Photoshop Tips #6


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*1. MANAGING YOUR IMAGES THROUGH CONTACT SHEETS

In our last tip, we explained how to create contact sheets to 
get a handle on managing the incredible amount of images 
Photoshop must use. As you may recall, contact sheets allow 
you to have a hard-copy reference for every image resource in 
your repertoire.  

If you're using Windows 98, you have another image-management 
tool at your disposal. You can set Windows to display a 
preview of any image you select in Windows Explorer. This lets 
you quickly browse through images without actually launching 
Photoshop and opening each one. To turn on this feature, select 
Start, Programs, Windows Explorer from the taskbar. Then, 
choose View, As Web Page. Windows adds a margin to the Explorer 
windowpane and displays a selected image file's property 
information and a thumbnail of the image.


*2. MANAGING YOUR IMAGES THROUGH MEDIA MANAGEMENT

As we mentioned in a previous tip, managing the huge collection 
of images Photoshop users rapidly create is a time-intensive 
and boring task. With the added complexity of multiple 
Photoshop users needing to share the same images and source 
files, the only solution is a quality media asset 
management tool. 

A great media asset management tool is Extensis Portfolio. 
Portfolio works well for small and medium-sized art 
departments. It allows you to create libraries of files and 
share those libraries over the local server or through the Web. 
For more information on Extensis Portfolio, go to 

http://www.extensis.com/portfolio/


*3. BUILDING BOLD TYPE

You may have noticed that some typefaces do not have a bold 
version. Luckily, Photoshop 5.5 has a Faux Bold option to 
create a bold version of any typeface. However, if you're just 
not happy with the bold version of a typeface or the Faux Bold 
Photoshop style, you can build your own bold version.  

For example, to create a bolder version of the typeface 
Parisian, you use the Type tool to create some text, render the 
type as an image, select the image, and apply a thin stroke. To 
do so, launch Photoshop and open a new document. Then, choose 
the Type tool and click inside the image document. In the 
resulting dialog box, enter a string of text, select the 
string, and choose Parisian from the Font list box. Next, set 
Size to 20 points and click OK. 

Now, you need to convert the type to an image. To do so, choose 
Layer, Type, Render, then select the text. Choose Select, Load 
Selection. In the resulting dialog box, set the channel to the 
current Layer Transparency and click OK. 

The final step is to apply a thin stroke to the text selection. 
To do so, choose Edit, Stroke. In the resulting dialog box, set 
Width to 1 and Location to Center. Then, click OK. As you'll 
see, Photoshop will create a bolder version of the text. 
Experiment with different stroke widths to increase or decrease 
the boldness of your text.


*4. BUILDING ITALIC TYPE

In our last tip, we explained how to create a bolder version of 
a typeface using the Stroke feature in Photoshop. Similarly, 
you can create a custom italic version of a text string.  

To demonstrate the technique, launch Photoshop and open a new 
document. Choose the Type tool, click in the image document, 
and enter some text in the Type Options dialog box. 
Then, click OK. 

Now, choose Layer, Type Render to render the type. Now you need 
to skew the text to create the italic effect. To do so, choose 
Edit, Transform, Numeric. In the resulting dialog box, enter 

-20

in the Horizontal text field and

0

in the Vertical text field. Click OK to apply the 
transformation. As you'll see, Photoshop creates a new italic 
version of the text. Experiment with different transformations 
to increase or decrease the angle of italics.


*5. SAVING A SMALLER FILE

Regardless of the final destination (Web, interactive, print), 
most Photoshop users prefer to keep image files as small as 
possible. To help keep your images as small as possible, 
Photoshop 5.5 offers a simple way to save a file without 
including all the extraneous information usually saved with a 
file, such as alpha channels, path information, guides, grids, 
thumbnail previews, and EPS previews.

To keep your image file size as small as possible, choose File, 
Save A Copy. In the resulting dialog box, select the Exclude 
Non-Image Data check box. Then, click Save. Photoshop saves 
only the image data to a file.  

Keep in mind that selecting Exclude Non-Image Data when you 
save an image in the Photoshop format can have adverse effects 
on your image. For example, Photoshop will down-sample the 
resolution of the image to 72 dpi, convert Duotone images into 
grayscale, and discard any alpha channels, previews, and guides.


*6. APPLY DIFFERENT STYLES TO CHARACTERS
    IN THE SAME STRING OF TEXT

Although it's not readily apparent, Photoshop allows you to 
apply different text styles to one block of text. This enables 
you to increase the font size of one character or word, apply 
bold or italics, or even apply different typefaces within the 
same block of text.  

To begin, choose the Type tool and click in your image 
document. In the Type Option dialog box, select the text you 
wish to format. Then, specify a typeface, point size, style, 
tracking, kerning, or baseline shift. As you apply character 
formats to your text, Photoshop will preview the effects of 
your modifications in your image document.


*7. USING CURVES

The many options and features of the Curves dialog box (located 
under Image, Adjust) intimidates many beginning and 
intermediate Photoshop users. However, remember that most image 
alterations can be accomplished by adding and manipulating only 
three or four points on the Curves grid. Adding more than three 
or four points to the Curves grid becomes complicated and will 
hinder your work more than help it. 

In addition, a good rule of thumb for using almost every 
function or filter in Photoshop is to do a little at a time, 
then reapply. In terms of curves, don't try to correct every 
image problem at once. Apply changes in small steps.


*8. PAINTING FROM THE ORIGINAL

If you find that you have gone too far down a path to undo the 
damage to an image, don't immediately throw away your work. 
Photoshop has modified the Rubber Stamp tool to allow you to 
paint from the original image and spot-correct areas of 
your image. 

To begin, choose the Rubber Stamp tool. Then, choose Window, 
Show Options. In the Show Options palette, select From Saved 
from the Option list box. Then, click in the area of the image 
you want to paint over and begin to brush the original image 
into your image document.


*9. CONVERTING TYPE TO AN IMAGE

A Photoshop tip subscriber recently wrote:

"I love the Type tool in Photoshop 5.5. It's fantastic for 
creating and editing text. However, there has to be a simpler 
way to change the type into an image layer. Typically, I create 
a layer below the Type layer and merge the layers together." 

While that method works, it's not the quickest way to transform 
type into an image layer. Instead, choose Layer, Type, Render 
Layer. This converts the type to an image and converts the Type 
layer into a normal layer.


*10. CREATING ANIMATION FROM THE HISTORY PALETTE

Although Photoshop's History palette can be a lifesaver when 
you have to undo several actions, it can also be a great aid 
when you want to create an animated GIF. The History palette 
allows you to export history snapshots as new documents. So, to 
create an animated GIF, simply alter your Photoshop image 
document and create each frame of the animation. Then, when 
you've completed all the modifications, review the steps in the 
History palette. Next, choose the History steps that will best 
create the animation cells and create a new document for each. 
To do so, select the History step and choose New Document from 
the History palette menu.
