Valentine - The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop

Scott Valentine

THE HIDDEN POWER OF ADJUSTMENT LAYERS IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
Scott Valentine

Adobe Press books are published by Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education.
For the latest on Adobe Press books, go to www.adobepress.com.
To report errors, please send a note to .

Copyright 2014 by Scott Valentine

Adobe Press Editor: Victor Gavenda
Project Editor: Nancy Peterson
Development Editor: Bob Lindstrom
Technical Editor: Rocky Berlier
Copyeditor: Darren Meiss
Production Editor: Rebecca Winter
Compositor: Danielle Foster
Cover and Interior Designer: Mimi Heft

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

Trademarks

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

Printed and bound in the United States of America

ISBN 13: 978-0-321-95771-9

ISBN 10: 0-321-95771-7

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to Carla & Austin: Life is a constant adjustment. Thanks for helping make it nondestructive.

This is where you would expect to see my expression of undying gratitude for the many people who helped craft this book. Indeed, I did not accomplish this task alone at any stepfrom the many years of learning about Photoshop, through the months of technical and mechanical effort of actually getting to print. Lots of people deserve credit for placing this book in your hands.

While I have included some names here, I have chosen to more fully offer my thanks and appreciation with a mix of private correspondence and on my website (www.scoxel.com/hpoal). This page is devoted to the unsung heroes behind The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers:

Carla and Austin, to whom this book is dedicated. I love you with all my heart.

Nancy, Bob, Mimi, Danielle, Becky, Darren, and JackThe Peachpit project team who conspire to turn everything they touch into gold.

RockyThe first true Photoshop guru I ever knew, and one of my oldest friends and mentors in the pixel world.

MarkCrazy schemer, sympathetic ear, artist, friend

Zorana, Daniel, and JeffWhat could be better than a team that encourages you to break Photoshop so they can improve it?

Pamela, Wes, and JoeThe talented and amazing Wacom crew

Finally, thanks to the entire Photoshop community for being mighty. We are all in this together, and I am continually in awe of the things we share and accomplish.

-SCOTT

These are the honored guests of this book (listed in order of appearance), all of them professionals and luminaries in the Photoshop arena. Each has taken time to share wisdom and experience. I am humbled by and grateful for their efforts.

Alan Hess alanhessphotography.com

Katrin Eismann katrineismann.com

Sen Duggan seanduggan.com

Mark Heaps markheaps.com

Glyn Dewis glyndewis.com

Colin Smith photoshopcafe.com

Patrick LaMontagne cartoonink.com

Janet Stoppee m2media.com

Pete Collins petecollins.com

Howard Pinsky iceflowstudios.com

Corey Barker coreysbarker.com

Rocky Berlier concierge-publishing.com

Weston Maggio wacom.com

Photoshop has become the main tool used by most professionals who need visuals of any kind. It is the digital darkroom of the photographer. It is the canvas of the painter. It is the data visualization of the scientist. It has become such an everyday tool that its very name has become a verb.

The fact that you are reading this says that you are ready to take your work to the next level. You are beyond the I just want to fix the red eye stage. You are ready to master this powerful tool in order to turn your work into a masterpiece!

But, when you launch Photoshop you are confronted by a myriad of tools, menu items, and panels that can, at times, be overwhelming. Some of those features are particularly difficult to understand. Take for example the subject of this bookadjustment layers. What are these things? Do I need them? What good are they?

This is what this book will answer. I can hear you nowAw man! I could have used this last month!

When I co-wrote the first book on Photoshop, it was the only book for almost two years. Today, the Photoshop section in a bookstore can rival the cooking section for the quantity of books available. How do you choose? If I may, I would like to give you some reasons why this particular book stands out from the rest.

Scott Valentine has spent many years tinkering with the features within Photoshop. He has always been determined to fully master this powerful tool. In the end, everything he has learned he passes on to you in a way that is easy to grasp. Curves, for instance, can be so confusing! Scotts approach gives you a thorough breakdown of how they work and what they do. He goes beyond the basic explanation, giving you a better understanding of the many situations in which they can be applied.

He is not only a master of Photoshop; he is, more importantly, a great teacher. You might think, Authors with similar credentials write many of the books, so what makes this book better? Scott has added tremendous value to this wonderful book by bringing in other masters who are also great teachers. I personally know and have sat in on sessions presented by most of the contributors to this book. Believe me, this is a collection of heavy-hitters! They not only push the boundaries of Photoshop, they possess an uncanny ability to guide and inspire others to do the same.

This is a book you will find yourself referring to many times over. It is an investment that will pay for itself every time you launch Photoshop. But enough of me telling you how good this book is. Launch Photoshop, dig into the book, and get to work. You are embarking on a journey into a wondrous new world. Have fun!