Adobe Photoshop CS5: A Few of My Favorite Things, Part I

by Barbara Binder

Photoshop CS5 is out and has lots of really cool new features.  I'm going to cover a few of my favorites over the next few weeks, starting with mind-boggling Content Aware Fill.

Content Aware Fill is a new technique that seamlessly fills a selection with similar image content nearby. For the best results, create a selection that extends slightly into the area you want to replicate. (A quick lasso or marquee selection is often sufficient.)

Here's how it works:

1. Open an image and make a rough selection. Notice that this selection includes some of the background.
   
   
   
   
2. Choose Edit > Fill and from the Use drop-down menu, select Content-Aware.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the OK button.
   
   
4. After a few moments of processing Photoshop succeeds in removing the selection and builds a wall in its place! For a long-time Photoshop user like me, this is nothing short of magical.
   
   
   

Not impressed? How about some more examples...

Here's a second example, this time, removing the lines of paint from the parking lot:

Now, let's be realistic. This feature is not going to work on every image, every time. Here's a third example:



Curiously, tree stumps appear as our cyclist is removed. Truthfully, I'm still impressed. Removing the stumps is a quick task for an experienced Photoshop user. I'm thrilled I don't have to build the railing, the sidewalk or the ground in the background!

Note: All images used in this training post are courtesy of Adobe Systems, Inc.

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If you are new to Photoshop and want to get up to speed quickly, join IconLogic's instructor-led, online Introduction to Adobe Photoshop class. Too elementary for your skill level? How about the Advanced Photoshop class? Hope to "see" you there.

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About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.