Apple Numbers '09 - Manual (Page 196)

To learn how to Go to
Make parts of an image transparent in order to
remove the image background “Removing the Background or Unwanted
Elements from an Image” on page 198
Improve the quality of images and create
interesting visual effects “Changing an Image’s Brightness, Contrast, and
Other Settings” on page 199
Place, align, resize, and reformat images “Manipulating, Arranging, and Changing the Look
of Objects” on page 212
Add an equation you can manipulate like an
image “Working with MathType” on page 230
Replacing Template Images with Your Own Images
The photos you see featured in Numbers templates are actually media placeholders.
By dragging your own images to these placeholders, your media is automatically sized,
positioned, and framed to fit the template.
To test whether an image is a placeholder, let the pointer rest over it and see if a help
tag appears instructing you to drag your own file to the placeholder.
Here are ways to work with media placeholders:
To replace a media placeholder with your own image, drag it from the Media Browser,
m
the Finder, or another application to the placeholder.
To resize or reposition your image within a media placeholder, click the Edit Mask
m
button that hovers over the image after you drop it onto the placeholder, and then do
any of the following:
To resize your image within the placeholder, drag the resize handle above the Edit
Mask button.
To reposition your image within the placeholder, position the pointer over the image
(the pointer may appear as a hand), and then drag the image to position it where
you want.
To replace an item you’ve already placed in a media placeholder, drag a new file to it.
You don’t have to delete the old file first.
To reposition a media placeholder on a sheet, drag it.
m
To remove a media placeholder from a sheet, select it and press Delete. m
Masking (Cropping) Images
You can crop images without actually changing the image files by masking the edges
to get rid of unwanted parts or to change the outline of the image. If you don’t specify
a shape for the mask, by default Numbers uses a rectangular mask. However, you can
use any shape available in Numbers, including a custom shape that you’ve created
with the Draw tool, to mask the edges of your image.
196 Chapter 9 Working with Shapes, Graphics, and Other Objects