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Rating: 
Summary: Photoshop CS Accelerated
Review: An excellent book for a beginner. Great explanation on tools and palettes functions. I think no other book on Photoshop has greater details about the tools and palettes functions.HOWEVER, the excercises after each lesson contains many errors that will frustrate the beginner.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best written books on PS
Review: The very first thing I noticed in the book was instructions on how to install PhotoShop. WOW! I mean if you can't get the software installed, it doesn't matter how well written the book is! GREAT way to start out! The next pages gave an overview of the tools and menus and palettes available once you get PS loaded on your computer. I have been using PS for several years now and this is the first time I have seen any author (or team of authors) bother to cover the basics. PHOTOSHOP CS ACCELERATED has my vote for the best book around already and this is only after I read the first chapter.
First thing I tried hard to remember was the short cut, Ctl D. This takes the marquee lines away when you have been using the lasso or marquee tools. It was a handy short cut for me as I was learning PhotoShop. Ever crop a picture only to have a faint border of another color around the picture? Try Defringe! Never heard of it? Look in the Layer menu under Matting. Or have you ever wished to slim down a feature in a photo? Try using the Move tool while holding the Alt Key. The press the left arrow a few times - automatic diet!
Another handy trick that was taught in the early chapters was "Contiguous". When using the Magic Wand to select an entire background, this box should be unchecked if there is any background inside the image you want. For example, a person has their hand on their hip, creating an area that is cut off from the rest of the background. By having Contiguous unchecked, this are will also be selected when you use the Magic Wand. VERY handy.
Chapter Four teaches the Patch, Clone, Pattern and both History Brushes. Again, these are tools I was aware of but didn't know how to use. The chapter walks you through them in a clear and concise manner except for the Art History tool. Those instructions confused me. Be sure to take the time to go through the preset brushes, there are so many options.
Do you love those old black and white photos that have just a hint of color? Chapter 5 explains how you can create your own tinted photos. Also in this chapter, you will learn how to put a photo into a frame that is set on an angle. Keep reading to learn how to create Neon Lights and fireworks.
Color correction and things like sharpening a photo, making chocolate candy look like chocolate instead of some rose color, brightening a dark photo, correcting over exposure, replacing color and several more tidbits are found in Chapter 7. If you have trouble with the concept of layers or channels, the next two chapters are a must read. And continuing on in the book is the chapter on Filters. What fun these can be. Don't forget about masks also found in Chapter 10.
By this time, you have covered 350 pages of material on PhotoShop CS and the exercises that go with each chapter. The CD contains the files needed to perform the exercises, along with a finished version of what each is trying to accomplish as well as a copy of PS CS and ImageReady CS. If you have ever been frustrated with learning just what PS will do, this is the book to show you all the wonderful elements in this very extensive program. I have been using PS for a few years and this book showed me things I never knew the program would do. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to use PS but has never found the right book to help them learn it.
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