Commercial Photoshop Retouching: In the Studio

Commercial Photoshop Retouching: In the Studio

Chapter 1 The Professional Retoucher's Studio
 Section 1.1 The Photo Retoucher's Work Environment
 Section 1.2 The Workflow of a Typical Retouching Job
 Section 1.3 Becoming a Professional Retoucher

Chapter 2 Shadows and Light
 Section 2.1 Imagining the Light That Should Have Been
 Section 2.2 Creating a Simple Shadow
 Section 2.3 Creating Shadows for Complex Objects
 Section 2.4 Retaining an Existing Shadow in a New Background
 Section 2.5 Grounding Objects with Shadows
 Section 2.6 Common Shadow Mistakes
 Section 2.7 Keeping a Shadow Library

Chapter 3 Corrections: Improvements on Reality
 Section 3.1 Correction Basics
 Section 3.2 Adding Texture to an Image
 Section 3.3 Using the Clone Tool
 Section 3.4 Neutralizing Images
 Section 3.5 Brightening Images
 Section 3.6 Changing Image Colors

Chapter 4 Something from Nothing
 Section 4.1 Creating Smoke or Steam
 Section 4.2 Creating a Smile
 Section 4.3 Creating Motion from Stillness
 Section 4.4 Extending Backgrounds
 Section 4.5 Shining Things Up

Chapter 5 Special Color Requests
 Section 5.1 Creating Touch Plates
 Section 5.2 Merging Spot Colors into CMYK
 Section 5.3 Converting CMYK to Special Colors
 Section 5.4 Changing a Four-Color Image to Three Colors
 Section 5.5 Adding Trap
 Section 5.6 Changing the Overall Color

Chapter 6 Merging Images
 Section 6.1 Preparing the Pieces: Options for Selecting the Components
 Section 6.2 Preparing the Canvas: Your Position File
 Section 6.3 Putting the Pieces Together

Chapter 7 Low Resolution on a Grand Scale: Making Low Res Look High
 Section 7.1 Understanding the Spec Sheet
 Section 7.2 Assessing the Situation
 Section 7.3 Improving the Existing File to Survive Magnification
 Section 7.4 Dealing with Specific Image Problems

Chapter 8 Preparing Images for Newsprint
 Section 8.1 Start by Understanding the Process
 Section 8.2 Preparing a CMYK Image for Use in Newsprint
 Section 8.3 Preparing a Color Image for a Black and White Newspaper

Chapter 9 Preparing Images for Use on Packaging Materials
 Section 9.1 The Image You Have Versus the Image You Need
 Section 9.2 The Spec Sheet
 Section 9.3 Preparing a CMYK File
 Section 9.4 Another Option: Creating a Special Color
 Section 9.5 Trapping on Special Packaging

This book is divided into nine chapters, each covering a general category of client requests. If you have a client who wants you to fix the color of an image, create something that doesn't currently exist in an image, or prepare an image for use in a special medium, you should be able to find a chapter that helps you do the job.

After a brief orientation to the studio of a professional retoucher in the first chapter, the next five chapters cover general types of image manipulation. The last three chapters give special advice on how to prepare images for "unusual" mediums such as billboards, newspapers, and product packaging. Here's a basic run-down of what the chapters are about:

Chapter 1, The Professional Retoucher's Studio
Tries to give you a sense of what a day in the retoucher's professional life might entail. In this chapter, I've sketched out the basic physical environment in which I work, the workflow of a typical retouching job, and some thoughts about becoming a professional retoucher. If you want to go straight to retouching images, start with Chapter 2.

Chapter 2, Shadows and Light
Discusses the basic category of projects that require manipulation of light. I'll give you some techniques for understanding "imaginary" light sources, creating realistic shadows, and avoiding common shadow mistakes.

Chapter 3, Corrections: Improvements on Reality
Covers how to make corrections that really improve the power of an image. We'll go over some basic correction techniques, discuss adding texture and shape to flat images, and cover some overall color corrections.

Chapter 4, Something from Nothing
Helps you understand how to approach those jobs in which you or your client wants to put something in the image that isn't currently there. This might mean adding steam to a cup of coffee, adding motion to a sports car, or adding shine to a previously dull object.

Chapter 5, Special Color Requests
Discusses how to use special colors and manipulate colors to get the output you or your client are seeking. Here, we'll go over creating touch plates, converting files in and out of CMYK color profiles, and changing the overall color of an image entirely.

Chapter 6, Merging Images
Goes over how to create realistic, if sometimes fantastic, compositions. We'll discuss the basic techniques of properly selecting the components of your composition, how to prepare your "canvas," and how to put the pieces together so that the "seams" don't show.

Chapter 7, Low Resolution on a Grand Scale
Covers the typical commercial retouching request of taking an image intended for a magazine or brochure and making it usable at poster or even billboard size. I'll go over how to interpret a spec sheet for this kind of job, how to assess potential problem areas, and how to improve the file so that it survives magnification.

Chapter 8, Preparing Images for Newsprint
Discusses the particular problems and techniques for avoiding those problems when your image's final destination is the local newspaper. We'll start by getting an overall understanding of the particular needs of images heading for newsprint, then follow with specific instructions for preparing color and black and white images.

Chapter 9, Preparing Images for Use on Packaging Materials
Considers the particular retouching challenges and Photoshop tools that can help you prepare an image intended for industrial packaging. Here, we'll go over spec sheets for flexographic presses, how to prepare the file for best results, and the particular solutions for avoiding pitfalls in this medium.