In Adobe Photoshop there is an often-used tool in the Filter menu called "Gaussian Blur." Just above this filter are two other filters "Blur" and "Blur More." I never choose either of these vague options for my blurring needs, and always go to the source: "Gaussian Blur." However I think it is overkill to label the feature "Gaussian Blur" as I don't think that Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) is going to come back from the dead to sue Adobe for using his name.

I Googled Gauss immediately. At the Scienceworld site it said that at the age of three Gauss informed his father of an arithmetical error in a complicated payroll calculation and stated the correct answer. At Nebulus.org I found a page about Photoshop's blur filters, which includes a piece about how Gauss developed the math that describes / defines the points along bell shaped curves. They are called Gaussian Integers (numbers). I like learning tidbits because I use them to fend off Photoshop know-it-alls. How many of them know about the Gaussian Blur filter's namesake? No matter how much I learn about this program, it seems that there are always 100 more things to discover.

Digital Anarchy Releases Color Theory 1.5.3 for Windows
[press release mashup] Digital Anarchy have announced the availability of Color Theory 1.5.3 for Windows. Color Theory is a digital color wheel that intelligently finds harmonious color combinations. Color Theory uses traditional Red-Yellow-Blue (RYB) color space, rather than the Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color space used by computers. Available as a stand-alone application or a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects users, Color Theory enables artists to quickly analyze hundreds of color schemes while working with existing logos and artwork.
Color Theory is available in two versions. CT Standard is an inexpensive tool for artists who want a simple but powerful color design aid. CT Pro builds on that by allowing the user to import images, output to video, and use it directly within Photoshop, Illustrator or After Effects.
Color Theory’s formulas are based on the studies of Bauhaus professor Johannes Itten and utilize the classical artists’ RYB color model. Color Theory includes all 20 of Professor Itten's traditional color formulas, as well as primary, secondary, tertiary, pastel, neutral, and clash schemes.
Regularly priced at USD $99, CT Pro is available now for USD $79 until March 31, 2005. Regularly priced at USD $49, CT Standard is available now for USD $39 until March 31, 2005. Demos and tutorials are available at www.digitalanarchy.com.

Photoshop Tip: Fix Those Stray Pixels Fast!
Sometimes when making a selection with the Magic Wand tool or Color Range (under the Select menu), Photoshop will leave little stray pixels unselected. You can tell where they are because they appear to twinkle on and off, kind of teasing...nay, taunting you, because your selection is not complete. Luckily, there's a quick way to rein in those renegade stray pixels. Go under the Select menu, under Modify, and choose Smooth. Enter a Sample Radius of 1 pixel and click OK. That will usually do the trick - those stray pixels are now selected.
 This tip is reprinted by permission and sponsored by the NAPP.

Photoshop CS3 Upgrade Options And Bundles From The Adobe Store

Photoshop CS3 Extended is ideal for film, video, and multimedia pros and for graphic and web designers using 3D and motion. Get the full version for US $999, or upgrade for US $349. The standard version of Photoshop CS3 is available for US $649, or as an upgrade for US $199. See all upgrade options at the Adobe Store. See our CS3 Resource Center for free Photoshop CS3 tutorials.

Photoshop Extended is also available as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which combines all-new CS3 versions of Photoshop, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 8 Pro. Upgrade options for customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can be found at the Adobe International Store.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store

There are tons of new features in Adobe Lightroom 1.0 that you won't find in the beta version. From Clone and Healing functionality to metadata browsing, you'll be able to free-up post-processing time like never before. Get it now at the Adobe Store. Customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can find special pricing and offers at the Adobe International Store. For free Lightroom tutorials see our Lightroom tutorials page.

Special Offer - Fluid Mask - Photoshop Masking Plugin

Fluid Mask is based on breakthrough segmentation technology inspired by the way the eye, optic nerve and brain perform visual processing. When an image is loaded, Fluid Mask's segmentation engine analyses the distribution of colors, finding the natural groups within the image. Together with information calculated about edges, gradients and textures, a model is constructed which divides the images into objects.

Vertus Software is offering Fluid Mask at the special 'friends and partner' discounted rate. 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.

Alien Skin Software - Photoshop Plugins - Special 10% & 20% Discounts On All Alien Skin Photoshop Plugins

Our friends at Alien Skin Software have set us up with an exclusive special offer discount link that will give you some sweet savings at their online store.

Just follow this link and you'll see 10% and 20% price drops on their products when you get to the Alien Skin Online Store area (excludes the Eye Candy Bundle, which is already discounted at $199). This special offer includes a discount on Eye Candy: Textures, Eye Candy: Nature, Eye Candy: Impact, Exposure, Blow Up, and their latest release Snap Art.

Snap Art – $149 – our price $129
Blow Up – $199 – our price $179
Exposure – $199 – our price $179
Eye Candy 5: Impact – $99 – our price $79
Eye Candy 5: Nature – $99 – our price $79
Eye Candy 5: Textures – $99 – our price $79

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, this program 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, 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 can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.

Photoshop CS3 Book - CS3 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews

Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS3 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 CS3. If you are an aspiring professional, enthusiastic amateur photographer, or a student learning photography, digital imaging, art and design, 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:
Adjusting Exposure in Adobe Camera Raw CS3
Photoshop CS3 Tutorial High Dynamic Range

Special book offer - save 24%
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Photoshop CS2 Book - Photoshop CS2: Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews

An inspirational and user-friendly guide to creative image editing, Photoshop CS2: Essential Skills provides direction for photographers and designers alike who have ventured into the realm of the 'digital darkroom.' The book offers a progressive curriculum to guide you through Photoshop with a series of clear, step-by-step projects designed to place knowledge into a practical context.

Whether you simply want to retouch an image, create a glamour makeover or create a highly sophisticated montage - this book will give you the essential skills to complete the work to a professional standard.

Read 2 free sample chapters:
How To Sharpen An Image In Photoshop — Advanced Sharpening Techniques
Working With Shadows In Photoshop - Advanced Shadow Techniques

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Exclusive 20% Discount On Select Total Training Products & Bundles

To redeem our exclusive discount coupon, use promotion code save20pss in your shopping cart. You could save hundreds of dollars. Use this special link to see the full offer.

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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Free Adobe Photoshop CS3 video tutorials
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PHOTO CREDIT: Flowers shot with a Canon Digital Rebel at macro setting.
© 2004 Eric Martin of Futura Studios