Learn Photoshop CS3 Tutorial

This site provides you with a foundation for working with Adobe Photoshop. Follow along with the tutorial, download the lesson files, and view the videos. For more Adobe Photoshop training options, visit AGI’s Photoshop training classes.

Excerpt from Dynamic Learning - Photoshop CS3

What you’ll learn in this lesson: Merging images Using Smart Filters Using the new selection tools Working with text Using unsharp masking Using Camera Raw

What’s New in Adobe Photoshop CS3?

Welcome to Photoshop CS3! In this lesson, you’ll get a look at many of the new features, such as easier-to-use selection tools, improved Vanishing Point, and Live Filter. You will also explore these features in more detail in the lessons that follow.

A different Photoshop for different users

In this release of Photoshop, there are two versions: Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended. Don’t worry about one being better than the other; that is not necessarily true. Photoshop CS3 in any flavor is a full, digital editing application. Photoshop CS3 Extended includes additional features geared toward industries such as multimedia, animation, film, architecture, engineering construction (AEC), manufacturing, and medical professions. In this lesson, the features mentioned are included in both Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended.

Starting up

Before starting, make sure that your tools and palettes are consistent by resetting your preferences. See “Resetting Adobe Photoshop CS3 preferences” on page 4.

You will work with several files from the ps01lessons folder in this lesson. Make sure that you have loaded your pslessons folder onto your hard drive from the supplied DVD. See “Loading lesson files” on page 3. Now, let’s take a look at what’s new in Photoshop CS3.

Easy-to-manage workspace

The interface has been standardized across all of the CS3 applications, making them easier to use. The added bonus is that the interface now takes up less of your screen real estate. In the next section, you’ll get your feet wet so you’ll see the benefits of the interface. You will more fully explore the interface in Lesson 3, “Getting to Know the Workspace.”

Using the new interface

This new interface is consistent with the interface you will find in the other Creative Suite 3 applications, allowing you to focus on your job, and not spend time searching for tools and menus. You will open a file using Adobe Bridge, which is the preferred workflow for the Creative Suite 3 applications.

Docking palettes

You can take advantage of new docking features that allow you to neatly store your palettes and tools until you need them. In fact, palettes can be collapsed to icons organized in a
space-saving dock.

1 Choose File > Browse to open Adobe Bridge. Adobe Bridge provides you with image previews, as well as features to manage and organize your images. You’ll find out more about Bridge in Lesson 4, “Using Adobe Bridge.”

2 Click on the Folders panel that is in the upper left of the Adobe Bridge window to bring it forward, then click on Desktop. The items that are on your Desktop appear in the content panel on the right, including the pslessons folder that you have copied from the pslessons DVD supplied with this book.

If your content from the Desktop does not appear in the Content pane in Adobe Bridge, choose Desktop from the Favorites panel instead.

Open the pslessons folder and then open the ps01lessons folder contained within it. Locate the file ps0101.psd and double-click on it to open the file. If a color profile warning dialog box appears, press OK.

You are not creating a project at this time, but, you will explore the interface using this image. Note the single column Tools palette on the left of the display and the collapsible palette icons in the dock on the right side of the display.

3 Notice that the Tools palette is in a space-saving, one-column format. Click on the gray bar or the left-facing double arrows at the top of the Tools palette to change it to two columns. Click on it again to switch back to one column.

4 Reposition, or undock, the Tools palette from the left side by clicking on the gray bar directly above the Ps logo and dragging it to another location.

5 To re-dock the Tools palette, click on the gray bar again and drag it to the left side of the workspace. When you see a ghosted gray bar, release the mouse; the Tools palette is re-docked.

6 Leave ps0101.psd open for the next section.

Unified user interface panels

You are likely to find Photoshop’s new palette docking system very intuitive.

1 Before starting, make sure that you are back to the standard Photoshop workspace by choosing Window > Workspace > Default Workspace. This returns you to the original Photoshop workspace. In Photoshop CS3, there are many workspaces that you can choose. You’ll find out how to use them and create your own in Lesson 3, “Getting to Know the Workspace.”

2 Click once on the left-facing double arrows in the gray area above the icons. The icons are expanded into full palettes, which is especially helpful for new users, as it can be difficult to decipher which palettes the icons represent.

3 Click on the right-facing double arrows to collapse the palettes back to icons.

You’ll notice that the expanded palettes on the right also have these arrows, so you can expand and collapse them as well.

4 Choose File > Close and close the ps0101.psd image. If you are asked to save changes, select No.

Now you will discover some of the other new features in Adobe Photoshop CS3.

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