Conference Buddies

• Knock Out Overlapping Areas on Text
• Convert text to shape
• Path selection tool to select the letter and overlap them
• Select All
• Select Exclude Overlapping Areas (4th icon – right before Combine Button) on top tool bar

In order of upgrade:
1. Computer: # of cores

• The most Photoshop can fully use is 4 cores. It can still take advantage of the other cores but then more than 4 can have dimishing returns. The additional cores are good in running other programs.

2. Operating system

3. Disk: 2 drives; one for operating system, one for Photoshop’s scratch disk
Ideally 3 or more; faster drives are better than bigger drives
Western Digital RAPTOR Drives are a good choice

4. Memory: at least 6 GB

5. Disk: Raid 0 (don’t use this drive as storage drive)

6. Memory: the more the merrier

• Virus scanner is known to slow Photoshop considerably – use firewall instead

Limit for Photoshop:

• OSX for Macs – current limit is 3 GB

• You can check the efficiency % of RAM for Photoshop can be seen on the bottom of the document window.

Memory:

• Mac OSX & Win XP needs at least 40-50 MB Free RAM
• Vista is very good at memory management so it does not need that much free RAM, it can get down to nothing and still work fine.
• 64 bit version = no limit for RAM

CS3 – has 6 cache levels by default

• Small files (under 50MB) with lots of layers (50+ layers) will take a very long time to open with cache levels set as 6. If the files are small, set the cache level to 1 so it will open much faster.

• Only keep at higher level (6) if you want to zoom in & out a lot.

Preferences > Performance > Set Photoshop to use 70% – 80%

• Bigger Titles + High Cache Levels = Lots of Scratch Space
• Bigger Tiles + High Cache Levels + Lots of Layers = Lost of Scratch Space + Wasted RAM

Resources:

To download the PPT:
http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2008/04/nnotes_on_tuning.html

3rd Party Test:
retouchartists.com/pages/speedtest.html

Hardware performance guide – specific for Mac but works for Win too:
See PPT for URL

http://www.adventuresinphotoshop.com

1. How To Wow Presets (900 presets): Software-cinema.com/page/htw
2. Photo Tools Lite (OnOne Software)
3. Pre-Scripts (Dr. Brown Services)

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

• Avoid the abuse of bling effects. Don’t lose sight of the Unique Selling Proposition – The ability to communicate and motivate somebody to action (to buy, to vote, to look, etc.)

Short Cut for Layer Effects

1. Right click choose Scale Layer Effects
2. Change all styles interactively at the same time

Saving a Shape (vector based)

1. Edit > Define Custom Shape
2. Shape is now saved within Custom Shape Tool
3. Good for logo and watermarks
4. Watermarks can create and save custom tool preset for style effects
5. Can save as a tool set to share with other people: Edit > under Preset Manager

Typography

• Kerning: spacing between letters – one letter –– Opt. + left/right arrows
• Tracking: spacing between letters – multiple letters –– highlight all letters & Opt. + left/right arrows

Displacement Map

1. Use the grayscale copy of whatever image/graphic to bend/distort the graphic to follow that grayscale texture.
2. Filter > Distort > Displace

Blending Options

• Layer Mask Hides Effects – Layer style effects does not apply to the layer masked portions

1. Colorizing

• Select the section
• Copy into a separate layer
• Desaturate
• Duplicate layer & Fill shape with color
• Apply Blend Mode Multiply
• Adjust opacity to create the desired look/color
• Duplicate layer
• Apply Blend Mode Overlay
• Adjust opacity to create the desired look/color
• Duplicate layer
• Apply Blend Mode Color
• Adjust opacity to create the desired look/color

2. To Enhance A Subject’s Fitness / Muscles

• Create 2 separate layers
• Layer 1 enhance the highlights
• Layer 2 enhance the shadows
• Adjust the opactity in each layer until it looks natural

Resources:
http://www.jkost.com
http://www.software–cinema.com/jk
http://tv.adobe.com

Blend Mode:
•    Section 1: removes white
•    Section 2: removes black
•    Section 3:
o    Lighter area gets lighter
o    Darker area gets darker
•    Toggle between the blend modes using keyboard shortcuts:
o    Shift + Up/Down Arrows

Tips:
•    Create editable filters (smart filters) by applying filters to smart objects
•    When cropping you can:
o    Choose to “delete” everything outside the area.
o    Choose to “hide” everything outside the area which allows you to keep the original image size intact without throwing away any data.

Keyboard Shortcuts:
•    While in Transform Mode, use Command+O
o    When the transform tool is outside the canvas size, it reduces the full screen size in order to show the all the points within the transform tool.
•    Control + Tab = toggles between document windows
•    F = full screen view
•    Shift + F = document window view

1. Creating polar worlds using the Polar Coordinates filter

• Filter > Distort menu
• This filter can create a panorama landscape into a planet.

2. Adjusting brightness of individual colors within an image

• Option + choose Black & White Adjustment Layer > Change the mode to Luminosity
• Move your mouse over your image, click, and drag horizontally to change the brightness of whatever color your mouse is currently over.

3. Quick composites using blending sliders

• Use the Blending Options within the Layer Style popup menu
• Move upper left blending slider towards the middle = hide the dark sections
• Move the upper right blendling slider towards the middle = hide the bright sections
• Option + drag either side of the slider to split the slider into two pieces for a more gradual transition
• If the subject is different than the background color, consider clicking through the different color channels to find the most dramatic difference between the subject and background.
• Then choose that color channel from the popup menu that appears above the sliders.
• The Underlying Layer slider will cause the underlying layer to break through the active layer based on brightness.

4. Removing the Background on Fire

• Filter > Extract
• Check the Force Foreground box
• The Extract command is only capable of searching for a single color within an image
• If there is more than one color, such as a fire, choose the most prominent or a blend of both
• Use the Eye Dropper tool to choose that color

5. Removing the Background on Glass Objects

• Filter > Extract
• Use the command twice to extract the highlights and shadows on separate layers and you’re done.

6. Selecting a Complex Tree

• Background Eraser tool
• Tolerance at 50% and choose Discontiguous
• Choose a large soft brush
• Click on a color within the background and paint over the entire area to remove that color
• Repeat the process until all the background is removed

Photoshop World
Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 4-6, 2008

As the World’s Largest Photoshop Convention, Photoshop World is in its tenth year with over 100 classes of creative techniques and newest tips for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Lightroom, Photoshop Extended, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe InDesign.

This is the perfect conference for any Photoshop enthusiast. No matter a beginner or a professionally skilled digital artist, there is a wide breadth of sessions to accommodate everyone. On top of the scheduled classes, there is also the Tech Expo with extra bonus classes, introduction to new design software and hardwares, and viewing of the live taping of Photoshop User TV. Above all, this is a great opportunity to mingle with highly skilled and creative people that will sure to spark your inspiration.

For More Information on the Conference:

http://www.photoshopworld.com/

Travel Information:

http://www.photoshopworld.com/map.html

Online Market World
October 1-3, 2008
Moscone West Convention Center
San Francisco, CA

This conference is geared for anyone involved in E-Commerce and/or E-Marketing.   Some areas covered are: Email Marketing, Web Design, Social Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, eBay Marketing, Mobile Marketing.

For more information visit:

http://www.onlinemarketworld.com/

Internet Retailer – Web Design 09 Conference
January 19-22, 2009
Fontainbleau Miami Beach, Florida

45 Expert Speakers
Free Web Design Consultations
Free Web Design Guide

For more information
http://www.internetretailer.com/irwd09/overview.asp