines and curves with the Line and Arrow Tool. Freehand Tool The Freehand Tool lets you create hand-drawn shapes. This tool is available to all path tools (except for the Path Edit Tool).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Drawing multiple paths With the Path Drawing Tool, you can create a single object with multiple path shapes. After drawing the first shape, click Mode on the Attribute Toolbar and select Continue Draw Mode, then draw the next shape. 1. Drawing the 1st path 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Drawing the final path 4. Final path object Notes: • Press [Esc] while creating a shape to cancel it. • To move a path, click and drag it. • After drawing multiple paths in Continue Draw Mode, use the Path Edit Tool to group and organize the paths. For more information, see “Using the Path Edit Tool”. Importing Adobe Illustrator files You can import vector graphics created in Adobe Illustrator into PhotoImpact.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Click Import. The Input AI File dialog box opens. 4. Select an AI file to import and click Open. The selected AI file is added to the selected gallery in the Custom Shape dialog box. 5. Select the object and click OK. 6. Click and drag your mouse to draw the object. The vector-based illustration now appears, allowing you to easily manipulate it using the Path Drawing Tool, Outline Drawing Tool, Path Edit Tool, or the Bezier Curve Tool.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Multiple paths drawn in Continue Draw Mode With Even-Odd fill Without Even-Odd fill When the Even-Odd Fill option is not selected, the fill occupies the entire interior of the object whether paths overlap or not. There are instances, though, in which overlapping areas are still left unfilled, depending on how the path was drawn. If the path's inner curve or line segments were drawn in the opposite direction as the outer segments, overlapping regions will not be filled.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE the path. Each segment contains nodes and up to two control handles at each end, all of which you can adjust by dragging. Nodes let you control the start or end position of a line segment, whereas control handles let you control the shape of a curve. • Nodes that are adjoined by two line segments do not have control handles, unless the path has been created with the Spline Tool.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE over the bounding box. To adjust the path shape, reposition the nodes or drag the control handles. After you have finished adjusting the shape, change back to the original Mode to render the path object. Using the Path Edit Tool The Path Edit Tool lets you modify path shapes with precision. Use the Attribute Toolbar options to add or remove nodes on your path, convert lines to curves or vice versa, group paths, and more.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To edit a basic shape or line and arrow path: 1. Click the Path Edit Tool, then click Toggle on the Attribute Toolbar, or click the path object itself. The path object is displayed as a wireframe structure. 2. To select a node or multiple nodes, make sure that Pick point is selected on the Attribute Toolbar. • To select a single node, just click the node. To deselect a node, press [Ctrl] then click the node.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 6. To change a curve segment into a line or vice versa, select the segment then click the Convert line button. Tip: Multiple path segments can be selected in order to simultaneously convert them to line or curve segments. Click a segment of the path to select it, then press [Shift] or [Ctrl] while selecting other segments. To deselect a segment, press [Ctrl] then click on the segment. Dragging control handles to adjust curve shape Editing in Free edit mode 7.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Editing polygon shapes Like the basic path shapes, polygon shapes can be edited by dragging nodes, adjusting node control handles, adding and deleting nodes, switching curved for straight segments and vice versa. However, polygon shapes are special in that their nodes and segments can be adjusted simultaneously, so that the adjustments still result in a regular, symmetrical shape. This is due to the fact that they are comprised of node sets.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. To add a new set of single nodes, click Add single-node set on the Attribute Toolbar, then click on the part of the segment to add it. A new set of nodes will appear on the corresponding segments on each side of the polygon, using your click point as a reference. 4. To add a set of paired mirror nodes, click Add paired-node set on the Attribute Toolbar, then click on the part of the segment on which to add it.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: These commands can only be applied to multiple paths created using the Path Drawing Tool's Continue Draw Mode. See “Drawing multiple paths” for details. Grouping and ungrouping paths If you have created a path object using Continue Draw Mode containing multiple paths, it is advisable that you group them into one or more groups of paths. Group related paths together when you want to fix their position in place while you continue to edit other portions of your path object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: Free Path is ideal for drawing curves and irregularly-shaped paths. It draws paths exactly the same way as the Bezier Tool. Follow the same procedure in “Bezier Tool” to draw a free path. 3. To edit the path(s) you have just drawn, select Edit existing path on the Attribute Toolbar. 4. Click a path segment, then right-click and select Convert to Curve or Convert to Line to change a line segment into a curve or vice versa. 5.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Making the path into a selection Tracing and converting images into paths The Edit: Trace Edges submenu contains commands that can convert any base image, selection area or object into a path. You can use these commands to trace a portion of an existing image and turn it into a path object. This saves you the time and the trouble of having to draw it from scratch. Later on, you can make adjustments to the object and give it a 3D look using the Path Tools.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Threshold The luminance value determines which pixels to include in the trace. All pixels whose luminance value falls below this are included. 3. Click OK. 4. The traced path appears on top of the raster image, with deformation handles visible. Drag the handles to change the path shape. Note: To edit the traced path more precisely, use the Path Edit Tool. For more information, see “Using the Path Edit Tool”.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The figure below shows an example of a path object drawn using the Path Drawing Tool, then further enhanced by applying 3D properties.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE None (2D object) 3D Round 3D Chisel 3D Trim 3D Pipe 3D Custom Modes Bevel Settings Allows you to define the relative thickness of a 3D object, both in height (Depth) and beveled edge (Width). It also provides an option (Smooth spine) for removing sharp edges caused by the bevel effect on irregularly-shaped 3D objects and smoothen the object surface.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE With reflection image (Reflection Tab) With texture image (Color/Texture Tab) Transparency Lets you set whether or not you can see through the object, and if so, to what degree. Border Lets you add a line border around a path object. The border color and width can be specified. Shadow Adds a drop-shadow to your object. It also gives you the option of having PhotoImpact render the backside of a transparent 3D object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE You can use up to four lights. To select a light and make adjustments to it, open the Material dialog box then select Light. Click and drag your mouse over the object surface to adjust the position of each light source. Alternatively, you can select individual lights in 3D on the Tool Settings Panel. Select which light source to adjust, then click Adjust light and move the mouse over the document to view the effect. Click to lock down a light position.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To create a transparent object: 1. Click the Path Drawing Tool, then select a Shape and draw the path. 2. Click Editing on the Attribute Toolbar to edit the path shape. Click Editing again to return to the Path Drawing Tool. 3. Change the Mode of the path object to 3D Round on the Attribute Toolbar. 4. Click Material, then click Border/Depth. Lower the Border setting. 5. Click Transparency. Select Transparency then set it to at least 75% to mimic the appearance of glass.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 7. Select Invert bump map to make the image appear raised instead of carved out of the surface of the object. 8. Click OK. Saving material properties to the EasyPalette After enhancing text and path objects using the Material dialog box, you can save custom attributes and 3D properties in the EasyPalette for future use.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Drag or double-click to apply the effect to the text. Notes: • Once a type effect has been applied, the text object becomes an image object, and you will not be able to further edit the text attributes. • To create custom type effects and apply them to your text, select Effect: Creative - Type Effect. Wrap effects Wrap effects bend objects in unique ways by aligning them to the path of a shape.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Add Text to Active Path Creates text on a path. Use any of the Path Tools to draw a path, then click this command to enter text and place it on the path. • Fit Together Wraps a text or path object over another path. Select the text object and the path on which to wrap the text, then click this command to combine them. Notes: • When you wrap a path object over another path, PhotoImpact automatically makes many duplicates of the object and lines them up over the path.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To change wrap properties: 1. Specify the number of times the object will appear in Repeat. • Automatic Determines the number of repeats automatically. • Count Lets you specify the number of repeats. • Spacing Sets the distance between text or duplicated objects. • Stretch to fit Adjusts the spacing so that the line of the object(s) is the same length as the path. Stretch to fit Different Start height and End height 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Fit text position to path Places text strings so that the base of each character is parallel to the path. • Distort text to fit path If Fit text position to path is also selected, this will deform each character to fit into its allocated space evenly. If it is not selected, the characters will be displayed in perspective and use even-odd fill methods on overlapping adjacent characters. • Mitre joint Only available if the above two options are selected.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Above: Mitre Joint Below: Without Mitre Joint Above: Distort text to fit path Below: Without distorting text Aside from modifying wrap properties, you can also adjust the path of a wrapped object. Use the Path Edit Tool (see “Using the Path Edit Tool”) to reshape the path. Below is an example on how to edit the path of a wrapped object. To edit the path on which objects wrap: 1. Select the wrapped text or path object. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Bending text objects The Bend effect in the Object: Wrap submenu is a special form of wrap effect for text objects. It curves your text into a semi-circular form or transforms the text into a full circular shape. To apply the bend effect to a text object: 1. Create a text object with the Text Tool. 2. Select Object: Wrap - Bend. 3. Enter the number of duplicated text objects you want in Count, then set the Spacing between each duplicate. 4.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The Z-Merge Tool One of the exciting features in PhotoImpact is the powerful Z-Merge Tool. ZMerge introduces the third axis, enabling you to not only control the width and height of objects in your document, but also the elevation, or depth. By doing this, Z-Merge enables complex interactions among Z-Merged objects in slick new ways. Z-Merge can be applied to both 2D and 3D objects including text objects. Notes: • Z-Merge cannot be applied to Web objects.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: Any object with a z-value will appear to be positioned higher in the stack than an object without a z-value, even if the object without a z-value is positioned higher in the Layer Manager. Now that objects have been assigned z-values, they can interact with each other instead of sliding independently over and under one another.
7 SPECIAL EFFECTS PhotoImpact categorizes effects into related groups, so you can easily locate and apply them to your images. Preset effects are grouped into galleries in the EasyPalette that you can just drag and drop to apply to your images. Customizable lighting, artistic, distort, and other special effects are grouped under the Effect menu.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Applying special effects Choose from the special effects in the Effect menu to customize and apply to your images. Various effects ranging from lighting, artistic, distort, to animated effects and custom filters are available. The following sections illustrate how to use some of these effects. Notes: • Filters and effects can only be applied to True Color (24-bit) or Grayscale (8-bit) image data types.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Artistic The effects under the Effect: Artistic menu transform your photos into works of art. Convert your photos into artwork such as cartoons, mosaic tiles, or pen and ink. Imitate different types of art media to produce painting effects such as impressionist, finger paint, oil paint, and more. Brick Tiles This effect creates outlined tiles, each filled with a graded blend of the colors from the original image or tiled using the original image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To apply the Cartoon effect: 1. Select Effect: Artistic - Cartoon. 2. Choose a shading style. Select Flat to produce a cartoon-like look, or select Smooth to have a closer resemblance to the original image. 3. Adjust the amount of Detail. A lower value includes lesser detail from the original image and gives a more cartoon-like look, while a higher value includes more detail and gives a less pronounced effect.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To apply the Contour Drawing effect: 1. Select Effect: Artistic - Contour Drawing. 2. For an image showing a lot of detail (especially on the subject’s background), set Edge sensitivity to Low to avoid picking up too much unwanted detail. If the subject from which contours will be drawn has a plain background, you can choose a Moderate or High sensitivity level. Original image Smoothness=100 Thickness=2 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To draw longer contours on the subject, drag the right clipping tab of the slider to the right. 5. Choose a Color for the drawing canvas. Tip: To make the source image show through the canvas, increase the Transparency level. 6. Set the brush stroke color, smoothness, width, and texture to use for drawing the contours. 7. Click OK. Engraving Engraving is a traditional graphical technique where an image is scratched into a metal surface.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Middle Layer All the shadows and a substantial part of the highlights and midtones are covered. • Top Layer Only the shadows are covered. Adjust the threshold range to fine tune the depth of the effect. 5. For each layer, you can also adjust the Brightness and Contrast of the areas that are applied with the engraving effect. 6. For the resulting image, choose a color for the engraving. You can use a solid color or the colors from the source image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To apply the Finger Paint effect: 1. Select Effect: Artistic - Finger Paint. 2. Select a brush Style to use for painting. 3. Adjust the brush Stroke size. A higher setting results in thicker and overlapping strokes. 4. Change the Density value to adjust the spacing between the strokes. A higher setting results in more tightly packed strokes. 5. Adjust the Variations. The higher the setting, the more random the strokes will appear to be. Before 6.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Set the Density, Stroke length, Stroke width, and Stroke opacity. The higher the settings are, the more abstract the result will be. 4. Increase the Size variation if you want to apply brush strokes in different sizes. 5. Increase Color variation to apply brush strokes in different colors. 6. Click OK. Before After Mosaic Tiles Mosaic art is an ancient design technique featuring an assembly of many tiny colored tiles to form an image or a pattern.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Before Density=60 Tile shape= Rectangle Density=100 Tile shape= Rectangle Pen and Ink Pen and Ink is an illustration style using fine pen strokes that can be applied to portray entirely abstract forms as well as more photorealistic effects with depth and shadow. PhotoImpact’s Pen and Ink effect can transform your images with a range of pen and ink techniques into traditional drawings or contemporary art. To apply the Pen and Ink effect: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Set the canvas color. 6. If you converted your image to an object or made a selection in step 1, you can adjust the canvas Transparency to blend the resulting image well with the background that you will be compositing the object or selection to. Note: To detect edges around the prominent shapes in the original image and draw the outlines in the resulting image, select Trace edges. You can adjust characteristics of the edge outlines.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The result is reminiscent of Pop Art images created from highly magnified printed artwork revealing the detailed and textured finish of newsprint. To apply the Screening effect: 1. If you will be compositing the after image onto the original image or another background after applying the Screening effect, first convert the image to an object or make a selection. Otherwise, skip this step. 2. Select Effect: Artistic - Screening. 3. Select a Texture.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Distort The Effect: Distort menu provides various warping effects that can change the physical appearance of a subject, such as making a person slimmer or fatter. Some effects also simulate water and wind activity such as a light breeze, a storm, or ripples on a pond. Custom Effect This custom effect distorts the pixel positions in an image by changing their x and y coordinates. In this effect, distortion of pixels applies to the entire image. To create a custom effect: 1.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Magic Gradient Magic Gradient generates sophisticated gradient patterns that cannot be made with the Gradient Tool or a Gradient fill. Magic Gradient can be applied to the whole image, a selection, or to an object. To apply a Magic Gradient effect: 1. Create a selection area using a Selection Tool, or make an object active in the workspace. 2. Select Effect: Fills and Textures - Magic Gradient. 3. Click Edit to select the desired Palette ramp in the Palette Ramp Editor.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 2. Select the Paint Tool, and open the Tool Settings Panel on the Attribute Toolbar. 3. Define brush settings in the Shape and Color in the Tool Settings Panel. (See “Using the Tool Settings Panel”) 4. Select Effect: Creative - Paint on Edges or [Shift+P]. The edges of the selection or object will be painted in the color specified in the Tool Settings Panel.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Turnpage The Turnpage effect gives your image the appearance of curling up from the corner as if it were a piece of paper or a page in a book. With this effect, you can ‘turn’ an image at any degree from any corner. To create a Turnpage effect: 1. Select Effect: Creative - Turnpage. In the dialog box, adjust these settings: • Type Whether the curled up corner is cylindrical or conical.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To adjust a captured image using DeInterlace: 1. Select Effect: Video - DeInterlace. 2. Choose between retaining the Odd field or the Even field. 3. Select the Fill using method. Duplication copies the retained field to the eliminated field while Interpolation regenerates the eliminated field. 4. Click OK. Before After Animation effects Creating animations to place on your Web pages doesn't have to be difficult.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Jump animation key frames The Key frame control Panel in PhotoImpact makes it very simple to create GIF animations. The selection or image to be animated appears above the panel to the left, where you can move the object or the focus of effect from key frame to key frame. Above the panel are the parameters of the object or effect’s behavior. Under the Preview Window is the effects gallery with presets to apply to your animation.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Creating key frames: A frame can be assigned as a key frame in one of two ways. Either navigate to a regular frame then click the (+) button, or change the parameters of a regular frame. It will automatically become a key frame. Note: Parameters marked with an asterisk (*) apply only to that particular key frame. Unmarked parameters apply to all frames. • Moving key frames: Key frames can be clicked and dragged across the key frame marker slider bar.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Puzzle Effect in Animation Studio More dialog box options: • Save Creates an animation file as an animated GIF. After saving, the dialog box remains open so you can continue to modify the animation. • Add Saves a frame as an image or the complete animation to the EasyPalette. • Preview Displays a preview of the effect of the current animation frame at full size.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 4. Modify a storyboard entry by clicking the corresponding thumbnail image and then selecting another template effect. Click Delete to remove an entry or Delete All to start over. 5. Click Save to create an animation file. After saving, the Effect dialog box remains open so you can continue modifying the effects settings. (See “Saving animations” for details) 6. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the current frame position's effect settings to the image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Interlace Allows the image layer to open gradually as it downloads, simulating a 'fade-in' effect. This however may increase file size a little. • Open with Ulead GIF Animator Launches Ulead GIF Animator for viewing and further editing your GIF animation files. (This option is available only if you have a version of Ulead GIF Animator program installed on your computer.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Texture Filter Artists express themselves using different types of drawing or painting media and surfaces. PhotoImpact gives you these creative options with Texture Filter. There are several textures that you can use depending on your desired image effect. • Translucent Glass Converts your image’s surface into glass. • Embossed Adds a relief of different particles such as water drops and bubbles. You can also choose other coarse-surfaced materials such as snakeskin.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creative Warp Creative Warp lets you create a kaleidoscopic effect, but rather than having an output of just a single frame, you can create an animation or an image sequence by using multiple kaleidoscopic effects simultaneously. To create a Creative Warp effect: 1. Select Effect: Distort - Creative Warp. 2. Select a Pattern template. 3. Click Advanced to expand the dialog box and display the storyboard at the bottom.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Crystal and Glass Crystal and Glass places transparent, curved objects over your image, refracting light and simulating distortions seen when viewing images through a crystal. This effect can be applied to the whole image, a selection, or an object. The crystal’s shape, size, position and other properties can be adjusted in the Crystal and Glass dialog box. To use the Crystal and Glass effect: 1. Click Effect: Distort - Crystal and Glass. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creative Lighting Creative Lighting effects allow you to simulate natural phenomena to produce fantastic animations for Web pages. Each lighting effect has its own attributes that can be customized individually. You can apply this effect to an image, selection area or active object. To apply the Creative Lighting effect: 1. Select Effect: Lighting - Creative Lighting. 2. Select a preset from the Effect thumbnails at the bottom of the Creative Lighting dialog box. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Lightning effect Light bulb and Comet effects Flashlight effect Particle Effect The Particle Effect adds the realism of fire, smoke, snow, and other natural effects to your images. Each effect has its own self-contained set of attributes which can be individually customized. The Particle Gallery in the EasyPalette also provides preset particle effects that can be directly applied to images. PhotoImpact now allows you to create animations based on Particle effects.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: Some elements can be modified within the Preview Window. You can also drag individual particles to reposition them. To create animation with Particle Effect: 1. Select Effect: Creative - Particle Effect. 2. Select a Particle effect from the Effect gallery. 3. Define the number of elements by specifying a value in Density. 4. On the Advanced tab, select a motion type: Manual, Directional, or Emitter. Note: For Rain and Snow, only the Directional method is available.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creative Transform The Creative Transform effect turns your image into virtual clay, allowing you to push its pixels around in order to transform the surface. It differs from the Transform Tool on the Tool Panel in that it doesn’t allow you to manipulate the position of a selection or object, but rather manipulate its consistency. To transform an image: 1. Select Effect: Distort - Creative Transform. 2. Select a template from the Transformation template gallery. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Type Effect The Type Effect allows you to modify text or objects in ways beyond the capabilities of the Text and Path Tools. You can add fire, ice, neon glow and emboss effects among others to objects. Combined with the functions of other tools, this effect can be powerful. To add a special Type Effect: 1. Select Effect: Creative - Type Effect. 2. Select an Effect template from the Effect gallery. 3. Modify the effect’s parameters in the Parameters Panel. 4.
8 BATCH PROCESSING Batch processing provides quick solutions to operating a series of commands. This is particularly useful when you are processing a large number of commands or images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the Quick Command Panel With the Quick Command Panel (QCP), PhotoImpact provides a fast way to access commonly used menu commands and toolbar actions, to retrace or redo steps you have done, as well as an easy way to record a series of steps (known as macros) that you can apply to your image or file and thus save precious time for more productive activities.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To record a quick command: 1. In the Task tab, click Create a new task. 2. Enter a name for the sequence of actions that you want to record, then click Record. 3. Begin applying a series of commands to your image. For instance, you can firstly create several objects. Then, click to select an object and choose Properties from the right-click menu. Here, you can change the Merge method, Transparency, and so on. You can also apply menu commands or toolbar actions.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Using the History Tab The History tab is a very useful tool when you often use the Undo/Redo commands, which are very important tools when you want to test the effect of a function applied to your image. After making a large number of changes to an image, the quickest way to return to a previous state is to select it from the list in the History tab.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Applying commands to multiple files When working with a large number of files, you will often want to edit, save, or perform the same commands on some or all of them. To save time and effort, PhotoImpact provides you with a number of options that help you perform the same commands across a number of files. Batch Manager Batch Manager displays file names and thumbnails of all images that are open in the workspace, including all commands that can be applied.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Batch Convert Batch Convert offers a convenient way of converting image files (including an entire folder of image files) without having to actually open them one by one in any image editing program. To batch convert files: 1. Select File: Batch Convert. 2. Select the folder or files for conversion in Source. Type determines what file formats are included in the conversion process. 3. Select where to send the converted files by specifying options in Destination. 4.
9 ALL FOR THE WEB Not only is PhotoImpact the complete image-editing package, it is also a dynamic and creative Web design tool embraced by both professional and novice Web developers. This chapter explores the Web capabilities of the program, covering everything from creating basic Web pages, enhancing images, designing components, applying script effects, to assembling the entire site from scratch.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Web pages A Web page is a hypermedia document coded with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML forms tag elements such as text and graphics so browsers like Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator can recognize and display a Web page properly on the World Wide Web. Notes: • To create a complete Web page, see “Putting a Web page together”. • PhotoImpact currently does not support the making of multi-frame Web pages.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE images. The following illustration will show you how a browser interprets and analyzes a Web page. It looks like neatly organized graphics and text that you could create in text and graphics editing programs. In reality, though, the page itself is built with an HTML document (HTM or HTML) at its core, which contains all the code and information in plain text. The code, in turn, tells the browser what it should display and how.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE In the EasyPalette, click Libraries and select Template. Double-click a blog template thumbnail you want to use under Web Pages category. You can start rearranging images, editing HTML texts or adding more objects and layers to achieve your ideal Web page. When editing text, right-click the text you want to revise and then select Edit HTML Text Object. You can start writing your own text in the HTML Text Entry Box.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Background tab • Generate background Provides a series of options for the background. Select a color, an image file, a texture, or even an animated GIF. You can also select an image with a transparent background together with a color, which will display through the background. • Using CSS Instructs browsers how to generate the background image. The default setting is repeat and scroll, whether or not Using CSS has been selected.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE HTML tab • Formatting Determines the appearance of HTML tags and attributes in the code. • Generate relative URL for reference Makes the code in each page reference the location of external files relative to its own position in the site. This makes the whole site easily transportable to a Web server. It is highly advisable to keep this option selected. • Conform to XHTML specification Outputs the code in XHTML (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language).
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Select an image then select one of the following options: • To download the selected image from the Web page and open it as a new image in PhotoImpact, click Open. • To open the original working file of the image (on your computer), click Locate or Browse to search for the file then click Open Original. Note: The original file can be image files or UFO files. 4.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • Selecting Entire page will capture the entire height of the Web page as an image, but not the width. This may not be a problem for Web pages that can automatically resize, otherwise, if you want to convert the whole Web page, you will have to specify a width that will accommodate the page. • Hyperlinks in Web pages are disabled in the Open Web Page as Image browser, therefore you must specify the exact Web page location.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To create a tiled background: 1. Select Web: Background Designer. Or, select Web: Web Properties. On the Background tab, select Background Designer texture. 2. Enter the dimensions of the background tile in the cell size boxes (80 x 80 pixels are recommended). 3. Select the style of wallpaper from Schema to define the tile texture. 4. Select from Background type to modify the texture pattern for a more random and unique appearance.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Background before shifting Background after shifting Creating a seamlessly tiled background When tiling an image selection as a Web page background, you can create a tile that is “seamless”, or one that tiles in a way giving the appearance of a single texture. So, distinctions between tiles become invisible. These tiles are not only eye-catching but less distracting when reading the Web contents.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Button Designer Most graphics-oriented Web sites contain graphic navigational interfaces, usually in the form of buttons. These buttons are very useful for creating easy to understand and interesting navigational aids. In addition to the button presets in Component Designer (see “Using Component Designer”), PhotoImpact provides Button Designer where a button can be created out of any shape object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 4. Select the Bevel tab. Besides the Basic settings, there are more specific settings to choose from including the bevel type, control and symmetry. Repeat re-applies the bevel type. 5. Select your preferred Bevel type, size and smoothness. The size is measured in pixels, so, for an object 20x20 a bevel of 10 would be drawn to a central point. The lower the smoothness the more distinct the bevel. 6.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE For example, a cell that is predominantly a simple color can be saved as a GIF which provides better compression for solid colors; whereas a cell with a more complex image can be saved as a JPEG. Note: By default, Web and linked multimedia objects are protected. The option can be switched off by clearing Protect Web Objects on the Attribute Toolbar. It is strongly recommended, however, that this option is kept selected.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To manually slice an image: 1. Select Slice Tool in the Toolbox. Note: On selecting the Slice Tool, by default, Protect Web Objects will be selected. This option will not work, however, if Erase All or Slice Evenly are used. 2. Click the arrow accompanying Method on the Attribute Toolbar. Select a horizontal, vertical or rectangular slice tool. Alternatively, right-click an object then select Slice Around Object. This will automatically snap a cell around the object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Two kinds of image maps can be created with PhotoImpact: object-based image maps and manually created image maps. Object-based image maps can be split from the objects through which they are created and can then effectively be treated as manually created image maps. Creating object-based image maps All types of PhotoImpact objects can have image maps assigned to them. Assigning hyperlink properties to an object creates an object-based image map.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Creating manual image maps The Image Map Tool offers a more versatile way of creating hyperlinks. It allows you to demarcate complex areas on your image then assign hyperlink properties to these areas without the need to first convert them to objects. These areas are image maps. To create an image map manually: 1. Click the Image Map Tool [U] in the Toolbox. 2. Select a Shape tool on the Attribute Toolbar. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Optimizing file sizes and quality for the Web Once you’ve created the images for your Web page, whether they are backgrounds or navigational elements, you can save them in a Web-optimized format such as the two most common Web formats: GIF and JPEG, or a newer format named PNG. PhotoImpact offers a user-friendly GIF, JPEG and PNG Image Optimizer to save your images with the highest possible quality at the lowest possible file sizes.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Browser preview Shows how the optimized image looks in a browser. Resample Resizes the image by resampling pixels. Be careful when using this feature as resampling may deteriorate the image quality. Crop Cuts away unwanted portions of the image. Display with/without Preview Windows Shows or hides Preview Windows of both original and compressed images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Standard Creates an image compatible with all browsers. But the file is usually larger than one using the Progressive method. • Standard Optimized Creates the smallest possible file using a nonprogressive compression technique. 3. Drag the slider or enter a value in Quality, or use Compress by Size to compress the image to a specific file size or ratio. Higher compression levels lead to lower image quality. 4. Click Matte on the Mask Options tab to select a background color.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Notes: • Although making a background transparent means that it will not show on a Web page, try to crop the image (using Crop) as close as possible to reduce the file size. • Using Compress by Size compresses the image to a specific file size or ratio. 5. Modify the current palette in the Palette tab as needed. For example: • To modify a color, click a color cell, then click Palette menu to select a command.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE The transparent background displays an object that merges with the Web background smoothly on a Web page. The matte color will also fill the transparent pixel area if the image already has a mask, or you select one from Mask. 5. For an indexed PNG file (no more than 256 colors), further customize the current palette in the Palette tab. 6. Click Save As. Tips: • For transparent True Color or Grayscale PNG images used for a Web page, there is no need to choose a mask option.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Click OK. Once the tests have been generated, you can view the results in the Batch Results dialog box. Highlight a test result and click Select to apply the setting into Image Optimizer’s Preview Window. Objects for the Web In addition to the background, a Web page comprises objects such as images, hyperlinks, text and so on.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: Linked Objects should not overlap other objects or the base image, in order to avoid unexpected file size increases and file format and HTML attribute changes. The base image should be hidden while the document is used for creating a Web page. To link a multimedia object: 1. Select Web: Link Object - (select multimedia category). Note: This step applies to all multimedia types in the menu. 2. Select a multimedia file to insert.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: Linked JPEG and GIF objects will always be opened in PhotoImpact, while animated GIF objects will be always be opened in Ulead GIF Animator which is included with PhotoImpact. To associate applications with multimedia files: 1. Select Web: Object Editor Manager then click Add. 2. Browse for the executable file of the application to associate with your multimedia files. 3. Click OK.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • HTML text You can easily enter or modify text. Plain text speeds up downloading, and is more useful for text-rich content such as itemized lists, articles and essays. However, fonts and type effects are limited. • Bitmapped graphics as text You can use any fonts installed on your system, and the same editing capabilities used for image editing. This means that you can create interesting type effects, such as 3D bevels, gradient and texture fills, distortions, and much more.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Converting HTML Text objects to image objects You have greater flexibility with HTML text objects as PhotoImpact now allows you to convert HTML text objects to image objects. This removes the restraints placed on text by HTML, such as text wrapping within its boundaries when it is resized, and allows you to manipulate these objects the same way as any other image object. To convert an HTML text object to an image object: 1. Select the HTML text object to be converted. 2.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • Vertical Scroll Displays typed and exported text in directional mode. You can specify entry and exit directions of your text. • Slideshow Enables images to be displayed in a slideshow presentation during a specified mouse event. • Status Bar Message Displays a message in the Status Bar of the Web browser while accessing the page. You can specify different messages for each type of mouse event. • Swap Image Replaces an image with another one during a specified mouse event.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 3. Click Add. The entered information will be displayed in the window below, and will still be displayed in the fields. 4. Select font face, size and style. 5. Specify the coordinates within the slice of the start position of the top left corner of the pop-up menu. An irregularly shaped image map will calculate the start position from the top left corner of a hypothetical bounding rectangle around the image map. 6. To enter more menu items, click Add again.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE To create a Status Bar Script Effect: 1. Select the cell or image map that will trigger the Script Effect, then open the Status Bar dialog box. 2. Select an event which will start the Status Bar effect. 3. Select Display effect on event: (event type). It is possible to select more than one event type that will start the effect. Clicking the down-arrow beside Event will display a check beside all events that will start the effect. 4. Type in the message you want to add. 5.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 5. Click Browse for file to select an image to swap into the cell. 6. Click OK. To create HTML Text Script Effects: 1. Select a cell with HTML text that will host the Script Effect, then select a Text effect dialog box. 2. For Blink Text effect: • To add a color, click the Color box to select a font color that the text will change to, then click . The font color will be listed with its hexadecimal code in the window.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Advanced rollover button In addition to the rollover button presets in Component Designer, PhotoImpact maximizes your creative potential with tools for developing unique rollover buttons (objects) from scratch. Once created, the rollover object will be placed onto your current PhotoImpact document directly. To edit it later, right-click the rollover then select Edit Rollover Object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Web Slideshow Web slideshows are a popular way of presenting images. However, creating them usually requires intensive coding and programming knowledge. With PhotoImpact, you can now incorporate slideshows into your Web pages without worrying much about the tediousness task of coding. A single web page can hold multiple slideshows. Like script effects, you can specify the event that precedes each show.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Exporting a Web page How does the Web page look on the Net? How do people view my Web page? Who can help me fix problems? These are often the questions in mind when creating a Web page. PhotoImpact provides these solutions along with a diagnostic mechanism. When you are trying to preview, save, or export a Web page in PhotoImpact, this automatic mechanism detects possible HTML rendering problems. If found, a dialog box appears with details of each error.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE • As HTML Saves as an HTML document (HTM or HTML) and its associated images. By default, images are saved to the “images” subfolder (in the same folder as the HTML document). • Update Image in Web Page Replaces an image in a Web page. • Entire Image Optimizes and saves the image, with all objects merged to form a single image. • As Single Object Optimizes, saves, and merges the selected objects into a single image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Note: A fast way to create a Web page is dragging a preset from the Template Library in the EasyPalette to the workspace. Next, customize each object and then export it as a Web page. 2. Place objects you want on the page. These can be Web objects, linked multimedia files or images. Note: Images can be objects created from scratch, images used for graphics/ illustrations, or any Web components created from the Web menu. 3.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE GIF Animator Ulead PhotoImpact includes the multiple award-winning, feature-packed GIF Animator, opening up endless possibilities for your Web page. Create everything from basic animations to the most complex multiple-object animations. Add awesome text and transition effects, tweak transparency levels, animate buttons, banners, logos, and more.
Appendix COMMANDS
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Command descriptions The information below provides a quick reference to commands in menus and panels. Menus and dialog boxes File Menu Provides commands for file input, output, and management. For example, you can open, save, export, import, print, and so on. File Menu New Opens an empty window in the workspace to create either a new image, a new Web page, or a DVD menu. Open Calls up the Open dialog box for selecting files to open in the workspace.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE File Menu Screen Capture Captures parts or the whole computer screen as an image. Page Setup Opens the Page Setup dialog box to determine the size and the layout for a page to be printed. Print Preview Displays approximately how the image will appear on a page after printing. Print Sends the active image to the currently selected printer for output. More Print Options Provides a number of special printing functions.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Edit Menu Duplicate Shows a submenu for creating a new image consisting of elements in the current image. Clipboard Displays a submenu for working directly with clipboard data. Crop Discards the image content outside a selected area and resizes the image accordingly. Rotate and Flip Shows a submenu for changing the orientation of an image. Place as Base Image Opens an image file to place in the current image.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Adjust Menu Equalize Automatically adjusts an image that is too dark by redistributing the brightness values. Calculation Merges two images of the exact same size together based on the selected source channel, with the first image laid over the other, to make a new image look like a superimposed picture.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Photo Menu Noise These effects allow you make an image look like it came from a degraded television. Enhance Improves an image with assorted photographic effects. Lens Filters In traditional photography, filters are placed over the camera lens for the purpose of modifying the appearance of a photo. Different filters are used to achieve different effects such as eliminating reflections on shiny surfaces, saturate colors, or deepen blue skies.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Selection Menu Soften Gradually fades the edges around a selection by blending it more smoothly with the background. Select by Color Range Automatically selects portions of the image based on color similarity. Convert to Object Creates a new object from the current selection. Preserve Base Image Leaves the base image unchanged when moving a selection.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Object Menu Extract Object Extract Object is another method for selecting and drawing out a subject from your image or object for further composition. Edit Object / Edit Path / Edit Text / Edit HTML Text / Edit Rollover Modifies the selected object. Wrap Bends or wraps text and path objects. Trim Object Deletes the excess borders of the selected object to make the area surrounding it transparent. Convert Object Type Changes the properties of a selected object.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Web Menu Provides commands for Web page use such as HTML text object, Component Designer, and so on. Web Menu HTML Text Object Adds HTML text to your Web image, which will appear as a Web object in your image. Link Object Inserts objects into the current document. Rollover Creates rollover buttons using images or shapes that you design.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE View Menu Provides commands for viewing options such as Zoom, Show Ruler, and so on. View Menu Add a View Opens and links a new window of the active image at the highest magnification that will fit in the current workspace. Actual View Resizes the image to 1x (100%) magnification. Maximize at Actual View Enlarges the current window to fit the whole workspace and adjusts the image to its actual size.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Window Menu Tile Vertically Evenly distributes all open windows vertically in the workspace. Arrange Icons Arranges icons of all minimized windows along the bottom of the workspace. Close All Closes all windows in the workspace. Close All but Active Closes all windows except for the one currently active. Batch Manager Select several open images and apply the same command to all of them.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Toolbox The Toolbox provides all the editing tools you need to work on images. Toolbox Pick Tool Use the Pick Tool to move selections and objects around the image. Selection Tools When no area has been selected in an image, any command that you apply affects the entire image. To restrict the command to a certain area of an image, you need to create a selection area. Click the Selection Tools in the Toolbox, then choose a type of selection tool to use.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Panel Manager The Panel Manager allows you to open or close various panels. Just click the button to open the associated panel, and click again to close it. Layer Manager and Selection Manager The Layer Manager and Selection Manager are located on the same panel and help you to easily organize objects and selections in your image. Layer Manager Selection Manager Switches to the Selection Manager.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Selection Manager Layer Manager Switches to the Layer Manager. Selection Manager Options Opens a pop-up menu where you can search selections in the current image and customize the look of the Selection Manager. Make new selection Clears current selection and creates a new one. Change the selection by addition Adds an area to the current selection. Change the selection by subtraction Removes an area on the current selection.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Browse Manager Browse for image files on your computer using the Browse Manager. Image files are represented as thumbnails for easier identification. Double-click on the thumbnail to open the image as a new file. Drag the thumbnail into the document to paste the image as a new object in the active document. Browse Manager Folder Tree Displays the available folders in the drives connected to the computer.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Browse Manager Sort Opens a menu where you can choose to arrange files by name, file type, size, or date in ascending or descending order. Thumbnail Size Click to change the display size of the thumbnails in the Browse Pane. EasyPalette The EasyPalette contains preset effects, masks and objects that you can easily access and use in your images.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Quick Command Panel The Quick Command Panel gives you a fast way to access and apply commonly used commands and actions to your images. You can record a series of commands and actions as tasks, then apply them to your images at a single click. Quick Command Panel History tab The History tab displays a history list of actions that were applied to the current document, and lets you easily undo or redo these actions.
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 311 Index Numerics 3D 150 3D text 179 Adding 3D properties 206 Path objects 185 Transformation 150 A Animation 237 Effects 237 Frame-based animations 237 GIF Animator 292 Playing a frame-based animation 239 Saving 241 Storyboard-based animations 240 To create an animation 242 To create animation with Particle Effect Acquiring 48 248 Images from scanners 48 To prepare images for animation 292 Images from the Internet 74 Applying 255 Images from WIA devices 49 Special effects
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Bezier/ Polygon Tool 190 Blog templates 259 Blur 91 Edge Preserving Blur 92 Flatten Uneven Area 92 Motion Blur 91 Zoom Blur 93 Border 136, 298 Border tab 209 Painting an outline or border 162 Brick Tiles 223 Browse Manager 25, 27, 47 Bucket Fill Tool 165 Bump maps 211 Bump Tab 210 Burn and Dodge Tools 113 Button Designer 267 Clipboard 58 Cloning parts of an image 114 Color 84 Color Adjustment 78 Color Balance 86 Color Cast 22, 87 Color Management 69 Color Panel 25, 27, 171
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 313 Seamlessly tiled background 266 Smooth-edged selection areas 135 Transparent objects 210 Web background image 264 Creating and organizing your galleries and object libraries 37 Creative Lighting 246 Creative Transform 233, 249 Creative Warp 244 Cropping 53 Crop Tool 29 Perspective Crop 55 Crystal and Glass 233, 245 Curves 83 Curves, drawing 189 Custom Effect 233 Customize the dimensions of a new image 43 Customizing 31 3D path objects 185 Customize dialog box 31 EasyPalet
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Extracting the object 128 Extraction Detail 129 F Fill a selection or object 165 Fill Tools 165 Filling an area with a texture 167 Film Grain 96 Finger Paint 227 Fit Mask 146 Flatten Uneven Area 92 Floating and docking toolbars and panels 30 Focus 22, 89 Freehand Tool 192 Full Edit mode 20 G Galleries 34 Get Photos 20 Get started with Script Effects 283 GIF Animator 14, 75, 292 Global Viewer 26, 51 Gradient Fill Tools 165 Gradients tab 174 Grouping and ungrouping object
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 315 Linking multimedia objects 278 Lower-third 156 Object Libraries 34 Object mask 132 Object Properties 139 Object-based image maps 272 M Objects 137 Magic Gradient 234 Objects for the Web 278 Magic Texture fills 167 Objects on a Web page 278 Magic Wand Tool 125 One-click Presets 23 Manage Photos 20 Opening 45 Managing object layers 138 CMYK files 46 Manual stitching 118 Image files 45 Manually slice an image 270 Image/UFO file from a Web page 262 Mask Mode 130 Web page as a
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Particle Brush 161 Plug-ins 74 Particle Effect 247 Pop-up menu Script Effect 283 Pasting 56 Posterize 79 Image as objects 56 Post-processing 49 Images as new images 57 Preferences 29 Images beneath the mouse pointer 58 Preserve Base Image 136 Images into a selection area 57 Preserving the base image 135 Images to fit into a selection area 57 Previewing in a browser 289 Paths 182 Printing 69 Adding 3D properties 206 Calibrating your printer 69 Continue Draw Mode 193 More pri
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 317 Resolution 52 Retouch Tools 112 RGB color type 103 RGB/HSB 172 Rollover button 155 Advanced rollover button 287 Rotate 110 By degree 148 Copy rotate 148 Rotate in Virtual 3D 150 Rotating images 149 Shadow 142 Shadow tab 209 Sharpen 94 Shifting a Web background 265 Show HDR color 109 Single-color mode 172 Slice Tool 268 Smart lasso 123 SmartCurves 22, 80, 105 SmartGuide 25, 28 SmartRemove 111 Smoothen 115 Soften 136 S Softening a selection edge 136 Save the entire image to
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE Subject Exposure 22 Sunlight 97 Swap Image effect 285 Swatches tab 173 T Testing your files with different settings 277 Using 31 Bump maps 211 Burn and Dodge Tools 113 Clipboard 58 Color Panel 171 EasyPalette 36 Fill Tools 165 Lasso Tool (no Smart lasso) 125 Lasso Tool (Smart lasso) 123 Magic Wand Tool 125 Mask Mode 131 Measure Tool 147 SmartRemove 111 Touch-up Tool 115 Text 178 Effects 180, 212 Objects, bending 218 Tool settings 178 Texture Fill Tool 165 Texture Filter
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE 319 Working with selections 122 Workspace 20 Wrap effects 213 Z Z-merge 29, 138 Z-merge Tool 219 Zooming on an image 50
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT USER GUIDE
