What Tools Does Windows Provide for Working with Images?

Windows Vista gives you more tools for working with images than any previous version of Windows:

• Pictures folder The natural place in the Windows filing system to keep digital photos, pictures, graphics, and other images. Microsoft has preconfigured the viewing options in the Pictures folder (a subfolder of Documents) to make it easy for you to sort through pictures.

• Windows Photo Gallery The default application for viewing image files (see "Looking at and Fixing Images with the Windows Photo Gallery"). It is new with Windows Vista. You can use the Fix pane to change colors, adjust brightness and contrast, crop images, and remove red eye.

• Windows Snipping Tool A new program with Windows Vista that enables you to capture parts of or the entire computer screen. This is helpful for creating in-house documentation, snapping a screen to send to a help desk person for support issues, or if you need to show an example of a screen during a slide show you create.

• Microsoft Paint An application for drawing and coloring (see "Creating and Editing Images with Microsoft Paint"). It also allows you to crop photos or transform images from one file format to another.

• Scanner And Camera Wizard Sets up Windows to work with a scanner or digital camera (see "Downloading Images from Digital Cameras"). This wizard starts automatically when you plug a digital camera into your computer's USB or other port.