Snagit Learning Center

Snagit 9 Tutorial:

Create an Image with a Mirrored or Reflective Look

A mirrored or reflective image is a great way to display a Web site page, the user interface of an application, or a photograph.

About this Project

• Estimated time to complete this tutorial is 15 minutes.
• This tutorial does not demonstrate how to take a screen capture. To learn how to do this, see the Snagit online help.

What you Need to Get Started

You will need the following in order to successfully complete this tutorial.

• Snagit 9.0. If you do not have Snagit 9.0, you can download a copy here.
• An image to use for the mirrored effect. A rectangular or square shaped image works best.

Skill Level: Intermediate

This tutorial is suitable for intermediate users of Snagit. Knowledge of how to take a screen capture using Snagit is needed. Knowledge of Snagit Editor and using the ribbon interface to copy, paste, save and apply effects is also required.

Let's Get Started: Creating a Mirrored Image

The following section takes you through this tutorial step-by-step. To be successful, do not skip any steps.

Copy and Paste Image

1. With your image open in Editor, in the ribbon, choose Draw tab > Clipboard group > Copy All button.
2. Grab the bottom handle on the canvas and drag downward to increase the size of the canvas. You will want double the current size.
   
3. In the ribbon, choose Draw tab > Clipboard group > Paste button. Grab the pasted image and move it into the empty canvas area. If the canvas is too small, grab the handle again and drag to make it larger. Line the pasted image up so it is perfectly aligned with the original image. Vertically Flip
   

Vertically Flip the Image

1. Click on the pasted image to select it.
2. In the ribbon, choose Image tab > Canvas group > Rotate button > Flip option > Vertical. The image will now be upside down.
   
3. Right-click on the pasted image > Select Flatten from menu.
   

Determine the Size of the Mirror

You need to determine how large you want the actual effect to be. Do you want the entire image to be mirrored or just a part of it? Keep the final size of the image in mind when deciding on how much to keep or trim. For the best effect, keep at least half of the image.

1. Grab the bottom handle on the canvas and drag upward to decrease the size of image to the desired size.

Apply the Blur Effect

1. In the ribbon, choose Draw tab > Drawing Tool group > Selection button.
2. Drag a selection rectangle around the area that will be the mirror.
   
3. In the ribbon, choose Image tab > Modify group > Blur button > 3%
   
4. Keep the mirrored area selected for the next process.

Apply the Fade Effect

Note: If the mirrored area is not selected, in the ribbon, choose Draw tab > Drawing Tool group > Selection button. Drag a selection around the area to be mirrored.

1. With the mirrored section selected, in the ribbon, choose Image tab > Image Style group > Edges button > Fade Effect Options. The options dialog box appears.
2. Use the arrows buttons to select the left, bottom, and right sides.
3. Use the slider to adjust the Effect Size until the edges are barely visible. (The level will vary according to the kind of image being used.)
4. Click OK.
   

Apply the Perspective Effect

Note: Click the mouse cursor once on the canvas to remove the selection from around the mirrored area before proceeding. If you do not remove the selection from the mirrored part of the image, and you select the Perspective option, you will be prompted to select the entire image. If this occurs, choose the Select the entire image and continue option.

1. In the ribbon, choose Image tab > Image Style group > Effects button > Perspective option > Perspective / Shear Options. The options dialog box appears.
2. Move the Perspective Horizontal slider to achieve the desired result. (At this time, you can also experiment with the Shear options.)
   
3. Click OK.

Smooth the Lines with the Geometric Shape

In this process, you will use the polygon shape tool to draw a smooth border around the un-mirrored part of the image. This gives the final image a more polished appearance.

1. Choose Draw tab > Drawing Tools group > Shape button.
2. In the Quick Styles Gallery, in the first row, select the Polygon shape.
   
3. Next to the Quick Styles Gallery, click Outline > Width > 4 px.
4. Next to the Quick Styles Gallery, click Outline > Select color from image.
5. The cursor changes to an eyedropper icon. Click on a dark color from the image to set the color of the polygon tool.
6. The cursor changes to the Polygon tool. Draw a line across the top of the un-mirrored section. Click once when you come to the corner where you will make the first turn. Repeat at the other two corners.
7. When you come to the beginning point, double-click to complete the shape. If the shape is not perfect, use the yellow handles to adjust. Use the zoom slider at the bottom of the screen to zoom in for a better look, if necessary.

Trim and Save

1. Choose Image tab > Canvas group > Trim button.
2. Click Snagit Button > Save.

Congratulations! You have just learned how to create a mirrored image using Snagit Editor.