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'Learn how to duplicate amazing effects using Caplin's quick and easy shortcuts... brimming with easy-to-follow instructions on compositing creative effects that are fun, useful and sometimes just plain silly.' Shutterbug 'A superb set of step-by-step how-to guides from the master himself... quick, easy-to-grasp shortcuts' Macworld 'What makes Cheat so unique are the gems that other volumes don't cover. The juiciest bits that real artists hunger for are here. Dig in, dig deep, and Shop yourself mad' Dingbatmag.com
Product Description
Do you want to let your creativity run wild in Photoshop, but don't know where to start? Are you having trouble getting your ideas out of your head and onto the screen? Do you need your photomontages to look convincing ...and fast? Nobody knows more about how to work quickly under pressure and still produce top-notch results than hands-on digital artist, author and journalist Steve Caplin. This guide is packed with real-world examples, timesaving hints and tips and detailed step-by-step instructions that make the impossible seem possible. Fully updated for Photoshop CS4, this must-have-resource is also backwards compatible with any previous version of Photoshop. It includes extensive new material to show you how to take your Photoshop skills to a professional level. The DVD includes all the brand new images from the book, 300 high resolution AbleStock images plus over 2 hours of QuickTime movies of the projects. It helps benefit from a professional illustrator's timesaving tips and tricks.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How to Cheat, is a somewhat misleading title, as its not immediately obvious that this is a comprehensive look at the tricks used by Photoshop montage artists. But having said that this is a very useful series of books dealing fairly specifically with the building up of composite images in Photoshop.
Steve Caplin is an accomplished montage artist and many of his illustrations have graced the pages of the Guardian and the Independent, and he brings a lot of his experience into the techniques presented here.
How to Cheat seems to approach each new release of Photoshop as a challenge to present new tools, techniques and material, and this pays dividends to the reader as the accompanying dvd contains pdf files of many of the tutorials from previous editions.
The author seems to have spent some time getting to grip with the new tools of CS4 and finding some real world application for them, and so the book serves as a good catch-up to familiarize the reader with some new tools, but by no means is Cs4 a must have as techniques are backwardly compatible on the whole.
This book is balanced very well for its intended audience, those already comfortable using Photoshop, and as such the content here is of high value with little padding explaining the interface and so on, the tutorials all fit neatly over a two page spread, and on the whole the examples are very clear and to the point.
The first section deals with the fundamental skills required for the rest of the book, selection, masking, the pen tool, layers and image adjustment, well worth a read through no matter how keen your skills.
After the fundamentals catch-up the bulk of the book then tackles the various montage skills, setting the scene by looking at composition and perspective, the perspective chapter is excellent, easily tackled and incredibly useful.
A book packed with techniques, and Steve Caplin seems to put a lot of effort into making each version stand on its own, with fresh tutorial, techniques and the latest Photoshop features in context, the authors experience and enthusiasm make the tutorials very readable, and the book as a whole a recommended reference for the Photoshop montage artist, or even the intermediate or advanced user looking for some catch-up or fresh ideas.
Steve Caplin is an accomplished montage artist and many of his illustrations have graced the pages of the Guardian and the Independent, and he brings a lot of his experience into the techniques presented here.
How to Cheat seems to approach each new release of Photoshop as a challenge to present new tools, techniques and material, and this pays dividends to the reader as the accompanying dvd contains pdf files of many of the tutorials from previous editions.
The author seems to have spent some time getting to grip with the new tools of CS4 and finding some real world application for them, and so the book serves as a good catch-up to familiarize the reader with some new tools, but by no means is Cs4 a must have as techniques are backwardly compatible on the whole.
This book is balanced very well for its intended audience, those already comfortable using Photoshop, and as such the content here is of high value with little padding explaining the interface and so on, the tutorials all fit neatly over a two page spread, and on the whole the examples are very clear and to the point.
The first section deals with the fundamental skills required for the rest of the book, selection, masking, the pen tool, layers and image adjustment, well worth a read through no matter how keen your skills.
After the fundamentals catch-up the bulk of the book then tackles the various montage skills, setting the scene by looking at composition and perspective, the perspective chapter is excellent, easily tackled and incredibly useful.
A book packed with techniques, and Steve Caplin seems to put a lot of effort into making each version stand on its own, with fresh tutorial, techniques and the latest Photoshop features in context, the authors experience and enthusiasm make the tutorials very readable, and the book as a whole a recommended reference for the Photoshop montage artist, or even the intermediate or advanced user looking for some catch-up or fresh ideas.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had seen 'How To Cheat in Photoshop' around for a while but for some reason had not bothered to buy. As it turns out that was probably one of my worst decisions.
Having now purchased the latest CS4 version, I have not stopped with it. The book is absolutely brilliant if you truly want to perfect your PS skills not only for pleasure but for business as well you will not be disappointed.
Caplin does assume you have some knowledge of the programme, hence it is not for the very first timer, (and he does say something like, "this is not a how-to learn PhotoShop book"). However, if ever any of the work he demonstrates or writes about starts to look complicated, he does provide clear instructions.
Moreover, because the book comes with a link and permission to join the How To Cheat in Photoshop (HTCIPS) website forum, your learning will have no boundaries. By joining in the forum with all the other HTCIPS aficionados you will very soon pick up new tricks and skills that propel you forward at a pace.
Out of all the PS books I have bought I have learnt more from this one book than any other, even though the author says it is not a 'How To' book! This has proved to be the best money spent and already I have learnt more in a month, than I learnt in 6 months with all the other so-called 'How-To' books I own.
I cannot recommend it highly enough and I am really enjoying the HTCIPS forum, where I have met some really nice people from all corners of the work, who are all too willing to offer advice and guidance. Do yourself a favour go and buy it now! You won't regret it, I certainly haven't.
Mark Goodwin
PS
Just in case, I have no connection with the author or the publisher of this or any other of Steve Caplin's works, other than being a very satisfied customer. (Which aint easy where I am concerned).
Having now purchased the latest CS4 version, I have not stopped with it. The book is absolutely brilliant if you truly want to perfect your PS skills not only for pleasure but for business as well you will not be disappointed.
Caplin does assume you have some knowledge of the programme, hence it is not for the very first timer, (and he does say something like, "this is not a how-to learn PhotoShop book"). However, if ever any of the work he demonstrates or writes about starts to look complicated, he does provide clear instructions.
Moreover, because the book comes with a link and permission to join the How To Cheat in Photoshop (HTCIPS) website forum, your learning will have no boundaries. By joining in the forum with all the other HTCIPS aficionados you will very soon pick up new tricks and skills that propel you forward at a pace.
Out of all the PS books I have bought I have learnt more from this one book than any other, even though the author says it is not a 'How To' book! This has proved to be the best money spent and already I have learnt more in a month, than I learnt in 6 months with all the other so-called 'How-To' books I own.
I cannot recommend it highly enough and I am really enjoying the HTCIPS forum, where I have met some really nice people from all corners of the work, who are all too willing to offer advice and guidance. Do yourself a favour go and buy it now! You won't regret it, I certainly haven't.
Mark Goodwin
PS
Just in case, I have no connection with the author or the publisher of this or any other of Steve Caplin's works, other than being a very satisfied customer. (Which aint easy where I am concerned).
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have already worked thru two great scott kelby books on photoshop. The seven point system and CS4 book for digital photographers.
Having a established a fair level of understanding this book takes you to teh next level. If you wnat to work on challenging and interesting photo montages Caplins is the book for you.
I also bought the Kelby Down and Dirty secrets, which is fine but a definite second place to Caplins book
Highly recommended
Having a established a fair level of understanding this book takes you to teh next level. If you wnat to work on challenging and interesting photo montages Caplins is the book for you.
I also bought the Kelby Down and Dirty secrets, which is fine but a definite second place to Caplins book
Highly recommended
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
great
this is a pretty good book and comes with a dvd with pics used and vids to go with them so you can do the same thing as the video. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by Mr. P. Stockton
Best short cut to photoshop
If you are good at photoshop then this a great help to jump from chapter to chapter.
Published on 24 Oct 2009 by H. S. Lotay
An excellent book
I already had 'How to Cheat in Photoshop CS3', but there is enough new stuff in this CS4 book to warrant purchasing it. Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2009 by P. J. Quinn
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