Adobe
Photoshop CS3 is the panacea of digital imaging and
graphical manipulation, you only have to type in
the word “Photoshop” in your web browser to see the
multitudinous web pages devoted to tutorials,
project exhibits, forums plus many other resource
pages. The story of this product began in 1987 in
Michigan USA, where the development began by two
sons of a college professor (Glenn & Thomas
Knoll) who maintained their interest in photography
and computer technology, and to think their hobby
interest has developed to become the industry
standard in image manipulation, editing and
creation. All professionals see this as a vital
tool in their everyday projects.
Today Photoshop comes in two versions “CS3 or CS3 Extended” the standard version continues to offer all the advanced features that professional photographers and editors need, however the Extended version goes beyond the photographer needs, it provides tools that will prove useful to web designers and video editors. However it is with the Extended version that we will concentrate our time.
The New Features
When upgrading to a different version of a program it is not always clear as to what are the new features of the updated application, Adobe has provided a way to highlight these within the drop down menu’s. First of all you select “Window” and then select “Workspace” and then click “What’s New in CS3” this will then highlight in blue all the new features of the program. Of course by navigating back you can deselect that option if you no longer require it, however I think it’s a very useful addition for new users.
If you are an experienced user of Photoshop, one of the first things you will notice is a slight change in the interface, Adobe has seen to it that the interface remains as uncluttered as possible, The default workspace shown when you first load up will immediately display a single column tool bar as opposed to the double one used in CS2 this allows more space for your image when previewing your changes. Advanced users of this program will find it useful to save where they want tools and palettes positioned for specific tasks and will be able to navigate to them anytime, simply by dragging these tool boxes and palettes they can be positioned or docked anywhere within the workspace.
Lets now look at some of the new tools that really impressed me :
1/ Quick Selection Tool
Cutting objects out of backgrounds can be a long and laborious task, this new tool is exactly as the name suggests, “Quick”. Intelligently it detects similar colours and textures and applies itself where ever you paint, I tried this with very pleasing results, I didn’t get perfection but it was easy to clean up any mistake by using the Subtract From Selection button, or by pressing the option (Alt) key as you paint. Interestingly in previous versions you could also feather your selection to tidy up the edges this has now been replaced by a new button ( the “Refine Edges” tool ) this sits prominently in the interface when choosing one of the selection tools. This new feature does a superb job of enhancing the object extracted, by providing a dialogue box with a variety of tools to use to perfect the selection with the added bonus of previewing your results in a variety of masks before you move on to the next stage of your project.
2/ Colour Correction
Another excellent enhancement is the “Curves” dialogue box which comes with a histogram background which can be turned on or off, this feature has been improved with more controls, and for new users there are several pre-sets to choose from as well, the histogram will indeed please all professional users in distributing the data correctly across the image, and will work well with the “Levels” tool as well.
An amazing new feature when selecting a non destructive layer is the “Black And White” tool feature, where you are presented with another dialogue box positioned conveniently in the work area for you to adjust individual selections. Within in this area you can manually use sliders for each individual colour or you can click the auto button, there are even pre-sets for you to use, also there is a tint button where you can tweak the hue and saturation as well. But the real feature that I thought was amazing, was the ability to move the mouse from the black and white control panel and click within my project to select an object and drag to the right or left within my image and it would automatically interact with the sliders in the control panel thus identifying the shades as colours making up the image, and providing me a preview at the same time, each colour can be darkened and lightened to suit the preferences of the user, this insures a more improved black and white image with greater tonal and contrast values.
3/ Smart Filters
There is no doubt about it that whilst we all want to try a specific edit in one of our images the chances are that we have changed the pixels forever no matter what application you use, since the introduction of “Smart Objects” and “Adjustment Layers” in Photoshop we now have more latitude in non destructive editing, and up till now when applying filters in previous versions the quality had been affected and thus original layers had to be saved to avoid losing the original image, but now thanks to the inclusion of “Smart Filters” to accompany “Smart Objects” we have now insured a much easier and effective work flow.
To convert a layer to a smart filter you need to begin a two step process by first of all converting the layer to a “Smart Object” this is done by clicking “Filter” at the top of the menu bar and then selecting “Convert For Smart Filters” or you can go to the layer palette and select “Layer”, then “Smart Objects” then “Convert To Smart Objects” the next step is to simply select the filter you want to use and then tweak with the filter controls provided. One of the advantages of this new feature is the fact that you can apply multiple filters in the selected layer and these can be turned on or off by clicking the eye in the layer palette.
I could spend more time writing about this, But I for one am pleased that such technology has been extended in a very productive area.
EXTENDED FEATURES OF NOTE
Photoshop Extended can now for the first time import video files, and it couldn’t be any easier, its like adding a new layer and selecting a movie, this movie shows up as a Video Layer in the Layers panel. Importing is very quick in Photoshop Extended, with a QuickTime movie with a duration of a few minutes it takes a matter of seconds to show up in the application. You then use the new Animation (Timeline) palette to control the frame you’re working with, equally you can change the way the animation feature is viewed by selecting it as frames as like a storyboard.. You can apply non-destructive adjustment layers to multiple frames and add graphic layers to some or all of the frames. The Animation (Timeline) palette also enables you to address individual frames within single layers, so you can edit the video frame by frame. I was so pleased I could use Photoshop tools such as Clone, Text, and Scale. Again much more could be said about this feature and it will be a lot of fun to use for presentations for DVD and the web.
Vanishing Point
“Vanishing Point” is certainly not new within this version as it was a brand new feature in CS2, however it has to be said that it has some serious enhancements which are new, and a very useful one for web and graphic designers.
One way that this has improved is that numerous angles applied by the Angle Control slider, can now place textures and images to multiple planes at the same time. For instance you can wrap a flat image of product packaging artwork around an image of a box or a CD or DVD cover or another type of box object. It understands the underlying perspective and geometry of the object, and applies the image or texture as if it were a 3D element.
The Vanishing Point filter is also part of the standard version. But the difference is in the Extended version it has been enhanced so that once you have applied the filter, you can export the resulting image to a Photoshop layer or a 3D file.
More Features
With such a complex application the features are so numerous that I could go on and on about its capabilities, however there are many advantages to other professions besides the photo editor, for instance architects can benefit from the brand new measurement and image analysis tool, assigning a measurement to a part of an image can automatically assign measurements to other parts too. Those in the medical profession will be pleased to be able to import DICOM files, and process the different types of scans used in that type of working environment.
In Conclusion
Adobe has intelligently incorporated features to speed up the workflow of photographers and other graphic designers, but what is also amazing is their perceptive vision to include tools and features to introduce many other professions in construction, science and the medical fields.
My personal feeling is that the developers have clearly given attention to quality and performance as opposed to bloated features, they have considered the workspace and the tools already used in CS2 and have given dedicated thought to how they can enhance them, position them and give the user the option to modify the workspace according to his project preferences. Furthermore rather than smother the user with lots of little features, they have decided to improve or re-invent these which shows they listen to professional people who need the most efficient and productive workflow for their business.
My final word is this: the application as a whole is truly outstanding and does not disappoint. Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended is indeed a recommended purchase. ( 9 Out Of 10 Rating )
Today Photoshop comes in two versions “CS3 or CS3 Extended” the standard version continues to offer all the advanced features that professional photographers and editors need, however the Extended version goes beyond the photographer needs, it provides tools that will prove useful to web designers and video editors. However it is with the Extended version that we will concentrate our time.
The New Features
When upgrading to a different version of a program it is not always clear as to what are the new features of the updated application, Adobe has provided a way to highlight these within the drop down menu’s. First of all you select “Window” and then select “Workspace” and then click “What’s New in CS3” this will then highlight in blue all the new features of the program. Of course by navigating back you can deselect that option if you no longer require it, however I think it’s a very useful addition for new users.
If you are an experienced user of Photoshop, one of the first things you will notice is a slight change in the interface, Adobe has seen to it that the interface remains as uncluttered as possible, The default workspace shown when you first load up will immediately display a single column tool bar as opposed to the double one used in CS2 this allows more space for your image when previewing your changes. Advanced users of this program will find it useful to save where they want tools and palettes positioned for specific tasks and will be able to navigate to them anytime, simply by dragging these tool boxes and palettes they can be positioned or docked anywhere within the workspace.
Lets now look at some of the new tools that really impressed me :
1/ Quick Selection Tool
Cutting objects out of backgrounds can be a long and laborious task, this new tool is exactly as the name suggests, “Quick”. Intelligently it detects similar colours and textures and applies itself where ever you paint, I tried this with very pleasing results, I didn’t get perfection but it was easy to clean up any mistake by using the Subtract From Selection button, or by pressing the option (Alt) key as you paint. Interestingly in previous versions you could also feather your selection to tidy up the edges this has now been replaced by a new button ( the “Refine Edges” tool ) this sits prominently in the interface when choosing one of the selection tools. This new feature does a superb job of enhancing the object extracted, by providing a dialogue box with a variety of tools to use to perfect the selection with the added bonus of previewing your results in a variety of masks before you move on to the next stage of your project.
2/ Colour Correction
Another excellent enhancement is the “Curves” dialogue box which comes with a histogram background which can be turned on or off, this feature has been improved with more controls, and for new users there are several pre-sets to choose from as well, the histogram will indeed please all professional users in distributing the data correctly across the image, and will work well with the “Levels” tool as well.
An amazing new feature when selecting a non destructive layer is the “Black And White” tool feature, where you are presented with another dialogue box positioned conveniently in the work area for you to adjust individual selections. Within in this area you can manually use sliders for each individual colour or you can click the auto button, there are even pre-sets for you to use, also there is a tint button where you can tweak the hue and saturation as well. But the real feature that I thought was amazing, was the ability to move the mouse from the black and white control panel and click within my project to select an object and drag to the right or left within my image and it would automatically interact with the sliders in the control panel thus identifying the shades as colours making up the image, and providing me a preview at the same time, each colour can be darkened and lightened to suit the preferences of the user, this insures a more improved black and white image with greater tonal and contrast values.
3/ Smart Filters
There is no doubt about it that whilst we all want to try a specific edit in one of our images the chances are that we have changed the pixels forever no matter what application you use, since the introduction of “Smart Objects” and “Adjustment Layers” in Photoshop we now have more latitude in non destructive editing, and up till now when applying filters in previous versions the quality had been affected and thus original layers had to be saved to avoid losing the original image, but now thanks to the inclusion of “Smart Filters” to accompany “Smart Objects” we have now insured a much easier and effective work flow.
To convert a layer to a smart filter you need to begin a two step process by first of all converting the layer to a “Smart Object” this is done by clicking “Filter” at the top of the menu bar and then selecting “Convert For Smart Filters” or you can go to the layer palette and select “Layer”, then “Smart Objects” then “Convert To Smart Objects” the next step is to simply select the filter you want to use and then tweak with the filter controls provided. One of the advantages of this new feature is the fact that you can apply multiple filters in the selected layer and these can be turned on or off by clicking the eye in the layer palette.
I could spend more time writing about this, But I for one am pleased that such technology has been extended in a very productive area.
EXTENDED FEATURES OF NOTE
Photoshop Extended can now for the first time import video files, and it couldn’t be any easier, its like adding a new layer and selecting a movie, this movie shows up as a Video Layer in the Layers panel. Importing is very quick in Photoshop Extended, with a QuickTime movie with a duration of a few minutes it takes a matter of seconds to show up in the application. You then use the new Animation (Timeline) palette to control the frame you’re working with, equally you can change the way the animation feature is viewed by selecting it as frames as like a storyboard.. You can apply non-destructive adjustment layers to multiple frames and add graphic layers to some or all of the frames. The Animation (Timeline) palette also enables you to address individual frames within single layers, so you can edit the video frame by frame. I was so pleased I could use Photoshop tools such as Clone, Text, and Scale. Again much more could be said about this feature and it will be a lot of fun to use for presentations for DVD and the web.
Vanishing Point
“Vanishing Point” is certainly not new within this version as it was a brand new feature in CS2, however it has to be said that it has some serious enhancements which are new, and a very useful one for web and graphic designers.
One way that this has improved is that numerous angles applied by the Angle Control slider, can now place textures and images to multiple planes at the same time. For instance you can wrap a flat image of product packaging artwork around an image of a box or a CD or DVD cover or another type of box object. It understands the underlying perspective and geometry of the object, and applies the image or texture as if it were a 3D element.
The Vanishing Point filter is also part of the standard version. But the difference is in the Extended version it has been enhanced so that once you have applied the filter, you can export the resulting image to a Photoshop layer or a 3D file.
More Features
With such a complex application the features are so numerous that I could go on and on about its capabilities, however there are many advantages to other professions besides the photo editor, for instance architects can benefit from the brand new measurement and image analysis tool, assigning a measurement to a part of an image can automatically assign measurements to other parts too. Those in the medical profession will be pleased to be able to import DICOM files, and process the different types of scans used in that type of working environment.
In Conclusion
Adobe has intelligently incorporated features to speed up the workflow of photographers and other graphic designers, but what is also amazing is their perceptive vision to include tools and features to introduce many other professions in construction, science and the medical fields.
My personal feeling is that the developers have clearly given attention to quality and performance as opposed to bloated features, they have considered the workspace and the tools already used in CS2 and have given dedicated thought to how they can enhance them, position them and give the user the option to modify the workspace according to his project preferences. Furthermore rather than smother the user with lots of little features, they have decided to improve or re-invent these which shows they listen to professional people who need the most efficient and productive workflow for their business.
My final word is this: the application as a whole is truly outstanding and does not disappoint. Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended is indeed a recommended purchase. ( 9 Out Of 10 Rating )
Adobe Photoshop CS3 Software Review