Other Sites
Anyway, while those days are long gone, 1-bit graphics still have their uses, in line art illustration for instance. Another practical application for 1-bit graphics I've found is in cleaning up scans or screenshots with text on a colored or busy background for more accurate conversion to editable text using Optical Character Recognition such as the IRIS technology built into DevonThink Pro Office.
Most bitmap graphics applications can convert colored or grayscale images to black & white, but none in my experience does it slicker than Photoshop Elements 6, a pre-release beta of which has kindly been supplied to me by Adobe.
PSE 6's Convert To Black And White command makes the conversion process quick, easy and even fun by letting you choose a specific conversion result, unlike the Remove Color command, which automatically converts to black and white for you.
In the Convert To Black And White dialog box, you compare and choose different conversion presets represented by image styles. Select a style and then use the available sliders to fine-tune the conversion with adjustments reading out in real time.
To convert an image to black and white
1. In the Editor, open an image.
2. Select an area or layer to convert, choose Enhance > Convert To Black And White.
3. Select a style option that reflects the content of your image (for example, Portraits or Scenic Landscape).
4. Drag the Adjustment Intensity sliders to adjust red, green, blue, or contrast. Note: The Adjustment Intensity sliders for red, green, and blue don’t colorize your image; they simply include more or less data from the original color channels in the new black and white image. This is quite effective.
5. To convert your image, click OK. Or, to cancel your changes and start over, click Reset. To close the Convert To Black And White dialog box, click Cancel.
To experiment with black and white conversion while preserving the original photo, convert a duplicate layer.
For more of my impressions of Photoshop Elements 6, visit here.
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/photoshop_elements_6_for_mac_first_impressions/
New In Elements 6 for Macintosh
• Streamlined interface
• Guided editing
• New and enhanced compositing
- Photomerge Group Shot
- Photomerge Faces
- Photomerge Panorama
• Quick Selection Tool
• Color Curves Adjustment
• Batch RAW editing
• Support for RAW formats from newer digital cameras
• Black & White Conversions
• Lens Distortion Correction
• Flexible layouts for scrapbook pages, photo books, greeting cards, CD/DVD labels
• Backgrounds, frames, clip art & effects
System requirements:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Macintosh will run on Leopard, (Mac OS X v 10.5), as well as previous versions of Mac OS X starting with 10.4.8
• PowerPC G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor
• Mac OS X v.10.4.8 - 10.5
• 512MB of RAM (1 GB recommended)
• 64MB of video RAM
• 1 GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
• 1,024x768 minimum display resolution with 16-bit video card
• DVD-ROM drive
• QuickTime 7 software required for multimedia features
• Internet connection required for internet-based services
PSE6 is now available for pre-order at:
http://www.adobe.com/go/buyphotoshop_elements_mac
Estimated street price is US$89.99, which I consider one of the biggest bargains in the commercial software market, considering that PSE continues to pack in most of the power and features of the professional standard Photoshop CS that I would ever use a small fraction of the full-featured Photoshop's price.
For more information, visit:
http://www.adobe.com
Charles W. Moore
Tags: Hot Topics ď Reviews ď Graphics/Design ď
