Table of Contents

…from the author’s desk… ....................................................................................................... 12

A Word from Irfan himself! ...................................................................................................... 14
Update: the Fourth Edition ...................................................................................................... 15
Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation .................................................................................. 16
1.01: Introduction to IrfanView......................................................................................................... 16
1.02: IrfanView Features................................................................................................................... 17
1.03: Minimum Hardware Specifications to run IrfanView ................................................................. 18
1.04: How Best to Read This Manual ................................................................................................. 18
Figure 1.01: Standard Terms used in Screenshots ................................................................................................... 18
Figure 1.02: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Dialog Box .............................................................................. 18
Figure 1.03: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Information Box (Screen) ....................................................... 19
1.05: IrfanView Installation Steps ..................................................................................................... 20
1.06: Installing IrfanView .................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 1.04: IrfanView – Initial Installation Screen .................................................................................................. 21
Figure 1.05: IrfanView Installation – What’s New Screen ........................................................................................ 21
Figure 1.06: IrfanView Installation – File Associations Screen ................................................................................. 22
Figure 1.07: IrfanView Installation – .INI File Location ............................................................................................ 23
Figure 1.08: IrfanView Installation – Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer Screen ................................................ 23
Figure 1.09: IrfanView Installation – Are you REALLY Sure!? Screen ....................................................................... 24
Figure 1.10: IrfanView Installation – Installation Successful Screen ........................................................................ 24
Figure 1.11: IrfanView Installation – Program Compatibility Screen ....................................................................... 25
1.07: Installing IrfanView PlugIns ...................................................................................................... 25
Figure 1.12: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Initial Screen ...................................................................................... 25
Figure 1.13: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Error Screen ....................................................................................... 26
Figure 1.14: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Successful Installation Screen ........................................................... 26
Figure 1.15: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Program Compatibility Screen .......................................................... 27
Figure 1.16: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Desktop Icons .................................................................................... 27
Figure 1.17: IrfanView Installation – Tablet Icons .................................................................................................... 28
Figure 1.18: IrfanView in Tablet Mode .................................................................................................................... 28

Chapter 2: The ‘File’ Menu ....................................................................................................... 30

Figure 2.01: IrfanView ‘File’ Menu and SubMenu ................................................................................................... 30
2.01: IrfanView File  Open SubMenu ............................................................................................. 31
Figure 2.02: IrfanView Opening Screen ................................................................................................................... 31
Figure 2.03: IrfanView ‘File Open’ Dialog Box .......................................................................................................... 31
Figure 2.04: Sample Image opened with IrfanView ................................................................................................. 32
Figure 2.05: Sample Image displaying IrfanView and IrfanPaint ............................................................................. 32
2.02: IrfanView File  Reopen SubMenu .......................................................................................... 33
2.03: IrfanView File  Open Recent files SubMenu ........................................................................... 33
Figure 2.06: IrfanView Open Recent Files SubMenu................................................................................................ 33
2.04: IrfanView File  Open with External Editor SubMenu .............................................................. 34
Figure 2.07: IrfanView Settings Icon ........................................................................................................................ 34
Figure 2.08: Configuring the External Editor Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 34
2.05: IrfanView File  Open as SubMenu ......................................................................................... 35
Figure 2.09: Open as SubMenu ................................................................................................................................ 35
2.06: IrfanView File  Thumbnails SubMenu .................................................................................... 35
 Figure 2.10: IrfanView Thumbnails View ................................................................................................................. 35
Figure 2.11: IrfanView Thumbnails View Options .................................................................................................... 36
Table 2.01: File Manipulation Keyboard Shortcuts, IrfanView Thumbnails View .................................................... 37
2.07: IrfanView File  Slideshow SubMenu ...................................................................................... 38
Figure 2.12: IrfanView Slideshow Settings Dialog Box Options ............................................................................... 38
Figure 2.13: IrfanView Slideshow  Full Screen Options ........................................................................................ 39
2.08: IrfanView File  Start Slideshow with Current File List SubMenu .............................................. 39
2.09: IrfanView File  Batch Conversion/ Rename SubMenu ............................................................ 40
Figure 2.14: IrfanView Batch Conversion/ Renaming Options................................................................................. 40
Figure 2.15: IrfanView Batch Conversion/ Renaming – Bulk Resize Options ........................................................... 41
2.10: IrfanView File  Search Files SubMenu .................................................................................... 43
Figure 2.16: IrfanView Search Files Options ............................................................................................................ 43
2.11: IrfanView File  Rename File SubMenu ................................................................................... 43
2.12: IrfanView File  Move File SubMenu ....................................................................................... 43
2.13: IrfanView File  Copy File SubMenu ........................................................................................ 43
2.14: IrfanView File  Delete File SubMenu...................................................................................... 43
Figure 2.17: IrfanView Delete SubMenu Illustration ............................................................................................... 44
2.15: IrfanView File  Save (Original Folder) SubMenu ..................................................................... 44
Table 2.02: Save Original Folder Options ................................................................................................................. 44
2.16: IrfanView File  Save As SubMenu .......................................................................................... 47
2.17: IrfanView File  Save for Web… (PlugIn) SubMenu .................................................................. 47
Figure 2.18: IrfanView Save for Web SubMenu Options ......................................................................................... 48
Figure 2.19: IrfanView Save for Web  Compress to Size SubMenu Options ........................................................ 48
Figure 2.20: IrfanView Save for Web – JPG Image Adjustments Options ................................................................ 49
Figure 2.21: IrfanView Save for Web GIF Image Options ......................................................................................... 49
Figure 2.22: IrfanView Save for Web – GIF Image Adjustments Options ................................................................ 50
Figure 2.23: IrfanView Save for Web PNG Image Options ....................................................................................... 51
Figure 2.24: IrfanView Save for Web – PNG Image Adjustments Options ............................................................... 52
2.18: IrfanView File  Print SubMenu .............................................................................................. 53
Figure 2.25: IrfanView Print Options........................................................................................................................ 53
2.19: IrfanView File  Select Scan/TWAIN Source SubMenu ............................................................. 54
Figure 2.26: Select TWAIN Source ........................................................................................................................... 54
2.20: IrfanView File  Acquire/Batch Scanning SubMenu ................................................................. 55
Figure 2.27: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images Setup ..................................................................................... 55
Figure 2.28: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – What do you want to Scan As? .......................................... 55
Figure 2.29: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – Advanced Properties .......................................................... 56
Figure 2.30: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Setup ......................................................................................................... 56
Figure 2.31: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Multiple Images Save Options .................................................................. 57
Figure 2.32: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Preview Settings........................................................................................ 57
Figure 2.33: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Scan .................................................................................................. 58
2.21: IrfanView File  Copy Shop SubMenu...................................................................................... 58
Figure 2.44: Copy Shop Options ............................................................................................................................... 58
2.22: IrfanView File  Exit SubMenu ................................................................................................ 59
Chapter 3: The ‘Edit’ Menu ...................................................................................................... 60
Figure 3.01: IrfanView Edit Menu ............................................................................................................................ 60
3.01: IrfanView Edit  Undo SubMenu ............................................................................................. 60
3.02: IrfanView Edit  Redo SubMenu ............................................................................................. 61
3.03: IrfanView Edit  Show Paint Dialog SubMenu ......................................................................... 61
Figure 3.02: IrfanView with IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar .......................................................................................... 62
Figure 3.03: IrfanView Show Paint Dialog SubMenu Tool Names ........................................................................... 62
3.03.01: IrfanPaint Tools – Normal Actions........................................................................................ 63
Figure 3.04: IrfanPaint – Selection Tool ................................................................................................................... 63
3.03.02: IrfanPaint Tools – Paintbrush Tool ....................................................................................... 63
Figure 3.05: IrfanPaint – Freehand Paintbrush Tool ................................................................................................ 63
3.03.03: IrfanPaint Tools – Eraser Tool .............................................................................................. 64
Figure 3.06: IrfanPaint – Eraser Tool ........................................................................................................................ 64
3.03.04: IrfanPaint Tools – Clone Tool ............................................................................................... 64
Figure 3.07: IrfanPaint – Clone Tool......................................................................................................................... 64
3.03.05: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Replacer Tool.................................................................................. 65
Figure 3.10: IrfanPaint – Color Replacer Tool .......................................................................................................... 65
3.03.06: IrfanPaint Tools – Text Tool ................................................................................................. 65
Figure 3.11: IrfanPaint – Text Tool ........................................................................................................................... 65
3.03.07: IrfanPaint Tools – Line Tool ................................................................................................. 66
Figure 3.13: IrfanPaint – Line Tool ........................................................................................................................... 66
3.03.08: IrfanPaint Tools – Arrow Line Tool ....................................................................................... 67
Figure 3.14: IrfanPaint – Arrow Line Tool ................................................................................................................ 67
Figure 3.15: Irfan – Arrow Line Dialog Box............................................................................................................... 67
Figure 3.16: Irfan – Arrow Head Beginning and Ending Options Dialog Box ........................................................... 68
3.03.09: IrfanPaint Tools – Ellipse Tool .............................................................................................. 69
Figure 3.17: IrfanPaint – Ellipse Tool ....................................................................................................................... 69
3.03.10: IrfanPaint Tools – Rectangle Tool ......................................................................................... 69
Figure 3.18: IrfanPaint – Rectangle Tool .................................................................................................................. 69
3.03.11: IrfanPaint Tools – FloodFill Tool ........................................................................................... 70
Figure 3.19: IrfanPaint – FloodFill Tool .................................................................................................................... 70
3.03.12: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Picker Tool ..................................................................................... 71
Figure 3.20: IrfanPaint – Color Picker Tool .............................................................................................................. 71
3.03.13: IrfanPaint Tools – Straighten/ Rotate Tool ........................................................................... 72
Figure 3.21: IrfanPaint – Straighten/ Rotate Tool .................................................................................................... 72
3.03.14: IrfanPaint Tools – Measure Tool .......................................................................................... 72
Figure 3.22: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool ................................................................................................................... 72
3.03.15: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Settings ............................................................................ 73
Figure 3.29: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Settings ..................................................................................................... 73
Figure 3.30: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush – Foreground and Background Settings ................................................... 74
Table 3.01: IrfanPaint Pen and Brush Setting Parameters ....................................................................................... 74
3.03.16: IrfanPaint Tools – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help ............................................................... 75
Figure 3.31: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help ....................................................................................... 75
Figure 3.32: IrfanPaint – Short Context Help for FloodFill Tool ............................................................................... 75
Figure 3.33: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive Context Help for FloodFill Tool ....................................................................... 76
3.03.17: IrfanPaint Tools – Version Information ................................................................................ 76
Figure 3.34: IrfanPaint – Version Information ......................................................................................................... 76
Figure 3.35: IrfanPaint – Version Information Box .................................................................................................. 77
3.03.18: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width .................................................................... 77
Figure 3.36: IrfanPaint – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width ............................................................................................ 77
3.03.19: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Tolerance ........................................................................................... 78
 Figure 3.37: IrfanPaint – Specifying Fill Tolerance ................................................................................................... 78
3.03.20: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Option ............................................................................................... 79
Figure 3.38: IrfanPaint – Fill Option ......................................................................................................................... 79
3.03.21: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Foreground & Background Colors ...................................... 80
Figure 3.39: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Foreground and Background Colors ......................................................... 80
Figure 3.40: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Color Palette ...................................................................... 80
Figure 3.41: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Custom Color Palette ......................................................... 81
3.03.22: IrfanPaint Tools – Swapping Foreground & Background Colors ............................................. 81
Figure 3.42: IrfanPaint – Swapping Foreground and Background Colors ................................................................ 81
3.04a: IrfanView Edit  Create Custom Crop Selection SubMenu ...................................................... 82
Figure 3.43: IrfanView Create Custom Crop Settings ............................................................................................... 82
Figure 3.44: IrfanView Create Standard Windows Screen Resolution Crop Settings .............................................. 82
3.04b: IrfanView Create Custom Crop using Mouse ........................................................................... 83
3.05: IrfanView Edit  Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu................................................ 84
Figure 3.46: IrfanView Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu .................................................................... 84
Figure 3.47: IrfanView Custom Crop ........................................................................................................................ 84
Figure 3.48: IrfanView Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) Example–1 .................................................................. 85
3.06: IrfanView Edit  Maximize and Center Selection SubMenu ...................................................... 85
Figure 3.50: IrfanView Maximize and Center Selection Example ............................................................................ 85
3.07: IrfanView Edit  Show Selection Grid SubMenu....................................................................... 86
Figure 3.51: IrfanView Show Selection Grid SubMenu ............................................................................................ 86
Figure 3.52: IrfanView Show Selection Grid Illustrations ......................................................................................... 86
3.08: IrfanView Edit  Show Fixed Grid SubMenu ............................................................................ 86
Figure 3.53: IrfanView Show Fixed Grid Illustration ................................................................................................ 86
3.09: IrfanView Edit  Insert Text SubMenu ..................................................................................... 87
Figure 3.54: IrfanView Insert Text SubMenu ........................................................................................................... 87
Figure 3.55: IrfanView Insert Text Illustration ......................................................................................................... 87
3.10: IrfanView Edit  Insert Overlay/ Watermark Image SubMenu .................................................. 88
Figure 3.56: IrfanView Insert/ Overlay Watermark SubMenu ................................................................................. 88
Figure 3.57: IrfanView Insert/ Overlay Watermark Illustration ............................................................................... 88
3.11: IrfanView Edit  Cut – Selection SubMenu .............................................................................. 89
Figure 3.58: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–1 .............................................................................................. 89
Figure 3.59: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–2 .............................................................................................. 89
Figure 3.60: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–3 .............................................................................................. 90
3.12: IrfanView Edit  Cut – Area Outside of the Selection SubMenu ................................................ 90
Figure 3.61: IrfanView Cut – Area Outside of the Selection Example ...................................................................... 90
3.13: IrfanView Edit  Crop Selection SubMenu ............................................................................... 91
Figure 3.62: IrfanView Crop Selection Example ....................................................................................................... 91
3.14: IrfanView Edit  Auto Crop Borders SubMenu ......................................................................... 91
Figure 3.63: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Example ................................................................................................ 91
Figure 3.64: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 1 ................................................................................... 92
Figure 3.65: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 2 ................................................................................... 92
3.15: IrfanView Edit  Capture Visible Window Area SubMenu ........................................................ 93
Figure 3.66: IrfanView Capture Visible Window Area .............................................................................................. 93
Figure 3.67: IrfanView Visible Window Area Captured – 1 ...................................................................................... 93
3.16: IrfanView Edit  Copy SubMenu ............................................................................................. 93
3.17: IrfanView Edit  Paste SubMenu ............................................................................................. 93
 3.18: IrfanView Edit  Paste Special (Add on Side) SubMenu ............................................................ 94
Figure 3.83: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) SubMenu ................................................................................. 94
Figure 3.84: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) Illustration – 1 ......................................................................... 95
Figure 3.85: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) Illustration – 2 ......................................................................... 95
3.19: IrfanView Edit  Delete (Clear Display) SubMenu .................................................................... 96
3.20: IrfanView Edit  Clear Clipboard SubMenu .............................................................................. 96
Chapter 5: The ‘Image’ Menu ................................................................................................... 97
Figure 5.01: IrfanView Image Menu......................................................................................................................... 97
5.01: IrfanView Image  Information SubMenu ............................................................................... 98
Figure 5.02: IrfanView Basic Information Screen ..................................................................................................... 98
Figure 5.03: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 1 ................................................................................................. 99
Figure 5.04: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 2 ................................................................................................. 99
Figure 5.05: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 3 ............................................................................................... 100
Figure 5.06: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 4 ............................................................................................... 100
Figure 5.09: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 1 ................................................................................................... 101
Figure 5.10: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 2 ................................................................................................... 101
Figure 5.11: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 3 ................................................................................................... 101
Figure 5.12: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 4 ................................................................................................... 101
5.02: IrfanView Image  Create New (Empty) Image SubMenu ....................................................... 102
Figure 5.13: IrfanView Create New (Empty) Image Screen .................................................................................... 102
Figure 5.14: IrfanView – Simple New Image Creation ........................................................................................... 103
5.03: IrfanView Image  Create Panorama Image SubMenu ........................................................... 103
Figure 5.15: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Settings ...................................................................................... 103
Figure 5.16: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings ................................................................. 104
Figure 5.17: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name .................................................. 104
Figure 5.18: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name (Natural) ................................... 105
Figure 5.19: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Example – 1 ................................................................................ 105
Figure 5.20: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Settings for Add Current File...................................................... 106
Figure 5.21: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Example – 2 ................................................................................ 106
5.04: IrfanView Image  Rotate Left (Counter Clockwise) SubMenu................................................ 107
Figure 5.22: IrfanView Rotate Left Example .......................................................................................................... 107
5.05: IrfanView Image  Rotate Right (Clockwise) SubMenu .......................................................... 107
Figure 5.23: IrfanView Rotate Right Example ........................................................................................................ 107
5.06: IrfanView Image  Custom/ Fine Rotation SubMenu ............................................................. 108
Figure 5.26: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Settings ............................................................................................ 108
Figure 5.27: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 1 ..................................................................................... 108
Figure 5.28: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 2 ..................................................................................... 109
Figure 5.29: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 3 ..................................................................................... 109
Figure 5.30: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 109
5.07: IrfanView Image  Vertical Flip SubMenu .............................................................................. 110
Figure 5.31: IrfanView Vertical Flip Example ......................................................................................................... 110
5.08: IrfanView Image  Horizontal Flip SubMenu.......................................................................... 110
Figure 5.32: IrfanView Horizontal Flip Example ..................................................................................................... 110
5.09: IrfanView Image  Resize/ Resample SubMenu ..................................................................... 111
Figure 5.33: IrfanView Resize/ Resample Settings ................................................................................................. 111
5.10: IrfanView Image  Change Canvas Size SubMenu .................................................................. 112
Figure 5.35: IrfanView Change Canvas Size Options .............................................................................................. 112
Figure 5.36: IrfanView Change Canvas Size Example – 1 ....................................................................................... 113
5.11: IrfanView Image  Add Border/ Frame SubMenu .................................................................. 113
Figure 5.38: IrfanView Add Border/ Frame Options – Gradient Options............................................................... 113
5.12: IrfanView Image  Increase Color Depth SubMenu ................................................................ 114
Figure 5.42: IrfanView Increase Color Depth Options ........................................................................................... 114
Figure 5.43: IrfanView Increase Color Depth Example – 1 ..................................................................................... 114
5.13: IrfanView Image  Decrease Color Depth SubMenu ............................................................... 115
Figure 5.45: IrfanView Decrease Color Depth Options .......................................................................................... 115
Figure 5.46: IrfanView Decrease Color Depth Example – 1 ................................................................................... 116
5.14: IrfanView Image  Convert to Greyscale SubMenu ................................................................ 116
Figure 5.47: IrfanView Convert to Greyscale Example ........................................................................................... 116
5.15: IrfanView Image  Show Channel SubMenu .......................................................................... 117
Figure 5.48: IrfanView Show Channel Example – 1................................................................................................ 117
Figure 5.49: IrfanView Show Channel Example – 2................................................................................................ 118
5.16: IrfanView Image  Negative SubMenu .................................................................................. 119
Figure 5.50: IrfanView Negative Example–1 .......................................................................................................... 119
Figure 5.51a: IrfanView Negative Example–2 ........................................................................................................ 120
Figure 5.51b: IrfanView Negative Example–3 ........................................................................................................ 120
Figure 5.52: IrfanView Negative of Grayscale Image – Example–4 ........................................................................ 121
5.17: IrfanView Image  Color Corrections SubMenu ..................................................................... 121
Figure 5.53: IrfanView Color Corrections Dialog Box ............................................................................................. 121
5.18: IrfanView Image  Histogram SubMenu ................................................................................ 122
Figure 5.60a: IrfanView Histogram Screen – 1 ....................................................................................................... 122
Figure 5.60b: IrfanView Histogram Screen – 2 ...................................................................................................... 122
5.19: IrfanView Image  Replace Color SubMenu ........................................................................... 123
Figure 5.61: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box ................................................................................................... 123
Figure 5.62: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 1 ................................................................ 124
Figure 5.63: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 2 ................................................................ 125
Figure 5.64: IrfanView Replace Color Example – 1 ................................................................................................ 126
5.20: IrfanView Image  Create Tiled Image SubMenu ................................................................... 126
Figure 5.71: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Dialog Box ........................................................................................... 126
Figure 5.71a: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Example–1 ........................................................................................ 127
Figure 5.72: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Example – 2 ........................................................................................ 127
5.21: IrfanView Image  Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu ................................................................... 128
Figure 5.73: IrfanView Auto Adjust Colors Exercise ............................................................................................... 128
Figure 5.74: IrfanView Color Corrections to Further Enhance Auto Adjust Colors Exercise .................................. 129
Figure 5.75: IrfanView Auto Adjust Colors Exercise – Histograms Comparison .................................................... 130
5.22: IrfanView Image  Sharpen SubMenu ................................................................................... 131
Figure 5.76: IrfanView Sharpen Example ............................................................................................................... 131
5.23: IrfanView Image  Red Eye Reduction (Selections) SubMenu ................................................. 132
Figure 5.77: IrfanView Red Eye Reduction (Selection) Example ............................................................................ 132
5.24: IrfanView Image  Effects SubMenu ..................................................................................... 133
Figure 5.78: IrfanView Image/ Effects SubMenu ................................................................................................... 133
Figure 5.79: IrfanView Image  Effects/ Effects Browser SubMenu .................................................................... 134
Figure 5.80: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect Dialog Box ................................................................... 134
Figure 5.81: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect Example ...................................................................... 135
Figure 5.82: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Sandbox Effect Dialog Box........................................................ 135
Figure 5.83: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Sandbox Effect Example ........................................................... 136
Figure 5.85a: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 1 ............................................... 137
Figure 5.85b: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 2 ............................................... 137
Figure 5.85c: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 3 ............................................... 138
Figure 5.86: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Dialog Box ......................................... 138
Figure 5.87: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Example ............................................ 139
5.25: IrfanView Image  Adobe 8BF PlugIns SubMenu ................................................................... 139
 Figure 5.88: IrfanView Image  Effects  Adobe 8BF PlugIns ............................................................................. 140
Figure 5.89a: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 1 ........................................................................... 141
Figure 5.89b: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 2 ........................................................................... 141
Figure 5.90: IrfanView –Starting an Adobe 8BF Filter ............................................................................................ 142
Figure 5.91: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF Perspective Transform Filter ........................................................................ 142
Figure 5.92: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF SmartCurve Filter ......................................................................................... 143
Figure 5.93: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF Wire Worm Filter.......................................................................................... 143
Figure 5.94: IrfanView – Harry’s Filters .................................................................................................................. 143
Figure 5.95: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF PopArt Filter ................................................................................................. 144
5.26: IrfanView Image  Swap Colors SubMenu ............................................................................. 145
Figure 5.96: IrfanView Swap Colors RGB  RBG ................................................................................................... 145
5.27: IrfanView Image  Palette SubMenu ..................................................................................... 146
Figure 5.97: IrfanView Image  Palette Options .................................................................................................. 146
Figure 5.98: IrfanView Image  Palette  256 Color Palette Example ................................................................ 147
Figure 5.99: IrfanView Image  Palette  Edit Palette Example Steps ............................................................... 147

Chapter 6: The ‘Options’ Menu .............................................................................................. 148

Figure 6.01: IrfanView Options Menu .................................................................................................................... 148
6.01: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings SubMenu............................................................... 149
Figure 6.02: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings– Start/ Exit Options........................................................... 149
Figure 6.03: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings – JPG/ PCD/ GIF .............................................................. 150
Figure 6.04: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings – Extensions ................................................................... 151
Figure 6.05: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Viewing .......................................................................... 152
Figure 6.06: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings/ Viewing – Show Channels in Color ................................. 153
Figure 6.07: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Zoom/ Color Management............................................. 154
Figure 6.08: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Browsing/ Editing ........................................................... 155
Figure 6.09: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  Browsing/ Editing  Stretch Fit into Selection ............ 156
Figure 6.10: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  Browsing/ Editing  Paste Fit into Selection............... 157
Figure 6.11: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Full Screen/ Slideshow ................................................... 158
Figure 6.12: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Video/ Sound ................................................................. 159
Figure 6.13: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – File Handling .................................................................. 160
Figure 6.14: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Language ........................................................................ 161
Figure 6.15: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Toolbar ........................................................................... 161
Figure 6.16: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – PlugIns ............................................................................ 162
Figure 6.17: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – Postscript Options......................................... 163
Figure 6.18: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – MrSID Options .............................................. 163
Figure 6.19: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – JPM PlugIn Options ....................................... 164
Figure 6.20: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – DXF/ DWG PlugIn Options ............................ 164
Figure 6.21: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – PDF PlugIn Options ....................................... 164
Figure 6.22: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Miscellaneous ................................................................ 165
Figure 6.23: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Miscellaneous ................................................................ 166
6.02: IrfanView Options  Change Language SubMenu .................................................................. 166
6.03: IrfanView Options  Set File Associations SubMenu .............................................................. 166
6.04: IrfanView Options  Start Multimedia Player SubMenu ......................................................... 167
Figure 6.24: IrfanView Options  Start Multimedia Player (PlugIn) ..................................................................... 167
Figure 6.25: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn in action .............................................................................................. 167
Figure 6.26: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn – Information Screen .......................................................................... 168
Figure 6.27: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player in action .................................................................................. 168
Figure 6.28: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player – Information Screen .............................................................. 169
6.05: IrfanView Options  Stop Animation SubMenu ..................................................................... 169
6.06: IrfanView Options  Extract all Frames SubMenu .................................................................. 169
6.07: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) SubMenu ............................................. 169
Figure 6.29: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Options ........................................................ 169
 Figure 6.30: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Results ......................................................... 170
6.08: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images ................................................................................. 170
Figure 6.31: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images SubMenu ........................................................................... 170
6.08.01: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage TIF........................................ 171
Figure 6.32: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage TIF Dialog Box .................................. 171
Figure 6.33: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Multipage TIFF Save Options ........................................ 171
6.08.02: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage PDF (PlugIn) ......................... 172
Figure 6.34: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage PDF Dialog Box ................................. 172
Figure 6.35: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images – Multipage PDF Save Options .......................................... 173
Figure 6.36: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  PDF PlugIn Settings ....................................................... 173
6.08.03: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage JPM (PlugIn) ......................... 174
Figure 6.37: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage JPM Dialog Box ................................ 174
Figure 6.38: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images – Multipage JPM Save Options .......................................... 174
6.08.04 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF............................................. 175
Figure 6.39: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF ......................................................... 175
Figure 6.40: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF  Compression Options ................ 175
6.08.05 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Append Current Image to TIF ............................ 175
Figure 6.41: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Append Current Image to TIF ....................................... 175
6.08.06 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Print All Pages .................................................. 176
Figure 6.42: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Print All Pages ............................................................... 176
6.08.07 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Extract All Pages ............................................... 176
Figure 6.43: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Extract All Pages ........................................................... 176
6.09: IrfanView Options  Send File by e-Mail (PlugIn) ................................................................... 177
Figure 6.44: IrfanView e-Mail Interface ................................................................................................................. 177
Figure 6.45: IrfanView e-Mail Options Screen ....................................................................................................... 178
Figure 6.46: IrfanView e-Mail Address Book Screen .............................................................................................. 178
Figure 6.47: IrfanView e-Mail Setup ...................................................................................................................... 179
Figure 6.48: IrfanView e-Mail Composition & Send ............................................................................................... 179
6.10: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn) ............................................................... 180
Figure 6.49: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn) ......................................................................... 180
Figure 6.50: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation Example........................................................................ 181
6.11: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop (PlugIn) ..................................................................... 182
Figure 6.51: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop Example .............................................................................. 182
Figure 6.52: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop Example .............................................................................. 182
6.12: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time (PlugIn) ..................................................... 183
Figure 6.53a: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 1 ..................................................... 183
Figure 6.53b: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 2..................................................... 183
6.13: IrfanView Options  Capture/ Screenshot ............................................................................. 184
Figure 6.54: IrfanView Options  Capture/ Screenshot Options .......................................................................... 184
Figure 6.55: IrfanView Options  Screen Capture – Foreground and Foreground Client Area ............................ 185
6.14: IrfanView Options  Hotfolder (Watch Folder) ...................................................................... 186
Figure 6.56: IrfanView Options  Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Setup ...................................................................... 186
Figure 6.57: IrfanView Options  Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Minimized .............................................................. 186
6.15: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) ................................................................................. 187
Figure 6.58: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) – OCR Example .................................................................. 187
Figure 6.59: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) – Dialog Box ....................................................................... 188
Figure 6.60: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Config Options ............................................................................. 188
Figure 6.61: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Preprocessing Options ................................................................. 189
Figure 6.62: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Segmentation Options ................................................................. 189
Figure 6.63: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Classifier Options ......................................................................... 189
 Figure 6.64: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Context Options ........................................................................... 190
Figure 6.65: IrfanView Options  Information Screen ......................................................................................... 190
Figure 6.66: IrfanView Options  Help Menu ....................................................................................................... 190
6.16: IrfanView Options  Sort Directory Files................................................................................ 191
Figure 6.67: IrfanView Options  Sort Directory Files Options ............................................................................ 191
Figure 6.68: IrfanView Options  Sort Thumbnails – Sort Thumbnails Options ................................................... 192
6.17: IrfanView Options  Set as Wallpaper ................................................................................... 193
Figure 6.69: IrfanView Options  Set as Wallpaper Options ................................................................................ 193
6.18: IrfanView Options  Minimize .............................................................................................. 194
6.19: IrfanView Options  Always on Top ...................................................................................... 194
Chapter 7: The ‘View’ Menu ................................................................................................... 195
Figure 7.01: IrfanView View Menu ........................................................................................................................ 195
7.01: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Status Bar ............................................................................... 195
7.02: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Tool Bar.................................................................................. 195
7.03: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Menu Bar ............................................................................... 195
7.04: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Caption .................................................................................. 196
7.05: IrfanView View  Show Tool Bar Options/ Skins .................................................................... 196
Figure 7.02: IrfanView View  Show Tool Bar Options  Skins Options ............................................................. 196
7.06: IrfanView View  Display Options (Window Mode) ............................................................... 197
Figure 7.03: IrfanView View  Display Options (Window Mode) ......................................................................... 197
7.07: IrfanView View  Full Screen ................................................................................................ 198
7.08: IrfanView View  Show Full Screen Options .......................................................................... 198
Figure 7.04: IrfanView View  Show Full Screen Options .................................................................................... 199
7.09: IrfanView View  Next File in Directory ................................................................................. 199
7.10: IrfanView View  Previous File in Directory ........................................................................... 199
7.11: IrfanView View  First File in Directory ................................................................................. 199
7.12: IrfanView View  Last File in Directory .................................................................................. 199
7.13: IrfanView View  Random File in Directory ........................................................................... 200
7.14: IrfanView View  Refresh ..................................................................................................... 200
7.15: IrfanView View  Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing .................................................................. 200
Figure 7.05: IrfanView View  Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing ............................................................................ 200
7.16: IrfanView View  Zoom In .................................................................................................... 200
7.17: IrfanView View  Zoom Out.................................................................................................. 201
7.18: IrfanView View  Lock Zoom................................................................................................. 201
7.19: IrfanView View  Keep Scroll Position ................................................................................... 201
7.20: IrfanView View  Original Size .............................................................................................. 201
7.21: IrfanView View  Show Hex View ......................................................................................... 202
7.22: IrfanView View  Multipage Images...................................................................................... 202
Figure 7.06: IrfanView View  Multipage Images ................................................................................................ 202
7.22.01 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Next Page Display for Multipage Image Files .......... 202
7.22.02 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Previous Page Display for Multipage Image Files .... 203
 7.22.03 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  First Page for Multipage Image Files ...................... 203
7.22.04 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Last Page for Multipage Image Files ....................... 203
7.22.05 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Open Page Number for Multipage Image Files ....... 203
Figure 7.07: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Open Page Number Dialog Box ......................................... 203
7.22.06 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Show Page Thumbnails for Multipage Image Files .. 204
Figure 7.08: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Show Page Thumbnails...................................................... 204
7.22.07 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Auto Show Thumbnails for Multipage Image Files .. 204
7.22.08 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Start Animation .................................................... 205
Figure 7.09: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Start Animation Dialog Box ............................................... 205
7.22.09 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Stop Animation ..................................................... 205
Chapter 8: The ‘Help’ Menu ................................................................................................... 206
Figure 8.01: IrfanView Help Menu ......................................................................................................................... 206
8.01: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help ........................................................................................... 206
Figure 8.02: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Content View ................................................................ 207
Figure 8.03: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Index View – Display Topic............................................ 207
Figure 8.04: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Search View: List Topics ................................................ 208
Figure 8.05: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Favorites View ............................................................... 209
8.02: IrfanView Help  Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................... 210
Figure 8.06: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Frequently Asked Questions ......................................... 210
8.03: IrfanView Help  Keyboard Shortcuts.................................................................................... 210
Figure 8.07: IrfanView Help  Keyboard Shortcuts .............................................................................................. 211
8.04: IrfanView Help  Installed PlugIns......................................................................................... 211
Figure 8.08: IrfanView Help  Installed PlugIns.................................................................................................... 212
8.05: IrfanView Help  Thanks ....................................................................................................... 213
Figure 8.09: IrfanView Help  Thanks Screen....................................................................................................... 213
8.06: IrfanView Help  Credits ....................................................................................................... 213
Figure 8.10: IrfanView Help  Credits Screen....................................................................................................... 213
8.07: IrfanView Help  Registration ............................................................................................... 214
Figure 8.11: IrfanView Help  Registration Screen .............................................................................................. 214
8.08: IrfanView Help  Check Home Page for Updates ................................................................... 214
Figure 8.12: IrfanView Help  Check Home Page for Updates ............................................................................. 214
8.09: IrfanView Help  Usage Info ................................................................................................. 215
Figure 8.13: IrfanView Help  Usage Info............................................................................................................. 215
8.10: IrfanView Help  About IrfanView ........................................................................................ 215
Figure 8.14: IrfanView Help  About IrfanView ................................................................................................... 215

What’s New in IrfanView 4.42? .............................................................................................. 216

Why Should I order the Commercial Edition of the User Manual? ........................................... 218
Table of Contents, Commercial Edition ................................................................................... 219
…from the author’s desk…
Once the exclusive privilege of Royalty, today, people of all ages, cultures, beliefs, backgrounds and locations
are taking photographs. Now, although the basics of taking a ‘good picture’ have hardly changed, what has
changed radically are the technology behind photography, the methods of storing photographs and the
methods of its distribution.
Until about 15 years ago, photographs were taken and neatly pasted/ arranged in photo albums, for people
to take out and view from time to time. Even today, most of us do have a large stock of ‘Photo Albums’
containing hundreds of printed photographs of the folk we love and the exotic locations we have visited.
However, the number of photographs out there online is skyrocketing by the day. In fact, a large number of
photographs exist only in the digital format today, for, a photo print is still comparatively expensive and
time-consuming in a world where time is always in short supply. Printed images also age, tear, are susceptible
to coffee stains, etc., while digital images are only susceptible to hard disk crashes/ accidental deletions/ lost
media! (I am tempted to add, and leakages from Clouds where they have been ‘securely’ stored!)
The advent of Computers – more specifically Personal Computers, was the first step in the revolution
christened ‘Digital Revolution’. The creation of the Digital Camera was a shot in the arm and the built-in
Cameras on Mobiles, Smartphones and Tablets provided the final push to the ‘Digitization of Photography’.
Digital Cameras and Smartphones store images onto solid state Memory Cards that go by various names,
sizes and standards – some of the more common ones being PCMCIA (Personal Computers Memory Cards
International Association), CF (Compact Flash), SM/ SMC (Smart Media/ Smart Media Card) MS (Memory
Stick), MSD (Memory Stick Duo), MMC (MultiMedia Card), eMMC (embedded Multi Media Controller), SD
(Secure Digital) Card, UFS (Universal Flash Storage), etc. Many Photographs today – especially those shot
with Smartphones, get quickly transferred to a person’s WhatsApp, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other
Social Networking page, so that the world – friends and strangers alike, may ‘check it out’ instantly!
The digitization of photography has proceeded at rollicking speed, with the price of Digital Cameras nose-
diving time and again. Manufacturer after manufacturer has jumped into the fray and when economies of
mass manufacturing kick in, prices can only continue to plummet. On the one hand, you have traditional
Photo Film and Film Camera makers like Fuji, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Yashica, etc. quickly taking up
Digital Camera manufacturing, while on the other hand, you have electronics equipment manufacturers like
Canon, Samsung, Sony, etc., also jumping into the business of manufacturing Digital Cameras. Today, basic
Digital Cameras cost no more than a school kid’s monthly allowance!
As if this wasn’t enough, Smartphone and Tablet manufacturers are incorporating Cameras into their Mobile
Phones and Tablets. Although early Mobile phones’ built-in Cameras produced poor quality pictures, today,
every Mobile Phone manufacturer has at least a few Phone models that take photographs in 5 Mega Pixels
or higher resolutions – and 5 MP translates into perfectly decent photo quality!
Digital Cameras, Smartphones and Tablets automatically adjust various parameters like Focus, Exposure,
Shutter Speed, etc. Some of the higher models of Digital Cameras and Smartphones even adjust for Shake,
thus making it easy even for a child to shoot high-quality pictures. As a result, instead of huge inventories of
unsold Digital Cameras, what we witness today is a mad rush to buy Digital Cameras, Smartphones and
Tablets with built-in Cameras! Year-after-year, as newer and better models are introduced!
With the transition to Digital Photography, people began storing their Photographs onto Solid State devices,
the Cloud and/ or distribute them on Social Networking sites. This removed the need to ‘Develop’
photographs in the traditional way. An inexpensive Colour Inkjet Printer and Photo Quality Paper alone are
now required to print out ‘special’ photographs: a visit to the friendly neighborhood Photo Studio to
‘Develop’ the photo is no longer necessary! In fact Kodak, the pioneers of Photo Film, were forced to close
down their Photo Films Division in 2009 – sales had dwindled to a trickle over the past many years. Many
other Film manufacturers, faced with the same plight, had shut down shop even earlier.

…from the author’s desk… Page 12 of 235

Photo Film going ‘out of fashion’ also means there is no need for a ‘Dark Room’ as there is no Film to ‘Wash’,
no Negative to ‘Develop’! Everyone today has a Computer, some Image Viewing Software and a Color Printer
to print out the occasional ‘Special Photograph’. Photography has now become Digital, Personal – yet heavily
distributed, inexpensive, mass-based and easy, with anyone old enough to hold a Camera – even shakily –
turning Photographer!
Digital Photographs are today stored, shared or both, in the following ways:
 Shared in massive numbers over Websites, Blogs, Social Networking sites, Mobile Apps such as
WhatsApp and/ or attached to e-Mail
 Stored in even larger numbers on Computer Hard Disks, Pen Drives, CDs/ DVDs and the Cloud.
The size of each image file has, as a consequence, come to take on a new importance. Images that are large
in terms of storage space take more space on a Hard Disk or CD/ DVD/ Pen Drive, take longer to upload to a
website, take more time to attach to an e-Mail, take more time to be downloaded and viewed by the
recipient of the e-Mail/ website visitor, and so on. In fact, many a time, one needs to crop and/ or resize
one’s images too, before they are deemed fir for storage or sharing as well. Thus, the need to ‘Edit’ images
has thus become very important, given the manifold ways of sharing and storing digital images.
A number of excellent programs that let you edit digital images are available. Some are expensive – Adobe
PhotoShop costs US$ 120 per annum, while many are completely free for personal use, like the OpenSource
Digital Imaging Solution GIMP, and IrfanView. In between these two, you have Digital Imaging Solutions that
are competitively priced, like ACDSee and FastStone. Again, some Digital Imaging Solutions have a very steep
learning curve: you need to attend short-term courses – costly ones too – to master Adobe PhotoShop.
Others like the OpenSource GIMP are not only difficult to learn, you are also less likely to find GIMP
Certification Programs or people who have mastered GIMP. You also have easy-to-learn solutions like
IrfanView.
If you have a Digital Camera/ Smartphone/ Tablet – possibly, all these and a Computer, IrfanView is a Digital
Imaging Solution that you will love. IrfanView is free for personal, non-commercial use and extremely easy
to learn. Although it lacks the sheer power and features of PhotoShop or GIMP, it has all the features (plus a
few more, as you will discover!) that the average photographer – amateur or professional – will need, for all
their digital image editing requirements! IrfanView is periodically updated and currently, is into Version 4.42.
I have personally used IrfanView for more than a decade and vouch that it consumes minimum Hard Disk
space and Memory, starts up extremely quickly, does not crash, is awesome for most digital imaging
requirements, is extremely easy to learn and is an absolute delight to work with, on all versions of Windows.
I have worked with IrfanView at least from Windows 95 to the latest Windows 10! Most of the Screenshots
and Illustrations presented in this Manual have been created using IrfanView Version 4.42, under Windows
10 Build 10586 - Cover Page included!
This is the ‘Lite Edition of the IrfanView User Manual and is Free for all IrfanView Users! The Commercial
Edition is priced at US$ 10 and is written with the aim of helping you master IrfanView and its many useful
features. It may be purchased by visiting http://bytepublish.com/irfanview.html.
The author expresses his gratitude to his better half Sindhu for her untiring and patient support amidst her
own office work. Without her understanding, support and encouragement, this work would never have been
completed. The author also wishes to thank Divakar (a.k.a. Monu), whose feedback from time to time has
made this Manual more readable and hence, more valuable to the reader! The author takes this opportunity
to express his heartfelt thanks to Irfan Skiljan, the creative, young and handsome developer of IrfanView.
Not just for developing this delightful Software, but for his wonderful anticipation of what Users want and
then updating IrfanView accordingly, time and again! Clearly, here is a person who carefully considers your
feedback!
The author also thanks all the bright young men and women for creating the numerous IrfanView PlugIns,
Help Files, etc., and its millions of users for using IrfanView and providing some great feedback! Together,
you have transformed an excellent product into a feature-rich, wonderful Digital Imaging Solution, one that
has held on to its position of being the most popular in its niche, for many years running now!
Surendran Nambiath

…from the author’s desk… Page 13 of 235

A Word from Irfan himself !
Greetings, Gruesse, Pozdrav from Irfan! I am thrilled to preface this Manual for users of IrfanView and wish
you all the Very Best!
While studying at University of Technology in Vienna in 1995, I had my first contact with the Internet. Since
I always loved working with images, my Hard Disk was soon filled with tons of downloaded images! However,
there were very few picture viewers back in 1995 and those that were available were neither handy, nor
especially easy to use!
This prompted me to write a light, easy-to-use JPG Image Viewer for me and my friends. My friends were
very happy with the creation, encouraging me by making many suggestions. Combining these with my own
ideas, IrfanView was born and the first public version was released in May/ June 1996!
My friends simply loved the first version of IrfanView and that encouraged me to distribute it over the web!
Of course, I had no way to foresee then that IrfanView would be a hit with people from all countries – from
the Americas to Australia! IrfanView continues to be downloaded over 1 Million times every month for many
years now and I continue to receive tons of e-Mail every day from users across the world!
Interestingly, I have never attempted to promote IrfanView – its popularity today is largely due to users
spreading the word to their friends and acquaintances! My Big Thanks to the millions of users of IrfanView
once again, for their good wishes and support!
I believe that it does not make sense, charging for software that is not being used for commercial purposes.
It is out of this conviction that I have striven to keep IrfanView free for personal, non-commercial use, all
through these years!
IrfanView today has many features. While I have attempted to keep it small and easy to use, some guidance
on using its features – maybe even a few hands-on Exercises, would probably be welcomed. Therefore I am
really glad about this Manual, as it has been written in an easy-to-read and understand style. You have
Illustrations and Screenshots on every page, along with Examples, Explanations and hands-on Exercises as
well! I believe this Manual will help many users understand IrfanView’s features better and allow them to be
more creative while editing their digital creations!
Thank you once again IrfanView Fans and thank you Surendran, for the excellent User Manual!
Irfan Skiljan
www.irfanview.com

A Word from Irfan himself! Page 14 of 235

Update: the Fourth Edition
This is the Fourth Edition of the IrfanView User Manual. The First was crafted for IrfanView Version 4.25,
then the latest Version of IrfanView, when Windows XP was at the height of its popularity. The Second Edition
was written for the then latest IrfanView 4.27, running under Microsoft Windows 7 Technical Preview. It was
a joy to note at that point of time that IrfanView worked just fine, under the then still-under-development
Windows 7!
The Third Edition of the User Manual was written for the then latest version, IrfanView 4.38, running under
Windows 10 Technical Preview. IrfanView once again worked flawlessly, under a still-under-development
Operating System!
Now that Windows 10 has taken the world by storm and is quickly moving towards becoming the OS with
maximum number of installs globally, this, the Fourth Edition of the Manual is written for IrfanView Version
4.42, running under Windows 10. All the Screenshots in this User Manual are that of IrfanView Version 4.42
running under Windows 10 Build 10586.63, but for a few Pre-Installation Screenshots. All through these
various Operating Systems and IrfanView Versions, IrfanView has continued to be the one-stop choice for all
my digital image viewing and editing needs! I am sure you too can master IrfanView and that you too will
love unleashing it on your Digital Images as well!
The Fourth Edition of this Manual is carefully written in line with the neat organization that was the hallmark
of the previous three Editions: each Menu and SubMenu is explained individually, with Screenshots detailing
each feature. Like the Commercial Third Edition of the User Manual, the Commercial Fourth Edition too has
a separate Chapter containing a selection of Exercises that you can do with IrfanView open in one Window
and the User Manual open in another! I have presented both simple Exercises as well as Exercises that will
tickle your imagination and let you do stuff that you may not have imagined possible with IrfanView!
This is the ‘Lite’ Edition of the User Manual for IrfanView (Version 4.42) and is downloadable Free, from the
IrfanView Website as well as from http://bytepublish.com/irfanview.html, from where you may order your
digital copy of the Commercial Edition of the User Manual for IrfanView 4.42 as well.
Here is wishing you learn all you want and more about IrfanView! Now, wish for me too, that I get to sell
heaps of copies!

Update: the Third Edition Page 15 of 235

Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation
WHAT IS IRFANVIEW?
1.01: Introduction to IrfanView
IrfanView (pronounced EarfanView) is a Photo Viewing and Editing Software that runs on all versions of
Microsoft Windows. It is developed by Irfan Skiljan the Bosnia-born Software Developer, who has kept it free
(for personal, non-commercial use) right from its beginning in 1996. Besides Photo Editing and Viewing,
IrfanView also works very well as a Scanner, Multi-page PDF Creator/ Reader, Audio and Video Player, Optical
Characted Recognition (OCR) Solution, etc., once you download and install its free PlugIns.
You can buy a single-user Commercial License of IrfanView for US$ 12 or EUR 10, if you want to use it for
commercial purposes. You are also welcome to make a donation, even if you are not using IrfanView for
commercial purposes, so that Irfan may continue to develop IrfanView and distribute it fully functional and
absolutely free!
IrfanView's popularity is rising by the day, with total monthly downloads crossing the 1 Million mark way
back in 2003 itself! Thanks to its ease of use, features and freeware status, IrfanView is easily one of the most
popular digital image editing solutions today. Its current version is 4.42 and this, the Free, ‘Lite’ User Manual
is for the current version.
IrfanView is a light, feature-rich and easy-to-use Digital Imaging, Scanning and Printing solution that you can
use to edit your Digital Images - be it photographs, documents, images for your website or batch-scanning
and printing of your digital images. It runs on all versions of Windows – I have used it on Computers running
all versions from Windows 95 to the latest Windows 10, without any problems. This Manual is written on a
Laptop with an i5 Processor and 8 GB RAM, running Windows 10 (64-Bit). I also run IrfanView 4.42 with all
its PlugIns on my hp Omni 10 Tablet, which has an Intel Atom Processor, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB Storage. Even
the Tablet’s specifications are more than sufficient to run IrfanView 4.42 and get serious work done with it!
IrfanView is updated as and when required, with new features being added on, based on user feedback and
global trends. It was the first Windows-based graphic viewer worldwide with multiple (animated) GIF
support. It was also one of the first graphic viewers worldwide with Multipage TIF support and the first
graphic viewer worldwide with Multiple ICO support.
In the words of its creator, "IrfanView is trying to create new and/ or interesting features in its own way,
unlike some other graphic viewers, whose whole "creativity" is based on feature cloning, stealing of ideas and
whole dialogs from other popular image editors such as ACDSee or IrfanView!"
This is the Fourth Edition of my IrfanView User Manual. The first was written for Version 4.25, when Windows
XP ruled supreme. The second was written for Version 4.27, when Windows 7 was in the process of being
introduced. The User Manual for Version 4.38 was written when Windows 10 was being Beta tested as a
Technical Preview and this User Manual for Version 4.42 is written at a time when Windows 10 adoption
worldwide is soaring!
Most of the Screenshots in this Manual are of IrfanView 4.42 running under Windows 10 (64-Bit). You can
identify these rather easily, as the Windows 10 Screenshots have virtually no Borders! A mere handful of
Screenshots are leftovers from the previous version(s) of this Manual. These are mainly Screenshots of pre-
installation steps that I cannot reproduce again now, unless I re-install my registered copy of IrfanView 4.42.
You can identify these few images as well, since they have the Light Blue or Dark Gray Borders of Windows
7 and not the Minimal Borders of Windows 10!
Apart from viewing/ editing digital images that form the core function, IrfanView lets you easily accomplish
a number of related tasks. I have been a user of IrfanView for many years now and recommend it strongly
for the wide range of image editing features it possesses and its numeous easy-to-use features!

What is IrfanView? Page 16 of 235

IrfanView is a tiny download – the 64-Bit Version is less than 3.5 MB and the 32-Bit Version just over 2 MB,
for IrfanView 4.42. You may freely download either Version from http://www.irfanview.com.
Once you download the core program, you must download the PlugIns as well: the 32-Bit Plugins are about
16 MB, while the 64-bit Version is just over 25 MB. These PlugIns give IrfanView new capabilities! With the
PlugIns installed, you will not only be able to enhance your digital images in many more ways, but also be
able to play many Video files, listen to sound files, scan, e-Mail, do OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
conversions, create and read PDF/ TIF Files, add/ remove pages from PDF/ TIF files, add various effects to
your digital images, and so on!

1.02: IrfanView Features

Here are some of the top features of IrfanView Version 4.42. Please note that this is NOT a comprehensive
listing of all features!
 Many supported file formats (Click here for the list of Supported Formats)
 Multi Language Support
 Thumbnail/ Preview option
 Paint Option - to draw Lines, Circles, Arrows, Straighten Image, etc.
 Toolbar Skins Option
 64-bit version: Option to use 32-bit TWAIN drivers if 64-bit drivers not installed
 New Dialog/ GUI on Windows Tablets
 New Hotkey: SHIFT + Tab: Start/ End Tablet mode dialog
 New Hotkey: CTRL + Insert: Edit  Copy
 New Slideshow Hotkey: Q = Pause/Resume a timer slideshow
 New option for /Info Command Line: write CSV file: /info=infofile.csv
 Added PlugIns-Installer options for: /silent and /folder
 Slideshow (save Slideshow as EXE/SCR or burn it to CD)
 Show EXIF/ IPTC/ Comment Text in Slideshow/ Fullscreen
 Support for Adobe Photoshop Filters
 Fast Directory View (moving through Directory)
 Batch Conversion (with Advanced Image Processing)
 Multipage TIF Editing
 File Search
 e-Mail Option
 Multimedia Player
 Print Option
 Support for embedded Color Profiles in JPG/ TIF
 Change Color Depth
 Scan (Batch Scan) Support
 Cut/ Crop
 Add Overlay Text/ Image (Watermark)
 IPTC Editing
 Effects (Sharpen, Blur, Adobe 8BF, Filter Factory, Filters Unlimited, etc.)
 Screen Capturing
 Extract Icons from EXE/ DLL/ ICLs
 Lossless JPG Rotation
 Shell Extension PlugIn
 Unicode Support
 Many Hotkeys
 Many Command Line Options
 Many PlugIns
 Only one EXE-File, no DLLs, no Shareware Messages like "I Agree" or "Evaluation Expired"
 No Registry Changes without User Action/ Permission!

What is IrfanView? Page 17 of 235

1.03: Minimum Hardware Specifications to run IrfanView
IrfanView is extremely light – any old Computer running Windows 95 will comfortably run IrfanView! As far
as Hardware is concerned, any Computer that is a Pentium III or later, with at least 256 MB RAM will be
sufficient. And as far as space is concerned, if you have 30 MB free, you can make IrfanView work the way
you want it to!

1.04: How Best to Read This Manual

This IrfanView User Manual is replete with Screenshots that explain each and every function. The Folder
containing all my Working Images for the Commercial Edition of the User Manual has nearly 450 Images at
last count – which translates to over one Screenshot per Page! The screenshots are carefully chosen so as to
help you quickly master IrfanView. Do note that this is the Free, ‘Lite’ Edition of the User Manual and that it
has significantly fewer Screenshots.
I have used Standard Terms to refer to each part of the IrfanView screen throughout this Manual. In case
you are not familiar with the Standard Terms for parts of an application’s screen, here they are, explained in
Figure 1.01 below:

Figure 1.01: Standard Terms used in Screenshots

I have used two

more terms at
places in this
Manual. These are
illustrated in
Figures 1.02 below
and Figure 1.03 on
the next page.

Figure 1.02: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Dialog Box

A Dialog Box is a screen that awaits your inputs,
before it does anything. In other words, you need
to give your inputs in the specific area(s) within
the Dialog Box, before it acts on your inputs. For
example, in the Screen shown in Figure 1.02 to
the left, IrfanView will rotate the image only after
you specify the Degree of Rotation you want the
image rotated by and the background color of the
image after rotation. Until you put in this
information, IrfanView’s ‘Image  Custom/ Fine
Rotation’ function does nothing!
The Information Box shown here in Figure 1.02
may also be accessed by means of its Hot Key,
‘Control+U’.

What is IrfanView? Page 18 of 235

Figure 1.03: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Information Box (Screen)

On the other hand, you do not have to fill

anything into Information Boxes (also referred to
as Information Screens). The Image Histogram
shown alongside is an Information Box (or
Screen) that merely shows you the Graph of a
certain parameter of the image. You cannot input
anything into it, all you can do is close it, when
you are done viewing it.
The Information Box shown in Figure 1.03 to the
left is accessed either by clicking Image 
Histogram or by invoking it by means of its Hot
Key, ‘Shift+H’.

Throughout this User Manual, you will also find Special Areas marked by Colored Text Boxes with matching
Colored Pins to their Left. These are for your easy reference and understanding, with each color Text Box
containing a specific type of information. Here is a brief description of each Colored Text Box.
The convention I have followed for depicting Menu – SubMenu – Sub SubMenu, if I may call it that, is; Menu
 SubMenu  Sub SubMenu, for you to quickly identify them
All Section Headings and Figure/ Table are titled to include the Menu, SubMenu, Sub SubMenu and the
specific topic to be discussed. At least in the Commercial Edition of the User Manual. For example;
Figure 5.80: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect – Dialog Box
– Dialog
Figure 5.80: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect Box
Figure No., including Chapter SubMenu Sub SubMenu Topic
Menu Name
No. Name Name Name

Note:
Important points you need to keep in mind, while working with IrfanView. Each Note is
related to the Chapter it is in and more specifically, to the topic under discussion.

Tip:
Useful work-arounds or time-savers, while working with IrfanView. Again, each Tip is
related to the Chapter it is in and more specifically, to the topic under discussion.

What is IrfanView? Page 19 of 235

 Information:
Extra Information – usually about Standards and other stuff, that will enhance your
knowledge of Digital Imaging and thus, unlock your abilities to use IrfanView more
tellingly! Information Boxes are also displayed contextually, immediately following a
topic where general information pertaining to the topic is likely to improve your
understanding of Digital Imaging.

Warning:
Stuff that you should either avoid doing or do without fail, in IrfanView. Each Warning is
related to the Chapter it is in and again, specifically to the topic under discussion.

Finally, I have put in a number of Links to topics already covered, throughout this User Manual. You may click
them to quickly go to something related, that was already discussed earlier/ will be discussed later on in the
Free, ‘Lite’ User Manual. However, to return to the page that you were in before clicking the Link, you need
to note the Page Number you were in BEFORE clicking the link!
If you did not note the Page Number, you may of course go to the Table of Contents, identify the Section/
Figure you were looking at, and click it to return to where you were before clicking the Link…
To return to the page that you were in before clicking a Link, you can click on the ‘Return’ Button at the end
of the Reference Point, in the Commercial Edition of the User Manual, saving you time every time!
Earlier Editions had just the ‘Forward’ Links. This made it difficult for readers to return to where they were
before clicking a Related Link, as pointed out by a purchaser of the Third Edition of the Commericial Manual.
I realized that I was only making ‘half use’ of the advantages offered by the PDF format vis-à-vis a Printed
Hard Copy and therefore, it is pleasing to be able to put in ‘Full Links’, i.e., both ‘Forward’ and ‘Return’ Links
into the Commercial Edition of the User Manual for the first time!
This feature will save you time, every time! 
As promised, the Reader who suggested this feature has been mailed a Free Copy of the Updated Fourth
Edition of the Commercial Manual!

1.05: IrfanView Installation Steps

1. Starting with Version 4.40, IrfanView is available in both the 32-Bit and 64-Bit Versions. For Version 4.42,
the corresponding Setup files are named “iview442_setup” for the 32-Bit and “iview442_x64_setup” for
the 64-Bit Version
2. Point your Browser to http://www.irfanview.com, download the latest version of IrfanView from one of
the many sites listed there. You may install the 32-Bit, the 64-Bit or even both versions onto the same
Computer!
3. Install the PlugIns for your installed version of IrfanView too. Install the same version of the PlugIns as
your copy of IrfanView! So if you install IrfanView Version 4.42, 32-Bit, you need to install IrfanView
PlugIn Version 4.42 for 32-Bit Version as well! Once you have downloaded both IrfanView and the
corresponding PlugIns, navigate to the Folder that contains the files you downloaded.
4. The Plugin File for the 32-Bit Version of IrfanView 4.42 is named “irfanview_plugins_442_setup” and that
for the 64_Bit Version as “irfanview_plugins_x64_442_setup”
5. Click on the IrfanView file iviewxxx_setup.exe and complete the installation. (The next section takes you
through each of the Installation screens)
6. After installing IrfanView, install its corresponding PlugIns too. Again, I have a section devoted to the
installation of IrfanView PlugIns.

What is IrfanView? Page 20 of 235

1.06: Installing IrfanView
Immediately after you click on the file iviewxxx_setup.exe from where you had saved it as a download, you
get to see the screen titled Figure 1.04, shown below.
Before you get to Figure 1.04, it is possible that you get to see a warning screen, especially if you are running
Windows 7. It is absolutely safe to close the Warning Screen, if any, provided you have downloaded IrfanView
from any of the mirror sites listed at www.irfanview.com. Nobody except the program’s developer can vouch
for any other source of the IrfanView program!

Figure 1.04: IrfanView – Initial Installation Screen

You have the following choices here:
 To create shortcuts to IrfanView on your
Desktop and/ or
 To create IrfanView Thumbnails shortcut
on your Desktop and/ or
 To create IrfanView shortcut in your Start
Menu Programs
You may select one or all three of these
options.
You also have the option of installing
IrfanView for the current user alone or for all
users created on the Computer.
Finally, you have the option of changing the
Folder into which IrfanView installs itself. By
default, IrfanView installs onto the Program
Files Folder of your active Windows partition.
I recommend that you do not change the
Default Folder – the rest of the choices are
yours to make!
Once you have made your choices, click on the Next Button at the Bottom of the Screen, or click Exit, if you
want to install IrfanView later.

Figure 1.05: IrfanView Installation – What’s New Screen

When you click on the Next Button shown
in Figure 1.04 shown on the previous page,
you get to the screen shown to the left,
titled Figure 1.05. If you are an old user of
IrfanView, you can see all the new features
of the latest edition in this screen – you
would already be familiar with its old
features!
And if you are a first-time user, this works
as a brief introduction to IrfanView’s many
capabilities.
I recommend you read it once, whether you
are a first-time user or an old user of
IrfanView!
When you finish with the brief ‘What’s New’
write-up, click the Next Button at the
Bottom of the screen, to arrive at Figure
1.06, shown below.

What is IrfanView? Page 21 of 235

Figure 1.06: IrfanView Installation – File Associations Screen

This is the Dialog Box where you specify

the files that you would like IrfanView to
open, when you click a digital image file
under Windows Explorer. The list of file
extensions is huge – I’ve never got around
to actually counting it!
I strongly recommend that you select all
Images, by clicking on the ‘Images only’
Button at the Bottom of the screen. I am
sure you will like IrfanView more than
your current Image Viewer/ Editor, if you
aren’t already an IrfanView user!

Note that some file extensions require you to install the PlugIns. Never mind though, we will be installing the
PlugIns next anyways, so as to further extend the capabilities of IrfanView!
The one other option in this screen is specific to users of Windows XP alone – it lets you specify whether you
want IrfanView to be associated with the selected file associations for the current user alone (uncheck the
option) or for all users (check the option).
Time to move on to the next screen now, by clicking on the Next Button at the Bottom of the above screen.
Note that unlike most software, IrfanView puts no pressure on you to adopt it: by default, IrfanView is NOT
associated with ANY of the above file extensions, nor is it installed by default for all users under Windows
XP/ Vista/ 7/ 8/8.1/ 10 – YOU need to explicitly, consciously do so! Once you master IrfanView and discover
the joys of working with, I bet you will WANT to associate IrfanView with all Image formats anyways!

What is IrfanView? Page 22 of 235

Figure 1.07: IrfanView Installation – .INI File Location

When you do click on the Next Button

that was shown in Figure 1.06, you get to
the screen shown alongside, titled Figure
1.07. This Screen lets you choose the
IrfanView .INI File’s location.
The .INI File specifies the Starting Size,
Screen Location and other parameters of
IrfanView, whenever you start the
Program.
If you are using Windows Vista/ Windows
7/ Windows 8/ Windows 10, select the
second choice, i.e., User’s Application
Data Folder.
If you are still using Windows XP, Hey, its
HIGH TIME you upgraded your now-
unsuppported Operating System!!
Seriously!

Figure 1.08: IrfanView Installation – Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer Screen
When you do click on the Next Button
shown in Figure 1.07, you may get to the
screen shown alongside, titled Figure
1.08. If you have already installed Google
Toolbar for Internet Explorer, you would
not get to see this screen, instead, you
would go straight to the next Screen,
shown as Figure 1.09 on the next page.
Once again, you have the option of NOT
installing the Google Toolbar for Internet
Explorer. Google is one of the best-known
IT companies and easily the leading
Search Engine. The Google Toolbar can
only enhance your browsing experience!
And if you don’t like it for some reason,
you can always remove it later on. By
allowing Google Toolbar to install itself on
your Computer, you are helping in the
development of IrfanView and helping it
stay free for personal use!
Whether you decide to install Google Toolbar or not, click on the Next Button at the Bottom of the screen
shown in Figure 1.07 or 1.08 as the case may be, to get to Figure 1.09, shown below.

What is IrfanView? Page 23 of 235

Figure 1.09: IrfanView Installation – Are you REALLY Sure!? Screen

IrfanView’s developer Irfan Skiljan merely wants

you to confirm whether you really want to
associate IrfanView with your selected image file
formats. Over the years, I assure you, I have
never had a problem, using IrfanView for viewing
any digital image format.
So, in the screen shown in Figure 1.06, do select
All Images and safely click on the Yes Button, to
begin installing IrfanView. IrfanView now gets
installed onto your Computer, with the
specifications you have set for it.
The installation process takes all of a Minute,
even on a slow machine, so you DON’T have time
for a cup of coffee now – that will have to come
later! 

Figure 1.10: IrfanView Installation – Installation Successful Screen

On a fast machine, IrfanView completes

installation in a matter of seconds. At the
end of a successful install, you get to see
the screen shown alongside, titled Figure
1.10.
You have the option of running IrfanView
straightaway (by checking the box for
Start IrfanView) or starting the program
later (by un-checking the box). You will
also find a brief about how to uninstall
IrfanView, if you ever feel the need to do
so!

If you had checked Start IrfanView in Figure 1.10 above, IrfanView starts up. Your Browser also starts up and
takes you to the IrfanView FAQs page, http://www.irfanview.net/faq.htm. Even if you had not checked the
Start IrfanView box in Figure 1.10, you still get to see the IrfanView FAQs page, if you are connected to the
Internet.
Your IrfanView installation is now complete. Next, you need to install its PlugIns, if you want the full feature
set of IrfanView to work for you! The section below discusses how to install the IrfanView PlugIns but before
that, a brief note on a Screen that you may get to see, at this stage...

What is IrfanView? Page 24 of 235

Figure 1.11: IrfanView Installation – Program Compatibility Screen

Note, you may also see the screen shown to

the Left here, or a similar screen, when you
install IrfanView under Windows 7 or
Windows 8.x. This screen is courtesy
Windows; it is NOT part of IrfanView’s
installation!
You may safely click on the option “This
program installed correctly”, for IrfanView
4.42 has absolutely no issues working under
either Windows 7, Windows 8.x or Windows
10, either the 32-Bit or the 64-Bit versions!

1.07: Installing IrfanView PlugIns

To install the IrfanView PlugIns, locate the file named irfanview_plugins_442_setup.exe or
irfanview_plugins_x64_442_setup.exe, that you had downloaded by visiting the IrfanView website. If you
have installed the 32-Bit version of IrfanView, choose to install PlugIns from the file
irfanview_plugins_442_setup.exe and if you have installed the 64-Bit version of IrfanView, select the file
irfanview_plugins_x64_442_setup.exe, to install the correct IrfanView PlugIns. Click and run your chosen file
and you will get to the screen shown below as Figure 1.12:

Figure 1.12: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Initial Screen

Note that it is vital you install the

IrfanView PlugIns in the same Folder that
you installed IrfanView in. Therefore if
you changed the Default Folder while
installing IrfanView (see Figure 1.04 if you
need to), you need to change the
Destination Folder here as well, so that
the IrfanView PlugIns install correctly.
It is also vital that you install the same
versions of IrfanView and its PlugIns! For
example, if you have IrfanView Version
4.42 and PlugIns Version 4.38, your
IrfanView will behave erratically!

Once you have correctly chosen/ specified the IrfanView PlugIns Folder, click on the Next Button at the
Bottom of the screen.

What is IrfanView? Page 25 of 235

Figure 1.13: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Error Screen

Ha! Note that you need to close IrfanView,

to install its PlugIns. If you attempt to install
the PlugIns while IrfanView is running, you
get to see the screen shown alongside as
Figure 1.13.
You need to click on the OK Button shown
here as well as close all current instances of
IrfanView, to begin installing the PlugIns all
over again.
Again, note that when you click on the OK
Button in the foreground, the Welcome to
IrfanView PlugIns setup screen in the
background DOES NOT disappear.

To re-iterate, at this stage, ensure the following:

1. You are not running IrfanView
2. You have specified the same Folder for both IrfanView as well as the IrfanView PlugIns
If both the above are correctly set up, it takes an incredibly short period of time for the PlugIns to install –
no time for coffee, again! 
IrfanView confirms that you have correctly installed all the PlugIns, when you see the screen shown below,
titled Figure 1.14.

Figure 1.14: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Successful Installation Screen

Click on the OK Button at the Bottom of

the screen.
If you are running Windows 7 or Windows
8.x, you may get to see one more screen –
the one shown as Figure 1.11: IrfanView
Installation – Program Compatibility
Screen. As I said earlier, this screen is
courtesy Windows, not IrfanView. Here is
the screen once again, titled Figure 1.15,
on the next page.

What is IrfanView? Page 26 of 235

Figure 1.15: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Program Compatibility Screen

Once again, you may safely click the option

“This program installed correctly”, for
IrfanView 4.42 works perfectly well under
Windows 7, Windows 8.x and Windows 10!
Once you install IrfanView as well as the
PlugIns, you are ready to unleash the power
of this light, easy-to-use and solid,
thoroughly reliable solution on your digital
images!
I strongly recommend that you visit
www.irfanview.com regularly for the latest
version of IrfanView as well as the PlugIns,
for both are updated as and when required!

Figure 1.16: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Desktop Icons

Now that you have successfully installed both IrfanView and its
corresponding PlugIns, you will also find the IrfanView Icon on your
Desktop. The IrfanView 32-Bit and 64-Bit Icons that will both appear on
your Desktop (if you downloaded and installed both versions), are shown
to the Left here.
In case you had also chosen the option “Create IrfanView Thumbnails
shortcut on the Desktop” while at the Welcome to IrfanView Installation
Screen (Figure 1.04), you will also find the Icon shown to the Right here,
on your Desktop.

With the latest version, IrfanView has become the first Image viewing and editing program that works
EXACTLY the same in Desktop as well as Tablet Modes, as far as I know! While you do have a Tablet edition
of Adobe PhotoShop that is much less feature-rich than the Desktop edition of the same, in addition to a
plethora of Tablet-only Image viewing and editing Apps, IrfanView is the first Image viewing and editing
Solution that works EXACTLY the same, both in desktop and Tablet mode!
Here is a screenshot of the Tablet mode of IrfanView: note that you will need to ‘Pin to Start’ IrfanView, like
all other Apps under the Tablet Mode, to display its icon in the Tablet Mode. See Figure 1.17 on the next
page.

What is IrfanView? Page 27 of 235

Figure 1.17: IrfanView Installation – Tablet Icons

You may also notice that both the 64-Bit

and the 32-Bit versions of IrfanView
have been installed above, from their
separate Icons in the Start/ All Apps
Listing!

On starting IrfanView in the Tablet mode, here is the screen you will get to see, shown below as Figure 1.18:

Figure 1.18: IrfanView in Tablet Mode

While IrfanView is fully functional under the Tablet mode and works exactly like it does in the Desktop mode,
I would like to see it have the following features as well, in a future updation:
1. Ability to resize the Display Area – at the moment, it allows you to minimize or close alone
2. Since most Tablets require multiple Buttons to be touched before invoking the Function Keys, an easier
way to invoke all features that require the Function Keys to be invoked – most notably, the Floating
IrfanView Toolbar, but more about that Toolbar in the relevant Chapter…
Having said that, it is quite likely that these improvements are due to the way Windows 10 is built, rather
than the way IrfanView is coded!
The good things about the IrfanView Tablet Edition are that;
1. There is a Zero Learning Curve – if you know how to use IrfanView in the Desktop mode, you know how
to run it in the Tablet mode too!
2. It works exactly like any Tablet App as well, letting you touch the Icons to get it to work for you, letting
you swipe down to close IrfanView, and so on

What is IrfanView? Page 28 of 235

The rest of this, the ‘Lite’ Edition of the User Manual, explains each feature of IrfanView and how you can
become an IrfanView Power User! I will go through each of the Menus and SubMenus, giving Examples
wherever possible, so as to make your learning experience as easy, interesting and fun-filled as possible.
In the Commercial Edition of the User Manual, each Chapter has hands-on Exercises for you to work
simultaneously on. It also has an exclusive Chapter containing hands-on Exercises, to further cement your
understanding of IrfanView!
Once you master IrfanView, editing your digital images and making them look good is a snap. You may then
joyously share your digital images on your website, e-Mail them, store them on CDs/ DVDs, upload them on
your Social Networking pages, instantly distribute them through WhatsApp, Tweet them, whatever!!
Yes, Finally, it’s time for the Coffee! 

What is IrfanView? Page 29 of 235

Chapter 2: The ‘File’ Menu
OPENING, SAVING AND RELATED OPERATIONS WITH IRFANVIEW
IrfanView’s Menu System is structured along the different things one naturally, usually does with one’s
Images. This is what makes it so simple and intuitive, yet so powerful! Hence, the ‘File’ Menu contains
SubMenus for opening, renaming, copying, deleting, saving, saving under a different file name or digital
format, setting up and playing a Slideshow of digital images, etc. Here is the File Menu along with its
SubMenu, shown below as Figure 2.01:

Figure 2.01: IrfanView ‘File’ Menu and SubMenu

In this Chapter and

subsequent Chapters,
I take up each of
IrfanView’s Menus
and SubMenus and
explain what each one
does by means of
Screenshots. The
Commercial Edition
contains many
Exercises for many a
feature, as well as a
complete Chapter
with hands-on
Exercises tailored to
cement your
understanding of
IrfanView!
You will find hands-on
exercises right
through the
Commercial Edition of
the User Manual!

So beginning on the next page is the first of the IrfanView Menus and SubMenus explained:

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 30 of 235
2.01: IrfanView File  Open SubMenu
Figure 2.02: IrfanView Opening Screen
Once you have IrfanView up
and running, you may open a
file in any of the following
ways:
 By clicking the yellow
‘Folder Open’ icon at the
Top Left hand of the
IrfanView opening screen.
This is the very first icon
from the Left, in the
IrfanView Icons Bar. (Note:
if you are using a different
IrfanView ‘Skin’, your
Toolbar will look different.
However, the File Open
Icon is still the first icon
from the Left and at the
Top, in the IrfanView Icons
Bar).
 By clicking File  Open
SubMenu
 By using the Hot Key ‘O’
Whichever method you choose to open a file in IrfanView, you get to the screen shown below as Figure 2.03.

Figure 2.03: IrfanView ‘File Open’ Dialog Box

Now navigate to the Folder containing the image you want to open and click “Open”. Or of course, double-
click the file to open it in IrfanView.

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 31 of 235
Figure 2.04: Sample Image opened with IrfanView

Here is an Image of Mount Everest opened with

IrfanView Version 4.42 64-Bit, on a Laptop
running Windows 10 in Desktop Mode.
Opening it in Tablet Mode is exactly similar, so
no separate Screenshot here, for now.
In fact, all operations are exactly similar under
both Desktop and Tablet modes: the only
differences you will experience are because of
the differences between Tablet Mode and
Desktop Mode!

Figure 2.05: Sample Image displaying IrfanView and IrfanPaint

And here is the same

Image of Mount
Everest opened with
IrfanView Version
4.42, on the Laptop
running Windows 10
in Desktop Mode,
along with the
IrfanPaint Floating
Toolbar visible side-
by-side.
We will discuss the
feature-rich IrfanPaint
Toolbar in detail in the
next Chapter…

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 32 of 235
2.02: IrfanView File  Reopen SubMenu
The next MenuItem under the File SubMenu system is the Reopen MenuItem. This is a useful feature that
comes in handy when you have messed up the image you are currently working on (and this does happen,
even if you are real careful!) and would like to go back to the original image, so as to begin working on it all
over again. The associated Hot Key is ‘Shift+R’ and believe me, it has saved me hours of re-work!!

Note:
The Standard Windows ‘Undo’ command, the Hot Key ‘Control+Z’, works very well under
IrfanView. You also have the Undo icon on the Top of the IrfanView Icons Bar. However,
IrfanView does not have ‘Multiple Undos’, it has a Single Level of Undo alone. You will
therefore have to go all the way back to your original image, if you made a mistake, say 3
changes ago! This is where the ‘Reopen’ option comes in handy!

Warning:
Reopen reopens the last-saved version of your image. Hence if you saved a copy that you
do not really want, that is what IrfanView File Reopen will reopen. It is therefore a good
idea to save ONLY when you are SURE that the intermediate image meets with your
approval!

2.03: IrfanView File  Open Recent files SubMenu

If you need to open a frequently-opened Folder or set of Pictures, there is an easier method: click on the File
 Open Recent files SubMenu, to bring up the Dialog Box shown below as Figure 2.06

Figure 2.06: IrfanView Open Recent Files SubMenu

A listing of the recent files and
Folders containing the
pictures that you have worked
recently on opens up, as
shown in the Screen Shot to
the left. There are 3 files in the
Recently-opened group of
files, as you can see. This is
because I have only opened 3
Files recently. IrfanView can
display dozens of Recently
opened Files, if you have open
that many recently. Note that
I have also deliberately erased
the full path names of the files
in my Recently Opened List – I
have done this right through
the Manual…

Now, just click on the file name of the image you want to open.
Now that you have your picture opened in IrfanView by one of the many ways discussed above, let us get on
with the task of editing it! We will be using the picture of Mount Everest shown in Figure 2.04 in many of our
Examples and Exercises throughout this User Manual.

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 33 of 235
2.04: IrfanView File  Open with External Editor SubMenu
The next SubMenu, Open with External Editor, lets you open your image under a different image editor, if
you wish to do so. However, to do so, you need to tell IrfanView your preference of External Editor(s). To do
so, click on the Properties/Settings icon on the IrfanView Icon Bar in Figure 2.07 right below, with the ToolTip
showing Properties/Settings. Click it to bring up the Dialog Box shown in Figure 2.08, right below Figure 2.07.

Figure 2.07: IrfanView Settings Icon

Figure 2.08: Configuring the External Editor Dialog Box

By default, IrfanView is
the third Editor and by
default, you are allowed
to configure two more
External Editors by
browsing over to the
programs’ .Exe files. You
may also install up to 10
External Editors by
tweaking IrfanView a bit
– I will show you that in a
later Chapter and
Section.
I wonder though, if you
will ever need to use an
External Editor other
than IrfanView – I have
not, in over a decade of
using IrfanView for a
variety of professional
and personal purposes!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 34 of 235
2.05: IrfanView File  Open as SubMenu
You may open an image file as Hex, ASCII or as a RAW file by using this SubMenu. If you are a software
developer, this SubMenu will be of use to you to study the Headers of files.
The Open As SubMenu is displayed below in Figure 2.09.

Figure 2.09: Open as SubMenu

2.06: IrfanView File  Thumbnails SubMenu

With the Thumbnails SubMenu selected, you will be able to view a Folder and all images in it as Thumbnails,
as shown in Figure 2.10 below. This is useful if you are not sure of the Folder of the image you want to open,
or its filename, or both.

Figure 2.10: IrfanView Thumbnails View

The Thumbnails
view is useful
for other
excellent
reasons as well:
take a look at its
details. See
Figure 2.11 on
the next page:

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 35 of 235
Figure 2.11: IrfanView Thumbnails View Options
You can look at your Thumbnails in
different ways, so as to locate any
particular image as quickly as
possible.
You can also select multiple images
using Shift+Click, if the images are
in sequence (Click on the first image
and Shift+Click on the last image in
the sequence).
And you can also select images that
are not in sequence (Click on the
first image, Control+Click on the
next, Control+Click again on the
next and so on, until you have
selected all the images you want).

Tip:
Control+A selects all images in a Folder under the Thumbnail view, just like under
Windows Explorer.

Once you have selected the images you want under the Thumbnail view, you can perform a number of
common tasks easily, by means of the SubMenus or Keyboard shortcuts for each operation. All the options
under this SubMenu and their corresponding Keyboard Shortcuts are presented in the Table on the next
page:

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 36 of 235
Table 2.01: File Manipulation Keyboard Shortcuts, IrfanView Thumbnails View
S. No. Action Keyboard Shortcut
1) Move Selected Files… F7 Button
2) Copy Selected Files… F8 Button
3) Delete Selected Files… Del Button
4) Start Slideshow with Selected Files No Shortcut
5) Save Selected Files as Current Slideshow No Shortcut
6) Append Selected Files to Current Slideshow No Shortcut
7) Start Batch Dialog with Selected Files B Button
8) Transfer Selected Files by FTP (File Transfer Protocol) … No Shortcut
9) Save Selected File Names as TXT… No Shortcut
10) JPG Lossless Operations …SubMenu…
a) Lossless Rotation with Selected Files… Shift+J
b) Lossless Crop with Selected Files… No Shortcut
c) Change EXIF Date/ Time (Date Taken)… No Shortcut
d) Set Comment to Selected Files… Control+Shift+M
e) Set IPTC Data to Selected Files… Control+I
f) Create Contact Sheet from Selected Files… No Shortcut
g) Start Panorama Dialog with Selected Files… No Shortcut
h) Start Multipage-TIF Dialog with Selected Files… No Shortcut
i) Start Multipage-PDF Dialog with Selected Files… No Shortcut
j) Save Selected Thumbs as an Image… No Shortcut
k) Save Selected Thumbs as Single Images… No Shortcut
l) Save Selected Files as HTML File… No Shortcut
m) Print Selected Files as Single Images (Batch Print)… No Shortcut
n) Extract Pages from Selected Multipage Files… No Shortcut
o) Send Selected Files by e-Mail Shift+M
11) Open with External Editor …SubMenu…
a) Open with External Editor 1 Shift+E
b) Open with External Editor 1 No Shortcut
c) Open with External Editor 1 No Shortcut
d) Start Face Detection with Selected Files No Shortcut
e) Start Face Detection with Current Folder No Shortcut

Note:
You can write the IPTC Data as well as Comments for JPG images if you want to, by means
of the Thumbnails view, as shown under the JPG Lossless operations item

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 37 of 235
2.07: IrfanView File  Slideshow SubMenu
The next Sub MenuItem under the File Menu is Slideshow. The Slideshow SubMenu lets you create a slide
show of images from scratch, as well as burn your Slideshow to a CD/ DVD. All settings you need to create
your slideshow are present right under this SubMenu. On clicking the Slideshow SubMenu (or pressing ‘W’
from the main screen), you get to the Dialog Box shown as Figure 2.12, below.

Figure 2.12: IrfanView Slideshow Settings Dialog Box Options

Using the controls

at the Left Top of
the Dialog Box, you
can set the
following
parameters:

1. Slideshow Advancement:
a. Automatic Slide Advancement Timing in seconds – type in the number of seconds you prefer
b. Automatically advance Slides on Mouse Click/ Keyboard input
c. Randomly after specified number of Seconds
d. Randomly display slides on Mouse/ Keyboard input
2. Slideshow Options:
a. Start Slideshow with Image number specified herein
b. Remember the Last File Index on Exit, so you can continue from that Slide
c. Loop/ Do Not Loop your Slideshow
d. Suppress/ Do Not Suppress any errors during the Slideshow while it plays
e. Loop/ Do Not Loop MP3 files playing in the Background
f. Hide/ Show Mouse Cursor during Slideshow
g. Displaying the specified text for the Slideshow
i. $D to display File Folder Name
ii. $F to display File Name
iii. $X to display File Index
iv. $Ex to display EXIF Information
v. $Ix to display IPTC Information, etc.
vi. The complete list of available Placeholders for File/ Image Properties is displlayed in Table
6.01 of this User Manual
h. Close IrfanView after Slideshow is complete

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 38 of 235
3. Play Mode:
a. Play in Full Screen Mode of Current Monitor (you have a separate set of Full Screen options – do
go through Figure 2.13 below) or Play in Windowed Mode
b. Play in Window Mode of Current Monitor, with the option to specify the Window’s X-Position,
Y-Position, Width and Height, or merely Center it on your Current Monitor

Figure 2.13: IrfanView Slideshow  Full Screen Options

4. Loading/ Saving Slideshow Files:

a. Load File Names from TXT file
b. Save Filenames in TXT Format,
for use in a later Slideshow
c. Save Slideshow as an EXE or
Windows SCR file
d. Burn the Slideshow to CD/ DVD
5. Include/ Exclude SubFolders in the
slideshow
6. Show/ Hide Preview image

The Right half of the File/ Slideshow Settings Dialog Box lets you navigate to the Folder containing the images
you want to display in the Slideshow. You may add/ remove files individually, select/ deselect all files, move
image order up/ down as well as sort files, in this part of the Dialog Box. Your selection is updated
immediately in the ‘Preview Image’ area, i.e., the large area at the Bottom Right of the Dialog Box.
As you can see, IrfanView gives you complete control over your Slideshow!

2.08: IrfanView File  Start Slideshow with Current File List SubMenu
If you are currently displaying an image in IrfanView and wish to start a Slideshow with the image included,
this is the SubMenu that will do it for you. For this to work, you must already have saved a Slideshow List in
the .TXT format.
The above works as long as you have a Slideshow saved – even if the saved Slideshow .TXT file is deleted and
the Recycle Bin emptied, it seems to work until you re-start your machine, though the Slideshow will now
play without the Slide Text!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 39 of 235
2.09: IrfanView File  Batch Conversion/ Rename SubMenu
Under this SubMenu, you can quickly convert a number of images automatically from one file format to
another, or rename them. Converting/ Renaming takes place in batch mode, i.e., files are processed
(converted or renamed) one after the other. See Figure 2.14 below.

Figure 2.14: IrfanView Batch Conversion/ Renaming Options

The Dialog Box for
Batch Conversion/
Renaming is very
similar to the one
for Slideshow
Settings and is
described below:
1. At the Top Left
corner of the
Dialog Box, you
have the
settings that let
you tell
IrfanView
whether you
want to do a
Batch
conversion, or
Rename files,
or do a batch
conversion and
then rename
them all!
2. Right below, you may specify the output format, on Batch conversion. The Eighteen digital file formats
currently supported by IrfanView for Batch Conversion are;
 BMP  PBM
 ECW  PDF
 EMF  PGM
 GIF  PNG
 ICO  PPM
 JLS  RAW
 JPG  TGA
 JNG  TIF
 PCX  WEBP
You may easily specify the Output Folder, specify a Naming Pattern for Renaming files, Add/ Remove your
files from the Batch for processing, sort them, move them up/ down, etc., from this Dialog Box.
For Bulk Resize operations, you have a number of advanced options as well, which may be specified by
checking the ‘Use Advanced Options (for Bulk Resize)’ Check Box shown in Figure 2.14 above and then
clicking the ‘Advanced’ Button in line with the Check Box. Clicking the Advanced Button brings up the Dialog
Box shown on the next page as Figure 2.15:

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 40 of 235
Figure 2.15: IrfanView Batch Conversion/ Renaming – Bulk Resize Options

The following are the Bulk

Tasks that may be
performed here:
1. Crop Images
2. Resize Images
3. Change Color Depth
of Images
You may specify different
parameters for each of
these Bulk Actions.

For a Bulk Crop operation, the following parameters may be specified for the crop:
a) X-Position
b) Y-Position
c) Width
d) Height
e) Start Corner – Left Top, Right Top, Center, Left Bottom or Right Bottom
For a Bulk Resize operation, you may specify the following parameters reproduced below:
Bulk Resize Parameters:
a) Set the new size of the images, by,
i. Setting Width, Setting Height or setting both
ii. Setting Long Side, Short Side or the Image itself to the specified dimensions (you may specify
in Pixels, Centimeters or Inches)
iii. Setting the MegaPixel Limit of the Picture
b) You may also specify image size as a percentage of the original image size, separately specifying the
Width and Height Percentages
c) You may also choose the following parameters:
i. Retain or choose not to retain the original image’s Aspect Ratio (Width to Height proportion)
ii. Use or not use the Resample function. Choosing the Resample function results in higher
quality of images after resizing
iii. Resize based only on new or old DPI (Dots per Inch) value of image
iv. Choose or not choose to enlarge smaller images
v. Choose or not choose to shrink larger images
d) You may also specify a new DPI (Dots per Inch) Value for all Images after Batch Resizing, here
Change Color Depth Parameters:
a) You may choose from amongst 16.7 Million, 256, 16 or 2 Colors, apart from specifying from 2 to 256
Custom Colors, with this option
b) You also have the option to dither the output images using the Floyd-Steinberg method, or to not
dither the output image
c) You may also use best colour quality for your re-processed images, at the cost of some speed for
larger images

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 41 of 235
Image Manipulation Options:
a) Auto Adjust Colors
b) Horizontal Flip
c) Vertical Flip
d) Rotate Left
e) Rotate Right
f) Convert to Grayscale
g) Convert to Negative
h) Auto Crop Borders
i) Change Canvas Size
j) Add Overlay Text
k) Add Watermark Image
l) Replace Color – RGB to;
a. RBG b. BRG c. GRB d. BGR e. GBR
Image Editing Options:
a) Sharpen Output Image (from 1 to 99)
b) Brightness of Output Image (from -255 to +255)
c) Contrast of Output Image (from -127 to +127)
d) Gamma correction of Output Image (from 0.01 to 6.99)
e) Saturation of Output Image (from -255 to +255)
f) Color Balance – R (from -255 to +255)
g) Color Balance – G (from -255 to +255)
h) Color Balance – B (from -255 to +255)
i) Blur Filter (from 1 to 99)
j) Median Filter (from 3 to 9)
k) Fine Rotation (from -360.0 to +360.0, incrementing by 0.1 Degree)
Miscellaneous Options:
The last set of options let you specify the following:
a) Whether to Overwrite Original files or not
b) Whether to Delete Original files after Converting/ Resizing or let them be
c) Whether to Create SubFolders in the Destination Folder or not
d) Whether to Save files with the Original Date and Time or not
e) Whether to Apply changes to all pages (this option is for Multi-page TIF and PDF files alone)
f) Whether you would like to specify a Custom Processing Order
As you can see, IrfanView has a thorough and comprehensive set of parameters for Batch Image Conversion
and Batch Image Resizing as well!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 42 of 235
2.10: IrfanView File  Search Files SubMenu
This is a very convenient place to search for files across your Hard Disk. The interface is not unlike Windows’
File Search, therefore it is easy to get used to. See Figure 2.16 below.

Figure 2.16: IrfanView Search Files Options

You have options to search Files by a range

of dates and specify the search Folder and
SubFolder. You may even search files by
looking for specifc text strings within an
image’s IPTC, EXIF or Comments Text!
You can sort the files displayed after the
Search operation, display them in the
Main IrfanView Window, show them Full
Screen or view their Thumbnails.
Pretty much every conceivable option is
covered here!
Check out the speed of Search – makes
Windows Search look like a one-legged
snail!

2.11: IrfanView File  Rename File SubMenu

Have you ever wanted to change the name of the image you have opened and is currently on display on your
screen? It has happened to me a number of times – I have spotted a careless typing error in the file name of
the image I am currently viewing, or a more appropriate file name springs to the mind… Usually, when the
file is already loaded into the program, you need to ‘Save as’ the file to the new name you want to give it.
IrfanView lets you do this very intuitively – press F2 (the Windows Button that is used to Rename files) and
you can Rename the file you are currently viewing, while you are still looking at it, without having to close it!
When you go back to the file’s Folder, you will find it listed under the new name you gave it using this
SubMenu!

2.12: IrfanView File  Move File SubMenu

You can also move the file you are currently viewing in IrfanView to a different Folder/ Partition/ Hard Disk/
Storage Device without exiting IrfanView, merely by pressing F7 and choosing the ‘Move To’ location! Come
back to where the file was, and you will find it missing, but you will find it at its new destination!

2.13: IrfanView File  Copy File SubMenu

Similarly in IrfanView, to copy (instead of move) the currently-viewed file to a different Folder/ Partition/
Hard Disk/ Storage Device without exiting IrfanView, simply press F8 and choose the copy destination!

2.14: IrfanView File  Delete File SubMenu

…and to delete the file being viewed currently in IrfanView, just press the Delete Button! Your file will
continue to be displayed on-screen in IrfanView, though it will be deleted from your Hard Disk/ Storage
Device! Once you exit IrfanView, the deleted (but hitherto-displayed on-screen) file will be gone forever!
Indeed, it is neat little touches such as these that make IrfanView so intuitive, yet powerful and a pleasurable
to work with!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 43 of 235
Figure 2.17: IrfanView Delete SubMenu Illustration
If you press the ‘Delete’ key a second time, i.e.,
AFTER you have deleted your image file as
described in this Section, you get a Pop Up that
reminds you that your image has already been
deleted and that it does not exist on your Hard
Disk! See the Screenshot titled Figure 2.17 to the
Left.
You may of course recover the file by,
 Restoring it from your Recycle Bin to its
original location
 Saving the still-displayed image to its original
location, as the deleted image continues to be
displayed in your running copy of IrfanView,
until you close IrfanView!

2.15: IrfanView File  Save (Original Folder) SubMenu

With this option, you can save the currently-viewed file in IrfanView to its original Folder, under different
options. The options you have vary, depending on the file format you are saving in. The Keyboard Shortcut
(Hot Key) for this operation is, rather intuitively, ‘Control+S’
Here is the Table listing the options for each file format:

Table 2.02: Save Original Folder Options

S. No. File Format Save Options
1. BMP Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
2. ECW Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time, Target Compression
3. EMF Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Save Quality (% of original image quality)
 Keep original EXIF Data
 Set File Size to (specify required file size in KB)
 Save Interlaced
Compuserve  Save Transparent Color
4.
GIF o Use Main Window Color for Transparency
o Choose Transparent Color during Saving
o Set Transparency Value to Palette Entry
You can save your GIF File Save Settings as well, giving the Profile an easy-to-
remember name
 Compression Level (0 = No Compression, 9 = Best Compression)
Windows
5.  Save Transparent Color
ICO
 Use Main Window Color for Transparency
6. JLS Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
7. JP2 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 44 of 235
S. No. File Format Save Options
 Save Quality (% of original image quality)
 Save as Progressive JPG
 Save as Grayscale JPG (Remember to reset this, else all future JPGs will continue
to be saved in Grayscale!)
 Disable Chroma Subsampling (use 1x1 Blocks)
 Keep original EXIF Data (if from JPG to JPG)
 Keep original IPTC Data
8. JPG/JPEG
 Keep original JPG Comment
 Keep original XMP Data
 Try to Save with original JPG Quallity (Estimation)
 Reset EXIF Orientation Tag
 Set File Size to specified KBs
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
Again, you may save your JPG File Save Settings, giving it an easy-to-remember name
9. JNG Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
Save Profile:
 Standard Save Quality:
 Check  Good
 Catalog  Medium
JPM
 Photo  Low
 FAX
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Save Thumbnail
10. PCX Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Compression Level (0 = No Compression, 9 = Best Compression)
 Binary Encoding
11. PBM
 ASCII Encoding
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 45 of 235
S. No. File Format Save Options
 Save All Pages from Original File/ Save Current Page alone from Original File
 Page Format: Like Image/ A4/ A3/ A2/ A1/ A0/ Letter/ Legal/ Ledger
 Image Position
 Specify PDF Author
 Fit Image to Page
 Set Compliance Mode to PDF/A-1B
 Save Password: To Open, To Modify PDF, or Both
 Color Images:
o Uncompressed
o Flate (Lossless)
o JPEG Best Quality – 95%
o JPEG High Quality – 80%
12. PDF o JPEG Medium Quality – 65%
o JPEG Low Quality – 40%
 Grayscale images:
o Uncompressed
o Flate (Lossless)
o JPEG Best Quality – 95%
o JPEG High Quality – 80%
o JPEG Medium Quality – 65%
o JPEG Low Quality – 40%
 Monochrome Images:
o Uncompressed
o Flate (Lossless)
o CCIT (Fax)
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Compression Level (0 = No Compression, 9 = Best Compression)
 Binary Encoding
13. PGM
 ASCII Encoding
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Compression Level (0 = No Compression, 9 = Best Compression)
 Save Transparent Color
 Save Transparency as Alpha Channel
14. PNG
 Use Main Window for Transparency
 USE PNGOUT (PlugIn)
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Compression Level (0 = No Compression, 9 = Best Compression)
 Save Transparent Color
 Save Transparency as Alpha Channel
PPM
 Use Main Window for Transparency
 USE PNGOUT (PlugIn)
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Flip Image Vertically
 Options for 24 BPP Images:
o Color Order RGB
15. RAW o Color Order BGR
 Interleaved (RGB RGB…)
 Planar (RRR… GGG… BBB…)
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 46 of 235
 S. No. File FormatSave Options
16. TGA  Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 None
 LZW
 Packbits
 JPEG
 Zip
 For Black & White Images only:
17. TIF
o Huffman RLE
o CCITT FAX 3
o CCITT FAX 4
 Save all Pages from Original Image
 Save Palette for Grayscale Images (Default: ON)
 Rename File, Save with Original Date & Time
 Default
 Photo
 Picture
 Drawing
WEBP –  Icon
18. Weppy File  Text
Format  Lossless Compression (Slow)
o Quality (1 to 100, Default: 75%)
 Additional Tuning
o Filter Strength (0 to 100, Default: 20)
o Sharpness (0 to 7, Default: 0)
Whew! Not a single trick missed!

2.16: IrfanView File  Save As SubMenu

This is an additional option that lets you save your image file to a different Folder. It is different from the
Save (Original Folder) option in that it does not point to the Original Folder by default. Once you understand
it, you will see just how useful this feature can be!
Imagine that you have a number of Images in Folder A, which you want to save to Folder B after working on
each of the images. If you were to use the Save Original folder SubMenu, you would be pointed right back to
Folder A, each time you tried to save the Image. However, if you use the Save As SubMenu, you will need to
tell IrfanView just the first time, that you intend to save to Folder B. When you use ‘Save As’ for the second
image, IrfanView will point you to Folder B, and not Folder A! The ‘Save As’ File Format Options discussed in
Table 2.02 apply to this option as well. The Keyboard Shortcut (Hot Key) for ‘File/ Save As’ operation is ‘S’.

2.17: IrfanView File  Save for Web… (PlugIn) SubMenu

If you need to print your images, they need to be of high quality, which also means that they will occupy
large size in terms of Bytes. However for your web page, images need to be small (in terms of bytes occupied),
so that they load quickly into your visitors’ Browsers. This SubMenu lets you reduce the size of your pictures
without compromising too much on its quality, so that they occupy less space on your web server – and
therefore, that they load up faster over the web.
To exercise this option, you must have the IrfanView Save for Web PlugIn installed. See Figure 2.18 on the
next page.

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 47 of 235
Figure 2.18: IrfanView Save for Web SubMenu Options

The Screen here shows you both the

original image (in the left pane) and
the image, after is it compressed using
your settings (in the right pane),
dynamically, before you go ahead.
You can save your image in JPEG, GIF
or PNG format, as you can see in the
Screenshot shown in Figure 2.18 to
the left. While the original image was
of size 843.76 KB, the size reduces to a
mere 42.71 KB, on using this PlugIn,
with the settings shown in the
Screenshot and, with no perceptible
loss of image quality!

The Screenshot shows you the JPEG save options, namely;

1. Save your image so that it does not exceed the limit you specify for it, in terms of Kilobytes. This option
is triggered when you click on the Button, “Compress to size”. The option for specifying maximum file
size is shown below, as Figure 2.19.
2. Quality – you can choose from 1% (very poor quality) to 100% (best quality). Change Quality by pulling
the Slider to the Left (lower quality) or Right (better quality)
3. Chroma Subsampling – None (4:4:4)/ Low (4:2:2)/ Medium (4:2:0)/ High (4:1:1). Remember that File size
is largest (and quality highest) when the Chroma Subsampling option is None (4:4:4). File size is smallest
(and quality lowest) when the Chroma Subsampling option is High (4:1:1).
4. Grayscale – clicking this option converts the image to a Grayscale image, with a consequent decrease in
file size
5. Encoding: Standard Optimized or Progressive JPEG – clicking Progressive JPEG decreases file size and
quality

Figure 2.19: IrfanView Save for Web  Compress to Size SubMenu Options

You have more options if you explore

the Icons to the Right, namely;
 Rotate Image Left 90 Degrees
(Hot Key ‘L’)
 Rotate Image Right 90 Degrees
(Hot Key ‘R’)
 Flip Horizontally (Hot Key ‘H’)
 Flip Vertically (Hot Key ‘V’)
 Resize Image using Resample
Filters (Hot Key ‘Control+R’)

And you have even more options for adjusting your Image, which you may invoke from the Image
Adjustments Tab at the Bottom, Left of the Window. Clicking the Tab brings up the screenshot shown on the
next page as Figure 2.20.

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 48 of 235
Figure 2.20: IrfanView Save for Web – JPG Image Adjustments Options

From this Tab, you may specify the

following:

 Brightness (-100 to +100)  Contrast (-100 to +100)  Gamma (1 to 8)

(Default = 0) (Default = 0) (Default = 1.00)
You may also create a Negative of the Original Image alone – or apply the Negative to the Original Image as
well, or Reset these Settings to their Defaults.
Finally, you may save all your current settings for Image Adjustments, so that you may invoke them the next
time you are again compressing an Image for the Web, with a single click!

Figure 2.21: IrfanView Save for Web GIF Image Options

If you choose to save in the GIF file

format, you have the following save
options (see Figure 2.21 to the left):
1. Save your image so that it does
not exceed the limit you specify
for it, in terms of Kilobytes. This
option is triggered when you click
on the Button, “Compress to size”.
The option for specifying
maximum file size was shown in
Figure 2.19.

2. Color Reduction to;

a. Optimal 256 Colors Palette b. Optimal 128 Colors Palette c. Optimal 16 Colors Palette
d. Grayscale 256 Colors Palette e. Dithered Monochrome (for 1, 4 or 8 BPP images alone)
3. You may also specify the exact number of colors by dragging the Slider right below the Color Reduction
Selector, to the Left or Right. Note that file sizes vary greatly, depending on your chosen options from
amongst the above!
4. Interlaced/ Non-interlaced GIF file format
5. Color Quantization Algorithm – Xiaolin Wu/ NeuQuant Neural-Net Algorithm

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 49 of 235
The options for Rotating and Flipping the Image are also available in this screen. These are;
 Rotate Image Left 90 Degrees (Hot Key ‘L’)
 Rotate Image Right 90 Degrees (Hot Key ‘R’)
 Flip Horizontally (Hot Key ‘H’)
 Flip Vertically (Hot Key ‘V’)
 Resize Image using Resample Filters (Hot Key ‘Control+R’)

Figure 2.22: IrfanView Save for Web – GIF Image Adjustments Options

Like the JPG File Format, you have

Image Adjustments options for GIF as
well. Click on the Image Adjustments
Tab at the Bottom, Left of the screen,
to invoke the same options you had
for the JPG format, namely;

 Brightness (-100 to +100)  Contrast (-100 to +100)  Gamma (1 to 8)

(Default = 0) (Default = 0) (Default = 1.00)
You may also create a Negative of the Original Image alone – or apply the Negative to the Original Image as
well, or Reset these Settings to their Defaults.
Finally, you may save all your current settings for Image Adjustments, so that you may invoke them the next
time you are again compressing an Image for the Web, with a single click!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 50 of 235
Figure 2.23: IrfanView Save for Web PNG Image Options

If you choose to save in the PNG file

format, you have the following
options (see Figure 2.23 to the left):
1. Save your image so that it does
not exceed the limit you specify
for it, in terms of Kilobytes. This
option is triggered when you click
on the Button, “Compress to size”.
The option for specifying
maximum file size is shown in
Figure 2.19.

2. Save Image as;

a. True Color b. Optimal 256 Colors Palette c. Optimal 128 Colors Palette
d. Optimal 16 Colors Palette e. Grayscale 256 Colors f. Dithered Monochrome (for
Palette 1, 4 or 8 BPP images alone)
3. You may also specify the exact number of colors by dragging the Slider right below the Color Reduction
Selector, to the Left or Right. Note that file sizes vary greatly, depending on your chosen options from
amongst the above!
4. Interlaced/ Non-interlaced PNG file format
5. Best Compression
6. Color Quantization algorithm – Xiaolin Wu/ NeuQuant Neural-Net Algorithm
7. Color Reduction using an External, non-IrfanView Color Reduction Program
The options for Rotating and Flipping the Image are also available in this screen. These are;
 Rotate Image Left 90 Degrees (Hot Key ‘L’)
 Rotate Image Right 90 Degrees (Hot Key ‘R’)
 Flip Horizontally (Hot Key ‘H’)
 Flip Vertically (Hot Key ‘V’)
 Resize Image using Resample Filters (Hot Key ‘Control+R’)

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 51 of 235
Figure 2.24: IrfanView Save for Web – PNG Image Adjustments Options

Once again, like the JPG and GIF File

Formats, you have Image Adjustments
options for PNG as well. Click on the
Image Adjustments Tab at the
Bottom, Left of the screen, to invoke
the same options you had for the JPG
format, namely;

 Brightness (-100 to +100)  Contrast (-100 to +100)  Gamma (1 to 8)

(Default = 0) (Default = 0) (Default = 1.00)
You may also create a Negative of the Original Image alone – or apply the Negative to the Original Image as
well, or Reset these Settings to their Defaults.
Finally, you may save all your current settings for Image Adjustments, so that you may invoke them the
next time you are again compressing an Image for the Web, with a single click!
Once again, you may also flip the images Horizontally/ Vertically, Rotate the images by 90 Degrees Clockwise/
Anti-clockwise, Resample the image by changing its dimensions (either in terms of pixels or in terms of
Percentage of the original image) – with or without retaining its original aspect ratio, using one of the Five
built-in Resampling filters.

Note:
Throughout Section 2.17, ‘File Size’ DOES NOT refer to the physical dimensions of a Digital
Image file. What is meant is file size in terms of the Bytes it occupies, in terms of storage.

In addition to being so powerful and intuitive, this PlugIn also lets you dynamically view previews of both the
original image as well as the image with the currently-chosen converting options! File sizes of both the
original and the converted image are also displayed dynamically, giving you complete control over the
process!
If you create a lot of images for web pages, this PlugIn makes converting your digital images from their
original format to a web-friendly format a snap. It saves you the time you would otherwise spend on hit-and-
trial methods that would often end up with poor quality images, not to mention a huge amount of time
wasted on getting your images juuust right and ready for the web or re-distribution!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 52 of 235
2.18: IrfanView File  Print SubMenu
All the options you will possibly need for a hard copy of your digital image are found under this SubMenu,
shown as Figure 2.25 below.

Figure 2.25: IrfanView Print Options

You can set the following from the above Dialog

Box:

 Printer, if you have more than one Printer installed

 Whether Portrait or Landscape or Auto Rotate Printing
 Print Size, with following options:
1. Original Size (determined 2. Best Fit to paper (Aspect 3. Stretch to Page (without
by original image’s DPI) Ratio maintained) maintaining Aspect Ratio)
4. Custom Width and Height 5. Scaled (with respect to original image)
(maintaining Aspect Ratio)
 Image Position – Specified Left and Right Margins (measure in Centimeters or Inches), Centered/ Not
Centered on Paper
 Add Headnote and Footnote to the Printed image
 Headnote and Footnote Font Type, Style (Bold/ Italic, etc.) and Size
 If printing multiple pages, the option to print one page, all pages or selected pages alone
 Number of copies to print
You will naturally get to see your Printer(s) listed in the list of Printers, not my hp 3540 Wi-Fi Printer!!
You can also see a dynamic preview of just how your printed image will look like on paper, at the Right Top
of the Dialog Box.
All these options are of course apart from the options your Printer has, like Paper Size, Photo Paper/ Normal
Paper/ Ink Saving/ Normal Print, etc., etc.
Between IrfanView and your Printer therefore, you will be able to print exactly as per your requirements!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 53 of 235
2.19: IrfanView File  Select Scan/TWAIN Source SubMenu
By now, you would have begun to understand the range of abilities possessed by IrfanView as an Image
Editor. But then, IrfanView does not stop at image editing alone. Do you, for example, have a few faded, old
photographs that could use a bit of touching up, before you share or distribute them? Enter IrfanView!
You may of course use your Scanner or MFP (Multi-function Peripheral), scan your photographs and edit
them one-by-one. But then, IrfanView has a Scanning Module that lets you Batch Scan photographs or
documents and then work on them, as long as your Scanning Device is TWAIN-compliant!
So what is TWAIN? TWAIN is an Applications Programming Interface (API), a Communications Protocol that
regulates communication between software and digital imaging devices such as Image Scanners and Digital
Cameras. Almost every Digital Camera, Multi-Function Peripheral and Scanning Device made today is TWAIN-
compliant and therefore, should work very well with IrfanView!
The current IrfanView Version 4.42 again has an improved UI for Scan, with the Scan Preferences, Settings
and Options Screens coming up quite intuitively and with all the older features available, along with a few
more!
This SubMenu (displayed as Figure 2.26 below) lets you select your TWAIN-compliant Scanner, if you have
more than one attached to your Computer. My hp Deskjet 3540, hp LaserJet M 1005 MFP and the hp Deskjet
3540 in Wi-Fi Mode show up in the Screenshot. Whatever your TWAIN-compliant peripheral is will show up
instead, on your copy of IrfanView, as long as your Peripheral is correctly installed and set up.

Figure 2.26: Select TWAIN Source

You do not need to install any extra Drivers to make

your scanner visible to IrfanView – if it is visible to
Windows, it will be visible to IrfanView as well, since
IrfanView automatically picks up this information
from the Windows Registry!

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 54 of 235
2.20: IrfanView File  Acquire/Batch Scanning SubMenu
This SubMenu lets you scan images in Batch Mode. Click it and the Dialog Box shown below as Figure 2.27
will appear, with the following options:
 Single or Multiple images to be acquired into IrfanView
 Output file name – you can specify your choice of file name in the space provided in this Dialog Box
 Starting, Increment and Number of Digits.
You may start off your Scan by naming the files NewYorkTrip01, NewYorkTrip02, etc., if you set the Starting
Counter to 1, increment to 1 and number of digits to 2. Naturally, if you set the number of digits to 1, you
will only be able to name 10 files at the most – from ABC0 to ABC9!

Figure 2.27: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images Setup

You also have the option of skipping existing files and

the option to continue with the numbering where you
stopped scanning, the last time you used this
SubMenu! So it is OK by IrfanView if you want a cup of
Coffee in between a lot of Scanning!!
You will also need to specify the output Folder and the
output file format – choose the format from among the
20-odd digital file formats discussed in Table 2.02:
Save Original Folder Options

Figure 2.28: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – What do you want to Scan As?

Once your Scanner/ MFP is connected and you are

ready to start Scanning a Single Image (as selected
in Figure 2.27 above), clicking on the OK Button in
Figure 2.27 brings up the Screen shown to the left
as Figure 2.28.

The options here are to scan as;

 Color Picture
 Grayscale Picture
 Black and White Picture or Text
 Custom Settings
You may also adjust the quality of your scanned image from this Dialog Box, as described next.

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 55 of 235
Figure 2.29: Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – Advanced Properties

The Dialog Box shown to the Left here as Figure 2.29 is

where you may specify the following:
 Brightness (-1000 to +1000)
 Contrast (-1000 to +1000)
 Resolution in DPI (75/100/200/ 300/ 600/ 1200/ 2400
DPI)
 Type of Picture – Colour/ Grayscale/ Black and White
Picture or Text
If you make any errors, you have a One-click Reset Button
to get back to the Default Settings too.

If you had selected Multiple Images (Batch Mode): Save Acquired Images as Files in Figure 2.27, you would
get to see the following options, as shown in Figure 2.30 right below.

Figure 2.30: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Setup

You may set the following here:

 Output File Name
 Starting Counter
 Counter Increment
 Number of Digits
 Skip/ Do Not Skip Existing Files
 Remember/ Do Not Remember Last Scan
Counter
 Destination Folder
 Save As File Type – the next section lays
down the possible File Types
 Save As Multipage Image (if TIF Format
Selected)

You have 20 File Formats that you can save Multiple Images for Scan as. These are the same 20 File Formats
that have been shown in Table 2.02 of this User Manual.
In addition, you have the options for Scans, as shown in Figure 2.31 on the next page:

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 56 of 235
Figure 2.31: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Multiple Images Save Options
Once again, you have all possible options to save your
Scan, with IrfanView. These are;
 JPG Scan Quality – 1 to 100%
 Save as Progressive JPG
 Save as Grayscale JPG – unless you Untick this
option, your future scans will continue to be saved
in Grayscale!
 Disable Chroma Color Subsampling (use 1x1 Blocks)
 Keep original EXIF Data (if JPG to JPG)
 Keep original IPTC Data
 Keep original JPG Comment
 Keep original XMP Data
 Try to save with original JG Quality (estimation)
 Reset EXIF Orientation Tag
 Set File Size to specified KB
If you are saving your Scan as a GIF, you have the
following Save Options:
 Save Interlaced
 Save Transparent Colors – in the following ways
 Use Main Window Color for Transparency
 Choose Transparent Color during Saving
 Set Transparency Value to specified Palette
Entry

Finally, you have the option of Saving these settings as a Profile and invoking the Profile in future, as well as
deleting any Profiles that you do not need any more.

Figure 2.32: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Preview Settings

If you click the Scan Button instead of the Preview Button in Figure 2.32, you will get to see the progress of
your Scan, just as with the Preview. At the left of Figure 2.32, you can see the screen while the Scan Preview
is in progress and at the right, the Preview Screen, once the Scan operation is completed.
And, at the end of the Scan, or if you had clicked the Scan Button instead of the Preview Button, you will get
to the screen shown on the next page as Figure 2.33

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 57 of 235
Figure 2.33: Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Scan

There you are! Your Scan is now available within

IrfanView and you can do anything that IrfanView can
do for images, to your Scans as well!
It is a wise move to first-off Save your Scan, so that any
work you do on it isn’t lost and you do not need to scan
the image all over again!
I have discussed at length, what all you can do to
improve the quality of you Scans, in the Commercial
Edition of the User Manual. Jus!t to give you a hint, you
may want to straighten a slightly tilted Scan, increase
the Contrast/ apply color corrections, edit within a scan,
etc., all of which now become possible!

2.21: IrfanView File  Copy Shop SubMenu

On to the next SubMenu now…
This, the File/ Copy Shop SubMenu, lets you scan images and print them out, while the previous SubMenu –
Acquire/ Batch Scanning let you scan images and save them to your Hard Disk or other storage device.
In other words, this SubMenu lets you ‘Photo Copy’ your Images!

Figure 2.44: Copy Shop Options

The options available under this SubMenu

are:
 Select TWAIN Source
 Show/ Hide TWAIN Preview Dialog
 The DPI at which you want your
images printed
 Select Active Printer
 Number of Copies to print
 The Copy Shop Dialog Box is shown to
the left as Figure 2.44

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 58 of 235
2.22: IrfanView File  Exit SubMenu
Your day’s digital imaging tasks done, or you merely want to take an extended coffee break? Whatever be
the reason, if it’s time to shut down IrfanView until you use it again, this is the SubMenu to come to!
Of course, you need not come here every time you need to close IrfanView – you may simply click the
standard ‘Close’ Button at the Top Right of the IrfanView Window, and IrfanView will close like any other
well behaved Windows Program
You may merely press the ‘Esc’ Button on your Keyboard to exit IrfanView too!
In Tablet Mode, you may slide your finger down to close IrfanView, again just like any other well-behaved
Tablet App!

Note:
You may also close IrfanView by clicking its standard Close Box or by pressing Alt+F4, like
you close every other Windows-based program.
Merely pressing the ‘Escape’ Button will also close IrfanView!
In Tablet Mode, you may slide your finger down, to close IrfanView, just like any well-
behaved Tablet App

Opening, Saving and other Related Operations with IrfanView Page 59 of 235
Chapter 3: The ‘Edit’ Menu
RESHAPING THE INSIDES OF YOUR DIGITAL MASTERPIECES WITH IRFANVIEW
So now that you have mastered the File Menu, it is time to take a look at the next Menu, that is, the Edit
Menu. The File Menu contained SubMenus for opening image files in IrfanView and saving them, including
creating a Slideshow of images, Scanning and Photocopying images, etc., as you saw.

Figure 3.01: IrfanView Edit Menu

The Edit Menu contains SubMenus

that help you process the insides of
your digital images the way you want
to. Figure 3.01 to the left is a
Screenshot of the IrfanView Edit Menu
and SubMenus.

3.01: IrfanView Edit  Undo SubMenu

The very first SubMenu under the Edit Menu is Undo. I’m sure you will agree that the Undo feature is more
useful in a digital imaging solution than say, in a Word Processor, since people need to spend much more
time and effort to get their digital images ‘just right’. One does need to spend a lot more time and effort
trying out different options while editing an image. Hence if anything goes wrong, it would be great to revert
to the previous version of your image file!
We all know the (in)famous Moore’s Law – “If anything that can go wrong, it will!”, but IrfanView comes to
your rescue…
The Functions supported by IrfanView Undo Command are;
 Auto Adjust Colors
 Custom Rotation
 Convert to Greyscale
 Crop
 Cut
 Decrease Color Depth
 Enhance Colors
 Increase Color Depth
 Negative
 Resize/ Resample
 Paint Dialog
 All Image Effects

Reshaping the Insides of your Digital Masterpieces with IrfanView Page 60 of 235
IrfanView’s Undo feature is invoked by the standard Windows Undo Hot Key, ‘Control+Z’ – no experience
curve here! If, for any reason, you DO NOT want the Undo feature (I cannot imagine why on Earth anyone
would not want it though!), it can be disabled from the Browsing/ Editing Tab in the Options/ Properties
Dialog Box.

Warning:
One of the MOST IMPORTANT things you need to understand clearly about IrfanView is
that unlike ‘heavy’ and ‘slow’ programs, IrfanView currently has ONLY ONE LEVEL OF
UNDO. Therefore, you can only Undo your last action – not even your last-to-last action!

3.02: IrfanView Edit  Redo SubMenu

IrfanView’s Redo feature has a very simple purpose in life: it will Re-do whatever you did with the ‘Undo’
command. Nothing more, nothing less. It is therefore nothing like the Redo function in, say, Microsoft Office!
Its Hotkey is also not the standard Microsoft Office ‘Redo’ Hotkey. While the Office ‘Redo’ Hotkey is
‘Control+Y’ or ‘F4’, the IrfanView Hotkey for ‘Redo’ is ‘Control+J’.
Here is a situation where you could use the Redo command to save you time:
Suppose you have been working on a file for some time and either accidentally or deliberately changed it to
Grayscale. At first glance, you did not like the Grayscale image and therefore, you perform an Undo, reverting
it to full color. However, immediately thereafter, if you feel that the Grayscale image could also be put to
use, all you need to get the Grayscale image back is to invoke Redo (‘Control+J’).

3.03: IrfanView Edit  Show Paint Dialog SubMenu

Frequently, you will need to add Text, Edit the colors of a part of the image, or edit your digital image in
many other ways. Such operations are all easy with the IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar. By pressing F12, you
invoke the IrfanPaint Tools. The Icon for each feature of the IrfanPaint Toolbar are bound to look familiar if
you have used Windows’ in-built Paint program or some of the ‘heavier’ image editors such as PhotoShop or
GIMP.
IrfanPaint, as the IrfanView Paint Dialog Box is called, is a Floating Toolbar created by Matteo Italia for
IrfanView. It is Magnetic because it can ‘Snap Fit’ to the main IrfanView Window when you bring the
IrfanPaint Toolbar close to the main IrfanView window. And once it ‘Snaps Fit’ with the main IrfanView
window, the two may be moved to any part of the screen together, as if attached ‘magnetically’ to each
other, by moving the IrfanView main Window alone. And to move the IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar alone, even
on top of your image if you need to, just drag it into position.
The IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar is a great addition to IrfanView and mastering it will go a long way in your
mastering of IrfanView as well.

Reshaping the Insides of your Digital Masterpieces with IrfanView Page 61 of 235
Figure 3.02: IrfanView with IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar

The IrfanView Main Window with IrfanPaint Toolbar

fitting ‘Snap’ to it is shown to the left in Figure 3.02,
for quick reference
You may also move the IrfanPaint Toolbar alone to
any part of your Screen for viewing any part of your
image that the IrfanPaint Toolbar may be
inadvertently covering. You would want to do this if
your image is large and the Floating Toolbar is
covering that part of the image, which you want to
edit.

IrfanView has Tooltips for each of its Toolbar Icons. Place your Mouse on any icon and a short explanation of
the icon’s actions are displayed. Figure 3.03 below is a pictographic representation of all the IrfanPaint Tools
and a brief description of what each Tool does.
The Colour Coding of Figure 3.03 is as follows:
 The Thirteen Yellow Box Arrows are the Digital Editing Tools
 The Two Red Box Arrows are the Measuring Tool and the Settings Specification Dialog Box (Pen and Brush
Settings)
 The Two Gray Box Arrows are Help/ Information Tools
 The Two Dark Green Boxes are where you specify Numeric Parameters
 The Lone Black Box is the Toggle to change the displayed Foreground and Background Colors
 Finally, the Three Blue Clouds are for specifying Foreground/ Background Colors and to specify whether
the Shape you draw should be Solid or Hollow.

Figure 3.03: IrfanView Show Paint Dialog SubMenu Tool Names

I will discuss each of these Tools

threadbare in the next few
sections. Once we have
assimilated all the IrfanPaint
Tools, I will also show you how to
perform a number of common
tasks with these Tools, so that
you master the art of Digital
Image Editing using the
formidable, combined power of
IrfanView and IrfanPaint!

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3.03.01: IrfanPaint Tools – Normal Actions
Once you have the IrfanPaint Toolbar open and as the Main Window, your Mouse and Keyboard actions are
determined by the IrfanPaint Tool you have clicked on. However, you may want to perform normal, non-
IrfanPaint operations (for example, selecting a part of the image and cutting/ copying it) without quitting
IrfanPaint. To do so, you only need to click on the very first Icon in the IrfanPaint Toolbar, the thick, Black
Arrow, called the Normal or Selection Tool. The Selection Tool and its Tooltip are shown in Figure 3.04 below.

Figure 3.04: IrfanPaint – Selection Tool

The very first Tool, whose Icon is the Black Arrow,

lets you do the usual actions in IrfanView – as if
the IrfanPaint Toolbar was not there.
You will need to use it for various actions. For
example, even with the IrfanPaint Toolbar on
display, you may want to quickly cut a portion of
your digital image and work on the cut part. You
can do the Cut operation without closing the
IrfanPaint Toolbar, when you click the Black
Arrow-like Selection Tool.

3.03.02: IrfanPaint Tools – Paintbrush Tool

The second Tool, whose Icon is the PaintBrush, lets you paint freehand inside your digital images. Click on it
and the Paintbrush Tool is activated. The Paintbrush Tool and its Tooltip are shown below in Figure 3.05.

Figure 3.05: IrfanPaint – Freehand Paintbrush Tool

Using the Paintbrush Tool, you can sketch

freehand, i.e., quickly and easily draw freehand
lines, curves, shapes, etc., inside your digital
images.

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3.03.03: IrfanPaint Tools – Eraser Tool
The third Tool, whose Icon is a Pinkish Cube, lets you erase lines and objects you have drawn inside your
digital images. Shown below in Figure 3.06 is the Eraser Tool and Tooltip

Figure 3.06: IrfanPaint – Eraser Tool

Any Digital Imaging Solution MUST have an
Eraser Tool. This is because we tend to
experiment with digital images, until we get
EXACTLY what we want. Consequently, we come
up with many intermediate images that are
“better than what we started out with, but not yet
perfect” The Eraser Tool gives you the power to
undo certain kinds of changes you have made to
your original image, letting you experiment all
you want!
The Eraser Tool is different from the Undo Action:
if you want to erase part of a long line you have
drawn, the Undo function will undo the entire
line, whereas with the Eraser Tool, you can delete
a part or parts of the line.

Note that the Eraser Tool has limited capabilities. Despite that, it is an extremely useful, time-saving tool, if
you master its use! Remember that Right-Click-Drag makes the tool an Eraser, while Left-Click-Drag makes it
a Paint Tool, with the selected Background color as the Foreground color of your ‘Eraser Paint Brush’!

3.03.04: IrfanPaint Tools – Clone Tool

The fourth Tool, whose Icon looks like the traditional Rubber Stamp, is the Clone Tool. It lets you copy part(s)
of the image and reproduce the same at other locations within the original image. Shown in Figure 3.07
below is the Clone Tool and Tooltip.

Figure 3.07: IrfanPaint – Clone Tool

The Clone Tool is a very powerful Tool that is an

integral part of all top-notch Digital Image Editing
Solutions and IrfanView is no exception. As the
Tooltip in Figure 3.07 above says, it is very useful
in removing minor blemishes like scratches,
grains and dust from photographs. And a lot
more, that you will see in the Cloning exercises I
have lined up for you in the next Chapter, in the
Commercial Edition of the User Manual!

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3.03.05: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Replacer Tool
The fifth Tool, whose Icon is a Red and Blue Square with an Arrow inside it, is the Color Replacer Tool. It lets
you replace a color with a different one. Shown in Figure 3.10 below is the Color Replacer Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.10: IrfanPaint – Color Replacer Tool

As the Color Replacer Tooltip in Figure 3.10 above

specifies, you need to Left-Click-Drag your
Mouse, if you want to replace the Background
color with the Foreground Color. And to replace
the Foreground Color with the Background Color,
you need to Right-Click-Drag your Mouse.
Usually, one uses the Color Replacer Tool in
tandem with the Color Picker Tool.

3.03.06: IrfanPaint Tools – Text Tool

The sixth Tool, whose Icon is the alphabet ‘A’, is the Text Tool. It lets you add Text to your digital images.
Shown in Figure 3.11 below is the Text Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.11: IrfanPaint – Text Tool

You also have various Text Formatting options –

Font, Font Size, Color, Alignment, Style, etc., with
the Text Tool. These options come up when you
select the Text Tool and click on the spot in your
image, where you want to put the Text in.
Basic Text Formatting options include Font Name,
Font Size, Bold/ Normal Font, Italics/ Normal
Font, Underline/ Normal Font, Strikethrough/
Normal Font, Font Alignment (Left, Center or
Right-aligned) and Text Color, as Figure 3.12 on
the next page in the Commercial Edition of the
User Manual illustrates.

In addition, you also have options for adding Text along an Empty Path, along a Filled Path, as Text or as
Antialiased Text. We will see each of these options later in this Chapter, at a more opportune stage, in the
Commercial Edition of the User Manual…

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3.03.07: IrfanPaint Tools – Line Tool
The seventh Tool, whose Icon is a Diagonal Line, is the Line Tool. It lets you draw Straight Lines in your digital
image. Shown in Figure 3.13 below is the Line Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.13: IrfanPaint – Line Tool

The Paintbrush draws freehand lines, as if you

were using an Artist’s Paint Brush. However, you
may require absolutely straight lines for many a
purpose and then, using the Paint Brush would be
terribly daunting, even for persons with the
steadiest of hands! The Line Tool is the best
choice under such situations.

You may draw a Line in different ways, by using the Mouse Button in the following ways:
1. To merely draw a Straight Line, Left-Click-Drag your Mouse
2. To abort the Line (deleting the incompletely-drawn Line) you are currently drawing, Right-Click the
Mouse, before moving your Mouse away
3. If you want to draw a line that is Centered on the point you have clicked, keep the Control Button pressed,
when you drag and draw the line
4. To create lines that are at multiples of 45 Degrees (i.e., at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, etc. Degrees), hold the Shift
Button while you drag and create the line
5. Hold Shift AND Control while Left-Click-Dragging, to create a Line that is centered at the point of click
AND inclined exactly at 45 Degrees or multiples of 45 Degrees
What more could you possibly want from a Line Tool?

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3.03.08: IrfanPaint Tools – Arrow Line Tool
The eighth Tool, whose Icon is a Double Ended, Filled Head Arrow, is the Arrow Line Tool. It lets you draw
Single/ Double-ended, Open/ Filled Head Arrows in your digital image.
Shown in Figure 3.14 below is the Arrow Line Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.14: IrfanPaint – Arrow Line Tool

Sometimes, you may want to draw an arrow to

emphasize, highlight or point to something in
your digital image. The Arrow Line Tool is
perfectly suited for this purpose. It lets you
quickly and easily draw Single or Double Ended,
Open Head or Filled Head Arrows, with your
selection of Foreround and Background colors.

Drawing an Arrow is exactly the same as drawing a Line. That is;

1. Left-Click-Drag, to draw your Arrow
2. Right-Click to abort the Arrow, before moving you Mouse away from the Arrow
3. Hold Control while Left-Click-Dragging, to create an Arrow centered at the point where you started the
Arrow
4. Hold Shift while Left-Click-Dragging, to create an Arrow at an angle that is in multiples of 45 Degrees (i.e.,
at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, etc. Degrees)
5. Hold Shift AND Control while Left-Click-Dragging, to create an Arrow that is centered at the point of click
AND inclined exactly at 45 Degrees or multiples of 45 Degrees
To define the Arrow Settings, Right-Click on the Arrow Icon. The options are discussed in the screenshot of
its Dialog Box, reproduced below as Figure 3.15.

Figure 3.15: Irfan – Arrow Line Dialog Box

The Arrow Line Tool is one of the very few

IrfanPaint Tools that have a Right-Button Action.
Click it with the Right Mouse Button to get to the
options for Arrow Head, as shown in Figure 3.15
to the left.

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The options available here are;
1. Arrow Beginning Style (marked as First Arrow in Figure 3.16A below)
2. Arrow Ending Style (marked as Second Arrow in Figure 3.16B below)
3. Arrow Width in Pixels
4. Arrow Length in Pixels
5. Whether Arrow Head should be Open Ended or Closed (Filled) Ended

Figure 3.16: Irfan – Arrow Head Beginning and Ending Options Dialog Box
A: Arrow Beginning Style B: Arrow Ending Style

C: Single-Headed Open Head Arrow D: Double-Headed Closed Head Arrow

Unchecking the "Open Head" option does not automatically imply a Filled Head Arrow: that depends on the
"Fill" option in the IrfanPaint Toolbar. If Open Head Option is unchecked, you will still be drawing a Closed
(but Hollow Head) Arrow!
And obviously, Open Head Arrows cannot be Filled!

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3.03.09: IrfanPaint Tools – Ellipse Tool
The ninth Tool, whose Icon is a Circle, is the Ellipse Tool. It lets you draw Ellipses and Circles inside your digital
image. Shown in Figure 3.17 below is the Ellipse Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.17: IrfanPaint – Ellipse Tool

The Ellipse Tool lets you draw

Circles and Ellipses using the
Foreground color. If the Fill
Checkbox is ticked, it draws filled
Circles/ Ellipses, with the Fill color
being the Background color. Else, it
draws hollow Circles/ Ellipses.

The options for the Ellipse Tool are;

1. Left-Click-Drag to draw an Ellipse using the Foreground Color
2. To abort the Ellipse, click Right Button, before moving your Mouse away from the Ellipse
3. To Center the Ellipse at the clicked point, hold the Control Key, while drawing the Ellipse
4. To draw a Perfect Circle, hold the Shift Key while dragging the Left Mouse Button
5. To Center AND draw a perfect Circle with its Center at the clicked point, hold both Control and Shift keys,
while dragging the Left Mouse Button

3.03.10: IrfanPaint Tools – Rectangle Tool

The tenth Tool, whose Icon is a Square, is the Rectangle Tool. It lets you draw Rectangles and Squares in your
digital image. Shown in Figure 3.18 below is the Rectangle Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.18: IrfanPaint – Rectangle Tool

This Tool is used to draw Filled/

Hollow Rectangles and/ or
Squares.

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Here are the options available under the IrfanPaint Rectangle Tool:
1. Left-Click-Drag to draw a Rectangle using the Foreground Color
2. To abort the Rectangle, click Right Button, before moving your Mouse away from the Ellipse
3. To Center the Rectangle at the clicked point, hold the Control Key, while drawing the Rectangle
4. To draw a Perfect Square, hold the Shift Key while dragging the Left Mouse Button
5. To Center AND draw a perfect Square with its Center at the clicked point, hold both Control and Shift
keys, while dragging the Left Mouse Button

3.03.11: IrfanPaint Tools – FloodFill Tool

The eleventh Tool, whose Icon is a Tilted Bucket with Liquid flowing out, is the FloodFill Tool. It lets you fill
marked off or closed areas within your Digital Image with the chosen color. Shown in Figure 3.19 below is
the FloodFill Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.19: IrfanPaint – FloodFill Tool

Using the FloodFill Tool, you may fill a marked out

or closed area with either your Foreground or
Background color – use the Left Button for
Foreground color fills and the Right Button for
Background color fills.
The area may be of any shape or dimension. At
times and for certain operations, it may be easier
to use the simple Fill option for enclosed spaces
like the Ellipse and Rectangle by checking the Fill
Check Box, while for operations involving areas
that have NOT been created by an IrfanPaint Tool
(such as the Ellipse/ Rectangle Tool), or for non-
adjacent areas within the image, the FloodFill
Tool would be the better option.

Note:
The FloodFill Tool HAS to be used in conjunction with the Tolerance Value, for meaningful
results. Some experimentation with the Tolerance value is generally required, before you
achieve your desired results.

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3.03.12: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Picker Tool
The twelfth Tool, whose Icon is a kind of like a Medicine Dropper, is the Color Picker Tool. It lets you pick up
any single color from the image and use the same for further operations like drawing objects, painting,
FloodFilling, etc. Shown in Figure 3.20 below is the Color Picker Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.20: IrfanPaint – Color Picker Tool

With this Tool, you may pick any color from an
opened image (or from ANY image that you can
bring in to IrfanView, as you will see later) and
make it your current Foreground Color by Left-
Clicking on the Color. By Right-Clicking on the
Color, you make it your current Background
Color.
The Color Picker Tool is such that it is often used
just once, after which the user immediately
wants to return to the Tool that was being used
(say the FloodFill Tool), just before the Color
Picker Tool was picked. Hence, the default
working of the Color Picker Tool is such that you
are returned to your previous Tool, immediately
after you finish picking your Color with it.

However, if for some reason, you DO NOT want to revert automatically to your previous Tool immediately
after a Color Picking operation (for example, if it is difficult to pick just the right color on the first attempt),
you may press the Shift key, while using the Color Picker Tool. When you use Shift+Click to select a Color with
the Color Picker Tool, it stays selected (without automatically reverting to the previous Tool) and you may
pick the right color, without having to change back to the Color Picker Tool everytime you happen to pick a
wrong color!
In the words of Matteo Italia, the developer of the IrfanPaint Floating Paint Toolbar PlugIn;
‘In the testing stages of the IrfanPaint PlugIn, I and the Testers noticed that a little but neat feature to speed
up the work of the users would be an "auto-return" for the Color Picker, so that, after the user picked the
color, IrfanPaint automatically reverted to the previous Tool that was being used. Although this feature made
many users happy, a few complained, because sometimes picking the right color isn't very easy. Therefore, I
introduced the Shift key, which disabled “auto-return”, thus allowing the user to “auto return” as per their
choice.’

Tip:
Usually, you do not need the Shift Key to be used along with the Color Picker Tool. However,
if you are not sure that you can pick the right color in the very first attempt, it will save you
time, if you keep the Shift Key pressed while selecting a Color with the Color Picker Tool and
thus, prevent the Color Picker Tool from automatically reverting to the previous Tool.

In the Color Picker Tools Example we discuss in Chapter 4 of the Commercial Edition of the User Manual,
where I present a number of Hands-on Exercises for you to work along with, I will show you how you may
pick ANY color from ANYWHERE OUTSIDE of your image too (not just from within the opened image) and
bring it in to the image you are working on! This is a nifty operation you can master easily and thereafter,
pleasantly stun yourself (and friends) with!

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3.03.13: IrfanPaint Tools – Straighten/ Rotate Tool
The thirteenth Tool, whose Icon is a Light Blue Square with Red at two diagonal corners, is the Straighten/
Rotate Tool. It lets you easily straighten up or rotate scans and images that are tilted. Shown in Figure 3.21
below is the Straighten/ Rotate Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.21: IrfanPaint – Straighten/ Rotate Tool

Frequently, after you scan, you find that your
scan is tilted just a bit, by an unknown number of
degrees. The Straighten/ Rotate Tool is like a
Magic Wand, straightening such tilted images in
the blink of an eyelid! You have already used it, if
you go back to Section 2.20: IrfanView File 
Acquire/ Batch Scanning SubMenu.
You also briefly saw that the MenuItem
combination of Image/ Custom/ Fine rotation, or
its associated Hot Key, ‘Control+U’ can be used to
rotate images by any KNOWN number of
degrees. However, what the IrfanView IrfanPaint
Straighten/ Rotate Tool does is to straighten an
image or scan perfectly, even though you have no
idea just how many degrees it is tilted/ rotated
by!

You could of course do a hit and trial, till you get the image perfectly straight. Or use the IrfanPaint Measure
Tool (discussed next, under Section 3.03.14) to measure the degree of tilt, then use the Custom/ Fine
Rotation Tool to straighten your scan by the same number of degrees.
But, WHY go through all this bother, when you have a quick, exact and elegant Tool to do all this with a single
drag of the Mouse Button?!

3.03.14: IrfanPaint Tools – Measure Tool

The fourteenth Tool, whose Icon is a Set Square like the ones used for Engineering Drawing, is the Measure
Tool. Shown in Figure 3.22 below is the Measure Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.22: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool

Strictly speaking, the
Measure Tool isn’t a ‘Tool’
like those discussed so far, in
that it does not help you
‘touch up’ your images. In
fact, it is merely a
combination Measuring Tape
and Protractor: it will only tell
you the length and angle
between objects in your
image or scan. However, you
may find it useful in certain
situations, especially when
you need to do some delicate
and fine manipulation of
your images.

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Note that you CANNOT work out the actual distance between two points in a scene or object by using the
Measure Tool on a photograph of the scene or object. For example, you cannot measure the height from the
ground to the topmost peak of Mount Everest by using the Measure Tool on a photograph of the Peak!
Hence, it is not a substitute for a Map drawn to Scale. However, if you are working on a Scan, its DPI would
be set and you CAN work out the actual distance between two points of the scan, by means of the Measure
Tool.
In the Commercial Edition of the User Manual, I show you how you may create your own Local or Customized
Measuring System, so that you may use it, instead of the Standard Measuring System offered by IrfanView
and IrfanPaint.
Since it is not really a Digital Image Editing Tool, the Measure Tool has been shown in a Red Box Arrow in
Figure 3.03 of this User Manual.
The Measure Tool lets you measure the following:
 Length of the Line you had drawn with the Measure Tool selected, in Pixels, Inches and Millimeters
 Angle of the Line you had drawn with the Measure Tool, in Degrees
Thus, the Measure Tool is like a Self-retracting Measuring Tape – the moment you release the Left Mouse
Button, the Line you were drawing becomes invisible and instead, you get to see the Measure Results
Information Box!

3.03.15: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Settings

The fifteenth Tool, whose Icon is a Paintbrush with a small Square on its top, is the Pen and Brush Settings
Tool. Shown in Figure 3.29 below is the Pen and Brush Settings Tool and its Tooltip.
Figure 3.29: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Settings

The Pen and Brush Settings Icon too does not

directly help you beautify your digital image –
Left-Click it and it opens a Dialog Box that lets you
specify the Foreground and Background Settings
for your Pen and Brush Tools.

Since it is not really a Digital Image Editing Tool, the Pen and Brush Settings Icon has been shown in a Red
Box Arrow in Figure 3.03 of this User Manual.
Shown on the next page in Figure 3.30 are the Pen and Brush Foreground and Background Settings

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Figure 3.30: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush – Foreground and Background Settings

Left-Clicking the Pen and Brush Settings Icon opens a Dialog Box with two Tabs, as shown in Figure 3.30
above. In the Left-side of Figure 3.30, Pen and Brush Foreground settings are shown. Pen and Brush
Background settings may be specified from the Right-side of Figure 3.30.
To switch between Foreground and Background Settings, click on the Foreground or Background Tab, as
required.
Note that when you click on the Pen and Brush Settings Icon, you ALWAYS start with the Foreground Tab
displayed. To reach the Background settings, you need to explicitly click the Background Tab each time.
Here is a Table displaying the Pen and Brush Setting Parameters you can specify for your Pen and Brush, by
means of this Dialog Box:

Table 3.01: IrfanPaint Pen and Brush Setting Parameters

Pen Setting Parameters Brush Setting Parameters
Line Style – Solid/ Dashed/ Dotted, etc. Brush – Solid
Endcap Style - Round/ Square/ Flat Line Hatched – Horizontal/ Vertical
Line Joints – Round/ Beveled/ Mitered 45 Degrees Left to Right hatched – Downward/ Upward
 Cross Hatched – Orthogonal/ Diagonal
Pen Width – 1 to 9999 Pixels Width  Brush Color
 Hatch Secondary Color/ Transparent

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3.03.16: IrfanPaint Tools – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help
The sixteenth Tool, whose Icon is a White Question Mark within a Blue Circle, is the Exhaustive Context Help
Tool. Shown in Figure 3.31 below is the Exhaustive Content Help Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.31: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help

This is yet another Icon that does not help you
‘touch up’ your images. In fact, it merely allows
you to show/ hide comprehensive Tooltips of
other icons and is a toggle between ‘Exhaustive’
and ‘Short’ Content Help.
With Exhaustive Content Help selected, you get
to see descriptions of each of the IrfanPaint
Floating Toolbar Icons, while with Short Content
Help selected, you only get to see bare Tooltips
without any explanation about the Tool’s
features.
Since it is not really a Digital Image Editing Tool,
the Exhaustive Context Help Icon has been shown
as a Gray Box Arrow in Figure 3.03 of this User
Manual.

Figure 3.32: IrfanPaint – Short Context Help for FloodFill Tool

With the Exhaustive Context Help turned off (i.e.,

Short Context Help on), all you will get to see
when you hover your Mouse over any of the
IrfanPaint Tools would be the Tool’s name, as
shown to the left, for the FloodFill Tool in Figure
3.32.

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Figure 3.33: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive Context Help for FloodFill Tool

And with Exhaustive Context Help turned on, you

get to see a description of the Tool’s capabilities
as well, as shown above in Figure 3.33 to the left.
Once you choose to turn off the Exhaustive
Context Help Tool, you will have to turn it on
again. Else, when IrfanView starts up the next
time, it will continue to show Short Context Help,
and vice-versa.
Since the Exhaustive/ Short Context Help Toggle
is not really a Digital Image Editing Tool, it has
been shown as a Gray Box Arrow in Figure 3.03 of
this User Manual.

3.03.17: IrfanPaint Tools – Version Information

The seventeenth Tool, whose Icon is a White ‘i' within a Blue Circle, is the Version Information Tool. Shown
in Figure 3.34 below is the Version Information Tool and its Tooltip.

Figure 3.34: IrfanPaint – Version Information

This is yet another Tool that has nothing to help

you with your digital image editing tasks. All it
does is to tell you the version of your IrfanPaint
Toolbar.
Since the Version Information Box is not really a
Digital Image Editing Tool, it has been shown as a
Gray Box Arrow in Figure 3.03 of this User
Manual.

Click on the Version Information Tool to see the screen shown on the next page as Figure 3.35.

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Figure 3.35: IrfanPaint – Version Information Box

Clicking on the Display Version Information of

IrfanView displays the current version of
IrfanPaint (this Manual presents version
0.4.13.73), a short history of IrfanPaint (or the
Floating Paint Toolbar, as it has been referred to
at a few places in this User Manual), the Special
Credits that Matteo Italia, the creator of
IrfanPaint would like to acknowledge – especially
to Bhikkhu Pesala who wrote the exhaustive
Tooltips and Help Page, and a link to the
IrfanPaint Website.

It ends with a Thanks to all Registered Users of IrfanView and IrfanPaint who have made donations, thus
allowing both IrfanView as well as IrfanPaint to remain free for personal use.

3.03.18: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width

The eighteenth Tool is an area where you need to type in Numbers to specify your Pen, Brush or Arrow Line
Width (Thickness). The area also has small Black ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ Arrows for increasing/ decreasing the Width
already displayed there. Shown in Figure 3.26 below is the Pen and Brush Width Area. It does not have an
associated Tooltip.
Since the Pen, Brush and Arrow Width Tool is merely a supporting Digital Editing Tool, it is shown in a Green
Box on Page 83 (Figure 3.03) of this User Manual.
While touching up your Digital Masterpiece, you will surely come across the need to draw Lines or Arrows of
different thickness, color, etc. What use is it anyway, drawing shapes/ lines/ arrows, with the same thickness
and color? Now you can learn how to change these as well!
The Pen, Brush and Arrow Setting Parameters were shown in Table 3.01 under Section 3.03.15. However to
quickly change Pen, Brush or Arrow Line Width, you can use the settings shown below in Figure 3.36.

Figure 3.36: IrfanPaint – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width

The setting shown above are for Pen/ Brush

Width of 6 Pixels, Line Color Red. You may
increase or decrease the width by either,
a) Clicking on the Small Black Arrow at the Right
side of the Number 3 – Up to increase Width,
Down to decrease Width
b) Typing in the required Width, overwriting
whatever Width was there

If you prefer using your Mouse, you may decrease line thickness by Scrolling your Mouse Wheel Down and
increase line thickness by Scrolling your Mouse Wheel Up as well. However, the Mouse Button will work only

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after you actually select your chosen Tool and then, click on the Up/ Down Arrows of the Width (px) part of
the IrfanPaint Toolbar.

3.03.19: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Tolerance

The nineteenth Tool is the area where you may type in Numbers for the Tolerance Value of your FloodFills.
The area also has small Black ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ Arrows for increasing/ decreasing the Fill Tolerance Values
already displayed there. Shown in Figure 3.37 below is the Fill Tolerance Area. It is one more IrfanPaint Tool
that does not have an associated Tooltip.
Since the Fill Tolerance Tool is merely a supporting Digital Editing Tool, it is shown in a Green Box in Figure
3.03 of this User Manual.

Figure 3.37: IrfanPaint – Specifying Fill Tolerance

The Tolerance Value used during FloodFill

operations affects the way the operation is
carried out. Use of smaller values causes fewer
colors to be replaced during fill, while a larger
value may replace everything in the image! The
Maximum possible value for Tolerance is 255 and
the Minimum is 0. Using the value 255 would
merely fill your Digital Image with a single color –
the Fill Color, while using a value of 0 will merely
fill the single pixel directly under the FloodFill
Tool!

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3.03.20: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Option
The twentieth Tool is a CheckBox where you may specify whether the shape you are about to draw should
be Hollow or Filled (Solid). Shown in Figure 3.38 below is the Fill Option CheckBox Tool. This is one more
IrfanPaint Tool without a Tooltip.
Since the Fill Option CheckBox is merely a supporting Digital Editing Tool, it is shown in a Blue Cloud in Figure
3.03 of this User Manual.

Figure 3.38: IrfanPaint – Fill Option

Draw a shape such as a Closed Headed Arrow, Circle/

Ellipse, Square/ Rectangle, etc., and you may want to
either fill the shape or leave it hollow. It is this IrfanView
IrfanPaint Tool that lets you specify this parameter.
The first of the figures, the one to the Left, shows
IrfanView IrfanPaint’s Fill Option ticked. Consequently,
the Red Arrow shown in the Screenshot has a Red, Filled
(Solid) Head now, since the Fill Option was ticked while
drawing the Arrow.
The second Figure to the Left shows IrfanView
IrfanPaint’s Fill Option unticked. Hence, the Red Arrow
that gets drawn, and is shown in the Screenshot, has a
Hollow Head now.

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3.03.21: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Foreground & Background Colors
The twenty first Tool is a set of Two Squares, one in the Foreground and the other in the Background, for
specifying Foreground and Background Colors. Shown in Figure 3.39 below is the Foreground and
Background Color Tool. This is one more IrfanPaint Tool that does not have an associated Tooltip.
Since the Pen and Brush Foreground and Background Colors Tools are merely supporting Digital Editing Tools,
they are shown in Blue Clouds on Page 83 (Figure 3.03) of this User Manual.
For many a digital editing operation, you will need to specify a Foreground color and a Background color.
This can be done by clicking on the two squares at the Bottom of the IrfanPaint Toolbar, as shown below in
Figure 3.39.

Figure 3.39: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Foreground and Background Colors

The White Rectangle marked with Circle A is to be

clicked to set your Foreground Color. The Black
Rectangle marked with Circle B is to be clicked to
set your Background Color, as shown in Figure
3.39 to the left here. Note that when you change
Foreground and/ or Background Colors, these
Black and White Colors too change accordingly.

Figure 3.40: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Color Palette

The Color Palette for Background and Foreground Colors is shown

as Figure 3.40 to the Left here
On clicking the Define Custom Colors Button here, you are taken
to the Dialog Box shown on the next page in Figure 3.41. This
Dialog Box lets you choose a Custom Colour of your own

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Figure 3.41: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Custom Color Palette

The Custom Color Palette for choosing Background and

Foreground Colors is shown as Figure 3.41 to the Left here.
All the 16.7 Million Colors that Windows has are made available
to you from here! You may not only create, but also save your
chosen Custom Color from this Dialog Box, in case you need the
exact Color for use in future!

3.03.22: IrfanPaint Tools – Swapping Foreground & Background Colors

The twenty second and last Tool is a Double Headed Arrow bent at Right Angles. This is a Toggle for one-Click
switching between your displayed Foreground and Background Colors. Shown in Figure 3.42 below is the
Foreground and Background Color Swapping Tool. This Tool too does not have an associated Tooltip.
Since the Foreground and Background Color Swap Tool is merely a supporting Digital Editing Tool, it is shown
in a Black Box in Figure 3.03 of this User Manual.

Figure 3.42: IrfanPaint – Swapping Foreground and Background Colors

In the Screenshot shown to the Left as Figure 3.42, White is the
Foreground Color and Black the Background Color. Clicking the small Black
Right Angled Double-headed Arrow once changes the Foreground Color
to Black and the Background Color to White.
For many operations, it may be necessary to quickly swap Foreground and
Background Colors. This is the IrfanView IrfanPaint Toolbar that lets you
do just that.
The Swap Backgrounds Arrow, shown in Figure 3.42 to the left with the
Red Arrow pointing away from it, is a Toggle too. Pressing it a second time
reverts your Foreground and Background Colors to the original choice.
Pressing it a third time swaps them again, and so on.
So that’s it – with the Illustration of the Swap Foreground and Background Colors Tool, we have understood
all the IrfanView IrfanPaint Tools. We put these Tools to use in the next Chapter of the Commercial Edition
of the User Manual by means of hands-on Exercises, thus cementing your understanding of IrfanView and
IrfanPaint. We cannot do this just yet, as we have to understand operations pertaining to Cropping, Resizing,
Copying, Cutting, Pasting, Paste Special, etc., before we can truly begin to harness the full power of IrfanView
and IrfanPaint!

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3.04a: IrfanView Edit  Create Custom Crop Selection SubMenu
While working with digital images, you will frequently feel the need to cut out or crop a part of your digital
images. While the easiest method of selecting a part of your image is to Left-Click-Drag the Mouse Button,
you also have the option of cutting/ cropping by specifying the measurement and position of your selection.
The third SubMenu in the Edit Menu lets you make selections within your image, for further processing. On
clicking it, you get to see the Dialog Box shown in Figure 3.43 below:

Figure 3.43: IrfanView Create Custom Crop Settings

In Figure 3.43 to the left, a Custom Crop will be

selected with an X-Offset of 10 Pixels, Y-Offest
also of 10 Pixels, of Width 150 Pixels and Height
300 Pixels. You may specify your selection’s
measurements in Centimeters or Inches as well.
You also have the option to set the Ratio for your
selection. With this selection, you only need to
specify one of either Height or Width: the other
dimension will be auto-calculated as per your
chosen Ratio and created immediately.

Taking each one of the options now, the very first option is to make a selection without any ratio. You will
need to specify both the Height and the Width of your selection, if you choose this option. This is what has
been done in Figure 3.43 above.
The other Ratio options are as follows:
1. Actual Ratio (from Image) 2. 1:1 3. 2:1 4. 1:2 5. 3:2 6. 2:3 7. 4:3
8. 3:4 9. 5:4 10. 4:5 11. 16:9 12. 9:16 13. 16:10 14. 10:16
The 15th choice here, Custom Ratio, lets you specify the ratio of your crop. The Custom ratio range is 1 to 9,
so you could create a Custom Ratio of, say, 1:5.5, which is not present in the default Ratios, using this opton.
You have the option of specifying the DPI (Dots Per Inch) of your selection as well, from this Dialog Box.

Figure 3.44: IrfanView Create Standard Windows Screen Resolution Crop Settings

In addition, you also have a set of 15 Standard

Windows Screen Resolution that you may use to
select a part of your image by clicking the “New
Size” Button to the Right side. These are shown
to the left in Figure 3.44.

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 Tip:
To move your Selection, Right-Click-Drag your selection to the desired location within the
original image

3.04b: IrfanView Create Custom Crop using Mouse

This is not a SubMenu of the Edit Menu or any of the IrfanView Menus. Yet, this is easily the fastest way to
select areas of your image, if you do not need an exact size of the crop. You need to merely use your eyes.
And of course, your hands and Mouse too!
To create a custom selection using the Mouse, click on one corner of the image from where you want to
make your selection and keeping the Mouse Button pressed, Left-Click-Drag over your intended selection.
The Mouse Cursor will turn into a big ‘White +’ sign, while you make your selection. The border of your
selection will also appear and resize dynamically, as you make your selection. When your selection is
completed, release the Left Mouse Button – the ‘Outline +’ sign will disappear, while your selected area will
continue to be displayed.
To abort the selection, release the Left Mouse Button and click anywhere outside the selection and within
your image.
To resize your selection, place your Mouse over the border that needs to be resized. The Mouse Cursor will
turn into a Double-Headed Arrow. The Double-headed Arrow will be Vertical if you are resizing a Horizontal
side of your selection and will be Horizontal, if you are resizing a Vertical side of your selection. As long as
the Doube-Headed Arrow is visible, you may Left-Click-Drag to resize your selection. To keep the actual ratio
of your original selection during resizing, press and hold the Control key while Left-Click-Dragging.
To keep the dimensions of the selection – but have it cover a different area of the original image, press and
hold the Right Mouse Button within your selection. When you press the Right Mouse Button within your
selection, the Cursor changes from a ‘Plus within a Magnifying Lens’ to a ‘Plus consisting of Two Double-
headed Arrows, similar to the Windows ‘Move’ Icon. Now, Right-Click-Drag the selection to the position of
the image that you want to move your selection to. Release the Right Mouse Button, when you have the
selection at the position of your choice.
When you select or re-select a part of the original image, its dimensions in Pixels and Aspect Ratio are
displayed dynamically in IrfanView’s Title Bar right at the Top, next to the File Name – check out Figure 3.45
on the previous page!

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3.05: IrfanView Edit  Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu
This SubMenu is selectable only when you have made a selection from the image. By clicking it, you can
maximize the current custom selection, without changing the aspect ratio of the selection already made.
To illustrate this feature, I will first create a custom crop of size 10 x 100, offset at 10 Pixels from the X and Y
Axis, as explained in the previous Section.
Next, I maximize the 10 x 100 Pixels Selection, using a 4:3 ratio. The SubMenu to do so is shown right below
in Figure 3.46.

Figure 3.46: IrfanView Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu

Shown below in Figure 3.47 is the Custom Crop of

size 10 x 100 Pixels with X and Y Offset of 10 Pixels.

Figure 3.47: IrfanView Custom Crop

You need to look carefully – otherwise, you may

miss the small strip of 10 x 100 Pixels, that has
been marked out in Figure 3.47 above!
However, our purpose in this Section is not to
create a Custom Crop – we have already done
that in the previous Section!
In this Section, we intend to Maximize a Custom
Crop. To illustrate this, let me maximize the
selection shown in Figure 3.47 to the left.

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Figure 3.48: IrfanView Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) Example–1

The Selection, after Maximization at 4:3 Ratio, is

shown to the left as Figure 3.48.
Our Selection was for the ratio 4:3, i.e., 1.3333…
This is also displayed in the IrfanView Title Bar, as
1.334.

3.06: IrfanView Edit  Maximize and Center Selection SubMenu

Using this SubMenu, you can create a Custom Crop and have it centered on your digital image using the
Aspect Ratios IrfanView offers you. To illustrate this, let us go back to the Custom Selection we had created
in the previous Section, which was shown as Figure 3.47. It has X Offset 10, Y Offset 10, Width 10 and Height
100, just to jog your memory…
Presented below in Figure 3.50, is the Screenshot of the Maximized, Centered Selection thereof:

Figure 3.50: IrfanView Maximize and Center Selection Example

You may read the dimensions of the selection

from the Title Bar – check that the ratio of the
Maximized, Centered Selection is 45 Height by
449 Width, i.e., 1:10. This was the Ratio of our
original Custom Crop as well – 1 Width by 10
Height! And, the Height of the Original Image is
640 Width by 449 Height – therefore the
Selection has also been maximized to include the
entire height of the original image!

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3.07: IrfanView Edit  Show Selection Grid SubMenu
IrfanView has a few options for you by way of Selection Grids as well. You may make your choice from this
SubMenu, shown below as Figure 3.51.

Figure 3.51: IrfanView Show Selection Grid SubMenu

Each of these Grid Options are illustrated in Figure 3.52

below, by creating a selection of Zero X and Y Offsets and
size 400 x 400 px.

Figure 3.52: IrfanView Show Selection Grid Illustrations

A. None B. Golden Ratio C. Thirds D. Fourths

3.08: IrfanView Edit  Show Fixed Grid SubMenu

Figure 3.53: IrfanView Show Fixed Grid Illustration

Sometimes, you may want to display a Selection

Grid for a series of operations you are about to
perform on your image. Why, for all I know, you
may even like to ALWAYS display a Selection Grid
across your images, the choice is really yours!
IrfanView lets you permanently display a
selection grid across the whole of your image, if
you so desire, by means of this SubMenu. The
Illustration of the Fixed Grid is shown to the left
in Figure 3.53.

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3.09: IrfanView Edit  Insert Text SubMenu
IrfanView has a detailed Text Tool that lets you add text to your image. However, the IrfanPaint option may
be preferred where you want to quickly add text visually, without worrying too much about the Text position.
There are millions of reasons why you would want to insert Text into your images. The Text you could add
are names of people or places in the image, date and time the photograph was clicked, the Digital File Name,
Digital File Folder, a funny or appropriate Caption for the image, a Copyright, the EXIF (Exchangeable Image
File Format) information of the photograph, etc. IrfanView lets you add any Text into your image by means
of fairly simple steps. We take up the IrfanView method for adding Text to images under this Section.
When you click on the SubMenu Insert Text, you get to the following Dialog Box, shown below in Figure 3.54.

Figure 3.54: IrfanView Insert Text SubMenu

In this Example, I choose the following Text, Font

and Background Attributes:
Text – Mount Everest, Background Transparency
– None, Text Background Color – Blue, Fit
Background Color with (Selection) to Text width,
Text Transparency – None, Antialiased Text, Font
– Courier, Font Style Regular, Font Size – 16, Text
Color – Lime Green, Text Alignment – Center.

I have not chosen to Append Copyright, Date, Time, or the EXIF Date and Time – if you want to, you may do
so easily enough from here. (EXIF is Exchangeable Image File Format. For more information about EXIF, click
here). So many options here!

Figure 3.55: IrfanView Insert Text Illustration

The result of applying these settings is shown in

Figure 3.55 above. Now you aren’t ever going to
confuse your picture of Mount Everest with, say,
that of your favorite Electric Shaver, are you
now? 
There are a number of options that you may
explore on your own here, so go right ahead! Go
ahead and use the Preview Button, before
actually inserting your text!

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3.10: IrfanView Edit  Insert Overlay/ Watermark Image SubMenu
Section 3.09 showed you how to add Text to your Digital Images. At times, you may also want to put in a
Watermark to protect your Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
A Watermark isn’t Text, it is an image. Usually, a Company Logo or Signature, embedded into the image in
such a way that it does not obliterate it, while making it really difficult to copy and be used elsewhere in its
original form. IrfanView too lets you Watermark your images digitally, by means of this SubMenu.
I have the picture of an A encircled in a Grey Circle with a Golden Border, which I shall use as a Watermark
on the picture of Mount Everest, with the SubMenu shown in Figure 3.56 below.

Figure 3.56: IrfanView Insert/ Overlay Watermark SubMenu

You can specify a number of parameters from this

SubMenu, as shown in Figure 3.56 above,
including;
 X and Y Offset  Name of Watermark
Coordinates File – this can be
 Watermark anywhere on your
Start Corner: Hard Disk
o Left Top  Overlay
o Right Top Transparency (%)
o Center
o Left
Bottom
o Right
Bottom

You can also see a Preview of your efforts, by clicking on the Preview Button.

Figure 3.57: IrfanView Insert/ Overlay Watermark Illustration

On applying the Watermark Overlay Settings

shown in Figure 3.56, you will get to see the
image shown in Figure 3.57 to the left.

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3.11: IrfanView Edit  Cut – Selection SubMenu
Once you make a selection using any of the methods described under Sections 3.04a, 3.04b, 3.05 or 3.06,
you will probably want to cut or copy your selection to the Clipboard, so as to process it further. To cut out
the selected portion, you may use this SubMenu and if you need to work on the portion that is left behind
after selection, you may use the SubMenu described next, i.e., in Section 3.12.
To illustrate, let us select the highest point of Mount Everest, by Left-Click-Dragging the Mouse, the method
described in Section 3.04b. Here is the Screenshot of the selection, shown in Figure 3.58 below.

Figure 3.58: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–1

Yes, I have used the Golden Ratio Grid to mark

out the above selection!
You can read from the Title Bar that the selection
is;
 X-Offset by 305 Px
 Y-Offset by 80 Px
 Cut Selection Dimensions 190 x 80, i.e., an
Aspect Ratio of 2.375.
Use the Edit/ Cut – Selection SubMenu to cut out
the above selection. The Cut Selection is shown
below as Figure 3.59:

Figure 3.59: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–2

Personally, I do not use this SubMenu – I prefer

using its Hot Key ‘Control+X’ instead as it is totally
intuitive, being the same as Windows’ ‘Cut’ HotKey,
and much faster than going through the SubMenu!

Once you cut the selection, you can copy the topmost peak of Mount Everest alone into any Program – your
Word Processor, another instance of IrfanView, any other Image Editing/ Paint Program, your HTML Editor,
whatever, for further processing. Figure 3.60 on the next page shows you the left-over image after the Cut
operation, i.e., the rest of Mount Everest.

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Figure 3.60: IrfanView Cut – Selection Illustration–3

3.12: IrfanView Edit  Cut – Area Outside of the Selection SubMenu

If what you want to do is to retain the area which is SELECTED rather than NOT SELECTED, IrfanView lets you
do that very easily as well, by means of this SubMenu. Currently, this SubMenu does not have an associated
Hot Key.

Figure 3.61: IrfanView Cut – Area Outside of the Selection Example

Here is the view of Mount Everest after applying

this SubMenu – Figure 3.61:

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3.13: IrfanView Edit  Crop Selection SubMenu
If what you want to do is to retain the area which is SELECTED rather than NOT SELECTED and keep the
selection as a separate file, discarding the rest of the image, IrfanView lets you do that very easily as well.
The Edit/ Crop Selection SubMenu not only cuts out the selected portion, but also deletes (crops) the rest of
the image.
If we use the Crop SubMenu on the Example in Figure 3.58, you would get to see the Screenshot shown as
Figure 3.62 below.

Figure 3.62: IrfanView Crop Selection Example

With Control+X used
for CUTTING OUT the
selection, it is easy to
remember that to
CROP the selection,
the Hot Keys are
‘Control+Y’. Needless
to say, I use
‘Control+Y’ in such a
scenario…

Also, you can see that Cropping is different from Cutting the area outside the Selection: a Cropped Image
does not contain any black areas!
A Cropped Image is reduced in size, as it does not have the discarded portions of the original image. It is the
discarded portions of the original image that were showing up as the Black Area in Figure 3.61, when you
Cut the selection. This is missing, in the cropped image of Mount Everest’s peak, in Figure 3.62 above.

3.14: IrfanView Edit  Auto Crop Borders SubMenu

When you Crop an image, you may still be left with tiny (or huge!) borders all around the image. This is
specially true when you make Screenshots. IrfanView lets you automatically remove borders of the same
color, by the use of this SubMenu. Remember – ‘Control+Y’ Crops images, ‘Shift+Control+Y’ Auto Crops its
Borders! Use them in tandem to get best results!

Figure 3.63: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Example

Hello! What do we have here??

It is the Logo of my Website, on a White, Square
Background and framed in a Blue Hexagon!
Now, I need just the Square Logo here! I can of
couse painstakingly mark off the White
Background and cut out the Logo. This would take
time and patience…
IrfanView lets you do it quite easily, using the Auto
Crop function!
We will cut out the Logo using the Auto Crop
SubMenu in Figure 3.64 on the next page.

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Step – 1:
Mark off the Logo by click-selecting from the Blue Hexagon, approximately. I marked the area quickly, just
using my Mouse. Here it is, reproduced in Figure 3.64 below.

Figure 3.64: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 1

Now, use the Auto Crop Borders feature, to get to

Figure 3.65 shown below and Voila! You have the
Logo alone!
This is much easier than trying to precisely mark
out the White Rectangle around the Logo and then
cutting it out!

Figure 3.65: IrfanView Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 2

In crafting this User Manual, the Auto Crop Function

is one that I have used to create virtually every
Screenshot. Thus, out of all the tons of irfanView
features, I have used the Auto Crop Borders feature
most, as there are nearly 500 Screenshots in the
Commercial Edition of he User Manual!
I also admit to using ‘Shift+Control+Y’ alone – going
through the SubMenu takes a lot more time!
In the next Chapter of the Commercial Edition of the
User Manual, I walk you through hands-on Exercises
for you to master IrfanView.

Note:
Auto Crop Borders works to remove a SINGLE Color alone. If your Borders have multiple
colors/ patterns, or even if their RGB Values are slightly different, it would crop and stop at
the borders where the Colors are exactly same.

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3.15: IrfanView Edit  Capture Visible Window Area SubMenu
This SubMenu used to be titled ‘Crop Visible Window Area’ in earlier versions of IrfanView. Using this feature,
you can quickly edit large image so that the currently-visible screen area is captured.

Figure 3.66: IrfanView Capture Visible Window Area

The picture of the Himalayan Range to the left

in Figure 3.66 does not fit the screen, as you
can see from the presence of both the Vertical
and the Horizontal Scroll Bars in it.

Figure 3.67: IrfanView Visible Window Area Captured – 1

Shown in Figure 3.67 to the left is
Figure 3.66, with the difference
that only the visible area is now
captured – the rest has been left
out after applying the Capture
Visible Window Area SubMenu.
The Scroll Bars are now absent,
since the areas beyond the Scroll
Bars (both Vertical as well as
Horizontal Scroll Bars) have now
been left out of the captured and
displayed image.

3.16: IrfanView Edit  Copy SubMenu

You may want to copy a part of your image or the entire image itself to another instance of IrfanView, another
Paint/ Image Editing Program or other applications such as Word Processors, Presentation Programs, HTML
Editors, etc. To do so, you may use this SubMenu.
By default, the entire image is selected, if you have NOT made a selection. If you have marked off a selection
from the image, the selection alone is copied instead. Like with almost every Windows program, IrfanView
uses the ‘Control+C’ Hot Key for a Copy operation.
Personally, I do not remember going through the Edit  Copy SubMenu – I prefer using ‘Control+C’, as it is
much faster! The Edit  Copy and Edit  Paste SubMenus need no Screenshots or Illustrations either, they
are so easy to understand and use!

3.17: IrfanView Edit  Paste SubMenu

Once you copy an image from a Web Page or other sources and want to paste it from the Windows Clipboard
into IrfanView, this is the Menu to use. Again, like with every Windows program, IrfanView uses the
‘Control+V’ key as the Hot Key for a Paste operation. I confess to never having used the Edit  Paste
SubMenu, as I find the ‘Control+V’ Hot Key so much more convenient!

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 Tip:
IrfanView DOES let you embed an image (or multiple images) into any given image. Adobe
PhotoShop, GIMP, Windows Paint and other popular digital image editors follow the ‘Layer’
concept – pasting one image as a layer onto the original image.
The Commercial Edition of the User Manual discusses multiple ways, wherein you may paste
images into a larger image, with IrfanView!

Note:
The core philosophy that Irfan, the creator of IrfanView believes in is: Solid power to the
user, without creating a Software that requires Megabytes and Megabytes to install, Minutes
and Minutes just to start up or shut down and Gigabytes and Gigabytes of RAM to run!
Therefore IrfanView has been created without the Layering or Multiple Undo abilities.

3.18: IrfanView Edit  Paste Special (Add on Side) SubMenu

This is a new feature in IrfanView and it produces interesting results! Using this SubMenu, you can add
pictures (either the same or different pictures) OUTSIDE your original image, i.e., to the Top, Bottom, Left or
Right of your original image. Presented below in Figure 3.83 is the SubMenu for the Paste Special (Add on
Side) MenuItem.

Figure 3.83: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) SubMenu

We will use a tiny image of Mount Everest to start with and paste images 1, 2, 3 and 4 to its Top, Right,
Bottom and Left sides using this SubMenu. Your final result should look like Figure 3.84 on the next page:

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Figure 3.84: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) Illustration – 1
Didn’t I warn you that the results
would be interesting?
IrfanView enlarges/ reduces the
second Image so as to fit the side of
the original Image you are going to do
a Paste-Special on. Thus, Image 1 is
enlarged to match the width of
Mount Everest, since it is being
pasted onto the Top of Mount
Everest. Enlarges, since it is smaller
than the width of Mount Everest!
Now when you Paste-Special Image 2
to the Left of the combined images of
Mount Everest and Image 1, Image 2
is enlarged to match the height of the
combined Images of Mount Everest
and Image 1!
When you Paste-Special Image 3 onto the Bottom of the combined images of Mount Everest, Image 1 and
Image 2, Image 3 is enlarged to match their combined width again!
In the final Paste Special operation, when you Paste Special Image 4 to the Left of the combined Image of
Mount Everest, Images 1, 2 and 3, Image 4 is enlarged to match the height of the 4 images, namely Mount
Everest, Image 1, Image 2 and Image 3!
In the next Illustration for the Paste Special (Add on Side) operation, we start with Image 1 and Paste Special
the tiny (to start with) Mount Everest on all its four sides. Since Image 1 is a lot smaller than Mount Everest,
observe the final result, shown below as Figure 3.85.

Figure 3.85: IrfanView Paste Special (Add on Side) Illustration – 2

Starting with a tiny image of Mount Everest

(reduced to the size of the much smaller Image 1)
on top of Image 1, we end up with a comparatively
huge Mount Everest, with it’s size increasing
during each Paste Special operation, as more and
more images are added during each Paste Special
operation.

Note:
In the Paste Special (Add on Side) operation, the first image that you add to the original image
will be scaled up or down, according to whether the original image is larger than or smaller
than the first imageto be pasted.
The first image will be scaled down, if the original image is smaller and will be scaled up, if the
original image is larger.
The Aspect Ration of all images – the original as well as each of the pasted images – is
maintained throughout this operation.

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3.19: IrfanView Edit  Delete (Clear Display) SubMenu
You may want to clear the image currently shown in your copy of IrfanView and display a blank screen, so as
to open a new image. To do so, you may use this SubMenu. IrfanView uses the Hot Key ‘D’ for a Delete (Clear
Display) operation.
Unlike the File  Delete File SubMenu discussed under Section 2.14, the Edit  Delete (Clear Display)
SubMenu under discussion here DOES NOT delete the file from your Hard Disk, it merely clears the display.

3.20: IrfanView Edit  Clear Clipboard SubMenu

Sometimes, while working on digital images, you may want to empty the Windows Clipboard, so that you
can work on another image or another part of the same image. IrfanView lets you empty the Clipboard
quickly, by means of this SubMenu. This is one of those handful of IrfanView SubMenus that do not have an
associated Hot Key. It is also one of those few features of IrfanView that I do not remember using at all, in
all these years of using IrfanView. However you may, so let me not ignore it in the User Manual…
When you empty your Clipboard, there will be nothing left for you to paste, although the currently-displayed
image will continue to be displayed in your running copy of IrfanView and it will continue to be on your Hard
Disk as well. When you empty the Clipboard, you are merely removing the image from Windows’ memory,
i.e., your Computer’s RAM.
Now that you have learnt the use of each and every one of the IrfanView IrfanPaint Tools, including
measuring Distances and Angles between two points in your images, straightening tilted images, specifying
Line Width, choosing Line Color, drawing Hollow and Solid shapes, etc., as well as the Edit Menu system, you
have actually learnt a lot. It is therefore time to put your learnings to practice!
The next Section of this User Manual contains Exercises that you may do side-by-side, so as to cement your
learnings so far! Once you master the technique(s) discussed there by doing them yourself, you can use your
newly-acquired learnings to do similar operations on your Digital Treasures, making them dearer to you and
to all those dear to you!
As you know, with Computers, no amount of reading can substitute trying out stuff oneself on the Keyboard
and Mouse! So place your order for the User Manual, open it in your PDF Reader, fire up IrfanView side-by-
side and try out the Exercises, toggling from Adobe Reader (the Commercial Edition of this User Manual) to
IrfanView!
You may work on the images I have used in the Exercises, as these images are part of your purchase! And if
you have a Laundry List of images that need to be edited immediately, even better, you can use your newly-
acquired Digital Image Editing skills rightaway on them!

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Chapter 5: The ‘Image’ Menu
RESHAPING AND ENHANCING YOUR DIGITAL MASTERPIECES WITH IRFANVIEW
The Edit Menu mainly contained Tools for working WITHIN your image. It lets you manipulate parts of your
image, rather than your image as a whole.
On the other hand, the Image Menu lets you work on the image as a whole. This Chapter discusses what you
can do with your image as a whole using the ‘Image’ Menu and thus, allowing you to make your images even
closer to what you want them to be!

Figure 5.01: IrfanView Image Menu

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5.01: IrfanView Image  Information SubMenu
The very first SubMenu under the Image Menu is one that shows important information about the image
loaded into IrfanView. While you can read the size of the image (Width and Height) in Pixels and a few more
bits of information from the Status Bar at the Bottom, you can see many more details by clicking on this
SubMenu: you may also press the Hot Key ‘I’ instead, which is what I always do, as it is so much more
convenient! These Information Boxes are shown below as Figures 5.02, 5.03 and 5.04.

Figure 5.02: IrfanView Basic Information Screen

The following basic information is displayed by default, in the First Image Information Screen:
 File Name, (Laughing Buddha.jpg)
 File Directory and Full Path – I have deliberately erased the beginning of the Path here, you should be
able to see the full Path to your displayed image
 Type of Image Compression (JPEG, Quality 100%, SubSampling (2x2)
 DPI Resolution. (You also have the option to change the DPI from here)
 Original and Current Size (528 x 586 Pixels and 264 x 293 Pixels, for this image of the Laughing Buddha)
 Print Size calculated from current DPI (7.5 x 8.3 Cms, i.e., 2.93 x 3.26 Inches)
 Number of Colors - Original (16.7 Million, 24 BPP) and Current (16.7 Million, 24 BPP)
 Number of Unique Colors – 46152 (Auto Count Selected)
 Disk Size – 327.07 KB (334,920 Bytes)
 Current Memory Size – 226.66 KB (232,096 Bytes)
 Number of the Image File in the current Folder, sorted alphabetically (1 / 3). In the Example shown
alongside, the currently-open file, Laughing Buddha.jpg, is therefore the Twenty Seventh File, out of a
total of Forty image files in that Folder of my Computer
 File Date and Time – 05-Feb-2016, 16: 16:11
 Time to Load file – 0 milliseconds
Apart from basic Information, you may also access the image’s IPTC and EXIF information from here. The
basic EXIF Information Screen needs 4 Screens to display all information, so they are presented on the next
page as Figure 5.03 to Figure 5.06:

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Figure 5.03: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 1

EXIF Screen – 1
Its not just your Picture’s Name and Folder that is
written in to the EXIF Information of an Image File. The
Screenshot shown to the left here, the first of 4
Screens of EXIF Information, writes in information like,
 Camera Make
 Camera Model
 Shutter Exposure
 Shutter Speed
 Aperture Value
 Whether Flash was used or not, to take the Picture
 Camera’s Flash Setting, when the Picture was
taken
and more, as shown in Figure 5.03 to the left.
Scroll down a screen and get to the next Screenshot of
the EXIF Information Box, shown in Figure 5.04 on the
next page.

Figure 5.04: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 2

EXIF Screen – 2
 Did you know a JPG/ JPEG File contains information
about your Camera type?
 Or information about the Exposure Mode when
the Picture was taken?
 Or the White Balance Setting when you took the
Picture?
 Or whether your Picture was taken with Digital
Zoom or without Digital Zoom?
 Or whether you used its Self-Timer function to take
the Picture?
 Or whether you took a Single picture, or a burst of
pictures?
 Or whether you focussed the picture manually or
using the Camera’s Auto function?
You can read all these bits of information from the
Second Screen of the EXIF Information Box, as shown
to the left here in Figure 5.04!
Scroll down a screen and get to the next Screenshot of
the EXIF Information Box, shown in Figure 5.05 on the
next page.

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Figure 5.05: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 3

EXIF Screen – 3
You may read more Information about your Picture
from its EXIF Information, like;
 You Contrast Setting
 You Saturation Setting
 You Sharpness Setting
 You ISO Setting
 Type of Focus you used to shoot the Picture
 Focal Length used
 Firmware of the Camera’s Software
 Picture Owner’s Name – I have deliberately
blanked this out in the screenshot to the left
Scroll down a screen and get to the last Screenshot of
the EXIF Information Box, shown in Figure 5.06 below.

Figure 5.06: IrfanView EXIF Information Listing – 4

EXIF Screen – 4
Not much information left over in this, the fourth and
final Screen of the EXIF Information Box – take a look
at Figure 5.06 to the left…

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Now, let us look at the IPTC Tag and what all information it contains. There are Four Tabs for the IPTC
information, namely, Basic Description, Keyword Categories, Credits/ Origin and Options, as shown on the
next few pages, in Figures 5.09 to 5.12.

Figure 5.09: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 1 Figure 5.10: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 2

Figure 5.11: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 3 Figure 5.12: IrfanView IPTC Information Tab – 4

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While the EXIF Information is information written in to your image by your Camera or SmartPhone, the IPTC
Information is specific information that YOU may write into your Image File, before distributing it on Media
such as CD/ DVD, Pen Drives, SD/ eMMC Cards, etc.
You may want to add specific information for specific purposes – the IPTC Tags give you the flexibility to do
just that.

5.02: IrfanView Image  Create New (Empty) Image SubMenu

When you open IrfanView without loading an image, its size and background color depends on the settings
specified in the IrfanView INI file. At times though, you may need a different image size and/ or a different
background color to start IrfanView in. If so, this is where you may easily create a new image size or specify
a different Background color. You may also use the associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+N’.
The Create New (empty) Image settings are below, shown as Figure 5.13.

Figure 5.13: IrfanView Create New (Empty) Image Screen

You may set the following for your new image from this Dialog Box:

 Image Width and Height

 X-Axis DPI
 Y-Axis DPI  Background Color
I have chosen the following for the new image:
 Number of Colors and Bits per Pixel
320 Pixels x 240 Pixels, X and Y-DPI of 96, 16.7
o Black & White ( 1 BPP)
Million Colors (24 BPP) and a White Background.
o 16 Colors (4 BPP)
The New, Empty Image I would be creating is shown
o 256 Colors (8 BPP) in Figure 5.13 above.
o 16.7 Million Colors (24 BPP)
o Greyscale image

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Figure 5.14: IrfanView – Simple New Image Creation

Here in Figure 5.14 above is a simple

image I have created from scratch
through the IrfanView Image/ Create
new (empty image (Shift_N)
SubMenu, using the IrfanPaint Tools
alone.
The image is of size 640 x 480, 24 BPP,
as you can see from the image’s Status
Bar.

5.03: IrfanView Image  Create Panorama Image SubMenu

While working with digital images, you may sometimes need to combine many pictures into one, by stacking
them together horizontally or vertically. Such an image is called a Panorama and IrfanView lets you create
just that, with this SubMenu.

Figure 5.15: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Settings

The options under the Create
Panorama SubMenu are;
 Whether you want to create a
Horizontal or Vertical Panorama
 Names (full path information) of
the images that are to be combined
into a Panorama
 Remove Image, to remove
inadvertently added images from
the Panorama files listing
 Sort Images, so that the order is as
per your choice
 Move Images Up or Down, so that
the order is still as per your choice,
if you aren’t doing a sort based on
any of the Sorting Options shown
in Figure 5.16 on the next page
 Option to Insert File Name into
Image (Top Left Corner, Text
Options to be set from Insert/ Text)
 Spacing between the images
 Spacing Color

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Figure 5.16: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings

Available Sort Order settings cover all

options you could think of, as shown in
Figure 5.16 to the Left.
We take a closer look at the Sort Order
Settings in Figure 5.17, right below:

Below in Figure 5.17, I have combined 10 Images, 1.png to 10.png, by using the IrfanView Create Panorama
Image feature. I have also put in a 1 Pixel gap between the individual images, with Red Color between images,
for the Panorama Image.

Figure 5.17: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name

You have a plethora of Sort Options here. The first of these is ‘by Name (Ascending)’, which is the sort order
shown to the extreme Right of the Screenshot. Under this setting, Image 10.png gets listed BEFORE Image
2.png. To have Image 10.png listed AFTER Image 9.png, you need to choose the Sort Option ‘by Name
(Ascending, Natural). This is shown in Figure 5.18 on the next page:

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Figure 5.18: IrfanView Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name (Natural)

Check out and understand the other Sort Options as well!

Figure 5.19: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Example – 1

On creating the Panorama with the settings shown under Figure 5.18, we get the image shown above in
Figure 5.19. I could have started off the Panorama with any image in the background, but the Panorama
WILL NOT include any file other than those listed in its Dialog Box, the one in Figure 5.18.
To include the currently open file (if any) into the Panorama, you need to click the Add Current File Button
shown in Figure 5.18, on the right side. Since I had not opened any file before creating the Panorama, the
Add Current File Button is Grayed out…
Let us include the picture of Mount Everest in the Panorama as well, forming a Vertical Panorama this time.
Let us create a Vertical Panorama with Gap of -50, using Images 1 to 4 alone, for the sake of keeping the
Panorama as small as we can. We will keep Mount Everest as the center of the Panorama.
The settings for the above are shown in Figure 5.20 on the next page.

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Figure 5.20: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Settings for Add Current File

The created Panorama is shown in Figure 5.21 below.

Note that we are using a half-size image of Mount Everest – which is still 320 x 225 Pixels in dimensions,
while Images 1 to 4 are each of dimensions 130 x 130…

Figure 5.21: IrfanView Create Panorama Image Example – 2

The Panorama shown to the Left in Figure 5.21 was made by first opening the image of
Mt. Everest, with the file having dimensions 320 x 225 Pixels. To this, Images 1 to 4
were added, with these 4 files being of the dimension 130 x 130. The Gap between the
Images is -50, i.e., there is an overlap of 50 Pixel between the images.
The Panorama Image however has the dimensions 130 x 412. The 412 is obviously the
sum of all 5 Images (Mount Everest’s plus Image files 1 to 4), adjusted for the specified
overlap between files.
Note however that the width of the Panorama is the same as that of the NARROWEST
image in the Panorama – 130 Pixels.
Similarly, if you create a Horizontal Panorama, the Height of the Panorama would be
that of the SHORTEST file in the Panorama!
Again, note that where a Negative Gap is specified between images, the Background
Color has no significance any more.

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5.04: IrfanView Image  Rotate Left (Counter Clockwise) SubMenu
Many a time, you may need to rotate your images clockwise or anti-clockwise, flip it horizontally or vertically
or rotate it by a specified number of Degrees. For example, when you shoot a digital picture in Landscape
mode but want to change it to the Portrait mode or vice-versa, you may want to rotate the image to the Left
or Right.
The next few Examples show you just how easy it is to Rotate or Flip your images under IrfanView. To Rotate
the image of Mount Everest below in Figure 5.22 below (90 Degrees Counter Clockwise), you need to use
this SubMenu. The associated Hot Key, ‘L’, makes it even easier to remember how to rotate the image to the
Left. Remember, ‘L’ for Left!

Figure 5.22: IrfanView Rotate Left Example

Original Image Image Rotated Left

5.05: IrfanView Image  Rotate Right (Clockwise) SubMenu

In this section, we rotate an image of the Laughing Buddha to the Right (90 Degrees Clockwise). You may
click the SubMenu or use the associated Hot Key ‘R’, to turn the image to the Right. Remember – ‘R’ for Right!

Figure 5.23: IrfanView Rotate Right Example

Original Image Image Rotated Right

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5.06: IrfanView Image  Custom/ Fine Rotation SubMenu
You can rotate your image by an exact number of Degrees, using this SubMenu. You may also use it’s Hot
Key ‘Control+U’, to bring up the associated Dialog Box.
The Settings available under the Custom/ Fine Rotate SubMenu are shown in Figure 5.26 below.

Figure 5.26: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Settings

The Settings you need
to specify in the
Custom/ Fine Rotation
Dialog Box are;
 Angle of
Rotation
 Whether to
keep Original
Image/ Canvas
Size
 Whether to
keep Original
Image as
Background
 Background
Color for the
Rotated Image
Let us use all these
settings one by one in
the ensuing Examples.

Figure 5.27: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 1

The image of the Yellow Flower has been rotated by

28.56 Degrees Clockwise, with a Sky Blue
Background, in Figure 5.27 to the Left.

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Figure 5.28: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 2

The image shown to the Left in Figure 5.28 is also a Clockwise

rotation by 28.56 Degrees of the Yellow Flower. The only
difference is that Keep Original Image/ Canvas Size has been
selected. As a result, the Rotated Image is also of the same
dimensions (336 x 280 Px) as the unrotated image.
Again, as a result of keeping the original image/ canvas size,
parts of the image are cut, as you may easily observe...

Figure 5.29: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 3

For this Rotation Example shown to the Left as Figure 5.29, the
option ‘Keep Original Image as Background’ has been selected.
This option can be selected ONLY if you retain the original
image’s image/ canvas size, as was done in the previous
Example shown in Figure 5.28.
Notice that instead of the Light Blue Background areas, parts of
the original image now form the Background of the Rotated
image. Look closely if you need to and spot the difference
between Figure 5.29 and Figure 5.28!
Rotated image dimensions are once again the same as the
original image’s (336 x 280 Px), as the option ‘Keep Original
Image/ Canvas Size’ has also been (and must be!) selected.

Figure 5.30: IrfanView Custom/ Fine Rotate Dialog Box

In Figure 5.30 to the Left, notice how Keep Original Image as

Background gets Grayed out (unselectable), when the option
Keep Original Image/ Canvas Size is unticked.
No other changes have been made to these Settings, compared
to what were used to create Figure 5.29

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5.07: IrfanView Image  Vertical Flip SubMenu
You may want to flip your image vertically, i.e., make it topsy-turvy. To do so, you may use this SubMenu.
You may also use its associated Hot Key, ‘V’.

Note:
Using this SubMenu an even number of times (or pressing ‘V’ an even number of times)
will cause the image to revert to its original orientation!

Figure 5.31: IrfanView Vertical Flip Example

A. Original Image B. Image Flipped Vertically

5.08: IrfanView Image  Horizontal Flip SubMenu

To Flip your image horizontally, i.e., have it turned from Left to Right, you need to use this SubMenu. You
may also use its associated Hot Key, ‘H’.
What this SubMenu does is to hold a mirror to the Right of the original image, thus creating a Mirror Image.
As demonstrated already, two Left Rotations DO NOT make one Horizontal Flip!
In Figure 5.32 below, the Four Elephants image is Flipped Horizontally.

Figure 5.32: IrfanView Horizontal Flip Example

A Horizontal Flip is like a

Mirror held to the Right
side of an image, as seen
in Figure 5.32 to the left.

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5.09: IrfanView Image  Resize/ Resample SubMenu
Whether you edit digital images for professional or personal purposes, for print or online, you will frequently
need the features and powers of this particular SubMenu. Believe me, this is my Favorite Feature in IrfanView
– I use it really really often! Using this SubMenu, you can Resize, Resample or do both to your digital images.
Let us first understand how Resizing differs from Resampling: Resizing changes the physical dimensions of an
image without changing its Color Depth or DPI. On the other hand, Resampling lets you change the Color
Depth and DPI as well. To access this SubMenu, you may also use its associated Hot Key, ‘Control+R’. The
Dialog Box for this SubMenu is shown below in Figure 5.33.

Figure 5.33: IrfanView Resize/ Resample Settings

At the top of the Dialog Box, you are shown the current size of the loaded image – 640 x 449 Pixels.
 Right below, you have different ways to specify the Resize, namely;
1. New Width and Height in terms of Pixels, Centimeters or Inches
2. As Percent of original image’s size
3. As one of many Standard Screen Resolutions, from 1280 x 720 Px to 2560 x 1600 Px, by clicking the
New Size Drop-Down Box at the Right, Top side of the Dialog Box
4. As one of the set of common dimensions ranging from 640 x 480 to 1920 x 1080 Px, displayed on-
screen
5. As Best Fit to Desktop (as per Aspect Ratio)
6. As Desktop Size (without Aspect Ratio)
 In addition, you have a set of quick Resize Buttons – Half and Double size, Swap Sides (i.e., Transpose
Dimensions)
 You also have the option of adding your favorite Dimensions to the Standards Box. Note that once you
add your favorite dimension to the Standards Box, it will show up at the bottom of the Standard Screen
Resolutions Drop-down Menu. Also note that there is no option to remove the option you add to the
Standard Box!
 During Re-sizing, one may also specify whether to Preserve Aspect Ratio – i.e., Ratio of Width to Height,
or not.

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 You also have the option to Sharpen the image after Resizing, since a Resizing operation may render the
image a little blurred.
 You may also adjust the DPI based on the new size and Aspect Ratio.
 You may specify your favorite algorithm from the Dop-down List for Resizing or Resampling your image
 Finally, you have the option of trying to improve the Gamma for Resample operations.
Figure 5.33 on the previous page displays all the options for the Resize/ Resample SubMenu. This is an
IMPORTANT, BIG SubMenu and will require careful, feature-by-feature illustration.
One of the vital things to understand here is the effect of preserving/ not preserving the Aspect Ratio. If you
choose to preserve Aspect Ratio, both the Width and Height of the image gets resized, but in proportion to
the original image. If you choose not to preserve it, you are free to specify your own dimensions, separately
for Width and Height.
Taking up the Mount Everest image, whose original dimensions are 320 x 225 (Aspect Ratio 1.4222), let us
re-size it to a Width of 250 and Height of 100 (Aspect Ratio 2.5). We are thus showing scant regard for the
Aspect Ratio in this re-sizing operation… You can get these EXACT new dimensions ONLY if you choose not
to preserve the Aspect Ratio. If you choose to preserve the Aspect Ratio, you can specify only ONE of the
dimensions – the other dimension is automatically determined by IrfanView.

5.10: IrfanView Image  Change Canvas Size SubMenu

This SubMenu lets you increase or decrease the Background of an image. As a result, you may also use it to
create a single-color image Frame at a time – either inside the image or outside it. You may also invoke this
SubMenu by its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+V’.
Under this SubMenu, you may specify Border Size in two ways:
 Border Dimensions on each side (in Pixels)
 Total Canvas Dimensions (in Pixels)
You may also choose to specify the Anchor, i.e., Start Corner for the new Canvas Size.
The Anchor options will work only when you have selected Total Canvas Dimensions – it makes no sense if
you have choosen an equal Border on all the sides of your image! Lastly, you may also specify the Border
Color. Figure 5.35 below displays the Change Canvas Size Settings Dialog Box

Figure 5.35: IrfanView Change Canvas Size Options

To create a border INSIDE the image area, you need to put in Negative
values for each dimension concerned. If you do that, then, even if you do
not check the box titled ‘If negative values used, add canvas to inside’, the
canvas is created INSIDE your original image, provided you have negative
values for ALL SIDES. If you have a mix of positive and negative values, it
is best to check the box – you may not get the desired results otherwise.
On the other hand, if you check the box but do not specify negative values,
the frame will be added OUTSIDE your image.

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Figure 5.36: IrfanView Change Canvas Size Example – 1

25 Pixels Border OUTSIDE Image - 25 Pixels (Negative) Border INSIDE Image

5.11: IrfanView Image  Add Border/ Frame SubMenu

This is a recently-introduced feature in IrfanView. Using it, you may quickly add a Border to your images. The
in-built Border Themes are all quite nice, do check them all out!

Figure 5.38: IrfanView Add Border/ Frame Options – Gradient Options

With your image open under

IrfanView, click on the Add
Border/ Frame MenuItem, to
see the Dialog Box shown to
the left as Figure 5.38. I have
chosen the Green Gradient
Option (with Inner + Outer
Color) in the Example.

Note that;
 Of the 17 built-in Frame Style options, you may change the Frame Size of Border 4 alone, in the first
Option.
 Of the remaining, 4 Frame Style Options let you specify 2 of the total 4 Border Sizes.
 You may change each of the 4 Border Colors for the remaining 12 Built-in Frame Style Options.
 The very first Frame Style Option lets you specify Border 4’s Color alone – the other 3 Border Colors are
fixed
 4 more Frame Style Options (2 to 5) let you choose 2 Border Colors alone.
 The remaining 12 Built-in Frame Style Options let you choose all 4 Border Colors.

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5.12: IrfanView Image  Increase Color Depth SubMenu
This SubMenu lets you increase the number of Colors (i.e., the Bits per Pixel [BPP]) of an image. You will need
to use this option if you want your image to look as true-to-life as possible and where the size of the image
file (in terms of Bytes) is not a constraint. For, any increase in the Color Depth will be accompanied by an
increase in file size in terms of Bytes, and vice-versa.
The Increase Color Depth SubMenu CANNOT be used if your image already has 16.7 Million Colors: in that
case, you can only Decrease its Color Depth using the Decrease Color Depth SubMenu (discussed next). At
the other end of the spectrum, if you have a 2-color Black and White image, you can only Increase its Color
Depth and not Decrease it further. The options under this SubMenu are show in Figure 5.42 right below

Figure 5.42: IrfanView Increase Color Depth Options

You may increase the color depth of the image associated with the
Dialog Box in Figure 5.42 to the left here, to any of the following:
 16 Colors (4 BPP)
 256 Colors (8 BPP)
 16.7 Million Colors (24 BPP)
Remember, you may read off the BPP of any image anytime from
the IrfanView Status Bar at the Bottom of the Window.

You cn also make out that the Color Depth Dialog Box above is for an image of 256 colors – since the Color
Depth Options 16 Colors and 256 Colors are grayed out in it!
The Decrease Color Depth SubMenus is the next SubMenu under the Image Menu. We will take it up after a
few walk-through Examples, starting the next page…

Figure 5.43: IrfanView Increase Color Depth Example – 1

1 BPP Image Grayscale Image 8 BPP 4 BPP Image 8 BPP Image

(9,048 Bytes) (73,064 Bytes) (36,104 Bytes) (73,064 Bytes)

Mount Everest in Full Splendor - 24 BPP (216,040 Bytes)

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Note that in Figure 5.43 on the previous page, all Color increases have been performed WITHOUT applying
the Floyd-Steinberg Dithering Algorithm. Application of the Algorithm renders a smoother image. Also, all
File Sizes given in Figure 5.43 are the File’s Current Memory Sizes.
On small-sized pictures with fewer colors, it is a thankless task looking for Color differences/ Color
enhancements between 4 BPP and 8 BPP pictures. However, file sizes vary significantly, as can be seen in
Figure 5.43 on the previous page.
On larger pictures with more Colors, Color differences/ enhancements and file size differences are more
pronounced.
Note that once selected and used, the Grayscale selection is remembered by IrfanView: you need to turn it
Off explicitly, else all pictures edited for color depth thereafter will continue to save as Grayscale images!

5.13: IrfanView Image  Decrease Color Depth SubMenu

This SubMenu lets you decrease the number of colors (i.e., the Bits per Pixel [BPP]) of an image. Therefore it
is the opposite of what the previous SubMenu did.
You will need to use this option if you want to upload your image to a website, your Social Media Wall or
online photo sharing site, where small size of the image file is greater priority than higher quality. As
illustrated in the previous Section, a decrease in color depth will result in file size decreasing, in terms of
Bytes.
The options under this SubMenu are show in Figure 5.45 right below

Figure 5.45: IrfanView Decrease Color Depth Options

The options under Decreasing Color Depth, for a 16.7 M
Colors, 24 BPP image are;
 Colors:
o 65536 Colors (24 BPP, RGB-565)
o 256 Colors (8 BPP)
o 16 Colors (4 BPP)
o 2 Colors (Black/ White – 1 BPP)
o Custom Colors (2 to 256)
 Use Floyd-Steinberg Dithering or none
 Use Best Color Quality
 Make Greyscale Image
The Settings shown here are to reduce the number of
colors to 256 Colors (8 BPP), with the Floyd-Steiberg
Dithering option selected and other choices unselected.

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Figure 5.46: IrfanView Decrease Color Depth Example – 1

Non-Dithered Decrease of Color Depth Dithered Decrease of Color Depth

(74,564 Bytes) (74,564 Bytes)
The differences between the non-dithered and dithered color-decreased images above are so minuscule,
that the casual eye cannot hope to spot any… You may choose to Dither/ Not Dither an image, when you are
converting it to Grayscale as well.

5.14: IrfanView Image  Convert to Greyscale SubMenu

This SubMenu lets you convert Color images to Grayscale – much like an old Black and White photograph!
This option changes the image to 8 BPP and as you would expect, there is a reduction in file size as well. This
is also one of the few IrfanView SubMenus that have no options and hence, has just the One Example below!

Figure 5.47: IrfanView Convert to Greyscale Example

Full Color Image, 24BPP (220,540 Bytes) Grayscale Image, 8 BPP (74,564 Bytes)

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5.15: IrfanView Image  Show Channel SubMenu
The Show Channel SubMenu has Four Options – Show Red Channel, Show Green Channel, Show Blue Channel
and Show Alpha. However, by default, you will get to see Grayscale images for any of the three Color
Channels alone: to view the Color Channels in the corresponding Color, you need to tweak a little setting
under the Options  Properties/ Settings MenuItem, titled Viewing  ‘Show Channels in Color (For Image
 Show Channel)’. By default, this setting is Unticked, so to view Color Channels in images, Tick it. The
Settings Change required is shown in Chapter 6, Figure 6.05
Once the setting is changed, let us see what the three color options display, both for the picture of Mount
Everest and the picture of the Four Elephants. Since both are photographs and not layered images, the Alpha
option does not show up for either…

Figure 5.48: IrfanView Show Channel Example – 1

Red Channel Green Channel

Blue Channel

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Figure 5.49: IrfanView Show Channel Example – 2

Red Channel Green Channel

Blue Channel
The Color channel displays and differences between the Red, Green and Blue Channel views is likely to be of
interest to Professional Photographers alone. So, we move on to the next SubMenu, which is again likely to
be of interest to Professional Photographers…

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5.16: IrfanView Image  Negative SubMenu
This SubMenu lets you convert your images to Photo Negatives. This option does not change the color depth.
Nor does it change (increase/ decrease) file size! The SubMenu has options as follows:
 Invert All Channels
 Invert Red Channel
 Invert Green Channel
 Invert Blue Channel
So this time too, we will look at more than one Example…

Figure 5.50: IrfanView Negative Example–1

Inverted Red Channel Inverted Green Channel

Inverted Blue Channel All Channels Inverted

Now I’m convinced Mother Nature knows best, she has chosen the BEST colors for Mount Everest! 

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Figure 5.51a: IrfanView Negative Example–2

Here in Figure 5.51a, an area of 64 x 64 Pixels atop

the topmost peak of Mount Everest alone has been
converted into a Negative. This was done by first
selecting the area and then clicking on the Negative
SubMenu: the selection alone gets converted to an
all-colors Negative!

Figure 5.51b: IrfanView Negative Example–3

The Negative of the Negative is a reversion to the

original.
I have inverted All Channels of the entire image in
Figure 5.51a above, to get the image shown to the
Left in Figure 5.51b. The peak of Mount Everest
(which was a Negative in Figure 5.51a) is once again
in original color, while the rest of the image (which
was in original color in Figure 5.51a) is now in the
Negative, in Figure 5.51b!

Great, but you curiosity may not yet be whetted… you may want to know if Grayscale images can have
Negative Color Channels. And again, just where the ‘Classic’ Negative Film is, and where it fits in!
Check out the next example with the Pine Cone, on the next page, in Figure 5.52!

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Figure 5.52: IrfanView Negative of Grayscale Image – Example–4

Grayscale Image of Pine Cone Red Channel Inverted

All Colors Inverted

The ‘Classic’ Photo Negative!

Green Channel Inverted Blue Channel Inverted

Here are your answers – in Black and White – err, in full Color above! 
Grayscale Images too display separate Color Negatives, as is evident from the Pine Cone Example above in
Figure 5.52.
Invert all Channels and what you get to see is the ‘Classic’ Photo Negative, which is also shown in Figure 5.52
above!

5.17: IrfanView Image  Color Corrections SubMenu

One of the most common tasks in digital image editing is making Color Corrections. This SubMenu lets you
make commonly required Color Corrections to your digital images. The Color Corrections SubMenu may also
be invoked by means of its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+G’.

Figure 5.53: IrfanView Color Corrections Dialog Box

The options available under Color

Corrections are;
 Brightness (-255 to +255; Default
Value = 0)
 Red Color Balance (-255 to +255;
Default Value = 0)
 Green Color Balance (-255 to
+255; Default Value = 0)
 Blue Color Balance (-255 to +255;
Default Value = 0)
 Contrast (-127 to +127; Default
Value = 0)
 Gamma Correction (0.01 to 6.99;
Default Value = 1)
 Saturation (-255 to +255; Default
Value = 0)

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While the Left Frame shows you the original image, the Right frame shows you a preview of what your image
will look like, if all the changes you have set up are applied to the original image. Preview is dynamic, so you
will know exactly what you would be turning your image into, everytime you make a change to any of the
parameters, and before you actually apply your proposed changes to the original image!
You may also save your Color Correction Settings by checking the box ‘Save Values on Exit’.
Different images require different Color Corrections, based on whatever is wrong with them in the first place.
I therefore recommend that you experiment with each of the settings thoroughly, to understand in detail
how each one works!

5.18: IrfanView Image  Histogram SubMenu

Advanced Digital Editing Solutions such as Adobe PhotoShop and GIMP allow you to correct Colors by
dragging the Color Histograms of images. However, IrfanView’s Histograms are merely informative, are mere
Information Boxes. They cannot be used to manipulate an image’s Color properties.
The Histogram SubMenu may also be invoked by its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+H’

Figure 5.60a: IrfanView Histogram Screen – 1

Figure 5.60b: IrfanView Histogram Screen – 2

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For more information on Color Histograms, including how to harness them for better Photography and Digital
Editing, the following Links are recommended:
1. http://www.practicalphotographytips.com/color-histograms.html#axzz3HyQJBE1t
2. http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/histograms.htm
3. http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/yrgb.htm

5.19: IrfanView Image  Replace Color SubMenu

This is a newer feature in IrfanView. It is a snap to use and a powerful tool, once you get the hang of it. If you
know the RGB and/ or the Hexagonal Color Codes of the color you are replacing in the selected image, Great!
If not, well, you can still use it quickly, to get some stunning results!

Figure 5.61: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box

Once you master this method of replacing color, you will have a total of Three Color Replacement techniques
at your disposal, namely;
1. By using the IrfanPaint Flood Fill Tool, where you may change the color of one or more enclosed areas
within an image by clicking each enclosed area in the image
2. By using the IrfanPaint Color Replace Tool, where you may sweep the image (Left-Click-Drag the Mouse)
and change the color of the area under the sweep
3. By using the IrfanView Replace Color SubMenu, where the color is replaced when you click on the OK
Button in the Dialog Box
Each method has its advantages, as you will see a little later in this Chapter and Section, so let us thoroughly
understand the Replace Color method, as you have already mastered the other two techniques!
Selecting the color to be replaced within the image is easily done: click on the SubMenu Image/ Replace
Color, to start the process. You will then get to see the Replace Color Dialog Box shown above in Figure 5.61.

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Figure 5.62: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 1

There is no Color
Picker Tool here
(like the one in
IrfanPaint) to
choose Colors.
Instead, you need
to merely Left-Click
the object/ portion
of the image,
whose color you
want to replace –
IrfanView calls it
‘Replace Source
Color’ in the above
Dialog Box – and
IrfanView selects
the color
automatically! This
is the Color that
you will be
replacing, from the
image on screen.

To select the Color you want to replace the Source Color with – IrfanView calls it ‘With New Color’ – all you
need to do is to Right-Click your Mouse Button on the replacement Color, or type in its RGB Values in the
‘Choose’ Button next to the Text ‘With New Color’.
In the example above, I plan to replace the Blue of Mount Everest – the one with RGB Values 0,0,236 and
Hue/ Saturation/ Luminosity Values of 160,240,111. This, the Color to be replaced, is shown in Figure 5.62
above.

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Figure 5.63: IrfanView Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 2
You may select the
Replacement Color
visually from the
Windows Color
Palette, though you
may not get the
exact shade you
want too easily -
the Standard
Windows Color
Palette is not very
helpful in letting
you choose an
exact shade of
color, whether to
replace a color or
use it to replace
another with…
I plan to replace the
color RGB 0,0,236
(Hex Code 0000EC)
on Mount Everest
with the color RGB
128,0,64 (Hex
800040), Hue –
220, Saturation –
240 and Luminosity
– 60. I plan on using
a Tolerance of 100,
for this operation.
By this method, I need to type all these in myself – the RGB, as well as the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminosity)
Values. These Settings are shown in in Figure 5.63 above.
The end-result of the effort is shown in Figure 5.64 on the next page.

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Figure 5.64: IrfanView Replace Color Example – 1
I am sure you have now noticed the differences
between IrfanPaint’s Color Replacer Tool and
Flood Fill Tool, and IrfanView’s SubMenu Image/
Replace Color!
IrfanPaint’s Color Replacer Tool replaces the
Color wherever it is applied on the image alone,
while IrfanView’s Replace Color SubMenu
replaces ALL instances of the chosen color,
WHEREVER it is within the image, when the OK
Button in the Dialog Box is clicked.
Whether you should use IrfanPaint’s Color
Replacer Tool or the Flood Fill Tool, or
IrfanView’s Replace Color SubMenu, depends on
your specific need.
If your need is to replace the color at specific
places alone, you should use IrfanPaint Color
Replace. However if you wish to replace all
instances of the color in the image in one fell
swoop, use IrfanView’s Replace Color SubMenu
instead.

5.20: IrfanView Image  Create Tiled Image SubMenu

This is yet another feature in the newer versions of IrfanView. Using it, you can ‘multiply’ your image, making
a rectangular or square matrix out of it.

Figure 5.71: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Dialog Box

The Create Tiled Image operation is different from both the
Paste Special (Add to Side) and Panorama operations, in the
following ways:
 Both Paste Special (Add to Side) and Panorama can add
different images. However, with the Create Tiled Image
operation, you can use the one image alone, a specified
number of times. (Click on the Links for each of the
operations to refresh your knowledge, if you need to)
 In the Panorama operation, the size of the Panorama
was determined by the size of the smallest image. In
the Paste Special (Add to Side) operation, every time
you added an image, the size of the Paste Special image
would take on one of the dimensions of the sum of the
images already pasted. However in the Create Tiled
Image operation, the size of the final image depends
either on the number of Rows and Columns of the
original image, or upon the Canvas Size you specify,
depending on just how you want to create the Tiled
image
We create a 3 x 4 Matrix of the Green Apple, with 3 Px
Horizontal, 3 Px Vertical Blue Line separating the Apples,
the Dialog Box for which is shown to the Left in Figure 5.71.

On the next page is the result of application of the above settings, titled Figure 5.71a.

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Figure 5.71a: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Example–1

We create a 3 x 4 Matrix of the Green Apple, with a 3 Px

Horizontal, 3 Px Vertical Blue Line separating the Apples, the
Dialog Box for which was shown in Figure 5.71.
Count your Apples now! 

The other way to go about Creating a Tiled image is to specify the Final Image’s dimensions and let IrfanView
create it automatically.
In Figure 5.72 below, we create a different Green Apple Grid, using the Second Method. Note that the Apples
may get cut using the Second Method, but you have control over the final image’s overall dimensions.

Figure 5.72: IrfanView Create Tiled Image Example – 2

What we create
in Figure 5.72
to the left is a
Green Apple
Grid, the
overall
dimensions of
which are 480
Px Width and
360 Px Height.
We continue
with the Blue
Line of 3 Px
width between
the Green
Apple Grid, as
before.

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5.21: IrfanView Image  Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu
This SubMenu lets you automatically correct individual colors (Red, Green and Blue), as well as automatically
correct other common digital parameters such as Brightness, Contrast, Hue, etc., with just ONE CLICK. Yes,
just ONE CLICK!
So if you are looking for a quick-fix solution to enhance the quality of one or more of your digital images, this
is the One-Click SubMenu to stop by!
The Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu may also be invoked by its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+U’.

Figure 5.73: IrfanView Auto Adjust Colors Exercise

Amazing, isn’t it, what just a single Click can do to the Taj Mahal!
Of couse, not every image can be improved so dramatically with the IrfanView Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu.
However, this is ALWAYS a good starting point in your quest to improve the quality of your digital treasures!
However, even if the Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu gives you eye-popping good results, you may want to look
at further enhancements to your image by using the Color Corrections SubMenu that we discussed in Section
5.17.

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We are going to do just that - increase the Contrast of the Taj Mahal on the Right-side (Auto Color Adjusted)
in Figure 5.73, using the Color Corrections SubMenu. On enhancing Contrast to 50, here, in Figure 5.74
below, is the result.

Figure 5.74: IrfanView Color Corrections to Further Enhance Auto Adjust Colors Exercise

You can see the Auto Adjusted Taj Mahal

to the left and the further enhanced
(Contrast enhanced to 50) Taj Mahal to
the right, in Figure 5.74 right above.
Clearly, enhancing the Contrast using the
Color Correction SubMenu has further
enhanced the Taj Mahal!
A comparison of the Histograms of the
Original image of Taj Mahal, the Auto
Color Corrected Taj Mahal and the Taj
Mahal with Contrast enhanced using
Color Correction SubMenu, is shown on
the next page in the Figure 5.75.

The Histograms are presented side-by-side and show the differences in each Color Channel (Namely,
Luminosity, Red, Green and Blue), at each stage of the Color Repair process. These would of course be of use
to Professional Photographers and/ or Digital Image Editing Professionals, rather than people who merely
want to enhance their treasured images!

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Figure 5.75: IrfanView Auto Adjust Colors Exercise – Histograms Comparison

Original: Luminosity Original: Red Original: Green Original: Blue

Auto Adjusted: Luminosity Auto Adjusted: Red Auto Adjusted: Green Auto Adjusted: Blue

Contrast Adjust: Luminosity Contrast Adjust: Red Contrast Adjust: Green Contrast Adjust: Blue

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5.22: IrfanView Image  Sharpen SubMenu
Scanning, Straightening, Reducing or Enlarging images often causes their sharpness to take a hit. Some of
your photographs may also get enhanced if you could manage to sharpen the details captured in it, I’m sure.
IrfanView offers an easy method to sharpen digital images, without the need to go through a complex web
of menus, SubMenus or Icons. The Sharpen SubMenu is easiest invoked by its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+S’.
You may sharpen your digital images any number of times – and go back ONE STEP, using the ‘Undo’ feature
(i.e., undo the change either by pressing ‘Control+Z’, or by clicking the ‘Undo’ Icon on the Menu Bar, or do
an Edit  Undo).
Note that after a certain number of sharpening operations, your image quality will begin to deteriorate.

Figure 5.76: IrfanView Sharpen Example

Original Image Image Sharpened Once Image Sharpened 2 Times

Image Sharpened 3 Times Image Sharpened 4 Times Image Sharpened 5 Times

Image quality clearly deteriorates after the 4th Sharpening operation!

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5.23: IrfanView Image  Red Eye Reduction (Selections) SubMenu
It is very common to find that the eyes of people you shoot with a Digital Camera – even expensive, high-
tech ones – show up as Red. This happens especially in low light conditions, where you have used a Flash.
Again, the eyes of animals too look different, especially when shot under low light conditions using the Flash.
In Digital Imaging, this is called Red Eye Effect and IrfanView offers an easy solution for correcting it.
The easiest way to invoke this SubMenu is by pressing its associated Hot Key, ‘Shift+Y’.

Figure 5.77: IrfanView Red Eye Reduction (Selection) Example

Original Image Red Eyes Removed Once Red Eyes Removed 2 Times
For best results with Red Eye Reduction, first select one eye, then use the Red Eye Removal SubMenu (or the
associated Hot Key ‘Shift+Y’). Then, treat the other eye(s).
Applying Red Eye Reduction multiple times does not cause any further improvement. This is because all the
‘wrong color pixels’ get corrected during the first application of the Red Eye Reduction Tool itself.

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5.24: IrfanView Image  Effects SubMenu
Under the Image/ Effects SubMenu are a number of Special Effects that you can apply to your digital images.
Figure 5.78 below is a Screenshot of the Effects SubMenu.

Figure 5.78: IrfanView Image/ Effects SubMenu

 The Image/ Effects/

Effects Browser
SubMenu on the Right
side contains all the
native IrfanView Effects
 The Adobe 8BF
SubMenu includes some
Adobe 8BF Filters that
work in IrfanView. We
will study them in the
next Section.
Let us start with the Effects
Browser SubMenu.

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Figure 5.79: IrfanView Image  Effects/ Effects Browser SubMenu

The Ten Effects displayed

under the Image  Effects
SubMenu (3D Button/
Blur/ Emboss/ Oil Paint,
etc., up to and including
Rain Drops) are all
accessible from the Effects
Browser as well.

A discussion of each of the many Special Effects under this SubMenu would fill up a book all by itself! Instead,
I suggest you check out each one of the first 10 effects under this SubMenu yourself – tweak the settings for
each effect, until you get your image with ‘Just the Right Effect’! Use the Preview Window to check out what
each Filter does to your original image, without actually changing it!
So then, let us treat all SubMenu Items until Rain Drops as discussed!
On then to the next SubMenu, the AltaLux Effect (PlugIn), which has the Dialog Box shown in Figure 5.80
below.

Figure 5.80: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect Dialog Box

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Figure 5.81: IrfanView Image  Effects  AltaLux Effect Example

Notice that the

AltaLux Effect gives
Mount Everest not
merely more
Contrast, but
Contrast where it is
required. The picture
therefore appears to
have gained in
depth!

Original Image Image After AltaLux Effect Applied

The above result was obtained with the AltaLux Settings at Intensity = 50 and Scale = 10, though this is not
visible in Figure 5.80. Hopefully, the next version of this PlugIn will display all the values used as well.

Figure 5.82: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Sandbox Effect Dialog Box

The next Effect is the Filter Sandbox

Effect (PlugIn), using which, you can
obtain specific Special Effects.
Reproduced to the Left here in Figure
5.82 is the Filter Sandbox Dialog Box.
You need to install the PlugIn before
running it the first time. Installation is
a no—brainer and consists of two
blind clicks on OK Buttons – no more!

Again, I will leave the exploring to you – no point writing pages of decriptions, when you have IrfanView and
the Filter Sandbox PlugIn installed!
Hold on - a lovely Rainbow would look nice across Mount Everest, don’t you think? Let us check out the Filter
Sandbox’s abilities to fulfil our fancy, in Figure 5.83 on the next page. The Settings used are also shown in
Screenshots that are an integral part of the Figure.

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Figure 5.83: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Sandbox Effect Example

Wow! Isn’t that

Magnificient! I
am rendered
speechless by its
enhanced
beauty, seeing it
full screen on my
21 Inches LED
Monitor!

I must tear my eyes away of course, and take up the Filter Factory Effect (PlugIn) next… Meanwhile, try out
the other Filter Sandbox effects yourself!
Installing the Filter Factory Effect is more effort than installing the Filter Sandbox Effect. When you first start
it up, you are likely to feel you have come up against a Brick Wall – said Brick Wall being the Screenshot
shown on the next page in Figure 5.85a. Not to worry, I have captured the Mouse Pointer as well in the
Screenshot, to show you what next…

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Figure 5.85a: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 1

Figure 5.85b: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 2

Cick the Add FF Filter (*.8BF) Button and you are

asked to point out the location of your Filter
Factory Filters. By default, your Filter Factory
PlugIn Files would be in;
‘C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\PlugIns\Filter
Factory 8BF’ Folder, even for the 64-Bit Version of
IrfanView.
Locate it and click on the OK Button to install the
Filter Factory PlugIn
Once you do this, you will be presented with 2
Groups of PlugIns, as shown in Figure 5.85c, on
the next page.

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Figure 5.85c: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Installation Screen – 3

You too should find these two Filter

Groups, namely;
 Krusty’s FX Vol. 3 (Tools)
 AFH
listed in your copy of IrfanView, if you
install the Filter Factory PlugIn
correctly
Krusty’s FX Tools have the RedBlue
3D Maker Filter, while AFH has the
AFH Beveler Filter. Click each one to
see their Filters, in the Dialog Box.

Figure 5.86: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Dialog Box

On clicking the RedBlue 3D Maker

Filter, your image’s dynamic preview
will appear at the Top, Right Corner
of the Dialog Box. Apply the Filter
and click the Exit Button, to get the
result shown in Figure 5.87 on the
next page.

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Figure 5.87: IrfanView Image  Effects  Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Example

Neat! Gets my Thumbs Up!

Now go on and experiment with the second
Filter Group’s AFH Beveler Setting!

Next in line under the Image  Effects SubMenu System is the Filters Unlimited (PlugIn) Effects. Unlike the
AltaLux, Filter Sandbox and Filter Factory set of Effects, the Filters Unlimited PlugIn is a set of 350 Adobe-
compatible 8BF PlugIns from FiltersUnlimited, costing about US$ 40. I have not purchased these, therefore I
leave you to explore them on your own...
You may purchase the full version of FiltersUnlimited from the link http://download.cnet.com/Filters-
Unlimited/3000-18498_4-10053.html. It is great value for money, if you are into Photography and/ or Digital
Editing, especially Special Effects!
So with that, we come to the end of the Effects SubMenu. The next SubMenu is the Adobe 8BF PlugIns
SubMenu. These are a set of Adobe PhotoShop-compatible PlugIns that IrfanView uses – and uses a lot faster
than PhotoShop!

5.25: IrfanView Image  Adobe 8BF PlugIns SubMenu

The 5 PlugIn Groups under the Adobe 8BF PlugIns that come with the IrfanView PlugIns File are;
1. Perspective Transformations
2. SmartCurve
3. Wire Worm
4. Harry’s Filters
5. PopArt
Although this is by no means a comprehensive list of all PhotoShop PlugIns available, these are the ones that
you can currently use with IrfanView.
You DO NOT need to purchase PhotoShop to use these Effects! Instead, take advantage of the lightning-fast
speed that these Adobe PlugIns work with, under IrfanView!
If you are into touching/ enhancing your images or giving them Special Effects, your task will definitely
become a lot easier, faster and classier, once you master the use of Adobe 8BF Filters for IrfanView.
Figure 5.88 on the next page is a Screenshot of the Image  Adobe 8BF PlugIns MenuItems listed above.

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Figure 5.88: IrfanView Image  Effects  Adobe 8BF PlugIns

To work with the Adobe 8BF

Filters under IrfanView, you
need to first call up the Adobe
PlugIn explicitly, by means of
the steps explained in
Screenshots Figure 5.89a and
Figure 5.89b on the next page.
Note that the Adobe 8BF PlugIns
work smoothly with the 32-Bit
Version of IrfanView. With the
64-Bit IrfanView Version
running under Windows 10, I
experience problems. Hence,
the Adobe 8BF PlugIns are
described in this User Manual
using the 32-Bit Version of
IrfanView.

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Figure 5.89a: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 1

The first time you reach this Dialog Box, it will be empty,
like in the Screenshot to the left. You now need to import
the Adobe 8BF Filters into IrfanView from this Dialog Box,
shown to the Left in Figure 5.89a.
Click on Add 8BF Filters (Folder) Button, to see the
Screenshot shown below as Figure 5.89b.

Figure 5.89b: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 2

When you install the IrfanView PlugIns, the Folder Adobe 8BF is
created under the IrfanView/ PlugIns Folder, as shown in the
Screenshot here.
Once you have highlighted the Adobe 8BF Folder, as shown in
Figure 5.89b to the left, click on the OK Button at the Bottom.

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Figure 5.90: IrfanView –Starting an Adobe 8BF Filter
Now, Two Adobe 8BF PlugIns will show up, as displayed in
Figure 5.90 to the Left.
Going back to the Image  Adobe 8BF PlugIns, note that apart
from the first item (Filter Dialog) in Figure 5.88, you had a total
of 5 SubMenu Items, namely;.
 Perspective Transformations
 SmartCurve
 WireWorm
 Harry’s Filters
 PopArt
The Adobe 8BF Filters, once installed, will also show the
PopArt and Harry’s Filters, as you can see in Figure 5.90 to the
left.
To start either of these Adobe 8BF Filters shown here, click it
and then, click Start Selected Filter.
In the Screenshot, I have selected PopArt and am poised to
start it…
While Harry’s Filter PlugIn and the PopArt PlugIn are installed along with your 32-Bit or 64-Bit Plugins, the
remaining PlugIns need to be installed separately. Click on the link here to download the PlugIns for the
Perspective Transformation, SmartCurve and Wire Worm PlugIns:
http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/irfanview_adobe_8bf_plugins.zip
The Adobe 8BF PlugIns downloaded from the above link will work with both the 32-Bit, as well as the 64-Bit
Versions of IrfanView.
Since the Filter Dialog lists PopArt and Harry’s Filters – as well as three more, it would be a repitition to cover
the Filter Dialog. We will therefore explicitly cover the following Adobe 8BF Filters for IrfanView, in sequence:
1. Adobe 8BF Perspective Transform Filter
2. Adobe 8BF SmartCurve Filter
3. Adobe 8BF Wire Worm Filter
4. Adobe 8BF Harry’s Filters
5. Adobe 8BF PopArt Filter

Figure 5.91: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF Perspective Transform Filter

Using the Perspective

Transform PlugIn, you
can change the Focal
Length, Rotate, Pan
and/ or Tilt your
Image by the exact
number of Degrees
you choose! Explore
this powerful PlugIn
on your own to
master it!

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Figure 5.92: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF SmartCurve Filter
The Adobe
SmartCurv
e PlugIn is a
powerful
Tool to play
with
various
colors in
your
image.
Check out
the options
it has, so
you may
master its
features!

Figure 5.93: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF Wire Worm Filter

The WireWorm is a
Handy Filter that
could very well
become your
favourite Cloning
Tool! Using it, I have
removed Mount
Everest’s peak, in
Figure 5.93 above:
This is a quick and
definitely dirty job on
Mount Everest. I’m
sure you can do a far
better job with the
WireWorm Filter than
my effort there!

Figure 5.94: IrfanView – Harry’s Filters

So how would you like to put Harry’s Filter to use?

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Figure 5.95: IrfanView – Adobe 8BF PopArt Filter

For Special Effects, the Adobe 8BF PopArt PlugIn is a great tool!

Note:
Filters are tiny programs that are a few hundred Bytes or a few Kilobytes in size. They help
you put in special effects into your digital images, based on Mathematical Algorithms.
They are written by different experts in the field and may be ‘plugged into’ top-notch
Digital Editing Software Programs, including IrfanView.

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5.26: IrfanView Image  Swap Colors SubMenu
With this SubMenu, you may swap the colors of your digital image. You have the following 5 color swap
options:
 RGB to RBG
 RGB to BGR
 RGB to BRG
 RGB to GRB
 RGB to GBR
Figure 5.96 below shows the original image of Mount Everest, as well as the image after each swap of colors.

Figure 5.96: IrfanView Swap Colors RGB  RBG

Original Image RGB  RBG

RGB  BGR RGB  BRG

RGB  GRB RGB  GBR

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5.27: IrfanView Image  Palette SubMenu
Using this SubMenu, you may do the following:
 Edit the colors in the Current Palette
 Export the Palette to a Palette File and store it for future use
 Import a previously-saved Palette and use it with your current image

Figure 5.97: IrfanView Image  Palette Options

I have reduced the Color Depth of Mt.

Everest from the original 16.7 Million Colors
to 256 in Figure 5.97 above, to demonstrate
all 3 MenuItems under the same Palette.
With a 256-color (8 BPP) image such as this
one, one may still edit individual colors,
replacing one by another, but the Palette will
consist of a maximum of 256 colors alone.
On the other hand, with the original image of
Mount Everest that contained the maximum
possible 16.7 Million colors (24 BPP), one
cannot edit individual colors – all possible
colors are already included under the 16.7
Million colors! Thus, you may only Import
the palette of a 16.7 Million colors (24 BPP)
image, you cannot Edit or Export it!

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Figure 5.98: IrfanView Image  Palette  256 Color Palette Example

Click to select an individual color and double-click to Edit it. You may then
Export it to another image

256 Colors Palette

Figure 5.99: IrfanView Image  Palette  Edit Palette Example Steps

I have opted to edit

the very first color in
the second row
shown in Figure 5.99
to the left, by double-
clicking it. You can see
a light Red Square
around the Color I am
replacing, in the 2nd
part of Figure 5.99 to
the left, along with
the Mouse Pointer
that is poised over the
Square.

I am going to replace it with an awful shade of Pink from the 3rd part of Figure 5.99. This shade is also marked
in the 3rd part, with Black Dashes and the Mouse Pointer showing you the exact match of Pink I am choosing.
The transformed Mount Everest is shown in the 4th and last part of Figure 5.99 on the previous page.
Very few of the chosen shade of Blue have got replaced with the chosen shade of Pink on Mount Everest
though and all of them are part of Everest’s skies. This is because the EXACT shade of Blue alone gets
replaced, by this method. Small wonder then – the Light Blue we picked naturally belonged to the Sky –
Everest itself is a deeper shade of Blue!
You may also export this Palette if you need to use it on any other image(s), or import an already-saved
Palette into this image if you need to, from this SubMenu
Now you should try to replace more colors on your own, since you have got the hang of this operation.
Personally, I have found the IrfanPaint Flood Fill Tool, the IrfanPaint Color Replacer Tool and IrfanView’s
Replace Color Methods far more useful for the following reasons:
 All three allow me to set a Tolerance Value for Color Replace operations
 All three are Visual and let me pick the Color I want to change, from the Image itself
 All three let me choose the Replacement Color a lot more precisely

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Chapter 6: The ‘Options’ Menu
MAKING IRFANVIEW WORK YOUR WAY
Now that you have understood the File, Edit and Image Menus – and understood many an advanced feature
of IrfanView as well, you are already in a position to use IrfanView for most of your image editing
requirements. However, a few operations may be speeded up greatly, if IrfanView could be set up to ‘act’ as
per your preferred way. For most operations, the default working of IrfanView is just fine!
The next MenuItem, the Options Menu, contains all Tools for changing the way IrfanView interacts with you.
Presented as Figure 6.01 below is a Screenshot of the IrfanView Options Menu.

Figure 6.01: IrfanView Options Menu

Warning:
The Default Settings for IrfanView Features work just fine, for most common IrfanView
Operations. However, you may want to change the way IrfanView works by default, for
some operations. This is where this Chapter pays you back.
Note that you ought to really master this Chapter: else, you will not, (a) be able to make
IrfanView work exactly as you want it to all the time and (b) having changed settings, you
may not be able to revert to the default settings, when your task is completed!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 148 of 235

6.01: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings SubMenu
The First SubMenu under the Options Menu is Properties/ Settings. You may also invoke this SubMenu by
means of its associated Hot Key, ‘P’. When open, it contains a total of Thirteen Sets of Settings. I will cover
them one by one in this Chapter.
Using this SubMenu and its 13 Settings Sets, you can make changes to the way IrfanView loads up, interacts
with you, views/ edits images and exits. Figure 6.02 below shows the options under the Properties/ Settings
SubMenu.

Figure 6.02: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings– Start/ Exit Options

The First Settings Set under

the Options SubMenu lets
you customize the way
IrfanView starts and exits.
The options here are;

Start Options:
 Specify whether you want IrfanView to start in a specific Folder each time, start in the last-opened Folder
or in no particular Folder. The default option is ‘None’.
 Specify whether IrfanView should be constrained to run a single instance alone, or whether to allow it to
run multiple instances. By default, multiple instances of IrfanView are allowed to run
 Specify whether you want IrfanView to run full screen, or let the size of the image loaded into it to decide
the screen size
Running/ Viewing Options:
 Whether you would like only ONE instance of IrfanView to run at a time – so that if you open a second
image, the first one is closed. Yikes! If I were to use this setting, my work would get severely hampered
indeed! But then, this is for systems that have very less RAM, as it conserves Computer Memory, having
just one active instance of any program running at a time
 Whether to start IrfanView in Full Screen mode, or Windowed mode

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 149 of 235

Exit Options:
 Whether you want IrfanView to pop up a ‘Confirmation Exit’ Screen everytime you exit IrfanView using
the ‘Esc’ Key
 Whether you want a Save File Reminder when you exit the program without saving a modified image file
or whenever you make changes to an image
 Whether you want to allow IrfanView alone to close (leaving the Thumbnails View on display) when you
press the ‘Esc’ key, or whether you want both IrfanView and the Thumbnails View Window to close, on
pressing the ‘Esc’ Key.

Figure 6.03: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings – JPG/ PCD/ GIF

The Second Settings Set

under the Property/ Settings
SubMenu is the option for
handling JPG/ PCD/ GIF
image file formats and is
shown in Figure 6.03 to the
left.
The options here are;

JPG Options:
 Specify whether you want IrfanView to auto-rotate image according to EXIF information, wherever
available
 Specify whether IrfanView should load JPGs as Grayscale images. Note that if this option is checked, all
JPG images will load thereafter as Grayscale images. So you need to remember to uncheck it as well!
Photo CD (PCD) Options:
 Specify Base Option as one of the following:
o Base/ 16 (192 x 128 Pixels)
o Base/4 (384 x 256 Pixels)
o Base (768 x 512 Pixels) – this is the Default Option
o 4Base (1536 x 1024 Pixels) – Phot CD PlugIn is required for this option
o 16Base (3072 x 2048 Pixels) – Phot CD PlugIn is required for this option

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 150 of 235

GIF Display Options:
 Whether you want to play animated GIFs – by defult, this option is ON
 Whether you want to show Transparency in non-animated GIFs too – OFF by Default

Figure 6.04: IrfanView Options  Properties/ Settings – Extensions

The Third Settings Set is

concerned with File
Extensions, as shown in
Figure 6.04 to the left. The
default settings are also
shown therein. If you do not
want IrfanView to be
associated with one or more
file formats, you need to
uncheck the same from here.
It is NOT recommended that
you select other File Formats
for opening with IrfanView –
I recommend you leave the
‘Other’ checkbox unchecked.
Again, you may choose to
load only associated file
formats while moving
through Folders or load all
image file formats as you
move through Folders –
entirely your choice!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 151 of 235

Figure 6.05: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Viewing

The Fourth Settings Set is

displayed in FIgure 6.05 to
the left. It contains Image
File Viewing options. From
this screen, you may choose
the following options:

Viewing Options:
 Whether to show or hide PNG/ TIF/ TGA/ DDS Alpha/ Transparent color
 Whether to show or hide embedded TIF Animations
 Whether to show Channels in Color, when the Image/ Show Channels Menu is chosen. If this is left
unticked, you will see a Grayscale of the image, when you click on Image/ Show Channel and select Red,
Green or Blue (see Figure 6.06). Therefore, you may want to tick this option…
 Whether to Dither 24 BPP images on 16 BPP Displays or not. Modern displays support 24 BPP images,
hence this option need not be selected for them
 Apply a specific Gamma Correction for all loaded images or not. (Gamma Correction Factor has to be a
number between 0.01 and 6.99)
 Specify Default Gamma for Resampled Black & White Images – default value is 0.5
 Whether to show or not show the full file path name of the opened file, in the IrfanView Toolbar
 Whether or not to use the Right Mouse Button for Context Menu. With this option selected, when you
Right-Click inside an opened image, you will open the File Menu. (The default option here is to allow you
to Scroll, when you Right-Click the Mouse Button)
Window Options:
 Whether to Center a newly-loaded Image or not
 Whether to remember the last opened size and position of IrfanView from the last instance it was run,
or not remember these details
 Specify your choice of Main Window Color
 Specify the Status Bar Text. You may click on the Help Button for detailed options here. The Help
information is reproduced in Table 6.01 in the Commercial Edition of this User Manual, for your quick
reference

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 152 of 235

Figure 6.06: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings/ Viewing – Show Channels in Color

Show Channel Color Option Not Selected Show Channel Color Option Selected
Any Channel on view Red Channel on view

Show Channel Color Option Selected Show Channel Color Option Selected
Green Channel on view Blue Channel on view
The first Screenshot in Figure 6.06 above was obtained on selecting Image  Show Channel  Red or Green
or Blue, with the Options  Properties  Settings  Viewing  Show Channels in Color Setting Unselected.
Whether one views the Red, Green or Blue Channel, one only gets to see a Grayscale of the image with this
setting.
When the Options  Properties  Settings  Viewing  Show Channels in Color Setting is Selected, you
can see each corresponding Color Channel separately, when the image is viewed by use of the SubMenu
Image  Show Channel  Red or Green or Blue.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 153 of 235

Figure 6.07: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Zoom/ Color Management

The Fifth Settings Set under

the Options SubMenu is
Zoom/ Color Management.
You may not have realized it,
but IrfanView zooms an
image in multiples of 10% by
default. If you wish to change
that, this is the SubMenu
Setting you need to come to,
as shown in Figure 6.07 to
the left.
You could also choose to
zoom based on Relative
Step, Absolute Step or from a
Fixed Table of up to a
maximum of 50 ordered
values from 3 to 4000, by
means of this SubMenu.

The other Setting that may be changed from this SubMenu pertains to Color Management for your Display.
You could choose between your current, default Monitor’s built-in Color Management Profile, or choose a
Custom ICC/ ICM Profile file – the latter if you have installed the appropriate PlugIn.
Finally, you have the option of applying the chosen Custom Color Profile to images without Embedded Color
Profiles too, though as the warning says, it will slow down the loading of such images.
Personally, I have never had the need to use anything other than my Monitor’s built-in Color Profile, whether
I use my Desktop, Laptop or Windows Tablet…

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 154 of 235

Figure 6.08: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Browsing/ Editing

The Sixth Settings Set under

the Properties/ Settings
SubMenu, titled Browsing/
Editing, lets you change the
way you browse and edit
images, as shown in Figure
6.08 to the left.

Browsing:
The first option under the Browsing Group is a nifty feature – it lets you load all images in the current Folder,
merely by pressing the ‘Next’ and ‘Previous Arrows on the Icon Bar (in Windowed mode) or the ‘Page Up/
Page Down’ Buttons (in Full Screen mode). Your Scroll Mouse will continue to let you cycle through all images
in a Folder.
You may (or may not) choose to view hidden files/ Folders, when you view all files in a Folder. Checking/
Unchecking the second option under this group enables/ disables this.
By checking/ unchecking the third option, you may loop/ not loop to the first image, when you reach the end
of the Folder Listing.
The next Check Box will have IrfanView beeping when the end of your Folder Listing is reached. The Beep will
come on irrespective of whether you have chosen to Loop, Stop or Show Browser Dialog from the previous
setting in this SubMenu.
If the Vertical Scroll Bar is visible (i.e., for larger-than-screen images), the default action when you press the
‘Page Down’/ ‘Page Up’ key is for your current image to scroll in accordance. However if you want to load
the next page of a Multipage image (we will learn all about Multipage images in Section 6.08 of this User
Manual) when you press the ‘Page Down’/ ‘Page Up’ keys, you need to check the last option under this group.
Editing:
The Undo Button can be your life-saver – no one should be without one! Imagine how useful it would be,
having an ‘Undo Button’ in real life! Stepped on a Banana peel? No worries – press your ‘Undo Button’ and
this time, side-step the peel!  Therefore, ensure that it is checked – it is the first option under the Editing
group and is checked by default.
The ONLY situation where you should NOT check the Undo Checkbox is if you have an old machine that has
very little RAM or Hard Disk space… not easy to come by, since IrfanView works smoothly off very old
machines too!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 155 of 235

IrfanView aims to be a light, fast and easy-to-use image viewing and editing solution that works even on old
machines with less Processing Power, Hard Disk capacity and RAM. Under any program, for Undo to work,
the original image (or file, if we are talking about Undo for, say a Word Processor) is stored in your RAM or
written to your Hard Disk (Virtual Memory). And for Multiple Undos to work, the solution needs to save each
version of your file automatically, onto your Hard Disk. Now, as long as you are working with files that are
only a few kilobytes big, there are no huge overheads. However, if you are working on large files – maybe
images that occupy multiple Megabytes, then Multiple Undo capability will require you to have a powerful
machine with a large Hard Disk and lots of RAM! This is not what IrfanView’s creator intended of his solution
and therefore, unlike heavyweights Adobe PhotoShop and the open source solution GIMP, IrfanView has one
level of Undo alone.
The second option here lets you specify the color of your Grid Lines in IrfanView.
The next option allows IrfanView to import Color Palettes based on the nearest color.
The fourth option under the Edit group allows you to paste images into a selected area within an image, so
that the new image is stretched to the selected area. You may or may not want to enable this – check out
Figures 6.09 below and Figure 6.10 on the next page, to understand what happens when this option is
checked and when it is not checked…

Figure 6.09: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  Browsing/ Editing  Stretch Fit into
Selection

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 156 of 235

Figure 6.10: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  Browsing/ Editing  Paste Fit into
Selection

As you can clearly see, when the option “Paste into Selection. Fit to Selection” was NOT selected, the image
of 1 (of size 100 x 100 Px) that was pasted into our picture of Mount Everest filled the entire selected area of
100 x 50 Px. In the process, it was stretched in a most ugly manner… (Figure 6.09)
However, when the option “Paste into Selection. Fit to Selection” was selected, the image of 1 that was
pasted into our picture of Mt. Everest retained its original Aspect Ratio, filling only that part of the selected
area of 100 x 50 Pixels, that ‘belonged to it’ (Figure 6.10). But then, note that the embedded image is always
left-aligned within the marked-off area for pasting in, therefore it will NOT work satisfactorily, if you are
looking to place the embedded image EXACTLY at a pre-determined position within the larger image. Again,
the image of 1 gets reduced to the smaller side – Width or Height. In this case, the smaller of these
dimensions was the Height of 50 Px and hence, the Height is fully filled in, leaving the Width partially unfilled
(to the extent of (100 – 50) = 50 Px, in this example).
For precise, full positioning of embedded images, the method I have detailed under Section 3.17, Table 3.02
alone works!
Now that you know how to embed images quickly and without distortion (but maybe at smaller-than-actual
sizes) into IrfanView by changing the way IrfanView works for you, lets move on!
The next option here is “Paste Special. Fit Clipboard Image to Displayed Image”. With this option alone
selected, the pasted image gets stretched, exactly as if neither this one, nor the previous option “Paste into
Selection. Fit to Selection”, have been selected. Ticking this option therefore merely negates the effect of
ticking the option, “Paste into Selection. Fit to Selection”.
With both the previous option “Paste into Selection. Fit to Selection” and this option “Paste Special. Fit
Clipboard Image to Displayed Image” selected, you get a non-stretched embedded image, exactly as if the
first option “Paste into Selection. Fit to Selection” alone had been selected. Personally, I have never felt the
need to use the “Paste Special. Fit Clipboard Image to Displayed Image” option.
Table 6.02 in the Commercial Edition of this User Manual is a Ready Reckoner of the effects of all Four
possible Combinations here:
The next option here is to specify the Grid Size in Pixels while editing and the last option under this group is
to set the Tolerance Value for Auto Crop Borders. Leave this at Zero Value, unless you want a frame all around
your Auto Cropped Images!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 157 of 235

Cut:
You may choose the Background Color for the cut portion after cut operations, using the first option under
this group. Using the second option, you may choose the kind of text you would like to use for .TXT files and
Text Paste operations – ANSI, ASCII or ANSI Thin Font, as well as the Text Color and Text Background Color.
Look at all the options, decide what you want and set IrfanView up accordingly!

Figure 6.11: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Full Screen/ Slideshow

The Seventh Settings Set

under the Options SubMenu
is the Full Screen/ Slideshow
set of options. These are
shown in Figure 6.11 to the
left.
The following are the Full
Screen/ Slideshow Viewing
Options available:

 Show Images/ Movies at the Original Size

 Fit Large Images to Screen (Recommended Setting)
 Fit to Screen All Images and Movies
 Stretch All Images/ Movies to Screen
 Fit Image Width to Screen Width
 Fit Image Height to Screen Height
 Fit Small Image Side to Screen
From this SubMenu, you may also specify the Display Width and Height Percentages, separately. So if you
put in 50% for Width and Height Multiplier, any Slideshow you run will display images at half size!
The other options in this SubMenu are;
 Center the Image on Screen. This is a good option to go in for, as images open right in the center of your
Display
 Resample an image for first-time viewing. This is also a good option – although IrfanView warns that this
will render file opening slower, it does not slow down your work measurably, while it displays a better
scale quality of opened images
 Use Resample function for Zooming. Use this only when you have to, for large images are slowed down
while zooming, if this parameter is selected
 Apply Alpha Blending Effect between Images. Again, a parameter that you may choose only where you
have to

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 158 of 235

 Use Right Mouse Button for Scrolling Images larger than your Screen. This is a matter of personal choice,
I have not selected this parameter as I am more comfortable scrolling through large images using my
Scroll Mouse
 Stretch Images across Multiple Monitors. Well, if you like to use all your Monitors all at the same time,
give this one a shot!
 Screen Color
 Text Font and Color
 Text Position:
o Top
o Middle
o Bottom
o Transparent/ Opaque Background
 Text Alignment
o Left
o Center
o Right
o Transparent/ Opaque Background
You also have a few Full Screen options, namely;
 Show Text
o For the complete list of Placeholders, click on the Help Button or see Table 6.01 in this User Manual
 Show or Hide Mouse Cursor
I have not played around with the options here, since the default values for each of these parameters is good
for normal tasks. There are more options here than what I have ever needed, in all my years of using
IrfanView!

Figure 6.12: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Video/ Sound

The Eighth Settings Set

under the Options 
Properties/ Settings
SubMenu is shown in Figure
6.12 to the left. It lets you
specify your choices for
playing Video and Sound
files. You may use an
External Player if you have
the relevant IrfanView
PlugIn, or choose to play
video and sound using
IrfanView itself.

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IrfanView is a lot faster at playing Video files of various formats, in comparison with Windows Media Player
or Apple QuickTime or VLC Player or the others I have tried out in the past. But then, everyone has their own
favorite Video Player and it is difficult to change such matters of preference. Just check out IrfanView’s Video
Player though – give yourself the opportunity to fall in love with it!
You may also specify whether you would like to use DirectShow, Loop, and/ or Hide Playbar in Full Screen
mode, and using the ‘Esc’ Key to exit Full Screen mode. You may also specify whether you would like to play
Video in a half-size, normal size or double-size Window. Finally, if you have the Apple QuickTime PlugIn, you
may let QuickTime handle MOV/ 3GP/ MP4/ FLI/ FLC files! You may also let QuickTime handle QuickTime for
Macintosh and MacPICT files.

Figure 6.13: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – File Handling

The Ninth Settings Set is

shown in Figure 6.13 to the
left. It lets you take charge of
File Handling operations
under IrfanView. Here are
your options under each
group of this Settings Set:
Copy:
 Specify Default ‘Copy To’
Directory
 Show/ Hide Copy Dialog
for Copy Operations
 Specify Default ‘Move
To’ Directory
 Show/ Hide ‘Move’
Dialog for Move
Operations

Delete:
 Delete Confirmation for File Delete operations
 Delete to Recycle Bin or Delete Permanently
 Jump to next file on Deleting/ Moving current file (not recommended, for, if you delete a file accidentally,
you will need to fish it out of your Recycle Bin. If this option is unchecked, the file will continue to be
displayed in your Monitor, giving you the opportunity of saving it immediately, if the delete was an
accident)
 Exit IrfanView after File Delete operation
 Also Delete/ Do not Delete “Sidecar” Files, i.e., files with the same Filename but different File Extensions
and Formats. Exercise this option with caution!
Save/ Rename:
 Display Save Dialog for ‘File/ Save’ Operations
 Confirmation for overwriting Files during ‘Save’ and ‘Save As’ Operations
 Confirmation to Rename File Extension, if File Extension is incorrect
 Whether to change or not change Directory Index, after File Renaming Operation. The default is to
change Directory Index after a File Renaming Operation

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 160 of 235

Figure 6.14: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Language

The Tenth Settings Set lets

you choose whether
IrfanView should ‘speak’ to
you in German or English!
This screen is shown to the
left, as Figure 6.14.

Figure 6.15: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Toolbar

The Eleventh Settings Set

lets you customize the look
and feel of your copy of
IrfanView. It is shown to the
left, as Figure 6.15.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 161 of 235

I have Five IrfanView ‘Skins’ namely the Default Skin, Gnome Colors Human_48, Gnome Colors Human_32,
Grosberg_24 and Samuel_16, of which I have used Samuel_16 throughout this User Manual. Do check out
additional Skins for IrfanView at the link, http://www.irfanview.com/skins.htm to change the way IrfanView
looks. A large number of Skins are available there!
If you add more skins, they will be visible in and changeable from this screen.
If you are a Graphic Designer, Irfan Skiljan would be happy to receive your Skin Creations, for inclusion into
future versions of IrfanView!
The second set of options in this screen allow you to display only those Icons that you want to display. We
have not selected to show the Thumbnails and Print Icons – as you can see, these two are unchecked in the
Screenshot and therefore, will not show up in my copy of IrfanView.

Figure 6.16: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – PlugIns

The Twelfth Settings Set is all

about PlugIns. The screen is
shown to the left, as Figure
6.16.
If your requirements from
IrfanView are advanced, you
should look at the options
that this screen presents.
The first set of options is
specifically for NEF/ NRW,
RAF, ORF, SRF, MRW, PEF,
DCR, X3F, ERF, CRW/ CR2
and MOS file formats and
they are;

 Whether or not to load embedded preview image, if available

 Whether (or not) IrfanView should attempt to load CRW/ CR2 files using Canon DLLs (option works only
if you have installed the Canon PlugIns – check the file i_plugins.txt, in the IrfanView/ PlugIns Folder,
where you have installed IrfanView, to check this out
 Whether to load Half-size image or not. This is faster, but you require the concerned PlugIn
 Whether to use Automatic White Balance or not
 Default Brightness (default is 1.00, specify the value you want, here)
 Default Highlight Mode (default is 0, specify the value you want, here)
 Default Text for TTF files

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 162 of 235

In addition, you have a set of Five more options, as discussed below:
 Default Path for Adobe 8BF Filters, in case you did not choose the default path suggested by the IrfanView
PlugIns, when you installed the Adobe 8BF PlugIns
 PostScript Options: see Figure 6.17 below:

Figure 6.17: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – Postscript Options

Postscript Options:
IrfanView lets you do a number of things
with your PDF Files, such as;
 Open PDF Files
 Create Single and Multipage PDF
Files from individual Image(s)
 Extract one or all Pages as Images,
from Multipage PDF Files
However to work with the PDF Format,
you need to install GhostScript, an Open
Source PlugIn. Earlier versions required
you to install ImPDF, a PlugIn specifically
written for IrfanView as well. Not
anymore though.
The PostScript Button lets you specify
how GhostScript interacts with you
through IrfanView, as shown in Figure
6.17 to the left.

Figure 6.18: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – MrSID Options

MrSID Options:
IrfanView PlugIns also include the MrSID PlugIn that is useful
for viewing large images. You may specify exactly how you
would like to load large images using the PlugIn, from the
interface shown to the left here as Figure 6.18.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 163 of 235

Figure 6.19: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – JPM PlugIn Options

JPM Options:
IrfanView also includes a PlugIn that lets you work with JPM
File Formats. This option lets you specify your choices for the
IrfanView JPM PlugIn, as shown in Figure 6.19 to the left.

Figure 6.20: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – DXF/ DWG PlugIn Options

DXF/ DWG Options:

You may not know this, but IrfanView also
lets you view AutoCAD DXF/ DWG File
Formats, by means of the BabaCAD4Image
PlugIn. This is the last option under this
Settings Set and is shown in Figure 6.20 to
the left.

Figure 6.21: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings  PlugIns – PDF PlugIn Options
PDF Options:
This Dialog Box will show up only if you have
installed the new and updated PDF PlugIn,
separately from the IrfanView PlugIns. Visit;
 http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/pdf_3
2.zip for the 32-Bit PDF PlugIn
and
 http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/pdf_6
4.zip for the 64-Bit PDF Plugin
If you have not installed this PDF PlugIn, you
can work with the GhostScript Postscript
PlugIn displayed under Figure 6.17. However,
this PDF PlugIn has more features than the
GhostScript PlugIn. I would strongly
recommend that you download and install it!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 164 of 235

Figure 6.22: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Miscellaneous

The Thirteenth Settings Set is

the last one under the
Options  Properties/
Settings SubMenu. It
presents a few remaining
options and is shown to the
left in Figure 6.22. The
options are;

 Whether IrfanView should Open Slideshow Dialog in the last-used Slideshow Folder. The other option is
to open it in the Current Folder
 Whether IrfanView should open Batch Dialog in the last-used Batch Folder. The other option is to open
it in the Current Folder
 Whether or not to show ‘Recent Files’ in Menu File – a maximum of 15 most recently-opened files may
be shown
 Whether or not to show ‘Recent Folders’ in Open/ Save Dialog Box – a maximum of 20 most recently-
opened Folders may be shown
The next item lets you clear the ‘Recent Folders’ in the File  Open Dialog Box.
The ‘Create’ Button creates a link for IrfanView on the desktop for the current user alone. It may then be
evoked by its associated Hot Key, ‘Control+Shift+I’.
You may also set Three External Editors from this list of options. By default, IrfanView is set as the 3rd External
Editor. If you want more External Editors (I have never personally felt the need for any External Editor!), you
may also click on the Help Button shown in this screen.
You also have the option of sending short file names to the External Editor(s). As I said just before, I do not
use any External Editor, I’m quite content letting IrfanView handle all my image edting requirements!
Finally, you have the option of sending all Filenames in one call, if several Thumbnails are selected. I do not
remember consciously invoking this option ever…
At this stage, let me also tell you about the IrfanView Shell Extension PlugIn. If you have installed it, you may
send a file to IrfanView, when you Right-Click the file within Windows Explorer. See Figure 6.23 on the next
page to check this out.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 165 of 235

Figure 6.23: IrfanView Options  Property/ Settings – Miscellaneous

 You may select multiple files and play a Slideshow of selected Files, from the first SubMenu here
 You may start displaying Thumbnails of selected images, using the second SubMenu here
 On selecting multiple JPG files, you may Auto Rotate them in one go, by using the third SubMenu here.
Auto Rotation details will be as per the EXIF Information of each JPG File
The IrfanView Shell Extension PlugIn is downloadable from the link,
http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/irfanview_shell_extension_plugin.exe
 The last option in the IrfanView Shell Extension PlugIn lets you convert one or multiple images from one
file format to another, quickly. File Formats supported are;
o JPG
o PNG
o TIF
o BMP
o GIF
With that, we have now covered each of the numerous and exhaustive (exhausting as well perhaps? )
Settings Options. Onward We March, for we have just begun with the Sixth Chapter!

6.02: IrfanView Options  Change Language SubMenu

The next SubMenu under the Options Menu is Change Language, using which you may currently change
between German and English. Clicking on this SubMenu brings up the screen shown as Figure 6.14.

6.03: IrfanView Options  Set File Associations SubMenu

Click on the next SubMenu – Set File Associations, and you are taken to the screen illustrated in Figure 6.04

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 166 of 235

6.04: IrfanView Options  Start Multimedia Player SubMenu
Once you install the PlugIns, IrfanView lets you play many common video formats as well, despite its tiny
footprint! On startup, the Multimedia module of IrfanView presents a very simple, neat interface with the
following Buttons alone:
 Open (Multimedia) File (Hot Key – ‘O’)
 Information about the Multimedia file being played (Hot Key – ‘I’)
 Play Audio CDs in IrfanView
 Set IrfanView Multimedia Player options (Hot Key – ‘P’)
 Extract Frames from currently-playing Multimedia file
 Close and Exit IrfanView Multimedia Player (Hot Key – ‘Esc’)

Figure 6.24: IrfanView Options  Start Multimedia Player (PlugIn)

Figure 6.24 above displays the Tool Bars

for each item of the IrfanView
Multimedia PlugIn, when it is started up.
Notice the Status Bar at the Bottom of the
window – since no file is currently loaded,
the status it displays is, ‘No file loaded’.

Figure 6.25: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn in action

Figure 6.25 above displays

a Video that is of size 480
x 360 Pixels. It has played
out 2 Minutes 55 Seconds
and is a total of 3 Minutes
5 Seconds long – as can be
read off the Status Bar at
the bottom.
In terms of Controls, you
have the basic Pause and
Stop Buttons, along with
the Fast Forward and
Rewind Buttons. You also
have Audio controls for
Muting and Changing
Audio Volume.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 167 of 235

Figure 6.26: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn – Information Screen

Press the Hot Key ‘I’ while the file is playing

and you get some more information about
the file being played, as shown in Figure
6.26 to the left.
You additionally get to see the full path to
the file being played, in this Information
Screen (which I have partially blanked out).

You may also play any supported Audio or Video file by pressing the Hot Key ‘O’ and clicking on the
multimedia file, dragging and dropping the multimedia file into IrfanView, clicking on the File Open Icon in
IrfanView or from Windows Explorer, directly into IrfanView. This lets you play the multimedia file using
IrfanView’s Built-in Multimedia Player. The interface of the built-in IrfanView Multimedia Player is different
– here is a screenshot in Figure 6.27 below, with a Video file playing directly in IrfanView.

Figure 6.27: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player in action

As you can see, the

Built-in Multimedia
Player on IrfanView
requires fewer clicks
to start up, in
comparison with the
IrfanView Multimedia
PlugIn. It also tells you
the following about
the file, while it is
playing:

 Total Length of file (2 Minutes, 9 Seconds) and Current Position (1 Minute, 3 Seconds)
 Path to the file (deliberately obscured by me)
 File Name (VID-20150316-WAA0001.mp4 in this case)
 Number of similar files in the Folder (2, of which this is the first file here)
 Size of the file (8.23 MB)
 Date and Time of the file (16-March-2015, 10:57:02)

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 168 of 235

Figure 6.28: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player – Information Screen
On pressing ‘I’ while the file is playing, you get to see some
more information about the file: this is shown in Figure 6.28 to
the left.
Here, you may see the following additional information:
 Width and Height of file being played – 640 x 360 in this
case
 Bits per Pixel – 24 in this case
 Total Frames – 129 (at 1 fps) in this case
 Total Length – 129 Seconds in this case

The built-in Multimedia Player still lacks the Fast Forward and Volume Controls, though the Play Button does
double up efficiently as the Pause Button…
I recommend you check out both the IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn as well as the built-in Multimedia Player
in IrfanView, for their simplicity and quick start-up. They also play multimedia files of all common formats
and are hassle and crash-free. Despite their simplicity, they plays multimedia files at full quality as well!

6.05: IrfanView Options  Stop Animation SubMenu

The Stop Animation SubMenu works when you are creating animated GIFs or animated Cursors in the ANI or
MNG format. Clicking on this SubMenu (or using its associated Hot Key, ‘G’) causes the animated GIF/ ANI/
MNG file to ‘freeze’. At this point, the file may be saved as a non-animated image too.
If you want to save all the frames, you will need to use the SubMenu, ‘Extract all frames’, discussed under
Section 6.06 right below.

6.06: IrfanView Options  Extract all Frames SubMenu

The Extract all Frames SubMenu too works with animated GIFs or animated Cursors in the ANI or MNG format
alone. Clicking on this SubMenu when a supported file format is loaded lets you save all the component
frames of the animated file.

6.07: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) SubMenu

With this SubMenu, you can creat Split Tiles of the image you have loaded. Specify the number of Rows and
Columns that the image should be split into. Specify the file format to save split files as. Click OK. That’s it!
The Split Image Dialog Box is shown right below in Figure 6.29.

Figure 6.29: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Options

And below is
our image of
Mount Everest,
split into 2
Columns and 2
Rows, using the
above
SubMenu!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 169 of 235

Figure 6.30: IrfanView Options  Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Results

Despite being carved up a bit, Mount Everest is

still recognizable, isn’t it?

6.08: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images

IrfanView also allows you to create and navigate Multipage TIF, PDF and JPM files under this SubMenu, as
shown in Figure 6.31 below.

Figure 6.31: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images SubMenu

Let us take each of these up for the details, one after the other.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 170 of 235

6.08.01: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage TIF
The TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) format can store multiple images under one file name, as different
pages. This file format is composed of small descriptor blocks containing offsets into the file which point to
the actual pixel image data (composed of bands of pixel rows). Therefore, incorrect offset values will usually
cause programs to attempt to read erroneous portions of the file or attempt to read past the physical end of
file, thus displaying junk, instead of the correct image. Like most other image file formats, improperly
encoded packet or line lengths within the file can cause poorly written rendering programs to overflow their
internal buffers, while properly written image rendering programs display the images correctly.

Figure 6.32: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage TIF Dialog Box

As a result of its Multipage capability, the TIF format is very

popular for saving faxes. Originally created by the company
Aldus, the file format is currently owned by Adobe Systems.
IrfanView lets you create Multipage TIF files by means of this
SubMenu. To do so, click on the Options  Multipage Images
 Create Multipage TIF SubMenu, to view the screen shown
to the left as Figure 6.32.

 Click on the Add Images Button shown to the Right at the Top, browse to the Folder containing the
images you want to create as a Multipage TIF file. The images may be in different Folders too, just pick
them all up one by one, navigating through the concerned Folders
 You may remove single or multiple images from the list you create, by using the second Button named
Remove Images
 You may also sort the files by clicking on the third Button named Sort Files
 If you want to move images up or down your list, use the 4th and 5th Buttons, named Move files up and
Move files down, respectively
 If you want to change the compression of the output image file, click on the 6th Button, named
Compression, to bring up the Dialog Box shown below as Figure 6.33
 Click the Browse Button to specify the Folder where you would like to save your newly-created Multipage
TIF File
 Under Result Filename, you may specify the File Name for your newly-created Multipage TIF File

Figure 6.33: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Multipage TIFF Save Options
The TIF Compression options for color images are;
 No Compression
 LZW Compression
 Packbits Compression
 JPEG Compression
 ZIP Compression
and the Compression options for Black and White images are;
 Huffman RLE
 CCITT Fax 3
 CCITT Fax 4

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 171 of 235

You may also save all pages from the original image by ticking the Checkbox.
Finally, you may save the Palette for Grayscale images – this option is on by default
When you click on the OK Button shown in Figure 6.33 on the previous page, you are taken back to the Dialog
Box shown as Figure 6.32, also on the previous page.
Now, click the Create TIF Image Button if you are ready or click the Exit Button, if you aren’t yet ready…

6.08.02: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage PDF

(PlugIn)
Yet another file format owned by Adobe Systems is the extremely popular PDF format. Created for public
distribution of text and images, the PDF format now supports encryption, password protection and other
features that make it the industry standard for secure distribution of documents to a large number of people,
in the digital format.
Today, most Utility Bills –Telephone, Water and Electricity Bills, as well as Credit Card and Bank Statements,
are attached as PDF files and distributed over e-Mail. Most Credit Card companies require that you fill in your
password, so as to open and view the attached PDF of your Monthly Card Statement.
IrfanView lets you archive multiple images into a PDF file by means of this SubMenu. Clicking on the View 
Multipage Images  Create Multipage PDF brings up the Dialog Box shown below as Figure 6.34

Figure 6.34: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage PDF Dialog Box

The Create Multipage PDF Dialog Box is similar to the Dialog

Box for Create Multipage TIF. However, the Compression
options for Multipage PDF are different.
The Multipage PDF Compression options are shown on the
next page in Figure 6.35

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 172 of 235

Figure 6.35: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images – Multipage PDF Save Options

If you have installed the PDF PlugIn from the link

http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/pdf_32.zip (for the 32-Bit
Version) or from the link
http://www.irfanview.net/plugins/pdf_64.zip for the 64-Bit
Version, you will get to see the Dialog Box shown to the left in
Figure 6.35.
As you are most likely sending/ receiving a number of PDF Files
already, let me explain the workings of the PDF PlugIn for
IrfanView by means of Figure 6.36 below.

Figure 6.36: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  PDF PlugIn Settings

You have the following options:

1. Whether 6. Set/ Not Set
to save all Compliance
Pages or Mode to
not, from PDF/A-1B
the original 7. Save
Image Password
2. Page Options for
Format the PDF File
options created
3. Image Size
8. Color Image
Options
Compression
4. Image
Options
Positioning
Options 9. Grayscale
5. Specify Image
PDF Author Compression
Options
10. Monochrome
Images
Compression
Options
Once again, all options covered!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 173 of 235

6.08.03: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage JPM
(PlugIn)
You may also create Multipage JPM Image files with IrfanView. However, you need to purchase the
LuraDocument JPM PlugIn – else, your Multipage JPMs will carry the LuraDocument Watermark on all Pages.

Figure 6.37: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Create Multipage JPM Dialog Box

The Multipage JPM Image Dialog Box is similar to that for

creating Multipage TIF files, with the exception that it does
not have any options for Compression. The Dialog Box is
shown in Figure 6.37 to the Left.
Instead, it has a Button titled Save Options, which, when
clicked, displays the Dialog Box shown below in Figure 6.38

Figure 6.38: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images – Multipage JPM Save Options
The available JPM Save options are;
 Standard
 Check
 Catalog
 Photo and
 Fax
Save Quality options are;
 Good
 Medium and
 Low
with the Dialog Box offering to save a Thumbnail of the Multipage
JPM file as well, if you wish to.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 174 of 235

6.08.04 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF
The Edit Multipage TIF SubMenu under Options  Multipage Images lets you add, remove and/ or re-order
Pages (images) within a Multipage TIF File. It also lets you specify the compression you want. However, it
DOES NOT let you edit individual Pages (images) within the Multipage Image File.

Figure 6.39: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF

You also have the option of saving the

edited Multipage TIF file as a new file or
overwrite the unedited one, with this
SubMenu.
The Screenshot shown to the left in
Figure 6.39 shows you the Edit
Multipage TIF Dialog Box.

Figure 6.40: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Edit Multipage TIF  Compression Options
For Color Images, TIF Compression options include;
 No Compression
 LZW
 Packbits
 JPEG
 Zip
Since TIF is a popular format for Faxes, the Compression options for
Black & White images include;
 Huffman RLE
 CCITT Fax 3
 CCITT Fax 4
You also have the option of saving all Pages from the Original Image, as well as saving the Palette for
Grayscale images, which is on by default.

6.08.05 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Append Current Image to

TIF
Figure 6.41: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Append Current Image to TIF
If you have an image open under IrfanView and you want to append it to an
existing Multipage TIF, this is the SubMenu that will let you do just that.
Merely click on the Options  Multipage Images  Append Current Image
to TIF! You will of course have to tell IrfanView which Multipage TIF you
want your image to be appended to, by navigating to the file.
Figure 6.41 to the Left is confirmation that your Append Current Image
operation was successful. Once successfully appended, you may re-order
your TIF pages using the SubMenu discussed under Section 6.08.04 on the
previous Page

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 175 of 235

6.08.06 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Print All Pages
This SubMenu lets you print all Pages of your Multipage TIF, JPM or LDF file. The Screenshot and Print Options
are displayed in Figure 6.42 right below. All conceivable Print options are present right here. Master them,
if you work frequently with TIF Images!

Figure 6.42: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Print All Pages

6.08.07 IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Extract All Pages

This SubMenu lets you extract all Pages (Images) from your Multipage TIF, PDF or JPM file. You may specify
the Folder where you want to save the extracted Pages (Images), as well as the image format you would like
the extracted images to be saved in, from this Dialog Box.
Available image format options are comprehensive, covering all common image file formats, as shown in
Figure 6.43 right below.

Figure 6.43: IrfanView Options  Multipage Images  Extract All Pages

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 176 of 235

6.09: IrfanView Options  Send File by e-Mail (PlugIn)
It is impossible to find a digital imaging solution this small, that tops IrfanView for sheer features and
usability! If you thought all IrfanView did was to help you touch up your digital images, maybe help with you
scans and play multimedia files, here is one more surprising thing it can do – it can send the currently-loaded
image to any number of people, using any of your existing e-Mail accounts, using your favorite e-Mail client!
Invoke this SubMenu either by going through the Options Menu or by means of its associated Hot Key,
‘Shift+M’. Note that the SubMenu is selectable only when you have a file loaded into IrfanView.
IrfanView’s e-Mail feature is perhaps the one feature that you will NOT use every day. It consists of two
stages and is therefore a little cumbersome to use regularly. In any case, let us learn how to use the feature
in the next few steps – I suggest you try it out at least once and then decide if you want to use it more often
than I do…
When you click on the Email SubMenu (or press Shift+M) with a picture loaded in IrfanView, you get to see
the screen shown below in Figure 6.44.

Figure 6.44: IrfanView e-Mail Interface

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 177 of 235

Figure 6.45: IrfanView e-Mail Options Screen

Before you shoot off the image of Mount Everest to friends, you
need to ‘teach’ IrfanView your e-Mail Settings: click on the
Settings Button at the Middle, Bottom in Figure 6.44 on the
previous page, to get to the screen shown as Figure 6.45, to the
left.
Figure 6.45 displays fields for your (Sender’s) Full Name,
Sender’s e-Mail Address and whether you want to use the MAPI
or the SMTP Protocol.
If you select the MAPI protocol, you may leave the ‘To’ field
empty, while composing your mail.
When done, click on the Address Book Tab at the top of the
Dialog Box, to get to Figure 6.46 below.

Figure 6.46: IrfanView e-Mail Address Book Screen

You may manage the addresses of friends and acquaintances in

the Address Book Tab by clicking the Add Address Button, as
shown in Figure 6.46 to the left.
When done, click on the OK Button to go back to the screen
shown in Figure 6.44, only this time, observe that all fields are
filled in!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 178 of 235

Figure 6.47: IrfanView e-Mail Setup

Everything in place, isn’t it? You need to do

the following three things here:
 Click on the Dropdown next to the ‘To’
field and select your Mail Recipient
 Type in your Mail’s Subject Line
 Type in the Body of you e-Mail
Your attachment is already in place, so click
on Send!

Figure 6.48: IrfanView e-Mail Composition & Send

Well if you imagined that
your e-Mail would get
sent right away, the
answer is No. Clicking the
Send Button merely
invokes your e-Mail Client
– mine is Outlook – and
transfers control of your
IrfanView-created Mail to
it, as shown above in
Figure 6.48 to the left.
Therefore, your Outlook
needs to be configured
correctly, for it to be able
to deliver your e-Mail
generated in IrfanView to
a recipient. Remember,
IrfanView is NOT a full-
fledged e-Mail Client!
Interestingly, whether you actually send the Mail through your Mail client or choose to abort the operation
– or even if your Outlook is an unconfigured copy that cannot yet send mail to anyone, you get a fleeting
Confirmatory Screen in IrfanView, stating that your e-Mail has been ‘Sent Successfully’! So fleeting, that I am
unable to do a screen capture of it!
This glitch has persisted across quite a few versions of IrfanView now – I do hope it is attended to in a near-
future updation of the IrfanView e-Mail PlugIn!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 179 of 235

6.10: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn)
This SubMenu works with JPG images alone. It requires a PlugIn that is included in the IrfanView PlugIns you
installed in Chapter 1.
You may invoke this feature by going through the Options/ JPEG Lossless Rotation SubMenu or by means of
its Hot Key, ‘Shift+J’. When you do so, you get to the Dialog Box shown below as Figure 6.49.

Figure 6.49: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn)

All the basic options – Vertical and Horizontal

Flip, Rotate Clockwise by 90, 180 and 270
Degrees, Auto Rotate based on EXIF
Orientation wherever available, etc., are
present.
In addition, you have the option of optimizing
the JPG file, Applying original EXIF Date and
Time (rather than the time of editing it last),
keeping Current Date and Time (rather than
keeping the original Date and Time as per EXIF
Information), set the DPI, etc.
You also have advanced options for retaining all
APP Markers or clearing them all, or choosing
to keep one or more of the Comments, EXIF,
IPTC and other APP Marker information.
Note that this feature does not have an Undo –
not even a single level of Undo, as it ovewrites
the original file!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 180 of 235

Figure 6.50: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Rotation Example

Vertically Flipped Image (Image/ Vertical Flip) Vertically Flipped image (JPG Lossless Rotation)

Original Image
Illustrated above in Figure 6.50 is the Vertical Flip using JPEG Lossless Rotation, as well as by using Image 
Vertical Flip (or its associated Hot Key, ‘V’). Although the image looks exactly the same whether you use the
JPG Lossless Rotation PlugIn or Image  Vertical Flip, the Lossless PlugIn differs in the following aspects:
 JPG Lossless PlugIn overwrites the original File
 JPG Lossless PlugIn lets you tinker around with a JPG File’s EXIF Information and APP Markers
 JPG Lossless PlugIn lets you reset the DPI of the rotated image
The operation has also lopped off 1 Px from the Height of the image (320 x 224 Px, whereas the original was
320 x 225 Px), as well as a KB off the size of the image (66.56 KB/ 210.04 KB versus 67.56KB/ 210.98KB)…
Check out the other options under this SubMenu as well!

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 181 of 235

6.11: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop (PlugIn)
This SubMenu too works with JPG images alone and requires a PlugIn that is included in the IrfanView PlugIns
you installed in Chapter 1. It may be started by clicking on the Options  JPEG Lossless Crop SubMenu or by
means of its Hot Key, ‘Control+Shift+J’.
When you invoke the JPG Lossless Crop PlugIn, you get to the Dialog Box shown below in Figure 6.51.

Figure 6.51: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop Example

You have the option to align the Crop’s X/ Y

Coordinates to match JPG Block sizes
Save Options are;
Create a new file in the Original Folder with the
suffix “_crop” to the original file name
Use original filename in Original Folder
(suffixing “_org” to the original file name)
Create the Crop file with the original name, in
the Folder you specify

As the name suggests, this feature works with selections alone – not with the entire image. To illustrate this
feature, let us work with a selection of size 150 x 150 pixels, centered on the peak of Mount Everest. See
Figure 6.52 below:

Figure 6.52: IrfanView Options  JPG Lossless Crop Example

In the first of the 3

Screenshots that are
presented above – the
large-sized, full picture of
Mount Everest – a selection
of size 150 x 150 Px has
been marked out, centered
at the topmost peak of
Mount Everest.

The second Screenshot (the one on the Top, Right) was obtained when JPG Lossless Crop was done WITHOUT
checking the ‘Align/ Adjust X/Y Coordinates to match JPG Block Sizes…’ Checkbox. Note that the Crop is NOT
150 x 150 Px – it actually measures 156 x 162 Px by this method!
To obtain the third Screenshot (the one at the Bottom, Right), JPG Lossless Crop was carried out after
checking the ‘Align/ Adjust X/Y Coordinates to match JPG Block Sizes…’ Checkbox. Now the Crop PRECISELY
measures 150 x 150 Px.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 182 of 235

6.12: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time (PlugIn)
If you ever need to change the EXIF Date/ Time of your JPG images, this is the SubMenu you need to come
to. In Figure 6.53a right below is a Green Pin. You can see that its last modified EXIF Date is 14-Dec-2014 and
last modified EXIF Time is 16:30:54 from the Status Bar – the Red Box and Arrow points to these fields, in the
Screenshot on the left side. You may change either Date, or Time, or both, by means of the Dialog Box, shown
on the right side.

Figure 6.53a: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 1

By clicking on the tiny Calendar to the Right side of the ‘Set EXIF Date to’ area, you can fix the Date, Month
and Year of the image. Time of the image can be modified by clicking on ‘Time’ to its Left and typing in the
Hour, Minute and/ or Second in there, or by clicking the small Black Up and Down Arrows there.
Alternatively, you may adjust the Date and Time by any number of days – this setting is on the second row
of the Dialog Box shown in Figure 6.53a above.
Note, you do not even need to save the image – the moment you click the ‘Start’ Button in the Dialog Box,
your new EXIF Values are saved. Anyone now looking at the EXIF Information of the image will get to see
your changed values and not the Date and Time that was initially there! To check this out, merely re-open
the file!

Figure 6.53b: IrfanView Options  Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 2

Somewhere, sometime during the various manipulations and mutilations done to Mount Everest for the
noble purpose of crafting this User Manual, I must have deleted its EXIF Date/ Time Information. This is
evident from the screenshot in Figure 6.53b above, where it shows ‘File has NO EXIF date/time’, as marked
out in Red.
Well if that is the case – if your image does not have an EXIF Date and/ or Time, you can at best put in the
current Date and Time. I put in the current Date and Time, but am unable to change either the Date or Time
thereafter, using this Dialog Box… Wonder if this is something the PlugIn developers need to correct…

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 183 of 235

6.13: IrfanView Options  Capture/ Screenshot
The Print Screen Key on your Computer lets you capture your screen. However, if you are looking at capturing
just the foreground window, or if you want to capture your Mouse Pointer as well, the Print Screen key is no
longer a choice.
You do have many commercial software, typically costing about US$ 20, that let you capture the screen with
many different options. IrfanView’s Screen Capture feature is worth a checkout, for it sports most of the
features that Commercial Screen Capture programs offer – and IrfanView is not just free for personal, non-
commercial use, it is so easy to use as well!
To invoke the Capture/ Screenshot SubMenu, either click on the Options  Capture/ Screenshot SubMenu
or press its associated Hot Key, ‘C’, when IrfanView is running. Whether you start Screen Capture by Options
 Capture/ Screenshot or by pressing ‘C’, the IrfanView Window will minimize to the Windows Task Bar. Do
not worry – it is working silently, waiting for you to take your Screenshot(s)!
The Dialog Box for the Screen Capture SubMenu is shown below in Figure 6.54:

Figure 6.54: IrfanView Options  Capture/ Screenshot Options

You have Seven options to capture your Screen, namely;

1. Capture Full Desktop - across multiple Monitors
5. Capture Custom Rectangular Area/ Region
2. Capture Entire Desktop of Current Monitor
6. Capture Object Selected with Mouse
3. Capture Foreground Window
7. Capture Fixed Rectangle of any size you specify
4. Capture Foreground Window Client Area
You also have Two Capture Methods, namely;
1. Specify your choice of Hot Key. By default, this is ‘Control+F11’
2. Timed Screen Capture (Burst Screen Shots)
You have Four more Capture Options, namely;
1. Include/ Exclude your Mouse Cursor during Screen Capture
2. Scroll Window Vertically during Object Capture – this may not work with all Windows
3. Stop Timer Capture after specified number of Shots – reuse the Screen Capture function the specified
number of times, without setting it up again between Captures, each time
4. Show Timer Countdown, if Timer is Equal to or more than 3 Seconds

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You have the following Four Options, on successfully capturing your Burst Screen Shots/ Single Screen:
1. Show captured image(s) in IrfanView Main Window
2. Copy Captured Image(s) to Clipboard
3. Send Captured Image(s) to last-used Printer
4. Save Captured Image(s) to file, specifying Full File Name, Directory to be saved in and Image Format
desired
While the difference between capturing the Full Desktop across Multiple Monitors and the Full Desktop of
the Current Monitor is clear, you may be wondering about the difference between capuring the Foreground
Window and Capturing the Foreground Window – Client Area. I present both screen captures side-by-side in
Figure 6.55 right below:

Figure 6.55: IrfanView Options  Screen Capture – Foreground and Foreground Client Area

Screen Capture: Foreground Window – Client

Screen Capture: Foreground Window:
Area:
Notice that when the Foreground Window is
However, when the client area alone is captured,
captured, you capture the Window Borders, Scroll
you do not get to see the Title Bar of the Foreground
Bars (if any), Title of the Window, etc., too
Window.
So how to go about Screen Capturing with IrfanView? Here are the Steps:
Step – 1: Open Irfanview, press ‘C’ or invoke the Options  Capture/ Screenshot SubMenu
When you complete Step – 1, you will get to see the Dialog Box shown as Figure 6.54, two
pages ago. Make sure you put in your choices, in line with your needs from the Screen Capture
Step – 2:
operation you are planning, in the Dialog Box. When done, click the Start Button at the bottom
of the Screen
Now when you press Start, IrfanView will minimize to the Windows TaskBar. Never mind, it has
Step – 3:
not deserted you!
Make sure that whatever you want to capture is clearly visible on your screen, and displayed
as the Active Window. Now all you need to do is merely press the Hot Key you specified in
Step – 4:
Figure 6.54 – my choice of Hot Keys is the default ‘Control+F11’. Your screen is captured
immediately!
Depending on your choices under the section “After the Capture” as shown in Figure 6.54, you will get to
View, Copy to Clipboard, Print or Save your Captured Screen now!

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You can easily take Multiple Screenshots with IrfanView – just save each Screen you want to use and continue
to capture Screens by invoking your Screen Capture Hot Key. Interestingly, although there is a space to put
in the number of Screenshots you plan to take titled ‘‘Stop Timer Capturing after XXXXX Shots’, Multiple
Screenshots are possible even if the value you have put in there is 0 or 1!

Information:
You CANNOT capture Video – yet, with IrfanView. Perhaps a later version will include Live
Screen and Video Capture abilities!

6.14: IrfanView Options  Hotfolder (Watch Folder)

Is there a Folder that you frequently save images to, on your Hard Disk? Would you like to be notified of any
additions to this Folder, as you work? If so, this is where you may specify it under IrfanView!
To set it up, invoke the Options  Hotfolder SubMenu and specify the path to the Folder you want to watch.
Here is its Dialog Box, in Figure 6.56 below, set to watch my TEMP Folder.

Figure 6.56: IrfanView Options  Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Setup

When done, click on the Start Button – once

again, IrfanView does the act of minimizing to
the Windows Task Bar, waiting silently for any
additions to your Watch Folder!
If, for some reason, you want to watch the
Negative of your saved image, you need to
check the ‘Invert Image before Display’ Check
Box.
Here is how HotFolder works:

Figure 6.57: IrfanView Options  Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Minimized

Figure 6.57 to the Left shows you what

you would see, if you open the minimized
IrfanView Window after activating the
Watch Folder option.
When you do add a file to your Watch
Folder, you get to see the saved image in
the Hotfolder window when you open it.

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6.15: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn)
When you scan text, it is displayed as images. Hence if you want to edit the scanned text for some reason,
you had to separately purchase OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Software. High-end Scanners do ship
with an OCR Solution, but Low-end Scanners may not. IrfanView comes to the rescue by offering you a basic,
free OCR PlugIn.
The KADMOS OCR PlugIn is NOT distributed with the rest of the IrfanView PlugIns – though Freeware, you
still need to download it separately from the link, http://irfanview.info/plugins/kadmos. The English version
of the file is named ‘setup_kadmos_irfanview_us.exe’ and it occupies a little over 6 MB.
Installing it is exactly like installing any Windows Program, so no Screenshots here. Once installed, you need
to first select the Language – select English UK. You may also select an Additional Language if you need to –
if you have additional languages installed. Note that the KADMOS PlugIn works with the 32-Bit Version of
IrfanView 4.42 alone. So to illustrate this section, I will be reverting to the 32-Bit version of IrfanView.
Once you have selected Language, you only need to scan in your Text or Text+Image into IrfanView and start
the IrfanView KADMOS OCR PlugIn by invoking either the Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) SubMenu, or by
pressing the associated Hotkey ‘F9’.
Next, select the Text/ Text+Image in the IrfanView KADMOS OCR Screen by Left-Click-Dragging your Mouse,
to get an editable version of all Text from your captured Image+ Text/ Text, in a new Notepad-like Window.
Figure 6.58 below shows you a Scan to illustrate the KADMOS OCR PlugIn for IrfanView.

Figure 6.58: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) – OCR Example

After you install the PlugIn and before your first OCR job, you need to specify the Language – this Drop Down
List is shown by the Mouse Pointer, in Figure 6.58 above. So when you start up the OCR PlugIn by invoking
the Options/  Start OCR (PlugIn) SubMenu or by pressing the Hotkey ‘F9’, you get to see the full-screen
Dialog Box shown above in Figure 6.58.
At the Top Left of the screen, highlighted in Yellow, is what you have captured from your Scanner. You need
to select Text manually, by Left-Click-Dragging your Mouse.

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Figure 6.59: IrfanView Options  Start OCR (PlugIn) – Dialog Box

One thing I miss with the KADMOS interface is the lack of a Monimize Button…
I have manually selected all the Text from the Scan, in Figure 6.59 above. Figure 6.59 also displays the OCR
Results, in the smaller Active Window to the Bottom, Right of the Screenshot.
The results aren’t too good. In fact, it is sheer gibberish in most places, right? I ought to have warned you
(perhaps you already knew?) that most OCRs correctly convert far less than 100% of Text – a lot of manual
editing and complete re-formatting of Headlines, etc., is required to really clean up OCR-converted Text.
Although you need not change any of the default settings, I will take you through all the setup options after
illustrating the PlugIn’s basic working, so that you know where to look if you need to change any setting – or,
to reset something that went awry with an attempted settings change!
So now, on to the different settings of the KADMOS-IrfanView OCR PlugIn:

Figure 6.60: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Config Options

It is not recommended that you change the default

settings of this screen, shown to the Left as Figure 6.60.
To explore further though, click on the Button named
‘Preprocessing’, at the Top of this screen, to bring up the
screen shown on the next page as Figure 6.61

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Figure 6.61: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Preprocessing Options

Again, do not change

your default settings
under this screen.
Next, click on the
‘Segmentation’ Button
in Figure 6.61, to bring
up the following
screen, shown below
as Figure 6.62.

Figure 6.62: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Segmentation Options

Once again, do not make any changes to the

default settings in this screen.
When done viewing, click on the OK Button to
get back to Figure 6.60.
Now, click the Button named ‘Classification’ in
Figure 6.60. This will take you to the Screenshot
shown below as Figure 6.63

Figure 6.63: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Classifier Options

Do not make any changes to the

settings under this screen too.
When done viewing, return to Figure
6.60 by clicking on the OK Button in
Figure 6.63.
Now in Figure 6.60, click on the Button
titled ‘Context’, to get to the screen
shown on the next page as Figure 6.64

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 189 of 235

Figure 6.64: IrfanView Options  Start OCR – Context Options

No changes are required in this

screen too. When done viewing,
return to Figure 6.60 by clicking
OK, to begin your OCR task from
the Dialog Box shown in Figure
6.60.

Figure 6.65: IrfanView Options  Information Screen

Figure 6.66: IrfanView Options  Help Menu

Clicking on the Help

Menu takes you to the
KADMOS Website, as
shown to the left in
Figure 6.66.

Making IrfanView work YOUR Way Page 190 of 235

6.16: IrfanView Options  Sort Directory Files
The Sort Directory Files is basically a subset of the File  Thumbnails  Options  Sort Thumbnails
SubMenu, that was discussed in Chapter – 2: The ‘File’ Menu under Section 2.06: IrfanView File 
Thumbnails SubMenu. Of course, the Options  Sort Directory Files SubMenu sorts Images, while the File
 Thumbnails SubMenu sorts Thumbnails of images.
Both SubMenus are presented here: Figure 6.67 below displays the Options  Sort Directory Files SubMenu,
while Figure 6.68 on the next page displays the File  Thumbnails SubMenu.

Figure 6.67: IrfanView Options  Sort Directory Files Options

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Figure 6.68: IrfanView Options  Sort Thumbnails – Sort Thumbnails Options

Note:
Sort by Name is different from the by Name (Natural/ Logic Order) Sort option. In Simple
Ascending Sort, a file named File 10.jpg would be displayed BEFORE File 2.jpg, in the Name
Sort Option. However with Name (Natural/ Logic Order) Sort ption, the file File 2.jpg
would be sorted correctly and would show up AFTER File 1.jpg and BEFORE 10.jpg.
Sort by Name (Ascending) Sort by Name (Natural/ Logic Order)
1.jpg 1.jpg
10.jpg 2.jpg
2.jpg 10.jpg

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6.17: IrfanView Options  Set as Wallpaper
IrfanView lets you save any currently-displayed image as your Windows Wallpaper in a mere three Clicks, as
follows:
1. Click 1 – Click Options
2. Click 2 – Click Set as Wallpaper
3. and Click 3 – Choose your Choice of Wallpaper positioning.
See Figure 6.69 below.

Figure 6.69: IrfanView Options  Set as Wallpaper Options

The Standard Wallpaper position options, namely;

 Centered
 Tiled
 Stretched
 Stretched (proportional)
are all present.
Simple, elegant, functional!

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6.18: IrfanView Options  Minimize
The next SubMenu under the Options menu allows you to minimize IrfanView in a flash: its associated Hot
Key ‘M’ makes minimizing IrfanView a single-key operation! Well that’s exactly what you want, if your boss
decides to stroll past your workstation, isn’t it! 

6.19: IrfanView Options  Always on Top

On the other hand, at times, you may want to keep the IrfanView Window on top of all other windows, even
as you work on other stuff. To do so, you need to click on the Options Menu and the ‘Always on Top’ SubMenu
under it. If you are currently viewing an image under IrfanView, the image would then always stays on top
of all other Windows. If you have merely opened IrfanView without loading an image into it, a blank IrfanView
Window is what will be ‘Always on Top’.
Even if you close IrfanView, the ‘Always on Top’ feature comes back on when you re-open IrfanView, unless
you have explicitly unticked it!
To let other Windows come to the Foreground again, you need to un-check this SubMenu. You may also
explicitly minimize it, in the ‘Always on Top’ setting.
And hey! If you were wondering – the Minimize Hot Key ‘M’ works, even if you have set up IrfanView with
the ‘Always on Top’ option!
So onward now, to the ‘View’ Menu and its SubMenus!

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Chapter 7: The ‘View’ Menu
VIEWING YOUR DIGITAL MASTERPIECES WITH IRFANVIEW
The View Menu is where you will find options for viewing one or multiple files under IrfanView. Here is the
IrfanView ‘View’ Menu with its SubMenus, in Figure 7.01 below:

Figure 7.01: IrfanView View Menu

7.01: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Status Bar

In Figure 7.01 above, the Status Bar is visible at the Bottom of the image. To hide it, click on the first SubMenu
under the SubMenu View – alternatively, press its associated Hot Key, ‘Alt+Shift+S’. Clicking/ Pressing it a
second time shows the Status Bar again.

7.02: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Tool Bar

The Tool Bar is also visible in Figure 7.01. To hide it, click on the second SubMenu under the View Menu, or
use its associated Hot Key ‘Alt+Shift+T’. This SubMenu is also a toggle, pressing it a second time shows the
Toolbar, pressing it a third time hides it again, and so on.
Note that the Tool Bar is also called ‘Icons Bar’, as shown in Figure 1.01, Chapter – 1.

7.03: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Menu Bar

The Menu Bar is also visible in Figure 7.01. To hide it, click on the third SubMenu under the MenuItem View,
or use its associated Hot Key ‘Alt+Shift+M’. This SubMenu is also a toggle, pressing it a second time makes
the Menu Bar visible, pressing it a third time hides it again, and so on.

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7.04: IrfanView View  Show/ Hide Caption
The Caption too is visible in Figure 7.01. To hide it, click on the fourth SubMenu under the SubMenu View,
or use its associated Hot Key ‘Alt+Shift+C’. This SubMenu is also a toggle, pressing it a second time shows the
Caption, pressing it a third time hides it again, and so on.
Note that the Caption Bar is also called ‘Title Bar’ in Figure 1.01, Chapter – 1.

7.05: IrfanView View  Show Tool Bar Options/ Skins

You are already familiar with this SubMenu, for it is the same as Figure 6.15, under Section – 1: IrfanView
Options  Property  Settings  Toolbar. It is reproduced here as Figure 7.02 for your quick reference.

Figure 7.02: IrfanView View  Show Tool Bar Options  Skins Options

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7.06: IrfanView View  Display Options (Window Mode)
The Window mode is usually the mode you will be using when you are editing your digital images. You can
access all the Menus, SubMenus and features of IrfanView, from this mode.
IrfanView presents you with a number of options for displaying the IrfanView screen under the Window
mode. These are shown below in Figure 7.03.

Figure 7.03: IrfanView View  Display Options (Window Mode)

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The ‘View’ options are;
1. Fit Window to Image (1:1, Recommended) (Hot Key –> ‘Shift+O’)
2. Fit Image to Window (Hot Key –> ‘Shift+W’)
3. Fit only Big Images to Window
4. Fit Image to Window Width
5. Fit Image to Window Height
‘Fit’ Options 6. Fit Small Image Side to Window
7. Fit Only Big Images to Desktop (Hot Key –> ‘Shift+F’)
8. Fit Images to Desktop Width
9. Fit Images to Desktop Height
10. Fit Small Image Side to Desktop
11. Do Not Fit Anything
1. Use Resample for Fitting (Better Quality)
2. Use Resample for Zooming
‘View’ Options
3. Apply Sharpen after Resample
4. Center Image in Window
You need to choose one of the Eleven “Fit” options that are shown – when one of these is selected, the
others are de-selected. The recommended ‘Fit’ is “Fit Window to Image (1:1)”, so that IrfanView’s Window
resizes as per your Image’s dimensions. However, you may prefer to go with the option “Fit Only Big Images
to Desktop”, if you frequently work with large images that do not fit into your Monitor at full size and so, I
have highlighted this option in Yellow, in Options Table above. All Default options are highlighted in Gray, in
the Table.
The available Hot Keys for items under the View/ Display Options (Window Mode) SubMenu are given
alongside each option, in the Options Table above.

7.07: IrfanView View  Full Screen

Any time you want to view your image full screen, you need to merely press the ‘Enter’ key! Images larger
than your monitor will shrink to fit your monitor, while images smaller than your monitor will still be
displayed full screen without Zoom, with IrfanView’s blank Background displayed in the areas not occupied
by the image. The ‘Enter’ key is a toggle – press it again and you revert to your earlier Window mode.

7.08: IrfanView View  Show Full Screen Options

This SubMenu brings up the screen we had discussed earlier under Section 6.01, in Figure 6.11: IrfanView
Options  Property/ Settings  Full Screen/ Slideshow. It is reproduced on the next page for your quick
reference, as Figure 7.04.

Viewing your Digital Masterpieces with IrfanView Page 198 of 235

Figure 7.04: IrfanView View  Show Full Screen Options

7.09: IrfanView View  Next File in Directory

Want to view the next file in a Folder full of images? It is the easiest thing to do with IrfanView – just open
any file in the specified Folder and press the ‘Space Bar’ on your Computer’s Keyboard, whether you are in
Full Screen or Window mode! You can do the same in either viewing mode by pressing the ‘Page Down’ key
as well.

7.10: IrfanView View  Previous File in Directory

If you inadvertently skipped the image you were looking for, press the ‘Backspace’ key, to go back by an
image, whether you are in Full Screen or Window mode. You can go back to the previous image file whether
you are in Window Mode or Full Screen, by pressing the ‘Page Up’ key too.

Note:
 The ‘Spacebar’ Key and the ‘Page Down’ Key – both do the same thing – both take you
to the next image in a Folder
 Similarly, the ‘Backspace’ Key and the ‘Page Up’ Key – both do the same thing – both
take you to the previous image in a Folder

7.11: IrfanView View  First File in Directory

If you want to jump directly to the first file in your current Folder, simply press ‘Control+Home’, just like you
would press Control+Home’ to jump to the beginning of the file in most popular Windows programs,
including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.

7.12: IrfanView View  Last File in Directory

Likewise, to go directly to the last file in your current Folder, you only need to press ‘Control+End’, like in
most popular Windows programs.

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7.13: IrfanView View  Random File in Directory
This is an interesting option, though I confess I have never used it until now.That too, only to describe its
function here, in the User Manual… You might want to view a random file from amongst the hundreds of
images in your current Folder though. If the urge hits you, merely open any file in the particular Folder and
press ‘Control+M’!

7.14: IrfanView View  Refresh

Again, no Learning Curve here – just as you would press the ‘F5’ key to refresh your Folder Listing under
Windows Explorer, you press F5 to refresh the currently-viewed image in IrfanView!
Note that with F5, you CANNOT undo an operation or re-load the original file: ‘F5’ merely refreshes the
current state of the image.

Note:
Pressing the ‘F5’ Key merely refreshes the current state of the image. It CANNOT be used
to undo an operation or re-load the original file.

7.15: IrfanView View  Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing

Here is yet another interesting option to automatically view the images in your current Folder, one after the
other. The timing for your Slide Show is set/ changed with the help of the Dialog Box we discussed under
Section 2.07: IrfanView File  Slideshow SubMenu, as Figure 2.12. This is reproduced as Figure 7.05 below,
for your quick reference.

Figure 7.05: IrfanView View  Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing

Once you have

selected your
Settings
parameters in the
above Dialog Box,
you may start or
stop the timed
display of images in
your current Folder.
You may invoke this
SubMenu or use its
associated Hot Key
‘Shift+A’.

7.16: IrfanView View  Zoom In

Frequently while editing digital images, you will find that you need to look at a smaller portion of the image
in greater detail. IrfanView allows you to ‘Zoom In’ into the image, so that you may focus on the portion you
want to look more closely at. The two ways to zoom your digital image are to press the ‘+’ key on your
Keyboard, or click on the ‘+’ icon on your IrfanView Icons Bar, if it is visible.

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7.17: IrfanView View  Zoom Out
Similarly, you may ‘Zoom Out’ of your digital image, that is, make it smaller, by pressing the ‘-‘ key on your
Keyboard or click the ‘-’ icon on your IrfanView Icons Bar, if it is visible.
Exactly what Percentage should the Image Shrink/ Grow by for each press of the ‘-‘ or ‘+’ Key (and Left-Click
on the ‘-’ or ‘+‘ Icon on the IrfanView Icons Bar) may be set from the SubMenu Options  Property/ Settings
 Zoom/ Color Management, as illustrated under Section 6.01, in Figure 6.07. The Default Setting Zooms an
image in or out by 10%.

Note:
Both the Zoom In and the Zoom Out operations and their Icons work only when you have
loaded an image into IrfanView.
The Percentage Zoom In/ Out for each Key Press is selectable from the Dialog Box; Options
 Property/ Settings  Zoom/ Color Management.
The Default Setting Zooms an image in or out by 10%.

7.18: IrfanView View  Lock Zoom

If checked, the Lock Zoom SubMenu lets you save the Zoom Factor used, so that all subsequently loaded
images use the saved Zoom Factor. Note that when you exit IrfanView, the Lock Zoom value is NOT saved.
The associated Hot Key for the Lock Zoom SubMenu is ‘Shift+L’.
I confess I have never really felt the need to use the Lock Zoom feature. However, if you have a Folder full of
images of the same size (easy to imagine that, if you have transferred images from a particular Camera or
SmartPhone to your Computer) – and want to see them all one after the other using a particular zoom factor
– maybe to look at one little detail in each of the images, this would be one helluva great feature for you!

7.19: IrfanView View  Keep Scroll Position

If this option is checked when the loaded image is displayed with the Scroll Bars showing, the current scroll
position will be used, when new images are loaded. It is also a Toggle - clicking it again will deactivate it. And,
when you quit IrfanView, the Keep Scroll Position is forgotten, so image files loaded the next time IrfanView
is started up, load normally.
I confess again I have never really felt the need to use the Keep Scroll Position feature too, though it could
be of use in the scenario I have described right above in Section 7.18. Particularly, if you have Burst-shot
photographs and want a closer look at a particular area within the Burst Shots, without having to scroll at all,
every time the next Burst Shot is loaded into IrfanView.

Note:
Both the Lock Zoom and the Keep Scroll Position MenuItems are active for the current
session of IrfanView alone. To reuse them, you need to re-activate them.
These features are helpful when you want to view the images transferred from your
Camera or SmartPhone to your Computer, for, they would normally be of the same size.
Especially with Burst Mode Photographs, you may want to view a particular area within
them at a particular zoom. If so, between Lock Zoom and Keep Scroll Position, you would
end up saving a significant amount of time!

7.20: IrfanView View  Original Size

This SubMenu lets you revert to the original size of your digital image, after you have either zoomed in or
out, with minimum fuss. The associated Hot Key, ‘Control+H’, makes it simple to revert to the original size,
whatever be the zoom factor at any stage of your digital editing endeavors!

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For example, when you have selected an area within your image and accidentally clicked the Left Mouse
within the selected area, you end up zooming in onto the selected area. To restore the original size view, you
merely need to press ‘Control+H’. I have inadvertently done this on so many occasions and saved myself time
using ‘Control+H’!
Of course, you need to select your area all over again and be careful going about it this time around!

7.21: IrfanView View  Show Hex View

Clicking on this SubMenu displays the file in Machine Language. Both HEX and ASCII mode are displayed, for
the opened image file. This option may also be accessed by means of its associated Hot Key ‘F3’.
Unless you ‘speak’ Computer Machine Language as effortlessly as you speak English or German, this option
is unlikely to be of much help… 

7.22: IrfanView View  Multipage Images

Under this SubMenu, you have all possible options for viewing Multipage TIF, PDF and/ or JPM files. These
are shown in the Screen Shot titled Figure 7.06, right below. You have Nine items under its SubMenu.

Figure 7.06: IrfanView View  Multipage Images

7.22.01 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Next Page Display for

Multipage Image Files
Click this SubMenu or use its associated Hot Key, ‘Control+Page Down’, to display the next image, within a
Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file under IrfanView. ‘Control+Page Down’ is my way of doing this!

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7.22.02 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Previous Page Display for
Multipage Image Files
Click this SubMenu or use its associated Hot Key, ‘Control+Page Up’, to display the previous image, within a
Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file under IrfanView. ‘Control+Page Up’ wins here too!

7.22.03 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  First Page for Multipage

Image Files
To go directly to the very first page of a Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file, click on this SubMenu.
‘Shift+Home’, the associated Hot Key, is easily the quicker option here.

7.22.04 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Last Page for Multipage

Image Files
To go directly to the very last page of a Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file, click on this SubMenu. ‘Shift+End’
is the Hot key here and once again, it is far quicker than going through the SubMenu.

7.22.05 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Open Page Number for

Multipage Image Files
By means of this SubMenu, you may directly go to any specified page number within a Multipage TIF/ PDF/
JPM image file. Here is the associated Dialog Box in Figure 7.07 right below:

Figure 7.07: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Open Page Number Dialog Box

In the very first line of this Dialog Box, you will be able to read how many pages the Multipage image file has.
By default, Page Number 1 is shown in the Open Page Number Dialog Box. Overwrite the ‘1’ with your desired
Page Number and click the OK Button, to directly go to the specified Page Number within the Multipage TIF/
PDF/ JPM image file.
You can also read off the current page and the total number of pages in the Multipage image file from the
Status Bar at the bottom of the IrfanView Window – the first page of the current file is displayed and there
are a total of 18 Pages in the current file, as displayed by the 1 / 18 in the Status Bar!

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7.22.06 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Show Page Thumbnails for
Multipage Image Files
By means of this SubMenu, you may see the Thumbnails of all Pages contained in your Multipage TIF/ PDF/
JPM image file. Its associated Hot Key is F’10’. See Figure 7.08 right below.

Figure 7.08: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Show Page Thumbnails

Whats more, double-clicking on the Thumbnail of any Page displays the Page in the main IrfanView Window
as well. However, do note that;
a) If your Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file Main Window is zoomed in or out, double-clicking on a Page’s
Thumbnail will display the Page in full size, in your main IrfanView Window
b) The process of opening the corresponding Page in the an IrfanView Window is slower than what you
would expect. Especially on older Machines

7.22.07 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Auto Show Thumbnails for

Multipage Image Files
If you really like the Page Thumbnails feature, you may want to make it start up always. To do so, visit this
SubMenu! And if and when you tire of the feature, remember to explicitly turn it off by visiting this SubMenu
once again! For, if you merely close the Thumbnails Window, it will come back the next time you open a
Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file!

Viewing your Digital Masterpieces with IrfanView Page 204 of 235

7.22.08 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Start Animation
To view all images in a Multipage TIF/ PDF/ JPM image file as a Slideshow/ Animation, click on this SubMenu.
You will get to see the Dialog Box shown as Figure 7.09 right below, when you do so.

Figure 7.09: IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Start Animation Dialog Box

Specify the number of

milliseconds that you
would like each
image in your
Multipage TIF/ PDF/
JPM image file to be
displayed, and click
the OK Button. The
default value here is
3000 Milliseconds,
i.e., 3 Seconds
Your Multipage TIF/
PDF/ JPM image file
will now display the
multiple pages within
it as a Slideshow/
Animation!

7.22.09 IrfanView View  Multipage Images  Stop Animation

To stop a currently-displaying multipage image slideshow, click this SubMenu. No Screenshot to show here
– the Animation just stops, the moment you click this SubMenu!
Since the IrfanView ‘View’ Menu is the second smallest (the smallest being the ‘Help’ Menu), Chapter 7 is
rather small, as a consequence. So, onward to Chapter 8 and the ‘Help’ Menu!

Viewing your Digital Masterpieces with IrfanView Page 205 of 235

Chapter 8: The ‘Help’ Menu
IF AT ALL YOU NEED QUICK HELP IN IRFANVIEW…
IrfanView has extensive Help for each of its Menus and SubMenus. You may call upon the Help screen by
clicking the Help MenuItem or merely by pressing its associated Hot Key, ‘F1’, from anywhere within
IrfanView. Just like you would press ‘F1’ for Help in Windows and most Windows Programs.
Whatever your method of invoking help, you get to the screen shown below as Figure 8.01

Figure 8.01: IrfanView Help Menu

8.01: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help

This is the very first Help SubMenu. The IrfanView Help content is very well documented and reminds one of
the way Windows Explorer is structured, with its forward and backward browsing capability. It is crisply
written, easy to call up and quick at getting results. See Figure 8.02 on the next page.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 206 of 235

Figure 8.02: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Content View

IrfanView Help
offers you not one,
but Four different
ways of getting
help. These views
may be invoked by
clicking on the Tabs
to the Left of the
Help screen. The
Help Tabs are
named as;
1. Contents
2. Index
3. Search
4. Favorites

Shown in Figure 8.02 above is the Content View for the Help  IrfanView Help SubMenu. The Content View
is arranged exactly as per the IrfanView Menu structure. You may click any Menu/ SubMenu in the Left Pane,
or the ‘+’ Sign against any of the items, to drop down its contents. Now, click on the specific Content you
want help for and its corresponding Help Content is immediately displayed in the Right Pane.
Clearly, locating help for any SubMenu is a snap, with the ‘Contents’ view!

Figure 8.03: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Index View – Display Topic

Shown to the left as

Figure 8.03 is the
Index of all terms
used right through
IrfanView. Click on
the Index Tab to
get to this view.
You need to type in
the Keyword for
your search – even
an incomplete
term, in the Index
Tab, as shown in
the Left Pane. The
IrfanView Help file
dynamically
displays all indexed
words beginning
with the alphabets
you type in.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 207 of 235

I chose Adobe as the Keyword for an indexed search. On typing in ‘Adobe’, I get a listing of all Help Terms
beginning ‘Adobe’.
My specific search was Adobe 8BF Filters, which is the very first item on display. To get my Search Results, I
merely need to double-click ‘Adobe 8BF Filter’ (highlighted by the Mouse Cursor in Figure 8.03 on the
previous page). Alternatively, you may also single-click your selected item and click the Display Button at the
Bottom Left of the Help Window.
So if you want help about a specific topic under IrfanView, the Index method could be the easiest!
My next search is for “Multipage”. Rather than use the ‘Index’ Tab for accessing help, let me check out the
‘Search’ Tab, so as to understand it as well. Figure 8.04 below shows the ‘Search’ Tab clicked, with the Search
Word ‘Multipage’ typed into the Search Field.
I have the option to search Previous Results, Match Similar Words and Search Titles alone. I can even select
all three – by clicking all three Check Boxes at the Bottom, Left of the Help Window.

Figure 8.04: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Search View: List Topics
When I click the List
Topics Button,
what I get is a
listing of topics for
the searched term
Multipage, in the
Top of the Left
Pane, on the left
side. Once I select
Multipage Images
from the list, I only
need to double-
click my selection –
or single-click my
selection and click
the Display Button
at the Top of the
Left Pane on the
right side, for help
topics specific to
my search term to
show up in the
Right Pane. My
Search Term itself
is highlighted in
Blue, wherever it
appears in the
Right Pane.
Yet another easy method to check on something you want to know, in IrfanView!

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 208 of 235

Figure 8.05: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Favorites View

I do hope you do
not have a ‘Favorite
Help Topic’ – to me,
it feels that a
Favorite Help Topic
is something that,
despite numerous
attempts, you are
unable to
understand and
therefore, need to
come back to again
and again!

But then if you do have something like that in IrfanView, feel free to add your own Favorite Help Topic(s) by
clicking the Add Button at the Bottom of the Left Pane. Of course, to add a topic to your Favorites Tab, you
need to first display it using one of the other three Tabs (Contents/ Index/ Search). In the Screenshot above,
Since the last-searched topic is shown in the ‘Create Topic’ field, I have added Multipage Images – my last-
searched topic - to the Favorites Tab in Figure 8.05 above.
All you need to do to get help on your Favorite Help Topic is to merely double-click it, or single-click it and
then click the Display Button at the Bottom Left, for its corresponding help content to be displayed in the
Right Pane.
You may even remove Topics that are no longer your Favorite, from this Window.
The Right Pane is reserved all through the IrfanView Help Menus for displaying the Help Content, while the
smaller Left Pane is reserved for helping you get to your Help Content. You may even increase the size of the
Panes, may even make the Left Pane much bigger than the Right Pane, but that’s not of much help, is it?

Note:
By default, it is the ‘Contents’ View that is always displayed, when you press F1. To display
the other view modes, you need to explicitly click on the respective tab, at the top of the
Left Pane.

Note:
The Right Pane is reserved all through the IrfanView Help Menu for displaying the Help
Content, while the smaller Left Pane is reserved for helping you get to your Help Content.
By default, the Left Pane is much smaller than the Right Pane so that you can see
maximum Help Content in the Help Content Pane.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 209 of 235

8.02: IrfanView Help  Frequently Asked Questions
Clicking on this SubMenu takes you to Figure 8.06 below, displaying the IrfanView FAQs in the Right Pane
and your Favorites if any, in the Left Pane.

Figure 8.06: IrfanView Help  IrfanView Help Screen – Frequently Asked Questions

8.03: IrfanView Help  Keyboard Shortcuts

Clicking on this SubMenu brings up a listing of all the Keyboard Shortcuts (Hot Keys) that are available in
IrfanView, along with your Favorite Help Topics. Needless to say, these Shortcuts save you a serious amount
of time, so it is a good idea to be familiar with as many of these as you can! The Shortcuts are arranged
alphabetically, so that it is as easy to search as possible.
At the end of the Shortcuts, you also have the Mouse Shortcuts used in IrfanView. The Screenshot for this
SubMenu is presented on the next page as Figure 8.07. You will also find all the Keyboard and Mouse
Shortcuts used in IrfanView in Appendix – 3 at the end of the Commercial Edition of this User Manual.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 210 of 235

Figure 8.07: IrfanView Help  Keyboard Shortcuts

8.04: IrfanView Help  Installed PlugIns

IrfanView has a number of PlugIns that lend it new capabilities. As I pointed out in Chapter 1, the core
IrfanView Version 4.42 32-Bit Program is about 2 MB, while 64-Bit Version is about 3 MB. The core IrfanView
32-Bit PlugIns are about 16 MB, while the core 64-Bit PlugIns are about 25 MB. Included in these PlugIns are
dozens of separate PlugIns that help IrfanView do various things like scan images, convert from one image
file format to another, do magic with PDF files, play Audio and Video files, perform OCR operations, etc., all
of which we have covered already in this User Manual!
You might want to check which PlugIns are installed and which are not. To check, you need to click on the
Help  Installed PlugIns SubMenu. When you do so, you will get to see the screen shown on the next page
as Figure 8.08, with all installed PlugIns listed in alphabetical order, their version number and a one-line
description for each PlugIn.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 211 of 235

Figure 8.08: IrfanView Help  Installed PlugIns

Here (Commercial Edition only) is the

list of all PlugIns you should see in
your copy of IrfanView 64-Bit –
Appendix – 1 and the list of all PlugIns
in your copy of IrfanView 32-Bit, as
Appendix – 2.
If you have installed all the correct
PlugIns for IrfanView Version 4.42,
you should be able to count a total of
36 PlugIns, in the 64-Bit Version. This
includes the KADMOS OCR PlugIn.
In the 32-Bit Version, you should find
a total of 63 PlugIns…

Note:
PlugIns are updated at the time of releasing each new version of IrfanView. IrfanView
requires that the right version of the PlugIn be installed.
The OCR PlugIn KADMOS, the PDF PlugIn GhostScript and some of the Adobe 8BF PlugIns
are NOT included in the IrfanView PlugIns file – you need to download them separately,
as described in the corresponding sections of this User Manual.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 212 of 235

8.05: IrfanView Help  Thanks
The next SubMenu, titled Thanks, is the developer Irfan Skiljan’s warm, personal Thanks to people who have
sent him appreciative, congratulatory messages. As of last count, he has received over 65,000 e-Mail
messages alone!
The Thanks Screenshot is shown below as Figure 8.09.

Figure 8.09: IrfanView Help  Thanks Screen

8.06: IrfanView Help  Credits

The next SubMenu, titled Credits, displays Irfan Skiljan’s warm, personal Thanks to people who have helped
him develop and refine IrfanView over the years. It is displayed below as Figure 8.10

Figure 8.10: IrfanView Help  Credits Screen

Included in the Credits Listing are people who have

contributed by way of ideas, source code hints, testing,
etc.
The developer also specially thanks the people who have
contributed to the success of IrfanView by sharing image
libraries.

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 213 of 235

8.07: IrfanView Help  Registration
Even if you use IrfanView for non-personal, commercial use, you are welcome to make a donation for the
continued development of IrfanView. When you do so, you will receive your Registration Code. The SubMenu
titled Registration displays whether your copy of IrfanView is Registered or not. If it is, you will get to see the
the Screenshot below, titled Figure 8.11.

Figure 8.11: IrfanView Help  Registration Screen

If you use IrfanView merely for personal, non-commercial uses, you

are not required to donate or register your copy. However if you like
IrfanView, the right thing to do would be to make a donation, so that
Irfan may continue to distribute IrfanView freely and fully functional,
for personal use!

8.08: IrfanView Help  Check Home Page for Updates

When you click on this SubMenu, you are directed to the Update Page at the IrfanView Website. For
IrfanView Version 4.38, the update URL is http://www.irfanview.com/checkversion.php?ver=4.42
If your version is the most recent, you will see the screen shown below, titled Figure 8.12.

Figure 8.12: IrfanView Help  Check Home Page for Updates

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 214 of 235

8.09: IrfanView Help  Usage Info
Figure 8.13: IrfanView Help  Usage Info

When you click on this SubMenu, you are

shown the Usage Agreement for using
IrfanView. This is shown as Figure 8.13 to the
left. It is a welcome change from the usual
EULA that runs into multiple pages, usually
filled with legalese! No, IrfanView’s EULA is
just One Screen Long. No Scroll Bars Here!

8.10: IrfanView Help  About IrfanView

Figure 8.14: IrfanView Help  About IrfanView

When you click on this SubMenu, you are shown the

screen shown to the left as Figure 8.14. It displays
basic information about your copy of IrfanView like
the Operating System versions under which it will
work, IrfanView Version Number, Copyright
information, e-Mail Address of Irfan Skiljan, link to
the IrfanView Home Page and the fact that this copy
of IrfanView is registered to YOU!
The screen also includes a lovely picture of the
waterfall at Jajce in Bosnia, Irfan’s birthplace. You
also get to see the different Icons used by IrfanView
in a small, animated screen space.
On display in Figure 8.14 is the little IrfanView Road
Cat, with marks resembling tire skids running across
its red coat – one of the multiple icons used by
IrfanView and personally, my favorite IrfanView
Icon!

We come to the end of this, the Free, ‘Lite’ Version of the User Manual for IrfanView Version 4.42!
Do visit bytepublish.com (my new Website), read the review of IrfanView there and securely order your copy
of the Commercial Manual!

If at all you need Quick Help in IrfanView… Page 215 of 235

What’s New in IrfanView 4.42?
Here is a partial listing of the changes in IrfanView Version 4.42, over the previous Version:
1. New File menu: Save Selection as (Hotkey: CTRL + SHIFT + B)
2. New Option in Capture dialog: Show Timer Countdown
3. New Option in Export Tiles Dialog: Extract all Pages from Multipage files
4. New Option in Fine Rotation dialog: Select "best" old image
5. New Option in Print dialog: No image overflow on page
6. New HTML-Export Dialog Option: Copy extra files to destination folder (prepare a "copy_files.txt" file
with filenames)
7. Some PCX/BMP/PPM loading bugs fixed (thanks to Moshe Kaplan)
8. Improved FITS format loading
9. New text pattern: $R = image aspect ratio (width/height)
10. New Hotkey: CTRL + Click into selection = clear selection
11. Some minor fixes (Thumbnails/ Folder Scan)
12. Some workarounds for Windows-10 Bugs/ Issues (Installer Signature, Associations)
13. Several PlugIns are changed/ updated, install the newest versions alone!
NOTE: To install the latest IrfanView PlugIns, visit http://www.irfanview.com/plugins.htm

Appendix – 7: Whats New in IrfanView 4.42? Page 216 of 235

Whats New in IrfanView 4.41? Page 217 of 235
Why Should I order the Commercial Edition
of the User Manual?
1. The Commercial Edition is the Fourth Edition of this User Manual. It has many more hands-on Exercises
– both as part of each Chapter, as well as in a separate Chapter! You can try out these Exercises alongside,
IrfanView open in one Window and the Commercial Edition of the User Manual open in another. I have
presented both simple Exercises as well as Exercises that will tickle your imagination, letting you do stuff
that you may not have imagined possible with IrfanView! Check out the next Section, which reproduces
the Table of Contents of the Commercial Edition of the User Manual!
2. The Commercial Edition contains many more Screenshots that illustrate the nuances of IrfanView. It has
about Two Hundred more pages than this, the ‘Lite’ Edition!
3. The Screenshots in the Commercial Edition of the User Manual are uncompressed Screenshots that will
remain sharp and readable even with reasonable magnification. On the other hand, the ‘Lite’ User
Manual contains compressed Screenshots that would not remain readable on magnification, as they
have been compressed, in order to reduce the overall size of the ‘Lite’ Manual
4. The Commercial Edition contains many more handy, easy-to-locate Notes, Tips, Warnings and
Information Boxes along the way. These will really help you develop into a Power User of IrfanView!
5. Both the ‘Lite’ as well as the Commercial User Manuals have a number of Links that take you back or
forward within the Manual, to related content. However, in this, the ‘Lite’ Edition, you do not have an
easy way to return to where you were, once you click on any of the Links. The Commercial Edition of the
User Manual has ‘Return’ Buttons that will take you back to where you were, before you clicked on any
of the Reference Links!
6. All the non-working Links in the ‘Lite’ Edition work in the Commercial Edition of the User Manual
7. The Commercial Edition costs a mere US$10/- and you may securely pay using your PayPal Account, on
visiting the link at my new Website (http://bytepublish.com/irfanview.html). Currently I respond
manually to each Purchase Order, usually dispatching your copy of the Commercial User Manual within
the Hour! But do allow me bad hair days as well, when I may be slow to respond…
Do also visit bytepublish.com, read the review of IrfanView and leave your Feedback!  (Feedback Link in
the Commercial Edition of the User Manual alone)
All Rights Reserved.
The Buyer of this, the Free and ‘Lite’ User Manual for IrfanView Version 4.42, may print out one or more
hard copies of the User Manual in part or full, for personal use
However;
 © Copying this User Manual in part or full for commercial gain is not allowed in any form – digital or
physical
 To reproduce parts of the User Manual for educational purposes in any form – digital or physical, you
need to obtain prior permission by writing in to [email protected]. Permission may be
granted on a case-to-case basis and may incur compensation in one form or the other

Why Should I Order the Commercial Edition of the User Manual? Page 218 of 235
Table of Contents, Commercial Edition
Topic P. No.
…from the author’s desk… 15
A Word from Irfan himself! 17
Update: the Fourth Edition 18
Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation 19
1.01: Introduction to IrfanView 19
1.02: IrfanView Features 20
1.03: Minimum Hardware Specifications to run IrfanView 21
1.04: How Best to Read This Manual 21
Figure 1.01: Standard Terms used in Screenshots 21
Figure 1.02: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Dialog Box 22
Figure 1.03: Standard Terms used in Screenshots – Information Box (Screen) 23
1.05: IrfanView Installation Steps 25
1.06: Installing IrfanView 25
Figure 1.04: IrfanView – Initial Installation Screen 25
Figure 1.05: IrfanView Installation – What’s New Screen 26
Figure 1.06: IrfanView Installation – File Associations Screen 26
Figure 1.07: IrfanView Installation – .INI File Location 29
Figure 1.08: IrfanView Installation – Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer Screen 29
Figure 1.09: IrfanView Installation – Are you REALLY Sure!? Screen 30
Figure 1.10: IrfanView Installation – Installation Successful Screen 30
Figure 1.11: IrfanView Installation – Program Compatibility Screen 31
1.07: Installing IrfanView PlugIns 31
Figure 1.12: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Initial Screen 32
Figure 1.13: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Error Screen 32
Figure 1.14: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Successful Installation Screen 33
Figure 1.15: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Program Compatibility Screen 33
Figure 1.16: IrfanView PlugIns Installation – Desktop Icons 34
Figure 1.17: IrfanView Installation – Tablet Icons 34
Figure 1.18: IrfanView in Tablet Mode 35
Chapter 2: The ‘File’ Menu 36
Figure 2.01: IrfanView Image --> File Menu and SubMenu 36
2.01: IrfanView File --> Open SubMenu 37
Figure 2.02: IrfanView File --> Open 37
Figure 2.03: IrfanView File --> Open Dialog Box 37
Figure 2.04: Sample Image opened with IrfanView 38
Figure 2.05: Sample Image displaying IrfanView and IrfanPaint 38
2.02: IrfanView File --> Reopen SubMenu 39
2.03: IrfanView File --> Open Recent Files SubMenu 40
Figure 2.06: IrfanView File --> Open Recent Files 40

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Continued

Topic P. No.
2.04: IrfanView File --> Open with External Editor SubMenu 41
Figure 2.07: IrfanView Settings Icon 41
Figure 2.08: Configuring the External Editor Dialog Box 41
2.05: IrfanView File --> Open as SubMenu 42
Figure 2.09: File --> Open As 42
2.06: IrfanView File --> Thumbnails SubMenu 43
Figure 2.10: IrfanView File --> Thumbnails 43
Figure 2.11: IrfanView File --> Thumbnails View – Options 44
Table 2.01: File Manipulation Keyboard Shortcuts, IrfanView Thumbnails View 45
2.07: IrfanView File --> Slideshow SubMenu 46
Figure 2.12: IrfanView File --> Slideshow Settings Dialog Box 46
Figure 2.13: IrfanView Options --> Properties/ Settings --> Slideshow--> Full Screen Slideshow 48
2.08: IrfanView File --> Start Slideshow with Current File List SubMenu 48
2.09: IrfanView File --> Batch Conversion/ Rename SubMenu 49
Figure 2.14: IrfanView File --> Batch Conversion/ Renaming – Dialog Box 49
Figure 2.15: IrfanView File --> Batch Conversion/ Renaming – Bulk Resize Options 50
2.10: IrfanView File --> Search Files SubMenu 53
Figure 2.16: IrfanView File --> Search Files Dialog Box 53
2.11: IrfanView File --> Rename File SubMenu 55
2.12: IrfanView File --> Move File SubMenu 55
2.13: IrfanView File --> Copy File SubMenu 55
2.14: IrfanView File --> Delete File SubMenu 55
Figure 2.17: IrfanView File --> Delete SubMenu Illustration 55
2.15: IrfanView File --> Save (Original Folder) SubMenu 56
Table 2.02: File --> Save Original Folder Options 56
2.16: IrfanView File --> Save As SubMenu 59
2.17: IrfanView File --> Save for Web… (PlugIn) SubMenu 59
Figure 2.18: IrfanView File --> Save for Web Dialog Box 59
Figure 2.19: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – Compress to Size Dialog Box 60
Figure 2.20: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – JPG Image Adjustments Options 61
Figure 2.21: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – GIF Image Dialog Box 62
Figure 2.22: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – GIF Image Adjustments Dialog Box 63
Figure 2.23: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – PNG Image Dialog Box 64
Figure 2.24: IrfanView File --> Save for Web – PNG Image Adjustments Dialog Box 65
2.18: IrfanView File --> Save Selection As SubMenu 66
Figure 2.25: IrfanView File --> Save Selection As 66
2.19: IrfanView File --> Print SubMenu 67
Figure 2.26: IrfanView File --> Print Options 67

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Continued

Topic P. No.
2.20: IrfanView File --> Select Scan/TWAIN Source SubMenu 68
Figure 2.27: IrfanView File --> Select Scan/ TWAIN Source 68
2.21: IrfanView File --> Acquire/Batch Scanning SubMenu 69
Figure 2.28: IrfanView File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images Setup 69
Figure 2.29: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – What do you want to Scan As? 70
Figure 2.30: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning Single Images – Advanced Properties 70
Figure 2.31: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Setup 71
Figure 2.32: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Multiple Images Save Options 72
Figure 2.33: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Preview Settings 72
Figure 2.34: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Scan 73
Figure 2.35: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Erasing a Portion 74
Figure 2.36: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Rotating the Scan by 90 Degrees 75
Figure 2.37: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Flipping the Scan Vertically 76
Figure 2.38: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Tilting the Scan by 45 Degrees –
77
Step–1
Figure 2.39: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Tilting the Scan by 45 Degrees –
77
Step–2
Figure 2.40: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Scan Tilted by 45 Degrees 78
Figure 2.41: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Scan Tilted by Unknown Degrees 79
Figure 2.42: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Straightening the Scan–1 80
Figure 2.43:File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Straightened Scan 81
Figure 2.44: File --> Acquire/ Batch Scanning – Final Touches – Straightened and Cut Scan 81
2.22: IrfanView File --> Copy Shop SubMenu 82
Figure 2.45: File --> Copy Shop Options 82
2.23: IrfanView File --> Exit SubMenu 82
Chapter 3: The ‘Edit’ Menu 83
Figure 3.01: IrfanView Image --> Edit Menu and SubMenu 83
3.01: IrfanView Edit --> Undo SubMenu 84
3.02: IrfanView Edit --> Redo SubMenu 84
3.03: IrfanView Edit --> Show Paint Dialog SubMenu 85
Figure 3.02: IrfanView with IrfanPaint Floating Toolbar 85
Figure 3.03: IrfanView Edit --> Show Paint Dialog – Tool Names 87
3.03.01: IrfanPaint Tools – Normal Actions 89
Figure 3.04: IrfanPaint – Selection Tool 89
3.03.02: IrfanPaint Tools – Paintbrush Tool 90
Figure 3.05: IrfanPaint – Freehand Paintbrush Tool 90
3.03.03: IrfanPaint Tools – Eraser Tool 91

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Continued

Topic P. No.
Figure 3.06: IrfanPaint – Eraser Tool 91
3.03.04: IrfanPaint Tools – Clone Tool 93
Figure 3.07: IrfanPaint – Clone Tool 93
Figure 3.08: IrfanPaint – Clone Tool – Setting up the Source Point 94
Figure 3.09: IrfanPaint – Clone Tool – Beginning to Clone 95
3.03.05: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Replacer Tool 96
Figure 3.10: IrfanPaint – Color Replacer Tool 96
3.03.06: IrfanPaint Tools – Text Tool 97
Figure 3.11: IrfanPaint – Text Tool 97
Figure 3.12: IrfanPaint – Text Tool Dialog Box 98
3.03.07: IrfanPaint Tools – Line Tool 99
Figure 3.13: IrfanPaint – Line Tool 99
3.03.08: IrfanPaint Tools – Arrow Line Tool 100
Figure 3.14: IrfanPaint – Arrow Line Tool 100
Figure 3.15: IrfanPaint – Arrow Line Dialog Box 101
Figure 3.16: IrfanPaint – Arrow Head Beginning and Ending Options Dialog Box 102
3.03.09: IrfanPaint Tools – Ellipse Tool 103
Figure 3.17: IrfanPaint – Ellipse Tool 103
3.03.10: IrfanPaint Tools – Rectangle Tool 104
Figure 3.18: IrfanPaint – Rectangle Tool 104
3.03.11: IrfanPaint Tools – FloodFill Tool 105
Figure 3.19: IrfanPaint – FloodFill Tool 105
3.03.12: IrfanPaint Tools – Color Picker Tool 107
Figure 3.20: IrfanPaint – Color Picker Tool 107
3.03.13: IrfanPaint Tools – Straighten/ Rotate Tool 109
Figure 3.21: IrfanPaint – Straighten/ Rotate Tool 109
3.03.14: IrfanPaint Tools – Measure Tool 110
Figure 3.22: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool 110
Figure 3.23: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool Information Box 111
Figure 3.24: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool Results Box 112
Figure 3.25: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool: Creating a New Measurement Unit 113
Figure 3.26: IrfanPaint – Measure Tool: New Measurement Unit 114
Figure 3.27: IrfanPaint – New Measurement Unit from Measure Tool Results Box 115
Figure 3.28: IrfanPaint – New Measurement Unit Created from Measure Tool Results Box 116

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Continued

Topic P. No.
3.03.15: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Settings 117
Figure 3.29: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Settings 117
Figure 3.30: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush – Foreground and Background Settings 118
Table 3.01: IrfanPaint Pen and Brush Setting Parameters 118
3.03.16: IrfanPaint Tools – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help 119
Figure 3.31: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive/ Short Context Help 119
Figure 3.32: IrfanPaint – Short Context Help for FloodFill Tool 120
Figure 3.33: IrfanPaint – Exhaustive Context Help for FloodFill Tool 121
3.03.17: IrfanPaint Tools – Version Information 122
Figure 3.34: IrfanPaint – Version Information 122
Figure 3.35: IrfanPaint – Version Information Box 123
3.03.18: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width 124
Figure 3.36: IrfanPaint – Pen, Brush and Arrow Width 124
3.03.19: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Tolerance 125
Figure 3.37: IrfanPaint – Specifying Fill Tolerance 125
3.03.20: IrfanPaint Tools – Fill Option 127
Figure 3.38: IrfanPaint – Fill Option 127
3.03.21: IrfanPaint Tools – Pen and Brush Foreground & Background Colors 128
Figure 3.39: IrfanPaint – Pen and Brush Foreground and Background Colors 128
Figure 3.40: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Color Palette 129
Figure 3.41: IrfanPaint – Foreground and Background Custom Color Palette 129
3.03.22: IrfanPaint Tools – Swapping Foreground & Background Colors 130
Figure 3.42: IrfanPaint – Swapping Foreground and Background Colors 130
3.04a: IrfanView Edit --> Create Custom Crop Selection SubMenu 131
Figure 3.43: IrfanView Edit --> Create Custom Crop Settings 131
Figure 3.44: IrfanView Edit --> Create Standard Windows Screen Resolution Crop Settings 132
Figure 3.45: IrfanView Edit --> Custom Crop Selected 133
3.04b: IrfanView Create Custom Crop using Mouse 134
3.05: IrfanView Edit --> Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu 135
Figure 3.46: IrfanView Edit --> Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) SubMenu 135
Figure 3.47: IrfanView Edit --> Custom Crop 136
Figure 3.48: IrfanView Edit --> Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) Example–1 137
Figure 3.49: IrfanView Edit --> Create Maximized Selection (Ratio) Example–2 138

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Topic P. No.
3.06: IrfanView Edit --> Maximize and Center Selection SubMenu 139
Figure 3.50: IrfanView Edit --> Maximize and Center Selection Example 139
3.07: IrfanView Edit --> Show Selection Grid SubMenu 140
Figure 3.51: IrfanView Edit --> Show Selection Grid SubMenu 140
Figure 3.52: IrfanView Edit --> Show Selection Grid Illustrations 141
3.08: IrfanView Edit --> Show Fixed Grid SubMenu 142
Figure 3.53: IrfanView Edit --> Show Fixed Grid Illustration 142
3.09: IrfanView Edit --> Insert Text SubMenu 143
Figure 3.54: IrfanView Edit --> Insert Text SubMenu 143
Figure 3.55: IrfanView Edit --> Insert Text Illustration 144
3.10: IrfanView Edit --> Insert Overlay/ Watermark Image SubMenu 145
Figure 3.56: IrfanView Edit --> Insert/ Overlay Watermark SubMenu 145
Figure 3.57: IrfanView Edit --> Insert/ Overlay Watermark Illustration 146
3.11: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Selection SubMenu 147
Figure 3.58: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Selection Example –1 147
Figure 3.59: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Selection Example –2 148
Figure 3.60: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Selection Example –3 148
3.12: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Area Outside of the Selection SubMenu 149
Figure 3.61: IrfanView Edit --> Cut – Area Outside of the Selection Example 149
3.13: IrfanView Edit --> Crop Selection SubMenu 150
Figure 3.62: IrfanView Edit --> Crop Selection Example 150
3.14: IrfanView Edit --> Auto Crop Borders SubMenu 151
Figure 3.63: IrfanView Edit --> Auto Crop Borders Example 151
Figure 3.64: IrfanView Edit --> Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 1 151
Figure 3.65: IrfanView Edit --> Auto Crop Borders Solution Step – 2 152
3.15: IrfanView Edit --> Capture Visible Window Area SubMenu 153
Figure 3.66: IrfanView Edit --> Capture Visible Window Area 153
Figure 3.67: IrfanView Edit --> Visible Window Area Captured – 1 153
Figure 3.68: IrfanView Edit --> Visible Window Area Captured – 2 154
3.16: IrfanView Edit --> Copy SubMenu 154
3.17: IrfanView Edit --> Paste SubMenu 155
Figure 3.69: IrfanView Images to be Embedded 155

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Topic P. No.
Table 3.02: Steps to Embed Images with IrfanView 156
Figure 3.70: IrfanView Embed Images Intermediate Step 157
Figure 3.71: IrfanView Correctly Embedded Images Example 158
Figure 3.72: IrfanView Incorrectly Embedded Images 159
Figure 3.73: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example 160
Figure 3.74: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–1 161
Figure 3.75: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–2 162
Figure 3.76: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–3 163
Figure 3.77: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–4 164
Figure 3.78: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–5 164
Figure 3.79: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–6 165
Figure 3.80: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–6 Result 166
Figure 3.81: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Step–7 166
Figure 3.82: IrfanView Text Tool Embed Example Final Result 167
3.18: IrfanView Edit --> Paste Special (Add on Side) SubMenu 168
Figure 3.83: IrfanView Edit --> Paste Special (Add on Side) 168
Figure 3.84: IrfanView Edit --> Paste Special (Add on Side) Example – 1 169
Figure 3.85: IrfanView Edit --> Paste Special (Add on Side) Example – 2 170
3.19: IrfanView Edit --> Delete (Clear Display) SubMenu 170
3.20: IrfanView Edit --> Clear Clipboard SubMenu 171
Chapter 4: IrfanView – Hands-on Exercises 172
4.01: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Paintbrush Tool 172
Figure 4.01: IrfanPaint Paintbrush Tool Exercise 172
Figure 4.02: IrfanPaint Paintbrush Tool Exercise – 1 173
4.02: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Eraser Tool 174
Figure 4.03: IrfanPaint Eraser Tool Exercise 174
Figure 4.04: IrfanPaint Eraser Tool Exercise – 1 175
Figure 4.05: IrfanPaint Eraser Tool Exercise 176
Figure 4.06: IrfanPaint Eraser Tool Exercise – 2 177
4.03: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Clone Tool 177
Figure 4.07: IrfanPaint Clone Tool Exercise–1 178
Figure 4.08: IrfanView Clone Tool Exercise – 2 – Sample Image 179
Figure 4.09: IrfanView Clone Tool Exercise – 2 – Results with IrfanPaint Clone Tool 179
Figure 4.10: IrfanView Clone Tool Exercise – 2 – Results with Adobe 8BF Wire Worm PlugIn 180

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Topic P. No.
4.04: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Color Replacer Tool 181
Figure 4.11: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise 181
Figure 4.12: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 1a 182
Figure 4.13: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 1b 183
Figure 4.14: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 1c 183
Figure 4.15: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 2 Step – 1 184
Figure 4.16: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 2 Step – 2 185
Figure 4.17: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 2 Step – 3 186
Figure 4.18: IrfanView Color Replacer Tool Exercise – 2 Step – 4 186
4.05: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Text Tool 187
Figure 4.19: IrfanView Text Tool Options 187
Figure 4.20: IrfanView Text Tool – Empty Path Rendering Exercise – Pen and Brush Settings 188
Figure 4.21: IrfanView Text Tool – Empty Path Rendering Exercise 189
Figure 4.22: IrfanView Text Tool – Filled Path Rendering Exercise 190
Figure 4.23: IrfanView Text Tool – Text Rendering Exercise – Dialog Box 191
Figure 4.24: IrfanView Text Tool – Text Rendering Exercise 191
Figure 4.25: IrfanView Text Tool – Antialiased Text Exercise 192
Figure 4.26: IrfanView Text Tool – Text on a Solid Background Exercise 193
Figure 4.27: IrfanView Text Tool – Text as a 3D Button 194
4.06: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Line Tool 195
Figure 4.28: IrfanView Line Tool Exercise 195
4.07: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Arrow Tool 196
Figure 4.29: IrfanView Arrow Line Tool Exercise 196
4.08: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Ellipse/ Circle Tool 197
Figure 4.30: IrfanView Ellipse/ Circle Tool Exercise 197
4.09: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Rectangle/ Square Tool 198
Figure 4.31: IrfanView Rectangle/ Square Tool Exercise 198
4.10: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the FloodFill Tool 199
Figure 4.32: IrfanView FloodFill Tool Exercise – 1 199
Figure 4.33: IrfanView FloodFill Tool Exercise – 1a 200
Figure 4.34: IrfanView FloodFill Tool Exercise – 1b 200
Figure 4.35: IrfanView FloodFill Tool Exercise – 1c 201
4.11: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Color Picker Tool 202
Figure 4.36: IrfanView Color Picker Tool Exercise – 1 202
Figure 4.37: IrfanView Color Picker Tool Exercise – FloodFill Tool – 1a 203
Figure 4.38: IrfanView Color Picker Tool Exercise – Color Replacer Tool – 1b 204
Figure 4.39: IrfanView Color Picker Tool Exercise – Color Replacer Tool – 1c 205

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Topic P. No.
4.12: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Straighten/ Rotate Tool 205
Figure 4.40: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 1a 206
Figure 4.41: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 1b 207
Figure 4.42: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 1c 208
Figure 4.43: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 1d 209
Figure 4.44: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 2a 210
Figure 4.45: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 2b 210
Figure 4.46: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 3a 211
Figure 4.47: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 3b 211
Figure 4.48: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 4a 212
Figure 4.49: IrfanView Straighten/ Rotate Tool Exercise – 4b 213
4.13: IrfanView IrfanPaint Exercises: Using the Measure Tool 214
Figure 4.50: IrfanView Measure Tool Exercise – 1a 214
Figure 4.51: IrfanView Measure Tool Exercise – 1b 215
Figure 4.52: IrfanView Measure Tool Exercise – 2 216
Figure 4.53: IrfanView Measure Tool Exercise – 3 217
Chapter 5: The ‘Image’ Menu 218
Figure 5.01: IrfanView --> Image Menu and SubMenu 218
5.01: IrfanView Image --> Information SubMenu 219
Figure 5.02: IrfanView Image --> Basic Information Screen 219
Figure 5.03: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – 1 220
Figure 5.04: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – 2 221
Figure 5.05: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – 3 222
Figure 5.06: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – 4 223
Figure 5.07a: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – Geo Tagging 224
Figure 5.07b: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – Geo Tagging – OpenStreet 225
Figure 5.07c: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – Geo Tagging – GeoHack-Wiki 226
Figure 5.07d: IrfanView Image --> EXIF Information Listing – Geo Tagging – Google Maps 227
Figure 5.08: IrfanView Save JPG File As 228
Figure 5.09: IrfanView Image --> IPTC Information Tab – 1 229
Figure 5.10: IrfanView Image --> IPTC Information Tab – 2 230
Figure 5.11: IrfanView Image --> IPTC Information Tab – 3 231
Figure 5.12: IrfanView Image --> IPTC Information Tab – 4 232

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Topic P. No.
5.02: IrfanView Image --> Create New (Empty) Image SubMenu 233
Figure 5.13: IrfanView Image --> Create New (Empty) Image Dialog Box 233
Figure 5.14: IrfanView – Simple New Image Creation 234
5.03: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image SubMenu 235
Figure 5.15: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image Settings 235
Figure 5.16: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings 236
Figure 5.17: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name 236
Figure 5.18: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image – Sort Order Settings By Name
237
(Natural)
Figure 5.19: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image Example – 1 237
Figure 5.20: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image Settings for Add Current File 238
Figure 5.21: IrfanView Image --> Create Panorama Image Example – 2 239
5.04: IrfanView Image --> Rotate Left (Counter Clockwise) SubMenu 240
Figure 5.22: IrfanView Image --> Rotate Left Example 240
5.05: IrfanView Image --> Rotate Right (Clockwise) SubMenu 241
Figure 5.23: IrfanView Image --> Rotate Right Example 241
Figure 5.24: IrfanView – Flip vs. Rotate Comparison – 1 242
Figure 5.25: IrfanView – Flip vs. Rotate Comparison – 2 243
5.06: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotation SubMenu 244
Figure 5.26: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotate Settings 244
Figure 5.27: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 1 245
Figure 5.28: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 2 245
Figure 5.29: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotate Example – 3 246
Figure 5.30: IrfanView Image --> Custom/ Fine Rotate Dialog Box 246
5.07: IrfanView Image --> Vertical Flip SubMenu 247
Figure 5.31: IrfanView Image --> Vertical Flip Example 247
5.08: IrfanView Image --> Horizontal Flip SubMenu 248
Figure 5.32: IrfanView Image --> Horizontal Flip Example 248
5.09: IrfanView Image --> Resize/ Resample SubMenu 249
Figure 5.33: IrfanView Image --> Resize/ Resample Settings 249
Figure 5.34: IrfanView Image --> Resize/ Resample Example – Aspect Ratio 251
5.10: IrfanView Image --> Change Canvas Size SubMenu 252
Figure 5.35: IrfanView Image --> Change Canvas Size Dialog Box 252
Figure 5.36: IrfanView Image --> Change Canvas Size Example – 1 253
Figure 5.37: IrfanView Image --> Change Canvas Size Example – 2 254

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5.11: IrfanView Image --> Add Border/ Frame SubMenu 255
Figure 5.38: IrfanView Image --> Add Border/ Frame Options – Gradient Options 255
Figure 5.39: IrfanView Image --> Add Border/ Frame Gradient Options Example – 1 256
Figure 5.40: IrfanView Image --> Add Border/ Frame Options – Example – 2 256
Figure 5.41: IrfanView Image --> Add Border/ Frame Options Example – 3 257
5.12: IrfanView Image --> Increase Color Depth SubMenu 258
Figure 5.42: IrfanView Image --> Increase Color Depth Options 258
Figure 5.43: IrfanView Image --> Increase Color Depth Example – 1 259
Figure 5.44: IrfanView Image --> Increase Color Depth Example – 2 260
5.13: IrfanView Image --> Decrease Color Depth SubMenu 261
Figure 5.45: IrfanView Image --> Decrease Color Depth Options 261
Figure 5.46: IrfanView Image --> Decrease Color Depth Example – 1 261
5.14: IrfanView Image --> Convert to Greyscale SubMenu 262
Figure 5.47: IrfanView Image --> Convert to Greyscale Example 262
5.15: IrfanView Image --> Show Channel SubMenu 263
Figure 5.48: IrfanView Image --> Show Channel Example – 1 263
Figure 5.49: IrfanView Image --> Show Channel Example – 2 264
5.16: IrfanView Image --> Negative SubMenu 265
Figure 5.50: IrfanView Image --> Negative Example–1 265
Figure 5.51a: IrfanView Image --> Negative Example–2 266
Figure 5.51b: IrfanView Image --> Negative Example–3 266
Figure 5.52: IrfanView Negative of Grayscale Image – Example–4 267
5.17: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections SubMenu 268
Figure 5.53: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Dialog Box 268
Figure 5.54: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example 269
Figure 5.55: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example Step – 1 269
Figure 5.56: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example Step – 2 270
Figure 5.57: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example Step – 3 270
Figure 5.58: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example Step – 4 271
Figure 5.59: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections Example Step – 5 271
5.18: IrfanView Image --> Histogram SubMenu 272
Figure 5.60a: IrfanView Image --> Histogram Screen – 1 272
Figure 5.60b: IrfanView Image --> Histogram Screen – 2 273
Figure 5.60c: IrfanView Image --> Histogram Screen – 3 273
Figure 5.60d: IrfanView Image --> Histogram Screen – 4 274

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Topic P. No.
5.19: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color SubMenu 275
Figure 5.61: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Dialog Box 275
Figure 5.62: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 1 276
Figure 5.63: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Dialog Box and Color Palette – 2 277
Figure 5.64: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example – 1 278
Figure 5.65: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example – 2 279
Figure 5.66: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Step – 1, Example – 2 279
Figure 5.67: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Step – 2, Example – 2 280
Figure 5.68: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Step – 3, Example – 2 280
Figure 5.69: IrfanView Image --> IrfanView Replace Color Example – 3 281
Figure 5.70a1: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example–3 – IrfanView Replace Color Dialog
282
Box
Figure 5.70a2: IrfanView Image --> IrfanView Replace Color Example–3 – Results 283
Figure 5.70b1: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example–3 – IrfanPaint Color Replace Tool
283
Dialog Box
Figure 5.70b2: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example–3 – IrfanPaint Color Replace Results 284
Figure 5.70c1: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example–3 – IrfanPaint FloodFill Tool Dialog
284
Box
Figure 5.70c2: IrfanView Image --> Replace Color Example–3 – IrfanPaint FloodFill Results 285
5.20: IrfanView Image --> Create Tiled Image SubMenu 286
Figure 5.71: IrfanView Image --> Create Tiled Image Dialog Box 286
Figure 5.71a: IrfanView Image --> Create Tiled Image Example–1 287
Figure 5.72: IrfanView Image --> Create Tiled Image Example – 2 288
5.21: IrfanView Image --> Auto Adjust Colors SubMenu 288
Figure 5.73: IrfanView Image --> Auto Adjust Colors Exercise 288
Figure 5.74: IrfanView Image --> Color Corrections to Further Enhance Auto Adjust Colors
289
Exercise
Figure 5.75: IrfanView Image --> Auto Adjust Colors Exercise – Histograms Comparison 290
5.22: IrfanView Image --> Sharpen SubMenu 291
Figure 5.76: IrfanView Image --> Sharpen Example 291
5.23: IrfanView Image --> Red Eye Reduction (Selections) SubMenu 292
Figure 5.77: IrfanView Image --> Red Eye Reduction (Selection) Example 292
5.24: IrfanView Image --> Effects SubMenu 294
Figure 5.78: IrfanView Image --> Effects SubMenu 294
Figure 5.79: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Effects Browser SubMenu 295
Figure 5.80: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> AltaLux Effect Dialog Box 296
Figure 5.81: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> AltaLux Effect Example 296
Figure 5.82: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Sandbox Effect Dialog Box 297
Figure 5.83: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Sandbox Effect Example 298
Figure 5.84: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Sandbox Effect Example on Mount Everest: 299
Figure 5.85a: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Factory Installation Screen – 1 300
Figure 5.85b: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Factory Installation Screen – 2 300
Figure 5.85c: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Factory Installation Screen – 3 301
Figure 5.86: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Dialog Box 302
Figure 5.87: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Filter Factory Krusty’s FX Tool Example 302

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Topic P. No.
5.25: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF PlugIns SubMenu 303
Figure 5.88: IrfanView Image --> Effects --> Adobe 8BF PlugIns 304
Figure 5.89a: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 1 305
Figure 5.89b: IrfanView – Importing Adobe 8BF Filters – Step 2 305
Figure 5.90: IrfanView –Starting an Adobe 8BF Filter 306
Figure 5.91: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF – Perspective Transform Filter 307
Figure 5.92: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF – SmartCurve Filter 307
Figure 5.93: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF – Wire Worm Filter 308
Figure 5.94: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF – Harry’s Filters 308
Figure 5.95: IrfanView Image --> Adobe 8BF – PopArt Filter 309
5.26: IrfanView Image --> Swap Colors SubMenu 310
Figure 5.96: IrfanView Image --> Swap Colors RGB --> RBG 310
5.27: IrfanView Image --> Palette SubMenu 311
Figure 5.97: IrfanView Image --> Palette Options 311
Figure 5.98: IrfanView Image --> Palette – 256 Color Palette Example 312
Figure 5.99: IrfanView Image --> Palette – Edit Palette Example Steps 312
Chapter 6: The ‘Options’ Menu 314
Figure 6.01: IrfanView --> Options Menu and SubMenu 314
6.01: IrfanView Options --> Properties/ Settings SubMenu 315
Figure 6.02: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Start/ Exit Options 315
Figure 6.03: IrfanView Options --> Properties/ Settings --> JPG/ PCD/ GIF 316
Figure 6.04: IrfanView Options --> Properties/ Settings --> Extensions 317
Figure 6.05: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Viewing 318
Table 6.01: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Viewing – Status Bar Placeholder Tags 320
Figure 6.06: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Viewing – Show Channels in Color 321
Figure 6.07: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Zoom/ Color Management 322
Figure 6.08: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Browsing/ Editing 323
Figure 6.09: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Browsing/ Editing – Stretch Fit into
325
Selection
Figure 6.10: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Browsing/ Editing – Paste Fit into
325
Selection
Table 6.02: IrfanView Options --> Properties/ Settings --> Browsing/ Editing – Paste Results 326
Figure 6.11: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Full Screen/ Slideshow 327
Figure 6.12: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Video/ Sound 329
Figure 6.13: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> File Handling 330
Figure 6.14: IrfanView Options --> Property --> Settings --> Language 331
Figure 6.15: IrfanView Options --> Property --> Settings --> Toolbar 332
Figure 6.16: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns 333
Figure 6.17: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns – Postscript Options 334
Figure 6.18: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns – MrSID Options 334
Figure 6.19: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns – JPM PlugIn Options 335
Figure 6.20: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns – DXF/ DWG PlugIn Options 335

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Topic P. No.
Figure 6.21: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> PlugIns – PDF PlugIn Options 335
Figure 6.22: IrfanView Options --> Property --> Settings --> Miscellaneous 336
Figure 6.23: IrfanView Options --> Property/ Settings --> Miscellaneous 337
6.02: IrfanView Options --> Change Language SubMenu 338
6.03: IrfanView Options --> Set File Associations SubMenu 338
6.04: IrfanView Options --> Start Multimedia Player SubMenu 338
Figure 6.24: IrfanView Options --> Start Multimedia Player (PlugIn) 339
Figure 6.25: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn in action 340
Figure 6.26: IrfanView Multimedia PlugIn – Information Screen 340
Figure 6.27: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player in action 341
Figure 6.28: IrfanView Built-in Multimedia Player – Information Screen 342
6.05: IrfanView Options --> Stop Animation SubMenu 342
6.06: IrfanView Options --> Extract all Frames SubMenu 342
6.07: IrfanView Options --> Export Image Tiles (Split Image) SubMenu 343
Figure 6.29: IrfanView Options --> Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Options 343
Figure 6.30: IrfanView Options --> Export Image Tiles (Split Image) Results 343
6.08: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images 344
Figure 6.31: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images SubMenu 344
6.08.01: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Create Multipage TIF 345
Figure 6.32: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Create Multipage TIF Dialog Box 345
Figure 6.33: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – Multipage TIFF Save Options 346
6.08.02: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Create Multipage PDF (PlugIn) 346
Figure 6.34: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – Create Multipage PDF Dialog Box 347
Figure 6.35: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – Multipage PDF Save Options 347
Figure 6.36: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – PDF PlugIn Settings 348
6.08.03: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Create Multipage JPM (PlugIn) 349
Figure 6.37: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – Create Multipage JPM Dialog Box 349
Figure 6.38: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images – Multipage JPM Save Options 349
6.08.04 IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Edit Multipage TIF 350
Figure 6.39: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Edit Multipage TIF 350
Figure 6.40: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Edit Multipage TIF – Compression
350
Options
6.08.05 IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Append Current Image to TIF 351
Figure 6.41: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Append Current Image to TIF 351
6.08.06 IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Print All Pages 351
Figure 6.42: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Print All Pages 351
6.08.07 IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Extract All Pages 352
Figure 6.43: IrfanView Options --> Multipage Images --> Extract All Pages 352

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6.09: IrfanView Options --> Send File by e-Mail (PlugIn) 352
Figure 6.44: IrfanView e-Mail Interface 353
Figure 6.45: IrfanView e-Mail Options Screen 353
Figure 6.46: IrfanView e-Mail Address Book Screen 354
Figure 6.47: IrfanView e-Mail Setup 354
Figure 6.48: IrfanView e-Mail Composition & Send 355
6.10: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn) 356
Figure 6.49: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Rotation (PlugIn) 356
Figure 6.50: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Rotation Example 357
6.11: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Crop (PlugIn) 358
Figure 6.51: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Crop Example 358
Figure 6.52: IrfanView Options --> JPG Lossless Crop Example 359
6.12: IrfanView Options --> Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time (PlugIn) 360
Figure 6.53a: IrfanView Options --> Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 1 360
Figure 6.53b: IrfanView Options --> Change JPG EXIF Date/ Time Example – 2 361
6.13: IrfanView Options --> Capture/ Screenshot 362
Figure 6.54: IrfanView Options --> Capture/ Screenshot Options 362
Figure 6.55: IrfanView Options --> Screen Capture – Foreground and Foreground Client Area 363
6.14: IrfanView Options --> Hotfolder (Watch Folder) 365
Figure 6.56: IrfanView Options --> Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Setup 365
Figure 6.57: IrfanView Options --> Watch Folder (Hotfolder) Minimized 366
6.15: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR (PlugIn) 366
Figure 6.58: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR (PlugIn) – OCR Example 367
Figure 6.59: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR (PlugIn) – Dialog Box 367
Figure 6.60: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR – Config Options 368
Figure 6.61: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR – Preprocessing Options 369
Figure 6.62: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR – Segmentation Options 369
Figure 6.63: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR – Classifier Options 370
Figure 6.64: IrfanView Options --> Start OCR – Context Options 370
Figure 6.65: IrfanView Options --> Information Screen 371
Figure 6.66: IrfanView Options --> Help Menu 371
6.16: IrfanView Options --> Sort Directory Files 372
Figure 6.67: IrfanView Options --> Sort Directory Files Options 372
Figure 6.68: IrfanView Options --> Sort Thumbnails – Sort Thumbnails Options 373
6.17: IrfanView Options --> Set as Wallpaper 374
Figure 6.69: IrfanView Options --> Set as Wallpaper Options 374
6.18: IrfanView Options --> Minimize 375
6.19: IrfanView Options --> Always on Top 375

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Chapter 7: The ‘View’ Menu 376
Figure 7.01: IrfanView --> View Menu and SubMenu 376
7.01: IrfanView View --> Show/ Hide Status Bar 376
7.02: IrfanView View --> Show/ Hide Tool Bar 376
7.03: IrfanView View --> Show/ Hide Menu Bar 376
7.04: IrfanView View --> Show/ Hide Caption 377
7.05: IrfanView View --> Show Tool Bar Options --> Skins 377
Figure 7.02: IrfanView View --> Properties/ Settings Toolbar – Skins Options 377
7.06: IrfanView View --> Display Options (Window Mode) 378
Figure 7.03: IrfanView View --> Display Options (Window Mode) 378
7.07: IrfanView View --> Full Screen 379
7.08: IrfanView View --> Show Full Screen Options 379
Figure 7.04: IrfanView View --> Show Full Screen Options 380
7.09: IrfanView View --> Next File in Directory 380
7.10: IrfanView View --> Previous File in Directory 380
7.11: IrfanView View --> First File in Directory 381
7.12: IrfanView View --> Last File in Directory 381
7.13: IrfanView View --> Random File in Directory 381
7.14: IrfanView View --> Refresh 381
7.15: IrfanView View --> Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing 382
Figure 7.05: IrfanView View --> Start/ Stop Automatic Viewing 382
7.16: IrfanView View --> Zoom In 382
7.17: IrfanView View --> Zoom Out 382
7.18: IrfanView View --> Lock Zoom 383
7.19: IrfanView View --> Keep Scroll Position 383
7.20: IrfanView View --> Original Size 383
7.21: IrfanView View --> Show Hex View 384
7.22: IrfanView View --> Multipage Images 384
Figure 7.06: IrfanView View --> Multipage Images 384
7.22.01 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Next Page Display for Multipage Image Files 384
7.22.02 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Previous Page Display for Multipage Image Files 384
7.22.03 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> First Page for Multipage Image Files 385
7.22.04 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Last Page for Multipage Image Files 385
7.22.05 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Open Page Number for Multipage Image Files 385
Figure 7.07: IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Open Page Number Dialog Box 385
7.22.06 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Show Page Thumbnails for Multipage Image
386
Files
Figure 7.08: IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Show Page Thumbnails 386
7.22.07 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Auto Show Thumbnails for Multipage Image
386
Files
7.22.08 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Start Animation 387
Figure 7.09: IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Start Animation Dialog Box 387
7.22.09 IrfanView View --> Multipage Images --> Stop Animation 387

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Continued

Topic P. No.
Chapter 8: The ‘Help’ Menu 388
Figure 8.01: IrfanView --> Help Menu and SubMenu 388
8.01: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help 388
Figure 8.02: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help Screen – Content View 389
Figure 8.03: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help Screen – Index View – Display Topic 390
Figure 8.04: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help Screen – Search View: List Topics 391
Figure 8.05: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help Screen – Favorites View 392
8.02: IrfanView Help --> Frequently Asked Questions 393
Figure 8.06: IrfanView Help --> IrfanView Help Screen – Frequently Asked Questions 393
8.03: IrfanView Help --> Keyboard Shortcuts 394
Figure 8.07: IrfanView Help --> Keyboard Shortcuts 394
8.04: IrfanView Help --> Installed PlugIns 395
Figure 8.08: IrfanView Help --> Installed PlugIns 395
8.05: IrfanView Help --> Thanks 396
Figure 8.09: IrfanView Help --> Thanks Screen 396
8.06: IrfanView Help --> Credits 397
Figure 8.10: IrfanView Help --> Credits Screen 397
8.07: IrfanView Help --> Registration 397
Figure 8.11: IrfanView Help --> Registration Screen 397
8.08: IrfanView Help --> Check Home Page for Updates 398
Figure 8.12: IrfanView Help --> Check Home Page for Updates 398
8.09: IrfanView Help --> Usage Info 399
Figure 8.13: IrfanView Help --> Usage Info 399
8.10: IrfanView Help --> About IrfanView 400
Figure 8.14: IrfanView Help --> About IrfanView 400
Appendix – 1: List of IrfanView PlugIns for Version 4.42 – 64-Bit 401
Appendix – 2: List of IrfanView PlugIns for Version 4.42 – 32-Bit 402
Appendix – 3: List of IrfanView Shortcuts 403
Keyboard Shortcuts – Symbol/ Special Keys-based HotKeys 403
Keyboard Shortcuts – Alphabets/ Numbers-based HotKeys 404
Keyboard Shortcuts – Selection Rectangle Shortcuts 407
Mouse Shortcuts 407
Appendix – 4: Image File Formats & Save Formats 409
Appendix – 5: Common IPTC Tags and their Functions 412
Appendix – 6: Common EXIF Tags and their Functions 413
Appendix – 7: What’s New in IrfanView 4.42? 415
Appendix – 8: Feedback Link 416

Table of Contents, Commercial Edition …Concluded