Reviews
Adobe Photoshop CS2
By Michelle Heinz
There is no doubt about it...Adobe Photoshop CS2 is definitely a designer's playground.
From my point of view, I wanted to see what Photoshop CS2 had to offer compared to another image editing program, Corel Photo-Paint 12. I have been an avid user of Corel Photo-Paint for many years. On entering Photoshop CS2, I thought the layout of the workspace was very similar to Corel Photo-Paint, but once I started clicking on buttons and menus, I quickly realized that there were many differences. Photoshop CS2 contains such a large amount of very powerful tools that it does take some time to learn--even for someone who has been working with image and graphic editing for awhile. However, there are many resources available to quickly dive in and have some fun.
Because I was comparing CS2 to another program I already used, I wanted to try some things that I do on a pretty normal basis.
:: Photoshop CS2 Workspace ::
First of all, the workspace in CS2 is easily changed to suit your work style and can be saved for future use. CS2 allows you to dock and group different palettes together, which can save on workspace, or make it faster to work with the items that you most frequently use. The menus and shortcut keys can also be easily customized. Another feature I thought was very useful was the History palette. I could see the steps that I had just performed and undo any of them by moving the slider up the list.
Photoshop CS2 History Palette
:: Text Preview ::
Text preview is another very useful tool in CS2. I had become used to this in Corel Photo-Paint 12, and I know this feature cuts down on the amount of time it takes to determine what font to use. I think it is great being able to visually see the font face while scrolling down the font list.
:: Generating and Optimizing Web Images ::
Photoshop CS2 makes generating and optimizing images for the web very easy. You can Select File > Save for Web to select the different options you'd like to convert to. CS2 also allows you to preview the changes as you select them. You can also preview each image in different browser windows. As an added feature, you can move your cursor over any part of the image to determine the RGB or Hex color in that area.
Photoshop Save For Web Command
To process multiple images, Photoshop CS2 offers the Image Processor (File > Scripts > Image Processor). You can save your multiple images as JPEG, PSD, or TIFF.
:: Editing Photographs ::
Photoshop offers many tools to change or correct your photograph, and preview each of your changes immediately--tools such as the Spot Healing Brush to brush out unwanted features in a picture, Red Eye Correction, Image Adjustment (levels, contrast, color, and more), and Filters. Converting a photo to Duotone was much easier to do in Photoshop CS2 compared to Corel Photo-Paint 12. With Photoshop CS2, you have total control over the color and curve in the multitone image. Photoshop also allows you to pick any color to use, not just a Pantone color. This allowed me to use a web safe color in a duotone image I used for a web application.
To me, using the Photoshop CS2 Filters was the best part of editing an image. Filters such as Smart Sharpen, Reduce Noise, Vanishing Point, and various Artistic Filters give your image a whole new look.
^ Original Image
^ Image using Auto Adjustments (Auto Levels, Auto Contrast, Auto Color)
^ Image using additional Ajustments and Filters
^ Image using Healing Brush to remove kayaks and miscellaneous pieces
^ Image converted to Duotone
Using the Filter Gallery allows you to conveniently see the various Filters applied to your image before actually selecting them.
Photoshop CS2 Filter Gallery
:: Adobe Bridge ::
Photoshop CS2 comes with Adobe Bridge, a very powerful program that allows you to organize and easily select/edit photographs and images. You can view and enter a variety of metadata for each image, view images in a slideshow and rate images for easy selection later.
Adobe Bridge CS2
:: Conclusion ::
I would definitely recommend Adobe Photoshop CS2. This is a great tool that offers a lot of features for amateur and professional photographers and image editors.
