Google Apps: An Introduction to Picasa

Transcription

1 Google Apps: An Introduction to Picasa This document provides an introduction to using Picasa, a free application provided by Google. With Picasa, users are able to add, organize, edit, and share their personal photos, utilizing 1 GB of free space. Signing In To sign into Google Apps for Education, 1. Go to 2. Select Continue. Log in with your NetID and password. 3. Under the More tab, select Photos. Downloading Picasa 1. Select Free Download. 2. Click Download Picasa. 3. Select Save File. Information Technology Services, UIS 1

2 4. Click on the downloaded file, and select Run. Importing Pictures Photos can be uploaded into Picasa a variety of ways, all of them very simple to use. 1. Pictures from Folders in My Documents a. Picasa synchronizes itself with pictures on your computer, so organizing your photos into folders in your documents will automatically upload to Picasa. 2. Importing Pictures a. Picasa also offers you the option to directly import media through a camera, scanner, media card, or CD. i. Click Import at the top left of the screen. ii. Click the dropdown menu to view the sources available from which to import pictures. If you keep the Exclude Duplicates box checked, then only one copy of each picture will be uploaded. Organizing Pictures iii. When you are finished importing and have selected the photos you wish to upload, click the Finish button. You will be able to name your folder the photos will be designated to. 1. Moving Photos a. Moving photos from one folder to another is very easy. Simply click the photo on the right screen, and drag it to the desired folder. Information Technology Services, UIS 2

3 b. To copy a picture into another folder instead of moving it from the original folder, click and hold the photo, press down the Ctrl key and drag the photo to the desired folder. Select Copy Files to confirm the copy. 2. Albums a. When Picasa syncs with the documents uploaded onto your hard drive, it creates folders, not albums. To organize your photos further within Picasa, you have the option of organizing your photos into albums. i. Click the Create a new album icon at the top left of the screen. ii. You will then enter a name for your album and a description. Select OK when finished. iii. Click and drag pictures from the right screen into your new album. 3. Naming your pictures a. Picasa allows you to tag the people who appear in your photos, so you can view all the pictures a particular person is in. On the toolbar to the left, select People. Information Technology Services, UIS 3

4 Type the name of the person in the photo b. In the People tab, click the person you wish to view, and their photos will appear to the right. c. Sometimes Picasa does not recognize all the people in a photo. To add a person, Select the original photo from the folder. At the bottom right of the screen, select the person icon, and click Add a person manually. i. Click and drag to select the person s face. Click in the text box to add their name. Information Technology Services, UIS 4

5 Editing Pictures 1. To edit a photo, double click on the selected picture, or right click and select View and Edit. 2. On the left of the screen will appear the toolbar with editing options. Preview the image to the right of the screen. a. Basic Fixes Under Basic Fixes, you are able to crop, fix red eye, use auto contrast and color, retouch images, add text, and make simple fixes. Click Undo or Redo if you change your mind about any edits you made to your photo and get back to the original i. The I m Feeling Lucky selection will make instant changes to your photo to improve the quality and make common repairs. ii. Editing in Picnik Information Technology Services, UIS 5

6 1. Under the Basic Fixes tab, click Edit in Creative Kit. Your photo will be transferred to online to a program that allows you to use stickers and other creative tools. b. Lighting and Color Change the light and shadows, or color hues. c. Fun tools Choose from THREE tabs with creative ways to add effects to your photo! Information Technology Services, UIS 6

7 Cool Extras 1. Create a collage a. To create a simple collage with all the pictures in your folder, open the desired folder, then click the Create Photo Collage icon. b. You have many options to edit the type of collage you choose and its specific characteristics. Under the Settings tab, select the type of collage you choose, and preview how it will look to the right. Customize the format of the page, background colors, and spacing throughout the collage. Use the dropdown arrow to choose from picture piles, mosaics, grids, or other patterns Customize characteristics of the pattern you select Click and drag pictures to switch positions c. The Picture Pile collage template allows users to edit the location and size of each scattered picture. Select the picture you wish to modify. A circle with a little target will appear. Click the target, and the movement of your mouse will change the size and angle of your picture. Right click to select forward or backward placement. Information Technology Services, UIS 7

8 d. Click Create Collage when you are satisfied with the final product. After saving your collages, they will now appear on the left hand of the screen under the Projects tab. Your original pictures remain unedited. 2. Create a Movie a. To create a movie, click the Create Movie Presentation icon under the folder or album of pictures you wish to incorporate into your movie. i. Use the tools at the left of the screen to make edits to your movie, and preview how they look to the right. When finished, click Create Movie. Information Technology Services, UIS 8

9 Add audio to the video Click the Slide tab to add text to pictures and change background colors of the slides Edit the transitions and durations of the photos With a You Tube account, you are able to upload your movie directly to You Tube b. Face Movie i. Face Movie is one of the newer options of Picasa, and requires that you tag your photos with specific people, as previously explained. 1. Open the folder of the person you wish to create a Face Movie for. 2. Under Create, select Movie, and then choose From Faces in Selection. 3. Make edits to your video using the toolbox on the left of the screen, exactly as you would creating a Movie as explained above. Preview the Face Movie to the right of the screen. When finished, select Create Movie. 3. Create a CD a. To burn a CD with your photos, select the album or folder you wish to include. b. On the top toolbar, select Create, and then Create a Gift CD Information Technology Services, UIS 9

10 c. Along the bottom of the screen, you will see options for creating your CD. After making changes, select Burn Disc. Add more photos Name the CD Sharing Pictures Sharing Pictures directly from Picasa a. To photos directly from Picasa, i. Click the icon at the bottom of the page. Web Albums ii. Choose from Microsoft Outlook or Gmail. iii. Type in the addresses of the recipients and select Send. Web Albums is a place to store all photos, create projects, and share your photos with as many people as you wish. It provides each user with 1GB of free space (about 4,000 pictures). b. Uploading Photos to Web Albums i. Select the photo(s) you wish to upload. Under the Tools tab, select Upload, and then Upload to Picasa Web Albums. Information Technology Services, UIS 10

11 1. If not already logged into Web Albums, you will be prompted to sign in with your Google Account information. 2. Change the settings for others to view your album. When finished, click Upload. Choose who to share your photos with from your Google Account 3. Click View Online to be directed to your Web Album. Information Technology Services, UIS 11

12 ii. Uploading an entire album from Picasa 1. Click the Sync to Web option to the right of the screen when viewing your album. Select Sync. 2. Anytime you add or delete photos from your album in Picasa, the changes will automatically be reflected in Web Albums. iii. Uploading photos through Web Albums 1. Under the My Photos tab, select Upload. 2. Enter an Album name, or choose to add to an existing album. 3. Browse through your photos and upload them to your new album. 4. Your album is now created. Click Edit visibility to change settings, and click the Album title to access all photos. Information Technology Services, UIS 12

13 Add captions, maps, change order of photos, or delete album c. Mapping photos in Web Albums i. In Web Albums, users can map either entire albums, or individual pictures within an album. 1. To map the central location of an album, select the album under My Photos, then click Create album map on the right of the screen. 2. Type the location to search the map. When you have found your location, select the thumbnail of a picture in your album. Drag and drop the picture to the correct location. Click Done. ii. To map the location of just one picture within an album, select the picture, and select Add location under the Photo location option. Find your location on the map and select Save location. The map will now appear with your picture with the specific location you have selected. Information Technology Services, UIS 13

14 d. Sharing photos in Web Albums i. Sharing albums in Web Albums is one of the easiest ways to pictures to others. 1. Under the My Photos tab, click the album you wish to share. Select the Share icon. 2. Enter addresses with whom you wish to share the album with, and include a message. Click Share via . ii. Web Albums offers the option to create a slideshow of your photos in an album and embed it into a website, a blog, or MySpace. 1. Under the My Photos tab, click Embed Slideshow to the right of the screen. Information Technology Services, UIS 14

15 2. Highlight and copy the code inside the box, and paste it to your website. When finished, click Done. Choose the size and settings of your slideshow e. Exploring photos in Web Albums is a feature that allows you to view the albums of users all over the world who have selected to make their photos public. i. Select the Explore tab at the top of the screen. ii. Browse by subject or location to view your particular interests. Information Technology Services, UIS 15

16 iii. When you find an image you like, click on it. You have the option to share the image, download the image to your files, or even order prints of the photo. Click View All to return to all albums Click through other albums Information Technology Services, UIS 16