Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud Revealed

Ok

I purchased this book for my Photoshop class at the local community college. While there are a lot of great exercises and lots of practice, I have been very frustrated with the book for a couple of reasons.1. The paper ink combination that the book uses is very hard to read. I study with a ceiling light over the table and that causes a lot of reflection. If I am in less light, it is better, but then there just isn't a lot of light. My neck is so stiff and sore from having to get the right angle to rad the pages.2. I really struggle with the content of the book at first. Another classmate commented the same thing on our discussion board, so I know I'm not alone. I felt like I was reading greek. This did get better after a while, and I've been trying to figure out why it was so hard to understand. I think it is greatly a layout issue. It is hard to find the information among all the boxes.3. Good news is that this book covers commands for Windows, Win 8 and Mac. The challenge is that they are all together and you have to sort out which you are looking for. Some of the illustrations only show one screenshot, so you have to figure out your OS from the text. This is not a huge deal - just a little confusing.The book does have a lot of good info to guide you through learning this massive software program. I wish it when more into the why you are doing something rather than just the how.

This book is built around exercises and skill practice, but the data files that you need to follow along are not provided as promised. They give you a link in the book, but it only takes you to the page where you can rent the book - there are no data files there. I opened a customer support case with Cengage, and they responded that the files were available through the instructor. But what if you don’t have an instructor? They apologized and emailed me a link to the files ... for a different book. Same story with their InDesign book: if you want the data files, you have to write to them and hope they can find the right files. Come on Cengage... Also, it’s ironic in a graphic design/photography book, but many of the screenshots of the software are too small and blurry to discern. The author wrote a good book, but Cengage didn’t deliver on the rest.

Photoshop is extremely powerful, but difficult to learn...until now. The book starts at the basics and works you through increasingly challenging tasks. The online downloads were initially difficult to access, but with several support emails to Cengage, I was able to get them. When going to their website, first create an account and then search for the book. You will get a purchase message. Then click "preview" and then click "data files" to access the downloads that you can manipulate through various PS tools. It makes it fun and easy.Then you're off and running.The chapters have projects to do along the way, while reading and then at the end there are more challenging wrap up projects at the end to consolidate gains.

If you're assigned this book, the ebook is really all you need. You can see everything clearly. If you're looking for your own personal learning, DO NO USE THIS BOOK. The examples look like something a third grader testing out this program for themselves put together. It will teach you nothing about design and it won't help you create work via step by step examples. It's mildly unclear and if I didn't already know how to use the program (I took the class for an easy A) I would have struggled to create subpar work. Find a better book on Photoshop I beg you.

This got here before the date which was great because I needed it for school! Thanks so much!

A detailed and easy to follow instructional text, hampered only by being somewhat out of date.

Great lessons to help learn Photoshop.