Black Box around my pictures

  • Thread starter Thread starter Luremaker
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Luremaker

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong. If I scan some
of my pictures that I want to use in Windows Movie Maker
some of them have a black box around the pictures. This
doesn't happen to all of them, just some of them. What
am i doing wrong that causes this or what do I have to do
not to get this to happen?
 
I'm guessing that you are not aligning the sizes of the imported files with
the 4:3 aspect ratio, or the 16:9 if you are using widescreen.... before you
import them. MM2 will add black top/bottom or sides so as not to deform the
images.

PapaJohn
 
This is all new to me, so how do I go about aligning the
sizes of the imported files with the 4:3 aspect ratio. I
know this may seem simple to some people who are reading
this , but if you've never done it before it can be very
confusing. Thanks for all the help.
 
Hi there,

This is very easy as you thought. The actual method is very much decided by
what image editing software you have.

There are two basic methods and the result of either is known as "Cropping"

1) Using your image editing software, determine the width and height of the
image. Lets suppose that it is 450 wide by 300 high. To get the ratio of 4 x 3
it is obvious from the numbers given that you need to remove 50 pixels from the
width of the picture....exactly where you remove the width...all from one side
or some from the left and the rest from the right hand side is going to be down
to the content of the picture and your own preferences. So using whatever tool
exist in your image program you reduce the width or height of the image so that
the aspect ratio required is achieved. This may include reducing the size of
the canvas by simply telling the program the new required width and from which
side to take away the excess or it may mean using a Crop tool. This usually
looks like a rectangle made of feint dotted lines and this is where it gets
close to method two. You position your cursor at the top left position of your
picture and at the point where the crop is going to occur, you then press and
hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse to the bottom right corner....you
then release the mouse and via the programs edit menu you tell the program to
crop the image. The new cropped image will replace the old image.

2) Some programs give you the ability to dictate in advance how a rectangular
selection device must perform, these include free hand, a fixed size in pixels
high and pixels wide or a ratio. The option you would use here will be the
ratio option...so by telling your program that you want a 4 x 3 ratio, when you
attempt to use the selection tool you will find that once you start from the
top left corner you will only be able to affect the size of the box and not the
ratio of width to height.. This is the method I use and its very quick....you
don't have to work anything out and if you decide that the box drawn is not in
the right place you can change it by simply re-drawing the box.

I would not be surprised to hear that there are other methods available in
programs I have not seen.

PLEASE TAKE CARE AND EDIT COPIES OF YOUR IMAGES...NOT THE ORIGINALS

So, take a look at what image editing software you have, and look for the crop
tool or the canvas editor....and have fun !!!
 
Assuming it's still pictures you are talking about and not odd-sized video
clips, the info in the Gather Pictures section of
www.photostory.papajohn.org may help.

Prepping still images for Photo Story and Movie Maker to align with the
standard 4:3 aspect ratio is the same.

PapaJohn
 
Well even though you still like to butt in on conversations, I thought I would
take a look...WOW, there is a thumping big mistake on that link....and as you
know every thing...I am sure you will be able to find it as quickly as I
did....it really glares out at you....

And where is the mention of adjusting ratios ??? all you do is what we teach
children in the under 10 classes on how to work inside a fixed
framework....nowhere does your explanation come close to the full text
explanation you responded too.

PS Sorted out how to use the basic tool Outlook Express yet ??
 
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