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I have been using Fireworks for a very long time and before that it was Paintshop Pro. However for the last year I have been wanting to learn Photoshop. I had tried using it in the past but gave up because it all seemed very foreign to me.
So last weekend I decide no matter how difficult I would learn it. After spending a few hours reading a couple of books I dove in head first. Now after hours of trial and error I am finally comfortable with most of the common features. So I thought I would share with you what seemed to be holding me back.
My first hurdle was understanding the basic usage concepts. In Fireworks you work on a vector level; you draw a box (your vector) and you add effects to it. In Photoshop you work on a layers level. So when you add an effect to a layer it will affect every vector on that level.
This leads me to my next point; you have to get used to adding new layers for every vector or at the very least every group of layers. When using Fireworks I only did this when I need to add a mask or and a layer of transparency over something.
The interface
At first glace the interface between the 2 product seem very similar. However after a bit of usage you’ll find they are much different. I’m not sure I have ever used software with such a vast array of menus. At first it was very intimidating. Finding what you need can be like jumping down the rabbit hole. I got lost and sidetracked in each and every menu at least once.
Shortcut Keys
The good news is there are a few keyboard short cuts, ok that’s a joke there are tons of shortcut keys. These shortcut keys once learn will save you gaggles of time searching through the menus. Trevor Morris has put together some pdf files listing all the shortcuts. I still can’t believe there are 4 pages worth.
Where is the undo
At first I thought the undo was the worst feature of Photoshop. From the menu Edit->Undo only allows going back one step like Windows Notepad. But after hunting around a bit I found history dialog box.
With it you can undue with the slider or you can delete any action without affecting the other actions. Just right click over the action and select delete.
Closing
I’m learning at a pretty good pace but I still have a great deal to learn. I am still having some troubles but with the popularity of this software the answers are easy to Google. If you have a tip to share I would love the help.
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Although i use Photoshop alot these days my fav and first love is Fireworks.. .png rocks!
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