how-to get started editing · editing programs pro-vide the options of erasing areas with an eraser...

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Clip-art adds extra spark to yourpublications. It can liven up yourpages, attract attention to specificarticles, and illustrate the meaning ofyour text. Most of the time, you canfind just what you need in TheNewsletter Newsletter. But occasionallyan article would be enhanced by apiece of customized clip-art. Forthese times, editing existing clip-artis the solution.

Many programs, such as MicrosoftWord, Adobe Photoshop andCorelDraw, offer editing options that are effective and easy to use.They allow you to remove type, addtype and combine images to producespecialized effects. You can add a

person’s name, the title of a specificchurch event or any unique idea toartwork you want to present in your newsletter.

To get started, here are some specific ways different kinds of pro-grams can edit images. To find outwhat specific tools your programoffers, refer to your software manualor onscreen help menu.

Desktop Publishing programs

Microsoft Word, PageMaker,Microsoft Publisher and other desk-top publishing (DTP) programs have

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limited image-editing capabilities.Nonetheless, they can still be beneficial.

A cropping tool can be very usefulbecause it allows you to cut off por-tions of an image. For instance, youcan delete text from a piece of clip-art or cut off a portion that is notuseful. If cropping does not get rid ofan unwanted area, try using a whitebox to cover the area.

Then you can add new text to theimage. For example, a birthdaygraphic with a “Happy Birthday!”caption can quickly become a cus-tom greeting that says, “Happy100th Birthday to Millie Williams!”Keep in mind that with desktop publishing programs the new textdoes not actually become part of the image, although it appears thatway when you print it.

Another technique to consider iscombining images. Using this kindof program, simply place clip-artimages close together or overlapthem in layers, if possible. This cre-ates endless possibilities for art.Final cropping can get rid of anyunwanted material that remains.

A cropping tool can be very usefulbecause it allows you to cut off portionsof an image. For instance, you can deletetext from a piece of clip-art or cut off aportion that is not useful.

You can also use white boxes tocrop out unwanted areas. Theblack rule shows you where thewhite box covers the text.

[With white box] [With new text]

[Cropped]

Get startedEDITING

clip-art

I will sing aloud ofyour steadfast love

in the morning.—Psalm 59:16

CropMicrosoft Word Tool Bar Line style Text wrapping Format picture

copied from one image toanother. Theseimage-editing pro-grams are also idealfor combiningimages. The marqueetool or lasso tool canbe used to select thearea you wish tocopy. Then youcan paste it intoanother picture.Portions of an imagecan also be copiedand pasted back intothe original picture torepeat elements.

DrawingPrograms

CorelDraw, AdobeIllustrator, Freehandor other drawing/illustration pro-grams allow vectorimages such asWMF and EPS to beedited and created.To remove type or otherportions of the art, you can usually

select it with an arrow tool,then delete it. A text toolallows you to add fonts of

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Image-editingprograms

In image-editingprograms such asPhotoShop, Photo-

Paint and ImageComposer,bitmap imagessuch as TIFF, GIFor JPEG can be

edited, using a fewmore options.Cropping tools, simi-lar to those in desktoppublishing programs,can be used toremove unwantedtype or portions ofthe picture.

In addition, image-editing programs pro-vide the options oferasing areas with aneraser tool, cuttingand deleting elementsusing a marquee toolor a lasso tool, or fill-ing areas with back-ground color using afill tool, paint buckettool or a penciltool. With these

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possibilities, you can greatly alterany image.

Type can also be added directly tothe image using a text tool. For vari-ety, try using the different fonts andsizes of text that are usually avail-able. In addition, text can also be

various sizes directly to the image.

What is unique to these programs isthat text can also be resized,stretched, condensed and have otherspecial effects applied to it. Text canalso be copied from one image toanother. Experiment with differentfonts to see what you can create.

Similar to image-editing programs,these drawing programs are also use-ful when combining images. The picktool or select tool can be used tochoose the area you wish to copy.Again, an entire image or just por-tions of it can be copied, then pastedinto another picture. Portions can alsobe copied and pasted back into theoriginal picture to repeat elements.

Each program has its own special-ties, but all offer some options toenhance your library of clip-art. Take the opportunity to explore whatclip-art can do for your publication.

—Rebecca Purdum

Artwork can be stretched or condensedwith a drawing program.

Parts of an image can be filled using a paintbucket tool. An eraser tool can be used todelete unwanted elements.

Condensed artwork

Adobe Photoshop

Tool Bar

Corel Draw Tool Bar

Crop

Lasso

Eraser

PaintBucket

Paintbrush

Pencil

Expanded artwork

Original artwork

Pick

Shape

Rectangle

Text

Outline

Fill