Photoshop 7 Down & Dirty Tricks

I have had PS (2.5) since March 1994 when I got my first Apple and Epson scanner. I have upgraded PS every year and now have the latest and greatest CS5. I am always overwhelmed with PS features so I don't even come close to unleashing the full power of the program. I ran across a copy of this book at a bookstore recently and was astonished at how much information was so very useful for me. I am just a casual at home user but I aim for the best results with my Nikon photography. This book explains things simply when many of the powerful and complex features were just emerging. It is easier to follow the instructions and exemplars and to apply the features from a more basic time. While some of the steps have been streamlined the basic process remains the same and when I extrapolate this "old" info onto the newest app features suddenly the dawn comes. Miracles happen and I "get it"! And of course I ordered this from Amazon and it arrived in pristine condition from the seller. I am grateful to have access to this valuable and useful guidance. Perhaps one day in a galaxy far far away I will be able to approach Photoshop with supreme confidence and competence.

Scott Kelby has a way or writing books for the adverage person, but puts enough interesting information in there for experienced graphic designers. Photoshop 7 Down & Dirty Tricks is the top book of his in my opinion. You could start on any page and pick up something fun and interesting to work on. If you take the time, you even get friendly support from Scott in straight terms. When I read it, I get a sense of ease in being able to figure out how to create really cool tricks in a short amount of time. I could see some people being dissappointed in the book for this. Instead of diving deep into any design concepts or photoshop tools, he focuses right on particular effects. Once you complete the book, if you feel the need to read it from cover to cover, you may feel cheated if you're the kind of person who likes in depth explainations of tools and filters of photoshop. I see this book being best for someone who already has a basic understanding of photoshop and wants to pick up a few really cool tricks here and there. If it's the first time you're working with photoshop, you'll be able to put together some really impressive artwork in no time. I think the extent of your photoshop abilities will be pretty limited in the long run if you choose this book as your source of learning a highly developed graphics application, however. It's comparible to learning a couple songs on guitar, but skipping all the principals that could help you in playing or writing whatever song you want to.

I'm totally new to Photoshop. I adapt quickly though. I feel like I have developed a very good understanding of layers and effects from following the examples in the book. I'm not into downloading the same exact examples that refer to the book; I like to follow the directions and either do exactly what the author did or substitute with my own graphics. This book is so well done that I was able to do just that. It's very well written. So from a beginners standpoint; I was able to get up and running in no time with this book; that says alot about the book and it's content. I would have liked a little more detail as far as getting those space aged colors and effects (in the same detail as the projects) in his final examples. But for the price; I'm absolutely satisfied. I only go to the bookstores to actually look through the books i'm interested in; then I head on over here (amazon) for the reviews and for the savings.

Photoshop 7 down & dirty tricks is really awesome & very special secrets book will helps 2 learns more new something on that CS photoshop or up to CS5 would be still same of it forever. Thnx

Scott KELBY'S BOOKS ARE TIMELESS.. buy this and save a ton of money if your budget is low, or spend a little more nd buy the most recent version.. you won't be sorry this is a great way to learn

The entire book is about Jello, Jelly, Wooden and Chrome stuff. I have never as many bad taste ugly effects in one place my entire life. There is a BIG difference between knowing a software and knowing about design. We all know how to write but only few of us are writers. the book teaches you how for example how to ad RED flames to a GREEN guitar. Make wooden text. Lots of Jelly buttons and interfaces. I am very dissapointed, go buy a book writen about a designer, about basic principles of graphic design if you are a beginner and stay away from this book, it won't do you any good. Please excuse my English.

I found this very helpful. I was looking for help with particular aspects of Photoshop which I have only a beginner understanding of. It is easy to read and understand and I loved the writer's sense of humor.

The quick tutorials in this book are very nice and useful for total beginners, but the quality of them is sometimes not all too great. Kelby only teaches the very basic techniques - he never really gets into anything deeply, and doesn't show how to do stuff absolutely professionaly.

Just like a cookbook, it takes the reader step by step to achieve various results, from eye catching bold metalic titles to putting your photograph onto a creditcard. What the book doesn't do is take you through the technical reasons to why certain tools are used, just like a cookbook tend not to tell you why certain ingredients are used. This is a learn by doing book, rather than a read the whole chapter and you might learn something if you didn't fall asleep book. Flick through the book and you'll want to try the tutorials out. Probably not suitable for the absolute photoshop beginner, but more appropriate for someone who already know a little and want to learn more in the shortest time.

OK

It works! It really works I ordered this being a little sceptical as I have received Photoshop books before and thought "Eeek I need another lifetime to read all that..." this one is different because you can actually use the information provided within minutes of opening the book! I have used the tricks for websites, presetations and lots of other commercial applications. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to get quality results in the shortest possible time!

You can not beat Scott Kelby for excellent information.

some very good tips...enjoyed reading it..