Setting File Handling Preferences H ow you handle your images after importing them into Photoshop is almost as important as creating the images themselves. In this set of preferences, you can specify how you want Photoshop to manage image previews, file extensions, and workgroup functionality. You can also set file compatibility and the number of files that should be displayed in the list of recent files on the File menu. 1. If you are a Macintosh user, go to the Photoshop menu and select Preferences ➪ File Handling (see Figure 1-1). If you are a Windows user, choose Edit ➪ Preferences and select File Handling. Figure 1-1: Accessing the File Handling dialog box on Mac OS 2. In the File Preferences dialog box, as seen in Figure 1-2, the first set of preferences under File Saving Options concerns image previews. Image previews are small snapshots of the overall image. These images are referred to as thumbnails and allow for easier manage- ment of your files. You can set the image preview preference to Always Save, Never Save, and Ask When Saving. 3. The Macintosh version of Photoshop CS also enables you to select Icon, Full Size, Macintosh, and Windows Thumbnails. Select the Icon checkbox and the program displays the thumbnail as its file icon on the desktop. If you check Full Size, then the program saves a 72 points per inch (ppi) version of the file for use in other software applications that support low-resolution Photoshop images for quicker workflow. If you select Macintosh Thumbnail, you get a pre- view of the image in an Open dialog box; likewise the Windows Thumbnail option saves a preview for Windows operating systems. 4. The set of preferences under File Saving Options controls whether the program appends file extensions when saving files. A file exten- sion consists of three (or four) letters preceded by a period at the end of a file name. While not needed for Macintosh operating systems, file extensions help Windows systems determine what kind of appli- cation is needed to open the file. notes • A file saved as TIFF can be larger than 30,000 by 30,000 pixels but is lim- ited to a 4GB file size. The Large Document Format has no file size limit. • The options for maximizing compatibility and adding image previews with the image file increase the overall file size compared to not leaving them on. Be sure to determine what features you need if file size becomes a concern. 2Part 1 Task 1 tip • While Macintosh systems don’t require a file exten- sion to handle files, in order to exchange files between Macintosh and Windows operating sys- tems you will need to append the file extension to the file name. 5. If you want Photoshop to ignore the EXIF sRGB tag when you import images from your digital camera, select the Ignore EXIF sRGB Tag checkbox under File Compatibility. The EXIF file provides information that comes from your digital camera and helps programs like Photoshop determine the color space for the digital photos. Figure 1-2: The File Handling preferences dialog box 6. To be reminded about saving a TIFF file with layers, check Ask Before Saving Layered TIFF Files under File Compability. In order to share TIFF files with clients or colleagues working on different platforms, who might not have Photoshop, you would want to make sure not to send a TIFF file with layers. 7. If you work with large digital images, you might want to select the Enable Large Document Format checkbox. The Photoshop file for- mat (.psd) is constrained to 30,000 by 30,000 pixels, wheres as the Large Document Format (with the extension .psb) supports images larger than 30,000 pixels. 8. To ensure greater backwards compatibility for your files with older versions of Photoshop, check Always Maxmize Compatibility for Photoshop (PSD) Files. 9. To turn on workgroup functionality, select Enable Version Cue Workgroup File Management. 10. The bottom part of the File Handling preferences dialog box enables you to specify how many files are listed in the file menu when you select File ➪ Open Recent. Photoshop Basics 3 Task 1 cross-reference • You will not see thumbnails on just the desktop or Open dialog box. You will also see them in the File Browser, a new feature in Photoshop 7. Task 11 details how the File Browser handles images. Recording Steps in the History Log T here are so many options in Photoshop, you might get carried away and for- get what you did when you try to recreate an effect. Or you might need to make notes of how to recreate a certain effect in Photoshop for your coworkers so they can do it on their own (and stop pestering you for once). Photoshop CS enables you to keep a log of all your digital imaging movements. You can manage your history log options in the General preferences dialog box. 1. If you are a Macintosh user, select Photoshop ➪ Preferences ➪ General. If you are a Windows user, select Edit ➪ Preferences ➪ General. 2. To keep track of the steps you take in Photoshop CS, select the History Log checkbox (see Figure 2-1). Figure 2-1: Turning on the History Log option 3. Click the Metadata option if you want to save the history log infor- mation with the file you are working on. 4. If you want to save the information to a separate text file, select the Text File option. Figure 2-2 shows an example of a history log. note • Having a history log saved with your image can inflate the file size. The more you manipulate an image, the more actions get recorded. 4Part 1 Task 2 tip • Using the Detailed history log item is a good way to keep notes on how certain effects are created. Instead of writing out instructions by hand, you can have Photoshop write them to a separate text file. Then cut and paste the steps and email them to your Photoshop friends. 5. To determine the location of the history log text file, click the Choose button to bring up the Save dialog box. Select a location where you want to store the text file and then click Save. 6. If you want the history log to be saved both as metadata and as a sep- arate text file, select Both. 7. To specify the level detail stored in the history log, select Sessions Only, Concise, or Detailed in the Edit Log Items list box. Figure 2-2: An excerpt from the history log text file set to Concise 8. When you are done, click OK to close the Preferences dialog box. Photoshop Basics 5 Task 2 cross-reference • To learn more about keep- ing track of information associating with your digi- tal images, check out Task 17 for attaching notes and audio annotations. Setting Display and Cursor Preferences I cons are all over Photoshop. They enable you to quickly pick and choose from a wide array of editing options. In the Display & Cursor preferences dialog box you can choose whether to show channels in color, double the pixels of your images, or use dithering. You can also specify what icons you would like to see while editing an image. 1. For Macintosh users, go to the Photoshop menu and select Preferences ➪ Display & Cursors (see Figure 3-1). For Windows users, select Edit ➪ Preferences and select Display & Cursors. If you are in the dialog box from the previous task, you may select Display & Cursors from the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box. Figure 3-1: Accessing the Display & Cursor preferences dialog box 2. In the Display and Cursor preferences dialog box (see Figure 3-2), under Display, you can colorize each channel component. To have a channel reflect the color it represents, select Color Channels in Color, instead of the default grayscale representation in the color channels. 3. If you want to dither colors that your video card cannot render prop- erly, select Use Diffusion Dither. Diffusion dithering is a method to position multicolored pixels in a scattering effect so as to simulate colors. 4. To speed up preview modes or command tools, select Use Pixel Doubling. The image resolution is halved by doubling the pixels, giv- ing the image a temporary blurry effect that lasts until the preview mode or commands are finished. notes • The only real benefit of changing the channels to reflect the color is that it might help you realize which channel you are operating in. However, keeping the channels set to grayscale enables you to see the tone of the color more easily: White areas represent portions of the image where the color is at full opacity and the area where it is black is the absence of that color. • The only time you might need to select Use Diffusion Dither is when you have a cheap video card on your system or an old laptop. Hopefully that will never happen to be you. • While pixel doubling does speed up the preview of an image, it might not be to everyone’s liking due to the jarring effect of having part of your image blurred out. Most computers powerful enough to run Photoshop will have enough process- ing power to render the file nicely. 6Part 1 Task 3 tips • Select the Brush Size as your painting cursor. The outline you get when paint- ing provides a visual indi- cator of the brush size you are using. The other brush sizes do not give you this kind of helpful clue, which may come in handy if you accidentally pick a 400- pixel-sized brush. • While using a tool in Photoshop, press Caps Lock and the precise cursor appears. Press Caps Lock again and the tool icon pops back. Figure 3-2: The Display & Cursor preferences dialog box 5. Under Painting Cursors you can specify the type of cursor Photoshop displays when you are using the painting tools. These tools include the brush, pencil, art sprayer, color replacement brush, history and art history brushes, eraser, healing brush, rubber stamp, pattern stamp, smudge, blur, sharpen, dodge, burn, and sponge tools. You have three options: Standard, which uses the icon of the current painting tool; Precise, which resembles a crosshair with a small target pixel at its center; and Brush Size, which indicates the size of the brush currently selected as shown in Figure 3-3. Figure 3-3: The paintbrush set at 100 pixels overlaps the image window. In this predicament, you should resize the window and continue painting. 6. Under Other Cursors you have two options: Standard and Precise. This option controls cursor appearance for the nonpainting tools, which include the marquee, lasso, polygon lasso, magic wand, crop, slice, patch, eyedropper, pen, line, paint bucket, gradient, magnetic lasso, magnetic pen, measure, and color sampler tools. Photoshop Basics 7 Task 3 cross-reference • Having the right cursor at the right time in production work can make digital imaging go faster. If you want to see how shortcut keys can make your work go faster, check out Task 21. Setting Transparency and Gamut Preferences T he grid has become somewhat of a culture icon to many Photoshop users. It’s been a part of Photoshop for a long, long time to help users determine the level of transparency in their images. But now you get the chance to modify the appearance of this checkerboard-like grid to your own individual tastes. In the Transparency & Gamut preferences dialog box, you not only get to define the color for the out-of-gamut warning, but also customize the size of the classic Photoshop grid. 1. To bring up the Transparency and Gamut preferences dialog box on the Macintosh platform, go to the Photoshop menu and select Preferences ➪ Transparency & Gamut. On the Windows platform, select Edit ➪ Preferences and select Transparency & Gamut. If you are in the dialog box from the previous task, select Transparency & Gamut from the dropdown menu at the top of the dialog box. 2. To adjust the size of the checkerboard pattern, select Small, Medium, or Large from the Grid Size drop-down menu under Transparency Settings (see Figure 4-1). If you don’t want to see a checkerboard pattern, select None. You will see a preview of the grid in the preview square that’s off to the right under Transparency Settings. Figure 4-1: The Transparency & Gamut dialog box 8Part 1 Task 4 tips • If you don’t like the default sizes for the Photoshop grid, or if the image you are working on uses whites and grays and it’s hard to tell what’s transparent from the image, adjust the grid to your tastes. • Changing the gamut color is always a good idea if you can’t readily discern the warning color from a color in your work. 3. The Grid Colors dropdown menu enables you to pick from a prede- termined set of colors and shades for the checkerboard grid pattern. Your preset options are categorized in two groups: shades and colors. The first group includes Light, Medium, and Dark options. The color options include Red, Orange, Green, Blue, and Purple colors. 4. To create a custom-colored checkerboard pattern for the grid, select Custom from the Grid Colors drop-down menu. 5. Click the swatch colors below the Grid Colors drop-down menu to bring up the Color Picker dialog box as shown in Figure 4-2. Pick the colors you want and then press OK. The colors you picked are displayed in the preview square. Figure 4-2: Choosing a color for the Photoshop grid 6. If your graphics card supports the overlay of images on top of a live video signal and you want to make use of this feature, select the Use Video Alpha checkbox. 7. To change the color that’s used to indicate a gamut warning, click the Color swatch under Gamut Warning. This brings up the Color Picker dialog box. Pick the color you want and then click OK. 8. To adjust the opacity of the gamut warning color, enter a percentage in the Opacity text field or click the triangle and adjust the slider. Photoshop Basics 9 Task 4 cross-reference • To learn more about out- of-gamut warning, check out Task 46 about proofing colors. Setting Units and Rulers Preferences T he old builder’s adage “measure twice; cut once” holds just as true in digital imaging as it does in woodworking. If you don’t measure your images care- fully in the correct units, you might end up with an image that is too small or too large for your purposes. In the Units & Rulers preferences you can choose your units for rulers, column sizes, resolutions, as well as the point or pica sizes. 1. If you are a Macintosh user, go to the Photoshop menu and select Preferences ➪ Units & Rulers to open the Units & Rulers Preferences dialog box. If you are working on the Windows platform, choose Edit ➪ Preferences and select Units & Rulers. If you are in the dialog box from the previous task, select Units & Rulers from the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box. 2. In the Units & Rulers preferences dialog box (see Figure 5-1), under Units, you can select several units for Rulers: pixels, inches, cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), points, picas, or percent. Figure 5-1: The Units & Rulers preferences dialog box notes • It’s recommended that you use pixels for the rulers and points for type. • Leaving the default print resolution at 300 ppi is acceptable, but check with your printer or client to ensure you are designing for the correct dimensions. You don’t want to change measurements during the middle of a project and realize you need to start over. 10 Part 1 Task 5 tips • To access the Units & Rulers preferences while working on an image, press Ctrl+R to show the rulers and then double-click a ruler. • Since Photoshop uses PostScript and creates digi- tal files, it’s best to stick with the PostScript option under Point/Pica Size. 3. Under Units , you can select the units for Type: pixels, points, or mm. A pixel is on grid unit on a computer screen. One point is equal to 1 ⁄72 inch and 25.4 millimeters (mm) is one inch. 4. Under Column Size, you can specify the Width and Gutter measure- ments for placing images into a desktop publishing program. These settings enable you to precisely place an image in a set number of columns. 5. The print and screen resolutions are set under New Document Preset Resolutions. When you are creating a new image, Photoshop presents the values you place here as editable settings before creating the image. These values can be set in pixels per inch or pixels per centimeter. 6. Under Point/Pica Size you find two options: PostScript and Traditional. PostScript sets picas at a value of 72 pixels per inch (ppi), whereas Traditional places the value at 72.27 ppi. 7. Another way to change units is in the Info palette, which also changes the preference setting. To change the units through this alternative method, select Windows ➪ Info to open the Info palette. 8. Click the crosshairs in the lower lefthand corner of the Info palette. Select the units you want from the drop-down menu with the avail- able units will appear as shown in Figure 5-2. Figure 5-2: The units available from the Info palette Photoshop Basics 11 Task 5 cross-reference • To see how to measure dis- tance and angles in images, see Task 25. [...]... used by Photoshop setting at the default 50% at first While working on images, you can check the Efficiency setting in the status bar from time to time If you see it dropping below 100 %, you can increase the allocation of memory to Photoshop incrementally until it goes back to 100 % 7 After resetting the memory allocation, you’ll need to restart Photoshop in order for the new settings to be active cross-reference... values cross-reference • Setting plug-ins and scratch disk preferences provides greater control and flexibility in your work environment Of course, having more memory and a larger image cache doesn’t hurt either For more information on memory and image cache, see Task 8 16 Task 8 Part 1 Setting Memory and Image Cache Preferences T note • Setting Memory Usage to 100 % is not really 100 % if you slide the maximum... maximum RAM amount to be used by Photoshop to 100 % in the Windows operating system This occurs because the Windows operating system needs RAM as well in order to operate o help Photoshop perform better, it’s always good to give it some finetuning from time to time The image cache allows Photoshop to increase rendering times of frequently seen areas of an image In the Memory & Image Cache preferences dialog... The image cache enables Photoshop to increase screen redraw speeds during the editing process by caching, or storing in memory, previews of an image at various zoom levels As you zoom in or out on the image during editing, it can then pull up the new redraw from the cache rather than reading it from your hard drive To change the cache settings, enter an integer between 1 and 8 in the Cache Levels text... colors in the drop-down menu or pick your own color by selecting Custom If you select Custom, you’ll get Photoshop s color picker (see Figure 6-2), which enables you to select the color you want Press OK when finished 5 You can choose from three styles for the lines: Lines (default), Dashed Lines, and Dots (see Figure 6-3) Photoshop Basics 13 Task 6 tips • • Figure 6-2: Selecting a custom color for... settings to be active cross-reference • Allocating more scratch disks also helps increase response times from Photoshop For more information on Scratch Disks, see Task 7 18 Task 9 Part 1 Navigating the HTML-Based Help System S note • In order to view the Help System, you need to have Netscape Navigator 4.75 (or higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 (or higher) installed with JavaScript enabled ometimes... can click for more information on using the various Help System features 3 Select Contents for a series of links that enable you to access the contents of the Help System chapter by chapter Photoshop Basics 4 Select Index to view the index of the entire Help System You can scan the Help index much as you would scan the index of this book, looking for keywords 19 Task 9 5 Click Site Map in order to view... predetermined list of colors in the drop-down menu or select Custom to pick your own color If you select Custom, Photoshop s color picker pops up Select the color you want and then press OK The default guide color is light blue 3 You can choose among two styles for guides: Lines (default) and Dashed Lines 4 To change the color settings of the grid, you can select a color to your liking from a pre-determined... topics in the Help System and all entries in the Index 6 To search the Help System insert the keywords into the input field and click Submit The results from the search are listed below the search form, as shown in Figure 9-2 Click a link to open the page with the information you want in the content window on the righthand side tip • The JavaScript powered Search in the Help System is somewhat slow In. .. want, you can change the intervals of the gridline A gridline can be placed at any number of units per pixels, inches, cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), points, picas, or percent.You can also select the number of subdivision lines that occur in between each gridline 7 You can change the line color for slices, but only to a set of nine colors The default color is, once again, light blue 8 When you . flexibility in your work environment. Of course, having more memory and a larger image cache does- n’t hurt either. For more information on memory and image. restart Photoshop in order for the new settings to be active. Photoshop Basics 17 Task 8 cross-reference • Allocating more scratch disks also helps increase response