Photoshop 6 for Windows Bible
by Deke McClelland

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Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of Photoshop 6 for Windows Bible

Book Review: The good and the bad
Summary: 3 Stars

The book is incredibly detailed. Each and every menu option are described and cross referenced, no stone left unturned. And yet it is readable (if you can lift it). Adobe has come a long way in making their manuals and help files much much better. That said, if you are looking to become a basic or mid level Photoshop user, this may not be the book for you. If you want to know the pros and cons to using a fade on a custom brush with your pressure sensative tablet (you get the picture)... then this book is required to at least have at hand.

I have dabbled with photoshop for many many years, but never really did use more than 10% of the program functions. So I've bought and checkout many books out of the library so I can improve my reults and save time. I scanned this book cover to cover (well almost) - and probably READ about 1/2 of it. While there was SOME very valuable content, the book was mostly a recap for me.

My biggest complaint is that the book spends precious little space on explaining TECHNIQUE. It is more about explaining functions in complete detail. It would have been better if the few techniques and exercises in the book were somehow highlighted or set apart from the text. There are much better sources for that info anyway.

Summary of Photoshop 6 for Windows Bible

Five main sections run the gamut from an introduction to the application and interface to basic and sophisticated painting, masking, layering, and text techniques. One of the most important sections is saved for last: "Color for Print and the Web." Color management and calibration for different output systems is never easy, but understanding how and why color is handled in Photoshop, and for different systems, will go a long way toward helping you become a real master.

A favorite feature, and one seen far too little, is a complete version of the book in PDF format on the accompanying CD-ROM. It has no color images, and items in the index and table of contents are not clickable, but it makes for far easier searching when you're looking for a specific command or phrase. The CD-ROM also contains four bonus chapters, third-party plug-in demos, 48 high-resolution stock photos, and a large, full-color gallery of artwork from 16 Photoshop artists.

The book itself is clearly written and cleanly formatted, but even though there are plenty of screen shots, none of them appears in color. This is disappointing, in light of the fact that the book is all about a color image-editing application. The 32-page color gallery and the wealth of color images on the CD-ROM make up for this somewhat, however.

If you've never bought a Photoshop book and you've just moved up to Photoshop 6, this book makes a handy reference and source of inspiration. Packed with more information than most Photoshop users will probably need, Photoshop 6 for Windows Bible makes an excellent Photoshop companion. --Mike Caputo

Equipment Books

• Subjects > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment
• How-to
• Computers & Technology > Graphic Design
• Microsoft
• Operating Systems > Windows OS