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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.
Lightroom Top 10 Gotcha’s From The Lightroom Queen
May 29, 2009
Victoria Bampton (the Lightroom Queen)
is the author of Adobe Lightroom 2 - The Missing FAQ eBook. Here's a new article from her on Lightroom, and below that you'll find links to her free Lightroom Shortcuts PDFs.
If you’re just starting out with Lightroom, there are a few CRUCIAL bits of information which will save you hours of headaches and untangling. They’re the kind of thing that just make you say “I’d wish I’d known that before...” These are my top ten gotchas, direct from the forums.
- Lightroom is all about non-destructive editing - so don’t try to save over your originals.
- Lightroom doesn’t ‘contain’ files, it just holds data about them - so don’t go deleting your originals thinking that they’re safely stored in Lightroom.
- Lightroom’s backups don’t back up your originals - you still need to do that.
- Lightroom’s catalog is just a database, and databases can become corrupted - backup regularly, and keep older backups for a while.
- Lightroom needs to know where the files are - don’t move or rename files outside of Lightroom, i.e. in Explorer or Finder, otherwise you’ll have a long job fixing all of the links.
- Lightroom will not match your cameras rendering when working with raw files as it’s just raw data, but you can use the new profiles to emulate the manufacturer’s look for some cameras, or you can build your own profile to match.
- Lightroom offers a choice of different colour spaces when you output, and AdobeRGB/ProPhotoRGB will look odd in programs that aren’t colour managed (like web browsers). Use sRGB for screen output like emailing or uploading to the web.
- Lightroom’s Grid view behaves differently to other views - anything you do in Grid view applies to all selected images, whereas other views only apply to the most selected image.
- Lightroom has 3 different levels of selection, not 2. Notice the difference, otherwise you could accidently apply a setting to multiple different images.
- Lightroom’s Flags are local to the folder or collection, whereas star ratings and labels are global. This means that a photo can be flagged in one collection but not flagged in the folder.
Adobe Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts - Free Download
Photoshop Lightroom Version 2
Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts - Windows Release Version 2.0
Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts - Mac Release Version 2.0
Photoshop Lightroom Version 1
Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts - Windows 1.4.1
Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts - Mac 1.4.1
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Nik Software Complete Collection - Lightroom Plugins - Exclusive 15% Discount
May 28, 2009
The Complete Collection includes all of Nik Software's latest award-winning plug-in software titles for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture including: Dfine 2.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro, and Sharpener Pro 3.0.
All products now feature Nik Software's patented U Point technology, giving photographers the most powerful tools for precise and natural photographic enhancements and corrections without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.
Nik Software Exclusive 15% Coupon Code
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, Dfine, and of course the Complete Collection as well.
The Complete Collection offers two editions, the Complete Collection for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture includes support for every plug-in to work in both Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture, and offers Color Efex Pro 3.0 to work in Capture NX 2 as well. The Complete Collection for Aperture or Lightroom includes support for each plug-in to only work in Aperture or Lightroom. Here's a little bit about each plugin:
Silver Efex Pro
Complete power and control to create professional quality black and white images in one convenient tool.
Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your photographs. For the first time, all the advanced power and control required for professional results have been brought together in one convenient tool.
Featuring Nik Software’s patented U Point technology to selectively control the tonality and contrast of the image, Silver Efex Pro includes advanced imaging algorithms to protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black and white film types, a variable toning selector for adding traditional toning techniques, over 20 one-click preset styles, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine that help produce the highest quality black and white images possible from your color images while providing more freedom to experiment.
A recognized leader in digital imaging technology, Nik Software has developed class-leading solutions to specific challenges photographers face when creating black and white images and packaged them in one convenient tool. Download a free Trial version to use Silver Efex Pro on your own images for 15-days.
Color Efex Pro 3.0
52 photographic filters with over 250 effects for professional quality images.
Completely Original. Completely Indispensable.
Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. The award-winning Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are widely used by many of today's professional photographers around the world to save time and get professional level results. Whether you choose the Complete Edition, Select Edition, or Standard Edition, you’ll get traditional and stylizing filters that offer virtually endless possibilities to enhance and transform images quickly and easily.
Patented U Point technology provides the ultimate control to selectively apply enhancements without the need for any complicated masks, layers or selections. Control color, light and tonality in your images and create unique enhancements with professional results. With 52 filters and over 250 effects found in Color Efex Pro 3.0, you can perform high quality retouching, color correction, and endless creative enhancements to your photographs.
Updates to old favorites such as Classical Soft Focus, Darken/Lighten Center, and Vignette filters are joined by exciting new filters Film Effects, Glamour Glow, High Key, Tonal Contrast, Bleach Bypass, and more. The result is nothing less than the most complete, most useful collection of photographic filters you can add to your toolkit. Download a free Trial version.
Viveza
The most powerful tool to selectively control color and light in photographic images without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.
Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.
U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing. Download a free Trial version.
Sharpener Pro 3.0
The most advanced, powerful, and complete sharpening solution for photographers.
Sharpener Pro 3.0 is the most advanced and powerful sharpening solution eliminating the guesswork typically required for achieving superior and consistent results. New adaptive sharpening algorithms and award-winning U Point technology for selective sharpening ensure desired sharpness or creative softening of details are easily accomplished.
The Sharpening Soft Proof that lets you accurately inspect results before printing saving money in costly test prints, improved handling of new output devices, and new output presets provide repeatable, professional results. Sharpener Pro 3.0 is the only tool that provides controls for both output and creative detail sharpening of different objects quickly and easily without the need to make different adjustment layers for each object or area.
A recognized leader in digital imaging technology, Nik Software has developed class-leading solutions to specific challenges photographers face when sharpening images throughout the photographic workflow and packaged them in one convenient toolset. Use Sharpener Pro 3.0 to regain clarity in digital images, draw the viewer’s attention to the focal point of an image and achieve professional, high quality sharpened images every time. Download a free Trial version.
Dfine 2.0
Best-in-class noise reduction to improve the quality of virtually every photo. Features new U Point technology for unprecedented selective control
What is Noise?
Virtually, all digital cameras inherently create unwanted imperfections known as noise. The amount or type of noise in an image typically depends on the quality and type of imaging sensor with which it was created.
Contrast (Luminance) Noise and Color (Chrominance) Noise can be individually present in an image or might be seen in the same image. Fast or high ISO speeds and low light levels can add noise to images, while some images might exhibit high levels of JPEG artifacts.
Dfine 2.0 gives you unprecedented control over exactly how much and where to apply noise reduction. This makes it ultra-easy to eliminate noise in your images while maintaining detail and sharpness, thus improving the quality of every digital photo you take. Dfine 2.0 is designed to prevent the loss of detail other noise reduction tools often introduce.
Download a free Trial version. Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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onOne Software Announces Free Version of PhotoTools 2 - Photoshop Plugins With 14 Effects
May 26, 2009
onOne Software today announced a free Lite version of PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition. PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition is a flexible, yet powerful, plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4 that utilizes the power of Photoshop Actions to provide a range of imaging tools, including effects, corrections and production automation, in a full-featured interface.
Based on the exact same feature set as PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition, PhotoTools 2 Lite includes 14 of the most popular effects found in both PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition and PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition. The 14 effects available in PhotoTools 2 Lite range from reproducing classic photographic effects like Bleach Bypass and Cross Process, to reproducing film stock such as Kodachrome and Velvia, to modern effects, including automatic skin smoothing.
“We are excited to offer this free version of PhotoTools 2 as a way for new users to experience the product’s elegant workflow and effects,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “PhotoTools 2 Lite is a way for onOne to give back to the photographic community and allow everyone to easily add a professional look to their photographs.”
PhotoTools 2 Lite is offered at no cost and is only available as an electronic download direct from onOne Software. For users who wish to access the full database of effects that come with the Standard or Professional Editions of PhotoTools 2, they will need to purchase a copy of the Standard or Professional Edition. PhotoTools 2 Professional and Standard editions are available for $259.95 and $159.95, respectively, and may be ordered immediately from onOne Software.
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - PSSPPT06 - during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 15% discount on any onOne product. This includes Genuine Fractals and their amazing Photoshop Plug-In Suite.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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Brushes App Lets Artist Draw New Yorker Cover On His iPhone
May 25, 2009
After following a link from a tweet from Michael Nobbs I read this amazing article about how an artist drew a New Yorker cover piece using his iPhone. From the intro:
Jorge Colombo drew this week’s cover using Brushes, an application for the iPhone, while standing for an hour outside Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Times Square.
“I got a phone in the beginning of February, and I immediately got the program so I could entertain myself,” says Colombo, who first published his drawings in The New Yorker in 1994. Colombo has been drawing since he was seven, but he discovered an advantage of digital drawing on a nighttime drive to Vermont. “Before, unless I had a flashlight or a miner’s hat, I could not draw in the dark.” (When the sun is up, it’s a bit harder, “because of the glare on the phone,” he says.) It also allows him to draw without being noticed; most pedestrians assume he’s checking his e-mail.
Also look for more info about this app at the Brushes site, and make sure to watch the video of the cover being drawn on the iPhone.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
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Free Grungy Swirl Photoshop Brushes From BrushPortfolio
May 25, 2009
BrushPortfolio.com has released a free set of Grungy Swirl Photoshop brushes. There is a variety of grungy swirl images contained within this brush set including individual images so you can create your own brushes. There are 28 brushes total ranging in size from 1580 to 2500 pixels. Happy Creating!
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
The Photoshop Blog On Twitter
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Adobe Camera Raw 5.4 Includes Support For 24 New Cameras
May 25, 2009
Adobe has released a new candidate of Adobe's Camera Raw plug-in for CS4, Version 5.4 is now available for download from Adobe Labs. This version supports 24 new cameras, including the new Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i).
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
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Photoshop Daily - Free Resources For The Photoshop Community
May 25, 2009
Jo Cole of Photoshop Creative and Advanced Photoshop magazines asked us to pass along some info about a free Photoshop resource site he's involved with called Photoshop Daily. Well, sure! So here it is:
Good news for Photoshop users – a new site has launched that offers amazing free creative resources. Photoshop Daily brings together everything that a Photoshop user could ever want. From the latest rumours and activities from Adobe, right through to showcasing cool gadgets or resource websites to expand Photoshop’s creativity. If there is something happening that is of interest to Photoshop fans they will find it at the new Photoshop Daily website.
In addition to creative news, visitors will also benefit from a free creative resource every day. It might be a feature explaining how to master a certain Photoshop skill, a brush set to have some fun with, a photo pack to use in personal work, a desktop to help with inspiration or maybe a video tutorial to boost Photoshop prowess. The same team who produce the globally successful Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative magazines are behind the Photoshop Daily site. Visitors to Photoshop Daily will be able to view content taken from both magazines, in addition to accessing exclusive downloads.
“Photoshop Daily is the perfect site for digital creatives,” said Jo Cole, Editor in Chief. “People can pop to the site each day and spend some time browsing the news, reading features or downloading free resources. It’s our way of giving back to the Photoshop community and saying thank you for supporting our two Photoshop magazines.”
“We are extremely pleased with our latest in-house developed project, Photoshop Daily,” said Ben Spencer, Head of Multimedia (Online). “It is the perfect companion to our existing Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative websites, offering further advertising opportunities for clients wanting to reach this niche audience online.”
Visit Photoshop Daily and sign up to the RSS feed to be notified of updates.
Imagine Publishing is one of the UK’s fastest-growing consumer specialist publishers. Formed in May 2005, Imagine now publishes 20 magazines and 27 websites in the videogames, computing, entertainment and photography markets. An Imagine magazine is purchased every ten seconds.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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Nik Dfine 2.0 Updated For Lightroom 2 - Exclusive 15% Discount
May 22, 2009
Nik Software announced today that Dfine 2.0, its popular award-winning digital photographic plug-in offering photographers advanced and powerful noise reduction for their digital images, is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. Dfine 2.0 provides superior noise reduction while maintaining detail and sharpness throughout an image and providing unprecedented selective control over noise reduction by employing Nik Software’s U Point technology. The update is available now as a free download to current Dfine 2.0 owners.
Nik Software 15% Instant Discount
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
“Dfine 2.0 now joins Sharpener Pro 3.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Silver Efex Pro and completes the Lightroom update for our entire line of software plug-ins for photographers,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. “We are pleased to announce that Dfine 2.0 is now available and this update, like previous Lightroom compatibility releases, is offered to Dfine 2.0 users at no additional cost.”
Dfine 2.0 installs as a plug-in for Lightroom 2.3, itself a free update from earlier versions. Once installed, Dfine 2.0 is accessible via the Lightroom Photo>Edit In... menu. Edits made using the plug-in within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Dfine 2.0 also takes advantage of Lightroom’s efficiencies for everyday tasks, including the ability to edit multiple images in one session, increasing productivity.
Featuring Nik Software's patented U Point technology, Dfine 2.0 noise reduction can be applied globally or selectively using various controls including:
- Control Points powered by U Point technology – with a single mouse click, photographers can place Control Points on an image and selectively adjust the amount of contrast (luminance) and color (chrominance) noise reduction.
- Target Colors – using an eyedropper tool to select colors, photographers can reduce noise based on a range of colors. This method is ideal for batch processing a series of images.
- Selective Tool – using brushes, noise reduction can be applied selectively. For added control and fine detail adjustments, Dfine also supports pressure sensitive features optimized for Wacom® Pen Tablets.
Other features include:
- New Smart Filter Support (Photoshop only)—Provides compatibility with Adobe Photoshop’s Smart Objects enabling modifications or adjustments to noise reduction after Dfine has been applied.
- New Multi-Image Support (Aperture and Lightroom only)—Provides compatibility with Aperture’s multi-image support, allowing photographers to easily reduce noise in several images without leaving Dfine’s interface.
- New Debanding Control—Resolves issues in which unwanted horizontal or vertical banding artifacts are introduced in the capture process. Dfine is the only product designed specifically to handle this issue.
Dfine also includes an auto camera profile system as part of its image processing core. This feature adjusts the noise reduction to match specific parameters and nuances based on camera manufacturer specifications. Camera profiles may be applied automatically upon launching the plug-in, thus enabling literally “one click” noise reduction for images and faster workflow. Profiles may also be created manually and saved, and then loaded by users at a later time.
The fully compatible Dfine 2.0 product, offering support for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, is available immediately for electronic delivery directly from Nik Software or through specialty camera retailers. The suggested retail price of Dfine 2.0 is $99.95, but for a limited time may be purchased at a special price of $79.95. Upgrades from any previous version are available for $69.95. Dfine 2.0 installs as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Apple Aperture 2.1, or Lightroom and is available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, including Vista and Leopard.
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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Free Grunge Sheet Music Textures From BittBox
May 22, 2009
Bittbox is offering some free grunge music sheet textures. From the intro: I’ve seen textures similar to these on deviantArt in the past and always wanted to give it a try, so here are the fruits of my labor. By the way, the song in the textures is Claude Debussy’s “La Mer” in case you were wondering. I have to give a shout out to Andreas Mischke who helped me find the public domain sheet music I used. Enjoy!
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for Windows In French, German, Japanese And Chinese Released
May 21, 2009
Smith Micro Software today announced multi-language versions of StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for Windows, the award-winning file management and compression software. StuffIt Deluxe for Windows creates and expands zip and StuffIt archives, while supporting over 25 other compression formats.
StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for Windows is now available in French, German, Japanese and Chinese languages with enhancements that better enable users to compress photos and MP3 files with no quality loss, and because you can compress email attachment you can send them faster, and save more files onto media such as CDs, DVDs and memory sticks. For instance, the Smith Micro patented JPEG image compression technology offers the best photo compression, shrinking JPEGs 30 percent on average with no loss in image quality.
This update is free for all registered users of StuffIt 2009 for Windows. Registered users of any previous version of StuffIt Deluxe or StuffIt Standard for Windows can upgrade to the full StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for Windows for just $19.99. The MSRP for StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for Windows is $49.99. The MSRP for StuffIt Standard 2009 for Windows is $24.99. StuffIt is also available at popular retailers, catalogs and distribution partners worldwide.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
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Learn Graphic Design From PSDTuts
May 21, 2009
Read Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline from PSDTuts. From the intro: Fortunately, it isn't required to go to design school in order to be a graphic designer. A good foundation in graphic design history, theory, and practical application will help you hit the ground running. There are plenty of resources available in which you can learn graphic design on your own. Don't set your expectations to high at first, as it will take enthusiastic study for years to become great. You can do it though!
If you would like to learn graphic design from the ground up, through self directed study, then this article lists some great resources that will get you started with your design education. Also, even if you do go to design school, at least three-fifths of your education will be through self directed study anyway. Let's get to it!
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
The Photoshop Blog On Twitter
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Photoshop Tips And Tricks From Jay Nelson
May 19, 2009
Here's another batch of Photoshop tips and tricks by Jay Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Design Tools Monthly.
Preview Sharpening in Camera Raw
When sharpening an image in Camera Raw 4.1 and above, you can hold down the Option key as you adjust the sliders. This will show you a grayscale preview of of the effect that change will make!
Better Grayscale Photos in CMYK
When printed in a CMYK publication, grayscale photos can look much better if you create the gray from all four CMYK inks. The result can have a much wider tonal range than a simple grayscale image, because it can use all four inks to make halftone dots. But some curves to be applied to the separate inks to bring out the details in the image, and optionally to impart a warm or cool effect.
The easiest way to convert a grayscale image into a successful quadtone is to use Adobe's presets. In Photoshop, choose Mode> Duotone. Then choose Quadtone and click the Load button. Navigate to the Photoshop application folder, and within it go to this folder: Presets/Duotone/Quadtone/Process Quadtones. Then choose among the presets: CMYK cool, very cool, neutral, wm, very wm, or ext wm.
Option-Transform
Here's the quickest way to use the Free Transform tool on a copy of a selection in Photoshop: just add the Option key when you press the Free Transform tool keyboard shortcut -- Option-Command-T instead of Command-T.
Magic Setting for Dodge & Burn Tools in CS4
The Dodge and Burn tools in Photoshop CS4 are far more effective now. Rather than dulling the colors and whitening or darkening the tones, it protects them. The key is to enable the checkbox in the Options bar labeled Protect Tones.
Illustrator Smart Objects in Photoshop
When you place artwork from Illustrator into Photoshop, you have the option of bringing it in as a Smart Object. Doing this will maintain the Illustrator artwork's infinite resolution, which means that if you resize it in Photoshop, or resize the entire Photoshop file, the Illustrator Smart Object will output at the full resolution of the Photoshop file. An additional benefit is that the Illustrator artwork becomes embedded in the Photoshop file.
You can edit the embedded file by selecting its layer in the Layers panel and either double-clicking the layer thumbnail or Control-clicking on the layer and choosing Edit Contents. The embedded Illustrator artwork will open in Illustrator, but you won't be changing the original Illustrator file on your hard drive.
Photoshop CS4 Quick Tips
Photoshop CS4 has lots of little improvements -- here are a few:
• You can delete a layer by selecting it and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
• If you have a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with a gesture-equipped trackpad, you can use the two-finger pinch to zoom in and out, and the two-finger twist to rotate its canvas.
• The new Vibrance adjustment layer is more subtle and effective than Hue/Saturation. It can add punch and presence to objects in a scene, without creating color artifacts in uniform backgrounds.
Optimize Multiple Exposures in Photoshop
Photoshop CS4 has a feature that can combine multiple exposures into one optimized image. For example, you could take several shots of the same scene, each optimized for a different light level or area of focus, and Photoshop will take the best of each. To use it, place each image on its own layer in one Photoshop document. Then, select all the layers and choose Edit> Auto-Align Layers… Leave the defaults as-is, and click OK. Then, choose Edit> Auto-Blend Layers… Again, leave the defaults and click OK. That's it! (Note: while this works best when you use a tripod, the Auto-Align step does a good job of aligning hand-held shots.)
Public Domain Images from the U.S. Government
Hey, you paid for them already! Get excellent images at:
www.archives.gov
www.digitalvaults.org
www.nsf.gov/news/mmg
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix
www.nasa.gov/multimedia
www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
www.defenselink.mil/multimedia/multimedia.aspx
www.usmint.gov/pressroom
www.nps.gov/pub_aff/imagebase.html
www.photolibrary.fema.gov/photolibrary
www.photolib.noaa.gov
www.nih.gov/about/nihphotos.htm
(We saw this list in FPO Magazine, a remarkable new publication for magazine designers and publishers: www.fpomagazine.com)
Use Spotlight to Find Web Pages You Visited
If you're using Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, you can use Spotlight to search for text contained in Web pages you've visited in Safari! From anywhere, any time, just click on the Spotlight icon in the menu bar (or press Command-spacebar) and type in your search term. Look under "Webpages" in the results.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
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DekePod Episode 16: Photoshopping The Great Masters
May 19, 2009
Experienced photo retouchers make small fortunes by Photoshopping models and celebrities to make them appear even thinner and more youthful than in real life. In this dekePod video, Deke takes us back to a time when ideas of beauty were very different, the High Renaissance, back when body fat was a thing to be envied. He takes the ample proportions of Raphael’s Maddalena and transforms her into a well sculptured, slim and trim, modern day beauty.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Adobe North America Store Special Offers - May 2009
May 18, 2009
Here are the Adobe US Store Special Offers for May, 2009.
Buy green, save green — only at Adobe.com
Save up to US $50 when you buy an electronic download version of a qualifying Adobe product. Be green — say no to packaging, delivery fees, and emissions. Limited time offer, ends May 31, 2009.
Get 30% off Lightroom 2
Save on the purchase of a full or upgrade version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 software along with a full or upgrade version of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, or any Creative Suite 4 edition.
Save US$20 on Photoshop Elements
Save US$20 instantly with the purchase of a full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Macintosh or Photoshop Elements 7 for Windows along with the purchase of a full or upgrade version of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, Acrobat 9 Pro, or Acrobat 9 Standard.
Choose ESD and save
Save on shipping. Save a trip to the store. Save packaging. Choose ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) and download your new software directly to your computer.
Free eBook
For a limited time, purchase Acrobat 9 Pro and receive a free eBook excerpt. Buy now and deliver professional documents, manage document reviews, and create and manage forms with Acrobat 9 Pro.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Adobe United Kingdom Store Special Offers - May 2009
May 18, 2009
Here are the Adobe United Kingdom Store Special Offers for May, 2009.
Buy green, save green — only at Adobe.com
Save up to US £50 when you buy an electronic download version of a qualifying Adobe product. Be green — say no to packaging, delivery fees, and emissions. Limited time offer, ends May 31, 2009.
Get 30% off Lightroom 2
Save on the purchase of a full or upgrade version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 software along with a full or upgrade version of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, or any Creative Suite 4 edition.
Save £12 on Photoshop Elements
Save £12 instantly with the purchase of a full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Macintosh or Photoshop Elements 7 for Windows along with the purchase of a full or upgrade version of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, Acrobat 9 Pro, or Acrobat 9 Standard.
Choose ESD and save
Save on shipping. Save a trip to the store. Save packaging. Choose ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) and download your new software directly to your computer.
Free eBook
For a limited time, purchase Acrobat 9 Pro and receive a free eBook excerpt. Buy now and deliver professional documents, manage document reviews, and create and manage forms with Acrobat 9 Pro.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Photoshop CS4: Essential Skills Cover
May 18, 2009
Mark Galer tracks the development of the concept and
image that appears on the cover for the Photoshop CS4 book, the fourth version of the best selling ‘how-to’ book published by Focal Press. Download the PDF (432 KB).
Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS4. If you are an aspiring professional or a student learning photography, digital imaging, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.
The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.
Read 2 free sample chapters:
•
Skin Retouching Tips In Photoshop CS4
•
Transforming Smart Objects In Photoshop CS4
• Find more Photoshop CS4 tutorials on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Photoshop And Lightroom Tips And Tricks From Jay Nelson
May 13, 2009
Here's another collection of Photoshop, Bridge and Lightroom tips and tricks by Jay Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Design Tools Monthly.
New Grid View in Bridge
Unlike other view modes in Bridge, the new Grid view in Bridge CS4 shows all images without cutting any off at the bottom of the preview window.
Helpful Adjustment Presets in Photoshop
In Photoshop CS4, if you create an Adjustment Layer, look in the Adjustment Layer panel. There, you can choose among several very helpful presets for each kind of adjustment. If one gets you almost to where you need, you can tweak it from there. Browse through the presets for Levels, Curves, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, Channel Mixer and Selective Colors. Click one to apply it, then press Command-Z to undo it. It's an incredibly fast way to make instant adjustments.
Lightroom's Area Histogram
In the Develop module in Photoshop Lightroom, you can limit the histogram to displaying only the data in a selected area: Click the Crop Overlay button and drag the crop outline to surround the area of interest.
Realistic HDR
Artistic photographers are using the High Dynamic Range (HDR) features in Photoshop to merge multiple-exposure photos into one hyper-realistic image. But if you want to make a REALISTIC image from several exposures of the same subject, the task is a bit tricky. Thanks to Matt Kloskowski's video at www.tinyurl.com/6mj8pj, here are the steps:
• In Bridge, select the photos you want to merge.
• Choose Tools> Photoshop> Merge to HDR…
• When Photoshop's done, make sure 32 Bits/Channel is selected, click OK.
• In Photoshop, choose Image> Mode> 16 Bits/Channel.
• In resulting "HDR Conversion" dialog box, choose Local Adaptation.
• Click the disclosure triangle to show Toning Curve and Histogram.
• Pull the left handle in to where dark starts in the histogram.
• Pull the right handle in to where light starts in the histogram.
• Use Exposure and Gamma sliders to adjust sharpness & detail.
• Click OK, returning to Photoshop.
• Adjust image as you see fit.
This process can reveal detail in highlights, shadows, and detail that your camera is simply unable to capture in one exposure. And remember: if you shoot in Raw format, you may not have to take several shots to make use of this trick -- you can use Camera Raw to save out several copies of one image, with different exposure settings.
Skip the Confirmation Prompts
If you get tired of seeing a confirmation prompt in Photoshop (the dialogs that say "Apply effects before changing this?" or "Are you sure you want to do this?"), you can force it not to appear by holding down the Option key when performing the action. For example, hold down the Option key when dragging a Layer Mask to the trash icon, and it won't warn you about applying that Layer Mask to its layer.
Photoshop User
Measure Objects in Real World Units
When viewing a photo in Photoshop CS3/CS4 Extended, you can measure the real-world sizes of items, as long as you know the real-world size of any item in the photo. Choose Analysis> Set Measurement Scale. Click and drag on your known object to measure its length in pixels. That value will appear in the Pixel Length field. Then in the Logical Length field, enter the real-world measurement of that object -- say, three feet. Finally, in the Logical Units field, type in "feet" or whatever unit you used in Logical Length. Now you can use the Ruler tool under the Analysis menu (or in the Tools panel) to measure items in real-world units!
Tip #2: Photoshop Extended can also generate a Scale Marker for your image, just like on a map. Choose Analysis> Place Scale Marker… and give it a length. A bar will appear on a new layer, with its length labeled.
Add Several Layer Styles
Here's a trick to add more than one Layer Style to a layer: add a Layer Style and the convert the layer to a Smart Object. Then you can apply an additional Layer Style - even the same Layer Style again. You can use this trick to add two different strokes to a selection, for example.
Zooming Tip
Recent versions of many applications will zoom in when you press Command-+ (plus). Bonus: if you select an object or objects and then press Command-+, those objects will be centered in your window and zoomed in. So, the next time you have an item selected, try pressing Command-+ to zoom into it, or Command-- (minus) to zoom out.
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Free Animal Fur Textures From BittBox
May 12, 2009
Bittbox is offering some nice free animal fur textures. Here's what he has to say about it: This is a set of textures I’ve been meaning to do for quite a while now, luckily my parents have a lot of cats and dogs... so I wasn’t short on subjects. They should prove useful in the fast and furious world of web design, so let me know if you make anything awesome with them. Enjoy!
Buy Photoshop CS4 Directly From Adobe
Find upgrade options and Creative Suite deals at the Adobe USA Store. UK customers can see pricing in UK currency at the Adobe United Kingdom Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers Page to find the latest bundle and upgrade offers. Teachers and students receive special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. Download the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download at the Adobe site.
Photoshop CS4 Tutorials and Resources
See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials, the Free Photoshop CS4 Trial Download, Free Photoshop CS4 Training, and Photoshop CS4 News.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
iPhoto '09: The Missing Manual Now Shipping
May 12, 2009
iPhoto '09 makes it easier than ever to transfer photos from a digital camera, organize them, and publish, print, or share them. The latest version boasts loads of exciting new features—including automatic face-recognition, easier ways to get your photos online, and fully customizable travel maps—but there's still no printed manual. That is, until now.
Fortunately, David Pogue, weekly personal-technology columnist for the New York Times, and J.D. Biersdorfer team up in a funny, authoritative new book that should have been in the box, iPhoto '09: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly, $34.99). And according to the authors, there are many invaluable new features in iPhoto '09, digital photographers of every skill level are sure to appreciate.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Free Tree Bark Textures From BittBox
May 11, 2009
Bittbox is offering some nice free tree bark textures. Here's the story: I hope you guys can find some good uses from these tree bark textures! John Holt had requested these a few weeks back, so here you go man. I’m in need of some more new ideas for texture Tuesday posts, so if there’s anything you would really like to see just let me know, thanks!
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
The New York Times Launches Enhanced Version of Times Reader Powered by Adobe AIR
May 11, 2009
The New York Times and Adobe launched today Times Reader 2.0, an enhanced version of the digital newspaper reader with online/offline reading capabilities, powered by Adobe AIR software, a key component of the Adobe Flash Platform. Times Reader 2.0 is now available on any computer running Windows, Mac OS or Linux operating systems. Times Reader 2.0 more closely mirrors the printed newspaper through improved navigation and functionality.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Free Vintage Italian Post Card Photoshop Brushes
May 11, 2009
BrushPortfolio.com just released a new set of Photoshop brushes inspired by the beauty of Italy and an infatuation with vintage post cards. The new brush set, Italian Post Card Kit, features several collage-style brushes and an assortment of individual images that can be used to create your own vintage-inspired designs. The images used for the brushes came from www.MorgueFile.com which is a great source for free images. Happy Creating!
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
New Lightroom Preset Actions From Gavin Phillips
May 07, 2009
I'm talking with Gavin Phillips, owner of ‘Photographers Photoshop, about his new Lightroom Presets.
What’s the 'must have' feature in your 'Dramatic BW & Color' set of ‘Presets’?
Look at the diversity of images you can create by clicking a button. In a sense we are collaborating with you to give you more creative ideas.
What is the advantage of Lightroom Presets?
Saves you time & increases your profits. They are also editable, so you can tweak the settings if you want to.
But I can create Presets myself, why pay for them?
The same reason you purchase plugins, custom textures or brushes. Our designers invest many hours going through hundreds of Lightroom settings to find stylish effects that you will like. How much is your time worth?
Do presets work the same on RAW and JPG files?
A preset developed for a RAW image will not give the same effect when applied to a JPG file. We give you two identical sets of 45 presets. One for RAW workflow and one for JPG workflow.
How many presets are in this set and what is the price?
You get 45 presets, nearly twice the amount we offered in our first set or presets. With our introductory sale, pay less than a $1.00 per preset. The sale ends soon.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 For Photographers Sample Chapters
May 05, 2009
Here are some free sample chapters from the new book Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers. You'll learn about blending modes, dodging and burning by hand, using history to make adjustments, and soft-proofing an image for print.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Creating Faux Bokeh Backgrounds In Photoshop - Photoshop Tutorial From Obsidian Dawn
May 05, 2009
This tutorial will walk you through how to create a faux bokeh background in Photoshop. For those of you that are unsure about what bokeh is, it is a Japanese term used in photography. It is used to describe the qualities of the area of a photo that is out of focus, and is used to help draw your eye to the subject of the photograph. Some pretty cool things happen with bokeh, too. Especially where lights or heavily lighted areas are concerned. Have you ever looked at a photograph or been watching a movie, perhaps where it was dark out, and the lights in the background are all blurry, but instead of just being blurry they appear as these odd gatherings of circles and/or polygons? I didn’t notice it all that often until I started looking, and now I see it everywhere!
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Photoshop And Design Resources On Twitter - Twitter Account Roundup For Design Resources
May 05, 2009
Enrique from The Photoshop Roadmap has put together another one of his famous lists, this one being a compilation of top spots for info and help concerning our beloved Photoshop, which you can find through various Twitter accounts. The list appears in his latest article, 20 Cool Photoshop and Design Twitter Accounts You Should Follow. The world's gone crazy for Twitter, and this is another great way for Photoshop resource freaks to get quality info. From his intro:
Read the full article 20 Cool Photoshop and Design Twitter Accounts You Should Follow.
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Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0 Updated For Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 - 15% Exclusive Discount
May 04, 2009
Nik Software announced today that Sharpener Pro 3.0, its popular digital photographic plug-in offering the most advanced and powerful sharpening solution for photographers, is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. Sharpener Pro 3.0 eliminates the guesswork typically required for achieving superior and consistent selective sharpening results. The update is available now as a free download to current owners.
Nik Software 15% Instant Discount
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Sharpener Pro 3.0 installs as a plug-in for Lightroom 2.3. Once installed, Sharpener Pro 3.0 is accessible via the Lightroom Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-in within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Sharpener Pro 3.0 also takes advantage of Lightroom’s efficiencies for everyday tasks, including the ability to edit multiple images in one session, increasing productivity for photographers.
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Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges Review
May 04, 2009
Here's our review of the recently released Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Platinum Edition Photoshop Plugin package.
Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Platinum Edition (PGE) adds multiple framing styles to any type of image, the main focus being the modification of photograph borders to give them flare and definitive style. PGE can work either as a stand-alone application or as a plug-in for various image-editing programs (Adobe Photoshop being the predominant choice).
The program is relatively easy to use and has an intuitive learning curve. Each style palette is similar in its functionality so that once you have mastered how to make adjustments on one, you can apply the same techniques to the others. When encountering a command/button/icon you aren't familiar with, simply hover your mouse over it and a short description with instructions is displayed.
Effects and borders are added as Effect Layers over the original image. You can adjust the layers as you want: turn them on or off, or use multiple layers together. All the while, your original artwork remains unaffected.
Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Platinum Edition includes both a Photoshop plug-in and stand-alone application version for Macintosh OS X (all versions) and Windows 2000 / XP / Vista. Visit the AUto FX site to download a free demo version and to watch free training videos on this product.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
Alien Skin Software Announces Snap Art 2 Artistic Natural Media Plug-in For Photoshop
May 04, 2009
Alien Skin Software today announced the immediate availability of Snap Art 2, the new version of its artistic natural media plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Snap Art turns a photo into a beautiful work of art with a single click.
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | RSS feed | bookmark | comment
15% Discount On All onOne Software Plugins
May 02, 2009
Enter discount coupon code PSSPPT06 during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 15% discount on any onOne Software product. This is a special offer exclusively for PhotoshopSupport.com visitors.
Genuine Fractals 6 adds several new features designed to help photographers get the best enlargements possible. These new features include texture presets, a new gallery wrap function, batch processing, tiling for smaller printers and support for Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.
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The Photoshop Blog - Earlier Posts
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.
PHOTOSHOP NEWS — April 2009
45- Get Free Raindrop Textures From BittBox
44- Bokeh Free Photoshop Brushes From Obsidian Dawn
43- Free Meadow Plant Brushes And A Photoshop Brush Tutorial
42- AKVIS MultiBrush 4.0 - Photo Retouching Tools
41- Two Contests With Prizes At Graphics.com
40- Adobe UK Special - Order Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 And Get 25% Off
39- Software Training That’s Certifiably from lynda.com
38- Grass Transparent PNGs From Obsidian Dawn
37- Photoshop, Bridge And Lightroom Tips And Tricks From Jay Nelson
36- Get Free Light Grunge Textures From BittBox
35- How To Expand Rectangular Selections And Keep Them Crisp In Photoshop
34- Music Brushes - Free Photoshop Brushes
33- Zeldman's "Taking Your Talent to the Web" Offered For Free
32- Partners Embrace Adobe Flash Platform for Televisions, Set-Top Boxes and Blu-Ray
31- Nvidia Brings Highly Acclaimed Quadro FX 4800 To Mac Market
30- EIZO Unveils First Post-Production And Broadcasting Monitor
29- Free Leaf Swirls Photoshop Brushes
28- Get Free Concrete Textures From BittBox
27- National Geographic Digital Media Unveils New App — Infinite Photograph
26- Grunge -n- Swirls Free Photoshop Brushes From Obsidian Dawn
25- Carrara 3D Express - $62.97 - Special Discount Price - Explore 3D Art
24- Fast And Furious Web Site Powered By Adobe Solutions Helps Universal Pictures
23- AKVIS Retoucher v.3.5. New Life For Old And Damaged Photographs
22- Free Flower Doodles Photoshop Brushes
21- 8 Tips For Speeding Up Your Navigation Around Photoshop
20- Photographers Photoshop Slashes Prices 50/70%
19- Photoshop Elements Super Special — 40% Discount — Only $59 Until April 23
18- Get A Free Book When You Sign Up For A Safari Books Online Trial
17- Free Update To Silver Efex Pro Installs As A Plug-in For Lightroom 2.3
16- Photo Templates Website - MyPhotoTemplates.com - Photoshop Photo Templates
15- Stonework II Photoshop Patterns From Obsidian Dawn
14- Free Branches Photoshop Brushes
13- Digital Anarchy Announces 3D Object Creation Software for Adobe Photoshop
12- Wacom Intuos4 Review By Stephanie Of Obsidian Dawn
11- 4 Free Clips From lynda.com - Photoshop CS4 For The Web Training Videos
10- Dreamweaver CSS Tableless Web Design Tutorial
09- virtualPhotographer Photoshop Plug-in Updated
08- How To Move A Locked Background Layer In Photoshop
07- Photoshop Guides And The Pixel Grid - Photoshop Tip
06- New Canon Rebel T1i Records Video - Canon Digital Rebel T1i Camera
05- Filter Forge for Mac OS X Released
04- Exclusive 20% Discount On All Lynda.com Online Training Premium Subscriptions
03- Glittery Swirls Photoshop Brushes From Obsidian Dawn
02- Leaves And Flowers Photoshop Brushes
01- PhotoshopSupport.com April 2009 Newsletter
See Earlier Posts From The Photoshop Blog - APRIL 2009.
Photoshop CS5 & Photoshop CS5 Extended - Best Deals From Adobe
Adobe Photoshop CS5 delivers breakthrough capabilities to help you create images with impact. Refine your
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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended software helps you create the ultimate images
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Find CS5 upgrade options and Creative Suite 5 deals at the Adobe Store. See CS5 pricing in UK currency at the Adobe UK Store. Visit the Adobe Special Offers page to find the latest deals. Save 80% on Adobe Student Editions. Try before you buy — download a free Photoshop CS5 trial.
Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium
Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium software gives you fresh new creative tools, along
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Photoshop CS5 Tutorials & CS5 Resources
See our Photoshop CS5 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS5 Tutorials, and the Free Photoshop CS5 Trial Download. See our Photoshop CS4 Resource Center for Free Photoshop CS4 Tutorials.
Exclusive onOne Software 15% Instant Discount Coupon
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - PSSPPT06 - during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 15% discount on any onOne product. This includes Genuine Fractals and their amazing Photoshop Plug-In Suite.
OnOne’s new Plug-In Suite solves six of the most frequent problems photographers will encounter in Photoshop. This suite has been granted American Photos Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award for Top Image Editing Software. The Plugin Suite includes:
Genuine Fractals Pro is renowned by both photographers and printers for its finesse at increasing images to more than ten times their original size while maintaining the sharpness and detail you started with. Think of this as the industry standard for image resizing.
Mask Pro is used to remove the tough stuff — such as hair, smoke and glass — while retaining the fine detail. You choose what colors to keep, then paint away what you don’t need.
PhotoTools Pro packs hundreds of high-calibre photographic effects into one user-friendly plug-in. It’s fast and easy to use. Gives your photos that pro quality look.
PhotoFrame Pro lets you enhance your pictures with hundreds of such design effects, or simply drop your image into a pre-fab layout in Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture.
FocalPoint helps to control focus and minimize visual noise. Draw the eye to specific points in your images by using selective focus, depth-of-field and vignette effects.
PhotoTune lets you can compare images side-by-side and easily color correct and enhance them. PhotoTune optimizes the dynamic range, color and sharpness of your image without the need to know all the complicated controls in Photoshop like levels and curves.
Simply enter our exclusive discount coupon code - PSSPPT06 - during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 15% discount on any onOne product.
Nik Software 15% Instant Discount - Exclusive 15% Coupon
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Color Efex Pro
52 photographic filters with over 250 effects for professional quality images.
Completely Original. Completely Indispensable.
Nik Software Color Efex Pro filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. The award-winning Color Efex Pro filters are widely used by many of today's professional photographers around the world to save time and get professional level results. Whether you choose the Complete Edition, Select Edition, or Standard Edition, you’ll get traditional and stylizing filters that offer virtually endless possibilities to enhance and transform images quickly and easily.
Patented U Point technology provides the ultimate control to selectively apply enhancements without the need for any complicated masks, layers or selections. Control color, light and tonality in your images and create unique enhancements with professional results. With 52 filters and over 250 effects found in Color Efex Pro, you can perform high quality retouching, color correction, and endless creative enhancements to your photographs. Download a free Trial version.
Viveza
The most powerful tool to selectively control color and light in photographic images without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.
Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.
U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing. Download a free Trial version.
Silver Efex Pro
Complete power and control to create professional quality black and white images in one convenient tool.
Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your photographs. For the first time, all the advanced power and control required for professional results have been brought together in one convenient tool.
Featuring Nik Software’s patented U Point technology to selectively control the tonality and contrast of the image, Silver Efex Pro includes advanced imaging algorithms to protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black and white film types, a variable toning selector for adding traditional toning techniques, over 20 one-click preset styles, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine that help produce the highest quality black and white images possible from your color images while providing more freedom to experiment. Download a free Trial version to use Silver Efex Pro.
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Exclusive 15% Discount On All Topaz Plugins - Use Coupon Code PHOTOSHOPSUPPORT - Includes Bundles And Upgrades
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code PHOTOSHOPSUPPORT during the checkout process at Topaz Labs for an instant 15% discount on any Topaz product, including bundles and upgrades.
Topaz Labs Photoshop plug-ins are specifically designed to expand a photographer's creative toolbox by harnessing powerful image technology developments. Photographers everywhere are now taking advantage of the creative exposure effects, artistic simplification, unique edge manipulation, and top-of-the-line noise reduction offered in Topaz products. The Topaz Photoshop Plugins Bundle is a super powerful Photoshop plugins package that includes the following Topaz products:
Topaz Adjust
Deliver stunning and dynamic images with this uniquely powerful plug-in that features HDR-like abilities and enhances exposure, color and detail.
Topaz Detail
A three-level detail adjustment plug-in that specializes in micro-contrast enhancements and sharpening with no artifacts.
Topaz ReMask
The fastest and most effective masking and extraction program with one-click mask refining.
Topaz DeNoise
Highest-quality noise reduction plug-in that removes the most noise and color noise while preserving the most image detail.
Topaz Simplify
Provides creative simplification, art effects, and line accentuation for easy one-of-a-kind art.
Topaz Clean
Take control of the detail depth of your images with extensive smoothing, texture control and edge enhancement tools.
Topaz DeJPEG
Drastically improves the quality of web images and other compressed photos.
Learn more about the Topaz Photoshop Plugins Bundle. Download a free trial version.
Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask - Exclusive Instant Discount
The 4 1/2 out of 5 star review of Fluid Mask at MacWorld begins by saying that this "Photoshop plug-in takes the pain out of extracting backgrounds," and goes on to recommend the latest version, stating that "Fluid Mask is a very effective tool for separating objects from their backgrounds. It offers a variety of useful features for tackling almost any difficult image, from wispy hair to complex foliage. Online video tutorials and live training sessions help ease the learning curve."
Our friends at Vertus, the makers of Fluid Mask Photoshop Plugin, have set up a special exclusive discount for PhotoshopSupport.com. Go to our Fluid Mask page for a special, exclusive discount link.
Fluid Mask is designed for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously. In a streamlined interface and workflow, Fluid Mask instantly shows key edges in the image and provides comprehensive easy to use tools that work with difficult-to-see edges and tricky areas like trees & lattices. Fluid Mask will also preserve all-important edge information for a professional quality cut out. Go to our Fluid Mask page for more info.
lynda.com Online Training Library - View Free Video Clips
Subscriptions to the lynda.com Online Training Library provide anytime access to tens of thousands of video tutorials covering Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, web design, digital imaging, 3D, digital video, animation, and many other topics. View free video clips.
For less than a dollar a day, members have the opportunity to stay current and keep skills sharp, learn innovative and productive techniques, and gain confidence and marketability - all at their own pace. Premium subscriptions include instructors’ exercise files so that members can follow along with the exact examples onscreen. Customers learn at their own pace and may stop, rewind, and replay segments as often as necessary. View some free video clips (high resolution).
Did You Know You Could Create An Entire Website In Photoshop?
SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - Create Websites Instantly
There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.
Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.
Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, SiteGrinder turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, SiteGrinder is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks. Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download.
Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews
Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS4. If you are an aspiring professional or a student learning photography, digital imaging, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.
The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.
Read 2 free sample chapters:
Skin Retouching Tips In Photoshop CS4
Transforming Smart Objects In Photoshop CS4
Find more Photoshop CS4 tutorials on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page.
Read 2 free sample chapters from the Adobe Photoshop CS3 version:
Adjusting Exposure in Adobe Camera Raw CS3
Photoshop CS3 Tutorial High Dynamic Range
Find More Adobe Photoshop Books at Amazon.com
Find all the latest bestselling Photoshop books at discount prices at Amazon.com.
