Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard photo manipulation software. Along with the Apple Macintosh, it has fueled the desktop publishing revolution by bring unprecedented power to the user.

By learning this application you are opening the doors to a software title used world-wide and by almost everyone who must manipulate and use digital picture files but also the printing, photography, multimedia and internet industries as well.

It is in other words, the essential part of your digital toolbox in general and at the heart of the work you are learning in Publication Design and Hypermedia Technology.

The digital photo processing course is designed to introduce and explore some of the most important computer skills graphic designers can possess.

From a broad understanding of the mechanics of color reproduction, to digital retouching and compositing, to the intricacies of preparing images for online distribution, it addresses skills required not only in graphic design per se but also in the printing, photography, advertising, television, cinema and multimedia and internet industries. Digital imagery as we will explore it is everywhere today.

The course is prepared as an exploration of these essential techniques and will introduce students to a variety of digital image interventions that they will reuse over and over again during the course of their studies and in the profession itself.

Eric Girouard
January 2002

Course Outline

Week 1: Introduction

Theory: Photoshop menus: File, Open, Save, Preferences, Scratch Disk…

Week 2: Basics

Theory: Toolbox, Menu items, Edit and Image menus: Resolution, density, color, selection tools and menus.
Lab: Selection and painting exercises. Emphasis placed on Photoshop Selections.

Week 3: Scanning and color (I)

Theory: Scanning, basic color correction concepts, and layer masks.
Lab: Project: Basic web image production.

Web image production project worth 10 points.

Week 4: Selections

Theory: Selections: Alphas, saving selections, preferences, layers & adjustment layers, image size, canvas size, painting tools.
Lab: Painting and selection exercise: Paste image parts together to create an interface.

Painting and selection (interface) exercise worth 10 points

Week 5: Color

Theory: RGB, CMYK, Index colors, channels. Week 5
Lab: Optimizing an image: RGB levels and curves.

Optimizing an image: Old Man exercise worth 15 points.

Week 6: Painting and retouching tools

Theory: Brush options, rubber stamp.
Lab: Photo retouching, Style library, Buttons.

Optimizing an image: Old Man exercise worth 15 points. (continues)

Week 7: Review

Theory: Vector tools.
Lab: Import/Export graphics from Illustrator.

Week 8: Mid-Term

Week 8 Theory: Mid-term test: Weeks 1 to 7 (includes vectors). After test: Extreme Project.
Week 8 Lab: Slicing and rollovers with Image Ready.

Mid-term exam worth 15 points.

Weeks 9: Extreme Project

Theory: Review of needed tools and techniques.
Lab: Extreme Project.

Weeks 10: Automating for productivity

Week 10 Theory: Actions, droplets, batch processing.
Week 10 Lab:: Colorization

Extreme Project worth 15 points.

Week 11: Calibration and Color (II)

Week 11 Theory: Image Calibration and color space models. Preparing files for reproduction: correcting color, variations, adjustments (Levels, Curves, Hue / Saturation), unsharp masking. ICC profiling and color space conversions.
Week 11 lab: Color correction.

Color correction exercise worth 10 points.

Week 12: CD booklet project begins

Theory: Resolution and color modes. Imposition basics.
Lab: CD Project.

Week 13:

Theory: Review semester weeks 1 to 13.
Week 14 Lab: Finish CD booklet.

Week 14: Final project hand-in.

Theory: Review semester weeks 1 to 13.
Lab: Handing-in of CD booklet project (worth 10 points).

Week 15: Final Theoretical Exam

Theory: Final exam.
Lab: Feedback on CD booklet.

Final exam worth 15 points