Tutorial: AKVIS ArtSuite

Workspace

AKVIS ArtSuite can work independently as a standalone program as well as a plug-in to a photo editor.

To call the plug-in version of AKVIS ArtSuite do the following: in Adobe Photoshop select the menu item Filter – AKVIS – ArtSuite; in Paint Shop Pro select Effects – Plugins - AKVIS – ArtSuite; in Corel PHOTO-PAINT use the menu command Effects – AKVIS – ArtSuite.

To launch the standalone version of AKVIS ArtSuite follow the instruction below:

• On a Windows computer:

  - In the main menu: press the button Start and select from the pop-up menu the command AKVIS – ArtSuite.

  - Using the program's shortcut on the Desktop: put the cursor on the icon of the program AKVIS ArtSuite and double-click it with the left mouse button.

• On a Macintosh computer:

  - Using Finder: select the folder Applications on the side bar of the Finder window, select the application AKVIS ArtSuite and double-click it.

The workspace of AKVIS ArtSuite looks like that:

Most part of the AKVIS ArtSuite workspace is taken by the Image Window with two tabs: Before and After. In the Before tab the original image is shown, while in the After tab you can see the framed image. It is possible to switch between the tabs using the Tab-key. To compare the original image with the framed one, it is enough to left-click on any point of the image in the After tab.

In the upper part of the window there is a Control Panel with a status line, that shows the processing time, and the following buttons:

• The button (only in the standalone version) allows opening an image for processing.
• The button (only in the standalone version) allows saving the framed image to the disk.
• The button (only in the standalone version) allows printing the image.
• The button allows saving presets (user settings for the chosen frame). The settings are saved to a separate file with the ending .frame.
• The button allows loading the saved user presets.
• The button starts applying the chosen frame to the image.
• The button (only in the plug-in version) applies the result and closes the program window of AKVIS ArtSuite.
• The button calls information about the program.
• The button calls help files to the program.
• The button allows selecting the interface language.
• The button allows closing the plug-in's window without applying the result.

Navigate and scale the image using the Navigator window. The red frame shows the part of the image that is now visible in the Image Window.

Drag the red frame to view the required part of the image in the Image Window. To move the red frame, put the cursor inside the frame, press the left mouse button, and keeping it pressed, drag the frame.

Besides, you can scroll the image in the Image Window by pressing the space bar on the keyboard and by dragging the image with the left mouse button.

Use the buttons and , as well as the slider to scale the image in the Image Window. By clicking on or by moving the slider to the right, you scale up the image; by clicking on or by moving the slider to the left, you scale down the image in the Image Window

It is also possible to enter a new scale coefficient into the appropriate field and press the button Enter (Return on Macintosh).

Besides, to scale the image you can use hot-keys: + and CTRL++ (Command++ on Macintosh) to scale up the image, - and CTRL+- (Command+- on Macintosh) to scale down the image.

Under the Navigator there is a Settings panel where you can select a frame and adjust its parameters.

The button Reset to Default Settings allows recovering the default settings of the parameters.

Below the Settings panel there is a Hints field: first time you launch the program it shows a short description of AKVIS ArtSuite; as you work with the program it shows hints to the parameters of the chosen frame.