General Usage

Before using B/W Styler you have to start your preferred image editing application and open an image or photo. Please note that B/W Styler only works on images in 8bit or 16bit RGB mode. If your image is grayscaled, has only 256 colors or is a CMYK image, you have to convert it in your image application to RGB before you can start working on it with B/W Styler. If the opened image is not RGB, B/W Styler will appear grayed out on the menu.

It is recommended to switch an 8bit RGB image to 16bit per channel (also called 48bit) before running B/W Styler. If you do that B/W Styler can use more greyscale values and therefore produce a B/W conversion of a higher quality. Afterwards you can still switch back to 8bit per channel while retaining the better results.

To run B/W Styler please open the menu that leads to the plugin filters (usually the "Filter", "Effects" or "Image -> Plug-ins" menu) and choose "B/W Styler" from the "PhotoWiz" sub menu.

Basic Design

B/W Styler features 17 different modes which can be selected from the combo box at the top. Some modes contain up to three tab sheet controls at the right side of the preview, others offer a column of combo boxes or a group of graphical buttons. As a novice you should explore Photography mode first. For more information on the various modes, please read the Modes page.

The Preview

On the left-hand side of the dialog box is the preview box that shows you what the final effect will look like. When executing B/W Styler it will always display the full image in the preview. This is also the recommended way to work on an image. If you zoom into the image, only a part of the image is displayed in the preview. The image can then be moved by holding down the right mouse button (or pressing the Alt key and holding down the left mouse button) and moving the mouse. While it is moved, the original image is shown, and after you release the left mouse button the preview is recalculated.

If one of the Split Views is activated, you can move the separation lines in the preview by holding down the ALT key and dragging, or you can select one of the split areas by holding down the Shift key and clicking on it. For more information, please read the Split View page.

Changing the Window Size

You can enlarge the B/W Styler preview window to display the image at a larger size in the preview or a larger portion of the image if you zoom in. However, doing that will also increase the time that B/W Styler needs to update the preview. If you use an old and slow computer, it isn't recommended to enlarge the B/W Styler dialog. On the contrary you can also make it smaller to make B/W Styler render the preview faster.

To resize the B/W Styler window and make the preview larger under Windows you have to move your cursor to the border of the B/W Styler dialog. The cursor will then turn into a double arrow. Holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse changes the size of the window. Double clicking the B/W Styler title at the top left corner will maximize the window, double clicking it again will restore the old window size. Under MacOS X you need to drag the handle at the bottom right of the B/W Styler dialog.

The Help Text Box

The Help feature makes it easier for new users to get started and makes it possible to use B/W Styler without a glance at the manual. Other than that it can provide useful hints and assist you in the B/W conversion process. If you move the mouse over a certain control, the text box will display some explanations and hints about that control. After you know all about B/W Styler, you can deactivate these explanations by deactivating the check box in the bottom right corner of the Help box. We recommend that you keep it nevertheless activated.

The Zoom Buttons and Zoom Check Box

At the right bottom of the preview box you can see a '+' and '-' button with a percentage label in between. These zoom buttons let you adjust the size of the image in the preview box. 100% means that the original size of the image is displayed.

By default when starting B/W Styler, the zoom rate will be automatically set to make the image fit into the preview. If you hold the Shift key when pressing one of the zoom buttons, the zoom factor will be set to the highest (100%) or lowest acceptable value (fitted zoom). If you hold the CTRL key when pressing one of the zoom buttons, the zoom factor will be set to the highest (100%) or lowest possible value (6%). Some very old applications (e.g. Corel Photopaint 7 or Corel Xara 2) don't support preview zooming. In this case the zoom buttons won't work.

To jump from one preview zoom rate to another you can use the zoom combo box which is located between the two zoom buttons. It also offers the option "Fit" which should be used most of the time.

Auto Preview

If the Auto Preview check box is deactivated, the effect will not be displayed on the preview. Instead you will see the original image. You can also see the original image by right clicking on the preview.

Split View & Multiple

B/W Styler offers various split views for comparing the original with the processed image. For more information, please read the Split View page.

Sliders

Sliders can be used to select a certain value within a specific value range. To do that you can drag the slider knob with the mouse (or keyboard), enter a numerical value in the white text box at the right of the slider bar, click somewhere on the slider bar for large value steps or use the two arrow buttons for small value steps. If the Instant Sliders check box on the Prefs tab sheet is not activated, you can hold down the Shift key while dragging the slider knob to make the preview update with every movement of the knob. If the Instant Sliders is activated, you don't need to hold down the Shift key for the same effect.

You can now also use the mouse wheel to change the slider values. You need to give the slider the focus by clicking on it or using the tab key. After that you can scroll the mouse wheel to move the slider knob. After you stopped moving the wheel the preview will automatically update.

OK, Cancel and ?

Clicking on the OK button exits B/W Styler and applies the effect to the image. The current settings are saved and restored when you use B/W Styler again in case you have the Previous Settings item activated in the On Start Up combo box in Preferences.

The Cancel button simply exits B/W Styler without changing the image. Depending on the application you are using, the current settings will be lost immediately or kept as long as your image application is running. If you hold down the CTRL key while clicking on Cancel, you will be prompted for Cloak Mode. In Cloak Mode the current settings will be applied to the image without displaying the B/W Styler dialog. For more information, please read the Cloak Mode page.