When taking your webcam photo, whether or not you have a high quality and expensive webcam you can still follow some basic steps to get the best photo possible out of your web-camera.

One of the main important things to focus on when taking a photo is the lighting. Be sure that the light source is not behind the subject (you), as it will likely flood the webcam lens with light and cast the subject as a black/dark shadow. To prevent this you simple need the source light to shine on the subject and to be behind the web-camera.

This is a general description of all of the HTMLSnap/HTMLChat applications and their functions, so keep in mind that some parts of this description may only apply to specific applications.

[Capture]

Clicking the 'Capture' button will freeze a single frame from your webcam and open up new options for printing or saving the webcam frame as a JPEG file (or a GIF file and multiple frames within the Ani-Me application).

[Delete]

Clicking the 'Delete' button will remove the webcam frame you previously captured and give you the ability to capture another new frame.

[Upload]

Clicking the 'Upload' button will upload and save your cuptured webcam frame to the HTMLSnap server(s) for free hosting.

[Download]

Clicking the 'Download' button will save your captured webcam frame as a JPEG file (or GIF within Ani-Me) locally to your computer to any folder/local location that you decide to choose.

[Print]

Clicking the 'Print' button will send the captured webcam frame to your selected printer handler for printing (or PDF file creation).

[Previous]

Clicking the 'Previous' button (where applies) will set the previous filter, effect or image within the webcam effects application you're currently using.

[Next]

Clicking the 'Next' button (where applies) will set the next filter, effect or image within the webcam effects application you're currently using.

[Time Delay]

Setting a 'Time Delay' from the drop-down list will enable you to delay the frame capture of your photo by X number of seconds, giving you time to set a pose. Where 'X' is a minimum of 3 seconds and a maximum of 60 seconds.

[Reset]

Clicking the 'Reset' button (where applies) will reset the webcam instance to its normal state.

[Load Image]

Clicking the 'Load Image' button (where applies) will allow you to add a local image from your computer to the webcam application for unique personalised effects.

[Vertical Flip]

Clicking the 'Vertical Flip' button under the application (where applies) will flip your webcam instance upside down.

[Horizontal Flip]

Clicking the 'Horizontal Flip' button under the application (where applies) will mirror your webcam instance.

• None - No filters will be applied.
• Perlin - This effect will give a colorizied marble photo effect.
• Crystal - This filter will produce a crystal hexagon structure effect on your webcam image.
• Ripple - As the name suggests this effect will return a nice water ripple across your webcam image.
• Saturation - This filter will intensify the colours of your webcam, so be sure you don't have your webcam set to black and white while using this effect and you will notice a saturated image.
• Sepia - This filter will give your webcam photo an old picture effect as if it was taken during the 1800's (the good old days).
• Waves - This effect is similar to the ripple effect only more wave like.
• TubeView - There are no prizes for guessing that this effect will make your webcam capture look as if it is being viewed down a big tube.
• Twirl - This is one of the stranger effects that will warp your webcam into a swirl or twirl.
• SkyTint - This filter will return a sky blue tint effect, it's basic but effective.
• Fisheye - This effect is so well known that it needs no explanation.
• CrossStitch - This effect will create a interwoven stitch effect out of your webcam instance.
• Vortex - This photo effect will turn your webcam photo into to a swirling vortex.
• CircleSplash - This effect distorts the pixels starting at the circumference of a circle and emanates outwards.
• Smudger - This effect will give the appearance of smudged pixels within the webcam instance.
• InvertRGB - As the name suggests, this filter will invert the normal RGB colour settings of your webcam image.
• Jitter - This effect will return several webcam instances at once in an over-lapping spiral pattern.
• Sharpen - This effect will adjust the webcam image instance to return a sharper photo.
• HSV - This filter will change the webcam images hue, saturation, and value in the RGB colour mode.
• Slicer - This effect is similar to the "CrossStitch" effect only the slices of interwoven webcam instances are wider/bigger.
• ScanLines - This effect will scale horizontal gradient lines across your webcam capture.
• HalfTone - This effect resolves your webcam instance data into black dots with a white background.
• ShapeTrio - This photo effect overlays three shapes (circle, square and diamond) in various colours.
• Brighten - This photo filter will increase the saturation and contrast on your webcam instance and create an effect similar to the "Glow" effect on the Mac PhotoBooth Application.
• PinkTint - This filter returns a nice pink effect that would be enough to put Chuck Norris in a Barbie mood.
• Swirl - This is the famous PhotoBooth Swirl effect that needs no introduction.
• Heart - This is one of the more simple effects, but no less worthwhile. This photo effect will mask out a heart shape over your webcam photo.
• Thermal - Turn your webcam into a thermal camera... well, not quite, but the Thermal Effect is the next best thing and is far cheaper than a thermal camera. Have some Thermal Photo Fun!.
• Azimuthal - This photo effect is difficult to explain, but imagine if you were going down the plug hole and you'd be somewhere close. You should never divide by zero!
• RGB Splitter - This RGB Splitter filter will do exactly what is says on the tin and split the RGB planes within your webcam photo and shift them slightly out of line with one another. Although this effect looks like it'd create a 3D effect with the red & blue 3D glasses, believe me it doesn't, but stay tuned - that effect may soon be in the pipe line too.