Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual | 
| Author: Barbara Brundage
Publisher: Pogue Press
List Price: $39.99
Buy Used: $7.26
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Rating:  89 reviews
Sales Rank: 41825
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Pages: 574
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7 x 1.6
ISBN: 0596527284
Dewey Decimal Number: 006.686
EAN: 9780596527280
ASIN: 0596527284
Publication Date: September 21, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Excellent condition, no highlighting or markings, cover design may vary
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Product Description
Anyone still think that Adobe Photoshop Elements is a toy version of the real thing? As the most popular photo-editing program on the market, Photoshop Elements not only has Photoshop's marvelous powers, but also has capabilities the mothership lacks. Each new version includes more tools designed specifically for today's consumer digital photo enthusiasts. The latest edition, Photoshop Elements 5, solidifies the reputation of this superb and inexpensive product with new scrapbook features, a link to online photo services, and many other improvements. In fact, there's so much to Photoshop Elements that it can be quite confusing at times. That's precisely why our Missing Manuals are the bestselling books on the topic. Adobe provides a pamphlet and some help files; our book, now in its fifth edition, carefully explains every feature the program has to offer (something no other book has done) by putting each one into a clear, easy-to-understand context. Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual covers the Windows version of Adobe's workhorse and gives you the low down on a host of new features: - Learn to create multiple page documents, custom photo layouts with frames, and highly customized layouts for scrapbook projects
- Master the new editor for Layer Styles, which lets you customize individual layers in a photo
- "Attach" your photos to areas of a Yahoo! Map so your friends and family can see the pictures you took in specific places
Author Barbara Brundage also introduces you to a new sophisticated tool called "Curves" to adjust the color and contrast in your photos, and shows you how to burn multi-session CDs and DVDs. As always, she lets you know which features work well, which don't, and why -- all with a bit of wit and good humor. Although the book progresses from simple to complex tasks, you can easily jump around to learn specific techniques, such as creating photomontages (composites), restoring old photos, preparing images for the Web, and archiving. More than a dozen downloadable images let you practice using the editing tools right away!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 84 more reviews...
 VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! October 18, 2006
John R. Vacca (Pomeroy, Ohio)
159 out of 166 found this review helpful
Do you need to edit and organize your photos? If you do, then this book is for you. Author Barbara Brundage, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that is intended to make learning Elements easier by avoiding technical jargon as much as possible, and explaining why and when you'll want to use certain features in the program.
Brundage, begins by showing you how to navigate Elements' slightly confusing layout and mishmash of programs within programs. Then, the author covers how to get photos into Elements, the basics of organizing them, and how to open files and create new images from scratch; as well as, how to save and back up your images. Next, She explains how to rotate and crop your photos, and includes a primer on that most important digital imaging concept--resolution. The author then shows you how to use the Quick Fix window to dramatically improve your photos. She continues by covering two key concepts that you'll use throughout the book. Then, the author shows you how to make basic corrections, such as exposure, color adjustments, sharpening , and removing dust and scratches. Next, she covers topics unique to people who use digital cameras, like RAW conversion and batch processing your photos. The author then moves on to some more sophisticated fixes, like changing the light, using the clone stamp to make repairs, making your photos more lively with hue/saturation and changing the colors in an image. She continues by covering how to convert your photos to black and white, and tinting and recoloring black and white photos. Then, she shows you how to use the Elements' Photomerge feature to create multiphoto panoramas and to make perspective corrections to your images. Next, the author covers how to paint your photos and draw shapes, use filters and effects to create a more artistic look and add type to your images. Then she shows you how to get the most out of your printer, how to create images for the Web and email, how to make slideshows and Web Galleries with your photos, and all the fun projects you can create with Elements 5. Finally, she looks at information about using a .graphics tablet in Elements and some resources for after you've finished this book.
You'll also find tutorials throughout this most excellent book that refer to files you can download from the missing manual web site, so you can practice the techniques you're reading about. More importantly, this book assumes you know how to perform basic activities on your computer, like clicking and double-clicking your mouse and dragging objects onscreen.
One of the best Elements feature walkthroughs December 9, 2005
Jack D. Herrington (Silicon Valley, CA)
152 out of 159 found this review helpful
There are two things you want in a Photoshop book, a walkthrough of the features, and insight into how to use those features to solve real photo problems. This book does a great job covering the features of the product. The explanations of often difficult Photoshop topics are easy to follow. And the example images are great. The practical advice is good, but it's not the primary focus of the book.
I certainly appreciate the brevity of the book. And I really like the full color and the production value. Definitely worth the money.
Exceptional Photoshop Elements 4 Guide February 3, 2006
Daniel McKinnon (Tewksbury, MA USA)
108 out of 112 found this review helpful
Another outstanding book in the "Missing Manual" line. Barbara Brundage makes Photoshop Elements 4 not only easy to use, but also a whole lot of fun!! Adobe has many applications that are downright intimidating to many users out there, and it's very refreshing that "Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual" was created. From covering the basics of how to get around the Elements application, the author starts of with the basics of getting your images onto your computer, and the most simple of effects like rotation and cropping. From there, she discusses the all-important topic of layers and basic image retouching so you can take your digital images and make them go from good to GREAT!!! Continuing on with a look at filters and how to get your images printed so they look beautiful and/or posting them to the web or emailing them, this guide is perfect for all new Photoshop Elements users who want to get their feet web on the way to becoming an Elements super user.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. While it's a little bit more expensive than other books in the "Missing Manual" line, the price should NOT be a factor in your decision making. If you are looking for a book that will assist in your knowledge of learning how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 you have come to the right place. If you want to learn more about what is included in the newest release of this outstanding application, look no further. If just want to read an entertaining book and expand your knowledge of how to work with digital imagery so you can make your images look better than ever, again you will NOT be disappointed.
This is the way all books should be written: clearly, simply, and enjoyable.
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Book shows you don't need a Hummer to drive to work July 3, 2006
calvinnme (Fredericksburg, Va)
64 out of 65 found this review helpful
Adobe's Photoshop is the granddaddy of all image-editing programs. But Photoshop has some big drawbacks--it's very hard to master, it's horribly expensive, and many of the features in it are just plain overkill if you don't plan to work on pictures for a living. For several years, Adobe tried to find a way to cram many of Photoshop's marvelous powers into a package that normal people could use. Photoshop Elements offers much of the power of Photoshop in a program that almost anyone can learn to use. I'm a big fan of the Missing Manual series, and this book retains the excellence I've come to expect in the series. Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I discuss this book in the context of the table of contents:
Chapter 1 - "Finding Your Way Around Elements", helps get you oriented in Elements starting with the Welcome Screen. You'll learn about what to expect when you start up the program and how to use Elements to fix your photos with just a couple of keystrokes.
Chapter 2 - "Importing and Managing Your Photos" shows you how to import your photos from cameras, digital card readers, and scanners. You'll also find out how to import individual frames from videos, how to open files that are already on your computer, and how to create a new file from scratch. After that, you'll learn how to use the Organizer to sort and find your pictures once they're in Elements.
Chapter 3 - "Rotating, Resizing, and Saving" looks at how to trim off unwanted areas, straighten out crooked photos, and save your files. You'll also learn how to change the overall size of your images and how to zoom in and out, to get a better look at things while you're editing.
Chapter 4 - "The Quick Fix" shows how to use "The Quick Fix Window", which gathers together easy-to-use tools that can help you adjust the brightness and color of your photos and make them look sharper.
Chapter 5 - "Making Selections" shows you how to select part of your image and make changes only to that area. You can select your entire image or any part of it.
Chapter 6 - "Layers: The Heart of Elements" shows how to keep your changes and still revert to the original image by using layers, which is a system of transparent sheets that keep each element of your image on a separately editable sliver. By putting each change you make on its own layer, you can constantly rearrange the composition of your image, or add and subtract changes whenever you want.
Chapter 7 - "Basic Image Retouching" guides you through fixing basic exposure problems, new ways of sharpening your photos, and most important, understanding how Elements can improve the colors in your photos.
Chapter 8 - "Elements for Digital Photographers" shows you how to use a collection of advanced tools pulled straight from Photoshop. You learn how to use the RAW Converter, Photo Filter, and Batch File Processor.
Chapter 9 - "Retouching 102: Fine-Tuning Your Images" introduces you to some advanced editing maneuvers that will greatly help you either rescue damaged photos or give good ones some added style. Techniques include eliminating dust, scratches, stains, and other photographic imperfections.
Chapter 10 - "Creating Panoramas and Transforming Images" shows how to use the Photomerge command, which allows you to stitch together a group of photos that you've taken while panning across the horizon.
Chapter 11 - "Drawing with Brushes, Shapes, and Other Tools" shows how you can paint with lots of things besides color - such as lights or shadows, for example. In Elements, when you want to apply an effect in a precise manner, you're often going to use some sort of brush to do it.
Chapter 12 - "Filters, Effects, Layer Styles, and Gradients" discusses special tools that will have people thinking you're a better artist than you actually are. These are largely tools for turning a photo into an artistic work - say, a watercolor for example.
Chapter 13 - "Type in Elements" is about adding text to your photos. You will learn how to create all kinds of fancy text to use on greeting cards, newsletter headlines, or graphics for Web pages.
Chapter 14 - "Printing Your Photos" covers printing your photos at home on an inkjet printer, taking them to a printing kiosk at a local store, or using an online printing service. You'll learn how to interface to Kodak's EasyShare Gallery, Adobe's online printing partner.
Chapter 15 - "Elements and the Web" shows you how to share your photos online, send your photos to cellphones, and transmit them to Palm-based handhelds.
Chapter 16 - "HTML Photo Galleries and Slideshows" discusses creating HTML Photo Galleries, collections of ready-made Web pages featuring all the photos you want to display. You'll also learn how Elements helps you put together digital slideshows, complete with fancy between-photo transitions and audio.
Chapter 17 - "Beyond the Basics" discusses adding new brush shapes, Layer styles, and fancy filters. Also discussed are free add-on features already available on the web. This chapter also discusses how to know when you really do need the full version of Photoshop instead. You'll also learn about the many resources available for expanding your knowledge of Elements beyond this book.
As you can see, Photoshop Elements 4 is a very complete image processing package, and this book is a very accessible guide to discovering all of its aspects. I make daily use of this manual and recommend it highly.
Will get you started with Elements in no time December 29, 2005
Geetesh Bajaj (Secunderabad, India)
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
This book doesn't cover everything you can do with Adobe Photoshop Elements - and yet it covers so much - it's also easy to read. It's good that the book is in full color - it is even better that the color has been put to good use and everything is so well explained with reference to the visuals. You'll also find tons of text boxes all over the book that explain workarounds, new features, and tricks - the first thing I read was these text boxes. The book is logically laid out and most of the content is explained in a task-specific manner so you can follow the steps while keeping the book next to the computer.
For me, who has been using the full Photoshop product, this book has been tempting enough to make me buy a copy of Elements 4 so that I can share my digital images with friends and family. About the sharing images part, this book explains that too! The book also provides many links to sites online, and other books. I have no qualms recommending this book.
Geetesh Bajaj/Indezine.com
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