Photoshop CS3 Channels and Masks Bible [Paperback]

Stephen Romaniello (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470102640 | ISBN-13: 978-0470102640 | Publication Date: May 7, 2007 | Edition: 1

Add sizzle to your images with these invaluable tools.

If you're using Photoshop without working with channels and masks, you're missing out on some of the most powerful and creative features Photoshop CS3 has to offer. Let this comprehensive reference teach you to use these valuable tools the way professionals do. Create dazzling composites, speed your workflow, get awesome color--it's all here and more with step-by-step instructions, techniques, and examples. If you want to tap the full potential of Photoshop channels and masks, this striking full-color Bible is the book you need to succeed.You'll learn to:

• Harness channels and masks for faster workflow.
• Unravel the secrets of creating, mixing, and converting digital color.
• Add lighting effects, 3D, and other channel pyrotechnics.
• Create composite layer content with advanced blending.
• Reveal, conceal, and refine your images with layer masks.
• Combine selections from single and multiple documents.
• Posterize, create textures, correct faded images, and more.
• Use type masks to add an artist's sparkle to the text.
• Work with soft-edged selections.
• Select and composite transparent shadows.
• Blend layers.

Inside, you'll find brilliant full color throughout, including hundreds of color screen shots and examples. Order your copy today!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Add sizzle to your images with these invaluable tools

If you're using Photoshop without working with channels and masks, you're missing out on some of the most powerful and creative features Photoshop CS3 has to offer. Let this comprehensive reference teach you to use these valuable tools the way professionals do. Create dazzling composites, speed your workflow, get awesome color—it's all here and more with step-by-step instructions, techniques, and examples. If you want to tap the full potential of Photoshop channels and masks, this striking full-color Bible is the book you need to succeed.

• Harness channels and masks for faster workflow

• Unravel the secrets of creating, mixing, and converting digital color

• Add lighting effects, 3D, and other channel pyrotechnics

• Composite layer content with advanced blending

• Reveal, conceal, and refine your images with layer masks

• Combine selections from single and multiple documents

• Learn to posterize, create textures, correct faded images, and more

• Use type masks to add an artist's sparkle to the text

Inside, find brilliant full color throughout, including hundreds of color screen shots and examples.

Learn how to work with soft-edged selections

Learn how to select and composite transparent shadows

Learn how to blend layers

About the Author

Stephen Romaniello is an artist, educator, and writer. He began his career in graphics in 1980 as a production artist and typesetter; soon he was promoted to designer and then art director. In 1982, he became a partner at Armory Park Design Group. Three years later he founded Congress Street Design, a full-service design firm. In 1987, at the beginning of the digital revolution in graphics technology, he purchased his first computer. Romaniello accepted a faculty position in 1990 at the Advertising Art program at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona, with the intention of developing a state-of-the-art digital graphics program. He served as department chair of the renamed Digital Arts Department for eight years.
Romaniello has developed curriculum and training materials for many of the mainstream graphics programs, and has offered seminars at the Maine Photographic Workshops, the League for Innovation, and National Business Media. A certified instructor in Adobe Photoshop he currently teaches digital art courses at Pima Community College. He is the coauthor of Mastering Adobe GoLive 4 with Molly Holtschlag and the author of Mastering Photoshop 6, Photoshop 7 Savvy, Photoshop CS Savvy, and Photoshop CS2 Savvy, all published by Sybex. He is also the author of The Perfect Digital Portfolio, published by Sterling and The Photoshop Visual Encyclopedia published by Wiley. His column, “The Digital Eye,” appears in Digital Graphics magazine. Romaniello is the founder of Gorilla Geeks, a company that offers onsite training and consulting throughout the country. His home and studio are in Tucson, Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470102640
• ISBN-13: 978-0470102640
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First 40% of book is NOT about channels and masks, May 14, 2007

By 

MCSD for Microsoft .Net (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photoshop CS3 Channels and Masks Bible (Paperback)

Unfortunately, almost half of this book is wasted on introductory Photoshop instruction. Around chapter 6 or so, the author finally begins to discuss channels and masks. If the book had a different title, then I would have no complaints about such a distribution of content. But given that this publication is alleged to be a bible of channel work and masking (intermediate to advanced aspects of image manipulation), I just don't appreciate its level of filler material.

The author also doesn't give particularly detailed attention to Photoshop's newest selection utility: the Quick Selection Tool. In fact, only a few paragraphs are devoted to this excellent addition to the Photoshop tool arsenal. Since selections run concomitantly with the the use of masks and channels, how can this important time saver be so lightly regarded?

With all of that said, the book does at least afford the reader some useful instruction on leveraging the power of layer masks, alpha channels, and color channels. The author explains the basics -- saving selections, for example -- and eventually moves on to displacement maps, advanced sharpening, fly-away hair masking, etc.

Personally, I find Kelby's book on channels to be a better bet for the money. But if you want some guidance on more than just channels and masks and prefer to avoid Kelby's humorous delivery (which I like!), then this just might be the alternative perspective for which you've been waiting.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive look at channels and masks., August 17, 2007

By 

Frank Ragan, the photo & book guy (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photoshop CS3 Channels and Masks Bible (Paperback)

When I first opend the book I was a bit dismayed as it seemed like a basic review of Photoshop information. This was true for about the first 145 pages or 30% of the book. Once I arrived at the channels and masks area, I found the book that I was looking for. The remaining 70% of the book, almost 350 pages, covered all aspects of channels and masks. There was significant information regarding power selections and the creation of masks, as well as clipping masks and the creation of selections in channels. Mastering channels and masks pushes the Photoshop user to the next level in terms of being a power user.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophisticated techniques easily available, June 6, 2007

By 

Mike "Mike" (Tucson AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photoshop CS3 Channels and Masks Bible (Paperback)

This book makes sophisticated techniques easily accessible. I am a professional photographer and Photoshop user for 11 years. I appreciate the way this book is laid out and the ease of accessing techniques I had previously overlooked or avoided.

The introductory section (image basics and color management) of this 500 page book contains nuggets for even the most experienced Photoshop user. The type of information in this section is usually dispersed and tougher to find in most manuals.

The meat of this book (70%) is a wealth of information on channels and masks, including layer masks and Lab color. I found the the Lab Color section easier to work with than other, more turgid, approaches to this subject. Creating cast shadows is a snap using Romaniello's clear and simple instructions. The section on masking ambigous edges is particularly good. There many more well presented techniques which show the user how to gain control of the color, tonality and content of digital images.

This book is a standout in a forest of Photoshop manuals.