Creating Edges Let’s finish off the edges of our new design by using a variety of tools. You’ll have to experiment with several to get the effect you want, and I’ll walk you through a few suggestions here. Creating edges around an image allows you to remove the hard edge of the rectangular image by distorting it in some way or painting over it. In this procedure we’ll use our Dallas Zoo example file again. 1. Choose the background layer from your image (it’s a picture, fill, or gradient). Depending on what you’ve done to the layers, it might be called a Normal layer or something else. 2. Change the foreground color to white in the toolbox. (You might want to experiment with other colors too, such as the color you’ve chosen for your text or a color in your focus image.) 3. Choose the Brush tool from the toolbox and click on the Airbrush icon ( ) in the options bar. This will enable airbrush capability. 4. Choose a soft round brush, like Airbrush Soft Round 100,and change the Flow to 75 percent in the options bar. Spray around the outside edges of the image. 5. Try other brushes and colors too, increasing and decreasing the Opacity and Flow settings, and the brush size. Use the History pal- ette to erase any mistakes. Figure 12-12 shows an example of what your edge might look like. 6. Undo the brushstrokes. 7. Choose the Smudge tool from the toolbox. Work around the edges using this tool to create an edge effect. Experiment with various brushes and modes. 8. Experiment with the Blur tool, choosing different modes and strengths. Figure 12-12 shows a file we used in our shop back in 2002 to promote the Dallas Zoo. It was so nice I used it again here! 246 Part II / Creating Artwork and Logos The best way to get to know what each tool can do for you is to experi- ment. If possible, work through this exercise several times, choosing different settings for the tools each time. Flattening Layers With the design finished, you’ll now want to color separate it and print it out. So far, you’ve been working in RGB mode. However, you can’t color separate an image while it’s in RGB mode; it must be converted to CMYK first. To convert it to CMYK, the image must be flattened. Flat - tening an image combines all of the layers together in a single layer. Flattening a layer is a simple process, but before you do it, make sure theimagelooksthewayyouwantitto.Tomakesuretherearen’tany extraneous parts to the image that need to be cropped, use File>Print andtakealookatthepreviewoftheimage.Youshouldseeonlythe image in the Preview window, not any extra backgrounds or too much white space. If you do, go back and crop the image appropriately. Click Cancel in the Print dialog box. From the Layers palette, click the additional options and choose Flat - ten Image, or flatten the image using Layer>Flatten Image. If you have any hidden layers, you’ll be prompted to discard them; if so, click Yes. Notice the Layers palette now shows only a single layer. Chapter 12 / Layer Basics 247 Figure 12-12: Creating an edge effect Preparing for Output Although you can print a copy of your RGB design to send to the client for approval, or e-mail it using your default e-mail program, you won’t print color separations in RGB mode. To convert an image to CMYK, choose Image>Mode>CMYK Color. With that done, you can now look at the CMYK channels in the Chan - nels palette. This palette is generally grouped with the Layers palette, as it looks similar to it, but it is completely different. You can click the eyes to hide or show the different color channels and get an idea of what each plate will look like. Part V of this book is dedicated to creating and work - ing with color separations. Summary In this chapter you learned how to use layers and the Layers palette to create and build images for clients. This chapter combined everything that you have learned thus far in the book and enabled you to create a composite design that could be used for a client. Building an image using layers incorporated many aspects of the Layers palette and the Layer menu. In this chapter you learned how to use the selection tools to add images to layers, how to cut and paste to layers, what feathering is, how the Layers palette is used, and how to fin - ish off a design using edges and backgrounds. In addition, you learned how to change the order of layers, create new layers, show and hide lay - ers, use the Move tool to manipulate images on layers, use styles and effects to add emphasis to text, transform the image using Scale, Skew, and other options, use the History palette, flatten the image, and prepare it for output. This completes Part II of the book. In Part III, we discuss how to acquire files that are already created, including those from floppy disks, scanners, and cameras, as well as how to enhance images, such as photo - graphs given to you by clients, and when and if you should use heat transfers. 248 Part II / Creating Artwork and Logos Part III Working withWorking with Client FilesClient Files 249 This page intentionally left blank. Chapter 13 Acquiring FilesAcquiring Files from Disksfrom Disks Your clients will bring artwork files to your shop in many forms, includ - ing files on floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, zip disks, flash drives, and even via e-mail. In order to work with these files, you have to be able to open them. Opening a file from an e-mail or from a CD or DVD won’t be that hard if you have a newer computer with the appropriate drives. These are the most popular ways to send files today. However, new computers rarely come with floppy disk drives, so there may be times when a client with an especially old computer offers one up, and if you can’t use it, you’ll have to ask for the file in a form you can work with. Once you know you have the appropriate hardware for opening a file, you have to know how to open the file from the Photoshop interface, and how to get the file into Photoshop in a form that’s best suited for editing. In addition to getting the files into Photoshop, you have to make sure you don’t contract any viruses while opening them. It’s important to have updated virus protection installed on your computer at all times! Other issues, including file types and resolutions, also factor into how you’ll use a client’s file (if it’s usable at all). If a client sends you a photograph saved as a GED file for instance, you’ll most likely have to return it to the client with instructions on how to resave it and send it as a JPEG or EPS file. Finally, you can use Photoshop to work with files among multiple users and computers. This is a really neat feature if multiple people in your art department work on the same files and have different talents. Whatever the case is in your shop, you’ll get files from clients on disks and work with files e-mailed to you that you can save to your own hard disk. In this chapter, we discuss how to deal with all of these issues. 251 When a Client Brings a Disk Whenaclientwalksinthedoorwithhisorherowndiskinhand,I always get a little shiver down my spine. It’s more like a premonition actually because there are so many problems associated with client- created artwork that I’m bound to run into a few each time. While it is possible to “train” return clients to bring in what you want and need, getting what you need the first time isn’t the norm. The first problem involves computer viruses. A close second is a cli - ent who wants the Nike Swoosh on a hat or jacket and can’t understand why I won’t print it. Client-scanned files are another problem because their scans usually have a gray tint to them, making them difficult to work with, and it’s usually not at the resolution I need anyway. (I’ve got- ten scans of artwork where images were glued or taped to the original page before the scan!) Faxes can be downright unusable too. Other problems include getting artwork in proprietary formats, like the GED files output by Arts & Letters. Of course, this isn’t a problem if you have Arts & Letters installed (which I do) or whatever program they built their design in, and if this is the case, you can open it and change it to whatever you want. Working in the client’s native program and export- ing the file yourself lets you have more control. Virus Protection The best way to protect your computer from viruses is to purchase and install an anti-virus program. There are several manufacturers, including Norton and McAfee. These programs aren’t very expensive and can be purchased on the web. You can configure the software to download all of the virus updates weekly, monthly, or even daily, providing continual pro - tection. When a client comes in with a disk, you should scan it using this software. In fact it’s probably a good idea to set your software to auto - matically scan all files that are opened from disks. Another way to prevent viruses in your shop and on your network is isolation. Keep one computer off of the network and use it for opening client’s files. From there, the file can be scanned for viruses and evalu - ated for other problems. 252 Part III / Working with Client Files Proprietary File Formats Many clients create their own artwork using an art program they have at home or in the office, and many of these programs save files by default in a proprietary file format. Proprietary means that the file can only be opened in the program in which it was created, such as Arts & Letters’ GED files, Adobe Photoshop’s PSD files, Paint Shop Pro’s PSP files, CorelDRAW’s CDR, and other file formats. If the client has saved the file inoneoftheseproprietaryformats,you’llonlybeabletoopenitinthe program in which it was created. If you get a file format that you can’t open, you have a couple of choices: Either purchase and install the program (if you have a lot of money), or return the file to the clients and ask them to use their pro - gram’s File>Export command (or File>Save As command) to export the file as an EPS, JPEG, or other usable file. They can also export the file as a GIF, TIFF, or other format, as long as it’s a common format that all computers recognize. If possible, get it as an EPS; it’s is best. . Note: EPS is the best choice because it is a PostScript document. The purpose of an EPS file is to be included in other pages. An EPS file can contain any com- bination of text, graphics, and images, and it is the mo st versatile file format currently available. EPS files can be manipulated easily, and resaved as EPS files for future use. . Note: Common file formats are detailed in the section “File Types and Limitations” later in this c hapter. Scanned Artwork If a client scans his hand-drawn artwork and puts it on a disk or e-mails it, it might or might not be usable. In our shop the average is about half and half. Some clients have great scanners that make good scans; they scan in RGB, save as TIFF files, and scan at an appropriate resolution. Others scan at a low resolution, in grayscale, or with a poorly calibrated scanner, making the scan unusable. If you receive a scan from a client, open it up and see how it looks on screen. If the background looks gray or muddy, you’ll most likely have to Chapter 13 / Acquiring Files from Disks 253 ask for the original artwork and scan it yourself. If the scan looks good on screen, you might be able to use it without a problem. In general though, it’s best to either get the artwork electronically if the work is created on the computer or comes from a digital camera, or do your own scanning using the original artwork. Resolution by the Inch Resolution is a number, a ratio specifically, that is used to represent how many pixels, dots, or lines per inch an image has during image creation, during printing of halftone screens, and when describing the output capa - bilities of a printer, respectively. You’ll want to have your clients provide artwork to you in resolutions that you can work with, and you’ll want to print at optimal resolutions as well. . Note: In the following sections, I define the terms as they relate to raster images, which are the images you’ll use most o f the time in Photosho p. Vector-based images are defined mathematically and thus have a set resolution. Text is vector based in Photoshop, but most of what yo u do will not be. Pixels Per Inch Screen images such as photos are made up of pixels, which are small squares that contain color. An image’s resolution is determined by how many pixels are in the image per inch. Image resolution is a ratio of pixels per inch; the more pixels you squeeze into each inch of the image, the higher the resolution. Higher resolution means a better quality image. When clients bring you artwork, ask for the artwork to be at least 300 pixels per inch. This guarantees that the image will be of a high enough resolution for you to work with it properly. If the customer only has a lower resolution image, he or she will have to understand that the print is going to look a little jagged or soft around the hard edges and might not produce a really good print. To see the resolution of an image that’s already in Photoshop, use Image>Image Size, as shown in Figure 13-1. 254 Part III / Working with Client Files Pixels per inch is used to describe the quality of digital photos, some computer-generated artwork, computer monitor resolutions, and scanner settings. Sometimes, people use the terms “pixels per inch” and “dots per inch” interchangeably; I do not do that in this book. Dots Per Inch Another resolution term is dots per inch (dpi). Dpi describes how many dots per inch can be printed on the page and is a measure of printer quality. Generally, even older printers can print many more dots per inch than the pixels per inch that need to be printed. For instance, a 1440 x 1440 dpi printer can be used to print a 200 or 300 ppi image with excel- lent accuracy, and for many screen printers, this is quite sufficient. Lines Per Inch Lines p er inch (lpi) is another type of resolution that you’ll use often. Lpi is a term used by offset printers, screen printers, and other graphic art - ists to describe how many lines or dots per inch will be in a halftone screen. Screen printers generally output their images at 55 to 65 lines per inch, depending on the type of print process (spot or process) and other factors, such as the type of screen used and its mesh count and the type of ink used. 6 Caution! Pixels per inch is the term I’ve used thus far, but the settings can also be changed to pixels per centimeter. For now, always make sure that you’re working with pixels per inch. That is the standard. Chapter 13 / Acquiring Files from Disks 255 Figure 13-1: The Image Size dialog box [...]... working file format PDF Files PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is used mainly for documents PDF file format preserves fonts, page layout, and other document information and can be imported into Photoshop for editing PDF files are platform independent, meaning almost any computer OS can be used when opening them PDF files are not used in Photoshop for creating artwork Summary In this chapter... for Graphics Interchange Format and is generally used for files that are considered line art or have only a few colors GIF images are good for images containing less than 256 colors, so they’re not good for photographs GIF file format supports grayscale and RGB color spaces This format can be used for indexed color spaces as well, although it isn’t a common Photoshop working file format PDF Files PDF. ..256 Part III / Working with Client Files What to Ask For If a client calls beforehand and asks you for specific guidelines for artwork, you should have those guidelines ready For a screen printer, getting perfect artwork from a client is one of life’s greatest pleasures You’ll find that larger companies that have screen printing work done often have been properly trained and will offer... So what file types should you ask for and what file types are the best to work with? Well, in Photoshop, the best type of file to work with is a Photoshop PSD file If your clients have Photoshop and submit their artwork in that format, that’s your best bet However, in most cases, that’s usually not what happens There are many file types, some of which are proprietary for specific programs but others... chosen for Photoshop file work Bitmap images are best used for PC buttons and icons or for creating images in low-end art programs TIFF Files TIFF files are Tagged Image File Format files (also called TIF files) that are widely used in graphic design TIFF files are raster based and support almost all color spaces TIFF files can be compressed using a lossless compress scheme, making them better for saving... of a usable resolution or inform the client of the possibility of image deterioration Files can be opened several ways The File menu offers several options, including Open, Open As, and Import While opening the file and after working with it, file formats come into play Common file formats are PSD, EPS, TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PDF When possible, ask the client to give you a Photoshop file Chapter 14 Acquiring... hardware If you still can’t get the scanner to work with Photoshop, scan the image using a different application (such as the one that came with the scanner), save the image, and open the saved file in Photoshop 270 Part III / Working with Client Files Configuration Options There are several options for configuring the scanner before you perform a scan When scanning, you should choose RGB mode, since... scanner for years, perform these steps to calibrate your scanner: 1 Purchase an 11-step gray wedge from a photographic supply store, or get one of these from an offset print supplier Figure 14-4 shows an example of a step wedge Figure 14-4: Example of a step wedge 2 Place the step wedge into your scanner, and in Photoshop choose File> Import>WIA Support Verify the options for the destination folder, for. .. possible For instance, if they can send the file in 300 ppi as a Photoshop file, the battle is half won! Note: While I see ppi and dpi as completely different, some clients will use the terms interchangeably You might want to use either ppi or dpi in this list so you don’t confuse anyone These guidelines have worked for our company quite well: n File resolution should be at 300 ppi (dpi) for any process... dialog box to see various file types Photoshop can open PSD Files Photoshop files you create that are raster-based and contain layers and channels are automatically saved as this type of file The image’s resolution and spot color channels are also saved, as is image bit depth If you want to save the file in any other format, you’ll have to flatten it first PSD files save information about the file, including . Files PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is used mainly for docu- ments. PDF file format preserves fonts, page layout, and other document information and can be imported into Photoshop for. good for photographs. GIF file format supports grayscale and RGB color spaces. This format can be used for indexed color spaces as well, although it isn’t a common Photoshop working file format. PDF. Image Size dialog box What to Ask For If a client calls beforehand and asks you for specific guidelines for art - work, you should have those guidelines ready. For a screen printer, getting perfect