Understanding the Need for Cropping and Resizing Picture

Visualize a glossy magazine or a website without attractive photos. Only pictures of good quality will be able to attract attention. If there is distorted then it looks weird and the page will be flicked off. If this happens then the cropping and resizing has not been done properly.

It is time to understand why cropping and resizing snaps is essential. Modern cameras have many technical possibilities. Professionals usually prefer manual operation. Once the snap is taken nothing can be done to change the composition. But it can be readjusted on the editing table to make it more palatable to the senses. Two of the options through which snaps can still look smart are cropping and resizing. But why is it even required? It gains importance when it is used to prepare a design particularly for the web, leaflets, brochure, magazine, catalog, pamphlets, fliers and handouts. It is basically an image editing professional’s job to make the snaps relevant to the medium they will be used for. Sometimes they need to fit in standard frames and both these options are required. It is much better than fitting a square peg in a round hole!

The term cropping implies that a snap needs to be trimmed. Except for the main vital subject the other elements can be left behind. This gives a detailed and focused look to the main subject. Passport photos, profile mugs are cropped for these reasons. Other reasons for cropping include short descriptions with text in magazines or newspapers. Cropping is ideal, as no heavy duty repairing is required. A professional photo can do it himself when a picture needs to be published quickly. Most edit programs have the simple cropping feature to be utilized in emergencies.

The term resizing means changing the dimensions of the actual photo without removing any of the elements. This is tricky and requires professional expertise. Often distortions result when the pictures are not resized in proper dimensions. Ideally one should resize the pictures before the cropping is done. Resizing is done for adjusting the picture with the available space. This could be for print or web media. During resizing the resolution quality is important. When the dimensions are reduced in proportion then the quality is maintained. If the picture is scaled then the stretch should be appropriate. Nothing looks uglier that a bad photo editing job.

Now that both the terms are clear one can approach a professional editor for cropping and resizing a picture.  While cropping it is essential to avoid squishing the snap. It narrows the entire subject and it may not look clean aesthetically. To avoid this mistake use the cropper too to remove some unwanted sections. Then this error can be eliminated. It is important for the editor to use the tools effectively. Often the tools are misused and result in bad cropping or even resizing. This happens to web pictures, which are cropped in HTML. To reduce this inconvenience the web pictures should be of a lower resolution. Any browser needs to function in optimum speed. This can be done only if the pictures are supportive. This makes it essential to use a professional to do both the jobs effectively rather than tinkering it yourself. Professionals can handle bulk image cropping and resizing projects as they have the necessary infrastructure, experience and skills to do it in lesser time.

Have You Ever Tried the Beautiful Image Stitching Services?

Combination of a number of photographic images in order to make a high-resolution image or segmented panorama with the help of overlapping fields is known as image stitching. This is how large profile can be created after clicking beautiful pictures.

This process is usually performed with the assistance of a complex edit program. In a quest to obtain seamless results, it is essential to stitch an image with exact overlaps along with exposures that are identical. Once this is achieved, the final outcome would be absolutely flawless. With technology reaching new heights, digital cameras are available today that have the ability to stitch an image internally. 

There are three important components associated with the process of image stitching.

Image Registration

While carrying out the process of image stitching, the editor should ensure that there is minimum difference between overlapping pixels. In order to achieve this, it is important to first identify matching features in different images. This can be done with the help of direct alignment methods. Ideally, the expert working on the image should calibrate images so as to obtain better results. Additional efforts should be taken to ensure that matching features are identified between images. There are cases wherein there are minute groups of features that match and hence tools that can identify accurately should be made use of. The comparison is not only accurate, but faster as well. Reputed image stitching services tend to use the most effective tools and hence are able to come up with the best results.

Image Calibration

It is essential to minimize the difference between the camera lens combination and ideal lens models including exposure, distortions, and chromatic aberrations and vignetting. This can be achieved with the help of Image calibration. To stitch more than one image, it is important to know the exact positioning of the features involved in an image. Hence, recording and saving the positioning of features in images becomes a vital process. Once the positioning is saved and available, images are placed on the panosphere.

Image Blending

The adjustments that are identified during the calibration stage need to be executed in a near perfect manner. Image blending is the process wherein this execution takes place. During this stage, remapping of images takes place. Lot of work is done in order to get the color combination right which further minimizes the difference between exposures of images that are to be stitched together. In some cases, use of high dynamic range is also encouraged. This is a process which helps obtain near accurate merging of different images. However, only stitching images together is not enough. Once stitching is complete, it is important to minimize the visibility of the seams that tend to occur between images. Seams not minimized would clearly indicate to the fact that the images have been merged together. Hence, seamline adjustment process is carried out at the end to ensure that seams are not visible.

Panorama Tools, Panorama maker, Autostitch, Ptgui and Hugin are some of the dedicated programs that carry out image stitching services. Image stitching is regarded as one of the most complex aspects involved in photo editing. As an aspiring editing expert, learning the art of merging different images and making it look one is indeed important.

Create an Extensive Vista Using Photo Stitching

Panoramic image is a combination of two or more images in order to produce a wholesome representation. There are various variants for panoramas; flat (partial), cylindrical (180 degrees) and spherical (360 X 180 degrees).

To create an extensive vista using photo stitching an editor works out the blueprint in advance. There are few pre requisites before the right software is used. Today there is a choice of using this application with any operating system-Apple or Windows. In addition it will be convenient if it complies with camera model and the right lens.

To create the right pictorial graph can be a challenge. The digital camera can take a number of pictures that can be used in the stitching process. Many editors like to use the adobe Photoshop elements to do this work. The menu has the file/automate and the photo merge in-built in its program. Just because it is automated one cannot assume that it is a cakewalk. Some amount of manual retouching will also be required to make the vista look impressive and natural. And therein lays the key to the job. The editor needs to first pick the shots that will be required for the creation. A background layer is made to start the edit. It is important to know this background, which will support the photo stitching in one uniform style. At times during the stitching process the background may look a little short. It can be stretched further to accommodate the new pictures. It will not affect the process that has been done previously. As a part of the continuing process ensure that the vertical and horizontal levels are stretched in proportion. This is the reason why the photos clicked need to be of the same varying lengths for stitching.

When many photos are involved, and layer masking is done half way through the work the editor will need to make a .PDS file. The opacity also will have to be reduced to half at this stage. It will help in retaining the rest of the Jpeg files in the editing phase. When the transparent layer is adjusted on the existing photos, use only the matching background. Make adjustments to fit the background and the other elements in the frame. The layer mask is then used to cover the stitching and hide the overlapping of the other additional pictures.

Depending on the kind of vista or panorama to be made the editor can use flat (partial), cylindrical (180 degrees) and spherical (360 X 180 degrees). Both Windows and Mac have options for doing this with the right software. A right matrix of photos will develop the entire picture. Photo stitching is an important service that is provided by editing firms. Many real estate clients like to have a better profile view of the landscape where they wish to set up factories, homes or industries. Today with the help of digital cameras the entire process is easier. Taking a set of uniform pictures of the required area at a particular time of the day a good vista can be created. Photo stitching is one service that involves the professional expertise of the shutterbug with that of a skilled editor. Both have to be proficient in their craft to make it happen. 

Digital Manipulation - Designer Techniques

Digital manipulation means skillful touches of the designer on an image to it make more attractive.  There are various techniques practiced by designer to make their work very apt and justified.

Digital manipulations are done on an image in order to increase or decrease any entity, so that the picture looks elegant. The designer has got a tricky job to be done, because the content and the context of the image should not be disturbed, however, he has to find out other portions in the image to be worked upon.  Here we go finding out the techniques implemented by designers for digital manipulations.

Color Combustion: It is a technique that increases the thirst of a designer. The colors to be added are infinite. Not only colors, but as many as images can be cropped from original added into the color combusted image. This is a most sought out technique made by designers to represent lot if information in a single image.

Photo Cutouts: Photo cutout is basically used to remove unwanted entities in the image. Not everything can be controlled in the frame of the photo. Such things that were captured in the snap without necessity can be cropped out and the image can be cleansed.

Recreation of Historical images: This is a recent usage of digital manipulations developments. Old snaps that are distorted by time can be reinstated. The color swatches available in image editing tools can be used in this case. Adding colors, hue and saturation to the old image can give a renewed look.

Lighting Effects: There are various lighting effects that can incorporated into an image. The lighting introduced into an image will change the mood of the visual. Appropriate lightings can add beautiful effects to the image. It can also shed the focus to a portion of the image.

Masking: Masking is a technique in which an object in the image can be hidden partially or fully. The objects can be made transparent and their opacity can be controlled. This effect can make beautiful background settings in an image.

Vectoring: Vectoring of images can make them really abstract looking.  Pen tool is used extensively while vectoring an image. Vectored image is very handy when comes to stretching the length and breadth. The quality of the image will not be compromised in vector graphic images.

Distortion: Distortion is an image property in which the center of the image is found good, whereas the outer part of the images is shattered looking. Such effects can make for fantasy and abstract images.

Sharpen: Sharpen the image is done to increase the contrast of the desired portion of the photo. Technically, no new details is created, instead the pixel of the sharpened and the rest is compared and the contrast is adjusted accordingly. The final result is that the sharpened portion will be eye catching.

Rendering: Rendering is a course of creating an image out of a model. There are various algorithms to create such images. Rendering is used in 2D as well as 3D image editing tools.

These are just tip of the iceberg. Such is the volume of image editing techniques available now in the market for free and for license. It is up to the need and the available cost software can be used for digital manipulation.

Cropping a Picture without Losing Pixels

Pictures can be cropped to remove unwanted objects from an image. This at times leads to a loss of pixels resulting in poor image resolution. It spoils the aura of the originally expected image. Photo editing tools can take care of the loss of pixels due to the “crop”.

There are some photos, which might have unwanted parts or people that are either not needed or might spoil the overall exuberance of a photo. Such pictures can be cropped in order to retain only those parts, which are truly important. Cropping a picture, however, might weaken the resolution of the picture. This loss of pixels results in a poor quality of the image and might not be even close to the look and feel of the original. This drawback of cropping picture can be eradicated with the help of photo editing software.

Losing pixels is a big hindrance in retaining the quality of an image. It might serve the purpose of removing the redundant parts of an image. It may even help in stamping out unwanted objects or even people but it may weaken the picture quality by losing pixels. Cropping a picture without losing pixels can be accomplished with the deployment of the tools offered by photo editor software. The high handedness and vast experience of the photo-editing experts can be used to retain the quality of a picture even after cropping.

One might want to crop a picture and then resize it only to realize that the picture has turned blurry and does not serve the purpose as was expected looking at the composition of the real image. This is disheartening and needs a remedy. The use of photo editing can help to crop a picture without losing pixels. Resolution of an image is a very important parameter that harps on image quality. Cropping defects that result in losing pixels are greatly taken care of by the use of photo enhancement tools.

The need to narrow down an image can be accomplished either by resizing the picture or by cropping it. The aberration in the image quality by resizing can be removed by adjusting the aspect ratio in exactitude of the aspect ratio of the original picture. Cropping simply removes extra parts without giving a squishing effect. However one problem with the use of cropping is that if a person wants to resize a cropped image it results in the loss of pixels, which hampers the picture quality immensely. The photo enhancement tools can help in taking care of the image quality. The photo editors contain tools to remove flaws due to resizing as well as cropping.

If there are a bunch of photos that need to be cropped then photo editor tools can be used to crop them and then give them requisite shape and size while maintaining the resolution keeping in mind the image quality of the original photo. The creative mindsets and expertise of photo editor can help in taking care of defects that arise from cropping a picture. They not only provide a remedy for the loss of pixels due to cropping but also take care of other flaws, which were not apparent. It is significant that the image resolution remains intact no matter what photo editing is applied to an image.

Can a Picture Clipping Be Converted to an EPS Format?

The hardest thing an editor faces is that once he has painstakingly worked on the clipping path process and got the final result he is unable to convert it to an eps file. It’s like kicking the elephant forward but the tail is stuck for good! 

When an edited picture refuses to budge from the editing table, it can prove to be a frustrating experience. Ask any editor; he may have faced this problem often in his early days of working as a clipping path specialist.  If you are already familiar with the difference between the clipping path and clipping mask, then we can just move on to the main theme-converting the picture to the desirable format. Now this refers to Photoshop files that can easily be imported to the Illustrator. If like this professional editor you are using the X Pro, Photoshop software 7 and Illustrator No.9 then this information can be really useful.

Why does this confusion happen at all in the first place? Clients give their pictures in Jpeg, Bitmap, TIF or any format. They are really not very literate when it comes to choosing the format and how they should send it to the editor. The editor knows in what format it comes and if it needs picture clipping. This actually sets the tone for the work. He also has to keep in mind what software to use for editing and the operating system of the computer. Probably a Mac user will have to follow different instructions compared to an X pro user. There is other software apart from Photoshop. If an editor works on Illustrator, the game changes. Hence, even if he sails through the editing in a jiffy, he is stuck while converting the file, which is the last thing to do when it needs to be sent to the client.

Why is EPS a more accepted format after picture clipping? It is open-ended and allows provision for further edits if the client needs some last minute changes. All over the world, this format is acceptable in all internet-related images, digital media work, e-commerce and websites.

And now for the conversion-If an editor works on the Illustrator he may run into rough weather if a bitmap picture needs transparency. A .psd file in Illustrator that is troubling and needs immediate attention.  Instead of the picture all he gets is a white silhouette. The foggy white mask covers the final edit. He needs to remove it otherwise the entire picture clipping is rendered useless. There are only two choices for him-to use a clipping path or a clipping mask. If the picture has the hard edge then a ‘path’ is sketched. A pen tool is fine for the same. The final picture has an outline, which needs to be concealed with a mask. This means once the outline is masked, all the stuff outside the ‘path’ will be transparent when it is being imported to the Illustrator. When the outline has been done, choose clipping path from the pop out menu. Ensure that this menu says it is a clipping path and you have not chosen anything else from the palette! As you see the indication simply save the picture as an EPS file.

TIP: Use the pen tool in Illustrator to make a clipping path with the picture behind it.

Reflection Shadow - Interpreting Photos More Easily!

Reflection shadow is one more extension of making an image multi-dimensional. It adds depth to the main object. It can also create an illusion of expansion and vastness in a small space. Used in imaging during post processing, it rustles up wonderful visuals.

No matter where one goes, the shadow follows and so does a reflection if there is any. If children play with shadow, the elders are but concerned about the reflection. It makes one realize who the person one is. In a way it is a way one keeps touch with reality. The same holds true for images as well. When bereft of reflection and shadow, it loses touch with reality. It fails to generate the viewer’s interest. But with reflection and shadow viewers can hardly take their eyes off from the image. Digital photo manipulation software has made it easier to take the images to the next level where they are close to reality. The 3D interpretation is but one of revolutionizing step.

 The idea is to create an illusion. With Photoshop becoming so ubiquitous, many users try the effect on many kinds of editing projects. But for starters, it is very natural to make some mistakes while doing it without realizing it. But the same cannot be said about the online galleries of e-commerce customers. Here, even simple mistakes may evoke embarrassment or reduced buyers. It is a grim prospect for virtual business. The idea is to create a very strong visual impact something as strong as the physical tracks. If one succeeds in doing so, the products won’t take long before they fly off the shelves.

Reflection and shadow are two different effects. They can be applied together or individually. The choice should be aesthetically made. As said earlier, the aim is to create a visual effect. So, it is important to judge the kind of visual effects, which is best, suited. The shadow is a grey shape, which is placed beneath the image. But that is a very basic approach to shadows. In actuality, experienced editors are doing so much with the shadow effect. Be it the shape, color, position and the impact, their innovations always bring up something new. In fact, viewers are now accustomed to seeing shadow effects on most products they want to buy. They are attracted if they find some twist in it.

The much-coveted twist can be reflection shadow for the buyer. As the name suggests, it is kind of digital effects, which has the impact of both reflection and shadow. It needs special expertise to club the two effects in proper manner. It must be noted that both work the best against white or light colored background. The correct positioning of the two, earns the image its credentials. Though it is simple software guided task, but there is always risk of overdoing the effect. Further, this kind of effect suits only selective images.

Why just be limited with images? The reflection shadow can be applied to texts as well. Texts do not only convey messages, they can also be used as medium of visual appeal. Applying the reflection shadow to texts is not same. In case of texts, the effect has to be introduced separately for each letter. Creating reflection for some is letters is simpler than other. It is easy for ‘T’ but the same for ‘Y’ needs a special attention.  Further, the effects should match with each other when the letters are placed one after another.