Customer Reviews

Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At its most simplistic level, Photoshop Elements offers useful and intuitive tools to make almost any photo live up to its best potential. But there's so very much more to use in Elements that without a guide you really can't begin to appreciate -- or master -- its powerful tools. That's where Barbara Brundage comes in. She has pretty much perfected the art of laying out how best to approach Elements 6.0 no matter whether you just want to touch up a photo or take it into enormously creative directions. Her tone is straightforward and user-friendly without talking down. She includes step-by-step approaches, frequent referrals to related materials, and loads of photographs to help the reader really understand. She also tends to frequent Elements forums, where she offers advice and helps people sort through technical issues that might pop up.

In a perfect world, Adobe would include a book like this with Photoshop Elements. This is not that perfect world, and I'm not sure I'd want to go into it without the right tools at my side. For me, that's Ms. Brundage's book, and the enthusiasm I bring to any photo myself. Well worth the money.

I am just starting to get into this book and have already obtained solutions to vexing problems that I did not have the patience to run to ground by using on line help and tutorials. The book helps me decide what is and is not important in the use of Elements 6.0 for the Mac - then provides the answers to my questions.

For example, in a matter of minutes, I was able to find out how to "right click" to edit an image in Elements directly from iPhoto and then how to save the changed image back to iPhoto. My Apple iMac software (both iPhoto and Elements 6.0) were on the wrong settings and I was having a terrible time trying to figure out the changes I needed to make in Preferences. Even the Apple in store Rep was not able to explain how to do this basic step. I got my answer in minutes from this book and now am already saving a lot of time.

I expect as I read further and apply the information as I go along that I will finally master Elements 6.0.
I also bought the Missing Manual for iPhoto '08 and the two manuals play very well together. Why oh why doesn't Adobe make it this simple? These books are like having an experienced digital photography friend at your side ready to show and tell.

The simple (now) concept of how iPhoto files work in concert with Elements 6.0 has made me much more confident that I am on the right track to being a better image processor and printer. I look forward to trying the methods detailed in this book and growing in my expertise every day. Took the "chore aspect" right out of my hobby of digital and scanned image photography. And, when you have over 18,000 images in digital and film and print form as I do, and you can gain confidence in managing them, you have to thank a book like this one.

Strengths: Beautiful layout and in color. There is no hardware CD but there is one through a website that has many files to try the tutorials and more. Helpful insight on Photoshop versus Elements and Mac versus PC for users new to either platform or Operating System/ Computer. Color screenshots are of a good size.

Weaknesses: Real novice users may find the book's tutorials a little daunting but they will learn from this book nevertheless.

Introduction

Photoshop is the premier graphic editing program for most of the Mac and Windows graphic artists. Many of those who don't require all the power of Photoshop but want most of the utilities, use Photoshop Elements which has proved to be popular. Macintosh users however have not had an updated version for two years but that has changes now. Mac users who also want to learn about the applications new features and learn as much as possible quickly look for a book to help them. If you are looking for one Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual is a excellent one.

The author, a musician by trade, , a mac expert and a Photoshop expert is the author of the Photoshop Elements Missing Manual Book. She provides insights into this new two year version of Photoshop Elements for Macintosh

The tutorials and content are provided in the 7 parts and 18 chapters. The book has color and well laid out.I like the little violet tabs on each top page side-tip that show what is on each page. The chapter numbers are on the bottom although I would have liked to have seen them on the top (which is where my eyes and most people normally start looking on each page). Color screenshots are easy to read. In several instances (like P. 302) there are red lines to indicate where in the screenshots the tutorials are relating the information.There are also a myriad of short notes (labeled Power Users Clinic, Workaround Workshop, Troubleshooting Moment, Communication Station help provide solid notes the zone in on helpful assistance.

There is no hardware CD but there is one through a website. Many of the Missing Manual series have a Missing Manual CD which has a lot of extras already available: web addresses, practice files and pieces of downloadable software that are included and mentioned in the books many sections. This not only saved money for the book being lesser in cost but also is more reliable with continual updates.

The appendix has 3 sections with nice layout of elements (menu by menu), installation and troubleshooting problems, and information about Bridge CS3, menu by menu. The index is full of items to help find information where you want in the book.

Conclusion
Beautiful book, thorough and well laid out, this book is easy to read and filled with great tutorials that will get you up and running with this new mac elements version in no time. The step-by-step tutorials are well done and help most users from the beginning to more difficult graphic endeavors. Some users may want an even more visual based clean straight forward set of tutorials.

Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual is a very straight forward book. Set out for the medium experienced user. It explains the differences between Photoshop and this version of Elements. It explained the whys of using Bridge verses iPhoto and how each program complimented each other. I read it slowly using examples and now feel quite comfortable using the Elements program. Each tool is explained. It may be too simplified for the experienced user but she has identified her audience and has written a concise, easy to follow book. The illustrations compliment the writing. I recommend this book.

I've used the'Missing Manuals' series for Windows Elements since version 3. The Mac version is as thorough and instructive as they come, with numerous fine-tuning tips for more advanced users. Although bulky, the contents are all meat without fat ot bone; Brundage's writing style is pleasantly conversational and witty, without resort to the heavy-handed contrived 'humor' adopted by others in the field.

Unfortunately - a shortcoming made all the worse by printing color on pulpy paper - this book cries out for a companion work-along CD so that the user can duplicate the exercises. The hoary 'reason' to download images rather than spend a few more bucks turns out to be an empty promise as the web image library is incomplete, outdated, and borderline quality. Locating the website alone, plus time wasted and effort expended, would be worth the small extra cost of including a CD.

Even so, the reader will be well rewarded by the outstanding informative quality of the contents. This truly will the definitive reference text to Elements users from rookie to rocket.

Although Photoshop Elements 6 comes with a fairly good manual of its own, this book is a must for those of us who wish to use the application in the most efficient manner. Ms Brundage shows how to manipulate and improve your digital images with the full power of PE 6's many, many features. The book gives hints and tips that are not found in the application's own, rather abbreviated manual and it's much easier to follow. You can't go wrong getting a copy for a reference. If you order the PE 6 application, you should add this book to go along with it.

I bought Photoshop Elements in August 2008. I found the online manuals somewhat confusing and my results were patchy so I bought this book. I wanted to both read through it and keep it as a reference book. The writing style is clear and I am more than half way through the book. My technique and workflow is improving all the time. I would recommend this book to anyone other than an expert in Photoshop.

New to digital scrapbooking, and wanting to be more creative, I am learning Adobe Photoshop Elements. However I don't like reading instructions from my computer or on-line. This book has all the answers to all my questions, and I am reading it cover-to-cover and also using it as a reference when I need instruction on a certain technique.

As an owner of a previous edition (Elements 4)I have to express disappointment in my new volume for Elements 6. The writing is still very helpful with lots of very good information well presented, but they have printed the current version on cheap paper. As a result the printing is a bit degraded and most of the illustrations are poor quality (especially the screen prints with writing) and difficult to read. This in a book designed for the visual interpretation of photos!
Shame!

This book was fantastic. If you are a digital scrapbooker using a Mac and you have PSE6 then this book is a must. I learned so many things I didn't know that PSE6 could do and certainly made my scrapbooking experience more enjoyable as well as efficient. I love this book, and it is never far from my computer!