Synopses & Reviews
Ideal for scrapbookers, serious and casual photographers, and budding graphic artists alike, Photoshop Elements 8 is more powerful and easier to use than previous versions. But figuring out how and when to use the program's tools is still tricky. With this book, you'll learn not only what each tool does, but also when it makes the most sense to use it and why. You get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for everything from importing photos to organizing, editing, sharing, and storing your images. And if a feature isn't all that it's cracked up to be, we'll tell you.
How do you use the Photomerge Exposure? How do Quick Fix previews work? With a gentle introduction to get you started quickly, and advanced tips to help you produce really creative work, this Missing Manual provides the answers you need.
- Get crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of every feature
- Learn to import, organize, back up, and fix photos quickly and easily
- Repair and restore old and damaged photos, and retouch any image
- Jazz up your pictures with dozens of filters, frames, and special effects
- Remove unwanted objects from images with the new Recompose tool
- Learn advanced techniques like working with layers and applying blend modes
- Download practice images and try new tricks right away
Synopsis
Now updated for the latest version of Photoshop Elements, this practical bestselling guide has attracted legions of fans from its five previous editions. This book carefully explains every feature that the new version of Photoshop Elements has to offer by putting each one into a clear, easy-to-understand context. Author Barbara Brundage tells readers which features work well, which don't, and why -- all with a bit of wit and good humor.
Synopsis
Elements 9 offers much of Photoshop's power without the huge price tag. It's an ideal tool for most image-editing buffs -- including scrapbookers, photographers, and aspiring graphic artists. But Elements still doesn't come with a decent manual. This bestselling book will help you get the most out of the program, from the basics to advanced tips for both Windows and Mac.
- Quickly learn your way around. Customize Elements to suit your working style.
- Get to work right away. Import, organize, and make quick image fixes with ease.
- Retouch any image. Learn how to repair and restore your old and damaged photos.
- Add some pizzazz. Give images more zip with dozens of filters, frames, and special effects.
- Find your creative flair. Create scrapbooks, greeting cards, photo books, and more.
- Use advanced techniques. Work with layers, blend modes, and other tools.
- Try out your new skills. Download practice images and try new tricks as you learn.
About the Author
Barbara Brundage has Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in English. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and has worked in both advertising and technical writing. She also plays the harp and attended Eastman School of Music, where she studied with legendary harpist Eileen Malone. Barbara makes her living as a professional harpist and has performed for a wide range of dignitaries and celebrities including Margaret Thatcher, Tom Cruise, the Clintons, and Isaac Stern. She is the founder of Seaside Press, through which she publishes her arrangements, which are popular with harpists around the world.
Table of Contents
The Missing Credits; About the Author; About the Creative Team; Acknowledgments; The Missing Manual Series; Introduction; Why Photoshop Elements?; What You Can Do with Elements 9; What's New in Elements 9; Elements vs. Photoshop; The Key to Learning Elements; About This Book; Part 1: Introduction to Elements; Chapter 1: Finding Your Way Around Elements; 1.1 Getting Started; 1.2 Organizing Your Photos; 1.3 Photoshop.com; 1.4 Editing Your Photos; 1.5 Getting Started in a Hurry; Chapter 2: Importing, Managing, and Saving Your Photos; 2.1 Importing from Cameras; 2.2 Opening Stored Images; 2.3 Scanning Photos; 2.4 Capturing Video Frames; 2.5 Creating a New File; 2.6 Using the Organizer; 2.7 Searching for Photos; 2.8 Saving Your Work; 2.9 Backing Up Your Files; Chapter 3: Rotating and Resizing Your Photos; 3.1 Straightening Scanned Photos; 3.2 Rotating Images; 3.3 Straightening the Contents of an Image; 3.4 Cropping Pictures; 3.5 Zooming and Repositioning Your View; 3.6 Changing the Size of an Image; 3.7 Resizing Images for Email and the Web; Part 2: Elemental Elements; Chapter 4: The Quick Fix; 4.1 The Quick Fix Window; 4.2 Editing Your Photos; 4.3 Adjusting Skin Tones; Chapter 5: Making Selections; 5.1 Selecting Everything; 5.2 Selecting Rectangular and Elliptical Areas; 5.3 Selecting Irregularly Sized Areas; 5.4 Selecting with a Brush; 5.5 Removing Objects from an Image's Background; 5.6 Changing and Moving Selections; Chapter 6: Layers: The Heart of Elements; 6.1 Understanding Layers; 6.2 Creating Layers; 6.3 Managing Layers; 6.4 Adjustment and Fill Layers; 6.5 Moving Objects Between Images; Part 3: Retouching; Chapter 7: Basic Image Retouching; 7.1 Fixing Exposure Problems; 7.2 Controlling the Colors You See; 7.3 Using Levels; 7.4 Removing Unwanted Color; 7.5 Choosing Colors; 7.6 Sharpening Images; Chapter 8: Elements for Digital Photographers; 8.1 The Raw Converter; 8.2 Blending Exposures; 8.3 Photo Filter; 8.4 Processing Multiple Files; Chapter 9: Retouching: Fine-Tuning Your Images; 9.1 Fixing Blemishes; 9.2 Applying Patterns; 9.3 Recomposing Photos; 9.4 Color Curves: Enhancing Tone and Contrast; 9.5 Making Colors More Vibrant; 9.6 Changing an Object's Color; 9.7 Special Effects; Chapter 10: Removing and Adding Color; 10.1 Method One: Making Color Photos Black and White; 10.2 Method Two: Removing Color from a Photo; 10.3 Creating Spot Color; 10.4 Colorizing Black-and-White Photos; Chapter 11: Photomerge: Creating Panoramas, Group Shots, and More; 11.1 Creating Panoramas; 11.2 Merging Different Faces; 11.3 Arranging a Group Shot; 11.4 Tidying Up with Scene Cleaner; 11.5 Merging Styles; 11.6 Correcting Lens Distortion; 11.7 Transforming Images; Part 4: Artistic Elements; Chapter 12: Drawing with Brushes, Shapes, and Other Tools; 12.1 Picking and Using a Basic Brush; 12.2 The Specialty Brushes; 12.3 The Impressionist Brush; 12.4 The Pencil Tool; 12.5 The Paint Bucket; 12.6 Dodging and Burning; 12.7 Blending and Smudging; 12.8 The Eraser Tool; 12.9 Drawing with Shapes; 12.10 The Cookie Cutter Tool; Chapter 13: Filters, Effects, Layer Styles, and Gradients; 13.1 Using Filters; 13.2 Adding Effects; 13.3 Adding Layer Styles; 13.4 Applying Gradients; 13.5 Gradient Maps; Chapter 14: Text in Elements; 14.1 Adding Text to an Image; 14.2 Warping Text; 14.3 Adding Special Effects; 14.4 Type Masks: Setting an Image in Text; Part 5: Sharing Your Images; Chapter 15: Creating Projects; 15.1 Photo Collages; 15.2 Photo Books; 15.3 Greeting Cards; 15.4 Photo Calendars; 15.5 CD/DVD Jackets; 15.6 CD/DVD Labels; 15.7 Photo Stamps; 15.8 Working with the Content and Favorites Panels; Chapter 16: Printing Your Photos; 16.1 Getting Ready to Print; 16.2 Ordering Prints; 16.3 Printing at Home; 16.4 Printing Multiple Photos (Windows); 16.5 Printing Multiple Images (Mac); Chapter 17: Email and the Web; 17.1 Image Formats and the Web; 17.2 Saving Images for the Web or Email; 17.3 Creating Animated GIFs; 17.4 Emailing Photos; Chapter 18: Online Albums and Slideshows; 18.1 Online Albums; 18.2 Slideshows; 18.3 Flipbooks (Windows only); 18.4 Sharing Photos with Yahoo Maps (Windows only); 18.5 A Few More Ways to Share; Part 6: Additional Elements; Chapter 19: Beyond the Basics; 19.1 Graphics Tablets; 19.2 Free Stuff from the Internet; 19.3 When You Really Need Photoshop; 19.4 Beyond This Book; Part 7: Appendix; Installation and Troubleshooting; Installing Elements in Windows; Installing Elements on a Mac; Activation; Scratch Disks; Troubleshooting; Colophon;