[CJ Max]

Geez, I feel so dumb asking this, but I've just upgraded to CS and cannot find the Healing Brush. I know that it looks like a band-aide, or used to. The CS User Guide tells me on page 148 that the Healing Brush does exist. I used to be able to find it very simply in the Toolbox in Photoshop 7; however, in CS I've looked until I'm blue in the face in the CS Toolbox and cannot find it. Not only that but the CS User Guide gives no reference at all as to where it is. "User Guide"? It should be renamed "Frustration Guide". It is one of the most poorly written OEM software guides that I have ever tried to read.

I'm running Windows XP. I noticed on the Adobe site that there is at least one download to correct some problems that CS has with XP. Of course the installation instructions were written for someone with more than just mediocre computer skills - but that's another issue. I guess that I should not have waited until the weekend when I had enough time to get frustrated with this "thing". During the week I could have called Adobe and avoided all of this...may be.

While I'm here. What did they do to the Clone Stamp? I used to be able to Lasso a problem area, go to the Clone Stamp move the lassoed area to a "good" area and repair the damaged spot. Now I don't seem to be able to do that at all. That's an upgrade?

Everything has a learning curve. I guess that this is another one for me...

Thanks ahead of time,

Cliff.

[CJ Max]

OK. I just got ahold of Adobe. Talk about a simple goof-up.

When the service rep. walked me through the upgrade installation of Photoshop CS he failed to tell me, and I failed to notice that there are 2 software programs included on the disc. We had moved the icon for Image Ready to the Desktop and for some reason no mention was made about the CS icon (or program evidently). So, I kept opening IR thinking that it was CS - not knowing the difference. The format for IR is deceptively similar to CS but the toolbar is significantly different as are some of the capabilities.

So, if one should happen to upgrade to CS from a previous program, one needs to be aware that there is an additional program, Image Ready, being downloaded at the same time, and one can make an error by accessing the wrong one (initially - and hopefully it will have happened to only me). Color me red in the face and more than slightly irritated...

Cliff.

[CJ Swartz]

Cliff, I'm still using PShop V7, and may upgrade to the next coming version after CS -- so thank you for warning me about the necessity of installing 2 CDs and being sure to install PShop. It may be MY turn to wonder which program I'm in when I upgrade --the tool sets look the same to make it easier for us to use all their programs, but they need to remember to make the program look different enough so we can tell which one we're in...

[CJ Max]

CJS,

Surprise, it's all on the same cd. There are 2 cd's - the other one being a tutorial which I probably should have taken the time to view. I will tonight. I just thought that I'd get it up and running and take off with it. The joke was on me.

Interestingly when one goes to Programs and looks at the files to move the icon to the Desktop, the first Adobe icon with feathers that comes up is for Image Ready. Then there are some additional yellow folders. One has to keep scrolling down to bring up a second Adobe icon with fewer feathers (but still a feather), and that is the one for Photoshop CS. If I had really been on the ball I might have noticed that and saved myself some time. On the other hand, if the Adobe rep. had been on the ball he would have brought that information to my attention as we set up the icon on my Desktop in the first place. It's kind of like a rubber ball - no matter how hard one hits it at the wall, it always comes back... Never a dull moment.

Cliff.

[Big Mike]

On this topic...what are the pro & cons to using Image Ready? I have both Photoshop CS & IM CS on my machine but I never use IM. Photoshop seems to think it's important with buttons for "edit in Image Ready"...but why would I want to do that?

[CJ Max]

Mike,

When I talked with the service rep. at Adobe I asked him what I would use Image Ready for. He immediately asked me why I had bought CS. I told him for photograph restoration. He said that I needed to use CS. I asked what IR was for. He mumbled something to the effect that unless I did video work or a few other things that I should just forget it. From my stumbling around in it, I noticed that its retouching tools are fewer and more limited as to their applications. It is big on slices - at least that's how it appeared to me. I hasten to add that I really don't know that much about it. Suffice it to say that I was glad to find CS and get into it ASAP.

Cliff.

[glikster]

It's made specifically for Web graphics/websites and for animation. That's something that Photoshop is not too hot with.

[Big Mike]

Thanks