Tip of the Day | Page 5

Kick It Up a Notch with Smart Filter Masking

Last topic on Smart Filters: you can selectively show or hide any of the filters that you have applied to a Smart Object by painting on the mask for the Smart Filter (just click on the Smart Filter’s thumbnail, select the Brush tool, and paint with black. This takes your creativity to a completely different level.

September 25th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (1)

Blend Mode in Smart Filters

In the olden days, you could control how a specific effect reacted to an image by choosing Edit>Fade (effect name). This would give you a blend mode option for the effect, as well as an Opacity control. The problem with this was you had no way to go back and modify that setting once it was completed. In Smart Filters, you have the option to set the blend mode and opacity of that effect, and still keep the control you need to modify it later. Just double-click on the Edit Blending Options icon that appears to the right of the Smart Filter in the Layers panel.

September 24th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (0)

Smart Filters! Smart Filters! Smart Filters!

Gone are the days of having to use Undo for a filter. Now you can apply filters with aplomb because we have Smart Filters! The Smart Filter works much in the same way that an adjustment layer works—it places the filter in a separate layer that you can manipulate nondestructively.
To use Smart Filters, you’re going to have to turn your content into a Smart Object. Control-click (PC: Right-click) on the layer that contains the content, and select Convert to Smart Object. Once that is completed, you can go into the Filter menu and apply the filter you would like.
Once the filter is applied on the Smart Object, you will see a sublayer in the Layers panel that contains the Smart Filter. You can double-click on the Smart Filter and make any necessary adjustments or hide it by clicking on the Eye icon. There are a couple of filters that do not work as a Smart Filter: Extract, Liquify, Pattern Maker, and Vanishing Point.

September 23rd, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (1)

Sample Color from Anywhere

You can use the Eyedropper tool to pick colors from any area of your screen. First, press the letter I to select the Eyedropper tool, then click-and-hold inside your document, and drag outside the document window onto the object you’d like to sample. Release your mouse button and the sampled color appears as your new Foreground color.

September 22nd, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (2)

File>Open Recent

Under Photoshop>Preferences (PC: Edit>Preferences), you have an option called File Handling. In the Recent File List Contains field, you can specify how many files you would like it to remember.

September 21st, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (1)

Opening Multiple Images in Photoshop CS3

To open multiple images in Photoshop CS3, you can Shift-click a series of images in the Open dialog, and then click Open. You can also select noncontiguous images by Command-clicking.

September 18th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (1)

Saving a Workspace with Menus and Keyboard Shortcuts

If you go to Window>Workspace>Keyboard Shortcuts & Menus, you have the option of expanding each of the menus and showing or hiding whichever command you would like. This would let you make a specific menu Set for your workspace. Once you have customized your menu, you can save it as part of the workspace by choosing Window>Workspace>Save Workspace.

September 17th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (0)

Saving Your Workspace

Once you’ve set up your workspace exactly the way you want it, you may want to save it for later use. If you choose Window>Workspace>Save Workspace, you can enter a name for your current layout. Saving the workspace can also save your current keyboard shortcuts and current menus.

September 16th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (2)

Moving Camera Raw Presets

Camera Raw 4.1 has a new Presets panel. It lets you save popular or frequently used settings so you don’t have to re-create them each time (say, for a black-and-white photo). Here’s the tip: If you ever change computers, you’ll probably want to take those settings along with you. It’s not quite as easy as you’d think though. So here’s how: First go find the presets folder. On a Mac, it’s located in User:Library:Application Support: Adobe:CameraRaw:Settings. On a PC, look in C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw\Settings. Then copy any of the preset XMP files in there to the same folder on the computer you want to move them to. The next time you go into the Camera Raw dialog, you’ll see your new presets in the Presets panel.

September 15th, 2009 | Web Team | Tip of the Day | Comments (0)

Free Floating Panels

The interface in Photoshop CS3 focuses on using panels for grouping all of the features that you need. If you prefer a floating panel layout, just click on the panel’s tab and drag it outside of the Panel area. This will make it a floating panel.

September 14th, 2009 | Web Editor | Tip of the Day | Comments (0)

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Photoshop Tutorials

2012 Text Effect

Recreate the text effect from the title to the new blockbuster movie.
More Fun with 3D

Continue exploring the possibilities with Photoshop’s new 3D tools.
Reverse Restoration

Corey shows you how to make a new photo look damaged by blending in some unusual textures.
3D Background Effects

Use Photoshop’s new 3D tools to create some dazzling background effects.

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.
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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.
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Light Painting
Dave Cross takes a popular trend - light painting - and shows you how you can paint text recreating this cool trend.
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Viewing and Basking in your Image

When I’m done working with an image, I like to sit and admire it (hey, I spent six hours working on it, I should). To do that, I hit the Tab key, then hit the F key three times. This hides all of the panels and toolbars and lets you see the image by itself surrounded by black. To get back to regular mode, press the F key and the Tab key one more time.