About This Book

Just because Photoshop is a pleasure to use doesn’t mean that the program is easy to learn. In fact, it’s kind of a bear — a big, ornery, grizzly bear with about 17 rows of teeth and claws to match. This program contains so much that it honestly takes months of earnest endeavor to sift through it all. By yourself, that is.

I wrote this book with the following specific goals in mind:

• To show you what you need to know at the precise pace you need to know it.

• To show you how to do the right things in the right way, right off the bat.

• To distract you and shove little facts into your head when you’re not looking.

• To make the process not only less painful, but also a real adventure that you’ll look back on during your Golden Years with a wistful tear in your eye. “Oh, how I’d like to learn Photoshop all over again,” you’ll sigh. “Nothing I’ve done since — whether it was winning the lottery that time, or flying on the inaugural commuter shuttle to the moon with the original cast of Star Trek — seemed quite as thrilling as sifting through Photoshop with that crazy old For Dummies book.”

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but prepare yourself for a fun time. In a matter of days, you’ll be doing things that’ll make your jaw hang down and dangle from its hinges.

Tip

While you were browsing the bookstore shelves deciding which book on Photoshop to buy, you may have noticed another book by yours truly (published by Wiley Publishing, Inc.): Photoshop Bible. There’s a version for Windows and one for Macs. Those 800-page tomes cover just about everything there is to know about Photoshop. This book’s a little more manageable than that tome, but when you’re ready for the big leagues, check it out. Becoming comfortable and productive with Photoshop is what this book is all about.