Advanced, First Look Edition
Activity-Level
Outline
Days: 1
Prerequisites: Photoshop CS5: Basic or equivalent experience
Unit 1 : Fills and overlays
Topic A: Filling image areas
A-1: Creating swatches
A-2: Filling selections
A-3: Creating fill layers
Topic B: Gradients and patterns
B-1: Creating gradients
B-2: Creating a simple pattern
B-3: Saving a set of presets
B-4: Creating a tool preset
Topic C: Layer overlays
C-1: Filling areas with overlay layer styles
Unit 2 : Masks
Topic A: Mask channels
A-1: Editing a Quick Mask
A-2: Editing an alpha channel as a Quick Mask
Topic B: Layer masks
B-1: Creating a layer mask
B-2: Editing a layer mask
Topic C: Grayscale masks
C-1: Creating soft edges with a grayscale mask
C-2: Fading a layer with a gradient mask
Topic D: Clipping masks and type masks
D-1: Clipping a layer to an underlying layer
D-2: Creating a type mask
Unit 3 : Vector paths
Topic A: Creating vector paths
A-1: Discussing the uses of vector paths
A-2: Creating a freeform path
A-3: Converting a selection to a path
A-4: Creating paths with the Pen tool
Topic B: Editing vector paths
B-1: Adjusting path points
B-2: Changing the number of anchor points
B-3: Combining subpaths to form a single path
Topic C: Vector masks
C-1: Creating a vector mask
Topic D: Paths for creative imagery
D-1: Converting type characters to editable shapes
D-2: Wrapping type on a path
D-3: Creating a vector shape layer
D-4: Stroking a path with a brush shape
Unit 4 : Creative image effects
Topic A: Painting effects
A-1: Simulating painting with the Mixer Brush tool
A-2: Blending a texture with Overlay mode
A-3: Creating a custom brush
Topic B: Warping
B-1: Warping text
B-2: Warping image layers
B-3: Using Puppet Warp
Topic C: Efficient compositing
C-1: Grouping layers
C-2: Creating and transforming Smart Objects
C-3: Working with Smart Object contents
C-4: Creating vector Smart Objects
Topic D: Vanishing Point
D-1: Editing an image with the Vanishing Point filter
Topic E: Smart Filters
E-1: Applying Smart Filters
E-2: Masking Smart Filter effects
Unit 5 : Automating tasks
Topic A: Creating actions
A-1: Recording an action
A-2: Playing an action
A-3: Editing an action
A-4: Pausing an action
Topic B: Organizing actions
B-1: Making actions work as buttons
B-2: Saving actions in sets
Topic C: Batch processing
C-1: Batch-processing files
Topic D: Customizing Photoshop
D-1: Assigning keyboard shortcuts and menu item colors
Appendix A : ACA exam objectives map
Topic A: Comprehensive exam objectives