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Tip of the Day | Page 30
Select with color channels
Sometimes, targeting a specific color chan-nel can help create a much better selection, especially if there are distinct color differences you can take advantage of. In this example, the same diagonal move with the Quick Selection tool resulted in a much better selection of the heart when it was applied only to the Red channel in the Channels panel (Window>Channels).
Zoom in the Color Range preview
The preview in the Color Range dialog shows the entire image by default, which can make it hard to judge the potential selection mask if you’re trying to select only small areas. The solution is to first create a selection around the area on which you want to work before you choose Select>Color Range. Once you do, the preview in the dialog will only show what you have pre-selected.
Remove Lasso tools: control points
When using either the Polygonal Lasso or the Magnetic Lasso tools (both nested under the Lasso tool [L]), you can remove control points in the order in which they were put down by backtracking along the selection path and pressing the Delete (PC: Backspace) key for each point. The Magnetic Lasso tool may try to add new points as you back up; just delete them until you get back to where you need to be.
Fine-tuning with the Quick Selection tool
When adding or subtracting small areas with the Quick Selection tool (W), your results will be more accurate if you use the Zoom tool (Z) for a close view and then use a smaller brush tip combined with shorter strokes.
Change the default Eye-dropper sample setting
The sample size of the Eyedropper tool (I), found in the Options Bar, controls the size of the area that’s evaluated when it provides color and tonal feedback, but it can also affect how certain selection tools work,e.g., the Magic Wand or the Color Range command. The default Sample Size value is Point Sample, which samples a single pixel; however, this isn’t ideal for photographs, where using 3 by 3 Average or 5 by 5 Average will give you better results.
Where are my palettes?
They are still there only their name has changed. Palettes no longer exist in Photoshop CS4. Officially, they are now called panels.
Skin smoothing – Camera Raw style
Flawless skin can be key to successful portraits of ladies. Make their skin creamy soft by tapping the K key in Adobe Camera Raw 5 to call up the Adjustment Brush. Set the Clarity slider to ~40 for starters. Brush over the skin you want to smooth. Want it smoother? Drag the slider farther to the left. This is a great way to get proofs out quickly without losing gallons of time with the Healing Brush tool in Photoshop.
Pre-clipped adjustment layers
Want to clip your next adjustment layer before you even make it? Open the Adjust-ments panel, click the triple-black-over-white-circle icon to clip the next adjust-ment layer you choose from the panel. Now the adjustment only affects the layer immediately below it before the adjust-ment is made. Bliss!
One button layer clipping
Clipping an adjustment layer to affect only the layer below it required remembering to hold down the Option (PC: Alt) key, while hovering the cursor between the layers, until a black-over-white-circle icon appears, and then click. Now all we have to do is highlight the adjustment layer in the Layers panel and then click the third icon from the left at the bottom of the Adjustments panel (Window>Adjustments). Hooray! No more arcane keystroke/mouse moves!!!
Layer mask love!
The new Masks panel consolidates working with layer masks by putting most of the functions commonly used in one place. Show this panel by selecting Masks from the Window menu. Want to change the layer mask from its normal white reveal all to black hide all? Click the Invert button. Bonus tip: You can do the same thing from the key-board by pressing Command-I (PC: Ctrl-I).
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Photoshop Tutorials
Hollywood Touch-Ups
See how you can add some subtle touches to give that green screen studio shot the Hollywood treatment.
3D Christmas Ornaments
Corey shows how to create reflective holiday ornaments using 3D in Photoshop.
Styles & Text
This week Corey has a tutorial using layer styles and text shapes to create energetic effects.
3D Light Beams
This effect was discovered by a 'happy accident' and uses the 3D features inside of Photoshop CS4 Extended.
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Flare Effects
Corey has a cool trick for creating a flare brush and see how one effect can lead to another.
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Hollywood Touch-Ups
See how you can add some subtle touches to give that green screen studio shot the Hollywood treatment.
-
3D Christmas Ornaments
Corey shows how to create reflective holiday ornaments using 3D in Photoshop.
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3D Distortions
This week Corey has a cool new trick for using 3D reflections in a rather creative way!
Premium Video Tutorials From NAPP
Photo Retouch
Scott Kelby shows you how to take an overexposed photo into a great photo using Photoshop. Want Great Photoshop & Photography Skills?
Extended Definition Processing
Scott Kelby shares a technique he's been working on, which gives your final image an HDR look using just one photo.
Join NAPP & Get a Free DVD.
Smart Object Masking Trick
Dave Cross shares a trick he discovered that will help you remove white from around your subject when using smart objects.
Want More?
Light Painting
Dave Cross takes a popular trend - light painting - and shows you how you can paint text recreating this cool trend.
You Don't Need to be a Pro to Join NAPP.
Create A Composite Layer
If you have a multilayer composition and you
want to apply an effect to all the layers at once, don’t flatten the layers–use a composite layer instead. Hide the layers you want excluded, and press Shift-Command-Option-E (PC: Shift-Ctrl-Alt-E). A new layer will be created at the top containing a merged copy of all the visible layers.
Another option is to create a new layer at the top of the stack and make it active. Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) each layer you want to include to make those layers active, as well. Press Option-Command-E (PC: Alt-Ctrl-E).
by Colin Smith
