Teach Yourself Visually™: Photoshop® Elements 8

Teach Yourself Visually™: Photoshop® Elements 8

Released November 2009
Publisher(s): Visual
ISBN: 9780470566909

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Book description

The ultimate guide to the new Photoshop Elements 8 for visual learners

Photoshop Elements is the best-selling consumer digital image-editing software on the market and this book is a must-have for visual learners who are eager to get up and running with all the new and improved features of Photoshop Elements 8.

Veteran author Mike Wooldridge covers the most important features of Photoshop Elements, including importing photos from digital cameras and scanners, retouching and repairing damaged photos, enhancing digital images, perfecting group shots with Photomerge, editing images for posting on the Web, using the sharpness interface to correct blurry images, exploring the Curves tool to adjust contract and brightness, and organizing images with auto-stacking.

  • Covers the most important features of Photoshop Elements 8, the most popular digital image-editing software program on the market

  • Shows how to import photos from digital cameras and scanners, retouch and repair damaged photos, and enhance digital images

  • Explains what changing print size, canvas size, and resolution entails

  • Walks you through creating a Web photo gallery

  • Takes on new topics while also reinforcing the fundamentals to building a solid skill set

  • Accompanying Web site provides all the images used in the book so that you can practice along with all the example techniques featured in the book

Packed with examples and featuring helpful tasks, this book will sharpen your photo editing skills so that you can create stunning images.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Praise for Visual Books
  3. Credits
  4. About the Author
  5. Author's Acknowledgments
  6. How to use this book
  7. 1. Getting Started
    1. 1.1. Introducing Photoshop Elements 8
    2. 1.2. Understanding Digital Images
    3. 1.3. Start Photoshop Elements
    4. 1.4. The Editor Workspace
    5. 1.5. The Organizer Workspace
    6. 1.6. Switch between the Editor and the Organizer
    7. 1.7. Anatomy of the Photoshop Elements Toolbox
    8. 1.8. Work with Toolbox Tools
    9. 1.9. Work with Panels
    10. 1.10. Set Program Preferences
    11. 1.11. View Rulers and Guides
  8. 2. Acquiring and Storing Digital Images
    1. 2.1. Get Photos for Your Projects
    2. 2.2. Import Photos from a Digital Camera or Card Reader
    3. 2.3. Import Photos from a Scanner
    4. 2.4. Import Photos from a Folder
    5. 2.5. Watch a Folder for New Images
    6. 2.6. Open a Photo
    7. 2.7. Create a Blank Image
    8. 2.8. Save a Photo
    9. 2.9. Duplicate a Photo
    10. 2.10. Close a Photo
  9. 3. Organizing Your Photos
    1. 3.1. Introducing the Organizer
    2. 3.2. Open the Organizer
    3. 3.3. Create a Catalog
    4. 3.4. View Photos in the Media Browser
    5. 3.5. View Photos in Full Screen Mode
    6. 3.6. View a Slide Show in Full Screen
    7. 3.7. View Photo Properties
    8. 3.8. Add a Caption
    9. 3.9. Work with Albums
    10. 3.10. View Photos by Date
    11. 3.11. Find Photos
    12. 3.12. Rate Photos
  10. 4. Advanced Organizing Tools
    1. 4.1. Create a Smart Album
    2. 4.2. Work with Keyword Tags
    3. 4.3. View a Tag Cloud
    4. 4.4. Tag Faces
    5. 4.5. Map a Photo
    6. 4.6. Apply Photo Fixes in Full Screen
    7. 4.7. Stack Photos
  11. 5. Image-Editing Basics
    1. 5.1. Manage Open Images
    2. 5.2. Magnify with the Zoom Tool
    3. 5.3. Adjust the Image View
    4. 5.4. Change the Image Size
    5. 5.5. Change the Image Print Size
    6. 5.6. Change the Image Resolution
    7. 5.7. Change the Image Canvas Size
    8. 5.8. Crop an Image
    9. 5.9. Rotate an Image
    10. 5.10. Undo Changes to an Image
    11. 5.11. Revert an Image
  12. 6. Selection Techniques
    1. 6.1. Select an Area with a Marquee
    2. 6.2. Select an Area with a Lasso
    3. 6.3. Select an Area with the Magic Wand
    4. 6.4. Select an Area with the Quick Selection Tool
    5. 6.5. Select an Area with the Selection Brush
    6. 6.6. Save and Load a Selection
    7. 6.7. Invert a Selection
    8. 6.8. Deselect a Selection
  13. 7. Manipulating Selections
    1. 7.1. Add to or Subtract from a Selection
    2. 7.2. Move a Selection
    3. 7.3. Copy and Paste a Selection
    4. 7.4. Delete a Selection
    5. 7.5. Rotate a Selection
    6. 7.6. Scale a Selection
    7. 7.7. Skew or Distort a Selection
    8. 7.8. Feather the Border of a Selection
  14. 8. Layer Basics
    1. 8.1. What Are Layers?
    2. 8.2. Create and Add to a Layer
    3. 8.3. Hide a Layer
    4. 8.4. Move a Layer
    5. 8.5. Duplicate a Layer
    6. 8.6. Delete a Layer
    7. 8.7. Reorder Layers
    8. 8.8. Change the Opacity of a Layer
    9. 8.9. Link Layers
    10. 8.10. Merge Layers
    11. 8.11. Rename a Layer
    12. 8.12. Create a Fill Layer
    13. 8.13. Create an Adjustment Layer
    14. 8.14. Blend Layers
  15. 9. Retouching Photos
    1. 9.1. Retouch with Guided Edit
    2. 9.2. Quick Fix a Photo
    3. 9.3. Improve Colors with Quick Fix
    4. 9.4. Remove Red-Eye
    5. 9.5. Retouch with the Clone Stamp Tool
    6. 9.6. Correct a Spot
    7. 9.7. Sharpen an Image
    8. 9.8. Extract an Object from a Background
    9. 9.9. Merge Group Shots
    10. 9.10. Combine Faces
    11. 9.11. Recompose a Photo
    12. 9.12. Fix Keystone Distortion
  16. 10. Enhancing Contrast and Exposure
    1. 10.1. Enhance Lighting with Guided Edit
    2. 10.2. Adjust Levels
    3. 10.3. Adjust Shadows and Highlights
    4. 10.4. Change Brightness and Contrast
    5. 10.5. Lighten Areas with the Dodge Tool
    6. 10.6. Darken Areas with the Burn Tool
    7. 10.7. Add a Spotlight
    8. 10.8. Fix Exposure
    9. 10.9. Using the Blur and Sharpen Tools
  17. 11. Enhancing Colors
    1. 11.1. Enhance Colors with Guided Edit
    2. 11.2. Adjust Skin Color
    3. 11.3. Adjust Color with the Sponge Tool
    4. 11.4. Correct Color with Color Variations
    5. 11.5. Replace a Color
    6. 11.6. Turn a Color Photo into Black and White
    7. 11.7. Add Color to a Black-and-White Photo
    8. 11.8. Adjust Color by Using Color Curves
  18. 12. Painting and Drawing on Photos
    1. 12.1. Set the Foreground and Background Colors
    2. 12.2. Add Color with the Brush Tool
    3. 12.3. Change Brush Styles
    4. 12.4. Add Color with the Paint Bucket Tool
    5. 12.5. Replace a Color with a Brush
    6. 12.6. Adjust Colors with the Smart Brush
    7. 12.7. Draw a Shape
    8. 12.8. Draw a Line
    9. 12.9. Erase an Area
    10. 12.10. Apply a Gradient
  19. 13. Applying Filters
    1. 13.1. Blur an Image
    2. 13.2. Distort an Image
    3. 13.3. Turn an Image into a Painting
    4. 13.4. Turn an Image into a Sketch
    5. 13.5. Add Noise to an Image
    6. 13.6. Pixelate an Image
    7. 13.7. Emboss an Image
    8. 13.8. Apply Multiple Filters
  20. 14. Adding Text Elements
    1. 14.1. Add Text
    2. 14.2. Change the Formatting of Text
    3. 14.3. Change the Color of Text
    4. 14.4. Create Warped Text
    5. 14.5. Create Beveled Text
    6. 14.6. Add a Shadow to Text
  21. 15. Applying Styles and Effects
    1. 15.1. Frame a Photo with a Drop Shadow
    2. 15.2. Add a Drop Shadow to a Layer
    3. 15.3. Create a Vintage Photo
    4. 15.4. Add a Fancy Background
    5. 15.5. Add an Outline to a Layer
    6. 15.6. Add an Outer Glow to a Layer
    7. 15.7. Add a Fancy Covering to a Layer
    8. 15.8. Add a Watermark
  22. 16. Presenting Photos Creatively
    1. 16.1. Create a Slide Show
    2. 16.2. Create a Collage
    3. 16.3. Create a Greeting Card
    4. 16.4. Create a Flipbook
    5. 16.5. Create PhotoStamps
    6. 16.6. Create a Photo Panorama
  23. 17. Saving and Sharing Your Work
    1. 17.1. Save a JPEG for the Web
    2. 17.2. Save a GIF for the Web
    3. 17.3. Save a PNG for the Web
    4. 17.4. Convert File Types
    5. 17.5. E-mail Images with Photo Mail
    6. 17.6. Print a Photo
    7. 17.7. Print Multiple Photos
    8. 17.8. Print a Picture Package
    9. 17.9. Export Photos
    10. 17.10. Back Up Photos
    11. 17.11. Sign Up for Online Services
    12. 17.12. Share a Photo Gallery Online
    13. 17.13. Back Up and Synchronize Photos Online

Product information

  • Title: Teach Yourself Visually™: Photoshop® Elements 8
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: November 2009
  • Publisher(s): Visual
  • ISBN: 9780470566909