CHANGE YOUR WINDOW VIEWS

Photoshop CS4 enables you to open and view your images in various configurations on the screen. You can open multiple similar photographs at the same time to see which one is the best of the group. You can also have two windows of the same image open. Photoshop automatically opens multiple images as separate tabs in one window. You can quickly change from one image to the next by clicking the tabs, and you can close any images you do not need by clicking X on the image tab. You can select one image and open it in a separate window while leaving all the others as tabs in the group or view all the images as cascading individual windows. You can also

tile multiple windows so they all fit on the screen at once. You can open a second window of one image and view an enlarged version in one window and the full photo in the other, so you can edit a particular area while still viewing the overall effect on the entire image. Comparing specific areas on similar photos is easy because you can match the areas displayed in each of the images and even match a zoomed-in location.

CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION to increase your efficiency

Actions help you perform repeated steps quickly. An action is a series of commands that you can apply to an image with one click of the mouse. Unlike a keyboard shortcut, which can only invoke a command, an action can open a command, apply changes to an image, step through another command, apply it, and even save a file in a particular way. You can create your own actions for steps that you do over and over and add them to the Actions panel. Using the Actions panel, you record a sequence of steps and save your new action. When you need to apply the same steps to a different image, even to an entire folder of files, you play the action, and Photoshop automatically applies the steps. Actions can help you automate your work for repetitive tasks, leaving you more time to work on creative projects.

Note: As an example, the following steps show creating an action of opening a new 7- x-5- inch document at 300 pixels/inch for a greeting card. To create an action for changing an image, start by opening an image.

The following are the top 10 tips

It’s rarely easier to “fix it post” using Photoshop. If you know that you are going to photograph an object at a different angle or with different lighting, move the camera, the lights or the object in real time. This will save you countless hours of post image capture manipulation. Similarly, if you know that you are going to be removing an object from it’s background, try to shoot it against a similarly colored backdrop under similar lighting conditions. Or, if you don’t know where it’s going to be compositied, then shoot it against a solid color that is easy to drop out such as a blue screen. Try to shoot the image with low contrast you can add that in later. Don’t get lazy – Photoshop is not an excuse for bad photography.

ADD A KEYBOARD SHORTCUT FOR A FAVORITE FILTER

Did You Know

You can access the Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus dialog box by using the keyboard shortcut [ Ctrl+Shift+Alt+K ].

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You can save and print a list of all keyboard shortcuts. Click Summarize in the Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus dialog box and save the file as Photoshop Defaults.htm. Open the file and print the list for reference.

PERSONALIZE YOUR VIEW OF BRIDGE

More Options

You can sort files using the Filter panel. For example, you can view only the portrait-orientation images or all the images created on a specific date. You can also compare images in the Preview panel by pressing Shift and clicking multiple images in the Content panel.

Enlarge It

Press Tab and the Preview window fills the screen as the other panels slide away on the sides. Press Tab again to return to your custom Bridge workspace.

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Press [ Ctrl ] and click multiple images in the Content panel to compare them in the Preview panel. You can also stack the selected images by clicking Stacks and then Group or by pressing [ Ctrl+G ].

CUSTOMIZE YOUR WORKSPACE

Did You Know

You can return to the original default workspace any time by clicking Window, Workspace, and Essentials (Default) or by clicking Essentials in the Workspace pop-up menu on the top toolbar. You can also delete unused custom workspaces by clicking Window, Workspace, and Delete Workspace and selecting the one that you want to delete.

More Options

You can also change workspaces by clicking the name of the current workspace on the menu bar and then clicking another workspace from the pop-up menu.

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Photoshop CS4 includes a number of predesigned workspaces for particular projects, such as Color and Tone or Painting. You can select a Photoshop CS4 predesigned workspace by clicking Window, selecting Workspace, and then clicking a specific workspace from the menu.

SET THE PREFERENCES

Did You Know

You can use keyboard shortcuts to set the Preferences. Press [ Ctrl+K ]. Set your options for the General Preferences. Press (Ctrl+2), and so on, for each of the Preferences panes.

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You can change the default Preferences so that just pressing the appropriate letter toggles each tool. In the General Preferences pane, deselect the Use Shift Key for Tool Switch check box.

Did You Know

You can restore the Preferences any time by holding the [ Ctrl+Alt+Shift ] keys as you launch the application. Click Yes in the dialog box that appears, and the Preferences are reset to the defaults.

SELECT THE COLOR SETTINGS

Customize It

You can save your own Color Settings preset. The name of the preset changes to Custom when you deselect any check box or make any other changes. Click Save after customizing your settings. Type a name in the Save dialog box and click Save. Your customized preset appears in the Settings pop-up menu, ready for you to choose.

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You can synchronize the color settings in other Creative Suite CS4 applications to match your saved custom Photoshop CS4 color settings. In Photoshop, click File and select Browse in Bridge. In Bridge, click Edit and select Creative Suite Color Settings. Click North America Prepress 2 and click Apply.