Enjoy some new tips for working with your images. To access each tutorial, click on the title and the tutorial information will expand. Use the scroll bar on the right to move down within the tutorial if needed. Tutorials are updated each quarter so check back for new tips and techiques.

1. Open desired image.
2. Using smart filters here is a good idea so you can keep up with what was done to the image to create the effect.  So, duplicate the background by pressing CTRL-J.
3. Go to Filter>Convert for Smart Filters.  The duplicated layer now has an icon in the thumbnail indicating it’s been converted.
4. Now, select Filter>Distort>Spherize.
5. A new adjustment layer appears under the smart filter layer telling you what effect has been applied.  You can easily double click that adjustment layer to go back to the layer effect filter (Spherize) and see what settings you applied.
6. Apply additional filter effects as desired, or not.

There are numerous ways to do this extraction but we've chosen the layer mask technique.

1. First and foremost - Make a BACKUP COPY of your image file.
2. Now, double click on the background layer to make it editable by making it into a layer.
3. Next, we must select our flower object.  We could use channels to help us do this, but thanks to a new tool in Photoshop CS3, making this type of selection isn’t as difficult as it used to be; that tool being the Quick Selection tool (it’s paired with the Magic Wand in the tool palette).
4. Using the Quick Selection tool and a small brush size to get to those tiny ends of the petals, hold down the mouse button and move over the flower image and watch the magic happen.  In just a few seconds your flower object is selected.  To tweak the selection, use the add or subtract options in the Options bar to add or remove parts of the flower object to finalize the selection.
5. Now, to create our layer mask, in the Layers palette, select the icon at the bottom of the palette that has a circle within a square.  Viola! You have extracted the flower from the background!
6. With your new flower image, you can place the flower in another file, create another background or just save it for use later.

1. With an image open, select the Text tool from the Tool Palette.
2. Type the desired text choosing the font and size desired.  A fuller font with room for filling in the letters is best.
3. Next, load the image to be used for the type overlay.  Be sure the image is the same resolution as the image with the type or your results will not work correctly.  Also, make sure the image is large enough to cover all the type.
4. Select the Move tool from the tool palette and drag the image to your source file.  The image will be put on it’s own layer once positioned in the type image.  Ensure that layer is just above your type layer.
5. Now, overlay the image into the type by selecting the image layer, right click to get a context menu over the layer and select Create Clipping Mask (a small down arrow appears indicating the clipping mask is applied to the layer below, see red circle).
6. Viola!  It’s done.  You can move the image around in the type as desired and add any blending options (drop shadows and such) to the type as desired.
7. Save your image as a PSD to preserve your layered master file.