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On-line Help Contents

Using MGI PhotoSuite

Basics	Introduction to MGI PhotoSuite.

How to	How do I __ with MGI PhotoSuite?

Tools	MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.

Menus	The MGI PhotoSuite Menus.

Files	Information on Image Files.

Tips	MGI PhotoSuite Tips & Tricks.

MGI PhotoSuite Support & Product Information

Support	MGI PhotoSuite Support Information.

Products	Information on other MGI Products.

MGI Direct	Product Registration and Ordering.

License	Software License Agreement.

For instructions on using Help, press the F1 key.


How do I __ with MGI PhotoSuite?

Here is a list of the things that MGI PhotoSuite can do.

Click on the operation that you are interested in to see how it is performed.

Image Editing

Apply special effects Apply special effects to an image.

Change brightness Adjust the brightness of an image.

Change image size Change the size of an image, even stretch it.

Change pen size & shape Change the size and shape of the drawing pen.

Clone parts of an image Copy parts of an image to another part of the image.

Color correct an image Perform color, or gamma, correction of an image.

Color reduce an image Reduce the number of colors in an image.

Copy, cut & paste Copy, cut and paste images or image areas.

Create new colors Create custom colors.

Create a new image Create a new image to draw on.

Embed images into Embed images into documents or applications.

Flip, mirror & rotate Flip, Mirror or Rotate an image or selected area.

GIF and Web pages Use GIF graphic file features with Web pages.

Link to image files Link to images in documents or applications.

Pick a color to draw with Select a color to draw with.

Pick fonts and sizes Select text fonts & sizes.

Print with MGI PhotoSuite Print out an image.

Reduce to monochrome Reduce an image to black and white.

Resize a selected area Shrink and enlarge a selected area.

Scan or digitize images Scan or digitize images into MGI PhotoSuite.

Screen capture Capture portions of the screen or window.

Select areas of an image Select an area of an image.

Use the clipboard Work with the clipboard.

View images full screen View an image in full screen.

Zoom in and out Zoom in and out of an image.

Image Files

Open an image file Open existing image files.

Open multiple image files Open multiple images at the same time.

Open Photo CD images Open a Kodak Photo CD image.

Rename and save images Save opened image files with different names.

Save an image file Save opened image files.

Multimedia Catalogs

Work with catalogs Work with multimedia catalogs.

Add thumbnails to a catalog Add files (thumbnails) to a catalog.

Add or edit thumbnail information Add or edit information about thumbnails.

Change catalog view settings Change how thumbnails are viewed in a catalog.

Close a catalog Close an open catalog.

Create a new catalog Create a new, empty catalog.

Copy, cut & paste Copy, cut and paste selected thumbnails.

Get thumbnail file information Get information on a thumbnail’s file.

Make a mulitmedia catalog Make a multimedia catalog from scratch, step-by-step.

Make a slideshow from a catalog Make a slideshow from an catalog.

Move thumbnails between catalogs Move thumbnails between different catalogs.

Move thumbnails in a catalog Move the thumbnails around in a catalog.

Open an existing catalog Open an existing catalog file.

Open multiple catalogs Open multiple catalogs at the same time.

Rename and save a catalog Save an opened catalog with a different name.

Save a catalog Save opened catalogs.

Update thumbnails in a catalog Update the thumbnails in a catalog.

Slideshows

Manage slideshows Manage slideshows.

Create or edit slideshows Create or edit a slideshow.

Make a slideshow from a catalog Make a slideshow from a catalog.

Control a slideshow Control slideshow operation.

Change settings during a slideshow Change slideshow settings during a slideshow.

Rename slideshow Change the name of a slideshow.

Miscellaneous

Change MGI PhotoSuite settings Change some preference settings.

OLE support in MGI PhotoSuite Information about OLE support in MGI PhotoSuite.

Register MGI PhotoSuite Register my copy of MGI PhotoSuite.

Product information and ordering Order other MGI products & upgrades.

Work with windows Work with windows in MGI PhotoSuite.

Work with panels Work with panels in MGI PhotoSuite.


MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons

Here is a list of MGI PhotoSuite’s Tools and Icons.

Click on the one that you are interested in to see how it works.

Clone Tool

Color Eraser

Color Palette

Draw Filled Ellipses or Circles

Draw Filled Polygons

Draw Filled Rectangles or Squares

Draw Filled Rounded Rectangles or Squares

Draw Hollow Ellipses or Circles

Draw Hollow Polygons

Draw Hollow Rectangles or Squares

Draw Hollow Rounded Rectangles or Squares

Draw Lines

Drawing Pen

Draw Text

Eyedropper

Flood Fill

Full Screen

New Image

Overview Window

Run Slideshow

Select Elliptical or Circular Area

Select Polygonal or Freehand Area

Select Rectangular Area

Select Pen

Spray Can

The MGI PhotoSuite Window


The MGI PhotoSuite Menus

Here is a list of MGI PhotoSuite’s Menus.

Click on the one that you are interested in to find out more about it.

File Menu

Catalog Menu

Edit Menu

Thumbnails Menu

View Menu

Text Menu

Effects Menu

Image Menu

Capture Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu


Information on Image Files

MGI PhotoSuite supports a wide variety of image files and file formats.

Click on the topic that you are interested in to get more information about it.

Color depths

Image file formats

Working with files

Opening Images

Saving Images


MGI PhotoSuite Tips & Tricks

Here is a list of Tips & Tricks for MGI PhotoSuite.

Click on the one that you are interested in to find out more.

GIF and Web Pages

Printing Hints & Tips


Introduction to MGI PhotoSuite

MGI PhotoSuite has a wide variety of features and functions, here is an overview of the many things that you can do with MGI PhotoSuite.

What is MGI PhotoSuite?

MGI PhotoSuite combines the features of many popular image manipulation and presentation programs into one easy-to-use application. MGI PhotoSuite allows you to enhance any image with a wide variety of special effects, includes a host of paint and drawing tools and allows you to create your own computer slideshow complete with music. For more information, please refer to the comprehensive on-line Help system at any time. Product support is available to all registered users, so please be sure to register your copy of MGI PhotoSuite today. We recommend that you use the MGI Direct on-line registration system located in the MGI PhotoSuite Help menu.

What are Electronic Images?

An electronic image can take almost any form such as a photograph, drawing, painting, etc. that has either been created using a computer or digitally “imaged” and stored in one of a number of popular graphic file formats. MGI PhotoSuite supports almost any type of image - from simple black and white to photographs containing as many as 16-million colors. As a rule, the more colors the better. However, more colors also means a larger amount of information that must be stored. High-resolution images require many megabytes of disk space, so for this reason, you may choose to work with images having only 256 or even 16 colors. MGI PhotoSuite also allows you to transform a color image to black and white, as well as “upgrade” a color image to 16-million colors. In many cases, this will allow you to apply a wider range of special effects “filters” and tools to your image including adding new colors. However, you will have to save the modified image in the higher resolution format if you want to preserve these changes. See Information on Image Files.

How do I transfer my photographs to digital format?

MGI PhotoSuite supports the Kodak Photo CD image format. This allows you to store and view your photographs at several different resolutions ranging from small, low-resolution “thumbnails” to high-resolution images. Almost any camera store or film processing outlet will take your unprocessed films and have them reproduced in Kodak Photo CD format in addition to standard prints and slides. Prices vary but unlike prints, photographs stored on a CD-ROM can be preserved almost indefinitely. Once stored electronically your photographs can be used with any application that supports Kodak Photo CD.

Other scanning services exist for converting photographs and negatives to digital format. Consult your local print shop, camera store, film processor or desktop publishing bureau to see what is available.

What is Image Editing?

MGI PhotoSuite allows you to cut and paste images between popular applications in seconds. For example, MGI PhotoSuite supports a wide range of industry-standard file formats which makes it ideal for copying, modifying and pasting images from an Encyclopedia program into any word processing document. You can also enhance an image on the fly using MGI PhotoSuite’s built-in special effects (sharpen, brighten, emboss, etc.) and image editing tools. MGI PhotoSuite lets you change colors, zoom in on the smallest detail, insert text, add and delete objects, apply special effects, rotate and stretch images, create posters and preview your changes on the fly - you can do just about anything you can imagine. It’s fast and it’s fun. And don’t worry, you can use the Undo/Redo feature of the program at any time. You can also create a “duplicate” image while you are working so that your original photograph remains untouched. See How to with MGI PhotoSuite.

Drawing and Painting Tools

MGI PhotoSuite comes with a full range of paint and drawing tools that allow you to create original computer images and artwork or enhance existing ones. Just start with a blank page and let your imagination do the rest. You can also use tools to enhance any image, including spray can, paint roller, color eraser, eyedropper, color picker and definable brushes that let you express yourself. See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.

What is a computer-based slideshow?

MGI PhotoSuite’s slideshow feature allows you to easily create your own multimedia slideshow complete with full color images, background music and colors. Simply select the photographs you wish to present, choose the speed (automatic or manual mode), and if you like, add a sound (WAV or MIDI) file or animation/video (AVI) file to enhance your presentation. MGI PhotoSuite takes care of the rest. It’s ideal for business users, friends and family alike. See Slideshow Manager.

MGI PhotoSuite as an Internet Helper App

With its fast image viewing, multimedia cataloging and slideshow capabilities, MGI PhotoSuite makes the ideal Internet helper application. Use it to keep track of the graphics and multimedia files that you have retrieved from the Internet.

Screen and Window Capture

This handy feature lets you capture and edit anything you see on your computer screen at any time. It’s ideal for use with documents, presentations, icons, faxes - anything that requires precise and clean capture of on-screen images. Once captured, these images can be enhanced using any MGI PhotoSuite tool or special effect. See Screen Capture.

Web Page Graphics

MGI PhotoSuite supports two features in the GIF file format specification that enable you to create interlaced and transparent GIF graphics for your Web pages. See GIF and Web Page Graphics for more details.

Output

MGI PhotoSuite supports all Windows compatible output devices and printers. See Printing with MGI PhotoSuite.


Color Depths

An image can be represented in many forms, such as a painting, picture, etc. In the computer world an image is a collection of dots called “pixels” arranged in a rectangular grid of rows and columns. Each pixel is a specific color. The number of possible colors in an image can vary from two to 16.7 million. The simplest type of image has only black and white pixels and is referred to as a “monochrome” image. “True Color” images can contain any of 16.7 million colors and offer the widest range of colors available using MGI PhotoSuite.

Image sizes can vary from a single pixel to as large an image as system memory and resources can accommodate.

Color Depths

The type of image data determines the range of colors that the image may contain. “Color Depth” is a term that is used to specify the maximum number of colors available. In the simplest type of image, each pixel can be either black or white. Since each pixel can have only two different states, only one “bit” of information is required to store each image. However, an image with 8 bits of color information per pixel allows 256 possible colors (2 to the power of 8 equals 256).

MGI PhotoSuite supports the following color depths; Black and White (1 bit per pixel), 16 color (4 bits per pixel), 256 color (8 bits per pixel) and 16.7 million color (true color, 24 bits per pixel). In addition, MGI PhotoSuite allows you to work with grayscale images containing either 16 or 256 colors. The actual number of colors you will see on your monitor depends on the type of video hardware and video drivers you are using.

MGI PhotoSuite allows for the conversion, from one to another, of the following data types.

Monochrome

One-bit data type. Each pixel can be either black or white.

Grayscale

Grayscale images can contain black, white and a range of grays. 16-color (4 bits per pixel) grayscale images contain 16 shades of gray ranging from pure white to pure black. 256-color (8 bits per pixel) grayscale images contain 256 shades of gray ranging evenly from pure white to pure black.

Indexed 16 and 256-color

Indexed, or color-mapped, images contain colors specified by a table of color values. The color values may be chosen from a larger range of available colors, but only the colors actually in the table are displayed in the image. For example, your system may be able to display 256 colors simultaneously, but if you load a 16-color image, you can only draw in the image using the 16 colors contained in the color table for that image.

Indexed 16-color images use 4 bits per pixel to represent the image while indexed 256-color images use 8 bits per pixel.

True Color (16.7 Million)

True color images use values of red, green and blue to represent colors. Each pixel can contain 256 different intensities of red, green and blue which are combined to obtain the final color. For example, if red, green and blue all have a value of zero, the final color is pure black. If red, green and blue all have a value of 255 (the maximum intensity), the final color is pure white. If red and green have a value of 255 but blue is zero, then the final color is pure yellow, since red and green combine to produce yellow when displayed on a computer monitor.

True color images use 24 bits per pixel to represent the image, divided into 8 bits for each primary color (red, green and blue). Certain file formats store true color images as 32-bit images, which have an extra 8 bits to store transparency or overlay information. MGI PhotoSuite will load these files, but ignores the extra data.

See File Formats.


File Formats

Images are stored in a variety of file formats. Many different image file formats have been developed over the years for specific applications and hardware. MGI PhotoSuite supports a large number of commonly used file formats. These include.

Windows Bitmap (BMP)

The Windows Bitmap file format is the standard file format used by Microsoft Windows. Bitmap files can contain either 2 (black and white), 16, 256 or 16.7 million colors. Most Windows Bitmap files are not compressed. It is possible to save 16 and 256 color images in a compressed format (See Run-Length Encoded below) but some applications (notably Windows Paintbrush) are not able to read the compressed files.

The default file extension for Windows Bitmap files is “.BMP”. Occasionally you may see bitmap files with the extension “.DIB”.

Windows Run-Length Encoded (RLE)

The RLE format is a variation of the Windows BMP format that offers a modest degree of image compression. It has two primary uses under Windows. It can be used to create compressed wallpaper files and it can be used to replace the opening Windows logo screen with a file of your own choosing. RLE files are always either 16 or 256 color image files.

The default file extension for Windows RLE Bitmap files is “.RLE”.

CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)

The GIF file format was developed by CompuServe Inc. for use on their on-line service. GIF files are color-mapped files that can have anywhere from 2 to 256 colors. MGI PhotoSuite supports both the 87a and 89a versions of the GIF standard. GIF files are always compressed and offer an efficient way to store large images.

The default file extension for CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format files is “.GIF”.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG)

The JPEG format uses a method of compression that reduces image file size by selectively reducing the amount of detail contained in the image and by transforming the image data into a format that is better suited for compression. Images with fewer details compress extremely well, while pictures with a high degree of random detail do not compress as well, or suffer some degree of image degradation. The relative amount of detail removed is specified by the JPEG quality item in the “Save Image” file selector.

At the default value of 75, relatively little picture degradation will take place, but a significant amount of compression will be obtained. At lower values you will experience still better compression, but with a marked loss of image quality. JPEG images are either true color or grayscale (256 shades of gray).

Note: The MGI PhotoSuite JPEG implementation is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

The default file extension for JPEG files is “.JPG”.

Kodak Photo CD (PCD)

The Photo CD format is a proprietary format developed by Eastman Kodak to store digitized photographic images on CD-ROM disks. These images are always converted to true color (24-bit) images when loaded into MGI PhotoSuite. Photo CD CD-ROM disks produced according to Kodak specifications include one or more Photo CD images as well as an overview file containing small “thumbnail” versions of each image on the disk. The Photo CD image files always reside in a directory named d:\PHOTO_CD\IMAGES on a Photo CD disk.

However, you may also encounter Photo CD image files on networks, bulletin boards and other types of CD-ROM disks which lack the overview file. MGI PhotoSuite can read Photo CD files even in the absence of the overview file, by using the file selector to select the Photo CD file by name.

Note: MGI PhotoSuite does not save images in Photo CD file format. If you wish to save an image you have loaded from a Photo CD file, we suggest you choose either the JPEG or TIFF file format.

Each Photo CD file contains a number of scans of the same image at a number of different resolutions. MGI PhotoSuite supports the following Photo CD resolutions: 192x128 pixels, 384x256 pixels, 768x512 pixels, 1536x1024 pixels and 3072x2048 pixels. If you only have four megabytes of memory installed in your computer, you may not have sufficient free memory to edit the 1536x1024 or 3072x2048 pixel Photo CD formats.

The default file extension for Kodak Photo CD files is “.PCD”.

Truevision Targa (TGA)

The Truevision Targa format was originally developed by Truevision Inc. for use with their line of graphic display cards. The Targa format is used by several high-end paint and CAD programs. Color resolutions range from 256 color, 32768 (16-bit) color, 24-bit true color and 32-bit true color formats. The 32-bit Targa format contains 24 bits of color data as well as 8 bits of transparency (overlay) data. MGI PhotoSuite extracts the color data from 32-bit Targa files but ignores the transparency data. Targa images exist in both compressed and uncompressed formats.

The default file extension for Targa files is “.TGA”.

PC Paintbrush (PCX)

PCX files were originally developed for Z-Soft’s PC Paintbrush package. These files come in monochrome, 16 color, 256 color and true color (24-bit) varieties. PCX files are compressed using a method that offers a modest degree of compression compared to other compression formats.

The default file extension for PC Paintbrush files is “.PCX”.

Tagged Image File Format (TIF)

The TIFF format was developed by Microsoft and Aldus Corporations as a portable method of storing bitmap images. MGI PhotoSuite supports the current 6.0 specification for TIFF files. TIFF files come in monochrome, 16-color, 256-color, 16-color grayscale, 256-color grayscale and true color (24-bit) varieties. When saving files in the TIFF format, MGI PhotoSuite automatically recognizes that an image is in grayscale format and saves it in the appropriate format.

TIFF files exist in both compressed and uncompressed formats. The compression format offers a high degree of compression. However, certain older paint programs that use an early version of the TIFF format may have difficulty reading compressed TIFF files. If you find that a program will not read the compressed files, try saving the file in the uncompressed format.

The default file extension for TIFF files is “.TIF”.

MGI Catalog File (CTF)

The CTF format was developed by MGI as a means to store thumbnails for cataloging images and multimedia files. Thumbnails of images can be either 256- or 16-million colors and one of any nine sizes, allowing great flexibility in size vs. quality vs. performance.

See Color Depths.


Working with Files

Using the File Selector

MGI PhotoSuite uses a customized Windows file selector dialog to select the files to open or save.

The title bar of the file selector identifies the operation being performed, i.e. “Open Image”. The drive and directory are automatically set to the last selected path. All files of the selected image type are displayed in the file list box.

To see a list of all files in a drive or directory with a specific file name extension, type an (*), a period (.) and the file name extension in the “File name” field, and then press [Enter]. For example, to see all files with a “BMP” extension in a directory, type “*.BMP” in the “File name” field. To see all files in a directory, type “*.*” in the “File name” field.

To see all files of a specific image type, click on the “Files of type” drop down list box and select a file type from the list of available types. The file list will be updated to display only files of the specified type.

To select a file, either click on the file name in the file name box or type a file name in the “File name” field. If you do not see the file you want, select a new drive or directory. In some cases you may be able to select a different type of file by using the “Files of type” or “Save as type” list box. After you have specified the file you wish to access, click on the Open (or Save) button.

Naming your Files

Under Windows 95 and Windows NT, a file name can be from 1 to 260 characters long. You can use any combination of characters on your keyboard to make up a file name, except for the following: * ? \ / : | < >.

Different types of files are distinguished by the file name extensions. For example, Windows bitmap files have the extension “.BMP” while TIFF files have the extension “.TIF”. To avoid confusion, use the default extensions when saving image files.

See Open Image and Save Image.


Add Thumbnails

Select “Add” from the Thumbnails menu to add image or multimedia files to a catalog. The Add Thumbnails dialog will be displayed (if you are creating a new catalog, this dialog will be displayed automatically).

This file selector is similar to the Open Catalog and Open Image dialogs. Select the files that you wish to add to the catalog and click “Open” to load the files and display them in the catalog window. (To select more than one file, click on one of them. To select a range, [Shift]+click on the other end of the range. To add individual files to your selection(s), [Ctrl]+click on each). MGI PhotoSuite will automatically create thumbnails of the selected files, according to the catalog’s thumbnail size setting and add them to the catalog. If the thumbnails are to be added to a new catalog, it will create the thumbnails as small or as large as you just specified in the New Catalog dialog.

Include Folders and Wildcards

You can also use wildcard file names in the file selector edit box, in which case, all files matching the wildcard you specify will make a thumbnail. If you check the “Include Folders” check-box, folders (sub-directories) below the current folder will also be searched for wildcard matches. This way, you could build a catalog for all the files on a drive, by leaving the default file wildcards in the edit-box, selecting the drive’s root directory and checking “Include Folders”. The entire drive will be searched for any and all files and each will be included in your catalog. If you do not have a wildcard file name in the file selector edit box, then the “Include Folders” check-box is disabled.

Note: If you have more than one catalog window open on the screen, make sure that the catalog in which you wish to add the file(s) is the active one. The active catalog is displayed with a highlighted title bar.

See also Edit Thumbnail Information.


Adjust Brightness

Select the “Brightness...” menu item to adjust the lightness and darkness of an image. The Adjust Brightness dialog will be displayed.

This dialog is used to adjust the lightness and darkness of an image. All colors are affected equally by this function. Values greater than zero (“0”) lighten an image while values less than zero darken the image.

Click on “Preview” to see the effect in the actual image.

Click on “OK” to accept the setting.

Click on “Cancel” to restore the image to its original state.


Apply Special Effect

To apply a special effect to the image, choose “Special Effect” from the Effects menu. The Apply Special Effect dialog will be displayed. This dialog provides a visual representation of how each applied filter will effect the image. We have used the same image throughout as the visual representation.

It is important to note that not all filters can be applied to all images. Some filters only work on 24-bit 16-million color images. These filters are marked with an X if an image has less than the required color depth. In the event that you want to apply one of the special filters that are only available in 16-million colors, choose “Increase Colors” and then “16 million” from the Image menu. The image will be converted to 16-million colors and you will then be able to apply the special filter.

Each filter has an additional attributes option that can be applied. Any change to any attribute will be reflected under the heading “Sample”.

Splatter

Use this filter to apply the Splatter special effect to the image. This effect is similar to Mosaic in that pixels in a specified area are averaged together. However, the edges of the resulting square are randomly distorted to give a more irregular pattern. Choose “Strong” to produce a highly randomized pattern, “Medium” for a moderately randomized pattern and “Weak” for a fairly regular pattern.

Mosaic

Use this filter to reduce the apparent resolution of the current image by replacing the pixels in the image according to the average color of the pixels in a specified area. The Mosaic dialog allows you to select the size of the area to average. For example, choosing a pattern size of 6 replaces each 6x6 pixel area in the image with the average color in that area.

Crystallize

This filter is used to apply the Crystallize special effect to the image. This effect is similar to the Splatter effect except that a hexagonal pattern is applied, then randomly distorted. Choose “Strong” to produce a highly randomized pattern, “Medium” for a moderately randomized pattern and “Weak” for a fairly regular pattern.

Posterize

Use this filter to reduce the number of colors in the current image. The Posterize effect is not available for 16-color and monochrome images. Choose the number of color steps to apply and click on OK. If for example, you select 4 color steps, then the resulting image will contain at most four different levels of red, green and blue.

True Color Filters (24-bit/16-million color)

The following four filters modify the color value of a pixel according to the color values of the surrounding pixels. Since this process changes the RGB color values, filters are only applicable to 24-bit images (16-million color). If you wish to apply a filter to a 256 or 16-color image, you will have to convert the image to a 24-bit color depth, apply the filter(s), then reduce the image back to the original color depth.

Sharpen Details

This filter works with 16-million color images only. The sharpening filter creates a destination image with sharper edges than the source image. You can choose between “Light”, “Medium”, or “Heavy” sharpening filters.

Edge Detection

This filter works with 16-million color images only. The edge detection filter enhances the appearance of edges in the image and blank areas of the image that do not have edges.

Soften Details

This filter works with 16-million color images only. The softening filter creates a destination image with softer edges than the source image. This function is particularly useful for minimizing undesirable patterns, which may be a side effect of scanning printed images.

Embossing

This filter works with 16-million color images only. The embossing filter creates a three-dimensional effect by selectively enhancing edges in the image.


Change Image Size

To change the size of an image, choose “Resize” from the Image menu. The Change Image Size dialog will be displayed.

This dialog is used to change the size of an image. You can choose a standard size from the list on the left side of the dialog, or enter a custom size.

If you select “Stretch to Fit”, the current image will be stretched (or shrunk) as required to fill the new image size. If you do not select “Stretch to Fit”, then the image will remain in the upper left corner and an empty border will be added on either the side or the bottom. If the new image size is smaller, then the image will be cropped to the new size.


Color Correction

To perform a color correction, choose “Adjust Colors” from the Image menu. The Color Correction dialog will displayed.

This dialog is used to adjust the colors of an image; to lighten or darken the entire image or specific colors within it. Color, or gamma correction, uses a mathematical formula that leaves very light and very dark color values relatively unchanged, but lightens and darkens mid-range colors more strongly.

Use the sliders to set gamma values for “Red”, “Green”, “Blue” and click on “Preview” to see the effect in the actual image.

Click on “OK” to accept the gamma setting.

Click on “Cancel” to restore the image to its original state.

Click on “Link Sliders” to synchronize all of the sliders to the Green slider.

A gamma value of “1.0” leaves the color unchanged. Values greater than 1.0 lighten the color while values less than 1.0 darken the color.


Color Reduction

To perform a color reduction, choose “Decrease Colors” from the Image menu. Then select the desired option.

If you choose a color reduction to 16 or 256 colors, the Color Reduction dialog will appear. This dialog allows you to reduce the number of colors in an image.

Select “Default Palette” to use a standardized palette for color reduction. This palette gives a wide range of colors, but may not always give a good representation of images that do not have a wide range of shades.

Select “Optimal Palette” to create an image with colors that best represent the colors in the original image.

Select “Dithered Colors” to create an image that uses a standardized palette, but uses a dithering technique, to better simulate the colors in the original image.


Color Selection

The Color dialog is used to change a color in the current Color Palette.

Double-click the left mouse button on a color in the Color Palette to display the Color dialog and edit the foreground color. Double-click the right mouse button to edit the background color.

The selected color is displayed in the Color dialog. The numbers inside the Red, Green and Blue text edit fields are the actual red, green and blue values used to specify the color and can range from 0 to a maximum of 255. Hue, Sat (Saturation) and Lum (Luminance) are used alternatively to specify color values. Hue specifies the shade of the color. Saturation specifies the intensity of the color and Luminance specifies the brightness of the color.

You can select a color by entering color values, or by clicking inside the color selection boxes at the top of the dialog. The large color selection box in the top left of the dialog allows you to select the hue and saturation. The top of the box displays fully saturated colors while the bottom of the box displays colors with low saturation. The color hue varies from 0 at the left edge of the box to 255 at the right edge of the box. Click inside the box and move the mouse to select a color hue and saturation.

The smaller, rectangular box at the right of the dialog displays the color selected on the left side of the dialog in a range of luminance values from 0 to 255, in other words, from solid black to solid white. Click the left mouse button and drag the mouse up and down to select a luminance value.


Edit Thumbnail Information

Select “Description...” from the Thumbnails menu, or press [Alt]+[Enter], to add a description to a thumbnail. The Edit Thumbnail Information dialog will be displayed.

If you wish to add a description to a particular thumbnail in the catalog, first select the thumbnail and then select “Description...” from the Thumbnails menu (or press [Alt]+[Enter]). The representation of the specified file to which you wish to attach the description will be displayed in the Edit Thumbnail Information dialog.

If you wish to add descriptions to a number of thumbnails, select more than one thumbnail in the catalog ([Ctrl]+click on each thumbnail to be added to the selection list), or make sure no thumbnail within the catalog is selected (by clicking within the Catalog window, but not on any thumbnail). Open the Edit Thumbnail Information dialog. In this case, a scroll bar is displayed below the thumbnail. Use the scroll bar to scroll through all the thumbnails (or all the selected thumbnails) within the catalog. In this way, you can add descriptions to each thumbnail one after another.

It is not necessary to fill in each and every field, only the ones you are interested in.

Below the dialog's title bar are four text fields.

Title: In this field, type in any title that you wish to attach to the thumbnail.

Photographer/Artist: In this field, you can record the name of the photographer or artist responsible for the file, or the original source of the file.

Date [yy-mm-dd]: In this field, you can record the date the file was created, or the date you obtained the file, any other date regarding this thumbnail, that is important to you.

Format: In this field, record the file format of the thumbnail, or the camera/film type used, or the type of shooting session or location - whatever is important to you.

Text Editor: To the right of the thumbnail is the Text Editor. Use the Text Editor to add any further description of the thumbnail. First click anywhere in the text field. A flashing cursor will be displayed. Simply type the text you wish to record as you would in any standard text editor.

Note: If you wish to insert a tab in the text, you cannot just press [Tab], because this causes the cursor to jump out of the text field and on to the next one (which is the City field). To insert a tab in your text, you should press [Ctrl]+[Tab] instead.

Below the thumbnail and the Text Editor are five more text fields.

City: In this field, record the city in or near which the file was created.

Activity: In this field, you may record the activity associated with the file.

State/Province: In this field, type the state or province in which the file was created.

Location: In this field, you can record a more particular location at which the file was created.

Misc: Use this field to record any miscellaneous description.


Load Photo CD Image

To load a Kodak Photo CD image, choose “PhotoCD...” from the File menu. This option will only work if a Kodak Photo CD is available on the CD-ROM. Otherwise, choose “Open Image...” from the File menu.

The following dialog is used to select and open Kodak Photo CD images.

Scroll through the available Photo CD images using the scroll bar. Select a thumbnail and click on OK, or double-click on a thumbnail image to load the desired image.

MGI PhotoSuite reads the Kodak Photo CD file format and loads images in one of five available resolutions. You can specify the desired resolution when opening a file through the “Open Image” dialog, or from the “Load PhotoCD Image” dialog. Available resolutions are 192x128, 384x256, 768x512, 1536x1024 and 3072x2048 pixels. Depending on the orientation of the original photograph, the Photo CD image will be in landscape orientation (width greater than height) or portrait orientation (height greater than width).

The highest resolution images in a PCD file require large amounts of memory to load and edit. A 1536x1024 Photo CD image requires five to eight megabytes of memory, depending on the current video mode (true color modes require more memory than 256 color modes) plus an additional four megabytes of memory for undo operations. If you have limited memory, you may wish to choose a smaller size image.

See File Formats.


Monochrome Reduction

To perform a color reduction to monochrome, choose “Decrease Colors” from the Image menu. Then select Monochrome. The Monochrome color reduction dialog will be displayed.

This dialog allows you to reduce the number of colors in an image with the option of dithering or not.

Select “Use Dithering” to create a monochrome image using a dithering technique to simulate shades of gray.

Select “No Dithering” to transform the image to black and white without any dithering pattern.


New Catalog

New Catalog icon.

To create a new catalog, choose “New Catalog...” from the Catalog menu, or click on the New Catalog icon in the Button Bar.

Note: The New Catalog icon is the same icon used for New Image. The dialog opened depends on the type of application window currently active (highlighted). If the application window currently active on the screen is a Catalog file, then clicking on the icon will display the New Catalog dialog. If the application window currently active on the screen is an Image file, then clicking on the icon will display the New Image dialog.

The New Catalog dialog prompts you to specify the size and color depth to be used for the thumbnail images in the new catalog. Choose the desired size from the drop down list box, check the desired color depth and click “OK”. While 16-million color thumbnails look better, but take more time to build, more disk space to store, and if your computer cannot display 16-million colors (most computers display up to 256 colors), you will be wasting time and disk space.

A new catalog window will appear in the main application workspace. The Add Thumbnails dialog will then be displayed.


New Image

New Image icon.

Select “New Image...” from the File menu, or the New Image icon from the button bar, to begin creating a new image. The New Image dialog will be displayed.

Note: The New Image icon is the same icon used for New Catalog. The dialog opened depends on the type of application window currently active (highlighted). If the application window currently active on the screen is a Catalog file, then clicking on the icon will display the New Catalog dialog. If the application window currently active on the screen is an Image file, then clicking on the icon will display the New Image dialog.

When you create a new image, the New Image dialog prompts you to specify the size and the number of colors to be assigned to the image.

You can select a standard image size from the list of image sizes displayed on the left side of the dialog, or click on the “Custom size” control and specify a custom width and height.

Select the number of colors from the list of color depths displayed on the right side of the dialog. The greater the number of colors used the higher the resolution of the image displayed. See Color Depths.

Click on OK and a new image window will appear in the main application workspace.


Open Catalog

Open Catalog icon.

To select and load an existing catalog file, choose “Open Catalog...” from the Catalog menu, or click on the Open Catalog icon in the Button Bar.

Note: The Open Catalog icon is the same icon used for Open Image. The type of file opened depends on the type of application window currently active (highlighted). If the application window currently active on the screen is a Catalog file, then clicking on the icon will display the Open Catalog dialog. If the application window currently active on the screen is an Image file, then clicking on the icon will display the Open Image dialog.

The Open Catalog file selector allows you to specify the name and location of the catalog file (files ending with CTF) to be opened. Select a catalog file and click “OK” to load the catalog and display it in a new window. The file name is displayed in the title bar of the Catalog window. The file name and path is displayed in the Help line located at the bottom left of the application window. The number of thumbnails in the catalog and the amount of memory it occupies is displayed in the Help line located at the bottom right of the application window. Each thumbnail is identified according to the Caption setting active when the catalog was last saved. (There are three possible settings, “None”, “Filename”, or “Title”). See Caption in the Thumbnails Menu for further details.

See also Save Catalog.


Open Image

Open Image icon.

Select “Open Image...” from the File menu or the Open Image icon to load an existing image. A File Selector will be displayed allowing you to specify the name and location of the image file to be opened. Select an image file and click on “Open” to load the image and display it in a new window. The file name, image size and resolution are displayed in the title bar of the Image window. The full file name is displayed in the Help line located at the bottom of the application window.

Note: The Open Image icon is the same icon used for Open Catalog. The type of file opened depends on the type of application window currently active (highlighted). If the application window currently active on the screen is a Catalog file, then clicking on the icon will display the Open Catalog dialog. If the application window currently active on the screen is an Image file, then clicking on the icon will display the Open Image dialog.

Opening Multiple Images

You can also select more than one file using the Open Image file selector. To select a range of files, click on the first file, press and hold the [Shift] key, and click on the last file in the range. To select or deselect individual files, press and hold the [Ctrl] key and click on a file name to toggle it between selected and deselected.

Opening Multiple Images and Memory

While MGI PhotoSuite allows you to have multiple images open at one time, this reduces available memory. If you are running low on memory, close one or more images.

Obtaining Information about an Image

To obtain information about one or more images, select one or more filenames in the file selector and click on the “File Info...” button to display the File Information dialog.

The file name, image type, file size, width, height, number of colors and compression method (if applicable) will appear in the information dialog. If you selected multiple files, click on the OK button to see information for each file.

Previewing Images

If the “Preview” checkbox is selected, MGI PhotoSuite will display a thumbnail preview of an image file when you select it in the list of file names. The thumbnail image will appear in the lower portion of the file selector. If you have selected more than one file, the preview window will be disabled.

To enable the automatic preview of images, click on the “Preview” checkbox to select it. To disable the automatic preview of images, deselect the “Preview” checkbox.

See Save Image, Working with files and File Formats.


Open Photo CD Image

After double-clicking on a Photo CD thumbnail in a catalog, use this dialog to select a particular size of the Photo CD image to be loaded into the image editor.

All Photo CD images are available for use with MGI PhotoSuite in five different sizes. When you double-click on a catalog thumbnail of a Photo CD image, indicating that you’d like to load the image into the image editor, MGI PhotoSuite needs to know which of the five different sizes of this image you’d like to work with.

Smaller images load much quicker than the larger ones. Smaller images take less hard disk space if you should save it (altered or not) to your hard disk. Larger sizes offer sharper detail to work with. The larger sizes are more appropriate if you want to cut out and use only a small portion of an image.

You should avoid “stretching” or “enlarging” images, because this reduces the image quality. To preserve image quality, instead of “stretching” or “enlarging” a small image, start with a larger image closer to the size you want.

See also Load Photo CD Image.


Pen Settings

The Select Pen icon reflects the current pen shape. It can be any one of the above shapes.

Click on the icon to set pen size and shape, or the Select Pen icon at the bottom of the Color sidebar. The Pen Settings dialog will be displayed.

Use this dialog to pick the shape and size of the pen utilized for drawing. Click on the respective icon to select the pen shape to be used for drawing lines and for freehand drawing. Use the up/down arrows to change the size (width) of the pen in pixels, or directly key in a value from 1 to 24.


MGI PhotoSuite Settings

Select “Settings...” from the File menu to display the MGI PhotoSuite Settings dialog.

Use this dialog to configure various MGI PhotoSuite defaults and options.

Save Workspace

Selecting “None” instructs MGI PhotoSuite to ignore this option.

Select “Active File” to instruct MGI PhotoSuite to automatically load, the next time you run it, the last active image or catalog when you exited the program.

Select “All Files” to instruct MGI PhotoSuite to load all the images and catalogs, open at the time of exiting the program, the next time you run it.

Startup Preferences

Select “Auto New Image” to tell MGI PhotoSuite whether to create a blank image if no image or catalog is loaded.

Select “Show Full Screen” to have MGI PhotoSuite open an image in full screen view when an image file is opened from the Windows Explorer or File Manager.

Register File Types

Select the file type(s) that you want MGI PhotoSuite to handle when the respective image file is opened (double-clicked on) from the Windows Explorer or File Manager.


Save Catalog

Save Catalog icon.

To save an opened catalog file, choose “Save Catalog” from the Catalog menu, or click on the Save icon in the Button Bar.

When you open an existing file for editing purposes, MGI PhotoSuite retrieves and copies the file from disk, temporarily stores it in the computer’s memory and displays it on the screen. As you work, you are actually editing this copy. Saving your file updates the file back on the disk, keeping your latest work safely stored. Saving your work to disk periodically is a good habit to get into. If you get into this habit, you will not lose much work in the event of a power failure or some other problem. At the very least, you should save any work you would not like to redo. When you save a file, your work remains open on the screen so that you can continue working. When you quit MGI PhotoSuite, if any changes have not been saved, a message asks you whether or not you want to save the changes. The active file will be saved under the same name and path specified when it was last saved.

Saving a Catalog using a New File Name

When you save a new catalog for the first time, or to save a catalog with a new or different name, or to a new disk, select “Save Catalog As...” from the Catalog menu or the Save Catalog icon in the Button Bar. The Save Catalog file selector will be displayed. This dialog is very similar to the one you saw when opening files.

In the “File name” field, type the name you are giving the catalog, for example, “Sample.CTF”. All catalog file names are followed by the “CTF” extension. When typing the file name, it is not necessary to type the extension; the extension will automatically be assigned. Within the Save Catalog file selector, you also specify the file path used, including drives and directories, for the file’s storage and future retrieval. You may select a drive and a directory using your mouse, or by typing the complete path in the “File name” field, for example, “C:\Catalogs\Sample.CTF”. Click on “OK” to save the file.

Select “Save Catalog As...” also to create more than one copy of a file, or to save copies on another disk for safekeeping. You can save each copy under a different name, or you can save them under the same name in different directories or on different disks. Before saving a copy to another disk, you should first make sure to save the file to your hard disk.

To save a file under a different name, type a new name for the file in the “File name” field. If you want to save the file to a different drive or directory, you may select the new drive or directory using your mouse, or you may type the complete path in the “File name” field. After you have made your selections, click on the “OK” button. If you type a file name that already exists within the directory you have selected, MGI PhotoSuite displays a dialog asking you whether or not you wish to replace the existing file with the currently active file. Click on the “Yes” button to save the new file and replace the old one, or click on the “No” button and type a different file name. Click on the “Cancel” button to return to the active file without saving it.

Note: You can not save a file using the same file name as a catalog that is already open in a different window. For example, if the file “C:\Catalogs\Sample.CTF” is currently open in MGI PhotoSuite, you can not save another catalog using the same file name. However, you could save it as “C:\Sample.CTF” which uses a different location (directory) on your hard drive.

Saving all Open Catalogs

Select “Save All Catalogs” from the Catalog menu to save to disk all open catalog files. The old versions of your files will be replaced by the currently active versions. You will be prompted to specify a file name for any new catalogs you have created.

Closing all Open Catalogs

Close all opened catalog windows by selecting “Close All Catalogs” from the Catalog menu. If the file has changes that have not been saved to disk, you will be asked whether or not you wish to save these changes. If you choose “Abandon”, the catalog window will close and changes will not be saved to disk. If you choose “Cancel”, the catalog window will not be closed. If you choose “Save”, the catalog file will be saved to disk. If the file is untitled, a file selector will appear allowing you to choose a file name and path for the catalog.

Close all Catalogs

Close all opened catalog windows by selecting "Close All Catalogs" from the Catalog menu. If the file has changes that have not been saved to disk, you will be asked whether or not you wish to save these changes. If you choose Abandon, the catalog window will close and changes will not be saved to disk. If you choose "Cancel", the catalog window will not be closed. If you choose Save, the catalog file will be saved to disk. If the file is untitled, a file selector will appear allowing you to choose a file name and path for the catalog.

Closing a Catalog

Closing a catalog window indicates to MGI PhotoSuite that you are finished with the currently active catalog. You can close a catalog window either by clicking the Close control in the upper right corner of the catalog window, by selecting “Close Catalog” from the Catalog menu, or by pressing [Ctrl]+[F4] on the keyboard. If the file has changes that have not been saved to disk, you will be asked whether or not you wish to save these changes. If you choose “Abandon”, the catalog window will close and changes will not be saved to disk. If you choose “Cancel”, the catalog window will not be closed. If you choose “Save”, the catalog file will be saved to disk. If the file is untitled, a file selector will appear allowing you to choose a file name and path for the catalog.

See also Open Catalog.


Save Image

Save Image icon.

To save an open image file, choose “Save” from the File menu or click on the Save icon in the Button Bar.

When you open an existing file for editing purposes, MGI PhotoSuite retrieves and copies the file from disk, temporarily stores it in the computer’s memory, and displays it on the screen. As you work, you are actually editing this copy. Saving your file updates the file back on the disk, keeping your latest work safely stored.

Saving your work to disk periodically is a good habit to get into. If you get into this habit, you will not lose much work in the event of a power failure or some other problem. At the very least, you should save any work you would not like to redo. When you save a file, your work remains open on the screen so that you can continue working. When you quit MGI PhotoSuite, if any changes have not been saved, a message asks you whether or not you want to save the changes.

Saving a New, Untitled Image

To save a new, untitled image, select “Save As...” from the File menu or the Save Image icon. First, the Save Image file selector will be displayed on the screen. This dialog is very similar to the one you saw when opening files. In the “File name” field, type the name you are giving the image, for example, TEST.BMP. A file name (plus extension) can not exceed 260 characters.

Within the Save Image file selector, you also specify the file path used, including drives and directories, for the file’s storage and future retrieval. You may select a drive and a directory using your mouse or by typing the complete path in the “File name” field, for example, C:\IMAGES\TEST.BMP. Click on “Save” to save the file.

Note: You can not save a file using the same file name as an image that is already open in a different window. For example, if the file “C:\WINDOWS\ARGYE.BMP” is currently open in MGI PhotoSuite, you can’t save another image using the same filename. However, you could save it as “C:\ARGYE.BMP”. which uses a different location on your hard drive.

Specifying the File Format

When you save an existing file, MGI PhotoSuite remembers the file format in which the file was last saved on disk. The “Save as type” control will display this file format. If you save a new image, the “Save as type” control will display a default format.

Click on the “Save as type” list box to select a different file format. If you have already entered a file name, the file selector will alter the file name extension as required, according to the selected file format.

For more detailed information on supported file formats, see File Formats.

Specifying the Color Depth

The “Bits Per Pixel” box will display the default color depth in which the file will be stored. If the file format you select does not support a particular color depth, then its corresponding button will be disabled.

For example, Targa file format does not support 16-color (4 bits per pixel) images. If you attempt to save a 16-color image as a Targa file, it will be saved as a 256-color (8 bits per pixel) image, the next highest available resolution.

If you wish to save an image at a lower color depth than it currently exists as, you must first reduce it to the desired color depth before saving it. However, if the file format allows both 8 and 24-bit color depths, you can choose to save 24 bit images as 8-bit (256 color) images and MGI PhotoSuite will automatically reduce the 24 bit image to an 8-bit representation as it saves the image to a file. Note: in this case, the image in memory will remain as a 24-bit image.

However, if you reload the image you saved, you will see that some color information has been lost due to the color reduction. For best results, reduce the color depth yourself before saving the file.

See Color Depths.

Specifying Compression Options

Certain image file formats allow you to choose whether or not to compress the image file. If the selected file format supports this feature, the “Compression” control will be enabled. Select the “Compression” checkbox to enable image compression. Deselect the “Compression” checkbox to disable image compression.

Some file formats always save images in compressed format. In this case, the “Compression” checkbox will always remain selected. Other file formats do not permit compression, in which case the “Compression” checkbox will always remain unselected.

TIFF Horizontal Predictor

The “TIFF Horizontal Predictor” is a special compression option for TIFF files only. This option is only available when saving TIFF 24-bit compressed image files. The Horizontal Predictor enhances the compression of images that contain areas with gradual changes of color and shading.

However, this compression option may not be supported by software written for older versions of the TIFF file format. Only select this option if you are sure that the software that will be reading the file supports this feature.

Saving the Current Image

To save your current image to an existing file, click on the Save icon in button bar or select “Save” from the File menu. The active file will be saved under the name and path you last specified and in the file format that it was last saved as.

Saving a File Using a New File Name

Select “Save As...” from the File menu to create more than one copy of a file, or to save copies on another disk for safekeeping. You can save each copy under a different name, or you can save them under the same name in different directories or on different disks. Before saving a copy to another disk, you should first make sure to save the file to your hard disk.

To save a file under a different name, select “Save As...” from the File menu. Within the file selector that is displayed, type a new name for the file in the “File name” field. If you want to save the file to a different drive or directory, you may select the new drive or directory using your mouse, or you may type the complete path in the “File name” field. After you have made your selections, click on the “Save” button.

If you type a file name that already exists within the directory you have selected, MGI PhotoSuite displays a dialog asking you whether or not you wish to replace the existing file with the currently active file. Click on the “Yes” button to save the new file and replace the old one, or click on the “No” button and type a different file name. Click on the “Cancel” button to return to the active file without saving it.

If you wish to save the file to a different file format, select a format using the “Save as type” control.

Saving All Open Files

Select “Save All” from the File menu to save to disk all open files. The old versions of your files will be replaced by the currently active versions. You will be prompted to specify a file name for any new images you have created.

Closing an Image

Closing an image window indicates to MGI PhotoSuite that you are finished with the currently active image. Close an image window either by clicking the Close control in the upper right corner of the image window, by selecting “Close” from the File menu, or by pressing [Ctrl]+[F4] on the keyboard. Close all open drawing windows by selecting “Close All” from the File menu.

If the file has changes that have not been saved to disk, you will be asked whether or not you wish to save these changes. If you choose “Abandon”, the image window will close and changes will not be saved to disk. If you choose “Cancel”, the image window will not be closed. If you choose “Save”, the drawing file will be saved to disk. If the file is untitled, a file selector will appear allowing you to choose a file name and file format for the image.

Saving Files when Exiting

Select “Exit” from the File menu to exit MGI PhotoSuite. If you have not saved your work, the Save Changes dialog will appear to query whether or not you wish to save the work. Click on the “Save” button if you do indeed wish to save your work. If you have not yet named and saved the file, the Save Image file selector will be displayed. To save your work, follow the same procedure as described above under “Saving a New, Untitled Image”.

If you do not wish to save your work, click on the “Abandon” button in the Save Changes dialog. The program will be terminated without your work being saved.

If you have already saved your work, selecting “Exit” from the File menu will immediately terminate the program.

Reverting to a Previous Image

Select “Revert to Saved” from the File menu to reload the last saved version of the current image. All changes since the last save will be discarded.

See Open Image and Working with files.


Screen Capture

Screen Capture icon.

Select “Screen Capture...” from the Capture menu or click on the Screen Capture icon in the button bar to display the Screen Capture dialog. The screen capture feature of MGI PhotoSuite is very useful when you wish to clip sections or areas from other applications, manipulate them and then save them, or paste them into another Windows application such as a word processor.

See also Cut, Copy and Paste.

This Screen Capture dialog is used to specify the capture Options, the source of the capture (Capture From) and the destination for the screen capture (see Advanced below).

Options

There are four main screen capture options available in MGI PhotoSuite.

Selected Area: Choose “Selected Area” to capture an area of the highlighted application. After selecting this option and clicking on the Capture button, MGI PhotoSuite will temporarily close and the application window you chose will appear.

A zoom window will appear in the left corner of the screen displaying a close-up view of the area around the mouse cursor. As you move the cursor over the screen application, the particular area will be magnified. This allows you to select an area with utmost precision. You can move this window by clicking the mouse inside the window and dragging it to a new location. Click the left mouse button and drag the mouse to outline the area of the screen which you wish to capture. A flashing dashed box will show the area you have selected. If you make a mistake in selection, you can click the left mouse button again and select a different area.

Pressing the cursor keys up, down, left and right will move the selection area around the screen. Pressing the cursor keys while holding down the [Shift] or [Ctrl] keys will adjust different sides of the selection area.

When you are satisfied with the selection, click on the Camera icon located in the left corner of the zoom window. Your selection will automatically be transferred to MGI PhotoSuite or to the destination that you specified.

Click the ‘+’ icon to increase the magnification in the zoom window.

Click the ‘-’ icon to decrease the magnification in the zoom window.

Click the ‘?’ icon to display a brief help message in the zoom window.

Entire Window: Choose “Entire Window” to capture the entire main window of the source application only and at the size you are displaying it on the screen. After selecting this option and clicking on the Capture button, the image you selected will automatically be captured and transferred to MGI PhotoSuite or to the destination that you specified.

Window Contents: Choose “Window Contents” to capture the contents of a window of the highlighted application. After selecting this option and clicking on the Capture button, MGI PhotoSuite will temporarily close and the contents of the application window you chose will appear. As you move the cursor, now displayed as a camera icon, around the screen, the area under the icon will be highlighted. This highlighting indicates the area that will be captured. Click the left mouse button to capture the highlighted area. Your selection will automatically be transferred to MGI PhotoSuite or to the destination that you specified.

Full Screen: Choose “Full Screen” to capture everything displayed on the full screen including the highlighted application window. After selecting this option and clicking on the Capture button, MGI PhotoSuite will temporarily close and the application window you chose will appear. A snapshot will automatically be taken and transferred to MGI PhotoSuite or to the destination that you specified.

Note that you cannot switch applications or activate menus or dialogs while performing a screen capture. You can press [Esc] to cancel the capture operation. Note also that at any time you can press the [Print Screen] key and then paste to MGI PhotoSuite the entire screen that you have captured. For this option there is no need to activate the Capture command.

Capture From

From this list, choose an application on which to perform the capture operation. For example, if the image or the area you wish to clip is present in an encyclopedia, then make sure you select the encyclopedia in this section.

Capture

Click on the “Capture” button to begin the capture operation. The operation of the actual capture depends on the option you have selected (as described above).

Advanced

Click the “Advanced” button to display the following choices.

Destination

Select “PhotoSuite” to transfer captured images to MGI PhotoSuite. A captured image will appear in a new window in the MGI PhotoSuite main window.

Select “Clipboard” to transfer captured images to the Windows clipboard. You can then paste the captured image into any application that supports the Windows Bitmap format.

Select “Both” to transfer captured images to both MGI PhotoSuite and the clipboard.


Slideshow Manager

Select the “Slideshow...” menu item from the File menu to display the Slideshow Manager dialog.

The list box on the left side of the dialog displays the current slideshows that you have defined.

New

Select “New” to create a new slideshow. You will be prompted for a name to be assigned to the slideshow. Enter a name and press [Enter].

Delete

To delete a slideshow, select a slideshow from the list box and click on “Delete”.

Setup

Select “Setup” to construct a new slideshow or modify an existing slideshow. See Slideshow Setup.

Run

To Run a slideshow presentation, select a slideshow and click on “Run”.

Rename

To change the name assigned to a slideshow, select a slideshow and click on “Rename”.

Exit

Click on “Exit” to quit the dialog.


Slideshow Setup

To edit a slideshow, select a slideshow and click on “Setup”. The Slideshow Setup dialog will appear and display the settings for the selected slideshow.

Adding Files to a Slideshow

The files currently in the slideshow list are displayed in the list box in the top right side of the dialog. Choose the files to add to the slideshow by selecting one or more files from the list of files in the file names area. Use the “Look in” control to select the drive and directory where the files are located.

Click on “Add Before” to add the selected files before the currently highlighted item in the list of slide files. Click on “Add After” to add the selected files after the currently highlighted item in the list of slide files.

To display a particular type of file, click on the “Files of type” control and select a file type.

After choosing a CTF (catalog) file in the left list box, clicking either "Add" button adds all the images in the catalog to the right list box, in the order that they appear in the catalog. This allows you to create a slideshow via MGI PhotoSuite’s cataloging features.

The slideshow list can contain any type of image file normally readable by MGI PhotoSuite, as well as sound and animation files. Sound files include MIDI (*.MID) files and Wave (*.WAV) files. You must have a sound card and the appropriate driver to play the sound file.

Animation files have the file extension “.AVI”. You must have the Video for Windows runtime module installed on your system to play AVI files. It is important to note that when you add sound files to the slideshow, each slide can have its own sound file as long that its been added after the image file. In the event that the sound file is longer then you have specified for the image, the image will not change until the sound file is completed. See Background Sound.

Removing Files from a Slideshow

Click on “Clear” to completely erase the list of files currently in the slideshow. To remove one or more files from the slideshow, select the files from the list of slide files and click on “Remove”.

Controlling the Slideshow Display

The slideshow display options are listed in the bottom left side of the dialog.

Select “Cycle Continuously” to play the slideshow continuously.

Select “Full Screen” to run the slideshow in a full screen window containing no title bar or borders. Deselect “Full Screen” to run the slideshow in a normal image window.

Select “Preload” to load all the images into memory before starting the slideshow. Be sure that you have sufficient free memory before selecting this option. Only files that fit into available memory will be preloaded. Files too large to fit into memory will be loaded normally.

Enter the number of seconds between images in the text edit field. This specifies the minimum delay between images. This setting is ignored for sound files.

Click on “Background Color...” to choose a background color for the full screen slideshow window.

Background Sound

Instead of adding sound files to the slideshow list, you can specify a single sound file to play continuously during the slideshow. Click on “Browse...” to select a background sound. Select the “Enable” checkbox to enable the background sound feature.

Note: If you select a background sound, you will not be able to play other sound or animation files during the slideshow as they will conflict with the background sound.

Running Slideshows

Select “Begin Slideshow” to run the slideshow, or click on the Slideshow icon in the button bar. If the “Manual Slideshow” checkbox is selected, the first file will load and display and the slideshow will pause, allowing you to review the slideshow manually. If the “Manual Slideshow” checkbox is cleared, the slideshow will run automatically.

See Slideshow Control.


Slideshow Rename

To give an existing slideshow a new name, choose “Slideshow...” from the File menu. Select the slideshow file you wish to rename and click on the “Rename” button. The Rename Slideshow dialog will be displayed.

After entering the new name, click “OK” to make the change.

Click “Cancel” to keep the original slideshow name.


Slideshow Settings

To change the settings of a slideshow while it is running, select “Setup”. The Slideshow Settings dialog will be displayed. You can also change these settings in the Slideshow dialog. Choose “Slideshow...” from the File menu. Select the desired slideshow and click on “Setup”. The Slideshow dialog will be displayed.

This allows you to specify how your Slideshow will play.

Select “Cycle Continuously” to play the Slideshow continuously.

Enter the number of seconds between images in the text edit field. This specifies the minimum delay between images. This setting is ignored for sound files.

Click on “Background Color” to choose a background color for the full screen Slideshow window.

See Slideshow Control.


Update Thumbnails

Select “Update” from the Thumbnails menu to update the thumbnails in your catalog with any changes you may have made to the files associated with them. If, for example, you select a thumbnail within your catalog and subsequently edit its associated image within MGI PhotoSuite, then by selecting Update, the original thumbnail in your catalog will be updated with the changes made to the image.

Pick “Selected Thumbnails Only...” to update only the selected thumbnails in the catalog. (Select more than one thumbnail by [Ctrl]+clicking on each. Select a range of thumbnails by clicking on the first in the range and then [Shift]+click on the last in the range.) Once you have chosen to update thumbnails, the Update Thumbnails dialog is displayed.

Pick “All Thumbnails...” to update all thumbnails in the catalog. After choosing this menu option, the Update Thumbnails dialog is displayed.

This dialog allows you to choose between updating each thumbnail regardless of changes in the file size or file date (“All Files” or “All Selected Files”), or to update only the thumbnails for files whose size or file date have changed (“Only files with different size or date” or “Only selected files with different size or date”).

In addition, you can specify a folder search path in which to find the files that have been moved from one drive or folder to another (“Search for files in the following folders”). If MGI PhotoSuite tries to update a thumbnail for an file that has been moved from one drive or folder to another, you are presented with a dialog offering you the capability of telling MGI PhotoSuite where you moved the file to. After you do this, the new folder is added to this search path and the folders here are always checked for other files that were moved.

Moving an file does not cause it’s thumbnail to be updated unless you choose “All Files” or “All Selected Files” in the Update Thumbnails dialog.

See Working with Catalogs.


Clone Tool

Use this icon to clone portions of an image.

The clone tool is a drawing tool like the free-hand pen in some respects, and different in others. Like the free-hand pen tool, the nib size and shape affect the lines you draw. Also like the free-hand pen tool, you can move the tool freely in any direction, making a difference on the image as you go, not constrained to lines as with the line tool.

Unlike the free-hand tool, your cursor is a cross-hairs shape, and there are two cursors moving with your mouse, not just one. Unlike the free-hand tool, the pen does not get it’s color from your color palette selection. Instead, the color at the small cross-hairs cursor is copied to the point of the large cross-hairs cursor. As you move the two cursors together, the colors from the one cursor are copied to the position of the other. This is a clone tool, so-called because it “clones” or copies the image and colors from one cursor to the position of the other.

When the clone tool is first selected, only one cursor is shown. This is because the two cursors start out at exactly the same position - you can’t see them both because one is on top of the other. Move the cursor to the area of the image you want to “clone from” and right-click there. Moving the mouse away from that position shows that you have “dropped” the small cursor there, while the large cursor still moves with your mouse. To begin “cloning”, select an appropriate nib type and size, and then move the large cursor to the place you want to “clone to”. If you now press and hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse, like the free-hand tool you will begin to draw, but you’ll be moving the small cursor too, and you’ll be “cloning” the colors from the small cursor to the large one. Releasing the mouse button “drops” the small cursor again.

If you want to move the small cursor to a different area, to begin “cloning” from another part of the image, then you simply move the large cursor to the place you want the small one to be, and right-click there. Right-clicking always “drops” the small cursor in the large cursor’s location.

Use this tool for some photo-retouching. You can, for example, remove a skin blemish by “cloning” the unblemished skin right beside the blemish, over top of the blemish itself. By copying unblemished skin over the blemish in this manner, the blemish is no longer visible.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Color Eraser

Use this icon to erase any portion of an image.

Click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the mouse over the area you wish to erase. The Color Eraser will replace any pixels in the foreground color with the background color. The size of the eraser brush is equal to the size of the current pen.

To erase replacing the background color with the foreground color, click and hold the right mouse button.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Color Palette

Use this icon to toggle the Color Palette.

To display the Color palette, select “Show Color Palette” from the Window menu or click on the Color Palette icon in the button bar.

The Color palette is used to choose colors for image editing purposes. If you are editing a monochrome image, only two colors, black and white, are displayed in the color palette. If you are editing a 16-color image, all sixteen available colors are displayed in the color palette. Finally, if you are editing an image with 256 or more colors, 256 colors are displayed in the color palette. If you switch between image windows, the color palette will always display the colors in the active image window.

To select a drawing color, click the left mouse button on the desired color in the color palette. The selected color will be highlighted and the letter “F” will appear over the highlighted color. This color becomes the active foreground color in which lines, circles, rectangles, rounded rectangles, polygons and freehand drawing will be drawn. This color will remain active until such time as it is changed.

Certain drawing operations also require specifying a background color used to outline filled areas. These include filled circles, filled rectangles, filled rounded rectangles and filled polygons. To select the background color, click the right mouse button on the desired color in the color palette. The selected color will be highlighted and the letter “B” will appear over the highlighted color. If you choose the same color for both foreground and background, the letters “FB” will appear over the selected color.

To change a foreground color, position the mouse pointer over the color in the color palette and double-click the left mouse button. The color selector will appear, allowing you to change the color. To change a background color, position the mouse pointer over the color in the color palette and double-click the right mouse button. Again, the color selector will appear, allowing you to change the color.

See Color Selection and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Filled Ellipses or Circles

Use this icon to draw filled ellipses or circles.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be filled. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be circular, rather than elliptical. The interior of the shape will be filled with the current foreground color and the shape will be outlined, in the current background color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Click and hold the right mouse button and drag the mouse to draw a circle or ellipse filled with the current background color and outlined with the current foreground color.

You can specify the thickness of the circle's or ellipse's border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Filled Polygons

Use this icon to draw filled polygons.

Move the mouse to the starting location and click the left mouse button to define it. Move the mouse and a tracking line will follow the mouse pointer. Click on additional points to define the sides of the polygon. Hold down the [Shift] key while drawing, to snap the line to 45 degree angles. You must select at least three points to define a valid figure. To close and fill the polygon, click the right mouse button. The interior of the shape will be filled with the current foreground color and the shape will be outlined, in the current background color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Click with the right mouse button to draw a shape filled with the current background color and outlined with the current foreground color. Use the left mouse button to close the shape.

You can specify the thickness of the polygon’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Filled Rectangles or Squares

Use this icon to draw filled rectangles or squares.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be filled. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be square, rather than rectangular. The interior of the shape will be filled with the current foreground color and the shape will be outlined, in the current background color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Click and hold the right mouse button and drag the mouse to draw a shape filled with the current background color and outlined with the current foreground color.

You can specify the thickness of the rectangle’s or square’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Filled Rounded Rectangles or Squares

Use this icon to draw filled and rounded rectangles or squares.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be filled. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be square, rather than rectangular. The interior of the shape will be filled with the current foreground color and the shape will be outlined, in the current background color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Use the left mouse button to draw using the current foreground color, the right mouse button to draw using the current background color.

You can specify the thickness of the rounded rectangle’s or square’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Hollow Ellipses or Circles

Use this icon to draw hollow, or unfilled, circles and ellipses.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be drawn. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be circular, rather than elliptical. The shape will be outlined, in the current foreground color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Use the left mouse button to draw using the current foreground color, the right mouse button to draw using the current background color.

You can specify the thickness of the circle’s and ellipse’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Hollow Polygons

Use this icon to draw hollow, or unfilled, polygons.

Move the mouse to the starting location and click the left mouse button to define it. Move the mouse and a tracking line will follow the mouse pointer. Click on additional points to define the sides of the polygon. Hold down the [Shift] key while drawing, to snap the line to 45 degree angles. You must select at least three points to define a valid figure. To close the polygon, click the right mouse button. The shape will be outlined, in the current foreground color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Click with the right mouse button to draw a shape outlined with the current background color. Use the left mouse button to close the shape.

You can specify the thickness of the polygon’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Hollow Rectangles or Squares

Use this icon to draw hollow, or unfilled, rectangles and squares.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be drawn. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be square, rather than rectangular. The shape will be outlined, in the current foreground color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Click and hold the right mouse button and drag the mouse to draw a shape outlined with the current background color.

You can specify the thickness of the rectangle’s and square’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Hollow Rounded Rectangles or Squares

Use this icon to draw hollow, or unfilled, rounded rectangles and squares.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the area to be drawn. Hold down the [Shift] key to force the shape to be square, rather than rectangular. The shape will be outlined, in the current foreground color, with a line the width of the current pen.

Use the left mouse button to draw using the current foreground color, the right mouse button to draw using the current background color.

You can specify the thickness of the rounded rectangle’s and square’s border by using the Pen size dialog. To set the size of the border, activate the Select Pen icon located at the bottom of the Color sidebar or from the Select Pen icon located in the Tool sidebar. The shape of the drawing tool is not relevant in this operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Lines

Use this icon to draw straight lines.

Move the mouse to the starting location and click and hold the left mouse button. Drag the mouse to the end location and release the mouse button. Repeat this operation to insert additional lines. Hold down the [Shift] key while drawing, to snap the line to 45 degree angles. Lines are drawn in the foreground color using the current pen style and size.

To draw lines using the current background color, use the right mouse button.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Drawing Pen

Use this icon to draw freehand using the current pen style and size.

Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to draw using the current foreground color.

Click and hold the right mouse button and drag the mouse to draw using the current background color.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Draw Text

Use this icon to draw text in your image.

A dialog will pop up where you enter the text that you wish to place in your image. Within this dialog you can choose between left, center or right justification of your text along with the text’s font, font style and size. After you are done, click on “OK”.

Use the mouse to position the text. Or, press the cursor keys to move the location of the text block one pixel at a time. Hold down the [Shift] key and press the cursor keys to move the location of the text block four pixels at a time.

To place the text, move the mouse pointer outside of the text placement rectangle and click the left mouse button. Text is always drawn using the current foreground color.

To edit the text before placing it, double-click inside the text placement rectangle or click on the Draw Text icon.

To place more than one piece of text, simply click the draw text icon again to display the text dialog.

Font Selection

Use this feature to change the fonts of any text you are adding to an image.

Select “Fonts...” from the Text menu to display the standard Windows Font dialog. Within this dialog, choose the desired font type, style and size. The selected font families, styles and sizes are highlighted in their respective list boxes. An example of the selected font, font style and size is displayed in the “Sample” text field.

See Text Menu and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Eyedropper

Use this icon to choose the same color as is currently displayed at some location in the active image.

Click at a location in the active image, or in the color palette, to select the color of pixel in which you wish to work.

Use the left mouse button to select a new foreground color and the right mouse button to select a new background color.

After you select a color, you will return to the previous drawing operation.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Flood Fill

Use this icon to fill an area with a color.

The mouse pointer will change its shape to a paint can. Position the mouse inside the area to be filled and click the left mouse button to fill the area using the current foreground color.

Click the right mouse button to fill the area using the current background color.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Full Screen

Use this icon to view an image full size.

Select this icon from the Button Bar to display the active image in a full screen window. The background color will be that used by the current slideshow. Press [Esc] to restore the MGI PhotoSuite application window.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


New Image

Use this icon to create a new, blank image.

Select “New Image...” from the File menu, or the New Image icon from the Button Bar, to begin creating a new image. The New Image dialog will be displayed.

When you create a new image, the New Image dialog prompts you to specify the size and the number of colors to be assigned to the image. See Color Depths for more information.

You can select a standard image size from the list of image sizes displayed on the left side of the dialog, or click on the Custom size control and specify a custom width and height.

Select the number of colors from the list of color depths displayed on the right side of the dialog. Click on “OK” and a new image window will appear in the main application workspace.

If a Catalog window is open and this icon is clicked on, the New Catalog dialog will appear.

See Open Image and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Overview Window

Use this icon to activate the overview window.

The overview window is used to view the active image at a different magnification in order to make it easier to see the effect of drawing operations. For example, you may work in the image window at a high magnification and use the overview window to see the entire image. When the overview window is open, it always displays the contents of the active image window.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Run Slideshow

Use this icon to start a pre-defined slideshow.

Select “Begin Slideshow” to run the slideshow, or click on the Slideshow icon in the Button Bar.

If the “Manual Slideshow” checkbox is selected, the first file will load and display and the slideshow will pause, allowing you to review the slideshow manually. If the “Manual Slideshow” checkbox is cleared, the slideshow will run automatically.

See Slideshow Control, Slideshow Manager, Slideshow Setup and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Select Elliptical or Circular Area

Use this icon to select an elliptical or circular area within the image.

Move the mouse to the center of the area you wish to select, click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the mouse to define the selection area. Pressing the [Shift] key while you drag the mouse will enclose the selected area within a circular pattern. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. If you wish to erase the selection, press [Esc].

Click inside the selection area to turn it into a floating selection. You can drag the floating selection to a new location by holding down the left mouse button, while the mouse pointer is inside the selection and then dragging the selection to a new location.

To paste the selection into the current image, move the mouse outside the floating selection and click the left mouse button, or press [Enter].

Note: You can select Undo to restore the image if you paste a selection accidentally.

See Area Selection and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Select Polygonal or Freehand Area

Use this icon to select an irregularly shaped area within the image using a polygon or freehand outline.

Move the mouse to the starting location and click the left mouse button. To define the selection area using a series of connected lines, move the mouse and click on one or more locations to define the endpoints of each line. You can also click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the mouse to define a selection area. To close the selection area, click the right mouse button. To erase the selection, press [Esc].

Click inside the selection area to turn it into a floating selection. You can drag the floating selection to a new location by holding down the left mouse button, while the mouse pointer is inside the selection and dragging the selection to a new location.

To paste the selection into the current image, move the mouse outside the floating selection and click the left mouse button, or press [Enter].

Note: You can select Undo to restore the image if you paste a selection accidentally.

See Area Selection and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Select Rectangular Area

Use this icon to select a rectangular area within the image.

Move the mouse to the start of the rectangle and click and hold the left mouse button, while dragging the mouse, to define the selection rectangle. The Help line will display the coordinates of the top left corner of the selection rectangle as well as the width and height.

Hold down the [Shift] key and press the cursor keys to resize the selection rectangle, one pixel at a time. Hold down the [Ctrl] key and press the cursor keys to move the selection rectangle around the image window.

Click inside the selection rectangle to turn it into a floating selection. You can drag the floating selection to a new location by holding down the left mouse button, while the mouse pointer is inside the selection and dragging the selection to a new location.

To paste the selection into the current image, move the mouse outside the floating selection and click the left mouse button, or press [Enter].

Note: You can select Undo to restore the image if you paste a selection accidentally.

See Area Selection and MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


Spray Can

Use this icon to spray paint your image.

The spray can draws a series of random dots centered around the mouse pointer location. The area covered by the spray can is twice the width of the current pen. Position the mouse where you wish to draw and then click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the mouse. A series of random dots will be drawn using the current foreground color.

Use the right mouse to fill using the current background color.

See MGI PhotoSuite Tools and Icons.


The File Menu

New Image...

This menu item is used to create new, blank images to draw on.

See the New Image topic for details.

Open Image...

This menu item is used to open existing image files.

See the Open Image topic for details.

PhotoCD...

This menu item is used to select Kodak Photo CD images.

See the Load Photo CD Image topic for details.

Acquire...

This menu item is used to bring an image into MGI PhotoSuite.

See the TWAIN Support topic for details.

Select Source...

This menu item is used to choose an image acquisition source.

See the TWAIN Support topic for details.

Save

This menu item is used to save an existing image out to disk.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Save As...

This menu item is used to save an existing image, with a new name, out to disk.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Save All

This menu item is used to save all open images out to disk.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Close

This menu item is used to close an existing image.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Close All

This menu item is used to close all open images.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Revert to Saved

This menu item is used to reload the last saved version of the current image.

All changes since the last save will be discarded.

See the Save Image topic for details.

Printer Setup...

This menu item is used to configure your printer.

See the Printing with MGI PhotoSuite topic for details.

Print...

This menu item is used to print existing image files.

See the Printing with MGI PhotoSuite topic for details.

Settings...

This menu item is used to change some MGI PhotoSuite settings.

See the MGI PhotoSuite Settings topic for details.

Slideshow...

This menu item is used to create a presentation using a list of pictures, sound files and AVI animation files.

See the Slideshow Manager and Slideshow Setup topics for details.

Exit

This menu item is used to quit MGI PhotoSuite.

You will be prompted to save or abandon any images that have been changed, but not saved.

See the Save Image topic for details.

1, 2, 3, 4

The file name of the last four images that you loaded are displayed at the bottom of the File menu. Click on a filename to load the selected image.


The Catalog Menu

New Catalog...

This menu item is used to create new catalogs.

See the New Catalog topic for details.

Open Catalog...

This menu item is used to open existing catalogs.

See the Open Catalog topic for details.

Save Catalog

This menu item is used to save an existing catalog out to disk.

See the Save Catalog topic for details.

Save Catalog As...

This menu item is used to save an existing catalog, with a new name, out to disk.

See the Save Catalog topic for details.

Save All Catalogs

This menu item is used to save all open catalogs out to disk.

See the Save Catalog topic for details.

Close Catalog

This menu item is used to close an existing catalog.

See the Save Catalog topic for details.

Close All Catalogs

This menu item is used to close all open catalogs.

See the Save Catalog topic for details.

1, 2, 3, 4

The file name of the last four catalogs that you loaded are displayed at the bottom of the File menu. Click on a filename to load the selected catalog.


The Edit Menu

Undo

This command allows you to undo your most recent command.

Each time you make a change to the image, MGI PhotoSuite records the information required to reverse its effect. Select “Undo” from the Edit menu, or the Undo icon in the top icon panel, to undo the most recent command. Pressing [Ctrl]+Z or [Alt]+[Backspace], or clicking on the Undo icon, has the same effect as selecting Undo.

Redo

This command allows you to redo your most command that was reversed using the undo icon.

Select “Redo” from the Edit menu, or the Redo icon in the top icon panel, to redo the command that has just been undone. In other words, the effect of the most recent Undo is reversed. For example, if you draw a line, then select Undo, the line will be removed. Selecting Redo at this point will insert the line once again. Pressing [Ctrl]+[Shift]+Z, or clicking on the Redo icon has the same effect as selecting Redo.

Cut

The Cut command copies a selection to the clipboard.

Specify your selection. Select the “Cut” command from the Edit menu, the Cut icon in the top icon panel, or the [Ctrl]+X keys to perform this operation.

If the selection is a floating selection, the floating selection will disappear. If you have a selected an area, but have not clicked inside it to create a floating selection, then the Cut command will copy the contents of the selected area to the clipboard and then fill the area with the current foreground color.

The selection can be pasted back into the current image or other open images using the Paste command. You can also paste the selected area into other Windows programs that support the Windows Bitmap clipboard format.

If a thumbnail, or several thumbnails, are selected in a catalog, they will disappear from the catalog and be placed into the clipboard.

Copy

The Copy command copies an image, a selected area, or a floating selection to the clipboard.

Select the area you want to copy, then choose the “Copy” command from the Edit menu, the Copy icon in the Button Bar or the [Ctrl]+C keys to perform this operation. If there is no floating selection, or no area currently selected in the active image, this command will copy the entire image to the clipboard.

As with Cut, the image can be pasted into other Windows programs or back into MGI PhotoSuite.

If a thumbnail, or several thumbnails, are selected in a catalog, they will be placed into the clipboard for later pasting into a catalog.

Paste

The Paste command is used to paste a selection from the Clipboard into the active image or into a new image window.

Select the “Paste” command from the Edit menu, the Paste icon in the Button Bar, or the [Ctrl]+V keys to perform this operation. If you previously copied a selection to the clipboard, the selection from the Clipboard will appear in the top left corner of the active image with an animated border around it. Click and drag inside the border to move the selection to a new location. Press [Enter] or click the left mouse button outside the border to paste the selection into the image at the current location.

If you copied an image to the clipboard from another application, or copied an entire image to the clipboard from MGI PhotoSuite, the Paste command will open a new window containing the image from the clipboard.

If thumbnails where copied or cut to the clipboard, then picking Paste will copy them to the currently active catalog window after all other thumbnails.

Clear

The Clear command is used to delete an area selection or selected thumbnail(s). You can also press the [Del] key to perform the same operation.

Duplicate

The Duplicate command is used to create a copy of the currently active image. This allows you to work on one image while viewing the original. For your convenience, you may resize one or both images.

Select All

The Select All command is used to select the whole image. Picking this menu item, or pressing [Ctrl]+A, will select all of an image so that you can cut or copy it. If a catalog window is active, picking this menu item, or pressing [Ctrl]+A, will select all the thumbnails in a catalog.

Invert Selection

The Invert Selection command is available only when a catalog window is active. Picking this menu item will deselect selected thumbnails and select deselected thumbnails.


The Thumbnails Menu

Add...

This menu item is used to add files to catalogs.

See the Add Thumbnails topic for details.

Description...

This menu item is used to add or change the description text for thumbnails in catalogs.

See the Edit Thumbnail Information topic for details.

Caption >>

Select “Caption” from the Thumbnails menu to specify how you wish your thumbnails in the catalog to be identified. Your selection determines what, if any, information is displayed below each thumbnail.

None: Select “None” to remove any thumbnail identification tags from the catalog display. Only the actual thumbnails of your files will be displayed, without any identifying information.

Filename: Select “Filename” to display each thumbnail’s file name below it.

Title: Select “Title” to display the title you assigned to each thumbnail.

Sort By >>

Select “Sort By” from the Thumbnails menu to sort the thumbnails within your catalog according to different parameters.

Filename: Select “Filename” to sort your thumbnails alphabetically by file name.

Title: Select “Title” to sort your thumbnails alphabetically by the Titles shown under the thumbnails. (Applies only if Thumbnails, Title is not set to none.)

File Type: Select “File Type” to sort your thumbnails alphabetically by file type as given by the file extensions. First file types are sorted alphabetically then file names within each file type are sorted alphabetically.

Size: Select “Size” to sort your thumbnails according to it’s file size.

File Date: Select “File Date” to sort the thumbnails according to the dates on which the files were originally created. Do not confuse this file date with the date you may have previously assigned to the thumbnail in the Edit Thumbnail Information dialog.

Update >>

Select “Update” from the Catalog menu to update the thumbnails in your catalog with any changes you may have made to the files associated with them. If, for example, you select a thumbnail within your catalog and subsequently edit its associated image within MGI PhotoSuite, then by selecting Update, the original thumbnail in your catalog will be updated with the changes made to the image.

Selected Thumbnails Only...: Select this item to update only selected thumbnails in the catalog. (Select more than one thumbnail by [Ctrl]-clicking on each. Select a range of thumbnails by clicking on the first in the range and then [Shift]-click on the last in the range.) Once you have chosen to update thumbnails, the Update Thumbnails dialog is displayed.

All Thumbnails...: Select this item to update all thumbnails in the catalog. After choosing this menu option, the Update Thumbnails dialog is displayed.


The View Menu

Normal

Select this command if you wish to revert to actual size.

This command restores the zoom level to actual size; one pixel on the screen represents one pixel in the image.

Full Screen

Select this command if you wish to view an image full size.

This command displays the active image in a full screen window. The background color will be that used by the current slideshow. Press [Esc] to restore the MGI PhotoSuite application window.

Zoom

Select this command if you wish to zoom in on a specified area.

Click on this icon, or select “Zoom” from the View menu. The mouse cursor will change its shape to a magnifying glass. Click in the image window and drag the cursor to specify the window area you wish to zoom in on. Once selected, the area enclosed by the window will be magnified to fit within the active window.

Zoom In >>

Select this command if you wish to zoom in.

Click on the “Zoom In” icon to increase the size at which an image is displayed in the currently active window. Each time you click on the “Zoom In” icon, the zoom level is increased by one. For example, a Zoom In level of 5 means that each pixel in the image will be displayed as a 5 pixel by 5 pixel box. The maximum zoom level is 16.

Zoom Out >>

Select this command if you wish to zoom out.

Click on the “Zoom Out” icon to decrease the size at which an image is displayed. This is useful when working on a very large image. Each time you click on the “Zoom Out” icon, the zoom level is decreased by one. For example, a “Zoom Out” level of 2 means that each pixel on the screen represents a 2x2 pixel area in the image.


The Text Menu

Regular

The Regular command is used to change text to the standard or default font used by Windows.

Bold

This command allows you to change any selected or highlighted text to Bold form.

Italic

This command allows you to change any selected or highlighted text to Italic form.

Underline

This command allows you to Underline any selected or highlighted text.

Fonts...

This menu item is used to select fonts, font styles and to draw text in your image.

See the Draw Text topic for details.


The Effects Menu

Flip

Select this menu item, or click on the Flip icon in the Tool sidebar or Tool panel, to flip the image, or a floating selection, upside down.

Mirror

Select this menu item, or click on the Mirror icon in the Tool sidebar or Tool panel, to flip the image, or a floating selection, from left to right.

Rotate Right

Select this menu item to rotate a floating selection or the entire image 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate Left

Select this menu item to rotate a floating selection or the entire image 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Special Effects...

Select this menu item to enhance images and apply special effects. Filters work by modifying the color value of a pixel, depending on the color values of the surrounding pixels. Since this process changes the RGB color values, some of the filters are only applicable to 24-bit images. If you wish to apply a filter to a 256 or 16-color image, you will have to convert the image to a 24-bit image, apply the filter(s), then reduce the image back to the original color depth.

See the Apply Special Effect topic for details.


The Image Menu

Optimized Palette

If your display is only capable of showing 256 simultaneous colors, MGI PhotoSuite must display 24-bit images using the available colors.

Select the Optimized Palette menu item to instruct MGI PhotoSuite to always choose the 256 colors that best represent the colors in each 24-bit image. If the Optimized Palette menu item is not selected, MGI PhotoSuite will use a standardized color palette to represent 24-bit images on 256 color displays. This option is faster and reduces the need to redraw images when switching between images with different color palettes.

Adjust Colors...

This menu item is used to ‘correct’ the colors in, or change the gamma of, an image.

See the Color Correction topic for details.

Brightness...

This menu item is used to change the brightness of an image.

See the Adjust Brightness topic for details.

Grayscale

Select the “Grayscale” menu item to create a grayscale destination image from a color source image. The number of bits of color information per pixel will remain unchanged.

Reverse Colors

Select the “Reverse Colors” menu item to create a negative version of the current image. Each color in the image will be replaced by its complementary color.

Make Standard Palette

Certain applications, such as icon editors, require you to use the fixed system palette for creating 16-color images. Select this menu item to re-map the colors in a 16-color image to the standard system palette. This menu item is only enabled for 16-color images.

Resize...

This menu item is used to change the size of an image.

See the Change Image Size topic for details.

Trim

Select this menu item to remove unwanted areas of the current image. In order to trim an image, you must select a rectangular area of the image to retain. The area of the image outside the selected rectangle is discarded. See the Area Selection topic for information on how to select areas.

Increase/Decrease Colors >>

This set of menu options allows you to increase or decrease the color depth of the current image. Increasing the color depth enhances the image with additional colors. Reducing the color depth decreases the memory size of an image and may be required when you wish to show an image on a display that cannot show all the colors in the current image.

Select the new color depth from the “Increase Color” or “Decrease Color” sub-menus. The menu item representing the current color depth is always disabled.

See the Color Reduction and Monochrome Reduction topics for details.


The Capture Menu

Screen Capture...

This menu item is used to capture various parts of the screen and other program windows.

See the Screen Capture topic for details.


The Window Menu

MGI PhotoSuite allows you to work with multiple open images on the screen (subject to your system’s memory capacity). When you open several images at a time, some windows are hidden behind others. Use this menu to arrange the image windows and customize the MGI PhotoSuite tools.

Next

When you have more than one image window open, one window is always the active window and its title bar is highlighted. Any inactive image windows do not have highlighted title bars.

Select Next from the Window menu, or press [Ctrl]+W, to activate the image window immediately beneath the currently active window.

Previous

This command allows you to return to your previously viewed image.

Rather than move ahead to the next image window, select Previous from the Window menu, or press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+W, to move back to the previous image.

Cascade

Select this option to resize and layer your image windows in cascading order on your screen. The title bar of each image will be visible. Select the image on which you wish to work by clicking once on its title bar. The activated image will be displayed in the foreground.

Tile Vertical

Select this option to resize and arrange your image windows in a vertical manner on the screen. As much of each image window as possible, subject to the allotted space on the screen, will be displayed. Select the image on which you wish to work by clicking once anywhere within the image window.

Tile Horizontal

Select this option to resize and arrange your image windows in a horizontal manner on the screen. As much of each image window as possible, subject to the allotted space on the screen, will be displayed. Select the drawing on which you wish to work by clicking once anywhere within the image window.

Arrange Icons

Select this option to arrange all minimized image window icons along the bottom of the main application window.

Arrange Panels

Select this option to arrange the Tool Panel and the Color Palette to the right side of the MGI PhotoSuite application window workspace.

Show/Hide Button Bar

Depending on whether the Button Bar is visible or not, this menu item will appear as Hide Button Bar or Show Button Bar. If the Button Bar is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Button Bar. If the Button Bar is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Button Bar. Select this item to toggle the state of the Button Bar between hidden and visible.

Show/Hide Tool Sidebar

If the Tool Sidebar is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Tool Sidebar. If the Tool Sidebar is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Tool Sidebar. Select this item to toggle the state of the Tool Sidebar between hidden and visible.

Show/Hide Tool Panel

If the Tool Panel is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Tool Panel. If the Tool Panel is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Tool Panel. Select this item to toggle the state of the Tool Panel between hidden and visible.

Show/Hide Color Palette

If the Color Palette is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Color Palette. If the Color Palette is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Color Palette. Select this item to toggle the state of the Color Palette between hidden and visible.

This icon in the Button Bar can also be used to toggle the state of the Color Palette.

Show/Hide Color Sidebar

If the Color Sidebar is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Color Sidebar. If the Color Sidebar is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Color Sidebar. Select this item to toggle the state of the Color Sidebar between hidden and visible.

Show/Hide Overview

If the Overview Window is currently visible, this menu item will appear as Hide Overview. If the Overview Window is hidden, this menu item will appear as Show Overview. Select this item to toggle the state of the Overview Window between hidden and visible. You can also use the Overview icon in the Button Bar to show and hide the Overview Window.

This icon in the Button Bar can also be used to toggle the state of the Overview Window.

Window List

At the bottom of the Window menu are listed the titles of the currently opened images. A check mark (√) appears beside the title of the currently active image. To activate another image, click once on the desired title, or press the number of the title that has been assigned to it. The number, hence the order in which the images are listed, corresponds to the order in which the images were opened or created during the current work session.


The Help Menu

Contents

Picking the “Contents” entry from the Help menu displays this help file.

Using Help

Picking this menu item displays a help file on how to use help.

Icon Tips

Whenever the mouse pointer pauses over an icon in the Button Bar or Tool Panel, a short “Icon Tip” message will appear describing what the icon does. This feature can be turn on or off by choosing “Icon Tips” from the Help menu.

Product Support...

Picking this menu item displays information on how to obtain support for MGI PhotoSuite.

Register MGI PhotoSuite...

Use this command to register your MGI PhotoSuite. You can choose to either call in your registration by modem, or print out a registration form to send in by mail.

Product Ordering...

Use this command to order other, exciting, MGI products. More information is available about the products in the MGI Direct Product Ordering dialog.

About MGI PhotoSuite...

Picking this menu item displays the MGI PhotoSuite information dialog.


Area Selection

Area Selection tools are used to define an area of the image. Once defined, an area can be copied to the clipboard, or turned into a floating selection which can be moved, sized, flipped and then pasted to a different area of the image. You can select areas using a rectangle, an ellipse, a polygon or freehand. You can select areas at any zoom level, which is particularly useful when selecting small areas.

When you select an area, a solid line defining the area will appear in the image. If you wish to erase the selection outline, press [Esc]. You can click outside the selection area to start a new selection. If you move the mouse inside the selection area, the mouse changes into a four cornered arrow. Click inside the area to transform it into a floating selection. Floating selections are outlined by an animated dashed line and have square sizing handles at each corner.

Resizing Floating Selections

The sizing rectangles found in each corner of the floating selection allow you to resize the selection. Move the mouse inside the sizing rectangle and the mouse changes to a diagonal, double-ended arrow. Click the left mouse button and drag to stretch the selection. Release the left mouse button and the selection will be resized. If you hold down the [Shift] key while dragging the mouse, the original selection’s aspect ratio will be maintained.

See the Select Elliptical or Circular Area, Select Polygonal or Freehand Area and Select Rectangular Area topics for details.


Using the Clipboard

The clipboard is a temporary storage area for text and graphics that you are copying from one location to another. The clipboard is used to exchange information between applications as well as copying or moving items within an application. MGI PhotoSuite allows you to use the standard Windows clipboard to transfer selected areas and images to any application that accepts the Windows Bitmap clipboard format. You can also use the clipboard to move or copy images within MGI PhotoSuite.

See the Edit Menu topic for details on using cut, copy and paste.


Working with Catalogs

The multimedia catalog is a powerful tool used to keep track of your images and multimedia files in a visual and organized fashion. Small thumbnails, or miniatures, of your many files are created which can then be saved to, reordered in and sorted between, different catalogs. You can even attach descriptions to each of your images in the catalog such as a title or the name of the photographer who took the picture and when it was taken. A text editor is built in for any lengthy descriptions you may wish to attach. You can create as many catalogs as you wish and assign as many files as you wish to each one. You can assign the same file to different catalogs as well.

Browsing through a catalog of your files and seeing small versions of the actual images themselves, is far easier than browsing through a long list of file names. If you would like to work with an image, simply double-click on its thumbnail to load the original image into MGI PhotoSuite. If you would like to change the relative position of a file in the catalog, just click on it and drag it to the new position, or even into another catalog window.

You can even create a slideshow from your catalog. This allows you to arrange and re-arrange your slideshow visually, like arranging 35mm slides on a “light desk” before loading them into a projector for a presentation.

Click on a thumbnail with the right mouse button to view important characteristics of the file associated with it. A small text box will appear, showing you where on your system the file is stored, any title you have assigned to it, the file’s size and format, and the pixel size of the thumbnail. Press [Alt]+[Enter] after clicking on a thumbnail to see and edit your own database of information about the file.

Making a Multimedia Catalog

Instead of using file names to work with your files, you can work with a handy collection of small “thumbnail” copies of your whole image and multimedia file collection. Instead of arranging file names into folders, you can arrange tiny copies of each file into catalogs. Instead of arranging file names into slideshows, you can arrange tiny copies of your files into slideshows. You do these things by making one or more multimedia catalogs.

From the menu bar, choose “Catalog,” then “New Catalog...” and you will have the opportunity to choose a size for the thumbnail copies of your files and a color depth for the thumbnails in the catalog. 16-million color thumbnails look best, but take more time to build and more disk space to store, so if your computer cannot display 16.7 million colors (most computers display up to 256 colors) you will be wasting your time and disk space.

Next you are presented with the “Add Thumbnails” dialog. Here you may choose which files are to be included in your catalog. If you leave a wildcard file name in the edit box, then all such files in the directory you select will be included. If you also check the “Include Folders” checkbox, all folders (sub-directories) below the one you select will also be included in the search for image and multimedia files.

Organizing your Files into Catalogs

First, make a catalog containing all of the files that you want to organize. Then, make a new catalog for each category that you wish to sort your files into. When making each new catalog, simply click “Cancel” when presented with the “Add Thumbnails” dialog.

With all catalogs open on the display, select “Window,” then “Tile” to give each some room on your screen. Sort the files in the first catalog into the other catalogs by dragging each file from one window to the other window.

Retrieving Information about Thumbnails

By pressing the right mouse button when the mouse pointer is over a thumbnail, the following pop-up window appears, displaying the thumbnails file name, title, date, file size and file type information.

Right-click on another thumbnail to get information about it, or press [Esc] to dismiss the thumbnail information pop-up.

Moving Thumbnails within a Catalog

You can also sort the thumbnails within your catalog by simply dragging and dropping them into position. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the thumbnail you wish to move and drag it to its new position. You must drop it on top of another thumbnail. The thumbnail you moved will replace the thumbnail you dropped it onto. The other thumbnails will shift toward the position this thumbnail vacated.

If moving the thumbnail to the position you have selected is possible, the cursor is displayed as a small page with the “+” sign in it. If the position is not allowed, the cursor is displayed as a circle with a diagonal line through it.

Moving Thumbnails from one Catalog to Another

You can also move thumbnails from one catalog to another by simply dragging and dropping them into position. Hold down the left mouse button on the thumbnail you wish to move from the first catalog and drag it to its new position in the second catalog. (Open a second catalog and choose Window Tile to show both catalogs at the same time, in different windows.) In this case, you do not necessarily have to drop the thumbnail on top of another one. You may drop the thumbnail after the last one in the catalog and it will take this last position. If you do drag the thumbnail and drop it on top of another, the replaced thumbnail and all those below it will shift down one position in the catalog.

If moving the thumbnail to the position you have selected is possible, the cursor is displayed as a small page with the “+” sign in it. If the position is not allowed, the cursor is displayed as a circle with a diagonal line through it.

You can move more than one thumbnail at a time by selecting those you want to move, then dragging one of them. All selected thumbnails move with the one you dragged. (Select more than one thumbnail by [Ctrl]+clicking on each. Select a range of thumbnails by clicking on the thumbnail at one end of the range, then [Shift]+click on the thumbnail at the other end of the range).

Converting a Catalog to another Size/Color Depth

If you have created a catalog of files in one size and color depth, and you would like to change the size and/or color depth of the whole catalog, you simply create a new catalog with the size and color depth you desire, copy all your thumbnails into that and update all the thumbnails. Here’s how.

Choose “Catalog”, “New Catalog...” and select the size and color depth you want to end up with. Open the catalog that you want to convert. Choose “Edit”, “Select All”, then “Edit”, “Copy.” Now select the new catalog you just made and choose “Edit”, “Paste”. All of the thumbnails you selected in the original catalog are pasted into the new catalog, but the thumbnails are all still in the same size and color depth as before. Change this by choosing “Thumbnails”, “Update”, “All Thumbnails...”, then check “All files” and click “OK”. When finished updating the thumbnails, close the original catalog and then save the new catalog by choosing “Catalog”, “Save Catalog As...” and clicking on the name of the old catalog, then click “OK”.

Making a Slideshow from a Catalog

First display your catalog and arrange the thumbnails in the order you want them to appear in the slideshow. Be sure to save the catalog before making the catalog into a slideshow.

Choose “File”, “Slideshow...”, “New” and type a name for the new slideshow. In the “Slideshow Setup” dialog, select the drive and directory that contains your catalog. Select the catalog file in the left list box and click the “Add Before” button. MGI PhotoSuite will open your catalog file and read all the file names included there in into the right list box, making this file list the basis for your slideshow. See Slideshow Setup.

CD-ROM-based Catalogs

Each thumbnail in a MGI PhotoSuite multimedia catalog remembers the original file’s path and file name, and if from a CD, the volume name of the CD containing the file.

If you create a catalog from a hard drive image of a yet-to-be mastered CD, each thumbnail will retain the correct path and file name as expected (assuming that all the files will be in the same directories on the hard drive as they will be on the CD). However, because the files are not yet on a CD, a volume name will not be recorded for the thumbnails. So, if you double-click on a thumbnail, MGI PhotoSuite will not be able to find the files on the CD after the hard disk image has been transferred CD.

MGI PhotoSuite provides a special feature to work around this limitation. After creating a catalog of the hard drive CD image, press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[F9] and manually enter in the volume name of your CD. Click “OK” and then save the catalog. This will force the specified volume name for all of the files in the catalog.


Printing with MGI PhotoSuite

Printing Images

To print the active image, click on the Print icon in the Button Bar.

Or select “Print” from the File menu. The Print Image dialog will be displayed.

Specifying Print Size

Select “Best Fit” to print an image as large as possible without distorting the appearance of the printed image.

Select “Stretch to Page” to print an image that will completely fill the printable area of the output page. Note: If the output page is shaped differently from the image you are printing, i.e. rectangular versus square, selecting this option will cause the output to appear stretched.

Select “Scale (%)” and specify a scale value for “Width” and “Height” to precisely control the size of the image on the output page.

If you select 100 % for both width and height, then one pixel in the image will be represented by one pixel on the output page. If you are printing a color image to a black and white laser printer, the result would be a very small image with little detail. In this case, select larger values for width and height. If you select a value that would result in an image larger than the printable area of your printing device, then only part of the image will be printed.

Collation and Number of Copies

The “Copies” and “Collate Copies” options will only be enabled if supported by the currently selected printer driver.

Printer Properties

The actual appearance of the output is determined by the printer driver and the capabilities of your printer. Some printer drivers allow you to adjust the darkness of the printed output and to optimize output for color, grayscale, or photographic images. Select the “Properties” button to adjust settings specific to your printer.

See Printing Hints & Tips.

Printer Setup

MGI PhotoSuite prints using Windows printer drivers. You must install a printer driver in order to print an image. To install or remove printer drivers, open the Windows Control Panel and double-click on the Printers icon.

Select “Printer Setup...” from the File menu to specify printer settings. The Print Setup dialog will be displayed. Within this dialog you may select the printer you want to use, the orientation and paper size. For information about which settings to use, refer to the documentation that comes with your printer.

If you have more than one printer connected to your computer or network, click on the arrow in the list box beside the “Name” field to select from the list of available printers.

Many printers have specific settings (such as page orientation, paper size and graphics resolution) that you can specify to get the printing results you want. Click on the “Properties” button to see specific options available for the selected printer.


The MGI PhotoSuite Window

The MGI PhotoSuite application window contains the following components.

Menu Bar

The menu bar at the top of the application window is used to select MGI PhotoSuite commands. Certain commands are only visible and enabled when an image window is open, as they are only applicable to the current image. When you highlight an item on the menu bar, the Help line at the bottom of the application window will display a hint message indicating the function of the highlighted menu item.

Button Bar

The button bar displays icons representing frequently executed commands. Clicking on an icon executes the command associated with that icon. As you move the mouse over an icon, the Help line displays the function of the icon. Pausing over an icon will display a shorter, “icon tip” message.

Image Window

Image windows are where you view and edit an image. Each image you open is contained within its own image window. The title bar of the window displays the file name of the image as well as the size of the image in pixels and the number of colors in the image. You can have as many windows open as system resources and memory permit. However, only one image window is active at any time.

Floating Panels

Floating panels are used to make selections and execute MGI PhotoSuite commands. Floating panels can be positioned anywhere inside the main MGI PhotoSuite window. Position the mouse pointer in the floating panel’s title bar, click and hold the left mouse button, and drag the panel to a new location. The Close control in the top right corner is used to close the panel. There are two floating panels available in MGI PhotoSuite; the Tool Panel and the Color Palette.

Tool Panel

To display the Tool panel, select “Show Tool Panel” from the Window menu.

The Tool panel consists of a group of icons, each icon representing a specific MGI PhotoSuite drawing or selection tool. For example, choose the Circle icon to draw circles, the Line icon to draw straight lines and the Fill icon to fill an area with a selected color. As you move the mouse over an icon, the Help line displays the function of the icon. Pausing over an icon will display a shorter, “icon tip” message.

Sidebars

Sidebars are used to make selections and issue MGI PhotoSuite commands. Sidebars remain fixed in position at the sides of the main window. There are two sidebars available in MGI PhotoSuite, the Tool sidebar and Color sidebar. The operation of the Tool and Color sidebars is identical to that described above for the Tools panel and Color palette respectively.

Tool Sidebar

The Tools sidebar is identical in operation to the Tools floating panel. It contains the same icons but arranged in two columns. To display the Tools sidebar, select “Show Tool Sidebar” from the Window menu. To hide the Tools sidebar, select “Hide Tool Sidebar” from the Window menu.

Color Sidebar

The Color sidebar contains the same colors as displayed in the Color floating palette. You can select and edit foreground and background colors in the same way as with the Color floating palette. In addition, the Color sidebar displays the current foreground and background drawing colors at the bottom of the sidebar. The foreground color appears above and to the left of the background color.

The Select Pen icon appears at the bottom of the Color sidebar. Click on the icon to change the drawing pen size and shape.

While we have displayed both the fixed sidebars and floating panels in the illustration, you will probably not want to have all of the panels and sidebars open at the same. MGI PhotoSuite will automatically remember the location and state of the panels and sidebars when you exit the application and restore the workspace to its previous state the next time you run the application.

Help Line

The help line at the bottom of the main window displays help messages and information about the active image. If the mouse is over an icon, the help line displays the function of the icon. If a menu item is highlighted, the help line displays the function of the menu item. If the mouse is over the main window, the help line displays the full filename of the active image on the left side of the help line. If you are selecting a rectangular area of the image to manipulate, the right side of the help line displays the location and size of the selected area.


Working with Windows

MGI PhotoSuite allows you to work with multiple open images on the screen (subject to your system’s memory capacity). When you open several images at a time, some windows are hidden behind others. Use this menu to arrange the image windows and customize the MGI PhotoSuite tools.

See the Window Menu topic for details.


MGI PhotoSuite Panels

To display the various MGI PhotoSuite panels, choose “Window” from the Menu Bar. The options are listed in this menu.

The Color palette and Tools panel are free-floating versions of the Color and Tool sidebars. They can be moved, sized and minimized. The program allows the display of the floating panels even if the other corresponding sidebar panels are activated.

To minimize a panel, click the minimize icon in the upper-right corner of the panel. Click it again to restore the panel.

To change the size orientation of the Color panel, position the cursor on one of the panel edges and press and move the mouse. This will change the orientation of the panel to resize horizontally or vertically.

To enlarge the color selection floating panel, position the cursor on one of the panel edges, hold down the [Shift] key and press and move the mouse. This will resize the color panel and enlarge the color boxes.

Note: The Color sidebar has a Select Pen icon at the bottom of the panel. If you are using the floating color panel, this option is not available. You can activate this option by clicking on the Select Pen icon in the Tools panel.

See Window Menu.


Controlling Slideshows

The Slideshow dialog will be displayed while the slideshow is running. The current slide file name is displayed at the top of the dialog.

Click on the buttons to control the operation of the slideshow. Click on the horizontal scroll bar and the scroll bar arrows to move from one slide to another. Click on the “Exit” button to exit the slideshow.

To hide the slideshow dialog, double-click on the close icon in the top left corner of the dialog, or press [Esc]. To redisplay the dialog, press the [Space] bar. When you hide the slideshow dialog the mouse pointer will also disappear.

To abort the slideshow, press [Esc] to close the slideshow dialog and press [Esc] again to quit the slideshow.

See Slideshow Settings to change slideshow settings during a slideshow.


GIF and Web Page Graphics

MGI PhotoSuite supports two features of the GIF file format specification that enable you to create better looking World Wide Web pages. The “Interlaced GIF” and “Transparent Background” checkboxes appear in the Save Image dialog when “Save File as Type” is set to “GIF (*.gif)”.

Interlaced GIF Image Files

When you save a GIF file with the “Interlaced GIF” checkbox set, your graphic is written out in alternating horizontal bands. This has the effect of the graphic image “fading” in as the file is received by a Web browser. Otherwise, the Web browser has to receive the whole file before the graphic can be displayed. By making all of your Web page graphics interlaced, your web pages will appear to load faster.

Transparent Backgrounds

Logos and non-rectangular graphics tend to look better when their background color matches that of the Web browser window. However, since there is no way to know in advance what the background color of the Web browser window will be, you cannot create your graphics with any one specific background color.

MGI PhotoSuite and GIF89a files support specifying which palette entry is to be treated as the background, or transparent, color. After you have created your graphic, right click with the mouse over the color in the Color Palette that you wish to be transparent. Then, select the “Transparent Background” checkbox in the Save Image dialog before saving your image file. With transparent images floating over browser window graphical backgrounds, some interesting visual effects can be achieved.

See Information on Image Files.


OLE Support

MGI PhotoSuite for Windows 95 and Windows NT supports File Drag & Drop and OLE Image Embedding with Linking and In-Place Editing.

File Drag and Drop

MGI PhotoSuite supports plain file drag and drop. Click on and drag an image file icon from the Windows Explorer or File Manager and let go on top of the MGI PhotoSuite icon, or on top of the main MGI PhotoSuite window. When you let go of the mouse button, MGI PhotoSuite will open the image and show it to you.

Additionally, if you drag an image icon over top of a printer icon, and drop it there, then MGI PhotoSuite will print the image for you.

Embedded Images

A MGI PhotoSuite imbedded image means that you can use MGI PhotoSuite to work with an image you might embed or place in another OLE compliant program’s document.

WordPad, which comes with Windows 95, is one such OLE compliant program. You could, for example, use WordPad to type in some text and then choose “Insert” and then “Object”. You will see a list of object types that the software installed on your computer can create as an embedded object. “MGI PhotoSuite Image” will be listed there among the others.

If you choose “Create New”, MGI PhotoSuite will ask you what size image you want to create. It will then insert into your WordPad document a blank image of the size you requested, and it will provide you with tool and color panels in WordPad with which to create your drawing or diagram. You essentially create a diagram in WordPad without ever leaving WordPad, even though it is MGI PhotoSuite that you are using to do the drawing in WordPad. Clicking outside the drawing area ‘fixes’ the drawing into your WordPad document, and the MGI PhotoSuite panels will disappear.

If you choose “Create from File” instead, you will see a standard file selection dialog box, allowing you to type a file name, or select “Browse” to click on one. If you choose a MGI PhotoSuite image file such as TIF or JPG, etc. then the image will be placed in your WordPad document, and MGI PhotoSuite tool and color panels will be available in WordPad to do any editing you wish.

In-Place Editing

At any time in the future, you can double-click an embedded image (or right-click on the image and choose “Edit”) and you will see the MGI PhotoSuite tool and color panels again, allowing you to edit the image without leaving WordPad to do so. Clicking outside the image will fix the edited image into your document and remove the tool and color panels.

Linking Images

When inserting an image into another document, if you choose “Create from File” you will be given the opportunity to choose “Link”.

If you do not choose “Link”, then a copy of the image is stored in your document, and this copy, and any changes you may make to it, are separate and independent from the original image file and any changes made to the original image file.

If you choose “Link” then a copy of the image is stored in your document, but both the original image file and the image in your document are kept in sync. That is to say, changes in the original image file are always carried to the embedded image in your document, automatically.

If you select the “Link” option, then you cannot perform “In-Place Editing”. When the “Link” option is chosen, double-clicking on the image brings the MGI PhotoSuite program to the foreground, with the original copy of the image opened and ready for editing. You always edit the original copy if the image is “Linked”, and when you’re done, the changes are automatically copied from the original to the embedded copy of the image.


TWAIN Support

MGI PhotoSuite implements support for the industry-wide TWAIN specification to enable scanners, digital cameras and other image input devices that you may have attached to your computer.

TWAIN Device Drivers

Under Windows 95, MGI PhotoSuite supports both 16- and 32-bit TWAIN drivers. Under Windows NT, MGI PhotoSuite supports only 32-bit TWAIN drivers. Under Windows 3.1, only 16-bit TWAIN drivers are supported.

Please consult the manual that came with your TWAIN compatible device for information on which version(s) of Windows are supported. As well, see the “TWAIN” topic in the MGI PhotoSuite on-line help for up-to-date information.

If you have trouble accessing the TWAIN drivers, check to see if a new installation has overwritten the TWAIN.DLL file in the Windows directory. If so, copy the TWAIN.DLL file to the Windows directory from the MGI PhotoSuite CD-ROM TWAIN32 directory. If MGI PhotoSuite was installed from a floppy disk, then you will need to re-install to fix the replaced TWAIN.DLL file.

Selecting an Input Source

Pick “Select Source...” from the File menu to display a dialog that enables you to choose between different image acquisition sources. Two such devices might be a TWAIN compatible scanner or a TWAIN compatible video capture card.

Once you have used this menu item to choose an image acquisition source, you can use the “Acquire...” menu item from the File menu to actually obtain an image from your chosen device.

Acquiring Images

Pick “Acquire...” from the File menu to bring an image into MGI PhotoSuite for saving, editing, or conversion from the device chosen with the “Select Source...” menu item.

For example, if you had previously chosen a scanner device with the “Source Select...” menu item, then choosing “Acquire...” will activate the scanner software that was installed with your TWAIN compatible scanner. You will then be able to use your scanner to make a digital copy of a printed image in MGI PhotoSuite.


Print Hints & Tips
Printing Hints & Tips

Sometimes it can be difficult to get the kind of output that you wish. The image comes out distorted, too small or too large.

To get full control over your output, pick “Scale (%)” in the Print Image dialog. Now, depending on your output device, enter in a value for width and height from the following table.

Output Device	Value

300 DPI Laser Printer	300

600 DPI Laser Printer	600

24-pin Dot Matrix Printer	240

or

360

Every 100 dots of image will equal one inch on the paper, so an image that is 250x250 will come out 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches.

See Printing with MGI PhotoSuite.


Software License Agreement

MGI Software Corp. Software License Agreement

This legal document is an agreement between you, the end user and MGI Software Corp. BY INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BECOME BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, which includes the SOFTWARE LICENSE, LIMITED WARRANTY and ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

GRANT OF LICENSE. MGI grants to you the right to use one copy of the enclosed MGI Software Corp., program (the "SOFTWARE") on a single terminal connected to a single computer (i.e.; with a single CPU). You may not network the SOFTWARE or otherwise use it on more than one computer or computer terminal at the same time.

COPYRIGHT. The SOFTWARE is owned by MGI or its suppliers and is protected by Canadian and USA copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE like any other copyrighted material (i.e.; a book or musical recording) except that you may either (a) make one copy of the SOFTWARE solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the SOFTWARE to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes. You may not copy the written materials accompanying the software.

NON PERMITTED USES: Without the express permission of MGI Software Corp., you may not:

1. Use the software in a computer service business including rental, networking or time sharing software, nor may you use it for multiple users, or multiple computer system applications in the absence of individual network licenses with MGI Software Corp.

2. Use, Copy or modify, alter or transfer, electronically or otherwise, the software or documentation except as expressly allowed in this agreement.

3. Translate, reverse engineer, de-assemble, de-compile or create derivative works based on the written materials.

4. Sub-license or lease this program or its documentation.

UPDATE POLICY: MGI may create, from time to time, update versions of the SOFTWARE. At its option, MGI will make such updates available to the LICENSEE who has paid the update fee and returned their Product Registration card to MGI.

GOVERNING LAW. This LICENSE Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada and shall inure to the benefit of MGI, it's successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. A venue of any trial shall be in Toronto, Ontario.

LIMITED WARRANTY: This software and accompanying written materials are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE IN USE, YOU (AND NOT MGI OR ITS AGENTS) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION OF DATA. FURTHER, MGI DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF, OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE, IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS, OR OTHERWISE AND YOU RELY ON THE SOFTWARE AND RESULTS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

MGI warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the SOFTWARE is recorded is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of delivery as evidenced by a copy of your receipt. MGI's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be at MGI's option, replacement of the disk which shall be returned to MGI with a copy of your receipt. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident, abuse or misapplication of the product, then MGI shall have no responsibility to replace the product under this warranty. THE ABOVE IS THE ONLY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, THAT IS MADE BY MGI ON THIS MGI PRODUCT. IN NO EVENT SHALL MGI OR ITS SUPPLIERS, NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS PRODUCT, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE, THE RESULTS OF USE, OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT, EVEN IF MGI HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: You acknowledge that you have read this LICENSE and Limited Warranty, understand them and agree to be bound by their terms and conditions. You also agree that the LICENSE and Limited Warranty are the complete and exclusive statement between the parties and supersedes all other communications between the parties relating to the subject matter of the LICENSE or the Limited Warranty.


Product Support

Obtaining Product Support

If you received your copy of MGI PhotoSuite with your computer or another piece of hardware or software, please contact the manufacturer of the product that MGI PhotoSuite came with for product support. However, if you have registered your MGI PhotoSuite and prefer to receive product support from MGI, MGI will provide you with product support through the following means.

MGI’s Product Support Services

MGI's product support services are for registered users only, so make sure that you register your software today. Either send in your Registration Card or use the MGI Direct on-line registration system if you have a modem (Choose “Register MGI PhotoSuite...” from the Help menu).

If you have a question about MGI PhotoSuite, please first refer to the printed MGI PhotoSuite documentation or the On-line Help. You should also check any “Read Me” files included with MGI PhotoSuite.

If you cannot find the answer, you can receive product support, or information on how to receive product support, by contacting MGI's Product Support Services. The support services are subject to the company's prices, terms, and conditions in effect at the time the services are used. MGI may offer new product support services in the future, and as they arise, the Product Support department will be pleased to provide you with the details. At this point, you can contact the Product Support department either by telephone, facsimile, mail or an on-line service at the addresses or numbers given below.

If you call, you should be sitting in front of your computer with MGI PhotoSuite running and the image in question open on your screen. You should also have your manual at hand, or the applicable on-line Help topic open on your screen. Whether you call or write, please provide the following information:

1.	The version number of MGI PhotoSuite (Choose “About MGI PhotoSuite...” from the Help menu to see this information).

2.	The type of hardware and the system configuration you are using, including network hardware if applicable.

3.	A description of what happened and what you were trying to do when the problem occurred.

4.	The exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen.

5.	How you tried to solve the problem.

Reaching MGI’s Product Support

a) by Phone

Support line: (905) 764-7291

Support fax: (905) 764-7110

b) by Email

Internet: support@mgisoft.com

c) by Mail

MGI Software Corp.

40 West Wilmot Street

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Canada L4B 1H8


Other MGI Products

For information about other MGI software products, click on the title that you are interested in to find out more about it:

MGI Media Montage

MGI PhotoSuite 4.0 for Windows 3.1

Calamus for Windows 95 and Windows NT


MGI Media Montage

MGI Media Montage

License and Royalty Free

An unbeatable collection offering:

• Hundreds of stunning photographs from all over the world

• Many high-quality images, including backgrounds and textures

• One hundred Wave and MIDI sound files

• Ninety AVI video clips

Over 800 files - more than 600 megabytes of multimedia source material available on CD!

Images and Photographs include Animals and Nature, Landscapes, City Life and Native Life, Sunsets, Buildings and Structures, Backgrounds, Fabrics and Textures, and much more. Wave sound clips cover many situations - making them ideal for presentations or custom Windows sound schemes. AVI clips cover many humorous daily situations. All files are cataloged for easy overview and access.

Enhance your next business or home slideshow presentation. To order your copy of MGI Media Montage for only $19.95 U.S., use the MGI Direct On-Line Product Ordering System or call (800) 403-4835.


MGI PhotoSuite 4.0 for Windows 3.1

MGI PhotoSuite 4.0

• Painting & Drawing Tools

• Photo Editing & Special Effects

• Multimedia Slide Show Presentations

• Image, Sound & Video Cataloging

• Scanner, Digital Camera Support

• Over 500 Professional Photos

• Over 100 Sound Effects & Music Files

• Screen and Window Capture

• The Perfect Microsoft Office Companion Product

Simply Irresistible!

Plunge into the exciting world of digital photography, computer art and multimedia slideshow presentations with MGI PhotoSuite 4.0 for Windows 3.1. Retouch and enhance photographs with the push of a button. Choose from hundreds of dazzling photos to enhance reports, newsletters, documents, spreadsheets and more. Add the magic of digital images, special effects, sound, music and video to your next Microsoft Office, Novell PerfectOffice or Lotus SmartSuite project. Create your own personal multimedia slideshows for home or office use complete with video, sound, music, and more. With MGI PhotoSuite, its fun and its easy!

Painting & Drawing Tools

Dozens of exciting painting and drawing tools let you spice up any image quickly and easily. Choose from a variety of definable brushes, drawing tools, eraser, flood-fill, color picker, spray can, text editor and more to spice up any image or drawing in seconds.

Push-Button Special Effects

Exciting special effects filters let you instantly enhance and transform photos and art with the push of a button. Special effects like emboss, sharpen, crystallize...and more!

Digital Magic

MGI PhotoSuite lets you retouch and fine-tune photographs and images in seconds. Reverse, brighten and enhance colors, control contrasts, sharpen edges to reveal hidden details, remove scratches, convert color photographs to black & white...and much more.

Use MGI PhotoSuite to enhance your next business or home slideshow presentation. Add photos to charts, spreadsheets, slides, desktop publishing documents, faxes and more. Use any TWAIN-compliant scanner or digital camera to import your own photographs and images directly into MGI PhotoSuite. Its simple and its fast.

Dynamic Screen Capture

Edit, copy and paste photos from Compton's Encyclopedia, tables from Microsoft Excel, graphs from Lotus 1-2-3 -- anything you can see on-screen - to and from any Windows document or application with a single click of a mouse.

Multimedia Sizzle

MGI PhotoSuite lets you easily create your own multimedia computer slideshow for home or business use in seconds. With MGI PhotoSuite, one click of a mouse is all that's needed to select and arrange photographs, images, video & animation clips for automatic or manual playback, complete with your choice of background color, music, sound and more. Its so easy you won't believe your eyes and ears...and neither will anyone else!

Multimedia Cataloging at its Best

MGI PhotoSuite makes it easy to manage all of your image, sound and video files. That's because MGI PhotoSuite lets you create and maintain your own personal multimedia catalogs in just seconds.

Digital Photo & Sound Library

Choose from hundreds of high-resolution professional color and black & white photographs -- including historic art treasures -- to spice up any presentation, report, desktop publishing or word processing document. MGI PhotoSuite comes complete with more than 100 sound effects and music files for all your presentation needs.

System Requirements

Microsoft Windows 3.1 compatible computer system (and a CD-ROM drive for the CD-ROM version).


Calamus for Windows 95 and Windows NT

MGI Calamus exemplifies the finest in desktop publishing. The overall design of MGI Calamus is comprehensive, yet elegant, with a wide range of tools, each addressing particular functions in the most powerful way possible. MGI Calamus tightly integrates individual modules within a common environment to precisely control all aspects of desktop publishing.

First released in 1987 on the Motorola platform, MGI Calamus delivers exceptional stand-alone functionality in creation and design through to final output. MGI Calamus has an innovative User Interface that employs a modular architecture, integrated vector font graphics, and advanced masking functions, to name a few, in a seamlessly integrated environment. These strengths, together with an excellent matrix of tools and precision functions for traditional typography and layout, establish MGI Calamus as a major force in desktop publishing arena.

In its continuing evolution, MGI Calamus debuts on Windows 95 and Windows NT. MGI Calamus and Microsoft's 32-bit operating systems combine to provide a solid solution that will fulfill all your desktop publishing needs.

Modularity

MGI Calamus is unique in its modular architecture. The software is built around a group of modules, each addressing specific functions. One important advantage of this structure is that it allows the user to customize the working environment by loading only the modules needed for any given work session - WYNIWYG - What You Need Is What You Get. In addition to the basic package of modules which you receive, many others are available or under development, to enhance your MGI Calamus system.

Precision

In traditional DTP applications, an expensive Raster Image Processor is required to handle high resolution output. MGI Calamus is the first program to employ SoftRipping Technology - all image processing is done within MGI Calamus. This approach takes advantage of the RAM and CPU of your workstation. Its speed exceeds that of hardware RIPs. SoftRipping guarantees WYSIWYG since MGI Calamus outputs the identical data to your screen, printer or high resolution device. Thanks to SoftRipping, new technologies such as frequency modulated rastering can be easily incorporated.

Star Screening is a new rastering method, pioneered by MGI, which is based on frequency modulation. This now makes it possible to reproduce quality images without moirés and irritating rosette patterns. For the first time, you can mix different rastering techniques, by frame, on the same page. This is a major innovation in output quality.

Creativity

MGI Calamus integrates an ensemble of functions that permits you to let your imagination run free, while expanding the known limits of desktop publishing software. Whether you are using the vector graphics module, the superb masking options, or the myriad of typographical functions, MGI Calamus is a program that allows the creation of accurate and innovative page layout and design by novice or professional alike.

Productivity

The modularity of MGI Calamus integrates a combination of functions which in other environments, require many, possibly incompatible, pieces of software. In the integrated environment of MGI Calamus, a complete set of tools is available within the same application. In addition, MGI Calamus is OLE compatible, providing immediate linkage to external programs.

Efficiency

The incorporation of its many powerful modules makes MGI Calamus a truly innovative program. The enhanced integration of software within a multitasking environment, together with precise editing capabilities for text, raster and vector graphics, gives you an overall level of efficiency, productivity and precision that has never been attained in this domain.

MGI Calamus, the finest in integrated publishing for Windows 95 and Windows NT.

To order your copy of MGI Calamus for Windows 95 or Windows NT on Intel, Alpha, MIPS and Power PC processor-based machines, for only $199.95 U.S., use the MGI Direct On-Line Product Ordering System or call (800) 403-4835.


MGI Direct

Use MGI Direct as a convenient way of registering your MGI PhotoSuite software with MGI, or for placing orders for other MGI software products via your modem. Since the duration of the call is usually under a minute, MGI Direct is more cost effective than ordering by phone or registering by mail.

If you do not have a modem, enter the product registration or product ordering information in their respective dialogs and click on the “Print” button to print out the applicable form. Then simply mail or fax the printed form to MGI.

The following is a list of the MGI Direct dialogs. Click on the one that you are interested in to obtain more information about it.

Dial MGI Direct

MGI Direct - Customer Name and Address

MGI Direct - Product Information and Ordering

MGI Direct - Register MGI PhotoSuite


Dial MGI Direct

To dial MGI Direct and register your copy of MGI PhotoSuite, or to place an order for other MGI products, you must first choose the telephone number to dial. Pick the country that you are in and the “Phone Number” field will be filled in with the appropriate MGI Direct telephone number. You may have to choose the dialing method depending on your phone line.

In some situations you will need to edit the phone number in order to reach an outside line. For example: click in the “Phone Number” field, move the cursor to the start of the phone number using the keyboard, and type “9,” (the number nine followed by a comma).

Finally, click the “Dial” button to have your modem call MGI Direct.

The duration of an order or registration call is usually well under a minute.

MGI PhotoSuite attempts to find and detect a modem automatically by searching the communications ports in your system (COM1 through COM4) for a “Hayes” compatible unit. Make sure that if you have an external modem, that it is on and properly connected to your system. If for some reason MGI PhotoSuite cannot work with your modem, please print out your registration or order and mail or fax it to MGI.


MGI Direct - Customer Name and Address

This dialog is used to enter, or update, your name and address when placing an order via your modem with MGI Direct.


MGI Direct - Product Information and Ordering

To place an order for other MGI products, pick “Product Ordering...” from the Help menu.

To obtain more information about a particular product, click the “Info...” button beside the brief description of the product.

To select an item for ordering, click the check box beside the item’s price. All sums, including shipping, are calculated for you.

For payment, choose either Check/Money order, MasterCard or VISA. Enter your credit card number and expiry date into their respective fields.

Canadian customers must choose Canadian currency and enter in a tax percentage. Ontario residents must enter “15”, the sum of the GST and PST percentage amounts. GST only (“7”) for the rest of Canada.

To place your order via MGI Direct, click on “Order”. The MGI Direct - Customer Name and Address dialog will appear giving you a chance to enter in or change your information. After Clicking “OK”, the Dial MGI Direct dialog will appear. See MGI Direct - Customer Name and Address and Dial MGI Direct for more information.

If you wish to print your order and mail or fax it to us, click on “Print Order”.

By Mail:

MGI Software Corp.

40 West Wilmot Street

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Canada L4B 1H8

By Fax:

(905) 764-7110


MGI Direct - Register MGI PhotoSuite

To register your MGI PhotoSuite software, choose “Register MGI PhotoSuite...” from the Help menu. The MGI Direct - Register MGI PhotoSuite dialog will be displayed.

Enter your name, address and other applicable information in this dialog. You must be a registered user of MGI PhotoSuite in order to receive product support. Using MGI Direct to register your MGI PhotoSuite software is the most time saving and cost effective way possible.

To register your copy using MGI Direct, enter the product registration information in this dialog and click on the “Send” button. The Dial MGI Direct dialog will appear. See Dial MGI Direct for more information.

If you do not have a modem, enter the product registration information in this dialog, and click on the “Print” button to print out the form. Then simply mail or fax the printed form to MGI.

By Mail:

MGI Software Corp.

40 West Wilmot Street

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Canada L4B 1H8

By Fax:

(905) 764-7110