1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Corel Manuals
  4. Software
  5. PaintShop Pro X4
  6. User manual

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Related Manuals for Corel PaintShop Pro X4

Summary of Contents for Corel PaintShop Pro X4

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    About Corel ........
  • Page 4 Removing digital noise ......76 Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 5 Adjusting color balance ......77 Adjusting brightness, contrast, and clarity ....79 Controlling depth of field .
  • Page 6 Index........175 Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 7: Welcome To Corel Paintshop Pro X4

    What’s in this user guide? This user guide contains the information that you need to become familiar with the Corel PaintShop Pro workspaces and to get started with basic tasks and creative possibilities. It is designed to accompany the more comprehensive Help, which is available from within the program, as well as other learning resources.

  • Page 8: What's New In Corel Paintshop Pro X4

    What’s new in Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Corel PaintShop Pro X4 combines speed and performance improvements with a range of new pro-level tools and features that let you explore your passion for photography. We’ve been listening to your suggestions and following the latest photography trends so we can bring you an application that does what you want, and helps you discover something new.
  • Page 9 Enhanced! Camera RAW Lab The Camera RAW Lab now has a larger preview area and an improved histogram that makes it easier to assess your adjustments. New highlight recovery options can help reconstruct detail in overexposed Welcome to Corel PaintShop Pro X4...
  • Page 10 Enhanced! Tabbed workspaces The application has been redesigned so you can move easily between photo workflows. Click the tabs at the top of the Corel PaintShop Pro window to switch workspaces. The Manage workspace gives you all the power to review and organize your photos. It also lets you access multi-photo processing options.

  • Page 11: Installing And Uninstalling Corel Programs

    Installing and uninstalling Corel programs The Installer makes it easy to install Corel® programs and components. Before installing • Close all open programs. Note that antivirus software and firewall applications may affect installation. • Ensure that you are logged in to your computer as Administrator or as a user with local administrative rights.

  • Page 12: Starting And Exiting The Program

    Starting and exiting the program You can start Corel PaintShop Pro from the Windows taskbar or your desktop icon, and exit the program from the File menu. To start Corel PaintShop Pro • On the Windows taskbar, click Start  All Programs ...

  • Page 13: Updating The Program

    About Corel Corel is one of the world's top software companies with more than 100 million active users in over 75 countries. We develop software that helps people express their ideas and share their stories in more exciting, creative and persuasive ways.
  • Page 14 Our award-winning product portfolio includes some of the world's most widely recognized and popular software brands, including CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, Corel® Painter™, Corel DESIGNER® Technical Suite, Corel® PaintShop™ Pro, Corel® VideoStudio®, Corel® WinDVD®, Corel® WordPerfect® Office, WinZip® and Corel® Digital Studio™. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 15: The Digital Workflow

    The digital workflow The digital workflow outlined below can help you understand how to best use Corel PaintShop Pro. It suggests a sequence for working with your digital images. Whether you want to organize, retouch, print or share, you can use the workflow described below as a guide.
  • Page 16 For more information, see “Getting photos into Corel PaintShop Pro” on page 35. Manage your photos Digital photography gives you the freedom to experiment. The result is a large number of digital files, so photographers understand the need to manage those files by reviewing, culling, and identifying photos as early in the process as possible.
  • Page 17 For more information, see “Reviewing, organizing, and finding photos” on page 41. Adjust photos quickly The challenge for many photographers is finding the time to edit photos, so the Adjust workspace lets you move from photo to photo quickly and puts commonly-used editing tools at your finger tips.
  • Page 18 • “Adjusting images” on page 65 • “Retouching and restoring images” on page 83 • “Working with selections” on page 157 • “Working with layers” on page 147 • “Applying effects” on page 129 Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 19 Many DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera owners are expanding their knowledge and looking for creative options. HDR (high dynamic range) features in Corel PaintShop Pro help you take advantage of bracketing features on your camera. You can also combine multiple photos with Photo Blend.
  • Page 20 • “Taking photos for HDR processing” on page 108 • “Combining photos by using HDR Exposure Merge” on page 109 • “Merging batches of photos into HDR images” on page 116 • “Combining photos with Photo Blend” on page 118 Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 21: Learning How To Use Corel Paintshop Pro

    Learning how to use Corel PaintShop Pro You can learn how to use Corel PaintShop Pro in various ways: by accessing the Help and videos, by using the Learning Center palette, or by exploring the Corel Guide and by visiting the Corel website (www.corel.com), where you can access tips, tutorials, and...
  • Page 22 A tip containing suggestions for performing the image to set the the preceding steps. It may source point for the Clone present alternatives to the tool. steps, or other benefits and uses of the procedure. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 23: Using The Help System

    Using the Help system The Help that is available from within the program is the most comprehensive source of information for Corel PaintShop Pro. The Help system provides two ways to find information. You can choose a topic from the Contents page, or use the Search page to search for specific words and phrases.

  • Page 24: Using The Learning Center Palette

    Using the Learning Center palette The Learning Center palette contains helpful information about Corel PaintShop Pro tasks, commands, and tools to help first-time users as well as experienced users get their work done faster. The Home page of the Learning Center palette provides a task-based workflow, which begins with getting your photos into the program.

  • Page 25: Using The Corel Guide

    Some tasks and commands are not available unless an image is open. Using the Corel Guide The Corel Guide provides the most up-to-date information and content for your program. You can find tips and tricks, download new content for your projects, explore new ways to share your photos, and access the latest updates for your program.

  • Page 26: Using Web-Based Resources

    Knowledgebase and newsgroups, submit questions to Technical Support, provide feedback, or look for software updates • Check for Updates — checks the Corel Update Service to see if there are updates to your copy of Corel PaintShop Pro You can also visit www.corel.com, and click the Support link to access the Support page.

  • Page 27: Workspace Tour

    Workspace tour Corel PaintShop Pro includes three main workspaces that let you organize and edit your images: Manage, Adjust, and Edit. This section presents the following topics: • Exploring the workspaces • Switching between workspaces • Using palettes • Using toolbars •...
  • Page 28 The Manage workspace When you open Corel PaintShop Pro, the Manage workspace appears as your default workspace. Navigation palette Preview area Info palette Organizer palette Organizer toolbar Thumbnails The Manage workspace in Preview mode The Manage workspace consists of the following components: •...
  • Page 29 • Info palette — displays information about the selected image. It consists of a camera-style display of the settings used to take the photo and a tabbed area that lets you add information, such as tags and ratings, and access a full list of EXIF or IPTC data. •...
  • Page 30 The Edit workspace lets you access in-depth editing features. It includes menus, tools, and palettes that you can use to create and edit images. In addition to photo editing, it lets you perform painting and drawing tasks. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 31 Tool Options palette Menu bar Image window Standard toolbar Learning Center palette Tools toolbar Status bar A photo displayed in the Edit workspace The Edit workspace includes the following components: • Menu bar — displays commands for performing tasks. For example, the Effects menu contains commands for applying effects to images.

  • Page 32: Switching Between Workspaces

    “Displaying and editing photo information” on page 56. Switching between workspaces Corel PaintShop Pro lets you switch between different workspaces quickly and easily so that you can accomplish your photo managing and editing tasks in the most efficient manner.
  • Page 33 Palette Description Navigation palette Lets you find and organize photos Info palette Displays information about the selected image. It consists of a camera-style display of the settings used to take the photo and a tabbed area that lets you add General information, such as tags and ratings, and access a full list of EXIF or IPTC data.
  • Page 34 • Drag the corner or edge of a palette. You can also resize a docked palette by clicking the Minimize palette or Maximize palette button in the upper-right corner of the palette’s title bar. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 35: Using Toolbars

    Using toolbars All three workspaces contain toolbars with buttons that are useful for performing common tasks. When you position the pointer over a button, its name appears in a tooltip, and the status bar displays additional information about the command. In addition, in the Edit workspace, the Learning Center provides advice on using the tool.

  • Page 36: Using Tools

    Edit workspace, see “Using toolbars” on page 29. The following table briefly describes each tool on the Tools toolbar of the Edit workspace. Some of these tools are also available in the Adjust workspace. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 37 Tool Description Lets you control which part of the image is visible in the image window Zooms in when you click, or zooms out when Zoom you right-click. You can drag to define an area for zooming. Moves, rotates, and reshapes raster layers, and Pick selects and modifies vector objects Moves a raster layer or a vector layer on the...
  • Page 38 Sharpens pixels as you drag, or softens pixels as Sharpen you drag with the right mouse button Creates an embossed effect by suppressing color Emboss and tracing edges as you drag Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 39 Tool Description Makes colors more vivid as you drag, or less vivid Saturation Up/ as you drag with the right mouse button Down Shifts pixel hue values up as you drag, or shifts Hue Up/Down them down as you drag with the right mouse button Recolors pixels while retaining detail Change to Target...
  • Page 40 Simulates applying oil paint with a knife (instead Palette Knife of a brush) on an Art Media layer Smears whatever pigment you’ve applied to an Smear Art Media layer Erases whatever pigment you’ve applied to an Art Eraser Art Media layer Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 41: Getting Started

    Getting started You can bring your images into Corel PaintShop Pro in various ways: you can import photos that you have transferred to your computer, scan images directly into the application, capture images from the computer screen; or you can create an image.

  • Page 42: Opening And Closing Images

    Manage workspace. You can associate specific file formats with Corel PaintShop Pro, such as JPEG, TIF, or PNG, so that these files will open in Corel PaintShop Pro when you double-click them. For more information about setting file format associations and supported file types, see “Setting file format associations”...
  • Page 43 To open an image Edit workspace Choose File  Open. In the Look in drop-list, choose the folder where the file is stored. Click the name of the file that you want to open. If you want to open multiple files, hold down Ctrl, and click the filenames.

  • Page 44: Saving Images

    The PspImage file format of Corel PaintShop Pro supports layers, alpha channels, and other features used in creating images. It is recommended that you save and edit your images as PspImage files.
  • Page 45 To save a new image Edit workspace Choose File  Save. The Save As dialog box appears. From the Save in drop-list, choose the folder in which you want to save the file. In the File name field, type a name for the file. In the Save as type drop-list, choose a file format.

  • Page 46: Deleting Images

    Standard toolbar. Deleting images You can delete image files by using the Organizer palette. To delete an image Edit workspace • Right-click a thumbnail in the Organizer palette, and choose Delete from the context menu. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 47: Reviewing, Organizing, And Finding Photos

    • Using Quick Review to review photos • Working with trays Setting up the Manage workspace When you start up Corel PaintShop Pro for the first time, the Manage workspace appears as your main workspace with the following four components: Navigation palette, Preview area,...
  • Page 48 For more information, see “Setting Manage workspace preferences” in the Help. Navigation palette Preview area Info palette Organizer palette Organizer toolbar Thumbnails Manage workspace in Preview mode Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 49 Preview Navigation Organizer area palette toolbar Thumbnails Info palette Manage workspace in Thumbnail mode To switch between preview and thumbnail modes • In the top-right corner of the Manage workspace, click one of the following buttons: • Preview mode — displays a large preview area of a single image •...

  • Page 50: Browsing Folders For Photos

    Organizer palette. When you browse to a folder, you are essentially importing the content of the folder into Corel PaintShop Pro. For more information, see “Getting photos into Corel PaintShop Pro” on page 35.

  • Page 51: Finding Images On Your Computer

    In the Smart Collections tree, click the All Photos icon Finding images on your computer When you import photos into Corel PaintShop Pro by navigating to them from the Navigation palette, they are cataloged automatically. Cataloged images can be searched for quickly (real-time filtering) and easily from the Search box.
  • Page 52 In the Find photos that match drop-list, select one of the following options: • All — searches for images that match all of the specified rules • Any — searches for images that match any of the specified rules Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 53: Working With Saved Searches

    From the first drop-list on the left, select a search option. From the next drop-list, select an option to refine the search further. The options that appear in the drop-list depend on the search option that you chose in the previous drop-list. In the text field, type or choose a search term.
  • Page 54 You can also assign one or more tags to the selected thumbnails by typing the text in the Tags box on the General page of the Info palette, and clicking the Add Tag button the right of the text field. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 55: Viewing Photos By Tags

    To remove keyword tags from one or more images Manage workspace In the Organizer palette, select one or more thumbnails. In the Info palette, click the General tab to view the tag information. In the list that appears below the Tags box, click one or more tags that you want to remove, and click the Delete Tag button that appears to the right of the tag name.

  • Page 56: Using The Calendar To Find Images

    Ctrl, and click the dates. When you click a date or a range, the Organizer palette displays thumbnails of the photos that match the date criteria. Click Close to close the Calendar Search dialog box. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 57: Working With Thumbnails In The Manage Workspace

    Working with thumbnails in the Manage workspace The Manage workspace makes it easy for you to preview and organize photos by using thumbnails. For a larger view of photos, use Preview mode, zoom in and out on thumbnails, or use Quick Review to view photos in full-screen mode. You can also sort and rotate photos by using thumbnails, or delete and rename the files.
  • Page 58 If the Manage workspace is not in Preview mode, click the Preview mode button in the top-right corner of the Manage workspace. In the Organizer palette, click a video thumbnail. Click the Play button below the Preview area. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 59 Example of a video thumbnail You can extract a frame from a video and save it as an image by clicking the Pause button to stop the video on the frame that you want to save, and clicking the Capture button To rotate one or more images in the Organizer palette Manage workspace Select one or more thumbnails.

  • Page 60: Capturing And Applying Edits To Multiple Photos

    You can capture and apply edits to most file types, but edits to RAW files can be applied only to other RAW files. You can undo the edits you apply to one or more photos. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 61 To capture edits Manage workspace After editing an image in the Adjust workspace or Edit workspace, or the Camera RAW Lab, save the changes, and return to the Manage workspace. Select the thumbnail of the photo that you edited. A pencil icon or RAW icon appears in the bottom-left corner of thumbnails to indicate that the image has been edited.

  • Page 62: Displaying And Editing Photo Information

    For example, you can search by caption text. At the top of the Info palette there is a camera-style display that helps you quickly review the camera settings were used for the selected photo. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 63 White Balance Symbols Custom Flash Daylight Overcast Fluorescent Shade Tungsten Partial metering Auto-white balance Metering Symbols Custom metering Spot metering Averaged metering Multi-spot metering Center-weighted metering Pattern metering To assign a rating to one or more images Manage workspace Select one or more thumbnails. In the Info palette, click a star, starting from left to right, to set a Rating.

  • Page 64: E-Mailing And Sharing Photos From The Manage Workspace

    You can e-mail and share your photos from the Manage workspace, or any other workspace, by accessing the Share menu on the Organizer toolbar. For more information, see “E-mailing photos” on page 169 and “Uploading photos to a sharing site” on page 170. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 65: Using Quick Review To Review Photos

    Using Quick Review to review photos You can use Quick Review to review images in full-screen mode. For example, after downloading photos from your camera, you can use Quick Review to quickly review all photos, delete the ones you don’t want, rotate photos, and apply star ratings.

  • Page 66: Working With Trays

    In the Organizer palette, select the tray that you want to remove. Note: Removing a tray does not delete the photos in the tray. Click the More Options button on the Organizer toolbar, and click Remove Tray. The custom tray, “My Tray”, cannot be removed. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 67: Working With Camera Raw Photos

    The Camera RAW Lab in Corel PaintShop Pro acts like a digital darkroom and lets you apply a personal touch to your RAW files. After processing a RAW image, you can leave it as a read-only RAW file, or export it to a JPEG, GIF, or PNG file so you can edit it.

  • Page 68: Using The Camera Raw Lab

    To find supported RAW file formats Go to www.corel.com. On the corel.com Web page, click Support. On the Support page, click Knowledgebase. In the Search Text box, type PaintShop RAW support list. A list of related Knowledgebase articles is displayed.
  • Page 69 Image settings for RAW images are saved to a database. Changes to the file name or file location can be tracked in the database only if you make the changes in Corel PaintShop Pro. Working with camera RAW photos...

  • Page 70: Applying Edits To Multiple Raw Photos

    Applying edits to multiple RAW photos With Corel PaintShop Pro, you can copy the edits you made to a photo in the Camera RAW Lab, and quickly apply the same edits to a batch of photos. For more information about applying edits to multiple photos, see “Capturing and applying edits to multiple photos”...

  • Page 71: Adjusting Images

    Adjusting images When you view your photos in Corel PaintShop Pro, you may notice problems that you want to correct. In some photos, the problems are obvious, such as when the subject is too dark. In other photos, you may sense the need for improvement but not know what to fix. With Corel PaintShop Pro, you can correct specific aspects of a photo or allow the program to make basic photo adjustments.

  • Page 72: Rotating Images

    You can rotate an image in Corel PaintShop Pro. You can also rotate an image to any angle by specifying a degree of rotation or by rotating it interactively on the canvas.

  • Page 73: Cropping Images

    You can remove unwanted portions of an image to create stronger compositions or to draw attention to another area of the image. Corel PaintShop Pro helps you crop by providing presets to common image sizes, such as 4 × 6 inches or 10 × 15 centimeters.
  • Page 74 Presets drop-list on the floating toolbar for the Crop tool, or from the drop-list on the Tool Options palette. When you’re ready to crop the image, click the Apply button on the Tool Options palette or on the floating toolbar for the Crop tool. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 75 You can also Apply the crop by using your Double-click inside the crop mouse or keyboard rectangle, or press Enter. Set the size of the crop rectangle Specify the values in the Width, on the Tool Options palette Height, and Units controls. Constrain the crop area to its Mark the Maintain aspect ratio current proportions...

  • Page 76: Straightening Images

    Straightening images You can easily straighten crooked images by aligning a straightening bar with an image feature. Corel PaintShop Pro rotates the image so that this straightening bar is perfectly horizontal and vertical. This feature is especially useful when an image has a strong vertical or horizontal feature, such as a building or horizon.

  • Page 77: Correcting Photographic Perspective

    A straightening bar with end handles appears on the image. Drag each handle of the straightening bar to align it with the part of the image that you want to straighten. On the Tool Options palette, choose one of the following options from the Mode drop-list: •...
  • Page 78 Note: Marking the Crop image check box deletes the areas of the image that fall outside the rectangle. Drag each handle to the corner of the object that should be rectangular. Click the Apply button You can also apply the command by double-clicking the image. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 79: Making Basic Photo Corrections Automatically

    To reset the perspective correction box to the original rectangle, click Cancel on the Tool Options palette. Making basic photo corrections automatically If you are not sure what adjustments to make to a photo, you can apply either the One Step Photo Fix command or the Smart Photo Fix command and see if you like the results.
  • Page 80 “To use advanced options of Smart Photo Fix” in the Help. To apply basic corrections with One Step Photo Fix Edit workspace • Choose Adjust  One Step Photo Fix. After a brief pause, several basic corrections are applied to your photo. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 81 The corrections applied are identical to what would be applied by accepting the suggested settings of the Smart Photo Fix feature. If you are not satisfied with the changes made to your photo, choose Then, choose Edit  Undo. Adjust  Smart , and adjust the available settings.

  • Page 82: Removing Digital Noise

    For example, when you zoom in on a photo of a clear blue sky, you may see tiny specks of orange, red, purple, green, or other colors. Corel PaintShop Pro gives you two fast, powerful commands for removing noise from your photos: One Step Noise Removal and Digital Noise Removal.

  • Page 83: Adjusting Color Balance

    The image on the left looks grainy because of digital camera noise. The image on the right appears smoother and less grainy after the noise has been removed. You can automatically apply noise correction to your photo with the One Step Noise Removal command. You can also control more precisely how the same corrections are applied by using the more comprehensive Digital Noise Removal command.
  • Page 84 Mark the Smart White Balance check box. This allows Corel PaintShop Pro to evaluate and make minor corrections to the image automatically. Drag the temperature slider to the left for cooler colors (more blue), or to the right for warmer colors (more orange).

  • Page 85: Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, And Clarity

    Click OK. Adjusting brightness, contrast, and clarity Corel PaintShop Pro lets you adjust the brightness, contrast, and clarity in your photos. Contrast is the difference between the photo’s lightest and darkest pixels. Clarity lets you adjust the level of detail in the image by analyzing contrast within localized areas.
  • Page 86 Click OK. You can use the zoom control in the dialog box to set your view of the image in the Before and After panes. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 87: Controlling Depth Of Field

    Controlling depth of field You can control the depth of field to create an area of focus that draws attention to the subject in your photo. For example, in a photo of a person surrounded by a field of flowers, you can defocus (blur) the surrounding flowers while retaining a clear focus on the person.
  • Page 88 Circular Freehand Rectangular Raster Selection Make your selection slightly larger than the area you want to keep in focus, and then fine-tune the edge of the selection by using the Focus range slider. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 89: Retouching And Restoring Images

    Retouching and restoring images Corel PaintShop Pro provides you with many ways to retouch your images. Whether you want to remove a small scratch, erase the entire background, or simply correct red-eye, you’ll find the tools you need. This section presents the following topics: •...

  • Page 90: Removing Red-Eye

    Red-eye in photos is a common problem. When light from the camera’s flash reflects off the retina of a photo subject, a red-eye effect is captured in the photo. Corel PaintShop Pro has two methods of removing red-eye from a color photo.

  • Page 91: Applying Cosmetic Changes

    Applying cosmetic changes You can quickly improve the appearance of the subjects in your photos by performing the following cosmetic changes: • removing blemishes — by using the Blemish Fixer mode of the Makeover tool • whitening teeth — by using the Toothbrush mode of the Makeover tool •...
  • Page 92 Higher settings produce more intense whitening but may also produce an unnatural appearance. Click directly over the teeth. If the teeth are separated or partially obscured, you may need to apply this tool to each tooth individually. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 93 The Toothbrush mode of the Makeover tool works only with color photos. To apply whitening eye drops Edit workspace On the Tools toolbar, choose the Makeover tool On the Tool Options palette, choose the Eye Drop mode. Type or set a value in the Strength control. Higher values whiten more of the eye area but may spread the whitening beyond the affected area of the eye.
  • Page 94 Edit workspace Choose Adjust  Skin Smoothing. In the Skin Smoothing dialog box, adjust the Amount slider. Moving the slider to the right applies more smoothing; moving the slider to the left applies less smoothing. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 95: Removing Scratches

    The Skin Smoothing command smooths skin tones and diminishes the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes quickly. The Skin Smoothing command automatically detects and smooths skin tones without affecting eyes or lips. However, if other areas in your photo are affected because they are similar in color to the skin tone, you can use a selection to isolate the area you want to smooth.
  • Page 96 Release the mouse button. The enclosed area is replaced with the surrounding pixels. You can also Move the selection box starting Before releasing the mouse point in 1-pixel increments button, press an Arrow key. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 97: Removing Flaws And Objects

    You can also Increase or decrease the width of Before releasing the mouse the selection box in 1-pixel button, press Page up or Page increments down. Use surrounding pixels to fill the Before releasing the mouse area perpendicular to the edge of button, press Shift.
  • Page 98 On the Tool Options palette, choose the brush tip, size, opacity, and other settings. If you want the Clone Brush tool to reset the source point each time you resume painting, mark the Aligned mode check box. You Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 99 can continue dragging over the target area to fill in the source image. Unmark the check box if you want every stroke to copy the same data from the original source point. If you want to clone data from all layers merged together, mark the Use all layers check box.

  • Page 100: Erasing Image Areas

    When you use the Eraser tool on a raster layer, all pixels in the tool’s path become transparent. A gray-and-white checkerboard pattern indicates transparent areas. You can quickly remove the background from an image by using the Background Eraser tool. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 101 You can use the Background Eraser tool to erase pixels selectively. For example, in a photo of a mountain range, you can erase the sky, or you can isolate an object from the surrounding image area. For information about the settings available for the Background Eraser tool, see “Erasing image areas”...

  • Page 102: Cutting Out Image Areas

    You can use the Object Extractor to cut out an image area from the surrounding background. You can then edit the cutout separately from the background, display it against a different background, or combine it with other images. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 103 Object Extractor workflow: (1) Outline the edges of the image area; (2) add a fill; (3) preview the cutout, and touch it up if necessary; (4) bring the cutout into the image window; (5) place the cutout against a different background image (optional).
  • Page 104 Type or set a value in the Brush or eraser nib size box. Zoom in and out Type or set a value in the Zoom box. Display an image at its actual size Click the Zoom Image to 100% button Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 105: Recoloring Image Areas For A Realistic Effect

    You can also Display an image in the entire Click the Fit Image to Window preview area button Pan to another area of the image Using the Pan tool drag the image until the area you want to see is visible. The background layer is automatically promoted to a raster layer when you use the Object Extractor command.
  • Page 106 Position the Color Changer pointer over the color you want to change in the image, and then click to recolor with the Foreground/Stroke color, or right-click to recolor with the current Background/Fill color. Click Apply to set the color change on the object. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 107 You can also Use a color from the current Choose the Dropper tool click the image color you want in the image, and then choose the Color Changer tool to reactivate it. Instantly change the color you Before clicking Apply, click a color on want to apply the Materials palette.

  • Page 108: Adding Borders

    For multilayer images, Corel PaintShop Pro prompts you to flatten the image before adding the border; however, you can also add a border without flattening the image by changing the canvas size. For more information, see “Resizing the canvas”...

  • Page 109: Scaling Photos By Using Smart Carver

    Click the Color box to choose a color for the border. Click OK. You can change the units of measurement for the border by choosing an option from the drop-list in the Original Dimensions group box. Scaling photos by using Smart Carver Smart Carver lets you make a photo narrower, wider, shorter, or longer without distorting the content.
  • Page 110 Pan to view hidden areas of the Click the Pan button and drag photo in the preview area. Hide the brushstrokes in the Mark the Hide Mask check box. preview area Reset the photo to its original Click Reset. state Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 111 To scale a photo by using Smart Carver Edit workspace Choose Image  Smart Carver. The Smart Carver dialog box opens. In the Smart Carving area, perform one or more tasks from the following table, and click OK. You can view the scaling results in the preview area. Do the following Set a photo width Type or set a value in the Width...
  • Page 112 Remove brush Reduce the photo height by Click the Auto-contract vertically automatically removing the areas button to remove red-painted to which you have applied the areas. Remove brush Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 113: Merging Exposures And Content

    Merging exposures and content When you combine two or more photos, you can achieve some impressive results. What can you do? • Use HDR (high dynamic range) Exposure Merge to create a perfectly exposed image. • Seamlessly replace unwanted areas (cars, people, birds that flew into your frame) with the correct background.

  • Page 114: Taking Photos For Hdr Processing

    The photos along the top were taken with different exposure levels, then they were combined to create a single beautifully exposed image. Taking photos for HDR processing If you are new to HDR processing, the information below can help you get started. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 115: Combining Photos By Using Hdr Exposure Merge

    What camera features work well with HDR? You can use automatic exposure bracketing if your camera offers it or use the aperture priority mode and adjust the shutter speed to achieve different exposures. Avoid aperture changes because the depth of field may shift enough to cause blurring in some of the photos.
  • Page 116 • Fine-Tune — Refine your image with noise-reduction, sharpening options, and other familiar tools from the Adjust workspace. When you’re done, you can save to a standard file format and close Exposure Merge. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 117 Please see the topics below for more detailed information about each step. Step 1: Merge Merge settings include: • Camera response curve profile — applies a curve adjustment to the image, based on the known characteristics of the sensor in your camera •...
  • Page 118 In the Alignment area, choose an alignment type from the Method drop-list. If you want to crop any edges that don’t overlap, mark the Auto crop check box. Click Align. You will not see the alignment in the preview area immediately. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 119 To check the alignment of photos taken without a tripod, click the Process button, review the alignment, and click Back to return to the Step 1 pane. To try a different alignment option, in the Alignment area, click the Reset button, and choose an alignment method.
  • Page 120 Drag the Temperature slider to warm or cool the colors in the image. • Drag Contrast, Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows sliders to adjust the overall tone and contrast. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 121 • Drag the Vibrancy slider to saturate or desaturate the colors. • From the Detail drop-list, choose Natural detail or Creative detail, and drag the respective sliders to adjust the amount of local detail. To save your HDR image for further editing, click Create HDR file, navigate to the folder you want, type a file name, and click Save.

  • Page 122: Merging Batches Of Photos Into Hdr Images

    Batch Merge organizes photos into sets, based on the time between photos (within a defined timeframe) or a defined number of photos per set. To merge batches of photos into HDR images In the Manage workspace, click File  HDR  Batch Merge. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 123 Click Add files, navigate to the folder you want, select the files, and click Open. The photos are sorted into groups of three by default. Click the folder icon beside the Save processed files in box, and browse to the folder where you want to save the processed files. Choose a file type from the Save as drop-list.

  • Page 124: Combining Photos With Photo Blend

    Use the same camera settings for all the photos. Photo Tip: Use the manual setting on your camera, so you can ensure that the photos have the same size, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 125 To use Photo Blend In the Manage workspace, select the set of photos that you want to blend. Click File  Photo Blend. In the Alignment area, click Align. If you want to crop unaligned edges along the borders of the photos, mark Auto crop.
  • Page 126 For best results, in the tray of the Step 1 window, click the thumbnail of the image that will change the least, and click the lock button to use the selected image as background. To unlock the background, click the lock button again. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 127: Working With Colors And Materials

    “Working with colors and materials” in the Help. Using the Materials palette Corel PaintShop Pro lets you paint, draw, and fill with a variety of styles and materials. • A style is a color, gradient, or pattern.
  • Page 128 • Swatches tab — displays swatches, which are materials you can save to use again. • Foreground and Stroke and Background and Fill Properties boxes — display the current foreground and background materials, Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 129 which consist of the style (color, gradient, or pattern) and optional texture. You can click either box to display the Material Properties dialog box, in which you can set material options. • Foreground and Background Color boxes — display the current foreground and background color and let you set colors regardless of current material •...

  • Page 130: Choosing Colors By Using The Color Picker

    Choosing colors by using the Color Picker When you edit images in Corel PaintShop Pro, you often need to choose a color before painting, drawing, or filling, making manual color corrections, or choosing a background for a new raster image.
  • Page 131 • HTML color code lets you enter HTML color values. • The Color Picker lets you select a color from the active image. By default, Corel PaintShop Pro displays decimal (base 10) numbers in the Color Picker. You can also display hexadecimal (base 16) numbers —...
  • Page 132 You can access recently used colors by right-clicking the Color box on the Materials palette. In the Recent Colors dialog box, click Other to display the Material Properties dialog box. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 133: Choosing Colors From An Image Or The Desktop

    Choosing colors from an image or the desktop You can choose a foreground or background color from any open image, or from any color within Corel PaintShop Pro (such as a color on a toolbar). This feature is useful when you want to use the color of a specific icon, or when you want to match the Windows desktop colors.
  • Page 134 Ctrl, and click a different part of the desktop. When positioned over areas that can be sampled, a small window follows the pointer and indicates the RGB value of the color you are sampling. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 135: Applying Effects

    • Adding picture frames to images • Using the Picture Tube tool • Warping images For a complete list of the effects available in Corel PaintShop Pro, see “Applying effects” in the Help. Choosing effects You can choose effects by using the Effects menus or the Effect Browser.
  • Page 136 You can use the Effect Browser when you want to preview multiple effects before applying them to your image. The Effect Browser displays the presets that come with Corel PaintShop Pro as well as any that you create. To display the thumbnail previews that you see in the Effect Browser, Corel PaintShop Pro applies an effect’s default preset and any presets...
  • Page 137 The preset is saved as a script in the file format for Corel PaintShop Pro (PspScript). The Effect Browser displays thumbnails that let you preview and choose effects. To choose an effect from the Effects menu...
  • Page 138 • To preview an effect category, click a subfolder of the Effects folder (for example, 3D Effects, Artistic Effects, or Photo Effects). Corel PaintShop Pro scans the selected folder and creates thumbnails of the image with each effect applied to it.

  • Page 139: Applying Photo Effects

    You can also Modify the selected preset Click Modify, and adjust the settings in the dialog box for the effect. Note: This button is unavailable for effects that cannot be adjusted. Resize the thumbnail preview Choose File  Preferences  General Program Preferences, and click Display and Caching along the left side.
  • Page 140 Film and Filters Corel PaintShop Pro lets you experiment with effects that are inspired by different types of camera film and filters. For information about applying film and filter effects, see “Applying film and filter effects to photos” on page 139.
  • Page 141 Selective Focus You can create a quick miniature effect (also known as a tilt-shift effect) so that the scene in a photo resembles a miniature model or toy. The illusion is created by adjusting the depth of field, usually across a specified horizon line, and increasing the saturation of the photo.
  • Page 142 Type or set a value in the Amount to age control to determine the strength of the effect. To apply a miniature effect by using Selective Focus Edit workspace Choose Effects  Photo Effects  Selective Focus. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 143 The Selective Focus dialog box appears. You can maximize the dialog box to increase the size of the Before and After panes of the preview area. In the Area of focus, click one of the following tools: • Planar Selection Tool —...
  • Page 144 • Diffuse glow — adds a luminescent brightening effect and softens details in the entire photo • Feather edge — determines the softness of the transition between the area in focus and the edge effect Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 145: Creating Vintage-Style Photos With The Time Machine

    Applying film and filter effects to photos Whether you are a novice or an experienced photographer, you can experiment in Corel PaintShop Pro with effects that are inspired by different types of camera film and filters. Applying effects...
  • Page 146 Creative Filters simulate the effect achieved when you use color filters on the lens of your camera. Although the color is applied across the entire photo, Corel PaintShop Pro maintains the luminance of the image, to achieve a color toning effect. You can use a preset color or choose a custom color.

  • Page 147: Adding Picture Frames To Images

    To apply film and filter effects to a photo Edit workspace Choose Effects  Photo Effects  Film and Filters In the Film and Filters dialog box, perform one or more tasks from the following table, and click OK. Do the following Apply a Film Look Choose a style from the Film looks drop-list.
  • Page 148 • Flip frame — reverses the frame along its horizontal axis • Mirror frame — reverses the frame along its vertical axis • Rotate frame right — lets you rotate the frame clockwise when the image is taller than it is wide Click OK. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 149: Using The Picture Tube Tool

    Picture tubes may have any number of cells. As you paint with the Picture Tube tool, Corel PaintShop Pro paints one image from the picture tube after another. Many picture tubes create discrete images (such as zoo animals), and others create the effect of a continuous image (such as grass).

  • Page 150: Warping Images

    You can twirl areas of images, contract or expand parts of images, and create many interesting effects. The effect of the Warp Brush is often time-dependent, which means that the Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 151 longer you hold the brush over an area, the more the brush produces the effect. The Warp Brush tool can be used to create caricatures. You can also warp images by using a grid. When you use the Mesh Warp tool, a grid or mesh is placed on the image. The grid intersections have mesh points, or nodes, that you drag to create deformations.
  • Page 152 Type or set a value in the Strength control to determine the strength of the warping effect. Full strength is 100%; minimum strength is 1%. Choose settings for the Edge mode, Draft quality, and Final apply controls. Drag in the image. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 153: Working With Layers

    “Working with layers” in the Help. Understanding layers When you create or import an image in Corel PaintShop Pro, the image has a single layer. Depending on the type of image you create or import, the single layer is labeled as Background, Raster, Vector, or Art...
  • Page 154 Layers palette. Make color and tonal Use adjustment layers instead of changing corrections the image directly. For more information about using adjustment layers, see ”Using adjustment layers” in the Help. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 155 Do the following Add text or graphics Create text and graphics, such as lines and shapes, on vector layers to make them easier to edit. For more information about adding text, see “Working with text” on page 165. For more information about vector graphics, see “Drawing and editing vector objects”...

  • Page 156: Using The Layers Palette

    You can change the stacking order of layers on the Layers palette, depending on the layer types. Active layer settings Layer type Layer name indicator (customizable) Layer visibility toggle Layer thumbnail New layer drop-list The Layers palette Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 157 You can create layer groups to organize the Layers palette. You can also link layers or groups so that they move together when you use the Move tool in the image. By default, a thumbnail view of the layer’s contents appears to the left of the layer name.

  • Page 158: Creating Layers

    • New Raster Layer • New Vector Layer • New Art Media Layer • New Layer Group • New Mask Layer • New Adjustment Layer Adjust the available controls for the layer properties. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 159: Renaming Layers

    (Vector layers are the only non raster-based layers). When you add a new raster-based layer to an image of another color depth, such as a 256-color indexed image, Corel PaintShop Pro automatically converts it to 16 million colors. Renaming layers As you add layers to an image, you may find it convenient to rename them so that they are easy to identify on the Layers palette.

  • Page 160: Viewing Layers

      Choose Layers View None. You can also show all layers by right-clicking a layer and choosing View  All or hide all layers by right-clicking a layer and choosing View  None. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 161: Changing The Order Of Layers In An Image

    Changing the order of layers in an image The order of layers within an image is critical to the appearance of the image. To rearrange layers in the image, you can easily change the stacking order of layers in the Layers palette. If a layer or a layer group has components, such as vector objects or grouped layers, all of the components move with the layer or layer group when its position in the stacking order is changed.
  • Page 162 On the Layers palette, select the layer or layer group. Drag the Opacity slider to the desired percentage. You can also set layer opacity by double-clicking the layer, changing the Opacity setting in the Layer Properties dialog box, and clicking OK. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 163: Working With Selections

    Working with selections Selecting the parts of images to edit is an important step in your workflow. By creating a selection, you can edit an area while leaving the rest of the image unchanged. You can use drawing or painting tools to modify selected areas of your image.
  • Page 164 • Point to Point — lets you draw straight lines between points to create a selection with straight edges • Smart Edge — automatically finds the edges of irregularly shaped areas when you click along the edges Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 165 • Magic Wand tool — makes a selection based on the color, hue, brightness, or opacity of an object. This tool is designed to select an area that has distinctly different pixels than those in other areas of an image — for example, a pink rose surrounded by green leaves.
  • Page 166 Make a Freehand selection Drag to select an image area. Make an Edge Seeker selection Click precisely along the edge of the area you want to select, and double- click or right-click to complete the selection. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 167 Do the following Make a Smart Edge selection Click along the edge of the area that you want to select, ensuring that the rectangular cursor encloses the edge. Double-click or right-click to complete the selection. Make a Point to Point selection Click around the area you want to select, and double-click or right-click to complete the selection.

  • Page 168: Modifying Selections

    Freehand Selection tool. After you create a selection, you can add to it. For more information about modifying color-based selections and removing specs and holes, see “Modifying selections” in the Help. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 169: Inverting And Clearing Selections

    To add to or subtract from a selection Edit workspace On the Tools toolbar, choose a selection tool (Selection Freehand , or Magic Wand tool). Choose settings for the tool on the Tool Options palette. Perform a task from the following table. Do the following Add to a selection From the Mode drop-list, choose...
  • Page 170 To clear a selection Edit workspace • Choose Selections  Select None. You can also clear a selection by right-clicking in the image outside the selection marquee or by pressing Ctrl + D. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 171: Working With Text

    Working with text Corel PaintShop Pro lets you add text to images and create interesting text effects. This section presents the following topics: • Applying text • Formatting text Applying text Corel PaintShop Pro lets you apply different types of text to your images.
  • Page 172 Note: The Units drop-list offers two options — Points (for print output) and Pixels (for Web output). In the image window, click where you want the text to appear, type the text, and click the Apply button on the Tool Options palette. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 173: Formatting Text

    Ctrl + A to select the entire text. Formatting text The text formatting options in Corel PaintShop Pro let you control the appearance of text. You can set these options when you create vector, Working with text...
  • Page 174 Apply bold formatting to text Click the Bold button Apply italic formatting to text Click the Italic button Underline the text Click the Underline button Apply a line through text Click the Strikethrough button Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 175: E-Mailing And Sharing Photos

    E-mailing and sharing photos Corel PaintShop Pro gives you options for e-mailing your photos or sharing them on a sharing site. This section presents the following topics: • E-mailing photos • Uploading photos to a sharing site E-mailing photos You can e-mail photos directly from any Corel PaintShop Pro workspace.

  • Page 176: Uploading Photos To A Sharing Site

    If you are unable to log in from a corporate network, you may need to modify the Proxy Server settings on your computer. Check with your Network Administrator to get the Proxy Server information for your corporate network. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 177: Printing

    “Printing” in the Help. Printing images Corel PaintShop Pro offers many ways to print images. You can print from the Manage workspace, Edit workspace, or Adjust workspace. You can use a template, or use a custom layout to meet specific size and layout requirements.
  • Page 178 Corel PaintShop Pro template, or you can create your own custom template from a page layout that you create. Creating your own layouts gives you the flexibility to print images to any size and lets you create a custom page for projects such as scrapbooks.
  • Page 179 • Custom offset — lets you enter values in the Left offset and Top offset boxes Click the Options tab. In the Print Output group box, choose one of the following options: • Color • Greyscale • CMYK separations If you choose the CMYK separations option, you can print CMYK labels on each color plate or page by marking the CMYK plate labels check box in the Print Marks group box.
  • Page 180 Fill Template with Image button Click File  Print. You can remove an image from a template by selecting the image and pressing Delete. You can also open images by choosing File  Open Image. Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...

  • Page 181: Index

    Index blemishes, removing bold text formatting Adjust workspace borders, adding to images adjusting images automatically bracketing in one step brightening shadows with Smart Photo Fix brightness and contrast Airbrush tool adjusting angles, straightening Brush Variance palette attaching Burn tool photos to e-mails automating basic photo corrections Calendar, finding images...
  • Page 182 Crayon tool background using the Color Picker Crop tool combining cropping batches of HDR photos straightened images images customer support photo content cutting photos with Exposure Merge objects from background community sites Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 183 effects applying darkening browsing photos automatically choosing from Effects deleting images menu choosing in Effect Browser details, adjusting Clarity creating dialog boxes modifying preset displaying Help for Photo digital photos resetting values getting saving settings removing noise types of. See name of specific effect digital workflow Ellipse tool...
  • Page 184 Manage browsing for images workspace viewing all cataloged Fill Light/Clarity fonts filling changing attributes cropped edges foreground properties for swapping with film effects background applying formatting Film Looks text applying Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 185 frames HTML codes picture specifying colors with Freehand Selection tool Hue Up/Down tool creating selections with Freehand selections Full-screen viewing image information advanced captions creation date graphics in the Open dialog box adding to layers Info palette rating Info palette HDR (high dynamic range) information, image Batch Merge...
  • Page 186 Lighten/Darken tool Materials palette displaying or hiding lightening photos See brightening photos menu bar lines merging photos applying through text Mesh Warp tool erasing straight from backgrounds Mixer palette erasing straight montages Move tool Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 187 moving Organizer palette layers e-mailing photos from organizing images Overview palette Navigation palette new features newsgroups Paint Brush tool noise painting removing with picture tubes removing quickly paintings Palette Knife tool palettes Object Extractor displaying Object Remover tool hiding resizing objects types of cutting from background...
  • Page 188 Manage supported file formats workspace using the Camera RAW Lab print layout templates rearranging printing images with layers print layouts Rectangle tool printing Red Eye tool Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 189 red-eye, removing with Red Eye tool saturation renaming increasing or decreasing files Saturation Up/Down tool layers saving resizing effect settings palettes images resources scaling learning photos with Smart Carver restoring Scratch Remover tool erased pixels to background scratches, removing erased pixels to images Script Output palette images searching for images...
  • Page 190 Smear tool swapping foreground and background smoothing skin tone swatches choosing colors Smudge tool Symmetric Shape tool Soften tool sorting image thumbnails special effects tags See effects assigning to images spraying images creating Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 191 Text tool Thinify effect thumbnails underlining text browsing for folders displaying in preview area uninstalling applications playing videos from updating Corel products rotating uploading photos to sharing sorting services viewing for folders zooming in and out tilt-shift vector layers...
  • Page 192 Vignette Warp Brush tool warping image areas images Web-based resources accessing workflow workspaces Adjust deleting current images Edit Manage switching between Zoom tool zooming image thumbnails Corel PaintShop Pro X4 User Guide...
  • Page 193 THOSE ARISING BY LAW, STATUTE, USAGE OF TRADE, COURSE OF DEALING OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED OR ITS USE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. COREL SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,...

Table of Contents