Copyright: copyright © 1996 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Citation: copyright © 1996 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.


Touch-Up effects


Sharpen dialog box

The Sharpen effect sharpens the edges of the image or the selection. You can use it bring images into focus and to bring out details in older photographs. Move the Percentage slider to the right for a more pronounced effect.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Brightness/Contrast/Intensity dialog box

Brightness and contrast are fundamental controls in photo-editing. Almost every image with which you work benefits from a slight increase (about 10%) in both brightness and contrast. That slight increase gives dull and flat pictures more clarity. Use Brightness to lighten or darken the overall image, or use Contrast to change the distinction between light and dark areas. Use Intensity to increase or decrease the overall intensity level of the light in a picture.

Brightness

Controls the amount of light. It can destroy an image when it is increased or decreased too much. The Brightness effect expresses values as a percentage. The extremes are -100% (solid black) and +100 (solid white).

Contrast

Controls differences in shading. When Contrast is increased, small differences in shading become more pronounced. The Contrast effect expresses values as a percentage. The extremes range from no contrast (-100%) to extreme contrast (+100%). Contrast only affects adjacent areas of different shades.

Intensity

Similar to a combination of both Brightness and Contrast., Intensity increases the brightness of the lighter areas and decreases the brightness of the darker mid-tones and dark areas. The result is an image that looks brighter without appearing washed-out. The extremes are -100% (zero intensity [image] image black) to +100% (the image appears to be acceptable on screen but tends to become grainy when printed).

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Remove Dust and Scratches dialog box
Remove Dust & Scratches dialog box

The Remove Dust & Scratch effect minimizes dust and scratch faults in an image. Use this effect to improve the appearance of old and damaged photographs, or photographs that were taken through a dusty lens. For best results, create a selection around damaged areas of your photo before applying this effect.

Level

Controls the sharpness of the image. Higher values create sharper images.

Radius

Controls the range of the effect. Higher values include more pixels in the correction process.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Reduce Speckles dialog box

The Remove Speckles effect softens the image and reduces the speckled appearance that can be created by some scanners and video capture software. The Threshold slider controls the intensity of the effect. Lower values smooth out more pixels.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Simplify Colors dialog box

The Simplify Colors effect reduces the number of distinct shades used to represent the image. It combines shades close to one another into a single shade, and is useful when you need to simplify a complex color image (e.g., for printing purposes). Move the Level slider to the left to reduce the number of colors in the image.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Remove Red Eyes dialog box

The Remove Red Eyes effect allows you to color correct images where the subjects’ eyes appear red. For best results, zoom in on one red pupil at a time.

 Click this tool and click the image to zoom in or right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

 Click this tool and click and drag on the image to surround the red area. Ensure that all red areas are within the rectangle.

 Click this tool and click the image to choose a new eye color. You can choose an eye color using the Select eye color button.

Previewing your image

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.

Note

•	This effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images.


Replace Colors dialog box

The Replace Colors effect lets you replace any color in the original image with a new color. To limit the boundaries of the color replacement, create a selection around the area you want to color before using this effect.

 Click this tool and click the image to zoom in or right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

 Click this tool and click the image to choose a color to replace. You can also choose a color to replace using the Pick The Color You Wish To Replace button.

Choose a new color using the Select New Color button.

Use the Range slider to control the amount of color to replace. A low range setting decreases the tolerance level and includes only the specific color selected. A high range setting increases tolerance levels and includes more color in the replacement process.

Previewing your image

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Cool & Fun effects


Page Curl dialog box

The Page Curl effect is used to roll a corner of the paper over part of the image. The area behind the image, revealed by the page curl, is filled with the current page color. Move the Curl Width and Curl Height sliders to the right to increase the size of the curl.

 Curls the upper-left corner of the image.

 Curls the upper-right corner of the image.

 Curls the lower-left corner of the image.

 Curls the lower-right corner of the image.

Opaque

Fills the page curl with a blend of white and gray.

Transparent

Displays the image through the page curl.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Emboss dialog box

The Emboss effect creates a three-dimensional appearance, similar to an image that has been carved in stone. It has its most dramatic effect on images that have medium to high contrast. Move the Depth slider to the right to increase the intensity of the effect.

Original Color

Maintains the original colors in an image.

Color

Suppresses the image colors and allows you to choose a new color for the embossed image.

Direction

Determines the angle of the highlights and shadows. Click an arrow to choose the location of the light source relative to the image.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Swirl dialog box

The Swirl effect lets you rotate and drag an image so that it appears to swirl around its center. Move the Angle slider to set the direction of the movement: negative values rotate the image counterclockwise, positive values rotate the image clockwise. Use lower values for subtle effects and higher values for greater distortion.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Custom Negative dialog box

The Custom Negative effect, like the Photo Negative effect, transforms colors to appear like those of a negative photographic image. This effect is more pronounced when applied to color images. Move the Threshold slider to the right to increase the intensity of this effect.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Feather dialog box

The Feather effect blurs the edges of an entire image or the inside edges of a selection, producing a softer effect. If you're cutting and pasting images together, you'll find the Feather effect useful for making pasted areas blend more naturally with the background of the new image. If you use the effect on the entire image, the edges of the image are blended with the page color. Move the Width slider to the right to increase the number of pixels that are feathered.

Soft

Produces a more gradual blending between the selection and the background or between the image and the page color.

Hard

Produces a harsher, sharper edge between the selection and the background or between the image and the page color.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Vignette dialog box

The Vignette effect creates an oval frame around the center of the image. Choose the frame color by clicking the Color button.

Offset

Controls the size of the frame. The larger the Offset value, the smaller the frame.

Fade

Controls the fading (or feathering) along the edges of the frame.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Motion Blur dialog box

The Motion Blur effect creates the illusion of movement in an image. Move the Speed slider to the right to increase the amount of blurring.

Direction

Specifies the direction of the motion or blur. Click an arrow to choose a direction.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Add Light Source dialog box

The Add Light Source effect produces a spot of light that resembles the refraction of light though a camera lens. In photography, lenses of different focal lengths produce different lens flare effects.

Move the Brightness slider to the right to increase the brightness of the light source. Click the desired location in the Preview window to position the origin of the light source.

50-300 mm

Creates a lens flare effect common to focal lengths between 50 mm (standard lens, normal perspective) and 300 mm (telephoto lens, magnified perspective).

35 mm

Creates a lens flare effect common to a moderate wide-angle lens.

105 mm

Creates a lens flare effect common to a moderate telephoto lens.

Previewing your image

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Psychedelic dialog box

The Psychedelic effect changes the colors in your image to bright, electric colors such as orange, hot pink, cyan, and lime green. Move the Threshold slider to the right to increase the intensity of the effect.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Ripple dialog box

The Ripple effect distorts an image by bending the image lines that run from the center of the image to its edge. The default setting for this dialog box produces an effect similar to dropping a pebble into a pool of water.

Strength

Determines the intensity of the ripple distortion. Move the slider to the right to produce stronger ripples.

Damping

Controls the tendency of the ripples to extend beyond the image's edge. Move the slider to the left to increase the length of the ripples.

Period

Controls the distance between each ripple. Move the slider to the left to make the ripples closer together.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Texture dialog box

The Texture effect places a pattern over an image or selection. You can choose from four textures : Paper, Linen, Rocks, and Marble.

Texture Maps

Displays the available textures. Click a texture to apply it to your image.

Transparency

Controls the transparency of the texture. Move the slider to the right to make the texture more transparent so that more of your image is visible.

Emboss

Controls the three-dimensional appearance of the texture. Move the slider to the right to make the texture more pronounced.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Impressionist dialog box

The Impressionist effect makes the image look like an impressionist-style oil painting. You can apply the effect using independent horizontal and vertical values. The greater the values, the greater the blurring of the original image, to the point where the image can become unrecognizable.

Horizontal

Specifies the range (measured from 1 to 40) of horizontal pixel displacement. For example, a setting of 10 diffuses the image over a 10 pixel horizontal region.

Vertical

Specifies the range (measured from 1 to 40) of vertical pixel displacement. For example, a setting of 10 for diffuses the image over a 10 pixel vertical region.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Sketch dialog box

The Sketch effect makes your image look like a hand-drawn sketch. Color is applied to fill all areas of the image that are not a part of the outline.

Level

Determines the amount of edge enhancement, which sharpens the outlines of an image. Move the slider to the right to increase the effect.

Soft

Creates a smooth, blurred outline edge.

Solid

Creates a harsh, sharp outline edge.

Previewing your image

When you place the cursor over the Before window it changes to a hand cursor. Click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out. Drag to move the image within the window.

Click the Preview button to display the effects of the current dialog box settings in the After window before applying them to the entire image.


Tool dialog box

The Tool dialog box allows you to choose and customize brushes. It contains a palette of the same preset brushes that are available on the Brushes page of the Notebook. In addition, a number of controls to customize a brush are available. The Preview window in the dialog box shows the current brush, so you can experiment with different settings before closing the dialog box.

Size

The size of the brush in pixels. Values range from 1 to 100.

Angle

The angle of the brush in degrees. Values range from 0 to 360.

Transparency

Transparency affects the opacity of the paint. Values range from 0 to 100. Low values result in more opaque brushes, while high values result in more transparent brushes that allow colors underneath to show through.

Edge Fading

Edge Fading affects the edges of the brush. Values range from 0 to 100. Low values result in a brush stroke with a hard edge, while high values result in brush strokes with a soft edge.

Ink Flow Rate

Ink Flow Rate affects how much ink is left on the page when you click the mouse button. Values range from 0 to 100. Low values result in a clean brush print, while high values result in more paint bleeding from the brush the longer you hold down the mouse button.


Color Tolerance dialog box

The Color Tolerance dialog box defines the range of colors around your target color that are filled when you use the Flood Fill tool. The target color is the color in the image that you click with the Flood Fill tool.

To increase the color tolerance (i.e., to fill a larger range of colors), move the slider to the right.

For example, if you set a low color tolerance, and then click a red area of a photo with the Flood Fill tool, only the red areas are filled with the paint color. If you set a medium color tolerance, many areas of the photo are filled, including reds, pinks, browns, and oranges. If you set a high color tolerance, most areas of the photo are filled.


Coloring dialog box

The Coloring dialog box provides a color palette to make it easy for you to choose paint and page colors. Choose Page Color or Paint Color from the list box, and click a color from the palette.

If you wish to create your own color you can choose from two color models: HSB and RGB. Both are accessed by clicking the More button.


More - HSB and RGB dialog boxes

HSB

The More - HSB dialog box displays the Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSB) color model. This model is the closest approximation to how we perceive color. Hue determines color, saturation determines color depth, and brightness determines the percentage of white used to make the color lighter or darker.

To adjust the color there are two visual selectors:

•	The circular selector adjusts the hue.

•	The triangular selector simultaneously adjusts saturation and brightness.

RGB

The More - RGB dialog box displays the Red, Green, Blue color model. It is based on the light primary colors, and is appropriate for images that are displayed on a computer monitor or on transparent media such as slides.

To adjust the color you can drag the sliders or type values in the boxes.


Image Properties dialog box

The Image Properties dialog box allows you to set and modify many image attributes such as image size, resolution, and color mode.

Color Mode

Specifies the color mode of the image. Color mode determines the quality of color in an image.

Transparent Background

Controls whether the background of irregularly shaped images is the same as the page color or transparent. Enable the check box to use a transparent background.

Type

Specifies the image size. The sizes correspond to Corel Print House projects. Choose Custom to create your own image size.

Width

Specifies the image width in the unit of measure shown in the list box on the right.

Height

Specifies the image height in the unit of measure shown in the list box on the right.

Maintain Aspect Ratio

Maintains the height-width ratio when you resize an image. Enable the check box if you want the height-width proportions to stay the same.

Horizontal

Specifies the horizontal resolution of the image in dots per inch (dpi).

Vertical

Specifies the vertical resolution of the image in dots per inch (dpi).

Identical Values

Maintains equal horizontal and vertical resolution values when you resample an image. Enable the check box if you want the horizontal and vertical resolution to be the same.

Image Size

Displays the file size of the image in Kilobytes.


Linked Document Closing dialog box

The Linked Document Closing dialog box displays a warning when you try to close Corel Print House after sending an image to Corel Photo House for editing. You have four choices:

Close document and discard any changes

Closes Corel Print House and Corel Photo House, discarding any changes you made to the file since you last saved it or updated it in Corel Print House.

Keep editing as a new document and lose link

Closes Corel Print House and allows you to continue editing the image in Corel Photo House. You cannot update the Corel Print House project where the image originated.

Prevent Print House from closing the document

Closes Corel Photo House, giving you the option to update the image in Corel Print House. Corel Print House remains open.

Update the image in Print House

Updates the image in Corel Print House and closes Corel Print House and Corel Photo House.


Print & Photo House CD Not Found dialog box

The Print & Photo House CD Not Found dialog box alerts you that you need the Corel Print & Photo House CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive to open the Photos pages of the Notebook.

To continue, insert the CD-ROM and click Retry.


Getting started


Overview: Welcome to Corel Photo House
Welcome to Corel Photo House

Welcome to Corel Photo House, a photo-editing and bitmap creation program to use with Corel Print House and other applications. Corel Photo House makes it easy for you to touch up photographs, add fun special effects to them, or create your own bitmap images using the painting tools.

Corel Photo House provides powerful photo-editing and painting tools, but is easy enough for beginners to use. When you need assistance, the Notebook helps you apply effects, choose a paint brush, and access the Corel Print House photo collection quickly and easily. For more flexibility, you can preview special effects before applying them to your photos and experiment to get the look you want. If you’re planning on painting, you’ll find that the painting tools come with a large selection of brush shapes and sizes to satisfy your creative needs.

Painting in Corel Photo House is as easy as you need it to be. You can use the preset brushes from the Notebook to get started, and then begin experimenting with the controls in the Tool dialog box when you’re ready.

Whether you’re creating new images, or bringing new life to old ones, your photos and paintings will look their best with Corel Photo House.

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Overview: Using Corel Photo House with Corel Print House
Using Corel Photo House with Corel Print House

Although you can use Corel Photo House to edit bitmaps and photos for any Windows application, it's especially easy to use Print House and Print House together. You can launch Corel Photo House directly from Print House by selecting a bitmap in Print House, and then choosing the Send To Photo House command. Corel Photo House will automatically launch and open your bitmap for editing. When you're finished, you can close Corel Photo House and automatically update your Print House project.

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To launch Corel Photo House from within Corel Print House

1.	In Corel Print House, click the Pick tool [image].

2.	Right-click the photo or bitmap you want to edit in Corel Photo House and choose Send To Photo House.

 Tip

•	Double-clicking a bitmap image in Corel Print House also launches Corel Photo House.

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To update a Corel Print House project from within Corel Photo House

1.	In Corel Photo House, click the image you opened from Corel Print House.

2.	Click File, Update In Print House.

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To close Corel Photo House and update a Corel Print House project

1.	Click File, Exit.

A dialog box opens asking if you would like to update the image in Corel Print House.

2.	Click Yes.

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Overview: Corel Photo House and Windows NT 3.51
Corel Photo House and Windows NT 3.51

If you are using Corel Photo House with Windows NT 3.51, you should be aware of a difference in terminology between your system and the Corel Photo House User's Guide and online Help. Under Windows 95, directories are called folders. Since Corel Photo House was originally developed to run under Windows 95, all documentation was written to reflect Windows 95 terminology.

When the word "folder" is used in the Notebook, the online Help, or in the User's Guide, you can substitute the word "directory" and complete the procedure as usual.

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Overview: About vector and bitmap graphics
About vector and bitmap graphics

Before you begin using Corel Photo House, it's important that you understand the differences between the two types of illustrations: vector graphics and bitmap images.

Bitmap images

Images that you create and edit in Corel Photo House are bitmaps. Bitmap images are most commonly used to display photographic images, but they can also be created from scratch using the Corel Photo House painting tools. Bitmaps are made up of a series of small dots called pixels. Each pixel is a single color, and the arrangement of the pixels creates both the shape and color of the bitmap.

The number of pixels in a bitmap determines its resolution. Images with a high resolution appear sharp and crisp, while those with a lower resolution can appear jagged and indistinct. Resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi), which measures the exact number of pixels found in one inch; the higher a bitmap’s dpi, the higher its resolution.

Once a bitmap is created, the number of pixels it contains is fixed. When you resize a bitmap, the same number of pixels are either stretched over a larger area, or condensed into a smaller one. This stretching and condensing results in poor image quality. Bitmap images are best displayed at the size at which they were created.

Grayscale images

A grayscale image is a type of bitmap used for black and white pictures. A grayscale image is made up of 256 shades of gray, offering a higher picture quality than a standard black and white image. If you don't have a color printer, you can use Corel Photo House to convert your color photos to grayscale images.

Vector graphics

Vector graphics use mathematically defined curves and line objects to represent shapes, rather than using dots or pixels as bitmaps use. When you use the drawing tools in Corel Print House, you are creating vector graphics. Complex vector graphics such as Clipart are created by placing many different vector objects together to form a picture. Regardless of how much you resize a vector graphic, it retains its crisp, smooth lines.

You can open most vector graphics (e.g., .CDR, .CMX, and .WMF) in Corel Photo House. Corel Photo House converts a copy of your vector file to a bitmap image and leaves your original vector file intact. Once the file is in bitmap format, it can no longer be edited as a vector graphic. For example, if you open a piece of Clipart in Corel Photo House, you cannot break it down into its component objects to reshape or resize it. You can, however, use bitmap-editing tools and effects to change its appearance.

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Overview: Photo retouching guide
Photo retouching guide

To get started with photo editing, use the following table to learn about the Corel Photo House effects and tools you can use to touch up your photos. The suggested settings in the Solution are recommendations only [image] each photo is different, and you may find that other settings work better for your particular picture.

Problem	Solution
Subjects in photo have red eyes.	Use the Remove Red Eyes effect to correct eye color.
Photo is too dark or underexposed.	Use the Brightness/Contrast/Intensity effect. Increase the Brightness as needed, and increase the Contrast by about 1/10th as much (e.g., if you set Brightness to 20, set Contrast to 2).
Photo is too light, washed out, or overexposed.	Use the Brightness/Contrast/Intensity effect. Decrease the Brightness as needed, and decrease the Contrast by about 1/10th as much (e.g., if you set Brightness to -20, set Contrast to -2).
Photo is slightly out of focus.	Use the Sharpen effect. Drag the Percentage slider to between 1% and 10%.
Photo was taken with dusty camera lens, creating faults in the image.	Use the Remove Dust & Scratches effect to correct the faults.
Photo has been scratched or slightly damaged.	Create a selection around the damaged area, and use the Remove Dust & Scratches effect to correct the damage. Start with low Level and Radius settings, and increase them as necessary. If the scratch is long, or crosses areas of detail such as a face, you may need to create several small selections and apply the effect on each separate area.
Photo has extensive damage.	1)Try using the Clone tool to paint over damaged areas and blend them into the photo. 2)If the damage is at the edge of a photo, use the Vignette effect to hide the damaged area. 3)Create a selection around the undamaged areas and use the Crop To Selection command to create a new image.
Image captured from video tape has a speckled appearance.	Use the Reduce Speckles effect to correct the image.
Image scanned from a magazine or newspaper has a grainy or speckled appearance.	Use the Reduce Speckles effect to correct the image.
 Tip

•	For more tips on editing your photos, read Changing the content of photos.

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Overview: We'd love to hear from you!
We’d love to hear from you!

If you have any comments or suggestions about Print House, you can email them to Printhouse@corel.com.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to respond to your messages individually, but you can check the Print House home page for the latest product news, Print House tips and tricks, downloadable treats, and product upgrade information. The Print House home page is at http://www.corel.com/product/PRINTHSE.htm.

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The Corel Photo House desktop


Overview: The desktop
The desktop

The desktop is what you see on your screen when you use Corel Photo House. If you prefer more space on your desktop, you can hide the Notebook and Toolbar shown below. To hide them, click the View menu, and click the Notebook and Toolbar commands. A checkmark next to the command name indicates that the item will display on your screen.

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To hide the Toolbar

•	Click View, Toolbar.

Note

•	When the Toolbar is displayed, a check mark appears beside the Toolbar command.

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To hide the Notebook

•	Click View, Notebook.

Note

•	When the Notebook is displayed, a check mark appears beside the Notebook command.

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Overview: The Toolbox
The Toolbox

The Toolbox contains tools you'll use to create and edit bitmaps. Using the tools is easy [image] just click a tool to select it. Once you select a tool, instructions for using it appear on the Key page of the Notebook.

Key tool

The Key tool opens the Key page of the Notebook. Click the Key tool when you need help with any task, and instructions appear on the Key page.

Rectangular Selection tool

The Rectangle Selection tool allows you to select a rectangular area of your image so that you can apply effects to it without affecting the rest of the image.

Freehand Selection tool

The Freehand Selection tool allows you to select an irregularly shaped area of your image so that you can apply effects to it without affecting the rest of the image.

Eyedropper tool

The Eyedropper tool allows you to pick up colors from your image to use as the paint or page color.

Eraser tool

The Eraser tool allows you to paint with the page color, giving the impression that parts of the image are being erased.

Flood Fill tool

The Flood Fill tool allows you to fill similarly colored areas of an image with the paint color.

Brush tool

The Brush tool allows you to paint with a brush.

Spray tool

The Spray tool allows you to paint with a spray can.

Clone tool

The Clone tool allows you to copy part of an image to another area of the image or to another window.

Change Colors tool

The Change Colors tool displays the current paint and page colors and also allows you to choose new colors. The outer color is the current page color, and the inner color is the current paint color.

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Overview: The Notebook
The Notebook

The Notebook provides assistance with most Corel Photo House tasks. It looks like a spiral-bound notepad and is located on the left side of the Corel Photo House desktop.

Use the Notebook to
get assistance with the painting tools
apply Touch-Up and Cool & Fun effects
choose brushes to use with the painting tools
choose paint and page colors
access the photos on the Corel Print & Photo House CD-ROM

Moving through the Notebook
The Notebook is made up of five pages, each with different information. To open a specific page, click its tab.

The name of each Notebook page is displayed at the top of the page. Beside the name is the Back button [image]. If you have gone through more than one Notebook page (e.g., Photos, Africa), you can click the Back button to display the previous page. The Back button does not display the previous page of a different Notebook tab (e.g., if you are on the Photos page, and then switch to the Key page, the Back button is disabled).

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Overview: Key page
Key page

The Key page displays help topics to assist you with your current task. The topics shown are determined by the tool in use. The Key page walks you through tasks using cue cards. Each cue card contains an instruction. After each step is completed, a new card displays.

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Overview: Coloring page
Coloring page

The Coloring page contains a color palette that you can use to choose paint and page colors. To use the Coloring page, select a tool and then click a paint color from the color palette. To change the page color, hold down SHIFT as you click the color.

The current paint and page colors are displayed in the Change Color tool [image] in the Toolbox. The outer color is the page color, and the inner color is the paint color.

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Overview: Brushes page
Brushes page

The Brushes page provides over 100 brushes that you can use with your current tool [image] just click a brush to select it. The brushes vary in size, shape, and transparency. You can use any of the brushes with the Brush, Eraser, Spray, and Clone tools.

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Overview: Effects page
Effects page

The Effects page contains Touch-Up and Cool & Fun effects that you can use to enhance your photos. The thumbnail images show a photo before and after the effect has been applied. To apply an effect, double-click it or drag it from the Notebook onto your photo.

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Overview: Photos page
Photos page

The Photos page displays the photos on the Corel Print & Photo House CD-ROM. You can open the files by double-clicking them or dragging them into the Corel Photo House window.

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To access help from a dialog box

•	Click the Question Mark button [image] in the lower right corner of the dialog box.

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Creating images


Overview: Beginning your work
Beginning your work

There are several ways to set up an image for editing or enhancement in Corel Photo House. You can do any of the following:

•	send an image from a Corel Print House project to Corel Photo House

•	create a new, blank document, and either paint an image or create a montage with bits and pieces of other images

•	use an existing image file. Corel Photo House allows you to open files in several file formats.

•	access your scanning software from within Corel Photo House and create an image file from a photograph or drawing

Setting up the page

When you create a new image, you select a color mode, image size and resolution and page color. Color mode, image size, and resolution all affect both the size of the file and the quality of your printed image. To learn more about them, click the Related Topics button.

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To view information on an image

•	Click Image, Image Properties.

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Overview: Color mode
Color mode

Color mode, also called color depth, determines the range of colors and tones that are visible in an image. It is usually measured by the number of colors displayed (e.g., 256 colors). When choosing a color mode, you should consider the purpose of the image. If it is to be used to fill an entire page, you should use the highest possible color mode. However, if the image is going to be small, a lower depth may give you adequate results while saving on file size.

As you decrease the color mode, details in darker areas may be lost. You may want to use a higher color mode for detailed images even if it has a small color range. Scanning images at a higher color mode may also save you the trouble of doing extensive color correction in Corel Photo House.

Keep in mind that the image will only appear as good as your output sources allow. It may be a waste of disk space to scan an image at a high color mode if the monitor or printer you’re using is not capable of producing such a wide range of color.

Note

•	To add color to a Grayscale or Black and White image you must change the color mode to 16 color, 256 color or 16 million color.

 Tip

•	Many effects only work on a limited number of color modes. For example, the Remove Red Eyes effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images. Use the Image Properties dialog box to change the color mode of images if necessary.

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Overview: Image size
Image size

An image’s size and resolution are often confused. An image’s size refers to the actual, physical dimensions of the image as it will be printed or displayed. You can measure an image’s size by standard measurement units such as centimeters or inches, or by how many pixels high and wide it is. If you are printing an image, you will probably want to know its size in terms of inches or some other unit of measure. If you are going to be displaying your image on the World Wide Web or as part of a slide show, you will probably want to know its size by pixels so you can display it on a one-to-one pixel ratio with the final display device.

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Overview: Image resolution
Image resolution

Resolution refers to the level of detail contained in an image. It is measured by the number of pixels, or dots per inch (dpi). Because the number of pixels in a bitmap is fixed, the resolution of the image is tied to the size of the printed image. If you print the image at a small size, the pixels are tiny and the resolution is high. Print the image at a large size, and the pixels become enlarged and coarse looking, resulting in a lower resolution.

A higher resolution allows for more detail and smoother color transitions than a lower resolution, but also results in a much larger file. Setting the resolution remains a balancing act between achieving the level of detail you need while keeping the file size down to a level your system can handle.

Base your image resolution on what your output will be. If you are going to print your image, keep the resolution lower than that of the final output device. It is pointless to create a 600 dpi image to print on a 300 dpi printer, because the result will be a 300 dpi printed image and a file that is much larger than you needed.

If you are going to display your image on screen, you can generally choose a lower resolution. Remember to keep in mind the memory restrictions of your system, and set the resolution to correspond with that of the monitor you plan to use.

Note

•	High resolution images can create very large files that may hinder system performance.

 Tips

•	When creating 16 million color or CMYK images, set the resolution below 200dpi.

•	When creating black and white (not grayscale) images, use a resolution that is equal to or higher than the resolution of the final output device.

•	When creating grayscale images, keep the resolution at or below 150 dpi if the final output device is a laser printer.

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Overview: Transparent backgrounds
Transparent backgrounds

The Image Properties dialog box includes a Transparent Background check box. When you enable this option, the page color in the image becomes transparent. You can use transparent backgrounds to create bitmaps that appear to have an irregular (i.e., not rectangular) shape, and to create bitmaps with cut outs, so that images below the transparent area show through.

For example, you can use the Freehand Selection tool to create a selection around someone's face in an image, and then use the Crop to Selection command to create a new image. If you enable the Transparent Background check box and then update the image in your Corel Print House project, the person's head will appear to float on the background of your project (if the page color of your image and the page color of your Corel Print House project are the same).

Another way to use transparent backgrounds is to paint over areas of your image with the page color and enable the Transparent Background option. When you update the image in Corel Print House, the areas that you painted will be transparent, so that any text, graphics, or images you place under the bitmap will show through.

The Transparent Background option can only be used with photos that originate in Corel Print House and are sent back to a Corel Print House project.

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To start a new file

1.	Click File, New.

2.	Choose a color mode from the Color Mode box.

3.	Choose a page color from the Page Color color picker.

4.	Choose a size from the Type box.

If the preset sizes are unsuitable, choose Custom and type your own values in the Width and Height boxes.

5.	Type a resolution in the Horizontal and Vertical boxes.

 Tips

•	Image Size displays the projected file size of your new image. If the size is too large, try using lower resolution values, or lower width and height values.

•	Many of the sizes in the Type box match Corel Print House project types.

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To create an image from a selection

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Click and drag across the image to surround the area you want to select.

3.	Click Image, Crop To Selection.

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To create an image with a transparent background

1.	In Corel Print House, right-click any bitmap image and click Send To Photo House from the menu.

2.	In Corel Photo House, click Image, Image Properties.

3.	Enable the Transparent Background check box.

4.	Do any of the following:

•	Use the Freehand Selection tool [image] to create a selection on the image, and click Image, Crop to Selection.

•	Use the Eraser tool to paint with the page color.

5.	Click File, Update in Print House.

Any areas that showed the page color in Corel Photo House will be transparent in Corel Print House.

Note

•	The Transparent Background option can only be used with bitmaps that originate in Corel Print House and are sent back to a Corel Print House project.

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Opening images


Overview: Opening files
Opening files

You can open existing files using the Open command in the File menu or using the Notebook. The Open dialog box gives you the option to crop, resize, or resample an image when you open it. You can also make these modifications after the image is open in Corel Photo House.

File formats

Corel Photo House supports a large number of file formats, making it easy to bring in images from other applications and to export them after you have finished working with them. If you open a vector image into Corel Photo House, it opens as a duplicate bitmap file, leaving your original vector file intact. Image sources include scanned photos and artwork, Kodak photo CDs, stock photo libraries, video capture cards, and images from other graphics applications.

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To open a file

1.	Click File, Open.

2.	In the Look In list box, choose the drive where the file is stored.

3.	Double-click the folder where the file is stored.

4.	Double-click the filename.

Notes

•	You can open a recently saved file by clicking its name at the bottom of the File menu. If you try to open a file that is already open, Corel Photo House moves it to the front of the desktop.

•	You can use wild cards (* and ?) if you're not sure of the name of the file you want to open. For example, typing "TEST*.BMP" in the File Name box lists all .BMP files in the selected directory beginning with “test.” Typing "TEST?.BMP" in the File Name box lists all .BMP files in the selected directory that begin with “test” and are followed by one character (e.g., TEST1.BMP).

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To crop an image on opening

1.	Click File, Open.

2.	In the Look In list box, choose the drive where the file is stored.

3.	Double-click the folder where the file is stored.

4.	Click the filename.

5.	Choose Crop from the list box beside the Files Of Type box.

6.	Click Open.

The Crop image dialog box opens.

7.	Drag the selection handles around the image to resize the box.

To move the selection box, place your cursor over the box until the hand cursor appears and drag the box to the appropriate place.

 Tip

•	You can also crop the image by typing new values in the Height and Width boxes

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To reduce the image size on opening

1.	Click File, Open.

2.	In the Look In list box, choose the drive where the file is stored.

3.	Double-click the folder where the file is stored.

4.	Click the filename.

5.	Choose Resample from the list box beside the Files Of Type box.

6.	Click Open.

The Resample image dialog box opens.

7.	Type values in the Width and Height boxes.

 Tip

•	You can also resize the image by choosing new percentages in the scaling boxes.

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To change the image resolution on opening

1.	Click File, Open.

2.	In the Look In list box, choose the drive where the file is stored.

3.	Double-click the folder where the file is stored.

4.	Click the filename.

5.	Choose Resample from the list box beside the Files Of Type box.

6.	Click Open.

The Resample image dialog box opens.

7.	Type values in the Horizontal and Vertical Resolution boxes.

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To open a Photo CD image

1.	Click File, Open.

2.	In the Look In list box, choose the drive where the file is stored.

3.	Double-click the folder where the file is stored.

4.	Double-click the filename.

5.	Choose a new size from the Size box.

6.	Choose a new color mode from the Colors box.

7.	Click the Enhancement tab to apply Gamut CD or Kodak Color Correction.

For more information about these color correction options, click the Related Topics button.

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To apply Gamut CD color correction to an image

1.	Open the Photo CD Image. When you open a Photo CD, the Photo CD Image dialog box automatically opens prior to displaying the image.

2.	On the Enhancement tab, click the Gamut CD button.

3.	Click a preview button at the right side of the dialog box. Best Preview displays an accurate color preview, but requires more processing time. Fast Preview displays a quick preview of the image.

4.	Click the Set active area button and marquee select the area on the preview image that you want to be considered for the image enhancement calculations.

5.	If there is white in the image, enable Adjust white in image and type a value in the Absolute white number box to indicate how pure the whitest white should be (255 is pure white).

6.	If there is black in the image, enable Adjust black in image and type a value in the Absolute black number box to indicate how pure the blackest black should be (0 is pure black).

7.	If there are neutral areas (black, gray, or white) in the image, click the Set neutral colors button and click on the neutral colors on the preview image. The color casts will be removed from the image. To obtain the best results, specify colors that span as much of the lightness range of the image as possible.

8.	Click Preview to evaluate your settings.

9.	Click OK to apply the color correction and display the image.

Notes

•	Gamut CD uses gamut mapping to enhance the color fidelity and tonal ranges of the CD image. Gamut mapping ensures that colors in a computer image are reproducible by a printer.

•	If the Suppress filter dialog option is enabled in the Open an Image dialog box, the Photo CD Image dialog box will not open. The image opens using the previous settings.

 Tips

•	Disable the Adjust white in image option or Adjust black in image option if your image does not contain one of these elements. Otherwise, the resulting image may either be too dark or too bright.

•	To darken an image containing no black, enable Adjust black in image and type a value greater than 0 in the number box.

•	To lighten an image containing no white, enable Adjust white in image and type a value less than 255 in the number box.

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To apply Kodak color correction to an image

1.	Open the Photo CD Image. When you open a Photo CD, the Photo CD Image dialog box automatically opens prior to displaying the image.

2.	On the Enhancement tab, click the Kodak Color Correction button.

3.	Adjust the tint by typing values in the Red, Green, and Blue number boxes.

4.	Adjust the brightness level by typing a value in the Brightness number box.

5.	Adjust the degree of saturation by typing a value in the Saturation number box.

6.	In the Color Metric list box, choose No Gamma Adjustment or a Contrast Level, as appropriate.

7.	Enable Show Colors Out of Screen Gamut and click Preview to verify that the adjustments made in steps 3 to 6 are not too extreme. If they are, out-of-gamut pixels will be rendered as pure red or pure blue so that you can identify out-of-gamut areas of the image and correct your adjustments.

8.	Click OK to apply the color corrections and display the image.

Notes

•	The Scene Balance Adjustment is made by the photofinisher at the time the original image is scanned and placed on the Photo CD disk. Enable the option to preserve the adjustments.

•	If the Suppress filter dialog option is enabled in the Open an Image dialog box, the Photo CD Image dialog box will not open. The image opens using the previous settings.

 Tip

•	Click Preview at any time to see the results of the settings on the image. The preview image is not continuously updated as settings are chosen.

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Scanning images


Overview: Scanning images into Corel Print & Photo House
Scanning images into Corel Print & Photo House

If you have a TWAIN compatible scanner, you can scan images directly into Corel Print & Photo House. You have the option of using your scanner’s own drivers and interface, or the Corel TWAIN interface. To use the Corel TWAIN drivers you must install them during the Corel Print & Photo House installation process. To install your scanner’s own TWAIN driver and interface, consult the documentation that came with your scanner. If desired, you can install both types of drivers, and select which one to use by clicking File, Acquire Image, Select Source.

The Corel TWAIN interface sets up a connection between your scanner and Corel Print & Photo House. Using Corel TWAIN’s Prescan feature, you can preview images before you scan them. This allows you to adjust the scanning parameters, such as Color Depth and Resolution, to enhance image quality.

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Overview: Improving image quality
Improving image quality

To get the best possible scan, you should start with a high quality original. However, if you have to scan a poor quality image, most scanners provide tools to help you improve the look of the scan.

One common problem with images is what professional photographers refer to as “flat” images, meaning that a picture has very little contrast. By adjusting the contrast or brightness when scanning, you can increase the differences between highlights and shadows to give the image the appearance of more depth. These features can also be used to enhance over- or under-exposed images.

Often, images that are damaged or older may have poor color quality (e.g., sepia tones or faded color). In this case, you may be able to adjust the balance of color in the scanned image.

Faded or blurry images can be enhanced by increasing the resolution or color depth of the scan. This helps sharpen edges and increase the distinction between colors.

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Overview: Customizing an image
Customizing an image

Depending on your needs, you may want to change the original image or use only portions of it in your document. Most scanners provide editing features that allow you to customize scanned images by rotating, flipping, or cropping them. This allows you to fit the picture into your project, and eliminate any unwanted areas from your final scan.

You can also convert color images to black and white if your scanner provides a Color Depth feature. Depending on the grayscale you choose, this conversion can reduce the size of your file.

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Overview: Selecting a resolution
Selecting a resolution

Scanning resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI) and determines the amount of detail visible in an image. To get the best possible results you should carefully choose the resolution best suited to the image you’re scanning.

It is not always necessary to choose the highest possible resolution to get a good quality scan. If the image has little detail or is only black and white, you can use a lower resolution. This helps reduce the size of the file, as images scanned at higher resolutions require more disk space.

You should also consider the capabilities of your output device. If you intend to print the scanned image, you should try to match the scan resolution to your printer’s capabilities. An image scanned at 600dpi and printed on a 300dpi printer will result in a 300dpi image. If you intend to edit the image with photo editing software, the scan resolution you choose should be appropriate for your display. For example, if you scan an image at 600dpi and display it at a lower resolution, you won’t see all the information, which could make editing details difficult.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a resolution is that you want to get the highest possible image quality without making the file any larger than necessary.

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Overview: Selecting an original
Selecting an original

The quality of your scanned image depends on the quality of the original image. When choosing an original, you should try to avoid images that are damaged or stained. Rips and tears in an image can sometimes be corrected using photo editing software.

If you’re using a photograph, examine it closely to make sure that it’s clearly focused. Photo-editors may be able to correct a photo that is slightly out of focus, but not one that is completely out of focus. Also, avoid photographs that are over- or under-exposed. You can use your scanner’s features to adjust the contrast, but you cannot highlight details that are not in the original.

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Overview: Selecting a color depth
Selecting a color depth

Color depth determines the range of colors and tones that are visible in an image. It is usually measured by the number of colors displayed (e.g., 256 colors, or 16 million colors). When choosing a color depth, you should consider the purpose of the image. If it is to be used to fill an entire page, you should use the highest possible color depth. However, if the image is going to be small, a lower depth may give you adequate results while saving on file size.

As you decrease the color depth, details in darker areas may be lost. You may want to use a higher color depth for detailed images even if it has a small color range. Scanning at a higher color depth may also save you the trouble of having to do extensive color correction in a photo-editor.

Keep in mind that the image will only appear as good as your output sources will allow. It may be a waste of disk space to scan an image at a high color depth if the monitor or printer you’re using is not capable of producing such a wide range of color.

Color depth and Corel Photo House

If you’re planning to scan an image into Corel Photo House and apply Touch-Up and Cool & Fun effects to it, you should choose the highest color depth available. For example, if you’re scanning a black and white photo that will be printed on a black and white printer, you may be tempted to choose a color depth of 256 shades of gray. However, you’ll find that Corel Photo House effects work better on images with a color depth of 16 million colors, even if the image itself does not contain any color. In addition, if you decide that you want to add some color to a grayscale image (e.g., to create a hand-painted look) it is not possible to add color to an image with a color depth of 256 shades of gray.

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To scan images into Corel Photo House

1.	Click File, Acquire Image, Acquire.

2.	When the scanner’s dialog box opens, follow the directions that came with your scanner to set up and complete the scan.

Note

•	You must select a scanning source the first time you use your scanner with Corel Photo House, or when you want to change the scanner driver you are using.

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To choose a scanning source

1.	Click File, Acquire Image, Select Source.

2.	Choose the scanner driver you want to use.

3.	Click Select.

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Painting images


Overview: Painting, filling, and editing
Painting, filling, and editing

Corel Photo House offers a variety of tools to help you create original artwork. Painting is as easy as clicking a color from the Notebook, clicking a painting tool, and dragging across your image. However, many options that let you control the way you paint are also available.

The painting tools

By combining Corel Photo House’s wide selection of brushes with the various painting tools, you can create brush strokes that simulate water color paint, chalk, markers, calligraphic pens, pencils, and spray paint. You can customize any painting tool using the Tool dialog box to set the size, angle, transparency, edge fading, and ink flow rate. The Tool dialog box and Brushes page of the Notebook offer over 100 brush shapes to choose from.

The Brush tool

The Brush tool is like a traditional paint brush. You can drag the tool to create long brush strokes, or click to create short brush strokes or dabs of paint.

The Spray tool

The Spray tool is like a can of spray paint. It paints with the characteristics of the chosen brush, and adds a spattered texture to simulate the look of spray paint.

The Eraser tool

The Eraser tool is like the Brush tool, except that it paints with the page color instead of the paint color. When you use the Eraser tool, you create the illusion of erasing the area you are painting over because the page color shows through.

The Clone tool

The Clone tool is one of the real advantages of painting in Corel Photo House. It allows you to duplicate parts of an image either onto a different part of the same image, or onto a different image altogether. You set an origin point (the area you wish to copy), and then clone it by painting over the destination.

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Overview: Working with the painting tools
Working with the painting tools

Painting tools are any of Corel Photo House’s tools that you use to apply color to your image. The Brush, Spray, Clone, and Eraser tools are all painting tools. You can choose from preset brush shapes on the Brushes page of the Notebook, and you can vary the effect any painting tool has by changing the settings in the Tool dialog box.

Brushes Page

The Brushes Page allows you to choose from a large number of preset brushes. Some brushes are shaped like traditional paint brushes, while others are in fun and unusual shapes. To use the specially shaped brushes like a rubber stamp, select the brush, then click on your image just once to paint a single shape. To use it like a regular paint brush, drag it across the image to create unique brush strokes.

Unless you need to make modifications to a brush, the Brushes Page is a great way to select brushes quickly. To customize a brush, use the Tool dialog box.

Tool dialog box

The Tool dialog box contains a palette that offers the same preset brushes that are available on the Brushes page of the Notebook. In addition to the brush palette, a number of controls to customize a brush are available. You can change the size, shape, transparency, and angle of your brush. The Preview window in the dialog box shows the current brush, so you can experiment with different settings before closing the dialog box.

 Tips

•	Small brushes (1-10 pixels) are good for delicate photo retouching. To blend in the areas that you paint, use a high edge fading value.

•	To tint an area of a photo with color, use an appropriately sized brush with a high transparency setting (e.g., 90-95). You may find it more effective to apply the paint in single clicks rather than dragging the tool.

•	For a more realistic effect with the Spray tool, use a high edge fading value.

•	If you like the effect of the Spray tool, but find it difficult to control the edges, try creating a selection around the area you want to paint so that adjacent areas are protected.

•	Use the specially shaped brushes to add fun to your photos [image] if someone is singing, stamp on a few musical notes. If your winter scene needs a little something extra, use the snowflake-shaped brushes to add some whimsical snow.

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To select a brush from the Notebook

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Brushes tab of the Notebook.

3.	Choose a preset brush from the Brushes page.

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To select a brush from the Tool dialog box

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

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To customize a brush

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Do any of the following:

•	To adjust the size of the brush, type a value between 1 and 100 in the Size box. The brush size is measured in pixels.

•	To adjust the transparency of the paint you are going to apply, type a value between 0 and 99 in the Transparency box.

•	To rotate the brush, type a value between 0 and 360 in the Angle box.

•	To have the paint fade out at the edges of the brush, type a value between 0 and 100 in the Edge Fading box. A higher value softens the edge of your brush stroke.

•	To adjust the ink flow rate in the brush, type a value between 0 and 100 in the Ink Flow Rate box. A higher value leaves more ink on the page the longer you hold down the mouse button.

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To change the size of a brush

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Type a value between 0 and 100 in the Size box. The brush size is measured in pixels.

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To change the transparency of a brush

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Type a value between 0 and 99 in the Transparency box.

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To change the angle of a brush

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Type a value between 0 and 360 in the Angle box.

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To change the edge fading of a brush

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Type a value between 0 and 100 in the Edge Fading box. A higher value softens the edge of your brush stroke.

 Related Topics


To change a brush's ink flow rate

1.	Click the painting tool you wish to use.

2.	Click the Tools button [image].

3.	Click the arrow button to the right of the brush selector.

4.	Choose a brush from the palette.

5.	Type a value between 0 and 100 in the Ink Flow Rate box. A higher value leave more ink in the center of the brush stroke.

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Overview: Selecting paint and page colors
Selecting paint and page colors

There are several ways to select paint and page colors. You can

•	click a color on the Coloring page of the Notebook

•	select a color from an existing image with the Eyedropper tool

•	click the Coloring button [image] to open the Coloring dialog box

•	click the Change Color tool in the Toolbox to open the Coloring dialog box

The Color Change tool in the Toolbox changes to reflect the colors you choose. The paint or page color you select does not have to be from the same color model that your image uses: for example, you can select a color from the HSB model for use in a RGB image.

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To select a paint color from the Notebook

1.	Click the Coloring tab of the Notebook.

2.	Click a color from Coloring page.

 Related Topics


To select a page color from the Notebook

1.	Click the Coloring tab of the Notebook.

2.	Hold down SHIFT and click a color from Coloring page.

 Tip

•	You can also choose the page color by right-clicking the color.

 Related Topics


To select a color from an image as the paint color

1.	Click the Eyedropper tool [image].

2.	Click a color in the image.

 Related Topics


To select a color from an image as the page color

1.	Click the Eyedropper tool [image].

2.	Hold down SHIFT and click a color in the image.

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To select a paint color from the Coloring dialog box

1.	Click the Coloring button [image].

2.	Click a color from the palette.

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To select a page color from the Coloring dialog box

1.	Click the Coloring button [image].

2.	Choose Page Color from the list box.

3.	Click a color from the palette.

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To select a custom paint color from the Coloring dialog box

1.	Click the Coloring button [image].

2.	Choose Paint Color from the list box.

3.	Click More.

4.	Do one of the following:

•	Drag the selectors to choose a color

•	Click RGB to use the RGB color model.

If you choose the RGB color model, drag the sliders to choose a color.

 Tip

•	You can also choose an RGB color by typing values in the R, G, and B boxes.

 Related Topics


To select a custom page color from the Coloring dialog box

1.	Click the Coloring button [image].

2.	Choose Page color from the list box.

3.	Click More.

4.	Do one of the following:

•	Drag the HSB selectors to choose a color

•	Click RGB to use the RGB color model.

If you choose the RGB color model, drag the sliders to choose a color.

 Tip

•	You can also choose an RGB color by typing values in the R, G, and B boxes.

 Related Topics


To use any painting tool

1.	Click a painting tool.

2.	Drag across the page.

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To apply color using the Brush tool

1.	Click the Brush tool [image].

2.	Drag across the page as you would with a paint brush.

 Related Topics


To apply color using the Spray tool

1.	Click the Spray tool [image].

2.	Drag across the page as you would with a can of spray paint.

 Related Topics


To clone an area of an image

1.	Click the Clone tool [image].

2.	Click your image to select a source point for cloning.

3.	Move the cursor to the destination area.

The destination area can be in the same window as the source point, or in a different Corel Photo House window.

4.	Drag across your image to clone.

Note

•	To reset the source point, press SHIFT and click, or right-click and choose Reset Origin.

 Related Topics


Overview: Using the Flood Fill tool
Using the Flood Fill tool

The Flood Fill tool [image] allows you to apply the paint color to parts of your image. You can limit the boundary of the fill using the Color Tolerance dialog box and by defining a selection on your image with the Rectangular and Freehand Selection tools.

Color Tolerance dialog box

The Color Tolerance dialog box contains a slider that you use to increase or decrease the current color tolerance. The color tolerance defines the range of colors around your target color that are filled when you use the Flood Fill tool. The target color is the color in the image that you click with the Flood Fill tool.

For example, if you set a low color tolerance and click the Flood Fill tool on a red area of a photo, only the red areas are filled with the paint color. If you set a medium color tolerance, many areas of the photo are filled, including reds, pinks, browns, and oranges. If you set a high color tolerance, most areas of the photo are filled.

When setting color tolerance, remember that an image can contain up to 16 million colors. If you want to use the Flood Fill tool to color the sky green, you’ll need to adjust the color tolerance so that all the shades of blue that make up the sky are included in the fill range.

 Related Topics


To set the color tolerance of the Flood Fill tool

1.	Click the Color Tolerance button [image].

2.	Drag the slider to the left to decrease the color tolerance, or to the right to increase the color tolerance.

A lower color tolerance means that only the pixels closest to the target color are filled.

 Related Topics


To fill part of your image with the paint color

1.	Click the Flood Fill tool.

2.	Click the image.

All pixels adjacent to the one you clicked that fall within the defined color tolerance are filled.

 Related Topics


To fill a selection with the paint color

1.	Click the Color Tolerance button [image].

2.	Drag the slider to the far right.

3.	Click OK.

4.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

5.	Drag across your image to surround the area you want to select.

6.	Click the Flood Fill tool.

7.	Click the selection.

All pixels in the selection are filled.

 Related Topics


Overview: Editing images
Editing images

There are three main ways of editing an image: applying effects, undoing changes immediately after you make them, and erasing.

Editing with effects

Effects allow you to apply various corrections and enhancements to an entire image, or just to a selection. Some effects, such as Sharpen, are more useful for photo retouching (see the Photo retouching  guide), but many of them are useful for editing your original artwork. For example, the Replace Colors effect is an easy way to change the colors in a painting without having to use the painting tools.

Undoing actions

The Undo command in the Edit menu undoes the last change you made to your image. If you make a mistake or don’t like the effect created by your last action, the Undo command reverses it. The command is only available immediately after you have performed an action.

Erasing areas of an image

You can erase areas of an image using the Eraser tool [image]. The Eraser paints with the page color instead of the paint color. When you use it, you create the illusion of erasing the area you are painting over because the page color shows through.

 Related Topics


To undo the last operation

•	Click Edit, Undo.

 Tip

•	The shortcut for the Undo command is CTRL + Z.

 Related Topics


To replace areas of an image with the page color

1.	Click the Eraser tool [image].

2.	Click and drag over the parts of your image that were affected by your last brush stroke or action to replace them with the page color.

 Related Topics


Cutting, copying, and pasting


To cut or copy a selection to the Clipboard

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Drag across an image to create a selection.

3.	Click Edit, Cut or Copy.

 Tip

•	Once the image is on the Clipboard, you can paste it back into the original document or another Corel Photo House document, create a new Corel Photo House document from it, paste it into Corel Print House, or paste it into another Windows application.

 Related Topics


To paste from the Clipboard into an image

•	Click Edit, Paste, As New Selection.

Note

•	The Paste command shortcut (CTRL + V) functions according to your current task. If you have no selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into your image as a new selection. If you have a selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into the selection. If you have no images open, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into a new image.

 Related Topics


To create an image from the contents of the Clipboard

•	Click Edit, Paste, As New Document.

Note

•	The Paste command shortcut (CTRL + V) functions according to your current task. If you have no selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into your image as a new selection. If you have a selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into the selection. If you have no images open, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into a new image.

 Related Topics


To create a copy of an image

•	Click Window, Copy Of Window.

 Related Topics


Viewing your work


Overview: Viewing your image
Viewing your image

Corel Photo House allows you to view and work on your image from as close up or as far away as necessary. You'll find that some types of bitmap editing are easier if you zoom in on your image, but you'll need to zoom out periodically to ensure that you're achieving the desired overall effect.

The Zoom tool

The Zoom tool allows you to magnify or decrease the size of your on-screen image without affecting the actual image size. The real-life equivalent to the Zoom tool is a telescope. When you look through one side, your image is magnified. When you flip it over, your image seems farther away.

When you zoom in so that all of an image is not visible, you can move around the image by clicking the scroll bars that appear at the sides and bottom of the Image Window.

 Related Topics


To view an image at its actual size

•	Click View, Zoom 1:1.

 Related Topics


To fit an image to the Corel Photo House window

•	Click View, Zoom To Fit.

 Tip

•	You can also click the Zoom To Page button [image] on the Toolbar.

 Related Topics


To magnify an image using the Zoom tool

1.	Click the Zoom tool [image].

2.	Click the image you want to magnify.

Note

•	Each time you click an image with the Zoom tool, the magnification increases by 100%.

 Tip

•	You can also click the image and drag to create a rectangle around the area you want to magnify.

 Related Topics


To decrease magnification using the Zoom Out tool

1.	Click the image you want to reduce.

2.	Click the Zoom Out tool

Note

•	Each time you click the Zoom Out tool on an image, the magnification decreases by 100%.

 Related Topics


To choose a preset magnification level

•	Click View, Zoom, and choose a magnification level from the menu.

 Related Topics


To display an image at 100%

•	Click View, Zoom 100%.

 Related Topics


Saving your work


Overview: Saving your work
Saving your work

Corel Photo House files can be saved in several common bitmap file formats including .BMP, .JPG, .PCX, .CPT, and .TIF. The first time you use the Save command on the File menu, or the Save button on the Toolbar, the Export dialog box opens. You can choose a filename, format, and location for your image. To change the file format or filename, use the Save As command from the File menu.

 Related Topics


To save an image

1.	Click File, Save.

2.	Choose the drive and folder where you want to store the file in the Save In box.

3.	Choose a file format in the Save As type box.

4.	Type a file name in the File Name box.

5.	Click Save.

Notes

•	This dialog box only opens the first time you choose the Save command. Each subsequent time you click File, Save, the file is automatically saved in the same location and with the same name as you choose the first time you used the command.

•	Depending on the file format you choose, additional dialog boxes may appear when you click Save.

 Related Topics


To save an image under a new name

1.	Click File, Save As.

2.	In the Save As list box, choose a drive and folder where you want to store the file.

3.	Type a new name in the File Name box.

4.	Click Save.

 Related Topics


To revert to your last saved image

1.	Click File, Revert To Last Saved.

2.	Click Yes.

 Related Topics


To close a file

•	Click File, Close.

Notes

•	If you haven’t saved your file, a dialog box opens asking if you would like to save it before closing.

•	If the image was sent from Corel Print House, a dialog box opens asking if you would like to update the image in Print House before closing.

 Related Topics


To close Corel Photo House

•	Click File, Exit.

If you haven’t saved your file, a dialog box opens asking you if you would like to save it before exiting.

 Related Topics


Changing the appearance of photos and bitmaps


Working with selections


Overview: Using selections
Using selections

A selection is like a stencil that allows you to isolate an area so that you can apply color and special effects to that area without altering the rest of the image. When you create a selection using the Rectangular or Freehand Selection tools, you temporarily divide your image into two regions: the selection, and the protected area. Everything inside the selection can be altered; everything outside the selection is protected from change. The dashed line that separates the selection from the protected areas of your image is called the selection marquee.

You can use selections to create unusual effects or replace color in your image. For example, if you have an image of a girl holding a red umbrella and you want the umbrella to be yellow, you can define a selection around the umbrella and change its color without altering the color in the rest of the image.

Once a selection has been defined, you can paint on the image, apply a fill, or use the Clone tool [image] all without altering the area outside the selection marquee. You can also use many of Corel Photo House's Touch-Up and Cool & Fun effects to edit selections.

 Tip

•	For best results, use the Feather, Remove Dust & Scratches, and Replace Colors effects on selections, not on entire images.

 Related Topics


To create a rectangular selection

1.	Click the Rectangular Selection tool [image].

2.	Click and drag to surround the area you want to select.

 Tip

•	Hold down CTRL while drawing to create a square or hold down SHIFT to draw from the center.

 Related Topics


To create a freehand selection

1.	Click the Freehand Selection tool [image].

2.	Click and drag around the area you want to select as if you were drawing with a pencil.

3.	Double-click to set the selection.

 Related Topics


To remove a selection

•	Click Edit, Remove Selection.

 Tip

•	If you are using the Rectangular or Freehand Selection tools, you can also click the image anywhere outside of the selection to remove it.

 Related Topics


To apply an effect to a selection

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Click and drag across the image to surround the area you want to select.

3.	Click Image, Touch-up Effects or Cool & Fun Effects.

4.	Choose an effect and preview it in its dialog box.

 Tip

•	You can also drag effects out of the Effects page of the Notebook.

 Related Topics


To feather pixels around a selection

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Click and drag across the image to surround the area you want to select.

3.	Drag the selection to a new location if desired.

4.	Click Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Feather.

5.	Choose a soft or hard edge by clicking the appropriate button.

6.	Move the Width slider to the right to feather more pixels, or to the left to feather fewer pixels.

Notes

•	If you move the selection before applying the Feather effect, the selection is blended with the pixels in the surrounding image.

•	If you don’t move the selection before applying the Feather effect, the selection is blended with the page color.

 Tips

•	You can also set the feathering width by typing a value in the Width box.

•	Once you have created the selection, you can also use the Cut and Copy commands on the Edit menu and then paste the selection into a new Corel Photo House window.

 Related Topics


To move a selection

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Click and drag across the image to surround the area you want to select.

3.	Drag the selection to the desired location.

 Tip

•	To see the contents of the selection as you drag it, hold down the mouse for a few seconds before you begin dragging.

 Related Topics


Using effects


Overview: Using effects
Using effects

Effects can help you take ordinary images and change them in extraordinary ways. You can turn poor quality images into professional quality photographs using the Touch-Up effects, or bring new life to old photos using the Cool & Fun effects.

The Image menu and Effects page of the Notebook provide access to the entire range of effects. Each effect dialog box displays a Preview window that allows you to see the results of the effect before you apply it your image.

Some of the more powerful effects take a little while to master. If you make a change and don’t like the results, you can undo the change, or revert to the last saved version of the image.

Experimentation is the key to unlocking the power of Corel Photo House. Try several different effect settings before applying them to your image. If you’re not sure where to begin, read the Photo retouching guide to find out which effects to use to correct common photographic problems.

 Related Topics


To apply an effect from the Notebook

1.	Click the Effects page of the Notebook.

2.	Click the Touch-Up or Cool & Fun button.

3.	Double-click an effect.

 Tip

•	You can also drag the effect icon out of the Notebook and drop it on your image.

 Related Topics


Overview: Touch-Up effects
Touch-Up effects

The Touch-Up effects are ideal for enhancing and color correcting photographic images. For example, the Brightness/Contrast/Intensity effect lets you control the balance of colors in highlights and shadow. Try using it on your overexposed or underexposed photographs. The Sharpen effect can be used to bring out detail in older photographs, and the Remove Dust & Scratches effect can be used to improve damaged areas of images.

Sharpen

Sharpens the edges of an image or selection. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Brightness/Contrast/Intensity

Brightens or darkens a picture, or changes the distinction between light and dark areas. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Remove Dust & Scratches

Minimizes dust and scratch faults in an image. For best results, use this effect on a selection, not on an entire image. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Reduce Speckles

Softens the image and reduces the speckled effect that can be created by scanners and video capture software. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Simplify Colors

Removes gradations of color, creating areas of solid colors or gray shades. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Remove red eyes

Allows you to color correct images where the subjects’ eyes appear red. This effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images.

Replace Colors

Replaces selected colors in the original image with new colors. For best results, use this effect on a selection, not on an entire image. This effect can be used on any color image. It cannot be used on Grayscale and Black and White (1-bit color) images.

 Related Topics


Overview: Cool & Fun effects
Cool & Fun effects

Cool & Fun effects truly live up to their name. They can transform image colors and textures, create three-dimensional effects, and distort image appearances.

Effects like Page Curl and Emboss produce three-dimensional results, so that the image seems to jump off the page. Other effects such as Custom Negative and Psychedelic change the colors in your images. For more texture or a hand-painted appearance, try using the Texture and Impressionist effects.

Cool & Fun effects can be used to change an image only slightly or to completely distort it so that only colors and patterns remain. Colorful images can take on the appearance of an abstract painting when you apply effects such as Swirl and Impressionist. Don’t be afraid to combine effects to transform your photos in new ways.

Add Light Source

Produces a spot of light that resembles the refraction of light through a camera lens. This effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images.

Custom Negative

Transforms colors to appear like those of a negative photographic image. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Emboss

Creates a three-dimensional appearance so that your image appears to be carved in stone. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Feather

Blurs the edges of an image or selection, producing a softer effect. Use the Feather effect when you are cutting and pasting a selection from one image to another and need to blend the pasted area into the background. You can also use this effect to blend the edges of an entire image into the page color. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Page Curl

Rolls a corner of the page over part of the image. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images. You can only use this effect on an entire image, not on a selection.

Impressionist

Makes the image look like an impressionist-style oil painting. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Motion Blur

Creates the illusion of movement in an image. This effect can only be used Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Photo Negative

Inverts all colors in an image so that they appear as they would in a photographic negative. This effect can be used on all types of images.

Psychedelic

Changes the colors in the image to bright, electric colors such as orange, hot pink, cyan, and lime green. This effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images.

Ripple

Produces an effect similar to dropping a pebble into a pool of water. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Sketch

Makes the image look like a hand-drawn sketch. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Swirl

Rotates and drags an image in the direction designated by the angle. This effect can be used on all types of images except Black and White (1-bit color).

Texture

Places a Paper, Linen, Rock, or Marble pattern over an image. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images.

Vignette

Creates an oval frame around the center of the image. This effect can only be used on Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK images. You can only use this effect on an entire image, not on a selection.

 Related Topics


Using the Touch-Up effects


To adjust brightness, contrast, and intensity

1.	Click Image, Touch-Up Effects, Brightness/Contrast/Intensity.

2.	Move the sliders to set the amount of brightness contrast, and intensity.

 Tip

•	Contrast should be increased about one tenth the amount you increase brightness. Intensity is applied in greater amounts to brighter parts of an image.

 Related Topics


To reduce speckles

1.	Choose Image, Touch-Up Effects, Reduce Speckles.

2.	Move the Threshold slider to the right to remove fewer speckles or to the left to remove more speckles.

Note

•	The slider defines the maximum value permitted above the average value. Any pixel above this value is modified.

 Related Topics


To improve damaged areas of an image

1.	Choose Image, Touch-Up Effects, Remove Dust & Scratches.

2.	Move the Level slider to the left to reduce image noise.

The lower the setting, the greater the amount of noise removed.

3.	Move the Radius slider to set the range of the effect.

 Tip

•	Select the damaged areas of the image before applying this effect to correct the problem areas without affecting the rest of the image.

 Related Topics


To remove red eyes

1.	Click Image, Touch-up effects, Remove Red Eyes.

2.	Click the Hand tool [image] and click the Before image to zoom in on one red eye.

If the eye isn’t in the center of the Before window, drag the image with the Hand tool to center it.

3.	Click the Selection tool [image].

4.	Click and drag to create a rectangle as close around the red pupil as possible.

Ensure the red area is within the rectangle.

5.	Choose a new eye color by doing one of the following:

•	Click the eyedropper tool [image] and click a color in the Before window.

•	Click the Select eye color button and choose a new color.

6.	Repeat steps 2 to 5 for the other red eye.

Note

•	This effect can only be used on 16 million color and CMYK images.

 Tip

•	For best results, Zoom in on one eye at a time.

 Related Topics


To replace colors

1.	Choose Image, Touch-Up Effects, Replace Colors.

2.	Click the Eyedropper tool [image] in the dialog box and select a color from the image in the Before window

3.	Click the Select The New Color button and choose a color to replace the old color.

4.	Move the Range slider to set the amount of color to replace.

 Tips

•	You can also choose the color to replace by clicking the color button under the Before window.

•	For best results, apply this effect to a selection rather than to an entire image.

 Related Topics


To sharpen images

1.	Choose Image, Touch-Up Effects, Sharpen.

2.	Move the Percentage slider to set the level of edge sharpening.

 Related Topics


To remove color gradations

1.	Choose Image, Touch-Up Effects, Simplify Colors.

2.	Move the Level slider to specify the level of colors. The lower the value, the more pronounced the effect.

 Related Topics


Using the Cool & Fun effects


To feather the edges of an image

1.	Click Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Feather.

2.	Choose a soft or hard edge by clicking the appropriate button.

3.	Move the Width slider to the right to feather more pixels, or to the left to feather fewer pixels.

Notes

•	When you use this effect on an entire image, the edges of the image are blended with the page color.

 Tips

•	You can also set the feathering width by typing a value in the Width box.

•	Use the Feather effect on a selection to blend it into the background pixels of an image.

 Related Topics


To apply a three-dimensional relief effect

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Emboss.

2.	Move the Depth slider to set the intensity of the embossing effect.

3.	Click an arrow to choose the location of the light source.

4.	Enable the Original Color button to maintain the same colors in the embossed image, or click the Color button to choose a new color.

 Related Topics


To apply a motion effect

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Motion Blur.

2.	Click an arrow to indicate the direction of movement.

3.	Move the Speed slider to set the intensity of the effect.

 Related Topics


To apply a psychedelic effect

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Psychedelic.

2.	Move the Level slider to set the intensity of the effect.

 Related Topics


To create color negative images

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Custom Negative.

2.	Move the Level slider to set the intensity of the effect.

 Related Topics


To create photo negative images

•	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Photo Negative.

 Related Topics


To apply impressionist-style brush strokes

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Impressionist.

2.	Move the Horizontal slider to set the direction in which dots are applied.

3.	Move the Vertical slider to specify the distance between the dots.

 Related Topics


To outline the edges of an image

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Sketch.

2	Move the Level slider to set the level of edge enhancement.

3.	Enable an edge type button. Soft creates a smooth, blurred outline edge. Solid creates a harsh, sharp outline edge.

 Related Topics


To ripple or twist an image

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Ripple.

2.	Move the Period slider to set the distance between distortion waves.

3.	Move the Strength slider to set the intensity of the distortion.

4.	Move the Damping slider to set the radius of the distortion.

 Related Topics


To apply a swirl effect

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Swirl.

2.	Move the Angle slider to set the amount of rotation. Negative values rotate counterclockwise. Positive values rotate clockwise.

 Related Topics


To add an oval frame to an image

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Vignette.

2.	Move the Offset slider to set the size of the center of the frame. Move the slider to the left to increase the size of the frame and to the right to decrease the size of the frame.

3.	Move the Fade slider to set the amount of fade.

4.	Click the Color button to choose a color for the frame.

Note

•	The Vignette effect can only be applied to an entire image, not to a selection.

 Related Topics


To curl a corner of the page over an image

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Page Curl.

2.	Choose a corner to curl by clicking a page button.

3.	Move the Width and Height slider bars to specify the dimensions of the curl. Higher values increase and extend the size of the curl width and height.

4.	Enable the Opaque button if you want the curl to be filled with a blend of gray and white simulating a highlight. Enable the Transparent button if you want the underlying image to be displayed through the curled paper.

Note

•	This effect can only be applied to an entire image. It cannot be applied to a selection.

 Related Topics


To add a textured background to an image

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun Effects, Texture.

2.	Choose a texture by clicking a Texture Map.

3.	Move the Transparency and Emboss sliders to set transparency and embossing percentages.

 Related Topics


To create a reflection of light

1.	Choose Image, Cool & Fun effects, Add Light Source.

2.	Click a button to choose a lens type.

3.	Move the Brightness slider to set the intensity of the reflection.

4.	Click the image in the Preview window to set the position of the reflection.

 Tip

•	Click the Reset button to restore the default settings.

 Related Topics


Changing the content of photos


Overview: Changing the content of photos
Changing the content of photos

Part of the fun of photo-editing is adding items that weren’t there when the photo was taken, or removing parts of the original image. Here are a few examples of photo-editing tricks:

•	Add someone to a photo

•	Give someone a new head or body

•	Remove unwanted background items such as overhead wires

•	Hand-color a photo

Most photo-editing tricks aren’t hard to achieve with a little practice. Using the Zoom tools to get close to your work will help you create the desired effects.

 Tip

•	For more tips on editing your photos, read the Photo retouching guide.

 Related Topics


To add someone to a photo

1.	Open the image of the person (the source image), and the image you want to paste them into (the destination image).

2.	Click the Zoom tool and zoom in on the person.

3.	Click the Freehand Selection tool [image].

4.	Click and drag to surround the body.

The closer you make the selection, the easier it will be to blend it into the other photo.

4.	Click Edit, Copy.

5.	In the destination image, click Edit, Paste As New Selection.

6.	Click Image, Touch-Up effects, Feather.

7.	Enable the Soft button.

8.	Experiment with different Width setting to find one that blends your selection into the new image smoothly.

 Tip

•	Click the Preview button to view the results of each setting change in the After window.

 Related Topics


To give someone a new head or body

1.	Open the image of the person (the destination image), and the image of the new head or body (the source image).

2.	Click the Zoom tool and zoom in on the head or body in both images.

3.	Click the Clone tool.

4.	In the source image, click the area you want to duplicate.

5.	In the destination image, click the area where you want to duplicate the head or body.

Ensure that you click in the same area of each image (e.g., if you click in the middle of the new face, click in the middle of the face you want to replace).

6.	Drag to duplicate the head or body onto the new image.

To avoid cloning over areas you want to keep, you may need to switch between large and small brushes.

 Tip

•	To reset the origin point of the Clone tool, hold down the SHIFT key and click. When the cross-hair cursor reappears, click a new origin point.

 Related Topics


To remove unwanted background items from an image

1.	Open the image.

2.	Click the Zoom tool.

3.	Zoom in on the area you want to remove.

4.	Click the Clone tool.

5.	Click an origin point that is suitable for covering the unwanted area (e.g., if you want to remove overhead wires, click an area of the sky that does not have any wires).

6.	Click the area you want to remove.

7.	Drag over the area to cover it.

If you need to Clone from a different area, press SHIFT and click the new area.

 Related Topics


To hand color a photo

1.	Open the image.

2.	Click the Freehand Selection tool [image].

3.	Drag to create a selection around the first area you want to color.

4.	Click Image, Touch-up effects, Replace colors.

5.	Click the eyedropper tool [image] in the dialog box and select a color from the image in the Before preview window, or click the color button to choose a color to replace.

6.	Click the color button under the After preview window to choose the new color.

7,	Adjust the Range slider to set the amount of color to replace.

8.	Repeat steps 1 to 7 for each area you want to color.

 Tip

•	You can choose a premixed color by clicking the New color box and choosing a color from the palette displayed.

 Related Topics


Cropping, resizing, and resampling images


Overview: Cropping, resampling, and resizing images
Cropping, resampling, and resizing images

Corel Photo House allows you to crop, resize, and resample images in two ways: by selecting these options when you open the image, or at any other time using the Crop To Selection and Image Properties commands. Before using any of these options, ensure that you understand the differences between image size and resolution.

Cropping

Cropping trims away unwanted areas of an image. It creates a smaller image and a smaller file.

Resampling

Resampling changes the resolution of an image. High resolutions create very large files.

Resizing

Resizing changes the dimensions of an image. You’ll achieve best results if you create your image at the correct size for your Corel Print House project (e.g., if you’re creating a quarter-fold card, choose that size from the Type box in the Image Properties dialog box).

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To crop an image

1.	Click the Rectangular [image] or Freehand [image] Selection tool.

2.	Click and drag across the image to surround the area you want to select.

3.	Click Image, Crop To Selection.

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To change the size of an image

1.	Click Image, Image Properties

2.	Choose a new size from the Type box.

 Tips

•	If the sizes in the Type box are not suitable, choose Custom and type values in the Width and Height boxes.

•	If the dimensions you choose are not the same width to height ratio as the original image, but you would like the original width to height ratio maintained, enable the Maintain Aspect Ratio check box and Corel Photo House automatically adjusts the dimensions of your image.

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To change the resolution of an image

1.	Click Image, Image Properties

2.	Type values in the Horizontal and Vertical boxes.

Note

•	High resolutions create very large files.

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Converting images to other color formats


Overview: Converting images
Converting images

You can change the color mode of an image using the Image Properties command or invert its colors using the Photo Negative effect.

Changing color mode

Color mode determines the range of colors and tones that are visible in an image. It is usually measured by the number of colors displayed (e.g., 256 colors). When choosing a color mode, you should consider the purpose of the image. If it is to be used to fill an entire page, you should use the highest possible color mode. However, if the image is going to be small, a lower color mode may give you adequate results while saving on file size.

As you decrease the color mode, details in darker areas may be lost. You may want to use a higher color mode for detailed images even if it has a small color range. Keep in mind that the image will only appear as good as your output sources allow. It may be a waste of disk space to convert an image to a high color mode if the monitor or printer you’re using is not capable of producing such a wide range of color.

The following color modes are supported by Corel Photo House: Black and White, 16 color, 256 color, Grayscale, 16 million color, and CMYK.

Converting to Grayscale

Grayscale is one of five color modes you can choose for your photos. You can convert an image to grayscale using the Notebook or the Image Properties dialog box. If you have a black and white (1-bit color) image that you need to apply effects to, you must convert it to Grayscale since effects don’t work on 1-bit color images.

Converting to Photo Negative

You can convert an image to a photo negative using the Photo Negative effect from the Notebook or the Image menu. Photo Negative inverts all colors in your image so that they appear as they would in a photographic negative.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a 16 color image to a 16 million color image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for 16 color images.

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To change an image's color mode
To change an image’s color mode

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose a new color mode from the Color Mode box.

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To convert an image to black and white

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose Black And White from the Color Mode box.

 Tip

•	Apply any desired effects to images before converting them to Black and White. Effects cannot be used on Black and White (1-bit color) images.

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To convert an image to 16 colors

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose 16 Color from the Color Mode box.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a black and white image to a 16 color image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for black and white images.

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To convert an image to grayscale

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose Grayscale from the Color Mode box.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a black and white image to a grayscale image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for black and white images.

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To convert an image to 256 colors

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose 256 Color from the Color Mode box.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a 16 color image to a 256 color image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for 16 color images.

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To convert an image to 16 million colors

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose 16 Million Color from the Color Mode box.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a 16 color image to a 16 million color image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for 16 color images.

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To convert an image to CMYK

1.	Click Image, Image Properties.

2.	Choose 16 Million Color from the Color Mode box.

Note

•	Increasing the color mode of an existing image (e.g., converting a 16 color image to a CMYK image) does not improve the appearance of the image, however, it may make it possible for you to use Corel Print House effects that are not available for 16 color images.

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To invert image colors

•	Click Image, Cool & Fun effects, Photo Negative.

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Printing your work


Overview: Printing your work
Printing your work

When you’re ready to print a Corel Photo House file, you can update the Corel Print House project the image came from, or print it directly from Corel Photo House. The Print command on the File menu opens the Print dialog box, which allows you to select a printer, set the paper size and orientation, and choose the number of copies you would like to print.

For printing purposes, Corel Photo House scales your image to fit your paper size and centers it on the page. The actual size of your image remains unchanged.

File size considerations when printing

Image size, color mode, and resolution all affect file size. Keep your system capabilities in mind when creating files, since larger files require more RAM when printing. If an image is too large for your system to print, use the Image Properties dialog box to reduce the image to a more manageable size (e.g., reduce the image size or resolution).

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To print your work

1.	Click File, Print.

2.	Do any of the following:

•	Choose a printer from the Name box.

•	Type a value in the Number Of Copies box.

•	Click Properties to change the printer settings.

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To print multiple copies

1.	Click File, Print.

2.	Type the number of copies in the Number Of Copies box.

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To change printers

1.	Click File, Print.

2.	Choose a printer from the Name box. If the printer you need is not listed, install it following the usual Windows procedure.

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To set paper size

1.	Click File, Print.

2.	Click the Properties button.

3.	Choose the paper size.

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To set paper orientation

1.	Click File, Print.

2.	Click the Properties button.

3.	Choose the Orientation.

 Tip

•	If you’re unsure of which orientation to choose, look at the dimensions of your image. Choose Portrait (vertical) for images that are taller than they are wide, and Landscape (horizontal) for images that are wider than they are tall. Images are printed in the center of the page regardless of orientation.

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Shortcuts


Overview: Menu command shortcut keys
Menu command shortcut keys

You can access the following menu commands using the keystroke combinations shown below:

File menu

New	CTRL + N

Open	CTRL + O

Save	CTRL + S

Print	CTRL + P

Edit menu

Undo	CTRL + Z

Redo	CTRL + SHIFT + Z

Cut	CTRL + X

Copy	CTRL + C

Paste	CTRL + V

Window menu

Cascade	SHIFT + F5

Tile Horizontally	SHIFT + F4

Note

•	The Paste command shortcut (CTRL + V) functions according to your current task. If you have no selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into your image as a new selection. If you have a selection on your image, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into the selection. If you have no images open, CTRL + V pastes the Clipboard contents into a new image.

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Overview: Toolbar shortcut keys
Toolbar shortcut keys

You can access the following Toolbar commands using the keystroke combinations shown below:

Zoom In	F2

Zoom Out	F3

Coloring dialog box	CTRL + SHIFT + 1

Tool dialog box	CTRL + SHIFT + 2

Color Tolerance dialog box	CTRL + SHIFT + 3

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Overview: Notebook shortcut keys
Notebook shortcut keys

You can access the following Notebook pages using the keystroke combinations shown below:

Key page	F4

Coloring page	F5

Brushes page	F6

Touch-Up Effects	F7

Cool & Fun Effects	F8

Photos page	F9

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Overview: Toolbox shortcut keys
Toolbox shortcut keys

You can access the following tools using the keystroke combinations shown below:

Key tool	CTRL+1

Rectangular Selection tool	CTRL+2

Freehand Selection tool	CTRL+3

Eyedropper tool	CTRL+4

Eraser tool	CTRL+5

Flood Fill tool	CTRL+6

Brush tool	CTRL+7

Spray tool	CTRL+8

Clone tool	CTRL+9

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