Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One
By Mike Yates, NOCCC
If you are a beginning to intermediate user of the Photoshop program, Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One by Deke McClelland is a good book for you. Published in 2007, this text addresses the latest raster graphics powerhouse software from Adobe which is available as a standalone program and one of the main elements in the Creative Suite 3 (CS3) clusters of graphics manipulators. I loaded CS3 in the form of the Design Premium package and the Web Premium package, so my version was “Extended 10.0.1.” To run only Photoshop, you need at least 512 MB of RAM or 1 GB for the suite (I upgraded to 2 GB), 2 GB of hard disk, DVD Drive, and at least a 1024x768 monitor.
The book is laid out as 12 tutorial lessons, grouping similar topics together. Lesson 9, for example, discusses Layers, a key element in many graphic programs’ tool bag, starting with both the benefit and the penalties of using layers and how to manage, arrange, modify, import, transform, mask, blend, warp, and align layers. For the faint of heart, rest assured. You would have already worked your way through the basics. The in-depth lessons start at the beginning with what Photoshop is for, how to open a photo (image), how to organize your images for efficient use and a section that taught me a lot on how to use thumbnails and the “metadata” that is in the image.
Even though the mood is light and easy to read, thanks to a good layout and textbook design, the instructions are detailed, starting with a nice touch: precise steps on setting up the preferences, defaults, shortcuts, and tutorial files on the accompanying DVD to match the textbook photos and screenshots as closely as possible. Developed by professional trainers, half of the 500 pages are photos or illustrations or screen shots so that you can see the text topics in action. “Pearls of Wisdom” add highlights to the reading. The book is focused on basic Photoshop, but McClelland is to be applauded for addressing the Interactions in the Suite versions as well.
The instructional approach is to read the introduction to the lessons for an overview, then go to the DVD video for that lesson, then go back to the text. The DVD provides 10-17 minute demonstrations using high resolution formats designed to make the trainer’s action easily viewed on PC displays, using QuickTime. The DVD is a key to the value of this book, providing student files matching the text to read-then-do. At the end of the Lesson are review questions. Those not interested in all program features might read the lesson intro, watch the DVD and skip the parts of the lesson not of interest. I loved the “Extra Credit” sections; some added additional insight, others told you where you could stop this lesson and skip to the next if you had not much interest in that topic.
Some minor gripes: 1) The book covers both MAC and PC command keystrokes which I found slightly disconcerting and confusing as I moved from textbook to screen and back in detailed operations. (Maybe a font difference would help.) 2) This is so close to traditional textbook layout, why isn’t the review followed by “exercises” tasking the avid student into more thought or in combining the topics presented, to ingrain the concepts, based on partially completed files supplied on the DVD? (This gripe might be considered a positive; I left the book wanting more rather than bored.)
Like almost any offering of the O’Reilly Media family, this text-DVD combo is worth its price, $49.99 before the NOCCC user group discount. Advanced users may not find it a suitable reference text, but I suspect they will learn tidbits from it. This neophyte gives a strong "thumbs up" recommendation.
For more information, check out the O’Reilly web site at http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596529758/.
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