Seashore is a bitmap image editor. The program is free and open source. If the program is not coöperating, save your work and restart it.
Layers Panel
Layer Settings
Basics
To start a project open the application.
The New Image dialog box opens (see below):
Decide:
1. Width and Height in either:
pixels (px)
inches (in)
millimeters (mm)
2. Resolution
72, 96, 150 or 300 dpi
Note: You can set a different resolution than the ones offered after you have created your document.
3. Mode
Full Color (24-bit RGB)
Grayscale (8-bit grayscale)
Note: You can convert your color mode later. Go to Image - Mode.
4. Transparent background
Check the box if you want the bottom layer to be transparent. Otherwise it is opaque.
5. Templates - choose a different one if it suits your needs, otherwise it will open with the Default settings:
Default (512 x 384 px)
Clipboard (240 x 144 px)
Screen (depends on your screen size)
Paper size (fits on a US Letter and is already cropped to 6.5 x 8.5 in)
Note: You can make your own Default New Images settings - go to Seashore - Preferences - New Images (see below):
return to top
Layers Panel
Think of the Layers Panel as a box of papers that you’re looking straight down on. Whatever is on top wins - i.e. covers whatever is below it.
1. Modes - Pop-up menu for changing the compositing/blending mode of a layer. (All modes except Normal affect only non-transparent pixels.) Experiment to see what each mode does.
2. Channels - A layer has either 2 grayscale channels (gray and alpha) - or - 4 color channels (red, green, blue and alpha).
All
Primary (gray - or - red, green, blue)
Alpha (Alpha channel determines opacity - white makes it opaque, black makes it transparent.)
3. Opacity Slider - sets opacity for the selected layer.
4. Buttons - left to right (see below):
Add a layer
Copy selected layer
Move selected layer Up
Move selected layer Down
Delete selected layer
5. Layer Eye Icon - click to make a layer invisible or visible (see image above).
6. Layer Chain Link Icon - click to un-dim and link layers. All layers with an un-dimmed chain icons are linked (see image above).
return to top
Layer Settings
1. Click on the layer name to open the Layer Settings dialog box and change the layer name and/or its position (see below):
2. To reduce the size of a layer and to speed up performance of Seashore - go to Layer - Boundaries and the Boundaries dialog box will open (see below):
Either crop your image or check Set boundaries relative to content.
3. To increase the size of a layer to the current document size - go to Layer - Extras - Expand to Document
4. To align your layer(s) - go to Layer - Alignment
Note: Layer menu commands apply to the selected layer.
5. To merge all layers - go to Image - Flatten Image
Note: Image menu commands apply to all layers.
6. To see different panels - go to Window - Utility Windows
Any questions?
return to top |
