Showing posts with label web graphics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label web graphics. Show all posts

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques Review

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques
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Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques ReviewI've been using photoshop professionally for a few years if you can call it that. Like a lot of people I would mess around with the curves not really knowing what they do to my images. Then I'd adjust the levels and eventually end up with what I thought was a decent edited photo. I like the other books out there for quick tips and recipes but it was clearly this studio techniques book that helped me finally understand what the hec i was doing.
This is not a step by step cookbook type of book but instead its a journey from the basic overview of CS4 to the complex curves, histograms, layers, sharpening and more. Do yourself a favor and get this book if you want to really learn photoshop, not just click the buttons and hope for the best. Congrats Ben and Dan on a terrific book.Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques Overview

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Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) Review

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition)
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Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) ReviewThis is a great book to help any Photoshop user get a good understanding of what the program is capable of. I've been using Photoshop for a couple years now, but never really learned how to use all the tools. Now I feel much more capable of editing my pictures efficiently.
The book is organized wonderfully for helping a beginner warm up to the program, but still covers important topics (like masks and blending modes) that are important for seasoned users to have an understanding of. If used the way it was intended (read from start to finish, like a course textbook), any new Photoshop user will finish with useful experience with all the tools that will help them produce amazing results.
That said, this book covers only the features that are included in the Standard Edition of Photoshop. Some Extended Edition tools are mentioned, but are only introduced - not explained. Still, the Standard Edition tools are the ones used in most Photoshop settings that do not deal with video and 3D graphics. For anyone looking to use Photoshop as a photo-editing tool, this book covers all the information you need.
As far as content depth, it is impossible for a book to teach all the ways that the many tools can be used together. There are many examples and exercises for the reader to work on, but there is no way for every variation to be covered. As with any creative skill, more practice is always encouraged to give a working understanding of the many effects that are possible.Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS4 in 24 Hours (5th Edition) Overview

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Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac Review

Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac
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Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac ReviewI'm new to photoshop and am taking a college-level course that focuses exclusively on CS4. I have 4 photoshop books and this is far and away the one I use the most. Each photoshop tool is presented in a clear, easy to understand format on a single page. No reading through gobs of unnecessary information here, just the "cheat sheet" style information you need when your trying to learn the program. If your looking for design tricks or how to edit photos, this probably isn't the best book for you. But if you're trying to learn basic commands and how to use them, this is the book to buy.Photoshop CS4 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac Overview

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 Classroom in a Book Review

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 Classroom in a Book
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Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 Classroom in a Book ReviewI am a new user of Photoshop and was absolutely overwhelmed when I loaded it and tried to use it. Step by step, this book walks you through how to learn and use this program through structured exercises starting with the most basic functions. It was easy to load the tutorial material on my computer and begin to use it. I have been able to create some pretty good photos by substituting my photos for the tutoral photos and following the lesson outline. For me, anyway, repitition seems to work best. Don't get in too big of a hurry to start doing advanced techniques or you might miss some of the basic techniques that are important. Good LuckAdobe Photoshop Elements 8 Classroom in a Book Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book Review

Adobe Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book
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Adobe Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book ReviewLike many people out there, I've been using computers for decades, and while I've dabbled with Photoshop over the years to do layer-based image touch-ups, enhancements, resizes, and related simplistic tasks (making tape/CD covers, greeting cards, etc.), I've never taken the time to work through a book to learn the other features of the program.
Adobe Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book (CIAB) is a worthwhile starting point for users who know how to use their computers, but might only know how to use some of the functions of Photoshop. This book spends most of its time on layers, masks, pen tools, and webpage basics (slices, animation, and image maps).
I found the pen tool chapter to be the most useful, since I had never really understood how vector-based drawing worked, and I am now eager to learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator CS as well.
The webpage chapters are also good for those who have lots of ideas in their mind about how their webpage should look, but don't have intuitive tools to do it. ImageReady CS (included with Photoshop CS or Adobe Creative Suite) makes creating precise web graphics, image maps, etc. almost too easy.
I found several errors in the book that occur in later chapters, but none of them prevented me from completing the lessons. There are some spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors throughout the text. However, these will not prevent the average user from running into roadblocks. The biggest error occurs in Lesson 15, where the image references in the sample HTML file do not correspond with the actual image filenames. Basic HTML/text editing can fix this, but as an official Adobe product, this should have been found before duplicating the CD-ROM which accompanies this book.
Otherwise, the lessons are presented well and are very easy to follow. The text is clear and easy on the eyes. I was able to complete all 20 lessons in about 4 days. To get the most out of this book, it would be wise to complete a lesson, and then apply what you learned to your own project to help with retention of the material.
Overall, a good first step to other more in-depth texts. I'd like to see full-color in future installments, as well as more detailed descriptions on why certain selections and options are chosen. Also, I think the monitor and color calibration chapters should be moved to an earlier part of the book. It's odd that these are the last topics covered, especially since topics like levels and color correction precede it.Adobe Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book Overview

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Photoshop Cs3 Photo Effects Cookbook: 53 Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Digital Photographers, Designers, and Artists Review

Photoshop Cs3 Photo Effects Cookbook: 53 Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Digital Photographers, Designers, and Artists
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Photoshop Cs3 Photo Effects Cookbook: 53 Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Digital Photographers, Designers, and Artists ReviewThis is really an outstanding book that goes past the standard photograph retouching that most Photoshop books concentrate on and shows you how to use all of Photoshop to produce artistic effects, thus demonstrating the synergy of Photoshop's features. I second the other reviewer's comment that the only extra item that you really need to get the most out of these effects is a graphics tablet, which most Photoshop users will not have. Thus you might want to make that investment before you get started.
Each effect contains a brief description, step-by-step numbered instructions, and images to go along with each instruction so that you can see the resulting image plus all of the intermediate images you should get as a result. There are also screen shots of Photoshop menus so that you can know you are doing the correct adjustment at each step of the instructions. You will notice that some of the effects have names that are duplicates of Photoshop's native filters- water color for example. This is because some of the built-in filters are limited in the range and quality of results that can be obtained, and this book attempts to give the discerning Photoshop artist a higher quality result through a greater range of options and adjustments. This kind of book has been needed for a long time and I highly recommend it. A good companion to this book is "Photoshop Filter Effects Encyclopedia", also published by O'Reilly. This second book allows you to read about all of Photoshop's native filters and get an idea for their possiblilities as well as their limitations.
I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents for this book so I do that here:
READY TO COOK - Introduction, making selections, working with layers, sharpening, paths, lighting effects
TONAL & COLOR EFFECTS - High-key and low key effects, Psychedelic poster effect, creative black and white, selective coloring, tone separation
GRAPHIC ART EFFECTS - Art Nouveau, Warhol screen-print, watercolor, oil painting, pencil sketch, pen and ink drawing, woodcut and linocut,
LIGHTING EFFECTS - Adding rays of light, Simulating studio lighting, Creating a neon sign, creating a star-filled sky, adding fire and flames, simulating candlelight, lens flare, chiaroscuro
NATURAL WORLD EFFECTS -Clouds,Simulating rain, water droplets, Rainbows, Lightning, Snow Reflections, Ripples, Sunsets, Nighttime, Changing the season
TRADITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS - Simulating color filters, contrast masking, adding film grain, infrared photography effect, cross-processing effect, hand tinting, duotones
DISTORTION EFFECTS - Photo mosaic, soft focus and selective depth of field, Movement and motion blur effects, Fish-eye lens effect, Creating panoramas, Displacement effect
TEXTURE EFFECTS - Using texture overlays, Turning a figure to stone, Wood textures, Stone textures, Metal effect, Glass effect, Plastic effect
PRESENTATION EFFECTS - Frame effect, Vignette effect, painterly borders, Out of the frame, Signature or monogram custom brushPhotoshop Cs3 Photo Effects Cookbook: 53 Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Digital Photographers, Designers, and Artists Overview

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Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 Review

Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3
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Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 ReviewI am not a graphic design expert guru nor have i finished Mordy's book (I am only on Chapter 4) but I am reviewing because the first and only reviewer is, what is the word i am look for....sort of an dumb-dumb. (the commenter is absolutely correct; the system should delete reviews like the first one for this book). The book is clearly 4 or 5 star material. I can't speak to the book from a expert perspective. But this is not a book on graphic design; further, the book goes deep on color/live color and you don't actually need to see everything in color to learn the color tools.
I am still learning illustrator CS3. I took most of Deke McClelland's mega course at [...] and i also just started Mordy's [...] course "essential illustrator cs3." I highly recommend both and this book, too. But i had a tough time getting over the initial learning curve. I think illustrator cs3 is hard to learn. Mordy's approach, in the book and in his [...] videos, is borne of teaching experience. The book does not go into a catalog of features. Instead, he starts early on layers and the appearance palette. This was exactly what i needed. I finally get illustrator because i see it as paths in layers, and attributes to paths as reflected in the appearance palette. I probably simplify, but when you "get" paths, layers and the appearance palette, it all starts to come into place (e.g., all the live effects are just additional attributes!).
The book doesn't walk thru projects with associated downloadable files, that's a difference from some others. It is a bit more like a reference, except organized sort of by jobs rather than features. But Mordy (like Deke) is world class and you won't find a better Illustrator instructor.Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 Overview

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Photoshop 7 for Dummies Review

Photoshop 7 for Dummies
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Photoshop 7 for Dummies ReviewI'm saving the best for last, so I hope you're still reading! Deke McClelland sets the standard for Photoshop authors, and MyMac.com plans to cover every item he publishes on the topic. What makes this Dummies entry into the Photoshop 7 arena worth raving about?
Two pages (four sides) of card stock are the first items you encounter when opening Photoshop 7 for Dummies. These quick reference "cheat sheets" present separate Windows and Macintosh keyboard commands for toolbars, selections, layers, palettes, and more. Worth a hefty portion of the price of this book, all on their own.
These authors write with a zippy, witty style that makes learning and using Photoshop fun (almost) and enjoyable (always). Did you know about "Dr. Photo and Mr. Shop"? If not, you need to begin with Chapter One and turn off the phone until you understand the difference.
Both Windows and Mac (OS X) screen shots are plentiful, making this book truly cross platform. Illustrations are bold and easy on the eyeballs, and tutorial steps are printed in bold type. Why don't other publishers realize how important printing and inking are to readers learning difficult material from scratch?
You want tips? How about warnings? Photoshop 7 for Dummies has them in profusion, on page after page. Special mention is given to each feature new to Photoshop 7, for all you upgraders. The brief color section has some mind-expanding examples of projects enumerated within the text.
I'm having a difficult time maintaining focus on this review, friends, because I'm itching to use the book to help me learn tons more about Photoshop 7. So let's stop here, with our highest recommendation of MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5. Bravo, Deke and Barbara. Thanks for your terrific book.
WOULD I BUY IT? Yes, and give it as a gift.
WOULD I USE IT IF IT WAS THE ONLY PHOTOSHOP BOOK AVAILABLE? We should be so lucky!
DO I RECOMMEND IT? Ubetcha.
http://www.mymac.com/book_bytes/fiveps7_12.6.02.shtmlPhotoshop 7 for Dummies Overview

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Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Review

Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques
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Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques ReviewI purchased "AI CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques" because I consider myself to be a beginner with AI, and wanted a book that would provide a basic introduction to AI CS3. Although the book does a good job in covering most basic techniques (as well as some not-so-basic techniques), I found that it really was too basic, and lacked the detail (as well as examples) to address many of the questions that I had. Most How-tos are 2 pages long and are pretty skeletal. I was surprised at the absence of color (odd in an illustrator book?) and that some of the screenshots were two small to clearly show the author's intent. In all, I couldn't figure out who this book would be for. CS3 is a complex, professional level application. Anyone having the need to purchase CS3 will ultimately require more guidance than was offered.Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One Review

Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One
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Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One Review§
It has been a long while since I have been as enthusiastic about a book as this one. Deke McClelland has targeted my demographic with a practiced eye: people who use Photoshop and who want to use it more -- but who are completely intimidated and lost in the bowels of that "vast and ungainly behemoth." It helps that the author, who clearly loves this tool, maintains a refreshing irreverence toward it.
The book is organized in a "Read - Watch - Do" way. The "watch" part comes from the 3 hours of instructional video that is included with the book DVD. The DVD also contains example files and other material that McClelland shows how to use to set up your copy of Photoshop in the most useful manner.
The instructional videos blew me away with their information density. There is incredible content here. So far going through the book, I found it valuable to watch each more than once. The video material does not repeat the written instruction -- it complements it.
The book itself is beautiful and well-organized. It has a wide format that lies flat to make following along while at the mouse or keyboard easier. It is 500 pages long but is not overwhelming, like a reference. All the material is encompassed in 12 lessons. These 12 lessons teach the basic skills needed to use the tool effectively whether your focus is the Web or print.
A note of interest to those who have not upgraded to CS3 yet: I noticed in sharing this book that people with CS2 will be quite comfortable following along. The author clears away whatever obstacles may come up for you.
One last note: I know the editorial review above says there are only 2 hours of video with the book, not 3 as I stated. I have no idea why they rounded off 2 hours and 54 minutes that way. I guess they figured, as I do, that the features of this book could be understated and still be worthy of superlatives.
§Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One Overview

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