About Colin
Sep 18th, 2006 by Colin Smith
Colin Smith is a best-selling author, trainer, and award-winning new-media designer who has caused a stir in the design community with his stunning photorealistic illustrations composed entirely in Photoshop. He is founder of the world’s most popular Photoshop resource site, PhotoshopCAFE.com, which boasts over four million visitors.
With over 12 years of experience in the design industry, Colin was formerly Senior Editor and Art Director for VOICE magazine. He is a regular columnist for Photoshop User magazine, PlanetPhotoshop.com, and the official site of the National Association for Photoshop Professionals. He also contributes to a number of other graphic art publications and Web sites, such as Mac Design magazine, Web Designer magazine and Computer Arts Magazine.
Colin’s graphic design work has been recognized with numerous awards, including, MacWorld Digital Design and 3 Guru awards at Photoshop World 2001 and 2002, for his work in both Illustration and Web Design. He’s authored or co-authored more than fifteen books on Photoshop, including the best-selling How to Do Everything with Photoshop CS and CS2 (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2005) and award-winning Photoshop Most Wanted: Effects and Design Tips (A
Press/Friends Of Ed, 2002).
Colin is also creator of the Photoshop Secrets Video training series (PhotoshopCD.com).
He is in high demand across the United States as a lecturer, presenting his Photoshop techniques to Photographers and graphics professionals across the nation. He is a speaker at Flash Forward, Creative Suite Conference, Pixel Conference, DL Expo, PIDE and others. He had his own (Flash Summercamp) Tour sponsored by Adobe and Lynda.com. Colin has consulted such companies as Adobe Systems, NVIDIA, Edison International, Apple and ABC Disney Studios.
Colin was formally the Senior Editor and Art Director for VOICE magazine. Voice is a full color magazine that is published monthly in 27 languages and 150 countries.See more of Colin’s portfolio at pixeloverload.com
[...] Colin Smith is founder of PhotoshopCafe and an award-winning designer. His philosophy is all about giving and sharing, which is why the site is filled with tricks of the trade (we can’t helped but be impressed). If you need more, check out the links to other sites or post a question in the forum. And, of course, Colin has plenty of books and videos for sale, too. [...]
My name is Donaldo and i’m from Panama and i have a question: Could you tell me how to transfer/convert Freehand MX files to Photoshop/Illustrator?
Thanks
I’m not really a freehand user, but I’m pretty sure you can export as an illustrator file
As for Photoshop, just export as a tiff at the resolution you need and bring it into Photoshop
Hello,
My name is Shannon Fitzgerald, with PopPhoto.com. We just introduced a new photography contest that I thought you, and/or your readers, might be interested in. It’s called the Photo Makeover contest, where entrants are asked to improve their worst photograph and submit both their before and after shots. The contest runs until July 14th, and the winner will receive a new camera. For the complete summary and guidelines of the contest please click on the link below.
http://flash.popphoto.com/blog/2008/06/do-your-photos.html
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at SFitzgerald@hfmus.com
Thank You.
Hi Colin,
I am totally loving the new look of your site, it is looking fantastic! I need to catch up with the Adobe TV thing, now that you’re on it .. it will be fun to watch it.
I totally enjoy your style of tutorials, always short & sweet but informative & never any dull moments. I have seen plenty of tutorials that bore me to death, I am not going to name ‘em here! LOL
I am wondering if you will be updating the Photoshop & Dreamweaver intrigration dvd in future? I have the first one and I really enjoy watching & have learned few tricks from it. Now with CS3 … love to see a brand new DVD tutorial from you. I am sure that I am not the first one to demand okie I will say beg for it! hehe
I sincerely wish you the best for all the amazing works of yours.
Cheers,
Bobby
Dear Colin,
I am a part of a team of directors who run and operate a PPA affiliate photography school in Canada. I am enquiring about your speaking schedule and if you would be interested in coming to Vancouver Canada to teach our photoshop class.
Please contact me at your earliest convienence.
Rockie Lee
(Image Explorations Directors Team)
to convert freehand into photoshop, its real easy. just select, and drag to photoshop!
Colin, thank you!
thank you
your lessons in M Flash8 helped me a lot
if you want i can send you what i did, is not big deal, but is my my first work in Flash, and you was my teacher !!!
Love to see your work Natalia, I sent you an email
Hi Colin:
I subscribe to Photoshop Cafe and wanted to tell you, as an avid reader of Adobe software texts, how much I have enjoyed your Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration that I bought from you at Photoshop World in Vegas. I’m an Adobe software freak and devote all the time I can to working with those programs, watching videos about them, and reading about them.
As a voracious consumer of software information, I use texts that not only contain the best information but also present it professionally. Because I’m not only a reader, I’m also an editor. I know what throws readers off the page and what keeps them focused. I know what builds readers’ trust in the author and what erodes it.
If you need exquisite editing delivered to your electronic doorstep with a quick turnaround, I’d love to talk with you about your next project. I offer a free edit of a sample chapter so you can check out my style. If you know other people in the industry who you feel might benefit from my services, feel free to pass my contact info along.
I just recently finished editing three of the On Demand books from Perspection Press, written by Steve Johnson: Photoshop CS4 On Demand (2009), InDesign CS4 On Demand (2009), and Illustrator CS4 On Demand (2009). I did a complete range of editing, including typographic checking, grammar checking/rewriting, technical editing (including testing of tutorials with programs), screen shots of programs, and writing of specific sample projects. I also contributed many photographs as sample images to accompany the text.
A little background: I received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington. I started writing in 1975, publishing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. I worked for a time as a news correspondent and as a professional proofreader. I taught English composition at the University of Washington, edited English and Psychology textbooks, tutored students in English, and edited dissertations. I also published (and edited) poetry and fiction books through my own company (Uccelli Press).
I’m an Adobe certified ACE expert in Photoshop CS2 and CS3. I will be taking the CS4 recertification next month. I’m a NAPP member and tech nerd, spending as much quality time as I can with my 3 Macs and 3 PCs. I also indulge my concurrent love of photography. I completed a certificate course in photography at the University of Washington. I’ve exhibited in 8 group exhibitions, have a solo show up right now and just got accepted into another venue. Many of my photographs were featured as sample images in the text, Adobe Photoshop CS4 On Demand by Steve Johnson, published by Perspection Press (2009). I am also a member of Professional Photographers of America and sell stock photos through iStock and Fotolia.
Thanks for the opportunity to let you know what I can do and good luck with your future books.
Toni Bennett
Seattle, WA
editor@tonibennett.com