Overview of Tools in Paint Shop Pro Studio

The tool bar is the vertical bar of tools on the left of the Paint Shop Pro window.  (If you don't see the tools, pull down View --> ToolBars --> Tools).  Some tools have a small black triangle to their right; click on it to pop up a menu of sub-tools for that tool group. Each time you select one of these tools, the Tool Options palette at the top changes to display controls that are you can use to modify the tool (e.g., its size, etc).  (If you don't see the Tool Options palette, pull down View --> Palettes --> Tool Options).  

   The first tool group contains the Pan tool (the "neutral" tool that you can select after using another tool) and the Zoom tool, used for zooming in and out if you don't have a mouse wheel.

  The 2nd tool group contains the Deform tool (used for changing the size of layers and selections), the Straighten tool (used to straighten out tilted photos), the Perspective Correction tool (used to compensate for perspective effects, typically in pictures of buildings), and the Mesh Warp tool (used for novelty distortion effects).

  The Crop tool is used to draw a rectangle that defines what part of the image to keep. Cropping permanently removes the parts of the image outside the crop area. This tool is also used to set the exact print size and proportions for printing (e.g. 4 x 6 in, 8 x 10 in., etc): select the desired size and orientation from the Presets menu on the left site of the tool options palette, then drag and stretch the box over the picture as desired. Click the check box in the tool options palette to apply.

  The Mover tool is used to move layers, including text.

   The Selection tool is used to select a rectangular region (or a square, circular, oval, or any other shape - pull down the Selection Type menu in the Tool Options palette). The Freehand Selection tool is used to select an irregular region by hand, by tracing around the edges.  The Magic Wand tool is used to select a region of contiguous color.  

   The Dropper tool is used to "suck up" color from a photo to be used by the Paint brush, Airbrush, and Flood Fill tools.  

   The Paint brush and the Airbrush tools  are used to paint directly into an image,  using a color selected by clicking on the Materials palette or by using the Dropper tool to "suck up" color from another photo. The Warp Brush is a specialized tool for applying local distortion effects; it "bends" or "warps" a specific area of the image.

   The Clone tool is used to copy patches from one part of an image to another, typically for the purpose of covering up an undersired element.  It also works between two open images.  The Scratch Remover is used to remove straight scratches.

   The 9th tool group contains tools that apply local effects to specific areas of an image where you apply the tool. Smudge is used to smear color over small defects; it spreads color and image details from the starting point and picks up new color and image details as it moves; the effect is similar to smearing paint. Sharpen and Soften tools sharpen and blur, respectively, the areas that you apply the tool to. Dodge and Burn lighten and darken the effected area.  

   The Eraser tool is used to erase portions of an image, revealing the underlying background color (as determined by the Materials palette).  (When you erase a layer, the erased portions become transparent).  The Background Eraser is a special type of eraser that is used to erase a background color or pattern without erasing the subject that is on that background.

 The Picture Tube tool is used to apply decorative effects.  It acts like a full-color rubber stamp. You can select various stamps from the tool options palette.

  The Flood Fill  tool is used to fill contiguous areas of one color with the current forground color (as determined by the Materials palette).   The color can be changed by clicking on the Colors palatte. 

A   The Text tool is used for adding text labels to a photo.