- Real World Tips For Using Illustrator's Objects, Groups, and Layers
- Jan 20, 2006
- Just as there are benefits to keeping an orderly desk, there are advantages to using groups and layers for adding structure to your files. In Adobe Illustrator CS2, groups and layers not only offer a convenient way to manage objects in a file (as they did in earlier versions of Illustrator), but now they can also control the appearance of your file. Find out more in this informative chapter by Mordy Golding.
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- Secrets to Creating Compelling Photo Collages
- Jan 20, 2006
- Although collage is an old art form, tools such as Photoshop CS2 give it a new twist. You don't need to get out paint, brushes, scissors, and glue to make art. Instead, everything you need is on your computer. With a handful of photos, Photoshop, and the desire to experiment, you're well on your way to creating collage art. Helen Bradley gives the how-to's for creating a collage in Photoshop by using photos and other techniques, and how to use some design and Photoshop tricks to make sure the result is balanced and pleasing to the eye.
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- Understand How Color Works in Photoshop
- Jan 13, 2006
- Computers know nothing about images, or tone, color, truth, beauty, or art. They're just very complicated adding machines that crunch numbers. Fortunately, you don't have to learn hexadecimal or binary math to use Photoshop, but unless you like heavily pixellated output and wildly unpredictable color shifts, you really want to understand the essential lessons about images that authors Bruce Fraser and David Blatner lay out in this chapter.
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- Straightening Crooked Photos with Photoshop Elements
- Jan 6, 2006
- Don't toss out those crooked photos! If you've got Photoshop Elements, straightening digital photos has never been easier. Matt Kloskowski literally shows you how to straighten up those out-of-line photos in two brief video tutorials that take you through the straightening process in Photoshop Elements 3 and the new Photoshop Elements 4.
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- Working With Selections in Photoshop Elements
- Jan 6, 2006
- You create selections when you want to isolate specific areas of an image either to silhouette, color correct, or apply a special effect to that particular area. Anything within the confines of an active selection, often referred to as the "marching ants," can be manipulated without affecting the area outside of the selection. This chapter will guide you in choosing the correct selection tool to use for the task at hand, as well as provide you with a few tips the pros use in making selections. You can practice with many of the images in this chapter by downloading them from the www.photoshopcrafts.com Web site.
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- Learn How to Script Adobe Photoshop CS2
- Dec 30, 2005
- This chapter demonstrates several techniques for creating scripts to use specifically with Adobe Photoshop CS2. More importantly, you'll learn how to use the Adobe Photoshop CS2 scripting references to find the objects, classes, properties, methods, and even some values (called constants or enumerations) you can use to create JavaScripts for Adobe Photoshop CS2.
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- Complete Guide to Using Actions in Photoshop
- Dec 22, 2005
- Whenever you perform a repetitive task in Photoshop, you can save yourself time and effort by using actions. Helen Bradley's quick-start guide explains what a Photoshop action is, how to find and play an action, and how to record your own.
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- Life in the Fast Lane: Killer Photoshop CS2 Production Tips
- Dec 1, 2005
- This chapter will help you streamline your usage of Photoshop CS2, to allow you to finish projects in a snap. Get the jump on your competetion with these handy tips from Scott Kelby and Felix Nelson.
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- Working in the RAW
- Dec 1, 2005
- Helen Bradley takes a jargon-free look at what Camera RAW is, why you might use it, and how to work with these images in Photoshop CS2.
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- Photoshop CS2: How Layers Work
- Nov 23, 2005
- Layers play such a huge role in Photoshop that to deny yourself any crucial information about them is asking for trouble. With every new release, Adobe likes to pack more and more functions into the Layers palette. So as time goes on, understanding them will become even more crucial. This chapter will help you feel more comfortable working with layers in Photoshop CS2.
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- Choose the Right Tool for Every Job in Photoshop CS2
- Nov 18, 2005
- Photoshop has a number of selection tools. Some appear in the toolbox, but others are hidden in the Photoshop interface. Helen Bradley examines the tools, how they work, and how you might use them. Familiarizing yourself with these tools and understanding how to use them will allow you to make the best choice of tool for the job and get your work done much faster.
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- Five Tips for Optimizing GIFs in Photoshop CS2
- Nov 18, 2005
- How do you choose whether to use JPEG or GIF format for those beautiful graphics for your Web pages? Tanya Staples explains when to select which format, and then shows how to get more bang for your buck by reducing the already skinny GIF file sizes to ultra-waif status.
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- Work Smart with Photoshop CS2’s Smart Objects
- Nov 18, 2005
- More than any other new feature in Photoshop CS2, Smart Objects have the potential to fundamentally change the way people work. Similar to "live" links in desktop publishing software, Smart Objects make it very simple to update and change artwork on the fly in ways that are much more flexible than ever before. Let Dave Cross show you the improvements.
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- Uncovering Layers of Differences in Photoshop CS2
- Oct 28, 2005
- Afraid of change? Think the old ways are always best? There have been some significant changes to the way you work with layers in Photoshop CS2, which might take some getting used to. Dave Cross suggests hanging loose and embracing the changes. In many cases, it's easier to work with layers than ever before.
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- Photoshop ER: Restoring Critically Damaged Photos
- Oct 6, 2005
- To trash or not to trash? At first glance, some photos are all-too-obvious candidates for your computer's recycle bin. Anyone else would trash them, but should you? Before you give up, with some Photoshop tricks you can have a go at recovering the essence of the photo. Helen Bradley shows you some techniques for fixing images that might otherwise be unusable.
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- Expert Optimization: Five Tips for Optimizing JPEGs in Photoshop CS2
- Sep 30, 2005
- These days, no Web visitor has the time or patience to wait for slow-loading graphics. In the time it takes to load a large, beautiful photograph, a user can be long gone! But you don't have to abandon photographs altogether; Tanya Staples covers quick techniques for dramatically reducing the file size of those JPEG images while maintaining the finest of details.
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- Be Warned: A Guide to Warning Dialogs In Photoshop CS2
- Sep 16, 2005
- Some dialogs are self-explanatory, others cause raised eyebrows, but many of these warning dialogs can be avoided. Here are the most common warning messages you're likely to run into in Photoshop CS2 (and a few you may not see all that often), the reason why the warning appears, how to fix the problem, and—when possible—how to prevent the warning from appearing in the first place.
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- Cream of the Crop: Cropping and Resizing in Photoshop Elements 3
- Sep 16, 2005
- If a chapter on cropping and resizing doesn't sound exciting, really, what does? It's sad, but a good portion of our lives is spent doing just that—cropping and resizing. Why is that? Because nothing, absolutely nothing, is ever the right size. Actually, you'll be happy to learn that there's more than just cropping and resizing in this chapter. Author Scott Kelby supersized the chapter with other cool techniques that honestly are probably a bit too cool to wind up in a chapter called "Cropping and Resizing," but it's the only place they'd fit.
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- How to Create Flexible Documents in Photoshop CS2
- Sep 16, 2005
- Flexible? Learn the true power of flexibility as you create layered Photoshop documents that offer a high level of control and the ability to easily change your mind. Dave Cross focuses on "nondestructive" ways of working in Photoshop that give you the best combination of creativity and flexibility.
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- Raw System Overview: Camera Raw, Bridge, and Photoshop
- Sep 16, 2005
- Looking for a 30,000-foot overview of the whole digital raw system? You've found it. Author Bruce Fraser takes you through the basics of the raw workflow in this excellent introduction to Camera Raw, Bridge, and Photoshop.
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