Photoshop CS (PS8) details and screenshots

[Doug Nelson]

I just got word from on high that it's now OK for me to discuss Adobe Photoshop CS, as long as I specify that all my comments and judgements are based on the beta version of the software. Consider it so specified.

Anyway, just looking at the PScs interface you'd have to squint to see any differences from PS7. The biggest changes are under the hood:

• 16 bit support virtually everywhere
• Healing Brush now works with layers, including healing to a blank layer
• Most of the built-in filters are combined into a Filter Gallery interface, which lets you stack filter usage, control the size of the preview, and have other fine controls over the filters (no, no other filters will use this interface)
• Camera Raw is now included as an integral part of Photoshop
• The new Shadow/Highlight adjustment is truly cool, works great, and I've been dying to tell everyone about it. But it's not available as an adjustment layer
• Layer Comps are now available, which is kind of like storing a workspace, only for layer order and visibility. No, it's not like a history snapshot, if you delete a layer they won't come back
• There's a new Color Replacement tool that uses Healing brush technology, but I honestly was never able to get any good results out of it
• There's a new Photo Filter adjustment which applies traditional photo filtration to an image (ie: 85, 81, 82, etc.) and it is available as an adjustment layer
• There's a new Match Color adjustment that lets you balance one image based on another image. Honestly, I haven't used this yet.
• There's a new Histogram Palette that is truly cool, it shows your histogram change on-the-fly, and can even show them for each channel.
• The only new filter that comes to mind is Lens Blur, which simulates photographic blurring with many variables
• You can now remap all keyboard shortcuts and assign your own shortcut to just about anything via a special editor
• There's a new History Log that will record everything you do (and I do mean everything) to a text file

There's a ton of other features, these are just those that come to mind right now.

Feel free to ask questions, and I'll try to answer them if I can.

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the expanded Histogram Palette from the beta version with most options turned on (it usually is the same size as the Info and Navigator palettes)

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the Shadow/Highlight adjustment in expanded view from the beta version

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the Lens Blur filter dialog from the beta version

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the Photo Filter adjustment layer dialog from the beta version

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the Filter Gallery interface from the beta version

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the Keyboard Shortcut editor from the beta version

[Doug Nelson]

Here's the General Preferences dialog showing the History Log options from the beta version

[chiquitita]

When is it going to be released?

[Doug Nelson]

I've seen no specific date mentioned by Adobe, but Amazon says it will ship late October (I put links to the Amazon pages over in our Reviews section).

[Vikki]

Thanks Doug!
I noticed that in those screenshots, the dialog boxes were huge (my only real peeve about v7). Is that really how big they are?
If so, can they be resized?
Vikki

[Doug Nelson]

The Histogram Palette, Keyboard Shortcuts, Lens Blur, and Filter Gallery are resizeable. I don't think the rest are. Remember that I had them all showing every possible option. Some get smaller when you turn off options.

[Peter Booth]

Hi Doug,Do you think its worth the cost of the upgrade from version 7? I'm still learning PS version 7 and forgetting approximatally one half tomorrow of what I learn today and only really using PS for restoring old and damaged photo's. I realise its a personal thing but wonder if it wouldn't be better to wait for the next upgrade in my particular case.I just had a thought ,I suppose that you can upgrade through two or more versions of PS ?

[Doug Nelson]

You can upgrade from any version of Photoshop to the current version. You can even upgrade from one OS to another, though it is slightly more complicated.

As for whether it is worth upgrading, as you say that is a personal decision. For some the ubiquitious 16bit support would be a life-saver, but to most it's probably irrelevant. My own personal favorite is the Healing brush's new multi-layer support, but I can't say if it would be worth the $150 upgrade cost.

I'd say generally that if you make money off Photoshop, it's probably worth the investment, since it will repay the cost soon enough in time-saving. However, for the hobbyist it would need some additional examination to cost-justify.

The new inclusion of Camera RAW would make the decision easy for many, since it is close to $100 separately.

[Mike]

Last year at the NAPP PhotoshopWorld in LA, they talked a lot of an improved extract tool. Did they do it?
Mike