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The article presents information on how to rescue, restore, and reuse aging prints and negatives. By scanning old photos and film into one's Mac now, one is able to stop the aging process and preserve irreplaceable photos. With the help of image-editing software, one may even be able to reverse some of the worst damage. The best way to digitize the prints, negatives, and slides is to scan them. Pictures that have faded because of exposure to light and air or that have been damaged by careless handling and storage will require a full-fledged image editor such as Adobe Photoshop. These programs offer powerful image-correction tools, layer controls, and masking features that give one precise control over specific areas of photos. It also highlights Apple's iphoto software as photo-management software. Slides and negatives are much smaller than prints and therefore require a much higher output resolution. Some scanners enables one to address common image problems during the scanning process. The most useful of these options is the Reduce Dust And Scratches filter, which attempts to eliminate dust spots and light scratches.

This article describes the steps for using the Curves command of the software, Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop represents an image's brightness levels in two ways: as light or as ink. These are called adjustment modes. Most photographers are comfortable working with light, and most print-based designers are more comfortable working with ink. Open a gray-scale photograph and choose Image: Adjustments: Curves to access the Curves dialog box. The user can alter the curve to increase or decrease the amount of light used to display an image. To adjust the image, click anywhere on the curve to add a dot, called a control point, and drag it up or down. Upon moving the curve up, the image is brighten by adding more light. To focus adjustments on a particular area of an image, the user can find the brightness range of that area in the horizontal bar, and then adjust the part of the curve that appears directly above that part of the bar. To estimate how a curve might affect an image, compare the curve created to the original diagonal line. With a simple curve adjustment, the user can transform flat-looking images into images that pop. Making a curve steeper exaggerates the differences between the brightest and darkest shades in an area of an image, thereby enhancing detail in that area.

Presents soft-proofing techniques to get consistent color in a printed output using the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 software. Importance of color management; Factors that influence the accuracy of color management process; Procedures in control color conversions; Tips on making the final edits and printing the image. INSET: TERMS AT A GLANCE.

Provides tips on scanning of images using Adobe Photoshop. Preparation of the material to scan; Defining settings; Application of extra bits. INSETS: You say you want a resolution;Bring scans into focus.

The article evaluates several products including the Hex Color Picker 1.4 color hex code finder from paymentrequested, the CocoThumbX 3.1 thumbnail editor from paymentrequested, and the Compress Files 1.0 file compressor from Apimac.

The article presents information about a handy photo-comparison tool in Apple Inc.'s iPhoto '06. This tool allows the user to compare similar shots side by side. To activate the comparison tool in iPhoto's full-screen mode. Select two or more images and press the Enter Full Screen button at the bottom left of the iPhoto window. The two pictures will appear side by side on a black background. Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen to reveal a toolbar of image-correction tools. Another way to compare photos go to iPhoto: Preferences and set the Edit Photo pop-up menu to in main Window. INSETS: Install and Uninstall;Make Save Dialog Boxes More Useful.

Reviews the imaging software Photoshop CS2 from Adobe Systems Inc.

Discusses how to sharpened scanned images using Adobe Photoshop's Unsharp Mask filter. Likely effects of the filter; Result of the greater contrast between two pixels; When to use the filter. INSETS: Sharpening What You Want;The Simple Art of Sharpening;Behind the Unsharp Mask Filter.

Discusses the primary causes and solutions for common imaging problems. Includes font problems; Poor file preparation; Errors in color separation. INSET: Scan in or take out?.

The article offers tips for using the Macintosh OS X. Photo Booth includes a collection of 24 image-altering effects which users can use to distort their photos. Text substitution lets OS X automatically replace one set of characters with another set of characters or symbols, and is one of Snow Leopard's more intriguing new features. For instance, users could make OS X generate the copyright symbol, when they type (C).

The article offers information on Adobe Systems Inc.'s new Photoshop Elements 8 released nearly simultaneously on the Macintosh and Windows. The new version offers new tools, sports an updated interface, and includes technology from its much larger sibling, Photoshop CS4. The Macintosh version comes with Adobe Bridge CS4, the same full-scale document manager that ships with the Adobe Creative Suite. Windows users get the Organizer, which uses an approach similar to iPhoto for managing photos.

The article offers information on computer monitors and presents several charts on electronic products. It presents information on 324 LCD Monitor from LaCie Ltd., which has a superior viewing angle along with color fidelity and text legibility. It is also cited that to avoid the problem of shifting colors or a loss of contrast while viewing the monitor screen, superior display should be preferred. Several charts on electronic products including camcorders, scanners and digital cameras are presented.

The article offers information about the different ways in which Apple Inc.'s Aperture and Adobe's Lightroom store images in image library of a camera. It is observed that Aperture stores photos in a hierarchical, and project-based system with every photo residing in a project. It is noted that each project can have multiple albums, light tables, Web galleries, and Web journals associated with it. It is informed that Lightroom's management features are simpler than those of Aperture's. It in noted that the Library pane lets one see all of the images, while the Folders pane offers a visual representation of how the images are organized on the hard drive.

The article reports on the launch of the beta version of the computer software Photoshop CS3 by Apple Computer Inc. In addition to compatibility with Intel microprocessor-based Macintosh computers, the software also has other features, including interface changes, nondestructive filters, easier compositing, improvements to Camera Raw and a redesigned version of Bridge, Adobe's image file browser. Any photography filter could be attached to the software to assist in image processing. Photoshop CS3 adds a new Quick Selection brush, which lets one select an object simply by brushing over it. As one brushes, the program analyzes the image to determine which pixels in the region need to be selected.

The article presents information on Apple Computer Inc's contribution to media entertainment. Apple is not content with its domination of the digital music market. Apple's chief Steve Jobs introduced the next stage in its growth with the addition of movies to Apple's download stocks. It is planning to enter the home entertainment sector. Apple has introduced movie downloads from films produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax Films, Pixar Animation and Touchstone Pictures. Previously, the company offered TV shows at 320-by-240-pixel resolution. Apple now offers movies at four times that resolution-640 by 480 pixels.

This article offers suggestions on how to extract maximum benefits from Raw file formats of digital photography. One can be sure of getting informed about the wonders of shooting in Raw mode while talking to professional digital photographers. When one presses the shutter button in Raw mode, the camera's sensor captures the image data and stores it on the media card. That's it. The camera doesn't do any image processing or compression--one ends up with raw and unprocessed data. Skipping the processing step gives Raw files several advantages over their JPEG counterparts. While many cameras do a very good job of processing JPEGs, the image adjustments aren't reversible. With a Raw file, one can delay image-processing decisions until he or she is in front of his or her computer. That means one stands a better chance of getting an image that looks just the way he or she wants it to be.

This article presents information related to the use of low-light photo processing with the help of Macintosh computer. By using camera's menus to increase the ISO setting, one can capture tricky shots such as these and expand his picture-taking options--but at a cost. Raising the ISO will also increase the amount of image noise--unsightly flecks that can make it look as if user took his picture during a digital snowstorm. In the Reduce Noise dialog box, drag the Strength slider to the right to increase the amount of noise reduction. INSET: Plug In to Noise Reduction.

Reviews the image processing software Final Cut Pro 5 from Apple Computer Inc. INSETS: Final Cut Studio;Compressor Expands.

This article presents instructions to use the Core Image Fun House and Quartz Composer tools to create a screen saver on a Macintosh (Mac) computer. On the DVD, open the Xcode Tools folder and doubleclick on XcodeTools.mpkg to install the tools. When that's done, go to the root directory of your main hard drive and look in the Developer folder. Core Image Fun House lets user quickly apply effects to his images. Launch Fun House and select one of the vacation images in the Open dialog box. The Effect Stack palette A works like Adjustment Layers in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. From here, one can add or delete layers, make adjustments, and toggle layer visibility. But unlike most image editors, Fun House displays layers from the bottom up. Click on the plus sign (+) B in the top layer. The Image Units palette will appear C, listing options for effects. Fun House adds Color Controls to the Effects Stack palette and offers sliders for adjusting Saturation, Brightness, and Contrast. Bump up the saturation to make the colors more intense. INSET: Buried Treasure.

This article offers tips for optimizing online portfolio images on Macintosh computers. All online portfolio images, whether project artwork or interface designs, should be optimized--that is, transformed into a Web-readable format that balance image quality and size. The easiest way to optimize is to apply a preset in Adobe Photoshop's Save For Web window. The optimization method should depend on the image's ideal final file type. To determine the proper format quickly, open a file, go to Save For Web, and click on the 4-Up tab. For each optimized display window, select a different default preset from the Preset menu: JPEG, ONG-8 128 Dithered or GIF 64 Dithered, for instance. The more colors a PNG or GIF file contains, the larger its file size. When Photoshop optimizes a file, it decreases colors by determining how frequently each color appears. As you decrease the number of colors in the palette, the software throws out the least-used ones. The trouble comes when you have a print project with spot color. The standard optimization quickly eliminates critical colors. The standard optimization quickly eliminates critical colors. To keep the spot colors, you have to use a bigger-than-necessary palette. You can prevent this palette bloat by locking spot colors. INSET: Faster Flash.

Offers techniques on creating layered images in Adobe Photoshop. Gathering of images from old books, stock-image collections and libraries of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art; Use of filters and layer-blending modes in creating background.

The article reviews several application software for iPhone and other mobile accessories, including "Hipstamatic" camera application, "CameraBag" image processing application, and the "Gorillacam."

The article reviews several application software for iPhone and other mobile accessories, including "Color Splash" imaging application, "Animation Creator HD," and "SketchBook Pro" drawing application.

The article presents information on the benefits of shooting raw images. It is said that raw image means an unprocessed image file. To convert these data into an usable image, the file must be processed with the help of raw converter software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop Camera Raw. With raw images, white-balance can be changed easily which is impossible to do with JPEG files. Highlights in the image can also be changed along with other extensive editing options.

The article offers information on Scrapblog which has all the tools needed to create an appealing digital scrapbook from digital photographs. Scrapblog provides a library of design elements. There are background textures, clip art, text boxes and balloons, shapes, and image frames. Scrapblog has built-in image-editing tools, so users can make a number of tweaks to their pictures on the fly, including cropping and color effects.

The article evaluates several picture viewers including products from Epson Inc. and Digital Foci Inc.

The article reports that digital photography is becoming easier with the emergence of affordable SLRs that are viable options for photographers. Nikon recently released the D40, a $600 compact digital SLR with a lens. The lower prices have opened up the digital SLR market. Sales of digital SLRs were up 48 percent from January to August of 2006, compared with the same period the previous year. Also in that same time period, sales of compact digital cameras were up 21 percent. Canon and Nikon both now offer in-camera software that can detect faces in a scene and optimize the focus and exposure appropriately.

The article presents the author's views on various features of the utility called PicLens from Coollris. After it is installed by moving a mouse over an image on a given Web site, a small icon appears that indicates it is a slide show. When the icon is clicked on, the image zooms to full screen. In the background, PicLens preloads the next few full-resolution images, so there is no delay when one moves to the next image.

The article presents information on some new imaging softwares. It is informed that the company Red Giant Software has released new software Knoll Light Factory 2.5 to create a simulated flare effect. Autodesk Inc. has released new the Maya 8 software to upgrade high-end 3-D-modeling and -animation programs.

The article presents information on the updated version of the Shake, an application software from Apple Computer Inc. Shake is a professional video-composing software. It has been released by the company at a reduced cost of $499. The improved version of the software that has been named as Shake 4.1 brings native Intel support. The software is meant to the users of Machintosh computers. According to Kirk Paulsen, Apple's senior director, they were willing to make Shake approachable to their 500,000 Final Cut Pro users. Shake is equipped with the features including 3-D multiplane compositing, 32-bit Keylight and Primatte keying and Optical Flow image processing.

The article presents information on the factors to be considered before purchasing a scanner. One should take stock of the types of media one need to digitize. In addition, one should consider that they have negatives or prints and whether all the negatives are of 35mm or are wide-format negatives. These factors will have an impact on the type of scanner one needs. It highlights two main categories of scanners namely flatbed and film scanners. Flatbed scanners are designed primarily for scanning prints and other hard copy, many flatbed scanners include adapters for scanning different film formats. Resolution and bit depth were once top considerations of people shopping for scanners. In order to scan film and prints, one may need a scanner that includes Digital ICE. Part software and part hardware, Digital ICE uses a special infrared light to detect dust and scratches on to the film and then removes any trace of them during the scanning process, using the surrounding pixels to fill in the missing data.

The article reviews the image processing software Light Zone 1.0 from Light Crafts.

The article presents information related to the products which were showcased in the Macworld Conference & Expo show which was held in San Francisco, California, in January 2006. Adobe Lightroom from Adobe lets the users to take control of the photos in terms of sorting, from Smile on My Macrating, editing, and publishing in a nondestructive way. Browseback, is a handy way to search the browser history; it gives the users thumbnails of every page they have looked at and lets them search the history with keywords. EyeTV 2, from Elgato Systems,dramatically redesigned interface mimics that of iTunes and iPhoto. One can create playlists of video recordings and favorite channel lists, schedule videos to export automatically to iPod. Google Earth, from Google Inc. is a gorgeous program that gives a bird's-eye view of addresses, thanks to detailed satellite photos of Europe and North America. iLife '06, from Apple Computer Inc., is the latest version of iLife packs with the new iWeb application for creating Web sites and blogs, and updates to the other applications in the suite .

The article informs that if a user drag a large photo into an open Compose window in Mail, an Image I Size pop-up menu appears in the bottom right corner of the window, offering options for resizing all the photos in that window. He can do this directly from iPhoto, but if he finds iPhoto too slow to use this trick can come in handy.

Reviews the Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 image processing software from Nik Multimedia Inc.

Reviews various computer animation software.

Reviews the image processing software PictureSync developed by Holocore.

Presents views of several computer users about the computer software Bridge from Adobe Systems Inc. Importance of Bridge for the users of the software Photoshop CS2; Benefits of Bridge in finding Illustrator documents; Comparison of Bridge with the software InDesign.

Reviews the PhotoEdit 1.3 image editing software from macXware.

Evaluates the Bryce 3D, an upgrade of the 3-D landscape generator from MetaCreations. The animation and keyframing ability; Pricing and other information about Bryce 3D's Advanced Motion Lab.