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The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.
MONDAY - AUGUST 07 2006
Alien Skin Software Releases Blow Up — A Photoshop Plugin For Enlarging Images
Alien Skin Software have released Blow Up, an all-new plug-in for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Designed for both photographers and graphic artists, BlowUp offers the highest quality image enlargement available. Blow Up simplifies and improves image enlargement, making it easy to convert web graphics to print and create large format and gallery prints from digital snapshots.
Better than Photoshop bicubic and other third party solutions, Blow Up preserves the crisp lines and smooth colors in a source image. Blow Up scales images up to 3600% — 6 times in each dimension — with no stairstep, halo, or fringe artifacts.
In addition to superior image quality, BlowUp offers several distinguishing features. Blow Up supports CMYK, RGB, Lab, Grayscale, and Duotone image modes. Blow Up resizes multi-layered documents — no flattening necessary — and works with 8-, 16- and 32-bit compositions, including RAW and HDR images. Blow-Up can resize an image in a new document, leaving the original untouched. Lastly, taking advantage of multiprocessor, multi-core, and Hyper-threading technology, Blow Up offers greatly improved performance on modern CPUs.
Pricing and Availability
Blow Up sells for an estimated street price of $199. Registered users of other Alien Skin products receive discount pricing when ordering direct. Online delivery is available at the Alien Skin website. Blow Up is also available worldwide through stores, catalogs and resellers.
Host Requirements
Because Blow Up is an automation plug-in, it works exclusively with Adobe Photoshop CS or later and Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 or later.
System Requirements
Windows users must have at least a Pentium 4 processor, 512 MB RAM and Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Macintosh users must have at least a PowerPC G4 processor, 512 MB RAM and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
(I just received a review copy of Blow Up and I'll be posting my findings on this software shortly.)
For more plugins, see our Photoshop Plugins Page.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Photoshop Tip: Using The Pen? Stay Away From The Toolbox
Want to save trips to the Toolbox when using the Pen tool (P)? You're in luck. Better yet, you don't even have to hold down any modifier keys (such as Option/Alt, etc.), because Photoshop will do the work for you.
Here's why: When you draw a path, move your cursor over a line segment and your Pen cursor automatically changes to the Add Anchor Point tool, so you can click anywhere along that path to add a point. Move your cursor over an existing point, and it changes into the Delete Anchor Point tool (click on the point, and it's deleted). This is called Auto Add/Delete, and it's on by default (you can turn it off, should you want to, using the checkbox in the Options Bar).
reprinted by permission and sponsored by the NAPP
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
FRIDAY - AUGUST 04 2006
Flash Video Training — Special Discount Offer
As part of the Flash 10th anniversary celebration, Total Training is offering a 30% discount on both Flash Professional 8 and Advanced Flash Professional 8 training as a gift to their customers.
How To Redeem
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Total Training for Advanced Flash Professional 8 - ActionScript
Learn how to unleash your creative potential with advanced tutorials on the industry's most advanced authoring environment for creating interactive websites. You will learn scripting basics and then dive into how ActionScript works and how and where to include it in your applications.
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Free Video Clip Samples
The following clips are courtesy of Total Training and are all in High Definition (HD). Benefits of HD include a 165% larger screen size for viewing on a computer monitor, crystal-clear image capture to easily read text and fine details, and higher frame rate support for smoother playback.
Using Event Handlers And Layers.
How To Duplicate Multiple Graphics.
How To Embed Fonts In A Flash Movie.
How To Create A Script To Generate Thumbnails.
Working With Text Properties In Flash.
For more on Flash, including free video tutorials, see our Flash Resource Center.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Ben Long Releases Photoshop Action Pack Version 3
Ben Long at completedigitalphotography.com has just released version 3 of his Photoshop Action Pack, a collection of Automator Actions that allow users of Photoshop CS and CS2 to drive Photoshop from within Apple's Automator. Packing a total of 85 separate actions, version 3 of the Action Pack now lets users process Camera Raw files from within their Automator workflows, allowing them to use Automator to drive their raw photography pipeline.
Automator ships with every copy of OS X 10.4, and allows users to easily construct automation routines by simply dragging and dropping special Automator Actions together to create a workflow. Before you can control a specific app, though, you need to install the appropriate actions that will allow Automator to talk to the program in question. The Photoshop Action Pack provides everything you need to control all of Photoshop's major functions from within Automator.
Version 3 includes 11 new actions including Add Empty Adjustment Layer, Add Graphic Watermark, Channel Mixer, Duplicate Current Layer, Photo Filter, Resize to File Size, Exposure, and Reduce Noise. In addition, many new features have been added to existing actions, including:
- New save options in the Render action. Save as EPS is now provided as is Save for Web, which allows you to create optimized GIF and JPEG images. Save for Web has been one of the most requested actions, and with version 3, it's finally here.
- Many actions such as Color Balance, Hue/Saturation, and the new Channel Mixer action can now by applied as Adjustment Layers.
- Many effects, including Smart Sharpen, Shadow/Highlight, Unsharp Mask, and Mono Gaussian Noise, will automatically duplicate the current layer, and apply themselves to the duplicate layer (with or without a Layer Mask) allowing you a modicum of non-destructive editing power.
Version 3 can now open any of Photoshop's supported Camera Raw formats, and will automatically use the associated Camera Raw configuration metadata for its conversions. This means that you can now configure your raw conversions using Camera Raw, and then launch the actual conversion using an Automator workflow, which might include additional processing or output steps.
Finally, the update includes numerous bug fixes, most notably the ability to handle file names with international characters, (as well as some punctuation that was messing up earlier versions) and some other little issues here and there.
For those who wonder why they should hassle with Automator when Photoshop has its own internal automation mechanism, the answer is twofold: first, Automator lets you control multiple applications from within a single workflow, so you can easily create workflows that automatically process images in Photoshop, and then use other apps to perform additional operations - copying, archiving, placing in a page layout program, transferring to an FTP site, and so on. Second, Photoshop's built-in Actions palette does not include any logic control - you can't branch based on the properties of an image. The Photoshop Action Pack provides a number of "filter" actions which let you filter your images for processing based on file type, color mode, EXIF and IPTC tags, orientation, size, and more.
As with previous versions, the Photoshop Action Pack is a free download. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be easily made using the Paypal button just above the download link.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
MisterClipping Offers Handmade Photoshop Clipping Paths
MisterClipping.com is an online supplier of hand-made Photoshop clipping paths. The company was founded in November 2005 and is entirely dedicated to making clipping paths for third parties.
Photoshop clipping paths separate objects from their background/basic layer. This is referred to as 'isolating' them. Only isolated images can be placed on a new background (color). In addition, clipping paths are used for various creative (post) editing procedures. Hence, the graphic industry cannot escape from making clipping paths. It does, however, remain a tedious job.
Mister Clipping revolves around simplicity and user-friendliness. The application distinguishes itself by the fact that the entire process of image selection, uploading, clipping and checking up to the process of paying and downloading the clipped images is fully integrated in the system and computerized as much as possible.
In order to be able to use the application, one must first register for a (free) account. After this, the user determines the way in which they get their images to and from Mister Clipping. By default, this takes place by means of the Mister Clipping browser: the user selects the images that they wish to have clipped and, by pressing 'upload', the images are copied to the Mister Clipping servers automatically. It is also possible to use FTP. If the user selects this option, Mister Clipping will automatically create a target folder, which can be accessed by entering a username and password. It is even possible to enter a location where the images can be found. Mister Clipping will collect the images on its own (FTP fetch). In all cases a thumbnail survey of the images 'coming in' is generated in real-time. The system offers the same options for downloading the isolated images.
The starting rate for the isolation of images is €3.95 a piece. The price per image depends on the complexity of the object to be isolated. A representation of a bicycle is obviously more difficult to process than that of a packet of butter. In order to calculate the total price of a job, the images are classed into four categories. Users will receive a final estimate before commissioning the company to add a clipping path to an image. Payment options are by credit card or Paypal.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Photoshop Tip: Fix Those Stray Pixels Fast!
Sometimes when making a selection with the Magic Wand tool (W) or Color Range command (under the Select menu), Photoshop will leave little stray pixels unselected. You can tell where they are because they appear to twinkle on and off, kind of teasing, nay, taunting you, because your selection is not complete.
Luckily, there's a quick way to rein in those renegade stray pixels. Go under the Select menu, under Modify, and choose Smooth. Enter a Sample Radius of 1 pixel and click OK. That will usually do the trick—those stray pixels are now selected.
reprinted by permission and sponsored by the NAPP
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
THURSDAY - AUGUST 03 2006
SanDisk Introduces SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash - Digital Camera Flash Card
SanDisk has introduced the new SanDisk Extreme IV line of CompactFlash digital film cards for professional photographers. The line is targeted at photographers who require the highest possible performance and the largest capacities for their medium format and high-end digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.
The SanDisk Extreme IV cards are available in capacities of up to 8-gigabytes (GB) and deliver minimum read and write speeds of 40 megabytes per second (MB/sec.) making these the fastest flash memory cards in the world. This exceptionally fast card speed is critical when shooting large numbers of high-resolution images.
SanDisk also introduced the new SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader that can transfer images from the SanDisk Extreme IV cards to a computer at up to 40MB/sec. for significantly improved workflow efficiency.
The SanDisk Extreme IV cards are targeted at the professional photographer who needs the absolute highest performance and maximum reliability. The company will continue to offer the SanDisk Extreme III and SanDisk Ultra II lines.
"The new SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash card and SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader offers photographers a number of key benefits," said Tanya Chuang, senior retail marketing manager at SanDisk. "First of all, the new cards are twice the speed of the current SanDisk Extreme III cards and offer performance that is ideal for medium format cameras, digital backs and other high-resolution cameras that require the combination of high performance and large capacities.
In addition, they are available in industry-leading capacities so that photographers can capture a larger number of RAW or other high-resolution images. Lastly, photographers can quickly transfer gigabytes of images from the card to the computer for greatly increased workflow efficiency, an important consideration when working under deadline pressures."
Fast Cards Ideal For High-Resolution Digital Cameras
SanDisk Extreme IV cards use SanDisk-developed ESP (Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing) technology that combine fast NAND flash memory chips and controller designs, 32-bit RISC processing and advanced algorithms in an architecture that streamlines every aspect of read and write data transfer operations. In addition, SanDisk works closely with major camera manufacturers to ensure the speed and compatibility of its cards.
Read the full press release.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Photoshop Tip: Custom Brushes: Start With A Clean Slate
If you're going to build your own custom brush in Photoshop, sometimes it's easier to start with an existing brush and edit it. The problem is that you may have all sorts of settings already in place (Texture, Scattering, Shape Dynamics, etc., along with all their individual options). To set everything back to their defaults could take a while.
At least it would if you didn't know this cool little trick: Click on the brush you want to use as your starting point for your custom brush, and in the Brushes palette, click on the options you want to edit (like Texture, Scattering, etc.). Then, from the palette's flyout menu, choose Clear Brush Controls, and all the selected options will be instantly reset to their default settings.
reprinted by permission and sponsored by the NAPP
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
TUESDAY - AUGUST 01 2006
6 Days Left To Save $100 On Early Bird Registration To Photoshop World
Time is running out to save $100 off the cost of admission to Photoshop World Conference & Expo. The money-saving registration discount expires at midnight, Friday, Aug. 4. Register online or by calling 800-738-8513 to speak to a customer service representative from 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM EST.
Photoshop World offers photographers, designers, artists, motion graphics designers, educators, and Photoshop users of every kind a priceless opportunity to learn from 36 of the most creative and talented instructors in the world teaching more than 75 classes over three days. No other industry conference offers this quantity and quality of Photoshop and digital imaging education at such as affordable price. A complete conference brochure with instructor roster is available at www.photoshopworld.com.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Adobe Lightroom Adventure 2006: The Ultimate Photographer's Road Test
Renowned photographer and author Mikkel Aaland is the quintessential early adopter, a
lways one of the first to master new digital photography software — and to wring every bit of functionality out of it in the process. Shortly after the public beta release of Adobe Lightroom software, a digital imaging workflow solution for professional photographers, he devised the ultimate road test to put Lightroom through its paces in the field: Adobe Lightroom Adventure 2006.
Aaland invited eleven acclaimed photographers to join him in Iceland, where the long midsummer days are suffused in some of the most spectacular light on the planet. From July 28 to August 5, 2006, this intrepid crew — joined by three top Icelandic photographers — is shooting by day and using Adobe Lightroom beta to import, select, develop, and showcase their large volume of digital images each night. Adobe is represented by four imaging specialists who will both shoot and assist other photographers as they work with both the Lightroom and Photoshop applications. The journey and a sampling of the resulting photographs are chronicled in the Lightroom Adventure blog. And Aaland is capturing the lessons learned in the field for his book on Adobe Lightroom, to be published by O'Reilly Media in early 2007.
Premium sponsors for the Lightroom Adventure are Adobe, ExpoImaging, the Iceland Tourist Board, Icelandair, Lowepro, and O'Reilly. Additional sponsors supporting the event are Epson, Fosshotel, Graystone Travel, Hertz, the Oflun Group, SanDisk, and SAS Radisson 1919 Hotel.
"The Lightroom Adventure is a celebration of learning through collaboration," said Aaland. "I've worked with a network of amazing photographers through the years, and I've always shared their hard-won knowledge in my books. When I sat down to write about Lightroom, I decided to harvest that knowledge in real time, through a collaborative shoot. The Lightroom Adventure is also a true collaboration between artists and Adobe. They're supporting our in-the-field testing of Lightroom, and will use our feedback will help make Lightroom an even better tool for photographers."
"We appreciate all of the feedback we continue to receive for Lightroom beta from the photographic community and we're excited that even more skilled photographers will be putting Lightroom to the test in the field," said Kevin Connor, senior director of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe. "We designed Lightroom beta to be powerful and portable, with the ability to run on the most commonly used systems including laptops. We're looking forward to their feedback, as we fine tune the beta to suit photographers' workflow needs, whether they're in studio or away at a shoot."
The photographers joining Aaland in Iceland for the Lightroom Adventure are:
• Bill Atkinson, landscape photographer, digital printing pioneer, and member of the original Macintosh team at Apple.
• Maggie Hallahan, freelance photographer who shoots both for editorial and corporate clients.
• John Isaac, former chief of the United Nations Photo Unit, now an independent photographer, shooting almost exclusively digital.
• Peter Krogh, owner of a full-service commercial photography studio in the Washington, DC area, is both an award-winning photographer and author.
• Christopher Lund, a top Icelandic photographer.
• Ari Magg, photographer based in Iceland.
• John McDermott, a San Francisco-based freelance photographer who shoots globally for corporate, advertising and editorial clients.
• Richard Morgenstein, a location photographer specializing in environmental portraiture.
• Michael Reichmann, a world-renowned nature photographer and photographic educator who is the publisher and primary author of The Luminous Landscape website.
• Chris Sanderson, Lightroom Adventure videographer.
• Sigurgeir Sigurjonsson, one of Iceland's most respected and accomplished photographers.
• Derrick Story, photographer, author, and O'Reilly's Online Editorial Director.
• Martin Sundberg, an award-winning photographer specializing in portraiture and extreme sports.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
SEE PREVIOUS POSTS FROM THE JULY 2006 BLOG...
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Skin Retouching Tips In Photoshop CS4
Transforming Smart Objects In Photoshop CS4
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Read 2 free sample chapters from the Adobe Photoshop CS3 version:
Adjusting Exposure in Adobe Camera Raw CS3
Photoshop CS3 Tutorial High Dynamic Range
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