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 Home > Tutorials >
Beginners' Classes >Making Images Fit |
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| Originally I planned on using this final lesson to review the previous lessons and use what we learned to create an image. Since we've been doing that all along I thought it would be better to write a tutorial on sizing features. So, in this lesson we will be covering Canvas Size, Cropping, Resizing, and Feathering. | ||||
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For this tutorial you should download the zip file on the left which contains the photo we are going to work with. | |||
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Extract and open (File || Open) "/tutorial/html/beginclass/flowers1zjh.jpg". For those of you who don't like flowers I apologize but you can always create an image for somebody else who does. | |||
  
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This is a photo I took with my digital camera. Although it is perfect size for printing an 8" x 10" photo it is way too big to use on web pages or in e-mail. The Title bar of the image says 60% which means that it is only being displayed at 60% of its original size. Go to View || Zoom || Zoom to 100% (Ctrl+Alt+N) to see the image at its full size. Note: It is important to keep an eye on the % number in the Title bar. | |||
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Let's resize the image. Go to Image || Resize (Shift+S). You can resize by Pixel or Percent. I use Pixel when I know the size I want the image, otherwise I use Percent. In this case I am not worried about the pixel size so I am going to use Percent. Under Pixel Dimensions make sure Percent is chosen and type "50" in the box beside Width, if you have Lock Aspect Ratio checked Height will change to 50 automatically. Print Size is not important in this case so we will just skip that section. However, if you need an image to be printed at a specific size you use this section to resize your image. Resample using = Smart Size. Choosing Smart Size makes PSP choose the best algorithm to resize, depending on whether you are making the image larger or smaller. It chooses between Bicubic, Bilinear, Pixel Resize, and Weighted Average. If you don't like the results of the resize undo it (Edit || Undo) and choose a different algorithm such as Bicubic if you are making an image larger or Bilinear if you are making an image smaller. Lock Aspect Ratio and Resize All Layers should be checked. Only uncheck these if the aspect ratio doesn't matter or if you only want to resize the currently active layer. Click on OK. |
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| It is usually best to sharpen an image after resizing to improve the clarity, so go to Adjust || Sharpness || Sharpen. | ||||
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Note: I chose to resize to 50% but the size really depends on what you are going to use it for. This image will work on a web page or in an e-mail but personally I would make it even smaller if I was going to use it for either. We are going to be cropping this image anyway so 50% is perfect. | |||
  
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Click on your Crop tool and reset to default. In the Tool Options palette change the following settings: You could also click in your image and, holding down your left mouse button, drag out a rectangle the size you want it. Click on the Apply button (check mark) on the Tool Options palette. |
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Promote the background to a layer (Layers || Promote Background Layer). Click on your Selection tool and reset to default. Change the Selection Type to Ellipse and Feather to 10. Put your mouse at the coordinates (x:175 y:175) and, holding down the left mouse button, drag out the selection until the second set of numbers in the Status bar are (321, 324), then release the mouse button. Go to Selections || Invert and hit the Delete key. Deselect with Ctrl+D (Selections || Select None). | |||
| We went ahead and added the feather to the selection as we made the selection. Another way to feather is to select what you want to feather, then go to Selections || Modify || Contract = 10, and go to Selections || Modify || Feather = 10. Feathering will make our image appear to blend into the background. | ||||
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Let's add some room for our text by increasing the canvas size. Go to Image || Canvas Size: We are going to add text to the bottom so we need more space at the bottom. Click on the middle arrow on top under Placement which changes the settings to Top = 0 and Bottom = 25. You can also type it in. Click on OK. |
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Click on the Text tool and reset to default. Set your Materials to something you like. I set my Foreground to Null and my Background to an orange color from the flowers. Click just below the circle to open the Text dialog. Type what text you want. I typed my name. Click on Apply. Go to Objects || Align || Horz. Center in Canvas. |
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| Go to Selections || From Vector Object, then to Layers || Convert to Raster Layer. Go to Effects || 3D Effects || Inner Bevel, try the different presets and choose something you like. Deselect (Selections || Select None or Ctrl+D). | ||||
| Make sure your text is positioned where you want it and go to Layers || Merge || Merge Visible. | ||||
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I use white as my background most of the time so I am going to just save it as a jpg. If you plan on using the image on a background other than white then you need to add a new raster layer, send it to the bottom, fill it with the color or pattern you are going to be using the tag on, and then go to Layers || Merge || Merge All (Flatten). You may want to resize and sharpen the image again if you are going to use it as a signature tag in your e-mail. Save (File || Save). |
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| This lesson concludes the Beginners' series. I hope you enjoyed these lessons and I look forward to seeing some of your creations on the internet. | ||||
