How to Use Adobe Photoshop 6

Rating:
Summary: nice reference source; but not so many would need it
Review: About 300 pages thick, this book provides a nice reference to all main operations in Photoshop. Typical examples are: selecting objects using magic wand, removing color cast, exporting paths to Illustrator, etc. Although the book shows a couple of nice tricks, it mostly confined to basic image operations. Each operation is presented in 5-8 easy steps, which are concisely explained and well illustrated. The book is published in full color and makes very nice impression. There is no CD and no tutorial files, but they are not needed since all examples and explanations are so simple and straightforward that the reader can reproduce these steps on any image, or make the whole procedure in his head. There is also no particular order in presentation of the material suitable for learning, for instance paths are used for the first time some 50 pages before the section which explains how to create them. Obviously, it is assumed that you already know the basics, but may not remember the details.

I am not sure, though, what audience this book is targeted at. Since I am somewhat familiar with Photoshop, I could not evaluate how well this book would work for a beginner. I noted, however, that many basic ideas of Photoshop are not explained in sufficient detail, and a novice may find it difficult to grasp the concepts of layers, channels, and paths from this book alone. An experienced user does not need this book either since, well, he already knows this stuff.

It a nicely printed book, an interesting concept; but for me it is definitely not the best choice of a tutorial on Photoshop on any level.

Rating:
Summary: Too little, too simple & out of order
Review: I just found the book a little useless and the chapters way too short to really give you a footing on the subject. The thing about Photoshop is you really,really, need to grasp the concept and just a few pages can do more damage then good. Why a beginner would need to know how to export to Illustrator is beyond me. Color Casting is not even taught in most Photoshop courses. So rather then give a really good desrciption of the tool box and the pallets and show multiple examples of how and when they are used their off on areas that stray way to far from the basics.

By page 107 the're are showing you how to build jpg. images for the WEB, but it takes months of other skill building before you can even begin to do that correctly.

So there are points to be gotten from any Photoshop book but the list here never gets past 3. One of those is the fact it's in color. Save your money and get Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas'
Visual Quickstart guide for Photoshop