Paint Shop Pro 6 Tutorial
Take our Paint Shop Pro 6 tutorial. It starts at the beginning and
takes you step-by-step through each Paint Shop Pro 6 topic. It covers
creating an image, using color, using the Tool palette, text, layers,
masks, and much more.
SELECTING A selection is a specific area of the image that can be edited
or to which an effect can be applied. A selection can be the whole image
or part of an image.
| Definitions: |
| Marquee |
Rotating dotted lines that outline the selected
area. |
| Feathering |
Softens the edges of a selected area and
causes the image to fade into the background. |
| Floating Selection |
A selection that resides just above the
image. Floating a selection enables you to select without affecting
the original image. The Layers palette indicates a floating selection
with the label "Floating Selection." |
| Standard Selection |
A selection of part of the image. Moving
or modifying a standard selection modifies the image. Paint Shop
Pro provides options that enable you to float and defloat a selection. |
| Antialias |
Selected edges can appear jagged. Antialiasing smoothes
the edges. |
| Matting |
When you move a selection, some of the pixels
around the edges are also moved. Matting removes these pixels. |
| Defringe |
Causes nonfeathered pixels to bleed outward,
creating a smooth transition from the selected area to the surrounding
area. |
| Alpha Channel |
Used to save selections with the image.
Selections can also be saved to disk. |
| Sample Merged |
When Sample Merged is selected, the Selection
tool selects from all layers of the image. When Sample Merged is
not selected, only the active layer is affected. |
| Match Mode |
Method used to select an area by using the
Magic Wand. The choices are RGB value, Hue, Brightness, or Pixels. |
| Tolerance |
Specifies how close a match must be (the
type of match is specified in the Match Mode field). A tolerance
of zero requires an exact match. A tolerance of 200 provides the
maximum amount of leeway in determining whether there is a match. |
| Brightness |
The amount of white contained in a pixel. |
Paint Shop Pro provides three tools for making a selection: the Selection
tool, the Freehand tool, and the Magic Wand.
Things You Need to Know
- To add to a selection, hold down the Shift key while selecting the
additional area.
- To remove an area from the current selection, hold down the Ctrl
key while selecting the area to be removed.
- To move a selection, select the mover tool and right-click on the
selection while you drag the pointer.
The Tool Options Dialog Box
You use the Tool Options dialog box to set the tool settings. To open
the Tool Options dialog box:
- Select your tool by clicking on its icon.
- Click on the Toggle Tool Options Window icon on the toolbar. The
Tool Options dialog box will appear.
 `
The Toggle Tool Options Window Icon Exercises:
The Selection Tool
Using the Selection tool, you can select the whole image or part of
the image. Your selection can be in the shape of a rectangle, a square,
an ellipse, or a circle.
Using the Selection tool, select the little boy's head.
- If you have not already done so, click here to
download the files you will use to complete the exercises.
- Open boy.jpg in Paint Shop Pro.
File > Open
Look in: Enter the directory in which you stored your files.
File: boy.jpg
Files of Type: JPEG-JFIF Compliant (*.jpg, *.jif, *.jpeg)
- Click on the Selection tool
 .
- Click on the Toggle Tool Options Window icon .
The Tool Options dialog box will appear.
Tool Settings:
Selection Type: Circle
Feather: 0
Antialias: Yes
- Select the boy�s head. Place the pointer in the center of the boy�s
head and drag outward.
- Float the selection.
Selections > Float
- Move the selection around and note that the selection moves without
affecting the original image.
- Defloat the selection. Move the selection. Note that as you move
the selection, the background color shows through.
Selection > Defloat
- Close the image. Do not save your changes.
File > Close
The Freehand Tool
The Freehand tool provides three selection methods: the freehand method,
the point-to-point method, and the Smart Edge method. With the freehand
method, you use the pointer to draw the area you want to select. With
the point-to-point method, you create a selected area consisting of straight
lines. The Smart Edge method is used to create a selection along a border
of contrasting color or light.
Freehand Method
Using the Freehand tool and the freehand method, select the triangle.
- Open triangle.gif in Paint Shop Pro. Triangle.gif is included in
the file you downloaded.
File > Open
Look in: Enter the directory in which you stored your files.
File: triangle.gif
Files of Type: CompuServe Graphics Interchange(*.gif)
- Click on the Freehand tool
 .
- Make sure the Toggle Tool Options Windows icon is
selected. The Tool Options dialog box should be open.
Tool Settings:
Selection Type: Freehand
Feather: 0
Antialias: Yes
Sample Merged: Yes
- Select the triangle by drawing around it.
- Deselect the selected area.
Selections > Select None
The Point-to-Point Method
To create a point-to-point selection:
- Left-click to start the selection.
- Drag the pointer to form a straight line.
- Left-click again where you want to anchor the line.
- Continue selecting until you have selected the area you want.
- Double-click or right-click to end your selection.
Using the Freehand tool and the point-to-point method, select the triangle.
- Make sure the Freehand tool is selected.
- Make sure the Toggle Tool Options Window icon is selected. The Tool
Options dialog box should be open.
Tool Settings:
Selection Type: Point-to-Point
Feather: 0
Antialias: Yes
Sample Merged: Yes
- Select the triangle using the freehand method.
- Deselect the selected area.
Selections > Select None
The Smart Edge Method
To create a Smart Edge selection:
- Left-click to start the selection.
- Drag the pointer over the area. Your edge should be inside the box.
- Left-click again where you want to anchor the box.
- Continue left-clicking until you have selected the area you want.
- Double-click or right-click to end your selection.
Using the Freehand tool and the Smart Edge method, draw around the triangle.
- Make sure the Freehand tool is selected.
- Make sure the Toggle Tool Options Window icon is selected. The Tool
options dialog box should be open.
Tool Settings:
Selection Type: Smart Edge
Feather: 0
Antialias: Yes
Sample Merged: Yes
- Select the triangle using the smart edge method.
- Deselect the selected area.
Selections > Select None
The Magic Wand
You use the Magic Wand to select areas based on RGB value, Hue, Brightness,
or Pixels. When RGB is selected in the Match Mode field, Paint Shop Pro
selects areas based on the RGB value of the pixel. When Hue is selected,
areas are selected based on the hue (color) of the pixel. Selecting Brightness
causes areas to be selected based on brightness. The Tolerance field
is used to determine how close the match must be. When Pixel is selected
in the Mode field, all areas with pixels are selected; areas that are
transparent are not selected.
Make a selection using the Magic Wand.
- Select the Magic wand.
- Make sure the Toggle Tool Options Window icon is selected. The Tool
Options dialog box should be open.
Tool Settings:
Match Mode: Hue
Tolerance: 30
Feather: 0
Sample Merged: Yes
- Click on the blue triangle to select by hue.
- Deselect the selected area.
Selections > Select None
- Close the image.
Feathering
Feathering softens the edges of a selected area and causes the image
to fade into the background. This exercise illustrates the feathering
effect.
- Open boy.jpg in Paint Shop Pro.
File > Open
Look In: Enter the directory in which you stored your files.
File: boy.jpg
Files of Type: JPEG-JFIF Compliant (*.jpg, *.jif, *.jpeg)
- Open a new file but do not close boy.jpg. Make a note of the name
of your new file. The name displays on the title bar.
File > New
Settings:
Width: 200 Pixels
Height: 250 Pixels
Resolution: 72 Pixels/inch
Background Color: White
Image Type: 16.7 Million Colors
- Move back to the boy.jpg window.
Window > boy.jpg
- Select the Selection tool.
Tool Settings:
Selection Type: Circle
Feather: 0
Antialias: Yes
- Select a circle around the little boy's head.
- Copy the selection.
Edit > Copy
- Move to the new image.
Window > Image1 (Your filename might be different.)
- Paste the selection.
Edit > Paste > As New Selection
- Deselect.
Selections > Select None
- Move back to boy.jpg.
Window > boy.jpg
- Feather the selection.
Selections > Modify > Feather
Number of Pixels: 5
- Copy the selection.
Edit > Copy
- Move to the new image.
Window > Image1
- Paste the selection.
Edit > Paste > As New Selection
- Deselect.
Selections > Select None
- Your image should look similar to the one shown here.
- Close the image. Do not save boy.jpg. You will use it in future
exercises.
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