Photoshop® CS4 For Dummies®

Chapter 15. Filters: The Fun Side of Photoshop

In This Chapter

• Finding out about Smart Filters

• Being productive with "fix it" filters

• Getting artsy with creative filters

• Adding wackiness (and precise correction) with Liquify

• Taking a quick look at the specialized filters

The Photoshop Filter menu includes more than 100 commands that you can use to fix, flatter, finesse, and freak out your photos. You can use most of the filters on most of your artwork and some of the filters on some of your artwork, and you probably won't ever use quite a few of the filters.

In this chapter, I start you off with a discussion of the new Smart Filters feature, something you should get used to using just about every time you apply a filter. Next, you get a look at what I call the "production" filters: namely, the key filters you use to improve or repair your images. Following that, I show you the basics of two of the most fun features in all of Photoshop: the Filter Gallery and Liquify. Not only are they fun, but you can use them to do wondrous things to your artwork. I wrap up the chapter with a look at several other key filters.

Smart Filters: Your Creative Insurance Policy

One of the most important concepts to keep in mind when working with filters are Smart Filters. When you apply a filter to a pixel layer, that's it — the pixels are changed. But, when you apply a filter to a Smart Object, you create a Smart ...