In this first lesson you will explore a typical photo-editor's user interface, then learn how to open an image file for editing.

But first a point of reassurance. In the introduction to this section we suggested 80% of your editing activities will be done with 20% of your editors capability. You should understand that it is possible for you to use this 20% of the editor without having the vaguest idea how to use the remaining 80% of the program.

We will show you editing basics in these lessons. You will learn additional editing techniques as the need arises, as you do further study and as your curiosity causes you to experiment with features and menu items.

You should also understand, though, that you could spend the rest of your life successfully enhancing and sharing your digital photographs armed only with the information provided in this guide.

Don't be concerned with the array of menus and sub-menus, features and functions offered by your editor that you don't recognize or understand. You can learn these things on an incremental basis, as you need them.