I am so new to photoshop cs2 that it hurts

[fausto]

This question is as stupid as it is silly, first and for most, i've never used photoshop cs2 let alone any other photedit app. I would like to know how i could change the color of this image as well as crop only the image and not the background. Please forgive me, like i said i am new to this.

[mistermonday]

Fausto, welcome to Retouch Pro. There are very many ways to do this in PS and it is very difficult to give you some suggestions with the little info you have provided. I would recommend that you attach a sample image to your posting and provide a description of what exactly you wish to do.
Regards, Murray

[Swampy]

Fausto, Welcome to the RT

Sometimes it is hard for long times users of Photoshop to explain to a novice user because they usually don't understand the tools or the terms. It can be like a brain surgeon trying to explain how to remove a tumor to me. Photoshop is just so deep and broad that finding a starting point can even be a problem.

For example, to erase a background, you have to know how to make a selection. There are dozens of ways to make selections, so the method you use and the tool(s) you use would vary depending on the complexity of the graphic.

I'm a visual learner and when I started out, I bought a couple tutorials on CDR that had sample files to work along with. I highly recommend the Lynda series. If you can't afford to purchase a PS CS series, they also offer a deal that for $25 a month you can log on and access the videos all day every day 24/7. That's a whole month to explore and learn the basic tools and terms.

When I get a new program, or a major update to an old one, I do the $25 Lynda deal and nights and weekends really get a good overview of the application. A tip here... if you do th $25 deal, as soon as you sign up, go back and CANCEL. Your credit card will have been charged for the month and you won't get caught being charged another month if you forget to cancel.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but you have a lot of work (and fun) ahead of you just to grasp the basics. Look around in the tutorials, google photoshop tutorials and buy a Photoshop for dummies book to help you learn the terms so that when you ask us how to do something you will have some idea of what we are explaining. :-)

[Flora]

Hi fausto,

welcome to RP!!

Below links to QuickTime Movie Tutorials on some of the vital basics for learning Photoshop. I've posted the links for Photoshop 7 and CS as well, but if you work with PS CS2 you can go directly there...

Photoshop 7-Demo Tutorials
Photoshop CS-DemoTutorials
Photoshop CS2-Demo Tutorials

The following is a link to the page for the advanced PS CS2 Demo Tutorials, but if you scroll down the page, under the "Setting Up Your Environment" section, you'll find two Tutorials on Layers (a 'vital' tool for non-desctructive photo manipulation):

Mini Tutorial: Layer Basics pt. 1
Mini Tutorial: Layer Basics pt. 2

Adv Photoshop CS2-DemoTutorials

My Yahoo search for Free photoshop beginners Tutorials

... finally ... we are always here if you have specific questions or you get stuck at a particular procedure .... just follow the first two links under my signature for step by step help on resizing images and attach them to your posts/Threads.

Hope this helps...