Natural effects such as water, fire, earth and wind are a popular feature to many graphic images. Graphic designers can create both realistic and fictional portrayals of the element. Online training can help provide guidance on how to develop elemental features in an image.
Begin to create a realistic reflection in Adobe Photoshop by duplicating the background layer. Add more canvas space to the bottom of the document. Increase image height by 100 percent, leave width alone and select the relative option in the canvas size window. Flip the layer vertically using the transform option in the edit window. Then drag the flipped image to the bottom of the first image that contains the blank canvas at the bottom. Using the select tool, make sure the two images line up.
A user should now have a perfect mirror image on the screen. However, the reflection in the “water” is still, and therefore looks unrealistic. Adding waves to the bottom half of the image can give a true water reflection.
There are a few different ways to create a wave or rippling effect in Adobe Photoshop such as the glass or Gaussian blur effects. This tutorial will focus on using the Gaussian blur effect, as recommended by PhotoshopEssentials.com.
Create a new white layer and apply the halftone pattern to the filter, which should leave the layer with vertical black and white lines. Enter the filter menu, select the blur option and then choose the Gaussian blur. The Gaussian blur dialog box should appear. Then increase the radius value using the slider, which will soften the lines. Select the layer, enter the layer menu and choose the duplicate layer option in the dialog box. Enter new for the destination option and save the new document as a Photoshop .PSD file.
Remove the black and white vertically lined document from the layers dialog box. If a user has not done so already, merge the original layer (with the right-sided image) and the second layer (with the image turned upside down) to create a new layer that contains both images.
Select the layer one image, enter the filter menu and select the distort option. A displace filter dialog box should appear. Under the horizontal scale option a user can control the ripple, experiment until preference is met. Set the vertical scale option to zero, and check the stretch to fit and repeat edge pixels boxes, according to the source.
Click ok at the corner of the dialog box, and Photoshop will prompt a user to tell the program which displacement file they used. It is now time to select the image previously saved with the wavy black and white vertical lines and click open. The program will do the rest to apply the feature to the image.
However, the ripple has been applied to the entire image. Therefore, enter the layer dialog box, hit control click (Windows) or command click (Mac) and place a selection around the flipped image in the document. Select the layer mask on the bottom of the layers dialog box.
A user should now have a complete graphic, featuring an image realistically reflected in wavy water. This can be a complicated and drawn-out process for Photoshop users who have not used multilayered effects previously. Adobe after effects training and online training with step-by-step instruction can help provide instruction with video and image demonstrations. Learning materials that engage hearing, sight and reading abilities often are more successful tutorials.
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Strengthen your design team with Adobe training
Businesses investing in the right programs require quality produced at an efficient rate. While new software design products can bring new life to a design, without proper training a graphic artist may be unable to implement those new features or even the old ones!
Directions change, filters are moved and what was once located under this tab is now located under a new dialog box. Updated software can leave a graphic designer in a lurch if he or she is stuck between a deadline and an incomplete project. Investing in Adobe training tutorials could drastically reduce the time a graphic designer needs to get acquainted with the changes.
Training employees with easy-to-use tutorials can increase their efficiency and reduce the time it takes to produce a quality product. Outfitting a graphic design team with the tools they need to expand their knowledge about new software capabilities can speed up the overall creation process – reducing total operation costs and improving a business's bottom line.
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What text wrapping options are there in Microsoft Office Word?
After adding an image, you may wish to further refine its integration in a document by wrapping text around it. It cuts down on unnecessary white space and creates a cleaner copy. Consider online tutorials for further instruction on text wrapping options and how they can be applied.
Here are the four text wrapping style option in Microsoft Word and how they differ from one another:
1. In line with text. This is often the default text wrapping option. It inserts the graphic at the indicated point by the insertion arrow and allows text to immediately continue after the image ends.
2. Square. The square text wrap option is one of the most commonly used features because many of the images inserted in a document will be in a square or rectangular format.
3. Tight style. Use this text wrapping option to reduce white space. The program identifies the image and uses a rectangular shape to close in on the actual graphic, removing unnecessary white space.
4. Behind or in-front text. You can place the image either behind the words, similar to a watermark, or in front of the text. These two options are less commonly used and can lead to readability problems if not used carefully.
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Design for multi-device function with Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5
The modern world has increased the variety of devices used in everyday life. People are using smartphones, tablets, televisions and personal computers to stream online content – creating an additional need for applications and website designers that may require online training.
Therefore, a multi-platform capable tool such as Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 is a must. The multi-screen preview panel allows professionals to easily create applications and websites with code written to device specific qualifications and consumer-use style.
A modern website must be viewable from tablets, smartphones, televisions and personal computers to make a user’s experience more comprehensive – whichever device they are using. Consumers are prone to look up the same websites on multiple platforms. A web presence unable to cope with the variety of devices the average consumer uses could suffer.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 offers multi-platform design options, jQuery mobile integration, HTML and CS5.5 support, cutting-edge live video rendering to preview code and the ability to build and package applications for both Android and iOS programs. It is the program made for professional code, program and design writers.
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Create circle pixels for a fun and funky pop art graphics in Adobe Photoshop
If you are a fan of retro pop art pieces and wish to create your very own to hang on the living room wall or gift to a friend, follow these simple steps. Manipulating pixel shape and size can have drastic changes to an image, and online training can help you determine how those changes can be used.
If you're a Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol fan, find your own colorful graphic and begin by enlarging it. It does not matter if the image becomes blurry or over pixilated at the moment. Enter the filter tab, select pixilate and choose the mosaic option. Experiment with different cell sizes to determine which one meets your design preference. Once you choose a size, write it down next to you so you will not forget.
Create a new document with the height, width and pixel size of the previous image. Create a circle selection, then inverse it. Hide the background layer, enter edit, select define pattern and name it circle or dots. Go back to the previous image, and enter normal blending options and zero opacity. Under the pattern overlay window enter the pixel size you previously wrote down on the paper.
You should now have a circle pixilated pop art image in front of you.
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Get familiar with the new export options for ePub in InDesign CS5.5
As the more and more time is spent on electronic devices, businesses are forced to consider their ePub processes and capabilities. Information developed for one file or device may require conversion and export abilities for increased efficiency to meet market needs. Due to industry changes, the newest installment of InDesign (CS5.5.) has added new export option for ePub.
Businesses interested in meeting their needs and of their customers in a timely fashion in all files formats may wish to consider investing in CS5 training to learn the new file export features. Here are two new updates to the program available for download:
Content Server 4.1This new update provides a server solution that digitally protects PDF and relowable ePub eBook for Adobe Digital Editions software and all supporting mobile devices, including E Ink, smartphones and tablets. It provides users an easy solution to hosting, managing and exporting content for most infrastructures.
Reader Mobile 9.2 SDK
Using this new program feature, users will be able to reliably allow third-party developers to support PRD, ePub and eBook content on their devices. High-quality document rendering will limit the chance a file receiver will get an error message when they try to open it.
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How to draw a circle or curved shape in Microsoft Office PowerPoint
If your Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation requires additional curves to get the look you want, online training can help. A presentation doesn’t have to be square, add some spunk in your display by adding circles, ovals and curves to complete the design to your preference.
Draw a curve by entering the insert tab, selecting the illustrations group and clicking shapes. Choose the lines option in the tool bar that will appear, and select curve. Click and hold down on the spot you wish the line to begin and drag. Double click when you wish a curve to appear. End the line by either leaving the shape open and double clicking or closing the shape by clicking near the starting point.
If the curve is a little rough, don’t fret. Under the editing feature you will be able to smooth out unwanted bumps. Consider online training to gain further control over the many shape options available in Microsoft PowerPoint for a dynamic presentation fit for the boardroom or classroom.
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How to create transparent text in Adobe Photoshop
Creating a transparent text effect over an image assists to inform a viewer, while not drawing attention from the overall graphic. It is common effect used in magazines, merchandise and movie advertising posters. New users may wish to invest in Adobe after effects training tutorials for further instruction to get the best result.
Begin by selecting an image, creating a text box and writing the message with preferred font, size and style settings. Make white the foreground color. Press control t (Windows) or command t (Mac) and use Adobe Photoshop’s Free Transform dialog window to maneuver the text to a preferred position. Then lower the opacity level of the text to approximately 50 percent. The lower the opacity, the more transparent the text will become. This is the simplest method of creating transparent text over an image.
However, there are more methods, such as fill effects to create transparency and further develop the text over the image for a more intricate and visually interesting graphic. Consider online training to develop additional text overlay skills.
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How to add new contacts in Microsoft Office Outlook from an electronic business card
Creating a contacts list can assist a person in their personal and professional lives. However, if developing that master list seems to be taking too long, there are a variety of shortcuts available to quicken the process. Microsoft Outlook users can add contacts from a message he or she receives, from an electronic business card or by copying the contact from another contact.
Consider online training to provide additional instruction for adding new contacts. Add a new contact from an electronic business card by opening the message, right clicking on the card and selecting the add to contacts button. In the contact tab, select the save group and click save and close.
If a contact already exists under the same name, Microsoft Outlook will prompt you to either select add a new contact or to update the existing listing. The newly updated or added contact will be available in business card format and list format for a user.
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A well-organized Microsoft Office Word document can improve business communications
Crafting an organized Microsoft Office Word document can provide any employee multiple benefits. Written communication is an integral part of how managers deploy information to the necessary party. Documents such as an employee handbook, contracts, procedural instructions or new policies are multi-paged guides to conduct that require employees to adhere to.
Therefore, the document must be easily navigated. Organizational devices such as chapters, pages, indexes and more can help employees read crucial information when needed. Online training courses can provide workers, managers and business executives with the necessary skills to craft easily-navigated documents.
Easy to follow instructions help promote an individual’s knowledge of the software program – useful for continuous professional and person use. Online training can be a worthwhile investment for a person seeking to climb the corporate ladder and increase his or her responsibility. Additional tasks will often include industry document writing for consumption by members of the organization and those who outside of it.
Ensure Microsoft Office Word documents are properly organized to promote efficient practices with online training.
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