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5 Smileys - 1 Smiley Poor, 5 Smileys Excellent
Contact Info: http://www.adobe.com
Platforms: Mac OS, Windows 98/NT 4.0/2000
Introduction Just about everyone who has worked professionally with a Macintosh in the field of image creation and editing is familiar with Photoshop. Adobe has set the standard since the first version was released over ten years ago -- and it doesn't appear that it's ready to release those reigns just yet. The latest incarnation, Photoshop 6 is another solid upgrade, adding more vector support and web savvy features to improved simplicity and interface efficiency. So, how many goodies have been added, are they worth the upgrade price for previous users, and who can take advantage of these features? Read On...
That First Jump -- A Major Addition The instant that you launch Photoshop 6 it's obvious that a big leap's been engineered. One immediately notices the new "Options Bar" which stretches across the top of your display. Clicking a tool in the toolbox gives you a set of options for that tool. It's a much more intuitive, vastly more efficient user interface than previous versions of Photoshop. For example, clicking on the paintbrush icon presents you with a contectual menu displayed across the Options Bar that shows you the settings for that tool. This is vast improvement over those long trips across the real estate to the various tabbed pallettes to select your options. This enhancement alone would make the upgrade price an easy choice for most serious users. As icing on the cake, Adobe has thrown in a nice surprise -- hold down the Control and Shift keys, then click on the image. Voila, a contectual menu pops up to save you even the relatively easy trip to the Options Bar for many settings.
Introducing Vectors! Far and away one of the greatest enhancements to version 6 is the addition of vector support. Much of the added functionality will look familar to users of Adobe Illustrator. You can combine basic vector shapes by adding, subtacting, and intersecting to create unique shapes. You can then store the custom shape in a shape library which is available from the Options Bar. It's cool. I swear! In a clear message that Adobe's listening to their customers, you now have vector type. That's right. Finally, there's resolution-independent type in Photoshop. If you add any effects to the type (and you will), you can still edit the type and the effects will be applied to your changes. Make a spelling error? Go change the text and the effects remain! With previous versions, changes could be made, but not without choosing the text layer and making the changes in a separate text window. Vector-based masks are a snap to create and modify using the direct selection, add anchor point, and delete anchor point tools. For many Photoshop 5.5 users, this makes the upgrade price worth it all.
Formatted Text in Photoshop?
Layer Styles
One of the nicest additions to this version of Photoshop is the Layer Style dialog box. Just double click on any layer in the Layer Palette and you are presented with an extensive choice of effects that can apply to objects or text. You may opt for a variety of shadows, glows, etc. By "double-clicking" on one of the settings, "Drop Shadow" for example, the Layer Style dialog box offers you a variety of settings for that effects. This is such an improvement over the ridiculously long trips to the Layer Effects menu at the top of the screen in version 5.5. The new Layer Style dialog box makes it all seem so simple you scratch your head and wonder why it hasn't been this way all along. In fact, for those who have never used Photoshp before, you'll wonder how it could be done in any other way.
It's unbelieveably easy to save your favorite effect as a new style. Apply your choice of drop shadow, sprinkle in an emboss, then glow to taste. Now simply click the "New Style" button in the Layer Style dialog box and, voila, you can apply a uniform style to any object by clicking on the icon in the styles pallette. Photoshop's ability to generate images optimized for the world wide web takes a big leap forward in this version. With the new slice tool and slice select tool you can select and edit slices directly in Photoshop 6 without having to jump to ImageReady for basic web features. This is simply great stuff. Well, now that I've mentioned Imageready...
ImageReady 3 With Photoshop 6, you get eggroll... or at least ImageReady 3. It's almost as good! ImageReady gains from the improved user interface that graces Photoshop 6. It also inherits the vector capability from the new version of Photoshop. You also, among other things, get an Image Map pallette to go along with "Slice", "Rollover", and "Animation" ones. The added "Toggle Image Maps Visibility" and "Rollover Preview" buttons at the bottom of the Toolbox are a very nice touch as well.
Enhanced Color Management Color management has always been a concern for Photoshop users. Version 6 makes a big leap in this area. Under Edit you find a Color Settings dialogue box which let's you set and alter many color parameters. Among the choices are U.S., European, and Japanese standard press settings. Now you can embed your color settings with your Photoshop file so someone opening your file can open it with your settings. Or they can open the file converting the document's colors to the working space. Or they can chose to discard the embedded profile and not color manage at all.
Automation Just like Photoshop 5.5, version 6 supports automation. With built in features for creating Web Galleries, converting PDF to PSD (Photoshop's file format) files, and more as well as the ability to run batch runs using either built-in or recorded actions. One new feature is the ability to create "Droplets." Droplets are simply just a way to save batch runs for later use. A nice little addition. As for AppleScript... Photoshop 6 is still lagging. While Photoshop provides minimal AppleScript support, it essentially allows you to invoke and conditionalize actions from your script. It isn't an integrated part of the application. What I mean by that is that I cannot write a script, drop it in a folder, and then choose it from a menu within the application (something that I consider critical for full AppleScript support). Photoshop 6 falls behind even Illustrator 9, which has full AppleScript support available via a plug-in. Photoshop still needs AppleScript support beyond just playing actions.
To Wind it Up There are simply too many features to list. It would be a "War and Peace" affair to try and do so. It seems that everywhere you look there's some hidden nugget or gem. You could probably spend all your time until Version 7 comes out trying to find them and still wind up very short. To give you a hint of how Adobe now sees Photoshop in the scheme of things, they've added an Annotation tool so you can stick notes on your work before passing it on to someone else to work on. Mac users will instantly go "Oh, Stickies!" The other is that under preferences (Edit>Preferences) you now find a "Workflow Options" option. This allows you to select options relating to working with files on servers. This offers some wonderful capabilities to large image editing operations where a job is passed from place to place. Workflow management is the in thing in business process engineering.
What's the Down Side? As usual, with any new software, especially something this complex, there's a bug or three. The first time I started up Photoshop 6, it crashed with an error I'd never seen before, or since. It hasn't crashed a second time so we are left guessing on this one. Some users report that there are problems printing with the new vector capability on one very high end printer. Other users report no problem at all. Phantom bugs can almost be more frustrating than documented flaws that happen more often. Although slightly improved over earlier versions, Adobe could have done a better job integrating Photoshop and ImageReady, but I guess you've got to leave something for version 7. After all, application integration is another hot subject these days and it won't be too long before it's too late for Adobe to make it happen successfully with their software packages.
OK, This is Really the End Photoshop 6 is simply a great piece of software. You just can't say enough good things about it. Of course, there are improvements they could have enacted but didn't. However, you don't rate something on what it doesn't do... you rate it on what it does. If not, I'd rate every piece of software low because it couldn't read my mind, mix a drink, or... well, you get it. I'm giving this version of Photoshop five Smileys out of five. It's the first top rating I've ever awarded any piece of software. Adobe has done a great deal to convince their users, and potential users, that they listen and have the ability to produce some of the best software in their industry. Photoshop is definitely a solid improvement and well worth the purchase price. Run, don't walk, to get your copy if you do anything other than the most primitive image editing. If your livelihood hinges on image editing, you've probably already got Photoshop 6. If not, you're wasting time and money.
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Speaking
of Illustrator functionality in Photoshop, check out the new text
handling features. In version 6 there are text character and paragraph
options. This is a tremendous fuctional enhancement. Auto-hyphenate?
It's in there.
