Basic, ACE Edition
Frequently asked questions and instructor notes
All our courses assume that each student has a personal computer to use during the class. Our hands-on approach to learning requires that they do. This topic gives information on how to set up the classroom to teach this course. It includes minimum requirements for the students’ personal computers, setup information for the first time you teach the class, and setup information for each time that you teach after the first time you set up the classroom.
Hardware requirements
Each student’s personal computer should have:
· A keyboard and a mouse
· An Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor
· At least 512 MB of RAM
· 3.5 GB of available hard disk space
· A DVD-ROM drive
· Monitor with minimum 1280x960 resolution and 24-bit color or better. (Users of LCD and/or widescreen displays should choose their monitor’s native resolution, if possible.)
Software requirements
You will need the following software:
· Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit editions)
· Adobe Photoshop CS4
· A printer driver (An actual printer is not required, but students will not be able to complete the “Printing an image” activity in the unit titled “Preparing finished images” unless a driver is installed.)
Network requirements
The following network components and connectivity are also required for this course:
· Internet access, for the following purposes:
– Downloading the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com
– Downloading Acrobat Reader
– Downloading the student data files (if necessary)
First-time setup instructions
The first time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 Install Windows XP on an NTFS partition according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. If the student machines have Internet access, and they are behind a software or hardware firewall, install the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com.
Note: You can also use Windows Vista, but the screen shots in this course were taken using Windows XP, so students’ screens will look somewhat different.
2 From the Control Panel, open the Display Properties dialog box and apply the following settings:
· Theme — Windows XP
· Screen resolution — 1280 by 960 pixels
· Color quality — High (24 bit) or higher
Note: To avoid a blurred or distorted screen, users of flat panel or widescreen displays should either choose their monitor’s native resolution, or disable image stretching and scaling if possible. Students’ screens may look different at other resolutions.
3 Install Adobe Photoshop CS4 according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. After installation, start Photoshop to complete the activation process, and then close Photoshop.
4 Configure Photoshop CS4 as follows:
a Start Adobe Photoshop CS4. On the Welcome screen, click Close.
b Choose Edit, Preferences, File Handling. Set Maximize PSD File Compatibility to Always. Click OK.
c Close Photoshop.
5 Install a printer driver.
6 If you don’t have the data CD that came with this manual, download the student data files for the course. You can download the data directly to student machines, to a central location on your own network, or to a disk.
a Connect to www.axzopress.com.
b Under Downloads, click Instructor-Led Training.
c Browse the subject categories to locate your course. Then click the course title to display a list of available downloads. (You can also access these downloads through our Catalog listings.)
d Click the link(s) for downloading the student data files and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
Setup instructions for every class
Every time you teach this course (including the first time), you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 If necessary, reset any defaults that have been changed in previous classes. To do so, when starting Photoshop, hold down Shift+Ctrl+Alt until the dialog box appears, asking if you want to delete the settings file; click Yes.
2 Delete the contents of the Student Data folder, if necessary. (If this is the first time you are teaching the course, create a folder named Student Data at the root of the hard drive. For a standard hard drive setup, this will be C:\Student Data.)
3 Copy the data files to the Student Data folder. (See the download instructions in the preceding section.)
CertBlaster exam preparation for ACE certification
Students interested in attaining ACE certification can download CertBlaster exam preparation software from our Web site. Here’s how:
1 Go to www.axzopress.com.
2 Under Downloads, click CertBlaster.
3 Click the link for Photoshop CS4.
4 Save the EXE file to a folder on your hard drive. (Note: If you skip this step, the CertBlaster software will not install correctly.)
5 Click Start and choose Run.
6 Click Browse and then navigate to the folder that contains the EXE file.
7 Select the EXE file and click Open.
8 Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted for the password, enter c_photocs4.
Topic B: Frequently asked questions
There are no frequently asked questions for this course at this time.
Topic C: Course notes
There are no notes for this course at this time.
Topic D: Additional information
There is no additional information for this course at this time.