Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book [Paperback]

Adobe Creative Team (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 032157379X | ISBN-13: 978-0321573797 | Publication Date: November 20, 2008 | Edition: 1

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop CS4

Fourteen lessons in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book cover basic and advanced techniques in Adobe Photoshop, the world’s best image-editing software. Learn how to retouch digital photos, work with layers and masks, navigate the workspace, prepare images print, and explore the latest features. Tips, extra-credit exercises, and step-by-step lessons help you become more productive using Photoshop.

Learn to correct and enhance digital photos, create image composites, transform images in perspective, and prepare images for print and the web. Combine images for extended depth of field, and try out the new 3D features in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.” —Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does—an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The Adobe Creative Team is made up of designers, writers, and editors who have extensive, real-world knowledge of and expertise in using Adobe products. They work closely with the Adobe product development teams and Adobe's Instructional Communications team to come up with creative, challenging, and visually appealing projects to help both new and more experienced users get up to speed quickly on Adobe software products.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Press; 1 edition (November 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 032157379X
• ISBN-13: 978-0321573797
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Algorithms > Digital Image Processing
  • #34 in Books > Computers & Technology > Digital Photography & Video > Adobe Photoshop
  • #96 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars definitive lessons in Photoshop, December 4, 2008

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book (Paperback)

If you want to learn Photoshop, why not from its authors? This very recent text [2008-9] has lessons showing the many capabilities of CS4. The publisher/author was also careful to include many nice colour prints because after all, that is the point, isn't it?

The book starts from scratch, assuming no prior exposure to Photoshop on your part. It takes you thru the basics. But even in the early chapters, you are exposed to many powerful techniques, like the Sponge tool and the Healing Brush and Patch tools.

The most important chapters deal with layers. Of all the tools and ideas embedded in Photoshop, the concept of layers is perhaps the most powerful. The lessons give you fluency in it, and once you have this, compositing elaborate images becomes very feasible, largely limited only by your imagination.

112 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring and Poorly Written, February 8, 2009

By 

Patti A. Edens - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book (Paperback)

I've enjoyed Scott Kelby's books and other Photoshop books in the past and was looking forward to this book. I made it through the first four lessons without too much problem only because I've been using Photoshop for quite some time.

But Lesson Five makes very little sense to me. I don't get the point.

This is what happens when a group of people write a book. It's a mess. They keep getting the cart before the horse. For example, the first lesson requires making a selection with the Elliptical Marquee Tool. Then, in Lesson three, the reader will find an explanation of how to make a selection with the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

Another example is in lesson three. It requires renaming a layer, but the explanation for how to rename a layer doesn't come until lesson four.

I knew how to use the Elliptical Marquee Tool and I knew how to rename a layer, so no problem for me. But how many more carts are before the horses? I'm afraid this book will only increase my frustration level with Photoshop, not diminish it.

I would not recommend this book to a beginner for certain and not even to someone with Photoshop experience. It was not worth the money paid and I wish I had not bought it.

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classroom In A Book, December 28, 2008

By 

ANTHONY P. DELRIO "Tony Del Rio" (Whittier, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book (Paperback)

I ordered this book with my cs4 software knowing that the Photoshop team who put this book together always know how to get accross to even the most struggling student, which refers to me quite well. The book comes with a disc containing the lessons you should use to follow along while learning how to use every tool Photoshop CS4 has to offer. I'm so glad I purchased this book. I take a lesson at a time in the evenings. I find it helpful to repeat a lesson as soon as I finish to make sure the information I learned comes easier as the instructions progress. The instructors made it so you're using previously learned tools and methods in each lesson. This makes it easier to remember what you've learned.