What are Filters?
In Graphics, Filters are special effects that can be applied to
images to make them look very different from the original images.
Filters are common in many image editing programs like Photoshop,
Adobe Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, and many others. Filters
are fun and are generally pretty easy to use. You have to be
experimental and have time to play to get the best possible results.
Here are some basic steps:
- Open an image in your image editing program.
- Look for the Filters control. (Where it is located depends
on your program.)
- Choose a filter from the list.
- On many filters, you have controls to help you adjust the
strength of the filter. Some may be rather subtle and others
fairly extreme. Play with the settings until the preview
shows an effect that you like.
- You usually have to OK the filter before you'll see it on
the entire image. Filters take time to calculate - and beware
that some take a long time (minutes...not hours).
- Save the image if you like the results - BE CAREFUL NOT TO
SAVE IT WITH THE SAME NAME AS THE ORIGINAL PHOTO.
- If you don't like the filter - undo it and try something
different.
Here are some examples of images I've
used filters on. These were completed in various versions of Photoshop
or Photoshop Elements.
Click to see a larger version
of the pictures.
You can see more here.
Filters vary from blurring the image to adding artistic effects
(like water colors or pastels). They include swirls and adding textures
like canvas or brick effects to the image. Filters are fun and can be
very creative. You'll have to be patient though, as there are
many filters and many settings for each. It takes a while to get
used to all the possibilities. The special effects can make
your pictures even more enjoyable. Use them on cards, signs, banners,
in a scrapbook or even just to print some great images.
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