Photoshop 7.0: Boot Camp

Course Specifications

Course length: 2 days

Course Description

Target Student:  This course is designed for students with little or no Photoshop experience, who are working or desire to work in the graphic arts or desktop publishing field.

Prerequisites:  This class was designed for the student who has little or no experience using Adobe Photoshop, and who needs to learn the basic skills that are necessary in order to begin to use this program effectively.

Before taking this course, you should have a basic understanding of your computer’s operating system. For example, you should know how to launch an application, create and save files, and copy files from CDs and other media.

Delivery Method:  Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities.

Benefits:  After completing this course, students will be able to accurately select areas within Photoshop images for editing and compositing images. Students will learn to add type and apply effects such as glows and bevels to type and other image areas. Students will learn to prepare images for use in print materials, as well as to prepare images for use on the Web. Students will be able to use advanced techniques to isolate image areas with precision and efficiency. Students will be able to use several techniques to create complex masks. Students will also use layer styles to apply effects, colors, patterns, and gradients efficiently.

What's Next:  After completing this course, students can move on to any or all of the following courses:
Photoshop 7.0: Web Production
Photoshop 7.0: Artistic Effects
Photoshop 7.0: Color Correction and Printing

Performance-Based Objectives

• Identify the differences between raster and vector graphics, and manipulate Photoshop's various graphic tools and controls.
• Select appropriate resolutions for different image and output types, and resize and crop image areas.
• Select image areas using the Lasso, Marquee, and Magic Wand tools, and use alpha channels to save and load selections.
• Create and manipulate multiple layers to composite images easily.
• Apply blending and shading effects to create realistic composites.
• Identify the characteristics of bitmap, grayscale, duotone, and color images.
• Select colors using the Color palette, Color Picker, and Eyedropper tool, and use Photoshop’s painting tools to create artwork or to retouch photographs.
• Add and format text within an image, and apply layer effects and filters to create special effects including lighting effects and textures.
• Modify the brightness, contrast, color balance, hue, and saturation of images.
• Save images in file formats for use with other applications and the Web.
• Use Quick Mask mode, alpha channels, and layer masks to isolate image areas. Create clipping groups to use one layer’s contents to mask another’s.
• Create vector paths as tools for selecting images, for creating transparent areas in images to be used with other applications, and for drawing shapes.
• Create color swatches, gradients, and patterns, all of which can be saved and loaded in sets for convenience.
• Create layer styles that can apply effects, colors, patterns, and gradients in one step.
• Use the Background Eraser and the Extract command to create complex masks quickly and accurately, even for images with indistinct edges and very fine details.

Course Content

Day 1 Agenda

Lesson 1: Photoshop’s Environment

Topic 1A: Raster and Vector Graphics

Topic 1B: Photoshop Environment Elements

Topic 1C: Navigating in Photoshop

Lesson 2: Sizing Images

Topic 2A: Image Size and Resolution

Topic 2B: Cropping

Lesson 3: Selecting Image Areas

Topic 3A: The Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee Tools

Topic 3B: The Lasso Tools

Topic 3C: Saving Selections

Topic 3D: The Magic Wand Tool

Topic 3E: The Magnetic Lasso Tool

Topic 3F: Modifying Selections

Lesson 4: Layers

Topic 4A: Floating vs. Fixed Selections

Topic 4B: Undoing Previous Steps

Topic 4C: Copying Selections

Topic 4D: Creating Layers

Topic 4E: Transforming Layers

Topic 4F: Copying Layers Between Images

Topic 4G: Saving Images in Photoshop Format

Topic 4H: Arranging Layers

Lesson 5: Blending and Compositing

Topic 5A: Defringing

Topic 5B: Opacity and Blending Modes

Topic 5C: Feathering Edges

Lesson 6: Image Modes

Topic 6A: Mode Characteristics

Topic 6B: Grayscale and Bitmap Modes

Topic 6C: Color Modes

Lesson 7: Color and Painting

Topic 7A: Selecting Colors

Topic 7B: Painting Tools

Topic 7C: The Clone Stamp Tool

Lesson 8: Text, Layer Effects, & Filters

Topic 8A: Type Layers

Topic 8B: Layer Effects

Topic 8C: Filters

Topic 8D: Merging and Flattening Layers

Lesson 9: Adjusting Images

Topic 9A: Brightness/Contrast

Topic 9B: Levels Adjustment Layers

Topic 9C: Toning Tools

Topic 9D: Hue/Saturation

Lesson 10: Saving Completed Images

Topic 10A: Saving for Use in Print Applications

Topic 10B: Saving for the Web

Appendix A: Blending Modes

A Table of Modes and Their Effects

Day 2 Agenda

Lesson 1: Masking and Layers

Topic 1A: Editing Quick Masks and Alpha Channels

Topic 1B: Layer Masks

Topic 1C: Grayscale Masking

Topic 1D: Clipping Groups

Lesson 2: Vector Paths

Topic 2A: Vector Path Concepts

Topic 2B: Creating Vector Paths

Topic 2C: Editing Paths

Topic 2D: Using Paths for Masking

Lesson 3: Swatches, Gradients, Patterns

Topic 3A: Swatches

Topic 3B: Gradients

Topic 3C: Patterns

Lesson 4: Layer Types and Styles

Topic 4A: Fill Layers

Topic 4B: Drawing and Painting Shapes

Topic 4C: Layer Styles

Lesson 5: Advanced Masking

Topic 5A: The Background Eraser

Topic 5B: The Extract Command