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Author: Michael_McAloon, Contributing Editor
 | Saving an image
To save an image, go to File Save on the Image window. The Save Image dialog box will open as shown in Figure 3. In the Save Image dialog box, there are two buttons: Browse for other folders and Select File Type. The Browse for other folders button allows you to find the location where you want to save the image to if it is different from the current default one (usually set when you open the file). The Select File Type button can change the file type to one that is different than the default one (usually set when you open the file). You will see all the basics options plus a lot more. Now we are ready to open and save a file and convert it to another file type. One of the most common things we painters need to do is change the size of an image to upload it to show our friends at Wet Canvas and on other Web sites. |
| Now, what about resolution? Let’s talk about some resolution basics¬—although the following is a simplication of the concepts, it should work fine for our purposes. The resolution of an image is the number of pixels per inch that are used to make up an image. Your camera and scanner each have a setting for the resolution so that when you take a picture or scan one, the image is set to the resolution you want. Remember that the larger (or finer) the resolution, the more data that needs to be stored, and, consequently, the slower it will show up on a Web page or in downloads.
Now the wildcard happens when we bring the image to a monitor. All monitors display images at 72–75 pixels per inch. So, what does that mean? Well, if I have a 1” x 1” image that was scanned at 75 pixels per inch, it will show up about an inch in size on my monitor. However, if I scan it at 150 pixels per inch (twice the resolution and, of course, twice the amount of data stored) it will show up as approximately 2 inches square, and the file size will be larger and slower to show up on a Web page. A general rule of thumb is to use 75 ppi for all images that will be going to the Web. Changing the Resolution. The Scale Image dialog box is where you can change the resolution. This can be done independently or linked as explained above with the width and height. I recommend that you do this linked. |
| Changing Size of Images
To change the image size in order to place it on-line, you use the Scale function. In the Image window, go to Image Scale Image. The Scale Image dialog box seen in Figure 4 should come up. Let’s discuss the various adjustments you can make here to the Width, the Height, and the Resolution. First, let’s tackle Width and Height. With these two adjustments, you change the width and the height of the image in various units of measurement. For instance, if you wanted to double the size, select “Percent” and set it at 200. Typically, we have to change our image to be no larger than a size that is specified by the Web site you are posting on. In the case of Wet Canvas, that is 500 pixels in width and 600 pixels in height, whichever is larger. Notice the connecting chain icon between the width and height settings. With the chain unbroken, any change in one of the dimensions automatically changes the other to keep the aspect ratio the same—it’s like changing an 8” x 10” to a 16” x 20” sheet; although bigger, it is still the same proportionally). If you want to change each dimension independently, simply break the chain, and you can make the changes that way. |  |
 | Cropping
Cropping essentially means selecting the portion of an image that you want to keep and removing the part you don’t want. To crop an image, select the cropping tool that looks like a knife which I’ve circled in Figure 5. Once you select it, just click on it and drag it over your image to choose the parts you want to keep. Your selection will be highlighted. Notice the small rectangles in the corners of the highlighted area. When grabbed with the cursor, the lower left and upper right corners allow you to move the rectangle around the image. The upper left and lower right corners allow you to change the size and shape of the rectangle. A dialog box, shown in Figure 6, opens up whenever the crop tool is used. |
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