Teach Yourself VISUALLY (TM) Photoshop(R) 7

The book promises that you will read less and learn more. For the visual learner, the full colored screen shots and succinct explanations break 140 Photoshop 7 topics into two-page lessons.

Simple; direct; helpful: What more would you want from an introductory software text?


Waste Of Money!   October 23, 2003
 3 out of 10 found this review helpful

This book didn't teach me anything that I didn't know already. I learnt a lot more by playing around with the software. It doesn't even teach you how to do impressive special effects, like montages or TV lines.

If you have already played around with Photoshop, then you don't need this book! There are better tutorials out there on the internet and they are free!

Save your money!!!


Perfect for the Beginner   March 1, 2003
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

For the bewildered beginner, this book is ideal. There are NO longwinded chapters filled with theory that you have to digest. On the contrary, the entire book is written 'Betty Crocker' style, with a topic no longer than two pages long. Most of the page consists of pictures demonstrating the steps. The actual steps are listed at the bottom of the page. One can quickly learn how to work effectively without feeling like they're enrolled in an academic course.


John Nemerovski MyMac.com Book Review   December 6, 2002
 27 out of 28 found this review helpful

Book Bytes has admired maranGraphics' approach to visual learning for many years. What works best here are specific screen shots in vibrant colors giving clear, concise, detailed instructions for beginning users of Photoshop 7.

This cross-platform book provides specific directions for OS 9, OS X, and Windows whenever necessary. Bravo! It's a multi-OS world out there, publishers and authors. Two-page lesson spreads make valuable use of the highly successful "Teach Yourself Visually" format. Helpful Q&A style tips enhance each lesson.

Turning to pages 82-83, we learn how to "skew or distort a selection" in Photoshop, complete with numbered, bulleted steps. It would take hundreds of words to instruct without comparable impact of the four-panel illustration. Just one example among many from Wooldridge and maranGraphics.

Any gripes? Yes:

*Often items within a screen being targeted visually are too tiny to see clearly if you're not following along while running Photoshop on your computer.

*I'm being picky, but I get tired of seeing the same JPG examples used over and over again: bagels, palm trees, and light bulbs, for example. I understand they are repeated for continuity, but a little more variety would add spice to the imagery. (I do like that lime-green bagel multiple-effects layer project on pages 192-193, though.)

*Teach Yourself Visually Adobe Photoshop 7 is a teaser, making me want to try everything in P7, but then I'll need to dig deeper within a more extensive book. Some beginners will outgrow the book before they finish using its tutorials.

This book is most suited for readers who learn best from a visual presentation, then work on their own to develop more skills. Teach Yourself Visually Adobe Photoshop 7 makes just about everything in the software seem approachable.

WOULD I BUY IT? Yes, to help students who fit the above profile.

WOULD I USE IT IF IT WAS THE ONLY PHOTOSHOP BOOK AVAILABLE: Yes, and then set it aside in favor of PhotoShop's built-in Help application for additional instruction.

DO I RECOMMEND IT? Yes, as mentioned above...