Using Styles in Photoshop

If you like to create special effects with text then Photoshop's Styles panel is for you.
You can apply preset styles from the Styles palette to text, images and objects.
Try adding some text to Photoshop then click on any style in the Styles panel.
You're not limited to the couple dozen styles you see when you open the Styles panel. Photoshop has many other libraries full of styles available to you.

To open these styles click on the small fly out menu in the upper right corner of the Styles panel. Select the type of styles you'd like to use. Then when Photoshop asks you if you'd like to replace your styles or append them to the ones showing, I usually select append.
Note: You can always return to the original styles panel by selecting "Reset Styles" in this menu.


















These styles can be edited too!
In the example below I added one of Photoshop's styles. I then edited the drop shadow for my own custom look by just clicking on the Drop Shadow effect and changing the settings.








Saving your own style
To save a style, create or edit a pre-existing style.
Select “New Style” from the fly out menu. Name the style, and click OK. Your style will now appear in the Styles panel and can be shared with others if desired. Just send them your style where you'll find in Photoshop's Preset folder. All of Photoshop's styles, including the ones you create will be stored here and look something like the image below and have the .asl extension.

To delete a style, choose a style, and then click Delete.





Want 100’s of FREE Styles?
These styles can be downloaded in seconds and used with both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
Load them into Photoshop by opening the Styles panel and clicking on “Load Styles”.
Enjoy!
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshopstyles/

Where did Photoshop's Web Photo Gallery go?

Was I surprised when I went to the Automation tools and some of my favorites weren’t there! First I wondered why Adobe would take them out and then after a lot of searching found that I have to install them either off my original CD or from their website.
To add the Contact sheet, Photo Merge and Web Photo gallery into your Photoshop CS4 go to the following sites.
Windows users:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4048
Mac users:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=4047&fileID=3768
You’ll also find additional Photoshop plug-ins that someone thought should be optional in the above links.

Don't ever stop having fun

This old couple hasn't forgotten how to have impromptu fun. Here they are in the atrium of a Mayo Clinic.

FREE to-do list software

I've come to realize that if I don't write things down, I'll forget them. You should see my monitor. It's covered with little yellow sticky notes. If a strong wind comes along, my life is over and I might as well go home.
I just downloaded and tried something I want to share with you. Keep in mind, I'm running this on my Mac but it works on both Macs and PCs.
It's a little software program called "Doomi". I add something I need to remember to do, and I can even set a timer with the post. When it's time to remember to do my task, Doomi pops up from quietly sitting in the task bar and reminds me to do what I need to remember.
It downloads and runs with Adobe Air.
One of the reasons I like this program is because I don't have to add it to my already crowded calendar entries for more important items I store like meetings etc. and the fact that it sits quietly down in my task bar until there is something I need to remember to do. Then I get my message when I wanted to be reminded as shown of my desktop below.
Life is getting even better!

FREE color scheme creators

I’m always looking for free programs that I can share with you. However, just because an application is free or can do something cool doesn’t mean that it’s good. So I always test these applications for you before I recommend them so then can be a real value to you.
Getting color information
When creating something for the web, color is critical. Here are some free tools to select a color and get the information about a particular color.


In an earlier blog, I mentioned Instant Eye Dropper. After installing this free software you simply hover over anything on your screen to get the color information.
You might also try Pixie.
Pixie is a simple color picker application too. It also gives me the hexadecimal, CMYK or RGB color codes of whatever I choose.

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Once you have that color information how about complimentary colors to go with that information? This could be useful for brochures, PowerPoint presentations, designing a website, or even in your home.
There are numerous free color scheme generators where you can specify a color then have an entire palette of complimentary colors automatically selected for you.
Here are a couple sites that will help you select complimentary colors.
http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html
http://www.colorjack.com/
http://kuler.adobe.com

Create a color scheme from a photo!
How about designing a color scheme from a photo? Color Scheme Generator allowed me to upload my photo then gave me the top choices for a color scheme. I also got the hexadecimal color code information with each of those colors too.

If that wasn't enough, I found I could just mouse click on anything in my uploaded photo and it gave me the color data. When I clicked on the yellow sign I found it's color data was #FCC222.

With this kind of information, now you can be the color expert!