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Image Editing

What is Image Editing?

It's said a picture is worth a thousand words, but what if a certain picture isn’t quite saying the right words? This is where image editing comes in. Image Editing is the process of digitally altering the way an image looks either to make simple corrections in size, dimensions or color, repair an image that has been damaged, or to create complex composites that combine a variety of elements to stretch the imagination!

Both here at Smith College, and across the world, the go-to image editing application is Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is an extremely versatile and powerful program that can let you manipulate or create any image to suit your needs.

What is Image Editing Used for?

Image editing is used for a variety of reasons of across campus such as:

  • Creating fliers and posters for events or campus groups

  • Formatting images or photos for a presentation

  • Preparing images for web publication

  • Artistic projects

Some examples of what you might want to utilize image editing for may include:

  • Changing the colors of an image to match the color scheme of your website or blog

  • Editing together a collage of images into one image to use for a visual presentation

  • Using healing tools to repair tears, scratches and burns in old photographs

  • Touching up your photographs

  • Preparing images for use in a video or podcast

How to Get Started

Adobe provides many tutorials to help you learn your way around Photoshop at www.photoshop.com/learn, however if you are just starting out using Photoshop, Lynda.com has some of the best in-depth courses for beginners such as the Photoshop Fundamentals course found here: http://goo.gl/mXqEEA.

The Center for Media Production also offers workshops and help sessions for those interested in using Photoshop. Come visit us in the basement of the Alumnae Gymnasium, or contact Dan Bennett at dbennett@smith.edu.

Revised March 3, 2015