Chris Pirillo » adobe

Foxit Screencast

Chris — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:47:36 +0000

Foxit Screencast is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I recently asked all of you to submit your screencasts to me for review. The best of the best will be chosen to be featured here, in my various channels and outlets. This provides content of a different perspective for our community, and gives you new exposure for your work! Marques has submitted an excellent screencast, showing you an alternative to Adobe’s PDF Reader 8 – FoxIt.

Foxit Reader is a free PDF document viewer. It is incredibly small, and exceedingly fast. It supports virtually all versions of Windows.

In the past, you had to download a huge PDF reader from another company, sit and wait for installation and updates, and then finally open your PDF. With Foxit, you simply install one small file and you’re ready to go. Foxit also features an annotation tool, and text conversion. What other free PDF reader can say that – and mean it?

For Marques, it only took about half the time to open and load as Adobe did. That is a significant improvement. He didnt have to wait on a splash screen – the document just opened. You can also view your PDF as a text document using Foxit… thereby copy and pasting things from the PDF to any word editing program.

In my book, free software that has better features than its paid counterparts is nothing but pure win. Thanks to Marques for providing this look at Foxit Reader for the community!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

What is a PDF?
Tweaking Acrobat PDF Adobe Reader
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
Do you Want to Create PDFs from Firefox for Free?
PDF is an ISO Standard
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
How to Edit PDFs for Free Online
How to Convert PDF Files

Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons

Chris — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:47:31 +0000

Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

Adobe is now offering Web services – and for a limited time, you can get them at a discounted rate.

Acrobat Basic: Use web conferencing to share your screen and host a meeting for up to five participants. Share and store your files online (up to 5GB) with a unique URL that never changes. Easily convert up to ten files to PDF per month. Online word processing is also included which makes it easy to work on your documents from anywhere. Two subscription levels are available. Note: you must reside in North America to purchase an Acrobat . com subscription; a valid address is required as part of the checkout process.

Acrobat Premium Plus: Use web conferencing to share your screen and host a meeting for up to 20 participants. Share large files without worrying about e-mail restrictions. Access your files, up to 5GB, from anywhere at any time. And easily create an unlimited number of PDFs. Online word processing is also included which makes it easy to work with others on the same document without the hassle of swapping e-mail attachments. Works with PCs and Macs. No download necessary; just purchase your subscription and start working with others online – right now. Note: you must reside in North America to purchase an Acrobat . com subscription; a valid address is required as part of the checkout process.

I have special rates for other Adobe products, too:

What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?

Chris — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:45:31 +0000

What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Did you ever know how most presentations suck? It’s bad enough that people doing them tend to suck, as well. It’s not their fault, though. Most of the presentation software is just not that good. A good presentation shows pictures, and don’t have much text. The worst ones to watch are where the speaker just reads every word from the slides! They drive me nuts! What do you use to create presentations? Tell me you aren’t using desktop software! Adobe has thrown their hat into the ring. They have a basic, online office suite and a new presentation software!

Acrobat Presentations is excellent. You have tons of options. Best of all, of course, is the ability using an online platform gives you to easily collaborate with others. When you create a presentation with desktop software, it’s very difficult to allow multiple people to work together on it. Using Presentations, it’s a simple process.

Presentations is a better way to create, edit, and share presentations with others online. Built on the Adobe Flash platform, Presentations looks and behaves like a desktop presentation application – but operates inside a web browser.

It’s free, and cross-platform. There’s no reason to not try it!

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I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!

Chris — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:34:09 +0000

I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!! is a post from Chris Pirillo

99.9% of Safari crashes are caused by Adobe’s Flash. It’s not Safari, gang – it’s Flash, pure and simple. I’ve done everything to attempt to rectify the problem, and it’s not like I can just dump Flash and move on with my life. Hell, I just reinstalled Mac OS X from scratch (after installing the SSD).

If Adobe would spend just a MODICUM of time on developing this software to be far less CRAPTASTIC, maybe I’d be far more understanding.

But, no… Adobe has pretty much decided to treat Mac OS X as a second-class citizen. They’ve overtly ignored CPU optimization, which is painfully obvious when you play any kind of HD video. Perf is pathetic, and it’s not Apple’s problem.

If you’re pissed that Apple hasn’t allowed Flash on the iPhone, before you wag your finger at good ol’ Mr. Jobs – why not slap Adobe for their ignorance, instead?

Where’s Flash Media Encoder for the Mac? That’s right, it’s nowhere to be found – because they don’t seem to care. While I understand that more people use Windows, I also know that a growing number of people are using Mac OS X (and Linux, for that matter).

I’m not an Adobe hater, either – I love countless AIR apps (and the promise for that platform). But c’mon, Adobe – start cleaning up your code or take it open source so far more intelligent developers can clean up the shit you’re leaving all over our systems.

The answer isn’t to switch operating systems – the answer is to encourage Flash alternatives until Adobe feels the pinch.

UPDATE: Minutes after composing and posting this entry, Flash decided to shit all over itself again:

SECOND UPDATE: This isn’t funny, Adobe. Not long after my first post update, I got another crash:

THIRD UPDATE: I decided to walk away from the computer for a while, but Flash was still being a whiny little bitch:

Would SOMEBODY at Adobe please walk over to the person responsible for this shit and smack them upside the head a few times for me?

Does Flash Encoding Slow Down the Computer?
Tips for Using Adobe Flash
Creating Flash Files for Free
What is Adobe Air?
Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease
Chris Pirillo USB Flash Drive

How to Merge PDF Files for Free

Chris — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:35:49 +0000

How to Merge PDF Files for Free is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Yes, you likely have PDFs scattered across your hard drive. What do you do when you want to merge one PDF with another? Unless you buy expensive software, it’s impossible – unless you use MergePDF. This service enables you to combine multiple PDF documents into a single one, free of charge.

You can easily merge up to ten separate PDF documents into one new one. Select the files you want to merge, using the “Pick Files” button, and then click the “Merge PDF!” button. The service does the work for you. The only caveat is that individual file size has to be less than 5MB. Additionally, the site creators are very security conscious:

Although this service is free, we take security of data very seriously. The uploaded files and the resulting files (the merged ones) are removed after they have been downloaded. The only thing that is not safe in itself is the data transfer as we are not transferring through SSL.

So if you need to combine several PDF documents into one new one, be sure to check out the free MergePDF service. This is another service that you’ll soon wonder how you ever managed without it!

FirstRSS+ThunderIT AWS HMAC ERROR: "http://xml-us.amznxslt.com/onca/xml?AWSAccessKeyId=05G128QTRXN0J06J6PG2&ContentType=text%2Fxml&Keywords=PDF&Operation=ItemSearch&ResponseGroup=Large&SearchIndex=Blended&Service=AWSECommerceService&Signature=t1%2BI85Jf9F%2BQojQ9qkJ5N5q%2BAMSVGSUHvxK9o3GS54E%3D&Style=http%3A%2F%2Ftagjag.com%2Fcss%2Famazon.xslt&Timestamp=2009-11-22T08%3A14%3A40Z&Version=2005-07-26" NOT FOUND!

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Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
Do you Want to Create PDFs from Firefox for Free?
PDF is an ISO Standard
What is a PDF?
Tweaking Acrobat PDF Adobe Reader
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
How to Edit PDFs for Free Online
How to Convert PDF Files

How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease

Chris — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:03:01 +0000

How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease is a post from Chris Pirillo

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You know I’m a software addict. I like all kinds of software, and I especially love software that does what it needs to do VERY well – and if it’s available on both Mac OS X and Windows. I believe I may be able to get you a coupon for the Tiffen Dfx.

The new version of Tiffen Dfx features multiple masking and layering capabilities with its Photoshop and Aperture plug-ins, previously only offered with the Stand-alone edition, plus more than 1,000 new filters and effects including: Ambient Light, Close Up Lens, Dot, Eye Light, Flag, Gobo, HFX Star, Haze, High Contrast, Ice Halos, Rainbows, Sepia, Sky, Soft Contrast, Soft Light, Warm Center Spot, Warm Polarizer, Water Droplets, Wide Angle Lens and 812 Warming.

There are 133 Tiffen filters included in the software, and hundreds of effects are sprinkled throughout the various filters. There’s a very wide array of them. Being the visual person that I am, it’s nice to see the thumbnails that the program will give you upon opening it up.

You can save your presets in order to use them again at a later date, with ease. This makes it nice if you have a project you have to go back and work on at a later time. It’s also great for graphic artists.

Masks are usually difficult to do. However, the EZ Mask (one of 7 different mask types) lets users create multiple masks with just a few quick clicks. With the multiple layering, people can easily add multiple filters on a single Photoshop layer. Filters and masks can be easily copied between Dfx layers.

I can’t get over how simple this is. If you do any kind of photo editing, you really need to check this out. It’s an amazing program… and cross platform!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Do you Have any Photoshop Tips for Beginners?
Adobe Photoshop Elements on Vista
Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
How to Buy and Sell on eBay
How to Watch TV on the iPod / iPhone
Stanford Laptop Orchestra (SLOrk) at Macworld

Do you Want to Create PDFs from Firefox for Free?

Chris — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:00:13 +0000

Do you Want to Create PDFs from Firefox for Free? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Just today, the PDF became an official ISO standard. You’ll see PDFs show up in a lot more places. It will be the document format to beat, basically. I happen to have stumbled across an invitation-only Beta earlier for a new Firefox plugin… to make PDFs. If Firefox were my default browser on Windows, I’d definitely be using this.

PDF Download will add an icon to Firefox in Windows. By clicking that icon while on any web page, it will save the page out as a PDF for you. It’s that easy.

PDF Download by Nitro PDF Software lets you regain control over PDF files in Firefox. When you click on a PDF file, PDF Download lets you know, can tell you how big it is, and can then give you the choice to open, download, or convert it to HTML. The add-on for Firefox lets you decide what to do with the PDF files you click on and customize and automate how they should be handled.

The beauty of the PDF is that if someone creates it, it will retain the same layout no matter what computer or operating system it is opened on. Most manuals you can download from the Internet are in PDF format for just this reason. If you create something in Microsoft Word and try to open it on your Mac… yeah. You know what I’m talking about. The PDF format is just much easier to manage and use.

If you know of any other Firefox extensions or PDF tools that you’d like to pass along, let me know! I’m always happy to share new things with the rest of the world.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
PDF is an ISO Standard
What is a PDF?
Tweaking Acrobat PDF Adobe Reader
How to Change the Skins in Firefox (Personas!)
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us?
How Do You Enlarge Web Site Fonts for Printing?

PDF is an ISO Standard

Chris — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:16:07 +0000

PDF is an ISO Standard is a post from Chris Pirillo

I was up and about at 5am today (don’t ask), and I just so happened to catch a short email in my inbox:

The Portable Document Format (PDF), undeniably one of the most commonly used formats for electronic documents, is now accessible as an ISO International Standard – ISO 32000-1. This move follows a decision by Adobe Systems Incorporated, original developer and copyright owner of the format, to relinquish control to ISO, who is now in charge of publishing the specifications for the current version (1.7) and for updating and developing future versions.

Here’s the abstract:

ISO 32000-1:2008 specifies a digital form for representing electronic documents to enable users to exchange and view electronic documents independent of the environment in which they were created or the environment in which they are viewed or printed. It is intended for the developer of software that creates PDF files (conforming writers), software that reads existing PDF files and interprets their contents for display and interaction (conforming readers) and PDF products that read and/or write PDF files for a variety of other purposes (conforming products).

And what my friends had to say about it:

This is a really strong move for Adobe and for those of us who use PDF constantly. – Blake Robinson via Alert Thingy

Perhaps has something to do with Microsoft opening up their doc specs? – Kenneth Younger

will adobe reader be even slower now? i hope foxit will still work with the flash-enabled pdfs. – mike

mike: the new Adobe Reader coming out is dramatically faster. – Robert Scoble

robert: phew! maybe i can venture back to using it after my tryst with foxit. – mike

this has *nothing* to do with Microsoft… And this isn't really "news", it's just the ISO officialization of what we already knew since December: http://arstechnica.com/news.ar… – Marcos Marado

It's a great document format, even though their own reader sucks, thank god for Apple's Preview. – Gerard van Schip

Finally. The whole industry-standard status was kind of weird since everyone treated it like a standard for years now anyway – Horst Gutmann

At the end of the day, this is good news for consumers; standards are always good news for us. I don’t really see a need to install Adobe Reader 9 on my Mac desktop – even though I just installed 9.0 on Ponzi’s Vista desktop yesterday afternoon; I’ll be content with Mac OS X’s built-in support for PDF. When I want to do a bit more with my PDFs, I’ll use Skim. Here’s to hoping that Flash (SWF, FLV) becomes the next ISO standard!

Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
Do you Want to Create PDFs from Firefox for Free?
What is a PDF?
Tweaking Acrobat PDF Adobe Reader
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
How to Edit PDFs for Free Online
How to Convert PDF Files

Does Flash Encoding Slow Down the Computer?

Chris — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:28:26 +0000

Does Flash Encoding Slow Down the Computer? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Dimitri just sent me an email, saying that he’s really happy we inspired him to live stream. However, he’s having an issue that he isn’t sure what to do to fix it.

For some reason, my CPU load keeps going to 140% and up when I stream video and audio using the flash player. It doesn’t seem to be a Ustream problem, because I have the same issue streaming via BlogTV, and all the other broadcasting websites.

After surfing the net for solutions, I found that a lot of people share this problem. It seems to happen to those who try to stream using a MacBook (Pro). It also doesn’t matter if I try it via Safari or Firefox; the problem is always the same. The funny thing is that when I disable audio streaming, the CPU load gets cut in half. So… only video broadcasting will produce a 70% CPU load on the browser, while broadcasting both runs it up to 140% or higher.

I think I’ve heard you say that you also stream via a Mac system. Maybe there is a difference between using an iMac and a MacBook, or maybe you are using some other version of flash then the rest of us.Anyways, it has been driving me nuts for weeks, and I’m ready to throw in the towel. So you are basically the last straw. Does my problem seem familiar? If not, could you ask around to see if you can get some sort of answer concerning this issue?

You are right… I have the exact same problem. I am pretty much running at 100% on my Mac Mini, which is what powers the live video stream. It literally pushes my CPU to its limits. However, it’s been doing this pretty much daily for a year now, and it’s still running great.

When you’re using Flash to stream out video and especially audio, then yes.. your CPU is going to max itself out. The only way to decrease the load is to use better software to stream. Right now, all the services only offer better streaming software for Windows users. If you’re using a Mac, you’re pretty much stuck with what you have now. Hopefully soon, we’ll have something better we can use.

I will note that Adobe has just announced that they are about to release the newest version of Adobe Flash for Beta download. Adobe ‘Astro’ introduces new expressive features and visual performance improvements that allow interactive designers and developers to build the richest and most immersing Web experiences. These new capabilities also empower the community to extend Flash Player and to take creativity and interactivity to a new level.

Adobe Flash CS3 – Crash Course

Adobe Flash CS3 – ActionScript 3

FOXDA 6603 128MB MP3 Player w/ Direct CD Encoding, FM Tuner, Digital Voice Recorder & USB Storage

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
Tips for Using Adobe Flash
Creating Flash Files for Free
What is Adobe Air?
Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease
Chris Pirillo USB Flash Drive

Is the Adobe Media Player any Good?

Chris — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:56:34 +0000

Is the Adobe Media Player any Good? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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For years I have been suggesting that Adobe would totally kill were it to develop a desktop media player… largely because everyone seems to have Adobe Flash installed already. Adobe has officially released a media player at long last! It’s not just a media player, per se… it goes a long way towards yanking you away from your television set, and opening your eyes to media on your computer.
Adobe Media Player software provides control and flexibility to view what you want, when you want… whether online or offline. You can queue up and download your favorite Internet TV content, track and download new episodes automatically, and manage your personal video library for viewing at your convenience. Adobe Media Player enables businesses to create, deliver, and monetize high-quality content using a variety of new business models. The customizable, cross-platform player leverages existing Adobe Flash technology and supports downloaded and streamed media of up to full-screen HD resolution.
Top networks and media companies present your favorite shows for viewing online or offline. From edge-of-your-seat dramas, sports, and reality TV shows to classic feature films and miniseries as well as educational videos and more, Adobe participating network partners put a wealth of enjoyment at your fingertips with Adobe Media Player. Some of the partners include CBS, Food Network, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central.
All in all, this first version is amazing. The eye candy is good… and the features are excellent. It seems fast. It’s a great way to discover video content. The best thing it has going for it is that it features an excellent mix of ‘traditional’ content, as well as lesser content, such as what we do here.

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Foxit Screencast
Will TV Ever Die? No!
What’s Your Favorite Commercial?
Gnomedex Green Screen Challenge: Your Commercial Could be on TV!
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Do you Have any Photoshop Tips for Beginners?

Chris — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:21:06 +0000

Do you Have any Photoshop Tips for Beginners? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Recently, Mushir sent in his list of favorite foods from India. Instead of food, he’s passing on his top tips for people who are just beginning to learn how to use Photoshop.

Check it out! When using Photoshop for the first time, see what everything does… from tools to little buttons. This will not only make you move around much faster in Photoshop, but it will also make you experiment a lot more.
Always use layers! Layers are one of the most important things you have to remember to use when using Photoshop. It is very frustrating when you draw something really amazing on lets say a black background, but when you want to change the color of the background you notice the drawing and the background are on the same layer. So when you change the background color… the entire drawing gets screwed up. Remember also that using too many layers can get you confused.
Name your layers. I know naming your layers can seem useless sometimes, but when working on a big project it is very helpful. Doing this helps you find a particular layer very fast.
Use groups. Groups are little folders that you can put as many layers as you want into. Many people don’t even know that groups exist. This helps you organize your layers very easily. Remember to name your groups by the way!
Learn the shortcuts. Learning shortcuts is the key to becoming a fast and an efficient Photoshop user. Of course, you will not be able to learn all the shortcuts right away. But after a while, try to remember the shortcuts for the tools you use the most.
Filters. Filters are one of the greatest features in Photoshop. Try out the the filters and see what they do. Play with the settings. I like to use the sharpen filter a lot of the time. It gives my images a crisper look. But only use filters when you feel it is necessary.
Experiment! Experimenting is something everyone should do. When starting with graphics… you might read tutorials, which is great! You really learn a lot from tutorials. But after awhile, try experimenting to find your own style. It always feels nice to see a new and refreshing style because some have been used so much already that even if they used to look good, they look awful now.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease
Photoshop Video
NAPP: Photoshop Association
Photoshop Help
Adobe Photoshop Elements on Vista
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Tips for Using Adobe Flash

Chris — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:56:13 +0000

Tips for Using Adobe Flash is a post from Chris Pirillo

Mushir sent in some excellent tips recently to help guide you through using Adobe Flash.

Learn the basics! If you learn the basics in Flash you will be able to finish stuff so much more faster. Try out all the tools and learn what they do. You may find a tool you never have used, but it could be a very useful tool.
Tutorials! There are several books that will teach you how to use Flash! There are also books made for specific things such as drawing or animation. If you don’t like to pay there are always tutorials on the internet that you can read. Sites such as Pixel2Life have hundreds of free Flash tutorials which you can read. If you like to learn visually you can search for video tutorials at YouTube.
Change the frame-rate! The frame-rate when you open a new document in Flash is 12. If you change it to lets say 20 your animation will run much faster and it will look much smoother. But then you will have to draw more images than you would have to if the frame-rate was 12. It is recommended by most Flash users to use the frame-rate 18 or higher.
Use layers! Making animations in Flash without layers is very hard. Have your background in the first layer. Then have your animation on a layer above the background layer. This way you wont have to draw a new background after every single frame.
Show your animation to other people and get response. There are many sites where you can publish your Flash animation for other people to watch it. You may get harsh comments the first time but keep trying. Always listen to what other people have to say. This will help you a lot. Remember you don’t always have to do what others say but try it out and see it looks better their way.

I Hate Adobe Flash!!!!!!!!!!
Does Flash Encoding Slow Down the Computer?
Creating Flash Files for Free
What is Adobe Air?
Foxit Screencast
Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons”>Adobe Acrobat.com Web Service Coupons
What’s Better Than Microsoft PowerPoint?
How to Merge PDF Files for Free
How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease
Chris Pirillo USB Flash Drive

Photoshop Video

Chris — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:18:04 +0000

Photoshop Video is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Whether you’re new to Photoshop, or have been using it for a long time… these tips should help you become even more proficient. Keep sending in those top five lists!

When trying to fade an image, do not change the opacity of the layer use the eraser tool. This is because if you have more than one image on one layer, you can have the different images a different opacity level. To do this click on the eraser tool and go to the top tool bar (unless you have moved it), lower the opacity, and erase. You can also use this to blend images and get rid of “boxyness” (when the image is square and you want it more roundish) if that makes sense.
When cropping full images do not use the eraser tool, use the vector tool. It is much more accurate and only cuts out exactly what you need. The eraser tool, in my opinion, should only be used for fading and touching up images, but never to do a full cropping job.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS! Be aware of what layer you are selected on. I’ve seen other people many times and myself start using the vector tool to crop out images, only to find out I was on the wrong layer and had to redo it all over again. You may also run into problems if you want to flatten two layers, but select the wrong ones and find out later when it is too late that your layers are now messed up.
When using the magic wand tool, remember that it really isn’t magical. If you are using it too get rid of an unwanted background, make sure that you close up all of the openings of the wanted image. This can be done rather easily by using the pencil tool.
Always put images on different layers. This will give you more freedom t change the way the images are placed in the final image. If you put them all on one layer, you can usually never change it much.

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NAPP: Photoshop Association

Chris — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:51:34 +0000

NAPP: Photoshop Association is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A community member writes: “I recently went to a seminar by the NAPP. NAPP is the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. I joined them last year. Here are my reasons for joining NAPP.”

NAPP produces a magazine called Photoshopuser that is packed cover-to-cover with in-depth Photoshop® tutorials and tips written by the most talented designers, photographers, and leading authors in the industry.
NAPP offers a member’s only website www.photoshopuser.com/ with weekly feature tutorials. Each week there are two new video tutorials that allow you to watch how experts produce amazing images. As well as weekly tutorials that show the steps involved to created incredible photos. A member’s forum provides a way members’ can assist each other with specific issues using Adobe Photoshop program. There are many other features of the website which could be it’s own list.
NAPP associated with Kelly training produces seminars illustrating different aspects of Photoshop, which travel around the United States. The three tours are Photoshop CS3 Power tour, Photoshop CS3 Creativity Tour, and Photoshop CS3 Tour for Photographers. A benefit from membership is you currently receive a twenty-dollar savings on the $99 price.
NAPP has a twice a year convention on Photoshop and April 2-4 2008 it will be held at the Orlando Convention Center. For three inspirational days you will learn from more than 40 of the most recognized and respected names in the industry, including Scott Kelby, Terry White, Fay Sirkis, Joe McNally, Bert Monroy, Jay Maisel, Dan Margulis, Jeff Schewe, and more. NAPP member receive a substantial discount on the admission price for the three-day event.
NAPP has negotiated discounts on hardware, software and services from top organizations such as Adobe, B and H, Office Depot, Dell, Apple, Porter Case, Alien Skin, Site grinder, Lucas Art for a total of 92 different discounts.

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Photoshop Help

Chris — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:36:16 +0000

Photoshop Help is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Using Photoshop can be daunting, at best. It’s not the easiest program in the world to learn. However… it does produce excellent results. Here are some tips to help you become more familiar with Photoshop, and all it can do for you.

Know the Basics I cannot stress enough how important it is to learn the basics. If you are looking to use Photoshop for what it’s worth, you need to know how things work and how to get around the workspace with ease. Later, as you progress into more advanced areas of Photoshop , or if you are working on a time limit, knowing exactly what route you need to take will save you a lot of time and help you achieve the desired goal.
Take Advantage of Digital One of the amazing things about editing digitally, is the fact that you have complete control over your work. Unlike painting or drawing, if there’s an area of your project in which you are not happy with, you can simply delete or modify it using the magic of layers. Don’t be afraid to add as many layers as you wish, to separate every aspect of your project. Photoshop even gives you the ability to sort your layers in folders for organization and easy access.
Learn, Learn, Learn There is an infinite amount of resources both online and off line, which will teach you everything you need to know about how to USE Photoshop . Whether you prefer written instruction or visual, you’ll find all you need scattered across the internet. Some places, such as YouTube may offer video tutorials demonstrating certain aspects of Photoshop , but if you are looking to learn as much as possible, there are several paid resources which offer high quality training videos.
Don’t Limit Yourself Even though Photoshop can do a whole lot in terms of editing, you don’t necessarily have to only use Photoshop . There are other programs such as Adobe Illustrator which can be useful if you need to work in vector format. Adobe Flash, if you need animation or dynamic web content. Or Adobe Dreamweaver if you are looking to publish your work to the web. The great thing about using each of these programs for what they excel in, is that they are all cross compatible. Switch from one to another with great ease!
Be Creative There is no limit to what you can do. Let your mind wander and have fun with your designs. Don’t be afraid to go above and beyond, but always remember to stay professional. Be sure to follow basic color guidelines to make your work easy on the eye and user friendly.

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Coupons for Online Shopping

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