Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2.0 Hands-On-Training "Has Loads of Easy to Follow Examples"

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Title: Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2.0 Hands-On-Training Author:Lynda Weinman Publisher: Peachpit Press http://www.peachpit.com Publication Date: March 2000 Pages: 512, with 1 CD. ISBN: 0-201-354467-5 Price: $49.99

Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2.0 Hands-On-Training is a tutorial book on how to use both Photoshop 5.5 and imageReady 2 to create appealing Web graphics that load quickly online, yet are easy to make. Using classroom-proven techniques from her Ojai training center, Weinman provides step-by-step tutorials on optimization, type and type effects; background images (including seamless tiling); transparent GIFs; image maps; sliced images; rollovers (buttons and navigational bars); and animated GIFs. You also learn how to create a Web photo gallery and how to automate a series of operations as actions or optimization settings as droplets (both of which can be used in batch processing). The lessons contain lots of background information for each given subject, which helps you understand the process as well as the particular exercise. There is also a CD-ROM with 22 QuickTime movies that illustrate some techniques and sample files for all of the exercises, as well as some freebies created by the author. Included is a color palette (image to the right) with swatches organized by hue (up and down), by value (right to left) and saturation (up and down). Lynda Weinman does not try to cover all the tools and features of Photoshop 5.5 and ImageReady 2.0, but rather concentrates on those features helpful in Web development. This book is appropriate for both PC and Macintosh users.

Beginning and Intermediate users. The book is appropriate for beginning and intermediate Web developers. With its step-by-step instructions, it is perfect for beginners who might be intimated by the subject or the program itself. But it has enough information for intermediate users.

Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2.0 Hands-On Training has several components, including step-by-step exercises, commentary, notes, tips, warnings, and movies. There are fifteen chapters: Introduction, Interface, Color Management, Optimization, Web Color, Type, Background Images, Transparent GIFs, Image Maps, Slicing, Rollovers, Animated GIFs, Automation, Importing/Exporting, and Troubleshooting FAQ. Chapter 1: Introduction--presents information on: Note from Lynda; How This Book Works; Exercise Files on the HOT CD-ROM; Troubleshooting FAQ; Skill Level; RAM, RAM, and More RAM; System Requirements; About lynda.com; About Me; and Acknowledgments. Chapter 2: Interface--discusses: Interface Overview; Photoshop/ImageReady Toolbars; Jump To; Moving Palettes and Tabs; and Shortcuts. The chapter has a chart on shortcuts. Chapter 3: Color Management--covers: Color Management Assistant; Disabling Color Profiles; Adobe Gamma; and Preference Settings for the Web. There are two exercises. Chapter 4: Optimization--presents information on: GIF, JPEG, and PNG; Bit Depth; Optimizing in Photoshop; Optimizing in ImageReady; Palette Descriptions; Matte Color on JPEG; and Previewing and Writing HTML. The chapter has charts on GIF Definitions; JPEG Compression; GIF Compression; Bit-Depth; Which Type of Save Is Best; JPEG Context-Sensitive Properties; GIF Context-Sensitive Properties; Definitions; and Context-Sensitive Properties. There are twelve exercises. The image on the left (produced from exercise 4) demonstrates how you can play with the dithering options and get better results. Chapter 5: Web Color--discusses: Web-Safe Color; Hexadecimal Color; Information Palette; Copying Color; Dithering; Preserve Transparency; and Color Palette Web Settings. The chapter has charts on RGB Color Translation Values; and RGB Color Translations. There are thirteen exercises. Exercise 12 focuses on the filter DitherBox that fills with a hybrid of Web colors by creating a checkerboard pattern of two or more Web colors. By putting two or more colors so closely together, this filter achieves the effect of a secondary color that isn't present in the Web-color palette. The image to the left shows the DitherBox, and the image to the right shows a graphic with the DitherBox filter applied to it. The square in the middle is increased in magnification, thus showing the two colors that produce the secondary color. Chapter 6: Type--gives you information on: Editing Type in Photoshop; Jump To Settings; Rendered Versus Editable Type; Preserve Transparency; Layer Effects and Styles; Stroking Text; Clipping Groups; and Painting Type. The chapter has fifteen exercises. The image to the left is a button with a pattern background made in exercise 9 using ImageReady; the type image to the right was created in exercise 10 using styles applied to type; and the dinosaurs image to the left was created in exercise 14 showing how you can fill type with another image using clipping groups. Chapter 7: Background Images--shows: Size Relationships; Previewing Backgrounds; Magic Eraser; Seamless Backgrounds; Tile Maker Filter; Full-Screen Backgrounds; and Directional Backgrounds. The chapter has charts on Save Options; Offset Filter; and Creating Background Images Program Choice. It has nine exercises. The image to the right was created in exercise 8, with the small graphic showing the original picture and how it can be changed for a background use by adjusting it with the he/saturation feature. Chapter 8: Transparent GIFs--provides information on: Problems with GIF Transparency; Transparency Terminology; Creating and Previewing Transparency; Fixing Bad Edges; Pitfalls of Backgrounds; Saving Transparent GIFs; and GIF89a Export. The chapter has a chart on Transparency Terminology. It has eight exercises. The image to the left was created with three exercises, using a transparent image on a background. A drop shadow was added and a matte color from the optimize palette was applied to the transparent image to get rid of any halo effect. Chapter 9: Image Maps--discusses: Server-Side or Client-Side; What is an Image Map; Making an Image Map; and Using Invisible Layers. The chapter has three exercises. The image to the right shows the layer options palette where you use a layer as an image map. Chapter 10: Slicing--covers: What are Slices; Slice Icons; Slicing and Selecting; Slice Preferences; Previewing and Saving Slices; What is Spacer.gif; Slice Palette; and No Image Slices. The chapter has five exercises. The image to the left shows a slicing exercise where you slice the image and apply different optimization options to the different slices. Chapter 11: Rollovers--describes: Single Button Rollovers; Saving Rollovers; Preferences for Saving Rollovers; Layer-Based Rollovers; Saving Remote Rollovers; Complicated Rollovers; Navigation Bar Rollovers; and Alignment with Link Symbols. The chapter has charts on File Naming Options; File Optimization Options; and JavaScript Rollover States. It has ten exercises. The image to the left shows navigation buttons (created in exercises 1 and 2), using styles to apply rollovers. The image to the right shows a remote rollover created in exercise 10. If you click on the image, it will take you to another page where you can see the remote rollover and how it works. Chapter 12: Animated GIFs--provides information on: Frame-by-Frame; Setting Speed and Looping; Optimizing and Saving; Transparent Animated GIFs; Tweening; Reversing and Looping Frames; Animated GIF Rollovers; and Designing Entire Interfaces. The chapter has a chart on Methods for Duplicating Frames. It has twelve exercises. The image to the left shows a graphic that you work with in this chapter where put everything you have learned in previous chapters to design an entire Web interface. Chapter 13: Automation--describes: Web Photo Gallery; Actions in Photoshop; Batch Processive Actions; Actions in ImageReady; Droplets; and Changing Droplets. The chapter has charts on Web Photo Gallery Settings and Working with Actions. It has six exercises. The image to the right shows a photo gallery you create in exercise one. Chapter 14: Importing/Exporting--covers: Update HTML; ImageReady Rollovers Into GoLive; ImageReady Rollovers Into Dreamweaver; Illustrator 8.0 Into Photoshop 5.5 or ImageReady 2.0; Earlier Illustrator Version Compatibility; ImageReady to QuickTime; and QuickTime to Animated GIF. The chapter has seven exercises. The image to the right shows button navigation buttons created in ImageReady and brought into Dreamweaver with a free "Insert ImageReady HTML" command that can be download from the author's web site lynda.com. It eliminates the tedious cutting and pasting that you do to get the code into the any Dreamweaver document. Chapter 15: Troubleshooting FAQ--gives you frequently asked questions and answers and where to go for further help.

Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2.0 Hands-on Training is a wonderful book. It is easy to read, well-designed, and easy on the eye. There are charts galore in most chapters to help you along, and they can be used later as a quick reference. It is not a general book on Photoshop, but is geared toward Web design. You get step-by-step instructions, charts, hints, and even movies! It is a must have book. If you read through it and do all the exercises, you will be amazed at what you learn. All of the graphics in this review, except the section headers, were created by using the samples that came with the book and following the exercises.

Graphics: Illustrator 8& Adobe Photoshop Web Page Editor: Macromedia Dreamweaver 3.0 Scanner: Hewlett Packard ScanJet 6250C Professional Series