Monday, February 19th, 2007
DPReview postings
There has been some discussion on the forums of DPReview.com about opinions written by someone who calls themselves “Blue Water”. They purport to be me.
Just to clarify the situation, I am not Blue Water. Until today I didn’t know DPReveiw.com even existed and I had never posted there. The opinions and comments of Blue Water are not mine.
Helen Bradley (the real one!)
Labels: DPReview, forum, Helen Bradley, postings
Monday, February 19th, 2007
Picasa: quick and easy photo editing for free
Picasa is a great free photo organiser and editor and you can find and download it from picasa.google.com. Here are some of the key editing features in Picasa. If you already use Picasa, I suggest you update your version now. In past versions, edits you make in Picasa were only visible in Picasa and were not saved with the image unless you exported it. The new version avoids these problems.
- To edit an image, from the main screen (called the Library), double click the image to open it in the editor. To straighten a photo, select the Straighten tool and drag the slider to the left or right to rotate the image until it is straight – use the grid as a visual guide to gauge when it is straight. Click Apply to apply the fix and crop the uneven edges from the image.
- To lighten an image where the subject is in shadow, choose the Tuning tool and drag the Fill Light slider to bring the detail out of the shadows – this mimics using the fill flash on your camera. The Temperature slider adjusts the colour of the light in the image, drag it to the right to add yellow to the image and to the left to add blue.
- To fix an image with poor contrast you have two options. The first is to use the Auto Contrast fix in the Basic tools. If the fix isn’t enough or still needs some tuning, select the Tuning tab and adjust the Highlights and Shadows until you get the desired result. To fix a batch of images, select them in the Library by Control + clicking on them and choose Picture, Batch Edit, Auto Contrast.
- To crop an image for printing, select the image and choose the Crop tool. To crop for 4 x 6 printing, choose the 10 x 15 option (the ratios are the same) and drag over the image. Drag on the edges of the shape to size it larger or smaller but still in the correct proportions. Click Apply to apply the change to the image.
- When you’ve finished working on an image, sharpen it using the Effects menu and choose the Sharpen option. You can use this tool multiple times if needed to sharpen the image – every time you click it, the image is sharpened a little more. If you sharpen too much, click the Undo button to roll back the changes. An image you will print should be sharpened more than one you’ll simply preview on the screen.
- To turn an image into a black and white image, choose the Effects, Filtered Black and White. Click the Pick Color box and test the colours that appear – each will give a slightly different black and white image based on the colours in the original image – pick the version that looks the best – ie where there are best variations between dark and light areas.
Labels: digital photo organization, free software, photo editing, Picasa
Sunday, February 18th, 2007
Autonumber a series of Word documents
Word does not contain any option for automatically numbering a series of documents with a consecutive number – the type of thing you might want to do if you are using Word to create invoices or numbered purchase orders. The solution is to create a macro to do the work for you.
Start with a template that has a macro that runs when ever the template is used for a new document. The macro should read a number stored in a file on your drive, add it to your document and then, to prepare the number for the next time it’s required, the number should be incremented by one and be written back into the file.
To create the solution, create a new document (or open an existing one to use as a template) and click where you want the sequential number to appear, and choose Insert, Bookmark, type docNum in the Bookmark name area and click Add.
Save this file as a template by choosing File, Save As, from the Files as type list choose Document Template (*.dot), give the file a name and click Save. With the file still open, choose Tools, Macro, Macros and type the name of the macro docNum and, from the Macros In list choose the template file name for the file you just saved and choose Create.
Type this macro as shown, the sub and end sub lines should be there already:
Sub docNum()
Dim MyString, docNumber
FileToOpen = “c:\windows\docNumfile.txt”
Open FileToOpen For Input As #1
Input #1, docNumber
Close #1 ‘ Close file
ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(“docNum”).Select
Selection.InsertAfter Text:=docNumber
docNumber = docNumber + 1
Open FileToOpen For Output As #1
Write #1, docNumber
Close #1 ‘ Close file.
End Sub
Now choose File, Close and Return to Microsoft Word. With the template on the screen, choose File, Close and answer Yes when prompted to save your changes.
Now open Notepad and type a number 4 or 5 numbers less than the number of the first quote you want to use. So, if you want to start numbering at 200, type 195 so you have a few numbers to use to test the process. Choose File, Save As and save the file as a text file, calling it docNumfile.txt and save it to this folder: C:\windows. Close Notepad
To test the process, choose File, New, choose the template file and click OK. Now run the macro by choosing Tools, Macro, Macros, docnumb, Run. If you have everything right the document number will be inserted in the document.
When this is working fine, alter the macro so this process of inserting the document number happens automatically whenever you create a new document based on this template. To do this, choose Tools, Macro, Macros, click on docnumb and click Edit. Change this macro’s procedure name by altering this line of code:
Sub docnumb()
to read
Sub AutoNew()
Choose File, Close and Return to Microsoft Word. With the template on the screen, choose File, Close. Say No to saving your changes to this file but answer Yes to save the changes to your template file.
Now test again by creating a new file using File, New, choose your template and click OK. The document number should be added automatically to the new document.
If, in the process of testing you find you go past your starting document number, open Notepad and open the file docnumfile.txt, type a new starting number and save it again.
Labels: AutoNew, autonumber, document numbering, Macro, Microsoft Word, Word
Saturday, February 17th, 2007
Start Smart in Excel
When Excel starts a default new workbook displays. This workbook contains many of the default settings for Excel and it can be customized so it looks the way you want it to look.
You can configure the defaults for your starter Excel worksheet if you place your settings in one of the two Excel templates; Book.xlt and Sheet.xlt. Neither file is required but, if you have one or other, or both, stored in your XLStart folder then Excel opens them whenever it opens and uses the data you have stored in them as its own default settings.
When you’re creating either or both of the files make sure to put the relevant settings in the right file. Book.xlt should contain the defaults for all new workbooks such as styles and toolbars.
Use Sheet.xlt for options appropriate for all new sheets in a workbook which are added when you choose Insert, Worksheet. A word of warning, when you save a workbook as sheet.xlt make sure it contains only one Sheet.
Labels: book.xlt, defaults, Excel 2007, sheet.xlt
Friday, February 16th, 2007
Misunderstood Photoshop – Clipping Paths
My latest article in the Misunderstood Photoshop series is out today.
The Photoshop clipping mask feature is a quick way to create effects such as text filled with a photograph. Helen Bradley points out more handy uses for clipping masks, such as limiting the effect of adjustment layers, or simplifying the process of editing a portion of an image. You can follow along with the accompanying video tutorial to see exactly how it’s done.
Find it here: Misunderstood Photoshop – Clipping Masks
There are more articles to come!
Helen
Labels: clipping masks, Misunderstood Photoshop
Friday, February 16th, 2007
Shameless Self Promotion
Ok, so it’s not exactly a tip of the day, but I already did today’s so I feel it’s justified.
I have lots of cool Photoshop tutorials around my site, check these out:
Photoshop Brushes tutorial
Learn how to create your own Photoshop Brushes
How to use Adjustment Layers
Make photoediting a simple and undoable process using Adjustment layers
Photoshop Gradients
Fix images and create colorful effects using Photoshop Gradients
Straighten an image in Photoshop, Elements and Paintshop Pro
Straighten your images with this simple to follow tutorial that covers the popular photoediting programs
Photoshop Shapes -New!
Helen Bradley explains how to use Photoshop Shapes to edit your photos and create fun shape overlays.
Create and use Photoshop Masks
Masks aren’t as hard as you think they are and this tutorial makes them simple to use.
Create seamless patterns in Photoshop
Whether you need them for the web or for a background for an Excel worksheet, here’s how to create great seamless patterns and we’ve included a mini tutorial on TV scan lines.
Color match photos in Photoshop
Even if your photos were taken in totally different lighting
Color Swatches in Photoshop
Create your own custom color swatches and use them in your photo editing work.
Ok, so that’s done, now back to the tips..
Labels: adjustment layers, articles, brushes, color, Color match, gradients, how-tos, masks, Photoshop, shapes, straightening, swatches, tutorials
Thursday, February 15th, 2007
Creating Access Lookups
You’re already used to using Lookup lists in many of the programs you use. You use a lookup or dropdown list to select from a series of entries that the programmer has provided for you to choose from. When you create a database in Access, you get to be the programmer and you can create your own lists.
So, whenever you have a list of options that can be used to fill a field in an Access database you can create a lookup field to manage it. Then, whenever data is entered into the table all the user has to do is to select an option from a dropdown list – this makes the dataentry process much faster and more accuate too. Here’s how to create one:
- Start by creating a table that contains the details you want to allow your user to select from. You will need two fields in the table – one for a unique ID and another for the data. For example, for a list of states, include an ID field and a list of the states. Save your table.
- Open the main data table that you want to access the states information from. In the field for the State details, from the data type list choose Lookup Wizard. When the dialog opens choose ‘I want the lookup column to look up the values in a table or query’ and click Next. Select the table containing the data – in this case it would be the States table you create in step 1.
- Click Next and, from the Available fields list choose the field containing the names of the states as you want them to appear in the dropdown list and move it to the Selected Fields list. Click Next. In the sort area choose the field containing the data and set it to be sorted Ascending.
- Click Next and adjust the column width to the desired amount. Click Next, type a field name and click Finish and save the results. When you next enter data into the table you will find that the field with the lookup has a dropdown list that displays the data so you can choose an item from it.
Labels: Access, database, field, lookup list
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
5 Hot ways to make grayscale images in Photoshop
There are lots of differnt ways to convert a photo into a grayscale image and each of them offers different benefits such as speed or the ability to customise the results.
Here are five great ways (and one cool extra tip) for making a grayscale image in Photoshop:
(Hot tip) Before you convert an image to black and white, adjust it to ensure there is a good tonal range in the image. Choose Image, Adjustments, Levels and make sure the markers are under the ends of the chart. Adjust the midtones slider (the middle one), until you have a good result. An image with good contrast and a pleasing tonal range will give better results in the steps that follow.
Grayscale – Version 1
The simplest method of converting to Grayscale is to choose Image, Mode, Grayscale. When you do this, you create a grayscale image and color cannot be added back into it unless you convert it back to a color mode. To do this, choose Image, Mode, RGB Color if you plan to do more work with the image. Convert to CMYK color mode only if you intend to send the image for commercial printing.
Grayscale – Version 2
A RGB color image is made up of three color channels Red, Green and Blue. These channels are grayscale images displaying the relative amount of that color in the image at any point. To see the channels, display the Channels palette and click on the channel to view, hiding the others. If you like the grayscale representation of a particular channel display it, hide the rest, and choose Image, Mode, Grayscale and you’ll be asked if you want to discard the remainder of the channels – this turns the current channel into the grayscale image. Answer Yes to do so. To work on the image again in color, choose Image, Mode, RGB Color.
Grayscale – Version 3
Another method of converting an image into grayscale image but which retains the RGB color mode is to choose Image, Adjustments, Hue/Saturation. If you select the Master channel and then drag the Saturation slider to the far left, you’ll remove the color from the image by desaturating it. However, because it is still RGB Color you can add color back without needing to alter the mode.
Grayscale – Version 4
The Channel mixer gives you the opportunity to tweak the final grayscale representation by using more or less of the colors from the image. Choose Image, Adjustments, Channel Mixer and click the Monochrome checkbox. Now adjust the Red, Green and Blue sliders until you get a result you like. Ideally, you should ensure that your percentages add up to 100% although this isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Grayscale – Version 5
One situation you may encounter is where you want to convert a single layer into grayscale but leave the other layers in the image in color. In this case, choose the layer to convert to black and white and choose Layer, New Adjustment Layer, Hue/Saturation and enable the Use previous layer to create clipping mask checkbox and click Ok. Move the Saturation slider to the far left and click Ok.
So, there you have it – more ways to convert an image to black and white than you ever thought possible?
Labels: black and white, channel mixer, channels, color modes, Hue/Saturation, Photoshop
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
Make room for graphics in Publisher
When you’re working on a Publisher document, chances are you may not have all the final images in hand. If you’re waiting on graphics, you can add a placeholder for each image to your Publisher file so you can allocate the space for the images and so everything else can be finalized in the meantime.
To do this, click Picture Frame and choose Empty Picture Frame then drag a frame into your document. Size it to the size required. Later, when the image comes in, you can add it to your placeholder by right clicking the placeholder and choose Change Picture, From File and locate the file to use.
Labels: image, Microsoft Publisher, picture frame, placeholder
Monday, February 12th, 2007
Create a winning smile in GIMP
Shiny white teeth look great but, let’s face it, not all of us have the benefit of expensive orthodontics. Luckily, armed with some graphics software you can give yourself or your best friend a professional whitening job in seconds.
To whiten teeth, in GIMP, click your favourite selection tool and make a selection around the teeth. Take care to select all the tooth area but avoid including any of the gum line or lips. You may find the “Select contiguous regions tool” is the best to use. Set a feather by choosing Select, Feather and set a feather value of 1 or 2 if the image is large.
Choose Tools, Color Tools, Hue-Saturation and click the option button for the Yellows so you’ll adjust only the yellow coloring in the selected area. Reduce the intensity of the yellow by dragging the Saturation slider a little to the left. Check the Green and Red channels to see if altering their saturation has an effect and repeat as needed. Click on the Master button and drag the Lightness slider to the right to lighten the entire selection.
Labels: gimp, Hue/Saturation, selection tool, whiten teeth
Sunday, February 11th, 2007
Create an Outlook sticky note
I love sticky notes but not stuck all over my computer monitor. My computer desktop, that’s another thing – Sticky notes there look so cute and they’re so useful because they’re right there where I can see them.
Outlook has a great sticky note feature. Simply type a quick reminder using an Outlook Note and you can ‘stick’ it on your desktop. Click the Notes icon in Outlook or choose File, New, Note and type the text for your note. Make the first line explanatory of the note’s contents as this becomes its name so it’s the first thing you see. When you’re done, click the Note’s Close button to finish.
Now drag and drop the Note onto your desktop – it will stay there and remain accessible even when Outlook isn’t open. To view the Note’s contents, simply double click it.
Labels: desktop, Outlook, Sticky note, windows
Sunday, February 11th, 2007
Viewer for Publisher Files
I wish! You wish! We wish.. but no go..
We’d all love to see one of these but, unfortunately Microsoft hasn’t deigned to give us one. There are, however some options you can use. If you can ask the person who created the PUB file to open and save it in a different format you can then view that – for example it can be saved as a Tiff format file.
If you have a PUB file but no access to Publisher, try one of the free online PDF file conversion tools that can handle Publisher files. I like PDFOnline, it handles PUB files up to 2Mb in size and all you need to do is to browse to upload the file to their server, type a name for the PDF file they’ll send you in return and type your email address. In minutes you’ll have a PDF version that you can read using Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader software.
If you’re wanting to share your Publisher files with others who don’t own publisher then try a program like the free PDF converter PrimoPDF which installs as a printer driver allowing you to create your own PDFs as easily as printing from Publisher.
Perhaps best of all is your option to download and install the trial version of Microsoft Publisher 2007. It works for a limited time to allow you to open, read and edit Publisher documents. After the trial period is over, you can only open, view and print existing Publisher documents – pretty much what a viewer program would do in my book!
Labels: conversion, Microsoft Publisher, PDF, PUB, viewer