Since the book assumes no prior knowledge, it will benefit beginners the most. Topics covered include the work environment, tools and palettes, working with selections, layers, masks, channels, retouching, effects, color management, and creating images for print or the Web.

If you are already comfortable with version 5.5, Photoshop 6.0's many new features make this edition worthwhile. New topics include the context-sensitive options bar, layer sets and layer styles, weighted optimization (which allows you to specify varying qualities of JPEG compression in a slice or image), image and text warping, and the new support for vector-based art. It would have been a nice touch if new features had been flagged in the text; however, readers can consult the Adobe Web site to see what's new and then find appropriate lessons in the book using the thorough index.

All lesson project files and fonts are on the companion CD-ROM. Each lesson begins by outlining what will be learned and how long the project should take, and ends with review questions and answers. The color section shows finished artwork for each project and some useful reference pages: a toolbox overview (with color illustrations of what each tool does), pages with layer and blending mode samples, a set of images helpful in deciding color management settings, and two pages of variations in optimized GIFs).

You'll also learn how to create slices both in Photoshop and ImageReady and rollovers and animations in ImageReady. And there's a lesson that covers the commonly used practice of designing Web pages using Photoshop, Acrobat (to share comments with clients and coworkers), and GoLive. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered: Tutorial-based instruction in Adobe Photoshop 6.0, using projects from the companion CD, including:

• Getting to know the work environment, tools, and palettes
• Working with selections, layers, masks, and channels
• Painting, editing, and photo retouching
• Working with pen tools, vector shapes, and clipping paths
• Colorizing and applying filters
• Color management
• Preparing art for print or Web
• Creating slices in both Photoshop and ImageReady
• Creating rollovers and animations in ImageReady
• Using Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe GoLive in designing Web pages