Product Description

This latest version of Photoshop has a few new tricks up its sleeve and Adobe Photoshop CS4 For Dummies will teach you how to use them. From the basics like getting your images into and out of Photoshop to enhancing, cropping, and color correction, it’s all here!

You’ll get all of the basics of digital images and master the importing and exporting of images. You’ll find out how to create easy enhancements like adding shadows and highlights and making color natural, in addition to learning how to use the Adobe camera raw plug-in. Before you know it, you’ll be making beautiful “art” with Photoshop by combining images, precision edges, dressing up images, painting in Photoshop, and using filters. You can even streamline your work in Photoshop using advanced techniques. Find out how to:

• Import images and use all the tools and processes
• Reduce digital noise, make colors look natural, add highlights and shadows
• Optimize images for print or the Web
• Edit images
• Explore the Painting function and master the daunting Brushes panel
• Add layer styles
• Create on-screen presentations, contact prints, and more

Complete with lists of ten reasons to love your Wacom tablet, ten reasons to own a digital camera, and ten favorite tips and tricks, Adobe CS4For Dummies is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of Photoshop CS4 for all your digital photography needs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15696 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780470327258
• Condition: USED - GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"This is a book once read you will return to when Photoshop will just not do what you tell it to do" (GadgetSpeak.com, March 8th 2009)

From the Back Cover

Get to know Photoshop and start using the newest, coolest techniques!

Whether you're just learning Photoshop or want to take your skills up a notch, you've come to the right place. Photoshop CS4 has a few new tricks up its sleeve, and Photoshop expert Peter Bauer will show you how to use them. From the basics like getting your images into and out of Photoshop to enhancing, cropping, and color correction, it's all here!

• Basic training — if you're a beginner, check this section for details on how to get started, get around, and get familiar with all the parts

• Enhancements made easy — learn about tonality, how to tweak color to natural perfection, how to isolate areas of an image for correction, and more

• Fixing those common problems — red-eye, wrinkles, people and objects that don't belong in the photo, and others

• But is it art? — explore the painting functions, master the daunting Brushes panel, and add layer styles

• Feel the power — create on-screen presentations, contact sheets, and more

Open the book and find:

• Explanations of the menus, panels, tools, options, and shortcuts you need most

• Tips for taking advantage of the Camera Raw file format

• How to fine-tune your fixes with selection tools

• What you can do with filters

• Steps for creating composite images

• Options for adding text to an image

• How to streamline your workflow

About the Author

Peter Bauer is an award-winning photographer and contributing writer for Photoshop User and Layers magazines. He is best known as the Help Desk Director for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), but he has also authored or coauthored a dozen books on Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, computer graphics, and photography.

Customer Reviews

Migrating to CS4 -- Beginner & Intermediate
Although I previously had CS2 and CS3 I decided to start from "ground zero" with a CS4 "Dummies" book; I have had good luck with this series and found this book to be valuable regardless of whether you are a first time Photoshop user or migrating from a previous version. However, this book may not be advanced and detailed enough for very advanced users of previous versions.

Searching
As a new person starting from scratch this book does not give the detail required for learning. I felt it would apply more to someone who has been using photoshop for some time and this book explains a few handy tips. It was not much help at all for me as a beginner

Excellent tutorials, well laid out book, very readable and informative

Strengths: Well laid out , easy to use and in color. Price is well worth it. Authoritatively written.
Weaknesses: No Cd. You will have to find own photos to use regarding the tutorials.

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced



Introduction

Photoshop is the premier graphics manipulation application. From humble beginnings, this program has developed into a "blockbuster," getting better and better, adding new features over time. While there are many graphics programs that can do some of the tasks, Photoshop CS4 offers most power and flexibility for the graphic novice, intermediate and professionals. Graphic editors who use Photoshop will find this book useful for a variety of reasons.
The author is Photoshop World Dream Team Instructor and is the author of graphic books, a host for video training titles and much more. His experiences in the field of graphics are displayed in this book and display his excellent style, knowledge of graphics, capable utilization of the Photoshop program for many graphic needs. His reading style is both authoritative and informative. But there is more within the pages that assist with learning how to use Photoshop and its complexities.
Users gain a good sense of understanding through the excellent tutorials and readings. The book has 401 pages, as opposed to 396 pages in the previous version with CS3. Once again five sections and twenty chapters are highlighted. The pages and tutorials are well laid out. White space make for easy reading as the non-cramped text is very easy to read. Photos and illustrations are in full color. Tutorials are aided by bold titles, numbered sections and steps. Like many of the dummies books, there are icons which highlight tips, new features, warnings, technical information, remembering important knowledge. Cartoons, which adorn each section, are both humorous and artistically cute, relate poignantly to a computer/ graphic use life, computer usage or in another way.
The sections/ parts include: Basic training (warm and friendly introduction to Photoshop from the beginning), Enhancing for Digital Images (use of color, raw images and raw plug-in, fine tuning images and dealing with problems), Creating "Art" in Photoshop (combining images, using vectors, using layer styles, text messaging, painting fun and using filters), Power Photoshop streamlining your workflow and extending CS4. Lastly the Parts of Ten (Top 10 favorite Photoshop tips and tricks, Wacom tablet information, Ten reasons to won a digital camera). But there is more inside this version compared to the version with CS4.
There are several highlighted sections which designate information and guidance regarding new CS4 and specific features. Here there is additional information concerning new panels for adjustment layers, the use of camera raw files and importing, Bride review and commands, panorama sticking, new layer masking tools, color harmony and brush reviews, working with 3D and more.

Conclusions
I really like this book for many reasons. For one, this book is a great buy. It is a excellent guidebook, resource guide and readable. Novice users will not "become lost". The author communicates in concise, clear and understandable ways covering the strengths and versatility of the application. The text conveys a remarkable and easy to understand way to use Photoshop for your graphics needs.
This text will make a fine addition to graphic users library, especially to those who are in need of a fine resource/guide to learn about or upgrade skills with Photoshop CS4. You'll be up and running in no time and adding to your graphics capabilities and knowledge.