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Photoshop CS3 features revealed - part 1 of 1 2

by Mike McNamee Published

Tuesday, March 27 2007

Nondestructive filters, improved RAW image processing, advanced compositing, support for automatic 32-bit high dynamic range images (screen shot shown), smooth Flash web integration, and easy black-and-white conversion are among the many new and improved features that are being revealed today in the official announcement of Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Adobe today relased details about new features in both new versions of Photoshop. Here are detailed descriptions of these features, provided by Adobe:

Increased productivity and streamlined workflows-Photoshop CS3 comes with a wide array of new features and improvements to existing ones, but if there's one thing you will notice immediately, it is this: Compared to previous versions of the software, Photoshop CS3 is just faster. As of December 1, 2006, beta versions of Photoshop CS3 are performing 40% faster than Photoshop CS2 on Intel-based Macs. The new Photoshop also gets you there faster with streamlined workflows stemming from new preset capabilities, redesigned palette management, and compatibility with the newest systems-including native Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) on PowerPC and Intel processors, and Microsoft Windows VistaTM.

Unrivaled editing-How do you improve on the kind of editing power and performance that are the professional standard in digital imaging? By going the extra mile in protecting the ultimate quality every step of the way, and by making even more of the features professionals rely upon live and re-editable. With Photoshop CS3, you can now apply, adjust, add, and remove filters at will, without starting over. Enhancements to colour correction include easier, more powerful monochrome conversion, an improved Curves adjustment, and cloning and healing tools that now feature preview overlays and multiple source points.

Breakthrough compositing-Whether it's a peak-to-shore panorama or creating that one perfect shot from a series of images, Photoshop CS3 makes compositing faster, easier, and better. Speed compositing by automatically aligning and blending layers. Make an image selection with one stroke of a brush. Perfect any selection edge in a easy-to-use, intuitive dialog box.
vTop new and enhanced features in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Nondestructive Smart Filters

Smart Filters are simply Photoshop filters that are applied nondestructively, and remain live and re-editable. That gives you the flexibility to experiment with different filters and settings, without having to back up and start over with the original image. You can edit the Smart Filter mask to precisely adjust the filter's effects on different areas of the image, and because Smart Filters are applied within the context of Smart Object layers, your designs are accelerated by now being able to scale, transform, and filter your images in an efficient, nondestructive workflow. Smart Filters are easily accessible and adjustable in the Layers palette.

Quick Selection tool

Photoshop has always been distinguished by its powerful selection tools, which enable you to target editing and enhancements to precise areas of an image. Photoshop CS3 slashes the time necessary to choose image areas with the new Quick Selection tool. Now, instead of painstakingly outlining the image region you need to work on, you can simply paint the general area with the Quick Selection tool. Photoshop CS3 watches as you paint, and analyzes the image to complete the selection automatically. Expanding or contracting the selection is as simple as holding down modifer keys. And the Quick Selection tool can be used in conjunction with all of the other powerful selection tools in Photoshop. Whether it's simple or complicated image selections, or image area extraction for advanced compositing, the new Quick Selection tool is a real time saver.

Refine Edge

The final touch to any image selection, the new Refine Edge feature is the simple, flexible way to modify the edge of a selection before you begin editing the area. With one-click access from the Options bar, or from the Select menu, Refine Edge lets you precisely smooth, feather, contract, or expand the current selection, with simple slider controls, in a single, intuitive dialog box.

Automatic layer alignment and blending

Automatic alignment and blending of image layers makes it especially easy to create advanced image composites-for example, combining the best parts of multiple images of the same scene into one "best" image. Now you can simply place multiple, related images on separate layers in one document, and then let Photoshop CS3 analyze the contents, moving and rotating the layers so they overlap as precisely as possible. Use the masking tools to reveal the areas you need from different layers to finalize the elements of the composite image. Then use automatic layer blending to seamlessly blend the colour and shading into the final image. You could achieve the same highest-quality results in earlier versions of Photoshop, but the new automatic layer alignment and blending features get you there faster, with less work.

Streamlined interface

Photoshop CS3 maximizes your work area and creative time, by minimizing the effort of arranging your workspace. The Tools palette now appears in a space-saving, single-column arrangement, with other palettes arranged in convenient, self-adjusting docks that can be widened to full size, narrowed to icons, or collapsed completely with the Tab key. When hidden, moving your mouse to the edge of the screen automatically reveals the palette dock. Then Photoshop hides the dock again when you move back to the image. Store your favorite workspaces as presets, and call them up instantly in the new Workspace button menu on the Options bar. You can also choose from a wide range of included presets, designed for a variety of specialized tasks. It all adds up to keeping the tools you need at your fingertips, but never in your way.

Next-generation Adobe Camera Raw

Photoshop CS3 features the latest version of the revolutionary Camera Raw, which processes raw data nondestructively from your compatible digital camera for superior photographic results. Photoshop CS3 also allows you the flexibility of applying the editing power of Camera Raw to JPEG and TIFF files as well as raw formats.

Enhancements to Camera Raw include:

Accelerated performanceNondestructive Clone and Heal toolEven higher quality processing from raw to PhotoshopNew Fill Light and Vibrance controls to fine-tune lightingIntuitive monochrome conversion and controlPrecise colour- adjustment controlsSupport for more than 150 camerasCompatibility with Photoshop Lightroom conversion settingsAdobe Bridge with Stacks and Filters

Whether you're a photographer with thousands of shots or a designer with folders full of images, you'll appreciate the enhancements in the next-generation Adobe Bridge software included with Photoshop CS3.

Adobe Bridge enhancements include:
Faster performance
New three-column layout and saved workspaces for flexibility and efficiency
New Filters panel speeds finding just the images you need
Stacks, to compress a series of images to a single thumbnail with a single click, and expand them again just as easily
New Loupe tool to instantly zoom in and out of any image area you want to inspect closely
Flat view for an instant view of all the images in a set of nested folders
Instant access to Adobe Acrobat
ConnectTM for online, real-time video and audio collaboration
Bridge Home, with up-to-date information about all your Creative
Suite 3 software, as well as video tutorials, tips, and resources
Vanishing Point with multiple, adjustable angle perspective planes

One of the most-loved debuts of Photoshop CS2 is now even more flexible. Easily paste graphics in perspective to create packaging mock-ups and effortlessly edit in perspective- Vanishing Point adjusts brush strokes, healing, and cloning as you paint over the planes. In Photoshop CS3, you are no longer restricted to adding planes at 90-degree angles. You can now quickly and easily create multiple planes in any image, connected at any angle.

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