Phil-Phlash's blog

Introduction

Here's another freebie from OnOneSoftware called "Adobe Camera Raw PhotoPresets". Read about it, see examples and tutorials, and download it at http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=34 . There are over 140 free ACR Presets to simplify and speed up your workflow, quickly correct color and tone, and easily add creative effects.

Hello club members. Once again I've located a freeware Photoshop plugin for CS2, CS3 and CS4 you might like to download. You can check it out at http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=39 .

With the PhotoTools 2 Lite free plugin for Photoshop, you can add a professional look to your photos with just a few clicks. Based on the award-winning PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition plug-in, PhotoTools 2 Lite gives you 15 professional-grade actions and photographic effects for Photoshop that will make your images stand out from the crowd.

I am posting a couple links you may find helpful if you are using Photoshop Elements. The first is http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/tutorial/elements-color-correcti... and is related to color correcting your photos. It is pretty staight forward so you will have no trouble following this tutorial.

The second link addresses the use of smart filters, vector drawing, paths, masks and more. The features I refer to are NOT normally available in Elements so if you would like to know more I suggest you take a look at http://www.graphic-design.com/design/graphic-design/elements-plus-filter... .

OK, this software is not for everyone but gets a 5 star rating. Inkscape is an Open Source (freeware) vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Fireworks, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. It has many vector graphics editing tools enabling you to create web graphics, technical diagrams, icons, creative art posters, logos, maps, and illustrations. Inkscape supports layers, charts & graphs, shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, patterns, and object grouping. Tutorials and sample galleries are available from the project website.

I came across a web site with free utilities you may like (eg, screen capture, picture resizer, etc) at http://bluefive.pair.com/free_computer_software.htm .

There's also free software from Belarc Advisor. It runs a PC audit on your computer and stores it on your hard disk as an .html file. It can be opened in any browser. So, why do this? If your machine ever fails that audit file provides essential information to getting it running again. This software is widely used by some large organizations, for instance NASA. Find it at http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html .

Video and PDF tutorials give you an overview of how to use PS Elements at  www.adobe.com/designcenter/photoshopelements/articles/tutorial_index.html. If you're new to Elements, watch the series of "Getting Started" videos. Whether you're a new or experienced Elements user, check out the tutorials in the Learn More section. Also find explanations of basic terms and tasks at  www.adobe.com/designcenter/photoshopelements/articles/concept_index.html .

Corel is offering a sizable discount on Paint Shop Pro X2 Ultimate until the end of July. See http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ca/en/Product/1184951547051#versionTabview=tab1&tabview=tab0 .

Visit http://gainesvillephotoclub.com/photos/album/187 to see sample photos for the Pan It theme for July '09.

We have from time to time suggested software that you may find useful. In many cases, it seems our recommended software is available for PCs and there is no Mac version. Perhaps our Mac owners are unaware that Mac has provided a utility that allows you to run Windows software on a Mac. It is an application called "Boot Camp" and is found in the utilities section of the applications menu. you can learn more about this utility (and your Mac) at http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/compatibility.html . If you own a Mac I strongly suggest you visit this web page and visit it's many links. You will learn a lot about your computer.

This is my last post today on photo editors. I now bring you a free open-source photo editing program called GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). This program has most of the same features as Photoshop. However, it has a rather steep learning curve if you have little or no experience with photo editors. It is absolutely FREE as are all upgrades and is available at http://www.gimp.org/ . Check out the web site and see if you like it. It costs you nothing but a little time to try it. If you are looking for compact, fast, high performance free software, this is for you.