Whether you take photographs with a digitial camera, scan pictures, or create your own original artwork, you'll need a good imaging tool to tweek your pictures. Low-end packages let you do basic visual manipulations such as adjusting brightness or cropping the picture. High-end packages provide tools and filters to transform an image and save it many different ways. Adobe is the software publisher best-known for graphics. Their imaging software includes PhotoShop, ImageReady, Illustrator, and Photo Elements. Other companies such as Macromedia also produce popular software such as Fireworks which has replaced PhotoShop as a favorite for producing web-based visuals. Many other tools can be used for imaging including Corel Draw. Some integrated packages such as AppleWorks contains paint and draw options within their software.

Adobe PhotoShop

Adobe PhotoShop is one of the most popular desktop image editing and graphic manipulation packages. Users can make original artwork, scan images, or transform images. Tools and filters can help users adjust brightness, contrast, and color along with retouching and reinventing pictures. The images can then be saved in many file formats.

Use the following off-site resources to learn more about using the Adobe Photoshop software:

• Adobe Photoshop from Adobe
• Adobe Photoshop Support Page from Adobe
• Adobe Photoshop Tutorials from Adobe
• Adobe Photoshop from Web Reference
• Ask the Graphics Oracle from Laurie McCanna
• Beginners - Tutorials in Photoshop from the UK
• Deep Space Web - tutorials
• Designs by Mark - tips and tutorials
• Editing Images with Adobe Photoshop
• Intermediate Photoshop Techniques from Cornell
• Jay Arraich’s Photoshop Elements TipsPhotoShop from Tech4Learning
• Kai's Power Tips and Tricks for Adobe Photoshop
• Perfect Pixels - Photoshop Tutorials
• Photoshop Elements Tutorials from Adobe
• Photoshop Tips from Laurie McCanna
• Photoshop Tutorials and Tips from Rainworld
• Photoshop Tutorials
• Photoshop Crash Course from Webmonkey
• PhotoShop Resources Area from Iowa State
• PhotoShop Tutorials

• Adobe Photoshop Guide PDF from Iowa State

Adobe ImageReady

Adobe ImageReady is used to get graphics ready for use on the web or for other purposes. It's often used along with PhotoShop to create animations.

Use the following off-site resources to learn more about using the Adobe ImageReady software:

• Adobe ImageReady from Iowa State
• Adobe ImageReady Tutorials - tips and tutorials
• One Day ImageReady Tutorial from Webmonkey
• Slicing Images in ImageReady

Adobe PhotoShop Elements

Adobe PhotoShop Elements is used for creating and editing digital images for printing or for the web.

Use the following off-site resources to learn more about using the Adobe Photoshop Elements software:

• Adobe Photo Elements Tutorial
• Photo Elements Tutorials
• Photoshop Elements Tutorials

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is known as a "draw" or "vector graphic" program. It's used to create outline art of things such as logos, technical drawings or other artwork that requires drawing, organizing, and filling lines and shapes.

Use the following off-site resources to learn more about using the Adobe Illustrator software:

• Adobe Illustrator Tutorial from Adobe
• Adobe Illustrator Tutorial from Washington
• Adobe Illustrator Tutorial from TechNoZone

Macromedia Fireworks

Macromedia Fireworks has become a popular tool for creating images for the web. Although Fireworks is a vector-based program, it contains bitmap effects for modifying images. Use this software to create and optimize web graphics, create image maps, and add text elements to visuals. Visuals can then be exported in GIF and JPEG formats.

Use the following off-site resources to learn more about using the Macromedia Fireworks software:

• Macromedia Fireworks from Macromedia
• Macromedia Fireworks Support Page from Macromedia
• Macromedia Fireworks - free trail version from Macromedia
• Fireworks from THREAD
• Learning Fireworks 4 from Trainingtools
• One Day Fireworks Tutorial from Webmonkey
• Fireworks Tutorial from PA
• Playing with Fire

Funding for this project was provided through a grant from Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) from the US Department of Education.

Principal Investigators

Dr. Berhane Teclehaimanot, Principal Investigator & Assistant Professor, College of Education

Created 2/03. Last Updated 4/06.