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Step 1
Make the photo into a digital file on your computer. If you have a digital camera, this step is as simple as connecting your camera to your computer. If you have photo prints, scan the photo to create a digital version of it.
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Step 2
Open your photo editing software and open your digital photo file using the "Open" option in the "File" menu.
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Step 3
Crop your image. Cropping is the act of trimming away the uninteresting items in the photo, such as cluttered backgrounds and people you don't know, so that the main subject is the star. Most photo editing programs have this option. Click the "Crop" button, drag the tabs on the cropping square so that it encompasses the part of the photo you want to keep. Click on the "OK" button to finish the cropping.
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Step 4
Adjust light and contrast. Most photos can be improved by adjusting the brightness in the photo and the contrast. The easiest way to adjust these is by clicking on your software's one step photo fix. Most programs have this option. If yours doesn't, play with the light and contrast settings until you get results you like. When you have got it right, the photo won't be dark, the edges will be sharp and will stand out from the background and the colors won't be washed out.
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Step 5
Fix red eye. Red eye is when the people in the photo have glowing red eyes. To fix this, select a round paint brush in your photo editing program. Adjust the size of the brush so it is the same size as the red part of the eye. Select black as your paint color. Place the brush over the eye and click once. The black paint will cover the red and make the eye look normal. Do this to all the eyes in the photo that have red eye.
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Step 6
Resize the photo when you are done with the editing. Resizing your photo will ensure it prints at a standard photo size and not at the cropped size. Open your photo editing software's resizing option, type in the new dimensions (a standard print is 4 by 6 inches) and click on "OK." You may need to boost the image's resolution while you are resizing. This is easy since resolution is often in the same dialog box as the resizing. A 4-by-6-inch photo should be boosted to a resolution of 1,200 by 1,800 pixels.
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Step 7
Save your work.
