132 PAGES!

Master every tool in the Photoshop toolbar

AdobePhotosh
Every tool
op
Unleash the full power
explained!
behind every
icon in the Photoshop
toolbar

132 pages of easy-to-follow tutorials

and expert advice to help develop your
Adobe Photoshop skills
 Welcome

Polish up your knowledge…

Unravel the mysteries of the Photoshop Toolbar and
its resident icons.They’re not as scary as they look!

S
tart up Photoshop and what do you see? Well,
besides the menu options along the top of the
screen, you’ll see a Toolbar that’s chock-a-block
with icons. You’ll probably recognise some of these,
such as the ‘T’ that designates the Type tool and the
paintbrush icon that unlocks the various Brush tools.
But do you really know what the rest of these icons
mean? … Honestly? The chances are that – like many
Photoshop users across the world – you’re only using a
fraction of the program’s full potential, but this second
issue in the Photoshop Focus Guide series will change
all that, helping you make the most of all the tools at
your disposal.
Even professional designers often admit to being
hopeless with the Healing Brush and dodgy with the
Dodge tool, but there’s really no reason for any of the
tools to be a mystery. This issue will help you get more
from the Clone, Gradient, Paths and Effects tools, to
name but a few. You’ll find expert tips and advice for
working more efficiently with each of the tools, as well
as tutorials to demonstrate exactly how to carry out
useful image-editing tasks. In the final section you’ll
find a step-by-step guide that brings together all the
skills you’ve learnt, showing how to create a striking
Photoshop image.
And let’s not forget the CD that
accompanies your Focus
Guide. On here you’ll
find a library of stock
images (worth £1,990),
plug-ins and video training
tutorials to enhance your
enjoyment of Photoshop
further still!
Have fun!

3 GUIDE
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOOL TECHNIQUES – FOCUS
 Future Publishing Ltd
30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW
www.thefuturenetwork.plc.uk

Editor
Dan McNamara
Art Editor
Simon Bleeze
Writer
Simon Danaher
Production
Clive Somerville
Jonathan Palmer
Chris Stocker
Cover image Matt Gallimore
New Media Co-ordinator Diane Ross
Production Co-ordinator Dave Taylor
Group Publisher John Weir
Publishing Director

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Future Publishing Ltd.

Printed in the EU

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4 FOCUS GUIDE – ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOOL TECHNIQUES

 Icons explained

Finding your way

Read this Guide from beginning to end or dip in and out
as you please. Either way, our icons will prove indispensable…

W ith so much to say about

Adobe Photoshop it’s been
icon categories, see below. These
handy hints, tips and shortcuts are
difficult to cram all the information always relevant to the topic that’s
that we wanted to include into this being discussed, and will help you
Focus Guide. That’s why you’ll find develop your Photoshop skills that
the special icons that occupy the little bit faster.
margins so very useful. Our writers are always experienced
As you leaf through the pages, Photoshop experts who regularly
you’ll find a range of attractive contribute to our sister magazines,
symbols, each of which denotes an such as Computer Arts and Digital
extra nugget of knowledge. The Camera Magazine. So you can rest
icons enable you to identify exactly assured that all the information
what kind of information you’re they provide is both authoritative
dealing with – for a full guide to and thoroughly tried-and-tested.

On your CD-ROM Take note

Some of the software that we refer to may be You’ll find a number of these nuggets of knowledge
included on your bonus CD. Every now and then scattered throughout the Guide.They’re crammed
we remind you of this by flagging up the disc icon with useful information that complements the
and listing what’s on it. Handy, eh? main text perfectly.

Top tips Watch out!

This indicates an expert tip. Anything sheltered The skull and crossbones sign means proceed
beneath this icon is guaranteed to reveal a useful with caution.You’ll find some important points
hint about using Photoshop’s extensive range of outlined below this icon, which you should
tools, palettes and features. certainly take seriously.

Further information Links

We’d like to tell you absolutely everything, but When we refer to a website, we may pull out the
there’s just not enough space. Instead we refer web address in the sidebar to make it easier for
you to other useful resources, such as websites you to read and remember.
and specialist books for further reading.

Shortcuts
Carrying out common tasks again and again can
get a little tedious. Our handy shortcuts show you
how to carry out these tasks with a few deft
key-presses, saving you lots of time and effort.

5 GUIDE
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOOL TECHNIQUES – FOCUS