Photoshop CS2 Tutorials

The Photoshop CS2 program is one perfect utility that you can explore. It provides a whole new perspective to any creative endeavors. Many people will attest to the benefits and advantages of Photoshop CS2.

Photoshop CS2 may sound really good. However, for beginners, this will still all be Greek to their ears. Thus, tutorials will really play a big role to expose one to the many possibilities of CS2.

The Photoshop CS2 Program

Photoshop CS2 is the upgraded version of the basic Photoshop program. This now showcases a number of features that you cannot find in the old version. It provides more options to the user and makes creative work an easier task to do.

However, it takes more than just owning and installing the program. You have to learn the various aspects of Photoshop CS2 so you can maximize it. This way, you can also be more productive with your purchase. Here are some of the features that you can enjoy.

1. Adobe Bridge

Adobe Bridge is one convenient feature that makes Photoshop CS2 a very fine companion. With this option, you can easily look at the detail of your artworks and photos even before you open the file.

This is definitely a good tool for organizing your works. It is even user-friendly so you can easily maximize your time and effort.

2. Font Preview

The font preview option is also very desirable. Before, it will take you a lot of guessing game and trials before you can put a good font in your work.

With Photoshop CS2, you can easily choose the right font from the drop-down menu as it showcases the actual font from the preview.

3. Spot Healing Brush

Any imperfections in your graphics can be easily cured by the Spot Healing Brush. You do not need to find any source points anymore. All you have to do is point your mouse to the area and with just a click, you can resolve the problem.

4. Vanishing Point

This aspect lets you cut and paste a photograph in a proper perspective. This is like making a virtual art gallery out of your graphics. This will let you move and skew any windows in places that you deem proper.

5. Preview Video Graphics

For people who are into making videos, they know that coming up with a good graphic will not always translate to a good video output. There are certain qualities that are not retained when the video option is utilized.

Photoshop CS2 will allow you to preview your graphics as to how they will appear in video. Thus, you will never have to spend more time in modifying as you can make your graphics the way you need them to come out.

Photoshop CS2 Tutorials

Now that you have a good idea of the great things about Photoshop CS2, then taking tutorials will help you make the most out of the program in your computer.

There are many options for you to get the right Photoshop CS2 tutorial. Here are some of the things that you can consider.

1. Web Tutorial

There are many web tutorials that you can use. You can search for the right web site and get tutorials for a fee. There are even options for you to view the Photoshop CS2 tutorials in video so you will be guided in every step of the way.

2. PDF Format

Some tutorial services can give you a PDF format option. This is perfect for people who can learn better when reading a printout of the lesson.

3. CD Package

You can also purchase a CD tutorial course. For less than $100, you can have everything you need to learn in your hands.

Conclusion

Photoshop CS2 tutorials are perfect for beginners. You will be taught step-by-step on how to maximize the use of the program. With this, you will surely become more productive and creative.

Tutorial For Adobe Photoshop - Photoshop Made Easy

If you talk to a web developer or a graphic designer or even a photography aficionado about Photoshop, they will go into raptures about its abilities. It is a fact though that Photoshop is able to perform many more functions than its name might allude to.

Editing and repairing photos apart this software is capable of creating almost boundless imagery. But before one gets to be good enough to do that one should get one’s basics right. The first thing you have to learn is that projects in Photoshop come with different layers. Layer one could contain your stock, layer two might keep your background and layer three might have brushing. You can always play around with these layers to create dramatic effects. To access a layer, click the box near it so that an eye appears. To make the eye go away, just click again.

In order for you to create a new layer, you can click the sticky note type of display which reads new layer. To get rid of a layer, click on delete layer. When you wish to change the name of the layer, you need to right click on layer properties and change the name.

Stock stands for any picture that you may be planning to use. PSD is a Photoshop document, which is really the project you are undertaking. You need to save it in.psd in file>save as and you will be able to carry on with your work. For other people to view it, it will have to be saved as an image file like.jpg, or.png or.gif in file>save for web.

Brushes on the other hand stand for pretty much what the name suggests. With brushes you can paint on your picture, create things like different swirls, and designs and so on. You start with the basic ones and as you go along you might want to download better ones. To be able to use these brushes you would have to get the file into the Photoshop folder, which by default would be C:/program files/adobe/Photoshop/presets/brushes.

Filters again do what you might expect them to do. You can pass your pictures through Filters to get them a totally different look. Filters can be accessed by going to filter>filter gallery. There is also the option of downloading additional filters. There are quite a few interesting ones. Options such as distort>twirl and gaussian blur allow you to respectively swirl and blur your images

Then there are Gradients which are really palettes of colors. Once you form a gradient map, and drag you will have a rainbow of colors, which you can use as you wish. To be able to access Gradients, you need to click on the shaded box which says gradient tool.

Similarly their other basic tools like Patterns, Textures, Stock Renders/Pre-Cut Stock, The Pen Tool, Image Adjustment Tools and Blending Options need to be understood. Be sure to practice and hone your skills. Really, it is not that difficult to master Photoshop.

Are you a web designer? Tools, Resources and Services To Use

There are many WordPress themes, page building tools, design element sources, and related services on the market today. With each having its unique features. Some of these products and services are for general use, while others serve a more dedicated purpose, or are intended for use in a specialized niche.

We have compiled a listing of several of the top-quality products and services in a number of different categories. You may find one or more of those listed here to be useful or of interest for your website or apt design work. Some are rather unique, while others appear on this list since they are among the best in their class.

WordPress Themes

X Theme

X Theme Version 4 was recently released, and it is already causing quite a stir. At the center of attention is Cornerstone, X’s new page builder. This page builder’s innovative design is unique, and users of the latest version of this WordPress theme are raving about it.

X is the fastest selling of the Themeforest themes. It is has the features web designers look for, and with this new page building capability it will most likely become more popular than ever. All of the features and functionality offered are backed by a solid support team, user forums, and a dynamic community site. Purchasing X could be one of the smartest moves you will ever make as a web designer. You will receive free access to all Themeco plugins, plus you’ll automatically receive updates as they are released.

Enfold

You only need to view one or two of Enfold’s demos to understand why this theme is a top seller. It is in fact Themeforest’s top-rated multipurpose theme, due in large part to its extremely user-friendly features. There are many who believe this is the easiest website building theme to use that is on the market today. The drag and drop page builder, which at times appears to function as if it can anticipate your next command, has much to do with Enfold’s overall ease of operation. You can start with a blank page, and rapidly build any layout you want at lightning speed. This highly-recommended theme is always kept to date, and you can expect to receive excellent user support.

Be Theme

Be Theme’s claim to be the biggest theme ever is true if you take the number of its high-quality features (more than 40) and the number its pre-made layouts (more than 100) into account, plus the fact that the user support this WordPress theme offers rates a perfect 10. Be may well be the most versatile responsive theme you will find anywhere, due in large part to the nearly 100 subthemes or categories that make up its idea-generating, fully-editable, pre-made layouts. To many, these layouts are this highly-recommended theme’s number one attraction, and the number one reason for its immense popularity.

Website Builders and platforms

XPRS

XPRS is a code-free, responsive website builder. It’s unique pricing is something to be noted – they give out free licenses to students, artists and non-profit, and for professionals they have a great White Label package for $250 per year for unlimited licenses. That’s a lot less than its competitors.

XPRS templates and content blocks make it super easy to create a unique looking website in just a few minutes, and if you want to get to the fine details of design you can do that too. XPRS was recently featured on Product Hunt and people loved it.

Webydo

With Webydo, professional designers work in a seamless design environment, managing and delivering pixel-perfect responsive sites. Webydo enables complete creative freedom with its robust built-in CMS, full White Label option, and pixel-perfect responsive design. With a single dashboard from which to manage sites and clients, this is the go-to platform for professional designers and web agencies. Led by its community of 175k+ designers and web agencies Webydo provides a powerful, professional & responsive code-free solution.

 

WordPress Page Builders

Cornerstone

This page builder is not a typical drag, drop, and review page builder. Cornerstone is innovative in every sense of the word, and it is proving to be a very popular and exciting product due in large part to its 100% front end editing feature. Its editor and preview function are displayed side by side. You can see how the page you are working is taking shape while you are editing, and how it will look on your website at that particular moment in time. The need to check your editing later to make any necessary fixes is no longer a necessity. Users are falling in love with this page builder. Perhaps you will too.

Themify Flow

Themify Flow is a page builder you can download and use on WordPress to build responsive themes for as many pages as you want using its page and post templates. This powerful framework is built with a modular coding system, and resource files are loaded only as needed so it is lightning fast whereas many online theme builders require considerable server resources, which slow their operations down. CSS or PHP coding is not necessary, and since Flow is open source, it is 100% free to use.

Project Management and Collaboration Tools

Nutcache

Track time, send invoices, and get paid; or team up, organize, track, and get paid. You can do either or both with Nutcache. This smart and simple project management tool is also one of the better collaborative solutions on the market. It makes organizing projects or collections of ideas with boards, lists, and cards a snap. It also provides graphical depictions of project status, and it enables you to easily track time spend on individual assignments, after which you can invoice your work and get paid with the click of a button.

Azendoo

Azendoo is an intuitive project planner/manager that displays tasks in a manner that makes it easy to prioritize your work and focus on what is most important. This project management tool was created to support design and marketing teams, but you will find it to be an excellent solution for sharing information and coordinating with team members and clients, while keeping you focused on the task at hand. Copy or share Photoshop or Sketch designs, share files using Google Drive or Dropbox, and go about your business without having to be confronted with the unnecessary clutter that can at times be associated with information sharing activity.

Converting Designs to Code

PSDGator

Once you have finished your web design, it is a simple matter to have PSDGator turn it into code. PSD Gator is a small team that offers some very impressive services. They make conversions quickly, saving you the time of doing so yourself. Their specialty is converting Photoshop designs into SEO-optimized, responsive, and hand-coded HTML/CSS that is optimized for speed as well. They will review and consult with you on your project for free before beginning any conversion activity.

Direct Basing

Direct Basing’s specialty is slicing. Their services range from HTML5 slicings to complete Magento or WordPress realizations, and include PSD to Email slicing and Responsive slicing as well. Your design will be converted to SEO-friendly and cross-browser compatible HTML/CSS. Direct Basing is well known for its fast delivery service, and you may want to consider this design conversion service if a rapid turnaround time is important to you.

40 Dollar Markup

40 Dollar Markup will take your design and convert it into pixel-perfect HTML/CSS, and if you need to have an entire PC website converted to responsive code, they will do that for you as well. The code you receive will be hand-coded. This service provider does not employ automated coding tools, so your code will be clean and optimized for speed. This conversion service fully supports its deliverables.

Hosting Services

GlowHost

GlowHost has the right plan for you, whether your need is that of a Virtual Dedicated Server, a shared hosting plan, or a managed hosting plan for WordPress. This service provider’s servers are located in 16 datacenters around the world. GlowHost is a large scale operation and its specialties are managed cloud and complex server clusters and managed dedicated servers. Their hosting fees are very affordable, and setup and activation will take place the moment you sign up.

A Small Orange

A Small Orange has a hosting plan to fit your shared hosting or business hosting needs. Their managed servers can be customized for to provide optimal service. This service offers 4 different hosting plans based on your storage and bandwidth needs. All except the lowest-price plan allow for unlimited domains, and once you sign up email + live chat support is available 24/7.

 

Stock Photo Agencies

Bigstock

Bigstock has an impressive array of stock photos, vectors, and illustrations to share with its customers. Its total inventory runs into the millions of images, and there is a variety of subscription plans to choose from. Searching for the royalty-free image you want is easy, and once purchased it can be re-downloaded at any time free of charge. Bigstock offers a free trial with 35 free images to help you get started.

Stockfresh

Whatever the type of image you are looking for, Stockfresh has in abundance. Its inventory of photos, vectors, and illustrations are neatly categorized to keep your search time to a minimum. You can make pre-paid purchases, or you can sign up for a subscription plan, which is a less expensive alternative. Since their website is responsive, you can do your searches and make selections from your mobile device.

Web Apps

Sendloop

If you are in need of an email marketing and marketing automation web app, Sendloop would be an ideal choice. Its drag and drop editor allows you to create mobile device ready emails in a matter of minutes, and there are more than 60 responsive email templates that cover a wide range of topics to choose from. Sendloop’s RSS-to-email feature makes it as simple as possible to automate email content generation and delivery. Take advantage of Sendloop’s real time reporting metrics to track usage metrics from your PC or on your mobile device for your email marketing campaigns.

Typeform

Most websites use forms to collect data such as sign-ups and contact information. Interacting with forms tends to be the least sexy part from your customers point of view. But not with Typeform.

Typeform created mobile-ready, interactive forms that are not only attractive, but can give your customers the impression you’re speaking to them personally. You can use Typeform’s core platform for free, or check into their Pro plan to access advanced features.

UI Kits

Ghost Ship Mobile UI Kit

The Ghost Ship Mobile IU Kit, with its 100 retina-ready PSD templates and drag and drop functionality, is a real time saver. These UI templates have been placed in 7 topical categories, plus an 8th category featuring vector shapes and 180 Budicon icons. This UI kit is Photoshop CS6+ compatible, and it can be used for both personal and commercial purposes.

iOS Ecommerce UI Kit

The Basement iOS Ecommerce UI Kit is an ideal tool for your app design prototyping needs, or if you need to prototype a mobile version of your existing Ecommerce website. It features 50 well-organized, totally customized screens for iPhone6. The screens are organized in 6 shopping related categories, with 8 to 12 screens in each category. This UI kit is designed to be used with Photoshop S56+ and Sketch.

Icons and Fonts

Icons Responsive

Icons Responsive has a library of over 1000 different icons of picture perfect quality and are easily scalable. Each icon comes in 4 responsive sizes (16×16 to 128×128 pixels) and 3 different styles (line, flat, and filled glyphs). The icons are presented in vector format and they can be edited. New icon selections are continuously being added.

Handcrafted Font Bundle

For a different look to your web pages or promotions, or for use in establishing a brand identity, check out this Handcrafted Font Bundle by Visual Hierarchy. It features 18 multilingual, Mac and PC compatible fonts in four font families; Jovial, Tallow Uppercase, Troia Serif, and TrueSketch.  A variety of Stylistic Alternatives are included in the package, and there a bonus section of symbol fonts is has been included as well.

There is much to choose from in this listing of premium themes, website and page builders, PSD to code converting and hosting services, and specialty tools. We hope you have found something that will prove useful to you, but if you haven’t, there will be more to review in future listings.

Final thoughts

In any event, we always like to hear what our readers like or what they feel was missing. Please feel free to share your comments with us.

Background Hero Image Trends in Modern Web Design

The common use of website hero images should come as no surprise. Faster Internet speeds and larger monitors allow for a pristine viewing experience. Hero images can be found in layouts as banners, slideshows, or even fullscreen backgrounds. But these background images don’t always need to be fixed designs.

Going beyond just static hero images there are some wonderful effects which can be created through CSS3 and JavaScript. In this post I’d like to cover a series of examples featuring hero image styles from live websites. Modern trends are changing rapidly and as a designer you should keep up with these changes for your own project work.

Vector Graphics

One of the most notable background trends has to be vector image design. These websites don’t use a photograph for the background but instead use a scene created with vector artwork.

Sometimes these images may feel more like photographs if they paint a wonderful picture. But other times you’ll find hero images that rely on vector icons and characters to illustrate the design. For example take a look at the homepage for Cultured Code:

Their header uses a dark grey backdrop with a series of cascading icons. These icons are repeated continually so the monitor could be extremely wide and the layout would still look great.

Also notice how the design uses vector clouds to separate the header from the page content. Perhaps this isn’t considered a “hero image” but it does span the entirety of the page. Vector backgrounds don’t often look like hero images since they’re not created directly from photos. But vector background art spanning the whole layout certainly behaves like a hero image.

A more photographic vector background can be seen on the GitHub Enterprise webpage. Their header section uses a blurred background to appear as if their Octocat logo is in motion. Blurring the background duplicates the effect seen in film where a closeup object becomes the foreground while the background is blurred. It’s a cool effect and fits nicely with GitHub’s overall page design.

Slideshow Carousels

For a more dynamic technique you might take a liking to image slideshows or carousels. These look exactly like background hero images but they behave like image slideshows which rotate through a series of content. The design for Planet Propaganda features a terrific example.

Their homepage uses a fullscreen image slideshow which rotates between a few different tabs. You can change the background by hovering over one of the tabs in the lower menu bar. This effect is mostly for aesthetic design because the links generally stay the same. But it’s an interesting hero image technique if you have a multitude of imagery to showcase.

Blind Barber is another site with the fullscreen hero image carousel technique. Their style is a bit more traditional using circular nav elements to animate the individual slides. Each slide also links to a different area of the website, so they serve more of a practical purpose beyond just looking pretty.

I also like how their slider is touch-oriented with swipeable content. You can see this effect on a mobile device or by using your computer mouse/trackpad. Simply click+hold on the hero image then swipe over to the left or right. You’ll notice the panel moves relative to your movement – quite a splendid dynamic effect which looks great on both desktop and mobile browsers.

For those of you enjoying this effect please take a look at this tutorial from Codrops. You can build a custom fullscreen slideshow using pure CSS3 or a CSS/JS mix. This is a moderately simple effect to replicate and you can speed up the process by using this tutorial.

Parallax & Animation

The idea of parallax design is to create the illusion of motion on a 2D monitor screen. This can be applied to scrolling effects and page elements, but also to background content.

Take a peek at the GitHub AWS landing page to see what I mean. Their hero image background uses cloud icons to represent networks of data stored in the cloud. When the page first loads these cloud vectors will start to move into a predefined position on the page.

It’s a really neat effect which mimics the fundamentals of parallax design. The clouds move to both draw attention and create a more lifelike interface. GitHub’s hero image design is phenomenal and the parallax effects are truly breathtaking.

Billy’s Downtown Diner uses a slightly different parallax motion effect relative to the user. Their hero image behaves more like a header graphic located above the navigation.

As you move your mouse from side-to-side the graphic will transition accordingly. It’s a very common effect found in parallax design and it certainly does capture attention. This is a tricky effect to pull off but when used appropriately it can leave a lasting impression.

Video Backgrounds

Finally one other trend I’d like to discuss is video content in hero image backgrounds. It may seem like a misnomer to label background videos as “hero images”, but they fit the bill rather accurately. Video content is now easier to stream and thus can be used without as much concern for slower connections.

One important point to note about this trend is how the video behaves more like an image. Most designers mute the audio so visitors aren’t startled by auto-playing video content. If you recreate this effect on your own be sure to mute the audio so visitors only see the video, not hear it.

A live example can be found on KinderCare’s homepage. This daycare website is remarkably well-designed and has some great UX features to make navigation a breeze.

I love the background video because it showcases real kids at the daycare. Video content can be used to showcase locations, people, or processes related to a company. Not everyone has the capability of filming & editing video but it is certainly a great approach to background hero image design.

Also take a look at Digital Kitchen which uses more of a fullscreen video approach. Their website uses scrolling panels in a parallax fashion so that each section takes up the entirety of your monitor regardless of resolution.

What’s most interesting about their design is how various panels incorporate different videos into the background. These examples seem to be more like traditional video backgrounds rather than hero images, yet there’s often little difference in a pragmatic sense.

Hero image video backgrounds can be a great way to accentuate a lackluster design. Just be sure to use high-quality video, mute the audio, and follow along with other brilliant designs when crafting your own ideas.

Closing

While some of these techniques may feel a little advanced, keep in mind that browser support has been growing rapidly over the years. It can be tough to support users on old versions of IE but the market gap is closing quickly. Use these techniques to the best of your advantage and try to incorporate dynamic hero images that can run in any environment.

Freebie PSD: iOS 8 Cloud File Storage iPhone App UI

Cloud storage is one of the fastest growing markets for new web applications. Smartphones like the iPhone allow users to take their cloud storage on the go with ease. Following all this popularity I’ve created an exclusive DesignMag PSD freebie for a cloud storage iPhone application named CloudyApp.

This PSD is completely free to download and customize for your own design work. Each of the filetype icons have been customized from the TitanUI kit of flat file icons which are also free for personal projects.

This mobile app UI PSD is built to fit iPhone 6 retina screens at 750×1334. All of the buttons and icons are vector shapes which can be resized and restyled without quality loss. Check out the fullsize preview below and be sure to download a copy of this nifty iOS freebie!

If you like the PSD consider sharing this link with other designers on social sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Jake is a digital researcher and writer on many popular design magazines. He frequently writes on topics including web design, user experience, mobile apps, and project management. You can find him all throughout Google and tweeting @jakerocheleau.
Connect with Jake on google+

Tips On How To Remove Background Images Using Photoshop Software

Whether you are a professional graphic designer or you like editing photos for fun, you can easily remove the background using professional graphic design software. One of the best programs that you should consider using is Photoshop. If you have never used the program before, here is a guide on how to remove the background from your photo.

How To Remove Background Using Photoshop

You should start by opening the Photoshop program. As rule of thumb you should ensure that the program opens successfully before you do anything. Once it has opened you should load the photo that you want to edit. To do this you only need to click the “File” tab on the upper left corner of the screen. You should then select “Open” and locate the photo that you are interested in.

style="display:block"

data-ad-client="ca-pub-3754405753000444"

data-ad-slot="4795413898"

data-ad-format="horizontal">

After loading the photo you should move it to the extraction platform. To do this you need to click on the “filter” tab in the navigation menu and then choose the “Extract” action. Doing this will automatically result to the photo being redirected to the “Extraction” platform.

Using your marker tool, you should outline the portion of the photo that you want to keep. After doing this a temporary digital paint will appear around the outermost area that you want to keep. You should click the paint bucket icon and the outlined area will be filled with paint.

You should confirm that you want to remove the background by clicking “OK.” When you click “OK” your photo will be directed back to the Photoshop canvas and you will see it with the background already removed.

You should remove any excess of the background by right clicking on the eraser image icon. To make the edges cleaner and precise you should clean the photo’s outline.

style="display:block"

data-ad-client="ca-pub-3754405753000444"

data-ad-slot="4795413898"

data-ad-format="horizontal">

If the eraser tool is too large, you should adjust the size of the brush by clicking on the arrow above the brush. You can easily change the size of the brush by moving its lever from left to right. You should note that you will get the smallest size when you move the lever to the left.

You should give your photo a final look and if satisfied you should save it by clicking “File” and then “Save As.” You should name your photo and click “Save” to close the new photo and store it in the hard drive of your computer.

Photoshop - The Best Photo Editing Software

Adobe Photoshop might actually be one of the best photo-editing software out there. It virtually covers all necessary features any digital artist would need to make great images. It also helps photographers improve the quality of their work taken by their cameras, so that they could either post them online or print out enhanced copies of your photographs, may they be wedding photography or children photography.

There is generally no hard and fast rule in learning how to use Photoshop, especially if you are one who is not accustomed to such kind of software. Although it is the best photo-editing software available, learning how to use this particular software is not only very dynamic but can be fun as well.

style="display:block"

data-ad-client="ca-pub-3754405753000444"

data-ad-slot="4795413898"

data-ad-format="horizontal">

Explore. The #1 rule in trying to learn Adobe Photoshop is to engage freely in hands-on experience with the software. No amount of instructional books you read can ever amount to a few hours of playing with the software even if you don’t exactly know how. Try to play with any random image just to be familiar with what each of the basic features do and to what extent are such features capable of. The main reason why this is the #1 rule is that it is fun to do, especially if you’ve got lots of pictures at hand. Just don’t go around saving your work over the original images, you might not want to end up wrecking your image archives.

Search and learn. When you learn a bit about the basics, there are certain things that Photoshop is capable of that you might not know about yet, and the only way to discover what these things are is to find them on the internet or hear them from Photoshop experts. One of these would be “cloning” or “image layering”. These are things that can be done through Photoshop but usually require more than basic steps or usually require the combination of various basic features of the software. The best way to know how these things are done is to read about them or find them on the internet. There are lots of YouTube entries that demonstrate how some techniques are done in Photoshop, and they are all free for your consumption. You don’t have to pay for expert classes anymore because more often than not it’s the people who have more experience that matters.

style="display:block"

data-ad-client="ca-pub-3754405753000444"

data-ad-slot="4795413898"

data-ad-format="horizontal">

Also, never forget that in order for you to be able to easily use Photoshop, you have to at least know the basic computer functions. Even the best photo-editing software cannot teach you how to use your computer better. Since Adobe software is Microsoft compatible, knowledge of the basic commands such as cut and paste or determining file sizes will definitely be applicable to your photo-editing activities.

Soon enough you will be producing much better output in your home photography business. Enjoy!