RQF LEVEL 3

MULTIMEDIA
PRODUCTION

MODULE CODE: MMPIE 301

FOR TRAINEES
Module name: IMAGES EDITING
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IMAGES EDITING

2022
Table of content

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Acronyms

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Introduction

Have you ever needed to edit an image on your computer but weren't quite sure how to get
started? Perhaps you were asked to edit a picture for a company newsletter or blog article, or
maybe you just wanted to touch up some vacation photos before sharing them with your
friends. The truth is, almost any image can be improved with some slight editing.

While image editing might seem a bit complicated, you don't need to be a professional
designer or photographer to learn how it works. Want proof? Take a look at the images
below. We were able to make this photo look a lot better with a few simple adjustments, and
they took less than five minutes to complete.

Understanding the basics

We see digital image files every day in a wide range of places. Whenever you see a picture
on a computer or Smartphone, you're looking at a digital image file. When you take a picture
with a digital camera, you're saving it as an image file. Even the images you see offline, like
those in newspapers and magazines, probably started as digital image files before they were
printed.

Image editing encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they are digital
photographs, traditional photo-chemical photographs, or illustrations. Traditional analog
image editing is known as photo retouching, using tools such as an airbrush to modify
photographs or editing illustrations with any traditional art medium. Graphic
software programs, which can be broadly grouped into vector graphics editors, raster graphics
editors, and 3D modelers, are the primary tools with which a user may manipulate, enhance,

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and transform images. Many image editing programs are also used to render or
create computer art from scratch. The term ―image editing‖ usually refers only to the editing
of 2D images, not 3D ones.
Basics of image editing
Raster images are stored in a computer in the form of a grid of picture elements, or pixels.
These pixels contain the image's color and brightness information. Image editors can change
the pixels to enhance the image in many ways. The pixels can be changed as a group, or
individually, by the sophisticated algorithms within the image editors. This article mostly
refers to bitmap graphics editors, which are often used to alter photographs and other raster
graphics. However, vector graphics software, such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Xara
Designer Pro or Inkscape, are used to create and modify vector images, which are stored as
descriptions of lines, Bézier curves, and text instead of pixels. It is easier to rasterize a vector
image than to vectorize a raster image; how to go about vectorizing a raster image is the
focus of much research in the field of computer vision. Vector images can be modified more
easily because they contain descriptions of the shapes for easy rearrangement. They are also
scalable, being rasterizable at any resolution.

The basic photo editing techniques should be available in even simple editing programs, and
each can enhance your images to make them more powerful and share valuable. Advanced
editing software will offer these basic tools and will also include refinements that allow you
to do more sophisticate editing that‘s outside the scope of this article.

The easiest photos to edit, of course, are ones taken by a skilled photographer who takes
time to get exceptional shots in the field. (You‘ll also want to consider shooting in RAW
image format for the greatest editing control. Read Understanding Your Camera to learn
more about RAW vs. JPG image formats. You should also be certain your editing program
can work with RAW images.)

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Module Code and Title : MMPIE 301 IMAGES EDITING

Learning Outcome 1: Prepare for image editing

Learning Outcome 2: Edit photo images

Learning Outcome 3: Create image composites

Learning Outcome 4: Export images

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Learning outcome 1: Prepare for image editing

Learning outcome 1. Prepare for image editing

1.1 Digital image features and formats

1.2 Image editing tools

1.3 Organizing digital images

1.4 Capturing digital images

Indicative content1.1: Digital image features and formats

✓ Digital image size and resolution

✓ Raster and vector graphics

✓ Image file formats

✓ File size and image compression

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✓ Colour modes
RGB
CMYK

✓ Colour properties
Hue
Tints
Tone
Shade
Value

File size

The file size of an image is the digital size of the image file, measured in kilobytes (K),
megabytes (MB), or gigabytes (GB). File size is relative to the pixel dimensions of the
image. Images with more pixels may produce more detail at a given printed size, but they
require more disk space to store and may be slower to edit and print.

Pixels
Every digital photo is made up of pixels (Picture elements), often abbreviated as px. You
can think of a pixel as a tiny square that uses a specific color. When you look at an image
file on a computer, you're really looking at thousands and thousands of pixels. But because
each pixel is so small, you normally won't notice each of them unless you zoom in.

Resolution

You can think of an image's resolution as the amount of detail contained in the image. The
higher the resolution, the more quality the image will have. Resolution is especially important
if you're thinking of printing or resizing an image. This is because you can generally make an
image smaller without noticing much of a difference in the quality. However, making an
image larger than its original size will usually result in a noticeable loss in quality.

In the example below, the smaller version still looks sharp and clear.

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Vector graphics vs Raster images
Vector graphics are also known as scalable vector graphics (SVG). These graphics consist of
anchored dots and connected by lines and curves, similar to the connect-the-dot activities you
may have done as a kid. Because these graphics are not based on pixels, they are known as
resolution independent, which makes them infinitely scalable. Their lines are sharp, without
any loss in quality or detail, no matter what their size. These graphics are also device-
independent, which means their quality doesn't depend on the number of dots available on a
printer or the number of pixels on a screen. Because they consist of lines and anchor points,
the size of the files are relatively small.
Raster images are made of pixels, or tiny dots that use color and tone to produce the image.
Pixels appear like little squares on graph paper when the image is zoomed in or enlarged.
These images are created by digital cameras, by scanning images into a computer or with
raster-based software. Each image can only contain a fixed number of pixels; the amount of
pixels determines the quality of the image. This is known as resolution. More pixels results in
better quality at the same or larger sizes of the original, but this also increases the size of the
file and the amount of space it takes to store the file.

File size and image compression

How does file size affect image quality?

Many people think that lowering the resolution of an image also lowers the file size of the
image, allowing it to download faster over the web. But while it's true that smaller files sizes
download faster, the resolution of your image has nothing to do with its file size.

Digital image files can be very large and take up a lot of hard-drive space. Because of this,
many file formats use compression to reduce the file size.

There are two main types of file compression:

 Lossy: This compression type removes some information from the image
and lowers the overall quality to reduce the file size.

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  Lossless: This compression type does not remove any information from the
image, but it typically cannot reduce the file size as much as lossy
compression.

Images that use lossy compression can be saved at different quality levels. The lower the
quality, the smaller the file size. This is because lowering the quality also removes more
information from the image. In the example below, you can see the same image saved at
different quality levels.

Colour modes

A colour model is a system that uses three primary colours to create a larger range of
colours.

They are three colour model:

 The RGB Colour Model

The most common one is Red/Green/Blue, usually referred to as RGB. This colour
model uses light to create colour and it is used for digital media. When you play a game
on your smart phone or watch an action movie on TV, you are seeing colour in an RGB
colour space. RGB is called an additive colour model because when the three colours of
light are shown in the same concentration at the same time, they produce white/light. If
all the lights are out, they create black.

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The CMYK Colour Model

When printing color images, you can't use colored light, and that means images can not be
printed in RGB. That is where the other color model comes in. A subtractive color
model adds pigment in the form of ink or dye that causes an absence of white. The most
common subtractive color model is Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black, usually referred to
as CMYK. It is what printers use, and you will sometimes also see it called process
colorbecause it is used in the four color printing process. To print a color image on paper,
you have to use ink. Starting with the bright white paper surface, the colors are printed
according to a pattern. The more color is applied, the more the white surface is masked. That
is why it is called subtractive. But why the addition of black ink? Because when all the colors
are mixed, they create a muddy brown. To get rich deep black, you have to use black ink.

It is frequently suggested that the ‗K‘ in CMYK comes from the last letter in ‗black‘ and was
chosen because B already refers to blue. However, this explanation is incorrect. The ‗K‘ in
CMYK stands for ‗key‘ since in four-color printing cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates
are carefully keyed or aligned with the key of the black key plate. Black is used because the
combination of the three primary colors (CMY) doesn‘t produce a fully saturated black. This
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is evident in the central black color created by the overlapping circles in the color chart
above.

Greyscale – This black-and-white-looking mode actually comprises various shades of grey

within an image. You can use it in print and digital formats. In digital, each image pixel has a
value ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white). In print, the values range from 0% (white) to
100% (black), representing the amount of black ink used.
Uses:
Digital formats, to express a certain tone in your designs
Print formats, to lower costs and minimize ink usage

Colour properties
Hue
Hue defines pure color in terms of "green", "red" or "magenta". Hue also defines mixtures
of two pure colors like "red-yellow" (~ "orange"), or "yellow-green" (limitations to this
statement will be addressed later).

Hue is usually one property of three when used to determine a certain color.

Hue is a more technical definition of our color perception which can be used to communicate
color ideas.

Tint

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Tint is a color term commonly used by painters.

A tint is a mixing result of an original color to which has been added white.

If you tinted a color, you've been adding white to the original color.

A tint is lighter than the original color.

When used as a dimension of a color space, tint can be the amount of white added to an
original color. In such a color space a pure color would be non-tinted.

Shade

Shade is a color term commonly used by painters.

A shade is a mixing result of an original color to which has been added black.

If you shaded a color, you've been adding black to the original color.

A shade is darker than the original color.

When used as a dimension of a color space, shade can be the amount of black added to an
original color. In such a color space a pure color would be non-shaded.

Tone

Tone is a color term commonly used by painters.

There is a broader and a narrower definition of tone.

The broader definition defines tone as a result of mixing a pure color with any
neutral/grayscale color including the two extremes white and black. By this definition all tints
and shades are also considered to be tones.

The narrower definition defines tone as a result of mixing a pure color with any grayscale
color excluding white and black. By this definition a certain amount of white and black must
have been added to the original color. Furthermore the following is true: If you changed
the tonal value of a color, you've been adding gray (any ratio of mixture) to the original color.
Indicative content1.2: Image Editing Tools.
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✓ Computer system Recommended specifications
Processor
Operating systems
RAM
Storage
Monitor resolution
✓ Image editing software features
Layer editing
Colour manipulation
Selection Image transformation
Multiple formats support
Retouching tools
1.2.1 Computer system Recommended specifications

Minimum System Requirements for editing images.

Processor: Dual-Core Processor, Intel i3 5th Generation or AMD A9

Memory / RAM: 8GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA or ATI Radeon (AMD) with OpenCL and OpenGL Support
Internal Storage: 500GB (Hybrid Drive highly recommended.
Monitor resolution
Resolution is also used to assess the visual quality of various hardware devices:
computer monitors,
digital signage,
TVs,
mobile devices and
printers.
Monitor size is another factor in image quality. An image displayed on a smaller monitor will
appear sharper compared to the identical image on larger monitors with the same resolution.
This happens because the pixels are spread over a larger number of inches, leading to a loss
of clarity and sharpness. A smaller screen will have a higher number of pixels per inch (PPI)
than a larger screen, so its image will be sharper and more vivid. Due to this phenomenon,
larger screens need higher resolutions to preserve image quality.
Types of resolution
There are two types of resolution:

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Image resolution. Image resolution refers to the density of pixels in an image, expressed as
PPI. This shouldn't be confused with image dimension, which is expressed as a measurement
of the number of rows and columns of pixels an image contains, such as 640x480.
Screen resolution. Display resolution or screen resolution expresses how many pixels are
present in a display or entire screen. A given display will have a maximum resolution that
depends on its physical ability to focus light. For example, a 15-inch 640x480 monitor will
display approximately 50 dots per inch. A smaller display would have more PPI.
In general, screen resolution is the number of pixels a screen can show horizontally and
vertically. So, a screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 -- 1080p or full HD -- can display
1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically.
In addition to its maximum resolution, a display can support several lower resolutions. For
instance, a 1280x1023 display can also support 1024x768, 800x600 and 640x480 resolutions.

Screen size vs. resolution

The terms screen resolution and screen size are sometimes used interchangeably. However,
they are not the same. Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels and density, while

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screen size refers to the screen's physical dimensions. The latter is usually measured
diagonally in inches, from one corner of the screen to the other.
Two displays with the same resolution can have different physical dimensions, which is why
pixel density expressed in PPI is an important factor. The clarity of an image is affected by
the screen size and not having enough pixels to go around.
Similarly, two monitors with the same screen size can have different resolutions. The screen
with a higher number of pixels and greater PPI will have a better resolution than the same
size screen with a lower number of pixels.
Image quality is also affected if two screens have the same resolution but different sizes. The
smaller display of the same resolution will have more PPI, and show a clearer, more detailed
image than the bigger display.

1.2.2 Image editing software features

Introduction
While there are many applications you can use to edit images on your computer or mobile
device, the software you use will largely depend on your needs. Some applications allow you
to make only a few basic changes, while others give you access to advanced and powerful
tools. We'll cover some of the most popular image editing software available today, including
both free and paid options.

Basic image editing software

If you just need to make simple adjustments to an image, like cropping, resizing,
or rotating, there are many free applications available to you. This includes the built-in
software on your device, as well as some third-party software.

Advanced image editing software

If you need additional editing tools, you may want to use an advanced image editing
application. You can learn more about some of the most popular ones below, but keep in
mind that these are just a few of the many available options.
Adobe Photoshop
Even if you've never done much image editing, you may have heard of Adobe Photoshop.
Available for both Windows and Mac devices, Photoshop is an extremely powerful
application that's used by many professional photographers and designers. It's also very
expensive, so unless you need to edit photos professionally you may want to consider getting
one of the more affordable (or free) options below.

 Images layer editing

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 What is layers in image editing?
Layers are used in digital image editing to separate different elements of an image.
A layer can be compared to a transparency on which imaging effects or images are
applied and placed over or under an image. Today they are an integral feature of image
editor.

 Image colour manipulation

his library provides routines for manipulating the color of an image. This includes color space
transformations, as well as some attempts at color-correcting an image sequence to account
for different illuminations and camera sensor properties.

 Selection

Adobe Photoshop also offers a number of selection tools: Quick Mask, Rectangular
marquee, Elliptical marquee, Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, Magic Wand.
The most efficient way to make a selection in Adobe Photoshop is to use Quick Mask mode.
 Quick Mask mode
To switch from Standard mode to Quick Mask mode, press the button in the lower
part of the Toolbox or use a hot key Q.
Paint over the areas to be selected with a hard edge Brush (in Quick Mask mode the
selected area is highlighted in semi-transparent red)

 Images transformation

How to Transform an Object

Many objects, shapes, or images that we create are not always the ideal size, roation, or skew
that we want. We can alter or transform objects by using the Transform and Free Transform
Tools.

Transform
The Transform feature allows users to alter their object or selection in a variety of ways,
such as scale, rotate, distort, or flip (mirror).

 To use the Transform feature, select a layer or create a new selections.

 Got to Edit in the menu, select Transform, and select the type of transformation you
wish to make.

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  A bounding box will appear around your selection and allow you to transform it using
the handles. If you use Roate 180°, Rotate 90°, Flip Horizontal, or Flip Vertical then
your image will automatically be transformed.

Free Transform
The Free Transform feature allows you to make several transformations at once, rather than
one at a time.

 To use the Free Transform feature, select a layer or create a new selections.

 Got to Edit in the menu, select Free Transform. A bounding box will appear around
your selection.

 You can now transform the selection using the bounding box handles.

o Scale - Grab corner handles and adjust size

o Rotate - Move cursor slightly away from corner handle, moving it away from
the selection. The cursor will turn into a curved double arrow and allow you to
rotate the selection.

o Distort - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL (Windows) or
COMMAND (Mac) key so that the cursor becomes white, and grab a handle
to distort.

o Skew - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL (Windows) or
COMMAND (Mac) + SHIFT keys so that the cursor becomes white, and grab
a handle to skew.

o Perspective - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL
(Windows) or COMMAND (Mac) + ALT + SHIFT keys so that the cursor
becomes white, and grab a handle to change perspective.

 Multiple formats support

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 Retouching tools

There are 8 tools that come under the retouching palette of Photoshop CC (Creative
Cloud) and each of them is discussed below in detail:-
1. Healing Brush Tool
2. Spot Healing Tool
3. Red Eye
4. Patch Tool
5. Content Aware Tool
6. Clone Tool
7. Dodge tool and Burn tool

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Indicative content1.3: Organizing digital images

✓ Organizing images with folders

✓ Using Adobe Bridge

✓ File browsing

✓ Metadata and keywords

✓ Batch naming

✓ Sorting and Ordering

✓ Adding rati
ngs and labels to images

✓ Filtering images and creating collections

 Organizing images with folders

Put the images in folders. This is an obvious point but you‘d be amazed at the amount of
websites that has every file for a site in the root directory. I‘ve taken over maintaning a
website like these too many times that I feel like I need to address this issue.
Put them in the right folders. I like to put images that are needed in the structure of the
website or common elements, such as icons and buttons, in the images folder. Other images
like product images goes in the product_images folder. Images that are related to the content
go in a general folder called uploads or content_images. I rarely have to do this since I would
usually upload the images to a photo sharing website like Flickr or I would let the CMS take
care of these images.
Don’t make too many folders. Don‘t go too nuts creating folders to categorize each type of
image. For example, don‘t create a folder called red inside the
folder buttons inside elements inside the images folder. Even though it only takes a split
second to navigate through such file structure, it adds up when working with hundreds of
images. Instead, reduce the amount of folders involved by following the next tips.

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 Adopt a naming convention. When naming your images, add a descriptive prefix. If you‘re
exporting a button called Buy Now, name it button-buy-now.png or whatever extension the
file is. This way, all your buttons will be grouped when you list your image files
alphabetically. Some people use btn- for the button prefix to reduce the length of the file
name. I use bg- for my backgrounds and icon- for icons. I also name my headings like h1-
, h2-, h3-, h4- and so on.
Name them what they are. When you‘re looking for a specific file and there are too many
files in a folder to view in thumbnail mode, I like to change the folder viewing mode to list
mode. This wouldn‘t be very helpful if you‘re naming the files button1.jpg, block22.gif, blue-
a.gif, etc. Name them according to what they are. If a button says ―Add to Cart‖ name it
something like button-add-to-cart.png. If the image is a background to a specific area, name
it something like bg-sidebar.gif, so you know that you need to look in the backgrounds area
of your folder and what area it‘s a background for.
Be specific with your file names. Take it one step further after following the previous two
tips. Be specific when naming your image files. If the image you‘re saving is for all
unordered lists in the header, name it bg-header-ul.gif.

 Using Adobe Bridge

Adobe Bridge is a file organization program that allows you to manage, open and view files.
You can quickly rename several photos at once with a unique Visual Information Record
Identification Number (VIRIN), instead of one image at a time.
The program in question is Adobe Bridge CC(opens in new tab), and it‘s packed with handy
features and time-saving tools to bring order to your photo collection.
Read on to discover how to organise your photos into collections. You can also apply useful
tags and other identifying data to photos with the minimum of fuss and even import photos
directly from other sources, including your digital camera.

If you‘ve been struggling to stay on top of your photos, Adobe Bridge CC will be your new
best friend.

How to Import Photos in Adobe Bridge

1. Plug your camera into a USB port of your computer; then the camera should appear as a new
drive.
2. Navigate to the new drive, open the DCIM folder and select all of the photos.
3. Use Ctrl + C on a PC, or Command + C on a Mac or right-click and select Copy.

 File browsing

What is a browse file?

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When describing files on a computer, browsing is the action of looking through drives,
shares, and folders on a computer for a file. For example, in a software program, when you
want to open a file, you'll often have to browse your computer to locate it.

 Metadata
Metadata is data about data. In our case, it is things like the exif
information of the image, the date and time of capture, the file type, camera
make, lens model etc.

 Batch naming

✓ Sorting and Ordering

✓ Adding ratings and labels to images
✓ Filtering images and creating collections

 Sorting and Ordering

 Adding ratings and labels to images
 Filtering images and creating collections

Indicative content1.4: Capturing digital images

✓ Import image from a digital device

✓ Using print screen/Screenshot

✓ Saving image from website

✓ Using a scanner to scan an image

Setting scanner resolution
Setting file format
Choosing a colour profile

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1.4.1 Import image from a digital device
How do we Import photos from my digital camera?
Use a USB cable to connect your camera directly to your computer. Drag and drop the
images you want from the camera to your desktop. Insert the camera's SD card and drag the
image files from the card to your desktop. Send pictures directly from your camera to the
cloud and access your cloud account from your computer
1.4.2 Using print screen/Screenshot
Using the Snipping Tool
The Windows Snipping Tool captures all or part of your PC screen. After you capture a snip,
it's automatically copied to the Snipping Tool window. From there you can edit, save, or
share the snip.
For details and instructions, see Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots.
Using the PRINT SCREEN key
Pressing PRINT SCREEN captures an image of your entire screen and copies it to the
Clipboard in your computer's memory. You can then paste (CTRL+V) the image into a
document, email message, or other file.
Where is the PRINT SCREEN button?
The PRINT SCREEN key is usually located in the upper right corner of your keyboard. The
key looks similar to the following:

The text you see on your keyboard might be PrtSc, PrtScn, or PrntScrn. The other text on the
Print Screen key is usually SysRq.
1.4.3 Saving image from website
Right click that URL and click Open in new tab. In the new tab, right click the image and
choose Save image as. Now you can name your file and save it to your computer
1.4.4 Using a scanner to scan an image
Place documents face down on the printer or scanner surface. Align photo within the arrows
or grids on the device. Close the lid if there is one. Press scan on the scanner or use the
scanning program on your computer.
Setting scanner resolution
Scanning text documents is a relatively smooth process that does not take a lot of time. The
lowest DPI that is needed for the scanned text to display and print properly is 300 DPI. If the
text is going to be reprinted, a DPI setting of 600 or better is ideal.
Setting file format
How do I change the file type on a scanner?

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Select File Format. Select Change Settings. Select the required File Format (ie: TIFF/JPEG
Auto Select, TIFF, PDF, PDF/A, XPS). Select Save to save changes.

Choosing a colour profile

The safest option in most uses is sRGB. While it's not the largest color space and isn't ideal
for high-quality imaging applications, you'll be hard-pressed to find a device or app that
doesn't handle files embedded with the sRGB color space as you'd expect.

Learning out come 1.1 : formative assessment

Written assessment
1. Discuss about color model in image editing

A colour model: is a system that uses three primary colours to create a larger range of
colours.

 The RGB Colour Model

There are two basic kinds of color models, additive and subtractive. Let's look at an
additive color model first. The most common one is Red/Green/Blue, usually referred to
as RGB. This color model uses light to create color, and it is used for digital media.

 The CMYK Colour Model

When printing color images, you can't use coloured light, and that means images cannot
be printed in RGB. That is where the other color model comes in. A subtractive color
model adds pigment in the form of ink or dye that causes an absence of white. The most
common subtractive color model is Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black, usually referred to
as CMYK.

2. Describe the term bitmap

 Bitmapis raster-based and uses pixels to create images. Photoshop is designed for
editing and creating photos or raster-based art. When the program was developed it
was for photographers, but over time the program has grown to help all kinds of
artists to do many different kinds of work. Now Photoshop is known to create
interface designs, web pages, banner ads, video graphics, and the original use of
editing and creating images for print.

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  Photoshop is known to be able to do so much and be so easy to learn that it is looked
at as a one stop shop, but Photoshop is not the best program for all types of artwork
and design.

3. While compressing an image, we have two types of image compression.

Differentiate them

Types of file compression

 Lossy compression and lossless compression
 Lossy compression reduces a file by permanently eliminating certain information,
especially redundant information
While Lossless compression techniques, as their name implies, involve no loss of
information. If data have been losslessly compressed, the original data can be recovered
exactly from the compressed data.

4. Define the following:

a. Image resolution: refer to the details an image hold
b. File format: A file format is a standard way that information is encoded for
storage in a computer file.
c. Printer resolution: the fineness of detail you can see in an image
d. Image dimension: are the length and width of a digital image. It is usually
measured in pixels, but some graphics programs allow you to view and work
with your image in the equivalent inches or centimeters
e. color tone is produced either by mixing a color with grey or by both tinting and
shading
f. rasterizing: converting an vector to rastered image
5. differentiate four types of resolution

Four of the most important kinds are: spatial, radiometric, spectral, and temporal
resolution.

Spatial resolution

 Spatial resolution is a term that refers to the number of pixels utilized in

construction of a digital image.
 Spectral resolution describes the ability of a sensor to define fine wavelength
intervals
 Radiometric resolution refers to how much information is in a pixel and is
expressed in units of bits.

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  Temporal resolution (TR) refers to the accuracy of a measurement with respect to
time.
6. differentiate resolution from image resolution
 Image resolution is the detail an image holds
 Resolution: is the power of a computer screen, printer, etc. to give the clear image
depending on the size of the dots that make up the image
7. choose the correct answer
I. The full form of RGB is:
A) Red Green Black
B) Red Gary Black
C) Red Green Blue
D) Red Gary Blue
II. In which of these formats are lossless when the image is saved?
A) Tiff
B) Jpeg
C) PNG
III. What kind of colors are red, yellow and blue?
A) Primary
B) Secondary
C) Tertiary
D) Complementary
IV. The images are made of ________
A) DPI
B) Pixels
C) Drawing
D) Pictures
V. The quality of your printer and paper will affects the appearance of your output
a. True b. False
8. Write in full word
1. a. TIFF: - Tagged Image File
b. PNG: Portable Network Graphics
c. JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
d. GIF- Graphics Interchange Format
e. PPI pixel per inch

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Practical assessment
Ask a trainee to download Raster image and then she/ he supposed to convert it in Vector
graphic ( Vectorisation or Tracing).
 Checklist

QUALITY OF PRODUCT

CHECKLIST YES NO
Indicator: Testing of output images is done
Image is well downloaded
Image is well scanned
Image is raster free
Image is well traced
Image is multi layer based

Learning outcome 2: Edit photo images

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Learning outcome 2. Edit photo images

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 Indicative contents (headings of indicative content from the module of the
curriculum)

1.1 Creating and opening image documents

1.2 Image straightening, cropping and resizing

1.3 Enhancing images

Indicative content 2.1: Creating and opening image documents.

Introduction
Adobe Photoshop

is a powerful graphic editing program that allows you to create and manipulate images for
print, the web, and other media. Photoshop is almost limitless in the ability to manipulate and
edit images, but don't let that scare you! We have created this guide to help you learn and
take advantage of the many feature of this program.

Keep in mind that this guide introduces the basics; many of the tools need to be explored to
see all of their capabilities. Also, look for the "Additional Resources" box on each page for
additional guides and videos to help you learn each topic!

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✓ Opening documents
 Opening images into Photoshop
Open Image
Opening an Existing Image or File

Once you have opened Photoshop, you can start editing right away! Follow the directions
below to open an existing Photoshop file (.psd) or image.

1. To open a Photoshop document or image: Go to File and select Open...

2. A Browse window will appear and you can locate your file, select it, and click Open.

Tip: To re-open a recently opened file, select Open Recent to select from a list of recently
opened files.

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  Opening an image from Bridge
Open Bridge
1. In Photoshop, choose File > Browse In Bridge. (If you‘re asked to enable the
Photoshop extension in Bridge, click Yes or OK.)

Adobe Bridge opens, displaying a collection of panels, menus, and button.

2. Select the Folders tab in the upper left corner, and then browse to find your photos or
images on your computer or external drive.

3. (Optional) If your images are in a folder that you will use frequently, you can
choose File > Add To Favorites. Adding files and folders that you use often to the
Favorites panel lets you access them quickly.
4. You will see thumbnail versions of your files in the folder you have selected. When
you click a file, you will see a larger version of the thumbnail in the Content panel.
5. To open after selecting file in Photoshop, simply double-click the thumbnail to open
the file in Photoshop.

✓ Creating documents

 Using The New Document Dialog box

Create a New Photoshop File

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Although you may typically open images in Photoshop, there are times when you need to
create a new file. This may happen when you want to make a collage, create a web banner,
design an ad, or more. This page will show and explain each section of the new dialog box.

1. To create a new document: Go to File and select New...

2. Use the guide below to set your desired document size and settings.

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  Resizing images and adjusting resolution

✓ Setting ruler and guides

Rulers and guides are helpful features that aid users in the alignment and placement of
objects. Rulers are shown at the top and to the left of your Photoshop canvas to help you
measure and align. You may also drag guides from the rulers to add a grid or set of guides to
help you place or align objects. The steps below will show you how to set your Rulers and
Guide preferences, show rulers, add guides, and hide rulers and guides.

How to Show Document Rulers

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  To show the Rulers in Photoshop, either go to View in the menu and select Rulers, or
press CMD+R (Mac) or CTRL+R (Windows) on your keyboard.

 To hide Rulers in Photoshop, either go to View in the menu and deselect Rulers, or
press CMD+R (Mac) or CTRL+R (Windows) on your keyboard.

✓ Closing documents

To close all open images, go up to the File menu and choose Close All. There's also a
handy keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+Alt+W (Win) / Command+Option+W (Mac): To close all
open images, go to File > Close All.

✓ Navigating Documents
 Working with tabbed documents
Tabbed Documents
By default, Photoshop opens our images as tabbed documents. We'll look at what that means
in a moment. But at first glance, something doesn't seem right. I've opened three photos, but
where are they? Only one of the three is displayed on the screen (swallowtail butterfly
photo from Adobe Stock):

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The Tabs

It may not look like it, but the other two images are open as well. We just can't see them at
the moment. That's because Photoshop opened the images as a series of tabbed documents. If
we look along the top of the photo, we see a row of tabs. Each tab represents one of the open
images. The name of each photo appears in its tab. The tab that's highlighted is the one that's
currently active, meaning it's the one we're seeing on the screen. The other tabs are hiding
behind it and not currently visible:

Switching Between Tabbed Documents

To switch between tabbed documents, simply click on the tabs. At the moment, my third
image (the tab on the right) is active. I'll click on the tab in the middle to select it:

Switching Between Tabbed Documents From The Keyboard

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Along with clicking the tabs, we can also switch between tabbed documents from the
keyboard. On a Windows PC, press Ctrl+Tab to move left to right from one tab to another.
On a Mac, press Control+Tab. To move between tabs in the opposite direction (from right to
left), press Shift+Ctrl+Tab (Win) / Shift+Control+Tab (Mac).

Changing The Order Of The Tabs

To change the order of tabbed documents, click and hold on a tab and drag it to the left or
right of other tabs. Release your mouse button to drop the tab into place. Make sure, though,
that you drag straight across horizontally. If you drag diagonally, you may accidentally create
a floating document window. We'll look at floating windows next:

Displaying All Open Images As Floating Windows

If you want to switch all of your tabbed documents into floating windows, go up to
the Window menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen, choose Arrange, and then
choose Float All in Windows:

Going to Window > Arrange > Float All in Windows.

And now all three of my images appear in floating windows, with the currently active
window displayed in front of the others. Again, we can move the windows around on the
screen to reposition them by clicking and dragging the tab area along the top of each window.
To make a different window active and bring it to the front, just click on it:

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  Arrange multiple opened documents

To view both open images at once, we can use Photoshop's multi-document layouts. To find
them, go up to the Window menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen. Then,
choose Arrange. The various layouts are grouped together at the top of the menu. Depending
on how many images you've opened, some of the layouts may be grayed out and unavailable.
In my case, since I've opened only two images, the layouts for viewing three or more
documents are grayed out:

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33
  Zooming techniques
✓ Using the undo command

Zooming In And Out Of An Image

To zoom in on a single image in a multi-document layout, first click on the image to make its
document window active. Then, press and hold Ctrl+spacebar (Win)
/ Command+spacebar (Mac). This will temporarily switch you to Photoshop's Zoom Tool.
Your cursor will change into a magnifying glass with a plus sign (+) in the center. Click on
the image to zoom in on that spot. Click repeatedly to zoom in further.

Here, I've zoomed in on the blue butterfly in the middle document:

To zoom out, press and hold Ctrl+Alt+spacebar (Win)

/ Command+Option+spacebar (Mac). You'll see the same magnifying glass cursor icon but
with a minus sign (-) in the center. Click on the image to zoom out from that spot. Click
repeatedly to zoom out further.

Zooming In Or Out Of All Images At Once

To zoom in on every open image at once, press Shift+Ctrl+spacebar (Win)

/ Shift+Command+spacebar (Mac) and click on any image within the layout. All images
will zoom in at the same time. To zoom out of every image at once,
press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+spacebar (Win) / Shift+Command+Option+spacebar (Mac) and
click on any image.

Matching The Zoom Level And Position Of All Images

Photoshop lets us quickly jump all images within a multi-document layout to the exact same
zoom level or position. First, click on the image with the zoom level or position you want the

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other images to match. Go up to the Window menu, choose Arrange, and then choose the
Match option you need. To match all images to the zoom level of the selected image,
choose Match Zoom. To match their position, choose Match Position. There's also a Match
Rotation option to match the rotation angle of all open images. We'll look at rotating images
in another tutorial. To match the zoom level and position (as well as the rotation angle) of all
images to the selected image, choose Match All:

✓ Using save and save as commands

Save a Native File for Future Edits

it is highly recommended to save a copy of your Photoshop file as a Photoshop Document or

.PSD. A Photoshop file or PSD is also referred to as a native file and the benefit of saving a
PSD is that it will store all of your layers, even hidden ones, so that you may come back and
edit them later. This allows for more freedom in editing your images at a future time. Think
of the PSD file as something for your archival purposes.

Here are the steps you'd take to save your file for print purposes:

1. In order to save your image for print purpoes, choose "File" in the top menu of your
Photoshop window, then "Save As".

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3. You should then see a dialog box appear with several different options for saving your
file. If you're using Photoshop on a Mac, your "Save As" dialog box may not be
configured to show you all of your options outright. If your dialog box looks similar
to the one below, click on the small, downward facing arrow icon to expand it (image
left). You should then see an expanded set of options appear (image right).

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 4. You're almost there! Finally, click "Save" to complete this process. Before finally
exporting your image, Photoshop will prompt you to fine tune some options that are
specific to the file type you chose.

Save an File for Sharing

We all know that not everyone has access to Photoshop, so this means that not everyone can
open your PSD files. Additionally, you cannot upload a PSD file to most photo-hosting
websites like FlickR or Imgur. PSD files are perfect if you want editing an image again in the
future, but not good for sharing. This is where image files, such as .JPEG, .GIF, and .TIFF,
come into the picture. These files differ from PSD files in the fact that they are "flat" and
often do not contain layer information that can be edited at a later time.

Indicative content 2.2 : Image straightening, cropping and resizing.

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✓ Whole-image transformations
How to Transform an Object

Many objects, shapes, or images that we create are not always the ideal size, roation, or skew
that we want. We can alter or transform objects by using the Transform and Free Transform
Tools.

Transform
The Transform feature allows users to alter their object or selection in a variety of ways,
such as scale, rotate, distort, or flip (mirror).

 To use the Transform feature, select a layer or create a new selections.

 Got to Edit in the menu, select Transform, and select the type of transformation you
wish to make.

 A bounding box will appear around your selection and allow you to transform it using
the handles. If you use Roate 180°, Rotate 90°, Flip Horizontal, or Flip Vertical then
your image will automatically be transformed.

Free Transform
The Free Transform feature allows you to make several transformations at once, rather than
one at a time.

 To use the Free Transform feature, select a layer or create a new selections.

 Got to Edit in the menu, select Free Transform. A bounding box will appear around
your selection.

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  You can now transform the selection using the bounding box handles.

o Scale - Grab corner handles and adjust size

o Rotate - Move cursor slightly away from corner handle, moving it away from
the selection. The cursor will turn into a curved double arrow and allow you to
rotate the selection.

o Distort - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL (Windows) or
COMMAND (Mac) key so that the cursor becomes white, and grab a handle
to distort.

o Skew - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL (Windows) or
COMMAND (Mac) + SHIFT keys so that the cursor becomes white, and grab
a handle to skew.

o Perspective - Place your cursor over a handle, hold down the CTRL
(Windows) or COMMAND (Mac) + ALT + SHIFT keys so that the cursor
becomes white, and grab a handle to change perspective.

✓ Straightening an image

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✓ Using the crop tool

Selecting the Crop Tool

To crop an image in Photoshop, we use the Crop Tool which is found in the toolbar. The
Crop Tool can also be selected from your keyboard by pressing the letter C:

The cropping border

As soon as you select the Crop Tool, Photoshop places a cropping border around the image.
And if you've used the Crop Tool on a previous image, the border will initially be set to that
previous size.

In the Options Bar, we see that my last image was cropped as an 8 x 10:

40
And in the document, the cropping border appears at that 8 x 10 aspect ratio. We'll look at all
of this in more detail in moment:

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✓ Resizing an image

If you do need to print the image at a larger size, then you'll need to enlarge it by adding
more pixels. Also, if you want to fit your image to a frame size that doesn't match the
aspect ratio of the photo, you'll first need to crop the image before resizing it.

The Image Size dialog box

To resize an image for print in Photoshop, we use the Image Size dialog box. To open it, go
up to the Image menu in the Menu Bar and choose Image Size:

Theoretical learning Activity

Discuss about image resizing

Indicative content 2.3: Enhancing images

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 ✓ Making basic image adjustments
Making auto adjustments
How Do You Auto Enhance in Photoshop?

Auto Enhance in Photoshop is a quick and easy way to improve the overall appearance of
your photos. With just a few clicks, you can dramatically improve the quality of your photos.
Here‘s how to do it:
1. Open your photo in Photoshop.
2. Go to the ―Enhance‖ menu and select ―Auto Enhance.‖
3. Photoshop will automatically adjust the contrast, brightness, and sharpness of your
photo.
4. If you‘re happy with the results, click ―OK.‖ If not, you can always undo the changes
by going to the ―Edit‖ menu and selecting ―Undo.‖

Auto Enhance is a great way to quickly improve the overall appearance of your photos.

Adjust Brightness and contrast

What you learned: To adjust brightness and contrast
1. In the menu bar, select Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast.
2. Adjust the Brightness slider to change the overall brightness of the image. Adjust the
Contrast slider to increase or decrease image contrast.
3. Click OK. The adjustments will appear only on the selected layer.
4.
Hue and saturation
Adjust saturation and hue
The Hue/Saturation command adjusts the hue (color), saturation (purity), and lightness of the
entire image or of individual color components in an image.
Use the Hue slider to add special effects, to color a black and white image (like a sepia
effect), or to change the range of colors in a portion of an image.

Change color saturation or hue

1. Do one of the following:

 Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation.

 Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation, or open an existing
Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

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  The two color bars in the dialog box represent the colors in their order on the color
wheel. The upper bar shows the color before the adjustment; the lower bar shows how
the adjustment affects all hues at full saturation.
In the Edit drop-down menu, choose which colors to adjust:

 Choose Master to adjust all colors at once.

 Choose one of the other preset color ranges listed for the color you want to adjust. An
adjustment slider appears between the color bars, which you can use to edit any range
of hues.
For Hue, enter a value or drag the slider until the colors appear as you want.

The values displayed in the text box reflect the number of degrees of rotation around
the color wheel from the pixel‘s original color. A positive value indicates clockwise
rotation, a negative value counterclockwise rotation. Values range from –180 to +180.
For Saturation, enter a value or drag the slider to the right to increase the saturation or
to the left to decrease it. Values range from –100 to +100.
For Lightness, enter a value or drag the slider to the right to increase the lightness or
to the left to decrease it. Values range from –100 to +100. Be careful when using this slider
on an entire image. It will reduce the tonal range of the overall image.
Click OK. Or, to cancel your changes and start over, hold down Alt (Option in Mac
OS), and click Reset.

Levels and curves

As I have said many times, Photoshop is perhaps the most powerful and flexible tool for
developing photographs, but it is also complex and not always intuitive. Even though
Photoshop has been around for decades now, many of us are just getting into it and even for
those who have been using it for years, some things can still be mysterious. Two questions
that repeatedly come up about Photoshop are what is the difference between Levels and
Curves adjustments and is one of them better than the other?

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 What are Levels and Curves adjustments used for? They are commonly used for adjusting
brightness and contrast but they can also adjust color balance.
 What is the simplest way to adjust brightness and contrast in Photoshop? The
Brightness/Contrast adjustment has just two controls, a slider for brightness and a slider for
contrast, making it the easiest way to make such adjustments. However, what it offers in
simplicity it lacks in control. It‘s fine for very simply brightness and contrast adjustments but
Levels and Curves each allow you to do much more.
 How are Levels and Curves the same? Both adjustments allow you to increase contrast by
independently adjusting the black and white levels and you can also control how the
brightness is balanced with a midpoint control. They also both provide color balance
adjustments and tools for setting a black point, white point and gray point.
 Can Curves do everything Levels can do? Yes, even though they appear different, every
control you have in Levels is also in Curves. However, Curves can also do much more than
Levels.
 How is Curves different than Levels? Levels has just three control points (black, white and
midpoint) and it is a single axis adjustment. Curves allows you to place multiple control
points and each point can move on two axes.
 What are the advantages of Curves? Multiple control points can be used to adjust some tones
while protecting others. Contrast can be increased without clipping shadows or highlights.
With curves, you can decrease contrast, something you can‘t do with Levels. The targeted
adjustment tool in Curves can be used to select and adjust tones right on the image. Finally,
the targeted adjustment tool can also be used to adjust the color balance in context directly on
the image.
 What are the disadvantages of Curves? Curves is more complicated to learn and can be a bit
confusing. It‘s also easier to make a bad adjustment with Curves.
Curves clearly gives you the most options and control but it takes some practice to get good
at it. Curves can do everything Levels or Brightness/Contrast can plus more, so if you could
only have one of these adjustments Curves would be the obvious choice.
However, if you can accomplish a particular adjustment with Levels and it is quicker and
easier for you, then there is no reason not to use it.

✓ Retouching and healing

The cloning tool

The Photoshop Clone Stamp tool copies one area of an image onto another area of an
image. Photographers and designers often use the Clone Stamp tool to remove unwanted
elements from a photograph. For example, it can be used to cover blemishes on people's

45
faces by copying from another part of the skin or to remove trees from a mountain view by
copying parts of the sky over them.

Open an image in Photoshop. To use the Clone Stamp tool, click and hold the rubber
stamp icon in the toolbox and select Clone Stamp Tool in the flyout menu. You can adjust
the brush size and shape, opacity, flow, and blending modes in the tool options bar at the
top of the workspace.

The content aware tool

Content Aware Tool:

Content aware tool has got even better in the new version of Photoshop. This tool just like the
patch tool allows you to recreate the images. This help you to adjust the image

In the first image you see two trekkers climbing the mountain and in the latter image they
were removed using the content aware tool. Content aware automatically detects and fills the
background using the content- aware type fill tool.

46
 The spot healing brush
The Spot Healing Brush is similar to its big brother, the standard Healing Brush. But while
the Healing Brush makes us choose the good texture ourselves, the Spot Healing Brush
chooses texture all on its own, and that makes it much faster to use. When retouching skin,
we just click on a blemish with the Spot Healing Brush, and like magic, the blemish is gone!

47
 This works exactly the same as a healing brush just in this tool you don‘t have to take
the sample pixels. You don‘t have to provide a sample to it, it automatically matches
the sample from the surrounding pixels. It works in a much quicker way however
there are certain elements for which you have to use the healing brush tool to get
precise and accurate results.

The healing brush

The healing brush allows you to correct the blemishes, imperfections & uneven skin. Healing
brush tool take sampled pixels from the image. You can easily blend the imperfections into
the image as a healing tool not only copy sampled pixels but also copy texture, lighting
shading and even the transparency of those selected pictures.

The patch tool

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you can edit or repair the selected areas using Patch tool. It also matches the shading and
texture of sampled pixels. You can look at the below image for reference.

To use Patch tool, you can simply select the patch tool from the same palette and create a
selection around the object that you want to remove. after this, drag that selection to the area
with which you want to blend it.

Learning out come 2 : formative assessment

49
Written assessment
1. Give the advantages of the following adjustment in adobe Photoshop
while editing digital image: (5MARKS)
A. Curves
B. Levels
C. Exposure
D. Black and white
E. Brightness and contrast

Brightness/Contrast: applies the same adjustment to every pixel in the selection or image
(i.e., if you increase the brightness value by 30, 30 is added to the brightness value of every
pixel).
Levels: allows precise adjustments using three variables (highlights, shadows, and
midtones). Use the black (shadow), white (highlight), and gray (midtone) sliders to adjust the
black point, white point, and overall brightness respectively.
Curves: is similar to levels, but rather than changing sliders on a plane you can add points to
a graph.

· Exposure: use multiple sliders to adjust the exposure, offset, and gamma of an image.

The Black & White Adjustment Layer allows you to easily make a color image appear
grayscale and then apply other effects from there. This feature works the same in all recent
versions of Adobe Photoshop: CS5, CS6, and Creative Cloud (CC).

2. After editing a photo the last step is to save it for future use. Explain how do
you save a Photoshop file so that you can edit it later?And which file format
will you use

Choose File > Save or press Ctrl+S/Command-S. Or, choose File > Save As
(Ctrl+Shift+S/Command-Shift-S) to save a new copy of the file. In the Save dialog that
appears, select a location on your hard disk (if you want to move it to a new location) A.
A Save the file so you can edit it later.8MARKS)

File format : Is PSD. 2marks

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 3. Identify clearly any 5 software tools used in image and photo
retouching.
 Photoshop
 Lightroom
 Picasa
 Photoscape
 Adobe
 Photoshop elements
 Colordraw
5. Explain clearly the following tools used in editing images/photo retouching.
a. Cropping tool: is used to crop any part of an image
b. Moving tool is used to move part of an image
c. Clone stamp tools: is used to clone of copy image information

Learning outcome 3: Create image composites

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1.1 Using layers to creating photo collages
1.2 Selection and Masking techniques
1.3 Creating effects

Indicative content 3.1: Using layers to creating photo collages.

3.1.1 Using layers to creating photo collages
✓ Layer basics
What are Layers?
Layers are one of Photoshop‘s most powerful features as they are individual slices of
information that can be stacked or moved to create your image composition. With layers, you
can draw, edit, paste, and reposition elements on one layer without disturbing the others.
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Selecting a Layer

In order to perform most actions in Photoshop, you will need to have at least one layer
selected.

1. To select a layer, just click on it in the Layers Palette. The layer will turn blue to
indicate that it has been selected.

2. To select several layers, hold down the CMD (Mac) or CTRL (Windows) key on your
keyboard and click on each layer you would like to have selected. To select several
consecutive layers, select the first layer and then hold the SHIFT key and select the
last layer.

Moving Layers
As you know, the order in which layers are stacked does make a difference to the appearance
of your image. It is important that you know how to move layers so that you are able to
change the order of them as needed.

1. Select the layer(s) you wish to move.

2. Click and hold your mouse and drag the layer to the desired position. A thick line will
appear between layers to indicate where the layer will be dropped. Once you have the
layer where you want it, release your mouse and the layer will move to the new
location.

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Layer Name

This indicates the name of the layer. By default, the name will be determined by the type of
layer it is.

 Rename a layer by double-clicking on the Layer Name, typing in a new name, and
hitting the ENTER key.

Visibility Toggle
This is a handy layer feature that allows to to show and hide particular layers without having
to delete them.

 Hide or Show a layer by clicking on the eyeball icon to toggle visibility.

✓ Creating a new layer

✓ Duplicating and moving layers in or form outside the document

✓ Applying opacity
✓ Adding and formatting text layers
✓ Merging, Rasterizing and flattening layers
✓ Blending modes and layer styles

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Indicative content 3.2 : Selection and Masking techniques.

3.2.1 Marquee and lasso tools

The marquee tool is used to draw selections based on geometric shapes. Specifically, the
marquee tool allows you to draw rectangular and elliptical selections. On the other hand the
lasso tool is a very handy tool for selecting areas which have reasonably well-defined edges.
What is difference between marquee and Lasso tool?
So as you can see, the marquee tools are great for selecting your geometric shapes and
the lasso tools are great for your more free form shapes, and of course you can use any of
these tools in combination with one another to make more complex shapes at any time.

The simplest selection tools to use are the marquee tools. These include the Rectangular,
Elliptical, Single Row and Single Column tools. Activate the tools by clicking and holding
the mouse button on the top-left tool in the Tools palette:

Click on the tool you would like to use. The Rectangular Marquee tool lets you select a
square or rectangular area; the Elliptical Marquee tool selects a circular or elliptical area; and
the Single Row and Single Column tools select a single line of pixels either horizontally or
vertically.

To use one of the marquee tools, click and drag out the selection with the mouse in your
image:

Creating a selection with the Rectangular Marquee tool

By holding down the Shift key while dragging, you can constrain the selection to a square
(for the Rectangular Marquee tool) or a circle (for the Elliptical Marquee tool):

55
 Creating a circular selection with the Elliptical Marquee tool
Also, by holding down the Alt key while dragging, you can drag from the centre of the
selection rather than from the edge – this is great for positioning circular selections precisely!
Try it out to see what I mean.

The lasso tools

The lasso tools are great for seleting well-defined, irregularly-shaped areas. For example,
they work well on strong foreground features of an image, such as a person‘s head.

To use the Lasso selection tools, click and hold the mouse on the Lasso Tool icon in the
Tools palette:

Click on the tool you‘d like to use. The best way to learn about these tools is to try them out,
but here are some pointers for you:

Lasso tool

The regular Lasso tool lets you select freehand areas by clicking and dragging with the mouse
– when you release the mouse the ―loop‖ is closed, completing the selection. This tool is
great for quickly selecting a rough area.

Polygonal Lasso tool

The Polygonal Lasso tool lets you create selections based on straight lines (or segments). This
allows you more precise control when selecting using the mouse. Click with the mouse in
your image to add the first fastening point, then move the mouse and click again to create a
new fastening point with a segment in between. Continue in this way until you‘re done, then
close the selection border by moving the mouse over the first point and clicking (double-
clicking with the mouse will also close the selection automatically). Try it!

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Magnetic Lasso tool

The Magnetic Lasso tool is similar to the Polygonal tool, but it tries to add fastening points
automatically based on the edge of the area you‘re selecting. For this reason, the magnetic
lasso tool works best when selecting areas that contrast well with their surroundings. As with
the Polygonal tool, you click to start it off. You can also add your own points by clicking.
Finish the selection by moving the mouse over the first point and clicking, or just double-
clicking.

The Magnetic Lasso tool‘s options let you control the tool‘s sensitivity:

Width controls the range of pixels around the mouse pointer within which the tool looks for
the edge of the object you‘re tracing. If your object has well-defined edges you can set a high
―Width‖ value and trace the object quickly and roughly. For more blurred edges, reduce the
width and trace more precisely.

Edge Contrast specifies the tool‘s sensitivity to the edge of the object you‘re selecting. A
high Edge Contrast value will only detect edges that contrast strongly with the rest of the
image, whereas a lower value will detect softer edges.

3.2.2 Quick selection tools

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The Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop is one of the most effective tools. With it, you can
quickly and easily select any part of an image.

But like all tools, the Quick Selection Tool has its own set of tricks and tips that can help you
get even better results. In this article, we‘ll take a look at some of the best ways to use the
Quick Selection Tool to improve your Photoshop workflow.

3.2.3 Combining selection tools

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The Combine Selection Tools mode allows you to combine the Object Selection tool and
the Range Selection tool. This is useful in situations where you often switch between these
tools.

If you activate Combine Selection Tools on the Project window toolbar and the track
height is set to at least 2 rows, the vertical track height of each track is divided into two areas.
The mouse pointer changes automatically from Object Selection to Range Selection tool
and vice versa according to the track area where you click.
How do you combine selections in Photoshop?
You can combine selections made with the marquee tools, the lasso tools, the Magic Wand
tool, and/or the Quick Selection tool. Each of these tools has options for combining
selections in its Options bar.

3.2.4 Masking with the pen tool

Masking with The Photoshop Pen Tool

Creating a good mask is one of the essential skills in compositing images within Photoshop.
Recognizing the right tool for the masking job is an art in itself. Today, we‘ll look at an often
overlooked, but highly effective way of creating a very good mask – using the Pen Tool in
Photoshop.

Let‘s consider this image:

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We want to extract the lizard from a seemingly simple background. So, why not go to the
―go-to‖ tool for starting a mask – the Quick-Select tool (W). After all, with the great new
Adobe technology, the Quick-Select tool can perform small miracles. Grab it and start
dragging to select the image:

After dragging out a selection in the inside of the lizard‘s body, we have the beginnings of a
selection that can become a mask. But, let‘s look closer:

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Looking closely, we can see that the edge isn‘t as smooth as we‘d hoped. There are several
places where the selection tool under- or over- selected, and the edges are a bit lumpy. We‘re
missing the ―holes‖ in the middle, too. Let‘s hold the Alt (PC) or Option (Mac) key down to
subtract from the selection and paint in the gaps:

Again, not bad, but not real good either. A few more passes of the quick-select tool, and we‘ll
have something ―ok‖ but not something great. The shadows around the edge of the lizard
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really interfere with the Quick-Select tool and can cause it to create irregular boundaries. We
can continue tweaking, adding and subtracting as we go, and then even go on to Refine
Selection – and burn a lot of time trying to finalize our mask. But due to the way these tools
work, we‘ll still end up with an edge that wants to be a little rough and organic. This is great
for soft edged objects, but sometimes, you want a really crisp, razor edge to your mask.

3.2.5 Converting a selection into a layer mask

What you learned: Create a layer mask from a selection
You can create a layer mask based on a selection. This is useful when you want to isolate a
complex subject with the precision of a selection and the flexibility of a layer mask.
Make a selection
Start by creating a selection using any selection method. If the image has a solid color
background, it may be easier to select the background than the subject. The Magic Wand tool
is useful for selecting a solid color background.
Select the Magic Wand tool in the Toolbar and check Contiguous in the Options bar.
Click the image background to select it. To add to the selection if necessary, Shift-click in the
image. To subtract from the selection, Option-click (MacOS) or Alt-click (Windows).
Choose Select > Invert, so the subject is selected instead of the background. Leave the
selection active.
Add a layer mask
When you add a layer mask with a selection active, the layer mask automatically contains
white where there was a selection and black where there was no selection.
With the selection active, click the Add layer mask button in the Layers panel. On the layer
mask, there is white where there was a selection (the subject) and black where there was no
selection (the background). The black hides the area that was not selected.
Copy to another image
You could add a new background to this image on a layer below the isolated subject. Or you
could use the following method to copy the isolated subject to another image, retaining the
layer mask for editing flexibility.
Open another image. Each of the open images has its own tab at the top of the document
window.
Copy the masked layer into the second image as follows: In the Layers panel of the first
image, click and hold an empty part of the layer that contains the subject and layer mask.
Keeping your mouse pressed down, drag from the Layers panel of the first image to the tab of
the second image and then into the document window of the second image. Release the
mouse. In the Layers panel of the second image, there is a new layer containing the subject
and its layer mask.
With the subject layer still selected in the second image, press Command+T (MacOS) or
Control+T (Windows). A bounding box with handles appears around the subject.

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Drag a corner handle of the bounding box to make the subject smaller or bigger. Drag from
inside the bounding box to move the subject.
Click outside the bounding box to finish scaling and positioning the subject and its layer
mask in the second image.
If you need to edit the layer mask in the second image, click the layer mask in the Layers
panel to make it active. Select the Brush tool in the Toolbar. Paint with black, white, or gray
to edit the layer mask.
Save your work with layers
Save both images in .PSD or .TIFF format to retain the layers and layer masks for future
editing.
3.2.6 Using smart objects

Photoshop Layers are great. They allow you to edit your photos without destroying the
original.

Smart Objects take the concept of nondestructive editing even further. They enable you to
make changes without losing quality.

There are tons of possibilities when you decide to use Smart Objects in Photoshop. Here are a
few important advantages of Smart Objects.

Resize and Transform

You can transform Smart Objects without losing the original data or image quality.

The transformations only affect the Smart Object but not the original image behind it.

Nondestructive Filters
You can apply filters to Smart Objects and edit them at any time. With regular filters, you
would have to undo and reapply them if you want to make changes.

Vectors
You can import or copy/paste vector artwork from Illustrator in Photoshop without rasterising
it.

This means you can keep using the artworks as vectors in Photoshop.

Limits of Smart Objects

What you can‘t do, is alter the pixel data. This means that you can‘t dodge, burn, or clone for
example.

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You can however edit the image behind the Smart Object if you‘d like.

How to Use Smart Objects in Photoshop

There are several ways to create smart objects and a lot of ways to use them. These are some
basic operations to start with.

I‘ll make everything clear with an example.

I‘m going to replace the photo inside the frame on the wall of this image.

© Pixabay
I‘m going to replace it with a photo I took in Bombay, India.

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© Joris Hermans
To practice, you can use the same image of the girl and frame and replace the photo with one
of your own.

Create and Transform a Smart Object

The easiest way to create a Smart object is to drag and drop an image file on the art board.

Step 1: Open the Background Photo

Open the photo of the girl looking at the frame.

Step 2: Drag and Drop

Now, locate the photo you want to put into the frame. You can use any image file but for this
example, I want you to pick a jpg file so we can later replace it with a different type of file.
I‘ll show you how to do this later.
Drag your photo onto the art board.

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When you drop it, Photoshop will automatically convert your photo into a Smart Object

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while placing it in a new layer.

Step 3: Resize
The photo is too big to fit the frame of the picture, so we have to resize it first.
Use shortcut Cmd + T (Ctrl + T for Windows) to resize it.

Remember, it doesn‘t have to be exact. You can always resize again without losing quality. It
doesn‘t affect the file behind the Smart Object.
Hold Shift while you resize so it doesn‘t affect the aspect ratio of the image. Move the image
over the frame.

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Double click on the image to confirm the transformation.

Step 4: Transform
The last thing we have to do to make the new photo fit in the frame naturally, is to change
the perspective. Go to Edit > Transform and select ‗Distort‘.

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Zoom in and drag the corners of the Smart Object to make it fit in the frame. Double click to
confirm.

Indicative content 3.3: Creating effects

3.3.1 Matching composite perspective, luminosity and colours

Match Highlight and Shadow

Create stronger composite images by matching the subject highlights and shadows to the
background. Learn how advanced selections can keep the rest of the subject intact while only
editing the highlights.

Color Correction

Remove the complexities from correcting colors in shadows, mid-tones and highlights. At
times, highlights are too warm or too saturated and need to be treated separately from other
areas of an image. Learn how to correct color and restrict your changes to specific areas.

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Perfect Light

Analyze light like never before. Placement, as well as type of light, is extremely important. In
this tutorial, you will learn how to match the light sources on any image.

Add Edge Glow

Learn how to analyze the image background and determine where light needs to be added so
your subject will appear actually to be in the scene. Master techniques for properly adding
edge glows to your subject to accomplish this.

3.3.2 Creating shadows

1. Create shadow and highlight layers.

Import your illustration into Photoshop. Open the Layers panel by going to Window >
Layers. Create two layers, one for your shadows and one for your highlights. (It doesn‘t
matter which order you create them in.) On the ―shadows‖ layer, you‘ll be drawing in black.
On the ―highlights‖ layer, you‘ll be drawing in white.

If your drawing isn‘t very precise, you might try a medium-sized brush with a low degree of
hardness (around 0%) to help make the lighting look soft and natural. If you ever want to
erase a line that you created, just use Photoshop‘s Eraser tool (with a matching hardness) to
remove it.

You‘ll need to tone down the opacity (transparency) of these layers in a later step in order to
make the lighting more subtle. To make that job easier, you could choose to draw the
shadows and highlights at 100% opacity now (that is, completely black and white). But if it‘s

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easier for you to visualize the final product by drawing them on at a lower percentage in the
beginning, that will work too.

2. Determine the light source and draw your highlights.

The key to making any photo or illustration look realistic is creating realistic lighting. That
means you have to know what your light sources are and where they‘re coming from — even
if they‘re not in the picture.

In this scene, for example, you can imagine the character looking out a window with the sun
off-screen to the top left. Now that you know the objects are lit from that direction, you can

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let the light source direct where you draw your highlights. Use the Brush tool to draw a line
of highlighting along the top left sides of various objects in the illustration.

3. Repeat for the shadows.

Using that same technique — imagining the light source in your image — now think about
which areas would be cast into darkness. In this example, since you‘re visualizing the sun at
the top left, as a general rule of thumb you‘d want to add a line of shadow to the bottom right
of each object.

Remember, your shadows don‘t have to be straight lines that follow the outlines of your
illustration exactly. Fill in entire areas that would be darker, like the shadow a chin creates on
a neck, hair creates on a face, or eyebrows create on eyelids. Think about which objects
would create larger sections of shadow for nonhuman subjects, too.

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4. Set the opacity for both layers.
If you didn‘t already do this in Step 1, go ahead and set the entire opacity of each layer at a
level somewhere between 8-20%. A good average might be around 10% for highlights and
15% for shadows.

If you‘re working with darker colors, the highlights will be more dramatic so you might want
to use a lower percentage like 8. On the flipside, if you‘re using mostly light colors, the
shadows will appear more obvious so you might want to use a lower percentage for them.

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5. (Optional) Create more layers.
Sometimes, having just one layer of shadows and highlights can make them seem too strong
in some areas and too subtle in others. To fix this problem, go ahead and create more layers.
Use the same steps listed above to create darker shadows or brighter highlights in certain
areas. By stacking multiple layers of shadows and highlights, you can create even more
dimension and increasingly realistic shading.

3.3.3 Applying noise and blur

Use the blur tool to enrich focus and add style.

Adding blur to a photo can bring focus, amplify motion, and add other artistic elements to
your photos. A blurred background or a radial blur in an image can imitate the high-focus
look of a shallow depth of field. You can also add a linear blur to mimic tilt-shift
photography or even use motion blur to add movement to a static object.

Blur images with a brush or directional tool.

Add a blur effect with a brush.

Soften certain areas and draw focus to your subject by applying blur with your favorite brush.
Select the Blur tool in Photoshop, choose a brush tip and strength, and drag it over the spots
you want to blur. You can do the same in Lightroom.

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Show movement with motion blur.

Add movement to a static object or person in a photo by applying a directional Path Blur
filter in Photoshop. See how art director Kathleen Martin adds a motion blur effect and learn
more about how to add drama with blur filters.

Apply radial blur around a fixed focal point in an image.

See how you can create a radial blur that surrounds a specific focal point by applying Iris
Blur in Photoshop. Select one area to keep in focus and control the amount and gradient of
the blur.

1. In Photoshop, go to Filter > Blur Gallery and select Iris Blur.

2. Click the pin at the center of the ring and place it on your focal point.

3. Click and drag single points to elongate the ellipsis or drag the outer line to resize the blur
area.

4. Click and drag the dots inside the blur preview ring to adjust the size of the blur transition
area.

5. Adjust the round blur dial to control the amount of blur applied.

6. When you‘re finished, press Enter or click OK at the top of the Blur Gallery window.

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 3.3.4 Creating effects with blending modes
The blending mode specified in the options bar controls how pixels in the image are affected
by a painting or editing tool. Think in terms of the following colors when visualizing a
blending mode‘s effect:
 The base color is the original color in the image.
 The blend color is the color being applied with the painting or editing tool.
 The result color is the color resulting from the blend.

Blending mode descriptions

Choose from the Mode pop-up menu in the options bar.
Note:
 In the Blend Mode pop-up menu, scroll over different options to see how they look on your
image. Photoshop displays a live preview of blend modes on the canvas.
 Only the Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Lighten, Linear Dodge (Add), Difference,
Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity, Lighter Color, and Darker Color blending modes are
available for 32-bit images.
Normal
Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. This is the default mode. (Normal mode
is called Threshold when you‘re working with a bitmapped or indexed-color image.)
Dissolve
Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. However, the result color is a random
replacement of the pixels with the base color or the blend color, depending on the opacity at
any pixel location.
Behind
Edits or paints only on the transparent part of a layer. This mode works only in layers with
Lock Transparency deselected and is analogous to painting on the back of transparent areas
on a sheet of acetate.
Clear
Edits or paints each pixel and makes it transparent. This mode is available for the Shape tools
(when fill region is selected), Paint Bucket tool , Brush tool , Pencil tool , Fill
command, and Stroke command. You must be in a layer with Lock Transparency deselected
to use this mode.
Darken
Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is darker—as the result color. Pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and
pixels darker than the blend color do not change.
Multiply
Looks at the color information in each channel and multiplies the base color by the blend
color. The result color is always a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces

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black. Multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged. When you‘re painting
with a color other than black or white, successive strokes with a painting tool produce
progressively darker colors. The effect is similar to drawing on the image with multiple
marking pens.
Color Burn
Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect the blend
color by increasing the contrast between the two. Blending with white produces no change.
Linear Burn
Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect the blend
color by decreasing the brightness. Blending with white produces no change.
Lighten
Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is lighter—as the result color. Pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and
pixels lighter than the blend color do not change.
Screen
Looks at each channel‘s color information and multiplies the inverse of the blend and base
colors. The result color is always a lighter color. Screening with black leaves the color
unchanged. Screening with white produces white. The effect is similar to projecting multiple
photographic slides on top of each other.
Color Dodge
Looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to reflect the
blend color by decreasing contrast between the two. Blending with black produces no change.
Linear Dodge (Add)
Looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to reflect the
blend color by increasing the brightness. Blending with black produces no change.
Overlay
Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay the
existing pixels while preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color. The base color
is not replaced, but mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the
original color.
Soft Light
Darkens or lightens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a
diffused spotlight on the image. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the
image is lightened as if it were dodged. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image
is darkened as if it were burned in. Painting with pure black or white produces a distinctly
darker or lighter area, but does not result in pure black or white.
Hard Light
Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining
a harsh spotlight on the image. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the
image is lightened, as if it were screened. This is useful for adding highlights to an image. If

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the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened, as if it were multiplied. This
is useful for adding shadows to an image. Painting with pure black or white results in pure
black or white.
Vivid Light
Burns or dodges the colors by increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending on the blend
color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by
decreasing the contrast. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by
increasing the contrast.
Linear Light
Burns or dodges the colors by decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending on the
blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened
by increasing the brightness. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is
darkened by decreasing the brightness.
Pin Light
Replaces the colors, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter
than 50% gray, pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the
blend color do not change. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the
blend color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color do not change. This is useful
for adding special effects to an image.
Hard Mix
Adds the red, green and blue channel values of the blend color to the RGB values of the base
color. If the resulting sum for a channel is 255 or greater, it receives a value of 255; if less
than 255, a value of 0. Therefore, all blended pixels have red, green, and blue channel values
of either 0 or 255. This changes all pixels to primary additive colors (red, green, or blue),
white, or black.

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Learning outcome 4: Export images

1.1 Creating images for web

1.2 Creating images for social media platforms

1.3 Print read images

1.4 Printing images with inkjet

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Indicative content 4.1: Creating images for web.

4.1.1 Web image formats

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81
Depending on your settings, you may need to adjust the view here. What you want is a left
and right comparison of your image. The left side will show the original, the right will show
the image quality at the current settings.

If you look along the top of the window, you‘ll see the following options: Original,
Optimized, 2-Up, 4-Up. For most purposes, 2-Up is what you‘ll want.

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4.1.2 Web colour profiles

How To Change Color Profiles In Photoshop – 2 Easy Ways

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Photographers use a wide variety of camera brands and models, and each has a unique way of
displaying colors. This means that the colors in an image taken on a Nikon D850 might look
slightly different than the same image taken on a Canon 350D. The same goes for different
editing programs—moving an image between programs or from a program to a different
device like a printer or projector, can slightly alter the appearance of the colors in the image.

Most of the time, the difference is barely noticeable. But over time the differences can add
up, and you may think your image looks a bit off compared to when you had first edited it to
perfection. Understanding how color profiles work, and how you can make them work for
you, can help you make your images have flawless colors on any device.

What Is A Color Profile?

Every camera has a slightly different range of colors that make up the images, and the way
these colors are measured and standardized is called a color profile. Color profiles are the
numerical values that represent the specific colors in an image. They help devices and
programs read the color in an image to create the most accurate representation of the colors
picked up when the image was originally captured.

Color profiles are important sets of data throughout the editing process. Like devices,
most photo editing programs come with their own color profiles that are set automatically—
an example would be Adobe RBG. However, color profiles are often set automatically to the
lowest common denominator standards. So, if you‘d like to optimize the quality of the color
your image shows, you can do so by working with color profiles in the editing process.
Tiny differences in color may not seem like anything to fret about, but without an accurate
color profile, an image you‘ve edited to perfection may appear slightly off in a different
program or device. Over time, the changes made could cause you to ―correct‖ an image that
you‘ve already edited the way you‘d like. If the profile were accurate, the program could
correct any differences between programs or devices and show the image‘s actual colors
consistently.

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Types Of Color Profiles In Photoshop

Photoshop offers several different color profiles you can set to automatically apply to your
images. Here is an explanation of each.

RGB
RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue, and displays color using values that express the
intensity of those three colors. RGB is a large color space, with millions of available colors,
and thus is commonly used on television and computer screens. This means RGB is the best
color profile to use if you plan to display your image on the web or otherwise present it
digitally—for instance, on a projector.

Note, however, that RGB is simply a standard color profile, and each device and program
will have its own specific form of RGB. The RGB color profile used in Photoshop can vary
depending on what you set in the Color Settings window (more on this below).

CMYK
CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, is a color profile used primarily
in printing as these are the standard colors for printer ink. If you plan to print your image it is
suggested to use this color profile as the transition from an RGB profile to print can change
the colors slightly.

Grayscale
Grayscale is pretty self-explanatory. This color profile reads your photograph in ranges of
black, white, and gray. No matter where you display your image, this color profile will ensure
the colors in your black and white photograph remain the same.

Lab Color
Lab Color is a bit different from the rest of the color profiles, as it specifies colors on a 3-axis
system. The three ranges are L, which stands for lightness; a-axis, which measures colors on
a scale of green to red; and b-axis, which measures colors on a scale of blue to yellow. These
specific ranges work a bit like the human eye and make Lab Color an extremely accurate
color profile.

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Lab Color is also device-independent, meaning the color will be the exact same regardless of
the media used to display. For this reason, Lab Color is commonly used when printing logos
for businesses, and in the plastics and textile industries.

Index
The Index color profile uses up to 256 colors, and can drastically reduce the file size while
maintaining most of the image‘s color quality. When you convert to Index, a color lookup
table (CLUT) is created to index the colors in your image. If one of the colors in your image
isn‘t found within the 256 available options, the most similar one is chosen or simulated.
The Index color profile is a good option for presentations and web pages due to the small file
size, though you‘ll want to edit your image in RGB mode before converting to Index as the
editing options are limited while working in this color space.

Bitmap
Bitmap is arguably the most unique of the color profiles as it only uses two colors: black and
white. Each tiny individual pixel takes on one of the two colors to create the image. The
result is an interesting, graphic appearance that is often used as an alternative to vector
graphics.

How To Change Color Profile In Photoshop

To change the color profile of your opened project in Photoshop, go to Image > Mode
and choose your desired color profile. Here you can choose between RBG, CMYK,
Grayscale, Lab Color, Index, and Bitmap profiles.
Option 1: While Creating A New Document
You can change your color profile right from the New Document window. To do this, head
to File > New. You can also hold Control + N (Win) or Command + N (Mac).

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In the New Document window, select the Color Mode you‘d like to work in from the
available options.

Once you‘ve done this, you can further specify the exact color profile you‘d like to work with
from the Color Profile options. Simply click the drop-down arrow to see all the available
options; this allows you to specify the colors for a specific device, but this is not a necessary
step.

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With everything set, click Create to open your new document.
This method makes the most sense to use if you plan to add more elements to your images,
such as text or graphics. Note that you‘ll still have to add your image to the new document,
but you can add it as a new layer. This way you can choose the right color profile while also
starting completely fresh.

To add an image to your project, simply open your computer‘s file window and drag and
drop an image into the project. It will automatically appear as a new layer.

Option 2: In An Existing Project

To change your color profile in an existing document, head to Image > Mode. Here you‘ll
see the various color spaces you can choose from. Select the one you‘d like to use for your
project.

Why Your Colors Still Don’t Look Right In Photoshop

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1. Check Monitor Color Calibration
While RGB is a standard for monitors, the color might veer off alignment after a while. You
can correct this by re-calibrating your monitor according to the RGB standards to ensure the
color appears the same on your screen as it will on others.

To do this, you‘ll need a colorimeter, a small device that attaches to your screen and
optimizes your monitor‘s display colors.
To do this process, you‘ll first want to allow your computer to warm up for about a minute,
and ensure there is no harsh light – the device makes judgments based on the ambient light in
your room, so you want the lighting to be the same as what you‘d normally use while editing.

Once you set your monitor type and target settings, the colorimeter will perform tests to
check your monitor‘s colors compared to industry standards. The result will be a unique color
profile specifically for your monitor to ensure accuracy in the colors presented and
communicated to other devices.

2. Export Settings
In some cases, your color might look different when exporting from Photoshop to a JPEG.
This is easily fixable with a quick check as to which color profile you‘re using.

In Photoshop, go to Edit > Convert to Profile. In the window that appears,

under Destination Space, click the drop-down arrow next to Profile.

Select Working sRGB IEC61966-2.1. This will ensure your color is accurate upon export.

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 Color profiles may seem like an advanced photography skill, but any professional or amateur
photographer is more than capable of figuring out how color profiles work. Doing so can
have a positive effect on your work, giving you the most accurate possible color across
devices and ensuring that your color looks great when you print or present your work.

Indicative content 4.2 : Creating images for social media platforms.

4.2.1 File formats supported

Facebook supports the following formats:

 JPEG
 BMP
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 PNG
 GIF
 TIFF

Facebook supports almost all types of video files, but recommends using the MP4 format.
 Resolution should be 1080p or under.
 File sizes up to 10 GB, there may be longer upload times associated with larger files on
slower Internet connections.
 Videos must be less than 240 minutes long. The longer your video is, the larger its file size
will be. This may affect the quality of the video and the time it takes to upload.
 Recommend Stereo AAC audio compression with 128kbps, or more, preferred.
 Supported aspect ratio: between 9x16 and 16x9.
 Supported video formats: 3g2, 3gp, 3gpp, asf, avi, dat, divx, dv, f4v, flv, gif, m2ts, m4v, mkv,
mod, mov, mp4, mpe, mpeg, mpeg4, mpg, mts, nsv, ogm, ogv, qt, tod, ts, vob, and wmv

Twitter

Image files must meet all of the following criteria:

• Supported image media types: JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
• Image size <= 5 MB, animated GIF size <= 15 MB

The filesize limit above is enforced by the media upload endpoint. In addition, there is a
separate product entity specific filesize limit which is applied when calling the Tweet
creation (or similar) endpoints with media_id. For example, it is possible to upload a 5 MB
image, but the Tweet creation requires images to be <= 3 MB. The filesize limit and other
constraints may vary depending on the media_category parameter.

Video files:
Twitter supports MP4 and MOV video formats on mobile apps.

On the web, MP4 video format with H264 format with AAC audio is supported. You can
upload videos up to 512MB, however you will be prompted to edit videos to 2 minutes and
20 seconds or less in length.

 Minimum resolution: 32 x 32
 Maximum resolution: 1920 x 1200 (and 1200 x 1900)
 Aspect ratios: 1:2.39 - 2.39:1 range (inclusive)
 Maximum frame rate: 40 fps
 Maximum bitrate: 25 Mbps

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 Google My Business

Image files:
 Photos should have a minimum resolution of 250px wide by 250px tall, in JPG or PNG
format.
 Only one image may be attached to a GMB post.
Videos files:
 Videos are not supported for GMB posts via API.

LinkedIn

Videos files:
 No video preview (thumbnails) - However, video will play and publish.
 Max supported video size is 200MB

Note: If user has selected "Invisible" setting in LinkedIn and comments on a post, the name
will show as 'unavailable'

Instagram

Image
 JPEG is the only image format supported. Extended JPEG formats such as MPO and JPS are
not supported.
 Multi-image posts are not supported.
 Image exceeded maximum file size of 8MiB
 Aspect ratio: Must be within a 4:5 to 1.91:1 range
 Minimum width: 320 (will be scaled up to the minimum if necessary)
 Maximum width: 1440 (will be scaled down to the maximum if necessary)
 Height: Varies, depending on width and aspect ratio

Video
 Container: MOV or MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14), Maximum columns (horizontal pixels): 1920,
Duration: 60 seconds maximum, 3 seconds minimum, File size: 100MB maximum
 Frame rate: 23-60 FPS.
 Video codec: HEVC or H264, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.
 Audio codec: AAC, 48khz sample rate maximum, 1 or 2 channels (mono or stereo).
 Picture size:
 Minimum aspect ratio [cols / rows]: 4 / 5
 Maximum aspect ratio [cols / rows]: 16 / 9
 Video bitrate: VBR, 5Mbps maximum
 Thumbnail: Custom image not supported

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4.2.2. Image sizing guide for different platforms

1. Facebook Image Sizes

The Facebook cover photo should be all about your business. So, why not use one of your
product photos representing your company?

Meaningful Facebook conversations begin with great content. Use your Facebook cover
photo and newsfeed images to encourage engagement. Make sure that you include the image
that fits your audience‘s interest.

Well, when it comes to Facebook image size, the list just doesn‘t seem to end. But to make it
easy for you to understand, we have categorized the images into 2 sub-points. Before we go
any further, it‘s important to understand why there are so many size variations on Facebook.

Rest assured, Facebook doesn‘t just have these many variations to make things difficult for
designers. Instead, these variations are because of the devices.

Think about it.

While browsing on a laptop or PC, the screen is horizontal (wide), while mobile screens are
vertical (tall). Hence, the size of the devices calls for various dimensions. Also, Facebook
doesn’t stretch out your creatives; instead, it crops them!

Facebook Page Image Sizes

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  Facebook cover photo size:
For desktop: 820 x 312 pixels
For mobile: 640 x 360 pixels

Tip:In this case, using a cover size of 820 x 360 and putting important elements in a safe
zone that is 640 x 312 is advisable.

 Facebook profile photo size:

For desktop: More than or equal to 180 x 180 pixels
For mobile: More than or equal to 140 x 140 pixels

 Facebook banner dimensions: 1200 x 630 pixels

 Link/Update image size: 1200 x 628 pixels

 For best results, upload JPG files less than 100 KB

 Images with text (for instance, brand logo) must be a PNG file

 Check out Facebook‘s guidelines for banner sizes and more

Note: If you are promoting your business on Facebook, make sure the image size is 1200 x
628 pixels and has only 20% text on it.

Facebook Event Image Sizes

Have an upcoming event? There is no better way to announce it rather than by creating a
Facebook Event.

Announcing an event is just the tip of an iceberg. You can boost your event to avail more
reach, send reminders to the audience, and also advertise it through event image on
Facebook. Also, use the Facebook publishing tool to pre-made all the creative posts you
would need throughout the year for events easily.

 Facebook event cover image size: 1200 x 628 pixels

 Facebook groups cover photo size

For desktop: 1640 x 662 pixels
For mobile: 1640 x 859 pixels

Note: Leave the lower area clear for type. Facebook displays basic group information on the
photo on mobile.

Read: How to Create Engaging Images for Social Media?

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2. Twitter Image Sizes

Twitter is known as one of the best social media networks. Customers most often use it to
discuss brands. Also, to make sure that your page stands out, your Twitter cover photo has
to be larger and different from your profile photo.

Your Twitter profile picture will be your identity! It will be visible on your home page and in
the Twitter stream of your followers whenever you Tweet. So, your profile picture must be
attractive.

Tip:Consider a Twitter scheduling tool to get maximum traction with fewer efforts.

Just like your cover photo on other social networks, your Twitter header image is your
branding opportunity. Use your header image to align the look and feel of your marketing
message and company tagline.

 Twitter profile picture size: 400 x 400 pixels (file size must be less than 2 MB)

 Twitter cover photo size: 1500 x 500 pixels (file size must be less than 5 MB)

 Shared image: 900 x 450 pixels

 In-stream photo size: 440 x 220 pixels

 File size: 10 MB (max)

 Recommended file type: JPG, GIF, or PNG file

 You can tweet up to 4 images at one go

 Find more information on the Twitter help center

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Note: If you are using a header image with the recommended dimensions and notice that
parts of it are cropped, 60 pixels on the top and bottom could be cropped.

3. LinkedIn Image Sizes

LinkedIn is known as the largest professional network. Where other social networks may be
good drivers of traffic and customers, LinkedIn is a great place for B2B as well as recruiters
to connect with industry leaders.

Ensure that you highlight the most relevant things about your business and brand in the
banner image and in your cover image. By leveraging this network right, you can connect and
engage with more professionals. Having creative images increases your chances of being
noticed. Get help from various LinkedIn scheduling tools to skyrocket your networking!

LinkedIn Personal Profile Image Sizes

 Personal profile:
Profile photo: 400 x 400 pixels
Cover image: 1584 x 396 pixels
Aspect ratio: 4:1

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LinkedIn Company Page Image Sizes

 Company page:
Logo size: 300 x 300 pixels (min); 400 x 400 pixels (max); File size: 4 MB (max)
Cover image: 1128 x 191 pixels

 Blog post image: 1350 x 440 pixels

 File size: 10 MB (max)

 Supported file type: JPG, GIF or PNG

 Find more information on the LinkedIn help center

LinkedIn Life Tab Image Sizes

The LinkedIn life tab allows you to share the human side of your company with prospective
clients and job seekers. It helps you give people a peek into the company culture, ethics,
photos, and employee perspectives and show them how cool you are!

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  Hero image size: 1128 x 376

 Custom module image size: 502 x 282 pixels

 Company photos size: 900 x 600

 Supported file type: JPNG, JPG, or GIF

 Find more information on the LinkedIn help center

Note: Members with a profile photo on LinkedIn can get up to 14 times more profile views
than members without. Get noticed!

4. Pinterest Image Sizes

Pinterest is a wonderful platform for driving referral traffic to your site. To drive traffic
consistently, you need to be using social media automation tools. But it‘s also very important
that you optimize your Pinterest page regularly and use proper image sizes for boards and
pins.

A Pinterest profile image may not be as significant as that of Facebook or Twitter profile
images. However, you still need to use a nice one. Your profile picture on Pinterest should be
something closely tied to you or your brand. After all, anyone who arrives at your board or
pins will glance at your profile too.

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  Profile image: 165 x 165 pixels

 Pin size: 236 pixels x Adjustable Height; 2:3 ratio for vertical pins (recommended)

 Board image size: 222 x 150 pixels

 Supported file type: JPG and PNG for profile pictures

 Find more information on the Pinterest help center

Note: 93% of Pinners use Pinterest to plan or make purchases. Leverage the right images to
make the most out of Pinterest.

Read: How To Use Pinterest To Increase Traffic To Your Blog?

5. Instagram Image Sizes

Instagram being a platform that runs on visuals, using the right Instagram post size makes a
huge difference. However, Instagram profiles don‘t have particular cover photos. Your
Instagram cover photo can be created by a variety of images you share on your profile.

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Instagram Profile Image Sizes

 Profile photo size: 110 x 110 pixels

 Photo size: 1080 x 1080 pixels

 Photo thumbnail: 161 x 161 pixels

 Appear on the home page at 110 x 110 pixels

 Find more information on the Instagram help center

Note: Upload a photo with a width of at least 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1
and 4:5 for best results.

Instagram Story Image Sizes

Since its inception, Instagram stories have completely dominated the platform for good. With
over 500 million monthly daily active users, it has become the most popular ephemeral
feature for people to discover and interact with your brand. Use the guidelines below to make
the interaction successful with perfect story image size.

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  Recommended resolution: 1080 x 1920

 Aspect ratio: 9:16

6. Tumblr Image Sizes

Tumblr is a customizable social network that allows users to share anything they want
easily. Although the profile photo of Tumblr doesn‘t frequently appear throughout the site,
you need to make sure that you choose an image that suits your page layout. Maximize your
reach by optimizing your images on the mentioned Tumblr banner size and more.

 Profile photo size: 128 x 128 pixels

 Image post: 500 x 750 pixels

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  JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP image is recommended

 Image can‘t exceed 10MB

 Animated GIFs must be under 1 MB and max at 500 pixels

 Find more information on the Tumblr help center

Note: For Tumblr, make sure your image file size doesn‘t exceed 10 MB.

7. YouTube Image Sizes

Almost one-third of people on the internet are YouTube users, and there are 30 million daily
visitors. Having an attractive cover photo and channel can be a gamechanger!

When you are focusing more on visual content, you need to make your videos very
much accurate. For that, an upload size should also be defined to make your video visually
sound.

 Channel cover photo: 2560 x 1440 pixels

 Channel icon: 800 x 800 pixels

 Video uploads: 16:9 ratio

With the fixed ratio, you can upload your video in various resolutions such as;
4K – 3840 x 2160 pixels
2K –2560 x 1440 pixels
1080p (HD) – 1920 x 1080 pixels
720p (HD) – 1280 x 720 pixels
480p –854 x 480 pixels

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 360p –640 x 360 pixels
240p –426 x 240 pixels
144p –256 x 144 pixels

Make sure you‘re using an up-to-date version of your browser so you can upload files greater
than 20 GB. The maximum file size you can upload to YouTube is 128 GB.

4.2.2 Creating covers, profile, posts images for different platforms

Create the perfect cover photo on any social network

Are you proud of your social media cover photos?

Do you want to find out how to improve them?

Your cover photo is the first thing anyone sees when they visit your social media profiles.

Make that first impression a positive one.

#1: Pay Attention to Dimensions

When Facebook introduced the cover photo, Twitter and Google+ followed suit. The large,
banner-sized cover photos allow companies to express their online persona or reflect their
established branding.

When it comes to cover photo perfection for brands and organizations, there's more to good
design and layout than just finding a beautiful image and saving it.

Repurposing art without customizing it may work in some rare cases, but you run the risk of
ending up with cover photo elements that stretch beyond the image boundaries.

Always take the

time to resize your art.
Notice how the Facebook buttons hide the ―R‖ in ―Ride‖ and the top of the train is cut off. It's
possible the company reused an image from another medium without resizing it to fit the cover
photo space.

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Using the recommended image size for your cover photo, no matter which platform you're on, is
key. Proper sizing ensures the image works best within the space—and with an overlapping
profile photo. You want to be sure your image doesn't look distorted or cut off.

When Google+ changed the header dimensions, the tagline in this Mercedes-Benz header was
cut off the by the blurred feature bio area.

Even an otherwise
stunning image can be poorly affected by a platform's image constraints.
In response, Mercedes-Benz loaded a new cover image designed specifically for the newer
dimensions.

Mercedes-Benz
stays on top of changes to social platform cover image dimensions.
If you're designing a Facebook cover photo, the recommended size is 851 x 315 pixels. The
minimum dimensions you can use are 339 x 150 pixels.

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Indicative content 4.3: Print ready images.

4.3.1 Converting to CMYK for commercial reproduction printers

How To Convert Your Project From RGB To CMYK

Conversion of your RGB file to CMYK can easily be done in either Adobe InDesign or
Photoshop. If you want the most possible control over your colors, we recommend you
convert colors on your end.
NOTE: we do not recommend using Adobe Acrobat Pro to convert your colors, unless you
have professional pre-press software like PitStop installed. Acrobat’s built-in color
conversion engine provides sub-optimal results.
 1. Start by selecting Edit > Convert To Profile
 2. Under Destination Space, leave the RGB Profile as is but set the CMYK Profile to
Japan Color 2001 Coated, this is the CMYK color setting that is used by most high-
quality overseas offset printers.
 3. In the Conversion Options section select Adobe (ACE) as your conversion Engine and
choose Relative Colorimetric for your Intent. This option will preserve all RGB colors that
can be reproduced accurately in CMYK, and it will replace any colors that cannot be
reproduced accurately in CMYK (known as ―out of gamut‖ colors) with their nearest
CMYK match.
 4. Click OK

Adjusting Your CMYK Values

Now that your file has been converted to CMYK, take a look at how your colors have shifted.
If you had any very bright blues, reds, or greens, chances are they‘ve been reined in to
account for CMYK‘s reduced color gamut. While it may be disappointing that some colors
are dulled, the hard truth is that there is physically no way to reproduce many RGB colors on
the printed page.

However, because you chose to convert colors yourself, you now have some options to play
with your CMYK colors. In terms of global changes, if you‘re working in Photoshop, you can
try playing with levels, contrast, and saturation. However, the most thorough way to improve
your colors is go to through and alter the CMYK values of the colors themselves. Use your
color selection/eyedropper tool and take a look at how much of each color of ink you‘re
using.

Once you‘ve made any tweaks and adjusted your colors to where you‘d like them, you‘re
ready to export to PDF.

Print Ninja Tip

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Exporting Your CMYK File to PDF
Generally, the ―Press Quality‖ default settings in InDesign and Photoshop are great, however
for submitting files to PrintNinja, we recommend that you do not do any further color
conversion or embed any color profile information. In order to keep this from happening,
you‘ll want to use the following settings in the Output panel of the PDF export dialog.

If You Prefer, We Can Convert Colors For You

If you‘d prefer not to modify colors yourself, you are more than welcome to submit your
RGB files and let us convert them for you. We‘ll show you the CMYK files in your
Electronic Proof before going to press, so you‘ll be able to see exactly how your colors have
changed in the conversion process.

However, this method provides the least amount of control for you, since we won‘t make any
changes to your colors beyond the conversion. If you want to be able to tweak your colors
after conversion, you should convert them on your end before uploading your artwork.

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4.3.2 Flattening image

Flattening
Merging all visible layers into the background layer to reduce file size.

The image on the left shows the Layers palette and file size before flattening. The unflattened
file size is 1012K, and the file has three layers. The image on the right shows the Layers
palette after flattening. The flattened file size is 379K and has only one layer.

Duplicate a layer within an image

You can duplicate any layer, including the Background layer, within an image.
1. Select one or more layers in the Layers panel, and do one of the following to duplicate
it:

 To duplicate and rename the layer, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose
Duplicate Layer from the Layers panel More menu. Name the duplicate layer, and
click OK.
 To duplicate without naming, select the layer and drag it to the New Layer button in
the Layers panel.
 Right-click the layer name or thumbnail, and choose Duplicate Layer.

Duplicate one or more layers in another image

You can take any layer, including the Background layer, from one image and duplicate it in
another. Keep in mind that the pixel dimensions of the destination image determine how large
the printed copy of the duplicated layer can be. Also, if the pixel dimensions of the two
images are not the same, the duplicated layer may appear smaller or larger than you‘d expect.
1. Open the source image. If you plan to copy a layer to an existing image rather than a
new one, open the destination image as well.

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 2. In the source document‘s Layers panel, select the name of the layer or layers you want
to duplicate. To select more than one layer, hold down the Ctrl key (Command key in
Mac OS) and click each layer‘s name.
3. Choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose Duplicate Layer from the More menu in
the Layers panel.
4. Type a name for the duplicate layer in the Duplicate Layer dialog box, and choose a
destination document for the layer, and then click OK:

 To duplicate the layer in an existing image, choose a filename from the Document
pop-up menu.
 To create a new document for the layer, choose New from the Document menu, and
enter a name for the new file. An image created by duplicating a layer has no
background.

Copy a layer from one image to another

You can copy any layer, including the Background layer, from one image to another. Keep in
mind that the resolution of the destination image determines how large the printed copy of the
layer can be. Also, if the pixel dimensions of the two images are not the same, the copied
layer may appear smaller or larger than you‘d expect.
1. Open the two images you want to use.
2. In the Layers panel of the source image, select the layer that you want to copy.
3. Do one of the following:

 Choose Select > All to select all of the pixels in the layer, and choose Edit > Copy.
Then make the destination image active, and choose Edit > Paste.
 Drag the layer‘s name from the Layers panel of the source image into the destination
image.
 Use the Move tool (Select section of the toolbox), to drag the layer from the source
image to the destination image.
The copied layer appears in the destination image, above the active layer in the Layers
panel. If the layer you‘re dragging is larger than the destination image, only part of
the layer is visible. You can use the Move tool to drag other sections of the layer into
view.

Note:
Hold down Shift as you drag a layer to copy it to the same position it occupied in the
source image (if the source and destination images have the same pixel dimensions)
or to the center of the destination image (if the source and destination images have
different pixel dimensions).

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Dragging the bamboo layer to another image

Move the content in a layer

Layers are like stacked images on panes of glass. You can ―slide‖ a layer in a stack to change
what portion of its content is visible in relation to the layers above and below.
1. To move multiple layers at the same time, link the layers together in the Layers panel
by selecting the layers and then clicking the Link Layer icon of any one layer.
2. From the Select section of the Tools panel, select the Move tool.
3. Do one of the following:

 Drag within the image to slide the selected layer or layers to the desired position.
 Press the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the layer or layers in 1-pixel
increments, or press Shift and an arrow key to move the layer in 10-pixel increments.
 Hold down Shift as you drag to move the layer or layers directly up or down, directly
to either side, or on a 45° diagonal.

Change the stacking order of layers

The stacking order determines whether a layer appears in front of or behind other layers.
By default, the Background layer must remain at the bottom of the stack. To move the
Background layer, you need to convert it into a regular layer first.

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Dragging a layer below another layer changes the stacking order
1. In the Layers panel, select one or more layers. To select more than one layer, hold
down the Ctrl key and click each layer.
2. To change the stacking order, do one of the following:

 Drag the layer or layers up or down the Layers panel to the new position.
 Choose Layer > Arrange, and then choose Bring To Front, Bring Forward, Send
Backward, or Send To Back.

Link and unlink layers

When layers are linked, you can move their contents together. You can also copy, paste,
merge, and apply transformations to all linked layers simultaneously. At some point, you may
want to edit or move one linked layer. You can simply unlink the layers to work on one layer
at a time
1. To link layers, do one of the following:

 With one layer selected, click the link icon of another layer.
 Select the layers you would like to link. To select more than one layer, hold down Ctrl
(Command in Mac OS) and click the layers you want to select. Click the link icon of
any one layer.
 With multiple layers selected, right-click and select the Link Layers option.
To unlink layers, do one of the following:

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  To unlink one layer, click the link icon of a layer.
 To unlink multiple layers, select more than one layer, right-click and select the Unlink
Layers option.

Merge layers
Layers can greatly increase the file size of an image. Merging layers in an image reduces file
size. You should merge layers only after you have finished manipulating them to create the
image you want.

Example of merging
You can choose to merge only the linked layers, only the visible layers, only a layer with the
layer below it, or only selected layers. You can also merge the contents of all visible layers
into a selected layer, yet not delete the other visible layers (in this case, there is no reduction
in file size).
When you complete work on an image, you can flatten it. Flattening merges all visible layers,
discards all hidden layers, and fills transparent areas with white.
1. Go to the Layers panel and make sure that an eye icon appears (not crossed) next to
each of the layers you want to merge.

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 2. Do one of the following:

 To merge selected layers, select more than one layer by holding down the Ctrl key
(Command key in Mac OS) and clicking each layer. Right-click and choose Merge
Layers.
 To merge a layer with the one below, select the top layer of the pair and choose
Merge Down from either the Layer menu or the Layers panel flyout menu.

Note:
If the bottom layer in the pair is a shape, type, or fill layer, you must simplify the
layer. If the bottom layer in the pair is an adjustment layer, you can‘t choose Merge
Down.

 To merge all visible layers, hide any layers you don‘t want to merge and choose
Merge Visible from the Layer menu or Layers panel flyout menu.
 To merge all visible linked layers, select one of the linked layers and choose Merge
Linked from the Layer menu or Layers panel flyout menu.

Note:
If the bottom-most merged layer is a type, shape, solid color fill, gradient fill, or
pattern fill layer, you must first simplify the layer.

Merge layers into another layer

Use this procedure when you want to keep the layers you are merging intact. The result is a
new merged layer plus all the original layers.
1. Click the eye icon next to layers you don‘t want to merge (the icon appears with a line
across it), and make sure that the eye icon is visible (not crossed) for the layers you do
want to merge..
2. Specify a layer in which to merge all visible layers. You can either create a new layer
in which to merge or select an existing layer in the Layers panel.
3. Hold down Alt (Option in Mac OS), and choose Merge Visible from either the Layers
menu or the Layers panel More menu. Photoshop Elements merges a copy of all
visible layers into the selected layer.

Flatten an image
When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements merges all visible layers into the
background, greatly reducing the file size. Flattening an image discards all hidden layers, and
fills any transparent areas with white. In most cases, you won‘t want to flatten a file until
you‘ve finished editing individual layers.
1. Make sure that the layers you want to keep in your image are visible.
2. Choose Flatten Image from either the Layer menu or the Layers panel More menu.
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 Note:
You can see the difference between your image‘s layered file size and its flattened file
size by choosing Document Sizes from the status bar pop-up menu at the bottom of
the image window.

4.3.3 Printable file formats

These brief definitions will help you better understand how each file format is best used.
.PDF (Preferred for most files)
PDF (short for Portable Document Format) is a file format developed by Adobe as a means of
distributing compact, platform-independent documents. PDF captures formatting information
from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted
documents and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended.

You can use Adobe Acrobat to create PDF files, and you can view PDF files either with
Adobe Reader or via a web browser with the PDF Viewer plug-in. For more information,
visit the Adobe Acrobat website.
.EPS (Preferred for large signs and banners)
EPS (short for Encapsulated PostScript) is a vector format designed for printing to PostScript
printers and imagesetters. It is considered the best choice of graphics format for high
resolution printing of illustrations. EPS files are created and edited in illustration programs
such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW.

Vector graphics are a scalable, resolution-independent format composed of individual objects

or shapes. Vector images can be resized easily without loss of quality making them an ideal
format for initial logo designs and illustrations to be used in multiple sizes.
.JPG (Preferred for images)
JPG (short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, and pronounced jay-peg) is a file format
best used for photo images which must be very small files, for example, for web sites or for
email. JPG uses lossy compression (lossy meaning "with losses to quality"). Lossy means
that some image quality is lost when the JPG data is compressed and saved, and this quality
can never be recovered.

File compression methods for most other file formats are lossless, meaning "fully
recoverable". However, this integrity requirement does limit efficiency, limiting compression
of photo image data to only 10% to 40% reduction in practice (graphics can be smaller).

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.TIFF (Preferred for high resolution images)
TIFF (short for Tagged Image File Format) is an industry standard designed for handling
raster or bitmapped images. TIFF files can be saved in a variety of color formats and in
various forms of compression. TIFFs use lossless compression to maintain image integrity
and clarity and are often used for professional photography.
.GIF and .PNG
GIF (short for Graphics Interchange Format) is a file format for storing graphical images up
to 256 colors. It uses a lossless compression method which makes for higher quality output.
PNG (short for Portable Network Graphics) was created as a more powerful alternative to the
GIF file format. PNGs are not restricted to the 256 color limitation of GIF files and have
better compression. A PNG file can be saved with a transparent background which allows
you to place your image on top of another image without an outlining white box.

GIF files are probably the most popular on the web being used in logos and color images.
Even though PNG files are widely supported, GIF is still the most popular.
.ZIP
ZIP is a file format used for data archiving and compression. A ZIP file contains one or more
files that have been compressed and bundled to reduce file size and allow for easy file
transfers. ZIP files can be created by right-clicking on a file or folder and selecting
"Compress" (Mac) or "Send To > Compressed/Zipped Folder" (PC). Once a ZIP file is
receive (ex. via email) it must be "unzipped" or de-compressed before the files themselves
can be accessed.

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Indicative content4.4: Printing images with inkjet printer.

4.4.1 Selecting an inkjet printer Dye and Pigment inks Printer features

What’s the Difference Between Dye-Based and Pigment Ink?

Most inkjet printers use dye-based inks, but some photographers prefer pigment-based for a
variety of reasons. Let‘s first talk about the differences of pigment vs dye ink, what each kind
of ink is, and then the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Dye-based inks are the standard ink type for inkjet printers (and the toner vs ink debate is an
entirely different conversation). They consist of colorant that is fully dissolved and suspended
in liquid. Pigmented ink consists of a very fine powder of solid colorant particles suspended
in a liquid carrier.
Pigment vs Dye Ink
Until a few years ago, the key advantages of dye-based inks was a wider color range and
lower cost. Meanwhile, its disadvantages were that it was water soluble (a single drop of
water could ruin a print) and that prints would fade faster. Pigmented inks, conversely, lasted
longer and were more water-resistant, but had less color depth and were more expensive.

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Today, however, there is little difference between current dye-based and pigmented inks,
with the slight edge going to pigmented inks. Steady improvements in the inks‘ formulas
have addressed the shortcomings of both types. Current generation inks from name-brand
manufacturers are generally fade-resistant to last a lifetime when used with the recommended
paper.

Generally, pigment ink is ideal for pro users, while lower cost dye-based inks are for
enthusiasts. Black and white photographers tend to prefer pigmented inks. However, a casual
look at side-by-side prints will reveal only subtle differences that may only be appreciated by
professional and serious amateur photographers. Even so, many pro printers are more than
satisfied with dye-based prints.

What is pigment ink best for?

Pigment ink is best for ―professional‖ quality work. It tends to be more durable and archival.
It is usually more resistant to the damaging effects of UV light and is also more scratch
resistant. Many photographers who make black and white prints often tend to favor pigment
inks because of their ability to output a wider range of monochrome shades. However,
pigment ink may not be as durable in the outdoor setting, but this is debatable. Laminating a
print for outdoor will prolong its life. If you need the highest quality, most durable prints to
display in an indoor setting, then pigment ink is the better option.

Can you use pigment ink in any printer?

You should not use pigment inks in printers built for dye inks. The material used to produce
pigment inks will soon clog up dye-based printers. Dye ink is made by dissolving the color
substrates in liquid. However, pigment ink contains undissolved, solid particulates. It is these
particulates that are responsible for clogging up the dye-based printers.

There are a few printers that accept both dye and pigment ink, but they are rare and often
small and limited to printing labels. When shopping for a printer, you should first decide if
you need a pigment vs dye-based ink printer.

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Image via Shutter stock
Which is better: dye vs pigment ink?

There is no right answer to this question. It all depends on your requirements, preferences,
and tolerances. The shortcomings of each have decreased over the years with advancing
technology.

Dye based printers tend to be less expensive and more readily available than pigment ink
counterparts. If you need the absolute best quality prints that will last the longest time and
you don‘t mind paying extra for the equipment and ink, then a pigment ink printer is the
better choice.

Also, if you mostly make professional quality black and white prints, then you may want to
opt for a pigment ink printer because of the increased monochrome dynamic range.

Tips for better prints (no matter what you use):

If you use a printer‘s recommended ICC profiles for the combination of paper and ink that
you are using, image quality should be consistent when comparing dye and pigmented ink
prints.

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Epson makes both dye-based and pigment-based inks. Its UltraChrome Hi-Gloss, used in its
high-end Stylus Photo R1800 printer, is pigment-based and is rated to last 250 years.
Meanwhile, Epson‘s Claria Hi-Definition, which is used in printers like its Epson Stylus
Photo 1400, is claimed to last 98 years. Canon and HP also offer both dye and pigment-based
inks and compatible printers.

Don‘t change inks in midstream!

The one major caveat about inkjet printer inks is that you should only use the kind of ink
recommended for your printer. Pigment-based inks will quickly clog the ink jets of a printer
that is designed for dye-based ink.

4.4.2 Choosing printing papers, Photo paper, finishes Photo paper sizes
Advice on how to select inkjet printing media that will complement your images.
There‘s no ‗right‘ printing paper for every image and every situation, although you can make
informed choices based on quantifiable data as well as unquantifiable ‗artistic‘ qualities. Both
play a role in the mastery of the craft of printing.

Navigating a path through the wide diversity of inkjet media can be difficult because the
sheer breadth of options can be overwhelming. But once you understand the key criteria,
matching a particular image to a specific paper will become much more straightforward.

The most critical selection criteria are the thickness and surface of the paper and its inherent
tonality. The surface and tonality have the greatest influence on the appearance of the printed
image. But both are affected by the type of ink your printer uses, so that‘s where we‘ll begin.

Paper thickness

Paper weight is usually specified in grams per square metre (gsm) and thickness in
millimeters (mm) – and there‘s no accurate correlation between these measurements. Some
manufacturers use gsm, while others use mm.

Heavier papers have a more substantial and tactile feel that implies higher quality, while
lighter papers are more easily bound into books. At least 260 gsm is recommended for A3+
prints and 310 gsm for A2 prints.

The ideal paper weight for books that are printed double-sided is between 170 and 230 gsm,
depending on page size. Watch out for ―show through‖ where the image is visible on the
reverse side of the sheet.

Many consumer-level printers can‘t handle thicker, heavier papers and most photo printers
provide alternative single-sheet slots for use when printing on ‗fine art‘ media. Check your
printer‘s specifications to find out its limitations.

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Ink choices

The type of printer you‘re using determines whether you use dye or pigment inks. Printers
that use dye-based inks deliver the maximum amount of detail and boldest colours on glossy
and lustre (semi-gloss) papers. Dye-based prints are also more robust when handled because
the dyes are absorbed into the paper‘s surface coating.

Pigment ink printers work best with matte and lightly-textured papers but they can also be
used with heavier ‗fine art‘ media. Because pigment inks lie on top of the coating layer, these
papers have enough surface roughening to hold the particles of pigment in place.
Nevertheless, prints require careful handling to prevent the pigments from flaking. Spraying
the surface of the print with a fine coat of preservation lacquer is recommended.

Being liquid rather than solids in suspension, dye-based inks will usually render finer details
than pigment inks. But the difference is marginal and modern pigment inks are capable of
reproducing fine details when used on the right paper.

Pigment inks offer superior fade-resistance and tend to be preferred when long-lasting prints
are required. Interestingly, under optimal conditions the latest dye-based inks from Canon
(Chromalife) and Epson (Claria) come close to the durability of their pigment-based
counterparts and will often produce more vivid colours, which can be advantageous in some
landscape prints.

Paper surfaces
Paper surfaces range from high gloss through semi-gloss, lustre, pearl and satin to smooth
matte. Fine art papers are also available, along with ‗metallic‘ papers that have a special
surface that contains particles of mica to reflect light and produce an iridescent sheen.

What is Glossy Paper?

Glossy paper is a printing product used to print images that have a shiny appearance and
reflect a lot of light.

The shininess and light reflection is due to the surface layer of coatings applied to the
photographic paper. The gloss paper coating enhances the look of photos, especially when
there is a strong use of color.

High gloss photo printing results in a smooth surface with a highly reflective shine that is
fundamental to the difference between glossy and matte.

Overall, glossy paper gives images a higher contrast level as highlights ‗pop‘ and blacks are
strong due to the reflective surface of the paper.

Most photo kiosks where you print your own photos create glossy prints. However, more and
more are providing the option of choosing between a matte and glossy photo.

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 What Are the Pros & Cons of a Glossy Photo Finish?
Using a glossy finish lends itself better to some photo prints than others.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using glossy photo paper so you can weigh up
the matte vs glossy photo debate yourself.

Pros

 Great for high contrast and color prints

 Reduces the need for glass when framing

 Gives prints a premium look

Cons

 Emphasized glare from natural light sources

 Fingerprints show up

 The surface scratches easily

When Would You Use a Glossy Photo Finish?

Deciding to use glossy papers is a no-brainer if you intend to display your prints without a
frame or glass cover.

The natural glossy finish provides a strong level of sheen to the print that replaces the gloss
finish of glass.

You should choose a high gloss finish if you‘re printing a photo with a lot of dominant
colors. Glossy photographic papers enhance the vibrancy of colors and add an excellent level
of contrast to the photo‘s look.

Finally, the best application for glossy prints is with high-definition images – especially if
you intend to print them in larger formats.

A glossy print also helps to showcase the stunning image detail captured in high resolution.

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 What is Matte Paper?
Matte paper is the exact same material as that used with glossy prints. However, where a
glossy print has an extra layer of coating to give it a shine, matte prints have fewer clear gloss
coatings.

While the matte paper doesn‘t have the same luxurious gloss appearance, it does often have
some reflective qualities for a semi-gloss finish.

Matte paper also delivers a flatter and more classic photo look with a lower level of contrast.
As a result, matte photos tend to reveal textures in the paper and the uneven surface that
results can create a very appealing look.

What Are the Pros & Cons of a Matte Photo Finish?

Using a matte finish is better for some photo prints than others but not always. Let‘s have a
closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of using a matte coating on your photo paper.

Pros

 More durable than glossy prints

 Less susceptible to scratches

 Ideal for framing

 Great for classic photo look and black and white prints

 Minimal reflections from natural and overhead lights

 Fingerprints don‘t show

Cons

 The colors are less vibrant

 Contrast is less evident

 Reduced image sharpness

 More expensive than glossy prints

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When Would You Use a Matte Photo Finish?
Matte prints are perfect for photos in which you want to achieve a contemporary art look for
your imagery.

The matte paper surface of the print results in less contrast as less light reflects from the
paper.

Professional photographers opt for matte papers for their fine artworks to control the way the
photo appears in different lighting conditions. Also, if you want to frame your photos behind
glass, photos printed on matte papers work best.

If you place a print with a glossy surface under glass, both the shiny surface of the print and
the glass will reflect light. This can seriously detract from the experience of viewing your
photos – especially if there‘s a lot of natural light. This is a strong point in favor of matte in
the glossy vs matte photos debate.

4.4.3 Using the print dialog box

What is the Print dialog box?

The Print dialog box lets the user select options for a particular print job. For example,
the user can specify the printer to use, the range of pages to print, and the number of copies.

In the Print dialog box, you can start printing immediately after setting. In the Print
Settings dialog box, you can save the specified settings. To display the Print dialog box,
click (Down arrow) of the Print button or the Start Printing button in the Preview
screen, and select Check Settings and Print.

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 Print/Print Settings Dialog Box

In these dialog boxes, you can select the printer and make advanced print settings.
In the Print dialog box, you can start printing immediately after setting. In the Print
Settings dialog box, you can save the specified settings.

To display the Print dialog box, click (Down arrow) of the Print button or the Start
Printing button in the Preview screen, and select Check Settings and Print....

To display the Print Settings dialog box, click (Down arrow) of the Print button or
the Start Printing button in the Preview screen, and select Print Settings....
Alternatively, click (Down arrow) of the Start Printing button in the Edit and Print
Clips screen and select Print Settings.... The Print Settings dialog box appears.

Reference
The Print dialog box is used as an example in the following descriptions. Each setting
item is the same for Print Settings dialog box.
The following function is not available in Internet Explorer 9 or later.
- Print with Larger Text
Some settings cannot be specified in combination with the other setting items.
Printer Name
Select the printer you want to use.
Click (Down arrow) to display a list of Easy-WebPrint EX compatible printers
installed on your computer.
Properties... Button
Displays the printer driver properties screen.
Paper Source
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 Select the paper source.
Page Size
Select the paper size you want to use.
Orientation
Select the print orientation (Portrait or Landscape).
Multi-column Printing
Select this checkbox to print in columns.
Select 2 Columns or 3 Columns.

Reference
This item is not displayed in the Print Settings dialog box opened from the Edit and
Print Clips screen.
Duplex Printing
Select this checkbox to print on both sides of the paper.
Draft Printing
Select this checkbox to prioritize print speed over quality.
Grayscale Printing
Select this checkbox to print the document in grayscale.
This function may not be available depending on the selected printer.

Reference
In Internet Explorer 9 or later, documents appear in color in the Preview screen or Edit
and Print Clips screen even if the Grayscale Printing checkbox is selected.
Image Optimizer
Select this checkbox to smooth the jaggies that appear in enlarged images. This is
especially effective in correcting low-resolution images.
This function may not be available depending on the selected printer.
Print with Larger Text
Select this checkbox to enlarge the text for printing.

Reference
This function is not available when the web page is displayed in the largest font size.
Text may not be enlarged depending on the font setting of the web page.
The text layout may break depending on the web page.
This item is not displayed in the Print Settings dialog box opened from the Edit and
Print Clips screen.
Copies
Set the number of copies you want to print.
Print from Last Page

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 Select this checkbox to print from the last page to the first. To print from the first page,
deselect this checkbox.
Collate
Select this checkbox to print one copy at a time when printing two or more copies of
multiple pages.
Start Printing Button
Prints the displayed web page according to the current print settings.

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