Product Description

UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE HOTTEST TRICKS, AND MOST REQUESTED PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS IN ONE AMAZING BOOK!

Scott Kelby, co-host of Photoshop User TV and the world’s #1 bestselling Photoshop author, is back to unlock the secrets of an amazing new collection of the latest eye-popping, jaw-dropping, Photoshop special effects—the same kind that made Scott’s previous editions of this book one of the top selling Photoshop books in history.

You’ll learn some of the most closely guarded Photoshop CS4 special effects—the same ones you see on TV, in magazines, and on the Web. Using Scott’s simple step-by-step method, with hundreds of full-color images, you’ll see exactly how it’s all done. The book is written so clearly, and it is so easy to follow, you’ll immediately be able to create all of these effects yourself. You’ll learn:

    • The latest photographic special effects
    • How to fake studio shots (you’ll be amazed at how it’s done)
    • The latest cutting-edge type effects
    • The most popular effects used by big movie studios
    • The most-requested advertising effects
    • Commercial effects that clients go crazy over!
    • The most asked-for current Web effects
    • Amazing 3D effects using Photoshop Extended
    • Plus loads of effects that look hard, but are easy once you know the secrets

And not only that, but the whole book is packed with creative ideas, layouts, and design techniques that will help you unleash your own creativity. It’s all here, in the only Photoshop book of its kind. You're gonna love it!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12587 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

From the Back Cover
Bestselling author Scott Kelby, Editor of Photoshop User magazine, is back to unlock even more secrets of the most closely guarded special effects. Using his clear, plain-English step-by-step method with tons of beautiful images, readers will see exactly how it's all done. Plus, it's more than just an effects book; it's a tips book, too, with cool new tips and shortcuts scattered throughout the book! Covering the newest and best features of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks is completely updated! This book's not another rehash of masking, pixels, and file formats, or resolution--it's nothing but the cool stuff that will make the readers', the clients', and the boss's jaws drop!

About the Author
Scott Kelby is president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), the trade organization for Adobe Photoshop users, which has 70,000 members worldwide. Scott is also Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine. He's the co-host of the highly acclaimed Photoshop User TV, and teaches photography and imaging workshops around the world. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering, Photoshop World. 

Customer Reviews

Clear guides lead you step by step
There are some really nice effects in this book. Some I have seen in other books (hardly surprising) but there were enough new techniques discussed here to warrant a good review score.

Topics covered include:

Studio Effects
Commercial Special Effects
Type Effects
Reflecting Effects
Photo Effects
3D Effects

There are more categories too but you get the picture. The book is very much results orientated. Light on the tutorial front and heavy on the workshop.

This is fine, as long as you are not a complete beginner. If you want to have a bit more of a helping hand, then take a look at "How to cheat at Photoshop" as the first few chapters of that provide an excellent tutorial on selections, the pen tool etc.


My only gripe is that at the start of each tutorial they don't show what the finished result is going to be. You have to flip through the pages until the end, decide whether you want to learn how to do the effect, then flip back again. A minor moan. Other than that, this was a nice, well presented book with the stages clearly shown.

Photoshop - down and dirty

I have already worked thru two great scott kelby books on photoshop. The seven point system and CS4 book for digital photographers. This book takes you to thru how photo montages are built. Its pretty good but not as good as Caplins book - How to Cheat in Photoshop CS4: The art of creating photorealistic montages

Both books assume a fair level of understanding. Not for beginners.

An excellent book for photographers and non-photographers
Scott does it again with the inside track on how to create some amazing effects with simple step by step instructions using Photoshop CS4.

It doesn't cover RAW manipulation or photo editing but this book is not about this (as it says on the back cover!), it's a great guide to creating some amazing designs.

Tony