Photoshop CS4 Beginner Tutorials

Hi,
I am very frustrated because I cannot seem to find a very "beginner" type Photoshop tutorial. I am still not understanding how to work in layers (don't laugh, c'mon!). I have a photo that I need to remove the background from and I cannot figure out how to do it--create the mask, etc. It appears to be only one layer, locked, and so I cannot separate anything.
Can anyone recommend a free, online beginner tutorial where I can learn how to do that? Thanks much!

To elaborate on ir8idiot’s post:
• Make a layer of the image (if it is the Background Layer double-click it)
• Add a Layer Mask (third icon from the left at the Layers Panel bottom)
• Use any paint or selection tool (brushes, magic wand, lasso, …) to signify the unwanted regions in the Mask by painting or filling selections with black (or white to make visible again) – note that the Mask and not the Layer is active, so the double contour should be on the Mask’s symbol
• Shift Clicking will disable the Mask, alt-clicking will make the Mask alone visible

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Problem with Photoshop CS4

I bought Web Creative Premium CS4 on Nov. 2007, with the hope and dreams that Photoshop CS4 could help me bring in a second income and help me with old family pictures. I wanted to install the product on another hard drive I had bought for my workstation computer. The hard drive is a western digital 150 gigabyte hard drive and I made a 40 gigabyte partition of free space for Photoshop CS4 to play on. At the time there were no advanced tutorials on advance installation of the product on another partition on the internet. CS4 was new on the market. I sent an email in to the forum and explained my disposition. I wrote an essay form question. Something to this affect. I would like to be able to install Adobe Photoshop CS4 to another partition, where CS4 can build out the configuration folder, the brush folder, the template folder, etc.. on another hard drive other than C:\ and the registry configuration can build out the proper configuration commands in the registry to point CS4 to those location on startup. After that long question I got a one sentence answer. “ Yes you can install Adobe Photoshop CS4 custom to any hard drive”. I assumed from the answer I was not dealing with an intelligent community, so I decide to just suffer the best I could. With over several updates and several re-installs of the product I have concluded that Photoshop CS4 is not user friendly. I go through a daily step of procedures, which gives me an outcome of a final product. Though Photoshop CS4 does not work in a perfect world, even though you pay your life’s dreams into it. I have to change my procedure steps every time after a new update is installed. Since I cannot get any help with this problem, or an advanced computer technician with a B.A. in Computer Science to help me. I see no other recourse in keeping this product, and would like to know how I can get a full re-fund. I have only made one digital print with Photoshop CS4. That took me one year to get the general ideas without any tutorials. I happened on some basic trail and errors to get an awesome outcome with layering and lighting effects. Just some general FYI on something’s I have noticed over the years, which changed. At one time I was able to create a new layer and the background would fill in automatically white. Now I have to do it manually and sometimes when I use the magic wand to copy an object to paste it to another layer, when I go to that layer and click on the object to move it. I move the whole layer. You have to laugh, because if you don’t you would probably want to run your fist through your 22’ wide LCD screen. Thanks for listening.

Best practice is to install PS CS4 on C drive. PS Expects certain files and folders to be on C drive. Since this is a user to user forum and we (I) don't work for Adobe you will have to call Customer service for a refund.

Adobe Photoshop cs4-What Does Canvas Size Really Mean?

What are we actually looking at when we place a picture on a canvas?
For example, if I have a canvas of a width of 800 and a height of 1500 it appears on the screen to my eyes to be about 3 inches by 7 inches.
Then let's say I add the headline: Risk takers of all kinds think the same.
This headline will possibly take three rows to complete itself.
But then I can make the same canvas fit the screen.
Now the entire headline will fit on one row.
What confuses me is which image of the canvas is a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" in terms of how it will actually look on my webpage?
In other words I guess my real question is how do I start with a canvas size that actually reflects my webpage or a defineable portion of it.
Thank You,
Jerry

You'll have to forgive me but at times I'm not really sure what I'm talking about or doing.
But an image or other content is built on layer canvas' I think?
It gets all confusing because you may or may not fill a canvas with an image?
Assuming you do fill a canvas with an image then I think the pixel dimensions and resolution will be directly tied to the canvas size?
But I don't think any of that is my real point.
I'll try to speak to my confusion using words other than those I first used.
For example let's say you are making a squeeze page for your website.
So you start with a headline that reads as follows: INTERNET MARKETER STICKS TO HIS GUM!
Let's say those words are in large print.
On my computer and I am using a small screen, if I create a canvas of a width =800 and height=1500 it occupies a space of
of about 3" by 7".
Now (and this part is now becoming like what I wrote above) those six words in large letters will occupy three to four rows on my computer.
So in my mind I am thinking that when I eventually publish that page that the headline should occupy four lines. Make sense?
But if I click the "fit to screen" Photoshop button, the canvas becomes larger on my screen and the entire headline will now fit on a "single" line.
So now in my mind I am thinking that when I eventually publish that page that the headline should occupy one line. See my problem?
I guess my point is am I looking at WYSIWYG in the first, second or neither case?
In other words what is the meaning of what I see when I look at a canvas?
Thank you for your help.
Here's one more attempt.
Let's say you spend 12 hours designing a canvas in Photoshop that you thought would properly fill your webpage, and then you discover to your dismay that instead of your headline fitting properly only 37% of it does. This would make you very unhappy and perhaps others.
So what I'm trying to understand as a beginner is how does what I see on a canvas in Photoshop cs4 relate to a webpage.

Photoshop CS4 CRASH on using Flash Panel from SDK examples

Hi!
I'm trying to create a panel using Flex, flash and javascript. But I cannot finish tutorials - they all CRASH photoshop with almost the same code in init() function when using CSXSInterface.** functions.
When I comment those ones, it's all ok (the script loses functionality, but panels don't crash).
For example this code
CSXSInterface.instance.evalScript("PhotoshopRegisterEvent", charToInteger("setd").toString());
crashes my Photoshop CS4.
What's wrong? AIR logger doesn' say anything.
Thank you!
Anastasiy Safari

I have exactly the same problem. Can anybody put some light on this issue?
Regards
Bartek

How do I properly use the HDR function in Photoshop CS4?

It appears that I must be doing something wrong when attempting to use the HDR capability in Photoshop CS4. I follow the tutorials. I go to File>Automate>Merge to HDR. Then I select the bracketed photos to merge. I have used RAW file combinations of "normal" with +1 and -1 exposures, and "normal" with +2 and -2 exposures. Inevitably the result comes out looking like the most overexposed shot...or even more washed out. Since CS4 normally works for me as intended, I feel that I must be doing something wrong with the HDR function. Can anyone offer any helpful suggestions? Thanks!

Don't feel bad. While I haven't seen just what you're describing, the Merge to HDR function seems, in my opinion, kind of a bust. I can't say I've seen any "magic" at all in the way it combines the exposures.
I've tried to use it several times and I just don't see results that make me feel it's worth using. I have in every case been able to make better images out of a single well-exposed raw file than with the Merge to HDR function and several bracketed exposures (even with CS5's Merge to HDR Pro).
If people offer suggestions here, I'll be trying them too.
-Noel

Photoshop cs4 makes huge files - but with Aperture Whats the biggest file ?

When editing w/Photoshop cs4 by adding layers and masks etc, This makes HUGE files - but with using Aperture alone, what's the biggest file size when editing a RAW file?? (??? _Kb ??? __ mgB ????)
I think I heard -12kb. True ?_________ From what little I understand. Aperture changes the pixels once you have finished the editing. Or to put it another away, Aperture replaces the old or original pixels with the edited final pixels you prefer. IE -lighter darker. and with that said. is this still a RAW IMAGE?

Hello, and welcome to the Discussions.
It would seem that none of what you report hearing is accurate. A RAW file downloaded into Aperture, remains as the Master for this image, and is never changed -- that is why Aperture is said to utilize non-destructive editing. When editing in Aperture, only a small file of edit detail is saved, and no actual new version needs to be created until you Export for some purpose.
When you send an image file from Aperture to Photoshop to be edited, it typically will be a version created as a TIFF file, although there are 4 choices in the Preferences -- TIFF, TIFF 16-bit, PSD, and PSD 16-bit. When finished editing, the image is Saved in PS, that file is available to Aperture, and the version created for sending to PS will change to reflect those changes made in PS.
Aperture cannot send an edited RAW file to PS in this fashion, but you can Export the RAW Master, to later be opened in Photoshop.
You should watch all the available online tutorials about Aperture, and possibly buy a book as well.
Aperture may have trouble with super-sized images, but I have not had trouble with those in the range of 100 MB or less. Larger ones than that would likely be from scans and not from editing an image shot with your camera in Photoshop.
Ernie

Custom poster with photoshop cs4 help

so i whant to make a custom poster 36x48 inches and i heard the best way is to use photoshop so i bought photoshop cs4 today. so anyways i whant to make a custom poster with a bunch of other pictures on the poster and i heard this is called a life poster. i have about 120-130 pictures so can anybody help me do this like give me instructions or anything and i tryd to do it with photoshop cs2 but ther was white space between the pictures and i dont whant that, i whant all of the pictures to snap together.Also not every picture is the same resolution but they do have over 100 kb each. so if anybody can help me that would be awsome.

You just bought a brand new fighter jet (when you apparently already had a perfectly good one sitting in the hangar behind your house), you're sitting in the cockpit, and you're radioing the tower asking how to start it up and fly a sortie?
Oh, boy...that's a lot to answer. Have you taken the time to explore all the menus, try all the tools, read through the PDF manual and/or Help files? What you want (notice: no "h" in there ;) :)) to do isn't that hard, really, but you have to get a grip on the basics. There are literally thousands of places online that have ready-made tutorials that will walk you through those basic techniques, step-by-step.
All you have to do is hit the Google. Try this format for seaching:
photoshop tutorial poster|collage|composite

Learning Photoshop CS4

I've just emptied my bank account and bought CS4 (omg!) and I'm a completely new user to Photoshop (apart from using the trial versions) so I wondered if anyone had any advice on a book to buy to help me learn Photoshop?
I know there's tons of tutorials on the web but I really prefer a hard copy on my desk to refer to.
What books have you read on PS that you would recommend?
Thanks
TM

emptied mine on the same, PLUS, printer, labtop, 2K of other software, 200$ worth (well, we'll see what they are 'worth) of books, Intuos 4 tablet, Corell Paint, Nik Software Collection, Lightroom 2, Photoshop Elements 7 and Adobe Premiere Elements 7.
AFTER ALL THIS..... I STILL CANT GET CAMERA RAW TO WORK. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME? (please?)
HOWEVER...
I know NOTHING - BUT - after extensive research on my : this is what I purchased ... (my own opinion is simply that, plus other AMAZON users will show) go to PEACHPIT and OREILLY and AMAZON for your books and see who has a better deal, sometimes, one will be like getting 2 books free by saving $$ OR if you need something special - go to Oreilly or PeachPit . they are a bit more expensive, but offer buy 2 get 3rd free type books. And have pretty cool resources on books too and PeachPit is a decent website to checkout.
I bought all of these at AMAZON: I did the research and it came out about 70$ cheaper (with all of these books)
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS4 ONE ON ONE W/ 4 HOURS OF LYNDA.COM VIDEO HOSTED BY DEKE MCCLELLAND BY DEKEPRESS (OREILLY BOOKS)
REAL WORLD CAMERA RAW WITH ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS4 BRUCE FRASER AND JEFF SCHEWE
THE ADOBE PHOTOSHOP LIGHTROOM 2 BOOK - THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
CLASSROOM IN A BOOK CS4 - BY ADOBE
CS4 THE MISSING MANUAL *LOANED TO A FRIEND, FORGOT AUTHORS
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS4 FOR PHOTOTGRAPHERS A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE EDITORS GUIDE TO THE CREATIVE USE OF PHOTOSHOP FOR THE MAC AND PC (DVD INCLUDED) MARTIN EVENING
Lynda.com is supposed to be awesome too.
Okay, I shared, can someone help me get THE PLUG IN FOR CAMERA RAW - PLUGGED IN??? PLEASE HELP!
CS4 - VISTA - Have plugin , (will travel) just kidding, JUST NEED HELP getting it extracted into CS4 Creative Suite
Thanks!
[email protected]
Kimmy

Photoshop CS4 x64 Missing Variations Plugin ?

I went crazy for a bit today trying to figure out why Variations was missing off the adjustments menu. It turns out the plug-in wasn't listed (Photoshop CS4 x64). BUT, it is there in the x32 version (I'm using the Master Suite).
So, how can I get that plugin for the x64 version?
What would I loose if I gave up and just used the 32-bit version of Photoshop CS4? I'm running an i7 system with 12GB of DDR3 right now. I have no idea how much difference it actually makes to use 64-bit Photoshop. I can't imagine much - it's not like it's a video editor or I've seen it do anything that requires much time to process.
BTW - it there a way in Photshop to make sure all the default (included) plug-ins are there. All I see is a massive list from either version with no way to load or un-load them.
Thanks for any help.

Dreven7 wrote: What would I loose if I gave up and just used the 32-bit version of Photoshop CS4?
BTW - it there a way in Photshop to make sure all the default (included) plug-ins are there. All I see is a massive list from either version with no way to load or un-load them.
Variations is an old plug-in for people who couldn't understand how to deal with a colour cast and contrast properly.
No serious user ever touches it.
However, to answer your question, you probably won't notice any difference in using the 32-bit version so, if "Variations" is important to you, go ahead and use it.
I would advise you to look at some of the tutorials on colour cast though.
Plug-ins can be removed from the plug-ins folder or de-activated with a tilde in front of the name, but I wouldn't mess with that or you will completely hose Photoshop!

Photoshop CS4 Extended Trial - Available yet?

Hi all,
Not sure if i am behind the times? But is Photoshop CS4 Extended trial available from adobe yet? If not, do we know when it will be made available?
TIA

I'll tell you EXACTLY why, billhughlett.
Because in the time it takes to type out and submit a simple question like that, post it, then wait for an answer, the questioner could easily spend 30 seconds finding it themselves. Even a poor Googler or surfer could rustle up the answer to this particular question in about 2 minutes.
It's not that many of us wouldn't deign to answer, it's just that our free, voluntary time is better spent in dialogue about issues that aren't so easily found. The esoteric, the arcane, the anomalous, the exceedingly difficult...that's kind of where this forum earns its keep.
You want nicey-nice, spoon-fed answers to "Where's the Paint Bucket?" and questions on that level? Perhaps any of the hundreds or thousand independently-run beginner Photoshop-focused sites/forums is where you wanna be. It's not that we won't answer simple questions, but I think most of us don't like to feel we're being taken advantage of.
Maybe the "attitude" is just a harsh little lesson in being a little more self-sufficient.
The mid-November date may not have slapped you in the face, but it's there, and it's relatively easy to find.

Cant find Adobe TV videos on 3D in Photoshop CS4

Im trying to find all the videos I can about Photoshop's 3D capabilities.
I have attempted to search Adobe TV's videos on the Adobe TV site.
All attempts fail miserably.
The search function on Adobe TV is useless. Simply doesnt work.
Adobe TV seems to be working much worse than it was a few months ago. What happened?
(Broken links, slow access, fail to launch period...)
How do I actually get at the videos that I know are out there?
What other sources can I pursue to learn as much as I can about the 3D functionality of Photoshop CS4?

Hi,
You can start with Russell Brown's tut's.
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html (scroll down to 'Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended Edition Tutorials')

L have to have Quicktime loaded to import video to Photoshop CS4 but it doesn't work. Does anyone know why??

Hello there
Can anyone tell me how to import video into Photoshop CS4 as l was told to download Quicktime 7.1 or later but this hasn
not worked. l have read that it is probably that l have not got the right codex but which one is it......If you have an idea or could point me in the right direction this would be really helpful...
many thanks
seannybro

Many Thanks for the reply, Maybe l didn't word it correctly as l've been searching for days now for a solution,sorry, but l have just found out while watching tutorials on a education program that you can actual edit each frame in a video in Photoshop by importing the video into it. In these tutorials they said you have to download Quicktime 7.1 or later in order for this to work and then you can go through every frame of your video and change it, draw on it, do mainly anything you what, basically what you can do on a photo you can do with a video. It works with one of my AVI,files but not on any of my others or on any of my MOV. files. l just get a white screen the video is there in the AVI but l can't get MOV. to import. In AVI format it shows no pictures but it is there in the time/animation dilation and l was wondering does anyone know if l need to upload a new codec for it to work or have to switch or activate something for it to work on quicktime......but l have found others with the same problem but there all say upload a new codec but which??
any help would be really appreciated
Seannybro
(If your wondering how too try changing your workspace from ESSENTIALS to VIDEO the icon is in the right hand corner near the close down button in Photoshop and double click on the grey interface (a photo uploads) to get to upload your videos from files then you should be able to upload from there....Import in the file menu doesn't work...hope this helps you. If it works for you then l must be going wrong somewhere....enjoy:)

Learning Photoshop with video tutorials

Hello All,
I really apreciate all the help I've received from everyone on these discussions. I want to share something that has helped me learn photoshop. Some of you may know I use designprovideo and macprovideo tutorials? macprovideo have a 50% offer on their downloadable tutorials until tomorrow.
Here is the code if anyone is interested.
http://www.macprovideo.com/cart/code/09Lemonade50
I recommend the Photoshop CS4 101 for beginners to CS4 and I bought the Drawing Objects 402 and Compositing workflows 403 tutorials thanks to the discount. Am really enjoying and learning lots from the 402 so far!
I hope it is ok to post this here.
Sammy-Anne

Sammy-Anne
Have you joined the subscription sevice? It's a very good deal. Did you get this email from macProVideo / designprovideo with the offer of 50% on HD downloads and 25% off subscription service? It's until Monday 12am PDT!
This is 50% off downloads:
http://www.macprovideo.com/cart/code/09MPVLaunch50
This is 25% off subscription
https://www.macprovideo.com/subscribe/?st=beta
Really good deal as the video library there is growing all the time.

Changing bit depth/greyscale palette in Photoshop CS4

Hi,
I have Photoshop CS4 and I am trying to reduce a 256 greyscale palette to a 16 greyscale palette for a greyscale gif image.It is set at Indexed Color.
How do I do this?
I have tried to search for this information online, but I have had no success.
Thank you!

Hi,
Could you give me a step by step how to do that?
Do I go to Image -> Mode?
I cannot find the palette in Photoshop to change from 256 to 16.
I am a beginner in Photoshop, thank you!

Error in VBA reference for Adobe Photoshop CS4 Object Library

Hello,
I'm using Windows 7 Pro, MS Office 2010 Pro and Creative Suite CS4 (with all updates).
I will automate Photoshop via Visual Basic for Applications in MS Access.
Befor using there the Adobe Photoshop CS4 Object Library I must reference it in VBA.
But when I will du this, I get the message "Error loading DLL".
When I will manually reference to the WIASupport.8LI File, I get the error: "Cannot reference this file"
Can you give a tip, how I can solve this problem?
Regards

I have the same problem! I have photoshop cc2014 (which we own) and the object library shows, but not for cs 5.1 (30 day trial).
Does registering unlock something?
Help please!!

Photoshop CS4 Beginner Tutorials

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