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Most computer users are familiar with newer versions of their favorite software program coming on the market. With each new version you are usually guaranteed something new and exciting and this is certainly true with Adobe software programs. A common mistake is that older versions will no longer work and I am very glad to say that this is completely untrue. Older versions of updated software will continue to perform just as they always did. Unfortunately you will not receive any of the newer features or upgraded support elements unless you update your software.

Adobe started with the Photoshop photo editing software and it soon created another line of software the Elements software which was also for photo editing the only difference being that Elements was designed for the less professional photo editors. So with Elements one can edit their photos with so much ease.

Adobe has reworked Photoshop Elements a few times and have currently released version 7. Version 7 is without a doubt the most comprehensive update this program has undergone. The number of tools and features has increased tremendously and the programmers have included essentials to make it closely resemble the professional version of Photoshop. Now, when using Photoshop Elements, you are able to edit your photos just as if you had done it professionally with the Photoshop software.

Another change in version 7 is the user-interface which makes the program much more user friendly than in previous versions. If you haven?t already upgraded you may be wondering what the new features include.

Elements 7 has an organizer which will allow you to label your images so you can easily sort and find them whenever you need them. This is very good for you can be working on some images simultaneously, so the organizer will allow you to sort the images as projects which you can access with ease. Then there is the fix feature. This feature will give you all the most commonly used tools when trying to edit an image. So the common tools you will be readily given will be the smudge, blur and sharpen tool.

The create panel allows you to create items such as calendars, slideshows, etc. Using this feature you can take your image to the create panel and then decide on which project you would like to make. It is an incredible tool for making personalized gifts for friends and family.

The most impressive feature on Adobe Elements 7 is the share feature. With this feature you will be able to share your photo albums via the Internet using programs like face book and other community networks. You will also be able to send your image using the share feature via e-mail. If you wish to save your images on removable media the share feature allows you to copy your images on CD/DVD.

I have only touched on a few of the incredible new features available in Elements 7. You can try it out for yourself; Adobe offers a free 30 day trial period on their website.

Did you enjoy this article? Curious about learning Elements fast? Well now you can by reading this free Guide…what are you waiting for?

Is photography your passion but you can’t get your photos to look perfect? Is it your goal to produce professional looking photographs? If you agree with these questions then I have the answer for you, Adobe Photoshop.

First of all, you need to remember that most professional photographers today use Adobe Photoshop to edit the digital photos they take. You need to remember that not every photo they take is perfect and some will have the common mistakes in photography, such as the red-eye phenomenon, finger over the lens syndrome and even the hand shake syndrome. Poor exposure is another enemy of photographers.

Don’t let your average photos get you down, do what the professionals do and rely on Adobe Photoshop to fix these problems. Not only can Photoshop fix red it, it can even “fix” your subject, turning even the most ordinary subject into a supermodel. Have you ever wondered how so many models can look so perfect each and every time? Photoshop easily removes zits, wrinkles and other imperfections and is basically the perfect “airbrush”. Is your subject overweight, too old or too young, over dressed or under dressed … Photoshop is so good that it can instantly remove 50 pounds, making your subject look like a supermodel and with a bit of work you can even change their outfit.

Here are a few tricks that you can use to turn your photos from ordinary into extraordinary using Adobe Photoshop.

One of the most common problems is red eye so I want to show how you can fix this problem. Even with the most advanced SLR camera, even with a camera that has red eye reduction, you will undoubtedly still have this problem. Photoshop comes with a red eye tool that automatically identifies and eliminates red eye from not only your human subjects but your pets as well.

Unfortunately we don’t always have the best lighting possible when we take our photos; fortunately we have Photoshop which contains all the tools that we need to create brighter and clearer photos with more vibrant colors. With a click on the mouse the automatic tools will clean up your image as well as improve its overall appearance. Using a slider you can adjust the brightness and contrast thereby making it look as if your photo was taken during the best possible lighting conditions. You can also manually adjust your photos color settings thereby giving you the sharpest and cleanest appearance of the image as possible.

Want to remove an item that is distracting the eye from your subject? Easily edit out unwanted objects and replace them with any background you choose. Was someone absent from your group shot? Easily add them in as well as any background or other item you wish, again with a few simple clicks of the mouse.

These items are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the things you can do using Adobe Photoshop. Hopefully you can now understand how even amateur photographers can take professional quality photographs. Using Adobe Photoshop you can turn your ordinary photos into extraordinary works of art.

Click on the Brustic to open the Brush Preset picker, and scroll down to see the default set of brushes. Towards the foot of the list of default brushes you’ll find a variety of unusually-shaped brush tips, including brushes shaped like stars and blobs. Click on the picker’s menu icon to access other, specialized sets of brushes. You can use the picker’s menu to display a thumbnail of the brush stroke, or set it to show the brush tip and name. The numerical value indicates the brush’s initial diameter in pixels. You can customize this to suit your requirements. When you select a new set of brushes, you can either replace the existing default set or append the new set to it so you can use both.

There are few things worse than having hundreds of cool brushes gone in an instant. It’s happened to me on one occasion where my hard drive fried out and I didn’t save all my customized Photoshop stuff. So I’m going to help you avoid any tragedies and tell you how to save your brushes. Once you’ve got an amount of brushes made (I personally like to create ’sets’ of brushes that all kind of work together, or just happened to fit my mood that day!), go to ‘Edit’ then choose ‘Preset Manager’. A window with all your current brushes will pop up. You can click on each little square individually. What you’re going to want to do is shift+right click on the series of brushes you want to save. Once you’ve done that, click on ‘Save Set’, give the set a name and save it to your computer (of course these brush files are what you’re going to want to back up!). There, you’re done!

To demonstrate the way the interface changes as you use it, try selecting the type tool from the toolbox (the one that looks like a capital T). You will see straight away that the toolbar changes entirely to allow you to set font name, font size and so on. In the history palette, your use of the type tool will be added to your history, and a new layer will be created for your text and shown in the layers palette.

Graphic design has always been big business but with the explosive growth of the Internet graphic designers are experiencing increased demand for their services. Every business needs a web site to be successful in today’s business environment and every web site needs graphic design in the form of logos and web graphics. There has never been a better time to get into the graphic design business and the best part is all you need to get started is desire, Adobe Photoshop, and some training on how to use Adobe Photoshop to create stunning web graphics that sell.

The other benefit of using Photoshop to fix your old photographs it that you can work in layers. The layers function ensures that you won’t waste an hours work with one little mistake. As you work your photograph you can save each new change as a new layer. If you mess up simply delete that layer and try again. Photo restoration requires patience and attention to detail. Only Adobe Photoshop has the tools to do a quality job restoring your old photographs. Learn Photoshop now and start bringing those old photographs to new life.

The Caledonian Digital website is user friendly and offers extensive information relating to the services provided, as well as providing recent articles on various aspects of digital photography, and links to sources of hardware, software, and reference material for photo restoration enthusiasts.For additional information on the launch of Caledonian Digital’s new hassle free photo restoration and enhancement service contact Charlie Templeton or visit www.caledoniandigital.co.uk.

News photographers routinely process images using Adobe Photoshop software. But there has been a basic premise in the world of photojournalism that what was allowed in making prints in the pre-digital days of darkrooms is all that is acceptable today. Back in the days of the darkroom, we used very basic tools to develop prints. In black and white printing, the contrast of a picture was controlled by a paper’s grade. The higher the number of the paper, the higher the contrast. In the wire agency darkrooms I’ve worked in, we typically used grades 3,4 and 5. We allowed “dodge and burn” to lighten or darken areas. A dodge tool was made by taping a small piece of cardboard the size of a quarter onto a paper clip. A burn tool was a piece of cardboard the size of an 810 sheet of paper with a hole in the center.

If you are not quite familiar with Photoshop, this program has these wonderful little features called Actions. These Actions have many different uses from creating remarkable effects to maximizing your productivity and of course they can always be counted on to handle the common and tiresome tasks that are nothing more than time consuming.

I only just discovered the wonder of Batch Processing. I’m dedicated and detail oriented, but sitting in front of the computer adjusting the Hue/Saturation for the countless number of photos taken at my son’s first birthday was simply out of the question. I did find a more than happy solution in Batch Processing.

When creating an action, you need it to produce the same one result. Let’s imagine an example of changing the Hue/Saturation in 100+ photos from bright red to a rose tone. You might need an action to serve another purpose, but let’s stick to this Hue/Saturation idea for this tutorial. Now pick a small image such as an icon and we’ll continue.

Now go to Window – Actions and make sure it is checked. If it is, you should see a tab in the Layers Palette labeled, of course, Actions.

Click on the arrow button to enter the Actions menu and then “new Set.” This will create a folder for your newly created action (the folder is not mandatory, but it does help with organization.)

Return to the Actions menu and choose “New Action.” Before you begin to record an action you need to decide the steps you’ll need to take and the order in which you’ll need to take them. This is a pretty simple action and soon you will be able to do this is your sleep.

Next comes recording. Begin by clicking on the little circle icon in between the square and the triangle at the bottom of the palette. Once that is selected everything you do in Photoshop will be recorded until the end of action. If you do the wrong step no worries, simply stop the action by clicking the square icon and return to your last step.

For my action, the first thing I need to do is change the Mode of the image to RGB, since .gif files are saved in Index mode which don’t take too kindly to colorization. So with the action recording, go to Image – Mode – RGB. Now take a look at your Actions palette, it should look like this:

Next, strip the image of the current color in order to apply our own color easier by going to Image – Adjustment – Desaturate.

You should see a naked grey image and so we need to add some color. Make sure your action is still recording and go to Image – Adjustments – Hue/Saturation. It helps to have the settings for color saved in a .ahu (Hue/Saturation) file so all you have to do is click Load and select Teal.ahu. If you don’t have a file saved you can simply use the sliders.

Woo, we’ve now SunBlinded the icon! All that’s left to do now is save it for the web. Is your action still recording? Good. Go to File – Save For The Web and set your file type and optimization settings. I use the standard GIF settings, but whatever floats your boat, dude. Select your destination directory and save. If your Actions palette looks like this:

Stop recording and say “Yay, I made an action!” because you’re finished. Now to put your newly born action into… ahem… action, we’ll do a Batch Process. What this will do is take all the images in a specified directory and apply whatever changes were recorded in the action. Just for the sake of the tutorial, create a directory and drop some images into it, or just duplicate one that you already have.

Begin by going to File -Automate – Batch and make sure the name of the Action Set you just made is in the first dropdown list and the name of the Action is in the second. Set the third dropdown box (next to Source) to Folder and use the Choose button to find your duplicated or created folder of images. For destination, you can leave it set to it’s default “None” to have the action applied and saved in the source folder, or save the “actionized” images into a separate folder. Click OK once you have everything set to your liking..

Now you can sit back and watch your images color themselves because you’re using Actions and Batch Processing to do your tedious work.

Sometimes, when it comes to getting a picture to convey a particular emotion, or augmenting the theme of the background you juxtapose it against, nothing works quite as well as a few choice words. These could either be in the form of a quirky caption, or an insightful banner, or just about anything that adds to the significance of the picture in terms of the context you want to present it in. However, many photographers and editors have shied away from ‘tagging’ their images for years, for fear of their pieces of art turning into tacky caricatures, by merely adding a not-so-impressive effect that detracts from their image’s artistic value. In recent times, the revolution called Photoshop has literally swept these cynics of their feet, offering an array of features that would have otherwise been considered impossible to attain with more conventional digital photo-editing softwares.

With Photoshop, captioning your images is no longer restricted to plastering a few lines of text across them. Instead, you can blend the text in and have it merge with the image, so that what you have as a final product is a harmonious confluence of text and image, and not two separate entities. Photoshop uses a ground-breaking technique called Anti-Aliasing, to attain this effect. Anti-Aliasing works with the pixels of the text you type in, partially filling in the edges to keep them from standing out. You can also choose how sharp or smooth your image appears, by selecting the most appropriate alternative from the array that Photoshop allows you. ‘Strong’, for instance would make the text appear heavier than the rest of the image while ‘Sharp’ would define the edges, while also making sure that they are in-sync with the background.

When working with text that is very small in size and falls under the threshold of 10 or 12 points, it is advisable that you refrain from using Anti-Aliasing, as this may modify your text in an inconsistent manner. The same applies to images that are not of a very high resolution which may lead to the text being blurred at certain points. To smoothen or sharpen the text, you can choose the similarly labeled alternatives while the ‘Crisp’ option lets you meander midway, with the text preserving its conspicuousness and yet not standing out too blatantly from the rest of the image. To use Anti-Aliasing on your image, go into the ‘Type’ layer in the ‘Layer Palette’ which brings you to the Anti-Aliasing menu. It is from this menu, which you will find in the ‘Options’ bar or in the ‘Character Palette’ that you can select the most viable alternative to apply to your frame.

A swift way to reach for the Type tool is with the letter ‘T’. This brings the Type Tool options to the Options bar, from where you can use the ones you want to work with. The first two buttons let you choose between creating a Type Mask, or a Type Layer, which you can, depending on what you’re more comfortable with. If you have a large amount of text you want to fit into your image, the best way to go about it is to create a Type Layer, click and drag a rectangle or square to size your text and fit it in the section of the image where you want the text to be featured. If you plan to type directly onto the document, you can save on a lot of time and effort by referring to the I-beam that appears on the image. The small horizontal line that cuts across the beam indicates the baseline, which you can use to align your text with the image, even as you’re working on it!

With Photoshop, you always have the option of previewing your text to check for font and style compatibility, even before you actually begin to type in the content. However, if you think you need to see the final effect to make your decision, you also have the alternative of typing your text in, highlighting it and then modifying the finer nuances. Coloring your text is another ballgame altogether. With Photoshop, you can not only fine-tune your color choice with every individual character, but also multi-hue your text while using only a single layer. While the Color-Picker is bound to spoil you for choice, you can also pick colors off your image by moving your cursor to the color you want to emulate, while keeping the Color Picker window open.

Once you added your text and granted it all the enhancements you could think of, you may want to take a minute to gloat over your accomplishment. To do this, exit the type mode with the ‘Enter’ key on the ‘Numeric Keypad’. You can also exit the ‘Typing mode’ by selecting any other tool in the toolbox or clicking on the checkmark in the Options bar. And if you still aren’t satisfied with the text you’ve added, you can re-enter the Editing mode by double-clicking on the ‘T’ icon in the thumbnail area of the Layers Palette. For a quick-fix job where you just want to re size the text or move it around, remember to hold down the ‘Shift’ key while dragging the text to adhere to the proportions. Not doing so will lead to your text becoming taller or wider than it originally was and if that’s what you’re looking for, proceed the same way you would with the exception of holding down the ‘Shift’ key.

As Photoshop continues to advance and develop, it also expands in the opportunities it offers photography enthusiasts of every level of skill from beginners who are exploring new avenues to experts who seek challenge to rein their creativity. Learning your way about this software can seem an uphill task, in view of the expansive features that it boasts of, and all the possibilities it opens new doors to. If you haven’t begun already, master Photoshop today and let your ingenuity startle you with the heights it soars to!

Adobe Photoshop is the worlds most used photo editor series, but still people hesitate to make a few clicks to work on it. There is a technical phobia for the term “Adobe Photoshop”. Seldom do they realize it is easy to use, very user friendly, and a few hours to learn it is going to make you a Photoshop wizard! Believe me.. I am not blowing stories. It is as easy as 1, 2, and 3.

There are many features available in this software. You can just go through the help contents leisurely and try them one by them. Start with just 1 topic every day if you believe you are going to get bored. You will gradually not move out of chair after you start.

Abstracts are an interesting feature in Photoshop. The lens flare option in Adobe helps you create countless background effects, which you can use for your desktop or a screen saver. There are many online tutorials that give step by step guide to create 3-D shapes, Silver Abstract Vortex, Blood effects, glowing background effects and many more. There are very many abstract pattern motion backgrounds that can be created with this software. For any of these the steps are generalized as follows: click on white color for the layer that is background and hold down shift and then hit backspace. Then a few steps with the filter options within minutes you get abstract motions.

Photo retouch, is a technological aspect in Photoshop where in the aura of the purple color can be removed from your image. Say for instance at times when there is a voltage fluctuation, you try moving your hands in the air and watch it, you will see an aura of your hands due to the varied wavelength of the light. So there are instances when due to undesired light exposure you land up having purple fringes in your photograph, which can be effectively edited with the retouch option.

Nothing works better than a trial and error practice. If you do not know the basic commands in Photoshop do not browse for any further tutorial. Go to the help menu and go through the help menu, and go through command by command and try practicing. Sitting wide-eyed before a browser opening a link understanding nothing of the technical stuff, you are going to land up nowhere. How can you read a good when you don’t know what A, B, C is!. So work out a few commands, do some basic sketch work in Adobe and then browse through the ocean of Adobe Photoshop Tutorial! You may land up reaching the shore with a bunch of creative pearls and 3D-graphic skills!

Do what your heart tells you cannot! that is the key to success. Only baked bricks last long. So spend some hard time running the basic Adobe Photoshop commands. It will have it’s own charm.

As any art prefers, so does Adobe Photoshop require some time for learning. Adobe Photoshop has widest applications. It is not necessary that we need to master all. We can use it for our needs instantly with little time spent on the study of this wonderful software!.

If you already have more than a basic knowledge of using Photoshop you can take a look at the Photoshop Secrets Special FX. It’s a tutorial CDROM with 19 lessons that are packed into 2 hours that will teach you exactly how to use the special cutting edge effects that the advance Photoshop users’ use. Photoshopsupport.com features the best and latest Photoshop graphic tutorials for free. It also offers tips and tricks for beginners as well as advanced Photoshop users. It’s like a site where your fellow Photoshop users can meet and share all the cool stuff and tricks they’ve discovered while using Photoshop. On this site you also get links to upgrades and guides as to what upgrades suit what you want to get out of Photoshop. You will totally benefit from this awesome resource. Other sites like Adobe.com and CBTcafe.com (Computer Based Training Cafe) have detailed tutorials for the babes to Photoshop use. There are tutorials with easy to follow written instructions and visual examples, so you see and understand how everything should be done.

If you try to learn Photoshop yourself, a trial and error method of learning will allow you to become pretty good at a few fundamental techniques. But you’ll never begin to imagine the unlimited potential of Photoshop CS2 until you sign up for Photoshop training. If you deal with images or graphics of any type in your work or in your favorite hobby, Photoshop training can help you reach your full potential. Adobe says that Photoshop CS3 Extended is ideal for film and video professionals, professionals in the manufacturing industry, medical professionals, architects and engineers, and scientific researchers. Photoshop CS3 lets professionals render 3D images and incorporate them in 2D composites. When CS2 came out, professional and novices alike were thrilled with the new Font Preview capability.

To begin, open your Photoshop program, then hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift in Windows or Command-Option-Shift for Mac OS. This restores the default preferences. Click on “Yes,” which resets, and then close the screen. Open an image file inside Photoshop, then make a duplicate layer to work on. This is one of the best habits you can develop for working with Photoshop; once you’re used to editing only on a copy of the original, you will see that it’s easy and worth it. SHARPENING. From your top menu, click “Filter,” then “Sharpen.” Normally, the “Sharpen Edges” function, judiciously applied, will be all you need to bring clarity to your photo. There is an unlimited cornucopia of enhancement options for the well-versed Photoshop user. The very basic steps above will get you started.

You can modify a gradient by changing the colour of the stops – simply click on one and choose a new colour from the Color Picker. Alternatively, click on an image and sample a colour for your customized gradient using the Eyedropper Tool. You can also add new colour stops to an existing gradient by clicking anywhere along the bottom edge of the preview bar. As well as editing colour stops for the gradient to blend between, you can also add different opacity settings to make it fade from solid to transparency.

Photoshop offers blending options unsurpassed in the design industry in your “Layer Style” dialog box, you will first find “General Blending” options, which are often enough for any task. Experiment with the Blend Modes and their opacity to see just how incredibly flexible the normal Blending Options can be.To find your advanced blending options in Photoshop, double-click a layer or click the “Add a Layer Style” icon at the bottom left of your Layers palette, and then choose “Blending Options.” Your “Layer Style” dialog box will appear.At the bottom of the Layer Style box, you will find, under “Advanced Blending,” something called the “Blend If” tool. What is the Photoshop “Blend If” tool, exactly? Blend If is a “smart” blending tool. You can use it to blend images or create a more transparent image with almost infinite precision. This one tool is so flexible and handy it behooves any serios Photoshop designer to learn to use it, and use it well.

Hoping to get a jump on Google and other competitors, Adobe Systems plans to release a hosted version of its popular Photoshop image-editing application within six months, the company’s chief executive said Tuesday.The online service is part of a larger move to introduce ad-supported online services to complement its existing products and broaden the company reach into the consumer market, Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen told CNET News.com. Chizen said Adobe laid the foundation for a hosted Photoshop product with Adobe Remix, a Web-based video-editing tool it offers through the Photo Bucket media-sharing site.

As you may already know, undoing steps is not difficult. You use the [Ctrl]/[Command]+[Z] and can move back through stored history using [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[Z].You can also use adjustment layers to do this and you will also be able to have instant access to the original file in its untouched state. Adjustment layers give you the opportunity to make changes to a single layer without changing any of the pixels on the layer itself. This is such a great way to work because you don’t have to be concerned about altering the image permanently. When you find that you want to undo an adjustment layer you can simply drag it to the trash can that is located in the Layer palette. Another way to undo an adjustment layer is to turn it off using the eye icon.

It appears that Adobe products are getting better and better. CS3 brought us new features such as non-destructive smart filters, quick selection, 3D compositing, enhanced RAW image processing and HDR support.

Adobe’s newest software creation, Creative Suite 4, was designed to meet special challenges such as effective collaborations between designers and developers, embracing new media, reinventing publishing and embracing the explosion of connected media. Chad Seigel, Group Manager for Creative Suite has said, “Adobe is trying to break barriers and integrate all products.”

Changes to Photoshop CS4 include an improved interface with the entire application enclosed in the frame which means dual monitor users can have more than one application running. The workspace switcher is for swapping between applications such as Camera RAW 5 and Bridge.

Welcome improvements appear in the form of the zoom ratio which is less likely to show jagged or pixelated lines and also boasts a flicker free zoom. Rotating the canvas can also now be done without jagged lines and the brush size can be previewed on the document. This means that when the tool is placed over the image it can be moved in size and allows you to see it before you use it.

Another tool that has been improved is the Dodge/Burn tool; when adjusting the shadows, midtones or highlights the tool no longer will impose on the other two. When adjusting the saturation on the sponge tool it will no longer move out of acceptable gamma.

Adjustment has a dedicated window with all the tools found in the area such as levels, curves, brightness & contrast and exposure. The preview window is in the tab instead of a new window that overlaps the image. This means your picture can be viewed in its entirety and as an added bonus tools such as curves can be adjusted directly on the image for localised amendments.

The icons have been simplified for well-organized use; now you can see what you need to use much faster than before.

Another part of the CS3 features that has been improved is the clone tool. When your area is selected by stamping on it, a preview of the selected area will show on your brush. Therefore, if you’re cloning small detail items or subjects such as bricks you can now line them up easier.

The mask panel can allow you to select an area which can be manipulated and even inverted which is good for selective colour images.

One particular new feature I like is content aware cropping. The tool works by first masking the areas you wish to retain in the picture. The image can then be resized and the parts that are protected won’t be cropped into. The program will start to remove areas in between which is an amazing feature to see and use.

An improved blend layer mode has been added and is great for procedures such as focus stacking. The program automatically adjusts the exposure and color so there’s no need to mess about first.

The images must be loaded in as layers and highlighted. Once you have done that click on Edit>Auto blend layers and the images will be composited together. The process can take some time so be patient.

This process can also be helpful if you want to create HDR images if you prefer the ones without the ethereal effect that most systems produce.

Bryan Hughes, Photoshop Product Manager, is adamant that this isn’t a HDR tool though, as it doesn’t give a full high dynamic range in all areas so the familiar ethereal look of a HDR image is absent. He did add that if need be, it could be described as a clipped version of HDR.

Photoshop CS4 Extended also features 3D support. Two dimensional images can be changed to 3D by giving them x, y and z co-ordinates and these images can also be wrapped around imported 3D images. Photoshop CS4 also works in conjunction with Google 3D warehouse where thousands of 3D images are available to import. Merging a 2D image onto a 3D image is very easy with the only command being the Merge button. The 2D layer will then acquire all the 3D attributes such as decay detail, colour and reflections. The 3D image can be manipulated as well and you can also enjoy features such as creating cut-outs, adding detail or changing colours to the interior of the cut-out.

As an added bonus, a feature has been added for help with people who are colour blind. Colours in Photoshop CS4 can be adjusted for true colour blindness.

One thing I don’t like is the removal of the quick tools from the image window bar. When you’ve opened an image, right clicking on the header bar will bring up five options of duplicate, image size, canvas size, file info for metadata and page set up. I used these a lot, especially file info and to find it’s not there adds time to my workflow.

Regardless, at the press release for Photoshop CS4 I was incredibly excited when I saw the new features. The newest features including auto blend and content aware cropping are amazing. I also enjoy using the localized adjustments on Lightroom 2 so it’ll be really beneficial on Photoshop CS4.

Look at the noted upgrades box and see if you’ll use all those extra features. Add to that the efficient zooming and 89 percent less drag on the mouse making it move across the screen faster.

Bear in mind that the list is for the Extended version which supports the 3D applications. If you don’t need those then don’t bother with Extended but as far as I’m concerned this new version is the best one yet.

I received an in-depth document that details tons of Adobe CS4 information and it’s mostly info regarding Photoshop CS4, Bridge CS4 and the launch date of the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite.

To begin with, the launch of CS4 is estimated to be around the time of Adobe Max, which takes place November 16th-19th. Adobe Creative Suite product cycles are 18 months and since Adobe CS3 was released on April 16th, 2007 Adobe Max would mean 19 months since the last product release. Below are some features that may or may not be included in Adobe CS4.

Adobe Photoshop CS4: Codename: Adobe Stonehenge CS4 Extended. Splash screen is Stonehenge. 1. Interface is similar to CS3 but there are small and minor polishes that complete the look. 2. Support for “Extensions” under the “Window” menu 3. The extension manager is in every CS4 application 3. “kuler” which is a Intranet color pallet collaboration tool for sharing color swatches with others on your team. 4. Flash Support (more on this later)

Adobe Panel Configurator 1.0 (Alpha Version): 1. Allows you to create your own Photoshop toolboxes. 2. You can choose from over 860+ commands, tools and application features and from there create your own toolboxes that work in any CS4 application 3. Supports Actions and Scripts 4. Drag and drop text fields into toolboxes 5. Support for SWF and Quicktime video files in toolboxes 6. You can export the toolbar file and re-open it in any CS4 application.

CS4 Suite New Features: 1. Flash SWF support across all applications 2. You can play SWF files in any app 3. A tool is being developed for creating flash content without any coding experience

Adobe Bridge CS4: 1. New Interface (cleaner, more like Apple’s Leopard Finder) 2. Sidebar and search tool location are just like Mac OS Leopard 3. Folder navigation just like Windows Vista Explorer 4. Labels and star ratings are easier to access. 5. Filtered searches are now much faster even across thousands of images 6. List View in Bridge 7. Auto Photo Downloader to download photos from your camera is now easier and better than Bridge CS3 8. Improved slideshows. Spacebar starts slideshow (like quickview in leopard) 9. From Slideshow, just hit “r” and Adobe Camera Raw opens automatically. 10. Review Mode: (full screen review of photos) a. Just like a full screen version of Apple coverflow b. Loopt tool built in c. Open all photos and review photos and drop photos out of view that you don’t want and other stay in full screen d. Upon leaving review mode, photos you kept are now selected in bridge. Ones you dropped are still there but not selected. e. Ability to create photocollections from within review mode 11. Collections are just like Playlists in iTunes. Ability to group photos. Location of photo is not changed. 12. More sharing options a. Upload directly to FTP within Bridge b. Web gallery templates are easy and uses the same templates available in Lightroom 2 c. Ability to create flash galleries with a few clicks and upload instantly d. Uses the Opera engine to render galleries within Bridge e. Photoshop Web Gallery is going away and being replaced by Bridge Web Gallery 13. Bridge CS4 Menus (in order left to right) File – Edit – View – Sttacks – Label – Tools – Window – Help

Adobe CS4 Applications are exactly the same as CS3 but the text in the icons is black instead of white.

When it comes to editing digital photography, there is hardly a photo-editor which is as effective and as diverse as Photoshop is. However, given the plethora of options it offers and the myriad functions it is loaded with, Photoshop may not always be the most amiable to softwares to grapple with as a beginner in fact, working your way around some of Photoshop’s more complicated maneuvers may be a very daunting task and is even disheartening if you aren’t too conversant with the way this software functions. And to combat this disadvantage that many novices around the world have to deal with, Adobe has devised and developed a more scaled down version of its full-fledged software, which is aptly named Photoshop Elements.

Photoshop Elements is a unique blend of some of the most alluring possibilities that Photoshop has to offer. only, it limits its selection to the more commonly used functions which means that as the user, you have a lot less technicality to maneuver through, without being starved of all the tools you need to work wonders on your images. Elements simplifies a number of procedures that you may have to grapple with the more expansive version, without giving you that feeling of “That’s it?” which effectively ruins your creative process. And this is the very reason why this software is such a great success with amateur photographers and digital imaging enthusiasts. It offers them all the core elements of Photoshop which have earned this software its fame, while leaving out the professional tools that they wouldn’t have used anyway. In all its concise glory, Elements is comprised of an efficient photo-editor, a photo-organizer that you can use once you’ve added your inimitable touch to your images and even a collection of themes and templates to augment your images with.

Photoshop Elements allows you to achieve some of the most spectacular effects that you would like to experiment with, when using Photoshop. Only, it scales down the often elaborate procedures which Photoshop entails to one simple function. As a result, you can wipe away those disastrous red eyes, crop your images and even moderate the light and color adjustments in a few swift moves. This is where the automated ‘Red Eye Removal’ feature, the ‘Quick Fix’ functions and the ‘Auto Contrast’ and ‘Auto Crop’ options take over tedious task of fine tuning your images and making the necessary changes, while also allowing you to view the progress with before and after images.

Photoshop Elements also segregates its tools on the basis of the function they are designed to fulfill, so that the apprehension of wandering through a maze of options and selections is done away with. you can simply browse through the selection of tools offered under the ‘Organize’, ‘Fix’, ‘Create’ and ‘Share Photos’ categories based on what you’re looking to do with your photographs. The process of selection is brilliantly simplified with the user having to simply paint over the desired section of the image and letting the selection tool carve out the edges by itself. And if you’re looking for finer precision, you can also use the ‘Refine Edge’ dialog to smoothen, contract or expand the selection edge.

You can also convert your colored images to vintage black and white souvenirs, choose from the array of styles that Elements offers and even adjust the intensity as per the effect you want to achieve. The ‘Organize’ section has an incredibly useful feature called ‘Smart Albums’ which let you pick out the images you’ve edited on a particular date or even the one’s you’ve captured with a specific camera. Elements also makes it a lot easier to navigate through the software with the more prominent and larger icons it offers, while the astounding number of add-ons and tutorials you can find off the internet, make it an comprehensive and resourceful software to work with.

After you’ve given your best to creating the most magnificent work of art conceivable, you would also want to showcase it in a manner that gives your efforts the justice they deserve. Photoshop Elements lets you pack your images into a stunning slideshow, or displays them with pride in web-galleries. You can even transfer your creations onto contact sheets if you’re looking for a more traditional perspective. And for those rush-jobs that you can’t afford to devote hours too and can’t compromise on the results as well, you can choose a striking backdrop or theme from the selection Photoshop offers, and simply click and drop them onto your images.

Photoshop Elements is a very useful resource by itself, or even a valuable stepping stone for your endeavors at mastering the complete version of Photoshop. And if you aren’t quite sure about which version you should opt for, you can even download the fully-functional trial versions that the website offers, for a limited amount of time, which will allow you to compare and contrast the two versions before you make up your mind. All in all, if you’re looking to make your first foray into the fascinating world of image-editing as hassle-free as possible, then Photoshop Elements is undoubtedly an option you can’t afford to pass by.

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