Sarasota PC Monitor
Adobe Photoshop CS (Part 2)
A Software Review
by Sharon Rump
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.Last month I reviewed some of the basic features of Photoshop CS, the top one in my opinion which is the enhanced File Browser. This is the "front door" of the program and can make finding the file that you need as easy as possible and customized just to your liking.
When looking at the list of new features, there are many that I will probably never use as it is a program that is used by professional photographers and image editors. But, since the writing of Part 1 I had the opportunity to use something that I might never have needed but really came in handy. I was putting together some images for a picture directory that we are creating in the complex where I live. I was putting several images on a page and they just didn't look very good together. They were taken at different places and some were by different photographers. I simply made the adjustment using "color match" and there was a subtle difference that made the images go together in a more pleasing way. I find that each time I use PhotoshopCS I learn something new. I doubt that I will ever "know it all" or have the need to know how to use all the high end features that would likely be used by a professional. Things like the ability to work with raw camera data and 16-bit images are something that will not be for everyone.
I also had three images of a large group of people that I needed to merge into one. I have done this with other programs, but the photo merge feature of PhotoshopCS is one of the easiest I have ever used. It tries to make the merged image on its own, but if that isn't successful, it allows you to drop the images on top of each other with a transparent look that will allow you to match them us as near to perfect as possible. Once again, I was saved by my Photoshop!
As I mentioned earlier, you can take a number of images and create a slide show which will allow you to customize it with transitions and set the time you want the images to be viewed. This makes it easy to share images with other as the Acrobat Reader is a free program available and installed on most computers. It is also a good way to be able to send a lot of images at a reduced file size.
One feature that I found to be wonderful was the ability to scan multiple images placed on your scanner bed and have PhotoshopCS automatically straighten the images (you know how crooked they get when you shut the lid) and crop each individually, creating a file for each. WOW! Just think of how much easier that will make it to get all those old family photos and create a digital library to save for future generations. These files take up a lot less space than the boxes that are stored under my bed and I don't even have to worry about them fading.
You can now add text to an image that will follow a shape or path that you create. This text is fully editable and created on a layer of its own.
While working with PhotoshopCS you can make any number of adjustments and changes to your workspace. You can even save the setup that you have created and have it available to use the next time that you want to work in that particular way. You can name each workspace that you create and have them available for particular working formats.
Keyboard shortcuts are also customizable. There are many that are already set up for use that I have been familiar with and find to make the job a bit easier. There are some functions that have no shortcut and now you have the ability to create a shortcut for something that you use a lot and want just a "keystroke away".
Adobe ImageReady CS
As with most of the programs that are written by Adobe, ImageReady presents a Welcome Screen when the program is opened. This puts a list of things that can make learning a new program together in an easy to find location for even the newest ImageReady user. You can choose to disable this screen loading when the program opens after you have tried out all of the helpful links to tips and tricks that will make your use of the program that much easier.
ImageReady is a program that is easily integrated with other Adobe programs and allows an easy crossover or jump between Photoshop and ImageReady with just a click of the button at the bottom of the toolbar and you will automatically be switched to the other program.
ImageReady is designed to make your work on web pages easier and gives you all of the tools necessary to create web ready designs. You can create and edit animations that will add a lot of pizzazz to the web site and make your work look very professional.
You can edit images that you already have; making slight changes that can give you an entirely different effect. You can also create new animations, putting each "state" on a different layer and making subtle adjustments to each layer which will give you some very professional looking animations. It reminds me of the arcades that I visited as a child and cranked the handle to watch all of the pictures flash by and allowed me to see a moving picture which we now call an animation. After you are finished creating your animation you can export it as an animated gif or a swf (Macromedia Flash file). These files can easily be used on web sites. When saving you can optimize them to insure quick loading which is always an important factor when creating web pages.
Another important feature of ImageReady is the ability to create buttons and images with roll-over states. When the mouse hovers over the image the view changes to another image. It is really fun to create a button that changes when you hover over it and then changes again when you "click" on the button or image. There are so many different things that you can add when you are creating that it would be difficult to list them all here. While working on this article I found it difficult to stop "creating" and get to my review.
You can also slice or divide an image into different sections and have a different "state" be viewed when you hover over each area. These features add to the interest of a web page and can make your site look more professional.
ImageReady does the best job of creating a small file that will still be a clear, crisp image on the web page which will allow your pages to load quickly. It is one of my favorite ways to insure my page will be the best that I can create.
This package includes two of the best programs for image editing on the market today. It would be impossible to describe every detail of functions available. This would take an entire manual and Adobe has done a good job of that. I doubt that anyone will ever be a complete expert in all of the capabilities of the program, but it will be fun learning as you go.
EASE OF USE: 8
VALUE: 10
USER LEVEL: Experienced
System Requirements:
Pentium III or 4 processor, Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 or Windows XP, 192 MB of RAM (256) recommended), 280MB of available hard-disk space, color monitor with 16-bit color or greater video card, 1,024x768 or greater monitor resolution. Internet or phone connection required for product activation:
www.http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
Copyright 2004. This article is from the March 2004 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/
The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.