Applying Effects to Modify Graphics Appearance

Applying Effects to Modify Graphics' Appearance

The Filter menu let you change how the image appears, using filters such as charcoal sketch and mosaic, and helps you improve the appearance of an image through defining, smoothing, and cleaning up the image.

Creating a Grayscale, Watermark, or Black and White Image

Graphics modes also let you apply effects: black-and-white, grayscale, and watermark.

1. Select a bitmap or metafile; the image-editing object bar will appear.

   

2. Select the type of effect you want from the list at the far left of the object bar.

3. Figure 31-9 shows examples of each effect.

   Figure 31-9. Graphics object bar graphics modes

   

Applying Filters

1. Select a bitmap. If you want to apply a filter to a non-bitmap, right-click the object and choose Convert > Bitmap.

2. Click the Filter icon on the object bar to open the Filter tearoff menu.

   

3. Select a filter from the examples shown in Figure 31-11 through Figure 31-21. If filters aren't available, you didn't install them.

   Figure 31-11. Charcoal filter

   

   Figure 31-21. Remove noise filter

   

Original

Figure 31-10 shows what the original photo looked like.

Figure 31-10. Original

Charcoal sketch

Outlines images in black and hides all other colors.

Mosaic and Tile

Mosaic groups pixels into rectangles of the same color . In the Mosaic window, enter the width and height of the pixel, and the definition (contrast between adjacent pixels).

Figure 31-12. Mosaic filter

Relief

Converts image to a relief, which has an effect like a carving or embossed paper.

Figure 31-13. Relief filter

Posterize

Reduces number of colors, and can create a very nice muted effect in some graphics. In the Posterize window, enter how many colors to use.

Figure 31-14. Poster filter

Popart

Reduces and changes colors. Not a good choice for any picture that you want to still be representative. It's better for designs, backgrounds, etc.

Figure 31-15. Popart filter

Aging

Changes colors partially to pinks and browns, to achieve the effect of an old photograph. In the Aging window, enter the percentage to age.

Figure 31-16. Aging filter

Solarization

Achieves the effect of a negative. In the Solarization window, enter the percentage controlling how much of the image will be effected. A low percentage will affect most of the image; a high percentage will affect very little of it. Select Invert to invert the pixel color, as well.

Figure 31-17. Solarization filter, with and without inversion

Invert

Swaps light for dark, red for green, and vice versa.

Figure 31-18. Invert filter

Smooth

Decreases the contrast between pixels.

Figure 31-19. Smooth filter

Sharpen

Increases the contrast between pixels.

Figure 31-20. Sharpen filter

Remove noise

Removes extraneous pixels.