Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essentials

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essentials

by Scott Onstott
Released August 2012
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9781118094952

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

The perfect primer for learning Adobe Photoshop, whether you're new to it or updating your skills

Create logos, edit images, and design without fear in Adobe Photoshop, once you learn the essentials. This clear, task-based book covers them all, from navigating the user interface to how to identify design elements, paint and draw in Photoshop, apply layer styles, correct and adjust color, and much more. Each chapter provides clear step-by-step instruction as well as illustrative, full-color images and examples. Before you know it, you'll have the skills to start a design career with Photoshop.

What's more, if you're preparing for the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) exam for Visual Communication using Photoshop, this thorough guide is the perfect preparation.

  • Covers Photoshop essentials for beginners and assists ACA candidates preparing for the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) for Visual Communication using Photoshop certification exam

  • Explores how to identify design elements, paint and draw in Photoshop, apply layer styles, correct and adjust color, and more

  • Covers the five basic areas required for the ACA Photoshop exam, including setting project requirements, identifying design elements when preparing elements, understanding Adobe Photoshop, manipulating images, and evaluating digital images

  • Provides downloadable files that readers can use while going through the tutorials in the book

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Titlepage
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. About the Author
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1: Design Basics
    1. Understanding the Design Process
      1. Understanding Project Fundamentals
      2. Collaborating with Others
      3. Presenting Images
      4. Participating in the Design Process
    2. Learning Composition Principles
      1. Framing Compositions
      2. Employing Composition Themes
    3. Understanding Your Rights to Use Images
      1. Using Your Own Images
      2. Using Others’ Images
    4. Photography and Scanning Primer
      1. Understanding Pixels
      2. Selecting a Digital Camera
      3. Lens Focal Length
      4. Lens Aperture
      5. Adjusting Exposure
      6. Focusing
      7. Selecting Light Sensitivity
      8. Scanning Tips
  8. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted with Photoshop’s User Interface
    1. User Interface Overview
    2. Setting Application Preferences
    3. Accessing Commands
    4. Working with Documents
    5. Using Tools
      1. Understanding Tool Groups and Flyout Menus
      2. Selecting Tool Options and Entering Numerical Values
      3. Creating Tool Presets
    6. Arranging Panels
    7. Recalling Workspaces
  9. Chapter 3: Digital Imaging Fundamentals
    1. Working with Pixels
      1. Maximizing Megapixels
      2. Selecting the Pixel Aspect Ratio
      3. Dealing with Aliasing
      4. Navigating Pixels
    2. Understanding Color
      1. Using Primary Colors
      2. Storing Color in Channels
      3. Selecting Image Modes
      4. Picking Color
    3. Storing Data
      1. Bits and Bit Depth
      2. Data versus Detail
      3. Compressing Data
    4. Setting Document Size and Resolution
      1. Setting Resolution
      2. Resampling Images
      3. Changing the Canvas Size and Trimming
      4. Cropping
  10. Chapter 4: Painting
    1. Creating Gradients
    2. Selecting Paint Colors
    3. Using Painting Tools
      1. Sketching with a Pencil
      2. Painting with a Brush
      3. Pouring Paint from a Bucket
      4. Using Eraser Tools
    4. Exploring Brushes
      1. Opacity and Flow
      2. Brush Panel
    5. Painting With a Tablet
      1. Taking Advantage of Pressure Sensitivity
      2. Controlling Bristle Tip Brushes with Tilt Sensitivity
    6. Painting from History
      1. Understanding the History Panel
      2. Using the History Brush
      3. Painting with the Art History Brush
    7. Using the Mixer Brush
  11. Chapter 5: Drawing
    1. Comparing Vector with Raster Data
    2. Drawing with Vector Tools
    3. Manipulating Shapes
    4. Working With Drawing Tool Modes
      1. Shape Tool Mode
      2. Path Tool Mode
      3. Pixels Tool Mode
  12. Chapter 6: Writing
    1. Typography Primer
    2. Creating Point Text
    3. Creating Mask Text
    4. Fine-Tuning Type
    5. Creating Paragraph Text
  13. Chapter 7: Selecting Pixels
    1. Selecting with Marquees
      1. Using the Rectangular Marquee
      2. Using the Elliptical Marquee
    2. Selecting with Lassos
      1. Using the Lasso
      2. Using the Polygonal Lasso
      3. Using the Magnetic Lasso
    3. Drawing Selections
    4. Painting Selections
    5. Selecting by Color
    6. Quick Selecting and Refining
  14. Chapter 8: Working with Layers and Masks
    1. Understanding Layers
    2. Managing Layers
    3. Blending Layers
    4. Using Masks
  15. Chapter 9: Using Layer Styles and Comps
    1. Applying Layer Effects
      1. Octagram Layer
      2. Rays Layer
      3. Outer and Circle Layers
      4. Circled Dot Layer Group
      5. Dividers Layer
    2. Working with Layer Styles
    3. Using Layer Comps
  16. Chapter 10: Transforming Paths, Layers, and Smart Objects
    1. Using Rulers and Guides
    2. Moving, Aligning, and Distributing
    3. Free Transforming
    4. Deforming
    5. Transforming Smart Objects
  17. Chapter 11: Adjusting and Filtering
    1. Applying Adjustments and Filters
    2. Working with Smart Filters
    3. Creating Fill and Adjustment Layers
  18. Chapter 12: Developing Photos
    1. Using Adobe Bridge
    2. Making Development Decisions in ACR
      1. Basic Parameters
      2. Advanced Parameters
    3. Making Local Adjustments in ACR
  19. Chapter 13: Retouching Photos
    1. Using Retouching Tools
      1. Developing the Photo
      2. Removing the Telephone Pole and Wires
    2. Replacing Textures In Perspective
      1. Mapping Perspective Grids
      2. Copying a Texture onto Surfaces in Perspective
    3. Changing Focus
  20. Chapter 14: Merging Photos
    1. Making High Dynamic Range Imagery
      1. Using Merge to HDR Pro
      2. Applying HDR Toning To A Single Image
    2. Working with Panoramas
      1. Using Photomerge
      2. Making A Seamless 360-Degree Panorama
    3. Processing Images in Stacks
  21. Chapter 15: Working with Color
    1. Managing Color
      1. Configuring Color Settings
      2. Assigning and Converting Color Profiles
    2. Correcting Color
      1. Using Curves to Set Black, Gray, and White Points
      2. Creating a Color Cast with the Photo Filter
    3. Adjusting Color
    4. Proofing Color
  22. Chapter 16: Creating Output
    1. Printing
    2. Saving for the Web
    3. Rendering Images to Video
  23. Appendix: Adobe Visual Communication Using Photoshop CS6 Objectives
  24. Index

Product information

  • Title: Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essentials
  • Author(s): Scott Onstott
  • Release date: August 2012
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9781118094952