Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) [Paperback]

Jennifer Smith (Author), Christopher Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0470117249 | ISBN-13: 978-0470117248

Adobe’s Creative Suite is a tightly integrated, powerful, and cost-effective set of tools that gives you the power to create graphically rich content for print or the Web. Now, there’s an all-in-one resource that explains each component of the Suite in easy-to-understand language and gets you up and running in no time!

Loaded with invaluable tips from Adobe experts, Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium For Dummies shows you how to use the different software packages included in Adobe's Creative Suite to publish your own projects, in print or electronic form. You get seven minibooks that span more than 750 pages, giving you the lowdown on today’s hottest software tools — Acrobat, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver — and showing you how to integrate the Suite. Completely updated to cover the latest features and enhancements of all the tools, this friendly how-to guide explains in plain English how to:

• Install and set up each program
• Use common menus and commands
• Import and export files
• Work with graphics, text, and fonts
• Understand page layout
• Draw with InDesign and share your work
• Use layers, filters, and effects in Illustrator
• Save Photoshop images for print and the Web
• Create and modify PDF files in Acrobat
• Build a Web site in Dreamweaver
• Work with images and sound in Flash
• Tackle advanced concepts
• And much, much more!

Complete with a list of helpful resources, Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium For Dummies is your powerhouse guide to getting the most out of each program!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

7 books in 1 — your key to success with Adobe Creative Suite 3!

Your one-stop guide to publishing your own projects in print or on the Web

Want to create dynamic content with Adobe's Creative Suite? Seven handy minibooks show you all the tricks for installing, setting up, and using the new features of the cutting-edge software tools that are packed in the Suite. You'll format text, import images, create illustrations, retouch photos, modify PDF files, share your work, and much more!

• Use common menus and commands

• Work with graphics, text, and fonts

• Understand page layout

• Use layers, filters, and effects

• Work with images and sound

• Build Web sites

About the Author

Jennifer Smith is the co-founder and Vice President of Aquent Graphics Institute (AGI). She has authored numerous books on Adobe’s software productsm including development of many of the Adobe Classroom in a Book titles. She regularly speaks at conferences and seminars, including the CRE8 Conference. Jennifer has worked in all aspects of graphic design and production, including as an art director of an advertising agency. Jennifer combines her practical experience and technical expertise as an educator. She has developed training programs for Adobe Systems and for all types of designers involved in creating print, Web, interactive, along with fashion and apparel. Her teaching and writing style shows the clear direction of a practiced designer with in-depth knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite applications. When she’s not speaking or teaching, she can be found in suburban Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and children.. You can learn about Jennifer’s seminar and conference appearances at agitraining.com

Christopher Smith is co-founder and President of Aquent Graphics Institute (AGI), the training and professional development division of Aquent that serves creative and marketing organizations. An Adobe Certified Expert for multiple Adobe products, he has worked as part of the Adobe Creative Team to develop many of the Adobe Classroom in a Book series and has authored numerous books on both InDesign and Acrobat. Christopher manages content for the CRE8 Conference for creative professionals and also the Adobe Acrobat & PDF Conference. He has also served as an elected member of the School Board in his hometown in suburban Boston, Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (August 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470117249
• ISBN-13: 978-0470117248
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect too much., September 26, 2007

By 

Gadget Guy (Citrus Heights, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

The good - This book is an easy read as the Dummies books are well known for. The content layout is good and subjects are easy to find. The hints and tips are generally helpful.

The bad - The content was a bit too sparse. I will be looking for a more detailed book in the near future on Illustrator. With seven applications in one book, my expectations of a lack of detail were confirmed as was a lack of clarity on many of the applications tools and features.

The ugly - There are numerous errors referencing tables that don't exist, or table references that were just plain inaccurate.

I would recommend this book for somebody who needs to get up to speed quickly, but doesn't need in-depth detail about tools and features. Shop for your best price and you won't be too disappointed.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CS3 for Dummies: A Critical Review, March 15, 2008

By 

Andre Lawrence (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

I've finally plunked down a few bills and bought the suite. The CS3 is phenomenal, by the way. My only problem is, is that with the exception of some older versions of Photoshop and a couple of projects with Illustrator, this suite is essentially a whole new program.

After reading the reviews below, I decided to borrow this book from the library just to be sure it was worth the effort to buy. After a couple of weeks of going through various chapters, I bought the book from Amazon.

Just to be sure, this is a book for beginners and moderate users of the CS3. There are two other books that I bought "How to Cheat in Flash CS3" and "WOW, The Adobe Illustrator CS3 book" because both offer step by step illustrated examples and on CD-rom. But neither offers an expansive explanation of the use of the tools as The Dummies version. And, we're talking close to 100 pages on this subject alone.

The Dummies is about 800 pages and is separated by each of the CS3 Design Suite programs. Also, authors Jennifer and Chris Smith, do a great job of interconnecting the different softwares.

If there's a downside to this, it's this: the book is printed on stock paper barely heavier than newsprint. The cover creases very easily, everything within the cover pages is in b/w. This point does prove a bit disconcerting as your eyes tends to skip over the printed tables. If you had the tables in color, it would reinforce the lesson the authors were attempting to get across. And, last but not least, the Dummies collection does not come with a cd-rom.

The Dummies for CS3 does what it sets out to do: provide reference material for those who have the CS3 Design suite. Period. And, it does it well. It is not flashy as the other books I just mentioned but to get started in learning about this terrific suite, this should be your first stop.

And, for what it offers, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than taking a class.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars All in One with LIMITED information, February 6, 2008

By 

Penetralia - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

We agree with the previous reviewer that mentioned the "lack of detail" in this text. This book may be useful for absolute beginners; however, we would NOT recommend it to those of us whom want a good reference text on Adobe's most powerful programs.

The Creative Suite 3 MAMMOTH is virtually impossible to discuss within a limited number of pages; not to mention that this book attempts to reference SEVEN giant programs in one book. If studying for an exam, we would recommend Cliffnotes; however, this book affords great limits to the rest of us! Better texts or alternative resources and tutorials should be considered.