A Few Cool Photoshop Tips And Tricks, Part 2

By: Adrian Adams

Photoshop is a powerful piece of software with plenty of cool tricks you can apply.
What Can You Do With Advanced Photoshop Tips and Tricks?
Advanced Photoshop users are often familiar with all tools and have mastered most of the fundamental tutorials, tips, and tricks, such as creating a cloudy background. Some people are unaware of all of the cool tricks that Photoshop has to offer, especially when you’ve upgraded your version to CS. The power to create some of the most impressive works of digital art are only a few clicks away once you get a hang of advanced Photoshop shortcuts and tricks.
Some Photoshop tricks on the advanced level can help a more tedious project seem easier. The more you learn the tips and tricks of the trade, the better your overall creations will turn out. To get an idea of some of the advanced tricks associated with Photoshop, a few examples are mentioned below:
Photoshop allows advanced users to create digital comic coloring that looks just like the human hand penned it. The tricks and tips associated with this sort of higher-level design deals with the manipulation of various brush sets to achieve the look you desire. Photoshop also lets users create photomontages that can transform an original photograph into something much different.
There are also tips and tricks that can take your most unfavorite picture and alter it in any way you wish. Let’s say you want to change a regular photograph into something dazzling. Advanced Photoshop tricks can beautify a face that displays a natural appearance. In regards to a photo, skin can be fixed, blemishes and wrinkles erased, teeth fixed and whitened, as well as changes made to the eyebrows, hair, and eyes.
When one is able to master advanced Photoshop techniques, the creative possibilities seem never-ending, including 3D glass balls, planet and star-studded skies, matte paintings, and airbrushed illustrations.

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About the Author
Visit http://www.photoshoptalent.com for photoshop contests.
Published At: www.Isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=132183&ca=Computers+and+Technology

A Few Cool Photoshop Tips And Tricks, Part 1

By: Adrian Adams

When it comes to entering the graphic design world, creating interesting pieces for a job or sharing artwork with family and friends, there are plenty of cool Photoshop tips and tricks to consider. Whether you are just experimenting with the tools or already know how to layout a magazine spread, there will always be a new shortcut or trick to make life much easier. Below, you will find a few tips to add to your repertoire or share with others:
Easy Photoshop Tips and Tricks
Have you ever wanted to easily create the image of Earth and dread using the circle tool? There is an easy way to design the world in six steps, which should take less than a minute to complete. First, you should select File/New from the menu bar and create a file size that measures about 200 pixels by 200 pixels. The RGB mode should be selected for this trick. Next, choose a light blue shade for the foreground color and a darker blue for the background color.
Under the Filters tab, select Render, and then choose Clouds. The scene that will greet you should look a lot like the sky. It is the clouds filter that utilizes the foreground and background colors needed to construct this image in your file. If you desire a different look, you can press Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F for a Mac to reapply the filter. Each time this key combination is pressed, you will receive a somewhat different outcome.
Now, return to the Filter menu and select Render, and then choose Lighting Effects. Once you enter the Light Effects menu, you are able to alter the shape of the ellipse to a circle that becomes centered on your file. Changing the Narrow setting to 39 next follows choosing the Default Spotlight setting.
Sometimes a Photoshop project calls for texture. There are thousands of backgrounds to create that range from a grainy composition to a multi-faceted mess (depending on the look you are going for). To create a paper texture in Photoshop, you should start a new file that measures 60 x 60 pixels. The color should be in RGB. Next, select the following commands in this same order: Filter, Noise, Add Noise. Once completed, choose Gaussian, which is set to 80%.
The next step to create a paper texture is to select Filter, then Stylize, followed by Emboss. The angle should be set to -50, the Height to 2 pixels, and the Amount to 70%. The background will now resemble a gray embossed selection. To change the color, choose Image, then Adjust, followed by Hue-Saturation-Brightness. Once you select the Colorize checkbox, you should set the Hue to a different setting. To gain your personal preference, you can adjust the contrast.
To create the appearance that objects are glowing without using any filters, choose an object to work with that will be duplicated as a layer. First, select the color you’d like your glow to be. After choosing the lower duplicate, click on Edit from the menu, then Stroke. When the Stroke Options appear, the pixel width should be set between 1 and 16. It is important to remember that the larger number you choose, the thicker the glow will appear.
Before exiting, you should glance under Location to make sure that the Outside option is selected. The next step involves applying a Gaussian Blur to the layer, which can be found under the Blur option in Filters. This will soften the glow applied to the layer. Some individuals even repeat the process to create a double glow, which is some cases, can really make an image stand out.

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About the Author
Visit http://www.photoshoptalent.com for photoshop tutorials.
Published At: www.Isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=132184&ca=Computers+and+Technology

Photoshop 7.0 Tutorial – Tips And Tricks To Get Creative With Your ImagesSubmitted

By: Mario Churchill

Cutting and painting can only go so far. If that’s all you wanted to do with your photos, you shouldn’t have bothered purchasing Adobe Photoshop 7.0. This software is very powerful, and it would be such a waste if you don’t allow your knowledge and skills to grow with it.
If it’s your first time to use any Photoshop software, you might as well start with the best.
The Pixelate FunctionLook for the Filter section in the tool menu situated on top of your screen. There are various options under the Filter category, and you can start playing with images with the pixelate function. The pixelate function allows you to modify images and turn them into different artistic styles. Remember when your art appreciation class required you to do a mosaic all by yourself and with your own two hands? It was hard work, wasn’t it? Now imagine being able to do that with any photo or image saved in your computer with just one click! And yes, you can do that just by clicking on pixelate and mosaic next.
Other artistic styles included under pixelate are crystallize, fragment, facet, color halftone, pointillize, and mezzotint.
How to Get Rid of BlemishesAre you afraid of having your photos taken in close range because you don’t want to make your blemishes – acne, scars, and so forth – too visible? If that’s your only problem, Photoshop 7.0 can certainly eliminate such worries. There are various ways to accomplish that, but the easiest and basic strategy – which is where you should start as well – you could use is the blur function.
The blur function is still under the Filter category. Select the area that you wish to fade away into oblivion and then start clicking the blur function. Keep clicking blur or pressing Ctrl F until the area’s properly invisible. If the area’s too big, blurring the area would be definitely noticeable. But if they’re as small as dots on your face, rest assured that you could later on enjoy a blemish-free face from hereon forward in all your images.
The Importance of LayersYou hear about how important layering is in various aspects. Layering is important when applying fragrance to your skin or when you’re wearing clothes for fashion, winter, and sports. But layering is important in enhancing images as well, and you could learn how and why through Photoshop 7.0.
Now, in the previous version of Photoshop, using the Layer opacity affects all the layers you have in your image. Changing or modifying the effects of Layer opacity is slightly complicated however…until the arrival of the Fill opacity of Photoshop 7.0, that is. With the Fill opacity, only the layer you specified will be affected when you make certain changes.
Why the Magic Wand is Magical IndeedLet’s say that you have a photo of --- Barney the purple dinosaur in a garden background. Now, you want to get only the outline of Barney and nothing else. In the old days, you’d have to painstakingly cut it part by part. But in Photoshop 7.0, all you have to do is click the outline of Barney with the magic wand and voila! Mission accomplished. If it can’t be done in one click, you could just add everything to a selection until you complete Barney’s image.
Practice, practice, practice is all you need to do to master Photoshop 7.0. Good luck!

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About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For a free photo shop tutorial and or to purchase a video photo shop tutorial checkout his website.
Published At: www.Isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=139284&ca=Computers+and+Technology

Photoshop 7.0 Tutorial – Tips And Tricks To Get Creative With Your ImagesSubmitted

By: Mario Churchill

Cutting and painting can only go so far. If that’s all you wanted to do with your photos, you shouldn’t have bothered purchasing Adobe Photoshop 7.0. This software is very powerful, and it would be such a waste if you don’t allow your knowledge and skills to grow with it.
If it’s your first time to use any Photoshop software, you might as well start with the best.
The Pixelate FunctionLook for the Filter section in the tool menu situated on top of your screen. There are various options under the Filter category, and you can start playing with images with the pixelate function. The pixelate function allows you to modify images and turn them into different artistic styles. Remember when your art appreciation class required you to do a mosaic all by yourself and with your own two hands? It was hard work, wasn’t it? Now imagine being able to do that with any photo or image saved in your computer with just one click! And yes, you can do that just by clicking on pixelate and mosaic next.
Other artistic styles included under pixelate are crystallize, fragment, facet, color halftone, pointillize, and mezzotint.
How to Get Rid of BlemishesAre you afraid of having your photos taken in close range because you don’t want to make your blemishes – acne, scars, and so forth – too visible? If that’s your only problem, Photoshop 7.0 can certainly eliminate such worries. There are various ways to accomplish that, but the easiest and basic strategy – which is where you should start as well – you could use is the blur function.
The blur function is still under the Filter category. Select the area that you wish to fade away into oblivion and then start clicking the blur function. Keep clicking blur or pressing Ctrl F until the area’s properly invisible. If the area’s too big, blurring the area would be definitely noticeable. But if they’re as small as dots on your face, rest assured that you could later on enjoy a blemish-free face from hereon forward in all your images.
The Importance of LayersYou hear about how important layering is in various aspects. Layering is important when applying fragrance to your skin or when you’re wearing clothes for fashion, winter, and sports. But layering is important in enhancing images as well, and you could learn how and why through Photoshop 7.0.
Now, in the previous version of Photoshop, using the Layer opacity affects all the layers you have in your image. Changing or modifying the effects of Layer opacity is slightly complicated however…until the arrival of the Fill opacity of Photoshop 7.0, that is. With the Fill opacity, only the layer you specified will be affected when you make certain changes.
Why the Magic Wand is Magical IndeedLet’s say that you have a photo of --- Barney the purple dinosaur in a garden background. Now, you want to get only the outline of Barney and nothing else. In the old days, you’d have to painstakingly cut it part by part. But in Photoshop 7.0, all you have to do is click the outline of Barney with the magic wand and voila! Mission accomplished. If it can’t be done in one click, you could just add everything to a selection until you complete Barney’s image.
Practice, practice, practice is all you need to do to master Photoshop 7.0. Good luck!

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About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For a free photo shop tutorial and or to purchase a video photo shop tutorial checkout his website.
Published At: www.Isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=139284&ca=Computers+and+Technology

Photoshop Files And Formats

By: Shaun Pearce

People often ask me: What image file formats will Photoshop open or save in? What are the advantages/disadvantages?
Photoshop has the capability to open and save many different graphic files. Here are some of the most popular ones.
Note: When you open an image file other than a Photoshop one, that image will default to the background layer.
.psd, .pdd, .epsPhotoshop File. This format preserves the information in all the layers. If you're going to continue working with a picture, this is the best format to use. File size can be quite large, however. Note: It is advisable to save your work in the most up to date Photoshop format available. For example: if you have Photoshop CS and are sent a Photoshop 7 file, you should save it as a Photoshop CS file to preserve any elements that may not be supported by Photoshop 7.
.jpg, .jpeg .jpeThis format compresses the images, so that information (details and colour subtleties) are lost. You can choose how much you want to compress the image. Good format for use on the web. Small file sizes. Millions of colours.
tif, .tiffCommon in use with early scanners. Will produce high quality images, but very large files. Not for use on the web.
.gifPronounced both "Gif" and "Jif", this file is one of the most popular for web graphics as it loads quickly. 8 bit format (256 colours max.). It has possibilities for transparent colour and animation.
.pngNew format for use on the web that is intended to replace both gif and jpeg. Compressed, millions of colours, transparencies. It compress in a different way than jpeg, and has advanced possibilities, such as alpha channel (opaque or partly transparent colours). The only trouble is: Internet Explorer doesn't support these! In 8 bit (256 colours) mode it compresses better than gif.
.bmpWindows bitmapped image. Used by Microsoft Windows applications. Good quality, large file size. Not for use on the web.
.wmfWindows MetaFile. Useful for clipart, and can be used to make large area, small sized background files.
.pcxOlder general purpose format. Practically obsolete now. Not for use on the web.
.pspInternal format for Paint Shop Pro, useful if you want to swap files between these two applications.
.pcdKodak PhotoCD format, used with Photo Developing - although most photo processors will save your photos as jpegs if you ask them to.
.pdfPortable Document File. Adobe's file system that allows electronic cross platform sharing of documents.
So what's the best format for web graphics: gif or jpeg?
The general rule of thumb is to use gifs for diagrams, line drawings, illustrations, and images that contain large areas of flat colour, and jpegs for photographs and images with continuous colour tones. The jpeg format has a very good compression rate, but compression reduces the quality of the image, so it's best to experiment with the tools in Image Ready until you have the optimal quality/file size. The gif format, on the other hand, has a smaller file size - but a limited range of colours.

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About the Author
Shaun Pearce is a writer and video maker. His latest production "Photoshop Master" is an interactive video tutorial. It shows you how to get the most from Photoshop, and can be downloaded from http://www.learnphotoshopfast.com/?=art03i.
Published At: http://www.isnare.com/Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=2777&ca=Computers+and+Technology

All About The Adobe Photoshop

By: Mario Churchill

Adobe Photoshop is the modern standard in digital photography. Now, even amateur photographers can very well produce outputs that can be appropriately compared to those taken by professionals. The Adobe Photoshop is a post-production imaging tool that would surely help do the trick.
In 1987, brothers John and Thomas Knoll developed a special software for post-processing of pictures. After that, the inventors realized that there is a striking potential of their developed computer program. To underpin the opportunity the Knoll brothers established a company known as Adobe Systems, which launched the initial version of Adobe Photoshop in 1990.
After that, as you know, what transpired next was history. At least every other year since its launch, Adobe Systems is continuously modifying its own popular product. Thus, there are now several versions of the Adobe Photoshop, each version trying to outpace the preceding version. Consumers and users are benefiting because their choices of the software is ever expanding.
Initially, the Adobe Photoshop was meant to help image editing for the purpose of paper-based printing. In the past, you have seen how printing of pictures can be altered and enhanced using the software. But through the years, that main function has also been modified. With the increasing demand for image editing for Web sites, Adobe Photoshop has expanded into digital imaging for Web posting.
Online uses
Now you can see that almost all popular and widely visited online sites are using pictures that are perfectly enhanced by Adobe Photoshop. Online users are very appreciative about edited images, and are highly critical of pictures that did not pass the software. Currently, images that never run through the Adobe Photoshop are considered ineffective.
Of course, in almost every picture, digital enhancements must be done. A simple portrait of a woman, for example, needs to be processed using Adobe Photoshop to crop and edit out several imperfections like unlikely hair strands, noticeable facial flaws and non-attractive hues.
In some photographs, even the presence of excess fats captured in the picture should be cropped out. The Adobe Photoshop runs specific features to make that possible. Thus, images are truly made picture-perfect.
Versions
Manipulation of digital images is truly made effective, convenient and possible by the use of the software. Now, Adobe Photoshop, whatever version, is considered a must in every personal computer. Even if you are not a photographer or a publisher, you may occasionally or regularly need using the software for whatever image processing you may need.
Adobe Systems have also made sure every user will be covered. You may be surprised that latest Adobe Photoshop versions are compatible with almost every computer program and applications used. Thus, you would always get access to the software.
Purchasing Adobe Photoshop versions would also not be a hassle. You could easily buy a copy of the software online. It would only take a few seconds or minutes before you could install your own copy of the program.
There are also several free versions of Adobe Photoshop. Though, you practically should expect minor flaws or limited features. If you aim to get a copy that has all the complicated and highly technical features, you should download premium versions of the software. That would be a good investment because you surely would not run out of uses for the Adobe Photoshop.

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About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For a free photo shop tutorial and or to purchase a video photo shop tutorial checko
Published At: www.Isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=158307&ca=Computers+and+Technology

The Basics of Photo Gallery Software

By: Ron McNeil

Taking photos can be a lot of fun. It doesn't matter if you're taking images of pets, family, sports or scenery, it's still enjoyable for you. Part of the enjoyment of taking photos is sharing them with others. While before to do this you might have had to send them via snail mail, now all you need to do is go on the computer and use photo gallery software to share them with as many people as you like. It's a much more convenient way of sharing photos with the people you care about. You'll learn the basics of photo gallery software in this article.



What is Photo Gallery Software?



So what exactly is photo gallery software? Well, it's kinda like a digital version of a photo album. If you've taken lots of pictures with older cameras (you know, before they were digital), you've probably created some photo albums to keep the photos organized. Photo software is just like this, except instead of holding a photo album in your hands, you'll instead have one on the computer.



A traditional photo gallery software program will allow you to import photos. That is, you'll be allowed to press a button, select photos from your harddrive, and then put them in your photo by using the software. When you've added in all the photos and pressed the button to create the photo gallery, your online photo will be created instantly.



How does Photo Gallery Software Work?



No two photo gallery software programs are alike, but most offer the some of the same features to customers. Usually, when you use the photo software to add images, the program then creates a photo album to house the images. Depending on the software program you are using, during this process, you might be able to choose between different themes for the album. For instance, you might get to customize the gallery's border, background, text etc.



When the photo album is created, other things are created as well. Thumbnails for the images are also created, which allows people to see a small version of the image and then decide, based on that, whether to click the thumbnail (to see the whole image) or not. This is very handy if you want to have a page for your photos which doesn't take forever to load. All the HTML coding is also taken care of by the photo gallery software. This is probably a huge relief for those webmasters who can't be bothered with coding their own photo gallery for their site.



Some photo software programs will allow you to add image captions in when you are adding the images to the program. This allows you to take care of everything within the album while adding the photos in, rather than having to wait until later.



Depending on the photo gallery software program you use, you might also have a great selection of file formats to use. A lot of the best photo software programs will accept many image formats ranging from jpeg and gif to psp. This allows you to upload virtually any type of image format you may have.



Web or Computer?



Not all photo gallery software is the same. Some are focused more on uploading images to the web, while others will only help you to create photo albums for people to browse while using your computer. Usually when you are looking at the information about the program, you'll be able to tell where the images go. If they are uploaded to a web site, it could be either the photo software maker's web site, or it could be your own.



Uploading to Your Web Site/Their Web Site



If you're new to the whole photo gallery thing, it can be difficult to choose the best photo software for your needs. You're not sure which is the best, and to make this decision, it's important to think things through. Do you have plans for hosting the photo album on your web site? Do you want the URL (web site address) to be your own? If so, you're going to want a photo gallery software program that does this for you. Keep in mind that such a program will have to have FTP support, so make sure it does this.



But what if you don't want to host your own images? While most photo software programs that offer web capabilities are built to work with existing web sites, some offer the ability to upload images to the photo gallery software program's web site. Your photo along with your photos will be given space on their web site and you'll be able to pass that link on to others.

What Is Easy Photo Sharing?

By: Matt Smolsky

There are quite a few photo sharing sites on the Internet these days. But just because some have millions of users, does that make them ideal for easy photo sharing?



It depends on what you want to do. If you want to show your photos to the whole world, then a site that touts open sharing is right for you. However, if you consider your photos to be private between you and your family and friends, then you'll want to look for a site that is built for easy photo sharing, but allows you to easily restrict who can and cannot see your photos.



Easy photo sharing is more than just transferring or scanning your photos into your computer and uploading them to a sharing site. There are lots of sites that allow you to do that. The thing you need to watch out for is what happens to your photos once they're on the photo sharing website, and does the site really feature easy photo sharing.



A brief history of easy photo sharing



The very early easy photo sharing sites appeared in the mid to late 1990s, but were mostly created to provide online print ordering. More appeared in the early part of this century, primarily to provide centralized access to photos.



At the same time, desktop photo management systems appeared. These were not Internet based, and still aren't. They provide a way to manage photos on your computer, and sometimes have links to online storage sites.



A true easy photo sharing site will allow you to easily share your photos across the Internet with the people of your choice. Exposing all your photos for the entire world to see is not really sharing - it's really more like a neighborhood open house for your photos and lacks the intimacy of sending a photo to a friend or relative.



Getting your photos onto an easy photo sharing site



Of course, photo sharing starts with a camera. Whether it's a camera phone or a high-end digital Single Lens Reflex camera, you need to take the picture before you can share the picture. You may have some older prints around the house that you'd like to digitize and save to an easy photo sharing site.



With that in mind, a true easy photo sharing site will feature easy one step scanning and whole folder uploads.



With one step scanning, all you do is place your photo on your scanner and push a button. With whole folder uploads, you can upload hundreds of photos all at once, rather than browsing them in one at a time. With these two features, you can get the photos you want online as fast as possible, so you can start sharing them with the people you care about.



Free membership or paid subscription?



Many easy photo sharing sites require membership. But some will allow you to upload as many as 500 photos free, no membership required. If you have a digital camera, you likely already know that you will reach the upper limits of any free membership very quickly.



Some sites also put a limit on the maximum size of the photos you can upload. This is very inconvenient as the upload process will be stopped or paused as photos that are too large are kicked out of the process. Sites that put limits on the size of individual photos cannot be referred to as easy photo sharing sites.



Easy photo sharing means more than just sending an email



Sites that offer printing services are also convenient. Most do, and many offer roughly the same price and quality, so pay particular attention to how easy it is to order the prints, how easy it is to upload your photos, customer service, shipping options, etc. How well a site handles these services is an indication of whether or not it is an easy photo sharing site.



Also, true easy photo sharing sites will allow you to create, print and share photo albums, story books, greeting cards, calendars, and other photo gifts. These items should be easy to create, and feature high quality, both in terms of service and the finished product you receive.