Ben Willmore — a true Photoshop Guru (see his work in our Inspiration section) — also writes for several magazines, covering issues such as color correction, production, efficiency, and special effects. Below you will find links to Ben's Photoshop Tips, Magazine Articles, his Archive of Photoshop Tips, some Color Management Resources, a service that provides Help With Problem Images, his latest Photoshop Books, and info about his Training Courses & DVDs. Enjoy!



Free Photoshop Quick Selection Tool 22 Minute Video Tutorial From Ben Willmore - Plus Exclusive 15% xTrain Discount Code

xTrain has given us a super free clip for you to enjoy. This is the entire Class 5 of Photoshop CS3: Simplified and Easy with Ben Willmore.

In this 22 minute training video, Ben demonstrates in detail some new selection techniques you can use with the Photoshop CS3 Quick Selection tool. Launch Class 5 - Quick Selections Tool: Photoshop's Coolest NEW Tool!

Here's more info on this training, and if you decide to enroll, at checkout enter our exclusive discount promo code photoshopsupport and you'll receive an instant 15% discount on any and all xTrain products.

About Photoshop CS3: Simplified and Easy with Ben Willmore
Photoshop gives you the opportunity to turn your images into masterpieces. In Photoshop CS3: Simplified and Easy, Ben Willmore, Photoshop guru, guides you through the fundamentals of this essential imaging software. This course is easy enough to follow for beginners, but also is great for those who have used this software, and want to learn the the newest CS3 features.

You will be taken through all the basics of Photoshop, and watch Ben go step by step through the numerous capabilities of this fun and essential software. Learn layer basics, enhancements, and editing. Class 4 will train you how to put together all you have been taught. This course will enable you to use Photoshop CS3 skillfully and extensively.

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For more information about xTrain, visit www.xtrain.com. They also have a free preview page with some samples. And remember — at checkout enter the promotional code photoshopsupport and you'll receive an instant 15% discount.


Ben's collection of tips and tricks on his website has been renamed “Insight Injections” The tips have also been recategorized as follows:

Selection tips
Can’t-Live-Without-‘Em tips
Copying and Pasting in Photoshop tips
Brushing up on Keyboard Shortcuts
Tips for using CS2 Bridge
Script: Opening RAW files as Smart Objects tips
Open/Save tips
Ruler and Guide tips
2000-2004 Tip Archive


The following is a listing of all magazine articles that can be accessed in their downloadable PDF form through individual links on the site directory above. Here are all of the magazine article titles, with PDF file size and 1-line subject blurbs:

New archived tips are as follows and can be accessed in an archived directory listing.

02/26/04 - Color Part 2 12/19/04 - Color 09/28/04 - Quick Effects 09/15/04 - Layer Styles 09/08/04 - CS Tips 08/02/04 - Blending Modes 09/02/03 - Problem Resolutions 08/22/03 - Keyboard Shortcuts 07/25/03 - Tool Tips 07/14/03 - Essential Tips 06/02/03 - Copy/Paste Tips

05/19/03 - Type Tips 05/12/03 - History Palette Tips 05/05/03 - Layer Tips 04/28/03 - Layer Style Tips 04/21/03 - Color Correction Tips 04/14/03 - Palette Tips 04/02/03 - Retouching Tips 03/24/03 - Photo Tips 03/17/03 - ImageReady Tips II 03/10/03 - Collage Tips 03/03/03 - Adjustment Tips

RGB Working Spaces
If you're not all that comfortable with Color Management, you'll find a 23 page (2.5MB) handbook on the subject. Choose your ultimate output device from a supplied list to see how the default RGB Working Spaces relate to it. If your printer is not listed, you are welcome to send an ICC Profile for it and Ben will consider adding it to the list.



Problem Images - Help Center
This is the place to get help with all your problem images. As Ben says on the page: "I'm looking for images that you might have challenges with. The ones where you haven't been able to find a solution even after looking in a few Photoshop Books. If you're willing to send me the image along with a description of what needs to be done, then I'll take a look at it and then I just might use it in an on-line tutorial, or in a printed magazine or book."



Adobe Photoshop CS Studio Techniques
By Ben Willmore
If you're ready to go from Photoshop competent to Photoshop enlightened, this is the place to turn. In these pages, revered Photoshop instructor Ben Willmore explains the whys behind the how's so that you can unleash Photoshop CS' full creative potential. In a friendly, easy-going style that's long on information and short on techno-babble, Ben explains the concepts, features, and techniques that promise to make a real difference in the way you use Photoshop CS. Complex concepts like curves and channels are made crystal clear, and features new to Photoshop CS - like the very cool PhotoMerge function for creating panoramic composite images, support for nested layers, and more - are covered in the depth they deserve.
available at amazon.com

How to Wow : Photoshop for Photography (Wow!)
By Ben Willmore, Jack Davis
If winning over clients means wowing 'em with Photoshop-enhanced photos, this is the book for you! Simple step-by-step instructions equal easy, elegant solutions in this streamlined volume geared exclusively to photographers using Photoshop. Just like your favorite cookbooks - the ones with short, clear-cut instructions and mouth-watering photos of the delectable concoctions - this book identifies challenges, provides simple recipes for overcoming them, and plugs in inspirational photos of the glorious results. The authors provide enough theoretical grounding so readers can use the program effectively but leave out the tech-heavy under-the-hood discussions that represent the core of other Photoshop tomes.
available at amazon.com



1 Day Photoshop For Photographers Seminar
In this one-day seminar Ben teaches Photoshop speed tips that will let you perfect any image in record time. Plus, you’ll learn his favorite photo-editing techniques for retouching, restoration, and color correction.

8-Week Online Class
Photoshop expert and instructor Ben Willmore will guide you through a start-to-finish workflow that gives you ultimate control over the entire process and allows you to get the most out of your images. From optimizing tonality and color to precise retouching and photo merging, you'll gain a deep understanding of the marriage between your digital camera and Photoshop.

DVD Series
"If there could ever be a title called 'everything you need to know about color,' this is it!"
— National Association of Photoshop Professionals
Join Ben Willmore as he provides over 2 hours of training on the theory of color and the many different ways to adjust, change and improve color in an image.

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Vertus Software is offering Fluid Mask at the special 'friends and partner' discounted rate of just $189 - PLUS free upgrades for the next 6 months.

This is an exclusive offer to visitors of PhotoshopSupport.com. To qualify, visit the Fluid Mask Discount Price page. Find out more about Fluid Mask on our special Fluid Mask Page.

Exclusive 10% Discount On All onOne Products
Enter discount coupon code PSSPPT06 during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 10% discount on any onOne Software product. This is a special offer exclusively for PhotoshopSupport.com visitors. Vist our onOne Software Page for summaries and reviews of PhotoFrame Pro, Genuine Fractals, Mask Pro, Nik Sharpener, and The Photoshop Plugin Suite.

From the PhotoFrame Pro Review by Jennifer Apple: "PhotoFrame Pro offers an upgraded batch of new features, making this plug-in even more of a valuable asset for the professional graphic designer or amateur digital photographer alike! The folks at onOne software have compiled what is arguably the most comprehensive collection of border and edge effects available on the plugin market right now. You can treat your digital images to the thousands of new frames offered in PhotoFrame Pro, ranging from crisp black and white to brilliant RGB color — from abstract edging effects to realistic frame-and-matte simulations."
Read the full PhotoFrame Pro review.

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Total Training for Adobe Photoshop
Learn Adobe Photoshop with 21 hours of interactive Adobe Photoshop tutorials. This is training for real-world situations and includes additional tips and techniques used by the pros.

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SiteGrinder 2 — Photoshop Plugin
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 2 seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, this program turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder 2, 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, this program is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks.

Generate Your Web Pages Directly From Photoshop
By generating web pages directly from Photoshop, you'll be able to spend much more time on the creative end of the spectrum, since you'll know right off the bat how well particular designs will translate to the web. No more going back to the Photoshop drawing board after getting a phone call from your development team, telling you that what you had envisioned doesn't have a chance of being displayed on the web. You can immediately visually and interactively test your designs, which permits you to then make changes to either esthetics or functions while it's still relatively early on in the design process.

Pricing and Availability
Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download. SiteGrinder 2 can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.




PHOTO CREDIT: Blur on color pools.
© 2004 Eric Martin of Futura Studios