Any aspiring Web designer who has ever sought a book on Photoshop has certainly stumbled upon one of the many comprehensive editions of 800+ pages that exist; but let’s be honest, who has ever tried consuming such a volume and not be overwhelmed, confused or frustrated?

A fresh exception is the recently published The Photoshop Anthology by Corrie Haffly; it’s a mere 272 pages, yet filled with helpful tutorials for the beginning Web designer. Corrie aims for quick success and she doesn’t let you down. Her book is highly recommended for any Photoshop novice using Photoshop 7 and above.

On the preface she writes:

This book was written to give you some of the building blocks and techniques that will help you to create your own cool web graphics. There is no need to dedicate several hours each week to work through an extensive “project” – the anthology format of this title allows you to quickly look up a task of effect you`re curious about, and accomplish it immediately, following clearly outlined instructions.

That is perfectly true.

Chapter 1 lays the foundation by covering some key tools to help get beginners started. Corrie does not aim to be comprehensive so if you expect an introduction to all Photoshop tools, you´ll be disappointed. However, topics in Chapter 1 are smartly selected so readers can quickly build skills as they progress in later chapters.

Chapter 2 covers some of the basic tasks Photoshop users should master: working with masks, transparency, custom shapes and so forth.

Chapter 3 – 7 concentrate solely on tutorials that all web designers working with Photoshop should be familiar with. These topics are respectively:

• Creating Buttons (aqua, metallic, pearl, etc…)
• Creating Backgrounds (textures, wood, granite, etc…)
• Working with Text (outline, glow, around curved objects, etc..)
• Adjusting Images (tone, sepia, sharpening, etc…)
• Manipulating Images

Corrie’s ability to guide the beginner through different techniques is distinct; her manner is understandable and her language is clear. No complex phrases nor back-and-forth references to other chapters are used.

Slightly advanced PS users may find some tips and tricks in the last two chapters:

• Designing a Website
• Advanced Photoshop Techniques

The Photoshop Anthology uses plenty of screenshots so even non-native English speakers should find it easy understanding, as this writer can vouch. Additionally, you can get all examples the book presents as zip file from Sitepoint. Typographical and code errors, as well as necessary updates, can be found on sitepoint.com/books/photoshop1/errata.php.

In summary, we recommend The Photoshop Anthology for all beginning Web designers who are eager to cut their teeth with essential Photoshop techniques. Advanced Photoshop users may find some useful tips and tricks too, though the price of $26.37(US), a 34% savings of the original price, may be better invested into a book for advanced users.

Photographs from inside the books are available on Flickr.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: SitePoint
Language: English
ISBN: 0975841920