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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!

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How to Create a Digital Photo Mask with Ease

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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.

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Do you Have any Photoshop Tips for Beginners?