Posted 02/14/2012 09:34 AM Paint Shop Pro X4 provides ways to adjust the brightness as well as the contrast in your images, which creates differences between the light and dark pixels in the image. By applying commands to a selection or an entire image, you can do the following:
manually determine brightness and contrast;
setting individual brightness in the image;
defining highlights (75% hue), midtones (50% hue) and shadows (25% hue) to ensure smooth transitions between them;
distribute pixel brightness values more evenly from black to white;
increasing overall contrast when the histogram does not cover the entire brightness spectrum;
determine settings for brightness, contrast and gamma in the image;
creating a pure black and white image.
7.3.1. Adjusting the light, mid, and dark tones of an image
To adjust light, midtones, shadows and organize a smooth transition between them in the selected area, a command is provided Adjust → Brightness and Contrast→ Highlight/Midtone/Shadow(Adjust → Brightness and Contrast → Highlights/Midtones/Shadows). After executing this command, a dialog box opens Highlight/Midtone/Shadow(Highlights/midtones/shadows) (Fig. 245).
If nothing is selected in the image, then adjustments are made for the entire image.
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Rice. 245. Image tone adjustment |
Options Shadow(Shadow), Midtone(Intermediate tone) and Highlight(Highlight) determines values for shadows, midtones and highlights in the selected area, and if nothing is selected in the image, then for the entire image. The numeric values in these parameters depend on the selected position of the switch located below these parameters.
The switch at the bottom of the dialog box can have the following positions:
Absolute adjustmentmethod(Absolute Adjustment Method) - Sets positions to 25% for shadows, 50% for midtones and 75% for highlights. Typical values are around 35 for shadows, 50 for midtones and 65 for highlights, but these may vary depending on individual photos. Increasing values lighten the area, and decreasing values darken it.
Relative adjustmentmethod(Relative Adjustment Method) - Adjusts brightness levels relative to their initial states. Positive values lighten the area, while negative values darken it.
7.3.2. Installation histogram
The tone histogram allows you to analyze the tonal range of an image and redistribute the balance of shadows, midtones and highlights.
To adjust the tones in an image or selection, you need to run the command Adjust → Brightness and Contrast→ Histogram Adjustment(Adjust → Brightness and Contrast → Histogram Adjustment). After executing this command, a dialog box opens Histogram Adjustment(Histogram adjustment) (Fig. 246).
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Rice. 246. Setting the histogram |
Switch Edit(Edit) determines the type of histogram to be edited:
Luminance(Illuminance) - allows you to edit the histogram based on the brightness of the image;
Color(Colors) - allows you to edit the histogram based on one of the color channels of the image. After selecting this switch position, a list becomes available to the right of this position in which you need to select color channel, on the basis of which the active image will be edited.
On the list Presets(Options) offers ready-made adjustment options. When you select any of them, the switch Edit(Change) is automatically reset to position Luminance(Illumination). Preset value Default(Default) does not represent any additional installations in the image.
In the parameters located below the graph, you can change the values using both absolute values and relative (percentage) values.
Slider Low(Low) starts on the left side of the histogram, located between the left edge of the graph and the point where the curve begins to rise. This gap shows that the dark pixels in the image are not completely black. This parameter displays the percentage of pixels that are between zero and a low value - their contrast will be lost. As a general rule, set the value low level less than 0.1%. This parameter can also be adjusted using the dark gray slider.
Slider High(High) starts on the right side of the histogram, located between the right edge of the graph and the point where the graph reduces to zero pixels. This option changes the light pixels in the image to white. As a general rule, set this parameter to less than 0.1%. This parameter can also be adjusted using the white slider.
Slider Gamma(Gamma) - if general image is too dark or too light, you will need to adjust the gamma, which is a standard measure of the change in contrast in images. If the image is too dark, then move the slider Gamma(gray triangle) to the right to increase gamma. If the image is too light, then move the slider Gamma left to decrease the gamma setting.
Slider Midtones(Midtones) (on the right side of the window) - If the graph has peaks on the left and right, or contains low values in the center, then the midtones need to be compressed. Shadows and highlights need to be expanded to show the information they contain. This often happens when taking flash photography when the subject is too close to the camera; the subject appears brightly lit, but the background of the photograph is created dark. To compress midtones, move the vertical slider Midtones. If the peaks of the graph are in the center and have low pixel counts on the left and right sides, then expand the midtones by moving the slider Midtones down.
If you are creating artistic effects, you can use the controls Output Max(Output max)() and Output Min(Output min) () to the left of the histogram. Engine Max is a white circle on a gray background, and the engine Min is a black circle on a gray background. In order to darken the light pixels in the image, you need to move the slider Max down. To lighten dark pixels in an image, you need to move the slider Min up.
Even if the sliders move along the vertical axis, the parameters Max And Min(range from 0 to 255) affect the horizontal axis. All pixels outside the range are transformed so that they are within the range.
If you just want to improve your image, then you don't need to use this option.
Triangular buttons below the slider Gamma(Gamma) determine the scale of the histogram and nothing else. The left button increases the scale, and the right button decreases the scale of the histogram. The 1:1 button sets the histogram scale to 100%.
I often see nice photos, informative, clear, beautiful, but..... with a gray background! Those. I understand that the photograph was taken on white, but the photo is gray! A white background shows the work much better. So I decided to make MK for people like me - people who are not capable of mastering Photoshop, but want to post beautiful photos.
(No advice on mastering Photoshop, please! I’ve been periodically trying to learn how to work with it for 3 years, but I can only figure out something by constantly looking at MK and online manuals on FS, and when I need to process 10-20-30 photos, it’s unrealistic - I’ll have to sit for a week, because... If I don't look into step-by-step FS tutorials, I start to get lost )
So, I photograph 50/50: with light from a window at the brightest time, or under a lamp, which I adjust so that it gives even light to the surface being photographed. In 90% of cases, the techniques shown in this MK are enough for me to process photos.
This MK shows how to improve photographs in which objects are located on a white background or the photographed objects themselves have large “spots” of white.
Every computer on which Microsoft Office is installed has a photo processing program. Microsoft Office Picture Manager. (Note - in the version for Win. 7 the program is called "Picture Manager")
1) Open the photo by clicking right click mouse from photo via Microsoft program Office Picture Manager.
2) In the window that appears with the photo at the top, click on the button that says “change picture”
3) A menu appears on the left with photo editing options
4) in this menu click on the inscription “color”
5) in the submenu that opens there is a button “improve colors” - just click it
6) After clicking this button, when you hover your mouse over the photo, instead of an arrow, we see a “sight”. This is the whole point of processing!
7) On the background (or on the product itself - on its white part) select the lightest place - i.e. the point where visually the light source gives the most of this same light. We point our “sight” at this area and click. The program automatically equalizes the white balance so that at this point inside the sight the color becomes pure white and, accordingly, automatically equalizes the colors throughout the photo, adjusting them to the new conditions - this is the most “lightened” area.
8) If we don’t have enough lightening and want to lighten it more, select the area next to the whitest (i.e., slightly noticeably non-white) and click on it with the crosshair. The photo brightens a little more.
8) If you aimed the sight somewhere in the wrong place and the result did not suit you, you can always press either the “back” arrow (signed “1” in the photo) or select top menu Edit--Cancel.
In 5-6, maximum 8 “poke” I always manage to get a pretty decent white background. This process takes about 3-4 minutes at most. If we are satisfied with everything in the resulting lightened photo, click the return button in the left menu (indicated “2” in the photo)
10) After trimming, click “ok”. If you have cut off too much or just want to “re-crop” - the “back” arrow or Edit--Undo will return the photo to the “uncropped” view.
Here, for example, is what the photo looks like before and after such processing, which took me 3 minutes of time:
I hope this MK will help those who do not know FS more to take photographs of their work pleasing to the eye our customers.
P.S. - the rest of the photo editing capabilities in this program are quite poor, so apart from the capabilities shown in MK, the rest are not even worth trying.
Probably every user personal computer From time to time you have to deal with the need to work with photographs or pictures. Of course, on the PC of advanced users there is probably the famous Photoshop, in which you can do any manipulation with the image. But what should those who do not have this program or who do not know how to use it do? The easiest way out of this situation is to use standard Paint. In some cases, it can successfully replace more professional and complex programs. In this article you will find answers to questions about whether to remove it from Paint or change it to something else.
An easy way to change the background
We will describe how to change the background in Paint using the greenscreening method (that is, the “green screen” method). Regardless of whether you need to remove the background of the image or replace it with a solid fill (pattern), you can do this using the above method. Please note that it describes the change in background not in standard Paint, but in Paint.NET, which does not come with standard applications, and must be downloaded and installed separately.
Beginning of work
Before in Paint program Windows 7 transparent background to change, you should open the image that you will adjust. This is done by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate item in the drop-down menu (Open with - Paint). Please note that compatible formats include BMP, JPFG and GIF; others will not work.
If the image is larger, you need to go to the lower left corner and make an 800% increase by clicking on the magnifying glass located on the toolbar and selecting the number 8.
Selecting a color palette and drawing the outline of the image
On the color palette, you should make a choice of yellow-green (also called lime) color. This is usually chosen because a color contrasting with the rest of the picture is needed, and the selected tone is quite rare in images.
After this, using the Line tool, select the object that will be cut out. If the image is placed on a white background, you can use the “Pencil” to fill in the missing pixels. This will cause a wide green line to appear around the image.
Next you need to click on the lime color right key mouse and, using the Select tool, outline areas of the background with a rectangular color. This should be done carefully, trying not to enter the object. There is no need to worry too much about the extra triangles remaining around; they are removed later using the Eraser tool. After activating it, you need to select the smallest possible square in the menu that appears.
After all the manipulations, you get an object around which there will be green screen. If you are interested in how to change the background in Paint, then you need to zoom out to 100 percent (1 in the zoom menu) and click on the paint bucket in the panel (Color Fill tool). Then select the desired color in the palette and click anywhere on the green background. After this, the background will become different.
Move an image to a new background
In order to move the image to another background, you need to select white in the palette and use the Fill tool to paint over the entire lime background. After this, press the key combination “Ctrl+A” - and the second (lower) button on the one that pops up is activated. After making sure that the new background has opened in another program window, you need to copy the image (key combination Ctrl+C) and paste it into this second window (key combination Ctrl+V). The work is ready! All that remains is to save it.
A few nuances
When editing detailed images, it will be much easier to work if you zoom in on the image. This can be done by selecting the “Scale” sub-item in the “View” menu or simply clicking the “Zoom in” button located on the ribbon.
Please note that larger image sizes will require more tracing time. To reduce the size of the picture, press “Ctrl+A” and drag the marker located at the bottom left up. It is important to maintain proportions so that the image does not turn out distorted.
During the work, errors will inevitably occur, and therefore you will have to edit the line. In order to be able to quickly undo previous actions, it is recommended to constantly keep your fingers on the “Ctrl+Z” key combination.
If the image has a curved border, it is advisable to use the Curve tool. To do this, click the corresponding button on the toolbar, draw a straight line from the beginning to the end of the border section, which then needs to be pulled to the left or right, describing a curve.
In order for the greenscreening method to work, in Paint Winwows 7 a transparent background must be set in the settings for inserts. If you do not set this setting, the background will be added from the original image. The Insertion Settings control panel will appear on the left side of the image you are editing, below the main panel, when one of the selection tools is used.
Removing the background
If there is a need to transfer an object to another background, then you inevitably have to face the question of how to remove the background in Paint. This is done quite simply:
- using the “Magic Wand” tool, the background is selected;
- the selected part is deleted using the Delete button or the “Clear Selection” command from the “Edit” menu, as a result of which a background in the form of a “chessboard” appears, conditionally showing transparency;
- The resulting image is saved (preferably in GIF), which can later be used at your discretion.
Step-by-step instructions in Paint: how to make a transparent background
Step one. In the “File” menu, select “Open” and click “Browse” to open the desired image.
Step two. Before you paint, you need to select the “Magic Wand” in the toolbar and set its sensitivity to 50 percent. For complex backgrounds, sensitivity should be set at 25-40 percent.
Step three. You need to click " With a magic wand" By white background, which then turns pale blue.
Step four. It is necessary to remove the background selected in this way Delete key on the keyboard or through the “Edit” menu - the “Clear Selection” item.
As a result, the background will become transparent, although in Paint it will have a checkerboard coloring. However, the work on how to make a transparent background in Paint does not end there.
Step six. The resulting image with a transparent background must be saved by selecting “Save” in the “File” menu and specifying the file name, and selecting the required format (PNG or GIF) in the drop-down list.
Conclusion
We looked at how to make a transparent background in Paint if you don't have Photoshop at hand. Despite the apparent complexity, even inexperienced users can cope with this. With due attention and accuracy, the result will be in no way inferior to work done in Photoshop.
We constantly take photographs – of our children, family and friends, nature, pets. Sometimes the quality of our photographs does not completely satisfy us, and sometimes it simply upsets us. Therefore, the question of how to improve the quality of photography is not at all idle, but very relevant.
Corel Photo-Paint has a wonderful plug-in - simple and intuitive - Image Adjustment Lab.
This plugin transforms a photo.
In this tutorial we will improve the quality of our original photo. Let's make it more contrasting and rich.
Let's prepare our photo for further graphic work with her. For example, in order to insert your photo into a ready-made template frame.
So. Let's open the Corel Photo-Paint program, starting with version X3. Let's open our photo that we want to improve.
On the Menu Bar we will find the command – Settings.
And then in open tab Let’s select this plugin – Image Adjustment Laboratory.
Here's what we'll see:
In the viewing window we have two photographs - one - Original, the other - Working view– the results of our color correction will be visible on it.
Let's look at the top panel in the Laboratory window in detail.
1. Rotate photo 90 degrees counterclockwise.
2. Rotate photo 90 degrees clockwise.
3. Panorama allows move the image in the Source Photo window.
4. Enlarge photo– or from the keyboard – F2
5. Reduce photo or from the keyboard – F3
6. Photo display to the size of the Source window or F4.
7. True 100% display photo.
8. One viewport– Working view. The original window is not present in this option.
9. View in two windows– original photo and working view.
10. Split View – in one window: Original photo and Working view. You can move the image separation line arbitrarily.
Let's go back to our original image.
We pressed the button - Create Snapshot and Auto Adjust.
Let's look at it in detail operating buttons in the Laboratory window:
1. Create a photo. Be sure to press this button before editing in order to save the initial version of the photo, and then press it every time we make some noticeable changes to the photo.
2. Auto-tuning. Corrects image color and tone using standard automatic functions.
3. Reset to original state. There are times when we are not satisfied with the result from Auto Adjust or we did not save the original photo and the final result is not satisfactory.
4. Tab – Saved options appears after we press the button - Create a snapshot. Here are thumbnails of the image that we edit and save.
Click on any thumbnail and the selected image will appear in the Working View window.
Why do we need to save different editing options?
To choose the most suitable option Images.
Summarize. Often the quality of a photograph can be improved by simply using Auto settings.
What if you want more?
Now let's look at the right tab in the Laboratory window.
Here we can manually adjust changes in color, tone, saturation, brightness and other parameters that improve the photograph.
We simply move the slider in the parameters column. And the result will be reflected immediately in the Working View window.
Often the composition requires some kind of stylized photographs.
If our image requires a certain color tone, then we can add new colors to it or, conversely, reduce and mute the colors.
We will first reduce - Saturation. Let's move the slider to the left.
Then let's move it a little Temperature slider towards orange.
Let's add brightness and contrast to the photo. Let's move the sliders a little to the right.
And we constantly see and control changes in the photo in the Working View window.
Let's increase it a little Intermediate tones.
Let's save this option.
In two other options we can experiment with different color tones.
On axis – Hue– first move the slider to the left side towards the pink color.
Let's get a photo in pale purple tones. Let's save this option - button - Create a photo.
And in this case the runner Hue We've gone a lot to the right. We will also keep this style of photography.
The next option is almost bleached, but not to a gray tone, but rather in a sepia style. Save.
Here we will still return to our version, which we received from Auto settings.
Just click on the miniature, which is our second after the saved source.
A little let's add this version of the photo brightness, contrast.
Temperature and saturation Let's turn it down a little.
Now we can select photo option, which suits us most. Open the thumbnails and look in the Working View window.
When we press the OK button, we will save the image that is in the Working View window.
After this practical lesson, you will confidently choose the desired brightness and tonality for your photograph.
The commands in this menu are designed to correct the color of an image in various ways.
The following image will be used to illustrate the various adjustments available in this menu:
Auto leveling
This command is used to automatically adjust the color of an image. As a result of its application, images that are too dark or too light are brought back to normal levels. The result is equivalent to pressing the “Auto Level” button in the “ ” command dialog of this menu.
After using this command, which has no configuration options, our image will look like this:
After applying “Auto leveling”
Invert colors
The effect of this command is very similar to taking a negative of a photograph. Applying it again will return the original image.
Our image after color inversion:
After applying “Invert Colors”
Coarsening...
This adjustment allows you to reduce the number of acceptable color values in an image. Typically, each color channel has 256 possible values (from 0 to 255), but with this command you can limit this range from 2 to 64. This allows you to "posterize" the image, give it a "retro" style or a "false anti-aliasing" look. .
Original image after coarsening:
After using "Coarsening..."
Hue and saturation...
This operation can be used to change the hue and color saturation of an image. Additionally, in the command settings window you can adjust the “lightness”, which is similar, but not the same, as brightness.
This is what our image will look like after applying this command, with the Hue value set to 88 and Saturation value set to 158:
After applying “Hue and Saturation...”
Make it black and white
This adjustment removes all color, making the layer black and white.
Original image after color removal:
After applying “Make Black and White”
Sepia
This adjustment converts the image to black and white and then adds a sepia tone. This can be used to give your image a nostalgic look.
Original image after applying the Sepia command:
After using Sepia
Levels...
This operation is used to adjust the color range and gamma of the image. Additional information look at
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