Adobe Photoshop Unmasked: The Art and Science of Selections, Layers, and Paths (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: smart object, magnetic lasso, stroke path, Quick Mask, Magic Wand, Color Range (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

As the feature list of Adobe Photoshop continues to grow, even users with years of experience can feel overwhelmed by the many tools and methods for selecting or isolating parts of an image. Layers, channels, paths, clipping masks, layer masks, vector masks, the Pen tool, Magic Wand, and so on — all let users work on specific regions of an image, but in fundamentally different ways. Making clean, efficient selections are essential skills for any Photoshop user, whether a graphic designer, professional photographer,
or hobbyist.

Graphic designer, teacher, and Photoshop expert Nigel French saves you hours of frustration by illuminating the best selection tools and techniques for specific tasks, and the most flexible approaches to correcting and editing images in Photoshop. Using step-by-step examples, this book clarifies often-misunderstood selection methods, shows which masks best select a range of tone or color, and demonstrates how the right tools and techniques can help transform even the most mediocre picture into a polished image, saving you hours of time.

• Learn the fundamentals of making selections, and when to choose which method
• Blend images and replace backgrounds using layer, vector, and channel masks
• Correct color and exposure using adjustment layers
• Make next-to-impossible hair selections with channel masks
• Create a non-destructive workflow, giving you total creative freedom

About the Author

Nigel French lives in Brighton, England, where he works as a graphic designer and trainer. He is the author of InDesign Type: Professional Typography with InDesign CS2 and the former director of the Graphic and Interactive Design program at UC Berkeley Extension in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Press; 1 edition (November 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321441206
• ISBN-13: 978-0321441201
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #584,366 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, January 15, 2008

By	Clint D. Hayes (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've used both online and printed tutorials for Photoshop in the past, but French's Photoshop Unmasked is easily the easiest to understand and, most important, most helpful. Practical advice on real-world solutions, offered in clear, hands-on lessons with files stored on his personal website. After years of hobbyist use for amateur photography and web design, I finally feel like I'm unlocking the full power of Photoshop. The bibles are good for reference and some of the more arcane uses of Photoshop, but if you want a solid explanation of how to perform the actions you'll need to know regardless of how you use Photoshop personally, this is the only book you should need.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one should be on everyone's shelf, November 26, 2007

By	Kenneth J. Hoerricks (Canoga Park, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Selections options often trip up the novice Photoshop user. Nigel make this look easy. His style is easy to follow for novices and masters alike. Knowing what to do when is the key to an efficient working environment. For imaging forensics, having the what to do when discussion of selection and masking techniques here in book form helps you prepare for an intense cross.

This one should be on everyone's shelf.

Jim Hoerricks
http://forensicphotoshop.blogspot.com
Author of Forensic Photoshop - a comprehensive imaging workflow for forensic professionals

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Photoshop technique book, September 9, 2008

By	Pumpkin King (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This book is one of the most information-dense Photoshop books I've seen. It specifically addresses selecting, layers, masks and channels, and is loaded with examples that are very pertinent to the material.