Microsoft Photo Editor
Using Microsoft Photo Editor
Select all or part of an image- To select all of the image, click Select All on the Edit menu.
- To select part of an image, click Select
on the Standard toolbar, and then
drag over the area you want to select.
Rotate an image
To rotate an image 90 degrees clockwise:Click Rotate 90 |
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To otherwise rotate an image:
1 On the Image menu, click Rotate.
2 Choose the options you want.
3 If you select Arbitrary Angle, enter the number of degrees of rotation you
want in the Angle box, and click the clockwise or anticlockwise option.
Zoom in or out of an image
You can change the magnification in two ways:- On the Standard toolbar, click the arrow next to Zoom Control,
and then click the magnification you want. - On the Standard toolbar, click Zoom.
To zoom in, click the area you want to enlarge.
To zoom out, hold down SHIFT while you click.
Note Each click doubles or halves the magnification within the range of 10 percent to 1600 percent.
Saving transparency in an image
Microsoft Photo Editor supports three file formats that save transparency: GIF, TIFF, and PNG. Transparency in an image is saved in two ways: as a transparent color or in an alpha channel.You can set transparent areas in both GIFs and PNGs so that in a Web browser, the background of the Web page is visible through the transparent areas of the image.
GIF saves images as monochrome (line art) or 8-bit (grayscale or 256-color) images. GIF saves all transparency values by substituting a transparent color in place of the designated color. If you are concerned about loss of image data, use TIFF or PNG to save your image. If you prefer GIF and want to preserve all the image data, save a copy of your image in another format before saving transparency conversions in GIF.
TIFF saves images as monochrome, 8-bit, or 24-bit (true color) images. In 24-bit images, TIFF saves transparency in an alpha channel. For monochrome and 8-bit TIFF images, however, Photo Editor does not save transparency.
PNG saves images as 8-bit or 24-bit images. In 24-bit images, PNG saves transparency in an alpha channel. In 8-bit images, PNG substitutes a transparent color on the palette.
Create transparent areas in an image
You can use transparent areas to integrate an image into your document, presentation, or Web page. For instance, if you have an image of a person with a plain background, such as the sky or a wall, you can make the background color transparent. When the image is printed in a Word document, the background will have the color of the paper. In a PowerPoint presentation or Web page, the transparent area will have the color of the background.1 On the Standard toolbar, click Set Transparent Color 
.
2 Position the tool over the color you want to make transparent, and click.
The Change Color to Transparent dialog box appears.
3 The preview window shows the color that will change to transparent when you click OK. You can modify the options to increase the range of colors that will become transparent or to change the degree of transparency.
Note Transparency is saved in different ways by different graphics file formats.
Choosing GIF
Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, is a popular Web graphic format. Although it can contain only 256 colors, GIF offers good, lossless image compression. Also, GIFs can contain a transparent area and multiple frames for animation.Images compressed with lossless compression normally lose no image quality when they are compressed. A GIF compresses by scanning horizontally across a row of pixels, finding solid areas of color, and then abbreviating identical areas of pixels in the file.
Therefore, images with repetitive areas of solid color compress best when exported as GIFs. A GIF is usually ideal for cartoon-like graphics, logos, graphics with transparent areas, and animations.
Note Dithering or anti-aliasing GIF images produces larger files.
Choosing JPEG
JPEG is an alternative to GIF developed by the Joint Photographic
Experts Group specifically for photographic images. JPEG supports millions of
colors (24-bit).
JPEG is a lossy format, which means that some image data is discarded when it is compressed, reducing the quality of the final file. However, image data can often be discarded with little or no noticeable difference in quality.
When exporting a JPEG, use the Quality pop-up menu slider in the Optimize panel to control how much quality is lost when compressing the file.
A high percentage setting maintains image quality but compresses less, producing
larger files.
A low percentage setting yields a small file, but produces a lower-quality image.
The JPEG format is best for scanned photographs, images using textures, images with gradient color transitions, or any images that require more than 256 colors.
Choosing PNG
The Portable Network Graphic, or PNG, is the most versatile of the Web graphic formats. However, not all Web browsers can take full advantage of PNG characteristics without using plug-ins. A PNG can support up to 32-bit color, can contain transparency or an alpha channel, and can be progressive.PNG compression is lossless, even in high color depths. It compresses across rows and columns of pixels, often yielding better compression than GIF, which only scans rows.
The PNG format is best for creating complex live transparency, high-color graphics,
and better compressed low-color graphics.
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© 2002 Ashley Preston