Photoshop Cs3 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide

This edition of the Visual QuickStart Guide to Photoshop CS4 by bestselling authors Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas covers Adobe Photoshop as well as Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw (which are included with Photoshop). The elegant layout and full-color photographs make the book not only visually appealing, but also easy to use. Tasks are presented as clear, step-by-step instructions. Most of the photos appearing in the book are available to readers to download so they can follow along closely with the instructions.

New and updated Photoshop program features are clearly marked with bright orange stars, so users already familiar with Photoshop can update their knowledge quickly. Major new features that are covered in this edition include workspace options in Photoshop, the Adjustments and Masks panels, and the new Bridge interface. Less publicized features are also covered, such as tool options and keyboard shortcuts.

This new edition also covers color management; workspaces; layers; selections; masking; compositing techniques; the History panel; blending modes; brushes; exposure, tonal, color and focus adjustments; retouching; layer styles; filters; type features; gradients; PDF presentation packages; preferences; presets; and more. Readers will learn everything they need to know to get a good working knowledge of Photoshop.

In a "cookbook" approach that responds to reader requests for full color images and downloadable files, the authors of Visual QuickStart guides to Illustrator and QuarkXPress explain and illustrate the features of the latest version of the popular Photoshop image editing software. Starting with the basics of digital photography and the interface for both Windows and Mac OS platforms, they proceed to how to use Photoshop's various tools, preferences, and effects. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This Visual QuickStart Guide uses a combination of task-based instruction and strong visuals to teach beginning and intermediate users how to create great-looking images with Photoshop. Best-selling authors Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas take readers step by step through all of today's Photoshop essentials: from importing digital photos through basic color manipulation and image correction to painting, masking, using filters, and more. Hot topics like working with Camera Raw, using the improved Photomerge command (that aligns and blends layers automatically) to stitch together images, making selections using the new Quick Selection tool and Refine Edge feature, and Smart Filters are all covered.

Both beginning users, who want a thorough introduction to the topic, and more advanced users, who are looking for a handy reference, will find what they need here. In this edition, using a fresh new design and now illustrated in full color, the authors have streamlined the text by focusing on the most efficient means of accomplishing a task, rather than explaining all possible methods. By the end of the book, users will have a solid foundation for working in Photoshop CS3. Additional intermediate topics can be found in the author's follow-on book: Photoshop CS3: Visual QuickPro Guide.

In addition to this book, Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas have also written, designed, and illustrated Visual QuickStart Guides to Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXPress. Their books have been translated into 12 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. They have also taught at Pratt Manhattan, the Cooper Union School of Art, the New School Computer Instruction Center, and the Parsons School of Design.

01. PHOTOSHOP INTERFACE

02. PHOTOSHOP COLOR

03. ACQUIRE, CREATE, SAVE

04. BRIDGE

05. WORKSPACES

06. PIXEL BASICS

07. LAYER BASICS

08. SELECT

09. COMBINE IMAGES

10. HISTORY

11. TONAL ADJUSTMENTS

12. COLORS & BLEND MODES

13. COLOR ADJUSTMENTS

14. BRUSHES

15. CAMERA RAW

16. EXPOSURE

17. REFOCUS

18. RETOUCH

19. MORE LAYERS

20. LAYER EFFECTS

21. FILTERS

22. TYPE

23. GRADIENTS

24. PRESENTATION

25. PREFERENCES & PRESETS

26. PRINT

27. EXPORT