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The creative tutorial home of image wrangler, Lesa Snider.

Step by step tutorials

Welcome to the home of the step by step creative online tutorial. Here you will find detailed, easy-to-understand steps accompanied by screen shots. These tutorials are liable to be about anything from my current project to something that drove me nuts trying to figure out. It is my hope that the things I can convey here will save you time and frustration.

If there's something that you'd like to see written up, please feel free to let me know

Fun with Blend Modes

Chances are good that you’ve spotted the little pop-up menu at the top of your Layers panel in either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. It’s called the blend mode menu and it controls how color on one layer interacts with color on other layers in your document. In some instances — as is the case with the modes in the Darken category — Photoshop looks at the colors on all layers and the darkest colors win; the light colors just drop right out. In other instances – when using the Lighten category — it’s the lightest colors that win.

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How to Create a Layer Mask in Elements Fun with Blend Modes
Using Channels to produce eye-popping contrast Goin' Grayscale Zapping contrary color casts with Hue/Saturation Gettin' the Red Out
Fall Digital Scrapbooking Fun, Part 1 How to create a grayscale image with just a touch of color Selective Color
Using the Crop tool to increase canvas size Repainting Cabinets in Photoshop and Elements
Super Funky Edges Pinching Flabby Chins Photoshopping People
Shallow depth of field Shallow depth of field Tips & Tricks for making photos look old Aging Photos
Tips for creating small web graphics Wrangling Web Graphics, Pt. 1 Creating a Circuit Board Face
Channel your way to a perfect silhouette Super Silhouettes Polaroid in a Picture
How to add soft or hard round edges to your photo The Secret to Round Edges Painted Edges in Elements
Creative Combinations, Pt. 2 Portrait Popper
Recreating Apple's iWeb photo reflection effect Realistic Reflections Stacked paper background Fall Digital Scrapbooking Fun, Part 2
Fixing the animal version of red-eye How to Fix Animal White-Eye, Part 1 Top 11 Keyboard Shortcuts
Lines of All Kinds Removing antennas and power lines Spot Healing Brush to the Rescue!
Two-step pro portrait studio effect Fast Photo Spotlight How to add a page curl using Free Transform in Warp Mode Creative Curls
Place a photo inside text Easy Clipping Groups Five Fast Photo Effects Photo Favorites
Replacing Backgrounds with Photoshop's Background Eraser Scanning Secrets
Tips for Better Text, Pt. 1 Filter your way to a flurry of snowflakes Let It Snow!
Ordering business cards online Rotating individual letters and intersecting text Type Tricks
Learning to Love Levels Creating a beautiful fade from original color to grayscale Fading Color
The Beginner's Guide to Image Editing, Pt. 3 How to create a blurry background Post Selective Focus
Fire It Up! Fun with Elements Effects
Turning a photo into an illustration or watercolor Fall Painterly Effect Picking the Perfect Palette
Placing Text Behind an Object How to recreate the effect of a popular new lens Blurry Background a la Lensbabies
How to add vector art to photos Easy Embellishments Frame your photo with a Smart Object Ornamental Vector Grunge Frame
Using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change hair color Digital Beauty Shop Creating duotones with Elements' QuickFix mode Delicious Duotones

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