Adobe Photoshop CS4 Digital Classroom

Photoshop CS4 Digital Classroom is a book that explains about Photoshop CS4 feature, mostly about the new features. The book itself is come with companion DVD that were developed by the same team of Adobe Certified Instructors and Flash experts who have created many of the official training titles for Adobe Systems.

This book is written by Jennifer Smith, Aquent Graphic Institute (AGI). Jennifer is a founding member of AGI and serves as Vice President of AGI. Prior to founding AGI she worked in advertising as an art director and served as a principal in a Pennsylvania based design firm. She is often requested as a speaker at seminars and conferences around the world. More than ten books already written by her, including Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium for Dummies and Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium for Dummies that published by Wiley.

There are 14 chapters in 384 pages in this book.
These chapters are:

1. Exploring Photoshop
   In this chapter we can learn some tips on how to use the DVD along with the book. There are some lessons about basic tools, Mask panel, Type tools, and 3D objects. But in this chapter we can only get all of them in a short lesson. Not to detail explanation.
2. Getting to know the workspace
   Contain lot of information about Photoshop Cs4 tool, complete with each tool category. For example: Cropping, selection, and Measuring tools; Retouching and painting tools; and many more. In this chapters we can also learn about How to navigating through the image, such the new Rotate View. Further more, there is lesson about utilizing the side panels.
3. Using Adobe Bridge
   Contain full information about Adobe Bridge. I write it full because I haven’t find more complete lesson in other books yet.
4. The Basic of Working with Photoshop
   This chapter explain basic step on how to remove photo background, combine some image into one, add text to images, and some information about image resolution as well. These lessons are very valuable for beginner guide. Not only explain, what is a image, what is layers mean, but further more explaining to the question such “I have Photoshop CS4 and a digital photos, so what will I do with this image?”
5. Making the Best Selection
   This is a lesson that perfect for intermediate and advanced Photoshop user. Since making selection is one of the problems that almost occurs anytime. The explanation is complete from the basic selection tools up to the more advance technique such by utilizing pen tool to make selection.
6. Painting and Retouching
   Contain complete lesson about color in Photoshop, how to use brush tools, retouch photos using Healing brush and Clone Stamp tools, and also a little explanation about blending mode.
7. Creating a Good image
   This chapter explains on how to correct ordinary or bad photos to achieve great images.
8. Getting to know layers
   Contain a detail explanation about layer and layer panel. This is a recommended reading source for Photoshop newbie. Lot of valuable information can be found in this chapter.
9. Taking layers to the Max
   This chapter is for intermediate and advanced Photoshop user. We can learn about adjustment panel, combining layers effects, explanation about layer fills and opacity setting.
10. Getting Smart in Photoshop
    Contain lessons about smart objects, how to make and modifying them.
11. Using Adobe Photoshop Filter
    This chapter explains about basic filter and smart filter.
12. Creating Images for Web and Video
    Contain lessons on how to make video in Photoshop, some guide about making .gif files, and optimizing image size.
13. Introducing 3D
    This chapter contain basic guide about creating 3D file. This will usable in you are using Photoshop CS4 Extended version.
14. Adobe Photoshop CS4 New Features
    This last chapter is only describing a little new Photoshop features.

This book is explained a lot about Photoshop, offering a great lesson not only for beginner, but also for intermediate and advanced users. In some chapters there is only a brief explanation to some feature. For example the explanation about blending mode, and the lesson in chapter 11, I think this chapter is still confusing for beginner. And for the last chapter, I don’t know why this books ending with that lesson. The new features should be in earlier chapter and explained more in each similar topic.

Overall, the explanation is very detail in some chapters. If you need a good reading source, I recommend this book.

Tags: Books, Photoshop CS4
Keyword(s): , 1, photoshop cs4 tools explained, photoshop cs4, undefined

Related Photoshop Tutorials:

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book

Photoshop CS4 After The Shoot Book

Adobe Announces Lightroom 2.7, Camera Raw 5.7, DNG Converter 5.7 Release Candidates

Canon EOS Rebel T2i (EOS 550D) Digital Camera