Introduction to Photoshop

This full-color book is an essential guide to getting started with Adobe Photoshop. It's packed with tutorials, illustrations, and practical exercises to help you make sense of this complex and powerful software.

You'll start with the basics of Photoshop, including an overview of its myriad tools and other options. Next, you will learn about some of the common tasks that can be performed in Photoshop, such as how to touch up images and basic applications in photography. You'll also be walked through how to leverage Photoshop for special and 3D effects. Each and every technique author Kevin Wilson presents is illustrated step-by-step using screenshots with concise, easy to follow text. Downloadable sample photoshop files and images are also provided, to help you work your way through the book.

Whether you are a graphic design student, a photographer, or just a keen computer user, this book will provide you with a firm grasp of the underpinning foundations of Photoshop and equip you with the skills needed to unleash its full power.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

* Understand Photoshop's many tools
* Use Photoshop to execute common image manipulation tasks
* Touch up photographs and other images in Photoshop
* Remove lens distortion and make photos look more professional

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

Students, those interested in starting graphic design, and photographers looking to enhance, clean up and manipulate their photos. No experience with image-manipulation software is needed.

With over 20 years’ experience in the computer industry, Kevin Wilson has made a career out of technology and showing others how to use it. After earning a master's degree in computer science, software engineering, and multimedia systems, Kevin has held various positions in the IT industry including graphic & web design, digital film & photography, programming & software engineering, developing & managing corporate networks, building computer systems, and IT support. He currently teaches computer science at college and works as an IT trainer in England while researching for his PhD. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED WITH PHOTOSHOP

Sub –Topics

• Introduction

• Downloading Photoshop

• Opening a Blank Project

• Using a Template or Mockup

• Opening a Saved Project

• Menus

• The Toolbox & Options Bar

 Pen Tool

 Crop Tool

 Slice Tool

 Move Tool

 Marquee Tool

 Lasso Tool

 Quick Selection Tool

 Eraser

 Text Tool

 Retouch Tool

 Healing Tools

 Custom Shapes

 Pencils & Brushes

 Eye Dropper

• Panels

 Opening & Closing Panels

 Layers Panel

CHAPTER 2: COMMON TASKS

Sub – Topics:

• Import Images

• Change Image Size

• Rotate an Image

• Crop an Image

• Content Aware Crop

• Adjust an Image

 Hue and Saturation levels

 Shadows and Highlights

• Free Transform Tool

• Text Tool

• Shapes

• Brushes

• Automated Actions

• Batch Processing

CHAPTER 3: TOUCHING UP IMAGES

Sub - Topics:

• Burn Tool

• Dodge Tool

• Heal Tool

• Spot Healing Tool

• Content Aware Move Tool

• Clone Stamp Tool

• Magnetic Lasso Tool

• Quick Selection Tool

• Magic Wand

CHAPTER 4: USING LAYERS

Sub - Topics:

• The Layers Concept

• Create an Image Collage

• Selection & Free Transform

• Layer Styles

• Add Text• Format Text

• Smart Objects

• Adjustment Layers

• Auto-align Layers

CHAPTER 5: SPECIAL EFFECTS

Sub - Topics:

• Filters

• Radial Blur

• Stylize Filters

• Filter Gallery

• Lighting Effects

• Combining Photos

CHAPTER 6: 3D EFFECTS

Sub - Topics:

• Creating 3D Objects

 3D Postcard

 3D Extrusion

 3D Shape from Preset

 Add some 3D Text

• Navigating 3D

• Moving Around your Object

• Inserting 3D Models

• Build your Scene

CHAPTER 7: PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Sub - Topics:

• Import Photos

• Camera RAW

 Reading a Histogram

 Adjusting a Photo

 Levelling Photos & Removing Lens Distortion

CHAPTER 8: DIGITAL IMAGES & RESOLUTION

Sub - Topics:

• Image Types

 Bitmap Images

 Vector Images

• Resolution

 Image Dimensions

 Image Resolution

 Image Compression

COMMON IMAGE FORMATS

APPENDIXTOOL CHEAT SHEET