Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One
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Knowing your way around alpha channels (or masks) is the most sure-fire way to boost the quality of your work in Photoshop. But masking isn't easy-in fact, the elusive alpha channel has been described as the least understood feature in Photoshop's enormous arsenal. Now, you can master masking with Deke McClelland's unique and effective learning system. Through step-by-step text lessons, DVD-video demonstrations, and real-world projects, you'll learn how to select and composite highlights, shadows, clouds, fabric, feathers, glass, flame, lightning, eyes, all varieties of hair, and then some.
Product Details:
List price: $49.99USD
Length: 512 pages with 3 hours of video instruction on DVD
ISBN 13: 9780596516154
Table of Contents:
Lesson 1. HOW CHANNELS WORK
• What Are Channels?
• The Mechanics of RGB Primaries
• The Single-Channel Grayscale Image
• Working with Lab Color
• The Mechanics of CMYK Inks
• Editing in the Multichannel Mode
• Duotones, Tritones, and Quadtones
Lesson 2. HOW MASKS WORK
• What Are Masks?
• Creating and Saving Alpha Channels
• Loading Masks and Putting Them to Use
• Modifying a Mask
• Combining Masks
Lesson 3. SELECTION ESSENTIALS
• The Automated Selection Tools
• Making the Most of the Magic Wand
• Using the Quick Selection Tool
• Using the Magnetic Lasso
• Refining a Selection Outline
• Selection Calculations
• Transforming and Warping Selections
Lesson 4. COLOR RANGE AND QUICK MASK
• As Close to Automatic asMasking Gets
• Using the Color Range Command
• Smoothing Edges and Remaking Corners
• Refining a Selection with Quick Mask
• Pasting an Image into a Mask
Lesson 5. EVERYDAY CHANNEL MASKING
• One Big, Hairy Project
• Making a Mask from a Channel
• Finessing the Smooth Contours
• Creating a Silhouette Effect
• Blending Hair and Sky
• Setting the Image in a $3000 Frame
Lesson 6. BLENDS AND COMPOSITES
• When in Doubt, Blend
• Blending a Scanned Logo
• Working with Blend Modes
• How Add out-brightens Multiply
• Luminance Blending
• Using Blending to Reconcile Images
• that Really Don’t Go Together
Lesson 7. MASKING LAYERS
• The Many Kinds of Layer Masks
• Creating a Jet of Motion Blur
• Masking an Adjustment Layer
• Masking Translucent Objects
• Assembling the Perfect Group Photo
• Employing a Knockout Mask
Lesson 8. SPECIALTY MASKS
• Six Specialized Selectors
• Smoothing with a Luminance Mask
• Adjusting Skin Tones with a Corrective Mask
• Changing the Color of an Image
• Element with a Color Mask
• Sharpening with a Density Mask
• Blurring a Background with a Depth Mask
• Correcting an Archival Photo with an Edge Mask
Lesson 9. CHANNEL MIXING AND OTHER TRICKS
• Channel Mixer, I Am Your Father
• Mixing a Custom Black-and-White Image
• Swapping Channel Mixer for Black & White
• Extreme Channel Mixing
• The Professional’s Approach to Red-Eye
Lesson 10. CALCULATIONS (a.k.a. Channel Operations)
• The Lore of the Chop
• Blue Screen Calculations
• Using the Add and Subtract Modes
• Curves, Dodge, Burn, and Paint
• Multiply, Minimum, Blur, and Apply Image
Lesson 11. THE PEN TOOL AND PATHS PALETTE
• Vector-Based Shapes
• Drawing a Free-Form Polygon
• Adding and Deleting Anchor Points
• Converting a Path to a Selection or a Mask
• Control Handles, Smooth Points, and Cusps
• Vector Masks, Shape Layers, and Layer Masks
• Editing Character Outlines as Paths
Lesson 12. MASKING THE TOUGH STUFF
• Calculations, High Pass, and Arb Maps
• Masking and Compositing Light Hair
• Capturing and Enhancing a Flame
• Mastering Advanced Calculations
• Creating a High Pass Mask
• Masking with Arbitrary Maps
.
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Comments
Channels and Masks palette installation in PS CS5
I am trying to install the Channels & Masks palette in Photoshop CS5 on Mac OS X. When I double-click on the .mxp file, it does show up into the Adobe Extension Manager CS5. But in PS, the Windows > Extensions menu does not list it.
I looked around in the file system, and noticed that the Extension was installed in
/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Extension Manager/directory. In that directory, I see two extensions installed: Toolbox and Channels+Masks. And while both of these show up in the Extension Manager's list, only Toolbox appears in the Windows > Extensions menu.I searched a bit to see if CS4 extensions are incompatible with CS5, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
Any info will be appreciated.
Cheers,
-Adil
Mask From Channel
Folks
I've purchased two books authored by Deke and well, never mind.
Using CS5 I've opened a tif (Hair Fantasia) on the CD of Channels and Masks and on page 157 in step 10 painting with white does nothing. Except, when I open a blank page (cmd+N) and return to the image, or I paint then press the Cmd and click anywhere on the image. My personal tifs, psd's, dng's, and raw files do not exhibit this behavior. Too, opening Deke's tif in CS4 behaves normally. The fact is all the tif's on his CD do the same thing in CS5
Does anyone have any idea what's going on? How 'bout you Deke?
CB
iMac 10.6.4
What the devil is a validation error?
Ch y Mask 1 on 1 Lesson 11 Page 400
Please Note Box says that a fix for the path names can be found at
" www.deke.com/fix-my-paths" But I cannot find such a site.
It may be somewhere else?
Secondly my icons in the layers palette just to the right of the Eye only appear as
a circle with a dark and light one half each. I don't get the ones associated with the
adjustment layers as depicted in the book! How do I remedy this?
Fred
Black and White in Channels and Mask Book (Pg. 316-322)
Hi --
I have been through most of the book and the examples and everything has been great. I have only one small issue, that I cannot seem to solve. It is in Chapter 9 in Mixing a Custom Black and White Image.
I went through the tutorial and that was fine, but when I went to try this on an image of my own, I couldn't get the 'desnity mask' created or to work properly.
What am I missing?
Thanks for the help.
-Larry Buck
Chapter 6 blending
Overall the tutorials are great but with this tutorial, first I could not find "Use previous layer for clipping path" I could find Create clipping path under the layers menu and in the layers palette, then also the keyboard shortcut on my Mac command + option + shift, does not do anything ? What am I missing?
Thanks,
Scott
File Error in Ancient doorway.psd
I cannot open the Ancient doorway.psd file in lesson 7. I get an unexpected end of file error. Is there any way I can get this file.
Dave Greenlee
The Ancient Doorways fix
Is available from this link here.
Channels and Masks p38 equation
The algebra at the bottom of page 37 needs cleaning up.
You have:
0.3A + (1 -0.3) = 0.7B This is not correct or at least, awkwardly written.
Start with the equation:
αA + (1-α)B
If α = .3 then,
.3A + .7B = Value
I think that is much cleaner.
It's an attempt at colloquial math
Obviously (I hope!), "0.3A + (1-0.3) = 0.7B" is not a legal equation.
In the context of that particular sentence, what's meant is, this one hypothetical composite pixel comprises 0.3A + 0.7B, for a total of 1.
Just showing my work. The actual equation appears in Figure 2-1 of the book, a detail of which I include here, if only for larfs:
For those of you wondering what in the hell we're talking about, don't worry, the book works without math.
I'll go out on a limb here
and guess that most of us on this site are not that into math, just results with graphic art... I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Please figure out the equation that will = Stop Global Warming; that would = Value!
Very Useful
Thanks for this article.
I have found this list very useful and have used in frequently. Now I just want to say thanks for writing it.
Great stuff...
This is a great post..continue sharing..thanks
lost video
Hi,
I lost my video that goes with the book. How can I get another without buying the book again?
Kathy
lost video (as well)
I too, have lost the CD/DVD that accompanies this great book. I have been searching my office the past few days and can not find it anywhere.
Deke, any ideas on where we can get a replacement copy or what we can do?
Thanks!
Alim
Call O'Reilly directly
You can reach 'em at 800-998-9938. And they should send you out a replacement DVD in short order.
The first 10 videos can be found here on the site as well (though you'll have to go searching for them).
Channels & Masks.mxp Permissions
I am using Windows 7 64 bit and I am getting the permissions error discusses above when I try to install the MXP file. I have tried every trick in the book to reset the permissions but I still get that error. Windows 7 does not give me a "Run as Administrator" choice when I right-click the MXP file. Can anyone help me?
Installing .mxp
Just stumbled on this annoyance myself, but was able to run the Extensions Manager as an admin -- the trick is to right-click on the Extension Manager icon from the Programs menu (Windows button > All Programs > Adobe Creative Suite) , then you will be able to use "Run as Administrator" command.
Pen Tool
As an intermediate Photoshop user I have read several of your books (as well as those by other authors) in an attempt to hone my skills. Without doubt the pen tool is the most most powerful and versatile method of making selection outlines involving well defined edges of any Photoshop tool. However, I think the way you explain and use it is needlessly complex. Since the primary use of the pen for the average Photoshop user is to create selection outlines rather than drawing free form shapes there is a much easier approach using the "Rubber Band" option. 1) Turn on the "Rubber Band" option located in the drop down next to the "star" shape. 2) Start anywhere on the object to be selected and place a single corner point. 3) Alt + drag from that corner point to a point on the outside of the curve of the object then release the mouse button to place a single control handle. 4) The rubber band then shows you exactly where the curve will go. 5) Left click to place the next anchor point. 6) Cntrl + Click on the control handle and drag to precisely position an shape the curve. 7) Alt + click on anchor point #2 and drag out the next handle, always in the direction of the convex side of the curve. 9) Place an anchor point each time the curvature of the object changes direction or more often if needed. 10) Continue around the object placing and adjusting one point and it's corresponding curve at a time until the path is closed. Using this method you only have to trace one time but the biggest advantages are 1) Each anchor point has only ONE CONTROL HANDLE so that adjusting one section of the curve does not affect adjacent sections. 2) The rubber band helps you judge where to place the next anchor point and how far and in what direction to drag the control handle so with a little practice minimal adjustments are needed. It's fast.
That's aweseome if that works for you
Other members have mentioned the Rubber Band function; as you say, it helpfully gives you the option of seeing your curve as you position it. (To be perfectly candid, I forgot it was there.)
Otherwise, I'm not a huge fan of this technique. Sounds fast, but I'd recommend against relying on a single control handle per segment. Every anchor point will, to some degree, render as a corner. Plus the segment will flatten like a low tire on the no-handle end. It's the sort of curve-scalping you get with auto-tracing.
No offense, but for a portrait shot like the one in the book, I'd argue smooth, organic curves are worth a minute or two of additional care.
Pen Tool
Deke: Thanks for your prompt feedback. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your books and am continually amazed at your depth of Photoshop knowledge. I understand your point about the pen tool but don't understand how any flattening can occur once the curve has been determined and essentially "locked". I have two files, one with your mask loaded and one with mine and quite frankly can see no significant differences other than minor ones resulting from them being done by different people. May I send them to you for comparison??
Photoshop CS4
Ya this program is crazy. Hey 3 months and I have just touched the surface!
Lasso Tool
In Lesson 5 you use the lasso tool to select problem areas of a mask. I can get the lasso tool to select in straight lines on my new selection by using the Alt key (windows) but the instructions say to add to the selection and use straight line selection use Shift + Alt but that gives me the intersect? Should I use the polygonal lasso instead to add?
Suzanne
It's a rather intricate technique
You start by pressing the Shift key and dragging a little. Then, with the mouse button still down, you release Shift, press and hold Alt, and then release the mouse button and begin clicking. Keep that Alt key down the entire time to make it work.
Or, if that's too weird (hey, Photoshop subscribes to its own peculiar brand of logic), then just switch to the polygonal lasso tool and Shift-click.
Thanks, that got it to work,
Thanks, that got it to work, was driving me crazy trying to figure it out! By the way I love this book!
Suzanne
Photoshop CS4 Channels and masks
The book was given to me yesterday as a christmas present. However, i cant open the mxp-file. Suggestions any-one?
You have to have CS4
As opposed to CS3 or earlier. Otherwise, the book is pretty specific in its instructions for installing the file. Where are you getting hung up?
... huh
http://www.file-extensions.org/mxp-file-extension
Never used this file format... Cant help you there.
Addenda / Corrections
On page 7 my layers palette does not indicate four layers associated with Painted couple.jpg. Is there a corrected file. Too, where do I find a complete list of addenda?
Best,
CB
Addenda / Corrections
Self-Corrected!
Restarting PS took care of it.
CB
Illustrator CS4 1 on 1
Deke- say it isn't so. Having just taken the plunge into Illustrator, I naturally look to you to guide me in all it's fantastical glory only to learn that the expected due date for the book isn't until May 2010!! Yikes! Shouldn't you be releasing your CS5 version of the book then? What gives?