Photoshop Questions 101

[ddt0725]

I am following a technique from the book "Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers" and I

[Sheiky]

."Could not use the color replacement tool because it does not work with alpha channels". What the heck does this mean and why am I getting this message?

Try to go to the channels tab and make sure you have selected all of the channels. Perhaps that will help.


Good luck and great thread! I might post some questions later on as well []


Jan

[neuroanatomist]

."Could not use the color replacement tool because it does not work with alpha channels". What the heck does this mean and why am I getting this message?

Alpha channels are basically masks that store transparency information. If you're working with a TIFF image, you can have alpha channels, but JPGs don't support them. If the workflow in the book called for you to make a selection mask (with the wand or lasso, for example), and then save that selection (Select > Save Selection), it was saved as an alpha channel. Click the Channels tab, and you'll see your alpha channel(s) along with the RGB color channels.


IIRC, you recently switched from Elements to CS - you probably haven't run across channels before because Elements does not have a channel mixer.

[ddt0725]

Thanks for the help. I am at work now but when I get home, I will try it again.


I originally was trying to edit a TIFF image and when that wouldn

[Alan]

Denise, you'll not be able to use Photoshop to its fullest, without working with channels and masks. It's well worth honing your skills on them, though it's advanced stuff, compared to your day-to-day editing. I would concentrate on day-to-day editing, then when you have a need to use these other things, try them.


There are several books out there that deal with those subjects. Kelby has one on channels (more of a pragmatic approach), and Deke McClelland. Deke's is more comprehensive, but he still goes through the steps effectively.


You might benefit from posing your questions, too, on Adobe's forums. They have many topics, and you'll get some high powered Photoshop users to help you. Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll get Thomas Knoll to answer your questions. He created Photoshop and Camera Raw.

[tkerr]

Denise, Have you taken the time to browse through and view any of the video tutorials at Adobe TV..
I recommend them you can learn a lot from them, and it will make things easier..

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-photo...6ED49339053505

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-adobe-bridge-cs5/

http://tv.adobe.com/search/?q=CS5+Camera+Raw

And Planet Photoshop has some pretty good tutorials. Though more for the graphics artist/designer you can learn a lot from them.
http://www.planetphotoshop.com/category/tutorials

The Russell Brown Show.
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

Layers Magazine
http://layersmagazine.com/category/photoshop

[ddt0725]

Thanks for the links. I have watched some videos and have been putting a few of the books I bought to use. I just ran across this little problem and couldn