Empowerment

Technologies
Quarter 1 – Module 7:
Image Manipulation Techniques
 What’s New

A. Examine the sample picture below. Answer the following questions:

1. What did you observe in the picture?
2. How many are pictures combined?
3. How are these pictures combined?
4. What are the image manipulation techniques used?

B. Download PicsArt mobile application from Google Play Store. Using PicsArt,
search for pictures same as above. Try to combine the pictures to design a
graphic same as above.

Notes to the Teacher

This module aims to prepare the students to create an original or derivative ICT
content to effectively communicate a visual message in an online environment by
simply using image manipulation techniques on existing images in order to
change or enhance their current state.

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 What is It

In a digital age, professional graphic designers with desktop publishing have made
it possible for nearly anyone to produce well-designed online and paper
documents, such as newsletters, business cards, websites, posters, letterheads,
PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, etc. Being in a digital age, it is beneficial to
have knowledge of basic design principles (Chavanu 2010) and image manipulation
techniques. There are a lot of software available in the market that you can use in
graphics designing such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Canva, PicsArt, etc. For you to
follow the procedures on how to manipulate images, use PicsArt.

IMAGE MANIPULATION TECHNIQUES

1. Cropping: Enhance focus and composition

Cropping is the easy way to completely transform a photo. It can remove

unwanted or distracting areas, improve the composition, or help emphasize a
focal point. If you will do a significant cropping, make sure that your image is
large because the more you crop, the more you reduce your image quality and
resolution (Kliever n.d.).

PicsArt application enables you to crop a photo in three different ways. First,
you should crop the image normally which indicate that you can remove
unnecessary parts of the image in a simple way. Secondly, you should crop the
photo freely where you require removing some parts by drawing boundary lines
amidst start and end point. Lastly, the shape cropping is useful in cropping
images in the form of shapes like circle, rectangle, cone, star (PicsArt n.d.).

Free Crop Tool in PicsArt is a selection tool which works without any
restriction. Which basically allows you to brush over your image to make a
selection (2020 | Simple Steps To Use The Free Crop Tool in PicsArt 2019).

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How to do it?
In order to use the PicsArt Free Crop Tool, follow the instructions provided below.

1. Open PicsArt along with your image. (You can use any image that you want.)

2. Open Free Crop Tool. Go to Tools>Free Crop (the interface changes).

Now you get to see all the available options in the bottom toolbar. These are:

(1.) Brush: The brush tool is used to make a selection of any part of the
image by just brushing over the image.

(2.) Eraser: The eraser tool is used to erase all the mistakes made. Or the
wrong selections.

(3.) Marquee: The Marquee selection tool can be used by making a rough
selection shape.

(4.) Clear: The clear option can be used to erase all of the changes you've
made to the image.

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 3. Make a selection. Brush over your image to make a selection. As mentioned
earlier, you can not only use the brush tool to make a selection but you can
also use the marquee tool as well. The selection gets marked in red.

4. Preview & Save! Tap on the arrow present on the top right corner to get a
preview of your selection. If you are satisfied with the results, tap on the
“save” button and your selection will be saved as a clipart. To save the image
in your gallery, save again.

2. Blurring: Enhance background images

If you want to highlight images as featured elements in your design but there
is a destructive background, you can apply some blurring to create a smooth,
uncluttered background.
PicsArt offers a sophisticated range of blur effects that can be used to
devastating effect if you know how to handle them. Evidently, blur effects blur
your image, but there are many different types of blur for different occasions.
The standard Blur effect simple puts your image out of focus, though the effect
settings give you a lot of creative options with just this first option. Focal Zoom
is a blur effect that makes it appear as though the entire image is speeding
towards a focal point, Motion Blur allows you to mimick the blur that occurs
when capturing a moving option, and Radial Blur creates a spiraling tunnel of
blur around a central area (How to Use PicsArt Blur Effects 2014).
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How to do it?

1. Upload or open an image into the editor from the main screen.

2. Open blur effects.

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 Select the effects icon and choose the Blur category

3. Select the Blur Effect from the Blur menu.

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4. Select the target. Select the circular target on top of the screen.

5. Adjust targeted area. Use your finger to adjust the size of the targeted area
and drag it across the screen, to center it over your subject.

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 6. Reduce hardness. Reduce the Hardness slider down to 0 for a smooth blur
transition in your photo.

7. Increase blur. Open the Effect Settings and increase the Blur slider to your
preference to intensify the effect.

8. Click Apply, then click the check mark to save your work.

3. Image Adjustments
Adjustments such as Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, etc. can be
done using the PicsArt Adjust Tool (2020 | How To Use The PicsArt Adjust
Tool | Tutorial 2019).

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How to do it?
1. Open PicsArt along with your image. For this walkthrough you will use rose
image.

2. Open “Adjust” tool. Tap on Tools>Adjust (the interface changes). You will now
be greeted with all of the available options on the right hand side (when viewed
horizontally).

3. Select an option.

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 From the list, select any adjustment option of your choice. If you're not sure
what these options do, below is a brief explanation of each of the options of
the Adjust Tool.
(1.) Brightness: The brightness is used to increase the light (brightness) of
the image.
(2.) Contrast: The contrast is used to differentiate the two colours to make
either more visible or distinguishable.
(3.) Clarity: The clarity is used to highlight the image by softening and
darkening certain areas of the image.
(4.) Saturation: The saturation is used to saturate or make the colours
stronger.
(5.) Hue: The hue is used to adjust the colour (hue) of the image.
(6.) Highlights: The highlight option is used to lighten up the lighter areas.
(7.) Shadows: The shadow option is used to increase or decrease the
amount of shadow in the image.
(8.) Temperature (Temp): The temp (temperature) option is used to adjust
the tone of the image.
4. Adjust the option.

Once you've figured out which option to opt for, you might now want
to adjust the option to suit your eyes. Gently increase the amount of the tool,
let's say “brightness”. And see the difference.

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 5. Save your image.

If you are happy with the end results, tap on the top left check mark (✓) and
your image will be saved in your gallery. If you want to make more adjustments
to your image, go ahead and explore the wide variety of options.

6. Arrangement: Enhance your layout with grids

A clean and organized layout, as shown in the image below, is an asset to any
design project. If you’re not sure where to start, aligning all your design
elements to a grid is always a safe bet. Grids are also a nice way to showcase
multiple images (Kliever n.d.).

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How to do it?
Open the PicsArt app and follow the steps (Edward 2019).
1. Once your PicsArt app open, you may come across such type of interfaces
(shown in the Step 1 photo below). Tap on “Collage” option.
2. Then tap on “Grids” option to add multiple photos in one (shown in the Step
2 photo below).

Step 1 Step 2

3. In the Layout option, choose the Square.

4. You can switch photo with other photos. Select any photo and bring that
onto another photos. Then tap on the black screen to return to the menu.
5. Select border option to increase border thickness or radius. In order to
change border setting 1) Tap on “Border” icon as shown in the figure below.
2) Select “Thickness and radius” option. 3) Use a slider to adjust the amount
of thickness and radius.

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 6. Tap on “Background” icon to add a background on the collage grid border.
You can add any photos from your gallery by tapping on add photo icon or
just use color.
7. Save your final edited image into your gallery by clicking the arrow at the
upper right corner of your screen as shown below.

7. Frames: Enhance image shape and style

Like actual picture frames, you hang on a wall, framing images in design is
traditionally used to draw attention to the image. Frames can be simple or
decorative, a single line or an illustrated design, colored or not, depending on the
style and mood of your project (Kliever n.d.) as shown below.

How to do it?
1. Open your PicsArt
app.
2. Under the Collage
option, choose
Frames.
3. From the different
options displayed at
the bottom of your
screen, choose
Colorful.
4. Look for a frame
same as the given
output at the left.
5. Choose pictures
from your gallery.
6. Save your work.

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8. Text: Enhance images with typography on top
Images and text are two foundations of graphic design. Combine them, and
they’re a powerhouse of visual communication. So try adding relevant information
to an image by placing text on top (or picking an image that complements the
subject of your text) (Kliever n.d.).
Using PicsArt, you can add text overlays to your images like the one shows
below. This technique can be used to spice up your photos, or even to design
your own greeting cards, posters (How to Add a Text Overlay 2019), or
infographics.

How to do it?
1. Open your PicsArt app.
2. Open your image in the Editor.
Scroll through the menu bar at
the bottom of the screen and
select Text (if you’re using a
device with a large screen, you
may not need to scroll).
3. Type your text. Tap the check at
the upper right corner of the
screen to confirm.
4. Select the Font you would like to
use.
5. Enlarge the text by dragging the
arrow in the lower right corner of
the text box. Drag the text box to
the place where you want it to be.
6. Adjust blending mode by tapping
Blend and choose Overlay.
7. From the menu, choose Shadow.
8. Tap on the check mark and save
your work.

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 What’s More

Combine two (2) pictures to design like it is an original picture using the Layer tool
in PicsArt. You need two pictures like Pic1 and Pic2 as shown below.

Pic1 Pic2
Before After
Procedure:
1. Open PicsArt and tap on the + to start editing.
2. Select an image like Pic1 from the Free Photos gallery. Your screen in landscape
position should look like the figure below. Tap on the Draw tool (the interface
changes).

3. Refer to the figure below. Tap on the Photo tool and choose Photo to add a
picture like Pic2.

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4. Refer to the figure below. 1) Tap on the Layer tool. It will show you the Layer
menu and Pic2 is currently selected. 2) Tap on the Layer Adjustment button to
show the different options as discussed in detail below. Choose Transform to
resize the picture same as the size of Pic1. 3) Tap on the Layer Blending Modes
to show the different blending modes. Blending mode allows you to adjust how
the light would pass through the layers.

Layer Adjustment Options (2020 | How to use the Layer Tool in PicsArt |
Tutorial 2019)
a. Transform: The transform tool can be used to Rotate, Increase/Decrease
the size of the layer, as well as reposition the layer.
b. Copy: The copy option can be used to duplicate the current layer.
c. Merge: The merge option allows you to merge two layers to form one single
layer.
d. Clear: The clear option can be used to erase all the changes made to the layer.

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5. Refer to the figure below. It shows the different Layer Blending Modes. Select
the Screen mode.

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 Here is a more detailed information below (2020 | How to use the Layer Tool in
PicsArt | Tutorial 2019).
a. Normal: The original form of your image.
b. Multiply: The multiply mode blends two layers in a combined manner.
Generally throwing the foreground to the background and pulling up the
highlighted parts from the background to the foreground.
c. Lighten: The lighten mode will help you to lighten the layer and make it soft
so that the light may pass through.
d. Darken: Darken mode keeps the darker areas on the current layer and
makes the lighter areas transparent. Later, both are merged together
(blended together).
e. Screen: The screen option makes the layer transparent.
f. Xor: The xor mode erases the pixels on the bottom layer by the highlights
made on the top layer.
g. Add: The add option blends the two layers by brightening the lighter pixels.
h. Overlay: The overlay option maintains the highlights on both layers and
blends them altogether.

6. Refer to the figure below. 1) To make the background picture, Pic1, be more
visible, adjust the Pic2 Opacity to 59%. 2) Tap on the + button to show layer
options.

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 2

Here is a more detailed information below.

a. Empty Layer: The empty layer option allows you to create a new blank layer.
b. Photo Layer: The photo layer option allows you to create a layer by importing
an image from your gallery.

7. Tap on the … button to save your design as an image.

8. Tap on the  button to save your project.

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