Explains how to use Photoshop for manipulating b&w, grey scale, & color images. Updated to cover Version 2.5's tools, controls, and filters. Covers color pre-press, retouching and enhancement, fine art, animation, & video.

Adobe InDesign is taking the publishing world by storm and users are hungry for breakthrough solutions to their myriad concerns—from how best to manage the program's sometimes unwieldy interface to how to produce quality PDF files. Page-layout guru David Blatner and veteran trainer Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepción have scoured the online forums, interviewed Adobe engineers, and gathered together answers to over 200 of the most-commonly asked questions. Written in a sassy, fun-to-read style, this book tackles every major InDesign problem with a lay-it-on-the-line solution. Adobe InDesign CS/CS2 Breakthroughs is for anyone who has been using InDesign long enough to realize that the solution to their problems isn't always as obvious as one would expect.

Ideal for scrapbookers, serious and casual photographers, and budding graphic artists alike, Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac is more powerful and easier to use than previous versions. But figuring out how and when to use the program's tools is still tricky. With this book, you'll learn not only what each tool does, but also when it makes the most sense to use it and why. You get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for everything from importing photos to organizing, editing, sharing, and storing your images. You'll also find a tour of Bridge, the ultra-deluxe file browser that comes with Photoshop CS4 —and Elements 8.

How do you use the Photomerge Exposure? How do Quick Fix previews work? With a gentle introduction to get you started quickly, and advanced tips to help you produce really creative work, this Missing Manual provides the answers you need.

Get crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of every featureLearn to import, organize, back up, and fix photos quickly and easilyRepair and restore old and damaged photos, and retouch any imageJazz up your pictures with dozens of filters, frames, and special effectsRemove unwanted objects from images with the new Recompose toolLearn advanced techniques like working with layers and applying blend modesDownload practice images and try new tricks right away

There’s a real connection between craftsmanship and Web design. That’s the theme running through Handcrafted CSS: More Bulletproof Web Design, by bestselling author Dan Cederholm, with a chapter contributed by renowned Web designer and developer Ethan Marcotte. This book explores CSS3 that works in today’s browsers, and you’ll be convinced that now’s the time to start experimenting with it.

Whether you’re a Web designer, project manager, or a graphic designer wanting to learn more about the fluidity that’s required when designing for the Web, you’ll discover the tools to create the most flexible, reliable, and bulletproof Web designs. And you’ll finally be able to persuade your clients to adopt innovative and effective techniques that make everyone’s life easier while improving the end user’s experience. This book’s seven chapters deconstruct various aspects of a case-study Web site for the Tugboat Coffee Company, focusing on aspects that make it bulletproof and demonstrate progressive enrichment techniques over more traditional labor-intensive methods.

Subjects covered in this book include:
building for unanticipated future useprogressively enriching designs using CSS3 propertiesusing RGBA color for transparency with an alpha channelmodular float managementcrafting flexible frameworksfluid layouts using grid-based design principlescraftsmanship details on typography, jQuery, and shifting backgrounds

With iWork '09, Apple's productivity applications have come of age. Unfortunately, their user guides are stuck in infancy. That's where iWork '09: The Missing Manual comes in. This book quickly guides you through everything you need to know about the Pages word-processor, the Numbers spreadsheet, and the Keynote presentation program that Al Gore and Steve Jobs made famous.

Friendly and entertaining, iWork '09: The Missing Manual gives you crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of iWork's capabilities, its advantages over similar programs — and its limitations. You'll see these programs through an objective lens that shows you which features work well and which don't. With this book, you will:

Produce stunning documents and cinema-quality digital presentationsTake advantage of Mac OS X's advanced typography and graphics capabilitiesLearn how to use the collection of themes and templates included with iWorkGet undocumented tips, tricks, and secrets for each programIntegrate with other iLife programs to use photos, audio, and video clips

Learn why iWork is the topic most requested by Missing Manual fans. One of the few sources available on Apple's incredible suite of programs, iWork '09: The Missing Manual will help you get the best performance out of Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and more in no time.

In the only Apple-certified guide to iLife ’09, the authors have you working miracles with iLife within the first few pages. Featuring footage and images from around the world, this book/DVD combo uses real-life material and practical lessons that you can apply immediately to your own projects. Focused lessons take you step by step through all aspects of iLife ’09—everything from organizing and sharing your  photo library to creating polished video and soundtracks. Along the way, you’ll produce movies, photobooks, podcasts, websites, blogs, and custom DVDs.

• Master the iLife suite of tools quickly through fun, real-world projects
• Turn your photos into cards, picture books, calendars, or a web gallery
• Add motion and music to a slideshow, then publish it online
• Create a video with polished transitions, music, effects, and even greenscreen
• Learn “Hollywood-style” techniques for making better videos
• Build a soundtrack in GarageBand, and learn to score a simple movie
• Create websites, blogs, podcasts, and DVD menus in a snap.

The Apple Training Series is both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum of the Apple Training and Certification Program. To find out more about Apple Training, or to find an Authorized Training Center near you, go to www.apple.com/training.

With tape decks going the way of Model T's and digital music players reaching stratospheric levels of popularity, yesterday's mix tapes have been replaced by today's burn-it-yourself CDs. However, if you're like many music buffs, sorting through a gargantuan collection of CDs to find just the right tunes to fill out the perfect playlist can be an overwhelming task. To the rescue comes this fun, music-filled guide. Editor Cliff Colby worked with more than two dozen music critics, journalists, radio programmers, DJs, and all-around music enthusiasts to come up with the perfect selection of playlists, ranging from rock, pop, folk, hip hop, punk, Latin music, and opera. Whether you need help burning the perfect mix CD for your iPod-loving friends or inspiration for your own music collection, this compendium of more than 150 essential playlists is certain to satisfy. Organized by genre (punk, blues, roots, and more) and activity (think road trips, cocktail parties, weddings, and luaus), each page includes a playlist and interesting tidbits about that list. The iPod Playlist Book is the ideal gift for the obsessive-compulsive, music-loving geek in your household.

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The original and much-imitated Macintosh Bible has undergone a complete rehaul—and returned to its roots. The Macintosh Bible, Eighth Edition is the most comprehensive volume ever, and like the original, was written by a group of Macintosh community leaders, each an expert in his or her subject.

Fully updated to cover Mac OS 9 and X, The Macintosh Bible, Eighth Edition exhaustively covers the spectrum of Macintosh computing. This all-in-one reference is everything to everyone: Beginners will appreciate the clearly organized, matter-of-fact approach, and veteran Mac users will find new tips, shortcuts, and tidbits of Mac trivia in every chapter. The Mac has changed a lot in the two years since the last edition, and this one fills all the gaps, with sections on the latest iMacs, iBooks, and G4s; iMovie, desktop video, and other multimedia; new developments in the Internet and the Web; USB and FireWire; and more. It's a must-have addition to any Mac library.

Build your InDesign expertise,one technique at a time. In Adobe InDesign CS3 How-Tos, authors John Cruise and Kelly Kordes Anton bring you 100 carefully selected techniques to help you get right to work in InDesign, the world’s most powerful page layout program. Their strategy is to focus on those features you’re most likely to use, showcasing each in a clearly explained, well-illustrated, stand-alone technique—complete with a relevant hint or two. These bite-sized lessons offer a great way to learn just what you need to know when you need it, exploring the program in a way, and at a pace, that makes sense to you. Before you know it, you’ll master all these tools and techniques, and more:

• Customize the interface [Tip #6]
• Add metadata to documents [Tip #14]
• I nsert variable text [Tip #29]
• Add special effects to type [Tip #34]
• Format tables with styles [Tip #45]
• U se spot colors, process colors, and tints [Tip #74]
• Paginate a book [Tip #86]
• U se PDF presets for output [Tip #96].

Take control of your cable modem

Like the animal it's named for, Mac OS X Panther is beautiful, sleek, superbly efficient, dangerously alluring, and all muscle under the surface. Beneath its appealing interface, it's a hard-working machine. Those coming to Mac OS X from previous incarnations of the operating system recognize much of the friendly face of the Macintosh they're used to, but they're also plunged into a whole new world. Unix converts to Mac OS X find a familiar FreeBSD-like operating system at the core and many of the command-line applications that they're familiar with: it's like an open invitation to roll up their sleeves and hack.

Mac OS X Panther Hacks brings together the perfect combination of tips, tricks, and tools to help serious Mac users—regardless of their background—get the most from their machines. This newly revised collection reflects the real-world know how of those well-steeped in Unix history and expertise, sharing their no-nonsense, sometimes quick-and-dirty solutions to administering and taking full advantage of everything a Unix desktop has to offer: Web, Mail, and FTP serving, security services, SSH, Perl and shell scripting, compiling, configuring, scheduling, networking, and hacking. Add to that the experience of die-hard Macintosh users, customizing and modifying their hardware and software to meet their needs. The end result is cool stuff no power user should be without.

The hacks in the book range from the quick and easy to the more complex. Each can be read easily in a few minutes, saving countless hours of searching for the right answer. Mac OS X Panther Hacks provides direct, hands-on solutions in topics such as:

User Interface

Accessories (iPod, USB devices, mobile phones, PDAs, etc.)

Wired and wireless networking (Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.)

Email (servers and clients)

Web (servers and clients)

Messaging (iChat and associated apps)

Printing and Faxing (sharing printers, fax server, etc.)

Multimedia

If you want more than your average Mac user—you want to explore and experiment, unearth shortcuts, create useful tools, and come up with fun things to try on your own—this book will set you on the right track. Written for users who need to go beyond what's covered in conventional manuals—Mac OS X Panther Hacks will bring your Mac to its full potential.

Though Office 2008 has been improved to take advantage of the latest Mac OS X features, you don't get a single page of printed instructions to guide you through the changes. Office 2008 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual gives you the friendly and thorough introduction you need, whether you're a beginner who can't do more than point and click, or a power user who's ready for a few advanced techniques.

You’ve got the power. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on recording-studio time anymore. Now, using Pro Tools—a digital-audio workstation—you can record demos at home on your own computer, edit tracks, add effects, and even output songs to a CD. But if you’re new to working with sound digitally, you face a daunting learning curve. Getting your music gear to work with your desktop computer or laptop—and producing results that you like—involves some unfamiliar tools and concepts.
At last, here’s a Pro Tools book written by a musician for other musicians! Author Gina Fant-Saez knows first-hand how frustrating it can be when you first make the move to using this complex, studio-quality audio application. Rather than overwhelm you with every detail of the program and complicated terminology or functions you’ll never use, Pro Tools for Musicians and Songwriters teaches only the essentials you need to record, enhance, and output your music.

With downloadable audio files from www.protoolsformusicians.com to help you get started, Pro Tools for Musicians and Songwriters will show you how to:
•     Use a metronome (click track) or percussion loop to help you keep time when you record
•     Record and combine multiple takes to create one seamless composition
•     Edit your tracks with crossfades, panning, doubling, automation more[  
•     Add and manipulate plug-in effects, such as reverb
•     Share your Pro Tools files with other musicians around the globe
•     Output your finished composition to a CD

Whether you want to create your own podcasts or just would like to locate and then listen to audio programs on your portable player, this is the book for you. In Secrets of Podcasting, Second Edition,author Bart G. Farkas provides real-world guidance and advice on how to:

Download and enjoy podcasts with any MP3 player Create a script and set the structure and flow of your audio or video podcast Choose the right equipment-including the right microphone, headphones, and even preamp Use a digital recording device instead of your PC or Mac Pick audio editing and recording software Legally play music in your podcast or vodcast Distribute your podcast or vodcast

In addition, Bart includes tutorials on creating podcasts on Windows machines and on Macs. He also offers dozens of recommendations for software to use for finding and subscribing to podcasts.