Top Ten New Features in Photoshop CS4
By RC ConceptionI could sit here and talk to you all day about what I think is amazing in the new Photoshop CS4. Let me give you my top ten features.
1. A Revamped User Experience
When I looked back at the upgrades that happened in CS3, I was really impressed with the changes that they made in the User Interface, Photoshop CS4 however takes it to another level - not only giving you a newer interface, but a much better user experience. It's all about the experience in this one, people! Photoshop CS4 was redesigned from the ground up to work more in sync with the graphics system in your computer - resulting in a slick and responsive program.
Zooming was one of those things that you did, but never really paid attention to. Clicking on the zoom would jerk you into the image. Now in CS4, pressing and holding the Zoom tool will slowly fly you into or out of an image.
The Hand tool has been improved so that moving around the image employs "Toss Physics". This is one of those that you just have to try to experience. Select the hand tool, then click drag and release (think flicking on an Ipod touch).
In earlier versions of Photoshop, you needed to be in specific Zoom percentages to be able to clearly see specific elements of a design. That is no longer the case.
Documents can be opened now in tabbed windows, making it easier to find your project when multiple files are open.
The Photoshop Canvas can now be rotated to assist traditional artists - it even conforms rules and guides to this tilt!
Photoshop CS4 even supports Multi Touch gestures for the mac
2. Depth of Field Extended Via Auto Blend Layers
Sometimes even the best picture suffers from a little fuzziness. Let's say you're in a product shoot and you have the left side of the product tack sharp, but the right side is blurry. Then you open the next image and the right side is sharp but the left side is blurry? You can now select a group of layers and select Edit>Auto Blend and the layers will be blended to reveal only the sharpest portions of them, mimicking a sharper depth of field.
3. The Adjustment Panels
As with any other version of Photoshop, there are many different ways to approach correction using Levels, Curves, Exposure and so on. There are so many ways, that I feel at times it makes it a little hard for someone who is just starting to get a grasp on corrections. Well not anymore. Photoshop CS4 has introduced The Adjustment Panel to help get you correcting as fast as possible.
You can now select all of your adjustments from within a panel, and Photoshop CS4 takes care of making the associated layers and maks for you. The corrections that are made are non destructive and sit in the Layers Panel. You can then go into those corrections and make more specialized changes, making your workflow even faster.
4. On-Screen Image Controls
Sometimes, we just dont want to experiment with sliders and curves and buttons to make a change. Sometimes we just want to point to a portion of an image and say "This part right here.. let's make it darker". On-Screen image controls make that method of correcting a reality. Clicking on the tool. you can then click on a specific portion of an image and move it up down, left, or right to see a change. On-Screen Image controls exist for Hue/Saturation, Curves, and Black and White
5. Vibrance is now in Photoshop CS4
I've always loved Adobe Photoshop Lightroom because of the Vibrance slider. Im happy to report that Vibrance is now an available correction within Photoshop CS4. Very simply put, Vibrance lets you add saturation to colors that are not strong in an image, while not ovesaturating colors that are strong. It also protects skin tones from over/under saturation. Take my word for it, It should just be called "Awesome" on a slider.
6. 3 Great New Additions to Camera Raw
Adobe Camera RAW is quickly becoming the One Stop Shop for image correction, and Photoshop CS4 adds three more reasons why you'll never leave the RAW Dialog Box. You can now apply gradient filters to your images, and add post crop vignette to them as well. The piece de la resistance however is the new Adjustment brush that allows you to make a variety of corrections on -specific- sections of the image. You can't beat that!
7. Content Aware Resizing Is Here
This is another feature that is best experienced but is nothing short of revolutionary! Content Aware Resizing allows you to transform an image not by bending pixels, but removing pixel 'seams' of areas of information that is not important. The result - amazing changes to an image with something as simple as dragging the image.
8. Improvements in Tools Across The Board
Sometimes, it's about the little things. Thankfully, even in the smallest details Photoshop CS4 does not disappoint. In this version there have been remarkable improvements in Color Range tools. Dodging and Burning has been revamped to work as a photograher would expect it to work. The brush engine seems more responsive and accurate. The eyedropper tool allows you to sample from all of the layers, not just the current layer. Clone and heal now have previews that are similar to Vanishing point. All of these things add up to an amazing reason to upgrade!
9. One Bold Move to 3D
In this version of Photoshop, 3D has taken a giant leap forward. You can now paint directly on 3D models, make 3D objects from 2D images, convert gradient shapes to objects, enchance text layers by giving them depth as well as export your creation to commonly used 3D formats
10. Create Your Own Panels with SWF Panel Support and Configurator
I am really really excited about this one! Think about it: with all of the tools and panels inside of Photoshop, its very easy to get lost inside of the program. What if you could take only tools, actions, and customized scripts that you use and put them in your very own panel. Photoshop CS4 now allows the use of SWF panels to create your own customizable Photoshop experience. Using the Configurator program you have the option to drag out the specific tools and actions you would like to have on your own panel. Export the panel to a folder, and place it in the Photoshop>Plugins>Panels folder and you will have automatic access to it from within Photoshop CS4.
Customizing your own panels really just scratches the surface of what this technology can do. You now have the option to embed video players in the panel for on-demand training and support, develop customized scripting solutions that you can deploy at the touch of a button, or develop workflow solutions using your own subset of tools that you can pack up and email to your colleagues. It's customization and power all in a small Configurator package. Definitely give this one a look over. I'll guarantee you'll love it!
