Photoshop CS5: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks

#1 Select the Color Settings for Your Projects.

#2 Set the Preferences for the Way You Work.

#3 Set Up and Save Your Own Customized Workspace.

#4 Switch Your Workspaces to Work More Efficiently.

#5 Change Your Window Views.

#6 Customize Your View of Bridge.

#7 Take Advantage of the Mini Bridge to Find Your Files.

#8 Add a Keyboard Shortcut for a Favorite Filter.

#9 Create a Custom Action to Increase Your Efficiency.

#10 Design a Customized Brush with Your Settings.

#11 Load Optional Brush Sets.

#12 Make a Special Gradient to Suit Your Design.

#13 Calibrate and Profile Your Monitor for Better Editing.

#14 Turn On the Full Power of Photoshop with a Pen Tablet.

2 Work with Layers, Selections, and Masks

#15 Name and Color-Code Layers to Organize the Layers Panel.

#16 Duplicate and Change the Background Layer for More Options.

#17 Adjust a Photo with an Adjustment Layer.

#18 Blend Two Photos Together with an Automatic Layer Mask.

#19 Add a Design with a Custom Shape Layer.

#20 Accentuate a Sky with a Gradient Fill Layer.

#21 Make a Selection with the Quick Selection Tool.

#22 Use Refine Edge to Improve Any Selection.

#23 Paint a Quick Mask to Make a Detailed Selection.

#24 Add Layers as Smart Objects for Flexible Changes.

#25 Apply Filters as Smart Filters for Dynamic Adjustments.

#26 Automatically Blend Multiple Images to Get the Best Color.

3 Straighten, Crop, and Resize.

#27 Crop Your Images to Improve Composition.

#28 Easily Level a Crooked Horizon.

#29 Expand the Canvas with a Reverse Crop.

#30 Straighten Crooked Scans Quickly.

#31 Crop Creatively for a Diptych, Triptych, or Quadriptych.

#32 Change Your Perspective with the Crop Tool.

#33 Correct Geometric Distortion with the Lens Correction Filter.

#34 Use Photomerge to Assemble a Panaorama.

#35 Resize Your Image with Minimal Visible Loss.

4 Retouch Portraits.

#36 Remove Blemishes to Improve the Skin.

#37 Reduce Wrinkles with a Soft Touch.

#38 Remove Red Eye to Quickly Improve any Photo.

#39 Change Eye Color Digitally.

#40 Add a Gradient Layer to Lighten the Irises.

#41 Brighten the Eyes by Lightening the Whites.

#42 Add Depth to the Eyes to Emphasize Them.

#43 Add a Catchlight to Make the Eyes Come Alive.

#44 Selectively Sharpen Just the Eyes to Add Focus.

#45 Whiten Teeth to Improve a Smile.

5 Enhance Colors, Tone, and Sharpness in Photos.

#46 Improve an Underexposed Photo in Two Steps.

#47 Improve an Overexposed Photo in Three Steps.

#48 Remove a Colorcast to Improve the Overall Color.

#49 Colorize a Black-and-White Photograph.

#50 Change a Color Photo into a Custom Grayscale Photo.

#51 Add a Creative Touch with a Little Color.

#52 Dodge and Burn with a Special Layer.

#53 Increase Saturation Subtly Using a Vibrance Adjustment Layer.

#54 Sharpen the Photo to Correct Digital Softening.

#55 Apply High Pass Sharpening to Increase Edge Sharpness.

6 Process Photos in Camera Raw.

#56 Set the Preferences to Open Any Image in Camera Raw.

#57 Crop and Straighten in Camera Raw.

#58 Recover Highlights with Camera Raw.

#59 Change the White Balance to a Group of Images in Camera Raw.

#60 Use the Targeted Adjustment Tool in Camera Raw.

#61 Improve a Sky with the Camera Raw Graduated Filter.

#62 Create a Split Tone for a Special Effect in Camera Raw.

7 Make Magic with Digital Special Effects.

#63 Apply a Photo Filter for Dynamic Adjustments.

#64 Add a Vignette Effect to Focus on the Subject.

#65 Add Action with a Simulated Motion Blur.

#66 Remove Image Elements with a Content-Aware Fill.

#67 Scale an Image without Distorting the Subject.

#68 Blend Separate Photos for the Best Group Shot.

#69 Merge Multiple Photos into an Image with High Dynamic Range.

#70 Use a Puppet Warp to Alter Your Subject.

#71 Alter Depth of Field with a Lens Blur Filter.

#72 Use the Auto Blend Tool to Create Greater Depth of Field.

#73 Edit in Perspective with the Vanishing Point Filter.

#74 Use the Clone Stamp Tool to Simulate a Reflection.

#75 Blend One Image into Another with a Displacement Map.

8 Design with Text Effects.

#76 Design a Neon Sign.

#77 Create a Custom Watermark to Protect Your Images.

#78 Make Text Wrap Around a Subject.

#79 Warp Type for a Fun Effect.

#80 Add Perspective to Type and Keep It Sharp.

#81 Create a Photo-Filled Title.

#82 Create a Realistic Colored Shadow.

#83 Weave Text and Graphics for Intriguing Designs.

9 Create Digital Artwork from Photographs.

#84 Make Any Photo Appear Sketched on the Paper.

#85 Add Your Own Signature to Any Artwork.

#86 Convert a Photo to a High-Contrast Stylized Image.

#87 Posterize a Photo for a Warhol-Style Image.

#88 Set Up the Mixer Brush and HUD for Art Projects.

#89 Turn a Photograph into a Pencil Sketch.

#90 Create a Digital Pen-and-Ink Drawing.

#91 Create a Pastel Drawing from a Photograph.

#92 Change a Photograph into a Pen-and-Colored-Wash Drawing.

#93 Turn a Photo into a Hand-Painted Oil Painting.

#94 Paint a Digital Watercolor.

10 Give Your Images a Professional Presentation.

#95 Quickly Frame a Photo with a Frame Action.

#96 Make a Line Frame from within a Photo.

#97 Apply a Filter to Give a Photo an Artistic Edge.

#98 Create Your Own Custom Edge.

#99 Make a Photo Look like a Gallery Print.

#100 Make a Contact Sheet of Your Photos.

#101 Create a Slide Show Presentation.

#102 Create a Web Photo Gallery.

11 Plug In to Photoshop CS5.

#103 Control Digital Noise with Nik Dfine 2.

#104 Sharpen Photos with Finesse Using Nik Sharpener Pro 3.

#105 Apply Photo Filters Digitally Using Nik Color Efex Pro 3.

#106 Enhance Colors and Light Selectively with Nik Viveza 2.

#107 Create a Dynamic Black-and-White Image with Nik Silver Efex Pro.

#108 Colorize a Black-and-White Photo with AKVIS Coloriage.

#109 Create a Graphite Drawing with AKVIS Sketch.

#110 Use Alien Skin Snap Art 2 to Change Your Photos into Art.

#111 Create Special Effects with Alien Skin Eye Candy 6.

#112 Explore Colors and Tones Visually with Auto FX Software.

#113 Enhance Your Portraits with Imagenomic Portraiture.

#114 Transform an Image with an Action from Kubota Image Tools.

#115 Add a Frame for a Finishing Touch with OnOne PhotoFrame.

#116 Give a Photo Greater Color Depth with Topaz Adjust.