Tutorial: AKVIS ArtSuite

Classic Frame

The Classic Frame suits for decoration of photos in the classic style. It consists of four slats cut at 45 degrees on both ends and joined together. The width, the texture and its brightness are adjusted in the Settings panel.

The Settings panel offers the following parameters for this digital picture frame.

Frame Width. The parameter sets the width of the frame. The values of the parameter vary from 0 to 100%. At 0% there is no frame, at 100% the width of the frame makes a quarter of the minimum image size (as to its width or height). For example, for an image 600 x 800 pixels the 100% width of the frame is calculated as follows: 1/4 from the minimum size (600 px) is 150 pixels.

Frame Width = 30%	Frame Width = 70%

Texture. Select a texture from the Texture Library. To open the Texture Library double-click with the left mouse button on the sample box.

The program comes with a rich collection of textures. Classic Frames are found in the Classic folder of the Texture Library. Double-click on the texture to select it.

It is possible to apply your own textures. For this purpose create and save a pattern into a folder on your computer. The pattern for the classic frame can be square or rectangular and must be saved as a jpg or bmp file.

To load your own texture into AKVIS ArtSuite, open the Texture Library, press the button and select a texture from the dialog box Select user texture.

To return to the Texture Library without selecting a texture press the button .

Check-box Flip Texture Vertical. When the check-box is enabled the texture turns over as to the horizontal line, that is top-down. As a result the outer and the inner border of the frame swap over.

Check-box Flip Texture Vertical disabled	Check-box Flip Texture Vertical enabled

Texture Brightness. The parameter allows changing the brightness of the original texture. The values of the parameter vary from 0 to 200%. The brightness of the original texture equals 100%. To darken the frame, set the value of the parameter less than 100%; to brighten the frame, set a value higher than 100%.

Texture Brightness = 50%	Texture Brightness = 130%

Check-box Scale Image to Frame. When the check-box Scale Image to Frame is enabled, the image is scaled to fit the frame. When the check-box is disabled, the frame overlays the image on it borders.

Check-box Scale Image to Frame disabled	Check-box Scale Image to Frame enabled

If the original texture is not perfect, the joins are visible and the frame is uneven. To smooth the joints use the check-boxes: Mirror Texture to Align and Average Brightness. These check-boxes can be used separately or together.

Let's take a texture having uneven brightness - the left part of the texture is brighter than the right.

If you generate a frame using this texture with both check-boxes (Mirror Texture to Align and Average Brightness) disabled, you will have the following picture:

• The check-box Mirror Texture to Align allows joining textures taking into account their brightness - the bright end of the texture joins the bright end, the dark end joins the dark end. The textures are mirrored in this way to achieve a smooth transition.
• The check-box Average Brightness allows smoothing the visible texture joints by averaging their brightness.

Check-box Mirror Texture to Align enabled	Check-boxes Average Brightness and Mirror Texture to Align enabled

Let's take one more example to show how the parameters Average Brightness and Mirror Texture to Align work. We take the following texture:

Check-boxes disabled	Check-box Mirror Texture to Align enabled	Check-box Average Brightness enabled

In this case it suffices to enable the check-box Average Brightness to achieve a good result.