Corel PHOTO-PAINT is a powerful bitmap editing
and painting program that is ideal for retouching photographs,
editing images and digital movie files, and for creating original
artwork. Corel PHOTO-PAINT combines a vast array of special effects
filters with impressive painting, masking, and object-handling
tools that let you produce effects ranging from
the simple to the sublime.
These are just a few of the thousands of things you
can do with Corel PHOTO-PAINT:
adjust the
brightness of a photograph
sharpen or
blur the focus
remove scratches
from the photo and blemishes from faces
remove people
and things from the picture
swap details
between images
add text and
objects
adjust the
colors in your image and add new ones using paint and fill tools
colorize black-and-white
images
create movies
apply weird
and wonderful combinations of special effects
2a. Images
The term "image" refers to the contents
of your bitmap file.
Unlike CorelDRAW documents, in which you can have
neutral areas, every portion of the image is an active part of
the overall file; your file size is based on the resolution and
dimensions of your image rather than on how many lines it contains.
2b. Image window
The box around your image
is called the Image Window.
There is one Image Window for each image file you
open.
Like other windows in the Windows 95 work environment,
this window includes a Title Bar, a Minimize/Maximize button,
and a Close button. Scroll bars and the Image Navigator button
appear on the side and bottom of the Image Window when a portion
of your image is beyond the boundaries of the Image Window.
3a. Title Bar
The Title Bar gives you the name of the program
you are working on, as well as the filename
of the active image.
At the right end of the Title Bar, you will find
three buttons used to reduce the window to its smallest size so
that it appears only on the task bar, to maximize the Corel PHOTO-PAINT
window to full-screen size, or to close the window.
3b. Minimize Button
Click
the Minimize button to reduce the
size of your Image Window.
3c. Task Bar
The task bar appears along the bottom of your
screen, outside of the Corel PHOTO-PAINT window. It contains a
Start button, as well as additional buttons for all applications
that are open.
3d. Maximize Work Area button
Click
the Maximize
Work Area button to maximize your workspace by hiding the Corel
PHOTO-PAINT Title Bar and Menu Bar
4a. Menu Bar
Clicking a menu name displays a list of commands
for accessing Corel PHOTO-PAINT
functions.
5a. toolbar
A toolbar gives you access to a set of buttons
and controls that activate different functions and controls
within Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
In addition to the Standard toolbar, which appears
on your screen by default, there are a number of other toolbars
you can choose to display. You can also add and remove controls
from these toolbars or create your own to match the work you are
doing. See the online Help for more information.
6a. Property Bar
The Property Bar is a context-sensitive toolbar
that displays different information and controls, depending on
the tool you are working
with.
You can use the Property Bar to perform almost any
Corel PHOTO-PAINT function, from changing the size of an object
to formatting text and positioning objects in the Image Window.
By default, the Property Bar appears at the top of
your screen, but it can be moved anywhere on the screen or docked
to the side of the window.
7a. Status Bar
The Status Bar gives you constant, up-to-date
information about your document. You can customize its position,
appearance, and content so that you have easy access to the information
that you require to work
most efficiently.
8a. Color Palette
To choose a paint color, click the color swatch
in the Color Palette with the left mouse button.
To choose a solid
fill color, click the color swatch with the right mouse button.
To choose a paper color, hold down CTRL as you click
the color.
9a. Toolbox
You can move the Toolbox anywhere on the screen
by clicking and dragging the area that surrounds the tools. Placing
the Toolbox on the screen turns it into a floating Toolbox with
a Title Bar. Placing it on any of the four sides of the window
docks the Toolbox there, making it part of the window border.
To find out the name of a tool, position the mouse over the tool
and a pop-up balloon will appear. This pop-up
is referred to as a ToolTip.
9b. Flyouts
A tool that, when selected, displays two or
more additional tools. Tools that have a flyout have a small triangle
located in the bottom right
corner.
To access the flyout, click this triangle, or hold
the mouse button down anywhere on the tool.
9c. Image Information button
Clicking
the Image
Information button opens the Image Info dialog box, which shows
you the image's size, resolution, file format, type of compression,
color mode, and whether it has been changed since you opened it.
10a. scroll bars
Use the scroll bars to shift the view in the
Image Window to see portions of an image that fall outside
the current viewing area.
Scrolling is useful when you are using a zoomed-in
view.
11a Navigator pop up
To launch the Navigator
pop-up, click the button that appears on the bottom right of your
Image Window when some areas of the image aren't visible. Use
the Navigator pop-up to move to different areas of your image.
12a. rulers
The movable on-screen rulers provide a visual
reference that can help you determine the size and position of
objects and masks in your image. You can set the rulers to display
different units of measurement by clicking
Tools, Grid And Ruler Setup.
12b. Checkpoint
A checkpoint
is a marked stage in your image's development to which you can
return later on by using the Restore To Checkpoint command.
12c. Color correction
In color management, on-screen color
correction is the process of making the RGB colors you see on
your monitor match the colors that your CMYK printer will produce.
Printing color correction is the process of shifting
printed colors so that the print output resembles the original
or intended design more closely.
12d. Screen dithering
Screen dithering
averages the depth of pixels in a given area to create additional
colors or shades of gray. If you are working on an image that
contains more colors than your monitor is capable of producing,
use a screen-dithering option.
13a. Grids and Guidelines
A grid is a set of evenly
spaced, horizontal and vertical nonprinting lines that appear
in the Image Window.
Guidelines are nonprinting lines that are used to
align objects.
BIT Bitmap and Vector Graphics (100)
3a. Vector
Vector graphics are graphics created in programs
such as CorelDRAW that create shapes as a series of lines and
curves. Vector graphics are also referred to as object-based graphics
or line art. This contrasts with bitmap graphics that are created
pixel by pixel in paint
programs and by scanners.
3b. Node
A node is a square point located at the end
of each line and curve segment that makes up a vector path (line).
There are three types of nodes: smooth,
symmetrical and cusp.
3c. Object
An object is the basic building
block of a vector graphic.
Each CorelDRAW illustration is composed of simple
shapes - such as circles, rectangles, and lines - each of which
is considered an object. Each object is a discreet unit that can
be positioned independently of other objects, and each object
can have its own fill and outline.
3d.
A vector image.
Notice the clean, illustration-like appearance of
the graphic.
4a.
Bits
and pixels
In bitmap editing, the terms "bit" and
"pixel" refer to one unit of an image.
A pixel (from "picture element") is a single,
digital square that is arranged with other pixels on grids that
combine to form an image. Computer images are created as an array
of pixels, each having a specific color.
4b. Bit Depth
Bit depth refers to the number of binary bits
used to define the shade or color of each pixel in an image. For
example, a black-and-white image has a pixel depth of 1 bit (1
or 0 in binary terms). To determine the number of color values
a given bit depth can produce, calculate the
bit depth to the power of 2.
Common bit depths:
4-bit 16 colors (e.g., standard VGA)
8-bit grayscale 256 shades of gray.
8-bit color 256 colors.
24-bit 16-million colors.
32-bit 4.3-billion colors.
4c. bitmap resolution
When you work with bitmaps, the quality of your
output depends on decisions you make about resolution early in
the process. "Resolution" refers to the amount of information
an image file contains, and thus, the level of detail it can show.
When you work with bitmaps, resolution affects both the quality
of your final output and
the file size.
Bitmap resolution is distinct from printer resolution.
4d.
A bitmap graphic.
Notice the smooth transitions between areas of color
that can be achieved in a bitmap graphic.
4e. Bitmap
A bitmap is an image composed of grids of pixels
or dots. Scanners and paint programs such as Corel PHOTO-PAINT
generate bitmap images. In contrast, CorelDRAW creates images
using vector objects, which are graphics that represent shapes
as a series of lines and curves.
Notice the smooth transitions between areas of color
that can be achieved in a bitmap graphic.
8a. graphic
Note the jagged lines along the edges of the
image.
9a. Normal anti-aliasing
Anti-aliasing is a method of smoothing the edges
of shapes, objects, and mask selections. Anti-aliasing creates
intermediate pixels that smooth the transition between
colors and sharp edges.
9b. Super sampling
Super sampling is a different method of anti-aliasing:
as the image opens its resolution is increased, then decreased.
The results are generally more satisfying, but the action is very
memory intensive and takes
longer to apply.
9c: Smoother edges
Notice that the black along the edges has been
partially replaced with
two shades of gray.
10a: OCR-Trace
Corel OCR-TRACE is a program in the CorelDRAW
8 graphics suite that electronically "traces" bitmap
images, converting areas of bitmap color to outlined objects.
The result is a vector graphic that you can import
into CorelDRAW for editing.
Among its many features, Corel OCR-TRACE also performs
optical character recognition (OCR) on text files, allowing you
to scan a text document and convert the bitmap into readable text.
See the online Help in Corel OCR-TRACE for a full list of features.
MEM - Memory Tutor (150)
1a. System Memory settings.
Your system memory settings regulate how Corel
PHOTO-PAINT manages image files and information. These settings
also allow you to enable or disable a number of options that use
memory, especially with respect to undoing and redoing
image-editing actions.
2a. Microprocessor.
A microprocessor, also called a chip, is the
device in your computer that carries out the data processing tasks
required by programs like Windows 95 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Some
microprocessors are faster than others because they can carry
out more instructions on
more data more efficiently.
2b. RAM
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a block of memory
that acts as a temporary storage area for programs and data that
may be needed by the processor
as you work.
Both Windows 95 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT are loaded
into RAM when launched.
2c. Swap Disk
A swap disk is hard drive space used by software
applications to store temporary
files not in use.
Corel PHOTO-PAINT creates temporary files in the
root directory of the swap disk. The use of swap disks to store
information allows you to work on image files much larger than
the amount of available RAM. Fast hard drives with large amounts
of contiguous disk space work best. When an entire image file
cannot be loaded into RAM, more swap disk space must be available
for the temporary file.
By default, Corel PHOTO-PAINT uses your startup drive
as the primary swap disk; the secondary swap disk is used when
the primary swap disk is full. The choice of which hard disk is
to be used as a swap disk is made in the Options dialog box.
3a. Options dialog box
The Options dialog box allows you to set preferences
for display, marquee selection, plug-in filters, memory, advanced
user options, and general options. This dialog box lets you optimize
Corel PHOTO-PAINT to work
with your computer.
4a. Hard drive
A hard drive is a high-capacity storage device,
where software and other
information is stored.
A partitioned hard drive is a hard drive that has
been divided into a number of logical subdrives. Each of these
subdrives behaves like a separate hard drive.
4b. Undo level
Corel PHOTO-PAINT allows you to set multiple
levels of undo by storing copies of your image in computer memory;
they are recalled by choosing the Undo
command from the Edit menu.
6a. less than 32 megabytes of RAM
Use the default setting of 50%. In computers
with less than 32 megabytes of RAM, changing the default setting
will have little impact on
overall computer performance.
6b. more than 32 megabytes of RAM
Set the maximum value between 40% and 60%. If
you run other applications at the same time as Corel PHOTO-PAINT,
computer performance can benefit from reducing the maximum value.
You will have to access your computer's performance under real
operating conditions to determine
the suitable setting.
7a. Undo Command
The Undo command allows you to reverse the effects
of the last change you made to your image. However, because it
must store a previous version of your image to do so, it requires
some of your computer memory.
7b. Multiple levels of undo
Multiple levels of undo allow you to select
Undo from the Edit menu a number of times to undo the effects
of a number of successive commands. Corel PHOTO-PAINT does this
by storing one copy of your image for each level of undo: when
you select Undo, the program reverts to
one of the previous copies.
8a. Undo List
The Undo list is a record of the image processing
commands applied to your image during an editing session in Corel
PHOTO-PAINT. It can be used to reprocess the last saved version
of the image to an earlier stage in the session. This record is
stored in computer memory. If you perform many operations on your
image during a single session, the Undo list becomes very long
and can degrade overall
computer performance.
RMB - Mouse Shortcuts (200)
RMB1a. Pick Tool
The
Pick tool is the arrow that appears when you move
your mouse over a toolbar.
RMB4a Toolbar. Mapped
to Wel5a
RMB 5a. Object Picker Tool
The
Object Picker tool lets you select, move, and resize
objects using the mouse.
RMB 5b.Mask Selections
When you apply a mask to your image, the mask
selection is the area that is not protected by the mask; this
area can be edited. Mask selections can also be "floated"
(moved within your image) or pasted
into other images as objects.
RMB 6a. Transformation modes.
These are the transformation modes that you
can use to manipulate the shape and position
of objects in your image:
What each click does
First click In Position mode you can move, resize,
and stretch your object.
Second click In the Rotate and Skew mode, the corner
arrows allow you to rotate your object; the middle arrows allow
you to skew your object.
Third click In Distort mode you can reshape the object
proportionally.
Fourth click In Perspective mode, symmetrically resizing
creates the illusion of perspective.
CUS - Customize your workspace (250)
4a. Accelerator Table
When you change the shortcuts that are assigned
to keyboard keys, the changes are saved in an accelerator table,
a file that contains a set of keyboard customizations. Corel PHOTO-PAINT
includes two accelerator tables; Main Table (for graphics objects)
and Text Editing (for text
objects).
13a. Color Palette
mapped to wel 8a
14a. color swatch
A color swatch is a single square of color that
appears on a color palette
or color table.
18a. toolbars mapped
to wel 5a
21a. Status Bar mapped
to wel7a
CLR - Color Manager (300)
1a. Calibration
Calibration is the process of tuning a device
to ensure that it is performing
its function accurately.
Corel COLOR MANAGER can help you calibrate the devices
in your system by adjusting their output to match standards set
by manufacturers, industry conventions, or other devices. Corel
COLOR MANAGER also supports a number of third-party calibration
devices, such as densitometers and colorimeters, that offer you
an even greater level of precision.
1b. Color Manager
Corel COLOR MANAGER is an application that works
with your Corel software to ensure that color is consistent
across system devices.
You can use Corel COLOR MANAGER in two ways. You
can quickly set up Corel COLOR MANAGER to work with your system
by choosing your devices from the list boxes provided; or you
can use the Corel COLOR MANAGER sophisticated calibration tools.
Once it is familiar with your devices, Corel COLOR
MANAGER is able to perform the following functions within your
Corel applications:
fine tune scanned input based on your scanner's characteristics
ensure that on-screen simulation of printer colors
is accurate
enable the gamut alarm
manage color channels
handle color printing and separation
regulate conversion between color modes
1c. Device Profiles
Once your device is calibrated to your satisfaction,
Corel COLOR MANAGER builds a mathematical model of the device,
called a device profile. A device profile is a file that defines
the nature of
a device for Corel COLOR MANAGER. All the device profiles for
your system are in turn compiled
into a system profile.
2a. Color gamut
Any device that detects or produces color is
limited to the colors in its color gamut. For example, since the
human eye can detect the color purple, it is within our gamut;
whereas ultraviolet is outside our gamut. Typically, desktop devices
can produce a far narrower range of color than the eye can detect,
and since each device uses a different technique, color model,
or set of inks, each has its own gamut that might not include
colors included by the
other devices.
2b. Color space
A color space is a geometric representation
of gamut, containing all of the colors in a device's color gamut
plotted as points on color models like RGB or L*a*b*. When different
color spaces are "mapped" to the same model, it becomes
easy to see where the capabilities
of different devices differ.
Corel COLOR MANAGER acts as a mediator between your
hardware and all of the Corel graphics applications you use. It
uses the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) standard
to map the color spaces of individual devices together to plot
a common color space for your system. The result is that all of
your devices can speak the same color language, and more importantly,
they produce the same colors.
4a. Composite and separations printers
A composite printer
produces output that includes all image, line art, and text elements.
Color composites are often printed on color PostScript printers
to check artwork before it is color separated for four-color process
printing. Composites are called "comprehensives," "proofs,"
or "comps."
A separations printer splits colors in a composite
image to produce a number of separate grayscale images, one for
each primary color in the original. In the case of a CMYK image,
four separations must be made: one of cyan, magenta, yellow, and
black.