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Tips and Tidbits
Information provided by Ernie Decker in the monthly newsletter.
August 2007
- If you’re working with almost any brush in Photoshop or
Elements you can quickly change the brush size by using the
bracket [ ] keys. Left=downsize, right=upsize. And shift
bracket changes the softness of the brush or tool.
- Everyone thinks there are no layer masks in Elements. Well,
here’s a link to a tutorial that shows a way you can use a layer
mask in Elements.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7723020561810181483&pr=goog-sl
There are several neat things there, and it’s not just for
version 4
- “Don’t tug on Superman’s cape, don’t spit into the wind,
don’t pull the mask off the ole Lone Ranger, and don’t mess
around with Jim”
September 2007
- Every week there is a short video by Scott Kelby, Matt
Kloskowski,
and Dave Cross called “Photoshop User TV.” They are nutty and
fun to watch, and they have some neat stuff. Watch, you’ll
see what I mean. It is on line at
www.photoshopusertv.com
- Have you worked up the nerve to clean your sensor yet? Want
to know more? Well, have I got a site for you. Tons of
info on almost all the sensor cleaning products and methods out
there, pros and cons of each method, and tips on how to do it.
What more could you ask for?
www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com
October 2007
Want an easy way to open a picture (pic) in your editing
program, or even to send any file someplace you regularly send
things to? Here’s a short way to do it.
When you right click on a file, a pic let’s say, the context
menu comes up and in it is an item called “send to.” Problem is,
there’s only a limited number of places shown there, and some
you never use, like drive A floppy. I guess you can still buy
floppy discs??? Anyway, now you can add any location you want.
Now, for example, you just right click on a pic, click send to,
click Photoshop or whatever editor you use, and boom, the editor
opens up with your pic. How easy is that?
Here’s how. First, go to control panel>folder options> and
click the view tab, then go down and click show hidden files and
folders. This is necessary so you can get to the “send to”
folder later. Now from “my computer” (on the desktop) >drive
c>documents and settings> your user name>send to folder. Now,
right click within the open folder, select new>shortcut. Then
browse to whatever you want to add and follow the boxes that
come up. With just a couple more clicks you’re done. One note
however: be as specific as possible on what you add. For
example, in my case, I use Elements so I scroll down while doing
the browse to the elements editor.exe so that the pic will open
in the editor and not the organizer.
I really do need some of you to send in some of your tips. It
doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy. Anything at all
will do. We weren’t born knowing these things. Someone told us,
so help others with what you know. Even a simple keyboard
shortcut can be a big help sometimes.
November 2007
- Last month I showed you a way to set up the send-to menu to
get pictures into Photoshop or Elements. Here’s another way. If
you have the editor work area open, just double click somewhere
within it and a box will come up with the windows folder system.
Then you can browse to the item you want.
- If you like to leave a lens hood on all the time it’s a pain
to take the lens cap on and off, unless you have teeny tiny
fingers. Well Nikon and Tamron make lens caps that have squeeze
places in the center of the cap that even us thick-finger folks
can operate. If you don’t want a logo on the cap, Bedford’s
sells the same style of cap with
no logo on it. They’re only $7 to $9 depending on size. There’s
a little thingy on the side meant to attach a string to your
lens with, but you can easily cut it off and keep your lens hood
on all the time.
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by Jason Crader
by Kathy White
by Kenna Westerman
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