Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book: The Official Training Workbook from Adobe Systems

I have been a long time user of Elements and am comfortable with most of its capabilities, including layers and filters. When I upgraded to CS5, I needed a book to teach me this much more complex program. I'm well into CS5 Classroom in a Book now and believe it's an excellent teacher. The book contains 14 lessons, each covering several tools or processes. Each is short but intense. The screen captures are very clear with red arrows directing you to the action. The text is clear and concise, each sentence covering so much that I found it useful to skim the entire lesson first, then go back and do each step in sequence. There is a DVD with images for all 14 lessons. The images provided are carefully selected to clearly support each lesson, not to show off the authors' superior talent. The DVD also has a couple of hours of tutorials, somewhat better than the stuff you can find on the Internet. Finally, most of the critical reviews note that this book tells you what to do but not always why to do it. I agree with this comment but suggest there's a reason for this method. For instance, the authors say to set a slider to a certain percentage, with no explaination of why that number. I move the slider above and below the suggested number and observe the effect on the image or the tool. By doing so, I begin to understand what that number means. This is learning by doing, the overarching technique of this book. The authors do explain the numbers when it is important to do so (as in Threshold for Unsharp Mask) but to explain every number, in my view, would add many pages and greater complexity to an already complex subject. So if you already use Elements and are thinking of moving up to Photoshop, this book will help you make that leap.

I have been attempting to teach myself Photoshop for about a year with little success. I decided to take an online course through the local college and this book is the required text book. It's only the third week but I've already learned a lot. Besides the lessons in the book, there are also video lessons on the included cd. These lessons are interesting, informative and fun. One nice feature of these video lessons is the "Watch and Work" feature. This feature allows you to follow along in Photoshop with what is going on in the video. It reduces the size of the video window and keeps it in the forefront as you work in Photoshop. Please be aware that you need Photoshop CS5 to do the lessons in the book and on the video.

Calling all aspiring digital Picassos and pixel perfectionists! If mastering the art of Adobe Photoshop CS5 is your quest, then consider "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book" your magical compass. This book isn't just a guide; it's a passport to a world of creative wizardry. Opening the pages of this tome is like stepping into a secret chamber of knowledge, where layers become your brushstrokes and filters your pigments. From the very first chapter, you're greeted with tutorials that are as step-by-step as assembling IKEA furniture – minus the cryptic instructions. The authors, who might as well be Photoshop wizards themselves, guide you through the enchanted forest of tools and techniques with clarity and finesse. Imagine this: the book is your Hogwarts letter, inviting you to a realm where photo manipulation, digital painting, and graphic design are your core subjects. It's a magical journey that transforms novices into spellbinding creators. Each chapter feels like a lesson from your favorite art teacher, complete with hands-on exercises that have you waving your stylus like a wand. However, even in this realm of enchantment, there are a few quirks. Just as Harry had his challenges at Hogwarts, you might find yourself encountering a hurdle or two. The interface might look a tad different from the latest versions, and some features might feel like ancient spells in a modern-day cauldron. Fear not, though – with a bit of patience and a sprinkle of trial and error, you'll conquer these obstacles faster than you can say "expelliarmus." While the content is a treasure trove of knowledge, it's the exercises that truly shine. They're like potions that transform theory into practice. The more you brew, the more potent your skills become. Be prepared to dedicate time to these exercises – they're not mere "add-water-and-stir" affairs. But remember, every stroke of your virtual brush is a step closer to mastering the art of Photoshop. In the end, "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book" is your trusty spellbook for all things Photoshop. It might not make you an overnight sensation, but it's a powerful enchantment that, when diligently practiced, can turn you into a true digital sorcerer. So grab your wand (or stylus), flip open those pages, and prepare to make digital art history. Accio, creativity! 🎨✨📚

I was recommend by the Instructor for the introductory course for photshop cs5 in school. Since Continued education for adult in Community college, School can cover only basic in Photoshop but this book brought me to the understanding of the whole Photoshop and adobe products. all 14 chapters covered all aspect of new CS5. Having this book is better than asking question in the class. all steps are easy to follow, all tricks from evangelist's experiences help you feel having more confidence in new technological field. Most students dropped out from my class because they don't learn much from the class, but this book give me desire to explore more in Photoshop field. I went to school to understand how to fix some old photos but from now on, I feel like I am ready for the exam for adobe certified associate exam after this book.

I picked up this book to cram for the Adobe Expert exam because it is the one how-to book that Adobe publishes. I used the same book for the CS4 exam. Some of the book was the same, but I was delighted that about half the example photos were new, illustrating the same concepts. The new features of CS5 were covered pretty well. It does, however, only scratch a bit below the surface. Many of the questions on my practice exam were much more specific than the book -- but then again, I thought the practice exams last time were harder than the actual :-)

I was arrogant when I looked at this book and thought that it might be too simple. After all, I'd been using Photoshop for a few years and was only upgrading versions, wasn't I? Well, when I actually sat down and started working through it patiently, I found that I was wrong to be so arrogant. The book may look simple aty first glance, but it is quite carefully constructed to build up a nice balance of information in an easy way. From the start, I was finding myself learning little tricks and new shortcuts. For me, there were two gains to be had from this book. The first is that I was several Photoshop versions behind and it was truly helping me to learn new features. The second is that I was nevertheless getting set in my ways and was overlooking shortcuts which would make my life easier. For example, I thought that I knew all about selections. Yet I had never used the spacebar to move the selection around at the same time as I was making it (don't laugh at me!). So, unless you're an absolute super guru, I think that if you are patient enough to work through the lessons in this book then you will get a lot out of it.

The book has been the most helpful book I have used to date to learn how to use Photoshop. It addresses a wide variety of subjects and clearly leads one through the steps necessary to accomplish a task. As with other complex software applications, much practice will be required to master the techniques. The instruction assumes the user is familiar with basic computer skills. I recommend this book with its "Classroom in a Book" disc. I would not get it without the disc.

Needed this for a graphic design class and since I already had the program, this is all I needed. It's around $60 in a store so this is a great option for someone on a budget. PROS: - Easy-to-use instructions. - Pictures, demonstrations, examples, index and clarifications. - Includes a CD tutorial with the lessons. CONS: - It came wrapped in a thick rubber band to keep the CD from slipping out but at the same time, it bent the book out of shape though that's not a real issue. WARNING: this is a book to teach you to use Adobe Photoshop CS5, it does NOT include a copy of the program. You have to have the program already, this is NOT the program. FINAL RATING: 5/5

super ouvrage sur photoshop. je le conseil quoique un peu chère. mais vraiment très bien fait. c'est une référence dans ce domaine, mais très technique.

Un libro excelente para empezar a utilizar a un buen nivel el programa Photoshop CS5. Muy recomendable para cada uno que quiera mejorar su conocimientos de PS.

Pleased

This book and the accompanying DVD provide an excellent course on the basics of CS5. It is very well structured and throughout the course of fourteen lessons, it takes one through most of the many facets of using this vast programme. I think that you have to be very disciplined, and follow the course which is laid out in a very logical manner, although to me the timings suggested for each lesson are a bit optimistic. I found that it was taking me a lot longer to complete each section. As someone who had never used CS5 before I found it an excellent product that certainly helped me to get a grip of the program. Maybe anyone with experience of Photoshop would not find it so useful.

I have experienced other photo-editing software packages and decided I wished to get Photoshop CS5. When I first used CS5 I found it daunting to find my way around all of the menus and control panels. This book seemed to be well reviewed so took the plunge and bought it. The layout contents are extremely clear, consistent and easy to read throughout the book. The book takes the format of 14 lesson chapters each of which takes about an hour to work through. I also found that the instructional lessons supplied on DVD of good assistance. An excellent book for beginner and intermediate user.