Title: Design Essentials, 4th Edition
Author: Luanne Seymour Cohen
Publisher: Peachpit Press http://www.peachpit.com
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 231
ISBN: 0-201-71363-2
Price: $29.99

Design Essentials, 4th Edition shows how to produce traditional graphic and photographic effects using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator software. This book, like the other books in the Professional Studio Techniques series, does not attempt to describe the features of these software programs. Instead, it is a quick, how-to recipe book for artists familiar with the basic tools and commands in the programs. Because the software has changed so much between the publication of Design Essentials, 3rd Edition and now, all of the techniques are new or have been completely rewritten. Each technique has been tested extensively by professional designers, Web page designers, illustrators, teachers, photographers and novice users. The book covers techniques for Adobe software for both Macintosh and Windows platforms: Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and Adobe Illustrator 10. Many, but not all, of these techniques can be used with older versions of the software. The required software for each technique is indicated beneath the technique title.

This book is appropriate for both PC and Macintosh users. Check out the Peachpit Press Web site (http://www.peachpit.com) for more information about the book.

What I like:

• Concise and easy to use step-by-step instructions;
• Screen shots on almost every page;
• All new illustrations;
• Over 60 class design techniques;
• Windows and Macintosh coverage.

Design Essentials, 4th Edition is divided into an introduction, 5 sections, an appendix, and a recommended reading list.

Introduction--describes basics about how the book.

Sections 1 through 5 cover the following:

• Section 1: Painting--presents information on: painted paper illustrations; tissue-paper mosaics; painterly images; digital paintings; painting foliage; color-tinted photographs; outlined images; neon graphics; cast shadows; transparent shadows; gradients on a path; and stippling.
• Section 2: Drawing--covers: custom borders; drawing foliage; quick 3-D boxes; 3-D packages; 3-D bar charts; shaded spheres; perspective grids in Photoshop; Perspective grids in Photoshop; perspective grids in Illustrator; seals, stars, spheres, and links; and map symbols.
• Section 3: Patterns and Textures --presents information on: simple patterns; texture patterns; Illustrator pattern tiles in Photoshop, marbled paper; and textured 3-D graphics.
• Section 4: Text Effects --provides information on: photos masked by type; embossed type; corroded type; type with multiple outlines; rainbow scratchboard type; type on a circular path; recessed type; 1960s poster type; wet paint type; and chrome type.
• Section 5: Special Effects --covers: simulated film grain; posterized photographs; blended image layers; scanned objects as masks; reverse shapes; filter combinations; digital woodcuts; Warhol-style images; and flat graphics on curved images.

• Appendix A: Shortcuts and Handy tips: Handy chart of shortcuts. The tips on combining Photoshop and Illustrator files are informative and useful.
• Appendix B: Combining Photoshop & Illustrator Files: Useful information on combining Photoshop and Illustrator files.
• Recommended Reading: List of 29 recommended books.

For running Adobe Photoshop 7.0, you need:

PC:

• Intel Pentium class III or 4 processor;
• Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Special Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000 (service pack 2), Windows NT 4.0 (service pack 6a), Windows XP;
• 128 MB of RAM (192 MB recommended);
• 280 MB of available hard disk space;
• Color monitor with 16-bit color video card or higher;
• 800x600 or greater monitor resolution;
• CD-ROM drive.

Mac:

• Power PC processor;
• Mac OS software version 9.1, 9.2 or Mac OS X version 10.1.3;
• 128 MB of RAM (192 MB recommended);
• 320 MB of available hard disk space;
• Color monitor with 16-bit color video card or higher;
• 800x600 or greater monitor resolution;
• CD-ROM drive.

For running Adobe Illustrator 10, you need:

PC:

• Intel Pentium II, III, or 4 processor
• Microsoft Windows 98, 98 Special Edition, ME, 2000 with Service Pack 2, or Windows XP
• 128 MB of RAM
• 180 MB of available hard-disk space
• For Adobe PostScript printers: Adobe PostScript Level 2 or Adobe PostScript 3
• CD-ROM drive

Mac:

• Power PC processor: G3, G4 or G4 dual
• Mac OS software version 9.1, 9.2 or Mac OS X version 10.0
• 128 MB of RAM
• 180 MB of available hard-disk space
• CD-ROM drive
• For Adobe PostScript printers: Adobe PostScript Level 2 or Adobe PostScript 3