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 Contents
March 2008 www.photoshopuser.com

Features Columns

24 Down & Dirty Tricks

Do a car shoot from your office chair, re-create an ad cam-
paign, and “crush” your shadows for that 300 look, all in
this issue.—Scott Kelby, Felix Nelson, and Corey Barker

49 Photoshop Mastery
Do you just nod and smile when you hear the latest in
workflow buzzwords? This article’s for you.—Ben Willmore

50 From Bert’s Studio

Make wood and learn how Bert used the Vanishing Point
filter to lay planks in his painting Damen.—Bert Monroy

54 Photoshop Speed Clinic

Don’t throw out those picture frames you have sitting around
collecting dust! Use Picture Package instead.—Matt Kloskowski

58 The Fine Art of Printing

Does size really matter? It certainly does when you’re
talking about proofing.—John Paul Caponigro

62 Creative Point of View

Long to become a better photographer and printer? Then get
out there and practice, after you read this!—Katrin Eismann

38 On the Move: Exploring the Power of
Photoshop CS3 Extended for Video
Read about the history of Photoshop and its roots in the
movie industry. Then witness the power of using Photo-
shop for video as you practice rotoscoping.—Corey Barker
64 Deke Space
Did you know that you can sharpen your images by blurring
them? Well, Deke proves that you can!—Deke McClelland
66 Photoshop for Educators
Everything you wanted to know about replacing color in
Photoshop but were afraid to ask.—Jan Kabili

92 Print Archiving Techniques 68 Beginners’ Workshop

Ever considered print life expectancy? Finish them properly Learn about advanced blending using the Blend If sliders…
and they might live longer than you!—Randy Hufford from a beginner’s perspective.—Dave Cross

But Wait—There’s More: Wherever you see the 72 Digital Camera Workshop
symbol at the end of an article, it means there’s additional If you’re on deadline, you can bet people will get into your
material for NAPP members at www.photoshopuser.com. on-location shoot. Here’s how to remove them.—Jim DiVitale
 Columns Departments

76 The WOW! Factor 8 About Photoshop User Magazine

Ever think about using Photoshop for ceramics? Neither
did we…until we read this!—Linnea Dayton 10 From the Editor

78 Mastering Photoshop with Video 14 Contributing Writers

In Part 2 of “Advanced Animations,” we’ll complete our
masking tasks and start animating.—Glen Stephens 16 Photoshop News

20 NAPP Member News

80 Digital Photographer’s Notebook
Use Camera Raw and smart objects to correct less-than-
desirable on-location lighting conditions.—Kevin Ames
86 From the Help Desk

116 Photoshop Book Reviews

82 Classic Photoshop Effects
Update the classic technique of using one photo for an 118 Photoshop Q&A
entire design template with smart objects.—Corey Barker
120 Photoshop Design Showcase
88 Photoshop CS3 Extended for Research
Examine the double life of the Channel Mixer and see how it’s
used to prepare images for forensic analysis.—George Reis
Reviews
90 Photoshop CS3 Extended for Engineering 110 Nikon D3
Scott takes us on a challenging two-page journey and
teaches us how to animate 3D layers.—Scott Onstott
111 Nikon D300
122 Photoshop Quick Tips 112 Color Efex Pro 3 Complete Edition
This issue we learn how to organize our brushes, make
our shortcuts shorter, and more.—Sherry London 114 Knoll Light Factory 3

146 Photoshop Beginners’ Tips 115 Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe

Colin celebrates the start of his fifth year writing this column
and gives us plenty of new tips to boot.—Colin Smith 115 Olympus SP-560 UZ

Photoshop Lightroom Section

96 Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow 104 Working Creatively in Lightroom

What kind of work should you do in Lightroom and what Split toning is a classic darkroom technique that
should you save for Photoshop? Each application has a Lightroom users can easily employ to achieve amazing
place, and Matt helps us with the details.—Matt Kloskowski results.—Angela Drury

100 Featured Photographer 106 Under the Hood

Andrew Wheeler satisfies our need for speed with his Substituting for Matt, Angela explains color spaces and
photos of a day at the motorcycle races. color management in Lightroom.—Angela Drury

103 Under the Loupe 108 Lightroom Q&A

Rob concludes his discussion of the Lightroom database
by showing us how to manage and safeguard catalog
files.—Rob Sylvan 109 Lightroom Tips & Tricks
› about
p h ot o s h o p u s e r
Photoshop User magazine is the official publication of the
National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). It is for
members, by members, and is not available to the general public
by subscription.

As a NAPP member, you automatically receive Photoshop User

delivered right to your door eight times a year. Each issue features
in-depth Photoshop tutorials written by the most talented
designers, photographers, and leading authors in the industry.

n at i o n a l a s s o c i at i o n o f
p h ot o s h o p p r o f e s s i o n a l s
The National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) is a dynamic trade
association and the world’s leading resource for Adobe® Photoshop® training, news,
and education. Founded in 1998, NAPP has become the largest graphics and digital
imaging association in the world with more than 70,000 members worldwide.
NAPP is open to any individual using Photoshop in a casual or professional environment.

There’s no faster, easier, and more affordable way to get really good at Photoshop.
Join today for only $99 U.S., $129 Canada, and $99 International (digital delivery). NAPP also
offers special educational memberships. Go to www.photoshopuser.com to get more info.

Cover photo:
©Andrew Wheeler/automotophoto
www.automotophoto.com
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
NAPP Membership Benefits:
t
Annual subscription to Photoshop User magazine (eight issues annually)
t
Members-only website with time- and money-saving content, including:
Weekly Tips and Tutorials from Advice Desk to get straight,
world-class instructors unbiased advice on products
Vendor discounts on hardware, Bookstore of latest educational

software, services, plug-ins, and travel books and DVDs, plus huge discounts
NAPP Perks for complimentary images, National schedule of Adobe
actions, shapes, and plug-ins Photoshop training seminars
Help Desk to get your Photoshop NAPP Gallery for creating
questions answered fast your online portfolio
t

Registration discount to Photoshop World Conference & Expo—the annual
NAPP convention and the largest Photoshop event in the world

t
Monthly e-newsletter produced just for members

NAPP membership details at www.photoshopuser.com or call 800-738-8513

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
008
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 From the Editor
A few words from our E.I.C. …

Unleashing
You’ll be amazed
a Hidden Side of Photoshop Extended

A
s a magazine and an association, we’ll always remember 2008 as being the first time where we
started the year covering not one, but two current versions of Photoshop: the standard Photoshop
CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended.
When Adobe shipped Photoshop Extended last summer, I don’t think any of us really had any idea of
the impact it would have on our industry. At first many of us thought of Extended as a very “nichey” kind
of product, catering mostly to scientific and engineering types, and that the only real draw for the design
community was the 3D features. We figured that the video stuff would only be used by the video crowd…
“The motion graphic boy, were we wrong.
integration in The motion graphic integration in Photoshop Extended has unleashed a creative wave in the graphic
Photoshop Extended design and Web communities that really caught a lot of us off-guard. If you see the techniques that Corey
Barker has been doing for the NAPP member website, or what he and RC Concepcion have been doing
has unleashed a
over at Layers TV with the motion graphics features of Photoshop Extended, you’ll be amazed that any-
creative wave in the thing like that is coming out of Photoshop.
graphic design and In fact, this stuff is so cool, and so accessible, that we had Corey do a feature story for this issue called
Web communities…” “On the Move: Exploring the Power of Photoshop CS3 Extended for Video,” and when you see what can
be done (and exactly how to do it), it may just take that same genie out of the bottle for you. It starts on
page 38, and even if you’re not in video or motion graphics, take a few moments and just check out what
can be done (and what you could be doing tomorrow). This is very slick stuff!
Okay, ready for a turn in another direction? How ’bout this: We’ve got Photoshop World instructor
Randy Hufford (from the Institute of Visual Arts Maui) showing us techniques for finishing canvas and fine
art prints. This is a topic we’ve never really covered (as least, not in the way we’re covering it here), and if
you’ve been watching the fine art canvas scene explode lately, and wanted to get on board, here’s your
stepping off point. Check it out on page 92.
In our Lightroom section of the magazine, our own Matt Kloskowski has a special feature on the Photo-
shop and Lightroom workflow that will answer a lot of users’ questions on how to integrate these two
powerhouses into a workflow that really makes sense. One more thing for photographers: check out Laurie
Excell’s reviews of Nikon’s D3 and D300 in our reviews section. Laurie is someone I trust implicitly on gear
reviews (there are few people in our industry that know this stuff on Laurie’s level), and if you’ve been on
the fence, turn to pages 110 and 111 and get the final word from an absolute expert on the topic.
One last thing: Your annual convention, the Photoshop World Conference & Expo, is right around
the corner. It’s coming to Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center (right near Disney World)
April 2–4, and it’s going to be an amazing event, and I want you to be there. If you sign up now (well, before
February 29, 2008), you can save $100 (and you’ve already saved $100 because you’re a NAPP member). You’ll
learn more in those three days than you’ve learned in three years, and you’ll be learning from nothing but
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

the very best, brightest, most creative, and most talented teachers on the planet (for more info, see the ad on
page 45). I hope I’ll see you there!

All my best,

Scott Kelby
Editor and Publisher

010
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MARCH 2008
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EDITORIAL:
Scott Kelby, Editor-in-Chief
Issac Stolzenbach, Managing Editor
Barbara Thompson, Senior Technical Editor
Chris Main, Technical Editor
Kim Gabriel, Traffic Director
Mike Mackenzie, Associate Editor
Felix Nelson, Creative Director
Dave Damstra, Production Manager
Taffy Orlowski, Associate Designer
Christy Winter, Associate Designer
Dave Korman, Production Designer
Contributing Writers
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This seal indicates that all content provided herein is produced by Kelby Training,
Inc. and follows the most stringent standards for educational resources. Kelby
Training is the premier source for instructional books, DVDs, online classes, and
live seminars for creative professionals.

All contents ©COPYRIGHT 2008 National Association of Photoshop Professionals.

All rights reserved. Any use of the contents of this publication without the written permis-
sion of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Photoshop User is an independent journal, not
affiliated in any way with Adobe Systems, Inc. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Illustrator,
InDesign, Lightroom, and Photoshop are registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe
Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks mentioned
belong to their respective owners. Some of the views expressed by contributors may not
be the representative views of the publisher. ISSN 1535-4687
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› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
014
Contributing Writers
Photoshop’s most wanted
Kevin Ames creates evocative photo-
graphs for clients such as Westin Hotels,
AT&T, and Coca-Cola. His fourth book,
recently published by Peachpit Press, is
The Digital Photographer’s Notebook: A
Pro’s Guide to Photoshop CS3, Lightroom and Bridge. He
teaches the digital arts worldwide.
Steve Baczewski is a freelance
writer, professional photographer, graphic
designer, and consultant. He also teaches
classes in traditional and digital fine arts
photography. His company, Sore Tooth
Productions, is based in Albany, California. Steve can be
reached at foxhole510@sbcglobal.net.
Peter Bauer is the Director of the
NAPP Help Desk and a featured colum-
nist at Planet Photoshop. As an Adobe
Certified Expert, Pete does computer
graphics consulting for a select group
of corporate clients. His latest book is Photoshop CS3
for Dummies.
John Paul Caponigro, an
inductee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame
and author of Adobe Photoshop Master
Class, is an internationally renowned fine
artist and authority on digital printing.
Visit www.johnpaulcaponigro.com and receive a free
subscription to his enews Insights.
Linnea Dayton has authored,
co-authored, and edited many books, maga-
zines, and newsletters for graphic designers,
illustrators, and others who use computers
in their art. She is currently at work on the
11th edition of The Photoshop Wow! Book, published
by Peachpit Press.
Jim DiVitale is an Atlanta-based
photographer and instructor specializing
in digital photography. His clients include
IBM, Carter’s, Mizuno USA, Genuine
Parts Company, Scientific Atlanta, TEC
America, and Coca-Cola. Check out his website at www
.divitalephotography.com.
Angela Drury is an award-winning
photographer with 18 years’ experience
shooting film and digital. She has received
numerous awards and has been featured in
several group and solo shows. Angela lives
in San Francisco and works at Adobe Systems Inc. To see her
photography, visit www.angeladrury.com.
Daniel East is an author, freelance
writer, presenter/trainer, and consultant
with more than 20 years’ experience in
professional photography, pro-audio,
and marketing. Daniel is also founder and
president of The Apple Groups Team support network for
user groups.
Katrin Eismann is author of Photo-
shop Restoration & Retouching and Photo-
shop Masking & Compositing. Katrin is
the co-founder and present Chair of the MPS
in Digital Photography Department at the
School of Visual Arts in NYC (www.sva.edu/digitalphoto). She Essentials, and more. Check out his website at www
was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame in 2005.
Laurie Excell has 28 years of photo-
graphy and photographic equipment
sales experience. Her images have been
showcased in galleries, Audubon calen-
dars, Camping Life Magazine, Amtrak
publications, and BT Journal. Check out her website at
www.excellnaturephotography.com.
Dave Huss, with more than 25
years’ experience as a photographer, has
authored more than 18 books on digital
photography and photo editing. His latest
book is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
1.1 for the Professional Photographer. Dave is a popular
conference speaker in the U.S. and Europe.
Jan Kabili is a popular Photoshop
author and educator. You can see her
Photoshop video podcast at http://photo-
shoponline.tv or subscribe to Photoshop
Online at www.itunes.com. View her online
training videos, including Photoshop CS3 Essentials for
the Web, at www.lynda.com.
Sherry London is author of
Photoshop CS2 Gone Wild and has
written a number of other books on
Photoshop, Illustrator, and Painter.
Sherry also writes tips and product
reviews for Photoshop User and Layers magazines,
as well as tutorials for Planet Photoshop.
Deke McClelland is recipient of
the Videographer Award for Excellence, the
Omni Award (both 2007), and author of the
full-color Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-
One (Deke Press/O’Reilly Media). He also
hosts the online series, Photoshop Channels & Masks and
Photoshop CS3 One-on-One (www.lynda.com/deke).
Bert Monroy is considered one of
the pioneers of digital art. His work has
been seen in countless magazines and
scores of books. He has served on the faculty
of many well-known institutions, written
dozens of books, and appeared on hundreds of TV shows
around the world.
Chris Orwig, a photographer and
author, is on the faculty at the Brooks
Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara.
His publications include Photoshop CS3
for Photographers, Photoshop Lighroom
.chrisorwig.com.
Colin Smith, an award-winning
designer, lecturer, and writer, has
authored or co-authored 12 books on
Photoshop and has created a series of
Photoshop training videos available from
PhotoshopCD.com. Colin is also the founder of the online
resource PhotoshopCAFE.com.
Glen Stephens, developer of the
Tools for Television, Photoshop Toolbox
(www.toolsfortelevision.com), has more
than 10 years’ experience in the broadcast
video industry. His company, Pixel Post
Studios, provides training and design services for the
broadcast video industry.
Rob Sylvan is a trainer, instructional
designer, writer, Web developer, and
photographer. In addition to being a
NAPP Help Desk Specialist, he’s a Senior
Image Inspector for iStockphoto.com.
Check out his Lightroom tips, tutorials, and presets at
www.sylvanworks.com.
Ben Willmore is the author of Adobe
Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques and
Up to Speed: Photoshop CS3, as well as
co-author of How to Wow: Photoshop for
Photography. Currently, Ben is on tour with
his hit seminar “Photoshop for Photographers.” Check out the
free tips and tutorials at his website, www.digitalmastery.com.
 Photoshop News
All the latest on Photoshop-related gear and software
Canon produces its
30 millionth EOS-
series SLR camera
It’s been 70 years since Canon
opened its doors, and they’ve
addressed the needs of profes-
sionals with their analog and
digital imaging products. This also
marks the 20th anniversary of their
EOS SLR product line, and Canon
reports that they have produced
their 30 millionth EOS-series SLR
camera. While this total includes
both analog and digital models
in this series, bear in mind that
the EOS line was unveiled in 1987
with the EOS 650 AF, and at their
10th anniversary in 1997, they
had already produced the first
10 million units. It was in 2000
that Canon introduced their first
digital SLR camera with the EOS
D30. Even more astonishing is the
fact that between 2003 and 2007,
Canon produced another 10 mil-
lion. For more information about
Canon and their history, visit www
.usa.canon.com.
Casio introduces
new “burst shooting”
digital cameras
As part of their new models
presented at the 2008 CES Show,
Casio America, Inc. unveiled
their EXILIM Pro EX-F1 high-
performance digital camera that
claims the world’s fastest burst
shooting performance at a rate
of 60 frames per second (fps)
for still images. In addition, the
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
EXILIM Pro EX-F1 can record video
in full high-definition at 1,200 fps.
The new CMOS sensor and LSI
processor help achieve the new
performance on the 6-megapixel
model. The EX-F1 also features a
12X optical and 4X digital zoom
f/2.7–4.6 lens, Rapid Flash with up
to 20 continuous shots at 7 fps,
and a slow-motion view function.
Visit www.casio.com for the latest
on this and other new releases.
016
DAZ introduces DAZ Studio 3D Bridge to Photoshop
Three-dimensional modeling is more in demand than ever because the speed of the technolo-
gies behind it allows for better quality and faster output. DAZ Productions, Inc., the people
behind Bryce, Carrara, and DAZ Studio, steps up with a new way to add your 3D images to Photo-
shop CS3 with their new DAZ 3D Bridge to Photoshop, part of their free DAZ Studio. This is
unique in that it works with Photoshop from versions 7 through CS3, and it offers a very clean,
simple user interface
with lower minimum
system requirements.
“The interest in
3D assets within the
Photoshop community
is continually growing
and DAZ 3D is proud to
add to its availability,”
says Dan Farr, President
of DAZ Productions. “The
DAZ Studio 3D Bridge
provides a simple way
to include 3D imagery
and artwork in Photo-
shop. Users may view 3D scenes as Photoshop layers, change objects and figures simultane-
ously, directly render, and import and export image maps onto 3D models.”
DAZ Studio 3D Bridge to Photoshop is currently in beta for Windows. It requires DAZ Studio
1.7.1.9 or later (available for free) to run. For complete system requirements and more information,
visit www.daz3d.com.
Extensis Suitcase Fusion font management
and optimization
Mac users of Suitcase Fusion 12 will be happy to know that
Extensis has released a free update for their font-management
software that addresses some key issues, ensures proper
functionality, and provides optimization for the new Leopard
system fonts. The update includes new auto-activation plug-
ins for Adobe Illustrator CS3 and Adobe InDesign CS3 and is
described as “crucial” by the company for anyone using CS3
under the new operating system.
According to Cindy Valladares, Product Marketing Manager
at Extensis, “Our goal is to ensure that our font-management
products are both optimized for the new Mac OS and offer the
auto-activation plug-ins users need for the latest creative applications, which is what a profes-
sional font-management system should do.” For more information, visit www.extensis.com.
Polaroid Corporation and ZINK Imaging announce partnership
Polaroid Corporation will partner with ZINK Imaging, Inc. to bring instant photography into the
digital age by combining Polaroid’s new pocket-size digital printer with ZINK’s Zero Ink Printing
Technology. Consumers can print full-color photos from their digital cameras or cell phones with-
out the need for messy ink cartridges or ribbons.
The two companies are developing “ZINK-enabled products” that include heat-activated papers,
mobile printers, and digital-imaging products to allow printing from any location. According to Jon
Pollock, Vice President and General Manager for Polaroid, this is “a disruptive new technology that
will enable an entirely new class of printing and digital-imaging products.”
For more information, visit www.polaroid.com/onthego and www.zink.com.
 By Daniel M. East

Datacolor adds two new Spyder3 products Epson introduces

On the heels of their initial Spyder3 offerings, Spyder3Elite and Spyder3Studio, Datacolor has
added to their latest brand with the addition of new color calibration tools for displays and printers.
Spyder3Pro is a seven-detector color engine colorimeter that includes a new display
assistant to retrieve device data for each display. Other features include intelligent ambi-
ent light control; 16 calibration target
choices; “fast ReCAL” option that cuts
recalibration time in half; SpyderProof
function for more precise color control;
real-time calibration monitoring;
and multiple display calibration.
It’s priced at $169.
Spyder3Print is a combination of soft-
ware and a spectrocolorimeter that allows
photographers to store and create profiles using a“wizard”
user interface. New optimization features allow for varying lighting conditions and help ensure
accuracy. Spider3Print is available for $499. Find out more from www.datacolor.com/spyder3.
new R1900 photo
printer for profes-
sional photographers
Always on the cutting-edge,
Epson America, Inc. recently
introduced the Stylus Photo
R1900, which replaces the
R1800 and features new inks, a
new Radiance Technology that
improves color transitions, and
improved performance.

In Memoriam: Jack Byron Fields

For aspiring photographers, there are certain sources for inspiration that represent the
pinnacle of a potential career, including Life, Smithsonian, The Saturday Evening Post, and
National Geographic magazines. Jack Byron Fields’ work could be seen in those and other
publications. Fields, who was widely regarded as a pioneer who helped to transform photo-
journalism, passed away at the age of 87 from heart failure at his home on Dec. 13, 2007.
Growing up in Kansas, Fields began his career during World War II and traveled to even The new 13" Stylus Photo
the most remote locations to collect his images. The distances he covered were unheard of R1900 introduces what the
during that time, and his seemingly compact 35mm camera went with him everywhere. He company calls “a new standard
contracted tuberculosis while on assignment for the Air Force’s Yank magazine and was sent in glossy photographic prints”
to Colorado Springs to recuperate. with its Epson UltraChrome Hi-
Fields was the first photojournalist to report on Micronesia after it became a U.S. Trust Gloss 2 ink and improved Gloss
following World War II. After relocating to Los Angeles, he attended the Art Center College Optimizer. The performance
of Design and later became a visiting professor at San Jose State University, where he men- has improved as well, with
tored many of today’s award-winning photographers, including Kim Komenich, Paul Chinn, output at up to 35% faster than
and others. the previous model. Pricing is
[To read the full memorial by Robert Selna, visit the San Francisco Chronicle website www expected to be $549.99. For
.sfgate.com and search for “Globe-trotting photo essayist Jack Byron Fields dies at 87,” which was more information, visit www
published on December 19, 2007.—Ed.] .epson.com.

Adobe announces Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac

Following much speculation and market anticipation after the release of version 4, Adobe has
announced the new Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. What happened to version 5? We’re
not certain, but this new release is packed with new features and controls, in addition to the
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

things that already make Elements such a popular title.

The advanced consumer image-editing application adds Photomerge technology that lets
users combine the best expressions and poses from a series of photographs to create the perfect
group photo. Also included is the ability to make batch adjustments, Guided Edit mode, more
output options, and greater image control. Adobe has added new tabs that make navigation
easier for the user by allowing selected images to be “hidden” in stacks. Like the Windows version,
Elements 6 for Mac offers flexible layouts and new themes with updated design elements.
The estimated street price is $89.99 for the full version, with upgrade pricing of $69.99 available to users of any previous
version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Album, Photoshop LE, or Adobe PhotoDeluxe. For more information, visit
www.adobe.com. N
017
 NAPP Member News
All the latest on membership and benefits
Member spotlight
Typically, this space is dedicated to providing news and
information to help you better take advantage of your NAPP
membership. Well, this month we’re deviating from that tradi-
tion, but only a bit.
You see, a few weeks ago, a colleague of mine (Larry Becker,
Executive Director of the NAPP and my Managing Editor on
the NAPP Newswire) brought to my attention the story of a
woman who, through her NAPP membership, rediscovered
her passion for art and found the career of her dreams. We
want to share this story with you because it beautifully illus-
trates exactly how invaluable a NAPP membership can be. It
all starts with a woman named Lisa Sage.
Lisa’s creative abilities predated her introduction to Photo-
shop. For years, Lisa was a fine art painter but eventually
she developed issues with the chemicals involved, which
ultimately forced her to give up on her talents.
Flash-forward a few years and we find Lisa experimenting
with a certain graphics program (wink-wink), and once again
she’s able to create art, but now it’s without worrying about
the fumes and mess. She also discovered that the “virtual”
medium of Photoshop freed her to explore more creative
venues than ever before. Eventually she bought a Wacom
graphics tablet and was instantly delighted at how it allowed
her to once again fully exercise her drawing and painting
skills. To say she was smitten would be an understatement.
Her next move, to learn all that she could about Photoshop,
was to join NAPP.
As a NAPP member, she lurked in the forums for a long time,
learning things from others but not posting anything herself.
This is understandable since many online forums—especially
those in any kind of technology field—can be heartless, pre-
tentious, and intimidating. It wasn’t long, however, before Lisa
realized that this forum was different, and that NAPP members
represent one of the friendliest online communities found
anywhere. Lisa also began to regularly correspond with Peter
Bauer at the NAPP Help Desk, receiving priceless information
and feedback on how best to use Photoshop.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
Over time, Lisa became so heavily involved and developed
so many close friends online that she made it a point to meet
them in person. She joined approximately 30 NAPP forum
users for a preconference party the evening prior to the
Boston Photoshop World Conference & Expo in 2007. Scott
Kelby and several of the Photoshop World trainers heard about
the party and stopped by, and it was there that Larry was first
introduced to Lisa in person.
Larry had actually been aware of Lisa’s talents for a while.
Several of her NAPP portfolio images had been featured as
Editor’s Picks—a task to which Larry proudly contributes each
020
LISA SAGE
week—and he had read several of her posts in the forums.
During the course of their conversation, Larry gave her a
few words of encouragement and suggested that her work
was certainly worthy of posting in local art venues, if not in
regional or national galleries.
In December 2007, Larry received an email from Lisa
thanking him for his kind words and sharing some of the
things that had happened since they last spoke in April. Larry
discovered that she has a 4x5' gallery print on display in the
front window of an art gallery in Naples, Florida (she lives in
Maine). Additionally, she has signed a contract with a major
video game company to illustrate still images for their adver-
tising campaigns, and she has been retained as a lead matte
artist for a major film production company. In fact, her work
will appear in two feature films in 2008.
Lisa says that she owes a good portion of her recent suc-
cesses to her participation in the NAPP. It turns out that the
gallery owner, the movie visual effects producer, and the
video game art department manager had all seen Lisa’s posts
in the forums, and seen her work in her NAPP portfolio.
What’s the moral of this story? If you’re a NAPP member,
make sure you take advantage of every benefit you can. And
if you’re not a NAPP member, join today. You may not be
creating Hollywood backdrops right away, but neither was
Lisa when she first joined. Oh, and as a side note, Lisa’s story
so impressed everyone here at NAPP headquarters that it won
her a free trip to Photoshop World in Orlando this April!
Do you have a NAPP success story that you think people
should know about? Send your story to Larry Becker at
lbecker@photoshopuser.com and you might find your story
printed in these pages, or you could receive an autographed
book, DVD, or some other great prize.
[Flip to the “Photoshop Design Showcase” section on page 121
to see more of Lisa’s work.—Ed.]
 By Bryce Smith

NAPP celebrates its Recent NAPP Discounts

10th anniversary at To take advantage of these
discounts, NAPP members should
Photoshop World! go to the Discounts section of
To celebrate NAPP’s 10th anniversary, www.photoshopuser.com.
Photoshop World Conference & Expo— Digital Technology Centre Work-
the NAPP annual conference—is com- shops—The Digital Technology
ing to Orlando, Florida, this April with Centre offers NAPP members a
more than 100 excellent classes, outrageous after-hours events, and tons of other surprises. 10% discount on its hands-on
Just take a look at what some of the instructors have to say about it: workshops. The Centre, located
in Sarasota, Florida, trains
creative professionals and the
“Photoshop World is a great time to explore new ideas and I always serious hobbyist in photogra-
enjoy the opportunity to talk to people about the challenges they face. phy, graphic design, digital fine
When you add up the experience in the room (both from the attendees art, and videography.
and instructors), it’s amazing how much talent is there, and I learn so Budget—Budget Rent A Car is
much talking to attendees, hanging out at the Help Desk, and mingling offering NAPP members up to
15% off standard daily, weekly,
on the show floor. The whole experience is incredibly rewarding to me
and weekend rates on time and
and I know it makes a big difference to a lot of people, myself included.” mileage charges.
—Richard Harrington, motion graphics artist and author
Liquid Library—Get a complete,
professional package including
“I look forward to teaching at Photoshop World for lots of reasons, 50-MB, high-resolution image
and topping the list are the attendees who truly make the whole event downloads, a 68-page monthly
magazine with design concepts,
special. At the same time, seeing all of my good friends who are fellow
and software tips: six months for
instructors and getting caught up on everything they’ve learned and are only $399, 12 months for only $699.
so willing to share is a highlight. But, if you were to ask what I look forward
Choice Hotels—NAPP members
to the most: I love getting pumped up from the whole event. In fact, save 15% off published rates at
I don’t know of anything else that lights my own creative fires like Photo- more than 5,000 participating
shop World!”—Moose Peterson, wildlife photographer and educator Choice Hotels: Clarion Hotels,
Comfort Suites, Comfort Inn,
Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Econo
“I not only look forward to teaching some incredible sessions about Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and
Adobe’s latest and greatest products and technologies, but I also look MainStay Suites and Suburban
forward to meeting the thousands of inspiring individuals who attend Extended Stay. Discount applies
the conference. Photoshop World is the hub of creativity, plain and to advance reservations only.
simple. I always leave the show pumped up with new ideas and tech- Glass & Gear—Glass & Gear is
niques, and it’s great to meet my readers in person and share concepts. offering NAPP members 10%
I really can’t wait to see everybody there!”—Terry White, gadget guru off their first camera equipment/
gear rental order and 5% off
and technology blogger each order thereafter.
Avis—Save up to 25% off pro-
“I’m most looking forward to sharing my most current HDR (High motional daily, weekly, and
Dynamic Range) techniques since I’ve been refining my ideas and weekend rates when renting
haven’t shared any of my new techniques with anyone (yet). But, from participating Avis locations
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

I always enjoy going to Photoshop World and seeing all the familiar in the U.S. and Canada.
faces.”—Ben Willmore, Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Digital Photographers Porter Case—Purchase a PC II
seminar instructor CMCS-L Porter Case and pay only
$199 (retail price $279) plus $20
shipping and handling (in the con-
tinental U.S.) as a NAPP member.
Visit the NAPP member website (www.photoshopuser.com) for more info regarding any item on 1-888-Scan-Van—1-888-Scan-Van is
these pages or anything concerning your membership. offering NAPP members a savings
If you have suggestions or ideas for enhancing your NAPP membership, please send them to of 20% on all basic scan services.
the NAPP Executive Director, Larry Becker, at lbecker@photoshopuser.com. That’s 250 scans for only $30. N
021
 NAPP-Sponsored Photoshop Training
Learn the latest Photoshop techniques from the hottest Photoshop educators
Upcoming Seminars
The following conferences and seminars are sponsored or produced by the National Association of
Photoshop Professionals and provide special discounts to NAPP members. Visit www.kelbytraining.com
for all the latest seminar information.
Photoshop CS3 Power Tour
featuring Dave Cross or Scott Kelby
Amplify the impact of your work with
high-voltage, hair-raising techniques for
Photoshop CS3. This seminar, created by
the #1 best-selling computer book author,
Scott Kelby, will boost your already impres-
sive Photoshop skills with awe-generating
effects used by today’s industry pros.
For Upcoming Dates:
Call 800-201-7323
Registration Info:
Regular admission is $99.
NAPP members pay $79.
Call 800-201-7323, or register online
at www.kelbytraining.com.
Photoshop CS3
Creativity Tour
featuring Bert Monroy
While you may not be able to draw like
Bert (he’s truly the master), in this seminar
you’ll learn the Photoshop techniques he’s
developed to create realistic images that
boggle the imagination! It’s the perfect
seminar for Photoshop users, photog-
raphers, and illustrators alike!
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
HOUSTON, TX
February 15, 2008
George R. Brown Conv. Center
Registration Info:
Regular admission is $99.
NAPP members pay $79.
Call 800-201-7323, or register online
at www.kelbytraining.com
Instructors subject to change without notice
022
Photoshop CS3
for Photographers
featuring Ben Willmore
Enrich your images with valuable tips for
everything from first setup to printing your
masterpiece. Photoshop Hall of Fame guru
Ben Willmore reveals key digital photog-
raphy concepts, powerful adjustment
tools in Photoshop, and remarkable res-
toration and manipulation techniques—
even Ben’s personal everyday workflow!
For Upcoming Dates:
Call 800-201-7323
Registration Info:
Regular admission is $99.
NAPP members pay $79.
Call 800-201-7323, or register online
at www.kelbytraining.com.
The Adobe Photoshop
Lightroom Live Tour
featuring Scott Kelby
From image capture to final print, you’ll
see it unfold live right in front of you as
you learn step-by-step how to take control
of your digital photography workflow.
This seminar teaches you how to take
your photography to a whole new level
of productivity, efficiency, and fun with
real-world insider techniques that make
your life easier and free your time so you
can do what you really want with your
photography—rather than boring, repeti-
tive production tasks.
For Upcoming Dates:
Call 800-201-7323
Registration Info:
Regular admission is $99.
NAPP members pay $79.
Call 800-201-7323, or register online
at www.kelbytraining.com.
Photoshop World
Conference & Expo
ORLANDO, FL
April 2–4, 2008
Orange County Conv. Center
Photoshop World is where you’ll learn
the most up-to-date techniques, the
most effective workflows, and the hot-
test tips for Adobe Photoshop, Photo-
shop Lightroom, and Photoshop CS3
Extended—as well as applications such
as Illustrator, After Effects, and InDesign,
from a select team of the industry’s most
talented and creative instructors. And,
don’t forget the spectacular Tech Expo
(open for all three days of the conference)
where you can get an insider’s look at
the latest products and technologies.
Registration Info:
Advance Registration
Before February 29, 2008
Advance admission is $599.
NAPP members pay $499.
General Registration
After February 29, 2008
General admission is $699.
NAPP members pay $599.
Students (with ID) pay $149.
Call 800-738-8513, or register online
at www.photoshopworld.com. Q
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 Down & Dirty Tricks
The hottest new Photoshop tricks and coolest special effects

Q BY SCOT T KELBY

Instant Car Ad: Just Add Car

I saw this layout in a Web ad announcing that XM Satellite radio is now available on the Lexus LS model.
Although I couldn’t find a black Lexus to shoot (I need richer friends!), I did find a black Smart Car—
introduced in the U.S. last year—on iStockphoto.com and while it’s no Lexus, it will stand in just fine.

©ISTOCKPHOTO/CHRISTIAN LUPU
STEP ONE: Create a new RGB document (File>New) that’s
10x8.5" at a resolution of 72 ppi. (This size is only necessary
if you’re downloading the Smart Car file from www.photoshopuser
.com/members/mar08-downloads.html and following along.
Files are for personal use only. Thanks to our friends at iStockphoto
and photographer Christian Lupu for allowing us to download
this file.)

STEP TWO: At the bottom of the Toolbox, click on the Fore-

ground color swatch and in the Color Picker, choose R:103,
G:110, B:54, and click OK. Then press Option-Delete (PC: Alt-
Backspace) to fill your Background layer with this light green.
Now click on the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the
› › P h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Layers panel to add a new blank layer (as shown here).

024
STEP THREE: Now set your Foreground color to a darker green
(we used R:59, G:64, and B:31) and press Option-Delete (PC: Alt-
Backspace) to fill the new layer (Layer 1) with this darker color.
Choose the Elliptical Marquee tool (the round selection tool),
hold the Shift key, and make a very large circular selection in the
center of the image (as shown here). Then go under the Select
menu and choose Modify>Feather. When the Feather dialog
appears, enter 80 pixels and click OK to greatly soften the edges
of your circular selection.

STEP FOUR: Now press the Delete key (PC: Backspace) to knock
a soft-edged hole out of the darker top layer, revealing the center
of the lighter layer below it. This creates kind of a soft spotlight
effect (as shown here). Now you can deselect by pressing
Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D).

STEP FIVE: Open the car document and using the Move tool (V),
drag the car layer onto your background file and position it
just below center. Now, add a new blank layer and in the Layers
panel, drag this blank layer (Layer 2) directly beneath your car
layer. With Layer 2 active, take the Rectangular Marquee tool (M)
and drag a long, thin selection around the bottom quarter of the
image, but make sure the top of your selection doesn’t touch the
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

bottom of the car body (as shown).

025
 STEP SIX: Set your Foreground color to a light gray (we used
R:200, G:200, and B:200) and your Background color to a dark
gray (R:108, G:108, and B:108). Now take the Gradient tool (G)
and up in the Options Bar, click on the Gradient Picker and
choose the Foreground to Background gradient. Drag from
the top of your selected area to the bottom to create a gradient
that goes from light gray (up by the car) to a darker gray (at
the bottom of the image). Deselect by pressing Command-D
(PC: Ctrl-D), then add a new blank layer.

STEP SEVEN: To create the shadow under the car, choose the
Polygonal Lasso tool (the selection tool that draws straight lines)
and draw out a very long, thin, four-sided polygon under the car.
Press D (for default) to set your Foreground color to black, press
Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace) to fill your polygon shape with
black (as shown), and then deselect.

STEP EIGHT: To blur the black polygon shape and make it a

shadow, go under the Filter menu, under Blur, and choose
Gaussian Blur. When the dialog appears, enter 3 pixels and
click OK. This adds the first level of softening to your shadow.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

026

continued on p. 28
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 STEP NINE: Now go under the Filter menu once again, under
Blur, but this time choose Motion Blur. Set your Angle to 0°,
increase the Amount to 112 pixels, and click OK. This has the
effect of spreading and softening the left and right sides of
your shadow and in this case, makes it look more realistic.

STEP TEN: I thought the car looked a little too big, so I sized
it down: In the Layers panel, press Shift and select both the
car and shadow layers, then press Command-T (PC: Ctrl-T) to
bring up Free Transform. Holding down the Shift key, grab a
corner point and drag inward to scale the car down in size.
When the size looks right to you, press the Enter (PC: Return)
key, then use the Move tool to reposition the car into place.
Because we scaled down the size of the car, let’s apply
the Unsharp Mask filter by going under the Filter menu, under
Sharpen, and selecting Unsharp Mask. Adjust the settings to
sharpen the car back up a little bit, and when it looks pleasing
to you, click OK. And lastly, use the Horizontal Type tool (T) to
add some type (for our example, we used the Gil Sans Italic font
at 24 pt for the headline and 18 pt for the subhead). That’s it!

OPTIONAL STEP: Since everything is on its own layer, it’s simple

to change the color of the background or foreground, should you
need to. And with live text, next month’s copy changes are just a
few clicks away! Q
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

028
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 Down & Dirty Tricks
The hottest new Photoshop tricks and coolest special effects

Q BY SCOT T KELBY AND FELI X NELSON

Just Mask It!

Here’s a simple, yet visually effective technique used in a Charles Schwab print advertising campaign.
The effect uses multiple dollar signs masked into an image. The character isn’t recognized at first, but
it’s distracting enough to make the reader stop and take a hard look at the image, which is essential to
the campaign’s concept that seems to say, “Don’t let money distract you from the things you love.”

STEP ONE: Start by

opening an image
of your choice. The
original campaign
used several differ-

©ISTOCKPHOTO/VASILIKI VARVAKI
ent lifestyle shots
but just about any
image will do. Dupli-
cate the Background
layer by dragging
it onto the Create a
New Layer icon at
the bottom of the Layers panel (Background copy).

STEP TWO: Choose the

Horizontal Type tool (T)
from the Toolbox, drag
out a text box that covers
the entire image, and type
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

in the dollar sign ($) until

it covers the entire image
area. The smaller sans-serif
fonts work best (we used
4 pt Helvetica Black). You
may find that the charac-
ter’s spacing isn’t uniform. If this is the case, open the Character
panel (Window>Character) and adjust the leading and tracking
as needed (we used 3.5 pt of leading for this example).

030
STEP THREE: Click the Eye icons next to the text layer and the
Background layer to hide them from view.

STEP FOUR: Click the

Background copy
layer to select it and
then Command-click
(PC: Ctrl-click) on the
text layer thumbnail
to make it an active
selection. Now click
on the Add Layer Mask
icon (the gray square
with the white circle in
it) at the bottom of the
Layers panel.

STEP FIVE: Click the original Background layer to make it active

and then click its Eye icon to reveal it.

› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

031
 STEP SIX: Press Command-L (PC: Ctrl-L) to bring up the Levels
dialog. Move the midtone adjustment slider (the one in the
center) toward the left to lighten the image (as shown), and
click OK.

STEP SEVEN: Click the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom
of the Layers panel (Layer 1) and move it above the masked
Background copy layer. Click the Foreground color swatch at
the bottom of the Toolbox, choose a dominant color based
on the image you’re using (red in our example), and click OK.
Choose the Rectangular Marquee tool (M) from the Toolbox,
make a rectangular selection on the lower-right side of the
image (as shown), and press Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace)
to fill the selection. Press Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D) to deselect.

STEP EIGHT: Add some text to complete the effect. Q

› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

032
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 Down & Dirty Tricks
The hottest new Photoshop tricks and coolest special effects

Q BY COREY BARKER

Getting the 300 Look

This technique has been sought after since the movie 300 came out. The effect is achieved using a process
called “crushing” where you basically reduce the detail in the shadow areas to almost solid black and
slightly blowout the highlights. This is a quick way to achieve a similar effect with minimal effort.

©FOTOLIA/MARK STOUT
STEP ONE: Open the image to which you want to apply this
effect (File>Open). If your image has relatively low contrast,
then it might be a good idea to apply a quick Levels adjustment
because this effect tends to work better on images with higher
contrast. Just in case we need to refer back to the original image,
let’s duplicate the Background layer: click-and-drag the Back-
ground layer thumbnail to the Create a New Layer icon at the
bottom of the Layers panel (Background copy).

STEP TWO: Load the luminosity values of the image as a selec-

tion by opening the Channels panel (Window>Channels) and
Command-clicking (PC: Ctrl-clicking) directly on the RGB channel
thumbnail. Invert the selection by pressing Shift-Command-I
(PC: Shift-Ctrl-I). Press the D key to set your Foreground and Back-
ground colors to their default black and white, respectively. Click
the Create a New Layer icon to make a new blank layer, and press
Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace) to fill the selection with black.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

STEP THREE: Invert the selection again and press the Delete
(PC: Backspace) key one to three times (depending on how much
detail you want to keep in the shadow areas). For this example,
we only needed to press it once to reach the desired effect.
Notice how this “crushes” the shadows just enough to lose any
subtle detail. If you want it darker, you can fill the selection with
black again to increase the density of the black. Deselect the
034 image by pressing Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D).
STEP FOUR: Now load the luminosity as a selection again.
You’ll notice that when you do it this time the selection will
be smaller because we decreased the lighter areas. Create a
new blank layer (Layer 2) and fill this selection with white by
pressing Command-Delete (PC: Ctrl-Backspace). Then press
Shift-Command-I (PC: Shift-Ctrl-I) to invert the selection as we
did before, and press Delete (PC: Backspace) once.

STEP FIVE: Now we’re going to give those highlights a little

atmospheric glow by adding a layer style. Click the Add a Layer
Style (ƒx) icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose
Outer Glow from the menu. You can start with the settings shown
here but feel free to try something different, such as experimenting
with different colors. The beauty of this highlighted glow being a
layer style is that you can always go back and modify the effect or
even add other layer styles to enhance the effect.

STEP SIX: Next we need to give the image a yellowish tone.

Click the Background layer to select it, click the Create New
Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, and
choose Hue/Saturation. Click the Colorize checkbox, input the
settings you see here, and click OK. Notice the adjustment
layer’s position. If you move it up in the stacking order, it will
change the overall effect. Pretty cool, huh?
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

035
 STEP SEVEN: We need to give this image a little grain. If you
remember from the movie, the scenes always had a bit of a
rugged graininess to them. Create a new blank layer. Press
Shift-Delete (PC: Shift-Backspace) to open the Fill dialog,
choose 50% Gray from the Use menu, and click OK.

STEP EIGHT: Go under the Filter menu, under Noise, and

choose Add Noise. Enter 10% in the Amount field, click the
Gaussian radio button, click the Monochromatic checkbox,
and click OK. Different blend modes will treat the noise very
differently. We changed the layer blend mode to Soft Light
because it makes the noise a little subtler.

Here are the before and after images. You can see how much
of a difference these simple steps made. Now go and have fun
trying this technique on other images, and vary the settings as
you go. No doubt you’ll discover all kinds of new techniques
along the way! Q
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

036 Before After

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If you just heard for the first time that Photoshop does video,
you’d probably say, “Huh? As deep and complex as Photoshop is,
how could Adobe cram that much more into it?” Well, Photoshop
is like Disney World: It will never be complete as long as there’s
creativity and imagination among its users.
There is a cultural phenomenon brewing—especially in the
United States—which is making lunchtime the new primetime.
This is demonstrated in countless articles about the new video
“snack culture” and with marked successes of sites like current.com,
metacafe.com, and YouTube.com, video has become a staple
for the Web and mobile devices. Photoshop has taken another
giant leap forward by including tools and functions to accom-
modate video editors, motion artists, and 3D modelers, as well
as photographers and graphic designers. There are, however,
some Photoshop users who think Adobe is polluting the waters—
and further bloating an immense program—by including video
support. While Photoshop was and still is used in film and television,
it was never able to correct or edit full video clips from within the
program. This is no longer the case.

Ceh[j^Wdj^[bWo[hij^WjYWhhoj^[c
First it’s necessary for us to understand how Photoshop reads
video. Before Photoshop CS3, working with video files wasn’t
considered feasible. Creating simple GIF animations for the Web
wasn’t available until the introduction of Photoshop CS, and
this feature was essentially migrated over from Adobe Image-
Ready. Back then you could edit only one image at a time…
frame by frame.

Enabling the program to open and process video files required

linear interpolation support—the process of creating a smooth
progression between frames to give the illusion of fluid motion.
The application’s ability to handle video stems from a new
concept dubbed video layers. These layers can contain a sequence
of images or frames contained in a video file or a folder contain-
ing sequentially numbered images. Video layers can include any
number of images—depending on the length and frame rate of
the clip—and remain as a single layer.
 This new interface is similar to the linear timeline you see in other video editing programs.
There are several ways you can create video layers. One way
is to open a QuickTime MOV file in Photoshop (File>Open). The
sequence is automatically placed in the Layers panel as a video
layer. You’ll know it’s a video layer by the appearance of the
filmstrip icon at the bottom right of the layer thumbnail. You can
also create a blank video layer, which is essentially a sequence of
blank frames. Video layers can be edited one frame at a time, just
like any other static image in Photoshop. You can also apply layer
styles and adjustment layers to video layers; however, if you want
to edit the video sequence or advance to edit other frames within
the video layer, you must use the new Animation (Timeline) panel
(Window>Animation).
[NAPP members may download the video to follow along with this
tutorial at www.photoshopuser.com/members/mar08-downloads.html.]
As opposed to the frame-by-frame Animation (Frame) panel in
previous versions (you can still use it in Photoshop CS3), this new
interface is similar to the linear timeline you see in programs such
as Adobe After Effects or Adobe Premiere Pro. When you open a
video file in Photoshop, it doesn’t look all that different—it just looks
like any other image. To view the entire clip and to modify frames,
you need to open the Animation (Timeline) panel.
You’ll notice the Animation (Timeline) displays the individual
layers in the same order as the Layers panel. The bar to the right of
the layer name indicates the span of visible frames in the sequence
of time. The Current Time Indicator (a.k.a. playhead) is the marker
handle that indicates the point in the Timeline where the current
visible frame resides. If you click-and-drag the playhead to the left or
right, you can scrub through the video footage. You can also use the
video controls at the bottom left of the panel to Selects First Frame,
Selects Previous Frame, Play, and Selects Next Frame.
To play smoothly, Photoshop must render each frame to your
computer’s RAM. If you click the Play button, you may notice the
footage is jumpy as it renders the frames along the Timeline. A
solid line at the top of the Timeline indicates the rendered frames.
Above the layer order is the Current Time stamp, which displays
the time wherever the playhead is positioned on the Timeline. It
also doubles as a video scrubber. Just hover your mouse over the
numbers and the cursor turns into a scrubby slider, allowing you
to click-and-drag to quickly move through longer Timelines that
go beyond the visible panel.
Now that we’ve discussed the basic features and mechanics
of video in Photoshop, let’s try some techniques; specifically, a
technique that’s older than Photoshop itself: rotoscoping.
. tion (Timeline) panel in Photoshop CS3 Extended, which uses
HejeiYef_d]0W^_ijeho_dXh_[\
Rotoscoping, and the eponymous equipment originally used
to create the animation effect, is nothing new; in fact, it’s been
around for nearly a century. This technique was developed by
Max Fleischer in the early 1900s to give his cartoon characters
more lifelike movement. Back then, the process involved project-
ing footage to an easel with a cloudy light table mounted to the
front. Then the animator traced or composited effects to each
frame to produce a series of images. As a result, the sequenc-
ing of these static images over time simulates movement or an
animated effect.
Walt Disney animators later used this technique to produce
feature-length films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937) and Cinderella (1950). In the case of Snow White, the
animators projected reference film through a light box and
literally hand traced every frame of the recording. This is why
the movie has a very surreal quality to it: It gives natural-look-
ing movement to static objects. But they’re still just individual
frames and, depending on their frame rate, have the illusion of
fast or slow movement. This illusion of movement is known as
persistence of vision, which is essentially the eye retaining the
image for a brief moment between the succession of images.
Have you ever turned off your TV while staring at the screen?
You’ll notice that the image is still faintly present because of
persistence of vision.
Knowing that this illusion is caused by the marching succes-
sion of a series of static images, we could theoretically break
the sequence down into individual images and make altera-
tions to each frame. When played back, we’d see the change
happen over the duration of the sequence. This is similar to the
lightsabers in the Star Wars movies in which the glowing effect
was animated by hand, frame by frame.
At the hands of Bob Sabiston and his company Flat Black
Films, rotoscoping recently evolved into interpolated rotoscoping.
This was used to create animated effects for feature-length films
such as Waking Life (2001) and A Scanner Darkly (2006), both
directed by Richard Linklater, and Charles Schwab’s “Talk to
Chuck” TV ad campaign. The proprietary technique used by Flat
Black Studios for these examples involved tracing and creating
vector art for each frame that was shot, resulting in fluid anima-
tion with surreal movement. It’s a remarkable process and the
results are always stunning; however, the problem is that the
process is incredibly tedious and time consuming. While some
studios used proprietary rotoscoping programs for this, achiev-
ing similar effects and animations are not beyond the realm of
the Adobe Creative Suite 3, especially now with the new Anima-
linear interpolation.
This might be old news to some of you. What’s new, however,
is using Photoshop for rotoscoping.
 HejeiYef_d]_dF^ejei^ef
Due to the new support for video in Photoshop CS3 Extended,
it’s never been easier to use Photoshop for rotoscoping. In
earlier versions, you’d have to import the individual frames into
Photoshop, trace or composite the effects you wanted, and then
export each frame back into the sequence. You can imagine how
long that must have taken. Now you can import a video file and
work the entire sequence in one layer. We’ll explore this by doing
a quick rotoscoping exercise.
When working with animation in Photoshop you’ll find that
the Animation (Timeline) panel is your most important item.
It’s located under the Window menu and you’ll notice that it
doesn’t have an associated keyboard shortcut by default. You’ll
often find it necessary to open and close this panel repeatedly,
so assign a keyboard shortcut to this item and spend less time
navigating menus and more time being creative. Here’s how: Go
to the Edit menu and choose Keyboard Shortcuts. In the Short-
cuts For menu, select Application Menus. Scroll down the list
until you find Window and then click the right-facing arrow to
the left. Scroll down until you see Animation, click to highlight
the item, and then choose a keystroke (we chose F1). Photoshop
will warn you if the shortcut you chose is being used by another
function. If this happens, just choose another keystroke or over-
write the old one by clicking Accept.
When working with video files—especially when you’re
rotoscoping—you’ll need the ability to go back and forth within
the frames quickly. By default, you can press either one of the
Selects buttons on either side of the Play button, or go into the
Animation (Timeline) panel’s flyout menu, choose Go To, and then
select Next Frame or Previous Frame. That’s a hassle, isn’t it? Here’s
what we can do: Choose Edit>Keyboard Shortcuts and select
Palette Menus from the Shortcuts For menu. Locate Animation
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
042
(Timeline) and click the right-facing arrow to reveal its proper-
ties. Scroll down to locate the Next Frame and Previous Frame
options. Highlight the first one and choose a keystroke. We used
Command-] (PC: Ctrl-]) for Next Frame and assigned Command-[
(PC: Ctrl-[) for Previous Frame. Now we can easily cycle through
the frames on the fly.
One final item of note before we begin our rotoscoping
exercise: In the past, animators used to draw on a translucent
medium called onion paper. This allowed them to see through
each page so they could observe the previous drawings while
working on the current frame. This is where the term onion skin-
ning comes from. Onion skinning is the process of making a set
number of frames partially visible before and after the current
working frame. This practice is especially helpful when rotoscop-
ing because you can reference previous frames and upcoming
frames to help your animation appear more fluid. You can acti-
vate this feature in Photoshop by clicking the Toggle Onion Skins
icon located at the bottom of the Animation panel (yes, the circled
one that looks like an onion).
Some video files will display onion skinning very differently, so
you may need to adjust the associated options, which are located
in the Animation panel’s flyout menu (also circled). Click the fly-
out menu icon and choose Onion Skin Settings. In the Onion Skin
Options dialog, you can set how many semitransparent frames
appear before and after (Frames Before and Frames After) the
current frame you’re working on; the Frame Spacing for number
of frames between skins; Max and Min Opacity values; and the
Blend Mode of the onion-skinned frames. Because it’s better to
see these features in action instead of reading about them, we’ve
posted a “Rotoscoping with Photoshop” video tutorial on the
NAPP member website and at www.planetphotoshop.com where
we’ve expounded on these features and demonstrated rotoscoping
in more detail.
B[jÊiÇhejeÈXWXo"o[W^
Now that we’ve discussed the ins and outs of rotoscoping, it’s time
for us to practice! It’s awe inspiring to see this powerful animation
technique being performed natively within Photoshop.
3!6%9/527/2+30!#%
(OWYOUWORKWITHVIDEOMAYBEVERY
DIFFERENTTHANHOWYOUWORKWITH7EB
STEP ONE: Start by opening the skateboard video (if you’re following
along) or your own QuickTime movie file in Photoshop: Go to the
File menu, choose Open, locate the MOV file you want to open, and
click OK. The file will appear to open just like any other image in
Photoshop but when you look at the Layers panel, you’ll notice the
filmstrip icon at the bottom right of the thumbnail—this alerts us
that we’re working with a video layer.
STEP TWO: Open the Animation (Timeline) panel and notice the
presence of one layer. If you click the Play button, press the Space-
bar key, or scrub through the layer with the playhead, the footage
will cache and play through. The image displayed in the document
window reflects the point where the playhead is located. This image
or frame can be edited just like any other static image in Photoshop.
You can apply filters, corrections, retouches, or whatever you choose
and it will affect only this frame.
STEP THREE: In the Layers panel, Control-click (PC: Right-click)
to the right of the layer thumbnail and choose Convert to Smart
Object. We’re doing this for two reasons: We want the ability to
apply a filter to the entire video sequence, and we don’t want to
alter any of the original pixels.
STEP FOUR: Now we’ll give the clip a sketch look. Select Filter>
Stylize>Find Edges. Then click the Create New Adjustment Layer
icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and select Hue/Saturation.
In the dialog, lower Saturation to –100 and click OK. This will prevent
any color artifacts from appearing.
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043
 STEP FIVE: Next we need to add a layer that will act as our easel-
mounted light table so we can start drawing. Go under the Layer
menu, under Video Layers, and choose New Blank Video Layer. Click-
and-drag the playhead until the skater appears in the display window.

©ISTOCKVIDEO/MORGAN LANE
STEP SIX: Grab the Quick Selection tool (W) from the Toolbox,
click the Sample All Layers checkbox in the Options Bar, and
select the skater’s pants. Click your blank layer at the top of the
Layers panel (if it’s not already selected), fill it with your Fore-
ground color by pressing Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace), and
press Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D) to deselect. You could also use
the Brush tool (B) or any number of other tools—remember to
experiment! Repeat this process for the other areas of the figure
using your preferred color scheme, selection, and fill methods.

STEP SEVEN: If you set up your shortcuts like ours, press Com-
mand-] (PC: Ctrl-]) to move to the next frame and start your
drawing over again. This is the essence of this rotoscoping exercise:
select, fill, deselect, repeat. Once you have a few frames completed,
click the Toggle Onion Skins icon to review whether or not you’re
keeping your animation consistent. Press the Spacebar or click-
and-drag the playhead after you complete a series of frames to
see how your animation is turning out.
Reflecting on our original rotoscoping discussion, we can see
how our setup here is essentially the same today as it was nearly
100 years ago. At the bottom of the stack we have our original
video layer (that’s serving as our projector), a Hue/Saturation
adjustment layer for color correction, and a new blank video layer
on top, which is where we illustrate our effects frame by frame.
Hopefully, we’ve managed to demystify the ambiguity of video and
Photoshop. As always, we encourage you to experiment and push
these features to their limits—there’s still plenty to be discovered.
Don’t concern yourself with what something was designed to do;
just pay attention to what you can make it do. You’ll surprise yourself
and have a lot of fun in the process! Q

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IMAGES ©ISTOCKPHOTO EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
ILLUSTRATION BY TAFFY ORLOWSKI
 PHOTOSHOP WORLD IS THE OFFICIAL CONVENTION OF THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PHOTOSHOP PROFESSIONALS

Photoshop World: ®

COMING TO ORLANDO, FL. APRIL 2-4, 2008

Mark Your Calendar! The world’s largest Adobe® Photoshop® educational event, featuring
the latest Photoshop CS3 training and an expanded 3-day tech expo is coming
to Orlando, Florida!Photographers, graphic designers, Web developers, educators, art
directors, students, and Photoshop fanatics — this is the conference you don’t
want to miss in 2008!

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Register Today! Call 800.738.8513

or visit online www.photoshopworld.com
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 04.2-4.08
Photoshop® World®

Come Face to Face With

The Future of Photoshop
Photoshop World Conference & Expo –
®

The Ultimate Adobe Photoshop Experience

® ®

Prepare yourself for three extraordinary days of Photoshop, photography,

digital media, and graphic design training like nothing you’ve ever encoun-
tered before…

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sessions taught by an all-star team of technologies at the 3-day Tech Expo
industry legends. – a Photoshop World first!

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events where you can mingle with hosted by Photoshop World spon-
your peers, as well as conference sors like Adobe, Kelby Training,
instructors. and Microsoft.
Additionally, all conference attendees receive the Photoshop World workbook:
a massive compilation of notes, tips, tutorials, and step-by-step instructions for almost
every class and instructor at the conference in one easy-to-reference volume.

Join us for the ultimate Photoshop and digital

imaging experience…
INSTRUCTOR ROSTER
Scott Kelby Taz Tally David Ziser Jack Reznicki
Dave Cross Eddie Tapp Helene Glassman Tim Grey
Bert Monroy John Paul Caponigro Rich Harrington Andrew Rodney
Matt Kloskowski Deke McClelland Lesa Snider-King Laurie Excell
Jay Maisel Felix Nelson Chris Orwig Corey Barker
Moose Peterson Rod Harlan Peter Bauer Stephen Johnson
Vincent Versace Jim DiVitale Jeff Schewe Rafael Concepcion
Joe McNally Kevin Ames Frank Cricchio Edward Greenberg
Terry White Fay Sirkis Joe Glyda Jason Scrivner
Ben Willmore Jack Davis Dan Margulis

All classes, class materials, and instructors are subject to change without notice.
CONFERENCE TRACKS AT-A-GLANCE
The overall class schedule allows you to customize your curriculum by attending any
session, in any track, and move between them as you see fit.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Learn how Photoshop®, Flash®, and Dreamweaver®
ADOBE WEB TOOLS
®

come together to make compelling websites.

Pre-Con Workshops: Tuesday, April 1
This three-day track – featuring Dave Cross, Fay Sirkis, and Take part in any of 12 elective work-
CREATIVITY Bert Monroy – will inspire your creativity and imagination. shops held prior to the conference.
Separate registry and fee required; a
Work faster and smarter with tips and tricks from such full listing of pre-con classes is available
PRODUCTIVITY instructors as Taz Tally, Dan Margulis, and Jeff Schewe. at www.photoshopworld.com/work-
shops.html.
DIGITAL PHOTO These six class sessions – featuring Helene Glassman, Jim
DiVitale and Frank Cricchio – will teach you the same light-
Opening Keynote: Wednesday, April 2
LIVE STUDIO ing, posing, and studio techniques the pros use.
Entertaining and full of surprises, the
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Find out how applications like InDesign®, Bridge®, and Past keynotes have introduced Light-
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This learning track – featuring Scott Kelby, Deke McClelland, Thursday, April 3 & Friday, April 4
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Learn the eye-catching graphic design tricks and tech- storage devices, and more from some
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ing photographers will reveal how and
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PRINT/PRE-PRESS print/pre-press process easier than you ever imagined.
why they create their inspiring images
at this interactive panel discussion.

Learn artistic techniques specifically for digital photo- Midnight Madness: Thursday, April 3
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 Photoshop® World

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 Photoshop Mastery
Taking Photoshop to the next level

QBY BEN W ILLMORE

Nondestructive...16 Bit...ProPhoto RGB?

These are the buzzwords coming out of the mouths of many top photographers as they talk about the latest
and greatest in workflow. But you seldom hear about the nitty-gritty details or one potential “gotcha,” so let’s
decode these terms and see what the big deal is.
Choosing a color space
The RGB color space you use when pro-
cessing a RAW file or scanning an image
determines the range of colors your image
can contain. There are three main choices
in use today:
1) The sRGB color space offers the nar-
rowest range of colors (a.k.a. color gamut)
and is only recommended when an image
will be reproduced in newsprint, displayed
on the Internet, or sent to certain photo
labs that require it. The reason sRGB isn’t
recommended for professional users is
because most output devices are capable
of reproducing much more vivid colors
than what’s contained in an sRGB image.
2) The Adobe RGB color space is more
popular among professional users because
it more closely matches the range of colors
that most output devices can reproduce.
This color space is a good compromise for
people who don’t want to become overly
educated about the details of color manage-
ment, and is a popular choice worldwide.
As some users have become more edu-
cated about color and the science behind it,
they’ve noticed that many digital cameras
are capable of capturing a wider range of
colors than Adobe RGB images can contain
(especially in the darker regions of an image)
and many output devices can reproduce
colors that aren’t available in the Adobe
RGB color space.
The curved shape represents the range
of colors you can see with your
eyes. The three triangles rep-
resent the color gamut of
sRGB (smallest), Adobe
RGB (medium), and
ProPhoto RGB
(largest).
[See “Under the Hood” on page 106 of this
issue for more on color management.—Ed.]
16-Bits mode
When processing a RAW file or scanning
an image, you’ll usually be offered the
choice between opening the image in
8- or 16-bit modes. Documents with 8
bits contain up to 256 brightness levels,
while most 16-bit documents contain
4,096 brightness levels (the 16-bit mode
is capable of handling up to 32,769 but
most digital cameras don’t capture that
much data). By using 16-bit mode, you’ll
be taking advantage of all the brightness
levels your camera is capable of capturing.
You only need 8 bits of information to
produce a good-looking image onscreen
the Image>Adjustments menu, or apply
them via the Create New Adjustment Layer
pop-up menu at the bottom of the Layers
panel. The latter is much more versatile
because it always leaves the original image
untouched so that any adjustment can be
removed or modified, even after the docu-
ment has been saved and closed.
A few cautions
Implementing a nondestructive, 16-bit,
ProPhoto workflow shouldn’t be treated as
a casual affair for the following reasons:
1) Files that are 16 bit take up twice as
much space on your hard drive when com-
pared to 8-bit files. The difference is even
greater when layers are added, and those
giant file sizes can slow Photoshop down
to a crawl.
2) Images in 16-bit mode are mainly
useful when applying adjustments.
Adjustments that are applied as adjust-
ment layers aren’t permanent until you
merge them into the original image (or
flatten the image). So be sure to merge or
flatten before converting your image to
8-bit mode; otherwise, the adjustment
layers will no longer be applied to the full
data that your camera captured and will
be recalculated and applied to only 8 bits
worth of data.
Don’t expect others to know how to
deal with your specialized files (most
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

3) In an attempt to get the most from
their hardware, some users have adopted
ProPhoto RGB, which has a wide enough
gamut to contain all the colors your digital
camera and printer are capable of reproduc-
ing (and a lot more), but most images will
only take advantage of a small amount of
the extra range provided by this color space.
or when printed, but those extra shades
are useful when performing adjustments
because they help to ensure that transitions
from bright to dark will remain smooth.
Nondestructive imaging
You have two choices in how to adjust
an image: apply adjustments directly via
people don’t use 16-bit ProPhoto images),
so when handing your file over to someone
else, be prepared to flatten your image,
convert to a different color space (like
Adobe RGB or sRGB), change the mode to
8 bits, and save out a copy of the file. That
way they won’t have problems dealing with
the results of your specialized workflow. N

Ben Willmore is the best-selling author of Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques and Up to Speed: Photoshop CS3, as well as co-author of How to Wow:
Photoshop for Photography. Ben spends many of his days on the open highway, a digital nomad in his 40' motorcoach. Learn about his latest adventure at
www.WhereIsBen.com. 049
 From Bert’s Studio
Remarkable art created by Bert Monroy

QBY B E R T M O N R OY

Creating Damen’s Wooden Platform in Perspective

Vanishing Point was introduced in Adobe Photoshop CS and suddenly the third dimension came
to life! Although Photoshop isn’t a 3D application, the Vanishing Point filter allows you to establish
the vanishing point of an image, and then move objects within that 3D space.

H
ere you can see the platform we’re standing on in the
painting Damen. Before we get into working with a van-
ishing point, let’s deviate a bit and create the texture for
the wood planks that will eventually be distorted in 3D space.
One problem, however: The Motion Blur filter leaves the
wood grain dull and without contrast. To bring out the luster
in the wood, use a Levels adjustment (Image>Adjustments>
Levels). Moving all the Input sliders toward the center, where the
tones are, brings out the richness we need for the wood grain.
Now it needs some waviness added to the grain, plus
some knots and burls, so we’ll use the Liquify filter (Filter>
Liquify). The Forward Warp (W), Bloat (B), and Turbulence (T)
tools within the Liquify dialog give the wood character, mak-
ing it more realistic.

The platform on the left in the painting Damen

To make the wood grain
for this example, create a
new 800x600 pixel RGB
document with 72 ppi
resolution. We’ll fill this
with a brown color (R:117, The brown color and the Add Noise filter create a brown, gritty texture.
G:76, B:5) using the short-
cut Option-Delete (PC: To make sure each plank on the platform doesn’t look
Alt-Backspace), and then as if it were cut from the same slab of wood, create long,
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

apply the Add Noise filter narrow selections with the Rectangular Marquee tool (M)
(Filter>Noise>Add Noise). to serve as single planks of wood. Then copy each selected
In the dialog, click the area to its own layer by pressing Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J). Now
Uniform button and use Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) the new layer to use the same
a large Amount to create selection shape on differing sections of the wood texture.
a lot of noise (255% for this example). Make sure you check the Click the bottom layer containing the large wood texture,
Monochromatic box to prevent getting all the colors of the click-and-drag the selection to a new spot, and copy it to its
rainbow in your wood, and click OK. own layer again. Repeat this until you have many different-
The noise needs to be stretched out to form the grains we looking planks.
usually associate with wood. The Motion Blur filter (Filter>Blur> Press the Shift key and select the top and bottom layers
Motion Blur)—with Angle set to 0° and Distance at 85 pixels— containing these individual planks, Control-click (PC: Right-
does the trick. click) the selected layers, and choose Merge Layers from the
050
 FROM BERT’S STUDIO

pop-up menu. You’ll want to repeat this process until you have
enough wood to cover the first portion of the plank. Now that
we have our wood we can make the platform.
Following the perspective guide
In this image we can see the perspective guide for where the
platform will sit in the scene. The vanishing lines in red are the
guides set to make sure everything goes in the right place.
You’ll also notice that a second set of lines (black) have been
drawn to outline the actual platform area, which follows these
lines of perspective.
So let’s go under the Filter menu and select Vanishing
Point. The first tool (besides the view tools) is the Create Plane
tool (C). With this tool you trace the existing perspective in
your image by clicking its four points to establish a “vanish-
ing point.” In the case of the platform, the black-lined guides
denote its shape. As you trace, a blue line displays the location
of the grid and the cursor becomes a target box as you drag
your cursor to each of the four points. Each time you click at a
specific point, a new line pulls out to follow the next edge.
When you’ve completely surrounded the shape, a blue grid
will appear like the one you see here. If your grid turns red or
yellow instead of blue then all you have to do is click-and-drag
any one of the four corners until it turns blue.

Next, the layer with the planks is made active and we use
the Move tool (V) to click-and-drag it over to the file contain-
ing our guide. We need to distort the wood to make it fit the
guides, so go under the Edit menu, under Transform, and
choose Distort.
Drag the transform handles to shape the layer with the wooden
planks until it fits within the shape of the platform (as shown).
Once the grid is complete, you can pull out other parts to
make sure it matches your guides. We’re now ready to select
the planks and duplicate them in 3D space, so select the
Vanishing Point’s Marquee tool (M) and make a selection of
the planks. Selecting within a perspective plane will make the
Marquee tool conform to the shape of that plane. Press-and-
hold the Option (PC: Alt) key to make a copy of the selection
and drag it up the plane. Notice how the selection shifted back
along the guides and runs the expanse of the platform.

When the job of laying the planks is complete, click OK and

we’re done. Q
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

It would be easy to simply select the area of the wood,

copy it, reduce the size, and place it further back in space;
however, doing it that way makes the detail of the grain start
to blur as it gets smaller and smaller with each distortion and
copy. This is where the Vanishing Point filter comes in to play.
The beauty of this filter is that it will give you the ability to copy
an element as far back as you want without losing detail.

Bert Monroy is considered one of the pioneers of digital art. His work has been seen in many magazines and scores of books. He has
served on the faculty of many well-known institutions, written many books, and appeared on hundreds of TV shows around the world.
ALL IMAGES BY BERT MONROY
051
 Photoshop Speed Clinic
Twice the work in half the time

QBY MAT T K LOSKOWSK I

Create Your Own Picture Packages

If you’ve ever purchased photos from a retail photography studio, then you’ve seen a picture
package. Photoshop has an easy way to automatically create picture packages, and you can
even customize the settings to create your own layouts.

A
student in one of my classes once asked me if I could
write an action that placed one photo on a page
several times so she could save time when printing
multiple copies of the photo. “Absolutely,” I said. Even better,
Photoshop already includes an “action” to do this. It’s called
Picture Package and it does exactly what she wants to do in
no time flat.
Create a basic Picture Package
First, we need to create a basic package and then customize it.
Here’s how:
or the Page Size setting. For Layout, choose the second
option in the pop-up menu, (1)5x7 (2)2.5x3. (4)2x2.5, to
print on the same page. When you do this, you’ll see the
Layout section on the right side of the dialog change to
reflect your choices. Next, set the Resolution of the page, as
well as the color Mode. It’s generally fine to stick with 300
for the Resolution, but make sure you set your Mode to RGB
Color if you’re printing to an inkjet printer. (Call me crazy, but
chances are you won’t be sending this to press.) Turn on the
Flatten All Layers checkbox so that the images and any labels
(text) will be flattened down to one layer in Photoshop.

STEP ONE: Let’s begin in Bridge. By default, Picture Package

uses the first image in the Bridge window, so select the photo
(or photos) that you want to use, then click the Tools menu
and choose Photoshop>Picture Package. You’ll see the Picture
Package dialog open in Photoshop. The Source Images section
at the top shows Use: Selected Images from Bridge, but you
can change it to use another file or folder if you want.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Tip: Deselecting Flatten All Layers will cause all of the photos
and any label text to appear on separate layers. You may think
that this gives you more flexibility but it can be a pain and it
takes longer for the automation to run. Stick with Flatten All
Layers for most cases unless you know you’ll need to adjust
something later.

STEP TWO: The Document section allows you to choose the STEP THREE: In the Label section, set Content to None—
overall document options. For this example, choose 8.0 x 10.0 in anything you choose here will be placed on each photo. That’s
054
continued on p. 56
 PHOTOSHOP SPEED CLINIC
really it for this part. You can
now click OK to create the
Picture Package image, or
you can be adventurous and
read on to see how to custom-
ize the Picture Package.
Customizing a Picture Package
Let’s say you have a bunch of 4x6" picture frames lying
around your house and you want to create prints to fit in
them. Because none of the custom layouts meet this need, it’s
time to take things into your own hands and create your own.
STEP FOUR: Follow Steps One and Two above to create a Picture
Package. Now change the Layout option to (1)5x7 (2)3.5x5, then
click the Edit Layout button at the bottom right of the dialog.
You’ll see the Picture Package Edit Layout dialog appear. In the
Layout section, enter a descriptive name for your layout—we
named ours (3)4x6. Next, turn on the Snap To checkbox in the
Grid section at the bottom of the dialog and enter 0.5 in for
the Size setting.
STEP FIVE: Delete the two 3.5x5" photos (on the bottom) by
clicking on one of them and then clicking the Delete Zone
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
056
button in the Image Zones section. Do the same for the
other photo.
STEP SIX: Click once on the 5x7" photo at the top and in the
Image Zones section, change the Size Width to 6 in and the
Height to 4 in. Then click the Add Zone button twice to cre-
ate two more pictures in this layout. Click-and-drag to each
photo in the layout and position them until they snap into
place. Note: If the new zones appear with different sizes, sim-
ply click-and-drag the corners and position the images until
they are 4x6". When you’re done, click Save and enter the
new layout filename in the resulting dialog. Click Save again
and you’ll be back in the original Picture Package dialog.
STEP SEVEN: To replace images in the layout, mouse over
one of the photos in the Layout section. You’ll see a tip telling
you to Click to Select a Custom File. If you click on one of
the photos, you’ll see the Select an Image File dialog appear.
Here you can navigate to another image and click Open to
place it in the layout. Note: Don’t be fooled into thinking this
option will change all of the photos in the layout. Clicking
on a photo only changes the one that you selected. It leaves
the others alone. Q
If you have an idea for an action that you’d like to see in the
“Speed Clinic,” please send it to letters@photoshopuser.com.
ALL IMAGES ©ISTOCKPHOTO/PAUL KLINE
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IMAGE 38067612 How do yo u do it?
 The Fine Art of Printing
Taking inkjet printing to the next level

QBY J O H N PAU L C A P O N I G R O

Proofing—Size Matters
What is proofing? It’s just a matter of fine-tuning an image for output. When you proof at reduced size
and make final prints at full size, you’ll save time, materials, and money; however, before proofing, you
should always ensure that your color management is working properly.

BT
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ou’ll know if your color management isn’t working properly with adjustment layers during
if you need to make dramatic adjustments to an image the proofing process. When
during proofing. Here are some tips for successful proofing: the final desired effect is
achieved in print, drag-and-
t

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drop the adjustment layers
ship to one another. Should you decide to proof only a portion into a higher-resolution file
of an image, make sure that all of the important colors are ready for full-scale printing.
included in that selection. Note: Only adjustment layer
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success in one element amid another’s failure. corrections from a lower-res-
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the lower-resolution image
Resist the temptation to make localized adjustments too precisely and then up-sample
early in the process. You can do almost all of your color it to the higher-resolution file
adjustment at a reduced size. size. Next, drag-and-drop all
BEKVTUNFOU
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[For more information on proofing, see “Bracket Proofing: Use XJUIPVU
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“The Art of Proofing,” Photoshop User, Oct/Nov 2007, p. 58.] to up-sampling rarely affects
mask quality adversely.
Proof at Reduced Size
You can increase Proof at full size
efficiency by proof- Sometimes you’ll want
ing more than one to make additional
copy of an image on proofs at full size,

a single sheet. Since which will allow you

most printers won’t
feed paper smaller
than 8.5x11", for quick
proofing, create a

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need to adjust any
drop multiple copies
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make adjustments
058
of an image at reduced size
to assess sharpness,
noise, and edge quality
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concerned that you’ll
of these factors for
specific output condi-
tions, consider making Sharpness, noise, and edge quality can be
a proof at full size. precisely evaluated only in a full-scale proof.

But you don’t have to print the entire image:
Just print a cropped version of the image
containing the information with which you’re
concerned, thus saving time and materials and
reducing costs.
Output sharpening is something that you
need to proof to see precisely. Because of
mismatched resolutions (images on 72 dpi-
monitors appear much larger than they do on
1440-dpi printers) and variances in substrates
(matte and glossy surfaces differ substantially
in their ability to reproduce detail), the image
onscreen can only approximate final print
sharpness. Proof images to view sharpness
precisely. View images at 50% screen magni-
fication to determine optimum sharpening
settings, paying particular attention to edge
quality and texture. Then, before applying
sharpening, zoom to 100% screen magnifica-
tion and modify settings to reduce associated
noise, if needed. Compare the sharpened file
with the full-scale print, modify sharpening
as necessary based on the printed piece, and
reprint to confirm.
With a little testing, you can determine
Full-scale slice
increases proof- standard, substrate-specific compensations
ing efficiency for print sharpness and automate the pro-
and economy. cess with an action.
Compensate for changes in size
Larger images appear lighter than smaller images—it’s an
optical effect, not a physical effect. It can’t be measured with
an instrument but nonetheless, it affects the way we see images.
But how does this impact printing?
Once a print has been resolved at one size, make an appro-
priate compensation in lightness to the image for another print
size. This is particularly necessary when moving from small-
size, initial proofs to full-size, final prints, as the associated
change in scale is often dramatic. Remember, these adjust-
ments are made for a specific change in size; modify them
appropriately if you make a print of another size.
Darken larger prints and lighten smaller prints…but by
how much? Make a one-point shift in the midtones (using
Curves) whenever the total area (height x width) of a print
is doubled or halved from the area of the final proof or final
print. The effect is subtle with slight changes in size, but com-
pounds significantly with dramatic changes in size.
This optical effect associated with changes in size is actu-
ally slightly more complex. Smaller images often appear to
have more contrast, while larger images appear to have less
John Paul Caponigro, an inductee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame, Canon Explorer of Light, Epson Stylus Pro, X-Rite Colorati, and author
of Adobe Photoshop Master Class, is an internationally renowned fine artist. Get free downloads and a free subscription to his enews
Insights at www.johnpaulcaponigro.com.
THE FINE ART OF PRINTING
contrast. The shift in contrast is less pronounced than the cor-
responding shift in brightness. While it’s something to watch
for, you may or may not wish to compensate for it.
Tip: Automate the process of compensating for changes in
size by creating actions, or drag-and-drop adjustment layers
from one file to another.
Test the effects of size by printing a representative image
or set of images at various sizes to confirm or refine the com-
pensation suggested in “Approximate Compensations for
Increases in Size.” Assessing these subtle effects can become
quite subjective so I recommend you consider and reconsider
your observations over time and even enlist people you feel
are highly sensitive visually to help you confirm or refine them.
APPROXIMATE COMPENSATIONS FOR INCREASES IN SIZE
From To Compensation
4x5" 5x7" = x2 (darken 1 point)
5x7" 8x10" = x2 (darken 1 point)
8x10" 11x14" = x2 (darken 1 point)
11x14" 13x19" = x2 (darken 1 point)
13x19" 20x24" = x2 (darken 1 point)
20x24" 30x40" = x2 (darken 1 point)
Note: Invert adjustments for reductions in size.
Changes in the size of your images can be useful in the print-
ing process. Developing an awareness of the associated effects
of size and your knowledge of the many ways you can make
appropriate adjustments for these changes will help improve
your prints. Above all, remember that the size of your final prints
has a dramatic impact on the content of your images’ delivery
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
and how they’re received. While you can preview images with
a digital projector at the actual size they may be printed, most
people do this with prints. Simply seeing your images in a vari-
ety of sizes and responding to the differences will inform and
sensitize you to this critical aspect of print quality. Q
ALL IMAGES BY JOHN PAUL CAPONIGRO
059
 Creative Point of View
Photoshop from the creative to the practical

QBY K AT RI N EI SMANN

Seeing to Print
For photographers, the truth of the quality of the image is revealed when the ink hits the paper.
Making the best prints doesn’t start with choosing the printer or the paper; it starts with looking
at a lot of good prints.

I
n early December 2007, I had the opportunity to visit Art
Basel in Miami Beach, a whirlwind week of more than 20 art
and design fairs, which brings together hundreds of galler-
ies that display thousands of artists’ work—ranging from, but
not limited to painting, design, video, performance, sculpture,
and much to our pleasure, excellent photography. During the
three days we were in Miami, my husband and I walked more
than 16 miles as we visited numerous art fairs that were held
in old South Beach hotels, around swank swimming pools, in
old warehouses in the Wynwood Art District, and of course
the blue-chip art fair in the Miami Convention Center. The
concentration and diversity of artwork and the stimulation of
seeing contemporary alongside classic artwork was energiz-
ing and inspiring.
For photographers
The two most important art fairs for photographers to visit
were the Association of International Photography Art Dealers
(AIPAD) photography show and Photo Miami—two large ven-
ues directly next to each other. The AIPAD show was a balanced
mix of historic and contemporary photography, while the Photo
Miami show was dedicated to contemporary photography.
Coincidently, we started in the AIPAD show and were
quickly drawn into the beauty of the classic prints from the
delicacy of André Kertész’s Melancholic Tulip to the dark
balance of Edward Weston’s Pepper to the striking images
and prints by Paul Caponigro including Galaxy Apple, Two
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
Stop—look—learn
The more original prints you look at—not websites and not
book reproductions, but real eye-to-eye, in-person prints,
ranging from family snapshots to photo group reviews to vis-
iting established galleries—the better printer you’ll become.
Taking the time to see, study, enjoy, and internalize good
photographic prints will influence your own work in the best
possible way. Study how a photographer or master printer
maintains detail in the shadows and delicate highlights, how
they choreograph brights and darks, and in black-and-white
images how toning adds dimension to the image. I have to
admit that I hadn’t taken the time to enjoy good black-and-
white, silver gelatin prints in quite some time and the experi-
ence of being at Art Basel in Miami Beach taught me more
about printing than hours spent dabbling in Photoshop.
While walking the aisles of AIPAD, we suddenly stopped in
front of a stunning 30x40" large-format, black-and-white print,
Photo Synthesis. Both John and I instantly recognized the work
of Jerry Uelsmann, master of traditional darkroom composit-
ing but we couldn’t imagine Jerry working in the darkroom
to produce such a large print. The sheer size of the paper and
required developer and fixer trays would be unwieldy.

Pears, and Running White Deer, three small prints that were so
exquisite that we lingered by them as crowds pushed by. It
was then that I was reminded of a discussion I’d recently had
with Chris Murphy (co-author of Real World Color Manage-
ment, 2nd ed.), which concluded that “to make good prints,
you need to look at a lot of prints.” We continued to walk the
JERRY UELSMANN

show and enjoy images by Ansel Adams, William Christen-

berry, William Eggleston, Edward Burtynsky, and the best
black-and-white photograph of an Antarctic iceberg I’ve ever
seen by Sebastião Salgado, who is much better known for his
compelling images of the world’s workers and refugees. Original

062

That evening we had dinner with Jerry and his wife Maggie
Taylor where we had a chance to talk about the print. As it
turned out, Jerry always wished his negative of the couch in
the museum had a bit more room on the sides so that the
couch arm was not quite so close to the edge of the image.
Maggie scanned the original silver gelatin print with a flatbed
scanner at 16 bits and after a lot of cleanup, she was able to
add the extra space to the sides of the couch.
Extra space added
Then she worked on the overall and selective tonal range
and concentrated on areas under the couch and the detail
on the legs to enhance those areas (as shown below). By using
the Smart Sharpen filter and selective Shadow and Highlight
adjustments, Maggie was able to bring out detail in the wood
Before enhancements
Katrin Eismann is the author of Photoshop Restoration & Retouching and Photoshop Masking & Compositing and co-author of
Real World Digital Photography and The Creative Digital Darkroom. Katrin is the co-founder and present Chair of the MPS in Digital
Photography department at the School of Visual Arts in NYC (www.sva.edu/digitalphoto).
CREATIVE POINT OF VIEW
grain of the couch legs and improve the details in the leaves
that weren’t as visible in the original silver print.
She printed the image on an Epson Stylus Pro 9880 onto
Epson Signature Worthy Exhibition Fiber Paper—stunning
paper that clearly channels the classic silver gelatin masters
and print makers that have taught us so much about the
beauty of the still image.
As Jerry says, “I’m amazed by the tonal range and exquis-
ite quality of the prints that Maggie made for me on the
Epson printer. The attention to detail that Photoshop allows,
with very subtle dodging and retouching, enhances the
overall effect of this image that was initially created in the
darkroom. Also the new paper truly replicates the look of
silver gelatin prints! Last but not least, I’m so excited to
see some of my images in this larger scale. I could never do
this in the darkroom. The results of this new technology
amaze me!”
Get out there
Being a photographer requires that you go out and experi-
ence life, and becoming a good printer is much more than
measuring profile color patches. Visit galleries, museums,
photography collections, and ask as many photographers as
possible to look at their work. The more you look, the more
you’ll see. Q
Special thanks to Maggie Taylor (www.maggietaylor.com)
and Jerry Uelsmann (www.uelsmann.net).
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
Final enhanced image
063
 Deke Space
Photoshop à la Deke

QBY DEKE M cCLELLAND

Sharpening an Image with Guile and Gaussian Blur

For many of us, sharpening is a regular, if not downright habitual, activity. Every image that
we send to print—especially if it’s intended for four-color process reproduction—requires
a dose of Unsharp Mask (Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask) before you send it on its way.

B
ut just how much do you know about Unsharp Mask? STEP ONE: Open an image, any image. Copy it to a new layer by
Perhaps you’re aware that it’s named after a traditional pressing Option-Command-J (PC: Alt-Ctrl-J). Adding Option (PC:
darkroom technique in which a glass-plate negative was Alt) opens the New Layer dialog, where you can name the layer
duplicated onto a low-contrast positive and optically blurred to “Blur,” and click OK.
cancel out low-detail information. In other words, this was (and Next, choose Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Apply a Radius value
is) a technique that used blurring (hence “unsharp”) to sharpen. that you’d normally use with Unsharp Mask. For screen images,
Oddly enough, Unsharp Mask in Adobe Photoshop that would be 0.5 px; for print, it would be more like 2.0 px. But
uses the Gaussian Blur. In fact, you can emulate Unsharp to illustrate a point, let’s use a relatively whopping 12.0 pixels.
Mask—down to the last pixel—using the Gaussian Blur filter
(Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) all by itself, which I’m about
to show you. For the sake of science, we’ll use a graphic file
to demonstrate how the process works; however, you can
use any image or continuous-tone photograph you’d like.
DEKE MCCLELLAND

STEP TWO: Now to mix

the layers…first, click on
the Background layer to
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

select it, then duplicate

the layer as you did in Step
A few words of warning: If you’re looking for a practical One. When the New Layer
technique—something you can put to use on a day-to-day dialog pops up, name the
basis—look elsewhere. Let me make this clear: There’s no layer “Orig minus GBlur,”
earthly benefit whatsoever to simulating Unsharp Mask using click OK, and drag it to
Gaussian Blur. The reasons I offer these steps are: (1) They shed the top of the layer stack.
light on how Unsharp Mask and other sharpening functions Choose Image>Apply
work; (2) it’s truly amazing and ironic that blurring an image Image and in the Apply
can result in the illusion of sharpness; and (3) it can be done, Image dialog, set the
so—what the heck—let’s do it: Layer option to Blur (the
064

name of the layer from Step One). Set Blending to Subtract
and click OK. The luminous result appears (as shown on the
previous page), albeit slightly exaggerated.
STEP THREE: Steel yourself, as we’ll be doing this a lot: Select
the Background layer and copy it to its own layer again, this
time naming the layer “Orig+(O-GB),” and drag it to the top of
the stack. Again, choose Image>Apply Image. Set the Layer
option to Orig minus GBlur (the layer from Step Two). Set
Blending to Add and click OK to get the sharpened highlights.
STEP FOUR: Yet again, go back to the Background layer, copy
it, and name it Orig+GBlur(Inv). Drag the new layer to the top
of the stack, then choose Image>Apply Image. Set the Layer
option to Blur, check the Invert box (very important), set Blend-
ing to Add, and click OK. Your image will take on a strangely
washed out, anemic appearance.
STEP FIVE: Select the layer that you named Orig+(O-GB) in
Step Three, copy it, name it “Orig+(O-GB)-(O+GBInv),” and
drag it to the top of the stack. Choose Image>Apply Image
DEKE SPACE
and set the Layer option to Orig+GBlur(Inv) from Step Four.
Keep the Invert box checked on, set Blending to Subtract, and
click OK. Now our image is darkened.
STEP SIX: We have now successfully achieved the sharpened
version of our image. If you wish to confirm that this process is,
pixel-for-pixel, a match to Unsharp Mask, run this test:
Go again to the Background layer, duplicate it as you’ve
done before, and name it Test. As always, move the layer to the
top of the stack, then choose Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask. In
the dialog, set Amount to 100%, Radius to 12 px (or whatever
Gaussian Blur value you applied in Step One), Threshold to 0,
then click OK. Presto! You have one seriously sharpened image.
Identical results
Assuming you did everything correctly, the results of Steps
Five and Six should be identical. Naturally, Unsharp Mask is
easier and more powerful to apply (you can easily vary the
Amount, for example). But who would have thought you could
sharpen an image using blurring alone? As is so often the case,
opposites—when encouraged—turn out to be allies.
This just goes to prove that if you were stranded on a desert
island and you could take just one filter with you, it would be
Gaussian Blur, the Version 1 filter that has long distinguished
Photoshop from the pack.
For those of you who may be wondering, “Where the heck
did you find the connection between Gaussian Blur and
Unsharp Mask?” This had long been a mission of mine and one
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
day I found a few moments to experiment. As an editor friend
of mine said when I told her about this idea, “Gee, Deke, you
come off as this amiable, socially adept guy, but really you’re
a geek!” Hence the name. Q
Recipient of a 2007 Omni Intermedia Award, Deke McClelland very
nearly killed himself authoring the full-color Adobe InDesign CS3
One-on-One (Deke Press/O’Reilly Media). He’s currently working
on the online video series Photoshop CS3 Sharpening Techniques
(www.lynda.com/deke).
065
 Photoshop for Educators
Real lessons in Photoshop for teachers and students

QBY JAN K AB I LI

Replacing Colors
Ever wondered how your car would look in a different color? Does your product sell in different
colors? Would you like to visualize your garden in different seasons? You can do all that color pro-
totyping and more with the multiple color-replacement features in Photoshop.

T
here are lots of ways to replace color in Photoshop: To change more colors, choose another color family in the
a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, the Replace Color Edit menu, and adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders
command, Color Replacement tool, Color blend mode, again. Click OK.
or even a Solid Color fill layer. If you want to remove the color change from part of the
image (such as the car’s headlight and the highway in our
Hue/Saturation example), make sure the adjustment layer is still selected, and use
The Hue/Saturation method of changing color has a lot going the Brush tool (B) to paint on its layer mask with black. You can
for it as it uses an adjustment layer that’s nondestructive, re- re-edit the color change at any time by double-clicking the left-
editable, and comes with a built-in layer mask for limiting the hand thumbnail on the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
area affected by the color change. It offers control over three
properties of color: hue, saturation, and brightness. And it
includes an option for targeting the colors you want to change.
[NAPP members may download a PDF of this article as well as
the images used at www.photoshopuser/members/mar08-
downloads.html. All files are for personal use only.]
Open the image you want to color (the red car, if you’re
following along). Select the image layer, then click the Create
New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel,
and choose Hue/Saturation. In the dialog that appears, choose
a color family from the Edit menu (Reds to recolor our red car).
Adjust the Hue slider and tweak the Saturation and Lightness
sliders to change the corresponding colors in the image.
Then click in the image with the Plus and Minus Eyedropper
tools to refine which colors are affected by this adjustment.
The inner sliders on the color bars show the range of affected
colors; the outer bars show where that range tapers off.

An object that’s black, white, gray, or another neutral shade

©ISTOCKPHOTO/OLARU RADIAN-ALEXANDRU

usually needs some extra work. In the Hue/Saturation dialog,

› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

check the Colorize box before clicking OK. Then add a Curves
adjustment layer between the image layer and the Hue/
Saturation adjustment layer. If you’re working on a dark
object, click the center of the curve and drag upward to
make the midtones of the image brighter without changing
the dark and light points.
If the object is light (like this white car that we’ll change to
purple), add several points to the center and highlight areas
of the curve and drag down to create a steep curve in the
highlight region. Click OK.
Tip: If you want to use the same mask on the Curves layer
that you applied to the Hue/Saturation layer, click on the Hue/
066
 PHOTOSHOP FOR EDUCATORS

click in the image on a color you want to replace. The selected

area appears white in the grayscale preview in the Replace
Color dialog. Adjust the Hue slider, and tweak the Saturation

©ISTOCKPHOTO/CHRISTIAN LUPU
and Lightness sliders to change the color of the selected
area. Using the Plus and Minus Eyedropper tools, click on
the image or on the black-and-white preview to add to or
subtract from the selected area. To increase or decrease the
range of selected
colors, adjust the
Fuzziness slider
Saturation layer mask, (which works like
press-and-hold the the Tolerance set-
Option (PC: Alt) key, ting in the Magic
drag it to the Curves Wand tool), and
layer mask, and choose then click OK.
Yes at the Replace Layer To remove the
Mask prompt. color change from
an area (e.g., the
dashboard and
brake lights of our
antique car), add a layer mask to the duplicate layer, make sure
the mask thumbnail is selected in the Layers panel, and paint
with black over that area.

Color Replacement tool

Replace Color
The Replace Color adjustment selects and recolors areas
based on their hue. This adjustment comes in handy for re-
coloring an area that’s difficult to isolate with other selection
tools, such as the back of this antique car.
The Replace Color method, unlike the Hue/Saturation
adjustment layer method, is a direct adjustment that changes
image pixels, so it’s a good idea to duplicate the image
layer (Command-J [PC: Ctrl-J]) before applying a Replace
Color adjustment.
©ISTOCKPHOTO/CHRISTIAN LUPU
The Color Replacement tool is the method to use when you
want precise control over which colors will be replaced or
when you’re recoloring a small area. This tool allows you to
brush in your color change, automatically sampling colors
to replace as you paint. Here’s how:
Select the Color Replacement tool from behind the Brush
tool in the Toolbox. Choose a replacement color in the Fore-
ground color swatch. In the Options Bar, click on the icon for
the sampling method the tool will use to select which colors to
replace, for example: Continuous samples the color under the
crosshair continuously as you paint, so it’s the best choice if
you’re replacing multiple colors; Once samples with your first
click only and is the best choice for changing a solid color;
Background Swatch, which replaces only the color in the Back-
ground swatch in the Toolbox, is a good choice if you want to
replace one specific color. Then set Limits to Contiguous to
recolor adjacent areas only or to Noncontiguous to recolor
nonadjacent areas.
Now just click-and-drag over the image to recolor. If

the replacement color bleeds over into areas you don’t

want to recolor, try reducing the Tolerance setting. By
default, the Color Replacement tool paints in Color blend
mode, although the Mode option can be changed to Hue,
Saturation, or Luminosity.
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

Color Mode methods

Sometimes you just want to get a sense of how an object
With the duplicate layer will look in a different color. In that case, use any selection
selected, choose Image>Adjust- tool to select an item to recolor. Then paint over the object
ments>Replace Color. Using the with the Brush tool set to Color blend mode. Or add a Solid
default Eyedropper tool at the Color fill layer above the image layer and set its Layer blend
top of the Replace Color dialog, mode to Color. Q

Jan Kabili is a popular Photoshop author and educator. View her movie series, Photoshop CS3 for the Web, at the lynda.com online
movie training library. Watch her Photoshop podcast, Photoshop Online, on iTunes or at http://photoshoponline.tv.
067
 Beginners’ Workshop
Learning Adobe Photoshop from the ground up

QBY DAV E C R O S S

Advanced Blending...for Beginners

There are certain functions in Photoshop that people avoid either because the dialog looks intimi-
dating, they don’t understand what the function does, or a little of both. The Blend If feature in the
Blending Options portion of the Layer Style dialog is a perfect example.

W
hat the Blend If sliders provide are some powerful triangle and start to drag it to the left, the whitest areas of the
ways to combine layers—often eliminating the need gradient layer become transparent.
to make selections or masks. And like many features
in Photoshop, once you understand the basic principle of these
sliders, you’ll find lots of ways to take advantage of them.
You can access the Advanced Blending options by clicking
the Layer Style (ƒx) icon at the bottom of the Layers panel
and choosing Blending Options, or by double-clicking to the
right of the layer name. Here’s a simple way to see how these
sliders work:

STEP ONE: Start by opening a colorful photo in Photoshop

(File>Open) and then add a new layer by clicking the Create
a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

STEP TWO: Select the Rect-

The further you move this slider, the more the darker regions
angular Marquee tool (M)
will become transparent. In our example, the darker shades of
from the Toolbox and make
the gradient will become transparent as we move the white
a selection on the new layer.
triangle. To make the dark colors of a layer transparent, click the
Select the Gradient tool (G),
black triangle and move it in to the right. As you drag the trian-
go to the Options Bar and
gle further, more lightly colored areas will become transparent.
choose a Black, White Linear
Often you’ll see a harsh edge between the colors that are
gradient and fill the selec-
transparent and those that aren’t. To make the transition more
tion with the gradient. In our
gradual, press the Option (PC: Alt) key and click-and-drag the
example we added a second
triangle—this will split it
selection with a gradient
into two halves. The space
DAVE CROSS

going the opposite direction

between the two halves
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

(as shown).
of the triangle will create
areas that are neither
STEP THREE: Double-click beside the gradient layer’s name
fully transparent nor fully
to access the Blend If sliders, which you’ll find located at the
visible—a transitional area.
bottom of the Layer Style dialog. The Blend If sliders will make
areas of a layer transparent, to show the layer below or make
the layer below gradually visible through the layer above.

Make areas transparent…

In our example, we’ll use the This Layer slider to make areas
of the current layer transparent. When we click on the white
068
continued on p. 70
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 BEGINNERS’ WORKSHOP

…or show through The only problem with this technique is that technically,
You can also force areas of the underlying layer to show through the white box is still there. This will become obvious when you
the layer above. To do this, we’ll use the Underlying Layer slid- add a layer style such as an Outer Glow.
ers and the same theory: Move the black triangle to make the
darker areas of the underlying layer gradually show through
and the white triangle to make lighter areas show through.

Add a logo sans background

The following is a simple example using the Blend If sliders to
remove a white background behind a logo:

STEP ONE: Open your image and another file containing a

logo of some type. Use the Move tool (V) to drag-and-drop
the logo onto your photo, which creates a new layer. Double-
click just to the right of the name of the new layer to open the
Layer Style dialog.
©ISTOCKPHOTO/CHRIS ZAWADA

Now, if you want to make the white areas permanently see-

through so you can add layer styles or change the color of the
logo, here’s how:
Note: If you added any layer styles, delete them now by
dragging them to the Trash icon.

STEP THREE: Click on the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom
of the Layers panel to add a new layer. Then click-and-drag this
layer below your logo layer.
©ISTOCKPHOTO/BILL GROVE

STEP FOUR: Click on the logo layer to select it and press

Command-E (PC: Ctrl-E) to merge the two layers together.
Now any layer style you apply will appear around the shape
of the logo itself.

STEP TWO: In the Blend If area, click on the white triangle for
This Layer and drag it to the left. As soon as you do this, you’ll
notice most of the white background will disappear. Continue
to drag it until all the white areas disappear. You may need to
press the Option (PC: Alt) key to split the triangle in half as we
discussed above.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Once you work with the Blend If sliders and start to see what
they can do, I’ll bet you’ll find them a lot less scary and you’ll
discover lots of ways to take advantage of this feature.

If you have an idea for a “Beginners’ Workshop” topic, please

send it to letters@photoshopuser.com; however, if you have a
question that you’d like answered immediately, go to the Help
Desk at www.photoshopuser.com. Q

070
 Digital Camera Workshop
Creative control with digital capture and Photoshop

QBY JIM DiVI TALE

The Tourist Remover

When photographers ask themselves, “Should I upgrade to Photoshop CS3 Extended?” they might
answer: “I’m not a scientist. Don’t do any 3D brain scans. Not planning any MRIs in the studio today.
Why would I need this?” Well, let me tell you….

E
ach new version of Photoshop releases with an out-
standing feature that makes it well worthwhile for at
least one new technique, for example: Layers and Masks,
the Web Gallery, and the Shadow/Highlight dialog were all
standouts in previous versions.
Photoshop CS3 Extended is no different. Hidden in the
Scripts menu is a feature that should make any location
photographer jump right out of his/her skin as one of the
best things Photoshop has ever come out with. I like to
refer to it as “The Tourist Remover.”
with the camera set to 200 ISO. I knew that the steady stream
of people walking by would result in soft, blurry silhouettes
of figures because of the half-second exposures. Keeping
the white balance, focus, and exposure on manual assured
me of a consistent set of images. When I started this test, my
goal was to remove all the people but what I learned along
the way opened my thinking.

Work smarter
I love the way Photoshop prompts you to work smarter, not
harder, and this new Photoshop CS3 Extended technique
should open your mind to all kinds of new ideas. Found in
the File menu under Scripts, it’s called Statistics (sounds very
scientific, doesn’t it?).
Here’s the story: You’re on location, assigned to photograph
a site and you’re told not to have any people in the photograph.
When you get to the site, it looks like Times Square—people
walking all over the place. In the past, you’d be thinking about STEP TWO: I picked six images, all with different people in
all the postproduction time you’re going to have to spend (and different positions, put the files in a folder, and tweaked them
didn’t budget for) cloning all those people out of the final a little in Adobe Camera Raw. I warmed up the color and ran
image. With Photoshop CS3 Extended, you can use a tripod a little sharpening and noise reduction to the group of files.
and shoot several images of the scene, including the people When I finished the enhancements, I pressed the Done button
walking through the shots, and with one click, this feature will to close the files, which updated the XMP data of the 16-bit
automatically remove all the people. I have to admit that my files so that next time the files are opened, the enhancements
jaw dropped the first time I saw this. I really have to say “Wow!” will be added. Now here’s how Statistics works:
to the engineers and designers at Adobe for this one.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

For this example I’m using the new Canon PowerShot G9,
which is disguised as a point-and-shoot camera. In reality, it’s
a 12.1-megapixel, fully manual, RAW-shooting, wonder of a
camera priced under $500 that pro photographers have been
waiting for as a carry-everyday, lightweight camera.
[NAPP members may download the images to follow along
with this tutorial at www.photoshopuser.com/members/
mar08-downloads.html. All files are for personal use only.]

STEP ONE: Bracing the camera on the floor, I shot multiple

frames of this airport walkway at an exposure of 1/2 sec at f/4.5
072

STEP THREE: In Photoshop CS3 Extended, go under the File
menu and select Scripts>Statistics to open the Image Stat-
istics dialog. Pick Folder from the Use menu to provide the
source on which this script will compute the statistics operation,
then Browse to the folder that you want to use. At the bottom
of the Statistics dialog, check the Attempt to Automatically
Align Source Images to help register the slight misaligned
camera movement between the frames, if there’s any.
STEP FOUR: Sounds cool, doesn’t it? What this really means is
that Photoshop will gather all the images up as a Stacked Smart
Object. The process has Stack Modes that are kind of like Blend
Modes in the Layers panel and it lets you pick a Stack Mode to
allow the underlying pixels to blend together in different ways.
So, let’s select
Maximum from the
Choose Stack Mode
menu, which makes
the script look for
anything that’s
different between
all of the stacked
images and auto-
matically remove
Jim DiVitale is an Atlanta-based photographer and instructor specializing in digital photography. His clients include Mizuno USA, Carter’s,
Genuine Parts Company, IBM, TEC America, Scientific-Atlanta, and Coca-Cola. Check out his new website at www.divitalephotography.com.
DIGITAL CAMERA WORKSHOP
the variances. Now just click OK to close the dialog and run
the script so Photoshop can create a Smart Object Stack in
the Layers panel.
STEP FIVE: Just wait…and voilà! All that’s left in the image
is anything that isn’t moving; in our example, the empty hall-
way. When the process is complete, choose Flatten Image in the
Layers panel’s flyout menu, which combines all the files into one.
Final image
For an architectural photographer, this must be the most
magical process to come along since the Clone Stamp tool (S).
For landscape photographers who have people walking around
in the foreground of their shots, this is a quick way to remove
all of the distractions in one click. The potential here is great.
OPTIONAL STEP: Experiment with the other stack modes. For
example, I reran the script but tried Minimum to see what
it would do. This had the opposite effect, making a more
interesting photo: It combined all the people together as if
there was a bigger crowd. A happy accident I wasn’t expect-
ing at the moment of shooting it.
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
With a little thought about the shooting process before you
click the shutter, you can make Photoshop work really smart
for you. This is just one more great multishot process you
can add to your tool belt next to Photomerge and Merge
to HDR. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to appreciate
this application of Photoshop CS3 Extended. Q
ALL IMAGES BY JIM DIVITALE
073
 ONE NAME...INFINITE POSSIBILITIES
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 The WOW! Factor
Creative timesaving tips and techniques for the phenomenal Photoshop

Q BY LINNEA DAY TON

Photoshop Outside the Box: Ceramics

Most Photoshop artistry ultimately appears in photo frames or albums, on the pages of magazines
or books, or as images onscreen. But occasionally we’re surprised and delighted to encounter artists
who have transferred their Photoshop skills and methods to very different media.

A
rtist Jeff Irwin, who teaches ceramics at Grossmont and then Brightness with the Use Legacy box checked.
College near San Diego, shares his transfer techniques (Note: In Legacy mode, increasing Brightness works as it did
with many ceramics artists, among them Betsy Schulz in earlier versions of Photoshop, i.e., lightening all tones in
and Irène de Watteville. Schulz, who now designs and pro- the image and eliminating highlight detail. In normal mode
duces large-scale public art installations, says, “There are lots with Use Legacy unchecked, increasing Brightness preserves
of us ‘reformed graphic designers’ with kilns in our studios. more highlight detail.) In the kiln, darker tones will fire as
Ceramics is a great medium for us.” sepia, medium tones as intense orange, and light tones as
light orange.
Transferring to glazed tiles For the “woodgrain” in Variations, Irwin drew with white
Irwin’s transfer work combines his environmental photos with ink on black paper, scanned the drawing, and applied the Cut-
studio shots of his sculptures and scans of his drawings. He out filter in Photoshop (Filter>Artistic>Cutout). In the dialog,
does most of his image layering right on the tiles rather than he adjusted the filter’s three sliders to increase contrast and
in Photoshop, which he uses mostly for resizing, cropping, and improve line edges.
controlling contrast. Here are the steps he uses for his technique:
STEP THREE: To ensure that the image will print in reverse and
STEP ONE: To thus transfer in the right orientation, choose Image>Rotate
crop and resize an Canvas>Flip Canvas Horizontal.
image, first copy
it (Image>Dupli- STEP FOUR: The secret of making a laser transfer for ceramics
cate) to preserve is to stop the printing process before the printer’s fuser (heat
the original and element) can bond the toner to the page. Printing on a trans-
with the copy parency lets you see through to position the image. Tip: Be
active, choose the sure to use a laser transparency because other transparencies
Crop tool (C). In can melt in the laser printer.
the Options Bar, Using an Apple 4/600 LaserWriter and 3M CG3300 Black &
set the Width, White Laser Transparency sheets, Irwin stops the printing
JEFF IRWIN

Height, and Reso- process as soon as he sees the sheet emerging, and pulls
lution (Irwin uses the sheet out backwards. (Caution: Because the printer isn’t
about 200 ppi), designed to be used this way, don’t try this on your only laser
Variations
then click-and- printer.) Irwin likes the Apple 4/600 because it allows for rela-
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › M a r c h 2 0 0 8

drag to select the area you want. Press the Return (PC: Enter)
key to complete the crop.
When transferred to ceramics and fired as in Step Seven
(below), iron oxide, a component of the black toner used
in laser printers and photocopiers, can produce a range
of colors, from dark brown to light orange, as shown in
Irwin’s Variations.
STEP TWO: One way that Irwin controls the color is with the
Brightness/Contrast adjustment in Photoshop (click the Cre-
ate New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers
panel and choose Brightness/Contrast). Irwin adjusts Contrast
076
tively big images. “The maximum size you can print depends
on the distance between the fuser and the toner drum,” he
says. “The farther apart these two elements are, the bigger the
image can be.”
Once the transparency is removed from the printer, the
toner can be scratched or smeared, as Irwin did for the bottom
center image in Variations—he uses his finger, a sharpened
stick, a sponge, or a cotton swab.
STEP FIVE: Irwin typically transfers his images onto white-
glazed tiles he buys at Home Depot. After cleaning and arrang-
ing the tiles (for Variations he used nine 8x8" tiles), they’re
 THE WOW! FACTOR

thoroughly covered with a thin coat of glue applied with a a rolling pin for small pieces, or a slabroller and then a rolling
glue stick (Irwin uses the Staples brand), and allowed to dry. pin to smooth the surface).

STEP SIX: To transfer the toner, place the laser print toner- STEP THREE: To
side-down on the dry, glue-coated surface and rub. Pressing make the transfer,
harder (to trans- apply the printed
fer more toner) side of the trans-
makes a more parency to the
intense image; damp clay. “We
less pressure smooth it on with
makes a paler fingers first,” says
one. Applying de Watteville, “then
one image and horizontal strokes
then overlap- with the edge of a
ping another credit card, for even

IRÈNE DE WATTEVILLE
builds toner application.” The
density in the JEFF IRWIN moisture in the clay
areas of overlap liquefies the glue
(as shown in enough to transfer
Phone Home 3). Phone Home 3, made with four 8x8" tiles the image.

STEP SEVEN: Firing the tiles at cone 03 (1987°F) produces
more orange, at cone 04 (1945°F) more dark sepia. Irwin
often adds black elements after the initial firing. In Phone
Home 3, the telephone was added by applying black glaze
in the overall shape of the phone, then scratching away the
glaze (the sgraffito technique) to create the detail, and firing
again at the same temperature as the first time, or lower.
STEP FOUR: Firing at cone 06 (1828°F) produces a black image
on the white clay. After this first (bisque) firing you can apply
color if you like and then a light coat of clear glaze, and fire again
at cone 06 or a lower temperature. For this composite image,
Schulz layered images in Photoshop, printed the collage, and
transferred it to the clay, then printed and applied a scan of an
old copyright-free drawing over the bottom edge.

Transferring to raw clay

Fellow artists de Watteville and Schulz are experimenting
with another method (described below) that they learned
from Irwin. Black VersaInk (www.g7ps.com) contains a metal-
lic component for printing bank-readable checks on inkjet
printers. Printed in reverse on a glue-treated transparency, a
VersaInk image can be transferred to the surface of fresh clay.
“I ordered a set of VersaInk nano cartridges for $70 including
shipping and got a free VersaColor M300 printer with another
set of cartridges included,” says de Watteville.
(Note: VersaColor’s printer driver is available for Windows
2000, XP, and Vista; the manufacturer says it also runs on a
Windows emulator on a Mac.)
BETSY SCHULZ

STEP ONE: Start by preparing and printing the transfer sheet.

Write the word “glue” with a permanent marker in one corner
of an inkjet transparency. Apply a dollop of mucilage the size
of a quarter coin to the marked side of the sheet, and spread it
evenly over the sheet with moistened fingers. (Note: Mucilage
She fired the piece, applied clear glaze thinly with a soft
brush, and added color on the edges using ceramic stains and
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

is the brownish liquid glue people used before glue sticks;
Ross Mucilage is available at www.amazon.com.)
Let the glue dry completely (preferably overnight) and
print your Photoshop image in VersaInk on the glue side of
the sheet. “Be sure to set your printer’s software to print in
black only,” says de Watteville. Let the transparency dry a few
hours or use a hairdryer on low for a few minutes.
Duncan E-Z Stroke underglazes (watered down to watercolor
consistency), and then she fired the piece again. N
To see more of these artists’ works, check out their web-
sites or send an email: Jeff Irwin (www.grossmont.edu
/jeffirwin), Betsy Schulz (www.adesigngarden.com), and
Irène de Watteville (irenetile@adelphia.net).

STEP TWO: Schulz and de Watteville start with Raku-K White Linnea Dayton is currently at work on the 11th edition of The
EM345, a smooth, low-fire clay, flattened to 0.5 cm thick (with Photoshop Wow! Book (Peachpit Press).
077
 Mastering Photoshop with Video
Using Photoshop to create professional-looking videos

QBY G LEN STEPHENS

Advanced Animation, Part 2

Last issue, we went through the layer preparation for the animated vote button and ended up
with a flat-looking image (as shown here). This time, we’ll add the highlights and shadows back
onto the button, add the necessary layer masks, and begin creating the animation.

F
irst, we need to Now we need to add the highlights and shadows back
create a layer mask into the button so that it looks three-dimensional. Some
for each of the star of these we’ll create and some we’ll bring back in from the
layers and also a layer original image.
mask for each of the four
letters of VOTE. STEP THREE: The first
and easiest element to
Masks, shadows, bring back is the shadow
©ISTOCKPHOTO/MARK EVANS

and highlights that follows the bottom

We’ll begin with making of the button. Create a
the layer mask for the new layer at the top of
star layers, which need the layer stack and name
to be in the shape of the it Shadow. Then load the
button. [NAPP members Button layer as a selection
may download this image so that as we paint the
and the final movie at www.photoshopuser.com/members/ shadow it only draws over
mar08-downloads.html.] the button.
Now select the Brush
STEP ONE: Hold down the Command (PC: Ctrl) key and click tool (B), making sure that
on the Button layer thumbnail. Then select the Top Stars layer you have black as the
and click on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Foreground color. In the Options Bar, set the brush Diameter
Layers panel. Once the mask is created, click on the link icon to 100 px, Hardness to 0%, Opacity to 100%, and paint the
between the layer icon and the shadow in an arc motion along the bottom of the button from
mask icon. Note: All the masks one side to the other, starting and ending roughly where the
for the letters and the stars need blue meets the white on each side. It may take a couple of
to be unlinked from their layers. tries and layer opacity adjustments to get it looking the way
Now repeat this step for the you want.
Bottom Stars layer. This mask
hides the stars that fall outside STEP FOUR: Using the same technique as in Step Three, create a
of the bounds of the button. new layer called Highlight but instead of using black, use white
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

to paint a highlight on each side of the button from where the

STEP TWO: Let’s create the layer red meets the white to where the white meets the blue. The
masks for the letter layers, which idea is to reproduce the original look. (Tip: Refer back to the
need to be in the shape of the original image if you’re not sure where to place the highlights
middle white portion of the but- and shadows.) Press Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D) to deselect.
ton. Follow the same steps as in
Step One to create a layer mask STEP FIVE: There are also distinct highlights at the top of the
for the V, O, T, and E layers by button in the red area, which are challenging to re-create. To
loading and using the selection bring these back in let’s add a layer mask to the Top layer (red
of the Middle layer. As before, section of the button) and paint them back using a small, soft
make sure that the masks are black brush on the mask. This brings the original look back but
unlinked from the layers. be careful not to bring any of the old stars with it.
078
 MASTERING PHOTOSHOP WITH VIDEO
STEP SIX: The last shadow is a small one over the red portion’s Shift key to ensure
stars. So, create a new layer called Middle Shadow and place that the letters only
it between the Shadow and Highlight layers. Using the same move straight down.
technique as in Step One, load a selection of the Top layer. This will automati-
Then, with the Middle Shadow layer active, add a layer mask, cally create new
and unlink the layer and mask. keyframes for each
letter. Note: Don’t
forget that the layers
should be unlinked
from their masks.

STEP THREE: What

we have right now is
an animation where
all four letters move
in at the same time.
Because we want to
stagger their entrance
we need to first move the end keyframe for the V, O, and T
back. The end keyframe for the T should be at 1:15, the end
keyframe for the O should be at 1:00 and the end keyframe
Click on the Middle Shadow
for the V should be at 0:15. This is as simple as dragging the
layer thumbnail and with black
already created keyframes to a new time on the Timeline. The
as your Foreground color, use
playhead can be used as a reference point and your keyframe
a 300-pixel soft brush, set Flow
will snap to it if you hold down the Shift key while you move
to 100, and click one time just
the keyframe.
above the center of the button.
Change the Opacity of this
STEP FOUR: Now we
layer to 25%. At this point, your
have a V that comes
image and Layers panel should
in really fast and an E
look like these (above).
that comes in really
slow. We want all let-
Animation
ters to move at the
The steps to animate are fairly simple: The letters should
same pace, just with
make a staggered entrance from behind their masks, appear-
staggered starts. So
ing from the blue bottom portion of the button. The stars will
now we simply drag
also crawl in from opposite directions for the duration of the
the start keyframe
animation. Let’s start by animating the letters.
for each letter to
exactly 15 frames
STEP ONE: Choose Window>Animation and if you see the
before each end
traditional Animation (Frames) panel, click the icon at the
keyframe. The start
lower-right corner to convert to Animation (Timeline). We
frame for the V will
need to create keyframes for the finishing point of the letters’
be at 0:00, at 0:15 for
animation and, because the letters are in their ending posi-
the O, at 1:00 for the
tion, it’s easier to create these keyframes first and then create
T, and 1:15 for the E.
the start keyframes afterward.
We want the full animation to be 3 seconds so click-and-
Press the Spacebar or click the Play button to cycle the
drag the Work Area End slider (located at the top-right of the
animation. We’ve successfully animated our letters! Next
Timeline) from the 10-second position to 3 seconds.
time, we’ll animate the stars, add an animated reflection,
The text will all be in place at 2 seconds so drag the Cur-
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

and a moving glare across the front of the button. N

rent Time Indicator (CTI) to 2 seconds. Then create a keyframe
for each of the V, O, T, and E layers by clicking the right-facing
arrow to open the layers’ properties, and then click the Time-
Vary Stopwatch icon next to Position.
STEP TWO: Click-and-drag the CTI back to the beginning of
the animation and move all of the letters below their masks,
making them disappear. For each letter, select the layer (not
the mask), then use the Move tool (V) and drag the letter
down until you can no longer see it—press-and-hold the
If you have a suggestion for a video topic that you’d like us
to cover in this column, or an idea for using Photoshop with
video, please send it to letters@photoshopuser.com.—Ed.
Glen Stephens, developer of the Photoshop plug-in Tools for Televi-
sion PRO (www.toolsfortelevision.com), has more than 10 years’
experience in the broadcast video industry. His company, Pixel Post
Studios, provides training and design services for the industry.
079
 Digital Photographer’s Notebook
Practical tips for professional photographers

QBY KE VIN AMES

Smart Objects Make Your Subjects Look Their Best

On-location shooting sometimes offers less-than-desirable lighting; however, Photoshop smart objects
and Adobe Camera Raw adjustments are perfect solutions to imperfections inherent in location por-
traits. Here’s how to use those features to add highlights and color to your subject’s hair.

F
or a magazine article featuring the city’s “most beautiful,” STEP ONE: Open the file 2384-0080.CR2 in Camera Raw
we photographed Brittany Swann, Miss Georgia 2007, at either from Bridge by selecting it and pressing Command-R
Room Restaurant in a new mixed-use building across the (PC: Ctrl-R) or by double-clicking. The settings and cropping
street from Atlanta’s Civic Center commuter rail station (after for the base of the photograph are already in place. Click the
scouting the location the day before to explore the possibilities hyperlink at the bottom of the Camera Raw window to open
for background material). Portraits are about the subject and the Workflow Options dialog.
rarely about their surroundings, so a long lens with low expo- My preference is to work in the ProPhoto color Space at 16
sures would make Brittany’s fair skin and her fuchsia dress come Bits/Channel (selected from the Depth menu). Click the Open
forward in the photograph as the brightest values. This on- in Photoshop as Smart Objects checkbox, which will replace
location session was really nothing more than a studio portrait the Background layer in Photoshop with a smart object con-
set up in a public place—with several bar patrons watching the taining the original RAW file. Click OK and then click Open
shoot instead of sports. Object to open the photograph in Photoshop.
The main lighting came from a Comet electronic flash
behind a 42x72" Chimera diffusion panel positioned to Brit- STEP TWO: Now open
tany’s right. A battery-powered Comet flash head with a Rosco the file named Strategy
3407 warming gel lit her hair from behind and to her left. The Map.psd in Photoshop
shutter speed on the camera was set to 1/60th of a second to (the map shows us the
downplay the windows in the background and the aperture work that needs to
was at f/16. be completed). Choose
[NAPP members may download files used in this tutorial at the Move tool (V) and
www.photoshopuser.com/members/mar08-downloads.html. All drag the image onto
files are for personal use only. Note: Allow extra time to download 2384-0080, pressing
this large original RAW file and full-sized strategy map.] the Shift key before
you release the mouse
button to register
the strategy map file
with the smart object.
Rename this layer
Strategy Map. Once
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

you have the map in

place, close the Strategy Map.psd file.

STEP THREE: Hide the Strategy Map layer by clicking its Eye
icon in the Layers panel. Now Control-click (PC: Right-click)
on layer 2384-0080’s name, choose New Smart Object via
Copy from the menu, and a new Smart Object layer named
2384-0080 copy appears in the Layers panel. Double-click
the copy’s thumbnail to open it in Camera Raw. In the dialog,
KEVIN AMES

change the Exposure slider to +0.70, adjust the Brightness

slider to +74, and click OK to place it back in the layer stack.
You’ll notice that the entire photograph is now brighter.
080

STEP FOUR: With the copy
layer still selected, add a Hide
All layer mask by holding
down the Option (PC: Alt)
key and then clicking the
Add Layer Mask icon at the
bottom of the Layers panel.
The photograph darkens
back to its original version.
(Tip: If you want to
change a layer mask from
a white-filled Reveal All
mask to a black-filled Hide
All mask, press the short-
cut keys for Invert, Command-I [PC: Ctrl-I].)
Now select the Brush tool (B) and set its Opacity to 50% by
pressing the 5 key. Open the Brushes panel (Window>Brushes),
click Brush Tip Shape in the list on the left, and set the Hardness
to 0. Hover the cursor over the left-front section of Brittany’s
hair, then press the Bracket keys—[ to shrink and ] to enlarge—
until the brush fits the hair front to back (as shown).
STEP FIVE: Click the layer mask to ensure it’s active. With white
as your Foreground color, paint over Brittany’s hair to brighten it.
Now change the brush Opacity to 100% (press zero on your key-
board) and paint over the (“hidden”) palm fronds to the left of
Brittany. If you click the layer’s Eye icon, you’ll see the difference.
STEP SIX: Click the Eye icon next to the Strategy Map layer to
reveal it. Next on our list is to darken Brittany’s knees. So let’s
hide the map again and do just that.
Control-click (PC: Right-click) layer 2384-0080’s name and
select New Smart Object via Copy from the contextual menu
to make another copy (2384-0080 copy 2). Double-click the
new Smart Object’s thumbnail to open it in Camera Raw, set
Before
Kevin Ames creates evocative photographs for clients such as Westin Hotels, AT&T, and Coca-Cola. His fourth book, recently published by Peachpit
Press, is The Digital Photographer’s Notebook: A Pro’s Guide to Photoshop CS3, Lightroom and Bridge. He teaches the digital arts worldwide.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTEBOOK
the Exposure slider to –0.55, Brightness to +44, and click OK.
When the changes are placed, press-and-hold the Option
(PC: Alt) key and click the Add Layer Mask icon to add a Hide All
layer mask to the smart object. Use a 100% Opacity, soft-edged
brush, 300 pixels in diameter (about the width of one knee and
paint with white over Brittany’s knees to darken them.
Hide the layer and you’ll see how your eye is pulled away
from her face when Brittany’s knees are a brighter value.
STEP SEVEN: The values in the two smart objects can be
fine-tuned by adjusting them in Camera Raw. For example,
you can make Brittany’s hair more golden by opening the
layer 2384-0080 copy in Camera Raw, then changing the
Temperature slider to 7100°. Click OK. Now that’s blonde!
Note that all of the work so far has been done without
touching a single pixel: The layers are copies of the original
RAW file painted together to control tonality and (hair) color.
STEP EIGHT: Copy all of the visible layers to a single editable
layer by clicking on the topmost visible layer (not the Strategy
Map layer) and pressing Command-Option-Shift-E (PC: Ctrl-Alt-
Shift-E). Rename this layer Retouch.
STEP NINE: First, reveal the Strategy Map layer to see the retouch-
ing to be completed on her face, click its Eye icon to hide it again,
and use the Healing Brush tool to clean up her skin.
Hide the two Smart Object layers with the word “copy” in their
names and show the strategy map again. Hide then show the layer
Retouch by clicking the Eye icon on and off. The circled areas
in the strategy map will jump where the work has been completed.
If nothing moves, hide the strategy map, and fix the area.
Next time, the Notebook deals with smoothing bumpy skin
quickly by using the Healing Brush tool in a completely
different way. Until then, keep shooting! Q
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
After
081
 Classic Photoshop Effects
The oldies but goodies that never seem to go out of style

Q B Y C O R E Y B A R K E R

Designing with One Photo

We’ve all seen the following technique used in magazines, poster displays, and even on television.
What might be surprising is that this can be achieved using only one image. Then we’ll take it a step
further and update this classic with a new twist using smart objects.

STEP ONE: Start by opening an image of a product or person.

Use your favorite selection method to select the subject or
object and copy it to its own layer (Command-J [PC: Ctrl-J]). In
this example, we put a shot of a car on its own layer, highlighted

©FOTOLIA/ANATOLIY MESHKOV
the Background layer, and filled it with a color (Option-Delete
[PC: Alt-Backspace]). Because the car is yellow, we’ll complement
that with a shade of blue for the background.

STEP TWO: Before we do anything else, we need to convert the

car layer into a smart object. Go under the Layer menu, under
Smart Objects, and choose Convert to Smart Object. This will
allow us to resize the layer without loss of quality, not to men-
tion keeping the layers linked with the original content.

STEP THREE: Duplicate this

Smart Object layer by dragging
it onto the Create a New Layer
icon (Layer 1 copy). Click the
Eye icon to turn off the visibility
of this duplicate layer, and click
the original to reactivate it. Go
under the Edit menu, under
Transform, and select Flip Horizontal. Press Command-T (PC:
Ctrl-T) to enter Free Transform. Scale the object beyond the
boundaries of the image while holding the Shift key to main-
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

tain its proportions, then press Return (PC: Enter) to commit

the transformation.

STEP FOUR: With the layer we

just resized still selected, go to
the top of the Layers panel to
reduce the Opacity to 75%, and
change the layer blend mode
to Overlay.

082
continued on p. 84
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 STEP FIVE: Click the Create New Adjustment Layer icon at
the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Hue/Saturation.
All we need to do here is lower the Saturation slider all the
way to –100 and click OK. This will take the color information
away from the car; however, it also affects all the layers below.
Since we only want to desaturate this layer, we need to isolate
the adjustment layer to the resized car layer. We’ll do this by
creating a clipping group. With the Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer highlighted, go under the Layer menu and choose Create
Clipping Mask. This will clip the adjustment layer to the layer
the resized car is on.

STEP SIX: Now we’ll make this

background image a bit different
so that it isn’t totally obvious that
it’s the same photo. Click on the
layer with the resized car (Layer 1
in our example) to select it, go
under the Filter menu, under
Artistic, and choose Poster Edges.
The settings may vary depend-
ing on your image but we set
all three options to 3 for our
example. Choose your settings
and click OK. As you can see from the information displayed in
the Layers panel, this is automatically applied as a smart filter.

STEP SEVEN: With Layer 1 still selected, click the Add Layer
Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Select the Gradi-
ent tool (G) from the Toolbox, go to the Options Bar and click
the Gradient Picker icon, select the Foreground to Transparent
gradient, and click the Linear Gradient icon to the right of the
Gradient Picker. Set your Foreground and Background colors
to their default black and white, respectively, and then draw a
linear gradient in from the top and the bottom—going a little
over halfway in each direction—so the image appears to fade in.

STEP EIGHT: Turn on the Eye icon to reveal the duplicate Smart
Object layer (Layer 1 copy), click the layer to select it, and then
use the Move tool (V) to position the car or subject toward the
bottom-right area. It may need to be scaled down a little. If so,
press Command-T (PC: Ctrl-T) to enter Free Transform, scale
the object as necessary while pressing the Shift key, and press
Return (PC: Enter) when you have it in position. And that just
about does it. You can complete the effect by adding some
text and there you have…but wait!
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

STEP NINE: Here’s the twist: What if you want to use this same
design but with a different image? Open the smart object by
double-clicking directly on the Smart Object icon at the bot-
tom right of the layer thumbnail. Use the Move tool to drag-
©ISTOCKPHOTO/SCOTT HIRKO

and-drop your new art onto the document from your other file
that contains the new content. Click the Eye icon next to the
old content to turn off visibility, or delete it. Close the smart
object window when you have the new content in position,
and click Save when prompted. Watch the template update
with your new artwork. N
084
 From the Help Desk
An in-depth look at common Help Desk questions
QBY PE T ER BAU ER
To: NAPP Help Desk
From: Denise
When I work with Photoshop on a Mac at
school, the Desktop is always visible. How
can I hide it?
To: Denise
From: NAPP Help Desk
The key is to use the appropriate screen
mode. Photoshop CS3 offers four screen
modes (earlier versions had three):
Standard Screen, Maximized Screen, Full
Screen with Menu Bar, and Full Screen.
You can select a screen mode
through the View>Screen
Mode menu, through the
Screen Mode menu button
at the bottom of the Toolbox,
or you can rotate through the
screen modes by pressing the
F key on your keyboard.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
Standard Screen: The default for Photo-
shop on both the Mac and PC, Standard
Screen Mode permits you to see and
access any other image window that’s
open and, on Mac, the Desktop or open
windows in other programs. When you
need to drag-and-drop a layer from one
086
image to another, you need to use Stan-
dard Screen Mode. When you select either
of the Tile commands from the Window>
Arrange menu, Photoshop automatically
switches to Standard Screen Mode for all
open windows. If the canvas doesn’t fill the
image window, the surrounding area is a
neutral gray.
Maximized Screen: New in Photoshop
CS3, and added specifically to work with
the new collapsible panels, Maximized
Screen Mode will provide you with an
image window that fills the available area
between the Toolbox on the left and
expanded panel docks on the right. By
default, the area surrounding the canvas is
white. Here’s the cool part: As you expand
or collapse the panel docks (not individual
panels) using the double-arrow button to
the upper right of each dock, the image
window expands and contracts, too. As
in Standard Screen Mode, you have scroll
bars to the right and across the bottom
of the window for navigation when the
image is too large to fit onscreen.
Full Screen with Menu Bar: When working
in Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, there’s
no image window: The image appears
against a plain gray background. Whether
zoomed in or not, you can click-and-drag
using the Hand tool (H) to reposition the
image anywhere onscreen (shortcut:
press-and-hold the Spacebar key while
dragging the image). The Photoshop
menu bar remains visible across the top
of the screen.
If you recently switched from PC to Mac,
you might feel most at home with this
screen mode, as it hides the Desktop and
any other windows open in Photoshop or
other programs. Note: “Switchers” should
also remember that you can click the blue
Apple menu icon located at the upper left,
select System Preferences, click on Desk-
top & Screen Saver, click Solid Colors from
the menu on the left, and select a solid gray
for the Mac’s desktop.
Full Screen: There are two differences
between Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar
and Full Screen Mode: The first (as you
probably guessed) is the visibility of the
menu bar across the top of the screen;
and the second is the background color.
Rather than a neutral gray background,
which is excellent for making decisions
about color and tonality, Full Screen
Mode presents your artwork against a
flattering black background, perfect for
displaying to clients and friends. When
using Full Screen Mode to display images,
you’ll generally want to press the Tab
key to hide the Photoshop panels. (And
don’t forget that pressing Shift-Tab hides
all panels except the Toolbox and
Options Bar.)
Regardless of whether you’re working
in one of the full-screen modes or have
expanded the image window larger than
the canvas in Standard Screen Mode or
Maximized Screen Mode, you can change
the canvas color to your current Fore-
ground color by Shift-clicking with the
Paint Bucket tool selected. Q
Peter Bauer is Director of the NAPP Help Desk
and a featured columnist at PlanetPhoto-
shop.com. His latest book is Photoshop CS3
for Dummies.
 1.800.930.3989
Use Promotional Code PSU50 and save $50 off your first order

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From capture to print, master the art of digital photography. Written by the most innovative voices in the industry,
O’Reilly digital photography books mentor you each step of the way as you develop your inner vision.

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©2008 O’Reilly Media, Inc. O’Reilly logo is a registered trademark of O’Reilly Media, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 80128
 Photoshop CS3 Extended for Research
Document, analyze, extract, and present medical and scientific data

QBY G E O R G E R E I S

Preparing Images for Forensic Analysis

Photographers who have converted their images to grayscale are familiar with the Channel Mixer.
For forensics users, the Channel Mixer provides us with a method for isolating objects and extracting
detail based on color values.

[NAPP members may download the images to follow

F
or photographers, the Channel Mixer is a great tool for
controlling the tonal conversion so that contrasting
tones with similar brightness values don’t mush into
each other. In the RGB mode, we can control the contribu-
tion of each of these three channels to achieve a better,
more dynamic conversion than by simply choosing Image>
Mode>Grayscale. In making conversions with the Channel
Mixer, we usually follow the rule that the total percentage of
the channels should equal approximately 100% to maintain
about the same overall brightness.
Forensic image analysts also use the Channel Mixer
to control tones, although
the goal isn’t to make a more
dynamic grayscale image, but
to use color contrast to either
eliminate distracting elements
or bring out important details
in a photograph. These details
may be a fingerprint on a check,
a bloodstain on a red shirt, a
signature that’s covered by an
endorsement stamp, or a multi-
color logo on a suspect’s shirt.
Channel Mixer for isolating distinctions
Before using the Channel Mixer, it’s important to analyze the
image and determine what information you want to isolate,
and then determine what colors contribute to that area as
well as to the surrounding areas. This provides a starting place
when we open the Channel Mixer. (To open the Channel Mixer,
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
along with this tutorial at www.photoshopuser.com/members/
mar08-downloads.html. All files are for personal use only.]
STEP ONE: To view each channel of the image, begin by
making two copies of the original (Image>Duplicate). Keep
the original image open for
reference. Then open the
first copy and convert it to
CMYK by going under the
Image menu and selecting
Mode>CMYK Color. Open
the Channels panel, click
the flyout menu icon at the
top right of the panel, and
choose Split Channels.
Open the second copy and
split the RGB channels in the
Channels panel.
STEP TWO: To view all seven channels and compare the
results, go under the Window menu and choose Arrange>Tile
Horizontally. For this fingerprint image, the goal is to eliminate
the distracting background to better isolate the fingerprint.
The results show that the Green and Blue channels both
offer some improvement and the Magenta channel does the
best. This indicates that we can either stay in RGB mode and
increase the Green and Blue channels or we can convert it to
CMYK and use a setting of 100% Magenta as a starting point.

click the Create New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of

the Layers panel and choose Channel Mixer from the list.) A
quick approach to this is to simply view each channel in the
Channels panel (Window>Channels). Any RGB channel can
be emulated by setting the Channel Mixer (with the Mono-
chrome box checked) to 100% for the channel to be matched,
and to 0% for the others. Doing the same in CMYK gets similar
results, although you won’t get a perfect emulation. That
said, viewing the image in each of these seven channels (Red,
Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) provides a
good starting point of which channels will need adjusting in
the Channel Mixer.
088

STEP THREE: Because
we’re using this tech-
nique to extract use-
ful information from
the image rather than
to create a fine art
grayscale image, the
total contribution of
all channels can add
to any percentage
without concern. For this example, it would
work best if we convert it to CMYK as we did
in Step One. Click the Create a New Adjustment Layer icon at the
bottom of the Layers panel, and then choose Channel Mixer.
STEP FOUR: In the Channel Mixer dialog, begin by click-
ing the Monochrome checkbox, set all channels to 0%, and
Magenta to 100%. Because the magenta looked promising,
we increased it to 200%. The Yellow channel also seemed to
give good results, but Cyan did not, so we decreased the Cyan
value to –40% and boosted Yellow to 30%. This result provided
good contrast and eliminated the distracting background.
If this image weren’t already sized 1:1, that could be done
next using the Analysis tools available in the Extended version
of Photoshop. If this fingerprint image is to be compared
against another, we could use the Count tool (located under
the Eyedropper tool) to mark the points of comparison.
Not all forensic images are so easy to work with. In this
fingerprint image, we had a gray fingerprint with a color
background, and several different techniques would have
worked to eliminate the background. What if we have two
overlapping objects—an endorsement signature and an
endorsement stamp—with similar colors?
George Reis, the owner of Imaging Forensics, provides training, consulting services, and litigation support in photography and forensic image
analysis. Reis has provided training to law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S., including the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army Crime Lab, Las
Vegas Metro Police Department, and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Reis is also the author of Photoshop CS3 for Forensics Professionals.
PHOTOSHOP CS3 EXTENDED FOR RESEARCH
When the colors are too similar…
In this next example, we want to eliminate the distracting
purple endorsement stamp and isolate the blue signature.
Channel splitting doesn’t really give us a good start in this
instance, so we’ll measure the color values with the Color
Sampler tool (located under the Eyedropper tool).
Open the Info panel (Window>Info) and click to place
points with the Color Sampler tool on the blue of the signa-
ture and purple of the endorsement stamp (we placed four
points—two each on the signature and stamp). A look at the
Info panel tells us that blue is the strongest contributor in
both the signature and the stamp because it has the highest
value (number) in each of the four sample points. Red contrib-
utes the least in the signature, and Green contributes the least
in the endorsement. By decreasing the Green, the signature
will get darker faster than the endorsement, and by increas-
ing the Red, the endorsement will get lighter faster than
the signature. By selecting the Channel Mixer, checking the
Monochrome checkbox, and starting with the Blue channel at
0% and Red at 200%, decreasing the Green to –150% provides
a result that separates the signature from the endorsement
stamp. Following up with a Levels or Curves adjustment layer
to lighten the
background
would complete
this project.
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
Many features, filters, and tools in Photoshop share a double
life—providing photographers and graphic designers with
methods for making their images more dynamic, while at the
same time providing forensics, technical, and scientific users
with the ability to find, clarify, or isolate important aspects of
images for image analysis, research, or court. Q
ALL IMAGES BY GEORGE REIS
089
 Photoshop CS3 Extended for Engineering
New compositing tools for architects, engineers, and scientists
QBY SCOT T ONSTOT T
3D Layer Timeline Animation
For years we’ve been able to create simple, frame-based GIF animations in Photoshop. Now Adobe
Photoshop CS3 Extended has raised the bar by introducing a sophisticated Timeline animation mode
as well as the ability to export to a wide variety of video formats.
E
ach layer has its own tracks where keyframes can be
saved to record properties that vary over time. Tracks
that can be animated include position, opacity, style,
layer mask position, vector mask position, mask opacities,
and more. Photoshop brings the Timeline to life by inter-
polating change in between keyframes. The sky’s the limit
on what you can do with these new animation tools. What
follows is one powerful workflow for visualizing a 3D model
using Timeline animation.
Prepare the 3D model for animation
If you haven’t already done so, surf over to http://labs.adobe
.com and install the free Photoshop CS3 Extended plug-in for
Google 3D Warehouse. This plug-in makes it easy to search for
and access royalty-free 3D models without leaving Photoshop.
Once the plug-in is installed, restart Photoshop and choose
File>Automate>Search Google for 3D Model.
If you’d like to follow along with this tutorial, search for
mkLotus (a green modular home by Michelle Kaufmann
Designs) in the 3D Warehouse browser. Go to the model’s detail
page and click the Get Model button. After a few moments,
you’ll be prompted to save a KMZ file on your hard drive. Save
it and the model will then appear as a 3D layer in its own
document window. Now let’s prepare 3D layers for animation.
STEP ONE: Double-click the 3D layer thumbnail and use its trans-
formation controls in the Options Bar to reposition the model as
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
shown. Still in the Options Bar, click on the Light and Appearance
MICHELLE KAUFMANN DESIGNS
090
Settings icon and change Render Mode to Line Illustration in the
menu. By default, the lines are white on black faces, so let’s invert
this by setting the Line Color swatch to black and the Face Color
swatch to white. Press Return (PC: Enter) or click the Commit 3D
Transform icon to the right of the Options Bar and then rename
the layer Line Illustration.
STEP TWO: The default 3D layer document size is 1024x1024;
however, we’ll resize the document so that some space remains
above and below the model. Choose the Crop tool (C) and set
the Width and Height in the Options Bar to 700x400 pixels.
Next, add a gradient fill layer: Go under the Layer menu,
choose New Fill Layer>Gradient, and click OK when the New
Layer dialog appears. Choose the Black, White gradient in the
Gradient Fill menu, select Linear from the Style menu, and
click OK. Drag this layer to the bottom of the Layers panel
so it hides the transparent pixels surrounding the 3D model
and acts like a background.
STEP THREE: Click on the Line Illustration layer and press
Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to duplicate it. With the new copy
layer active, double-click its thumbnail and change the
Render Mode to Solid. Commit changes and rename the
layer Solid.
Now press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) again to create a third
3D layer. Double-click this layer’s thumbnail, click the Cross
Section Settings icon in the Options Bar, and choose Enable
Cross Section with Alignment set to the Z-axis. Adjust the

Offset slider so that the cutting plane is just above the furniture.
Commit changes and rename the layer Cross section.
STEP FOUR: Click on the Solid layer, then click on the Add
Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Choose the
Gradient tool (G) select a Black, White Linear gradient in the
Options Bar. Press-and-hold the Shift key and drag from the
top of the document window to the bottom so that the Solid
layer is mostly hidden.
Unlink the mask from its layer by clicking the chain icon
between the thumbnails, then use the Move tool (V) to
move the mask down until its top edge aligns with the
top of the building—to maximize masking.
Lastly, click on the Create
New Adjustment Layer icon
at the bottom of the Layers
panel and choose Brightness/
Contrast. In the dialog, adjust
the sliders to brighten things
up a bit and click OK. Now
let’s animate!
Create keyframes on Timeline
Choose Window>Animation. If you’re looking at the tradi-
tional Animation (Frames) panel, click the icon at the lower-
right corner to convert to Animation (Timeline).
STEP ONE: Click on the flyout menu icon at the top right of
the panel and choose Document Settings. In the dialog,
change Duration to 0:00:20:00 with a Frame Rate of 30 and
click OK. (This means that the animation will run 20 seconds
at 30 frames per second, for a total of 600 frames.)
STEP TWO: In the Animation panel, there are multiple tracks
for each layer and a Current Time Indicator (CTI) at the top.
Expand the Solid layer to reveal its tracks, then drag the CTI
slider to approximately 2 seconds. Click the Time-Vary Stop-
watch icon in the Layer Mask Position track to create a key-
frame that sets its initial position. Note: You need at least two
keyframes in a track to have animation.
Now drag the CTI slider to 8 seconds and then click on the
Solid layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel. Using the
Move tool, drag the mask vertically all the way up to reveal
the Solid layer—a keyframe will be created automatically.
Drag the CTI left and right to see how Photoshop smoothly
interpolates the position of the layer mask in between these
two keyframes. The layer mask slides up and the gradient
gradually reveals the Solid layer.
PHOTOSHOP CS3 EXTENDED FOR ENGINEERING
STEP THREE: Drag the CTI slider back to 8 seconds and expand
the Line Illustration layer. Click the Opacity Time-Vary Stopwatch
to establish an initial keyframe. Drag the CTI to 12 seconds
and set the Opacity of the Line Illustration layer in the Layers
panel to 0% so that this layer fades out between 8 and 12
seconds in the Timeline.
STEP FOUR: At this time (12 seconds), we’ll start to fade-in
the Cross section layer and fade-out the Solid layer. Click the
Stopwatch in the Solid layer’s Opacity track to establish its
initial keyframe.
Now go to the Layers panel and set the Cross section
layer’s Opacity to 0% before clicking its Opacity track Stop-
watch in the Animation panel—this will make the Cross
section layer start out invisible. Drag the CTI to 18 seconds
and set the Cross section layer Opacity to 100% and the
Solid layer Opacity to 0%. Press the Spacebar to start and
stop the animation.
Render animation to video
Rendering the animation to video will make it play more
smoothly than in Photoshop—and you’ll be able to export
your video to QuickTime so you can share it with folks who
don’t have Photoshop CS3 Extended.
Choose File>Export>Render Video. Select a name and
folder. Check the QuickTime Export radio button, and choose
QuickTime Movie from the drop-down menu. Click the Settings
button and click Settings again in the Movie Settings dialog.
In the Standard Video Compression Settings dialog, set the
Compression Type to H.264, Quality to High, and click OK.
Check Prepare for Internet Streaming and click OK. Then click
Render in the Render Video dialog.
Photoshop will render the frames to video in a few minutes
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
and the resulting 20-second MOV file is only 1 MB. Save your
work as a PSD file in case you need to make changes. [NAPP
members may download this video from www.photoshopuser
.com/members/mar08-downloads.html.] Q
Scott Onstott authors books and records video tutorials for
architects, engineers, and builders. Check out his Photoshop
for Architects DVD and The Digital Architect video podcast
at www.ScottOnstott.com.
091
 By Randy Hufford

We’re living in the most exciting time in the history of photography. Now many of the major inkjet
manufacturers’ engineers have chemically and molecularly matched inks, media choice, coatings, and

simple framing techniques so that we’ll have fi ne art prints that exceed 100 years of longevity.

T
his kind of permanence is unheard of with traditional
color photographic prints (silver halide). What this means
for us as artists and photographers is that we don’t have
to experiment to figure out the best combination of products
to showcase and preserve our work. The complete solution is
what I call the perfect matched set of ink, media, coatings, and
framing that will maximize the life of a print. Ansel Adams only
dreamed of having this kind of control.
Previously, we would mix and match combinations of ink,
media, coatings, and frames and hope for the best. This resulted
in prints that sometimes faded in as little as six months. A major
problem was the cracking of canvas, which would happen as soon
as the print went to the framer. Protection from the elements was
another major issue—atmospheric conditions including ozone,
smog, and human error
in print treatment caused
prints to degrade (fade,
crack, or yellow) sooner
than they should. Before
engineers figured out
the proper chemically
and molecularly matched
combinations, there was
no guarantee of print life.
Let’s discuss some simple techniques for increasing the long-
evity of your prints, while at the same time assuring you that
you can prevent these problems from happening. Because of
the nature of the complete solution, I must be specific with the
combination of products that fit this requirement. I’m trying
to make this as hands-on as possible but in doing so, I must
mention manufacturers and products to guarantee your
success. I’ve tested the following products and confirmed
they work together successfully. Also, they’ve been tested
and confirmed by the independent consulting

ts not
prints displayed prinbulb)
splayed ed (bare
with epson di r glass fram
nvas printed
paper & caome k3 ink on an sp980 0 framed unde
37 years
ultrachr ) 62 years 75 years
et fo r Ep so n (Color 166 years
lv
Somerset Ve Print Shield 34 years
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

t w it h years
Somer se
r (Color) 56 years 55 years
rt Ve lv et Fi ne Art Pape ld >7 5
PremierA Print Shie 46 years
Velvet with 75 years
PremierArt 60 years
olor) 85 years >100 years
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Prem h Print Shield ld >100 years
w it
Premie rA rt
h Ec o Print Shie >60 years
w it >90 years
PremierArt >141 years
et fo r Ep so n (Adv BW ) >200 years
lv
Somerset Ve Print Shield >112 years
ith >115 years >118 years
Somerset w BW )
et Fi ne A rt Paper (Adv >178 years
Epson Velv it h Pr in t Shield >76 years
et w >105 years
Epson Velv BW ) >100 years
WR Ca nv as (A dv >150 years >100 years
PremierArt h Pr int Shield >150 years
rt w it
PremierA h Ec o Print Shield
w it
092 PremierArt
firm, Wilhelm Imaging Research (for more information, visit www
.wilhelm-research.com). Initial tests take in excess of two years to
complete and are followed by ongoing evaluations.
THE PRODUCT LINEUP FOR
THE COMPLETE SOLUTION
Epson and Hewlett-Packard provide the inks, and Premier Imaging
Products provides the coatings. These are the only manufacturers
that meet the complete solution requirements to date. More
manufacturers, such as Canon, are working to be added. Let’s
look at the application of coatings because, unbeknown to the
consumer, approximately 90% of all custom framing somehow
damages the artwork. A simple education in print finishing will
ensure that the framing process won’t damage your art.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR CANVAS
Supplies needed for the coating process are: a high-density foam
roller (available in the paint section of your local hardware store);
foam core (to tape your canvas to); tape (to keep your canvas from
slipping during rolling); and PremierArt Eco Print Shield, which is
water-based and has no hazardous fumes. In addition to waterproofing
the canvas, it’s the only product available that cross-links into the
inkjet receiver layer that eliminates unacceptable cracking when
the canvas is stretched. Although this isn’t the only product of its
kind on the market, it’s currently the only product that meets the
specifications of the complete solution.
You can apply Eco Print Shield by either spraying or rolling. Although
spraying is more efficient and timesaving, it has an initial investment.
Rolling has the same quality as spraying but requires no real special
setup. Because this is extremely easy to do, we’ll cover rolling.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that the temperature range
for application is 50–90°F. Begin by taping the corners of your canvas
to a piece of oversized foam core. Continue by pouring Eco Print Shield
into a paint tray, soak your foam roller in the tray, and then start rolling
the canvas. Only use two motions when rolling: toward you and away
from you. During the rolling process, only use the weight of the roller;
don’t use any downward pressure. When using a 6" roller, do sections
of about 18", apply the coating by flooding the surface, and then use
the roller to even it out. Don’t use excessive rolling! It’s okay to see
Randy Hufford, founder of the Institute of Visual Arts (www.ivamaui.com) on Maui, is a digital print master and photographic artist with 30
years’ experience operating a custom photo lab and art reproduction house. He’s also featured in a new training DVD series, The Perfect Print,
produced by Software Cinema.
a few lines as these will dry evenly and your successive coats will even
out the finished product. When applying the coating, it’s white and
becomes clear as it dries; let it dry before applying additional coats,
which will usually take 5–30 minutes. You can speed up the drying
process by circulating air and lowering the humidity. When the product
is completely clear, apply another coat. Repeat application for a total
of three coats.
Your first two coats
will always be glossy and
the final coat will be your
desired surface of glossy,
satin, or matte. This tech-
nique will ensure the deepest,
darkest blacks. You can
rotate your print 90° for the additional coats if you see unevenness.
Also, you’ll find the first coat requires more product than the succes-
sive coats. A great test to confirm the thickness and success of your
application is to take a corner of your canvas and fold it—crease it
then make sure there’s no cracking. In doing the fold test, some
customers find two coats satisfactory, whereas others find three or
four coats more to their liking. For that high-gloss look, add additional
coats of glossy.
PRESERVING YOUR
FINE ART PRINTS
Always begin with a solvent-based coating. Because fine art papers
are 100% cotton, the water from water-based products causes the
paper to cockle if used in the first coat. Through our testing, we
found that PremierArt’s Print Shield, available as an aerosol, is the
only product that reaches the complete solution rating.
Start by taping the corners of your print to an oversized piece
of foam core. Position the print vertically, and then lightly spray from
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
a distance of 10–12" with a 50% overlap, moving from right to left,
keeping the can parallel to the print. Allow to dry for approximately
3–5 minutes, rotate the print 90°, and repeat the spraying process.
For best results, two or three coats may be required. If this is your
desired appearance, you’re done. If you want to change the appear-
ance to either a glossy, satin, or matte, then follow the procedure
outlined above for rolling out Eco Print Shield. N
093
ALL IMAGES BY RANDY HUFFORD
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Photoshop User magazine Library Develop Slideshow Print Web

Lightroom
Adobe® Photoshop® ®

section

100

104 109
96 104 108
 By Matt Kloskowski

Is it just me or is there a missing link between Lightroom and Photoshop that no one is talking about? We’ve all
heard the talk about how Lightroom is the new professional workflow application for photographers, but what
about Photoshop? Isn’t Photoshop also the tool for photographers? What kind of work are you supposed to do
in Lightroom and what kind of work in Photoshop? And how do the two applications integrate? These are all
great questions (especially because I wrote them), and I’d like to set the record straight.
N
ow that you have two programs to deal with, it probably slider. The Fill Light slider lets us bring back any detail in the shadows.
seems like your photographic workflow is more difficult. Finally, the Blacks slider adds a little punch to the darker areas of the
Actually, the opposite is true: There are clear-cut boundaries photo. Keep this in mind: Not every photo needs to have every setting
for developing your photo versus finishing your photo. Lightroom adjusted. For example, sometimes there are no highlights to recover, so
has a place and Photoshop has a place—it’s just a matter of figuring it’s totally fine to not move the Recovery slider. Don’t sweat it if you
out what those roles are, and that’s what we’re going to do. don’t change a slider or two
in this section.
Begin in Lightroom
Lightroom is the place where you catalog, sort, and do lots of other
nondeveloping tasks with your photos. But it’s also the place where
you develop them. When you’re in Lightroom, think global. Just
about everything you’re doing to the photo is a global change. For
example, if you pump up the blue saturation in the sky, you’ll also be
increasing the saturation in everything else that’s blue in the photo.
Let’s go ahead and take a step-by-step look at a typical Lightroom-to-
Photoshop-to-Lightroom workflow.

STEP ONE: The first step is to correct the overall color of the photo, and
white balance is where you do it. You can make these adjustments us-
ing the Quick Develop panel in the Library module, but it’s much easier
and you get more control when using the Basic panel in the Develop After adjusting the Tone
module. This is where you’ll spend a majority of your time in Lightroom. settings, I typically move
The white balance controls are at the top of the Basic panel. Now, down to the Presence area
there are a few different ways to adjust white balance, so use which- and adjust the Clarity, Vib-
ever method you prefer—they all do the same thing in the end. For rance, and Saturation sliders.
this photo, it looks a bit on the cool side, so we’re going to move the
Temp slider to the right to warm it a little. STEP THREE: Now let’s move
down to the Tone Curve panel
to add contrast. Think of this
as making the whites whiter
and the blacks blacker. While
it’s possible to adjust all of the
sliders here to taste, 95% of
the time I take the easy road
and pick one of the presets
from the Point Curve menu at
the bottom of the panel. The
Strong Contrast setting works
well for our photo.

STEP FOUR: If there’s a specific

color in the photo that you want
to boost or change the intensity
of, then move down to the HSL/
Color/Grayscale panel and target
that color. You’ll see you can
STEP TWO: The next thing we need to do is adjust the overall tone adjust the Hue, Saturation, or
of the photo. This part deals mainly with how dark or light the photo Luminance (Lightness) of only
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

is and how to adjust those areas. The nice thing about this workflow that color. In our photo, we’re go-
is that it’s really easy to remember. Why? Because we start at the top ing to increase the Satura-
and work our way down. White balance was first (and at the top). tion of the reds on the gas
The tonal adjustments are the next four settings: Exposure, Recov- pump. We’ll get away with
ery, Fill Light, and Blacks. I usually adjust them in order from top to a little, but don’t forget that
bottom, but feel free to go back and forth to make more adjustments everything in Lightroom
as you work on the photo. affects the entire photo. So
Our photo is a little too dark, so we increased the Exposure slider not only are we increasing
by about a stop and a quarter (a whole number equals an f-stop). the reds on the gas pump,
Increasing the Recovery slider allows us to bring back some of the but also in everything else
highlight detail that we may have lost by increasing the Exposure that’s red in the photo. 097
 STEP FIVE (OPTIONAL): Believe it or not, you might be done by this list, then increase the Saturation. Click OK to close the dialog. As in
point. Don’t forget that if the photo needs to be cropped or straight- Lightroom, all of the reds will become more saturated. But because
ened, now is a good time to do it (you can do it first if you prefer). we’re in Photoshop, we can use the mask that comes with the adjust-
Also, there’s no official rule that every photo you process must be ment layer to remove the increased redness from the areas where
edited in Photoshop. If you’re happy with the photo at this point, we don’t want it. Simply choose the Brush tool (B), press D then X to
then you can apply some finishing touches right here in Lightroom. make black your Foreground color, and paint away.
For example, you can convert to black and white or even add a color
tint to your photo with the Grayscale or Split Toning panels. STEP THREE: Now we move to selective tone adjustments. In
Lightroom, everything we did to the shadows and highlights was
Now, on to Photoshop global. We couldn’t really work on just one area of the photo. That’s
where Photoshop shines. There are lots of ways to do this, but good
In Lightroom, you can’t make selections or masks and apply some-
old-fashioned dodging and burning works great. For example, the
thing to one area only; changes are global. This is where Photoshop
background is a little too bright here, so let’s choose the Burn tool,
comes in, and our photo can definitely benefit from the ability to
drop the Exposure setting down to about 10%, and start painting
make selections in Photoshop. So where do we start?
on the Background layer to darken it. We’ll also use the Dodge tool
around some of the light areas on the gas pump to make them
STEP ONE: Lightroom and Photoshop work well together, so you
even lighter. What we’re really doing here is selectively lighten-
have an easy way to move your image to Photoshop. Just click the
ing and darkening parts of the photo, which is something that we
Photo menu and choose Edit in Adobe Photoshop [version]. A dia-
couldn’t do in Lightroom.
log will appear asking which options you want to use for this photo.
Choose Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments and then expand
the Copy File Op-
tions to see your
choices. A safe bet
is to choose PSD
for the File Format,
ProPhoto RGB for
the Color Space,
and 16 bits/com-
ponent for the Bit
Depth (although
8 bits works just
fine for most of
my photos). Click
Edit and the
image will open
in Photoshop.

STEP TWO: The first

thing we’ll do in STEP FOUR: The next step is retouching. We’ll begin with the
Photoshop is work Spot Healing Brush tool and remove some of those dark, distract-
with color. Remem- ing spots on the red areas on the gas pump. The Healing Brush
ber, we started out and Clone Stamp tools are also your friends, and they’re great for
in Lightroom with removing distractions from your photo.
white balancing and This is also a great
color correcting. In time to do any of
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Photoshop, we can those special effects

do similar things but or photo enhance-
we can work selectively. ments. A perfect
In our example, we want example for this
to boost only the reds in photo would be blur-
the coverings above the ring the background
door. Click the Create New more with the Gauss-
Adjustment Layer icon at ian Blur filter. This
the bottom of the Layers will help enhance the
panel and choose Hue/ depth of field that’s
Saturation from the list. In already there. To do
the Hue/Saturation dialog, this, click on the Background layer and press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J)
098 choose Reds from the Edit to duplicate it (Background copy). Then click the Filter menu and
choose Blur>Gaussian Blur. We entered a Radius setting of 5 pixels. click the Filter menu and choose Sharpen>Smart Sharpen. We set
Click OK. This blurs the entire photo. But don’t forget that we’re in the Amount to 120 and the Radius to 1 pixel. We also chose the Lens
Photoshop, so we have masks. Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the Blur setting from the Remove list at the bottom. Click OK to apply
bottom of the Layers the sharpening to your photo.
panel, then paint with Once again, what’s really cool about Photoshop is that if you
a black brush over the sharpen an area you didn’t want to, just add a layer mask to the
gas pump to reveal the sharpened layer, and paint with black to remove the sharpening
sharper layer below from any parts of the photo where it doesn’t belong (such as the
it. Now we have the background here, or someone’s face in a portrait).
best of both worlds—
a blurred background
with a sharp subject.
Back to Lightroom
When you’re done with all of your Photoshop adjustments, it’s time
to go back to Lightroom. Choose File>Save and Photoshop auto-
matically saves it back in your Lightroom catalog. When you go back
to Lightroom, you’re going to have two photos—the original RAW
file and the newly edited PSD file (tagged with -Edit).

STEP FIVE: Speaking of sharp (how do you like that segue?), Light-
room has some sharpening controls (and they’re definitely good to
use if you’re not going to move the photo into Photoshop), but a
majority of your sharpening
will be done in Photoshop.
Here’s what I like to do:
The RAW file is the exact same image that you processed in
Click the topmost layer in
Lightroom before opening it in Photoshop. It doesn’t have any of
your Layers panel, then
the Photoshop edits that you just did. The PSD file that’s right next
get ready for a really long
to it has all of those changes; in fact, you can select that file and
keyboard shortcut. Press
choose Photo>Edit in Adobe Photoshop [version] again, but choose
Command-Option-Shift-E
Edit Original this time and Lightroom will send that PSD file back
(PC: Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E) and
into Photoshop with all of the layers intact from the previous edit.
Photoshop will create a new
So make sure you understand: RAW file = Lightroom only; PSD file =
layer on top of all the other
Lightroom + Photoshop.
layers in your Layers panel.
This layer is a total compos-
ite of all layers below it. It’s Output
almost like flattening with- At this point, your photo is back in Lightroom and it behaves just
out the flatten part. Then like every other photo in Lightroom. You can add it to a collection,
edit the metadata, and even adjust it in the Develop module as
we did at the beginning of this tutorial. But what we’re really after
here is output. You’ve gone through the steps to make the photo
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

look great and now you need to show it in some way. That’s what
the Web, Slideshow, and Print modules are for. You can use your
edited photo in each of these modules as you would any other
photo in Lightroom.

In the end
Although we have two programs to use instead of one, I believe
processing a digital photo is simpler. You probably think I’m crazy for
saying that but here’s the thing: No longer is Photoshop a daunting
program for photographers. I have a set path I follow in Lightroom
and a set path I follow in Photoshop to get the job done. Q 099

ALL IMAGES BY MATT KLOSKOWSKI

 FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER
Andrew Wheeler
Originally from the UK, during the ’80s I dabbled in moody black-and-white architectural photography. Following
a layoff from the high-tech world and with the help of my wife, Emily, I picked up the camera again and launched my
business and career. Currently, I travel all over the U.S. covering the AMA Superbike series as Road Racer X magazine’s
Senior Photographer. When that season ends, I cover select MotoGP races worldwide, which is the top level of motorcycle
racing. As a freelancer, I work with many of the world’s top motorcycle magazines, publications, and manufacturers. I also
publish my own annual review.

Q. Can you give us a short list of the equipment you use?

I use Canon EOS-1D, 1D Mark II, 1D Mark II N, and a PowerShot G9.

Q. When did you know you wanted to be a photographer? Who influenced you?
I started as an equine photographer. Strangely enough, it was our horse Ginger’s illness that brought me back into the world of
photography. I took photographs of her hooves to allow a team of vets in Texas to determine how to help her.
As a longtime Formula 1 fan, a trip to Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, for the 2004 race put motorsports on my radar. Having been
influenced by the works of Robert Vavra, Darren Heath, and Paul-Henri Cahier, I set out to develop my own style and bring it to the
world of motorcycle racing. I’ve always loved motorcycles and motorcycle racing. It was a cold winter when my equine work ground
to a halt, and I found myself at an AMA testing session at Laguna Seca. The rest is history!

Q. What’s your favorite feature in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom?

The import rendering engine and the speed at which minute adjustments to the exposure and other image factors are updated
visually, which allows for quick edits and image finishing.

Q. What’s the most challenging part of photographing a race?

Telling a story. My goal is to communicate the excitement, color, and pageantry of the event and keep everything in context. There’s
so much more to a motorcycle race weekend than a shot of a rider with his knee on the ground. The geographical features and person-
ality of the track, the enthusiasm of the fans, and the character of the riders and support personnel all are integral to the event as a sum
of the whole, and the racing is what binds the occasion. I like to feel I can give some
insight to a hard-core race fan, and hopefully communicate the same to someone
who might not have ever watched a motorcycle race.

Q. Do you have a favorite track, event, or location to photograph?

In the U.S., it has to be Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Because of its
length and layout, it presents many opportunities to experiment and try new ideas.
Internationally, it’s the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on the southern tip of
Australia. The unpredictable weather, unique light, available backgrounds, and the
freedom to roam and work an idea or concept all play into giving me the chance to
capture something truly memorable and different year after year.

Q. Are there any secrets to panning?

Practice, practice, and more practice. Maintaining a correct posture, turning from
the waist and then following through from the beginning to the end of the pan, is
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

essential. Of course, having the correct settings is also important!

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon 70–200mm,
1/1000 at f/6.3, 200mm, CR2
Contact Andrew Wheeler at www.automotophoto.com

Folders/Andrew Wheeler

100
 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Section

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon 400mm +1.4x, 1/800 at f/8, 560mm, CR2

Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon 70–200mm, 1/1600 at f/3.5, 200mm, CR2 Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon 70–200mm, 1/800 at f/8, 170mm, CR2
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

101
 Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon 70–200mm, 1/320 at f/7.1, 110mm, CR2

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon 500mm, 1/500 at f/6.3, 500mm, CR2

› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon 300mm, 1/800 at f/8, 300mm, CR2 Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon 24–70mm, 1/1250 at f/7.1, 70mm, CR2

Lightroom users, if you’d like to be considered for the “Featured Photographer,” email letters@photoshopuser.com.

102
UNDER THE LOUPE
Understanding the Role of the Database, Part 2
Rob Sylvan
In the last issue, we discussed the role of the database and how it works with
the preview cache in Lightroom. This issue, we’ll wrap up this discussion with
a look at how to manage and safeguard your catalog files.
. . . .
. . . .
R
ecent updates to Lightroom have brought enhance-
ments to managing and maintaining the catalog file.
The Catalog Settings dialog (File>Catalog Settings)
provides a number of key controls for managing your
catalog and its associated preview cache. The settings we’ll
discuss are found on the General and File Handling tabs.
The General tab’s Information section provides detailed
information about the catalog in use. Clicking the Show
button will open the folder containing your catalog in
Finder (PC: Explorer). If you use multiple catalogs and are
ever unsure about which one you’re using or where it’s
located, this is the place to look.
The next item to configure is how often you run the cata-
log backup function. It’s important to note that the backup
function doesn’t back up your photos (remember, they’re
never actually in Lightroom), but it can help protect against
data loss by automating the process of creating backup
copies of your catalog. A full system backup procedure is
still required to protect all your data.
As a practical matter, should you ever need to call your
latest backup into active duty, you’re going to want it to be
as fresh as possible. Your scheduling choices range from Never
to Every Time Lightroom Starts. Setting it to run Once a Day
is a safe choice. No matter what frequency you set, the backup
function only runs when Lightroom starts, so if you want to
force a backup after a good day’s work, set it to Every Time
Lightroom Starts, then close and restart Lightroom to trigger
the backup. In the Back Up Catalog dialog, click the Choose
button to configure the destination folder for where the
copies are saved. Checking the Test Integrity of This Catalog
X Y
box will add a few minutes to the backup process to check
for corruption in the database.
Repair the catalog
Catalog repair functionality was a welcome addition in ver-
sion 1.3. If Lightroom detects a corrupt catalog, it will alert
you and provide an option to attempt a repair. If a corrupt
catalog cannot be repaired, then you’ll have to fall back on
your most recent backup file. Because the backup is an exact
copy of your database, you can move the corrupt database
out of the Lightroom folder and replace it with your most
recent backup copy to restore Lightroom to the same point
it was when the backup was run.
Each backup creates a new copy, and it’s up to the user to
manage the backup files so that they don’t fill up the hard
drive. I periodically delete all but the most recent copies. If
you’ve been regularly running your backups without clearing
out the old ones, you may have several gigs of hard drive
space waiting to be recovered. To delete backup folders,
go to Users/[Username]/Pictures/Lightroom/Backups
(PC: Documents and Settings\[Username]\My Documents\
My Pictures\Lightroom\Backups).
In the Optimize section you’ll find the Relaunch and Opti-
mize button. One click will close Lightroom, run housekeeping
functions on the catalog which can reduce its size and improve
performance, then relaunch the application. Large catalogs
will benefit most from this process.
Configure preview quality
On the File Handling tab, the Preview Cache section has
three options that affect the size of the preview cache.
Standard-sized previews are created for every imported
image and are stored indefinitely (you can imagine the
cumulative effect over time), so setting the pixel dimen-
sions amount of JPEG compression has an impact. The
default 1440 pixels combined with a Medium quality setting
is good for most users. The 1:1 previews are just that, full-size
previews of your source images. Having cached 1:1 previews
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speeds up response time at the expense of disk space, so
configuring Lightroom to Automatically Discard 1:1 Previews
After 30 Days is a nice compromise. Q
103
 WORKING CREATIVELY IN LIGHTROOM
Creative Split Toning
Angela Drury
Split toning images in Lightroom is a fun and easy way to add creativity to your
photographs. If, like me, you’re rarely satisfied with straight black-and-white images,
then experimenting with split toning is definitely worth your time.
. . . .
S
plit toning is a classic darkroom technique that has
long been favored by photographers working with
alternative photographic processes. Technically, split
toning refers to using chemical toners to add both warm
and cold tones to an image after it has been developed.
In contrast, the sepia- or selenium-toning process adds a
single tone to an image to give it one uniform tone.
Working with any alternative process such as split ton-
ing takes many hours of experimentation in the darkroom.
When the toning process is successful, the effect can be
stunning, ranging from subtle to extreme tones in the
photograph. The colors produced usually range from red
and blue to green and violet.
Why use split toning?
Toning adds a heightened sense of beauty to an image and
gives it depth not always present with straight black and
white. I love monochromatic images, but I’m rarely satisfied
with black and white and find that working with the Split
Toning panel is an essential part of my Lightroom workflow.
Fortunately, the experimentation is a lot simpler in the
digital darkroom, and Lightroom makes it easy to try many
variations before committing to a blend of tones. Because
editing in Lightroom is nondestructive, we can change the
image as many times as we like and have as many varia-
tions as we want. Similar to the classic split-toning process,
highlights are tinted one shade of color and the shadow
areas are tinted another. With split toning in Lightroom,
much of the trial and error has been streamlined and we
have total control over the shades of color assigned to the
highlight and shadow tonal values.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
104
X Y
Split toning is typically applied to grayscale or RGB black-
and-white images, but it also works well with color images.
I often add a bit of split-tone tint to enhance a particular color
in an image or to create more interest by adding a tinge of
overall color. Let’s take a closer look at the split-toning tech-
nique starting with a grayscale image.
STEP ONE: Convert your image to grayscale by clicking the
Grayscale option in the Basic panel, or choose the General –
Grayscale preset in the Presets panel’s Lightroom Presets folder.
STEP TWO: Make any needed adjustments for exposure,
contrast, etc. The image can also be finely adjusted with the
HSL/Color/Grayscale panel sliders. For our image, we adjusted
exposure because the grayscale conversion was too light. We
also adjusted the Blacks slider in the Basic panel to add depth
to the image.
STEP THREE: When the grayscale conversion looks good, make
adjustments to the Split Toning sliders until you have a mix
that works with the image. This is the fun part!
Experimenting with various slider combinations can
achieve some interesting and lovely tonal effects. Adjust the
Saturation slider to fine-tune the balance of the split tone.
Basically, it will adjust the amount of color applied to the light
and dark values and can alter the mix dramatically. After trying
many variations, we finally decided to go with a pink tone for
the highlights and a green tone for the shadows. Then we
decreased the saturation to slightly enhance the green tone,
which softened the pink tone just a bit.
STEP FOUR: Make final adjustments to any other panel set-
tings to add extra drama and to compensate for changes in the
newly toned image. It’s a good practice to check other settings
when you make a major change to an image, such as adding or
taking away color. For our image, we increased the Blacks slider
a bit and made incremental increases to the Brightness and
Contrast sliders until it had the right mood.
STEP FIVE: The last adjustment we made was to darken the
edges and add to the moody tone using the Lens Vignetting
sliders in the Lens Corrections panel. We also made a final
adjustment to the Clarity slider in the Basic panel (see next page).

Save effects as presets
Below is an example of split toning
added to an RGB black-and-white
image. I used a black-and-white
preset from my library with a
dark contrast to make the initial
conversion, then made a couple
of minor adjustments to further
enhance the image before add-
ing the split tone. For the split
tone, I chose a warm tone for the highlights and a cold blue
tone for the shadows. No adjustment was needed for Satura-
tion, but if I wanted to tone down the blue and add more
warmth, I could increase the slider slightly.
Before
After
Angela Drury is an award-winning photographer with 18 years’ experience shooting film and digital. She has received numerous
awards and has been featured in several group and solo shows. Angela lives in San Francisco and works at Adobe Systems Inc.
To see her photography, visit www.angeladrury.com.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Section
When you have the
split-tone adjustment
perfectly set to your lik-
ing, save the settings as
a preset so it can be used
again. Every time you get
a split-tone effect that
looks interesting, save
it to the Presets panel.
Before long, you’ll have
an extensive collection
of split-tone presets,
which will increase pro-
ductivity and boost your
creative workflow.
To add a new preset,
click the Create New Preset
icon (+) at the top right
of the Presets panel. To save only the Split Toning settings,
click the Check None button at the bottom of the New
Develop Preset dialog; select Treatment (Grayscale), Split
Toning, and Lens Vignetting; name your preset and choose a
folder; then click Create. You can also save the entire series
of setting adjustments. Try both and see which works best
on your images. [For more information on working with pre-
sets, see Photoshop User, Jan/Feb 2008, p. 100.—Ed.]
I have a stock set of about ten split-tone presets that I use
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
regularly in my workflow. I prefer soft, subtle shades for
most of my images but the possibilities are endless—you
can achieve some really dramatic effects with relative ease.
For even more color fun when working with RGB images,
try adding saturation from the Basic panel back into the
image after you add split toning. The results can be unex-
pected and awesome! Q
ALL IMAGES BY ANGELA DRURY
105
 UNDER THE HOOD
Lightroom Color Management
Angela Drury X Y

Understanding and managing color can be challenging. We’ve all experienced frustrat-
ing printing results and wasted tons of ink and paper trying to get the equation right.
Lightroom does a great job of simplifying the equation, but understanding color
spaces and color management is still an important part of the printing process.
. . . .

C
olor theory and management is a complex science.
Luckily, we don’t have to comprehend it all to get great-
looking prints, but a knowledge of the basic concepts
is important. The first step in getting accurate color is to under-
stand color space and how it connects photographic devices.
First, let’s cover a few color definitions used in this article.

Color model: A system used to numerically describe colors,

which can include Red, Green, Blue (RGB); Hue, Saturation,
Lightness (HSL); Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (CMYK); and
Lightness, a, b (Lab Color).

Color space: A specific gamut or range of color within a

JEFF SCHEWE
color model.

Gamut: The complete range of colors used by a device.

ICC profile: A file that describes how a device reads and
reproduces color. The International Color Consortium (ICC)
group was established to promote the standardization of
color management.
RGB: The color model that represents Red, Green, and Blue
additive primary colors, which means that any color in
the visual spectrum can be created using combinations of
these colors.
The RGB color model is used with digital photography and
printing devices, and it contains three main color spaces:
sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998), and ProPhoto RGB. Each of these
color spaces embodies a range or gamut of colors within
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
Another way to visualize color space is to imagine the
entire visual spectrum as a 3D box containing all colors of
the spectrum. Think of each color space as a balloon inside
the box. The volume of each balloon represents the range
of color contained within a particular color space. Larger
color spaces such as Adobe RGB take up more space in the
spectrum and contain more colors than smaller spaces like
sRGB. This is important because colors falling outside the
area of coverage (think areas outside the balloon) cannot
be accurately represented and will result in undesirable or
unexpected color conversions as the device attempts to fit
the color somewhere within its known colors. This is called
color clipping.

the color spectrum: sRGB representing the narrowest range
of color; Adobe RGB representing a wider range; and Pro-
Photo RGB representing the widest possible range.
The best way to understand how color spaces relate to
each other is by a visual demonstration. This map shows
how much of the color spectrum (the color oval in the
background) is encompassed in each color space. Also
shown is the color limit of the Epson 2200 printer. Mac
users can also visualize color space gamut by navigating
to Hard Drive/Applications/Utilities/ColorSync Utility and
viewing the System profiles.
106
Three color spaces defined
The basic color space that all digital devices, cameras,
printers, and monitors are able to match is sRGB. It’s also
the color space most widely used for Web design, but
generally doesn’t represent a wide enough color gamut
for photographic printing.
Adobe RGB (1998) has a fairly large color gamut and is
the most widely used color space for photographic work.
It’s also excellent for RGB-to-CMYK conversions.
ProPhoto RGB has a wide color gamut that most closely
matches the color range of RAW image captures, and it’s
 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Section

profiles can also be obtained from fine art paper manufac-

TROUBLESHOOTING
tures and are usually tailored for certain popular printer
If you’re experiencing color-matching issues, check models. This comes in handy if you’re using a paper not
what color space your camera is using and adjust or specifically recommended by your printer. Once the paper-
set if needed. Most cameras that offer a choice have specific profile is installed, you can select it from the Color
the option of sRGB or Adobe RGB, and cameras that Management setting of the Print module. Don’t forget
don’t offer a choice are likely using sRGB.
to disable or turn off Color Management in your printer
settings in the Print module’s Print Job panel so Lightroom
is in control of the color management.
the only color space that can contain all of the colors a
digital camera can produce. By default, Lightroom uses Enabling Lightroom to control the print process using a
a wide color space similar to ProPhoto RGB with a linear known profile for the printer and paper combination, in
gamma, which most closely matches the color range and conjunction with a properly calibrated monitor, should
gamma of RAW files captured by digital cameras. At Adobe, produce very accurate color and hopefully take any frus-
this color space is known as MRGB or Melissa RGB, named tration out of the printing process. Q
for Lightroom QE Manager Melissa Gaul.
It’s important to note that RAW images can be in any
color space and Lightroom will handle the color automati-
cally, provided the file has an embedded profile. If an image
file doesn’t have an embedded color space, Lightroom will
default to using sRGB. Color management in Lightroom is
meant to be simple and happen seamlessly without the
need for a lot of color knowledge.

Take control
As mentioned previously, the native color model used by
monitors and printing devices to represent color is RGB.
Although all colors of the visible spectrum can be produced
by merging red, green, and blue light, monitors are capable
of displaying only a limited range of the visible spectrum.
To further complicate matters, not all digital devices repre-
sent the spectrum of colors in the same way. Each device
has its own characteristics and ways of interpreting and
outputting color, resulting in the need for a color manage-
ment system of device-specific profiles to describe and
translate color from device to device.
This is where ICC profiles come into the picture. An ICC
profile is specific to an input or output device and contains
information for the successful translation of its color charac-
teristics. ICC profiles are located in the directory Library/Color-
Sync/Profiles (PC: Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color).
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

Generally speaking, an easy, best practice for success-

ful printing is using the ICC profiles supplied by the printer
manufacturer for the type of printer paper you’re using. ICC

107
 Rafael “RC” Concepcion X Y

LIGHTROOM Q & A
Q. Why can’t I delete pictures right from a collection? Is there room galleries, and then make subfolders for each gallery. For
any quick way to do this? example, if I were setting up a Lightroom gallery on a brand-new
When you create a collection, the photos you put in the collec- website, I’d call the first folder I made “lrg,” and then all of the
tion reference the original files in the catalog, much like the way other galleries would fall under that one. So, every time you make
a playlist in iTunes references your original music files. When a new gallery, the path to it will be lrg/gallery1, lrg/gallery2, etc.
you select an image in a collection and press Delete (PC: Back- Click OK.
space), it removes the photo from the collection but leaves it Now, just click the Upload button and you’re ready to go.
in the catalog. Remember, when you give someone the website address, it will
The problem is that when you Option-Delete (PC: Shift- be www.[yoursite].com/lrg/gallery1. And share it with us—we’d
Backspace) the photo in the collection, it removes the file from love to see it.
the catalog but doesn’t delete it from the hard drive. Ideally, if
you set up a collection you should have the option to delete the
picture, but you don’t.
Here’s what you can do: Highlight the images in your collection
that you want to delete and click on All Photographs in the Library
panel. This leaves all of the pictures highlighted and takes you to
the first highlighted image on the grid. From there, Control-click
(PC: Right-click) on one of the images and select Delete Photos.
RAFAEL “RC” CONCEPCION

Q. How can I make sure that when I trim a photo, I’m cutting
on the very edge of it?
The answer is Crop Marks. Go to the Overlays panel in the Print
module and you’ll see a section called Page Options. Check the
Page Options box then check Crop Marks and crop marks will print
on the edge of the print so you can make a steady cut. (Note:
If you can’t see crop marks, drag the guides until they appear.)
Also, make sure you switch to decaf. That works for me. Q

Q. I want to install the ICC profiles on my new printer to use

in Lightroom. Where do I install them?
For Mac users, go to your hard drive, then select Library/Color
Sync/Profiles and copy them there. For Windows XP and
Windows Vista users, you can go to C:\Windows\system32\
spool\drivers\color. Vista also lets you Right-click on the ICC
profile to install it.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

Q. I noticed that the Web module supports FTP. How do I use

this with my website?
STEPHEN ZIMIC

When you sign up for a website, you’ll usually get an email from
the Web hosting company welcoming you to the fold. After that
initial email, you’ll get a second email that contains publishing
information: the FTP address, username, password, and home
directory (or root) of your website. You can then copy-and-paste If you have a Lightroom question you’d like to see published
that information into the Upload Settings panel in the Web in this column, please send it to letters@photoshopuser.com.
module. Simply click on the Custom Settings menu and choose
If, however, you’d like your question answered immediately,
Edit to bring up the Configure FTP File Transfer dialog.
go to the Help Desk at www.photoshopuser.com.
I recommend that you make a folder to hold all of your Light-

108
 Chris Orwig X
X Y
Y

LIGHTROOM Tips & Tricks

There’s something fun about reaching your hand into a grab bag copy, which was the initial black-and-white conversion. Give this
and pulling out a prize. And how does that relate to this issue’s one a try and you’ll discover that this extra bit of flexibility will
Lightroom tips? Well, I like to think of the tips this issue as a bag full speed up your creative process.
of goodies. Reach in, pick one out, and enjoy!

Quick-launch Slideshow
Lightroom is all about
the photographer’s
workflow, yet when I’m
editing and process-
ing my images, I can
easily get caught up
in the work and forget
about the flow. It’s in
these moments that
it’s essential to take a
break from working on
my images; otherwise,
there’s a risk of neglect-
Graffiti and Lightroom
ing to enjoy the photos!
Recently, I was walking around London with camera in hand and
So here’s what I do
I came across some teenagers painting graffiti artwork on a wall.
on a regular basis to
Nonchalantly, I asked them why they were into graffiti. They said,
keep my passion and
“Because it’s quick and cool.” Believe it or not, that got me think-
appreciation alive. First, I Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) a handful
ing about the Painter tool in Lightroom because it’s definitely
of my favorite images from the set that I’m working on to select
quick and cool. First, press G to enter Grid view in the Library
them. Next, I press Command-Return (PC: Ctrl-Enter) to quickly
module. Next, select the Painter tool in the Toolbar. After you’ve
launch the slideshow (called an Impromptu Slideshow) with
selected the tool, you can choose to paint Keywords, Label, Flag,
the most recent slideshow settings. Then I let go of the mouse,
Rating, Metadata, Settings, and Rotation.
stand up, and enjoy the show. This gives me a fresh perspective,
Let’s choose Rating. Then to the right set the number of stars.
and don’t we learn this all the time from making photographs?
The number you choose will show up inside the Painter icon. Now
Sometimes the best images are the result of a subtle change of
click-and-drag across multiple images or click on an image. If you
view. Although this slideshow tip is small, it continually helps me
hover over an image that has been “painted,” the Painter icon will
change my perspective and thus become a better photographer.
turn into an Eraser. Now when you click on an image, it will erase
what was previously applied with the Painter tool. Q
Virtual copy flexibility
Consider the following scenario: You’re working on an image and
press the V key to quickly convert it to black and white. Then you
decide to apply Contrast and Clarity adjustments. Finally, you add
some Split Toning. At this point, you’re not sure if you like the Con-
trast, Clarity, and Split Toning effects, but there isn’t a quick way to
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

see a before and after view. If you press the Before/After shortcut
key (\), it takes the image all the way back to the original color ver-
sion. So I recommend that when you make significant adjustments
to an image, press Command-’ (PC: Ctrl-’) to create a virtual copy.
In our sample scenario, it would be beneficial to create a virtual
copy after converting the image to black and white, then continue
making adjustments on the virtual copy. So when you press the
\ key to toggle between Before and After views, or the Y key to a
split Before/After view, it will show you the first state of the virtual

ALL IMAGES BY CHRIS ORWIG 109

 reviews
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop gear
Nikon D3
Full-frame, 12.1-megapixel digital SLR camera
Imagine my excitement when
I returned from a recent trip to
find the new Nikon D3 wait-
ing for me at home. There’s
nothing like a new toy (I mean
tool) to get the juices flowing.
There has been so much hype
over the D3 that it really had to
perform to live up to its reputa-
tion. Well, perform, it did…and
then some.
Here are some highlights
that impressed me most: The
PRICE: $4,999.95 D3 is the first full-frame (FX
FOR: N/A format) camera from Nikon.
FROM: Nikon, Inc.
When I attached the AF-S
14–24mm f/2.8 lens and looked
PHONE: 800-645-6687
through the viewfinder, my
WEB: www.nikonusa.com
heart soared. Nikon has put the
RATING: XXXXX
“wide” back in wide angle with
their new FX sensor. I didn’t
realize just how much I’d been
missing with the DX format
when shooting wide angle.
The AF-S 24–70mm f/2.8 was
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
110
Review by
Laurie Excell
equally impressive in the FX
format. (It’s basically the same
as the AF-S 17–55mm f/2.8 in
the DX format.)
The word on the street was
that the D3 could shoot at
absurdly high ISOs with very
low noise. I just had to give it
a go myself and sure enough,
I was able to bump the ISO
way beyond what I’d ever
imagined—and still have excel-
lent resolution. This is a great
feature for those low-light
situations when you need to
maintain a fast shutter speed to
capture peak action. Imagine
the possibilities for those who
love to shoot concerts, dance,
nighttime football games, and
other low-light situations.
I’d also been anticipating
the 9 frames per second (11
fps in DX format). Anyone who
knows me knows that I like to
“rip” when the action is hot
and heavy. Well, the D3 can
really rip!
The new, LiveView feature
is very cool. Coupled with the
3", high-resolution LCD, it’s
a great teaching tool. Stud-
ents can gather around and
see what you’re composing
without having to stand
in line to look through the
viewfinder—excellent!
There are two CF card
slots in the camera body
with three options for
configuration: RAW/JPEG,
backup, or overflow. The
D3 also has a new neat
feature, Virtual Horizon,
which, when activated,
shows a leveling device so
that you can be sure of a per-
fectly straight horizon.
Additional features worth
mentioning include:
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conversion to 16-bit pro-
cessing for the smoothest
tonal gradations and faithful
color reproduction.
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(SRS) where the D3 analyzes
each scene and optimizes the
autofocus, auto exposure,
and white balance before the
shutter is released, making it
possible to capture the very
best image with every click of
the shutter. Scene Recogni-
tion uses color information
along with the 1,005-pixel
RGB sensor to differentiate
between the subject and the
background, rendering the
subject in sharp focus even
when panning at high speeds.
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focus acquisition with fast-
moving subjects and 15 cross-
type sensors for incredible
accuracy. Single-point AF,
Dynamic-area AF, and Auto-
area AF are available using
the Classic 11-point AF or the
new 51-point AF.
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options—Standard, Neutral,
Vivid, and Monochrome—
with the ability to control
the degree of sharpness,
contrast, brightness, satura-
tion, and hue to suit your
style of photography. You
can save the adjustments
as Custom Picture Controls
and name them for specific
shooting scenarios. Q
 reviews
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop gear
Nikon D300
“The little brother” to the Nikon D3
Considered by many to be
the little brother to the Nikon
D3, the D300 really holds its
own with many of the same
features of the higher end D3.
It may come in a small package
but don’t let that fool you into
thinking it can’t perform. Quite
the contrary; I had to rethink
my entire system strategy after
shooting with the D300.
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format camera, that isn’t a bad
thing. Those who enjoy sports,
wildlife, and long-lens photo-
PRICE: $1,799.95 (body only) graphy have come to rely on
FOR: N/A the 1.5x effective focal-length
FROM: Nikon, Inc. magnification to give our
PHONE: 800-645-6687 lenses that extra reach. While
WEB: www.nikonusa.com
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megapixels), I prefer the D300
RATING: XXXXX
with its higher resolution when
I need the magnification.
The 12.3-megapixel CMOS
sensor in the D300 has incred-
ible low-noise capability in dim
light and at high ISOs. Need
that extra shutter speed in low
light? Want more
depth of field
Review by
Laurie Excell
without sacrificing speed? Sim-
ply raise the ISO without fear
of ruining the image with noise.
What a great boon for photog-
raphers who are constantly bat-
tling the speed vs. noise issues.
With a whopping 6 frames
per second (fps), the D300 is no
slouch when it comes to action
photography. I was pleasantly
surprised at how well it kept up
with birds in flight on a recent
trip to Bosque del Apache
National Wildlife Refuge. Attach-
ing the MB-D10 Multi-Power
Battery Pack gives the D300
a vertical grip and additional
power: 8 fps with it attached. (To
achieve 8 fps, you need to use
the EH-8/a AC adapter, EN-EL4,
or AA batteries.)
Nikon’s first Self-Cleaning
Sensor employs four different
frequencies that vibrate the
low pass filter, shaking the dust
free, and reducing the pres-
ence of dust in the camera and
on the image. The camera can
be set to clean the low pass fil-
ter automatically whenever the
camera is turned on or off or
it can be set to clean manually
from the camera’s menu.
Using the same 51-point
AF system as the D3, the D300
works in tandem with Nikon’s
Scene Recognition System
(SRS) for blazing-fast lock onto
the subject and accurate focus
tracking, as well as precise auto
exposure and white balance.
Single-point AF, Dynamic-area
AF, and Auto-area AF are avail-
able using the Classic 11-point
AF or the new 51-point AF.
The analog-to-digital con-
verter features the ability to
switch between 12-bit and
14-bit conversion, making it
possible to shoot 14-bit RAW
files for smoother tonal grada-
tions and faithful color repro-
duction. Note: When in 14-bit
RAW, it drops to 2.5 fps max.
Like the D3, the D300 incor-
porates Picture Control with
four options—Standard, Neu-
tral, Vivid, and Monochrome—
with the ability to control
sharpness, contrast, brightness,
saturation, and hue to suit
your style of photography. You
can save the adjustments as
Custom Picture Controls, name
them for specific shooting sce-
narios, and transfer the settings
from one camera to another.
Other features that the D300
shares with the D3 include:
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use the 3", high-resolution
LCD screen. One mode is to
maintain precise focus and
accuracy while the camera is
mounted on a tripod, and the
second for handholding uses
the 51-point focus system
as well as the 15 cross-type
points. Focus is activated
when the shutter release is
partially depressed.
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processor for optimized per-
formance and image quality.
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
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body with numerous seals to
protect the camera against
dust and moisture.
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see is what you get.
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your images level. Q
111
 reviews
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop gear
Color Efex Pro 3 Complete Edition
Photographic filters for digital photographers
Nik Software recently released
Color Efex Pro 3 Complete
Edition. In addition to adding
the ability to run on Intel Macs
(version 2 did not), Nik Software
incorporated their U Point
technology that first appeared
in Dfine 2, which provides
direct on-image control of filter
effects and enhancements to
an image without the need
PRICE: $299.95 Complete; $159.95 Select; for masks, layers, or selections.
$99.95 Standard Color Efex Pro 3 Complete Edi-
FOR: Mac and Windows tion offers 52 filters and more
FROM: Nik Software, Inc. than 250 effects that cover a
PHONE: 619-725-3150 wide range of creative options.
WEB: www.niksoftware.com (Note: There are two other edi-
RATING: XXXXX tions of Color Efex Pro 3: Select
contains 35 filters and Standard
has 15 filters.)
For those familiar with
previous versions of Color Efex
Pro, the big question is, “What’s
new?” Quite a bit actually. The
new version offers a Filter List
that’s organized by photog-
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
112
raphy style and includes the
ability to save favorite filter
sets. The new filters range from
special effects to retouching
tools. A feature that’s becoming
popular among plug-in vendors
is conventional film emulation,
which allows the user to convert
a pristine digital photo so it
has the look (and all the limita-
tions) of conventional film
stock. I know it’s popular, but
for me it’s akin to converting a
digital recording so it sounds
like an 8-track.
Version 3 includes 30 con-
ventional film emulation filters,
including Polaroid. In keeping
with modern photography
trends, Nik Software added
some cool new effects, such as
Glamour Glow, High Key, Selec-
tive Contrast, Bleach Bypass,
and more. I was pleased to dis-
cover that they also updated
the standards from the previous
version, such as Classical Soft
Focus (my favorite).
If you’re not familiar with
Color Efex Pro, the big question
is what is it and what can you
do with it? Color Efex Pro is
a large collection of plug-in
filters organized into a single
program—one stop shopping.
The filters produce a wide
gamut of creative effects that
range from making a photo
look better to transforming the
image into something unrecog-
nizable (art). Most of the effects
fall into the making-the-photo-
look-cool category. If you do a
Review by
Dave Huss
lot of wedding or portrait pho-
tography, these filters will make
your digital photos look like you
spent hours on them.
A unique feature of Color
Efex Pro is the U Point technol-
ogy that gives you the ability to
apply selective corrections or
enhancements directly on any
part of an image and adjust the
level of opacity of the effect on
that specific part. This selective
control allows you to apply
effects without the need to
fire up the history brush. The
combination of great effects
filters and U Point technology
allowed me to glamorize 170
shots from a wedding in less
than three hours. Ironically, sev-
eral of the photos that I thought
looked the worst ended up
looking the best after I used the
filters—go figure.
As stated at the beginning
of the review, Color Efex Pro 3 is
available in three editions: The
Complete Edition contains the
complete set of filters, while the
Select and Standard Editions
have selected subsets of the
filters. A complete filter list and
edition breakdown may be
found on the company website.
Should you get it? If you
do wedding or portrait work,
the decision to buy Color Efex
Pro is a no-brainer. The time
saved on a single event will
pay for the cash outlay. You
can download a fully func-
tional (no watermark), free trial
version for 15 days.N
HIGH-END INDUSTRY RETOUCHING TECHNIQUES DVD
As you already know, the high end retouching industry has been very tight lipped about the techniques they use to produce world class results
for magazines, advertising campaigns, displays and billboards throughout the world.

The only techniques that have been readily available to the public have been the so called “smooth or soft skin” methods that simply blur or
smudge the skin texture into an unrealistic plastic doll mess.

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on to your chair as Vitaly puts you front and center in front of his monitor as he retouches a beauty image captured with the Hasselblad H3D 39
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your images without destroying even a single pore of your model’s skin.

7KHIROORZLQJRULJLQDO5$:¿OHVDQGFRPSOHWH3KRWRVKRS36'¿OHVDUHLQFOXGHGRQWKH'9'520IRU\RXWRH[SORUHDQGH[SHULPHQWZLWK

For more info & to order go to: www.digitalphotoshopretouching.com

Use Coupon Code PSU20 and get 20% Off

 reviews
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop gear
Knoll Light Factory 3
Photoshop lighting effect plug-in
Knoll Light Factory 3 is the lat-
est version of Digital Anarchy’s
Photoshop plug-in designed
to create lens flares and other
lighting effects. If you’re not
familiar with Knoll Light Fac-
tory, you might be thinking
that the Lens Flare filter built
into Photoshop already does
the same thing. After working
with Light Factory for a few
hours, you’ll discover that
PRICE: $149 (Upgrade $89) comparing Light Factory
FOR: Mac and Windows with the Lens Flare filter is
FROM: Digital Anarchy like comparing MacPaint (or
PHONE: 415-462-5872 Microsoft Paint) with Corel
WEB: www.digitalanarchy.com Painter. While technically both
RATING: XXXXX applications are pixel pushers,
one is very primitive the other
is sophisticated.
The Lens Flare filter in Photo-
shop has been described by
its creator, John Knoll, as “a
one trick pony.” But Light
Factory can also be used to
enhance or create just about
any light source you can
imagine, from changing an
ordinary sunset to a spectac-
ular one; punching up stage
lighting; adding sparkle to
someone’s eyes; or creating
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
114
Review by
Dave Huss
your own lighting effects from
scratch, such as sparkling or
glowing lights.
All this sounds cool, how-
ever, the real test of any filter
or plug-in isn’t how cool it is
but whether or not it has any
practical application. Case in
point, the more I used Light
Factory, the more I wondered
how I ever worked without it.
For example, when photo-
graphing a backlit bride, the
real light source produced
nasty chromatic aberrations
on the captured image. With
Light Factory, I was able to add
the desired light coming over
the shoulders of the bride with
no aberrations and change
the color and intensity of the
light. In another case, a photo
of a Christmas tree in front of
the Texas state capital looked
a little tame until I used Light
Factory to add some lights and
punch up the ones that were
already there.
While Light Factory has
enough controls to create
any lighting effect you desire,
few of us have the time to
create the
desired light-
ing. Thankfully,
Light Factory
ships with
110 light effect
presets (50
more than ver-
sion 2) that can
be quickly pre-
viewed to find
the best fit for
your creation.
As cool as the light effect
presets are, I found they
served as a starting point.
Once the preset is loaded,
you can manipulate its ele-
ments by adding, deleting,
reordering, and editing its
properties. After you’ve
made the preset even better,
it can be saved for use on
another project.
Those who used ver-
sion 2 of Light Factory will
be pleased to know that
the user interface has been
completely redesigned (it’s
much simpler). It also includes
a real-time preview that lets
you see the light effect as
you build it, and the ability
to obscure the light with a
grayscale mask. This means
if the light source is coming
through an opening at an
angle, Light Factory can create
the light drop-off produced
by the edges of the opening
instead of having to do it
later with Photoshop. Other
changes include the ability to
work on Intel Macs and 16-bit
support for smoother glows
and gradients.
The bottom line is that
Knoll Light Factory 3 is an
easy-to-use tool that can add
some pretty dazzling effects
to your photos so you can
impress your clients without
taking lots of time. There’s a
fully functional, free trail ver-
sion available for download
from the company’s website.
The demo version puts a
watermark on your photo. N
 reviews
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop gear
Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe
Portable hot shoe flash
The Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe
is a compact, self-expanding
softbox designed to work
specifically with portable,
shoe-mount flashes. Easy to
set up, easy to use…it’s easy to
see where it got its name. The
Ezybox comes complete with a
dedicated speedring and flash
shoe bracket and folds flat to
fit into the small carrying case
(included) for portability.
The Ezybox is designed
to take advantage of wire-
PRICE: $170 (15x15") less flash technology that’s
FOR: N/A
available with many of today’s
flashes. The flash is set up
FROM: Lastolite Limited
outside the box with the head
EMAIL: info@bogenimaging.com
firing into the box so that the
WEB: www.bogenimaging.com
wireless sensor is not covered
RATING: XXXXX up when in use, allowing full
Olympus SP-560 UZ
Compact digital camera with 18x wide-angle zoom
The 8-megapixel Olympus
SP-560 UZ includes a remark-
able 18x optical zoom lens,
which is the 35mm film camera
equivalent of 27–486mm with
a maximum aperture of f/2.8–
4.5. The zoom extends and
retracts smoothly, stops on a
dime, and, unlike many other
point-and-shoot cameras,
works in movie mode. Backing
up the zoom is an effective
optical image stabilization
feature that works by shifting
PRICE: $499.99 the sensor to compensate for
FOR: N/A
camera movement.
Unlike its predecessor (the
FROM: Olympus America, Inc.
SP-550), the SP-560 UZ is fitted
PHONE: 888-553-4448
with a new, larger sensor and
WEB: www.olympusamerica.com
uses an image processor that
RATING: XXXX supports face detection and
TTL flash photography. It’s
perfect for on-the-go photo-
graphers who need to do
quick location portraits. Simply
throw a couple of Ezyboxes in
your bag and you have your
own portable studio wherever
you go.
The Ezybox can be attached
directly to a light stand or, for
even more versatility, add one
of the available accessories: an
extending handle for handheld
use; a tilthead bracket for pre-
cise positioning; or a powerful
clamp with brass spigot.
Available in two sizes, 15x15"
and 24x24", the Ezybox Hotshoe
is perfect for individual portraits
to small group shots. It’s avail-
able separately or sold in a kit
Review by
Steve Baczewski
shadow adjustment; how-
ever, the SP-560 also uses the
less-desirable, ISO-boosting
digital stabilization.
You can toggle between
viewing your image on the
2.5" LCD (that unfortunately
washes out in bright light)
and using the Electronic View
Finder (EVF), which at times
distorts color. The SP-560 has
the usual Manual, Aperture,
Shutter, Program, and Auto
shooting modes plus one for
customizing settings and 25
presets. Fortunately, you can
access many features, such
as macro, flash options, etc.,
directly from labeled buttons
on the camera body. Addition-
ally, pressing the OK button
Review by
Laurie Excell
with lightstand, tilthead bracket,
extending handle, and padded
shoulder bag…ready to go.
Beautiful, professional-quality
portraits just got easier with the
Ezybox. The Lastolite website,
www.lastolite.com, has video
demos, instructions, and speci-
fication sheets; listed below is
the authorized distributor infor-
mation for ordering purposes.
Tip: To complete your port-
able studio setup is the Lastolite
HiLite freestanding, white,
collapsible background that
comes in two sizes: 5x7' and 6x7'
(starting around $450). The illu-
minated backdrop is designed
to reduce shadows even when
the subject is just inches away
from the background. Q
opens a screen panel for quick
access to change ISO, meter-
ing, and white balance. Most
features, however, are accessed
by scrolling frustratingly long
menu screens.
The SP-560’s RAW format
is supported by the latest
version of Adobe Camera Raw;
however, the shutter lag time
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
is 8 seconds, making RAW
shooting impractical (I shot
mostly in JPEG format). Image
quality at ISO 50–200 is quite
good. The files make quality
16x20" prints but above that,
noise and fringing from long
focal lengths is a factor. Bottom
line: The SP-560 UZ is a solidly
constructed, well balanced,
and flexible camera. Q 115
 books
Get the inside scoop on all the latest Photoshop books
Reviews by Peter Bauer

Comprehensive Photoshop CS3 Workflow: The Adobe Photoshop CS3:

Photoshop CS3 Training Digital Photographer’s Guide Photographers’ Guide
by Julieanne Kost by Tim Grey by David D. Busch

Three DVDs, 62 lessons, almost 24 hours
of training, and all feature Adobe’s own
Julieanne Kost—wow! It’s like going to
school for a week’s worth of one-on-
one training with one of the masters
of Photoshop. Yes, it’s expensive, but if
you want to learn Photoshop CS3 from
top to bottom, inside and out, here’s an
excellent solution. Comprehensive, clear,
and complete, each of the lessons also
includes the work files you need to follow
along using your own copy of Photo-
shop CS3. If you prefer videos to books,
and your budget can swing it, this is an
outstanding option.
› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
Don’t be confused by the title; this book
is about much more than the which-
steps-in-what-order workflow. The
author walks you through each aspect
of Photoshop necessary to work effec-
tively and efficiently with your digital
images. This is a book for photographers,
so there’s no discussion of the Type or
Pen tools (not that photographers never
need those tools), nor CMYK, slices,
animation, or shape layers. One great
thing about this book is the frequency
with which the author reminds you to
be flexible; that there’s no one specific
process or workflow that’s perfect for
every photo.
A few omissions and errors knock this
book down a bit; for example, no more
than a mere mention of the Quick Selec-
tion tool and describing smart objects
as something to be used only with vector
artwork. Overall, it’s a rather practical
guide to a number of techniques that
intermediate Photoshop users might
want to add to their stables. It’s not
appropriate for a novice and too simplistic
for advanced users; however, those pho-
tographers with in-between Photoshop
skills may find the exercises interesting
and the book generally well written. Files
needed to complete the exercises are
available at a companion website.

PRICE: $299 PRICE: $39.99 PRICE: $39.99

PUBLISHER: Software Cinema PUBLISHER: Sybex PUBLISHER: Course Technology
DVD's: 3-disk set PAGE COUNT: 352 pages PAGE COUNT: 392 pages
WEBSITE: www.software-cinema.com WEBSITE: www.sybex.com WEBSITE: www.course.com
RATING: XXXXX RATING: XXXX RATING: XXX
116
 Photoshop Q & A
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Q. What are proof colors? And how do I configure my own

proof colors?
A. When you work with images for press in Photoshop, you’ll want
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› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8

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118
Q. Sometimes when using the Brush tool, I can only select
black, white, or gray—no matter what color I choose.
What’s wrong?
A. When you’re selecting color and it always defaults to gray-
scale (black, white, or gray), it’s most likely because you’re
dealing with a mask. The following usually solve about 90%
of my color brush problems. Check them out:
(1) Are you in Quick Mask mode? The shortcut for this is Q
and you may have pressed it in error. Check the Title Bar
of your file and if it says “Quick Mask,” then just press Q
to get back to Standard mode.
(2) Another probable trouble spot is layer masks; for example,
whenever I create a layer mask, I almost always click on
the layer mask thumbnail, which will show me only black
and white colors.
Q. What is hexadecimal color and how do you use it in Photoshop?
A. Hexadecimal (hex) color is the format that’s commonly used for
display on the Internet.
When you work with something on a computer screen,
you’re usually using RGB values from 0–255, where 0 is the
absence of a color and 255 is the full-on color. For example,
255, 0, 0 would be red. Hex color works in the same kind
of way but there are six numbers: the first two are red, the
third and fourth green, and the fifth and sixth blue. Here red,
green, and blue are represented alphanumerically in a range
from 00 to FF (kind of weird, huh?). So, red in hexadecimal
would be FF0000.
When you’re working in the Color Picker, any color you
select will show its hex color listing in the # field. You can
also type in a hex number here but note that the hex color
space is limited. Some colors that you pick in RGB are just
not available as a hex color and if this is the case, you’ll see
a warning in this section letting you know that the color
Q. I heard someone talking about using a clipping path in Photo-
shop? What is that?
A. A clipping path is a path that can be used as an outline of an
image; it’s generally used for print purposes. These tend to be
used with page-layout applications like Quark that weren’t able
to support transparency in an image.
Take this image of some sushi for example. If I wanted to
place this into a page-layout document with a different back-
ground, or have text run around it in a specific way, I’d need a
clipping path.
Select the Pen tool (P), go to the Options Bar, and set it to
create paths by clicking the Paths icon. Once that’s done, create
a path around the object that you want. You’ll see that it creates
a Work Path in the Paths panel (Window>Paths). Double-click
on Work Path and when the Save Path dialog appears, give it
a name, and click OK. Next, click the Paths panel’s flyout menu
icon and select Clipping Path from the list.
In the dialog that appears, you’ll be able to select the path
that you’d like to use from the Path menu, and then you can
input the Flatness of the path. You can enter any value between
0.2 and 100; the lower the number, the more the clipping path
will stick to the curves of the path you created. Click OK and
your path is set. Remember, if you’re using a clipping path, you’ll
probably need to save this as an EPS file to keep it intact. Q
©ISTOCKPHOTO/KONOVALIKOVANDREY

is out of range and it will offer the closest color available

within range.

› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m

If you have a Photoshop question you’d like to see published

in this column, please send it to letters@photoshopuser.com.
No memorizing of hex spells necessary (sorry!). But if you’d
If, however, you’d like your question answered immediately,
like to see a listing of hex colors, check out www.w3schools
go to the Help Desk at www.photoshopuser.com.
.com/html/html_colornames.asp.
119
 NAPP Photoshop Design Showcase
Where NAPP members get to exhibit their artwork

If you’d like to have your work considered for publication in the

Photoshop Design Showcase, submit samples of your artwork
to fnelson@photoshopuser.com.

Greg Sims
An award-winning photographer for more than 25 years, Greg
caught the digital bug in the mid 90s. “When the digital revolution
began, I knew the possibilities would be endless as it gives the art-
ist complete control and incredible freedom,” he says. Greg’s stu-
dio was awarded the 2007 PDN’s PIX Digital Imaging contest for
Advertising Campaigns and he’s won two Kodak Gallery Awards.
His work is on permanent display at Epcot Center, Orlando.

http://vista-studios.net
V Lisa Sage
“For as long as I can remember, people have been telling me
I should do something with my art,” Lisa says. But it wasn’t
until she joined NAPP and the NAPP forums that she started
to get answers and the pieces started coming together. Lisa
now has her first gallery showing and she tells us, “In 2008,
my work will be seen in two feature-length films. How cool
is that?”
http://sagefamilystudios.com
W James Quantz, Jr.
James began his career in fine arts and when digital cameras
made gains in resolution, he quickly came on board, and he’s
been a student of Photoshop ever since. He says, “Some of my
image ideas can come out of left field so I desperately need
Photoshop to make my visions a reality!” After winning an
International Photography Award, several of his animal
portraits will soon be published in an Italian magazine.
www.quantzgallery.com
› › w w w. p h ot o s h o p u s e r . c o m
121

› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
122
Photoshop Quick Tips
Some quick tips to make your Photoshop life easier
QBY SH ERRY LONDON
Adjust luminance
Are the greens in your photo too dull? Is
the sky too gray? You can fix that in Adobe
Camera Raw (version 4 and up) using the
new HSL/Grayscale panel. Yes, the panel
does a great job of converting an image
to grayscale; however, if you use the
Luminance section of that panel, you can
bump up or tone down the luminance of
any range of colors in your photo. I find
it much more intuitive to adjust Reds,
Oranges, Yellows, Greens, Aquas, Blues,
Purples, or Magentas individually rather
than using the Color Balance command in
Photoshop. Of course, the panel lets you
adjust the Hue and Saturation for each
color range too, but I find the most benefit
from adjusting Luminance.
Change your brush order
Don’t you wish the Brushes panel had a
way to sort brushes alphabetically or by
some other criteria? So far, it doesn’t.
You can, however, move the brushes to
put them in the order you want to see
them. Go under the Edit menu, choose
Preset Manager, and select Brushes from
the Preset Type menu. Click-and-drag the
brush you want to move; if there’s more
than one, Shift-click a group of contiguous
brushes or Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click)
individual brushes to select them. Then
just drag those selected brushes to a new
location in the Preset Manager dialog.
You’ll get an insertion cursor to let you
see where the brushes will drop when you
release the mouse button.
Tone down what you tuned up
What happens if you adjust the luminance
of various colors in Camera Raw only to
discover that you’ve got some weird color
effects in one area or that you wanted
the green adjusted in only one part of
the image? Place two copies of the image
together in Photoshop (each as a smart
QUICK KEYSTROKES
This issue, let’s take a look at toggles
and switches. What’s the difference?
A toggle changes states between two
options with each key press; a switch
uses a single key press to change
between multiple states.
1. Pressing the F key repeatedly
switches the active image in Photo-
shop between Standard Screen
Mode, Maximized Screen Mode,
Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar,
and Full Screen Mode. [See the “Help
Desk” on page 86 in this issue for more
on Modes.—Ed.]
2. If you’re in the Refine Edge dialog
(Select>Refine Edge), pressing F
object that can be reedited in Camera
Raw). On the top layer, add a layer
mask and paint out the unwanted cor-
rections (or mask with a shade of gray,
which partially removes the effect).
Make shortcuts shorter
In the Photoshop Toolbox, many of the
icons have the symbol in the bottom-
right corner indicating that multiple
tools share the same icon. To switch
between the various tools, just press-
and-hold the Shift key while pressing
the keyboard shortcut for that icon. For
example, the G key selects the Gradi-
ent tool in the Toolbox, so pressing
Shift-G will select the Paint Bucket tool
beneath the Gradient tool.
If you want, you can convert this
to a single key command by chang-
ing it in the Preferences. Choose
Photoshop>Preferences>General (PC:
Edit>Preferences>General), uncheck
the default Use Shift Key for Tool Switch,
and click OK. Now the next time you
want the Paint Bucket tool, you’d just
press G twice (pressing G once will
select the Gradient tool, as usual). And,
if there are more than two tools under
the same icon, just keep pressing the
shortcut key to get to the tool you need.
repeatedly switches between the
various screen preview modes so
you can see your selection in Quick
Mask, On Black, On White, etc.
3. Press the P key in the Refine Edge
dialog to toggle the Preview check-
box on and off, which lets you com-
pare the selection with and without
the refined edges.
4. Press the X key to toggle your
Foreground and Background
colors (remember this one by the
X in exchange).
5. Pressing the Q key puts you in Quick
Mask mode; then simply press Q again
to switch back to Standard mode. Q
 Photoshop
I N D E X
March 2008

O F A D V E R T I S E R S
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Corel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Life Pixel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Westcott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
www.corel.com www.lifepixel.com www.fjwestcott.com
Creative Juices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Load.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Wetzel & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
www.bigposters.com www.load.com www.wetzelandcompany.com
CreativeHeads.net Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Media Lab, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 www.RawWorkflow.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
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› › p h ot o s h o p u s e r › m a r c h 2 0 0 8
146
Photoshop Beginners’ Tips
Some quick tips to get you started in Photoshop
NBY CO L IN S MI TH
Here’s to Many More Years!
Welcome to yet another installment of
“Photoshop Beginners’ Tips,” as I start
my fifth year writing this column! Luckily,
Photoshop is such a deep program that
I still have plenty of tips to share with you.
Don’t sharpen your color
Some people hate using the Unsharp
Mask filter because it can shift colors. Even
though we now have the Smart Sharpen
filter, there are times when you still want
to run Unsharp Mask. Here’s how to fix
the color problem: In Photoshop CS3
choose Filter>Convert for Smart Filters,
go under the Filter menu again, select
Sharpen>Unsharp Mask, and click OK
when you’ve chosen your settings in the
dialog. Now look for the Unsharp Mask
effect in the Layers panel and double-click
the adjustment sliders. In the Blending
Options (Unsharp Mask) dialog, change
the blend Mode to Luminosity, and click
OK. Now only the luminosity is changed
and the colors will remain untouched.
COLIN SMITH
In versions of Photoshop earlier than CS3:
Choose Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask, make
your changes in the dialog, and click OK. Now
immediately go to Edit>Fade Unsharp Mask,
choose Luminosity for the blend mode, and
click OK. That’s all there is to it.
Quick, look at your folder!
Have you ever been working with a folder
of images and wanted to view it quickly in
Colin Smith, an award-winning designer, lecturer, and writer, has authored or co-authored several books on Photoshop, and has created a series of
Photoshop training videos available from PhotoshopCD.com. Colin is also the founder of PhotoshopCAFE.com.
Bridge? Don’t go digging around in the
hard drive trying to locate your specific
folder. Rather, drag your folder into
Bridge and drop it on the Preview panel.
Your folder will now be visible in Bridge
and you can see its entire contents.
Guide me please
To add a guide, first turn on your Rulers
by pressing Command-R (PC: Ctrl-R).
When your Rulers are visible at the left
and top of your document window,
you’re ready to add guides. To add a hori-
zontal guide, click-and-drag down from
the top ruler area. To add a vertical guide,
click-and-drag from the left ruler area. If
you change your mind while dragging,
and decide you need a vertical guide
rather than horizontal, hold down the
Option (PC: Alt) key and the orientation
of the guide will switch.
Temporarily unlink an individual layer
Let’s say you have several layers linked
together that you want to move, but
there’s one particular layer you don’t
want to affect, and you don’t want to
lose the link relationship. Hold down the
Shift key and click on the link icon of the
layer you don’t want to affect, which will
temporarily disable the link—it will still
be linked but the link is ignored while
you make your adjustment. When you’re
finished, Shift-click the link icon again
to turn it back on. Note: For this to work,
make sure you don’t have multiple lay-
ers selected.
Pressure sensitivity with a pen tablet
When you’re using a pen tablet, there’s a
quick way to tell what kind of pressure-
sensitive controls are attached to a brush.
Open the Brushes panel (Window>
Brushes), click the flyout menu icon at the
top right of the panel, and choose Stroke
Thumbnail so you can see how the strokes
of the brush will look when applied. If the
brush is tapered (A), it means that the pres-
sure sensitivity is set to adjust the brush’s
size. If the brush appears as a gradient (B),
then pressure sensitivity is set to adjust
opacity, which means that the softer you
press, the less opaque the brush strokes
will be.
A Size
B Opacity
New documents from channels
There are times when you’ll want to create
a new document from a channel, such as
when you’re working with displacement
maps. You can do this with either color or
alpha channels. Here’s how:
Click on the desired channel from the
Channels panel (Window>Channels) to
select it, then click on the flyout menu
icon at the top right of the panel, and
choose Duplicate Channel. In the Dupli-
cate Channel dialog, choose New from
the Document menu in the Destination
section, click OK, and a new grayscale
document will appear with only the con-
tents of that channel. Q