From Christina Armbrust, Studio Manager, Palio

I was looking at all of the new features offered in Photoshop CS5 and I thought I would share some things about the new software I’ve found particularly helpful.

One of the cool new tools in CS5 is called Content-Aware fill. I have done quite a few projects airbrushing objects in Photoshop and this is such an incredible time saver if you want to remove unwanted image detail. Here’s how it works: first, select the healing brush tool and click the box that says content aware; then just brush over the object that you don’t want in the image. This part is really cool as objects disappear before your eyes and Photoshop automatically fills on the lighting, tone, and noise and it looks as though that part of the image never existed.

Next I want to highlight is Puppet Warp which allows you to select part of an image and then bend and move the image around. It’s easy to use and gives you a lot of control on warping and moving around the image. Go under the edit menu and select Puppet Warp; place points on the parts of the image you want to maneuver. It’s a great tool for repositioning objects, resizing parts of an image, or changing focal points.

The Mixer Brush tool is really nice because it allows you to take everyday images and work with different brushes to create nice painting effects. Just click on the brush tool in the palette and select Mixer Brush tool and start painting. It’s that easy.

As we all know one of the hardest things to do is cut a path for images when hair is involved. We all want to avoid the “Helmet Head” look. And, luckily, Adobe did their homework. Go into Refine Edge, give yourself a larger radius, and click on smart radius. Then use the touch up brush to work with the mask until you achieve your goal. The Refine Edge can also remove color contamination of the image if it was on a background that you are trying to knockout. Brilliant!

Lastly, I would like to touch upon the ability to turn 2D text into 3D. This is so cool! Make a text box, set your color, go under the 3D menu and open Repoussé. It will rasterize the text and automatically bring up a 3D model of the image. There are all sorts of controls for you to manipulate the object. A really nice thing about this is that you can bring the image into After Effects and it will work with the program.

Nice job, Adobe!

Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.