Introduction to PhotoShop CS – Parts 1 and 2
About Adobe PhotoShop CS
Adobe PhotoShop is the premier, industry gold standard in digital imaging software. All design firms be they graphic design firms; newspaper or magazine outlets; or web development firms use this program to design and develop their images. This is because this powerful program is acknowledged industry–wide to be second to none. For this reason, PhotoShop CS is a required tool for studio photographers, photojournalists, graphic designers and web developers alike. More and more, it is also becoming the preferred tool for serious hobbyists. Because this versatile program delivers as both a digital darkroom and as a graphic artist's palette, market demand for PhotoShop professionals never wanes.
Is this Course Right For Me?
This course is offered in two parts. It introduces students to PhotoShop CS. It is designed primarily for graphic designers, artists and photography enthusiasts. Its emphasis is upon exploiting PhotoShop’s powerful photo editing capabilities from the digital artist’s perspective. Students who enroll in this class will acquire marketable job skills required for pursuing careers in fine arts, graphic design and/or website development.
Lessons in this course are instructor–led with each lesson concentrating on a specific project designed to teach students how to do such things as fix underexposed and overexposed pictures, recover badly shot photographs, straighten crooked images and/or horizons, adjust colors in images, combine disparate images into one image composite and much more. Students will walk away with a solid understanding of PhotoShop program fundamentals and an ability to freely composite any image they can imagine. No previous experience with Adobe Photoshop CS is assumed, however, students must be conversant in Windows or MAC operating system software in order to enroll in this class.
Students who are still uncertain as to whether or not this course is the right one for them will find the "Enrollment Pre–assessment Quiz" in the next section helpful in determining whether or not they should sign up for this course. Additionally, student testimonials written by former students are available for review.
Enrollment Pre–assessment Tool
This pre–assessment quiz is designed to help prospective students assess their current skill level and to determine whether or not this course meets their learning objectives. Those who score between "Fair" and "Poor", which is to be expected if unfamiliar with PhotoShop, belong in the introductory class. Those who score between "Good" and "Excellent" might consider enrolling in the Intermediate PhotoShop CS class.
Student Testimonials
Several former students who have taken this class have been kind enough to write testimonials in order to help others decide whether or not this is the right class for them. Visit the link listed below to preview a few of their reviews.
Course Overview
Course Philosophy
Although an introductory course, this course is designed to ground students in professional, graphic design fundamentals used by design firms for developing brochures, business cards, newsletters, newspaper graphics, magazine graphics and web design workflows. Fundamentals are taught within this framework and lessons are geared toward acquiring these specific, marketable skills. This course is designed to:
- Build sound fundamentals necessary to succeed in PhotoShop CS
- Deliver an exercise-oriented approach that allows learning by doing
- Encourage critical thinking skills vital to creative expression
Teaching Methods
Class lessons include lecture and hands–on practice. Additionally, in–class group projects are assigned. These projects are designed to reinforce instructor–led lessons. Homework is assigned for further practice. Lastly, video tutorials and optional review quizzes are made available for further learning opportunities.
All class lessons are instructor–designed and documented. The required textbook suppliments most of these lessons and serves as an excellent, addtional reference guide to the instructor's handouts. Class lesson modules along with composite examples and brief lesson synopsises of what is covered in each lesson are available for preview in the shaded sidebar on the left side of this page. Please refer to the course syllabus for further course details.
Enrollment Information
Registration Information
The first 20 hours of this introductory course will be offered on Saturday afternoons this fall. Please visit the Del Mar College, CED website for information about how to register for this class.
Enrollment Prerequisites
This course assumes that students already have solid PC or MAC operating system skills. Lessons are paced based upon this assumption. Students who do not have solid PC or MAC skills will, therefore, find this class too fast for them. Here is a list of those skills that one must have in order to enroll and to succeed in this course:
- Know How to Open a Program
- Know How to Save a File
- Know How to Cut, Copy, and Paste
- Know How to Undo and Redo an Action
- Know How to Right–click with the Mouse
- Be Familiar with Modifier Keys on the Keyboard
- Function Keys: F1 – F12
- CTRL and ALT if a PC User
- COMMAND and OPTION if a MAC User
- Know How to Cascade Windows
- Minimize, Maximize and Restore Down
- Know How to Multitask
- Between Windows
- Between Programs
- Understand File Management
- How to Find Files in Specific Directories
- How to Save Files To Specific Directories
- How to Create a File Folder/Directory
- How to Delete Files and File Folders
- Know How to Unzip Files Using the Windows Zip Utility if a PC User
- Know How to Unzip Files Using the Stuffit Utility if a MAC User
- Know How to Use a Browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
- Know How to type in a web address in the address bar
- Know How to use the Previous and Next Buttons
- Know How to Use Links
- Know How to Fill Out Web Forms
- Know How to send and receive email attachments
- Know How to participate in discussion/message boards
- The virtual lab is an asynchronous, discussion board provided for student and group project assignments
Should one need to brush up on these skills before enrolling in this class, one can enroll in a refresher course on MS Windows.
Required Materials
Starting in Fall 2010, this course will use the PhotoShop CS5 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide" as the textbook. It retails for approximately thirty dollars. Students may purchase this textbook at the DMC University Bookstore. Additionally, all students are required to purchase a Flash/Thumb Drive. These can be purchased from retailers like Walmart for as little as ten dollars.
About the Instructor
Mary Villanueva is a Del Mar College adjunct who conducts classes in Adobe and Microsoft software programs. She is also a Corporate Trainer and IT Consultant doing business as Byronsbyte Consulting. She is an experienced instructor with over fifteen years in this field. Ms. Villanueva enjoys solid relationships with many prominent businesses in this area. Some of her clients include Del Mar College, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Robstown ISD, DuPont Flouroproducts, Sherwin Alumina, and the Army Navy Credit Union. Please feel free to inquire about pricing for corporate training in Adobe or Microsoft software programs. ↑