Photoshop Tutorial Basics Introduction

One image can yield a wide array of manipulations in Photoshop CS3. Using only filters already built in to the program, users can render the same file into different images for a variety of applications. This tutorial highlights some basic effects which can be achieved in just a few steps.
Open Photoshop CS3; and then open any image which you own, have permission to use, or is in the public domain. Save a copy of the image and then close the original to use again. You may choose to save multiple copies to avoid numerous undo steps.
Textures applied to the whole image can render different appearances. To make an image appear to be under mottled glass, click on Filter, scroll down to Distort, and then click on Glass. In this menu choose Canvas, leave the Scaling at 100%, and then adjust the Distortion and Smoothness to your liking. Give the image a cross-stitch look by clicking on Filter, scrolling down to Texture, and then clicking on Patchwork. A Square Size and Relief of 5 seem to work well for many images.
Change a photo into a painting or drawing by applying basic filters. To convert to a painting, click on Filter, scroll down to Brush Strokes, and then click on Angled Strokes. Make adjustments to the Direction Balance, Stroke Length, and Sharpness until you are satisfied with the preview. Render a quick cartoon drawing by first making a duplicate layer of your image. Click on Layers, and then click on Duplicate Layer. With the Background Copy layer active, click on Filter, scroll down to Artistic, and then click on Poster Edges. The default settings should be sufficient, though you can make adjustments as you choose. Click OK to exit the Poster Edges menu. Go back to Filter, down to Artistic, and click on Cutout. In this menu, Number of Levels and Edge Simplicity set at 4, with Edge Fidelity set at 2 appear to give a great effect.
Converting an image to grayscale in Photoshop used to mean simply using the Desaturate option. Photoshop CS3 has introduced the Black and White adjustment, allowing for more control. Click on Image, scroll to Adjustments, and then click on Black & White. Explore the Presets and move the sliders around to get a feel for the customization available. Place a check in the Tint box to give the image a sepia or monotone appearance.
Basic manipulations can be quick and easy in Photoshop CS3. A few simple steps allow users to alter images for graphic and web design, scrapbooking, or any other application. Apply one effect or several for a variety of results.


Adobe Photoshop Tutorial on Layers

I guess the easiest way to think of a layer is like a transparency for over head projectors.  You know, the old style projectors people use to use for PowerPoint presentations?
Nowadays, of course, they have the fancy LCD projectors, but back in the old school days you had to lay these transparency sheets on a projector and it let you put drawings up on the screen.  The neat part though was that because the light had to shine through, most of the transparency was exactly that, transparent.
That allowed for you to stack multiple transparencies on the projector and create a 'composite'.  A composite is a collection of multiple images or elements, arranged together to make a final 'composite image'.  Basically, it's a stack of images arranged so that it made a new picture, one that didn't exist before.
So let's say you had a transparency of a tree.  A transparency of a hill.  A transparency of a sky.  And a transparency of a cloud, and even one of a sun.
You could lay down the sky transparency first, then the hill.  You would now have a scene with a sky and hill!
Next, you could add the clouds, the sun, and the tree.  The final resulting image would be a beautiful picture.  If you wanted, you could move the tree, and ONLY the tree to a different location.  You could move the sun, or the clouds.  You have a lot of power and flexibility.
Not only could you move an element, you could remove it altogether.  You could take out the tree, or the cloud, for example.
Again, you could REORDER the elements and make an entirely new scene.  For example, you could put the sun BEHIND the cloud by placing the transparency for the sun underneath the cloud.
You could do the same to make the cloud appear either behind or in front of the tree (which would have to be a tall tree).  You get the idea, you can do whatever you want.  That's the point.  With each of these elements, you control the composite image and make it into whatever you want it to be.
The same thing applies to layers in Photoshop.  You simply create layers, add elements to those layers (by draing on them, for example) and then you arrange the order of the 'stack' of layers.  Layers on the bottom of the stack, are behind layers that are at the top of the stack.
That means that if a layer is at the very top, anything drawn on that layer will show up over top of anything else.
If a layer is at the bottom of the stack, it can easily be covered up by other elements that are on layers above it.
It's so easy and so powerful.  But you know what?  It's not just the layer order that controls how the final composition looks, you also have opacity and layer blending modes.  But that, is for another article.


Photoshop Tutorial - How to Color Black and White Photos

Have you been scratching your head trying to figure out how to color old black and white or sepia tone photos? I found a couple of old black and white photos of my grandparents, and I decided to bring the photos to life with this neat Photoshop technique. My grandma was so psyched about it that she made some delicious cookies for me!
Ok, without further ado, here's the step by step process for coloring black and white photos. Impress your grandma/mother/girlfriend/what have you, and who knows? They might reward you with some cookies too!
1. Open an old black and white or sepia tone photo in Photoshop. Next, go over to tools and select Edit in Quick Mask Mode (alternately hit Q on the keyboard).
2. Select the Brush Tool (B) and start painting the photo. You will notice that the default color when painting in Quick mask mode is green, that is ok, just proceed with the painting process. Remember, don't go crazy by painting all over the photo! Just paint one particular area at a time. Let's say you want to color the eyes, simply paint the eyes only. Save the whole face, lips and clothing for later.
3. Once you have painted the area that you wish to color, hit Q on the keyboard again to select Edit in Standard Mode. You should see selection lines around the border of the photo as well as the area that you have painted. That's ok though, just go over Select > Inverse or ctrl + shift + I on the keyboard. This will make the selection around the photo go away, leaving only the selection around the area that you want to color intact.
4. Go to Select > Feather (alt + ctrl + D) and feather the selection to make it nice and smooth. Choose the feather radius between 3 to 5 pixels.
5. Go over to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation or ctrl+ U. This will open up the Hue/Saturation menu. Be sure to tick on the Colorize check box on the lower right hand corner.
6. Now you can proceed to color the photo by adjusting the hue, saturation and lightness sliders. You can also get rid of the selection when coloring, by going over to View > Extras (ctrl + H). Remember its all about experimentation, so if you want get a skin tone color for example, all you need to do is tweak the hue and saturation sliders a little bit to get the desired color.
7. Repeat the steps on other areas of the photo.
Alright so that is how you color a black and white or sepia tone photographs in Photoshop. Beginners might find this Photoshop tutorial a little complicated, but rest assured that after a few tries, it's a total breeze. Give it a go!
Ghaazi Ismail is a Photoshop fanatic and has been a user of this amazingly fun application for over 7 years. Initially he had some problems understanding the basics of Photoshop. A visual learner by nature, he managed to massively improve his Photoshop skills after watching a collection of easy to follow video based tutorials.


How to Select the Best Photoshop Tutorials

Digital photo editing is today's equivalent of dark room and it is an essential part of photographic process. This is why any person serious about their photos need to have skills to edit their work. But photo editing software can be complicated to use so it is quite often necessary to seek help in the form of tutorials. There are hundreds of them available on the market. Some are web based courses, other are classes you have to attend in person. Majority of them is expensive, so it is essential to choose wisely. Here are some things to consider before committing to any course.
1. Find out who the audience is
Photoshop is used by a huge variety of people - photographers, graphic designers, photo editors and some others. Each of these groups uses the software in a different way, so the training they receive need to be different. So before you sign up for a course find out who it is designed for. If you are a photographer you will not benefit much from a course for designers and vice versa. This is why it is crucial to have an understanding of what exactly is a content of the training program you want to buy.
2. Get a trial
Never ever buy a course if you can't try it first. It is simply too risky. Additionally, if a course provider does not offer free trial or free lesson than potentially they have something to hide. Most often it is a poor quality of their product they don't want you to find out about. Getting free trial is also important, so you can find out if you like how the instructions are being provided, if they are clear and easy to follow. You don't want to end up with tutorials you don't understand.
3. Ask other for feedback
This is probably the single best thing you can do to ensure you are getting good product. Find a couple of discussion forums online dedicated to photo editing and ask about a course you are considering. You are guaranteed to get a response from forum members. People active in that kind of online communities love to share their experiences. They will be able to provide lots of information about what is being offered in a course, if it delivers what it promises and if they find it useful.
Those three simple steps will help you to save money and frustration, so it is definitely worth spending a couple of days researching your purchase.



Photoshop Tutorials - Choosing The Right One For You

Adobe Photoshop has been the gold standard work tool for digital artists, graphic artists, designers, and others for a number of years. As with other software, every couple of years or so, the product launches a new and improved version to tweak improvements, debug, meet user needs, and push innovations. Veteran users and those have never used the software may find keeping up with features to optimize performance functionality on a project, may find it challenging or time consuming. The software industry keeps consumers up and running with tons of guidebooks and tutorials. But when it comes to choosing the right Photoshop Tutorial for you depends on different factors.
Deciding on the particular tutorial you need should start with a needs inventory. Assess your current skill level with the software. Inventory why you need a tutorial. Perhaps you know less than all the functionality of the software. Perhaps a client, competitor or someone else has skills you were impressed with. Inventory what you do not know and what you would like to know. These will be your learning objectives.
Once deciding upon learning objectives, then decide on how you will accomplish them through a tutorial. More than one tutorial is on the market. Not all tutorials will meet your learning objectives. There might be key tutorials that will strategically meet all of your objectives or the critical ones. As far as educational strategies go, consider that the educational format.
For those who are new to visual design, visual design software or transitioning from using other software, a beginner tutorial may be the best place to start. For others, intermediate and advanced topics such as utilizing the Pen tool for drawing or creating 3D effects may be a learning objective.
Are you looking to maximize your photo edit skills? Or perhaps you need to find out how to create graphics projects that are user friendly for a particular social media platform. You can target development of particular skills with a tutorial that meets your learning objectives.
Educational objectives can be accomplished using different formats. There are internet webinars, videos, guidebooks, online courses, offline courses and other ways to learn. Self directed online training is popular for different reasons. It is convenient and relatively inexpensive. Learners can gain educational knowledge in the privacy of their own home during non peak time. If the learning project is work related, maybe the net result will enhance annual performance evaluations. If the learning objective is to produce a particular project, self directed study allows a person to set up their own pace to learn how to do something and complete it.
The range of educational costs to enhance skills can be wide, which is why it is important to establish objectives, including whether the objectives are career enhancing. Beyond gaining skills, or creating an immediate visually stunning project that can be showcased across projects, professional training is typically tax deductible, and makes an immediate resume booster.
SitePoint offers web professionals a simple Photoshop fundamentals guide. The tutorial provides a basic overview of the workspace and covers simple concepts like file saving in different web compatible formats. It assists students with color selection decisions and similar basic visual art concepts. Tutorial9 offers users online learning that covers how to use the Tool Box for cropping, retouching, drawing and other functions. As Simple as Photoshop is a video course that promotes that its teaching secret is to skip over details and provide learners only what they need, along with ample illustrations.
Adobe Photoshop can be learned by beginners, and those who know something about it, are always finding there is more to learn to become masters of visual art.


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Free Photoshop Tutorials

Photoshop is one of the most popular design software in the world. Photoshop is made by the Adobe Company. The reason why Photoshop becomes popular is because this software has many features, one of those is supporting additional style effects.
To be able to operate Photoshop you do not need to take special classes. If you have much money, you can just take a design course that teaches using Photoshop. It would be easier for you because your teacher will teach you with detailed steps. However, if you do not have the money to take a course then do not despair. Because you can still learn designing using Photoshop, is by searching for free online Photoshop tutorials.
From online Photoshop tutorials you can learn from basic to advanced techniques. If you are careful and patient then you will quickly understand. Online Photoshop tutorials often provide many very good and useful tutorials, even you can not find them in the printed book.
The most important thing in learning Photoshop is your spirit. You can try to searching the websites or blogs about designs. There you'll find some other people's works that can make you admire so that you will be motivated to learn more.
Many more reasons that can make you eager to learn Photoshop. One of them is because you can get a lot of money as a designer. You can start by becoming a freelance designer. You can sell your designs online. Some of the designs that you can sell them online are the card designs, website design, and backgrounds that you created in the Photoshop files or PSD.
I think this writing is up here. I hope you can find a website of Photoshop tutorials provider that matches your learning style.
For more detailed design information visit: Photoshop Tutorials and Free Photoshop Brushes
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Photoshop Tutorials For Beginners

Photoshop tutorials is the introductory course on Photoshop . You'll learn the ins and outs of getting the most from the course and a general overview of the Photoshop for the Web product. You'll view and mimic the Photoshop tutorials for saving files, displaying them and using the cursors. You'll learn about Adobe Photoshop transparencies, gamuts, units, rulers, grids and guides. You'll learn to use plug ins and scratch Photoshop disks. You'll be taught the basics of Photoshop memory and image caches.
You'll learn the basics. You'll become familiar with screen areas, layers and their styles, the management of Photoshop assets, actions, droplets, and the creation of new images. You'll learn how to open and grab images, how to blend modes and how to use and understand the differences between vector and bitmap graphics.
The techniques and tools that make Photoshop such a great product are part of the next set of tutorials. Now is when you'll learn navigation, beginning and intermediate painting, drawing, creating shapes, and beginning and advanced selections. You'll learn about filling, cropping and clone modifications, as well as modifying through sampling, annotation and retouching.
Now is when you become proficient with Internet delivery and architecture and learn about the origins and behavior of the Internet and the World Wide Web. You learn the meaning and reasoning behind the structure of Internet pages, and how to manage and use graphic architecture and animation.
Next on the Photoshop tutorials agenda are the lessons about optimization and download times, compatibility for browsers and platforms, browser offsets, JavaScript, table backgrounds, absolute positionings, resolution of monitors, interpolations and shapes of images.
Web color is an important part of using Adobe Photoshop. You'll need to know about the mode of colors, how to pick them and specify them, how to choose color that is safe for the Web, what monitor bit depth is all about, the way the browser can compensate for colors that are missing and how to save it for the Internet.
The use of type is also part of these Web Photoshop tutorials. You'll learn the various types of type, and take beginning and intermediate lessons in setting graphics type.
An overview of image formatting will be part of the Photoshop tutorials, as well as several training CDS for Gif. Included in these are the table for color lookup, LZW compression, dithering, algorithms for reducing color, transparencies, matte and the avoidance of halos. JPEG is part of the tutorials, both the general overview and saving.
As part of the Web Photoshop tutorials you'll learn to work with photos, create backgrounds and layer styles.


What You Always Wanted To Know About Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

Help is at hand these easy to follow Adobe Photoshop Tutorials are all you need, forget the books, just sit back and watch as a expert shows you right on your own computer, no software to install, no manuals to read, no technical mumbo jumbo, all the movies use the Photoshop interface you actually watch the author working on your computer, he explains what he is doing in a clear manner, and you can stop the movies at any time and rewind to any point and watch it again, you just can't go wrong.
Text
Some of the tutorials included are for creating 3D text, animate lightening, making an Aurora Borealis effect, colorizing photos, creating Faux 3D Objects, making an infusion, manipulating images in Photoshop, and more. These Adobe Photoshop tutorials are categorized into the following topics, Basic tips and shortcuts, Issues dealing with color and color manipulation, Photo editing and Scanning tips, Text effects, Special effects, Textures and backgrounds, Interface design, Learning the Photoshop tools, and other tutorials. Most of these Adobe Photoshop tutorials are related to special effects, text effects, web graphics & buttons, avatars such as how to create web backgrounds, how to make borders, how to create a beveled corner effect, and more.
Image
Learn how to create images that look good and download fast, topics covered in these tutorials include: Web safe colors, Slicing images and exporting the HTML, creating buttons and a lot more. Creating images for the web is the topic for this series of Photoshop tutorials. These Adobe Photoshop Tutorials look at image correction from the photographers point of view and provide a excellent resource for beginners and experts alike. From just adding a bevel to a image for the web to creating a special effect on a photograph for print, these Adobe Photoshop tutorials show you have to work with various filters, masks and techniques to create amazing images.
Graphics
If you intend to create graphics for the web, then these Adobe Photoshop tutorials will show you all you need to know. Most of these Adobe Photoshop tutorials are related to special effects, text effects, web graphics & buttons, avatars such as how to create web backgrounds, how to make borders, how to create a beveled corner effect, and more. And with categories like: Web Graphics, Digital Art, and Special Effects you're almost sure to find the tutorial you're looking for. This list of helpful step-by-step tutorials is sure to help you on your way to becoming the graphics designer you always thought you could be.
Tutorial
Over 300 Adobe Photoshop tutorials that are suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced users. All aspects in these Adobe Photoshop tutorials are covered, which include: setting up a new document, program settings, color management, working with layers, re-touching tips and tricks, using channels and masks, making selections. Each of the Training CDs walks you through Photoshop using video tutorials, you just sit there and watch the expert. As well as the new additions these Adobe Photoshop Tutorials also cover the fundamental points of this program, such as Tools, opening a new document, using layers, working with channels, making selections, keyboard shortcuts, masking, filters, third party plug ins, and much more.
Conclusion
Thanks to the World Wide Web Adobe Photoshop tutorials are now easier to find, a lot cheaper and in most cases they are even available for free.
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Learn From Stunning Photoshop Tutorials

The best way to learn to use a certain piece of software is to first try its tutorial. A tutorial is basically a step-by-step guide that helps you understand how to use a particular software for performing different sort of tasks.
Similarly, if you want to know the art of operating Photoshop, you should start with some Photoshop tutorials.
The Photoshop tutorials can help you understand a lot of things:

  • The Photoshop tutorials can help to form a foundation so as to use all the operations and all the features offered in the Photoshop.
  • Once you are familiar with the foundation building stuff, you can start to build on it. After that you can learn the various advanced tools and techniques. These advanced tutorials, like the Photoshop model retouching tutorial can teach you to perform very complex tasks. This way you will be able to design the graphics that are comparable to the graphic design sported by the various websites. These tools will also teach you how to combine graphic design with animation in a smooth manner.
  • You can opt for different type of tutorials according to their use and accessibility.

Here is a look at the different type of Photoshop tutorials available:
1. Internet Based Tutorials: there are a lot of websites that offer you tutorials on how to use Photoshop for a number of tasks. By paying a particular fee, you can explore the various tutorial options offered on the website and learn everything you have to.
2. Tutorial Demo: there are a lot of tutorial demos available for Photoshop. They can be downloaded for free. Since these are just demonstrations, they can only offer a limited amount of information. For an instance they may only contain a few basic chapters.
3. Tutorial CD: You can also buy a Photoshop tutorial CD. This way you can always learn to use Photoshop, without the need to log onto the internet.


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