Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) 5.0 Classroom in a Book
by Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Press
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (26 June, 2001)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $32.61
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Reviews (8)

Worse than Useless
Acrobat 5 is a great product, but Adobe has done a lousy job of communicating its many valuable features and how to use it. Totally unstructured and unintelligible, this book is an example of what happens when computer programmers attempt to communicate in English.

I recently participated in an Acrobat focus group made up of people who use the product in their daily work. Everyone agreed that it's very useful in a wide range of applications, but they all had real difficulties learning how to use it. This book only adds to the problem.

UGH!!
After plodding through many chapters of this book, I am totally exasperated. Not only was the book fraught with errors, but the information was, at best, inadequate. I am an indexer and a Mac user. You cannot create an index in OS X and that is not documented in the book. It is apparent that the authors, Adobe staff, never tested the instructions for the lessons on OS X. in addition, there are too many "check online for information about xxxx" references. If i wanted the information online, I would not have purchased a book. The waste of money is small compared to the waste of my time. One star is definitely a high rating for this book.

Very Informative!
This was a great buy. I've learned a lot in just the 1st 70 pages. It paid for itself! ... Read more

Isbn: 0201729377
Sales Rank: 144922
Subjects:  1. Adobe Acrobat    2. Adobe software    3. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computers    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Electronic Publishing    9. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    10. Microcomputer Programming    11. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    12. Portable document software    13. Word Processing - General   

Creating Adobe Acrobat Forms
by John Deubert
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (21 May, 2002)
list price: $29.00 -- our price: $19.14
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Reviews (1)

The Missing Manual for Acrobat Forms
John Deubert is a very experienced former Adobe technologistwho is a master at teaching Adobe Postscript and Acrobat classes. Who better to provide instruction and insights into the intricacies ofcreating Adobe Acrobat forms? His explanations are very easy to read and understand, even when addressing Javascript enhancements for form building. Though there is no CD included with the book, tutorial document samples are readily available from his website. Building Acrobat forms? Get this book! ... Read more

Isbn: 0321112210
Sales Rank: 154672
Subjects:  1. Adobe Acrobat    2. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    7. Microcomputer Programming    8. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    9. Portable document software    10. Text processing (Computer science)    11. Word Processing - General    12. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Adobe Acrobat 5 Master Class
by Pattie Belle Hastings, Bjorn Akselsen, Sandee Cohen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 July, 2002)
list price: $45.00
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Reviews (19)

This is the one...
It's too bad that versions of software change so fast because this is a great book!I still find myself referring to it even though I've used Acrobat since the dawn of time.Of all the books you can get, this is the one to spend your money on!

One of the Best!
I have to concur with the NY reviewer who said this is a manual that all others should aspire to. How to's and examples are often presented in multiple forms to aid in understanding. The illustrations are clean, clear, and exremely helpful. The writing is concise, clear, and actually fun to read! The included CD presents wonderful examples of state-of-the art pdfs. While hardly a geek, I found myself reading the book before bed at night simply because it was so interesting! Kudos to the authors! I highly recommend this book not only to anyone wishing to learn everything worth knowing about Acrobat but also to anyone who aspires to write a similar text. It's a master class in information presentation as well as how to produce pdf's.

The Best out of Four
I bought four books on Acrobat 5, and this one is by far the best. It is written conceptually. It appeals to the senses as well as providing an education. Taking vast amounts of information and refining it so that it is presented simply yet thoroughly. I enjoy reading it.
I also bought Classroom in a book by the Adobe Creative Team and it is work. I am sure over time I will derive a lot from it, but Master Class is fun. You would never know that your working because you are too busy seeing all the cool stuff you can do with Adobe 5 and how to do it.
I also bought Real World PDF with Adobe Acrobat 5 by Anita Dennis, Industrial Strength Production Techniques, and that is a book for advanced students. It explains everything clearly, and is a big benefit for explaining the details on how to fit Adobe PDF into your print production overflow.
Adobe PDF is so much more than simply converting your files. It appears simple on the outside, but when you read Adobe 5 Master Class, you will be enthralled with how much more it does. Highly recommended for beginners and advanced students. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201748835
Sales Rank: 314291
Subjects:  1. Adobe Acrobat    2. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Electronic Publishing    7. File conversion (Computer scie    8. File conversion (Computer science)    9. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    10. Interactive multimedia    11. Microcomputer Programming    12. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    13. PDF (Computer file format)    14. Word Processing - General    15. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book
by Adobe Creative Team
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 June, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $31.17
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Editorial Review

Each Classroom in a Book features consistently well-written and conceived lessons, part of Adobe's official training and certification program. They guarantee solid instruction, taking readers step-by-step through professional-level projects with topnotch artwork. Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book book assumes no prior knowledge, and beginners will benefit from the slow and deliberate pacing. However, more experienced Photoshop users won't find it difficult to speed ahead through familiar material and there's a thorough index for troubleshooting specific problems. They'll find new techniques to make their workflow more efficient, and, perhaps, "unlearn" any bad habits (for example, getting a better grayscale conversion for a color photo by using the Channel Mixer rather than clicking "Mode > Grayscale").

Chapters cover the fundamentals: the work environment and help resources; making selections (with the wand, lasso, and marquee tools); using layers and masks; working with the pen tool and other vector graphics techniques; retouching and color correcting; selected effects like hand coloring; color-management issues; and creating images for print or the Web. Areas new to version 7 include working with the File Browser, using the new paint engine to create custom brushes and patterns, and working with the healing brush and cloning stamp.

All lesson project files and fonts are on the companion CD-ROM. Each lesson begins by outlining what will be learned and how long the project should take, and ends with review Q&A. The color section not only shows finished artwork for several projects, but also includes some useful reference pages: a toolbox overview (with color illustrations of what each tool does), a layer blending mode sampler, and a set of images helpful in color management.

In addition to the above topics, the book also shows how to create slices and optimize images in both Photoshop and ImageReady, make rollovers and animations in ImageReady, and use droplets for batch processing. You may not become a power user after these tutorials, but you'll certainly have a firm working knowledge of Photoshop upon which to build expert skills. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Good introductory text, but not the best reference tool
While I had tinkered around with Photoshop a bit in the past, I had to buckle down and get serious about it for work a few years ago.Before picking up "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book," I could perform basic photo manipulations and touch-ups, but not much more.

I was able to work through "Photoshop 7.0 CIB" in about a week.The book's divided into 18 lessons, all roughly the same length, so it was easy to map out a plan and stick to it.The instructions are straightforward, clearly written, understandable, and informative.The beginning chapters (Getting to Know the Work Area and Using the File Browser) are perhaps a bit basic, but might be necessary for those completely unfamiliar with the program.The remaining 12 lessons cover the essentials, including basic photo corrections; working with selections; layer basics; masks and channels; retouching and repairing; painting and editing; basic pen tool techniques; vector masks, paths, and shapes; advanced layer techniques; creating special effects; preparing images for two-color printing; optimizing web images and image maps; adding interactive slices and rollovers; creating animated images; setting up your monitor for color management; and producing and printing consistent color.I did find two major mistakes that make completing the lessons impossible, but the good news is that they're only moderately difficult to spot.

After completing this guide, my understanding of Photoshop increased exponentially.It helped to familiarize me with tools which I had never used before (some of which I'll probably never use again!), and increased my confidence in regards to tools I already knew how to use.It's an excellent introductory guide to Photoshop 7.0 (indeed, it was the first Photoshop manual I purchased and actually completed!).

However, I've since upgraded to Photoshop 8.0 CS, and have read a number of 8.0 manuals.As I've graduated to more advanced graphics manipulation, I also find myself constantly referring to Photoshop books when I try a technique that I've learned but haven't yet mastered.I can honestly say that "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" is always the last book I pick up - it's a last resort, and is almost never of any use.While it does help you learn the Photoshop basics, it isn't very helpful as a reference tool.Rather than teaching you the finer points of using a specific tool (including its many options, and when it's best to choose one tool over another), the "Classroom in a Book" just demonstrates the mechanics.Thus, it's virtually useless as a reference tool - it can introduce you to Photoshop's capabilities, but can't help you apply them beyond the basic lessons in the text.

Although newbies will find this book helpful, there are better ones out there which can both introduce you to the program AND act as long-term reference tools.I can guarantee that you'll read through "Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book" once, maybe even twice, but after that it will just gather dust on your bookshelf.You're better off spending your cash on a book that you'll keep out on your desk, close at hand, until your next Photoshop upgrade.For an indispensable all-purpose guide to Photoshop, I highly recommend "Photoshop 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh" (or CS, if you have the newest version) by Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas.It may be light on fancy illustrations and glossy pictures - but that's why it's one of the more affordable manuals on the market!


- Kelly Garbato

Author, ePublisher, Web Mistress
Peedee Publishing / Hot Dog!, LLC

Best way to learn photoshop
Still struggling with Photoshop even though you've purchased a half dozen or so "how to" books? Then you need to purchase "Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book". Believe me - because I've bought them all - this is the best tutorial Photoshop book for the beginner. Work through each of the eighteen chapters and MOST IMPORTANTLY, go back and carefully review what you've done to cement your knowledge. So if you've already purchased other Photoshop books and you still don't get it, theres hope. After you diligently work through "Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book", those other Photoshop books that you paid your hard earned money for will make a lot more sense. I've lived and learned.

Great Book
This is a must have for beginners. There is nothing else like it. It's very easy to follow lessons and it comes with a CD that contains all lessons and in every lesson they give you the final result so you can compare and see did you do it right. MUST HAVE BOOK. ... Read more

Isbn: 0321115627
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    4. Computer graphics    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Digital photography    7. Digital techniques    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Interactive & Multimedia    10. Microcomputer Graphics    11. Photo Techniques    12. Photographic Techniques Using Specific Equipment    13. Photography    14. Techniques - Equipment    15. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Studio Techniques
by Ben Willmore
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (26 June, 2002)
list price: $50.00 -- our price: $33.66
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Reviews (19)

A Great Starter and Reference Book
I bought this book because I had to for a class.I really didn't use it that much but when I had a problem or wanted to do something I found this book very useful.Before this book I would do a google of my question but often online explainations are weak.This book not only answered my questions thoroughly but gave examples on how to do things from time to time.If you want to learn how to use Photoshop, I would definitely reccommend this book.I would also reccommend this book if you are just want a reference guide for Photoshop.

Not a beginners book
I'm new to Photoshop and this book is not helping me to learn it. The techniques discribed in this book look great but you have to know Photoshop pretty well before you can use them.Probably a good book - but not for beginners.

GREAT Book!
I've been a graphic designer for 5 years and there was stuff in this book that I didn't know! I don't think it's a "Beginner's Book" but if you know the basics and you're a graphic designer for the web OR print then this is the book you've been looking for . ... Read more

Isbn: 0321115635
Sales Rank: 116930
Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    6. Computer graphics    7. Computers    8. Desktop Publishing    9. Desktop Publishing - General    10. Electronic Publishing    11. Internet - General    12. Microcomputer Graphics    13. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe Photoshop Master Class: John Paul Caponigro, Second Edition
by John Paul Caponigro
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (14 February, 2003)
list price: $55.00 -- our price: $36.30
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Editorial Review

The author (the son of Paul Caponigro, a photographer in the traditionof Minor White and Ansel Adams) of Adobe Photoshop Master Class is askilled art photographer who specializes in intriguing naturescapes that oftenemploy compositing and mirroring. In this book, he shares the photographicwisdom and Photoshop methods that helped create these colorful, mysteriousimages.

The title is appropriate: the book is modeled after master classes withperformance artists; for example, operatic training with Maria Callas. Thereaders get to see, in detail, Caponigro's techniques and read his philosophies.This demonstration includes Photoshop basics that apply to all types of digitalimaging, including calibration, adjustment layers, variations, levels, andcurves. It also covers visual principles that are essential to photography ingeneral, like proportion, scale, light, and shadows (including Ansel Adams'sZone system), and--important in the author's own work--reflection andtessellation.

The images, which are generally devoid of the human form, have an otherworldlystillness. Their quiet intensity translates well into book form: the typographyand layout resemble a museum catalog, with widely leaded, delicate lines oftype. Readers who prefer skimming through how-to books for quick results will bedaunted by the level of in-depth attention that this book demands. On the otherhand, those who hope to use Photoshop for high-end digital imaging (not justpreparing JPEGs for the Web or 600-dpi images for print) will be rewarded by theauthor's extensive experience and painstaking attention to detail.

Most chapters discuss different issues (e.g., color or shadows) and useCaponigro's images as examples. The discussion is in a narrative form, withquotes and references to artists of all kinds, from Matisse to Goethe. It's likegaining admission to the most competitive graduate seminar, hosted by a renownedartist-in-residence. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered:

Techniques for using Photoshop (version 5 or higher) on fine digital imaging,including:

• Monitor calibration
• Image resolution
• Applying levels and curves to the Zone system
• Output to print or film

And photographic issues and Photoshop methods used in the author's work,including:

• Photomontage
• Proportion
• Contrast
• Color
• Multiple exposure

... Read more

Reviews (30)

Good techniquesbut mostly about vision and esthetics
I too found the very thin and light type of this book very hard to read. However, after vowing to slog through it anyway, I found the discussions of the techniques to be well done. The problem, which can be viewed as either good or bad depending on your bend of mind, is that the author takes the reader on his personal journey of discovery of digital art. And personal journeys takes a long time and are somewhat boring for anyone else but the person himself. Starting from a photography background, I found the artistic point of view interesting, even educational and inspiring, but too much of a good thing. After a while, I started skimming the main text and reading the 'methods' summary at the end of each chapter which spelled out the techniques in a nutshell.

Best for someone with lots of Photoshop experience
I because acquainted through this book because it is a required text for a second-level digital photography class I'm taking in college.I've read almost all of it. While there is a lot of valuable information (particularly with regard to monitor calibration), this book definitely has some issues.

Firstly, Caponigro's New Age tone is ponderous and meandering, and it's difficult to discern the necessary concrete tips hidden among the adjectives.The methods, in particular, are poorly organized. I took a Photoshop class (completing Adobe's Classroom in a Book), and I found the lack of intermediary steps to be challenging.

For this reason, my instructor--after many student complaints--dropped the requirement that we complete a number of "methods" (Caponigro's term for exercises) in this book.We are now free to choose other, clearer exercises from the multitude of Photoshop books available.

Also, while I appreciate the expertise that has gone into Caponigro's artwork, I don't care for most of the work itself, and I am not alone in my view. (Just how many bilaterally-symmetrical floating rocks does a reader really need to see?) While I'm aware that this is a personal bias, it definitely affects my overall impression of the book. If Caponigro's tone was a little less arrogant, I'd let that slide, but it's a sticking point for me.

Ultimately, I am sure there are people who would find this book to be a perfect fit. I am not one of them. I would recommend that anyone new to Photoshop stay far away until they've gathered a lot of experience and patience with the program. Perhaps at that point they'd be ready.

This is a "why" book
The shelves are packed with books teaching you how to create an effect in photoshop. How many units of this, and what filter to combine with this, yadda yadda.
This book is the complete opposite. Just the first few chapters blew my mind away! When the author talked about cuves and levels, I went crazy because I never knew there was so much to understand about them. Now I feel like I really know what I'm doing rather than simply bend the curves and hope for the best. I'm reading this book after reading Photoshop CS Bible (Pro Edition) and this is far far far more in-depth. Let me make one thing clear. If it werent for the bible, I have a feeling I'd be lost in this book. You definitely need to know your photoshop well to really understand this book. It takes you from undertandint photoshop, to understanding other things related to it such as printing and color calibration. It is in my opinion very advanced level and sometimes even I am lost in the author's words.
This book is a "why" book and teaches you the reasoning behind a lot of things related to photoshop. Its like the saying, give a man a fish and feed him for one day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. In the same way, you can learn 100 different cool effects from any other photoshop book, but when it comes time to make that 101th effect, your lost and can only randomly make choices in photohop. This book explains the theory behind a lot of these things and thus when you see an ideea in your head, you know how to realize it..
This book took me a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to get through because its content is so heavy but otherwise, I have both my thumbs up! ... Read more

Isbn: 0321130103
Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    6. Computer graphics    7. Computers    8. Desktop Publishing    9. Desktop Publishing - General    10. Electronic Publishing    11. Microcomputer Graphics    12. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe Photoshop 7 Web Design with GoLive 6
by Michael Baumgardt
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (26 June, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $30.60
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (16)

notice the review ratings are padded by the author?
I am always extremely suspicious of any book where the author does a review of his own book and gives himself 5 stars in an attempt to influence buying behavior. Also note that there is another "name" that repeatedly assigns this book 5 stars 3 different times. Kinda makes you wonder about the book deosnt it?

After looking at this book I recommend you should review this book yourself carefully before making a buy decision and not rely on the positive "reviews" you see here.

The best book on the subject. No update for CS planned
I am the author of this book and if you are looking for the most advanced book on the subject, this is it. There is no other book out there that covers Web Design with Photoshop to that level. For people who look for an easy how-to book, this might not be the right choice, but for anyone who wants to be an expert in Web Design with Photoshop, you simply have to buy this one because the information that you get in this book is not available in anywhere else. For example, the information on image compression is unsurpassed and this book has many gems in it that you won't find when browsing quickly through the book. I can only encourage you to compare this book to others before you make a buying decision (it is also the most beautifully designed book on the market which in my opinion is important. After all, this is a book for designers). But the main reason for me writing a review here is to inform you that THERE WILL BE NO UPDATE OF THE BOOK FOR CS! My publisher and I decided a long time ago that we were going to skip this software release simply because it didn't have enough new web features to justify the time and cost to print a new edition (plus I was working hard on my QuarkXPress 6 book). If you own Photoshop CS and are looking for a Photoshop Web Design book, you can buy this book without having to worry about if the content still applies. It does! The only two things that have changed in CS is that you have now Layer Comps (allowing you to save a layer combination) and a different HTML export when using the slicing tool. I probably will post some updates on my web site ... Very truly yours, Michael

Very disappointing.
I bought this book on the basis of Scott Kelby's glowing recommendations. Having gone through the book, either Kelby's taste differs from mine or he was doing another author a favor.
There is very little on using Photoshop as a web design tool. The book, while extremely well illustrated and designed, is nothing more than another cookbook of Photoshop hints and tips. It is not particularly well written and is often sparse on detail. Many of the tecchniques are taken from others (some with appropriate attribution provided). The substantial number of pages devoted to Adobe GoLive are wasted -- unless you are a GoLive user.
Overall, not a book I would recommend and one that I am strongly considering returning while I can.

Jerry ... Read more

Isbn: 0321115619
Sales Rank: 210866
Subjects:  1. Adobe GoLive    2. Adobe Photoshop    3. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    7. Computer graphics    8. Computers    9. Design    10. Desktop Publishing    11. Desktop Publishing - General    12. Electronic Publishing    13. Internet - Web Site Design    14. Microcomputer Graphics    15. Web sites    16. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Design Essentials for Adobe Photoshop 7 and Illustrator 10 (4th Edition)
by Luanne Seymour Cohen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (09 July, 2002)
list price: $40.00 -- our price: $28.82
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Editorial Review

Luanne Seymour Cohen has assembled another solid design "cookbook" in which the recipes are complete meals, not just snacks. Design Essentials for Adobe Photoshop 7 and Illustrator 10 has step-by-step instructions forreal-world design and illustration problems using Photoshop and Illustrator. It's perfect for those times when you know exactly which visual style youneed--perhaps a neon lighting effect or that cool "graphic novel" look. And it's equally as helpful for times when you're just looking for inspiration or to sharpen your skills--for example, learning how Channels can be better for turning a photo from color to grayscale.

Projects include transforming a photograph into various styles of painterly images and into a mosaic composition that looks handcrafted out of tissue paper. Readers also find out how to simulate marbled paper, make transparent shadows and gradients on a path, draw 3-D packages and bar charts, create type with a scratchboard fill or even in the style of a '60s psychedelic poster. One section shows a sampling of filter combinations, like "Mosaic + Ripple" and "Dry Brush + Graphic Pen."

Design Essentials is laid out with the steps on the left of the page, color screen shots on the right. Although this is not a "basics" book, even a beginner would be able to follow along. The book assumes that readers are familiar with Photoshop and Illustrator, but a nifty appendix of shortcuts and handy tips (for example, hit the X key to switch the foreground/background colors) makes this a great reference for readers of all levels. And even though the focus is on the latest versions of Photoshop and Illustrator, several of the sections will still make sense to those readers who haven't yet upgraded.

Featuring completely new examples, this book's usefulness will last long after newer versions of Photoshop and Illustrator have come out. I still regularly reach for my copy of Cohen's 1993 Imaging Essentials (featuring similar tips on using Photoshop 2.5 and Illustrator 5!). This new edition has now earned a prominent place on my bookshelf as well.--Mike Caputo ... Read more

Reviews (11)

THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR WEB ARTISTS
I am not an artistically gifted person, so I was excited to see this book.I hoped, by the title, that there would be some good ideas for doing cool stuff with vector graphics in Illustrator and then optimizing them for the web with Photoshop, but I was sadly mistaken.The coolest elements of this book were the "60's Style" Conformed Text and the Text Following Path tidbits, but anyone with much experience in Illustrator probably already knows those things.

Do not get this book if you're looking for inspiration for web graphics.

Slight additions to 3rd Edition
It is an interesting book if you happen not to have the previous edition.
There are not too many new examples, these are added to most that appeared on 3rd edition. Sadly a compact narrow book format has replaced a more suited wide desktop size.
Techniques have not either got to far or up, is still somewhat basic and does not cover transparencies or other Illustrator 9/10 features.
A pity I went on holidays and could not return it on time. If you have have earlier book, look elsewhere.

Useful and inspiring
I'm not a professional graphic designer. But as a graphics enthusiast, and webmaster by profession, i take my occasional graphic design work quite seriously. As someone who is always searching for ways to use PhotoShop in better, more efficient ways, I found this book to be both helpful and inspiring.

Design Essentials is a very hands-on book, providing basic, short instructions, which familiarize the beginner and novice PhotoShop user with all the little tricks that transform an image from "nice" to "great", as well as providing the necessary explanations and "how-to" information on those tools beginners like myself still need to discover and maximize the full potential of.

Personally, i had a lot of fun both reading the book, and experimenting with its tutorials. I just wish I had a copy of Adobe Illustrator, since it seems like a wonderful tool. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201713632
Subjects:  1. Adobe Illustrator    2. Adobe Illustrator (Computer fi    3. Adobe Photoshop    4. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computer Graphics - Illustrator    7. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    8. Computer graphics    9. Computers    10. Interactive & Multimedia    11. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe Illustrator 10 Classroom in a Book
by Adobe Creative Team
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 February, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $31.43
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Reviews (10)

Best beginners supplement to product manual
Although I had a lot of experience with CAD programs, I struggled with Illustrator 8. I finally upgraded to v. 10 and bought Classroom In a Book for that version. You CAN teach yourself Illustrator with the manual and this book in a few weeks. ICIAB is a good supplement to the manual, which for reasons that always baffled me, has too few illustrations for information aimed at visually oriented people.

You will have to do some experimentation to get full benefit from the lessons, but I picked up things I was clueless on before. It does help to have some additional book such as Visual series (PeachPit Press) for details not covered.

Downside: some errors of tools or keys, nothing serious. But I was disappointed by two topics; the web chapter separately covers making a Flash animation for the web, and slicing a graphic for the web, but while the "finished" version of the lesson shows both in a complete web page, the lesson doesn't tell you how to put them together without the Adobe Web program (too expensive for me). You have put both html files in a text editor and combine them using the complete example for reference as to where to put the Flash file and what to include or leave out.

Also, the section in lesson 6 on data/variable objects is applied in a page of business cards, but doesn't explain how to get the data base and variable fields applied to all incidences of the biz cards on the sheet. I did figure it out for myself, but it took me about an hour of experiment, and is almost as tedious as just editing the file, though once the database is set up it would be quick to print out new cards with the variations.

But overall, a really good way to learn Illustrator to an intermediate level, and a whole lot cheaper than any class I've looked into (plus classes tend to be taught on MACs in my area).

Tutorial style book for creating illustrations, artwork, etc
After first determining why I needed Illustrator when I already had Photoshop, I picked up this book because of my positive experience with another book from this Classroom in a Book series (Photoshop 7.0). And this book does not disappoint in the least bit either.

It follows a tutorial style approach to teaching how to use Illustrator (both Mac and Windows versions). The book is mostly black and white with all the relevant color pictures tucked between lesson 12 and 13. It hasn't caused me any problems as I follow along on the computer as I read the book (I have a color monitor).

In 15 lessons, this book does an excellent job of teaching you how to use Illustrator 10 without having to be in a classroom. All lesson files are on the CD-ROM that comes with the book. The book starts off with explaining how to use the Work Area and builds from the basic to the more complex topics. The basic topics of creating shapes, painting, drawing, working with brushes are followed by the more difficult topics of transforming objects, working with type, blending shapes and colors, etc.

Even though the two programs Photoshop and Illustrator are coming closer with each new version, the main differences between them are to do with whether you want to start with an existing photo and modify it for print & web or you want to start from scratch and create illustrations and artwork for print & web. I am oversimplifying here but this explanation helps me keep the differences between these two programs straight in my head.

The technological differences are that Photoshop uses bitmaps to represent images and Illustrator uses vectors (and complex mathematical equations) to represent the images. Of course, you don't need to bother with this part as it is irrelevant to using the tools effectively.

I use both Photoshop and Illustrator for basic web design but mostly stay with Photoshop. The reason for this is that I am a photographer and have never been good at artwork so I use Illustrator mostly as a hobby to improve my creativity in this area. It has been a lot of fun for me and I hope the same for you! Have fun learning to use this amazing and cool tool! And don't forget to check out Adobe's website for their latest release of Adobe CS (Creative Suite) that includes the next version of Illustrator after Illustrator 10.

If you're going to criticize someone...
This book came highly recommended by an Illustrator 10 instuctor.It's an excellent resource for a very powerful software application.One doesn't need to be very technically oriented to get the most out of this book.

(Note to "A reader" from Hollywood, CA USA:You may benefit from the English course into which you suggested Chris Youngs enroll himself.I am confident that, if you do, you will learn that languages are always capitalized.Until then, perhaps you will realize that you do not possess perfect grammar skills either and your tacky comments should kept to yourself.) ... Read more

Isbn: 0201756242
Sales Rank: 28255
Subjects:  1. Adobe Illustrator    2. Adobe Illustrator (Computer fi    3. Adobe Illustrator (Computer file)    4. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    5. Computer Books And Software    6. Computer Graphics - General    7. Computer Graphics - Illustrator    8. Computer graphics    9. Computers    10. Desktop Publishing - General    11. Microcomputer Graphics   

Adobe Master Class: Illustrator Illuminated
by Ted Padova, Barbara Obermeier
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (19 December, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $29.70
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (1)

Disappointing read
I'm a big fan of the WOW! computer graphics books, but after quickly glancing at Illustrator Illuminated at my local book store, I decided to try it. I've read almost all of it, and am disappointed in its content. The WOW! books are extemely detailed in the instruction they give regarding a particular procedure; this book gives very general instruction, skipping steps and leaving many questions unanswered. Perhaps the artists didn't want to divulge ALL of their creative secrets, or there just wasn't enough room. Some of the screen shots are small enough to need a magnifying glass, which renders them relatively useless. The book has the feeling that it was thrown together hastily; the introduction mentions the tight deadline they had to get the book to print. It's obvious. It isn't terribly thought-out, there are typos and the text tends to be repititious. One interesting feature: each artist describes something they would like Illustrator to include. I appreciated the more fanciful responses! ... Read more

Isbn: 0201775735
Sales Rank: 357812
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computer Graphics - Illustrator    5. Computers    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    9. Word Processing - General    10. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe InDesign 2.0 Classroom in a Book
by Adobe Creative Team
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (03 April, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $32.59
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

If you're looking for thorough, at-home training in any Adobe application, the Classroom in a Book series is a good choice. Slow, deliberate pacing is a hallmark of these well-written books. Readers work through a wide variety of projects using professional-quality graphics and fonts (supplied on a companion CD-ROM). Rather than the personal "avoid-the-mistakes-I-made" quality of many how-tos, the series employs a more serious tone befitting books that are recognized as part of the official Adobe certification training.

Readers begin with a Quick Tour tutorial that briefly covers all of the basics--working with tools and palettes, placing graphics and text. It's a great first dip in the water for those coming from QuarkXPress. From there, the lessons focusin more depth on specific areas: the work environment, setting up a new document with master pages, working with colors and gradients, importing and linking graphics, drawing with vectors, adjusting typography and editing text, creating tables, working with XML, exporting to PDF, color management, and much more. The lessons work best when followed sequentially; each includes many smaller tips that become helpful in later lessons. Sidebars feature handy information from the user's guide. (Although a trial version of the application does not come on the CD-ROM, it's available for download at Adobe.com.)

It's the Photoshop- and Illustrator-type features within InDesign that make it so much more fun to use than rival Quark. This book shows you how to do cool things with transparencies, blending modes, feathered edges, and drop shadows, a lot of which is new to version 2.0. There are also exercises that cover less wow-inducing (but just as time-saving) tools for creating indexes and making tables.

Frequent illustrations and screen shots help readers monitor their progress. Chapter summaries and review questions let beginners test their confidence in the material before moving on, and allow experienced users to skip material they already know.

The book has a few minor errors, a couple of which might just be platform related. Despite these, Adobe InDesign 2.0 Classroom in a Book is the best way to learn a powerful application that makes print design a breeze. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Surprising Disappointment
My review of this book echoes those before me insofar as the typos are concerned. I am transitioning over to InDesign from Pagemaker and thank goodness I know Adobe products as well as I do.In the first 25 pages there are over 5 major errors that cost time. They misnumber their example pages (ie: see page 3 but the picture they show is actually of page 2) to telling you the wrong menu to select (Go to type>text wrap, when in reality the text wrap command is under window>text wrap) Since I have a good knowledge of Adobe, I can overcome this, but if you are not mostly familiar with adobe's interfaces through photoshop, pagemaker, etc, this IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU. I love a lot of the CIB books too, but this one is a miserable experience.Hope they get a new editor before they lose more readers. Plus, once you open the classwork CD you can't return the book. Don't make my mistake!

Passable for Some
I'm a really big fan of the classroom in a book series, so I bought the book despite other reviewers warnings of errors in the book. I'll confirm that the book had errors, sometimes annoying ones. The technical mistakes divide the book's useful customer base in half. If you feel you have enough software/Adobe experience to recognize when the book is wrong, then I'd still recommend this book, as the format of CIAB is great. If you're newer to professional software, and think you'll be thrown into disarray when the book instructs you to do something that doesn't work - then this may not be a good purchase. I'm glad I bought the book, as I now know how to use InDesign.

In Design Classroom in a Book errors
I am not a computer expert. I purchased InDesign Classroom in a book because I knew it would go step by step. Unfortunately there are fonts needed that are not on the disk (i.e. Adobe Garamond Pro, Graceless...?) Making a substitution does not always work. There are too many errors in the book. The biggest problem is trying to find an e-mail question site. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201787202
Subjects:  1. Adobe InDesign    2. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Desktop publishing    7. Electronic Publishing    8. Microcomputer Text Processing Software   

Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story
by Pamela Pfiffner, Pamela Pfiffner
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (16 September, 2002)
list price: $50.00 -- our price: $31.50
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (5)

A pleasure
A pleasure to read, both for the inspiration coming from reading about people being very successful being idealistic, and from learning about the history of the Desktop Publishing revolution.

"Book of the Year" AWARD for 2002
We at the Designer's Bookshelf have just awarded this book "THE BOOK OF THE YEAR" award for 2002. These awards are given by the editors and staff at the Design Bookshelf, DT&G Magazine, and the Graphic Design network as top choices for all those involved in the design, publishing and visual arts fields.

More, more, more!
The only real flaw in this book is I want more. Adobe's story is fascinating, and I could probably read a detailed history of each product without being bored. (And I would have loved to have found out why Adobe never made an Illustrator 5 or 6 for the PC). ... Read more

Isbn: 0321115643
Sales Rank: 341871
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Electronic Publishing    7. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    8. Microcomputer Programming    9. Typography    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Adobe(R) Master Class: Design Invitational
by Deke McClelland
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (20 December, 2001)
list price: $50.00 -- our price: $36.07
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

A good advertisement for Adobe software, Design Invitational serves as an inspiring look at how some of the greats do what they do so well. The background of the book: In June 2001, Adobe gathered seven top illustrators and graphic designers to exchange ideas, look over new software, and receive a challenge. Along with some sweet hardware (including a G4 PowerBook and a Fujifilm digital camera), each was assigned a project (poster, Web site, QuickTime movie), to be executed using specific Adobe applications.

For example, Louis Fishauf, an illustrator who makes colorful, whirligig-style compositions, was chosen to work with transparencies in Illustrator, an application at which he was already an expert. Michael Mabry, who mixes his own hand-drawn lettering into his pieces, was more than happy to work in InDesign to make the fluid layouts in his poster. And Ian Kovalik of hillmancurtis.com, a pro with Macromedia's Flash, instead used Adobe's LiveMotion for his Web animation.

Although the book shows off features in Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, LiveMotion, and After Effects, it's less about the tools than the thought processes behind using those tools. Step-by-step sidebars show, for example, how to execute a perfect rainbow gradient or make a painterly eye (from the magical hand of photorealist illustrator Michael Elins), but this is not really a how-to manual for Adobe software--that is, unless you count the very important lesson of "how to think and work creatively."

The book also includes a gallery of each artist's work (beautifully reproduced), and lots of images of the works in progress. The CD contains samples of work by those artists working in motion design, as well as QuickTime interviews with each of the seven. Author Deke McClelland was a good choice to act as narrator. His convivial writing is fun to read and his expertise with graphics software means that readers are shown the essential screenshots of palette entries or menu commands. (Be sure to check out his page of acknowledgements at the back, where he offers a "gift" to each person he thanks, like, "To Christine Yarrow, who initiated the project, a trunk filled with pecans, cans of fruit cocktail, and elaborately rendered snow globes.") --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For the truly creative graphic designer
This is a great book in so many ways...

1. Some great step-by-step how-to sequences that show you how these designers created some truly impressive work.

2. Enjoyable insight into the creative process of the designers. This is an important area that goes way beyond the mechanics of the production process.

3. Beautiful page design! This book is not designed like most books with a rigid template of predictable layouts. The designers obviously took the time to design the pages of this book based on the text, screenshots, and photographs. Very well done!

4. I can't think of anybody better than Deke to pull all this content together and Russell Brown to stir the creative juices! ... Read more

Isbn: 0201775980
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Electronic Publishing    7. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    8. Word Processing - General    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Adobe Master Class: Web Site Redesigns
by Darcy DiNucci
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 December, 2001)
list price: $40.00
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Editorial Review

Each Web site in need of redesign, to paraphrase Anna Karenina, is in need after its own fashion. Sometimes it's a graphic facelift, sometimes a structural reorganization. Some need to completely readdress the relationship between content and audience. And most need a mixture of all three. Web Site Redesigns relates the stories of nine redesigns, from the one-man operation RefDesk.com to the multinational corporation IBM. From both the client side and the design side, readers are privy to the back and forth each site went through before its rebirth.

This is another Adobe Master Class book, a series which focuses on top designers and how they resolve some of their toughest projects. The designers here include Post Tool Design, who bring Chroniclebooks.com up-to-date with a fresh-looking Flash-based interface and a database back end. The design studio Method completely revamps Trip.com's site architecture. And Hot Studio creates a hip site for San Francisco's Glide Church, one that allows church staffers without any HTML skills to update content.

Readers get the inside scoop on the why, when, and how of each case study: a history of the client and the site, a profile of the chosen design team, requests for proposals, "understanding" phases, whiteboard schematics, user profiles, focus group results, intermediate sketches--whatever went on behind the scenes. Whether it's the fun icons and flashpreloader quizzes of the BrainPop.com creative team or the corporate colored circles and fashionably colored hexagons of Adobe.com and Adobe Studio, respectively, devised by hillmancurtis.com, readers get a feeling for what it was like to toil on each project without actually having to do any of the heavy lifting.

The book is fun to read, especially if you're someone who enjoys problem-solving, even when you may not agree with the decisions or methodology. If the joys/agonies of Web design enrich/plague your life, you may find yourself reading this book all in one sitting. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Valuable insights!
I didn't expect a book with only 9 case studies can be quite comprehensive and enriching. Other books can provide 24 or 50 cases, but Web Site Redesigns was more useful to me, because the websites are all unique from one to another, well researched, with all kinds of issues from user profiling, content architecture, the design itself, and even programming. Each story is well written, along with sketches, diagrams, screenshots, and there are even several small ideas that we can quickly put into our websites. Good addition to my collection.

A beautiful and fascinating book
Instead of telling you what's wrong with a zillion websites, the author has picked a few good ones, and lets you see behind the scenes how they got that way. The sites range from big business to one-man shop, which is refreshing -- you can apply the principles here without a huge budget. You get to see how these sites have changed for the better over time. Very nice. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201758644
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Electronic Publishing    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Web sites    11. Computers / Electronic Publishing   

The Complete Manual of Typography
by James Felici
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (26 September, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $28.35
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (9)

As good as it gets!
This book belongs in the pantheon of well written, well presented expertise.If you liked Bringhurst's gem of a book, add this one to your library. The organization, writing and examples are exemplary. Felici's sense of humor is a treat. His sense of fit a balm to the weary.

If you are type & text junkie this will soothe your jones. If you care about type this will make it clearer. Even if you are an oldster with plenty of practice this book will add something to your arsenal. At the very least you will find how to explain all that H&J arcania more clearly to others.

And, as a last thought, I appreciate the restraint in the design of the book. It serves the subject well.

Too little typography on too many pages
Sure enough, this books walks you, gentle reader, through some basic concepts of typography. But it contains too many explanationsof terms and too little analysis of what these terms mean. It is also short on practical advice. For a good introduction to typography, take a look at Bringhurst: The Elements of Typographic Style, which will teach you much more. Bringhurst's book also has the advantage of being small enough so that you can carry it around at school or at work.

Highly recommend
This is a great book that covers all the basics. We used this book in our design class at the School of Visual Concepts, it was very helpful. ... Read more

Isbn: 0321127307
Sales Rank: 10319
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Electronic Publishing    6. Graphic design (Typography)    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Type and type-founding    9. Typesetting    10. Typography    11. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Adobe Type Library Reference Book
by Inc. Adobe Systems
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (07 June, 2002)
list price: $24.00
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Reviews (2)

Handy Reference Book
This book provides a convenient reference to Adobe's fine type face library. The faces are presented showing all characters available and a brief paragraph showing the font in use. I find this book to be better for type comparison than the more recent 2003 book.

Adobe Font Reference
A must have font guide for every graphic designer's library. ... Read more

Isbn: 0321136462
Sales Rank: 168145
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Electronic Publishing    8. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General