Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design

Photoshop Elements, Adobe’s less expensive version of the professional Creative Suite, includes the same workspace customizability features as the more expensive, fully featured version of Photoshop. In Elements 6, users can move their design panes and color palettes to various places on the screen, active certain windows and features, and change the position of commonly used functions. These locations and settings can then be saved so that a certain workspace can be quickly loaded when needed. Photoshop users who use Elements 6 for a variety of tasks–such as photo editing and graphics design–benefit most from being able to set up multiple workspaces.

1. Activate the panes and windows that are most useful for the given task for which you are designing a workspace. For instance, if you are using your workspace primary for photo editing, activate the RAW Image Processing and Brightness/Contrast windows.
2. Step 2

   Configure the windows to show your most needed tools by default. For instance, graphic designers may prefer the text type tools to be displayed by default rather than the blending options. Choose your preferred panes by clicking on their tabs in the side windows.

3. Step 3

   Arrange the panes and windows so that the most needed tools are closest to your work space. For instance, a graphic designer may want the color swatches pane close to the primary window so that it is easier to quickly switch colors, while a photographer would want saturation, brightness and levels adjustment sliders to be readily available.

4. Step 4

   Click the “Save Workspace 1″ button in the Effects window. This will save the current windows and their settings and locations to Workspace 1. Design a new workspace and click the “Save Workspace 2″ button to save that workspace to the second button.

   Limit yourself to three to four workspaces. More than that will likely dilute the time-saving nature of saved workspaces by forcing you to spend time choosing between your workspaces for any given job.

Whether you’re an equine enthusiast by hobby or profession, show off your love of horses by creating your own horse icons. Icons are small graphical files used to represent software programs and files on your computer; they may also be used online through instant messenger chatting programs, virtual gaming and message boards to represent you to the Internet. Use a software program already included with your computer, Microsoft Paint, to draw free, simple horse icons with just a few quick clicks of your mouse.

1. Open Paint and click “Image,” then “Attributes.” Icons are small files; for example, the recommended size for Windows XP is 48 by 48 pixels. Input your preferred size dimensions, then click the “OK” button. Click “View,” then “Zoom” and choose “Custom.” Click the “800%” button, then click “OK;” this gives you more room to draw your horse.
2. Step 2

   Click the “Pencil” tool on the “Tools” palette, then choose a color for the horse’s outline from the “Color Picker” at the bottom of the screen. If you don’t like any of the colors, double-click any colored box, then choose from a rainbow of hues.

3. Step 3

   Draw the outline of the horse. Click the “Fill” tool, which looks like a tipping paint can, then click inside the horse, which fills with color.

4. Step 4

   Click the “Paintbrush” tool, then choose one of the slash mark brush heads. Choose a paint color for the horse’s mane and tail and paint them. Change brush heads to the medium square and select the black paint color (or whatever matches your horse’s hooves) and paint on the hooves at the base of the horse’s legs.

5. Step 5

   Click the “Pencil” tool again and add the horse’s features, such as eyes, teeth, bridle and mouth. Use the “Paintbrush” with the circle brush head to add any colored patches along the horse’s body.

6. Step 6

   Add other elements to the icon, such as an apple or some hay for the horse to munch on or a fence behind the horse. (Optional)

7. Step 7

   Click the “Spray Can” icon on the “Tools” palette, then choose the largest whirl option. Choose a paint color, then click your mouse in the white space around the horse. This adds sparkles; change paint colors and add more for a rainbow of sparkles if desired. (Optional)

8. Step 8

   Click the “Text” tool, which looks like a capital “A,” then click underneath the horse. Select a font and size, and type your horse’s name. (Optional)

When you’re brainstorming artwork for your next music-related project, such as a compilation album, tour gig poster or promotional postcard mailing, consider creating your own logos and symbols. Using your own artwork means you save money on licensing fees and graphic designers, plus you can customize something tailored to your own personal sound. To save more money, create logos and symbols in Microsoft Paint, included with your Windows installation, in just a few quick clicks.

Music Logo

1. Step 1

   Open Paint and click “Image,” then “Attributes.” Set the “Width” and “Height” to be 5 inches each, then click the “OK” button. You can always change the sizing to give yourself more room when you know the size of the label or printing requirements. Click “View,” then “Zoom,” then “Large Size.” This gives you more space to draw.

2. Step 2

   Click the “Paintbrush” tool on the “Tools” palette on the left side of the screen, then click one of the slash-mark brush heads. Select a color for the outline of your logo from the “Color Picker” at the bottom of the screen.

3. Step 3

   Drag your mouse to trace the outline of your logo, such as the band’s name, your initials or an animal head shape. Choose a different color from the “Color Picker,” then click the “Fill” tool, which looks like a tipping paint can. Click inside the logo, which fills with the color.

4. Step 4

   Click the “Paintbrush” tool again and choose a gray from the “Color Picker,” then draw short lines all around the logo so it looks like it is blinking.

5. Step 5

   Click the “Spray Paint” tool, which looks like an aerosol can, and select the largest swirl from below it. Choose a bright neon paint color, then click your mouse around the gray lines. Sparkly glitter drops will deposit onto the area; switch paint colors for a rainbow look.

Music Symbol

6. Step 1

   Start with a new workspace and size the page to your desired symbol size. Click the “Pencil” tool on the “Tools” palette and choose a color, then draw the outline of a symbol—such as a music note, clef or something related to your band or compilation.

7. Step 2

   Change paint colors to the dark gray option, then slowly trace around the symbol you just drew, which gives it a shadow as if it’s floating on the page.

8. Step 3

   Click the “Text” tool, which looks like a capital “A,” and a new toolbar appears. Choose a font that stands out, such as Rockwell Extra Bold, and a size. Type a phrase or word, such as your name, band name or music label, and position it under the symbol.

9. Step 4

   (Optional) Click the “Fill” tool and select a color from the “Color Picker.” Click anywhere in the white space behind your design, which will then fill with a background color.

With the help of a graphics software named Photoshop, available from the Adobe Creative Suite, designers, artists and photographers are no longer limited to what they see through the other end of their cameras. Photoshop offers the ability to transform and edit images, combining two or three into one or taking one and changing it entirely. If you’re looking to create rivers, Photoshop can help you add rivers to entirely landlocked places (such as baseball stadiums) or draw your own, all with just a few quick clicks.

Drawing a river

1. Step 1

   Open Photoshop and click “File,” then “New.” Name the file “MyRiver” and set the dimensions you want for the river. Change the “Mode” to “RGB Color” and set the “Contents” to “White.” Then click the “OK” button.

2. Step 2

   Click the “Fill” tool, which looks like a tipping paint can. Then double-click the top left colored square in the “Color Picker,” which is the two overlapping squares on the “Tools” palette. Choose a main base color for the river. Click inside the “MyRiver” box, which fills with the color.

3. Step 3

   Click the “Paintbrush” tool on the palette and choose a new color from the “Color Picker,” such as a slightly darker blue. Notice the new toolbar at the top. Pull down the “Brush” menu and choose a scattershot brush, such as #27. Check the “Wet Edges” box on the toolbar. Hover your cursor over the “MyRiver” box and draw a wave. Repeat to add a few more waves.

4. Step 4

   Choose a white or gray paint color from the “Color Picker” and a smaller brush head, then draw a few slightly smaller waves or whitecaps.

5. Step 5

   Change paint colors and brush heads to add sea life such as turtles and fish, or kelp and algae. This step is optional.

Adding a river

6. Step 1

   Open Photoshop and click “File,” then “Open.” Browse to where you have to photographs, including one river, located on your computer. Double-click both and they appear in your workspace.

7. Step 2

   Click the river photo to give it focus, then click the “Lasso” tool on the “Tools” palette on the left side of the screen. Draw a line around the river in the photo. A blinking, dotted line appears. Press the “Ctrl” and “C” keys on your keyboard, which is the copy function.

8. Step 3

   Click onto the other photo and press the “Ctrl” and “V” keys on your keyboard, the paste function. Click the “Move” tool, which looks like a black arrowhead and cross, then move the river into place on the picture.

Video production is one application of the personal computer that requires all the processing horsepower the current technology can provide. But with maximum processing power and hard disk speed, a PC can be configured as an advanced high-definition (HD) video-editing workstation. Fortunately, with the right choice of computer hardware and software, equipment once costing tens of thousands of dollars is now within reach of the hobbyist or small-business professional. The ability to produce a polished HD video presentation can help you start your own video production business or launch a career as an independent filmmaker.

1. Choose a computer case with ample room for additional hard drives, optical drives and expansion slots. The computer case should also include two cooling fans and a power supply with a minimum output of 500 watts.
2. Step 2

   Select a main board that supports at least 16 gigabytes of DDR3 memory and a quad-core Intel i7 CPU. The main board should also include an integrated eSATA RAID controller and at least three PCI-E expansion slots.

3. Step 3

   Install the quad-core Intel i7 CPU. The more powerful the CPU, the less time you will spend waiting for video effects to process.

4. Step 4

   Install 16 gigabytes of DDR3 memory.

5. Step 5

   Install the hard drives. You need one 7,200 RPM hard drive dedicated to the operating system and software applications. Install a minimum of three additional eSATA hard drives with a disk rotational speed of 10,000 RPMs.

6. Step 6

   Configure at least two of the hard disks as a RAID 0 array for HD video encoding.

7. Step 7

   Install a high-quality video display adapter with dual video outputs.

8. Step 8

   Connect two 32-inch HD monitors to the video display adapter.

9. Step 9

   Install an internal eSATA Blu-Ray disc burner to output your completed HD project.

10. Step 10

    Install Microsoft’s Windows 7 64-bit operating system.

11. Step 11

    Install a certified HD real-time input and output card designed specifically for your video-editing software. This card will handle connections to external video and audio sources, as well as provide HD outputs to a video monitor. Real-time HD cards include the Matrox RT.X2 and Blackmagic’s DeckLink HD Extreme.

12. Step 12

    Install and configure the video-editing software suite. Leading software titles for professional HD video editing and effects creation are Adobe Production Premium Creative Suite 4 (CS4), Avid Media Composer, Canopus Edius and Sony Vegas Video.