Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

How to Use Adobe Photoshop 5.5 visually steps you through everything you need to know in order to create and manipulate images for print and the Web. Over 100 two-page spreads illustrate and clearly explain each Photoshop task, from entry-level, beginning concepts to sophisticated techniques for professional artists. Pictures clearly lead you through each task with easy-to-follow directions and visual icons. With four-color on every page, color correction, conversion, and manipulation topics are extensively and clearly illustrated throughout the book. Photoshop can be a somewhat intimidating program for the beginning user, but How to Use Adobe Photoshop 5.5, with its visual, step-by-step approach, makes it simple to learn the basic techniques involved in using Photoshop.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Getting Started with Photoshop (p. 5)
• Welcome to Photoshop and ImageReady (p. 6)
• How to Use the Toolbox (p. 8)
• How to Use the Menu Bars (p. 10)
• How to Use Photoshop and ImageReady Palettes (p. 14)
• How to Use the Photoshop Color Picker (p. 16)
• How to Select a Color (p. 18)
• How to Use Rulers, Grids, and Guides (p. 20)
• How to Set Up Your Workspace (p. 22)
• How to Customize the Photoshop Desktop (p. 24)
• How to Set Photoshop Preferences (p. 26)
• How to Set ImageReady Preferences (p. 36)
• 2 Optimizing Photoshop Projects (p. 47)
• How to Build a Contact Sheet (p. 48)
• How to Move Files Between Illustrator and Photoshop (p. 50)
• How to Use Multiple Views (p. 52)
• How to Undo with the History Palette (p. 54)
• How to Use the Preset Actions (p. 56)
• How to Create Custom Actions (p. 58)
• How to Set Up Batch Processing Options (p. 60)
• 3 Selection Techniques (p. 63)
• How to Select Geometric Areas (p. 64)
• How to Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool (p. 66)
• How to Select by Color Range (p. 68)
• How to Use Quick Mask (p. 70)
• How to Select Areas Using Paths (p. 72)
• How to Modify Selections (p. 74)
• How to Save and Load Selections (p. 78)
• 4 Converting Files (p. 81)
• How to Save Files in Other Formats (p. 82)
• How to Optimize Color Files for Printing (p. 84)
• How to Move Files from Mac to Windows (p. 86)
• How to Build GIF Files for the Web (p. 88)
• How to Optimize GIF Color Sets (p. 90)
• How to Create a GIF Transparency (p. 92)
• How to Build JPEG Files for the Web (p. 94)
• How to Save a Transparent PNG File (p. 96)
• 5 Working with Tone (p. 99)
• How to Measure and Compare Pixel Values (p. 100)
• How to Optimize the Tonal Range (p. 102)
• How to Improve Contrast with Curves (p. 104)
• How to Use the Dodge, Burn, and Sponge Tools (p. 106)
• How to Sharpen Images (p. 108)
• How to Use Blur to Sharpen (p. 110)
• How to Convert Images to Grayscale (p. 112)
• 6 Working with Color (p. 115)
• How to Work with Color Variations (p. 116)
• How to Make Global Color Corrections (p. 118)
• How to Correct a Range of Colors (p. 120)
• How to Make Subtle Color Changes (p. 122)
• How to Build Duotones for the Web (p. 124)
• How to Build Duotones, Tritones, and Quadtones for Print (p. 126)
• 7 Image Editing Basics (p. 129)
• How to Resize Images (p. 130)
• How to Add Canvas (p. 132)
• How to Crop an Image (p. 134)
• How to Flip and Rotate an Image (p. 136)
• How to Silhouette an Image (p. 138)
• 8 Drawing, Painting, and Filling with Color (p. 141)
• How to Paint an Image (p. 142)
• How to Erase an Image (p. 144)
• How to Erase a Background (p. 146)
• How to Use the History Brush (p. 150)
• How to Use the Rubber Stamp (p. 152)
• How to Build a Custom Brush (p. 154)
• How to Fill with the Paint Bucket (p. 156)
• How to Fill with Patterns (p. 158)
• How to Apply Gradients (p. 160)
• How to Create Custom Gradients (p. 162)
• 9 Using Type (p. 165)
• How to Add Type to an Image (p. 166)
• How to Place Vertical Type (p. 168)
• How to Create 3D Text (p. 170)
• How to Build Filtered Text Effects (p. 172)
• How to Build a Text Character Brush (p. 174)
• How to Position Text on a Curve (p. 176)
• 10 Using Paths (p. 179)
• How to Create a Straight-Edge Path (p. 180)
• How to Create a Curved Path (p. 182)
• How to Edit a Path (p. 184)
• How to Convert a Path to a Selection (p. 186)
• How to Stroke Paths (p. 188)
• How to Fill Paths (p. 190)
• How to Create Clipping Paths (p. 192)
• How to Export Paths to Illustrator (p. 194)
• 11 Working with Layers (p. 197)
• How to Create and Move Layers (p. 198)
• How to Link Layers (p. 200)
• How to Transform Layers (p. 202)
• How to Group Layers (p. 204)
• How to Create Adjustment Layers (p. 206)
• How to Add a Layer Mask (p. 208)
• How to Merge and Flatten Layers (p. 210)
• 12 Building Web Files (p. 213)
• How to Preview Files in Different Browsers and Platforms (p. 214)
• How to Slice Images for the Web (p. 216)
• How to Build Filter-Based GIF Animations (p. 218)
• How to Build Color-Based GIF Animations (p. 222)
• How to Build JavaScript Rollovers (p. 226)
• How to Build a Web Photo Gallery (p. 228)
• 13 Special Effects (p. 231)
• How to Build a Glow Effect with Stroke Path (p. 232)
• How to Create Lighting Effects (p. 234)
• How to Apply a Radial Blur (p. 236)
• How to Add Texture (p. 238)
• How to Add a Lens Flare (p. 240)
• How to Add Noise Texture (p. 242)
• How to Simulate Photo Grain (p. 244)
• How to Posterize an Image (p. 246)
• How to Create a Halftone Pattern (p. 248)
• How to Apply a Ripple Effect (p. 250)
• How to Brush in a Filter Effect (p. 252)
• Glossary (p. 255)
• Index (p. 260)