Basic photo touchup tutorial

This tutorial shows you how to adjust levels, adjust tint, straighten and crop your photos, and print multiple pictures of your photo on one sheet of paper. The tutorial uses the same sample photo and follows the same steps as the Basic Photo Touchup Instructional Video. It is not necessary to watch the Instructional Video before you start the tutorial, but you may find it helpful.

This tutorial covers:

What you will learn
In this tutorial, you will learn how to do the following:
Lesson 1: Adjust the levels
Lesson 2: Adjust the tint
Lesson 3: Straighten a picture
Lesson 4: Crop a picture
Lesson 5: Print multiple copies of a picture
Get started
To practice using the tools in this tutorial, you can work on a copy of the photo that appears in the Basic Photo Touchup Instructional Video.
To open the photo:
  1. On the File menu, click Open.

  2. Browse to the directory in which you installed Picture It!, and then select the \Tutorial\windmill.jpg file.

    The default folder location for this file is c:\Program Files\Picture It! 9\Tutorial\.

  3. Click Open.

    Windmill.jpg opens in the workspace.

    Picture of windmill before touchup

  4. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save a copy of the photo to work on.

    In this tutorial you must save the sample photo with a new name before you make any changes. The sample photo is in read-only format; you cannot save any changes to the original. In general, saving a copy of a photo is useful because it preserves the original for other projects.

Lesson 1: Adjust levels

In this lesson, you learn how to adjust the levels in a photo. Levels comprise the highlights, midtones, and shadows in the image. If these values are not evenly balanced, your picture may not look its best.

The sample photo is too dark, making the details hard to see. You will correct this using the levels auto fix tool.

To adjust levels:

  • On the Touchup menu, click Levels Auto Fix.

    The image levels are adjusted, improving the overall look of the photo and bringing out more details.

Now the photo should look similar to this:
Picture with levels adjusted
Lesson 2: Adjust Tint

In this lesson, you learn how to adjust tint. Tint is the overall color cast of a photo. Adjust the tint when a photo has a color cast that affects the entire image, such as a color caused by different types of lighting. Look at areas of the image that should be white. If they are not white, you need to adjust the tint.

In the sample photo, there is a slight blue color cast. You will correct this using the adjust tint tool.

To adjust tint:
  1. On the Touchup menu, click Adjust Tint.

  2. With the pointer, now shaped like Eyedropper, click an area in the photo that should be white.

    The blue tint in the sample photo is corrected, making the colors in the photo more accurate.

  3. Click Done.
Now the photo should look similar to this:
Picture with tint adjusted
Lesson 3: Straighten a picture

In this lesson, you learn how to straighten an uneven photo. An uneven photo is often the result of hurried photography or careless framing while the picture was being taken.

The sample photo is slightly crooked.

To straighten a picture:
  1. On the Format menu, point to Straighten Picture, and then click Canvas.
  2. Click one end of the horizon, and then click the other end.

    The picture tilts to match the line you draw.

  3. With the Auto Crop check box selected, click Done.

    The white areas resulting from the straightening are cropped away.

Now the photo should look similar to this:
Straightened picture
Lesson 4: Crop a picture

In this lesson, you learn how to crop a picture to improve its appearance. You crop to a 7 x 5 proportion while taking into account the rule of thirds.

The subject in the sample photo does not stand out very well.

To crop a picture:
  1. On the Format menu, point to Crop, and then click Canvas.
  2. Under Select a proportion, select 7 x 5.
  3. Make sure the Show guidelines for the rule of thirds check box is selected.
  4. Drag your pointer across the photo.

    A darkened box with grid lines appears. This is the crop area, proportioned to 7 x 5. The picture within this area will remain after the crop is completed. You can drag the crop area around the picture, or change its size it by dragging a corner resize handle.

    Picture with rule of thirds guidelines
  5. Create a crop area that discards unimportant picture elements, bringing the subject into focus. Position the crop area so a focal point of the subject lies at the intersection of two gridlines.
  6. Click Done.
Now the photo should look similar to this:
Cropped picture
Lesson 5: Print multiple copies of a picture

In this lesson, you learn how to print multiple copies of a picture onto one sheet of paper. Printing multiple copies saves paper resources and makes it easier to share multiple pictures.

You will print multiple copies of the sample photo onto one sheet of paper.

To print multiple copies of a picture onto one sheet of paper:
  1. On the File menu, click Print.
  2. Under You can also, click Print multiple pictures or special paper.
  3. Under Select a printer, click a printer.
  4. Under Select a category, click Standard Photographic.
  5. Under Click an orientation, click Portrait.
  6. In the main window, select Photographic - Two 5x7 in.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Under To complete the layout, click Fill the layout with the selected picture.

    The sample photo appears in both spaces in the layout.

  9. Click Next.
  10. Click Print.
Your printed photos should look similar to this:
Print of multiple pictures
Congratulations! You've completed the basic photo touchup tutorial.
Now you can:
Now that you've learned these basic touchup techniques, you can apply them to all of your photos so that each one looks like it was taken by an expert.