| Adobe Photoshop Basics | |
Your assignment for Lesson 2 incorporates most of the commands and tools you have learned so far. (Continued below...)
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First find an image of yourself, a pet, a child or grandchild, etc. If you don't have any digital images of your own you can use, find one on the Web or in a CD image collection.
Open this image in Photoshop and crop away any unnecessary portions of the image. You want to give the image a clear focal point and eliminate the distractions. If the image needs straightening, do that also when you crop it.
Next resize your image so that neither the height or width is more than 200 pixels in dimension.
Pick a background color other than black or white and add a narrow border to the image either with the canvas size command or the crop tool.
Save the image as a JPEG using the Save for Web command. Experiment with the JPEG quality settings and observe the file size as you do. Try to find the best compromise between file size and image quality.
After you export the image as a JPEG, return to the Save for Web dialog and this time choose the GIF option. Experiment with the color depth and dithering settings and observe the file size as you do. Try to find the best compromise between file size and image quality.
Photoshop 5.0 users: Since you do not have the Save for Web feature, you'll have to save your work using the Save a Copy command instead. The GIF option is found under File > Export > GIF89a. Even though you don't have visual comparisons with the Save A Copy command, I would encourage you to save several variations of your files using different settings and compare the results. Try to find the image with best compromise between file size and image quality and upload this image for your assignment.
Post both images in the Lesson 2 Assignment thread of the forum.
How to Post Attachments in the Forum
Optionally, you may practice cropping, resizing and rotating other images and post them as well. Post as many images as you like! Use this assignment as an opportunity to get to know your other classmates.
Bonus Assignment: Use the Fixed Width options for the crop tool to resample a photo of yourself to 100 by 150 pixels at 72 ppi. Go to your forum profile and include this image in your profile.
Click here to Post your Homework Now!
Next > Lesson 3: Color Primer
