Files & Folders:
Image: Resize & Print

Step-by-Step: Resize & Print Image

Start with:  

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What you will learn:

to open an existing picture from the File menu to resize the canvas to save an existing picture to print a picture

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Open an Existing Picture from File menu

Start with: Paint is closed

1. Start Paint using the method of your choice.
   (Hint: From the Start menu or Run in WinXP.
    From the Start menu or Search in Vista/Win7)
    
2. From Paint's menu bar select  File . In Win 7 click on the Paint button.

    

3. After the menu appears, look at the entries of recent files.
   In WinXP and Vista, there is a list of the last 4 images that Paint used.
   In Win7, the list shows the last 9 images. Other programs may list more in this list of recent documents.
    
4. Click on myname.bmp or press the key 1, which is the shortcut key for the first file in the list.
   The image you created opens again.

   Problem: myname.bmp  is not in the list
   Either you did not save the file, you didn't save it using this computer, or too many other files have been opened in Paint since you saved the your file.
   Solution 1: If you did save the file, select  Open  from the  File  menu and use the dialog box to open myname.bmp.
   Solution 2: If you did not actually save the file, go back to the previous lesson and create the file. Then return to this page to continue.

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Check File Size

1. Select from the menu bar  File  >  Save As . Display the contents of my docs on your Class disk.
    In Win 7 click on the Paint button and click on   Save As .
2.  Show the Details view in the Save As dialog.
   From the View button, select Details.
   Use the Views button to select Details.

     s

   Notice the size of the original file! The size of the canvas determines the size of the bitmap image.

   Ways to reduce file size

   • Resize the canvas, without changing anything else about the picture except the amount of white space.
   • Save in a file format, such as PNG or GIF, that compresses the image information.
   • Resize the whole picture.

   A more advanced graphics program will produce a better result than Paint does when using a compressed file format or when resizing the picture!
    

3. Click on the Cancel button.

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Resize the Canvas

1. Move your pointer to the bottom right corner of the canvas and place it over the handle there. The pointer will change to the Diagonal Resize shape.

   A handle is a small square at the corners and side centers.

   If your canvas is really large, you will have to use the scroll bars to see this handle. It is tiny! You may have to resize in steps since the display will not scroll by itself as you drag.
    

2. Drag the bottom right handle of the picture until your name just fits in the dotted box and then release the mouse button. The white canvas will resize to fit the box.

   

3.  Save this new version with:
    File  >  Save .
   Click on and then on   Save .

   You will NOT see the Save As dialog box this time because the file has been saved previously. The Save command just replaces the old version with the new one.

   If you want to save a file under a different name or in a different place, you must select  Save As 
    

4. To see how the file size has changed, select  File  >  Save As  one more time.
    
5.  Click on the Details button.
   In Windows Vista, click the Views button on the toolbar and select Details.
   
   
6. Look at the size reported. It should be much smaller now. The actual sizes for your file will almost certainly be different from those shown in the illustrations.

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Print a Picture

1. From the menu bar select  File  >  Page Setup .
   Click on the Paint button and then on Print and then on Page setup.
   
   The Page Setup dialog box will appear. If you make changes in the settings, you can see the effect in the sample document.
   The dialog shows a placeholder for your image, rather than the image itself.
    

    
   Paint's Page Setup dialog: WinXP, Vista, Win7
    

2. Check the orientation of the paper and the width of the margins.
    
3. Make changes if necessary and then click the OK button.

   Never print without checking to see what your print settings are!
    

4. From the menu bar select  File  >  Print Preview  to see what your picture will look like when printed.
   Click on the Paint button and then on   Print  and then  Print Preview.

1. Click the Zoom In button to enlarge the page you are viewing.
    
2. Click the Zoom Out button to reduce the size of the page again.
    
3. Look carefully to see if the Next Page or Page 2 button is available. If the button text is black, your print job will take at least one more sheet of paper. This happens when your image is wider than the space between the margins as set in Page Setup. Unfortunately Paint does not tell you how many pages there will be all together.
   Paint in Win7 automatically sizes the image to fit on the page.

   Problem: The picture is too wide or too tall to fit on one page
   Solutions:

   • Change the margins or orientation in Page Setup to keep your image on one page.

   • Edit the picture to make its dimensions match the paper.

   • Accept a divided picture and in the Print dialog box, choose to print just the page that has the part you want.
      

4. If you do need to change something, click the Close button and proceed with your changes, then return to this step.
    
5. Click the Print button after your image fits on one page. The Print dialog box appears.

    Here is where you can choose to print only certain pages. Be sure your picture fits on one page.

   

   Inspect the other choices on the Print dialog -

   • which printer
   • what pages to print or just what was selected.
   • the number of copies
   • preferences for how the printer behaves, including color or gray scale or black-and-white, orientation of the paper, quality of the paper (especially important if you are printing photos)
6. If you have a color printer, click on Properties button. Check to see if the page will print in color or in gray scale or in black-and-white. Change, if necessary, to the mode you want. 
    
7. Click the OK button to print your picture.
    
8. Close Paint.