Amazon.co.uk Review
The folks at Friends of Ed always do such a great job of writing instructional manuals. In
Foundation Photoshop 6 they cover all the basics that every beginner will need in order to become a master at manipulating images, whether for print or Web. Experienced users aren't left out--the book helps bring them up to speed on all the new Version 6 features. Since this is a team effort, with a team comprised of hip professional designers, there're lots of insider tips.
The illustrations are mostly black and white, but there are so many of them, readers won't feel cheated. In fact, there's just the right balance of text-to-image--what the words don't explain, the screenshot will and vice versa. This is the kind of book from which you can learn by just looking at the pictures.
The text has a light, humorous touch (but not the kind of over-jokey style that clogs up the Dummies books). Just about every sentence adds to the reader's skillset. There are several mini exercises in each chapter and a larger case study that runs through most of the book (a printed postcard and Web site that uses rollovers, image maps, slices and optimised images). You won't get lost if you skip around--each section works well on its own; for example, intermediate users who want clear, hands-on instruction in using layer masks can jump to chapter 10.
With an exhaustive index and appendices that cover online resources for stock art and fonts, file types (BMP? EPS? PNG?) and how to calibrate your monitor, this is yet another essential book for the Friends of Ed bookshelf in your studio. --Angelynn Grant
Topics covered: Tools, selections, paths, layers, colour (especially for print), Web graphics, image/colour correcting, filters, slices, actions, PDFs and much more.
Book Description
For the serious designer looking for a multi-faceted one-stop-shop image preparation solution, Photoshop is the only answer. Although it is the industry standard image preparation tool, many fail to take advantage of Photoshop's specialist functionality simply because they do not have a thorough understanding of the basics.
With a professional approach unlike most standard entry-level Photoshop tutorials, Foundation Photoshop 6.0 aims to offer the working designer a thorough and complete understanding of this sophisticated graphics-handling package. By combining professional techniques with easy-to-use tools, this book shows how skilled designers use Photoshop to explore the deep end of image manipulation. While each chapter is a stand-alone tutorial, the entire book forms an ongoing case study, building a rich base of knowledge in the reader's mind. To build a solid and truly comprehensive foundation in Photoshop essentials, the only way is to learn from the professionals.