Working with Tools in Paint Shop Pro 8 - Select a Tool to Use (Page 8 of 16 ) As you saw in About Tools and Tool Options, all the tools you need to select, alter, or paint any particular spot on an image are located on the Tools toolbar. Some tools with similar purposes share the same slot on the Tools toolbar, so to access one of these related tools, you click the arrow on the tool to bring up a submenu of all the tools in that group. After you select a tool, the Tool Options palette reveals only the options that pertain to that tool, and you can change those options as desired. Any changes you make to these options remain set until you change them again, even if you do something else in the program—or even shut down the program—and then return to that tool later. Select a Tool Click the tool you want to use on the Tools toolbar. If the tool you want is not displayed, find the tool in the same group as the one you want, click the arrow to the right of that tool, and select the tool from the submenu. For example, when you want the Airbrush but only the Paint Brush is showing, click the arrow on the Paint Brush tool to display a menu of other painting tools and then select Airbrush. Choose a Preset if Desired Some tools have a number of preselected options settings, called presets, which enable you to configure your tools in a useful way with just one click. To choose a preset, click the Presets button on the Tool Options palette. A dialog box appears; select a preset from those listed and click OK.
Tip - A tool remembers its previous options settings when you return to it. You might start using a tool only to discover that it doesn't behave normally but instead uses the characteristics of some previous job. Reset a tool to its default settings by clicking the Presets button and clicking Reset to default. You can save your own settings for a tool as a preset and then restore those same settings later. See Save Tool Options for Reuse.
Adjust Options as Needed Whether you chose to start with a preset or not, you can still adjust the settings for the tool as desired. Simply make your selections from those shown on the Tool Options palette. Depending on the resolution of your monitor, not all of the options for a tool can be displayed on the Tool Options palette at the same time. To display hidden options, click the right pointing arrow in front of that option section. To collapse a section, click the dividing line to the left of that section.
Figure 3.19
Tip - The dividing lines in the Tool Options palette are toolbar handles; most palettes, including Tool Options, are really collections of smaller toolbars. If a palette contains so many options that you can't see them all, you can drag one of these small toolbars by its handle below the main toolbar.
 This chapter is from Paint Shop Pro 8, by Jennifer Fulton, (Sams, 2004, ISBN: 0672323893). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today.
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