Terry White of the Creative Suite Podcast has posted a video showcasing one of the coolest new features of Adobe Acrobat 9. In this tutorial Terry shows you how to take your Flash content and place it into a PDF file! I recently saw a feature of this demo and I have to say, it’s quite impressive.

All you have to do is take your SWF or FLV files and place them directly in your PDF document for playback to your clients. This is going to be extremely useful for adding demo videos to your PDF content and even giving rough demos of your RIA’s (Rich Internet Applications).

To view Terry’s tutorial simply visit the Creative Suite Podcast Page.

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Recently Adobe made a huge splash by announcing the release of the Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 Public Beta. For those of you who aren’t aware, Photoshop Lightroom is Adobe’s digital photography workflow tool for professional photographers.

If you’re a registered Lightroom 1.0 user, you’ll be able to download and use the beta for the duration of the beta testing period. If you aren’t a registered 1.0 user, then you can still download and use the beta, but you’ll only be able to use it for a period of 30 days.

Users will be pleased to know that Lightroom 2.0 is available as a 64-bit application, which should cutdown on load and processing times and give users a more streamlined application to work with. Other features include the following:

Multiple Monitor Support -

LR is now optimized for multiple monitors and includes for modes for viewing on an alternate screen (Grid, Loupe, Compare, and Survey).

Enhanced Develop Module -

Users now have the ability to make non-destructive localized dodge and burn modifications to their photos.

Vignettes can now be applied post-crop. Meaning that the vignette will be rendered after the user crops the photograph, thus eliminating the vignette itself being cropped from the final composition.

Revamped Library -

The Library now has a more sleek and streamlined appearance which should simplify things a bit for beginners.

Another aspect of this streamlined interface is the Filter Bar. This feature is located at the top of the Library Module and allows users to instantly filter content based on text, flags, ratings, and metadata. This should make it easier for users to find what they need, when they need it.

Users can now create what is called a Smart Collection. Smart Collections are collections that automatically incorporate images based on a set of user-defined criteria. This is similar to adding rules in a mail application and gives you a tremendous amount of control when creating new catalogs while still giving you the joy of an automated process.

The Keyword feature of Lightroom also received an upgrade. Now when you’re adding keywords to your photos, Lightroom will give you some suggested keywords to help simplify the process.

Playing Better With Others -

Lightroom 2.0 now integrates much better with it’s “older brother” Photoshop CS3. Perhaps the best feature of this integration is the ability to open files in Photoshop as Smart Objects. This allows you to bring a file from Lightroom into Photoshop and edit it non-destructively with Photoshop’s Smart Filters. Of all the enhancements of Lightroom 2.0 this one is definitely in my top-five.

Merging documents between Photoshop and Lightroom has gotten a lot easier as well. In LR 2.0 users have the ability to merge multiple photos into a panorama using Photoshop’s Photomerge feature, combine multiple exposure images into a single Photoshop HDR image, and also load multiple files into a single PSD document with each one residing on its own layer.

Printing Made Easier -

Another area that saw vast improvement in Lightroom 2.0 was the printing module. Users can now create multi-page layouts using the Picture Package feature, and output directly to JPEGS upon print.

In addition to the enhanced features of Lightroom 2.0, Adobe has gone to great links to make sure that you can test the new beta version while still being able to continue your primary workflow in the original version of Lightroom. One such feature that they have implemented is that you will not be able to open LR 1.x catalogs in Lightroom 2.0. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally open your catalogs in the beta program, thus avoiding potential damage or data loss down the road.

If you would like more information about the new Photoshop Lightroom Public Beta, visit Adobe Labs, The NAPP Lightroom Learning Center, or my website at http://www.justinseeley.com.

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Photoshop Express is Adobe’s new online Photoshop program. This service is offered by Adobe free of charge and gives the user 2GB of storage space and also a custom web address to display their photo galleries. Adobe says that they see a trend of more and more users being online and also a custom web address to display their photo galleries (yourname.photoshop.com).

Who Should Use It?

Adobe Photoshop Express isn’t going to entice professional photographers. In fact it may not even attract the attention of the serious hobbyist, but for entry-level consumers and younger users (those who tend to spend more time online in the first place), this will be a great service where they can enhance the quality of their photos and quickly get them online to share with friends and family.

What are the Limitations?

Express is more like a light version of Lightroom than Photoshop. There are no layers or layer masking tools available to you, and no curves or levels either. These are essential features for most “real” Photoshop users and it’s because of these missing features that I don’t foresee very many traditional users paying much attention to this service. There are a few effects, but they are a far cry from the filters most people are used to.

How do I signup and get free web space for a gallery?

To get started with Photoshop Express you’ll need to visit the Photoshop Express Website by going to www.photoshop.com/express. When you get to this page you’ll need to navigate to one of the buttons that say “Join Now.” When you click this you’ll be prompted to fill-in a little personal information, and also have the chance to pick out your new gallery address (yourname.photoshop.com). Once you’ve completed the sign-up process, Adobe will send you a confirmation email for you to verify your account. Just click the link to verify your account and enjoy your 2GB of free storage and web gallery features!

How do I use the tools?

The adjustments available to you are broken down into three main categories: Basics, Tuning, and Effects. The Basics panel includes Crop & Rotate, Auto Correct, Exposure, Red-Eye Removal, Touchup, and Saturation. Tuning includes White Balance, Highlight, Fill Light, Sharpen, and Soft Focus. The Effects panel includes options for Pop Color, Hue, Black & White, Tint, Sketch, and Distort.

The tools are very simple to use. Most of them are just point-and-click adjustments that are instantly applied to your images. However, some of them do require the occasional value or slider adjustment but for the most part you just pick and choose your options until you get the desired look on your photographs.

How do I prep images for Facebook, email, websites?

Photoshop Express integrates seamlessly with several sites including Facebook, Photobucket, and Picasa. To access your photos from these other sites simply go to the My Photos section of PS Express, and login to your accounts by clicking the links in the left sidebar.

Once you’ve edited your photos, you can then add them to an album, or to your public gallery. You also have the option to e-mail your edited photos, grab a link code for your gallery to share on the web, and even grab an embed code to include your gallery on your website or blog.

How do I save settings?

Saving settings is a snap! All you have to do is apply your desired settings and click the save button in the bottom right corner of the editing window. If you make a mistake, or decide you don’t like the settings you’ve applied, you also have the option to reset your settings and go back to your original photo. Comparing your images is easy too. Simply click and hold on the Show Original button to get an instant preview of what your photo looked like before you applied your adjustments.

How do I learn more advanced tricks?

If you’d like to learn more about Photoshop Express and the capabilities you have when using it, check out Matt Kloskowski’s Learning Center or by visiting my website at justinseeley.com!

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I get tons of email from readers/viewers each and every week, and I also participate in various Photoshop/Adobe forums around the web. One of the questions that is constantly popping up is whether or not taking an Adobe ACE Exam is worth it. Well, personally I feel that it is.

Adobe offers many levels of certification. You can obtain an ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) credential in a single application, become a Specialist in a specific field (web, print, or video), and even obtain a Master certification for all Creative Suite applications. There’s no doubt that the Master certification is the “Holy Grail” of certifications, but most people tend to focus on their main area of expertise (i.e. Web, Print, Video).

Currently I am certified in both Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom, but I plan to certify in many more applications this year. I believe that by certifying my skills in these various applications, I give my customers (and viewers) a sense of confidence that I know what I’m talking about when I’m giving them instruction or advice. I also believe that being an ACE can help you tremendously in the job market. Now I’m not saying that obtaining an ACE would be the lone reason behind you getting a job, but in the bigger picture it’s an asset that will help take the rest of your repertoire over the top.

Think about it. If you are going one-on-one with someone for a job as a retouching artist, and for the sake of argument let’s say you both have equally impressive resumes and portfolios, but you are the one with Adobe Certified Credentials… Who do you think they’re going to hire? I guess in the end it’s all up to you and the true impact of being ACE certified will be determined by your future employers and customers, but I just thought I would voice my opinion on the matter and answer the question that I am asked so frequently.

For more information on ACE certification visit Adobe’s Website.

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1. This Week in Photography
2. Photoshop User TV
3. Photoshop Killer Tips
4. Adobe Photoshop Quicktips
5. Lightroom Killer Tips
6. Lightroom for Digital Photographers
7. Photoshop for Digital Photographers
8. Adobe Creative Suite Podcast
9. Layers TV
10. Photoshop Elements Killer Tips

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