For this one, I’ll be using Photoshop CS3 on a PC. The techniques for this tutorial are simple and the overall process is easy. Around the end, it can be a bit more tricky for some people, but don’t worry.

However, it can also be a very stressful time.  If you do not prepare the file just right, the printer will have a hard time completing the job, and you may have to make some adjustments.  Or, even worse, the project may not look the way it is supposed to look after it gets printed.  While the latter usually is not an issue if you are working with a quality commercial printer, it is still important to know the things you need to do to ensure that your Photoshop file is ready for the commercial printer.

Here, step by step, is how to do just that:

Step One: Make sure your file is in the correct format

Your image file should be in a standard format, to avoid any potential problems with your printer.  Standard formats include PDF, EPS, and TIF.

Step Two: Set the resolution to 300 dots per inch

Almost all commercial printers require that your files be set to 300 DPI (or dots per inch).  So, if you design a file at a lower resolution, it will get stretched to 300 DPI by the printer, which will result in a very unfavorable image.

Step Three: Size matters (make sure your file is the right size)

Your printer will print your file at whatever size you ordered.  So make sure you designed your image at the same size that the ultimate product will be.

Step Four: Check the bleed

About 3 mm on each side of your design will get chopped off.  That is called the bleed.  Do not put anything important (i.e., anything that you want to appear in the final product) in the bleed.

Step Five: Don’t cut off your words

Keep all text, along with vital images, at least 6 mm away from the edge of the product.  Otherwise, some of it might get cut off.

Step Six: Rasterize your text

Photoshop allows you to rasterize your text, which means you don’t have to worry about sending fonts along with your files to the printer.  However, make sure you don’t rasterize your text until you are sure you are done editing, because you can’t do so after rasterizing.

Step Seven: Use unique filenames

This one is very often forgotten.  When you send your files to the printer, use unique names for each file.  Use names that are descriptive and make it easy to tell what it is and what it is for.

These are generic tips that should help you in preparing your files for use with most commercial printers.  Always check with your printer before sending a file, though, to make sure everything is in order.

Kaitlyn Miller is a copywriter for Printplace.com, a printing company based in Arlington, Texas.

1. Create new RGB image with any size..Here i will choose 500/100..Then press “D”..This will reset swatches..

2. Then go to Filter : Render : Clouds

3. Then Filter : Pixelize : Mosaic [ 15 pixels ]

4. Then Blur : Radial Blur [ Zoom / 20 ]

5. Then Stylize : Emboss [ 135 degrees / height 10 / amount: 170 ]

6. Then Brush Strokes : Accent edges [ width 2 / brightness 38 / smoothness 5]

7. Then Stylize : Find edges

8. Then Image : Adjust : Invert [or] Ctrl+i

9. Then Blur : Radial Blur [Zoom / 60]

10. Then go to Image : Adjust : Levels [or] Ctrl + L and put 60 in the redmarked field

11. Then lets repeat 9 & 10 steps but with another optionsRadial Blur [ 20 ] & Levels [ 200 ] : the same fields

12. Then lets add some contrast. Image : Adjust : Brightness/Contrast and set +30 to contrast

Final. Then we can colorize picture..There are many ways but i like that one : Create a new layer above our crazy effect and fill it with stylish color of your choice and put the layer option to Color

You can change the zoom blur to radial in step 9 for another cool result.

NOTE: The preview images have been shrinked to to 300 of width in order to fit the page. They do not represent the real size. Thank you for using this tutorial!

1. Start a new image 200×200. Creat a new layer
[ layer/new/layer ] and name it ‘fire’. Let’s fill it with white color [ ctrl+backspace ] and then, render it with difference clouds [ filter/render/difference clouds ]. Repeat the filter 1 or 2 times more. You should come up with the same result as previewed on the left.

2. Now, Render it with lighting effects[filter/render/lighting effects]. Use the following paramaters:

3. Last step is quite magic. Simply use the filter accented edges[filter/brush strokes/accented edges] and again, follow the parameters below:

Final. Use the layer and set it ’soft light’ or other modes on your own work[layers] as to use effectively the fire you just created. Note that the fire can very much vary depending on the resolution and parameters you started from, but fortunately, the effect will always be the same. So go on, don’t fear to try!

NOTE: The final result haven’t been done only using ths tutorial. It is strictly a sample.

If you are like me, you are probably thinking, “Huh?”

Well, in layman’s terms, dynamic range is that quality of sight and sound that humans possess that is not able to be recreated by any mechanical equipment. In other words, the rich colors and contrasts that we can see with our naked eye cannot be reproduced by a camera image.

When it comes to graphic design, dynamic range is a positive quality, in that the higher you can get your dynamic range, the better. Adobe’s Photoshop has a new feature that is able to create images with remarkably high dynamic range. This tutorial will show you how to use this new feature, which is called “Merge to HDR”.

Planning Ahead

In order to use Merge to HDR, you have to do a little bit of planning. Merge to HDR works by taking three or more pictures of the same scene, and blending them into a new image. So, obviously, you are going to have to take at least three pictures of whatever scene you are editing.

Now, if the scene you are shooting has moving pieces or items, it probably isn’t going to work so well with Merge to HDR. Moving images will not blend together very well, so this works best with static scenes, where nothing (or very little) is moving. You will also want to try to be as still as possible when taking the shots, so that they are all framed the same. This is easiest to do if you use a tripod.

One thing you may not think of, but is very important, is that you do not want to use your camera’s autofocus feature. This will automatically change the focus of each shot you take, which will mess up the merging process.

The most important thing to do when you are taking the shots is to change your exposure for each picture you take. Adobe recommends that you vary your exposure by 2 stops between shots. If you don’t vary your exposure, then Merge to HDR will really not have any affect on your image.
Using Merge to HDR

Now that you have your shots, you can use Photoshop to increase the dynamic range.

In Photoshop, go to File >> Automate >> Merge to HDR. Then find the images that you shot. After all the images load (which could take a few minutes, depending on your computer) a preview of your merged image will appear. You can change the overall effect by removing individual images from the final product. Do this by clicking on the checkbox under the image you want to remove. Each time you remove an image, the final product is re-merged, which again could take some time.

There are two things to keep in mind when you save your HDR file. First, do not save the file as a JPEG, which would make it no longer a HDR file. Secondly, HDR files are very large. They can get up to about 100 MB or more.

Converting your HDR file

To do much with your new HDR image, you will have to convert it into a more usable form.

Go to Image >> Mode >> 16 bits/Channel or 8 bits/Channel. A dialog box will then appear.

The dialog box contains a lot of options. Basically, you will have to play with these until you get the results you want. This is very much a trial-and-error process, so feel free to experiment, within reason.

Merge to HDR is a new feature, so there are not a lot of options available with it yet. Still, it is a very powerful tool that can really add life to your images. And it should be supported with a lot of new features in the very near future.

Kaitlyn Miller is a copywriter for Printplace.com, a printing company that offers postcard printing and color printing

Terms

First, you have to know what “bleed” and “crop marks” mean in terms of your Photoshop design.

The crop marks are simply lines on the screen that show you where the page will be cut after printing.  In other words, anything outside of the crop marks will not show up on the page.  If a portion of the artwork does not extend all the way to the crop mark, then there will be a white “gap” on the page.

The bleed function is often used to make sure that artwork that should extend all the way to the end of the page does indeed extend all the way to the end of the page.  The bleed function ensures that there are no unseemly white gaps where there should not be.  In short, the bleed extends ink beyond the crop marks.

The Process

First of all, you have to think ahead.  Let’s say you are designing a project that is going to be 5 inches by 7 inches.  In order to have a bleed area, you must have a working area slightly bigger than 5 inches by 7 inches.  Your commercial printer will tell you how big your bleed area should be.  A common size is 0.125 inches.  We will assume you are going to have a bleed area of 0.125 inches.

In order to get a bleed area that size, you will have to make your working area (or canvas) 0.25 inches taller and wider than your project, which in this case would mean your canvas would be 5.25 inches by 7.25 inches.  In Photoshop, you can use guides to show you where the crop marks are, and where your bleed area ends.

To get a visual idea of your bleed area, go to Photoshop’s File menu.  Click on the “Print with Preview” command.  Now, check the box that says “Show More Options”.  Finally, check the “Corner Crop Marks” box, and click the Bleed button.  Specify what size you want the bleed area to be (in this case 0.125 inches) and now your bleed area will show up on your canvas.

Now, if you want a bleed area bigger than 0.125 inches, you will have to go about this a bit differently, because Photoshop doesn’t allow you to do that with the Print with Preview option.  To do this, manually select a square section in a corner of your canvas, with the upper line and the side line being the points where you want your bleed area to be.  Then go to Edit >> Stroke.  You will now have lines extending across the canvas, indicating your bleed area.

Kaitlyn Miller is a copywriter for Printplace.com, a printing company that offers postcard printing and color printing

One of Photoshop’s best features is the ability it gives you to colorize your images, or even just portions of images if you want to put the focus in one spot.  You can take bland, dull photos and turn them into vibrant, colorful designs.  You can ever colorize black and white images to bring them to life.  This tutorial will show you how to do this, step by step.

1. Open the image you want to colorize (obviously).

2. Go to Image >> Mode and make sure that RGB is selected.

3. Press Q.  This should put you into QuickMask mode.  On the main toolbar, there is a “QuickMask” options button.  Make sure it is set to Selected Areas.

4. Select the Paintbrush and fill in the first area that you want to colorize.  This portion will appear in red.

5. Press Q again, which you put you back into Normal mode. The area that you filled in with the Paintbrush will now be selectable.

6. At this point, you will want to save the selected area in a separate file for later use (or in case you make a mistake).  Do this by going to Select >> Save Selection.

7. Click on the “Create New Adjustment Layer” icon in the Layers palette.  This will bring up a menu.

8. Select “Color Balance” from the menu.  Three color sliders will appear.

9. Adjust the color sliders until you get the color you want for the selected area.

10. Now repeat steps 3 through 9 for each of the other areas that you want to colorize.

That is all there is to it.  It will take some trial and error to get the photo to look exactly the way you want it to.  Using the Paintbrush to select the areas you want to color will require some practice.  It is not that easy to be precise with it.

You will also probably have to go back over each area using the Color Balance sliders.  Even when you think you have the colors right where you want them, they have a way of looking a lot different when the whole photo is colorized.  Just go over them until you get the balance you are looking for and you are happy with the final product.

There are certain things you will want to watch for as you colorize your designs.  For one, remember to save the original picture before you begin.  You will also want to make sure you save each selection as you make it with the Paintbrush (see step 6).  This way, if you make a mistake, you do not have to re-select the area, which can be a difficult thing to do.  It is also a good idea to save your project after you colorize each section, in case you mess up during the next area.

Kaitlyn Miller is a copywriter for Printplace.com, a printing company that offers postcard printing and color printing.

what you’ll need:

1. Your favorite photos

2.  Wondershare photo story platinum
Step 1. Photoset :

Download and install photo story platinum and launch it. Drag & drop your favorite photos to the Story Board or click “add photo” button to add photos, Click “Add Audio” which is next to “add photo” or double click on the audio board to add background music, You can edit every single picture with the built-in editing tools and effects to match the screen resolution.

Step 2. Choose a Style :

Double click or drag & drop your selected styles to the Story Board. Here I choose  “Add random styles”.

Step 3. Burn to DVD :

Preview the Easter decoration slideshow , if you are satisfied with it, then click the “Create” tab and choose the output format as dvd, author the dvd and choose the menu template to burn it on your dvd disc and watch it on TV .

Step 4.  Upload to yahoo video :

Select “Create” tab and click “Create MP4″ or other formats like “AVI”, “WMV” or “MPEG-2″  and easily share the Easter decoration slideshow with families and friends both near and far on upload to yahoo video or many other popular websites.

Create your graduation photo slideshow on DVD is a great way to share those special moments of your life.

You can make a graduation DVD album music slideshow of your graduate that you can show over and over at the graduation open house. Imagine all of your friends and family watching favorite photos of your graduate playing on a DVD player with your favorite songs.

You may think this is too hard, but I am telling you it has never been so easy to create a graduation DVD album music slideshow with hundreds of transition effects ,styles and music.Even a baby can do that with Photo Story Platinum,lol.

Follow me with just three simple steps to create a graduation DVD photo album or we can call it DVD music slideshow.

You need to download a slideshow software which can burn DVDs,here I choose Wondershare Photo story platinum,which is easy and powerful to make DVD albums and slideshows.

Step 1. Choose photos and add background music

When you run photo story platinum, it will automatically open a new project and lets you start creating a DVD slideshow. Browse and select your favorite photos,double click or simply drag & drop to add them to the “Story Board”. Adjust photos of your graduation DVD album, DVD slideshow with the built-in editing tools and effects. Customize the graduation DVD album by adding, deleting photos, arranging the order of photos. If you are not satisfied with your photo selection for graduation DVD music slideshow,choose the one you want to remove from the slideshow, but do not worry, when you delete a photo the original photo will not be deleted physically from your hard drive.

Double click to add background music to your graduation DVD album music slideshow,here I suggest “Auld Lang Syne” for graduation DVD album music slideshow

Step 2. Choose transition effects and styles:

Select your favorite transition effects and styles from more than 200 amazing transition effects and special movie styles. It allows you to add styles and effects to several photos or just to single photo in the graduation DVD album .So with different transition effect and style you can make totally different graduation DVD slideshow with the same photos.The Preview window gives you ideas of how your graduation DVD slideshow will show on TV with DVD player.With 200+ build-in animated movie styles, you can make your graduation DVD album music slideshow to impress everyone.

Step 3. Burn to DVD :

Click the “Create” tab and Preview the video ,choose “Create DVD”, Select the story you want to create to DVD ,author the DVD Menu and choose the menu template, then burn the graduation DVD album on your DVD disc and display it on TV .

Extra Tips:

You can also choose other video format like “AVI”, “WMV” or “MPEG-2″ which are supported on YouTube ,MySpace, Google Video and other websites, and share it on the web.

mother’s day slideshow

newborn baby slideshow

easter sldieshow