Graphics program needed

[SawThe Light]

I find that I am giving an increasing number of presentations that quite frankly need tarting up, if only to keep the victims attention.

Can anyone tell me whether there is a graphics program available that I can use to apply color to specific bordered areas within line drawings, and on various items in exploded views of components? The colored pencils and scanner just isn't up to the quality I would like.

STL

[Jofm5]

You have not mentioned what sort of graphics you want to manipulate - but there is an open source project called GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) which is very much like a freeware version of adobe photoshop - you can get this from GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program (http://www.gimp.org/).


Cheers

[Bushfiva]

I concur with Gimp. But if you need something with a less perpendicular learning curve, paint.NET gets the job done. For vectors, try Inkscape.

[SawThe Light]

Thanks folks.

As an example of what I am wanting to do, take a word document with a simple line drawing of perhaps a 3D view of a cube, and I want to be able to apply different colors to the individual sides of the cube. The drawing would most likely be .jpg or similar. On the wish list would also be the ability to do similar work on a .pdf page.

Would the GIMP program do this or would I be better with Photoshop or similar? I have no knowledge of how either of these programs work.

STL

[SoundBarrier]

I'd still go with GIMP too, given you're requirements. If you're wanting to change PDF's for presentations I would screengrab the page and then edit the image, that would be easiest.

GIMP - Downloads (http://www.gimp.org/downloads/)

Good Luck, I'm sure you're aware, but with presentations make sure you don't allow read ahead and be consistent but not too over the top with your animations to make it fun. It's all about the speaker and not the slideshow! (just my tuppence for what it's work i.e. NOTHING!) :ok:

[amanoffewwords]

I used to insert a page of unrelated material half-way through my presentations but keep talking on-topic through to see if anyone would notice.:E

90% of the time no-one would :ugh:

Oh, and yeah GIMP is cool but can be frustrating compared to Photoshop.

[bnt]

The GIMP isn't that bad. I'm no artist, but I was still able to do stuff like this:

http://stereoroid.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/flysouthwest.jpg
"seats? we don' need no steenkin' seats!"

http://stereoroid.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/bigsheep.jpg
"mmm... mutton."

[Shunter]

Gimp is great. It's a powerful tool that costs nothing. It just takes a little getting used to the interface. If you can't be arsed and just want a Photoshop clone, you could download Gimpshop which uses Gimp as the engine, via a Photoshop-like interface.

[SawThe Light]

Thanks again guys. GIMP sounds like what I need. There will be no animations or any clever stuff like that, just simple line drawings that require coloring and the odd bit of editing with the addition (and removal) of text.

[Saab Dastard]

bnt,

Surely that should be Bogart and Baaacall in The Big Sheep?

OK, I'm getting my coat (woollen, of course).

SD

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I find that I am giving an increasing number of presentations that quite frankly need tarting up, if only to keep the victims attention.

Just be careful that you're not looking for yet another widget solution to a people problem. If you can't keep the audience's attention then you should maybe start by looking what you're saying rather than worrying about "tarting up" the graphics.

[SawThe Light]

It's not a simple matter of keeping their attention. The fact is that none of the "audience" even wants to be there but they have no choice. You see my plight?

[Gertrude the Wombat]

It's not a simple matter of keeping their attention. The fact is that none of the "audience" even wants to be there but they have no choice. You see my plight?
Oh, one of those.

Got an emailed "good news slip" from the school about my 16yo lad today (he likes to pretend he doesn't take school seriously and never does any work and spends all his time drinking and taking drugs, so the school really pisses him off when it keeps sending these notes saying how well he's doing).

Neither the teacher nor the kids wanted to be in the PHSE (or whatever it's called this week) lesson, now did they. So the teacher ... got them to make a snakes and ladders game about sexual health. You can imagine what they produced, particularly the graphics! Bit of inventiveness on the part of the teacher kept then quiet and amused for the lesson, and just possibly they actually learned something.

(Resulting in a discussion over the family dinner table about whether "getting pissed" should be a snake or a ladder, the Macbeth door keeper sketch and so on.)