How do I manage my photos? Picasa!

Picasa is simple, powerful, and free! It's a must download for so many reasons. Watch it in action here for an overview of what you'll be learning:

This page explains the basics, but you'll need to get your hands dirty to really appreciate the changes. We will have a hands-on practice with Picasa finishing several projects in class.

Download the Picasa 3 at http://picasa.google.com. To get additional support or to give feedback for this beta release, please visit our Picasa Help Group to find answers from our most knowledgeable users and the Google Guide.

	Collage Experiment with six different collage types and a slew of new settings in the more hands-on collage creation screen. Collage has been reborn. You now have total artistic control over your collage content and layout. For 'Picture Pile' collages, click an image to drag it to a new location or use the wheel to rotate and resize it. Add or delete images to your collage as you go. Grid spacing: Use the slider to precisely control the space between images. More background options: Select an image as background or select any color you'd like. Print your collage in high resolution, and choose from 10 different display dimensions. Getting started Create a collage for all photos in a folder or album by clicking the Create Photo Collage button in the folder or album header. If you'd like to pick and choose photos from different collections, place them in the Photo Tray and click the larger Collage button in the Photo Tray. Use the Settings tab to control the collage type and appearance. Use the Clips tab to find additional images to insert. Experiment with these tabs to perfect your creation. Troubleshooting Depending on the type of collage you choose, you'll have different options on the Settings tab. While all collage types share basic settings like 'Background Options' and 'Page Format,' there are some settings that are only available for specific collages. If you're half-done creating a collage and need to finish later, just click the Close button, and you'll be prompted to Save Draft. You can pick up your work at any time in the 'Collages' folder.
	Sharing Why take two steps when you can do it in one? Upload an album to Picasa Web Albums and email invitations to friends and family with just one click. By clicking the Share button on the right side of the folder or album header, you can choose your recipients, and compose your accompanying message. Click Send, and your photos will be uploaded and shared in the same step. If you use the Share button for an album that's already been uploaded, it'll simply set up an invitation that you can send to friends to view your existing online album.
	Auto red-eye Our improved technology automatically detects faces and corrects the red eye in your photos. While editing any photo, you can access the Redeye button from the Basic Fixes tab. After the red eye is identified and auto-corrected, click Apply to accept the changes. Your manual controls are still there, should you want them. Just click the Reset button after the automatic correction is made, and you'll be able to use the red-eye tool manually.
	Cropping The Crop tool offers three crop suggestions based on the composition of your photograph. Don't miss the 10 different dimensions to choose from when cropping. You can access the Crop button from the 'Basic Fixes' tab. Select your chosen dimension. Click the Preview button to get a sneak peek before you apply the changes.
	Screensaver Spice up your screensaver by pulling in pictures from additional photo sources, such as your Web Albums and photo feeds. You also have more control over presentation aspects such as slide transition style, slide duration, and captions. To customize your screensaver, click the Tools menu in Picasa 3 and select Configure Screensaver. Select Google Photos Screensaver in the dialog window and click Settings to choose your screensaver sources. Click the relevant Configure buttons to get more granular choices.
	Multiple word tags You can now add multi-word tags to your photos. Finally, you can tag your rocking chair as 'rocking chair,' rather than 'rocking' and 'chair.' To add a tag, select your photo and click the Tag button next to the Photo Tray area or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T. The blue status bar at the bottom of the screen shows any tags that have been applied to your pictures. If you'd like to see all your tags listed under each photo, click the View menu, select Thumbnail Caption, then select Tags.
	Importing To help you import images from a particular day or event, Picasa now segments your images according to the time frame when they were taken. Each group of images in the import window will be marked by a clock icon. Hover over the clock to see the time stamp of this group or click a clock to select all the images in the group. Click the Import button , choose your media, and watch as your photos are segmented by the time period in which they were snapped. Due to size constraints, Picasa can only create up to five groups at any one time. The first four groups will be segmented according to time and the fifth group will contain the remaining photos that can be imported.
	Slideshow Make your slideshow come alive with new capabilities. Try these features: Include your videos: Liven up your slideshow with video footage. Zoom: Use the magnifying glass slider to zoom in on your photos during the slideshow. Slide transition: Choose from an assortment of different slide transition styles. To get the slideshow up and running, just click the Play button in the folder or album header.

	Sync your Picasa 3 and Picasa Web Albums edits Tired of having to manually re-upload your photos after making further edits? By enabling 'Sync to Web,' edits made to your photos in Picasa 3 are automatically transferred to your corresponding online albums. You can sync the following changes: Picasa 3 edits (Basic Fixes, Tuning, and Effects) Photos added or deleted in Picasa 3 Captions, tags, or geotags Getting started The Sync to Web button is located on the right side of each folder or album header. When you click this button, you'll first be prompted to upload the photos in that folder or album to Picasa Web Albums. You can change the upload size, album privacy setting, or even add a watermark to your uploaded photos. When the upload is complete, any subsequent Picasa 3 edits to those photos will automatically transfer to your online album. Troubleshooting You can disable the sync feature at any time by clicking the Sync to Web button again, or by selecting Disable Sync in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header. All your photos and their edits up to this point remain online, but any new edits and changes will no longer be synchronized. The following changes don't transfer to your online albums: Reordering photos Changes made to folder or album properties Changes made to filenames
	Retouch your images Always want to be airbrushed? Use the Retouch tool to remove unsightly blemishes and improve photo quality. It can also help you to restore old photos with marks, water stains, and scratches to excellent condition. When editing any photo, just click the Retouch button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab. Adjust the size of your brush, and use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the photo for precise edits. Click once to highlight the area you'd like to retouch, and then find another portion of the picture that should take the place of your highlighted area. Hover over this replacement area and click a second time.
	Preview image files with Picasa Photo Viewer The photo viewer is a fast, lightweight application for viewing images on your desktop or through Windows Explorer. Installed with Picasa 3, it lets you to take a quick look at images without having to fully open the Picasa 3 program. What you can do with the photo viewer: Add stars, zoom in and out with your mouse scroll wheel, rotate, or proceed to Picasa 3 to make more extensive edits. Upload directly from the photo viewer to Picasa Web Albums or Blogger. Jump right into emailing or printing as well. From your computer desktop or from within Windows Explorer, just double-click any image file to launch the Picasa Photo Viewer. You can reconfigure the file types that the photo viewer will display by clicking the Tools menu in Picasa 3 and selecting Configure Photo Viewer. If you'd prefer to use a different application to view certain file types, deselect the file types that the photo viewer shouldn't open. To disable the Picasa Photo Viewer entirely, click the 'Don't use Picasa Photo Viewer' option.
	Create and edit movies Combine your photos, videos, and music into a movie or use the editing room to trim your existing movies. Creating movies Use the movie maker to combine your photos, videos, and music into a movie, and create a Windows Media file. Share it with friends by uploading it directly to YouTube. About the movie maker: You have complete creative control - change the music sync, the slide duration, and slide transition style, among other things. Supported audio formats include mp3 and .wma. Add text slides: Create a title slide or a divider to provide some context. You can choose to include your photo captions as well. There are two ways to launch the movie creation screen: Create a movie for all photos in a folder or album by clicking the Create Movie Presentation button in the folder or album header. If you'd like to pick and choose photos from different collections, place them in the Photo Tray and click the larger Movie button in the Photo Tray. Use the Movie, Slide, and Clips tabs to alter movie settings, add text to slides, and insert new images, respectively. When you're satisfied, click Create Movie. Once created, use the Upload to YouTube button to share your creation with family and friends. Depending on the number of images and size of your audio file, the movie creation process can take a significant amount of time. Can't create the entire movie in one sitting? No problem, just click the Close button, and you'll be prompted to Save Draft. You can pick up your work at any time in the 'Movies' folder in Picasa. Editing movies When playing any video in Picasa 3, explore these features: Use the In and Out buttons in the lower-right corner to trim a shorter clip. Rotate your video using the Rotate buttons in the Photo Tray. Click Export Clip to output a newly trimmed or rotated video. Use the Take Snapshot button to capture a single frame of the video. Use the Play full screen button in the lower-right corner to watch the large version. Or use the zoom slider to adjust the size of the video in the Picasa editing window. Use the . and , keys on your keyboard to step the video frame-by-frame.
	Capture your screen Instantly take and import your screen captures and webcam captures into Picasa 3. Screen captures Press PrtScn to capture a shot of your entire screen. Ctrl+PrtScn will capture the highlighted window. These images will be placed in the 'Screen captures' folder. If you're having trouble importing screen captures, make sure Picasa 3 is open. Screen captures won't be imported if the application is closed. Webcam capture This is webcam importing made simple: Capture video or stills from within Picasa 3, and import them in the same instant. Make sure your webcam is operational, and then click the Webcam Capture button on the top button bar. The Capture tool will let you take and import video and stills. If the Webcam Capture button is inactive, first make sure your webcam is set to go. Then try closing Picasa 3 and opening it back up.
	Add text or watermarks to your photos You can easily personalize your photos using the Watermark and Text tools. Watermarks Help protect your images by stamping a watermark on all images that you export or upload. The watermark signature will be placed in the lower right-hand corner. Upload photos with watermarks Click the Tools menu in Picasa 3, select Options, then click the Web Albums tab. Select the option labeled 'Add a watermark for all uploads.' Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Export photos with watermarks When you click the Export button in the Photo Tray, you can select the 'Add a watermark' checkbox to include a watermark on your exported images. Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Text Use the Text tool to add text quickly and easily to your photographs; you can even print the result. You can edit the style, size, color, and alignment of the text, as well as drag it to your desired location on the photo. When editing a photo, click the Text button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab to access the tool. Do you want to add the same text to multiple photos? From the main Library view, click the Edit menu and select Copy Text to copy the text you've placed on one photo. Then select Paste text to apply it to all other selected photos. The text change isn't permanent. Once you've added your text, you'll see a 'Show Text' checkbox on the 'Basic Fixes' tab for that image. Deselect the checkbox and the text will disappear.
	Print captions Your captions are about to see a little more action. You can now print your captions or photo file names on or below your photos. Control the style and color of your printed caption, in addition to the width and color of the printed photo border. After you've selected the photos you'd like to print, click the Print button in the Photo Tray. Click the Border and Text Options button to add borders and adjust the style and placement of your printed text. Click Apply to preview your work, and OK to accept the changes.
	Upload easily to Picasa Web Albums Use the Drop Box to hold quick uploads and upload throttling to multi-task during your upload. Drop-box upload The Drop Box is an online album that serves as a holding pen for your quick uploads. Click the Upload to your Web Albums DropBox button located above your photo on the 'Edit Photo' screen to upload a single picture directly to your Picasa Web Albums Drop Box. Upload throttling You can choose to have Picasa 3 reserve some of your Internet bandwidth for surfing the Web while you're doing large uploads to Picasa Web Albums. During your upload, the dialog box will have an option labeled 'Don't eat all my bandwidth.' Just select this checkbox, and then continue multi-tasking.
	Control your Picasa Web Albums settings If you have an online album in Picasa Web Albums, you can now control the online settings through the corresponding folder or album in Picasa 3. There are a few different controls located in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header: Adjust the privacy of your online album. Change the online image size. Delete an online album. Sync your edits to your online album. You can also choose to apply 'Sync to Web' to starred photos only. Use 'Refresh Online Status' to pull your captions, tags, and geotags that you've added in Picasa Web Albums down to your photos in Picasa. Troubleshooting The button's only available for folders or albums that have been uploaded to Picasa Web Albums. You must be signed in to your Google Account for Picasa Web Albums. You can sign in by clicking Sign in to Web Albums in the upper-right corner of Picasa 3. You will only be able to adjust the online image size if you have enabled 'Sync to Web.'
	Manage folders on your computer It's now possible to move entire folders around on your hard drive from within Picasa 3. From the folder list, right-click the folder you'd like to move, and select Move folder. Choose your desired destination or create a new folder altogether. These moves are permanent on your hard drive, so make sure you properly stow your folders.
	Get more information about your photos We've added new icons and tools to the Library view to quickly communicate useful information about your photos. Magnify your images Magnify your photos for a closer inspection when browsing your library. You can find the Loupe tool next to the thumbnail size slider at the lower-right corner of the main Library view. When you click the Loupe tool, a round magnifying glass will appear. Hold down the mouse button and drag it to a photo you'd like to take a closer look at. When you're done, release the mouse button and the Loupe will disappear. See EXIF information You can now view the EXIF information for your RAW files in Picasa 3. While editing a photo, click the EXIF button at the lower-right of the screen. You can also right-click any photo and select Properties. New icons Here is an explanation of the most common icons: The swirling circular arrows adorn the photos for which you've enabled 'Sync to Web.' The star denotes images that you've starred as a favorite. The crosshair identifies the photos that you've geo-tagged in Google Earth. The upward green arrow indicates that you've uploaded a photo to Picasa Web Albums, but that 'Sync to Web' isn't enabled. This allows you to easily keep track of which photos you've placed in your online albums. The red suppress arrow points down to indicate that you've manually blocked the photo from being uploaded. When the red suppress arrow is present, 'Sync to Web' will not automatically re-upload the image in question. The little film frame is placed on all of your videos. Troubleshooting These icons are not actually applied to your photos. They're just available in your Picasa 3 library to provide you with at-a-glance updates on the status of your image. To manually suppress a photo from being uploaded, you can right-click the image in Picasa 3, and select Block from Uploading. It's not possible to turn off these adorning icons.

Want to learn more about Picasa 3? Check out the improvements we've made to existing features.