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Adobe Photoshop 7.0: Classroom in a Book
When it comes to digital imaging software, Adobe Photoshop has long set the standard. Thus, when a new version of the popular program appears, designers tend to stand up and take notice--hen get down to the serious business of learning about it! And for that, there's no better place to turn than the book from the people behind the product: Adobe Press' Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book. Using the same style of self-paced instruction employed in the best-selling previous edition, this comprehensive set of Photoshop lessons provides everything you need to dive into the world of print, Web, and graphic design with Photoshop 7. Completely revised to cover all of Photoshop 7's new features (including the new Healing Brush, color correction commands, and file management tools), the book starts with an introductory tour of the software and then progresses on through 16 lessons, covering everything from Photoshop's interface to more complex topics like color management, Web graphics, and photo retouching. You'll find step-by-step instructions for a variety of projects (from beginning to advanced) and review questions at the end of each chapter to reinforce what you've learned. Easy-to-use project files on the accompanying CD-ROM complete the package.
500 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2002
8 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Adobe Creative Team
338 books20 followersThe Adobe Creative Team is made up of designers, writers, and editors who have extensive, real-world knowledge of and expertise in using Adobe products. They work closely with the Adobe product development teams and Adobe's Instructional Communications team to come up with creative, challenging, and visually appealing projects to help both new and more experienced users get up to speed quickly on Adobe software products.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 14, 2013
Good introductory text, but not the best reference tool!
While I had tinkered around with Photoshop a bit in the past, I had to buckle down and get serious about it for work a few years ago. Before picking up "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book," I could perform basic photo manipulations and touch-ups, but not much more.
I was able to work through "Photoshop 7.0 CIB" in about a week. The book's divided into 18 lessons, all roughly the same length, so it was easy to map out a plan and stick to it. The instructions are straightforward, clearly written, understandable, and informative. The beginning chapters (Getting to Know the Work Area and Using the File Browser) are perhaps a bit basic, but might be necessary for those completely unfamiliar with the program. The remaining 12 lessons cover the essentials, including basic photo corrections; working with selections; layer basics; masks and channels; retouching and repairing; painting and editing; basic pen tool techniques; vector masks, paths, and shapes; advanced layer techniques; creating special effects; preparing images for two-color printing; optimizing web images and image maps; adding interactive slices and rollovers; creating animated images; setting up your monitor for color management; and producing and printing consistent color. I did find two major mistakes that make completing the lessons impossible, but the good news is that they're only moderately difficult to spot.
After completing this guide, my understanding of Photoshop increased exponentially. It helped to familiarize me with tools which I had never used before (some of which I'll probably never use again!), and increased my confidence in regards to tools I already knew how to use. It's an excellent introductory guide to Photoshop 7.0 (indeed, it was the first Photoshop manual I purchased and actually completed!).
However, I've since upgraded to Photoshop 8.0 CS, and have read a number of 8.0 manuals. As I've graduated to more advanced graphics manipulation, I also find myself constantly referring to Photoshop books when I try a technique that I've learned but haven't yet mastered. I can honestly say that "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" is always the last book I pick up - it's a last resort, and is almost never of any use. While it does help you learn the Photoshop basics, it isn't very helpful as a reference tool. Rather than teaching you the finer points of using a specific tool (including its many options, and when it's best to choose one tool over another), the "Classroom in a Book" just demonstrates the mechanics. Thus, it's virtually useless as a reference tool - it can introduce you to Photoshop's capabilities, but can't help you apply them beyond the basic lessons in the text.
Although newbies will find this book helpful, there are better ones out there which can both introduce you to the program AND act as long-term reference tools. I can guarantee that you'll read through "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" once, maybe even twice, but after that it will just gather dust on your bookshelf. You're better off spending your cash on a book that you'll keep out on your desk, close at hand, until your next Photoshop upgrade. For an indispensable all-purpose guide to Photoshop, I highly recommend "Photoshop 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh" (or CS, if you have the newest version) by Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas. It may be light on fancy illustrations and glossy pictures - but that's why it's one of the more affordable manuals on the market!
http://www.easyvegan.info/2005/05/10/...
While I had tinkered around with Photoshop a bit in the past, I had to buckle down and get serious about it for work a few years ago. Before picking up "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book," I could perform basic photo manipulations and touch-ups, but not much more.
I was able to work through "Photoshop 7.0 CIB" in about a week. The book's divided into 18 lessons, all roughly the same length, so it was easy to map out a plan and stick to it. The instructions are straightforward, clearly written, understandable, and informative. The beginning chapters (Getting to Know the Work Area and Using the File Browser) are perhaps a bit basic, but might be necessary for those completely unfamiliar with the program. The remaining 12 lessons cover the essentials, including basic photo corrections; working with selections; layer basics; masks and channels; retouching and repairing; painting and editing; basic pen tool techniques; vector masks, paths, and shapes; advanced layer techniques; creating special effects; preparing images for two-color printing; optimizing web images and image maps; adding interactive slices and rollovers; creating animated images; setting up your monitor for color management; and producing and printing consistent color. I did find two major mistakes that make completing the lessons impossible, but the good news is that they're only moderately difficult to spot.
After completing this guide, my understanding of Photoshop increased exponentially. It helped to familiarize me with tools which I had never used before (some of which I'll probably never use again!), and increased my confidence in regards to tools I already knew how to use. It's an excellent introductory guide to Photoshop 7.0 (indeed, it was the first Photoshop manual I purchased and actually completed!).
However, I've since upgraded to Photoshop 8.0 CS, and have read a number of 8.0 manuals. As I've graduated to more advanced graphics manipulation, I also find myself constantly referring to Photoshop books when I try a technique that I've learned but haven't yet mastered. I can honestly say that "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" is always the last book I pick up - it's a last resort, and is almost never of any use. While it does help you learn the Photoshop basics, it isn't very helpful as a reference tool. Rather than teaching you the finer points of using a specific tool (including its many options, and when it's best to choose one tool over another), the "Classroom in a Book" just demonstrates the mechanics. Thus, it's virtually useless as a reference tool - it can introduce you to Photoshop's capabilities, but can't help you apply them beyond the basic lessons in the text.
Although newbies will find this book helpful, there are better ones out there which can both introduce you to the program AND act as long-term reference tools. I can guarantee that you'll read through "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" once, maybe even twice, but after that it will just gather dust on your bookshelf. You're better off spending your cash on a book that you'll keep out on your desk, close at hand, until your next Photoshop upgrade. For an indispensable all-purpose guide to Photoshop, I highly recommend "Photoshop 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh" (or CS, if you have the newest version) by Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas. It may be light on fancy illustrations and glossy pictures - but that's why it's one of the more affordable manuals on the market!
http://www.easyvegan.info/2005/05/10/...
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November 6, 2014very good job.... get lot of useful information
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March 22, 2017 Through my college days I got introduced to Photoshop as all the computers on campus had some of the early Adobe Programs on it. At that time it was the hay days of Photoshop 5.5. I studied in a Program for working adults as International student and I did not have any classes or any exposure to those. But I really wanted to know them as I was interested in graphics as a add on for websites. One of my early projects that I could initiate was making an animation with Photoshop and a little add on Program. Which was popular in those days. But still after my initial experience where I had used Photoshop to make my little animation of a scooter I really needed something hands on to learn the bascic functions and to get above my beginner Klotz level.
The time came when I had a job where I was a so called customer service specialist supporting the German language support in a soft ware company. As I spend time sitting in front of a computer and the calls were a few it seemed natural to me to start learning something that I was craving for while using a computer.
Because I wanted the real deal I decided to go with the Adobe tutorial in a book series. Now it was Photoshop 7 as the computers on campus where not updated for some time. The book contained a CD so there are files included to practice as described in the book. Probably I went through the book for at least 5 times. Really I did everything for at least 5 times while working on a grave yard schedule. The lessons are very practical and hands on and good to follow and there are 17 chapters.
I actually purchased the book years and years later. About 4 years ago when I started to use a mac computer for the first time. I still had my old Photoshop 7 originally a windows version that I could install on my mac. Yes it worked on the mac. There are ways to do it on the mac side. Because I thought if I have a new version of Photoshop that I would have problems due to the numerous updates over the years that I did not follow. Photoshop 7 worked on my mac and actually I did not need the book as I have thought initially. But after practicing and using the old Photoshop 7 for quite a while it was easy now to switch to a more current mac version. I am telling you all of these because I am a fan of the Adobe products and this book was basically my start to get into computer graphics. Currently as we speak I am coloring my first comic book with Photoshop and I am looking back at my humble beginnings with nostalgia. When I started with classroom in a book. In case you come across the book and you want to try Photoshop I still would recommend it assuming the original CD comes with it.
The time came when I had a job where I was a so called customer service specialist supporting the German language support in a soft ware company. As I spend time sitting in front of a computer and the calls were a few it seemed natural to me to start learning something that I was craving for while using a computer.
Because I wanted the real deal I decided to go with the Adobe tutorial in a book series. Now it was Photoshop 7 as the computers on campus where not updated for some time. The book contained a CD so there are files included to practice as described in the book. Probably I went through the book for at least 5 times. Really I did everything for at least 5 times while working on a grave yard schedule. The lessons are very practical and hands on and good to follow and there are 17 chapters.
I actually purchased the book years and years later. About 4 years ago when I started to use a mac computer for the first time. I still had my old Photoshop 7 originally a windows version that I could install on my mac. Yes it worked on the mac. There are ways to do it on the mac side. Because I thought if I have a new version of Photoshop that I would have problems due to the numerous updates over the years that I did not follow. Photoshop 7 worked on my mac and actually I did not need the book as I have thought initially. But after practicing and using the old Photoshop 7 for quite a while it was easy now to switch to a more current mac version. I am telling you all of these because I am a fan of the Adobe products and this book was basically my start to get into computer graphics. Currently as we speak I am coloring my first comic book with Photoshop and I am looking back at my humble beginnings with nostalgia. When I started with classroom in a book. In case you come across the book and you want to try Photoshop I still would recommend it assuming the original CD comes with it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews