Adobe Photoshop is a powerful beast however even some of the more simple things can be daunting for a beginner or even an intermediate user. Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2 Breakthroughs is your answer guide to some of the most asked questions.

 

Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2 Breakthroughs is a full color book with lots of screen shots. It is however one of the most unique books I have seen. What makes it unique is that it asks questions and then provides the answer. It is almost like sitting down with an Adobe Photoshop programmer and asking all of your questions and getting answers. Not only is this information useful it is really kind of fun to read too. Besides these Q & A's there are also a lot of tips as well.

 

Some of the questions you will find answers to in this book are...

 

• Can I see two views of the same document? What I'd like to do is see the same document at two zoom levels - a close-up of the area I'm editing in the document and big picture view I can keep an eye on.
• Here's something that's been bugging me for years: If I choose View > Print Size, and hold a print of that same document up to the screen, it isn't the same size! Not only that, but the on-screen ruler doesn't match up to a real ruler. What exactly does Print Size mean, then, and can I make it work right?
• But... if channels and masks are both ways to store and use elections as pixels, what exactly is the difference between a channel and a layer mask?
• What are the most useful filters for removing defects like dust and scratches?
• What's the difference between merging and flattening layers? When would I want to do either?

 

These are just some of the questions that are asked and answered in this book. Personally, I found many questions and answers in this book useful. I actually learned something which surprised me, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about Adobe Photoshop. This just goes to show that you never stop learning, even small things can make a big difference.

 

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Photoshop Essentials
Chapter 2: Getting the Picture
Chapter 3: Image Editing Basics
Chapter 4: Correcting Images
Chapter 5: Working with Layers
Chapter 6: Working with Type
Chapter 7: Enhancing Creativity
Chapter 8: Keeping Color Consistent
Chapter 9: Organizing Images
Chapter 10: Print and Exporting

While not really a user's guide and not really a reference guide Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2 Breakthroughs is a fun and useful book to read. Even if you feel you know everything you need to know about Adobe Photoshop you will pick up new things with this book. I can't say it is a must, but it is certainly unique and I feel definitely worth a read.