How To Use The Program

AKVIS Points lets you transform a photo into a pointillism painting. It is available as a standalone program and as a plugin filter for Photoshop and other editors.

To add a pointillism effect to your image, follow these steps:

• Step 1. Open an image.

  - If you work with the standalone edition:

  The dialog box Select File to Open appears if you double-click on the empty workspace of the program or if you click on . Use the hot-keys: Ctrl+O on Windows, ⌘+O on Mac. You can also drag the required image into the workspace of the program.
  The standalone program supports JPEG, RAW, PNG, BMP, and TIFF file formats.

  - If you work with the plugin:

  Open an image in your photo editor by calling the command File -> Open.

  Call the plugin from the menu of the editor:

  in AliveColors - Effects -> AKVIS -> Points;
  in Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements - Filter -> AKVIS -> Points;
  in Corel Paint Shop Pro - Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> Points;
  in Corel Photo-Paint - Effects -> AKVIS -> Points.

  The first time the program is opened it will be in Express mode, with a simplified interface and a minimal set of sliders, which help to quickly obtain a satisfactory result.

  
  AKVIS Points Window (Express)

  Experienced users who are familiar with the capabilities of AKVIS Points can switch to Advanced mode. Switch to this mode by clicking the Advanced button: the interface’s appearance will change, granting access to the full functionality of the program.

  Note: All parameters work in Express mode as well; some are hidden and the program uses values of a chosen preset.

  
  AKVIS Points Window (Advanced)
• Step 2. In the standalone version, before applying the pastel effect, you can cut off unwanted areas of the picture and improve its composition with the Crop tool .

  If you use the plugin, you can do this in your image editor.

  
  Crop Tool
• Step 3. Adjust the effect settings in the Painting tab. You can choose one of the presets or set the parameters to your liking.

  The result will be immediately shown in the quick preview window which is visible in the Before tab if the button in the Toolbar is pressed.

  
  Preview Window
• Step 4. To convert the entire image into a painting press the button .

  The progress bar appears over the image, with the icon (to make a snapshot) and the Stop button (to interrupt the process).

• Step 5. To make your painting even more realistic, you can use the Decoration options: adjust the canvas, apply a frame, and add text to your image.

  Hint: The order of the application of Canvas/Frame/Text depends on the position of the tabs. Drag the tabs to change the order.

  
  Painting + Canvas + Text
• Step 6. If you like your new settings, you can save them as a preset and use them later. Type a name for the preset and press Save. The new preset will be available in all tabs and will contain their settings.
• Step 7. During the image processing, the program creates a list of intermediate shots which represent different stages of conversion - from a semi-processed painting to a practically finished work. They are displayed in the Timeline at the bottom of the main window. You can choose any of the intermediate results by clicking on it. The last image is the final result.

  Note: This feature is only available for the Home Deluxe and Business licenses.

  
  Timeline Shots

  You can also add your favorite moments of image processing to the Timeline by taking a snapshot with the button that is located right of the progress bar. Read more.

• Step 8. You can edit the result and put the finishing touches to your painting with the post-processing tools: Pointillist Brush , Eraser , and History Brush .

  Note: These tools are only available for the Home Deluxe and Business licenses.

  Hint: Use the post-processing tools at the final step! If you run the processing again, the changes made with the tools will be lost.

• Step 9. Share your image by clicking on . It opens the list of the services where you can publish the image.

  In the standalone version, you can also print your result using .

• Step 10. Save the processed image.

  - If you work with the standalone edition:

  Click on to open the Save As dialog box. You can use the hot-keys: Ctrl+S on Windows, ⌘+S on Mac. Enter a name for the file, choose the format (TIFF, BMP, JPEG or PNG) and indicate the target folder.

  - If you work with the plugin:

  Press the button to apply the result and close the plugin window. The AKVIS Points plugin will close and the picture will appear in the workspace of the photo editor.

  Call the Save As dialog box using the command File -> Save As, enter a name for the file, choose the format and indicate the target folder.

  
  Pointillism Effect