Google Apps: An Introduction to Picasa - uis.edu

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Google Apps: An Introduction to Picasa

This document provides an introduction to using Picasa, a free application provided by Google.

With Picasa, users are able to add, organize, edit, and share their personal photos, utilizing 1 GB

of free space.

Signing In

To sign into Google Apps for Education,

1. Go to http://go.uis.edu/google 2. Select Continue. Log in with your NetID and password.

3. Under the More tab, select Photos.

Downloading Picasa

1. Select Free Download.

2. Click Download Picasa.

3. Select Save File.

http://go.uis.edu/google



4. Click on the downloaded file, and select Run.

Importing Pictures

Photos can be uploaded into Picasa a variety of ways, all of them very simple to use.

1. Pictures from Folders in My Documents

a. Picasa synchronizes itself with pictures on your computer, so organizing your

photos into folders in your documents will automatically upload to Picasa.

2. Importing Pictures

a. Picasa also offers you the option to directly import media through a camera,

scanner, media card, or CD.

i. Click Import at the top left of the screen.

ii. Click the dropdown menu to view the sources available from which to

import pictures. If you keep the Exclude Duplicates box checked, then

only one copy of each picture will be uploaded.

iii. When you are finished importing and have selected the photos you wish

to upload, click the Finish button. You will be able to name your folder

the photos will be designated to.

Organizing Pictures

1. Moving Photos

a. Moving photos from one folder to another is very easy. Simply click the photo

on the right screen, and drag it to the desired folder.



b. To copy a picture into another folder instead of moving it from the original

folder, click and hold the photo, press down the Ctrl key and drag the photo to

the desired folder. Select Copy Files to confirm the copy.

2. Albums

a. When Picasa syncs with the documents uploaded onto your hard drive, it creates

folders, not albums. To organize your photos further within Picasa, you have the

option of organizing your photos into albums.

i. Click the Create a new album icon at the top left of the screen.

ii. You will then enter a name for your album and a description. Select OK

when finished.

iii. Click and drag pictures from the right screen into your new album.

3. Naming your pictures

a. Picasa allows you to tag the people who appear in your photos, so you can view

all the pictures a particular person is in. On the toolbar to the left, select People.



b. In the People tab, click the person you wish to view, and their photos will

appear to the right.

c. Sometimes Picasa does not recognize all the people in a photo. To add a person,

Select the original photo from the folder. At the bottom right of the screen, select

the person icon, and click Add a person manually.

i. Click and drag to select the person’s face. Click in the text box to add

their name.

Type the name of the person

in the photo



Editing Pictures

1. To edit a photo, double click on the selected picture, or right click and select View and

Edit.

2. On the left of the screen will appear the toolbar with editing options. Preview the image

to the right of the screen.

a. Basic Fixes

i. The I’m Feeling Lucky selection will make instant changes to your photo

to improve the quality and make common repairs.

ii. Editing in Picnik

Under Basic Fixes, you are able to crop, fix red

eye, use auto contrast and color, retouch

images, add text, and make simple fixes.

Click Undo or Redo if you change your

mind about any edits you made to your

photo and get back to the original



1. Under the Basic Fixes tab, click Edit in Creative Kit. Your photo

will be transferred to online to a program that allows you to use

stickers and other creative tools.

b. Lighting and Color

c. Fun tools

Change the light and shadows, or color hues.

Choose from THREE tabs with

creative ways to add effects to

your photo!



Cool Extras

1. Create a collage

a. To create a simple collage with all the pictures in your folder, open the desired

folder, then click the Create Photo Collage icon.

b. You have many options to edit the type of collage you choose and its specific

characteristics. Under the Settings tab, select the type of collage you choose, and

preview how it will look to the right. Customize the format of the page,

background colors, and spacing throughout the collage.

c. The Picture Pile collage template allows users to edit the location and size of

each scattered picture. Select the picture you wish to modify. A circle with a little

target will appear. Click the target, and the movement of your mouse will

change the size and angle of your picture. Right click to select forward or

backward placement.

Use the dropdown arrow to choose from

picture piles, mosaics, grids, or other patterns

Customize characteristics

of the pattern you select

Click and drag pictures to

switch positions



d. Click Create Collage when you are satisfied with the final product.

After saving your collages, they will now appear on the left hand of the screen

under the Projects tab. Your original pictures remain unedited.

2. Create a Movie

a. To create a movie, click the Create Movie Presentation icon under the folder or

album of pictures you wish to incorporate into your movie.

i. Use the tools at the left of the screen to make edits to your movie, and

preview how they look to the right. When finished, click Create Movie.



b. Face Movie

i. Face Movie is one of the newer options of Picasa, and requires that you

tag your photos with specific people, as previously explained.

1. Open the folder of the person you wish to create a Face Movie for.

2. Under Create, select Movie, and then choose From Faces in

Selection.

3. Make edits to your video using the toolbox on the left of the

screen, exactly as you would creating a Movie as explained above.

Preview the Face Movie to the right of the screen. When finished,

select Create Movie.

3. Create a CD

a. To burn a CD with your photos, select the album or folder you wish to include.

b. On the top toolbar, select Create, and then Create a Gift CD…

Add audio to the video

Edit the transitions and durations of the photos

With a You Tube account, you are able to

upload your movie directly to You Tube

Click the Slide tab to add text to pictures and

change background colors of the slides



c. Along the bottom of the screen, you will see options for creating your CD. After

making changes, select Burn Disc.

Sharing Pictures

Sharing Pictures directly from Picasa

a. To email photos directly from Picasa,

i. Click the Email icon at the bottom of the page.

ii. Choose from Microsoft Outlook or Gmail.

iii. Type in the addresses of the recipients and select Send.

Web Albums

Web Albums is a place to store all photos, create projects, and share your photos with as

many people as you wish. It provides each user with 1GB of free space (about 4,000

pictures).

b. Uploading Photos to Web Albums

i. Select the photo(s) you wish to upload. Under the Tools tab, select

Upload, and then Upload to Picasa Web Albums.

Add more photos

Name the CD



1. If not already logged into Web Albums, you will be prompted to

sign in with your Google Account information.

2. Change the settings for others to view your album. When finished,

click Upload.

3. Click View Online to be directed to your Web Album.

Choose who to share

your photos with from

your Google Account



ii. Uploading an entire album from Picasa

1. Click the Sync to Web option to the right of the screen when

viewing your album. Select Sync.

2. Anytime you add or delete photos from your album in Picasa, the

changes will automatically be reflected in Web Albums.

iii. Uploading photos through Web Albums

1. Under the My Photos tab, select Upload.

2. Enter an Album name, or choose to add to an existing album.

3. Browse through your photos and upload them to your new

album.

4. Your album is now created. Click Edit visibility to change

settings, and click the Album title to access all photos.



c. Mapping photos in Web Albums

i. In Web Albums, users can map either entire albums, or individual

pictures within an album.

1. To map the central location of an album, select the album under

My Photos, then click Create album map on the right of the

screen.

2. Type the location to search the map. When you have found your

location, select the thumbnail of a picture in your album. Drag

and drop the picture to the correct location. Click Done.

ii. To map the location of just one picture within an album, select the

picture, and select Add location under the Photo location option. Find

your location on the map and select Save location. The map will now

appear with your picture with the specific location you have selected.

Add captions, maps,

change order of photos,

or delete album



d. Sharing photos in Web Albums

i. Sharing albums in Web Albums is one of the easiest ways to email

pictures to others.

1. Under the My Photos tab, click the album you wish to share.

Select the Share icon.

2. Enter email addresses with whom you wish to share the album

with, and include a message. Click Share via Email.

ii. Web Albums offers the option to create a slideshow of your photos in an

album and embed it into a website, a blog, or MySpace.

1. Under the My Photos tab, click Embed Slideshow to the right of

the screen.



2. Highlight and copy the code inside the box, and paste it to your

website. When finished, click Done.

e. Exploring photos in Web Albums is a feature that allows you to view the albums

of users all over the world who have selected to make their photos public.

i. Select the Explore tab at the top of the screen.

ii. Browse by subject or location to view your particular interests.

Choose the size and

settings of your slideshow



iii. When you find an image you like, click on it. You have the option to

share the image, download the image to your files, or even order prints of

the photo.

Click through other albums Click View All to

return to all albums