Design Bookshelf for designers, desktop publishing, graphics and digital photography

Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia by Roger Pring List Price: $45.00 Our Price: $31.50 You Save: $13.50 (30%) Paperback: 225 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 10.22 x 8.92 Publisher: New Riders Publishing; 1st edition reviewed by Fred Showker The cover says "encyclopedia" and I believe it. This is probably one of the most fun books to come along in a long time for anyone who loves Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and typography. I would have to rank it at the very top of a very short list of type effect books for Photoshop. Here's a completely non-linear tutorial and a visual reference on envisioning, designing, and creating professional level type effects. No, you don't read it cover to cover, although I guess you could. Go through its visual table of contents, pick the style you'd like to do and go do it. Yours will be fringed with post-it notes in no time. But the best part about this book is the pure creative stimulation it offers. Not only is it a collection of type effects -- it's also a wonderful coffee-table book with each page is drenched with colorful, striking typography. One of the best features of the book are the author's references about where type ideas come from, the diversity of creative type treatments, and how these 'discoveries' figure into the book. (See a sample page that shows just a peek at this type of content.) Covering the spectrum from chrome to aqua to glass to metal, Pring also moves into territories untouched by most other type how-to books. You'll learn lighting effects like glowing, or back-lighted or crystal. You'll learn dozens of texture effects and how to achieve them. You'll learn how to carve letters out of wood, metals, stone and ice. You'll learn a myriad of atmospheric effects from simple shadowing to burning, freezing, and flying. There's fills and frills to the delight of all Photoshop users. There's also a superb section showing the various effects accomplished by the leading plug-in makers as well as those which ship on Photoshop 6 and 7 as default. (At last a real guide to what those things do!) The included CD-ROM includes each lesson, plug-ins, actions and a lot more than you'll need. (Unfortunately it does not have the fonts, which Photoshop frequently complains for not having!) Following in the tradition of the original Photoshop Type Magic series now Roger Pring and Alastair Campbell have outdone themselves with this stunning visual encyclopedia. pictured above are just a few of the techniques from the book. Whether you're in a rut and just need a shot-in-the-arm of creativity -- or you have a specific design challenge calling for specific typographic effects, this will be a cherished addition to your bookshelf and your learning experience. Hats off to New Riders too because the book is beautifully produced -- lavish color on every single page -- high-quality print on heavy, coated, stock; sporting a plastic laminated, interleave fold, cover for years of use. Which I'll bet it gets! Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia by Roger Pring List Price: $45.00 Our Price: $31.50 You Save: $13.50 (30%) Paperback: 225 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 10.22 x 8.92 Publisher: New Riders Publishing; 1st edition