A Note About CS5
If you have a previous version of the software, don't worry! Although we're teaching Adobe® Creative Suite® 5, our instructors will point out which features are new and which aren't.
So whether you're using CS5 or its predecessors, our classes will meet your needs.
Class Description
prerequisites
If you are completely new to professional Desktop Publishing software, or if your experience is limited to Microsoft Office products, you should get familiar with the basics as covered in our Desktop Publishing Overview. Helpful for graphic creation, but not required to learn Photoshop, is the Digital Drawing Workshop (to gain experience with the Adobe Pen Tool).
If you take both of these half-day classes, we will automatically refund 1/3 of their cost! They're almost always offered on the same day!
Photographers who need to master their post-shoot workflow should also take our Lightroom Photographic Workflow class. The material in that course and this is augmented by the other classes in our Photoshop curriculum.
who should take this class?
- Folks completely new to Photoshop
- Intermediate Photoshop users who haven't had the chance to explore the application or its best practices
- Design, prepress, and other publishing professionals
what we cover
Learn the important features and essential workflow for capturing, importing, editing, correcting, and outputing photographic images. We'll also discuss graphic Styles (shadows, etc).
(always customized for the students in attendance):
- Mastering Photoshop's Interface and Core Concepts
- navigating Photoshop's complex interface
- importing images with the Adobe Photo Downloader
- how to view & organize images for accurate assessment
- vital keyboard commands
- the power of layers demystified
- why Smart Objects are smart to use
- Learn how to isolate areas of images
- selections: geometric and organic
- when to use each selection tool: Lassos, Marquees, Quick Selection, Wand, etc.
- Use the most powerful color adjustment methods
- both global and local adjustments
- when to trust your eyes
- basics of adjusting color by number
- correct for contrast problems and color casts
- preserving detail
- non-destructive adjustments with layers
- Learn the basics of retouching and digital painting
- brushes and brush presets
- retouching tools: cloning and healing your images (and other pixel biotech)
- using painting tools to color correct
- Use Filters to rework images
- sharpening images professionally
- correct for lens deficiencies (like vignetting, distortions and lens fringing)
- sculpt your images (or "that's why models look like that!")
- Use and understand Layers, Photoshop's core feature
- nondestructive editing: save your assets
- masking vs deletion
- combining images in a new composition
- Introduce yourself to Layer Styles and effects
- drop shadows: not just cheesy ones, either
- bevel and emboss for dimensional effects
- Printing essentials
- Photoshop vs printer drivers: an ongoing battle
- preparing images for print