Quick Start Guide

This guide will help you get started with GUI Image Studio in just a few minutes.

Your First Image Editing Session

Let’s launch the application and perform basic image editing:

Step 1: Launch the Application

gui-image-studio-designer

Step 2: Load an Image

  1. Click File → Open or press Ctrl+O

  2. Select an image file (PNG, JPEG, GIF, etc.)

  3. The image will appear in the main canvas

Step 3: Apply Basic Edits

# You can also use the Python API directly
import gui_image_studio

# Load an image
image = gui_image_studio.get_image("sample.png")

# Apply a tint
tinted = gui_image_studio.apply_tint(image, "#FF6B6B")

# Resize the image
resized = gui_image_studio.resize_image(tinted, (800, 600))

# Save the result
gui_image_studio.save_image(resized, "output.png")

Understanding the Interface

The GUI Image Studio interface consists of several key areas:

Main Canvas

The central area where your image is displayed and edited.

Tool Palette

Left sidebar containing editing tools like brush, selection, filters.

Properties Panel

Right sidebar showing current tool settings and image properties.

Timeline (for animations)

Bottom panel for managing animated GIF frames and timing.

Menu Bar

Standard menu with File, Edit, View, Tools, and Help options.

Basic Image Operations

Loading Images

import gui_image_studio

# Load from file
image = gui_image_studio.get_image("path/to/image.png")

# Load from URL (if supported)
image = gui_image_studio.get_image("https://example.com/image.jpg")

Applying Transformations

# Resize image
resized = gui_image_studio.resize_image(image, (width, height))

# Apply color tint
tinted = gui_image_studio.apply_tint(image, "#FF6B6B")

# Rotate image
rotated = gui_image_studio.rotate_image(image, 90)

# Flip image
flipped = gui_image_studio.flip_image(image, horizontal=True)

Saving Images

# Save in different formats
gui_image_studio.save_image(image, "output.png")
gui_image_studio.save_image(image, "output.jpg", quality=95)
gui_image_studio.save_image(image, "output.gif")

Creating Your First Animation

GUI Image Studio excels at creating animated GIFs:

import gui_image_studio

# Create frames for animation
frames = []
base_image = gui_image_studio.get_image("base.png")

# Create 10 frames with different tints
for i in range(10):
    hue = i * 36  # 0 to 324 degrees
    tinted = gui_image_studio.apply_hue_shift(base_image, hue)
    frames.append(tinted)

# Create animated GIF
gui_image_studio.create_animation(frames, "rainbow.gif", duration=100)

Using the GUI for Animations

  1. Load your base image

  2. Click Animation → New Animation

  3. Add frames using Animation → Add Frame

  4. Adjust timing in the timeline

  5. Export with File → Export Animation

Working with Themes

GUI Image Studio supports both light and dark themes:

Switching Themes in GUI

  1. Go to View → Theme

  2. Select Light or Dark

  3. The interface will update immediately

Setting Theme Programmatically

import gui_image_studio

# Set dark theme
gui_image_studio.set_theme("dark")

# Set light theme
gui_image_studio.set_theme("light")

Command Line Tools

GUI Image Studio includes several command-line utilities:

Create Sample Images

gui-image-studio-create-samples
# Creates sample images in ./sample_images/

Generate Embedded Resources

gui-image-studio-generate --folder images/
# Generates embedded_images.py with base64-encoded images

Batch Processing (if available)

gui-image-studio-batch --input folder/ --output processed/ --filter tint --color "#FF6B6B"

Common Workflows

Photo Enhancement Workflow

  1. Load photo

  2. Adjust brightness/contrast

  3. Apply color correction

  4. Sharpen if needed

  5. Export in desired format

Icon Creation Workflow

  1. Create or load base image

  2. Resize to icon dimensions (16x16, 32x32, 64x64)

  3. Apply appropriate styling

  4. Export as PNG with transparency

Animation Creation Workflow

  1. Plan your animation frames

  2. Create base images

  3. Use timeline to arrange frames

  4. Adjust timing and transitions

  5. Export as optimized GIF

Keyboard Shortcuts

File Operations

  • Ctrl+O - Open file

  • Ctrl+S - Save file

  • Ctrl+Shift+S - Save as

  • Ctrl+N - New file

Edit Operations

  • Ctrl+Z - Undo

  • Ctrl+Y - Redo

  • Ctrl+C - Copy

  • Ctrl+V - Paste

View Operations

  • Ctrl++ - Zoom in

  • Ctrl+- - Zoom out

  • Ctrl+0 - Fit to window

  • F11 - Fullscreen

Tools

  • B - Brush tool

  • E - Eraser tool

  • S - Selection tool

  • T - Text tool

Getting Help

In-Application Help

  • Press F1 for context-sensitive help

  • Use Help → User Guide for comprehensive documentation

  • Check Help → About for version information

Online Resources

Sample Projects

Run the examples to see GUI Image Studio in action:

python examples/01_basic_usage.py
python examples/02_theming_examples.py
python examples/04_animated_gifs.py

Next Steps

Now that you have GUI Image Studio running:

  1. Explore the Examples: Check out the Examples for more complex use cases

  2. Read the User Guide: Learn about advanced features in User Guide

  3. API Reference: Dive deep into the API Reference for complete documentation

  4. Customize: Create your own filters and tools

  5. Contribute: Help improve GUI Image Studio by contributing to the project

Tips for Success

Performance Tips

  • Work with reasonably sized images (under 4K for smooth performance)

  • Use PNG for images with transparency

  • Use JPEG for photographs without transparency

  • Optimize GIF animations by reducing colors and frame rate

Quality Tips

  • Always work with the highest quality source images

  • Save your work frequently

  • Use non-destructive editing when possible

  • Keep backups of original images

Workflow Tips

  • Plan your edits before starting

  • Use layers when available

  • Test animations at different speeds

  • Export in multiple formats for different use cases

That’s it! You now have a solid foundation for using GUI Image Studio effectively.