Some PSP Tools Explained

Let's take a look at the tool bars in PSP to help you better understand what they are used for.

All icons © Corel®

Please note that if you are using a different version of PSP, your tools may be in a different location, or may even look a little different then mine. Some may not even show until YOU add them. I will even show you how to do that a little later. In most versions of PSP you can hold your cursor over the buttons, and it will tell you what the tool name is.

Below is what I consider the main tool bar, this is because these are the tools that people use more often than other tools.

Let's start at the very top.

Please note: This only explains the tools by what they are used for. This does not cover any of the settings in which you change to use the tools. I will try to cover those topics later, or through my tuts. Most versions of PSP have a Learning center. You can learn more about these tools by clicking on VIEW-->PALETTES-->LEARNING CENTER. Some of these tools, even I have never used.

Pan Tool This tool is used to view areas of an image while you are zoomed in on that image. Drag the tool around the image. You can temporarily call up the Pan Tool by holding down the SPACEBAR on your Keyboard.

Zoom Tool This tool is used to zoom in on your image. When the tool is active, just click on the image to zoom. The more you click the larger the image will get. You can also zoom on an image if your mouse has a wheel. Up with the wheel to zoom in, and down with the wheel to zoom out.

Move Tool Basically it is what it says it is. Click on this tool and with your mouse your drag your image around the canvas.

Pick Tool This tool is great. With the Pick, you can move an image around the canvas, rotate the image, and resize the image ( stretch or shrink ). In some versions of PSP there is also a tool called the Deformation Tool. This tool also stretches, shrinks, and rotates an image. Newer versions of PSP still have this tool, but you have to manually add it to your toolbar.

Magic Wand Tool With this tool, you can click on an image and it will automatically select a similar colored area of an image to copy it or change it, or just to select it.

Selection Tool Use this tool to make a shape around an image to copy or change it. You can use it on a blank canvas to to fill it with color or another image.

Freehand Selection Tool Also called the Lasso Tool. Use this tool to manually draw a selection around your image by dragging it (or drawing) with your mouse.

 Dropper Tool This tool is used to select Foreground and Background colors in any open image in your workspace. Place the dropper over the image and left click to grab the forground color, right click to grab the background color. You can temporarily call up the Dropper Tool by holding down CTRL on your keyboard.

Crop Tool This tool lets you choose part of an image and when applied cuts out the rest of the image surrounding it. To apply you either click on the check mark in the options palette of double click on the image.

Straighten Tool I have never used this tool. Please refer to the Learning Center within PSP to learn more about this tool.

Perspective Correction Tool I have never used this tool. Please refer to the Learning Center within PSP to learn more about this tool.

Red Eye Correction Tool This tool is absolutely wonderful! This removes what I call the evil eye...LOL . Did you ever take a picture of someone and it looks like their eyes are glowing red? Experts say that the subject should not look at the flash while some one is taking a picture of you. Well, I never look at the flash, and my eyes always look red in a photo. This tool fixes that!

Makeover Tool This tool lets you fix imperfections on a subject in a photo, like acne or scars. You can whiten teeth and even apply a suntan.

Clone Brush Tool This tool is used to hide imperfections by copying a section from the image that is within close range of the area you want to hide.

Scratch Remover Tool This tool is used in a photo to smooth out facial wrinkles, wires, lines or scratches within an old photo, etc.

Object Remover Tool This tool is almost like the Clone Brush, the difference is it hides the part of the photo you want to edit by smoothing it out with a texture from the area around the part of the image that you want to change.

Paint Brush Tool This tool is just what it says, use the Paint brush to paint in color, textures and even gradients. Paint a whole part of a section of an image, lines, text etc.

Airbrush Tool We have all seen airbrushes. This tool is basically like the real thing. It works just like the Paint Brush tool only it gives the image a sprayed effect. The effects that you can make with this tool turn out pretty amazing!

This part of the tool bar was to large to fit in the screen shot above.

Lighten/Darken Tool This tool is a brush that lightens or darkens an area of an image. This gives a stronger effect than the Dodge and Burn Tools that I am about to show you. Use the left mouse button to lighten and the right mouse button to darken with this tool.

Dodge Tool This tool is another brush for lightening and darkening an image, like the Lighten and Darken Tool, only this tool gives it a more softer effect.

Burn Tool This tool copies the effects of a Darkroom effect used to darken images or photos. It is the opposite of the Dodge Tool. Most scrappers wil use the burn tool on bows and such to make slight shadows and such.

Smudge Tool This tool smudges colors around in your image kind of like a smeared effect. While you are dragging your brush along, it picks up other colors.

Push Tool This tool is just like the Smudge Tool, only it does not pick up other colors.

Soften Tool Use this tool to make a soft focus effect on an area of an image or a photo.

Sharpen Tool Just like the Soften Tool only it makes a sharper focus effect on and area of an image or photo.

Emboss Tool I have never used this tool other then to get an idea of what it does. By the looks of it, it gives and image a raised embossed effect. I will have to play with it some so I can give you a better idea of it works. For now, please refer to the Learning Center within PSP.

Saturation Up/Down Tool This tool increases or decreases color saturation to make a photo or an image more brilliant or more pale.

Change To Target Tool This tool is used to recolor parts of an image or photo while keeping details visible. For best results with this tool, use a Selection Tool like the Magic Wand.

Color Replacer Tool This color replaces and old color for a new color within an image or photo. It took me a while to get the hang of this but after I learned it, it is pretty cool. Use CTRL right click over the old color, and with your new color left click over that part of the image.

Eraser Tool This tool is just what it says it is. This will erase any mistakes you make.

Background Eraser Tool This tool will erase the background of an image or photo. In my opinion, this tool can be a © compliant taggers best friend. If you have a tube and you don't know who the artist is, sometimes you can use the background eraser tool to "unerase" the background image using the right mouse button. If you are lucky you will then find the artists watermark or signature on the image.

Flood Fill Tool This tool fills an image with color, patterns, or gradients.

Color Changer Tool With this tool you can change a color on your image or photo and any pixels of the old color will be changed. You can adjust the settings to suit your needs.

Picture Tube Tool Use this tool to place images that have transparent backgrounds on any layer or other images and photos. Click once to place the tube or click and drag to place a trail of the tube.

Text Tool This tool is also exactly what it says it is. It places text on any image or photo. Taggers cannot live with out this simple tool! LOL

This part of the toolbar was to large to fit in the first screen shot. All the tools below are done by clicking and dragging your mouse on the canvas to make the image larger or smaller. Most people create shapes as vectors when using these tools. For information on what a Vector is please refer to my Glossary of PSP Terms.
           

Preset Shape Tool This tool will draw out just about any shape imaginable. Hearts, Stars, Arrows, Call Out Boxes, even Text or Dings saved as shapes.

Rectangle Tool This tool will draw out Squares and Rectangles.

Ellipse Tool This tool draws out circles and ovals.

Symmetric Shape Tool This tool will draw Stars and Polygons on to your canvas.

Pen Tool This tool is used to draw lines, or to connect drawn lines. Used without a background color and set to Freehand Mode, you can write or even draw with this tool.

Warp Brush Tool This tool will shrink, twist, and warp part of a photo or image.

Warp Mesh Tool This tool places a grid on your image or photo and will distort an image, a whole layer, or even just a selection of an image.

This part of the toolbar is to large to fit in the first screen shot. All tools below give your photos or images more of a real painters or artist effect.

Oil Brush Tool This tool creates a painted effect like brush strokes.

Chalk Tool This tool creates a more softer drawn image, like chalk on a sidewalk or smooth paper. It smears less than Pastels.

Pastel Tool This tool creates a more intense effect than chalk, and tends to smear more easily.

Crayon Tool This tool creates a more intense intense effect then the Chalk and Pastel, and smears less than the other two also.

Colored Pencil Tool This tool is just like regular colored pencils. Use this tool to color in images with a penciled in effect.

Marker Tool This tool is used just like markers in every day life. Use it to color in images.

Palette Knife Tool This tool is used to paint. You can make it look as though the paint, like oil paint, was set down with the knife instead of a brush.

Smear Tool This tool smears paint and other tools above within an art media layer. Each tool smears differently.

Art Eraser Tool I have never used this tool, although I am sure it erases something LOL. Please refer to the Learning Center within PSP for more information.




I hope I explained these well enough for you and I certainly hope it helps you understand what each tool is for. Happy PSP'n♥