Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2

Book description

New to Photoshop Elements? Learn everything you need to know to make your pictures perfect with Absolute Beginner's Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2. The book covers all aspects of the software (including the new features "borrowed" from the new Photoshop 7), offering you quick and easy explanations on controlling the software for the results you want. Photoshop Elements provides easy access to powerful editing tools and connects users to online output services as well as options for Web and print output. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 shows the beginning user how to maximize all these features and more!

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. About the Author
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. We Want to Hear from You!
  5. Introduction
    1. About Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2
    2. Whom This Book Is For
    3. What’s New in Version 2?
    4. How to Use This Book
    5. The Contents of This Book
      1. Part I—Photoshop Elements Setup
      2. Part II—Opening, Saving, and Printing Images
      3. Part III—Correcting and Combining Images
      4. Part IV—Designing Complex Images
  6. I. Photoshop Elements Setup
    1. 1. Navigating the Work Area
      1. Comparing the Macintosh and Windows Work Areas
      2. Getting Familiar with the Welcome Window
        1. Creating a New File
        2. Browsing Files
        3. Connecting to a Camera or Scanner
        4. Accessing Common Issues
        5. Viewing Tutorials
      3. Introducing the Work Area
        1. Using the Shortcuts and Options Bars
        2. Introducing the Toolbox
        3. Choosing Pixels with Selection Tools
        4. Working with an Image in the Image Window
        5. Different Ways to Apply the Clone Stamp Tool
      4. Working with Palettes
        1. Introducing Palettes
        2. Using the Info, Undo History, and Navigator Palettes
        3. Customizing Images with the How To, Filters, and Effects Palettes
        4. Viewing Objects in the Layers Palette
      5. A Closer Look at the Image Window
        1. Viewing Color Mode and Image Size Information
        2. Working with the Image Window
      6. Navigating Menu Commands
        1. Introducing File Menu Commands
        2. Exploring Edit Menu Commands
        3. Image Menu Commands
        4. Adjusting Images with the Enhance Menu Commands
        5. Layer Menu Commands
        6. Using the Select Menu Commands
        7. Adding Effects from the Filter Menu
        8. Customizing Output with the View Menu Commands
        9. Opening and Closing Palettes with the Window Command
    2. 2. Customizing Adobe Photoshop Elements
      1. Adjusting Color-Management Settings
        1. Operating System Color Settings
        2. Choosing a Color Profile
      2. Choosing Settings in the Preset Manager
        1. Selecting Brushes in the Preset Manager
        2. Choosing Swatches in the Preset Manager
        3. Selecting Gradients in the Preset Manager
        4. Choosing Patterns in the Preset Manager
      3. Personalizing Your Preferences
        1. General Preferences
        2. Preferences for Saving Files
        3. Customizing Display and Cursors
        4. Adjusting Transparency Settings
        5. Units & Rulers Preferences
        6. Personalizing Grid Settings
        7. Setting Plug-Ins and Scratch Disk Preferences
        8. Memory and Image Cache Preferences
    3. 3. Acquiring Images from Scanners and Digital Cameras
      1. Installing Plug-In Files
        1. Installing Plug-In Software
        2. Accessing a New Plug-In in Photoshop Elements
      2. Adjusting Scanner Settings
        1. Choosing a Resolution
        2. Adjusting the Color Depth and Scan Area
        3. Previewing and Setting Up for the Scan
      3. Scanning Different Kinds of Images
      4. Scanning the Final Image
        1. Checking Image Quality
      5. Accessing Images on the Camera
        1. Setting Up the Software
        2. Downloading Images to Your Computer
      6. Saving Images
        1. Viewing the File Format
      7. Selecting Devices
  7. II. Opening, Saving, and Printing Images
    1. 4. Creating, Opening, and Converting Images
      1. Creating a New Document
        1. Understanding the New Dialog Box
        2. Demystifying Resolution and Image Size
          1. What Is Resolution?
          2. What Is Image Size?
        3. Customizing the Canvas Size
      2. Document Settings for Print
      3. Document Settings for Web Images
      4. Opening and Browsing Image Files
        1. Working with Scanned Images
        2. Opening Images Created by a Digital Camera
        3. Resizing an Image
      5. Converting Image Information
        1. Opening an Image in a Different File Format
        2. Changing an Image to a Different Color Mode
        3. Converting a File for Print Output
        4. Converting PDF Files
    2. 5. Saving and Sharing Files
      1. What’s All the Fuss?
        1. Using the Save Command
      2. Saving a File for Any Occasion
        1. Supported File Formats
        2. Choosing a File Format
      3. Optimizing Images
        1. Optimizing for the Web
        2. Comparing Web File Formats
        3. Optimizing a TIFF Image File
      4. Sharing Files Electronically
        1. Sending an Image in Email
        2. Using FTP Programs
        3. Logging In and Uploading Files
    3. 6. Printing Images
      1. Printing Digital Images
        1. Printing Images from a Digital Camera
        2. Creating a Contact Sheet
        3. Printing a Fax
        4. Getting a Photo Printed
        5. Printing More Than One Copy of an Image
        6. Preparing an Image for a Photo Printer
      2. Considerations for Printing Images with Text
      3. Improving Printer Output
        1. Customizing Color Management Settings
        2. Adjusting Page and Printer Settings
      4. Troubleshooting Printing Problems
  8. III. Correcting and Combining Images
    1. 7. Photoshop Elements and Color
      1. Color Theory
        1. Primary Colors
        2. Light and Color
      2. Computers and Color
        1. Introducing Color Space and Color Management
        2. Calibrating Your Monitor
        3. Choosing a Color Mode
      3. Color and Photoshop Elements
        1. Using the Color Picker
        2. Changing Colors with the Swatches Palette
      4. Photoshop Elements Color-Correction Tools
        1. Hue and Saturation
        2. Brightness and Contrast
        3. Adjusting Tonal Range Using the Levels Command
      5. Color and Composite Images
    2. 8. Tonal Range and Color Correction
      1. Introducing Selection Tools
        1. Applying the Rectangular Marquee Tool
        2. Applying the Magic Wand Tool
        3. Applying the Magnetic Lasso Tool
        4. Applying the Selection Brush
      2. Correcting Tonal Range
        1. Balancing Foreground Light with Fill Flash
        2. Bringing Out the Background with Backlighting
      3. Using the Histogram with Tonal Range Tools
        1. Tonal Range and the Histogram
        2. Adjusting Tonal Range with the Levels Tool
      4. Changing Colors with Color Effect Tools
        1. Equalizing an Image
        2. Changing an Image with Gradient Maps
        3. Inverting Colors
        4. Posterizing Colors
        5. Adjusting Threshold
      5. Replacing Colors
        1. Preparing the Image
        2. Replacing Colors
        3. Correcting Color Cast
        4. Removing Color from an Image
      6. Introducing Color-Correction Tools
        1. Adjusting Hue and Saturation Settings
        2. Customizing Channel Hue and Saturation
        3. Correcting Colors with the Red-Eye Brush Tool
      7. Color-Correction Variations
        1. Grayscale Variations Options
        2. Color Variations Options
        3. Warming Up an Image with Midtones
        4. Modifying Saturation Variations
    3. 9. Applying Filters and Effects
      1. Previewing Filters and Effects
        1. Introducing Filters
        2. Introducing Effects
        3. Different Ways to Apply Filters and Effects
      2. Introducing Blur Filters
      3. Introducing Filter Effects with Toolbox Tools
      4. Variations with Blur Filters
        1. Using the Blur Filter to Emphasize Part of an Image
        2. Polishing the Final Image with the Unsharp Mask
      5. Applying Artistic Filters
        1. Applying an Artistic Filter to a Selection
        2. Applying the Accented Edges Filter
        3. Applying the Conté Crayon Filter
        4. Combining Filters in an Image
        5. Applying Halftone Filters
      6. Exploring Effects
        1. Applying Effects
          1. Applying Texture Effects
          2. Applying Text Effects
          3. Combining Effects
    4. 10. Working with Layers and Layer Styles
      1. Introducing the Layers Palette
        1. Layers Palette Menu Options
        2. Introducing Blending Modes
        3. Modifying a Layer with Layer Styles
        4. Renaming a Layer
      2. Introducing Fill Layers
        1. Adding a Solid Color Fill Layer
        2. Gradient Fill Layers
        3. Modifying a Gradient
        4. Pattern Fill Layers
      3. Introducing Adjustment Layers
        1. Making Changes with a Levels Adjustment Layer
        2. Blending Composites
      4. Correcting Images with Layers
      5. Merging Layers
        1. Flattening Layers
    5. 11. Adding Text and Shapes to Images
      1. Introducing the Type Tool
        1. Formatting Text
        2. Modifying Type
        3. Warping Type
      2. Adding Graphics to an Image
        1. Introducing Brush Tools
        2. Introducing Shape Tools
      3. Variations—Creating Signs with Drawing and Painting Tools
        1. Designing Bitmap and Vector Graphics
        2. Drawing Bitmap Graphics
      4. Creating Transparent Text
      5. Modifying Custom Shapes
        1. Merging Completed Layers
        2. Applying Effects with the Impressionist Brush
        3. Previewing the Final Image
    6. 12. Repairing Images
      1. Repairing Folds and Tears
        1. Eliminating Wrinkles and Torn Areas
        2. Removing Aged Color, Dust, and Stains
      2. Fine-Tuning the Image
        1. Comparing Images
      3. Rebuilding a Damaged Photo
        1. Sorting Out Tasks by Layer
        2. Removing Scratches and Dirt
        3. Replacing Missing Pieces of the Image
        4. Creating the Final Image
    7. 13. Experimenting with Composite Images
      1. Creating Composite Images
        1. Choosing Images
        2. Applying Selection Tools
        3. Feathering the Selection
        4. Copying and Pasting the Image
        5. Variations—Pasting Images
        6. Putting Two Subjects Together
        7. Saving the Final Image
      2. Creating Special Effects with Composite Images
        1. Choosing the First Image
        2. Transforming the Composite Image
      3. Working with Multiple Composite Images
        1. Stacking Up Composite Images
        2. Rotating Images
        3. Composing a New Photo
  9. IV. Designing Complex Images
    1. 14. Creating Complex Images
      1. Melting Images with the Liquify Filter
        1. Applying Liquify Tools
        2. Reverse Effects with the Reconstruct Tool
      2. Pasting an Image into Text
        1. Creating Text to Fill with an Image
        2. Selecting the Image for the Text
      3. Adding a Reflection to an Image
        1. Creating the Reflected Image
        2. Composing the Final Image
      4. Lighten and Remove Shadows
        1. Cleaning Up Shadows with Layers
        2. Neutralizing Pixels with the Dodge and Burn Tools
      5. Adding a Light Source
        1. Choosing the Right Light
        2. Applying Another Light Source
        3. Viewing the Final Image
        4. Applying Texture Channels
    2. 15. Animating Images
      1. Creating the First Frame
        1. Composing with Composite Images
        2. Finalizing the First Frame
      2. Animating Composite Images
        1. It’s All in the Layers
        2. Creating an Animated GIF
        3. Adjusting Playback Settings
        4. Previewing the Animation
      3. Variations—Animating People
        1. Creating the First Frame
        2. Creating the In-Between Frames
        3. Merging Layers
        4. Finalizing Tweaks and Previewing the Animation
    3. 16. Stitching Together a Panorama
      1. Shooting and Choosing Images
        1. Photo Composition for Panoramas
      2. Introducing Photomerge
      3. Arranging Images in the Panorama
        1. Selecting Panorama Images
        2. Adding Perspective
        3. Publishing the Panorama
        4. Cleaning Up the Final Image
      4. Variations—Working with Different Photo Elements
    4. 17. Creating a Slideshow and Web Photo Gallery
      1. Creating a Slideshow
      2. Creating a Photo Gallery
        1. Creating a Frame-Based Gallery
        2. Setting Gallery Options
      3. Creating a Simple Gallery
      4. Making a Table Gallery
        1. Customizing Thumbnail Settings
        2. Navigating the Gallery
        3. Relative and Absolute Paths
      5. Working with the Photo Gallery HTML Files
        1. Viewing the Photo Gallery’s HTML Source Code
        2. Modifying the Gallery with a Web Editor
        3. HTML Tags
        4. HTML for Nonframes Browsers
  10. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: October 2002
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780768683608