What Does Photoshop Do?
April 1, 1998
So what exactly can you do with
Photoshop?
Well, like any image-editing
program, you can use Photoshop to "alter" images like
photos, downloaded icons, or scanned artwork.
Altering an image includes doing such
things as changing the
colors
within an image, modifying
the size and scale of an image, or putting one picture "within"
another. Here are some versions of a street sign I
photographed in Burma.
![[Plain Image]](Images/elephant1.gif)
![[Colored Image]](Images/elephant2.gif)
![[Pinched Image]](Images/elephant3.gif)
![[Flared Image]](Images/elephant4.gif)
Alteration also includes technical
modifications such as changing the mode of image compression
from one type to another, or changing the number of bits used
per pixel.
But, aside from altering images,
Photoshop has a vast array of tools that help you "create"
images from scratch.
On the web, you will often need to make
custom icons, buttons, lines, balls or text art. Photoshop
makes all of this excessively easy and fun.
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It is worth mentioning that Photoshop
is not a "classic" drawing, or image creation, program.
Unlike a drawing program which stores information about images as
mathematical expressions (called Vectors), when Photoshop draws a
line, the line is converted into little dots, called pixels.
When small enough, and with blended colors (anti-aliasing), these
dots can come to look like lines. Think of pointillism. Of course,
when magnified or reduced, the optical illusion is dispelled and
you get ugly choppy lines.
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We will talk more in depth about all
of these things over the next couple of days so don't get
caught up in any of the words or concepts. The main thing to
keep in mind at this point is that Photoshop lets you play.
Photoshop lets you play with images. Photoshop is fun.
Additional Resources:
What is Photoshop
Introduction to Web Design with Adobe Photoshop | Table of Contents
The Photoshop Workspace
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