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Photoshop 7 Artistry

by Barry Haynes & Wendy Crumpler

From New Riders Publishing
(c) 2002 Barry Haynes & Wendy Crumpler
ISBN 0-7357-1240-9
457 pps, w/ CD
$55 (US), $85.99 (CAN) UK £42.99

Review by Gary Coyne

Intended user: Intermediate through Advanced.

This is the only book of this set of books being reviewed that is an official "here's how to use Photoshop 7" book. There are a total of 39 Chapters in this book and as tempting as it is to list them, I will refrain and simply list the 5 Sections:

• I - Essential Photoshop Tools and Functionality
• II - Color Correction and Calibration to Create a Master Digital Image
• III - Overall color Correction, Selection, and Layer Techniques
• IV - Advanced Color Correction and Restoration Techniques
• V - Compositing Multiple Images with Layers, Adjustment Layers, and Layer Masks.

I took the time to list the various sections for the simple opportunity to point out how much effort is spent to help the reader in all aspects of Color in Photoshop. Many a computer user sits in frustration with how beautiful an image is on the screen but how different and poorly the same image is printed out.

I am very pleased to see such an extended emphasis on color as it can be a complicated subject. And, by breaking color into so many subcategories and concurrently relating it to so many of the tools within Photoshop, the authors successfully "teach" the subject.

Admittedly, I am somewhat perplexed as to the order of some of their chapters. For example, they start Section II, Chapter 12 with "Color Correction Tools." It isn't until Chapter 14 that the authors present "Color Spaces, Device Characterization, and Color Management." This is the chapter that explains what color is and how we see it. Call me old school, but this is sort of like explaining gardening tools before you explain what a garden is. Until you know what the subject is and establish color management on your computer, any color-tool use is inviting the reader to chase after moving targets.

Chapter 15 covers "Photoshop Color Preferences, Monitor, Scanner, and Printer Calibration". This does logically follow Chapter 14, and I do recommend to the reader that when they get to Section II, they consider reading the chapters in the order of 14, 15, 12, 13, and then onto 16, etc.

Regardless what chapters are read in whatever order, the reader will be introduced to some excellent material. The authors know their stuff and explain it well. Color correction is probably the most frustrating and challenging subject likely to be encountered using Photoshop and learning from "Photoshop 7 Artistry" is about as good an opportunity one is likely to get to learn it all.

The accompanying CD contains both sample files used in the chapters and files to use for such activities as calibration models, PDFs of extra information (for chapters that had to go to the printers before the authors were done writing), and preset saved Levels, Hue/Saturation, and Curves, (etc.).

A lot of work went into the CD and it is rather sad that yet a bit more effort didn't go into the CD. At no point in the book does it refer the reader to try out the specific image from the CD (there is a general statement in the introductory chapter mentioning the material on the CD, but that's it), nor does it suggest that the reader try to load an image adjustment from the CD. These latter items are only utilized by opening up the various image adjustment and then "Loading" pre-saved settings. At no point in the book or the CD is the proceeding sentence explaining how to use these items--like I said, so close, yet so far away. Fortunately, each chapter's work is saved as a separate folder within the CD, but beyond that, you are on your own.

As long as I'm complaining, let me do one last complaint: the size of the text's fonts. I'm in my middle years and as such I need reading glasses. The font is just plain too small. I cannot glance at the book and then at the computer screen. A book with information as good as this has to offer shouldn't be a struggle to read. The information contained therein is a pleasure, the reading of it should be the same. I asked my 16 year old daughter if she felt the font was OK (as she does have younger eyes) and her eyes opened wide, then squinted, as her face contorted to read the text.

My only hope is that the authors and the publisher settled on the small font to get as much information into the 457 pages as they could. If this is what happened, so be it, I'll struggle. But that is the only excuse I can think of that would let me accept this struggle.

Back to the book itself: Be not afraid, the book is more than just about color (although color itself is a good enough reason to purchase this book); also included is a wonderful section on Blending modes (Chapter 31) that provides some of the best explanation on how to use them and their use and even the logic of how they are placed in the blending-mode's pop-up found in the Layers palette (and on many of the palettes in Photoshop).

Sadly, this book glosses over much of Photoshop's sister application, ImageReady. Only the last chapter, #39, is devoted to IR's features ("Creating Slices, Rollovers, and Animation in ImageReady 7"). That, and a few other brief mentions is all your going to get from this book. While what's presented is as good as anything else in this book, the Photoshop book that has a great section on ImageReady has yet to pass my eyes.

My complaints notwithstanding, this is one of the best books on Photoshop I've seen. I'm giving this book a very strong recommendation because it has great information contained therein and is well written. I would encourage the writers to update their web site with guidance for their CD: provide page numbers where the files are used, and how (and where) to use the various Adjustments. I also STRONGLY want the publishers to think about the pleasures of reading text that doesn't require a microscope.

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