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Summary: Opens the horizon to creating more interesting web pages
Review: Building on the success of Photoshop Web Magic, Jeff Foster opens the horizon to creating more interesting web pages through the use of integrated graphic programming in Photoshop 6 Web Magic. Each project is 3 to 10 pages in length and designed in a two-column format with step-by-step instructions on the left and corresponding graphics (or code) on the right. In addition, sidebars are used to provide additional tips and tricks. Any effect, technique, or tip can easily be customized to fit a your own design needs. Photoshop 6 Web Magic is ideal for anyone new to Photoshop and wanting to employ terrific ideas and graphics to their personal or professional website. 1 CD-ROM, 336 pp.
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Summary: What I was looking for
Review: I am teaching a high school course in web programming. The course will cover HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web graphics. The ideal book on Photoshop for this class would: 1. be focused on Web graphics (Photoshop is not just a web tool, and other books spend a lot of time on other aspects). 2. be clear, with bite-sized examples and step by step instructions 3. include as topics creating background graphics, animation, and image map rollovers 4. be inexpensive Well, three out of four is not bad. Photoshop 6 Web Magic is too expensive to require students to buy it. Otherwise, it is what I was looking for. The price of the book probably is due to the high cost of color reproduction. If your idea of a book is large quantities of verbiage, then you will feel very cheated here. But for my needs, less is more. I can use the examples in this book to give students a sense of accomplishment. This should be better for them than a comprehensive treatise that is less accessible. Should you buy this book? My guess is that you will like it more to the extent that: --you prefer learning from examples to learning from theory --you prefer a book that is organized around particular problems or projects to one that is organized around the features of the software --you really want to focus on the Web aspects of Photoshop 6.0 I fit that profile, and I am pleased with the book.
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Summary: This book is NOT for Nit-Witts!
Review: I bought this book knowing that I would be challenged - as I always am in all of the Magic series books - and I was correct! This book has forced me to think in every chapter, even though I thought I knew alot about Photoshop 6 already.Contrary to what other "reviewers" may think, Photoshop 6 Web Magic is NOT just an exercise on using Styles - and definitely not something anyone can just read through in an hour and understand all of the exercises!! Don't be mis-lead... though Foster has laid out this book in a manner that's easy to understand, its NOT an easy beginners book!
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Summary: Oldie but a Goodie!
Review: I picked up this title for a song - probably because it's old. But if I had to pay full retail it would still be worth every penny! I can't believe how easy it is to create these animations in Foster's book. I'm already making cool buttons and graphics for my web site based on the examples in this book. I suggest you get a copy and learn these easy animations and tricks taught in this great book. NOW!!
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Summary: Now I understand more
Review: I wish to tell you that I have been using Photoshop 5.5 for a long time now and just updated to Photoshop 6. I was so lost! I love the three dimension styles that it has and this book shows me very well. I also love the many animations and even more information about making the web graphics. If you have just updated to Photoshop 6.0 and need to understand the features and tools, then I recommend this book to you! (Sorry for my bad English!) ~ Sinclaire
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Summary: Now I understand more
Review: I wish to tell you that I have been using Photoshop 5.5 for a long time now and just updated to Photoshop 6. I was so lost! I love the three dimension styles that it has and this book shows me very well. I also love the many animations and even more information about making the web graphics. If you have just updated to Photoshop 6.0 and need to understand the features and tools, then I recommend this book to you! (Sorry for my bad English!) ~ Sinclaire
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Summary: Only using 3% of your brain?
Review: I've been using Photoshop for photo editing for years, but it turns out I've only been accessing a small percentage of the programs capabilities.Photoshop 6 Web Magic taught me to use all the new Web design features of the Phtoshop upgrades, so I can now make a dynamic website to show off my artwork. The lessons are perfectly designed to teach all the great new features of Photoshop 6: I've never had so much fun with an instruction book. But I would suggest that the complete Photoshop novice first learn the program basics (like how to open or create files, how to use the paintbrush, etc), or you will tear out your hair. I did run into a few places where I got lost for not having previous knowledge. I figured it out, but I can see where someone recently introduced to the program might not.Thank you, Jeff Foster, for expanding my horizons!
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Summary: Can't even get started
Review: Maybe I just received a bum CD that accompanies this book but it simply isn't doing what it's suppose to do. I can't access any info except for promotional stuff. I can't even get to their techinical support page, a link provided with the CD in case you have problems installing it. The link takes you to a site that only promotes the book. This shouldn't take so much effort. The book was not cheap and you better believe I am returning it.
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Summary: Use your money on anything but this book
Review: Photoshop 6 Web Magic is an absolute waste of money and print. Somehow the author got the idea that he could put his personal doodles with experimenting with Photoshop 6 Layer Styles into a sellable book. The ENTIRE book takes about 1hr to read and there is no content of any use. Instead what you will find is page after page of the author's different settings for layer styles in photoshop 6.0 Anyone who has Photoshop 6.0 will invariably come across most if not all of Jeff's examples and might even choose to use them, but will not have the audacity to try to print them and sell them in a book. This book more than anything should be condensed to a leaflet for Adobe, whereas the authors settings are accompanied by one picture. Thus we would have about 12 pages. What New Riders has accomplished is designing a book which looks good but has ABSOLUTELY nothing to say. They also manage to charge a steep price. This book seems to prove that anyone could write a book and have it published. Really, the content of this book has nothing very usefull and will end up being more of a tribute to the authors style. After you play with Layer Styles in Photoshop 6.0 you will already know everything this book has to say. This book only demonstrates the power of Photoshop without giving any additional information on how to get the most out of it. Buy this book and you will surely wish to burn it , as you have already burned some dollars in purchasing it.
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Summary: Immediately Useful Ideas
Review: Photoshop 6 Web Magic is one of the best books on the market for presenting realistic and useful how-to's. By following the step-by-step instructions, anyone can recreate the exact project displayed in the book. A CD is included which provides everything a person needs to use the techniques detailed in the book. But the steps are written in such clear and simple to understand words that you could recreate the projects without the CD. Embossing, background, re-touching, custom shapes navigation bars and animated attention getters are a few of the things you can learn from spending an evening with Photohop 6 Web Magic. These subjects are the things used in the real world. They can be put to use immediately on your web to give it a professional look. Even if you have never used Photoshop, this book has such good detail that you can walk right through the project without a problem.
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