If it's your first time to use any Photoshop software, you might as well start with the best.



The Pixelate Function

Look for the Filter section in the tool menu situated on top of your screen. There are various options under the Filter category, and you can start playing with images with the pixelate function. The pixelate function allows you to modify images and turn them into different artistic styles. Remember when your art appreciation class required you to do a mosaic all by yourself and with your own two hands? It was hard work, wasn't it? Now imagine being able to do that with any photo or image saved in your computer with just one click! And yes, you can do that just by clicking on pixelate and mosaic next.

Other artistic styles included under pixelate are crystallize, fragment, facet, color halftone, pointillize, and mezzotint.

How to Get Rid of Blemishes

Are you afraid of having your photos taken in close range because you don't want to make your blemishes – acne, scars, and so forth – too visible? If that's your only problem, Photoshop 7.0 can certainly eliminate such worries. There are various ways to accomplish that, but the easiest and basic strategy – which is where you should start as well – you could use is the blur function.

The blur function is still under the Filter category. Select the area that you wish to fade away into oblivion and then start clicking the blur function. Keep clicking blur or pressing Ctrl F until the area's properly invisible. If the area's too big, blurring the area would be definitely noticeable. But if they're as small as dots on your face, rest assured that you could later on enjoy a blemish-free face from hereon forward in all your images.

The Importance of Layers

You hear about how important layering is in various aspects. Layering is important when applying fragrance to your skin or when you're wearing clothes for fashion, winter, and sports. But layering is important in enhancing images as well, and you could learn how and why through Photoshop 7.0.

Now, in the previous version of Photoshop, using the Layer opacity affects all the layers you have in your image. Changing or modifying the effects of Layer opacity is slightly complicated however…until the arrival of the Fill opacity of Photoshop 7.0, that is. With the Fill opacity, only the layer you specified will be affected when you make certain changes.

Why the Magic Wand is Magical Indeed

Let's say that you have a photo of --- Barney the purple dinosaur in a garden background. Now, you want to get only the outline of Barney and nothing else. In the old days, you'd have to painstakingly cut it part by part. But in Photoshop 7.0, all you have to do is click the outline of Barney with the magic wand and voila! Mission accomplished. If it can't be done in one click, you could just add everything to a selection until you complete Barney's image.

Practice, practice, practice is all you need to do to master Photoshop 7.0. Good luck!