Calculations

Photoshop Top 40, Feature #25: Selection Calculations

Submitted by deke on 27 October 2009 - 12:20am.
Feature #25: Selection Calculations

Most of Photoshop’s top features are expressed as tools or commands. But some are more conceptual, meaning that they have almost no interface associated with them. Seriously, it goes from your mind to your hands to the mouse to the keyboard to Photoshop.

Selection calculations are a fantastic example. Want to make a new selection? Just drag. Add to an existing selection? Press the Shift key and drag. And that, my friends, is only the beginning. Read more » 

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Photoshop Top 40, Feature #33: Calculations

Submitted by deke on 1 September 2009 - 12:15am.
Feature #33: Calculations

As friends of this site know, Tuesday is Photoshop Top 40 day. And this Tuesday is no exception. Today's video covers one of the oldest, most abstruse, downright incomprehensible commands in all of Photoshop: Calculations. Found under the Image menu, the Calculations command lets you mix two existing channels in an image--say, Red and Blue--to create a new alpha channel that will serve as the basis for a mask. And while it takes a fair amount of time and effort to come to terms with the feature, Calculations is one of the most powerful masking commands in all of Photoshop. Read more » 

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High-Res, Downloadable Masking Video and Layered PSD File

Submitted by deke on 29 July 2009 - 12:09am.

Three weeks ago today, I posted a free half-hour video to my buddy Scott Kelby's blog. Titled "The Essential Approach to Masking," the above video documents the way you approach a typical masking project in Photoshop, from real-world beginning to bitter-sweet end. To quote one of Scott's fans: "It’s like Mercedes would offer their clients a test-drive in the new BMW." Except that I drive a beat-up Jeep. Go figure.

Today, I make available to members of dekeOnline two special files: The full-resolution downloadable video and a layered Photoshop file. Read more » 

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The Essential Approach to Masking

Submitted by deke on 8 July 2009 - 12:08am.

Today, I take a brief respite from the many masking videos previously offered on this site (okay, it's been a while, but there have been a lot of them) to offer--wait for it--yet another masking video!

Only with two exceptions: This video is not on my site. Rather, it's my contribution to the one, the only Scott Kelby's "Guest Blog Wednesday." And it goes by the name, "The Essential Approach to Masking," with portrait by Jacob Cunningham.

Read more » 

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Channels & Masks Lesson 10: Using Calculations in Photoshop

Submitted by colleen on 24 April 2009 - 1:18pm.

It's Friday, but seriously, deeple, get your entertainment and education at the same time as you enjoy this video which I pilfered for your enjoyment from the companion DVD of Deke's Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One book.

In this lesson, Deke introduces you to the Calculations command which can be a little tricky, but oh-so-very useful and important to understand. As Deke notes:

Now I won’t sugarcoat it, Calculations is not easy—in fact, it might be Photoshop’s single most difficult feature to master. But it is the command that’s going to increase the quality of your masks.

When you're done, you can return to your less edifying Friday festivities. Happy Weekending, Deeps. Read more » 

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