Image Editing Basics
Image Editing Basics
The whole world around us is full of images. Each day, we bump into various posters, flyers, labels, advertisements, photographs and other beautiful compositions. Ever wondered how those fancy images are created? The answer is very simple indeed.
Stunning images can be created using computers and image editing applications. Image editing apps enable users to modify and edit images or create various compositions from scratch. Moreover, photographs and other pictures can be retouched, many fascinating special effects as well as text can be applied, and ultimately, sharing the beautiful results with others is a breeze.
There are lots of ways to modify images using image editing applications, including, for example, reducing or enlarging the size, flipping, cropping, rotating, stitching, reversing, inverting, filling, copying and pasting images. What’s more, such apps are also useful for changing transparency, selecting different areas or objects to modify, moving these areas or objects onto other images, or simply getting rid of the unwanted parts of images.
Changing colors, darkening or lightening images, adjusting the contrast or inverting colors helps to create any desired mood in a picture. Images can look joyful, sad, horrific, nostalgic, romantic, or even like a still frame from a Hollywood movie.
It’s easy to express all of this bubbling creativity by painting, pouring, spraying, coloring, and erasing while moving the computer mouse as one might with traditional tools. To make it even more fun, image editing apps allow one to change the size, shape or color of a brush tip, or even use any image to create a brush from it.
Everyone wants to look great in their pictures. Thanks to image editing, anyone can look like a stunning beauty from a commercial or a famous magazine cover. Using smart retouch tools, one can easily make people look slimmer or give them smooth, silky skin, white teeth and shiny hair.
Old photographs can be restored to look like they were captured just a few minutes ago. What’s more, any unwanted noise or scratches can be removed from pictures, and any image can be turned black-and-white with a single click. There are no limits!
Adding text to images and changing font style, text size and color is a piece of cake. Moreover, text can be reduced or enlarged, rotated or flipped.
The breathtaking movie posters or creative advertisements that surround us are created using special effects. Special effects are probably the most entertaining part of image editing. Usually, image editing applications have a list of special effects that enables users to create a unique look for pictures. Since special effects can be applied with just a few mouse-clicks, even a beginner can do it.
Using special effects, images can be completely distorted, blurred or sharpened; also, various stylish effects can be applied. For example, images may look like they are painted with ink, pencil, chalk, watercolors, oil or charcoal. It’s a snap to turn pictures into puzzles, comic book illustrations, stained glass or frescoes, or to add stunning effects with light. Using special effects inspires creativity which brings to life the most outrageous ideas!
Each and every stunning image deserves to be shared with others. Send images to friends or family via email, print images to apply them onto accessories or to hang them on the wall. To share compositions with the whole world, upload and share images through social networks or online galleries in a matter of only moments. Thanks to image editing, everyone is capable of sharing the fruits of their imagination!
Nowadays, there are many applications to do all of this. However, the most downloaded and most popular image editing applications are Photoshop, GIMP, and Pixelmator. Using any of these applications, one can have fun editing their images right away. Try it and find out that image editing is not only simple, but also a very enjoyable process.
I basically agree with the other readers. I bought Pixelmator and have even upgraded v2 but I don’t use it very much and quite frankly don’t understand the technical side of image editing. I would like to learn though as I am a web developer expert with code bad with images. It would be awesome to be able to create and modify images even if just for prototyping applications. So I said all that to say this please please produce a learning path the the non professional artist. I would even consider paying a reasonable amount for a complete set of lessons that would get results.
Thanks for a excellent product…
-Dale
This is an introductory text to image editing. It only presents the capabilities of image editing apps. To get to know Pixelmator better, you’d be better off playing around with it. Have a look at our video and text tutorials. They are all divided to basic, intermediate and advanced levels. So if you are a newbie start with basics and as you develop your skills move on to advanced tutorials.
Interesting, I would love to learn more.
I too am having a hard time learning this program. I was expecting some challenge, but nowhere on the net or on this website can I find out how to begin editing photos from a “beginners” standpoint
Hi Briana,
For a beginner it is best to start with basic tutorials on this web site.
I have done every tutorial from the Basics category. These do not accomplish what you folks at Pixelmator seem to think they should. I believe what others are expressing, as I am here, is that they use terms, address techniques, and teach things that to most would be considered intermediate. In other words, we probably don’t need to be taught how to use sponges, lassos, magic wands, and clone stamps when we’re not yet sure how to draw a capital letter “A.”
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s having trouble with the “beginner tutorials”; what part of this tutorial is suppose to help me understand ANYTHING??? Step-by-step beginners introductions, explanations, and instructions would be a great educational tutorial. Like Dale, I too would be willing to pay a small fee in order to receive beginners lessons, that helped me toward an intermediate level of understanding/creating.
I agree with everything written above. I have been trying to get started. I finally figured out how to get an image (photo) from i Photo onto the screen but I haven’t been able to go any further. I need something very basic. I know if I can just do a few basic things I will be able to add more as I need them. Any suggestions.
Ed,
Have you tried to complete any of the tutorials in the Intermediate section?
I am a photography Enthusiast and a beginner in photo editing software. I currently have the 30 day trial. I have to say that I love what I can do with it. I have already been able to edit images and it is not hard at all. It is just a matter of patience, reading and watching the basic tutorials provided in this site. I will definitely purchase this product. Great Job to the Pixelmator Team !!