This document provides information about the book Photoshop CS4 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide by Tim Grey. It includes a foreword, introduction, table of contents, and details about the author. The book is intended to help photographers establish an efficient and consistent workflow for processing digital photographs in Adobe Photoshop CS4. It covers topics like downloading and sorting images, converting RAW files, making basic adjustments like rotating and cropping, and advanced techniques for retouching and enhancing photos. The goal is to provide photographers with the essential skills and strategies for managing their digital images from capture to final output.

1. Tim Grey Foreword by Christopher Robinson, Editor, Digital Photo Pro
Photoshop CS4 ®
Workflow
THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE
SERIOUS SKILLS.

3. Photoshop CS4
®
Workflow

5. Photoshop CS4 ®
Workflow
The Digital Photographer’s Guide
Tim Grey

6. Acquisitions Editor: Mariann Barsolo
Development Editor: Pete Gaughan
Technical Editor: Jeff Greene
Production Editor: Elizabeth Ginns Britten
Copy Editor: Elizabeth Welch
Production Manager: Tim Tate
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley
Vice President and Executive Publisher: Joseph B. Wikert
Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde
Book Designer: Franz Baumhacki
Compositor: Kate Kaminski, Happenstance Type-O-Rama
Proofreader: Candace English
Indexer: Ted Laux
Project Coordinator, Cover: Lynsey Stanford
Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed
Cover Image: Tim Grey
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-470-38128-1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Grey, Tim.
Photoshop CS4 workflow : the digital photographer’s guide / Tim Grey. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-38128-1 (pbk.)
1. Photography—Digital techniques. 2. Adobe Photoshop. I. Title.
TR267.5.A3G7425 2008
006.6’96—dc22
2008035468
TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in
the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorpo-
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this book.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

7. Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing Photoshop CS4 Workflow: The Digital Photographer’s Guide. This book is part
of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who com-
bine practical experience with a gift for teaching.
Sybex was founded in 1976. More than thirty years later, we’re still committed to producing
consistently exceptional books. With each of our titles we’re working hard to set a new standard for
the industry. From the paper we print on, to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the best
books available.
I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. I’d be very interested to hear your comments and
get your feedback on how we’re doing. Feel free to let me know what you think about this or any other
Sybex book by sending me an email at nedde@wiley.com, or if you think you’ve found a technical error
in this book, please visit http://sybex.custhelp.com. Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex.
Best regards,
Neil Edde
Vice President and Publisher
Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley

8. To Pete Gaughan — I still owe you an “on schedule from
start to finish” book. Next time? Thank you for your
tremendous support over the years.
Acknowledgments
Would you believe me if I told you this is the most difficult part of the book to write?
It’s true. And it has only gotten more difficult over the years as the tapestry of my life in
the world of digital imaging has grown more complex (in a good way) every single year.
The truth is, there are so many people who have played a role in helping me do
the things I love, it is difficult to remember them all, or even know where to begin. They
range from the top-name photographer who has provided inspiration, to the anonymous
attendee in a lecture who took the time to tell me how helpful my presentation was to
him or her. I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I’m doing, to have the opportunity
to do so many things I love, and somehow to be able to make a living doing it.
This book represents a huge part of who I am as a photographer and educator in
the field of digital imaging. I consider it my “cornerstone,” and the majority of what I
teach across the country and around the world is found in these pages. And I most cer-
tainly do not deserve all the credit.
First on the list is Pete Gaughan. He’s worked with me on the majority of my
books (11 out of 15, if my math is correct), and he deserves much of the credit for both
the fun I had writing the books and the quality of the final product.
My girlfriend Renée deserves credit (and thanks) for encouraging me to follow
my dreams and focus my energy on the things I’m most passionate about. She has been
a supporter from the first time we worked together, and now serves as a source of inspi-
ration. Thank you for everything.
My stepdad, Bob, who raised me from a very young age, serves as a constant
reminder of what’s important in life. He died before he had a chance to see the second
edition of my book Color Confidence, which I dedicated to him, and I strive to ensure
I’m not tardy with such thanks again.
My mom probably doesn’t realize how much she’s influenced me in life. You could
say her fingerprints are all over the pages of this book. Thank you, Mom. We can dis-
cuss this over wine for your (very special) next birthday. I’ll explain later.

9. Jeff Greene once again served as technical editor, helping to ensure everything
I wrote was accurate. He also continues to be a valued friend and sounding board. I
still believe his son Eric (the famous pinewood-derby champion and star Little League
baseball player) is doing most of the real work, but Jeff oversees that work and deserves
credit all the same. Thanks, Jeff.
I’ve been inspired by many great photographers, many great students, and many
great people. I could probably fill an entire chapter (or more) thanking each and every
one of them. But they know who they are, and hopefully they know how much I appre-
ciate their support. The journey has been—and continues to be—incredible, and each of
them has played a part in making it that way.
I truly feel that I have the easy part when it comes to writing a book such as this.
It is the hard-working team that assists me (and doesn’t get the glory of having their
name on the cover) that really makes things happen. Mariann Barsolo prodded ever
so gently to help get this book back on schedule (a revised schedule, mind you), and I
appreciate her support and encouragement. I also want to thank production editor Liz
Britten, copy editor Liz Welch, proofreader Candace English, and the sales and market-
ing teams.
Of course, the most important ingredient for any book project is the readers. So
thank you for choosing this book as a source of knowledge and inspiration in your digi-
tal photography workflow. I hope it far exceeds your expectations.

10. About the Author
Tim Grey is regarded as one of the top educators in digital photography and imag-
ing, offering clear guidance on complex subjects through his writing and speaking. He
loves learning as much as he possibly can about digital imaging, and he loves sharing
that information even more.
Tim’s work combines several of his greatest passions: technology, teaching, pho-
tography, writing, and travel. All of these have been part of his life in some way for as
long as he can remember, and became a major focus starting in high school. He has
been involved with digital photography and imaging for over 10 years.
Tim has written more than a dozen books on digital imaging for photogra-
phers, including the best-selling Photoshop Workflow series (the latest edition of
which you’re reading now) and Color Confidence (Sybex, second edition, 2006).
He has also had hundreds of articles published in magazines such as Digital Photo
Pro, Outdoor Photographer, and PC Photo, among others. He publishes the Digi-
tal Darkroom Questions email newsletter (add your e-mail address to the list at
www.timgrey.com), as well as the Digital Darkroom Quarterly print newsletter. Tim
teaches through workshops, seminars, and appearances at major events. He is a mem-
ber of the Photoshop World Dream Team of Instructors.

11. Contents
Foreword xiv
Introduction xv
Part I Getting Started 1
Chapter 1 Workflow Foundations 3
The Importance of Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Quality 4
Efficiency 6
Consistency 6
Establishing a Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Workflow Philosophy 7
Determine Priorities 8
Focus on Results 8
Maintain Flexibility 10
Revising Your Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Nothing Is Permanent 13
Evolving Requirements 13
Chapter 2 Download and Sort 17
Adobe Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Preferences 18
Downloading Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Reformatting Digital Media 34
Sorting Images in Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Sorting Strategy 35
Workspace Setup 36
Labels 40
Rating 41
Evaluating Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Zoom Tool 43
Hand Tool 45
Navigator Palette 46
Keyboard Shortcuts 47
Chapter 3 RAW Conversion 51
Benefits of RAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
White Balance 52
Exposure Errors 53
High-Bit Data 55
Higher Image Quality 56
Converting with Camera Raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Toolbar 61

12. White Balance 63
Tonal Adjustments 66
Fine-Tuning Adjustments 70
Detail Adjustments 71
Lens Corrections 73
Workflow Options 79
Ready to Convert 81
Batch Conversion in Camera Raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Archiving RAW Captures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Part II Basic Adjustments 85
Chapter 4 Rotate and Crop 87
Basic Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Basic Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Cropping from a Selection 91
Using the Crop Tool 94
Arbitrary Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Rotating with the Crop Tool 104
Rotating with the Ruler Tool 106
Chapter 5 Basic Tone and Color 109
Evaluating the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Evaluate Channels 110
Full-Saturation Display 112
Prioritizing Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Adjustment Layers and Photoshop CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Tonal Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Brightness/Contrast 117
Levels 122
Color Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Color Balance 132
Basic Saturation 137
Chapter 6 Image Cleanup 141
Cleanup Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
The Ethics of Image Cleanup 143
Clone Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Getting Started 144
Cloning Pixels 149
Fixing Mistakes 152
Healing Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Getting Started 155
Healing Pixels 157
Minimizing Healing 158
Spot Healing Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Patch Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

13. Part III Advanced Adjustments 165
Chapter 7 Advanced Tonal Adjustments 167
Shadow/Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Black and White Points 180
Anchor Points 181
Curves Pencil Tool 187
Dodge and Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Setting Up 190
Painting with Light 193
Correcting Mistakes 195
Chapter 8 Advanced Color Adjustments 199
Hue/Saturation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Using Preset Color Ranges 200
Customizing Ranges 203
Defining Inverse Ranges 205
Curves for Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Adjusting Channels 210
Selective Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Color Casts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Photo Filter 214
Average-Color Removal 217
Targeted Color Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Chapter 9 Making Selections 225
Selection Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Marquee 227
Lasso 236
Polygonal Lasso 238
Magnetic Lasso 241
Magic Wand 244
Quick Selection Tool 249
Color Range 250
Making Advanced Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252
Threshold Technique 252
Selection from Channel 254
Modifying Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Refine Edge 258
Quick Mask Mode 259
Modify Options 261
Saving and Loading Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Chapter 10 Targeted Adjustments 267
Introduction to Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268
Creating Composite Images 268
Clipping Groups 276

14. Adjustment-Layer Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
Mask from a Selection 278
Painting on a Mask 279
Masks Palette 283
Layer Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
Creating Adjustment Versions 285
Masking Multiple Adjustments 286
Applying Multiple Masks 288
Chapter 11 Creative Adjustments 291
Getting Creative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Colorize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Black and White Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295
Black and White Hue Shift 295
Black and White Adjustment 298
Blur Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Infrared Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
Vignette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Smart Filters 310
Filter Gallery 310
Masking Filters 312
Curves Color Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314
Creative Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Filtered Edge 315
Painted Edge 317
Part IV Finishing the Workflow 321
Chapter 12 Saving Files 323
Master-Image Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Filenames, Locations, and Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326
Photoshop PSD 328
TIFF 329
Choosing between PSD and TIFF 331
Chapter 13 Workflow Automation 333
Automation Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334
Image Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334
Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Recording Actions 338
Revising Actions 342
Playing Actions 345
Batch Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
Play Settings 345
Source Settings 346

15. Destination Settings 347
Error Handling 349
Process the Batch 349
Droplets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350
Chapter 14 Output Processing 353
Output Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354
Preserve the Master Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
Process a Working Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357
Duplicate Image 357
Flatten Image 357
Image Size 358
Unsharp Mask 360
Image Output 363
Save a Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Appendix Sample Workflow Checklist 369
Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370
Initial Image Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370
Basic Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370
Advanced Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370
Workflow Wrap-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .371
Index 372

16. Foreword
Photography has changed fundamentally over the last several years.
Digital cameras are now the norm, and film is rapidly being relegated to the shelf where
it takes its place next to VHS tapes, 8-tracks, and reruns of The Honeymooners. Jackie
Gleason was genius in his day and we can still laugh at the sketches, but we’ve moved
on as an audience. It’s the same with film. I love looking at the remarkable library of
imagery that was made with film, but my own skills with gelatin emulsions have given
way to techniques in Photoshop.
When Tim Grey wrote the first edition of Photoshop Workflow, many aspects
of digital imaging were still in some transition. There’s been a shakeout since then, and
today digital photography can be said to have matured considerably. It might be a little
early to call it an adult, but certainly we’re looking at technology that’s in the latter por-
tion of adolescence. The awkwardness and some of the attitude has faded, but there are
still plenty of things to learn before it heads off into the world alone.
When it comes to workflow, it’s the same story. Most of us are still trying to figure
out the best, most efficient way to get the job done. For those of us who began photog-
raphy with film and wet darkrooms, the learning curve has been challenging and it
has required looking at photography in a new way. In the first edition of this book, I
described the difference between a film- and digital-based workflow this way:
“Back in the age of film, the workflow was established by the parameters of the
medium itself. You exposed the film, sent it to a lab for processing, and made a
print or sent the image for prepress.
“But digital processes don’t lend themselves to such a linear progression. Every step
in the production of a digital image seems able to take on a new set of possible twists
and turns, some of which are productive and some of which are a waste of time.”
The trial and error of establishing a good and efficient workflow has driven many
a good and sensible photographer to his or her wit’s end.
New software comes on the scene with the promise of simplifying the workflow
while providing new features that we, as photographers, have requested to give us pow-
erful new workflow tools.
As a leader in this field, my friend Tim Grey has always been one to blaze a new
path in digital imagery. He has a natural curiosity and interest in new tools, and he has a
unique talent for seeing the best way to get things done. Speaking personally, I’d rather
be out shooting than trying to work out how to develop an efficient way of processing
my images from camera to print. Tim has taken the guesswork out of the process for
me; he has created workflow that makes sense and utilizes the new powerful software
tools that are available.
It’s as true today as when the first edition of this book came out: The best work-
flow is one that you shouldn’t have to think about. Whether you’re a pro, an amateur,
or an enthusiast, Tim will show you how to make an efficient workflow for you.
Christopher Robinson
Editor, Digital Photo Pro

17. Introduction
Following a workflow frees you to think about the effect on
the image rather than the process.
Digital photography is an interesting blending of art and technology. It includes
the artistic and aesthetic aspects of photography (which itself involves quite a bit of
technology) that are so subjective, as well as the finite aspects of digital technology,
where everything has discrete values. This combination allows you to be both creative
and scientific at the same time.
Although any art form deserves to be exercised with tremendous flexibility, digi-
tal technology calls for a certain amount of procedure. To anyone trying to be artistic,
procedure seems contradictory to creativity. And yet, there is much to be gained from
following a somewhat systematic workflow.
Following a workflow doesn’t eliminate the ability to exercise creativity and sub-
jective decision making about your photographic images. Instead, I see it as a way to
provide structure to your thinking that can help you expand the level of creativity you
can apply to your images. By having a systematic method for processing your images,
you’re free to think about the effect on the image rather than the actual process. And
just because you have a process doesn’t mean it isn’t unique or can’t be revised as the
situation warrants it.
In this book, I present a structure you can follow (and modify) when optimiz-
ing your images in Photoshop. It isn’t designed to be an absolute formula, but rather a
guide to help you define a structure for your own workflow. This process works well
as a basic flow, but that certainly doesn’t mean you should blindly follow the workflow
exactly as I present it. Instead, think of it as one way to approach the image-optimiza-
tion process, and then fine-tune it to meet your own needs.
Besides wanting to promote a natural flow for making adjustments to images, it
is also important to me that detail in the image be preserved and that adjustments be
made in a nondestructive manner. As you’ll see throughout the book, every adjustment
I perform is done on a separate layer, not only keeping the original data safe but also
enabling you to revise your adjustments at a later time with no penalty in image quality.
I hope it becomes obvious as you read this book that I am passionate about digi-
tal photography and image optimization in Photoshop. My greatest hope is that my
passion will be infectious and that you too will grow to be passionate about optimizing
your images (if you aren’t already).
May you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it; may you enjoy
the process of optimizing your own images as much as I do mine; and may the ever-
growing possibilities provided by digital imaging make you all the more enthusiastic
about photography.

18. What about Lightroom?
With all this talk about workflow, you may be wondering why this book is about Photoshop
instead of Lightroom. After all, Lightroom allows you to perform many of the image-optimi-
zation tasks you could otherwise perform in Photoshop, and is focused on providing a more
efficient workflow.
Throughout this book you will indeed find many references to Lightroom, outlining the things
Lightroom will contribute to your workflow. So why not abandon Photoshop altogether and
perform all your adjustments in Lightroom?
There are several answers to this in my mind. For one thing, many photographers aren’t able to
take full advantage of the end-to-end workflow in Lightroom because they don’t need to share
images with clients and are spending the majority of their digital darkroom time focused on
producing optimal results with a relatively small number of images.
Another consideration is that Lightroom is still relatively new, and although it offers many
incredible features, it still doesn’t provide everything a photographer might need in terms of
image optimization, and it doesn’t provide a particularly good solution for photographers who
xvi
still need to work with their images in Photoshop.
I N T ro D u c T I o N ■
Also, Lightroom takes a completely new approach to optimizing your images, and does away
with the layer-based approach used in Photoshop. As such, you don’t have a single file encap-
sulating all of the adjustments you’ve made, and you don’t have quite as much flexibility.
Although I find Lightroom to be a valuable tool for organizing my images, I still take my best
images into Photoshop and use layer-based adjustments to produce a master image file contain-
ing all of those adjustments, using that file as the basis for all future output for that image.
Lightroom most certainly provides some workflow advantages, and for many photographers rep-
resents an excellent workflow solution. I’ll address those issues in some of the chapters, but will
focus most of this book on showing you how to produce the best images possible in Photoshop.
Who Should Use This Book
Photoshop CS4 Workflow covers the full spectrum of adjustments you’ll want to
apply to photographic images in Photoshop. As a result, it is appropriate for photog-
raphers of all skill levels who would like some guidance in creating the best workflow
for image optimization. Beginning users will build a strong foundation and then be
able to move on to more advanced topics, while expert users will gain a greater under-
standing of the issues affecting workflow, as well as some new techniques they can use
on their images.
This book was written based on Adobe Photoshop cS4, but it’s also applicable
in large part for users of prior versions of Photoshop (though some new features will
obviously not be available).
If you’re a digital photographer who doesn’t feel totally confident that you’re
getting the most benefit from your image optimization in Photoshop, this is the book
for you.

19. What’s Inside
Chapter 1: Workflow Foundations will help you understand the principles of a good founda-
tion and will get you thinking about your priorities in an image-optimization workflow.
Chapter 2: Download and Sort provides guidance on the process of getting digital captures
onto your computer and then sorting and organizing them.
Chapter 3: RAW Conversion shows you how to process your rAW captures to retain maxi-
mum detail.
Chapter 4: Rotate and Crop provides the basics of cropping your images as well as rotating
them to set the proper orientation or to fix crooked horizons.
Chapter 5: Basic Tone and Color guides you through the basic adjustments that affect tone
and color in your images.
Chapter 6: Image Cleanup helps you master the art of repairing damage, dust spots, and
flaws in your images to help them look their best.
Chapter 7: Advanced Tonal Adjustments takes things a bit further with tonal adjustments,
showing you some of the advanced options available. xvii
■ I N T ro D u c T I o N
Chapter 8: Advanced Color Adjustments offers a look at some of the advanced options avail-
able for fine-tuning color in your images.
Chapter 9: Making Selections includes many methods for creating selections, from the basic
tools included in Photoshop through some advanced methods.
Chapter 10: Targeted Adjustments lets you put your selections, as well as other techniques,
to use so you can apply adjustments to specific areas of your images, which truly
unleashes the full power of Photoshop.
Chapter 11: Creative Adjustments gives you an opportunity to exercise a little creative license
with your images by using techniques that go beyond the basic photo optimization.
Chapter 12: Saving Files covers the basics of saving your image files to ensure that all the
work you’ve put into the image is retained for future output or revisions.
Chapter 13: Workflow Automation will help make your life easier by showing you how to
automate repetitive tasks that you need to apply to your images.
Chapter 14: Output Processing finishes up the workflow by discussing how to prepare your
images for final output.
Photoshop CS4 Workflow, Online
Some utilities and companion files mentioned in the book are available from Tim Grey’s
site, www.timgrey.com. Simply navigate to the Writing section of the website and find the
link to the downloads page associated with the listing for this book on the Books page.
Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you
need for your work. Please check their website at www.sybex.com for additional con-
tent and updates that supplement this book. Search for photoshop and workflow (or
the book’s ISBN, 9780470381281) to access the book’s update page.

21. Getting Started
Getting off to a good start is important in many
areas of life, and it is no different with your
digital photography workflow. Taking the right
approach at the early stages of your workflow
has a significant impact on your results. In this
first section, I’ll discuss some of the fundamental
considerations in establishing and following a
workflow for optimizing your digital photos,
I
and help you ensure the first steps you take in
that workflow are leading you down the right
path. I’m sure you’re eager to get to the advanced
techniques covered later, but I encourage you to
spend some time in this section so you can build
a solid foundation for your image-optimization
workflow.
Chapter 1 Workflow Foundations
Chapter 2 Download and Sort
Chapter 3 RAW Conversion

23. Workflow
Foundations
Whenever I think about optimizing a
photographic image, I tend to think about
“process.” That always gets me reminiscing
about working in a wet darkroom (ah, the
smells!), producing black-and-white prints
under the glow of red lights, and watching 3
■ Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s
an image magically appear on the exposed
paper as it soaks in the developer solution.
Of course, making a print in a wet darkroom
is a procedural process. You perform a series
of steps in the correct order.
1
When you’re working with digital images,
the process and options are considerably
different, but the concept of a workflow
still applies. Establishing an appropriate
workflow provides an efficient method of
working on your images to help ensure the
highest quality possible.
Chapter Contents
The Importance of Workflow
Establishing a Workflow
Revising Your Workflow

24. The Importance of Workflow
the term workflow has become a buzzword in the world of digital imaging, especially
with the advent of an entire category of workflow software that includes adobe Pho-
toshop lightroom and apple’s aperture. it’s no wonder the notion of workflow for
digital photographs led to an entirely new category of software. While many photog-
raphers embraced digital photography as a way to exercise increased control over the
process of producing a photographic image, it brought with it a steep learning curve, a
variety of new tools, and a certain amount of confusion about exactly how the process
should be approached.
a workflow in digital photography implies an end-to-end approach to dealing with
your images, from downloading them to your computer, to organizing them, opti-
mizing them to look their best, and sharing them in various ways. in this book i focus
the most attention on the workflow for optimizing your images in adobe Photoshop,
as that is an area photographers focus a lot of energy (to make their images look
their best) and tend to get confused (in large part because there are so many different
options available in Photoshop, and so many conflicting recommendations for how to
4
perform various tasks).
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
i’m a huge advocate for taking a deliberate approach to optimizing your digital
photographs. that means not taking a haphazard approach to the process, but it also
means not having a rigid set of rules that can never be broken. it means having a plan
for your digital-imaging workflow that will ensure an efficient process for you and the
best quality possible in the images you produce. understanding the benefits of a con-
sistent and optimized workflow will help you appreciate the importance of establish-
ing that workflow in the first place.
Quality
1:
chapter
Quality is always critical in a digital photograph. that doesn’t necessarily mean the
image must be perfectly sharp from edge to edge, or that there can’t be any noise, or
that it must obey the rule of thirds. it simply means the quality is the best it can be
based on what you’re trying to accomplish with the image (figure 1.1).
as much as i love using Photoshop to truly maximize the potential of a photo-
graphic image, i’m not a big fan of the “i’ll fix it in Photoshop” approach to digital
photography. i truly believe you need to do all you can at every stage of the workflow
to maximize the quality of the image (realizing quality is a subjective term). that qual-
ity starts with the original capture. so although this book focuses on what you do to
the image after the capture, it is important to realize that the actual photography is a
critical factor in the ultimate image quality you’ll achieve. to achieve the best results
at the end of your workflow, you need to start with the best images at the beginning of
your workflow.
as you take the steps to optimize your image, a proper workflow helps ensure
the best results. Having a plan for your workflow means you’re thinking about which
approach you’ll take, the methods you’ll use, and the order in which you’ll perform

25. the various adjustments applied to your images. these are key factors that affect the
quality of the final image, and having a plan focused on optimal quality will give you
much better results than adjusting your images in a haphazard fashion.
5
■ t H e i m P o rta n c e o f Wo r k f l oW
Figure 1.1 “Quality” doesn’t necessarily mean an image that is tack-sharp from edge to edge, or that exhibits other characteristics
we think of when talking about a photographic image. It simply means producing an image with the best results possible based on
your intent.
the bottom line is that you care about the quality of your images more than
anyone else does. You have already invested significant time, effort, and money to
ensure you can achieve the best results in your digital photography. taking the
time to develop an appropriate workflow for your digital images will enable you to
maintain that quality through to the final image.
Note: Quality can be a subjective factor in many images, especially when unique photographic
methods or special effects are used. Although the definition of optimal quality can vary by photog-
rapher or even by photographic image, your workflow should focus on maintaining the quality and
aesthetics of your original image as you captured it, while producing an improvement in the final result.
as you are defining (or fine-tuning) the workflow you use to optimize your
images, consider the effect of the particular methods you’re using, as well as the order
in which you perform tasks, to see if there are things you can do to improve image
quality. throughout this book, i’ll be sharing methods for achieving exactly those
high-quality results with your digital workflow.

26. Efficiency
although image quality tends to be a chief concern for most photographers (as it
should be), efficiency is also important. and it’s worth noting that the two do not
need to be mutually exclusive. You can work efficiently and still achieve maximum
image quality. in fact, oftentimes by increasing the efficiency of your workflow you’ll
improve the quality of your results as well.
as much as most photographers love working with their images—seeing them
transformed from good captures to remarkable images—generally they don’t want to
sit in front of the computer all day. they’d much rather be out taking new pictures. By
developing a general workflow, you can work much more efficiently. You won’t have
to stop and think about what the next step is. although some images will certainly
require extra attention, and at times you will need to try out various techniques before
achieving the desired result, an established workflow you are comfortable with will
make the work of perfecting your images go relatively quickly.
When giving presentations on digital imaging (see www.timgrey.com for a sched-
ule of upcoming appearances), i may take half an hour to fully discuss the details of
6 one particular adjustment, whereas making the adjustment as part of your normal
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
workflow may require mere seconds or a few minutes at most. the time spent under-
standing how the adjustment works is a worthwhile investment. When you’re familiar
with the tools, you’re able to use them much more efficiently. it may take some time
for you to fully grasp all the details, but by taking the time to truly understand how
the tools work, you’ll be much more efficient without compromising the quality of
your images.
Consistency
1:
another benefit of a consistent workflow is—no surprise here—consistency. this
chapter
relates to the two previous topics: by maintaining a consistent workflow, you’ll ensure
consistent quality in your images and a familiarity that will improve your efficiency.
When you find a workflow that works for one image, that workflow (with obvious
variations as needed for specific images) will work well for all of your images.
Note: Keep in mind that an established workflow doesn’t define absolute rules for the adjust-
ments you must make to all of your images, or even the specific order in which you must perform those
adjustments. Rather, it provides a roadmap that guides you through the best way to approach your
images for optimization.
in effect, if it makes sense to establish a workflow for optimizing your images
(and i certainly think it makes a lot of sense), it also makes sense to be consistent in
your use of that workflow. in other words, make a plan and stick to it to achieve the
maximum benefits.

27. Establishing a Workflow
Because you’re reading this book, i’m assuming you already appreciate the value
of establishing a workflow for optimizing your digital images. By extension, i also
assume you aren’t completely comfortable with the process you’re currently using. as
you work your way through this book, that will change.
as you begin creating a workflow that works for you, i strongly recommend
making duplicate copies of a couple of favorite images that could use some work, and
going through the process of experimenting with the adjustments that will form the
foundation of your workflow. Because they’re just copies of your images, you don’t
have to worry about whether you produce a good final result, and you can focus on
practicing the steps involved and figuring out what works best for you.
Note: Although this chapter is about establishing a workflow for your images, you won’t find
details of a specific workflow here. That’s because this entire book is about the workflow process, and
by going through the book in its entirety you’ll learn what steps you need to include in your own work-
flow, and in what order you’ll likely apply them. 7
■ e s ta B l i s H i n g a Wo r k f l oW
Workflow Philosophy
You may not consider the concept of a workflow in Photoshop to be the most philo-
sophical subject, but it is helpful to have a philosophy that drives your workflow.
at a fundamental level, my workflow philosophy revolves around maximizing
quality first and foremost, while trying to maintain the greatest efficiency and flexibil-
ity at the same time. for me, this approach unleashes the maximum potential of the
image and best leverages the power of Photoshop.
at a more tactical level, my philosophy about an image-optimization workflow
focuses on solving the biggest problem with the image first. now, when i say “problem,”
i don’t literally mean that, because i also feel it is important to start with the best
images possible. What i mean is that you should make the most significant adjustment
first. for most photographers, that tends to mean making tonal adjustments before
color adjustments, for example, but that is only a guideline and won’t be followed
rigidly. as you evaluate and work toward optimizing an image, start with what you
think is the most significant change to be applied, and work your way down to the
“fine-tuning” adjustments. this also involves starting with the global adjustments
(those that affect the entire image) and then narrowing your focus to adjustments that
affect only specific areas of the image.
this approach also applies at the level of an individual adjustment. for example,
the order in which you adjust each of the sliders for adjustments that contain multiple
sliders (which is pretty much all of them) is worth some consideration. When decid-
ing which slider to adjust first, i don’t simply go from top to bottom in the dialog
box. instead i start with the slider i feel represents the most significant or important

28. change to the image. for example, on an image with a magenta color cast, i’d start
with the green/magenta slider even though the red/cyan slider is at the top.
this philosophy can help guide you to a workflow that will work best for most
of your images, and will also help you make decisions that are specific to a given
image, rather than following a rigid workflow and not making any decisions at all.
Determine Priorities
Your priorities in optimizing your images probably reflect the topics covered in the
beginning of this chapter. in particular, you probably want to ensure maximum qual-
ity in your images while maintaining efficiency with your workflow. However, you
may also have other priorities for your images, which you’ll want to consider when
fine-tuning your workflow.
the first step in establishing a digital workflow is to think about what is impor-
tant to you and how you prefer to work. some of this relates to overall strategies.
for example, i strongly recommend using adjustment layers or separate image layers
for all adjustments. this approach will be emphasized throughout the book, with a
8
layer-based method for every adjustment presented. another aspect to consider is the
general flow of your adjustments. do you prefer to clean up dust and other blemishes
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
before you get started, or would you rather move right into tonal adjustments? this
book will present recommendations on the order in which you should make your
adjustments, and under which circumstances you should change that order.
of course, your priorities will depend in large part on the type of work you’re
doing and the deadline under which you’re operating. for example, photojournalists
often have speed as their utmost concern. for them, a workflow that focuses on meth-
ods to speed up the process of preparing images is optimal. for a nature photographer
producing large prints, quality is the greatest concern, even if that means taking con-
1:
siderably longer to process an image. for a given photographer, the optimal workflow
chapter
may even vary based on the particular project. the key is to define a workflow that
meets your typical production needs, but to remain flexible so you can revise your
workflow based on changing needs.
What you may find, however, is that when you use the best methods to assure
optimal image quality, and you start to learn more about how to use the best tools for
that purpose, you may find you’re also able to work quickly. in other words, with an
efficient workflow you understand, you can focus on speed and quality at the same
time, without really making any sacrifices.
Focus on Results
although workflow is all about a process, the real purpose of that process is to create
the final result (figure 1.2). Photographers typically capture images because they want
to produce beautiful prints or other output to share with as many viewers as possible.
We want that final output to be impressive, both because of the content of the image
and because of the quality of the final display. as such, it is important that you keep

29. thinking about the final result when you’re optimizing your images, as well as when
you’re figuring out your workflow in the first place.
9
■ e s ta B l i s H i n g a Wo r k f l oW
Figure 1.2 For most photographers, the ultimate result of their digital workflow is a high-quality
print they are proud to display for all to see.
You want to produce the best images possible, and a proper workflow will
ensure you are able to maintain that quality throughout the process. However, also
consider your intent for the final appearance of your images. How you want your
images to look at the end of the process can determine the steps you take to adjust
the images during that process. for example, if you are preparing an image for a bro-
chure and need it to be a real attention-grabber, you might boost the saturation and
kick up the contrast. the same image used for a restaurant menu might need to be

30. toned down for a more subtle appearance. a general workflow will provide the flex-
ibility to adjust the image either way, but the actual process may be different for each.
as you think about the results you are trying to achieve and the typical order
of priorities in producing the best results, you’ll get a sense of how you might organize
the process of optimizing your images. give some thought to the order in which you
should make your adjustments, and the factors that are particularly important to you
when it comes to your images. as you think about these topics, you’ll start to get a
feel for a workflow that will make sense for you and your images.
Note: I’d be the last person to suggest you need to write your own manual on how to apply a
workflow to your images (especially because this book can guide you through the workflow process).
However, it might make sense to write out the basic steps you feel are important as you develop your
own workflow. Also, be sure to see this book’s appendix for a guide you can use as you develop your own
workflow.
10 Maintain Flexibility
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
another important consideration for your workflow is flexibility. You want to be sure
your workflow is making your image-optimization process more efficient and that it
allows you to change your mind about what you want the image to look like.
A Flexible Attitude
one aspect of maintaining flexibility in your workflow is a state of mind. it is impor-
tant that you don’t get caught in the trap of always doing the same things to every
image. each image is unique and deserves to be optimized based on what you judge to
1:
be the best result for that particular image. i’ve known photographers who apply the
chapter
same adjustments with the same settings in the same order to every single image. this
robotic approach to image editing won’t demand too much of your time, but it also
won’t ensure optimal image quality. some images may be improved by the particular
adjustments, while others may be harmed.
even if you find that certain settings for some adjustments seem to work best
for every image, keep in mind that the workflow you establish is a basic guideline
for the general order in which you’ll perform your adjustments. don’t think of your
workflow as a rigid set of rules that dictate what steps should be taken and in what
order.
even after you’ve established a workflow that helps you achieve exceptional
results with your images, don’t be afraid to change things around for a particular
image. some images will have unique problems that need to be addressed early in the
workflow to maintain high quality. in other situations you’ll simply want to depart
from your typical workflow to produce a creative variation (figure 1.3). Whatever

31. the situation, there are many good reasons to depart from your typical workflow to
achieve certain goals. treat your workflow as a guide for producing the best results
with your typical images, but maintain the flexibility to change your process when
you feel it will benefit the final result.
11
■ e s ta B l i s H i n g a Wo r k f l oW
Figure 1.3 Even if you’re happy with the way an image has turned out, you may later decide you’d like to stretch the creative limits
of that image. Maintaining flexibility with your workflow helps ensure you can always act on your creative ideas.

32. Layer-Based Workflow
another aspect of maintaining flexibility is ensuring you’ll be able to change your
mind and revise the adjustments you’ve made to an image without reducing its quality
or causing an excessive loss of detail. using layers to optimize your images will ensure
you always maintain this flexibility.
i strongly advocate the use of layers for all adjustments to your images (fig-
ure 1.4). the use of layers ensures that the original information in your image is
always preserved, provides greater flexibility, and may improve the quality. through-
out this book you’ll find techniques for applying many adjustments, all performed
with adjustment layers whenever possible. When an adjustment layer doesn’t provide
the tools needed to achieve a particular change, separate image layers with particular
properties will be put to use. as a last resort, when the particular technique doesn’t
lend itself to using an adjustment layer or empty image layer for the adjustment, you
can create a duplicate of the background image layer for purposes of applying the
change. the Background layer itself should never be adjusted in a way that alters pixel
values, which pretty much means you will never do anything to your Background
12 layer. everything you do to change the appearance of your image will be on a layer
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
separate from the Background image layer.
1:
chapter
Figure 1.4 By using layers in your workflow, you’ll maintain the flexibility to revise the adjustments you’ve made at any time
without risking a loss of detail or quality in the image.
By following my recommendation to use a layer-based workflow, you’ll ensure
that the original image data contained in the Background layer is maintained. the
result is that you can always return to the image and remove particular adjustments,
or fine-tune that adjustment if you’ve changed your mind about the effect you’re look-
ing for. You may have experienced a situation where you’ve optimized an image, and

33. then opened it at a later date only to wonder what you were thinking when you made
the original adjustments. By working with layers you can ensure that such situations
don’t represent a need to compromise the overall quality of the image, but rather
represent opportunities to make the image even better than it was the first time you
worked on it.
Note: I’ll discuss more details of the benefits of adjustment layers in your workflow in Chapter 5,
“Basic Tone and Color.” Also in that chapter you’ll learn how Photoshop has organized adjustment layers
into a new Adjustments palette; see the section “Adjustment Layers and Photoshop CS4.”
Revising Your Workflow
i think of a digital-imaging workflow as a living entity—not because i have some weird
fascination with workflow, but because i realize that your typical workflow will change
over time. You need to be comfortable revising your workflow to take advantage of
new techniques you learn. 13
■ r e v i s i n g Yo u r Wo r k f l oW
Nothing Is Permanent
a variety of factors may lead you to revise the way you work on your images. for one
thing, as you learn new image-editing techniques you may want to incorporate them
into your workflow. as you read more books, take workshops, or just talk to others
who are also involved in digital photography, you’ll discover new methods that pro-
vide efficient ways to achieve similar results or ways to produce completely new varia-
tions of your images.
Because it is simply a guideline for adjustments, a general workflow provides
the flexibility to incorporate new methods into the process of optimizing your images.
However, in many cases you may develop a specific workflow that involves performing
specific actions (with variable settings) in a specific order. to ensure you are always
able to achieve the best results, be willing to revise your workflow to incorporate new
skills as you learn them.
another factor that can impact your workflow is changes in software. With
each new version of Photoshop or with the release (or discovery) of new plug-ins and
filters, you’ll find ways to add efficiency and creativity to your normal workflow.
the key is to be willing to revise your workflow when appropriate. if you learn
a way to make your workflow more efficient or to provide even better results, by all
means change your workflow to include such techniques.
Evolving Requirements
as you continue working with your images, you’ll likely find that your own require-
ments will evolve. there are two general categories for these changing requirements.
the first category represents actual changes to the results you need to produce.
for example, if you’ve been producing only ink-jet prints but now need to be able to
prepare your images for offset press output, you may need to revise your workflow

34. to be sure you’re producing the best results for that type of output. if you create a
website to share your images, you may also need to alter your workflow to include
steps for preparing smaller versions of the images as well as thumbnail representa-
tions. Whatever the reasons, you’ll likely find the requirements placed on your images
change over time, and you’ll want to be sure your workflow is always ready to meet
those demands.
the second category has to do with the likelihood that your standards will get
higher with time. if you’ve been working with digital imaging for any length of time,
you can probably relate to this from your own experience. When the first photo ink-jet
printers became available, most of us were thrilled with the quality they could provide.
However, if you compare that early output to what today’s photo ink-jet printers are
able to achieve, those older models will seem totally inadequate (figure 1.5). What
used to be considered excellent quality is now rated as garbage.
14
Wo r k f l oW f o u n dat i o n s ■
(Photo courtesy ePson AmericA, www.epson.com)
1:
chapter
Figure 1.5 Today’s photo ink-jet printers produce considerably better quality than those of just a few
years ago.
similarly, you’ll likely find that your own standards increase over time. as you
become more skilled in the optimization of your images, you may open older images
and wonder how you ever let yourself print them because you know you can do so
much better today. Your developing skills in image optimization will call for revisions
to your overall workflow.

35. the workflow you use to optimize your images will continue to evolve. the
most important thing is to implement a workflow so it can evolve. evaluate your images,
consider the adjustments that are necessary to achieve the results you desire, and think
about a logical way to apply those adjustments that will provide an efficient way to
produce consistently high-quality results.
By taking the time to develop such a workflow, you’ll ensure that the process is
working for you, rather than creating a situation where you are working hard but not
producing the consistent quality you desire. With a proper workflow—as you’ll find
throughout this book—you’ll be able to unleash the great potential of the pixels in
your images.
15
■ r e v i s i n g Yo u r Wo r k f l oW

37. Download and Sort
The real workflow for your digital photos
starts before the images even reach your
computer. Of course, I usually think about
2
the digital workflow as starting before I
even press the shutter release button, but the
actual workflow of optimizing your images
starts with the process of downloading and
17
sorting your images. Proper techniques ensure
■ D ow n l oa D a n D S o rt
you’ll safeguard your images and keep your
growing collection of photographs organized.
Chapter Contents
Adobe Bridge
Downloading Photos
Sorting Images in Bridge
Evaluating Images

38. Adobe Bridge
adobe Photoshop (and the broader adobe Creative Suite) includes a tool called adobe
Bridge that enables you to perform a considerable amount of image management
(Figure 2.1). It is a photo browser that includes some great features for downloading,
sorting, and organizing your images. although there are other tools out there from
a variety of companies that enable you to perform many of these tasks, the fact that
Bridge is included with Photoshop and provides all the basic features most photogra-
phers will need makes it a good solution.
18
D ow n l oa D a n D S o rt ■
2:
chapter
Figure 2.1 Adobe Bridge, which is included with Photoshop, is a tool for managing your images.
Bridge can be accessed from within Photoshop, but it is actually a separate appli-
cation you can launch by itself, meaning you don’t need to have Photoshop running in
order to use Bridge. If you already have Photoshop running, you can launch Bridge by
selecting File > Browse from the menu or by clicking the launch Bridge button to
the right of the menu bar.
Preferences
Before you start working with Bridge, it is a good idea to set the preferences to make
sure they are set the way you want them. to access the Preferences dialog box, select Edit >
Preferences (Bridge > Preferences on Mac oS) from the menu in Bridge (Figure 2.2).
on the left side of the Preferences dialog box is a list of the “pages” available in
Preferences. to access options in a particular category, click the name of the page you
want to access.

39. Figure 2.2 The Preferences dialog box contains a variety of settings that affect how 19
Bridge operates.
■ a DoBE Br I DgE
What about Lightroom?
In many ways you can think of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom as a replacement for Adobe Bridge,
Adobe Camera Raw, and Photoshop. While Lightroom doesn’t include all of the features of all of
these individual tools, it includes most of the key features needed by photographers to manage
their images in their digital workflow.
Because of this overlap in features, many photographers are not sure which of these tools they
should be using to manage their digital images. The key difference between the two is that
Bridge is a “browser” application, and Lightroom is a “database” application. In many ways this
is a minor difference, but it does create some rather significant differences in terms of the per-
formance and utility of the particular tool.
If you already have a system for organizing your images utilizing a folder structure, you might
be perfectly happy using Bridge for your image-management needs. If you want to have a cen-
tral application that manages your entire library of photographic images and helps streamline
your workflow, Lightroom provides a good solution.
Because Lightroom is an integrated workflow application that includes its own tools for optimizing
your images, and because it doesn’t provide ideal integration with Photoshop in terms of moving
images back and forth between the two applications, in many ways it is best to choose either Light-
room or the combination of Photoshop, Bridge, and Camera Raw for your imaging work.
In this chapter I present image management within Bridge, but you could also use Lightroom for
this purpose to take advantage of some of the advanced capabilities it offers.

40. General
the general page of the Preferences dialog box contains some basic settings that affect
the appearance and behavior of Bridge.
the first set of options on the general page relates to the colors used within
Bridge. Sliders that allow you to adjust the brightness of the interface (sliding between
Black and white) are provided. the User Interface Brightness affects the background
color of the general interface areas (such as the background of the Folders panel), and
the Image Backdrop slider affects the background color of all areas behind images
(such as behind thumbnails and previews). the accent Color dropdown allows you to
set a color for selected items, including images, folders, or other items you’re able to
select within Bridge. You can select a specific color from the list, or leave it at the Default
value to allow the color settings in your operating system to determine this color (the
System option will cause the settings you have established for your operating system
to determine these colors).
the first item in the Behavior section is a checkbox called Double-Click Edits
Camera raw Settings in Bridge. when this checkbox is selected, double-clicking on a
20 raw capture will not open (or switch to) Photoshop, but instead will simply bring up
D ow n l oa D a n D S o rt ■
the Camera raw dialog box directly within Bridge. this allows you to adjust the con-
version settings for the image without launching Photoshop, which can help speed up
your workflow. this is helpful when you want to make adjustments to the raw image
but don’t want to complete the workflow at the same time (though clicking open in
Camera raw will cause the converted image to be opened in Photoshop). the next time
you open an image that has been adjusted in this manner, the settings you applied will
be retained and used for the raw conversion (unless you change those settings at that
2:
time). I’ll discuss the details of using adobe Camera raw to convert your raw captures
chapter
in Chapter 3, “raw Conversion.”
the next checkbox determines whether you need to hold the Ctrl/Command
key while clicking to bring up the loupe display (I’ll talk more about the loupe display
later) for getting a closer look at your image. By default all you need to do is click on
the preview of the image to bring up the loupe display. If you find yourself inadvertently
clicking on the image and bringing up the loupe when you don’t want it, you can select
this checkbox so you need to hold Ctrl/Command while clicking to display the loupe.
Even with this option selected, you only have to click again at the “point” of the loupe to
hide it again.
the number of recent Items to Display setting controls how many images will
be shown on the list when you select File > open recent from the menu. this is a help-
ful feature that allows you to quickly open recent files without needing to remember
where they are. I find 10 is usually adequate, but you can set the value as high as 30 if
you like.
the Favorite Items section contains a series of checkboxes that determine what
items will be listed in the Favorites panel in Bridge (I’ll talk more about this panel