Title: Photoshop 7 For Windows & Macintosh:
Visual QuickStart Guide
Author: Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas
Publisher: Peachpit Press http://www.peachpit.com
Publication Date: August 16, 2002
Pages: 616
ISBN: 0-201-88284-1
Price: $24.99

Photoshop 7 for Windows & Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide is a completely revised edition of the guide and steps you through the basics of photo editing, manipulation, optimization, and correction. It's gives you clear, concise instructions and a multitude of screen shots and shows you what each tool and feature does, why you might want to use it, and how it works. The Table of Contents indicates all new or improved items in bold, and within the book, they are flagged with a "7.0!" marker which is extremely helpful for learning this new version. And there is a 16-page full-color collection of sample art to inspire you. The authors, Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas, know their stuff and share their knowledge in insights, tips, and tricks which are scattered throughout the book.

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 and other books.

What I like:

• Takes an easy, visual approach to teaching Adobe Photoshop 7, using pictures to guide you through the software and show you what to do;
• Works like a reference book so you look up what you need and then get straight to work;
• No long-winded passes as it is concise, and the straightforward commentary explains what you need to know;
• Affordably priced.

Photoshop 7 For Windows & Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide is divided into 23 chapters and an appendix.

Chapters 1 through 23 cover the following:

• Chapter 1: The Basics--presents information on: using the toolbox and how to use the palettes.
• Chapter 2: Photoshop Color--consists of: an introduction to color basics (color models, image modes, and blending modes), and also Photoshop's color management features.
• Chapter 3: Startup--covers: how to get started and launch the application; scan an image; create a new image; open and existing image; use the File Browser; and place an image into Photoshop. Plus you will learn how to change an image's dimensions, resolution, or file storage size; apply the Unsharp Mask filter to resharpen an image after resampling; enlarge an image's canvas size; and crop, flip, rotate, save, copy, and close an image. And finally, you will learn how to change the zoom level of an image; move an image in its window; and switch screen display modes.
• Chapter 4: Pixel Basics--presents information on: changing an image's overall dimensions or resolution; sharpen the image afterward; change an image's canvas size; crop an image; flip an image; and rotate an image.
• Chapter 5: Select--provides information on: creating selections using the Rectangular Marquee, Elliptical Marquee, Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magic Wand, and Magnetic Lasso tools, as well as the Color Range and Extract commands. You will also learn how to create selections of various shapes; how to select by color; how to deselect, reselect, invert, or delete a selection; how to move or hide a selection marquee; how to transform, add to, or subtract from a selection; and how to create a vignette.
• Chapter 6: Compositing--covers: methods for composing image elements such as the Clipboard (Cut, Copy, Paste, and Paste Into), drag-and-drop, cloning, pattern stamping, and the new Healing Brush and Patch tools. Also covered are techniques for precisely positioning and aligning image elements and smoothing the seams between them.
• Chapter 7: Layers--gives you information on: layers and what you can do with them.
• Chapter 8: History--discusses: how to use the History palette to selectively undo up to 1,000 previous stages of a work session. You'll also learn how to restore selective areas to a prior state using the History Brush or Art History Brush tool, by filling a selection with a history state, and by erasing to a history state.
• Chapter 9: Adjustments--covers: many methods fro adjusting an image's light and dark values.
• Chapter 10: Choose Colors --describes: how to choose colors.
• Chapter 11: Recolor--provides information on: how to fill a selection with color, a pattern, or imagery; apply a stroke to a selection or a layer; adjust a color image using the Hue/Saturation, Color Balance, Variations, Curves, and Levels commands; use the Color Sampler tool to get multiple color readouts; change colors using the Replace Color command; strip color from a layer; saturate or desaturate colors using the Sponge tool; use a neutral color layer to heighten color; tint a grayscale image; and create and print spot color channels.
• Chapter 12: Paint--includes information on: how to use Photoshop's Brush, Paint Bucket, Eraser, Background Eraser, Magic Eraser, Smudge, and Gradient tools to embellish or edit a scanned image, or paint a picture from scratch. You will also learn how to use the Brushes palette to save and load brush libraries and create custom brush presets for the painting tools.
• Chapter 13: Gradients--provides information on: using the Gradient tool to apply a gradient directly to a content layer and how to use a gradient fill layer.
• Chapter 14: More Layers--presents information on: Photoshop's intermediate and advanced layers features.
• Chapter 15: Masks--describes: two special methods for saving and reshaping a selection: alpha channels and Quick Mask mode.
• Chapter 16: Paths/Shapes--covers: Photoshop's pen and shape tools.
• Chapter 17: Type--learn how to: create, transform, move, and warp an editable type layer; change its character and paragraph attributes; rasterize a type layer into pixels; screen back type or screen back an image behind type; fill type with imagery using Paste Into or a clipping group of layers; create fading type; create and use a type selection; add type to a spot color channel; create a type mask for an adjustment layer; find and replace text; and check spelling.
• Chapter 18: Filters--discusses and is composed of three components: techniques for applying filters; an illustrated compendium of all the Photoshop filters; and lastly, a handful of step-by-step exercise that utilize filters, including the new Pattern Maker.
• Chapter 19: Liquify--displays: the Liquify command and how you can use it to twist, warp, stretch, and otherwise distort all or part of an image layer.
• Chapter 20: Automate--presents material on: actions and how they can be created and used.
• Chapter 21: Preferences--introduces you to: preferences and how to set them.
• Chapter 22: Print--contains instructions for: setting options for printing from Photoshop; applying trapping; preparing an image for other applications; saving a file in the EPS, DCS, TIFF, BMP, or PICT format; creating a duotone; and creating a percentage tint of a Pantone color; plus color reproduction basics.
• Chapter 23: Web/ImageReady--covers: the preparation of Photoshop images for the World Wide Web using ImageReady, Photoshop's sister application that's designed specifically for preparing images for the Web.

• Appendix A: Shortcuts: gives you information on shortcuts.

For running Adobe Photoshop 7, 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.