If you’ve ever used a digital camera with a flash, you’ve probably seen the red eye effect in your photos at least once. In fact, the problem is so common that many people will invest in photo editing software for the sole purpose of correcting this type of flaw. In this tutorial, we’re going to focus on how Paint Shop Pro can remove red eyes and other similar problems from the subjects in your photos. (You also might want to take a look at these tips that will help prevent red eye problems in digital photographs so you won’t have to fix them later with the assistance of a photo editing application.)
The red eye tool in Paint Shop Pro can be used for more than just fixing “red” eyes. Depending on your subject (those who love to take pictures of their pets and other animals will know what I mean), sometimes the problem is really green, blue, or other colored eyes. This is all related to the same problem though – for more on the science behind this aggravating effect, check out Rhonda Callow’s explanation of what causes red eye.
For this demonstration, I’m going to use the photo shown below of my cat Pete. In this example, the flaw is really “green eyes” instead of “red eyes” but these problems are caused by the same thing and can be fixed using the same tool in Paint Shop Pro. (Click any image in this article for a larger view.)
click to enlarge
The “quick version” of the Red Eye tool in Paint Shop Pro can be accessed from the left tool panel as shown in the screenshot below.
click to enlarge
In this tutorial, however, we’re going to look at the more advanced version that offers several more options.
To access this version, choose Red Eye Removal from the Adjust menu on Paint Shop Pro’s main toolbar.
click to enlarge
This will open up another window in the application where you can modify the settings for the Red Eye Removal tool.
click to enlarge
The first thing that you want to do in this window is click and hold down the button to the right of Pan. As you’re holding down the button, move the selection box over the eye area. (Note that you will need to select each eye separately before editing.) Release the button when you’re down and you should now see the eye area in the Before and After windows of the Preview area.
Next, you want to choose your selection Method. You can choose either an Auto method for human or animal, or you can opt for one of the other methods that allow for a more freehand selection of the flawed area. In this case, we’ll choose Auto Animal Eye.
