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Photoshop CS5: Blending Modes for Pictures

GUEST BLOGGER: Cristian Easterly, Applications Instructor

Adding a blending mode to a layer can add a quick effect to a photo or logo design in just a few simple clicks of the mouse. Think of it as blending two layers into each other.

The two most commonly used blend modes are Multiply and Screen. They darken or lighten images respectively. All of the blend modes are just different ways to make two layers interact with each other.

Blend modes can be found in your layers panel in the drop down menu towards the top. By default, it should say “Normal.” When adding a blend mode to a layer, keep in mind that it will effect that layer and the layer below it. Make sure your layers are in the correct stacking order before adding a blend mode or you will not get the results you want.

To start, I have my background layer (“Background”) changed to “Layer 0” so that it can be hidden. To unlock your background layer, simply double click and when prompted to name the layer, click “OK.” Once you have the layer unlocked, you can click the hide/show icon (looks like an eye) to hide the layer.

I also added a photo on a new layer above a rectangle shape on a separate layer. These will be the two layers that I will blend together.

Here is what the layers will look like:

The next step is to move the layers so that they are overlapping. The photo layer should be above the rectangle layer, so you will not be able to see the rectangle once they are stacked on top of one another. Once you add a blend mode, you will be able to see the rectangle layer.

Make sure you have your photo layer selected and choose a blend mode from the drop down list at the top of your layers panel. You can always choose the layer with the blend mode, and change it back to “Normal” if you do not like the effect. Blend modes are all about preference. Which one looks best to you?

This is what the photo looks like with the blend mode “Overlay” chosen. The layer with the purple rectangle that it is being blended with, will effect the way the picture will look. By changing the color, the blending mode will look different.

The only change I made here was changing the fill color of the rectangle layer behind the picture. By doing this, the two layers will blend differently.

Blend modes will work with any kind of layer. Remember that adding a blend mode will change the way TWO layers interact with each other so make sure the layer below the selected layer is the right fit for the blend mode. By changing the color and blend mode, you can have hundreds of effects on one photo.

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Create Sparklines in 2010

GUEST BLOGGER: Steve Chase, Applications Instructor. MOS, MCT

Sparklines are a cool, new charting feature in Excel 2010. Basically they are charts contained within a single cell range.

There are three types of sparklines (line, column, and win/loss). Make sure that you have a contiguous series of numerical data before you are ready to insert Sparklines. The series of data can make up either a row or column.

To create a Sparkline, first click inside of the cell you wish to display it in. Then click the Insert tab and choose the type of Sparkline you desire (line, column or win/loss). Now just drag your mouse to input the data range. Verify that the location range is already entered based on the active cell. Click OK.

Tip: you can left click and drag the auto-fill handle (the tiny black square at the bottom of the cell) to copy the Sparklines to adjacent rows or columns.

What types of spreadsheets are perfect for sparklines?

Avoid information overload when logging

Logging is one of the most important tools when troubleshooting network problems. However, its usefulness is greatly diminished if you log so much information that you’re unable to find what’s important.

One key to avoiding information overload is to log errors, not warnings. If you need more information to resolve a problem, you can go back to logging warnings, or even several levels beyond if necessary. IOS supports the following logging levels:

0 emergencies
1 alerts
2 critical
3 errors
4 warnings
5 notification
6 informational
7 debugging

In configuration command mode, you can set the logging sent in various places to the desired level:

logging console errors
logging monitor errors
logging buffered errors
logging trap errors

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Update Your Windows Forms Application

GUEST BLOGGER: Mark Rosenberg, 5 time MVP. MCP, MCTS, MCPD, MCT, STEP

For my first entry I would like to talk about ClickOnce. It is very cool technology allowing you to automatically update your Windows Forms application. One popular feature is that you can add your own prerequisite to the application. There is even a tool that you can use to generate the manifest requirements here: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/bmg. There is an article about how to use it here: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/Add_Custom_Prerequisite.aspx

To do this process manually, the first thing I did was create a standard Windows Installer for my application. I tested this with the Windows Forms application but you can also test with a Console Application.

Next I copied the application to a language subfolder to a subfolder of the BootStrapper folder. The default location looks like this:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\BootStrapper\Packages\(packagenamehere)\en

Inside this folder I have the MSI Installer I created and a new xml document called Package.xml. Here is what my package.xml document looks like:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?>

</PackageFiles>

</ExitCodes>

</Command>

</Commands>

</Package>

You would just need to change the HelloWorld to what you named your application and MSI file (My MSI file is called HelloWorldInstaller).

There is only one more thing you need to do to make the prerequisite work. You need another xml document in the folder one level up. In my example the folder would be here:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\BootStrapper\Packages\(packagenamehere)

This xml file is called Product.xml and it looks like this:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″ ?>

<Product

xmlns=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper”

ProductCode=”HelloWorldSetup”/>

Once again change the ProductCode to match the installer name. That’s it. When I go to publish a ClickOnce program, the HelloWorld prerequisite is available to me just like any other.

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Place a search on your website for free

Adding a search engine to your website can cost a small fortune if you don’t shop around. Fortunately, we have two solutions for obtaining a free search. Atomz Corporation, www.atomz.com, offers the Atomz Express Search. It’s a free commercial solution that you can implement in just a few minutes. To learn more about the Atomz Express Search check out www.atomz.com/applications/search/trial.htm. Another free search solution is on Bravenet’s site at www.bravenet.com/webtools/search2/index.php. You can try either of these resources for free and if later you wish decide that you need a larger search you can upgrade.

New Horizons offers a full suite of courses from the top vendors of design and media software, including Microsoft and Adobe. These hands-on courses are available in multiple delivery formats and for an array of users. Explore courses here.

Take advantage of Linux standardization on FlexPod

Linux standardization is helpful for ensuring that enterprise software is well-supported and for simplifying system management. Red Hat’s partnership with Cisco should help extend this process for data centers.

In Fall 2011, Red Hat partnered with Cisco to offer Red Hat Enterprise Linux RHEL for FlexPod, Cisco and NetApp’s virtualization deployment infrastructure.

You can find out more about Red Hat’s partnership with Cisco at Red Hat’s Cisco page:

www.redhat.com/promo/cisco/

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Let [Ctrl]Z become you best friend in Outlook

Pressing [Ctrl]Z reverses many actions in Outlook. For example, if you move a message to a different folder, delete a message, or type a sentence you don’t want to include in an email, just press [Ctrl]Z to undo the action. You must press [Ctrl]Z, however, before performing any other action. This doesn’t work for everything (i.e., you can’t undo sending a message or meeting request), but give it a try next time you accidentally perform a step. You may be pleasantly surprised at the power of this handy little keyboard shortcut.

Refresh your Outlook skills with a class from New Horizons.

Preview your changes more naturally by turning off marching ants

Marching ants can be distracting when working on a selected image area in Photoshop. An easy solution to this problem is to hide them. After you create the selection, simply choose View > Show > Selection Edges. This turns off the selection edges, giving you a more natural and pleasing view of your image. When you want to see the selection edges, simply choose View > Show > Selection Edges again, and the marching ants return.

Link to another presentation and then return to your main presentation

For greater flexibility when you present, you can link to other presentations. The flexibility comes about because you can decide on the fly whether to use the links. If you have extra time or a member of the audience asks a relevant question, you click on a presentation’s link to go to the presentation on that topic.

When you’re done covering that topic, you just press [Esc] to exit the second presentation. You’ll find yourself back on the same slide that contained the link.

Set up the hyperlink

First, create your main presentation. Then you’re ready to link to another presentation.

To link to another presentation:
1. Move the other presentation, if necessary, to the same folder as your main presentation. Keeping the presentations in the same folder avoids broken links that can occur if you take your show on the road or share it with others.
2. In your main presentation, insert an AutoShape (called a shape in PowerPoint 2007) and enter text to indicate the topic of the second presentation. Format the text and colors so that they’re clear and legible.
3. Press [Ctrl]K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.
4. Click the Existing File Or Web Page button on the left side of the dialog box. Navigate to the second presentation and click OK.

Always test your hyperlinks in Slideshow view to make sure they work. When you click the hyperlink, the second presentation opens. You may see a dialog box (which varies according to your version of PowerPoint) requiring you to allow the hyperlink.

Run through the presentation and press [Esc] to end the presentation. You’ll automatically return to the slide in the original presentation containing the hyperlink. You can now continue the original presentation.