Preparing Digital Entries for Shows Post 2 - Picasa

Preparing Digital Entries for Shows Post 2- Using Picasa

http://picasa.google.com/

ADJUSTMENT OF PICTURE FILE ON THE COMPUTER IF YOU DON’T ALREADY HAVE SOFTWARE:

Picasa 3.6 is a free, downloadable digital photo-editing program that is easy to use.

Go to www.picasa.google.com. If you are a Mac user, look at the bottom of the page and click on “Picasa for Macs.” Click on “Download Picasa 3.6,” and follow the instructions. When asked if you want to run or save, click “run.”

It will take a few minutes for the program to install itself. It creates its own file of all images that are in your computer and presents them as easy-to-work-from thumbnail images. It will not remove your photos from their original files.

When the program has installed, you are ready to use the following “Directions for Preparing Digital Images in Picasa 3.6.” These directions were written for PC users.

PREPARING DIGITAL IMAGES IN PICASA 3.6

(All of these instructions use the left mouse button.)

These instructions lead you specifically through directions for editing your image and putting it on a CD. (Picasa 3.6 does more than this, but other functions will not be discussed here.) However, please note that Picasa does not allow you to save you image in 300dpi -- only at 900 pixels. Open up your computer and use these directions as you perform the various functions.

GETTING STARTED

1. Insert camera card into card reader.

2. Insert card reader into computer USB port.

3. Open Picasa 3.6.

4. In the upper left corner of your screen, click "import."

5. A new screen will appear. At the bottom, enter a title in "Folder Title."

6. At the top of the screen click "Import From" and select the appropriate source.

7. Back to the bottom right side of the screen, click "import all." (Picasa automatically defaults to your Pictures (for Vista users) or your My Pictures (for XP users) folder. It makes a back up file there on your C Drive. You will also be asked to give instructions on what to do with the images on your camera card -- save them or delete them.

8. A new screen will show all of your images in thumbnail form.

RETRIEVE THE IMAGE OF YOUR PAINTING FROM THE PICASA “LIBRARY”:

Double-click the image of the photo that you want to work with.

STRAIGHTEN THE IMAGE:

1. Click “Basic Fixes” tab on left of screen.

2. Click “Straighten” button.

3. Click and hold while sliding button at bottom. Slide right or left until image is straight, then release button.

4. If image isn’t yet straight, click “Cancel” and repeat steps 2 and 3. If image is straight, click “Apply.”

CROP THE IMAGE TO REMOVE ALL FRAME, MAT, ETC.:

(You want only your painting to be showing.)

1. Click the "Crop" button on the left.

2. Select the Manual option.

3. Place the cursor at the upper left corner of your painting. Left click the mouse button, hold it down, and drag the mouse to the lower right corner of your painting. Release the mouse button. You should have formed a rectangle of brightness that exactly encloses your painting.

4. If you make a mistake, click “Cancel.” Click the “Crop” button and follow 2 and 3 again.

5. When you have cropped the photo so that only your painting shows (no mat or frame), click “Apply.”

6. If the result shows that there is still more cropping needed, click “Re-crop” and follow 2 and 3 again.

SAVE THE RESULTING IMAGE OF YOUR PAINTING:

(You will rename the file here so that your original photo will still be available if you need it.)

1. Click “File” in the upper left of the screen.

2. Slide the cursor down to “Save As” and click.

3. Delete the file name and type in the full name of your painting, with appropriate capitals and spaces. For PSA 2010 entry, use abbreviated format described in prospectus.

4. Make sure the file type shown is JPEG.

5. Click “Save.”

SET THE PIXEL WIDTH OF YOUR IMAGE:

1. With the image you have created above on the screen, click "Export" at the bottom right of your screen.

2. In the window that appears, there is a bar with the location and name of the exported folder. Use the “Browse” button to the right of this if you wish to locate the image in a different location. You will need to find that file to retrieve your re-sized image. You can also change the name of the exported folder by simply deleting what is there and typing in a new name.

3. Choose “Resize to” and make sure the pixel value is 900. (You can change the pixel value by typing in a new value.

4. Choose “Maximum” Image quality.

5. Click OK. 

This guide originally written for members of the Pastel Society of American has been copied, with permission,  from the author, Sallie Atkins of the Southeastern Pastel Society.