Hacking Photoshop CS2 (ExtremeTech)

Release the genie

You think you know Photoshop? Wait until you see how these over-the-top hacks and mods bring out its hidden power! Create a workflow customized for your specific needs. Superimpose type in half the time. Make Bridge work for you. Hack Camera Raw and get even more from your images. Print your projects without losing precision. When you can command the genie that is Photoshop, your power is limitless.

Complete instructions, tips, and guidelines for

1. Optimizing performance
2. Customizing your work area
3. Enhancing the art of using palettes
4. Picking your preferences
5. Maximizing layer styles
6. Hiding content with layer masks
7. Supercharging editing power
8. Automating tasks
9. Exploiting filters
10. Flexing Photoshop's flexibility

* This insider's approach will immediately appeal to Photoshop users who want to squeeze the maximum degree of speed and power from the program

* Features more than 300 hacks, tweaks, mods, and customizations- nearly twice as many as other "tips and tricks" titles

* Not for the newcomer; readers must be familiar with Photoshop and unafraid to make modifications

* Shows how to increase performance by limiting File Browser resources, boosting startup speed, customizing the interface, and accessing hidden dialog buttons

* Additional hacks include camera RAW tricks and hacks for masks, layers, paths, curves, selections, and more

This is absolutely the ultimate guide to hacking Adobe’s wildly popular graphics software, written by an Adobe Certified professional photographer and designer.

This is serious, down and dirty, tweaking – blowing away the default settings, customizing appearance, optimizing performance, customizing tools and offering readers total control over Photoshop like never before.  With these 300+ hacks, readers will find their work with Photoshop faster and easier than ever.

Roll up your sleeves, and dive into these hacks including:

• Faster Photoshop startup
• Customizing the Photoshop interface
• Hacking Photoshop’s Tools
• Access hidden dialog buttons
• Hacks for Masks, Layers, Paths, Curves and Selections
• Camera Raw tricks

and so much more.

Shangara Singh has written and designed exam study aids for the Adobe Certified Expert product proficiency exams for Adobe Photoshop and co-authored exam study aids for Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Dreamweaver (www.examaids.com). He regularly answers Photoshop questions on various lists, forums, and from his Photoshop ACE Web site. He has also served as technical editor for books on the use of Photoshop in Web site design and digital photography. He brings his extensive experience as a director of photography, a lighting designer, a photographer, and a Web and print designer to bear on all his visual work.

Introduction.

Chapter 1: Optimizing Performance.

Chapter 2: Hacking the Work Area.

Chapter 3: The Fine Art of Using Palettes.

Chapter 4: Browsing with Bridge.

Chapter 5: Hacking Preferences and Documents.

Chapter 6: Working with Layers.

Chapter 7: Creating and Applying Layer Styles.

Chapter 8: Hacking Layer Masks.

Chapter 9: Hacking Selection Masks.

Chapter 10: Drawing and Painting.

Chapter 11: Editing, Transforming, and Retouching Images.

Chapter 12: Adjusting and Correcting Colors.

Chapter 13: Creating and Editing Type.

Chapter 14: Hacking Camera Raw.

Chapter 15: Automating Tasks.

Chapter 16: Outputting to Print.

Chapter 17: Outputting to the Web.

Chapter 18: Exploiting Filters and Photoshop Flexibility.

Appendix: Troubleshooting.

Index.