by Jed Clampett

June 1, 2001

If you own previous versions of Photoshop Bible the most often question I hear is, "how much has changed?" The good news is, plenty. Some of the added topics to this version of the Photoshop Bible are detailed discussions on layers, blending options, styles, vector-based shapes, color management, object-oriented text, the expanded TIFF and PDF file formats, free-form distortions and interface enhancements. Every chapter has been redone to reflect changes in Photoshop 6. Many chapters are totally new, how could they not be with all the numerous changes to Photoshop in version 6?

The Photoshop Bible can be used as a step-by-step, start from the beginning and learn how to use Photoshop book, a reference book to look up specific topics or a door stop - just checking to see if you are reading along. Although this book is large enough to hold most any door open, you'll be using it far too often to use it in that way.

I know, a book this size can be daunting, but it sure is nice to have an exhaustive work of this caliber handy when you have questions. If you need to learn Photoshop, this is also a great book to start with, it will take you from basic to advanced. Don't worry Deke makes it easy to learn, he sprinkles it with his unique humor to present ideas and techniques in a way that doesn't sound like an encyclopedia (even if its as big as one!) Here's an example Deke's humor: 

"To enhance your enjoyment of learning Photoshop, I've sliced the process into 5 tasty parts and then diced those parts into a total of 20 digestible chapters. Bon appetite, my sweet." You hungry? Let's get a glimpse of the menu. 

There are two Photoshop books I consistently reach for when I run into a snag and the Photoshop Bible is one of them. There are many fine and useful Photoshop books for specific purposes but when I need an answer quick I to to reference books. 

The CD-ROM contains the bonus chapters as outlined below, PDF files of the book which really come in handy if you want to print sections to use at the computer, some QuickTime movie tutorials, and more. 



The Menu:

Part I: Welcome to Photoshop 5
All the basic stuff you need to know about Photoshop is here. The revised Photoshop 5 interface, an overview of the low-level functions that have changed, and how to works with Photoshop from the keyboard.

Part II: Painting and Retouching Images 
Paint tools, filling and stroking, gradients, cloning, repeating patterns and a look at the History palette.

Part III: Selections, Masks and Filters
Selections and paths, masks and extractions, corrective filtering, and full-court filtering.

Part IV: Layers, Objects, and Text
Learn the ins and outs of working with layers, demystifying the blend modes, working with shapes and styles as well as text.

Part V: Color for Print and the Web
You'll learn color management, mapping and adjusting colors, printing images, and designing graphics for the web.

Bonus Chapters on the CD-ROM
Chapter A: Constructing Homemade Effects
Chapter B: Actions and Other Automations
Chapter C: Macintosh Shortcuts
Chapter D: Windows Shortcuts

Summary:
Does it live up to its claim of "Bible"? An unequivocal, YES! There are tons of topics covered with impressive depth. Deke's feelings, "Even the most intimidating topic can be made easy if it's explained properly." He addresses every topic head-on with all the authority his expertise commands. After you finish this book you should understand every nook and cranny of Photoshop and how to apply this knowledge to your real-world design situations. 

About the Author:
Deke McClelland is a contributing editor to Macworld and Publish magazines. He has authored more than 40 books on desktop publishing and the Macintosh computer, and his work has been translated into more than 20 languages. Deke also hosts "Digital Gurus," a syndicated TV show about personal computing, from his home base in Colorado.

He started his career as artistic director at the first service bureau in the United States. Deke won a Society of Technical Communication Award in 1994, an American Society for Business Press Editors Award in 1995.

Copyright 2001, Jed Clampett, All Rights Reserved