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Volume 2, Issue 3 March 18th, 2009
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Hello ,
Spring is in the air, and it's a great time to get outside and take some killer photos - - Enjoy!
I have been blessed with the best clients in the world, and I really appreciate all of the great feedback and compliments - keep those comments and suggestions coming...
 John Watts |
Custom Printer Profiles
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Printer and Monitor
Don't Match?
Let Me Help!
Now available for
Adobe Lightroom, too!
Improve the accuracy of your workflow and the quality of your print output with my Custom
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you've never bothered with printer
profiles because you thought it was too complicated or expensive, it is
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print output will be dramatic!Click Here for more information and to read testimonials...
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| "Photofinishing With Photoshop Tip #10"
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The Power of Adjustment Layers, Part 1
Adjustment Layers are one of the more powerful
features of Photoshop. The purpose of Adjustment Layers is to allow you
to make adjustments to your image, both globally and locally, in a
non-destructive manner. By the way, I define "destructive" as causing
pixelization and posterization to your digital image, resulting in bad
prints.
Think of Adjustment Layers as "clear plastic overlays" over your
original image, with each layer giving you the ability to control a
particular aspect of your final image, such as contrast, color
correction, and so on. In addition to "global" control, you can define
what "localized" area a layer will control by using Selections and/or Layer Masks (see this Free Webinar or This Post on my Blog for more on Layer Masks).
You work with adjustment layers in the Layers Palette (or the Adjustment and Layers Panels in CS4).
If you set your workspace up using the default workspace, then your
layers palette will be near the bottom right-hand corner of your
screen. If not, simply go to the "Window" menu, put a check mark beside
"Layers", and drag the palette to your desired location.
Let's explore some of the features shown in the diagram above: - A Background Layer is the image you bring into
Photoshop - - This layer should generally be left alone - - Most of the
time, no work should be done to it.
- The Active Layer is the layer that you are working on, and is highlighted in gray.
- You can control your Layer Visibility by toggling the "Eye" on and off - - This will help you see the effects of a particular layer on your image.
- The Blending Mode lets you control the way pixels
are blended together. The various blending modes that are available can
be seen in the drop-down menu. By the way, the vast majority of time,
your Blending Mode will be "Normal".
- To access the Layers Palette Options, just click
on the button shown in the diagram above. Here you can quickly delete a
layer, duplicate a layer, flatten you image, and so on. If you go to
"Palette Options" at the bottom, you can change the size of the
thumbnails displayed in the palette (A personal favorite, as my eyes
are getting older!). By the way, each Palette (not just this one) has a
different set of options.
- You can control the opacity of a particular layer by moving the Opacity Slider.
0% Opacity means that none of the effects of that layer will show
through: 100% Opacity means that all of the effects of that layer show
through.
- The Layer Thumbnail is a visual representation of
the tool you're using in an adjustment layer. Double-clicking on the
layer thumbnail will open the dialog box for that tool. The Layer Mask Thumbnail is a visual representation of the selection or layer mask for that tool. There's lots more information on Layer Masks at my Free Webinars or This Post on my Blog.
- You can Delete a Layer by dragging it to the Trash Icon.
That's it for Part 1 - - In Part 2, which I'll discuss in the next newsletter,
I'll talk about how to create an adjustment layer, how to edit an
existing layer, and a few other interesting tidbits.
Until Next Month, Have Fun!
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"Not Just Another
Photoshop Book..."
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My Photoshop Book, "Photofinishing with Photoshop, The Art of Printmaking in the Digital Realm", is now available in two varieties:
1) "E-Book" - Available as an immediate download in PDF Format
2) "Hard Copy" - Printed with Quality and Spiral-Bound, Ships anywhere in the USA
This is not just another Photoshop Book: It is unique
because I focus on what makes a good color print, and I will show you
how to use the basics of Photoshop to achieve your desired printing
results, using your computer and printer.The Book is 100+ pages in an easy-to-follow format, packed full of great information, examples, and illustrations.For detailed information, testimonials, or to purchase and download, please click here to visit my website.By the way, the Video Series that complements the E-book will be out very soon...
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Free Live and Interactive Webinars...
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Come and explore the power of Photoshop with my FREE Live and Interactive Webinars: Enjoy a whole new dimension to what you can accomplish!
Here are the other subjects being covered right now:- Photoshop - - Keep It Simple
- Color Management 101
- What's New in CS4
- Layer Masks
- Working with RAW images
- The Power of Curves
To see what it's all about, see a short video sample and to sign up, Click here ... And remember - - It's FREE!!! |
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