style="font-size:15px;"> c. Type 144 in the Resolution box.
For screen viewing only 72 ppi is fine. However, if you want your friends to print the image, 144 is a better choice. You can use either resolution. Be sure the file size is no larger than 100 ppi.
d. Select the Resample Image check box and then click OK (see Figure 1-5).
The image is sized to a workable size for Facebook. In Chapter 2, you take a closer look at what these image-sizing options mean and how to choose the right settings for your prints or online images.
2. Choose File ⇒ Save As ⇒ JPEG to save the file as a JPEG.
Note the location where you save the file on your hard drive. Chapter 2 also explains how to choose the right file format for your images. (JPEG is one of many file formats that Elements supports.)
3. Click Share in the top-right corner of the workspace to open the Share panel and then choose Facebook from the drop-down list.
Elements enables you to upload to other services, like Twitter and Flickr, too. For details about the Share panel, flip to Chapter 15.
4. Authenticate your account.
A dialog box opens when you choose Facebook in the Share panel, prompting you to authenticate your account. To authenticate your account:
a. Click Authenticate in the dialog box.
b. Fill in the text boxes for your Facebook login and password.
Your authentication is complete.
5. Click the Upload button to upload the file.
When the file upload is complete, a dialog box opens and prompts you to view the uploaded file.
6. Click Visit Facebook.
Your photo is added to your Facebook account, as shown in Figure 1-6.
FIGURE 1-5: Resize an image in the Image Size dialog box.
FIGURE 1-6: An edited photo uploaded to Facebook.
Creating Images from Scratch
You may want to start from scratch by creating a new document in Elements. New, blank pages have a number of uses:
❯❯ Mix and merge images in a new document, as we explain in Chapter 8.
❯❯ Create a canvas where you can draw and paint, as we explain in Chapter 12.
❯❯ Use the New dialog box to find out a file’s size, dimensions, and resolution. You find out why these details are important in Chapter 2.
Follow these steps to create a new document while working in any editing mode:
1. In the Elements Photo Editor, choose File ⇒ New ⇒ Blank File or press Ctrl+N (⌘ +N on the Mac).
Alternatively, you can choose Open ⇒ New Blank File in the Photo Editor.
The New dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 1-7.
2. Select the attributes for the new file.
When you select these attributes, among the things you need to consider is the output you want to use for the image: screen or paper. Files created for the web or for screen views are measured in pixels, and you don’t need to specify a resolution. For print, you want to use a measurement other than pixels and you need to specify resolution. We explain how all this works for the relevant settings in the following bulleted list.
You have several options from which to choose:
● Name: Type a name for your file.
● Document Type: Select from a number of different document types such as paper, photo, web, and so on.
● Size: You can choose a preset size from a long drop-down list. This setting is optional because you can change the file attributes in the other text boxes and drop-down lists.
● Dimensions (Width/Height): Values in the Width and Height text boxes are independent; either box can be edited without affecting the other. Adjacent to the values in the Width and Height text boxes, you find drop-down lists that offer many options for units of measure, such as the default units of pixels followed by inches, centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), points, picas, and columns.
● Resolution: Generally speaking, if your image will be printed, choose 300 dpi (dots per inch). If you plan to display your image only on a computer screen or mobile device, choose 72 ppi (pixels per inch). Chapter 2 explains the details about how resolution works.
● Color Mode: You most likely want to leave this at the default of RGB Color. Chapter 2 explains when you might want to use the other available color modes.
● Background Contents: You have three choices: White, Background Color, and Transparent. The selection you make results in the color of the blank image. If you choose Background Color, the current background color assigned on the Tools panel is applied to the background. See Chapter 12 for information on changing background color. If you choose Transparent, the blank image is the digital version of a sheet of acetate, and the image is created as a layer. Chapter 8 explains how you work with layers.
● Image Size: This value (displayed in the lower-right corner of the dialog box) dynamically changes when you change the Width, Height, and Resolution values. The Image Size value tells you how much file space is required to save the uncompressed file.
3. Click OK after setting the file attributes to create the new document.
FIGURE 1-7: When you create a new, blank file, the New dialog box opens.
After you create a new image, try playing with the different brushes and painting tools, just to experiment and get a feel for how they work. For
