Lesson 2

After using the resize tool in Photoshop I found that changing the size of photo's is relatively easy once you know how it works. There are several different options within the dialog box that cause very different results. The constrain proportions box is important because it can maintain the aspect ratio of a picture, or allow you to change the proportions. The exact dimensions of a picture can be precisely controlled by either entering the desired height and width in pixles or in inches/centimeters. The resolution is the amount of pixles in one inch and that can also be controlled, causing either the image to become smaller. You can even resize an image in terms of percent. When you resize an image it reduces the quality, depending on how much it is resized. The type of resampling you choose also affects the quality of the image.

I like using the magic wand for selections because it is easy to use and is very controllable. The tolerance control allows you to select regions of color either large or small and the anti-alias feature creates smoother transitions. I find that the quick selection tool would be a good choice in an area where there is mottling in the background, but an easy to isolate area you would like to select. The brush type of selection is very interesting and the tool generally calculates your desired selection correctly. If there is a lot of detail however, I do still prefer the magic wand. The lasso tool is a good choice when there is a large area to select, but there are many color differences inside and out, and there are straight sides. If there is a strong border between the two, the magnetic lasso is perfect and can be improved by simply clicking the image to set a point. Circles, ellipses and rectangles or squares are very easy to do and pretty mch self explanitory. Using paths to select is probably the most difficult way to select and for me, is usually not my first choice. Whatever selection tool you use it is very easy to add or subtract from selections using the shift and control keyes. This conviniently allows you to use multiple tools to get one selection very accurate.

Matthew Williams