Photoshop is one of those programs that's so cool you just want to dive right in and start creating–but by plunging in head-first, without any guidance, you're likely to miss a lot. There's a solution: With this book, you learn by doing, getting your feet wet immediately as you progress through a series of hands-on projects that build on your growing Photoshop knowledge. Simple step-by-step instructions, review questions at the end of each chapter, and a companion CD with all of the book's project files make learning a breeze as the Adobe Creative Team takes you on a self-paced tour of the image-editing powerhouse. This bestselling guide has been completely revised to cover all of Photoshop CS2's new features, which include advanced tools for digital photographers, such as a new Spot Healing Brush for correcting scratches or blemishes, and Smart Sharpen for fixing photo blurring. Photoshop CS2 also includes loads of new creative tools, such as Vanishing Point and Image Warp. This comprehensive guide starts with an introductory tour of the software and then progresses on through lessons on everything from Photoshop's interface to more complex topics like color management, Web graphics, and photo retouching.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 103 Ratings

CS2 in a book review - 2009-10-30
Reviewer Rating:
It's a good tool for those of us with limited knowledge, but I find Photoshop in general to be a difficult tool to learn, let alone master.

Great way to get in there and learn Photoshop! - 2009-09-24
Reviewer Rating:
OK, this is the book for CS2 and we are now on CS4. In fact I have CS4 but the school that I attend is cheap and behind the curve so they use CS2. Actually, I'm pretty GLAD that they do because I bought BOTH this one AND the CS4 version of the same thing. This one is more understandable AND it includes chapters on things like The Bridge that the CS4 version skips over. Plus this one is dirt cheap now. So it's a great buy!

Fantastically Awesome - 2009-06-26
Reviewer Rating:
This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to learn Photoshop. It's also great if you have it on hand as a reference guide.

Classroom in a book - 2009-04-19
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great book for anyone trying to learn photoshop. We used the lessons in this book in my college course. Only we didn't cover everything so I just went ahead and purchased the book so I could learn more. Everything is presented in a step-by-step fashion and it comes with the pictures to work on that you need. A great job in my opinion.

Great for newbies or intermediates, also to share - 2009-01-11
Reviewer Rating:
I am an intermediate user who hasn't needed Photoshop for some time, so my knowledge is rusty and somewhat outdated. My family are complete beginners who need to know Photoshop for various reasons. I agree with some previous reviewers that this book does not explain how to apply this to your work in great detail, but I figure if you need something then you can fill in the rest. This book teaches you the basics, the tools, the workspace etc. It's wonderful b/c you can skip ahead, go back, move at your pace and skill level. And it goes quickly. Many similar books are so dense that it takes days or weeks to move forward, but here I am half way through the book in one day (even with the many distractions of my day). I've picked up many new tools to use, and I know in what real world applications to use them. I need Photoshop for scientific images, slides, etc; so I can easily read through and pick up what is useful for me. I have learned what settings to use in Axio and Zeiss to work better in Photoshop.

My family on the other hand, are going at their own pace; each with a different goal and skill level. They also love this book. One person is very new to computers, but he is learning practical ways to use Photoshop for his retouching of old family pics. Another person is using it for her horse website and also has learned many valuable lessons.

There may be books that match your skill level that are a little better, esp. if you are an advanced user (but why would you even consider this book???), but this one is great to share with people at various skill levels.

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