Section III Digital Postprocessing
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cloning tool that can copy small portions of the
image (very useful in eliminating dust spots or
similar defects), and selection tools used to isolate
part of an image for further processing.
The tools are typically selected and applied
by using the standard computer mouse, although
a graphics tablet and pen, Figure 15-4, is favored
by some users. The major advantage of the tablet
and pen is more precise control of tools, especially
when drawing or when retouching fine details.
Adobe Photoshop and similar full-featured
programs also allow the use of shortcut keys as
an alternative to employing a mouse and menu
to perform many operations. Shortcut keys are
typically an individual key or a combination of
the
CTRL
or
ALT
key (Command or
Option
key on
an Apple® computer) with a letter, numeral, or
punctuation mark. For example, when using a
brush on an image, the brush size can be changed
with shortcut keys:
]
will change to the next larger
brush;
[
will move to the next smaller. Using
SHIFT
+
]
will select the last brush size/shape
shown on the
Brushes
palette, while
SHIFT
+
[
will select the first brush size/shape.
The image-editing window, Figure 15-5,
varies in appearance somewhat from program
to program, but almost always includes these
features:
• A menu bar with dropdown menus across
the top of the screen
• An options bar for configuring a chosen tool
Figure 15-3. Tools available for various image-editing
functions are shown as icons on the toolbox. A specific
tool can be selected by clicking on its icon. The toolbox
can be moved around the screen to suit individual user
preferences.
Move tool
Magic wand
Paint brushes
Gradient tool
Dodge/burn tools
Quick mask
Crop tools
Selection tools
Clone stamp tool
Eraser tools
Pen tools
Spot healing brush tool
Figure 15-4. A special pen, used with a graphics tablet,
allows precise control when working on images. It is
particularly valuable when retouching fine details, or
when using the brush, pencil, pen, or airbrush tools.
(Wacom)
Step 2 in the procedure, of course, is the
complicated one. It may involve only a broad
change or two, such as cropping the image or
altering its overall brightness. At the opposite
extreme, it could involve both broad changes and
many smaller adjustments (from eliminating
a scratch or spot to lightening the color of a
subject’s eyes) to produce the desired result.
Many different tools are available for
performing actions on the image, Figure 15-3.
They include painting and drawing tools, an
eraser, color application tools, a rubber stamp or
Using Image-Editing
Software
The procedure for using image editing software,
in general terms, includes:
1. Open an image for editing. This might be one
already stored on the computer’s hard drive, one
imported from a CD, or the output of a scanner.
2. Perform basic processing actions, such as
cropping or contrast adjustment.
3. Save the altered image file to preserve the
changes.
4. Output the image to a printer.