See our Photoshop CS3 Tutorials Page for free Photoshop 10 video clips.
Get all your Photoshop upgrade options and the best prices at the Adobe Store.
Photoshop Tips & Tricks — Variety Pack Volume 6
Here is a collection of useful tips and tricks to improve your Photoshop skills.
Type Mask Made Easy
Filling big bold type with an image can be a useful technique to inject some life into a boring title. Here is how to do it effectively, so that the type and the image both remain editable.
Put the image above the type layer. Select the image layer and press Command-G (WIN: Ctrl-G) or select the Layer> Create Clipping mask menupoint. In CS2 the new shortcut for creating a clipping mask is Command-Option-G (WIN: Ctrl-Alt-G).
Now, you can move and change both the type and the image to fine tune their position relative to each other.
To release the mask, just select the image and press Command-Shift-G (WIN: Ctrl-Shift-G).
Remove Dust & Scratches
The Dust & Scratches filter is for cleaning the imperfections in your image that are usually a result of of film development and scanning. You may ask, what's to write about this filter? You just select it from Filter> Noise and you're done.
Well, not it's not quite so simple. Dust & Scratches is a destructive filter, so if you apply it, when you re-open your file you can't go back to the original. It's always better to work in PS in a way that you have the option to go back to previous stages of your work. Also, if you apply this filter directly to your image it will destroy some important details while correcting the dust and the scratches.
Photoshop Layer Finding Quick Tip
If you've ever worked with a huge Photoshop file, you know that it's easy to get lost between the dozens of layers. If you have a large pasteboard with several elements, you can get frustrated trying to find the layer that contains the image you want to move/apply filters to/etc. The tiny thumbnails in the layers palette doesn't do much to help, however, there is a way to do it. Hold down the Control and Command (aka Apple) keys, and click on an image in the pasteboard. A menu will pop up, showing the name of the layer it is on. By selecting the menu item, you switch to the layer.
Checkered Background Customization
When working with white or light grey objects the default checkered pattern that stands for the transparent background makes it quite difficult to see the edges of your elements. It's especially difficult to judge semitransparent areas.
I've seen designers adding another locked layer below the working layers filled with a dark color.
This is a good solution, except that it adds to the file size and needs to be switched on and off when saving your work with the transparent background as a gif or png.
There is a simple way to replace the light checkered background to a darker pattern or any flat color - preferably one that is not used in your artwork. Just open Preferences/ Transparency and Gamut and play around with the different settings. It only takes a few seconds and will help your work tremendously.
Zoom Resizing Windows? No Thanks
There is one default setting in PS that I have to change immediately after a fresh installation. In Preferences /General I deselect the option for Zoom Resizes Windows.
Usually I open a window to a certain size and then zoom in/out and scroll in that space. I hate the default setting of the zoom resizing my windows.
Having this feature disabled can be especially useful when working with several images at the same time. I open the window for each, one next to the other without any overlap and I can safely navigate in these windows without the fear of the windows jumping around. If I open many images and want them to be visible all at once I select the Window> Arrange> Tile menupoint to avoid doing it manually.
I like to have a neutral grey (or any other matching color) around my images when I zoom out too. With the windows safely arranged side by side I can simply drop layers from one to another, compare them, pick colors, etc. It's really the best simulation of an actual desktop with several documents in front of you.
It may take some time to get used to this style of work with windows, but soon you will find it to be more effective.
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.
Photoshop Extended is also available as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium ($1,799/$440), which combines all-new CS3 versions of Photoshop, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 8 Pro. International options are available at Adobe's UK Store, Europe Store, and Australia Store.
SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - CSS Web Tool
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. Read our review of SiteGrinder.
Exclusive Special Offer - Fluid Mask 2.0 - $189
Fluid Mask 2.0 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 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.
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.
Regular Price: $299.99 (take 20% off with coupon)
