What is Picasa



Picasa Photo Management

Picasa is free photo management software from Google that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the photos on your PC. Picasa automatically locates all your photos and sorts them into visual folders organized by name, size, or date.

Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your photos - you can email, print photos at home, or even make gift CDs.

Download and installation: Basics

Please follow these steps to download and install Picasa:

1. Download Picasa for Windows from

2. Once the download is complete, double-click the executable file 'Picasa3-setup.exe.'

3. You'll be prompted to accept the terms of agreement. Click I Agree.

4. The 'Picasa Setup' dialog should appear. Choose a location on your computer where you'd like to save the application and click Next.

5. Click Finish to complete the installation.

6. The Picasa setup will then launch and prompt you to specify the folders for the initial scan. Picasa will display these photos without moving the files from their existing location.

7. Last but not least, you'll be offer the choice of using Picasa Photo Viewer on your computer. The Picasa Photo Viewer is standalone photo viewer that lets you quickly preview photos on your computer.

Download and installation: Configure the initial scan

While it's not possible to disable the initial scan for photos after installing Picasa, you can use the Folder Manager to specify the folders on your computer that Picasa should scan .

1. Once the initial scan begins in Picasa, click the Tools menu.

2. Select Folder Manager.

3. In the Folder Manager, exclude all folders that you don't want to include in Picasa.

4. Once you have made your selections, click OK.

Picasa System Requirements

The following information is the minimum system requirements of Picasa. If your computer system does not meet these requirements, Picasa will not install.

• Microsoft® Windows XP, Microsoft® Windows Vista

• 100 MB available hard disk space

• 256 MB RAM

• Microsoft® DirectX 8.1 or higher

• PC with 300 MHz Pentium® processor and MMX® technology

• 800 × 600 pixels, 16-bit color monitor

• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6 or higher Internet connection necessary to access Picasa Web Albums and to use Picasa tools

Display resolution

In order to run Picasa, you need to have a minimum computer desktop resolution of 800 x 600 and 16-bit color. If your settings don't meet this requirement, you may receive the following message: 'Picasa must have at least 800 x 600 resolution to work.' To troubleshoot this issue, please take the following steps:

Do the following:

1. Right-click on a blank portion of your Windows Desktop.

2. Click "Properties."

3. You should see a "Display Properties" screen. Click the "Settings" tab.

4. Use the slider bar to increase the resolution to 800x600 or higher.

5. Make sure that the "Color Quality" is set to at least 16 bit color. I would recommend setting it to the highest color quality, so your photos appear at their best.

7. Click "OK."

Picasa helps you find and organize all your photos

Once you start Picasa, it scans your hard drive to find and automatically organize all your photos. Picasa finds the following photo and movie file types:

• Photo file types: JPG, GIF, TIF, PSD, PNG, BMP, RAW (including NEF and CRW). GIF and PNG files are not scanned by default, but you can enable them in the Tools > Options dialog.

• Movie file types: MPG, AVI, ASF, WMV, MOV.

Open up the Picasa Application at this time

Organizing photos in Picasa

When you first install Picasa, it scans folders on your hard drive and displays any detected photos. These folders, along with the customized albums you create, make up the organization of your photos within Picasa. Within your folders and albums, Picasa displays icons on your images to help you quickly see which photos have been uploaded, marked as a favorite, geo-tagged, and more.

Folders

Folders represent actual directories on your computer's hard drive that contain photos. Changes you make to folders in Picasa affect corresponding folders on your computer's hard drive. For example, moving a photo from one folder to another in Picasa will also move the photo in Windows Explorer We will now take a moment and look in Windows Explorer (not to be confused with Internet Explorer) and look at the folders on each hard drive.

To open Explore, follow these steps:

Right click on the “start” button

From the menu box, left click “Explore”

Click on the + sign to the left of the “My Documents Folder”. This displays all the next level of sub folders.

Click on the “My Pictures” Folder and view any sub folders or files in this folder. Normally this is what you want Picasa to scan for updates.

Albums

Unlike folders, albums exist only in Picasa. For example, you might create an album called 'Pictures with Grandma,' and include photos from various folders on your computer. Unlike Picasa folders, your albums don't correspond to real folders on your hard drive -- so when you delete or move photos from an album, the original files remain in their original locations on your hard drive.

Managing Picasa Settings: Controlling how folders are monitored

Picasa scans your computer to find folders containing compatible photo file types, and then displays photos from these folders. The photos stay in their original folder locations. You can use the Folder Manager to control the folder locations on your hard drive that the Picasa monitors.

Library view

Picasa automatically organizes all your photo and movie files into collections of folders inside its main Library view.

Below is a sample layout of the Library screen:

[pic]

1. Folder list

The left-hand list in Picasa’s Library view shows all the folders containing photos on your computer and all the albums you’ve created in Picasa. These folders and albums are grouped into collections that are described in the next section. By default, the folder list is sorted by creation date. To change the way the list is sorted, go to “View” > “Folder View”

2. Photo Tray and output options

The “Photo Tray” is used to collect photos and movies from one or more folders or albums so that you may work with them as a group. All of the output options buttons (“Print,” “Email,” “Collage,” “Hello,” “BlogThis!” “Order” and “Export”) perform their respective actions using the photos currently in the “Photo Tray.” By default, your current selection in the lightbox is placed in the “Photo Tray.” To keep these items in the “Photo Tray” while you select more, press the “Hold” button. You can also drag and drop items into the “Photo Tray” and they will automatically be held. To remove a held item, select it in the “Photo Tray” and press “Clear”. Once you are satisfied with the contents of the “Photo Tray” you can press any of the output options buttons or the “Add To” button to perform the corresponding action on all the items in the “Photo Tray” at once.

Hold photos in the Photo Tray

The Photo Tray displays the photos that you've selected in Picasa. Hold the Ctrl key while clicking photos in your library to select multiple photos. Use the Hold to secure photos from different folders or albums.

Clear your Photo Tray

Use this button to remove all photos from the Photo Tray. Similarly, if you change your mind about including a particular photo in the Photo Tray, select the photo and click the Clear button. This will remove the selected photo from the group.

3. Thumbnails of Images

The right-hand side of the Library view displays visual thumbnails of the photos (and movies) corresponding to the folders and albums in the folder list. To change the thumbnail size, use the slider at the bottom right of the lightbox. Double-click on any folder or album header to edit its title, date, place taken or description.

Library tools:

[pic]

At the top of the Picasa main library screen are several buttons that help you add photos to the Library, view and find photos in additional ways, and burn photos to a CD.

Using Picasa: Icons on your images

The following icons will be displayed on your photos in your Picasa Library to provide you at-a-glance updates about your images:

• [pic]The swirling circular arrows adorn the photos for which you've enabled the 'Sync to Web' feature.

• [pic]The star denotes images that you've marked as favorites.

• [pic]The crosshair identifies the photos that you've geo-tagged in Google Earth.

• [pic]The upward green arrow indicates that you've uploaded a photo to Picasa Web Albums, but that 'Sync to Web' isn't enabled. This allows you to easily keep track of which photos you've placed in your online albums.

• [pic]The red suppress arrow points down to indicate that you've manually blocked the photo from being uploaded. To manually suppress a photo from being uploaded, you can right-click the image in Picasa 3, and select Block from Uploading. When the red suppress arrow is present, the image won't be synced even if the 'Sync to Web' feature is enabled.

• [pic]This little film frame is placed on all of your videos.

Notes on the placement of these icons:

• They're not actually applied to your photos. They're displayed only in your Picasa Library.

• It's not possible to turn off these icons.

Search

If you type any text into the search box at the top right corner of the main Picasa library screen, Picasa will search your photo files’ EXIF/camera data, keywords, albums, and any additional properties or captions you’ve entered inside the program.

Basics: Folders versus albums

When you install Picasa, it scans your hard drive for folders containing image files and displays your photos from these folders. These folders, along with the albums you create, make up the organization of your photos.

Folders in Picasa represent actual folders on your computer's hard drive that contain photos. Changes you make to folders in Picasa affect the corresponding folders on your computer's hard drive. For example, deleting a photo from a folder also deletes the photo from your hard drive.

Albums, unlike folders, exist only in Picasa. You can create an album that contains combinations of photos from multiple folders. For example, you might create an album called 'Pictures with Grandma,' and include photos featuring Grandma housed in different folders. Unlike Picasa folders, your albums don't correspond to real folders on your hard drive. When you delete or move photos from an album, the original files remain in their original locations on your hard drive.

Basics: Controlling how folders are monitored

Picasa scans your computer to find folders containing compatible photo file types, and then displays photos from these folders. The photos stay in their original folder locations. You can use the Folder Manager to control the folder locations on your hard drive that the Picasa monitors.

Follow these steps:

1. Click the Tools menu in Picasa.

2. Select Folder Manager.

3. Select a folder from the folder list on the left that you want to add or remove from Picasa's watch list.

4. Select one of the following monitoring options on the right:

o 'Scan Always': Picasa views all compatible image types in these folders, and it automatically adds new photos. Picasa actively scans this folder for changes.

o 'Scan Once': Picasa accesses all compatible image types in these folders only once. It doesn't detect new photos added to folders with this setting.

o 'Remove from Picasa': Picasa doesn't look in folders that are marked with this status.

5. Click the OK button to save your changes.

The folders that you've set Picasa to continuously scan are listed in the 'Watched Folders' section.

For easier management, we recommend keeping all of your photos in subfolders within one main folder. If you manage all your photos in just one folder, then all you have to do in the Folder Manager is select the 'Scan Always' option for that folder, and select the 'Remove from Picasa' option for all other folders.

Basics: Editing folder or album properties

You can edit the following properties of a folder or album:

• Folder/Album name

• Date

• Place taken

• Detailed description

• Background music for slideshow and movie presentation modes

To edit an album or folder's properties, please use the following steps:

1. Select the folder or album you'd like to edit.

2. Click the Folder menu or the Album menu in Picasa.

3. Select Edit Description.

4. Make your edits. Please note the following:

o Date: You can manually choose a date that should be associated with the folder. Alternatively, Picasa can analyze the timestamp of your photos in the folder or album and determine a date for you if you select the 'Automatic Date' checkbox.

o Background music: Select the 'Use Music for Slideshow and Movie presentation' option if you want music to accompany the display of the photos in that particular folder or album, while in slideshow or movie mode. Click the Browse button and select the MP3 music file you'd like to use.

5. Click the OK button.

You can also right click the folder or album name and select Edit Folder Description or Edit Album Description to edit properties.

Basics: Creating an album

You can combine photos from multiple folders into a single album in Picasa. Photos that you include in an album remain in their original folder locations on your computer, even if you reorganize or delete photos from the album. To create an album, you can follow these instructions:

1. Select the photos you wish to include in the album and put them in the Photo Tray in the lower-left corner of the window.

2. Once all your selections are in the Photo Tray, click the [pic]Add Selected Items to an Album button on the Photo Tray.

3. Select New album. You can also choose to add the photos to an existing album in the menu.

4. In the 'Album Properties' window, name the album.

5. Click the OK button.

Stop at this point and review the “My Pictures” folder in Windows Explorer and then access the Folder Manager in Picasa

• Move photos between folders. Select a photo. With your mouse, drag and drop the photo to its new folder. To select more than one photo, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard as you select photos. If you move a photo into a different folder on disk, Picasa will remind you that you’re about to move the actual file on your computer’s hard drive. Click the “OK” button to move the photo to it's new location. Note: Moving photos between folders in the “Folders” collection will affect their physical location on your hard drive.

• Edit a folder description. Double-click on the title of any folder to open the Folder Properties box. Enter a description. You can also modify the folder’s date, place taken, or description. Any descriptive information you add will be searchable in Picasa. Click the “OK” button. Changing the name of a folder in Picasa will change the name of the actual folder on your computer’s hard drive.

• Delete a photo from a folder. Select a photo, then go to “File” > “Delete from Disk,” or just hit the Delete key on your keyboard. Picasa will remind you that you’re about to send that file to your computer’s recycle bin. Click the “OK” button to remove the photo. Caution – this will delete the file from your hard drive, not just in Picaso!!

• Create a new folder in Picasa Select the photo you want to move; it will appear in the "Photo Tray" at the bottom of your screen. In the top menu, go to "File > Move to New Folder." In the "Properties" box, enter the name and date for the new folder. Click "OK ."This will create a new folder with the selected photo on your computer.

• Sort photos in Picasa You can change the sort order of all of your folders in Picasa. Just click View > Sort Folder List >, then you can select by Date Created, Recent Changes, or Name. Selecting Name will arrange your files alphabetically in descending order and will remove the year markers.

• You can sort your photos within an Album or Folder using the Sort By option under Folder > Sort by. You can sort your photos by Name, by Date, or by Size.

• Check to see if your folders are sorted by Name instead of Date order

Photos out of date order

In some cases, you may find that your photos are arranged in a seemingly incorrect fashion in Picasa. This is usually caused by an incorrect date in the EXIF data of the photo.

EXIF data is photo information recorded directly to the photo file when the image is captured by your camera. Different cameras record different types and amounts of data. Virtually all digital cameras stamp time and date to your photos.

A digital camera will start with a default date. If this date is not changed, an incorrect date may be applied to your photos. Unfortunately, this date information cannot be changed using Picasa or Windows. You may need to sort these photos manually to have them displayed in the correct order in Picasa.

Folder List Organization: Sorting photos

You can sort both the order of your folders and albums and also the photos within.

Sort folders and albums

To change the order of your folders and albums, click the View menu and select Folder View. Sort by the following options:

• Creation date: Sort the list of folders and albums by the date they're created, from newest to oldest.

• Recent changes: Sort the list according to the folders and albums containing the most recent changes.

• Size: Sort the list by the amount of hard drive space taken up folders and albums, from the most amount of space used to the least amount of space used.

• Name: Sort the list alphabetically.

You can also access the sorting options by clicking the pull-down arrow menu in the button bar above your folder list, next to the folder structure buttons.

Sort photos

To adjust the way your photos are sorted within a folder or album, please take the following steps:

1. From the folder list, click on the folder or album that you'd like to re-order.

2. Click the Folder menu or the Album menu.

3. Select Sort by.

4. Choose to sort your photos by the following options: name, date, or size.

To change the order of your photos manually, you can also drag and drop photos to your desired location.

Folder List Organization: Flat folder display - Collections

Flat folder display and collections

Using the flat folder structure in Picasa, the folders in your Picasa Folder List will be organized into various collections. Predefined collections include:

• Projects: This folder contains the different things that you create in Picasa, such as movies, screen captures, slideshows, and collages.

• Web albums: Photos are placed here when you download a web album from your own account that isn't already included in Picasa.

• Downloaded albums: When you download an entire album from a friend's Picasa Web Albums gallery, it's placed under your friend's name in this collection.

• Edited pictures: When you use Picasa Web Album's 'Edit in Picasa' feature for a photo that isn't present on your hard drive, the photo is placed in this collection.

• Exported pictures: Any photos that you've exported are filed here.

• Hidden folders: Any folders you've hidden are displayed in this collection.

• Other stuff: Picasa identifies files that are not photographs and places them here.

Creating or moving folders in collections

You can change the collection that a folder appears under when you're using the flat folder display structure. Please follow these steps:

1. Right-click the folder you'd like to move.

2. Select Move to Collection.

3. You can either choose an existing collection or create a New Collection.

You can rename any collection that you've created. Simply right-click the collection and select Rename collection.

Folder List Organization: Folder List view

Folder view options

You have a few different options for how your folders are arranged in Picasa. Within each view, you can sort the folders by creation date, size, name, or recent changes.

Flat folder view

This is the default view. This view displays all the folders that you've directed the Folder Manager to scan, regardless of the folder hierarchy on your computer's hard drive. Apart from your normal 'Folders' collection, you may notice other collections like 'Projects' and 'Downloaded Albums' which are designed to organize specific types of photos

Tree view

With this view, all of your scanned folders and sub-folders are presented in a hierarchical view, reflecting the folder structure of your hard drive. You'll see your folders grouped under headings like 'My Pictures' and 'My Documents' (Windows) or 'Pictures' and 'iPhoto Library' (Mac).

Other collections like 'Projects,' 'Exported Pictures,' and 'Hidden Folders' won't be visible in the Tree view.

Simplified tree view

All of your scanned folders and sub-folders are presented on the same level underneath the top-level directory. This is a good way to sort all of your folders within the same list.

Changing your folder view

To change your view or to resort your folders, you can use the buttons and the drop-down menu above the Folder List, or you can follow these steps:

1. Click the View menu.

2. Select Folder View.

3. Select your folder view or your sort type.

Photo Edits: 'Basic Fixes' features

Use the Basic Fixes tab to make simple edits on your photos.

Crop

Use this button to cut out parts of a photo that you don't want to see. For example, you can crop your ex-girlfriend out of your holiday photos. There are several cropping dimensions available in addition to automatic crop suggestions provided by Picasa.

Straighten

You can straighten photos taken with an off-kilter camera. Use the slider to align the photo against the boxed grid.

Redeye

This tool automatically corrects red eyes that Picasa detects in your photos for any photo file type that Picasa supports.

I'm Feeling Lucky

This is the one-click fix. Google Photo Lab adjusts your photo's color and contrast to produce the ideal photo. You'll see a change only if your photo isn't already color-balanced.

Auto contrast

Automatically set the brightness and contrast to optimal levels, while preserving a photo's color values.

Auto color

Automatically remove color cast and restore the color balance, while preserving contrast and brightness values.

Retouch

Use this tool to remove unsightly blemishes and improve photo quality. You can even transform old photos with marks, water stains, and scratches.

Text

Quickly and easily add text on top of your pictures. You can edit the style, size, and angle of the text, as well as drag it to your desired location.

Fill light

At times, photos with bright backgrounds can darken or compromise the subject detail. Use the slider to add light to the foreground of photos, making them more balanced.

Photo Edits: “Tuning tab”

Control the color and adjust the lighting in your photo to produce a more visually enhanced image. Click the magic wands for lighting or color [pic]to let Picasa automatically adjust the photo or use the provided sliders to manually control the color and lighting aspects of your photo.

Fill light

At times, photos with bright backgrounds can darken or compromise important details in the photo. Add fill light to the foreground of photos, making them more balanced.

Highlights

Increase the highlights to amplify the bright spots of your photograph. It can help make the whites in your composition more vibrant.

Shadows

Darken the shadows in your photo to provide additional depth or contrast. Use this in conjunction with the Highlights slider to add contrast to a flat-looking photo.

Color temperature

Make your photos warmer by sliding the ticker to the right. This can make your colors more vivid and help bring to life the composition of your photograph.

Neutral color picker

Tell Picasa which part of your photo it should treat as gray or white. It will then use that selection to balance the colors in the photo.

Effects tab

The Effects tab contains 12 effects that you can apply to any still photo.

Sharpen

Make the edges of objects in your photos crisper and less fuzzy.

Sepia

Create an 'old-fashioned' effect by changing the photo to a reddish brown tone.

Black and white

Turn any color photo into a black and white photo.

Warmify

Warm up a cool photo, improving skin tones. For a more manual control, see the Color Temperature slider on the Tuning tab.

Film grain

Add a 'grainy' film look to any photo - looks great when you print.

Tint

Strip the color out of your photo and apply a colored tint over the top. Use the Color Preservation slider to add the original color back to your photo underneath the tint.

Saturation

Use the slider to adjust color saturation. Slide it all the way to the left to make the picture black and white. Slide it all the way to the right to make it appear 'radio-active.'

Soft focus

Soften the focus around a center point that you select.

Glow

Brightens the white areas of a photo, causing a dreamy effect.

Filtered black and white

Add the effect of shooting black and white film with a color filter. The filter blocks or enhances certain colors in the photo.

Focal black and white

Turn a photo to black and white, while keeping one circular area of color intact. You can define the size and sharpness of the colored spot.

Graduated tint

Add a graduated filter from a color you select. This is useful for making gray skies blue.

Editing Overview: Copying effects

Picasa lets you copy effects that have been applied to one photo and apply them to one or more other photos:

1. Select the photo with the edits you'd like to copy.

2. Click the Edit menu.

3. Select Copy All Effects.

4. Select all other photos where you'd like to apply these effects. You can only copy effects to photos within the same folder or album.

5. Click the Edit menu.

6. Select Paste All Effects.

Editing Overview: Resizing photos

When you resize a photo in Picasa, you're creating a new copy with an adjusted image resolution (pixel count) and with all photo edits applied. The original photo on your hard drive will never be altered.

You can resize your photos by exporting, emailing, or uploading your photos to Picasa Web Albums.

Resize by exporting

Exporting lets you resize your photos while controlling the JPEG compression (image quality) introduced by your applied photo edits. The result is newly resized copies of your photos, saved to any location on your hard drive. During the export process, you can adjust both the 'Image Size Options' and the 'Image Quality' settings in the 'Export to Folder' screen.

• When selecting image size, choose the 'Resize to' option and adjust the size slider. The number of pixels you select with this slider determines the length or height of your photo (whichever is longer). The other dimension is determined automatically to maintain the aspect ratio of the photo.

• Select the desired image quality for your photo using the 'Image Quality' drop-down menu:

o Automatic: Preserves the original image quality

o Normal: Balances quality and size

o Maximum: Preserves fine detail for large file sizes

o Minimum: Yields some quality loss for small file sizes

o Custom: Enables you to select your own value

Resize by emailing

If you're sending photos by email, you may want to resize them in order to get under the attachment size limitation. To change the size of the photos you email from Picasa, please follow these steps:

1. In Picasa, click Tools > Options.

2. Select the Email tab.

3. Use the slider to set your desired pixel size when emailing multiple photos. Use the radio buttons to set the desired pixel size for emailing single photos.

4. Click OK.

Resize by uploading to Picasa Web Albums

If you're sharing a large number of photos, you may not want to upload all of the photos at their original size. When you upload images from Picasa, you can choose the upload size using the 'Size to upload' drop-down menu or else you can set your preferred default size for photo uploads.

Editing Overview: Batch editing

Use batch editing to make the same edits to multiple photos at the same time. For example, use batch editing to auto-correct redeye for an entire album at once. Please follow these steps:

1. Select all the photos that you'd like to edit.

2. Click the Picture menu.

3. Select Batch Edit.

4. Select the editing feature that you'd like to apply to all selected photos.

You can undo edits for multiple photos at once by selecting those photos, then clicking the Picture menu, and selecting Undo All Edits .

Other Editing Tools: Original photo quality when saving

Picasa is designed to protect your original photo files as you work with your files. When you decide to save your edits, Picasa creates a new JPEG copy of the photo with all of your edits applied, leaving the original photo unaltered on your hard drive.

JPEG is a lossy file type, which means that each time you save the photo, you'll lose some information from that photo file. This is the nature of the JPEG file type, and not specific to Picasa. This information loss occurs because the creation of the new JPEG requires a certain amount of JPEG compression. The more times you save a given photo, the more photo information that will be lost.

You can control the JPEG compression level of your edited files by exporting your photos, but a JPEG file will always be recompressed when saved.

The only edit in Picasa that doesn't degrade photo quality when saved is 'Rotate.'

Other Editing Tools: Applying the star icon

You can add stars to your photos in Picasa to mark your favorites. First select all the photos in a folder or album in Library view that you'd like to star. Then click the Star button, located just to the right of the Photo Tray. You'll see a small star icon appear on the thumbnail images of the starred photos.

Once you've starred your favorite images, you can easily locate them by using the star search filter located to the left of the search box at the top of your Picasa Library. If you've uploaded a particular folder or album to Picasa Web Albums

Other Editing Tools: Zooming in on a photo

Zoom basics

You can manually zoom in on a photo up to 400 percent using the slider bar in the bottom right corner of the 'Edit Photos' screen. To get to this screen, first double-click any photo in your Picasa Library. There are two additional buttons to the right of the slider bar to control the zoom:

• Fit photo inside viewing area: Automatically fits the selected photo in the viewing area on the 'Edit Photos' screen.

• Display photo at actual size: Displays the photo at 100 percent of its size. (This is frequently larger than the viewing area.)

Tips

• The exact percentage of magnification for a zoomed photo is displayed in the lower-right side of the viewing area.

• To view a different section of a photo, just click and drag within the photo.

Other Editing Tools: Rotate or flip images

Flip images

You can flip images on either the horizontal or vertical axis using the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Flip image horizontally: Ctrl-Shift-H

• Flip image vertically: Ctrl-Shift-V

Rotate images

Use the Rotate clockwise and Rotate counter-clockwise buttons [pic]located to the right of the Photo Tray to rotate your photos at 90 degree increments.

If you'd like to rotate multiple photos at one time, first select all the photos in a folder or album in Library view that you'd like to rotate. Then click either the Rotate clockwise or Rotate counter-clockwise buttons.

Other Editing Tools: Sharpen edit

To get the most accurate representation of how much Sharpen is actually being applied, you need to apply the Sharpen edit to your image at output size (the size at which you'll share, print, export) while viewing the photo at actual size. Follow these steps:

1. Before editing, use the Export feature to resize all images to the size at which you'll share, print, or otherwise output.

2. In the edit room in Picasa, apply all edits other than Sharpen.

3. Zoom in to a one-to-one ratio by clicking the [pic]1:1 button in the edit room.

4. Apply Sharpen as the final edit.

5. Save, share, export or otherwise output your images.

Saving Edits: Saving photos

Picasa is designed to keep your original photos safe when you save your photo edits. This is done by creating a new JPEG file that's a copy of the original with your edits applied. The original photo is never altered, but depending on how you save the file, its location on your hard drive may change. Here's a brief overview of the different save options in Picasa, based on how they affect the location of your original photos.

Move your original photo

When you use the Save to Disk and the File > Save options, Picasa creates a copy of your photo with all edits applied and moves the original to a subfolder called '.picasaoriginals'. This subfolder is hidden on your computer and isn't visible in Picasa. This automatic backup lets you undo or revert your saves.

The Save to Disk button appears on the right side of your folder or album header when you've made edits to a photo included therein. This option is useful to save changes to all photos in a folder or album at one time.

Alternatively, use the Save option to save changes on an individual picture (or a group of pictures that you select). To save your edited photo, you can select the photo and then select File > Save.

Keep your original photo in its current location

Unlike Save to Disk and the File > Save function, the following options don't move your original photos. These options create and save a new copy of your photo with all edits applied, leaving your original photo unmoved.

The File > Save a Copy option automatically exports a copy of the original photo, including all edits applied, into the same folder. The photo's filename will have '-1' appended to the end to distinguish it from the original. Select the photo, and click File > Save a Copy.

The File > Save As option is similar to Save a Copy by creating a copy of the original photo with all edits applied, but lets you specify the filename and location of the new copy before saving the file. To access this option, select the photo, and click File > Save as.

Note: When you save a copy, Picasa tries to match the JPEG quality level of the original photo. Picasa's default JPEG quality level is 85%, and will be applied if it's unable to determine JPEG quality. If you are saving a non-JPEG photo, it will be converted and saved as a JPEG.

Saving Edits: Undoing saved edits

There are two ways to retrieve the original version of a photo after you've saved your edits: 'Undo Save' and 'Revert.'

Undo Save

With this option, your photo edits will still visible in Picasa, but these edits are no longer saved to disk. To undo a save, you can follow these instructions:

1. Double-click the image in the Picasa Library.

2. Click the Undo Save button at the bottom of the editing tabs.

Revert

This options reverts your file to its original state, discarding any edits you have made. To revert a photo, follow these instructions:

1. Select the photos you'd like to revert.

2. Click the File menu.

3. Select Revert. If it's grayed out, that means no edits have been made to the photo.

Search and Locate: Show hard drive location

From within Picasa, you can quickly find the hard drive folder location of any photo:

1. In Picasa, right-click the photo that you'd like to locate on your hard drive.

2. Depending on whether you've saved edits to your photo, you're options will vary:

o No saved edits: Select Locate on Disk.

o Previously saved edits: Select Locate and then choose between File on Disk (the edited version) and Original on Disk (the original untouched version).

Windows Explorer will launch to the exact location of the selected photo file.

Backing up your Pictures

Picasa offers several ways for you to back up your photos, edits, and album organizations. You can back them up to CD/DVD, to a different drive, or upload them at full resolution to Picasa Web Albums where you have one GB of free storage.

Backing up your Pictures: Using an alternate drive

For larger collections, an alternate drive may be the most convenient option. Using an alternate drive with Picasa's backup feature is also a great way to migrate your photos to a new computer. Please follow these steps to back up your photos to an alternate drive

1. Connect the alternative drive to your computer.

2. In Picasa, click Tools > Backup Picutres.

3. Create a new backup set or use one you've already created. A backup set records the type of backup (CD/DVD vs. alternative drive) and also keeps a record of which files have been backed up.

o New Set: Click the New Set button to create a new backup set of your folders and albums. If this is your first time backing up through Picasa, choose this option. Make sure to specify the following details:

▪ Enter a name for your backup set.

▪ In the 'Backup Type' section, select 'Disk-to-disk backup.' Click the Choose button, locate your drive, and click OK.

▪ Specify the types of files to include in the backup.

▪ Click the Create button.

o Existing Set: Select your previously made backup set from the 'Backup Set' drop-down box. This allow you to update those sets with any changes that you've made since the last backup. Click the Edit Set button to change the set name or the types of files to back up.

4. Select the checkboxes in the Folder List next to the folders and albums you'd like to back up. Only selected folders and albums will be included in the backup. To select all folders and albums, click the Select All button.

5. Click the Backup button to initiate the process.

To add backup photos to a new computer, simply connect the alternate drive and run the restore function which is saved on the drive along with your photos. You can choose to have the photos copied back to their original locations or you can select a new location. After running the restoration process, download Picasa and reinstall the program.

Backing up your Pictures: Backup CD or DVD

Follow the steps below to create a CD or DVD backup:

1. Insert the blank disc in your computer and wait for Picasa to recognize it.

2. Select Tools > Backup Pictures.

3. Create a new backup set or use one you've already created. A backup set records the type of backup (CD/DVD vs. alternative drive) and also keeps a record of which files have been backed up.

o New Set: Click the New Set button to create a new backup set of your folders and albums. If this is your first time backing up through Picasa, choose this option. Make sure to specify the following details:

▪ Enter a name for your backup set.

▪ In the 'Backup Type' section, select 'Disk-to-disk backup.' Click the Choose button, locate your drive, and click OK.

▪ Specify the types of files to include in the backup.

▪ Click the Create button.

o Existing Set: Select your previously made backup set from the 'Backup Set' drop-down box. This allow you to update those sets with any changes that you've made since the last backup. Click the Edit Set button to change the set name or the types of files to back up.

4. Select the checkboxes in the Folder List next to the folders and albums you'd like to back up. Only selected folders and albums will be included in the backup. To select all folders and albums, click the Select All button.

(When you add more photos, a 'Calculating' message may appear in the blue bar above the Burn button informing you how many discs you'll need to complete the backup. If you click the Burn button while Picasa is calculating, Picasa may miscalculate the size of the burn.)

5. Click the Burn button to initiate the process. If necessary, Picasa will prompt you when it's time to insert the next blank disc.

This backup set will allow you to install your photos as you've arranged them onto a new computer. When you insert this backup into a new computer, you'll be prompted to restore your photos. You can choose to have the photos copied back to their original locations or you can select a new location. After running the restore from your backup CD, you'll need to reinstall Picasa. Please download the latest version of Picasa at

Backing up your Pictures: Viewing edited pictures on the backup CD

After restoring your photos from a backup, all your edits and organizations will be available in Picasa.

When you back up your photos, Picasa saves both your original photos and any edits or album organizations you may have created. These items are saved separately; your photos, when viewed on your backup CD/DVD or external hard drive, display in their original form without any edits or organizations.

If you'd like edited versions of your photos to be available on your backup CD/DVD or external hard drive, you'll need to first export them from Picasa. This creates new JPG files that include all edits performed in Picasa. You can then back up these exported photo files, available in the 'Exported Pictures' folder in Picasa.

Sharing Your Pictures

Basics: Emailing basics

You can email your photos directly from Picasa in a few easy steps:

1. Select the photos you'd like to email.

2. Click the Email button.

3. Select from the following email options:

o Google Mail

▪ Gmail: Gmail is ideal to use for sending pictures in Picasa. Attach up to 20 MB of photos in a single email. You can sign up for Gmail in a few easy steps.

▪ Google Account email: If you want to use a non-Gmail address to send photos, this option may be for you. You can associate any email address with a Google Account and use this address to send mail through Picasa.

Non-gmail Google Accounts have an attachment limit of ten items.

o Use your default email program: By setting your email program as the default on your computer, you can use this email provider in Picasa.

4. Sign in to your email account.

5. Enter your recipients' email addresses, type a message to accompany the photos, and send the email. If you need additional help, consult your email program's help resources.

If you're sharing a large number of photos, you may have to watch out for email attachment size limits. Picasa lets you reduce the size of your photos when emailing, so you can send more photos in a single message. The resizing process attaches new resized copies of your photos, leaving the original photos untouched. When selecting photos in Picasa, the total size of all selected photos is displayed in the blue bar above the Photo Tray.

You can email a photo in its full resolution using Picasa, however you can only send one full resolution photo at a time. Please follow these steps to set your email options to send photos in their original size:

1. Click Tools > Options.

2. Select the Email tab.

3. Under 'When sending single pictures, resize to:' select the 'Original Size' option.

4. Click OK.

Once this option is selected, any single photo you send using Picasa will be in full resolution. It's not possible to send multiple photos at once in their original sizes.

The captions for your photos are also sent when you email your photos. However recipients will only be able to view your captions using Picasa, Picasa Web Albums, and other IPTC compatible programs.

Basics: Setting email program preferences

When you click the Email button in Picasa, it's possible to control the email program that's launched. To modify your email preference settings in Picasa, please follow these steps:

1. Click Tools > Options

2. Select the Email tab.

3. Choose your preferred option under 'Email Program.' You have three choices:

o Let me choose each time I send pictures: Each time you email photos, you'll be prompted to choose between using Google Mail or the default email client.

o Use my Google Account: Each time you email photos, you'll be prompted to sign in to your Google Account. You can use either your Gmail or Google Account email address.

o Use default email client: When emailing photos, the default email program for your computer will be automatically used. Learn how to set your default email program.

Click OK to save your changes.

Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express: HTML storybook

This feature is only available if you have Microsoft Outlook set as your default email program in Picasa.

If you use Outlook or Outlook Express to email photos from Google Picasa, try your hand at creating a HTML storybook. This feature creates an HTML email with images embedded in the body of the email. Short descriptions or captions can be included with each photo to help tell the story. To create an HTML storybook, please follow these steps:

1. In Picasa, click the Tools menu.

2. Select Options.

3. Click the Email tab.

4. In the 'Email Program' section, select Outlook or Outlook Express.

5. In the 'Output Format' section, select the 'Send inline photos and captions (Outlook only)' checkbox.

6. Click OK.

Now when you send photos in Picasa using Outlook, your photos will be displayed in the message body labeled with the photo file names. By clicking this text, you can delete the file names and enter titles or captions of your choosing.

In order to properly view the HTML storybook, your email recipients will need to have HTML compatible email programs.

Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express: Setting your default email program

When emailing photos in Picasa, you can use either Google Mail (Gmail or Google Account mail) or your default email application. To set your default email application, please follow these steps:

Windows XP

1. Click the Start menu on your computer taskbar.

2. Select Control Panel.

3. Select Internet Options.

4. Click the Programs tab.

5. Choose your preferred default email application. The available options will depend on the applications you have installed on your computer.

6. Click OK to save your settings.

Windows Vista

1. Click the Start menu on your computer taskbar.

2. Select Default Programs.

3. Select Set your default programs.

4. Choose your preferred default email application under the Programs list. The available options will depend on the applications you have installed on your computer.

5. Once you've selected your email application, make sure to click Set this program as default.

6. Click OK to save your settings.

1. Open Mail.

2. Once the application is open, click Mail > Preferences.

3. Click the General button at the top of the new window.

4. Choose your default email application from the selection menu next to "Default Email Reader:."

5. When you exit the application, your preferences will be saved.

You should now see the default email client listed in Picasa. Once the default email application is set, you can set Picasa to use this program every time you email photos.

Printing

Printing at Home: Changing default print size options

You can customize the print size buttons in the 'Print Layout' section that appears when you click the Print button in your Photo Tray. To select which custom print size buttons appear by default in Picasa, follow these steps:

1. Click Tools > Options (Windows) or Picasa > Preferences (Mac).

2. Select the Printing tab.

3. Under the 'Available Print Sizes' section, choose the print size layouts that best suit your printing needs. You can select from the options listed below:

|Inches |Centimeters |Predefined |

|3.5 x 5 |5 x 8 |CD cover size |

|4 x 6 |9 x 13 |Contact sheet |

|3 x 4 |10 x 15 |Passport |

|4 x 5 |13 x 18 |Wallet |

|5 x 7 |15 x 20 | |

|8 x 10 |20 x 25 | |

4. Click the OK button to save your settings.

Your selections will be available as the first five 'Print Layout' options. The 'Full Page' option is default and cannot be removed.

Printing at Home: Compatible versus high quality printing modes

Compatible mode

• Compatible with most printers

• Prints at half the resolution of 'High Quality' mode

• Sends the entire page at once so you'll be able to print faster.

High quality mode

• Maximizes the quality of your prints using a printing method known as 'tiling' that uses less memory.

• Allows Picasa to output photos at a printer's native resolution.

Set your print quality options

You can access print quality options in Picasa by following these steps:

1. Click Tools > Options (Windows).

2. Click the Printing tab.

3. Under 'Print Quality Setting,' choose between 'Compatible' and 'High Quality.'

Slideshow

Slideshows: Slideshow music

You can set your Picasa slideshow to be accompanied by music. Ensure that your audio file type is supported, and follow these steps:

1. Click the Tools (Windows) or Picasa (Mac) menu.

2. Select Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac).

3. Click the Slideshow tab.

4. Select the 'Play music during slideshow' checkbox.

5. Click the Browse button to select a folder that contains the music files. The music files in this folder will play continuously until the slideshow stops. If the slideshow is longer than the length of the music, Picasa loops back to the first file in the folder.

6. Click OK to save your selections.

Slideshows: Creating a slideshow

You can create a custom full-screen slideshow for any folder or album in Picasa by clicking the [pic]Play button in the folder or album header. To create a slideshow using photos from multiple folders and albums, first create a new album using these photos.

There are several ways to control the style and flow of your slideshow:

• Slide transition: Select from slide transition styles like wipe, dissolve, or pan and zoom.

• Slide duration: Adjust the display time by clicking the + or - buttons. You can modify this setting from one to 20 seconds. `

• Show captions: Turn captions on or off while viewing your slideshow by clicking the green check mark.

• Rotate photos: Use the swirling arrow buttons to rotate your images 90 degrees.

• Include video: Compile both pictures and video for inclusion in your slideshow.

• Magnify your images: Use the magnifying glass slider to zoom in and out on images during the slideshow.

• Add music: Set your slideshow to music by adding supported audio file types.

• Loop your slideshow: Set your slideshow to play continuously. Click Tools > Options (Windows). On the Slideshow tab, select 'Loop slideshow' to play your slideshow over and over.

Pause your slideshow using the space bar. You can exit the slideshow at any time by clicking the Exit button at the bottom of the slideshow, or by pressing the Esc key.

Importing Basics: From camera or memory card

(On the Picasa Help Website you can watch a video on importing photos from a camera or memory card)

To import to Picasa from a camera or memory card, please follow these steps:

1. Connect your camera or memory card to the computer.

2. Your computer may prompt you to select a program to download your photos. After selecting Picasa, thumbnails of your photos should display in the Import Tray. The photos will be divided into groups based on the time period in which you used your camera. If this is the case, please skip to step five.

3. Otherwise, in Picasa click the Import button.

4. Select your camera or memory card from the 'Select Device' drop-down menu. The thumbnail images should then load in the Import tray.

5. Click Import All to copy all photos to your computer. Alternatively you can choose the photos you'd like to import and click the Import Selected button. Use these methods to choose your photos:

o Click on the [pic]clock icon to select all photos in a given time period.

o Hold the Ctrl key (Windows) to select multiple photos from any group.

6. Choose the destination location for your imported photos. The photos will be placed in a new folder in your chosen directory. Enter a name for the exported folder. You can also enter location, date, and descriptive information for your photos.

7. In the 'After copying' section, select one of the following options:

o 'Do nothing' -The pictures remain on your camera and memory card.

o 'Safe delete' -Only pictures that are imported into Picasa will be deleted from your camera and memory card.

o 'Wipe the card' -All pictures that are found on your camera or memory card will be deleted.

8. Click Finish.

Importing Basics: From other hardware

You can import photos into Picasa from many types of devices. Click the links below for the various device options to get specific instructions:

CD/DVD

Take the following steps to import photos from a CD/DVD:

1. Insert the CD/DVD into your computer.

2. In Picasa, click the Import button.

3. Select your CD/DVD drive from the 'Select Device' drop-down menu. The thumbnail images should then load to the Import tray.

4. Click Import All to copy all photos to your computer. Alternatively, hold the Ctrl key while selecting multiple photos and click the Import Selected button.

5. Enter a folder name for the photos. You can also specify an alternate destination for the files, or enter a place taken, date, and description.

6. Click Finish.

Scanner

You can import scanned images by taking the following steps:

1. In Picasa, click the Import button.

2. From the 'Select Device' drop-down menu, select your scanner.

3. A dialog will appear and prompt you to initiate the scan. When the scan is complete, the files are sent to the Import Tray in Picasa.

4. Click Import All to copy all photos to your computer. Alternatively, hold the Ctrl key while selecting multiple photos and click the Import Selected button.

5. Enter a folder name for the photos. You can also specify an alternate destination for the files, or enter a place taken, date, and description.

6. Click Finish.

Picasa Web Albums: Share button

You can use the Share buttons in both Picasa and Picasa Web Albums to send custom email invitations to view your online albums. Your recipients will be added to the album access list - the 'Shared with' list - located below your album cover in Picasa Web Albums. This list is only viewable by the owner of the album and allows you to view everyone that you've shared that album with.

Everyone you include on the 'Shared with' list will always be able to view the shared album in your Picasa Web Albums gallery - [username] - regardless of album visibility setting. This means you can adjust your album privacy and never have to worry about the people with access.

Picasa: The Share button in Picasa is located at the right of each folder or album header. Clicking it will send email invitations and also upload the entire folder or album to Picasa Web Album, all in one step.

Picasa Web Albums: The Share button in Picasa Web Albums is located in the menu bar above your photos when viewing an entire album or an individual photo.

Picasa Web Albums: Uploading to Picasa Web Albums

You can upload your photos to Picasa Web Albums using various methods. Images uploaded to Picasa Web Albums can be no larger than 20MB and are restricted to 50 megapixels or less. You can reduce the size (in pixels) of the photos you'd like to upload by resizing those images in Picasa.

Uploading from Picasa

Upload button: Simplest way to upload your photos from Picasa to Picasa Web Albums.

Share button: Upload your photos and invite your friends to view the online album in the same action.

Sync to Web button: Upload your photos and enable the 'Sync to Web' feature at the same time. Future edits in Picasa will automatically be transfered to your online Picasa Web Album.

Upload to your Picasa Web Albums Drop Box button: Upload directly from the 'Edit Photos' screen to your online Drop Box, which is essentially a holding pen album to accomodate your quick uploads.

For any future help, visit the Picasa Web site and click on the Picasa Logo:

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The next screen will appear with an index of help topics:

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