Workshop

Q&A

Q1:	Is there a way to design my own Photoshop filters?
A1:	There's an old plug-in called Filter Factory, which supposedly lets you do so. I've found it on the Web, but haven't really tried to do anything with it. It's a fairly complicated procedure, and the documentation is lacking. If you're really good at programming, Adobe makes specifications available for software developers who want to create plug-ins for Adobe products. Visit http:// partners .adobe.com/public/developer/photoshop/sdk/topic_sdk.html for more information. You will need to supply your name and email address to access this site.
Q2:	Do these weird filters, such as Fur and Squint and Water Drops, have any practical uses?
A2:	Just today, I saw a sign that featured a frosty bottle of Coca-Cola on a red background. The entire image was made to look wet with Alien Skin's Water Drops filter. Anything's practical if you have enough imagination to make it work.

Quiz

1:	Where do plug-ins appear? On the Plug-ins palette At the bottom of the Filter menu At the top of the Window menu
2:	Which of the following is not an Eye Candy effect? Fur Fire Squint Slime

Quiz Answers

A1:	b. If you have many plug-ins, you might have to scroll down to see them all.
A2:	d. But if you start with Green Glass, you can create a reasonably slimy effect.

Exercise

Download demos of some of the great plug-ins from Flaming Pear and Alien Skin at http://www.flamingpear.com and http://www.alienskin.com. See which ones you can't live without.