Class Info

  • Date: Tuesday, 3/24
  • Meeting Info: In-Person, Pearl 124

Topics & Objectives

  • Quiz #2 –Topics Discussed in Class 5-7
  • Learning the Adobe Photoshop Workspace
    • Opening Files
    • Color Modes, Bit Depth, and Image Size
  • How to Navigate Photoshop Workspace
    • Switching and Saving Workspace
    • Toolbox and Panels
      • Customizing the Toolbar
      • Using the Crop Tool
      • Clipping Masks
    • Panning and Zooming
  • Vocabulary Words (Color Modes, Bit Depth, Zooming, Panning)

Lecture

Quiz #2 –Topics Discussed in Class 5-7

  • Review

Learning the Adobe Photoshop Workspace

  • Opening Files
  • Color Modes, Bit Depth, and Image Size
    • Color Modes: Determines how colors combine based on the number of channels. Different color modes result in different levels of color detail and file size.
      • While there are a few, we will focus only on RGB, CMYK, and Grayscale in this class.
      • To view Channels:
        • Window > Channels
      • To view Channels as Photoshop views them
        • Window > Channels (step one)
        • [On A Mac] Photoshop > Settings > Interface > Show Channels in Color (Step Two)
          • [On A PC] Edit > Preferences > Interface > Show Channels in Color
      • RGB
        • Pixel values run from 0-255 per channel (red, green, blue). The higher the number, the more intense the color in the channel.
        • Default color mode for digital images and scans.
      • CMYK
        • Pixel values are measured in percentages from 0%-100%. The lightest (highlight) colors are assigned small percentages of process ink colors; the darker (shadow) colors higher percentages. Pure white is when all 4 channels (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) are 0%.
        • Code mode used for printing using process colors.
      • Grayscale
        • Pixel values have a brightness value ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white). Grayscale values can also be measured as percentages of black ink coverage (0% is equal to white, 100% to black).
        • Adjust levels prior to converting to Grayscale
        • Color mode can be used if you want to apply color via swatch in InDesign (but must be placed into InDesign as either a PSD or a TIFF NOT a JPG or PNG)
    • Bit Depth: specifies how much color information is available for each pixel in an image.
      • More bits of information per pixel result in more available colors and more accurate color representation in an image, thereby affecting the image size.
        • Grayscale mode images with a bit depth of 8 have 256 possible gray values. 
        • An 8‑bit per pixel RGB image has 256 possible values for each channel (red, green, blue) which means it has over 16 million possible color values. 
  • Understanding Color Space
    • Color Space is a range of colors shown in a raster image.
    • Different color spaces will either increase or decrease the amount of colors available to project an image. If you want to make sure that the colors in an image you export from Photoshop appears the same on different screens/devices, you’d choose a Color Space with less colors to accommodate the screen.
    • sRGB is a common Color Space. Adobe products typically converts the Color Space for users.
  • Working with Multiple Documents
  • Viewing Images

How to Navigate Photoshop Workspace

  • Switching and Saving Workspace
  • Toolbox and Panels
    • Customizing the Toolbar
    • Using the Crop Tool
      • Ratio
      • Image Size vs Canvas Size
    • Clipping Masks: a group of layers to which a mask is applied. The bottommost layer, or base layer, defines the visible boundaries of the entire group.
      • Could be used to fit images into bounded shapes or apply adjustments to specific layers only.
      • Two Methods to Create Clipping Mask
        • 1) Select Desired Layer in Layer Panel > Layer > Create Clipping Mask
        • 2) Select Desired Layer in Layer Panel > Press Option (if on a Mac) or Alt (if on Windows), hover cursor between layers until you see a white square with a bent black arrow facing downward and then click.
  • Panning and Zooming

Lab

Assignment: Practicing Color Modes & Cropping

  • Find and download 3 stock photos from Unsplash. (Download only FREE versions).
    • Image 1:
      • Change color mode to grayscale
      • Crop to 3 inches wide by 4 inches tall
      •  Export JPG and save as Lastname_Firstname_Class8_ColorModes_1.jpg
    • Image 2:
      • Change color mode to RGB
      • Crop in a 1:1 ratio (final dimensions up to you)
      • Export JPG and save as Lastname_Firstname_Class8_ColorModes_2.jpg
    • Image 3:
      • Change color mode to CMYK
      • Crop to 16:9 ratio (final dimensions up to you)
      • Export JPG and save as Lastname_Firstname_Class8_ColorModes_3.jpg
  • Save into Dropbox by class end.

To-Do After Class

Project #2 Check-In

  • Email me your ideas. Photos AND a write-up of how you plan to approach this assignment. Subject line should include “Project 2”.
  • Check In Due 11 PM • Sunday, 3/29

Discussion

  • Using Illustrator, InDesign, AND Photoshop, a) recreate the image below and b) tell me how you did it, step by step.
  • Due 11 PM • Sunday, 3/29

Resources

Below is a video that you should watch to educate yourself in the topic area described above. Please note that some of the descriptions in the videos may not perfectly align with what’s discussed in class. If you have a question, ask me for clarification