• Introduction

  • The Photoshop Workspace - navigation, the tools, palettes, arranging document windows.
  • All about pixels, resolution and colour depth.
  • Understanding and using colour modes-RGB, CMYK and Greyscale.
  • Using Adobe Bridge.

• Basic techniques

  • Using brushes.
  • Choosing colours.
  • Sampling colours from an image.
  • Using Pantone colours.
  • Multiple undo and taking snapshots using the History palette.
  • Cropping and rotating images.
  • Changing image size and resolution.

• Retouching techniques

  • Fixing images using the Clone Stamp tool and the Healing tools.
  • The History brush.
  • The Red-Eye and Colour Replacement tools.

• Selection techniques

  • The Marquee and the Lasso tools.
  • The Magic wand tool.
  • The Quick Selection tool.
  • Working in Quick Mask mode.
  • Adding and Subtracting selections.
  • Saving a selection.

• Composition and design techniques

  • Working with layers - moving content to
    new layers, Opacity, Transforming layers.
  • Creating reflections and other effects.
  • Transformations - scaling and rotating.
  • Using Colour Fill layers.
  • Using Gradients and Patterns.
  • Combining images with Layer Masks.
  • Applying a Mask to an Adjustment layer.

• Colour correction

  • Using the Levels command - Histograms.
  • Curves and Exposure.
  • Using the Colour Balance command to modify
    colour casts.
  • Adjusting Vibrance, Hue and Saturation:
    general and specific colour range adjustments, Colourising.
  • Working with type
  • Working with type layers.
  • Formatting type.
  • Converting type to pixels.
  • Effects and Filters
  • Working with Layer Styles - drop shadows,glows, bevels etc.
  • Using filters - corrective and creative filtering techniques, using the Filter Gallery.Production
  • Importing and exporting images - the mainstream
    file types and their uses.
  • Web graphics - using the Save For
    Web command - optimisation and file formats.
  • Printing - recognising non-printable colours,
    converting images to CMYK, saving for print.

• General

  • Working with Adobe Bridge.
  • Managing presets.
  • Setting up Preferences.
  • Color Settings - working with colour for the screen and for print, customising colour settings, embedding colour profiles..

• Selection techniques

  • A comprehensive look at selection techniques, including
  • Selections based on colour range.
  • Using alpha channels to generate selections.
  • Combining alpha channels.
  • Using keyboard shortcuts to speed up the selection process.

• Type

  • Understanding the type tools.
  • Type on paths and in areas.
  • Type layers as masks and more.
  • Copying text into layer masks.

• Layers

  • Adjustment and fill layers.
  • Working with layer Groups.
  • Using Blending modes.
  • Smart Objects - placing content as SOs,creating your own SOs from existing layers,non-destructive tranformations
  .
  • Transformations - pixels, paths and selections, tips and tricks with free transform,step and repeat.
  • Working with complex brushes.

• Masking techniques

  • Layer masks - generating masks based on selections, gradients and other content.
  • Copying masks between layers.
  • Applying masks to groups.
  • Working with Vector masks.
  • Clipping Masks: applying to adjustments and to other types of layers, clipping multiple layers.

• Effects and Filters

  • Smart Filters: converting layers for SFs,blending options and masks with SFs.
  • Layer styles - creating and editing styles, going into depth with style parameters for plastic, metal and other effects.
  • Fill opacity and advanced blending options.
  • Channels
    • Understanding document colour channels.
    • Saving selections as Alpha Channels.
    • Channel operations.
    • Filters that use channels.

• Vectors

  • Creating and editing vector shapes.
  • Drawing accurate paths.
  • Converting paths to selections.
  • Combining shapes.
  • Outputting vectors and pixels for print.

• 3D

  • Creating and transforming 3D content.
  • Working with 3D text.

This course is aimed at Photoshop users who wish to learn

Requirements: A basic familiarity with Photoshop is expected.

• Overview

  • Setting Photoshop for screen-based production - color settings and units of measurement.
  • Integration with web development software such as Dreamweaver and Flash.
  • Targeting the screen - about pixels,resolution, screen size and colour depth.
  • Understanding colour models (RGB, HSB) and hexadecimal notation.
  • Specify correct document sizes and resolution.

• File formats

  • About GIF, JPEG and PNG - their respective advantages and disadvantages and when to use them.
  • Optimising images - balancing quality vs. file size.
  • Transparency - dealing with solid and complex backgrounds, matting and antialiasing.
  • Working with colour tables - colour reduction, dithering, palettes.

• Design techniques

  • Using masks and other layer features.
  • Layer styles - techniques, creating custom styles.
  • Using vector shape layers to create web elements, logos etc.
  • Creating and working with Smart Objects.
  • Using Smart Filters.
  • Using Adjustment and Fill layers.
  • Working with type - specifying anti-aliasing methods.

• Productivity

  • Batch processing images with Actions.
  • Creating buttons, toolbars and other screen objects.
  • Matching colours across applications.
  • Creating animated GIFs - optimising, creating from Photoshop layers, converting video to animation.
  • Creating multiple images from a layout via slicing.
  • Using Guides and Grids for pixel accurate design.