Menu Items
I won't spend much time explaining the menu items, since most are self-explanatory and they are well documented in the Manual. I would like to point out some very useful items that you may overlook.
One of the areas where most people run into trouble with PSP 5 is in understanding the "save" commands. Here's how they work:
Save - When you choose "save" after creating a new graphic, it defaults to the "psp" format. Some people hate this, I think it is a good thing. I rarely save a graphic the first time in any other format than PSP since I work in layers a lot and this is the only format that will preserve the layers and keep the masks and selection information intact in the graphic. When you choose "save" while working on an existing graphic, the program saves in the format the graphic was originally saved in.
Save As - Again, when you choose "save as" after creating a new graphic, the program defaults to "psp". You can use "Save As" to change the format you have saved a graphic in. I.e. you have a JPG open and you want to save it as a transparent gif. You set your transparency, then choose "Save As" and pick the GIF setting.
Save Copy As - This is what you want to use if you want PSP to remember the last settings you used to save a graphic. The program remembers the last setting and the last folder you saved to.
View|Image Information - This is one of my favorite additions to PSP 5. When you go to this menu item, you will open a window that gives you all the specifications of your image and has a tab called "Creator Information". You can store valuable information about your image here. It saves with the image so you can access it any time you want. I use the description box to record the font I used and the colors I used in the image. I love this! I can't count the number of times I have received e-mail from a visitor asking "what font was that you used on "x" graphic? I mostly sit there scratching my head and wondering. Now, I can go to the image and see what font I used quickly and easily.
View|Toolbars - If you are a little cramped for space when working on a graphic, this drop down window allows you to turn on and off the various toolbars.
View|Rulers - Do you need a precise measurement? Turn on the rulers.
View|Grid - Another great new feature. Working with the grid on allows you to easily line things up on your graphic.
Window|Duplicate - You can use this menu item to make an exact duplicate of the image you are working on.serial namber crak anydvd