Photoshop cafe Newsletter

I’m very excited for 2007. It looks like it’s going to be the biggest year ever for us and there is plenty in store for Adobe Photoshop users!

I have a few exciting announcements this month. The biggest announcement is our annual contest with the biggest prize lineup ever! This year we decided to start in January instead of the usual December because we didn’t want to compete with the buzz of the Photoshop CS3 beta.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter, thanks for supporting PhotoshopCAFE and don’t forget to tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter if they want to stay on the cutting edge of Photoshop news and techniques!

Is it possible to get quality Royalty free stock photos for $3? Sure is, check out istockphoto - They also have Flash movies and Illustrator files.

Design Challenge 7.

It’s here! Our 7th Annual Design contest with a huge pool of prizes.
The Challenge is... PAST or FUTURE: Design a billboard! Create a billboard ad for Photoshop, in the past or future, could be caveman days, colonial, yesterday, tomorrow, 60s or future, you decide. Past and Future means that it can be yesterday or tomorrow, but leaves it open to to cool period pieces and crafty wording and usage of imagery. As you can imagine, extra kudos for creativity and wit.

Use any original artwork you desire. You may use any tools or platform you choose, but you must use Photoshop for at least 50% of the Image editing/design. Good luck, it’s free to enter and open to everyone around the world.

http://photoshopcafe.com/contests/contest-7.htm

PIXOPOP has released 2 sets of ultra-cool Characters. Each pack contains 50 beautifully created vectors in EPS, ai and jpg.

Normally $279, only $79 Exclusive at PhotoshopCAFE !
(Sorry no coupons can be applied to this product, because it’s already rock bottom!)
http://photoshopcafe.com/video/products/pixo/landinghome.html

The new Flash Videos are proving to be really popular. If you ever wanted to knock people’s socks off with Flash, this is the training for you. You will go way beyond the typical Flash stuff and jump right into the stunning projects that would take years to learn without this training, It took me 7 years to figure this stuff out and you will learn it in 9 hours, don’t worry there are 59 lessons, so you don’t have to do it all at once!

I’m just a beginner, will I understand it?
Yes, these feature the same “Plain English” style that I have become known for, I’ll make it all seem so easy, you’ll wonder why Flash ever seemed so intimidating.

Are the source files included?
The full source files are included. All assets are provided on Downloads and Disks as well as the start and finish files for each lesson. This way you can follow along, or jump to the end file and see how it works, or just deconstruct the files for use in your own work.

Do I have to have Flash 8 to use this training?
Flash 8 is a major upgrade and brings filters, blend modes, custom easing and enhanced video including alpha channels, so yes, you will need Flash 8 to open the files and perform the tasks. This also makes the training ideal for Flash users who want to learn all the new Features in 8. (You can download a free 30 day trial of Flash 8 from adobe.com)

Currently we are making the training available as downloadable videos. Physical disks will be ready to ship near end of next week.

http://photoshopcafe.com/video/products/09_flash.htm

Here is a massive directory of free and royalty-fee stock photos compiled by Chris Dickman. This is a great resource for designers.
http://www.royalty-free-stock-images.com/

Open jpg and tif files in Camera Raw (CS3 only).
From the menu in Photoshop, choose open and then select Camera Raw from the Format drop down list on the left. The files are not converted to Raw (that wouldn’t be possible) rather, the controls of Camera raw are now available to jpgs and tiffs.

I will be ramping up my speaking a bit this year, I’ll keep you posted with all the dates. Mark this one on your calendar: Pixel Conference AND vector conference in Chicago. I’ll be teaching 2 sessions on Photoshop at the Pixel Conference and 2 sessions on Flash at the Vector Conference.

Pixel Conference
The Photoshop Conference for Designers!
If you're a creative professional, you rely on pixels -- those building blocks of every Photoshop image. Isn't it time you learn how to harness the power of pixels? The Pixel Conference is about real world pixel-control: From industrial-strength tonal and color correction to preparing your images for both print and Web output.
read more about the conference

12,800 royalty free Designs inside in Vector format including a 320 page color catalog. All this for only $274

It's not that often that I mention a 3rd party product in our newsletters, but when I saw the ornament pack for myself I was very impressed with the quality. We have all seen the "clipart bumper packs" full of junk and a few useful images. This one is full of great images, they are very up to date and extremely hip. Not only that, but we have arranged for cafe members to get a special price as well as a free backgrounds pack with every order this month. Check these out for yourself

Links to download the free CS3 beta as well as tutorials and feature rundown of Photoshop CS3.
http://photoshopcafe.com/cs3/index.htm

I have created a new page where you can view over an hour's worth of video tutorials for free. This is a sampling of the content from my 7 different titles produced over the years. There should be something for everyone here. Check out the free Photoshop videos

Black and white CS3: tip: Click and drag on your image to adjust the underlying tone

Yippie! My new book is finally out. It was unveiled at Photoshop World and Flash Forward. I was told that this was the #3 best seller at Flash Forward. This is for beginners and intermediate Flash users.

I follow the same approach that I have with Photoshop training. You will learn how to create all the cool things you have seen with Flash without all the confusing jargon. Make all kinds of animation and transitions, things will sparkle, metal will shimmer and you will even make realistic moving smoke. Learn how to build entire sites in Flash… 2 ways! Easily add video, green screen effects and all kinds of video effects to web pages. Want to create an old-time looking video in Flash? No problem. Add sound, music, dynamic scrolling text, email forms, galleries etc. In total there are over 70 fast paced, recipe-style projects. All source files are included on the CD. If you have always wanted to learn Flash or know the basics but looking for some really awesome techniques to make your work look like the pros.. this is the book for you

Tip: CS3 Shadow Highlight is still not an adjustment layer.
Apply is as a Smart Filter and enjoy all the re-editable functionality of an adjustment layer with this popular adjustment.

I have decided to take the plunge and start a blog. Check it out news, opinions, resources and other stuff related to design and photography.

http://www.photoshopcafe.com/blog

Thanks for tuning into the CAFE Cup and remember: Create don't Steal! See you at the cafe