Flash® Catalyst™ CS5 Bible

Chapter 6. Create Assets in Photoshop

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Open files in Photoshop

• Viewing images

• Selecting images

• Sizing and cropping images

• Work with layers

• Image retouching

• Add vector shapes and paths

• Add layer styles

• Add text

Although you can create application comps in either Illustrator or Photoshop, it's likely that many designers will find Illustrator's drawing capabilities better suited to the task of creating the comp. Photoshop's strength, on the other hand, has never been in creating images but rather in modifying existing raster graphics.

Therefore, assets for your application, particularly photographic assets, will likely require a certain amount of work in Photoshop before they are ready to be brought into Catalyst.

Opening Files in Photoshop

It is possible to create images completely from scratch in Photoshop. There are, in fact, artists who create photo-realistic imagery entirely in the program. Most of the time, however, you will be opening pre-existing images, whether pulled from your company's image library, downloaded from a stock photo site, or taken by you on your digital camera.

Warning

Images are subject to copyright protection. Do not download an image off any Web site you do not own with the intent of using it in your application unless that site specifically states that such use is acceptable. If you have any doubt at all about whether or not you can use an image, it may be best to err on the side of caution and assume you cannot. Copyright laws vary from country to country ...