Photoshop® CS4: Top 100 Simplified® Tips & Tricks

Photoshop® CS4: Top 100 Simplified® Tips & Tricks

Released February 2009
Publisher(s): Visual
ISBN: 9780470442548

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Book description

Beyond-the-basic techniques show you how to take your Photoshop CS4 skills to the next level

  • With more than 4 million users worldwide, Photoshop is the world-standard image-editing solution for print and the Web and the CS4 release promises exciting new creative possibilities for adventurous Photoshop users

  • Packed with 100 cool and useful tips and tricks, this visual tutorial investigates the bells and whistles that come with the new CS4 release

  • Features full-color screen shots, step-by-step instructions, and updated photo examples all aimed at elevating your Photoshop skills to new heights

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. PRAISE FOR VISUAL BOOKS
  3. CREDITS
  4. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  5. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
  6. 1. Customizing Photoshop for Your Projects
    1. 1.1. SELECT THE COLOR SETTINGS for your projects
    2. 1.2. SET THE PREFERENCES for the way you work
    3. 1.3. Move the panels and tools to CUSTOMIZE YOUR WORKSPACE
    4. 1.4. PERSONALIZE YOUR VIEW of Bridge
    5. 1.5. ADD A KEYBOARD SHORTCUT for a favorite filter
    6. 1.6. CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION to increase your efficiency
    7. 1.7. DESIGN A CUSTOMIZED BRUSH with your settings
    8. 1.8. MAKE A SPECIAL GRADIENT to suit your design
    9. 1.9. CALIBRATE AND PROFILE your monitor for better editing
    10. 1.10. Turn on the full power of Photoshop with a PEN TABLET
    11. 1.11. Change your WINDOW VIEWS
  7. 2. Working with Layers, Selections, and Masks
    1. 2.1. NAME AND COLOR-CODE LAYERS to organize the Layers panel
    2. 2.2. DUPLICATE AND CHANGE the Background layer for more options
    3. 2.3. Adjust a photo with an ADJUSTMENT LAYER
    4. 2.4. BLEND TWO PHOTOS TOGETHER with a layer mask
    5. 2.5. Add a design with a CUSTOM SHAPE LAYER
    6. 2.6. ACCENTUATE A SKY with a gradient fill layer
    7. 2.7. Make a selection with the QUICK SELECTION TOOL
    8. 2.8. USE REFINE EDGE to make all selections better
    9. 2.9. PAINT A QUICK MASK to make a detailed selection
    10. 2.10. ADD LAYERS AS SMART OBJECTS for flexible changes
    11. 2.11. APPLY FILTERS AS SMART FILTERS for dynamic adjustments
  8. 3. Straightening, Cropping, and Resizing
    1. 3.1. CROP YOUR IMAGES to improve composition with photographers' rules
    2. 3.2. Create a LEVEL HORIZON
    3. 3.3. Expand the canvas with a REVERSE CROP
    4. 3.4. CROP AND STRAIGHTEN in Camera Raw
    5. 3.5. STRAIGHTEN CROOKED SCANS quickly
    6. 3.6. CREATE MULTIPLE IMAGES from one original
    7. 3.7. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE with the Crop tool
    8. 3.8. STRAIGHTEN BUILDINGS with one filter
    9. 3.9. CREATE A PANORAMA from multiple photos
    10. 3.10. RESIZE YOUR IMAGE with minimal visible loss
  9. 4. Retouching Portraits
    1. 4.1. REMOVE BLEMISHES and improve the skin
    2. 4.2. REMOVE BLEMISHES and improve the skin
    3. 4.3. REDUCE WRINKLES with a soft touch
    4. 4.4. REMOVE RED EYE to quickly improve any photo
    5. 4.5. CHANGE EYE COLOR digitally
    6. 4.6. Add a gradient layer to LIGHTEN THE IRISES
    7. 4.7. BRIGHTEN THE EYES by lightening the whites
    8. 4.8. ADD DEPTH TO EYES to emphasize them
    9. 4.9. ADD DEPTH TO EYES to emphasize them
    10. 4.10. ADD A CATCH LIGHT to make the eyes come alive
    11. 4.11. SHARPEN JUST THE EYES to add focus
    12. 4.12. WHITEN TEETH to improve a smile
    13. 4.13. Add a soft-focus effect to MAKE A PORTRAIT GLOW
  10. 5. Changing and Enhancing Colors and Tone
    1. 5.1. IMPROVE AN UNDEREXPOSED PHOTO in two steps
    2. 5.2. IMPROVE AN OVEREXPOSED PHOTO in three steps
    3. 5.3. REMOVE A COLORCAST to improve the overall color
    4. 5.4. COLORIZE a black-and-white photograph
    5. 5.5. Change a color photo into a CUSTOM GRAYSCALE PHOTO
    6. 5.6. ADD A CREATIVE TOUCH with a little color
    7. 5.7. DODGE AND BURN with a special layer
    8. 5.8. Increase saturation subtly using a VIBRANCE ADJUSTMENT LAYER
    9. 5.9. USE CAMERA RAW to visually adjust any photo
    10. 5.10. RECOVER HIGHLIGHTS with Camera Raw
    11. 5.11. IMPROVE A SKY with the Camera Raw graduated filter
    12. 5.12. CREATE A SPLIT TONE for a special effect in Camera Raw
  11. 6. Making Magic with Digital Special Effects
    1. 6.1. APPLY A PHOTO FILTER for dynamic adjustments
    2. 6.2. Add a quick dark vignette effect to FOCUS ON THE SUBJECT
    3. 6.3. Add action with a SIMULATED MOTION BLUR
    4. 6.4. BLEND SEPARATE PHOTOS for the best group shot
    5. 6.5. MERGE MULTIPLE RAW PHOTOS to 32-bit HDR
    6. 6.6. Apply a split-neutral density filter using SMART OBJECTS
    7. 6.7. ADJUST DEPTH OF FIELD with a Lens Blur filter
    8. 6.8. ADJUST DEPTH OF FIELD with a Lens Blur filter
    9. 6.9. Use the Auto Blend tool to create GREATER DEPTH OF FIELD
    10. 6.10. Use the Auto Blend tool to create GREATER DEPTH OF FIELD
    11. 6.11. CREATE A SILHOUETTE for a custom design
    12. 6.12. CREATE A SILHOUETTE for a custom design
    13. 6.13. BECOME A DIGITAL ARCHITECT with the Vanishing Point filter
    14. 6.14. BECOME A DIGITAL ARCHITECT with the Vanishing Point filter
    15. 6.15. ERASE ITEMS IN PERSPECTIVE with the Vanishing Point filter
    16. 6.16. ADD A SIMULATED REFLECTION to an object with the Clone Stamp tool
    17. 6.17. Blend one image into another with a DISPLACEMENT MAP
    18. 6.18. Blend one image into another with a DISPLACEMENT MAP
  12. 7. Designing with Text Effects
    1. 7.1. PAINT DIFFERENT COLORS into a text title
    2. 7.2. ADD A DOUBLE-NEON GLOW to text for a unique design
    3. 7.3. CREATE A CUSTOM WATERMARK to protect your images
    4. 7.4. FILL A SHAPE WITH TEXT to create unique effects
    5. 7.5. WARP TYPE for a fun effect
    6. 7.6. ADD PERSPECTIVE TO TYPE and keep it sharp
    7. 7.7. Make your text FOLLOW ANY PATH
    8. 7.8. Create a PHOTO-FILLED TITLE
    9. 7.9. BLEND TEXT into a photograph creatively
    10. 7.10. Create an amazing COLORED SHADOW
    11. 7.11. WEAVE TEXT AND GRAPHICS for intriguing designs
  13. 8. Creating Digital Artwork from Photographs
    1. 8.1. Make any photo appear SKETCHED ON THE PAPER
    2. 8.2. ADD YOUR OWN SIGNATURE to any artwork
    3. 8.3. Create a digital PEN-AND-INK DRAWING
    4. 8.4. Give a photograph a WOODCUT LOOK
    5. 8.5. CONVERT A PHOTO to a high contrast stylized image
    6. 8.6. Turn a photo into a COLORED-PENCIL ILLUSTRATION
    7. 8.7. POSTERIZE A PHOTO for a Warhol-style image
    8. 8.8. POSTERIZE A PHOTO for a Warhol-style image
    9. 8.9. Change a photograph into a PEN-AND-COLORED-WASH DRAWING
    10. 8.10. Change a photograph into a PEN-AND-COLORED-WASH DRAWING
    11. 8.11. Compose a PHOTO COLLAGE
    12. 8.12. Turn a photo into a HAND-PAINTED OIL PAINTING
    13. 8.13. Turn a photo into a HAND-PAINTED OIL PAINTING
    14. 8.14. Paint a DIGITAL WATERCOLOR
    15. 8.15. Paint a DIGITAL WATERCOLOR
  14. 9. Giving Your Images a Professional Presentation
    1. 9.1. Frame a photo with PHOTO CORNERS
    2. 9.2. MAKE A LINE FRAME from within a photo
    3. 9.3. Apply a filter to give a photo AN ARTISTIC EDGE
    4. 9.4. Create your own CUSTOM EDGE
    5. 9.5. Create a CUSTOM SLIDE TEMPLATE
    6. 9.6. Create a CUSTOM COLOR BACKGROUND
    7. 9.7. Make a photo look like A GALLERY PRINT
    8. 9.8. Make a photo look like A GALLERY PRINT
    9. 9.9. MAKE A CONTACT SHEET of your photos
    10. 9.10. CREATE A SLIDE SHOW presentation
    11. 9.11. Create a WEB PHOTO GALLERY
  15. 10. Plugging in to Photoshop CS4
    1. 10.1. Embellish a photo effortlessly with GRAPHIC AUTHORITY
    2. 10.2. ENLARGE IMAGES with maximum quality with Alien Skin Blow Up 2
    3. 10.3. CHANGE YOUR PHOTOS INTO ART with Alien Skin Snap Art
    4. 10.4. COLORIZE A BLACK-AND-WHITE photo with AKVIS Coloriage
    5. 10.5. MAKE A SELECTION and remove the background with Vertus Fluid Mask
    6. 10.6. CONTROL DIGITAL NOISE with Nik Dfine
    7. 10.7. SHARPEN PHOTOS with finesse using Nik Sharpener Pro
    8. 10.8. APPLY PHOTO FILTERS digitally using Nik Color Efex Pro
    9. 10.9. ENHANCE COLORS AND LIGHT selectively with Nik Viveza
    10. 10.10. CREATE A DYNAMIC black-and-white image with Nik Silver Efex Pro
    11. 10.11. TRANSFORM AN IMAGE with an action from Kubota Image Tools
    12. 10.12. EXPLORE COLORS VISUALLY with AutoFX Software
    13. 10.13. ENHANCE YOUR PORTRAITS with Imagenomic Portraiture
    14. 10.14. TRAVEL BEYOND BRIDGE with Extensis Portfolio
    15. 10.15. TRAVEL BEYOND BRIDGE with Extensis Portfolio

Product information

  • Title: Photoshop® CS4: Top 100 Simplified® Tips & Tricks
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: February 2009
  • Publisher(s): Visual
  • ISBN: 9780470442548