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Tools Using Adobe's
Photoshop by Herschel Greenberg and Paul
Greenberg Damn! That's a great picture, except for… If that "great" picture for your newsletter needs a little
more contrast or the picture for your web site needs cropping, if
you need to get the "red" out of your PowerPoint image,
if you have ever had a picture that needed something fixed, dirt
specks or something annoying in the background, then Adobe's Photoshop
is the program for you. Having been available through numerous iterations
throughout the years, Adobe's Photoshop continues to be one of the
most user-friendly image and photo programs on the market. With
its easy layout, Adobe's Photoshop allows the user to select from
tools, filters, and individual layers without hunting through menus.
The Rubber Stamp Tool For example, one of the most powerful tools for cleaning images
is the rubber stamp tool. This tool allows you to select an area
on the image and then duplicate that area anywhere you choose. If
there is dirt on a dark background, the rubber stamp tool will allow
you to select the dark background and "rubber stamp-it"
over the dirt, making it disappear. Using the same technique, the
user can remove entire unwanted areas on any image. While the filter
list is extensive, it is very easy to use. The user can apply numerous
creative touches to images, from a sun-flare to a watercolor look.
Although some of the filters are just for fun, all you need is an
imagination to create multiple looks. Using Layers Another key element for Adobe's Photoshop is its ability to handle
different layers. Adobe's Photoshop separates each layer of an image
and treats it independently from all other layers. For example,
when adding text, Adobe's Photoshop creates a new layer. This allows
the user complete control over the text without affecting the image
below it. Because Adobe's Photoshop allows for so many layers, this
gives the user many ways to manipulate different parts of the image.
Each layer can have its own effects, filters, opacity and settings
applied to it directly. If, for example, you want to remove a picture
of yourself from one image and place it on an image with mountain
ranges, the picture of yourself becomes a new layer on top of the
mountain images. This way, the picture of yourself can be changed
in any manner without changing the mountain ranges. What separates Adobe's Photoshop from other programs is how it
handles the process of selection. Adobe's Photoshop allows the user
many different ways of selecting areas on an image. There is the
normal box tool that allows the user to select a rectangle (or other
shapes) anywhere on the image. The marquee tool allows the user
to select areas based on color. By setting the tool's feather abilities,
the marquee tool allows for precise selections of objects on the
image, which allows anything to be cut out and separated from the
image. With this technique, cutting yourself out of one image and
placing it on another is very simple. In addition, Adobe's Photoshop contains one of the most powerful
sets of color correction tools available. In fact, the tools are
so deep, Adobe's Photoshop is the main program used by professional
publishers. With simple controls such as brightness/contrast control,
saturation control, and color balance, Adobe's Photoshop will appeal
to, the professional, looking to create a publishable image, and
the non-professional looking to enhance vacation pictures or enhance
pictures of that adorable grandchild. Adobe's Photoshop makes it easy for you to make your photo look good and at the same time, have fun.
Paul Greenberg is a professor
of Philosophy. He can be reached at greenbergpd@hotmail.com
. Herschel Greenberg is a DVD editor and creator of educational
DVDs. He can be reached at hgreenberg@hotmail.com.
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