Corel has just announced the release of Snapfire and Snapfire Plus, two new photo editing programmes designed to make editing and organising images easy for beginners and more advance amateurs.
Snapfire is a free download from Corel’s website, and offers a way for amateurs to organise and share not just their photos, but videos as well.
The software seems to be in beta right now, since Corel is requesting user feedback on how to improve the service.
One of the most highly-touted features is a customised slideshow that includes user-selected music tracks and motion effect to zoom in and across images and videos.
The software also allows users to create photo projects through templates for albums, calendars, collages, and cards.
An online Message Center ensures that users are introduced to the software’s features and can receive tips, tutorials, and news.
Other features include automatic image gathering from the My Pictures folder, full-screen Quick Review, One-click photo-enhancement, and a built-in Photo Doctor.
Snapfire Plus, which is available for £25, offers yet more features, including Makeover Tools and Picture Tubes found in Corel Paint Shop Pro, as well as the PhotoSafe Backup System.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Microsoft develops consumer 3D photography software
Microsoft has developed software that compiles information from a collection of images of a building or other structure and creates a 3D model.
Photosynth will let viewers fly through a scene, pan and zoom quickly to see every detail of the model, and see where images were taken in relation to each other.
The images can be taken at different times on different devices, and the software can still handle the composite.
It picks out where the photographer was standing as well as cross references images against each other, so that the greater the number of images, the better the final model.
One of the developers believes photo-sharing websites will be the first to use the new technology because they have such a volume of images in their collection; Microsoft has also said that the technology may be web-based.
Photosynth will let viewers fly through a scene, pan and zoom quickly to see every detail of the model, and see where images were taken in relation to each other.
The images can be taken at different times on different devices, and the software can still handle the composite.
It picks out where the photographer was standing as well as cross references images against each other, so that the greater the number of images, the better the final model.
One of the developers believes photo-sharing websites will be the first to use the new technology because they have such a volume of images in their collection; Microsoft has also said that the technology may be web-based.
Adobe gives Windows users a look at Lightroom
Adobe's flagship image workflow solution is still in the beta stage, but is now available for Windows users.
Previous releases of Lightroom have only included support for Mac.
Beta testers are encouraged to share their feedback so that Adobe can continue to improve the fledgling software before the full release at the end of this year.
Lightroom lets professional photographers import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images.
Apparently 3,000 Mac users have already signed up for the beta test run. Adobe hopes it'll have as good a response from Windows users.
At the moment, the Windows and Mac versions contain slightly different feature sets, but the full release will have the same ones.
Lightroom is touted as a sophisticated image browsing solution that lets users quickly scroll through hundreds of images and use One-to-One Zoom to magnify certain points within the image.
The software supports 120 RAW file formats, and the latest beta release includes support for all the newest cameras.
Previous releases of Lightroom have only included support for Mac.
Beta testers are encouraged to share their feedback so that Adobe can continue to improve the fledgling software before the full release at the end of this year.
Lightroom lets professional photographers import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images.
Apparently 3,000 Mac users have already signed up for the beta test run. Adobe hopes it'll have as good a response from Windows users.
At the moment, the Windows and Mac versions contain slightly different feature sets, but the full release will have the same ones.
Lightroom is touted as a sophisticated image browsing solution that lets users quickly scroll through hundreds of images and use One-to-One Zoom to magnify certain points within the image.
The software supports 120 RAW file formats, and the latest beta release includes support for all the newest cameras.
Adobe gobbles up Pixmantec plans to integrate RawShooter into Lightroom
Adobe's Lightroom application has been in development for quite some time, with 3 Mac beta versions having been released so far.
The process of development is set to speed up considerably with Adobe's recent acquisition of Pixmantec.
Pixmantec's RawShooter products, which includes the free essentials program as well as the Premium product garnered rave reviewers from professional photographers for its simplicity, powerful tools, and reasonable pricetag.
"With high-quality digital cameras now within reach of every photographer, customers are gravitating to raw file formats that allow them to get more control over final results", said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe.
"By combining Pixmantec's raw processing technology and expertise with our own, we're continuing to deliver on the promise that even your existing raw files can be processed with increasing quality as our software technology evolves."
RawShooter Premium is now being discontinued to prepare for its integration with Lightroom, although essentials will still be available until the Lightroom beta is finished.
Current Pixmantec customers will continue to be supported by Adobe.
Because the Lightroom beta is not yet complete, no pricing information has been released. Pixmantec RawShooter Premium had a pricetag of $99, which was remarkably low for such a powerful piece of software.
The process of development is set to speed up considerably with Adobe's recent acquisition of Pixmantec.
Pixmantec's RawShooter products, which includes the free essentials program as well as the Premium product garnered rave reviewers from professional photographers for its simplicity, powerful tools, and reasonable pricetag.
"With high-quality digital cameras now within reach of every photographer, customers are gravitating to raw file formats that allow them to get more control over final results", said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe.
"By combining Pixmantec's raw processing technology and expertise with our own, we're continuing to deliver on the promise that even your existing raw files can be processed with increasing quality as our software technology evolves."
RawShooter Premium is now being discontinued to prepare for its integration with Lightroom, although essentials will still be available until the Lightroom beta is finished.
Current Pixmantec customers will continue to be supported by Adobe.
Because the Lightroom beta is not yet complete, no pricing information has been released. Pixmantec RawShooter Premium had a pricetag of $99, which was remarkably low for such a powerful piece of software.
Adobe offers another test version of Lightroom
Adobe is still unready to release its Lightroom imaging workflow solution, and has instead offered a third Beta version.
From feedback generated by beta testers, Adobe has implemented some tweaks to improve the test version.
Beta 3 adds features to give greater control over export size and resolution, refine metadata selection with print output and RGB value readouts for greater editing precision.
New features include Before and After preview tools and a History that allows users to preview and track changes.
A dedicated Web module provides web content editing and live previews of HTML and Flash output.
An additional Straighten tool helps to correct camera angle issues, while Auto Import or Hot Folder support lets users automatically add images to the Library from a specified directory.
Additional RAW support has been added so that 120 files can now be manipulated in Lightroom.
The Beta version is a canny way for Adobe to tap in to a knowledgebase of photographers with real imaging workflow needs that can't fully be understood by engineers and developers in the early stages of creating image software.
From feedback generated by beta testers, Adobe has implemented some tweaks to improve the test version.
Beta 3 adds features to give greater control over export size and resolution, refine metadata selection with print output and RGB value readouts for greater editing precision.
New features include Before and After preview tools and a History that allows users to preview and track changes.
A dedicated Web module provides web content editing and live previews of HTML and Flash output.
An additional Straighten tool helps to correct camera angle issues, while Auto Import or Hot Folder support lets users automatically add images to the Library from a specified directory.
Additional RAW support has been added so that 120 files can now be manipulated in Lightroom.
The Beta version is a canny way for Adobe to tap in to a knowledgebase of photographers with real imaging workflow needs that can't fully be understood by engineers and developers in the early stages of creating image software.
Ulead announces VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus
Ulead has announced VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus, the newest versions of its consumer video editing and DVD authoring software.
"With version 10, VideoStudio hasn't changed so much as it has grown", said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager, Ulead. "Users new to video editing will find the software easier than ever. Advanced users can now take advantage of multiple overlay tracks, and complete support for high-definition video."
For the first time VideoStudio will be offered in two versions. VideoStudio 10 gives entry-level users affordable and easy-to-use editing and authoring tools for making great home movies. An advanced version, VideoStudio 10 Plus, delivers unique and powerful features for next generation quality and creativity.
VideoStudio 10 Plus will offer HD support and enable home users to edit high-definition video even on mid-range machines, VideoStudio 10 Plus incorporates Smart Proxy. Smart Proxy automatically converts HD video to smaller-sized proxy files that can be edited in real-time on less-powerful computers.
For output, Smart Proxy refers back to the original high-definition footage so the final quality is uncompromised.
VideoStudio 10 Plus is also the first consumer video editing program to allow users to author discs in the new HD-DVD format. Users can also playback HD content using InterVideo WinDVD playback software, included with the Plus package.
Additionally the Plus version of the software allows users to save video footage down to the MPEG4 format for sharing on mobile devices such as the Apple iPod, Sony PSP and the growing number of video-enabled mobile phones.
New filters have also been added to VideoStudio 10, including two corrective video filters. Enhance Lighting adds "fill light" to dark shots while Anti-Shake improves unsteady handheld video. Fish Eye, a creative filter, applies rounded, bubble-like distortion to video clips.
Ulead VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus will be available in retail in the UK from early May. VideoStudio 10 is priced at £39.99; VideoStudio 10 Plus is priced at £59.99 for the full version and £39.99 for upgrades from VideoStudio versions 6, 7, 8 and 9 to VideoStudio 10 Plus version.
"With version 10, VideoStudio hasn't changed so much as it has grown", said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager, Ulead. "Users new to video editing will find the software easier than ever. Advanced users can now take advantage of multiple overlay tracks, and complete support for high-definition video."
For the first time VideoStudio will be offered in two versions. VideoStudio 10 gives entry-level users affordable and easy-to-use editing and authoring tools for making great home movies. An advanced version, VideoStudio 10 Plus, delivers unique and powerful features for next generation quality and creativity.
VideoStudio 10 Plus will offer HD support and enable home users to edit high-definition video even on mid-range machines, VideoStudio 10 Plus incorporates Smart Proxy. Smart Proxy automatically converts HD video to smaller-sized proxy files that can be edited in real-time on less-powerful computers.
For output, Smart Proxy refers back to the original high-definition footage so the final quality is uncompromised.
VideoStudio 10 Plus is also the first consumer video editing program to allow users to author discs in the new HD-DVD format. Users can also playback HD content using InterVideo WinDVD playback software, included with the Plus package.
Additionally the Plus version of the software allows users to save video footage down to the MPEG4 format for sharing on mobile devices such as the Apple iPod, Sony PSP and the growing number of video-enabled mobile phones.
New filters have also been added to VideoStudio 10, including two corrective video filters. Enhance Lighting adds "fill light" to dark shots while Anti-Shake improves unsteady handheld video. Fish Eye, a creative filter, applies rounded, bubble-like distortion to video clips.
Ulead VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus will be available in retail in the UK from early May. VideoStudio 10 is priced at £39.99; VideoStudio 10 Plus is priced at £59.99 for the full version and £39.99 for upgrades from VideoStudio versions 6, 7, 8 and 9 to VideoStudio 10 Plus version.
Apple Releases Aperture 1.1
Apple has released Aperture 1.1, a significant update its all-in-one post production tool for photographers that runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs.
According to Apple, Aperture 1.1 features dramatically improved RAW image rendering and a new set of advanced RAW adjustment controls. As well as delivering speed gains on any Mac including desktop performance on a
MacBook Pro with image adjustments and searching up to 4x faster.
The company has also reduced the price to £219, making, it says affordable to any one with a digital SLR camera.
“Since Aperture launched just over four months ago, we've been incredibly focused on improving image quality and performance, working closely with pro photographers to get it right in 1.1”, said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice
president of Applications Marketing. “With the RAW quality and overall speed of Aperture 1.1 and its new low price, there's never been a better time for pros and hobbyists alike to take the art and craft of photography to the next level.”
RAW image rendering in Aperture 1.1 is greatly improved in areas such as noise reduction, sharpening, and highlight recovery. New RAW Fine Tuning controls allow photographers to tweak decode settings such as boost, sharpening and chroma blur. A new built-in colour meter displays pixel values in RGB, Lab or CMYK in the Adjustments HUD (heads up display) or in Aperture's Loupe magnifying viewer. Enhanced export controls make it easier to output images at specific resolutions and improve the handling of layered Photoshop files. Aperture 1.1 offers support for the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D.
Aperture 1.1 is available immediately as a free Software Update to current Aperture 1.0 customers. In addition, early adopters of Aperture 1.0 will soon be able to claim a £130 (inc. VAT) coupon redeemable at the Apple.
According to Apple, Aperture 1.1 features dramatically improved RAW image rendering and a new set of advanced RAW adjustment controls. As well as delivering speed gains on any Mac including desktop performance on a
MacBook Pro with image adjustments and searching up to 4x faster.
The company has also reduced the price to £219, making, it says affordable to any one with a digital SLR camera.
“Since Aperture launched just over four months ago, we've been incredibly focused on improving image quality and performance, working closely with pro photographers to get it right in 1.1”, said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice
president of Applications Marketing. “With the RAW quality and overall speed of Aperture 1.1 and its new low price, there's never been a better time for pros and hobbyists alike to take the art and craft of photography to the next level.”
RAW image rendering in Aperture 1.1 is greatly improved in areas such as noise reduction, sharpening, and highlight recovery. New RAW Fine Tuning controls allow photographers to tweak decode settings such as boost, sharpening and chroma blur. A new built-in colour meter displays pixel values in RGB, Lab or CMYK in the Adjustments HUD (heads up display) or in Aperture's Loupe magnifying viewer. Enhanced export controls make it easier to output images at specific resolutions and improve the handling of layered Photoshop files. Aperture 1.1 offers support for the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D.
Aperture 1.1 is available immediately as a free Software Update to current Aperture 1.0 customers. In addition, early adopters of Aperture 1.0 will soon be able to claim a £130 (inc. VAT) coupon redeemable at the Apple.
Adobe and Symantec team up to beat viruses
Adobe has announced a partnership with Symantec to simplify the accessibility of tools to increase PC safety and security for internet users.
Initially, the two companies will offer a complimentary trial and the option of special pricing for the Norton Internet Security 2006 suite to users who are downloading the latest version of Adobe Reader.
“Symantec estimates that 30-40% of all connected consumer systems are not adequately protected”, said Enrique Salem, senior vice president, consumer products and solutions, Symantec. “Our relationship with Adobe offers the broadest possible group of consumers a new avenue to protect their PCs online in a quick, cost-effective way.”
Norton Internet Security 2006 includes Norton AntiVirus with integrated spyware protection, Norton Personal Firewall, Norton AntiSpam and Norton Parental Control. Users will receive updates throughout the year with the purchase of a one-year subscription for ongoing protection against the most recent internet threats.
Initially, the two companies will offer a complimentary trial and the option of special pricing for the Norton Internet Security 2006 suite to users who are downloading the latest version of Adobe Reader.
“Symantec estimates that 30-40% of all connected consumer systems are not adequately protected”, said Enrique Salem, senior vice president, consumer products and solutions, Symantec. “Our relationship with Adobe offers the broadest possible group of consumers a new avenue to protect their PCs online in a quick, cost-effective way.”
Norton Internet Security 2006 includes Norton AntiVirus with integrated spyware protection, Norton Personal Firewall, Norton AntiSpam and Norton Parental Control. Users will receive updates throughout the year with the purchase of a one-year subscription for ongoing protection against the most recent internet threats.
Ulead get HD ready with new authoring software
Ulead Systems has announced a new version of its MovieFactory software for DVD authoring including future-ready support for both HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc formats.
Called Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 the software package allows users to capture video from any source, including DV or HDV camcorders, DVB-T digital broadcasts, or VCRs.
DVD MovieFactory also offers a Video Editing Toolbox to then trim and enhance the video, add titles, and select background music.
“With support for both HD disc formats, DVD MovieFactory 5 offers users the best video experience no matter the standard they choose”, said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager.
Features and Benefits:
When laying out menus for HD or standard DVDs, users now have a whole new arsenal of creative tools including SmartScene menus that changes content when the viewer rolls over a text item.
For quick burning projects, DVD MovieFactory also features an intuitive Quick-Drop desktop utility, which lets users burn video, photos, music or data onto any disc format, including high-capacity HD discs.
Called Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 the software package allows users to capture video from any source, including DV or HDV camcorders, DVB-T digital broadcasts, or VCRs.
DVD MovieFactory also offers a Video Editing Toolbox to then trim and enhance the video, add titles, and select background music.
“With support for both HD disc formats, DVD MovieFactory 5 offers users the best video experience no matter the standard they choose”, said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager.
Features and Benefits:
When laying out menus for HD or standard DVDs, users now have a whole new arsenal of creative tools including SmartScene menus that changes content when the viewer rolls over a text item.
For quick burning projects, DVD MovieFactory also features an intuitive Quick-Drop desktop utility, which lets users burn video, photos, music or data onto any disc format, including high-capacity HD discs.
Adobe announce Photoshop Elements v4 for Mac
Adobe has announced that it is going up against Apple and its iPhoto software with the announcement of a Mac version of its Photo Elements software package.
“Photoshop Elements for Mac delivers the features photo enthusiasts need to make their pictures stand out from the crowd”, said Deborah Whitman, vice president of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe.
“The Magic Extractor is an example of the power consumers have to seamlessly extract one image out of a photo and easily drag and drop it into another photo, so it looks like it has always been there.”
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Macintosh is an all-in-one photo editing and creation solution for Macintosh users and the Mac version will include new tools such as Magic Selection Brush, Skin Tone Adjustment, Magic Extractor and Auto Red Eye Removal.
Like iPhoto, the software will include integrated Adobe Photoshop Services to allow users to order Kodak prints and hardbound photo books. A variety of printing options allow users to create contact sheets and customise picture package layouts for creative sharing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Mac (Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4) will cost £69.
“Photoshop Elements for Mac delivers the features photo enthusiasts need to make their pictures stand out from the crowd”, said Deborah Whitman, vice president of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe.
“The Magic Extractor is an example of the power consumers have to seamlessly extract one image out of a photo and easily drag and drop it into another photo, so it looks like it has always been there.”
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Macintosh is an all-in-one photo editing and creation solution for Macintosh users and the Mac version will include new tools such as Magic Selection Brush, Skin Tone Adjustment, Magic Extractor and Auto Red Eye Removal.
Like iPhoto, the software will include integrated Adobe Photoshop Services to allow users to order Kodak prints and hardbound photo books. A variety of printing options allow users to create contact sheets and customise picture package layouts for creative sharing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Mac (Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4) will cost £69.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Apple releases Aperture 1.5.1 and offers free 30 day trial
Apple has tweaked its latest Aperture release and has also added a 30-day free trial of the software for download on its website.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
Corel announces new Paint Shop Pro Photo version XI
Corel has been quick to respond to Adobe’s announcement of Elements 5.0 yesterday with a new version of Paint Shop Pro Photo, version XI.
This release incorporates a number of new features, including a Photo Organiser that also functions as a file browser and seems to offer similarity functionality as Adobe Bridge does to Photoshop.
The Photo Organiser is built within Paint Shop Pro so that users can quickly locate images and search for images by filename, date, file type, or folder location, as well as assign ratings, keywords, and other metadata.
Other major additions are the Color Changer tool, Time Machine, Film and Filters, Skin Smoothing, Quick Review, and Photo Trays.
The Color Changer Tool lets users replace blocks of colour realistically by matching the illumination in the original colour, while the Time Machine is a fancy name for applying various filters themed around periods of history to an image. It tries to replicate the effect of various photo developing techniques from, for example, the Roaring Twenties or Swinging Sixties.
Film and Filters applies a variety of tradition film and filter types to images, while Skin Smoother, part of the Makeover Tools collection, gets rid of wrinkles, blemishes, and scars so you can turn granny into a teenager.
Quick Review is a slideshow manager for quickly fixing them, while Photo Trays providers users with a new way to sort images.
The software also includes the new Snapfire Plus SE photo and video sharing software, and is available from the website for £77 ex VAT, or £52 ex VAT for an upgrade.
This release incorporates a number of new features, including a Photo Organiser that also functions as a file browser and seems to offer similarity functionality as Adobe Bridge does to Photoshop.
The Photo Organiser is built within Paint Shop Pro so that users can quickly locate images and search for images by filename, date, file type, or folder location, as well as assign ratings, keywords, and other metadata.
Other major additions are the Color Changer tool, Time Machine, Film and Filters, Skin Smoothing, Quick Review, and Photo Trays.
The Color Changer Tool lets users replace blocks of colour realistically by matching the illumination in the original colour, while the Time Machine is a fancy name for applying various filters themed around periods of history to an image. It tries to replicate the effect of various photo developing techniques from, for example, the Roaring Twenties or Swinging Sixties.
Film and Filters applies a variety of tradition film and filter types to images, while Skin Smoother, part of the Makeover Tools collection, gets rid of wrinkles, blemishes, and scars so you can turn granny into a teenager.
Quick Review is a slideshow manager for quickly fixing them, while Photo Trays providers users with a new way to sort images.
The software also includes the new Snapfire Plus SE photo and video sharing software, and is available from the website for £77 ex VAT, or £52 ex VAT for an upgrade.
Adobe releases Lightroom beta 4.0
Adobe has released a fourth Beta version of its Lightroom RAW workflow software, and has added Photoshop to the title to reinforce the idea that it is part of the Photoshop family of software.
This latest release is the result of feedback from over 3400 users who have posted comments and criticism in the Lightroom forums. Over 325,000 people have downloaded the software during the beta period.
Beta 4.0 adds improvements like a new precision white balance selection option, and a more streamlined and elegant user interface, with changes to the way tools are displayed and greater customization. A new tone curve adjustments translates to powerful image correction capabilities, that lets users visually obtain proper adjustments.
Enhancements in the Develop and Library modules yield the option to convert files to Adobe Digital Negative Format, or DNG after importing, although over 125 native raw file formats are support, with preliminary support added for the latest DSLRs, the Canon 400D and the Nikon D80.
Unlike Photoshop, the Lightroom beta is a universal binary app that can be used on both PowerPCs and Intel-based Macs; a Windows version is also available. To download the software, visit Adobe Labs.
This latest release is the result of feedback from over 3400 users who have posted comments and criticism in the Lightroom forums. Over 325,000 people have downloaded the software during the beta period.
Beta 4.0 adds improvements like a new precision white balance selection option, and a more streamlined and elegant user interface, with changes to the way tools are displayed and greater customization. A new tone curve adjustments translates to powerful image correction capabilities, that lets users visually obtain proper adjustments.
Enhancements in the Develop and Library modules yield the option to convert files to Adobe Digital Negative Format, or DNG after importing, although over 125 native raw file formats are support, with preliminary support added for the latest DSLRs, the Canon 400D and the Nikon D80.
Unlike Photoshop, the Lightroom beta is a universal binary app that can be used on both PowerPCs and Intel-based Macs; a Windows version is also available. To download the software, visit Adobe Labs.
Ulead releases PhotoImpact 12 image and video editing software
Ulead has released the latest version of its consumer image editing software, PhotoImpact 12, with a number of new features designed to make operation even simpler.
The key addition to the programmed is the new ExpressFix mode, which is a simplified interface that provides commonly-used photo features as guided and fully-automatic tools. Users can edit images and compare their changes with the original on a large before and after preview screen. Noise reduction and the SmartCurves tone adjustment are available as one-step processes in this mode.
A SmartGuide “How-to” panel has also been incorporated to guide new users through a range of Photo, Web, and Video and DVD editing options.
Although the software is designed for consumer use, it does incorporate a number of features for high-end users, including RAW file conversion and editing high-colour depth with support for selected tools and objects, and a new White Balance correction tool to achieve natural-looking images.
Web, DVD, and Video Graphics have also been enhanced. Component Designer now includes video title graphics and DVD navigation buttons, and new to PhotoImpact 12 are Web blog and DVD menu templates.
The package includes PhotoImpact, Photo Explorer 8.6, Alum 12, COOL 360 for panoramic images, and Animator 5.05 for £45 for download, £50 for the box. Upgrades from older versions are also availabl
The key addition to the programmed is the new ExpressFix mode, which is a simplified interface that provides commonly-used photo features as guided and fully-automatic tools. Users can edit images and compare their changes with the original on a large before and after preview screen. Noise reduction and the SmartCurves tone adjustment are available as one-step processes in this mode.
A SmartGuide “How-to” panel has also been incorporated to guide new users through a range of Photo, Web, and Video and DVD editing options.
Although the software is designed for consumer use, it does incorporate a number of features for high-end users, including RAW file conversion and editing high-colour depth with support for selected tools and objects, and a new White Balance correction tool to achieve natural-looking images.
Web, DVD, and Video Graphics have also been enhanced. Component Designer now includes video title graphics and DVD navigation buttons, and new to PhotoImpact 12 are Web blog and DVD menu templates.
The package includes PhotoImpact, Photo Explorer 8.6, Alum 12, COOL 360 for panoramic images, and Animator 5.05 for £45 for download, £50 for the box. Upgrades from older versions are also availabl
Apple releases major update for Aperture version 1.5
Apple has released what it calls a “major update” to its Aperture all-in-one professional post production tool for photographers, in the form of version 1.5, which will be available to current users with a free upgrade.
Aperture 1.5 operates on a new open library, offers seamless integration across Apple’s other applications, including iLife, iWord, and even iTunes, and has added new adjustment tools and XMP metadata support.
The open library system means that photographers can store image files wherever they want, including external hard drives and removable media. The software generates high-res previews in a variety of sizes and quality levels, and lets users review, rate, and organise these previews while the original images are offline. This means the user can take a compact version of his or her entire library to work on while travelling.
With tighter integration with other Apple applications, users can now build websites through iWeb, create self-contained slideshows with Keynote, or produce DVD slideshows with iDVD, all using JPEGs from the Aperture library.
Users can also sync to iPod using iTunes, making it easier to download images to the device, and access Aperture photos within iPHoto.
Adding metadata is easier with pre-filled IPTC Metadata Prests, while RAW images can be exported with IPTC data stored in XMP sidecar files so that they can be read from within other applications.
New photo adjustments include luminance-based Edge Sharpening, and a new Color tool for tuning hue, saturation, and luminance of specific colour ranges.
The Loupe has also been enhanced with new onscreen tools and the option to detach the curser from the loupe while making adjustments.
And plug-ins from third party developers means that Aperture’s functionality can be extended and connected to complementary applications. Getty Images, iStockphoto, Pictage, Flickr, PhotoShelter, and more have already developed plug-ins.
Pricing in the US is around $299 for the full version; it's £219 in the UK.
Aperture 1.5 operates on a new open library, offers seamless integration across Apple’s other applications, including iLife, iWord, and even iTunes, and has added new adjustment tools and XMP metadata support.
The open library system means that photographers can store image files wherever they want, including external hard drives and removable media. The software generates high-res previews in a variety of sizes and quality levels, and lets users review, rate, and organise these previews while the original images are offline. This means the user can take a compact version of his or her entire library to work on while travelling.
With tighter integration with other Apple applications, users can now build websites through iWeb, create self-contained slideshows with Keynote, or produce DVD slideshows with iDVD, all using JPEGs from the Aperture library.
Users can also sync to iPod using iTunes, making it easier to download images to the device, and access Aperture photos within iPHoto.
Adding metadata is easier with pre-filled IPTC Metadata Prests, while RAW images can be exported with IPTC data stored in XMP sidecar files so that they can be read from within other applications.
New photo adjustments include luminance-based Edge Sharpening, and a new Color tool for tuning hue, saturation, and luminance of specific colour ranges.
The Loupe has also been enhanced with new onscreen tools and the option to detach the curser from the loupe while making adjustments.
And plug-ins from third party developers means that Aperture’s functionality can be extended and connected to complementary applications. Getty Images, iStockphoto, Pictage, Flickr, PhotoShelter, and more have already developed plug-ins.
Pricing in the US is around $299 for the full version; it's £219 in the UK.
Apple updates iLife to fit in with Aperture 1.5
Just a day after Apple released a software for its iTunes software the company has released a series of fixes for its iLife package which addresses updates to the company's Aperture photographic application.
Totaling 125.9MB the package that gets the most updates is iPhoto which becomes iPhoto 6.0.5 and as well as the Aperture update users will get new calendar, greeting card, and postcard themes for use with Apple print services, including a variety of holiday card designs
iMovie HD also gets further improvements including overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.
The iDVD, GarageBand, iWeb updates simply "addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content".
Totaling 125.9MB the package that gets the most updates is iPhoto which becomes iPhoto 6.0.5 and as well as the Aperture update users will get new calendar, greeting card, and postcard themes for use with Apple print services, including a variety of holiday card designs
iMovie HD also gets further improvements including overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.
The iDVD, GarageBand, iWeb updates simply "addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content".
Adobe Photoshop CS3 features rumoured to be revealed
Adobe Photoshop CS3's interface will look a bit like Adobe After Effects 7, according to sources reporting to Mac blog site Think Secret.
The new look will feature better palette organisation with the ability to move all palettes into a single icon, as well as dedicated brightness adjustment for the interface itself.
The sources also say that Live Filters is one new feature that improves workflow as well as raw performance, bringing dynamic editing from Layer Styles to Filters.
The rumours also include news that non-destructive editing has been improved, so that layers can be saved as smart objects on which new editable filters can be applied.
Sources have also revealed to Think Secret that 3D objects can be imported and textures modified; video support has been enhanced; and a new Device Library contains listings for many phones and portable devices so that designers can check how their design will be viewed on screens of various shapes and sizes.
The new look will feature better palette organisation with the ability to move all palettes into a single icon, as well as dedicated brightness adjustment for the interface itself.
The sources also say that Live Filters is one new feature that improves workflow as well as raw performance, bringing dynamic editing from Layer Styles to Filters.
The rumours also include news that non-destructive editing has been improved, so that layers can be saved as smart objects on which new editable filters can be applied.
Sources have also revealed to Think Secret that 3D objects can be imported and textures modified; video support has been enhanced; and a new Device Library contains listings for many phones and portable devices so that designers can check how their design will be viewed on screens of various shapes and sizes.
Win a copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI
Corel have teamed up to offer two lucky readers the chance to win the recently-launched, award-winning Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI, worth over £90 each. A copy could be yours absolutely free – just enter this competition.
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI is a complete digital photography toolkit that allows users to edit, manage and share photos, and create stunning photo projects, with a range of versatile new features and enhancements that meet the needs of novices, photo hobbyists and professional photographers alike.
The Colour Changer and Time Machine are new, unique features that change the colours of objects or areas in photos and show what they would look like if taken in another era, respectively.
All you have to do is answer one simple question to win. Click on the link below to be in with a chance.
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI is a complete digital photography toolkit that allows users to edit, manage and share photos, and create stunning photo projects, with a range of versatile new features and enhancements that meet the needs of novices, photo hobbyists and professional photographers alike.
The Colour Changer and Time Machine are new, unique features that change the colours of objects or areas in photos and show what they would look like if taken in another era, respectively.
All you have to do is answer one simple question to win. Click on the link below to be in with a chance.
Adobe rumoured to be releasing Photoshop CS3 beta this week
Think Secret, the repository of early Apple-related rumours, is citing suources that say Adobe is very close to releasing a beta of Photoshop CS3 – so close, it may even be happening this week.
Both PC and Mac users will be able to download the beta, and Mac users will be able to try out the software for the first time based on the universal binary.
However, details of the promised beta release are a bit sketchy. The release isn't really a public beta, but will only be available for registered owners of Photoshop CS2. Those with a valid serial number will be able to download the standard, but not premium version of the beta.
Adobe's planned release of two, presumably differently-priced, versions of the applications were reported in August 2005, but details on the differing feature set are not yet available.
The Think Secret sources also say that Adobe has disabled Open GL-based image zooming from the beta, and as this is one of the features that makes Photoshop feel so fast on the Intel-based systems, it's not clear why Adobe would hamper it.
It's rumoured that that particular feature may not be available in the final release either.
Both PC and Mac users will be able to download the beta, and Mac users will be able to try out the software for the first time based on the universal binary.
However, details of the promised beta release are a bit sketchy. The release isn't really a public beta, but will only be available for registered owners of Photoshop CS2. Those with a valid serial number will be able to download the standard, but not premium version of the beta.
Adobe's planned release of two, presumably differently-priced, versions of the applications were reported in August 2005, but details on the differing feature set are not yet available.
The Think Secret sources also say that Adobe has disabled Open GL-based image zooming from the beta, and as this is one of the features that makes Photoshop feel so fast on the Intel-based systems, it's not clear why Adobe would hamper it.
It's rumoured that that particular feature may not be available in the final release either.
Adobe releases Photoshop CS3 beta
As prevously rumoured on Pocket-lint, Adobe has released a beta version of Photoshop CS3 for both Mac and Windows PC to try out.
This is the first version of the software that runs natively on Intel Macs, rather than through Rosetta. The final shipping date of the application isn't expected until Spring 2007, and this beta release gives Adobe the chance to get user feedback on features and issues before the full release.
The beta also includes a pre-release version of Adobe Bridge, which Adobe are calling a “major upgrade,” and a preview release of Adobe Device Central.
This latest addition to the CS family lets Photoshop users design, preview, and test mobile content on a range of small screens.
“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to a new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said John Loiacono, senior VP of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.
“We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimised and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems.”
To download the beta, you have to register with Adobe first. To use the beta until the full version comes out in the Spring, you have to have a valid serial number from Photoshop CS2 or the Creative Suite. Otherwise, the beta will expire after 2 days.
The editor of Photoshop User magazine, Scott Kelby, has already posted a roundup of the top ten new features. They include a new, customisable user interface, big improvements to Camera Raw, an easy Quick Selection tool, and an even better Curves dialogue.
This is the first version of the software that runs natively on Intel Macs, rather than through Rosetta. The final shipping date of the application isn't expected until Spring 2007, and this beta release gives Adobe the chance to get user feedback on features and issues before the full release.
The beta also includes a pre-release version of Adobe Bridge, which Adobe are calling a “major upgrade,” and a preview release of Adobe Device Central.
This latest addition to the CS family lets Photoshop users design, preview, and test mobile content on a range of small screens.
“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to a new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said John Loiacono, senior VP of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.
“We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimised and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems.”
To download the beta, you have to register with Adobe first. To use the beta until the full version comes out in the Spring, you have to have a valid serial number from Photoshop CS2 or the Creative Suite. Otherwise, the beta will expire after 2 days.
The editor of Photoshop User magazine, Scott Kelby, has already posted a roundup of the top ten new features. They include a new, customisable user interface, big improvements to Camera Raw, an easy Quick Selection tool, and an even better Curves dialogue.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Apple releases Aperture 1.5.1 and offers free 30 day trial
Apple has tweaked its latest Aperture release and has also added a 30-day free trial of the software for download on its website.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 features rumoured to be revealed
Adobe Photoshop CS3's interface will look a bit like Adobe After Effects 7, according to sources reporting to Mac blog site Think Secret.
The new look will feature better palette organisation with the ability to move all palettes into a single icon, as well as dedicated brightness adjustment for the interface itself.
The sources also say that Live Filters is one new feature that improves workflow as well as raw performance, bringing dynamic editing from Layer Styles to Filters.
The rumours also include news that non-destructive editing has been improved, so that layers can be saved as smart objects on which new editable filters can be applied.
Sources have also revealed to Think Secret that 3D objects can be imported and textures modified; video support has been enhanced; and a new Device Library contains listings for many phones and portable devices so that designers can check how their design will be viewed on screens of various shapes and sizes.
The new look will feature better palette organisation with the ability to move all palettes into a single icon, as well as dedicated brightness adjustment for the interface itself.
The sources also say that Live Filters is one new feature that improves workflow as well as raw performance, bringing dynamic editing from Layer Styles to Filters.
The rumours also include news that non-destructive editing has been improved, so that layers can be saved as smart objects on which new editable filters can be applied.
Sources have also revealed to Think Secret that 3D objects can be imported and textures modified; video support has been enhanced; and a new Device Library contains listings for many phones and portable devices so that designers can check how their design will be viewed on screens of various shapes and sizes.
Adobe rumoured to be releasing Photoshop CS3 beta this week
Think Secret, the repository of early Apple-related rumours, is citing suources that say Adobe is very close to releasing a beta of Photoshop CS3 – so close, it may even be happening this week.
Both PC and Mac users will be able to download the beta, and Mac users will be able to try out the software for the first time based on the universal binary.
However, details of the promised beta release are a bit sketchy. The release isn't really a public beta, but will only be available for registered owners of Photoshop CS2. Those with a valid serial number will be able to download the standard, but not premium version of the beta.
Adobe's planned release of two, presumably differently-priced, versions of the applications were reported in August 2005, but details on the differing feature set are not yet available.
The Think Secret sources also say that Adobe has disabled Open GL-based image zooming from the beta, and as this is one of the features that makes Photoshop feel so fast on the Intel-based systems, it's not clear why Adobe would hamper it.
It's rumoured that that particular feature may not be available in the final release either.
Both PC and Mac users will be able to download the beta, and Mac users will be able to try out the software for the first time based on the universal binary.
However, details of the promised beta release are a bit sketchy. The release isn't really a public beta, but will only be available for registered owners of Photoshop CS2. Those with a valid serial number will be able to download the standard, but not premium version of the beta.
Adobe's planned release of two, presumably differently-priced, versions of the applications were reported in August 2005, but details on the differing feature set are not yet available.
The Think Secret sources also say that Adobe has disabled Open GL-based image zooming from the beta, and as this is one of the features that makes Photoshop feel so fast on the Intel-based systems, it's not clear why Adobe would hamper it.
It's rumoured that that particular feature may not be available in the final release either.
Adobe releases Photoshop CS3 beta
As prevously rumoured on Pocket-lint, Adobe has released a beta version of Photoshop CS3 for both Mac and Windows PC to try out.
This is the first version of the software that runs natively on Intel Macs, rather than through Rosetta. The final shipping date of the application isn't expected until Spring 2007, and this beta release gives Adobe the chance to get user feedback on features and issues before the full release.
The beta also includes a pre-release version of Adobe Bridge, which Adobe are calling a “major upgrade,” and a preview release of Adobe Device Central.
This latest addition to the CS family lets Photoshop users design, preview, and test mobile content on a range of small screens.
“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to a new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said John Loiacono, senior VP of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.
“We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimised and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems.”
To download the beta, you have to register with Adobe first. To use the beta until the full version comes out in the Spring, you have to have a valid serial number from Photoshop CS2 or the Creative Suite. Otherwise, the beta will expire after 2 days.
The editor of Photoshop User magazine, Scott Kelby, has already posted a roundup of the top ten new features. They include a new, customisable user interface, big improvements to Camera Raw, an easy Quick Selection tool, and an even better Curves dialogue.
This is the first version of the software that runs natively on Intel Macs, rather than through Rosetta. The final shipping date of the application isn't expected until Spring 2007, and this beta release gives Adobe the chance to get user feedback on features and issues before the full release.
The beta also includes a pre-release version of Adobe Bridge, which Adobe are calling a “major upgrade,” and a preview release of Adobe Device Central.
This latest addition to the CS family lets Photoshop users design, preview, and test mobile content on a range of small screens.
“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to a new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said John Loiacono, senior VP of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.
“We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimised and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems.”
To download the beta, you have to register with Adobe first. To use the beta until the full version comes out in the Spring, you have to have a valid serial number from Photoshop CS2 or the Creative Suite. Otherwise, the beta will expire after 2 days.
The editor of Photoshop User magazine, Scott Kelby, has already posted a roundup of the top ten new features. They include a new, customisable user interface, big improvements to Camera Raw, an easy Quick Selection tool, and an even better Curves dialogue.
Reuters working with Canon and Adobe to track edits
Reuters is working together with Canon and Adobe to ensure that editors can trace the edits made to an image, according to Reuters CEO Tom Glocer.
Glocer let the news drop in a speech made at the Globes Media Conference in Tel Aviv, and later posted on his blog.
Reuters was in the centre of a media storm earlier this year when it was discovered that one of their stringers had doctored not just one, but two of his images, adding elements that were not in the original images.
Although Reuters immediate action to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. “We updated and reissued our guidelines for all editorial staff, including a new way of captioning photographs. If for example, a photo is taken while on a tour organised by Hezbollah, we will know make this 100% clear in the caption."
“We reiterated our strict rules banning the use of Photoshop to do anything you could not legitimately do in the darkroom, and we ensured that every photographer, staffer, or freelancer, signed up to these rules.”
However, Glocer wants a technical solution to the problem, and said, “I am pleased to announce today that we are working with Adobe and Canon to create a solution that enables photo editors to view and audit trail of changes to a digital image, which is permanently embedded in the photograph, ensuring the accuracy of the image".
“We are still working through the details and hope this will be a new standard for Reuters and I believe should be the new industry standard.”
Glocer let the news drop in a speech made at the Globes Media Conference in Tel Aviv, and later posted on his blog.
Reuters was in the centre of a media storm earlier this year when it was discovered that one of their stringers had doctored not just one, but two of his images, adding elements that were not in the original images.
Although Reuters immediate action to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. “We updated and reissued our guidelines for all editorial staff, including a new way of captioning photographs. If for example, a photo is taken while on a tour organised by Hezbollah, we will know make this 100% clear in the caption."
“We reiterated our strict rules banning the use of Photoshop to do anything you could not legitimately do in the darkroom, and we ensured that every photographer, staffer, or freelancer, signed up to these rules.”
However, Glocer wants a technical solution to the problem, and said, “I am pleased to announce today that we are working with Adobe and Canon to create a solution that enables photo editors to view and audit trail of changes to a digital image, which is permanently embedded in the photograph, ensuring the accuracy of the image".
“We are still working through the details and hope this will be a new standard for Reuters and I believe should be the new industry standard.”
Auto FX Software AutoEye 2.0 photo editing software
Digital cameras make it easier to just keep the photos you like the best, but they don't guarantee every photo you keep is a Pulitzer Prize winner. Thankfully, every decent photo editing software package includes an "autofix" feature for fixing errant pictures. Those tools are pretty good, but not exacting. They can sometimes save a disaster, but they can rarely elevate a picture to art.
The answer to skillful manipulation of digital images is a dedicated image fixer such as AutoEye 2.0. It's dedicated and designed to do one thing well--adjust color balance, hue, saturation, contrast, brightness, focus, exposure, and other aspects that make up a digital image.
You can use AutoEye 2.0 as a plug-in (an accessory) for Adobe Photoshop, but if you're not using that high-end (and expensive) program it also works separately. Open the image you want to enhance, and then save the changed image in a format you can work with in your standard image editor. Advanced users will appreciate the program's support for layers, a key technique for creative image work. Photoshop users can make changes to several files at once if they use AutoEye 2.0 as a plug-in.
All users will appreciate the program's full-screen previews and its Memory Dot feature, which remembers all of the changes you've made to an image so you can walk back through the changes to get to an earlier version that you might like better. If you develop a set of changes you really like, you can save them as a "preset" and apply them as often as you like to other images.
Some people won't like the program's non-conventional interface, which appears as a series of control modules and which looks very different from the standard Windows or Macintosh control panels that many applications use. But even though the look is a little dated (that's so 2001!) it's easy to understand and to work the enhancement tools. Just slide a button along a bar to increase or decrease an effect, or type in a panel number for the same effect.
Is it worth buying a specialized image-enhancement program? You may find the answer in your own creative desires. For the basic digital photo hobbyist, this program isn't necessary. But for anyone who longs to move from the snapshot universe to the world of artistic expression, AutoEye 2.0 provides an easy-to-follow path.
Cons: Expensive; costs more than many full-featured digital image software programs.
Prepress Training Solution Adds Digital Photo Editing Basics Course to Online Training Library
Prepress Training Solution Press Release
Prepress Training Solution, the premier online training provider to the graphic arts industry, announces the release of the Digital Photo Editing Basics online training course.
The addition of Digital Photo Editing Basics to the Prepress and Graphics Library represents Prepress Training Solution’s 40th addition to its interactive online library of software training. The new Digital Photo Editing Basics course consists of 9 tutorials totaling more than 30 minutes of training, teaching the user the basics of dealing with digital photos in the prepress arena. The course addresses basic digital photo knowledge, suggestions for clients, photo corrections such as red eye elimination and color adjustments, and even Photoshop actions.
Topics covered in this course include:
· Introduction to Digital Photo Editing
· Suggestions for Clients
· Red Eye & Spot Healing
· Histogram, Curves, & AutoColor
· Match Color & Shadow/Highlight
· Reduce Noise & Lens Correction
· Smart Blur & Smart Sharpen
· Camera RAW
· Actions & Batch Processing
All Prepress Training Solution courses are offered online and are available from any computer with an Internet connection. With a unique ID and password, subscribers can access their account for training and review, 24/7, for an entire year. To maximize their training experience, users perform a series of steps that assess initial product knowledge and quantify improvement derived from training.
Prepress Training Solution, the premier online training provider to the graphic arts industry, announces the release of the Digital Photo Editing Basics online training course.
The addition of Digital Photo Editing Basics to the Prepress and Graphics Library represents Prepress Training Solution’s 40th addition to its interactive online library of software training. The new Digital Photo Editing Basics course consists of 9 tutorials totaling more than 30 minutes of training, teaching the user the basics of dealing with digital photos in the prepress arena. The course addresses basic digital photo knowledge, suggestions for clients, photo corrections such as red eye elimination and color adjustments, and even Photoshop actions.
Topics covered in this course include:
· Introduction to Digital Photo Editing
· Suggestions for Clients
· Red Eye & Spot Healing
· Histogram, Curves, & AutoColor
· Match Color & Shadow/Highlight
· Reduce Noise & Lens Correction
· Smart Blur & Smart Sharpen
· Camera RAW
· Actions & Batch Processing
All Prepress Training Solution courses are offered online and are available from any computer with an Internet connection. With a unique ID and password, subscribers can access their account for training and review, 24/7, for an entire year. To maximize their training experience, users perform a series of steps that assess initial product knowledge and quantify improvement derived from training.
Free Digital Photo Editing Software Review
Digital photo editing software makes it possible for amateur as well as professional photographers to touch up digital images in order to get great pictures every time. Today’s digital photo editing software is so powerful yet easy to use that I think everyone should take advantage of this kind of technology. In fact, I never print out any pictures without touching them up first. Even if I took a pretty good snapshot the first time around, I know that I can always make it better with just a few clicks of my mouse. For example, my free digital photo editing software allows me to increase brightness or contrast instantly, remove red-eye quickly and easily, and crop out unwanted elements. In the end, I always get perfect pictures of my vacations, holidays, and other special events.
Free Drawing and Painting Programs Image Manipulation and Photo Editing Software
GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Program
GIMP, often touted as a Photoshop replacement by its fans, allows you to create and edit images and photos. It has the usual facilities found in many commercial paint programs such as a variety of paint tools (Brush, Airbrush, Pencil, Clone, custom brushes and patterns, etc), full alpha channel support, layers and channels, transformation tools (rotate, scale, sheer, flip), multiple undo and redo, selection tools (rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy, intelligent, bezier, polygonal), animation support (including MNG), numerous file formats (BMP, GIF, JPEG, MNG, PCX, PDF, PS, PSD, PNG, SVG, TIF, TGA, XPM, etc) including conversion between different file formats, and so on. Supported systems include Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Sun Solaris. This is an open source program.
Google Picasa ( Get photo software from Google )
Picasa is a photo editing program that allows you to edit and organise your pictures on your computer. You can add visual effects to your digital pictures, write captions, pan, tilt, zoom, crop, eliminate red eyes, change the contrast, colour and enhance them. Other features include the ability to create slide shows, upload your photographs to your blog or website, burn them to CD or DVD, make a desktop image, create a screensaver, etc. The software is available for Windows and Linux.
Tux Paint
Tux Paint is a drawing software designed for young children. It has cute looking buttons, sound effects and a mascot that encourages children as they use the program. Supported systems include Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and NetBSD.
Paint.NET
Paint.NET is an image and photo manipulation program that supports layers, unlimited undo and redo, special effects, drawing tools (tools for drawing shapes, splines, Bezier curves, etc), etc. It runs under Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. It requires the Microsoft .NET Framework (hence its name).
Inkscape - open source scalable vector graphics editor
Inkscape is a scalable vector graphics (SVG) editor. It is open source, and versions are available for Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and OS X.
DrawPlus 4
DrawPlus 4 is a drawing and painting program. It supports the GIF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, WMF and EMF graphic file formats. The program is no longer maintained. It supports Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 and XP. You have to register with your email address to use the program.
GIMP, often touted as a Photoshop replacement by its fans, allows you to create and edit images and photos. It has the usual facilities found in many commercial paint programs such as a variety of paint tools (Brush, Airbrush, Pencil, Clone, custom brushes and patterns, etc), full alpha channel support, layers and channels, transformation tools (rotate, scale, sheer, flip), multiple undo and redo, selection tools (rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy, intelligent, bezier, polygonal), animation support (including MNG), numerous file formats (BMP, GIF, JPEG, MNG, PCX, PDF, PS, PSD, PNG, SVG, TIF, TGA, XPM, etc) including conversion between different file formats, and so on. Supported systems include Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Sun Solaris. This is an open source program.
Google Picasa ( Get photo software from Google )
Picasa is a photo editing program that allows you to edit and organise your pictures on your computer. You can add visual effects to your digital pictures, write captions, pan, tilt, zoom, crop, eliminate red eyes, change the contrast, colour and enhance them. Other features include the ability to create slide shows, upload your photographs to your blog or website, burn them to CD or DVD, make a desktop image, create a screensaver, etc. The software is available for Windows and Linux.
Tux Paint
Tux Paint is a drawing software designed for young children. It has cute looking buttons, sound effects and a mascot that encourages children as they use the program. Supported systems include Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and NetBSD.
Paint.NET
Paint.NET is an image and photo manipulation program that supports layers, unlimited undo and redo, special effects, drawing tools (tools for drawing shapes, splines, Bezier curves, etc), etc. It runs under Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. It requires the Microsoft .NET Framework (hence its name).
Inkscape - open source scalable vector graphics editor
Inkscape is a scalable vector graphics (SVG) editor. It is open source, and versions are available for Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and OS X.
DrawPlus 4
DrawPlus 4 is a drawing and painting program. It supports the GIF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, WMF and EMF graphic file formats. The program is no longer maintained. It supports Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 and XP. You have to register with your email address to use the program.
Beyond Basic Photo Editing
When you purchased your first digital camera, you no doubt quickly learned the basics of photo editing such as:
* Cropping – the process of removing unwanted areas from a photo.
* Rotating and straightening – the ability to flip, rotate and straighten a photo that was taken at an odd angle.
* Red-eye removal – the ability to correct the eye color of a person or pet.
* Contrast and color enhancement – correcting for poor lighting or washed out color.
* Organize and rename – downloading your photos to your PC or Mac, then filing photos into folders and renaming important photos with meaningful names.
Basic digital-photo editing software is free and usually comes packaged with your camera. There are also some free basic programs available on the Web such as the popular and easy to use Picasa™ from Google, and Apple supplies iPhoto, the image manager, free for all Mac users. iPhoto has a basic image editor that provides cropping, scaling, rotating, brightness, red-eye removal, importing and exporting, and photo management. Although both iPhoto and Picasa are handy, helpful and nicely designed for basic operation, both are also too limiting for the digital photographer who is ready to move beyond this basic level of image editing.
For both Windows and the Mac, there is a free advanced photo-editing tool called GIMP. GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It's a freely distributed open-source software program for advanced editing tasks such as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. The website is not fancy, but it provides enough information to help you find your way to the user manual and the downloads. You should feel pretty confident about your computer skills in order to successfully work with GIMP. The menus in this application have icons that are somewhat intuitive, but you may want to print out the user manual in advance of starting to use this software.
For a more user-friendly software interface and support, the popular Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 5.0 is available for Windows at an affordable price. Some of the editing techniques you will be able to accomplish with this application are:
* Edit out flaws – edit away wrinkles and unwanted objects in your photos.
* Simulate painting – transform photos with paintbrush effects to simulate oils, watercolors, charcoals, pastels, and canvas textures.
* Fine-tune exposure – get the perfect exposure with adjustments that fine-tune color, brightness, and contrast.
* Adjustments – adjust the exposure of specific areas in your photos using professional darkroom tools like dodge, burn, and sponge.
* Combine photos – add ancestors to a family portrait, place yourself on top of Mt. Everest, or create other clever photo combinations.
* Add sound and animation to photos and more.
For the Mac user, Apple's iPhoto 6 is available for purchase. It has many of the same features and powerful advanced editing tools as Adobe's Elements, can manage up to 250,000 photos, and has other unique features such as photocasting, a clever ways to share photos with friends and family. Both Elements and iPhoto will let you create calendars, gift books and greeting cards from your best photos.
If you're ready to go beyond the basics in photo editing, there are several solutions for PC and Mac users that can fit your pocket book. The advanced editing tools in these applications, including the free open-source GIMP, will give you the power to combine, manage and share your photos like a professional as well as the opportunity to unleash your artistic side.
* Cropping – the process of removing unwanted areas from a photo.
* Rotating and straightening – the ability to flip, rotate and straighten a photo that was taken at an odd angle.
* Red-eye removal – the ability to correct the eye color of a person or pet.
* Contrast and color enhancement – correcting for poor lighting or washed out color.
* Organize and rename – downloading your photos to your PC or Mac, then filing photos into folders and renaming important photos with meaningful names.
Basic digital-photo editing software is free and usually comes packaged with your camera. There are also some free basic programs available on the Web such as the popular and easy to use Picasa™ from Google, and Apple supplies iPhoto, the image manager, free for all Mac users. iPhoto has a basic image editor that provides cropping, scaling, rotating, brightness, red-eye removal, importing and exporting, and photo management. Although both iPhoto and Picasa are handy, helpful and nicely designed for basic operation, both are also too limiting for the digital photographer who is ready to move beyond this basic level of image editing.
For both Windows and the Mac, there is a free advanced photo-editing tool called GIMP. GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It's a freely distributed open-source software program for advanced editing tasks such as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. The website is not fancy, but it provides enough information to help you find your way to the user manual and the downloads. You should feel pretty confident about your computer skills in order to successfully work with GIMP. The menus in this application have icons that are somewhat intuitive, but you may want to print out the user manual in advance of starting to use this software.
For a more user-friendly software interface and support, the popular Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 5.0 is available for Windows at an affordable price. Some of the editing techniques you will be able to accomplish with this application are:
* Edit out flaws – edit away wrinkles and unwanted objects in your photos.
* Simulate painting – transform photos with paintbrush effects to simulate oils, watercolors, charcoals, pastels, and canvas textures.
* Fine-tune exposure – get the perfect exposure with adjustments that fine-tune color, brightness, and contrast.
* Adjustments – adjust the exposure of specific areas in your photos using professional darkroom tools like dodge, burn, and sponge.
* Combine photos – add ancestors to a family portrait, place yourself on top of Mt. Everest, or create other clever photo combinations.
* Add sound and animation to photos and more.
For the Mac user, Apple's iPhoto 6 is available for purchase. It has many of the same features and powerful advanced editing tools as Adobe's Elements, can manage up to 250,000 photos, and has other unique features such as photocasting, a clever ways to share photos with friends and family. Both Elements and iPhoto will let you create calendars, gift books and greeting cards from your best photos.
If you're ready to go beyond the basics in photo editing, there are several solutions for PC and Mac users that can fit your pocket book. The advanced editing tools in these applications, including the free open-source GIMP, will give you the power to combine, manage and share your photos like a professional as well as the opportunity to unleash your artistic side.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
ACDSee Photo Editor 4.0
ACDSystems offers imaging applications for both professionals and consumers alike. With the popularity of digital cameras and other devices that capture images, the digital image editing market is saturated with editing tools. Even Microsoft will get into the fray with its Windows Photo Gallery when the company's Vista operating system ships.
ACDSystems has recently released version 4.0 of its Photo Editor. The application, which is the company's entry level product (ACDSee 8 and ACDSee Pro being the other two imaging tools) is targeted at consumer and SoHo types, and is robust enough to satisfy most anyone who wants to get creative with images.
The application largely follows a step by step approach to teach you how to get good results with the new How-To's. While the application has a competent toolset for image editing manually, the How-To's are focused at those who prefer instruction. Within the scope of this first look, we'll take a look at some of the features to the application.
How To's are tutorials that show you how to perform a specific task using Photo Editor. The How To's come in three categories, the Basics, Photo Fix, and Creative Ease. Basics offers a variety of tutorials, including creating a blank work area, adding text to a photo, opening a photo, picking colors, placing an image, exporting photos to Microsoft Office, adding shapes to a photo, rotating objects, photos or the work area, aligning objects, and more. The core tools of Photo Editor are covered here to give you a feel on how to use them and what you can use the for. Photo Fix includes instructions on how to fix red eye, cropping photos, brightening or darkening a photo, removing a color tint, removing graininess from a photo, straightening a photo, and repairing a photo.
Creative Ease features such How-to's as applying a vignette, antiquing a photo, creating a wallet strip, creating wrapping paper, creating a vintage portrait, creating a wine label, and more. When you select a How-to, Photo Editor displays a brief paragraph of what that How-to is used for and how it may differ from other How-to's. It also may discuss the attributes of the particular How-to before you push the Start button to get into it. Once you push the start button, the instruction to complete the task are displayed next to the How-to palette, complete with text instructions and screenshots of where to go in the workspace to complete the How-to task. After you've completed the specific instructions in the first pane, click next to proceed to the rest of the How-to instructions. Also, at any time you can revert back to the previous How-to window if you don't do it correctly or want to read the instructions again.
ACDSystems has recently released version 4.0 of its Photo Editor. The application, which is the company's entry level product (ACDSee 8 and ACDSee Pro being the other two imaging tools) is targeted at consumer and SoHo types, and is robust enough to satisfy most anyone who wants to get creative with images.
The application largely follows a step by step approach to teach you how to get good results with the new How-To's. While the application has a competent toolset for image editing manually, the How-To's are focused at those who prefer instruction. Within the scope of this first look, we'll take a look at some of the features to the application.
How To's are tutorials that show you how to perform a specific task using Photo Editor. The How To's come in three categories, the Basics, Photo Fix, and Creative Ease. Basics offers a variety of tutorials, including creating a blank work area, adding text to a photo, opening a photo, picking colors, placing an image, exporting photos to Microsoft Office, adding shapes to a photo, rotating objects, photos or the work area, aligning objects, and more. The core tools of Photo Editor are covered here to give you a feel on how to use them and what you can use the for. Photo Fix includes instructions on how to fix red eye, cropping photos, brightening or darkening a photo, removing a color tint, removing graininess from a photo, straightening a photo, and repairing a photo.
Creative Ease features such How-to's as applying a vignette, antiquing a photo, creating a wallet strip, creating wrapping paper, creating a vintage portrait, creating a wine label, and more. When you select a How-to, Photo Editor displays a brief paragraph of what that How-to is used for and how it may differ from other How-to's. It also may discuss the attributes of the particular How-to before you push the Start button to get into it. Once you push the start button, the instruction to complete the task are displayed next to the How-to palette, complete with text instructions and screenshots of where to go in the workspace to complete the How-to task. After you've completed the specific instructions in the first pane, click next to proceed to the rest of the How-to instructions. Also, at any time you can revert back to the previous How-to window if you don't do it correctly or want to read the instructions again.
Say Cheese Metacreations Releases Photo Editing Software
MetaCreations Corp. this week made available Kai's Photo Soap 2, the latest version of the popular photo editing software.
The new version is designed to enable people with a camera and a computer to put their photos on the Web, by converting digital images to HTML format. It also features an integrated, intuitive environment for correcting or editing photos and creating digital content.
Included in Photo Soap 2 is a tool for the creation of 3D picture cubes for the Web, and the PhotoMailer tool for e-mailing interactive slide shows.
This latest release provides simple controls and animated tools for instant cropping, touch up and color correction of photos. Users will now be able to "clean" up their photos, and create custom slide shows and photo albums to share with others on the Web. The tool also features a large selection of templates, cartoon and photo-realistic clip art to create a professional look and feel.
The new version is designed to enable people with a camera and a computer to put their photos on the Web, by converting digital images to HTML format. It also features an integrated, intuitive environment for correcting or editing photos and creating digital content.
Included in Photo Soap 2 is a tool for the creation of 3D picture cubes for the Web, and the PhotoMailer tool for e-mailing interactive slide shows.
This latest release provides simple controls and animated tools for instant cropping, touch up and color correction of photos. Users will now be able to "clean" up their photos, and create custom slide shows and photo albums to share with others on the Web. The tool also features a large selection of templates, cartoon and photo-realistic clip art to create a professional look and feel.
Free Image Editing Software
Looking for a way to edit your photos, add text to designs, create collages, and perform other advanced tasks not possible in our on-line designer? These advanced tasks are best accomplished using image editing software. Popular commercial software titles include Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Photoshop Elements, etc. There are also some free titles available for download. Below you will find a partial list of free and commercial image editing software titles popular with users of Printfection.com:
Free Image Editing Software
Gimp
Paint.NET
Serif PhotoPlus
Ultimate Paint
VCW VicMan's Photo Editor
Free Image Editing Software
Gimp
Paint.NET
Serif PhotoPlus
Ultimate Paint
VCW VicMan's Photo Editor
Photo Editing Tips
The proliferation of digital cameras and powerful yet inexpensive scanners is giving computer-savvy users much more control over their pictures than they had in the past. The days of filling up a roll of film and impatiently waiting to see how your pictures turned out are quickly fading. Now, it's possible to preview shots directly on the camera, get rid of the ones you don't want on the fly to free up space, and immediately import all your images into your computer for printing.
The problem is that all this new technology hasn't necessarily made people better photographers. Shots still come out fuzzy, colors often don't look quite right, images get overexposed or underexposed, and digital data introduces anomalies that we never had to deal with in the past. Fortunately, inexpensive image editors let you correct and enhance images using the same tools professionals have relied on for years. You can read our comparative review, "Recipes For A Perfect Picture," in this issue to find an editor that's right for you; most of the tools and tips in this article apply to any of the popular image editors available today.
When you capture images with a scanner or digital camera, the picture is stored as a series of pixels (picture elements). Pixels are individual dots that contain unique color information; the number of pixels in an image defines its resolution. For example, an image with a resolution of 800 x 600 has 800 columns of vertical pixels and 600 rows of horizontal pixels, for a total of 480,000 pixels.
The higher the resolution, the more detail an image can have. Think of graph paper: If you draw a large circle on a sheet of graph paper with 100 x 100 squares, it looks coarse with curves.
The problem is that all this new technology hasn't necessarily made people better photographers. Shots still come out fuzzy, colors often don't look quite right, images get overexposed or underexposed, and digital data introduces anomalies that we never had to deal with in the past. Fortunately, inexpensive image editors let you correct and enhance images using the same tools professionals have relied on for years. You can read our comparative review, "Recipes For A Perfect Picture," in this issue to find an editor that's right for you; most of the tools and tips in this article apply to any of the popular image editors available today.
When you capture images with a scanner or digital camera, the picture is stored as a series of pixels (picture elements). Pixels are individual dots that contain unique color information; the number of pixels in an image defines its resolution. For example, an image with a resolution of 800 x 600 has 800 columns of vertical pixels and 600 rows of horizontal pixels, for a total of 480,000 pixels.
The higher the resolution, the more detail an image can have. Think of graph paper: If you draw a large circle on a sheet of graph paper with 100 x 100 squares, it looks coarse with curves.
Microsoft Updates Photo Editing Software
Microsoft Corp. is releasing a new version of its Picture It! photo-editing software.
Part of the Microsoft Graphics Studio range, Picture It! 99 has expanded editing and enhancement capabilities, greater ease of use, and it comes with two CD's of templates, project ideas and clip-art, the company said. For home and small-business users, it offers professional-quality digital imaging functionality.
One of the favorite applications of Picture It! has been the elimination of "red eye" from photographs taken with flash. This, and other, more complex editing tasks, are now made easier in the latest version, Microsoft said. Using Picture It! 99, users can create fantasy vacation photos complete with sounds and music, and e-mail them to friends. Microsoft suggests many other applications, such as creating trading cards, or personalized photo calendars, adding that the CDs that come with the product are full of other ideas.
"We have managed to improve an already great product by listening to what users told us was most important to them. We didn't mess with a good thing--we only made it better!"
Picture It! 99 can be purchased on its own, or as part of a bundled system. For example, it is part of Hewlett-Packard's PhotoSmart PC photography system, which includes the HP Photo Smart printer, scanner and digital camera. On its own Picture It! 99 costs $54.95 and is scheduled for nationwide availability later this month.
Part of the Microsoft Graphics Studio range, Picture It! 99 has expanded editing and enhancement capabilities, greater ease of use, and it comes with two CD's of templates, project ideas and clip-art, the company said. For home and small-business users, it offers professional-quality digital imaging functionality.
One of the favorite applications of Picture It! has been the elimination of "red eye" from photographs taken with flash. This, and other, more complex editing tasks, are now made easier in the latest version, Microsoft said. Using Picture It! 99, users can create fantasy vacation photos complete with sounds and music, and e-mail them to friends. Microsoft suggests many other applications, such as creating trading cards, or personalized photo calendars, adding that the CDs that come with the product are full of other ideas.
"We have managed to improve an already great product by listening to what users told us was most important to them. We didn't mess with a good thing--we only made it better!"
Picture It! 99 can be purchased on its own, or as part of a bundled system. For example, it is part of Hewlett-Packard's PhotoSmart PC photography system, which includes the HP Photo Smart printer, scanner and digital camera. On its own Picture It! 99 costs $54.95 and is scheduled for nationwide availability later this month.
Photo Editing Software Review
Photo-editing software works with your digital camera so you can easily resize, crop, retouch and otherwise tinker with your photos before you share them, print them or publish them to the Web. Depending on how much control you want, you might opt for a program with automated or manual editing features. Consumer Guide can help you figure out which photo-editing software is most appropriate for your needs.
O and O MediaRecovery V4 Rescue Mistakenly Deleted Photos Videos and Songs
Quick and easy recovery of all popular media files such as digital photos, videos and MP3s
Almost overnight, analog cameras and traditional stereo systems have become seldom seen devices in consumer households. More and more, these "antique" devices have given way to more advanced, compact and versatile digital equipment. Analog media have quickly been replaced by volumes of files accumulating on hard disks, memory cards and other storage platforms. For a family, these files could contain irreplaceable personal memories that, if lost or deleted, would catastrophic for those involved. At the same time, every experienced user knows how easy it is to lose data: one push of the wrong button on a digital camera's menu is all it takes.
Luckily, with the right software solution there is hope. O&O MediaRecovery V4 has been optimized specifically for recovering accidentally deleted photos, videos and music files off of devices connected directly to a computer. O&O MediaRecovery can make music files from a MP3 Player, photos from a digital camera or videos from a camcorder reappear, as if they were
never gone. Frank Alperstaedt, Managing Director at O&O Software: "Those who know what it's like to lose irreplaceable photos or videos of a memorable vacation or a child's birthday, know how much it can hurt. O&O MediaRecovery lets users avoid such painful situations. It is very important to remember, however, that for the best chances of a successful media recovery, the disk space made free through the mistaken deletion of data must not be
overwritten by the creation of new files."
The 5-Minute-Miracle!
Files gone - What now?! Most of the time, one thinks first to call an expert data recovery technician to attempt a file rescue because presumably only experts possess the ample know-how to handle these situations. This software makes expensive data recovery house calls a thing of the past. With O&O MediaRecovery V4 and its beautifully designed graphical interface, even beginners can handle the most expert of media recoveries. The on-screen
assistance guides users step-by-step through the media recovery process, presenting users in the end with the precious files believed to be gone forever. This extraordinary "Rescues-Files-Believed-to-be-Gone-Forever-Tool" is compatible with all drives recognized in Windows, as well as digital cameras connected to PCs, USB sticks, removable drives and memory cards of all formats. Naturally, this software has no problem using its state-of-the-art
media recovery technology on Apple iPods, on which a few very essential albums have been deleted.
For ease of use, O&O MediaRecovery V4 comes with an integrated picture previewing function, allowing users can take a look at their pictures before recovering them. On volumes containing hundreds, if not thousands, of digital images, this can be a big help.
Almost overnight, analog cameras and traditional stereo systems have become seldom seen devices in consumer households. More and more, these "antique" devices have given way to more advanced, compact and versatile digital equipment. Analog media have quickly been replaced by volumes of files accumulating on hard disks, memory cards and other storage platforms. For a family, these files could contain irreplaceable personal memories that, if lost or deleted, would catastrophic for those involved. At the same time, every experienced user knows how easy it is to lose data: one push of the wrong button on a digital camera's menu is all it takes.
Luckily, with the right software solution there is hope. O&O MediaRecovery V4 has been optimized specifically for recovering accidentally deleted photos, videos and music files off of devices connected directly to a computer. O&O MediaRecovery can make music files from a MP3 Player, photos from a digital camera or videos from a camcorder reappear, as if they were
never gone. Frank Alperstaedt, Managing Director at O&O Software: "Those who know what it's like to lose irreplaceable photos or videos of a memorable vacation or a child's birthday, know how much it can hurt. O&O MediaRecovery lets users avoid such painful situations. It is very important to remember, however, that for the best chances of a successful media recovery, the disk space made free through the mistaken deletion of data must not be
overwritten by the creation of new files."
The 5-Minute-Miracle!
Files gone - What now?! Most of the time, one thinks first to call an expert data recovery technician to attempt a file rescue because presumably only experts possess the ample know-how to handle these situations. This software makes expensive data recovery house calls a thing of the past. With O&O MediaRecovery V4 and its beautifully designed graphical interface, even beginners can handle the most expert of media recoveries. The on-screen
assistance guides users step-by-step through the media recovery process, presenting users in the end with the precious files believed to be gone forever. This extraordinary "Rescues-Files-Believed-to-be-Gone-Forever-Tool" is compatible with all drives recognized in Windows, as well as digital cameras connected to PCs, USB sticks, removable drives and memory cards of all formats. Naturally, this software has no problem using its state-of-the-art
media recovery technology on Apple iPods, on which a few very essential albums have been deleted.
For ease of use, O&O MediaRecovery V4 comes with an integrated picture previewing function, allowing users can take a look at their pictures before recovering them. On volumes containing hundreds, if not thousands, of digital images, this can be a big help.
Image makeover Photo editing basics
So you've made the leap to digital photography and it really does seem as easy as everyone says. Until, that is, you download the snaps from your digital camera.
With hindsight, perhaps auntie Rita won't appreciate the fact you have inadvertently focused on her unsightly mole, making it look twice as large as usual. And will over-serious cousin Edwin appreciate the bunny ears someone has given him by sticking their fingers up behind his head? Unlikely.
Something has to be done and fast. But where to start? Most of us have photo-editing software that came bundled with the PC or the digital camera we bought, but often we end up overwhelmed by the array of tools and, uncertain of where to begin, we simply choose to file it under 'too hard'. Cue the embarrassing family album no one ever gets to view.
In the interests of family harmony, we decided to offer a refresher course in the most basic of image-editing tools and, because there are so many packages available, we're not going to focus on any particular one.
Instead, we will break down tools by the kinds of task they are suited to. This means we'll look at three main groups of tools: those that control, those that select, and those that add effects to digital photographs.
To make it simple for even the most novice user, we'll include the icon that usually represents the tool under discussion in the tool palette - so look for something similar in the program that you have. Before long, you'll be able to diffuse family tensions and make the most of your digital camera.
Take control
The first thing to say is that there's no need to be concerned about ruining precious pictures. If you're new to image editing, open your chosen photo and use the application's Save As option to create a copy.
This is usually found under the File menu at the top of the window. Now you can experiment and learn on the copy. If you make a mistake and don't want to start all over again, hold down the Ctrl key and press Z - this will reverse the last action made in the application.
Control tools enable us to negotiate our way around, into and out of the image. The Hand tool (also known as the Pan tool) is the simplest and is named such for obvious reasons; it looks like a hand and allows us to move - or pan - our way around the image.
It is of most use when the image being viewed is larger than the program window, such as when taking a close look at a part of an image using the zoom tool. To pan around, click on the hand tool and hold down the left mouse button while dragging the mouse across the image.
To take a closer look we need to use the zoom tool. Shaped like a magnifying glass, the zoom tool allows us to magnify a portion of an image or zoom out of it. Click on the Magnifying glass tool in some applications and the cursor will change to a magnifying glass with either a plus sign, for zooming in, or a minus sign for zooming out.
Often on tool palettes you will find that some icons reveal more than one tool (which perform similarly themed tasks), and these are usually marked with a small arrow to indicate a drop-down menu. Click and hold to reveal the other tools.
At its simplest, the zoom tool works by magnifying the area you left-click on, although many enable you to hold down the mouse key and drag around a specific area. Often right-clicking will zoom out of the image by a set increment.
Images will appear distorted when you zoom in, because the actual pixels (the tiny dots that make up digital images) will be displayed. That doesn't mean the printed image will appear like that. To see a representation of the image as it will be printed, look for the zoom percentage - this is usually displayed in the Title Bar of the document. At 100 per cent the image appears normal.
Make your selection
Selection tools enable you to remove or enhance specific parts of an image and most packages include a simple marquee tool for drawing rectangles, circles or ellipse shapes, to a freeform tool that allows you to draw around an unsymmetrical object.
In addition, the Eyedropper tool is useful for selecting pixels of a particular colour - for example, selecting a sea or a sky if you wish to replace a section of the image with some other background.
The marquee tools are usually depicted in the palette as a square or circle with a dotted outline. The freeform version normally has an irregular shape, a bit like a clothes hanger. A square-ish object is best handled with the rectangle tool, while an unsymmetrical shape is best traced around with the freeform tool.
Hold and drag around an area to select it - experiment with different starting positions to get the closest fit.
The freeform tool requires you to trace around an image while holding down the mouse button or clicking around the desired area to create a series of dots that the application connects when you re-click on the first dot.
Once you have selected a portion of your image, a flowing dotted line will appear around it. Now only that area will be affected by any changes. The circle or ellipse tools can come in handy to select the red part of an eye in an image where red-eye has occurred. Replacing static backgrounds such as sea and sky can also be done with an effect tool called the Clone Stamp, which we'll investigate shortly.
The more sophisticated your package is, the easier selection tools are to use. For instance, Paint Shop Pro offers an Edge Selecter freeform tool with which you can click on the edges of the shape in question.
As you do so, it will stick to the edges of all pixels within the edges of two subtle colour or light differences, thus picking out the object from its background.
This tool is sometimes called the magnetic lasso, because it sticks to the sides of objects within images as you drag it around the rough shape.
Causing effect
Once you know how to move around an image and select parts of it, there is really only one more basic principle of photo-editing to get to grips with. Applying effects can range from simply cropping a large image in order to enhance one aspect of it - a cottage in the middle of a landscape shot, for example - to filling in a hole left by the removal of one part of an image.
Many packages also include lots of preset effects - often called filters - that can transform entire images.
The cropping tool is the one you will use most often - in the palette, it's denoted as a box with a diagonal line through it. Left-click and drag diagonally across part of a photo and a box with a dotted edge will appear indicating the portion of the image you have elected to keep.
To change it, drag the resize handles located around the rectangle's border. Once you are happy, double-click and your image is resized accordingly.
Paint also includes a Brush and an Airbrush tool, which you can use to add colour to your image - effectively 'painting' it. The colour used is dictated by the colours palette, which is most often found as a square of colour on one side of the working area. Click this to choose a new colour.
There's also a clone tool, which you can use to copy and paste part of a picture on to another area.
The marquee tools are useful for copying and pasting one part of a picture to another spot - it's really handy when trying to edit out a small unwanted feature from an image.
From the toolbar, choose the rectangular selection tool to draw around the portion of the image you wish to copy and right-click. From the Edit menu, click on Copy and Paste. The Selected matter can now be dragged to where you wish to copy to. Right-click, choose paste, and drag the selection to the new location.
An alternative is to use the Fill tool - the icon usually resembles a paint tin in mid-tip. This will enable you to reproduce colour from one section of an image to another. This can be a rough-and-ready approach to take where subtle colours are required. For those areas, the clone tool works better.
The clone tool works by taking a sample of one area of the image and copying it on another area. In practice, you first have to select the point to be copied and this is usually done by right-clicking, or holding down the Alt or Ctrl key while left-clicking.
Then let go of the mouse key, move the cursor to the area you want to apply the effect to and hold down the left mouse button to start cloning the image, while moving the cursor over the area.
It's important to take the sample from the right spot, because when you begin to apply the clone, the sample point remains relative to the cursor; this makes it much easier to sample textured backgrounds and you can also use it to clone people's faces onto another person's body for a giggle.
Another useful feature found on the tools palette of many image-editing applications is the sponge. This changes the colour saturation or vividness of an area. In black-and-white images, it changes the contrast.
Once you have selected sponge from the toolbar, you will be able to specify your requirements and then drag the sponge over the portion of the image you wish to modify.
While a picture can often paint a thousand words, a few well-chosen ones added to the image itself can bring out the meaning or impart a message. Look for a large letter of the alphabet in the palette, usually a T or an A, which represents the text tool.
Clicking on the image using this tool will do one of two things, depending on your particular application. Either a flashing cursor will appear on the image, enabling you to enter text, or a window will open where text can be typed in.
In either case, it's possible to change the font and point size of the text in a way similar to word processing programs, by highlighting the text using the mouse, then choosing options from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Why DIY?
Most image editing programs offer quick-fix functions for those of us who like the thought of being photo-editing whizzes, but cannot quite muster the energy. Digital correction filters for common problems such as grainy images (called noise for those in the know) are often on hand.
Backlighting, flash and that unearthly coloured glow that sometimes afflicts your snaps can also be corrected with a few clicks of the mouse.
A common feature in most quick-fix menus these days is a red-eye reduction tool. Most photographers find that portraits of saintly aunts can appear satanic when unwittingly taken with an evil red-eyed glare. Hovering this tool over the affected pupil, detects the red and converts it to black. Only the most puritanical of image editors will be able to resist.
Altered states
Whether creating a groovy mosaic effect from a photo or turning a photographic image into a charcoal drawing or a needlepoint template, you can make much more of your digital snaps by getting to grips with the Filter effects in your photo-editing application.
Look out for the word Effects or Filters in the menu bar. Most are designed to mimic the style of a specific type of photography or art technique, such as embossing an image or rendering it in the style of an impressionist painting.
What a picture!
Once you know how to manoeuvre around an image and make a selection of elements within it and then change them, it becomes easy to explore a photo-editing package and really get to grips with all its features.
The Help files are a useful resource for giving you an overview of a feature of the program and providing a step-by-step guide to using it.
And if you still need motivation, imagine cropping that hideous ex-boyfriend out of old birthday snaps, or filling in uncle Arthur's bald patch for his 60th birthday card. Memories are so much nicer with a little airbrushing.
With hindsight, perhaps auntie Rita won't appreciate the fact you have inadvertently focused on her unsightly mole, making it look twice as large as usual. And will over-serious cousin Edwin appreciate the bunny ears someone has given him by sticking their fingers up behind his head? Unlikely.
Something has to be done and fast. But where to start? Most of us have photo-editing software that came bundled with the PC or the digital camera we bought, but often we end up overwhelmed by the array of tools and, uncertain of where to begin, we simply choose to file it under 'too hard'. Cue the embarrassing family album no one ever gets to view.
In the interests of family harmony, we decided to offer a refresher course in the most basic of image-editing tools and, because there are so many packages available, we're not going to focus on any particular one.
Instead, we will break down tools by the kinds of task they are suited to. This means we'll look at three main groups of tools: those that control, those that select, and those that add effects to digital photographs.
To make it simple for even the most novice user, we'll include the icon that usually represents the tool under discussion in the tool palette - so look for something similar in the program that you have. Before long, you'll be able to diffuse family tensions and make the most of your digital camera.
Take control
The first thing to say is that there's no need to be concerned about ruining precious pictures. If you're new to image editing, open your chosen photo and use the application's Save As option to create a copy.
This is usually found under the File menu at the top of the window. Now you can experiment and learn on the copy. If you make a mistake and don't want to start all over again, hold down the Ctrl key and press Z - this will reverse the last action made in the application.
Control tools enable us to negotiate our way around, into and out of the image. The Hand tool (also known as the Pan tool) is the simplest and is named such for obvious reasons; it looks like a hand and allows us to move - or pan - our way around the image.
It is of most use when the image being viewed is larger than the program window, such as when taking a close look at a part of an image using the zoom tool. To pan around, click on the hand tool and hold down the left mouse button while dragging the mouse across the image.
To take a closer look we need to use the zoom tool. Shaped like a magnifying glass, the zoom tool allows us to magnify a portion of an image or zoom out of it. Click on the Magnifying glass tool in some applications and the cursor will change to a magnifying glass with either a plus sign, for zooming in, or a minus sign for zooming out.
Often on tool palettes you will find that some icons reveal more than one tool (which perform similarly themed tasks), and these are usually marked with a small arrow to indicate a drop-down menu. Click and hold to reveal the other tools.
At its simplest, the zoom tool works by magnifying the area you left-click on, although many enable you to hold down the mouse key and drag around a specific area. Often right-clicking will zoom out of the image by a set increment.
Images will appear distorted when you zoom in, because the actual pixels (the tiny dots that make up digital images) will be displayed. That doesn't mean the printed image will appear like that. To see a representation of the image as it will be printed, look for the zoom percentage - this is usually displayed in the Title Bar of the document. At 100 per cent the image appears normal.
Make your selection
Selection tools enable you to remove or enhance specific parts of an image and most packages include a simple marquee tool for drawing rectangles, circles or ellipse shapes, to a freeform tool that allows you to draw around an unsymmetrical object.
In addition, the Eyedropper tool is useful for selecting pixels of a particular colour - for example, selecting a sea or a sky if you wish to replace a section of the image with some other background.
The marquee tools are usually depicted in the palette as a square or circle with a dotted outline. The freeform version normally has an irregular shape, a bit like a clothes hanger. A square-ish object is best handled with the rectangle tool, while an unsymmetrical shape is best traced around with the freeform tool.
Hold and drag around an area to select it - experiment with different starting positions to get the closest fit.
The freeform tool requires you to trace around an image while holding down the mouse button or clicking around the desired area to create a series of dots that the application connects when you re-click on the first dot.
Once you have selected a portion of your image, a flowing dotted line will appear around it. Now only that area will be affected by any changes. The circle or ellipse tools can come in handy to select the red part of an eye in an image where red-eye has occurred. Replacing static backgrounds such as sea and sky can also be done with an effect tool called the Clone Stamp, which we'll investigate shortly.
The more sophisticated your package is, the easier selection tools are to use. For instance, Paint Shop Pro offers an Edge Selecter freeform tool with which you can click on the edges of the shape in question.
As you do so, it will stick to the edges of all pixels within the edges of two subtle colour or light differences, thus picking out the object from its background.
This tool is sometimes called the magnetic lasso, because it sticks to the sides of objects within images as you drag it around the rough shape.
Causing effect
Once you know how to move around an image and select parts of it, there is really only one more basic principle of photo-editing to get to grips with. Applying effects can range from simply cropping a large image in order to enhance one aspect of it - a cottage in the middle of a landscape shot, for example - to filling in a hole left by the removal of one part of an image.
Many packages also include lots of preset effects - often called filters - that can transform entire images.
The cropping tool is the one you will use most often - in the palette, it's denoted as a box with a diagonal line through it. Left-click and drag diagonally across part of a photo and a box with a dotted edge will appear indicating the portion of the image you have elected to keep.
To change it, drag the resize handles located around the rectangle's border. Once you are happy, double-click and your image is resized accordingly.
Paint also includes a Brush and an Airbrush tool, which you can use to add colour to your image - effectively 'painting' it. The colour used is dictated by the colours palette, which is most often found as a square of colour on one side of the working area. Click this to choose a new colour.
There's also a clone tool, which you can use to copy and paste part of a picture on to another area.
The marquee tools are useful for copying and pasting one part of a picture to another spot - it's really handy when trying to edit out a small unwanted feature from an image.
From the toolbar, choose the rectangular selection tool to draw around the portion of the image you wish to copy and right-click. From the Edit menu, click on Copy and Paste. The Selected matter can now be dragged to where you wish to copy to. Right-click, choose paste, and drag the selection to the new location.
An alternative is to use the Fill tool - the icon usually resembles a paint tin in mid-tip. This will enable you to reproduce colour from one section of an image to another. This can be a rough-and-ready approach to take where subtle colours are required. For those areas, the clone tool works better.
The clone tool works by taking a sample of one area of the image and copying it on another area. In practice, you first have to select the point to be copied and this is usually done by right-clicking, or holding down the Alt or Ctrl key while left-clicking.
Then let go of the mouse key, move the cursor to the area you want to apply the effect to and hold down the left mouse button to start cloning the image, while moving the cursor over the area.
It's important to take the sample from the right spot, because when you begin to apply the clone, the sample point remains relative to the cursor; this makes it much easier to sample textured backgrounds and you can also use it to clone people's faces onto another person's body for a giggle.
Another useful feature found on the tools palette of many image-editing applications is the sponge. This changes the colour saturation or vividness of an area. In black-and-white images, it changes the contrast.
Once you have selected sponge from the toolbar, you will be able to specify your requirements and then drag the sponge over the portion of the image you wish to modify.
While a picture can often paint a thousand words, a few well-chosen ones added to the image itself can bring out the meaning or impart a message. Look for a large letter of the alphabet in the palette, usually a T or an A, which represents the text tool.
Clicking on the image using this tool will do one of two things, depending on your particular application. Either a flashing cursor will appear on the image, enabling you to enter text, or a window will open where text can be typed in.
In either case, it's possible to change the font and point size of the text in a way similar to word processing programs, by highlighting the text using the mouse, then choosing options from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Why DIY?
Most image editing programs offer quick-fix functions for those of us who like the thought of being photo-editing whizzes, but cannot quite muster the energy. Digital correction filters for common problems such as grainy images (called noise for those in the know) are often on hand.
Backlighting, flash and that unearthly coloured glow that sometimes afflicts your snaps can also be corrected with a few clicks of the mouse.
A common feature in most quick-fix menus these days is a red-eye reduction tool. Most photographers find that portraits of saintly aunts can appear satanic when unwittingly taken with an evil red-eyed glare. Hovering this tool over the affected pupil, detects the red and converts it to black. Only the most puritanical of image editors will be able to resist.
Altered states
Whether creating a groovy mosaic effect from a photo or turning a photographic image into a charcoal drawing or a needlepoint template, you can make much more of your digital snaps by getting to grips with the Filter effects in your photo-editing application.
Look out for the word Effects or Filters in the menu bar. Most are designed to mimic the style of a specific type of photography or art technique, such as embossing an image or rendering it in the style of an impressionist painting.
What a picture!
Once you know how to manoeuvre around an image and make a selection of elements within it and then change them, it becomes easy to explore a photo-editing package and really get to grips with all its features.
The Help files are a useful resource for giving you an overview of a feature of the program and providing a step-by-step guide to using it.
And if you still need motivation, imagine cropping that hideous ex-boyfriend out of old birthday snaps, or filling in uncle Arthur's bald patch for his 60th birthday card. Memories are so much nicer with a little airbrushing.
Light Crafts Announces LightZone Photo Editing Software
Light Crafts, Inc. today announced availability of LightZone, a breakthrough photo editing software tool designed especially for professional and avid photographers. LightZone provides a complete photo editing tool that significantly reduces the time photographers spend after a shoot producing high quality photographs. LightZone offers photographers an advanced RAW editing experience that is easy to use while delivering a fast workflow that produces professional results.
Designed and built from the ground up for professionals, LightZone is available as a free 30-day trial at www.lightcrafts.com. LightZone is immediately available for Macintosh users and in November for Windows users.
LightZone is being demonstrated at PhotoPlus Expo in booth 1174, October 20-22, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in New York, NY.
LightZone is a better way to view, manage, edit and correct digital photographs and create stunning photographic and fine art prints. Based on light values and shapes, LightZone works in the same way that photographers think about their photographs. The technology behind LightZone was recently previewed for the first time at DEMOfall 2005, where it received the "DEMOGod Award." Because of its multi-platform support, LightZone users will be able to quickly become productive, regardless of their computer's operating system, and seamlessly collaborate and share files edited in LightZone.
"LightZone is the answer for photographers who want to spend more time on photography and less time learning paint-shop software," said Dean Tucker, CEO and president of Light Crafts. "LightZone releases photographers from the tedious technology of the past and gives them more time to express their creativity. We built LightZone with professional photographers in mind, so professionals get the power they want, yet it's easy enough for avid photographers to use."
"LightZone is the easiest professional-grade photo editing tool I've worked with," said David Cardinal, of Cardinal Photo (www.cardinalphoto.com), Portola Valley, CA, a wildlife and nature photographer who is also a featured speaker and teacher at the Digital Landscape Workshop Series and publishes the DigitalPro Shooter newsletter. "In particular I liked the visual way that zones can be identified and mapped, compared to the fairly labor intensive alternatives using curves or levels in traditional editing applications. It's also very exciting that with LightZone only the original image file and small sets of edit commands need to be saved, instead of multiple disk-filling TIFF or PSD files."
"LightZone is full of pleasant surprises for first-time users," said Lars Vinberg, professional photographer and director of product management for Light Crafts. "One of the surprises is its performance. While traditional photography software grinds to a halt when editing and processing large image files, LightZone rapidly hums along through the editing process."
Integrated Solution Optimizes Photo Editing, Workflow and Output
LightZone provides serious photographers with a tightly integrated digital workflow to help them make the most efficient use of their time viewing, organizing, editing, correcting and printing their photographs. The fully integrated solution includes everything a photographer needs to convert, browse, edit, tune and print photographs.
Key features in LightZone include:
* StudioZone. An innovative image viewer and file browser, StudioZone lets photographers view, print and publish their photographs using a true digital negative format. A powerful search function, with metadata search, helps you find specific images in an instant. An integrated RAW converter provides a seamless workflow from camera media to LightZone.
* ZoneFinder. Using patent-pending technology, ZoneFinder analyzes and displays an image in shapes and tonal values, just as photographers pre-visualize their prints.
* ZoneMapper. ZoneMapper provides an easier way to control and adjust the light and tonal values of an image. ZoneMapper is the most powerful way to precisely remap tonal values for color correction, to set the optimal points for highlights and shadows, and to correct contrast.
* RegionMapper. RegionMapper simplifies selecting even the most complicated regions of an image and it expertly blends the effects of the tools and transformations with the rest of the image. This simple technique provides extraordinarily precise and accurate control of the area being edited.
* True Non-Destructive Editing. A powerful rendering engine eliminates the need to store multiple copies of an image and significantly reduces the storage required for edited images. RAW images are not converted to intermediate file types, and can be retouched with professional results using LightZone's intuitive and effective editing tools. LightZone's nondestructive image processing engine does not alter any portion of the original image file, so photographers can modify or delete changes at any point in their workflow. Now photographers can create multiple versions of an image without duplicating files or using up large amounts of hard drive space.
* Linear color space. LightZone manipulates color images in a linear color space, allowing more precise calculations for consistent color and predictable results on a display or on paper.
Pricing and Availability
LightZone for Macintosh is available immediately at www.lightcrafts.com for $249.95 (U.S. Suggested List Price). LightZone for Windows will be available in November. Customers also have the option of downloading a free 30-day trial version. LightZone for Macintosh supports Mac OS X v.10.3.9 or later. LightZone for Windows supports Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Designed and built from the ground up for professionals, LightZone is available as a free 30-day trial at www.lightcrafts.com. LightZone is immediately available for Macintosh users and in November for Windows users.
LightZone is being demonstrated at PhotoPlus Expo in booth 1174, October 20-22, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in New York, NY.
LightZone is a better way to view, manage, edit and correct digital photographs and create stunning photographic and fine art prints. Based on light values and shapes, LightZone works in the same way that photographers think about their photographs. The technology behind LightZone was recently previewed for the first time at DEMOfall 2005, where it received the "DEMOGod Award." Because of its multi-platform support, LightZone users will be able to quickly become productive, regardless of their computer's operating system, and seamlessly collaborate and share files edited in LightZone.
"LightZone is the answer for photographers who want to spend more time on photography and less time learning paint-shop software," said Dean Tucker, CEO and president of Light Crafts. "LightZone releases photographers from the tedious technology of the past and gives them more time to express their creativity. We built LightZone with professional photographers in mind, so professionals get the power they want, yet it's easy enough for avid photographers to use."
"LightZone is the easiest professional-grade photo editing tool I've worked with," said David Cardinal, of Cardinal Photo (www.cardinalphoto.com), Portola Valley, CA, a wildlife and nature photographer who is also a featured speaker and teacher at the Digital Landscape Workshop Series and publishes the DigitalPro Shooter newsletter. "In particular I liked the visual way that zones can be identified and mapped, compared to the fairly labor intensive alternatives using curves or levels in traditional editing applications. It's also very exciting that with LightZone only the original image file and small sets of edit commands need to be saved, instead of multiple disk-filling TIFF or PSD files."
"LightZone is full of pleasant surprises for first-time users," said Lars Vinberg, professional photographer and director of product management for Light Crafts. "One of the surprises is its performance. While traditional photography software grinds to a halt when editing and processing large image files, LightZone rapidly hums along through the editing process."
Integrated Solution Optimizes Photo Editing, Workflow and Output
LightZone provides serious photographers with a tightly integrated digital workflow to help them make the most efficient use of their time viewing, organizing, editing, correcting and printing their photographs. The fully integrated solution includes everything a photographer needs to convert, browse, edit, tune and print photographs.
Key features in LightZone include:
* StudioZone. An innovative image viewer and file browser, StudioZone lets photographers view, print and publish their photographs using a true digital negative format. A powerful search function, with metadata search, helps you find specific images in an instant. An integrated RAW converter provides a seamless workflow from camera media to LightZone.
* ZoneFinder. Using patent-pending technology, ZoneFinder analyzes and displays an image in shapes and tonal values, just as photographers pre-visualize their prints.
* ZoneMapper. ZoneMapper provides an easier way to control and adjust the light and tonal values of an image. ZoneMapper is the most powerful way to precisely remap tonal values for color correction, to set the optimal points for highlights and shadows, and to correct contrast.
* RegionMapper. RegionMapper simplifies selecting even the most complicated regions of an image and it expertly blends the effects of the tools and transformations with the rest of the image. This simple technique provides extraordinarily precise and accurate control of the area being edited.
* True Non-Destructive Editing. A powerful rendering engine eliminates the need to store multiple copies of an image and significantly reduces the storage required for edited images. RAW images are not converted to intermediate file types, and can be retouched with professional results using LightZone's intuitive and effective editing tools. LightZone's nondestructive image processing engine does not alter any portion of the original image file, so photographers can modify or delete changes at any point in their workflow. Now photographers can create multiple versions of an image without duplicating files or using up large amounts of hard drive space.
* Linear color space. LightZone manipulates color images in a linear color space, allowing more precise calculations for consistent color and predictable results on a display or on paper.
Pricing and Availability
LightZone for Macintosh is available immediately at www.lightcrafts.com for $249.95 (U.S. Suggested List Price). LightZone for Windows will be available in November. Customers also have the option of downloading a free 30-day trial version. LightZone for Macintosh supports Mac OS X v.10.3.9 or later. LightZone for Windows supports Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
This Chameleon Stands Out Among Photo Editing Plug Ins
AKVIS Chameleon is a photo editor plug-in which makes the insertion of new objects or the replacement of undesirable artifacts in digital photos seamless. Beautiful results can be achieved even for users with very little experience with photo editing software, since this tool does not require precise selection of objects. Once an object is copied and inserted into another picture, AKVIS Chameleon adjusts the object to the new background, adapting to the new color range and blending with the environment.
Two modes of collage creation are available, Standard and Snapshot. With just the press of a button in Standard Mode, AKVIS Chameleon automatically adjusts an inserted object to the target color range and smooths the object’s borders. The Snapshot mode adds dimension to a collage, layering the blended components so that the texture and relief of the primary image can be seen through. New to Version 1.2 is CMYK Color Mode for four-color printing capability.
Now, Macintosh users can expand their photographic creativity without the time-consuming aspects of other cloning tools. AKVIS Chameleon is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Ulead PhotoImpact. AKVIS Chameleon V.1.2 for Windows™ runs on Microsoft Windows™ 98/ME/2000/XP/NT and the Macintosh version runs on the Mac OS X platform.
Two modes of collage creation are available, Standard and Snapshot. With just the press of a button in Standard Mode, AKVIS Chameleon automatically adjusts an inserted object to the target color range and smooths the object’s borders. The Snapshot mode adds dimension to a collage, layering the blended components so that the texture and relief of the primary image can be seen through. New to Version 1.2 is CMYK Color Mode for four-color printing capability.
Now, Macintosh users can expand their photographic creativity without the time-consuming aspects of other cloning tools. AKVIS Chameleon is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Ulead PhotoImpact. AKVIS Chameleon V.1.2 for Windows™ runs on Microsoft Windows™ 98/ME/2000/XP/NT and the Macintosh version runs on the Mac OS X platform.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Ulead announces VideoStudio 8
Ulead has announced a new edition of VideoStudio. The latest addition to the series offers further refinement of its automated video editing tools.
The main new feature is the newly added three-step MovieWizard that purports to offer just the right mix of theme-based intro and exit graphics, transitions, text effects and music to tell a story, without losing the intended message in confusing cuts and edits.
For further timesavings, VideoStudio also provides an Auto Analysis tool that examines and removes poorly shot video clips and syncs them to the beat of music. The new Music Generator instantly creates musical scores to match the exact duration and mood of a movie, while real-time audio mixing and a new rubber band timeline provide more audio control.
Ulead has also improved its sharing capabilities with a one-click upload button that allows users to upload videos to the Neptune.com MediaShare service.
VideoStudio 8 will be available in early May 2004 for £49.99. Users of VideoStudio 4, 5, 6, or 7 (including all SE versions) will be able to purchase the upgrade version for £34.99 including VAT.
The main new feature is the newly added three-step MovieWizard that purports to offer just the right mix of theme-based intro and exit graphics, transitions, text effects and music to tell a story, without losing the intended message in confusing cuts and edits.
For further timesavings, VideoStudio also provides an Auto Analysis tool that examines and removes poorly shot video clips and syncs them to the beat of music. The new Music Generator instantly creates musical scores to match the exact duration and mood of a movie, while real-time audio mixing and a new rubber band timeline provide more audio control.
Ulead has also improved its sharing capabilities with a one-click upload button that allows users to upload videos to the Neptune.com MediaShare service.
VideoStudio 8 will be available in early May 2004 for £49.99. Users of VideoStudio 4, 5, 6, or 7 (including all SE versions) will be able to purchase the upgrade version for £34.99 including VAT.
Adobe tries to unify digital camera market with new file standard
Adobe has announced ambitious plans to unify the digital camera market by creating a single file format that all digital cameras can record in.
Called the Digital Negative Specification, Adobe hopes that the new format will solve the problem of multiple formats and multiple software packages by introducing a single format that can store information from a diverse range of cameras.
Adobe, who will be offering The Digital Negative Specification free of any legal restrictions or royalties, hopes that in doing so integration of the .DNG file format into digital cameras, printers, and software products will become widespread.
Where it sees the strength of the new file format is in a set of metadata that must be included in the file to describe key details about the camera and settings.
Of course the .DNG format is immediately supported in Adobe Photoshop CS as part of an updated Camera Raw Plug-in, as well as Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0
Those not using Adobe products can still use the format by downloading a DNG converter free at: www.adobe.com/dng.
The application will translate raw formats from more than 65 cameras, including recent models such as Canon PowerShot S60, Epson RD-1, Fujifilm FinePix S20 Pro, and Nikon Coolpix 5400, into the new .DNG file format.
Adobe has already got some big names behind the standard including HP, Microsoft, Corbis and Paul Getty images.
Called the Digital Negative Specification, Adobe hopes that the new format will solve the problem of multiple formats and multiple software packages by introducing a single format that can store information from a diverse range of cameras.
Adobe, who will be offering The Digital Negative Specification free of any legal restrictions or royalties, hopes that in doing so integration of the .DNG file format into digital cameras, printers, and software products will become widespread.
Where it sees the strength of the new file format is in a set of metadata that must be included in the file to describe key details about the camera and settings.
Of course the .DNG format is immediately supported in Adobe Photoshop CS as part of an updated Camera Raw Plug-in, as well as Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0
Those not using Adobe products can still use the format by downloading a DNG converter free at: www.adobe.com/dng.
The application will translate raw formats from more than 65 cameras, including recent models such as Canon PowerShot S60, Epson RD-1, Fujifilm FinePix S20 Pro, and Nikon Coolpix 5400, into the new .DNG file format.
Adobe has already got some big names behind the standard including HP, Microsoft, Corbis and Paul Getty images.
Ulead announces VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus
Ulead has announced VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus, the newest versions of its consumer video editing and DVD authoring software.
"With version 10, VideoStudio hasn't changed so much as it has grown", said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager, Ulead. "Users new to video editing will find the software easier than ever. Advanced users can now take advantage of multiple overlay tracks, and complete support for high-definition video."
For the first time VideoStudio will be offered in two versions. VideoStudio 10 gives entry-level users affordable and easy-to-use editing and authoring tools for making great home movies. An advanced version, VideoStudio 10 Plus, delivers unique and powerful features for next generation quality and creativity.
VideoStudio 10 Plus will offer HD support and enable home users to edit high-definition video even on mid-range machines, VideoStudio 10 Plus incorporates Smart Proxy. Smart Proxy automatically converts HD video to smaller-sized proxy files that can be edited in real-time on less-powerful computers.
For output, Smart Proxy refers back to the original high-definition footage so the final quality is uncompromised.
VideoStudio 10 Plus is also the first consumer video editing program to allow users to author discs in the new HD-DVD format. Users can also playback HD content using InterVideo WinDVD playback software, included with the Plus package.
Additionally the Plus version of the software allows users to save video footage down to the MPEG4 format for sharing on mobile devices such as the Apple iPod, Sony PSP and the growing number of video-enabled mobile phones.
New filters have also been added to VideoStudio 10, including two corrective video filters. Enhance Lighting adds "fill light" to dark shots while Anti-Shake improves unsteady handheld video. Fish Eye, a creative filter, applies rounded, bubble-like distortion to video clips.
Ulead VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus will be available in retail in the UK from early May. VideoStudio 10 is priced at £39.99; VideoStudio 10 Plus is priced at £59.99 for the full version and £39.99 for upgrades from VideoStudio versions 6, 7, 8 and 9 to VideoStudio 10 Plus version.
"With version 10, VideoStudio hasn't changed so much as it has grown", said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager, Ulead. "Users new to video editing will find the software easier than ever. Advanced users can now take advantage of multiple overlay tracks, and complete support for high-definition video."
For the first time VideoStudio will be offered in two versions. VideoStudio 10 gives entry-level users affordable and easy-to-use editing and authoring tools for making great home movies. An advanced version, VideoStudio 10 Plus, delivers unique and powerful features for next generation quality and creativity.
VideoStudio 10 Plus will offer HD support and enable home users to edit high-definition video even on mid-range machines, VideoStudio 10 Plus incorporates Smart Proxy. Smart Proxy automatically converts HD video to smaller-sized proxy files that can be edited in real-time on less-powerful computers.
For output, Smart Proxy refers back to the original high-definition footage so the final quality is uncompromised.
VideoStudio 10 Plus is also the first consumer video editing program to allow users to author discs in the new HD-DVD format. Users can also playback HD content using InterVideo WinDVD playback software, included with the Plus package.
Additionally the Plus version of the software allows users to save video footage down to the MPEG4 format for sharing on mobile devices such as the Apple iPod, Sony PSP and the growing number of video-enabled mobile phones.
New filters have also been added to VideoStudio 10, including two corrective video filters. Enhance Lighting adds "fill light" to dark shots while Anti-Shake improves unsteady handheld video. Fish Eye, a creative filter, applies rounded, bubble-like distortion to video clips.
Ulead VideoStudio 10 and VideoStudio 10 Plus will be available in retail in the UK from early May. VideoStudio 10 is priced at £39.99; VideoStudio 10 Plus is priced at £59.99 for the full version and £39.99 for upgrades from VideoStudio versions 6, 7, 8 and 9 to VideoStudio 10 Plus version.
Adobe gives Windows users a look at Lightroom
Adobe's flagship image workflow solution is still in the beta stage, but is now available for Windows users.
Previous releases of Lightroom have only included support for Mac.
Beta testers are encouraged to share their feedback so that Adobe can continue to improve the fledgling software before the full release at the end of this year.
Lightroom lets professional photographers import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images.
Apparently 3,000 Mac users have already signed up for the beta test run. Adobe hopes it'll have as good a response from Windows users.
At the moment, the Windows and Mac versions contain slightly different feature sets, but the full release will have the same ones.
Lightroom is touted as a sophisticated image browsing solution that lets users quickly scroll through hundreds of images and use One-to-One Zoom to magnify certain points within the image.
The software supports 120 RAW file formats, and the latest beta release includes support for all the newest cameras.
Previous releases of Lightroom have only included support for Mac.
Beta testers are encouraged to share their feedback so that Adobe can continue to improve the fledgling software before the full release at the end of this year.
Lightroom lets professional photographers import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images.
Apparently 3,000 Mac users have already signed up for the beta test run. Adobe hopes it'll have as good a response from Windows users.
At the moment, the Windows and Mac versions contain slightly different feature sets, but the full release will have the same ones.
Lightroom is touted as a sophisticated image browsing solution that lets users quickly scroll through hundreds of images and use One-to-One Zoom to magnify certain points within the image.
The software supports 120 RAW file formats, and the latest beta release includes support for all the newest cameras.
Ulead releases PhotoImpact 12 image and video editing software
Ulead has released the latest version of its consumer image editing software, PhotoImpact 12, with a number of new features designed to make operation even simpler.
The key addition to the programmed is the new ExpressFix mode, which is a simplified interface that provides commonly-used photo features as guided and fully-automatic tools. Users can edit images and compare their changes with the original on a large before and after preview screen. Noise reduction and the SmartCurves tone adjustment are available as one-step processes in this mode.
A SmartGuide “How-to” panel has also been incorporated to guide new users through a range of Photo, Web, and Video and DVD editing options.
Although the software is designed for consumer use, it does incorporate a number of features for high-end users, including RAW file conversion and editing high-colour depth with support for selected tools and objects, and a new White Balance correction tool to achieve natural-looking images.
Web, DVD, and Video Graphics have also been enhanced. Component Designer now includes video title graphics and DVD navigation buttons, and new to PhotoImpact 12 are Web blog and DVD menu templates.
The package includes PhotoImpact, Photo Explorer 8.6, Alum 12, COOL 360 for panoramic images, and Animator 5.05 for £45 for download, £50 for the box. Upgrades from older versions are also available.
The key addition to the programmed is the new ExpressFix mode, which is a simplified interface that provides commonly-used photo features as guided and fully-automatic tools. Users can edit images and compare their changes with the original on a large before and after preview screen. Noise reduction and the SmartCurves tone adjustment are available as one-step processes in this mode.
A SmartGuide “How-to” panel has also been incorporated to guide new users through a range of Photo, Web, and Video and DVD editing options.
Although the software is designed for consumer use, it does incorporate a number of features for high-end users, including RAW file conversion and editing high-colour depth with support for selected tools and objects, and a new White Balance correction tool to achieve natural-looking images.
Web, DVD, and Video Graphics have also been enhanced. Component Designer now includes video title graphics and DVD navigation buttons, and new to PhotoImpact 12 are Web blog and DVD menu templates.
The package includes PhotoImpact, Photo Explorer 8.6, Alum 12, COOL 360 for panoramic images, and Animator 5.05 for £45 for download, £50 for the box. Upgrades from older versions are also available.
Apple releases Aperture 1.5.1 and offers free 30 day trial
Apple has tweaked its latest Aperture release and has also added a 30-day free trial of the software for download on its website.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
An Apple representative at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York said that the update is a as a result of user feedback on version 1.5. It addresses issues including reliability and performance in Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File Renaming, iPhoto Library Import, and Watermarks.
In addition, Apple has released a trial version of 1.5 that provides all the features of Aperture for 30 days free. Notes on the download page explain that the download does not include sample images or the tutorials that ship in the box.
Reuters working with Canon and Adobe to track edits
Reuters is working together with Canon and Adobe to ensure that editors can trace the edits made to an image, according to Reuters CEO Tom Glocer.
Glocer let the news drop in a speech made at the Globes Media Conference in Tel Aviv, and later posted on his blog.
Reuters was in the centre of a media storm earlier this year when it was discovered that one of their stringers had doctored not just one, but two of his images, adding elements that were not in the original images.
Although Reuters immediate action to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. “We updated and reissued our guidelines for all editorial staff, including a new way of captioning photographs. If for example, a photo is taken while on a tour organised by Hezbollah, we will know make this 100% clear in the caption."
“We reiterated our strict rules banning the use of Photoshop to do anything you could not legitimately do in the darkroom, and we ensured that every photographer, staffer, or freelancer, signed up to these rules.”
However, Glocer wants a technical solution to the problem, and said, “I am pleased to announce today that we are working with Adobe and Canon to create a solution that enables photo editors to view and audit trail of changes to a digital image, which is permanently embedded in the photograph, ensuring the accuracy of the image".
“We are still working through the details and hope this will be a new standard for Reuters and I believe should be the new industry standard.”
Glocer let the news drop in a speech made at the Globes Media Conference in Tel Aviv, and later posted on his blog.
Reuters was in the centre of a media storm earlier this year when it was discovered that one of their stringers had doctored not just one, but two of his images, adding elements that were not in the original images.
Although Reuters immediate action to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. “We updated and reissued our guidelines for all editorial staff, including a new way of captioning photographs. If for example, a photo is taken while on a tour organised by Hezbollah, we will know make this 100% clear in the caption."
“We reiterated our strict rules banning the use of Photoshop to do anything you could not legitimately do in the darkroom, and we ensured that every photographer, staffer, or freelancer, signed up to these rules.”
However, Glocer wants a technical solution to the problem, and said, “I am pleased to announce today that we are working with Adobe and Canon to create a solution that enables photo editors to view and audit trail of changes to a digital image, which is permanently embedded in the photograph, ensuring the accuracy of the image".
“We are still working through the details and hope this will be a new standard for Reuters and I believe should be the new industry standard.”
The advantages of using photographs in PowerPoint presentations
A PowerPoint presentation is a great means of addressing a large group of people when having to give a speech of your services or your product. Sometimes it is better to use a visual presentation when giving your presentation as this is more effective in making people believe in you and your product. This is more so beneficial to prove your worth to people who need to see things to believe in it!
One of the best ways of giving the finishing touches to your presentation would be to use templates to get an idea of what suits you and your presentation. Then of course, to get even better results, it would be better to use stylish photographs in the PowerPoint presentation. You could choose photographs that you have already taken about your product or services. This is only possible if the existing photograph has any relevance to the matter you intend to give in your presentation. If you have no photographs, then it is better to take digital photographs with your camcorder, which you can then use in the PowerPoint presentation. The main reason for using photos in your PowerPoint presentation is to make yourself, your presentation and the information you give to the audience more valuable and memorable.
If required, you could also use the same photograph to be printed in handouts. Handouts are a great means of getting your message through to your audience. Instead of having handouts with only written matter on it, You could easily have a photo printed on it to make it more interesting and attractive to the audience. Having a photograph on the handout will make the audience better informed about you and your services, with the additional information that you also put in the handout, like your contact information.
Photographs are best used in PowerPoint presentations when the presenter needs to give visual proof, evidence or memories to the audience. Those who need to use photographs most in their PowerPoint presentations can be the people of the police force, classroom teachers, lectures and sometimes, big-time companies. The police will need to use photographs of evidence taken at places of crime to explain to their squad on the next steps to be taken in the investigation based on the clues obtained from the photographs. If photographs were not included in the presentation of the police officer, it would be quite difficult for them to interact with their team on the clues obtained at the place of crime.
Similarly, classroom teachers use photographs in their PowerPoint presentations when having parent events like open house or parent night events. They can develop presentations with automatically timed slide shows that run in the background. This way, the parent can interact with the teacher, while having a look at the activities their children do in their school. Field trips can be discussed better with photographs taken in the field trip being shown in the presentation for discussion on what was seen and learnt by the children. Another great idea for using photographs for PowerPoint presentations in the school would be having students scan stories and photos about themselves to be put together in a presentation for their parents to see on open house day! And to make children more motivated to participate in competitions, photos taken of the children in competitions could be used in presentations to the general public on the achievements of the school.
Like mentioned before, companies using photographs in their presentations provide the audience with some clue of what exactly the company is dealing with. Incorporating photographs in the presentation acts as sort of an advertisement for the company whereby the audience gets to know the actual product they may consider for buying. It is in other words, beneficial to add a photo in the PowerPoint presentation. So by looking at all these points, it can be indeed said that it is beneficial to use photos in the PowerPoint presentation. One thing has to be remembered, when using photos; it is advisable to use only photos related to the matter being given in the presentation. If there is no link to the text of the presentation, you may as well consider the presentation to be a failure as the attention of the audience is then diverted and lost! So use only relevant photos in the PowerPoint presentation!
One of the best ways of giving the finishing touches to your presentation would be to use templates to get an idea of what suits you and your presentation. Then of course, to get even better results, it would be better to use stylish photographs in the PowerPoint presentation. You could choose photographs that you have already taken about your product or services. This is only possible if the existing photograph has any relevance to the matter you intend to give in your presentation. If you have no photographs, then it is better to take digital photographs with your camcorder, which you can then use in the PowerPoint presentation. The main reason for using photos in your PowerPoint presentation is to make yourself, your presentation and the information you give to the audience more valuable and memorable.
If required, you could also use the same photograph to be printed in handouts. Handouts are a great means of getting your message through to your audience. Instead of having handouts with only written matter on it, You could easily have a photo printed on it to make it more interesting and attractive to the audience. Having a photograph on the handout will make the audience better informed about you and your services, with the additional information that you also put in the handout, like your contact information.
Photographs are best used in PowerPoint presentations when the presenter needs to give visual proof, evidence or memories to the audience. Those who need to use photographs most in their PowerPoint presentations can be the people of the police force, classroom teachers, lectures and sometimes, big-time companies. The police will need to use photographs of evidence taken at places of crime to explain to their squad on the next steps to be taken in the investigation based on the clues obtained from the photographs. If photographs were not included in the presentation of the police officer, it would be quite difficult for them to interact with their team on the clues obtained at the place of crime.
Similarly, classroom teachers use photographs in their PowerPoint presentations when having parent events like open house or parent night events. They can develop presentations with automatically timed slide shows that run in the background. This way, the parent can interact with the teacher, while having a look at the activities their children do in their school. Field trips can be discussed better with photographs taken in the field trip being shown in the presentation for discussion on what was seen and learnt by the children. Another great idea for using photographs for PowerPoint presentations in the school would be having students scan stories and photos about themselves to be put together in a presentation for their parents to see on open house day! And to make children more motivated to participate in competitions, photos taken of the children in competitions could be used in presentations to the general public on the achievements of the school.
Like mentioned before, companies using photographs in their presentations provide the audience with some clue of what exactly the company is dealing with. Incorporating photographs in the presentation acts as sort of an advertisement for the company whereby the audience gets to know the actual product they may consider for buying. It is in other words, beneficial to add a photo in the PowerPoint presentation. So by looking at all these points, it can be indeed said that it is beneficial to use photos in the PowerPoint presentation. One thing has to be remembered, when using photos; it is advisable to use only photos related to the matter being given in the presentation. If there is no link to the text of the presentation, you may as well consider the presentation to be a failure as the attention of the audience is then diverted and lost! So use only relevant photos in the PowerPoint presentation!
Canon Pixma inside out the iP4200 Photo Printer
So you might have already heard about the new Canon Pixma iP4200 that's doing
the rounds in the computer hardware industry nowadays. Everybody is reviewing it,
including us.
Canon has been keeping mum over the longest-lasting-photo-prints debate for
sometime now. Possible explanations include the newly released Pixma iP4200, with
built-in duplex printing; individual cartridges; two paper-input trays; easy operation;
inexpensive; great-looking photos; and 100-year print life. Epson, the leading
contender for lasting prints, now has competition. The key ingredient to long-lasting
prints is Canon's ChromaLife 100 ink set, included in the Pixma iP4200. The company
claims that when used with their branded photo papers, photos printed using
ChromaLife 100 inks will last up to 100 years when stored properly.
Compared with the iP4000, the iP4200 is less expensive, faster for business
applications, and offers more longevity for photos. However, photos take a little
longer to print and earn a lower quality rating than the iP4000, but the overall
balance of features makes for an impressive package.
The Pixma iP4200 uses Canon's Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering
(FINE) print head, which releases droplets as small as 1pl for each of the
1,536-nozzle cyan, magenta, yellow, and black print heads (plus 320 nozzles for
pigment-ink black text), providing an effective color resolution of 9,600x2,400dpi.
Two separate black ink cartridges for both a pigment-based black and a dye-based
black, significantly improve photo output.
Apart from five inks, the photo printer offers the advantage of two paper inputs: a
standard paper feed tray in the rear and a second paper tray that slides into the
front bottom. You could now easily load standard paper in one tray and photo paper
in the other, and switch back and forth between standard printing and photos
without having to swap out paper every time. One eco-friendly feature of this
printer includes the ability to automatically print on both sides of a sheet of paper.
However, it might take you three times as long to print a 10-page Microsoft Word
document in this mode compared with printing one-sided sheets.
The iP4200's driver can automatically adjust colour balance, you can access sliders
that modify the intensity of the individual inks; you can also switch from sRGB to
Windows Image Color Management (ICM). Grayscale printing simply requires the tick
of a check box, and a simplistic Print Advisor wizard can quiz you on the type of
document you're printing and recommend an appropriate paper.
Other than duplexing, the Page Setup options include size and orientation, number
of copies, border/borderless printing, and addition of a background image or a
watermark. An Effects tab provides settings for optimizing the image; reducing
noise; boosting contrast; or adding effects such as sepia, pink, and other colours.
You can save your settings as a profile for reuse in another printing session.
The Maintenance tab offers functions such as nozzle checks and cleaning,
printhead alignment, and other tasks, including a bottom-plate-cleaning function
that uses a folded letter-size sheet to tidy up before duplex printing.
Graphics quality, rated at the high end of good, is suitable for schoolwork or internal
business use, and is marginally good enough for an important client or customer you
might want to impress. However, some visible problems with photos include a slight
pink tint in monochrome photos and a tendency for some colours to be overly
punchy. It was also a little troublesome to get a neutral gray out of the printer as
prints tended toward either green or blue depending on the driver settings used.
Refilling the Pixma iP4200 Cartridges
The new Canon PGI-5 and CLI-8 cartridges have an onboard chip to measure the
ink level of each individual cartridge. The five individual ink cartridges in the Pixma
iP4200 feature bright red LEDs that light up when properly installed. The cartridge
lights also start blinking when ink is running low, and the blinking gets faster as the
tanks get emptier. The numbers of the Pixma iP4200 cartridges are:
PGI-5BK - Black pigment ink
CLI-8BK - Black dye based ink
CLI-8C - Cyan dye based ink
CLI-8M - Magenta dye based ink
CLI-8Y - Yellow dye based ink
These cartridges are also suitable for Pixma iP5200, iP5200r printers, MP500, MP800
and MP950 MFPs.
Needless to say, many people would like to know if these cartridges can be refilled,
or if compatible cartridges are available. As of now (February 2006), compatibles
are not available for the PGI5 or CLI8 inks, probably for 2 reasons:
The ink formulations are quite complex, and refill ink manufacturers need to ensure
their inks will perform equivalent to the original Canon inks.
Canon has patented the on-board chip; consequently, compatible manufacturers
have to be very careful not to infringe that patent, which could leave them open to
litigation. Canon recently won a lawsuit against a company in Japan, which was
involved in the business of refilling and resale of Canon cartridges. Naturally, this will
set back any plans for compatible cartridges.
However, there are refill inks available on the market and refilling instructions are
available from ink vendors. Canon has very cleverly adapted their printers; if you
refill the cartridges and re-insert them into the machine, a warning message will
appear on your computer along the lines of:
"You are using refill ink in your cartridges. If you continue, your printer warranty will
be void." You are prompted to press OK, and after doing so, the low ink warning
facility on the printer no longer works. If this is the case, you must be very careful
never to let the inks run dry, as this will burn your print head.
the rounds in the computer hardware industry nowadays. Everybody is reviewing it,
including us.
Canon has been keeping mum over the longest-lasting-photo-prints debate for
sometime now. Possible explanations include the newly released Pixma iP4200, with
built-in duplex printing; individual cartridges; two paper-input trays; easy operation;
inexpensive; great-looking photos; and 100-year print life. Epson, the leading
contender for lasting prints, now has competition. The key ingredient to long-lasting
prints is Canon's ChromaLife 100 ink set, included in the Pixma iP4200. The company
claims that when used with their branded photo papers, photos printed using
ChromaLife 100 inks will last up to 100 years when stored properly.
Compared with the iP4000, the iP4200 is less expensive, faster for business
applications, and offers more longevity for photos. However, photos take a little
longer to print and earn a lower quality rating than the iP4000, but the overall
balance of features makes for an impressive package.
The Pixma iP4200 uses Canon's Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering
(FINE) print head, which releases droplets as small as 1pl for each of the
1,536-nozzle cyan, magenta, yellow, and black print heads (plus 320 nozzles for
pigment-ink black text), providing an effective color resolution of 9,600x2,400dpi.
Two separate black ink cartridges for both a pigment-based black and a dye-based
black, significantly improve photo output.
Apart from five inks, the photo printer offers the advantage of two paper inputs: a
standard paper feed tray in the rear and a second paper tray that slides into the
front bottom. You could now easily load standard paper in one tray and photo paper
in the other, and switch back and forth between standard printing and photos
without having to swap out paper every time. One eco-friendly feature of this
printer includes the ability to automatically print on both sides of a sheet of paper.
However, it might take you three times as long to print a 10-page Microsoft Word
document in this mode compared with printing one-sided sheets.
The iP4200's driver can automatically adjust colour balance, you can access sliders
that modify the intensity of the individual inks; you can also switch from sRGB to
Windows Image Color Management (ICM). Grayscale printing simply requires the tick
of a check box, and a simplistic Print Advisor wizard can quiz you on the type of
document you're printing and recommend an appropriate paper.
Other than duplexing, the Page Setup options include size and orientation, number
of copies, border/borderless printing, and addition of a background image or a
watermark. An Effects tab provides settings for optimizing the image; reducing
noise; boosting contrast; or adding effects such as sepia, pink, and other colours.
You can save your settings as a profile for reuse in another printing session.
The Maintenance tab offers functions such as nozzle checks and cleaning,
printhead alignment, and other tasks, including a bottom-plate-cleaning function
that uses a folded letter-size sheet to tidy up before duplex printing.
Graphics quality, rated at the high end of good, is suitable for schoolwork or internal
business use, and is marginally good enough for an important client or customer you
might want to impress. However, some visible problems with photos include a slight
pink tint in monochrome photos and a tendency for some colours to be overly
punchy. It was also a little troublesome to get a neutral gray out of the printer as
prints tended toward either green or blue depending on the driver settings used.
Refilling the Pixma iP4200 Cartridges
The new Canon PGI-5 and CLI-8 cartridges have an onboard chip to measure the
ink level of each individual cartridge. The five individual ink cartridges in the Pixma
iP4200 feature bright red LEDs that light up when properly installed. The cartridge
lights also start blinking when ink is running low, and the blinking gets faster as the
tanks get emptier. The numbers of the Pixma iP4200 cartridges are:
PGI-5BK - Black pigment ink
CLI-8BK - Black dye based ink
CLI-8C - Cyan dye based ink
CLI-8M - Magenta dye based ink
CLI-8Y - Yellow dye based ink
These cartridges are also suitable for Pixma iP5200, iP5200r printers, MP500, MP800
and MP950 MFPs.
Needless to say, many people would like to know if these cartridges can be refilled,
or if compatible cartridges are available. As of now (February 2006), compatibles
are not available for the PGI5 or CLI8 inks, probably for 2 reasons:
The ink formulations are quite complex, and refill ink manufacturers need to ensure
their inks will perform equivalent to the original Canon inks.
Canon has patented the on-board chip; consequently, compatible manufacturers
have to be very careful not to infringe that patent, which could leave them open to
litigation. Canon recently won a lawsuit against a company in Japan, which was
involved in the business of refilling and resale of Canon cartridges. Naturally, this will
set back any plans for compatible cartridges.
However, there are refill inks available on the market and refilling instructions are
available from ink vendors. Canon has very cleverly adapted their printers; if you
refill the cartridges and re-insert them into the machine, a warning message will
appear on your computer along the lines of:
"You are using refill ink in your cartridges. If you continue, your printer warranty will
be void." You are prompted to press OK, and after doing so, the low ink warning
facility on the printer no longer works. If this is the case, you must be very careful
never to let the inks run dry, as this will burn your print head.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Digital Cameras
Whether you're professional photographer or a tourist looking to record a few good memories, the first step to great photographs is a finding a decent camera.
One of the first decisions you need to make is whether to go with a quick and convenient digital camera, or stick with trusty old film.
The main benefit of going digital include the ability to see pictures instantly on an LCD screen, saving the ones you like and erasing the ones you don't. Another advantage is the versatility of being able to edit and perfect your photos on a computer, using a program like PhotoShop.
There are also immense economic advantages to using a digital camera. Being able to review each picture you take, and print only the ones you really like saves a lot of money that would have gone into buying film and developing poor-quality pictures.
Despite these tempting benefits, however, there is still a case for sticking with good old fashioned film photography.
The image resolution, for example, is generally better with a cheap traditional camera than a mid-range digital camera. In order to achieve true film-quality resolution on a digital camera, one must pay several hundred dollars for a 7+ megapixel device.
Another advantage of film is its distance from the world of computing technology; even a person who is totally computer-illiterate should be able to use a traditional camera to its full potential with no problems whatsoever. Furthermore, many photographers prefer the simple challenge of taking a good picture on film to the much less artistic process of ?cheating,? and editing pictures on a computer.
Overall, the right type of camera depends almost entirely upon the photographer. Each person must choose for themselves which kind of photography they like better.
Another option, of course, is to buy both digital and film cameras, and alternate depending on situation. This is often the best choice for a serious photographer who can afford the additional expense.
One of the first decisions you need to make is whether to go with a quick and convenient digital camera, or stick with trusty old film.
The main benefit of going digital include the ability to see pictures instantly on an LCD screen, saving the ones you like and erasing the ones you don't. Another advantage is the versatility of being able to edit and perfect your photos on a computer, using a program like PhotoShop.
There are also immense economic advantages to using a digital camera. Being able to review each picture you take, and print only the ones you really like saves a lot of money that would have gone into buying film and developing poor-quality pictures.
Despite these tempting benefits, however, there is still a case for sticking with good old fashioned film photography.
The image resolution, for example, is generally better with a cheap traditional camera than a mid-range digital camera. In order to achieve true film-quality resolution on a digital camera, one must pay several hundred dollars for a 7+ megapixel device.
Another advantage of film is its distance from the world of computing technology; even a person who is totally computer-illiterate should be able to use a traditional camera to its full potential with no problems whatsoever. Furthermore, many photographers prefer the simple challenge of taking a good picture on film to the much less artistic process of ?cheating,? and editing pictures on a computer.
Overall, the right type of camera depends almost entirely upon the photographer. Each person must choose for themselves which kind of photography they like better.
Another option, of course, is to buy both digital and film cameras, and alternate depending on situation. This is often the best choice for a serious photographer who can afford the additional expense.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Catalog your CD and mp3 photo and movie collections using just one tool
Catalogs your Audio CD and MP3's (including ID3 Tags), DVD Movies, Digital videos, photos and pictures (including EXIF data and thumbnails), Software, Games, Documents and more.
Reads major types of archives and presents them as the folders.
Imports files and folder comments from description files like "files.bbs","file_id.diz" etc.
Reads summary information (title, author, description, etc) from documents (HTML,DOC,PDF,XLS and etc.).
Adds comments to any object (file,folder,disk, file inside archive).
Generates stylish and handy HTML reports presenting brief or detailed info about your media.
The program have familiar Explorer-like interface and uses smart presets system for scanning media.
Reads major types of archives and presents them as the folders.
Imports files and folder comments from description files like "files.bbs","file_id.diz" etc.
Reads summary information (title, author, description, etc) from documents (HTML,DOC,PDF,XLS and etc.).
Adds comments to any object (file,folder,disk, file inside archive).
Generates stylish and handy HTML reports presenting brief or detailed info about your media.
The program have familiar Explorer-like interface and uses smart presets system for scanning media.
Digital Printing vs the Traditional Method in Photography
Over the past years, technology has been continuously evolving and it has brought about improved graphics, artworks and printing. Newer breakthroughs in technology have also made printing affordable and easy to use.
For photographers too, printing has been made very easy and consultative. More photographers have switched from the old style to the modern enlarged printing with the use of digital inkjet printers.
With the modern use of digital cameras now taking into effect to make perfect digital shots, photographers no longer have to go through the process of scanning of the negatives from the pictures taken This is the one of the main reasons more photographers have switched over to the digital age technology.
Digital image printing is developed in corresponding software such as PhotoShop, CorelDraw and may other types of software. However, among them all, Photoshop is the most commonly used software application to meet the demands of clearer and precise digital prints. In fact, it has now become difficult for photographers to sell the equipment formerly used in the darkroom.
With the growth of printing technology, new issues have also sprung up, such as whether digital printing is really as aesthetic and long lasting. Critics wonder if digital printing can contain the same level of output as that of traditional images. For others, printing in inkjet printers is akin to imitating the original as they are printed with the use of ink, while the traditional method contained natural mixture for photography purposes. Nevertheless, even with the advancement in digital photo printing, a number of people still appreciate the old technique of printing.
In case you're wondering about when the debate of digital printing over traditional was sparked off, it started with doubts over the long-lasting effect of inkjet prints over emulsion printouts. Critics have questioned if inkjet prints can endure the exposure longer and maintain their quality. However, some have proven that the traditional prints have not lasted as long and have slowly been fading in time as well. This observation strengthens the belief that no image can withstand exposure for a long period of time yet. Given that the developments in digital technology are ever increasing, questions and issues regarding its performance have been lessened for it has played its role well till date.
Inkjet prints have greatly contributed to giving an eventual effect in the uniqueness of images. The technique of inkjet printers involves spraying a number of tiny dots onto the paper, making the image sharper and more defined. This is perhaps a simple example of how the new printing technology has played its part of contributing to creativity and has now defined its own field of artwork.
The acceptance of inkjet prints has been quite unpredictable so far. In some exhibitions and art galleries, inkjet print designs are easily allowed, whereas some follow strict rules against the display of such prints. Alternatively, some designers still prefer the traditional emulsion prints to be part of their artworks. For those who rely on digital printing, the choice is based on practicality and reverting to the traditional technique is not longer financially viable. Digital printing has also made enlarging of prints and images much easier than traditional printing. It has been suggested that in time, when digital printing will continue its rise in the world of technology, many will make the switch over from the traditional method to the digital one.
The use of digital printing requires refinement in art skills, and accuracy and precision should be followed and maintained. To enhance printing abilities, the aid of Photoshop, or similar types of software can prove to be very useful for acquiring spectacular prints.
Cyan And Magenta Explained
Moving on to ink cartridges used in printers, anybody who has purchased these cartridges would know that there is no blue or red ink. Cyan certainly looks blue and magenta definitely looks red � but have you ever wondered why they simply don't call them blue and red instead of cyan and magenta?
Here's the explanation � both monitors and printers use different ways to produce colour. While a monitor is a light source, printers are light reflecting. The only common ground between the two is something known as dithering. It is the process of approximating a colour that cannot be displayed with uniformly dispersed dots of other colours.
This technique assigns differing colour values to adjacent pixels, thereby reducing the contrast between dots of different colours or shades and generates a more flowing, natural impression. When viewed from a distance, these colours seem to blend into a single intermediate colour. Dithering is similar to the half toning used in black-and-white publications to achieve shades of grey.
Coming back to the discussion, both monitors and printers use primary colours; however, a monitor uses primary additive colours red, green and blue, while printers use the primary subtractive colours cyan, magenta and yellow. In both cases, the primary colours are dithered to form the entire colour spectrum. Dithering breaks a colour pixel into an array of dots so that each dot is either made up of one of the basic primary colours or intentionally left blank to create white.
For photographers too, printing has been made very easy and consultative. More photographers have switched from the old style to the modern enlarged printing with the use of digital inkjet printers.
With the modern use of digital cameras now taking into effect to make perfect digital shots, photographers no longer have to go through the process of scanning of the negatives from the pictures taken This is the one of the main reasons more photographers have switched over to the digital age technology.
Digital image printing is developed in corresponding software such as PhotoShop, CorelDraw and may other types of software. However, among them all, Photoshop is the most commonly used software application to meet the demands of clearer and precise digital prints. In fact, it has now become difficult for photographers to sell the equipment formerly used in the darkroom.
With the growth of printing technology, new issues have also sprung up, such as whether digital printing is really as aesthetic and long lasting. Critics wonder if digital printing can contain the same level of output as that of traditional images. For others, printing in inkjet printers is akin to imitating the original as they are printed with the use of ink, while the traditional method contained natural mixture for photography purposes. Nevertheless, even with the advancement in digital photo printing, a number of people still appreciate the old technique of printing.
In case you're wondering about when the debate of digital printing over traditional was sparked off, it started with doubts over the long-lasting effect of inkjet prints over emulsion printouts. Critics have questioned if inkjet prints can endure the exposure longer and maintain their quality. However, some have proven that the traditional prints have not lasted as long and have slowly been fading in time as well. This observation strengthens the belief that no image can withstand exposure for a long period of time yet. Given that the developments in digital technology are ever increasing, questions and issues regarding its performance have been lessened for it has played its role well till date.
Inkjet prints have greatly contributed to giving an eventual effect in the uniqueness of images. The technique of inkjet printers involves spraying a number of tiny dots onto the paper, making the image sharper and more defined. This is perhaps a simple example of how the new printing technology has played its part of contributing to creativity and has now defined its own field of artwork.
The acceptance of inkjet prints has been quite unpredictable so far. In some exhibitions and art galleries, inkjet print designs are easily allowed, whereas some follow strict rules against the display of such prints. Alternatively, some designers still prefer the traditional emulsion prints to be part of their artworks. For those who rely on digital printing, the choice is based on practicality and reverting to the traditional technique is not longer financially viable. Digital printing has also made enlarging of prints and images much easier than traditional printing. It has been suggested that in time, when digital printing will continue its rise in the world of technology, many will make the switch over from the traditional method to the digital one.
The use of digital printing requires refinement in art skills, and accuracy and precision should be followed and maintained. To enhance printing abilities, the aid of Photoshop, or similar types of software can prove to be very useful for acquiring spectacular prints.
Cyan And Magenta Explained
Moving on to ink cartridges used in printers, anybody who has purchased these cartridges would know that there is no blue or red ink. Cyan certainly looks blue and magenta definitely looks red � but have you ever wondered why they simply don't call them blue and red instead of cyan and magenta?
Here's the explanation � both monitors and printers use different ways to produce colour. While a monitor is a light source, printers are light reflecting. The only common ground between the two is something known as dithering. It is the process of approximating a colour that cannot be displayed with uniformly dispersed dots of other colours.
This technique assigns differing colour values to adjacent pixels, thereby reducing the contrast between dots of different colours or shades and generates a more flowing, natural impression. When viewed from a distance, these colours seem to blend into a single intermediate colour. Dithering is similar to the half toning used in black-and-white publications to achieve shades of grey.
Coming back to the discussion, both monitors and printers use primary colours; however, a monitor uses primary additive colours red, green and blue, while printers use the primary subtractive colours cyan, magenta and yellow. In both cases, the primary colours are dithered to form the entire colour spectrum. Dithering breaks a colour pixel into an array of dots so that each dot is either made up of one of the basic primary colours or intentionally left blank to create white.
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