The Official GotWoot Photoshop Tutorial Thread

[Board of Command]

I don't take credit for this. I read this somewhere a long time ago but don't have the link, so I'm just recreating it.



Btw it works a lot better on anime pictures than actual photos because there's are a lot less textures. Another note for anime sharpening: it sometimes helps to duplicate the high passed layer once or twice to give it some additional sharpening. Here's a quick example:

[Phoenix20578]

Heres a good tut for brushes, what you should be looking for in them. Also, not mine, I found it on another site:

[el_boss]

Originally posted by: kenren
people!

i would like know if there is a huge difference between photoshop elements 2.0 and photoshop CS2?

I think elements is like the "freeware" version of photoshop. Don't know the exact differences, but there's bound to be alot.

[Board of Command]

Elements = crap.

[dragonrage]

hi i am total total noob here(super noob). however i would like to learn how to use photo shop at the moment i have no one i know that could teach me. so i was wondering if you guys kew and good "photo shop for dummies" site, it is something that i would like to learn and also i won't have to bother anyone of you to make a sig for me and stuff besides it would increase my limited intelligence lol..... anyways i love that fact that you all are helping out eachout and sharing your knowledge.... i would just like to join it and maybe understand the words that in between and the and but. lol

thanks for your time

DrAgE

[kenren]

er...view the first page of this thread...kage provided a good video tutorial !

[Lucifus]

Excellent Tutorials to Phoniex and Foochewman =) Thanks.

[master_me]

There's an extremely basic tutorial for pop-out images. The outcome, unlike that crappy Mario example, is much better. The tut took me about half an hour to make.

[FrogKing]

I was trying to check out NM's enhancing tut and the link (or any of the other thread links for that matter) doesn't work because of the switch to our new forums. Can somebody relocate NM's tut and either PM me the link or update it in this thread? Thanks.
Btw, nice job on the various tut's above ^.

[Phoenix20578]

Well, that is gone now. I tried to recreate it to the best of my ability, since it is a really good tool:

[masamuneehs]

^^^ Thnx Phoenix
I never knew you weren't supposed to use 'Flatten Image'! I'm usually lazy and just do exactly that... Should I use 'merge all visible' instead? Also, what's the recommended save format for high quality (but not gigantic file size) pics?

[FrogKing]

^Thanks Phoenix for the 're' post.

[Board of Command]

A note about that enhancement technique: try adjusting the opacity of the two overlay layers because different pictures turn out differently due to different contrast. Sometimes pictures tend to get "over-enhanced" and lose details.

[Kraco]

Hmm... I usually merge layers with the copy merged edit option. Although before saving that single layer image I do choose the flatten image, as otherwise Photoshop wouldn't want to save the image as a jpeg.

Also, what's the recommended save format for high quality (but not gigantic file size) pics?

PNG is for lossless and jpeg with HQ setting for degenerate (lossy). You should note that there's a huge difference in the files sizes (and quality) when you save with different jpeg settings. For web publishing without the need for transparency it's quite dubious to use anything but jpeg. Of course for any use, which requires further editing jpeg is a wrong choice. jpeg is a terminal point for an image.

Well, if you are asking for other purposes than web publishing, then I don't know. There are some more exotic formats, like tiff with lzw compression. But png really is a standard nowadays.

[master_me]

I prefer .png for everything. The only reason I'll occaisonally do gif for transparency is because of the people out there who don't have proper .png plug-ins, otherwise known as "those who use internet explorer."

[NM]

Phoenix, great job redoing my tut! Looks alot better too, rather than just making the tut as a regular post.

Theres also another way to image enhance and I've been using it quite alot (much thanks to Kage for telling me about it). To image enhance another way, you don't need to duplicate layers. With the original image, give it a Gaussian Blur of some value. Then go to Edit --> Fade Gaussian Blur. And as Phoenix stated, experiment here with the different blend modes, see which one gives you something good. As stated by BoC, adjust the opacity if you want to and it makes it better. Then hit OK and you've got a better quality image. Before you ask if theres any difference in the quality between this method and the one Phoenix recreated, there is none. It all depends on how much of the Gaussian Blur you use in both and which type of blending modes are in effect. The end result is the same too, its just based on preference.

[Phoenix20578]

Phoenix, great job redoing my tut! Looks alot better too, rather than just making the tut as a regular post.

Hehe, only trying to match your greatness

I also use the Gaus. Blur ->Fade method, as it isn't as involved, but that was already posted by Kage.

[masamuneehs]

I have finally joined the Photoshop world

First was a 30-day trial of Corel Paint Shop X
Then GIMP

Now I've finally gone and got Photoshop CS2! Ah, Microsoft Paint seems so long ago...

As such I'll probably be fiddling around and trying to get used to Photoshop, as well as going to find new brushes.

edit: Sorry, this post doesn't quite belong here does it? Couldn't curb my enthusiasm I guess...

[Assertn]

flattening an image doesn't degrade it's quality. The ONLY downside to flattening an image is that you are no longer able to edit the file on a per-layer basis. Which, mind you, is a significant downside, however.

[Board of Command]

Hmm... I usually merge layers with the copy merged edit option. Although before saving that single layer image I do choose the flatten image, as otherwise Photoshop wouldn't want to save the image as a jpeg.

Like Assertn said, flattening will lose all your layers which is a tremendous downside. I remember in the old versions of Photoshop, like 5 or so, you can't save as JPEG unless you flatten. In CS2 I always leave the layers intact and it still lets me save as whatever format I want. IIRC, 7 and CS1 also lets you do this.