Photoshop Tutorials

Archive for March, 2008

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This section will review some of the free PDF convertors and readers currently available and look at whether they offer any accessibility benefits for users.

Convertors

A document created using Microsoft? Word, structured using the inbuilt styles and headings and incorporating images (with alternative text) was converted to PDF using each of the convertors below. The resulting document was then checked in Adobe? Reader for a number of the accessibility benefits that the format can offer.

Cute PDF Writer

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Download.
• Are there any print preferences? No.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
• Are bookmarks transferred? No.
• Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? No.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed? No, blocks of text are merged into one another and images are merged into the main text.
• Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
• Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes (but affected by reading order).
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Yes, document colours can be changed.
• Other comments: A commercial version (CutePDF Professional) is also available with additional functionality.

  Cute PDF Writer

Pdf995

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Download; this is a suite three programmes (Pdf995, PdfEdit995 and Signature995) each offering slightly different functionality.
• Are there any print preferences? No.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
  Are bookmarks transferred? No, but bookmarks can be inserted using PdfEdit995.
• Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? No.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed?No, blocks of text are merged into one another and images are merged into the main text.
• Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
  Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes (but affected by reading order).
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Yes, document colours can be changed.
• Other comments: Can upgrade to a commercial version; the free version contains pop up adverts.

  Pdf995

PrimoPDF

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Both software download and web-based services available.
• Are there any print preferences within the downloaded software? Some relating to image properties.
• Are there any accessibility options available in the web-based service? No.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
• Are bookmarks transferred? No.
• Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? No.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed? No.
• Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
  Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes (but affected by reading order).
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Document colours can be changed.

  PrimoPDF

Do PDF

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Download.
• Are there any print preferences? Yes, scale and resolution can be changed.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
• Are bookmarks transferred? No.
  Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? No.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed? Yes.
  Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
• Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes.
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Yes, document colours can be changed.

  DoPDF

Doc2PDF

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Web-based.
• Are there any accessibility options? No.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
• Are bookmarks transferred? Yes.
• Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? Yes.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed? Yes, but with some of the text merges incorrectly.
• Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
• Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes.
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Yes, document colours can be changed.

  Doc2PDF

GoogleDocs

• Downloadable software or web-based service? Web-based.
• Are there any accessibility options? No.
• Is text recognised as text? Yes.
• Are bookmarks transferred? Yes (if created in GoogleDocs originally).
• Is the document structure (e.g. headings) maintained? Yes but may require some correction.
• Is the reading order maintained when the text is reflowed? Yes.
• Is the alternative text for images maintained? No.
• Can the document be read using the Read Out Loud function? Yes.
• Can the accessibility preferences be changed? Yes, document colours can be changed.
• Other comments: Some images were missing from the PDF produced.

  Google Docs

Well Thats it. Of course you could use Open Office that has the pdf converter already available and is a great alternative to Microsoft Office.

With this tutorial I am going to show you how you can add reflections to your text, shapes or isolated objects. This is a very common (and easy) technique and is used a lot, especially in web design.

As an example for this tutorial I will add a reflection to text, however as I said before you can also use the same technique to add reflections to shapes or isolated objects.

Let’s start our little Photoshop training session

I have created a new document and just type PS Reflection as you can see in the screenshot below.

The first step is to duplicate our text layer. You can do that by simply pressing Ctrl+J or by going to Layer -> Duplicate Layer.

Now, select the Move Tool (V) and drag the duplicate layer below the original one like in the screenshot below.

(You can also add a bit of perspective to the reflection layer by transforming it (Edit->Transform->Perspective) if you want.

The next step is to add a layer mask to the duplicate layer. To do this simply click on the add layer mask button in the layers palette.
add layer mask button

Now pick the Gradient Tool and draw a gradient (black to white) in the direction that the arrow is showing in the screenshot below. (Hold Shift while you draw the gradient)

You should now have something like this.

Finally just reduce the opacity of the duplicate layer and you are all done. I reduced the opacity to 35% and here is my final result.
Final result of photoshop training session

There is no golden rule about the opacity % , just play with the opacity setting until you get your desired result.

Themes are great ways to customize your site.

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Themes offered from http://www.blogohblog.com .. I use one of his free themes on www.GurusLab.com he also offers a couple of paid themes that cost a lot less than some of those *cough*, premium designs out there.

Most themes can be adjusted to whatever you like using the css style sheets and a few graphics.

Contents and Video Titles

1. Changing a header graphic
2. Playing with CSS Style Sheets
3. Inserting code and scripts
4. Content Management CMS
5. Advanced Plugins
6. Graphics and logins
7. Desktop Blogging
8. RSS uses and stats
9. 404 pages Customize your error pages
10. Widgets
11. Resources and summary

Visit http://www.advancedwordpress to get your copy.