Paint Shop Proand the Web
Rick Matthews
Dept. of Physics, Wake Forest University
And
The International Center for Computer Enhanced Learning
http://www.wfu.edu/~matthews
My favorite PSP tricks
• JPG vs. GIF• Layers
– Raster vs. vector
– Text and shapes
– Adjustment layers
• Fixing exposure problems• Color correction• File export: JPG and GIF• Screen capture
JPG vs. GIF
• Nearly all web images are one of these two.
• Each is a compressed format. Goal: small file size=>quick download.
• Each has compromises, but very different compromises.
GIF
• Limit of 256 colors on screen.
• Shrinks files by looking for areas of uniform color.
• Great for text, line graphs, simple computer art. Poor for photographic images.
JPG and photos
• Photo rendition is the design goal of JPG.
• It is a lossy compression method, discards info least likely to be noticed.
• Huge reductions in file size with minimal quality loss.
JPG and text, line art• JPG is at its worst where GIF is best: Large areas of
uniform color. Below are magnified 200x100 images.
GIF, 646 bytes, perfect
JPG, 2,400 bytes
TIFF, PSP, PNG
• CAUTION: Never use JPG for your working file format.
• Each Save, Load cycle degrades image more.
• Lossless formats: TIFF, PSP, PNG.
• PSP: optimal internal format, but proprietary.
• TIFF: widely supported across multiple platforms.
• PNG: Newest, will eventually replace GIF. Not yet well supported.
Layers
• 3 kinds:– Raster (images)
– Vector (adjustable objects)
– Adjustment (affect lower layers, not directly visible.
Layers
• 3 kinds:– Raster (images)
– Vector (adjustable objects)
– Adjustment (affect lower layers, not directly visible.
Layers
• 3 kinds:– Raster (images)
– Vector (adjustable objects)
– Adjustment (affect lower layers, not directly visible.
Example: Levels and color
• Levels let you intuitively (and reversibly) correct brightness and contrast.
• Uses adjusment layer.• Color balance is
another adjustment layer.
Example: Gamma
• Handy when dark areas need to be lightened more than brighter areas.
• Consider working on duplicate layer, to save original.
Transparency
• Handy trick to create header images for web pages, backgrounds for PowerPoint slides
• Must create a duplicate layer, then make background white.
Screen capture
• Handy for tutorials on software.
• Easy way to grap images that were not intended to be grabbed.
Steps in creating a PowerPoint presentation
• Choosing a presentation template
• Choosing a format for each slide
• Images• Animation• Sound, Narration• Export to Web
Layout
• Think about leaving room for illustrations, pop-ups.
• Can always delete text boxes.
• Inserted text boxes have defective bullets.
Inserting images
• Can use Insert, Picture, File, or…
• Copy and paste from PSP.
• Best to size images in PSP first, rather than resizing in PowerPoint.
Animations
• Introduces elements of slide sequentially.
• Choose SlideShow > Custom Animation
• “Effects” controls how it appears.
• “Timing” controls when.
Web authoring: PowerPoint vs. direct authoring
• Uses a tool you may already know.
• Efficiency much improved in PP2000.
• Layout is easy, well-defined.
• Nearly trivial way to post class notes on web.
• Less flexible layout.• Slower viewing, because
files are larger.• Linear document: not a
“web-like.”
Publishing your PPT on the web
• To create web page select File> Save As Web Page
To create web page select File> Save As Web Page
Default: works with IE5 only. To fix, click “Publish.”
• Preview web view under File Menu.
Two Miniprojects -- PSP
• Start with a photographic image.
• Correct brightness and contrast using levels, correct gamma, correct color.
• Add text overlay• Save as PSP, export as
JPG.
• Prepare another image consisting only of vector text and shapes.
• You should have at least 3 layers: raster background with a uniform color, vector layer for text, vector layer for shapes.
• Save as PSP image, export as GIF.
Miniproject -- Powerpoint phase
• Create a brief presentation, with your choice of designs.
• Create three slides in more than one layout, and include at least one picture.
• Experiment with different animations. Overdo it. Be tacky.
• Add one “virtual” slide, consisting of sequence of slides with “fake” pop-up boxes.
• Export to web.
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