The Photoshop Channels Book, Starring ... Scott Kelby

DESCRIPTION

Using Photoshop without taking advantage of channels is a bit like attempting to make a fine recording with nothing but a crummy cassette recorder: You can do so, but the results won't be very satisfying. However, if you're new to the world of digital imaging--perhaps because you've just found your way to Photoshop after purchasing your first digital camera--you may find channels daunting. With this book, you don't need to! As you work along with author (and National Association of Photoshop Professionals president) Scott Kelby on the book's results-intensive tutorials, you'll quickly discover the amazing things you can accomplish, using Photoshop to separate images into channels so that you can then alter the image's color and opacity, duplicate it, move it, and more. Also covered are all of Photoshop's newest channel-related features, including an improved Histogram palette that displays channels in color with a dynamic view of how filters, curves, and other settings will affect tonal range and bit depth.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Channel basics1
This is where is starts2
Channel basics6
Creating your first channel13
Channels shortcuts21
Masking using channels25
Understanding masks26
Masking using channels34
Combing channel masks42
Blend modes for channels?52
Hard to mask images54
Channel shortcuts75
Layer masks & adjustment layers79
Layer mask essentials80
Compositing images86
Adjustment layer masks94
Spot-color channels96
Layer mask shortcuts106
From color to black & white109
Picking the best of three110
The lab lightness channel116
The calculations method120
Channel mixer method128
Channels & better color135
Adding detail to portraits136
Creating vibrant color148
Blending channels158
Toning down highlights164
Better red eye repair170
Sharpening with channels177
Sharpening to avoid noise178
Two-pass lab sharpening186
Alpha channel edge mask192
Reducing blue channel noise200
Channels & Web optimization211
Weighted optimization212
Influencing the color table222
Special effects using channels227
Adding a beam of light228
Infrared effect234
Mapping one image to another240
Lighting effects texture channel250
Keeping the real shadows256
Where to go next260