The
first thing you should know about modifying clipart, is how to
adjust the size. When you single-click on clipart, the clipart
is selected and square "nodes" appear on the corners and
sides, as below.
To
resize:
A
double arrow is displayed when hovering the mouse over one of these
nodes. Holding the mouse button down, drag to reduce or
enlarge the image.
To
have more control over adjusting the size, hold down the Alt
key while dragging. This allows for more precise adjustments.
Note:
The nodes on the corners adjust the size proportionally, and
do not distort the image. More than likely, you will want to
use the corner nodes to adjust size. The nodes on the bottom
and top adjust the height only, and the nodes on the sides adjust
the only the width. Take a look at the following comparison.
Size
adjusted with corner node.
(no distortion)
Size
adjusted with side node.
(distortion)
To
crop:
You
can also use the Picture toolbar to adjust brightness, crop,
change the layout, etc. To use the picture toolbar, select the
clipart, then right-click on the existing toolbars at the top of
your screen and choose Picture. The toolbar is
displayed.
This
same toolbar is used when you insert a picture from a file - like a
family photo. If you crop a picture, you cut out part of the picture along one of the sides. So, let's pretend our clipart
is a family photo and cut out our mother-in-law!
Choose
the Crop tool, as above.
Move
your mouse over one of the top, bottom, or side nodes. The
crop tool appears along with your mouse.
Hold
the mouse button down and drag to crop. Note that you can
also press the Alt key here while dragging for greater
control.
Other
useful Picture toolbar tools:
If
tools or selection options are grayed out, it is because the tool is
only available when inserting a picture file such as a JPEG or GIF.
The
first button on the toolbar inserts a picture from a file into
your document. You will not use this tool when working
with clipart.
The
second tool is Image Control. You can use this tool
to grayscale your clipart or make it black and white.
We'll discuss a watermark later on.
Following
image control, are buttons that can be used to increase or
decrease the contrast and brightness of the clipart.
The
Text Wrapping tool tells word how you want to treat text
that surrounds the clipart. For example, you might want to
type text over the clipart and use it as a background.
The
Format Picture tool (paint bucket) opens the Format
Picture dialog box, which is discussed in the next section
of this tutorial.
And
last but not least, if you are not satisfied with the
adjustments you have made, the Reset Picture button on
the end of the toolbar resets the clipart to its original state.
Notice: You have the author's
permission to use the tutorials on this site for your personal
use only. If you would like to use these tutorials for
training classes or other commercial use, please contact kstille@esmartweb.com.
Distribution in print or on the Web without the author's permission
is strictly prohibited.
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