Adobe Photoshop CS6 Tutorial

Topic 1: Applying Filters

Photoshop includes many filters for creating special effects. The best way to learn about them is to test different filters with various options on your files. You can use the Filter Gallery to preview a filter�s effect on your image without committing to it.

Improving performance effects with filters

Some filters can be memory-intensive, especially when applied to a high-resolution image. You can use these techniques to improve performance:.

Test filters and setting on a small portion on an image.

Apply the effect to individual channels � for example, to reach RGB channel � if the image is large and you�re having problems with insufficient memory. (Note, however, that some filters may produce different results when you apply them to individual channels rather than the composite image, especially if the filter randomly modifies pixels.)

Free up memory before running the filter by using the Purge commands in the Edit menu.

Close other open applications to free more memory for Photoshop. If you�re using Mac OS, allocate more RAM to Photoshop.

Try changing settings to improve the speed of memory-intensive filters such as Lightning Effects, Cutout, Stained Glass, Chrome, Ripple, Spatter, Sprayed Strokes, and Glass filters. For example, with the Stained Glass filter, you might increase cell size. With the Cutout filter, try increasing Edge Simplicity, decreasing Edge Fidelity, or both.

If you plan to plan to print to a grayscale printer, convert a copy of the image to grayscale before applying filters. However, applying a filter to a color image and then converting to a grayscale may not have the same effect as applying the filter to a grayscale version of the image.

1. Select the Museum layer in the layers panel.

2. In the tools panel, click the Default Foreground And Background Colours buttons to return the foreground colour to black. The Graphic Pen filter uses the foreground colours:

3. Choose Filter > Filter Gallery. The Filter Gallery includes a preview window, lists of available filters, and the settings for the selected filter. This is great place to test filter settings on your image before you decide which settings to apply.

4. Click the triangle nest to Sketch to expand the section. Then, select Graphic Pen. The image preview immediately changes to reflect the default values for that filter.

5. In the rightmost pane, set the Light/Dark Balance to 25. Leave the other options at their default settings (Stroke Length 15, Stroke Direction Right Diagonal). The preview updates.

6. Click OK to apply the filter and close the Filter Gallery.

7. Choose File > Save to save your work so far.

Using Filters

As you consider which filter you use and the effect it might have, keep in mind the following:

The last filter chosen appears at the top of the Filter menu.

Filters are applied to the active, visible layer.

Filters cannot be applied to bitbamp-mode or indexed-colour images.

Some filters work only on RGB images.

Some filters are processed entirely in RAM.

To apply more than one filter in the Filter Gallery, click the New Filter button at the bottom of the filters list, and then select a filter.

See �Using filters� in Photoshop Help for a list of filters that can used with 16- and 32-bit-per-channel images.

Photoshop Help provides specific information filters on individual filters.

Tool tips from the Photoshop evangelist

Using filter shortcuts

These powerful shortcuts can save time when working with filters:

To reapply the most recently used filter with its last values, press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac OS).

To display the dialog box for the last filter you applied, press Ctrl+Alt+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac OS).

To reduce the effect of the last filter you applied, press Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows) or Command+Shift+f (Mac OS ).

Topic 2: Applying Smart Filters

Unlike regular filters, which permanently change an image, Smart Filters are non-destructive: they can be adjusted, turned off and on, and deleted. However, you can apply Smart Filters only to a Smart Object.

You already converted the Capitol and Mall layer to a Smart Object. You�ll apply several Smart Filters to the layer, and then add some layer styles.

1. Select the Capitol and Mall Layer in the Layers panel. Then choose Filter > Filter Gallery.

Photoshop opens the Filter Gallery.

2. In the Filter Gallery, expand the Artistic folder, and then select Cutout.

The Cutout filter makes an image appear as if it were constructed from roughly cut pieces of coloured paper.

3. On the right side of the dialog box, change the Number Of Levels to 8, leave Edge Simplicity at 4, and move the edge Fidelity slider to 3. Then click OK.

Smart filters appear with the Smart Object in the Layers Panel. An icon appears to the right of a layer name if filter effects are applied to a layer.

4. Double click the Filter Gallery in the Layers panel to open the Filter Gallery again. Click the New Effect Layer button at the bottom of the applied filters list, and then select any filter. Experiment with the settings until you�re satisfied, but don�t click OK yet.

We choose Film Grain from the Artistic folder, and use the following settings: Grain 2, Highlight Area 6, and Intensity 1.

You can mix and match Smart Filters and turn them off and on.

5. In the applied filters list in the Filter Gallery, drag the Cutout filter above the second filter you applied to see how the effect changes. Click OK to close the Filter Gallery.

The order in which you apply filters can change the effect. You can also hide an effect by clicking the eye icon next to its name in the filter list.

You�ll use filters to give the other insert images a handpainted look without going to all the trouble of painting them manually. First, you�ll convert them to Smart Objects.

6. Open the Montage images folder again, and select the Capitol Layer. Then choose Filter > Convert For Smart Filters. Click OK in the informational dialog box.

The Capitol layer is now a Smart Object.

7. Select the monument layer, and choose Filter > Convert For Smart Filters to convert it to a Smart Object, too.

8. Select the Capitol layer, and then choose Filter > Filter Gallery and select the filter you like. Experiment with the settings until you find an effect you like. Then click OK to apply the filter.

We chose the Crosshatch filter (in the Brush Strokes folder), with a stroke Length of 12, Sharpness of 9, and Strength of 1.

9. Select the monument layer, and choose Filter > Filter Gallery and select the filter you like, then click OK to apply it.

You can apply almost any filter, including third-party filters, as a Smart Filter. The only exceptions are the Extract, Liquify, Pattern Maker, and Vanishing Point filters, because those require access to the original image pixels. In addition to filters, you can apply the Shadow/Highlights and Variations adjustments to Smart Objects.

10. Choose File >Save to save your work.

Topic 3: Adding Drop Shadows and Border

You�re almost done with the postcard. To make the inset images stand out a little more, you�ll add drop shadow to them. Then, you�ll add border around the entire postcard.

1. Select the Capitol layer, and click the Add A Layer Style button at the bottom of the Layers panel. Choose Drop Shadow.

2. In the Layer Style dialog box, change the Opacity to 40%, Distance to 15 px, Spread to 9%, and the Size to 9px. Then click OK.

3. In the layers panel, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag the Drop Shadow effect from the Capitol layer onto the Monument layer.

4. Alt-drag or Option-drag the same Drop Shadow effect onto the Museum Layer.

5. Close the Montage images folder again.

Now you�ll expand the canvas so that you can add a border without covering any of your images.

Choose Images >Canvas Size, and enter 7 inches for the Width and 5 inches for the Height. Click OK.

A transparent border appears around the image. You�ll make that border appear white.

7. Press D to return the foreground and background colours to the defaults in the Tools panel, so that the background layer is white.

8. In the Layers panel, click the Create A New Layer button, and then drag the new layer to the bottom of the layer stack. Name it Border.

9. With the layer border selected, choose Select > All.

10. Choose Edit > Fill. In the Fill dialog box, choose Background Colour from the Use menu, and click OK.

11. Choose File > Save to save the postcard.

The postcard is ready to print and mail. It�s a standard U.S. Postal Service postcard size.

12. Close the 09.A_Working.psd file. You�ll use the different files to create a panorama.

Topic 4: Stitching a Panorama

The files have been a colour matched, sharpened, and save to prevent unsightly inconsistencies in you panorama. Now you�re ready to stitch the images together! Then, you�ll add a border with lettering to complete the poster.

1. With no files open in Photoshop, choose File > Automate > Photomerge.

2. In the Layout area of the dialog box, select Auto. Then, in the Source Files area, click Browse, and navigate to the Lesson09/Ready for Panorama folder. Shift-select all the images in the folder, and click OK or Open.

3. At the bottom of the Photomerge dialog box, select Blend Images Together, Vignette Removal, and Geometric Distortion Correction. Then click OK.

Photoshop creates the panorama image. It�s a complex process, so you may have to wait several minutes while Photoshop works. When it�s finished, you should see an image that looks similar to the one below, with six layers in the Layers panel � one for each of the images. Photoshop has found the overlapping areas of the images and matched them, correcting any angular discrepancies. In the process, it left some empty areas. You�ll make panorama tidy by adding a little sky to fill in some of the empty area, and by cropping the image.

4. Select all the layers on the Layers panel, and then choose Layer > Merge Layers.

5. Choose File > Save As. Choose Photoshop for the Format, and name the file 09-_Working.psd. Save the file in the Lesson09 folder. Click Save, and then click OK in the Photoshop Format Options dialog box.

6. Select the Crop tool. In the options bar, choose Unconstrained to remove any aspects ration values, so you can crop to any size. Then drag the crop box to include the area from the edge of the grass (where its bottom edge is tower). Crop out all the transparent areas on the sides. When you are satisfied with your cropped area, press Enter or Return, or click the Commit Current Crop Operation button in the options bar.

7. Select the Magic Wand tool, hidden beneath the Quick Selection tool in the Tools panel.

8. Click in the transparent area on the right to select it, and then Shift-click in the transparent area on the left to add it to the selection.

9. Choose Edit > Fill.

10. In the Fill dialog box, choose Content-Aware from the Use menu, and click OK.

Photoshop fills the transparent area with colour that blends with the existing sky.

11. Choose Select > Deselect.

12. Choose File > Save to save you work so far.