Photoshop CS2 Savvy | Stephen Romaniello, Matt Kloskowski

book: Photoshop CS2 Savvy | Stephen Romaniello, Matt Kloskowski

books:

Photoshop CS2 Savvy

	Photoshop CS2 Savvy Stephen Romaniello, Matt Kloskowski Sybex, 2005 - 720 pages average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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Savvy - n. Practical know-how.

However you use Photoshop, and however much experience you have, you're probably aware of the complexity behind this application's immense power. Photoshop CS2 Savvy ensures that this complexity never gets in the way of your productivity. Where an understanding of theory will help you get better results, this book provides it. Mostly, however, it concentrates on helping you master the specific, practical tools and techniques that are essential to your success, whether you work as a desktop publisher, graphic artist, printer, photographer, or Web designer.

Make your way from cover to cover or jump to information on a specific topic--anything from color management to image retouching to digital photography support. Apply your knowledge to complex, real-world projects with Hands On tutorials. View numerous color-related examples in the full-color section showcases. The practical, accessible coverage includes:

Numerous color-related examples of Core Photoshop Skills: selections, type, layers, paths, paint effects, alpha channels, Quick Mask, scanning, transformations, and more. Features new to Photoshop CS2, such as Warping tools, Vanishing Point filter, Adobe Bridge file-browsing application, and new Camera Raw capabilities. Image retouching tools: Dodge and Burn, cloning and healing, History Brush, Dust and Scratches filter. Sections on color management and correction with material on levels and curves, color mapping, hue and saturation, channel mixing, CMYK conversion, printing, and more. ImageReady and Illustrator tips on page layout, image maps, animations, transferring vectors and layers. Coverage of advanced techniques, such as difficult selections, compositing, automation, duotones and spot color, advanced layering, preparing images for digital video.

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OK, not great.

The book is informal, and easy to read. However, when working through exercises, occasionally some instructional steps are skipped. You go from Point A to Point B to Point D. What happened to C? C is necessary to achieve the final effect. Pretty sloppy.

Also, at times, some fairly involved steps are introduced to achieve an effect for no apparent reason. For example, on Page 80, while learning about the single column marquee selection tool, the author goes into a farily elaborate process for creating simulated woodgrain:

Choose Filter, Noise, Add Noise, 400. Choose Edit, Transform, Scale. A bounding box appears, drag the left and right side so noise fills the window. Choose image, Adjustments, Hue/Sturation. Select Colorize box, move the sliders until the image changes to the desired color.

And, that's it. It has nothing to do with the single column marquee tool. No explanation as to why this process is outlined. (Maybe, later in the book this wood grain effect will be important?) No explanation of the settings, such as what "400" for noise means. This is pretty early on in the book. For those without Photoshop experience, it's just babble.

All in all, not bad background. But a little frustrating at times.

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