| After the images are transferred or scanned (scanning is covered later in this chapter), you have several options for working with the files. This section covers how to organize, edit, and insert pictures into documents. The next section covers options for printing photographs. Managing Picture Files Here are some of the common things you do with pictures to prepare them for printing or emailing: To organize pictures, Windows XP includes a special folder named My Pictures. Consider placing all pictures within this folder. You can create subfolders within the main My Pictures folder to store similar pictures together. When you open a folder that contains pictures and then select picture files, the task pane displays picture-related tasks. For instance, Figure 12.5 shows some pictures from a digital camera. Figure 12.5. In the My Pictures folder, you see commands for working with pictures. 
The default names used for the images are not descriptive. To effectively store your pictures, you should rename them. To do so, right-click the image, select Rename, type a new name, and press Enter. This process can be tedious, but you will be glad you went to the trouble when you are looking for a photo. The folder names are usually the dates of transfer (2005_12_09, for example). Again, rename these to something more descriptive (such as Michael's Birthday). Picture files can be large. You usually don't want to permanently store them on your hard disk. Instead, you can work with them and then print or email them. After those tasks are finished, you can consider a more efficient storage media. For instance, if you have a CD-R disk drive (the R indicates recordable), you can store pictures on a CD disk. To copy pictures to a CD-R disk, right-click the folder or picture(s) you want to copy and then select Send To. From the Send To menu, select CD drive and follow the instructions in the wizard. You might also simply want to delete the picture files. (If you keep all your picture negatives from a traditional camera, you'll want to save them to another medium. If you throw out the negatives after receiving your prints, you might want to delete some, if not all, of the picture files.)
Editing Pictures Most cameras come with software for working with the images. You can use this software to get rid of red eye, crop images, combine images, and make other changes. This is yet another benefit of digital cameras; you have many options for improving the shot. For instance, Figure 12.6 shows a picture opened in JASC Paint Shop Pro. You can use the many features of this program to adjust the color, crop the image, add a frame, and even add special effects. For specific instructions on using your program, consult that program's manual or online help. Figure 12.6. You can use photo-editing software to edit your picture. 
Inserting a Picture into a Document You might want to insert some images into a document. For instance, you might include product pictures in a catalog, or you might include family photos in a Christmas letter. As another example, you might insert images into a Web document if you want to display them as part of your Web site. tip  | If you don't have software or if you want more sophisticated program tools, you can purchase a picture-editing program. These range from simpleAdobe's $99 Photoshop Elementsto complexthe complete Adobe Photoshop. You can find other programs besides those created by Adobe, although Adobe is the most popular. |
To insert a picture into a document, look for the appropriate command in the Insert menu. In Word, for instance, you use the Insert, Picture, From File command or the From Scanner or Camera command to insert an image from a camera or scanner. Check with the specific program documentation or online help for the specifics on inserting images. |
