Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book 2014: The Official Training Workbook from Adobe Workbook Edition

I taught myself Photoshop the hard way, trial and error. I knew there must be features I was missing and better ways to do things so I purchased this book almost as a review. It turns out that this book has shown me features of Photoshop that I didn't even know existed. The step by step style coupled with downloadable example which you can follow along with make this a very effective teaching tool. Is it an encyclopedia of Photoshop knowledge? No. Is it a good beginner to intermediate review/teaching tool? Yes! Well worth the price.

I started out as an intermediate beginner (able to make some adjustments in iPhoto) to feeling really, really comfortable with photoshop. I took a picture of my wife, erased some dude who was standing next to her in front of a brick wall, then cut her out completely and put her at the beach in front of a sunset.THIS BOOK ROCKS...it takes you step by step through the basics of photo manipulation and retouching, and gives you the tools to then understand the more complicated techniques that the YouTubers are posting.Definitely recommended.PS: you have to download files from the PeachTree site...at first I thought this would stink, but it was VERY EASY and the sample files are exactly what's in the book. Each chapter has its own folder (DL them all at once) and takes you through manipulating each file in the folder in stepwise fashion. Amazing.

The Classroom in a Book Series excels at mixing in advanced tips even in the most basic lessons and this book is no exception.With a program as big and deep at Photoshop, this book does not attempt to cover every feature, command, filter and technique, but instead covers overall concepts, plus hits on multiple ways to accomplish common tasks and highlights new features. I am an experienced Photoshop user, worked on the creative side of ad agencies for the past 10+ years and use this book as an instructor for a 300 level course at a University. I taught for two years using the earlier edition  Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a Book  and noted a significant number of changes, mostly improvements, in the new Creative Cloud 2014 edition of the book. You learn many of the same things as in previous editions, the only real new skills are related to new features of Photoshop but more importantly the lessons themselves are improved. In this new edition it feels like you are not just moving pixels around but making improvements to the photos and layouts. The first four chapters should probably be completed in order, but after that you can start to pick and choose the topics that look most interesting to you. Most lessons clock in right at an hour, which is ideal for a classroom setting, and shorter than the often 90 minute lessons from before. If you like the old fashioned physical DVD with the tutorial files you may want to grab the CS6 or older version of the book, the CC editions of the book require that you create an online account to download the lesson files.CHAPTER 1You learn a good collection of techniques from selections, to basic color correction and adding shapes & text to create a birthday card. The tutorial leaves you feeling like you accomplished something, more so than the Chapter 1 from the CS6 version of the book.CHAPTER 2This lesson highlights the photo correction tools that have made Photoshop famous. A must read, my students left the chapter excited by the opportunities that had been opened. In previous editions, the lesson had the reader change a photo using several of the same tools, but the before and after in this lesson feels more dramatic.CHAPTER 3A very good overview of the multitude of selection tools available in Photoshop. Seasoned professionals are likely to learn at least one thing new.CHAPTER 4The reader builds a postcard/poster by combining several photos while learning about layers, blending modes, gradients and drop shadows. This chapter is one of the few that is virtually unchanged from the CS6 edition of the book.CHAPTER 5Titled "Quick Fixes", chapter five is made up of 7 mini-lessons, this chapter covers a lot of the "How do I..." questions that a new photoshop user might ask, such as how to remove red eye, create a panorama, blur the background, or remove a duck from a photo. This chapter replaces "Correcting and Enhancing Digital Photographs" from previous editions. Some of the techniques from the old chapter 5 that aren't covered in thew new chapter 5 are now covered in chapter 12.CHAPTER 6More advanced features such as using masks and puppet warp. I found this a good chapter to send students down who may already know the basics, while skipping it for the class as a whole.CHAPTER 7This chapter covers typography tools, including ones you'll rarely use.CHAPTER 8The reader will learn a little about the bezier tool in this chapter but there is a little bit too much hand holding. The lesson never really pushes the learner to try the bezier tool on their own without a paint-by-numbers guide. This is one of the few chapters that will take more than an hour.CHAPTER 9The chapter on advanced compositing is fun, slightly cheesy and is well timed in teaching during the fall semester as it has a Halloween theme.CHAPTERS 10-15Dive in to niche uses of Photoshop that are rarely used by most professionals, and not really enough information to become proficient in any of those uses.All in all, Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book lives up to the strong reputation of the Classroom in a Book series. Take a look through the generous preview on Amazon, you may be pleasantly pleased by what you find.

Everyone’s heard of Photoshop (Ps). It’s one of the world’s most recognizable brand names.In a few weeks, it’ll be 18 years since Adobe Press published their very first Classroom in a Book. It was for Photoshop 4.What’s known as “Photoshop CC 2014” is, as the year comes to a close, Photoshop 15.2.2. If you are a CC subscriber, you already know that the days of back Adobe product roll-outs, every 18 to 24 months are over. Adobe now pushes out “dot releases” every few months, as part of the Creative Cloud subscription.It looks like once a year Adobe will declare the start of a new cycle, hence the “CC” designation in June 2013, and “CC 2014” in June of this year. Apparently Adobe Press plans new CIBs annually, for most of the 16 core CC desktop apps, too. (We’ll have a few more thoughts on that, in a few paragraphs).Adobe Press (a.k.a Peachpit Press) has produced many Classroom in a Book (CIB) volumes, not all of which were applicable to what we do, yet, this is the 107th CIB that we have carefully studied from cover to cover.Why Do Creative Professionals Keep Getting These Books?We have written, photographed, illustrated, and sometimes even designed three books. Every year, we are asked to contribute to other people’s books. We go back to the original little beige 1984 Macs and were the first people to place an order for Windows 2.0. In 1985, the founder Aldus (which Adobe acquired), the guy who coined the term “desktop publishing,” asked us to beta test PageMaker 1.0. We’re Adobe Community Professionals (ACPs). So, with all that background, why do we need to be studying every one of the CIBs for the core CC desktop apps?We mention all of this, not to boast, but to help you in understanding the importance of this book and the role it plays in the lifelong learning ecosystem. In cooperation with the Virginia higher education system, we run an Apple Authorized Training Center which offers courses in all things Adobe CC. At the main college technology center where we and our team of Apple and Adobe Certified Instructors (ACIs) work, you can not only take some extremely intense courses on all 16 of those core CC apps, but you can take your exam to become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Associate (ACA).We write quite a few college-level syllabuses a year, but at the core of our Adobe training are the CIB volumes. These learning packages are not just another set of books on Adobe apps. They are carefully crafted to play an integral role in how people train to become certified in Adobe apps.Does that mean that everything you need to know to become a Photoshop expert is within these 384 pages?That was part of the concept back in 1997, when the first Photoshop CIB was released for version 4.0, but to cover everything in Photoshop 15.2.2 could not be contained in 1,384 pages, much less 384.However, if you study one of the CIB volumes for those 16 core CC 2014 apps, or get all 12 books, which total 4,811 pages, you should have an excellent foundational knowledge of this world’s most powerful app collection for media technology. We say, “should have” because over the past 17+ years not all of the CIBs have had stellar results. Over the years, we became the “complainers-in-chief” for Adobe Press.We write these reviews as a journal, which we put together as we study the materials. These things become our personal quick-glance guides as to the CIB contents.Our DisclaimerTo temper this review with even more candor, we’re not strangers to the people at Adobe, Apple, Canon, Epson, HP, Nikon, Sony, Wacom or dozens of photographic lighting companies. Many of our fellow Adobe Community Professionals write books.In truth, on page 236 of this book is one of our illustrations. Does that mean this whole review is fixed?Though we were asked to proof one of the new CIBs (we were too busy), the first time we ever see a freshly printed CIB is just like everyone else, after it goes into retail distribution. Though many of the writers of the CIBs and books by other authors Peachpit, Random House, and Focal Press are good friends of ours, they never know what we’ll say until our PDFs appear on our website, m2media dot com, and as a review on amazon dot com.So, in short, the process is clean on both sides of the fence.With that out of the way, let’s get started:Chapter 1 - Getting to Know the Work AreaIn the past, we have complained about this first chapter. It tended to throw people into the fire. If (and it sometimes seemed like a bug “if”) they made their way through those initial twenty or so pages, that was good news. As we mentioned previously, Photoshop 15.2.2 is huge. It’s important to start small and not overwhelm the trainees.This time, someone got the memo.We liked the days when the Photoshop CIB started with Adobe Bridge (circa CS2).If you are not familiar with how this works, there are 12 CIBs for the 16 core CC desktop apps. Adobe Bridge (Br) and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) are included in the Photoshop CIB, just as Adobe Prelude (Pl) and Adobe Media Encoder (AME) are included in the Premiere Pro CIB.Why is that?For one, there isn’t a market for CIBs for Br, ACR, Pl, and AME, at least not yet. Second, as we mentioned earlier, part of what CIB does is prepare you for your certification. Br and ACR are touched upon in the Photoshop ACE exam as knowledge of Pl and AME are needed for the Premiere Pro ACE.We’ll get to more on Br and ACR in a little bit.This edition’s chapter one is well-crafted. The sole focus is getting the trainees used to how you navigate your way around Ps, use tools, make selections, use menus, and work with panels.Everyone should breeze through it without trouble.Use these line items as your checklist. For each one of these ask yourself, “Do I fully understand these points?”Starting to Work in Adobe Photoshop 10-12Open a File from the Desktop 10-12Tools 12-18 Zoom + Scroll w/the Navigator Panel 16 Brighten an Image 16-18Sample a Color 18-19Tools + Tool Properties 19-25 Context Menus 19-21 Hidden Tools 21-22 Set Tool Properties in the Options Bar 22-23 Panels + Panel Menus 24-25Tools Panel Gallery 356-359Undoing Actions 25-26Panels + Panel Locations 26-29 Expand + Collapse Panels 28 Tools Panel + Option Bar 29Find Resources 29Change Interface Settings 30If you’ve dabbled in Photoshop before, you should polish off this first chapter in less than an hour. Newbies should take all the time they need. Go back and review anything which is not crystal clear to you, before going further.Chapter 2 - Basic Photo CorrectionsThough learning the basics of photographic retouching are essential Photoshop skills, the Ps CIB team appears to have an excellent strategy to ease trainees into doing actual Ps projects. In the process this makes the reader even more comfortable with the app, itself. That explains why there are some topics which include overviews of media technology. We are pleased at how the Ps CIB team gradually ramps up the trainees.The same is true of Adobe Bridge. Unfortunately, all Br gets in this CIB is two pages. If you need to use Br to do any editing of photos or launch ACR, after rough-editing the photos you just captured, this chapter’s narrow focus on Bridge will not suffice. Do we fault the CIB team for that? As previously mentioned, there’s way too much which needs to fit into these lessons. 384 pages have to use the space judicially.Retouching Strategy 34 Organizing an Efficient Sequence of Tasks 34 Adjust Your Process for Different Intended Uses 34Resolution + Image Size 35-36Open a File in Bridge 36-37Straighten + Crop 38-39Adjust Color + Tone 40-41Restoration 42-43Spot Healing Brush Tool 44-45Content Aware Patch 45-46Repair Areas w/the Clone Stamp Tool 46-47Image Sharpening 48-49Black and White Conversion 50Now that we have offered plenty of praise, let’s prevent you from falling into a learning trap. It’s too easy to learn how to use the Spot Healing Tool on page 44, apply a content-aware patch on page 45 and do a Clone Stamp on the next two pages. You successfully complete the lessons, but you have to ask yourself, “Did I really learn how to use those important tools?” If all you do is follow along, you learned the concepts, but you probably are not ready to do retouching. That means you have to determine if you want to move onto the next chapter or explore some, on your own.The chapter’s learning concepts conclude with an Extra Credit page. We’d suggest that you do extra credit with every topic in this book. We find that as soon as trainees move on, they don’t always come back. Our fellow instructors often discuss how some programs are for passing the certification exam and others intend to make trainees proficient, on the job. We want you to do both.Chapter 3 - Working With SelectionsOn the surface, this seems like a chapter you can browse through in less than an hour. It’s to easy to over-estimate your skills and pay for it a few chapters later. Consider the following points as your checklist.By way of example, when you’re on page 58 and 59, ask yourself, if you’ve become a master at repositioning a selection while you’re making it. If not, your skill sets have not been honed sufficiently to move onto working with the Magic Wand or Lasso tools. Consider this learning to be like health care, where you have to be the primary and wise decision-maker when it comes to your wellness. Do the same with your Adobe learning:Selecting + Selection Overview 54Getting Started 55Quick Selection Tool 55-56Move a Selected Area 56-57Manipulating Selections 57-60 Reposition a Selection Marque While Creating It 58-59 Move w/Keyboard Shortcuts 59 Move Arrow Keys 59-60Magic Wand Tool 60-62Soften Edges of a Selection 62Select w/the Lasso Tool 63-64Rotating a Selection 64Select w/a Magnetic Lasso 65-66Selecting from a Center Point 66Resize + Copy a Selection 67-69 Resize the Contents of a Selection 67 Move + Duplicate a Selection Simultaneously 68 Copy Selections 69Crop an Image 69-70Chapter 4 - Layer BasicsIf you know a little bit about layers, then you don’t know enough, and you better pay attention to this one.Scott Valentine has done an entire book on just a portion of this topic, “The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers.” (And, “Yes!” We did contribute to that book, too. And “No!” We don’t get a single penny of royalties from any of our book contributions). Our point is that layers are a very valuable tool set, even if it appears as if they are just some mechanical function of the app. They open creative opportunities.By way of example, rearranging layers on page 80 seems mundane, but when you get started with the lesson, you see that it has power. Then, on page 82, you start to toy with a layer’s opacity. Pages 82-84 take it further with the blend modes. Pages 90-96 take you into layer styles. The principles in the above mentioned 12 pages have enough coolness in them to build an entire career.Layers Overview 74Getting Started 74Layers Panel 75-80 Background Layer 76 Rename + Copy a Layer 77-78 Viewing Individual Layers 78-79 Add a Border to a Layer 79-80Rearrange Layers 80-88 Change the Opacity of a Layer 82 Duplicate a Layer + Change the Blend Mode 82-84 Blending Modes 83 Multiply 83 Lighten 83 Overlay 83 Luminosity 83 Difference 83 Resize + Rotate Layers 84-85 Use a Filter to Create Artwork 86 Drag to Add a Layer 87-88 Add Text 88-89Apply a Gradient to a Layer 89-90Apply a Layer Style 91-96Blending Effects 93Add an Adjustment Layer 96-97Update Layer Effects 98Add a Border 98-99Flatten + Save Files 100-101Layer Comps 101Merging Photos 102To further the discussion on what’s not covered in the book (Feel free to translate that into, “There’s a bunch you need to study.”) page 101 offers just a portion of the page to Layer Comps. This is another topic which a career can be built upon, if you become a talented Photoshop artist.Chapter 5 - Quick FixesQuick Fixes is a much-needed new chapter. In previous editions, some of this used to be crammed into the chapter on Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).This refreshingly new organization is something of a second step from chapter two’s basic photo correction. It makes so much more sense than how it was done in the past.Again, don’t get too cocky by thinking, “Snapshots! I don’t need this.” Play along, on page 101 you’ll get into some powerful, relatively new tools for blurring backgrounds to gain control of the viewers’ focus.Even if you don’t shoot panoramas, now, carefully follow every step on pages 114-118. The techniques are empowering. The same is true of correcting distortion and creating depth of field. Mastering the Content-Aware Move tool, starting on page 125, is a must-do.Admittedly, what’s on pages 127-131, about perspective looks a little intimidating to some people. Just do it. It’s not difficult, at all.On page 132, al photographers should love the new Camera Shake Reduction. That said, most of this chapter is about cool new features which deserved a place at the CIB table.Getting Started 106Improving a Snapshot 106-109 Correct Red Eye 106-108 Brighten an Image 108-109Blur a Background 110-113 Blur Gallery 112-113Create a Panorama 114-118 Best Results w/Photomerge 116 Overlay Images Approximately 40% 116 Consistent Focal Length 116 Tripod 116 Same Position 116 Avoid Distortion Lenses 116 Same Exposure 116 Different Layout Options 116Correct Image Distortion 119-121Add Depth of Field 122-124Move Objects w/Content-Aware Move Tool 125-127 More on the Content-Aware Move Tool 127Adjust Perspective 127-132 Change to Perspective of a Building 131 Camera Shake Reduction 132When you’re done with the chapter it’s okay to ask, “These are ‘Quick Fixes’? Really?!!” But, what the author may be telling you is that, “The process which used to take a few dozen complex steps, to complete, is now considerably more approachable.” So, “Yes.” these new approaches do not take weeks of mastery.Chapter 6 - Masks and ChannelsInterestingly enough, chapter five’s “What used to be painful…” topics flow right into a chapter on, “What shouldn’t be painful…” The pain level of a feature set is sometimes an illusion in the mind of the user. After all, many Photoshop users, who are otherwise on top of the app’s power, try to avoid masking, and hide under their desks, when it comes to channels.Why is that?They’re not difficult.When we look at these lessons on masking (and they are the same ones which go back quite a few editions of this CIB, so we have seen them many, many times), we remember how painful masking used to be. (This doesn’t mean that it’s 100% easy, now.)The Ps CIB team, feels you only need 8 pages to learn about masking, as we agree. Chances are, at a marathon pace, you can complete them in 30 minutes. If each spread takes at least 15 minutes a piece, don’t feel bad.The pages on channels is not a deep dive. In fact, crossing these channels is only about ankle deep water, but it gives you the general concept.Mask + Channel Overview 136Getting Started 136Create a Mask 137-138 Masks and Masking 138 Alpha Channel 138 Layer Mask 138 Vector Mask 138 Clipping Mask 138 Channel Mask 138Refine a Mask 139-142 Zoom Tool Shortcuts 141Create a Quick Mask 143-144Manipulating an Image w/Puppet Warp 144-145Channels 146-152 Alpha Channel for Shadows 146-148 Adjust an Individual Channel 148-149 About Alpha Channels 149 Masking Tips and Shortcuts 152Before we forget, each chapter ends with review questions. Don’t cheat and look at the answers on each page. Cover them up and test what you’ve learned. Go back and revisit anything that you missed.Chapter 7 - Typographic DesignType has been on board with Photoshop for quite a while, but until CS6 (Photoshop 13), text in Ps was tolerable, at best. However, the Photoshop team turned that around for CS6 and it’s now quite impressive.This chapter is no newbie hand-holder and it’s not a revisit to type basics from InDesign or Illustrator. It gets down to business with the aspects of using type as a design element, right away. Still, every step is clear and easy to follow. The results should empower trainees.Type Overview 156Getting Started 156-157Clipping Mask from Type 157-161 Add Guides to Position Type 157-158 Add Point Type 158-159 Make a Clipping Mask + Apply a Shadow 160-162Paragraph + Character Styles 163Type on a Path 163-166 Type Tool Tricks 164Warping Point Type 167-168Design Paragraphs of Type 168-170 Guides for Paragraphs 168 Add Paragraph Type from a Sticky Note 169-171 OpenType in Photoshop 171 OpenType Menu 171 Discretionary Ligatures 171 Swashes 171 True Fractions 171Add a Rounded Rectangle 171-172Add Vertical Text 172-174Save as Photoshop PDF 174If adding text in Ps is in your workflow, we urge you to complete this chapter and then create some of your own extra credit activities.Chapter 8 - Vector Drawing TechniquesWhile the Photoshop team dramatically corrected typography for CS6, they were equally hard at work with vector art. This was something which never was a smooth experience for anyone jumping back and forth between Photoshop and Illustrator.We have seen many failed attempts to teach vector art to Photoshop users. It is a significant topic, which requires attention to instructional detail.A book could be devoted to this topic and anyone well versed in Ps should have an initial reaction that 17 pages is a ridiculous attempt at making trainees proficient in this feature set. However, once fully explored, even the most doubtful reviewer will need to admit that the techniques used here are quite impressive and do a thorough job.We must admit, though, that there’s no way for a newbie to breeze through this chapter. If you complete it in an hour and a half, you need to be sure that you understand all of the techniques presented. For accomplished Flash Professional, Illustrator, and InDesign users, the 90 minute estimated time allocation could be possible. For those in their Photoshop “freshman year,” give this one a couple hours.Chapter 9 - Advanced CompositingYou’ve seen Photoshop compositing projects everywhere, even if you’ve never hear the term before. All those actors standing together for the movie theatre posters? They were put together in a composite just like web graphics of the entire team of anchors for the morning television news shows.There are many way to composite elements in Photoshop and this CIB uses some silly horror film examples to teach the basic concepts. Though the examples could be more inspiring, the techniques are spot-on.If Photoshop compositing is in your future, expand your learning experiences on this topic. There are other books and videos on this topic. It’s another one of those examples of how some accomplished Photoshop artists have found their way into a lucrative marketplace.Chapter 10 - Painting with The Mixer BrushPainting in Photoshop has not always been our specialty. We started with Fractal Design (now Corel) Painter 1.0 the day in was released in August 1991.For CS5, the Photoshop team introduced a powerful paint engine and some very serious painting tools at a time when Painter will technically limping along. We got on board from the minute we discovered Photoshop’s paint tools, as did many of our fellow authors who had been talking up Painter for all of their careers, too.Painter, however, for the accomplished media technology professional, is a relatively plug-and-play experience, for the basic features of that app. Users can buy the program, browse through the quick start guide, and begin doing some basic brush strokes in less than a half hour.Unless you are a technically brilliant pre-teen, we doubt anyone can do that with Photoshop painting, especially since no quick start guides exist. The Ps painting UI is something of a kluge of adapted Ps parts, going back to the previous century. That sounds like it should be easy for accomplished Photoshop users to get used to, however, if there is such a person who feels that’s true, we have yet to meet them.What we’re getting to is that it is not easy to teach Photoshop painting. Nevertheless, the team, which put together this chapter has mastered concise communication. Follow these steps and you will have a sense as to what painting is all about:Does this give you the know-how you need to feel comfortable with painting? There’s much more you need to learn.Fear not; there are many books, videos, and other online learning tools available about Photoshop painting.For now, do a little self-exploration. The day after you complete this book, do more of your own extra credit painting, before you forget what it’s all about.We highly recommend that you delve into cloning a painting from a photo. That way no one feels they need years of traditional painting on their resume. Wedding/portrait professionals have discovered that painting from a photograph can add a few hundred extra dollars to every package.Chapter 11 - Editing VideoWe must confess that when video was introduced to Photoshop, that made no sense to us. Why not do video in Premiere Pro, instead? No one on the Photoshop team could give us a reason as to why this is a needed feature set.The end users did that for them. As much as cool animations are created in After Effects and dropped into Premiere Pro, people are animating their Photoshop creations.Unfortunately, this Photoshop feature set, much like painting, has had its development stall out, while Adobe concentrates on other Photoshop demands. At the same time, the timeline features of After Effects, Audition, Flash Professional, Prelude, and Premiere Pro have moved forward with each development cycle, making the Photoshop timeline feel like an unwelcome member of the CC family.We mention this since those who have mastered one or more of the above noted apps are likely to want to explore Ps CIB. If you are amongst them, don’t let the UI make you feel lost. Your brain might stutter a bit, but you’ll quickly adapt. As you go through these lessons, with other timeline background, try to set that knowledge aside. This is different.We have two or three extra credit projects for you.1. While the Timeline panel is fresh in your mind, open a multi-layered project. In the lower left of the Timeline panel is a button to convert the panel to Convert to Frame Animation. Now you’re ready to create GIF animations for websites. It’s super useful. Do that with a Photo project which has multiple layers. Do each animation step, one layer at a time.2. While you’re used to the Ps video timeline, don’t render the end result in Photoshop. Do it in Adobe Media Encoder, instead. (The Premiere Pro CIB cover AME).3. Bring a Photoshop video project into Premiere Pro. Suddenly the purpose behind this entire chapter will make sense and tickle your creativity with more that you can do.Chapter 12 - Working with Camera RawWe were thrilled to see Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) finally get a chapter of its own. Millions of new dSLR (digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras are sold every year. Unlike in February 2003, when ACR 1.0 was introduced, and dSLRs were only for brave pioneering professional photographers, great digital cameras are now very affordable. Learning to give those raw files the opportunity to attain their full potential has been much needed.There are plenty ACR features covered in this chapter. This is good. There are very few resources available for mastering the Camera Raw plug-in. (It seems like ACR is an app, but technically it’s a plug-in). Adobe has a difficult to find manual for both Bridge and Camera Raw. It’s not a very complete look at learning everything about either one of them, but at least it gives you a list of features you need to study.This chapter covers plenty of ground, including some nice extras on further corrections within Photoshop.The start of the chapter says that you should set aside an hour. The ACR user interface hasn’t changed much in its almost 11 years. Camera Raw doesn’t resemble the other UIs of its fellow 15 CC desktop apps. (Yes, like most, we used the “app” word). To fully study this one and do enough extra credit (if, you don’t want to play around with your own raw files, something’s wrong) please set aside a couple hours before you feel you are beginning to approach a decent comfort level with Adobe Camera Raw.Another important note is that many Photoshop users will want to rough cut a shoot in Bridge and then process the finished edit in Camera Raw. ACR launches from within Bridge. This may use fewer of your computer’s resources if a big package of raw files are launched from Br rather than Ps.Chapter 13 - Preparing Files for the WebMaking Photoshop images into JPEGs and GIFs, for the web and mobile projects, goes back to Photoshop 5.5. Of course, imaging for such needs has changed dramatically over the years and Photoshop has responded with new and updated features.At times, the Photoshop group of products (Bridge, Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop) appears to have been kept a few inches from arm’s length of the other 12 CC apps. Yet, Photoshop has become a little more inclusive with Generator. As found on page 312-315, this feature set is a terrific means of using Photoshop to design complete web/mobile projects and get those creations into a form acceptable to electronic media.If you are new to exploring imaging for an internet environment, study this one carefully. For newbies, these are a bunch of unique technical challenges which need to be understood. A one pixel mistake or incorrect file extension can mess up everything.These lessons could require at least a couple hours to fully absorb. Take breaks, if needed.Chapter 14 - Producing and Printing Consistent ColorMuch like preparing images for web and mobile, printing is another aspect of Photoshop which addresses the end result. Jeff Schewe has written an excellent book on printing.To get printing to work perfectly takes a little tweaking. One of the beauties of a lesson, which comes with print samples, is that you have a tried and tested method of making actual application of this learning to your own workflow. The book claims that you can get through the 19 pages of this chapter in less than an hour. If you have a Photoshop printing background, that’s probably true. However, if the technology of this is something you have never tackled, and you want to run more of you own printing tests, you’re in for at least a half day.At one of the college technology centers, where we and our certified instructors teach, there are 3D printers. Those things are not plentiful. It’s an emerging market.Upon initially browsing through this book we were glad to see a chapter on 3D printing, but we thought it was a little odd that the chapter on 3D, itself, was cut from this edition. Don’t jump to conclusions, based on the chapter title. 3D basics are in this chapter.In fact, some of what seemed unapproachable, in past editions, should read as more doable, this time around, even though the projects are quite simple and don’t have this high-level of coolness, which some Photoshop 3D projects can boast about.Even if you have no immediate plans of creating a 3D object or printing it, and getting your certification in Photoshop is not on your bucket list, this is an important chapter. Don’t skip it. That’s especially true if you plan to also explore After Effects, Flash Professional, and Illustrator. Trading off 3D projects, between the apps, is an ever-growing field.ConclusionWe have been highly critical of recent editions of Ps CIB.Our taking any credit for the changes to this edition is not going to happen. However, our friends at Adobe Press have made significant changes to this one. And, yes, they are changes for the better.Here’s our take on what’s happened. Someone has come to the conclusion that CIB cannot be all things to all people. The best outcomes of a roughly 400 page, tightly packed volume, is that there’s enough material to build a firm foundation.There’s nothing in here which should overwhelm anyone who is moving through the lessons with all due diligence.At the turn of the century, the Photoshop CIB editions had more room to include exercises with more visually inspiring projects. CIB soared above all other books, from that aspect.Like many things in creative technologies, those days are over. Affordable, single volume learning has to be directed toward a very specific audience.If you came to us, to learn all the topics covered in this book, and then some, doing a deep dive into all the points you need to become an Adobe Certified Expert, we’d put you through a nearly 70-hour intense boot camp which would make your brain beg for mercy. We would need to charge you many times more than the price of this book. Yet, the essence of everything we have written into our Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop syllabuses is here, for you to do on your own. Yes, you will need to drill deeper but successfully completing these lessons pours a very firm foundation.It has been many years since we have completed a Ps CIB and had no issues with anything in it.We are pleased to finally, once again, give the CC 2014 edition 5.0 stars out of a possible 5.0.

I had to buy this book as the text for a photoshop class i took at the local college. i usually am not easily impressed with these types of books but this is a descent one. the practice files are good and i have been able to easily use this book as a reference since completing the class.**If you found this review helpful, do vote by replying Yes to 'Was this review helpful' **

Partendo fal fatto che sono uno studente di Comunicazione Grafica e Multimediale, mi aspettavo che questo libro, oltre alle funzioni del software Adobe, spiegasse scorciatoie e trucchi per un uso professionale degli strumenti di elaborazione grafica digitale.Il manuale è molto dettagliato (in lingua inglese ovviamente, quindi i comandi differiscono dalla versione italiana). Purtroppo, dal mio punto di vista, sono informazioni reperibili anche online, cercando nel software stesso, o semplicemente con un po' di curiosità e tentativi.È un ottimo prodotto, ma per chi da ieri od oggi, si trova a prendere in mano da zero il famoso programma della casa Adobe

Excellent book, A must for anyone using Photoshop CC. Well explained and easy to follow the lessons.

ich bin zufrieden mit dem Buch, doch, das Buch sieht so aus, als ob es schon gebraucht würde. Sonst ok.

Although I had worked with different programs (mostly Corel Draw Suite) before, I never really got a grip on Photoshop. It was mostly try and error and me giving up and going back to Corel.But as I have the Creative Cloud subscription, it really made sense to finally embrace Photoshop.It is a fantastic book. It taught me all the basics, step by step. It helped me understand the tools, the option I've got, what I am able to to with Photoshop, and much more.Anything which isn't covered in the book, I should be able now to do by using the online tutorials.I can only recommend this book. Especially for someone who really hasn't worked with Photoshop before.

Follow the book and it teaches how to use Photoshop professionally