Adobe Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8 - Advanced Classroom in a Book Jed Clampett

Adobe Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8 work together to give you the power you crave to produce stunning material. If you are ready to expand your skills, then you've come to the right place. What you'll need to take full advantage of this book is Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8 installed on your computer ... and preferably having finished the first Classroom in a Book for each product.

What would you give to be in the same room with the top 9 experts in Photoshop and Illustrator? How about getting them to share their favorite techniques with you? You can have all the benefits of such a session right here in Adobe Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8-Advanced Classroom in a Book, where these 9 accomplished experts masterfully share their tips with you.

Our local fast food joint takes so long that I usually take a book with me while my husband waits in line. I brought this one and couldn't wait to get home and use it. It has an impressive line up of examples and illustrations to teach the various techniques.

Here is a peek at a composite of some of the great projects that you will delve into.

Lesson 1: Preparing Images for Print or Web
In this lesson you prepare a photograph for a postcard and for the Web. Some of the techniques include image corrections and how to make the image look its best in both mediums. Levels, color balance, and adding a glaze are all discussed.

Lesson 2: Shading and Blending
This lesson covers the shading and blending tools in both Photoshop and Illustrator and shows how to choose which program is best for each effect. You'll start with an image, which is provided on the enclosed CD, then add a 6-color gradient and finally add depth to different objects with shading-lightening the inside and darkening the outsides. The airbrush tools and the burn tool are utilized. Some of the effects are cast shadows, reflected color using the gradient mesh tool, managing color changes and making shapes along a path.

Lesson 3: Acquiring Digital Images
In this lesson you'll acquire images from print, web and video, and discover potential pitfalls and techniques to correct inherent anomalies. This section spans 40 pages in detail.

Lesson 4: Advanced Masking
Uses a shape over other shapes to cut away parts you don't want, and learn how to utilize masking in both Photoshop and Illustrator. You'll be guided through how to build compound paths with masks and masks with the pen tool, and then how to put compound masks together. Then you'll combine all these techniques as you design a business card.

Lesson 5: Advanced Compositing
Make complex composites using layer masks, blending modes and clipping groups. Use Illustrator for complex type designs as well as spiral tools such as the Pathfinder feature.

Lesson 6: Color Management & Distribution
Learn how to produce cross-application projects that maintain color appearance across several media. In this lesson you will follow a color-managed workflow that will produce 2 projects for an herbal tea company-a printed postcard and a splash page for their Web site.

Lesson 7: Advanced Typography and Layout
You will prepare a complete layout for a brochure-from setting type with ligatures to specifying spot varnish inks and settings folds, trims and bleeds. You'll also learn how to output film separations from Illustrator. This is a professional looking brochure where you'll align objects and use a lot of special effects for type.

Lesson 8: Mastering the Pen Tool
Learn the finer details of editing with the pen tool, for example, how to make detailed shapes and to have control over the shape of paths for selection and drawing. Discover the use of paths and how paths functions in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Draw precise shapes, use smart guides, redirect points and editing curves, draw natural shapes and much more.

Lesson 9: Two-Color Print Projects
In this lesson you transform a color photograph into a complete two-color poster by combining the complementary strengths of Photoshop and Illustrator. The lesson ends with making sure that your two-color files print properly.

Lesson 10: Creating an Animated Web Ad banner
In this lesson develop your graphics in Illustrator and use Image Ready to prepare your art for the Web. The banner uses animation, light and color effects.

Lesson 11: Animating with Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects
In this project you'll re-create graphics and animation used in the video introduction to the Masters of Visual Effects tape series.

Adobe Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8, Classroom in a Book, is a must for any serious Photoshop and Illustrator user who wants to expand their innovative skills.

Copyright 2000, Joyce Evans, All Rights Reserved