Graphic Editing With Freeware Apps.

Hummm, considering this thread is about manipulation of images and not as such a thread about images untouched, it can be tempting to take any image found on the web via Google or other sources.

So I must politely mention that any such image may be covered by copyright and as such use of it without permission could cause trouble, either for yourself or more likely the forum. I think it will be right to say that it is forbidden to do so, either in this thread or the forum in general.

Images I have used, and only two so far, I made absolutely sure they were offered by the original author and as anonymous originators, therefore free for any personal use. (In future I will use only my own work from now on, just to be safe)

Whatever images you do use please keep them to those you have taken or created yourself, rather than someone elses work.

Nev.

 

Going back to comments made by DSTM and also Plastic Nev. I do not have much of a problem with posting graphics (even altering graphics) that are readily found on the web. (unless they are pilfered from sites that are offering the images for a fee on behalf of the copyright owner) What does concern me is the altering of a members work on any graphic project the member may submit without that member's consent.

Most of the time it may seem harmless but if someone posts a project that they may have worked hard on, it is simply wrong for someone else to come along and alter it. We have a good PM system. It is not all that difficult for someone to simply ask if the original poster minds if ............................... etc.

Doing otherwise it leaves the impression that the one who posted the latest version is trying to show up the original poster. Even if the member does not feel that way him/herself it leaves that impression with others who may be viewing more casually.

Accordingly, from now on if you make a change to another member's project please include a line that you are doing so with the member's permission or it may be removed or hidden.

 

Thank you both for those words of wisdom I wish I could find words to describe things like you both have.
99 times out of a 100 I always use my own images.

Bob

 

You don't have to use your own Photos all the time.
There are millions of Copyright Free Images on the Net. Just Google "Copyright Free Images".
A lot of them are Hi Resolution and great subjects to work with.
Most sites give a warning if they have Copyrighted Images. They are normally Watermarked and the copy function is normally disabled.
Their main concern is you are not going to use them for Financial gain.
If you say screen Grab and crop the watermark off a Copyrighted image, then that is stealing.
There are so many free Images on the Net, why would you bother stealing Copyrighted Images anyway.

 

Thanks again Doug I did not know about the above.

 

Before this goes to far, I want everyone to understand that my concern is only with protecting the interests of a member who undertakes a graphics project. This and all forums are filled with images taken from somewhere else. DSTM is absolutely correct. I have little or no concern where the original image comes from as long as it does not come from another member.

That is my point in post #42. So lets move on with the graphics and not go astray.

 

Can't manage to work on animation right at this moment but thought this would be a great one for someone to try ... (and yup, it's a freebie from the internet ages ago).

 

Hi Bob. Your OOB was done with Photoshop which is not free.
Needs to be posted in the Photoshop Thread and One of us will be happy to sort it for you.
I will move for you as soon as I get time.

 

Sorry Douge I will post in the right section ONE DAY.
Thanks for moving it when you have time.

 

Seeing as how everyone appears to be concerned about copy write infringement an such I don't think I'll be posting in this thread any longer.

Thanks
Wildman

 

You clearly did not read my 2 posts above very carefully. Much the same is true to the post made by DSTM.

My concern is with the manipulation of images created by other members without their consent.

 

Oh dear, I think originally Nev honestly simply meant that all of us have to be careful about snagging images off the internet - especially newcomers to working with graphics as it's often a bit hard to tell if something is really 'free to use' or not.

Please don't vanish on us, Wildman - your graphics are wonderful and I so look forward to popping in here to see work that you and others have done.

 

In the Photoshop thread, I noticed there's a discussion about removing backgrounds behind objects prior to inserting them within a new 'layered' graphic.

Since we're talking of freebie programs in this thread, just wondering what each of you use, once the original image is expanded to full pixels, to remove all the 'excess' pixels surround the object we're trying to isolate?

 

I like to keep it fairly simple. I use the doppler option of PSP -9 plus the paint brush, occasionally the flood fill. I'll use the crop option to get rid of a good bunch of what I don't want. IrfanView is almost a must to re size the photo for me.

Gee I hope all of this makes sense.

Not very happy with Photobucket (never have been), so if anyone knows of a better FREE hosting cite that excepts .gif pictures please let me know.

Be advised I am guilty of taking pictures that one posts an then adding my own touch. I do not do this out of malice, I also am willing to pass along anything I know in this area, after all it was not that long ago that I didn't know squat about this stuff.

Mara give Sqirlz a try with your water faucet.

Thanks
Wildman

 

The above should read dropper not droppler..

Thanks
Wildman

 

I do something similar when removing the backgrounds, Wildman - and must admit that I now go the easy route using my Corel program and use it for re-sizing as well. InfranView is a super program though and I can see why you use it, that's for sure.

Do remember when I started out and didn't have anything but a very basic photo program, got used to increasing image to 300 and then blowing it up as large as possible before painstakingly using a 'paintbrush' with solid colour to paint in each pixel one at a time that was close to the image I was trying to isolate before then colouring in the remainder of the 'excess' in order to remove the specific colour I was using when copying it into the next step of my project. Yup, very convoluted and I don't miss the 'old times' of editing at all - grin!

I gave up on PhotoBucket long ago (mind you, this morning while searching the net for an alternative program for another member, came across a huge ad from PhotoBucket saying they are now entirely a "new" site). Rather than the frustrating I too have had with PhotoBucket, I've been using the easiest upload of all for both images and slideshows - it's called 'Tinypics'.

Mind you, there is a woe with Tinypics as after a few months, every upload simply vanishes - eep! Really hope someone at our site knows of a good free hosting site we can change to and, as you said, one that accepts animated .gifs.

I'd love to give the water faucet a try but right now have had to put working on graphics on 'hold' ... hard to work on pixels if one can't see them clearly - gentle grin. Anyway, I'd popped the image in here for anyone to work or practice with, if they like.

 

Done with Sqirlz. Click on to see effects.



Thanks
Wildman

 

ooooo wow, wildman
Just UNIQUE

kAY

 

Well done and what fun it is to see things like this magically turn 'real', Wildman - thank you!

Nev, and our other members, of course ... if having a bit of a struggle getting a completely transparent background and one would rather just play with the images themselves in a project ... it's possible I may have some images of a subject that may work (already isolated onto a transparent background) - just holler if you're looking for something specific and I'll see if I have something.

(p.s. Everything I have is totally free that I've accumulated through the years and most are those I've simply removed backgrounds from myself to isolate objects and save each in a .png format (transparent background). Also have some .png objects that kind people have generously shared free and I do keep track of which can be used freely and which are not to be used for profit).

 

Wildman, there are a few free sites for image hosting, here is one I use sometimes, though not sure if animated GIF files will work on it as I haven't tried one, I use Photobucket exclusively for them.

http://imgur.com

Give that a try and see what you think.

Nev.