Final test study guide

Meeting 1

Meeting 2
Know the various file formats (TIF, JPG, etc), advantages, disadvantages, and uses (see handout)
File modes:
· (bitmap) line art = 2 colors max (black and white) …web use ok
· grey scale = 256 shades of gray …web use ok
· index color = 256 colors max …web use ok
· rgb: 16.7 million colors …web use ok
· cmyk = print only! Not for web.
· Web safe file formats: .jpeg, .gifs, .png
· tif, psd, & eps are not good for web!
 
Meeting 3
File naming conventions
· four rules
1. Avoid strange characters (?, %, #, /, \, etc.)
2. Don’t use more than one period in your file names.
3. Don’t omit the three letter suffix (.gif).
4. Avoid spaces in file names on the web.
 
Meeting 6
Understand layers – what they are and possible uses for them.
 
Meeting 7
· Pixel math! (Several pixel math questions on test)
· Line screens in printing
Commercial printing = uses rows of dots (called lines) (lines per inch are the measurement).
To find needed picture resolution: use lpi (lines per inch, also known as line screen) then double it to get the picture resolution.
The 100% view in Photoshop is generally not the size at which the picture will print.
 
Web standards for resolution:
Old standard is 72 pixels/inch.
New resolution is 100 pixels/inch because of improved computer screens.
Anything in between is OK for the test answer.
 
Understand the image>image size dialog box:
· When resample image is unchecked, you cannot change the number of pixels in a picture! ..you can only change pixels when resample is checked.
· When resample image is checked, you can change the actual number of pixels in the picture.
 
Meeting 8
Know advantages of raw files:
· Holds highlight and shadow information more than jpg can.
· Tones that look blown out (within reason) can be brought back.
· Toning changes are non-destructive to the file
· Adobe DNG = a raw file that is open source (any programmer can work with the file - not proprietary).
Bridge can be used to make pdf slide shows.
 
 Meeting 9
· Know the color wheel! - understand its significance
· Complementary colors -> blue corrects yellow, etc.
· Resolution for commercial halftone screen printing = line-screen x 2.
· Line art has no halftone shades (no halftone dots needed) -  usually 600 px/inch minimum.
· For color/gray scale images = 200-300 pixels/inch for most printing.
· Web/email = 72-100 pixels/inch.
 
Meeting 11
· Quick mask = another way of showing selections instead of animated lines. A Quick Mask displays as a red overlay. If you feather a quick mask using a blur filter, you can easily see the extent of feather.
· Know what layer masks are used for.
 
Meeting 15
· Know what channels are and a use: channels are great for storing selections!
· Adjustment layers: produce a color/tone change using a layer. It is not damaging to the underlying picture.
 
Meeting 16
· Printer technologies (refer to hand out!)
o Epson printers are inkjet printers (liquid ink droplets are “spit out” onto paper)
o Most epson printers do not have the ability to render post script files (.eps) that are embedded in a document.
· Ink jet prints can use dye inks or pigment inks.
o You would rather have a pigment print because it is resistant to fading.
· All laser printers use electrostatically applied toner (essentially black or colored "dust") to make prints.
· Dot gain is the tendency of wet ink halftone dots to grow in size when applied to absorbent paper. It's undesirable, and can be affected by paper choice. Absorbent newsprint has the most dot gain, smooth coated papers have the least dot gain.
 
Meeting 17
· What is the goal of color management? (Consistent color on differing outputs.)
· What is a color profile & its use? (Tells the computer about the color characteristics of monitors, printers, etc so it can tune the appearance.).
· What working space profile do we use in the lab?    Adobe RGB.
· A color working space is device independent (not tied to the color properties of any printer, display, or other real-world device).
· Monitor calibration creates a profile that describes your monitor’s characteristics so the computer can adjust the displayed file more correctly.
· Different process and devices have different color gamuts.
o There are some colors that can be printed but cannot be shown on monitors, & vice versa.
· Know that sRGB is a de-facto standard for the web
· What is a soft proof?- Gives you a simulated look of what printed pictures would look like on various papers/presses but displayed on the monitor, not paper.
 
Meeting 21
· Know refine mask: it’s a way of cutting things out that you can't do manually:
o Like cutting out wispy hair.
o Like making out of focus areas merge nicely with a new background.
· When you save type or very simple graphics for the web, save as a .gif or .png – it works better.
o Simple graphics for web: .gif or .png
o Simple graphics for print: .eps, .ai, or even tif files
  
 Meeting 23
· Duotones are for print only!!!! Not for the web.
· Duotones - Know that black halftone dots are almost always printed at an angle of 45 degrees, and the angle for the second color should be 30 degrees different -  either 15 degrees or 75 degrees work.
· Improper screen angles can result in undesirable Moiré effects
· GIF files can be animated.
 
Meeting 24
· Paths:
o one use is cutting pictures out of their background (clipping paths).
· web has 2 picture formats capable of transparency - .GIF and .PNG
· Know advantages of Smart Objects:
o If you File>Place Embedded (not "Open") a picture into a new layer, it becomes a SmartObject, and then you can freely change its size and it retains its original resolution.
  
Meeting 25
· Bridge can make a quick web portfolio!
· Files saved as JPGs have their pixel data modified when saved in order to produce a very compressed file size. These changed areas show as JPG compression artifacts. The moosehead exercise showed how these artifacts can be detected easily.

Meeting 27
Editing video is possible in Photoshop.
Anti-aliasing is a method of smoothing the jaggies on edges.
Actions are like macros in Photoshop to speed repetitive work.
Batch actions can run on folders full of files to really save time.