Addo Stuur
A Short Guide to DigitalPhoto Editing
An introduction to the world of digital photography andphoto-editing software
2005 Visual Steps B.V.Translated by Grayson Morris and Marleen Vermeij
June 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning orotherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act,without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: While the publisher and author have used theirbest efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to theaccuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties ofmerchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by salesrepresentatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitablefor your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher norauthor shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited tospecial, incidental, consequential or other damages.
Trademarks: Visual Steps is a trademark of Visual Steps B.V. in the Netherlands. Windows is aregistered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Allother trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Website:www.visualsteps.com
Table of Contents
Foreword ..................................................................................................................................... 4The Visual StepsTM Newsletter .................................................................................................. 4The Visual StepsTM Concept ...................................................................................................... 4Getting Started with Digital Photos .......................................................................................... 5The Photo-Editing Program ....................................................................................................... 5
ArcSoft PhotoStudio .............................................................................................................. 6Acquiring Digital Photo Files..................................................................................................... 9
The Digital Camera................................................................................................................ 9Advantages and Disadvantages of a Digital Camera ................................................... 9What Does Resolution Mean?.................................................................................... 10Megapixels ................................................................................................................. 11The Parts of the Digital Camera ................................................................................. 12What Should You Look For When Buying a Digital Camera? .................................... 13Transferring Photos from Your Camera to Your Computer ........................................ 15Resolution and Print Size ........................................................................................... 16Photo Sizes and Image Sizes .................................................................................... 16Memory....................................................................................................................... 17
Scanners.............................................................................................................................. 17Types of Scanners ..................................................................................................... 17Scanner Settings ........................................................................................................ 19Scan Resolution ......................................................................................................... 19
Saving and Printing Options ................................................................................................ 20Photos on CD ............................................................................................................. 20The Online Photo Lab ................................................................................................ 21In-Store Printing Service............................................................................................. 21
4
A Short Guide to Digital Photo Editing2005 Addo Stuur / Visual Steps
ForewordDear reader,
Digital photography has grown enormously in a short time. This success is not accidental. Thedigital cameras ease of use and the ability to edit photos on the computer and share them withothers over the Internet or e-mail have won over many new enthusiasts. Many people havealready replaced or supplemented their regular camera with a digital photo camera. You dontnecessarily need a digital camera to edit photos on your PC, by the way. You can digitize yourold slides or printed photos by scanning them. If you want to keep using your regular camera,you can have your photos stored as digital files on a CD when you get them developed.To work with digital photos, youll need software. This useful information booklet will help youchoose among the many programs that are available. In addition, youll get information about theVisual Steps book available on this topic. Well also explain in plain English some importantbasic concepts for digital cameras and digital photography.I hope you enjoy this short guide!
Addo Stuur
Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. My e-mail address is:[email protected]
The Visual StepsTM NewsletterSign up for our periodic Newsletter which features information about our new titles, special offersand discounts, recommendations, and more delivered straight to your desktop for free!www.visualsteps.com/newsletter
The Visual StepsTM Concept
The Visual Steps concept is a step-by-step instruction method which quickly and easily teachesyou how to use a computer program. The books are written in plain English and feature a largerprint. Place the book next to your computer and follow the instructions step by step. Each step inthe book is illustrated with a screen shot. You can compare what you see on your computermonitor to these screen shots in the book to make sure you are on the right track.
All Visual Steps books are written according to the same easy step-by-step method. After youhave worked through one of our books you will know what to expect in any other Visual Stepstitle. If this method appeals to you, dont hesitate to try another title from Visual Steps.
A Short Guide to Digital Photo Editing 5
A Short Guide to Digital Photo Editing2005 Addo Stuur / Visual Steps
Getting Started with Digital Photos
For many computer owners, digital photo editing is one of the most popular applications for thePC. Because computers continue to become faster and more powerful, you can easily edit yourdigital photos on todays standard computers.To edit photos, youll need special software. One good program is ArcSoft PhotoStudio. You canuse this program for example to lighten or darken, sharpen or blur, and resize or crop yourphoto. Many of the features a professional photographer can use in the darkroom are availableto you on the computer with this program.To edit photos on your computer, youll also need digital photo files. You can acquire these inseveral ways. If you dont have a digital camera, you can scan your printed vacation photos intoyour computer using a simple scanner. You can also have your photos stored onto a CD-ROMwhen you have your regular roll of film developed. You can then edit these digital photo files onthe computer.
In this booklet, youll find information on the following topics:
the Visual Steps book on digital photo editinggeneral concepts in digital photographythe parts and operation of a digital camerascannersphoto CD-ROMs
Please note:All Visual Steps books are written according to the same step-by-step method. The bookmentioned in this guide has been written for people who havent worked with the PhotoStudioprogram before. You do need to have a basic knowledge of Windows.You should be able to do the following:
click, double-click, and right-click with the mousestart and stop programstype and edit a piece of text
The Photo-Editing ProgramYou may have experimented with editing your digital photos before using the simple Paintprogram included with Windows. You only have a few editing options in Paint. If youd like morefeatures, youll have to move up to a true photo-editing software package.
One well-known and good photo-editing program is ArcSoft PhotoStudio. This program offersmore than enough features for the beginning hobbyist.
6 A Short Guide to Digital Photo Editing
A Short Guide to Digital Photo Editing2005 Addo Stuur / Visual Steps
ArcSoft PhotoStudioThe ArcSoft PhotoStudio program is a good package for beginning photo editors who want toolsfor the most common editing tasks. The program is simple to operate and the program window iswell organized.You can make photos larger, smaller, lighter, darker, blurrier, or sharper. You can adjust thecolor balance in the photo and even remove parts of the photo you dont want to see. Usingvarious special effects, you can transform simple photos into artistic masterpieces. Another nicefeature is the ability to create panoramas by pasting two or more photos
