Editorial Reviews:
The totally revised update to the classic bestseller (over 40K of the current edition in print), providing everything a Windows user needs to know to learn and become expert with the latest release of Adobe Photoshop. Author and premier Photoshop guru Deke McClelland once again delivers the most comprehensive, informative, and entertaining coverage of Photoshop you'll find anywhere ñ complete with all the insider secrets and tips you need for state-of-the-art graphic design. Includes a CD-ROM packed with utilities, plug-ins, sample images, an artist gallery, video interviews, and more.
If reading through nearly 1,000 pages of Photoshop tools, tricks, tips, and errata is your idea of a good time, Photoshop 6 for Windows Bible is the book to get. Packed with everything a new user needs to know about the leading image-editing application, this book has much to offer and only a few drawbacks. 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
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 18 total reviews (Page 1 of 4):
 Excellent Photoshop guide.
Anyone attempting to use Photoshop, especially first timers like me, probably discovers two things: (1) Photoshop is vast in its' capabilities, and (2)You may need someone to guide you through this excellent but complex program. Mr. McClelland's book is very readable and easy to understand, often funny, highly detailed, and very helpful. I have not yet mastered Photoshop, and I don't know if I ever will, but this book has been more than helpful. Highly recommended!  Frustrating how-to on Photoshop
I have two books on Photoshop. One is Inside Photoshop 5.5. It is somewhat entertaining (which is a bonus) and educational in a good way. What do I mean? It gives hands on tasks so you learn by doing (kinda like those ads for Devry Technical Institute). His explanations are short and right to the point. And almost every step seems to have a picture.
Now let's take this book. I'd like to use an example from an area I find difficult to understand; creating masks.He's walking you through creating a mask of a dinosaur skull (yuck). Anyway, in Step 2 he tells you to do this and that to delete the background. Then he states, "4. I painted inside the selection mask." Then he says that "Before I begin I do" such and such. In Step 5 he's applying a paintbrush to the edge of the image. Here's the problem. HE NEVER TELLS YOU HOW TO CREATE THE MASK. All of a sudden he's working on the mask, but how did he get there?
This is a big problem. A user manual should include all of the steps. That's not a minor complaint. Buy the other book, that is if there is a you, and I'm not the last person on earth using Photoshop 6!  Looks good but it is trouble
All in all, this is a usable book if you take the time to discover essential details that are missing. As you get into more sophisticated topics you find that about 10% of the procedures described in the book do not work. Essential steps, that could have been spelled out in a line of text, are missing and I have to experiment for close to an hour to discover what they are. The book is too verbose and could be condensed to half its size, with no loss of content. The humor is weak and adds nothing to the book; I never got a chuckle (and I like to laugh). There are no examples of creative use of Photoshop, even though this is why we want to learn the darn thing. I have used computers everyday since 1969, so I don't think that my troubles are caused by my ignorance. Unfortunately, I can't recommend a better book, since I stuck with this one and I managed to learn what I need. It is not a bad book to get you started,but you should look at other books before buying this one. Looks good but it is trouble
All in all, this is a usable book if you take the time to discover essential details that are missing. As you get into more sophisticated topics you find that about 10% of the procedures described in the book do not work. Essential steps, thate could have been spelled out in a line of text, are missing and I have to experiment for close to an hour to discover what they are. The book is too verbose and could be condensed to half its size, with no loss of content. The humor is weak and adds nothing to the book; I never got a chuckle (and I like to laugh). There are no examples of creative use of Photoshop, even though this is why we want to learn the darn thing. I have used computers everyday since 1969, so I don't think that my troubles are caused by my ignorance. Unfortunately, I can't recommend a better book, since I stuck with this one and I managed to learn what I need. It is not a bad book to get you started,but you should look at other books before buying this one. Looks good but it is trouble
All in all, this is a usable book if you take the time to discover essential details that are missing. As you get into more sophisticated topics you find that about 10% of the procedures described in the book do not work. Essential steps, thate could have been spelled out in a line of text, are missing and I have to experiment for close to an hour to discover what they are. The book is too verbose and could be condensed to half its size, with no loss of content. The humor is weak and adds nothing to the book; I never got a chuckle (and I like to laugh). There are no examples of creative use of Photoshop, even though this is why we want to learn the darn thing. I have used computers everyday since 1969, so I don't think that my troubles are caused by my ignorance. Unfortunately, I can't recommend a better book, since I stuck with this one and I managed to learn what I need. It is not a bad book to get you started,but you should look at other books before buying this one. More Customer Reviews:
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(18 reviews)
