Graphic Packages
Definition of Graphic Package
Graphics packages are application software that can be
used to create and manipulate images on a computer.
Examples of Graphic Packages
Examples of graphic packages include:
Microsoft Paint
Adobe Photoshop
Instant artist
Harvard graphic
CorelDraw.
General Features of Graphic Packages
Most of the graphic packages possess the following
features and tools.
1. Title bar
2. Menu bar
3. Tool bar
4. Toolbox
5. Printable/working area
6. Scroll bar
7. Status bar
1. Title bar: this is the bar that comes before the menu
bar, it carries the application name and title of the work
you are doing at that particular time.
2. Menu bar: The menu bar can be used to activate
commands of graphic packages and operations.
Depending on the graphic package you are using, some
packages contain the following. File, edit, view, text,
tools, window, help, etc.
3. Toolbar: The tool bar is a bar that contains short cuts to
menu and other command. For example you can use the
“open” icon to open an existing document by clicking on
it. Others are save, print, cut, copy, paste, alignment, bold,
italics, underline etc
4. Toolbox: A toolbox is a box with tools for creating,
filling and modifying objects in the drawing
5. Printable area/Working Area:
Printable area can be referred to as the work space inside
the drawing window, which you can place your work on.
6. Colour palette: It is a bar that allows you to fill desired
objects or texts with any colour you want.
Starting Paint Program
To start a point program the following steps are to be
followed:
1. Click on Start Menu
2. Click on all Applications
3. Click window accessories
4. Move to paint program and Click on it
Features of the Paint Environment
Paint is a software from Microsoft Incorporation. It
allows one to create, customize and paint graphics or
images.
Tools in the Toolbox
The paint toolbox has sixteen tools. The names of the
different tools are shown in the diagram below:
Functions of Toolbox Tools
1. Free-form select: The free-select tool is a tool used
to select objects that have been drawn in the drawing
area
2. Rectangle Select tool: The Rectangle select tool is
also used to select objects in the drawing area.
3. The eraser tool: It is used to remove mistakes that
have been made in a drawing. The size of the eraser
can be adjusted to remove either big or small areas of
a drawing
4. Fill colour tool: This is a tool also known as paint
bucket tool. It is used to fill objects that have been
drawn with any colour of your choice.
5. Pick colour tool: The pick colour is used to pick or
select colour from pictures.
6. Magnifier tool: The magnifier tool is used to make
objects in the drawing area appear bigger or smaller.
7. Pencil tool: The pencil tool is known as the default
tool in the paint program. You can use the pencil for
drawing just like a real life pencil. You must click
and drag the mouse pointer to use the pencil tool.
8. Brush tool: The brush tool works like a real life
brush. You have different brush options to choose
from in the tool box.
9. Air brush tool: The air brush tool is used to spray
colour over an objects. The airbrush tool works like a
spray can. The amount of colour spray over a
particular area depends on how long you hold down
the mouse button and keep it in the same area.
10. Text tool: the text tool is used for inserting text into
the drawing.
11. Line tool: The line tool is used to draw horizontal,
vertical and diagonal lines.
12. Rectangular tool: The rectangular tool is used to
draw rectangles and squares of different sizes.
13. Curve tool: The curve tool is used for drawing
curves from a line. To draw curve line, you must first
draw a line with the tool, and then click on any part
of the line and drag the mouse pointer to create a
curve on the line.
14. Polygon tool: The polygon tool is used to draw
straight line objects with different shapes and sizes.
You can use the polygon tool to draw a triangle, star,
rhombus and many other polygon.
15. Ellipse tool: The ellipse tool is used for drawing
ovals and circles of different sizes.
16. Rounded rectangle tool: It is used for drawing
rectangles and squares of different sizes with rounded
edges.
