Photoshop CS4 Essential Training from Lynda.com Review

I got a DVD training video from Lynda.com called Photoshop CS4 Essential Training. I pick up this training DVD before I left for Asia knowing I would be in the airport waiting most of the time. I also wanted to keep up to date with Adobe Photoshop CS4.

It is a lot of stuff to learn, it took me about a week to finish watching the DVD because I was watching about 1-4 videos per day. Some of the videos I would skip or scrub right through end since I already know what to do. Some of the videos I skipped were “The Interface”, “Bridge” and “Basics”. The rest of the videos were great, the videos explained how to use the new features.

Since the title of this training DVD is called: Photoshop CS4 Essential Training. I thought to myself I wouldn’t learn anything because it is the Essential Training, but man, I was wrong and I learned more than I expected.

Here are some of my favorite features on Photoshop CS4:
1. Smart Filter
2. There is a chapter called “Photo Adjustments and Photo Retouching”
3. Creating Photomerge Panoramas
4. Combining group photos

And tons of other features…

Here are the topics cover in the training DVD:

1. The Interface

• Touring the interface
• Working with tabbed documents
• Using tools efficiently
• Arranging panels
• Customizing keyboard shortcuts
• Saving a custom workspace
• Changing screen modes

2. Bridge

• Touring the Bridge interface
• Opening images from Bridge
• Reviewing images
• Finding images

3. Basics

• Setting preferences
• Choosing color settings
• Zooming and panning
• Resizing and image resolution
• Adding to the canvas
• Rotating the canvas
• Choosing color
• Sizing a brush tip
• Undoing and the History panel
• Saving and file formats
• Creating a file from scratch

4. Selections

• Making geometric selections
• Modifying selections
• Combining selections
• Using the Quick Selection tool
• Refining selection edges
• Using Quick Mask mode
• Selecting with the improved Color Range command
• Selecting with the Magnetic Lasso tool
• Using the Background Eraser tool
• Saving selections

5. Layers

• Understanding layers
• Creating layers
• Working in the Layers panel
• Locking layers
• Working with multiple layers
• Merging and flattening layers
• Adding a shape layer
• Basic layer masking
• Using layer blend modes and opacity

6. Photo Manipulation

• Cropping
• Straightening
• Transforming
• Working with Smart Objects
• Using Content-Aware Scaling

7. Photo Adjustments

• Reading histograms
• Using adjustment layers and the Adjustment panel
• Adjusting tones with Levels
• Limiting adjustments with layer masks
• Using masks in the new Masks panel
• Limiting adjustments by clipping
• Adjusting with Shadow/Highlight
• Adjusting with Curves
• Adjusting with Hue/Saturation
• Adjusting with Vibrance
• Removing a color cast
• Using the Black & White adjustment layer
• Using the Dodge Burn and Sponge tools
• Reducing noise
• Sharpening

8. Photo Retouching

• Using the Spot Healing Brush tool
• Using the Healing Brush tool
• Using the Patch tool
• Using the Clone Stamp tool
• Enhancing eyes
• Changing facial structure
• Softening skin

9. Raw Processing in Adobe Camera Raw

• What’s a raw image?
• Touring the Camera Raw interface
• Working in the Basic panel
• Working in the Tone Curve panel
• Working in the HSL/Grayscale and Split Toning panels
• Looking at the other Camera Raw panels
• Using the Adjustment Brush tool
• Using the Graduated Filter tool
• Working with multiple files

10. Painting

• Using the Brushes panel
• Filling with color
• Replacing color
• Using gradients

11. Text

• Working with point type
• Working with paragraph type
• Warping text

12. Special Effects

• Adding a layer style
• Customizing a layer style
• Copying a layer style
• Creating a new style
• Using Smart Filters
• Working in the Filter Gallery

13. Combining Images

• Auto-blending focus
• Creating Photomerge panoramas
• Combining group photos

14. Automation

• Creating an action
• Batch processing with an action
• Using the Image Processor

15. Output

• Printing
• Making a contact sheet from Bridge
• Creating a web gallery from Bridge
• Preparing photos for the web

Conclusion

• Goodbye

Want to learn about Adobe Photoshop CS4 and get the most out of the software? Get the Training DVD at Lynda.com – Photoshop CS4 Essential Training by Jan Kabili.

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